Buddhism
Comparative religions is the study of religions concerned with the systematic comparison of the doctrines, practices, and history of five of the world's major religions. There are many benefits to such a course of enquiry but in general the comparative study of religion yields a deeper understanding of the fundamental philosophical concerns of religion and of the differences and similarities in beliefs among people who practice these religions. A person who has undertaken such a course of study has a much richer and more sophisticated understanding of human beliefs and practices regarding religious practice.
In this class, we will be studying Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. |
Buddhism
short videos
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Common Core State Standards
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Concepts and Objectives
Celebrations, festivals, ceremonies, and customs
identify major festivals and relate each to the beliefs they celebrate
identify at least one unique custom of the religion examine Buddhist food customs and explain how these relate to the belief system |
Sacred writings, stories and key figures
be familiar with stories about the birth of the Siddartha Gautama
be aware of the Tripitake and the three kinds of writing it contains |
Beliefs
be aware that Buddhism does not require belief in God
be familiar with beliefs related to Gautama Buddha examine the beliefs of the Three Jewels, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path examine Buddhist cosmology |
Sacred places, worship and symbols
have some understanding of the significance of Tibetan Buddhist temple decoration and artifacts
be aware of the significance of some of the hand positions of the Buddha |
Moral values and attitudes
have an insight into the causes of suffering and its removal, i.e. a basic understanding of the Four Noble Truths
be able to give a simple explanation of the value of the Noble Eightfold Path choose a current public controversy and apply the principles of the Eightfold Path |
Challenges and Due Dates
Challenge #1—Individual: Create a “Guide to Buddhism” that explains the Four Noble Truths, the Three Jewels, and the Eightfold path, as well as at least 5 hand mudras. (This may be a multimedia presentation).
Due March 15 Challenge #2—Individual: Create an illustrated dictionary of Buddhist terms. Include any terms you find throughout the unit that are new to you or are used in a new way. Also include in your dictionary a map of the major world centers of Buddhism. Due March 15 Challenge #3—Group: Choose a current global topic of public controversy and apply the principles of the Eightfold Path. How might the controversy change of all parties involved used these principles in their interactions? Present your findings in the format of your choice. (I will chose groups this time.) Due March 8 Challenge #4—Individual: Retell one of the stories of Siddhartha in a modern context, being careful to keep the same theme. Due March 15 Challenge #5—Individual: Create an illustrated children’s book (hard copy or electronic) telling one of the Buddhist stories of creation. This is for extra credit points (up to 10 points possible) and may be completed any time during the Buddhism unit. Due by March 15 Note: I have the library computers signed out during period 7 March 6-15. |
Resources
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