Silk Road Religion: Buddhism

Buddha "the Enlightened One," ca. 566-486 BCE

Names

Siddhartha Gautama

Sakyamuni  “Sage of the Sakyas”

Life

Kshatriya (Warrior) prince

Path to enlightenment

Leaves family

Ascetic

“The Middle Path”

Yogic Meditation

Key concepts from Indian tradition

Karma

Nirvana

4 Noble Truths

1) Life is samsara (suffering-attachment)

2) Desire is source of samsara

3) Ending desire is solution to cessation of samsara

4) Noble Eightfold Path to ceasing desire

Ethical Steps

1) Right Belief, 2) Right Aspiration, 3) Right Speech, 4) Right Conduct, 5) Right Means of Livelihood

Transcendental Steps

6) Right Endeavor, 7) Right Memory, 8) Right Meditation

Spread of Buddhism in S. Asia

Wandering monks

Popular worship

Stupa

Relics

Monasteries

Monks

Lay believers

State Religion

Mauryan Empire

Ashoka or Asoka (r. 268-232 BCE)

Rock and pillar edicts

Kushan Empire (50-260 CE)

Greater Yuezhi (Yüeh-chih)

Kharosthi texts

Gandharan statues

Alexander the Great (326 BCE)

Doctrinal Divisions

Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) or Theravada (Teaching of the Elders)

Monasticism

Meditation

Mahayana (Greater Vehicle), 1st-2nd c. CE

Kushan Empire (50-260 CE)

Multiple Buddhas

Maitreya (Chinese: Miluo)

Buddha of the Future

Bodhisattva (Enlightened Being)

Avalokitesvara (Chinese: Guanyin)

Devotionalism

Compassion