Paul Joubran Notes on Buddhism Buddhism, A human centered religion Comes from the Sanskrit word BUDHI, meaning,

, to wake up. Not a God Center religion Ultimate goal is to be awakened Buddhism unlike Hinduism has a founder o Siddhartha Gautama o A Hindu o From the Warriors caste o Born in present in a Nepal o Called the Buddha meaning awakened one o Said that his teachings would help individuals reach the ultimate enlightenment state, or Nirvana, o Was not a god or a messenger of God but human Buddhism is older than 2,500 years old, but it has two main branches. A brief history of Buddhism Buddhism begins with birth of Siddhartha in 560 B.C.E. Buddha teaches through four councils of his followers Buddhism was not limited to India and spread throughout Asia It exists worldwide many people in the Western world are attracted to the values of meditation. Many stories exist about Siddhartha Born into the warrior caste Father was a king and mother was a queen's mother dreams and an elephant touch her right side which caused the conception of Siddhartha Brahmins, the priestly class, interpreted the dream that she would bear a son, a very holy man According to tradition queen Maya traveled to her father's house to prepare for the breakfast en route She stopped in Lumbini She stepped offer chariot to rest and the child emerged from her right side without any help the child was name Siddhartha Seven days later Queen Maya died Siddhartha's father worked hard to shield him from the world's pain and suffering He was pampered When he was 19 he took a chariot outside his father's boundaries On this journey he saw things that his father shielded him from o Poverty o Pain o Suffering o Aging o Death o These became the four sites these change the princes life o These impacted him Significantly

When Siddhartha was 29 he slipped out of the palace abandoned his princely garments and took on civilian clothing He live the life of a wandering anesthetic From then on he meditated for hours each day he fasted eating only enough Siddhartha became very thin He sat under a BODHI tree and sought answers to the meaning of life He focused on suffering during this time He was tempted by Mara this dealer of wisdom who represented ignorance and delusion Mara tempted him with thirst loss discontent sensuality Going deeper into meditation under the BODHI tree he finally reached enlightenment Initially he wasn't sure if he should share his discoveries about medication and enlightenment Coming back to his hometown he delivered his first sermon He preached that neither indulgence nor aestheticism could release people from samara Samara is being stuck between birth and death He preached that the Middle Way was ideal It was the middle between indulgence and asceticism The middle way means following the four Noble truths The fourth of which is a noble eightfold path o These are eight practices dealing with wisdom morality and meditation The people he preached to decided to be his disciples, disciples of the Buddha t Hey formed a community of monks called the SANGHA He continued preaching and gained a number of followers He finally came home and converted many countrymen, his wife, son and cousin Siddhartha died of food poisoning when he was 80 years old He laid on his right side dying just as where his mother was touched to be conceived He asked those gathered if they had any other questions and there was no response He said on his dying bed that nothing in the world was permanent he died and entered Nirvana It was about 483 BCE when he died he was cremated and his body was divided amongst the places that he visited Domes were built over his Relics These places became Buddhist worship places Siddhartha did not appoint his successor and did not leave any writings The only legacy he left was the DHARMA he shared this with all who would listen Many people carried on his teaching after he died

To preserve his teachings 500 monks gathered about a year after his death They read and revised his teachings and came to agreement on what his teachings meant This was done to preserve the purity 100 years after that the second Council arranged o This council address some monks who had interpreted the teaching themselves o These monks made the religion more relaxed o Their interpretation included The ability to store salt Eating in the afternoon Drinking palm wine Accepting silver and gold o The council thought these practices were bad The second Council cause the split between the conservative and liberal mocks Conservators interpretation of Buddhism became STHAVIRAS Liberal interpretation became MAHASANGHIKAS These two interpretation groups continued to separate After some time these two branches became 18 different sects Of the conservative sect only the Theravada survived The Liberal sect became Mahayana Buddhism which also continues to exist King Ashoka arrange third counsel o He was a military man o He became tired of the devastation that war left on people o He then converted to Buddhism o He ruled his country with Buddhist ideals from then on o He began to promote Buddhism o He also promoted other religions o Ashoka was responsible for the stupas created over Siddhartha's relics o He created thousands of places of honor o He built thousands of monasteries o His son was sent as a missionary to Sri Lanka The king and many others converted to Buddhism Buddhism began its spread into the West Buddhism spread fast under Ashoka Around 100 CE Mahayana Buddhism emerged as a distinct branch of the original Buddhism It emphasized participation of lay people this open the door trim a variety of interpretations of the Buddhist scriptures Buddhism in India It is in India Buddhism continue to grow especially under the Gupta Dynasty Rulers of this dynasty created an atmosphere where Buddhism was encouraged They help build monasteries and funding stupors for the relics

