Introduction To World Religions & Belief Systems: Buddhism: The Way To Enlightenment
Introduction To World Religions & Belief Systems: Buddhism: The Way To Enlightenment
Department of Education
National Capital Region
DIVISION OF CITY SCHOOLS – MANILA
Manila Education Center Arroceros Forest Park
Antonio J. Villegas St. Ermita, Manila
Introduction to
World Religions &
Belief Systems
Buddhism: The Way to
Enlightenment
Quarter 2
Module 2
.
HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
Before starting the module, I want you to set aside other tasks that will disturb
you while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions below to successfully
enjoy the objectives of this kit. Have fun!
1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every page of
this module.
1. Write on your notebook the concepts about the lessons. Writing enhances
learning that is important to develop and keep in mind.
2. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
3. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers using the answer key card.
4. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
5. Enjoy studying!
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EXPECTATIONS
This module expects us to draw insight from the act of generosity of Tzu Shi
Foundation that reflects the core teaching of Theravada Buddhism.
Specifically, this module will help you to:
Understand the elements of Theravada Buddhism – its founder, sacred texts,
and doctrines.
Valuing self-worth through the act of generosity, morality, patience,
perseverance, and insights in dealing with others.
Evaluate the Eight-Fold Path in terms of how it achieved the Middle Way
Reflect on the influence of uniqueness of Theravada Buddhism to modern
society.
Shall we start the journey in learning more about Buddhism:
The Way to Enlightenment? I am sure you are ready and
excited to answer the Pretest. Smile and cheer up!
PRETEST
Directions: Fill in the blank. Choose the letter of the best answer and write it on
the space provided.
1. Siddhartha Gautama was called Buddha, which means _____.
a. Selfless One c. Enlightened One
b. Magnificent One d. Oneness
2. Buddhism is not a “theistic” religion called _____ that does not believe in god
or gods.
a. Nontheistic c. Atheistic
b. Monotheistic d. Polytheistic
3. The _____ are like scriptures, which contain the teachings of Buddha.
a. Bible c. Qu’ran (Koran)
b. Vedas d. Sutras
4. Buddhists believe in the _____, which is the primary essence of Buddha’s
teaching.
a. Four Noble Truth c. Four Noble Men
b. Four Divine Wisdom d. Four Horsemen
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5. Among the Buddhists, they must attain the _____ paths, which are also
called the “Middle Path” that leads them to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
a. Eight O’clock c. Eight-Fold
b. Eight Minutes d. Eight Wise
Great, you finished answering the questions. You may request your
facilitator to check your work. Congratulations and keep on learning!
Let’s identify the words described and Play the CROSSWORD PUZZLE
To prove that you have remembered something from the past lesson about
Hinduism, carefully read the statement in each number and write your answer on
the space provided then find and highlight the word described inside the table. Use
the jumbled letters as a clue to answer to each number.
Clue Answer
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Y U K A R A S A M A S
Z P S T D W A T M A N
C A S T E S Y S T E M
U N H S I V B H Q R A
A I B X T Y J I L M N
N S R Z I W T V U G T
A H A F E Y L A N Q R
V A H T S U K A R M A
R D M S R P V E D A S
I U A S A N S K R I T
N Z N C A M H A R B X
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truth through their acts of serving people with generosity and compassion and not
as having merit of their own.
DISCUSSIONS
The Founder: Siddharta Gautama “Buddha”
Siddhartha Gautama “Buddha,” was the founder of Buddhism. He was an
Indian teacher who lived during the 5th century B.C. in Lumbini near Himalayan
foothill presently known as Nepal. He belongs to
the wealthy family, the Shakya clan as son of a
ruler. He named Siddhartha that means “the
one who achieves his aim,” while the name
Buddha means “the one who is awakened” or
“the enlightened one” was given to him upon
becoming aware of human sufferings and was
able to answer questions about sufferings
through moderate path between self-
mortification and self-indulgence, called the http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoos_designs
_symbols_bodhi_tree.htm
Middle Way.
