1 / 19

THE BASICS OF BUDDHISM

THE BASICS OF BUDDHISM. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha = “Enlightened One”). Thought of himself as a Hindu Maintained Hindu beliefs such as individual self, karma and dharma HOWEVER, Denied the existence of gods Taught priests were not necessary Caste system should be abolished

kendra
Download Presentation

THE BASICS OF BUDDHISM

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. THE BASICS OF BUDDHISM

  2. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha = “Enlightened One”) • Thought of himself as a Hindu • Maintained Hindu beliefs such as individual self, karma and dharma • HOWEVER, • Denied the existence of gods • Taught priests were not necessary • Caste system should be abolished • Established monasteries and convents …for what? • Understood the cause of human suffering – and its cure! “One thing I teach: suffering and the end of suffering. It is just ill and the ceasing of ill that I proclaim.”  -- The Buddha

  3. The Teaching:The Four Noble Truths • The Noble Truth of Suffering • The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering • The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering • The Noble Truth of the Path (dharma)

  4. Beyond this…? • Buddha intentionally left no central authority, structure, and writings • This led to a VARIETY of schools of thought and adaptations found in various cultures

  5. Theravada & Mahayana • Buddhist beliefs vary significantly, but all share an admiration for the figure of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth.  • Theravada Buddhism • Prominent in Southeast Asia • Atheistic and philosophical in nature • Focuses on the monastic life and meditation as means to liberation

  6. Theravada & Mahayana • Mahayana Buddhism • Prominent in China and Japan • Incorporates several deities, celestial beings, and other traditional religious elements. • Path to liberation may include religious ritual, devotion, meditation, or a combination of these elements • Zen, Nichiren, Tendai, and Pure Land are the major forms

  7. The Noble Truth of Suffering • Suffering is UNIVERSAL • Everyone experiences suffering, sickness, pain, unhappiness and death • Although there are passing pleasures, they vanish in time

  8. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Attachment) • DESIRE is the cause of suffering • People suffer because they desire things, crave something more, and cling to their thoughts • People are attached to SELF and this can never be satisfied • Even pleasure causes suffering, because pleasure must end

  9. The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering (Liberation) • It is possible to end suffering if one isaware of his or herowndesires, thoughts, self-attachment and no longer clings to them. • As a living being, one willalwaysdesirethingslike air, water, comfort, kindness, etc. However, one should not becontrolled by desires. • If one canbefreedfrombeingcontrolled by desiresthenNIRVANAcanbeachieved. • Nirvana is the condition of wantingnothing • Someinterpretationsthatitisfreedomfrom the cycle of birth & death

  10. The Noble Truth of the Path • By changingone’sthinking and behavior (to no longer beruled by desires), one canbeawoken • This way of thinking and behavingiscalled the Middle Way and canbepursuedthrough the practice of following the EightfoldPath

  11. Following the Middle Path:The practice of the EightfoldPath • Wisdom • Right View or Undersanding (1) • Right Thought (2) • Ethics • Right Speech (3) • Right Action (4) • Right Work or Livelihood (5) • Meditation • Right Effort (6) • Right Mindfulness (7) • Right Concentration (8)

  12. The EightfoldPath: Wisdom • Right View or Understanding • Strive to clearlyunderstand (internalize) the Four Noble Truths • Strive to clearlyunderstand the workings of one’sownmind • Right Thought • Strive to have the right sense of motive, intention, attitude, mind-set and commitment(Remember Karma!) • Avoiddwelling on the past or the future (Be in the Present), avoidthoughts of greed, illwill or fear

  13. The EightfoldPath: Ethics • Right Speech • Strive to speakkindly and thoughtfully • Avoid lies, slander, harshwords and frivolous speech • Right Action • Strive to actmorallytowards all living things(Karma!) • Live in the moment, do eachthingfullywithoutattachment to the results • Right Work or Livelihood • Have a vocation thatdoes not harm the others (people, nature, ecosystem etc.)

  14. The EightfoldPath: Meditation • Right Effort • Seekenlightenmentwith practice, determination and follow-through • Right Mindfulness • Be fullyaware and conscious of your body, feelings, and mind « Awareness of pure awarenessis…a taste of nirvana  » • Right Concentration • Focus attention; strive to become one with the object of yourmind

  15. The Three Jewels • Over time the “Three Jewels” provided the loose structure of Buddhism • The Buddha • The Dharma • The Sangha “The Buddha’s like the doctor; the Dharma, his medicine; and the Sangha, the hospital staff. You can put your life in their hands.”

  16. The Buddha • From the Sanskrit root budh meaning ‘to awaken’ • Title given to Siddhartha because he attained enlightenment • More generally it refers to any self-realized or enlightened person

  17. The Dharma • Sanskrit referring to virtue, law, cosmic process, discipline , reality or truth • Refers to the teachings of Buddha • More generally it refers to all that leads to the truth

  18. The Sangha • Sanskrit for gathering or assembly • Refers to the monastic order established by the Buddha • More generally it refers to any lay (non-priest) followers or communities of practice

  19. Check for Understanding • What are the two main types of Buddhism? • What are the differences between the two?

More Related