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In the last half of the twentieth century up to the present, Buddhism has become increasingly popular in the West. What is the appeal of this religion, and why are so many people in the West looking to Buddhism to fulfill their spiritual needs? Buddhism emphasizes things to feel and do, rather than things to believe, nor does it recommend that anyone accept its teachings without experimentation. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to end suffering, and attain absolute peace and joy. In western societies, we try to achieve happiness by acquiring material possessions, yet in the midst of wealth and abundance, suffering and unhappiness are rampant. Buddhism offers an alternative to end suffering by internal processes rather than external acquisitions.
Intro to Buddhism with Morgan Freeman (10 minutes)
Unit Expectations
Unit Expectations
SC1.07 - Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational importance of the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama in the Buddhist way of life.
PF1.04 - Examine the human search for meaning and purpose as found in the belief systems of Buddhist traditions (i.e. China, Japan, Tibet).
PF2.03 - Show reverence for the various dimensions of the sacred as found in Buddhism.
PF2.05 - Recognize the centrality of human dignity and personhood to the world's religious traditions.
PF3.01 - Articulate ways in which people search for the sacred in life.
PF3.05 - Name traditional and contemporary examples of people of faith and integrity.
CM1.07 - Demonstrate an understanding of the moral precepts found in the religions of Buddhism.
CM2.07 - Appreciate traditional and contemporary examples of moral living as found in the various religions of the world.
CM3.06 - Examine the importance of moral precepts for daily living Buddhism.
FL1.05 - State the stages of human faith development (i.e. from ego‑centric to group‑centred orientation, and eventually towards acceptance of universal principles and values).
RB3.01 - Categorize the practices and rituals of various religions (e.g., adhan, almsgiving, asceticism, atonement, anointing, covenant, sacrifice, holy days, dietary laws, vision quest);
RB3.02 - Identify the origin and significance of various practices, rituals, symbols, and festivals;
RB3.03 - Demonstrate an understanding of the role of sign and symbol in Buddhism.
RB3.04 – Demonstrate an understanding of important rituals and milestones in Buddhism.
Be sure to watch the pre-recorded seminar on Buddhism by clicking on the link below. You can follow along with the slide show presentation. Please attach the completed exit card below for assessment purposes and attach it to your unit guide.
You are required to answer all questions found throughout this unit using the Answer Recording Sheet found below. Download and save it to your Google Docs and work on your answers as you go through this page. You will need to print the questions and your answers as part of your unit submission. If you prefer to work on a hard copy, printed versions of this sheet are available at the religion counter.
BUDDHISM ANSWER RECORDING SHEET.docxFestivals
Festivals
Vesak (say "VEE-sak") is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar. It’s a holiday that celebrates the birth of Buddha. He's the person who began the religion known as Buddhism.
The day is also known as Wesak, Buddha Day, or Buddha Burmina. It’s celebrated on the day of the full moon in May. It lands on different days depending on where you live in the world.
People often prepare for the holiday by cleaning their homes and decorating them. Temples are also decorated with flowers.
When Vesak arrives, Buddhists visit their temples. They bring offerings of food, candles and flowers to the monks. The monks chant, pray and teach lessons to all of those who have come to the temple that day.
A special ceremony called “bathing the Buddha” also takes place on Vesak. During this ritual, people pour water over a statue of Buddha. It’s a way to show respect to Buddha for his teachings. it’s also a celebration of new beginnings.
Depending on the country, there are a number of different traditions for Vesak.
In Thailand and Indonesia, special lanterns are made from paper and wood. Then they’re hung from houses and trees.
In China, there is a tradition of creating large, colourful dragons. They are carried through the streets in a parade.
Some countries release caged birds into the air. They symbolize that all creatures should be free and happy.
Class discussion
What is the significance of Vesak? How does it compare to other religious festivals that you know of?
Songkran
This festival in Thailand kicks off on April 13 and usually lasts three days, though festivities can start early or end later in some cities. The holiday’s main focus is about moving forward—in fact, the word Songkran comes from a phrase in the Sanskrit language that means “passage of the sun.”
Water plays a major role in the festival. Symbolically it washes away the previous year so people can get ready for the next one. But many other Songkran traditions use water as well.
People prepare for the new year by cleaning houses, schools, offices, and other public spaces. They’re joined by family members who have moved away and returned for the holiday to spend time with loved ones.
Many families wake up early during Songkran and visit Buddhist temples, where they bring offerings such as food and listen to monks as they preach. (Buddhism is a religion practiced mostly in eastern and central Asia.) Visitors sprinkle clean or scented water over statues of Buddha—the person believed to have started Buddhism—to represent purification and good fortune. Younger people also pour water on the hands of elderly relatives and friends to show their respect and ask for blessings in the coming year.
Some temple visitors bring sand, which is meant to replenish the sand that’s been carried away on shoes throughout the year. They leave the sand in stupas (or mounds) on the ground, which are then decorated with colorful flags and flowers.
Honoring family traditions and religious practices are important parts of Songkran, but so is having some fun. Outside, Songkran is celebrated with street parties featuring loud music and a giant friendly water fight.
People collect water in buckets, squirt guns, and anything else they can find, then hit the streets to playfully splash each other. It’s a good thing April is one of the hottest months of the year in Thailand!
Class discussion:
How is Songkran similar/different to Vesak? What stood out most in this video to you?
Milestones
Milestones
Marriage - when a couple gets married, the bride and groom go to the monastery to feed the monks in order to receive a blessing, but the monks never attend the wedding itself.
A Buddhist Funeral marks death in an elaborate and ritualized way. Buddhist practices are based on the cremation customs of India, but have strong Buddhist characteristics. Burial is permitted because wood is too costly in some Buddhist countries.
