BUDDHISM

Buddha

Awakened one

Is Siddhartha Gautama the only Buddha?

No—he’s only the Buddha of THIS age/universe

What is the Buddha of this age called?

Shakyamuni Buddha

Where was Gautama born and in what caste?

Lumbini, India — Kshatriya

What type of life did he live growing up?

luxurious and sheltered—lived as a prince

What were his two destinies?

1. King ←- what his papa wanted

2. Enlightened one

The Four Passing Sights (general)

Gautama witnessing the 4 sights that taught him about chagne/harsh nature of life

Four Passing Sights listed and what they represented

1. Old man = impermanence

2. Ill / Diseased Man = suffering

3. Corpse = inevitability of death

   *These three confronted him w/ the realities of the human conditions

4. Wandering Ascetic / Holy Man = hope of finding a way to transcend the world of suffering and achieve peace

The Great Going Forth

At age 29, Gautama leaves the palace to pursue spiritual fulfillment

What does the great going forth demonstrate?

the victory of the spiritual life over material life and wordly concerns

Who does Gautama encounter after the great going forth?

5 ascetics or mendicants

asceticism

lifestyle marked by extreme discipline, self-denial, and the renunciation of indulgence for a religious purpose

mendicants

ascetics that rely on begging for sustenance

what did asceticism involve?

strict fasting, physical deprivation

What does “The Extremes” refer to

How Gautama went from one extreme (life of indulgence) to another (life of deprivation)

Middle Way

a way that wasn’t too indulgent or too ascetic

• a healthy/balanced approach to the body

• a healthy body is essential to a spiritual life

What did Gautama become after waking up?

Buddha (aka Awakened One)

What does he do in between his enlightenment and deaht?

• preached his first sermon in Deer Park / Varanasi

• Gained his first followers, marking the start of Buddhism as a religion

• Established a monastic community (Sangha)

Explain the Sermon at Deer Park

• given to his day ones (original group of ascetics)

• thought of as the first “turning” of the wheel of dharma

• contains major ideas and concepts of Buddhist thought

The Three Jewels + what they mean

1. The Buddha = the person and his example

2. The Dharma = Buddha’s teachings and wisdom

3. The Sangha = Buddhist community

What was the language the Sangha spoke?

Pali

What does it mean when a person “takes refuge in the 3 jewels”?

means they make a formal commitment to Buddhism

Is Nirvana an otherworldly place?

No—you are already in Nirvana. you js have to realize it (awakening)

What prevents us from seeing that we’re already living in Nirvana?

ignorance and CRAVING

3 Marks of Existence (list them)

• anatta

• anicca

• dukkha

anatta

no self —> the denial of a permanent self. No ultimately reality of the self that endures beyond the present

What is the self made up of?

non-self elements

Who are you?

the events leading up to the individual you are in the present

Self is a ___

process

T/F: The self remains constant

False—the self comes and goes. The idea of yourself always changes

Anicca

Impermanence—all things in existence are in a state of constant change

our failure to recognize Anicca/impermanence leads to what?

suffering

Dukkha

Suffering or Dissatisfaction

Why does Dukkha arise?

b/c humans link their happiness to things (ex: material things, self image, situations/outcomes) that will inevitably change and are not under our control

T/F: Buddhist Rebirth is similar to Hindu Reincarnation

True—Buddhism believes in rebirth

If there is no atman, what carries on to the next life?

The energy of one life creates another—your karma carries over

What does karma refer to in Buddhism

things a person CHOOSES to do or say (intention > action)

Dependent origination

the idea that this moment creates the next —> everything you do has an effect and everything/everyone is connected

What does harm result from?

thoughts, words, or actions motivated by one of the 3 poisons

The 3 poisons (list them)

• ignorance/delusion

• aversion/hatred

• attachment/craving

What does Buddhism emphasize in the ethical dimension?

intention + the mind/perception of reality

5 Precepts (list them)

1. Do not take life

2. Do not take what is not given

3. Do not engage in sensuous misconduct

4. Do not use false speech

5. Do not drink intoxicants

4 Noble Truths (general definition)

a method to end suffering

Why does Buddha’s teachings differ from other teachings?

