sentence-transformers/squad huggingface dataset:
Passage: According to Buddhist traditions a Buddha is a fully awakened being who has completely purified his mind of the three poisons of desire, aversion and ignorance. A Buddha is no longer bound by Samsara and has ended the suffering which unawakened people experience in life.

Question: Who is a fully awakened being who has purified his mind of the three poisons of desire, aversion, and ignorance?

Question: A Buddha is no longer bound by what?

Question: What do unawakend people experience?
Passage: Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the only Buddha. The Pali Canon refers to many previous ones (see List of the 28 Buddhas), while the Mahayana tradition additionally has many Buddhas of celestial, rather than historical, origin (see Amitabha or Vairocana as examples, for lists of many thousands Buddha names see Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō numbers 439–448). A common Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist belief is that the next Buddha will be one named Maitreya (Pali: Metteyya).

Question: How many Buddhas are considered to have existed in the Pali Canon?

Question: A Theravada and Mahayana belief is that the next Buddha will be one named what?

Question: Mahayana has many Buddhas of what origin?
Passage: In Theravada doctrine, a person may awaken from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality; such people are called arahants and occasionally buddhas. After numerous lifetimes of spiritual striving, they have reached the end of the cycle of rebirth, no longer reincarnating as human, animal, ghost, or other being. The commentaries to the Pali Canon classify these awakened beings into three types:

Question: A person can awaken from the "sleep of ignorance" by acknowledging the true nature of what?

Question: At the end of the cycle of rebirth a person is called what?
Passage: Bodhi and nirvana carry the same meaning, that of being freed from craving, hate, and delusion. In attaining bodhi, the arahant has overcome these obstacles. As a further distinction, the extinction of only hatred and greed (in the sensory context) with some residue of delusion, is called anagami.

Question: Nirvana and what term carry the same meaning?

Question: What is the term for extinction of only hatred and greed, with residue of delusion?
Passage: In the Mahayana, the Buddha tends not to be viewed as merely human, but as the earthly projection of a beginningless and endless, omnipresent being (see Dharmakaya) beyond the range and reach of thought. Moreover, in certain Mahayana sutras, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are viewed essentially as One: all three are seen as the eternal Buddha himself.

Question: In the Mahayana, who is thought to be an omnipresent being?

Question: Who is thought to be beyond the range and reach of thought?

Question: In what sutras are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha viewed as One?
Passage: The Buddha's death is seen as an illusion, he is living on in other planes of existence, and monks are therefore permitted to offer "new truths" based on his input. Mahayana also differs from Theravada in its concept of śūnyatā (that ultimately nothing has existence), and in its belief in bodhisattvas (enlightened people who vow to continue being reborn until all beings can be enlightened).

Question: Buddha's death is seen as an illusion, as he is living in other planes of what?

Question: Who is permitted to offer "new truths" based on Buddhas input?

Question: What is the term for the idea of ultimately nothing has existance?

Question: Who are enlightened people who vow to continue being reborn?
Passage: The method of self-exertion or "self-power"—without reliance on an external force or being—stands in contrast to another major form of Buddhism, Pure Land, which is characterized by utmost trust in the salvific "other-power" of Amitabha Buddha. Pure Land Buddhism is a very widespread and perhaps the most faith-orientated manifestation of Buddhism and centres upon the conviction that faith in Amitabha Buddha and the chanting of homage to his name liberates one at death into the Blissful (安樂), Pure Land (淨土) of Amitabha Buddha. This Buddhic realm is variously construed as a foretaste of Nirvana, or as essentially Nirvana itself. The great vow of Amitabha Buddha to rescue all beings from samsaric suffering is viewed within Pure Land Buddhism as universally efficacious, if only one has faith in the power of that vow or chants his name.

Question: What is characterized by the deep truts in the "other-power" of Amitabha Buddha

Question: What is perhaps the most faith-oriented for of Buddhism?

