Buddhism

Brian CanfieldDanny Bazemore

Jeb Pritchett

God(s)

• All denominations of Buddhism do not believe in the existence of a god(s)

• Major denominations include Mahayana, Hinayana (Theravada), and Zen

Basic Beliefs• Common beliefs of all denominations– Ultimate goal of reaching “Nirvana”– Existence of sorrow– Rebirth– Karma controls all moral and natural laws– Rebirth is not created or controlled by the deity– The phenomenon world does not contain any substance

and is always changing– Sorrow is eliminated by getting rid of greed, hatred, and

delusion (enlightenment)– The Buddha is a human that gained enlightenment, and

was once mortal

Worship

• Meditation• Mantras• Mudras• Prayer Wheels• Monasticism• Pilgrimage• Veneration of

Buddhas and deities

Important Rituals

• Buddha Purnima(birthday)

• Mela Hemis Gompa• Losar(Tibetan New

Year)• Ullambana Sutra

Role of Women

• Permitted to live monastic lives

• Buddhist did not believe in the suppression of women

• Females who achieved Nirvana often were reborn as males

Religious Books and Texts

• Pali Tripitaka• Lotus Sutra• The Four Noble Truths• Sukhavativyuha Sutras• Garland Sutra• Sutra of Hui Neng• Lankavatara Sutra• The Golden Light Sutra• The Eight Fold Path

Missionary Work• 400 BCE- Buddhism comes to Nepal• 259 - 232 BCE- King Asoka (273 - 232) converts to Buddhism and sends

out missionaries to other lands while actively promoting Buddhism in his own lands

• 251 BCE- Mahinda, (c. 204) Asoka's son, introduces Buddhism to Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka)

• 200 BCE- Buddhism comes to central Asia• 61 CE- Mahayana Buddhism spreads to China• 273 - 231 CE- Rule of King Ashoka. Spread Buddhism throughout India

and Southeast Asia• 372 CE- Buddhism spreads from China to Korea• 6th century CE- Buddhism spreads from China to Japan

Diffusion of Buddhism(until 600C.E.)

• http://qed.princeton.edu/images/c/c7/The_Spread_of_Buddhism_to_AD_600.jpg

Major Contacts with Other Religions

• Alexander the Great came into contact with Buddhism during his conquest

• Spread of Buddhism into China caused confrontation with Confucianism and Daoism

• Other religions that Buddhism contacted: Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Hellenist

Major Quotations

• “Faith dispels doubt and hesitation, it liberates you from suffering and delivers you to the city of peace and happiness.” The Dalai Lama

• “Opened are the gates of immortality, you that have ears to hear, release your faith. Do not accept any of my words on faith.Believing them just because I said them.Be like an analyst buying gold, who cuts, burns, And critically examines his product for authenticity.Only accept what passes the test By proving useful and beneficial in your life.” The Buddha

Works Cited• http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm• http://festivals.iloveindia.com/buddha-purnima/mahayana-hinayana.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinayana• http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8916/index2.htm• http://www.khandro.net/Buddhism_women.htm• http://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/Archive/D/DeSilva/

WomenInBuddhism/womenInBuddhismSwarnaDeSilva.html#chap4• http://open-site.org/Society/Religion/Buddhism/History• http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/dharma-quotes-quotations-

buddhist/faith-devotion.htm• http://www.google.com/images