Exam 2 Flashcards

Question

The Three Principal Aspects of the Path

Answer 1

1. The Determination to Abandon Saṃsāra (wanting to escape the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth) 2. Awakening the “Mind of Enlightenment” (aspiration to attain full enlightenment not just for one's own sake but for the benefit of all sentient beings) 3. The Direct Cognition of “Emptiness” (Understanding emptiness is the key to realizing the true nature of reality)

Answer 2

1. Identifying Leisure and Opportunity 2. Contemplating the Importance of Leisure and Opportunity 3. Contemplating the Difficulty of Attaining Leisure and Opportunity

Answer 3

1. Death is Certain 2. One’s Life cannot be Extended 3. Time for Meditation is Limited 4. The Time of Death is Unknown 5. The Ways to Die are Innumerable 6. The Body is Fragile 7. When Death Comes, Nothing Will Help Except Meditation a. Your friends will not help. b. Your resources will not help. c. Your body will not help.

Answer 4

1. The Suffering of Those in Hell 2. The Suffering of Ghosts 3. The Suffering of Animals 4. The Suffering of Demi-Gods 5. The Suffering of Gods

Answer 5

1. Gods 2. Demi-gods 3. Human beings 4. Animals 5. Hungry Ghosts 6. Hell beings

Answer 6

1. Attachment 2. Aversion 3. Ignorance

Answer 7

1. Generosity 2. Discipline 3. Patience 4. Perseverance 5. Meditative Stabilization 6. Insight

Answer 8

1. Recognizing all sentient beings as your mother. 2. Recalling their kindness. 3. Wishing to repay their kindness. 4. Cultivating love for all sentient beings. 5. Cultivating compassion for all sentient beings. 6. Cultivating a whole-hearted resolve. 7. Generating the mind (or “spirit”) of enlightenment.

Answer 9

1. May I take on their sufferings 2. May I give them blessings

Answer 10

Mental state cultivated through deep meditation, following 1. Clear, vivid, one-pointed (The mind becomes focused and unified, experiencing the object of meditation with clarity and precision.) 2. Non-discursive (Thought processes and conceptualizations cease, and the mind simply experiences the object without mental elaboration.) 3. Blissful (A deep sense of inner peace and contentment arises, stemming from the stillness and clarity of the mind.)

Answer 11

1. Necessary for enlightenment (critical for liberation because it leads to the understanding of the true nature of reality, including impermanence, suffering, and non-self. It is through wisdom that one overcomes ignorance and delusion, which bind one to saṃsāra.) 2. Empty (True wisdom involves the realization of emptiness (śūnyatā)—the understanding that all things, including the self, are empty of inherent, unchanging existence. This insight into emptiness is the key to overcoming attachment and achieving freedom from suffering.)

Answer 12

1. Preconditions a. One practices in an appropriate place b. Has little desire c. Is content d. Gives up most activities (shopping, socializing, hobbies, unnecessary tasks) e. Is ethical f. Rids oneself of thoughts of desire 2. Posture a. Legs (crossed) b. Eyes (softly focused) c. Back (straight) d. Shoulders (back) e. Head (tucked) f. Jaw (relaxed) g. Tongue (touching front teeth) h. Breath (gentle)

Answer 13

Things do not possess an independent, permanent essence, but are dependent on their parts and conditions. 1. There is no chariot which is other than its parts. 2. There is no chariot which is the same as its parts. 3. There is no chariot which possesses its parts. 4. There is no chariot which depends on its parts. 5. There is no chariot upon which the parts depend. 6. There is no chariot which is the collection of its parts. 7. There is no chariot which is the shape of its parts.

Answer 14

The Great Perfection is a profound and direct path to enlightenment. It emphasizes realizing the primordial (primeval) nature of mind and the intrinsic purity of all phenomena. - Truth Body: Samantabhadra (he formless, primordial essence of Buddhahood, representing the ultimate, timeless reality of pure awareness and emptiness, beyond all conceptualization.) - Enjoyment Body: Vajrasattva (the form of blissful wisdom experienced by advanced bodhisattvas, embodying the manifestation of enlightened qualities in a perceptible and radiant form.) - Manifestation Body: Garap Dorje (the physical, tangible form of an enlightened being, through which teachings are transmitted to sentient beings and enlightenment is made accessible in the world.)

Answer 15

1. Life is like a dream 2. Sleep is like death

Answer 16

- Dualism (‘self’ and ‘other’) (Life and dreams create a sense of separation between "self" and "other," leading to attachment and aversion.) - The Three Poisons (attachment/grasping/desire, aversion, and ignorance) (distort our perception of reality, both in life and dreams.) - Karma (actions and their results) (Our actions in life, whether good or bad, have consequences that shape our experiences, similar to how karma affects our dreams.)

Answer 17

1. Dreams and Spiritual Direction (Dreams can guide spiritual growth by offering insights into one's path and challenges.) 2. Dreams and the Reception of Teachings (Dreams may serve as a medium for receiving wisdom and teachings from enlightened beings or inner guidance.) 3. Dream Practice: Awareness and Lucid Dreaming (Practicing awareness in dreams, including lucid dreaming, helps develop control over the mind and spiritual clarity.)

Answer 18

1. samsaric dreams (lucid or nonlucid) 2. dreams of clarity (lucid or nonlucid) 3. clear light dreams (lucid)

Answer 19

1. Karma and Obscuration (Our ignorance and mental distractions (obscurations) cloud our understanding of reality, creating confusion in both life and dreams.) 2. Karma as Conditioning (positive and negative) (Karma conditions us through our actions, creating habitual patterns that influence both our waking life and dreams.) 3. Karma and Dreams (Dreams reflect unresolved karma, showing how our past actions and emotions manifest in the dream state.) 4. Karma and Rebirth (Just as karma shapes our dreams, it also shapes our future lives, continuing the cycle of rebirth.)

Exam 2 Flashcards

(43 cards)