Source of Authority Flashcards
Early life, miracles, upaya, dukkha, pessimism, Pali Canon
Describe the Buddha’s early life in the palace.
- Queen Maya dreamed of auspicious white elephant entering her womb. When he was born, he took seven steps and lotus sprang behind him.
- Prophet predicted he would either become great ruler or religious leader.
- Because his father wanted him to become a ruler, he sheltered Siddharta from pain and suffering
Describe the Four Sights and what happened shortly after.
- He snuck out and witnessed a sick, old, dead and ascetic holy man. As a result, he left his life of luxury to become a religious wander.
- He became an ascetic (enduring hard physical challenge) to try better understand suffering.
What did he conclude from asceticism and what did that lead him to?
- Either extreme (wealth vs. nothing) are unproductive and there needs to be a middle way.
- Meditation under the bodhi tree (and three watches of the night).
Describe the temptation of Mara
- Mara attempts to persuade Buddha with armies, temptations (power, women) and finally challenges his right to enlightenment (no witness.)
- Buddha proclaims Earth as witness to his enlightenmnet.
Describe the three watches of the night/Buddha’s enlightenment.
- Knowledge of previous lives
- Karma, samsara and rebirth
- WIP
Hume defines miracles as…
“… a violation of the laws of nature.”
Hume stated that, “Miracles are believed by…”
“…ignorant and baraborous nations.”
R.F. Holland defines miracles as…
“Events that have religious signficane to the individual.”
The miracle of the elephant goes…
Devadatta, cousin & brother-in-law of the Buddha, becomes conceited and jealous. The Buddha denies his ask to the leader of the Sangha and Devadatta repeatedly atttempts to assassinate him for this.
- Finally, he makes the fierce, man-killer elephant drunk. It charges at him but is overcome by the Buddha’s metta and is tamed into submission.
Vinyapitaka
Define Upaya (Kusala) and its relevance to Mahayana Buddhism.
‘Skilful means’ - tailoring a message to the specific audience.
Mahayana scripts were supposedly discovered later because contemporary followers wouldn’t be able to understand the full depth of the Buddha’s teachings.
Describe the Raft analogy.
The Buddha describes his teachings (dhamma) as a raft. It’s valuable to help you get across the river but not for holding onto.
Describe the Parable of the Burning House.
- A man’s (Buddha) house is on fire with his sons (ordinary people) inside. He tries to beckon them out but they’re too enamoured with their toys (attachment to worldly desire).
- He then entices them with several carts (other schools of Buddhism).
- When they emerge, he presents them with white ox carts (Mahayana Buddhism).
Why is the Parable of the Burning House relevant?
Represents how the Buddha knew in his lifetime, followers were only ready to become arhats or pratekyabuddhas (solitary) so he waited for the religion to develop before recommending the more difficult bodhisattva path.
Name three of the seven states of suffering.
Birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow/loss, not getting what you want and contact with the unpleasant.
Name the four concealed states of suffering.
- Pleasure that brings pain to others
- Fear of losing pleasure
- Insatiable pleasure
- Impermament pleasure
