Buddhism Flashcards
Who was the Buddha’s father, mother and what was special about his mothers pregnancy?
. Suddhodana
. Maya
. His mother had a dream that an elephant came down and entered her side
. her pregnancy lasted 10 months
What happened at Gautama’s birth?
. His mother gave birth to him under a tree in Lumbini
. He was born painlessly out of her side
. He took 7 steps in each direction and at each step a lotus flower sprang up
. He declared “ I am the king of the 4 directions. This is my last birth”
What are the three marks of existence or Lakshanas?
- Dukkha
- Anicca
- Anatta
What is Dhukka?
suffering or pain
What is Anicca and what are the two types of Anicca?
. Impermanence
1. Obvious Anicca
- Impermanence which is all around us like spring and summer and winter
- Hidden Anicca
- Anicca that cannot be seen like molecules changing their configurations
What is Anatta?
No independent self
- there is no “I” have thoughts there is only thoughts
no soul or essence
What is Pratitya-samutpada?
. Dependant Origination
“ everything exists only because of the existence of other phenomena in an incredibly complex web of cause and effect covering time past, time present and time future”
What is the analogy of the four noble truths?
- Disease - humans are ‘sick’ - they suffer from dukkha
- Diagnosis - the buddha identifies that the sickness is caused by craving
- Cure - the Buddha identifies that the sickness can be cured
- treatment - the buddha says the treatment is the eightfold path
What is the eightfold path?
- Right Viewpoint
- Right Thought
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Living
- Right Effort
- Right Awareness
- Right Concentration
What are the Three Poisons?
- Ignorance - refusal to recognise the three Lakshanas
- Greed - our desire for possessions
- Hatred - Anger and jealousy
What is the Way of Wisdom?
. first two parts of the eightfold path some people regard them as the most important as they allow understanding of the reality of life and you can make good decisions following the Magga.
What is the way of Morality?
Morality is the second part of the eightfold path and is about the way that people should treat each other. This is incredibly important as the actions of a person determine rebirth.
What is the way of meditation?
Mental training and spiritual practices that the Buddhists can do to reach nirvana. They can replace bad thoughts with good thoughts.
What is Samsara?
Death and rebirth without end. Wheel of existence. Yama god of death holds the wheel. 6 realms : anti-god realm, Hungry ghost realm, hell real, human realm, animal realm.
3 animals at the centre of the wheel.
What animal are the three poisons?
- Ignorance - Pig
- Greed - Rooster
- Hatred - Snake
What metaphor is used to describe enlightenment?
Being locked in a prison cell and then the door is suddenly opened
What did the Buddha say about the three poisons?
“If Ignorance, Greed and Hatred, are given up, man aims neither at his own ruin nor the ruin of others, nor at the ruin of both, and he experiences no mental pain or grief. Thus is Nirvana visible in life, immediate, inviting, attractive and comprehensible to the wise”
What does Nirvana mean?
‘blowing out’ - the extinguishing of the cravings and three poisons in a state of enlightenment
What is Theravada?
‘way of the elders’ - direct beliefs from the dhamma unchanged, oldest form of Buddhism. Most important text is the Dhammapada meaning verses of the dhamma and key verses of the buddha. they are read and chanted.
The Arhat verses?
“There is no suffering for him who has finished his journey, and abandoned grief.
They depart with their thoughts well-collected.
In a hamlet or in a forest, in the deep water or on the dry land, wherever Arhats dwell, that place is delightful
Where the world finds no delight, there the passionless will find delight, for they look not for pleasures.
what is the goal in Theravada?
A person who has completed the eightfold path, destroyed craving and the three poisons, overcome Dukkha and achieved nirvana are called Arhats - ‘one who is worthy of respect
Why can Arhats be seen as selfish?
They are only concerned with themselves and only focus on their own nirvana they do not help others on their journey to nirvana.
What is Mahayana?
‘Great vehicle’ not all teachings of the dhamma were revealed at once and a lot of it was revealed later when people were ready to hear it. Most important scripture is the Lotus Sutra were the Buddha is described as a supernatural being. It describes how the Buddha was questioned by 80,000 Bodhisattvas.
What is a Bodhisattva?
