BUDDHISM

- Quick history
- Nature of belief
- Founder
- 3 Types of Buddhism
- 5 Moral concepts
- 4 Noble truths
 Quick history & Nature of belief

The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century

BCE up to the present.
It originated in eastern part of Ancient India, in and
around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (now in Bihar,
India) as a Sramana tradition
Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over
520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population,
known as Buddhists
There teachings is based on the teachings of Siddhārtha
Gautama
 Three major extant branches of Buddhism are generally
recognized by scholars: Theravada (Pali: "The School of
the Elders"), Mahayana (Sanskrit: "The Great Vehicle")
and Vajrayana
Four main teachings of Buddhism (Four Noble
Truths). They are the truth of suffering, the truth of
the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of
suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to
the end of suffering.
Buddha's teachings are known as “dharma.” He
taught that wisdom, kindness, patience,
generosity and compassion were important
virtues. 
Buddhists seek to reach a state of nirvana,
following the path of the Buddha, Siddhartha
Gautama, who went on a quest for Enlightenment

There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists

believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that
change is always possible.
Buddhism believe that the cycle of rebirth is
determined by karma, literally "action". In the
Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven
by intention, a deed done deliberately through
body, speech or mind, which leads to future
consequences...
 Founder of Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism who later became
known as “the Buddha,” lived during the 5th century B.C. 
 Gautama was born  into a wealthy family as a prince in present-day
Nepal. Although he had an easy life, Gautama was moved by suffering
in the world. 
 He decided to give up his lavish lifestyle and endure poverty. When
this didn’t fulfill him, he promoted the idea of the “Middle Way,”
which means existing between two extremes. Thus, he sought a life
without social indulgences but also without deprivation.
 After six years of searching, Buddhists believe Gautama found
enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. He spent the rest
of his life teaching others about how to achieve this spiritual state.
 Types of Buddhism

 Theravada Buddhism “Teaching of the Elders”.

 Mahayana Buddhism “Great Vehicle”

 Vajrayana Buddhism “The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt”

Theravada Buddhism (Teaching of the Elders)
• The only one of these schools that has survived to this day is the
Theravada school. Theravada literally means “Teaching of the Elders”.
• Theravada Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in Myanmar
(Burma), Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Historically, it was
also important in South India and had a wider presence in South and
Southeast Asia, including Indonesia.
• Its origin can be traced and it derives from a Buddhist school no longer
existent named Sthaviravada
• One of the key features of this Buddhist school is the use of Pali as a
sacred language and the Pali Buddhist canon (also called Tipitaka) as
the highest scriptural authority, which was written around the first
century BCE.
Mahayana Buddhism (Great Vehicle)

• The term Mahayana is a sanscrit word which literally means “Great

Vehicle”. It is an umbrella term given to a group of Buddhist schools.
• Its origin is in northern India and Kashmir, and then it spread east into
Central Asia, East Asia and some areas of Southeast Asia.
• It was held that the Buddha’s teachings were originally organized,
transmitted and more or less developed into what was referred to as
early Buddhism. This Early Buddhism was referred to as Hinayana,
Theravada or simply “monastic Buddhism”.
• Mahayana tradition, which was considered a major break in the
development of Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism (The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt)

• Vajrayana means “The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt”.

• It is grounded on principles of the Mahayana tradition, but they
have added esoteric elements to it and a very complex set of rituals
compared with the rest of the Buddhist schools.
• There is a particular focus on the role of the master, who uses
different tools including breathing techniques and many forms of
yoga exercises in order to help the disciples to gain enlightenment.
• Tibetan Buddhism, is not synonymous to Vajrayana.Tibetan
Buddhism is part of the Mahayana tradition and has incorporated
many esoteric elements of Vajrayana.
 Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught, are:

 The truth of suffering (dukkha)

 The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
 The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
 The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)

Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and how

to overcome suffering.
 The truth of suffering (dukkha)

The First Truth identifies the presence of suffering.

 The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)

The Second Truth, on the other hand, seeks to determine the cause of
suffering. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering.
-By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and
immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result,
desiring them can only bring suffering.
-One's mind is left undeveloped, unable to grasp the true nature of
things. Vices, such as greed, envy, hatred and anger, derive from this
ignorance. 
 The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)

The Third Noble Truth, the truth of the end of suffering, has dual
meaning, suggesting either the end of suffering in this life, on earth,
or in the spiritual life, through achieving Nirvana. When one has
achieved Nirvana, which is a transcendent state free from suffering
and our worldly cycle of birth and rebirth, spiritual enlightenment
has been reached.

 The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)

The Fourth Noble truth charts the method for attaining the end of
suffering, known to Buddhists as the Noble Eightfold Path.
 Karma
It refers to good or bad actions a person takes during her lifetime. Good actions,
which involve either the absence of bad actions, or actual positive acts, such as
generosity, righteousness, and meditation, bring about happiness in the long run. Bad
actions, such as lying, stealing or killing, bring about unhappiness in the long run.
-The weight that actions carry is determined by five conditions: frequent, repetitive
action; determined, intentional action; action performed without regret; action against
extraordinary persons; and action toward those who have helped one in the past.
The Cycle of Rebirth
Karma plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth. There are six separate planes into
which any living being can be reborn -- three fortunate realms, and three unfortunate
realms. Those with favorable, positive karma are reborn into one of the fortunate
realms: the realm of demigods, the realm of gods, and the realm of men. While the
demigods and gods enjoy gratification unknown to men, they also suffer unceasing
jealousy and envy. The realm of man is considered the highest realm of rebirth
 Dharma

Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that

wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were
important virtues.
Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which
prohibit:
 Killing living things
 Taking what is not given
 Sexual misconduct
 Lying
 Using drugs or alcohol
Thank you!