Buddhism Flashcards
Siddhartha Gautama
The founder of Buddhism.
Enlightenment/Nirvana/Paranirvana
A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering nor desire and the subject is released from the samsara cycle.
The 4 sights
Old age, sickness, death and a holy man.
Ascetic
A holy man.
The middle way
You neither have too much or too little. You are not living a life of luxury but also aren’t starving yourself to death.
Dharma
The Buddha’s teachings. The ideas that Buddhists try to follow.
Dukkah
Suffering.
The 4 Noble Truths
The 4 main principals of Dharma.
Noble Truth 1 - All creatures suffer
Life is not how we want it to be. Even when we find happiness it doesn’t last for very long long and when we stop being happy we feel dissatisfied again.
Nobel Truth 2 - Suffering is caused by selfish desires
Cravings are the cause of suffering. The desire for possessions, wealth, popularity, success etc. but none of these things make us truly happy.
Nobel truth 3 - Suffering can be ended and overcome
Because we are so often the cause of our own suffering only we have the ability to end and overcome it finding true happiness.
Nobel Truth 4 -
The way to overcome suffering is by following the eightfold path.
The three poisons
Greed, ignorance and hatred.
The eightfold path
8 instruction the Buddha gave to his followers to help the overcome suffering.
What were the 8 instructions?
- Right concentration
- Right understanding
- Right thought
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
The Sangha
A community of devout Buddhist followers.
Emperor Ashoka
A violent bloodthirsty leader who ruled India in 3rd century BC.
Pilgrimage
A journey to a place of religious significance.
Lumbini
In the foothills of the Himalayas of Nepal. This is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama.
Bodh Gaya
The tree where the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
Sarnath
Where the Buddha gave his first sermon.
Kusinara
The exact spot the Buddha dies. The Rambhar stupa is where he was cremated.
What symbol represents the eightfold path?
A wheel.
How long ago did Buddhism begin?
2,500 years ago.
How many Buddhists are there in the world today?
500 million.
At what age did the Buddha leave his palace?
16.
The term for people who spread religious messages?
Missionaries.
The Samsara Cycle
The cycle of birth>death>rebirth.
