religion final study guide yuh

Nembutsu

nembutsu = invoking the name of the buddha = you will achieve rebirth if you call on his name Nembutsu = i bow to the amitabha buddha

Amitabha

the buddha of infinite light, worshipped in pureland buddhism

Ziran

"Being thus of itself" • Spontaneity; the state of being as you are; being "in the zone" • Everything you need to do comes easily and naturally

shamatha ("tranquility")=

"calmness" "tranquility", find a calm peaceful state of mind, concentrate on one thing and the calm will follow , one of the methods of meditation

prasada

"grace" offerings (typically food) made to a deity during puja and then distributed to devotees as a blessing. Literally translates to "clarity" or "divine favor" and is considered a gift from the deity.

vedas

"knowledge" known as shruti - "that which was heard" four collections - oldest texts - Transcendental and authoritative nature, with no author (eternal), - passed down systematically by recitation - 1500-500 BCE - hymns to vedic gods, ritual instructions, mystical and philosphical teachings - tell about the nature of the supreme being, and how to perform ritual sacrifice to maintain the cosmic order

chandogya upanishad

- all souls are connected, all beings are one and united under brahman - that thou art - brahman is in every single one of us

Mencius and xunzi

- importance of the selections, they would try to influence the rulers of their ideas. The ideal of confucianism is social harmony, so the issue of whether human nature is good or bad and how to cultivate people is directly related to the goal of confucianism.

atman

- self - once you truly realize yourself you are released from the cycle of samsara - upanishads teach that brahman and atman are united in a single manner - Your body and even your mind are separate from your soul

Amandamami ma

- spiritual teacher - brhamn one true self - merge with brahman in eternity God reveals himself to one through a guru Bind yourself to a daily schedule When you meditate, just concentrate on the images that come to mind and observe that god manifests himself in your thoughts God aids in meditiation even if you dont realize it People have a duty to carry out the gurus orders After genuine contemplation, worldly pleasures become savorless

brahman

- the single self, the pure being, the absolute highest of the cosmos - controller of human soil - the absolute and ultimate reality

vishnu-vaishnavism

- worhsips vishnu and regality - consort is sri (goddess of good fortune) - preserver and protecter - king with jewels, many different avatars - V on forehead shows respect - incarnations= rama and krishna

upanishads

-7th and 6th century bce - "to sit down near someone" - final layer of the vedas - rethought the early hymns and sacrificial rituals explored questions of "who am i" and "what is the ultimate reality" , talks about the importance of self and Brahman as the ultimate reality - conversations between teacher and student - generalization of the diverse hinduism faith - Once a human can fully realize the meaning of their self and connect with brahman, they are released from the cycle and united with brahman for eternity. - how many gods are there? what is ultimately/supremely real? And what is the nature of the self? They elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united with the ultimate truth (Brahman) through contemplation and meditation. Furthermore, the Upanishads explain the doctrine of Karma - the cumulative effects of a persons' actions.

mencius

4th century BCE, people are born good, dont force things and just provide people with a nurturing environment, people still need teaching and discipline even if they are morally born good

tantra

A body of ritual practices and texts interpreting them, which appear to be independent of the Vedic tradition - method to expand the mind and liberate energy - eventual bring to moksha

"Meditation means calming your mind." How might a Buddhist respond to this claim? (Hint: what are the two main categories of meditation?)

A buddha believes in calming the mind, but believes that nirvana will be achieved only if you combine the calm practice with an insight meditation. Because of the hundreds of different types of meditation, buddhism organizes the diversity with two main classes of meditation: samatha and vipassana. Samatha is "calmness" "tranquility", find a calm peaceful state of mind, concentrate on one thing and the calm will follow Vipassana = "insight" into darma, into the nature of reality, the reality of no self, calmness practices wont get you to nirvana , the calm practices must be combined with the insight meditation

How does one become a superior person (junzi), according to Confucianism?

A junzi is someone who's ren is virtuous and makes him to be a respectable person. Anyone can become a junzi simply by learning and practicing li, and your status at birth does not hinder your chances. One can learn li by reading (the analects, the six classics, 4 books etc), and also practicing ritual and showing etiquette, proper manners, and respect. A junzi cannot be small minded and rises above judgement and self cultivates themselves to the greatest degree; this is the goal of every person who practices confucianism.

cultural revolution

A movement set forth by the Communist Party in China that involved massive amounts of religious persecution, as communists believe religion to be subversive to the larger goal. Obviously Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all faced challenges during this period in China.

