Buddhism Facts

Question 1

What does meaning Theravada mean?

Answer 1

(“The School of the Elders”)

Question 2

Where is Theravada Buddhism most found?

Answer 2

Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, etc.).

Question 3

What did The Buddha seek to do?

Answer 3

Bring insights to help sentient beings end their suffering through the elimination of ignorance and craving.

Question 4

What does Mahayana mean?

Answer 4

(“The Great Vehicle”).

Question 5

Where is Mahayana Buddhism mainly found?

Answer 5

Mahayana is found throughout East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, etc.) and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon, and Tiantai (Tendai).

Question 6

How do Buddhists believe that a sentient being free itself from suffering?

Answer 6

Buddhists believe that this is accomplished through the direct understanding and perception of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths

Question 7

What does Tibetan Buddhism do?

Answer 7

Tibetan Buddhism, as practiced in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, the Himalayan region of India, Kalmykia,[4] Mongolia and surrounding areas,[5] preserves the Vajrayana teachings of eighth century India.

Question 8

What is the main goal of Theravada Buddhism?

Answer 8

In Theravada Buddhism, the ultimate goal is the attainment of the sublime state of Nirvana, achieved by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path (also known as the Middle Way), thus escaping what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth.

Question 9

What does Mahayana Buddhism aspire to?

Answer 9

Mahayana Buddhism instead aspires to Buddhahood via the bodhisattva path, a state wherein one remains in this cycle to help other beings reach awakening.

Question 10

What does Tibetan Buddhism hope to obtain?

Answer 10

Tibetan Buddhism aspires to Buddhahood or rainbow body.[9]

Question 11

What are the two major forms of Buddhism?

Answer 11

Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada (“The School of the Elders”) and Mahayana (“The Great Vehicle”).

Question 12

What is Rainbow Body?

Answer 12

In Dzogchen, rainbow body (Tibetan: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie transliteration: ‘ja’ lus) is a level of realization. This may or may not be accompanied by the ‘rainbow body phenomenon’. The rainbow body phenomenon has been noted for centuries, including the modern era. Other Vajrayana teachings also mention rainbow body phenomena.

Question 13

What is Rigpa?

Answer 13

In Dzogchen teaching, rigpa (Tibetan: རིག་པ་, Wylie: rig pa; Skt. vidyā; “knowledge”) is the knowledge of the ground.[note 1] The opposite of rigpa is marigpa (avidyā, ignorance).

Question 14

What is Dzogchen?

Answer 14

Dzogchen (Wylie: dzogs chen) or “Great Perfection”, also called Atiyoga, is a tradition of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism aimed at attaining and maintaining the natural primordial state or natural condition.[1] It is a central teaching of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and of Bon.[quote 1] In these traditions, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path of the nine vehicles to liberation.[2]

Question 15

What is Dzogchen a combination of?

Answer 15

Dzogchen is composed of two terms: rdzogs - perfection[web 1] chen - great[web 1]

Question 16

What are the 4 major schools of Tibetan Buddhism?

Answer 16

four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug).

Question 17

What is considered the third branch of Buddhism?

Answer 17

Vajrayana

Question 18

What is Nyingma?

Answer 18

The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). “Nyingma” literally means “ancient,” and is often referred to as Ngangyur (IPA: [ŋaɲɟuː], Tibetan: སྔ་འགྱུར།, Wylie: snga ‘gyur, “school of the ancient translations” or “old school”) because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Old Tibetan in the eighth century. The Tibetan alphabet and grammar was actually created for this endeavour.

Question 19

What is The Kagyu school of Buddhism?

Answer 19

The Kagyu, Kagyü, or Kagyud (Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད, Wylie: bka’ brgyud) school, also known as the “Oral Lineage” or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools (chos lugs) of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being the Nyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Gelug and Bon. Along with the Sakya and Gelug schools, the Kagyu tradition is classified as one of the Sarma or “New Transmission” schools of Vajrayāna founded during the second diffusion of Buddhism into Tibet (diffusing the so-called “New Tantras”). It is a Red Hat sect along with the Nyingma and Sakya.

