Buddhism Final

Vajrayana

"Diamond" or "Thunderbolt"; one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment; predominant in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Mongolia; dominant form of Buddhism in Tibet - sometimes referred to as Tibetan Buddhism; emphasizes the role of the bodhisattva; also favors fierce deities; strong emphasis on gurus, or religious teachers who have mastered the philosophical and ritual tradition; also includes a lot of rituals, like mantras and mandalas; involves mystical concepts and practices, which are very different from the traditional Buddhist precepts; extension of Mahayana tradition that seeks to eliminate all dualities; use rituals, symbolism, and yoga practices to evoke experiences that enable realization;

Jokhang Temple

"House of Budddha" a spiritual temple in Tibet; located in Lhasa; controlled by the Gelug school it is considered to be the most sacred and important temple in Tibet; built for the brides of the king; built in style of Tang Dynasty; constructed to house a sacred image of the Buddha, which is enshrined in the temple and is the holiest object in Tibet; has taken on a political role as the focus of Tibetan cultural identity and resistance; very important pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists; prostrations are taken to the temple for several miles;

Avalokitesvara

"Lord who looks down on the World"; a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas; one of the most widely revered bodhisattvas in contemporary Mahayana Buddhism; thought to be the most important bodhisattva in all of Buddhism; made a vow to assist sentient beings in times of difficulty and postpone his own Buddhahood until every sentient being had attained nirvana; mentioned in many sutras including the lotus sutra and the heart sutra; important deity in Tibetan Buddhism; believed that he will reach out to anyone who calls out his mantra and rescue them from distress and danger; seen as the embodiment of the Buddha's compassion; the only Mahayana Buddhist deity worshiped in Theravada Buddhism; represents the religion's main principles of compassion and selflessness; teaches us the importance of compassion because without compassion one would not have the ability to follow the bodhisattva ideals/suggestions on how to live one's life;

Prajnaparamita

(Perfection of Wisdom) : central concept of Mahayana Buddhism; practice & understanding are essential parts of the Bodhisattva path; suggests that everything (including oneself) are thought forms or conceptual constructs, rather than concrete things; thought to be the oldest sutras in Mahayana Buddhism; also done as a service to the Buddha

Dogen

: a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher; founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan; traveled to China and brought back ideas of Zen Buddhism back to Japan; stressed importance of zazem (or sitting meditation); believed meditation was identical to studying Zen; taught zazen to everyone, all social classes and both male and female; emphasized the practices as one without thinking where people simply are aware of things as they are - the active effort not to think; sometimes critical of the Rinzai school (another Zen school of Buddhism) because of the intellectual koan practice

Heart Sutra

: a famous sutra in Mahayana Buddhism; one of the most cited and popular Buddhist scriptures; describes the experience of liberation of the bodhisattva of compassion; describes the awakening of Avalokitesvara as a result of the deep meditation he practices; refers to the emptiness of the five aggregates of human existence; expressed the not twoness of all things; emphasizes the emptiness in the fullness with all things; pure distillation of wisdom; described the phenomena that all expressions of emptiness - nothing can be born or destroyed, pure or define, coming or going; recitation of negations

Manjusri

Bodhisattva associated with transcendent wisdom; thought to be the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahayana literature; first bodhisattva mentioned in Mahayana texts; name means gentle or sweet, glory; popular in china; associated with the wisdom of awakening; holds a gleaming sword of wisdom and a book of the Perfection of Wisdom, which represents the source and embodies of his awakened understanding; also believed the be a teacher to many bodhisattvas; seen as the embodiment of Buddhist wisdom

Engaged Buddhism

Buddhists who are seeking ways to apply the insights from meditation practice and dharma teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice; roots are in Vietnam with the Zen Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh; inspired by Humanistic Buddhism reform movement; grew from the movment during the Vietnam War in an effort to address the suffering they saw around them; includeds 14 precepts that outline rules; a sect but not a Buddhist movement; seeks to apply teachings in an activist way; involves lay communities and western converts; think of bodhisattvas as the ideal; social application of Buddhist teachings

