Exam 2 Flashcards
religion(Young definition)
human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy
mysticism
practice/belief in direct experience
theism
belief in existence of personal god
monotheism
belief in one all-powerful god
atheism
rejection of personal gods
Hinduism
involves an end goal/state to work towards
problem: trapped by karma
cause of problem: desire and ignorance
end goal: moksha (liberation from cycle of rebirth)
means: paths of action, devotion, knowledge
henotheism
many gods, one dominant
pantheism
all reality is god
monism
impersonal ultimacy is characterized by absolute unity
secular religions
Marxism
Capitalism related to consumerism
seven questions
1) what does it mean to be human?
2) what is the basic human problem?
3) cause of the problem?
4) end goal/transformation?
5) means of transformation?
6) nature of reality?
7) what is the sacred?
anthropocentric
human-centered religion
biocentric
centered on all living beings together
ecocentric
all reality together
traditional south Asian worldview (Hinduism)
laws/principles of karma (humanity has “karmic” self)
cause and effect
different from western ideas of moral accountability
problem: attachment
cause: desire and ignorance
end goal: liberation and enlightenment from cycle of rebirth
means: way of the dharma
reality: cycle of rebirth
dharma
proper order of things, principles of conduct implied by order, when not observed: chaos
kalpas
universe undergoes passing through ages
moksha
culmination of life, ultimate goal
karmic religions
eastern
astrahamic religions
western
atman
eternal, unchanging soul, “smaller than a grain of rice but larger than all worlds, not defined by space”
samsara
cycle of rebirth
dharma (two words)
right conduct
artha
material gain
kama
pleasure (sexual)
moksha
liberation from cycle of rebirth
samadh
state of absorption
bhakti yoga
way of devotion, particular god is ultimate, preliminary to highest form of spiritual attainment
puja
expressions of devotion
jnana yoga
way of knowledge, intuitive experience of ultimate
guru
spiritual teachers
karma (Brodd)
law of causation
phala
result of any action
dharma (Brodd)
prescribed religious/rituals law/obligations
renouncer
usually male, gives up previous self and attachments, takes formal monastic vows/funeral rites, death of previous self/persona
four stages of life
1) celibate student
2) householder
3) hermit
4) renouncer
three debts
1) seers (study Vedas as student)
2) gods (offerings as householder)
3) ancestors (birth son as householder, perform ancestral rites)
varna system
ordering society itself
ashrama system
organize life of individual
brahmins
priests (the purest of people)
kshatriyas
warriors and kings
vaishyas
commoners and merchants
shudras
servants
harijans
children of god
jati
birth
dalits
different by region, bottom of the hierarchy, oppressed group
four aims of life
dharma: duty and ethics, living in harmony
2) kama: fulfillment of desire
3) artha: wealth and abundance
4) moksha: liberation and enlightenment
mārgas
paths
karma mārga
path of ritual action
jnana mārga
path of knowledge
bhkati mārga
path of devotion
Hopkins views on Hindu death
universal, biological afterlife is fuzzy no single view of death and afterlife Vedic sacrificial tradition NOT monotheistic fire sacrifices
sapindtkarana
post-cremation rituals, performed by eldest son of deceased
upanisads
reflected attitudes of teachers, Vedic priests, Aryan ruling class
gita
the Hindu bible, one version of path of devotion
Elmore approach to contemporary Hinduism
space between life and death isn’t significant, homes must be filled with photos of deceased, religion is fluid, no single deity, no founding figure, no authoritative text, varies at social location, conservation in preservation of tradition
raurava
lie hell
karma (Hopkins, 3)
1) transmigration – samsara
2) personal duty – dharma
3) fate – kismat
caring for the dead
visit relatives
religious text readings
travel to sacred places
maintaining of ritual duty for as long as possible
people have to die outside on ground of cow dung and banana leaves with water in their mouth
cremation is normal
people you can’t cremate
kids under 5 pregnant women lepers snake-bitten victims renunciates suicide victims smallpox
preta
disembodied ghost
materials for communication
small stone
inscriptions
water tap
cumai tank
memorials dedicated to women died in pregnancy or childbirth
sūt
string died at site of accident to where body was found (for car accidents)
maśānì
death specialist
dying as a Hindu in England
shortage of priests
ritual innovation
