Core Beliefs
The 3 marks of existence
What are Dukkha (suffering), Annica (impermanence) and Anatta (no self)?
Buddhism is derived from this other major religious tradition
What is Hinduism?
Born in 1935, this is the birth name of the 14th Dalai Lama.
Who is Tenzin Gyatso?
These two precepts underpin general Buddhist teachings around care for the environment
What are the first (abstain from harming, killing) and second precepts (abstain from taking what is not given)?
What is Buddha's birthday, enlightenment and death (parinirvana)?
The Three Jewels
What are the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha?
The four signs that convinced Siddhartha about the role of suffering in the world
What are an old man, a sick man, a dead man and an ascetic monk?
The DL has done these things to contribute to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism in general (200 points for each correct answer)
What are:
- establishing the Tibetan education system
- establishing 200 monasteries
- arrangement of the translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead into English?
These two steps of the Noble Eightfold Path encourage adherents to act with compassion and wisdom towards the environment.
What are Right Livelihood and Right Knowledge?
These are the main features of Wesak (200 points for each correct answer)
- celebrated in 1st full moon in May
- homes cleaned
- hoisting Buddhist flags and singing hymns at dawn
- Puja service
- Baby Buddha statue bathed (Mahayana)
- bow three times (honour three jewels)
- 3 refuges
- paper lanterns (Thailand/Theravada Buddhism)
The Four Noble Truths
What are:
1 - All is suffering (dukkha)
2 - Suffering has a cause (craving = tanha)
3 - Suffering can cease
4 - the path to the cessation of suffering (Noble Eightfold Path)?
The Buddha taught this to five Hindu ascetics, resulting in the formation of the first sangha.
What is the Noble Eightfold Path?
The DL has done these things to contribute to the simplification, clarification and embodiment of Buddhist teachings (dharma).
What are:
- transform the abstract teachings to the personal
- public appearances (world tours, speeches, seminars, social media)
- Over 100 books published (e.g. The Wisdom of Compassion)
The first ethical teaching ensures that all humans inherently respect and live in harmony with the environment
What is interconnectedness (dependent origination)?
These core beliefs are reiterated and reinforced during Wesak
What are the Three Jewels (Buddha, Sangha, Dharma)
The Five Precepts
What are:
1 - Abstain from harming or killing
2 - Abstain from taking what is not freely given
3 - Abstain from sexual misconduct
4 - Abstain fro mfalse speech
5 - Abstain from drugs and alcohol?
The three main schools of Buddhism (bonus points if you can name the countries where each on is primarily practised)
What are:
Theravada (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia)
Mahayana (China, Vietnam, Korea)
Vajrayana (Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal)
also Zen Buddhism?
The DL has promoted Buddhist teachings through outreach to other religions by doing these things.
What are:
- visiting 46 countries since 1967, speaking with world leaders and church leaders (e.g. Pope JP II, Archbishop of Canterbury)
Occurring in Thailand (Theravada Buddhism) this ethical practice is a proactive response to an environmental issue.
What is tree planting and tree ordination?
What is:
- recommitment to the goals of Buddhism
- reaffirmation of the life of the Buddha and the dharma, and its central importance to living a good life
The path to the goal of Buddhism for individuals
What are the accumulation of good karma, to escape samsara and achieve nirvana (Buddhahood)?
Named for the Pali word for 'basket', these are the main sacred texts of Buddhism
What are the Tripitaka?
The DL has done these things to promote Buddhist peace teachings
What are:
- accepting the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize
- delivers 5 Point Peace Plan in Washington DC (1987) designating Tibet as a peace zone
- regularly speaks out about non-violence, in relation to world events (e.g. war in Gaza)
This Buddhist practice (2nd ethical teaching) is used as a specific response to environmental issues, and is practiced in these ways (500 bonus points for each correct answer)
What is the Path of Threefold Learning?
Sila (discipline or ethical living)
Samadhi (meditation)
Prajna (Wisdom)
- What is adopting vegetarianism and environmental activist monks?
These are the impacts of the Wesak festival on the community.
What is:
- preserves unity and continuity through reaffirmation of beliefs as a community
- provides spiritual support and solidarity by giving opportunities for lay-people and monks to interact
- provides opportunities for initiation of new adherents - providing continuity of tradition and growth of the sangha