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Buddhism

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GCSE Buddhism Revision Notes: Buddhist Beliefs and Siddhartha Gautama

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GCSE Buddhism Revision Notes: Buddhist Beliefs and Siddhartha Gautama

Maisha B_9

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Buddhist beliefs and practices form the foundation of one of the world's major religions. This summary explores key aspects of Buddhism, including the life of Siddhartha Gautama, his path to enlightenment, and core Buddhist teachings.

The life of Siddhartha Gautama, from prince to ascetic to enlightened Buddha
The Four Sights that inspired Siddhartha's spiritual journey
Buddha's enlightenment and the development of core Buddhist teachings
Key concepts like the Dhamma, Three Refuges, and Dependent Arising

16/06/2023

540

Buddhism Beliefs:
Buddha's birth and life of luxury:
Original name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he was a prince
who lived in a palace
Queen M

The Dhamma: Core Buddhist Teachings

The Dhamma, also known as Dharma in Sanskrit, refers to the truth that the Buddha realized upon enlightenment and the path of training he recommended to his followers.

Definition: Dhamma encompasses both the ultimate truth of reality and the practical teachings that guide Buddhists towards enlightenment.

The Three Refuges (Three Jewels)

The Three Refuges, also known as the Three Jewels, are fundamental aspects of Buddhist practice:

The Buddha
The Dhamma
The Sangha (Buddhist community)

Quote: "To the Buddha for refuge I go / To the Dhamma for refuge I go /To the Sangha for refuge I go" - Dhamma

Patticasamuppada (Dependent Arising)

Patticasamuppada is a key concept in Buddhist philosophy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all phenomena.

Definition: Dependent Arising is the idea that everything depends on supporting conditions, and nothing exists independently.

This concept is often illustrated through the Tibetan Wheel of Life, which depicts the cycle of samsara and the 12 nidanas (stages) of dependent arising.

Highlight: The cycle of dependent arising can be broken, offering the possibility of achieving nibbana (enlightenment).

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The Three Marks of Existence

[Note: The transcript for this section is incomplete, so a full summary cannot be provided. However, the Three Marks of Existence are typically described as impermanence (anicca), suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) in Buddhist philosophy.]

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The Birth and Early Life of Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become known as the Buddha, was born into a life of luxury as a prince. His birth was surrounded by legendary events, including his mother Queen Maya's dream of a white elephant descending from heaven.

Highlight: According to legend, Siddhartha could walk and talk immediately after birth, taking seven steps as lotus flowers appeared under his feet.

A prophecy declared that Siddhartha would become either a great king or a holy man. His parents, hoping to guide him towards kingship, sheltered him from the hardships of the world, providing him with every comfort and luxury.

The Four Sights

The turning point in Siddhartha's life came when he encountered the Four Sights, which profoundly impacted his worldview and set him on the path to enlightenment.

Definition: The Four Sights are spiritual insights that revealed the nature of suffering and the potential for a spiritual solution.

The Four Sights Siddhartha encountered were:

Old Age
Illness
Death
A Holy Man

These experiences led Siddhartha to renounce his life of luxury and seek a spiritual path to address the problem of suffering.

Vocabulary: Renunciation in Buddhism refers to the act of letting go of worldly attachments, an important aspect of the Buddhist life.

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The Buddha's Enlightenment

Siddhartha's journey to enlightenment culminated in his determination to meditate until he achieved spiritual wisdom. This process was not without challenges, as he faced temptations and distractions personified by the demon Mara.

Example: Mara attempted to distract Siddhartha by sending beautiful girls, throwing weapons at him, and questioning his right to seek enlightenment.

Despite these obstacles, Siddhartha remained focused and undeterred. According to Buddhist tradition, his enlightenment took place during three watches of the night:

First Watch: Siddhartha gained knowledge of all his previous lives.
Second Watch: He understood the cycle of samsara and the role of kamma in rebirth.
Third Watch: He realized the cause of suffering and the path to overcome it.

Quote: "[...] not until I attain the supreme Enlightenment will I give up this seat of meditation" - The Buddha in the Jataka vol 1 p71

After achieving enlightenment, Siddhartha became known as The Buddha, or "The Enlightened One." He then began to share his spiritual wisdom, teaching the Middle Way to five ascetics and establishing the foundation of Buddhist practice.

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The Buddha's Ascetic Life

After renouncing his princely life, Siddhartha embarked on an ascetic journey lasting six years. During this time, he engaged in extreme practices of self-discipline and self-denial.

Example: Siddhartha lived in dangerous forests with extreme temperatures, slept on beds of thorns, and ate so little that he became extremely emaciated.