Why were people in China attracted to Buddhism? Give two specific reasons. (See the textbook for this one.)

Buddhism was seen as a path of learning and a path of study, it was a way to better oneself and find security in peace in ones own being. Buddhism emphasizes the importance of meditation, breath control, and abstientce from certain foods. Buddhism provides people with hope for the future and gives its practitioners salvation. People practiced buddhism in hopes for the eventual escape from death. People were enchanted by the idea of the "pure land" and the release from the world of suffering. People were also attartced to their emphasis on charity and education to benefit the greater society. Buddhism gave people opportunities to breaking the filial piety that was present in the previous chinese traditions and the opportnuty to achieve salvation.

why is buddhism known as the middle way

Buddism is known as the middle way because this term perfectly defines the balance that followers experience in this religion. The buddha formed this idea after seeing a musician playing music on a boat, the instrument was strung not too tight as to not break, but also not too loose that the musician couldnt play. The middle way is the practice of buddhism as a balance through the extremes of bodily indulgence (desires) and bodily mortification (renouncing life).

How might a Confucian answer the question, "What is my purpose in life?" How might a Daoist answer the same question?

Confucians believe that their purpose is to cultivate ren (goodness) everyday, they aim to cultivate themselves and in turn create a ripple effect on everything around them and improve society. They aim to find virtue in life, and do so by becoming a junzi or gentleman by practicing li (through demonstrating propriety and rituals). A daoist has a different purpose in life. Daoists believe in following the "dao" or the way, and wuwei which is "non-action". The point of life is to go with the flow and find harmony and balance in life by becoming a sage or even an immortal with alcehmy.

Did Confucius see himself as the founder of Confucianism?

Confucius saw himself as a transmitter of past ideals rather than a innovator of a tradition. He saw himself as a believer in and lover of the analects and a conserver of antiquitt. He saw himself as reinvent the old to create the new and transmit his beliefs to the world. Confucius also never wrote anything new or of his own but instead edited many of the older documents (including the "six classics", also other key confucian ideals were developed after his time.

Who was B. R. Ambedkar, and why did he convert to Buddhism?

He was a major contributor to the revival of buddhism in india, and the chief author of the indian consitution. He was born as an untouchable but he was very smart and was adopted by a brahmin teacher. He became an active advocator for dalit rights and turned his back to the hinduism faith due to the discrimination it caused among castes. He saw that buddhism was a form of spirituality that was compatible with indian culture Buddhism is an accpeting religion of all members of society and castes dont matter when you are studying buddhism, and social rank was based only by seniority.

Swami ramdas

He was a slave to the god ramdas Ramdas was the only truth and the only reality Ram struggled in a world full of anxiety and cares He would meditae on ram when the worldly anxieties got to be too much for him Gave up all worldly objects All gods pointed ram on the path to renunciation

Would you describe Hinduism as polytheistic? Why or why not?

Hinduism is a single unified tradition, but a unity expressed in diversity. While it is true that there are many different deities in the hinduism religion (vishnu, shiva, devi, krishna) that people can choose to workship, all of these gods and deities are manifestations of the supreme god brahman. While I would argue that this makes hinduism monotheistic, I would use a better word to categorize it as henotheism. henotheism describes the acknowledgement of different forms of gods, while still being devoted to one major. It depends based on an insider vc outsider perspective, an outsider would more likely categorize hinduism as polytheistic (even though these terms are western terms).

According to Hinduism, what happens when you die?

Hinduism is based upon the idea of the cycle of rebirth, and so they believe that when one dies, their spirit is revorn again into a new body. You either become something better than your past life (if you practiced good karma during your past life) or something worse (bad karma), or you reach moksha (liberation). seen in the katha upanishad, death explains that The cycle of rebirth continues for those who are ignorant. Once a human can fully realize the meaning of their self and connect with brahman, they are released from the cycle and united with brahman for eternity.

"Buddhism is not really a religion, but more a philosophy or way of life"? Would you agree or disagree with this claim? Why?

It is not necessarily a religion because there isnt much evidence for it. Most of the core ideals of buddhism are based on emotions, not on text, just by feelings and experiences. Without much solid evidence of the existence of things, followers may struggle finding a belief in the religion. There are not deities or gods which may make it seem less like a religion Yes, it is a religion because there are formal teachings, if offers moral guidance, it provides answers for what happens after life on earth, it has an authority leader/teacher, and it involves temple worship.