Question: What Buddha vowed to rescue all beings from samsaric suffering?
Passage: Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha was the first to achieve enlightenment in this Buddha era and is therefore credited with the establishment of Buddhism. A Buddha era is the stretch of history during which people remember and practice the teachings of the earliest known Buddha. This Buddha era will end when all the knowledge, evidence and teachings of Gautama Buddha have vanished. This belief therefore maintains that many Buddha eras have started and ended throughout the course of human existence.[web 15][web 16] The Gautama Buddha, therefore, is the Buddha of this era, who taught directly or indirectly to all other Buddhas in it (see types of Buddhas).

Question: Who is believed to have achieved enlightenment first?

Question: What is the term for the stretch of history during which people rmember and practice the teachings of the earliest known buddha?

Question: Who is the Buddha of this Buddha era?

Question: Who taught directly or indirectly to all other Buddhas?
Passage: In addition, Mahayana Buddhists believe there are innumerable other Buddhas in other universes. A Theravada commentary says that Buddhas arise one at a time in this world element, and not at all in others. The understandings of this matter reflect widely differing interpretations of basic terms, such as "world realm", between the various schools of Buddhism.

Question: Who believes there are innumerable other Buddhas in other universes?

Question: What buddhist belief says that Buddhas come one at a time and not within other eras?
Passage: The idea of the decline and gradual disappearance of the teaching has been influential in East Asian Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism holds that it has declined to the point where few are capable of following the path, so it may be best to rely on the power of Amitābha.

Question: What form of Buddhism has declined to the point where few are capable of following the path?
Passage: Bodhisattva means "enlightenment being", and generally refers to one who is on the path to buddhahood. Traditionally, a bodhisattva is anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhicitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Theravada Buddhism primarily uses the term in relation to Gautama Buddha's previous existences, but has traditionally acknowledged and respected the bodhisattva path as well.[web 17]

Question: What does Bodhisattva mean?

Question: What is the term for the spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings?
Passage: According to Jan Nattier, the term Mahāyāna "Great Vehicle" was originally even an honorary synonym for Bodhisattvayāna "Bodhisattva Vehicle." The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, an early and important Mahayana text, contains a simple and brief definition for the term bodhisattva: "Because he has enlightenment as his aim, a bodhisattva-mahāsattva is so called."

Question: What term means "great vehicle"?

Question: What is an honorary synonym for Bodhisattvayana?

Question: The Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra is an important text of what type?
Passage: Mahayana Buddhism encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas and to take the bodhisattva vow, where the practitioner promises to work for the complete enlightenment of all beings by practicing the six pāramitās. According to Mahayana teachings, these perfections are: dāna, śīla, kṣanti, vīrya, dhyāna, and prajñā.

Question: What buddhism encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas?

Question: What is the idea there the practitioner promises to work for the complete enlightenment of all beings by practicing the six paramitas?

Question: What are the six perfections under Mahayana teachings?
Passage: A famous saying by the 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar-saint Shantideva, which the 14th Dalai Lama often cites as his favourite verse, summarizes the Bodhisattva's intention (Bodhicitta) as follows: "For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world."[citation needed]

Question: Which Dalai Lama cites Shantideva's famous saying?
Passage: Devotion is an important part of the practice of most Buddhists. Devotional practices include bowing, offerings, pilgrimage, and chanting. In Pure Land Buddhism, devotion to the Buddha Amitabha is the main practice. In Nichiren Buddhism, devotion to the Lotus Sutra is the main practice.

Question: Devotion is an important part of the practice of most what?

Question: What are the devotional practices?
Passage: Buddhism traditionally incorporates states of meditative absorption (Pali: jhāna; Skt: dhyāna). The most ancient sustained expression of yogic ideas is found in the early sermons of the Buddha. One key innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditative absorption must be combined with liberating cognition. The difference between the Buddha's teaching and the yoga presented in early Brahminic texts is striking. Meditative states alone are not an end, for according to the Buddha, even the highest meditative state is not liberating. Instead of attaining a complete cessation of thought, some sort of mental activity must take place: a liberating cognition, based on the practice of mindful awareness.