Guru Rinpoche

Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) : literary character of terma; the founder of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddha; believed to have come into this world to teach the tantras; known as the second Buddha; thought to be an emanation of the Buddha Amitaba; gave teachings and transmissions of the Vajrayana to hundreds of disciples; helped to construct Tibet's first great monastery; blessed the land of Tibet; associated with the Vajra Guru Mantra

The Six Perfections

In Mahayana Buddhism these are the virtues that lead to paramita (completeness) - these virtues are: generosity, virtue, patience, energy, contemplation, and wisdom; these three virtues are described as the nature of an enlightened being; these perfections are obscured by the five hindrances; these virtues are derived from sutras, like the Lotus sutra; according to the Buddha these arethe six "bases for training for those who seek enlightenment"; each practice supports the other five; the order is important because the first three (generosity, morality, and patience) are daily practices while "energy, meditation, and wisdom" are for spiritual practices; Generosity is considered to be the beginning of the dharma, morality is a way to develop compassion and karma, patience is part of the Four Noble Truths, energy is the way to approach spiritual training, meditation is the way to develop concentration, wisdom is the direct realization of emptiness; practiced by people who take the bodhisattva vows

D.T. Suzuki

Japanese author of books and essays on Buddhism; instrumental in spreading Zen Buddhism to the West; foremost person in spreading Zen in the West; he had extensive knowledge of Western philosophy which allowed him to be successful in presenting his case to a Western audience; accused of presenting an idealist picture of Zen; made contributions to Buddhist scholarship

Brahmins

Member of the highest priestly caste or varna in Hinduism - comprise about 9% of the total population in today's modern India; learned of yogic techniques, meditation, physical isolation, fasting, and celibate; aim was to attain the heaven of the creator god Brahma traditionally they performed priestly services and studied the religious texts, like the Vedas & the Puranas; it is believed that Buddha was part of the Brahmin family; the caste system is very important to the Brahmins which stands in contradiction to the teachings of the Buddha; Buddha condemned the caste system, as be believed that all people should be of one community, the Sangha; Buddha also believed that people should be judged by their actions and not their rank when they are born; it is often thought that the reason that Buddhism did not flourish in India, the land of its origin, is because it was criticized extensively by Brahmin priests

The Five Hindrances

Mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives - thought to hinder progress in meditation & in our daily lives; obstruct the development (bhavana) or the minds development; these factors are identified as obstacles to samatha; hindrances are: sensory desire, ill-will, sloth torpor, restlessness/worry, and doubt; these are part of the both Theravada & Mahayana Buddhism; In Mahayana tradition these distract from samatha meditation and in Theravada Buddhism these are obstacles to the jhanas or the stages of concentration in Buddhism; in both traditions it is possible to overcome them by investigating & understanding not by dismissing them; thought to be everything that is standing in the way of enlightenment - after overcoming these five hindrances it will be easier to achieve tranquility

Vinaya

One of three parts that make up the Tipitaka; Established after the death of the Buddha and as the sangha expanded to include additional people who were not fully enlightened. Regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community (sangha); Was orally passed down from the Buddha to his disciples; Part of the Dhamma-vinaya; Includes lessons about human nature, guidance on how to establish and maintain a harmonious community or organization There now exist 3 Vinaya

Arahat

Theravada: perfected person who has attained nirvana vs. others: person who has advance along the path of Enlightenment but may not have achieved Buddhahood yet; person who has destroyed all three defilements; means worthy one; full endowed with all factors on the path and has quenched the fires of the defilements; overcome the disease of dukkha and attained complete mental health; no longer creates karmic results leading to rebirths; free of fear and craving but not apathetic and emotionless; not all alike in their specialties; important because they encourage lays to become monks as they have more of chance of becoming an arhat; seen to be the human embodiment of the lives of the Buddha; play a significant role in the sanghas they were the preachers/teachers; believed to have attained nirvana; sometimes portrayed as selfish in Mahayana Buddhism

