REL 200 Intro to Study of Religion
Explain the concept of the Tao.
"The Way" Transcendent source of all - not a God Unchanging but provides change Formless Harmony w/Tao=prosperous and flourishing life Is impartial, not humane (transcends human values) go along with nature instead of fighting it Is empty (Wu—more on next slide) Acts spontaneously and unpredictably (more you think you have it figured out you probably don't): always new activity Is paradoxical and ineffable: "The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao" (Tao Te Ching, Ch. 1) if you can give a definition of the tao it is probably not the tao "Is ever inactive, and yet there is nothing that it does not do" -Cook and the knife(p 165-6) knife did not become dull because the cook is lightly cutting with nature. not fighting it and "carving"
Explain the following Confucian ideas: (a) T'ien, Heaven (b) Tao, the Way, (c) Chun-tzu, the Noble Man (d) Ren, human-heartedness (e) I, justice (f) The Five Relationships (g) Yang and yin
(a) to be at harmony with heaven, we must strive to become fully human. Human nature is essentially good, needs to be cultivated or else evil arises. (b) Path of Heaven, will of Heaven for human beings (c) person of noble conduct who embodies the virtues and the Tao (d) greatest, all-encompassing virtue; Sense of kinship with all others, supreme compassion/goodness; First learned in family and then towards all equally (e) not causing harm, doing right in dealings with others (f) hierarchy stratification: Father and son - key relationship. don't diss dad; Husband and wife; Elder and younger brothers; Ruler and minister; Older and younger in general
Identify and breifly describe the various Jian sects.
Digambaras ("sky-clad"): naked monks nuns wear simple white garments and must be reborn as men to attain kevala Collect food in hands to avoid washing a bowl Own collection of scriptures Shvetambaras: They have 45 authoritative texts Use bowls for collecting food Women may attain kevala Wear white garments 2 Groups that reject worship of images: Sthanakvasi (wear the muhpatti)&Terapanthi
What are the four noble truths?
Dukkha: Suffering This is the problem! What is meant by suffering in Buddhism? anything worldly...even say winning the lottery Tanha: Craving Why human existence is pervaded by suffering...imaginary ego Examples of suffering? doing badly on an exam. Origin in our imaginary ego's desire? Nirvana: Extinction This is the remedy! Abolish fiction of the Self = "the cessation of desire, without a remainder" Marga: The Path How to reach Nirvana? 8-fold path (8 strands not steps!)
What is meant by "emptiness"?
Eternal Buddha nature=true identity and reality
What is the Bodhisattva?
For Theravadan Buddhism (76), enlightened beings, "whose essence is bent on attaining enlightenment," originally applied only to Siddhartha Gautama, the embodiment of compassion. For Mahayanan Buddhism (76), any person who has steadfastly pursued Enlightenment, and has enough merit to enter Nirvana but delays it to help others by transferring his merit to them and taking on their suffering: embodiment of heroic compassion!
How would you compare the Taoist philosophy of government with that of Confucius?
Government should be like the Tao Seek the people's good not its own "The best government will be the one that governs least" (168) Seeks only to prevent harm Best to avoid public office, or be detached from it "inactive action"
Summarize the story of the Buddha's life.
Historical Siddhartha Gautama Son of a chief of the Shakyas tribe ( in India) Ascetic teacher with many disciples d.486 BCE The Four Passing Sights Aging Illness Corpse Religious beggar; "The Great Going Forth" The Great Awakening 49 days of meditating under the Bodhi Tree; Enlightenment! +7 wks more Buddha -Awakened One Why there is suffering and how it can be overcome...
What are the chief differences between Chinese and Indian Buddhism?
Japanese form=Zen More emphasis on nature (Taoism influence) Fusion of Mahayana Buddhist realization of the Buddha nature + Taoist non-being, spontaneity, wu wei, and paradox 4 Distinctive features... Special transmission outside the scriptures Not based in following texts - based on living transmission Need complete obedience to an experienced master: why? because words can't come close to the buddha nature No dependence on words or letters Words are pale imitations of reality—Buddha nature is the only concrete reality Too much talk is a distraction from reality in actions Direct pointing at the mind Transform mind through meditation Replace ordinary mental activity with direct intuition of Buddha nature Barriers separating mind from reality are overcome Seeing into one's nature and the attainment of Buddhahood Happens [instantaneously] suddenly in one's own heart Wu (Enlightenment): radically new perspective No means to achieve Enlightenment...it is simply seeing something that is already there...
