WTM Flashcards
define ascetic
living a simple and strict lifestyle with few pleasures or possessions; someone who follow ascetic practices
what made Buddha decide to follow an ascetic lifestyle
the sense of peace he felt coming from the holy man who was one of the four sights and the four sights in general - holy man, death, old age and illness. They made him realise that suffering was unavoidable
how long did buddha follow the ascetic lifestyle for
he followed it for 6 years rejecting anything that would give him pleasure and practiced extreme self discipline. He met and studied with different holy men
what did buddha practice when following the ascetic lifestyle
meditation with two acestics: Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta who used pain and hardship to discipline their minds. It is said that this form of meditation gave Siddhartha a feeling of bliss but it did not offer him a permanent solution to the suffering that people experienced
he learned techniques from different Hindu masters
what dangerous thing did Siddhartha do during his living of the ascetic lifestyle
he began to ignore his appetite and fasted for long periods of time becoming increasingly hungry and weak. Stories say his legs became bamboo stick thin and his backbone was like a rope, his chest and incomplete roof and his eyes sank right inside his skull like stones deep in a well
living skeleton suffering from terrible pain and hunger
he lived in a dangerous forest that was hot in day and cold at night and slept on a bed of thorns and when the animals came he never ran away
what is impermanence in regards to the three marks of existence
annica
everything changes and is constantly in flux, enduring transitory
what can symbolise annica
flowers as they die and need to be replaced showing a constant cycle of change
why does annica cause suffering (dukkha)
because people want and expect things to stay the same and don’t want to experience negative changes such as death
what are the three ways annica affects the world
living things - birth is followed by decay and death
non-living things - a nail will rust in the rain
our minds - our thoughts constantly change
how can annica lead to dukkha
because people get et in routines and mindsets and familiarity and when things change this can lead to suffering
what did Kisa Gotami come to understand about annica
that sorrow and death are a part of life not only for her bur for everyone because she realised that everyone experiences negative events
what dos it mean by Buddha leading an austere life
denying himself of the things he craved especially food.
why did Buddha abandon his ascetic lifestyle
one day when meditating he heard a man telling his son about stringing an instrument - fasten the strings too tight and they snap but too loose and they don’t play - either way no music is made. he saw this as a metaphor for the two extremes of life he practiced - luxury and austere. He washed and ate and his companions deserted him seeing him as a failure
what did the two extremes of Buddha’s life show
that Buddhism is a middle way
what book tells the story of the four sights
the jataka 075
why was the holy man happy in the four sights
because although he was poor and ill he was holy and this brought him happiness as opposed to wealth which had no help with the aging man or the dead man or the ill man
the holy man had renounced the material life to find the truth and seemed happy which inspired Siddhartha to try the ascetic lifestyle
the holy man gave buddha a potential solution to the dissatisfaction caused by the other three - a religious
what were the four sights
old age death illness holy man they saddened him and made hum unsatisfied with his extreme wealth and were the trigger for his spiritual journey to enlightenment
what did Asita say would happen to Siddhartha is he saw the four sights
he would become a great religious leader
what is eightfold path
the fourth noble truth and is sometimes referred to as magga
it is the middle way
8 elements that lead to enlightenment and those who don’t follow the path are trapped on the outer rim - the cycle of samsara
what is nirodha
non-attachment - end of suffering
also referred to as nibbana
what is the symbol of Dharmachakra and why is it important for Buddhists
it is the symbol of a wheel which is important because it symbolises the eightfold path which Buddhists follow to reach enlightenment
it reflects the idea that we are on the rim of life but by following the ways of the eightfold path (spokes) we can reach enlightenment in the centre hub of the wheel
what are the eight elements of the eightfold path
right... view thoughts/intention speech action livelihood concentration effort mindfullness
what is magga
the eightfold path and the fourth noble truth
what can the eightfold path also be understood as
the threefold way in Dhammapada 183 - to avoid all evil, to cultivate good and cleanse one’s ,mind
wisdom or panna - (though/view)
morality or Sila - (action/speech/livelihood)
meditation or samadhi - (effort/meditation/concentration)
what is panna
wisdom
what is sila
morality
what is samadhi
meditation
what are the four noble truths
1) truth of suffering (dukkha)
2) cause of suffering (samudaya) (tanha)
3) truth of end of suffering (nirodha)
4) following the path to end suffering (Magga)
what is tanha
craving
what is a Vihara
a Buddhist place of worship - a monastery where Buddhists, monks and nuns live
it is a building or a group of them
Buddhists who live there have dedicated their whole lives full time to spiritual practice - all of their time is spent meditating, studying and practicing Buddha’s teachings
monasteries are like small villages
they are plain due to the ascetic lifestyle and no distractions
isolated in mountains
tapestries cover the wall as most people used to be illiterate
why are stupas important to monasteries
when Buddha died he was cremated and parts of his ashes were have said to have gone to different places
stupas were built to hold his ashes
small domed shaped building that usually contains holy relics and such as the remains of monks and nuns or items associated with important Buddhists
dome shape = the world
discuss Buddhist temples
often the heart of a Buddhist community
one building or several on one site
main hall - practice together and contain statue of buddha but Mahayana temples contain various Bodhisattvas statues
meditation hall- a quiet space where Buddhists can meditate (in Tibetan it is a gompa)
study hall- meetings and lectures
shrine - in Mahayana they are dedicated to a Bodhisattva
pagoda/stupa - tiered tier containing holy relics
temples are an important centre of religious life
pagodas and stupas
symbolise the five Buddhist elements: earth, water, air, fire and wisdom
shrines
an area where the focus is a statue of the Buddha sitting crossed legged ( a Buddha rupa) which provides a focal point for meditation and devotion
Buddhists will make offerings to the Buddha in a shrine to pay respect and express thanks and gratitude for his teachings and the offerings remind Buddhists of the teachings because different offerings symbolise them
what does an offering of light in a Buddhists shrine symbolise
an offering of light such as a candle symbolises wisdom, hope and purity because the light of the candle drives away the darkness of the three poisons one of which being ignorance
what does an offering of flowers symbolise in a Buddhist shrine
an offering of flowers symbolises annica which means impermanence and is one of the three marks of existence because they wilt and decay and need to be replaced
