Buddhism beliefs and teachings

Question 1

What was the Buddhas name?

Answer 1

Siddhartha Gotama.

Question 2

What are three unusual things about the Buddhas birth?

Answer 2

Lotus flowers bloomed where he stepped.
He could walk and talk straight away.
After his birth a prophecy was made saying he would either be a great king or holy man.

Question 3

What are the name of the buddhas mother and farther.

Answer 3

mother- Queen Maya
father- King Suddhodana

Question 4

Why did Siddhartha’s father try to shelter him from suffering.

Answer 4

Because he feared the prophecy and wanted him to be the king.

Question 5

Why are the four sights important to Buddhists today?

Answer 5

Show that they are all a part of life & wealth does not eliminate them.

Question 6

What were the four sights that Siddhartha saw when he left the palace.

Answer 6

holy man, sickness, death and old age.

Question 7

4 pieces of info about Buddhas ascetic life.

Answer 7

• gave up all possessions & symbols of old life.
• rejected anything that would give him pleasure to practise self discipline.
• Fasted for long periods of time and began meditation.
• slept in a bed of thorns.

Question 8

Why did the Buddha turn away from his ascetic life?

Answer 8

• got too weak to meditate.
• his practises didn’t bring him any closer to the cause of suffering.

Question 9

What did the Buddha do after his ascetic life?

Answer 9

Began meditating under a peepul tree.

Question 10

4 ways Mara tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving enlightenment.

Answer 10

• sent his daughters to seduce him.
• sent armies to attack him.
• offered him power of his own kingdom.
• Mara himself tried to attack him.

Question 11

3 watches of the night.

Answer 11

• Gained all knowledge of previous lives.
• understood cycle of samsara.
• understood why suffering happens and how to overcome it.

Question 12

What are the three marks of existence and what do they mean?

Answer 12

anicca- impermanence
anatta- no self or soul
dukkha- suffering.

Question 13

3 things in the world affected by impermanence?

Answer 13

• minds
• living things
• non living things

Question 14

What was Nagasena’s analogy of no self or soul?

Answer 14

A chariot- collection of parts.

Question 15

5 aggregates.

Answer 15

• body
• perceptions
• consciousness
• feelings
• thoughts

Question 16

What do Buddhists believe is passed on through to the next life?

Answer 16

Kamma (karma)

Question 17

Seven states of suffering.

Answer 17

• birth
• old age
  -sickness
• death
• sorrow
• contact with unpleasant things
• not getting what you want.

Question 18

3 types of Dukkha.

Answer 18

• suffering
• change
• attachment

Question 19

1st NT (dukkha)

Answer 19

Suffering cannot be avoided.

Question 20

2nd NT (Samudaya)

Answer 20

Suffering caused by greed, hatred, ignorance

Question 21

3rd NT (Nirodha)

Answer 21

Suffering will stop troubling you once you accept it as a part of life and lose selfish desires.

Question 22

4th NT (Magga)

Answer 22

Eightfold path sets out ways of living to help ease suffering.

Question 23

EFP - panna (wisdom)

Answer 23

• understanding
• intention

Question 24

EFP- samadhi (meditation)

Answer 24

• mindfullness
• concentration
• effort

Question 25

EFP- sila (ethics) Right..

Answer 25

- action - speech - livelihood

Question 26

Arhat.

Answer 26

'Perfected person' who has overcome the main causes of suffering (three poisons) to achieve enlightenment.

Question 27

Boddhisattva.

Answer 27

Someone who has become enlightenment but chooses to remain in the cycle of samsara to help others achieve enlightenment. This can be attained by practising the six perfections.

Question 28

Sunyata

Answer 28

emptiness - for Mahayana Buddhists emphasises all things are dependant and continuously changing.

Question 29

Theravada Buddhism.

Answer 29

- 'school of the elders' it's more traditional and orthodox - goal to achieve enlightenment and reach Nibbana. - Buddha seen as guide and teacher not God. - teaches five aggregates.

Question 30

Mahayana Buddhism.

Answer 30

- includes some later buddhist traditions such as pure land, Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. - emphasises teaching of Sunyata. - In some M traditions Buddha nature is important.

Question 31

Dependant arising.

Answer 31

belief that everything is interconnected, nothing is permanent or unchanging.

Question 32

Tanha.

Answer 32

Craving.

Question 33

What is a Buddha?

Answer 33

Someone who has woke up to the truth of existence.

Question 34

Nibbana.

Answer 34

A state of complete enlightenment, happiness and peace/ extinction of three poisons.

Question 35

Teachings on Tanha.

Answer 35

- Tanha leads to three poisons. - Craving rooted in ignorance.

Question 36

Six perfections and who they are important to.

Answer 36

- Bodhisattvas. - generosity - wisdom - morality - energy - meditation - patience

Question 37

Buddha nature

Answer 37

- everyone has the seed of a Buddha already inside them. - it is hidden by desires/attachments and negative thoughts - when someone comes to understand the Buddhas teachings they experience their inner buddha nature.

Question 38

What are the three jewels?

Answer 38

- sangha (community of practitioners) - dharma (teachings) - Buddha