The Three Refuges/Jewels Flashcards
What does “refuge” mean in Buddhism?
faith (saddha) - one must have faith in the possibility of achieving enlightenment through buddhism. faith in buddhism is expressed as an act of taking refuge
Does Buddhism expect blind faith?
No, it places great stress on individual self reliance and the idea of ehipassiko (come and try) Buddha wrote in a scripture named the Kalama Sutta that it is natural to be uncertain but that we should not do things because others have told us to, we need to be sure in ourselves first.
Who is Gautama addressing in the Kalama Sutta?
The Kalamas - villagers. They complain to Gautama that wondering holy men teach many things and they dont know who to believe.
What is buddhahood?
the possibility of becoming a buddha
When saying “i take refuge in the buddha’ what does the term buddha refer to?
buddhahood - the person saying tis is expressing a faith in his or her own capacity to achieve buddhahood
How many buddhas have there been?
In buddhist tradition, there have been 29 named Buddhas, all of them but one came before Gautama, existing in mythological time instead of historical time. There is one buddha of the future.
What is the name of the buddha of the future?
Maitreya
What are the three refuges?
I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha
What does it mean when someone says “I take refuge in the Dhamma”?
they are saying that he or she has faith in the teachings of Gautama Buddha to make the quest for enlightenment easier
What does dhamma mean?
the systematic teachings of Buddhism such as the four noble truths and the eightfold path, rather than Buddha’s stories and parables. This detaches the method of achieving enlightenment from siddhartha gautama himself.
What is the Sangha?
the name for the community of Buddhists on Earth, monks, nuns and lay people (ordinary people).
What does the Theravada tradition believe about the Sangha?
That it only refers to monks and nuns
What did the Buddha allow which was unusual for his time?
He allowed women to enter the order of monks.
What are buddhist monks called?
Bhikkus
What are buddhist nuns called?
Bhikkunis
Where do bhikkunis live?
They live with the monks but in their own separate part of the Vihara - this probably for their ow safety as is was fairly dangerous for groups of single women at this time.
How many rules are there for monks?
227
How many rules are there for nuns?
311
As well as bhikkus and bhikkunis, what does the sangha also include?
Upasakas and upasikas - male and female lay followers who undertake to observe the 5 precepts
What are the 5 precepts?
- Don’t take life - most buddhists are vegetarian but if somebody puts meat in their begging bowl they should eat it
- Don’t take what is not freely given
- Don’t engage in sexual misconduct
- Don’t misuse the power of speech
- Don’t take alcohol or drugs - the point of Buddhism is to cultivate aware ness and these reduce awareness
What is the middle way?
The balance between starving yourself and over indulging
What does Theravada mean?
“The way of the elders” or “the ancient teaching”
What is the oldest form of Buddhism?
Theravada Buddhism
What is the most important thing in Theravada Buddhism?
The vihara (monastery) - the requirements of Buddhism are thought to be too rigorous for anything other than full time commitment
What do bhikkus do in the community according to Theravada tradition?
Teach the lay believers how to make things
How to farm and dig wells
Teach the children how to read and write
Take valuable goods into safe keeping
What do the people do in return for the bhikkus?
They put food in their alms bowls to say thank you but also to build up good karma for themselves
When did Mahayana Buddhism come about?
100-150 CE
What is a Bodhisattva?
Someone who deliberately delays their enlightenment because their compassion for suffering beings has been awakened and they wish to help those beings achieve enlightenment
What is the main difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism?
Mahayana puts a lot of emphasis on Bodhisattvas
What does Mahayana believe about buddhas?
They believe that there are buddhas throughout the universe in incredibly distant locations however they can reach us through a kind of psychic energy generated by their compassion
What is another difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism?
There are many forms of Mahayana Buddhism because as it spread to different countries it became mixed with other religions which already existed in those countries. This means that Mahayana has many rituals inherited from other religions it has mixed with, Theravada does not.
What is the third form of Buddhism called?
Vajrayana
Why is there some debate over Vajrayana Buddhism?
Because some argue that it is part of the Mahayana tradition
Why is vajrayana Buddhism unique?
Because it developed in Tibet which is very cold and surrounded by mountains so it was isolated for many centuries
What is different about Tibetan Buddhism?
There is a large tantric element
What does tantric mean?
A highly ritualised, magical religion
Which two traditions are important in Tibetan Buddhism?
Prayer wheels - cylinders on which mantras are written
Mandalas - circular diagrams to aid meditation
Who are the most important Bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism?
Avalokitesvaras - has a thousand arms and represents compassion
Manjusri - usually shown with a flaming sword to destroy falsehood
How do vajrayana buddhists and Mahayana Buddhists differ from Theravada teachings?
They differ about how easy it is to achieve enlightenment and what happens once a person is enlightened
