Buddhist Beliefs

Question 1

What was Queen Maya’s dream

Answer 1

That she would give birth to a Holy child

Question 2

What does the name Siddartha mean?

Answer 2

Perfect fulfilment

Question 3

What was the prophecy about Siddartha?

Answer 3

That he would become a great ruler or a holy man

Question 4

Describe Siddartha’s early life

Answer 4

The king wanted to make sure he was shielded from suffering so that he would become a great ruler instead of a holy man, so everything he could want was provided in the castle

Question 5

What were the four sights

Answer 5

1. An old man
2. An ill person
3. A dead person
4. A holy man

Question 6

Why did Siddartha live an ascetic lifestyle, and what did this involve?

Answer 6

He wanted to find out why people suffer. He gave up all his possessions, fasted for long periods until you could see his spine from his stomach, meditated and avoided anything pleasurable.

Question 7

What did Buddha find was the best way to live?

Answer 7

The ‘middle way’ - somewhere between his life in the palace and his ascetic life.

Question 8

Describe the enlightenment of the Buddha

Answer 8

He meditated under the Bodhi tree for 3 days and 3 nights. A demon called Mara attempted to distract him by sending beautiful women and an army of monsters, and even questioning what authority he had to become enlightened. Siddartha responded by touching the earth, which said “I bear you witness”. During this time he gained knowledge of his past lives, understood the cycle of samsara, understood why suffering happens and how to escape it.

Question 9

What is the Deer Park sermon?

Answer 9

The Buddhas first sermon where he taught about the middle way, 4 noble truths and 8 fold path.

Question 10

What are the 4 noble truths?

Answer 10

Dukkha: life is suffering
Samudaya: caused by craving
Nirohda: there is an escape
Magga: the escape is the 8 fold path

Question 11

What does Tanha mean?

Answer 11

Cravings

Question 12

What are the 3 poisons?

Answer 12

Greed, hatred and ignorance

Causes of all suffering

Question 13

What are the wisdom aspects of the 8 fold path?

Answer 13

View and intention

Question 14

What are the morality aspects of the 8 fold path?

Answer 14

Speech, action and livelihood

Question 15

What are the meditation/mental training aspects of the 8 fold path?

Answer 15

Effort, mindfulness and concentration

Question 16

What does anicca mean?

Answer 16

Everything is constantly changing

Question 17

What does anatta mean?

Answer 17

There is no fixed self

Question 18

What is dukkha?

Answer 18

Suffering

Question 19

What are the 3 marks of existence?

Answer 19

Anicca, anatta, dukkha

Three characteristics which are common over all aspects of life

Question 20

What are the 5 precepts

Answer 20

Refrain from taking life
Refrain from taking what is not freely given
Refrain from misuse of the senses (sexual misconduct)
Refrain from wrong speech (lies and gossip)
Refrain from intoxicants

Question 21

What is the wheel of life

Answer 21

A visual representation of Buddhist philosophy
Wheel represents continuous cycle of rebirth
Poisons are on the first layer to represent the suffering which is intrinsic to life
Buddha represents the escape from samsara

Question 22

What is samsara

Answer 22

The indefinite cycle of rebirth and misery

Question 23

What is karma

Answer 23

Consequences of actions which determine what you will be reborn as. Cause and effect. Generated by ethically significant actions which reflect attitudes and beliefs. Good karma is gained by loving kindness (metta) and compassion (karuna)

Question 24

What is nirvana

Answer 24

The escape from samsara, and the ultimate goal of all Buddhists

Question 25

What are the 5 skandhas

Answer 25

The aspects which make up the human personality
Sensation, perception, mental formation, consciousness and form
These are all a person is - there is no soul because there is no fixed self

Question 26

What is pratiyasumatpada?

Answer 26

Dependent origination; everything exists because of an infinite number of variables. A complex web of cause and effect.

Question 27

What is mettabhavana?

Answer 27

The development of loving kindness through meditation

Question 28

What is the moral of the story of Nagasena and the chariot?

Answer 28

A human is just the total of their parts - the 5 skandhas, sensation, perception, mental formation, conciousness and form. There is no permanent soul.

Question 29

What does the term tathagatagharba mean?

Answer 29

It is the Mahayana belief that all people have the potential to achieve enlightenment

Question 30

What is the dharma/dhamma?

Answer 30

Translates to truth, often refers to the Bhudda’s teachings. It contains practical teachings and guidance to help Bhuddists.

Question 31

What is the mahayana interpretation of sunyata?

Answer 31

Everything is formed by everything else, so it has no intrinsic value. As it has no substance of itself, it must be empty.

Question 32

What is the Theravada interpretation of sunyata?

Answer 32

The self is empty because it has no fixed qualities - anatta.

Question 33

What is an arhat in Theravada Buddhism?

Answer 33

A person who becomes enlightened in their lifetime by following Bhuddist teachings through listening, study and daily practices. They have perfected wisdom and compassion. There is only one Bhudda per age.

Question 34

What is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism?

Answer 34

Someone who takes a vow in front of a Buddhist master. Anyone can become one. They seek enlightenment for the sake of others, and vow to not enter Nirvana until all beings can. They try to keep the 6 perfection ‘paramitas’, whcih are giving, morality, energy, patience, meditation and wisdom.