BUDDHISM

A. FOUNDER

Buddhism is founded by Siddhartha Gautama He was a Hindu prince who lived some
2,600 years ago and relinquish his throne to seek enlightenment and practice what he
preach (Buddhism). He is from a warrior clan known as Shakya. Siddhartha Gautama
does not agree with the class system. He was unsatisfied with palace life, therefore he
ventured beyond the palace walls and opened four doors. He sat in meditation and
achieved NIRVANA (awakening of the truth about life) and became BUDDHA
(awakened one) at the age of 35.

Main branches of Buddhism:

● Theravada - the “way of the elders,” is the oldest of the three main Buddhist
traditions. It rests on core Buddhist teachings including the four noble truths and
the eightfold path to enlightenment, the three jewels (Buddha, dharma, and
sangha), and concepts such as impermanence, non-self, karma, rebirth, and
dependent origination. Theravada spread across the south.

● Mahayana - the second major vehicle of enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhism

shares with Theravada a belief in the core teachings of the Buddha but follows
Sanskrit scriptures composed as much as 400 years after the Buddha’s death that
are held to represent the words of the Buddha (buddhavacana). While individual
awakening is the goal for most Theravadins, attained in gradual stages and only
after lifetimes of practice, the Mahayana tradition teaches that all beings inherently
possess buddhanature, the seed of awakening. As Theravada spread across the
south, Mahayana escalated in the north.

● Vajrayana - is a form of Mahayana Buddhism though Vajrayana considers itself

the fastest way to enlightenment. Vajrayana upholds the Mahayana bodhisattva
ideal, however, its pantheon of celestial beings is more extensive. Ritual is key,
including repetition of mantras (sacred syllables and verses), visualization of
mandalas (sacred diagrams), sacred hand gestures (mudras), and prostrations.
 B. PLACE OF ORIGIN

Buddhism emerged in northeastern India between the late sixth and early fourth centuries
BCE. It is a Religion as well as Philosophy that practices a set of beliefs based on the
teachings of Siddharta Gautama whom we now know as Buddha.

C. DOCTRINE/TEACHING

During his lifetime, the Buddha provided a detailed and broad set of teachings that would
eventually be codified in what we now call Buddhism. These teachings are referred to
collectively as the Dharma or Buddhadharma.

The four Noble Truths are Buddha’s foundational teachings on the nature of
suffering—and the path to its cessation.

● The truth of suffering

● The truth of the cause of suffering
● The truth of the end of suffering
● The truth of the path leading to the end of suffering

According to Theravada Buddhism, the first noble truth—that there is suffering

(dukkha in Pali and Sanskrit)—is not pessimistic, as is commonly assumed, but
realistic. The Buddha didn’t mean that ordinary life is nothing but misery—of
course there’s sukkah or happiness, he said. Even happy moments, however, are
ultimately unsatisfying because everything changes. Nothing, good, bad, or
indifferent, lasts. Like dukkha, impermanence (anicca) is one of the three
unavoidable facts of existence. We are all subject to aging, illness, and death,
without exception. Even the self is not fixed or enduring: the third mark of
existence is anatta (no-self). trying to get what we want and hang onto what we
have while avoiding or rejecting what we don’t want inevitably leads to
disappointment. Ignorance of this reality is the root cause of suffering, the second
noble truth tells us. The rescuing grace is the third noble truth, which is that there
is an end to suffering. There is more than just suffering and disappointment. Just as
suffering is the human condition, so too is the possibility of an end to suffering.
The fourth noble truth—the eightfold path—spells out practical action we can take
toward our own awakening and freedom from the suffering of samsaric life.
Suffering is the disease and the path leading to the end of it is the Eight Fold Path.
Buddha called the path “the middle way.” The eight steps are

1. The Right View

2. The Right Intention
3. The Right Speech
4. The Right Action
5. The Right Livelihood
6. The Right Effort
7. The Right Concentration
8. The Right Mindfulness

The eightfold path aids us in living ethically, training the intellect, and acquiring
insight. The path begins with the right view, also called the right understanding.
We need to see clearly where we are headed before we begin. The right intention is
the determination to proceed along this course. The terms "right speech" and "right
action" refer to what we say and do, do not use our words or actions to cause harm
to others or to ourselves. Right livelihood means how we live day to day, making
sure our habits and our work don’t cause harm to ourselves and others.

