Buddhism Key Words

Question 1

What does Dukkha mean?

Answer 1

Dukkha means suffering and can refer to The three marks of existence and mean everyone suffers, or the 4 noble truths, meaning the truth of suffering.

Question 2

What does Anicca mean?

Answer 2

Anicca is one of the 3 marks of existence and means nothing lasts forever.

Question 3

What does Anatta mean?

Answer 3

Anatta is one of the 3 marks of existence and means no fixed self.

Question 4

What is the meaning of the 3 marks of existence and what are they?

Answer 4

These are one of the 3 watches of the night that Buddha discovered whilst meditating and becoming enlightened. They are the 3 things that apply to everything that exists. They are: Dukkha, Anicca and Anatta.

Question 5

What are the 4 sights?

Answer 5

These are the 4 things that Siddartha saw when he left the palace for the first time. This was the first time he saw suffering. The 4 sights were: An old man, a sick man, a dead man and a holy man.

Question 6

What is Asceticism (and how does it relate to Buddhism)?

Answer 6

Asceticism is a practice where you starve yourself of what you desire the most, in order to rid yourself of this desire and be in control. This is what Siddartha practiced for awhile when he first left the palace.

Question 7

What is the middle way?

Answer 7

This is what Siddartha and a lot of buddhists practice - it is in between luxury and poverty when you have enough to thrive, but not an excess.

Question 8

What are the 3 watches of the night?

Answer 8

These are the 3 things that Siddartha realised while meditating under the Bodhi tree and when he became enlightened. These things were: he remembered all his past lives, showing that all life is interlinked, he realised we are all stuck in the wheel of samsara, and he realised the cause of suffering is desire.

Question 9

What is Samsara?

Answer 9

The wheel of life

Question 10

What is tanha?

Answer 10

Desire, or the cause of suffering

Question 11

What are the 3 poisons?

Answer 11

They are the three things in the centre of the wheel of samsara and they are anger, ignorance and greed.

Question 12

What are the types of dukkha?

Answer 12

These are the types of suffering and are Dukkha-Dukkhata, Viparinama-Dukkha and Samkhara-Dukkha.

Question 13

What is Dukkha-Dukkhata?

Answer 13

It is suffering from ordinary physical or emotional pain.

Question 14

What is Viparinama-Dukkha?

Answer 14

Suffering from change

Question 15

What is Samkhara-Dukkha?

Answer 15

Suffering from attatchment

Question 16

What are the 4 noble truths?

Answer 16

These are 4 things that Siddartha realised while meditating and are Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha and Magga.

Question 17

What is Samudaya?

Answer 17

The truth of the cause of suffering (tanha)

Question 18

What is Nirodha?

Answer 18

The truth of the end of suffering (hope!)

Question 19

What is Magga?

Answer 19

The truth of the path to the end of suffering (the 8-fold path)

Question 20

What type of tanha does the pig represent?

Answer 20

Ignorance

Question 21

What type of tanha does the snake represent?

Answer 21

Anger

Question 22

What type of tanha does the cockerel represent?

Answer 22

Greed

Question 23

What is the 8-fold path?

Answer 23

The 8-fold path is part of the 4th Noble truth Magga, and is 8 steps that buddhists should always do that will eventually free them of suffering.

Question 24

What is the wheel of Dharma?

Answer 24

It is the symbol of buddhism, and also how the eightfold path is often depicted.

Question 25

What are the 3 refuges?

Answer 25

These are the 3 places that buddhists can go to seek knowledge and help. These are the Buddha, meaning the Buddha’s life, The Dharma, meaning The Buddha’s Teachings, and The Sangha, meaning the buddhist community.

Question 26

What is the 3-fold way?

Answer 26

These are the three categories that the 8-fold path fall into and are ethics, meditation and wisdom.