Pop Quiz - Starter Questions

1. What things were unique about the Buddha’s birth narrative?

2. How was the Buddha’s childhood significant?

3. What was the significance of the ploughing match during the Buddha’s childhood?

4. What were the 4 sights that the Buddha saw and how did these impact upon him?

5. What type of lifestyle did the Buddha try after leaving the palace?

6. What is meant by ‘the middle way’?

7. How did the Buddha eventually attain enlightenment?

8. Who is said to have tempted the Buddha during his quest for enlightenment?

9. How do some Buddhists interpret stories about the life of the Buddha as metaphorical rather than literal?

10. What was the Indus Valley civilisation?

11. What was the axial age?

12. How was the Buddha influenced by the Vedic religions of the day?

13. How was the Buddha influenced by contemporary politics and society?

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Topic Test -Questions and Answers

1. What was the pre-Buddhist religion in India and what did it become?

• Brahmanism (could also be called Axial-Vedic religion)

• Brahmanism develop into Hinduism

2. What was the God of Brahmanism?

Brahman (although a bunch of lesser gods- 'polytheism')

3. Who were the Priests of Brahmanism

Brahmins

4. What did the Brahmins believe about the soul

Universal soul called the 'atman'

5. How did Vivekananda (hindu scholar) describe the atman and how does this contrast with Buddhism?

"I am the atman"  

6. Very personal, affirms the self unlike Buddhist enlightenment in which the self is seen as an illusion-

 when the Buddha was enlightened he exclaimed impersonally "it is liberated"

7. What was the caste system in the Buddha's age?

1. Brahmins (priests)

2. Ksatriyas (warriors/rulers)

3. Vaishyas (farmers)

4. Shudras (labourers/slaves/outcasts)

5. Dalits (untouchables)

8. What is / are a / the Sadhu- Sannyasin- Sramana- Vedras + Upanishads-

• • Sadhu- Hindu Ascetic

  • Sannyasin- Giving up family to prepare for death

  • Sramana- Non-Hindu Ascetic

  • Vedras + Upanishads- Hindu scriptures

9. Which people had conquered India centuries before the Buddha?

Indo-Europeans, aka 'Aryans'

10. What is the meaning of the terms Hagiography, Mythicism, Realism, Jungianism and Pluralism?

• • Hagiography, a biography that treats its subject with undue reverence.

  • Mythicism -   the attribution of supernatural events to mythological causes. This scholarly opinion developed from NT studies suggesting that the gospels are mythological expansions of historical data. 

  • Realism – Historical realism is scholarly opinion there are historical events that religious narratives however ‘hagiographic’ are based on and work of the scholar is to establish what these are.  

  • Jungianism – the ahistorical view that our beliefs and experience should be analysed to emphasize the power of the unconscious mind to heal an individual as well as to connect to humankind.  Such "empirical science" of the psyche psychoanalysis will uncover the Jungian archetypes are defined as images and themes that derive from the collective unconscious. 

  • Pluralism- religious Pluralism – in contrast to exclusivism and inclusivism argues either all religions are either equally false or true but that none are specifically the truth.  Pluralists typically believe there is some final reality beyond the appearance of particular religious’ creeds and rituals. 

11. What is Armstrong and what is Nanamoli’s approach to interpreting the Buddha?

Armstrong approaches the Buddha first as a Jungian Pluralist Mythicist and makes little effort at historical realism preferring to focus on Buddhists lived experience and the archetypal idea of the Buddha as an axial age sage whose life is a myth drawn from other myths. She happily uses latter more hagiographical texts.

Nanamoli approaches the Buddha as a real historical figure and works hard to show what the earliest and most reliable religious texts show us.  He avoids latter more hagiographical texts.

12. What did the Buddha accept and reject about Brahmanism?

Accepted - Yogic meditation and the Cycle of Samsara

Rejected - Caste system (unfair), Atman (replaced with Anatta), animal sacrifices (ahimsa)

13. What have Brahmans said about Samsara that is very similar to Buddhist thought?

Nachintenai: "sorrow of the world wheel"

14. What did the Buddha adapt from Brahmanism?

Karma (added intention and action), Reincarnation rejected for better rebirth (remember antta no soul / atman so no transmigration) added to Cycle of Samsara, Moksha adapted to fit the 4NT model of Nirvana

15. How does Nanamoli argue that the Buddha fundamentally changed karma?

Now based upon a worldview "lead by the mind", rather than appealing to deities

16. How does Vivekananda uphold the caste system?

Brahmins as "the ideal of humanity"

17. How did the 'Ajivakas' influence Buddhism?

Impersonal destiny but Buddha rejected extreme asceticism

18. How did the 'Jains' influence Buddhism?

Ahimsa but Buddha rejected personal atman or ‘Jiva’

19. How did Mahavira (Jain leader at the time of the Buddha) introduce ideas about karma affecting rebirth?

Soul is covered with a "fine dust" of negative karma

20. What other pre-Buddhism sects influenced the Buddha?

Skeptics- just critiqued everything

Materialists- Hedonic mess

21. How was Yoga understood in the time of the Buddha?

-Link of Mind and Body, means 'To bind Together'

-Life of asceticism based on 5 yannas or 'prohibitions', including stealing and killing

-Origin of Asana posture and 4 Jhanas

22. What were the first 6 'Acts of the Buddha'

1. Conception, 2. Birth, 3. Worldly accomplishment, 4. Youth, 5. Leaving the palace, 6. Ascetic

23. what do we know about the Buddha's birth?

-Born in Lumbini

-Father: Head of Sakya tribe, Suddhodana

-Mother: Maya

24. What  birth- myths and legends for the Buddha are there

Conception: Earthquake and heavenly light that "surpassed the Gods", 

mystic prophesied he would be a conqueror or a prophet

Birth: Standing Birth, painless, caused an earthquake, Baby could walk and talk

25. What did Bhikkhu Nanamoli say about the Buddha's birth

"A great measureless light surpassing the splendour of the Gods appeared in the world"

26. What do we know about the Buddha's accomplishment in worldly skills?

-Proficient in wrestling and archery

-Meditation under the Rose Apple Tree @ ploughing festival

-Married Yasodhara at the ripe age of 18

-Named son Rahula (chains)- unhappy/unfufilled?

27. What did Bhikku Nanamoli say about the Buddha’s place in the palace

"I was delicate, supremely delicate"

28. What do we know about the Buddha leaving the palace?

Saw the 4 sights- Age, Disease, Corpse, Ascetic

Left at 29

29. What did Bhikkhu Nanamoli sau on the 4 sights

"The vanity of youth entirely left me"

"The vanity of life entirely left me"

30. What are the key events of the Buddha's life as an Ascetic -

-Went to aid "unborn, unaging, undying"

-Teachers: Alara Kalana, Uddaka Ranaputta (taught anatta)

-Extreme asceticism in woods, hair fell out, ate faeces

-Gave up and had some tasty milk rice

31. What did Alara Kalama introduce to the Buddha?

Idea of meditation as a method of spiritual awakening, focussed upon the "subconscious activities"

32. How did the Buddha and Alara Kalama disagree?

Over the nature of rebirth- Kalama said there was no rebirth, but Buddha emphasized it, as this allowed the doctrine of anatta and statements like the forsaking of "flesh and blood of my body"

33. What did Uddaka Ramaputta introduce to the Buddha?

Introduced the idea of the dharma and "neither perception or non perception" as a tranquil state

34. How did the Buddha and Ramaputta disagree?

Buddha found mere tranquility not enough, argued in Kalama Sutta that this was "not the doctrine of the undying I long for"

35. What did the Buddha realise after giving up on asceticism?

Had experienced the extremes of life, realised 'Middle Way'

36. What did Bhikkhu Nanamoli say about the Buddha's asceticism

"I sought after the unborn, unaging, unailing, deathless, sorrowless"

37. How is the 'Middle Way' understood by different Buddhist sects?

M- Insight into Sunyata, halfway between existence and non-existence

T- 8fold path

38. Where did the Buddha go to realise enlightenment?

Bodh Gaya

39. What were the '3 watches' on the night of the Buddha's awakening?

1st Watch- achieved all stages of Jhana, gained First Superknowledge (memory of all past lives)

2nd Watch- Universal pity and vision, Second Superknowledge ('the heavenly eye')

3rd Watch- End of ignorance, Highest Superknowledge (destruction of outflows)

40. How does Bodhi describe the 3 watches?

"stream-entering"

41. What are the 4 Jhanas and what does Thanissaro Bhikkhu, say about them.

1. Disappearance of the 5 hindrances

2. Applied and sustained 1-pointedness

3. Rapture

4. Happiness and peace

Thanissaro Bhikkhu, argues jhana and vipassana (insight) form an integrated practice.

42. Who/What is Mara according to Keon?

1. Mara of the *aggregates (skandhamara),or Mara as a symbol of human mortality;

2. Mara as the Lord of Death (mrtyumara); 

3. Mara as the vices and moral defilements (klesa-mara); and 

4. the gods in the retinue of Mara (devaputra-mara).

43. What happened with Mara's encounter with Buddha @ Bodh Gaya

Mara urges Gotama to abandon quest and take up conventional religious life with good karma

Gotama scorns him and his legions

Mara challenges his right to the Earth

Gotama touches the earth and Goddess floods away Mara

44. What were what Cush calls the three super knowledges of the Budhhs night of enlightenment?

Understanding his previous lives, all beings are caught in the cycle of samsara and the cause of rebirth is greed, hatred and ignorance.

45. How did Mahayana come to understand the enlightenment of the Buddha?

In Mahayana-thought, bodhi is the realisation of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana, and the unity of subject and object. It is similar to prajna, to realizing the Buddha-nature, realizing sunyata and realizing suchness. In time, the Buddha's awakening came to be understood as an immediate full awakening and liberation, instead of the insight into and certainty about the way to follow to reach enlightenment. However, in some Zen traditions this perfection came to be relativized again; according to one contemporary Zen master, "Shakyamuni buddha and Bodhidharma are still practicing.  Mahayana discerns three forms of awakened beings: 1 Arahat – Liberation for oneself; 2 Bodhisattva – Liberation for living beings; 3 Full Buddhahood. In the Tathagatagarbha and Buddha-nature doctrines bodhi becomes equivalent to the universal, natural and pure state of the mind.  The Buddha in fact did not need to be enlightened his life is seen as a Upaya parable for the benefit of lessor beings who cannot accept this Tathagatagarbha teaching.

