Flashcards
3. Living
Cards in this deck (41)
- 1The Four Noble Truths1. Dukkha: There is suffering
2. Tanha: There is a cause of suffering (craving)
3. Nibbana: There is a cure for suffering (enlightenment)
4. Magga: This is the way to end suffering (Noble Eightfold Path) - 2The Doctor Analogy1. Sickness: Dukkha
2. Diagnosis: Tanha
3. Identifying a Cure: Nibbana
4. Prescription: Noble Eightfold Path
To speak of suffering as a sickness offers hope, implying it can be cured - 3The Parable of the Poison ArrowSuppose a man is struck by a poison arrow, and demands answers regarding the cure
However, he questions this so extensively that he soon dies
The Buddha explains that we must not ask why, but instead experience things for ourselves (ehipassiko) - 4Dukkha: There is SufferingSuffering occurs because we live in an imperfect world, and because we expect pleasurable things to last, which only lead to further suffering (Tuffley)
It is also an intrinsic part of life which the Buddha observed is engrained in the very fabric of our being (Keown) - 5Spoken by the Buddha Dukkha"...birth is suffering; ageing is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering..."
- 6As a Mark of Existence DukkhaTranslations include suffering and the unsatisfactoriness of a conditioned existence
Walpola Rahula says it also conveys deeper ideas such as imperfection and insubstantiality - 7The Three Categories of Dukkha DukkhaOrdinary Suffering: Includes old age, sickness, death, and not getting what one wants
Suffering Arising from Change: Refers to how we suffer when things beyond our control change, such as poverty
Suffering of a Conditioned Existence: Occurs as a result of attachment to the 'self', and allowing dukkha to affect - 8Types of Unavoidable SufferingPhysical: Sickness, old age, and death
Mental: Separation from pleasant things and contact with unpleasant things - 9Tanha: There is a Cause of SufferingAttachment to any impermanence is certain to cause suffering (Tuffley)
Desire is the fuel which propels craving (Keown) - 10Spoken by the Buddha Tanha"...the craving that makes for further becoming..."
He identified three types of craving:
- Craving for Sense Objects (e.g. alcohol)
- Craving for Existence (i.e. desire to live)
- Craving for Non-Existence (i.e. non-desire to live) - 11As a Nidana TanhaRepresented by a man taking a drink from a woman
This illustrates how craving leads to thirsts, which only has a negative effect on us; we must therefore learn to practice mindfulness - 12Nibbana: There is a Cure for SufferingOne can end suffering by breaking down attachments to the egoic self (Tuffley)
It is the 'blowing out' of the Triple Fires (Keown) - 13Spoken by the Buddha Nibbana"...the remainderless fading and cessation of craving..."
- 14Nirodha NibbanaRefers to 'cutting off'
- 15Mahayana Understanding NibbanaSome Mahayana Buddhists suggest that nibbana is simply a state of experiencing the world more positively
- 16Nibbana-with-Remainder NibbanaRefers to how an enlightened being's material body is still subject to material decay and death
- 17Parinibbana NibbanaRefers to a state of even greater happiness which is achieved when an enlightened being passes away
- 18Nagasena on Nibbana NibbanaNagasena tells King Milinda that just as the wind exists but cannot be pointed to, nibbana also exists but cannot be pointed to
However, surely the wind is far more testable than nibbana, insofar that it is observable and caused by material events? - 19Magga: This is the Way to End SufferingSuffering can be ended by following the Noble Eightfold Path, and develop wisdom, morality, and mental capabilities (Tuffley)
The Eightfold Path is a kind of modelling process for self-transformation (Keown) - 20The Three Divisions of the Eightfold Path MaggaWisdom: Right View, Right Intent
Ethics: Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood
Meditation: Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration - 21Right View MaggaConcerned with applying the Four Noble Truths in one's own life (Tuffley)
- 22Right Intent MaggaCommitment to becoming a more conscious person, including renunciation, good will, and harmlessness (Tuffley)
- 23Right Speech MaggaTo refrain from lies, malicious language, offensive language, and gossip (Tuffley)
- 24Right Action MaggaMeans refraining from going against the Five Precepts (Tuffley)
- 25Right Livelihood MaggaConcerned with earning one's living in such a way that does no harm to others (Tuffley), such as not working in drugs or prostitution
- 26Right Effort MaggaPreventing unwholesome states, and cultivating and preserving wholesome states (Tuffley)
- 27Right Mindfulness MaggaRefers to a state of heightened consciousness, allowing for the world to be perceived clearly
It means being conscious of how your mind has a tendency to distort meaning (Tuffley), reducing stress and anxiety - 28Right Concentration MaggaMeans developing the capability to focus one's full attention on a single object for an extended period (Tuffley)
By doing this, one is able to use their increased concentration as a 'tool' - 29The Pali Canon's Ninth and Tenth Acquired Stages of Wisdom MaggaRight Insight: Proper understanding into the benefits of following the Eightfold Path, understanding that suffering is caused by clinging
Right Release: A gradual process of becoming 'free' in more areas of one's life; enlightenment - 30Significance of the Four Noble Truths to BuddhismThese are what the Buddha first talked about in his First Sermon (Tuffley)
They are the 'distilled essence of Buddhism' (Tuffley) - 31The Five HindrancesBeing trained by a teacher will allow the practitioner to overcome the 'Five Hindrances' of sense desire, resistance to the task, laziness, worry, and fear of commitment
- 32Aims of MeditationTo complement other stages of the Eightfold Path, and to quash the Three Poisons of ignorance, greed, and hatred
- 33Personalised PracticeBuddhists can only attain enlightenment through personal practice, much like the Buddha did
Meditation is therefore practiced alone, with a straight back, legs crossed in the lotus positon, with hands resting on the lap and eyes closed - 34Nature of Samatha MeditationInvolves 'mindfulness of breathing' to bring about calm and tranquillity
Breath is always present, so is always an accessible method of becoming relaxed - 35Aims of Samatha MeditationTo be mindful of the relevant Skandhas
To develop greater concentration skills and progress through the jhanas by 'taming the monkey mind'
This concentration can be later used as a 'tool' to chip away at the wall of illusion - 36Nature of Vipassana MeditationNow that the practitioner is aware of the necessary Skandhas, they must contemplate them
Personalised practice is particularly important here due to ehipassiko - 37Aims of Vipassana MeditationTo use the concentration gained from samatha as a 'tool' to gradually chip away at the wall of illusion, acquiring insight and wisdom
- 38How Do Samatha and Vipassana Complement Each Other?While samatha calms the mind, it also readies the mind for vipassana methods of insight in order to understand the 'truth'
- 39The Role of Mindfulness in Buddhist PracticeTo Buddhists, mindfulness means being able to observe change without attaching themselves to emotions; they simply watch thoughts fade in and out
- 40Examples of Secular PracticeCombinations of samatha and vipassana techniques are comparable to modern practices of mindfulness aimed at reducing stress and anxiety in medical practice
- 41Meditation as a Stage of the Eightfold PathMuch like the other stages, meditation should not be assumed to be the sole means of achieving enlightenment
All stages must instead be observed simultaneously, which may be aided by meditation and concentration
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- A level Religious Studies (3. Developments in Buddhist Thought) Flashcards on 3. Living, created by Jordan Best on 25/11/2017.
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