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