Buddhist universities emerged An emphasis on religion in the dynasty made the monks more elitist They were looked at as a higher class o This development was bad for Buddhism o This drove some people away After the Huns invaded in 470 Buddhism almost became extinct in India and throughout the world o Huns were defeated and 528 o Buddhism never recovered to the way it was Many Chinese Buddhist came to India and returned with wealth and knowledge After the Huns were removed due Buddhism almost made a complete recovery The Pala dynasty were patrons of Buddhism They built a number of monastic centers Tibet became a very Buddhist region The decline of the Pala dynasty also became the decline of Buddhism in India until the 20th century Because of the Muslim invasions Buddhism remain quiet in India Although there was evidence of his of its existence, after centuries without Buddhism it slowly returned to India The Tibetan Buddhists who were persecuted by Communist China returned to India Buddhist conversions began to pick up in India at the beginning of the 20th century Many people continue to convert to Buddhism Buddhist Expansion Beyond India Soon after the death of the Buddha Buddhism was introduced to present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Pakistan Buddhism played an important role in Central Asia for centuries Buddhism shares many religious traditions and values with Christianity However Islam quickly became the dominant religion In Malaysia and Indonesia Buddhism and Hinduism where the two most prominent religions Thailand and me and Mark were prominently Theravada Buddhist Vietnam however was Mahayana Buddhism eventually found its way to China It took a while to reach China but when it did it flourished After China Buddhism move to Korea Japan was also influenced by Buddhism at that time Japanese rulers loved Buddhism In Japan Buddhism merged with Shinto VAJRAYANA Buddhism emerged from Mahayana Buddhism This practice had emphasis on Montrose and meditation to strive for enlightenment

This form of Buddhism believed that the leaders of their monasteries were reincarnated descendents of great bodhisattvas o These people refrain from entering nirvana for the purpose of saving others o Theyre worshiped as godlike figures o Leaders of monasteries into bed became known as lamas o The head of the Tibetan Buddhists became known as the Dalai Lama o He was also political leader of Tibet until the Chinese communist government kick them out o After being kicked out in 1959 they moved to Dharamsala, India o The Dalai Lama was a political and spiritual leader received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 This was in recognition of his nonviolent campaign against the Chinese government to end genocide Is peaceful solutions were based on tolerance o He wanted to preserve the cultural heritage of his people o He is was quoted saying the basic human spirit is getting the upper hand I'm simple Buddhist monk, no more, no less. o The Dalai Lama is famous for his peaceful nonviolent relationship to the natural world and another humans Buddhism in modern times o Buddhism has attracted interest in Western nations more recently o Buddhism influences Christianity in its approach to meditation wisdom and spirituality o Saint John of Damascus translated a story about the life of Buddha in eighth Century o Barlaam was a Buddha like character who was portrayed as if he was a Christian saint o Even missionaries like Francis Xavier through his travels in Japan encountered Buddhism o The translation of Buddhist texts into European languages made Buddhism more accessible and more attractive to those in the west o Many Chinese Buddhists came to America because many communist tried to get rid of Buddhism o Communist rule affected Buddhism in China negatively o Through history, a decline in Buddhism in one place facilitated a rise in Buddhism in another location o Westerners continue to be intrigued about Buddhism's practices Buddhism is one of the fastest-growing religions in places like England and California Section 1 summary Siddhartha founded Buddhism and he was a Hindu Buddhists have roots in Hinduism First councils early Buddhism were assembled to keep Buddhism pure Buddhism was supported by King Ashoka Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism are the two major branches

