Life Of The Buddha Flashcards
When Siddhartha Gautama was conceived, Queen Maya had a conception dream. What was in this dream and what conclusion was reached due to this dream?
In this dream and there was a white elephant which carried a Lotus flower to symbolise fragility and it enters her through her left side
When the Buddha was born, what did he do and what happened to him?
- The Buddha was a 10 month pregnancy
- when he was born he spoke “this is my last rebirth“
- He then walked seven steps to symbolise the spread of Buddhism and walked a step in each direction of the compass to symbolise spreading Buddhism all around the globe.
- each step he took, a lotus blossomed under his foot to symbolise that he was a chosen one
What did Asita predict?
He predicted two things: he predicted that Siddhartha would either become a great teacher or a great leader
When the Buddha left the palace, what were the four sights that the Buddha saw?
An old man (ageing), a sick man (sickness), a dead man (death) and a Holy Man with a shaven head and a simple robe sitting quietly in meditation
These four things made him determined to leave the palace and live as a holy man until he found the solution to human suffering
What affect did the Buddhists trip have on him?
He put on simple clothes, shaved his head and said goodbye to his wife and son in the palace. He then gave up food to find out what suffering felt like
What is the middle way?
The path between self-sacrifice and self-indulgence in the Buddhist religion
When Siddhartha was trying to reach enlightenment under the Bondi Tree, who sent some temptations and what are they?
Mara sent the Temptations. The Temptations were Maras five daughters who were sent to distract and tempt Siddhartha away from reaching enlightenment.
The five daughters were; hate, ignorance, craving, lust, pride
Explain his life as an ascetic
- He learned yoga and meditation from teachers who live in the forest.
- He spent six years as an ascetic. This is someone who voluntarily chooses a life of pain and hardship for religious reasons or to purify their sins.
- He fasted, he held his breath for long periods of time, stayed out in the Sun in summer and bathed in icy water in the winter.
- He would stand on one leg or squat for days without sitting down.
- He said he learned a lot about discipline and willpower but did not find the answer he was seeking and grew weak from lack of food.
- One day a girl took pity on him and offered him a bowl of rice milk, which immediately restored his strength. He worked out that you should take the middle way in life and not self indulge or starve yourself, but take the middle ground
The Buddha describes his experience of enlightenment in “the four watches of the night”. What is the first watch of the night?
He saw his past life, all his birth and death, and became convinced of the insubstantiality of Samsara
The Buddha describes his experience of enlightenment in “the four watches of the night”. What is the second watch of the night?
He saw how all his rebirths had depended on his actions in his previous lives and understood karma
The Buddha describes his experience of enlightenment in “the four watches of the night”. What is the third watch of the night?
He understood everything concerning the true nature of the world and was omniscient. He understood that because of this he would not be born again
The Buddha describes his experience of enlightenment in “the four watches of the night”. What is the fourth watch of the night?
He reached Nirvana, which is described in a poetic language
Once he had reached enlightenment, he decided to teach the Dhamma. Describe what he did
He spent 45 years wandering through out Northeast India teaching everyone how to attain enlightenment. Little rich and poor, old and young, men and women. Some followers became bhikkus or bhikkunis and others remained householders.
What is a quotation about the asceticism?
“A string which is too loose will not play. A string which is too tight will break” - Sutta Pitaka
This is described in the middle way. Instead of starving yourself or indulging in lots of food, you should take the middle away and enjoy life around you
