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.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Ch’an

Chan

(Zen)

Ching-t’u

Jingtu

(Jodo)

zazen

kÇan

mu

satori

kenshÇ

History of Buddhist Philosophy Final Exam Review

QUESTIONS

1. What are the three main influences that shape the distinctive character of Tibetan Buddhism? Whyare 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 teachingexpressed 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 teachingexpressed in this sutra?

4. What is the distinctive teaching of the Ch’an (Japanese: Zen) school of Chinese Buddhism? How isthis 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”? Whichsutra is regarded as most important in this school and how is this distinctive teaching expressed inthis 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. Studyingoneself is forgetting oneself. Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things.” How might thissum 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 adog have the Buddha Nature?”?

11. Why does Shunryu Suzuki emphasize the importance of maintaining a beginner’s mind in Zenpractice?

12. What is Engaged Buddhism? What does Thich Nhat Hanh mean by the term “Interbeing” and wheredoes 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?