Origins of Buddhism: Exam 1 Flashcards
samsara
the cycle of life and reincarnation
Mahayana
the “Great Vehicle”: one of the principal divisions of Buddhism/a form of Buddhis, of later development
Siddhartha Gauntama
The Buddha’s name
Eightfold Path
in eight categories, the problem of the unsatisfactory nature of life
parinirvana
the final nirvana, occurring at the death of the Buddha or any enlightened being. No more rebirth/end of samsara
Six Realms of Rebirth
realms that someone/something is reborn into as the result of their good or bad karma
Nagasena
Buddhist monk who is in many teachings
karma
any moral act, good or bad, will bring about a corresponding positive or negative result, in this lifetime or the next
dukkha
the first of the four noble truths, means SUFFERING
mendicant
someone who becomes a beggar on purpose, such as a monk or nun
bhikku
a Buddhist monk
Dharma
Buddhist law, teaching, ad truths (one of the three jewels)
arhat/arhant
someone who has attained enlightenment or will attain enlightenment and is no longer subject to karma, rebirth, and death
bodhisattva
anyone who has taken a vow to become a Buddha, will attain that goal, and teach others
Four Sights
when Buddha sees the sick, old, dead, and a monk/mendicant
Middle Way
can’t live in absolute luxury or in extreme starvation. a kind of no more, no less way of thinking
sangha
community of believers (monks and nuns)
merit
good karma
demerit
bad karma
Milinda
King Milinda that often questions Buddhist teachings in the Buddhist teachings
ascetic
starvation, which is a form of severe self-discipline many monks practiced
wheel-turner
a revolutionary (Buddha was told he’d be a great king or a prophet)
Shakyamuni
what the Buddha is referred to after his enlightenment. Shakya- fam name, Muni- “great one”
Theravada
oldest form of institutional Buddhism
buddha
someone who is enlightened and who teachers others. “awake to ultimate truth”
Four Noble Truths
the basis of Buddhist thought (there is suffering, suffering has a cause, suffering has an end, there is a way to end suffering)
Three Jewels/Three Refuges
Buddha (life, example, teaching), Dharma (Buddhist law, teaching, and truths), and Sangha (community of believers)
Jain
early group of Sramanas who have many similarities with Buddhism
Three marks of existance
suffering, impermanence, and no self/soul (anatman)
Sutras
teachings of the Buddha
layperson
someone who is no ordained
5 Precepts
no stealing, killing, improper sex, lying, or intoxication
Six Realms of Rebirth Order
Lowest-Highest
Hell dweller, hungry ghost/demons, animals, humans, demigods, and gods
all subject to karma
Unnamed God
who should we give our offerings?
there is no supreme god
Creation Hymn
who created existence?
No one knows and knowing isn’t relevant to Buddhist teachings and doesn’t help you reach nirvana
Karma and the Six Realms
any moral act, good or bad, brings about a corresponding positive or negative effect. your karma determines what realm you are reborn into
Signs of Suffering
Buddha saw sickness, old age, and death. Since suffering is inevitable, one must seek nirvana to stop it
Great Departure
Buddha leaves his family, cuts his hair, trades in his royal clothes for robes, gives up his life of luxury and all worldly desires in seek of ultimate truth
Awakening Achieved
Buddha learns from many teachers, is unsatisfied, goes off on his own and reaches enlightenment
Milinda and the Chariot/The Man Who Lost His Body
teaches “no-self.” There is no unchanging soul, you are not tied to any particular body or substance
