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Key Buddhist Practices Flashcards

(44 cards)

1
Q

Dana - selfless giving

A

Starting point for lay Buddhists, taught by the Buddha when he first gained enlightenment
Way to combat the three poisons, particularly greed
Links to anatta (no-self) and the idea of letting go of self and selfishness

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2
Q

Giving to the monastic sangha

A

By giving to monks and nuns, Buddhists gain more than they give because they support the maintenance of the dhamma
Monks and nuns set an example of how to live, giving back to the lay community
Giving alms is believed to lead to a better rebirth

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3
Q

Giving to the wider community

A

Contributing towards printing books for free distribution or supporting Buddhist websites
Volunteering for the local sangha
Manchester Buddhist Centre

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4
Q

Punya - merit

A

Performing good actions with the right intentions
Most Buddhists want to direct the merit or good consequences from their worship out to others in the world to avoid selfishness

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5
Q

Gaining and transferring merit

A

In Theravada tradition, this can involve transferring the merit to those who are reborn in less fortunate realms such as the pretas (hungry ghosts) to help them to a better rebirth
A boy who becomes a novice or monk will share the merit with his mother, who will also gain merit from giving up her son and from her joy in his becoming part of the monastic sangha.

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6
Q

The three jewels - refuges

A

The Buddha
The Dhamma
The Sangha

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7
Q

Taking refuge in the Buddha

A

Trusting the historical person and to be grateful for his explanation of the dhamma
It also involves recognising the possibility of your own enlightenment and seeing in him an example of how human beings can escape suffering

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8
Q

Taking refuge in the Dhamma

A

Exploring the teachings of the Buddha, not just blindly following them. Only through proper understanding will Buddhists move towards enlightenment
The Buddha and the Dhamma are intimately linked. The Buddha said, ‘He who sees me sees the dhamma, he who sees the dhamma sees me.’

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9
Q

Taking refuge in the sangha

A

Sharing your spiritual journey with the Buddhist community
When the Buddha died, the Sangha were the guardians of the dhamma as the Buddha made clear that he would have no successor.
The Buddha said ‘be a lamp unto yourselves’ showing that the Sangha had to guide each other to enlightenment

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10
Q

Going for refuge in Theravada Buddhism

A

Forms part of the regular practice of chanting and helps Buddhists to reflect on the qualities of each ‘jewel’.

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11
Q

Going for refuge in Mahayana Buddhism

A

Different branches emphasise different Buddhas, for example in Pure Land Buddhism, the Buddha refuge focuses on Amitabha (Amida), in Zen Buddhism, the focus is on the Buddha-nature within all people.

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12
Q

Heritage Buddhists

A

Not really how the Buddha seemed to want people to practice. In Buddhism people are supposed to reflect carefully on the symbolism of the teachings and how they can be applied to everyday life, not just follow blindly

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13
Q

Convert Buddhists

A

Going for refuge is the first step to conversion
Signifies a change from a more mundane life to one which has spirituality at its heart. It is a commitment to look beyond the small boundaries of human life to a path based on unchanging spiritual principles and truths.

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14
Q

4 types of meditation

A

Samatha - calmness meditation
Metta Bhavana - lovingkindness meditation
Vipassina - insight meditation
Zazen - sitting meditation

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15
Q

Benefits of samatha meditation

A

Heightened powers of concentration
Mind is no longer taken over by doubts, fears and worries

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16
Q

Benefits of Vipassina meditation

A

Makes a Buddhist aware of the noble truths and marks of existence
Develops compassion

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17
Q

Samatha

A

Selecting an object to meditate on – usually the breath but sometimes a mantra (chant) or everyday object. The aim is to become engrossed in the object of meditation until you can no longer be distracted by either the outside world or thoughts that arise in your own mind.

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18
Q

Metta Bhavana

A

cultivating the 4 bramhaviharas (godlike states)
develops these attitudes towards themselves, people they are close to, and eventually strangers

19
Q

Vipassina

A

Separate out their experiences into categories of body, feelings, moods and thoughts. Beginning with the body, they may concentrate on breathing and focus on every minor bodily sensation without responding to it, thereby breaking the habit of stimulus and response.

20
Q

Zazen

A

Sitting in a focused and mindful way and using intuition to understand that nibbana is here and now. The meditator is not trying to think.

21
Q

Influence of the ‘Bon’ religion on Tibetan Buddhism

A

Focused on spirit-essences within a person and their close relationship to various deities
Teachers who brought it looked for a from of Buddhism that would fit in well with existing beliefs and practices
Moments of transition in life are charged with spiritual potential

22
Q

Life after death - Tibetan Buddhism

A

Believe in ‘tulkus’
People are reincarnations of specific enlightened beings e.g. a guru or lama

23
Q

Mantras

A

Recited in order to visualise celestial bodhisattva figures
Develop the spiritual qualities they represent

24
Q

Om mani padme hum

A

Mantra associated with Avalokiteshvara
Six syllables are associated with the six perfections or the six realms of rebirth
Reflects the compassion of Avalokiteshvara

25
Use of mantras
May use prayer beads to count the repetitions Activate the power of the mantra and generate karmic fruitfulness by using prayer wheels Written on prayer flags - wind spreads compassion
26
Mudras
Symbolic hand gestures which evoke certain aspects of enlightenment Buddhist art often entails a deity or Bodhisattva figure performing a specific mudra In Vajrayana practice they work in three levels - body, speech and mind
27
Making mudras
Represents the mental state the Buddhist aims to create - giving the body a physical focus assisting the mind in meditation
28
Mandala
Used to portray the heavenly realm or ‘Pure Land’ The complexity of the symbol represents the complexity of the dhamma The practitioner visualises themselves entering the mandala
29
Mandala - punya
A sand mandala is able to channel punya towards those who view it and the environment Coloured sand is dispersed into flowing water as a way of spreading the punya generated Form of meditation allowing them to contemplate these key ideas
30
The modern mindfulness movement
Originated in the 60s where people were experimenting with a range of ‘Eastern’ meditation techniques Jon Kabat Zinn studied Buddhist teachings and found that these transformed their lives He tried to link techniques from Buddhism with modern science to create a more secular form of mindfulness
31
Purpose of the mindfulness movement
We need to consider the health of the mind as well as the body Reduce human suffering and promote wellbeing
32
Mindfulness in healthcare
Mindfulness based stress reduction Proven to reduce the recurrence rate of depression by 40-50% Reduces stress hormone levels, chronic pain, anxiety Teachers from the Triratna order train NHS professionals
33
Mindfulness in schools
A way to develop more resilient individuals who can cope better with the modern world Increased grades and more pro social behaviour Reduces indications of depression, anxiety and stress among secondary age pupils
34
Mindfulness in businesses
A way of helping workers manage stress Enhances performance and wellbeing Leads to more productive workers
35
Mindfulness as a business
Big companies have embraced mindfulness training - Google, LinkedIn, Ford McMindfulness
36
order of interbeing
dedicated themselves to mindfulness, ethical behaviour, and compassionate action observed the 14 precepts of engaged Buddhism (mindfulness trainings)
37
14 mindfulness trainings
openness non-attachment to views freedom of thought awareness of suffering compassionate, healthy living taking care of anger dwelling happily in the present moment true community and communication truthful and loving speech protecting and nourishing the sangha right livelihood reverence for life generosity right conduct
38
developments of socially engaged Buddhism
using media to get their message across TNH set up the Plum Village to develop the order of interbeing Buddhist women’s organisation
39
Buddhist peace fellowship
wanted to bring a Buddhist perspective into the global peace movement draws on Buddhist teachings of non-violence campaigns to protect the environment, end war and violence
40
Joanne Macy
believes that everything is interconnected (paticcasamutpada) member of Buddhist peace fellowship
41
Sakyadhita
international Buddhist Women’s association improves opportunities for women in education, health etc provides training in conflict resolution wants to change the roles of women
42
problems with the modern mindfulness movement
it has become so popular that it is often taught or explained badly it can be used to cover up the real problems with modern society mindfulness could be harmful Buddhism is not a replacement for healthcare
43
negatives of socially engaged Buddhism
distraction from the transformative practice of wisdom, meditation and morality brings dangers of being attached to the world and particular views
44
positives of socially engaged Buddhism
not a new form of Buddhism, but Buddhism with a particular emphasis on the social practice that has always been there the ideal of the Boddhisattva also puts compassion for the suffering of others at the heart of Buddhism - SEB is the bodhisattva path in action the distinction between gaining enlightenment and social engagement is false because both the self and the world must be changed before suffering can end