Buddhism 4A - Tibetan Buddhism

Question 1

What does Tantra mean?

Answer 1

To weave

Question 2

What is Tantric Buddhism?

Answer 2

Tantric Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on mystical practices and concepts as a path to enlightenment

Question 3

What is Vajrayana?

Answer 3

Diamond Vehicle, form of tibetan buddhism

Question 4

What to Tibetans believe?

Answer 4

that there were ‘three turnings of the wheel of the Dharma’

Question 5

What is Hinayana?

Answer 5

Arhat Vehicle

Question 6

What are the three vehicles?

Answer 6

Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana

Question 7

The three levels of vehicles can be understood by what?

Answer 7

the vows required

Question 8

What are the Hinayana vows?

Answer 8

Patimokkha vows eg 5 precpts

Question 9

What are the Mahayana vows?

Answer 9

Bodhisattva vows eg to become enlightened for sake of others

Question 10

What are the Vajrayana vows?

Answer 10

Many and various ‘secret vows’ determined by your guru

Question 11

In Tantric buddhism one uses one’s own personal what as an aide to meditation?

Answer 11

Guru

Question 12

How do they see and treat the guru as?

Answer 12

a Buddha

Question 13

In Tantric meditation one visualises what?

Answer 13

the Tantric deity

Question 14

Why do they visualise the Tantric deity?

Answer 14

Because it represents an aspect of Enlightenment

Question 15

What’s an example of this?

Answer 15

Avalokiteshavara symbolises compassion

Question 16

How would one do this?

Answer 16

By visualising oneself sitting in front of the deity in their mandala (pure land)

Question 17

What does mandala mean?

Answer 17

Circle but refers to the ‘Pure Land’ of deityies

Question 18

What does Tantric practice involve?

Answer 18

Recitation of mantras

Question 19

Why do people use prayer flags and beads?

Answer 19

Gain good karma or reduce negative karma from previous lives

Question 20

What is Bon?

Answer 20

Pre-Buddhist religion in Tibet

Question 21

What type of Bon practices does Tibetan Buddhism incorporate?

Answer 21

Astrology, medicine and divination

Question 22

Most Buddhist traditions have ‘Protector deities’, what are they?

Answer 22

Worldly spirits who look after the tradition

Question 23

How can these spirits be consulted?

Answer 23

Through a medium called an ‘oracle’

Question 24

Is this Buddhism or witchcraft?

Answer 24

Some of these sound very similar to what we mean by ‘Witch craft’

Question 25

What did Edward Conze translate ‘mantra’ as?

Answer 25

‘spell’

Question 26

Buddhism is never generally compatible with what practices?

Answer 26

that seek to ‘harm people’

Question 27

Therevada scriptures contain chants that protect people from harmful spirits, what are they called

Answer 27

Parittas

Question 28

What is Tibetan Buddhism famous for claiming?

Answer 28

to be able to identify the reincarnation of deceased lamas

Question 29

Who was the first famous reincarnation?

Answer 29

Karmapa

Question 30

What is Lamaism?

Answer 30

negative term that has been used to describe Tibetan Buddhism

Question 31

What does it derive from?

Answer 31

viewpoint of western scholars that Tibetan Buddhism isnt really Buddhism at all but a kind of corrupted synthesis of Buddhism

Question 32

Tibet has what sangha structure?

Answer 32

Fourfold

Question 33

True or false, monks are not vegetarian

Answer 33

True

Question 34

What is the Tibetan Book of the Dead known as?

Answer 34

Bardo Thodal

Question 35

What is the Bardo Thodal

Answer 35

Details the process of dying and negitiating bardo

Question 36

When one is in the Bardo, what will they see?

Answer 36

a ‘clear light’

Question 37

If you can recognise this as your own enlightened mind then what?

Answer 37

you can achieve Nirvana

Question 38

What happens if you dont recognise this as your own enlightened mind?

Answer 38

You will experience a range of images that are peaceful and wrathful

Question 39

What happens if you recognise these as your own mind?

Answer 39

You can take control of your own rebirth