The Nature Of Human Beings - Buddhism

Question 1

What is Kamma

Answer 1

literally means action. Describes by the buddha as the law of cause and effect.

Buddhists believe that our consciousely chosen actions (actions with intentions behind them) have consequenses. this consequence many not be for years to come

Question 2

Definition of skillful/unskillful actions

Answer 2

• skillful actions are actions that are well thought through with good intentions behind them
• unskillful actions are bad actions that will lead to bad consequences or results. These actions often spring from free poisons

Question 3

example of skilful actions - the parable of the burning house

Answer 3

-a fathers old house burns down - he lies to children that are playing and not coming out that they have special carts of different kinds for each of them but they are all the same.

the father represents the buddha and the children are the sentiments

Question 4

benefits of belief in Kamma

Answer 4

• means you have an awarness that your actions affect your life
• improves control and self-discipline
  -hopefully meaning that you have a good impact on society and others around you
  -help control the 3 poisons
  -accept own suffering

Question 5

Difficulties with belief in Kamma

Answer 5

• if u are suffering from something that happened to u in previous life it might seem your life is unfair and unjust
  -difficult and time consuming to always consider every action
  -some may argue we should focus more on the consequences of actions rather than intentions

Question 6

What is Samsara?

Answer 6

-it is the cycle of rebirth. Buddhists believe that all humans are locked into this and the only escape is to live life following the buddhas teachings, particularly the eightfold path

Question 7

samsara - 14th Dalai Lama example

Answer 7

he is believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of the original one who is born in in 1391 as Gendun Drup. He no longer needs to be reborn but chooses to be, so that he can help other living beings

Question 8

Nibbana

Answer 8

• 3rd noble truth only way to end craving and unstasifactorinary
  -hard to describe as it is experience beyond the impermanent nature of words

Question 9

Theravada beliefs about Nibbna

Answer 9

-The path of enlightment is the one of the arhat (worthy of respect)
-takes many lifetimes to achieve
-the final stage is ahrat at this stage all attachment to self is gone

Question 10

Mahayana Beliefs about nibbana

Answer 10

-for them the path of Arhat is to narrow and individualistic
-instead the path for them is Bodhisattva which means ‘being of enlightment,
-a bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to helping others achieve enlightment they actively put off their own

Question 11

The Three Jewels

Answer 11

-The Buddha (the doctor)
-The Dhamma (the medicine)
-The Sangha (the community)

Question 12

How do the three jewels help buddhists

Answer 12

-help buddhists pratically to cope with the inevitable suffering which life involves
-points buddhists in the right direction to enlightment
-helps them make sense of life
-very special and valuable to a buddhist

Question 13

The first jewel - the buddha

Answer 13

-he rediscovered ancient path to enlightment
-hes a role model
-his teahings live on after his death

Question 14

The second jewel - the dhamma

Answer 14

-buddhas teachings
-includes 3 marks of existence, 4 noble truths etc
-way of life
-indicates way to enlightment
-destination

Question 14

The third jewel - the sangha

Answer 14

-two types the laity (lay community) and the ordained (monks and nuns)
-helps preserve teachings and traditons of buddhism
-huge respect for monks in traditonal buddhist countries

Question 15

benefits of belonging to the sangha

Answer 15

• means community
  -wok together towards enlightment
  -as a monk or nun each day is organized in the same way to help people to develop Buddhist qualities
  -monks benift from peace and wuiet whereas lay buddhist life can involve noise arguments and even confrontation

Question 16

the five precepts

Answer 16

-I undertake to abstain from taking life
-I undertake to abstain from taking what is not freely given
-I undertake to abstain from the misuse of the senses
-I undertake to abstain from wrong speech
-I undertake to abstain from taking drugs and alchol which cloud the mind

THESE APPLY TO ALL BUDDHISTS

Question 17

Why are the precepts important?

Answer 17

-guideline so Buddhist know not what to do
-in line with the eightfold path
-help Buddhist practice skillful actions and avoid negative Kamma