Buddhism

• Buddhism

  - a major global religion with complex history and system of beliefs.
• Siddhartha Gautama


  The Buddha
• The Buddha Statue


  • Founder of Buddhism
• Lived


  566 to 480 BC
• Gautama


  The son of an indian warrior-king
• Gautama's life


  1. Led an extravagant life throughout early adulthood, reveling in the privileges of his social caste

  2. Got bored of the indulgences of royal life, wandered into the world in search of understanding

  3. Encountered an old man, ill man, a corpse and an ascentic

  4. Convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence

  5. Renounced his princely title, became a monk, deprived himself of worldly possessions

  6. Meditated beneath a tree, finally understood how to be free from suffering and achieve salvation

  7. Known as the Buddha (Enlightened One)

  8. Spent the remainder of his life journeying about india, teaching others what he had come to understand
• The Buddha spent the remainder of his life journeying about india, teaching others what he had come to understand
• The Four Noble

  • It comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings though they leave much left unexplained.
  • They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of suffering, and the truth of the path that to the end of suffering. (in short, suffering exists)

  Suffering

  • it has cause, it has an end and it has a cause to bring about its end.
  • The notion of suffering is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify it
• Concept of pleasure

  • is not denied, but acknowledged as flecting.
  • Pursuit of pleasure can only continue what is ultimately an unquenchable thirst.
  • The same logic beliefs an understanding of happiness.
  • in the end, only aging, sickness, and death are certain and unavoidable.
• Four Noble Truths


  A contingency plan for dealing with the suffering humanity faces (suffering of a physical kind / mental nature)
• First Noble Truths


  • Identifies the presence of suffering
  • Seeks to determine the cause of suffering
• Third Noble Truth


  The truth to the end of suffering, has dual meaning - the end of suffering in this life, on earth or in the spiritual life through achieving Nirvana
• Nirvana


  A transcendent state free from suffering and our worldly cycle of birth and rebirth, spiritual enlightenment has been reached
• Fourth Noble Truth (AKA Noble Eightfold Path)


  Charts the method for attaining the end of suffering
• Steps of the Noble Eightfold Path


  • Right mindfulness
  • Right concentration
• Three themes of the path


  • Good moral conduct (understanding, thought, speech)
  • Meditation and mental development (action, livelihood, effort)
  • Wisdom / insight (mindfulness and concentration)
• In buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering.
• Desire

  • buddhist refer to craving pleasure, material goods and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied.
  • As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering.
• ignorance

  - relates to not seeing the world as it actually is. without the capacity for mental concentration and insight.
• Karma


  Contrary to what is accepted in contemporary society, the Buddhist interpretation of karma does not refer to preordained fate. Karma refers to good or bad actions a person takes during her lifetime.
• Good actions


  • Involve the absence of bad actions, or actual positive acts like generosity, righteousness, and meditation, which bring about happiness in the long run.
• Bad actions


  • Lying, stealing, killing, bring about unhappiness in the long run.
• Conditions that determine the weight of actions


  • Frequent, repetitive action
  • Determined, intentional action
  • Action performed without regret
  • Action against extraordinary persons
  • Action towards those who have helped one in the past
• Neutral karma


  Derives from acts like breathing, eating, and sleeping. Neutral karma has no benefits or costs.
• Cycle of Rebirth


  Karma plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth, where living beings can be reborn into six separate planes - three fortunate realms and three unfortunate realms.
• Fortunate realms


  • Realm of demigods
  • Realm of gods
  • Realm of men
• Fortunate realms


  • Those with favorable, positive karma can be reborn into. Demigods and gods enjoy gratification unknown to men, but also suffer increasing jealousy and envy.
• Realm of man


  Considered the highest realm of rebirth. Humanity lacks some of the extravagance of the demigods and gods, but is also free from their relentless conflict. While inhabitants of the three unfortunate realms suffer untold suffering, the suffering of the realm of man is far less. The realm of man also offers the opportunity to achieve enlightenment of Nirvana.
• Given the sheer number of living things, to be born human is to Buddhists a precious chance at spiritual bliss, a rarity that one should not forsake.