Buddhism Flashcards
1
Q
Three marks of existence
A
- anicca, anatta and dukkha
- the three characteristics of existence which we must understand in order to
overcome suffering - they are universal, meaning they apply to everything and everyone
- they cannot be separated as each one relies on the other
2
Q
Anicca
A
- translates as “impermanence”
- we crave things (tanha) which we cannot have and this causes suffering (dukkha)
- nothing stays the same, everything is constantly changing
- accepting this allows us to accept lose more easily, and limits what we crave
- this will in turn stop suffering
- sand mandalas
- Kisa and the Mustard Seed
3
Q
Kisa and the Mustard Seed
A
- Kisa’s son dies and she is distraught
- she asks the Buddha for help
- he tells her to find someone who has not experienced loss or suffering
- she can not as everyone experiences loss/suffering
- teaches us that everything changes (anicca)
4
Q
Impact of anicca
A
- allows Buddhists to accept loss more easily
- gives them hope during bad times (nothing lasts forever)
- makes us less materialistic
5
Q
Strengths of anicca
A
- impermanence is a fact (nothing lasts forever and everything is constantly
changing) - there is a strong link between our craving for impermanent things and our suffering
- relevant in modern day as we live in an increasingly materialistic world
6
Q
Weaknesses of anicca
A
- the fact things don’t last forever makes them more pleasurable and meaningful to us
- pain leading from impermanence can lead to good things- medicine, setting up charities
7
Q
Anatta
A
- the soul does not exist
- Anicca applied to humans
- we are formed of the 5 Skandhas which are constantly changing
- analogy of the chariot
8
Q
Impact of anatta
A
- Buddhists won’t be bothered about their appearance (they know it will change
naturally) - they will let go of their ego
- since they don’t believe in a “self” they will put others before themselves
9
Q
Analogy of the Chariot
A
- there is no one thing that makes a chariot, a chariot
- for humans, there is no one thing that makes a human, a human
- instead we are made up of the five Skandhas
10
Q
Dukkha
A
- translates as “suffering”
- refers to more than just physical pain
- also the dissatisfaction we feel as life is in general not very satisfying
- keeps us trapped in samsara
- gives us realistic expectations of life
11
Q
Impact of dukkha
A
- able to accept that life comes with suffering
- encourages us to have realistic expectations of life
- Buddhists will spend time meditating on the three marks to fully understand them
- follow the eightfold path
12
Q
Kamma
A
- translates as “action”
- beings are reborn according to their past actions
- skillful actions generate good kamma, unskillful actions generate bad kamma
- the intention of the act is what is most important
- encourages us to think before we act
- the parable of the burning house
13
Q
Positive impacts of kamma
A
- encourages us to think before we act
- helps to discourage selfishness
- helps to accept suffering as a consequence of our past actions
- contributes to achievement of nibbana
- shows that we are in control of our own lives
14
Q
Negative impacts of kamma
A
- can lead us to believe that peoples misfortune is their own fault as a result of
negative actions in the past - can lead to a lack of compassion and empathy to the less fortunate
- people are under a lot of pressure to lead a perfect life
15
Q
The parable of the burning house
A
- a fathers children were inside a burning house
- they wouldn’t come out so the father lied to get them out of the house
- lying is an unskillful action however this lie had a good intention, so will generate
good kamma
16
Q
Three root poisons
A
- ignorance, greed and hatred
- motivate the performance of unskillful actions
- pollute our lives and prevent us from escaping samsara
- cause attachment which leads to suffering (dukkha)
- hinder our progress to enlightenment
17
Q
Ignorance
A
- represented by a pig in Buddhist art
- means having misconceptions about reality
- clinging to these misconceptions is the source of our craving (tanha) which leads to
suffering (dukkha)
18
Q
Greed
A
- represented by a rooster in Buddhist art
- causes us to want things and people and to have more and more of them
- we think having these things will make our life better
19
Q
Hatred
A
- represented by a snake in Buddhist art
- arises from ignorance as we don’t see the interconnectedness of things
- we also get angry with anything or anyone who stands between us and what we
want
20
Q
Impact of the three root poisons
A
- allows us to see what causes us and others suffering
- by knowing and understanding this, we can make changes to our behaviour to
try and eliminate these things from our lives - it is only by eliminating these three poisons that Buddhists can escape samsara
and reach enlightenment - understanding the three root poisons will encourage Buddhists to follow the
practices laid out by the Buddha (the eightfold path, meditation, the 5 precepts)
21
