KEY WORDS

Buddha – the ‘enlightened one’

Enlightenment – understanding the truth about the way things are
Lotus – flower which looks like a water lily
Meditation – training your mind to concentrate
Nirvana – the end of everything that is not perfect.
Symbol – something that stands for something else.

What do Buddhists believe?

 Buddhists follow the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.

 Siddattha was given the special name Buddha when he achieved

enlightenment.

 Buddhists believe that the Buddha saw the truth about what the world is like.

 They believe that other people can gain enlightenment by following the
teachings of the Buddha.

 Buddhists do not believe in a God who is all-powerful. Buddha is important

because he achieved enlightenment and taught other people how to
achieve it.

Rebirth

 Buddhists believe that when someone dies, they will be reborn. Being born,
growing old and dying is a cycle that goes on and on.

 The only way to break this cycle of rebirth is to achieve enlightenment.

 Breaking out of this cycle is called Nirvana. Nirvana is perfect peace – the
end of everything that is not perfect.

 Buddhists try to reach Nirvana by following the Buddha’s teaching and by

meditation. Meditation is training your mind so that you can really
concentrate.

Symbols of Buddhism
  The symbol used the most for Buddhism is the wheel with eight spokes. This
reminds Buddhists about the eight ways of living which Buddha taught.

 Another symbol is the lotus flower. It grows in mud at the bottom of a pond
but makes a beautiful flower. This is a symbol of rising above all things in life
that are not satisfactory, and gaining enlightenment

Activities

Answer the following questions

1. Who was Buddha?

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2. What does Buddha mean?

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3. What is Nirvana?
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4. What is meditation?
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5. What symbol is used for Buddhism?

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