buddhism

• enlightenment 


  the state of gaining deep understanding or knowledge
• monastic 


  relating to monks or monasteries characterised by a simple way of life
• when is wesak celebrated

  on the full moon in may
• when is parinirvana day celebrated

  february 15th
• what is parinirvana day


  commemorates the death of the historical buddha and his attainment of final nirvana after death marking the end of reincarnation
• what do buddhists do on parinirvana day

  reflect on impermanence of life (anicca), reflection, offerings of candles and flowers, acts of kindness and generosity
• what is wesak

  it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the buddha
• what do you do on wesak

  visiting temples, making offerings, chanting, meditation (vipassana and samatha)
• what might buddhists do on wesak 


  abstain from eating meat and drinking alcohol, clean their homes, give alms to the poor and monastics, commit good deeds
• what might you do on parinirvana day


  reflect on one’s future death and deaths of loved ones, visit buddhist temples
• the four sights?

  old age

  illness

  death

  a holy man
• ascetic 


  living a simple and strict lifestyle with few pleasures or possessions
• what tactics did mara try 


  mara sent his daughters to seduce siddhartha

  sent his armies to attack siddhartha

  offered siddhartha control of his kingdom

  mara himself tried to attack siddhartha
• the three watches? 


  gained knowledge of his previous lives

  understood the repeating cycle of life, death and rebirth

  understood why suffering happens and how to overcome it
• dhamma 


  buddhist teachings
• the three refuges? 


  dhamma

  sangha

  buddha
• dependant arising 


  everything arises and continues dependant upon conditions
• the three marks of existence? 


  suffering (dukkha)

  impermanence (anicca)

  having no fixed self of soul (anatta)
• the five aggregates? 


  form

  sensation

  perception

  mental formations

  consciousness
• the four noble truths? 


  truth of suffering existing

  truth of cause of suffering

  truth of end of suffering

  truth of the path leading to the end of suffering
• theravada buddhism 


  ‘the school of the elders‘ classic of orthodox buddhism with a high degree of uniformity in how its practised
• mahayana buddhism 


  describe later traditions like pure land buddhism, tibetan and zen buddhism
• sunyata


  emptiness, nothing has an independent self or soul
• tanha 


  craving
• the three poisons? 


  greed

  hatred

  ignorance
• nibbana (nirvana) 


  a state of complete enlightenment, happiness and peace
• the eightfold path? 


  right wisdom

  right intention

  right speech

  right action

  right livelihood

  right effort

  right mindfulness

  right meditation
• arhat 


  theravada buddhists believe this is someone who has become enlightened
• bodhisattva 


  mahayana buddhists believe this is someone who has become enlightened but chooses to remain in the cycle of samsara to help others achieve enlightenment
• samsara 


  the repeating cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth
• the six perfections?


  generosity

  compassion

  patience

  energy

  meditation

  wisdom
• pure land buddhism 


  mahayana form of buddhism based on the belief in amitabha buddha
• amitabha buddha 


  the buddha worshipped by pure land buddhists
• sukhavati


  the paradise where amitabha buddhist lives, where pure land buddhists aim to be reborn
• theravada believes that enlightenment can only be reached through a persons own thoughts and actions, they cannot rely on any outside help (contrast to mahayana who believe in amitabha buddha)
• gompa


  a hall or building where tibetan buddhists meditate
• stupa 


  a small building in a monastery that sometimes contains holy relics
• buddha rupa 


  a statue of the buddha, often sitting cross-legged in a meditation pose
• monastery (vihara) 


  a place where buddhist monks and nuns live
• puja 


  an act of worship