Question: Buddhism traditionally incorporates states of what type of absorption?

Question: The most acient yogic ideas is found in the early sermons of who?

Question: The difference between the Buddha's teaching and the yoga presented in what what type of texts is significant?

Question: According to the Buddha event he highest meditative state is not what?
Passage: Meditation was an aspect of the practice of the yogis in the centuries preceding the Buddha. The Buddha built upon the yogis' concern with introspection and developed their meditative techniques, but rejected their theories of liberation. In Buddhism, mindfulness and clear awareness are to be developed at all times; in pre-Buddhist yogic practices there is no such injunction. A yogi in the Brahmanical tradition is not to practice while defecating, for example, while a Buddhist monastic should do so.

Question: Meditation was an aspect of the practice of who?

Question: In Buddhism, what must be developed at all times?
Passage: Religious knowledge or "vision" was indicated as a result of practice both within and outside of the Buddhist fold. According to the Samaññaphala Sutta, this sort of vision arose for the Buddhist adept as a result of the perfection of "meditation" coupled with the perfection of "discipline" (Pali sīla; Skt. śīla). Some of the Buddha's meditative techniques were shared with other traditions of his day, but the idea that ethics are causally related to the attainment of "transcendent wisdom" (Pali paññā; Skt. prajñā) was original.[web 18]

Question: Religious knowledge is also known as what?

Question: What type of techniques were shared with other traditions of his day?

Question: There is an idea where ethics are causally related to the attainment of what?
Passage: The Buddhist texts are probably the earliest describing meditation techniques. They describe meditative practices and states that existed before the Buddha as well as those first developed within Buddhism. Two Upanishads written after the rise of Buddhism do contain full-fledged descriptions of yoga as a means to liberation.

Question: What are probably the earliest texts describing meditation techniques?

Question: What describes meditative states exising before the Buddha?

Question: What two items were written after the rise of Buddhism?
Passage: While there is no convincing evidence for meditation in pre-Buddhist early Brahminic texts, Wynne argues that formless meditation originated in the Brahminic or Shramanic tradition, based on strong parallels between Upanishadic cosmological statements and the meditative goals of the two teachers of the Buddha as recorded in the early Buddhist texts. He mentions less likely possibilities as well. Having argued that the cosmological statements in the Upanishads also reflect a contemplative tradition, he argues that the Nasadiya Sukta contains evidence for a contemplative tradition, even as early as the late Rig Vedic period.

Question: In pre-buddhist early Brahminic texts there is no evidence for what?

Question: The upanishads statements reflect what type of tradition?

Question: What contains evidence for a contemplative tradition?
Passage: Traditionally, the first step in most Buddhist schools requires taking refuge in the Three Jewels (Sanskrit: tri-ratna, Pāli: ti-ratana)[web 19] as the foundation of one's religious practice. The practice of taking refuge on behalf of young or even unborn children is mentioned in the Majjhima Nikaya, recognized by most scholars as an early text (cf. Infant baptism). Tibetan Buddhism sometimes adds a fourth refuge, in the lama. In Mahayana, the person who chooses the bodhisattva path makes a vow or pledge, considered the ultimate expression of compassion. In Mahayana, too, the Three Jewels are perceived as possessed of an eternal and unchanging essence and as having an irreversible effect: "The Three Jewels have the quality of excellence. Just as real jewels never change their faculty and goodness, whether praised or reviled, so are the Three Jewels (Refuges), because they have an eternal and immutable essence. These Three Jewels bring a fruition that is changeless, for once one has reached Buddhahood, there is no possibility of falling back to suffering.

Question: What is the first step in a school of Buddhism?

Question: What mentions taking refuge on behalf of young or unborn children?

Question: What type of Buddhism adds a fourth refuge?

Question: The Three Jewels are preceived as possessed of an eternal and unchanging what?

