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Buddhist Beliefs And Teachings > Theravada, Mahayana and Pure Land Buddhism(+arhats and bodhisattvas) > Flashcards

Theravada, Mahayana and Pure Land Buddhism(+arhats and bodhisattvas) Flashcards

1
Q

What is Theravada Buddhism?

A
  • is one of the oldest schools of Buddhism practices mainly in south asia
  • Theravada Buddhism teaches that the human personality is made up of five parts or aggregates.
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2
Q

charactertics of therevada buddhism include..

A
  • can be considered an orthodox from of buddhism by some since its practices are strict and unifrom
  • ordination is monastic community is emphasised
  • full ordination primarily reserved for men
  • buddha focus of worship and is seen as the teacher and guide, but is not considered to be a god
  • the goal is to achieve enlightenment and achieve nirvana, dedicate entire life to this goal
  • SOME theravada buddhists believe that good fortune (or merit) may be transferred to others. This practice is emphasised when someone has died.
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3
Q

What is the concept of the five agreggates?

A
  • Therevada buddhism teaches that we are made up of five parts called the five aggregates
  • these interact with eachother to make up a person’s identity and personality.
  • the purpose of thinking about a person in this way is to help understand that nothing has a fixed, unchanging naature.
  • these categories also aid understanding of the processes of sense perception, craving, and how people form habits
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4
Q

What are the five agreggates?

A
  • Form
  • Sensation
  • Perception
  • Mental formations
  • Consciousness
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5
Q

Form is…

A
  • a persons body or objects in the world, including other people.
  • Example: you enter a room and see a cake
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6
Q

Sensation is..

A
  • the feelings of or sensations that occur when people come into contact with things.
  • Can be physical (e.g. a sesnation of pain after tripping over) or emotional (e.g. feeling joy after seeing a friend).
  • example: seeing cake gives u feeling or sense of anticipation
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7
Q

Perception is..

A
  • how people recognise or percieve what things are, based on their previous experiences
  • example: u recognise its a slice of cake from seeing other slices of cake in the past
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8
Q

Mental formations are…

A
  • thoughts and opinions - how a person responds mentally to the things they experience
  • Includes like and dislikes , and a person’s attitude towards different things
  • example: u form and opinion about whether u want to eat the cake or not
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9
Q

Consciousness

A
  • a person’s general awareness of the world around them
  • example: ur underlying awareness of all previous processes in other examples
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10
Q

What is Mahayana Buddhism

A
  • traditions that share similar cxharacteristics
  • umbrella term to describe later forms of buddhism
  • traditions that are considered mahayana iinclude: pure land buddhism, zen buddhism and tibetan buddhism
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11
Q

beliefs of mahayana buddhists

A
  • mahayana buddhists believe that buddha can still influence world a
  • he can be seen and interacted with in dreams
  • he can be manifested in different forms, times and places
  • Theravadas do not believe this and view the buddha as a historical figure.
  • also believe in sunyata (emptiness)
  • and buddha nature
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12
Q

What is sunyata

A
  • sunyata (emptiness) is an improtant cocept in mahayana buddhism
  • it is a restatement of anatta, but applies to all thingss rather then just human beings
  • TEACHES that nothing has a fixed, independent, unchanging nature
  • everything exists in relation to or because of, other things
  • For buddhists, realising that everything depends on everything else can lead to trust, compassion and selflesness
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13
Q

example of sunyara to conceptualise

A
  • a laptop does not have a ‘soul’ - a seperate, independant bit that forms the essence of the laptop
  • instead the word ‘laptop’ is just a name given to a collection of parts
  • these parts all rely on each other in order for the laptop to function
  • the laptop is impermenat one of the parts will ecentually break down and, because the other parts rely on it to function properly, the laptop will stop working
  • the laptop has the nature of sunyara (empty of independent existance)
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14
Q

What is buddha-nature?

