Buddhism

1. Buddhism

2. Buddhist gods • Buddha believes that gods are simply a comfort to man who need or fear something. He believes people must face their fears and try to overcome them on their own. Rational understanding is the way past irrational fear. • With all the conflicting opinions on who or what God is, Buddha draws the conclusion of no God due to lack of solid evidence. A man may believe firmly in his God, but will deny the existence of God in another religion, and with all these people denying each other, there is no solid proof, only more conflict rather than comfort from religion. • Buddha also goes against many peoples belief in the necessity of god, when there is no necessity. There are countless people who have no God, yet live freely and happily.

3. Basic Beliefs of Followers • Buddha taught people not to worship him as a god, so that they would take responsibility for their own lives and actions. • Meditation: Use to look within oneself for the truth and understanding of Buddha’s teachings. They seek nirvana through meditation. • The Eightfold Path (guides for following the Middle path). • Right understanding and viewpoint. • Right values and attitude: Four Noble Truths. • Right speech: Don’t tell lies and avoid harsh speech/gossip. • Right action: Help others and live honestly. • Right work: Do something useful. • Right effort: Encourage good and helpful thoughts. • Right mindfulness: Be aware of what you feel, think, and do. • Right meditation: Calm mind and practice meditation which leads to nirvana.

4. Buddhist Practices • The core teachings and practices of Buddhism are the same, but some practices differ. This is due to its spread beyond India and adoption of local beliefs and traditions. • The practice of meditation is central to nearly all forms of Buddhism, and it derives directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Buddhist practice their beliefs by meditating on a regular basis. In order to keep a clear mind and spirit, they treat their selves with kindness as well as others, and treat their bodies as their temples by eating healthy. • They do not have prayers, but many still worship Buddha even though he discouraged them from doing so. Many kneel before an image of the Buddha or a Bodhi tree to reflect on the virtues of the Buddha. They may recite the five precepts which create the foundation on which the spiritual progress is based. The offering of food and flowers to the Buddha is a symbolic act of devotion and not done with the expectation of gaining physical benefits in return. • Other practices they perform are abstain from drinking alcohol or eating meat, and chanting in order to clear the mind. • Buddhist monks also observe a strict code of conduct (vinaya) in order to discipline the body and mind.

5. Holidays are joyful occasions. A festival day normally begins with a visit to the local temple, where one offers food or other items to the monks and listens to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon they might distribute food to the poor to earn merit, or walk around the temple three times in honor of the Three Jewels. Buddhist Rituals/ Holidays Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year because it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on that one day, the first full moon day in May. The Buddhist New Year is celebrated on different days throughout the world. In Theravada new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries it starts on the first full moon day in January, and Tibetan Buddhists generally celebrate it in March.

6. The Role of Women • Unlike the rest of Ancient India, Buddha respected women and believes that both men and women are equally useful to the society. • Buddha believes that women were very important and they had to be good wives and mothers, which was crucial to becoming successful in life. If anything happened to the husband, who was the dominant household, the wife would replace the husband. • Women occupied an equal position as their husbands because they were to replace their husband in trade, business and industry, if something happens to him. • Women weren’t restricted from education or religious freedom.

7. The Major Texts and Books While there are many different texts written after Buddha died, the only instructions for his followers was given at his First Sermon. During the First Sermon, he described “The Four Noble Truths” and “The Eightfold Path”. The Four Noble Truths were four things that Buddha said were always true about the world. The Eightfold Path was the eight ways that a person could become enlightened, or reach Nirvana. The Four Noble Truths: (1) Life is suffering. (2) Suffering arises from desire. (3) The solution to suffering lies in curbing desire. (4) Desire can be curbed if a person follows The Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path: Right Belief -[understanding the truth about the universality of suffering and knowing the path to its extinction], Right Aspiration-[a mind free of ill will, sensuous desire and cruelty], Right Speech-[abstaining from lying, harsh language and gossip], Right Conduct-[avoiding killing, stealing and unlawful sexual intercourse], Right Means of Livelihood-[avoiding any occupation that brings harm directly or indirectly to any other living being], Right Endeavor-[avoiding unwholesome and evil things], Right Memory-[awareness in contemplation], Right Meditation-[concentration that ultimately reaches the level of a trance]

8. Missionary/Outreach Work While Buddha was alive, Buddhism didn’t spread very far away from his hometown. However, once he died, his teachings were spread by his followers all across India, Central, Southeast, and East Asia. Some followers changed the view of Buddha from that of a man to that of a deity. After 200 CE, Greek influence caused the view of Buddha to differ based on geography.

9. Origin and Diffusion • Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha, came from a royal family in India. • At the age of 29 he dedicated himself to meditation and after 6 years he was “enlightened” and awakened. • He began to teach to a group of autras and thought them his beliefs and principles.

10. Major Contacts With Other Religions until 600 C.E. • When Buddhism was spread through South Asia and into Central Asia it was initially in conflict with Confucianism. The fact that Buddhist monks withdrew from their families to live in monasteries was unacceptable to Chinese values that emphasized the importance of family ties. • After the fall of the Han, many Chinese turned to accept Buddhism for its soothing effects. However, when imperial order was reestablished, rulers dismissed Buddhism, because they thought it posed a threat to their political power .

11. Similarities and Differences • Buddhism and Hinduism: • Reincarnation- based of the deed of present life. • God- Is different because the original Buddhist doctrine does not entail any godly figures, and the later sects introduces some godly figures. The Hindus believe in 300,000 gods. • Buddhism and Christianity: • Forms of worship- Monasticism, confession, ringing of bells, use of rosary, and the erection of towers. • Eternal life- Is different because according to the Buddhist doctrine, eternal life depends on the karma of one’s present life. Christianity there is eternal life in Heaven which has nothing to do with karma and has a free gift of salvation. • Buddhism and Islam: • Humanity: Most important aspect in both religions • The concept of the world: Buddhism neither stresses on the aspects of the natural world, nor gives an emphasis on the role of God in good and evils.Islam stresses the aspect of the natural world and considers Allah to be the creator of the universe and the source of all goods and evils.

12. Quotations • "However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do to you if you do not act upon them?." –Buddha • “Action is what counts.” • “We should "walk our talk" because only then does it matter what we say, and only then are we truthful to ourselves.” • “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” • “Life is about the journey.” • “Don't put off your happiness because your goal is something futuristic, enjoy today.” • “If you live a good life, the end doesn't matter.” • “It’s about the experience and knowledge gained in the life.”

13. Bibliography • Primary Source • Buddha. "Two Buddhist Texts." Two Buddhist Texts. David W. Koeller, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Buddhist.html>. • Secondary Sources • David T.W. Rhys, O. H. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/bud-ser1.html • "Buddhist Practices." Buddhist Practices. London Buddhist Viahara, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2013. <http://www.londonbuddhistvihara.org/qa/qa_practices.htm>.