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| (Life of Buddha) - Buddha’s wife; gets angry with Buddha when he renounces; says he is breaking dharma; she was attached to the prince (earthly thing), that is a problem because she will lose the object of desire and suffer |
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| (Life of Buddha) - According to Hinduism, stages in a man’s life according to dharma; student, householder, forest dweller, renunciant. Buddha breaks this dharma by renouncing at a young age. |
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| (Life of Buddha) - The concept of love, attachment, desire, and enjoyment. Buddha is the enemy of kama. Buddha renounces sexual desire in his path to Awakening. An example of this in the Life of the Buddha is when his father sends many women in to his room to make Buddha want to stay in the kingdom. Buddha refuses to indulge in sexual desires in this situation. |
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| (Life of Buddha) - The father of Siddhartha. He tried to get his son to not renunciate and be a part of the kingdom. His love for his son will ensare him and keep Buddha in the palace. |
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| (Life of Buddha) - The cycle of birth, decay, and death. All beings in the universe participate in this cycle. Buddha says one must break out of this cycle through Enlightenment. |
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| Buddha defines supreme dharma as seeing the reality of those who suffer and cause suffering. Suffering and the cessation of suffering. |
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| (Life of Buddha) - The moderation between indulging in desires and self-mortification. It is the path of wisdom to Enlightenment. Buddha follows this path to achieve his Awakening. |
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| (Inferno) - Pro-pope, anti-Roman Empire. Defeated the Ghibelline, and then split into White Guelphs and Black Guelphs. Dante was a Black Guelph. Black Guelphs were defeated by White Guelphs and Dante was exiled for barratry (buying and selling political office). This exile is what led Dante to write the Inferno and his political affiliations are prevalent throughout. |
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| (Inferno) - Anti-pope, pro-Roman Empire group that was defeated by the Guelphs. |
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| (Inferno) - Dante's idealized beloved, Beatrice, appears very little in the Inferno. The historical Beatrice married another man and died long before the Inferno was written, but the fictional one is a blessed spirit in heaven, who watches over Dante. She is the one who sends Virgil to lead him to safety. She represents all the Christian virtues, and Dante's struggle to reach her mirrors his struggle to reach God. |
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| (Inferno) - This Roman poet wrote the Aeneid, which dealt in part with the adventures of Aeneas, who descended to the underworld. This may be why Dante chose to use him as a guide in his poem. The fictional Virgil is like an older, stronger, and wiser version of Dante himself: they seem to share the same moral beliefs, and of course they are both poets. Virgil's attitude toward Dante is appropriately paternal: he shows Dante the right way and even lifts him up and carries him if necessary. However he will also scold Dante if his charge shows an unbecoming interest in an infernal squabble. Unlike Dante, Virgil is a true inhabitant of Hell: he is a damned soul, though a virtuous man. This colors his character with a calm despair which is not seen in the fiery Florentine. |
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| (Inferno) - Explains that the punishment fits the crime. Sinners suffer in hell passed on their sin on Earth. |
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| (Inferno) - Her and her lover are condemned to the Second Circle of Hell for an adulterous love affair that they began after reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. |
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| (Inferno) - A tragic figure from the 9th level of hell who is frightening in the depth of his hatred. He and his children were starved to death by the Archbishop Ruggieri whose head he eats in Hell. His sorrow for the slow deaths of his sons and grandsons, and his despair at his own inability to help them fuel an undying hatred for their murderer. |
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| Buying and selling of political office. This is the reason Dante was exiled, even though the claims aren’t necessarily true. |
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| (Inferno) - Dante shows pity to many of the souls he encounters in the upper circles of Hell, but his pity starts to lessen as he moves down in Hell because of the increasing seriousness of the sins. |
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| (Inferno) - Minos is a terrible demon who judges the damned souls and decides where in Hell they will be punished. He is a figure from Classical mythology: he was the son of Zeus and Europa. |
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| (Inferno) - A region on the edge of hell for those who are not saved even though they did not sin. Dante's Limbo--technically the first circle of hell--includes virtuous non-Christian adults in addition to unbaptized infants. We thus find here many of the great heroes, thinkers, and creative minds of ancient Greece and Rome as well as such medieval non-Christians. |
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| (Inferno) - The prince of Hell, also referred to as Dis. Lucifer resides at the bottom of the Ninth (and final) Circle of Hell, beneath the Earth’s surface, with his body jutting through the planet’s center. An enormous giant, he has three faces but does not speak; his three mouths are busy chewing three of history’s greatest traitors: Judas, the betrayer of Christ, and Cassius and Brutus, the betrayers of Julius Caesar. He is also very helpless because he is frozen in ice and tries to escape by flapping his wings, but they only freeze him more. Dante’s portrait of Lucifer makes him a grotesque mimicry of God in Heaven, much in the same way that the sinners’ punishments in Hell grotesquely mimic their sins on Earth. |
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| (Inferno) - Brunetto is a Guelph, Dante’s mentor, famous writer and philosopher. He is in the 7th Circle of Hell, violence against God. Dante implies that Brunetto was a homosexual and that is why he is in this level of hell. Dante the character has a lot of respect for Brunetto, but the Virgil and Dante the poet don’t have the same respect. |
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| Pages 9-11—reaction of divine beings and human beings to birth of the Buddha |
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Definition
“Yaksha chiefs stood there surrounding him reverently, golden lotuses in their hands.”
