Lesson 9: Buddhism

A Quick Look at Buddhism

• There are more than 350,000,000 Buddhists worldwide, although obtaining exact statistics is difficult because there are not organized churches in many regions and the religion is often attributed to all residents in an area.
• Buddhism is most prevalent in the countries of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
• With the growth of Asian ethnicities in the United States, the Buddhist population is increasing in the U.S., with perhaps 500,000 followers. Buddhism is the main religion in Hawaii.

This Way to the Middle

Buddha indentified the key to living in the way of the middle was found in these four noble truths:

1. Life is all about suffering - Life is tough. Existence is painful. And because reincarnation keeps the pattern of birth-life-death in a repeating cycle, the suffering doesn't stop with death.
2. The cause of suffering is our desire and greed. The three roots of evil are desire, hatred and ignorance. Selfish craving is at the root of all suffering.
3. There is a way to overcome our desire and greed. One can transcend the three roots of evil and enter into a state of nirvana and the cycle of suffering will end.
4. The path to happiness and relief of suffering is an eight-step process known as the Noble Eightfold Path.

Whay are there so many statues of Buddha?

Believe it or not people are not worshipping the statue of Buddha. They serve as a reminder of the possibility of enlightenment. Buddhists bring offerings of flowers, incense, candles, etc. to the statues out of respect.

The Way To Nirvana

• Samsura - Life consists of three compopnents - suffering, change and the absence of an eternal soul that survives independent after death.
• Renunciation - True reality involves the renunciation of life as we know it and beleive it to be. Only by letting go of it can we obtain the real meaning of life.
• Reincarnation
• Nirvana - liberation from the cycle of suffering.

Tiratna (Three Jewels)

These are the three fundamental principles upon which the religion is based.

1. Buddha - He found the path to enlightenment and taught it to other people.
2. Dharma - The teaching about the true way of things.
3. Sangha - Community of monks, nuns, laypeople who practice and promote dharma.

What's that again? (Recap)

1. Buddhism got its start in the 6th century when Siddharth Gautama (Buddha) broke away from his isolated, extravagant lifestyle in the palace and was confronted with harsh realities of real life.
2. His great awakening brought understanding that there is a middle way between the extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence. With this truth, he became the enlightened one and was then called Buddha.
3. Buddhists follow the four noble truths that were articulated by Buddha, recognizing that this life is all about suffering that is brought about by our own greed and cravings. Suffering can be overcome by following the 8 fold path, a person can transcend greed and reach a state of nirvana that is the realization of ultimate truth and understanding.
4. Buddhists believve in reincarnation. Following death, rebirth continues. Ideally, with each rebirth you attain a higher level of understanding until you reach nirvana.
5. Buddhism involves an intense dedication to meditation. While prayer in other religions is a search to bring God to humanity, the meditation of Buddhists is a search to find the spiritual nature within the individual.

Discussion

1. What did you notice about God in Buddhism?
2. What do you know (or google) about Zen?