Ilana Warner's World Religion Notes :Into, Hinduism, Buddhism
One of the main characteristics for Indigenous sacred ways is that "spirits, conscious energies, or life forces are present in the mountains, forest, pools, streams, and many plants and animals." This belief belongs to _____________
animism
Where and when did Hinduism begin?
around Indus Valley from about 2500 BCE.
Kshatriyas
The military class or administrators of the caste system. (Purusha's hands)
Religion" (in Latin) literally means "the separation between the human world and the sacred."
False
How Vivekanada address Religious pluralism (i.e., the divine reality as the one and the many)
"Truth or God is One. Our real nature is divine. The purpose of our life is to realize the One in our own soul. There are innumerable spiritual paths, all leading to this realization of divinity." Hindu
Ramakrishna Movement (developed by Vivekananda)
"Truth or God is One. Our real nature is divine. The purpose of our life is to realize the One in our own soul. There are innumerable spiritual paths, all leading to this realization of divinity." hindu
Zen Buddhism emphasizes
"direct experience"
Atheism
"not believing" in any divine reality
Durga
"one of the names of Shiva's consort, rides a lion, and in her eight arms, representing the eight directions, she holds weapons to destroy evil and protect her devotees. Durga ("awe-inspiring) vanquishes the demons
8 consciousnesses (Yogacara Buddhism)
(1) sight (2) sound (3) smell (4) taste (5) feel (6) thought (7) subject-object separation (dualistic), imagination, dream, fantasy -- defiled consciousness. Alaya (underlies the other kinds and functions of consciousness.): the awareness that constitutes enlightenment.à Everything is indivisible; there is no subject-object separation. The Buddha consciousness is identical to the storehouse consciousness. The Buddhist enlightenment is to embody the storehouse consciousness (subject-object unity, no discrete self) in life.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
(1869-1948), better known as Mahatma ("Great Soul"). emphasized the significance of Hindu beliefs—the unity of Brahman and Atman. One's ultimate aim is the realization of God, and all one's activities have to be guided by the ultimate aim of the vision of God. important terms related to him are: key term Ahimsa:respect for all living things and avoidance of violence toward others. Satyagraha:the power of Truth. Satya: being, reality, that which alone truly is, the ultimate. hindu
Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism)
(Divine Songs, 400 BCE-400 CE), the most influential and popular Hindu scripture. (generally appreciated)
Veda
(body of knowledge) represent the oldest scriptures of India. [the most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion.]
bodhisattva
(in Mahayana Buddhism) one who, out of compassion, dedicates one's life to the welfare of humankind by delaying his entry into nirvana
Koan
(questions beyond human intellect): to see the world and everything in it undistorted by our concepts and judgments.-> Look closely at it experiencing it directly. China Buddhist
Zazen
(sitting meditation): Introduced by Huineng: A central way of directly experiencing the underlying unity. -When the mind is calmed, action becomes spontaneous and natural. Spontaneity is linked with intense, disciplined concentration. China Buddhist
Theravadins
(the people of Theravada) believes that Gautama Siddhartha as the first person who attained salvation by his own efforts and who passed his knowledge of the Eight-fold paths on to his people. In the same manner, each individual can attain the same salvation by her own effort. -They believes that one should renounce worldly pursuits and interests, join the "homeless" state of a monk, and strive to reach nirvana. Such an ideal person is regarded as an arhat (a perfect being, a person who has reached nirvana). -They are also called "the Doctrine of Elders" key term :Arhat Buddhist
Alaya
(underlies the other kinds and functions of consciousness.): the awareness that constitutes enlightenment.à Everything is indivisible; there is no subject-object separation. The Buddha consciousness is identical to the storehouse consciousness. The Buddhist enlightenment is to embody the storehouse consciousness (subject-object unity, no discrete self) in life. 8) the Store Consciousnes Buddhist
Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism and their differences
-Theravada: Teaching of the Elders. Also referred to as Hinayana [Small Vehicle] by Mahayana Buddhists; staying close to the Tripitaka. - Mahayana: Great Vehicle. More freely interpreting and adapting the Buddhist truth. Buddhist
Buddhism focuses on places a heavy emphasis on liberation from three habits that give rise to distorted human perceptions. what are those three habits?
1 desire 2 anger 3 ignorance.
Siddhartha Gautama confronted what 4 sights
1) agony of old age 2) tragedy of disease 3) corpse- sorrow of death 4) monk of gave up earthy pelsures Buddhist
The Four Noble Truths
1)Life is suffering. 2)Suffering has a cause: craving, desire, or attachment: the cause of suffering is tanha ["selfish craving, desire, attachment"] which leads to rebirth. 3)Attachment and desire can be overcome. The cessation of suffering: non-attachment, the cessation without a residue of selfish-desire. 4)The way that leads to the cessation of suffering: The Eightfold Path.
Which of the Hindu deities belong to Trimurti?
1. Brahma (the deity of creation), 2. Vishnu (the deity of preservation), 3. Shiva (the deity of destruction).
What is the Rig Veda about
1. Explaining the origin of the universe created by "Purusa." 2. Praising gods and asking for blessing. 3. Various gods and goddesses including the sun, dawn, and so on
Zen (Chan) Buddhism [One of the Mahayanist Sects] in China
50 CE from India. Bodhidharma (Indian monk)-> Hui-ko -> Hing-jen -> Hui-neng: the southern school of sudden enlightenment Shen-hsiu: the northern school of gradual enlightenment Preserves the essence of the Buddha's teachings through direct experience, triggered by mind-to-mind transmission of the Dharma. Dismisses all scriptures in favor of training for direct intuition of cosmic unity, known as the Buddha-nature.-> Influenced by Yogacara + Daoism
TIBETAIN VAJRAYANA: Short cut to the Palace of Unity
A complex path with three stages (yanas). 1) Hinayana(Theravada) 2) Mahayana 3) Vajrayana ("the indestructible diamond vehicle") or Tantrayana (using all secular means to see the sacred [Buddha nature]) Vajrayana or Tantrayana: the speeded-up path that allows enlightenment within a single lifetime. Buddhist
Agnosticism
Agnosticism literally means not knowing the divine reality. (Agnostics could believe in God, but the key issue is that God can be neither known nor proven by human knowledge.)
How Ramakrishna address Religious pluralism (i.e., the divine reality as the one and the many)
All human religious experiences are manifestations of the one God. What Ramakrishna insisted on is that God is served not only in the worship of Kali, Vishnu, and Shiva: God can be found through any religion." According to Ramakrishna, "Do not care for doctrines, do not care for dogmas, or sects, or churches, or temples; they count for little compared with the essence of existence in each [person], which is spirituality... Earn that first, acquire that, and criticize no one, for all doctrines and creeds have some good in them." (1836-1886)'a devotee of the Divine Mother in the form of Kali. In ritual, he emphasized "communication" with the Divine through "intense love." hindu
Moksha
Becoming liberated for the cycle of reincarnation in Hinduism.
The Upanishads also gave rise to the
Bhagavad Gita (Divine Songs, 400 BCE-400 CE), the most influential and popular Hindu scripture. (generally appreciated)
Chan Buddhism (Zen)
Bodhidharma (Indian monk) -> Hui-ko -> Hing-jen -> Hui-neng: the southern school of sudden enlightenment Shen-hsiu: the northern school of gradual enlightenment
The essential nature of the Hindu deities is the full personification of
Brahman
The System of Hindu Castes
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra
The triple confession of faith in Buddhism
Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama as the Enlightened Being)-Sangha (the Monastic Order)-Dharma (Siddhartha's teaching, the Universal Principle) "I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma (the Truth); I take refuge in the Sangha (the Monastic Order)."
founder of Son [zen] Buddhism
Chinul (1158-1210), the Korean tradition of Zen
Kali
Dripping with blood and skulls symbolizing her aspect as the destroyer of evil.
Hindu goddesses
Durga, Kali, Devi
Ahimsa, which means nonviolence, is the core of Ramakrishna's Hindu principle
False
Yogacara Buddhism
Founders: Maitreyanatha (270-350 CE), Asanga (300-370 CE), Vasubandhu (320-390 CE) Two kinds of knowledge or truth: conditional or (relative) truth and transcendental (or absolute) truth. The goal is to attain the Absolute Truth or Knowledge.
Satyagraha
Gandhi coined this term meaning the power of Truth. He believed that a policy of non-aggression in the face of aggression. hindu
Pantheism
God is identical to the world. God is not outside the physical world. (In this view, God is nature per se and vice versa)
Vaishyas
Hindu caste of cultivators, artisans, and merchants. (Purusha's thighs)
Eightfold Path (Buddhism)
In Buddhism, the basic rules of behavior and belief leading to an end of suffering The Eightfold Path is the right understanding, the right intention, the right speech, the right action, the right livelihood, the right effort, the right meditation, and the right contemplation. This Eightfold Path leads its devoted followers to successfully practice non- attachment.
