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The Six Main Religions | ||
Buddhism |
Buddhism |
Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. The religion is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million Buddhists worldwide. Buddhism is the main religion in many Asian countries. It is a religion about suffering and the need to get rid of it. A key concept of Buddhism is Nirvana, the most enlightened, and blissful state that one can achieve. A state without suffering. |
Place of Origin | North East India |
Founder | Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha) |
Sacred Text | Tripitaka |
Sacred Building | Stupa |
Major Festivals | Wesak |
Main Branches (Denominations) |
Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese groups including Soto and Zen |
How is Buddhism different from other religions? Buddhism is different from many other faiths because it is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God. Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God. |
Who is the founder of Buddhism? The Buddhist tradition is founded on and inspired by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. He was called the Buddha and lived in the 4th or 5th century B.C. in India. |
Why is Siddhartha Gautama so important to Buddhists? Siddhartha Gautama found the path to Enlightenment. By doing so he was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or "awakened one". |
Who was Siddhartha Gautama? Siddharta Gautama is known as the Buddha. He was born around the year 580 BCE in the village of Lumbini in Nepal. He was born into a royal family and for many years lived with in the palace walls away from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age, and death. He did not know what they were. One day, after growing-up, marrying and having a child, Siddhartha went outside the royal palace and saw, each for the first time, an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. He was worried by what he saw. He learned that sickness, age, and death were the inevitable fate of human beings — a fate no-one could avoid. |
Why did Siddhartha Gautama stop being a prince and become a Holy Man? Siddharta had also seen a monk, and he decided this was a sign that he should leave his protected royal life and live as a homeless Holy Man. Siddharta's travels showed him much more of the the suffering of the world. |
What are the symbols of Buddhism? | |
The wheel of life which symbolises the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The eight spokes remind people that the Buddha taught about eight ways of life. |
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The lotus flower symbolises purity and divine birth. The lotus flower grows in mud at the bottom of a pool, but rises above the surface to become a beautiful flower. Buddhist say this is how people should rise above everything which is dukkha. A flower may be very beautiful and have a wonderful scent, but it soon withers and dies. This shows that nothing in life is perfect. |
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Images of Buddha
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Where do Buddhists Worship? Buddhist worship at home or at a temple. Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. It is very important that their feet face away from the image of Buddha. They listen to monks chanting from religious texts and take part in prayers. Home Buddhists will often have a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner. Temple Buddhist temples come in many shapes. Perhaps the best known are the pagodas of China and Japan. Another typical Buddhist building is the Stupa (upside down bowl shape). All Buddhist temples contain an image or a statue of Buddha. How to Buddhists Worship? Buddhist worship is called puja. People chant to show their love for the Buddha. They make offerings of flowers, candles, incense and pure water at a shrine. People thank Buddha for his teachings. When Buddhist worship alone they usually meditate and read from the Buddhist holy books. Every month. most Buddhists have special religious days. These are often days when there is a full moon. Many Buddhists go to temples to worship on these special days. |
What is Enlightenment and Nirvana / Nibbana? Buddhist believe that there is a cycle of birth, life and death and rebirth. This goes on and on. They believe that unless someone gains Enlightenment, when they die they will be reborn. If a person can gain Enlightenment, they can break out of this cycle. Breaking out of the cycle is called Nirvana (sometimes called Nibbana). It is the end of everything that is not perfect. It is perfect peace, free of suffering. Meditation Buddhists try to reach Nirvana by following the Buddha's teaching and by meditating. Meditation means training the mind to empty it all of thoughts. when this happens what is important comes clear. |
What do Buddhist believe? Buddhist believe that the Buddha saw the truth about what the world is like. They believe that nothing in the world is perfect, and that the Buddha found the answer to why it is like this. They do not believe that the Buddha was a god. He was a human being just like them. They believe that he was important because he gained Enlightenment, and he chose to teach other people how to reach it too. The Three Jewels There are three Buddhist central beliefs. These are known as the three jewels as they are felt to be so precious.
One important belief involves reincarnation: the concept that one must go through many cycles of birth, living, and death. After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and the self, they can attain Nirvana - a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. At the heart of the Buddha's teaching lie The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path which lead the Buddhist towards the path of Enlightenment. |
The Buddha's teaching is often divided into three parts.
The Three Signs of Being
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The Four Noble TruthsWhat is the First Noble Truth? Dukkha: Suffering exists: What is the Second Noble Truth? Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering. What is the Third Noble Truth? Nirodha: There is an end to suffering. What is the Fourth Noble Truth? |
What is Dukkha? Dukkha is suffering. |
The Noble Eight-Fold PathThe Noble Eight-fold Path focuses the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths. It is the way Buddhists should live their lives. The Buddha said that people should avoid extremes. They should not have or do too much, but neither should they have or do too little. The 'Middle Way' is the best. The path to Enlightenment (nirvana) is through the practice and development of wisdom, morality and meditation.
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What are the 5 Precepts (morals)? These are rules to live by. The main five are:
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What is Karma? Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped and some gifted, why some live only a short life. Buddhists believe that are past actions have an effect on who or what we are in our next life. |
Buddhist Artifacts(Symbols) Teddy's Day Out - An Interactive Game for Kids Story of the Buddha Buddhist Monastery Virtual Tour - Hertfordshire Grid for Learning Buddhism Life as a Buddhist Also take a look at www.thaibuddhist.com Place of Worship - The Buddhapadipa Temple, Wimbledon Stories from Buddha's Life Buddhism Worksheets
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© Copyright - please read All the materials on these pages are free for homework and classroom use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on any other website or blog without written permission from the author Mandy Barrow. |
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