Buddhism Beliefs and Practices Quotes Flashcards
Anata
‘No fixed self can be found…’ The Buddha
‘All conditioned things are impermanent…’ The Buddha
‘To study the self is to forget the self’ Zen Master Dogen
Dependent Arising
“When this is, that is. From the arising of this comes the arising of that. When this isn’t, that isn’t. From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.” The Buddha
Samsara and Nirvana
‘Samsara is the mind turned outwardly, lost in its projections. Nirvana is mind turned inwardly, recognising its nature.’ Rinpoche
Buddha’s early life
‘I had three mansions, one for the summer, one for the winter and one for the rainy season…’ The Buddha
Three Jewels (refuges)
‘I take refuge in the Buddha,
I take refuge in the Dharma,
I take refuge in the Sangha.’
- said at Buddhist meetings
Buddha = Enlightened one, Dharma = teachings and Sangha = community
Dukkha
Three marks of existence, nature of life, Four Noble Truths
‘… what I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering.’ The Buddha
Four Noble Truths
‘The truth of suffering is like a disease, the truth of the origin is like the cause of the disease, the truth of cessation is like the cure of the disease and the truth of the path, is the medicine.’ Buddha Ghosa
Second Noble Truth
Cause of Dukkha
‘the origin of suffering: it is craving…’ Buddha
Third Noble Truth
End of dukkha
‘the cessation of that same craving, the freedom from it…’ The Buddha
Karma
‘Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.’ The Buddha
The mind
‘All experiences are preceded by mind, having mind as their master, created by the mind.’ The Buddha
‘The mind is everything, what you think, you become.’ Guatma Buddha
Types of suffering
‘There are … three forms of stressfulness…: the stressfulness of pain, the stressfulness of fabrication and the stressfulness of change.’ Dukkha Sutta
physical, dissatisfaction and change
Three Poisons
- ‘Conquer anger with non-anger’ The Buddha
- ‘There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.’ The Buddha
Sunyata
Emptiness
’ The supreme goal of the teachings is the emptiness whose nature is compassion’ Atisha
‘Whatever is form is emptiness, whatever is emptiness is form’ The Heart Suttra
Becoming Buddha and Buddha nature
‘To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature is Buddha.’ Bodhidharma
‘We have to understand the middle path: that a human has a positive and a negative side…. we also have a beautiful potential.’ Lama Yeshe
Enlightenment
‘Resolutely train yourself to attain peace.’ The Buddha
‘Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.’ The Buddha
Karuna and Metta
compassion and loving kindness
‘If a pure mind speaks or acts, happiness follows them like a never-departing shadow’ The Buddha
‘May all beings have happy minds’ The Buddha
‘I believe that at every level of society, the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion.’ The Dalai Lama
Five Precepts
‘All tremble at violence; all fear death… one should not kill or cause another to kill.’ The Buddha
‘avoid sexual desires’ The Buddha
Six prefections (paramitas)
‘Skilful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose.’ Kimattha Sutta
The Middle Way
neither pessimistic or optimistic
‘First of all, Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic. If anything at all, it is realistic, for it takes a realistic view of the world.’ Walpola Rahula
Meditation
‘Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance.’ The Buddha
The Sangha
monks and nuns
‘Monks and nuns are revolutionaries. They cherish a great aspiration in their hearts and that is how they have the strength to cut the net of worldly attachments.’ Thich Nhat Hanh
Death
‘Some do not understand that we must die. But those who do realise this, settle their quarrels.’ The Buddha
The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve having realised the nature of the world.’ The Buddha