Why is Kali represented in such a frightening form?

Kali is a representation of the goddess devi, and she is commonly depicted with dark red colors, fire, blood, weapons, severed heads, on a battlefield. This depiction is to show the sheer power of kali , but an outsider perspective would think that this body is demonic and satanic. That is not true because kali is actually the slayer of demons, she is the great goddess whose purpose is to destroy evil, she is a protector and she is powerful. This is also representative the two forms of the goddess devi, she can be gente and violent and her violent form is shown with kali. Kali is the concentrated wrathful form to signify that the goddess has power and she will protect from evil and do whatever it takes . This shows the common trend in religion of gods or deities showing both mercy and rigor

katha upanishad

Katha upanishad: Nachiketa abd death Asked to know the secret to immortality He didnt want anything else besides that You cant be ignorant OM symbol is brahman himself The self cant be learned through study Tells nachiketa to perform sacrifice - atman is within every being and pervades all

The Mahayana Sutras introduced several new philosophical teachings. Discuss three examples.

Mahayana buddhism expanded upon earlier traditional teachings and introduced new ideas for those who were more experienced and ready for more advanced teachings of the buddha. Three sets of new teachings that each have scriptures or sutras attributed to them: emptiness, mind only, and the buddha nature. Emptiness teachings are found in the wisdom sutras, (the heart sutra). They teach that all things are empty of existence, nothing exists, and especially not the self. The Mind-only philosophy describes how only mental abilities are real and physical and material items dont exist; people only percieve the mind itself. Buddha nature encompasses the belief that every person has a self deep within them that is a fully formed buddha nature that is eternal and unchanging. They also preach that nirvana is not something that is apart from nirvana, and that samsara is nirvana. We are presently in nirvana we just must shift our perspective to realize this.

Vajrayana buddhism:

Main form of buddhism practiced in tibet "The diamond vehicle" Developed within mahayana buddhism Origins ca 6th century CE, later than mahayana buddhism Aka "tantra" and "esoteric buddhism" Secret techniques talked to people initated Provides esoteric techniques (initiations, visualizations, mantras) and non dualists teachings said to provide shortcut to enlightenment Especially important in tibetan buddhism Mandalas (visual) --- used in rituals and for aids to meditations Symbols of entire cosmos as reflected in our body Mantras (om, mani, padme, HUM)--- a short recitation with a sacred power Human sexuality a vehicle for enlightenment Rid yourself of passion

mandala

Mandalas (visual) --- used in rituals and for aids to meditations Symbols of entire cosmos as reflected in our body Introfuced with vajrayana buddhism

How might a Hindu answer the question, "What are my goals in life?" (Hint: the four aims of life

Most hindus would answer this question by referring to the widely accepted four aims of life. The first is to pursue Dharma that defines ones duty in life in regards to their caste or stage of life and preaches to live with virtue and ethics. The second reflects the goal of artha (wealth possessions and prosperity) on the basis of darma. The third is kama and means to seek pleasure (can be sexual or not). The fourth and most important and satisfying is moksha which is the final liberation from samsara and the endless cycle of rebirth.

What is the true nature of the self, according to the Buddhism?

One distinguishing factor of buddhism is the belief that there is no eternal self that can be associated with the person. The buddha realized this nature of no self during the third watch of the night under the tree of enlightenment. The 5 groups of existence of a being are the skandas, all impermanent senses. To have a self, one must have permanent thread of existence that connects all experiences together. Everything is impermanent and changing, so there is no essence that doesnt change, there if no self .The skandas are not connected, so All things are empty of existence, nothing truly exists.

Name and describe one major Hindu festival, as discussed in the textbook.

One major hindu festival is deepvali or "neckalce of lights" and occurs in the fall. This is where hindu families decorate their communities with lights, conduct fireworks, and open new accounts and wear new clothes. There are many different local customs to the festival, but sometimes it celebrates the time when krishna killed a demon or the start of a new year. The celebration is always family centered, and in some places have communal purifying baths in the river ganga.

How is it possible for some people to practice both Confucianism and Daoism?