Marpa

Tibetan Buddhist teacher who is credited with the transmission of many Vajrayana teachings from India; thought to be the student of Naropa; spent years translating Buddhist scriptures and made a major contribution to the transmission of the complete buddhadharma; teacher of milarepa; founder of Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism; born during a long period of political fragmentation in Tibet; sought Buddhist instruction in India; best known as teacher to Milarepa; was a very difficult teacher to Milarepa - constructed him to build several towers - subjected him to very difficult work

Bodhidharma

a Buddhist monk; thought to be the person who transmitted Ch'an to China & the first Chinese patriarch; his practices center on meditation and the Lankavatara Sutra; father of Zen Buddhism and the reason that Buddhism spread to China; accounts of his life are often legends rather than historical; aided the monks of Shaolin Monastery in meditation and training; revered as a divinity in East Asia; thought to be an aggressive monk - one student waited outside his meditation cave and cut off his harm to demonstrate his determination to attain enlightenment;

Huineng

a Chinese Chan monastic; one of the most important figures in the Zen tradition; was a poor and illiterate young man; had an awakening while he heard a customer reciting the diamond sutra; decided to seek out the Fifth Patriarch Hongren at his monastery; was put to work doing chores to protect him from the other students; became the Sixth Patriarch; inherited the robe and bowl in secrete associated with the teaching that enlightenment is sudden (opposition to the teaching that enlightenment is a gradual process); also taught no thought and advocated for the pure and unattached mind; very influential in the Zen tradition - some think of him as the founder of Zen; his tenure marks the beginning of the golden age of Zen; there is also a focus on emptiness and meditation - emphasis on realization rather than the study of sutras;

Thich Nhat Hanh

a Vietnamese monk who was part of the movement to renew Vietnamese Buddhism; founded the Engaged Buddhism movement, which sought to create a relationships between traditional monastic work and social work; advocated for peace during the Vietnamese War; founded Plum Village and other monasteries around the world; because of his protest against the war he was forced to leave Vietnam; combines a verity of Zen teachings with the Theravada tradition

Amitabha

a celestial Buddha in the Mahayana school of Buddhism; principal buddha in the Pure Land sect; known for his longevity attribute, aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of uniqueness of phenomena; according to scriptures, he possesses infinite merits that result from good deeds over countless past lives as a bodhisattva; also called The Buddha of Immeasurable Life & Light; described as a former king who came into contact with Buddhism; Buddha of comprehensive love; works for the enlightenment of all sentient beings; most important enlightenment technique is the visualization of the surrounding world as a paradise, which helps to awaken an enlightenment energy; very revered in East Aisa;

Mantra

a sacred utterance, numinous sound, or a syllable, word or group of words that is believed to have psychological or spiritual power; the spiritual value of a mantra comes when it is audible, visible, or present in thought; used in Hindiuism and Buddhism; used for developing the enlightened mind; chanted repetitively as part of Buddhist practice; also used as a form of meditation; practiced most commonly in Tibetan Buddhism; used with mala beads for counting; also used for protection from evil and misfortune; popular in the tantric ritual; emphasis on repeating the words, not the actual meaning; Ex. Om Mani Padme Hum; a recollection of the Buddha

Theravada

a school of Buddhism often referred to as the "Doctrine of the Elders" - draws on the Pali canon, in which scholars generally agree contains the earliest surviving record of the Buddha's teachings; for many centuries has been predominant in SE Asia and Sri Lanka; survivor of the non-Mahayana schools; sometimes known as Southern Buddhism; revere the Buddha as the supreme being; no belief in God but believe in law of karma and nirvana; oldest surviving branch of Buddhism; relatively conservative; differs from other schools of Buddhism through the teachings: Arahat is perfect, progress comes all at once;

