Accounts of the birth of the historical Buddha and the Four Sights Flashcards
How quickly has Buddhism developed?
Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the world.
Which 2 subgroups is it divided into?
Theravada and Mahayana.
What does Theravada follow?
Theravada tends to follow the very earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha.
Where is Theravada usually found?
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.
What does Mahayana follow?
Mahayana follows the later teachings.
Where is Mahayana usually found?
China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.
What is the Pali Canon?
Scriptures written in Pali.
What is Pali Canon usually known as?
Tripatka or ‘three baskets’, covering the rules for the monastic order, the teachings of the Buddha and Buddhist philosophical and psychological analysis.
Who was the Buddha born as?
Siddhartha Gotama.
Where was the Buddha born?
Small republic of Sakya on the present-day border between India and Nepal.
Was Siddhartha the first Buddha?
According to Buddhist mythology he wasn’t.
What do stories suggest about Siddhartha’s past life?
- Met a previous Buddha, Dipankara;
- Was so impressed by his teachings that he resolved to become Buddha himself;
- He met many other past Buddhas and took on many forms;
- In his penultimate life he lived in the god realm Tusita Heaven;
- Waited for people to forget the path of enlightenment before taking his final rebirth as Siddhartha, being able to teach Buddhism again.
What is Tusita heaven?
The realm of the delighted Gods.
Who was Siddhartha’s mother?
Mahamaya.
What did Mahamaya have a dream about?
A white elephant which was interpreted as showing Siddhartha would have a great destiny.
Why did she interpret it like this?
If Siddhartha saw suffering he would become a holy man but if he didn’t see suffering he would become a great leader.
AO3: In what way can Gautama’s account be seen to be of importance to Buddhists today?
The art and iconography that exists.
AO3: What standpoint does Walpola Rahula take?
Rahula - a respected Buddhist scholar - removed all mythical elements in his book ‘What the Buddha taught’.
AO3: How many pages does Walpola Rahula give to the account of the Buddha?
Only one page.
AO3: How does Donald Lopez further support the idea that historically, the account is unimportant?
In his book, ‘From Stone to Flesh’, he notes there has never been a historical quest and there is little known about Gautama historically.
AO3: What does the Patimokkha detail?
Focused collection of Suttas detailing the Middle Way and stories of the Buddha.
AO3: Why does the Patimokkha make the biography important?
As it promotes his teachings through the biography.
AO3: How does Therevada Buddhism see the accounts of the Buddha?
They focus on the Buddha as a man.
AO3: How does Mahayana Buddhism view the historical accounts of the Buddha?
More of a mythical approach with the Buddha becoming a supernatural being.
AO3: What does Paul Williams say?
In his book - ‘Buddhist Thought’ - that most Buddhists throughout the centuries have not departed from the mythical elements in order to elucidate the Dhamma.
AO3: What is an overall view on the importance of the historical Buddha?
Whichever view is accepted, the Buddha is not an object of devotional pursuit. It is instead an elaborative story to express the Dhamma.
AO3: What does the Buddha say regarding him and the Dhamma?
‘He who sees Dhamma, sees me’.
AO3: What does Williams argue about the importance of the narrative of the Buddha?
‘It is only self-evidently appropriate to start the study of a religion with the life-story of its founder’.
AO3: What does Williams outline the narrative to be important in supporting?
It supports the Sasana (teaching) through narrating his discovery of it.
AO3: What does Williams say supports the Dhamma in the hagiography?
Baby Gautama taking seven steps, turning to all corners of the Universe and announcing he is the most enlightened being.
Supports the Buddha bringing Dhamma back into the world.
AO3: What do the Four Sights allow us to understand?
Tells us more about the teaching rather than Gautama - teaches us sickness, old age and death are integral to being human.
AO3: What opposing argument does Daniel Lopez establish?
The views of the Buddha have been distorted. Only recently scholars have produced the first insightful translations of texts that give insight into the historical Buddha.
AO3: How have recent translations of Buddhist scripture helped Western Psychology?
Professor Marsha Linehan and Dr. Sheldon Kopp have been influenced by the Buddha’s teachings - particularly mindfulness.
What was this dream seen as in the mythodological account?
The moment when Siddhartha passed from Tusita heaven into his mother’s womb.
What happened when Mahamaya gave birth?
- Went into labour;
- Took hold of a sal tree and gave birth;
- Warm and cool water appeared from the sky, washing Siddhartha and refreshing his mother.
What did Siddhartha do when he was born?
Took 7 steps and said he was the foremost being and this would be his last rebirth - Modern Buddhists - mythological not actual account
Who was Siddhartha raised by and why?
His aunt as his mother died a week after giving birth.
How was he raised?
Lived a life of luxury, with fine clothes, palaces and pleasure gardens.
What were his characteristics?
Intelligent, compassionate and well educated in the religious traditions of time.
Who did he marry? When did they have their child?
Married Yasodhara at 16 and had a son, Rahula when he was 29.
What were the 4 sights?
- Old man
- Sick man
- Holy person
- Dead corpse.
What did seeing these 4 sights make Siddhartha do?
Made him question his whole life and made him resolve to find out why such suffering exists and what caused it.
