Why Does A Monk Choose To Dwell In Seclusion?

1. Why does a monk choose to dwell in seclusion?

• A monk chooses to dwell in seclusion in the name of asceticism. The monks renounce all material concerns and pleasures and devote his time to the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and escape from the cycle of rebirth. While he is in seclusion, he also avoids all the pleasures of the material world with the goal of avoiding dukkha.

2. What was the symbolism behind the chariot in the Milinda Panha?

• Monk Nāgasena used the chariot as an example to explain the idea of no self to King Milinda. The monk said that without the 5 aggregates, there is no self. Meaning that a person does not exist without the 5 things that allow him to exist. The chariot exists when all its components (5 aggregates)

Brahmins: Said to be born from the mouth of an ancient man, Brahmins are one of the four classes in Vedic Hinduism. They are at the top of the class and are usually priests or teachers.

3. Dharma: Dharma refers to the teachings of the Buddha. One of the three jewels of Buddhism, it includes the fundamental discourses of the religion such as a four noble truths and the eightfold path,

4. Duḥkha: Translated to suffering, it is one of the main principles of the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha created the four noble truths in order to cease the suffering of the material

Indra: Indra is the god of rain and thunderstorms and the leader of the gods. In Buddhism, Indra is referred to as Sakra and is the lord of the Devas.

6. Brahmā: Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and the father of Manu. It is from Manu where all human beings are descended.

7. Agni: Agni is the god of fire and acceptor of sacrifices. He is also a messenger so the sacrifices will travel to other gods as well. He is immortal because a fire is lit everyday.

8. Jātakas: The Jatakas are a large collection of ancient texts that tell the story of the previous lives of the Buddha. The Buddha has been recorded as being reborn in both human and animal form.

9. Vinaya: Vinaya, translated to discipline, is the regulatory outline for the Buddhist sangha. The Buddha’s teachings are split into two, dharma (doctrine) and vinaya.

10. Prātimokṣa: Pratimoksa are a set of rules within the vinaya that govern the behaviour of Buddhist monks and nuns.

Section D: Identify and discuss the significance of the two images. (10 marks x 2 images, 20 marks total). 1 page maximum for each picture and is to be written on a separate sheet of paper.

Figure 1

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