Someone who delays his or her Nirvana to help others achieve Nirvana. They are seen as a source of Karuna for the world. All Buddhists can be Bodhisattvas.
What is the Bodhisattvas vow?
“The deluding passions are exhaustible: I vow to extinguish them all.
Sentient beings are numberless: I vow to save them all
The truth is impossible to explain: I vow to explain it
The way of the Buddha is unattainable: I vow to attain it”
Who was Avolokitesvara?
One of the most famous Bodhisattvas who has 1000 arms and faces so she can help all beings who need her.
Who was Manjushri?
A Bodhisattva who’s task is to destroy ignorance and delusion hence her sword. she awakens spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
What is Panha?
‘Question of Menander’ - King Milinda visits famous Arhat Nagasena with 500 people from his court and asks about his beliefs?
What explanation does Nagasena give to Milinda?
Milinda rode in a chariot, all the parts of the chariot combine to make a chariot there is no permanent chariot only a collection of parts that fall under the name chariot. In the same way Nagasena has no permanent self he is a collection of organic matter and 5 skhandas that falls under the name Nagasena.
What are the 5 Skhandas?
- Form - physical Body
- Sensations - Senses
- Perceptions - Awareness of information
- Mental Formations - Reactions
- Consciousness - Thoughts and feelings
Buddha quote about Skhandas?
“It is just like a mountain river, flowing far and swift, taking everything along with it, there is no moment, no instant, when it stops flowing - it goes on flowing and continuing
What does the Heart Sutra say about human personality?
Avalokitesvara describes it as ‘Sunyata’ meaning emptiness or hollowness. The Skhandas contain Sunyata and all senses are Sunyata meaning that the nature of one is the nature of all.
What does Avalokitesvara say about Sunyata?
“Form is sunyata and sunyata itself is form. form is not other than sunyata and sunyata is not other than form. The same is true of sensations, mental formations, perceptions and consciousness.
What is the other Mahayana approach to human personality?
Tathagatagarbha
What are the six paramitas?
- Dana (generosity)
- Sila (morality)
- Virya (energy
- Kshanti (patience)
- Samadhi (meditation)
- Prajna (wisdom)
What is Tathagatagarbha?
Buddha nature. everyone has the nature to be a buddha inside of them they just don’t realise once this is realised they can become a buddha. This is best described through the parable of the hidden Jewel. However you have to realise the 6 parimeters to achieve Tathagatagarbha
What quote does the buddha say about meditation?
“Rare are those who enjoy freedom from mental disease even for one moment, except those who are free from mental defilements”
What do Buddhists aim to do in right action?
Follow the Pancha Sila. they the heart of Buddhism and all Buddhists aim to follow them.
What are the 5 negative primary precepts?
- abstain from taking and harming life
- Abstain from taking what is not freely given
- refrain from misusing sexuality
- abstain from false speech
- abstain from toxicants of the mind
What are the 5 positive primary precepts?
- show metta
- show dana
- show respect
- show honestly and sincerity
- show mindfulness in my actions
John Bowker quote for 5 primary precepts?
“It’s not a rule or a commandment. its a promise I make to myself. If I broke the promise I’d feel a bit guilty. But if I kept it, I’m quite happy that I did”
Quote about Karuna from the Buddha?
“Just as a mother would protect her only child even at risk of her own life, even so, let him cultivate karuna toward all beings”
Quote about Karuna from Dalai Lama?
“It is my belief that karuna is more important than religion”
Quote about Metta from Buddha?
“Let a person’s thoughts of Metta pervade the whole world, above, below and across without any obstruction, without any hatred”
What is Punna and Pappa kamma?
Punna - Good, wholesome, skilful actions
Pappa - Bad, unwholesome, unskilful actions
Buddha quote about kamma?
“If anyone speaks or acts, with an evil mind, then suffering follows one even as the wheel follows the ox.
Buddha quote about Kamma 2?
“whoever does harm to an innocent man, a pure man and a faultless one, the evil comes back on that fool, like fine dust thrown into the wind”
Buddha quote about the after life being hard work?
” attain perfection through diligence”
How did Dharmakara create the Pure-land?
