Final

"Mandate of heaven"

is a theory of ancient China that suggests that those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source or heaven.

Can you relate these two aspects of existence to the teaching of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, in his conversation with Diana Eck in the film Becoming the Buddha in La?

"Becoming the Buddha in La question: The Vietnamese monk was sitting on the floor with Diana Beck and he was putting out there the principle of non self and how it shapes people's lives. Diana asked to say some more things about non self, he said well take a flower for a second. Can that flower be a thing without anything else? If the soil has no nutrient chemicals in it. It cannot be a flower, and cannot be otherwise. Therefore, anything that exists, exists so tightly and a combination with others. There are contributions of reality that we share." Buddha realizes that it is difficult to be selfish when there is no one to be selfish with.

What elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism were present in the film Iron and Silk?

-Pan Ching Fu is part Daoist and Confucianist -there were no mirrors in his studio because he is Confucian enough that he thought mirror would cause Mark to lose face -Daoism is majorly different than Confucianism is that it starts within the self

What are 2 additional aspects, concerning our selfhood and our hunger for permanence in our lives that are also important to his thinking about the human condition?

Buddha believed in two aspects which are nonself and impermanence. The Buddha taught that all conditioned things are impermanent and change. In regard to nonself, Buddha taught that the "self" is temporary, meaning that there is nothing permanent in you or that the self does not belong to you. As discussed in class, this means that nothing can exist by it's own; everything intervenes. -3 Marks of Existence 1.) Sufferings 2.) impermanence nothing last forever desire for permanence is part of the illusion 3.) non-self the idea that the self is an enduring continuity is an illusion -when one recognizes that the self is an illusion, then getting rid of the self means that there is no place for the Tanha to hook it is hard to be selfish when there is no self

In what century did Buddha live? What was the fundamental puzzle that he was obsessed with?

Buddha lived from 560-480 BC, as said in the reading "In the Path of The Masters." Buddha's core problem was that he did not understand why pain and suffering must exist, his questions concerned pain/suffering and the rebirth cycle.

Maya

is a concept that is related to Hinduism, it means illusion. It refers to accepting temporary things as lasting.

He Confucius taught that we humans should cultivate several qualities in our lives. What are any two of these? (you are welcome to use English terms)

Confucianism places a significant emphasis on righteousness, honesty, loyalty, and love. He also placed an emphasis on Li with dealth with culture, manners, propriety, and self-awareness. li [lee] The Confucian principle of righteousness or propriety. Li can refer to ritual and correct conduct in society propriety, appropriateness, and conformity 5 Qualities humans exert their own uprightness regardless of outward circumstances humans are magnanimous, expressing forgiveness toward others humans are sincere in speech and action and are not a mouthpiece for hire humans are earnest humans are benevolent, always generous in their relationships with people.

What were the "five axes" of interpersonal relationships on which K'ung built his ideal ideal society? Relate the principle of "downward accountability" to these relationships.

Confucius believed that harmony will only prevail if people accept their roles, the "five axes". The relationships are ruler to subject, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. The "downward accountability" principle essentially means that one is accountable to their partner. In these relationships, whether one is considered to be higher or more respectable, both are accountable to their partner and are considered to be responsible for the well-being of the other, much as in the husband to wife relationship, the husband is accountable to the wife and vice versa, regardless of whether the husband is considered to be the head of the household.

In what century did K'ung Fu-tsu (Confucius) live?

Confucius lived from 551-479 B.C.E.

What was the fundamental puzzle that he was obsessed with? What was his answer?

Confucius was obsessed with the human nature and whether humans are good or bad. He found that overall humans mean well. His mandate of heaven was to restore morality to China to achieve ren and li.

We noted in class that Islam is the most explicit/prescriptive of all the world's religions. How does this reflect the environment in which this faith arose? How is this expressed in the opening surah (chapter) of the Qur'an?

During the time that Muhammad lived, his followers were faced with violence and oppression. In many verses in the Qur'an, it can be interpreted as having some violent scriptures. But this was done in order to urge followers to defend themselves during those oppressive times. Muhammad and his followers faced much oppression and violence, so it was written in that context. This is expressed in the opening surah because the opening suggests that they are turning to God in worship during the oppression, asking him to be their refuge. Another aspect to be considered is the geographic context in which Muhammad's life developed, we can see that people back then did not always have the necessary resources to survive and they oftentimes lived around a notion of uncertainty; they did not know exactly what the future had in store for them or how they should lead their lives. This led people to develop a path that is correct for everyone, one that all people without exception can follow regardless of their situation. In the opening surah of the Qur'an Muslims turn to Allah in prayer asking for guidance through the straight path.