Muslims pushed Buddhism out of India Sacred stories and to sacred Scriptures

Siddhartha left no text is for his followers Only tradition kept stores alive Scriptures evolved over many centuries Text were written in many different languages Story accuracy suffered There's no agreement in Buddhism as to which texts are considered sacred and which are not Scriptures of Theravada Buddhism The earliest Buddhist scriptures are known as the Tripitaka or three baskets These are passed down orally in the Sanskrit language Additionally it is called the Pali Canon The Vinaya Pitaka is a code of monks and nuns There are more rules for Monks then there are for nuns The rules highlight things that should not be done in order of their seriousness It also records the life and ministry of Buddha This Sutra Pitaka is made up of discourses attribute Siddhartha birth and his achievement of nirvana are found here The Abhidharma examines Buddhas psychological teachings it spends all of its time analyzing the doctrine It is of more interest to serious monks then the lay Buddhists Scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana Buddhists have many more texts that they consider sacred The most popular is the lotus of the true law Mahayana Buddhists think the lotus sutra came from Buddha but it was more likely composed much later They believe it also contains a final teachings of Buddha People like the lotus sutra because it teaches that all people not just monks can reach enlightenment It teaches that Buddhas nature is in everyone and everything Another Mahayana sutra is the perfection of wisdom It talks about achieving perfection and wisdom It teaches to attain perfect wisdom Scriptures of Vajrayana Buddhism They use Mahayana text plus some of their own from India and China They have their own scriptures different from Theravada and Mahayana because of this Vajrayana Buddhism stresses importance of Tantric tradition Tantric tradition harnesses the energies of ultimate reality This is done in hopes to someday reaching ultimate reality They're considered to be a procedure for doing rituals and meditations

One example of this is a mantra commonly used to help focus people's minds the Tibetan book of the dead is Vajrayana Buddhisms most sacred texts It talks about death dying and rebirth Section 2 summary Each of the major branches has around sacred text Tripitaka used by all major branches of Buddhism Lotus sutra is a popular Mahayana Buddhist text Vajrayana Buddhism also has a number of Tantric text Beliefs and practices All Buddhists believe in the four Noble truths These came from Siddhartha's earliest sermons If one is ignorant of these Noble truths they will remain on the endless cycle of samsara The four Noble truths lead to enlightenment The understanding of these truths need to eightfold path which is the middle way This reminds a person to avoid extremes and to take everything in moderation These beliefs of the heart of Buddhism Members of the Sangha are usually monks or nuns New understandings tends to group laypeople being just as important as the monks and nuns The four Noble truths One life is filled with suffering This includes physical and mental suffering This begins at birth Emotional pain illness injury and old age are included in the suffering Samsara is the endless cycle of birth and rebirth which means the endless cycle of suffering Bad karma is the cause of samsara Nothing is forever people age and sit and material objects rot Our lives are the same way Our thoughts or feelings can change This is known as the Buddhist doctrine of ANATAMA Siddhartha differed from the Hindus because the Hindus believe that the soul is God He talked that if the soul was purely God then it is not a solo No soul = not self The cause of suffering is desire Because people believe in themselves they have cravings People constantly want things Frustration and disappointment comes from not achieving your goals or not getting what you want To see suffering one must cease desiring To end suffering is to achieve Nirvana

This is what's real and Buddhism Everything is suffering or incomplete Nirvana when we free ourselves from the desires and cravings that restrict us This freedom brings people to happiness Nirvana is the end to the endless cycle of rebirth The path to the end of suffering is the noble eightfold path Distinction between indulgence and self-denial Moral standard of Buddhism Both Buddhists and Hindus believe in Samsara Moksha for Hindus and nirvana for Buddhists these are the freeing from samsara Immortality Existent in Hinduism but none Buddhism The noble Eightfold path Right understanding Right understanding means that people see things as they really are the truth This is the understanding of what causes suffering and the way that one endures suffering This one step on the path that summarizes all of the four Noble truths Right thought The mind must be purified This is not just getting rid of bad thoughts It is replacing them with right thoughts These thoughts would be similar to the Christian Beatitudes Right speech All forms of lying gossiping or using bad words are bad The person must speak truthfully and kindly Right conduct This tells people not to cheat to steal or to murder This also includes sexual misconduct Right livelihood This path calls people not to supply their lives on the pain and suffering of others One cannot make a living on slaughtering animals using weapons or selling drugs or alcohol Right effort This has to do with the persons thoughts He must get rid of delusional thoughts It is equally important to also cultivate good thoughts Right mindfulness The person needs to be aware of everything here she is thinking and doing Aware of thoughts feelings and actions at all times Knowing oneself Right concentration Final step in the path is a form of meditation

