All Passages Flashcards
(19 cards)
The Great Learning
This Confucian text outlines a path to societal harmony that starts with personal self-cultivation. The process moves outward: from the individual, to the family, to the state, and finally the world. One must first fix their own character before trying to improve society. Virtue and sincerity are the foundation of lasting peace.
The Analects of Confucius
Confucius teaches that learning, virtue, and self-discipline are essential to moral life. Filial piety, just leadership, and honest conduct are core values. The ideal person (junzi) acts rightly, values humility, and influences others through example. He avoids talk of gods or the afterlife, focusing on ethical living here and now.
Fingarette - “Human Community as Holy Rite”
Fingarette argues that Confucianism treats ordinary life as sacred through sincere rituals and moral relationships. Spirituality is found in daily acts—respecting parents, being honest, doing one’s job well. Confucius sees these as reverent acts that bind the human community. This is called “the holy in the secular.”
Mencius and Xunzi
Mencius believes people are naturally good and have inborn moral potential, like sprouts that need care. Xunzi believes people are naturally selfish and must be shaped by ritual and training. Mencius blames bad environments for immorality, while Xunzi sees discipline as the key to goodness. Their debate shapes Confucian views on education and ethics.
Daodejing (Laozi / Daoism)
The Dao is the mysterious, nameless source of all things—it can’t be fully described. Daoism teaches wu-wei, or effortless action, living in harmony with nature rather than forcing outcomes. The best rulers lead quietly and avoid control. Gentleness and humility are more powerful than force.
Zhuangzi (Dao Text)
Zhuangzi uses stories and paradoxes to show that rigid thinking and ego block the Dao. True wisdom flows with change and sees beyond right and wrong. Mastery comes from harmony with nature, not effort. Happiness and peace come from letting go, not chasing success or resisting death.
Selections from the Pali Sutras
These texts present the Four Noble Truths: (1) Life involves suffering (dukkha), (2) Suffering is caused by desire, (3) There is a way to end suffering, and (4) The Eightfold Path is that way. The Buddha emphasizes inner transformation and ethical living. Enlightenment comes through understanding, discipline, and letting go of attachments. The goal is to achieve nirvana, freedom from the cycle of rebirth.
The Questions of King Milinda
This dialogue explores deep Buddhist concepts using metaphors like the chariot, where a person is not a single self but a collection of parts. The monk explains that just as a chariot is made of components, the self is made up of body and mind processes—there is no permanent “self.” The text supports the Buddhist teaching of anatta (non-self). Understanding this helps overcome ego and attain liberation.
The Satipatthana Sutta
This sutra outlines the practice of mindfulness meditation as a direct path to enlightenment. It teaches observing the body, feelings, thoughts, and mental objects without attachment. Through careful attention, one sees reality clearly and understands impermanence. This leads to insight, peace, and liberation from suffering.
Mindfulness and Kindness Practices -Susan Bauer-Wu
Bauer-Wu presents secular applications of Buddhist mindfulness, useful for stress reduction and emotional balance. These practices include breathing exercises, body scans, and loving-kindness meditation. The focus is on being present, calm, and compassionate in daily life. It adapts Buddhist techniques for modern well-being.
Selections from the Mahayana Sutras
Lotus Sutra teaches skillful means (upaya)—the Buddha adapts teachings to meet people where they are.
Heart Sutra emphasizes emptiness (shunyata): all things, including the self, are empty of fixed identity; it deconstructs the five skandhas.
Lankavatara Sutra teaches that reality is mind-only—everything is a projection of consciousness.
Tathagatagarbha Sutra says all beings have Buddha-nature—the potential for awakening is within everyone.
Honen the Buddhist Saint
Honen founded Pure Land Buddhism, a path of salvation through faith in Amida Buddha. He taught that chanting Amida’s name with sincerity (nembutsu) could lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. This made enlightenment accessible to all, not just monks. It emphasized grace and devotion over meditation or study.
The autobiography of Hakin
Hakuin revitalized Rinzai Zen and emphasized traditional Zen meditation (zazen) and koans—paradoxical riddles that push the mind beyond logic. He describes personal struggles and enlightenment experiences, showing that Zen is both rigorous and transformative. His story highlights intense discipline, insight, and spiritual rebirth.
The Three Pillars of Zen
This modern Zen text collects accounts of satori, or sudden enlightenment. It shows how deep meditation, koans, and teacher-student interactions can trigger awakening. Enlightenment is described as direct, beyond words, and life-changing. These experiences demonstrate that insight can come in powerful, unexpected moments.
How to Study Religion
The insider (confessional) perspective and the outsider (academic) perspective. The insider focuses on belief and devotion, while the outsider studies religion critically and comparatively. Understanding both perspectives allows for a deeper appreciation of religious traditions. The goal is not to prove or disprove beliefs, but to understand them.
Selections from the Upanishads
The Upanishads teach that Brahman, the ultimate reality, is the source of everything. In a story where students visit Death, the lesson is that Ātman (the self) is the same as Brahman. True understanding comes not through rituals but through meditation, discipline, and self-realization. Realizing this unity leads to spiritual liberation.
Selections from the Bhagavad Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna hesitates to fight in battle, but Krishna teaches him about duty (dharma). Krishna says Arjuna must act selflessly, without attachment to outcomes. The true self is eternal, beyond birth and death. Living rightly means acting without selfish desire and recognizing the divine in all.
Swami Ramdas - In Quest of God
This story follows a girl (and later Ramdas) who reminds readers to keep God at the center of daily life, even in small moments. The key is constant remembrance of God’s name, bringing spiritual focus to everyday experiences. Faith is shown through simplicity and surrender. The text emphasizes joy in devotion.
Selections Discourses of Anaandamayi Ma
Anandamayi Ma tells the story of a man named Ram, who goes on a pilgrimage with no possessions and complete trust in God. His journey shows that divine support comes through faith, not material preparation. Letting go of fear and control leads to spiritual clarity. The path to God is one of surrender, not striving.
