001 Sources of widom and Authority - Buddhism Flashcards
Where did Buddhism originate?
Ancient India
Who founded Buddhism?
The Buddha
What is the Buddha’s name?
Siddhartha Gautama
Define ‘Buddha’
Enlightened one
What is another name for the Buddha?
Shakyamuni Buddha
Which Buddhist group does the Buddha hold more significance for?
Theravada
Who was the Buddha born to?
A kinf and queen
What were signs before his birth that Siddharta Gautama would be a very special person?
His mother had a dream of a white elephant entering her womb on the right side
What was miraculous about his birth?
He walked and spoke as soon as he was born saying he would free mankind from all suffering
What did the sooth sayer prophesize about Gautama?
he would be a great king or a great spiritual leader
How did the sooth sayers prophecy influence Siddharta’s father?
His father shielded him from anything that might make hime likely to be a religious leader
What were the 4 sights which influenced Siddharta?
- an old man
- a sick man
- a dead man
- a holy man
How did the 4 sights influence the Buddha?
It led him to renounce his life of luxury
What is renunciation?
rejection of something
Who did the Buddha join initially after his renunciation?
The ascetists
What is asceticism?
Practice of severe self-discipline
What self mortification praactices did the Buddha participate in?
Starving himself
What did the Buddha realise after ascetisism caused him more suffering?
The path of liberation was through the discipline of the mind
What is the dharma?
Teachings of the Buddha
Where did the Buddha achieve enlightenment?
Under the Bodhi tree
What did Mara conjur during the Buddha’s meditation?
- demons throwing fiery arrows and spears
- countless beautiful women
What did the Buddha see during his meditation?
Hundreds and thousands of his past lives
Who were the first disciples of the buddha?
The 5 ascetists
What is an arhat?
‘a worthy one’ - someone who has become enlightened through the help of others
Why can arhats not be buddhas?
because they are dependent on someone else to teach them
Finish the quote by the Buddha “He who sees the dharma …
“sees me”
What was the Buddha’s first sermon?
The four noble truths
What is the first noble truth?
Dukkha - Life is full of suffering
What is the second noble truth?
Samudaya - suffering is caused by craving
What is the Buddhist term for craving?
Tanha
What is the third noble truth?
Nirodah - To reduce our suffering we must reduce our craving
What is the fourth noble truth?
Magga - The way to reduce craving is to follow the Eightfold Path
What can following the four noble truths lead to?
Blowing out of the three poisons
What are the three poisons?
greed, hatred, delusion
What are the three types of dukkha?
Dukkha dukkha, Viparinama dukkha and Samkhara dukkha
What is Dukkha Dukkha?
Plain ordinary suffering
Give an example of dukkha dukkha
- physical pain
- sickness
- death
- emotional pain
What is Viparinama Dukkha?
Dukkha caused by impermenance
Give an example of Viparinama Dukkha
- decay in nature
- death of loved ones
What is Samkhara Dukkha?
Dukkha caused by attachment
Give an example of Samkhara Dukkha
- being unable to change things when others suffer
Finish this quote: “Birth is dukkha, decay is dukkha, disease ….
“is dukkha, death is dukkha”
Finish the quote by the Buddha: “This O monks, is the truth of the cessation …
of suffering. It is the utter cessation of craving
One way in which Buddhism is pessimistic
It is morbid and focuses on suffering
One way in which Buddhism is not pessimistic
Buddha taught the way to end suffering
How does the Buddha’s enlightenment show that he is a role mode?
First being to ever gain enlightenment which is special, unique, and very hard to do
How does the Buddha’s practice of ascetisism show that he is a role mode?
He realised that self-mortification does not lead to enlightenment
How does the Buddha’s miraculous birth show that he is a role mode?
Miracles surrounding the birth narrative show that he is a significant, extraordinary figure
How does the Buddha’s life of luxury as a prince show that he is a role mode?
He has lived both types of life and neither worked, giving his teachings more authenticity
What is the middle way?
The middle of 2 extremes
What is the 8 fold path made up of?
eight practices that a Buddhist follower should perfect which leads to Nirvana
What are the three categories of the 8FP? ENGLISH TERMS
- wisdom
- morality
- meditation
What are the three categories of the 8FP? BUDDHIST TERMS
- Prajna
- sila
- samadhi
Which 2 parts make up the wisdom category of the 8FP?
- right view
- right intention
Which 3 parts make up the morality category of the 8FP?
- right speech
- right action
- right livelihood
Which 3 parts make up the meditation category of the 8FP?
- right effort
- right mindfulness
- right meditation
What does practicing the 8FP lead to for Theravada Buddhists?
