History of Buddhist Philosophy Final Exam Review
KEY TERMS
1. zUNyta çünyatä Shunyata
2. twta tathatä Tathata
3. smaix samädhi Samadhi
4. inmaR[kay nirmäëakäya Nirmanakaya
5. s~Éaegkay saðbhogakäya Sambhogakaya
6. xmRkay dharmakäya Dharmakaya
7. m{fl maëòala mandala
8. saxn
sädhana sadhana
9. v¿yan vajrayäna Vajrayana History of Buddhist Philosophy Final Exam Review
10.
Ch’an Chan (Zen)
11.
Ching-t’u Jingtu (Jodo)
12. zazen
13. kÇan
14. mu
15.
16. kenshÇ History of Buddhist Philosophy Final Exam Review
QUESTIONS 1. What are the three main influences that shape the distinctive character of Tibetan Buddhism? Why are wisdom and compassion so intimately linked in Tibetan Buddhism?
2. What is the distinctive teaching of the T’ien-t’ai (Japanese: Tendai) School of Chinese Buddhism? Which sutra is regarded as most important in this school and how is this distinctive teaching expressed in this sutra?
3. What is the distinctive teaching of the Hua-yen (Japanese: Kegon) school of Chinese Buddhism? Which sutra is regarded as most important in this school and how is this distinctive teaching expressed in this sutra?
4. What is the distinctive teaching of the Ch’an (Japanese: Zen) school of Chinese Buddhism? How is this teaching expressed in Bodhidharma’s writings?
5. How does Hui-neng’s story in the Platform Sütra of the Sixth Patriarch illustrate the distinctive character of Ch’an/Zen Buddhism?
6. What is the distinctive teaching of the Ching-t’u (Japanese: Jodo) School of Buddhism”? Which sutra is regarded as most important in this school and how is this distinctive teaching expressed in this sutra? What distinguishes the Japanese JÇdo Shinshã School founded by Shinran?
7. What are the distinctive teachings and practices of the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism? Why was art so important in Kukai’s teaching of the dharma?
8. What is the distinctive practice of the Soto school of Zen founded by DÇgen? In “The Issue at Hand” essay in the ShÇbÇgenzÇ, DÇgen writes: “Studying the Buddha Way is studying oneself. Studying oneself is forgetting oneself. Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things.” How might this sum up the philosophy of Zen?
9. How does DÇgen’s essay “The Nature of Things” in the ShÇbÇgenzÇ, explain the relationship between the Mahäyäna notions of çünyatä and tathatä? How does this express the philosophy of Zen?
10. What distinguished the Rinzai school of Zen from the Soto School? Why is the koan “Joshu’s ‘Mu’” so significant in Rinzai Zen? Why does Joshu say “Mu” in response to the monk’s question: “Does a dog have the Buddha Nature?”?
11. Why does Shunryu Suzuki emphasize the importance of maintaining a beginner’s mind in Zen practice?
12. What is Engaged Buddhism? What does Thich Nhat Hanh mean by the term “Interbeing” and where does this notion come from in the history of Buddhist philosophy?
13. How does Robert Aitken explain the relationship between satori and çünyatä in the essay “Ultimate Reality and the Experience of Nirvana”? How does he explain the “Joshu’s (Chao-chou) ‘Mu’”? How does Aitken Roshi get from this ‘Mu’ to engaged Buddhism?