Transcript Pre-Class Answer Questions # 4 and 5 from Buddhism handout Page 181

Pre-Class
 Answer Questions # 4 and 5 from
Buddhism handout
 Page 181
Pre-Class
 Make 5 comparisons between Hinduism
and Buddhism
Elements of Hindu thought that
became part of Buddhism: #7
 Karma
 Reincarnation
 The idea of salvation- as an end of the cycle
of reincarnation
 Brahman
 All life is sacred
Ways Hinduism and Buddhism are different:
#8
Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama
is the founder
 rejects the caste
system
 seek nirvana
(salvation) on their
own without the help
of priest or Gods
Hinduism
 has no founder
 believes in the caste
system
 Seek moksha
(salvation) with help
of priests and deities
Buddhism
Religions of the World: Buddhism
Buddha Documentary Kistler
Crash Course
Buddha PBS
Buddhism
 reforming of
Hinduism
 4th largest religion
 Asia contains the
countries with the
largest Buddhist
population


– East Asia and
Southeast Asia #11
– China the most
followers #11
The Middle Path or Noble Way
 Avoid extremes– either an overt pursuit of
passionate worldly desire or extreme
asceticism
 Live a moderate lifestyle characterized by
quiet contemplation, thoughtful reflection, and
disciplined self-control #2


Reduces desire for material goods and other
worldly attractions
Eventually results in detachment from the
world itself
Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC?)
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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.
Lived a strict,
ascetic life for 6 yrs.
Rejecting this extreme, sat in meditation, and
found nirvana.
Became “The Enlightened One,” at 35.
The Life of Gautama
Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, was born into the
warrior caste . His father ruled over a small region of northern
India.
Siddhartha led a pampered life, but the Four Passing Sights ( an
old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and a begger), caught his
attention and disturbed him.
Siddhartha discovered the Middle Way, the central teaching of
Buddhism. This way rejects both extremes of sensual indulgence
and asceticism.
He and his followers formed the sangha, or Buddhist community.
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA
 the founder of Buddhism.
 A reformer who tried to limit the Hindu priest’s
power.
 Set out to find the cause of human suffering
 Became the Buddha
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA
 While meditating under a Bodhi Tree - he achieved
enlightenment

Enlightenment
 the state attained when Buddha realized the cause of
suffering.
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Enlightenment

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
Meditation
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understanding the true nature of things.
Reach the state of enlightenment by meditation.
essential part of the Buddhist practice
aim to move closer to enlightenment;
Contemplation; focus your mind
Now known as the Buddha- “Enlightened One”
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA
Now known as
the Buddha “Enlightened One”
Mudra Website
Siddhartha Gautama
 About 534 B. C., Gautama left
his family to take up the
existence of a holy man
 Intense meditation and extreme
asceticism did not enlighten
him sufficiently
 One day he resolved to sit
under a large bodhi tree until
he understood the problem of
suffering
 For 49 days he withstood
various temptations and threats
from demons and finally
received enlightenment

Thus Gautama
became the Buddha–
“the enlightened one”
The Buddha by Odilon Redon
 The Mahabodhi Temple
 "Great Awakening Temple“
 Buddhist temple in Bodh
Gaya, India
 the location where
Siddhartha Gautama, the
Buddha, is said to have
attained enlightenment.
Buddha
under
Bodhi
Tree,
Sri
Lanka
The essence of
Buddhism
 The “middle way of wisdom and
compassion.”
 2,500 year old tradition.
 The 3 Jewels of Buddhism:
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Buddha, the teacher.
Dharma or Dhamma, the teachings.
Sangha, the community.
BASIC BELIEFS #2
 All life is sacred.
 Reject extremes – The Middle Way
 Try to end suffering
 Suffering is universal - All is suffering
 Karma
 Reincarnation
 Brahman
Dharma
 Taken together, the
teachings of the Four
Noble Truths and the
Noble Eightfold Path
constitute dharma, the
basic doctrine shared
by all Buddhists
6th Century Buddha sitting on a lotus
blossom which symbolizes purity and
strength because it is able to thrive and grow
even in murky water
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
 FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS- The major
principles of Buddhism that explain the
nature of suffering and how to end it.
1. Suffering is universal.
2. The cause of suffering is desire (selfcentered actions) #3.
3. To end suffering is to end desire.
1.
If you give up desire, you achieve nirvana- the
condition of wanting nothing,
1.
the goal of Buddhist. Reaching nirvana ends the cycle
of reincarnation.
4. To end desire- follow the Noble Eightfold
Path.
What is the
fundamental cause of
all suffering?
Desire!
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Therefore, extinguish the self, don’t
obsess about oneself.
Nirvana
 Living this lifestyle will
lead to personal
salvation– escape from
the cycle of incarnation
and the attainment of
nirvana
 Nirvana is the
state of perfect
spiritual
independence
 Highest Happiness
The Wheel of Dharma symbolizes
samsara, the continuous cycle of birth, life,
and death. One is liberated from this
endless cycle of rebirth when nirvana is
achieved.
NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH A practical guide to right conduct according to
Buddhist teachings.

“What you Should Do.”
 Understanding the cause of suffering.
 Compassion = fundamental teaching
 Kindness and truthfulness.
Eightfold Path
Nirvana
 Escape from the cycle of
rebirth.
Hip Hop Monks
Sacred Scriptures

These were eventually written down in:
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Three Baskets of Wisdom or

Tripitaka - Sanskrit word

traditional term used to describe various
scriptures

May have originally referred to three
receptacles containing the scrolls on which the
Buddhist scriptures were originally preserved.
ASPECTS OF BUDDHISM
 #9

Buddhism rejected the caste system so it
found many followers among the Sudras and
untouchables. #9
Two main sects of Buddhism
 #4 Theravada Buddhism
Views Buddha as a teacher, not a God.
 The Way of the Elders.
 Living like a monk.

Sangha
 Orthodox Buddhism-oldest, very strict
interpretation (to preserve the original
message of Buddha).
 Practiced in Southeast Asia. #11
Theravada Buddhism
Two main sects of Buddhism
 #5 Mahayana Buddhism:
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Means Large or Great Vehicle.
Can Worships Buddha and other enlightened
one as Gods – limited impact on humans
More liberal Buddhism- Broader interpretation
of Buddhism.
Contains several schools of Buddhism:
Mahayana Buddhism
 Contains several schools of Buddhism:
 Zen- closeness to nature, meditate on
sayings, found in Japan and China.
 Tibetan- combination of traditional nature
worship and Buddhist magic.
 DALAI LAMA Traditional political and religious leader of
Tibet.
 Highest priest of Tibetan Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism
 The “Great Vehicle.”
 Founded in northern Asia (China, Japan).
 Buddhism “for the masses.”
 Seek guidance from Boddhisatvas, wise
beings.
 Goal: Not just individual escape from
the wheel, but the salvation of all
humanity through self-sacrifice of those
enlightened few.
Mahayana Buddhism
Schools of Buddhism - Tibetan
Vajrayana – the “Diamond Vehicle”
 Developed 7th century C.E.
 A mix of Theravada & Mahayana:
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Rituals (Tantra):
Mantras (chanting)
 Mandalas & Thankas (symbolic images)
 Mudras (hand gestures)
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Bodhisattvas, including living Lamas (Dalai Lama)
Meditation, monasticism, wisdom & compassion
 Bardo Thodol -Tibetan Book of the Dead
The
Dalai
Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun
Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe
Tenzin Gyatso – 14th Dalai Lama
Video - Happiness, Compassion and
Mosquitos 2:00 start at :20
Choosing a Dalia Lama
 Senior Buddhist monks and Tibetan government officials
begin a search for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama after
the death of the previous Lama. These searchers look for a
boy who was born around the same time as the death of the
previous Lama. According to the British Broadcasting
Corp., the officials can decide where to look for the
reincarnation in several ways: by way of a dream; by
watching the direction the smoke drifts after the cremation
of the previous Lama and then searching accordingly; or
from some sign or vision from a holy lake in central Tibet.
 Once found, the officials present the boy with possessions
of the previous Dalai Lama to determine whether the boy is
familiar with them. If the child chooses the artifacts that
belonged to he previous Lama, than that, along with the
other signs, is believed to prove he is a reincarnation.
Zen Buddhism
 The “Meditation School.”
 Seeks sudden enlightenment [satori]
through meditation, arriving at emptiness
[sunyata].
 Use of meditation masters [Roshi].
