buddhism beliefs

Question 1

beliefs: birth of the buddha

Answer 1

-painless birth
-walked 7 steps from birth, lotus flowers appeared
-spoke “no further rebirths have i to endure for this is my last body”

Question 2

influences: birth of buddha

Answer 2

-will believe he is special= listen to teachings
-take part in wesak festival
-pilgrimage to lumbini to see miracles he performed

Question 3

beliefs: early & luxurious life

Answer 3

-fine clothes, musicians, education, women
-“i was delicately nurtured…at my fathers residence” pali canon
-left to find the answer to suffering

Question 4

influence: early & luxurious life

Answer 4

-live the ‘middle way’
-encourage them to see things as they are
-understand suffering is a part of life

Question 5

beliefs: 4 sights

Answer 5

-found in jataka 75
-old age, illness, death, holy man
-“on the way he encountered an old man”

Question 6

influences: 4 sights

Answer 6

-fight for equality and justice e.g. fight poverty
-understand dukkha and 3 marks of existence

Question 7

beliefs: ascetic life

Answer 7

-“he began to subsist on one grain of rice per day” jataka
-learnt discipline but no answer to suffering
-lived in dangerous forests
-slept on a bed of thorns
-discovered middle way= life between luxury and asceticism

Question 8

influences: ascetic life

Answer 8

-follow ‘middle way’ - luxurious life= distraction and ascetic life= weak
-meditate

Question 9

beliefs: enlightenment

Answer 9

-“not until i attain supreme enlightenment will i give up this seat of meditation”
-demon mara= sent daughters to seduce, offered kingdom, questioned right to enlightenment, sent armies
-3 watches of the night= gained knowledge of past lives, understood cycle of samsara+ kamma+ anatta, understood suffering

Question 10

influences: enlightenment

Answer 10

-meditate
-pilgrimage to bodh gaya
- be disciplined + ignore temptations

Question 11

beliefs: Dhamma

Answer 11

-describes scriptures+teachings of the Buddha
-universal law= governs how things work
- “to the dhamma for refuge i go”

Question 12

influences: dhamma

Answer 12

-use dhamma to overcome suffering + creates joy
-engage in vipassana meditation= gain deeper insight of the 3 marks + true insight into the nature of reality

Question 13

beliefs: 3 jewels

Answer 13

-3 places to escape suffering: Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha
-recite: “to the buddha for refuge i go, to the dhamma for refuge i go, to the sangha for refuge i go”

Question 14

influences: 3 jewels

Answer 14

-read buddha’s teachings to gain knowledge
-look to the buddha for help to overcome suffering
-visit temples for support from the sangha - monks guide them to develop wisdom

Question 15

beliefs: dependant arising

Answer 15

-everything depends on something else for existence + in a constant process of change
-“all events in life are so intimately linked with the fate of others” Dalai Lama
-constantly changing shown by tibetan wheel of life

Question 16

influences: dependant arising

Answer 16

-aware of impact of actions = treat others with metta = positive karmic consequences
-understand buddhas teachings
-treat earth with respect

Question 17

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-Dukkha
(1st noble truth)

Answer 17

-suffering exists and is inevitable
-“i teach dukkha and end of dukkha” (pali canon)
-3 types= ordinary pain + pain of change + pain of attachment
-7 states= birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow and despair, contact with unpleasant things, not getting what you wished for

Question 18

influences: 3 marks of existence-Dukkha
(1st noble truth)

Answer 18

-examine why we suffer and overcome it
-accept suffering as a part of life
-overcome suffering though eightfold path

Question 19

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-anicca

Answer 19

-impermanence = constantly changes
-“all conditioned things are impermanent” (dhammapada)
1) affects living things
2)affects non-living things
3)affects our mind
-people suffer (dukkha) due to attachment

Question 20

influences: 3 marks of existence-anicca

Answer 20

-letting go of attachment
-more resilient and accept suffering
-use flowers during worship

Question 21

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-anatta

Answer 21

-no fixed self - no part of a person is permanent
-accepting this leads to nibbana
-“all things are not self”(Dhammapada)
-5 aggregates = form, sensation, perception, consciousness, mental formation
-rebirth- karmic energy passes into another being

Question 22

influences: 3 marks of existence-anatta

Answer 22

-help us not to be led by ego = learn to let go
-adopt belief of samsara = karmic energy is continually reborn until achieving nibbana
-perform death rites

Question 23

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-samudaya
(2nd noble truth)

Answer 23

-cause of suffering is craving (tanha)
-“the origin of suffering: it is this craving”(pali canon)
-3 types= sensory craving, craving for being, craving for non-being
-driven by 3 poisons = linked to craving
-traps people in samsara

Question 24

influences: 3 marks of existence-samudaya
(2nd noble truth)

Answer 24

-wont be attached and crave things
-develop discipline and willpower
-reflect on life
-follow eightfold path to help overcome suffering

