Religion, Morality and Ethics

(Buddhism) M.3

Lesson 3
(Basic aspects of Buddhism)
 Learning goal
After this lesson, students should be able to:

- Know and understand the basic beliefs of

Buddhism.
 Basic aspects of Buddhism
The Buddha
Buddha is not a name. It is a title, meaning
“the Enlightened One or the Awakened One”

The Buddha lived 25 centuries ago in North India.

He was born a prince of the Sakyan kingdom,
which was located at the foot of the Himalayas.

At the age of 29, Prince Siddhattha left

his father’s palace and led the life of a
wandering ascetic, devoting himself to
finding some way of overcoming suffering.
 Basic aspects of Buddhism
The Buddha
At the full moon of May, 45 years before the
Buddhist Era, while sitting under the Bodhi tree
at Gayā, he found his answer and attained the
Enlightenment.

The Buddha went from Gayā to Sārnāth near

Benares, where he gave his first sermon
in the Deer Park.

From then through the remaining 45 years

of his life, he wandered from place to place
teaching his discoveries to all who would listen to him and
organizing his followers who renounced the world to form the
Sangha.
 Basic aspects of Buddhism
The Buddha
At last, at the age of eighty and in the
year 543 B.C.E.1, the Buddha fell ill while on
his way to Kusinārā.

On his deathbed under two Sal trees, he

explained to his disciples that they would not
be left without the Teacher:

“the Doctrine and Discipline I have taught

you, that shall be your Teacher, when
I am gone.”
Basic aspects of Buddhism
Triple Gem of Buddhism
The Buddha
The founder.

The Dharma
The teaching.

The Sangha
The Order of disciples.
Lumpini (Nepal):
Birthplace of
Buddha

Bodhi Tree
(Bodhgaya,
India): Enlighment
 Sarnath (India):
Buddha's first sermon

Kushinagar (India):
Buddha's death
Sacred places for Buddhism in India and Nepal
Basic aspects of Buddhism
The main ideas of Buddhism are contained in
the statements known as the Four Noble
Truths and the Middle Way, which the Buddha
proclaimed in his first sermon.

Which are the Four Noble Truths???

How to put end to suffering???
Noble Eightfold Path
 It is this Noble Path of eight factors or Threefold
Training that is called the Middle Way

Watch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK-MbNj83NM
 Nirvana is part of the Third Truth on "cessation of dukkha" in the
Four Noble Truths and the destination of the Noble Eightfold Path
(the goal of the Buddhist path).

Nirvana represents the extinction of the "three fires" or "three

poisons": greed (raga), aversion (dvesha) and ignorance (moha).
When these fires are extinguished, release from the cycle of rebirth
(saṃsāra) is attained.
“You yourselves must make
the effort. The Buddhas only
point out the Way.”