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Lesson #42 Group analysis

Interpret the Poster . . .

Statue of BuddhaThis lesson is designed to be used with our Statueof Buddha poster. Please see page 3 for pricingand poster details.

Class discussion: This is the Great Statue ofBuddha in Kamakura, Japan. Statues of Buddha arefound throughout Asia.

MeditationWhat's the first thing that strikes you about Buddha? What adjectives would you use to describeBuddha's mood? (Peaceful, tranquil, serene, restful,contemplative, inner-directed.) Buddha is activelydoing something. What? (He is meditating.) What ismeditation? (You clear your mind of thoughts . . . until your selfdisappears.) Judging from this statue, how doBuddhists meditate? (Sit on the floor. Sit upright.Close your eyelids - but not shut. Feel your breathgo in and out. Look inside your own mind.)

NirvanaSome statues of Buddha are posed lying down.What does that mean? (When lying down, Buddhawas entering nirvana.) What is nirvana? (When aBuddhist loses his �“self�” and becomes one with theuniverse.)

Lose your �“self�”Buddha wanted to lose his sense of self. Why?(Buddha believed that life is always changing. Yousuffer, you die, you are reborn - suffering. Toescape this cycle, he sought to become selfless. Ifthere is no self, the self cannot be reborn.)

Buddhist monksWhile Buddhist monks studied and meditated uponBuddha's sermons, cults arose to worship Buddha'sstatues and relics. What is a cult? (A group of fol-lowers with system of religious worship/ritual.)

Pilgrimage to a statueBuddhists make pilgrimages to the statues, relics,and sites where Buddha lived. What is a pilgrim-age? (A trip to a religious place.) What do pilgrimsdo once they reach a statue of Buddha? (They offerflowers, incense, and praise to the image of theBuddha.)

Lesson #43 Lecture

Buddha found peace by erasing his �“self.�”

The life of Buddha

Once upon a time (500 B.C.), there was areal man named Siddhartha Gautama. Accordingto legend, he was the son of a prince in Nepal, aland in the Himalayas, the highest mountains in theworld. Coming from a rich and powerful family, heled a sheltered life. One day he went beyond thepalace: He met an old man and wondered whetherhe would grow old. He met a sick man and worriedthat he might get sick. He saw a corpse and fearedhis own death. He met a holy man and hoped hecould discover the cause of all suffering.

After six years of wandering, Buddha satunder a Bo tree and meditated: Life is suffering(sickness, old age, death). You must accept this asa fact. He came to believe in reincarnation: Youare born, you die, you are reborn. Your next lifedepends upon your karma: If you are a good per-son, your next life will have less suffering.

You can stop your suffering. If you followthe Eightfold Path: Know the truth. Resist evil.Say nothing to hurt others. Respect other peoples'property. Get a job that does no harm to others.Free your mind of evil. Control your feelings andthoughts. Practice meditation.

You can escape the cycle of rebirth and suf-fering by entering nirvana: Lose your self, care onlyabout the brotherhood of man, and become onewith the universe.

Buddha (which means The EnlightenedOne) attracted followers and formed a sangha(community) of Buddhists. At the age of 80, hedied. Today, Buddhist monks live celibate and inpoverty. Wearing saffron robes and shaved heads,they study, meditate, and hope to achieve nirvana.

Class Discussion 1. In your opinion, why is it hard to be a Buddhist? 2. People in Asia find Buddhism to be very comfort-

ing. Why do you suppose? 3. In wartime, Buddhists are pacifists. Why do you

suppose? 4. Buddhists tend to be vegetarians. Why?

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Chart Lesson #44

When Buddha died, his followers wandered aloneas individuals. Then the weather drove themindoors and they formed a sangha = a Buddhistcommunity.

In what season did

Buddhist monks decide to live together in a sangha?

