1. Feburary 14 th

3. The essence of Buddhism  The “middle way of wisdom and compassion.”  The 3 jewels of Buddhism:  Buddha, the teacher.  Dharma, the teachings.  Sangha, the community.

4. Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)  Born in NE India (Nepal).  Raised in great luxury to be a king.  At 29 he rejected his luxurious life to seek enlightenment and the source of suffering  For 6 years he lived a peasant life.

5. “ The Enlightened One”  Finding no answers in his new peasant life he changed his idea on how to find the reasoning for suffering.  He sat in meditation, and found nirvana.  At 35 he became “The Enlightened One”

6. Desire! What is the fundamental cause of all suffering?  Therefore, extinguish the self, don’t obsess about oneself.

7. Four Noble Truths 1. There is suffering in the world. To live is to suffer. (Dukkha) 2. The cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachments. (Tanha) 3. The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. 4. To reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path.

8. 8 Fold Path

9. Nirvana Eightfold Path  Escape from the cycle of reincarnation A way of living that will lead one to Nirvana

11. Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE  Unified northern India.  Defeated the Persians  Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.  He feared assassination  food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.

12. The Maurya Empire: 321 BCE – 185 BCE

13. Kautilya  Chandragupta’s advisor.  Brahmin caste.  Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the Arthashastra.  A guide for the king and his ministers:  Supports royal power.  The great evil in society is anarchy.  Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when necessary!

14. Military Ruler  Asoka, Chandragupta’s grandson, became king in 270 BCE.  He was the strongest of all the Mauryan rulers.  He extended Mauryan rule over most of India.

15. Asoka’s Empire

16. Asoka (304 – 232 BCE)   After the gruesome battle Asoka dedicated his life to Buddhism.  Conflict  how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and  Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?

17. Asoka’s law code  Asoka wrote a new law code, Buddhist teachings dominated his laws.  Tried to make things more equal and help the people.  He wrote his laws in Sanskrit on 50 ft tall stone pillars.  Edicts scattered in more than 30 places in India, Nepal, Pakistan, & Afghanistan.

18. 220 BCE – 320 CE  When Asoka died a period of chaos started, as their was no clear heir to the throne, three different empire arose.

19. Gupta Rulers  Under Gupta rule:  Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world!  Hindu revival.

20. Achievements  Medicine Printed Medical Guides Plastic Surgery Immunizations C-Sections  Mathematics Decimal System PI (3.14) Concept of Zero  Astronomy The Earth is Round Solar Calendar

21. The Decline of the Guptas  Invasion of the White Huns in the 4 th century signaled the end of the Gupta Golden Age, even though at first, the Guptas defeated them.  After the decline of the Gupta empire, north India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms and was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 7 th century.

22. 3 of 5 1. What is the root of all suffering? 2. How does a person escape the cycle of reincarnation, according to Buddha? 3. How Asoka change India? 4. How did Asoka spread his new laws to his people? 5. List 3 of the achievements of the Indian civilizations. (Be specific)