Buddhism Exam 2

Week 7 to Present

Brahman is basically the same thing as Nirvana

False

What we truly are namely Atman can act in the world. Ie Atman is causally efficacious

False

Hinduism is: Polytheistic or Monotheistic

Depends on the specific tradition within Hinduism

The Gita functions as a response to Buddhism because

It says the Buddhist 8-fold path is not the only path to liberation (If it is a path at all)

It says you don’t need to retreat to a monastery (external renunciation) to be liberated and if everyone did that then civilization itself may unravel

It says by renouncing internally you can be liberated even while doing your part to maintain civilization

Arjuna’s dilemma is simply that he foresees bad consequences if he’s made to kill his own family in battle

False

What follows from Jnana Yoga?

Arjuna won’t actually kill anyone

The true selves of those killed in battle will be reborn to new bodies

Anyone has an excuse to do anything, since Karama can’t touch Atman

Arjuna isn’t actually an agent of action I.e. He actually won’t be doing the killing even if he fights

Arjuna’s only real choice seems to be:

witnessing his fighting with suffering and karma or witness his fighting without suffering and karma

Non-attachment in Karma Yoga means not caring about outcomes

False

How exactly is Arjuna supposed to fight but in a way that allows him to not suffer or incur any karma?

By practicing non-attachment and letting go of the outcome

If someone had evenness of mind then they will be carried away with the emotional highs and lows of life

False

According to the Gita non-attachment to x is simply a matter of not caring about x

False

“Evenness of mind” means not experiencing the highs and lows of life. You simply have a flat affect or are emotionless no matter what comes your way

False

If its right that when you’re attached to x that you’re probably doing x for yourself then if you can genuinely do x for someone else and not yourself:

then you won’t be attached to x

won’t get any bas karma associated with doing x

while might still be attached to x, you won’t suffer for x

Why according to the Gita does sacrificial action lead to a release from karma

God may simply “obliterate" any karma because God is pleased by all sacrifices.”

It doesn't. Even if you genuinely sacrifice, your action may still accrue karma.

Because by being devoted to God, through sacrifice for God, you will be reunited with God. And once reunited you will not be reborn

Because it gives you evenness of mind. 

For many Hindus, which is the most accessible path/Yoga?

Bhakti

Which is the highest form of devotion according to the 9 forms?

Self-surrender

Yoga as we know it in the West today is really which stage of Raja Yoga

Asana (postures)

As we discussed in class, what is the demonic person’s grave mistake

They take credit for their accomplishments

In the culmination of the Gita, Arjuna’s choice if he was one at all is between fighting and not fighting

False

If Arjuna can fight and thereby fulfil his dharma without suffering or incurring karma then the upshot of the Gita is that everyone can work to maintain civilization without sacrificing moksha

True

According to the Gita proficiency in all Yogic paths is necessary to achieve moksha

False

How are ancient Buddhists likely to respond to the claim that abandoning your dharma will bring about bad karma because it violates the will of God.

They will say that they are not convinced that the 4 Varna system is divinely ordained

The Marxist critique of The Gita may offer compelling reasons for being skeptical of the claims being made, but if you think it means everything that The Gita says is false, then you would be committing 

a genetic fallacy.

If you were to experience yourself as a unicorn, then this would be sufficient for proving that you are in fact a unicorn

False

While non-attachment may lead to non-suffering, a Buddhist is likely to claim that non-attachment is impossible without understanding no-self.

True

What is the best explanation for the diachronic synthesis of our mental events according to Hinduism?

An enduring self who possess the power of performing this synthesis

Since mental events at earlier stages in "your" series of skandhas, are not really yours according to Buddhism, Hindus claim that saying you can remember these earlier events at later stages in "your series" is tantamount to claiming that you can remember other people's memories, which is absurd.

True

According to "the substance argument," if our mental events are qualities, then this presupposes

that we are substances

Daoist philosophy is essentially the same thing as the Daoist religion

False

If the Daodejing is a work of philosophical therapy then this means that:

It is trying to bring about an affective change in the reader

It is trying to disabuse us of problematic misconceptions or assumptions

The Daodejing doesn’t care much about practical affairs

False

The solution the Daodejing offers is to:

return to nature

get into Wu-Wei

shed ourselves of the corrupting influences of advanced civilization

People often report being optimally responsive and effective while in Wu-Wei

True

Which of the following can be used to gain a sense of the divine even if the divine transcends human language

The via negativa

The analogical method

Pure reason

Conceptual analysis

According to Daoism if I see myself as poor then

This is going to motivate me to try and change my financial reality

According to Daoism which of the following are blocking you from being in natural state?

Seeing yourself as beautiful, evil, rich or just as you are

The Dao and Christian God are the similar in the sense that both are transcendent beings

False

Daoist mysticism is about allowing the Dao to become manifest in practical action

True

Hindu Karma

Cosmic/Natural Justice: "Truly, one becomes good by good action, bad by bad action”

Moksha

Liberation from suffering

Brahman

The principle underlining and informing all things. It is an imperishable, eternal, and immutable one

Atman

The true self. Passive and immutable. Pure consciousness

Dharma

One’s duty. Correct behavior in light of the way things really are

What is Karma Yoga

path of non-attachment

What is Jñāna Yoga

path of knowledge

What is Bhakti Yoga

path of devotion

What is Raja Yoga

path of meditation

What is the Hindu Trinity

Brahma (creates)

Vishnu (preserves)

Siva (destroys)

Many different Hindu traditions disagree on the exact relationship
between Brahman (the one ultimate reality) and the so-called Hindu
Trinity.

Brahmins

These are the Vedic scholars, priests, and teachers. They are responsible for performing rituals, maintaining sacred knowledge, and guiding spiritual practices

Kshatriyas

the rulers, administrators, and warriors. They protect the kingdom, enforce laws, and maintain order. Their duty is to defend and govern

Vaishyas

include agriculturalists, farmers, and merchants. They engage in trade, commerce, and agricultural activities. Their role is essential for economic stability.

Shudras

artisans, laborers, and servants. They perform manual tasks and support the functioning of society. Their work contribute to well-being of community.

The goal of the Gita is to reconcile two now competing world-views:

Renunciation to achieve liberation from suffering.

Practicing one’s inherent duty (Dharma) to maintain civilization and avoid bad karma

What is the solution presented in the Gita?

Practice internal renunciation while doing one’s Dharma —> maintaining the social order while avoiding karmatic repercussions. Soicety set up in a way that is to spiritual discipline

What is external renunciation

renouncing your duty internally while still performing it without attachment → act without getting bad karma

Non-attachment and Suffering

If you have given up attachment to any particular outcome, no longer placing a demand on the world to conform to your desire, you can accept whatever comes to pass

Atman is just a passive observer not an agent of action

True

Evenness of Mind

No matter what experiencing mind/attitude stays the same no matter what with no peaks or valleys.

Does not make you emotionless or Apathetic → second order attitude would be being okay with happiness or sadness experinced.

How do you become non-attached? Esp if you must act

Do things for other people, give up something of value for sake of another person

How does non-attachment free you from karma?

sacrificial action is carried from non-attachment. Sacrifice is to give up something of value for the sake of something else.

Attached to something (x) then doing (x) is for yourself

9 Forms of Devotion: Sravanam

Hearing, Listening to the sacred texts

9 Forms of Devotion: Kirtanam

Chanting/Singing, Vocalizing the Divine’s name, praises, and singing hymns with joy and devotion

9 Forms of Devotion: Pada-sevanam

Serving the Divine’s feet, offering service to the Divine’s lotus feet symbolized by temple service or guru service

9 Forms of Devotion: Archanam

Worship, Formal ritual worship with offerings and prayers

9 Forms of Devotion: Vandanam

Prayer and prostration, Offering salutations, prayers, and obeisances to the Divine

9 Forms of Devotion: Dasyam

Servitude, Living as a devoted servant to the Divine, embodying humility and service to others

9 Forms of Devotion: Sakhya

Friendship, Cultivating a relationship of intimate friendship with the Divine

9 Forms of Devotion: Atma-nivedanam

Complete self-surrender, Offering one’s entire being — body, mind, and actions —to the Divine.

E.g., “Turning one’s will and life over to God.”

This is the highest form of Bhakti

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Yama

Ethical restraints Non‑violence, truthfulness, non‑stealing, non‑possessiveness

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Niyama

Personal discipline Purity of mind and body, contentment, self-study and study of scriptures, openness to the divine.

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Asana

Postures, preparing the body for stillness and meditation

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Prāṇāyāma

Breath regulation, Controlling the life‑force through structured breathing

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Pratyāhāra

Withdrawal of the senses, Turning attention inward by quieting sensory engagement

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Dhāraṇā

Concentration, Focusing the mind on a single object. Can be your breath, a mantra, an idea, or a fixed-point in your awareness

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Dhyāna

Meditation, Continuous, effortless flow of attention toward the object of focus

8 Limbs of Raja Yoga: Samādhi

Integration / Absorption, The final stage of Raja Yoga, where the practitioner experiences complete absorption, self-realization, and union with ultimate consciousness.

The Demonic Person

Deluded into thinking that he or she is in control of outcomes, i.e., they develop a “god complex.” But only God is in control of outcomes. Downfall is belief in our agency. Chasing more of their desire attachment to consequences of action.

What is the argument of the Gita in summary?

Other paths may be sufficient to liberate one from suffering, but they are not necessary.

Any path that asks you to abandon your duty to maintain civilization is problematic and will incur bad karma because it disrespects the will of God

By practicing internal renunciation (via the 4 Yogas) ancient Indians can be liberated from suffering and karma. That is, they can reach moksha while fulfilling their obligation to society.

The Marxist Critique of the Gita

Expresses an ideology that reinforced the economic base of ancient India. Designed to keep people in their current economic roles by promising them salvation from samsara if they simply preform an internal renunciation, not external.

The Gita is designed to maintain the status quo, to keep the priestly class in power at the expense of laborers, farmers, and servants.

The working class are promised something that cannot be prove.

Buddhist Responses to Gita

#1 Response to Karma Yoga - Non-attachment leads to non-suffering, granted, but i) we can say the same thing and ii) non-attachment is impossible without understanding no-self.

#2 Response to Bhakti Yoga - Convenient if true, but we are given no rational proof in the existence of any God that will “obliterate karma.” if someone is sacrificing to God in order to be freed from karma, this is not genuine sacrifice. Genuine sacrifice is only possible once someone’s attachment to self is entirely annihilated.

#3 Response to Jnana Yoga - Again, we are given no rational proof that we

are Atman or that Atman exists.

#4 Response to Raja Yoga - We don’t believe experiencing yourself as pure

consciousness is enough to prove that we really are pure consciousness.

Compare: experiencing yourself as a butterfly is insufficient to prove that you’re really a

butterfly.