World Religions Final

Who was the founder of Buddhism and where did he live?

Siddhartha Gutama, in india

Who is Sakyamuni, according to mahayana buddhist tradition

“hermit” or “sage of the sakya tribe/clan”

On the day of his birth, what did a brahmin priest predict about siddhartha’s potential future vocation?

he will either be a king or a saint

In the second oracle about Sidhartha’s future, it was predicted that if he saw one of four signs he would leave his family and become an ascetic. what were those four signs?

1. dead body

2. beggar

3. old man

4. sick man

What did sidhartha’s father do to prevent his son from becoming a religious leader?

he secludes him to ensure that he became a monarch

during his period of extreme self-denial, sidhartha was confronted with a double paradox, what was that paradox?

he was so attached to nonattachment that it has become an attachment

upon enlightenment, the founder of buddhism is said to have declared what?

birth is no more because desire is no more

what does buddha mean

one who is awake

upon his enlightenment, the buddha was initially tempted to do what hinduism taught that he should do, which was what?

seclusion

since buddha appointed no successor, what ultimately was considered his sucessor

the 4 noble truths are the successor

how many denominations of buddhism developed in the years shortly after the death of buddha? how many of those survived?

18 denominations, Teravada survived

in what sense was sidhartha gautama a bit like the protestant reformer martin luther?

didn’t want to start a religion, worried about corruption, issues with doctrine

what are the doctrines of hinduism that sidhartha was disturbed by?

caste system, thousands of god

is the historic buddha the god of buddhism?

no! he is like a prophet

some buddhists believe in god while others reject gods. which denomination reject god, and which believe in one or more gods?

theravada buddhists don’t belive in god;

according to theravada buddhism, how does one obtain salvation?

redemtion through good works, becom an arhat through isolation, reach nirvana through personal purification

what is the meaning of the buddhist term sunyata?

all things are empty of inherent, independent existence

what is the buddhist view of the self?

the self is an ever changing collection of mental, physical, and emotional processes

do all buddhists believe in reincarnation?

no, they teach rebirth

what is an arhat (in theravada buddhism)?

a person who has reached enlightenment and completed the journey of escaping the cycle

Mahayana buddhism focus more on what?

becoming a boddhisatva

what did sidhartha discover about extremism in how one lives one’s life?

should be moderate in all things

1.   In class, we listed “5 Vows” that all Buddhists are expected to take, and then “5 Vows” specific to monasticism. What were those 10 vows, and who commits to live each?

5 vows:

1. no killing/harming

2. no stealing or taking

3. no sexual misconduct

4. no untruthfulness

5. no partaking of intoxications

extra 5

6. no eating between meals

7. no secular entertainment

8. no adorning of body

9. no high or wide beds

10. no accepting of money

why is it that buddhists avoid intoxicants?

reckless and against the 5 vows

what does mahayana mean?

the greater vehicle

what is the central tenet of zen buddhism?

to use meditation as a means of becoming completely involved in the present so you can overcome

what are koans - most commonly used by zen buddhists?

antirational riddles

for practitioners of zen what is the goal of life?

wake up to your true nature and live in the moment

the focus on pure land buddhism is on what?

union with the ultimate comes through grace, achieve enlightenment and be reborn into a celestial new land

buddhism entered tibet at the same time that that what religious events were happening?

muhammad founding islam, the restoration of israel on the arabian penninsula

what does the term triptaka mean? what denomination is it tied to?

the three baskets; theravada buddhism

which denomination of buddhism treats the physical copies of their scriptures with great reverence and ritual esteem?

vajrayana or tibet buddhism

which denominations of buddhism claim that their scriptures are the actual words of sidhartha gautama and can be traced back to him?

all of them

stupas or pagodas each contain what inside? wand why is that an important thing to contain?

a relic of one of the buddhas, it makes the space more sacred

what is a mudra, the meaning, and which denomination is it found?

hand positions, “to please”, Vajrayana

emaciated statues of the buddha represent him at what stage of his life?

the 6 years of extreme self denial

what does a topknot on a depiction of buddha represent

advanced wisdom or enlightenment

why do buddhists sometimes use an eight-spoked wheel to represent their religion

the eightfold middle path

what is mandala and what details did we share about them and their purpose?

colored sand drawings, used for initiation for vajrayana monks

1.   The orange or saffron color of the robes of Theravada monks symbolize what?

death, death to the things of the world

The Dalai Lama is officially associated with which denomination of Buddhism?

Tibet/Vajrayana

The Dalai Lama is believed to be an incarnation of what popular Vajrayana/Mahayana deity?

Avalokitesvara

why is the current dalai lama considering not transmigrating but appointing a successor?

the chinese' government’s intervention in appointing figures

whcih denomination have the most positive view of women?

tibet/vajrayana

what are the four noble truths?

1. life is pain and life is suffering

2. apain and suffering are caused by craving and selfish desire and attachment

3. craving and attachment can be eliminated

4. the eightfold middle path leads to the extinction of suffering

what are the components of the 8-fold middle path?

1. right understanding/view

2. right purpose/aspirations/thoughts

3. right speech

4. right conduct

5. right livelihood

6. right effort/endeavor

7. right alterness/mindfulness

8. right concentration/mediation

what is the monkey mind in buddhism?

brain jumping from thing to thing, ADHD vibes

what are skadhas and what are the five elements of each one?