Primarily, confucianism is sometimes not even considered a true religion so this makes it easier to blend with others. Also the whole idea of sanjaoi is the ability to combine the religions of confucianism, buddhism, and daoism to gain stronger social relations, escape death, and oreserve your existence. Both confucianism and daoism share core beleifs that complemetn eachother. They both emphasize the importance of the dao of the way and revolve their beliefs around this foundational piece. Both religions aim to achieve harmony with the way, or harmony in life. Both have self cultivation as an important component,

How does Pure Land Buddhism compare to Zen Buddhism?

Pure land buddhism places an emphasis on worship of an other power (tariki) while zen buddhism focuses on strenuous self power (jiriki) and the buddha within oneself. The goal of pureland buddhism is to be reborn in their main buddha (maitabhas) pureland and do so by reciting the nembutsu. Zen buddhism has an end goal of enlightenment (sartori) in this lifetime and they reach this by practicing meditation through puzzling koans and shikantazas. Pureland is known as the easy path because it welcomes all beings and provides simple instructions for reaching the rebirth goal, while zen buddhism is more complicated and requires more time and effort.

How is Qingming celebrated? How does it embody Confucian values?

Qingming is a festival that incorporates the main belief of confucianism filial piety. Filial piety is the belief in respect towards elders and ancestor respect. This belief is so strong that the parent-child relationship continues even after death, so respect should also continue after death. QIngming is known as the tombsweeping day and is a festival that celebrates the filial piety ideals. This occurs once a year when families come together to visit the tombs of their ancestors and loved ones in cemeteries and "sweep" or show their respect with rituals and offerings (food, incense, prayers) and conversation.

What are the two main approaches to studying religion, according to Theodore Ludwig? Which does he advocate?

Studying any religious experiences always requires a dual stance; one must observe, describe, evaluate and interpret the information from scientific methodology from the outside as well as coming at it with no bias from the inside. It is important to practice both the outsider and insider approach because doing each individually has limitations. Ludwig says that both approaches are important and necessary to achieve a full understanding of a particular religion. However, he does advocate more for the insider perspective as more important in actually understanding and especially is useful for readers just beginning to explore religions. They must , have an attitude of respect, acknowledge their own bias, avoid evaluation, and be willing to learn.

How is "sympathetic imagination" relevant to the study of religion?

Sympathetic imagination is one method to understanding religion; it is trying to enter imaginatively into the world of another person. First one must recognize their biases and bracket them, or set them aside, in order to sympathetically understand another person and their beliefs. This is important to the insider perspective of studying religion because it allows people to see a religion the way its followers do, with no outside preconceptions.

dao de jing

The Dao De Jing teaches that to act in accordance with the Dao is to be like an uncarved block of wood. If a block of wood is uncarved, then it may be cut into any shape or form. The Dao may elude definability, but it is always yielding and compliant to any change in the balance between yin and yang.

What are the main events in the life of the Buddha?

The buddha was born as siddhartha guatama in 624 BCE (debatable date), the son of a powerful king and lived a privileged early life. When he was around 20 he left the palace and saw a sick person, an old person, a dead person, and a renunciate, all reasons that he decided to renounce his material life and create the practice of buddhism. He then joined a group of aesthetics who were too extreme for him, and then meditated under the tree of enlightenment for 7 weeks and experienced three watches where he understood samsara, karma, and the doctrine of no self. He then agreed to teach the world of what he had learned during his meditations. His first sermon was of the four noble truths.

confucian symbol

The chinese character is a symbol for "ren" and is made up of the characters for person and for two. Ren is benevolence that is the goodness that comes from the interaction of one human with the other. Goodness is relational and needs to be social, this relates to confucianism being very focused on society and social interactions. When one cultivates ren they reach the goal of confucianism by becoming a junzi.

What are the "five relationships" in Confucianism? Why are they important?

The five relationships in confucianism are the relationships between child and parent, younger sibling and older sibling, wife and husband, subject and ruler, and friend and friend. This relationships are important to confucianism because they show hierarchy, harmony and respect and demonstrate the core ideal of filial piety and respect to elders and to all beings. The relationships are guided by ren and having good relationships allows one to cultivate their own ren and become a junzi to improve the broader society.

What does "yoga" mean in the Bhagavad Gita? What are the main forms of yoga?

