Buddhism Flag

8/4/2019 Buddhism Flag

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BuddhismAn introductory exploration


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Blue: Loving kindness, peace and universal compassion

Yellow: The Middle Path - avoiding extremes, emptiness

Red: The blessings of practice - achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity

White: The purity of Dharma - leading to liberation, outside of time or space

Orange: The Buddha's teachings - wisdom


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Simple Facts of Buddhism

Flag of Buddhism

World population: ~350 millionbelievers worldwide

Theraveda Buddhist Scriptures: Pali Canon(Tipitaka)

Geographical divisions of Buddhism shareoriginal teachings of Buddha, but havedeveloped into three distinctions withinBuddhism:

Theraveda Buddhism oldest surviving Mahayana Buddhism

dominant Buddhist school, ~150 million East Asian Buddhism

Tibetian Buddhism


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Outline of Buddhism

Pali Canon (Tipitaka):

Vinaya Pitaka: dealing with rules for monks andnuns

Sutta Pitaka: discourses, mostly ascribed to theBuddha, but some to disciples

Abhidhamma Pitaka: variously described asphilosophy, psychology, metaphysics.

Pali Canon is the scripture collection of the

Theraveda Buddhist tradition. Pali is the language

Pitakameans basket tipitakameans three basket


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Outline of Buddhism

Bodhi to attain enlightenment orawakening, release from suffering by

following the teachings of Buddha.

The Middle Way - The primary guidingprinciple of Buddhism. Discovered by theBuddha prior to his enlightenment (bodhi).


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Outline of Buddhism

Refuge in the Three Jewels three things that Buddhists give themselves to,

and in return look toward for guidance, in theprocess known as taking refuge.

Buddha example of Buddha

Or more loosely, the wisdomthat understands Dharma, andin this regard the Buddha represents the perfect wisdom thatsees reality in its true form

Dharma teachings/laws as expounded by Buddha

Sangha community of those who will help others

attain bodhi(enlightenment).


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Outline of Buddhism

Four Noble Truths There is suffering (dakkha)

There is a cause of suffering (tanha

selfish craving/desire)

There is the cessation of suffering (hope,belief)

There is a way leading to the cessation ofsuffering the Noble Eightfold Path


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Outline of Buddhism

Noble Eightfold Path path to an end of suffering

Divided into three parts

la morality, which concerns wholesome physicalactions

Samadhideveloping mastery over ones mind,meditation and concentration of the mind

Praj - concerns spiritual insight into the true natureof all things, which is wisdom that purifies the mind


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Life of Gautama

Born: ~ 563 BC in Lumbini, northern India Born to a king Born with special markings (32 signs of a Great

Man) Mother (Queen Maya) dreamt of a white elephant

entering her side and she became pregnant

The White Elephant was the Buddha-to-be, residedas an enlightened existence in one of the six deva-heavens

Soothsayer: Gautama will be either a great king or agreat holy man


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Fatherwanted Gautama to become a

great king Protected Gautama from the ugliness,suffering of the world by keeping him in thecastle

Enticed and tempted Gautama withpleasurable things of the world

As Gautama got older he begged to go out of

the castle to see the world Father swept the outside world of all ugliness

in order to protect his son from seeingsuffering


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Four Sights

Age 29, Gautama goes on four trips out of the castleand sees four sights that change his worldview

Old man suffering

Sick man disease Dead man death Ascetic man quest for Truth, release from suffering

Deeply depressed Gautama escapes the castle in

the night to seek deeper meaning of life. THE GREAT GOING FORTH

His spiritual quest begins, exchanges rich clothes forsimple clothes and becomes a mendicant ascetic.


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Wandering Ascetic

Asceticism believed to be a powerfulpractice to overcome weakness of body.

Asceticism seeks moksha by overcoming

the weakness of the body. Pleasure is bad

Extreme fasting

Holding ones breath Exposure to bodily pain

Gautama nearly starves himself to deathwithout getting any closer to enlightenment


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Middle Way

Gautama realized, after nearly dying, thatasceticism is actually counter productive.

Self-hating practices that brought little spiritualbenefit One becomes stuck on self while the goal is to

transcend ones self.

Middle Way is a way of proceeding thatexercises moderation between self-indulgence and self-mortification


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Fig Tree

Revived from near-death by young girl,dedicates himself to meditation.

Mindfulness of breathing to purify oneself ofdefilements and as a way to nirvana

Lotus position under fig tree, vows not toleave until he found complete and perfectfulfillment (Brodd, 72).


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Battle with Mara

Mara psychological darkness within each of us to make our

own worst fears real

Literal belief that Mara was a demon

3 Lusty Daughters of Mara Delight

Desire

Discontent Was neither attracted nor disgusted by these three things

They remained powerless over Gautama

Defeated Mara, Gautama enters deeply into an

inward spiritual journey


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Three Watches under the FigTree

First WatchGautama perceived his ownprevious lifetimes[his] continuous journey ofsuffering(Brodd, 73) .

Second Watchacquired the divine eye,the ability to perceive the deaths/rebirths ofall living things(Brodd, 73) .

Third Watch Discovers Four Noble Truths With this Gautama attained enlightenmentreached spiritual perfection and had thus won hissalvation

Became the Awakened or Enlightened One


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Deferred Nirvana

Nirvana State of non-physical eternal bliss that is

ultimate salvation

Buddha resists the temptation to pass intoNirvana

His compassion compels him to stay to teachothers the lessons of his spiritual journey

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