1.3 The Three Refuges - scholars

Question 1

Ellis: which version of the Buddha is most significant in Theravada

Answer 1

historical Buddha - Gautama

Question 2

Ellis: why the Pali Canon holds such authority and legitimacy in Theravada

Answer 2

believed to contain the uncorrupted original word of the Buddha

Question 3

Ellis: how useful Buddhist texts within Theravada gain their authority

Answer 3

‘from the extent to which they reflect the truths uttered by the historical Buddha’

Question 4

Ellis: relationship between symbolic and historical Buddha in Theravada

Answer 4

historic Buddha decides the nature of the symbolic Buddha

Question 5

Ellis: why the historical Buddha is so important in Theravadin tradition

Answer 5

enlightenment only possible because we were historically showed how by someone physically human, on earth

Question 6

Ellis: within Theravada, Gautama is ‘the single source of…

Answer 6

…knowledge of enlightenment and the single model of a fully enlightened being’

Question 7

Ellis: why Gautama Buddha’s significance is less profound in Mahayana

Answer 7

belief that anyone can become a historical Buddha - Gautama (Shakyamuni) was just one instance of many possible ones

Question 8

Ellis: relationship between symbolic and historical Buddha in Mahayana

Answer 8

symbolic provides model for historical

Question 9

Ellis: how scriptures gain authority in Mahayana

Answer 9

based on their usefulness

Question 10

Ellis: Theravada vs Mahayana interpretation of ‘Buddhavacana’

Answer 10

Theravada: the literal definition, ‘the word of the Buddha’
Mahayana: ‘whatever is helpful in leading a being towards enlightenment’

Question 11

Ellis: how Mahayanist scriptures feature Shakyamuni and what this demonstrates

Answer 11

• in a fantastic mythic setting
• physical setting, form, and historical accuracy of the Buddha are insignificant

Question 12

Ellis: overview of the Two Bodies doctrine

Answer 12

distinguishes between two kaya (bodies) of the Buddha: the Dharmakaya or ‘truth body’ and Rupakaya or ‘form body’

Question 13

Ellis: the dharmakaya

Answer 13

truth-body. the ultimate timeless, abstract truth of the potentiality for enlightenment that exists beyond time and space. how enlightened beings view the Buddha

Question 14

Ellis: the rupakaya according to the Two Bodies doctrine

Answer 14

form-body. the Buddha as a particular form and personality limited in time and space. does not ultimately exist due to anatta

Question 15

Ellis: why Mahayanists developed the Two Bodies into the Trikaya

Answer 15

two bodies does not distinguish between historical and symbolic Buddhas

Question 16

Ellis: what the trikaya splits the rupakaya into

Answer 16

• the nirmanakaya (transformation body)
• the sambhogakaya (enjoyment body)

Question 17

Ellis: the nirmanakaya

Answer 17

the transformation body - the historical, individual Buddha limited in time and space

Question 18

Ellis: the sambhogakaya

Answer 18

enjoyment body. ‘the Buddha encountered in the Mahayana Sutras’, beyond particular time and space, but still taking particular forms in the imagination

Question 19

Ellis: Yogacara view on the ultimate nature of the Buddha

Answer 19

ultimately only the Dharmakaya exists - the historical Buddha is just a representation of the universal potentiality for enlightenment, an appearance created for the purpose of teaching, no different to how all things are just appearances

Question 20

Ellis: how the Yogacara School justifies depicting the Buddha as Sambhogakaya

Answer 20

since everything physical is ultimately an illusion it is preferable to step back from this and create one’s own image of the Buddha which can dissolve back into the mind as opposed to the purely physical idea of Nirmanakaya

Question 21

Paul Williams: separating the idea of an enlightened Buddha and a God

Answer 21

Enlightened Buddha was once a normal human, is not eternal, and is only superior to us as he ‘knows it how it is’ through own effort
God is eternal being beyond humanity

Question 22

Gombrich: the relationship between the Buddha and the teachings he gave to earth

Answer 22

did not create the teachings, they are eternal - rather he was the religious genius who possessed the infinite wisdom to ‘realise’ and comprehend them, and the infinite compassion to teach them to the suffering world

