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Buddhists don’t believe in a creator God who saves, or whom believers adore…

Buddhists don’t believe in a creator God who saves, or whom believers adore… so what do they worship?. To explain what the Buddha nature is To explain what Buddhists worship To evaluate whether Buddhism is a religion. What do Buddhists Worship ?. The Buddha Nature.

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Buddhists don’t believe in a creator God who saves, or whom believers adore…

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  1. Buddhists don’t believe in a creator God who saves, or whom believers adore… so what do they worship?

  2. To explain what the Buddha nature is • To explain what Buddhists worship • To evaluate whether Buddhism is a religion What do Buddhists Worship ?

  3. The Buddha Nature All creatures have a Buddha nature. It is like a seed that can blossom inside each one of us to become a Buddha. • This is the “ultimate reality” that Buddhists worship. WHAT IS THE BUDDHA NATURE? Solve the 3 riddles to find out the 3 things that make a Buddha nature. Then answer: What is the Buddha nature? What is a buddha ? Why do Buddhists say everyone has it (see white box)? ** On a scale 0-10 how much buddha nature have you got? Give proof of your opinion ! Riddle 1: YYURYYUBICURYY4ME - what does this mean? Riddle 2: a word that consists of 10 letters,including 4 vowelsand 6 consonants, beginning c, 2 s’s in the middle. Riddle 3: + + According to Buddhism, there is no being, human or otherwise, who doesn't possess some wisdom (is ableto see the true nature of things), some compassion and some self-awareness. A buddha is one who has developed his or her compassion, wisdom and self-awareness to the greatest degree.

  4. Buddhist “deities” Even though Buddhists only worship the Buddha nature that is in all of us, if you go to a Buddhist temple you will see lots of statues that look like “gods”, that people are praying to… What is going on?? Do Buddhists worship gods or not?? Explain what Buddhists worship. Explain why Buddhists worship them. • These “deities” are not really gods – they just represent part of the ultimate Buddha nature–wisdom, compassion and mindful concentration. • By “praying” to them, Buddhists hope to attain that quality in themselves to get closer to the ultimate Buddha nature.

  5. Is Buddhism a religion ? • YES: 2 reasons explained • NO: 2 reasons explained • EVALUATE: What do you think – include a new reason/ or develop a previously given reason.

  6. True or False ? • Buddhists have faith in a creator God. • You can only achieve enlightenment by your own efforts. There is no external help or saviour. • Buddhist Deities are real divine beings. • The Buddha is a god. • There is no need for faith in Buddhism.

  7. Ultimate Buddha Nature(enter the deathless state of Nirvana) Bodhisattvas (beings who achieved enlightenment but have chosen to be reborn out of compassion for others) A Bodhisattvacould be you or me…whenever help is given unselfishly..) Deities (representations of ultimate reality – like the hindu gods) 1. Copy out this scheme showing the Buddhist world view. 2. Who do you know/ have heard of, who could be a Bodhisattva? eg the Buddha himself was a Bodhisattva who once incarnated as Siddhartha Gautama. He had 550 incarnations before then… and has had more since. Eg as the Dalai Lama. • Is this scheme similar to or different from the way Christianity works ?

  8. Explain what a Bodhisattva is. Label the 3 Bodhisattvas on your picture, and add info about them from this slide. 2. Explain why Buddhists worship the Boddhisatvas. **Do you think that this makes Buddhism a religion, or not? Are they, in fact, worshipping gods? Bodhisattvas • Some of the Buddhist “deities” are not just representations of the Buddha nature, but are believed to have really lived. They achieved enlightenment but put off going to Nirvana out of compassion for human beings, to help and teach them. Buddhists worship Bodhisattvas for their buddha- qualities, and for their compassion in choosing to be reborn for the good of the world. • The Bodhisattva Shakyamunihad 550 incarnations before he was re-born as theBuddha (Siddharta Gautama) and has had more incarnations since then. The Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara, represents the compassion of all the Buddhas. He is sometimes red, symbolizing his passionate concern for beings. The Dalai Lama is thought to be his incarnation in human form. The Bodhisattva, Maitreya, or “Buddha of the Future”, is supposed to reappear at the end of time for the deliverance of all creatures to enlightenment.

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