Q
Tanha
A
- translates as “craving”
- the cause of our suffering is our attachment or craving for impermanent things
that we will inevitably loose - while we are craving we cannot reach enlightenment
22
Q
Impact of tanha
A
- explains why we suffer (we crave things that don’t last)
- this explains what we need to do in order to stop our suffering
- encourages Buddhists to participate in certain teachings (sand mandalas and
meditation)
23
Q
Dhamma
A
- the teachings of the Buddha
- the way of life for Buddhists
24
Q
The life of the Buddha
A
- born a prince, his dad kept him away from all suffering
- he became dissatisfied with his life and left the palace
- he saw the four sights and decided he wanted to find a cure for the worlds
suffering - he left his palace, rid himself of his luxuries and joined the ascetics (extreme
poverty) - after 6 years on his quest, he had experienced both wealth and poverty but
hadn’t found the cure - he realised that the “middle way” between the two extremes would lead him to
enlightenment - he sat under the Bodhi tree and meditated before he finally reached
enlightenment
25
Q
Importance of the story of the Buddha’s life
A
- teaches us about illusion and how we often fail to notice or ignore the suffering in the world
- explains different types of suffering and how it affects everyone (four sights)
- shows that anyone can reach enlightenment (the Buddha was just a man not a God)
- gives examples on how to overcome suffering (meditate, follow the middle way)
- shows the goal in life is to reach enlightenment
26
Q
The four sights
A
- an old man
- a sick man
- a dead man
- a holy man
- Siddhartha had been hidden from these things his whole life
27
Q
Two major divisions of Buddhism
A
- Mahayana
- Theravada
28
Q
Mahayana Buddhism
A
- believe that anyone (laity or ordained) can follow the eightfold path and gain
enlightenment - Bodhisattva’s are compassionate beings who delay escaping samsara to help
others on the path to enlightenment
29
Q
Theravada Buddhism
A
- older and more conservative form of Buddhism
- stick very closely to the teachings of the Buddha
- believe that in order to achieve enlightenment you must be a member of the
ordained sangha - lay people must aim for a better rebirth which may enable them to become a
monk or a nun
30
Q
Samsara
A
- the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
- a world of suffering from which Buddhists hope to escape from by reaching
Nibbana - our kamma determines our position in samsara
31
Q
Impact of samsara
A
- escaping samsara is the ultimate goal for Buddhists, only by understanding it
and their position within it can Buddhists begin to make progress towards their
final goal - teaches us that it is the three root poisons which keep us trapped in samsara,
therefore it shows us we must remove these poisons from our lives - teaches Buddhists it is our own responsibility to improve their position in samsara
32
Q
The wheel of life
A
- symbolic representation of samsara
- split into 4 circles, each explaining a different aspect of samsara
- centre circle = 3 root poisons (what keeps us trapped in samsara)
- second circle = shows beings falling down (negative kamma) and beings moving
upwards (positive kamma), (shows us it is possible to improve our position in
samsara) - third circle = the 6 realms of rebirth (symbolise the different emotional
and mental states humans can find themselves in) - outer circle = the 12 links (shows us how everything is in a chain of cause and
affect)
33
Q
Nibbana
A
- the ultimate goal for Buddhists
- all craving, ignorance and suffering has been eliminated
- cannot be understood, only experienced (likened to the wind, cannot be seen or
touched but it can be experienced and we can see the effects on someone who
has experienced it) - not life after death, rather you are released from samsara and will not be reborn
34
Q
Impact of nibbana
A
- overall goal for Buddhists, keeps them going and acts as their motivation
- hope of reaching nibbana encourages us to follow the teachings of the Buddha
- the belief encourages us to be better people and follow the five precepts
35
Q
Critique of nibbana
A
- the Buddha takes the easy way out by saying that nibbana cannot be understood unless it is experienced (how do we know what we are aiming for)
- Buddhists could be seen as blindly chasing a goal they don’t even know exists
36
Q
The noble eightfold path
A
- the Buddha realised that to gain enlightenment we must follow the middle way, this has 8 parts and is known as the noble eightfold path
- by practicing the eightfold path an individual can attain nibbana
- split into three sections; wisdom, morality and mental training
- not a step by step guide, rather all steps should be practiced simultaneously
37
Q
Wisdom (eightfold path)
A
- develops understanding of reality
- two parts; right view and right intention
- right view = accepting the Dhamma as the basis of your life
- right intention = our motivation for following the Buddhist path should be to reach enlightenment and also out of our unselfish love for all beings
38
Q
Morality (eightfold path)
A
- develops loving kindness and compassion for all living beings
- three parts; right speech, right action and right livelihood
- right speech = Buddhists shouldn’t speak in ways that are hurtful to themselves or others
- right action = following the five precepts
- right livelihood = a Buddhist should earn a living in a way that does not go
against Buddhist values
39
Q
Mental training (eightfold path)
A
- spiritual practices
- three parts; right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration
- right effort = a Buddhist should make a constant effort to set aside negative
thoughts and replace them with positive ones - right mindfulness = being aware of yourself and the emotions of others
- right concentration = developing focus so that you are able to meditate
40
Q
Five precepts
A
- code of conduct that Buddhists must follow to live a moral life
- abstain from taking life
- abstain from taking what is not freely given (stealing)
- abstain from sexual misconduct
- abstain from wrong speech
- abstain from taking drugs and alcohol
41
Q
Purpose/impact of the five precepts
A
- teaches compassion
- keeps people and their belongings safe
- limits attachment to impermanent things
- develops a universal love for all beings
- keeps the mind free from distractions
42
Q
Sangha
A
- the followers of the Buddha
- composed of two main groups; the laity and the ordained
43
Q
Lay Sangha
A
- ordinary people who don’t wear special clothes
- follow the Buddhist way of life not as strictly
- help and support the monastic sangha
- spend more on ritual worship (giving offerings, chanting, prayers) than meditation
44
Q
Ordained Sangha
A
- monks and nuns who live in monasteries
- have special rules and restrictions (5 extra precepts)
- robes and shaved heads
- spend their days meditating, reading scripture and preaching
- help the Laity with meditation and studying the Dhamma
- have no personal possesions
45
Q
The sangha IS relevant today
A
- the sangha help preserve the dhamma
- they provide support for Buddhists in reaching nibbana
- some believe the sangha is even more relevant today due to an increasing number of distractions
- lay Buddhists are reliant on the sangha carrying out religious ceremonies
46
Q
The sangha IS NOT relevant today
A
- some Buddhists may decide they like their lives outside of the sangha due to
higher standards of living - in Mahayana Buddhism the lay sangha can still achieve enlightenment (not
necessary to be part of the ordained sangha) - living as the part of the ordained sangha is no longer necessary to learn the
dhamma as more people are able to read and write nowadays and the internet
allows for the quick distribution of information
47
Q
Meditation
A
- Buddhists believe if we want our lives to be transformed we must transform our
minds and clear our thoughts - two main types; Samatha meditation and Vipassana meditation
- the Buddha attained enlightenment after meditating under the Bodhi tree (shows
the importance of meditating)
48
Q
Samatha meditation
A
- easiest form of meditation (accessible to non-Buddhists)
- choosing something to concentrate on and clearing your mind of other clutter
- one way to do this is by concentrating on our breathing, this brings a greater
awareness of the physical body
49
Q
Vipassana meditation
A
- requires a teacher
- allows us to see the world as it really is (impermanent)
- samatha meditation is often seen as necessary prior to vipassana meditation
50
Q
Purpose of meditation
A
- allows you to see the world as it really is, only at this point can you stop craving
and follow the path that leads to enlightenment - allows the person to rid themselves of thoughts and feelings that are motivated by the three root poisons
- meditation is a practice within the noble eightfold path that directly draws upon
the concept of anatta
51
Q
Devotion (puja)
A
- showing love, loyalty or enthusiasm for a person or activity (not worshipping)
- an important part of a Buddhists everyday life
- can include rituals, ceremonies, festivals, pilgrimage, chanting
52
Q
Importance of devotion
A
- gaining good kamma and making progress towards enlightenment
- honouring the Buddha, showing respect, admiration, love and gratitude for his
role in overcoming suffering - learning from the Buddha’s teachings
- sharing with others in your common journey in life, gaining and giving spiritual
support
53
Q
Shrines
A
- the focus of Buddhist daily devotion
- Lay Buddhists often have shrines at home
- treated with great respect
- if the shrine is clean and tidy, it shows the mind is clear and decluttered
- contain a statue or picture of the Buddha, flowers, incense, candles etc
54
Q
Pilgrimage
A
- a long journey made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion
- four main centres of pilgrimage in Buddhism; the Buddha’s place of birth, the place
he reached enlightenment, the place of his first teaching and his place of death
