Buddhism

Who was the historical founder of Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama

What ascetic tradition gave rise to Buddhism?

Shramana ("wandering")

What does the word "buddha" mean?

Awakened one," "one who has awakened" to the truth of existence

Buddha's first sermon is referred to as _____.

The First Turning of the Dharma Wheel

What are the four noble truths?

Dukha, Trishna, The Truth of Cessation, and The Eightfold Path

What is the middle path?

The path between the two extremes of hedonism and asceticism.

What are the three vehicles in Buddhism?

Theravada ("Elder Vehicle"), Mahayana ("Great Vehicle"), and Vajrayana ("Diamond Vehicle")

What is the goal of Theravada Buddhism?

Arhat ("conqueror").

Arhat

Reaching enlightenment for oneself

What is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism?

Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva

Being who is awake." To become enlightened and then return to samsara to help all living beings reach nirvana.

Samsara

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

What is the goal of Vajrayana Buddhism?

Bodhisattva, to accelerate the process of enlightenment

What does the dharma refer to?

The teachings of the Buddha

What are the three jewels of Buddhism?

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha

Sangha

The community of Buddhist practitioners

Who established Buddhism as the official religion of India?

Emperor Ashoka

What are three baskets in Buddhism?

Vinaya, Sutra, Abhidharma

Vinaya

Monastic code

Sutra

The discourses of the Buddha

Abhidharma

Higher teachings

What are the three poisons?

Greed, Hatred, and Delusion

What are the three poisons rooted in?

Avidya

Avidya

Ignorance, literally "without knowing

How is the cycle of rebirth depicted?

The Bhavachakra

The Bhavachakra

The wheel of life, used to depict the cycle of rebirth

Sentient beings are trapped in ______.

Samsara

What keeps sentient beings trapped in samsara?

Karma

Karma

Our actions and their consequences

Buddhism claims that all of phenomenal existence is empty of intrinsic existence. The word used to describe this emptiness is _____.

Sunyata

Pratityasamutpada

Interdependent co-origination." Everything is interdependent, cause and effect co-arise

What is buddha nature?

The living presence of buddha (the enlightened state) within all sentient beings.

The word "nirvana" literally means "______.

to blow out

Upaya

Skillful means." The teaching method used by the Buddha. He tailored his lessons to the audience he was teaching.

Karuna

Compassion

Prajna

Wisdom

What are the two wings of Buddhism?

Prajna & Karuna

The Two Truths Doctrine

Relative Truth & Absolute Truth

Relative Truth

Conceptual, backed by linguistic conventions

Absolute Truth

Inexpressible, cannot be captured by linguistic conventions, can only be experienced

The holy being Maitreya represents what?

The Future Buddha (the Buddha to come)

Amitabha

The Buddha of Boundless Radiance

What major concept was introduced during the Second Turning of the Dharma Wheel?

Sunyata

What concept was introduced during the Third Turning of the Dharma Wheel?

Buddha nature

Avolokitesvara

The Buddha of Compassion

The Four Passing Sights

A decrepit man leaning on a staff, a sick man, a corpse, and a monk. Buddha discovered old age, sickness, death, and asceticism.

The Great Going Forth

When Buddha left the palace

The Bodhi Tree

Buddha sat beneath this tree and meditated until he reached enlightenment.

Mara

The evil one." Tempted Buddha while he was meditating under the Bodhi Tree.

Sermon at Deer Park

The Buddha's first sermon, the First Turning of the Dharma Wheel

Duhkha

The truth of suffering. Suffering is the natural state of the world - it is inescapable.

Three Types of Suffering

Ordinary suffering, suffering produced by change, the suffering of conditioned states

Trishna

Thirst," "craving." The answer to "Why do living things suffer?

Three Types of Craving

Craving for sensual pleasure, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence

Cessation

We can do something about our suffering

The Eightfold Path

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

The Three Marks of Existence

Duhkha, Anitya, Anatman

Anitya

Impermanence." All things are in a state of impermanence.

Anatman

Non-self." There is no individual self. Rejects the Hindu idea of the atman but does not mean to say that there is no part of a living being that continues on after death.

Buddha Vacana

Speech of the Buddha." Inspired by the enlightened state

The Five Skandhas (Aggregates)

That which gives us the feeling that there is a solid personality, a driver behind the wheel. Form, perception, feeling, intention, consciousness. They are sunyata

All things are conditioned but _____.

nirvana

Yama

The God of Death

Three Realms

Formless realm, form realm, realm of desire.

Realm of Desire

Samsara, where humans live, seek out pleasurable experiences, avoid negative experiences, and prolong neutral experiences.

Formless Realm

A realm of pure spiritual energy

Form Realm

Similar to the Christian idea of a realm populated by angels and spiritual beings.

The Six Classes of Beings (Within The Realm of Desire) and their Predominant Characteristics

The devas (pride), the demi-gods (jealousy), the humans (desire), the animals (stupidity), the hungry ghosts (misery), and the hell beings (anger).

The Path of the Bodhisattva

Generosity, moral virtue, patience, vigor, meditation, and wisdom.

Maitri

The idea of "loving kindness." Focused on the happiness of living beings.

Manjushri

Sweet glory." Embodies the wisdom of all buddhas.

Types of Stupas

Relic stupas, object stupas, commemorative stupas, symbolic stupas

Stupa

A large pillar that usually contains the relics of buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Tathagatagarbha

Buddha embryo." All living things have an embryonic buddha nature that has not yet been realized but exists in potential.

Tathagata

One who has thus gone." Buddha's answer to "What are you?

Tantric Techniques

Used to realize the enlightened-self that is within us. Involves visualization, mandalas, mantra, and psychosexual practices.

Distinctive Features of Vajrayana

Ritual, claims to be an accelerated path to enlightenment, esoteric

Esoteric

Hidden." Vajrayana Buddhism requires initiation.

Tibetan Buddhism is the highest expression of _________.

Vajrayana Buddhism