Buddhism 2 Flashcards
Pure Land
Birth in pure lands not based on traditional means (meditation, wisdom, morality) but faith, worship, calling the Buddha’s name
Even those who have committed heinous crimes possess “buddha-nature”
6th Cent. Teachers advocating use of “incantations” (dharani)
Pure Land adopts practice of nianfo 念佛, “recollecting” the Buddha
Nianfo - chanting the name of Amitābha Buddha (Namo Amitoufo)
Belief in the age of Degenerate Dharma (mappō) in Kamakura Period (1185-1333)
Leads to formation of sects including Pure Land (Jōdo Shu), founded by Hōnen (1133-1212)
Chan/Zen
meditation is direct avenue to enlightenment, founded by bodiharma, rituals and reciting texts less important
Lotus Sutra
mayahana texts,
expedient means- adapting teachings,
allows to apply,
all beings can attain buddhahood
Tendai and Nichiren
Hinayana
more conservative mahayana buddhist schools
name given by Mahayana schools to distinguish as “inferior vehicle”
More cosmic- 3 bodies
jingtu/jodo
Chinese Buddhist tradition of devotion to Amitābha Buddha in order to be reborn into his Pure Land as a means of attaining enlightenment
Amitabha/Amituofo/Amida
mayhana buddah most important pure land tradition
Buddha of Infinite Light
Nichiren
japanese Buddhist priest Kamakura period 12th century Soley beleived in Lotus Suta Founder of Nichiren Buddhism
Saicho
japanese Buddhist priest
8th and 9th century
founded the Tendai school of Buddhism based on the Chinese Tiantai school he was exposed to during his trip to Tang China
Zazen/zuochan
sitting meditation
Zen Buddhism
Dogen
Soto school of Zen in Japan, popularized it
13th century
nianfo/nembutsu
Pure Land practice of repeating, Buddha recitation, mindfullness
Amitabha
shikantaza
“just sitting”
objectless meditation—no specific object of meditation
Soto school
Dogen model that mediation is the only way to enlightenment.
Koan/gongan
Chan/Zen
anidots/dialects that dont make sense to cause sudden enlightenment out of normal attachments and thought processes
question-unrelated answer
Honen
Pure land founder, 12th century
chanting name of Amida (nembutsu) only requirement for salvation
not meditation or merit,
exiled bc authorities thought teachings could lead to moral depravity
Buddha-nature
Shinran
Honens disciple 12th and 13th centuries continues to encourage nembutsu 2 innovations to japanese pure land: - married clergy -only a single nembustu is sufficent to be born in pure land
Guanyin/Kannon
bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by Mahayana Buddhists
Shinran dreamed bodhisattva Kannon or G would come as beautiful woman he should marry
married her - neother monk nor lay man inspired his clergy change in Pure Land
Tariki
other-power
can no longer retrieve salvation on their own must rely on Amitabba to be born in a pure land
pure land
bodhisattva
Jiriki
self power
people are supposed to meditate on their own, personal responsibility
pure land
bodhisattva
Doctrine of “3 Bodies”
Essence Body (dharmakāya) Bliss Body (sambhogakāya) Transformation Body (nirmānakāya)
Buddha Lands
where buddhas live and teach
Like god-realms, but non-samsāric
Emerging forms of Buddhism focused on birth in Buddha-lands
Buddha lands filled with jewels, jewel-trees, music, sweet scents, lights, colors, sound of teaching, etc.
Drama of liberation not confined to a single realm
Possible to be helped by buddhas and bodhisattvas
Dhamākara
vowed to establish a pure land
Meditated for 5 eons, establishes pure land called Sukhāvatī (“blissful”)
No lower birth and everyone will become an arhat or bodhisattva
Life-spans unlimited, no negative karma, perpetual teachings
any being to be born in his pure land will:
meditate
live morally
vow to be reborn there
meditate on the pure land, practice virtue, and dedicate their merit
bodisattva, 18th vow- if enlightenment reached anyone can reach his buddhaland- reach the pure land, later became Amitabha Buddha
Three Ages of the Dharma
Era of the True Dharma/Law (500 – 1000 years)
Era of the Semblance Dharma/Law (500 – 1000 years)
Era of the Degenerate Dharma (10,000 years)
Tiantai (Tendai)
Lotus School
Founder – Zhiyi (538 – 597 C.E.)
Lotus Sutra
All beings can attain Buddhahood following the One Vehicle (the Buddha Vehicle)
“Expedient Means”
The Buddha is eternal
Tendai Buddhism founded by Saichō
8th and 9th centuries
Shingon
one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan
