Buddhism

Leah  Fishman

What  is  Buddhism?  

Buddhism  is  a  religions  of  about  300  million  people  around  the  world.  It  started  about  2,500  years  ago  when  the  Buddha  himself  reached  enlightenment.  You  can  be  Buddhist  and  still  practice  other  religions.  Buddhism,  Buddha,  and  Buddhist  all  come  from  the  root  word  “budhi,”  which  means  to  awaken.

.

Being  awakened  is  when  you  find  the  real  meaning  of  life  and  pure  enlightenment;  that’s  what  Buddha  found  after  years  of  meditation.  Something  you  will  learn  in  Buddhism  is  the  importance  of  wisdom,  which  is  developed  with  compassion  and  time.  Buddhism  is  about:  acceptance  and  not  holding  onto  things  that  are  unnecessary;  not  causing  yourself  pain,  starving  yourself,  or  causing  undue  suffering,  and  acepting that  life  is  pain  and  suffering.  The  concept  of  Karma  is  that  there  is  cause  and  effect  to  everything  you  do.

How  did  Buddhism  start?Before  he  was  called  Buddha  his  real  name  was  Siddhartha,  which  means the  one  who’s  wishes  will  be  fulfilled.  As  a  boy  he  lived  in  India  and  was  raised  by  his  father  who  was  also  the  king.  Siddhartha’s  parents  belonged  to  an  Indian  warrior  caste.  The  king  didn’t  want  his  son  to  learn  about  the  suffering  of  the  world,  but  soon  Siddhartha  became  aware  of  this.  He  didn’t  know  what  to  make  of  it  when  he  saw  that  everyone  dies  and  everyone  will  suffer.  In  efforts  to  distract  his  child  the  king  found  Siddartha a  wife.  He  was  married  at  age  16,  but  years  later  they  had  their  first  child,    Siddhartha  still  worried  about  the  answer  to  the  suffering.  He  knew  that  he  had  to  leave  and  become  a  monk.

.When  he  reached  the  edge  of  his  city,  Siddartha cut  his  hair  and  changed  out  of  his  royal  robes.  He  sought  understanding,  wandering  through  the  forests    where  he  encountered  some  wise  men,  of  whom  he  inquired  of  their  wisdom.  Siddartha tried  many  teachings  and  religions,  including    some  practices  like  not  eating,  however  he  still  wasn’t  satisfied.

One  day  after  6  years.  Siddhartha  sat  under  a  fig  tree  meditating.  As  he  sat  under  the  tree  inner  demons  tempted  him,  but  he  resisted  everything  they  threw  at  him.  After  days  of  meditating  he  at  last  reached  pure  nirvana,  a  state  in  which  there  is  no  suffering,  desire,  nor  sense  of  self.

Buddha  knew  that  he  must  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  sharing  the  knowledge  of  what  he  had  learned  under  the  tree.  He  wandered  northeast  India  teaching  all  who  would  listen,  establishing  tens  of  thousands  of  followers.  Later,  Buddha  established  an  order  of  monks.  After  45  years  of  teaching  he  passed  away  at  age  80  and  was  said  to  have  died  in  a  state  of  nirvana.

The  Dalai  lama  This  name  has  been  heard  on  radios  and  read  in  newspapers  by  thousands  of  people  across  the  world.  The  Dalai  Lama  has  been  a  very  influential  person  in  Tibet’s  history,  during  the  17th  century    the  Dalai  Lama  was  named  head  of  the  Tibetan  government.  He  was  born  on  July  6th,  1935  and  his  full  name  is  LhamoDondrub.  Dalai  lama  is  a    Nobel  Peace  Price  winner.,  who  once  said.  “When  our  mind  is  calm,  we're  better  able  to  find  peace  of  mind  and  live  a  joyful  life.”  He  is  a  famous  public  figure  who  has  inspired  thousands  people.  Some  people  consider  him  one  of  the  most  influential  and  important  people  in  history.  