46. What did the Deer Park sermon, at Sarnath in the Deer Park, set in motion?

The 'Dhamma-eye' after Kond'anna became enlightened by the teachings

47. What is the "dhamma-eye"

The spread of teachings about Dhamma which will eventually lead to all being enlighted

48. What is the Parable of the Poisoned Arrow and what can we learn

If a man is shot by an arrow, he does not ask why he was shot or who by, he removes the arrow Pragmatism of Buddhism- metaphysics unhelpful, cure to suffering is what's important

49. Was the Sangha an original idea?

Armstrong: a "brilliant critique of the vedic system" as it challenged the oppressive castes with an equal fourfold system, inclusive of women.  However Kalama Sutta notes that another Prophet, Rama, also had an independent spiritual community, but unlike the sangha this was just for monks

50. Events that lead to Buddha's death

Saddened by death of Bimbisara and assassins from failed Devadatta order

Ill after bad pork and Mushrooms :(

Died in Kusinara

51. How did the Early Buddhists respond to the Buddha's death Ananda= new head; 6 days reverence; Cremated

What is 'Parinibbana' 'nirvana-after-death'

52. What are the sectional responses to the Buddha's Parinibbana? M- Ascended to heavenly realm, still reachable

T- End of Buddhist path, now in "Bliss of Nirvana", Dead and gone

53. What does Karen Armstrong say about the life of the Buddha "Childhood had been spent in an unawakened state"

"Gotama had been fighting his human nature"

"disinterested compassion"

"Knowledge of suffering which alone can bring us to spiritual maturity"

"the little boy gazed at the carnage and felt a strange sorrow"

"going forth from humanity"

54. How would the four sights and renunciation be understood by Theravada?

The story of the four sights, recorded in Jataka 075, and references in various Pali cannon sutras would be read literally Thanissaro Bhikkhu would quote the Buudha in a passage his translated ‘If I — who am subject to aging, not beyond aging — were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person who is aged, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the [typical] young person's intoxication with youth entirely dropped away. This of course leads Theravada to the conclusion the main virtue is renunciation i.e the four stages of the Arahant Path.

55. How would the four sights and renunciation be understood by Mahayana?

Suffering Dukkha is not caused by old age sickness and death, (Dukkha Dukkha) not even the need to be permanent  (Vipranamma Dukkha) or for non-existence (Sankhara Dukkha) but by realistic thinking (that we exist or don’t exist (Nargajunas emptiness / Sunyata middle way between eternalism and anhilationsism) and / or dualistic thinking (Yogacara) that objects are separate from subjects e.g Nibanna/ Samsara. 

56. How would the four sights and renunciation be understood by Jung and Armstrong

see this stage in his life as a psychological journey of trauma and flight. Gautama’s inability to understand suffering and his flight from reality into self-destructive behaviour makes a terrible degree of sense in a world which now accepts the idea of post-traumatic stress. However his seeking for resolution in external practices and teachings masked the truth – that salvation lies within and needs the personal quest.

57. How would the Battle with Mara be understood by Theravada

A Buddhist would relate this story to the struggles of the meditator and the many temptations to quit their spiritual path and that insight will come to the one who perseveres.

58. How would the Battle with Mara be understood by Jung and Armstrong

Psychologically, the idea of the challenges of ego, self doubt and desires to our lives are also plausible readings. The idea of a ‘monster’ who needs to be overcome by the hero is again central to the Jungian idea of narrative and is an idea later revisited in the actions of the evil cousin and schismatic Devadatta.

59. How would the enlightenment be understood by Jung and Armstrong Armstrong understands enlightenment as Jung does.

Jung saw the desire for religion as a positive step in reconciling (individuating) the ego and the shadow - the shadow being understood as the socially dangerous and often rejected aspects of the personality.  Jung also saw humanity participating in a collective unconscious and that all our individual life stories participate in larger greater mythic structures. He said that enlightenment is the practice of living wholesomely, as a unity of opposites “on a higher level of consciousness [which] is not a rational thing, nor is it a matter of will; it is a process of psychic development that expresses itself in symbols” (Jung, 1983, p. 21) His enlightenment opens up the way for all to become enlightened. To an extent the debate is based on whether the Buddha’s humanity or ‘otherness’ is stressed. If his humanity is stressed, then the awakening is an event that can happen to us all. If his’ otherness’ is stressed, then his awakening has a degree of cosmic significance.   

60. How do Theravada interpret the Buddha’s awakening

While it is seen as the great landmark event, it is only the story of one person’s experience and paying it too much respect might distract from the fact that all people should aim to become enlightened -the Buddha’s awakening is not your goal. The Buddha’s enlightenment may be inspirational, but it should inspire the follower to increase their own effort.

Challenge Questions - Take it Further!

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