Buddhism

Renee Mendieta and Marco Alfaro Three Forms of Buddhism Vajrayana (The Apocalyptic Vehicle) o! Emerged in Tibet and Nepal around 500 C.E. o! Emphasizes ritual and magical means of achieving Buddhahood o! Introduced radically new rituals that were meant to accelerate enlightenment Theravada (The Individual Vehicle) o! The predominant form of Buddhism in South Asia and Southeast Asia o! Those that practice Theravada identify as Vibhajyavadins and view themselves as being separate from other schools of Buddhism o! Focuses on the monastic life (follow the traditional rules of the community of monks, living in seclusion and refusing to interact with laypersons) Mahayana (The Universal Vehicle) o! Devote themselves to ensuring the salvation of all living beings in the world of suffering o! New, divine-like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas emerged, including the Laughing Buddha Common Misconceptions: Not all Buddhists meditate Not all Buddhists are vegetarians Not all Buddhist monks and nuns are celibate Not all Buddhists hold to the teaching of nonviolence Not all Buddhists worship statues of Buddha or Bodhisattvas What To Teach: o! The historical evolution of Buddhism as a religion and way of life o! The reasons that motivated Buddha to reject Hindu philosophy and pursue a new way of life o! The misconceptions and stereotypes of Buddhists

o! o! o! o! o!