Buddhism

1
Buddhism

• Sacred History

2
Basic Terms

• Buddha one who is enlightened who has seen the
  truth of dharma
• Dharma the teaching of Buddha Buddha revealed
  the teaching, dharma (his insight into the
  nature of the world) which must be known to
  follow the way of salvation
• N.b. cf. Hinduism in which dharma was the law
  which governed the cosmos
• Nirvana final liberation the end of bondage to
  the cycle of samsara

3
Emergence of Buddhism

• Foundations of Buddhism
• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)
  probably in 6th cent. B.C.E.
• India
• Parallels some developments in Hinduism
• Roughly contemporary with Upanishads which had
  introduced ideas of samsara, karma, etc.
• W/ this developments in Hinduism came pursuit of
  liberation through asceticism and/or mediation
• Buddhism rejects tradition of Brahmans including
• Claims for the Vedas
• Caste system

4
Emergence of Buddhism

• Buddhism emerged during a time of intense
  religious activity
• Challenges to Brahmanical tradition
• W/ religious rituals and sacrifice
• Upanishads
• Asceticism
• Philosophy
• Knowledge of relationship between atman and
  Brahman
• Skepticism
• Materialism
• Jainism

5
Major Periods of Development

• Major Periods of Development
• The Early Period (6th cent. B.C.E.-1st cent. C.E.
• Time of Gautama Buddha
• Teaching consolidated and canon scriptures put
  down in writing
• Theravada Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism emerges c. 3rd cent. B.C.E.
• Classical Period (1st cent. C.E. onward)
• Spreads to China, Japan and Korea
• Medieval Period (7th 18th cent. C.E.)
• Importance of recitation of mantras
• Magical rites
• Modern Period

6
Expansion of Buddhism

• Unlike Hinduism, expansionary
• Adaptation to different cultural environments
• Early Buddhism non-theistic
• Theravada
• Southeast Asia (from 3rd cent. BCE)
• Sri Lanka (3rd cent. B.C.E.)
• Burma (now Myanmar) (3rd cent. B.C.E.)
• Combined with indigenous shamanistic practices
• Thailand (4th cent. C.E.)
• Cambodia (4th cent. C.E.)
• Indonesia (over 1000 inhabited islands) (4th and
  5th cents. C.E.)
• Hinduism (by 5th cent.)and Buddhist
• Now Muslim (but cf. Bali)
• By 13th cent. Sharp decline in India

7
Expansion (cont.)

• Mahayana
• Central and East Asia
• China
• Along with Confucianism and Taoism/Daoism
• Pure Land
• Chan
• Vietnam
• Chan esp. monastic
• Pure Land - villages
• Korea (4th cent. C.E.)
• Pure Land
• Son (Chan) esp. monastic
• Along with shamanistic practices
• Japan (6th cent. C.E.)
• Pure Land
• Zen (cf. Chan)

8
Expansion (cont.)

• Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism
• 7th cent. C.E.
• Indigenous religion - Shamanism
• Tantric Buddhism vs. Chan Buddhism
• Lamaism
• Lamas are spiritual leaders w/greatest authority
• Emergence of the Geluk-pa
• Brings together different schools of thought in
  Tibetan Buddhism
• Dalai Lama head of school of Geluk-pa
• Series of incarnations
• Incarnation of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
• Modern Buddhism
• Threatened by communism and secularism

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Gautama Buddha

• Gautama Buddha
• Birth stories exhibit different attributes of the
  Buddha in his past lives which he was perfecting
• Largely legendary accounts point of stories is
  to serve as paradigms for those who wish to
  follow the same path
• He is not a divine figure but he is a given a
  status higher than ordinary people

10
Gautama Buddha

• Gautama
• Hindu of warrior class
• Prince- led a sheltered, protected life
• Birth
• Miraculous
• Bodhisattva takes form of elephant and Maya loses
  desire to have sex
• Marries at 16 and has child
• By having son, he is firmly bound to the
  householder stage of life
• Being groomed to be a chieftain

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Mayadevi
12
Guatama the Four Sights

• Guatama is jolted by four sights
• An old man (old age)
• A sick person
• A corpse
• A wandering beggar one who has renounced the
  world

13
Gautama The Great Renunciation

• The Great Renunciation
• At 29 takes on life of wandering recluse
• His desertion of princely life is a rejection of
  things that are impermanent.
• Sons name Rahula means fetter
• Takes on life of severe austerity and reflection
  going through series of teachers
• But eventually takes food represents rejection
  of extreme asceticism
• Attains enlightenment und the bodhi tree in which
  he
• Understands the nature of the world
• And the means to overcome suffering

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Gautama The 3 Watches of Night

• Three Watches of the Night Under the Bodhi Tree
  (around 35 years old)
• White First phase of enlightenment in which he
  sees all his own past lives/trajectories
• Black Second phase he sees the preceding lives
  of all creatures
• Red Third phase he realizes the causal factors
  which brings about these trajectories
• Upon understanding the cause, he attains radical
  enlightenment
• Tempted to achieve nirvana but stays

• Buddha Undisturbed by Mara

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Gautama The First Sermon

• Delivers first sermon Sermon of the Turning of
  the Wheel which spells out his insight
• Lays out idea of the middle path
• Expounds on the Four Noble Truths
• Expounds on the Eightfold Path
• He/she has broken bondage of samsara

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Steering the Middle Path
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Gautama Founds the Sangha

• Founds the sangha community dedicated to
  following the path which lead to enlightenment
• Following path requires withdrawal from society
  and joining a monastic community
• Men and women may achieve enlightenment
• Rejection of caste system
• Different levels of attainment may be achieved
• Final stage is that of arhant one who has
  achieved nirvana and lives as one who is
  completely enlightened
• In Theraveda from of Buddhism, only monks nuns
  may achieve enlightenment
• Lay people may accumulate merit and reach a place
  in future life where nirvana may become possible