The gita teaches four main paths to liberation, and these are referred to as yogas. Yoga is defined in the gita as a means or a method or a discipline for reaching liberation. There are 4 main forms of yoga: Karma, Bhakti, jnana, Dhyana. Karma focuses on the importance of acting and eventually stopping action and desire to break free of samsara. Bhakti preaches unwavering devotion to ones deity through worship and jnana focuses on inquiry and study to realize the true nature of the self. Lastly, although not everyone recognizes it as a yoga, dhyana yoga is simply the act of meditating and concentrating the mind.

How do traditional forms of Buddhist meditation compare to the modern practice of mindfulness (as represented in Susan Bauer-Wu's "Midnfulness and Kindness Practices")?

The modern day forms of meditations are more like a fad than a true religious practice. Modern talk about not judging your thoughts and focusing on yourself and traditional doesnt focus as much on this. Traditional focuses on the body and breaking down the attachment of the body and self, on understanding death, and would even sometimes meditate on corpses. Modern day focuses on not thinking about anything, letting your mind stay clear. Traditional focus on focusing on one p[articular goal and to fixate your mind on that. Traditional buddhists dont meditate for themselves, but to be able to teach others rightful ways and this differs from the modern day meditation aimed to provide comfort to the individual.

How do the goals and practices of monks differ from the goals and practice of the average Buddhist layperson?

The monks differ from laypeople because laypeople are just average religious practioners with no professional knowledge. Laypeople just want a good rebirth and to make merit in their life, meaning practice good karma so that they will achieve prosperity in the next life. For monks, however, their main goal is reaching nirvana and they don't care so much as their next life as much as the overall enlightenment. They follow the eightfold path to reach this. Also the laypeople and monks have a sort of symbiotic relationship where the laypeople give charity to monks to achieve merit, and the monks depend on these services from the people. The laypeople are also less absorbed with the philosophical teachings

questions of king milinda

The nature of no self, people are not made up by their individual characterstics because a chariot is not made of its own parts There is a continuous self You are the same as when you were a child Rebirth is simultaneous

What is the origin of the term "Hindu"? Why is it so difficult to generalize about Hinduism?

The origin of the term hindu is from an outsider perspective, and is a geographical term instead of a religious term that refers to people on one side of theindus river in india by persians. It was elaborated on when people living in india were classified as either hindu or muslim, and the variety within these two religions were not accounted for. There is something artificial about the label hindu because hinduism has a huge amount of diversity within it and includes many different relgious traditions. There is continued debate over whether hinduism is one religion or a collection of different ones, regardless it is very hard to generalize because of the wide variety of people and traditions found in it.

What are the three jewels? Why are they important?

The three jewels are the buddha the dharma and the sangha. The buddha describes the chief figure and enlightened founder of buddhism who followers worship, the dharma is the teachings of the buddha and the sangha is the monastic community formed by the buddha and his teachings. The three jewels encompass all aspects of buddhism and they are significant in followers life because they provide structure to the religion and give followers an authority to worship, teachings to believe, and a community to practice this faith with other like minded individuals. They guide and give safety and comfort to buddhists.

What are the three main sects of Hinduism, and what is the main thing that differentiates them?

The three main sects of hinduism are shaivism, vaishnavism, and shaktism. These three sects mainly differ in regards to the deity that they worship, shaivism follows shiva the creator and destroyer, vaishnivism vishnu the royal preserver, and shaktism the all powerful goddess devi. Each sect worships their preferred deities in different ways, through images and even in imageless forms like the shiva linga.

What is the true nature of the self, according to the Upanishads?

The true self is the supreme atman that is unaffected by the suffering and desires of the worldly life. The upanishads argue that the core of every person is their atman , or self this is their innermost essence that is joined with brahman. In order to reach freedom in moksha, one must see everything as the self and fully realize the meaning of the self in connection to brahman. The self is separate from the body, the self is the essence of brahman, and the self is eternal. IN the cycle of samsara, the self stays alive when the body dies and is reborn into a new form. The upnaishad defines the self as light whos thoughts are true and remains unattached from all desires. Basdically if you understand your self then there is no fear of death because you are eternal and your self will never die

What are the differences between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism? (Be prepared to give a thorough, detailed answer to this question; be able to discuss five differences.)