This concentration allows people to see if he things as they are and thus reach enlightenment Eight fold path includes morality meditation and wisdom Wisdom gives rise to good actions Community SANGHA refers to a Buddhist community of monks and nuns Laypeople took care of material needs of these monks and nuns Recent interpretations expanded the meaning of SANGHA to include the community of all Buddhists who practice Three jewels of Buddhism o SANGHA o Buddha o Dharma In converting you proclaim refuge to these three jewels Monastic and lay people are dependent upon each other They provide spiritual nourishment for each other Nirvana is the most important achievement in Buddhism Theravada Buddhists call one worthy of nirvana an ARHAT Mahayana Buddhists also except ARHAT as an ultimate goal Bodhisattvas were not monks and nuns will transfer Mary they have Gained to others so they can reach nirvana Bodhisattvas will enter Nirvana last out of kindness Section 3 summary Foundations are the four Noble truths and the noble eight fold path SANGHA is a community of Buddhist monks and nuns and lay people Three jewels are SANGHA, DHARMA, and BUDDHA Monastic and lay people are different but depend on each other for spiritual for fulfillment Sacred time Buddhist do not have a special day of the week for worshiping in groups Theravada and Buddhists make offerings to images of Buddha whenever they can If there are no temples nearby they make offerings at home Flowers candles and incense are used Many times they recite the three jewels The scent of incense reminds Buddhists of good virtue flowers remind people that things don't last forever Buddha is not a God Bowing to Buddha is a sign of respect not submission to deity Meditation Meditation is central to any kind of Buddhism Focus on the noble eight fold path in meditation It is important to be mindful meditation helps people to be aware of their dreams and to engage in good karma Mindfulness of breath is one of the first forms of meditation o Close focus on breathing

Close focus on breathing takes attention away from distraction and thoughts Most meditations begin with a mindfulness of breathing portion When the mind is relaxed people then focus on themselves They think about the action in their lives After they focus on others Especially those they love Meditation is popular among prisoners Especially those of the most violent offense It helps people settle down It helps people come down It helps people focus their motives Helps people focus on peace Puja o Puja is part of the daily life of practicing Buddhist o Puja is done in the monasteries for months o In the home for laypeople o Many things are offered Flowers represent that nothing is forever Fruit is a reminder of what good conduct brings Water is a sign of purity which is the goal of everything Incense is also assignable good conduct brings Candlelight gets rid of darkness o During a Buddhist Puja five precepts are generally recited Do not take the life of any living creature Do not take anything not freely given Abstain from sexual misconduct Refrain from untrue or deceitful speech Avoid intoxicants Festivals o Two major Buddhist festivals o One is around the SANGHA o The other is around life of Buddha o Minor festival celibate celebrate seasons Celebrating the Buddha o The VISAKHA or Buddha day is most holiday of the year for Theravada Buddhists o Celebrated on the full moon day of May o Theravada Buddhist believe that he was born became enlightened and died on the same date candles illuminate the monasteries where celebrations take place o Images of the Buddha everywhere o Monks give sermons on the life of Buddha o Ritual bathing takes place to show that their faults in everyone's life that need to be washed away Celebrating SANGHA o The monks originally wandered and three to the Dharma o This takes place during the monsoon season
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At the end of the monsoon season, a three-month season, great festivals take place o Laypeople believe the monks receive more spiritual power They also hope that there Holiness will radiate onto them Celebrating the Buddhist lifecycle o Dying is sacred o Buddhism take great interest in the life after death o Very important to help loved ones move from samsara to Nirvana o No initiation for infants o Birth is connected with suffering and samsara o Merry ceremonies may not have elements of Buddhism o Monks are just asked to bless the marriage after they are legally wed o Blessings very and may include a sermon or just a small sacred reading Section Four summary o Meditation is common in every branch of Buddhism o Many Buddhist festivals exist but if not every one is celebrated by all o Everyone celebrates the birth of Siddhartha o Laypeople hope monks radiate spiritual benefits after the monsoon season o But it is of no specific ceremonies for birth or marriage o Funeral rituals are important Sacred places and sacred spaces o Buddhist monasteries are often connected with temples o And Theravada Buddhism men must spend a part of their life in the monastery o Men leave when they get married but often returned after their children have been raised o Laypeople provide food for the monks and maintain the monasteries Temple o Temples especially sacred for Theravada Buddhist o Monks live at the temple o Laypeople come for meditation instruction and teachings o Usually paintings sculptures and stories about Buddha surround the temple o A stupas usually present with relics from Buddha or his followers o Mahayana tumbles are likely to have images of many people who have become o Enlightened therefore considered Buddhas (Emphasis on lowercase B) Stupas o Originally there were small domes made of stone or brick the house relics o They were usually located near a temple o Stupas are still places of pilgrimage for Buddhists o Many people walk around it several times out of reverence Larger stupas I called pagodas o Pagodas does or large and elaborately decorated o Faith is a pilgrimage o Other sacred spaces are connected with the life and ministry of the historical Buddha Places of pilgrimage o The most sacred ones are in Indio Nepal
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Lumbini gardens o Traditional site of the birth of Siddhartha o Located in Nepal o King Ashoka had a pillar erected there o Memorial site dedicated to Buddha Bodh Gaya o Bodhi tree under which Buddha meditated o He gained his enlightenment here o The tree there said to be a descendent of the original tree o A stone under the present tree has a footprint which is going to be there for o Buddhists often bring things to decorate the area o People make offerings of flowers o People take saplings from the treatable and elsewhere o These also become places of pilgrimage SARNATH o Deer Park where Siddhartha preached his first sermon about the four Noble o Truths o Gain his first disciples here o Dear are still present in the park KUSHINARA o Traditional placing Siddhartha o 1956 was the 2500 year anniversary of Buddhas entrance into Nirvana Section 5 Summary o Monasteries are often connected to temples o Mahayana temples also include images of the enlightened o Stupor contains a relic normally a dome but contains other sacred object to o Places of pilgrimage including those where Buddha actually visited in India and Nepal Buddhism through a catholic lens o Catholics and Buddhists agree on peace and compassion o Catholics preach about peace and Buddhists don't engage in wars o Buddhism Catholics believe in walking gently upon the earth rather than trampling with heavy boots o We agree in speaking and acting in kindness o We agree that our actions and words can be hurtful o Monks or priests and nuns are revered in the same way to both religions o Catholics have hermits they're very much like monks o Hermits and priests have techniques for meditation like months o Content of meditation may be different o Spiritual experiences are similar o Jesus Christ and Siddhartha shared opinions on suffering Jesus Christ and Siddhartha the Buddha o Striking similarities o Both did miracles o Both were tempted before they begin their religious life o Both started with a small group of followers