Question: What has an irreversable effect?
Passage: According to the scriptures, Gautama Buddha presented himself as a model. The Dharma offers a refuge by providing guidelines for the alleviation of suffering and the attainment of Nirvana. The Sangha is considered to provide a refuge by preserving the authentic teachings of the Buddha and providing further examples that the truth of the Buddha's teachings is attainable.

Question: Who presented himself as a model?

Question: What offers a refuge by providing guidelines for the alleviation of suffering?

Question: What provides refuge by preserving the authentic teachings of the Buddha?
Passage: Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) is usually translated into English as "virtuous behavior", "morality", "moral discipline", "ethics" or "precept". It is an action committed through the body, speech, or mind, and involves an intentional effort. It is one of the three practices (sīla, samādhi, and paññā) and the second pāramitā. It refers to moral purity of thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of śīla are chastity, calmness, quiet, and extinguishment.

Question: What is an action committed through the body and involves intentional effort?

Question: Sila is the second what?
Passage: Śīla is the foundation of Samādhi/Bhāvana (Meditative cultivation) or mind cultivation. Keeping the precepts promotes not only the peace of mind of the cultivator, which is internal, but also peace in the community, which is external. According to the Law of Karma, keeping the precepts is meritorious and it acts as causes that would bring about peaceful and happy effects. Keeping these precepts keeps the cultivator from rebirth in the four woeful realms of existence.

Question: What keeps the cultivator from rebirth in the four realms of existance?

Question: What is the foundation of Samadhi/Bhavana?

Question: What promotes not only the peace of mind but also peace in the community?
Passage: Śīla refers to overall principles of ethical behavior. There are several levels of sīla, which correspond to "basic morality" (five precepts), "basic morality with asceticism" (eight precepts), "novice monkhood" (ten precepts) and "monkhood" (Vinaya or Patimokkha). Lay people generally undertake to live by the five precepts, which are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertake the eight precepts, which add basic asceticism.

Question: What does sila refer to?

Question: Lay people tend to live by the five what?

Question: Schools can undertake eight precepts, which add basic what?
Passage: The precepts are not formulated as imperatives, but as training rules that laypeople undertake voluntarily to facilitate practice. In Buddhist thought, the cultivation of dana and ethical conduct themselves refine consciousness to such a level that rebirth in one of the lower heavens is likely, even if there is no further Buddhist practice. There is nothing improper or un-Buddhist about limiting one's aims to this level of attainment.

Question: Precepts are not created as imperatives, but as what?

Question: The cultivation of dana and what kind of conduct refine consciousness?

Question: Even if there is no further Buddhist practice, what heavens is still likely?
Passage: In the eight precepts, the third precept on sexual misconduct is made more strict, and becomes a precept of celibacy. The three additional precepts are:

Question: Of the eight precepts which one is on sexual misconduct?

Question: What is the third strict precept on sexual misconduct?
Passage: The complete list of ten precepts may be observed by laypeople for short periods. For the complete list, the seventh precept is partitioned into two, and a tenth added:

Question: How many precepts are on the list?

Question: In the complete list of precepts, which one is partitioned into two?
Passage: Vinaya is the specific moral code for monks and nuns. It includes the Patimokkha, a set of 227 rules for monks in the Theravadin recension. The precise content of the vinayapitaka (scriptures on Vinaya) differs slightly according to different schools, and different schools or subschools set different standards for the degree of adherence to Vinaya. Novice-monks use the ten precepts, which are the basic precepts for monastics.

Question: How many basic precepts are there for monastics?

Question: What is the specific moral code for monks and nuns?

Question: How many rules dows the patimokkha have?

Question: What are the scriptures on vinaya called?
Passage: Regarding the monastic rules, the Buddha constantly reminds his hearers that it is the spirit that counts. On the other hand, the rules themselves are designed to assure a satisfying life, and provide a perfect springboard for the higher attainments. Monastics are instructed by the Buddha to live as "islands unto themselves". In this sense, living life as the vinaya prescribes it is, as one scholar puts it: "more than merely a means to an end: it is very nearly the end in itself."