Asceticism

is a severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

What 4 great insights ("the noble truths") did Buddha arrive at? (One complete sentence on each, please)

Gautama Buddha's answer can be summed by describing the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is that in this world, every existing being will face suffering and pain. The Second Noble Truth is that desire causes suffering. The Third Noble Truth is that the only way to end suffering is to stop craving. The Fourth Noble Truth is that the eight-fold path is the way to put an end to all cravings.

When did Lao-tsu live? How does Taoism complement Confucianism in the life (yes, still today) of a chinese person?

Lao Tzu was born about 570 B.C. Taoism and Confucianism complements each other because Confucianism is about social order, ruling, stability, etc. Whereas Taoism is about feeling vs. knowing. Taoism allows one to enjoy naturalness and going with the flow. This is why many people in the East are often believers of both philosophies, the philosophies balance each other.

In what centuries did Mohammed (Muhammad) live?

Muhammad lived from 570-632 C.E.

Muhammad's name means:

Muhammad means praiseworthy, highly praised, or glorified.

Muhammad was born into a world of many divinities and faiths (360+ in Mecca). Among these pre-Muslim faiths, which two did he most identify with?

Muhammad shared many similarities with Christianity and Judaism.

The two main branches of Islam: Which predominates in Saudi Arabia? In Iran?

Sunnis are Saudi Arabia. Shia makes up the majority of the population in Iran.

What is one of the several meanings of the Chinese term tao (or dao)?

Tao means "the path" or "the way"

What does Confucius mean by his teaching that we should all practice the discipline of "rectification of names?" How would you contrast Taoism in this regard?

The "rectification of names" is the principle that one must accept the role that you play in a relationship. For example, let the ruler be the ruler and let the subject be the subject. If one accepts their position, there would be order and harmony. The Taoist view is much different; the Taoist view denies the theory that names have ultimate significance.

Islam

has two meanings that derived from Salaam or Shalom, which can mean peace be with you or it can mean submission (to Allah). Muslim means one who submits to God's will.

The "five pillars" of devotional practice in Islam:

The five pillars of faith are 1st Profession of faith (Shahada) - the statement that there is one true God and Muhammad is the last prophet, 2nd Prayer or Worship (Salat) - throughout the day Muslims face Mecca and worship God, 3rd Almsgiving (Zakat) sharing wealth with others and giving back, 4th Fasting (Sawm) a time for reflection and discipline/thank God for blessings/repent, and the 5th is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) every Muslim that is financially able must make the pilgrimage to Mecca one in their lifetime.

What is the goal of life, for a Buddhist person?

The goal of a Buddhist is to reach enlightenment, nirvana, or Buddhahood.

The "Middle Way" between what two extremes?

The two extremes are self-indulgence and self-mortification. The middle-way refers to the balance or what some may call "moderation." In the broadest sense, the Middle Way refers to the correct view of life that the Buddha teaches, and to the actions or attitudes that will create happiness for oneself and others. Thus, Buddhism itself is sometimes referred to as "the Middle Way," indicating a transcendence and reconciliation of the extremes of opposing views.

Analects

are a collection of moral and ethical principles articulated by Confucius.

Downward Accountability

ensures accountability towards each other, or in communities. It prioritizes the needs of communities and people. This is found in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Hadith

is a traditional account of things that Muhammad or his companions said or did, such as activities or sayings. narrative stories (called "traditions," or hadith) preserved accounts about the Prophet's example, what he said and did, which is called his Sunnah. These stories or traditions covered everything from Muhammad's advice about prayer, fasting, marriage and divorce, diplomacy, and holy war, to his teachings and example

Qur'an

is the Islamic sacred book. It is believed to be a revelation from God. It consists of suras, which touch upon different aspects. The word " Qur'an" means "recitation" or "reading." It is a compilation of the words revealed by God to Muhammad, transmitted by the angel Gabriel, and written down by Muhammad's followers as he recited them. Muslims believe the Qur'an is the very literal word of God, written in first-person narrative, and containing nothing but the words actually spoken by God and relayed to Muhammad. Not just divinely inspired words, but divine words.

Jihad

means to struggle or strive for Allah. Some define this as a holy war but Jihad means struggle.

How is time experienced in Buddhist consciousness?

time is cyclical to Buddhists. They follow the four ages: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron Gold= everyone obeys the law Silver = Law isn't as important Bronze = Worse Iron = Worst and dharma (social order) isn't known the world becomes dark when Shiva starts the world over again (night of the gods) Christianity and Islam is linear. Christianity believes that life can only go once.

Khadijah

was the first wife of Muhammad. She is considered to be the mother of Islam. In Arabic it means premature child or daughter.

Nirvana

when an individual's cravings and sufferings go away, allowing them to reach a perfect state of peace and happiness, a state of enlightenment.