Question 20

What is the name of the oral tradition form of Tibetan Buddhism as the “Whispered Transmission”.

Answer 20

The Kagyu

Question 21

What is the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism?

Answer 21

The Sakya (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་, Wylie: sa skya, “pale earth”) school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma and Kagyu

Question 22

What is The Gelug for of Tibetan Buddhism?

Answer 22

The Gelug, Gelug-pa, dGe Lugs Pa, dge-lugs-pa or Dgelugspa is the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism.[1] It was founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader. The first monastery he established was named Ganden, and to this day the Ganden Tripa is the nominal head of the school, though its most influential figure is the Dalai Lama. Allying themselves with the Mongols as a powerful patron, the Gelug emerged as the pre-eminent Buddhist school in Tibet since the end of the 16th century.

Question 23

How many people are reported to have had Rainbow Body? And what are their names?

Answer 23

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen (1935)[8] Namgyal Sonam in Manigango in 1952. Shug-gseb rJe-btsun Cho-nyid bzang-mo (b. 1852, Attained ‘ja’- lus in 1953.) Kenchen Tsewang Rigdzin disappeared alive in 1958.[9][10] Ayu Khandro (1953)[11] Nima Cultrim Rinpoche Teacher of Arta Lama Khenpo A-chos (1998)[12]

Question 24

Who is Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen?

Answer 24

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen (Tibetan: ཤར་རྫ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྒྱལ་མཚན, Wylie: shar rdza bkra shis rgyal mtshan) (1859 - 1933[1] or 1935[2]) was a great Dzogchen master of the Bon tradition of Tibet who took not only Bon disciples, but gathered students from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.[3]

Question 25

Who was Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin?

Answer 25

Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin of Washul Mewa (Tib. མཁན་ཆེན་ཚེ་དབང་རིག་འཛིན་, Wyl. mkhan chen tshe dbang rig ‘dzin) (1883-1958) — one of the heart-disciples of Khenpo Yönga who attained rainbow body. He also studied with Lala Sönam Chödrup, Khenpo Shenga and many other great masters of his time. One of his principal disciples was his nephew Mewa Khenpo Tupten Özer.

Question 26

What is Vajrayana?

Answer 26

Vajrayana, a body of teachings attributed to Indian siddhas, may be viewed as a third branch or merely a part of Mahayana.

Question 26

Who is Khenpo Achö?

Answer 26

Khenpo Achö (Wyl. mkhan po a chos) (1918–1998) aka Khenpo Chöying Rangdrol came from the famous Lumorap monastery in Nyarong, which is closely associated with the great Nyingma foundation of Mindroling in Central Tibet. He had many disciples in the area around Tromgé, Nyarong, and Kandzé. Khenpo Achö was recognised by Dudjom Rinpoche as a reincarnation of Khye’u Chung Lotsawa. Dudjom Rinpoche gave him Dzogchen teachings and made him the chödak of his terma of Vajrakilaya Pudri Rekpung ‘The Razor That Destroys at a Touch’. This is recounted by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche, son of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche[1]:

Question 27

What are the foundations of Buddhism traditions?

Answer 27

The foundations of Buddhist tradition and practice are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community). Taking “refuge in the triple gem” has traditionally been a declaration and commitment to being on the Buddhist path, and in general distinguishes a Buddhist from a non-Buddhist

Question 29

What do the different schools of Buddhism vary on?

Answer 29

Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective practices

Question 30

What is Tiantai Buddhism?

Answer 30

Tiantai (Chinese: 天台宗; pinyin: Tiāntái zōng) is an important school of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, revering the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching in Buddhism.[1] In Japan the school is known as Tendai, in Korea as Cheontae and in Vietnam as Thiên thai tông. One of the forms of The Great Vehicle

Question 31

What is Nichiren Buddhism?

