Buddhism
by Manu G, Tyler W, and Catherine C; Young pd 2
Beliefs & Expectations
The boys are expected to shave their heads if they believe in Theravada Buddhism.
Family & Social Structures
Sri Lanka, Tibet, and Japan follow a Buddhist caste system marking butchers, laborers, and janitors as unrefined, but it’s slowly fading away. Exceptions include Nepal, where ‘pure’ priests will not let people from other castes into their temples.
Symbols
Holy Texts
Diamond Sutra
Though this text is written in Chinese and it originated in India, the Diamond Sutra is one of the most important documents in Buddhism. It helps to provide a "high incarnation" and it's only five pages long.
Tripitaka
Also known as the Pali Canon, the Tripitaka is the oldest text in Buddhism. It was written on leaves and stored in baskets hence the name 'Tripitaka' meaning 'three baskets'. This is the only text that sets the foundation for Theravada Buddhists
Important People
Buddha
Gautama gave up his royal life to seek enlightenment through meditation. Once he achieved his goal, he was known as Buddha and spent the rest of his life teaching people the philosophy of Buddhist salvation.
Ananda
The Buddha's cousin and one of his primary disciples. He memorized and recited the Buddha's teachings, and so was known as the Dhammabhandagarika, "treasurer of the teachings."
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama's are the spiritual leaders in Tibet. The current (and fourteenth) Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.
Origin
Buddhism began as an offspring of Hinduism in the country of India. The founder was Siddhartha Gautama. Much of his life is now described in myths and legends that arose about his unknown life. Gautama was born about 563 b.c. in Northern India. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Maya. They were the rulers of what is now present day Nepal. Gautama had a life sheltered from religious teachings and human suffering because his father wanted him to become the next King and to never leave his palace. But Gautama took a series of 4 trips that changed his life. In the first trip, he met an old man. In the second trip he met a sick man. On the third trip, he encountered a corpse. These encounters caused Gautama to take a different perspective on life and on the fourth trip, he encountered a monk. The monk had given up everything he had to try and put an end to suffering and taught Gautama about withdrawal from the world. Gautama felt bad about his life of ease and shelter, so one night, when he was 29 years old, Gautama ran off into a forest and lived there for the next 6 years. In the forest he thought about and experimented with forms of meditation. Gautama emerged from the forest as the enlightened one, or the Buddha, and spent the next 45 years of his life preaching his views across India. During these years, he trained monks, established orders, and preached to the public.
Gautama Becoming Enlightened
Gautama in the Forest
Buddha Preaching to Others
The 2 Major Branches
Theraveda
Theraveda is the older of the 2 largest branches of Buddhism. “Theraveda” means “the way of the elders,” which indicates that the Theraveda Buddhists believe that they are closer to Buddhas original approach to the religion and that Buddhism is a full time occupation. They believe that in order to become a good Buddhist, you must renounce worldly goods and become a monk. Theravidists emphasize Buddha’s life of self-help and years of solitary introspection. They cite Buddha’s wisdom.
Mayana
Mayana split from Theraveda Buddhism 2,000 years ago. Mayana translates to “the bigger ferry” or “raft.” Mayanists believe that their approach to Buddhism can help more people because it is less demanding and all-encompassing. Mayanists emphasize Buddha’s later years of teaching and helping others. The cite Buddha’s compassion.
Theravida
As you can see, this monk has devoted his life to practicing Buddhism
Mayana
As you can see, it much more relaxed and all- encompassing
Geographic Distribution
How has Buddhism diffused?
Place of Worship
Holy Places of Buddhism
Lumbini
The birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini.
Sarnath
Modern-day Sarnath, where Buddha gave his first sermon.
Kushinagar
Buddhist temples at the sight of Buddha's death.
Where is it practiced?
How many followers does Buddhism have?
- There are an estimated 350 million adherents of Buddhism worldwide.