Buddhism

= = =Buddhism= ORIGINS
 * Northern India - Nepal
 * 563 BCE
 * Buddha - son of Suddhodana (noble warior - King of Sakya tribe)
 * " - mother died - raised by prajapati (queen sister - fathers second wife)
 * tribes peopls recognised his greatness - new he would be universal emperor/ religious teacher.

BELIEFS
 * Four noble truths + eightfold path
 * karma (mental + physical action)
 * samsara (cycle of birth, death and re-birth)
 * No greater person (not god)
 * Believe the following (liek ten commandments)
 * I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from harming living beings
 * " taking things not freely given
 * " sexual misconduct
 * " false speech
 * " intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness
 * " taking untimely meals
 * " singing and wathing grotesque mime
 * " wearing perfume and jewelry
 * " using a bed of high or broad structure
 * " recieveing gold or silver
 * not single and unified
 * reincarnation

SOCIAL STRUCTURES MYTHS
 * Marriage - Don't believe because its just the custom, Make sure it leads to happiness
 * Meitatry of the church (temples)
 * Diet - Vegetarian
 * Evolved over time
 * Death - Bards (intermedinary, stage between death and rebirth)
 * Told that worlds were flooded with light - Buddhas birth, blind could see, crooked became straight, the lame walked, fires of hell quenched, peace encircled the earth
 * Buddha's father summoned fortune tellers, for what future he'd have, if he remained with the world he'd unify India and become greatest Conqueror, universal king but if he forsook world, would become not a king but would redeemer
 * His father tried shielding him, learn't of old age, disease, dying and withdrawal from the world (monks) he would devote his life to helping others
 * Sacred stories of shin Buddhism is a saga of great love, compassion, triumph and love

Symbols

•Buddha’s eyes: symbolising the all-seeing Buddha. •Abhaya Mudra : gesture of fearlessness •Bhupisparsha mudra: This gesture, formed with all five fingers of the right hand extended to touch the ground, symbolizes the Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree, when he summoned the earth goddess to bear witness to his attainment of enlightenment. •Buddhapada: feet of Buddha •Conch shell: Conch shells have always been a powerful symbol in Indian epics. It was the tool used to call together large groups of people. Conch shells that spiral towards the right are a rarity. Buddha’s hair on his head, his fine hairs and the long curl of his eyebrows and also the conch like curl of his navel hair all spiralled towards the right. It is also used to show the fame of Buddha’s teachings •Dharmachakra : or the ‘wheel of law’. The wheel represents the teachings of Buddha. The wheel also represents the the ever ending cycle of rebirth. •Dhyana mudra: the gesture of meditation – an important factor in Buddhism •Eight auspicious symbols: lucky symbols that are seen in every Buddhist temple. Parasol: royalty and spiritual power Golden fishes: good fortune, fertility and salvation Lotus: mental and spiritual purity Conch shell: fame of Buddha’s teaching Victory banner: victory of the Buddha’s teachings and wisdom over ignorance Endless knot: infinite wisdom of the Buddha Wheel: the teachings of the Buddha Treasure vase: spiritual and material abundance •Swastika: a symbol of eternity •Om Mani Padme Hum: the most important mantra in Buddhism. Translated into English it means ‘praise to the jewel in the lotus’. •Triratna: the most important text in the religion of Buddhism •Varada mudra: symbolises charity, compassion and boon granting •Zen circle: the entire circle •Wheel of life: Yama, the lord of the dead, holds the wheel. The wheel consists of 3 things; the inner hatred, ignorance and greed. •Blue: coolness, infinity, purity, healing •Black: primordial darkness, hate •Green: balance, harmony, vigour, youth, action •Red: life force, preservation, the sacred, blood, fire •White: learning, knowledge, purity, longevity •Yellow: rootedness, renunciation, earth

Rituals

•Meditation - an important function which may be aided by the use of certain hand gestures (mudras) and chanted mantras •Mantras - Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones and placed where people can see them •Mudras (gestures) Buddhas and Bodisattvas and frequently other deities are shown with their hands forming a number of different ritualized and stylized poses (Mudrâs). They may be holding different objects as well within these poses. Each singly and in combination have specific meanings. •Prayer wheels - Spinning the written form of the mantra around in a Mani wheel (or prayer wheel) is also believed to give the same benefit as saying the mantra, and Mani wheels, small hand wheels and large wheels with millions of copies of the mantra inside, are found everywhere in the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. •Monasticism - Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are responsible for preserving and spreading Buddhist teachings, as well as educating and guiding Buddhist lay followers. The ordained vocation is seen as being the highest achievement for a Buddhist practitioner. •Pilgrimage - The earliest centres of Buddhist pilgrimages were the places associated with the life and Teachings of the great Master. These four places are Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kusinara. Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. The others are in India: Bodh Gaya was the place, under the pipal or Bo tree, where the Buddha was enlightened after practising meditation for several years. Sarnath was the scene of His first teaching and Kusinara was the place of His death or final Nirvana. •Veneration of Buddhas and deities – chanting and praying.


 * __ANSWERS TO THE BIG FOUR QUESTIONS__**

//How is this religious tradition practised today?//


 * Carry dhama to all regions
 * Split into 3 main traditions -Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana
 * Buddhist today, as in past are divided by cultural, linguistic and political boundries
 * Buddhist is those who take refuge
 * Buddhist repay respect 1)Buddhism 2) the Dhama of teaching 3) the samgha or oder of deciples
 * They dedicate themselves following the path of Buddha towards enlightment
 * They seek to be more compassionate, more generous, more detached from worldly desires, more focussed mentally, more full of spiritual wisdom to punty

//Are there any conflicts within and surrounding this religion if so what are they and what is the impact?//


 * Buddism = fundemental spirit of non aggression
 * Little conflict occurs, because Buddhism at its core is a philosophical system to which such addditions can be easily grafted
 * Spreading of Buddhism throughout Asia, occured little conflict due to the philosophical nature of Buddhism

//Why is there evil pain and suffering?//
 * Life ultimatley leads to suffering
 * caused by craving and or attatchement to pleasures of all kinds
 * ends when craving ends when the individual is free from desire
 * this craving ends when one has followed the path (eithfold) laid out by buddha

//Is there a supreme bring?//

There is a supreme Being and the supreme Being is Buddha. The Buddhist religion there are no gods there are only leaders and the leader is Buddha. But apart from Buddha there are no supreme beings. Buddhist believe all sentient beings are the same. They are all equal.