Gentlemen: This is a brief overview of what we covered in class. Please review your notes for the information.
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- Five Stages of Buddha’s Life as outlined in class (not in text book)
o Siddhartha Gautama
• Son of a Chief
ß The “Enlightened one” – at what point in his life?
ß Passes through 1st two stages of life
ß Recognizes what of Gautama
o Age 29: What happens to Buddha? What does he do?
ß Abandons Yoga and extreme asceticism (Stage II)
ß Leaves wife and child (Stage III)
ß Where does he then go?
- 313 Million Buddhists in today’s world; 558,000 in North America
- Creation of Buddhism:
o When does this happen?
o How does this happen?
o Reaction in world of India/China?
- What is the text’s way to describe Buddhism?
- What is the primary concern of Buddhism?
- 4 Noble Truths
o All things in the world entail sorrow or suffering
o The cause of suffering is desire, the craving of the pleasures of life
o The end of suffering will come only when the craving for pleasure is ended; one must let go of one’s desires
o The end of craving will come if a person follows the Eightfold Path
ß What are all the elements of the Eightfold Path?
- Way of Buddha?
o What are the differences of Hinduism and Buddhism?
o Rejection of Hinduism – What are the elements?
- Views Points on Eightfold Path
o Theravada
o Mahayana
- Buddhist Monks
o How were they created?
o Why were they created?
o What was Buddha regarded as? (ie: his persona)
o Where are the majority of the monks today?
o What is their primary focus or duties?
- Kinds of Buddhism
o Many different offshoots
o Theravada
o Mahayana
o Tantric
o Zen
- Buddhist Scriptures (Short section found in text book)