The difference from the Hindu concept of atman and an-atman in Buddhism
In Hinduism, atman, the individual soul (self) means eternal and immortal, moving from one material form to another until it is united with Brahman. Buddhism, however, denies the idea of atman. Buddhism proposes the idea of an-atman (no atman) referring to "no individual self."
Arhat
In Theravada, a person who has practiced monastic disciplines and reached nirvana, the ideal. Buddhist
Anatman
In the Buddhist view, your belief in "permanent individual soul" is a delusion. ________means no individual self.
In Hinduism, _______ yoga means the path to the divine reality through knowledge and wisdom
Jnana
The successful development of Buddhism under Ashoka's (273-232 BCE) care
King Ashoka converted himself to Buddhism and protected Buddhists with his political power. discusses many philosophical issues such as the causation of all living things, was added to the Buddhist canon. -Buddhism was successfully growing throughout India and transmitted to other countries as well. -The expansion of the Buddha's teachings-> many Buddhist sects adapted to different cultures in different areas.
Atharva Veda
Knowledge from the teacher Atharva
Pure Land Buddhism
Mahayanist sect. Calling on Amida Buddha (divine savior) Cannot attainenlightenment through people's own efforts.-> turn to Amida Buddha (of Boundless Light) for them to be saved. "Namu Amida Buddha" (Imperfect myself, I take refuge in the immeasurable light, in the immeasurable life.")
Meaning of Upanishads
Means the devoted disciples sitting down by the teacher to receive private spiritual instruction about the ultimate reality, destroying all ignorance
Nirvana
Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. Nirvana Literally means "nothingness" "emptiness," "extinction" or "going out." - the extinction of all selfish desires, attachments called tanhas.
Ramanuja
Philosipher who states:Both the physical world and the Ultimate Reality are real. •Makes a qualitative distinction between the Ultimate and the physical world unlike Shankara. hinduism
Mahayana Buddhism
Regards Siddhartha Gautama as more than the human being; as the manifestation of the Divine in human form.
Krishna Conscious Movement
Renounces all material society, wear the orange robes, study all the literature about Krishna. hindu
The most ancient division of the Vedic scriptures is __________ Veda.
Rig
what the oldest Vedic scripture is.
Rig
Vedanta philosophy was greatly developed by
Shankara (788-820), Ramanuja (1017-1137), Madhva (1197-1280). Hinduism
Shaivites worship
Shiva
The founder of Buddhism
Siddhartha (given name, 563 to 483 BCE) Gautama (family name).
Chinul (1158-1210)
Son [zen] Buddhism in Korean Combines "sudden enlightenment" with "gradual enlightenment" for practicing the Buddha nature. -Even after the initial sudden awakening to his or her fundamental Buddhist-nature, the student must learn to apply his or her understanding in the ordinary world and transform his or her knowledge into useful and proper action.
Theravada Buddhism
Teaching of the Elders. Also referred to as Hinayana [Small Vehicle] by Mahayana Buddhists; staying close to the Tripitaka.
Shiva
The "bringer of disease and death" for new forms of life (the deity of destruction)
Devi
The Great Goddesses, The Female Creative Power
Vishnu
The Preserver, a benevolent God (the deity of preservation)
Zen Buddhism
The aim of ______ practice: enlightenment-> directly experiencing the unity of all existence, recognizing that nothing is separated from oneself (emphasizing "direct experience"
zen buddism
The aim of practice: enlightenment-> directly experiencing the unity of all existence, recognizing that nothing is separated from oneself
Brahma
The creator of all worlds
Shudras
The landless peasants and serfs of the caste system. (Purusha's feet)
Upanishads turning point from the traditional Vedas.
The other division, Uapanishads, was added at the end of the Vedic period (700-400 BCE) and focuses on the inner spirit, giving rise to philosophical concepts and terms. The Upanishads still belong to the Vedas, but they differ from traditional Vedas in that the Upanishads concentrate on the spiritual world and the individual seeking the ultimate reality with less of an emphasis on the ritual system.
Gandhi
The place where he saw God, was in responding to the needs of the poor, the downtrodden, the marginalized, the outcastes. __________ says, "It is no exaggeration to say that in this meeting with peasants I was face to face with God and Truth." In the Truth, there is no distinction between one's own salvation and that of others.