Both walked on water Both fed a multitude of people Both encourage spiritual freedom Both founded new religions Buddhism went east Christianity went west More modernly Christianity spreading to the east and Buddhism is spreading to the west o Siddhartha never claimed to be different divine o Jesus was born into a poor family o Siddhartha was born into royalty o Siddhartha was married o Jesus preached about the kingdom of God o Siddhartha preached and suffering Suffering o Common amongst religions but have different points of view o Three categories of suffering in Buddhism o First is physical or emotional suffering o Second category related to transitioning one's life o Things that have been to close friends o Third category pain brought about during pleasure o This is based on their belief that nothing is forever o Being a star athlete is seemingly pleasurable but an illusion o Some Catholics believe sufferings through no fault of one's own o Other suffering we bring upon ourselves o Original Sin is similar to Buddhist birth really beliefs Christ died for us to save us from sin his passion was a time of suffering for him and all followers o God did not create suffering is Mystery o When we suffer we trust in God o As is Jesus all suffering ends when you reach eternal life o Final judgment is like nirvana if you make it you are enlightened if not you spend time elsewhere suffering for your sins before you reach enlightenment or heaven Section 6 review o Similarities and differences between Jesus and Siddhartha exist o Compassion loving kindness are all teachings in Christianity and Buddhism often expressed through nonviolence o Suffering is a big topic in both religions however the meaning of suffering is interpreted different ways o Monson hermits and priests are revered in the same way to both religions Conclusion o Buddhism is unique o Denies existence of God's o Divine being central to Buddhism o The human person is central to Buddhism o Founder of Buddhism discovered suffering and realize it was a part of life that can be extinguished through his practices
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Meditation helps individuals gain wisdom and compassion Meditation arise once realize that there's no permanence in life and nothing is forever All these things bring individuals to permanent bliss a.k.a. Nirvana