BUDDHISM
- one of the major religions in the
world.
-based on the teachings of Buddha.
- originated in India
-535 million followers
Types of Buddhism
1. Theravada Buddhism:
Prevalent in Thailand, Sri
Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and
Burma
2. Mahayana Buddhism:
Prevalent in China, Japan,
Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and
Vietnam
3. Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent
in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia,
Bhutan, and parts of Russia
and northern India
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Siddhartha Gautama
- Indian Prince lived during 5th
century B.C.
- see that life’s pleasures fade quickly.
- set out in search of lasting
happiness.
- discovered the timeless truth of
existence and realized enlightenment
after 6 years of meditation under a
Buddhi Tree.
Enlightenment
- complete cessation of greed, hatred
and delusion, which are at the root of
all discontent deep within the mind.
Buddha
- “Enlightened One”
- devoted the remaining 45 years of his
life to teaching and helping others to
attain enlightenment.
 BELIEFS AND IDEOLOGIES
Three Jewels
1. The Buddha (The Yellow Jewel)
Buddha- ultimate teacher & spiritual
example
Ideal Buddhahood- enlightenment for
the sake of all beings
2. The Dharma (The Blue Jewel)
- Teachings of the Buddha
- Putting the realization of Buddha
into words and communicated it with
others.
3. The Sangha (The Red Jewel)
- Spiritual community
Threefold Way
1. Ethics
- the principles and practices that help
one to act in ways that help rather
than harm.
2. Meditation
- transforming the mind.
- experiences can have a
transformative effect and can lead to a
new understanding of life.
3. Wisdom
- aim of all Buddhist practices
-developing our own direct
understanding of the truth
The Five Precepts
1. Not killing or causing harm to
other living beings.
Positive Counterpart: Love
2. Not taking the not-given.
Positive Counterpart: Generosity
3. Avoiding sexual misconduct.
Positive Counterpart: Contentment
4. Avoiding false speech.
Positive Counterpart: Truthfulness
5. Abstaining from drink and
drugs that cloud the mind
Positive Counterpart: Mindfulness
Four Noble Truths
1. All existence is dukkha.
- The word dukkha translated as
‘suffering’, ‘anguish’, ‘pain’, or
‘unsatisfactoriness’.
- The Buddha’s insight was that
our lives are a struggle, and we
do not find ultimate happiness
or satisfaction in anything we
experience.
2. The cause of dukkha is craving.
- Buddha says that their actual
root of difficulties is to be found
in the mind itself.
- Our tendency to grasp at things
(or alternatively to push them
away) places us fundamentally
at odds with the way life
really is.
3. The cessation of dukkha comes
with the cessation of craving.
- As we are the ultimate cause of
our difficulties, we are also the
solution.
- We cannot change the things
that happen to us, but we can
change our responses.
4. There is a path that leads from
dukkha.
- Buddha taught methods
through which we can change
ourselves.
- Eightfold Path
Noble Eightfold Path
1. Right Understanding or
Perfect Vision
- Believe in the nature of
existence as suffering and in the
four noble truths.
2. Right Resolve or
Perfect Emotion
- Incline toward goodness and
kindness.
3. Right Speech or Perfect Speech
- Avoid lies and gossip.
4. Right Action or Perfect Action
- Don’t steal from or harm others.
5. Right Livelihood or
Perfect Livelihood
- Reject work that hurts others.
6. Right Effort or Perfect Effort
- Prevent evil and do good.
7. Right Mindfulness or
Perfect Awareness
- Control your feelings and
thoughts.
8. Right Concentration or
Perfect Samadhi
- Practice proper meditation.
Other Beliefs
1. Reincarnation
- Death is not the end but
instead a person is reborn
after they pass.
- Shapes their attitude to life
and death, making them more
at ease with a premature or
unexpected death of a loved
one and more accepting of
their own death when it is
imminent
2. Law of Karma
- Law of cause and effect
- One’s own happiness or
suffering, success or failure,
health or illness and so on,
are caused by one’s own
bodily, verbal or mental
actions (karma means action).
- Not fatalism, since Buddhists
realize that karma is ‘work-
in-progress’ so that even now
they are generating the
causes for future prosperity
or failure.
3. Nirvana
- Enlightenment
- Key to stop the cycle of
rebirth
  MODE OF WORSHIP
Location
1. Temple
- contain an image or a statue of
Buddha
a. Pagoda
b. Stupa
2. At Home
- Set aside a room or a part of a
room as a shrine.
- Statue of Buddha, candles, and
an incense burner.
Five Elements of Buddhist Temple
1. Void
2. Wind
3. Fire
4. Water
5. Earth
