Buddhism

Beliefs, Traditions, Facts

Origins
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, most
commonly known as the Buddha.
Founded in modern day Nepal.
Around 2500 years ago.
Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses
on personal spiritual development and the
attainment of a deep insight into the true
nature of life.
Map
example
Buddha
Was a prince. Lived a life of wealth and luxury.
Met three men: an old man, a sick man, and a
corpse.
Became a monk. Then became an Ascetic.
Neither worked, so Buddha found a Middle
Way, a way without luxury and without
poverty.
Buddha
While meditating, Buddha became
enlightened.
By finding the path to enlightenment,
Siddhartha was led from the pain of suffering
and rebirth towards the path of enlightenment
and became known as the Buddha or
'awakened one'.
Buddha
examples
Beliefs
Nontheistic. There is no belief in a personal
God. It is not centered on the relationship
between humanity and God.
Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or
permanent - change is always possible.
The path to Enlightenment is through the
practice and development of morality,
meditation and wisdom.

Beliefs
It is a Buddhists goal to help others end their
suffering through the elimination of ignorance
and craving by way of understanding.
The Middle Way
(1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and
actions, and
(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.
Karma
Karma is the law that every cause has an
effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple
law explains a number of things: inequality in
the world, why some are born handicapped
and some gifted, why some live only a short
life. Karma underlines the importance of all
individuals being responsible for their past and
present actions.
Reincarnation/Rebirth
Buddhists believe that the soul's karma
transmigrates between bodies and becomes a
"germ of consciousness" in the womb.
Buddhism rejects the concepts of a permanent
self or an unchanging, eternal soul, as it is
called in Hinduism and Christianity.

The Four Nobel Truths
These four truths explain the nature of dukkha (suffering,
anxiety, unsatisfaction), its causes, and how it can be
overcome. The four truths are:
1) Suffering and misery are universal
2) The cause of suffering is desire
3) The way to end suffering is to overcome desire
4) The ultimate goal of life is to escape pain and suffering
by following the Middle Way. (Have virtuous conduct,
compassion for all living things, have right knowledge,
intentions, speech, conduct, livelihood and meditation).
Enlightenment
The path to Enlightenment is through the
practice and development of morality,
meditation and wisdom.
Also known as Nirvana: a transcendent state in
which there is neither suffering, desire, nor
sense of self, and the subject is released from
the effects of karma and the cycle of death
and rebirth. It represents the final goal of
Buddhism.
Practices
Meditation: In Buddhism the person
meditating is not trying to get into a hypnotic
state or contact angels or any other
supernatural entity.
Meditation is a way of taking control of the
mind so that it becomes peaceful and focused,
and the meditator becomes more aware.


Venerating the Buddha
This may take the form of meditating on the
qualities of Buddha, and honoring the Buddha
or Buddha-figure.
A person could honor the Buddha by making
offerings to relics or images of the Buddha.
Pilgrimage
The purpose of pilgrimage is to foster a
spiritual discipline, to fulfill a vow or simply to
travel. It is an important Buddhist practice.
Pilgrimage also helps to express feelings of
devotion and creates a relationship with the
historical figures associated with the
pilgrimage site.
Texts
Buddhist scriptures and other texts exist in
great variety. Different schools of Buddhism
place varying levels of value on learning the
various texts. Some schools venerate certain
texts as religious objects in themselves, while
others take a more scholastic approach.
Unlike many religions, Buddhism has no single
central text that is universally referred to by all
traditions.
Worship
Buddhists can worship both at home or at a
temple. It is not considered essential to go to a
temple to worship with others.
At home: Buddhists will often set aside a room
or a part of a room as a shrine. There will be a
statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense
burner.
Worship
Buddhist temples are designed to symbolize the five
elements:
Fire
Air
Earth, symbolized by the square base
Water
Wisdom, symbolized by the pinnacle at the top
All Buddhist temples contain an image or a statue of
Buddha.
Holidays
Losar A three day festival celebrating the
new year.
Losar is marked with activities that symbolize
purification, and welcoming in the new.