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Buddhism

A Presentation by Gabby Akala, Evan Cleveland, and Nathalie Hill

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Diffusion of Buddhism

To share his philosophy, Gautama Buddha traveled throughout northeastern India for many decades.
The countries he visited included Ceylon, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan and most of Central Asia accepted Buddhism.

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Distribution of Buddhism

Buddhism is practiced by 535 million people worldwide
China has the largest population of Buddhists with 244 million followers

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Buddhist Beliefs

The main points of Buddhism are to follow the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. His basic teachings include: The Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble Truths, and The Eightfold Paths.
THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS
Nothing is lost in the universe
Everything changes
The Law of Cause and Effect (Karma)
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Dukkha: Suffering exists
Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering
Nirodha: There is an end to suffering
Magga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the eightfold path

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Buddhist Beliefs cont.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
Samma ditthi: Right Understanding of the Four Noble Truths.
Samma sankappa: Right thinking; following the right path in life.
Samma vaca: Right speech: No lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, harsh language.
Samma kammanta Right conduct or Right Action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex.
Samma ajiva: Right livelihood: Support yourself without harming others.
Samma vayama: Right Effort: Promote good thoughts; conquer evil thoughts.
Samma sati: Right Mindfulness: Become aware of your body, mind and feelings.
Samma samadhi: Right Concentration: Meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
According to Gautama, if these rules are followed correctly, one can achieve Nirvana and relieve oneself from suffering.

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Other Buddhist Traits

SACRED TEXTS
Although most of the Buddha’s teachings were oral, most of his lessons have been converted into text. Some of the most popular texts include Tripitaka, Mayahan Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
RITUALS AND HOLIDAYS
Buddhist rituals usually consist of chanting of mantras, and making offerings of items such as items and calendars.
Vesak: The Buddha's birthday is known as Vesak and is one of the major festivals of the year.
Parinirvana Day: also known as Nirvana Day, a Mahayana Buddhist holiday celebrated in East Asia, usually on February 15.
Magha Puja: Magha Puja is an important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos on the full moon day of the third lunar month (this usually falls in February or March).

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Other Buddhist Traits cont.

GODS AND DEITIES
Buddhism doesn’t take the existence of gods into account, meaning that the religion is non-theistic

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Universalizing or Ethnic?

Buddhism is considered a universalizing religion
This is because there is no ethnic requirement for following the religion. No race is considered buddhist, and you can find buddhism all across the world, in many different cultures.

A Buddhist Parade

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Origin and Hearth

Was founded in the late 6th century by Siddhartha Gautama (The first Buddha)
Siddhartha was born in Lumbini and began to teach his religion around Benares
The hearth of Buddhism is Nepal
Siddhartha was the warrior son of a king and queen
Siddhartha sat under a tree for six months before achieving Nirvana
Siddhartha left his wife and newborn son

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Branches and Differences Between

The three branches are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
Theravada stresses spirituality, the enlightenment of the individual, self-discipline, the importance or pure thought and deed, the importance of the monastic life and the strict observance of the ancient Vinaya code
Mahayana Buddhists believe in a multitude of heavens, hells, and descriptions of nirvana and great reverence for Bodhisattvas(Buddhist saints)
Vajrayana Buddhism is based on a complex philosophical and ritual system meant to provide a path towards enlightenment

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Symbols

There are 8 symbols of Buddhism
The Precious Umbrella symbolizes the buddhist community and instructs people to enter Buddhist family.
The Precious Fish symbolizes harmony.
The Precious Vase symbolizes wealth and teaches we should enjoy basic principles of Buddhism, faith, wisdom, etc
The Precious Lotus symbolizes purity.
The Precious Conch symbolizes the Dharma Jewel.
The Precious Knot symbolizes Buddha’s omniscient wisdom.
The Victory Banner symbolizes Buddha’s abandonment
The Dharma Wheel tells all that we are all able to lead living beings to permanent liberation from suffering

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Cultural Landscape

The Bamiyan valley represent the artistic and religious evolution from the 1st - 13th centuries.
The Bamiyan valley several monastic ensembles and sanctuaries.