Chapter 5 – Ancient
India
Origins of Buddhism
Essential Questions
How has the spread of Buddhism affected other areas?
I. The Quest for Answers
A. In the late 500s BC, a young man named Siddhartha
Gautama was born a prince and did not have many
struggles, but he was not satisfied.
B. He saw people around him suffering and working hard, so
he began asking questions about the meaning of life.
C. He traveled throughout India for six years looking for
answers.
I. The Quest for Answers
D. During his travels he often fasted and devoted much of
his time to meditation.
I. The Quest for Answers
E. He sat under a tree for seven weeks in deep meditation,
and came up with three ideas on why human suffering
happens:
1. Wanting what we like, but do not have
2. Wanting to keep what we like and already have
3. Not wanting what we dislike but have.
I. The Quest for Answers
F. He found enlightenment under that tree and would
spend the rest of his life traveling and teaching people
his ideas.
G. He became known as Buddha, or the “Enlightened
One.”
II. Teachings of Buddha
A. Buddha’s followers became known as Buddhists.
B. Buddha was raised Hindu, so many of his teachings
reflected Hindu ideas.
III. Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No
one can escape it.
2. Suffering comes from our desires for material goods.
People cause their own misery because they want things
they cannot have.
III. Four Noble Truths
3. People can reach nirvana, a state of perfect peace.
Reaching nirvana frees the soul from suffering and from
the need for further reincarnation.
4. People can follow and eight-fold path that leads to
wisdom, enlightenment, and salvation.
IV. Challenging Hindu Ideas
A. Some of Buddha’s teachings challenged Hindu ideas,
including animal sacrifice.
B. Buddha challenged the authority of the Hindu priests,
the Brahmins. He believed that it was the responsibility
of each individual to work on their own salvation.
C. He did not reject the Hindu teachings of reincarnation.
IV. Challenging Hindu Ideas
D. He was opposed to the caste system. He made the
people of lower caste levels feel as though they had the
power to change their lives.
V. Buddhism Spreads in India
A. After Buddha’s death in 483 BC, his influence was
spreading rapidly in India.
B. 500 followers of Buddha gathered after his death, and
continued to spread his teachings throughout most of
India.
VI. Buddhism Spreads Beyond India
A. The spread of Buddhism increased after one of the most
powerful kings in India, Asoka, became Buddhist in the
200s BC.
B. He built Buddhist temples and schools throughout India.
C. He also worked to spread Buddhism outside of India by
sending Buddhist missionaries to other kingdoms in Asia.
VI. Buddhism Spreads Beyond India
D. Missionaries sailed to Sri Lanka, went north to areas
near the Himalayas, west to lands in Central Asia and
Persia, Syria, Egypt, China, Korea, and Japan.
VII. A Split with Buddhism
A. Not all Buddhists could agree on their beliefs and practices leading to a
split within the religion.
B. There are now two major branches of Buddhists – Theravada and
Mahayana.
C. Theravada Buddhists try to follow the teachings exactly as they were
stated.
D. Mahayana Buddhists, believe that it can be interpreted so each person
can achieve nirvana.Mahayana Buddhists is the largest branch today.