Today’s LectureToday’s Lecture
In today’s lecture we will:
1.Discuss how to begin writing and researching your research project
2.Investigate the origins of Buddhism
3.Become familiar with the Buddhist principle of Dharma and the central teachings of Buddhism
Beginning your researchBeginning your research
1. Preliminary Research
a) Go to your local library and look at the DCCC library
b) Look online for journal articles
c) When using websites be very careful and keep in mind the following:
o Websites that end in .edu / .gov / .org are more reliable than other websites
o NOTE! Wikipedia is NOT a reliable resource and must not be used in your final research paper.
o Always be sure to check the accuracy and authenticity of any website you use
d) Keep lists and notes on what you read and try to start ranking your resources by relevance
Beginning your researchBeginning your research
2. Writing; Start writing NOW!
a) Write your way through your thesis statemento Begin formulating questions you need to answer o Make a list of important things you will need to
research
b) Brainstorming
c) Free-writing
d) Create a “discovery draft”
e) Redraft, redraft, redraft!
OutlineOutlineThe founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha)
Buddhism originated in the 5th century B.C.E.
It began in India and spread throughout Eastern Asia, and now can be found throughout the world
Currently Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion (5.84%)
Famous Buddhists include
oThe Dalai LamaoRichard GereoOrlando Bloom
Complexities in BuddhismComplexities in Buddhism
“The Buddha” is not a name but instead is a religious title meaning “One who has awakened” or “The Enlightened”
Like Hinduism, the title Buddhism includes a wide variety of practices differing by geography, philosophy, beliefs and personal preferences.
Because of its geographical diversity throughout Asia, Buddhism uses both Sanskrit and Pali words
Origins of BuddhismOrigins of Buddhism
Buddhism’s origins can be traced back to the life of Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century B.C.E. in India
Buddhism grew out of Hinduism and shares some important similarities and differences.
Hence, the origins of Buddhism is based on biographical narratives of Siddhartha’s life, trials and death.
There are three main parts to the story of Gautama Buddha’s life:
1. His birth and life up to the age of twenty-nine2. His spiritual search and subsequent awakening3. His travels throughout India from the age of forty-five
teaching what he had learnt, up until his death at the age of eighty.
The Buddha’s early lifeThe Buddha’s early lifeSiddhartha’s mother (Maya) had a dream that a white elephant entered her womb.
Priests foretold that the child would either become a great king or a person who would renounce earthly life and share his enlightenment with the world.
Siddhartha was born in the foothills of the Himalayas but his mother died a week after giving birth.
Siddhartha’s father (Shuddhodana) was a powerful ruler and warrior and sought to make Siddhartha a great king
The Buddha’s early lifeThe Buddha’s early life
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Shuddhodana kept Siddhartha in a palace in isolation from the suffering of the world, gave him all the pleasures he could and trained him in martial arts.
A key shift occurs when Siddhartha follows his urges to leave the palace walls and witnesses;
oA sick manoAn old manoA dead manoA Shramana (an ascetic Yogi)
These sights changed Siddhartha’s life and at the age of 29 he ran away and began his own personal spiritual search.
The Buddha’s JourneyThe Buddha’s JourneySiddhartha first found a Shramana guru named Arada Kalama who used meditation to achieve a state of “nothingness.”
Disappointed, Sidddhartha then found a second teacher named Udraka Ramaputra who used meditation to bring forth trances.
This discontent lead to Siddhartha finding five other ascetics who were experimenting with extreme fasting, breath control, and long periods of sitting without moving.
Siddhartha’s dismay and disappointment lead to him seeking awakening through the balance between asceticism and pleasure (“The Middle Way”)
The Buddha’s JourneyThe Buddha’s JourneySiddhartha refused to give up and sat beneath a ficus tree by a river and vowed to find either success or death
Siddhartha continued to meditate but was tempted by Mara (a supernatural being that personifies death, delusion, and temptation)
By touching his right hand to earth, Siddhartha brought forth earthquakes and a cooling stream which washed Mara away
After resuming his meditations Sidhhartha gained more perceptions and supernatural faculties (Memory of his past lives, psychic vision, levitation, telepathy and superhearing)
The Buddha’s The Buddha’s EnlightenmentEnlightenment
Finally, Siddhartha extinguished all of his desires and ignorance and realized his capacities for insight
Siddhartha “woke up” under the Bodhi (“Enlightenment”) tree to the nature of reality, just as dawn broke
From that point on Siddhartha became the “Buddha”; the enlightened one.
The Buddha remained around the Bodhi tree for seven weeks enjoying Nirvana when Mara returned again and tempted the Buddha to keep what he had learned to himself.
But the high Gods urged the Buddha to teach what he knew, and the Buddha compassionately vowed to teach what he had learned to the whole world.
The Buddha’s first The Buddha’s first teachingsteachings
The Buddha’s first pupils were the five ascetics he had earlier fasted with and taught them the central teachings of Buddhism (Dharma):
oThe four noble truthsoThe Eight-Fold Path
The ascetics became Arhats and taught on behalf of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha eventually formed a new set of religious institutions
Travels and DeathTravels and DeathAt the age of 45 the Buddha traveled throughout India teaching what he had learned and establishing religious schools
Finally at the age of 80 the Buddha died after eating some poisonous food
The Buddha was cremated and his remains were spread throughout eight shrines which became the focus of Buddhist worship
Central teachingsCentral teachingsBuddhists seek Nirvana (Liberation) and is known as the “Middle Way”
The Buddha is recognized as the founder and teacher of Buddhism but typically he is not worshipped as a God
As in Hinduism, Buddhists believe in Reincarnation and Karma
The primary teachings (Dharma)of the Buddha include:
1. The Four Noble Truths
2. The Noble Eightfold Path to liberation
3. The wheel of Birth and Death
4. Nirvana
The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble Truths
1. Life inevitably involves suffering (dukkha) and is imperfect and unsatisfactory
2. Suffering originates from our desires
3. Suffering will cease when all desire ceases
4. There is a way to reach this state; the Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold PathThe Noble Eightfold Path
1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought or Motives
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Meditation
The Buddhist’s UniverseThe Buddhist’s Universe
Unatman
Buddhist’s believe that there is no eternal or immortal soul which can be reborn
The Wheel of Birth and Death
Buddhists believe in Karma and claim that greed, hate and delusion (the three evils) motivate the wheel of Birth and Death. By doing the opposite of these evils one can move towards escape.
Buddhist Metaphysics
Buddhists believe that there are multiple planes of existence (including realms of hells) hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and Gods etc.
NirvanaNirvanaThe term Nirvana is problematic has multiple interpretations and definitions
For example:
Escape from sufferingExtinction of aging and dyingPeace of MindLiberation
Some Buddhists claim that it can be attained while one is alive
Others claim it can be attained at death and one who reaches Nirvana is not reborn
In general Nirvana can be interpreted as extinguishing