ASIAN M60 Key Terms & Texts

Buddha

Means "Awakened/Enlightened One." Rejected upbringing, left family, then wandered, explored, and studied with many teachers without achieving true awakening. Found his way to awakening on his own. Called Siddartha Gautama, Tathagatha.

Buddha of the past

Dipamkara

Buddha of the future

Maitreya

Theravada Buddhism

"Way of the Elders" branch of Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. Close to the original principles set forth by the Buddha; downplays importance of gods and emphasizes austerity and the individual's search for enlightenment.

Founder: Shakyamuni Buddha is founder

Goal: Nirvana

World: 6 realms of rebirth

Texts: Canon of texts spoken by Buddha

Bodhisattvas: Buddhas to be

Mahayana Buddhism

"Great Vehicle" branch of Buddhism followed in China, Japan, and Central Asia. Goal: Complete, perfect awakening; becoming a Bodhisattva.

Founder: Shakyamuni story is a means not truth

Goal: Nirvana for all beings

World: 6 realms of rebirth across many cosmos

Texts: Canon of texts spoken or inspired by Buddha, some now recovered

Bodhisattvas: Buddhas to be across millions of humans and cosmos

Sutta/Sutra

Dhamma teachings from the Buddha's sermons (means thread). Begins with "Thus have I heard"

The Lakkhanasutta: The Marks of a Great Man

Those who possess the 32 marks of man either become a layperson (wheel-turning monarch) or renunciate (fully enlightened Buddha). Key marks: level soles, long fingers, proportioned body like banyan tree, golden & smooth skin

Buddhacarita: Acts of the Buddha

Poetic Buddha biography that tells the life of the Budda. Themes: kingship, royal life, pleasure, renunciation, teaching, "journey"

Lumbini

Where Buddha was born

Bodhgaya

Where Buddha received enlightenment

Sarnath

Where Buddha gave first sermon

Kusinagara

Where Buddha died

The Prince's Perturbation (Buddhacarita Book 3)

Prince Siddhartha's first venture outside of palace and encounters with inescapable realities of human suffering (aging, illness, death)

Holy sites of Buddhism

locations of important events in Buddha's life (clustered in northeast India)

Eschatology

Explains the timeline; how things start and how they end, how we exist in timeline, fate of universe and individual

Soteriology

Explains how we end the timeline; salvation, liberation, escape

Samsara

Origin, explaining why the world is how it is = Cycle of rebirth (Eschatology)

Nirvana

Salvation, liberation = Enlightenment (Soteriology)

Karma

Natural law of cause-and-effect within timelines

Four Noble Truths

Suffering (is inevitable); Cause of Suffering (is desire); Cessation of Suffering (to cease suffering, cease desire); Path to End Suffering (thru 8 fold path)

Eightfold Path

Right view, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration (wisdom: view, resolve; morality: speech, action, livelihood; concentration: effort, mindfulness, concentration)

Kisagotami and the Mustard Seed

Buddha employed skillful means (upaya) to guide grieving mother (Kisa Gotami) from denial to awakening. Buddha as Doctor, Dharma as Medicine. Ignorance of three poisons: greed, delusion, hatred.

The Agannasutta: What Came First

Explanation of how world and human society evolved -- formed out of human need, while criticizing idea that Brahmin caste is superior to other ranks. Rice -> sex -> intercourse -> division -> government -> social caste.

Yama

God of death

Six Realms

1. Gods (devas) - at top of enormous mountain Sumeru at center of cosmos

2. Anti-gods (asuras) - depicted as warriors, battling devas for dominance

3. Humans - balance of pain and suffering

4. Animals

5. Pretas - tormented by hunger and thirst

6. Hell-beings - suffer great torment in hot and cold hells

Indra

King of the gods

Social Caste System

1. Brahmins - priests & teachers

2. Kshatriyas - warriors & teachers (Buddha)

3. Vaishyas - farmers, traders, merchants

4. Shudras - labourers

5. Dalits (oucastes) - street sweepers, latrine cleaners

3 Poisons

1. Hatred

2. Greed

3. Delusion

12-fold Chain of Causation

Ignorance, formations, consciousness, name & form (mind & body), six sense doors, sense contact, feeling, initial desire (craving), strong desire (grasping), mature karma (becoming), birth (conception), old age & death

Karma

Moral, insightful, intentional action. Effects of a person's actions that determine their destiny in next incarnation.

Jataka Tales

The stories of Buddha's past lives

Ten Perfections

Generosity, virtue, renunciation, wisdom, diligence, patience, honesty, resolution, loving kindness, equanimity

Vessantara Jataka

(Perfection of generosity) Focuses on ultimate giving by a Bodhisattva. Tells of a story where a former prince gives away his wife and children to a Brahmin simply because he asks.

Dhammacakkappavattanasutta

Buddha's first sermon given to his 5 ascetic followers. Given in Deer Park. Talks about the Middle Way (avoiding self-indulgence & self-mortification), 4 Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path.

Sangha

Buddhist community

5 Precepts

No killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false spech, drugs or intoxicants

This is the Buddha's Love

Interview with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that explores core Buddhist concepts applied to daily life, love, and community: No real separation between self and others; True love is about capacity to care for, protect, and nourish; Buddha was a human behind not a distant god; Understanding suffering allows us to recognize and appreciate peace and happiness; Spiritual practice can't be isolated from society

Emptiness (impermanence)

Void of inherent self-existence

The Vimalakirtinirdesa Sutra (Chapter 2: "Inconceivable Skill in Liberative Art")

Wealthy layman Vimalakirti demonstrates how he uses skillful means to teach Dharma -- teaches people human body is fragile by inflicting illness -> encourages enlightenment

Vimalakirti

Layperson, very rich, into sensual desire; basically a magician who knows the methods and has the skills to use them

Mahaparinirvana Sutra

Scripture that describes the Buddha's last days

Self-immolation

one lighting themself on fire (Thich Quang Duc in Hanoi, 1963)

What to do with corpse?

Cremation, sky burial, corpse exposure, corpse contemplation