dying in modern hospital causes for issues (communication, ritual)
Siddartha Guatama
founder of Buddhism, nicknamed “Buddha”
four passing sights
sorrowful old man
diseased man
dead man carried on a funeral pyre
monk in a yellow robe
Buddha
“one who had woken up”
nirvana
state of no desire
four noble truths
life is suffering
cause of suffering is desire
not trapped, release is possible
release is through eightfold path
sangha
Buddhist order of monks
ten precepts (basically the ten commandments)
ahmisa (refrain from taking own life) do not take what is not given be chaste don't lie don't take intoxicants consume in moderation, never after noon don't sing/dance no tattoos or piercings no reclining don't accept gold/silver
Pali Canon
sacred text
tripitaka
three baskets
“three baskets”
vinaya pitaka
abidhamma pitaka
sutta pitaka
vinaya pitaka
disciplinary regulations, guidelines
abidhamma pitaka
higher philosophy, analysis of nature of existence
sutta pitaka
teachings, discourses
two branches of Buddhism
Therevada
Mahayana
Therevada
“way of the elders”, purest and most authentic
Mahayana
more liberal, started in India, spread to East Asia via missionaries, “the Large Vehicle”
anatman
no eternal self
skandhas
form feelings perception volitions awareness
Parable of the Mustard Seed
Kisa Gotami’s son dies, she goes to Buddha to see if there’s anything she can do to save him, tells her to go look for someone with a mustard seed who hasn’t encountered loss, she realizes loss is just something that has to happen
arhant
follows Buddha, is enlightened, overcome attachment and desire
eightfold path
right belief – correct view of nature of reality
right aspiration - freed mind of sensual desire
speech - no gossip
conduct - no killing, drugs, etc.
means of livelihood - forbidden occupations
endeavor - unwholesome action with negative karma
mindfulness - observation of oneself
meditation - calmness
sila
morality
samadhi
concentration
prajna
wisdom
stupas
dome/bell structures with disks, important at pilgrimage sites
anilla
all reality is impermanent
two possibilities of rebirth
aspect of psyche is born into new body
state of nirvana achieved
anatta
no soul
gandhabba
mental complex essential to birth
worldview of Therevada Buddhism
reality: impermanence
sacred: spiritual atheism
human: soullessness/dependent on origination
problem: life is suffering
cause: suffering is caused by craving
end goal: extinction of craving
means: eightfold path of middle way
samura
warriors
shogun
central leader
kamikaze
Japanese for “divine wind”
three ages of dharma
age of authentic dharma
false/counterfeit dharma
“final” dharma
prajna
teachings on transcendent non-dual wisdom
sunyata
emptiness
worldview of Mahayana Buddhism
problem: deceive self into thinking we’re not Buddha
cause: viewing self as separate from observing, becoming attached to pleasures
means of transformation: self-discovery
end goal: find truth win, experience same kind of awakening as Buddha
roshi
zen master
lama
superior one, teacher
famous Buddhist text
Bardo Thodol
Bardo Thodol
rituals used for dying person
two stages of Tibetan body disposal
temporary burial: deposit in a special chamber
final burial: remains are enclosed in container
four burial methods
sky burial
water burial
ground burial
cremation
tsatsa
remains turn into figurines
length of time for cycle of rebirth
49 days, body cremated after 8 days
laukika
world/exotic way of coming to terms with grief
lokottara
monastic/esoteric way of coming to terms with grief
Jainism founder
Nataputta Vardhamana, nicknamed Mahavira
of Jains around the world
approx 4 million
beginning location
Mumbai, India
jina
great teacher
tirthankaras
cross finders/makers, originally 24, someone who found successful means for finding a way to go beyond cycle of rebirth, serves as an example
ahisma
noninjury
agmas
sacred text of Jainism, any body of teachings handed down by unbroken succession of sages
two major sects of Jainism
shvetambara
digambara
shvetamabara
remembered sermons, discourses of Mahavira
digambara
original teachings of Mahavira are lost, essence is preserved
jiva
spiritual soul, by nature are all-knowing, eternal, blissful, perfect
worldview of Jainism
problem: “weighed down” by actions (karma)
cause: activity
end goal: become conqueror, all-knowing
means of transformation: self-denial, noninjury
reality: dualism of matter and spirit
sacred: spiritual atheism
five great vows
renounce killing of all living things renounce viles of lying speech via anger renounce taking things not given renounce sex renounce all attachments
