BUDDHISM:

By: Sabrina Long, Lexi Paganelli, Shreya Visvanathan, And Tori Esposito

ENLIGHTENED ONE THE BUDDHA

Buddhists were generally indifferent about the existence of a god. Buddha wasnt a god; was a symbol that Buddhists lived up to and admired Around the 6th century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in India. His experiences with the world outside his previous life of luxury caused him to seek understanding of life and spiritual fulfillment. Through constant meditation and self understanding, he attained Nirvana, or Enlightenment, and came to be known as The Buddha. The Buddha travelled great distances teaching people about how to reach and follow the one path to salvation.

BELIEFS

A fundamental belief in Buddhism is reincarnation - going through many cycles of life several times: birth, living, death, and rebirth When a person is reincarnated, he doesnt have to be reincarnated as the same entity, he may be a leaf, pig, horse, etc After many of these cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and self, they can attain Nirvana, also known as enlightenment. Believing in the doctrines of Buddhism is not the point of them; the point is to understand and practice them 5 Precepts of Buddhism basically rules to live by 1. Do not kill. 2. Do not steal. 3. Do not engage in improper sexual conduct. 4. Do not make false statements. 5. Do not drink alcohol.

BELIEFS CNTD

4 Noble Truths: Suffering exists (its real and almost universal; has many causes) There is a cause for suffering (the cause is the desire to have and control things desire for fame, desire to avoid unpleasant situations) There is an end to suffering (suffering ends with the final liberation of Nirvana Mind experiences complete liberation, and lets go of any desire or craving) In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path Right view Right intention Right action Right livelihood Right effort Right mindfulness Right concentration

BELIEFS CNTD

Eightfold Path

HOW BUDDHISM IS PRACTICED

Buddhists practice meditation heavily because it derives directly from the Buddhas teachings essential to reaching enlightenment Mantras sacred statements that are believed to possess supernatural powers Mudras symbolic hand gestures used to evoke particular ideas during meditation or rituals Prayer wheels used mostly by Tibetan Buddhists. When spun, these wheels are thought to be as effective as reciting sacred texts aloud Also 4 Noble Truths and Eightfold Path Shrines to the Buddha and burning incense are also very common Buddhist practices

BIG RITUALS IN BUDDHISM

Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others Rituals were not meant to purify the mind; Buddhists believe that purification of the mind can only come internally. Buddhists use special objects to pray to the Buddha, like shrines. Buddhist ceremonies and their dates vary from country to country, from Buddhist sect to Buddhist sect Commonly celebrated holidays in many countries inlcude: Buddhas birthday (known as Vesak/Visakah Puja) The day Buddha entered Nirvana (usually December 8th) Buddhist New Year (date varies by country) Dharma Day celebrating the day when Buddha began teaching (celebrated on the full moon of July each year)

MAJOR ROLES OF WOMEN

Buddhism does not consider women to be inferior to men, unlike the rest of Ancient India believed at the time when it was started They considered men and women to be equal in society The Buddha says the fruitful role the women should be as a wife and a good mother in making the family life a success. In the family, both husbands and wives are expected to share equal responsibility of duties in the household. Husband were supposed to consider his wife his best friend/partner Buddhism doesnt consider the birth of a girl as cause for despair Buddhism does not restrict either the educational opportunities of women or their religious freedom Women can be permitted into the order once proven themselves Dhammadinna famous enlightened Buddhist woman Bhikkhuni a fully ordained Buddhist monk

MAJOR SACRED TEXTS

Buddhist sacred texts are considered guides to the path of truth, not the actual truth itself The Tibetan Book of the Dead most well known Tibetan text; used mostly by Tibetan Buddhists Describes the stages of death from the Tibetan POV: while dying, at the moment of death, during the interval between death and rebirth, and at rebirth Mahayanan Sutras like Buddhist scripture Collection of commentaries and traditions Tripitaka (Pali Canon) teachings of Buddha and oral traditions put into written form by Buddhist monks, used mostly by Theravada Buddhists Visuddhimagga comprehensive manual condensing the theoretical and practical teachings of the Buddha

MISSIONARY WORK/OUTREACH

In 68 CE, according to historical accounts, two Buddhist missionaries from India arrived in China in the court of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty. There, they translated several Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese. Around 273 CE King Ashoka spread Buddhism throughout south east Asia and India, making it the state religion of India Fa Hsing, from China, traveled to India around 413 CE to study Buddhism for seven years and brought back some of the religion to China. In 480 CE, Bodhidharma goes as a Buddhist missionary to China.

DIFFUSION OF BUDDHISM

Buddhism spread from Northwest India to the rest of India, Tibet, China, and Southern Asia. From those places, it was further spread to Japan, Korea, and the Indonesian Islands. Buddhism reached the Persians in Afghanistan, but it was never as influential there as it was in Eastern Asia

DIFFUSION OF BUDDHISM CNTD.

Note** this slide is just approximate dates of when Buddhism reached these areas, versus relative times (which were shown on previous slide) Buddhism spread throughout India in the 5th-1st centuries BCE It reached China and central Asia in the 1st century CE 3rd Century CE reached South-Asian countries, such as Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos 372 CE Buddhism enters Korea through China 538 CE Buddhism reaches Japan

MAJOR RELIGION CONTACTS WITH BUDDHISM

While Buddhism was growing, other religions and belief systems were growing close by as well, such as Hinduism, Confucianism, and Daoism in India and China Because Hinduism and Buddhism both originated in the same place, India, they came in contact often and share some of the same concepts (EX. on reincarnation, salvation, and enlightenment) Confucianism was conflicted with Buddhism because the believers had different beliefs on how to live ones life Confucianism strong belief in rules, morals, social responsibility Buddhism sought to escape the reincarnation cycle through meditation, concentration, and conditioning ones inner strength

MAJOR QUOTATIONS

"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. - The Buddha "The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed. - The Buddha

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/texts.htm http://viewonbuddhism.org/time-line.html http://www.silk-road.com/artl/buddhism.shtml http://www.experiencefestival.com/rituals_in_buddhism http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_common_rituals_of_Buddhists http://www.experiencefestival.com/rituals_in_buddhism http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_common_rituals_of_Buddhists http://buddhism.about.com/od/lifeofthebuddha/a/buddhalife.htm http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism/Rites-andCeremonies.html http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Buddhism/Dharma-Day-A-Universal-Celebration-of-TheBuddhas-Teachings.aspx http://buddhism.about.com/od/mahayanabuddhism/a/mahayanahist.htm http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Dhammadinna http://www.patheos.com/Library/Theravada-Buddhism.html

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_chron.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY- PICTURES

http://lordbuddhapictures.blogspot.com/ http://ridgeaphistory.wikispaces.com/Buddhism http://truthparlor.com/my-parents-are-buddhists-my-husbandsan-atheist-and-i-love-jesus.html http://managementhelp.org/blogs/spirituality/2011/02/07/worki ng-with-a-pure-heart-the-eight-fold-path/ http://themccauleynation.pbworks.com/w/page/34518661/201 1%20UNIT%204%3A%20South%20Asia%3A%20Focus%20I ndia http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/things/prayer_wheel.ht m http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenbarnes/5314264611/ http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/85Arts2982.html http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g424922r67177352-Bodh_Gaya_Bihar.html