Buddhism

List the 8 aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right Worldview/Understanding 2. Right Intention / Commitment 3. Right Speech/ Communication 4. Right Action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Contemplative Absorption

What are the Four Noble Truths?

1. Sorrow/Suffering (Dukkha; Pali: Dukkha) 2. Origin/Cause 3. Cessation/Ending 4. Path (Marga)

Define a Bhikkhu:

A fully ordained Buddhist monk and the member of the Sangha. Monks conduct their lives in accord with the rules laid out in the Vinaya Pitaka.

Diffine a Bhikkhuni:

A fully ordained Buddhist nun.

Ulambana:

Also called Ancestor Day; offerings are made to departed ancestors. In Mahayana Buddhist countries, food offerings are made to alleviate the suffering of ghosts, who normally inhabit the lower, hellish realms but briefly visit the human realm around this time.

Calling this name with sincerity at the hour or death is sufficient to be reborn in the Pure Land

Amitabha / Amida

A buddha of the Mahayana pantheon who presides over the western paradise and is worshiped by Western Paradise and is worshipped by Pure Land Buddhists.

Amitabha/Amida

In Mahayana still regarded as an inferior attainment to the type of Buddhahood, for which the Bodhisattva strives

Arhat

In Theravada, one who attained the ideal of spiritual perfection

Arhat

Who was the fifth/sixth-centure Buddhist philosopher who is credited with founding the Mahayana school of Yogachara Buddhism

Asanga

Who was the King of Mauryan dynasty? He ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from 273-236 BSE

Ashoka

Dharma

Teachings

What is the name of the 14th Dalai Lama?

Tenzin Gyatso

Pagoda:

Term used to designate Buddhist stupas or temples in East and Southeast Asia.

What does Earth Touching Posture represent?

The episode in his quest for enlightenment when he defeats the temptations of the demon Mara, in which he reached down to ask the earth to testify to his victory.

Buddhism retained what from Hinduism religion?

The ideas of karma, rebirth and liberation.

Define the Origin/ Cause aspect of the Four Noble Truths

The major cause of dunks is the insatiable craving, desire or thirst for sensual gratification. Because of the impermanent and transient nature nature of the world, our sensual gratifications pass, and we find ourselves once again in the grip of craving.

Define the cessation / ending aspect of the Four Noble Truths

The means of ending our dukkha is by ending that craving that causes it. This ending of craving, which is an ending of the condition of ignorance at it's root, is described as nirvana.

Chakra

Wheel

Samsara

Worldly existence

Pujas

Worship Rituals

Are nuns subject to stricter regulations than monks?

Yes

What form of Buddhism is known as Chan in China?

Zen

Pagoda in China and Japan:

characterized by multiple tiers of rooms, which developed from the honorific motif of placing umbrellas atop most stupas.

Dana

charitable giving

The current Dalai Lama was selected as a:

child

Pagoda derives from:

dagoba, the Sri Lankan term for a stupa.

The Four Noble Truths teach about suffering and it's cure: cause is:

desire (craving)

The Four Noble Truths teach about suffering and it's cure: cure is:

elimination of desire

Siddhartha Gautama was the ____________ of Buddhism.

founder

What does the Bardo Thodol contain?

instructions about the after-death stage, prior to rebirth.

What may individuals who are familiar with the Bardo Thodol attain?

liberation, even after death, which is thought to be possible right up to the moment of rebirth.

Sarnath is located:

near the sacred Hindu city of Banaras/

In the lower ordination one first becomes a:

novice

In the Tripitaka, the Abhidharma contains:

philosophical and doctrinal arguments.

Kushinagara is located in:

present-day kasha, in the state of uttar pradesh, India

Buddhism was originally non theistic, but within a few centuries, devotional aspects became prominent, with what becoming sources of merit and the focus of prayer?

relics, images and temples of the Buddha

Punya is believed to:

result in better rebirths, and may also be mentally transferred to other beings in need.

In the Tripitaka, the Vinaya contains:

rules of monastic discipline

The Four Noble Truths teach about suffering and it's cure: condition is:

suffering

In the Tripitaka, the Sutra section contains:

teachings attributed to the Buddha

The current Dalai Lama was selected as a child, how?

through a complicated search and testing procedure.

