ORIGINS OF BUDDHISMORIGINS OF BUDDHISM

WHAT DID THE WHAT DID THE BUDDHA TEACH?BUDDHA TEACH?

Buddhism: a religion founded in India based on the teachings of Buddha which teaches that

the most important thing in life is to reach peace by ending suffering.

The lotus is a symbol of Buddha. It represents purity.

The Big Idea

Buddhism began in India and became a major religion.

Main Ideas• Siddhartha Gautama searched for

wisdom in many ways.

• The teachings of Buddhism deal with finding peace.

• Buddhism spread far from where it began in India.

Ancient Indian Ancient Indian prince who became prince who became a religious leader a religious leader

known as The known as The Buddha or Buddha or

Enlightened One, Enlightened One, who founded who founded Buddhism.Buddhism.

Siddhartha Gautama

Kosala:Kosala: an ancient kingdom in northern India where an ancient kingdom in northern India where Siddhartha Guatama is said to have been bornSiddhartha Guatama is said to have been born

Siddhartha GautamaThe Buddha, began his life as a prince in India.

Birth: Was born into the wealthy warrior caste.It is believed that before his birth his mother had a dream of an elephant piercing her side with its tusk. This was interpreted to mean that he would be a great leader or a wandering holy man.

ChildhoodHis mother died shortly after his birth. His father lavished him with wealth so he would never want to leave the palace. He was completely sheltered from the outside world.

The Three Visions

Siddhartha grew up never knowing much about the outside world.He married young and had a son.

When he was in his 20’s he went outside the palace and experienced three visions which changed his life.

1. Siddhartha saw someone in advanced old age.

2. He saw a very sick person

3. He saw a dead body.

Siddhartha had never before been aware of human suffering.He felt his life was a lie and abandoned it to become an ascetic, or

wandering holy man in an attempt to find a way to end human suffering.

Seeking Truth

Siddhartha tried many different ways of achieving enlightenment.

Enlightenment: A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.

He tried meditation, fasting, physical discomfort, but none alone worked for him.

He almost starved himself to death at one point. After that he knew he needed to try something different.

Siddhartha decided that he would meditate until he discovered the way to end human suffering.

Bodhi Tree: He sat under a Bodhi tree and said that he would not get up until he had achieved enlightenment.

He medtiated for 40 days, and at the end said that he was “awake” he had achieved, Nirvana, or Enlightenment. This is when he became the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.”

Quest for Answers

• Siddhartha was born a Hindu prince, but he questioned the meaning of life.

• Determined to find answers using:

• Meditation

• Fasting

• Learning from different teachers

Enlightenment

• Found it under the Tree of Wisdom while meditating

• Called the Buddha (Enlightened One)

• Spent the rest of his life traveling and teaching his ideas

Siddhartha

Four Noble Four Noble Truths:Truths: the the principles principles

that rule life that rule life and promise and promise

an end to an end to suffering.suffering.

Teachings of the Buddha

The Buddha gave his first sermon in the deer park where he taught the four main ideas of his teachings.

Four Noble Truths

1. All life is full of suffering.

2. We suffer because we desire things that are illusions. We want material possessions.

3. The way to not suffer is to overcome our desire.

4. To do that one must follow the Eightfold path, or Middle Way.

Middle Way:Middle Way: A way of life A way of life neither too neither too

strict nor too strict nor too easy that easy that

results from results from following the following the

Eightfold Eightfold PathPath

Eightfold Eightfold Path:Path: The The basic rules basic rules of behavior of behavior and belief and belief leading to leading to an end of an end of sufferingsuffering

Reincarnation: The Buddha taught the belief of Samsara, or Reincarnation. As long as one is tied to material possessions of this earth and does not achieve enlightenment, then one will have suffering.

Nirvana: The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to be released from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Karma:Karma: the the result of all of result of all of a person’s a person’s good and bad good and bad acts, which acts, which determines determines rebirth.rebirth.

Ancient Ways

• The Buddha taught that following the Vedic texts was unnecessary.

• Challenged the authority of Hindu priests

Changing Society

• A more individualistic approach to enlightenment

• Rebirth as a means to evolve

Challenging Hindu Ideas

Caste System

• Opposed caste system

• The Eightfold Path could lead any individual to nirvana.

• The Buddha’s teachings reached all classes.

Buddha believed that the most important thing in life was to reach peace by

ending suffering.

Spread of Buddhism

Convents and Monasteries: The Buddha had many followers, both men and women. He did not discriminate based on gender.

Death of the Buddha: He died of food poisoning at the home of a friend.

Scriptures: His teachings were collected in the Tripitika, or three baskets of wisdom.

Teachings

Caste System: The Buddha rejected the caste system. He said all people were capable of achieving enlightenment in one lifetime. Although not everyone did so ,Buddhism does believe in reincarnation.

Ahinsa: Taught non-violence, same as Hinduism

Meditation: Taught that one should meditate. Yoga and Martial arts are seen as a form of mediation.

Buddhism branches out

Buddhism splits

• Asoka, one of the most powerful kings in India, became a Buddhist and spread Buddhism in India and foreign lands.

• Buddhist missionaries traveled the world to teach enlightenment.

• Buddhism split into two main sects: Theravada and Mahayana.

• Members of the Theravada followed the Buddha’s teachings exactly.

• Members of the Mahayana believed that individual interpretation was important.

Buddhism began in India and then became a major religion.

Asoka:Asoka: King who united India in King who united India in the 200s B.C. and made Buddhism the 200s B.C. and made Buddhism

the state religion. Asoka built the state religion. Asoka built temples and schools , and sent temples and schools , and sent

missionaries to other areas of Asiamissionaries to other areas of Asia

Monk:Monk: A A man who man who devotes his devotes his life to a life to a religious religious group, often group, often giving up all giving up all he owns.he owns.

Monastery:Monastery: A community A community in which monks lead lives in which monks lead lives devoted to religion.devoted to religion.

The Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama