Buddhism Chapter 8 – China. INTRODUCTION Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people...
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Transcript of Buddhism Chapter 8 – China. INTRODUCTION Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people...
Buddhism Chapter 8 – China
Introduction Buddhism is a religion to about 300
million people around the world “budhi” = to awaken founder: Siddhartha Gotama “The
Buddha” - the enlightened one @ 2500 years ago India was home to its founding
Some say Buddhism goes beyond being a religion
Is more of a philosophy (way of life) Buddhist path is summed up as: 1) to lead a moral life 2) to be mindful and aware of
thoughts and actions, and 3) to develop wisdom and
understanding
Buddha (Siddhartha Gotama) born into a royal family in Nepal at 29 came to believe that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness
he explored the different teaching religions and philosophies of the day to find the key to human happiness
for 6 years he studied and meditated and finally came upon what he called “the middle path” and he himself was enlightened
After his enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism (known as Dhamma, or Truth)
The Buddha died at the age of 80
Teachings of Buddhism Four Noble Truths 1) life is suffering 2) suffering is caused by craving and aversion
3) suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained
4) the Noble 8-fold path leads to the end of suffering
Noble 8 – fold Path
Wisdom - right
view - right
intention
Ethical Conduct - right speech - right action - right
livelihood - right effort
Concentration
- right effort
- right mindfulness
- right concentration
The Five Precepts Not to take the life of any living thing not take anything not freely given to abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence
to refrain from untrue speech to avoid intoxication (losing mindfulness)
Karma
is the law that every cause has an effect, (our actions have results)
Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and present actions
How can we test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at
(1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself, and
(3) the effects on others
Misc.
1. Was Buddha a god? - no and he did not claim to
be - He was a man who taught
a path to enlightenment from his own experience
2. Do Buddhists worship idols? They respect to the images of Buddha - not in worship - they do not ask for favors - a Buddha statue reminds them to strive
to develop peace and love within themselves
- in bowing to the statue they offer gratitude for the teaching of the Buddha
Skinny Buddha vs. Fat Buddha
Why Buddhism Spread IN China Traders and Missionaries from India
brought Buddhism to China It was a time in China of decline
and despair as civil war broke out Many died Buddhism taught that people could
escape suffering by following the teachings of the Buddha
How Did the Tang Rulers view Buddhism ? The early Tang rulers did not practice
Buddhism, but they did not interfere with those who followed it
They approved the building of temples and shrines
The Buddhist monks and nuns helped local people by running schools and providing food and shelters
Many people opposed the religion They thought the Buddhists had
become too wealthy with the donations they had used to build their buildings
Some felt they weakened respect for family life, due to the monks and nuns not being allowed to marry
Tang officials feared the growing influence; being an enemy of Confucius
Tang officials began to destroy many of the Buddhist monasteries and temples
Buddhism never fully recovered from the attacks in China
The Chinese Buddhist took their religion to Korea
The Korean leaders approved it Then it was spread to Japan
Buddhism in Korea