Religous Concepts Flashcards
The 3 lakshana’s (3 marks of existence)
Dukkha and annica are directly related as people don’t like change so it links to suffering. For example a bunch of flowers (things change).
The concepts of dukkha and annica, with reference to dhammacakkappavattana sutta
The dhammacakkappavattana is the account of the first turning of the wheel of Dharma. and refers to the first sermon the Buddha did after enlightenment.
The concept of dukkha
Suffering is a condition that arises when a person is unaware that things are impermanent (annica). People become attached both materially and emotionally to things and want them to remain unchanged. Things have no permanent substantial essence and this means they are subject to death and decay.
The concept of annata
Translated as no soul or no self. However “if a person is annata, then whats a human being?” The Buddhist answer is that a person arises and functions according to the skandhas.
The 5 Skandhas
Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental formations and consciousness.
The notions of pratityasamutpada and rebirth
Only when a person has followed the eightfold path to become an arhat, a noble or worthy one, is there escape from rebirth; the state of parinirvana (passing over into nirvana) is achieved. The candle analogy, one flame lights the next but it’s not the same flame.
6 Realms of rebirth
Heavenly realm, Jealous gods, Earthly/human realm, Animal realm, Hungry ghosts and the Hell realm. The highest realm is the Gods, The lowest realm is the hell realm. However the optimum realm for spiritual progress is the human realm.
Pratityasamutpada
12 causes and conditions- Ignorance, mental formations, consciousness, mind and matter, six senses, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth and death and decay.
The wheel of life
The outer circle represents pratityasamutpada. The centre of the wheel is the 3 poisons (a cock, a snake and a pig represent greed, hatred and delusion).
The circle around the centre represents the intermediate state between rebirths. Then the circle around that represents all the different realms of rebirth.
Karma
The idea of consequences/ cause and effect. A person does have ownership of their actions and this affects their future.
The Dhammapada
A collection of verses similar to the Pali Cannon. It states that our actions determine our future and our rebirth but it’s also our minds that control our actions so to gain full control over our karma, they must be in control of their mind.
Mahayana and Theravada- why they split off into 2
After the parinibbana of the Buddha, his teachings were preserved through oral tradition, monks would recite them during the rainy seasons. After some time disagreements arouse over the accuracy and validity of some teachings, so they became 2 distinct forms of Buddhism. Theravada and Mahayana.
Theravada (Arhat) Buddhism
The way of the elders. This form is mainly found in Thailand and Sri Lanka. They believe the Shakyamuni Buddha to be of great importance. They see him as an extraordinary human being, so they don’t worship him like a God like figure. Instead they see him as being the same as them making it possible to strive for the same achievements. He acts as a role model
Arhat
Their enlightenment is dependent on the Buddha showing the way/their teachings. They have experienced nibbana, where the 3 poisons are destroyed forever, meaning they can’t create karma. Arhat means worthy one.
4 stages of awakening (arhat)
To become an arhat it doesn’t happen within one lifetime.
A stream entrant- takes less than 7 lifetimes
A once returner- takes 1 more lifetime
A never returner- will not be reborn as a human but will reach enlightenment in a higher dimension
An arhat- reaches enlightenment in their present life.
Characteristics of the arhat
Mindfulness, investigation of dhamma, joy, vigour, tranquility, mental unification, equanimity.
Mahayana Buddhism
The greater vehicle. Found in China, Tibet and Japan. It’s less concerned with the exact teachings of the historical Buddha and more with the whole notion of enlightenment. They believe all beings have the potential to attain buddhahood.
Buddha nature (Mahayana
Mahayana teachers docused on the concept of pratitya samutpada- the idea that all things are connected. Buddha nature is in all of us.
The bodhisattvas
A bodhisattva aims to reach enlightment or Buddhahood in order to save all beings out of compassion. They put the happiness of the universe before themselves. Mahayana Buddhists believe that the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas are there to help them on the path to enlightenment.
The Bodhisattva path
It begins with the ambition to seek enlightenment both for its own sake and for the good of others. To move towards this path, they must first develop the 4 measureless states of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy and balance. This is done through meditation.
Practicing the bodhisattva path
The path is practiced through developing perfections and progressing through stages. A person following the Bodhisattva path does not expect to cultivate all the perfections and pass through all stages in one lifetime.
10 stages of the Bodhisattva path
Joyous, stainless, luminous, radiant, difficult to conquer, approaching, gone afar, immovable, good intelligence and cloud of dharma.
10 Perfections of the bodhisattva path
Generosity (dana), moral virtue (sila), patience, energy, meditation, wisdom, skilful means, determination, power and spiritual knowledge.
The goal of the bodhisattva path
The goal of the bodhisattva ideal is to help as many others out of compassion. When a bodhisattva finally attains buddhahood, this fits in with the goal as the Buddha has the perfect knowledge of how to help others beings to escape from suffering.
Celestial buddhas and bodhisattvas
Bodhisattvas are believed to have postponed their entry to nirvana in order to help other beings to enlightenment. A popular celestial bodhisattva is Avalokiteshvara, he wouldn’t rest until he freed the world from all suffering. His many arms show his great capacity for compassionate acts.
Manjushri is the bodhisattva of infinite wisdom and holds a lotus flower to show this.
