Exam Key Points Flashcards
What is religious impulse?
The universal urge to believe in something beyond ourselves
Define atheist.
A person who believes no god exists
Define agnostic.
A person who doubts the existence of a god
Define credo.
A set of beliefs
Define secular.
Concerned with the material world, not religion
Define ahimsa (H).
Doctrine of non-violence toward all living creatures
Define dharma (H).
Personal conduct and righteous living
Describe the cycle of reincarnation. (H)
Samsara is the endless cycle of reincarnation. Hindus believe when you die, you are reborn into another body. The situation in the next life is determined by your karma in the previous life. Karma is the basic belief of cause and effect. Good actions means good next life. Bad actions means bad next life. This cycle continues until Moksha is achieved. Moksha is the liberation from the cycle and being united with Atman (inner-most soul) and Brahman. Liberation can be achieved through knowledge, good deeds and devotion.
What is a guru? (H)
A spiritual teacher or guide who can help one achieve moksha
What are the castes? (H)
Brahmins: priests who make up the highest caste; purist, wisest and most learned
Kshatriyas: warriors; they protect and rule society with strength and courage
Vaishya: merchants and farmers; management and entrepreneurial skills
Sudra: servants; not allowed to study scripture
Untouchables: so low they’re not even a part of the caste system; degraded for “unclean work”
What are the 4 major purposes of living? (H)
Dharma: conducting one’s duties with compassion toward all beings, forbearance absence of jealousy, purity, tranquility, goodness, absence of cruelty, and absence of greed
Artha: earning money by honest means to provide for the family; acquiring wealth and power
Kama: pursuing love and physical pleasures to balance life and sanctify marriage
Moksha: leading the soul toward salvation though honest and moral actions
What is meditation? (B)
A method of calming and training the mind through concentration
Define ascetic (B).
One who practices very strict devotions using severe self-denial (very intense abstinence)
What is nirvana? (B)
A state of supreme realization and enlightenment, an understanding of the truth of life and the freedom from ignorance
This results in the release from the endless cycle of rebirths
Define sangha (B).
The community of Buddhist monks and nuns
Define jataka (B).
Collection of 547 birth stories of the previous lives of the Buddha. Aim is to illustrate morality
What are the four noble truths? (B)
The teachings on these truths are regarded as central to the teachings of Buddhism. They explain the nature of Dukkha (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness), it’s causes and how it can be overcome.
The truth of the origin of Dukkha. It explains the nature of Dukkha, with the three following aspects: the obvious suffering of physical and mental illness, growing old and dying; the anxiety or stress of trying to hold onto things that are constantly changing; a subtle dissatisfaction for all forms of life due to the fact that all forms of life are changing, and without any inner core or substance
The truth of the cessation of Dukkha. The origin of Dukkha can be known. Commonly explained as craving conditioned by ignorance. On a deeper level, the root cause of Dukkha is identified as ignorance of the true nature of things
That the complete cessation of Dukkha is possible and the path to this cessation is to follow the noble eightfold path
What are the differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism? (B)
Beliefs
T: humans are individuals, key virtue is wisdom, religion is for monks, the ideal being is Arhat, Buddha is a saint
M: humans are involved with others, key virtue is compassion, religion also for lay person, ideal being is Bodhisattva, Buddha is a savior
Practices
T: pray through meditation
M: pray for requests
Scriptures
T: early scriptures in Pali
M: early scriptures in Sanskrit
Who is Allah? (I)
The “supreme God”; humans have the free will to submit to God’s will, a gracious surrendering to the all compassionate all merciful Allah
Define Hadith. (I)
The second source of law for Muslims
What is a mosque? (I)
The Muslim place of worship.
What is the qu’ran? (I)
The holy book of Islam, seen as God’s word and not Muhammad’s word even though Muhammad conveyed it
Compare Shi’ah Muslims and Sunni Muslims (I).
The party of Ali; believe Ali was Muhammad’s chosen successor; believe Imams (Ali and 12 descendants) are the rightful successors of Muhammad; believe the 12th Imam, Mahdi, disappeared and will return to bring justice and righteousness to the world
Make up nearly 85% of Muslims; believe Muhammad did not choose a successor and building consensus within the community is the best way to arrive at a just and equitable society; believe 4 caliphs are the true successors but Mahdi has not been born yet; when Mahdi does come he’ll bring justice and righteousness to the world
What are the five Pillars of Islam faith?
The fundamental constituents of Muslim life
- Shahadah - the profession of faith
- Salat - prayer five times daily
- Zakat - mandatory almsgiving
- Sawm - fasting during the month of Ramadan
- Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca which every Muslim should make at least once in their life
