...For my Buddhist site visit, I visited Nichiren Shoshu Myosenji Buddhist Temple in Silver Spring, Maryland. I choose to visit this temple because it was relatively close to my house and the service was on Sunday, which is my only day that I have time not occupied by other commitments. From my site visit, I learned that Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is different than Historical Buddhism and that chanting is an important part of reaching Enlightenment. They emphasis that all people can practice the religion, regardless of race, gender, age, or intelligence. The three essential parts of the religion that are important for achieving Enlightenment the are: faith, practice, and study. The representative with whom I conversed was Reverend Murata who...
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...chime 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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...societies but also a deeper and meaningful understanding of how the world around us works. Using the knowledge from this class, I am taking Buddhism and relating it with one of the most popular site for tourists in Oahu, Hawaii, the Byodo-In Temple. The temple, as I see it, stands as an icon for what Hawaii is and what the idea of Buddhism has to do in Hawaii. The temple maybe a religious site for those who follow Buddhism, or the ones who would like to view it from a religious point of view. But more importantly, it stands as a living proof of the influences of the immigrants in Hawaii and what religious philosophies they brought along with them when they came in, or what they give importance to. Also, another perspective is how Hawaii wants to structure itself with the potential of income from Japanese tourists, given that Byodo-In Temple is a beautiful imitation of temple in Japan. Having been born in Nepal, where about one third of the populations follow Buddhism, I was always interested in knowing the cultural and the key philosophical concepts of Buddhism. As with every other thing, Buddhism too has its own philosophical concepts and understandings. Buddhism, which was first spread by Gautama Buddha, has philosophical concepts and understandings to explain as to why it was started, and what Buddhism tries to convey. The primary concept of Buddhism-- Enlightenment is a state where one, achieves wisdom and awareness (p-41). Enlightenment is more permanent than meditation where...
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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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...Buddhist Temple Complex Ramu, Cox’s Bazaar Tabassum Ahmed Department of Architecture North South University 1 Buddhist Temple Complex Ramu, Cox’s Bazaar A Design Dissertation submitted to the Department of Architecture in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) in the Faculty of North South University, Dhaka. The textual and visual contents of the Design Dissertation are the intellectual output of the student mentioned below unless otherwise mentioned. Information given within this Design Dissertation is true to the best knowledge of the student mentioned below. All possible efforts have been made by the author to acknowledge the secondary sources information. Right to further modification and/or publication of this Design Dissertation in any form belongs to its author. Contents within this Design Dissertation can be reproduced with due acknowledgment for academic purposes only without written consent from the author. Tabassum Ahmed 083163010 Dept. of Architecture North South University Dhaka 2012 2 Dedication To the Buddhist community of Ramu 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am thankful to Allah for giving me patience and strength to cope with the everyday hurdles in this whole journey of architecture. My deepest gratitude extends to my faculty, Dr. Shayer Ghafur for his constant guidance and support throughout this dissertation. I am thankful to Professor Haroon Ur Rashid for helping me to understand this...
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...that are legal in China today are Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Islam, and Protestantism. Due to the incident happened at the Tiananmen Square in 1989, the Chinese lost their confidence towards the government. In an effort to rebuild their confidence, the government began to revive temples that were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1960s to 1970s. The government wants to bring unity back between the Chinese and the government by allowing the citizens to practice religions in order to create a harmonious society. There are different types of religious organizations or churches that exist in China’s society. However, the government still controls over religion and keeps it under surveillance. In The Gods Come Home, the Kuan Yin Festival attracted a large group of Buddhists to Mount Putou. Wong Ling is a tour guide that leads the pilgrims to seek blessing from Kuan Yin. Miss Wong helped to organize a flood of pilgrims to get to the top of Mount Putou, one of the holiest place, to worship Kuan Yin. A pilgrim named Xio Cho wanted to receive the blessing from Kuan Yin to improve her health. The pilgrims need to travel one thousand steps in order to reach their destination. At the foot of the mountain, many police was there to marshal the people. Government was...
