Buddhism

Buddhist Ethics

1. Avoid causing harm to others sentiment beings 2. Avoid taking anything that is not freely given 3. Avoid sexual misconduct 4. Avoid untruthfulness 5. Avoid clouding the mind with drugs

The Eightfold Path

1. First you must see clearly what is wrong 2. Next you must decided that you want to be cured 3. You must speak and 4. Speak so as to aim at being cured 5. Your livelihood must not conflict with your therapy 6. That therapy must go forward at the "staying speed," that is, the critical velocity that can be sustained. 7. You must think about it incessantly and 8. Learn how to contemplate with the deep mind.

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life is suffering. 2. Suffering is caused by selfish craving. 3. By ending selfish craving we end suffering. 4. We achieve this goal by following the Eightfold Path.

Syncretism

A combination or fusion of different religions or systems of beliefs. Since the buddha's teachings were not systematic or even written down, the buddhist movement was particularly open to this.

Bodhisattva

A compassionate being; one who delays enlightenment to help others

how did Siddhartha die?

at the age of 80 he died of food poisoning when a man with whom he was staying inadvertently served him food that had gone bad.

describe the flower sermon of the buddha

buddha had a large crowd gathered to hear his words of wisdom. when he looked out and saw all of the anxious faces eager to absorb his teachings. instead of speaking, he looked down and saw a flower growing by his feet. without saying a word, he lifted the flower for all to see. at that moment, one person experienced enlightenment

what does Buddha mean?

buddha means "the awakened one"

what did siddhartha decide to do after his enlightenment?

drawn by compassion, he dedicated the rest of his life - over 40 years - to teaching the simple truths about the practices leading to enlightenment.

what is the middle way?

he invited his companion ascetics to follow this new path. this was a life of balance and harmony, which was best for making oneself a fit vessel for traveling the spiritual path. (instead of living alive a life of extreme self-indulgence and extreme self-denial)

what does it mean to say that the story of the buddha blends fact with myth?

it blends history (the facts) with myth (the profound meaning that lies behind the fact)

what does the story of bodhidharma say about zen attitudes?

the founder of zen was the indian buddhist monk Bodhidharma who traveled from the west into china. legend has it that bodhidharma refused to congratulate the ruler and actually condemned him for placing such emphasis on the external trappings of buddhism. then he sat in a cave for 9 years in meditation.

who is the ideal for the theravada buddhist community?

the ideal is to become enlightened, as siddhartha did, and from this position of being enlightened to teach and guide others. These enlightened members of the theravada community are known as arhats. they want to be like the buddha and call themselves "Theravada" which means "wisdom of the elders."

Four Passing Sights

Sickness, old age, death, and poverty; what Siddhartha encountered instigating his spiritual quest.

Tripitika

"Three Baskets" of the Pali Buddhist scriptures.

anatman

"no self" to push people to realize that there is nothing that can be substantial to which "self" refers, Buddhists use this term. Buddhism has a history of questioning what makes up the self. you are bigger and grander than anything you might identify as self.

Satori

(Japanese) A sudden flash of enlightenment

Amida Buddha

(Japanese) Transcendent Buddha of Divine Light who rules the western Paradise (also Amita or Amitabha)

how is buddha viewed in Mahayana Buddhism?

1) he is liberal 2) he is divine, to whom we can pray 3) bodhisattva is the ideal 4) emphasizes prayer and meditation 5) emphasizes compassion 6) both monks and lay people can participate 7) spread by word of mouth to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

name 3 ways that mahayana buddhism is a "big raft"

1) it makes room for new ideas beyond the original teachings of the buddha 2) it places both monks and laypeople or more equal footing than theravada does. 3) It appraoches the journey to enlightenment in a unique way.

Name 2 concepts that siddhartha accepted from hinduism

1) the buddha accepted reincarnation as a part of human reality but de-emphasized the need to work up through the levels of the caste system. 2) buddhism also accepted the hindu concept of dharma but applied it to the teachings of the buddha, particularly his 4 noble truths.

name the 4 characteristics of zen

1) zen emphasizes simplicity 2) nature 3) direct experience (zazen - sitting meditation) 4) discipline

Triple Gem

Buddha, dharma, sangha; also called the Three Jewels or the Three Treasures.

Mandala

Circular image used for meditation or visualization

Sunyatta

Emptiness; the impermanence and interconnectedness of all beings

Nirvana

Extinguishment, the goal of Buddhism; enlightenment

who is amida buddha?

Japanese - transcendent buddha of divine light who rules the western paradise (also amita or amitabla)

give an example of a koan. what role do koans play in zen buddhism?

KOAN = paradoxical question used in zen meditation examples = the first shall be last and the last shall be first. = what did your face look like before your parents were born? Koans are mind boggling questions given by a zen master to a student. they meditate on the statement and return with an answer. if it does not come from an enlightened mind, they get slapped.

Mara

The embodiment of evil.

Koan

Paradoxical questions used in Zen meditation

what did siddhartha say about reliance on ritual or authority figures or belief in an afterlife?

RITUALS: you should not imagine, brahman, that insight comes by merely laying sticks on a fire. you should trust to the truth this is within you to enrich your spiritual life and not to external rituals. the buddha detests miracles. AUTHORITY: "accept my words only when you have examined them for yourselves: do not accept them simply because of the reverence you have for me" AFTERLIFE: "Vaccha, the idea that I would exist or not exist after death - such ideas lead to dense jungles and arid deserts, to entanglements as though caught by thorns. ****Buddha did not want anything to do with religion****

Asceticism

Self-denial for religious purposes or for spiritual enrichment.

Sangha

The community of Buddhist monks

what is asceticism? how long did siddhartha practice asceticism?

asceticism is the self-denial of religious purposes or for spiritual enrichment. He practiced asceticism for 6 years/

what prediction was made about siddhartha when he was born? how did his father react to this prediction?

a wise old seer said siddhartha was destined for greatness; he would become either a great king or a great spiritual guide. there the seer added a causation that caused the king to shudder: prince siddhartha would become a great ruler unless he encountered sickness, old age, or death. his father was determined to shield his son from sickness, death, and old age. he built a pleasure garden for him and he got everything he wanted.

what incident led siddhartha to reject extreme asceticism?

a little girl offered him a bowl of rice to eat, which was the first proper thing he ate in 5 years. his companion ascetics viewed this act by siddhartha as a rejection of his spritual quest and renounced him as their mentor.

Arhat

a monk who has attained enlightenment

how did women become accepted as buddhist monks?

after his stepmother and some other noble women shaved their heads, dressed as monks, and walked miles over difficult terrain to ask him again, the buddha admitted women into his community. both men and women are monks today.

what realization did shinran come to that changed his life?

shinran had almost completed a 100 day program of chanting while walking around a buddha statue when he came to a profound insight. "Who do I think I am that I believe that I can attain enlightenment through my own efforts? I am relying on the very instrument that I am trying to overcome the self! I am mobody, nothing. I am completely powerless to achieve the goal i seek."

what are the 4 passing sights?

sickness, death, old age, and poverty.

what nationality was the buddha? where did he live?

the buddha is from a section of northern india, which in now called NEPAL. Nationality = GAUTAMA BUDDHA and his name is Siddhartha Gautama

what does the story of the man shot with a poisoned arrow say about siddhartha's view of religious questions.?

the buddha said that the man was asking all of the wrong questions. the right question is much more direct and to the point "is there an antidote to this poison?" the poison of mortality is currently working through our bodies.

how does theravada buddhism look upon the buddha?

they emphasize siddhartha gautama as a human being, not a god. he attained buddhahood through meditative practices and living the life of a monk. If he were a god, he could serve as a role model for mere human beings. they must strictly follow the eightfold path and other disciplines associated with a monk's life.

what test did buddhists tend to use to identify what texts were to be recognized as scriptures?

this chapter includes many passages from a book titled the buddha speaks, suggesting that the sayings are historically verifiable as the words of the buddha himself.

describe the circumstances surrounding siddhartha's enlightenment

you should lose your involvement with yourself and then eat and drink naturally, according to the needs of your body. attachment to your appetites - whether you deprive or indulge them - can lead to slavery, but satisfying the needs of daily life is not wrong. indeed, to keep a body in good health is a duty for other wise the mind will not stay strong and clear. this is the middle path, which leads to enlightenment.