Question 25

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-nirodha
(3rd noble truth)

Answer 25

-end to suffering by overcoming craving and ignorance
-“this is the end of craving … cessation; nirvana”(pali canon)
-become enlightened and reach nibbana

Question 26

influences: 3 marks of existence-nirodha
(3rd noble truth)

Answer 26

-gives hope they can overcome suffering = purpose in life
-follow eightfold path

Question 27

beliefs: 3 marks of existence-magga
(4th noble truth)

Answer 27

-cure to suffering = eightfold path
-practices they follow to end suffering and achieve nibbana
-“the noble eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering” (pali canon)

Question 28

what is the eightfold path

Answer 28

-ethics = right action, right speech, right livelihood
-meditation= right effort, right concentration, right mindfulness
-wisdom= right understanding, right intention

Question 29

influences: 3 marks of existence-magga
(4th noble truth)

Answer 29

-encourage to have right livelihood
-right concentration = develop focussed mind for meditation
-right action

Question 30

what is enlightenment

Answer 30

-gaining true knowledge of the nature of reality and achieving spiritual wisdom
-beginning of being free from suffering and escaping cycle of samsara
-ends desires
-follow eightfold path and teachings

Question 31

influences of enlightenment

Answer 31

-encourage to follow eightfold path and teachings
-meditate = gain insight into nature of reality

Question 32

beliefs: mahayana buddhists

Answer 32

-believe that buddha remains active and can influence the world by being encountered through visions and meditation
-focuses on sunyata and buddha nature
-main aim is to become a bodhisattva by developing the 6 perfections

Question 33

what are the 6 perfections

Answer 33

morality, patience, meditation, generosity, wisdom, energy

Question 34

influences: mahayana buddhists

Answer 34

-develop 6 perfections to become a bodhisattva
-practice pure land buddhism

Question 35

beliefs: sunyata

Answer 35

-emptiness, nothing has a seperate, independent ‘self’ or ‘soul’ (anatta)
-“form is emptiness and emptiness is form” (heath sutra)
-applies to living and non-living things

Question 36

influences: sunyata

Answer 36

-more aware of impact of actions e.g being environmentally friendly
-realising everything interlinks gains trust, compassion and selflessness
-meditate to gain a deeper insight on sunyata
-read the heath sutra

Question 37

beliefs: mahayana buddhists- buddhahood/ buddha nature

Answer 37

-buddhahood= to become a buddha
-buddha-nature= belief that everyone has the seed or nature of buddha inside them
-“all sentient beings have buddha nature” (nirvana sutra)
-need to truly understand buddha’s teachings to experience inner buddha-nature

Question 38

influences: mahayana buddhists- buddhahood/ buddha nature

Answer 38

-meditate= one of the 6 perfections and will help remove distractions preventing them from awakening buddhahood
-act with generosity to reduce suffering

Question 39

beliefs: Theravada buddhists

Answer 39

-oldest and traditional schools of buddhism
-ordination in monastic community is important = monks focus on meditation
-buddha as a historical figure not god but he is the main focus of worship as a guide
-goal= achieve enlightenment and reach nirvana
-believe merit may be transferred to others

Question 40

influences: Theravada buddhists

Answer 40

-become monks and follow certain rules and meditate for large parts of the day
-focus on buddhists teachings
-transfer merit to others

Question 41

beliefs: arhat

Answer 41

-aim of Theravada Buddhist is to become an arhat
-a perfected person who has overcome the 3 poisons to reach enlightenment and free from samsara
-must be a monk or nun

Question 42

influences: arhat

Answer 42

-follow eightfold path to become a perfect person and achieve enlightenment
-join sangha to focus on teachings and meditate

Question 43

beliefs: human personality

Answer 43

-key belief in Theravada buddhism
-5 aggregates (skandhas)
-understand nothing has a fixed, unchanging nature = capable of change

Question 44

influences: human personality

Answer 44

-believe in anatta = shows karmic energy id reborn not soul after death
-capable of change as nothing is fixed
-do metta and meditation

Question 45

beliefs: bodhisattva

Answer 45

-aim of mahayana buddhists
-compassionate/ wise beings who remain in cycle of samsara to help others achieve enlightenment
-must follow teachings and gain 6 perfections

Question 46

influences: bodhisattva

Answer 46

-focus on 6 perfections=want to be compassionate= help others overcome suffering
-pray to bodhisattvas for guidance

Question 47

beliefs: pure land buddhism
(mahayana)

Answer 47

-japan/ based on amitabha buddha
-paradise=sukhavati due to love for all
-hope to be reborn in sukhavati=easier to achieve buddhahood as suffering exists
-“those who have faith and recite my name will achieve enlightenment”

Question 48

influences: pure land buddhism
(mahayana)

Answer 48

-faith in amitabha buddha to be reborn in sukhavati
-follow 5 types of practices to be reborn into pure land