Theraveda buddhists see themselves as faithful inheritors of the buddhas original teachings, while mayahanna buddhists see themselves as inehritors of the buddhas higher teachings and see theraveda as a smaller vehicle for worship. Theraveda is mostly concentrated in south and southeast asia while mahayana is more in south and east asia. Theraveda focuses on the pali sutras with the early teachings of the buddha and the mahayannas focus on sanskrit sutras with additional higher teachings of the buddha. Thereaveda teachings include four noble truths, eightfold path, no self, and impermanence while mahayana expands upon this with teachings about emptiness, mind-only, and the buddha nature. Theraveda believes that nirvana is beyond samsara but mahayanas believe that samsara is nirvana. Theraveda's goal is to reach enlightenment and only monks can reach the full extent. Mahayana want enlightenment for all sentient beings or bodhisattvas, and laypeople can also reach full enlightenment Theraveda view siddhartha buddha as central, and that the buddha is a teacher as well as an exemplar from the past as a "historical"buddha. Mahayana worships both buddha and bodhisattvas and sees buddha as an active helper in the present as the eternal buddha.

What does it mean to practice alchemy, in the context of Daoism?

There are two kinds of alchemy that daoist believers practice. One is Inner alchemy where Practitioners aim to become one with the Dao by revers-ing the processes that have led them astray through meditating. They wish to become "uncarved blocks" by meditating and concentrating on/circulating qi and forming their true self and stopping leaking qi. External alchemy is more concerned with the creation and ingestion of medicines or pills that supposedly will bring longevity and immortality. Through alchemy practices one becomes closer to the dao and stops leaking qi and and becomes immortal.

Why were Confucians sometimes critical of Buddhism? Give two specific reasons. (See the textbook.)

They critized the fact that monks were celibate, meaning that they would never form a family and practice the familial values that were so core to confucianism. Also, buddhist renunciates were so quick to up and leave their family which is very disrespectful in confucianism. They criticized the sheer amount of buddhist monks in china who were needy of food and shelter, and didnt contribute to society and instead just took from it. This was viewed as lazy and a failure to contribute their duty to society. Buddhist renunciates also showed no loyalty to any elder or authority with their refusal to pay taxes and this was highly judged.

why did daoists critique buddhists?

They didnt like how the buddha wanted to escape death Daoism says its a mistake to cling to life , you must understand the natural flow Non action = flowing along with the changes Buddhism Social harmony , daoism natural harmony Nonaction = be in harmony with nature

What do Hindus typically do when they visit a temple?

Usually, when they arrive at the temple they commonly purchase flowers, incense, or a coconut at shops surrounding the temple to give as offerings to the priest (if it is puja) . Then, as they enter they always remove their shoes, make the namaste gesture to show their devotion, and either bow or get on their knees. Then they will circumabulate the central image of the temple (most temples are devoted to one central deity) clockwise so that their pure right side is to the image. After they pay respect to other images and circle them as well, and close with another namaste gesture. They also make offerings to the deity in the form of lit candles on a tray that devotees touch. There is also prasada or "grace" offerings of food dyring puja that honors a deity and then given to the devotees.

Who are the two best-known avatars of Vishnu, and what are they known for?

Vishnu has many different avators or incarnations and the two best known are Rama and Krisha. Rama is king-like and the hero of the ramayana epic and is known for always upholding virtue, truth, and sacrificing for what he stands for. always willing to uphold the truth and sacrifice. Krishna is known for being a mischievous youth, a ladies man, and the embodiment of love, protection, and selfless action. Many of his followers consider their devotion to him a romantic connection.

yin yang symbol

a daoist symbol of the harmony that is provided by the dao, and exemplified the complementary aspects of life. The black yin represents darkness, death, femininity, moon etc and the white yang represents openess, life, sun, and masuclinity. It also incorporates many aspects of nature like the sun and moon and this is due to daoism's emphasis on nature and the natural world. It also shows the daoism acknowledgement of the changes in life and the smoothness of those changes. Daoism preaches to go with the flow in life, and practice "wuwei" or non-action. complementary forces of the universe

zen buddhism

a form of buddhism with strenuous self effort, koans, and mental challenges in order to achieve flashes of enlightenment

puja

a form of worship where devotion to a certain deity is expressed through worship in the home. Many hindus set aside a small place for a shrine to hold pictures or images of the god or guru. Rituals performed in the home are simplified versions of the temple worships. Daily puja may be simple while some pujas might be more elaborate rituals and require a priest

guru

a personal spiritual teacher of guide - ramdas and amandamayi Ma who take different approaches to worship-- either incorporate it into your life or completely give up your life for it . these figures can also sometimes be worshipped as a deity or real god would

sutra

a recorded discourse of the buddha (typically a sermon or dialogue) Founded on the concept of mindfulness

karma

action and deeds, good actions bring merit and prosperity and a higher level in samsara

karma (buddhism)

action, law of moral cause an effect, everything happens for a reason and every cause has an effect

samsara (buddhism)

beginingless cycle of rebirth, 6 realms to be born into: top three (gods, humans, titians ) bottom three (animals, hell, ghosts and spirits), samsara is bad, break out by following the 12 links

