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Finals
poopy!
41
Religious Studies
Undergraduate 2
12/13/2010

Additional Religious Studies Flashcards

 


 

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Term
samsara
Definition
The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Buddhism. Every person has an immmortal soul, which after death is reborn into a new body. The new person ithat we become is conditioned by our unresolved karma.
Term
nirvana
Definition
The extinguishing of the karmic causation leading to rebirth in Buddhism. If we think of karma as the energy that drives the wheel of samsara, then to achieve nirvana is to extinguish that energy.
Term
bodhi
Definition
Enlightenment in Buddhism
Term
parinirvana
Definition
"Complete nirvana", with no ensuing rebirth, at the death of a Buddha
Term
anatman
Definition
"no-self" or "no-soul," a central doctrine in Buddhism, denying the reality of any independent, unchanging, autonomous selfhood.
Term
Three Jewels
Definition
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The "Triple Refuge", taking refuge in all three, demonstrates a declaration of Buddhist faith.
Term
Mahayana
Definition
"Greater Vehicle," the branch of Buddhism that spread throughout East Asia. The tradition deified the Buddha, and included multiple eternal Buddhas who lived throughout the universe. Also, the tradition expanded the possibility of enlightenment to lay people.
Term
Hinayana
Definition
"lesser vehicle," a pejorative term coined by adherents of Mahayana Buddhism to refer to the Theravada and other earlier schools. Early Buddhism, the Buddha was still considered a human.
Term
Amituo
Definition
The Buddha Amitabha, whose vows are the basis for Pure Land Buddhism
Term
Mile
Definition
Maitreya, Buddha of the Future
Term
emptiness
Definition
Sanskrit Central doctrine in Mahayana Buddhism, stating that all things lack independent, autonomous, self-nature.
Term
Pure Land
Definition
The celestial paradise into which followers of Pure Land Buddhism hope to be reborn. Pure Land Buddhism emphasizes visualization and contemplations of Amitabha and his Pure Land. A school demonstrating the belief in mofa.
Term
Tiantai
Definition
One of the new Chinese schools of Buddhism. Used the Lotus Sutra as its most important text. Everyone practices the same Buddhism––but Tiantai is the true path. 
Term
Huayan
Definition
"Flower Garland", one of the new schools of Chinese Buddhism.
Term
Chan
Definition
Japanese Zen, the tradition attempted "silent illumination", where practitioners attempted to become unfocused and estrange themselves from their experience. Used koans to deepen rational and intuitive facilities.
Term
mofa
Definition
"End of the Dharma", the final period of the current cosmic epoch in Buddhism, in which people are no longer able to achieve enlightenment.
Term
nianfo
Definition
The act of chanting the Buddha's name
Term
zhenru
Definition
"True suchness", a term for the ultimate principle of emptiness in Tiantai Buddhism. Suchness expresses a middle ground between emptiness and non-existence––things lack self-existence or self-nature.
Term
Huineng
Definition
The Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, was a kitchen boy who proved himself more enlightened than many monks to the Fifth Patriarch.
Term
Linji
Definition
One of the major lineages in Chan Buddhism, the Rinzai School in Japanese Zen. Named after Linji Yixuan, who shocked his students out of their habitual ways by shouting at them or hitting them.
Term
Caodong
Definition
One of the major lineages in Chan Buddhism, the Soto School in Japanese Zen. Caoshan Benji.
Term
mozhao
Definition
Term
gongan
Definition
"public case", a brief anecdote or statement by a former Chan master, used as a focus of meditation
Term
Wumen guan
Definition
Gateless Barrier, one of the most popular gongan (koan) collections in Chan Buddhism
Term
Biyanlu
Definition
Blue Cliff Record, one of the most popular koan collections in Chan.
Term
Lu Dongbin
Definition
Chief of the Eight Immortals in Daoist iconography, the gentleman. Falls asleep while his soup was cooking, in his dream, he learns the classics, becomes a literati ascends government positions, marries, and has children. Awakens and realizes an entire lifetime has gone by––demonstrating the unimportance of the ideal Confucian lifestyle. Lu Dongbin then decides to become an immortal.
Term
Guanyin
Definition
The Bodhisattva of Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism. Responsible for childbirth, and is the protector of children. Originally a male bodhissatva in other countries, but became a female goddess in Southern China. 
Term
Mazu
Definition
Most popular deity in Taiwan, patron deity of seafaring people. Daughter of a fisherman who saves her father from shipwreck, and dies in the process. Eventually became a national deity.
Term
Tiantan
Definition
Altar of Heaven in Beijing, site of the emperor's annual sacrifice to Heaven
Term
Manichaeism
Definition
A religion entering China during the Tang dynasty composed of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Buddhism
Term
Uighur
Definition
Turkic-speaking Islamic culture, mainly in the far western province of Xinjiang.
Term
Nestorian Christianity
Definition
The earliest Christian sect to enter China, in the seventh century.
Term
tudi gong
Definition
Local earth god
Term
Zaojun
Definition
Stove god in popular religion.
Term
shen
Definition
Spirit, god.
Term
Jade Emperor
Definition
the highest deity in the pantheon of popular religion. Seldom approached by ordinary people, went to lower gods with gifts.
Term
gui
Definition
ghost
Term
Qingming
Definition
"clear and bright", spring festival, also called Tomb-sweeping day.
Term
Taixu
Definition
Reformer of Buddhism in the early 20th century; stressed the need for Buddhist social activism.
Term
qigong
Definition
Manipulation or exercise of qi
Term
Falun gong
Definition
Dharma Wheel Exercise, the eclectic qigong practice founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992 and banned in 1999.
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