Where Buddhism Began Founder: Siddhartha Gautama in 400-500 BC
North Eastern India Most Prevalent in Asian countries, though it is
expanding into Europe and North America Countries that Buddhism
spread to: China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Burma, Tibet, Vietnam,
etc..
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Today Practiced by 376 million people Mainly Located by
Population : CountryPercent Thailand 95.00% Cambodia 90 Myanmar 88
Bhutan 75 Sri Lanka 70 Tibet 65 Laos 60 Vietnam 55 Japan 50 Macau
45 Taiwan 43
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Major Beliefs Nontheistic Enlightenment The Four Noble Truths
Karma Reincarnation Books and Teachings are Important Meditation is
Key
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Major Belief Explanations Nontheistic: Buddhism does not depend
on the existence of a God who created the universe. However, at the
same time, Buddhism does not rule out the existence of a God or
gods altogether Englitenment: Ultimate goal is to purify the mind
and reach enlightenment The Four Noble Truths: 1) Life is
unsatisfactory and full of suffering 2)Suffering comes from
attachment to desires 3)There is a way to end suffering 4)Following
the Eightfold Path ceases suffering
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Major Belief Explanations Cont.. Karma: our past actions affect
us, either positively or negatively, and that our present actions
will affect us in the future. Books and Teachings: It is important
to read and to listen to great teachers, so we can undo more of our
ignorance. Meditation: Without calming our mind, and examining our
minds nature and its beliefs, we can never reach
enlightenment.
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Other Not So Major Beliefs Healing comes from the mind We
control our fate Our bodies are important Spiritual community is
important Interconnectedness is the Nature of Reality Compassion is
an extension of wisdom Strive for balance Its never too late to
begin
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Subdivisions Korean Zen Buddhism Nichren Buddhism Theravada
Buddhism Zen Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism Tibetan
Buddhism
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Subdivisions Teachings Theravada Buddhism: Southern Buddhism,
Believes that it has remained closest to the original teachings of
the Buddha. However, it does not over- emphasize the status of
these teachings in a fundamentalist way - they are seen as tools to
help people understand the truth, and not as having merit of their
own. Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism is not a single group but
a collection of Buddhist traditions: Zen, Pure-land, and Tibetan
Buddhism are all forms of Mahayana Buddhism.
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Subdivisions Teachings Cont.. Korean Zen Buddhism: Buddhism
arrived in Korea in the 4th century CE. It spread widely and became
the state religion when the three kingdoms that made up the country
were united in 688 CE. Zen Buddhism: mixture of Indian Mahayana
Buddhism and Taoism. It began in China, spread to Korea and Japan,
and became very popular in the West from the mid 20th century. The
essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life
directly, without being misled by logical thought or language.
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Subdivisions Teachings Cont.. Nichren Buddhism: Nichiren
Buddhism differs from other schools of Buddhism in focusing on this
world, and in its view that it is the only correct tradition. It
also emphasizes the importance of individuals taking responsibility
for improving themselves. Pure Land Buddhism: Pure Land Buddhism
offers a way to enlightenment for people who can't handle the
subtleties of meditation, endure long rituals, or just live
especially good lives. Tibetan Buddhism: Tibetan Buddhism combines
the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and
Shamanic, and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called
Bon.
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Sacred Writings Tripitaka (Pali Canon):the earliest collection
of Buddhist teachings and the only text recognized as canonical by
Theravada Buddhists Mahayana Sutra:reveres the Tripitaka as a
sacred text, but adds to it the Sutras, which reflect distinctively
Mahayana concepts. Tibetan Book of the Dead: Chronicles the
experiences and religious opportunities a person encounters at
various stages: while dying, at the moment of death, during the
49-day interval between death and rebirth, and at rebirth
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Sacred Spaces and Places Sacred Spaces: Buddhists visit shrines
and temples to pay their respects to Buddha and to meditate with
other Buddhists. Sacred Places: Buddhists go on pilgrimages to
places associated with Buddha's life. These places include his
birthplace, Lumbini Grove, the place of enlightenment, Bodh Gaya,
the place of his first sermon, Sarnarth, and the place he died,
Kusinara.
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Holy Days Dharma Day Losar Parinirvana Kathina Sangha Day Wesak
Paint me like one of your French girls
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Holy Days Meaning Dharma Day: Dharma Day marks the beginning of
the Buddha's teaching. The word Dharma can be translated as truth
and is the term used for the path to enlightenment, or the Buddhist
teaching. Losar: The most important holiday in Tibet is Losar,
which celebrates the Tibetan New Year. Parinirvana: This is a
Mahayana Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha. It
is also known as Nirvana Day. Kathina: The Kathina festival, which
originated 2,500 years ago, celebrates the largest alms-giving
ceremony of the Buddhist year.
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Holy Days Meanings Cont Sangha Day: Sangha Day is the second
most important Buddhist festival. It is a celebration in honor of
the Sangha, or the Buddhist community. For some Buddhists Sangha
refers only to monks and nuns. It is a chance for people to
reaffirm their commitment to Buddhist practices and traditions.
Wesak: Wesak is the most important of the Buddhist festivals and is
celebrated on the full moon in May. It celebrates the Buddha's
birthday, and, for some Buddhists, also marks his enlightenment and
death.
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Conflicts within Buddhism No real conflict within Buddhism but
there is disagreement. For example, some Buddhist do not believe in
reincarnation as the reinsertion of their soul into another being.
Also, the different Buddhist subdivisions focus on different
things, like Therevada Buddhism who tend to focus more on reality,
while Mahayana Buddhist focus more on metaphysical. Another example
would be how Tibetan Buddhists recognize the Dalai Llama, while
others do not.
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Conflicts With Other Religions Conflict with Hinduism: Since
Buddhism was born in the Indian subcontinent, it has been largely
at odds with earlier Hindu institutions. The conflicts that have
occurred between the two faith systems have resulted in conflicts
ranging from social and civil rights conflicts to all-out war. An
understanding of the roots of these conflicts is key to
understanding contemporary Buddhist and Hindu communities.