Buddhism: Key Terms

1. Siddhartha Gautama

FOUNDER OF BUDDHISM

2. BUDDHA

“THE ENLIGHTENED ONE”

3. FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

SUFFERING IS UNIVERSAL. THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING IS

DESIRE. THE ONLY WAY TO END

SUFFERING IS TO END DESIRE. THE WAY TO END DESIRE IS

TO FOLLOW THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH.

4. NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

PATH TO REACH NIRVANA

5. THERAVADA BUDDHISM

BRANCH OF BUDDHISM THAT SPREAD TO:

Burma

Thailand

Sri Lanka

RESPECTS BUDDHA AS A TEACHER BUT NOT AS A GOD!

6. MAHAYANA BUDDHISM

BRANCH OF BUDDHISM THAT SPREAD TO CHINA, KOREA, JAPAN… ITS FOLLOWERS WORSHIP THE BUDDHA AND OTHER ENLIGHTENED ONES.

7. NIRVANA

THE CONDITION OF WANTING NOTHING (THE GOAL OF

EVERY BUDDHIST)

8. WHY DID THE BUDDHA SEEK ENLIGHTENMENT?

HE WAS DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD.

9. HOW DID THE BUDDHA DIE? WHAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD DYING?

HE DIED AFTER ACCIDENTALLY EATING POISONOUS MUSHROOMS. HE, SAID THOUGH, THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE TWO BEST MEALS HE EVER HAD. THE FIRST WAS THE ONE UNDER THE BODHI TREE WHERE HE ACHIEVED ENLIGHTMENT AND THIS ONE BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAD HIM TO NIRVANA!

10. HOW IS THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM AN EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL DIFFUSION?

SIDDHARHTA WAS FROM WHAT IS NOW NEPAL BUT AFTER HIS DEATH, HIS TEACHINGS ARE FOLLOWED WORLDWIDE.