The International Vedanta Society
The pure devotion and universal spiritual wisdom that Ramakrishna emphasized inspired what is now known as the ___________ Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) greatly contributed to the establishment of this Ramakrishna Movement, introducing Hinduism to America.
Trikaya
The three ways of Buddha nature called ________ ("three body") doctrine. 1) Dharmakaya (the law body): 2) Sambhogakaya (perfect-bliss-body): communicating the Dharma (the true nature, the Buddha nature) to our everyday life. 3) Nirmanakaya (transformation body): Siddhartha's physical body is considered an incarnation of divine reality. Relates to :Mahayana Buddhism
The difference between arhat for Thervada and bodhisattva for Mahayana
The two main distinctions between the Theravadin (strict: Doctrine of Elders,"- monks ) and the Mahayanist (liberal ) lie in their view of an ideal person and their interpretation of the Buddha. It is the universality of the Bodhisattva's (Mahayana) aspiration that is contrasted with the Arhat's (Theravada ) more personal inspiration. Buddhist
The origin of the names India and Hindu?
These words originate from Indus.
Tripitaka
Three Baskets, The earliest collection of sacred books of Buddhism) 1) Vinaya Pitaka 2) Sutra Pitaka 3) Abhidharma Pitaka Buddhist
Buddha means the Enlightened Being or the Enlightened One.
True
Major Hindu Ritual Groups:
Vaishnavites/ Shaivites/ Saktas
Vaishnavites worship
Vishnu
Rinzai
Zen Buddhism in Japan Uses both zazen and the koan-> Liberation would not come about by reading or chanting. - founded by Eisai (1141-1215) and developed by Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768).
Samkya
a Indian philosophical schools thought hindu
Samkhya
a dualistic understanding of life -> the eternal self and the temporal self The physical world is temporal and subject to change. The eternal world is invisible according to our sensory perceptions. the true reality goes beyond the physical world. In this manner, the physical and the sacred are two independent realms. hinduism
Madhva's daulity
asserts that the divine reality and everyday world are completely separated from each other.Thus, his school of thought is labeled "Dvaita" (Dual) Vedanta. According to __________, Brahman and the individual self are separable in essence. Hinduism
kundalini yoga
attempts to bring the mind and body to a state of deep consciousness and to bring them into a state of unity, whereby everything is indivisible
Monotheism
belief in one and only God
Yajur Veda
ceremonial knowledge
Sama Veda
chant knowledge
Raja Yoga
concentrates on mental discipline in order to reach the divine
Purusha had to destroy himself to generate the human world, which created the
different castes : are different parts of his body head, hand, thigh, and feet
Amida Buddha
divine savior)
What are the main characteristics of Krishna?
divine wisdom, selflessness, love, and devotion.
Advaita Vedanta
emphasized meditation, good karma, and knowing Brahman. hinduism
Shankara's Advaita Vedanta
emphasizes a single reality by claiming that Brahman is the only reality, which represents non dualism in Hindu religious thought. Advaita literally means "non-dual." [ the physical world and eternal reality do not exist separately; they are, in reality, not different. Everything except Brahman is transitory and impure, and each of these things is a product of the illusions created through sensory perception. Therefore, Shankara's interpretation of Vedanta, called monism, focuses on only One Reality.]
Saktas worship
female goddesses
Hatha Yoga
focuses on bodily practices, which are often used for the purpose of physical exercise
Five Skandhas
form, sensation, perception, disposition, consciousness Buddhist
who brought Soto Zen to Japan
founded by Eisai Dogen (1200-53) Buddhist
Ahimsa
gondhi's nonviolence non-violence: All life is ultimately one and that there is a divine element in every person. In inuring others we are injuring the whole of which we are part, and injuring the ultimate Truth or Reality which we call God. [hinduism]
Nagarjuna's (100-200 CE) School of Negation, Madhyamika, and sunyata (emptiness) as his main notion
greatly contributed to the foundation of Mahayana Buddhism. The distinction between the opposites is, ________________, nothing but a human concept that is devoid of reality. All value judgments -good and evil, true and false, right and wrong, this and that—are human conceptual constructions. Every value judgment should be negated. So this school is also referred to as the School of Middle Path (to avoid absolute one-sidedness). Buddhist
Shankara's Advaita Vedanta holds that
he physical world and the true/eternal reality do not exist separately and are in reality "not different" (not two, A-dvaita). Only Brahman is Eternal, Indescribable and impersonal. So, Advaita Vedanta claims "monism," emphasizing oneness with Brahman.
Soto Zen ( Japan) focuses on
intensive sitting meditation and the belief that we all are actually Buddha. With Zazen, all things are in the same world; there is no distinction between this-world and that world. Everything is undivided in the Zazen version of practice and enlightenment. Japanese
Samsara
is a term frequently coupled with karma. _______refers to a "cycle of birth and rebirth." According to the Katha-Upanishad, the human spirit continues through a series of life cycles until it is completely united with Brahman. Hindu
Karma
literally means "action." One's past actions determine one's current status. __________ relates directly to the principle of causality. Hindu ethics underscore ________; the best way to attain good _________ is to perform a selfless act derived from Atman. ________ is a law of retribution by which one's actions determine one's future punishment or reward.
Anitya
means "change" or "impermanence." Everything in life is transitory and passing, in constant change. Everything is in process; nothing is fixed or permanent. The world is in an endless process of change and transformation. All existence is_________; everything is subject to change. Buddism
Maya
means an illusion. _______ indicates the phenomenal world as captured by sense perception but to be held as distinct from true reality. hindu
Satya
means being, reality, that which alone truly is, the ultimate. God is not a Person but is beyond thepersonal/impersonal distinction as the ultimate reality underlying everything Gandhi hindu
Samkya, Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta emphasized
meditation, good karma, and knowing Brahman. Hindu
Several Ways to Understand the Sacred Reality (the Divine)
monotheism, pantheism, pan-en-theism polytheism, atheism, agnosticism.
What does "an-atman" mean?
no discrete self Buddhism
What does yoga mean?
otherwise known as marga, way to the divine reality
marga
otherwise known as yoga
Pan-en-theism
refers to a belief that God is beyond the world and in the world. ("everything is in God." For everything to be included in God, God should be more than the world.)
Vedanta
refers to a trend in thought that focused on the Upanishad and was formed in the end of the Vedas
The meaning of Puja
ritual practice of Hinduism: Sacred presence through devotions with their senses: The sounds of mantras and ringing bells/ fragrances with incense and flowers Hindu
According to Siddhartha, suffering is caused by ______________.
self-desire or attachment Buddhism
Hinayana/Theravada
the 1st step of [Tibetan VAJRAYANA] path of these is called by the Tibetans: quieting of the mind and relinquishing of attachments through meditation practices. Buddhist
Mahayana
the 2nd step of [Tibetan VAJRAYANA] of these is called 2) The second is __________ training in compassion and loving-kindness. Buddhist
Vajrayana
the 3rd step of [Tibetan VAJRAYANA]of these is called is an advanced esoteric path called ____________ ("the indestructible diamond vehicle") or Tantrayana, said to be the speeded-up path that allows enlightenment within a single lifetime. It includes extremely rigorous practices and rituals derived from the tantric yoga of India. The highest stage of ___________ is the use of the subtle vital energies of the body to transform the mind. Buddhist
The meaning of Buddha
the Enlightened Being or the Enlightened One.
Genesha
the elephant headed god, the god of wisdom
tanhas
the extinction of all selfish desires, attachments ["selfish craving, desire, attachment"] which leads to rebirth prevent one from reaching Nirvana buddist
Brahman is defined as
the sacred foundation of the universe
Brahman
the sacred source and foundation of everything
Brahmin
the highest of the four classes of the caste system, traditionally made up of priests (Purusha's head.)
arhat
the ideal person of Theravada, realizes such an ultimate goal and finally becomes a "perfect being." a person who has reached nirvana buddhist
Atman
the individual self experiencing Brahman. •Brahman-Atman unity
Ramanuja asserted that
the physical world makes up the "body" of the Ultimate Reality. (hinduism)
Shunyata
the realization of nothingness or emptiness. Although things in the phenomenal world appear to be real and substantial outside, they are actually empty within. Nagarjuna's School of Negation (Madhyamika) buddhist
bhakti yoga
the way to the divine reality through devotion (Devotion)
Jnana Yoga
the way to the divine reality through knowledge and wisdom (Knowing)
karma yoga
the way to the divine reality through action or willingness (Action) [moral behavior]
Ahimsa, which means nonviolence, is the core of Gandhi's Hindu principle
true