Religious Studies 1022A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Impermanence, Refuge (Buddhism), Sannyasa
Document Summary
Buddhism developed as an alternative to the ritual-bound. Brahmanism of india in the 6th century in bce. Based on premise that all of life is suffering, salvation from suffering lies in our own efforts, and in understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free. Prince- son of wealth landowner, a kshatriya chief, who tried to protect his son from the world. According to birth legends, born of miraculous conception. Sage foretold siddhartha would become either an ascetic or supreme monarch. The great renunciation: at age 29, siddhartha renounced life of wealth to become a wandering ascetic. Decided to practice the middle way and experienced supreme. No longer a sattva (being, person) striving for bodhi (state of complete awareness, of total insight into the nature of reality); rather, he is now a buddha (a fully enlightened one) Rejection of notion of atman, brahman, varna, authority of.