Do Now: •Hinduism- What did I learn?•Buddhism: What do I know? column•What do I want to know?

BuddhismObjective: To Define, describe, and analyze the origins and teachings of Buddhism. Essential

Question: What are the major world religions and how are they connected?

Siddhartha Gautama: Founder

Born in Nepal 560 BC Was a Hindu Son of a ruler- prince/ life

of luxury – unaware of outside world legend has it he left to find cause of human misery

Leaves kingdom→ realizes life of suffering outside

Meditates under a fig tree (Bodhi tree) has enlightenment & receives the 4 Noble Truths

The 4 Noble Truths

1. Universal Suffering: everyone suffers from pain, sickness, and death

2. The cause of suffering is desire (riches, ling life, material things)

Everything in life changes; Nothing is permanent Even pleasure causes suffering because it too must

end.

3. The only way to end suffering is crush desire

If you do this, you achieve Nirvana (condition of wanting nothing) 4. The way to end desire is to follow Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path • Buddha sets right to

conduct• Stresses understanding of

cause of suffering, compassion for all creatures

• Kindness• Truthfulness • The Path is divided into

three main sections: wisdom, ethical conduct and mental discipline.

The Spread of Buddhism

• Buddha thought of himself as a Hindu Unlike Hindus, he denied

the existence of gods Priests are unnecessary People have to seek

Nirvana on their own (follow Noble Eightfold Path)

Rejects the caste system

The Spread of Buddhism

• Buddha set up monasteries/ convents where monks and nuns follow Eightfold Path

• Attracts many followers- quickly spread across South Asia

• After his death his teachings passed down orally- eventually written down in the 3 Baskets of Wisdom

• People of different cultures adopt Buddhism to suit their needs

Growth of 2 Main Sects: Theravada Buddhism

• Stress the monastic life as a way to reach Nirvana

• Buddha= teacher not God

• Areas Ceylon, Burma, & Thailand

Mahayana Buddhism

• Self -encouraged • Worship Buddha and

other enlightened ones as Gods

• In areas such as China, Tibet, Japan and Korea

Closing Thoughts

• Although Buddhism began in South Asia it almost disappeared as Hinduism is a tolerant faith and it absorbed Buddhist ideas

Sources:

• Google Images• BBC & Youtube