Buddhist beliefs Flashcards
Dharma
The teachings of the Buddha and the path of enlightenment
Dependent arising (Patticasamupada)
The idea that all things arise dependent on conditions
‘Every wave is dependent on every other wave’ - Sogyal Rinpoche
The three marks of existence
anicca, anatta and dukkha
Dukkha meaning and quote
There is suffering and it is inevitable.
‘Birth is suffering,ageing is suffering,illness is suffering ,death is suffering , union with what is displeasing is suffering.’ - Samyutta Nikaya
Dukkha-Dukkha
ordinary pain or suffering.
e.g breaking your leg
Viparinama - dukkha
Suffering caused by change
e.g Old age
Samkahra- dukkha
Suffering caused as a result of attachment
e.g Bankruptcy or lost phone
Anicca
Impermanence
The idea that everything changes
e.g a person dying, a metal nail getting rusty and gaining knowledge
Anatta
No permanent or fixed self
Links to the five aggregates: Form, sensation, perception,mental formation,conciousness
Form
our bodies
Sensation
our feelings
Perception
Our recognition of what things are
mental formation
our thoughts
consciousness
our awareness of things
Skandhas
The five aggregates
What make up the human condition in Therevada buddhism
Sunyata
Emptiness
What makes up the human condition in Mahyana buddhism
The concept that nothing has a separate , independent soul or self. Everything is empty, nothing exists independently but only in relation to and because of other things
Buddha-nature
The idea that everyone has the essence of a buddha inside them
Buddhahood
Mahyana buddhists aim to achieve budddahood. They believe that everyone has the potential to do this because of their inherent buddha nature.
Arhats
Therevada tradition
a person who has overcome suffering by following the eightfold path and concentratiing on wisdom, morality and meditation.Not yet enlightened
Bodhisattvas
Goal of Mahayana buddhists
Someone who sees their enlightenment as bound to the enlightenment of other people. They are enlightened and can choose wether to carry on in life after enlightenment or straight to nirvana
‘go forth for the welfare of others’ - The buddha
Pure land buddhism
Mainly practiced in China and Japan.
Focuses on having faith in the Buddha, and believing he will help buddhist be reborn in Sukhavati. Based on the hope of being reborn in the paradise the Amitabha buddha lives
Amitabha Buddha
A king who renounced his throne and became a monk. He reached enlightenment and became a buddha, he then created a land far west beyond the boundaries of our world
Religious practice of pure land buddhism
reciting scriptures, meditating on Amitabha and his paradise, worshipping Amitabha, chanting his name and making praises and offerings to him.If a person follows this they will be reborn in the paradise of Sukhavati.
It is seen to be easier to gain enlightenment in Pure land buddhism which allowed it to gain popular appeal
Sukhavati
The paradise where the Amitabha buddha lives created out of compassion for pure land buddhists and where they wish to be reborn in the future
Buddha’s birth
- He took seven steps when he was born and with each step a lotus flower sprung up from the earth
- mum Had a dream that a white elephant came down from heaven and entered her womb. 10 months later Siddhartha was born.
- A prophecy was made that he becomes a great king or a revered holy man.
Buddha’s life of luxury
- Dad protected him from pain, sadness and disappointment
- Lived a life of luxury so he would never turn to religon and become a holy man
‘At my fathers residence lotus ponds were made just for my enjoyment:’ - The buddha in Anguttra Nikaya
The four sights
Old man, sick man, dead man and a holy man.
Caused him to want an answer to the problem of suffering
Ascetic life
Rejected everything that gave him pleasure and practiced extreme self discipline .He ate very little and became very thin as a result.He rejected this practice after he was fed some milk and rice by a girl and realised he was no closer to finding the cure for suffering
did for 6 years
Middle way
- Discovered the middle way between indulgence and ascetcism
- neither luxury or asceticism gave him an answer for suffering
Buddhas enlightenment
- Began to wonder if meditation was the answer to enlightenment. He meditated so Buddhist meditate to find enlightenment as well
- During the night that the Siddhartha became enlightened he experienced three watches of the night
- He was from then determined to teach about the cessation of suffering
Three watches of the night
- Remembering past lives
2.Understood the importance of anatta and kamma and the cycle of rebirth (Samsara)
3.Understanding why suffering happens and how to overcome it
The four noble truths
- The truth of suffering (Dukkha)
2.The true cause of suffering (Samudaya) - The truth of the end of suffering (Nirodha)
4.The truth of the path leading to the end of suffering (Magga)
The first noble truth
There is suffering
The second noble truth
Suffering is caused by Craving (Tanha)
The third noble truth
Nirodha
That it is possible to end a persons suffering by overcoming craving
The fourth noble truth
Magga
There is a cure for suffering- The eight fold path
Ethics (Sila)
- Right speech
2.Right action - Right livelihood
Meditation (Samadhi)
- Right effort - into meditation
- Right mindfullness - becoming fully aware of yourself and the world around you
- Right concentration - developing mental concentration and focus that is required to meditate
Wisdom (Panna)
- Right understanding - understanding the buddhas teachings
- Right intention - having the right approach and outlook on following the eightfold path
The eightfold path quote
‘.If one acts or speaks with an evil mind , from that sorrow follows him, as the wheel follows the Ox. If one acts or speaks with a pure mind, from that happiness follows him , like a shadow not going away.’ -The buddha in the dhammapada
nirvana
a state of complete enlightenment, happiness and peace
types of suffering
There are three types : dukkha-dukkha, Viparinama dukkha , Samkahra dukkha
qualities of a bodhisattva
Must be generous, moral, patient, able to cultivate perseverance in adversity, meditate and be wise.
pureland buddhism quote
Even a bad man will be received in the Buddhas land, how much more a good man?’ - Honen
suffering quote
what I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering
Why the Buddha left his life of luxury
- saw the four sights
- followed Asitas prophecy
Belief in bodhisattvas influences buddhists to
- pray to bodhisattvas to help them on their own enlightenment journey
- can be male or female encourages buddhists to believe in the equality for all
Pureland buddhist beliefs about the pure land
- that they can achieve enlightenment just by chanting the Ambitha buddhas name
- that being reborn in sukhavati means they will be taught by the ambitha buddha himself and reach enlightenment quicker
It is not easy to reach enlightenment
- some believe only males can reach enlightenment meaning its impossible for women
- suffering is part of human nature and the buddha would not have to teach it is it was easy
It is easy to reach enlightenment
- pureland buddhists believe chanting the buddhas name will help them reach enlightenment
-the buddha did it
pureland buddhist chanting the buddhas name quote
“If you wish to come and be
born in my realm, you must always call me to mind again and again” - Pureland Sutras
sukhavati quote
’ all the beings who are born in this Buddha field, they are all fixed on the right method of salvation,until they have won salvation.’ - The Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra
