Buddhism and Daoism Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for review of Buddhism and Daoism lecture notes.

Dhammapada

A Theravada Buddhist text for passage identification.

Therigatha

A Theravada Buddhist text for passage identification.

Lotus Sutra

A Mahayana Buddhist text.

Sukhavativyuha Sutra

A Mahayana Buddhist text.

Anatman

Lack of a permanent self, one of the three characteristics of samsara.

Anitya

Impermanence; one of the three characteristics of samsara.

Arhat

In Theravada Buddhism, a 'worthy one' who has attained nirvana; the goal of Theravada Buddhism.

Avalokiteshvara

The most famous bodhisattva, associated with compassion; the Dalai Lama is the earthly embodiment.

Bhikshu/Bhikshuni

Bhikshu is a monk (beggar), and bhikshuni is a nun (female beggar).

Buddha Nature

The inherent potential within every being to become a Buddha; essential in Mahayana Buddhism.

Bodhicitta

The arising of the thought of Awakening; someone committed to becoming a buddha in a future life to alleviate suffering.

Bodhisattva

One in whom bodhicitta has arisen; one who has taken vows to work towards alleviating the suffering of all living beings.

Dukkha

Dissatisfaction/suffering; one of the three characteristics of samsara.

Eightfold Path

The path to stopping craving and the cessation of dukkha: right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

Five Precepts

Basic ethical guidelines for all Buddhists: do not kill, steal, commit sexual violence, lie, or take drugs/alcohol.

Ten Precepts

Additional precepts followed by monastics (monks and nuns), including not eating after midday, avoiding worldly amusements, and not handling money.

Five Skandhas

The five aggregates that make up a person: form, sensation, perception, mental formation, and consciousness; all are impermanent.

Four Noble Truths

The foundation of Buddhist teachings: 1. Life is dukkha; 2. Craving is the cause of dukkha; 3. Stopping craving leads to the cessation of dukkha; 4. Stop craving via the eightfold path.

Hinayana

Term (meaning 'lesser vehicle') used by Mahayana Buddhists to refer to Theravada Buddhism.

Mahayana

Buddhist tradition marked by expansion, the addition of bodhisattvas, compassion for all beings, and the goal of helping all beings escape samsara.

Nirvana

The 'blowing out' of karmic bundles; the ultimate goal in Buddhism.

Siddhartha Gautama

The historical Buddha, born into a kshatriya family; also known as 'He who achieves his aim'.

Theravada

The 'teaching of the elders' or 'way of the elders'; an early form of Buddhism practiced in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka.

Tripitaka

The oldest extant Buddhist scriptural canon, composed in Pali; contains the Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, and Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Upaya

Skillful means; employing strategies to help people based on their temperament and what type of teaching they will best respond to.

Vajrayana

A branch of Buddhism characterized by practices to become a buddha faster, including visualization, mandalas, mantras, and mudras.

Vinaya

Monastic conduct; code of conduct, part of the Tripitaka.

Visuddhimagga

The 'path of purification' emerging from the eightfold path.

Dao

The way the world works; the way, mysterious and unpredictable.

Li/Ritual

Virtue cultivation through proper, intentful ritual performance.

Ren

True goodness, humanity/humaneness, perfect bundling of all other virtues.

Junzi

Morally superior person, something you aren't born into but accomplish/become through virtue cultivation.

Wuwei

Non-action, or effortless action; aligning oneself with the Dao.

Shengren/Zhenren

Sage, or perfected person; becoming immortal and immune from worldly fears.

Ziran

Naturalness or spontaneity.

Tian

Heaven; the divine structure that dictates the proper vision for society.

Filial Piety

Respect for one's parents.

Spring and Autumn Period

A period of moral and social decline in Chinese history (722-479 BCE).

Warring States Period

Period in Chinese history from 403-221 BCE.

Yinyang

Symbolizing interconnected/ mutually constitutive duality.

Yellow Emperor

Mythical early emperor of China, purported to be the founder of Daoism.