Download - Buddhism History Siddhartha
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
1/15
Buddhism: HistoryBy- Olga Cotter and Priscilla Navas
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
2/15
Buddhism in Britain
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
3/15
How was Buddhism developed in Brita
● Buddhism was first introduced in Britain in the 19th century through
translations of scriptures from the schools in the different eastern areas.
● In 1879, Sir Edwin Arnold composed the epic poem, The Light of Asia,
which described the Buddha’s life.
● Once enough people got a hold of this book, it inspired them to start
practicing Buddhism as a way of life.
● In 1907 a group of people got together and established The BuddhistSociety of Great Britain and Ireland.
● In succession to The Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland,
Christopher Humphreys founded The London Buddhist Society in 1924.
● The Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 exodus of thousands of
Tibetans with the Dalai Lama in 1959 and the move of the lamas to the
west led to new Buddhist groups. As a result, today almost all Buddhist
tradition is represented in Britain.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
4/15
How many Buddhists are there in Brita
● As reported by the 2001 census, there are 151,816
Buddhists in Britain.
● Though this number doesn’t include those who
consider themselves to be both Buddhist and
Christian, Jewish, Taoist, or anything else.● There are also some who wish to not label
themselves as “Buddhist” because it contradicts
the principles of egolessness and selflessness.
● There is an undeniable growing interest of
Buddhism in Britain.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
5/15
Does Buddhism in Britain differ from thin the East?
● A few of the monasteries andtemples almost exactly replicatetheir counterparts in the east.
● Food is taken to the temples bysupporters or cooked on site.
● Monks can walk down t
their saffron robes carry
bowls without getting a
reaction from passing p
● It is customary to put fo
Monk’s alms bowl for h
meal.
BRITAIN EAST
The cultural customs and traditions differ in Britain and in the East but the cucustoms are the only differences. The teachings of Buddhism in the East and
have generally remained true to its origins.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
6/15
Converts to Buddhism
● Some Buddhists view themselves as converts, i.e.
they have rejected their religion they were born into
for Buddhism.
● Buddhism doesn’t demand a commitment to it
alone, many can happily harmonise more than onereligion or way of life.
● There are also people who were only ever nominally
a certain religion but found their true spiritual
calling to Buddhism- they, too, wouldn’t have a deep
feeling of converting from one religion to another.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
7/15
How are festivals celebrated in Britain
● The celebrations take place in the monasteries and
temples.
● Food is prepared and taken to the celebration
● Gifts are presented by lay people to the monks to show
support for the temple and their way of life.
● The festivals are not only spiritual days of chanting andsinging but social occasions that are enjoyed like
practicing Christians may enjoy Christmas or Easter
● The traditional festivals and holidays aren’t as popular in
Britain. This is not saying that the Buddhists in Britain
don’t attend or enjoy them, but often there is no cultural
connection.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
8/15
What sort of Buddhist Centres there?
● A few of the numerous centres in Britain are established for the we
betterment of their own ethnic communities
● Other centres use specific Buddhist practices and traditions and c
with a western culture to create authentic traditions that can then
● Yet other groups focus on the practice of meditation in Buddhism little attention to the rest of the teachings.
● There are a couple of organizations which give a platform for all sc
traditions of Buddhism from around the world. They don’t wish to m
anything in the different forms of Buddhism, yet they are open to th
what could eventually become a British form of Buddhism.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
9/15
The Buddha
In general, ‘Buddha’ means ‘Awakened One’, someone who
has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things
as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely
free from all faults and mental obstructions. He benefits all
living beings without exception by emanating various forms
throughout the universe, and by bestowing his blessings on
their minds.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
10/15
The Prophecy
One night, Queen Mayadevi dreamed that a white elephant descended from heaven and enter
white elephant entering her womb indicated that on that very night she had conceived a child
powerful being. When the king saw the child he felt as if all his wishes had been fulfilled and
prince “Siddhartha.” The king then invited a seer to peer into the child's future. The seer said:
the boy could become either a chakravatin king, a ruler of the entire world, or a fully enlighten
since the time for chakravatin kings is now past it is certain that he will become a Buddha, aninfluence will pervade the thousand million worlds like the rays of the sun.”
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
11/15
Life of Luxury
As the young prince grew up he mastered all the traditional
arts and sciences without needing any instruction. He knew
sixty-four different languages, each with their own alphabet,
and he was also very skilled at mathematics. At his father’s
request he joined a school where, in addition to various
academic subjects, he became skilled at sports such as
martial arts and archery. The prince also gained several
faithful followers through heroic acts of strength. One of the
many stories tells that when he was taking part in an archery
contest, he declared, “With the bow of meditative
concentration I will fire the arrow of wisdom and kill the tiger
of ignorance in living beings.” He then released the arrow and
it flew straight through five iron tigers and seven trees before
disappearing into the earth.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
12/15
Witnessing Suffering
Sometimes Prince Siddhartha would go into the capital city of his father’s kingdom to see how
During these visits he came into contact with many old people and sick people, and on one o
corpse. These encounters left a deep impression on his mind and led him to realize that all liv
exception have to experience the sufferings of birth, sickness, aging and death. Realizing tha
enlightened Buddha has the wisdom and the power to help all living beings in this way, he res
palace and retire to the solitude of the forest where he would engage in profound meditationenlightenment.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
13/15
The Path to Enlightenment
Siddhartha escaped from his father and then made his way to a place near
Bodh Gaya in India, where he found a suitable site for meditation. There he
remained, emphasizing a meditation called “space-like concentration on the
Dharmakaya” in which he focused single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of
all phenomena. After training in this meditation for six years he realized that
he was very close to attaining full enlightenment, and so he walked to BodhGaya where, on the full moon day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar,
he seated himself beneath the Bodhi Tree in the meditation posture and
vowed not to rise from meditation until he had attained perfect
enlightenment. With this concentration, which is the very last mind of a
limited being, he removed the final veils of ignorance from his mind and in
the next moment became a Buddha, a fully enlightened being.
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
14/15
Works Cited
A sign of Buddhism.Digital Image. The Philosophy of Buddhism. 2000. Web. 22 February 2016
The British flag. Digital Image. The Pound or the Euro?. 1997. Web. 22 February 2016
An early copy of the Light of Asia. Digital Image. Keys fine Art Auctioneers. 2016. Web. 22 February 2016
Tick the box for Buddhism. Digital Image. Network of Buddhist Organizations. 2011. 22 February 2016
A symbol of harmony. Digital Image. Flower of Life. Web. 22 February 2016
Women carrying gifts. Digital Image. BBC . 2014. Web. 22 February 2016
Ruth, Diana St. "British Buddhism." BBC. BBC, 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Website
-
8/16/2019 Buddhism History Siddhartha
15/15
Works Cited (continued)
"The Awakened One Sleeps • MindPodNetwork." MindPodNetwork . N.p., 14 June 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
"The Awakened One Sleeps • MindPodNetwork." MindPodNetwork . N.p., 14 June 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
"The Great Eastern Philosophers: The Buddha." Philosophers Mail . The Philosophers Mail, n.d. Web. 24 Mar.
"The Life of Buddha." , Siddhartha Gautama by Asienreisender . N.p., 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
"The Life of Buddha." N.p., 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
"Life of the Buddha." AwesomeStories.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"About Buddha." Life of Buddha. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.