Bell Work:
What is something that you remember from
yesterday’s discussion on Hinduism?
Buddhism
Buddhism
• Started out as a philosophy
• Now considered a religion, but is “nontheistic”
– No central god or deity
• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama
– B. 563 B.C – D. 487 B.C. (how old was he?)
– “The Buddha” – means “awakened” or
“enlightened”
• Gautama was born
into a wealthy Hindu
family, but renounced
his wealth to seek
spiritual
enlightenment.
Background
• Born in region along India/Nepal border
• Father was a raja (king)
• “Seers” or astrologers predicted he was
someone great but would reject his legacy
• So…his father kept him sheltered in the palace
• Marries, has son
• Finally leaves palace and encounters realities
of life as an adult
The Great Renunciation
• Encounters: poverty, old age, sickness, and
death.
• After meeting a holy man, he decides to try to
find the meaning of life
– Renounces royal title, all material belongings, left
palace, wife and kids
– Wanders around, experiences enlightenment and
becomes “the Buddha.” Shares his teachings
=Buddhism
~Buddhism spread through
cultural diffusion to eastern
Asia, including China,
Thailand, Korea and Japan.
~In other areas, Buddhism
was adapted and took on
new forms.
Read:
• The article: “The Buddha: What Did He
Teach?”
• Answer the questions on the back.
• Be prepared to discuss the answers with the
class.
Bell Work:
• 15 minutes to complete the article: “The
Buddha: What Did He Teach?”
• Answer the questions on the back.
• Be prepared to discuss the answers with the
class.
• Attendance and Tardies
• Code Red
Belief Types
• Polytheistic Religion – More than one god.
• Monotheistic Religion – Single all powerful god.
• Atheistic – Expressly states there are no divine
beings.
• Non-Theistic - A non-theistic religion does not
center upon the existence of any deities, but it
does not deny their existence either. As such,
members can easily be a collection of atheists,
agnostics and theists.
Buddha’s Teachings
• The Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is subject to sorrow.
2. Sorrow is caused by our cravings or desires,
which come from being ignorant.
3. Sorrow can be eliminated by eliminating
cravings/desires.
4. The way to eliminate cravings/desires is to follow
the Eightfold Path or “Middle Way.”
Eightfold Path
1.
2.
3.
4.
Right views
Right intentions
Right speech
Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
By following the Eightfold Path, the ultimate
goal is to eliminate sorrow and achieve
“nirvana” or true enlightenment.
Buddhism has much in common with Hinduism, but important differences.
Buddhism like Hinduism:
But not
Reincarnation
Caste system
Karma – the sum of all
your deeds good and bad
Hindu gods
Dharma – right behavior
Hindu priesthood
Buddha did not record his teachings, but after he died, his followers collected
them into the Tripitaka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Q1lrxQlMU
Today’s Tibetan
Buddhists are led
by the Dalai Lama,
who advocates for
freedom from
China.
Chart on World Religions
Quiz on Friday over Hinduism and
Buddhism
Plus/Delta