World Religions Buddhism

Rank

4 or 5, depending on if you count the unaffiliated

% of World Population

4.1%

Location of most practitioners

China

When and where the Budda’s born

Lumbini in Southern Nepal

563 BCE

Budda’s Birth Name?

Siddhartha Gautama

Budda’s Early life

Born 563 BCE as a prince to a wealthy landowning family.

Legend states that when the Buddha was born, a prophet proclaimed that if he stayed in this world, he would be a great leader, uniting kingdoms; if not, he would become a great religious leader.

His father wanted him to be a great leader and so he brought him up in the lap of luxury, making sure he never witnessed suffering.

He married a princess at 16, and later the two had a son.

4 Sights

Though Siddhartha’s father ordered the streets cleaned before he was allowed outside of the palace, he encountered 4 sights that changed his life (1) a sick man (2) an old man (3) a dead body and (4) a monk/ascetic. The first 3 sights showed him that life is full of suffering. The last sight showed him that there might be a different way of living that is free of suffering.

Cause of Budda’s death

Food poisoning from eating bad meat

What does the title “Buddha” mean?

awakened one

Did Buddha see himself as a god or as an ordinary human being?

ordinary

What is the doctrine of The Middle Way?

We should aim to live in between hedonism and asceticism. In other words, Buddha believes in moderation. There is no point to starving oneself, but also no point in overindulging. Give the body what it needs to be comfortable, but no more. Both deprivation and indulgence are distractions.

The 3 Jewels

1. Suffering

All of life is characterized by dukkha or suffering. We are born into suffering and die into suffering. But suffering is not necessary. It is a result of our clinging to our attachments and desires in the world, of wanting the world to be a specific way rather than the way it is. We can end suffering if we change our perception of reality and free ourselves from our attachments to stability.

2. Impermanence

Reality is impermanent. Nothing is the same from moment to moment, and to cling to permanence (this job, these friends, this economic stability, these traditions, this body) is illogical, and contrary to reality. When we try to cling to it, we suffer. “You can’t step in the same river twice”

3. No-self/soul (Anatta)

asserts that there is no permanent, unchanging soul or essence in any living being. Instead, a person is a collection of constantly changing physical and mental components called the skandhas

What is Nirvana? Did Buddha ever describe it?

Nirvana is the ultimate state of liberation from suffering, desire, and the cycle of rebirth, often described by the Buddha as the extinguishing of "fires" of greed, hatred, and delusion. The Buddha did describe it, primarily in negative terms, but also used metaphors to convey its profound nature

Do you need a god or savior to save you in Buddhism?

no

Did Buddha write anything?

no

What is Tripitaka?

the name for the collection of Buddhist scriptures, also known as the Pali Canon or Tipitaka, that are divided into three "baskets" of teachings: the Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules), the Sutta Pitaka (discourses of the Buddha), and the Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical and doctrinal analysis)

What is Theravada?

Doctrine of the Elders

Oldest surviving branch

Based on Pali Canon–contains original teachings of the Buddha

More conservative, emphasizing individual enlightenment and a monastic lifestyle

What is Mahayana?

Emerged from theravada

“Great Vehicle”

More widespread than Theravada

Emphasizes the role of the Bodhisattva–enlightened being who chooses to remain in the cycle of reincarnation to help others achieve enlightenment

Includes a broader range of scriptures and practices than Theravada

What is Tibetan?

Form of Mahayana, developed in Tibet

Incorporates elements of the native Bon religion and is characterized by its unique practices, including tantric rituals, use of mandalas, and the veneration of lamas (spiritual teachers)

Who is the Dalai Lama?

Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism

Which is most popular?

Mahayana

What is Buddhism (problem, solution, technique and any defining features)?

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