Buddhism

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Buddhism

• The Basics

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Different Sects of Buddhism

• CLASSICAL
• One of the Four major World Religions
• ZEN
• NICHIREN SHOSHU

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Buddhism

• As of 2000, the worldwide estimate for followers
  of the Buddha stood at more than 250,000,000
• Buddhism, one a religion of the East, has become
  a popular faith in the West
• American Celebrity Converts to Buddhism include
• Joan Baez
• Tina Turner
• Richard Gere
• Larry Hagman
• Harrison Ford

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Why is Buddhism growing in the West?

• People are pursuing Eastern Religions in the
  United States because their message has been
  DRESSED UP to meet our cultural needs they are
  responding to it because there is a deep
  awareness of a need for spiritual reality
  (Walter, Martin, Zen Buddhism, Hare Krishna, and
  Meher Baba Santa Ana, Calif One Way Libraries,
  1976, cassette tape, side 1.)

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Understanding Terms

• Buddhism a religion, originated in NEPAL/INDIA
  by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China,
  Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia,
  holding that life is full of suffering caused by
  desire and that the way to end this suffering is
  through enlightenment that enables one to halt
  the endless sequence of births and deaths to
  which one is otherwise subject.
• CASTE SYSTEM - a social structure in which
  classes are determined by heredity 

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Understanding Terms

• ARYANS a member or descendant of the
  prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.
• Indo-Iranians, Indo-European peoples who
  inhabited parts of what are now Iran,
  Afghanistan, and India.
• HINDUISM - the common religion of India, based
  upon the religion of the original Aryan settlers
  as expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the
  Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, etc., having an
  extremely diversified character with many schools
  of philosophy and theology, many popular cults,
  and a large pantheon symbolizing the many
  attributes of a single god. Buddhism and Jainism
  are outside the Hindu tradition but are regarded
  as related religions.

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Classical Buddhism - History

• 2,500 years ago, Hinduism reigned supreme in
  India, the people were subject to and enslaved by
  it
• J. Isamu Yamamoto explains the India History
• Over three thousand years ago the Aryans
  (powerful group of Indo-European-speaking people)
  conquered the Indus Valley, the Aryans instituted
  Brahmanism (developed into Hinduism) and the
  caste system in the Indian culture, which enabled
  the invaders to maintain the purity of the Aryan
  race and establish themselves as spiritual and
  social masters over the native Indians (J. Isamu
  Yamamoto, The Buddha, Christian Research
  Journal Spring/Summer 1994) 11.)

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The Hindu Caste System

1. The Brahmins The PRIESTLY Scholarly
2. The Kshatriyas The WARRIOR-SOLDIER
3. The Vaishyas the AGRICULTURAL AND MERCHANT
4. The Sudras The PEASANT AND SERVANT
5. Harijan The Outcast or UNTOUCHABLES

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• As the vast majority of the people were
  illiterate and indescribably poor, the gap
  widened between the few literates and the host of
  illiterates, between the few princes and rulers
  and their millions of subjects, between the few
  privileged of high caste and the great
  unprivileged population that belonged to the
  lower castes and outcastes. This gap grew wider
  and wider. And from the hopelessness among the
  many arose despair.

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Buddhism - Origin

• There seemed no escape from the Oppression of an
  endless succession of painful lives before one
  could be freed to merge for eternity with the
  World-Soul
• This state is know as NIRVANA.
• The Definition of Nirvana is - FREEDOM from the
  endless cycle of personal reincarnations, with
  their consequent suffering, as a result of the
  extinction of individual passion, hatred, and
  delusion

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Buddhism - Origin

• To obtain Nirvana, one must Take the EIGHT-FOLD
  PATH
• The RIGHT knowledge, intentions, speech,
  conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness,
  and meditation.
• 490-410 B.C., a son of a minor Raja (KING) was
  born, his philosophy of life would impact the
  world for centuries
• Gautama Siddhartha Buddha, the founder of the
  Buddhist Religion, was the son of SUDDHODANA, the
  Chieftain reigning over a district near the
  Himalayas in what is known today as the country
  of Nepal.

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Buddha CHALLENGE!!!!

• Divide into Two Teams
• Pick a Speaker/Team Leader
• Round 1 1 POINT - Teams will answer 5
  multiple-choice questions
• Round 2 2 POINTS - Teams will answer 5 fast
  questions (first one to buzz in/raise hand with
  get the opportunity to answer first)
• Round 3 5 POINTS Teams will answer one loaded
  question if you get it Right you WIN!

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Who is the Key Person/Founder of Buddhism?

1. Gautama Bengali Buddha
2. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
3. Suddhodana Gautama Buddha
4. L. Ron Hubbard

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What are the Key writings of Buddhism?

1. The Mahavastu The Great Story
2. The Jataka Tales 550 Stories of the former
   lives of the Buddha
3. Triptaka Three Baskets
4. Tantra Recorded in Tibetan Buddhism
5. All of the Above

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What does Buddha mean?

1. The Great One
2. The Fast one
3. The Fat one
4. The Enlightened one
5. The Peaceful one

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Buddhism hold THE Deity (God) as

1. Jesus Christ
2. Moses
3. There is no God
4. Themselves

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Who is Jesus in Buddhism?

1. Historically, Jesus is not part of their Religion
2. In the Asian Countries, Jesus is held as an
   Avatar (the incarnation of a god).
3. In The West, Jesus is held as en Enlightened
   Teacher.
4. All of the above

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ROUND 2

• Be Ready
• Be Fast on 10 Seconds to Answer each question
• Be Smart
• Each Correct Answer receives 2 Points, each steal
  receives 1 point
• No Correct answer, no points

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Who is the Holy Spirit in Buddhism?

• Jesus
• Moses
• Buddha
• Rick Bonifield
• Sun
• No Holy Spirit
• Veda
• Mishna
• Caliphate
• A Statue

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Which Path leads to Salvation in Buddhism?

• The Only Path
• The Way, the Truth, the Life
• No one comes to the Father except through Christ
• The Sunny Path
• The Eightfold Path
• The Snowy path
• The Great Path
• The Dark Path

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How are Humans Saved in Buddhism?

• Baptism
• Immersion
• Believing
• Praying
• Meditating
• Nirvana
• Church
• Playing in a Rock band

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What Happens After Death?

• Nothing
• Heaven
• Hell
• Reincarnation
• Reincarnation into another Person
• Nothing and then Something
• Spiritual suffering
• Punishment
• blessings

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Where was Buddhism Founded?

• China
• Japan
• India
• Afghanistan
• Nepal
• Iran
• Russia
• England
• No Where

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Round 3 FINAL QUESTION!!!

• Name the Eight Characteristics of the Eightfold
  Path
• The RIGHT knowledge, intentions, speech,
  conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness,
  and meditation.