Explain the relationship between Nirvana and Samsara for the Mahayana.
Like Theravada: absence of self-centeredness > absence of suffering (dukka) Also: total compassion and concern for others Theravada: Nirvana and Samsara mutually exclusive Mahayana: p. 77 "Nirvana is in Samsara and Samsara is in Nirvana" Don't leave world of Samsara Just experience it without attachment
What is the role of Mahavira as one of Jainism's tirthankaras?
Most recent founding fathers; the 24th and last of this world cycle Parallels with Buddhism...except more ascetic! Born Vardhama in a wealthy family> Jain wandering naked ascetic at age 30 Known as Mahavira "great hero": exemplifies nonviolence and asceticism, symbol is the lion After 13 years> achieves kevala (omniscience which at death leads to liberation from samsara) Preaches and leads others to kevala, ending with his disciple Jambu, dies at 72.
Explain the doctrine of No Self.
No being only becoming No self or substance only forces/energies No soul, no Atman P 72 "A human being is simply a transient bundle of forces, which come together briefly and then part" How is there rebirth? P. 74 "At the end of life, our desires and attachments are a karmic spark which ignites a new round of desires and attachments, and which them a new ego-illusion" What is a human ->5 Aggregates (Khandas/Skandhas) Energies of attachment: Matter, Sensations, Perception, Mental formations, & Consciousness Dependent origination/conditioned genesis P 73 where the delusion of the self comes from! our self (attachment)
ajiva
Nonliving components of the Jain universe: space, time, motion, rest, and all forms of matter
What are the Ten Precepts?
Not to kill Not to steal Not to commit adultery Not to tell lies Not to take intoxicants Not to eat at forbidden times Not to dance, sing, play, music, or act on stage Not to use perfumes or jewelry Not to use a high or broad bed Not to receive gold or silver, handle money
Explain the elements of the Eightfold Path.
Panna/Prajna: Wisdom Right Understanding (of 1st 3 Noble Truths) Right Thought (Actions stem from thoughts...change the way you think to change the way you act); Sila: Ethical Conduct Right Speech (no harm) Right Conduct (no harm) Right Livelihood (no harm); Samadhi, Samatha: Meditation/Mental Discipline Right Effort (eliminate bad and foster the good) Right Mindfulness (self-awareness) Right Concentration (distinction btwn mind and objects disappears)
Explain the Chou belief in the mandate of Heaven, T'ien Ming.
Right to rule=moral right by the will of God God only gives the just the mandate to rule Any unjust government no longer has right to rule Heaven is virtuous (te) so the te of a government T'ien Ming and the te of a king flows out to his people Filial piety (hsiao) toward T'ien =Son of Heaven (T'ien Tzu)just government
dana
Ritual of giving.
kevala
Shortened form of devalajnana, literally, "isolated knowledge" (isolated from the effects of karma); the perfect and complete knowledge that is Jain enlightenment; marks the point at which one is free from the damaging effects of karma and is liberated from samsara.
What are the Four Books?
The Analects: collection of his thoughts, compiled well after his death, reliability of Confucius' actual thought is dubious The Doctrine of the Mean: religious aspects of Confucius' views, written by earlier disciple The Great Learning: treatise on moral education Mencius: collection of Confucius' disciple Meng Tzu's teachings
What are the Five Classics?
The Classic of Changes/I Ching The Classic of History/Shu Ching The Classic of Poetry/Shih Ching The Book of Ritual/Li Chi The Spring and Autumn Annals/Ch'un Ch'iu
tirthankaras
The Jain spiritual héros, such as Parshva and Mahavira, who have shown the way to salvation; synonymous with jinas.
What is the loka?
