Describe The Buddhist Terms Anatta, Tanha, And Nirvana?

DeAnn Grove

1. Describe the Buddhist terms anatta, anicca, dukkha, tanha, and Nirvana.

As depicted in the story of Buddha, Siddartha, born of a virgin, was destined to either be a great ruler or a great holy man. Living an isolated and luxurious life until he was 29, he decided to give up all his own worldly possessions, even his family, to begin his own journey. After seeing an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and lastly a holy man Siddartha desired to find the solution to end ALL human suffering. His enlightenment occurred when he sat under the Bodhi tree and experienced many visions, and to ultimately become Buddha. This when he began to teach the three characteristics of existence: dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence),

It is that ALL things suffer due to the need to find permanence or to recognize self when these do not exist. He taught there are three main categories of dukkha. The first is dukkha-dukkah, which is physical, emotional, and mental pain. Second being viparinama-dukkha, which is impermanence. The and last being samkhara-dukkha, that everything effects everything else. The Buddha teaches in the “The Four Noble Truths,” the path that is necessary to gain insight into understanding dukkha, its causes, and how to overcome

By learning from the Dharma, understanding The Four Noble Truths, three jewels, living by the five precepts, and following the eightfold path will assist to the completed path of enlightenment. Nirvana, which means to extinguish or unbind, is when a Buddhist has reached a state in which he has gained knowledge and freedom from what ever has bound him from reaching nirvana. Whether it be passion, desire, jealousy, egotism, or ignorance. When nirvana has been reached then there will be complete release from the samsara and karmic cycles.

2. Compare and contrast Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

In Theravada Buddhism, only Gautama (Sakyamuni) Buddha is accepted. Theravada accepts only Maitreya bodhisattva. In Theravada Buddhism, the Pali Canon is divided into 3

Tirpitakasas: Vinaya, Sutra, and Abhidhamma. The main emphasis of the Theravada sect is on self-liberation. It is interesting to see that Theravada has spread in the southern direction including places like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. Tripitaka is strictly written in Pali in the Theravada tradition. There is no distinction in the nirvana attained by the

Buddha and the Arahat Buddha in the case of Theravada tradition. Rituals are not emphasized in the Theravada sect. It is important to note that the stage between death and rebirth is ignored in the Theravada school. One meal a day principle is