Mahayana Buddhists
- modern adaptions
- greater vehicle
- boddhivista
- sanscript
they can choose to help others to achieve Nibbana
they live normal, everyday lives
Theravada Buddhists
- lesser vehicle
- ‘arhat’
- pali language
- traditional
they believe Nibbana can be achieved in this lifetime, never reborn
they live in a monastic setting(munks and nuns)
The noble eightfold path (magga)
summary of how the buddhas teachings on how to end suffering and attain enlightenment
it’s often described as the middle way because it’s a way between luxury and asceticism
Threefold way-
- wisdom- enables to see things as they really are- impermanent (right viewpoint, right thought and right speech)
- morality- shows the interconnected nature of things and the need to speak, behave and live wisely (right action, right living and right effort)
- meditation/mental discipline- helps Buddhists gain the correct insight to follow the middle way (right awareness and right concentration)
Nibbana
it’s the ultimate goal of all Buddhists. it’s not a place and can’t be described, only experienced. it’s entered at a death or a state of mind and can be experienced by all living beings. It’s achieved when an enlightened being no longer experiences any suffering.
2 types-
1. nibbana with remainder- enlightenment achieved, but there’s a remaining life span
2. nibbana without remainder (paranibbana)- enlightenment achieved at the end of a life span with death i.e. final nibbana
the five precepts
five precepts are recommendations rather than commandments for living a good life-
- not harming living things
- not to take what hasn’t been given
- to avoid sexual misconduct
- to avoid unworthy speech such as telling lies or speaking badly of others
- to avoid drugs and alcohol which damage the mind and body
by embracing the five precepts will help a person to develop positive qualities and as a result he/she will accumulate good kamma and so act less selfish
3 jewels
the 3 jewels help buddhists to cope with suffering and leads them in the right direction towards nibbana
also known as the 3 refugees
- the buddha- the founder, Siddhartha Gautama
- the Dhamma- Buddhist teachings
- the Sangha- community of Buddhists
Kamma
law of cause and effect
skilful actions-> positive kamma
unskillful actions-> negative kamma
good kamma causes better rebirth and so helps buddhists to become enlightened and achieve Nibbana
The three marks of existence
linked to the nature of reality and human beings- the way things really are in life: full of suffering
- anicca- the idea that nothing lasts forever and that everything changes (impermanence)
- anatta- the idea that there’s no permanent you(no soul/self), dependant co-origination, the Buddha taught that everything is dependant upon something else
- dukkha- the idea that life is unsatisfactory because there’s so much suffering(suffering/dissatisfaction with life
Four sights
on his first visit outside the palace Siddhartha saw the 4 sights
- old age-> realised people don’t stay young forever
- sickness-> realised people don’t get sick and don’t always stay healthy
- death-> realised/learned that people don’t live forever
- ‘sadhu’-> made him wonder how the sadhu could be so happy and peaceful surrounded by so much suffering
Ascetic
someone who believes that happiness can be achieved through extreme self-denial
Dependant Origination
the 12 niddanas as represented in the wheel of life’s outer rim
it’s the idea that things pass from one realm to another to keep the wheel of samsara revolving and people trapped in a life of dissatisfaction and suffering
Samsara
state of recurring misery and dissatisfaction in which humans are trapped in, believed to be caused by attachment to impermanent things stopped when you become enlightened
The three root posions
the 3 animals in the inner hub of the centre of the wheel of life
- pig- represents ignorance of the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha)
- snake- represents hatred
- cockerel/rooster- represents greed or craving for experiences perceived to be pleasurable
The sangha
worldwide community of the Buddhists. it’s the term used for those who are followers of Buddha
the ‘Aryasangha’ is a special group of buddhists who have achieved enlightenment
Mahayana- they’re called ‘Bodhisattvas’
Theravada- they’re called ‘arhats’
the sangha has 2 groups-
- laity(buddhists who live ordinary lives)
- ordinaired(monks and mobs who live in the monasteries and retreats)
Ethics
the study of moral and social behaviour including people’s moral choices, the values behind them and the reason people give for them
Meditation
Mediation is the means by which the Buddha achieved enlightenment and has an important role in buddhist practice. Meditation involves training the mind by sitting very still and emptying the mind of all thoughts. this allows the mind to become calm and more able to concentrate on things which are really important. As mediation clears the persons mind and helps get rid of negative thoughts it’s said to be «mental cultivation»
Puja
Buddhist worship is called puja and is the means of following the Dhamma and achieving good kamma. puja includes changing such as meditating and offering gifts to the Buddha. Puja also includes listening to talks given by monks and taking part in a pilgrimages to sacred sites. Puja usually takes pace in a Buddhist temple at the shrine where a statue or a picture of Buddha is normally kept a
The spiritual awakening of the Buddha
After the Buddha subjected himself to severe fasting and self-denial which he found didn’t work, he sat under a ‘Bodhi tree’ (tree of awakening) and meditated. He final managed to find the answer to the questions he concluded that life if full of suffering which is chased by peoples selfishness and greed. He realised weath, possessions and even people don’t live forever and this is the reason for unhappiness
