Religion Buddhism

Budhi

to Wake up

Is Buddhism Human-centered or God-centered

Human-centered

Purpose of Buddhism

Enlightenment

Goal of Buddhism

Move from Samsara to Nirvana

Founder of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama

2 main branches

1. Theravada Buddhism

2. Mahayana Buddhism

4 ways to free yourself from Samsara

1. 4 Noble truths

2. Eightfold path

3. Middle Way (comes from life in the middle of the spectrum between indulgence and asceticism)

4. Dharma: Teaching of the Buddha

Sangha

Buddhist community of all monks, nuns, and laity

What were the 4 Councils for?

Monks who gathered to discuss + preserve the Buddha’s teachings/practices

1st Council

→ 500 monks gathered to preserve purity of the Buddha’s teachings

→ Gather periodically to recite his teachings to maintain validity/correctness

2nd Council

→ Address questionable practices from some more “liberal” monks

→ Relaxing of monastic discipline

→ Unlawful

→ Sthavira + Mahasanghika

3rd Council

→ Emperor Ashoka: Leader of

→Called for moral living + pacifism

→ Stupa

→ Buddhism spreads like crazy

→ To purify the Sangha of its irregularities

4th Council

→ Theravada council in Sri Lanka

→ Preserve memories from this time period cuz people were dying from a famine

Stupa

Place to honor the Buddha + modern day pilgrimage sites

Gupta Dynasty

When Buddhist universities were founded

Buddhism in China (1^st century AD)

→ Part of China’s religious landscape

→ Confucianism + Taoism/Daoism

Ch’an Buddhism

→ All the shawties are kung fu fiiighti-ing!

→ Monastic Chinese school of Mahayana Buddhism teaches all can reach enlightenment but need spiritual master

→ Mediation – Dominant method of spiritual cultivation

Bodhisattva

Somebody who obtains enlightenment but delays going to nirvana (staying on Earth) so they choose to be reincarnated

Theravada Buddhism: Conservative or Liberal?

Conservative

Mahayana Buddhism: Conservative or Liberal?

Liberal

Theravada Buddhism

→ Accepts: Only the historical Buddha

→ Achieve Enlightenment: Become a monk/nun and give all desires away

→ Believe: Journey to enlightenment/nirvana is up to YOURSELF

Mahayana Buddhism

→ Accepts: Other types of Buddhas

→ Achieve Enlightenment: Everyone gets to it at the end of their life no matter where they come from

→ Believe: Journey to enlightenment/nirvana is a GROUP EFFORT

Zen Buddhism (6th century)

→ Japanese Ch’an Buddhism

→ Merged w/ Shinto practices

Vajrayana Buddhism

→ Mostly in Tibet

→ Smaller branch but most famous by clothing

→ Branch of Mahayana

→ Emphasis on mantras, rituals, and meditations

→ Believe leaders are reincarnations of great Bodhisattva