Buddhism did not develop childhood or marriage rites of passage, Buddhists generally follow:

tradition procedures based on local traditions

Mudra

traditional poses or gestures

Bodhisattva can be earthly or

transcendent

Vesak (Vaishakha):

Celebrated in Theravada countries on the full moon day in May. It was inaugurated by Ashoka to commemorate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvacna. Monks perform special pujas (worship rituals) and present teachings on Dharma to large crowds.

Sangha Day:

Celebrated on the full moon of Magh (February/March). It commemorates a spontaneous gathering of the Sangha to receive the Buddha's teachings. The laity gather for processions at Buddhist monasteries and listen to talks onto Dharma to gain merit.

Ordination

Ceremony in which one is officially accepted into the Sangha

Guanyin's (Kuan-yin's) Birthday:

Commemorates the goddess who embodies the compassion of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Devotees make pilgrimages to Guanyin's shrines.

What is the form of Buddhism that emerged in the first century BCE and spread from northern India to China and Japan.

Mahayana

Define the Path (Marga) aspect of the Four Nole Truths

Often called the Noble Eightfold Path, it is prescribed in Buddhism as a means of attaining the goal of nirvana. The Noble Eightfold Path is so called because it consists of eight aspects or dimensions of life that need to be cultivated.

Describe the Buddha Images

Often following fixed iconographic prescriptions, the Buddha is arguably the most depicted human in the world. In statues and paintings, he is often portrayed atop a lotus flower in a variety of traditional poses or gestures (mudra).

Describe Uposatha

On every quarter moon, lay Buddhists may gather at a monastery, listen to religious discourses, and spend the day in fasting and meditation. They may also reaffirm their adherence to various rules of moral discipline (shila).

The Dharma is:

One of the Three Jewels and is the Buddhas Teachings

What is the Sangha?

One of the Three Jewels and is the Buddhist community of ordained men and women, which in it's broader connotations may also include laypersons.

Define a Stupa

Originally a funerary mound, stupas contain relics or sacred texts, or are purely symbolic representations of states of consciousness and the awakened mind. They serve as focal points for veneration or mediation.

Where did Buddhism originate and where is it today?

Originally in northern India and Nepal; then spread throughout all of India and eastward; now largely located in Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and East Asian nations

Who established the Vajrayana form of Buddhism in Tibet?

Padmasambhava

Who is the eighth century missionary that was schooled in the tantras? He emphasized elaborate rituals and magical practices, establishing the Vajrayana form of Buddhism in Tibet

Padmasambhava

Vipashyana

Penetrating insight

Right Effort

Perserving in the development ozone's consciousness so that it is free from craving, this requires a sustained effort to release consciousness form its unwholesome mental states while cultivation wholesome states of mind

Right Mindfulness

Practicing meditative awareness so that the processes through which thoughts and feelings, the attendant cravings, and ego-constructing activities may be discerned with clarity

Where is Lumbini located?

Present day Nepal

The honorific title __________ (highly precious) is applied to highly attained teachers or monks.

Rinpoche

Almsgiving

Traditional early morning procession by the Sangha to seek food.

Is there subgroups in Buddhism?

- Theravada (38%) - Mahayana (56%) - Vajrayana (6%)

What is the focal point of the pilgrimage to Bodh-gaya?

A descendent of the Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha meditated

The current Dalai Lama was selected as a child through a complicated search and testing procedure and is regarded as the _________ incarnation.

14th

The Tanjur fills:

226 volumes of commentary on the Kanjur

When did Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha) attain nirvana?

35 years old

Siddhartha Gautama was around from _____ - _____ BCE

563-483

The Kanjur consists of:

92 volumes containing teachings attributed to the Buddha.

Describe the Buddhist division of Zen

A Mahayana Buddhist tradition that emphasizes mediation in the attainment of Nirvana.

Vihara:

A buddhist residence for monks. - In Sri Lanka and Thailand in refers to a large prayer or meditation hall that houses a Buddha image. - The Indian State Bihar derives it's name from Vihara.

