Buddhism

conch shell trumpet

-the symbol of the proclamation of the Buddha's teachings -used in Buddhist ceremonies -symbolic of the call to awaken others

enlightenment

-understanding that there is no lasting ego or self (soul) -ego is what makes people believe there is an actual world (illusion/maya, sentient being must see universe for what it is: nothing) -constant state of consciousness -understanding that reincarnation is not the rebirth of self

panna

-wisdom -reasoning behind actions -right view and right resolve -understanding of universe/law of causality

What are some examples of Zen Buddhism in practice?

-zen gardens -meditation -zen archery -kung-fu These are examples of meditation because they force you to focus and mindful of the process.

Vajrayana

-"thunderbolt vehicle" or "diamond vehicle" -integration of religious cultural traditions prior to buddhism integrated into buddhism -unique practices of the eightfold path -found in Himalayan nations of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia

Siddhartha Gautama

-Hindu prince from a kingdom in Nepal -goes on a journey to end suffering becomes the Buddha -originally Hindu

What "truth" does Siddhartha Gautama discover while mediating with the ascetics?

-"If you tighten the string too much, it will snap. If you make it too loose it will not play." -the path to enlightenment is the line between all opposite extremes -the path to enlightenment is the "middle way" -must follow the line between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-denial

Mahayana

-"greater vehicle" -buddha was a savior -compassion for others/seek enlightenment for self and others (help others achieve enlightenment) -all people can walk the path (anyone can do anything) -buddha is the bodhisattva (achieved enlightenment but put off nirvana to help others reach enlightenment) -prayers and rituals are the path to enlightenment -we all have a buddha nature and can all become a buddha (many traditions) -found in China, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam

Theravada

-"lesser vehicle" -buddha was a saint -goal: individual salvation based on wisdom -need to be a monk -buddha is the arhat (achieve enlightenment and go straight to nirvana) -meditation is the path to enlightenment (must be a monk because a monks job is to meditate) -there is only one buddha -found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos

The Middle Way

-the path to enlightenment -not giving in or denying emotions -balance between two extremes -focus on the now -Buddhism -moderate -mindful -compassion

prayer wheel

-Tibetan -inscribed with the mantra: "Om Mani Padme Hum" -inscribed with symbols of "spinning the wheel of Darma" -while being spun, the practitioner visualizes the prayer rotating around the wheel -it is thought to have the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayer

Zen Buddhism

-a sect of Buddhism within the Mahayana tradition -found in China, Japan, and now many Western nations -attractive to westerners due to its adaptability -practitioners focus on meditation as the means of achieving enlightenment and shy away from rituals, ceremonies, and traditions

Why does Siddhartha Gautama join the ascetics?

-ascetics are the seekers of enlightenment in the Hindu traditions -trying to master suffering by trying to make mind strong enough to overcome physical suffering (self-denial)

lama

-center of Tibetan Buddhism -Buddhist priest or monk -spiritual leader -head of a monastery

the Buddha

-completely self-enlightened -"the enlightened one"

After he returns to the palace, what "task" does Siddhartha Gautama take responsibility for?

-end the curse of reincarnation -end the curse of the 4 sufferings

Dalai Lama

-face of Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism) -considered to be a bodhisattva -NOT Buddha -chief spiritual leader

What happens to Siddhartha Gautama while he is sitting under the bodhi tree?

-he reaches enlightenment and nirvana -he awakens to the cause of suffering -he achieves enlightenment, detaches from physical self, sees his past lives/beyond into the future, and understands the ultimate reality of the universe

samadhi

-meditation -right effort (purpose/meaning) -right mindfulness (awareness) -right contemplation (meditation)

zen

-meditation -the contemplation of meaning -practice of recognizing form is emptiness and emptiness is form -practice of dissolving the ego and ego's perception

zazen

-meditative discipline in Zen Buddhism practice -"focus on the process and the result will come naturally" -"mastering only part of the process is not mastery" -"one perfect moment does not mean perfection of the whole" -"doing something once requires nothing" -"doing the same thing over and over again requires true mastery"

sila

-morality -3 commandments -right speech, right livelihood, and right action

What kind of life does Siddhartha Gautama live?

-one of pleasure, indulgence, and material satisfaction -one of a prince -lives in the perfect bubble of pleasure and happiness created for him by his father

nirvana

-salvation -state of enlightenment, where a person's individual desires and suffering go away -to enter this state means the end of reincarnation -highest state of consciousness where one understands the true nature of the universe and existence -when internal suffering joins eternal suffering -can postpone end to reincarnation (nirvana) and help others reach enlightenment as well

Tibetan Buddhism

-sect of Buddhism (within Vajrayana tradition) -center is a lam or 'guru' -Dalai Lama is main lama -sand mandalas are specifically Tibetan -looks cool and is attractive to outsiders -there are others religious cultural traditions woven in

What does Siddhartha Gautama learn on the day he leaves the palace to "see the world"?