Koan

a story, dialogue, question, or statement that is used in Zen practice to provoke doubt and to test a student's knowledge of Zen Buddhism; sometimes viewed as an unanswerable question or a meaningless statement but it is In fact a question that Zen teachers expect responses to; used by Rinzai schools of Buddhism; paradox that can be meditated on in the school of Zen; intended to train Zen Buddhist monks to abandon dependence on reason and to force them into gaining sudden intuitive enlightenment; go through an extensive effort to solve a koan in order to leave the mind open for response on an intuitive level; stress on the meditation on the question

Bodhisattva

an ordinary person who takes up a course in his or her life that moves in the direction of Buddha; essentially anyone who directs their attention and life to practicing the way of a Buddha is a bodhisattva; a person who is motivated by compassion with a wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings; In Theravada Buddhism it is used to describe the Buddha in his previous lives, before and after he attained enlightenment - means a person who aims to be fully enlightened; also described as a person who is on the path to liberation; in Mahayana Buddhism, this is the premise for the path of attaining enlightenment; encourages everyone to become a bodhisattva and take the bodhisattva vows; these vows encourage everyone to work for the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings; motivated by a compassions to free everyone from samsara and the cycle of death, rebirth, and suffering; sometimes thought of as people who renounce the path of Buddhahood and other times thought of as someone who is on the path to full Buddhahood

Pure Land

celestial realm of a Buddha or Bodhisattva; particular to Chinese and East Asian traditions; broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism; separate teachings in Japan; first developed India and expanded into East Asia; scholars understand this as a transcendent being while in Asia folklore it is thought of as a real place, similar to heaven (but not the final destination); rather than enlightenment or self effort, the rebirth in a Pure Land is the ideal and thing that all practitioners aspire to achieve; accept the Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path; most popular form of Buddhism in Japan; trust that recitation will allow rebirth in a place where it is much easier for a being to work on enlightenment; importance of role of Amitabha (great savior deity - mystical creature); concentration on Nembutsu, or recitation of the Buddha's name and his virtues;

Milarepa

considered to be one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets; Tibetan Saint student of Marpa and a major figured in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; when his father died his uncle and aunt took all of his wealth and his mother sent him to learn sorcery; he took revenge on his aunt and uncle by summoning a hailstorm, which killed 35 people; he also sent a hail storm to destroy the crops of their villagers; later would lament this evil actions and believed that these were the reasons he had difficulty with enlightenment and karma; was a student of Marpa but was subject to many difficult tasks, including constructing and dismantling towers; his life represents the ideal bodhisattva; testmament to the unity of Buddhist teachings; went into recluse in a meditation cave; took to a solitary life of meditation, undertook rigid asceticism to reach the Buddhic state of enlightenment

Defilement

dark unwholesome mental forces which run beneath the surface stream of consciousness vitiating our thinking, values, attitudes, and actions; chief among these defilements are the three roots of evil which all other kleshas are derived from; purpose of all insight and understanding is to liberate the mind from these defilements; lie at the bottom of all human suffering; thought that they all derive from ignorance; Buddhists believe that the mind is fundamentally pure but that it is defiled by unwholesome qualities that come from without; stand in the way of spiritual practice and obstruct wisdom; in conflict the roots of awakening (generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom); disturbances to the peace of mind

Tantra

derives fro the Tantras, a series of Indian texts that provide the theory and describe practices of ritual yoga; aimed for spiritual transformation; the use of ritual or sacramental action to channel divine energies; a concept of many Buddhist sects; a means to enlightenment through indemnity with tantric deities; part of the Vajrayana Buddhist practice; accumulation of practices and ideas; long training associated with mastering tantric methods; some techniques include: yoga, mudras, mantras, and mandalas; no single coherent doctrine exists; also involves deity practice and sexual practice

The Four Marks

four encounters in the account of Buddha's life which led to his realizing of the impermanence and ultimate dissatisfactoriness of conditioned existence; he had typically been kept inside the palace walls to avoid seeing the suffering in life; he observed an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic; each observation affected him deeply and made him realize the sufferings of all beings; important because it inspired him to begin his spiritual journey as a walking ascetic and eventually attain enlightenment; wanted to search for an end to the sufferings of beings

Dalai Lama

head monk of the Gelug/Yellow hat school of Tibetan Buddhism; traditionally thought of as a successor in the line of tulkus who are considered to be the metaphorical manifestations of Avalokitesvara; dalai means ocean/guru or teacher and lama corresponds to the Sanskrit word of guru; traditionally responsivle for the governing of Tibet; there have only been 14 Dalai Lamas; according to Buddhism believe the current Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of a past lama who decided to be reborn again to continue his important work rather than moving on in the wheel of life; go through an extensive process to choose the next Dalai Lama → finding symbols in drams, smoke, lakes, and artifacts; the current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso; very important role in Tibetan Buddhism;

Anatman

idea of not-self; one of the three marks of existence; Buddhists believe that there are five constituents of existence: the body, consciousness, karmic activities, feelings, and perception; these five ascpects creates who we are therefor no one part can represent us (idea of conditioned arising) → so because there is no single essence, there an be no self; also addresses the idea of impermanence because if something is always changing then the self cannot be permanent → we change with experience so our "self" changes to reflect these changes; our saying "myself" or "yourself" is just a conventional way of referring to a particular collection of mental and physical states; for Buddhists the only constant is change so even "self" cannot be considered a permanent thing

Samatha

meditation in which the person who is meditating focuses on one object; Buddhist practice of calming the mind and its formations; use mindfulness breathing; common in all traditions; considered a prerequisite of concentration; goal is to suppress the obscuring five hindrances; believed to describe the tranquility or calm that comes from a mind that is focused on one object; purpose is to attain concentration and live happily and peacefully; cannot destroy the defilements; helps to make the mind one-pointed and enables us to see things clearly

Vipassana

meditation which sees the deliberate cultivation of jhanas and even access concentration as unnecessary for awakening, momentary concentration being sufficient; uses a high degree of mindfulness then right effort and a degree of concentration; uses the breath as a home base; insight that develops also naturally brings about deeper stillness and calm due to strong momentary concentration and the detachment which insight begins; attention is opened out so that mindfulness calmly observes each passing sensory or mental object without attaching any significance ot the thought; mindfulness then moves on to states of mind, nothing moods and emotions as they arise and are allowed to pass; investigate the dhammas noting when they are present and when they are absent

Mahayana

one of the main existing branches of Buddhism; teaches the path of the Bodhisattva who seeks to complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings; largest tradition of Buddhism today, with over 50% of the practitioners; present in all regions that practice Buddhism; seen as a more devotional and lay-inspired form of Buddhism; loose bound collection of traditions with large and expansive doctrines; fundamental principles are based on the possibility of universal liberation from sufferings for all beings; existence of Buddhas & bodhisattvas who embody the Buddha nature; believe in supernatural bodhisattvas who devote themselves to the perfections and liberation of sentient beings; represent the universal ideal of altruistic excellence; also emphasizes the six perfections; emphasizes enlightenment of all beings unlike the Theravada, which emphasizes enlightenment of the individual; consider all physical forms to be void of an intrinsic self - meaning they believe in the emptiness of the world; this emptiness allows people to develop compassion

Hinayana

one of the more orthodox, conservative schools of Buddhism; means Smaller vehicle; applies to the Buddhist path that people who wish to become an arahat follow; based on becoming aware that all we experience in samsara is marked by suffering; allow us to liberate ourselves on an individual level and to attain happiness; used to describe the earliest system of the Buddhist doctrine; not in existence today; negative connotation of the term; similar to the Theravada tradition of Buddhism; came from the schism of the Mahayana;

Dhyana

refer to the various states of Samadhi or state of consciousness in which the observe detaches from several qualities of the mind; in this state on has become firm and stable and everything that is appearing is noticed but not identified to; awareness to the observer yet inclusive of mind, body, senses, and surroundings; thought to be four levels of dhyana (each of increasing depth); states in which the mind is free from the five hindrances (craving, sloth, aversion, agitation, and doubt); taught as a state of collected full body awareness in which the mind becomes very powerful; used with vipassana to give insight to three marks of existence; includes mental application, examination, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness of mind (mind is wholly unified on the one object); six higher knowledge can be observed after attaining the fourth jhana; barriers can be overcome by knowledges attained from practicing jhanas

Mandala

spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism; represents the Universe; seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself- cosmic diagram that reminds us our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds; basic form of a mandala is a square with four gates, containing a circle with a center point; employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool; can represent the core essence of the Vajrayana teachings; traditionally depicted Mount Muru as the entire universe; regarded as a place separated from the ever change and impure outer world of samsara; used as a form of meditation for the purpose of gaining knowledge; a tool for gaining wisdom and compassion; deity is housed in the center; serves as a tool for guiding individuals along the path of enlightenment; help to transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones

Later Diffusion

spread through Asia on the silk road; spread from India all throughout Asia; spread in a peaceful manner through teachers; Indian Emperor Asoka sent out Buddhism missionaries to SE Asia and the Middle East in an effort to spread Buddhism; dissemination was often due to a powerful monarch who had adopted the religion; In Tibet, Buddhism became the official state church and provided the religious based for a stable society; Buddhism did not spread to the West until later times; came through Asian immigrants, Western scholars, and the work of philosophers; began to grow in the 20th century

The Five Precepts

the basic training rules that are observed by practicing lay Buddhists; often recited after reciting the formula for taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha; Refrain from harm, refrain from taking what is not given, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from incorrect speech, refrain from intoxicating drinks and rugs which lead to carelessness; Basis of Buddhist morality

Samye Temple

the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet; built to revitalize Buddhism; built in the 8th century; site of the Great Debate between Indian Mahayanists and Chinese Buddhists; famous for its sacred mandala design - central temple symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru, center of the universe; popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists; some people prostrate for weeks on foot to reach it; complete with three Buddhists jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; replicates the universe describe in the sutras exactly;

Majapajapati Gotami

the first woman to request ordination for the Buddha and the first female member of the Sangha; the Buddha's maternal aunt and adoptive mother - raised him after his mother died; after the death of her husband she decided to attain Ordination; the Buddha denied her request - Gotami cut her hair and donned yellow robes; followed the Buddha to Vesali on foot with a group of other women; with the help of Ananda, she was ordained as a nun - had to accept the eight conditions; deemed a Bhikkhuni (or Buddhism nun); first woman to be ordained in the monastic life, to reach enlightenment, and to become a Buddha; only woman to be directly ordained under the Buddha himself; became the gateway for the spread of nuns in Buddhism; broke the cycle;

Emptiness

the heart of all Mahayana Buddhist teachings - without it no other perfection is attainable; this is the sixth perfection in Mahayana teachings; wisdom is defined as the intellectual understanding of emptiness (sunyata); emptiness does not mean that nothing exists, rather is means that no one item has an essential nature, rather it is composed of many different things; example of chariot; important to recognized this because it will allow use to understand the that the way the world works is in temporary conditions; believing ourselves to be empty allows us to avoid fear, greed, jealousy, and hatred and cultivate trust & compassion; in Theravada Buddhism - refers to not-self and the nature of the five aggregates of experience

Bodhisattva path

the path to achieve the state of being a bodhisattva; by following this path, a person vows to liberate all sentient beings before attaining one's own liberation; this path is a shift away from traditional Buddhist thought as it emphasizes a more compassionate approach and views the traditional approach to enlightenment as self-centered; this path is thought to take many lifetimes; different paths: one who aspires to become a Buddha asap to help other people; one who aspired to achieve Buddhahood along with other people; and one who aspires to delay Buddhahood until all other sentient beings achieve Buddhahood; there are thought to be ten grounds that a bodhisattva must proceed through after they proceed through five paths;

