Religious Studies 1022A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Gautama Buddha, Sannyasa, Kshatriya

• School: Western University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: Religious Studies 1022A/B
• Professor: Corrine Walsh

Document Summary

Buddhism developed as an alternative to the ritual-bound brahmanism of india in the. Looking at the life of siddhartha gautama (buddha) founded religion. Based on the premise that: all of life is suffering, salvation from suffering lies in our own efforts, in understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free. Sage foretold siddhartha would become either an ascetic or supreme monarch. World shook, blind, deaf ect was healed, the res of hell were put out when buddha was conceived maya (mother) had sex with a white elephant in the clouds: four passing sights: Sannyasin: the great going forth, the great renunciation. At age of 29, siddhartha renounced life of wealth to become a wandering ascetic: trying to understand suffering and elevate it, initially, spiritual progress was elusive, decided to practice the middle way and experience supreme enlightenment. Rejection of notion of atman, brahman, varna, authority of brahmins, and vedic scriptures.