Buddhism By: Ella Hans, Lily Schutzenhofer, Yiyao Wang, and Dua Ansari
Origins of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in 563 B.C.E Siddhartha was a warrior son of a king and queen He was sheltered from the outside world as a child At the age of 29, he took four chariot rides where he saw four examples of human suffering: old age, illness, death (a corpse), and birth After seeing how the suffering contrasted with his life, he tried severe renunciation in the forest
Origins of the Buddha (2) He traveled in the forest for six years until the point of starvation This did not help so he came back to his to try something else Determined to enlighten himself, he sat under a Bodhi tree and began to meditate He was in meditation for 49 days and was being tempted by Mara (spirit of the world) the entire time On the 49th day he reached enlightenment and became Buddha
Origins of Buddhism Buddhism arose in Northern India somewhere between the late 6th century and early 4th century Many believe Buddhism was founded because of the discontent with Brahmic sacrificing and rituals. People began to start to look for more of a personal and spiritual connection to their religion. Buddhism, like many of the sects that developed in northeastern India at the time, was constituted by the presence of a teacher, by the teachings this leader made known, and by a community of adherents that was often made up of renunciant members and lay supporters.
Beliefs & Practices of Buddhism:
Karma Contrary to what is accepted in contemporary society, the Buddhist interpretation of karma does not refer to the determination of your fate Karma is the good or bad decisions or actions one takes in their lifetime Good karma: Can happen in the absence of bad actions or in the presence of good actions Good actions such as generosity, righteousness, and meditation lead to happiness and good karma Bad karma: Bad actions, such as lying, stealing or killing, cause unhappiness in the long run.
Nirvana Nirvana by definition is freedom from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations, with their consequent suffering, as a result of the extinction of individual passion, hatred,and delusion (dictionary.com) Nirvana occurs when you reach the highest point of enlightenment and closest connection to Heaven
The Four Noble Truths of suffering 1. The Noble Truth of Sorrow. Birth, age, disease, and death all lead to Sorrow. 2. The Noble Truth of the Arising of Sorrow. Sorrow arises from thirst, which leads to rebirth, which leads to rebirth from that life, and then passion and delight 3. The Noble Truth of Stopping of Sorrow. It is the complete stopping of the thirst, no passion, and being released from these desires 4. The Noble Truth of the Way which Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. It is the Noble Eightfold Path which consists of following
The Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path is a path Buddhists follow to lead them to Awakening and allow them to go through the painful cycle of rebirth. It teaches about constraining oneself, discipline, and mindfulness
Right View and Right Intention The right view means, a person believes in Buddha and his teaching. A Buddhist must believe that they can realize an Awakening the same way the Buddha originally did. Most Buddhists focus on the 3 Jewels during this time which are Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The right intention is focused on making sure people practice Buddhism for the right reasons, they are not being forced to practice or have bad motives for being a Buddhist.
Right Speech and Right Action Right speech is an ethically based practice that tells Buddhists not to gossip, or engage in empty talk. They always try to speak positively and meaningful words, less about quantity and more about the quality of what you have to say. Right action is also ethically based, it states that Buddhists should not engage in any harmful actions such as murder, stealing, or any violent actions. Buddhists should seek people of peace and make peace with all living things.
Right Effort and Right Livelihood Right effort is necessary because the actualization of Awakening is a difficult task. A buddhist must strive vigilantly with a positive attitude and tireless resolve to achieve the Awakening, and anything else needed for a Buddhist lifestyle. Right livelihood means that one s job should be consistent with the buddhist path, this is closely related to right action. Buddhists should not cause any conscious being to suffer violence, they may not hold jobs as, butchers, fishermen, or hunters. Or serve in a harmful military role.
Right Concentration and Right mindfulness Right concentration relates to the Buddha s practices, focuses on discipline of the mind. You must concentrate on present reality and not dwell on the past or anticipate the future, this is also referred to as mindfulness. Being fully present in every moment, and striving diligently to develop concentration skills. Right mindfulness occurs at the same time as Awakening will, it focuses on how to be in the same mindset the Buddha was in. Until there is an Awakening one cannot practice right mindfulness.
Customs of Buddhism:
Customs at Home and at the Temple At home Buddhists will often set aside a room or a part of a room as a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner. Buddhist temples come in many forms, but common known ones are the pagodas Japan and China. Temples are built on: Water Air Fire Earth, symbolized by the square base
Mandala One of the richest visual objects in Tibetan Buddhism is the mandala. It is a symbol of the universe The mandala represents the imaginary place you go during meditation According to Buddhist scripture, mandalas constructed from sand transmit positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them.
Meditation Meditation is a mental and physical course of action that a person uses to separate themselves from their thoughts and feelings in order to become fully aware of your surroundings and mental state. Classical meditation methods use the meditator's own breathing. They just sit and concentrate on their breathing and do not do anything to alter the way they breathe. Another way is counting to ten breathing in, then counting to ten breathing
Sects of buddhism
Sects of Buddhism They claimed to take more Buddhists to Nirvana Buddhism divided into two sects: Theravada Mahayana After the death of Buddha, a general council met to discuss and gather the principles, doctrines, and texts of Buddha The fourth council then codified the key doctrines of Buddhism and these principles of Theravada Buddhism A newer school of Mahayana Buddhism had started to form for about two centuries and was now starting to rival Theravada
Buddhism v.s Hinduism
The Differences and Similarities of Buddhism to Hinduism Buddhism: Had a founder (Siddhartha Gautama) Original Script (The Mahayanas) Monks Similarities: Sacred calendars Sacred languages (Sanskrit and Pali) Belief in Karma and rebirth Hinduism: Origins from Aryan invaders Brahmin priests Caste system
Current Day Buddhism
Modern Buddhism As a religion today, Buddhism is known for its diversity and acceptance Buddhism has had trouble with involvement in government and political conflict through the years Some countries, such as China, tried to wipe out Buddhism during the 20th century In other countries, it is now a cultural staple They have temples and museums dedicated to the beliefs and practices of Buddhism They have Buddhist university where they teach of Buddhism traditions
Primary Source #1: Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law, the Eightfold Path, and the Four Noble Truths This piece was written by Gautama Buddha, who was a first an Indian prince, but then he witnessed the sufferings of life and decided to become a buddhist. He wrote this piece after his enlightenment, and he thought he needed to educate people about buddhism so they can get the benefits of the truths and end their sufferings as humans. In Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law, he talked about how some people are having too much desires in life and those desires should be prohibited, and how some people just plainly suffer. And the buddha, which means he who has arrived at the truth
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