buddhist beliefs Flashcards
arhat
- Theravada Buddhists aim to become an Arhat by following the Eightfold Path
- An Arhat is a ‘perfected person’ who overcomes the main sources of suffering and reaches nirvana
asceticism
- A lifestyle of strict self-denial: rejected by Siddhartha for the Middle Way
- included living in dangerous forests, sleeping on a bed of thorns, eating so little that he became very thin and weak
- learnt discipline from this
bodhisattva
- Mahayana Buddhists aim to become a Bodhisattva
- Someone who reaches an enlightened state but chooses to remain in the cycle of samsara to help others reach enlightenment
dependent arising
- The idea that everything is dependent on everything else
- makes Buddhists aware that their actions have consequences
- encourages treating people with metta ( loving kindness)
- enforces idea of kamma
dhamma
The Buddha’s teachings – how to reach the state of enlightenment
dukkha
Suffering or dissatisfaction – something Buddhists seek to overcome
eightfold path
The Eightfold Path consists of eight aspects that Buddhists practise and live by in order to be enlightened.
e.g:
- Right speech (speaking truthfully and kindly)
- right mindfulness (developing awareness of the world around you)
- right understanding (developing an understanding of Buddha’s teachings)
enlightenment
A state of spiritual wisdom which arises from understanding the nature of reality
four noble truths
- There is suffering
- Suffering has a cause
- Three Poisons: greed, hatred and ignorance. - Suffering can come to an end
- There is a way to end suffering
- One of the main causes of suffering is tanha/craving
Ultimately Buddha teaches that we can and must overcome these causes of suffering in order to become enlightened and reach nibbana (nirvana) – a state of freedom, happiness and peace
four sights
An old man – everyone ages
An ill man – everyone becomes ill
A dead man – all things die
A holy man – the only answer to these problems
jakata
A book of popular tales about the life of the Buddha
meditation
The practice of focusing or calming the mind and reflecting on teachings
nibbana
A state of complete enlightenment which lies outside the cycle of samsara
samsara
The cycle of life, death and rebirth
three marks of existence
Dukkha
- Suffering is a part of life that all people must face. Buddhists can try and overcome it
Anicca
- The idea of impermanence, that everything constantly changes and we suffer when we resist it
Anatta
- The idea that we don’t have a fixed soul
- there is no unchanging essence to us
three watches of the night
- knowledge of all his previous lives
- the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara)
- all beings suffer due to desire
Buddha’s life + the four sights
He grew up in a life of luxury as the son of a Queen. He was inspired to leave this life by the Four Sights.
After this he lived an ascetic life of self-denial and pain but wasn’t able to become enlightened so left it for the Middle Way between pain and luxury.
enlighenment + the three watches
- After the failure of Siddhartha’s ascetic life to provide him with enlightenment Siddhartha chose to follow the Middle Way
- He meditated under a tree and was tempted by Mara who tried to distract him, but he stayed focused on meditation and reaching enlightenment
- Eventually he became enlightened during the Three Watches of the Night
- knowledge of all his previous lives
- the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara)
- all beings suffer due to desire
types of buddhism: theravada
- Known as the ‘lesser vehicle’ as only male monks achieve enlightenment
- Oldest form of Buddhism, found in southern Asia
types of buddhism: mahayana
- Known as the ‘greater vehicle’ as anyone can become enlightened
- Teaches sunyata or emptiness: nothing as a separate soul or self
types of buddhism: pure land
- Mostly found in Japan: a form of Mahayana Buddhism
- Based on faith in Amitabha Buddha and his paradise
different types of dukkha
- ordinary suffering: physical or mental pain
- suffering caused by change: caused by losing something good
- suffering because of attachment: dissatisfaction with life as a result of craving and attachment