The Jain universe, often depicted as having the shape of a giant man.
loka
The Jain universe, often depicted as having the shape of a giant man.
jiva
The finite and eternal soul; also the category of living, as opposed to nonliving, entities of the universe
Shvetambara
The largest Jain sect, whose monks and nuns wear white robes; generally more liberal than the Digambara sect
Why does Taoism resist conventional value judgements?
The man of the Tao loves all things, and acts by "inactive action"; clings to the yin; does not push himself forward, but is sensitive to the demands of nature; Chuang Tzu says Tao man is of superhuman abilities and cannot be injured
karma
The moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's reincarnation; for Janism, all activity is believed to involve various forms of matter that weigh down the soul and thus hinder the quest for liberation
What is the Pure Land?
The natural world. Everything in nature. The practical blend of Buddhism with Taoism
Digambara
The second largest Jain sect, whose monks go about naked so as to help abolish any ties to society; generally more conservative than the Shvetambara sect
What is the attitude of Ch'an Buddhism belief in transmission outside the scripture?
Words are pale imitations of reality—Buddha nature is the only concrete reality Too much talk is a distraction from reality in actions
Differentiate the main religious duties of the Jain laity from those of the ascetics, and explain what religious advantages a monk or nun might have over members of the laity.
Worship Gods: they don't help with salvation, but can help with this life Tirthankaras: they don't help with salvation, but the activity nurtures the attitude that can burn off karma Pilgrimage: At least once in your life Gains karmic merit Chance to be ascetic temporarily Habits Vegetarian, often fasting Giving dana and paying for pilgrimages and rituals 12 vows for a layperson: emphasizes intentionality of ahimsa
Explain "inactive action."
Wu wei: Intentional inaction, choosing to do nothing Action will do more harm than good Attempts to do good can be destructive Action can indicate exaggerated self importance Ex: Tree growing, others?
Explain the Taoist concept of emptiness.
Wu: Non-existent Empty of self - no ego, no personal identity, not a god Can foster all things Doesn't try to impose on or dominate things Allows each to develop according to its natural inclination Flowing, gentle, yielding=powerful Ex: wheel, cup, window, water - empty space in each is the tao "For a man to be able to function as a man he must be empty of self" (160)
Why in Ch'an Buddhism is it necessary to have a master?
because words can't come close to the buddha nature
ahimsa
both the avoidance of violence toward other life forms and an active sense of compassion toward them; a basic principle of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism
Explain the importance of ritual, li, in early China.
encompasses not a definitive object but rather a somewhat abstract idea; as such, it is translated in a number of different ways; consists of the norms of proper social behavior as taught to others by fathers, village elders and government officials. promoted ideals such as filial piety, brotherliness, righteousness, good faith and loyalty; guided public expectations, such as the loyalty to superiors and respect for elders in the community;
How do Jain practices of asceticism promote the cause of ahimsa?
All aspects of life oriented towards avoiding injury to any life form Every life= soul (jiva) + (ajiva) Karma: process of matter dirtying the soul (good actions bring light matter that does not weigh down the soul> goal is to purify the jiva from ajiva Intention matters more than actions in morality! Ascetic consequences: Restrictive diet Straining water Anekantavada: non-absolutism Aparigraha: non-possessiveness
What is meant by the Buddha nature in Ch'an Buddhism?
An Enlightened mind acts with natural spontaneity instead of logic and reasoning - don't think about what's for breakfast, just eat breakfast Buddha Nature=true nature of all beings ~Tao Haiku 17 syllabus, expresses aloneness or terse emotion, etc. Ex: "The ancient pond A frog leaps in— The sound of water."
What is meant by the "Buddha nature"?
Boundless compassion (karuna)=Ultimate Reality! An eternal reality which is not born and does not die Historically embodied in the Bodhisattva to liberate world from suffering... Eternal Buddha nature in all existence: Everyone possesses the Buddha nature, just don't realize it! Emptiness (Sunyata) All the phenomena of the world=empty=appearances No ego, no description... P 78 "If we think we have understood the Buddha, it is not the Buddha" Wisdom (prajna) Insight into emptiness
jina
Jain title for one who has "conquered" samsara; synonymous with tirthankara
