World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide under a sacred fig tree known as a Bodhi tree. He was in the town of Bodh Gaya, India. At the age of 35, he sat under the tree, vowing not to rise until he had attained enlightenment. He sat for several days, destroying the restrains of his mind and liberating himself from the cycle of suffering and rebirth; when he arose, he was a fully enlightened being. Upon arising, Buddha was able to gather a number of followers. He traveled through the northeastern part of the Indian subcontintent and talked of the path of awakening he had discovered. In 483 BCE, at the age of 80, he died in Kushinagar, India. Buddhist Concepts Buddha was a teacher, not a god. He did not claim to be a god, but someone who taught the path to enlightenment. He taught of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Three Refuges. 4.2 The Three Refuges The three refuges are Samsará, Karma, and Rebirth. Samsa a The “cycle of birth and death.” Humans crave pleasure and they are adverse to pain; this is true, from birth to death. Humans are controlled by these attitudes, and therefore, they perpetuate the cycle of conditioned existence and suffering (samsara). This also is a cause and condition of the next rebirth after death. Each time the human is reborn, the involuntary cycle repeats. Buddhists strive to end this involuntary cycle by applying the teachings of Buddha. The uninterrupted cycle of death and rebirth is called “cyclic existence” (“Samsara” in Sanskrit). Karma The force that drives Samsara. The good deeds and the bad deeds produce “seeds” in the mind that come to fruition either in this life or in the next. Buddhists try to avoid unwholesome actions and the cultivation of positive actions is called “sila”. Karma is an action or thought that springs from mental intent (“cetana”); as a result, actions happen to the person based on their reaping of what they have sown. In Theravada Buddhism, there is no divine salvation or forgiveness for one and their Karma. The process of Karma is impersonal and part of the makeup of the universe. Mahayana Buddhists believe the mere hearing the texts of Mahayana sutras can remove negative Karma. Vajaryana also believe the recitation of mantras can cut off previously negative Karma. Rebirth This refers to when a person goes through a succession of lifetimes as one of many different forms, each running from birth to death. Buddhists do not believe in a permanent self or an unchanging eternal soul. Buddhists do not believe they are independent of the rest of the universe. The rebirth can take place in one of the 10 forms: 1. Hellish beings: Those who live a lifetime in one of the many hells (Narakas) 2. Preta: Hungry ghosts that are with the living, but invisible to most people 3. Animals: They share space with humans, but are considered another type of life 4. Human beings: This realm of rebirth is one in which nirvana is possible 5. Asuras: Lowly deities, demons, titans, antigods, and fighting spirts 6. Buddhas ©2018 Achieve Page 30 of 96