Buddhism

Holy Books:
Tripitaka (Three Baskets
of Wisdom)

Core Beliefs:
1. Four Noble Truths
a. All life is full of suffering
b. The cause of suffering is the desire for
things that are really illusions
c. the cure for suffering is to overcome
desire
d. the way to overcome desire to follow
the Eightfold Path

Core Beliefs:
2. Eightfold Path
a. Right views
f. right effort
b. right
g. right
aspirations
mindfulness
c. right speech h. right
d. right conduct
contemplation
e. right livelihood

Core Beliefs:
3. Ultimate Goal: reach nirvana (break
out of the cycle of reincarnation and
become one with the universe)

How it Emerged:
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
(AKA Buddha = Enlightened
One)
Developed in India
Now, it is found primarily in SE Asia
and Japan

Other Notes:
1. Buddhism does not require a place of
worship. Buddhists can worship anywhere,
but there are temples and monasteries
2. Buddhism grew out of Hinduism; it shares
several beliefs with Hinduism (ex.
Reincarnation, karma, dharma)
3. Buddha was added to Hinduism as a God

Other Notes:
4. Buddhism is represented by the Wheel
of Life. It represents the endless cycle
of life through reincarnation. It
features eight spokes. Each spoke
represents one of the teachings of the
eightfold path

Other Notes:
5. Eightfold Path: (1) Know that suffering is
caused by desire. (2) Be selfless and love all
life. (3) Do not lie, or speak without cause.
(4) Do not kill, steal, or commit other
unrighteous acts. (5) Do not do things
which promote evil. (6) Take effort to
promote righteousness. (7) Be aware of
your physical actions, state of mind, and
emotions. (8) Learn to meditate.

Other Notes:
6. Two main branches of Buddhism: Theravada
(oldest branch; conservative; closest to earliest
Buddhist traditions; for the most dedicated
seekers (such as monks and nuns), primarily in
Sri Lanka) and Mahayana (originated in India,
largest major tradition of Buddhism today; made
Buddhism easier to follower for ordinary people;
worships Buddha despite Buddha saying not to;
describes an afterlife with many heavens and
hells; found in China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan)

Geography: