Buddhist Beliefs Flashcards
What was significant about Buddha’s birth
Queen Maya/ his mother had a dream about a white elephant that blessed her
Siddhartha could walk and with every step he took lotus flowers sprang
What did Siddhartha say at birth
“No further rebirths should I have to endure”
What was Siddhartha’s prophecy
If he never saw suffering he would become a king if he did he will become a holy man
What was his life of luxury
He lived in a place of luxury to ensure he never saw suffering as he always had the best food and never saw anything die
Quote for life of luxury
“I had three mansions”
What were the four sights
Old age (an old man)
Illness (someone lying on the road in agony)
Death ( a body being carried through the streets)
A holy man ( a man in rags carrying an alms bowl)
What impact did the four sights have on Siddhartha
He saw suffering and realised he wanted to become a holy man he wanted to find the problem of suffering by throwing away all his luxuries
What was Buddha’s ascetic life
Buddha lived with no luxuries to try and over come freedom
Why did Buddha turn away from the ascetic life
He became too weak to meditate until he was given a bowl of rice and milk by a girl and he realised two little and two much is bad and invented the middle way
What happened when Buddha became enlightened
Mara tried to prevent it by Sending his daughters to seduce him Armies to attack him Offered control of his kingdom And attacking him himself Buddha acknowledged all his previous lives and overcame suffering by gaining true knowledge about the nature of reality
What are the three watches of the night
1) deep meditation
2) acknowledging previous lives
3) understanding the four noble truths
Quote for Buddha’s enlightenment
“Until I attain the supreme enlightenment will I give up this seat of meditation”
What does dhama mean
The truth
1) all those who are enlightened follow Buddha’s teachings
2) nuns and monks
3) the community of the those who follow Buddha’s teachings
What is dhama
One of the three jewels
What is dependant arising
The concept that nothing is permanent as everything relies on everything else and that everything is a constant process of change
Give quoteS for dependant arising
“Every wave is related to every other wave”
“All events and incidents in life are so intimately linked with the fate of others that a single person on his own cannot even begin to act”
What are the three marks of existence
1) Dukkha
2) Anicca
3) Anatta
What is dukkha
Dukkha is suffering
What are the types of suffering
Emotional or physical suffering
Change
Attachment
How can we reduce suffering
Right actions and intentions (following eight fold path)
What is anicca
Impermanence
How is Annica thought of
It affects living and non living things and our minds
How is anicca related to Dukkha
When things change (anicca) it causes suffering (Dukkha)
What is the story of Lisa Gotami
Her son died
She went to the Buddha asking him to bring him back to life
He asked her to get a mustard seed from any house that has never faced death
She realised everyone had faced death
This showed anicca
What is anatta
No fixed self
Quote for anatta
“If all the harm (…) in the world occurred due to me grasping on to the self what use is this great demon to me”
What are the five aggregates
1) form (our mind)
2) sensation (our feelings)
3) perception (our recognition of what things are)
4) mental formations (our thoughts)
5) consciousness ( our awareness of things)
What are the four noble truths
1) suffering exists (Dukkha)
2) suffering is caused by something (Samudaya)
3) suffering can end (nirodha)
4) there is a way to bring about the end to suffering (magga)
Why is Dukkha important (four noble truths)
We can recognise that suffering is a part of life and that we should not combat suffering with temporary pleasures
Quote for Dukkha
“Illness is suffering, death is suffering”
What did Buddha teach about happiness
They are temporary so we could crave them which causes more suffering
What does Samudaya teach
It teaches the concept of Tanha which means thirst or craving which is a cause of suffering
What are the three types of craving
Craving things that please the senses
Craving to be something your not
Craving not to be
What are the three poisons
Ignorance
Greed
Hatred
Quote for Samudaya
“Craving for existence craving for extermination”
What does Nirodha teach
Suffering can be ended through right actions and effort
People should let go of things to avoid suffering
To stop suffering have an inner satisfaction
Quote for nirodha
“Fading away and cessation of that same craving”
What does magga teach
Suffering can be ended through the eight fold path
Quote for magga
“The doctrine and the order as a refuge he perceives proper knowledge of the four noble truths”
What is the eight fold path
Right: Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration Understanding Intention
What is an Arhat
A perfected person who focuses on becoming enlightened which means they break the cycle of Samsara
Therevada
Quote for Arhats
“I alone am the fully enlightened one”
What is a Bodhisattva
A person who is nearly enlightened but helps others to be enlightened
Mahayana
What are the six perfections
Morality Generosity Patient Energy Meditation Wisdom
Quote for Bodhisattva
“I vow to save them”
What is therevada buddhism what countries are apart of it
The oldest school in buddhism and Sri Lanka and Thailand
What do Therevada Buddhists focus on
The three refuges eg nuns and monks
Therevada monastics devote their whole life to becoming enlightened
They strongly believe in the five aggregates
How do Therevada Buddhists view Buddha
He is still active within the world
How do Mahayana Buddhists view Buddha
As a historical figure
What do Mahayana Buddhists focus on
Sunyata
Focus on achieving Buddha-nature
What is pure land buddhism
Part of Mahayana tradition
Where is pure land buddhism practiced
Japan
What do pure land Buddhists believe
They hope to be reborn in paradise in the ‘pure land’
How can the pure land be reached
Through reciting meditating on the Amitabha Buddha and worshipping the paradise
Give two quotes for pure land buddhism
“It is rich in a great variety of flowers”
“Even bad men will be received in Buddha’s land”
What does sunyata mean
Emptiness
What concept does sunyata teach
That nothing has a fixed independent unchanging nature
How does sunyata help
It can lead to trust compassion and selflessness
How is sunyata different to anatta
It applies to all things rather than human beings
What does Sunyata relate to
Anatta
What are the three marks of existence
Dukkha
Anicca
Anatta
For Dukkha in the three marks of existence what does it teach
- suffering is inevitable
- Buddhists reduce it through Buddha’s teachings
Give a quote for three marks of existence Dukkha
“What I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering”
What is anicca
Impermanence
What does Anicca lead to
- letting go of things that we are attached to or impermanent
- leads to less suffering
What does anicca affect
Living
Non living
Peoples minds
What story shows Anicca
Kisa Gotama
What is Anatta
The idea that there is no fixed or permanent self
How does the five aggregates relate to Anatta
All parts of a person are not unchanging which explains the meaning of Anatta
What do therevada buddhists believe about the four noble truths
Leads to enlightenment
What do Mahayana Buddhists
He development of compassion is important is understanding the four noble truths
Give a quote for tanha (means craving)
“It is craving which leads to renewed existence”