A
  • everyone has the essence, or nature, of a buddha already inside them
  • a person’s buddha-nature is hidden by desires, attachments , ignorance and negative thoughts
  • when a person truly comes to understand the buddha’s teachings, they experience their inner Buddha-nature
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15
Q

metaphor to understand buddha-nature

A
  • the uttarantantra uses the following metaphor:
  • buddha-nature is like honey surrounded by a swarm of bees
  • the honey is sweet and tasty. but as long as it is surrounded by bees it isn’t possible to eat it,
  • even though it’s been there all the time
  • the only way to experience the honey is to get rid of the bees
  • MAHAYANA BUDDHIST AIM TO ACHIEVE BUDDHAHOOD
  • to become buddhas (enlightened beings)
  • they believe everyone has the potential to do this because of their inherent buddha-nature
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16
Q

What does a theravada buddhsits aim to be?

A

an arhat by following eightfold path

17
Q

what does a mahayana buddhsits aim to be?

A
  • mahayana buddhsits aim to bcome bodhisattvas by devoloping the six perfections
18
Q

what is an arhat

A
  • an arhat is a ‘perfected person’ who has overcome the main source of suffering - the three posions - to become enlightened
19
Q

how do theravada buddhists become arhats

A
  • when someone becomes an arhat they are no longer reborn when they die
  • they become free from cycle of rebith (samsara) to reach nirvana
  • goal achieved by following eightfold path
  • it is said that many of buddha’s disciples became arhats
20
Q

what is a bodhisattva

A
  • bodhisattvas see their own enlightenment as being bound up with the enlightenemnt of all beings
  • out of compassion after they achieve enlightenment, they choose to remain in the cycle of samsara to help others achieve enlightenment too
  • bodhisattvas combine being compassionate with being wise
  • they believe the original emphasis of the buddha’s teachings was ‘to go forth for the welfare of the many’
21
Q

what are the six perfections

A
  • person becomes bodhisattva by practising six perfections. they are:
  • generosity - to be charitable and generous in all that is done
  • morality - to live ethically by follwing moral precepts
  • patience - to practice being patient in all things
  • energy - to cultivate the enrgy and perseverance needed to keep going
  • meditation - to develop concentration and awareness
  • wisdom - to obtain wisdom and understanding
22
Q

earthly and transcendent bodhisattvas are..

A
  • earthly bodhisatvvas contunue to be reborn into the world to live on earth and help others
  • transcendent bodhisattvas are purely spiritual beings beyond time and space. they may appear in different forms in the world, to help others and lead beings to enlightenment.
  • mahayana buddihsts may pray to these bodhisattvas in times of need.
23
Q

what is pureland buddhism

A
  • one of the main forms of buddhism in Japan today
  • tradition with mahayana buddhism
  • based on faith in amitabha buddha and his paradies
  • pure land buddhists hope to be reborn and gain enlightenment in the pure land
  • main pratice of pure land buddhism is the recitation of Amitabha’s name
24
Q

who is Amitabha Buddha and the pure land

A
  • amitabha buddha is believed to have created a paradise or pure land called Sukhavati when he beacame enlightened
  • pure land buddhists hope to be reborn into this world, in which it is considered to be easier to achieve enlightenment
25
Q

what are the characterstics of the pure land?

A
  • offer perfect conditions for enlightenment
  • far to the west beyond boundaries of our world
  • a perfect paradise
  • contains no suffering or other barriers to enlightenment
  • all beings born in this land are ceratin to reach enlightenmet
  • where people can be taught by amitabha himself
26
Q

how to reach the pure land

A
  • T’an-luan, the founder of pure land buddhism in china, recommended 5 practices:
    -recitiing scriptures, meditating on amitabha and his paradise, worshipping amitabha, chanting his name, and making praisings and offerings to him
  • as pure land buddhism developed, the post importanr practice beacme reciting Amitabha’s name
27
Q

differnces between pure land buddhism and therevada buddhism

A
  • IN PURE LAND BUDDHISM faith in Amitabha is the focus of practice, and more important than person’s actions and behaviours
  • WHILE IN THERVADA BUDDHISM a person can only gain enlightenment through their actions and behaviour (e.g. by following the Eightfold path)
  • IN PURE LAND BUDDHISM buddhists believe Amitabha will help people to be reborn in the pure land
  • WHILE IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM people cannot rely on any outside help to achieve enlightenment
28
Q

what has helped pure land buddhism gain a popular following?

A
  • offers simple practice, recitation of Amitabha’s name
  • also offers Amitabha’s help to reach enlightenment

Buddhist Beliefs And Teachings (9 decks)

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