New Delhi, India

Month Rainfall Temperature January 1" 70 degrees F. February 1 75 March 0.5 87 April 0.3 97 May 0.5 105 June 3 102 July 7 96 August 7 93 September 5 93 October 0.4 93 November 0.1 84 December 0.4 73

*The maximum average daily temperature.

Class Discussion1. What generalization can you make about therainfall? (Winter, spring, fall are dry. Summer israiny.)

2. What generalization can you make about thetemperature? (It is always warm or hot. Never cool.)

3. The Buddhist monks always wandered outdoors. Until what season? (In the summer, when the mon-soon rains hit.)

4. Does this place have 4 different seasons? (Not really.) How is your climate similar or different? (It depends where you live.)

5. What region of the U.S. has a climate like this? (Hawaii is hot and rainy.)

Mapping Lesson #45

Map the life of Buddha Use the map on page 22.

Map of IndiaBuddha was born in Nepal (Underline Nepal), homeof the Himalayas, the world's highest mountains.Buddha wandered through India (Underline India).Today, there are few Buddhists in India. Most peo-ple are Hindu

Map of AsiaMap the spread of Buddhism

Before Buddhism died in India, it had spreadthroughout Asia. Monks, merchants, and emperors spread Buddhism overseas.

Shade the following countries: (The majority are Buddhist)

Sri Lanka Myanmar Thailand Malaysia Singapore Taiwan Japan Cambodia* China* Mongolia* North Korea* Laos* Vietnam* South Korea**

*The communist governments of these countries discourage all religions, including Buddhism.

**In South Korea, half are Christian and half areBuddhist.

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Lesson #46 Graphic organizer

Break into pairs. Examine the chart below. Speculate: On paper, answer the questions.

A diagram to explain Buddhism 1. In your opinion, why is it hard to be a Buddhist? 2. People in Asia find Buddhism to be very comforting. Why do you suppose? 3. In wartime, Buddhists are always pacifists. Why do you suppose? 4. Buddhists tend to be vegetarians. Why do you suppose? 5. Compare and contrast: How is Buddhism similar to Christianity? How is it different?

1. Life is suffer-ing. You are born,get old, die. Youare reborn and suf-fer some more.

2. Sufferingcomes from self-ish desires. Yousuffer because yougrasp for things.

3. You can endyour suffering. Beselfless: Learn tobe content withnothing.

4. You must giveup every thing.Own nothing. Beg forfood. Eat one meal aday. Sleep little. 5. Become aware

of your weak-nesses. Your badactions keep you in acycle of birth, death,and rebirth.

6. Avoid doingbad things. Thinkno harm. Speak noharm. Do no harm.

7. Think wisethoughts. Developmotives for doinggood. Do good andwin merit for your nextlife.

8. Make your�“self�” disappear.Enter nirvana, becomeone with the universe.Your suffering (andrebirth) will end.

Buddhism The Eight Noble Truths

Game Lesson #47

The ABCs of BuddhismGo to the library and define each term.Feel free to add terms from your textbookWhen you get back to class, go around the room alphabetically. Try the game without this worksheet!

Alms

Buddhism, Buddha, brotherhood of man, Bo tree

Cycle, celibate

Dharma, detachment, doctrine

Eightfold Path, �“The Enlightened One,�” enlightenment, ethical behavior

Four Noble Truths

Guru, good deeds

Himalayas

Incense

Jatakas

Karma

Laity

Meditation, monks, The Middle Way, mantra, mendicant, merit

Nirvana, Nepal

One with the Universe

Pilgrimage, pacifist

Question: A Buddhist can also be a follower of Shinto. Why?

Relics, ritual, reincarnation, release from suffering, rebirth, recitation

Sangha, Siddhartha Gautama, saffron robes, self-denial, spiritual development

Tranquility

Universe

Vow of celibacy, vegetarian

Wisdom

X marks the spot. Buddha spent his life in India. Buddhism arose in India. (Today, India is Hindu!)

Year - When did Buddha live? (around 500 B.C.)

Zen Buddhism