death & afterlife exam 2

samsara

continuous cycle of birth, death, rebirth

dharma

one’s moral duty, responsibility, and proper way of living

yama

hindu god of death & ruler of the dead

soma

sacred vedic drink associated with power & immortality

agni

hindu god of fire associaed with cremation & funeral rituals

maya

illusion or misleading appearance of the physical world

moksha

liberation from samsara

marga

spiritual path toward liberation

brahman

eternal universal reality under everything

jiva

individual living being or embodied self

atman

eternal, true self or soul

anatman/anatta

no permanent or unchanging self exists

anicca

impermanence; everything always changes

nirvana

liberation from suffering, desire, rebirth

dukkha

suffering & dissatisfaction

buddha

siddhartha gautama, awakened one & founder of buddhism

bodhisattva

being dedicated to enlightenment and helping others

stupas

buddhist monuments that often contain sacred relics or remains

bardo

intermediate state between death & rebirth in tibetan buddhism

kewi (gui)

ghosts/spirits of the dead

yin-yang

two complementary forces that maintain balance

wu-wei

effortless action, letting things happen

tao (dao)

‘the way’, natural order of the universe

hsien (xian)

daoist immortals or spiritually transcendent beings

sasa

recent past

zamani

distant pass & ancestral realm

syncretism

blending of different religious beliefs and practices

nancy cruzan

in a vegetative state, it was established that competent people have the right to refuse medical treatment with clear, convincing evidence

active euthanasia

intentionally causing death through a direct action

passive euthanasia

traditional term for withholding or withdrawing life-saving treatment

voluntary euthanasia

euthanasia requested or consented to by the individual

involuntary euthansia

euthanasia against someones wishes

double effect

an action with a good intended outcome may be morally acceptable even if there is a harmful side effect

death with dignity laws

adult with qualifying terminal illness, able to make decisions, voluntary request, medical evaluation, patient performs the procedure

mesopotamian religion

most people entered a gloomy underworld after death ; proper burial, offerings, and remembrance important

ancient egyptian religion

afterlife depended on judgment and living according to ma’at (truth, justice, balance), heart was weighed against ma’at’s feather

ancient greek religion

most souls entered hades, destinations included asphodel meadows (ordinary souls), elysium (favored souls), and tartarus (punishment)

judaism

believes in 1 god, afterlife beliefs vary

christianity

believes in 1 god and salvation through jesus

islam

believes in 1 god (allah), afterlife includes resurrection, judgment, paradise, and hell

sufi islam

emphasizes closeness to allah

hinduism

reincarnation & samsara, karma influences rebirth & ultimate goal is moksha

buddhism

believes in rebirth but not an eternal soul, karma influences rebirth & ultimate goal is nirvana

chinese religions

influenced by confucianism, daoism, buddhism - emphasizes ancestors, family, harmony, and rebirth

african traditional religions

death is transition to spiritual world, ancestors remain connected to living descendants and communities

karma marga

ACTION ; doing good deeds

jnana marga

KNOWLEDGE ; gaining wisdom

bhakti marga

DEVOTION ; loving and worshipping

4 noble truths of buddhism

life involves suffering & dissatisfaction (dukkha), suffering is caused by craving & desire, suffering can end by eliminating craving, eightfold path leads to the end of suffering

middle way

avoid extreme self-indulgence & extreme self-denial

eightfold path

right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration

theravada (school of buddhism)

emphasizes original teachings, individual enlightenment, meditation & arhat

mahayana (school of buddhism)

emphasizes compassion and helping beings achieve enlightenment ; ideal figure is the bodhisattva

vajrayana (school of buddhism)

uses specialized rituals, mantrasm visualization, and meditation to achieve enlightenment, associated with tibetan buddhism

confucianism

emphasizes family, respect for elders & honoring ancestors

daoism

emphasizes the tao, natural balance, yin-yang & accepting death

buddhism

karma, samsara, rebirth & nirvana

syncretism

traditions blending together