Buddhism beliefs and teachings Flashcards
What are the two main divisions of Buddhism?
Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism
What is Theravada Buddhism often referred to as?
The traditions of the elders
What is the goal of Theravada Buddhism?
-To become an arhat (a perfected being) and leave the cycle of samsara and reach nirvana.
What does it mean to become an arhat?
- you have followed the eightfold path
- you have blown out the 3 poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance
- you have become enlightened
What is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism?
to achieve enlightenment (same way) by following the teachings of the Buddha but it not quite as strict as Theravada Buddhism.
What is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism?
- to become a Bodhisattva- someone who attains enlightemnent but chooses to stay in the cycle of samsara and help others become enlightened.
- driven by the idea of compassion
What is the threefold way?
ethics, meditation and wisdom
What is the purpose of the Eightfold path?
It is the path to achieve liberation from suffering and reach nirvana, escaping samsara.
What is the Dhamma?
The truth- it is made up of anicca, anatta, and dukkha. It was created by the Buddha.
What is the core of Buddhism?
We all have the potential to achieve enlightenment if we overcome our desires and craving. We all have Buddha-nature.
What is Dukkha?- 1st noble truth
Life is suffering because of desire, craving,attatchment, ignorance,hatred. (like the disease).
Suffering is caused by craving, desire, attatchment. Believing there is a fixed permanent self.
The cure to suffering is non-attatchment. There is not actually a permanent self. There is no fixed self. All life is suffering.
What is the 4th noble truth?
the path
What was the birth of the Buddha like?
Queen Maya dreamed that a white elephant came down from heaven, entering her womb from the right side
- the elephant told her that she would give birth to a holy child, and that when he was born, he would achieve perfect wisdom.
- about 10 month later, when the baby was almost due, Queen Maya began the journey home to her parents’ house, where she had planned to give birth and on her way she stopped at the Lumbini Gardens to rest where she gave birth to her son.
- the king sought advice from a Brahman priests about this dream and they said Maya would have a holy child who would achieve perfect wisdom
- According to legend, he could immediately walk and talk with no support. With every step he took, a lotus flower sprang up from the earth beneath his feet.
- He then stopped and said, ‘No further rebirths have I to endure for this is my last body.Now I shall destroy and pluck out by the roots the sorrow that is caused by birth and death.’
What prophecy was made shortly after the Buddha’s birth?
He would either become a great king or a revered holy man.
Siddhartha’s life of luxury
- His father, Suddhodhana was determined that Siddhartha would grow up to become a great king so he decided to protect Siddhartha from any pain, sadness, disappointment or suffering that he might experience in life
- Suddhdana did not want his son to seek religion and become a holy man
- he also thought that if his son became attatched to a life of luxury, he would not want to leave the palace.
- despite being spoilt and pampered while growing up, traditional stories say Siddhartha was a good and kind person. At the age of 16, he married his cousin Yasodhara.
What are the four sights the Buddha saw?
Old age, illness, death and a holy man.
How did Siddhartha encounter the 4 sights?
He decided to leave the palace grounds with Channa at the age of 29.