THERAVADA

BUDDHISM
BUDDHISM DEFINITION

Buddhism is one of the most practical

among the world’s great religions because
its belief system intends to meet basic
human needs and solve humankind’s
spiritual problem without depending on
supernatural forces.
Buddhism is the religion of about 500 million people or
about 7% to 8% of the world’s population. Buddhist
followers are mostly found in the Asian continent, with
China having the largest population at around 244 million
or 18% of its total population. Asian countries that have
the highest Buddhist majority in terms of population
include Cambodia (97%), Thailand (93%), Myanmar
(80%), Bhutan (75%), Sri Lanka (69%), and Laos (66%).
 2 MAIN DIVISIONS

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM:

THERAVADA BUDDHISM:
 MAHAYANA BUDDHISM:
- Mahāyāna is a term for a broad group of
Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and
practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in
India and is considered one of the two main
existing branches of Buddhism.
- Mahayana Buddhists believe they can achieve
enlightenment through following the teachings
of the Buddha .
- The goal of a Mahayana Buddhist may be to
become a Bodhisattva and this is achieved
through the Six Perfections . Compassion is
very important in Mahayana Buddhism.
- Mahayana has 360 million followers.
- Mahayana is practiced in China, Japan, and
Monggolia.
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
- Theravāda is the most commonly accepted name
of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's
adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved
their version of Gautama Buddha's teaching or
Buddha Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over two
millennia.
- Theravada has 150 million adherents, followed
with Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
HISTORICAL
BAKGROUND
CORE BELIEFS

Buddhism is one of the world's largest

religions and originated 2,500 years ago in
India. Buddhists believe that the human life is
one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual
and physical labor, and good behavior are the
ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.
NIRVANA?
NIRVANA

Nirvana is a place of perfect peace and

happiness, like heaven. In Hinduism and
Buddhism, nirvana is the highest state that
someone can attain, a state of enlightenment,
meaning a person's individual desires and
suffering go away.
GOALS

The goal of Buddhism is to become

enlightened and reach nirvana. Nirvana is
believed to be attainable only with the
elimination of all greed, hatred, and
ignorance within a person. Nirvana signifies
the end of the cycle of death and rebirth.
TRAITS

Buddha's teachings are known as “dharma.”

He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience,
generosity and compassion were important
virtues. Specifically, all Buddhists live by five
moral precepts, which prohibit: Killing living
things, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying
and intoxication.
VALUE

The main Buddhist values are love, wisdom,

goodness, calmness and self-control.
Buddhists believe that people should try to
end suffering; all things should be seen as
having no self or essential nature.
LIFE OF BUDDHA
The sage Siddhartha Gautama may have been born between 563 B.C.E.
to 480 B.C.E. into the Sakya tribe in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal)
near the town of Kapilavastu (the capital city of the Sakya state) in the
foothills of the Nepalese Himalayas (Kulananda 2001). Born into the
Kshatriya castle, his father was Suddhodana, an aristocratic. Hindu
chieftain, and his mother was Mahamaya, a Koliyan princess. The
Buddhas family name was Gautama or Gotama. According to tradition,
at the time when Siddhartha was conceived, Queen Mahamaya dreamt
of a brilliant white light shining down on her from tusks. The elephant
move closer to the queen and melted into her body.
Ten months later, Siddhartha was born. He emerged from the
side of the queen, took seven steps, and said “I have been
born to achieve awakening (bodhi) for the good of the world:
this is my last birth to Siddhartha, also known as, Sakyamuni
or the “sage of the Sakya clan”. The name Siddhartha means
“he who achieves his aims”. He was reared by Mahamaya’s
younger sister Mahapajapati who became his father’s second
wife and the first woman to request ordination from the
Buddha. The word “Buddha” means “ the awakened one” or
“the enlightened one”.
 SACRED
SCRIPTURES
The early school of Buddhism develops their own
unique body of sacred texts. Of these, however, only
the Pali Canon or the Tipitaka/Tripitaka (“three
baskets”) of Theravada Buddhism survives (Coogan
2005). Preserved in the Pali language, this standard
collection of scriptures of Theravada Buddhists is
the first known, the most conservative and the most
complete extant early canon of Buddhist writings.
 TRIPITAKA
Sutta Pitaka or the first basket, contains the conventional
teachings delivered by Siddhartha by different locations.

Vinaya Pitaka or the second basket, contains disciplinary code

required of Buddhist monks and nuns.

Abhidhamma Pitaka or the third basket, a work on moral

psychology.
BELIEFS AND
DOCTRINES
Siddhartha never intended to start a new religion
especially, and so his teachings are focused
primarily in ethics and self-understanding as people
work for their salvation on their own without
needing the assistance of any supreme being
(Hopfe 1983). Siddhartha did not claim to be a
savior but a guide and teacher as he pointed the
way for others to follow and gain spiritual bliss in
doing so.
 BUDDHISTS BELIEVE
Salvation entirely lies within anyone’s control, it
has no place for God or savior.
People live in a state of nonsoulness
 Nothing is permanent in this world, all
conditions things are passing.
No soul is being reborn
 FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. This identifies the origin of the problem- the dukkha. Suffering can
be experience throughout the different stages of a persons life- from
birth, sickness, old age, to ultimate death.
2. This explains the cause of suffering or the samodaya- in craving or
desire (or tanha), in the perpetual thirst of humans to consume things,
experiences, and ideas (Parrinder 1971).
3. This asserts that there is cessations or nirodha to suffering and
bondage by eliminating craving and desire.
4. This directs an individual to the path or magga leading to the
termination of craving and desire and to eventual cessation of pain.
LAW OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

The law of dependent origination or Paticca-

samuppada is one of the most insightful teachings
of Siddhartha. With everything built upon a set of
relations, it follows that every effect has a definite
cause and every cause has a definite effect
(Mizuno 1987). In short, into being by mere
accident and actions do not happen in a random
way.
 IMPERMANENCE OF THINGS
Nothing in this world are fixed and permanent and
everything is subject to change and alteration.
Buddhism affirms 5 processes deemed
uncontrollable by any individual: Old age,
sickness, dying, decay, and death. When one is
released from Samsara that being has then reach
Nirvana.
THE SANGHA
The Pali word sangha literally means “sharer” that
refers to monks who are the general funds of alms
provided by a community. Translated as
“association” or “assembly”, sangha pertains to
the Buddhist order and monastic community as
founded by Siddhartha’s during the same year that
he attained his enlightment.
The most popular monks in Buddhist history were the
“Five Ascetics”. Siddhartha preached and accepted
members to the sangha regardless of rank in society.
Buddhist monks are called bhikkus while nuns bhikkunis.
They constantly meditate and study the teachings of
Sidhhartha. Likewise abstained from sexual pleasures,
stealing, and killing. To be fully ordained monk or nun,
one must commit to extensive set of vows. Finally,
members of the sangha must ensure that Buddhist
teachings are preserved and transmitted.
WORSHIP AND
OBSERVANCES
Attainment of salvation of any Buddhist is
by way of one’s own action without the
assistance of any supreme or supernatural
being. Followers are guided by the teaching
of Siddhartha as lay people offer gifts to
Siddhartha and the sangha during days of
worship and observance.
Most Buddhist aspire to visit holy shrines as
possible during their lifetime as this is an
admirable deed. Siddhartha himself pronounced 4
to which every Buddhist must have high regard:
his birthplace, place of his enlightenment, place of
his first sermon, and place of his parinirvana.
In Sri Lanka, many pilgrims visit Adam’s Peak or
Sri Pada, a tall conical mountain popular for the
mark of the sacred footprint of Siddhartha and
Adam.
For Buddhist celebrations, the most important festival
occurs every May. Buddhists around the world
commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of
Siddhartha about 2,500 years ago. “Vesak Day” also
known as “Buddha Day” the holiest day for all
Buddhist that falls on the lunar month May. Buddhist
send out thought of affectionate benevolence to the
living and to departed ones. They also perform rituals at
stupas. Most of their festivals are frequently happy.
SUBDIVISIONS
Theravada is the more conservative
subdivision of Buddhism than
Mahayana. Thus, it is closer to the
fundamental teachings of Siddhartha.
SELECTED
ISSUES
In Buddhism, war is evil or akusala and some
scholars state that it has no rationalization In
Siddhartha’s teachings. However, there are
instances wherein Buddhist monks engaged
themselves in open conflict, such as those
that occurred in China and Japan.
When Buddhist defend their nations, home, and family
this may not be necessarily wrong as the religions
morality is based upon principles, not rules. They are
compelled to go to war when other people do not value
the concept of brotherhood as preached by Siddhartha.
However, following Siddhartha’s teachings, everyone is
encouraged to avoid hostilities and instead find ways to
resolve disagreements in a peaceful manner.
WOMEN IN
BUDDHISM
Historically speaking, Siddhartha allowed
women to participate in the sangha
although there were some stipulations.
Siddhartha’s outlook is very different
when one considers the status of women
in ancient India as being viewed as
inferior to men.