Tathagatagarbha sutra

buddha nature, all beings, in their true and deepest nature, are already enlightened; contradicts earlier teachings of no self

lotus sutra

burning house, father helping children escape by lying to them, skillful means of the buddha teaching new things , One must not question the buddhas new teachings

the three teachings (sanjao)

confucianism, daoism, buddhism, can be practiced together

gita

dialogue between arjuna and kirhsna, ideas about dharma and moksha The self is not born or dies You must fight for the sake of darma, you must follow the rules that your life sets out for you Engage in actions but let go of clinging Action is inferior to the yoga of insight Krishna preaches the yoga of action The mediation yoga The enemy on earth is desire and anger, not war It doesnt matter if the body dies bevause the self is eternal

Satipatthana Sutta

discourse of Theravada Buddhism; mindfulness, acquired through meditation practice; awareness of in and out breathing, what is ____? what is ____?

pali sutras

discusses the four noble truths and the information associated with each

dharma

duty, righteousness, virtue, how to attain good karma, religion, do this and you get good karma

the heart sutra

emptiness, there is no suffering anf no nirvanna, can be seen to deny the four noble truths, nothing exists, everything is an illusion

three pillars of zen

enlightenment experiences, zen is not a theory but a practice, mu, going through struggles to reach the final end goal

the autobiography of haikun

firsthand accounts of sartori (enlightenment), master and mu, confusion and sudden enlightenment once he stropped trying so hard

junzi

gentleman, become one by practicing li, goal of practitioners

ren

goodness, benevolence, what everyone should cultivate every day, cultivated through interactions with others

yinyang

harmony of the dao itself in a model, complementary forces of universe, dynamic nature, light = yang, dark = yin , cosmos is harmonious flow between these two

li

how to become a junzi, rituals, propriety, ritual propriety, ettiquete

mahabarata

important foundational work of hinduism - one of main hindu epics - contains the gita - how to live and what to do in life

avatar

incarnations of deities, human or animal form on earth that has a purpose to get rid of porvlems, many avatars of vishnu, all forms of brahman

vipassana ("insight")

insight into the nature of reality, one of the methods of meditation

moksha

liberation, freedom from sara, reached with the full undertsand of brhamna and the self

qi

life force, material force/vital energy that pervades all and penetrates everything

yoga

means or method for reaching liberation. four main types; karma, bhakti, jnana, dhyana

lankavatara sutra

mind only, everything is a projection of consciousness,

mindfulness and kindness practices

modern day meditation, breathing and body awareness, kindness practice, clearing the mind

the analects

moral teachings of confucius gathered after his death, teach the main confucianism ideals. presents advice on various behaviors and moral virtues that people should cultivate if they wish to live in accordance with the Way, or the Tao, a spiritual practice that Confucius espoused

vesak

most important of the Theravada Buddhist festivals, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. ... The event is observed on the full-moon day of the lunar month Vesakha, which falls in April or May.

honen the buddhist saint

nembutsu and amitabha all are welcome in pureland buddhism jiriki and tariki

6. Selections from the Mahayana Sutras (Collab)

new and revised teachings of the buddha as part of mahayana buddhism, buddha teaching by skillful means, the Lotus Sutra, the Heart Sutra, the Lankavatara Sutra, and the Tathagatagarbha Sutra.