After that, he became disturbed and spent sleepless night wondering about
what he saw. The next day, he decided to give up his bountiful lifestyle, left his
kingdom, his wife, and his son to undergo poverty and follow more spiritual path.
He was longing to find a way on how to let go the general sufferings until he
realized the idea of going through the “Middle Way,” which means existing in-
between two extremes. Subsequently, he sought a life without social pleasure but
also deprived to understand the important qualities of humanity.
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several religious teachers as his guide. He practiced his new way of life with a
group of five ascetics, who later became his followers. They intensified their efforts
in enduring pain, fasting to nearly starvation, and even rejecting to intake water.
When Buddha died around 483 B.C., his followers organized religious
society based on his teachings, which became the foundation of what now is known
as Buddhism. Accordingly, in the 3rd century B.C., a Mauryan Indian emperor
named Ashoka the Great, made Buddhism as India’s state religion. It was then
Buddhist monasteries were built and missionary works were encouraged to pattern
with Buddha’s teachings though out the country. Since then, Buddhism began to
spread beyond India from East Asia to Southeast Asia until it reaches some
Western countries.
This is believed as the oldest Buddhism, whose original texts were set down
in the Pali language by the monks of Sri Lanka. It was referred as the “traditions of
the elders.” As mentioned in britannica.com. Theravadins accept the Pali Canon of
Indian Buddhism as authoritative and trace their lineage back to the Elders
(Sanskrit: Sthaviras and Pali: Theras), who followed in the tradition of the senior
monks of the first Buddhist Sangha or community.
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considered as a person who has gained insights into the true nature of existence
and has achieved Nirvana and will never be reborn. (britannica.com)
History
After the death of Buddha in 483 B.C., Buddhist community in India was
divided into 18 schools and broke up into different sects. As mentioned in
newworldencyclopedia.org., the earliest reliable written history of Theravada
Buddhism is found in Sri Lanka in year 200 B.C.E. Accordingly, it was initially
taught by a missionary monk named Mahinda, the son of Mauryan emperor
Asoka. Mahinda studied under Moggaliputta-Tissa with his daughter Sanghamitta,
who believe to be the “mythical founders of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.”
(Wikipedia.org.)
The Theravada school traveled to Sri Lanka on the 3rd century B.C.E. during
the reign of emperor Ashoka. It was then the Theravada Buddhism gradually
spread eastward and became dominant in Myanmar in the late 11th century as well
as in Cambodia and Laos by the 13th and 14th century.
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triggered this school to subdivided into three subgroups namely: (1.) Mahavihara,
Abhayagirivihara, and Jetavanavihara, which was named after the monastery that
provided its venue. This opposition was widely subdued in 1164 under the
guidance of two monks from a forest branch of Mahavihara school.
(newworldencyclopedia.org)
Buddhist’s sutras are their canonical scriptures. The word Sutra or the
words and teachings of Buddha is a Sanskrit term that means “discourse,” which
believed to record important religious practices from the teaching of key religious
figures like Gautama Siddhartha Buddha.
Though there are many sacred texts and scriptures that Buddhism showed
worthy of great honor, the Buddhist are concentrated on three canon which
consists of (1.) Tripitaka also called Pali Canon, which provides supplementary
teachings, rules of conduct, and commentary on transitional states after death”
and (2.) Mahayana Sutras, refers to the three types teachings of Buddha, known
as the “three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma,” also called “the three baskets;” and
the (3.) Tibetan Book of the Dead that describes the stages of death in detail.
The Tripitaka or Pali Canon. This is the oldest Buddhist text, written
originally on three baskets consisting: 1. Vinaya Pitaka or Discipline Basket
consists of the five books detailing 277 monastic rules; 2. Sutta Pitaka or
Discourse Basket contains five collection of Buddha’s teachings and dialogues; and
3. Abhidhamma or Further Basket contains seven books of elaborations on other
teachings which includes the Dhammapada, a list of Buddha’s saying on
significant topics about thought, anger, and evil (Peto).
