...What is Buddhism? General Information Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path - a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood. Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion. There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation. Who was the Buddha? Buddhism started with the Buddha. The word 'Buddha' is a title and not...
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...of bells announces the arrival of visitors to the Guang Ming Temple of Central Florida. Commonly associated with fat bald men and the infamous term karma, Buddhism is one of many religions practiced today. Practitioners reside everywhere from the vast continent of Asia, to your very own backyard. Located in Orlando, the Guang Ming Temple is one of more than two hundred temples around the world, belonging to the Fo Guang Shang Buddhist order. This particular temple, as seen from the perspective of a single visitor, can provide an eye-opening experience. The building itself is impossible to miss, it stands out as a stark contrast to the everyday architecture one would expect in a U.S. city. Traditional twin dragon statues guard the entrance, which they inform me is for protection, to ward off any potential evil spirits. Upon arrival at the Guang Ming Temple I was escorted into the modest yet picturesque main shrine. A petite Asian woman, whose name was impossible to...
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...A Study on Violence Against Buddhism by Korean Protestantism: Centering on the Wonmyeong Temple and Bongeun Temple Incidents Introduction: Violent Attacks on Buddhism by Protestants In the past, there have been numerous incidents where extremist Korean Protestants have damaged statues of the Buddha or Buddhist temples. Such incidents pose serious risks to society as these examples of destruction do not only disregard a certain religion, but are also highly violent in nature. Many high-profile cases have been reported: Arson of the Daejeokgwangjeon of Geumsansa Temple in 1986; the destruction of a stone pagoda and lantern of Okcheonam Temple in Hongeun-dong in 1989; the damaging of the Tangible Cultural Asset No. 17 stone-carved Buddha Statue in 1989; the enclosing of a shrine and burning of a Buddha statue by an army officer in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do in 1993; the arrest of a pastor and his fellows by local police officers for destroying a Buddha statue in Thailand in 1994; a Buddhist accidently killed while he was trying to prevent a Christian from intruding into a Buddhist monastery to distribute Christian missionary materials in 1996; the destruction, damage of 750 Buddha statues in Jeju by a Christian (named Kim) in his attempt to transform Wonmyeong Temple into a church in 1998; the damaging of the Buddha statue at Dongguk University in 2000; and the frenzy over a video clip about missionary students doing a performance involving stepping on the Bongeun Temple site...
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...Sociology Report — Religion — Date: 3rd December 2014 Contents 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………..3 2. 3 Perspectives………………………...……………………………….4 Functionalist perspective Conflict perspective Feminist perspective 3. Muslim in Cham tribe in Vietnam…...……………………………. 4. Mahayana Buddhism...……………………………………………... Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism in Korea and Vietnam Differences in Mahayana Buddhism of Korea and Vietnam Trend towards Buddhism in Western countries 5. References………….......……………………………………………. 1. Introduction A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. The five largest religious groups by world population, estimated to account for 5 billion people, are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. There are some functions of religion. Firstly, it gives explanation for things that we do not understand such as seasons and supernatural things. So many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. Secondly, it provides sense of morality and ethics. It sets the guideline for people to behave in right ways. Lastly, it supports people to have power to overcome. Religion often courage people and give strengths. That is why people seek religion when they are depressed...
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...Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of a man called Siddhartha Gauthama. He lived for about 25 centuries. Siddhartha Gauthama came to be called Buddha. In his life Buddha traveled and taught, he did not teach people what he had realized when he became enlightened. He taught people how to be come enlightened themselves. He taught them that awakening comes through your own direct experience, not through their beliefs. Buddhism spread throughout Asia to become one of the dominant religions in the continent. It is over 350 million people who practice Buddhism, which would make Buddhism the fourth largest of the world’s religions. Buddhism is different from other religions and some people question if it is really a religion. For most religions the focus is on God. For Buddhism, they are taught that believing in gods was not useful for people who were seeking enlightenment. In most religions, they are defined by their beliefs. Buddha said that we should not accept doctrines just because we read them in scripture or are taught them by priests. Buddha taught people how to realize truth for ourselves. The focus is on practice rather than belief. The foundation of Buddhism is the Four Noble Truths, which are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, the truth of the path that frees us from suffering. The fourth of Buddha’s Noble Truths is The Noble Eightfold Path, it consists of eight factors, which are right view, right...
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...Tamika Harrison Doug Dorman Comparative Religion March 20, 2013 Buddhism Buddhism, one of the fastest growing religions in the world, is also one of the oldest and has influenced many cultures of Asia and followers in the west (Alldritt 4). Buddhism is the fourth largest religion following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, and has over 376 million followers (Robinson). In Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Taiwan, Buddhism is the majority religion. China, which is primarily atheist, has many people that adhere to the Buddhist beliefs (Wangu, O’Brien, and Palmer 8). The percentage of Buddhism’s practice is quickly increasing in the United States population. Some estimate that up to 3 million are practicing in the US. But India, around 500 B.C.E., is where it all began and flourished (Alldritt 5). During this time, India was in a state of religious ferment which led people to experiment with meditation, deep breathing and to study with gurus (Molloy 125). Buddhism emphasizes on personal enlightenment as opposed to an eternal salvation from a higher being. The Buddha is not a god, but a human being that was acknowledged and respected for providing the knowledge on happiness within one self and concern for all living things (Robinson). In this report, I will discuss how Buddhism originated, its major forms, beliefs and teachings and the question of it being a true religion or philosophy of life. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, or the awakened one,...