 Beauty, art, and aesthetics:
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Gardens.
Archery.
Tea ceremony.
Calligraphy.
Schools of Buddhism – Zen
The “meditation” school:
 Lay and monastic
 Seeks sudden enlightenment (satori) through
meditation, arriving at emptiness (sunyata) and
the “Buddha Nature”
 Use of meditation masters (Roshi)
 Koans (paradoxical riddles to confound reason)
 Beauty, arts & aesthetics – gardens, archery, the
tea ceremony, calligraphy, etc.
Kyoto's Ryoan-ji is the world's most
famous Zen garden
 The celestial Buddha named Hotei or Pu-Tai is best known as
the jolly Laughing Buddha. In China, he is known as the
Loving or Friendly One. He is based on an eccentric Chinese
Ch'an (Zen) monk who lived over 1,000 years ago and has
become a significant part of Buddhist and Shinto culture.
Because of this monk's benevolent nature, he came to be
regarded as an incarnation of the bodhisattva who will be
Maitreya (the Future Buddha). His large protruding stomach
and jolly smile have given him the common designation
"Laughing Buddha." Video
What do all sects of Buddhism share?
#6
 All sects of Buddhism share a faith in Buddha
and hope for nirvana.
Main Buddhist Festival
 Vesak or Buddha
Day
 commemorates the
birth, enlightenment,
and death of the
Buddha
The Spread of Buddhism
 Within two centuries
after the Buddha died,
Buddhism began to
spread north and east
into Asia
 By 13th century
Buddhism had
disappeared from
India
Stupa: sacred mound/temple/shrine
 The Tibetan word is Chorten, which means "the basis
of offering".
 It is a symbol of enlightened mind, (the awakened
mind, universal divinity) and the path to its realization.
 The stupa represents the Buddha's body, his speech
and his mind, but most especially his mind and every
part shows the path to Enlightenment
 Every stupa contains at the very least a life tree and
holy relics:
"When a great teacher passes away, his body is no
more, but to indicate that his mind is dwelling forever
in an unchanging way in the dharmakaya, one will
erect a stupa as a symbol of the mind of the
buddhas"
 Boudhanath Stupa (or Bodnath Stupa) is
the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest
Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. It is
the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu
and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is
located in the town of Boudha, on the eastern
outskirts of Kathmandu.
Elements of Hindu thought that
became part of Buddhism: #7
 Karma
 Reincarnation
 The idea of salvation- as an end of the cycle
of reincarnation
 Brahman
 All life is sacred
Ways Hinduism and Buddhism are different:
#8
Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama
is the founder
 rejects the caste
system
 seek nirvana
(salvation) on their
own without the help
of priest or Gods
Hinduism
 has no founder
 believes in the caste
system
 Seek moksha
(salvation) with help
of priests and deities
Cause of Decline in India #10
 Much was absorbed by Hinduism
 Muslim Invaders
 Today small population of Buddhists in India
Video 1:53
OTHER RELIGIONS
 Jainism
 Comes from Buddhism.
 Leader- Mahavira
 Focuses on Ahimsa- strictly adheres to
nonviolence.
 Sikhism- is a religion that is a combination of
Islam and Hinduism.
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Monotheistic- One god, but all else like Hinduism.
This new religion emerged and is an example of
cultural blending under the Mughals/Muslims
Jain
 Religion from Ancient India
 Similar beliefs to Hinduism &
Buddhism
 Nonviolent
 Vegetarian
For 3,000 years,
the swastika
meant life and
good luck.
Religions of South Asia
Buddhism in the Subcontinent
Buddhism
Crash Course 12:17