Intro to Buddhism 2 Flashcards
how long did the Buddha meditate for under the Bodhi tree AFTER his enlightenment?
49 days
where did Buddha find the ascetics after enlightenment?
Deer Park
what are the contents of the Jataka tales?
they are scriptures that tells the stories of the Buddha’s past lives
which animal was the Buddha in one of his previous lives?
a deer king
what is the story of the Deer King in the Buddha’s past life?
- there was a human king who went hunting for deer with his soldiers
- came across a pregnant deer and was about to shoot her
- the Buddha jumped in front of the arrow to save her
- the king saw the act of compassion, and thought that if animals could show compassion so could he, and he stopped hunting
- he opened a nature preserve for deer (Deer Park)
what was the name of the Buddha’s first sermon?
The Four Noble Truths
what is the first noble truth?
that all life entails dissatisfaction (duhkha)
what is the meaning of the word “duhkha”?
dissatisfaction
how is the first noble truth often misunderstood?
people think it is a pessimistic outlook on life and the world, but it is not
what is the difference between dissatisfaction and suffering?
suffering is more intense, lowers life quality, lack of control
dissatisfaction is more surface level, minor inconveniences
what is the second noble truth?
the cause of duhkha (dissatisfaction) is craving
what are the differences between cravings and desires
- you can live with cravings, you can want without needing to fulfil
- cravings are like addictions, constant temptation
what is the third noble truth?
dissatisfaction (duhkha) ceases when trsna (cravings) cease
what is the meaning of the word trsna?
cravings
what is the fourth noble truth?
the way to remove cravings is to practice the Eightfold Path
