OBJECTIVES
Beginning with the life and legend of the Buddha, the chapter includes sections
on the teachings of the Buddha and the major forms of Buddhism—Theravada,
Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, and Pure Land. Concluding sections describe the
development of Buddhism in the West, and Buddhist involvement in social
issues.
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Describe the origins, the major beliefs, and the practices of Buddhism.
2. Recognize and discuss major divisions of Buddhism (similarities & differences).
3. Recognize Buddhist traditions in the West.
4. Explain the Buddhist role in social issues.
5. Define important names and terms such as Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama,
dharma, bhikshus, bhikshunis, sangha, nirvana, "Four Noble Truths," dukkha,
anicca, anatta, "Eightfold Path of Liberation," karma, samsara, arhant, Tipitaka
or Pali Canon, "Triple Gem," stupas, Bodhisattvas, sutras, yanas, sunyata,
lamas, Dalai Lama, mandalas, Zen, satori, koan, Buddha-nature, zazen, kensho,
Pure Land Buddhism, Amida, and zendo.
Buddhism differs from many of the other
major religions in its
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belief in salvation through one's own efforts.
belief in one major deity.
belief in life after death.
any of these.
The Buddha's teachings on the truths of
reality and right conduct are called
• the dharma.
• the karma.
• the Pali Canon.
• the samsara.
The future Buddha was born into a family
belonging to the traditional Hindu caste
called the
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kshatriyas.
Brahmins.
vaishyas.
shudras.
The Buddha developed a systematic approach
to bring people to liberation called
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Dhammapada.
Four Noble Truths.
the Eightfold Path of Liberation.
Three Gems.
The ultimate goal in the practice of
Buddhism is
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•
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forgiveness of sins.
nirvana.
becoming one with an ultimate reality or deity.
any of these.
The Pali Canon, also known as the
___________, includes the rules for sangha
members and a record of the Buddha's
teaching stories.
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Dhammapada
Tipitaka
Hinayana
Triple Gem
All Buddhists "take refuge" in the
__________, consisting of the Buddha, the
dharma, and the sangha.
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•
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Pali Canon
Triple Gem
Dhammapada
Eightfold Noble Path
In Theravada Buddhism,
mindfulness meditation techniques
called ____________ are used as a
method for focusing the mind.
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Yanas
Deity Yoga
Vipassana
Zendo
Bodhidharma's form of Buddhism, called
Ch'an in China, became known as
__________in Japan.
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•
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Theravada
Pure Land
Nichiren
Zen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen, a term that means
___________, is an important method of
experiencing the Buddha-nature.
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"sitting meditation“
"higher meditation“
"mindful meditation“
"standing meditation"
The ultimate purpose of Zen practice is
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salvation.
satori or enlightenment.
becoming one with god.
any of these.
In the Pure Land Buddhism belief system,
followers do not have to rely on their own
efforts for liberation. They call on
_____________ who prepares a place of
bliss for any who call on his name.
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Dalai Lama
Bodhisattva of Superb Action
Bodhidharma
Amida
The thirteenth-century Japanese fisherman's
son Nichiren stressed the importance of
reforming _____ as well as oneself.
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the family
Society
Government
any of these.
A zendo is a
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Zen meditation practice.
Zen meditation hall.
Zen follower.
collection of Zen writings.
This converted Buddhist activist, born an
untouchable Hindu, helped return Buddhism to its
native India, and as the chief architect of India's
democracy, fought to end the oppression of the
Hindu caste system.
• B. R. Ambedkar
• A. T. Ariyaratne
• Dalai Lama
• Mahatma Gandhi
#1 ____ Buddha
____ Dharma
____ Bhikshunis
____ Bhikshus
____ Sanga
a. the Buddha's teachings
b. Buddhist nuns
c. "Enlightened One"
d. Buddhist monks
e. the order of Buddha's disciples
#2 ____ Nirvana
____ Dukkha
____ anaitya or anicca (Pali)
____ anatman or anatta (Pali)
____ karma
#3 ____ Samsara
____ Arhant
____ Stupas
____ Sutras
____ Bodhisattvas
a. our acts of will
b. liberation from ego
c. no eternal soul
d. suffering
e. impermanence
a. a saint
b. Mahayana scriptures
c. cycle of life, death, rebirth
d. mounds containing Buddhist relics
e. beings dedicated to helping others attain enlightenment
#4 ____ Sunyata
____ Lamas
____ Mandalas
____ Zazen
____ Kensho
a. emptiness
b. the highest gurus or teachers
c. sudden burst of enlightenment
d. "sitting meditation"
e. visual aids to concentration
Discussion Questions:
1. What basic beliefs do Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism have in
common? How do they differ?
2. What are koans? Examine the koans. Read several koans presented here
and discuss the role of koans in the practice of Zen.
3. Buddhists, like Hindus and Jains, believe in reincarnation. Unlike those two
religions, however, Buddhists do not believe in an eternal soul. If there is no
soul, how can there be reincarnation?
4. Describe the life of the Buddha. What events led to his emergence as the
leader of a future world religion?
5. Describe the basic beliefs and practices of Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren
Buddhism.