Appropriate effort refers to direct our energy on the work at hand. Right
mindfulness means awareness of the mind and body with discernment. With
mindfulness, we might pause and consider whether what we are doing is harmful
to ourselves or others. Finally, right concentration refers to the dedicated practice,

Other teachings of Buddhism are the 5 Moral Percepts:

1. "Don't steal - take only what is given"

2. "Don't harm any living things"
3. "Avoid over-stimulation"
4. "Don't say unkind things"
5. "Avoid drugs and alcohol"

D. BELIEFS/PRACTICE

Reincarnation (Rebirth) - results from attachment or karma.

Nirvana - is a peaceful, detached mind and state of enlightenment where you escape from
the cycle of life.
Buddhism - non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God - he is just the Teacher.
The Three Jewels of Buddhism; Buddha (The Teacher), Dharma (The Teachings), and
Sangha (The Community).
Meditation - is the centerpiece for achieving well-being, freedom from suffering, and
awakening.

E. SACRED WRITING

Because Buddhism is a religious family rather than a single spiritual system, no single set
of scriptures is considered authoritative by all Buddhist groups. Each Buddhist tradition
has its own scriptural "canon" (collection of foundational texts) and a mountain of
commentary and teachings based on those canons.

Pali canon - includes some of the earliest-dated Buddhist texts, recorded in an ancient
Indian language called Pali. The Buddhist holy book is called the Tipitaka (Triple
Baskets). It is the main source of Buddha's wisdom. It is referred to as the Three Baskets
because the palm leaf manuscripts Buddha wrote on were kept in three different baskets
called;

● Vinaya Pitaka - (Basket of Discipline) - the texts contain the rules and customs of
the monks and sangha.
● Sutta-Pitaka - (Basket of Discourage) - the sermons and utterances by the Buddha
and his close disciples.
● Abidhamma-Pitaka - (Basket of Further Teachings) - discusses the nature of
consciousness.

Dhammapada - collected sayings of the Buddha.

Chinese canon - the body of scriptures that is considered authoritative by East Asian
Buddhist traditions. Contains a version of the suttas, the Buddha’s discourses, known as
the Agamas, but they part in crucial doctrinal ways, too.

Tibetan canon - is split into the Kangyur (what’s considered the word of the Buddha) and
the Tengyur (later commentaries). It also overlaps with the Chinese canon and contains its
own unique scriptures, including the tantra texts.
F. TEMPLES

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE - the world's largest Buddhist temple built in the 9th Century
by the Srivijayans in central Java. It is decorated with 2672 relief panels and 504 Buddha
statues.

ANGKOR WAT - was built in Cambodia by the Khmer people in the 12th Century. It is
said to be the largest religious monument in the world.

G. RELATED ISSUES

Do all Buddhists meditate? Meditation is an important component of the Buddha’s

teachings on how to achieve awakening, but it’s not a necessity.

Do I have to be religious to be a Buddhist? The short answer is no, but it depends on what
“being religious” means to you.

Are all Buddhists vegetarians? While the first precept says to refrain from taking life, it
doesn’t mean that you have to be a vegetarian to be Buddhist.

Is it true that Buddhists believe there’s no such thing as a “self”? The doctrine of not-self
doesn’t mean that there is no self, period—it points to the absence of a fixed, separate
self.

BANANIA, ANH
HERNANI, JUSTINE AIRA
ROLDAN, JANE
DUENAS, CHRISTIAN JERRALD
FRANCISCO, JOHN ZEDRICK
ROMERO, JOSE MARIA