Transcript Buddhism
Section 19.3
Origins of Buddhism
The Quest for Answers
Gautama – aka “Buddha”
Born a Kshatriya, 563 BC (a prince)
Saw human suffering & pain
Questioned why people suffer
Journeyed through India
No one could give him answers
Siddhartha
Finding Enlightenment
He wanted to free himself of daily concerns
(For a while he didn’t even bath -starts
fasting and meditating)
Fasting- going without food
Meditation- the focusing of the mind on
spiritual ideas
Siddhartha spent 6 years
wandering in India
Finding Enlightenment
Sat
down under a tree & meditated for 7 weeks
He had an epiphany & realized human suffering
came from 3 things…
1)
Wanting what we like but do not have
2) Wanting to keep what we like & already have
3) Not wanting what we dislike & have
Finding Enlightenment
From
then on he was known as….
“Buddha”
A.K.A “The Enlightened One”
(He spent the rest of his life
traveling in N. India &
teaching people his ideas)
Teachings of Buddhism
Buddha
gained followers as he traveled
(These people were the first Buddhists)
Similarity
with Hinduism =
Belief in reincarnation
Reincarnation
until you reach
nirvana – a state of perfect
peace
Challenging Hindu Ideas
Buddha
rejected many rituals
from the Vedas (Like animal
sacrifice)
Challenged
authority of
Brahmins (Priests cannot help
you reach salvation)
Disagreed
with the caste
system
Buddhism attracted herders,
farmers, artisans, &
untouchables
Buddhism Spreads
By Buddha’s
death in 483
BC,
Buddhism
had spread
throughout
India by
missionaries
A Split within Buddhism
Two
major branches:
Theravada & Mahayana
Theravada - believe in following Buddha’s
teachings exactly
Mahayana – believes others can interpret teachings
to reach nirvana
Mahayana
is by far the larger branch
Famous Buddhists
Approximately
7% of world population