Objectives

• To understand how Buddhism became so popular throughout the Asian continent

• To understand how Buddhism began

• To understand some of the basic beliefs of Buddhism

• To understand how his death caused a split within Buddhism

Important terms:

• Karma-what goes around comes around; your good actions are rewarded & bad ones are punished

• Reincarnation-idea of rebirth; reborn into a new life depending on the actions of your previous life

• What does suffering mean?

• What does nirvana mean?

• What does enlightenment mean?

Why did Buddhism rise? This was a result of the change within Hinduism

• Ordinary Hindus were seeking a simpler and more spiritual religion and/or way of life

• They also disliked the caste system (born into a status)

• Saw the Hindu priests as caring more for themselves than for the people

• There was a civil war so a new perspective was refreshing

Buddhism: Origin Story (6th century BC)

• It started with a prince named Siddhartha Gautama from Nepal

• He was wealthy, handsome and a royal. He had it all right?

• He was always curious about the idea of death, the end, suffering, sickness and old age

• His experiences were limited to his palace life-wife & a son

• One day, he decided to see what life was like outside the palace walls. He had never done this before

• What do you think he saw?

This was very much like what Princess Jasmine saw in the movie, "Aladdin"

Like Princess Jasmine, he saw true suffering for the 1st time

• He saw hungry peasants, beggars, people who were ill, old and homeless

• He met many who had very few possessions, but were happy

• This made him think: "why did people suffer & how could it be cured"?

He decided to leave his family & all he owned to experience it

• He lived his life as a hermit

• He focused on meditation (under a Bodhi tree) for 49 days

• Lived a simple life (few possessions)

• Upon reaching his answer, he became enlightened. What does it mean to be enlightened?

He achieved a special understanding

• He spent the rest of his life traveling & talking about the nature of suffering

• He became known as Buddha or "Enlightened One"

• But what was his solution about how to end suffering?

His view was very simple

• Founded Buddhism around 500BC

• He believed that the cause of our suffering is our possessions

• He encouraged others to recognize that the only way to be free of suffering is by giving up your possessions (living a simple life)

• Think about it: our possessions control us, clog our minds and can make us selfish-focus on money, fame, etc

• He believed that if you could remove the cause of suffering, then you would be at peace

• After all, he did this and he was very happy and content

• Could you honestly do this??

He believed that this strategy would lead one to nirvana

• What does the term nirvana mean?

• Nirvana-to reach a state of wisdom

• Also, "blown out or blowing out the candle"-reaching peace

How else could one reach enlightenment and/or nirvana?

• Following the Four Noble Truths & Eightfold Path (important guidelines)

• Self-motivated philosophy: your future depended on you as a person, not by your status, class or job

• Goal of Buddhism: the key was to live a simple life with few possessions, that your soul would no longer reincarnation & it would reach nirvana

• This also gave hope to Hindus stuck in the caste system

Teachings of Buddhism

• He would tell stories to get his point across (morals, parables)

• His followers passed down his stories

• After his death, his followers began to write them down

• His message was spread with the greatest amount of respect & tolerance. What does tolerance mean?

• Tolerance-to deal with something different than your own beliefs especially if you don't agree with it

• But how do you think Siddhartha Gautama died?

It is unknown how he died exactly but old age & food poisoning have been theorized

• Upon his death, he told his followers not to follow a leader but to "be your own light"

• His legacy has been divided

Once it reached China:

• The combination of Taoism/Daoism, Confucianism & Buddhism influenced life throughout China

• The rise of shrines & temples to ensure spirituality

• Focus went back on the family: love, respect, cooperation, support, sacrifice & charity

• All of this was surrounded by the idea of filial piety: the idea that you should respect your others and put your family before yourself.

Review:

• Buddhism rose because it focused on each person & their self-worth

• Siddhartha Gautama was a wealthy prince who saw suffering, gave up his royal life & sought to understand suffering

• Buddhists believe that living a simple life, giving up possessions, having good karma & following the Four Noble Truths & Eightfold Path will help them achieve nirvana

• Buddhism spread to China where it thrived in the Sung Dynasties as a result of the Silk Road

Your task:

• To show understanding of the Buddhist term filial piety, you are going to write a letter to someone who constantly puts others before themselves.

• This can not be a friend but should be someone such as a parent/guardian or other relative who exhibits the idea of putting others before themselves

• It is is not only a thank you, but an explanation of how that person puts others before themselves.

• IMPORTANT: this must be signed by the person to whom you are writing it to.

• Extra credit: if they write a response back, you can get some extra points