Arhats And Bodhisattvas Flashcards
what is an Arhat?
(Theravada) someone who has reached enlightenment through the eightfold path and achieved nirvana
what are the 4 stages to become an Arhat?
- stream enterer
- once returner
- non-returner
- worthy one (arhat)
what is pari nirvana?
when someone who has reached enlightenment dies they reach pari nirvana §
what is nirvana?
the state after reaching enlightenment after escaping samsara and dukkha no longer feeling physical pain
what happens at the stream enterer stage?
abandon all doubt in the buddha and will be reborn 7 more times
what happens at once returner stage?
diminishes hate, greed and delusion and will be reborn once more as a human
what happens at non-returner stage?
one abandons craving and will be reborn in the heavenly realm
what happens at worthy one stage?
arhat- one will not be reborn having become free of all the fetters
what is a bodhisattva?
(Mahayana) someone who has reached enlightenment but chooses to be reborn to help others reach it too
what do Mayhanayas need to do in order to achieve Bodhichitta?
follow the path of Ten Bhumis which each have a corresponding paramita
what is an example of a bhumi and its paramita?
1st bhumi is joy and the paramita is generosity
6th bhumi is enlightenment and the 6th paramita wisdom
10th bhumi is when knowledge is complete and can achieve nibbana
what is example of a bodhisattva in lotus sutra?
the parable of the burning house, where the father is helping the children out of the burning house (samsara)
who is an example of a bodhisattva?
the Dalai Lama, the buddha Amida, Avalokiteshvara
what are celestial buddhas?
bodhisattvas who have there own mythical story such as the buddha Amida
what do Theravada believe bodhisattvas are?
when they use the word they mean the buddha in one of his past lives, such as when he fed himself to a tiger
who is an example of an arhat?
Nagasina
what does the buddhas first sermon mention about arhats?
it details the first arhats to be ordained
who is the bodhisattva vow attributed to?
Avalokiteshvara in the lotus sutra who upon enlightenment saw suffering of all living beings and was moved by compassion, vowing to delay nirvana until all beings attained it with him
what is bodichitta?
means selflessness, and involves abandoning ones sense of self and ego, and realising interconnectedness
are the concepts of bodhisattva and arhats essential features of buddhism?
YES: reaching enlightenment is aim of buddhism, and only escape from dukkha, which follows teachings of the buddha. buddha also made enlightenment his goal and mediated until he saw the truth.
NO: most buddhists are lays, who don’t have enlightenment as their aim but instead focus on dana and punya
how are arhats the most legitimate interpretation of buddhism?
Arhats follow the teachings of the buddha, he told his followers he would not be reborn after enlightenment, and ordained others to help them reach enlightenment. bodhisattvas are based on lotus sutra which probably wasn’t written by the buddha, and the Pali cannon doesn’t mention bodhisattvas
how are bodhisattvas the most legitimate interpretation of buddhism?
following the teaching of the buddha, he was moved by compassion when he saw sick man and vowed to end all suffering. follows example of lotus sutra.
the buddhas analogy of poison arrow shows it doesn’t matter if concept is legitimate, only if it helps prevent dukkha
