Buddhism

1
Buddhism
2
Goals

• Review life of Siddhartha Gautama
• Examine principal tenets of Buddhism
• Provide background necessary to understand
  syncretism as discussed in Old World Encounters

3
Life of Siddhartha Gotama

• ca 563-483 BCE
• Prince in northern India
• Lived life of luxury, sheltered from pain
• At age 29 ventured from palace and discovered
  suffering of world
• Began six-year ascetic life
• Found no peace or wisdom

4
Night of Power

• Sat under Bodhi tree until he received
  enlightenment
• Saw all his former lives pass before him
• Discovered Dhamma (universal truth)
• Realized that everything is conditional
• Individuals have no self or soul
• Believing they do causes desire
• Became the Buddha, the enlightened one

5
Four Noble Truths

• Life is filled with suffering.
• Suffering is caused by desire.
• To end suffering, cease desire.
• To cease desire, follow the eight-fold path
• Goal is to end the cycle of samsarsa to achieve
  nirvana (extinguishing), no being

6
Eight-fold Path

• 1. Right knowledge
• 2. Right intention
• 3. Right speech
• 4. Right conduct
• 5. Right livelihood
• 6. Right effort
• 7. Right mindfulness
• 8. Right meditation

7
Unique characteristics of Buddhism

• Non-theistic religion, practically
• Reform movement within Hinduism
• Rejected ritual, prayers, caste system
• Not particularly successful in India
• Great expansion abroad
• Had to be adapted to local situations and
  existing belief systems

8
Five Precepts

• 1. Do not kill
• 2. Do not take what is not freely given
• 3. Do not commit unchaste acts
• 4. Do not lie
• 5. Do not drink intoxicants

9
Two branches of Buddhism

• Thervada
• South and southeast Asia
• Buddha as mortal
• Provides example
• Religion of self-reliant works
• Emphasize wisdom as enlightenment

• Mahayana
• North and east Asia
• Buddha as semi-divine
• Nirvana is paradise
• Bodhisattvas
• Emphasize compassion

10
Conclusion

• Buddhism has roots in Hinduism
• Goal is to escape samsarsa
• Based on presumption that life is suffering
• Emphasis on mediation and spiritual discipline as
  means to enlightenment
• Complemented indigenous religions in lands where
  it was planted