Buddhism By: Meredith Hildebrand
What is Buddhism? Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The T he word comes from budhi!" to awa#en awa#en!. !. $t has it%s origins of about &"'00 years ago when (iddhartha )autama" #nown as the Buddha" was himself awa#ened*enlightened+ at the age of 3'. Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual de,elopment. The basic teachings of the Buddha are nothing is -ed -ed or permanent" actions ha,e conse/uences " and change is possible. Buddhists stri,e for a deep insight into the true
Where did Buddhism originate from? Buddhism originated from the small ,illage of umbini" 1orthern $ndia. (iddhartha )autama was born into a royal family in umbini" now located in in 1epal" in '23 B.. 4t &5" he reali6ed that wealth and luury did not guarantee happiness" so he eplored eplored the di7erent di7erent teachings and religions of that day. 4fter si years of study and meditation he found 8 the middle path% and was enlightened. 4fter enlightenment" the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism9 called the hamma" or Truth9 Truth9
How many Buddhists are there? There are are Buddhists all o,er the world. Most Buddhists li,e in (outh (o uth 4sia" (outheast 4sia" and the
Buddhism Beliefs The Buddhism religion has The
The ightfold @ath @ath The Buddha taught the cure for su7ering in,ol,es ight (teps. Aight iew: iew: Cnderstand the Buddha%s Bud dha%s teachings *called harma+. Aight Thought: Thin# about others" not yourself. yourself. Aight (peech: (p eech: Tell Tell the truth" say helpful h elpful things. thi ngs. Aight 4ction: o things that are #ind and thoughtful.
$mportant ates c. >;0 B Birth of the Buddha in Eapila,astu. c. >'0 B The BuddhaFs enlightenment and -rst sermon c. >0' B eath of the Buddha.
The Cni,ersal Truths Truths The Cni,ersal Cni,ersal Truths Truths are are important parts parts of Buddhist Buddhist teachings and and contents of wisdom. =: ,erything in life is impermanent and constantly changing. The Buddha%s thin#ing about this is similar to the )ree# philosopher Heraclitus" who said that it is impossible for a person to step into the same ri,er twice. &: $mpermanence leads to su7ering. The fact that nothing remains the same ma#es life unsatisfactory. @eople desire and become attached to things which can%t last. ,en if someone achie,es a state of contentment" it won%t last. $ndeed" #nowing that the contentment must end is itself a source of su7ering. To a Buddhist" su7ering means not
The Cni,ersal Truths Truths 3: There is no unchanging un changing personal self. self. What people say the self is simply a collection of changing characteristics. The Buddha compared the self to a chariot" which is simply a collection of parts that are put together in a certain way but can ta#en apart again.
Buddhism Holidays esa#: Buddha%s Birthday G $t is one of the maDor festi,als of the year. $t is celebrated on the -rst full moon day in May. Magha @uDa: $t is an important religious religious festi,al celebrated by Buddhists in Thailand" ambodia" and aos on the full moon day of March. Bodhi ay: ay: This holiday commemorates the day that the historical Buddha eperienced enlightenment. 4salha @uDa ay: 4lso #nown as hamma ay!. $t
Buddhism $mportant @laces Buddhist pilgrimage. The most important places of pilgrimage in Buddhism are located in the )angetic plains of 1orthern $ndia and (outhern 1epal" in the area between 1ew elhi and AaDgir.
Worshipping Buddhists can worship both at home or at a temple. $t is not considered essential to go to a temple to worship with others. Buddhists will often set aside a room or part of a room as a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha" candles" and an incense burner. burner. Buddhist temples come in many shapes. @erhaps the best #nown are the pagodas of hina and apan. There are many forms forms of Buddhist worship as there are schools of Buddhism9 Bud dhism9 and there are many of those. Worship in Mahayana tradition ta#es the form of de,otion to Buddha and to Bodhisatt,as. Worshippers may sit on the Ioor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. They will listen to mon#s chanting from religious tets" perhaps accompanied by
$mportant Buddhism Tets The important tets tets of Buddhism are The Tripita#a Tripita#a *@ali *@ali anon+ Mahayana (utras and the Tibetan Boo# of the ead are the maDor noncanonical Buddhist tets. The @ali anon" which means the word of the Buddha!" includes some of the Buddha%s discourse" but it also incorporates the teachings of his pupils.
$mportant @eople of Buddhism 4nanda: The Buddha%s cousin and one of his primary disciples. disci ples. He memori6ed and recited the Buddha%s teachings" and so was #nown as the hammabhandagari#a!" treasurer treasurer of the teachings!. alai ama: eader of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. The current alai ama is Ten6in )yatso. )autama: The gi,en name of the historical Buddha.
Map of the @opulation of Buddhism
The isuals of Buddhism The important ,isuals of Buddhism are The otus" the the Wheel of the law" the Bodhi tree and the Buddha%s footprints.
Aeferences $mportant Buddhism @eople: @eople: http:JJ www.religionfacts.comJbuddhismJpeople.htm Buddhism @laces: http:JJ www.religionfacts.comJbuddhismJfastfacts.htm Buddhism @opulation Map: http:JJwww.Dapanese9buddhism.comJ http:JJwww.Dapanese9buddhism.comJimagesJmap9of imagesJmap9of9buddhism.Dpg 9buddhism.Dpg The isuals of Buddhism: http:JJ www.religionfacts.comJbuddhismJsymbols.htm $mportant ates:
Aeferences What is Buddhism?: http:JJwww.buddhanet.netJe9learningJ'minbud.htm Where did Buddhism originate from?: http:JJwww.buddhanet.netJe9learningJ'minbud.htm Buddhism Holidays: http:JJen.wi#ipedia.orgJwi#iJBuddhistKholidays Worshipping: http:JJwww http:JJwww.bbc.co.u#Jrel .bbc.co.u#JreligionJreligio igionJreligionsJbuddhism nsJbuddhism J Buddhism Beliefs: The Eids boo# of World Aeligions @opulation of Buddhists: http:JJwww.bbc.co.u#Jrel http:JJwww .bbc.co.u#JreligionJreligio igionJreligionsJbuddhism nsJbuddhism J
