The Four Noble Truths Flashcards
What are the 4 noble truths?
- Dukkha
- Samudaya
- Nirodha
- Magga
What does dukkha mean?
Suffering, pain, sorrow
What is the eight-fold path?
R. Understanding R. Thoughts R. Speech R. Actions R. Livelihood R. Effort R. Mindfulness R. Concentration
What does the dharma wheel represent?
The totality of the Buddha’s teaching and the interconnectedness of all things
What is the deer park sermon?
Where Buddha taught the 4 noble truths
What is samudaya?
The cause of the suffering
What is nirodha?
That dukkha can cease
What are the 3 types of dukkha?
- Dukkha- Dukkha
- Viparinama- Dukkha
- Samkhara - Dukkha
What is Dukkha-Dukkha?
All kind of suffering in life: birth, old age, sickness, death etc
What is viparinama- Dukkha?
Suffering produced by change. Pleasant and happy feelings or conditions in life are not permanent. They will change
What is samkhara- Dukkha?
A combination of ever- changing mental and physical forces which can be divided into five aggregates.
What are the 5 aggregates?
- Matter
- Sensations
- Perceptions
- Mental formations
- Consciousness
What does the 5 khandhas teach?
The teaching of Anatta (non self)
What is dependent origination?
Step by step explanation of samsara
What is dependent origination also known as?
Paticca- samupadda
What is samsara?
The cycle of repeated birth and death
What is the principle of conditionality?
The principle teaches:
- everything is maintained by a complex web of conditions
- everything part of the network of conditions
- whole of existence is process of flux and change
What does dependent origination refer to?
Refer to the idea that as long as we remain ignorant we will continue to create karma and continue to be reborn into this world of suffering and pain
What is karma?
Deliberate or ‘volitional’ actions that leads to dukkha.
What is the law of karma?
- It states that actions have consequences.
- everything is subject to change
- does not mean that everything that happens to us is the result of karma
- applies only to deliberate or ‘willed’ actions
- positive Behavior have positive consequences whilst negative behaviour have negative actions
What are the three root poisons?
Greed, hatred and ignorance
What are the 4 key types of craving?
- Kama- Tanha
- Bhava- tanha
- Vibhava- tanha
- Dhamma- tanha
What is karma-tanha?
Thirst for sense- pleasures to have pleasant experiences
What is bhava- tanha?
Thirst for existence and becoming. To want something or to be someone
What is vibhava-tanha?
Thirst for non-existence or to get rid of the unpleasant experiences in life
What is damma-tanha?
Thirst for ideas and ideals, views, opinions, theories, concepts and beliefs
What is nirodha?
The ending of suffering (cessation)
What must a person stop to be no longer the chain of rebecoming?
Craving and non-attachment
What is nibbana?
A mental or psychological state free from dukkha
What is magga?
A path that leads to the ending of dukkha. Using the eightfold path
What is ‘nibbana with remainder’?
Still having the 5 aggregates
What does it mean to say that Nibbana is unconditioned, objectless consciousness? (Harvey’s view)
Attempts to describe what the nature of Nibbana is like but difficult to grasp the mystery of Nibbana using conventional language.
What is an arahant?
Person who has attained the Nibbana in the Theravada tradition by practising the eightfold path and refrained from the three fires
What does the word ‘arahat’?
Worthy
What happens to the Buddha or an Arahant after his death?
Comes under the category of the Buddha’s unanswered questions that Arahant after his death cannot be explained
What is ‘Nibbana without remainder’?
Loss of the 5 aggregates and in parinibbana
What is parinibbana?
Fully passed away
What is difference between Nibbana during life and beyond death?
During life is having the 3 root poisons whilst beyond death is the loss of the 5 skandhas (aggregates)
What was the key issue in King Milinda in the 79th dilemma?
Nibbana is painful in order to achieve it
What was Nagasena’s response (monk) in King Milinda in the 79th dilemma?
Pain is not nibbana but whoever seeks nibbana has pain but at the end is filled with blissfulness
What was the key issue in King Milinda in the 80th dilemma?
To know if nibbana has size, shape or what is the duration of nibbana
What was Nagasena’s response (monk) in King Milinda in the 80th dilemma?
He says examples that each thing helps another e.g. medicine helps the suffering of a man
What are Right Thoughts?
Right thoughts to develop are:
-Lovingkindness (metta)
-Compassion (karuna)
- Selflessness or generosity (dana) to all beings
Right thoughts get rid of the evil thoughts like the 3 poisons
What is the Right Livelihood?
Choose professions that promote life, peace & spiritual progress. Specifically prohibited professions include butcher, manufacturer of weapons or alcohol etc
What is the Right Mindfulness?
Becoming more aware of;
- Activities of the body (breathing, walking)
- Feelings or sensations (anger, fear, joy)
- States of mind (thoughts, ideas etc)
- Understanding the change and impermanence
What is the Right Concentration?
Train the mind to experience deeper and deeper levels of concentration - 8 Jhanas until it becomes really concentrated and experiences the bliss of nibbana
What is the Right Speech?
No lying, no slander, no harsh or rude words, no profanity, no impolite or abusive language, no gossip
What is the Right Action?
5 precepts to refrain from:
- Harming & killing (ahimsa)
- Stealing
- False speech
- Misuse of the senses
- The use of intoxicants
What is the Right Effort?
Purifying the mind:
- Using your energy well not being lazy
- ‘Letting go’ of the wholesome states of the mind from arising the three poisons
- Bringing about wholesome states of the mind: karuna , metta and dana
- Developing and perfecting states of the mind
What is the Right Understanding?
Central teachings:
- 4 Noble Truths
- Dukkha
- Non self (anatta)
- Impermanence (anicca)
- The 5 aggregates
- Dependent origination
- Karma and samsara
- Nirvana
Which of the eightfold paths follow wisdom?
R. Understanding and R. Thoughts
Which of the eightfold paths follow morality?
R. Speech, Action and R. livelihood
Which of the eightfold paths follow concentration?
R. Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration
What are the two types of Karma?
Skilful and unskillful actions
What is skilful actions? (Kasula)
Skilful actions often derive from giving
What is unskilful actions? (Akusala)
Comes from the three fires that are inherent in our nature
What is the candle analogy?
Refers to the death-rebirth process. New candle being lit just as the flame on old one flickers and dies. The new flames is different yet is has arisen in dependence on the old one.
What is the parable of the mustard seed?
Kisagotami has a son who dies by a snake bite. She wanted medicine for the son to be alive. She found a follower of the Buddha who suggested her to collect mustard seeds from anyone who had experienced a lost one. She found herself listening to countless stories of the dead. At the end she let of her son and buried him
What was the lesson learnt in the parable of the mustard seed?
That in order to stop the suffering one must ‘let go’ and follow the eightfold path
What is the parable of the raft?
Man reaches a vast stretch of water. The shore on this side is dangerous whilst the other side is safe. He uses a raft to get across and holds onto the raft. The monk says the raft is for crossing not for holding on.
What was the meaning of the parable of the raft?
Once nibbana is realised, one must let go of dharma, not get attached to it.
What is the parable of the arrow?
Monk wants to know the answers to the unanswerable questions from the Buddha. Buddha responds by saying he never promised to reveal ultimate metaphysical truths. He gives an example of a man who gets wounded by an arrow. Instead of getting the wound healed he asks for who did it to him etc.
What was the meaning of the parable of the arrow?
Need to treat the cause rather than knowing it. Philosophical questions are all well but could lead to more confusion and unhappiness.
