Buddhism

• Buddhism


  A way of life, not just a religion
• Buddha


  An Enlightened One, can refer to either a person who has attained enlightenment or the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism
• Siddartha Gautama


  • A Nepalese prince who was part of the Kshatriya Caste
  • His father wanted him to become the king to shield him from the 4 passing sights
  • He left to know more about the world outside of his palace
• The 4 Passing Sights


  1. An old man

  2. A funeral

  3. A sick man

  4. An ascetic
• Upon seeing the ascetic, Siddhartha found the urge to figure out the root of human suffering
• After being fed by a milkmaid, he decided against his ascetic lifestyle and meditated under a bodhi tree to figure out the meaning of life
• The 4 Noble Truths


  • Suffering exists
  • Suffering is caused by desire
  • Suffering stops when desire is stopped
  • Desire can be eliminated through the 8 fold path
• Buddhism


  • Seen less as a religion and more as a way of life
  • Takes some beliefs from Hinduism
  • Nontheistic in nature
  • Has its own version of "commandments" or rules to live by, known as the Pancasila
• The 8 Fold Path


  • Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
  • Right thought (Samma sankappa)
  • Right speech (Samma vaca)
  • Right action (Samma kammanta)
  • Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
  • Right effort (Samma vayama)
  • Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
  • Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
• The 8 Fold Path


  • Characterized by three rightful behaviors: mental discipline, ethical conduct, and wisdom
• Nontheistic nature


  The belief that deities, whether or not they exist, do not have an impact on their lives. Often characterized by how religious attitudes are not dependent on the existence of gods.
• Ahimsa


  A concept originating from Hinduism, meaning "non-violence", the understanding that since life is already full of suffering, it is unjustifiable to cause even more suffering to other beings
• Samsara


  An important concept shared with Hinduism, but interpreted differently in Buddhism; a continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth
• Nirvana


  Literally meaning "to be blown out" or to be "extinguished", a state in which suffering does not exist, the freedom from the cycle of samsara
• The 5 Precepts or Pancasila


  • Do not kill
  • Do not lie
  • Do not steal
  • Do not commit sexual misconduct
  • Do not take any intoxicants
• Theravada Buddhism


  • The "teaching of the elders", a conservative form of Buddhism that focuses on personal simplicity and clean lifestyles, rejects the Vedic/Brahmic practices of Hinduism, their sacred text is the Tripitaka
• The Tripitaka


  • Sutta Pitaka: Dialogues of Buddha and his Believers
  • Vinaya Pitaka: Disciplinary code of Buddhist monks and nuns (which also contains a short history of Buddhist monasticism)
  • Abidhamma Pitaka: Discussion of Buddhist doctrine according to the everyday life of Gautama Buddha
• Arhat


  In Theravada Buddhism, this is the most ideal figure or form to reach. It means "The one who is worthy". An Arhat is a person who has reached enlightenment and is in the state of nirvana, deemed worthy of imitation and veneration
• Mahayana Buddhism


  • Maja (meaning great) and yana (meaning vehicle), several practices are directly from Hindu traditions, criticizes and likewise is criticized by Theravada Buddhists, generally perceived as more inclusive and less restricting
• Yana


  In Sanskrit it stands for "vehicle", in Buddhism it is generally understood as the medium or vehicle that will carry one across the river of suffering towards enlightenment
• Mahayana Buddhism Sacred Texts


  • A collection of writings about nirvana and enlightenment, the sutras, containing virtually all of the Theravada Pitakas and other sutras that are not part of the Tripitaka
• Bodhisattva


  A person who has reached enlightenment but has delayed passage to nirvana. However, they delay in doing so in order to help others attain enlightenment.

  
  

  For Mahayana Buddhists, they consider this a higher goal than the Arhat.
• Vajrayana Buddhism


  • Originated from Mahayana Buddhism, developed into a different school of thought after spreading in Tibet, known as the "diamond vehicle", blends the ritualist, shamanic beliefs of Tibetan Natives with Mahayana Buddhist principles, the smallest of the three major schools of Buddhism (<10%)
• Vajrayana Buddhist Sacred Texts


  • The Kangyur or Kanjur, including the tripitaka and Tantric texts or Tantras
  • The Tengyur or the Tenjur, a compilation of commentaries, writings, and treatises on Buddhist literature
• Dalai Lama


  Literally meaning, "ocean superior one", considered to be an incarnation of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas, the current Dalai Lama is the 14th Dalai Lama who is named Tenzin Gyatso
• Buddhist Practices


  • Temple Worship
  • Burning of Incense
  • Buddhist New Year
  • Vesak
• Temple Worship


  • While Buddhists go to temples to pray and meditate, they also venerate holy figures in Buddhism
  • One can observe two different types of Buddha statues being worship
  • One that is thin and one that is jolly.
  • The thin one represents Siddartha Gautama, and the jolly one represents Budai; a Chinese monk
• Burning of Incense


  Buddhists regard incense as the "divine odor", meant to purify worship halls and as a sign of respect
• Buddhist New Year


  A celebration dependent on the lunar cycle, a time for introspection and meditation, a renewal of oneself and the idea of re-reflection
• Vesak


  Gautama Buddha's birthday, a holiday traditionally observed by many Buddhist Schools of thought, a day of reflection about his teachings and the entire idea of being a Buddhist
• Exoticization of religion can take away the element of sacredness, for example buying Buddhist items
• Why did he (Siddartha Gautama) leave the palace?

  He wanted freedom from the life of being a prince
• Theravada Buddhism is also known as?


  The "lesser vehicle" of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism


  A conservative form of Buddhism that focuses on personal simplicity and clean lifestyles
• Theravada Buddhism


  Rejects the Vedic/Brahmic practices of Hinduism