He meditated and then proclaimed 48 vows regarding his own Bhudda land. the two most important were.
18 - “if sentient beings entrust themselves to me and call my name even 10 times should not be born there, may i not achieve enlightenment
19 - “if when sentient beings sincerely desire to be born into my land, should not at death see me appear before them, may i not attain enlightenment”
What is Nembutsu?
Having faith in Amida
“Namu-amida-butsu”
“I take refuge for - Amida - Buddha”
What parts are there to a Vihara?
Accommodation
Dinning Hall
classroom
Library
Meditation hall
Bodhi tree
Stupas
What 5 things do a Vihara worshiping room contain?
- Statue
- Flowers
- Candles
- incense
- Offerings
What does the Dhammapada say about meditation?
“wisdom is born of meditation, without meditation wisdom is lost”
What does the Lotus Sutra say about meditation?
“entered into the meditation of the place of immeasurable meanings”
What are the six parts of the meditation scarf?
- Eyes
- Ears
- Nose
- tongue
- body
- mind
Buddha quote about meditation?
“the one mind is free from all external phenomena”
What are the three types of meditation?
- Mindfulness of breathing
- Metta meditation
- Vipassana
Buddha quote about meditation?
“i want happiness, remove i and want and you are left with happiness”
What does the Buddha say about the Triratna?
“he who takes refuge in the Buddha in the dhamma and in his sangha understands with clarity of wisdom the four noble truths”
What is the Triranta and the chant?
3 jewels
1. Buddha
2. darmma
3. sangha
“i take refuge in the Buddha”
Mantra
chant
mala
108 beads
Mudras
hand gestures
Quote for death 1?
“this body, deprived of consciousness, will lie on the earth like a useless log”
Quote for death 2?
“impermanent alas are the formations, subject to rise and fall, having arisen they cease their subsiding is bliss”
Kshudrapanthaka Quote?
“my mind became clear and unblocked until i stepped out of samsara and achieved enlightenment”
Quote for mind being like flag?
“It is like a flag on the end of a pole or like a leaf on a tree. By itself it remains still if it flutters that is because of the wind an external force”
What are the Triratna chants?
Buddham saranam gacchami
Dhammam saranam gacchami
Sangham saranam gacchami
Avalovkitesvara chant?
Om Mani Padme Hum
Hail to the jewel in the lotus
Chant bhikkus say after death?
Anicca Vata Cinkhara
“impermanent alas are formations subject to rise and fall. Having arisen they cease, their subsiding into bliss”
Buddha quote about sadness in death?
“No weeping, no sorrow, no other lamentation benefits the dead”
Buddha advice about giving at death?
“give timely donations of proper food and drink”
After chanting funeral order?
therevada
- Body remains at home for three days. visitors can chant and offer candles
- length of ribbon taken from the coffin and held by bhikkus to show the punna kamma gained through dana
- cremation and Anicca vata cinkhara
- ashes placed in an urn and buried marked by a stupa
Mahayana funeral?
. given kaimyo
. 49 day interval between death and rebirth the consciousness is in transition
. Bardo thodol sacred text
. 3 bardos
- at death the person sees light
- sees past life and light again
- if turn away the third begins kamma decideds reborn
. person is also confronted with demons
Prayer in transition?
“be not attached to this world, be not weak. remember the triratna”
Sky burial order?
- lama chants from the bardo thodol
- body is washed, placed in foetal position and wrapped in a white cloth. it may be taken to a vihara and prayed for
- body is then unrapped and tied to a pole and cut open for vuktures
Wesak key components?
- light procession with candles
- water and washing of buddha
- freeing animals - removing dukkha
- giving dana
. chanting triratna
Parinava day?
. reading from the mahaparinirvana sutra
.
what is vassa?
period for buddha were he wouldnt have been able to travel so he would have stayed inside and prayed
. vassa begins with bikkhus chanting from the Dhamma chakrapavattana sutra
. ends with paravana day were bikkhus are invited to observe and comment on praying
. month long period after for lay pople to donate clothes and food.
.
WHat happenes in a Kathina
- vihara gathering with a meal
- bikkhus eat first
- lay person leads people by reciciting triratna
3.
