Buddhism

Question 1

Shakyamini

Answer 1

• teaching became the origins to Buddhism
• prince, renounced his title
• went to meditate, achieved enlightenment (bodhi)
• discovered 4 noble truths
• choice to either enter nirvana of spread teachings

Question 2

Karma

Answer 2

• moral/ritual conduct

- circumstances decide what our next life will be

Question 3

bodhi

Answer 3

enlightenment

Question 4

dharma

Answer 4

• teachings that were centered around Sakyamuni’s enlightenment
• 4 noble truths:
  1. suffering (duhka)
  2. cause of suffering (samudaya)
  3. Cessation of suffering (nirodha)
  4. Path (marga)

Question 5

“Three Marks of Existence” (tri-lakshana)

Answer 5

• impermanence (anitya)
• suffering (duhka)
• not-self (anatman)

Question 6

4 cardinal virtues

Answer 6

• temperance
• prudence
• courage
• justice

Question 7

Mahayana

Answer 7

• “great vehicle”
• inclusive of normal people
• “Bodhisattva” (enlightenment being) idea: attain buddhahood for other beings
• don’t have a grand universal view

Question 8

“Four sights”

Answer 8

when sakamuni ventured out into the city, he saw 4 things that made him want to attain enlightenment
-the feeble man
-the sick man
-a corpse, surrounded by loved ones
-a monk
inspired him to become monk and seek the truth

Question 9

parinirvana

Answer 9

nirvana-after-death, only achieved if you attain nirvana during life

Question 10

triratna (three jewels)

Answer 10

lay people took refuge in the 3 jewels:

• buddha (teacher)
• dharma (teachings)
• Sanga (followers)

Question 11

tripitika

Answer 11

the sacred book of Buddhism

Question 12

King milinda (Menander)

Answer 12

famous dialogue between Nagasena and the king

• nagasena claimed his name is only a word, not him
• word is just a sound
• milinda tried humiliating him
• nagasena argues by describing all parts of the body is not nagasena, so how is he nagasena

Question 13

Anatman

Answer 13

“not-self”

• buddhism denies existence of a permanent entity that remains constant
• there is no “I”, nothing beyond the body
• personality analyzed into 5 aggregates (skandhas)
• nothing permanent/essential about us

Question 14

samsara

Answer 14

endless cycle of death and rebirth

Question 15

bodhisattva

Answer 15

• main focus of mahayana
• process of becoming Buddha slowly over the course of lives
• fills the universe
• seek enlightenment for all living beings
• mythological superheroes

Question 16

arhat (arhant)

Answer 16

Hinayana ideal

• “worthy-one”, synonymous with saint
• follows classic path of buddhism, attains nirvana

Question 17

Prajana (panna)

Answer 17

• wisdom = right thought, understanding
• considered the principle means of attaining nirvana, revelation of true nature
• “three marks of existence”

Question 18

Bhikkhu (bhikshu)

Answer 18

theravada buddhist monk

Question 19

Hinayana

Answer 19

• early buddhism
• “lesser vehicle”
• AKA the theraveda
• monastic emphasis, must be a monk and follow all rules of monk
• main goal is to attain nirvana

Question 20

Dhyana

Answer 20

meditation

Question 21

Pali

Answer 21

the sacred language of Buddhism

Question 22

Sangha

Answer 22

• followers

- one of the three jewels

Question 23

Pratitya-samutpada (“dependent origination”)

Answer 23

• chain of causation

- cause of suffering

Question 24

sutra

Answer 24

buddhist scripture

Question 25

Dukkha (duhkha)

Answer 25

suffering

-one of the three marks of existence (tri-lakasana)

Question 26

Anicca (anitya)

Answer 26

impermanence

-one of the three marks of existence (tre-lakasana)

Question 27

Nirvana (Nibbana)

Answer 27

enlightenment, liberation

Question 28

Four noble truths

Answer 28

Dharma teaching, derived from Sakyaminu’s enlightenment

• suffering (duhkha)
• cause of suffering (samudaya)
• cessation of suffering (nirodha)
• path (marga)

Question 29

Sila (shila_

Answer 29

moral/ethics

• right speech, action, livelihood
• avoid negative forms of action
• one of the 3 trainings
• ethical conduct is to calm the mind and reduce distractions
• moral conduct calms the mind, sets stage for practice of meditation

Question 30

theravada

Answer 30

AKA Hinayana

• old form of buddhism
• monistic ideals

Question 31

mara

Answer 31

• buddhist demon
• tempted Sakamuni with women
• embodies temper, wickedness
• distracts people from their spiritual practices

Question 32

Samadhi

Answer 32

• meditation = mental development
• techniques include breathing awareness and development for loving-kindness
• vipassana - insight meditations focus on impermanence, constitutionality, and causation

Question 33

Ashoka

Answer 33

• emperor of India (mauryan empire)
• won a war to expand empire, many lives lost
• renounced war, became buddhist
• renewed social, moral, spiritual view of empire

Question 34

Shunyata (emptiness)

Answer 34

• similar to dreams, things are neither existent nor non-existent
• things (ideas) relative to other things
• to perceive emptiness, one must be aware of how one creates attachments and fears and judging through concepts and language

Question 35

nagasena

Answer 35

famous dialogue between king milinda and nagasena

• claimed that his name is only a word, not him
• there is no “i”, body separate from name
• king milinda tried to humiliate him
• argues that his body parts are not him, so how could he be nagasena