Investigating Buddhism Speech Outline

Consider how Buddhists deal with death, sickness, old age, and religious renunciation. If possible, interview a practicing Buddhist individual or a leader of a Buddhist temple, which can be used as an academic resource for this assignment. If you would like to take pictures during your visit to this community or place of worship, be sure to obtain permission.

For this assignment, your role will be as a trainer for Christian colleagues to prepare them for a missionary trip to a Buddhist community. Complete the “Investigating Buddhism Outline” document for an extemporaneous speech on Buddhism from a Christian perspective to be delivered to this group.

Utilize the course textbook and a minimum of three academic resources, one of which can be your interview and should include topic materials and external resources. Provide an applicable quote from each resource in your outline.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

ANSWER

INT-244: Investigating Buddhism Speech Outline

For this assignment, your role will be as a trainer for Christian colleagues to prepare them for a missionary trip to a Buddhist community. Complete the following prompts to outline an extemporaneous speech on Buddhism from a Christian perspective to be delivered to this group.

Utilize the course textbook and a minimum of three academic resources, one of which can be your interview. Provide an applicable quote from each resource you choose to use.

1. Speech introduction (approximately 100 words)

Buddhism is a religion that dates back to more than 2500 years and present and common in East and Southeast Asia and in particular, India. Rather than seeking the true one God, the religion teaches its followers to focus on enlightenment and achieving wisdom and peace that exists within a person. “Followers who reach this point are said to have experience Nirvana” (). The founder of the religion was not a supernatural being but an ordinary human who was a teacher and ‘enlightened’ (). As Christians the task before us is towards teaching that humans cannot achieve enlightenment without guidance from the Bible and the assistance of the holy spirit.

2. List the four sights that the young Siddhartha Gautama experienced upon leaving the palace.

• Sight #1: Old age.
• Sight #2: Sickness
• Sight #3: Death
• Sight #4: Wandering Ascetic

3. Concisely describe the significance of each of the four sights for the development of the Buddha’s later teaching. (approximately 50 words for each)

• Significance of Sight #1: Old age represents the frail nature of life where it always comes to an end. The significance is the youth, health and fitness are not forever and none can escape this fate.
• Significance of Sight #2: Sickness represents the unfortunate events that anyone could encounter. Sickness takes away potential even from the most brilliant and the result could be death.
• Significance of Sight #3: Death is inevitable. Eventually everything including life comes to an end. Death, same as sickness does not have an effect solely on the person it happens to but also those around them and therefore teaches the value of cherishing life while it exists.
• Significance of Sight #4: The wandering ascetic signifies the potential of happiness and content amidst all the other sights. It is possible to still live and find solace and comfort amongst all the trouble in the world.

4. Briefly reflect on why you think these four sights caused Siddhartha Gautama to begin to seek religious answers. (Give one concise sentence for each sight.)

• Reflection on Sight #1: Old age is inevitable but it does not necessary prove dysfunction because old people have the wisdom young people need to make better decisions.
• Reflection on Sight #2: It is true that sickness takes away potential, not only from human beings but also plants and the environment and we are tasked to take care of what we have in the best way so that it is not taken away by illness.
• Reflection on Sight #3: Death is not an end in Christianity but merely the beginning of another life promised to us by Jesus Christ.
• Reflection on Sight #4: Informed and enlightened that live among all the troubles of the world are tasked with spreading the word of God, a duty tasked to all Christians by Christ.

5. Provide personal thoughts on whether such reflection could be meaningful for spiritual growth from a Christian perspective. Explain your stance. (approximately 225 words)

While Buddhism points out vital points about human life, it is severely compromised on the basis that it relies on human wisdom which is not enough. Christians cannot grow with that perspective because they need the Holy Spirit to intervene and the Bible to provide a guide.

6. Speech conclusion (approximately 100 words)

The duty to spread the gospel is amongst the major duty left to us by Jesus, our Lord and Savior right next to the command to love one another. For this reason, we have a duty towards informing the followers of Buddha about God. This was the same job Jesus had amongst the Jews and many of his apostles including Paul. God does exist and there will be no peace or enlightenment unless its built on the rock that is Christianity.