Define a lotus as it pertains to Buddhism

A kind of water lily. Symbol of the Buddha nature within all beings, which emerges undefiled from the muddy depths of worldly existence (samsara). In iconographic depictions, it is frequently used as the seat or throne of the Buddha.

What marks the spot of Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his First Sermon?

A large stupa

Define a Lama:

A religious master.

Kathina Ceremony

A ritual in which the laity present new robes and other necessities to members o the Sangha; held near the end of the rainy season retreat

Mantra:

A sacred utterance. It is a syllable, word or phrase used as an aid in meditation or in ritual activities.

What is Pure Land?

A school of Mahayana Buddhism characterized by Faith in the compassion of the Buddha Amitabha.

Describe the Dharma Chakra

A wheel with eight spokes, used to symbolize aspects of the Buddha's teachings, such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The wheel also symbolizes the spread and development of Buddhist teachings through time.

Why did Ashoka (The King of Mauryan Dynasty) convert to Buddhism?

After a bloody campaign for which he felt great remorse, he converted to Buddhism.

Diffine the Sorrow / Suffering aspect of the Four Noble Truths

All living, sentient beings experience suffering, a condition rooted in physical realities of old age, sickness, and death and in emotional feelings of sadness and despondency.

Dana

Almsgiving

The Dalai Lamas of Tibet are regarded as living incarnations of

Avalokiteshvara

This is also known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Bardo Thodol

Why is it called the Noble Eightfold Path?

Because it consists of eight aspects or dimensions of life that need to be cultivated

When did Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha) live?

Between the sixth and third centuries BCE

What are the three Refuges/Jewels?

Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels: - The Buddha - The Dharma (The Buddha's teachings) - The Sangha (The Buddhist community of ordained men and women, which in its broader connotations may also include laypersons).

What division of Buddhism is characterized by the ideal of Bodhisattva, one who strives to bring all beings to nirvan?.

Mahayana

What state of India is Bodh-gaya in?

Bihar

Who is connected in legend to the martial art kung-fu?

Bodhidharma

Who was a semilegendary Indian meditation master who founded the Chan school of Buddhism in China in the sixth century; connected in legend to the martial art kung-fu?

Bodhidharma

- In Theravada, one who is committed to the attainment of Buddhahood

Bodhisattva

In Mahayana, one who strives for the fullest form of Buddhahood and for the liberation of all beings.

Bodhisattva

Describe the Fear-not posture:

Buddha's elbo is bent and his fingertips are pointing upward, and the outward facing palm is held up at shoulder level as if to say "stop"

What is Buddha's position in the Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma mudras?

Buddha's index finger and thumb of each hand touch at their tips to form two circles.

The first complete life story of the Buddha, composed in verse by Ashvaghosha in the second century CE

Buddhacarita

How does Buddhism relate to other religions?

Buddhism was a protest against the elements of Vedic (Hinduism) religion, rejecting the caste system and the authority of the Vedas, but retaining the ideas of karma, rebirth and liberation (which Buddhists call Nirvana).

Describe the Death Rituals in Theravada countries:

Buddhist monks are asked to preside over cremation rites. They chant from Buddhist scriptures and transfer merit to the deceased. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Tibetan Book of the Dead is read aloud.

Shamatha

Deep calm

Right Intention / Commitment

Developing a sincere commitment to embark on the path to liberation with determination and diligence

What is Smriti based on?

Developing an unbroken awareness of sensory perceptions and the processes within consciousness. - Deep calm (shamatha) and penetrating insight (Vipashyana) may thus be developed

Right Worldview / Understanding:

Developing the philosophical perspective that enables one to penetrate through one's deluded conceptions of reality

Right Contemplative Absorption

Developing, through the deepening of mindfulness, a focused state of consciousness, akin to deep concentration in which both tranquility and penetrating insight may be obtained.

Right Livelihood

Doing work that is not injurious to other Sentient beings and is conducive to the attainment of liberation

The Four Noble Truths teach about suffering and it's cure: Course to liberation is the:

Eightfold Path

Pagodas in Myanmar:

Either solid structures housing relics or temples for Buddhist deities.

Shunyata

Emptiness

Right Action

Following the Five Precepts - Buddhism's moral code - of not harming, not stealing, not lying, avoiding intoxicants. and avoiding sexual misconduct, and putting into practice the actions that lead to the attainment of liberation

Parinirvana

Further Nirvana

Why was Buddhism originally non theistic?

Gods were irrelevant in solving the human dilemma.

Chinese Form of the Mahayana transcendent Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avolokiteshvara.

Guanyin/Kuan-yin

Why was Ashoka (King of the Mauryan Dynasty) important to Buddhism?

He helped to establish Buddhism throughout his empire and to spread it to neighbouring countries, such as Sri Lanka.

How old was Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama, this historical Buddha) when he stopped preaching? Why did he stop preaching?

He preached until his death at the age of 80 years old.

What did Nagarjuna teach?

He taught that that the ultimate characteristic of all things is emptiness (shunyata)

Describe the 14th Dalai Lama

His name was Tenzin Gyatso, he is the most widely known contemporary Buddhist leader, and he is a Nobel laureate for peace and spiritual head of the Tibetan government in exile.

What is Earth-Touching Posture?

In these images Buddha is seated cross legged with his left hand in his lap and the right hand reaching down to touch earth.

Describe Buddha's posture in the Meditation (dhyana) posture:

In this posture, the Buddha is generally seated cross-legged with one or both hands in his lap, palms facing upward. The right palm is generally placed above the left. - On occasion, particularly with images of Amitabha Buddha, the palms may curl and meet at the knuckles and thumb tips.

Dalai Lama - what does the Dalai mean?

Ocean (of wisdom) Lama

Define a Mandala

Intricate two or three dimensional constructions representing realms of consciousness; used as a focus in Mahayana or Vajrayana meditation

How does Mahayana Buddhism differ?

It includes one further ordination (past novice and monk/nun) where one takes the bodhisattva vow.

What is the "fear-not" posture a call to?

It is a call to bring an end to fear and the sources of unskillful action.

How is the traditional birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama marked? By who, and where is it located?

It is marked nearby by a stone column erected by the emperor Asoka; near Kapilavastu, capital of the ancient Shakya Kingdom.

Why is Kushinagara significant?

It is the place where the Buddha entered parinnirvana (further nirvana)

What does the Lotus Sutra promulgate?

It promulgates doctrines on the value of faith and the possibility of universal liberation, because all beings share in the Buddha nature, which is transcendental.

What is the significance of the Sarnath

It's where the Buddha delivered his first Semon - which is an event traditonally understood as setting in motion of the wheel of the Dharma

The canon of Tibetan Buddhism:

Kanjur and Tanjur

This term is often used as a polite form of address for any Tibetan monk:

Lama

How do Laypersons react to Almsgiving?

Laypersons are expected to put edible food in the alms bowls of the Sangha members. Such charitable almsgiving (dana) provides the laity with an opportunity to gain merit (punya). In turn, the Sangha members chant prayers of blessing.

- A Mahayana text - Fully formed by the third century; - Forms the basis of Tiantai and Nichiren Buddhism

Lotus Stura

The next teaching Buddha after Shakyamuni Buddha to appear in this world system, generally depicted as a heroic figure in a stately seated posture in China, he began to be decided in the form of the monk Budai/Pu-tai, a bald, fat, and jolly figure often referred to as the Laughing Buddha.

Maitreya

Dhyana

Meditation

Punya

Merit

Smriti is:

Mindfulness, the main form of Buddhist meditation. Proper mindfulness is one of the items of the Noble Eightfold Path

Pratimoksha

Monastic Disciplinary Code

Is there a hierarchy?

Monks (male and female) and laity.

Shila

Moral Discipline

What is the name of the Second/third-centure-CE Buddhist Philosopher and the founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school?

Nagarjuna

What do Buddhists call liberation?

Nirvana

Did Buddhism develop childhood or marriage rites of passage?

No

What is the Path (Marga) often called?

Noble Eightfold Path

What is the title used by Buddhists to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who lived between the sixth and third centuries BCE, attained nirvana at the age of 35 and preached until his death at the age of eighty?

