BUDDHISM

• Notable information about Buddhism… 

  • founded by Siddhartha Gautama, later on referred to as the Buddha or “the Enlightened One”
  • focuses more on how one can find peace and happiness in the present life rather than what takes place in the afterlife
• The Four Passing Sights 

  During one of his travels, Siddhartha came across the Four Passing Sights; 1) an old person, 2) a sick person, 3) a corpse and 4) an ascetic (wise) person

  It then became an important spiritual experience for Siddhartha because it led him to the realization that life always involves pain and suffering and that old age, sickness, and death cannot be avoided.
• The Four Noble Truths 

  1. Life is suffering (dukkha).
  2. Suffering is due to craving / desire (tanha).
  3. There is an end or extinction to dukkha, by eliminating tanha.

  The way to overcome craving is through the Eightfold Path.
• The Eightfold Path

  Also referred to as the “Middle Way” because it guides Buddhists to avoid both indulgence and severe asceticism, neither of which the Buddha had found helpful in his search for enlightenment.
• • The 10 Precepts of Buddhism are fundamental to the ways of Buddhists because it serves as a guide for a person’s morality to know what is good for one’s self. 
• Different Schools of Buddhism 

  • Theravada Buddhism fewer in members, more conservative faction
  • Mahayana Buddhism  larger in members, more expansive and adaptable. Mahayana Buddhists are also known as the liberal school of thought because they believe that everyone can attain enlightenment through being compassionate.