Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region I
Schools Division Office I Pangasinan
Pangasinan National High School
Lingayen, Pangasinan

WRITTEN LECTURE with

ACTIVITIES in Introduction
to World Religions and Belief
Systems
Quarter 2 – Week 1 (Week 9 of 1st Sem.)

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Analyze the brief history, core teachings, fundamental
beliefs, practices, and related issues of Theravada
Buddhism

Prepared by:

ROBERTO C. REYES

VON RYAN C. TORIO

(SHS T-II)
LESSON 9: Theravada Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the most practical among the world’s great religions because its belief system intends
to meet basic human needs and solve humankind’s spiritual problem without depending on supernatural
forces (Brown 1975). The two main divisions of the religion are Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada
Buddhism. With around 360 million followers, Mahayana Buddhism is practiced in China, Japan, and
Mongolia. Meanwhile, Theravada Buddhism, with 150 million adherents, is followed in Myanmar,
Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Buddhism is the religion of around 500 million people or about 7% to 8% of the
world’s population. Buddhist followers are mostly found in the Asian continent, with China having the
largest population at around 244 million or 18% of its total population. Asian countries that have the highest
Buddhist majority in terms of population include Cambodia (97%), Thailand (93%), Myanmar (80%),
Bhutan (75%), Sri Lanka (69%), and Laos (66%). Buddhism has two main divisions and many sects.
A major branch of the religion, Theravada Buddhism (“school of elder monks” or “school of the ancients”)
or the “Southern School of Buddhism” draws on the collected teachings of the oldest recorded texts of
Buddhist texts to become its central precept, the Pali Canon. This school claims to have preserved the
original teachings of Siddhartha with pristine purity (Clasper 1992). Theravada Buddhism has gained
considerable following in the West in modern times.