“Heavenly beings, remaining invisible, their heads bowed because of his majesty, held a white parasol in the sky over him, and gave their best blessings for his Awakening.”
“Thirsty for the excellent dharma, mighty serpents, who for Buddhas past had performed this same function, fanned him, their eyes exuding devotion, and sprinkled him with mandara blossoms.”
“the gods of the pure realm, their spirits purified, rejoiced, even though in them the passions were stilled, for the welfare of the world plunged in suffering.”
The gods love him, they want to suck up dharma from him
Kama, the god of love, is very distressed when the Buddha is born
Pious old women could only find reason for alarm
The Buddha scares many people because of his power
Buddha is clearly a special being because he rises a strong emotion in mostly everyone just through his birth |
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| The first sign (Question and conclusion [p. 71 and 73]) |
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Definition
“Who is this man, dear charioteer, hair white, and hand clasping a walking stick, brows hiding the eyes, body slumped and bent? Is it transformation? Is it his natural state? Or is it simply chance?”
“Slayer of beauty, ravager of strength, the womb of sorrow, the end of pleasures, Destroyer of memory, foe of sense organs---that is called old age, that is what has crippled this man.”
“Will this evil affect me too?”
“Though you’re blessed with long life, without a doubt, by force of time, you too will become old; In this manner old age destroys beauty; people know this and still they desire it.”
“Old age thus strikes down without distinction, memory, beauty, and manly valor; And yet people do not become distraught, seeing such a man with their very eyes. Such being the case, turn around the horses, drive back to our home quickly, charioteer; For how can I find joy in the gardens when fear of old age occupies my mind?”
This is Buddha’s first experience with old age, so he is very confused
He starts off selfish, only asking if old age will affect him
This represents the naivety of Buddha, but also foreshadows his future Awakening
It also points out that all humans age but many refuse to think about it
How an humans know this but refuse to think about it? |
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| The second sign (Question and conclusion [p. 75]) |
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“His belly swollen, his body heaves as he pants; his arms and shoulders droop, his limbs are thin and pale; Leaning on someone, he cries ‘Mother!’ piteously; tell me, who is this man?”
“The great evil called sickness, much advanced, rising, dear sir, from the clash of humors; That is what makes this man, though once able, now no longer self-reliant.”
“It this an evil that’s specific to this man? Or is this sickness a danger common to all men?”
“This is an evil, prince, common to all; for though they are by sickness thus oppressed, and although they are tormented by pain, people continue to enjoy themselves.”
“This evil of sickness striking mankind, people notice, yet they remain content; O how widespread the ignorance of men! Though not freed from the danger of sickness, yet they continue to laugh!”
Buddha asks does sickness affect all men
Now thinking about human condition not just himself
Points out that people are ignorant of suffering on Earth by indulging in pleasures while things like sickness exist |
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| The third sign (Question and conclusion [p. 79 and 81]) |
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Definition
“Who is this man being carried by four men and followed by people who are downcast? He is well adorned, yet they weep for him?”
Lying here unconscious, like straw or a log, bereft of mind, sense, breath, or qualities, this is someone his dearest ones discard, though they nurtured and guarded him with care.”
“Is this his dharma peculiar to this man? Or is such the end that awaits all men?”
“This is the final act of every man; whether one is low, middling, or noble, in this world for all men death is certain.”
“This is the inevitable end of all men; yet the world revels, casting fears aside; The hearts of men, I suspect, must indeed be hard, that they journey along this rod so unperturbed...For perceiving death, how can a sensible man, keep on reveling here rashly at a time of pain.”
Buddha asks if death is what awaits all men
Dharma of one or dharma of all?
This represents the movement from Hinduism to Buddhism; a new definition of dharma happens when Buddha discovers death
Our minds are intoxicated; we can revel in life when death is the end of all men |
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| The event that leads to the fourth sign (pp. 125-127) |
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Definition
“Love of the woods and exquisite land drew him deep into the distant forest; there he saw the earth being plowed, with furrows resembling the rippling waves on water. Clumps of grass dug up by the plow littered the earth, covered with tiny dead creatures, insects and worms; as he beheld the earth with all these strewn aobut, he grieved greatly, as if a kinsman had been killed. Seeing the men plowing the fields, their bodies discolored by the wind, the dust, the scorching rays of the sun, oxen wearied by the toil of pulling the plows, great compassion overwhelmed that great noble man...He reached the foot of a rose apple tree in a lonely spot with charming leaves rustling all around. On that pure ground with grass the color of beryl, he sat down, and as he began to contemplate the origin and destruction of all creatures, he embarked upon the path of mental stillness. Achieving at once the state of mental stillness, and freedom from worries, such as sensual desire, he attained the first trance.”
