Buddhism

Based on teachings of Siddhartha

Gautama
Buddhism originated in India and
came to China in 1st century AD
Arose as a reaction to Hinduisms
complex rituals

Buddhism: Beliefs
Buddhism rejects the caste system of Hinduism and
doesnt worship Hindu gods
Buddhists believe that salvation lies in moderation,
Buddahs Middle Way, between desire and self-denial.
Buddhists practice meditation, non-violence, and
religious toleration
Buddhism emphasizes detachment from earthly life
to gain spiritual enlightenment, particularly focusing
on the Four Noble Truths

Buddhism: Four Noble

Truths
In broad terms, the Four Noble Truths relate to
suffering (or dukkah): its nature, its origin, its
end, and the path leading to its end.
They are among the truths Gautama Buddah is
said to have realized during his experience of
enlightenment.
Watch how the textual structure of the novel
Siddhartha mirrors the Four Noble Truths!

Buddhism: Four Noble

Truths
1.

Life is suffering:
To live means to suffer. Any part of life affected
by attachment leads to suffering: birth, aging,
sickness, dissociation from the loved, not to get
what one wants, etc.

2.

Suffering's Origin:
All suffering is caused by ignorance of the
nature of reality and the craving, attachment,
and grasping that result from such ignorance.
Attachment is accompanied by delight and lust,
seeking delight here and there, that is, craving
for sensual pleasures, craving for existence,
and craving for extermination.

Buddhism: Four Noble

Truths
3. Suffering's End:
Suffering can be ended by overcoming
ignorance and attachment
4. The Way Leading to the End of
Suffering:
The path to the release from suffering is
the Noble Eightfold Path

Buddhism: Noble
Eightfold
Path
The Noble Eightfold
Path, also called The Middle
Way, is a practice

said to lead its practitioner toward self-awakening and liberation. The

path was taught by the Buddha to his disciples so that they, too, could
follow it.

The Buddha's Eightfold Path consists of:

1)Samma ditthi Right Understanding of the Four Noble Truths
2) Samma sankappa: Right thinking; following the right path in life
3) Samma vaca: Right speech: no lying, criticism, condemning, gossip,
harsh language
4) Samma kammanta Right conduct by following the Five Precepts
5) Samma ajiva: Right livelihood; support yourself without harming others
6) Samma vayama Right Effort: promote good thoughts; conquer evil
thoughts
7) Samma sati Right Mindfulness: Become aware of your body, mind and
feelings
8) Samma samadhi Right Concentration: Meditate to achieve a higher
state of consciousness

Buddhism: Lit Terms

Text Structure: the general organizational
plan, framework, or form of a piece of
writing used by the author to arrange ideas
in the text
The text structure of Siddhartha is meant
to symbolically represent the Four Noble
Truths