1. The Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, were
written in
a. Sanskrit.
b. Aramaic.
c. Hindi.
d. Pali.
2. The Vedas are composed of four parts:
the Samhitas, Brahmanas, the
_____________, and the Upanishads.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Ramayana
Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita
Aranyakas
3. The Vedas are believed to have come
directly from Brahman as heard by
_____________, ancient wise men.
a. rishis
b. gurus
c. priests
d. brahmin
4. A(n) ______ is a monastic retreat
community developed around a teacher.
a.
b.
c.
d.
sangat
sangha
ashram
mosque
5. The Upanishads, the last of the
Vedas, include teachings on
a) the nature of oneself.
b) the nature of Brahman.
c) the nature of the soul or atman.
d) any of these.
6. The members of the Hindu caste
system with the highest status were
priests or
a) Brahmins.
b) Kshatriyas.
c) Vaishyas.
d) Shudras.
7. Members of the lowest caste group
once called "untouchables" were
renamed "harijans" by Mahatma Gandhi.
"Harijans" means
a) sons of Brahmin.
b) God's chosen.
c) redeemed ones.
d) children of God.
8. ____________ is a poetic narrative
epic depicting the struggle of Rama.
a) Hanuman, the Monkey Chief
b) Rama and Sita
c) Ramayana
d) Mahabharata
9. Krishna's teachings to Arjuna as
recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita include
lessons on
a) how to recognize what is eternal.
b) how to transcend one's self.
c) the importance of loving the Eternal Being.
d) any of these.
10. A Hindu male's life time is
traditionally divided into four stages-student, householder, semi-retired
person, and a
a) guru.
b) monk.
c) teacher.
d) sannyasin.
11. Within the Hindu religion there has
developed a variety of paths to achieve
liberation from suffering known as yoga. The
four main yogic paths are jnana, karma,
bhakti, and __________ , the path most
familiar to Westerners.
a) transcendental meditation
b) Moksha
c) Puja
d) raja
12. The ultimate goal of yogic meditation
is __________, a state of union with the
Absolute.
a) puja
b) sadhanas
c) nirvana
d) samadhi
13. This yogic path emphasizes rational
thought as the path to liberation.
a) jnana
b) karma
c) yogi
d) bhakti
14. This yogic path emphasizes
helping others as the path to
liberation.
a) jnana
b) karma
c) yogi
d) bhakti
15. Most Hindus worship one of these
three deities.
a) Vishn, Siva, Brahma
b) Vishnu, Siva, Sakti
c) Agni, Siva, Indra
d) Vishnu, Agni, Indra
16. The worship of the feminine form of
the divine has been present in India
since ancient times. This divinity has
been associated closely with nature
including the _________ River, which is
considered especially sacred to Hindus.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Luni
Godavari
Ganges
Yamuna
17. A major difference in the two major
philosophical systems of Hinduism (Samkhya
& Advaita Vedanta) is their understanding of
reality. While Advaita Vedanta is monistic,
holding that there is one reality, the Samkhya
philosophy confirms that there are really
_________ realities.
a) two
b) many
c) four
d) three
MATCHING QUESTIONS
(SOME TERMS TO KNOW)
#1 ____ dharma
____ karma
____ reincarnation
____ moksha
____ samsara
____ atman
a. the soul
b. the transmigration of the soul into a new body after death
c. actions and the results of those actions on future lives
d. the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
e. natural, social and ethical order; health and
transcendental realization
f. liberation from the cycle of suffering--life, death, and
rebirth
#2 ____ Brahman
____ Vishnu
____ Siva (Shiva)
____ Vedas
____ Aryans
____ Upanishads
#3 ____ mantra
____ bhakti
____ guru
____ yoga
____ yantras
____ puja
a. wisdom teachings, the last of the Vedas
b. a form of the Supreme Being who incarnates again and
again to save the world
c. Hinduism's major religious text
d. Indo-European tribes thought to have migrated to India
from southern Russia
e. the Absolute, Supreme Being
f. Harappan civilizations may have worshipped this god,
one of the major forms of the Supreme Reality
worshipped today
a. intense devotion to a personal god
b. paths to liberation from suffering
c. spiritual teacher
d. worship
e. linear images with cosmic symbolism used to still the
mind
f. verbal formulas used by priests
SOME QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT
1.
Annie Dillard in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek writes, "The one thing that all religions recognize as
separating us from our creator--our very self consciousness--is also the one thing that
divides us from our fellow man." Explain how this idea applies to the basic beliefs of
Hinduism.
2.
Describe the evidence that connects the Harappan civilizations to the Hindu religion that
exists today.
3.
Explain the differences between the Aryan Invasion Theory and the Indian tradition
regarding the origins of Hinduism.
4.
All religious activities can be diminished by an emphasis on the exterior rather than the inner
experience. With this in mind, explain the importance of Hindu rituals such as the fire
sacrifice.
5.
Trace the development of the concept of bhakti in Hinduism.
6.
Describe the cycles of time in Hinduism. What evidence do you see that we are currently in
the fourth cycle?
7.
Discuss the relationship of the caste system to the Hindu concept of dharma. Include a
discussion of the religious roles of women.
8.
What do the major Hindu philosophical systems have in common?