buddhist beliefs

Question 1

arhat

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

asceticism

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

bodhisattva

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

dependent arising

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

dhamma

Answer 5

The Buddha’s teachings – how to reach the state of enlightenment

Question 6

dukkha

Answer 6

Suffering or dissatisfaction – something Buddhists seek to overcome

Question 7

eightfold path

Answer 7

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)

Question 8

enlightenment

Answer 8

A state of spiritual wisdom which arises from understanding the nature of reality

Question 9

four noble truths

Answer 9

1. There is suffering
2. Suffering has a cause
   - Three Poisons: greed, hatred and ignorance.
3. Suffering can come to an end
4. 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

Question 10

four sights

Answer 10

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

Question 11

jakata

Answer 11

A book of popular tales about the life of the Buddha

Question 12

meditation

Answer 12

The practice of focusing or calming the mind and reflecting on teachings

Question 13

nibbana

Answer 13

A state of complete enlightenment which lies outside the cycle of samsara

Question 14

samsara

Answer 14

The cycle of life, death and rebirth

Question 15

three marks of existence

Answer 15

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

Question 16

three watches of the night

Answer 16

1. knowledge of all his previous lives
2. the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara)
3. all beings suffer due to desire

Question 17

Buddha’s life + the four sights

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

enlighenment + the three watches

Answer 18

• 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

1. knowledge of all his previous lives
2. the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara)
3. all beings suffer due to desire

Question 19

types of buddhism: theravada

Answer 19

• Known as the ‘lesser vehicle’ as only male monks achieve enlightenment
• Oldest form of Buddhism, found in southern Asia

Question 20

types of buddhism: mahayana

Answer 20

• Known as the ‘greater vehicle’ as anyone can become enlightened
• Teaches sunyata or emptiness: nothing as a separate soul or self

Question 21

types of buddhism: pure land

Answer 21

• Mostly found in Japan: a form of Mahayana Buddhism
• Based on faith in Amitabha Buddha and his paradise

Question 22

different types of dukkha

Answer 22

1. ordinary suffering: physical or mental pain
2. suffering caused by change: caused by losing something good
3. suffering because of attachment: dissatisfaction with life as a result of craving and attachment