Siddhartha believed that these austere practices would lead to spiritual wisdom and a solution to the problem of suffering. He also learned and practiced meditation during this period.

Definition: Meditation in Buddhism is the practice of calming and focusing the mind, as well as deeply reflecting on specific teachings to understand their true meaning.

The Middle Way

Eventually, Siddhartha realized that extreme asceticism was not the path to enlightenment. He became so weak that he could not meditate effectively. This realization led him to develop the concept of "The Middle Way".

Highlight: The Middle Way is a path between two extremes, rejecting both the life of indulgence he had known as a prince and the extreme asceticism he had practiced.

Siddhartha restored his health and strength, recognizing that while he had gained discipline and willpower through his ascetic practices, he had not found the answer to the problem of suffering.

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Subjects

Religious Studies

Buddhism

Beliefs

GCSE Buddhism Revision Notes: Buddhist Beliefs and Siddhartha Gautama

Maisha B_9

@mb_9

8 Followers

The life of Siddhartha Gautama, from prince to ascetic to enlightened Buddha
The Four Sights that inspired Siddhartha's spiritual journey
Buddha's enlightenment and the development of core Buddhist teachings
Key concepts like the Dhamma, Three Refuges, and Dependent Arising

16/06/2023

540

10/11

Religious Studies

The Dhamma: Core Buddhist Teachings

The Dhamma, also known as Dharma in Sanskrit, refers to the truth that the Buddha realized upon enlightenment and the path of training he recommended to his followers.

Definition: Dhamma encompasses both the ultimate truth of reality and the practical teachings that guide Buddhists towards enlightenment.

The Three Refuges (Three Jewels)

The Three Refuges, also known as the Three Jewels, are fundamental aspects of Buddhist practice:

The Buddha
The Dhamma
The Sangha (Buddhist community)

Quote: "To the Buddha for refuge I go / To the Dhamma for refuge I go /To the Sangha for refuge I go" - Dhamma

Patticasamuppada (Dependent Arising)

Patticasamuppada is a key concept in Buddhist philosophy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all phenomena.

Definition: Dependent Arising is the idea that everything depends on supporting conditions, and nothing exists independently.

This concept is often illustrated through the Tibetan Wheel of Life, which depicts the cycle of samsara and the 12 nidanas (stages) of dependent arising.

Highlight: The cycle of dependent arising can be broken, offering the possibility of achieving nibbana (enlightenment).

The Three Marks of Existence

The Birth and Early Life of Siddhartha Gautama

Highlight: According to legend, Siddhartha could walk and talk immediately after birth, taking seven steps as lotus flowers appeared under his feet.

The Four Sights

The turning point in Siddhartha's life came when he encountered the Four Sights, which profoundly impacted his worldview and set him on the path to enlightenment.

Definition: The Four Sights are spiritual insights that revealed the nature of suffering and the potential for a spiritual solution.

The Four Sights Siddhartha encountered were:

Old Age
Illness
Death
A Holy Man

These experiences led Siddhartha to renounce his life of luxury and seek a spiritual path to address the problem of suffering.

Vocabulary: Renunciation in Buddhism refers to the act of letting go of worldly attachments, an important aspect of the Buddhist life.

The Buddha's Enlightenment

Example: Mara attempted to distract Siddhartha by sending beautiful girls, throwing weapons at him, and questioning his right to seek enlightenment.

Despite these obstacles, Siddhartha remained focused and undeterred. According to Buddhist tradition, his enlightenment took place during three watches of the night:

First Watch: Siddhartha gained knowledge of all his previous lives.
Second Watch: He understood the cycle of samsara and the role of kamma in rebirth.
Third Watch: He realized the cause of suffering and the path to overcome it.

Quote: "[...] not until I attain the supreme Enlightenment will I give up this seat of meditation" - The Buddha in the Jataka vol 1 p71

The Buddha's Ascetic Life

After renouncing his princely life, Siddhartha embarked on an ascetic journey lasting six years. During this time, he engaged in extreme practices of self-discipline and self-denial.

Example: Siddhartha lived in dangerous forests with extreme temperatures, slept on beds of thorns, and ate so little that he became extremely emaciated.

Siddhartha believed that these austere practices would lead to spiritual wisdom and a solution to the problem of suffering. He also learned and practiced meditation during this period.

Definition: Meditation in Buddhism is the practice of calming and focusing the mind, as well as deeply reflecting on specific teachings to understand their true meaning.

The Middle Way

Highlight: The Middle Way is a path between two extremes, rejecting both the life of indulgence he had known as a prince and the extreme asceticism he had practiced.

Siddhartha restored his health and strength, recognizing that while he had gained discipline and willpower through his ascetic practices, he had not found the answer to the problem of suffering.