After learning about a religion into which
an individual had to be born, we are going to look at a reform that appeared
from within that then reached outside and, ironically, all but disappeared
in the land of its origin. Actually, we are going to do this twice
in the course: first with the story of Buddhism, then later on with the
story of Christianity.
1. What is the legendary history of Siddhartha
Gautama, the man revered as "the Buddha"?
2. What does the word "Buddha" mean?
What about the word "Bodhisattva"? If we refer to a figure such as
Kwan Yin as a Bodhisattva, what do we mean?
3. What are the Four Noble Truths?
What is their relation to the concept of nirvana?
4. Buddhist thought is often said to
be atheist? What is the reason for this?
5. Buddhist philosophy is sometimes
said to be summed up in the phrase "anicca, anatta." What
does that mean?
6. What are the key differences between
the Theravadin and Mahayana traditions of Buddhism?
7. Who is the Dalai Lama? How
does the idea of reincarnation fit into his identity?
8. What is a mandala and how does it
fit into Tibetan meditation?
9. What are the two major divisions
of Zen Buddhism? Where did the term zen come from?
10. What is a ko'an and how does
it fit into the practice of Zen meditation?