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World Religions: Figures and Terms Unit 2 (part b): Buddhism http://markvillehistory.cjb.net Person or Term Identify Siddhartha Gautama The man who was to become the Buddha. Samsara The endless cycle of uncontrollable rebirths. Stupa Domed-shaped mounds that were built to house the relics of the Buddha or other holy figures. Puja The ritual of honouring holy beings. Reverence is shown by bowing, making and offering, and chanting. This is especially common in East Asia and Tibet. Zen Buddhism A Japanese sect of Buddhism that became popular in the 12-14th centuries. Four Sights The sights that led to Buddha’s departure from his palace to help[ humankind. page 1 Religious Importance He was born around 563 BCE into a family of the Kshatriya caste in a kingdom called Shakya located in the foothills of the Himalayas (present day Nepal). Siddhartha’s father was King Shuddhodana who belonged to the Gautama clan. The king’s principal wife and Siddartha’s mother was Queen Maya. Siddhartha’s birth was miraculous; Queen Maya conceived her son when Siddhartha descended from Heaven and entered his mother’s womb in the form of a baby white elephant (symbol of purity). She carried him for 10 months and she could see the baby within her womb. All Buddhist teachings show the way to end the suffering of life and to stop samsara (reincarnation) which involves the trasference of one’s mind or consciousness into new bodies after death. When one achieves nirvana, one has attained perfect wisdom and is released from samsara. Almost every Buddhist temple has one, and monks and lay people walk around them three times when making their devotions. The inside of the stupa may be decorated with paintings or carvings illustrating the life of Buddha. Some are surrounded by beautifully carved fences that depict the life of Buddha. Some temple sites may also include smaller stupas; these are memorial crypts of prominent Buddhists who belonged to that particular temple. A pilgrimmage to a stupa as well as the construction of a stupa are considered merit-gaining activities by some Buddhists. Bowing: show respect to monks, nuns, lay people, sacred objects, images of the Buddha, 3 times to honour the Three Refuges. Stand or kneel, palms of hands joined, held to chest or forehead. In some cases hands are held to the head, lips and chest to represent respect for the mind, speech, and body. Offering: performed with chanting, most common are flowers because they emphasize impermanence. Incense sticks burn in the home and temple to symbolize Buddha’s “odour of sanctity”. Light represents Buddha’s enlightenment. Originally from China, founded by Indian monk Bodhidharma around 520 BCE. Story: he spent years in meditation gazing at a wall until his legs dropped off. Emphasis on mediation as best method to enlightenment. Good works/devotion not to become vehicles for reaching enlightenment. Zen cannot be taught and must be experienced. Bodhidharma founded Shaolin temple for monks to search for illumination through meditation. 2 schools prominent in Zen tradition (Rinzai and Soto). At 29, Siddhartha visited the city 4 times with his charioteer and saw a sick man, a corpse, an old man, and a begging monk. Siddhartha became inspired to find a spiritual solution to the problems of human life and left the palace to be a beggar. World Religions: Figures and Terms Unit 2 (part b): Buddhism http://markvillehistory.cjb.net Five Precepts The rules that Buddhists follow. They include abstaining from harming living beings, stealing, improper sexual activity, false speech, taking alcohol or drugs. Four Noble Truths The Buddha’s diagnosis of the main problem in life: suffering, the cause of suffering, the elimination of suffering, and the path to ending suffering. Middle Way Nirvana First Sermon Eightfold Path The path in live prescribed by the Buddha; the path between extremes. An everlasting state of great joy and peace resulting from the end of desire and suffering. Siddhartha came to be known as Buddha (“One Who Has Awakened” or “Enlightened One”) and preached his first sermon in a park reserved for royal deer. The symbol of the eight-spoke wheel was chosen by Buddha to represent the eight steps of the path. page 2 Abstain from killing or harming living beings. Abstain from stealing. Abstain from improper sexual conduct. Abstain from false speech (e.g. telling lies, setting people against each other, gossiping). 5. Abstain from taking alcohol and harmful drugs. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. To live is to suffer (birth, old age, disease, death, sorrow, frustration, being around those we dislike, being apart from loved ones, not getting what we want). Happy moments do not last forever. 2. The cause of suffering is negative desire (craving or selfish desire) which is the result of ignorance or delusion. When basic needs are met, one should enjoy them without becoming greedy. 3. The goal of Buddhism is to end suffering. Reaching nirvana will be possible only when the urge to possess more and more things is destroyed. The person attaining nirvana is in a blissful, happy, and content state where nothing whatsoever causes any kind of suffering, physical or mental. 