Buddhist Traditions

Question 1

Three Vehicles of Buddhism?

Answer 1

• Theravada
• Mahayana
• Vajrayana (Associated with Himalayan region)

Question 2

Aspects of Buddhist thought?

Answer 2

Impermanence of human body, social egalitarianism, notion of karma

Question 3

Buddha of current age?

Answer 3

Siddhartha Gautama

Question 4

Siddhartha means?

Answer 4

“He who achieves success”

Question 5

Four Sights and Great Departure

Answer 5

At 30 he saw

• Sick man
• Suffering old man
• dead man
• Monk (Evidence that one can avoid suffering

Question 6

Daughter of Mara

Answer 6

(Similar to Satan in Christianity) tempted Buddha
sons (fear and anger) are also summoned.
- Buddha calls on the earth for support.
- Mara driven away by earth quake

Question 7

Enlightenment

Answer 7

• Remembering past lives
• deeper insight in working of karma
• question of how to put end to suffering (Four noble truths)

Question 8

Becoming “fully enlightened one”?

Answer 8

Have reached nirvana (sense of rejecting greed, hatred and delusion, also means ultimate bliss)

Question 9

Parinirvana

Answer 9

The final end of the cycle of rebirth, cessation of suffering, perfection of happiness.

Question 10

The Gems

Answer 10

1. Buddha
2. The Dharma
3. The Sangha

Question 11

Dharam means?

Answer 11

. . . a sense of social and moral obligation. (or Law)

Question 12

Four noble Truths

Answer 12

1. No living being can escape suffering
2. Suffering arises from excessive desire or craving.
3. Suffering will cease when desire ceases.
4. It is possible to put an end to desire by following eight principles of self-improvement.

Question 13

The Eightfold Path

Answer 13

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right speech
4. Right Conduct
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Meditation

Question 14

Three Characteristics of Existence

Answer 14

1. Suffering
2. Impermanence
3. No-self (“without Atman” - without the eternal self in humans. It is the underlying energy of the universe)

Question 15

Shandhas

Answer 15

The five complexes a person is composed of.

- Body, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness

Question 16

Three Instructions, Path of Purity

Answer 16

• Morality (Essential foundation)
• concentration (Developing mental state of being focused)
• Wisdom (Essential to attain nirvana)

Question 17

Three evil Roots

Answer 17

It is the goal of Buddhist to purify the mind of Greed, hatred, delusion

Question 18

12 stages of Dependent Origination

Answer 18

Past
1. Ignorance
2. Karma
Present
3. A new individual 'consciousness'
4. a new body -mind complex
5. the bases of sensing
6. sense impressions
7. conscious feelings
8. craving
9. cling to (grasping for) things
10. becoming (the drive to be reborn)
Future
11. rebirth
12. Old age and death

Question 19

The Sangha

Answer 19

Monastic community of ordained men and women and broader community, universal Sangha of followers of Buddha’s path

Question 20

Bhikshus and Bhikshunis take?

Answer 20

… vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and wear saffron-coloured robes

Question 21

Lay Sangha

Answer 21

four levels

• Those who have entered stream (to nirvana)
• those who have advanced far enough to return
• Those so advanced they will not return
• Those who have advanced to status of Arhats

Question 22

Tripitaka

Answer 22

The Three baskets of Sacred Texts

- orally written and found

Question 23

Theravada (First Vehicle)

Answer 23

• Widespread in India by 3rd century
• Conservative tradition
• considered the preserver of Buddhims in its original form

Question 24

Mahayana (Second Vehicle)

Answer 24

• Emerged as part of liberation movement

- Lay people had a more sig. role

Question 25

Skillful means

Answer 25

The Parable of the Burning House | - Father tells a lie

Question 26

Bodhisattvas

Answer 26

- Those who take boddhisattva vows are dedicating themselves to attain buddahood and to work towards liberation of other beings - Someone who has reached nirvana but waits to serve others

Question 27

Pure Land

Answer 27

- A prince who took 48 vows, promised to establish a heavenly region - no suffering, old age, death, - Only condition for rebirth in Pure Land is Faith in the infinite compassion of Amitabha (Mahayana)

Question 28

Vajrayana (Third Vehicle)

Answer 28

- :"diamond" and "thunderbolt" - incorporation of numerous elements originating in Indian Hindu and Buddhist practice - Mantras: sacred yllables believed to bring spiritual blessings when properly chanted

Question 29

Four important Pilgrimage site in Vajrayana?

Answer 29

1. Lumbini (birth of Shakyamini) 2. Bodh Gaya (Enlightenment of Shakuamuni) 3. Sarnath (First Sermon of Shakyamuni) 4. Kushinagar (pariniranana)

Question 30

Theravada Practice

Answer 30

They vow to refrain from - taking life - taking that which is not given - sexual immorality - wrong speech (lying slander) - Intoxicants