Buddhism: Buddha’s Teachings

Question 1

4 Noble Truths

Answer 1

• Dukkha: Life is suffering
• Samudaya: Suffering is caused by desire
• Nirodha: There is a way to stop suffering, stop desiring
• Magga: Following the 8 fold path will end suffering
• Highlights importance of 8 fold path

Question 2

Three Marks of Existence: Dukkha

Answer 2

• Suffering is desire
• Can end or change leading to suffering
• Understanding can help enlightenment as understanding why we suffer helps us avoid it

Question 3

Three Marks of Existence: Anicca

Answer 3

• Impermanence, everything changes
• Story of Kisa Gotami - Buddha said he’d save her son if she could get a mustard seed from a house nobody had ever died in, she realised death is everywhere and she was selfish thinking she was special
• Not accepting change = suffering, not enlightenment

Question 4

Three Marks of Existence: Anatta

Answer 4

• No permanent soul as everything changes
• No ‘Self’ = no selfishness
• Made up of 5 Skandhas
• Need to understand to become enlightened

Question 5

5 Skandha’s

Answer 5

• They constantly change and the only thing that stays permanent is our label
• Body
• Feelings
• Perceptions
• Mental formations
• Consciousness
• Makes us less selfishness and helps path to enlightenment

Question 6

Samsara

Answer 6

• Cycle of suffering. Life to death to rebirth.
• Fueled by root poisons
• Only way to leave is enlightenment; accumulate good kamma until enlightened

Question 7

Nibbana

Answer 7

• Not a place but a state of mind
• Compared to wind, can’t be seen or touched but still know its there
• Ending of suffering - Enlightenment
• Main goal

Question 8

Kamma

Answer 8

• Cause and effect
• We can always control our actions
• Good Kamma gained through 5 precepts
• Can lead to our good or bad consequences in this life or next life and rebirths

Question 9

3 Root Poisons

Answer 9

• Greed, Rooster
• Ignorance, Pig
• Hatred, Snake
• Fuels wheel of Samsara
• Cause unskillful actions which create bad Kamma and rebirths

Question 10

5 Precepts

Answer 10

• All Buddhists follow
  1 - No Harm to any living thing
  2- Do not steal
  3 - No sexual misconduct
  4 - Do not lie
  5 - No drugs or alcohol
• To gain good Kamma must do these and will lead to easier life
• Part of the ‘Right action’ step of 8 fold path