NATIBuddhism-Ashley

-BUDDHISM-

__The founder of Buddhism, and in what year?__

Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama; he is also known as "Buddha." It was 528 BC. He was sitting under a tree.

__The leaders of this Buddhism__

There is actually no "leader" of Buddhism. But Dalai Lama is like a leader.

__The place of worship for Buddhism__

There are alot of places you could worship. There are temples, stopas, monasteries, pagotas, and shrines. The main place of worship for buddhism is a temple called Vihara. But some people create shrines in their homes. These shrines include a statue of the buddha, flowers, candles, and scents.

__Where Buddhism began, and where it's practiced today__

Buddhism began in India. But now it is practiced all over the world, 6% of the world's religion is buddhism. The main places of worship are China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

__The main beliefs of Buddhism__

The main belief of Buddhism is a cycle. The cycle is: life, death, and rebirth. If you have good karma, you break the cycle and you go up to "Buddhism heaven." Their heaven is called Narvana.

__The god of Buddhism__

Strangely, Buddhism doesn't have a god. They look up to the "Enlightened One" or as we know him, the Buddha. But there isn't a "god."

__The religious practices of Buddhism__

The goal of Buddhist people is to become enlightened. They meditate to become enlightened.

__The 8 symbols of Buddhism and what they represent__

1) A CONCH SHELL A conch shell is used to call all Buddist together for an asembly. 2) A LOTUS The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the scented flower lies above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth represents the progress of the soul from the mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. 3) A WHEEL The wheel consists of three basic parts: the hub, the rim, and spokes. The hub stands for training in moral discipline. The spokes stand for wisdom, which cuts off ignorance and ends suffering. The rim represents concentration, which holds the entire meditative practise together, just like a wheel is held together by its rim. 4) AN UMBRELLA Above the mountain is the sky. This is symbolized by the umbrella, whose important function is to cast a shadow, a shadow of protection. 5) AN ENDLESS KNOT The intertwined lines reminds us of how all phenomena are joined together as a closed cycle of cause and effect. 6) A PAIR OF GOLDEN FISH In Buddhism, the golden fish symbolize happiness, because they have complete freedom in water. 7) A BANNER PROCLAIMING VICTORY The victory banner was adopted by early Buddhism as a sign of the Buddha's enlightenment.