Omniscient 

All seeing

Omnipotent

All powerfull

Omnibenevolent

All good/benevolent

The problem of evil

The problem of how to reconcile the existence of evil with that of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent Supreme Being

Theodicies

Attempts to justify the existence of evil and suffering

Free Will

The ability to make free choices unconstrained by eternal forces

Irenaean Theodicy 

The arguement that the exsitence of evil is neccessary for proper spiritual development; first advanced by Christian theologian Irenaeus

Hinduism Suffering

• referred to as the problem of injustice
• specific responses vary sect to sect
• often thought that the existence of injustice is an illusion
• tragic or unfair events are actually just
• suffering is a result of karma
• unjust when not awear of bad action

Jainism

• suffering and existence of evil a reason to reject existence of an Almighty
• believe the universe is infinite and uncreated
• suffering an accumulation of karma
• karmic reations purely physical interactions'universe has so innate moral code

Buddhism

• true root of suffering is the cravings and an ignorance of true nature
• way to remove suffering is through the noble eightfold path

Judaism

• addressed in book of Job
• God takes wealth, health, and family from Job and yet he continues to praise God
• some believe we have no ability to understand God's plan
• some believe book of Job defends a sort of "greater good"

Christianity

• some believe in the Irenaean theodicy
• Augustinian theodicy; locates the origin of evil in the fall of man, adam's and eve's disobedience of God, and eviction from the Garden of Eden
• evil is a failure to do what is good
• some believe man is unable to understand God's plan

Islam

• some argue as humans w/ limited capacities we have no way of understanding the knowledge possessed by Allah
• some aruge Allah allows evil to exist in the world because it will bring about some greater good in the end
• some aruge evil is rooted in the choices and actions of humans which occur and exist independently of Allah

Confucianism

• some understand suffering to be an important part of life because it provides the ability for moral growth and development
• evil defined as absence of goodness
• Suffering should be used productively as inspiration for individuals to use their wills to bring about goodness in the world

Daoism Suffering

• believed to be an important counterpart of please and the existence of good
• yin and yang entails both Good and evil are both equally existent
• yin and yang each dependent upon the existence of its opposite

General Overview of Buddhism

• 1 of the worlds oldest religion
• remains a considerable cultural and spiritual force in  East and Southeat asia
• Siddhartha Gautama (2500 years ago) became Buddha
• don't worship a supreme being or personal god
• don't believe in the existence of human soul

Budh

to awaken 

Beginning of Buddhism

• originates w/ life, enlightenment, and teachings of siddhartha gautama (the Buddha/central figure)
• biography of buddha debated among scholars
• accepted that he did in fact live and teach in the eastern part of the Idian subcontinent between 4th and 6th centuries BCE
• born into a royal family in nepal
• mom had a dream he was meant to be a ruler or holy man (dies one week after giving birth)
• father kept him trapped instead palace walls to steer him towards royalty
• when outside palace walls he met 4 sights; an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a holy man
• left royal life and started spiritual journey
• started practing the middle way

Middle way

A path of moderation that requires a balance between self-indulgence and selfdeprivation

Buddha

A descriptive title given to those who reach enlightenment and translated it means the awakened one

Asceticism

Abstinence from wordly pleasures w/ the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals

Samsara

In Buddhism and Hinduisn, the endless cycle or birth and suffering and death and rebirth

Karma

The belief that the good and evil a person does will return either in this life or in a later one

Pali Tipitaka

Buddhist sacred text, considered most important by Theravada Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism

The Buddhist "school of the Elders" that adheres closely to the teachings of Buddha and emphasizes individula enlightenment from suffering; also called southern buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism

The Buddhist "great Vehicle" school that emphasizes the enlightenment of all beings from suffering includes local rituals; also called northern buddhism

Vajrayana Buddhism

The buddhist school primarily practied in Tibet; also known as Tantric buddhism

After Siddhartha

• 3 months after his death the 1st buddhist council met to record his teachings
• resulted in the development of monastic rules and an oral tradition
• 250 BCE Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the great wanted to spread buddhism outside of India
• Believed to have faced a period of oppression in185 BCE
• Arrived in China around 1st century CE
• arrived in Japan during early 6th century CE
• persecuted in Tibet during the 9th century

Nirvana

Buddhist term for state of bliss offering total peace and freedom from life's pain

Three Jewels of Buddhism

(foundation)

• The Buddha
• dharma; the teachings and ultimate reality
• Sangha; the buddhist coummunity of monks and unus

4 Noble Truths

1. The truth of suffering (dukkha)
2. the truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya)
3. the truth of the cessation of suffering (mirodha)
4. the truth of the path to the cessation of sufferin (magga)

Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right Understanding (viewing reality as it truly is and seeign beyond what it merely appears to be)
2. Right intention (intention of non-harm and aviodence of that which is wrong or immoral)
3. Right Speech (turn and non-harmful speech)
4. Right Action (non-harmful action)
5. Right Livelihood (non-harmful livelihood)
6. Right Effort (effort to improve)
7. Right Mindfulness (awareness of things as they really are and of the present reality inside oneself)
8. Right Concentration (correct meditation and inner peace)

Samsara

refers to the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth to which all unenlightened individuals are subjected

Five Precepts

1. not killing or causing harm to other living beings
2. not taking the not-given
3. avoiding sexual misconduct
4. avioding false speech
5. abstaining from drink and drugs that cloud mind

Bodhisattva

Enlightened beings who refrains from entering nirvana in order to serve others and are venerated in Mahayana Buddhism

Bardo

East Asian and Tibetan Buddhists believe there exists a period of experience between lives