-sees the four signs of suffering -old men--"old age"--destroys memory, beauty, and strength--happens to everyone -poverty--causes suffering -sick women--"sickness"--causes pain and suffering--no one reaches the moment of death without falling sick at least once -funeral of dead man--"death"--moment of separation when body becomes cold and stiff like wood--therefore must be burned as wood -discovers compassion ("they were him and he was them")

bodhisattva

-someone on the way to becoming enlightened -an awakened one -in Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva chooses to indefinitely stick with reincarnation (putting off nirvana) in order to help others on the path to enlightenment -Dalai Lama is considered to be a bodhisattva

sand mandala

-specifically Tibetan -"mandala of colored powers" -hundreds of patterns -monks memorize patterns -involves rituals, prayers, and geometry in its construction -destroyed at the end of creation to signify the impermanence of everything Steps of Creation: 1. monks choose which Tibetan deity they will dedicate the mandala to, and draw the pattern 2. grains of sand are laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks 3. to complete the ritual, the mandala is swept up and deposited into a running body of water to release and disseminate the deity's blessing into the world for all sentient beings

Why does Siddhartha Gautama leave the ascetics?

-the ascetic practice is too extreme to achieve enlightenment -must follow the line between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-denial and asceticism is too much self-denial

Eightfold Path

-the core beliefs of Buddhist doctrine that explain one's relationship to the universe -expectations on how to live one's life -help an individual achieve enlightenment -not rules or laws -guidelines -freedom from suffering is possible by practicing this -guidelines help to positively develop the Three Qualities of Mankind 1. Right View -to understand that suffering exists and is inevitable because of impermanence 2. Right Resolve -to promise oneself that one will cause harm or suffering to others, directly or indirectly, being mindful of the law of causality--must act to end suffering 3. Right Speech -think before you speak, don't speak in a way that will cause harm or speak meaninglessly, be purposeful with your words (purposeful/compassionate) 4. Right Action -consider your actions and thoughts, make sure they will not evoke bad karma or cause others to suffer (self-reflection) 5. Right Livelihood -must have an occupation that will not hurt/slow your journey to enlightenment (choose a future that won't cause harm) 6. Right Effort -put in effort to maintain a mindful and compassionate state, must constantly be trying to reach enlightenment (commitment/conscientious) 7. Right Mindfulness -always be mindful of how your actions affect others and be mindful that YOU are not the center of the universe (compassion, empathy, awareness) 8. Right Contemplation -after freeing the mind of its desires it must retreat to a stage of relaxation (practice silencing your focus and cultivating a mindful mind)

Four Noble Truths

1. Truth of Suffering -dukkha=suffering -dukkha does not equal personal suffering -acknowledgement that there is suffering without making it personal -seeing it as sukkah and not reacting to it as personal misery 2. Cause of Suffering -to solve dukkha one must first understand it -embrace, accept, understand -causes: ego, desire, attachment, lack of compassion, lack of mindfulness, lack of awareness/ignorance, refusal to accept (attachment) impermanence of reality (nothing is eternal--except consciousness, no soul or god--nothing) -suffering exists because we cause it -causality (compassion-feel for others, mindfulness-of actions and how they cause suffering-- directly or indirectly) 3. Cessation of Suffering -when sukkah is truly understood, it ends -once one has internalized the truth that one acts in a way to live the truth, one becomes enlightened/reaches nirvana 4. Path to the Cessation of Suffering -how to end suffering is following the Eightfold Path -following guidelines for how a person can act to end suffering in the world/ to achieve personal salvation

Four Signs of Suffering

1. old age 2. poverty 3. sickness 4. death

Three Quality's of Humans

1. panna 2. sila 3. samadhi

What are some of the characteristics of Buddhist art?

Buddha Statues: -not always actual statues of Buddha -statues of Hotei (Chinese bodhisattva associated with good luck and fortune) -characteristics include smiling ("laughing buddha"), bald, fat, bare belly, stick with a clock sack (never empty, "traveling buddha"), elongated earlobes -buddhists do not 'worship' buddha statues as gods, but are meant to focus one's meditative/Buddhist practice -can be statues of buddha himself -characteristics include usually but not always sitting, elongated earlobes, "third eye" (gateway to spirit of awareness), knot on head, rolls on neck, meditative expression, dressed, lotus flower, dharma wheel, halo, headers, hand gestures -statues of buddhas have varying characteristics the are culturally distinct based on the country that forms the depictions (India=blue buddha, headers, clothes, etc.) Mudras: -symbolic hand postions of Hindu and Buddhist rituals -all buddha statues have specific mudras to signify their purpose Stupas: -house of meditation not worship -"spiritual monument" -prayer flags -every part of the stupa shows a path to enlightenment -represent the Buddha's body, speech, and mind Mandalas: -sanskrit for "circle" -Buddhist devotional images -symbol of the universe -signifies the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy -used as an aid to meditation to help an individual envision how to achieve the perfect self -made in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia, and now throughout the world

What is the difference between Buddha, a bodhisattva and an arhat?

