Week 3 1/2

Week 3 Content

This week we will be studying Buddhism, a religious tradition that grew out of Hinduism when a young Hindu prince decided to leave the security of a palace and encountered suffering in the world around him. He felt compelled to embark on a spiritual journey in the world and within his own life, and became enlightened and began teaching the basic principles known now as Buddhism. 
 
Week 3 Objectives: 
Through assigned readings, writing, discussion and assessment, the student will be able to: 
  • Identify beliefs and values that Buddhism holds true, which comes from Hinduism.
  • Identify the issues that led Siddhartha Gautama to leave his own and family traditions behind, to establish another religion.
  • Discover why Buddhism spread to other continents while Hinduism remained much more isolated

Readings

Textbook(s): 

Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change
Molloy, M. (2005) Experiencing the world's religions: tradition, challenge and change. New York: McGraw Hill
  • Chapter 4 - Buddhism
Keep these study questions in mind as you read Chapter 4:
 
1. What two questions led to Siddhartha Gautama to leave a life of luxury and begin his search for truth?
2. What did "the Buddha" tell his followers just before he died?
3. What are the three major branches of Buddhism?
 
Know the Four Noble Truths, and answer the following questions:
 
1. What causes suffering?
2. How do you minimize it?
3. How does one become released from it?

Video on Buddhism

Sarah Getti McNeill  was a chaplain at Methodist Hospital and spent time in Sri Lanka, a small island country
just off the south Indian coast.You will enjoy the pictures and her comments on what she saw and
experienced first hand during her year in that setting. Here is the video. Remember to watch in
shorter segments if you cannot view it in one sitting.
 
Internet Explorer or Firefox are the only browsers to use when viewing this video.