Final Prep Flashcards
Five aggregates
The 5 aggregates are a set of 5 fluctuating interdependent conditions and functions. What we perceive to be Self is just a combination of these 5 ‘heaps’ or skandha. They are: form/materiality; sensation; perception; recognition; formations (karmic formations). They are characterized by 3 things: dissatisfactory because they are anitya (impermanent); subject to conditions and selfless (impersonal). A buddha has these, but has transformed them into an embodiment of Dharma so they are expressed as: sila, samadhi, prajna, vimukti and vimukti-jnana-darsana or ‘perfect conduct, meditation, wisdom, freedom and knowledge-and-understanding’
Three trainings
Morality, Concentration & Wisdom. Correspond in Tripitaka to: Vinaya, Nikaya and Abhidharma
Three Higher Disciplines (trisiksa)
morality (sila) - basis of buddhist path
concentration - on top of that, can build (samadhi)
wisdom -on top of that, can build (prajna)
Three higher disciplines are embodied within the 8-fold path
wisdom (prajna) - conduct (sila) - meditation (samadhi) - correspond to the realms!! and also to the eightfold path
Avidya
Ignorance or Mis-knowledge. One of the 3 Fundamental Kleśas (The Three poisons). Means ‘taking non-x as x’, or in Buddhist terms, taking the conventionally real as the ultimately real. It is a type of error: a belief that is incompatible with reality and thus not conducive to awakening. To make this eror is to perceive things inaccurately e.g. to believe in the existence of an unchanging self or to believe that an object is desirable by imposing beliefs onto it. Both of these errors cause craving (tanha), thus suffering.
The four perversions are types of avidya
-avidya is combatted with mereological analysis
-the self
Two truths/realities
The two ways that something can be real: it is either conventionally real or ultimately real. They are the 2 possible outputs of the algorithm of Buddhist mereological analysis. This part/whole analysis reduces things to their smallest units. Irreducible units withstand analysis, are called ‘dharmas’ and are ultimately real. Anything else is comprised of 2 or more dharmas and is thus conventionally real. This is a tool for disproving and destabilizing our beliefs in Self (as demonstrated by Nagasena).
Equipment of a Buddhist monk/nun
Officially four: food, clothing, lodging and medicine (fermented urine). Sometimes this list included other personal hygeine items such as a razor. Generally speaking, they were permitted the basic necessities for independent self-care, health-maintenance and hygiene. Anything else was the property of the sangha and not a personal possession.
Four perversions
taking the impermanent as permanent
taking the impure as pure
taking duhkha as sukha
taking selfless/anatman as atman
(a part of the Path)
(avidya)
Law of Contradiction
One of two laws of reason
Law of contradiction
p cannot be the same as its negation (p or ~p)
chair and non-chair are not the same thing
five paths
-sometime in first 100-200 years after B.’s death
-first two can be done by non-Buddhists!
1-of equipment (sambhara marga) - you need gear to go on
2-of application (prayoga mārga)
3-of insight
4-cultivation or meditation
5-no more learning
NOTE: that here ‘path’ means ‘state of mind that leads to a result’
complete spiritual path
arhat
- awakened
- escaped samsara
- does not teach
- awakened with help usually
- includes buddhas
non-returner
attain nirvana in a form-realm heaven
- one of the options after the path of cultivation
- noble beings
stream-enterer
arhatship in next 7 lifetimes
- happens in path of seeing
- noble beings
abhidharma
one of 3 ‘baskets’ of tipitaka
systematic analysis of sutras
buddhist psychology
corresponds with discernment (prajna)
Sariputra
chief disciple - #1 became stream-enterer hearing about teaching from someone else ordained by buddha renowned for wisdom entrusted to teach rahula all siblings became ordained was severe, but compassionate with novice monks compared to a 'mother teacher' son of sari - a hairdresser convert from another group died before B
Mahaprajapati
sister of B’s mother
- after mother died, became stepmother (serial monogamy or polygamy? we don’t know)
- nursed b
- B visited and taught entire court. she attained arhatship
- wehn husband died, she renounced the world and asked permission to be ordained
- B refused, then others interfered on her behalf
- request later granted
- first female Bud. monastic
- soon after ordination, attained arhatship
Ambapali
one of foremost layfemale
courtesan and saw a king
father of son vimala
made big donation
vimala became eminent elder
she renounced world and attained arhatship as old woman
could have been on list with nuns - was ordained in end. but most of life as laywoman
