Buddhism

By: Meredith Hildebrand

What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around
the world. The word comes from budhi, to awaken. It
has its origins of about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha
Gautama, known as the Buddha, was himself
awakened(enlightened) at the age of 35. Buddhism is a
tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development.
The basic teachings of the Buddha are nothing is fixed or
permanent, actions have consequences , and change is
possible. Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true
nature of life and do not worship gods or deities.

Where did Buddhism originate from?

Buddhism originated from the small village of Lumbini,
Northern India. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal
family in Lumbini, now located in in Nepal, in 563 B.C. At 29,
he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee
happiness, so he explored the different teachings and
religions of that day. After six years of study and meditation
he found the middle path and was enlightened. After
enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching
the principles of Buddhism- called the Dhamma, or Truthuntil his death at the age of 80.

How many Buddhists are there?

There are Buddhists all over the world. Most Buddhists
live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Far east.
Currently, there are now over 300 million followers in the
Buddhist religion.

Buddhism Beliefs
The Buddhism religion has The Four Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths:
1: Life has involved suffering and sorrow.
2: The reason we suffer is that we want things for
ourselves. We dont want things to change and yet they
do.
3: Suffering can end when we reduce selfishness.
4: The cure for suffering is the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path

The Buddha taught the cure for suffering involves Eight
Steps.
Right View: Understand the Buddhas teachings (called
Dharma).
Right Thought: Think about others, not yourself.
Right Speech: Tell the truth, say helpful things.
Right Action: Do things that are kind and thoughtful.
Right Work: Do jobs that help others and do no harm.
Right Effort: Try to follow the right path.

Important Dates
c. 480 BCE
Birth of the Buddha in Kapilavastu.
c. 450 BCE
The Buddha's enlightenment and first sermon
c. 405 BCE
Death of the Buddha.

The Universal Truths

The Universal Truths are important parts of Buddhist teachings and
contents of wisdom.
1: Everything in life is impermanent and constantly changing. The
Buddhas thinking about this is similar to the Greek philosopher
Heraclitus, who said that it is impossible for a person to step into the
same river twice.
2: Impermanence leads to suffering. The fact that nothing remains the
same makes life unsatisfactory. People desire and become attached to
things which cant last. Even if someone achieves a state of
contentment, it wont last. Indeed, knowing that the contentment must
end is itself a source of suffering. To a Buddhist, suffering means not
only the great pain and tragedies which people experience. It also
means all those things which make life less than perfect.

The Universal Truths

3: There is no unchanging personal self. What people say
the self is simply a collection of changing characteristics.
The Buddha compared the self to a chariot, which is
simply a collection of parts that are put together in a
certain way but can taken apart again.

Buddhism Holidays
Vesak: Buddhas Birthday It is one of the major festivals of
the year. It is celebrated on the first full moon day in May.
Magha Puja: It is an important religious festival celebrated
by Buddhists in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos on the full
moon day of March.
Bodhi Day: This holiday commemorates the day that the
historical Buddha experienced enlightenment.
Asalha Puja Day: Also known as Dhamma Day. It
celebrates the Buddhas first teaching on the full moon day
of June.

Buddhism Important Places

Buddhist pilgrimage. The most important places of
pilgrimage in Buddhism are located in the Gangetic
plains of Northern India and Southern Nepal, in the area
between New Delhi and Rajgir.

Worshipping
Buddhists can worship both at home or at a temple. It is not
considered essential to go to a temple to worship with others.
Buddhists will often set aside a room or part of a room as a shrine.
There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner.
Buddhist temples come in many shapes. Perhaps the best known are
the pagodas of China and Japan. There are many forms of Buddhist
worship as there are schools of Buddhism- and there are many of
those. Worship in Mahayana tradition takes the form of devotion to
Buddha and to Bodhisattvas. Worshippers may sit on the floor
barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. They will listen to
monks chanting from religious texts, perhaps accompanied by
instruments, and take part in prayers.

Important Buddhism Texts

The important texts of Buddhism are The Tripitaka (Pali
Canon) Mahayana Sutras and the Tibetan Book of the
Dead are the major noncanonical Buddhist texts. The Pali
Canon, which means the word of the Buddha, includes
some of the Buddhas discourse, but it also incorporates
the teachings of his pupils.

Important People of Buddhism

Ananda:
The Buddhas cousin and one of his primary disciples. He
memorized and recited the Buddhas teachings, and so
was known as the Dhammabhandagarika, treasurer
of the teachings.
Dalai Lama: Leader of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. The
current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.
Gautama: The given name of the historical Buddha.

Map of the Population of Buddhism

The Visuals of Buddhism

The important visuals of Buddhism are The Lotus, the
Wheel of the law, the Bodhi tree and the Buddhas
footprints.

References
Important Buddhism People: http://
www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/people.htm
Buddhism Places: http://
www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/fastfacts.htm
Buddhism Population Map:
http://www.japanese-buddhism.com/images/map-of-buddhism.jpg
The Visuals of Buddhism: http://
www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols.htm
Important Dates:
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/timeline.htm

References
What is Buddhism?:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
Where did Buddhism originate from?:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
Buddhism Holidays: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_holidays
Worshipping: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism /
Buddhism Beliefs: The Kids book of World Religions
Population of Buddhists:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism /
Important Buddhism Texts:
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Religion-andSpirituality/Sacred-Texts.pg_0.html