Answer 31

Nichiren Buddhism (日蓮仏教 Nichiren Bukkyō?, also called 日蓮宗 Nichiren-shū, which is also the name of a specific sect within the branch, or 法華系仏教 Hokke-kei Bukkyō, literally “Lotus Buddhism”) is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282) and belongs to the schools of so-called “Kamakura Buddhism”.[1][2] Nichiren Buddhism is generally noted for its focus on the Lotus Sutra and an attendant belief that all people have an innate Buddha nature and are therefore inherently capable of attaining enlightenment in their current form and present lifetime. It is also noted for its hardline opposition to any other form of Buddhism, which Nichiren saw as deviating from the Buddhist truth he had discovered. Nichiren Buddhism is a comprehensive term covering several major schools and many sub-schools, as well as several of Japan’s new religions. Its many denominations have in common a focus on the chanting and recital of the Lotus Sutra, which is thought to hold “extraordinary power”.[3]

Question 32

Who is the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren?

Answer 32

Founder of Nichiren Buddhism 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282) and belongs to the schools of so-called “Kamakura Buddhism”.

Question 33

What type of Buddhism did Nichiren practice?

Answer 33

Kamakura Buddhism

Question 34

What type of Buddhism is Nichiren and what are its main points?

Answer 34

Nichiren Buddhism is generally noted for its focus on the Lotus Sutra and an attendant belief that all people have an innate Buddha nature and are therefore inherently capable of attaining enlightenment in their current form and present lifetime. It is also noted for its hardline opposition to any other form of Buddhism, which Nichiren saw as deviating from the Buddhist truth he had discovered.

Question 35

What is the Lotus Sutra?

Answer 35

The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, literally Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma)[1] is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras and the basis on which the Tiantai, Tendai, Cheontae, and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. For many East Asian Buddhists, the Lotus sutra contains the ultimate and complete teaching of the Buddha and the reciting of the text is believed to be very auspicious. [2]

Question 36

What is Vajrayāna also known as?

Answer 36

Vajrayāna is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Way or Thunderbolt Way, is a complex and multifaceted system of Buddhist thought and practice which has evolved over several centuries.[1]

Question 37

According to Vajrayāna scriptures what are the three routes to enlightenment?

Answer 37

According to Vajrayāna scriptures, the term Vajrayāna refers to one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment, the other two being the Śrāvakayāna (also known as the Hīnayāna) and Mahāyāna.

Question 38

What does Yana mean?

Answer 38

Yāna (Sanskrit and Pāli: “vehicle”) refers to a mode or method of spiritual practice in Buddhism, and in particular to divisions of various schools of Buddhism according to their type of practice. Nomenclature, etymology and orthography Edit In form, yāna is a neuter action noun (comparable to an English gerund) derived from the Sanskrit root yā- meaning “go” or “move”, using any means of locomotion, by land or sea. Hence it may be translated “going”, “moving”, “marching, a march”, “riding, a ride”, “travelling, travel”, “journey” and so on.

Question 39

What are the most prominent characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism?

Answer 39

Is found mostly in China, Korea, Japan.

Believes the path to enlightenment is through the Bodisattva Ideal.

Is called the Great Vehicle

Zen, Chan, Tiantai, Pure Land Buddhism stem from it.

Question 40

What is Pratītyasamutpāda?

Answer 40

Pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद; Pali: पटिच्चसमुप्पाद paṭiccasamuppāda), commonly translated as dependent origination or dependent arising, states that all dharmas (“things”) arise in dependence upon other dharmas: “if this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases to exist.” It is a pragmatic teaching, which is applied to dukkha and the cessation of dukkha. The term is also used to refer to the twelve links of dependent origination, which describes the chain of causes which result in rebirth. By reverting the chain, liberation from rebirth can be attained.