b/c his teachings are not based on divine revelation, but instead on his own experiences

4 Noble Truths (list them)

1. To live is to experience suffering

2. Suffering is caused by desire

3. Suffering can be brought to cessation/an end

4. The solution to suffering is the Noble 8-Fold Path

Tanha

Selfishness or Self-oriented desire/craving

The Noble Eightfold Path (list them and each training)

Wisdom training

1. Right views

2. Right intentions

Morality training

3. Right Speech

4. Right Conduct

5. Right Livelihood

Concentration training

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Meditation

Right Views

developing a deep understanding of the Buddha’s teachings

Right intentions

cultivating positive attitudes and purifying motivations and thoughts of negativity/thoughts of the three poisons

right speech

showing truth and charity in speech and avoiding vocal misdeeds (like lies, slander, gossip, and harsh words)

right conduct

engaging in ethical behavior (esp as outlined in 5 precepts)

right livelihood

working in occupations that uphold life and avoiding those that corrupt one’s wholesome nature

right effort

highlights the critical role of effort and discipline (regular practice and self control) in following the path

right mindfulness

developing attention to what is happening in the present moment and awareness of one’s thoughts, words, deeds, and their wider impact

right meditation

using meditation techniques to calm and strengthen the mind and ultimately make mindfulness more available

Explain Wisdom Training

Understanding of Buddha’s teachings, purifying oneself of the 3 poisons, and cultivating generosity and insight

Explain Morality Training

Conducting onself in speech and behavior to move oneself forward toward greater truth and selflessness

Explain Concentration Training

cultivating mental discipline needed to fully understand and live out the Buddhist path and ultimately to awaken to the truth of the world as it is (aka achive enlightenment)

The 5 Precepts are central to what training?

Morality Training

Is craving things the problem?

yes—the things craved are not necessarily bad

What does Nirvana translate to?

“blowing out” or “becoming extinguished”

What part of Hinduism did the Buddha not fw and why?

• sacrificial rituals and the speculative philosophy —> He preferred looking inwards and observing the human condition instead of looking outward to the divine

• caste system —> wanted to accept everyone

• the idea of only brahmins being enlightened

What did Buddha think of the existence of gods and devotional rituals to them?

He accepted existence of gods, but thought devotional rituals to them were unnecessary

What is the similarity and difference between their cosmologies

SIMILARITY: both believed time was cyclical and the universe eternal (samsara)

DIFFERENCE: In Hinduism, enlightenment through Moksha. In Buddhism, enlightenment through Nirvana.

what are the gestures of the hands of the buddha statues called and what do they mean

mudras—indicative of important things the Buddha did and which we should do also

Urna — what was it and what did it symbolize?

Tuft of hair or third eye between his eyebrows symbolizing spiritual insight

ushnisha — what was it and what did it symbolize?

a bump on the top of his head symbolizing his attainment of enlightenment

elongated earlobes — what did it represent

reminds us that Buddha was once a prince who wore heavy jewelry which stretched out his earlobes

Bhumisparsa Mudra — what did it symbolize

Symbolizes his enlightenment under Bodhi tree + victory over Mara

Buddha made this gesture right before his enlightenment to call the earth Goddess witness to his worthiness to become a Buddha —> in response, the earth shook and the evil demons of Mara who had been tormenting fled in terror

What is the Bhumisparsa Mudra also called?

the “earth witness” mudra

What type of religion is Buddhism consider (___theism)

pantheistic or nontheistic

What does the Great Going Forth demonstrate?

the victory of spiritual life over material life and its focus on worldly concerns

For how many years did the Shakyamuni Buddha teach?

45 years

Buddha life Timeline (not entirely sure if this is right)

1. Four Passing Sights

2. Great Going Forth

3. Extremes

4. Middle Way

5. Gautama’s Awakening

6. Sermon at Deer Park + Noble 8Fold Path

7. Teaches for 45 years

8. Dies :(