Buddhism

By Ralph Tolentino
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that
evolved from the teachings of the Buddha
(meaning "Awakened One"), a teacher who
lived in northern India between the mid-6th
and mid-4th centuries BCE (before the
Common Era).

Buddhism has played a central role in the

spiritual, cultural, and social life of Asia,
spreading from India to Central and Southeast
Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, and spreading
to the West in the 20th century.
Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of
Buddhism.
He was born into a wealthy family, and
predictions said that if he stayed at
home, he would grow up to be a king,
and if he left, he would grow up to be a
spiritual leader.
His family preferred to keep him at
home, refusing to let him leave the
palace.
Within the palace gates, Gautama lived
in luxury and safety.

गौतम बुद्ध
Discovering Suffering
Gautama believed that the world had so much more to give than
his home that he snuck out at the age of 29. Other stories say that
his father allowed him to go out at the age of 17.

He discovered that the world outside was the polar opposite of

what he was used to at home throughout his time outside.

He first encounters an elderly man, then a sick man, then a corpse,

and last a holy man who appeared to be at peace with himself.

He made the decision at that time that his life's aim would be to
discover inner peace and be free of suffering in the world.
Reaching Enlightenment
He attempted fasting, debating others, and
wandering through woodlands to achieve
religious enlightenment.
Gautama was able to achieve
enlightenment (complete understanding of
the world) and acquire the title "The
Enlightened One," commonly known as The
Buddha, only after 49 days of meditation
and 6 years of starvation under a tree.
The Four Noble Truths
The Buddha discovered the
Four Noble Truths after his
meditation, which became
the essential beliefs of
Buddhism.
To achieve nirvana, or the end
of suffering, Buddhists must
follow the eightfold path.
Buddhism spread across Asia through networks of overland and
maritime routes between India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and
China. The transmission of Buddhism to Central Asia and China
corresponded with the development of the silk routes as
channels for intercultural exchanges. Being introduced to the
west by the early 20th century.
Comparison to Hinduism
Buddhists and Hindus both believe in reincarnation.
The Buddhists belief in Nirvana is similar to the Hindu belief in
Moksha: both are a state of perfect understanding and a release
from the cycle of reincarnation. However, they profoundly
disagree in regards to several matters:

1. Multiple Gods: Buddhists don’t believe in many gods. The

focus of Buddhism is about reaching enlightenment.
2. Caste System: Buddhists saw the preferential treatments the
Brahmin were receiving in their culture and found the
concept to be unhelpful to society. As a result, Buddhists
reject the caste system.
Rise in New Religions
Jainism rose at about the same time Buddhism did. The religion
believes that the entire earth is one soul. Therefore, no living
entities should be harmed at all. For example, they would refuse
to construct buildings on sites where ants exist, because the ants
would be harmed.

The religion still exists today, but is a small minority. Part of the
reason being that unlike Christianity and Islam, they do not try to
convert others.