Buddhism Three Vehicles Triple Gem Buddha Dharma teaching and Sangha community and monks Dharma firmness of Buddhist teachings In Buddhist usage teaching or truth concerning the ultimate nature of things translated as Buddhist law 1 Theravada Way of the Elders sometimes called Hinayana Little Vehicle now dominant in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia the main survivor of the 18 sects that existed in the third century BCE Older vehicle moves into Southeast Asia Cambodia Thailand Sri Lanka Emphasis on laity support of the monks because enlightenment requires monastic discipline 2 Mahayana Great Vehicle now dominant in East Asia and Vietnam Bigger vehicle moves into China Japan Korea and Vietnam Emphasis on universal salvation enlightenment is open to everyone Bodhisattvas will help you 3 Vajrayana Diamond Vehicle now dominant in Tibet and the Himalayas The tantric meditation and ritual branch of Buddhism Diamond and thunderbolt the image of the diamond suggests something so hard it cannot be broken or split while the thunderbolt suggests a particular kind of power Zen Chan a tradition centered on the practice of meditation and the teaching that ultimate reality is not expressible in words or logic but must be grasped through direct intuition Founded by Bodhidharma emphasizes self power and the rigorous practice of meditation to clear the mind in prep for experience of enlightenment Reflection on koans Siddhartha Gautama Born an upper class prince left a life of luxury in the palace at age 29 Shakyamuni Sage of the Shakya clan a title used to refer to the historical Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha The Four Sights 1 A sick man 2 A suffering old man 3 A dead man 4 A monk with a tranquil aura The Middle Way style of life between extreme self denial and ordinary life which can lead to enlightenment Buddhism Rejection of both world sensual pleasures and painful self mortification Buddha passed into nirvana after an enlightenment experience at the age of 35 he spent his remaining 45 years of life teaching by setting up a wheel of dharma and established a sangha Bodhisattva In Theravada a being who is on the way to enlightenment or Buddhahood but has not yet achieved it in Mahayana a celestial being who forgoes nirvana in order to save others Samsara the cycle of rebirth endless Hindu and Buddhist thought both offer opportunities for liberation The Great Departure Siddhartha dismisses his servant and horse exchanges his clothes obtains an alms bowl and begins new life as one of the wandering students seeking spiritual truth Mara the Lord of Death who presides over the afterlife and tried to tempt Shakyamuni on the eve of his Enlightenment Four Noble Truths 1 No living being can escape suffering 2 Suffering arises from desire 3 Suffering ends when desire ends 4 Follow the 8 Fold Path folds are not necessarily steps 1 Right understanding grasp of Truth 2 Right thought 3 Right speech 4 Right conduct 5 Right livelihood 6 Right effort 7 Right mindfulness outward attunement 8 Right meditation Nirvana the state of bliss associated with final enlightenment with remainder is the highest level possible in this life without remainder is the ultimate state Parinirvana the ultimate perfection of bliss achievable only on departing this life as distinct from the remainder achievable in the present existence final cycle of rebirth Sutra a discourse or sermon attributed either to Shakyamuni himself or to an important disciple The Wheel Turning Sutra marked the moment when the wheel of true dharma was once again set in motion Three Characteristics of Existence 1 Suffering Dukkha 2 Impermanence 3 No self Anatman not one essential core soul Anatman No soul the doctrine that the human person is impermanent a changing combination of components Skandhas ways of existing 1 Physical body matter 2 Sensations 3 Perceptions 4 Mental Formations 5 Consciousness Sangha the congregation or community of Buddhist monks and nuns in some contexts the congregation of laypersons may also be referred to as a sangha The monastic community of ordained men and women and the broader community the universal sangha of all who follow the Buddha s path Bhikshus bhikshunis An ordained Buddhist monk and nun respectively Mandala a chart like representation of cosmic Buddha figures that often serves as a focus of meditation and devotion in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions KNOW THE BUDDHISM FLOWCHART Sikhism The Punjab region in which Sikhism originated Sants Ascetic poets who believed divinity to exist beyond all forms or description They were known for their knowledge of Truth They were not canonized as saints by any ecclesiastic authority as in the Roman Catholic Church but came to be venerated as saints because of their piety and understanding of reality Nanak the founder of the religion of Sikhism and is the first of the Sikh Gurus Guru spiritual teacher and revealer of truth refers to the 10 leaders of Sikhism when capitalized Mysticism Experience or feeling one s own experience of the divine some connection with God Supersession the act of using existing elements of another religion in a new religion Supersessionism also called replacement theology The belief that since Christianity is the fulfillment of the Old Testament the Jewish people have not only forfeited their choseness but their very existence as a nation the true Israel is now Christianity Kartarpur translated as abode the creator First Sikh community town worship Langar communal meal served after every worship service Have to sit with different castes The meal practices dissolving social divisions Nanak Panth the path of Nanak Following him early on when he establishes his village Adi Granth the Sikh text says there is one Supreme Being monotheism Has three parts Liturgical prayers worship chants prayers musical patterns and poetry Akal Purakh One of the ways God is referred to means God beyond time he is transcendent Nam the divine name Sansar cyclical rebirth same as Hinduism s Samsara Hukam Natural laws Divine Order Divine order will or command an all embracing principle the sum total of all divinely instituted laws a revelation of the nature of God Nam simaran remembrance of the divine Name especially the devotional practice of meditating on the divine Name Sikh means disciple A belief system which blends Hindu traditions with Islamic monotheistic traditions Based in India and Pakistan Sahaj the soul s mystical union with God Mysticism in a nutshell is about a
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