Starter quiz
- Which analogy is used in Mahayana Buddhism to explain the concept of sunyata (emptiness)?
- the raft crossing a river
- the mustard seed
- the soap bubble ✓
- the path of enlightenment
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- Which Buddhist scripture includes the parable of the Burning House?
- The Diamond Sutra
- The Lotus Sutra ✓
- The Heart Sutra
- The Mahayana Sutra
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- The term for the belief that the Five Aggregates (skandhas) that make up a human are empty and without independent existence is ______.
- 'sunyata' ✓
- According to Mahayana Buddhism, the mental obstacles that must be removed to realise Buddha-nature are craving, desire and ______.
- 'attachments' ✓
- The analogy that compares Buddha-nature to __________ surrounded by bees is from the Buddhist scripture on tathagatagarbha.
- oranges
- jam
- honey ✓
- water
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- Mahayana means ‘Greater Vehicle’, and includes Tibetan, Pure Land and ______ Buddhism.
- 'Zen' ✓
Exit quiz
- What is the primary goal of a Theravada Buddhist in terms of human destiny?
- to be reborn as a Bodhisattva
- to attain enlightenment and become an Arhat ✓
- to continue in the cycle of samsara to help others
- to achieve material success
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- Which of the following is a key practice for a Mahayana Buddhist aiming to become a Bodhisattva?
- following the Five Precepts
- practising the Six Perfections (paramitas) ✓
- focusing on personal enlightenment only
- avoiding charitable actions
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- Which term refers to the cycle of birth, death and rebirth that Bodhisattvas choose to remain in to help others?
- mirvana
- samsara ✓
- karma
- enlightenment
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- The path followed by Theravada Buddhists that focuses on personal enlightenment is called the ______ path.
- 'Hinayana' ✓
- The quality represented by the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, who is often visualised by Buddhists during meditation, is ______.
- 'compassion' ✓
- The term for a perfected person who has reached enlightenment in Theravada Buddhism is an ______.
- 'Arhat' ✓
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Mahayana means ‘great vehicle’, which refers to the idea of the Bodhisattva path as a ‘vehicle’ to Buddhahood.
- The Theravada Arhat path is sometimes called the 'lesser vehicle', but this is less common due to negative connotations.
- When a person follows the Arhat path, they seek perfection in understanding and enacting the Buddha's teachings.
- An Arhat sees pleasure as a distraction and aims to completely remove craving and desires.
Common misconception
Arhats (Arahants) and Bodhisattvas are essentially the same and share identical goals.
An Arhat might be viewed as a fully enlightened being focused on their own liberation, while a Bodhisattva is someone who seeks to bring others along on the path to enlightenment.
Keywords
Enlightenment - a state of wisdom that enables total clarity and understanding of the truths of existence
Arhat (arahant) - a perfected person; in Theravada Buddhism, this is a term for a person who has become enlightened
Bodhisattva - in Mahayana Buddhism, this is an enlightened being who remains in the cycle of samsara in order to help others achieve enlightenment
Human destiny - the path a Buddhist will take to achieve enlightenment
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