BUDDHISM

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BUDDHISM
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BEGINNINGS

• Start in India in response to caste system
• Siddhartha Guatama born 6th century BC
• 29th birthday
• Left castle and saw four new things
• Old age
• Illness
• Death
• Holy Man

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Beliefs of Buddhism

• Dharma religious truth, any facet of existence
• Reincarnation life cycle based on Karma
• Nirvana ultimate end of life cycle
• Goal of life to reach enlightenment
• Everything is connected and eternal
• Nothing is permanent
• No form exists forever

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FOUR (4) NOBLE TRUTHS

• Life is suffering and inherently painful
• Suffering has a cause, craving and attachment.
  Suffering is the result of selfishness and
  reflects the ignorance of reality.
• Craving and attachment can be overcome with
  complete transcendence of cravings.
• Path to stop craving and attachments is eightfold
  path.

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EIGHTFOLD PATH

• Right understanding
• Right purpose
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right alertness
• Right concentration

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VIEW OF GOD

• There is no God involved in everyday life
• Hindu Gods are forms who havent reached
  enlightenment
• Personal goals
• No set Deity or rules by deity

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PRECEPTS TO LIVE BY

• Do not kill
• Do not steal
• No unchaste actions
• Do not speak falsely
• Do not take intoxicants
• Do not sleep in beds to high or wide
• Do not accept money

• Dont eat at times not appropriate
• Do not view secular entertainment
• Do not wear perfumes or ornaments

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SECTS OF BUDDHISM

• Theravada Buddhism
• Seen as early Buddhist doctrine
• Practice renunciation
• Strictest form of Buddhism
• arhat (holy person) or solitary saint
• Separate set of scriptures
• Vinaya Pitaka monastic regulations
• Sutta pitaka discourses and discussion from
  Buddha
• Abhidamma Pitaka philosophy, psychology and
  doctrine

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MAHAYANA SCHOOL

• Believe in bodhisattva
• Enlightened beings who postpone union with
  Ultimate for benefit of all
• Work until every person reaches enlightenment
• Believe in doctrine of empty
• Very diverse
• Greater emphasis on grace
• Buddha is eternal and absolute
• Historical Buddha is form of eternal Buddha

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TIBETAN BUDDHISM

• Similar to Mahayana
• Sees bodhisattvas as great teachers
• Vajrayana using yogic discipline to transcend
  and direct desire
• Bardo Thodal Tibetan book of dead with
  instruction for dying and spiritual guides
• Modern issues with China and Tibet

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ZEN

• Very popular in America
• Start around 5th century
• Original mind true nature
• No rituals, forms or written instructions
• Only true enlightenment found present
• Founded by Bodhidharma of Mahayana School who
  meditated for 9 years straight in search of
  enlightenment
• Personal commitment only will help undo delusion
  caused by greed, anger and ignorance
• Explanation, scriptures and dogma very suspicious