Intro to Buddhism 1 Flashcards
when and where does the story of the Buddha take place?
Nepal in 6th Century BCE
what was the Buddha’s birthname?
Siddhartha Gautama
what is the direct meaning of Siddhartha?
one who has achieved his aim ; one who is successful in all endeavours
what is the direct meaning of Gautama?
“most excellent cow” - agriculture was prominent
what is the meaning of Buddha?
the awakened one
what is the meaning of the root word “bud”?
to wake ; to wake up
what/who is the Shakyamuni Buddha?
the one who founded Buddhism (the historical Buddha)
when did Siddhartha start being called the Buddha?
after he reached enlightenment
what is hagiography
used to study the stories of Catholic saints
(myth + biography)
who were Queen Maya and King Suddhodana?
the parents of Siddhartha
what request did Queen Maya make to Suddhodana?
she wanted to return to her hometown to give birth (Indian custom)
what is the meaning of “Maya” and “Suddhodana”?
maya: illusion
suddhodana: pure rice
what was Queen Maya’s dream that made her discover she was pregnant with a king?
- the goddesses (Diva) bathed Maya in a lake
- she dreamed she was dancing with a white elephant
- the elephant entered the right side of her body
what is the symbolism of a white elephant?
is the symbol for “king”, signifying she would give birth to a king
where was Siddhartha born?
Lumbini Park
what was the birth story?
- they decided to take a break at the halfway point in the forest
- birth pains began
- the trees bent their branches to help her and protect her
- Siddhartha was born from her right armpit (pure side)
- he was fully conscious and capable, lotus blossoms grew in his footsteps
what is the significance of the 7 steps he took after birth?
7 steps meant that he was leaving all realms of reincarnation
what happened to Queen Maya after the birth?
she died 7 days later, the king married her sister
who is Prajapati?
Queen Maya’s sister, the aunt of Siddhartha
what two predictions were made by the hermit Asita?
- that he would become a “wheel turning king” (unite all kingdoms)
- that if he chooses not to be king, he will become the redeemer of the world and enlightened
why did Siddhartha’s father keep him so sheltered?
he didn’t want the second prediction to come true (enlightenment, he wanted his son to be king)
how did Siddhartha meet Yasodhara?
- his father was holding a banquet to find him a wife
- Yasodhara was running late, tripped and fell, and Siddhartha lifted her up
what was the name (and meaning) of Siddhartha and Yasodhara’s son?
Rahula -> meaning fetter (handcuffs, tying you down to the world)
what were the four sights that caused Siddartha to leave the palace?
- old age
- sickness
- death
- holy man / Sramana (rebels against the caste system)
what were the events of the Great Renunciation?
- the king didn’t want Siddhartha to leave, so he doubled entertainment
- everyone was to tired they fell into a deep sleep
- the only one that was left awake was Siddhartha
- he snuck out of the palace and found 5 Ascetics, he joined them
what were the three fears Siddhartha wanted to overcome?
- old age
- sickness
- death
what is asceticism?
depriving the body of its basic needs (e.g. shelter, food, clothing)
how did Siddhartha practice Asceticism?
- one grain of rice per day
- bed of nails
- ate bird droppings
- drank mud
how did Siddhartha initially attract his disciples?
they witnessed miracles and were drawn to him (e.g Naga protecting him)
what is the role of Naga?
serpents, protecting treasure (in this case, Siddhartha is the treasure)
how did snake behaviours influence mythology?
snakes don’t drink water, they absorb it through their skin
why did Siddhartha stop practicing asceticism?
he almost died, and if he continued he would have died before reaching his goal
what is the teaching of the middle way?
the middle way is the path to enlightenment, it is a balance between two extremes
e.g. balance between indulgence and deprivation in Siddhartha’s life
what is the lesson of the stringed instrument?
“if you tighten the string too much, it will snap; if you leave it slack, it will not play”
who is Sujata?
she is the village girl who helped Siddhartha
why did Sujata go back to the forest?
she previously prayed to a tree God for a husband and a child, she went back to thank them for granting her wish
how did Sujata help Siddhartha?
she brought rice and milk as an offering to the tree god, she thought Siddhartha was the tree god so she gave him the food
what events led Siddhartha’s disciples to leave him?
they thought he abandoned his search for enlightenment because they saw him eating and bathing
what is the significance of the bowl floating on the stream?
- he was doubting himself, and said “if this bowl floats, I am able to reach enlightenment”, and it floated
- he vowed he would make a seat out of straw and would not get up until he reached it