Meditation  Meditation   is  defined  as  a  mind-­‐body  technique  of  clearing  and  cleansing  of  the  mind  by  getting  rid  of  distractions  and  negative  energy.    Throughout  history,  Buddhist  monks  have  been  performing  meditation,  which  has  become  a  way  of  forming  a  peaceful  bridge  between  stress  and  the  world  around  us.  Meditation  also  sharpens  creativity  and  offers  psychological  benefits.  The  goal  of  Buddhist  meditation   is  to  let  go  of  your  desires  and  objects  that  are  the  cause  of  suffering.  Meditation   is  a  practice  that  is  also  to  develop  greater  wisdom  of  yourself,  the  world  and  others.  

Imagine  being  free  of  all  your  difficulties  and  stress  and  suffering  that  you  experience.   It’s  hard,  right?  

Lifestyle  For  the  Buddhist  community,  Buddhism  is  more  of  a  way  of  living  than  a  religion.  It’s  more  than  just  saying  prayers,  it’s  a  philosophy  that  being  mindful  and  compassionate  is  something  that  you  will  apply  to  everything  you  do,  say  or  think.  It’s  not  enough  to  tell  ourselves  that  we  should  be  nice  telling  ourselves  what  we  should    be,  feel,  and  do  doesn’t  make  us  become  that  way.    Filling  yourself  with  “should’s”  will  just  make  you  feel  guilty  that  you  will  never  be  exactly  what  you  “think”  you  should  be.  You  have  to  be  able  notice  the  disadvantages  of  being  self  obsessed  or  self  centered  and  develop  compassion  for  others  and  have  wisdom  that  it’s  not  just  about  you.  Buddhists  also  do  morning  meditation  with  prayers  practicing  the  dharma.  Lastly,  be  mindful  and  take  time  to  review  the  day.

PrinciplesKarma shows  importance  for  how  we  are  responsible  for  past  and  present  decisions.    Compassion  is  qualities   of  sharing,  giving,  comfort  and  concern  to  others.  We  can  understand  others  and  ourselves  through  wisdom.  True  wisdom  is  not  believing  what  we  are  told  but  experiencing  and  understanding.  

One  of  the  most  important  things  to  follow  in  Buddhism  is  the  Four  Noble  Truths:We  all  experience   unhappiness,  Our  unhappiness   is  caused  by  desire,  unhappiness  can  be  overcome,    and  The  way  to  end  unhappiness   is  the  middle  path

The  five  precepts• Not  to  take  the  life  of  anything  living• Not  to  take  anything  not  freely  given• Abstain  from  sexual  misconduct  and  sexual  

overindulgence• Avoid  intoxication  – losing  mindfulness• Refrain  from  untrue  speech

The  Eight  Fold  PathRight  understandingRight  thoughtRight  speechRight  intentionRight  ActionRight  livelihoodRight  effortRight  mindfulness

SymbolsA  symbol  that  represents  balance  is  the  yin-­‐yang  the  line  that  adjoins  the  two  

sides  represents  the  middle  path

Another  symbol  is  the  lotus  flower – they  grow  their  roots  in  muddy  ponds,  but  grow  their  leaves  up  toward  the  sun  (this  represents  that  people  can  move  toward  enlightenment)

The  three  jewels,  like  three  protagonists:  The  Dharma,  The  Buddha,  The  Buddhist  community

The  three  fires,  like  three  antagonists:  Hatred,  Greed,  and  Ignorance

"Buddhism  -­‐ Information  and  Comparisons."  Buddhism.  N.p.,  n.d.  Web.  14  May  2015.  <http://data.diffen.com/Buddhism>.

"  A  Basic  Buddhism  Guide:  5  Minute  Introduction.”  N.p.,  n.d.  Web.  14  May  2015.  <http://www.buddhanet.net/e-­‐learning/5minbud.htm>.

"A  Basic  Buddhism  Guide:  FAQs  on  Buddhist  Culture."  A  Basic  Buddhism  Guide:  FAQs  on  Buddhist  Culture.  N.p.,  n.d.  Web.  29  May  2015.  <http://www.buddhanet.net/e-­‐learning/snapshot03.htm>.  

"The  Buddha,  A  Film  by  David  Grubin."  PBS.  PBS,  n.d.  Web.  14  May  2015.  <http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/>.

References