4. To end suffering, one must adopt the Middle Way by following the Noble Eightfold Path to live the Buddhist way of life (a life of self-improvement). Siddhartha realized that extremes of any kind (asceticism or luxury) were not productive. He came to the conclusion the best lifestyle was one of moderation. By achieving nirvana, one is released from samsara and has attained perfect wisdom and absolute peace. This event is referred to as the “Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma”. In Deer Park, he shared his new understanding of life with five Hindu ascetics who accepted his insights and became his monks (bhikkhus). This was the beginning of the Buddhist community. In 5 years, an order of monks, the sangha, was established. An order of nuns, the bhikkhuni sangha was also established. The centre of the wheel represents nirvana, which is the only fixed point. As the spokes of the weheel are needed for the wheel to keep turning, Buddhists need to follow each step of the path to reach the end of suffering. They are to be used altogether as a way of life. 1. Right view: it is essential that we know the doctrine of the 4 Noble Truths. 2. Right thought: the mind has to be freed from sensuous desire, ill-will, and World Religions: Figures and Terms Unit 2 (part b): Buddhism http://markvillehistory.cjb.net 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. page 3 cruelty. We are what we think, so nurture good thoughts. Right speech: by using kind speech, we will be respected and trusted, so we shouldn’t lie, criticize unjustly, use harsh language, or gossip. Right conduct: also called Right Action, and it is accomplished by observing the Five Precepts. People will judge according to one’s behaviour. Right livelihood: Earn a living through occupations that do not cause harm to living things. Trades that should be avoided include the butchering of animals, lending money at excessively high interest rates, and trading weapons, liquor, or poison. Right effort: conquer all evil thoughts and strive to have good thoughts. Individuals must do their best at all times and have goodwill towards others. Right mindfulness: a person has to recognize what is important and must not be led astray by unwholesome acts or thoughts. Doing something mindfully is not necessarily good as it could result in incorrect mindfulness (eg. stealing). Right concentration: the final step involves focusing the midn on one thought or object at a time. This concentration leads to true peace of mind and tranquility. Deep meditation will lead to enlightenment. World Religions: Figures and Terms Unit 2 (part b): Buddhism http://markvillehistory.cjb.net Mantras Symbolic phrases that are chanted by Buddhists to help them keep in touch with their spiritual nature. Dalai Lama The ruler and spiritual leader of Tibet. Meditation A method of calming and training the mind through concentration. 3 Characteristics of Existence The Buddha believe that all things outside of nirvana had three fundamental characteristics. Tripitaka Known as the Three Baskets; a collection of early Buddhist scriptures. Wheel of Life A complete visual representation of samsara (the endless cycle of rebirths). page 4 They also serve to enhance meditation. Om Mani Padme Hum is a six-syllable mantra; it means “Hail, the jewel in the lotus”. This is the mantra of Avlokiteshvara, a Bodhisattva representing compassion who is also the “Protector from danger”. A theocracy developed in Tibet, since it became a country governed by monks. The leader was both the spiritual and worldly authority, which, after about 1600 CE, was claimed to be in the office and the person of the Dalai Lama. Tibetan Buddhists believe when a Dalai Lama dies, the newly released consciousness immediately enters the body of a newly born male child and will be discovered by monks, using a complicated set of procedures. Monks and lay people pray through meditation—bowing, chanting, and receiving offerings. For the Buddhist, meditation leads to wisdom, which in turn leads to the end of suffering. The practice enables a person to be composed and calm and to follow the Buddhist precepts more closely. The purpose of meditation is to improve concentration, calm the mind, and clear it of bad thoughts caused by hatred, greed, or ignorance. Mediation can also improve confidence as well as general mental and physical health. To meditate, one should, ideally, sit in the “lotus posture”, that is, with crossed legs and hands; the hands are on the lap, and the soles of the feet rest on top of the theighs. The back is straight, the tongue toches the back of the upper front teeth, and the eyes are downcast with the eyelids partially closed. In this position, the meditator concentrates on breathing and the movement of the diaphragm. 1. Anicca (impermanence): the world is in constant flux and nothing stays the same for long. 2. Dukkha (dissatisfation): all humans and animals experience suffering such as physical and mental pain. There is no such thing as continuous happiness. 3. Anatta (selflessness): we cannot point to any one thing in ourselves that we can say is self. No single part of the body is the person. Only when we put all the parts together do we collectively call them a person. The main written source of Buddha’s wisdom. Called the Three Baskets because the palm leave manuscripts were kept in three different baskets. The VinayaPitaka, the Sutta-Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma-Pitaka. Considered to be the most accurate record of the Buddha’s teachings. Visual aid to show the environments of samsara and all the beings who ihabit them. Composed of four concentric circles, thought to have been designed by Buddha. Inner circle features a bird, a pig, and a snake which represent greed, ignorance, and hatred. The goal of Buddhists is to conqure these vices with the aim of attaining enlightenment. World Religions: Figures and Terms Unit 2 (part b): Buddhism http://markvillehistory.cjb.net page 5