1.1 Four Noble Truths - concepts Flashcards
Three Marks of Existence
Anicca
Anatta
Dukkha
Anicca
impermanence
Anatta
no-self
Dukkha
life is dissatisfaction / suffering
The Three Refuges
The Buddha
The Dhamma
The Sangha
Dhamma
teachings / way of life
Sangha
the community of Buddhists, both monastic and lay
The Three Poisons
the three innate afflictions which cause dissatisfaction / suffering and keep humans in the cycle of samsara
medical analogy of the 4NT
Dukkha - the diagnosis
Samudaya - the cause
Nirodha - the cure
Magga - the treatment
Dosa
One of the three poisons:
anger and hatred which results in unskilful actions and in turn negative outcomes for ourselves and others, and avoidance of self awareness through blaming external sources
Moha
one of the three poisons:
ignorance to the true nature of things which fuels delusional understandings of nature and therefore unskilful actions and suffering
Lobha
one of the three poisons:
the craving of sensual objects or sensations, existence, and non-existence, resulting in ‘unquenchable thirsts’
Dukkha
The first noble truth: the diagnosis. suffering / unsatisfactoriness exists
Samudaya
second noble truth: the cause. the cause of suffering / unsatisfaction is craving
nirodha
third noble truth: the cure. suffering / unsatisfactoriness can be ended
magga
fourth noble truth: the treatment. the way to nibbana is through following the Eightfold Path
two types of nibbana
- nibbana in this life
- final nibbana
nibbana / nirvana
enlightenment - the ‘blowing out’ of the three poisons
the Buddha’s Fire Sermon
describes human experience as ‘ablaze’ with desire - it ‘burns with the pain of unassuaged longing’
story of Kisagotami
Distraught by her son’s death and unable to accept it, Kisagotami is told to see the Buddha. Buddha tells her he has the medicine she needs and to find a few mustard seeds from a family where there has never been a death. She visits many houses and cannot find one that has not experienced death. She realises suffering is inevitable for all and is able to accept the death of her son
qualities of an enlightened being
embodies supreme peace, compassion, and the acceptance of the state of non-self and detachment
the Eightfold Path
eight steps set out by the Buddha as a practical guideline to living out the Buddhist life and achieving nibbana
The Threefold Way
the three focuses within the Noble Eightfold Path:
- wisdom (panna)
- ethics (sila)
- meditation (samadhi)
The Threefold Way: panna includes
- right view
- right intention
The Threefold way: sila includes
-right speech
- right action
- right livelihood
The Threefold Way: samadhi includes
- right effort
- right concentration
- right mindfulness
aloba
non-attachment
bhaveti
to develop and cultivate
why karuna is central to Buddhist practice
believe the consciousness is not a self - it will be cultivated by another body after death. Must therefore care about what will happen to the consciousness after ‘you’ have it in order to be motivated to work on positively cultivating it
khanti
patience, forgiveness, forbearance
arhat
typically Theravadin: someone who attains nibbana for themself and will not be reborn
bodhisattva
typically Mahayana: a consciousness that could attain nibbana but delays it out of compassion to aid others achieve it too
tathagatagarbha
mahayana buddhism: buddha nature. the potential to be enlightened within all sentient beings
nibbana in theravada
a dimension of consciousness totally independent of circumstances in the world and personal life. complete liberation, end of clinging
Vajrayana: humans are prone to ‘mistaking the finger…
…pointing to the moon for the moon itself’
Vajrayana: imagining nibbana
only those who have experienced it know what it’s like. cannot imagine it without hindering chances of attaining it. just need to understand it is present and possible
how the Buddha described nibbana
- the harbour, the refuge, the ultimate
- realm of inner-peace in which all gross and subtle turbulence of the mind is subsided
Vajrayana: what is nibbana
an awakening where one sees all things as divine: Buddha paradise
Vajrayana: the ultimate truth
dakpa rujam ‘all pervading sacredness’
Vajrayana: pseudo-nibbana
pain free, vegetative state. sudden feeling of bliss when nibbana is realised and the change from living in suffering occurs
Vajrayana: who can achieve nibbana + quote
anyone at any time in any lifetime, even sinners
‘we are destined to be enlightened’
Tibetan Saint Milarepa
took the lives of many, but later embraced the ways of the Buddha and became highly revered Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayana) master
right view
to have the right concepts and ideas from contemplating the Dharma
right intention
to keep thoughts in accord with the Dharma at every moment, working to eliminate the three poisons
right mindfulness
true contemplation, a pure and aware mind
right concentration
in meditation: focusing the mind and settling the body to better cultivate oneself
in general: developing and exploring our inner capacity
right effort
moving in the direction of truth with courage and discipline
the four ‘right efforts’
prevent unwholesome states that have not yet arisen, end unwholesome states that have arisen, develop wholesome states that have not yet arisen, strengthen wholesome states that have arisen
right action
passive meaning: not committing unwholesome deeds
active meaning: protect life, act with compassion
right livelihood
making a living in a moral way in accordance with the Dharma
right speech
wholesome verbal karma
four kinds of right speech
- words of truth
- words of compassion
- words of praise
- words of altruism
dhamma-vinaya
the unity of doctrine and disciple - the four noble truths and noble eight fold path
