1. Buddhism Focus on Peace

2. Origins  C. 500 B.C.E. a time of upheaval in India  Many Hindus respond to the chaos by seeking a more spiritual life  Sidhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya prince, had a sheltered childhood  On a tour of his estate as an adult he sees sickness, poverty, & death

3. Foundation of beliefs  Leaves his wife & infant son to find a way to end suffering  After seven years of wandering & meditation he finds the answer

4. 4 Noble Truths 1. Life is filled with sorrow & suffering. 2. The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world. 3. The way to end all suffering is to end all desires. 4. The way to overcome such desires & attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is the Middle Way between desire & self-denial.

5. Eightfold Path  “What is the Middle Way?...It is the Noble Eightfold Path-Right Views, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, & Right Concentration. This is the Middle Way.” Buddha-from Samyutta Nikaya  Put this into your own words.

6. Other Beliefs  Buddhists share the belief in reincarnation & karma  Nirvana, release from the cycle of rebirth, is the goal of all Buddhists  There are two forms of Buddhism: Theravada (south & SE Asia) & Mahayana (China, Korea, & Japan)