Introduction

• Hello class, today we will enlighten you with our wonderful religion. Buddhism!

Historical Background

• About 2500 years ago, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama started to question his luxurious lifestyle in his palace. So one day he left the palace and saw 4 sights: a sick man, an old man, a dead man and a monk.

Historical Background Part 2

• After seeing those sights it made him realize that even a prince like himself cannot escape illness, suffering and death. This realization happened after sitting under a poplar-fig tree in Bodha Gaya India for many days, in deep meditation. He gained enlightenment or Nirvana and was given the title of Buddha, which meant enlightened one.

Basic Belief

• We believe that there is one God. His name is Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha.

Sacred Texts

• After Buddha died, his teachings were gradually written down from what people remembered. "The Ripitaka" or "The Three Baskets”, is a collection of Buddha’s sayings, his thoughts about them, and rules for Buddhist monks, which were originally written on palm leaves and were collected in baskets.

Sacred Places and Spaces

• Buddhists visit places associated with Buddha's life. These places include his birthplace, Lumbini Grove, the place of enlightenment, Bodha Gaya, the place of his first sermon, Sarnarth, and the place he died, Kusinara. There are also other sacred places, special to the various branches of Buddhism.

Key Leader

• One famous leader in Buddhism is the 14th Dalai Lama, who is the best known Buddhist leader, and figure in the world. He is the spiritual leader of Tibet.

Rituals

• Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. The practice of meditation is central to nearly all forms of Buddhism, and it derives directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Meditation is the central focus of Zen Buddhism and the only way to liberation.

Services

• Services are often held several times each week, or even daily, but at times that are convenient for visitors to the temple.Although there are many different varieties of Buddhism, most temple services include: bowing, chanting of sutras and 30 minutes to one hour of meditation

Ceremonies

• They are many Buddhist ceremonies, but a very popular one is for a new house. In Thailand when a new house is built, the Buddhist ceremony called "KEUN BAAN MAI" happens. The aim of this ceremony is to bless the new house and its inhabitants. Monks are invited to the house. In fact the house's owner must pay to have monks to come to his house.

Symbols

• Some Buddhist symbols are: the stupa, the dharma wheel, and the lotus flower. The lotus flower is a symbol of purity and can be any color, except blue. The dharma wheel is the wheel of the law. The stupa is a symbolic grave monument where relics of a holy monk are kept.

Wesak

• Wesak is the celebration of Buddha's birth. For Theravada Buddhists, it is also the celebration of Buddha's enlightenment and death. During this celebration, statues of Buddha are decorated. Offerings are taken to monasteries, and sometimes there are fireworks.

Vassa

• Vassa is a time to meditate and study. In Buddha's time, it was during the rainy season, which meant it was hard to travel and teach, so it was a good time for meditation and study. During Vassa, all Buddhists are supposed to set aside some time for study and meditation. At the end of Vassa, people bring new robes to monks.

Demographics

• About 1.2 to 1.6 billion people throughout the world practice the religion of Buddhism.

Meditation

• Meditation is important to most Buddhists. Buddhists look beyond themselves for the understanding and truth of Buddha’s teachings. They seek enlightenment or nirvana.

The Eightfold Path/ The Wheel of Life

• The eightfold path and the wheel of life are examples of things we Buddhists have to live by. It is like the 10 commandments in the Catholic religion, but for Buddhists.

The Eightfold Path

Nirvana

• Most schools of Buddhism explain Nirvana as a state of peace, and this state may be experienced in life, or it may be entered into at death.

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Did you know????

• Did you know there is such thing as a Buddhist flag?