Question: Regarding the monastic rules, the Buddha reminds his hearers that it is the spirit that what?

Question: The rules themselves are designed to assure a satisfying what?

Question: The rules are a perfect springboard for what?

Question: Monastics are instructed by the Buddha to live as what?
Passage: In Eastern Buddhism, there is also a distinctive Vinaya and ethics contained within the Mahayana Brahmajala Sutra (not to be confused with the Pali text of that name) for Bodhisattvas, where, for example, the eating of meat is frowned upon and vegetarianism is actively encouraged (see vegetarianism in Buddhism). In Japan, this has almost completely displaced the monastic vinaya, and allows clergy to marry.

Question: Distinctive Vinaya and ethics are contained within what sutra?

Question: Bodhisattvas are not encouraged to eat what?

Question: Where is the monastic vinaya displaced and clergy is allowed to marry?
Passage: Buddhist meditation is fundamentally concerned with two themes: transforming the mind and using it to explore itself and other phenomena. According to Theravada Buddhism the Buddha taught two types of meditation, samatha meditation (Sanskrit: śamatha) and vipassanā meditation (Sanskrit: vipaśyanā). In Chinese Buddhism, these exist (translated chih kuan), but Chán (Zen) meditation is more popular. According to Peter Harvey, whenever Buddhism has been healthy, not only monks, nuns, and married lamas, but also more committed lay people have practiced meditation. According to Routledge's Encyclopedia of Buddhism, in contrast, throughout most of Buddhist history before modern times, serious meditation by lay people has been unusual. The evidence of the early texts suggests that at the time of the Buddha, many male and female lay practitioners did practice meditation, some even to the point of proficiency in all eight jhānas (see the next section regarding these).[note 11]

Question: In Chinese Buddhism what meditation is more popular?

Question: Evidence has shown some lay people got to proficiency in all eight what?
Passage: In the language of the Noble Eightfold Path, samyaksamādhi is "right concentration". The primary means of cultivating samādhi is meditation. Upon development of samādhi, one's mind becomes purified of defilement, calm, tranquil, and luminous.

Question: What does the word samyaksamadhi mean?

Question: Meditation is the primary means of cultivating what?

Question: Upon development of samadhi, a person gets rid of what?
Passage: Once the meditator achieves a strong and powerful concentration (jhāna, Sanskrit ध्यान dhyāna), his mind is ready to penetrate and gain insight (vipassanā) into the ultimate nature of reality, eventually obtaining release from all suffering. The cultivation of mindfulness is essential to mental concentration, which is needed to achieve insight.

Question: What is powerful concentration called?

Question: What is the term when the mind is ready to penetrate and gain insight?

Question: Mindfulness is essential to concentration, which is neede to achieve what?
Passage: Samatha meditation starts from being mindful of an object or idea, which is expanded to one's body, mind and entire surroundings, leading to a state of total concentration and tranquility (jhāna). There are many variations in the style of meditation, from sitting cross-legged or kneeling to chanting or walking. The most common method of meditation is to concentrate on one's breath (anapanasati), because this practice can lead to both samatha and vipassana'.

Question: Samatha meditation starts from being mindful of an object or what?

Question: What is the term for tranquility?
Passage: In Buddhist practice, it is said that while samatha meditation can calm the mind, only vipassanā meditation can reveal how the mind was disturbed to start with, which is what leads to insight knowledge (jñāna; Pāli ñāṇa) and understanding (prajñā Pāli paññā), and thus can lead to nirvāṇa (Pāli nibbāna). When one is in jhana, all defilements are suppressed temporarily. Only understanding (prajñā or vipassana) eradicates the defilements completely. Jhanas are also states that Arahants abide in order to rest.

Question: In Buddhism, samatha meditation can calm the what?

Question: Vipassana meditation can reveal how the mind was what?

Question: What is the term for insight knowledge?

Question: What is the term for understanding?

Question: What eradicates the defilements completely?