Question 23

Cush: the Buddha as a teacher

Answer 23

was gifted, and always taught at the level of his listener

Question 24

Harvey: style of the Buddha’s teaching

Answer 24

skilful adaptation to the mood and concerns of his hearers, moving them towards sharing something of his insight into reality by means of dialogue with his questioners

Question 25

Harvey: the Buddha's attitude to disagreement with his teachings

Answer 25

didn't mind if people disagreed, emphasised importance of self-reliance and experiential testing out of all teachings - did however censure misinterpretations of his teachings

Question 26

Harvey: the Buddha's attitude to questions

Answer 26

treated them in a careful analytic way - answered some directly, others he analysed to clarify the nature of the questions and reveal concealed motives and presuppositions, others he set aside as fraught with misconceptions

Question 27

Harvey: how the Buddha came to the decision to teach

Answer 27

the compassionate god Brahma Sahampati was alarmed at the thought the precious wisdom of a fully awakened one would not be shared, so respectfully asked the Buddha to teach 'for there are beings with little dust in their eyes who, not hearing the Dhamma, are decaying'

Question 28

Harvey: examples of the Buddha giving old terms new meaning

Answer 28

talked of the Arahat as the 'true Brahmin', and used the term ariya in the sense of spiritually noble

Question 29

Harvey: summary of the Deer Park Sermon

Answer 29

covered craving as key cause of rebirth, and painful aspects of life associated with this, the cessation of these cravings through practice of the N8FP, emphasised the liberating effect on him of his full insight into and appropriate responses to these realities

Question 30

Cush: examples of the power of the Buddha's preaching - the ascetics

Answer 30

one of the five gained immediate insight into the truth that 'all that is arising is subject to cessation' following deer park sermon - an intuitive grasp known as dhamma vision. after a further sermon on the nature of the self, all five were enlightened becoming arhats

Question 31

Keown: the central social institution (social nucleus) of Buddhism is...

Answer 31

...the order of monks and nuns (sangha) founded by the Buddha

Question 32

Keown: early sources offer a sociological classification of Buddhism as...

Answer 32

the Fourfold Order - consisting of monks, nuns, devout male and female lay disciples

Question 33

Keown: what the Theravada school regards itself as

Answer 33

'the custodian of the authentic early teachings which date back to the Buddha himself'

Question 34

Keown: the responsibility of the monastic sangha

Answer 34

custody of the texts and their interpretation

Question 35

Keown: evidence the Buddha did not regard himself a leader of the sangha

Answer 35

declined to appoint a successor when he died, encouraging followers to live according to the dhamma and Monastic Rule, being 'lamps unto yourselves'

Question 36

Bodhi: the indispensable role of the order of monks

Answer 36

preservation and perpetuation of the Buddha's dispensation - serves as the custodian of the dhamma

Question 37

Bodhi: how it is made possible for the monastic order to preserve the dhamma

Answer 37

due to the monastic mode of life, the Viharas creating the best possible environment for a person to make spiritual progress

Question 38

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: interdependent relationship between lay and monastic

Answer 38

lay provide gifts of material requisites for monastics, monastics provide supporters with the gift of teaching - the primary symbol of this economy being the alms bowl

Question 39

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: how the Patimokkha Rules function

Answer 39

in a wider context than simple legality - work together with the principles and models formulated by the Buddha to provide a complete training in behaviour, with each side making up for the weaknesses of the other

Question 40

Cush: how rules developed for the monastic sangha + example

Answer 40

put into place in response to incidents of monastics erring trying to follow the path, or doing things contrary to the path, to prevent others making the same errors rules moderating meditation put in place after 30 monks committed suicide due to meditating too intensely on theme of disgust for body

Question 41

Cush: key points / events of the Buddha's death

Answer 41

- criticised Ananda for being upset as this meant he had not listened to teachings of impermanence - remained calm and controlled despite physical agony, even reassured the man who provided the meal it was not his fault

Question 42

Cush: example of the Buddha's encouragement of reflecting on commonalities and connections

Answer 42

prevented war between two clans by pointing out the superior value of human life than that of bits of land