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Tibetan Book of the Dead. It is also called “Liberation in the Intermediate
State through Hearing.” This is a funerary text that is recited to ease the
consciousness of a recently deceased person through death and assist it into a
favorable rebirth. Buddhism believes that attachment to a craving for worldly
things spurs suffering and unease (dukkha), which influence actions whose
accumulated effects, or karma, bind individuals to the process of death and rebirth
(samsara).
According to this book, the period between death and rebirth lasts 49 days
and involves three bardos (between life and death): first, is the moment of death
itself, second, encounter frightening apparitions where the consciousness spirit
becomes confused and depending upon its karma, may be drawn into a rebirth that
delays its liberation; and third, is the transition into a new body. While in the
bardo, the spirit of the deceased can still capture words and prayers spoken by a
lama a religious teacher on its behalf. These prayers offer a greater chance of
attaining enlightenment, which begins shortly before death and continues
throughout the 49 – day period leading to rebirth.
https://ibreligiousexploration.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/sacred-texts-in-theravada-and-
mahayana-buddhism/
Buddhist’s Doctrines: The Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Paths
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attachment that brings negative actions to individuals like killing, stealing, lying,
etc. and that negative mental stat motivate negative actions such as desire, hatred,
ignorance, etc. (3.) Nirhodha or “The end of Sufferings” refer to the final
disappearance of all the bad experiences and their causes in such a way that they
can no longer occur again. (4.) Magga or “The Truth of the Path that frees us from
Sufferings,” which Buddha set out the
Eight-fold Paths as a way to release of
an individual from suffering.
1. Right Speech (Samma Vaca) – One must speak carefully, truthful, and must
use friendly words that is benevolent, pleasant, and gently. Speak only at
the right time and place. If one cannot say something useful, he should keep
“noble silence.”
3. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva) – It abstain people from making one’s living
through a profession that brings harm to others such as trading in arms and
weapons, intoxicating drinks or poisons, killing of animals, cheating, etc.,
and should live by a profession which is honorable, blameless, and innocent
harm to others.
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B. For Samadhi or Mental Discipline
4. Right Effort (Samma Vayama) – This refers to energetic will (a.) to prevent
evil and unpleasant state of mind from arising, and (b.) to get rid of such evil
and harmfulness conditions that already arisen within a man, and also (c.)
to produce (cause, arise, do) a wholesome state of mind, and (d.) to develop
and bring to perfection the good and wholesome states of mind already
present in a man.
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deep and the other one is through “penetration” or Pativedha, the real deep.
This penetration is seeing things in its “true nature” without name and label
that only happens when the minds is free from all impurities and fully
developed through a medium or meditation.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/polytheism-hinduism-buddhism-and-
confucianism.html
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this system that co-exists with one another. These causal relationships can affect
anyone by everything that happens around us. This explains the kind of world that
we all live internally and externally.
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/242580/bot_1982_04_
02.pdf?sequence=1
Theravada Buddhism entered Southeast Asia from India, China, and Sri
Lanka by means of trade, marriage, and missionary works. It was the work and
travel of missionaries sent by the Indian emperor named Ashoka to modern-day
Burma in 250 BCE that made it possible to spread Theravada Buddhism. Mons, an
ethnic group of Burma contributed to the success of Theravada Buddhism within
Indochina and as the region shifted and grew, inhabitants to Burma adopted their
culture, texts, and religion. (Wikipedia.com)
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When Khmer Empire dominated Southeast Asian peninsula in 11th to 13th
century, Buddhism becomes weak since Hinduism was their primary religion. It
was then that Theravada Buddhism was only exists in parts of Malaysia, northwest
Thailand, and lower Burma under reinforcement of a Pagan ruler, Anawrahta
Minsaw, the founder of modern Burmese nation. He embraced and revived the
Mon’s people and built schools and monasteries that taught and supported
Theravada ideologies that later grew in its nearby Southeast Asian countries like
Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Looking back on 11th century, religious conflict has been noted from the
tensions felt between the different Buddhist sects with the Buddhist kings wanted
to maintain their power over the people by trying to eliminate heretical movements
in order to have uniform religion. In Vietnam, the Nguyen Dynasty experienced
tension between Confucian rulers with the Buddhist monks in unifying the empire,
which was brought by their fear of possible rebellions from the monastery. Because
of this incident, Vietnamese declared a war on Buddhism to squash any resistance
to the union of their empire. In Siam, Buddhist resistance lead by Phu Mi Bun or
holy man named Phaya Phap occurs during the late 19th century until early 2oth
century because they resisted to pay an increased tax in the province of Chiang
Mai.
