Buddhism

what is "american convert" buddhism attractive for?

those seeking self-improvement

what country does buddhism origin from?

india

where does buddhism span heavily throughout?

asia

how did buddhism come to the us?

through immigrants to san francisco

what movement also helped buddhism come to the us?

hippie movement (in the sixties)

what does the word "buddha" mean?

enlightened one

what else can buddhism manifest as?

a philosophy, a mindset, a set of practices

what is the throughline in all of the various types of buddhism?

all comes from the teachings of the historical buddha

what is the name of the buddha in his final life?

siddhartha

what is the family name of the buddha?

gautama

what does shakyamuni mean in terms of the buddha?

sage of shakya clan

where was the buddha born?

near the comtemporary border of nepal and india

what is buddhism linked to in ancient india?

sramana movement

about when did buddhism originate?

~6-4 centuries BCE

what "place" is buddhism in for biggest religions?

4th place worldwide

about what percent of the world population is buddhist?

about seven percent

what is the goal of buddhism?

overcome suffering of samsara (generalization)

what is samsara?

the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

how long did it take for the buddha to achieve enlightenment?

many lifetimes

what are two main paths to liberation?

meditation and moral precepts (rules)

buddhists are those who...

seek refuge (generalization)

how many refuges/jewels are there to protect from the samsara?

three

what are the three refuges from the samsara?

the buddha, the dharma, and the sangha

what is dharma in terms of buddhism?

the teachings of the buddha

what is sangha?

buddhist community of practicers

what is a goal in buddhism relating to the meaning of the word "buddha" itself?

also "waking up" and being enlightened by the buddha

how many canonical languages does buddhism have?

five or six

name five of the canonical languages of buddhism

sanskrit, pali, chinese, tibetian, and japanese

what language were the earliest buddhist teachings in?

pali

who is the dalai lama?

important leader especially connected to tibetan buddhism

what does the dalai lama renact on a daily basis?

what it would be like to die

what is bodhisattva?

person on the path to becoming a buddha

what is the middle way?

a basic buddhist teaching that rejects both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self-denial of asceticism

what is nirvana?

the goal of all buddhists; enlightenment, realization of non-self

what is the name of the "fat buddha?"

budai or hotei

who was budai?

a monk who lived in medieval japan. always jolly/happy, often with a sack for goodies

not related to the historical buddha

how does the folklore about budai relate to buddhism?

it's incorporated into the buddhist universe

what is budai interpreted as?

one lifetime of a bodhisattva

what is the budai sometimes called?

a maitreya

what are the only four things most monks own?

razor, toothbrush, sewing kit, bowl

what do monks have on the buddha?

radical dependence

who is siddhartha gautama?

the historical buddha (shakyamuni)

how many marks does gautama have according to traditional buddhism?

thirty-two

name five of siddhartha gautama's marks named in class

long earlobes, snail curls, bump on head, pose of meditation, dressed like a monk, eyes half closed

what was siddhartha gautama?

an indian ascetic and teacher

what do bodhisattvas often wear?

princely clothing

there is dispute about when the buddha was born. generally when was he born?

~500 BCE

how was the buddha conceived?

his mother dreamt of a white elephant and then the white elephant jumped into her belly

how many steps did the buddha take when he was born? what happened during each step?

seven, a lotus bloomed

what did the buddha say on his final step right after being born?

"this is my final life"

what were the two options of what the buddha was destined to be?

a world conquering king or a great world renouncing ascetic

what did the buddha's parents want him to be?

a king

how did his parents try to influence the buddha to become a king?

they attempted to get him hooked on a life of luxury

how old was the buddha when he got married to a beautiful woman?

sixteen

how old was the buddha when he started to wonder what life was like outside of the palace?

twenty-nine

what were the four passing sights?

- old man with a can

- a sick man

- a corpse

- a renouncer monk

what was the buddha's setback before becoming a renouncer?

his wife had a baby

what did the buddha name his son & what does the name mean?

"rahula," which means fetter/chain

what was "the great going forth" and how did the buddha execute it?

it was when he took a french exit in the middle of the night to become a renouncer

how did the buddha get out of the palace-city?

he was on a horse and his horse leaped over the walls surrounding it

how did the buddha start off as a renouncer?

spent six years wandering with great spiritual masters

what was the buddha's severe asceticism

in the period when he was hanging out with five other ascetics & would only eat a single grain of rice and have a single droplet of water per day

what is the meaning of the middle way?

avoidance of the two extremes

what does the name siddhartha literally mean?

"the one who hits the mark" (like in archery)

where did the buddha meditate in hopes of achieving enlightenment?

under the bodhi tree

what does bodhi literally mean?

awakened/enlightened

who was mara?

a demon tempter, the demon of death & desire

what was mara's first attack on the buddha?

firestorms with coal, hot mud, nails, an hot arrows

how did the buddha react to mara's first attack?

he remained calm and serene

what happened to the things that were thrown at the buddha during mara's first attack?

everything turned into flower petals before hitting him

what was mara's second attempt to throw off the buddha?

sent his daughters lust, thirst, and discontent, disguised as beautiful women

what was mara's final attempt to throw off the buddha?

making a legal challenge claiming that the buddha could not sit under the bodhi tree because the tree belonged to him (mara)

how did the buddha affirm his right to be under the bodhi tree?

he touched the earth calling on mother earth to vouch for him, which mother earth confirmed with an earthquake

why did mother earth allow the buddha to be under the bodhi tree?

because he was so generous as a prince in one of his past lives

when did the buddha become awakened?

the night he called earth to witness

what are the three watches to becoming a buddha?

1: seeing all past lives and identifying that that makes him himself

2: gaining insight into true mechanism of karma

- understanding universal law of cause and effect

3: seeing in one instantaneous present that the one he thinks is him is a mere projection; no soul

when does the buddha wake up?

when he sees that neither the world nor himself has an essence

what is the world according to buddhism?

"interdependent multiplicity"

what are the three main branches of buddhism?

theravada, mahayana, vajrayana

what does brahma ask buddha to teach him? how does the buddha respond

to be taught to achieve liberation

buddha originally says no because he (brahma) won't get it but finally agrees

what was the sermon at the deer park about?

turning the wheel of dharma. established the core principles of buddhism

who was the sermon at the deer park to?

the five ascetics he was starving himself with when he first became a renouncer

i also wrote here "who can kill themself the fastest" here and i don't remember what that means but i remember grindon said something about it so do with that what you will

what is the title for the buddha?

thus come one

what happened to the buddha at age eighty?

he became very sick with food poisoning

who were the buddha's final words to?

monks and nuns

what happened to the buddha when he died?

ascended through stages of meditation to state of perfect tranquility, died, passed forever into nirvana

what is a simple aspect of buddhist teachings?

they are the insights of a mere human being

what does buddhism emphasize?

wisdom development

what do buddhism and hinduism both regard time as?

cyclical

what is a basic idea to both buddhism and hinduism?

the idea of samsara

how did the buddha feel about hinduism?

discontent with how it focused on brahmins

what language was buddhism originally in?

pali!!!

what are the three marks of existence?

anatta, anicca, and dukkha

what is anatta?

a doctrine/idea denying a permanent self

what is anicca?

a doctrine/idea that all existing things are constantly changing (impermanence)

what is dukkha?

a basic insight that suffering is a part of existence

what are the five precepts (definition)

basic moral requirements

name the five precepts

- do not take life

- do not take what is not given

- do not engage in sensuous misconduct

- do not use false speech

- do not drink intoxicants

how many precepts are there for monks and nuns?

the five for everyone plus five more, so ten

what are the four noble truths (definition)

central teachings to buddhism