Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths

Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, questioned his luxurious life about 2500 years ago.
• He saw four sights: a sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a monk, leading him to leave the palace.
• These sights showed him that suffering, illness, and death are inescapable, even for a prince.
• He became a wandering holy man to seek answers to why people suffer.
• Siddhartha spent years praying, meditating, and fasting.
• He understood the basic truths of life while sitting under a Poplar-fig tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
• He attained enlightenment, or nirvana, and became known as Buddha, meaning "Enlightened One."
• Buddha taught Three Universal Truths and Four Noble Truths for 45 years

Three Universal Truths

• Everything in life is impermanent and constantly changing.
• Basing life on possessions or people leads to unhappiness because nothing is permanent.
• There is no eternal soul, “self” is a collection of changing characteristics.

Four Noble Truths

• Human life is characterized by suffering.
• The cause of suffering is greed.
• It is possible to end suffering.
• The way to end suffering is to follow the Middle Path.
• Buddha taught not to worship him as a god.
• People should take responsibility for their own actions.
• The Middle Way is the path to nirvana, avoiding extremes of luxury, indulgence, fasting, and hardship.

The Eightfold Path

• Right understanding and viewpoint based on the Four Noble Truths.
• Right values and attitude means compassion rather than selfishness.
• Right speech means avoiding lies, harsh language and gossip.
• Right action means helping others and taking care of the environment.
• Right work means choosing a useful career that doesn’t harm others.
• Right effort means promoting helpful thoughts and discouraging destructive ones.
• Right mindfulness is being aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Right meditation involves calming the mind to achieve nirvana.

The Five Precepts

• Buddhists follow these guidelines for daily life.
• Do not harm or kill living things.
• Do not take things unless they are given freely.
• Lead a decent life.
• Do not speak unkindly or lie.
• Do not abuse drugs or alcohol.

Meditation

• Meditation is essential for Buddhists to find truth and understanding.
• Enlightenment, or nirvana, is sought through meditation.
• Nirvana is freedom from suffering and being fully present.
• Meditation focuses the mind to achieve inner stillness and enlightenment.
• Meditation can be practiced in many ways: sitting quietly, martial arts, focusing on riddles or poems, in a monastery, chanting, or focusing on breath.

Buddhist Scriptures: The Tripitaka

• After Buddha's death, his teachings were written down from memory.
• The Tripitaka, or The Three Baskets, contains Buddha's sayings, thoughts, and rules for monks.
• The Tripitaka was initially written on palm leaves and collected in baskets.

Buddhist Celebrations and Festivals

• Wesak celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.
• During Wesak, statues of Buddha are decorated, offerings are made, and fireworks are displayed.
• Vassa is a time for meditation and study, originating from the rainy season.
• Buddhists retreat, study, and meditate during Vassa, people bring new robes to monks.
• Other countries have different Buddhist celebrations, such as Japan's Hana Matsuri, which honors Buddha's birthday with cherry blossoms and scented tea.
• India celebrates the Festival of the Sacred Tooth, where one of Buddha's teeth is paraded.

Symbolism

• The eight-spoked wheel represents the Eightfold Path.
• Buddha means ‘awakened one.’

Buddhist Temples

• "The foot" symbolizes following Buddha's teachings.
• A Japanese Buddhist temple is called a pagoda, with five tiers representing Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Emptiness.
• The spire of the pagoda symbolizes wisdom.
• Monks live simple lives in the sangha, with meditation being central.
• Monks beg for food and alms, renouncing worldly possessions.

Sacred Spaces

• Worship in temples is not essential, but Buddhists visit them to meditate and pay respects.
• Some Buddhists have shrines in their homes for daily prayers.
• Early Buddhist shrines were dome-shaped stupas that held Buddha's ashes.
• Visitors walk around stupas to pay respects to the Buddha.
• Pagodas are sacred temples in China and Japan
• Pagodas are towers representing the universe's elements and reaching towards wisdom.

Sacred Places

• Lumbini Grove which is Buddha's birthplace, Bodh Gaya which is the place of enlightenment, Sarnarth which is the place of his first sermon, and Kusinara which is the place he died are pilgrimage sites.
• Dharamsala, India, is a special place for Tibetan Buddhism followers as they study and seek the Dalai Lama.
• Monasteries are a place for monks and nuns to practice strictly with less distraction.
• A religious community of Buddhists is called a Sangha.

Confucianism

• Confucianism teaches followers their well-being depends on the well-being of others.
• It emphasizes courtesy and loyalty.
• K'ung Fu-tzu or Confucius sought a perfect society through "beautiful conduct".
• Confucius, born in 551 BCE.
• He gave up his government to teach behavior.
• Today, over five million people in China and the Far East practice Confucianism.

Life of Confucius

• Confucius lived from approximately 551 to 479 BCE in Lu.
• The earliest records date from 400 years after his death.
• He worked for the Prince of Lu in various roles, eventually travelled China.
• Confucius established a school to teach the ancients.
• Eventually, Confucius returned to his hometown where he established his own school
• He was not a 'creator' but a 'transmitter' of moral traditions.
• His school was open to rich and poor.

Confucian Works

• Confucius started to write when teaching in his school.
• He wrote the BOOK OF ODES and BOOK OF DOCUMENTS two poetry collections.
• He also wrote SPRING AND AUTUMN ANNALS and BOOK OF CHANGES.
• Analects, although even here there is no absolute evidence that the sayings and short stories were actually said by him and often the lack of context and clarity leave many of his teachings open to individual interpretation.
• Therefore Confucianism had to be made from second-hand accounts
• Mencius, Great Learning, and Mean constitute the Four Books of Confucianism
• Through these texts, Confucianism became the official religion of China from the second century BCE.

Confucian Ideas

• Always be considerate to others.
• Respect your ancestors.
• Try for harmony and balance.
• Avoid extremes in behavior and emotion.
• Living in peace and harmony connects you with spiritual forces

Confucian Virtues

• Kindness
• Righteousness
• Sobriety
• Wisdom
• Trustworthiness
• Well-being depends directly on everyone else.
• This is called Jen (ren)
• Jen stresses courtesy and loyalty.
• Family and family values are important.
• Children should remain respectful and obey.
• Confucius' ideas are written down in the Confucian scriptures.
• These include poems, history, rituals, and sayings.
• Temples were made to honor Confucius after his death.
• Confucianism is more of a person who is good than a spiritual practice

Confucian Philosophy

• Confucian system isn't really a religion.
• Focuses more on life than deities.
• Gentleman is highest calling.
• Role Model.
• Holds fast.
• Does not remove but fulfills goodness.
• Commitment leads to moral formation.
• Ritual is important
• Very little concern for after life fulfillment

Confucian Relationships

• Relationships are important
• Children respect
• Follow father wishes and life
• Person respects all relationships.
• Honor must be given.
• Good for Social order.
• Idea through of Li.
• Chinese proprietary rites
• Good manners
• When Li runs smoothly, everything runs smoothly.

Relationships (Li)

• Father/Son
• Older brother/Younger
• Husband/Wife
• Ruler/Subject
• Friend/Friend
• Balance in persons life.
• Five Principles

Five Relationship Principles

• Hsiao (Love w/i family)
• Chung (Loyalty to state)
• Yi (Righteousness/Duty)
• Xin (Honesty/Worthiness)
• Jen (Benevolence/Hunaneness)
• They balance people and society

Confucian Rituals

• Center on Tai-Shen (Fetus spirit)
• To protect a mother
• Special procedure for placenta
• Special diets, and rest Maturity
• Serves Chicken

Ritual Stages (Marriage)

• Important.
• Exchanged six Chinese characters, the time of each of their biths
• Unfav.
• Happens w/infav.
• Rejection stage
• Bride can make announcement
• With Gifts
• Cookies (Shaped)
• Announcement stage
• Dorwy Stage
• Brides family takes to the grooms home
• Procession
• Bride-price
• Gift to bride by groom, which is then sent to bride
• Groom takes bride home w/singing / Drums
• Marriage ceremony is the stage
• Bride makes toast
• Then party

Death Rituals

• Mourn loudly
• Inform neighbors
• Made of rough material.
• Washed placed in coffin.
• Buddhist / Taoist

Taoism

• Deep belief of religious philosophy
• Belief rooted in Chinese life
• Popular with Qi-Gong, martial arts and Tai Chi Chuan
• Referred to as Daoism
• Accurate name of Chinese word
• Ultimate creative principle of the universe
• Unified, connected
• Not a God
• Many people worshipped

Taoism Origin

• Originated in China (2000) years ago.
• Unity.
• Religion of opposites
• The principal of opposites is Yin and Yang

Tao Concepts

• Ultimate creative
• Unified and connected
• No a God
• Achieving harmony in nature
• Spiritual immorality

The Tao Notions

• Not a thing
• Cannot be deceived.
• Not a substance
• More helpful to regard the guidance of faith
• Not God
• Taoist practices/breathing
• Meditation and massage
• Transformation
• Bring harmony in the Tao

Concept Definition

• The One is the essence of Tao and enables beings
• Wu/yu No being and being or the other having
• Implies Inexhaustibility
• Te
• Translated ad awareness with the capabilities
• Tzu Jan
• Naturalness
• Taoist idea to fulfill
• Nature Way

Tao Methods/Forces

• Uncontrived and non-intervention.
• Yin-Yang is a principal natural force
• Masculine and Feminine
• Opposites Fit
• Ch'i is energy to survive
• links to universe wholeness
• Death step to unity nature.

Taoism Practices

• Breathing
• Massage
• Martial Arts.
• Yin Yoga
• Restore unity nature

Alchemy Traditions

• Used both internally/externally
• Internally used to transform humans such as gold

Taoist Practices

• Maintaining Spirituality = Good Health
• Ensure avoid activities like greed, lust, pride and dishonesty

Meditation

• To create mindfulness and stillness
• Gain ability for Tao Directly

Diet Lifestyle

• Breathing
• Excersises and Meditation

Martial Arts

• From exercises that create san feng.
• Not a practice

Diets

• Recommend no meat
• No Alcohol

Tao Rites

• Bring harmony to the cosmos

Ritials

• Offerings/Meditation
• Highly Complex

Tiao Rituals

• Priest chanting/Wind-Perussion

Shintoism

• Originated from Japan
• Translates the "way of the spirits"
• System Belief from Japan's Culture
• Classified in Many Ways
• Indigenous and Natural
• Tao and Shen word origin spirit
• Main belief and worship of Kami spirit world
• Landscapes, nature, animals and humans make Kami

Shinto Values

• Ancient
• Mistake Maker
• Always has to strike towards Quality

History

• Oldest Survive and practices in Japanese religion
• Evolved cultural practice and Limited data records

Yayoi Culture

• Early practices found in Yayoi culture
• Objects, places and creators have good possession and spiritual life

Shinto and Buddhists

• Interwined after coexist in country

Theological

• Belief that differ afterlife, Buddhist-believe continue cycle of death Shinto-believe after death in word after descedants.
• Ancestral is primary modern Japanese.

Rituals

• Overriding Shinto is harmony and purity of life humans pure cause is evil spirits away
• Prayers and offerings
• Worshipers share and public
• Call kamidara and shell placed offering