buddhism Flashcards
1
Q
buddha background 3
A
- indian
- kshatriya caste
- father ruler of northern lumbini region
2
Q
buddha birth 4
A
- mother believed she conceived something sacred bc she had a dream a white elephant had taken over her body
- she died after giving birth - nothing greater to do than give birth to buddha
- raised by father and maternal aunt
- shaman prophesied to father Buddha would be either great king or beggar
3
Q
1st buddha name (name and 3 more pts)
A
- siddharta gautama
- siddharta given name, means most likely to achieve
- guatama chosen, name of famous teacher
- buddha title, not name (like christ), meaning he who has awoken/is enlightenment
4
Q
buddha marriage and parenthood 3
A
- named son rahula (fetter or chain)
- had everything, but felt trapped from real world
- started sneaking out of palace
5
Q
buddha’s journeys and the 4 men
A
- old man (represents weakness) - is that all his future is?
- sick man (reps pain) - is that all that’s ahead?
- dead man (reps sorrow)
- holy man (reps joy and contentment) - only he seems calm and peaceful
6
Q
who were the 4 men
A
spirit beings sent to help buddha become the buddha
7
Q
buddha’s renouncment 4
A
- becomes sunyassin at 29, early
- lives an austere and escetic life, studies yoga and extreme fasting
- gained disciples
- in 30s, gave up under a tree in bodha gaya
8
Q
when does buddha reach enlightenment
A
when he gave up and let go, at tree in bodha gaya
9
Q
3 nights of revelation
A
- saw all previous lives in his mind like a movie
- insight on nature of reincarnation
- insight on 4 noble truths
10
Q
buddha’s preaching and teaching era 4
A
- regained disciples who left when he gave up (they gave him buddha title)
- went back to family for forgiveness
- son became a future disciple and leader
- started monasteries, where monks would teach in monsoon season, then go to help community in dry season
11
Q
buddha’s death 2
A
- died in 80s from eating poisoned mushroom
- his relics distributed throughout india
12
Q
what buddha accepts of hinduism 4
A
- reincarnation
- karma
- meditation and yoga as a means for enlightenment
- mendicant - to beg for existence, wanderers
13
Q
what buddha rejects of hindusim 7
A
- hindu scriptures not helpful for spiritual advancement, but have good advice
- rejects caste system
- monastaries accept top 3 varnas
- rejects order of preists - instead order of lay people, not professionals
- denial of gods
- rejects disclusion of women (bc aunt wanted to be part of movement)
- rejects laissez-faire attitude - instead missionary ferver for donverts
14
Q
spread beyond india 2
A
- forced migration from hindu and later muslim oppression
- chosen migrations for mission to china, kroea, indonesia, japan
15
Q
prediction of maitreya buddha 5
A
- chubby buddha
- means universal
- infinetely compassionate and all-knowing
- under his reign, way to enlightenment through love rather than ascetism
- already in world today (?)
16
Q
atheistic theology 4
A
- no god
- nothing solid in the universe
- no first cause of universe, should focus on present instead of origins
- no one saves us but ourselves (salvation by righteousness)
17
Q
who are the buddhas? 3
A
- enlightened humans
- all-knowing
- teach by words and example to guide us along the path to spiritual maturity
18
Q
what takes the place of a high god 4
A
- folk religion
- small spirits (ex village guardians, spirits of dead, animal guardians, etc)
- shamanistic magic
- fortune telling in temple compounds (but not in temple) (sticks with number to scripture)
19
Q
buddhism as the middle way 5
A
- rejection of asceticism and worldliness (sidharta fulfilled by neither)
- balance and equilibrium
- not a compromise, but difficult and demanding
- living in the world, but not being of the world
- when you just be and not do, this is where enlightenment is reached
20
Q
desire and enlightenment 4
A
- desire tried to numb you, control you, biggest vice
- when siddharta obsessed with enlightenment, did not find it until he let go
- more desire, less enlightenment
- desire compared to a flame, must remove the fuel to not be burnt by it
21
Q
4 noble truths (and 1 pt ab what they’re all ab)
A
- all ab suffering - an inner turmoil of unsatisfactoriness that comes from the illusion that desires are important
- suffering is a part of life
- suffering is due to selfish desires
- suffering will stop of desires are crushed
- the way to crush desire is to ollow the 8fold path
22
Q
nirvana 5
A
- to extinguish the candle of desire
- a state of non-being where suffering ceases
- can only describe it by what it is not
- to esoteric for most to understand, so many believe in western pureland, a stepping stone to nirvana
- you can experience nirvana in this life in deep meditation
23
Q
anatman 3
A