Question 43

Cush: example of how the Buddha used people's unenlightened qualities as resources to develop enlightened qualities

Answer 43

story of Nanda and the heavenly nymphs: nanda unable to meditate due to preoccupation with his ex girlfriend's beauty, Buddha showed him visions of heavenly nymphs he could attain by paying attention to meditation. initially this fuelled nanda's meditation, then when became arhat no longer desired such things

Question 44

Side: example of inclusivity and diversity of the four-fold sangha - Sunita

Answer 44

a low-caste 'untouchable' man the Buddha showed kindness and friendliness to, ordaining him on the spot after asking if he wanted to follow him

Question 45

Side: example of the Buddha's skill and appeal as a teacher - Angulimala

Answer 45

a mass murderer the Buddha conversed with, telling him how he had learned to cease harming others and transform cruelty into kindness, assuring Angulimala it was not too late for him to do the same - Angulimala vowed to change his ways and became a monastic

Question 46

Side: example of the power of the dhamma and the Buddha's teaching of it - Devadatta

Answer 46

the Buddha's jealous cousin - hired assassins who were moved by the Buddha's words and became converts instead - sent a wild elephant to attack the Buddha, who tamed it by his power of love - eventually repented, taking refuge in the Buddha who received him back into the community

Question 47

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: external reasons for the Patimokkha Rules

Answer 47

ensure peace and well-being within the Community, and foster and protect faith among the laity on whom the monks depend

Question 48

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: internal reasons for the Patimokkha Rules

Answer 48

help restrain and prevent mental pollutants within the individual monks via encouraging mindfulness and circumspection in one's actions

Question 49

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: principles and models vs rules

Answer 49

principles and models personal subjective standards tending to be loosely defined so difficult to enforce, rules objective standards precisely defined so enforceable

Question 50

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: weakness of rules due to their precision

Answer 50

don't serve as general universal guides to behaviour because require drawing a clear practical line between black and white, when in situations grey areas are sometimes necessary. the more precisely defined to fit a particular time and place, the less well it fits other times and places

Question 51

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: the role of principles and models in regard to rules

Answer 51

indicate the spirit of the rules and aid in applying them to differing contexts

Question 52

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: why the Buddha saw no use for physical coercion in enforcing his rules even when monks were unfazed by other punishments

Answer 52

if a monk had to be physically forced into abiding by the training, his heart would not be in it so there would be no way that he could benefit from it, and karma would guarantee in the long run he get away with nothing at all

Question 53

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: what 'friendship and companionship with the good is the whole of the religious life' means

Answer 53

monks are expected to realise that without opportunity to associate and learn from those experienced on the path, it is well nigh impossible to make progress on one's own

Question 54

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: how the expectation that monks value their good standing with well-behaved group members shapes penalties for the Buddha's rules

Answer 54

system of punishments worked out by the Buddha revolves entirely around affecting the offender's status within the Community

Question 55

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: how the principle that the training of the rules aims primarily at the development of the mind impact penalties for the rules

Answer 55

means factors of intention and perception often determine whether or not an action is an infringement

Question 56

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: what adherence to the rules leads to

Answer 56

concentration, mindfulness, analytical approach to the present, persistence - development of the first three factors of awakening, which form the basis for the remaining four

Question 57

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: how the content of the rules links to the Eightfold Path

Answer 57

link to the morality aspect as there are rules which deal with right speech, action, and livelihood as well as others focusing on communal harmony and correct behaviour for a contemplative monk

Question 58

Thich Nhat Hanh: criteria for taking refuge in a person

Answer 58

they must always be there for you if you go in their direction - made reliable, stable, certain by the energy of the Three Refuges - looking deeply into that person enables us to see the practices and elements that helped them become this way

Question 59

Thich Nhat Hanh: why we look for things to take refuge in

Answer 59

we are full of fear, low self-esteem, inferiority - we would like to take refuge in something solid to diminish our fear and uncertainty

Question 60

Thich Nhat Hanh: the qualities of what we can take refuge in, and examples

Answer 60

stable and solid - fisherman could take refuge in the ocean as he has confidence in it, it is the source of his life, and always responds to his needs - could take refuge in the sun, it will always be there for you in the morning