Life of the Buddha

The sage Siddhartha Gautama may have been born between 563 B.C.E. to 480 B.C.E. into the Sakya tribe
in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) near the town of Kapilavastu (the capital city of the Sakya state) in the
foothills of the Nepalese Himalayas (Kulananda 2001). Born into the Kshatriya caste, his father was
Suddhodana, an aristocratic Hindu chieftain, and his mother was Mahamaya, a Koliyan princess. The
Buddha’s family name was Gautama or Gotama. According to tradition, at the time when Siddhartha was
conceived, Queen Mahamaya dreamt of a brilliant white light shining down on her from the sky. In the rays
of the light was a magnificent white elephant with six large tusks. The elephant moved closer to the queen
and melted into her body.
Ten months later, Siddhartha was born. He emerged from the side of the queen, took seven steps, and said,
“I have been born to achieve awakening
(bodhi) for the good of the world: this is my last birth (Coogan 2005).” Mahamaya died shortly after giving
birth to Siddhartha, also known as Sakyamuni or the “sage of the Sakya clan.” The name ‘Siddhartha’
means “he who achieves his aim.” He was reared by Mahamaya’s younger sister Mahapajapati who became
his father’s second wife and the first woman to request ordination from the Buddha. The word “Buddha”
means “the awakened one” or the “enlightened one.”
At the time of his birth, the seer Asita predicted that the child was destined for either political or spiritual
ascendancy (Skilton 1994; Kulananda 2001). Since Suddhodana wanted Siddhartha to choose the life of a
great king, he made sure that the young boy experienced the comfort of wealth and power. In effect,
Suddhodana kept his child shielded from the harsh realities of human suffering outside the luxurious palace.
He was given noble education and instruction in science, horsemanship, and archery (Toula-Breysse 2001).
At the age of sixteen, Suddhodana arranged Siddhartha’s marriage to a beautiful and refined young woman,
Yasodhara (also Siddhartha’s cousin), who later gave birth to their son Rahula. Siddhartha spent 29 years
as a prince in Kapilavastu and he began to develop a keen sense of discontent. As he felt constant emptiness
despite living a life of luxury and ease, he sought answers to his questions by leaving his comfortable abode
without the knowledge or approval of his family. He left his wife, child, and social status as he began to
search for truth and liberation (Kulananda 2001).
Siddhartha’s venture outside the comfort of the palace led him to encounter four suffering people that
eventually transformed his outlook on life (Brown 1975). The four encounters or the “Four Signs” that
occurred made him realize the inevitability of misery in people’s lives. First, meeting an old man made him
accept that old age was an unavoidable circumstance no matter how unwelcome it is to a person. Second, a
crippled man reflected upon him that illness is inescapable despite a person’s relentless effort to avoid any
disease. Third, a decaying corpse made him understand that death was the inevitable end of all. Last, an
ascetic monk or shramana impressed upon him the person’s tranquillity and the possibility of renouncing
worldly pleasures in exchange for utter quietude. All these distressing manifestations convinced him that
worldly and material possessions could not satisfy one’s need. Taking his finest horse, he rode off into the
night. He cut his hair and beard, and sent them back with the horse through his charioteer (Hopfe 1983).
Ultimately, he renounced the members of his caste despite his father’s resistance and he resolved to become
a mendicant, a beggar of alms. Also known as the “Great Renunciation,” he lived as an ascetic with
homeless existence (Bowker 1997). He went to the forest and clothed himself in the yellow robes of a
hermit (Brown 1975).
Siddhartha practiced asceticism in search of a way to escape suffering. Far withdrawn from his accustomed
environment, he lived at the outskirts of society and associated himself with religious masters, such as Alara
Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta (Skilton 1994). As he became dissatisfied with their teachings, however,
he went on his own way to subject himself to inexorable asceticism through self-mortification and fasting
that reached a point of living on a single grain of rice per day (Toula-Breysse 2001; Hopfe 1983). For the
next six years, he practiced religious strictness, wore no clothes, and did not wash (Kulananda 2001). Food
and sleep became scarce. Naturally, he became emaciated and feeble as a result of long periods of starvation,
to the point that he almost died. Five ascetics came to join him as his companions. All these actions made
him realize the absurdity of excessive asceticism and that the life of deprivation was no better than a life of
pleasure. As he began to take normal foods once more, his ascetic companions felt scandalized by his
backsliding and deserted him. In the end, Siddhartha advocated the avoidance of two extremes, namely,
self-indulgence and self-denial, and taught the way toward the “Middle Path” that was a life of self-
discipline and introspection but not self-flagellation (Losch 2001).
Seated beneath a pipal tree, now known as the bo or bodhi tree, near the Indian village of Bodh Gaya in
Bihar, Siddhartha finally obtained his enlightenment after years of searching as he passed the four stages
of meditative trance or dhyana/jhana. Buddhist legend recounts his triumph over the devil Mara who
personified evil forces that torment the minds of humankind, including greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy,
and doubt. Despite the many attempts of Mara to disturb Siddhartha’s firm meditation, appearing as storms
and rains, the devil was vanquished and faded like a bad dream. Mara failed to tempt Siddhartha with wealth
and flesh; he could not break the calm determination of the seeker of the truth. After 49 days of meditation,
Siddhartha emerged victorious and attained the state of absolute awakening. He became a “Buddha” or the
“awakened one” whose every action from thereon would be motivated only by generosity, compassion, and
wisdom (Toula-Breysse 2001). He had visions of the endless cycle of birth and death that was the fate of
humankind (Hopfe 1983). Siddhartha was 35 years old when he attained enlightenment.
Walking more than a hundred miles to Sarnath near the ancient city of Varanasi, he met his former disciples
whom he was able to convince about the truth of his teachings. A new spiritual community or sangha sprang
forth and soon there were sixty enlightened beings in the world (Kulananda 2001). Siddhartha preached
throughout the regions of India, such as Magadha and Kosala. For 45 years, he travelled northern India to
the cities and towns of the central Ganges basin, and preached a message of hope and happiness while
winning many new converts to his fold (Brown 1975; Skilton 1994).
Siddhartha lived and preached during the reign of Bimbisara, the ruler of the Magadha Empire from 542
B.C.E. to 492 B.C.E. The king, a great friend and protector of Siddhartha, established the city of Rajgir that
became well-known because of Buddhist writings. With only about two hours of sleep at night, he scarcely
had any rest in his mission to propagate his teachings to the people.
At age 80 and on a full moon, Siddhartha died in Kushinagar between 483 B.C.E. to 400 B.C.E. during the
early years of Ajasatru (Bimbisara’s successor) who ruled around 492 B.C.E. to 460 B.C.E. Tradition has
it that his final words were, “Subject to decay are all component things. Strive earnestly to work out your
own salvation (Hopfe 1983).” The cause of death was a meal received from a metalworker that led to
dysentery. His remains were cremated seven days after and the ashes were divided among eight clan-groups
as they built a sacred cairn over their portion of the relic (Parrinder 1971). The memorial mound or stupa
became an object of devotion for Buddhists that developed later on as pagoda in Sri Lanka and Southeast
Asia.
In 486 B.C.E. five hundred leading and all enlightened disciples of Siddhartha convened in Rajgir to
compile the teachings under the guidance of Mahakasyapa, one of his principal disciples (Mizuno1987).
Known as the “First Buddhist Council,” the assembly restated and accumulated Siddhartha’s teachings and
monastic decrees to be followed by Buddhist communities. The council laid out the groundwork of
Buddhist tenets (Coogan 2005).

BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES

Siddhartha never intended to start a new religion especially, and so his teachings are focused primarily on
ethics and self-understanding as people work for their salvation on their own without needing the assistance
of any supreme being (Hopfe 1983). Here lies the main difference of Buddhism with other religions—it has
no place for God or savior, as salvation entirely lies within anyone’s control (Brown 1975). Siddhartha did
not claim to be a savior but a guide and teacher as he pointed the way for others to follow and gain spiritual
bliss in doing so.
Another unique feature of Buddhism is the belief that soul or the Hindu atman does not exist as people live
in a state of nonsoulness or anatman/anatta. Buddhism does not preach that humans have an eternal and
indestructible soul (Brown 1975). Nothing is permanent in this world, hence, all things change and are
impermanent. The mark of impermanence or anitya/anicca states that all conditioned things are transitory
and passing; they all have beginning and end to their existence (Skilton 1994). Human existence, or what
we actually call soul, is a composite of five mental or physical aggregates or khandas. These aggregates
include the (1) physical form or corporeality, (2) feelings or sensations, (3) understanding or perception,
(4) will or mental formation, and (5) consciousness (Hopfe 1983; Toula-Breysse 2001). Hence, humans do
not have a permanent, unchanging, real soul that dwells within them (Parrinder 1971). In effect, no soul is
being reborn because there is no permanence in anything (Bowker 1997).
Four Noble Truths
The teachings of Siddhartha include discourses on the basic tenets of Buddhism, such as the “Four Noble
Truths” and the “Noble Eightfold Path.” Siddhartha’s pursuit for enlightenment was due to the
dissatisfaction he continually experienced despite living an opulent life in the palace. The Pali term for
unsatisfactoriness or suffering is dukkha (Kulananda 2001). Dukkha may be manifested in misery, distress,
agony, emptiness, or conflict. Outside the real world, Siddhartha began to witness the various
manifestations of inescapable suffering—from old age, illness, and eventual death. Siddhartha analyzed the
problem of dukkha that led him to arrive to the basic law of causation or the “Four Noble Truths.” Perhaps
the most well-known among Siddhartha’s teachings, this profound doctrine is the heart of Buddhism,
summarized below.
(1) The First Noble Truth. This identifies the origin of the problem—the dukkha. Suffering can be
experienced throughout the different stages of a person’s life—from birth, sickness, old age, to ultimate
death. When one clings to one of the previously stated aggregates, this leads to suffering. When one unites
with the unpleasant, it causes suffering. When one dissociates from the pleasant, it also results in suffering.
(2) The Second Noble Truth. This explains the cause of suffering or the samodaya – in craving or desire
(or tanha), in the perpetual thirst of humans to consume things, experiences, or ideas (Parrinder 1971).
People are never satisfied as they always want more or something else, want something new, or just want
to discontinue something. People crave for existence or non-existence and seek sensual pleasures. People
search for self-satisfaction from things they believe they can experience. However, since the nature of all
these things is impermanent, people become attached to these things due to ignorance that leads to desire
and eventual suffering (Brown 1975).
(3) The Third Noble Truth. This asserts that there is a cessation or nirodha to suffering and bondage by
eliminating craving and desire. By dropping the bonds of craving, one gets to be released from the
fundamental nature of reality.
(4) The Fourth Noble Truth. This directs an individual to the path or magga leading to the termination of
craving and desire, and to eventual cessation of pain. Likewise, one must avoid self-indulgence and self-
torture since both are pointless. This is the path toward moderation or the “Middle Way” aimed at ending
suffering. Known as the “Noble Eightfold Path” which is an entirely practical path—and each described as
“right” or samma —it is divided into three aspects, namely, wisdom, morality, and meditation. For path of
wisdom, this includes Right View and Right Intention. For path of morality, this includes Right Speech,
Right Action, and Right Livelihood. For path of meditation, it consists of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,
and Right Concentration.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Attainment of salvation for any Buddhist is by way of one’s own action without the assistance of any
supreme or supernatural being. Followers are guided by the teachings of Siddhartha as lay people offer gifts
to Siddhartha and the sangha during days of worship and observance.
In Buddhism, stupas are commemorative monuments that contain sacred relics associated with Siddhartha
himself, and the venerable monks and nuns. These burial mounds predate Buddhism as ancient Indian kings
and heroes were housed in stupas. With the death of Siddhartha, his body was cremated and his ashes were
divided among eight followers and preserved in eight stupas (Toula-Breysse 2001). None of these stupas
remain fully intact as of today. With a million stupas located all over Asia, not all stupas house Siddhartha’s
relics. Others contain artefacts of his revered disciples, or his image, writings, or teachings. Nevertheless,
stupas represent Siddhartha’s body, speech, and mind. The design of the stupa depicts the path to
enlightenment. In time, stupas became pilgrimage sites as they were covered in earth and decorated with
Siddhartha’s life. In Tibet, the stupa was transformed into a chorten. Elsewhere, it became a pagoda in
Southeast and East Asia.
Most Buddhists aspire to visit many holy shrines as possible during their lifetime for this is an admirable
deed. Siddhartha himself pronounced four to which every Buddhist must give high regard. These include
his birthplace, the place of his enlightenment, the place of his first sermon, and the place of his parinirvana
(Brown 1975). To anyone who undertakes pilgrimage to these sacred places and dies while travelling, this
could bring about rebirth beyond death in a blissful world.
In Sri Lanka, many pilgrims visit Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada, a tall conical mountain popular for the mark of
the sacred footprint of Siddhartha (for Buddhists) and Adam (for Christians). For several hours, pilgrims
climb the mountain amidst arduous paths and thousands of steps. Most pilgrims undertake the journey every
month of April.
For Buddhist celebrations, the most important festival occurs every May on the night of the full moon as
Buddhist followers around the world commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha about
2,500 years ago. Known as Vesakha or Vesak, it is also known as “Buddha Purnima” or “Buddha Day.”
Vesak refers to the lunar month that falls in May and “Vesak Day” is the holiest day for all Buddhists.
Celebrated with immense festivity, Buddhists send out thoughts of affectionate benevolence to the living
and to the departed ones. They also perform rituals at stupas.
Most festivals celebrated in the Buddhist tradition are frequently happy occasions. Lay people proceed to
the monasteries and offer food to the sangha as they meditate and listen to the sermons. Most Buddhist
celebrations are held to commemorate important events in the life of Siddhartha. Apart from Buddhist New
Year, other celebrations include Magha Puja Day (Sangha Day), Asalha Puja Day (Dhamma Day),
Uposatha (Observance Day), Pavarana Day, Kathina Day, and Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day).
Magha Puja Day occurs during the full moon of the third lunar month. It commemorates the event where
Siddhartha went to Rajgir to meet and ordain the 1250 arhats in Venuvana Monastery. Two of his chief
disciples, namely, Sariputta and Moggallana, were present during the assembly. Meanwhile, Asalha Puja
Day commemorates Siddhartha’s first teaching (or the turning of the wheel of the dharma) held near
Benares. During this time, the monk Kondanna reached the first level of enlightenment.

SUBDIVISIONS
Theravada is the more conservative subdivision of Buddhism than Mahayana. Thus, it is closer to the
fundamental teachings of Siddhartha. Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand are predominantly Theravada
Buddhists. During the third century B.C.E., the Indian emperor Ashoka Maurya, who ruled between 269
B.C.E. to 232 B.C.E., propagated Buddhism in Sri Lanka that has remained relatively unchanged through
time as a result of its rather peaceful history (Mizuno 1987; Hopfe 1983). Ashoka’s son Mahinda and
daughter Sanghamitra established Buddhism in then Ceylon.
The subdivisions of Theravada that existed during the early history of Sri Lanka can be traced from the
three monasteries of Mahavihara, Abhayagiri
Theravada Buddhism 145
vihara, and Jetavana. The Mahavihara or “Great Monastery” of Anuradhapura was founded by the king
Devanampiya Tissa who ruled between 307 B.C.E. to 267 B.C.E. Another major monastery in Sri Lanka
was the Abhayagiri vihara where an ancient stupa still stands today, the Abhayagiri Dagaba. The Abhayagiri
Dagaba was established by the king Valagamba between 89 B.C.E. and 77 B.C.E. Lastly, Jetavana is
another popular monastery founded by the king Mahasena who ruled between 277 B.C.E. and 304 C.E. The
layout of the Jetavana monastery is similar to the Abhayagiri vihara though smaller in dimensions.

ACTIVITIES:
Title of the Activity: It’s all about Theravada Buddhism
Activity 1: THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Objective: Identify the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and Eightfold Paths
Procedure:
1. Explain Buddha’s Four Noble Truths by applying it to the one of your cravings in the activity.
Activity 2: THE EIGHTFOLD PATHS
Procedure:
1. Complete the following graphic organizer.
2. The graphic organizer has eight sections. In each section you need to list one example.

III. Enrichment Activity: BIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE

Write a short biographical narrative about the “Enlightened One”.

References:

A. Book
Jerome A. Ong and Mary Dorothy dL. Jose. 2016. Introduction to World Religions and
Belief Systems. Quezon City, Philippines: Vibal Group, Inc..

B. Online and Other Sources

Romalyn P. Ferrer. 2020. Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems Activity
Sheets