buddhist beliefs Flashcards
what is a Buddha?
a title for a person who has reached enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was the first Buddha.
what are the 5 moral precepts of Buddha?
- do not take life
- do not take what is not given (steal)
- do not misuse the senses
- do not speak falsehoods (lie)
- do not take intoxicants that cloud the mind
what is the key flower for Buddhism, and what is its meaning?
the key flower for Buddhism is a lotus flower. to exist, it must overcome mud, darkness and freezing water - the growth of this flower represents Buddha’s life.
what is samsara?
the cycle of birth, death, rebirth. the entire aim of a Buddhist is to break out of this cycle and achieve nirvana.
define ‘enlightenment’:
when you understand everything in the world, and why they happen. this is the main aim for Buddhists.
- achieve enlightenment, become a Buddha, end the cycle of samsara, achieve nirvana
describe Siddhartha Gautama’s birth:
- queen Maya (his mother) dreamt an elephant carrying a lotus flower passed through her
- a Brahman deemed it a pregnancy dream. he also said the son will either be a great leader and conqueror if never exposed to the world, or will become a holy man, and never return.
- when queen Maya was due to give birth, she wanted to travel to her home town. on the way there, they stopped in Lumbini Grove, where she had a painless birth.
- as soon as Siddhartha Gautama was born, he could walk, and lotus flowers grew in his footsteps. he said, ‘I alone am the world-honoured one!’
describe Siddhartha Gautama’s life of luxury:
- his father was worried his son would become a holy man and never returned, so he delicately nurtured siddhartha.
- siddhartha was incredibly spoilt, got everything he ever wanted. never saw an old person, never saw any ill people (all his servants were young and beautiful). he’d never suffered.
what are the four sights, and what is their backstory?
- one day, siddhartha gautama was curious, and wanted to see what the outside world was like. his father arranged for a special parade, where all the people that attended were fit and healthy, so that Siddhartha thought that’s what the world is truly like.
- however, two old men managed to sneak in, and siddhartha saw them. he got curious, and snuck off to explore.
he saw:
- old men
- sick men
- dead men
- and lastly, holy men (the ascetics)
describe siddhartha’s ascetic life:
- siddhartha joined the ascetics, and lived a life of cruel extremes. extreme weather, hunger and thirst. he meditated until he couldn’t anymore. he spend 6 years with the ascetics.
- he sat on the river bank, and heard a music teacher, ‘if you tighten the string too much, it’ll snap, too loose, and it won’t play’. this is how siddhartha discovered the middle way
- a girl brings siddhartha a bowl of rice, and he accepts it. the ascetics see this, feel betrayed, and abandon him.
what parts of his ascetic and luxurious lifestyles did siddhartha gautama keep to live by the middle way?
he kept meditation and deep thinking from his ascetic life, and food and cleanliness from his life of luxury. these form the middle way.
what is dependent arising? (paticcasamupada)
the idea the everything in existence is because other things are. everything is interconnected - nothing can live independent of other things.
why is dependent arising important to buddhists?
by realising that everything is connected and dependent on everything else, we can develop compassion and become selfless and trusting.
what is dharma?
the sanskrit word for buddhist teachings and scripture.
how do rafts and dharma link together?
a Buddhist monk, ‘Thich Nhat Hanh’ says that his teachings are useful when needed, but once used/tested, don’t hold onto it forever, as it could hold you back. don’t blindly follow teachings.
what are the 4 temptations, and what is their backstory?
- once Siddhartha rested and got himself back to a healthy state after his ascetic life, he sat under a Bodhi tree, and promised that he wouldn’t leave until he became enlightened.
- Mara, said to represent people’s inner demons/temptation, continuously tried to prevent Siddhartha from reaching enlightenment. He:
> Sent his daughters to seduce
> Sent his armies to attack
> Offered control of his kingdom
> Tried to attack him himself - Mara claimed that only he had the right to enlightenment, and that if Siddhartha did reach enlightenment, no one would believe him. Siddhartha touched the Earth, and called upon it to witness his enlightenment
what are the three watches of the night?
- Siddhartha gained knowledge of all his previous lives
- he came to understand the cycle of samsara. he understood the importance of karma and anatta
- he came to understand why suffering happens and how to stop it
what was the first thing that Buddha did when he became enlightened?
Buddha went to visit the ascetics. Mara attempted to stop him, to prevent him from revealing his realisations. Buddha encouraged the ascetics to live by the middle way.
