1. The Beliefs of Buddhism
Section 8-2

2. Standards
H-SS Know the life and moral teaching of the Buddha and how Buddhism spread in India, Ceylon, and Central Asia.
E-LA Reading Connect and clarify main ideas by identifying their relationships to other sources and related topics.

3. Language of the Discipline
Nirvana- a state of blissful peace without desire or suffering.
Monastery- a home of a religious community.
Monk- the men who live in a monastery.
Nun- women who live in a religious community.

4. Anticipatory Set
Have you every put two ingredients together to make an amazing creation?
Well the beliefs of Buddhism came from some ideas of Hinduism.

5. The Buddha’s Teaching (Input)
After obtaining enlightenment, Siddhartha understood why people suffer and how they could escape the cycle of death and rebirth.
These insights formed the basis of his teachings.
He began teaching with the ascetics and met them in hunting deer. His speech to them was called the Deer Park Sermon.
He advised them to follow the Middle Way and describe The Four Noble Truths

6. The Four Noble Truths (Input)
1. All life includes suffering.
Birth, sickness, old age, and death bring suffering.
People also suffer by being separated from the people they love.
2. Suffering is caused by wanting or desiring things that one does not have.
Only selfish desire are considered bad.
3. Suffering can be ended.
4. The way to overcome selfish desires is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Take a look on page 225 in your book and read through the Eightfold Path.

8. Reaching Nirvana (Input)
The final goal a person follows in the Eightfold Path is to reach Nirvana.
Those who enter Nirvana are liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth. They no longer need to follow the law of karma, however death still occurs.

9. Buddhist Monasteries (Input)
At first people followed Buddha from place to place, but as the numbers grew, Buddhist monasteries were formed.
Monks were there first, but then women soon joined the monasteries and were known as nuns.
The Buddha set up rules the monks and nuns had to live by and their duties were to meditate and spread the teachings.
Monasteries became important centers of learning.

11. Buddhist Texts (Input)
There is no sacred book.
For many years Buddhist followers memorized texts.
The first scriptures were not written down until 43 B.C.
The most popular are called the Jataka tales which tell about 547 previous lives of Buddha before he achieved enlightenment.
Some tales he is a human being, others he is an animal or plant.
Each tale has teachings of Buddhist ideas and values.

12. Checking for Understanding
The Buddha taught the wisdom of the following the Middle Way, or
A. avoiding extremes
B. a life of self-denial
C. leaving home forever
D. never eating meat
Answer: A

13. Checking for Understanding
Most Buddhists believe that those who reach the state of nirvana
A. return to earth as saints with halos.
B. become part of something greater.
C. are qualified to start monastery.
D. will never make mistakes again.
Answer: B.

14. Checking for Understanding
In his Deer Park Sermon to the ascetics, what did Buddha say that wisdom meant?
A. painful self-denial
B. raising deer
C. avoiding extremes
D. living in a monastery
Answer: C.

15. Checking for Understanding
Where are ideas about suffering and desire expressed?
A. Jataka tales
B. Middle Way
C. Buddhist Bible
D. Four Noble Truths
Answer: D

16. Guided Practice and Independent Practice
Students will work on the Reading Comprehension side of the 8-1 worksheet.
Guided Practice: #1, 2 and 3
Independent Practice: #4 and 5.