World Religions: Test 1

Front 1

Define The Vedas. (Hinduism)

Back 1

Sacred "oral" texts of the Aryans; often reffered to as the foundations of Hinduism.

Front 2

Define The Upanishads (Hinduism)

Back 2

Teachings from highly realized spiritual masters that explain the nature of absolute reality.

Front 3

Define The Bhagavad Gita

Back 3

a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna that emphasizes human nature and purpose.

Front 4

Arjuna (Hinduism)

Back 4

the chief hero of the Bhagavad-Gita, who strugles with selfish desires but is reminded of his duty and the immortality of the soul by Lord Krishna.

Front 5

Krishna (Hinduism

Back 5

An avatar of Vishnu, who appears in the Bhagavad-Gita as the teacher of Arjuna.

Front 6

Vishnu

Back 6

"The Preserver" a deity whos most important human incarnation is the Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita.

Front 7

Shiva

Back 7

"The Destroyer" the third member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver.

Front 8

Dharma

Back 8

Fulfilling your duty.

Front 9

Moksha

Back 9

Freedom from the mortal world. (Liberation)

Front 10

Samsara

Back 10

the endless cycle of births, deaths, and rebirths to which all beings are subject.

Front 11

(Buddhism) Siddhartha Gautama

Back 11

Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism.

Front 12

Theravada Buddhism

Back 12

A conservative form of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures emphasizing "personal salvation through your own efforts."

Front 13

Mahayana Buddhism

Back 13

The Buddhist doctrine emphasizing a common search for universal salvation through faith alone; (Actually pray to Buddha)

Front 14

Zen Buddhism

Back 14

A Buddhist doctring asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith.

Front 15

Nirvana

Back 15

a place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world.

Front 16

Anatman (or Anatta)

Back 16

"No-Self" In Buddhism, the doctrine that there is no permanent, underlying substance that can be called the soul.

Front 17

Arhat

Back 17

A Buddhist who has achieved Nirvana through rigorous discipline and ascetic practices.

Front 18

Bodhisattva

Back 18

A person who has attained Enlightenment, but postpones Nirvana in order to help others to attain Enlightenment.

Front 19

Koan

Back 19

In Zen Buddhism; a problem or riddle that admits no logical solution and requires meditation upon the question.

Front 20

Zazen

Back 20

(in Zen Buddhism) deep meditation undertaken whilst sitting upright with legs crossed. Also known as sit-meditation.

Front 21

Identify and briefly explain the four goals (or wants) of the Hindu vision of the good life.

Back 21

Hinduism holds up four goals that define the good life including pleasure, worldly success,civic duty, and liberation.

Front 22

Identify and briefly explain the four "stages of life" in Hinduism.

Back 22

The four stages of life in Hinduism include; 1. The student stage when a "boy" would undergo education of the vedas learning his dharma. 2. The Household Stage when the man is expected to marry, raise a family, and perform civic duties. 3. The Retirement Stage; when the man is old he becomes a hermit or a forrest dweller turning to meditation and scriptural studies. 4. Wandering Stage; The man bids his family goodbye and wanders the world in persuit of liberation.

Front 23

Explain the meaning of the term yoga and the primary goal of yoga. Be sure to define Atman and Brahman and describe some of their characteristics.

Back 23

Yoga means to control, unite or "to yoke." In Hinduism, this means to achieve salvation the union of Atman (The true self) with Brahman (the supreme being) to achieve liberation. Comparative to Buddhist reaching Nirvana.

Front 24

Compare and contrast bhakti yoga and jnana yoga. Be sure to explain how bhakti yoga and jnana yoga differ concerning the view of God and our relationship to God

Back 24

Jnana yoga is the path to knowledge in which their view of God is impersonal and without attributes. Bhakti Yoga is total self-devotion to God yeilding that their is a personal and attributed God in this yoga. Either yoga can lead to liberation.

Front 25

Describe karma yoga. Be sure to explain how one performs action (or work) when practicing karma yoga. And give an example of karma yoga.

Back 25

Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. A primary example would be the character of Arjuna from the Bhagavad Gita as it depicts his struggles between his duty as a warrior and killing his selfish desires depicted as his family and friends in the story.

Front 26

Explain the law of karma.

Back 26

The moral law of cause and effect. Hindus believe one’s actions have consequences both for this life and for future ones. Every act we make, and even every thought and every desire we have, shape our future experiences.