“heap”

1. form

2. senses

3. conscience

4. subconscience

5. intellectual powers

what did the buddha teach about the permanence of the soul’s five elements?

they are not permenent, they change in every exxistence

what denomination of buddhism is most inclined to believe in transmigration?

tibet/Vajrayana

when and where was the founder of confucianism born?

551 BCE in china

why did confucious have a very difficult and impoverished upbringing?

he was born of his father’s concubine

part of the reason confucious had such a large following was not just because of his brilliance, but also because what?

he was charismatic

historians often believe that confucius was the first professional/paid what?

teacher

confucious died feeling like a failure because of what?

sought high government post, but never succeeded in that

confucious was so popular that when he died, one of his disciples did what for 3 years?

lived in a mourning pad next to his grave>

what did confucious say education was for and also not for?

for - becoming a better person

no for - make you smarter and prepare you for the work force

what are the 6 arts/disciplines that confucious felt everyone should stay educated in?

I/changes - spiritual development

Shih/poetry - studying literature

shu/history - learning from the bast

li/rituals - paying back your ancestors

yueh/music - influences many things

ch’un chi’iu - spring/autumn annals

confucious’ primary motivation was his sense that the government was what?

immoral; corrupted

tradition claims that more than half of confucious students eventually became what?

government officials, administrators

why did confucious not encourage his followers to believe in god?

they are concerned about the here and now

till you learn to serve men how can you serve ghosts

What does the phrase “You’re Confucian at Work, Taoist on Weekends, and Buddhist at Death” mean?

the three religions mix with each other in chinese culture

what is the purpose of life in confucian thought? and what is central?

realization of world peace; improve yourself, the world, and those you interact with

how many cardinal virtues does confucianism have and what are they?

1. jen - proper relationships

2. yi - sense of duty/obligation

3. li - proper social conduct

4. chih - wisdom and application thereof

5. hsin - loyalty to your own words

what are the 5 social relationships of confucianism

1. father to son

2. elder brother to younger brother

3. ruler to subject

4. husband to wife

5. older friend to younger friend

for nearly 2,000 years (in China), you had to pass an exam covering the “Confucian Classics” if you wished to do what?

a government official/employee

rather than making tons of laws, confucious felt that governments should rule through what?

teaching morality

confucious felt that rulers and government officials should be icons of what?

moral virtue and ethical conduct

what is the concept of rectification of names

cheng ming

what are the primary distinctions between ancient confucianism and neo confucianism

a        Ancient – focuses on improving the self to bring about peace

b       Neo-Confucianism – live in harmony with the cosmic tao, borrows from Buddhism and Taoism

what provoked the creation of Shinto?

japanese military

when was shinto founded?

6th century BCE

shinto was founded around the same time as what other religions?

daoism, confucianism, jainism, buddhism and nephi leaving

what is the oldest religion in japan and what are the most common religions

shintoism

shintoism and buddhism

why is it that many people in japan feel comfortable practicing more than one religion at a time?

answers different questions, rely on military power

shinto - how to live life

buddhism - what happens after we die

what does shinto mean?

the way of the gods

if you mention the gods to a practitioner of shinto, what two ideas are likely to come to mind?

1. the many spirits within everything

2. the pantheon in their mythology

who are the main figures in the shinto pantheon?

izanagi - god of the sky

izanami - goddess of the earth

amaterasu - the goddess of the sun

tsuki-yomi - the god of the moon

susano - the storm god

what did izanami give birth to?

35 kami and 8 islands of japan

what did izanagi give birth to?

the largest of the japanese islands

amaterasu (left eye)

tsuki yomi (right eye)

susano (nose)

who is the most important/influential deity in the ancient shinto pantheon?

izanagi

where did amaterasu hide that caused darkness to reign over the earth?

a cave

how did amaterasu’s husband coax her out of her hiding place

appealing to her vanity - saying there is a more beautiful person outside

the first emperor of japan was a descendant of whom and what was the relationship?

susano and amaterasu

japan is god’s chosen land and the emperor is a descendent of the gods

if you neglect the kami or fail to appease them what might happen?

you will suffer

most questions regarding shinto practice can be answered by what statement?

to appease the kami

where are kami most present?

nature

what is the shinto two-fold purpose of life?

ensure the kami are kept happy, at peace, and acknowledged

celebrate the land and the people of japan

does shinto have canonical scriptural texts?

not really

the records of ancient matters and the chronicles of japan

the primary rite of shinto is what

seeking purity and cleanliness

if one is not clean or one’s land is not clean what will be prevented from happening?

the kami will not bless it

what kind of offerings do practitioners of shinto make to the kami

clean, food, drink, water, flowers, money

what is the name of the gate outside of shinto shrines and what do those gates symbolize?

torii gate

entering the sacred world from the common world

why are mirrors commonly employed in shinto?

amaterasu symbol, the doorway through which kami enter our world and enter their world

what are matsuri in shinto? and what is their primary purpose?

holidays and festivals; to appease the kami

practitioners of shinto trace everything back to whome

amaterasu

other than the sun what specifically tdoes the red dot in the japanese flag represent?

amaterasu

what is bushido in shinto and what are the seven components

1. gratitude and courage

2. justice

3. truthfulness

4. politeness

5. reserve

6. honor

7. alligiance

does shinto have any denominations?

has a lot, folk shinto, shrine shinto, sect shinto, state shinto - determines where they place their focus and how the kami work

shinto was the state religion of japan. what caused it to no longer be the nation’s official religion?

after WW2 - the us made them downplay it