Three Elements of Ritual
1. Recitation
- The verses recited are usually
associated with the principal
tenets and ideals of
Buddhism; and they give
expression to the spiritual
aspiration which makes
someone a Buddhist.
2. Chanting
- Buddhists usually chant in
either Pali or Sanskrit (two
ancient Indian languages) and
chanting is a way of forging an
emotional connection with
Buddhist ideals. Sometimes
Buddhists chant mantras,
symbolic representations of
Enlightenment in sound form.
3. Offering
Flowers- beauty and
impermanence
Candles- radiance of
Enlightenment
Incense- air in the same way
that a life lived ethically
touches the world.
Buddhist Holy Book
1. Tipitaka
- These texts, known as the
“three baskets,” are thought
to be the earliest collection of
Buddhist writings.
2. Sutras
- There are more than 2,000
sutras, which are sacred
teachings embraced mainly by
Mahayana Buddhists.
3. The Book of the Dead
- This Tibetan text describes
the stages of death in detail.
Buddhist Symbols
1. Bhavacakra (Wheel of Life)
- Symbolizes the Buddhist
perspective on life
- Contains within it numerous
symbols of Buddhist themes and
teachings.
2. Buddha Eyes (Wisdom Eyes)
- They look out in the four
directions to symbolize the
omniscience (all-seeing) of a
Buddha.
- Between the Buddha's eyes
where the nose would be is a
curly symbol that looks like
question mark. This is the
Nepali character for the number
1, which symbolizes unity of all
the things as well as the one
way to reach enlightenment—
through the Buddha's
teachings.
- Above this is a third eye,
symbolizing the all-seeing
wisdom of the Buddha.
3. Buddhapada
- Symbolizing the grounding of
the transcendent, feet have
been objects of respect in India
long before Buddhism.
 - According to Buddhist legend,
after the Buddha attained
enlightenment, his feet made an
imprint in the stone where he
stepped.
Buddhism’s Sacred Days
1. Uposatha
- Day of renewed dedication
- Observed roughly every seven
to eight days (on the waning,
new, waxing and full moon
days).
- Common day for visiting a
monastery.
2. Vesak Day
- Full moon of May.
- Commemorates the birth,
Enlightenment, and final
passing away of the Buddha.
- Major Buddhist festival of the
year.
3. The Rains Retreat
- Approximately from the full
moon of July to the full moon of
October.
- Theravada monks and nuns
devote more time to meditation
and study and do not travel for
long from their monastery.
4. The Kathina Ceremony
- Sometime in October/November
(depending on individual
monasteries).
- Monastic supplies are offered
following the monks’ three-
month annual retreat.
Other Practices
 Body Language and Behavior
- Shoes and any head covering
should be removed.
- Bow three times before a statue
of the Buddha.
- Buddhist monks and nuns are
not allowed to come into direct
physical contact with members
of the opposite gender.
- Police/ Soldiers (or any other
person) should not carry
weapons into Temple.
- Touching the head of a person is
considered to be impolite except
during medical treatment.
 Greeting
- Put the palms of the hands
together and raise them to the
chin.
- Inappropriate to shake hands
 Names and Titles
- Buddhist monks and nuns can
be addressed as ‘Venerable’,
‘Roshi’, ‘Ajahn’, ‘Master’,
‘Bhante’ or ‘Sister’
 Dress and Appearance
- Buddhist monks shave their
heads and wear a robe that is
usually brown/tan, orange, red,
maroon, grey or black.
- Buddhist nuns also shave their
heads and wear a robe which is
usually brown, maroon, white,
grey or pink.
- Visitors to Buddhist temples or
monasteries should dress and
behave modestly.
 Seating
- The rules for some Buddhist
monks and nuns do not allow
them to be alone with the
opposite sex.
 Food, Drink, & Fasting
- Some monks and nuns eat meat
and others are vegetarian.
- Some Buddhist monks, nuns
and lay people do not eat in the
period from noon until the dawn
of the next day.
 Family & Marriage
- Do not perform marriage
ceremonies but often give a
blessing after the civil
ceremony.
- the most senior male is
considered the head of the
family

 Medical
- Medical service providers
treating Buddhist monks or
nuns should be of the same
gender.

 Counselling
- Buddhist monks, nuns and
some lay spiritual leaders are
highly regarded by their
communities and are often
called upon for counselling and
advice.

 Death
- Buddhism does not prescribe
any particular preparation of
the corpse or type of funeral so
this will vary depending on
cultural traditions.
- Cremation is common, though
Chinese Buddhists prefer
burial. Sometimes the ashes of
the deceased are kept or
enshrined in a Buddhist temple
or monastery.
- Buddhist funeral services are
normally performed by
Buddhist monks or nuns.