- the ‘no-self’ - discarding ‘I’ and ‘my’ bc they’re not real
- after death, you either reincarnate or reach nirvana
- but in reincarnation, not you who’s reincarnated, instead you break into 5 skandhas which are recombined with dif pieces to form a new person
24
Q
5 skandhas
A
- physical appearance
- feeling (emotive self)
- perception (intellectual self)
- inherent impulses - karmic disposition
- background consciousness - sense of being alive
25
bodhisatva 2
- enlightened being, can be a buddha and reach nirvana
- bit out of love and compassion, agree to be reborn so their skandhas can combine with others to save them
26
8fold path 8 parts
- right view
- right intentions
- right speech
- right action
- right livelihood
- right effort
- right concentration
- right mindfulness
27
other aspects of 8fold path 3
- way to release desire and find nirvana, and become a arha/saint
- dharma cakra - wheel of law and duty, represents path
- you have overcome 3 intoxicants of life (sensuality, ignorance, desire)
28
right view 2
- accepted 4 noble truths
- uninhibited by superstition, delusion
29
right intentions
attitudes of calmness, stillness, peacefulness no anger
30
right speech 2
- no boasting or gossip
- use speech to reconcile, heal, show compassion
31
right action
overcome bad karma with good karma
32
right livelihood 2
- occupation makes you useful to society and the economy
- make money in a way that does not harm nature or otehrs
33
right effort
- be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, abilities and limitations, follow path at own pace
34
right concentration 2
- think before you speak or do
- careful, alert mind
35
right mindfulness
concentration and techniques, meditation, deep focus to control mind
36
3 categories of 8fold path
wisdom and understanding, ethical conduct, mental discipline
37
temples 3
- all have broad base and narrow tip, representing 5 elements
- meditators mimic this shape, become temple
- hold buddha statues, lotus flowers, gongs, incence
38
5 elements
- wisdom
- water
- fire
- air
- earth
39
monks 6
- not required to stay for life
- helps spiritual advancement to study there
- vow to serve community for a time
- vow to shave head for simplicity
- can repeat vows to stay longer, after 3 stay forever
- lives a simple life in meditation and teaching
40
3 sects of buddhism today
- theraveda/hinyana
- mahayana
- vajrayana
41
theraveda buddhism 5
- southern (se asia)
- conservative
- means "teaching of ancients", believe they follow closest to teachings of sidharta
- other sects call it hinyana (little wagon) because very few reach salvation, only 28 so far, and only monks and nuns have a chance
- what you do merits salvation
42
mahayana buddhism 8
- northern (china, mongolia, nepal, canada)
- liberal
- anybody can be a buddha and reach salvation, as many buddhas as grinas of sand
- largest group
- means big wagon, anyone can join
- devotion and faith speed salvation
- has western pureland, bodhisattva
- missionary docus
43
vajrayana buddhism 6
- high altitude, tibet
- diamond vehicle, impenetrable
- smallest group, but where most known buddhist is from (dalai lama)
- mantras
- mduras
- mandala
44
dalai lama 2
- dalai ocean, lama monk, means ocean of wisdom
- past leader's spirit goes into someone else, continuity in leadership
45
mantras (vajrayana buddhism)
coloured flags or prayer wheels as prayers
46
mudras
motion of prayer, like laying down and standing up with each step of pilgramage
47
mandala 4
- geometric design that represents universe
- used for meditation
- like aerial view of temple
- spirits live there
48
zen buddhism 8
- all ab the self
- found in china, japan
- complete focus with no distraction
- zen gardens
- zazen
- sazen
- koans
- mostly vegetarian
49
zen gardens 3
- microcosm of world
- gravel ocean
- rocks are islands
50
zazen
seated meditation
51
sazen 3
- interviews with zen masters about philosophic matters
- rapid fire flow of thought
- spontaneity leads to enlightenment instead of overthinking
52
koans 2
- riddles with no logical answers to push us beyond logic
- to transcend ego-consciousness, thinking of self
53
social buddhism 2
- socialist/marxist philosophy integrated
- equality for all connects to not going after desires, but instead sharing with all
54
buddhist writings 3
- Tripitaka
- sutras
- no claim for inspiration from buddha or god, no promise of inherency
55
Tripitaka 6
- pali language
- '3 baskets'
- of theravedas
- origin of monatsic community, life of buddha
- from oral memory
- esoteric and academic
56
sutras 3
- sanskirt
- means scriptures
- of mahayana group
57
connections with christianity 5
- universal understanding of suffering
- morality and ethics
- teachings of buddha and Jesus
- bodhisattva as saviour figure, transfer of merit
- 8fold path and 10 commandments
