World Religion Project



Religion:BuddhismBasic BeliefsWhat are the practitioners (aka believers or followers) of that religion called?Buddhists What are the fundamental beliefs of the religion??great respect for teachings of the Buddha, "The Enlightened One."?developed into a wide variety of formsranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation.?faith centers on correct understanding of human nature and ultimate reality.?way to eliminate suffering begins with understanding the true nature of the world.?highly value wisdom ?Buddhism urges its followers to pursue the 4 Noble Truths:Life is a cycle of suffering, dying, & reincarnationsuffering is attachment and/or desirecessation of suffering is attainable by reaching enlightenmentthrough the Noble Eightfold pathbeing moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood)focussing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts & actionsdeveloping wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truthsdeveloping compassion for othersIs the religion monotheistic or polytheistic? All branches agree world is not created & ruled by one or multiple gods. some branches atheistic, some do not deny the existence of God or gods, others are polytheistic.Do they believe that people are inherently good or inherently evil? Why?There is no self or souHuman existence is nothing more than a combination of five impermanent components (khandas). Therefore humans are more than likely neutral.What is the ultimate goal for the people who practice this religion?reach enlightenment and escape from the cycle of rebirth & escape the cycle of suffering in life (reach Nirvana)after death one is either reborn into another body (reincarnated) or enters nirvana. Only Buddhas - those who have attained enlightenment - will achieve the latter destination.What happens to people who do not reach that ultimate goal?They are reincarnated and must go through a life of suffering over again2. Historya. How did the religion begin?nontheistic religion or dharma, "right way of living"evolved out of Hinduism by an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama who was raised a Hindu.shortly after his son's birth, some sources say that he took four journeys by chariot. Other sources say he had four visions.During the first trip/vision he was deeply disturbed by seeing an elderly, helpless, frail man.On the second, he saw an emaciated and depressed man suffering from an advanced disease.On the third, he spotted a grieving family carrying the corpse of one of their own to a cremation site. He reflected deeply upon the suffering brought about by old age, illness and death. On his fourth trip/vision, he saw a religious mendicant -- a ?rama?a -- who led a reclusive life of meditation, and was calm and serene. The four encounters motivated him to follow the path of the mendicant & find a spiritual solution to the problems brought about by human suffering. He then went on to meditate under a tree where he eventually reached enlightenment and escaped from the suffering that life brings. took the name of Buddha and went around teaching people how they could escape from life’s sufferings.b. When did the religion begin?Circa 520 BCc. Where did the religion begin?Northern Indiad. Who is credited with starting the religion?Siddhartha Gautamae. Who spread the religion to places outside of its origins?Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha primary individual responsible, but Buddhism mainly spread through merchants, especially those on the Silk Road who brought their beliefs with them.f. How did the religion spread?The Silk Road very important to spreading Buddhism throughout Central Asia.g. Into what area(s) of the world did it spread first?Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Indo-China and other South East Asian countriesa. Are there strict guidelines to follow for practitioners of this religion, yes or no?Yes & No3. Rituals and Beliefsb(1). If you answered “no” to question 3a, how do followers practice their faith?many different ways to practice religion, no set ways to practice itthere are several techniques meant to aid individuals attain enlightenment. ?Meditation - Mental concentration and mindfulness ?Mantras - Sacred sounds ?Mudras - Symbolic hand gestures HYPERLINK ""?Prayer Wheels - Reciting mantras with the turn of a wheel ?Monasticism – Practice of renouncing wordly pursuits?Pilgrimage - Visiting sacred sites ?Veneration of Buddhas and Deities – Act of honoring Buddha and depending on the sect, Deities Non of the above are done by all Buddhists except for Meditation b(2). If yes on 3a, what are the most important guidelines that they are supposed to follow?Follow: right knowledge right intention right speech right action right livelihood right effort right mindfullness right concentrationc. What day of the week do they worship?no one day of the week set aside as particularly important to Buddhists. All are important to understand the worldd. What are the most important rituals/ceremonies/life events?Meditationcan achieve enlightenment & spiritual freedom. two main types: vipassana (insight) and samatha (tranquility).Mantras sacred sounds believed to possess supernatural powers. Tibetan Buddhists chant mantras repeatedly as a part of meditation, often with the aid of mala beads for counting.Prayer WheelTibetan Buddhist: spinning a prayer wheel is just as effective as reciting the sacred texts aloud. belief derives from the Buddhist belief in the power of sound & the formulas to which deities are subject.Karma the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results.4. Major FiguresWhat name do they call their deity or deities?do not believe in a godWho leads the religion today?Dalai Lama Who leads worship services?More individual rather than congregationald. Who are 3-5 of the most important people from the history of the religion? For each person write down why they were important. Who are the 3 most important deities of their religion if polytheistic? If Monotheistic, how do they view their god?Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha – The enlightened one and founder of BuddhismAnanda Buddha's cousin and one of his primary disciples. memorized & recited the Buddha's teachingsknown as the Dhammabhandagarika, "treasurer of the teachings." Mahakashypa The Successor after Buddha greatly helped collect & organize the teachings of Buddha into their Tripitaka.Who are the most important individuals associated with the religion today? (i.e. religious leaders, officials….)Dalai Lama Leader of Tibet and Tibetan BuddhismCurrent: Tenzin Gyatso. Buddhist Monks – closest thing that to a priest.5. BranchesWhat are the major branches of the religion? How are they different from each other?Mahayana Buddhism philosophical movementproclaimed the possibility of universal salvationoffering?assistance to practitioners in the form of compassionate beings called bodhisattvas. goal was to open?up the possibility of buddhahood to all sentient beings.The Buddha ceased to be?simply a historical figure, but rather was interpreted as a transcendent figure who all could aspire to become.Theravada Buddhism oldest form of Buddhismupholds monastic path & adheres to the oldest surviving recorded sayings of?the Buddha (collectively called the Pali canon) Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism offshoot of Mahayana Buddhismritual texts designed to achieve physical,?mental, & spiritual breakthroughssometimes described as offering a shortcut?to enlightenment. b. Indicate the approximate percentage that each branch accounts for in the religion as a whole.Buddhists – 329,000,000Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism – 6%Theravada Buddhism – 38%Mahayana Buddhism – 56%6. Holidaysa. What are the most important holidays for the religion (at least 4)? For each holiday, indicate why it is important and when the holiday is celebrated.Most holidays in Buddhism commemorate important events in the life of Buddha.Buddha Day (Vesak)birthday of Buddhamost important festivalfirst full moon day in Maycelebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha in a single day.Festival of Floating Bowls (Loy Krathong) Takes place at the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of waterfull moon night of the twelfth lunar monthpeople bring bowls made of leaves; contains flowers, candles & incense sticksfloat them in the water.all bad luck is supposed to disappear.Dhamma Day ( Asalha Puja Day)full moon day of the eighth lunar month (July)commemorates the "turning of the wheel of the Dharma" - the Buddha's first sermon - at the Sarnath Deer Park.7. Holy Booksa. What are the most important holy books associated with the religion? What is in it & who is the author of each?Tripitaka (Pali Canon) Mahayana Sutras Tibetan Book of the Dead b. Why is each book considered holy?Tripitaka (Pali Canon) contents were determined at the First Buddhist Council, shortly after the Buddha's deathteachings of the Buddha were recited in full. then verified by others who had also been present and organized into the Tripitaka (although not written at the time)Mahayana SutrasMahayana Buddhism reveres the Tripitaka as a sacred textadds to it the Sutrasreflect distinctively Mahayana concepts & are used more often by Mahayana Buddhists. Tibetan Book of the Deadwritten by a Tibetan monkdescribes in detail the stages of death from the Tibetan point of viewchronicles the experiences and religious opportunities a person encounters at various stages: while dying, at the moment of death, during the 49-day interval between death & rebirth, & at rebirth.8. Important Symbolsa. What are the most important symbols of the religion? For each one, indicate why it is considered special.Tibetan Wheel of LifeEight Auspicious Symbols1.Parasol (chattra) - royalty & spiritual power, depicts the Buddhist perspective on life2.Golden Fishes (suvarnamatsya) - good fortune, fertility & salvation 3.Treasure Vase (kalasha) - spiritual & material abundance 4.Lotus (padma) - mental & spiritual purity 5.Conch Shell (sankha) - fame of Buddha's teachings 6.Endless Knot (shrivasta) - infinite wisdom of the Buddha 7.Victory Banner (dhvaja) - victory of the Buddha's teachings & wisdom over ignorance 8.Wheel (dharmachakra) - teachings of the Buddha 9. Holy Sitesa. Where are the most holy places in the world according to this religion and why?Four holy placesLumbiniMecca of every BuddhistBirthplace of Gautama BuddhaNepalBodh Gayaplace Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme EnlightenmentBihar, IndiaSarnath From here started a remarkable journey which not only elevated the Buddha’s status but also laid down the foundation of BuddhismUttar Pradesh, IndiaKushinaraDeath place of BuddhaUttar Pradesh, Indiab. Where do followers practice their faith?at home or at a temple 10. Mapa. On the map below, shade the areas that that the religion has a strong influence. ................
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