Buddhism
By: Karen Chambless, Caleigh
Dillingham, Kyle Holmes, and Tim
Scoville
Who was Buddha?
Siddhartha Buddha was a prince in northern India.
Buddha lived a sheltered, wealthy life away from the
suffering and dieing outside the palace. He did not even
know about people suffering until he saw a dying man,
an old man, and a dead man on the streets by his fathers
palace. Buddha then went away to the woods for six
years to meditate so he could find the meaning of life.
When he did, he was then called the enlightened one.
The four noble truths
1.
2.
3.
4.
suffering
The cause of suffering
The cessation of suffering
The way leading to the cessation of
suffering
Buddhism Basics
•
One of the major religions of the world
•
Founded in India about 500 B.C.
• Belief system based on life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama
(Buddha)
•
Four main ideas: Four Noble Truths
•
Today it has about 350 million followers
• All believers have faith in:
1. Buddha
2. His teachings called the dharma
3. The religious community he founded called the sangha
These three things are known as The Three Refuges or The Three
Jewels.
Who was Buddha??
He was Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who lived in India from 563
to 483 B.C. Gautama was a member of a rich and powerful family
and he led a luxurious/ sheltered life in his palace. At the age of
29, Gautama became overwhelmed with the conviction that life
was filled with suffering and unhappiness. He abandoned his wife
and infant son to seek religious enlightenment. He sought wisdom
through harsh discipline and suffering. For days he ate only one
grain of rice, but he felt only pain, not wisdom or insight. At the
age of 35, after wandering for six years and meditating deeply in
the shade of a bodhi tree**, he reached “enlightenment”.
**--- the bodhi tree is believed to be the “tree of perfect knowledge.”
۩ Many of the important foundations of Buddhism were stated in a sermon
the Buddha gave shortly after his enlightenment. He taught these four main
ideas known as the Four Noble Truths.
• First Noble Truth: Suffering and sorrow are a part of life for everyone.
•Second Noble Truth: If people did not want wealth, power, pleasure, and
fame they would not be disappointed/ unhappy when they don’t have
those things: suffering and sorrow is caused by people’s self-centered
desires.
• Third Noble Truth: The way to escape suffering is to overcome desires
and reach a state of not wanting.
• Fourth Noble Truth: People can overcome their desires and reach the
state of enlightenment or nirvana, by following the Middle Path.
----The Middle Path involves leading and ethical compassionate life in with
one meditates and participates in rituals.
After the Buddha’s death Buddhism
evolved from a philosophy of life into a
religion. The Buddha is now
worshipped as a god and followers
pray to Buddha asking for
enlightenment. Travelers and
missionaries spread Buddhism
throughout Asia.
Paraphrased Quotes
Quote 1: If you step away from desires in your
life then you will step away from misery.
Quote 2: Your mind is hard to grasp, tame the
mind and achieve tranquility.
Quote 3: Develop moral principles,
concentration and wisdom. End greed, hatred,
and stupidity.