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...Stress (Craving) (Tanha) 3. Noble Truth Of The Cessation Of The Stress (Nirvana) 4. Noble Truth Of The Way Of Practice (Noble Eightfold Path) Noble Truth Of Stress (Dukkha) Suffering is the translation of ‘Dukkha’. Buddhism explains three types of Dukkha : 1. Pain (Physical /mental) - It is the sort of feeling that you experience when you fall and hurt yourself. Or the normal headaches that you experience. 2. Dukkha Of Change – This sort of dukkha exists because according to the Buddhist tradition the system is in flux (Constantly changing- Anitya). Even Happiness and laughter are considered to be Dukkha as they are not permanent. 3. Dukkha Of Conditions- The world which we live in is conditioned and we are brought up/moulded according to the conditions. According to Buddhism Samsara is conditioned and that is why there is impermanence. Noble Truth Of The Origination Of Stress (Craving) (Tanha) Origin of Dukkha is ‘Craving’(Tanha). Craving can be of three types: 1. Craving for sensual pleasure 2. Craving for existence – It is the craving for eternal life. 3. Craving for non-existence – It is the craving for the end of the life (death/end of all the consciousness) Craving is different from ‘Want’. Craving according to the Buddhism is faulty but ‘want’ is not. ‘Want’ arises out of a rational action which can be expected to bring a result. We do not intensely desire for the result when it’s a ‘want’. ‘Want’ involves free will. While in the case of the...
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...Huineng was the sixth patriarch of Ch’an Buddhism and was considered one of the founders of Ch’an Buddhism, next to Bodhidharma. He lived in the seventh century and made huge contributions to Chan Buddhism. He was an illiterate kitchen monk who lived with the fifth patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Hongren. Hongren, who was significant to the development of East Mountain Schools, taught Huineng and lead him to reach enlightenment. The legend, The Platform Sutra on Meditation and Wisdom, attributes the teaching of both gradual and sudden enlightenment to Huineng; the sutra is one of the most well known in the East Asian Buddhist world. The legend shows the divergence between Northern School of Ch’an advocating gradual enlightenment and Southern...
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...What Buddhist traditions lead to spiritual growth and eventually spiritual enlightenment? Where did it originate from and why? How has these traditions changed with the movement and progression of Buddhism? Spiritual growth and enlightenment in Buddhism come through practicing the beliefs they emphasise like, asceticism, meditation through yoga and fasting, knowledge of Buddhist texts, and Anatman. Originating in asia and spreading through the world, it has had many advances and changes including the separation of Theravada and Mahayana The word Buddha means The Awakened One, coming from the Sanskrit root budh – 'to wake'. He is a man who has woken fully, as if from a deep sleep, to discover that suffering, like a dream, is over. The historical Buddha was however a man like any other, but an exceptional one; what he rediscovered was a way that anyone can walk, providing that they are so inclined. The historical Buddha Gautama was not the first Buddha. There had been others who had walked...
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...Healthy Grief in the Kübler-Ross Model, the Book of Job and Buddhism Grand Canyon University HLT-310V A loss of a loved one elicits the natural reaction of grief from human beings. Such a loss is a source of psychological and emotional trauma, especially when the friend or relative who passes away does so before the expected time in the “social clock (Myers, 2011, p. 184)”—the death of a child can cause a longer and more intense period of grief than the death of an older loved one. While grief is a natural response to lost relatives and friends, it is beneficial for an individual’s psychological and emotional well-being to transition away from a state of mourning without any long-term detrimental effects to one’s well-being. Healthy grief can be described as a manner of experiencing and expressing grief that allows for this smooth transition. Grief is largely a cultural phenomenon, with different practices and rituals that vary from culture to culture with regard to overcoming grief (Lehto & Stein, 2009, p. 29). This paper will look at some of these cultural variances, with the comparison and contrast in the views of grief among the modern Western world with the Kübler-Ross model, Western theological tradition in the Book of Job and the Eastern theological tradition, with the views of Buddhism on grief. The paper will also look at the conception and role of job in relation to grief in the three views of grief tackled by this paper. The Kübler-Ross model of grief is...
