Buddhism Flashcards

1
Q

Mahayana Buddhists

A
  • modern adaptions
  • greater vehicle
  • boddhivista
  • sanscript

they can choose to help others to achieve Nibbana

they live normal, everyday lives

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2
Q

Theravada Buddhists

A
  • lesser vehicle
  • ‘arhat’
  • pali language
  • traditional

they believe Nibbana can be achieved in this lifetime, never reborn

they live in a monastic setting(munks and nuns)

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3
Q

The noble eightfold path (magga)

A

summary of how the buddhas teachings on how to end suffering and attain enlightenment
it’s often described as the middle way because it’s a way between luxury and asceticism

Threefold way-

  1. wisdom- enables to see things as they really are- impermanent (right viewpoint, right thought and right speech)
  2. morality- shows the interconnected nature of things and the need to speak, behave and live wisely (right action, right living and right effort)
  3. meditation/mental discipline- helps Buddhists gain the correct insight to follow the middle way (right awareness and right concentration)
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4
Q

Nibbana

A

it’s the ultimate goal of all Buddhists. it’s not a place and can’t be described, only experienced. it’s entered at a death or a state of mind and can be experienced by all living beings. It’s achieved when an enlightened being no longer experiences any suffering.
2 types-
1. nibbana with remainder- enlightenment achieved, but there’s a remaining life span
2. nibbana without remainder (paranibbana)- enlightenment achieved at the end of a life span with death i.e. final nibbana

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5
Q

the five precepts

A

five precepts are recommendations rather than commandments for living a good life-

  1. not harming living things
  2. not to take what hasn’t been given
  3. to avoid sexual misconduct
  4. to avoid unworthy speech such as telling lies or speaking badly of others
  5. to avoid drugs and alcohol which damage the mind and body

by embracing the five precepts will help a person to develop positive qualities and as a result he/she will accumulate good kamma and so act less selfish

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6
Q

3 jewels

A

the 3 jewels help buddhists to cope with suffering and leads them in the right direction towards nibbana
also known as the 3 refugees

  1. the buddha- the founder, Siddhartha Gautama
  2. the Dhamma- Buddhist teachings
  3. the Sangha- community of Buddhists
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7
Q

Kamma

A

law of cause and effect

skilful actions-> positive kamma
unskillful actions-> negative kamma

good kamma causes better rebirth and so helps buddhists to become enlightened and achieve Nibbana

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8
Q

The three marks of existence

A

linked to the nature of reality and human beings- the way things really are in life: full of suffering

  1. anicca- the idea that nothing lasts forever and that everything changes (impermanence)
  2. anatta- the idea that there’s no permanent you(no soul/self), dependant co-origination, the Buddha taught that everything is dependant upon something else
  3. dukkha- the idea that life is unsatisfactory because there’s so much suffering(suffering/dissatisfaction with life
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9
Q

Four sights

A

on his first visit outside the palace Siddhartha saw the 4 sights

  1. old age-> realised people don’t stay young forever
  2. sickness-> realised people don’t get sick and don’t always stay healthy
  3. death-> realised/learned that people don’t live forever
  4. ‘sadhu’-> made him wonder how the sadhu could be so happy and peaceful surrounded by so much suffering
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10
Q

Ascetic

A

someone who believes that happiness can be achieved through extreme self-denial

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11
Q

Dependant Origination

A

the 12 niddanas as represented in the wheel of life’s outer rim
it’s the idea that things pass from one realm to another to keep the wheel of samsara revolving and people trapped in a life of dissatisfaction and suffering

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12
Q

Samsara

A

state of recurring misery and dissatisfaction in which humans are trapped in, believed to be caused by attachment to impermanent things stopped when you become enlightened

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13
Q

The three root posions

A

the 3 animals in the inner hub of the centre of the wheel of life

  1. pig- represents ignorance of the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha)
  2. snake- represents hatred
  3. cockerel/rooster- represents greed or craving for experiences perceived to be pleasurable
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14
Q

The sangha

A

worldwide community of the Buddhists. it’s the term used for those who are followers of Buddha

the ‘Aryasangha’ is a special group of buddhists who have achieved enlightenment
Mahayana- they’re called ‘Bodhisattvas’
Theravada- they’re called ‘arhats’

the sangha has 2 groups-

  1. laity(buddhists who live ordinary lives)
  2. ordinaired(monks and mobs who live in the monasteries and retreats)
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15
Q

Ethics

A

the study of moral and social behaviour including people’s moral choices, the values behind them and the reason people give for them

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16
Q

Meditation

A

Mediation is the means by which the Buddha achieved enlightenment and has an important role in buddhist practice. Meditation involves training the mind by sitting very still and emptying the mind of all thoughts. this allows the mind to become calm and more able to concentrate on things which are really important. As mediation clears the persons mind and helps get rid of negative thoughts it’s said to be «mental cultivation»

17
Q

Puja

A

Buddhist worship is called puja and is the means of following the Dhamma and achieving good kamma. puja includes changing such as meditating and offering gifts to the Buddha. Puja also includes listening to talks given by monks and taking part in a pilgrimages to sacred sites. Puja usually takes pace in a Buddhist temple at the shrine where a statue or a picture of Buddha is normally kept a

18
Q

The spiritual awakening of the Buddha

A

After the Buddha subjected himself to severe fasting and self-denial which he found didn’t work, he sat under a ‘Bodhi tree’ (tree of awakening) and meditated. He final managed to find the answer to the questions he concluded that life if full of suffering which is chased by peoples selfishness and greed. He realised weath, possessions and even people don’t live forever and this is the reason for unhappiness