Buddhism Flashcards
Who is the major figure in Buddhism?
Siddhartha Gautama - Founder of Buddhism; The Buddha (“the enlightened one”/teacher) - telling others the path to enlightenment and how to liberate themselves from suffering; Founder of Buddhism; Sakyamuni (Nickname); Means “Enlightened One” He is said to have renounced his worldly possessions and taught of a way to overcome suffering
What was Siddhartha’s early life like?
Experienced all of the things (suffering, aging, death) at once because he never experienced/learned about spiritual affairs/out of the palace when he’s young (Cause he’s a prince); One day, curiosity made everything hits him at one time; Mediates under a tree and one day, he finally came to realization; Tries to become a guru
He saw disturbance during 4 chariot rides outside the palace walls, which made him decide to seek the understanding of what he had seen
An old man - old age
A sick man - physical suffering
A dead body - death
A holy man meditating
What does Buddha mean?
Enlightened one; One that achieved nirvana; Tell others the path to enlightenment and how to liberate themselves from suffering
What is the holy/major text of Buddhism?
Sutra - Sacred text, especially one said to record the words of the Buddha
What are the different forms of Buddhism?
Theravada, Mahayana, Tantric
What is Theravada(Hinayana) Buddhism?
Teaching/way of elders; Based its practices on the earliest known recorded texts of the Buddha’s teachings, written in the Pali language; Oldest serving branch of Buddhism; More conservative; The version that’s the most original/traditional; No gods; Siddhartha is the central figure - see Nirvana as cease to exist
What is Mahayana Buddhism?
“Greater vehicles”; New meaning of nirvana (Think of it as heaven); Not necessary to leave secular world; Bodhisattvas; Monks and nuns; More diverse texts; Most popular religion; Siddhartha is not the central figure - he is just one of many; Strives to integrate the Buddha’s teachings into people’s everyday lives; Mixes with different cultures and forms different combinations
What is Tantric(Esoteric / Vajrayana) Buddhism?
Meditation; Mandalas; Become monks - martial arts; Vajrayana - Can just be an ordinary person - not a lot of monks; Prayer-like words and phrases; Nirvana = Heaven like place
What is the Goal of Buddhism?
To achieve/obtain Nirvana (Through moksha) and if you are liberated, then you will be able to escape suffering/the cycle of rebirth and achieve nirvana; To cease to exist; Achieve Nirvana - the state of liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth by following the path to enlightenment taught by the Buddha
What are the 4 Noble Truths?
- Suffering exists
- Suffering arises from attachment to desire
- Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
- Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path
What are Central Teachings of Buddhism?
Several ideologies (Not 1); Buddhism is mainly in China - Much more diverse; Meaning of Life summarize into 2 main ideas: Suffering; Nirvana; Eightfold Path; 4 Noble Truth; 3 Branches
What are the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism about?
Suffering
Who are Bodhisattvas
Enlightened beings who put off nirvana to come back and help others become enlightened; A Buddha that doesn’t go to nirvana but helps everyone else get there; Traditional/original Chinese gods turns into Bodhisattvas - stick around
What is Nirvana and how is it different from Hinduism?
The state of enlightenment for Buddhists; Supreme peace; Different from Hinduism because there is no soul in Buddhism
What are the Eightfold Path of Buddhism?
- Right understanding
- Right intent
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration
