Foundations Flashcards
When and where did Buddhism arise?
arose in North Central India in the 500s BCE.
what civilisation was found in North western India?
Indus Valley civilisation
who were Brahmans
the members of the highest Hindu Caste
what traditions gave rise to Yoga, and Buddhism
Sramana traditions
what did Sramana originally refers to
any ascetic religious practitioner who renounced secular life and society in order to focus on finding religious truth
when and where was Siddhartha Gautama born
in the 5th of 6th century in modern day Nepal
what was Queen Mayas dream of
a white elephant came down from heaven a d said when the child was born he would achieve perfect wisdom
according to legend what could Siddhartha do straight after birth?
he could walk and talk without support. he walked seven steps and every step he took a lotus flower grew
what was the prophecy said by the holy man
it was foretold that the boy would be either a great ruler or a great spiritual teacher
where did Siddhartha grow up?
he was raised in great luxury and shielded from the knowledge of religion and human suffering
what were the four sights
Siddhartha saw an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a holy man.
what was the significance of Siddhartha seeing the holy man
it inspired him to start his quest to reach for answers of why people suffer and how to stop it
what did Siddhartha and 5 others attempt to be released from suffering
they tried to find a release through physical deprivation, enduring pain, holding their breath and starving themselves.
what did his ascetic practises of deprivation and his luxury life teach him
he developed the middle way between the two extremes that he had experienced.
what did Siddhartha say when he sat under the bodie tree
“not till I attain enlightenment will I give up this seat of meditation”
what did traditional stories say he battled while meditating
he had a great battle with the demon Mara meaning destruction.
what did the demon Mara try to do to Siddhartha
- Mara offered Siddhartha control of his kingdom
- Mara tried to attack him
- mara used his daughters to seduce Siddhartha
when Siddartha became enlightened what did he gain knowledge of
gained knowledge of his previous lives. he understood the repeating cycles of birth, death and rebirth. he understood suffering and how to stop it
why was the Buddha reluctant to teach
because what he finally understood could not be communicated in words
what persuaded the Buddha to start teaching
the Deity Brahma Sahampati convinced him
where did the Buddha wander to originally
he went to the deer park, where he left his 5 original companions and they became his first students.
what happened when the Buddha became 80
the Buddha entered Para nirvana, leaving his physical body behind and escaped the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
what was The buddhas last words
” all compounded things in the world are changeable, work hard to gain your own salvation.”
what does veda mean
meant knowledge and was a collection texts the Aryans composed.
what did Veda based religion evolve into
Vedic Brahmanism, which emphasised the idea that there is a cosmic law governing the universe
what did Buddha reject of Brahmanism
- that there is no caste system and humans are part of one species.
what did the buddha criticise of Brahmanism and change to
ritualism and sacrifices were a prominent feature in Brahmanism. the Buddha introduced a new sacrifice with less blood shed.
what were the Buddhas new sacrifices
taking refuge in the buddha, sangha and Dharma. this sacrifice was substituted with human moralism
what did the Buddha reject of the Srmana Movements
Srmana schools rejected the continuity of human existence after death which lead to moral nihilism (nothingness)
what are the the three jewels
The Buddha, the Sangha and the Dharma
what does refuge in the buddha mean
Buddhist align themselves with the ability to become a Buddha. this jewel reminds Buddhists to find their Buddha nature
what does the refuge in the Dharma mean
Buddhist do not cause harm and are able to find safety in the teachings
what does the Dharma teach
it teaches compassion for Buddhists and through understanding the four noble truths leads to the release of fear and ignorance
what did Buddha see in the sangha
the buddha saw that the interaction with others who are on the path is essential for practise.
what is a strength of the sangha
when Buddhist turn towards the Sangha, they are bale to learn from others and offer help.
why is the Buddha important?
he taught practises like meditation that are a continuing relevance.
why is the Dharma important?
the dharma is the carrier of goodness and is a permanent universal truth
why is the Sangha important
Buddhist can turn towards the community in times of needs. humans are social creatures and if we are supported by healthy people we are less likely to abuse negative behaviour
