Buddhist Beliefs Flashcards
What is the term for an enlightened being?
Buddha
Who does ‘The Buddha’ refer to?
Siddhartha Gautama
What is enlightenment in Buddhism?
The discovery of true knowledge, usually by meditation, about oneself and reality and so escaping the cycle of rebirth.
What are The Four Sights?
The four things described in the account of Siddhartha Gautama’s life which led to his realisation of the impermanence of existence. Old, ill, dead and holy person
What is The Sangha?
The Buddhist community in general, or monks, nuns and novices in particular.
What does Dhamma refer to?
The teaching of the Buddha.
What is dependant origination/conditionality?
The idea that all things arise in dependence upon conditions. eg kamma / wheel of life
paticca samuppada
What is Pattica-samupadda?
The chain of causation describing the causes of suffering and the events that lead a being through rebirth, old age and death. eg dependent origination
What are the Three Marks of Existence?
Impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and no-self (anatta).
What are the Three Poisons?
The main causes of suffering: hatred, greed and ignorance.
What is Theravada Buddhism?
‘The way of the elders’ – an ancient Buddhist tradition centred in Southern Asia.
What is Mahayana Buddhism?
Later Buddhist traditions such as Tibetan, Zen and Pure Land Buddhism.
What does Nirodha mean?
Suffering can be ended – the Third Noble truth. Enlightenment and escape from samsara
What is Tanha?
Craving, or wanting and desiring something.
What is Samsara?
The cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth.
What are The Five Khandas?
The five aspects that make up a person.: body, mind, sensations, consciousness, perception
What does Sunnata refer to?
The idea that there is no separate or independent self. Emptiness of permanence
What is Tathagatagarbha?
The idea that all beings have within themselves the virtues and wisdom of a Buddha but these are hidden by a covering of defilements. eg Buddha nature
What is an Arahant?
A term in Theravada Buddhism for someone who has become enlightened.
What is the Bodhisattva Ideal?
The Mahayana goal for everyone to become bodhisattvas and help to free sentient beings from samsara and the cycle of death, rebirth and suffering.
What is Pure Land Buddhism?
A Mahayana school of Buddhism believing in the Amitabha Buddha. Chant his name with faith with the hope of being born into the Pure Land
What does Kamma mean?
A person’s actions: good actions cause happiness and bad actions cause suffering.
What is Merit in Buddhism?
A force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts.
What is Rebirth?
The actions of a person lead to a new existence after death in the endless cycles of samsara.
Karuna
compassion
Metta Bhavana
Loving Kindness
5 precepts
To avoid harming any being, to avoid stealing, to avoid intoxicants, to avoid sexual misconduct, to avoid wrong speech
3 Fold Way
Panna (wisdom) sila (ethics), samadhi (meditation)
Three types of craving
sensual craving/ carving for becoming/ craving non- becoming
Three types of dukkha
mental and physical/ change/ dissatisfaction
Noble Eightfold path
Right View/ Right Intention/ Right speech/ right action/ right Livelihood/ right concentration/ right mindfulness/ right effort
6 paramitas
6 perfections you need to develop as a Bodhisattva: Wisdom, Ethics, meditation, generosity, patience and energy
What does the Wheel of Life depict
This is a Tibetan Buddhist depiction of samsara. It shows the 3 poisons in the centre and the impact of kamma on lives. Good kamma can lead to positive rebirths into human realm or heavenly realm and unskilful kamma can lead to rebirth in the animal realm or hell realm. The Buddha is outside the wheel as he has escaped samsara and is pointing the way to all other beings to nibbana