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...Buddhism & Hinduism "Buddhism, in its origin at least is an offshoot of Hinduism." (S.Rahdhakrishnan) Guatam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism was born and brought up and lived and left this materialistic world as a Hindu. And this particular evidence is enough to explain that the concept of Hinduism predates to that of Buddhism. Hinduism, better known as the 'Sanatan Dharma' to the Hindus, is believed to be the oldest religion in the history of human civilisation. Practiced majorly in the secular India, the origin of Hinduism is still a mystery! According to the historians, the origin of Hinduism dates back to 5000 or more years, whereas, the origin of Buddhism came into existence in a much later period, that is in & around 563 BC. After Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment, He preached whatever He learnt from His experiences and His teachings came to be known as Buddhism and were well received by the people. It was during the later part of the Vedic Era, when Hinduism was on the verge of decline owing to the orthodoxy, superstitions and staunch practices, prevailing in the religion, when Buddhism with lesser complexities and rituals was accepted by the common people of India. This was the time when Buddhism arose out of the atheistic strands of Hinduism. It is a fact that Buddhism evolved and developed because of the complex nature evolving in Hinduism, but still despite some differences, these two sects have a lot of things in common. Similarities between Hinduism...
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...Buddhism vs Hinduism Hinduism and Buddhism are two religions that both originated in Asia. Together they are the most popular religions across Asia (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Buddhism is thought to have developed based on Hinduism. It is said that the creator of Buddhism liked Hinduism Theology but found it lacking in some areas and therefore created Buddhism to fill those gaps (http://spiritualityinformation.in). Since Buddhism was founded on Hinduism there are many similarities, however since it was created on the basis that Hinduism was lacking some fundamental values there are also a wealth of differences. Buddhism originated in the 5th Century B.C.E in northern India. Most historians agree that Siddhartha Gautama was the founder and the original Buddha, which means the “awakened or enlightened one.” (http://www.patheos.com). Gautama started a journey to make life better when he observed so much suffering in the world. It has been said that he meditated and achieved a state of peace, therefore putting an end to suffering and freeing his soul from rebirth. (http://www.patheos.com) Buddhism is a study and religious practice building off Hinduism and incorporating Gautama’s life teachings and living from his experiences in order to achieve divine happiness. Hinduism is a religion based out of India, there is no known founder or origin that it can be traced back to. Hinduism is understood to be built on a collection of historical traditions and beliefs...
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...World Religious Report For my World Religious Report I spent time a local Buddhist Center. I chose Buddhism do to my lack of understanding of the religion, and my desire to broaden my understanding of a totally new religion. My journey first began with my visit to the Buddhist Center. The Buddhist Center was founded in 1995 by Master *****, who is said to have dedicated his life to bringing the ancient wisdom of Buddha into modern society. During my visit I was told that the purpose of Center is to enable the development of inner peace through the study and practice of Kadampa Buddhist meditation. Classes are taught by the resident teacher, American Buddhist monk and by senior students at the Center. The Center is named after Buddha of wisdom, whose function as I am told is to increase wisdom or our wisdom, compassion and inner qualities. The Center offers a variety of services: from Meditation classes, teachings and retreats. Their claim is that these classes are accessible, practical, and open to everyone. The Center from what I understand is part of the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union, an international organization with over 1,000 member Centers and branches around the world, including several in Los Angeles. During my visit I formed my own opinion of the center. During my visit to the Center I was first welcomed in by a member of the center who was leaving, I had just missed their time of worship. I was invited in and at first...
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...Buddhism To begin Buddhism originated in Northern India towards the end of the sixth century B.C. (Layman 3). The founder of Buddhism was a noble of the Sakya clan whose name was Siddharta Gautama his first name means “he who has accomplished his objectives”. However, faithful Buddhists refer to him as “Buddha” meaning “enlightened one”. The Buddha is called the enlightened one because after leaving his wife and son in search of answers to the cause of sorrow and suffering in the world, the Buddha remembered how he once experienced a flash of inspiration while meditating. The Buddha decided to try meditation for answers. He found a spot under a tree commonly referred to as the “bodhi tree” it was under this tree where the Buddha felt he found the meaning of life, and a way to live that would bring freedom from all bondage and get the deepest satisfaction. This story seems a little far-fetched; I feel as though if I were living back in those days I would look at the “Buddha” as if he was a joke. I don’t see how by just sitting under a tree how the “Buddha” got such a large group of followers by just thinking of an idea that just suddenly popped in his head. Anyway, who am I to criticize, this has obviously worked for him and has caused a tremendous following. I guess the meditation process isn’t that bad after all, since Buddhism has turned into such a big phenomenon. The topic of Buddhism caught my attention because recently a lot of stars have started practicing...
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...Jancie L. Santiago-González For my sight seeing I chose to go to the Kadampa Center in Raleigh, I part took on the Sunday Morning Meditation. Buddhism is a religion that started in India by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha or the Enlighten One. Although, the Buddha died a long time ago Buddhist still follow him, but as a reincarnation referred to as the Dalai Lama. The Lama is a Buddhist teacher referred also as Guru; this is the person that performs the meditation during the seminar. The Buddhist believe in: • Karma: one’s actions, and notion of rebirth. • Nirvana: is thought of as existence beyond limitation, enlightenment. • Four Nobel Truths: - The Nobel Truth of Suffering - The Noble Truth of The Arising of Suffering - The Noble...
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