BUDDHSIM ETHICS

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition founded in India around 500 BCE by Prince Siddartha
Gautama, later to become Gautama Buddha (‘Buddha’ meaning “awakened one” in Sanskrit).
Most Buddhist traditions (the main two being Theravada and Mahayana) share a common
ethical code for lay followers, while monastic codes tend to vary by region and tradition.

Teaching
Four noble truth
1. Human life is a lot of suffering
2. The cause of suffering is greed
3. There is an end to suffering
4. The way to end the suffering is to follow the middle path
The Noble Eightfold path
to enlightenment consists of cultivating the following :
(1) Right View,
(2) Right Intention,
(3) Right Speech,
(4) Right Action,
(5) Right Livelihood,
(6) Right Effort,
(7) Right Mindfulness,
(8) Right Concentration.
These virtues generally fall into three categories. The first two tend toward cultivation of
wisdom, the middle three toward ethical conduct, and the latter three toward mental
development.

FESTIVALS
Buddha day – celebration of the buddhas enlightenment. (full moon of may/ june)
- It is the central event in Buddhism and we mark this event Buddha day also called
wesak . the most important festival in Buddhism calendar
Dharma day- the celebration of the buddhas teaching ( the fullmoon of july )
Soon after his enlightenment the Buddha rose from where he had been sitting, went to find his
former disciple and shared his experience with them.

Sangha day- the celebration of spiritual community (the fullmoon of november) . it is a joyous
thing to mark the fact that we don’t have to do it alone , we have our spiritual community.

Parinirvana day – the death of Buddha , he was eighty years old after spending 40 years of
teaching .

PRACTICES
Meditation- Buddhism teaches that it is the most important thing we can do to have antidote of
anxiety , hatred , discontentedness, sleepiness and confusion . it is to encourage and develop
concentration, clarity, emotional positivity and clear seeing of true nature of things
Ritual and devotion- to have emotional engagement means having devotion or faith and rituals
is a way directly engaging the emotions
3 main element of Buddhist rituals
1. Recitation
2. Chanting
3. Making of offering
BELIEFS
Nirvana / enlightment
It is a place of perfect peace and happiness , like heaven . it is the highest state someone can
attain.
Rebirth / reincarnation
When someone dies , they will be born again as something else it is neither human or animals .
What they are reborn as depends on their actions in their previous life.

Impermanence
One of the Buddhists essential doctrines that post “ everything changes and nothing lastas
forever”
Everything from our emotions to our thoughts and feeling is changing and decaying
continuously.
Merit
Is a force that result from good deads done, it is attracting good circumstances in a persons life
Dharma
Often refers to Buddhist teaching and practice in general . dharama is used by buddhist to
encompass everything that was taught by b8uddha or more precisely what a given tradition
believes was spoeken by him.
Karma
Karam beliefs that international actions have consequences for the agent, foe this life and in
the future.

SYMBOLS

The parasol or umbrella is traditionally a symbol of royalty and protection from the elements. In
Buddhism, the Parasol symbolizes the protection the Dharma gives one from the distress and
confusion caused by our samsaric lives and the burning heat of our emotions

The infinity knot (aka endless knot or eternal knot) is a symbol of The Buddha’s mind. It
represents The Buddha’s endless wisdom and compassion and can also represent the continuity
of the 12 Links of Dependent Origination. The intertwining lines symbolize how everything is
connected.
The treasure vase or pumpa traditionally is a symbol of wealth, abundance, affluence, and
prosperity. In Buddhism, each person is a scared receptacle, a vessel that can be filled with
riches of wisdom and compassion. It may also symbolize the treasures of health, wealth,
prosperity, and all the good things

The lotus flower is an important symbol in Buddhism as well as Hinduism. It symbolizes purity
and encourages us to enjoy the purity of our mind and actions. In Buddhism, the lotus has been
used in many teachings to impart the true nature of all mankind.

The conch shell (the right-turning white conch shell) represents the deep, melodious, and
sonorous sound of The Buddha’s teachings, the Dharma, reaching far and wide, awakening
beings from ignorance.

Two golden fish historically symbolized the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. Overtime they have
become symbolic of good fortune or luck. They are also a symbol of how one with courage and
fearlessness may face the ocean of suffering and may choose their rebirth just as fish swim
freely through water. The victory banner was originally a military standard of ancient India.
The Victory Banner represents The Buddha’s victory over Mara, the Lord of Illusion, preceding
his Enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism, victory banners symbolize enlightenment. They
symbolize the victory of humans when they defeat the enemy of elusion.

The Dharma wheel (Dharmachakra) is a symbol common to several religions with origins in
India including Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Historically, the Dharmachakra was often
used to adorn Buddhist temples, statues, and inscriptions, from the earliest period of Indian
Buddhism to today.