Buddhism

Bell-Work

Spread and Influence

• Emperor Ashoka popularized Buddhism– Missionaries and traders

• Monasteries opened and had impact on governments and societies

• Teaches nonviolence and respect for the natural world

Beliefs

• Enlightenment and Nirvana • Four Noble Truths• Eightfold Path • Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama

• AKA Buddha!• Born into a ruling family • Saw pain and suffering in the real world- was

shocked by disease, poverty, and death– Fasted to the point of starvation

• Wandered India to find greater truth– Bodhi tree meditation lasted many days

until he became enlightened and reached nirvana

Enlightenment and Nirvana

• Enlightenment for Buddha was an awakening to a great reality most of us never perceive.

• Nirvana- reached through enlightenment – Idea state of happiness and peace.

Four Noble Truths

• Suffering is in all things, nothing lasts forever • The cause of suffering is desire• Removing desire removes suffering• The way to remove desire is to follow the

Eightfold Path…

Eightfold Path

Path One: Right View

• Understand and live by the Four Noble Truths:– “Suffering is present in all things, and nothing lasts

forever”– “The cause of suffering is desire”– “Removing desire removes suffering”– “The way to remove desire is to follow the

Eightfold Path”

Path Two: Right Purpose

• Live a life of selflessness, love, and nonviolence

• Pass the compliment…

Path Three: Right Speech

Find the Truth!Below are four statements about me, but only one is true.You have 1 attempt to guess the truth!• I have been to Italy• My favorite color is pink• I was on my high school hockey team • I was a model in a fashion show

The Truth is…

• I walked as a model in a fashion show…• Be careful and truthful in what you say

Path Five: Livelihood

• Earn a living in ways that does no harm to others

• Examples…

Path Four and Six: Right Action and Right Effort

• Right Action: Do not kill, lie, steal, or hurt others

• Right Effort: Promote good actions and prevent evil actions

Did you resist evil?

• When you entered the classroom today, on each of your desks was a piece of candy labeled “seniors”.

• Be honest, did you eat the candy?• Did you take someone else’s candy?• If you were Buddhist, you would have resisted

evil and not eaten the candy!

Path Seven: Right Mindfulness

• Be aware of but not attached to your emotions, thoughts, or feelings

Can you control your mind?

• What do you see?• Can you see both?

Path Eight: Right Concentration

• Focus your mind with practices such as meditation

Focus…Can you stop the picture from moving?