Lecture 9: BuddhismLecture 9: Buddhism

Today’s LectureToday’s Lecture

In today’s lecture we will:

1.Discuss how to begin writing and researching your research project

2.Investigate the origins of Buddhism

3.Become familiar with the Buddhist principle of Dharma and the central teachings of Buddhism

BEGINNING YOUR BEGINNING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECTRESEARCH PROJECT

Beginning your researchBeginning your research

1. Preliminary Research

a) Go to your local library and look at the DCCC library

b) Look online for journal articles

c) When using websites be very careful and keep in mind the following:

o Websites that end in .edu / .gov / .org are more reliable than other websites

o NOTE! Wikipedia is NOT a reliable resource and must not be used in your final research paper.

o Always be sure to check the accuracy and authenticity of any website you use

d) Keep lists and notes on what you read and try to start ranking your resources by relevance

Beginning your researchBeginning your research

2. Writing; Start writing NOW!

a) Write your way through your thesis statemento Begin formulating questions you need to answer o Make a list of important things you will need to

research

b) Brainstorming

c) Free-writing

d) Create a “discovery draft”

e) Redraft, redraft, redraft!

BUDDHISMBUDDHISM

OutlineOutlineThe founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha)

Buddhism originated in the 5th century B.C.E.

It began in India and spread throughout Eastern Asia, and now can be found throughout the world

Currently Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion (5.84%)

Famous Buddhists include

oThe Dalai LamaoRichard GereoOrlando Bloom

Complexities in BuddhismComplexities in Buddhism

“The Buddha” is not a name but instead is a religious title meaning “One who has awakened” or “The Enlightened”

Like Hinduism, the title Buddhism includes a wide variety of practices differing by geography, philosophy, beliefs and personal preferences.

Because of its geographical diversity throughout Asia, Buddhism uses both Sanskrit and Pali words

THE ORIGINS OF THE ORIGINS OF BUDDHISMBUDDHISM

Origins of BuddhismOrigins of Buddhism

Buddhism’s origins can be traced back to the life of Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century B.C.E. in India

Buddhism grew out of Hinduism and shares some important similarities and differences.

Hence, the origins of Buddhism is based on biographical narratives of Siddhartha’s life, trials and death.

There are three main parts to the story of Gautama Buddha’s life:

1. His birth and life up to the age of twenty-nine2. His spiritual search and subsequent awakening3. His travels throughout India from the age of forty-five

teaching what he had learnt, up until his death at the age of eighty.

The Buddha’s early lifeThe Buddha’s early lifeSiddhartha’s mother (Maya) had a dream that a white elephant entered her womb.

Priests foretold that the child would either become a great king or a person who would renounce earthly life and share his enlightenment with the world.

Siddhartha was born in the foothills of the Himalayas but his mother died a week after giving birth.

Siddhartha’s father (Shuddhodana) was a powerful ruler and warrior and sought to make Siddhartha a great king

The Buddha’s early lifeThe Buddha’s early life

http://eng.koreatemple.net/data/content/10/31/200502221109072248(7).jpg

Shuddhodana kept Siddhartha in a palace in isolation from the suffering of the world, gave him all the pleasures he could and trained him in martial arts.

A key shift occurs when Siddhartha follows his urges to leave the palace walls and witnesses;

oA sick manoAn old manoA dead manoA Shramana (an ascetic Yogi)

These sights changed Siddhartha’s life and at the age of 29 he ran away and began his own personal spiritual search.

The Buddha’s JourneyThe Buddha’s JourneySiddhartha first found a Shramana guru named Arada Kalama who used meditation to achieve a state of “nothingness.”

Disappointed, Sidddhartha then found a second teacher named Udraka Ramaputra who used meditation to bring forth trances.

This discontent lead to Siddhartha finding five other ascetics who were experimenting with extreme fasting, breath control, and long periods of sitting without moving.

Siddhartha’s dismay and disappointment lead to him seeking awakening through the balance between asceticism and pleasure (“The Middle Way”)

The Buddha’s JourneyThe Buddha’s JourneySiddhartha refused to give up and sat beneath a ficus tree by a river and vowed to find either success or death

Siddhartha continued to meditate but was tempted by Mara (a supernatural being that personifies death, delusion, and temptation)

By touching his right hand to earth, Siddhartha brought forth earthquakes and a cooling stream which washed Mara away

After resuming his meditations Sidhhartha gained more perceptions and supernatural faculties (Memory of his past lives, psychic vision, levitation, telepathy and superhearing)

The Buddha’s The Buddha’s EnlightenmentEnlightenment

Finally, Siddhartha extinguished all of his desires and ignorance and realized his capacities for insight

Siddhartha “woke up” under the Bodhi (“Enlightenment”) tree to the nature of reality, just as dawn broke

From that point on Siddhartha became the “Buddha”; the enlightened one.

The Buddha remained around the Bodhi tree for seven weeks enjoying Nirvana when Mara returned again and tempted the Buddha to keep what he had learned to himself.

But the high Gods urged the Buddha to teach what he knew, and the Buddha compassionately vowed to teach what he had learned to the whole world.

The Buddha’s first The Buddha’s first teachingsteachings

The Buddha’s first pupils were the five ascetics he had earlier fasted with and taught them the central teachings of Buddhism (Dharma):

oThe four noble truthsoThe Eight-Fold Path

The ascetics became Arhats and taught on behalf of the Buddha

Gautama Buddha eventually formed a new set of religious institutions

Travels and DeathTravels and DeathAt the age of 45 the Buddha traveled throughout India teaching what he had learned and establishing religious schools

Finally at the age of 80 the Buddha died after eating some poisonous food

The Buddha was cremated and his remains were spread throughout eight shrines which became the focus of Buddhist worship

DHARMADHARMAThe Teachings of Buddha

Central teachingsCentral teachingsBuddhists seek Nirvana (Liberation) and is known as the “Middle Way”

The Buddha is recognized as the founder and teacher of Buddhism but typically he is not worshipped as a God

As in Hinduism, Buddhists believe in Reincarnation and Karma

The primary teachings (Dharma)of the Buddha include:

1. The Four Noble Truths

2. The Noble Eightfold Path to liberation

3. The wheel of Birth and Death

4. Nirvana

The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble Truths

1. Life inevitably involves suffering (dukkha) and is imperfect and unsatisfactory

2. Suffering originates from our desires

3. Suffering will cease when all desire ceases

4. There is a way to reach this state; the Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold PathThe Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right Understanding

2. Right Thought or Motives

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Meditation

The Buddhist’s UniverseThe Buddhist’s Universe

Unatman

Buddhist’s believe that there is no eternal or immortal soul which can be reborn

The Wheel of Birth and Death

Buddhists believe in Karma and claim that greed, hate and delusion (the three evils) motivate the wheel of Birth and Death. By doing the opposite of these evils one can move towards escape.

Buddhist Metaphysics

Buddhists believe that there are multiple planes of existence (including realms of hells) hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and Gods etc.

NirvanaNirvanaThe term Nirvana is problematic has multiple interpretations and definitions

For example:

Escape from sufferingExtinction of aging and dyingPeace of MindLiberation

Some Buddhists claim that it can be attained while one is alive

Others claim it can be attained at death and one who reaches Nirvana is not reborn

In general Nirvana can be interpreted as extinguishing

DiscussionDiscussion1. In what way is Buddhism similar to Hinduism?

2. How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?

3. How does the story of the Buddha’s life relate to the central teachings of Buddhism?

4. Can you identify which aspects of the Buddha’s life reinforce particular teachings?