wuwei

non action, being yourseld and not doing what is unnatural, let yourself follow the dao

self cultivation

one of the core beleifs of confucianism and daoism, cultivate yourself and it will spread to the whole society, virtue can radiate outward

the great learning

one of the four important books in confucianism, shows how learning and study are core practices , teach yourself so that you will be able to follow your trained gut, to illustrate illustrious virtue and renovate the people

pali canon

pali = an ancient indian language (orignally a vernacular) related to sanskrit Collection of religious text that transmit message of the buddha Section outlining monastic code Section including philosophical teachings

xunxi

people are born bad, all humans have desires and these make them bad, they can become good but through a long process

mantra

sacred utterance (syllable or word) meditation on a holy word or phrase

Fingarette

secular as sacred, when we cultivate ourselves and our relationships we are touching the spirituality and supernatural aspects of the world, everyday li is considered a ritual and can contain a degree of spirituality

upaya

skillful means, the buddha teachings can be considered lies but they are just strategies, refers to the higher teachings of the buddha, he says things that arent exactly true, mahayana buddhitst believe in this

isha-devata

the chosen deity that hindus choose to worship in order to reach moksha, all deities are connected to brahman, particularly encouraged by ananandayi ma

samsara

the cycle of rebirth/existence, eternal suffering, end by practicing good karma and receiving moksha , fueled by worldly pleasures

nirvanna

the end to the cycle of samsara, ends with end of desires and following the eightfold path

sangha

the monastic community founded by the buddha (organization of monks, preach buddhism)

buddha

the single historical founder of buddhism, originally prince siddhartha guatama the "awakened one", the enlightened one, wakened to true reality, this was a title he was given after reaching enlightenment

dharma (buddhism)

the teachings of the buddha, the truth of the universe, represented by the wheel of dharma (8 spoked wheel)

skandha

the term refers to any of the five groups of existence, the buddhas way of classifying all physical and mental existence The five skandas: form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness ---- all are impermanent and if none are permanent then the self isnt permanent and it doesnt exist.

dAO

the way, the moral order of the cosmos, nameless and timeless, cannot be defined

merit making

thengoal of lay people of buddhism make merit- they want to make good karma so that they will achieve prosperity in this life and the next life. Merit practices = dont injur people, dont lie, dont steal, involve dana or charity or giving, by giving to the monastic order.

bodhisattva

those who dedicate themselves to achieving buddhahood , a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.

qingming

tombsweeping day, families come together and visit their ancestors graves, filial piety

darshana

when hindus go on a pilgrimage or visit a temple they seek an experience known as darshana where they see and are seen by a particular deity or guru - to see and be seen by a certain god/diety; the idea that when you're in a temple, the god is actually going into the idol of worship

zhuangi

wu wei, dao is indescribable

devi/shakti- shaktism

- devi = the goddess - aka shukti = power energy - durga or kali (peace and violence)

shiva - shaivism

- shiva = creator and destroyer - consort = parvati - depicted by shiva linga - cosmic dancer - son = ganesha - yogi and renunciate

four castes

Brahmin (priest, teachers) Kshatryas (warriors, rulers) Vaishyas (merchants, traders) Shudras (servants, menial laborers) Some castes have benefits to others, context specific duties for your caste

What are the arguments for and against labeling Confucianism a "religion"? (Be prepared to give at least two arguments for and two arguments against.)

Confucianism is sometimes labeled as a religion and sometimes thought of more as a philosophy. It can be thought of as a religion because it has ritual practices like ancestor veneration and formal ceremonies, it regards heaven as a source of moral authority, and it refers to the secular as sacred. But It is also argued to not be a religion because its core beliefs are more ethical/political in nature, and also there is no explicit doctrine of gods, spirits, or afterlife. It also can be combined with buddhism and daoism which shows it doesn't have its own concrete beliefs as other religions do.

filial piety

In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors. ancestor worhsip

koan

Puzzles to break one out of ordinary thought Koan = a short puzzling saying question or anecdote used as an object of meditation Breaking out of dualistic thinking Break free of every day thinking The mind has nowhere to turn Our ordinary thinking is incapable of solving the puzzle One has a flash of satori = enlightenment One can have a glimpse of enlightenment and then through meditation most famous one = "mu" = no or not

alchemy

Taoist alchemy is concerned with transforming human beings so as to give them longer life and bring them closer to the Tao. Internal alchemy = constructing a pill of immortality Meditative practices of circulating qi Through these practices one can become immortal

what are the four noble truths?

The four noble truths were taught in the first sermon of the buddha. They encompass the main ideals of buddhism: 1. Suffering is everywhere in life, 2. Suffering is caused by desire, 3. Suffering is ended with nirvana, 4. Nirvana is reached by following the eightfold path. They are organized in the way of discovering a problem, understanding the problem and its causes, and realizing that there is a solution to the problem through a series of steps.