Lecture 9: Buddhism

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Lecture 9 Buddhism
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Todays Lecture

• In todays lecture we will
• Discuss how to begin writing and researching your
  research project
• Investigate the origins of Buddhism
• Become familiar with the Buddhist principle of
  Dharma and the central teachings of Buddhism

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Beginning your research project
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Beginning your research

• Preliminary Research
• Go to your local library and look at the DCCC
  library
• Look online for journal articles
• When using websites be very careful and keep in
  mind the following
• Websites that end in .edu / .gov / .org are more
  reliable than other websites
• NOTE! Wikipedia is NOT a reliable resource and
  must not be used in your final research paper.
• Always be sure to check the accuracy and
  authenticity of any website you use
• Keep lists and notes on what you read and try to
  start ranking your resources by relevance

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Beginning your research

• 2. Writing Start writing NOW!
• Write your way through your thesis statement
• Begin formulating questions you need to answer
• Make a list of important things you will need to
  research
• Brainstorming
• Free-writing
• Create a discovery draft
• Redraft, redraft, redraft!

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Buddhism
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Outline

• The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama
  (Gautama Buddha)
• Buddhism originated in the 5th century B.C.E.
• It began in India and spread throughout Eastern
  Asia, and now can be found throughout the world
• Currently Buddhism is the worlds fourth largest
  religion (5.84)
• Famous Buddhists include
• The Dalai Lama
• Richard Gere
• Orlando Bloom

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Complexities in Buddhism
The Buddha is not a name but instead is a
religious title meaning One who has awakened or
The Enlightened Like Hinduism, the title
Buddhism includes a wide variety of practices
differing by geography, philosophy, beliefs and
personal preferences. Because of its
geographical diversity throughout Asia, Buddhism
uses both Sanskrit and Pali words
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The Origins of Buddhism
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Origins of Buddhism

• Buddhisms origins can be traced back to the life
  of Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century B.C.E.
  in India
• Buddhism grew out of Hinduism and shares some
  important similarities and differences.
• Hence, the origins of Buddhism is based on
  biographical narratives of Siddharthas life,
  trials and death.
• There are three main parts to the story of
  Gautama Buddhas life
• His birth and life up to the age of twenty-nine
• His spiritual search and subsequent awakening
• His travels throughout India from the age of
  forty-five teaching what he had learnt, up until
  his death at the age of eighty.

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The Buddhas early life
Siddharthas mother (Maya) had a dream that a
white elephant entered her womb. Priests
foretold that the child would either become a
great king or a person who would renounce earthly
life and share his enlightenment with the
world. Siddhartha was born in the foothills of
the Himalayas but his mother died a week after
giving birth. Siddharthas father (Shuddhodana)
was a powerful ruler and warrior and sought to
make Siddhartha a great king
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The Buddhas early life

• Shuddhodana kept Siddhartha in a palace in
  isolation from the suffering of the world, gave
  him all the pleasures he could and trained him in
  martial arts.
• A key shift occurs when Siddhartha follows his
  urges to leave the palace walls and witnesses
• A sick man
• An old man
• A dead man
• A Shramana (an ascetic Yogi)
• These sights changed Siddharthas life and at the
  age of 29 he ran away and began his own personal
  spiritual search.

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The Buddhas Journey
Siddhartha first found a Shramana guru named
Arada Kalama who used meditation to achieve a
state of nothingness. Disappointed,
Sidddhartha then found a second teacher named
Udraka Ramaputra who used meditation to bring
forth trances. This discontent lead to
Siddhartha finding five other ascetics who were
experimenting with extreme fasting, breath
control, and long periods of sitting without
moving. Siddharthas dismay and disappointment
lead to him seeking awakening through the balance
between asceticism and pleasure (The Middle
Way)
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The Buddhas Journey
Siddhartha refused to give up and sat beneath a
ficus tree by a river and vowed to find either
success or death
Siddhartha continued to meditate but was tempted
by Mara (a supernatural being that personifies
death, delusion, and temptation) By touching
his right hand to earth, Siddhartha brought forth
earthquakes and a cooling stream which washed
Mara away After resuming his meditations
Sidhhartha gained more perceptions and
supernatural faculties (Memory of his past lives,
psychic vision, levitation, telepathy and
superhearing)
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The Buddhas Enlightenment
Finally, Siddhartha extinguished all of his
desires and ignorance and realized his capacities
for insight Siddhartha woke up under the Bodhi
(Enlightenment) tree to the nature of reality,
just as dawn broke From that point on Siddhartha
became the Buddha the enlightened one. The
Buddha remained around the Bodhi tree for seven
weeks enjoying Nirvana when Mara returned again
and tempted the Buddha to keep what he had
learned to himself. But the high Gods urged the
Buddha to teach what he knew, and the Buddha
compassionately vowed to teach what he had
learned to the whole world.
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The Buddhas first teachings

• The Buddhas first pupils were the five ascetics
  he had earlier fasted with and taught them the
  central teachings of Buddhism (Dharma)
• The four noble truths
• The Eight-Fold Path
• The ascetics became Arhats and taught on behalf
  of the Buddha
• Gautama Buddha eventually formed a new set of
  religious institutions

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Travels and Death
At the age of 45 the Buddha traveled throughout
India teaching what he had learned and
establishing religious schools Finally at the
age of 80 the Buddha died after eating some
poisonous food The Buddha was cremated and his
remains were spread throughout eight shrines
which became the focus of Buddhist worship
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Dharma

• The Teachings of Buddha

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Central teachings

• Buddhists seek Nirvana (Liberation) and is known
  as the Middle Way
• The Buddha is recognized as the founder and
  teacher of Buddhism but typically he is not
  worshipped as a God
• As in Hinduism, Buddhists believe in
  Reincarnation and Karma
• The primary teachings (Dharma)of the Buddha
  include
• The Four Noble Truths
• The Noble Eightfold Path to liberation
• The wheel of Birth and Death
• Nirvana

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The Four Noble Truths

1. Life inevitably involves suffering (dukkha) and
   is imperfect and unsatisfactory
2. Suffering originates from our desires
3. Suffering will cease when all desire ceases
4. There is a way to reach this state the Noble
   Eightfold Path

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The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought or Motives
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Meditation

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The Buddhists Universe
Unatman Buddhists believe that there is no
eternal or immortal soul which can be reborn The
Wheel of Birth and Death Buddhists believe in
Karma and claim that greed, hate and delusion
(the three evils) motivate the wheel of Birth and
Death. By doing the opposite of these evils one
can move towards escape. Buddhist
Metaphysics Buddhists believe that there are
multiple planes of existence (including realms of
hells) hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and Gods
etc.
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Nirvana
The term Nirvana is problematic has multiple
interpretations and definitions For
example Escape from suffering Extinction of
aging and dying Peace of Mind Liberation Some
Buddhists claim that it can be attained while one
is alive Others claim it can be attained at
death and one who reaches Nirvana is not
reborn In general Nirvana can be interpreted as
extinguishing
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Discussion

1. In what way is Buddhism similar to Hinduism?
2. How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?
3. How does the story of the Buddhas life relate to
   the central teachings of Buddhism?
4. Can you identify which aspects of the Buddhas
   life reinforce particular teachings?