Buddhism Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from the lecture notes on Buddhism.

What are some of the emphasized practices in Modern Buddhism?

Meditation, mindfulness, and social engagement.

What are three things that contemporary Buddhists are increasingly involved in?

Social, political, and environmental issues.

What has facilitated global connections, spreading Buddhist teachings?

The use of the internet, social media, and digital platforms.

What fields are Buddhist monks and scientists collaborating in to explore the mind and consciousness?

Neuroscience and psychology.

What are some of the challenges facing the global Buddhist community?

Issues like the preservation of traditional practices, political oppression, and cultural differences.

Where was Siddhartha Gautama born?

Lumbini, in present-day Nepal.

What are the Four Sights encountered by Siddhartha?

An old man, a sick man, a dead body, and a wandering ascetic.

What did Siddhartha realize after practicing extreme austerities?

Self-mortification was not the way to achieve spiritual awakening.

Where did Siddhartha attain enlightenment?

Under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India.

What are the Four Noble Truths?

The truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Where did the Buddha deliver his first sermon?

Deer Park in Sarnath

What is the Sangha?

A community of followers committed to the practice of the Dharma.

Where did the Buddha pass away and attain Parinirvana?

Kusinara (modern-day Kushinagar, India).

What is Bihar named after?

The word 'vihara,' meaning Buddhist monastery.

What is Asoka known for?

His rock and pillar edicts.

Who is credited with converting the Sri Lankan king to Buddhism?

Mahinda, Ashoka's son.

What is the role of a Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism?

A being who delays entering nirvana to help all beings achieve salvation.

What are the Six Virtues, or Paramitas?

Giving, morality, patience, courage, meditation, and wisdom.

What are the Three Bodies of the Buddha?

The Body of Essence, the Body of Bliss, and the Transformation Body.

What is Vijñapti-mātra in Yogācāra?

The idea that everything we experience is created by our mind.

What are the Three Natures (Trilaksana) in Yogācāra?

Parikalpita, Paratantra, and Parinishpanna.

What are the three parts of the Tripitaka?

Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, and Abhidhamma Pitaka.

What concept does the Heart Sutra discuss?

Emptiness (shunyata)

What does the Tibetan Book of the Dead offer insights into?

The process of dying, death, and the afterlife.

Who is the Platform Sutra attributed to?

The Sixth Patriarch, Huineng.

What do Jataka Tales illustrate?

The practice of virtue, compassion, and wisdom through stories of the Buddha's previous lives.

What is Nagarjuna's 'Mulamadhyamakakarika' foundational for?

Understanding the philosophy of emptiness (shunyata).

What are some of Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings focused on?

Mindfulness and compassion.

What was crucial for the spread of Buddhism in its early phase?

Oral tradition

What did Honen emphasize for salvation in the Pure Land tradition?

Total dependence on the compassion of Amida.

What is the Chan or Meditation School known for?

Special meaning in the Buddha's advice 'Look within, thou art the Buddha.'

What does the word Vajrayana imply?

The thunderbolt or diamond vehicle.

What is the Gelug-pa School?

The dominant school in Tibetan Buddhism.

What does the Primal World represent in a spiritual context?

The fundamental, untamed state of the universe or human nature.

What could the Primal World symbolize in Jungian Psychology?

The collective unconscious.

What does the Symbolic Mind of Buddha refer to?

The way the mind of an enlightened being perceives the world, understanding the symbolic nature of reality.

What does the journey from the primal to the symbolic represent?

A path of spiritual awakening.