Being an Arhat
What analogy can be used to describe the 4 noble truths?
Medical analogy
What is the Buddha often referred to as in Buddhist teachings?
A physician
What should the steps of the 8FP be compared to?
Like the petals of a flower - as each petal opens, it helps the next petal to open
What is the Dharmachakra?
The dharma wheel representing the 8 stages of magga
How does the Buddha overcoming temptation show he is a role model?
Shows that if it was possible for an ordinary human to do it then anyone can
In what ways can the Buddha be seen as selfless?
It led him to wanting to discover the truth about suffering in order to help others
In what way/s does the Buddha have authority as the enlightened one?
He was the first one to achieve nirvana and introduced the world to Buddhism and how to achieve nirvana
How does the information he attained during enlightenment show his authority?
He was the only one to achieve that information which was hidden from the rest of the world
How can the Buddha’s teachings be shown as true?
Many people have become arhats because of his teachings
Why does the Buddha’s life experience make it more likely that people will believe in and follow his teachings?
Shows that he has personal life experience of both extremes and treading the middle path
What countries is Theravada Buddhism most popular in?
Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos
What countries is Mahayana Buddhism most popular in?
China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
Which Buddhist group is believed to be the oldest?
Theravda
Define Theravada
The ‘elder’ way
What does Mahayana mean?
Greater vehicle
When did Mahayana Buddhism emerge
Aproximatley 2-300 years after the Buddhas death
Which Buddhist group is more popular today?
Mahayana
What power do Mahayana Buddhists believe in?
Bodhisattvas
What is a bodhisattva?
A being who delays achieving enlightenment in order to guide others
Finish the Buddha’s quote: “Do not believe in anything simply because ….
you have heard it”
What is the Theravada view of the nature of the Buddha?
The buddha was just a human
What is the Mahayana view of the nature of the Buddha?
The buddha was semi divine and is still accessible
What is the main scripture for Theravada Buddhists?
Pali Canon
According to Theravada Buddhists, how is the Buddha still have influence today?
Through his teachings
What do Mahayana Buddhists believe about the Pali canon?
the teachings were changed so are not as accuate
What is upaya kusala?
Skilful means
How did the Buddha use skilful means to guide others?
The buddha revealed certain parts of the path to enlightenment at certain times as peiple weren’t ready for the whole truth
What path did the Buddha teach according to Mahayana Buddhists?
The arhat path
Who can reach enlightenment according to Theravada Buddhists?
monks and nuns
What is the lotus sutra?
A series of lectures by the Buddha
Summarise the parable of the burning house
a wealthy man lures his children out of a burning house by promising them carts outside. They rush out, finding an even better cart, symbolizing the use of skillful means to save them from danger and guide them to enlightenment.
What does the father in the parable of the burning house represent?
The Buddha
What do the children in the parable of the burning house represent?
sentient beings trapped in the cycle of samsara
What does the burning house in the parable of the burning house represent?
world burning with fires of old age, sickness and death
What do Mahayana Buddhists interpret the carts the father offers in the parable of the burning house as representing?
The early teachings of the Buddha and the greatest cart representing Mahayana Buddhism
According to Mahayana Buddhists how is the Buddha still accessible?
In pari-nirvana
According to MBs why must the Buddha be accessible after death?
As he is the ultimate form of compassion
What is the Pali Canon?
A collection of texts in Pali - main scripture for TBs
What is the Pali canon also known as?
The tipitaka - 3 baskets
What are the three baskets of the pali canon?
- Vinaya pitaka (discipline section)
- Sutta pitaka (sayings of the buddha)
- Abhidhamma Pitaka (higher teachings of the Buddha)
How was the Pali canon handed down?
Orally with the community tradition of reciting the whole text
What scripture do MBs follow most?
Lotus Sutra
What does the Vinaya pitaka contain?
Rules for monks (bhikku) and nuns (bhikkhunis)
What does the sutra pitaka contain?
teachings of the buddha and early buddhist monks
What does the Abhidhamma pitaka contain?
higher teachinfs such as philosophical teachings
Finish the quote by Eckel: “the Pali Canon are authoritative because it provides a record of the Buddha’s teachings and …
access to the buddha himself
How can the pali canon be considered accurate? HINT: transmission
It was transmitted orally with communities chanting the whole text
How can the pali canon be considered accurate? HINT: biography
It contains the oldest accounts of the Buddha’s life story
How can the pali canon be considered inaccurate? HINT: recording
The Pali Canon was not written down until centuries after his death
How can the pali canon be considered inaccurate? HINT: biography
It is difficult to trace back dates of events of the Buddha’s life