Front 27

Does the Bhagavad Gita condone violence? Describe the mystic’s allegorical reading of the battle that opens the Bhagavad Gita. What does this battle represent? What is Arjuna supposed to kill?

Back 27

No, although the Gita is solely based on war it is more metaphorical for the war with the innerself and about overcoming or "killing" selfish desires and carrying out one's duty (dharma).

Front 28

What was Siddhartha Gautama’s life like before he became a Buddha? What did he see on his four trips outside his palace walls? Why at the age of 29 did he leave his wife and new born baby? Was this a selfish decision to leave? Why or why not?

Back 28

Before achieving Buddha, Siddhartha was a prince who lived in a palace and indulged himself human pleasures such as women and wealth and despised "the ugly." However, the very things he despised he encountered on his trips outside the palace walls including an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a monk; all of which opened his eyes to life beyond pleasures especially human pain and suffering. At age 29, he left his palace in search of a a cure for human pain and suffering. In my opinon, when Siddhartha initally made this decision it was a selfish decision simply because human pain and suffering scared him, however his discoveries caused it to be selfless as he began to find cures.

Front 29

In the Second Noble Truth, the Buddha explains that the reason we experience pain, suffering, and sorrow is tanha. Explain what this means and provide an example.

Back 29

Tanha are selfish human cravings and desires.Once again, the Gita still seves as a good example although it is a Hindu book. The character Arjuna suffers from sorrow because he has not killed off his selfish desires which in this case was not to kill his friends and family although it was his duty assigned from the deities.

Front 30

Explain how the Buddha can be understood as a physician treating the “problem of life.” Be sure to explain how the Four Noble Truths relate to a doctor treating a patient.

Back 30

The Four Noble truths relate to a physicians diagnosis in this fashion; The first noble truth states that life is suffering (Dukkha) which can also be related to a "patient with symptoms." The second noble truth states reveals the origins of a persons tanha which is similar to a diagnosis. The third and fourth noble truth both deal with the cessation of dukkha which is similar to that of a perscription.

Front 31

Why is the Eightfold Path known as the “Middle Path”? Describe the three ethical steps (or parts) to the Eightfold Path.

Back 31

The Eight-fold path is called the "middle-path" because it is the path between hedonism (pleasure-seeking) and asceticism (self discipline). The three ethical steps to the eightfold path include Ethical Conduct, Mental Discipline, and Wisdom.

Front 32

Describe the Zen use of the koan. What is the purpose of the koan? Be sure to discuss the problem with reason and words.

Back 32

The Koan is used in Zen Buddhism to force the student to crash the word-barrier. The idea is to experience enlightenment directly for oneself.

Front 33

The Heart Sutra (the Prajnaparamita) says that all things are empty and thus nothing can be born and nothing can die.Using the example of a piece of paper, explain what this means.

Back 33

Using the example of the paper, although it appears to just be a blank or "empty" sheet of paper, however that paper couldn't exist with out trees, and trees can't exist with out rain and sunshine etcetera... everything in the universe exists because of somthing else thus all things are empty.

Front 34

Compare and contrast the Hindu and the Buddhist view of the self. Explain at least one major difference?

Back 34

The one major difference between Hindu and Buddhist view of the self would be the Atman and Anatman. In Hinduism the goal is to unite Atman with Brahman, however Buddhist believe that everything is constantly changing including a person and nothing is permanent.

Front 35

Compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism on the theme of desire. How are their views similar? Explain

Back 35

As far as desire, both Hinduism and Buddhism say that it is to seek out pleasures desires as long as they are sought out intellegently such as acheving enlightment. However the buddhist say that selfish desires lead to human pain and suffering.

Front 36

Discuss at least three ways in which early Buddhism (as developed by Siddhartha Gautama) differs from Hinduism and our general view of religion.

Back 36

1. Hinduism believes that only a select few are able to achieve enlightment, however the buddhist completely reject the caste system and say the liberation can be achieved by anyone. 2 Buddhist believe that there is no such thing as Atman as in Hinduism. Buddhist believe that everything is constantly changing, therefore there can be no such thing as a "true-self".

Front 37

What advice do you think the Buddha would give Arjuna? Would the Buddha give Arjuna the same advice as Krishna? Explain.

Back 37

Because the foundations of Buddhism were based from Hinduism, I dont believe that Buddha wouldn't have given Arjuna different advice. However, I feel because Buddhism is all about compassion for the human being I feel the Gita would have had a much different allegorical setting different from war.