Buddhism

Alan D. DeSantis

Introduction• Buddhism was started by a man

named Siddhārtha Gautama (563-483 B.C.) in India

• He was a Hindu

• Siddhartha was a social reformer

• Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion

Buddha’s Life• Siddhārtha's father was the ruler of the city of

Patliputra.

• Under strict instruction of his father, Siddhārtha was never exposed to suffering or pain

• At the age of 29, he came across what has become known as the Four Passing Sights: – An old crippled man, a sick man, a decaying corpse,

and finally a wandering holy man.

• He decided to abandon his worldly life, leaving behind his privileges, rank, caste, and his wife and child

Buddha’s Life• He decided that if he continued on his path of

poverty, he would die without reaching any understanding

• After six years, Siddhārtha (now 35), sitting under a pipal tree, attained enlightenment (understood the key to life) and became a Buddha

• For the remaining 45 years of his life, Buddha traveled northeastern India

The Four Noble Truths • The Buddha taught that life was inherently

suffering, that it is caused by craving, but that this condition was curable

– 1) Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not getting what one wants is suffering.

– 2) The origin of suffering: We always want something. Sex, materialism, food, good times, health, immortality, youth

– 3) The end of suffering: Transcend your cravings. Stop wanting. This will lead you to Nirvana

– 4) The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path

The Spread of Buddhism in USA

Some Important Concepts• Karma and Reincarnation

• No Caste

• No Gods

Addressing the “God” Question(from Bhûridatta Jataka)

• If there is the creator of the world called God:

• If there is the creator of the world called God:

•  

• If there is the creator of the world called God:  

Some Important Concepts• A Finite Heaven and Hell

– Nirvana

– Hell: There are many levels of hell. Suffering is the only act of purification

• “One day you might be walking through a forest, when all the leaves on a tree turn into razor blades and fall, cutting you into a million pieces.”

Wrong Nirvana

Some Important Concepts• Impermanence

– Nothing is permanent and all things are in a state of continuous change

• Anti-Dogmatic– Since Buddha wanted everyone to think critically,

explore their own truth, and accept no God (thus, no perfect rules), this may be all wrong, all right, or a little bit of both

Some Important Concepts

• Meditation– Meditation helps one's mind

become calm, tranquil, and luminous

– We can gain insight into the ultimate nature of reality

Buddhist Meditation in Three Parts

• Part One: • Calm (or Samatha) Meditation

– The purpose of this is to calm both body and mind

– One method is to concentrate on one's breathing

Buddhist Meditation in Three Parts

• Part Two: • Insight (or vipassana) meditation

– Next, we must realize that suffering and impermanence are inherent in all things

• Part Three: • Loving-kindness (or metta) meditation

– The aim of this is to remove feelings of ill-will and to foster a kindly and caring approach to others.

Buddhist scriptures

• The starting point into this wealth of Buddhist scripture is the Pali Canon

• But other Buddhist scriptures/texts exist in great variety. Different schools of Buddhism place varying levels of value on them.

Three Main Buddhism Schools• Today, Buddhism is divided

primarily into three schools (or vadas): – Theravāda [ther-uh-vah-duh] – Mahāyāna [mah-huh-yah-nuh] – Vajrayāna [vaj-ruh-yah-nuh]

The Theravada [ther-uh-vah-duh] school

• Theravada school bases its practice and doctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon.

• Theravada Buddhism are viewed as elitists and selfishness– A)

– B)

The Mahayana [mah-huh-yah-nuh] School• The biggest and most popular (with

many off-shoots) 56% of Buddhists• Mahayana can be characterized by

– Universalism:

– Compassion:

• Zen Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism

The Vajrayana School

• Found primarily in Tibet • Like Mahayana Buddhism, but with

additional practices:

• These profound states are used as a path to Buddhahood

The End . . .