Dharma

the patterns of reality and cosmic law-orderliness discovered by the Buddhas, Buddhist teachings, the Buddhist path of practices, and the goal of Buddhism (nirvana); essentially the purpose of Buddhism (understanding, practicing, and realizing the Dhamma); guide for process of transformation; divined ordained order of the universe and human society, seen s the specific duties assigned; includes how things are and how things should be; existent ideal standard; can also be a central term for the nature of reality, practices aiding understanding this and practice informed by an understanding of this all aiding a person to live a happier life and move closer to liberation

Karma

the principle that beings are reborn according to the nature and quality of their past actions; in this concept all actions, good or bad, matter and impact the fate of an individual in the future; Exampls: acts of hatred and violence tend to lead to rebirth in hell, acts bound up with delusion and confusion lead to rebirth as an animal, and acts of greed tend to lead to rebirth as a ghost; actions → consciousness → type of person they are → out form tends to correspond to the type of nature that has been developed; seen as a natural law inherent in the nature of things (good and bad results are not seen as rewards or punishments but simply how nature intended them to be); action is like a seed and the result will be a natural maturation process; idea of karma stresses the importance of human action; not all things happen because of karma, just one cause among many in life; Aspects of life that are derived from karms: one's form of rebirth, social class at birth, general character, the way one experiences the world; not regarded as rigid but flexible and dynamic; also includes karmic fruitfulness or the power of good actions as seeds for future happy fruits or punna (opposite is apunna)

Eight Rules for the Nuns

the rules that states that women who choose to be a part of this spiritual journey will be of lower standing amongst the monks and will have to show them respect at all times; additional precepts required of bhikkunis that go above and beyond the requirements of monks; authenticity is often at question (perhapsthey are not really from the teachings of the Buddha) - controversial because they attempt to push women into an inferior role; rules: nun is always inferior to a monk, nun must always be with a monk, every month a nun should address the sangha of bhikkus to ask about the date of the uposatha and the predicate of dhamma teachings, bhikkunis must address an invitation to two communitys, etc.

Zen

the school of Mahayana Buddhism; developed in China and spread to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan; emphasizes into Buddha-nature and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of other; favors direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a teach rather than knowledge of sutras and doctrine and studying the Buddhist literature; different schools: Rinzai, Sanbo Kyodan & Soto; practices include Zen meditation, observing the breath, chanting, lay services; teachers transmit their realization of the dharma to their students; lineage of teachers in very critical in the Zen practice; practice of studying mind and seeing into ones nature - zazen meditation; begin with learning to work with breath and sitting with no expectation; understanding is gained from intimate experience rather than intellect or expository prose

Bodhicitta

this term is used to describe the enlightenment-mind of the mind that strives toward awakening and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings; it is a spontaneous wish to attain enlightenment that is motivated by a great compassion for all sentient beings; also entails a falling away of the attachment to the illusion of an inherently existing self; motivates one to attain enlightenment as quickly as possible, not for selfish reasons but to help all sentient beings replace suffering with bliss; people who cultivate this mindset are called bodhisattvas; different traditions emphasize different aspects of this concept; some say that it is the wisdom of emptiness while others believe that this is the emphasis of metta vs. vipasyana; essential to enlightenment in the Mahayana practice

The Five Skandhas

thought of as the ides that make up an individual; everything that makes up the notion of self of I is a skandhas; often think of an individual as the collection of skandhas that they are; skandhas are dukkaha because they are conditioned on one another and we attach ourselves to this idea of self; no self within the skandhas though; necessary to understand this concept to understand the idea of no self; 5 Skandhas: rupa (form of matter), sensation (physical or mental sensation that we experience through contact of our six senses), perception (knowledge that puts together or capacity to conceptualize and recognize things), mental formation (includes thoughts, attitudes, biases, and prejudices), consciousness (awareness)