Buddhism Flashcards
How many members, how old?
half a billion, 4th
How is it different from Hinduism?
Smaller, and more global
Different kinds of Buddhism:
Theravada
Mahanayana
Vajrayana
What do Buddhists call their religion?
DHARMA
Compared to Jainism?
6th century - a little bit after Jainism
Different than Jainism
Buddhism was against the extreme “ascetic” ideal of the Jains instead presenting itself as the “middle way”
Life of the Enlightened One
-Siddarta Guatama
His father kept him safe because he didn’t want him to become religious
The 4 passing sights
Old Age
Sickness
Death
An ascetic monk
From distress to crisis
Bodh-gaya was Siddharta’s resolve
Opposition, insight, and higher form of conciousness
Nirvana and parinarvana
-
The four noble truths
Life is suffering
Craving causes suffering
Suffering can cease
Through the eightfold middle path
A physicians approach
problem (suffering), source (craving), fact that it can be extinguished, how to extinguish it.
Teachings of the Buddha
- Salvation as self-effort and self-discipline
- Practical rather than metaphysical concern (nature & causes of suffering, rather than the gods)
- The chain of dependent operation (12-cause effect links)
- Iimmpermenance of life
- Rebirth without transmigration
Tripitaka (The three baskets)
Monastic rules
The teachings of Buddha
Doctrinal Supplement
Spread of Buddhism through?
Conversion of Emperor Ashoka (273-232)
Mayhayana
The great vehicle
Theological developments
Increased divinization of the Buddha
Multiplication of Buddha’s and Bodhisvattvas
Devotion literature based on the view that the B&B are sources of merit
The Lotus Sutra as a key Mahayana scripture
Sunyata
Increased focus on emptiness of things
With new developments what happened?
Buddhism reached greater missionary success
Mahayana Beliefs
Buddhas: Those who have reached parivana after their human experience, like Siddharta can’t be reached through prayer, but devotion creates merit
-Those who achieved
Mahayana Beliefs
Buddhas: Those who have reached parivana after their human experience, like Siddharta can’t be reached through prayer, but devotion creates merit
- Those who achieved nirvana in heaven are contemplative buddhas or tathagatas. They postpone parinarvana to minister to our needs
- At least 5 Tathagatas - one solar, and 4 cardinal directions
Buddha of the West
Amida
Amida presides over
Western paradise - where nirvana is guranteed
Bodhisattvas
Human form - but postponed parinarvana for humanity
-Dwell in heaven, but can come to earth
Maitreya
A future Buddha/Bodhisattva who will come when the Dharma will have been forgotten
Who should take the vow to be a bodhisattva
Everyone
Maitreya
one who is yet to come
Budai
The laughing incarnated buddha
Avalokita
divine compassion - mother goddess (China), Dalai Lama (Tibet)
Jizo
Japan - protector of children
Jizo
Japan - protector of children
Mahayana Philosophies
- Everything is empty of identiy or permanance
- Everything is interrelated and in constant flux
- Nothing is self-sufficient or independent
- What is empty is not able to cause suffering
- Nirvana is not something added to free samsara, it is simply samsara rightly viewed and understood
Pure Land (Amidism):
emphasis on faith
Jodo Shinshu
(true pure land) - predestination, World affirming, no asceticism, celibacy
Zen
Emphasis on personal effort, zazen
Parts of zen
- wear down the intellect with impossible problems
- a gradual process of enlightenment
Nichiren
Japanese with emphasis on sociopolitical activism and Lotis Sutra
Soka Gakkai
Modern lay Buddhist Group of the nichiren school, humanistic activism, missionary oriented
Vajrayana (Tibetan)
Esoteric tradition built on Trantras (magical and spell making manuals
Belief about passing knowledge
Can only be transmitted directly from teacher to student
Mantras
Om Mani Padme Hum
Mandalas
Concentric Circles
Mudrras
Hand signs
Other Vajrayana Beliefs
Pujas and prayer wheels, reincarnation of head Lama
Other Vajrayana Beliefs
Pujas and prayer wheels, reincarnation of head Lama
Meditation
Is the Buddhist Practice
