Buddhism: Beliefs & Teachings

• the four sights


  the four important things that the buddha saw; a sick man, an old man, a poor man and a dead man
• asceticism


  choosing to live a harsh/difficult life to achieve a spiritual goal
• the middle way


  the buddhist teaching about the importance of avoiding extremes
• the three jewels


  three things buddhists go to for guidance; buddha, dharma and sangha
• dharma


  the collected teachings of the buddha
• sangha


  the buddhist community
• mahayana buddhism

  • a type of buddhism that believes in a group effect to work to achieve enlightenment together
  • emphasises good actions
  • means "great vehicle"
• theravada buddhism

  • a type of buddhism that believes in an individual journey to enlightenment
  • emphasises wisdom & study
  • means "way of the elder monks"
• four noble truths


  four key buddhist teachings on how to achieve enlightenment - dukkha (suffering), samudaya (the cause of suffering), nirodha (the end of suffering) and magga (the path to end suffering)
• three marks of existence 


  three things that are true for all existence of all beings: dukkha, anicca and anatta.
• dukkha


  we all suffer
• anicca


  everything around us changes
• anatta


  we change
• three forms of dukkha

  1. dukkha-dukkha (physical and mental suffering)
  2. viparinama-dukkha (suffering through change)
  3. sankhara-dukkha (suffering through wanting more)
• the eightfold path


  • the last of the four noble truths
  • a guideline on how to achieve enlightenment

  1. understanding (know the truth)
  2. intention (free the mind of evil)
  3. speech (say nothing that hurts others)
  4. action (work for the good of others)
  5. living (a job that respects life)
  6. effort (resists evil)
  7. mindfulness (see beyond delusion)
  8. concentration (control ones thoughts)
• threefold way


  the division of the Eightfold Path into three main sections: ethics (Sila); meditation (Samadhi) and wisdom (Panna).
• arhat


  In Theravada Buddhism, a perfected person who has achieved their own enlightenment
• bodhisattva

  In Mahayana Buddhism, a person who is very close to achieving enlightenment, but has delayed it to help others.
• the six realms of the afterlife


  higher realms

  1. realm of the gods
  2. the demigods
  3. human beings

  lower realms

  4. realm of the animals

  5. realm of the hungry ghosts

  6. hell
• samsara


  the cycle of death and rebirth between the six realms of the afterlife
• nirvana


  enlightenment
• karma 


  the "merit" you build up over your life as a result of your actions. it determines your rebirth
• mara 


  a demon that represents spiritual obstacles, especially temptation
• the five ascetics


  the buddhas first five students; five monks who followed ascetic practices
• enlightenment


  • the gaining of true knowledge about self and the nature of reality
  • grants the end of suffering & freedom from the cycle of rebirth
• three watches of the night


  • the three realisations the buddha made that made him achieve enlightenment

  1. gained knowledge of all of his past lives
  2. came to understand samsara and karma
  3. came to understand why suffering happens and how to overcome it
• what are the three poisons that manifest from craving?


  greed (rooster), hatred (snake), and ignorance (pig).