Buddhist Case study Glossary

Question 1

What does Asceticism mean?

Answer 1

Refers to the practice of disciplining the body to achieve spiritual perfection

Question 2

What does Bodhisattva mean?

Answer 2

Bodhisattva refers to a human who has promised to aid all sentient life in achieving Nirvana

Question 3

What is the Buddha?

Answer 3

The Buddha is the Enlightened One who has realised the fundamental truth of reality

Question 4

What is the Dharma?

Answer 4

Refers to the teachings of the Lord Buddha and the laws of the univrse

Question 5

What is Enlightenment?

Answer 5

Enlightenment refers to a blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana

Question 6

What is karma?

Answer 6

Karma refers to the consequence of all acts that are done willingly

Question 7

What is Mahayna?

Answer 7

Mahayana is the School of the Great Wheel in Buddhism which is found in Northern countries of Asia

Question 8

WHat are mantras?

Answer 8

Spiritual sounds or chants

Question 9

What is meditation?

Answer 9

A mental concentration which allows the person to reach a deeper mental state of relaxation or awareness

Question 10

What is the Middle Way/Path

Answer 10

At some point Buddha came to a conclusion that the right path of extremism and non-extremism was somewhere in the middle and he called it the ‘middle path’

Question 11

What are mudras?

Answer 11

Mudras refer to different body postures

Question 12

What is Nirvana?

Answer 12

a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.

Question 13

What is Samsara?

Answer 13

The cycle of rebirths?

Question 14

What is a Sangha?

Answer 14

A sangha is the community of Buddhist believers, and more specifically, Buddhist monks and nuns

Question 15

What are lay people?

Answer 15

Lay people refer to ordinary citizens who believe in Buddhist values. Generally refers to adherents who AREN’T monks or nuns

Question 16

What is the Tripitaka?

Answer 16

The Tripitaka refers to the Buddhist sacred texts (The ‘three baskets’) and is made up of:

Sutta Pitaka
Vinaya Pitaka
Abhidharma Pitaka

Question 17

What is the Tripitaka?

Answer 17

The Tripitaka refers to the Buddhist sacred texts (The ‘three baskets’) and is made up of:

Sutta Pitaka
Vinaya Pitaka
Abhidharma Pitaka

Question 18

What is Vajrayana?

Answer 18

Vajrayana is the school of Buddhism commonly found in Tibet and Nepal

Question 19

What is the Vedas?

Answer 19

The Vedas is Hinduism’s most ancient sacred texts

Question 20

What is the Vinaya?

Answer 20

The Vinaya is the first collection of the Tripitaka (sacred texts) in Buddhism indicating the laws for monks

Question 21

What do beliefs mean?

Answer 21

A set of opinions or convictions; ideas we believ in as the truth. Beliefs can come from one’s own experience and reflection, or from what one is told by others

Question 22

What do symbols mean?

Answer 22

A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship.

Symbols have the ability to culturall unify a group of people through their reprentation and meaning. Symbols such as palces, actions, words, people and rituals are layered with meaning and valuable information for diff groups in society

Question 23

What are customs?

Answer 23

Established ways of acting or cultural practices that are unique to groups in society. Customs have important links to the heritage, values and traditions of people

Question 24

What are worldviews?

Answer 24

Worldviews are a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world that is characterised by an organised and accepted set of ideas that attempts to explain the social, cultural, physical and psychological world

Question 25

What are rituals?

Answer 25

A series of actions or rites performed according to a prescribed order. Rituals range in significance. Some are sacred to institutions and others can be important to people for maintaining tradition and cultural heritage. Some rituals can be referred to as part of an established routine.

Question 26

What are philosophies?

Answer 26

The underlying principle or set of ideas that contains a way of thinking and behaving that makes up a broad field of knowledge or doctrine of thought. This mixture of ideas, values and beliefs governs the system or ideology and helps us to make sense of our life and the world and beyond. The philosophy of the system is reflected in the unique rituals, stories, texts, symbols and customs of the group.

Question 27

What is secularisation?

Answer 27

A process whereby religion loses its influence over the various spheres of social life. Secular society has emerged from the modernisation process whereby the rise of scientific knowledge and technological advancements have shaped ideas about spiritual thinking in society.

Question 28

What is institutional power?

Answer 28

The power that exists in institutions and how it is used to control aspects of society. Institutions such as the family, school, law and government use inherent power to control, change and maintain continuity of interactions.

Question 29

What is collective identity?

Answer 29

Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group