Name: ______Date: ______Class: ______

BUDDHISM

Part 1: Buddhism Basics

There are many, many varieties of Buddhism in the world. It is most commonly practiced in the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, but there are hundreds of millions of Buddhists across the globe. The goal of Buddhism is to gain enlightenment, as the Buddha once did. Buddhism is a unique religion in that it is not generally focused on a “god.” Most Buddhists believe in “gods”—many of the Hindu gods—but they are not a key part of the religion. In some branches of Buddhism, the Buddha is considered a “god,” but traditionally he is seen simply as the ideal human being.

Buddhism and Hinduism share many similarities, but also have many important differences. For instance, while both believe in reincarnation, one key difference is that Buddhism rejects the caste system—seeing all people (and creatures) as equal. Look for others as you go through this presentation.

Below, you will record what you learn about the founder of Buddhism, and then, on the back, you will explore more of his teachings.

Part 2: The Story of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was a real person, who lived in a small kingdom near Nepal during the 400s BCE—a time, like now, when Hinduism was the most common religion in the region. He eventually became the Buddha (“enlightened one”). While he was a real person, the story of his life is usually told in the form of a legend in which he is shown as the ideal human being.

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Part 3: The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

Siddhartha Gautama, once he became the Buddha, (“Enlightened One”) preached that there are Four Noble Truths about life. Below, fill in the blanks for the four noble truths and provide an illustration for each one.

THE FIRST NOBLE TRUTH: The world is full of ______/ THE SECOND NOBLE TRUTH: which is caused by ______,
THE THIRD NOBLE TRUTH: but can be ended by ______
______, / THE FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH: and the way to do this was to __________________.