2. SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
• Buddhism originated in northern
India, where the Dalai Lama, the
head of Tibetan Buddhism.
• With about 400 million
followers, Buddhism is one of
the largest religions in the world.
3. SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
• Buddhism does not worship a deity.
Nevertheless, Buddhism is a religion
according to today’s understanding.
• Thailand and the neighboring
countries, Myanmar, Laos and
Cambodia as well as other Asian
countries have the greatest spread.
4. RELIGIOUS DIRECTIONS AND FORMS
1.The “Hinayana” is known today almost exclusively as Theravada and goes back to the
original teachings of Buddha and his contemporaries.
2. The “Mahayana” is known as a much more active faith in which the Buddhist is
supposed to end their suffering and that of their environment through their own actions.
3.The “Vajrayana” is the name given to Tibetan Buddhism, to which the Dalai Lama also
belongs. Here, Buddhist schools take on great importance in teaching students new
techniques and mantras step by step. All three directions have further subdivisions, each
with slightly different structures and teaching methods.
5. RELIGIOUS CONTENT
• Similar to Chinese Daoism, Buddhists refer to teachings and philosophical beliefs, not
to an almighty God.
• The supreme teacher is considered to be “Buddha,” who through right action and
meditation became an “awakened” person and thus serves as a role model.
• The goal of the religion is “awakening”, i.e., to find the knowledge of one’s own being.
• Central element are the Four Noble Truths, the truth of suffering, the truth of the
cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that
leads to the end of suffering.
6. BUDDHISM VIEW OF SELF
• From the Buddhist perspective,
the idea of “individual self” is an
illusion.
• It is not possible to separate self
from its surroundings.
7. BUDDHISM VIEW OF SELF
• The Self to Nonself or “Atman to Anatman”
- The Buddha taught that there is no
permanent, unchanging self or soul that
exists independently of the rest of existence.
-The concept of self is seen as a construct of the
mind, created through the interplay of various
factors, including thoughts, emotions,
perceptions, and physical sensations.
8. BUDDHISM VIEW OF SELF
Five Aggregates, or Skandhas
1. Form (rupa) – the physical body and its sense organs
2. Feeling (vedana) – pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral sensations
arising from contact with the senses
3. Perception (sanna) – recognition and categorization of objects
and experiences
4. Mental formations (sankhara) – thoughts, intentions, and
volitions that shape our experiences
5. Consciousness (vinnana) – awareness or cognizance of objects
and experiences
11. BUDDHISM VIEW OF SELF
• In contrast to the concept of the self, the eternal goal of Buddhists is
“nirvana”.
-is a state of freedom from all suffering that Buddhists believe can be
achieved by removing all personal wishes.
-Those who achieve nirvana join God and merge their atman (pure
self) in perfect communion with divine life.
12. TRIVIA!!
• Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism who later became
known as “the Buddha,” lived during the 5th century B.C. Gautama
was born into a wealthy family as a prince in present-day Nepal.
Although he had an easy life, Gautama was moved by suffering in
the world.