First, the route to the cemetery is cleared of potholes, weeds, and overgrown grass. They body is placed into a funeral pyre so that it is hidden from view. Everyone present recites the Triple Refuge and the Five Precepts. The fire is then lit by the eldest son of the deceased. Teaching services are held six days after the death, and similar services are held again after three months, and one year.
Sacred Writings
Sacred Writings
The Tripitaka is the earliest collection of buddhist writings. Initially, they were composed orally, but were written down by the third century BCE. The word means "the three baskets," (tri=three, pitaka=baskets), and refers to the way the texts were first recorded. The early writing material was long, narrow leaves, which were sewn together on one side. Bunches of these were then stored in baskets.
Each Buddhist sub-tradition had its own Tripitaka for its monasteries, written by its sangha, each set consisting of 32 books, in three parts or baskets of teachings: (1) the basket of expected discipline from monks (Vinaya Piṭaka), (2) basket of discourse (Sūtra Piṭaka, Nikayas), and (3) basket of special doctrine (Abhidharma Piṭaka). The structure, the code of conduct and moral virtues in the Vinaya basket particularly, have similarities to some of the surviving Dharmasutra texts of Hinduism.
Koans are unsolvable riddles presented to a novice by their teacher to illustrate the inexplicable aspects of the human experience, or for the purpose of mental discipline. They cannot be solved by logic. They can only be understood through realization. An example of a koan is: "What is the sound of a hand?"
Groups and Institutions
Groups and Institutions
Theravada - ("Lesser Vehicle") branch of schools began about the 4th century BCE. Theravadists are found especially in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Theravadists believe that:
Enlightenment is only for monks
Wisdom is the most important virtue
Humans are individuals
Mahayana - ("Greater Vehicle") branch of schools began about the 1st century C.E.; Mahayanists are found today especially in Korea, China, Japan, and Tibet. Zen Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana. Mahayanists believe that:
Enlightenment is for everyone
Compassion is the most important virtue
Humans are involved with others
Vajrayana - ("Diamond Vehicle") is a Tantric form of Buddhism that developed out of Mahayana. Vajrayana is found in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, and Nepal. Vajrayana is also know as Tantric Buddhism because of its emphasis on rituals (like mantras), and on visualization creations (like wall hangings and mandalas).
Zen is a Buddhist sect that originated in Japan. It is also an off-shoot of Mahayana Buddhism. This sect favours meditation and intuition rather than scripture or rituals as the means to enlightenment. Using nature and maintaining aesthetic environments is also part of the Zen practice.
cultural impact
cultural impact
The Dalai Lama figure is important for many reasons. Since the time of the fifth Dalai Lama, his personage has always been a symbol of the state of Tibet, represented Buddhist values and traditions. The Dalai Lama was an important figure of the Geluk tradition, which was politically and numerically dominant in Central Tibet. The traditional function of the Dalai Lama as an spiritual figure, holding together disparate religious and regional groups, has been taken up by the present fourteenth Dalai Lama (the current one).
In 1951, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government were pressured into accepting the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet by which it became formally incorporated into the People's Republic of China. Fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt in Tibet in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, from where he led a government in exile.
In the late 1980s, he sought high level autonomy for Tibet. But in 2001 the 14th Dalai Lama ceded his partial power over the government to an elected parliament of selected Tibetan exiles. In 2014 and 2016, he stated that Tibet wants to be part of China but China should let Tibet preserve its culture and script.
Watch the documentary: The Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha. What did you find interesting? What new things did you learn?
Be sure to complete the UNIT COMPLETION ASSESSMENT and consult with your teacher BEFORE you continue on to the Second Unit Task. If you prefer a paper copy of this sheet, it is also available for you at the religion counter.
Unit Completion Assessment.docxUnit 4 Task options
Unit 4 Task options
Choose one of the following task ideas below to demonstrate your learning and complete this unit. It is always advisable to consult with your teacher while you work on this task to ensure you are meeting the expectations and getting the best possible mark. Be sure that all of your work is properly cited with appropriate analysis. As Mary Ward is a Self-Directed Learning system, you may also create and develop your own task in consultation with your teacher.
1. SELF DIRECT! Always recommended! Choose one topic in this unit that you were particularly interested in (i.e. Symbols, Rituals, History, Beliefs, etc . . . or a topic related to this unit that was not covered but worthy of exploring), then choose one style of presentation that you are confident with or would like to develop (i.e. written paragraph, website, documentary, video, slide presentation, art installation, podcast, etc . . . ) and consult/discuss with your teacher what the product will look like. You also have the option to make the task interdisciplinary with another course(s), and/or do a group project.
Some suggestions are listed below if it can be of any assistance to you as you self direct:
2. Write an opinion piece on what you think the important aspects if any Buddhist festival? Be sure to conduct research and cite your sources.
OR
3. Conduct some research on the Dalai Lama and the history of Tibet. Is the Dalai Lama still an important global figure, or over-rated and irrelevant? Be sure to cite your sources in your work.
NOTE: All of your work must be properly cited. Work that is not cited properly will be returned to you to be redone with a stronger sense of academic integrity.
Please see evaluation rubrics below for your task. Consult with your teacher for any clarification regarding your evaluation.
Please see evaluation rubrics below for your task. Consult with your teacher for any clarification regarding your evaluation.
Writing Rubric.docxRubric for a Visual Product.docxPresentation Rubric.docxUnit work checklist
Unit work checklist
Be sure you have answered the following questions and completed the following tasks before submitting your unit to your teacher. This checklist needs to be signed by the religion counter for your unit submission to be accepted.
BUDDHISM I UNIT SUBMISSION CHECKLIST.docxGoogle Sites
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