This represents the first time Buddha had a realization about the earth and its beings
This is a changing point in Buddha’s thinking |
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“A man approached him wearing a mendicant’s garb, unseen by any of the other men.”
“The son of the king questioned the man, ‘Tell me. Who are you?’”
“And the man gave him this reply: ‘Frightened by birth and death, bull among men, I have gone forth as a recluse, for the sake of release. I seek release within this perishable world, I seek that holy and imperishable state, I regard my own people and others alike, love and hate of sensual things have been extinguished for me. Dwelling anywhere at all---under trees, a deserted temple, forest or hill---I wander without possessions or wants, living on almsfood I happen to get, in search of the supreme goal.”
Priest then flies away because he was a god who came down to arouse the attention of Buddha.
Convinces to Buddha to live an ascetic life to have Awakening. |
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| Description of the prince’s courtesans and how they react to news of his departure (all the beautiful women in the palace) (pp. 217-19) |
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“We shall then go this very day to the forest where he with an elephant king’s valor has gone; for witout that one we have no desire to live, like embodied beings when vital organs are gone. Without him this city is a forest, and with him that forest is a city; for without him our city does not shine, like heaven without Indra at the time Vritra was slain.”
They all weep because of Buddha’s departure
This shows they go against Buddha’s thinking because they desire Buddha, and Buddha says to lose all desires to lose all suffering |
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| Lament of Yashodhara (pp. 221-25; 231-35) |
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“Where did he go, Chandaka, the joy of my heart, leaving me as I slept helpless at night? As I see you and Kanthaka return, whereas three had departed, my heart begins to tremble. You have done me an unfriendly act, ignoble and cruel, you heartless man! So why do you weep here today? Contain your tears, be of good cheer! Your tears don’t accord with your deed. For that noble man went with you, his aide, loving, loyal, trustworthy, and upright, always doing what’s appropriate, never to return again! Be happy! By good fortune your toil has produced fruit.”
Yashodhara is mad at Buddha for leaving his family
Love based on something she needs from Buddha
Selfishly motivated
Being attached to the prince is a problem because they will lose the object of their desire and suffer
Desires cause suffering |
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| The prince’s argument against passion (desire)? [Canto 11, pp.299] |
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Argument is made towards King Shrenya
He tells Buddha he’s too young; should pursue dharma when he’s older
The problem is objects of sense
If they cause pleasure, they cause attachment/craving/intoxication
These objects are fleeting (they cease to exist)
When they are lost, they cause suffering
Solution: Contentment where all things are ordinary
A kind of tranquility of mind |
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| The prince’s argument against extreme austerities. (page 363) |
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Doctrine of no soul - If you have a soul, you can’t attain enlightenment
Since Arada believes in a soul, Buddha leaves
Hindus believe in having souls, Buddhists believe one must have no soul
Tranquility of mind cannot be properly attained if the sense are not content
Doctrine of the Middle Way
Avoid Extreme path of self denial and extreme path of pleasures and desires
Senses have to be content for a clam mind |
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| Dante finding himself in the dark woods (Canto 1 |
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| The dark forest is a metaphor for everything that Dante thought was wrong in 1300. This could include inner confusion and sin, the necessary imperfection of the world (as opposed to Paradise and God), political corruption, the absence of true authority, the bad behavior of the Pope, etc. Redemption is associated with struggle, in this case the struggle uphill, which is made impossibly difficult by the continual temptations of sin. |
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| Francesca’s speeches and Dante’s reactions to them (Canto 5) |
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Francesca tells Dante her story of adultery, and Dante faints out of pity
Dante has pity for Francesca because it was a matter of love than got her to hell
This represents how Dante disagreed with some traditional ideas of sin in the church |
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| Pier della Vigna’s speech (Canto 13) |
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Vigna blames everyone else and envy for why he is in jail
Everyone wanted to be in his position
Because everyone was envious, he had to kill himself |
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| Dante’s conversation with Brunetto (Canto 15) |
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Dante has no pity for Brunetto
There seems to be tension between Virgil and Brunetto
Dante has respect for Brunetto
Infernal irony
Dante the Pilgrim respects him, but Dante the Poet put him in the lower depths of Hell
Circle 7 - Violence against god
Sex is for progeny, if not doing that, it’s violence against God
Brunetto predicts Dante’s banishment
Dante sees immortality through God
Brunetto sees it through great writing
Sin of sodomy and sin of writing for fame are explored
Dante seems to link these two |
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