Buddhism Flashcards
Siddhartha Gautama
-Raised in luxury, isolated, unhappy and unfulfilled
-Sees “Four Sights” during his first time leaving the house
-Renounces luxury at age 29
-Becomes religious mendicant
Four Sights
- An elderly person - aging
- A sick person - illness
- A dead person - death
- A religious mendicant - pursuit of happiness
The Enlightenment
-Siddhartha was sitting in meditation under a tree when he had a sudden awakening
-Taught Sangha
-those who heard him speak experienced enlightenment, gave up material lives, became monks and nuns
-Teaching = Dharma
- No gods worshipped
End goal is Nirvana - liberation from samsara
Four Noble Truths
- Life involved suffering (dukkha)
- Suffering is caused by craving
- Suffering ends when craving ends
- End suffering through Noble Eightfold Path
Life involves suffering
-illness, injury, death
-stop holding onto happiness or you will suffer more
-impossible to hold onto happiness forever
Suffering is caused by craving
- Life is composed of constant and woven together experiences that give the illusion of an “I”
-Once this illusion is realized, we can let go of attachments
-Anitya - everything is impermanent
-We are nothing but karma
Suffering ends when craving ends
-Nirvana - ultimate liberation, escaping samsara, still alive
-Free of attachment and craving. Break free of “self”
-Parinirvana - karma runs out, you “dissolve”
Noble Eightfold Path
- Right Understanding - comprehend reality through four noble truths
- Right thought - clear mind, no selfish desires
- Right speech - no lying, gossiping, harsh speaking
- Right action - avoid destroying life, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication
- Right livelihood - live by 5 precepts (number 4)
- Right effort - eliminate impurities of the mind
- Right mindfulness - the cultivation of awareness
- Right Meditation - mental discipline, control mind restless nature
Theravada Buddhism
-“The way of the elders”
-View body as disgusting
-Minority of Buddhist
-Rejects the Lotus Sutra
-Samatha Meditation - calm-abiding
-Vipassana Meditation - Insight
Pali Cannon
-Theravada Buddhism
-The Tipitaka (“three baskets”)
- Sutra-pitaka, vinaya-pitaka, and abhidharma-pitaka
Triple Gems
-Theravada Buddhism
-Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
-Look to buddha and honor him
-Refuge in dharma
The Arhant
-Theravada Buddhism
A monk or nun
-Only ones who know how to get to Nirvana
Mahayana Buddhism
-“great vehicle”
-Goal: remain engaged in society and still live a life of enlightenment
The Lotus Sutra
-Mahayana Buddhism
-“Skillful means” - communication that’s helpful/relevant to you
-Bodhisattva
-Buddha-Nature
Bodhisattva
-reaches Nirvana, rejects it, comes back to help the rest of us out of samsara
Buddha-Nature
-everyone can become a buddha, and no one is lost
The Trikaya Doctrine
-Mahayana Buddhism
-3 bodies of Buddhism
-Dharma-kaya: eternal wisdom
-Nirmana-kaya: manifestation
-Sambogha-kaya” enjoyment
Zen
-Mahayana Buddhism
-Meditation
-Sunyata meditation
-Koan Meditation
-Zazen Meditation
-Mind-to-Mind Transition
Sunyata Meditation
emptiness, voidness, strip away karma
Koan Meditation
-“Public case”
-Exhaust the mind through riddles
Zazen Meditation
-Seated meditation
-focus on emptiness
-Keisaku - “warning stick”, focus on sting of slit to help you focus
Mind-to-Mind transition
-Student smiles at zen maser who shares the dharma kai
-no communication
-endpoint of zen
Kensho
momentary glimpse of reality
Satori
full enlightenment in zen
Pure land
-grounded in Amitabha Buddha - someone who reaches nirvana but rejects it
-say his name = guaranteed to live in pure world (in samsara)
Nichiren
-Chanting name of lotus sutra
“glory to the dharma of the lotus sutra”
Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism
-“Diamond vehicle”
-Bodily oriented
-Simplistic in teaching
Taught by Lamas - lineage of teachers, wisdom teacher
Dalai Lama
-Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism
-return to share enlightenment with others
-Manifestation of bodhisava
Bardo
-Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism
-49 day period between death and rebirth
-Want a lucid death so you have the opportunity for enlightenment and you can control where and if you return
Tibetan Book of the Dead
- What you will experience as you die
-Can’t perceive forms –> can’t hear –> can’t smell –> can’t taste/breath –> no consciousness
-White light –> red light –> black light –> natural light of sky at dawn
Deity Yoga
-Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism
-the 3 M’s:
1. Mantras - sacred chants
2. Mudra’s - hand signals and gestures
3. Mandalas - sacred diagrams
Ideas of Life and Death
-NIRVANA - liberation from samsara, life free of attachment
- Impermanent - ANITYA –> no “self”, “i”, or “ego”
- PARINIRVANA -
Ideas of Life and Death
-NIRVANA - liberation from samsara, life free of attachment
- Impermanent - ANITYA –> no “self”, “i”, or “ego”
- PARINIRVANA - karma has run out, you “dissolve”
-SAMSARA- cycle of reincarnation
* Buddhism doesn’t believe in a permanent soul, only karma is reborn
Legend of Ashoka
-beautiful eyes, dad’s first wife wrote a letter in his name for people to take out his eyes. His eyes were removed, wife and dad fainted at the sight of him. Bad karma because he was a hunter in a past life and blinded hundreds of gazelles. He gained the eyes of wisdom