History reveals that Buddhist resistance played a vital role in anti-
colonialism movements. An intense militarization and resistance over colonial
occupiers happened not only in Burma and as well as on other southeast Asian
countries. When communists take over Laos in 1975, the monks fled from Lao to
Thailand and helped fund resistance from across the border while others who
stayed supported resistance fighters with food and medical supplies.
https://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/22/world/asia/buddhism-violence/index.html
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ACTIVITIES
Directions:
1. Reflect and think of appropriate words on each box based on your insights.
2. Write your answers inside the box.
3. Answer the questions written below the box and be ready to share your
answers with your classmates.
2. Right Action
3. Right Livelihood
4. Right Effort
5. Right
Mindfulness
6. Right
Concentration
7. Right Thoughts
8. Right
Understanding
1. What do you think among the Eight-Fold Paths is the most difficult to
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achieve to attain your set goal? Why?
2. Do you think these Eight-Fold Paths can really help a person to have
peaceful and healthy-living? Why or Why not?
3. Based on your own understanding, explain the statement below:
1. How can this medium represent yourself as well as your advocacy in life?
2. What do you think is your purpose in life?
3. In your own way, how do you attain this purpose?
REMEMBER
Followers of Buddhism do not acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They
instead focus on achieving enlightenment – a state of inner peace or wisdom to
reach Nirvana.
Buddhist do not consider Buddha as their god but as their founders, who is an
extraordinary man.
The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality, mediation and
wisdom.
Buddhist embraces the concepts of Karma (law of cause and effect) and
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Reincarnation (the continuous cycle of rebirth)
There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images have evolved that
represent Buddhist beliefs, including lotus flower, the eight-spoke dharma
wheel, the Bodhi tree, and the swastika or an ancient symbol whose name
means “well-being” or “good fortune” in Sanskrit.
- POST TEST
Directions: Modified True or False. Read and analyze the statement carefully. If it
is correct, write the word TRUE on the space provided. If it is false, choose an
appropriate word inside the parenthesis to replace the underline in the sentence
word to make it correct.
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REFERENCES
Online Sources
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism#:~:text=Buddhism%20is%20a%20fait
h%20that,of%20the%20major%20world%20religions.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
https://www.ancient.eu/buddhism/
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/chapter_2_religi
ons/Buddhism.htm
https://ourhappyschool.com/religion/theravada-buddhism-basic-terms-and-
concepts#:~:text=The%20doctrine%20on%20impermanence%20is,is%20ever%20free%20fro
m%20it.
Books:
Cornejo, Nigel L., et al. (2019). Fundamentals of World Religions. Diliman Quezon
City: MaxCor Publishing House, Inc.
Serapio, Maria Perpetua Arcilla (2016). Introduction to World Religions for Senior
High School. Intramuros, Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Vega, Violeta A. et al. (2009). Social Dimensions of Education. Quezon City: Lorimar
Publishing Company, Inc.
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REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET
Objectives: The students can draw their personal insights about the core
teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices and other related issues of Mahayana
Buddhism.
Directions: Watch the movie entitled “ALONG WITH THE GODS” on Netflix or
YouTube then read and analyze each question. Write your answers on a separate
sheet of paper.
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ANSWER KEY
2. C 1. Ethical 6. True
3. A 2. Nirvana 7. Mara
4. D 3. Noble 8. Tibetan
5. A 4. Middle Way 9. True
6. C 1. Bodhi 10. Living
Post – Test
1. Brahma 9. Mantras
2. Sanskrit 10. Samsara
3. Aum 11. Shruti
4. Karma 12. Caste System
5. Nirvana 13. Upanishad
6. Deities 14. Atman
7. Vishnu 15. Death
8. Shiva
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