UNIT 1 Study of Religion PART B

Ascetic

A person who deprives themselves of comforts in the hope of gaining spiritual insight.

Nirvana

Enlightenment.

Bodhisattva

One who can reach nirvana yet delays it for the sake of others.

Tripitaka

The three baskets, or three categories of Buddhist sacred texts

Theravada

A school of Buddhism mainly followed in SE Asia

Mahayana

A school of Buddhism mainly followed in NE Asia

Vajrayana

Tibetan Buddhism

Pali Canon

Sacred texts of Buddhism (sometimes in Sanskrit or Pali) that explain Siddhartha Gautama’s teachings and practices. FOR THERAVEDA BUDDHISTS.

The 3 Jewels

Important people to Buddhism:

The Buddha: The ideal that every Buddhist should follow.

The Sangha: The community of monks and nuns.

The Dharma: The moral beliefs and totality of Buddhist teachings about the world and how to live in it.

The 3 Marks of Existence

Anicca: The idea that everything, including the self, is impermanent and is always changing.

Anatta: The idea that no self or essence is unchanging or permanent (different to Hinduism)

Dukkha: The idea that all life is is suffering.

The 4 Noble Truths

Dukkha: The idea that all life involves suffering

Tanha: The origin of suffering is craving or wanting.

Niroda: The only way to end suffering is to extinguish desire and gain inner satisfaction.
Magga: The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path

1. Right understanding (understanding the first 3 Noble Truths).

2. Right thought (developing thought with intention to follow the Buddhist path; thoughts lead to action).

3. Right speech (avoid using speech that adds suffering to the world like swearing, gossiping, lying etc.)

4. Right conduct (taking action that does no cause harm and tries to lead a person to nirvana like refraining from harming, killing, stealing, intoxicants, sexual misconduct etc.)

5. Right livelihood (one’s work should benefit others rather than harm them; refraining from selling intoxicants or arms dealing etc.)

6. Right effort (the effort to prevent negative thoughts or cravings)

7. Right mindfulness (a deepening of mindfulness which leads to a focused state of consciousness).

8. Right concentration (the practice of meditation)

3 Baskets

Vinaya Pitaka: Discipline. Collection of texts that concern the rules of conduct governing the daily affairs without the sangha (FOR THE SANGHA)
Sutra Pitaka: Discourses. Attributed to the Buddha. Conversations between the Buddha and the Sangh (sermons and teachings)
Abhidharma Pitaka: Philosophy. Specialist teachings that interrogate the idea of mind, natter, and time.

TaNaK

Torah (the law), Nevi’im (the prophets), Ketuvim (the writings)

Torah

First 5 books of the Hebrew Bible

Functions of Sacred Text

1. To preserve and teach the stories of the tradition

2.  To validate the beliefs, rituals and practices of the tradition 

3.  To delineate gender roles and functions

4.  To give direction for the spiritual life

5.  As a source and justification for ethical systems

6.  As a component of ritual

7. To provide a mediated experience of the divine - to encounter God through the text (eg in reading, retelling, chanting, copying, painting, dancing or listening to it)

Halacha

The way that Jewish people go about their lives in accordance to the Mitzvot laid down in the Torah

Common denominations of Christianity

Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox

Fundamentalist Christians

People who believe that every word in the Bible must be taken literally (biblical literalism). They believe that every single word in the Bible is free from error.

Mitzvot

Commandments received in the Torah for Jews to follow in their life

Covenant

The promise God made with Abraham; a relationship of reciprocal loyalty, love, and care

Common Jewish rituals

Shabbat (rest day), circumcision, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Kosher (not eating meat or dairy)

Epistle

Letters in the New Testament from Saint Paul the Apostle to Christians

Book of Revelation

The final book of the New Testament detailing the Apocalypse

Synoptic Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke

Surah

Chapter in the Qu’ran

Ayah

Verse in Qu’ran

Shahadah

Confession of faith (creed)

Salat

Prayer (5x daily)

Zakat

Charity

Sawm

Fasting

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca