Buddhism Quizlet

Describe the parts of the 8 fold path

1. Right Views Right Views involves the recognition of the Four Noble Truths. It includes the rules of the Sangha, or order of monks and nuns, as well as many specific teachings of Buddhist literature that would depend on the particular school and order of Buddhism in question. Buddhist laypersons are not bound by the specific rules of the Sangha, but they must adhere to basic views, such as the Four Noble Truths. 2. Right Intent Right Intent challenges individuals to have a single focus on constant dedication to the path of enlightenment. All thoughts and actions should be directed toward achieving a higher, more compassionate and insightful form of awareness. Stone statue with Buddha inside an eight spoked wheel Fig. 3: Spokes of the Eightfold Path 3. Right Conduct Right Conduct calls for behavior that is proper for a monk or nun. It also calls for the laity to practice these rules to the best of their ability. The five precepts of Right Conduct are: Ahimsa, or non-injury to any life form (including no animal products in the diet) no stealing no lying abstention from sexual relations no intoxicants. Buddhist priests are encouraged to be an example in this regard to all humans. 4. Right Occupation If one is a member of the Buddhist laity, it is important to have an occupation that does not injure any life form. During the Buddha's lifetime, this included a proscription against certain trades, such as slave trader, prostitute, butcher, brewer, arms maker, and so on. In Buddhist countries, soldiers have always been regarded as a necessary evil. 5. Right Speech The speech of monks and nuns, as well as Buddhists in general, should show restraint and should always be honest and charitable. The Buddha believed that thinking is largely guided by words and one's normal language patterns. Thus, one must "clean up" one's speech by eliminating bad words, sexist and racist patterns, and so on. Full involvement in Buddhist discipline, of course, would be incompatible with such forms of hatred or degradation. 6. Right Effort The Buddha was impressed by oxen, which pull in a slow and steady way rather than with fitful starts and stops. Buddhist disciples are taught accordingly. One is to proceed toward enlightenment in a constant and determined way. 7. Right Mindfulness Often called vipassana meditation, right mindfulness involves continuous self-examination as to the causes and impulses governing one's behavior. The pupil is to keep the mind in control of the senses; fearful and disgusting sights are to be meditated on until one no longer fears them; and the entire world should be pervaded with thoughts of loving kindness. Right mindfulness summons the pupil to steady awareness of every action that he or she takes. Every mental content that turns up in one's stream of consciousness is to be noticed in a disinterested fashion, and not clung to in any final, self-centered way. 8. Right Concentration In right concentration, a state of transcendent super-consciousness (Nirvana) is achieved at last. The Buddha seems to have used the techniques of Raja yoga to do this. Nirvana is ultimate freedom and bliss in Buddhism. Nirvana is beyond words, logic, and analysis. It is a mystical intuition beyond human understanding. It is a state of complete experiential oneness with all beings. Note the similarity between Nirvana and the Hindu understanding of Samadhi or Moksha. It is significantly different from the Western idea of heaven, which involves the notion of a separate soul experiencing bliss in the presence of a singular deity.

Dharma

the four noble truths, the eightfold father, the three marks of existence, and other guidelines

nirvana

the highest supreme happiness

Vajrayna

the indestructible path

Sangha

the monastic order that developed Buddah's early disciples

therevada

the path of mindfulness

Mara

the personification of Evil

Dharma

the way to nirvana

tripitaka

three baskets

Dhama pada

verses on the path

Describe zen techniques

zazen (seated meditation) and the use of koans, which are puzzles designed to induce an immediate and higher state of consciousness.

Where did Buddha sit under a tree?

Bodh Gaya

sutras

Buddah's teachings

triple gem

Buddha,Dharma - the teachings , and Sangha - community

Discuss the role of meditation and devotion within different forms of Buddhism.

Buddhist meditation is a form of mental concentration that leads ultimately to enlightenment and spiritual freedom. Meditation occupies a central place in all forms of Buddhism, but has developed characteristic variations in different Buddhist traditions. There are two main types of Buddhist meditation: vipassana (insight) and samatha (tranquility). The two are often combined or used one after the other (usually vipissana follows samatha). In China and Japan, an entire school of Buddhism developed around the practice of sitting meditation: Ch'an or Zen Buddhism. The basic purpose of samatha or tranquility meditation is to still the mind and train it to concentrate. The object of concentration (kammatthana) is less important than the skill of concentration itself, and varies by individual and situation. One Pali texts lists 40 kammatthanas, which include: devices (like color or light) repulsive things (like a corpse) recollections (such as sayings of the Buddha) virtues (like loving-kindness)

anatman

decrease of selfish desires

diety yoga

meditating on the self in order to embody enlightened charteristcd

Bhikshunis

members of the order nuns Buddha founded

What did Siddhartha subject himself to in order to think critically?

nakedness, great heat and cold, breath retention, a bed of brambles, and severe fasting

bhikshu

one who renounces wordiness for selling the path of liberation

ten perfections

paramitas

Middle way

rejecting self indulgence and self denial

stupas

reliquary moons reaching towards the sky

dukkah

suffering and dissatisfaction

kamma

the action of the body

Siddhartha Guatama

"Wish-fulfiller"

What are some major similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism?

1.Hinduism is based on the concept of atman and Brahman whereas Buddhism denies the existence of an eternal soul 2.Buddhism emphasizes on sufferings in the existing world whereas Hindus believe that one can enjoy divine bliss through moksha or reunion with God 3.Buddhism believes in attaining nirvana through the four noble truths and eightfold path whereas Hinduism believes there are several ways one can reach to God. 4.Hinduism believes in the existence of several gods whereas Buddhism reasons as to why one should seek a God which nobody is aware of.

Triranta

3 jewels - Buddha, rules of conduct, rest in Dharma

Buddhacarita

Acts of Buddha

Buddha

Awakened One

How was Siddhartha Guatama alleged to have been born?

From immaculate conception, via his mother's dream of a white elephant carrying a lotus blossom

Maya

Illusion

During Siddhartha's later life how did he live

Learning martial arts, marring Yashodara, and had a son.

What are the Schools of Buddhism?

Mahayana, Hinayana, and Vajrayana

Discuss how advocates of socially engaged Buddhism have addressed the common perception that Buddhism advocates withdrawing from society rather than engaging with it.

Monks have encouraged people to seek ways to enrich their live with Buddhism by finding away to go be social in business, and politics while incorporating worshipTaiwan has seen the Buddhist values mixed with Confucian civil ethics, and Daoist freedom and democracy and has encourage social envolvementDenouncing of the caste system encouraged more people to be involved and strive to be more, to be more involved in politics and social injustices Background image of page 10

3 branches of zen

Rinzai, Soto, and Nembutsu.

Tell the story of the Buddha's Enlightenment. Examine the Four noble truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Middle way

Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha ("Awakened One"), was conceived without intercourse and raised in luxury. The gods arranged for Siddhartha to see four sights his father hid from one--the last being a monk living in renunciation. At the age of 29, he renounced his life, left his family, shaved his head, and set out to find total liberation. After failing to find enlightenment, Siddhartha practiced a Middle Way (rejection of both self-indulgence and self-denial). Under a tree in Bodh Gaya, he experienced a supreme awakening. Buddha established the Four Noble Truths in his first sermon at Sarnath. In this sermon he diagnosed the human condition and proposed a cure. The Eightfold Path is a systematic approach to the final goal of liberation; by following the path one can live a happy life and earn a favorable rebirth. Ultimately, the path leads to freedom from samsara to nirvana.

Explain why some of the main trends in Buddhism today addressing the application of Buddhist principles to social issues, woman's roles and the practice of meditation

Some major shifts within Buddhism, and the dialogue between feminists. Receiving nationalattention is focused on a range of social issues that includes : addressing gender discrimination.Buddhism does not consider women as being inferior to men. Buddhism, while accepting thebiological and physical differences between the two sexes, does consider men and women to beequally useful to the society. The Buddha emphasizes the fruitful role the women can play andshould play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In the family bothhusbands and wives are expected to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties withequal dedication. The husband is admonished to consider the wife a friend, a companion, apartner. In family affairs the wife was expected to be a substitute for the husband when thehusband happened to be indisposed. In fact, a wife was expected even to acquaint herself withthe trade, business or industries in which the husband engaged, so that she would be in a positionto manage his affairs in his absence. This shows that in the Buddhist society the wife occupied anequal position with the husband. The various schools and traditions within Buddhism holddifferent views as to the possibilities of women's spiritual attainments. In Mahayana schools, Buddhahood is the universal goal for Mahayana practitioners. The Mahayana sutras, like the PaliCanon literature, maintain that a woman can become enlightened, only not in female form. Vajrayana Buddhism also recognizes many female yogini practitioners as achieving the fullenlightenment of a Buddha. Buddhism is known to be less of a culturally based religion, whichhas helped immensely in its spread throughout the world. In more recent times women haveenjoyed much freedom within Buddhism. Although Asian cultures still frown on womenmasters, such as in Japan and Korea, other cultures put women on a more equal basis. Buddhismin America, has greatly expanded women's role in Buddhism. Both Buddhism and Hinduismaffirm the equality of women in relation with the divine, be it Buddha nature or relationship withGod (Brahman).Buddhism regards spiritual health as the key to other kinds of health. Religious practices of meditation, moral conduct, recitations of Buddhist texts, and rituals help people to cultivateawareness of the true nature of reality. For example, cutting through the delusions of the egoistic self through meditation practice aids the individual to understand his or her ―True Self.‖ One that is conjoined with the true nature of reality. Upon this realization, a person is free to enter theenlightened state of Nirvana or is able to help the world in a way that is not hindered by personaldelusions. Whether done individually or as a group, Buddhist spiritual practices are meant toimpact all domains of well-being, and in doing so, demonstrate that within the overarchingtradition, achieving a holistic vision of the universe is consummate with liberation fromsuffering. "Zen" (Japanese) and "Ch'an" (Chinese) derive from the Sanskrit word Dhyana,meaning "meditation." Zen Buddhism focuses on attaining enlightenment (bodhi) throughmeditation as Gautama did. It teaches that all human beings have the Buddha-nature, or thepotential to attain enlightenment, within them, but the Buddha-nature been clouded by ignorance.To overcome this ignorance, Zen rejects the study of scriptures, religious rites, devotionalpractices, and good works in favor of meditation leading to a sudden breakthrough of insight andawareness of ultimate reality. Training in the Zen path is usually undertaken by a disciple underthe guidance of a master.

What are the four Noble Truths?

The First Noble Truth: Dukkha The First Noble Truth is dukkha. In the Pali language, dukkha means "dislocation" or "suffering." Buddha taught that all living beings are subject to decay. Life is a saga of pain, disease, suffering, and death. This sounds harsh, but it is realistic. We will see that Buddhism is not pessimistic, but rather quite optimistic in its basic worldview. The Second Noble Truth: Tanha The Second Noble Truth is tanha. This term translates as "craving" or "desire." Buddha argued that the exact cause of human suffering is our desire for separate existence, centered in greed, materialism, competitiveness, jealousy, and selfishness. This is an old Hindu teaching that Buddha brought into sharp focus for his own purposes. Notice that Buddha is making a precise cause and effect claim here: all humans suffer, and the cause of our suffering is that we are wrapped up in the illusion of being a separate, special "ego" or "self." Buddhist practices are designed to dispel this illusion. The Third Noble Truth The Third Noble Truth is that the effect of dukkha can be lessened by reducing tanha. That is, if humans can be trained to give up the false notion of a separate self, their suffering will come to an end. Reaching enlightenment (Nirvana) brings with it a type of peace and tranquility beyond ordinary states of consciousness. The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Path The Fourth Noble Truth is the Eightfold Path. We will discuss this in greater detail in the next topic area, but for the moment we will describe this path as a total change of life. Buddha believed that the reduction or elimination of tanha can only be accomplished by a strict regimentation and new way of life. There are no weekend Buddhists! Salvation must be won by individual effort and responsibility, but Buddha was certainly aware of our social nature. He created an order of monks and nuns (called the Sangha), so that beginners on the path could see and learn from those further along.

Describe the major similarities around Therevada, Mayana, and Varayana traditions. Describe theory geographical development and name and quote a main text from each tradition

Theravada (Orthodox school) is "old-school" Buddhism; it adheres closely to scriptures and emphasizes liberation of the mind from suffering. Mahayana (Northern School) is considered the "greater vehicle" in Buddhism; it is a liberal approach that stresses the virtue of altruistic compassion rather than efforts at individual salvation. Vajrayana, developed in India and predominant in Tibet, is the ultimate vehicle used in Mahayana, mainly Tibetan, Buddhism, consisting of esoteric tantric practices and concentration on deities. All sects claim the Pali Canon as their sacred text.

samatha

calm abiding

What are the Buddhist understandings of time and reality? How do these differ from theistic understandings?

There is no Buddhist story about how the universe was originally created, as the Buddhistuniverse has no beginning in the sense that the Christian universe does. Early Buddhism shared an understanding of time and the nature of the universe with the Brahmanic religion of the time,which taught that the universe had been created and destroyed over and over again over vastperiods of time. Within each cycle, there are stages, or kalpas, and the nature of existence isdifferent in each stage. Later Buddhism expanded this vision to include multiple universes, eachwith its own Buddha and each of which is going through these cycles of creation and destruction.According to Buddhism, ultimate reality is samsara, endless existence, but it is alsoimpermanent, ever in flux, ever changing. It is empty, yet full. That is, form is always atemporary state of being. Some forms last for millennia, like mountains and oceans, and someare as brief as a lightning bolt. Elements come together to create a particular form, but eventuallythose elements will break apart again and the object will cease to exist. This is true of everythingin the universe. The Wheel of Life and Death, it depicts the universe as a series of concentriccircles all within the grasp of Mara, the lord of death. Several realms for gods of different typesand several different hells, as well as an animal realm and a realm for humans, are containedwithin the wheel. As Buddhism evolved, the number of realms beyond the earthly realmexpanded exponentially. Mahayana Buddhist texts describe many heavenly realms to whichpeople can be reborn, including a number of Pure Lands, each with its own Buddha, as wellmany horrifying hells.

Describe Zen Buddhism

Very pure. involved heavy meditation and reflection. Two types sunyata (a Sanskrit term meaning "emptiness"). The idea of sunyata is that all things are changing and transitory, and that nothing is a self-contained permanent substance. tathata (a Sanskrit term meaning "suchness"). The idea of tathata is that the holy oneness (which is called Buddha nature) can be experienced in every aspect of life.

what are the four sights

a bent old man, a sick person, a dead person, and a merchant trying to reach happiness

koan

a quastion that bogles minds utilize by zen teachers to creat awareness

What factors do you think may account foe th growing popularity of Buddhism is western cultures?

a.First introduced to the Americas when the Chinese migrated to work in California on the railroads and gold mines 1850 bringing Buddhism with them.b.1959 exodus of many of the high lamas from Tibet helped spread spiritual leaders through out the worldc.Buddhism is often embraced by people in the West because they long for peace of mind in the midst of a chaotic materialistic life.d.Since there are not enough monks to staff all of the monasteries around the world, and the language barrier of the West, many peoples spiritual leaders are very inexperienced and in a way could be creating a whole new branch of Buddhism all in it owne.In the west, women are encouraged to take a more equal role in Buddhism as renunciates, teachers, and lay practisers

pali canon

an authoritative collection of writings

mahayana

great vehicle

lama

high Vijayan vehicle

anitya

impermanence

How was Siddhartha raised?

in luxury: fine clothes, with umbrellas for shade, perfumes, cosmetics, a mansion for each season, a compony of female musicians and and harem girls.

vipassana

insight

zazen

mediation stance - to sit