Shakyamuni

- The historical Buddha - Siddhartha Gautama in most Buddhist traditions - Not the first and only Buddha, but is regarded as the teaching Buddha of the current epoch

Shakyamuni Buddha

Lumbini is the traditional birthplace of:

Siddhartha Gautama

Who was the founder of Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)

Bodh-gaya is in the state of Bihar, India. The Mahabodhi temple located there reputedly marks the spot where:

Siddhartha Gautama attained Buddhahood.

Dukkha

Sorrow/ Suffering

Punya:

Spiritual Merit; Wholesome warm generated through generosity, virtue and meditative realizations.

The Tripitaka contains what three sections?

Sutra Vinaya Abhidharma

Who is the most widely known contemporary Buddhist leader?

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

In Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma, Buddha's index finger and thumb of each hand touch at their tips to form two circles. What does this pose symbolize?

The Buddha's teaching of the Four Noble Truths during the First Sermon at Sarnath, which began the turning of the Wheel (chakra) of his Teachings (dharma).

What does The Buddha mean?

The Enlightened/Awakened One

What is the main teachings of Buddhism?

The Four Noble Truths

What marks the spot in Bodh-gaya where Siddhartha Gautama attained Buddhahood?

The Mahabodhi Temple

What are the Main Emphases of Buddhism?

The Three Refuges: - The Buddha (teacher) - The Dharma (teaching) and the - Sangha (community)

Describe the boon granting posture:

The elbow is bent and his palm faces forward with fingertips downward as if offering devotees some form of charitable giving (dana)

Kushinagara was once a great pilgrimage site, why isn't it today?

The stupa reputed to have held his remains was destroyed before the seventh century.

What is the dominant form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Theravada

What is the only surviving branch of the non-Mahayana Buddhists groups?

Theravada

_____________ is a division of Buddhism that is characterized by Nirvana.

Theravada

Is there more Nuns or Monks in Buddhist?

There are far more monks than nuns.

Briefly describe the Thirty-Two Major Signs:

These were likely derived from preexisting notions of auspicious physical attributes that characterized a deity or an extraordinary person, and were applied to the Buddha. They include: - an erect posture - long fingers and toes that are webbed - a lion-like chest - long arms descending to below the knees - a thousand-spoked wheel on the soles of his feet - a protuberance on the crown of the head - a curl between the eyebrows

What do the Sangha gathers to do on full and new moon days for Uposatha?

They gather to hear the recitation of the monastic disciplinary code (pratimoksha) an members confess their faith

What does the Four Noble Truths teach about?

They teach about suffering and it's cure; condition is suffering; cause is desire (craving); cure is elimination of desire; course to liberation is the Eightfold Path

Buddhist New Year:

Three-day celebration in Theravada countries beginning on the first full moon in April. Tibetan Buddhists celebrate it in February, and Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Buddhists celebrate it on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

In the lower ordination one first becomes a novice. How does one then become a monk or nun?

Through the higher ordination.

Describe the Dalai Lama:

Title and rulership of Tibet bestowed on rulership of Tibet bestowed on a high lama of the Gelug Order of Tibetan Buddhism in the 16th century .

What do Adherents of Pure Land hope for?

To be reborn in Amitabha's Pure Land, also known as the Western Paradise

Collection of early Buddhist writings, written in Pali and forming the canon for Theravada Buddhists.

Tripitaka

What is the Primary Text of Buddhism?

Tripitaka (The Three Baskets)

What is one of the most important observances in Theravada Buddhism?

Uposatha

Right Speech/ Communication

Using language and communication for the transmission of Truth, and refraining from speech that adds to the suffering of the world.

The Bardo Thodol is a ________ text.

Vajrayana

What form of Buddhism was dominant originally in Tibet and then spread to Mongolia and India?

Vajrayana

What is the form of Buddhism that is characterized by Tantric practise?

Vajrayana

What is Asanga's brothers name?

Vasubandhu

Buddhism was a protest against:

Vedic (Hinduism) religion

In Japan, two main schools of Zen emerged:

the Rinzai and the Soto

Buddhism rejects:

the caste system and the authority of the Vedas