Buddha: -a completely self-enlightened one without help from another buddha Bodhisattva: -someone on the way to becoming enlightened -an awoken one -one who chooses to indefinitely stick with reincarnation in order to help others on the path to enlightenment -achieved enlightenment but put off nirvana to help others reach enlightenment Arhat: -someone who has completely attained enlightenment -one who has attained peace and is not willing to give it up for the sake of others -reaches nirvana and does not help others reach enlightenment as well -reaches enlightenment and goes straight to nirvana

What is the difference between enlightenment and nirvana?

Enlightenment is a constant state of consciousness and understanding that reincarnation is not the rebirth of self, while nirvana is a state of enlightenment where a person's individual desires and suffering go away, to enter this state means the end of reincarnation. Nirvana is the highest state of consciousness where one understands the true nature of the universe and existence and one's internal suffering joins eternal suffering.

What is the difference between dharma and karma in Buddhism and Hinduism?

Hinduism: -karma and dharma are the rules on how to act and what to do in this earthly existence (FOCUS: duty) Buddhism: -karma--action driven by intention which leads to future consequence, determines the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each sentient being, good/skillful deeds and bad/unskillful actions each produce 'seeds' in the mind which come to fruition either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth, cultivating positive actions over unwholesome actions is 'ethical conduct' -dharma--"wheel of dharma", 'cosmic law and order', the teachings of buddha, includes the discourses on the fundamental principles (four noble truths and eightfold path), that which sets the world and life in motion (set in motion by our actions), everything we do leads to indirect and direct effects on others

What is the purpose of meditation in Buddhism?

Meditation's purpose in Buddhism is to train the mind and reset brain to create mental state of compassion and mindfulness.

What are the similarities and significant differences between Hinduism and Buddhism?

The main difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is the core idea that Hinduism is a religion whilst Buddhism is more psychological, a reflective experience that can be religious but doesn't have to be. This foundation enabled Buddhism to spread quickly and has made it more adaptable and attractive to westerners because they do not have to convert and can rather adopt certain aspects. There are many other key differences as well. In Hinduism, there is a fixed social structure, the caste system, while in Buddhism there exists no such thing. Only Brahmins can reach moksha in Hinduism, however all people can reach enlightenment when Buddhist. Traditions are vital to Hindus, yet Buddhists follow guidelines not rules and traditions are not necessary. A Buddhist follows their own path to salvation which is extremely desirable to those who are known as untouchables in India because in Buddhism one can define one's own future and achieve salvation no matter what caste they're in. Hinduism is different; Hindus must follow the authority of the Vedic teachings to reach salvation. Brahma and Atman are eternal in Hinduism, but there exists no Atman or Brahma in Buddhism. Buddhists believe individual experience will achieve detachment, whilst Hindus believe in the importance of ritual and material things. However, there exist similarities between the two religions. Brahma, when the atman strives to reach this spiritually pure state, where it is released from illusion, is similar to nirvana, when the soul strives to achieve this state of truth (nonexistence), where it is released from suffering caused by ego, desire and attachment. Karma and dharma in Hinduism are similar to the idea of the Middle Way in Buddhism because, although they focus on different things, provide rules/guidelines on how to act and what to do in earthly existence. Moksha and enlightenment are both spiritual awakenings, and samsara and reincarnation are the same thing as well. Finally, maya is the illusion of earthly existence that traps the atman in Hinduism, and suffering is the idea that desire and attachment are caused by ego and lack of compassion leads to suffering.

In what ways are Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism different?

Theravada is know as the "lesser vehicle" while Mahayana is known as the "greater vehicle". In Theravada Buddhism, buddha was a saint, however in Mahayana Buddhism buddha was a savior. The goal for Theravada Buddhists is individual salvation based on wisdom, but the goal for Mahayana Buddhists is compassion for others/seeking enlightenment for self and others (help others achieve enlightenment). In Mahayana Buddhism anyone can do anything (all people can walk the path). Theravada Buddhism differs because one is supposed to be a monk. Buddha is the arhat in Theravada Buddhism while it is the bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The path to enlightenment differs as well; while meditation is the path to enlightenment in Theravada Buddhism (must be a monk because a monks job is to meditate), prayers and rituals are the path to enlightenment for Mahayana Buddhists. Theravada Buddhists believe in only one buddha, yet Mahayana Buddhists believe we all have a buddha nature and can all become a buddha. The countries in which the two types of Buddhism can be found are also different. Theravada Buddhism is found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. However, Mahayana Buddhism is found in China, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam

damaru

small two headed drum adopted from ancient India that is considered a sacred musical instrument believed to generate spiritual energy