Buddhism

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Buddhism Quick Facts

• One of the four largest religions in the world
  today with over 350 million followers
• Followers are known as Buddhists
• Followers are located primarily in Asia
• (China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc.)
• Based on pursuit of enlightenment (Nirvana)
• Key Beliefs
• The Four Noble Truths
• The Eightfold Path

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Buddhist Shrine in Japan
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Founder Siddhartha Gautama

• Born in India, raised in luxury, was overcome
  with the suffering that exists in the world
• Set out to find enlightenment through physical
  deprivation found it didnt work
• Found enlightenment through the Middle Path
  moderation and getting rid of desires
• Got followers and became known as Buddha (The
  Enlightened One)

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Main Beliefs

• Goal to end the cycle of rebirth and suffering
  Attain Nirvana!
• Attained by discarding desires
• How Meditating on the Four Noble Truths

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Four Noble Truths

• 1. The world is suffering
• 2. The cycle of reincarnation is a result of
  desires The thirst for existence leads from
  rebirth to rebirth . . .
• 3. suffering ends by eliminating desires
  Nirvanaliterally means Snuffing Out as greed,
  hatred, desire, and delusion are all extinguished
• 4. One can eliminate desire by following the
  Eightfold Path

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The Eightfold Path

• RIGHT VIEW Accepting Buddhist views.
• RIGHT RESOLVE A serious commitment to developing
  the right attitudes.
• RIGHT SPEECH telling the truth and speaking in a
  thoughtful and sensitive way.
• RIGHT ACTION Abstaining from wrongful behavior
  or over indulgence.
• RIGHT LIVELIHOOD Avoiding a livelihood that
  harms others.
• RIGHT EFFORT Controlling ones thoughts and
  cultivating positive states of mind
• RIGHT MINDFULNESS Cultivating constant awareness
  
• RIGHT MEDITATION Developing deep levels of
  mental calm through various techniques which
  concentrate the mind and integrate the
  personality.

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Places of Worship
A Stupa in Thailand

• Places of Worship include Stupas, Temples, and
  Shrines

A Temple in Japan
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Leaders

• There are two types of leaders in Buddhism,
  priests and monks

Bodhisatvas Those whove attained enlightenment
but experience rebirth to help others (a saint)
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Symbols

• Wheel of Life 8 spokes remind
  people of the Eightfold path and the wheel
  represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth
• Lotus Flower symbolizes purity

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Holy Book

• The Tripitaka
• Written down from what oral tradition said about
  Buddhas sayings
• When written in English, it is over 40 volumes!

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Divisions

• There are two main branches of Buddhism
• Mahayana
• Believes Buddha was divine
• Theravada
• Believes Buddha was a great teacher