Buddhist beliefs

Question 1

What is Kamma

Answer 1

literally means action. Describes by the buddha as the law of cause and effect.

Buddhists believe that our consciousely chosen actions (actions with intentions behind them) have consequenses. this consequence many not be for years to come

Question 2

Definition of skillful/unskillful actions

Answer 2

• skillful actions are actions that are well thought through with good intentions behind them
• unskillful actions are bad actions that will lead to bad consequences or results. These actions often spring from free poisons

Question 3

example of skilful actions - the parable of the burning house

Answer 3

-a fathers old house burns down - he lies to children that are playing and not coming out that they have special carts of different kinds for each of them but they are all the same.

the father represents the buddha and the children are the sentiments

Question 4

benefits of belief in Kamma

Answer 4

• means you have an awarness that your actions affect your life
• improves control and self-discipline
  -hopefully meaning that you have a good impact on society and others around you
  -help control the 3 poisons
  -accept own suffering

Question 5

Difficulties with belief in Kamma

Answer 5

• if u are suffering from something that happened to u in previous life it might seem your life is unfair and unjust
  -difficult and time consuming to always consider every action
  -some may argue we should focus more on the consequences of actions rather than intentions

Question 6

What is Samsara?

Answer 6

-it is the cycle of rebirth. Buddhists believe that all humans are locked into this and the only escape is to live life following the buddhas teachings, particularly the eightfold path

Question 7

samsara - 14th Dalai Lama example

Answer 7

he is believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of the original one who is born in in 1391 as Gendun Drup. He no longer needs to be reborn but chooses to be, so that he can help other living beings

Question 8

Nibbana

Answer 8

• 3rd noble truth only way to end craving and unstasifactorinary
  -hard to describe as it is experience beyond the impermanent nature of words

Question 9

Theravada beliefs about Nibbna

Answer 9

-The path of enlightment is the one of the arhat (worthy of respect)
-takes many lifetimes to achieve
-the final stage is ahrat at this stage all attachment to self is gone

Question 10

Mahayana Beliefs about nibbana

Answer 10

-for them the path of Arhat is to narrow and individualistic
-instead the path for them is Bodhisattva which means ‘being of enlightment,
-a bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to helping others achieve enlightment they actively put off their own

Question 11

The Three Jewels

Answer 11

-The Buddha (the doctor)
-The Dhamma (the medicine)
-The Sangha (the community)

Question 12

How do the three jewels help buddhists

Answer 12

-help buddhists pratically to cope with the inevitable suffering which life involves
-points buddhists in the right direction to enlightment
-helps them make sense of life
-very special and valuable to a buddhist

Question 13

The first jewel - the buddha

Answer 13

-he rediscovered ancient path to enlightment
-hes a role model
-his teahings live on after his death

Question 14

The second jewel - the dhamma

Answer 14

-buddhas teachings
-includes 3 marks of existence, 4 noble truths etc
-way of life
-indicates way to enlightment
-destination

Question 14

The third jewel - the sangha

Answer 14

-two types the laity (lay community) and the ordained (monks and nuns)
-helps preserve teachings and traditons of buddhism
-huge respect for monks in traditonal buddhist countries

Question 15

benefits of belonging to the sangha

Answer 15

• means community
  -wok together towards enlightment
  -as a monk or nun each day is organized in the same way to help people to develop Buddhist qualities
  -monks benift from peace and wuiet whereas lay buddhist life can involve noise arguments and even confrontation

Question 16

The three marks of existence

Answer 16

1. Annica (impermanence - everything changes)
2. Anatta (no soul - no permanent self)
3. Dukha - (unsatisfactioness/suffering)

All connected through the Buddha

Question 17

Tanha

Answer 17

Desire/craving. Types of desire include greed and aversion - greed could be for money and friends/family. Aversion could be death of a loved or ill one.
- to stop craving we have to remove all forms of suffering

Question 18

Three root poisons

Answer 18

1. Greed (rooster)
   2.Ignorance (pig)
   3.hatred (snake)

All suffering is caused by these human urges

Question 19

Samsara

Answer 19

Cycle of rebirth, Buddhists believe hat all humans are locked into this and can only escape by following Buddhas teachings, particularly the eightfold path.

Question 20

Samsara 14th Dalia Lama example

Answer 20

He is believed by his followers to be reincarnation of the original one born in 1391 as Gendun Drup - he no longer needs to be reborn but chooses to be so that he can help other living beings.

Question 21

Nibbana

Answer 21

4th noble truth, only way to end craving and unsatisfactory- hard to describe as it’s an experience

Question 22

The 4 noble truths

Answer 22

1. Dukkha - ordinary life brings about suffering
2. Tanha - orgin of suffering is attachment (craving)
   3.Nirvana - the cessation of suffering is attainable
3. Manga - eightfold path to the cessation of suffering

Question 23

Beliefs about Buddha

Answer 23

• shielded from suffering, e.g old, spoiled with food and possessions
• 4 sights (old age, sickness, death and holy man human condition)
  -holy man had nothing but was content with human conditions, siddhatha learned there must be a way to stop suffering
  -he learned mediation and became an asietic
  -sat under tree for days meditating then achieved nibbana learning anyone can become enlightened
  -buddhist practice of following the eightfold path comes from 4 mob,r truths, part of Buddhas first ever sermon

Question 24

Middle way definition

Answer 24

Beetween a life of self indulgence and life of self denial

Question 25

Nature of human beings

Answer 25

-Tanha - three root poisons - kamma

Question 26

What are the 5 Skhandas (linked with annata)

Answer 26

1 form : the physical body 2 sensations : the senses through which we experience the outside world 3 perception : the awarness of the information our senses give us 4 mental formation/ impulses : our reactions to the info we take in 5 consciousness : the thoughts and feelings which make us aware we exist