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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 William Brittelli University of Phoenix Buddhism “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things, which renew humanity.” Buddhism is considered the fourth largest religion in the world and was founded by Prince Siddhartha during the sixth century BC. Buddhism does not have a central belief of worshiping a universal creator or God; but rather focuses on growth of the individual. Buddhism philosophy teaches individuals to attain personal enlightenment, the persona of non-violence, and the ability to tolerance differences among people. Buddhism is less often referred to as organized religion and more often as a culture or way of life (Boeree, n.d.). “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Prince Hiddhartha Gautama or the Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. His name means, “One who has achieved his aim.” When resting under a Bodhi Tree in Gaya, the prince gained his goal of enlightenment and experienced three spiritual breakthroughs; 1. He developed the ability to recall his past lives and life events resulting from death and reincarnation. 2. He learned that deeds, whether good or bad that occurred during past lives, directly relate to subsequent reincarnations. 3. He learned to attain nirvana. The Buddha learned...
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...All About Japan "A land of incredible diversity: modern yet steeped in custom; home of the friendliest of welcomes. A country of blazing neon lights and rugged mountains, coasts and valleys." Japan has a fascinating and multifaceted culture; on the one hand it is steeped in the deepest of traditions dating back thousands of years; on the other it is a society in a continual state of rapid flux, with continually shifting fads and fashions and technological development that constantly pushes back the boudaries of the possible. It could therefore be said that Japan is a country of stark contradictions and is in part this that makes it such a fascinating country to visit and unique tourist destination. If you are looking for something different you are sure to find it here! People One people, one race? Japanese people appear at first glance to be one of the most socially and ethnically homogenous groups in the world. It is reasonable to equate Japan’s rapid post-war economic development to the 1990s with social solidarity and conformism. Despite labour shortages since the 1960s, authorities resisted officially sanctioning foreign workers until the 1980s, relying on increased mechanization and an expanded female workforce instead (1). Until recently, Japanese workers have associated themselves primarily with the company they work for – a businessman will introduce himself as ‘Nissan no Takahashi-san’ (I am Nissan’s Mr Takahashi). By extension, we might get the idea that a Japanese...
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...Confucianism Shinto http://www.diffen.com/difference/Confucianism_vs_Shinto Geographical predominance: Asia Japan, Hawaii. Place of worship: Temple. Shrines. Founder: Confucius Unknown Place of origin: China Japan. Belief of God: One God. Ancestors also worshipped, though. Numerous deities. Status of Adam: N/A. N/A. Clergy: Sages, bureaucrats, etc. Priests, etc. Definition: Follower of Confucius. Way of the gods. Concept of Deity: Most believe in One God(Ti'en; or Heaven), but, in the way that a Deist would, rather than as a Christian or a Sikh would. Ancestors are also worshipped. Numerous deities. The sun is one of the most important ones(they believe that the sun is a goddess). Practices: Visit to temples to pay homage to Ti'en(God or Heaven), Confucius, and/or ancestors. Neo-Confucianists practice 'Jing zuo,' or 'Quiet Sitting,' as a kind of meditation. Visit to shrines to pay homage to Shinto deities; Shamanism, etc. Use of statues and pictures: Permitted. Permitted. Branches: Neo Confucianism, Han Confucianism, Contemporary Confucianism, Japanese Confucianism, Vietnamese Confucianism, Singapore Confucianism. State Shinto, Religious Shinto, and Folk Shinto. Literal Meaning: Follower of Confucius. The Way of the gods. Goal of religion: To have a structured society. To serve the Shinto deities, or Kami, as they are known. View of other Abrahamic religions: Confucianism sees no contradiction in following more than one path. N/A. View of the...
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...Buddhism HUM130 02/19/2012 Andrea Lynch Buddhism The world we live in today contains many people with varying belief systems. There are some who adhere to a strict one God policy, and there are even others that exist still today that believe that there are many gods each with their own unique facets. These facets they say represent different aspects of the human condition and natural world. However, there is one religion known as Buddhism that seems to stray away from conventional belief systems, even within its small part of the world. This paper will discuss its beginnings, beliefs, rituals, personages, a small interview, as well as some comparisons to another popular religion. The religion known as Buddhism began some time about 2,500 years ago by a man named Siddhartha (BDEA/BuddhaNet, 2012). Siddhartha was born the son of a wealthy landowner who was want for nothing in his early life. According to religious texts, his mother had a dream before he was conceived of an elephant carrying a lotus blossom while entering her womb. His father was informed by a local sage that his son would one day be the world’s greatest ruler and so took steps to hide the sorrows and pain of the world away from him by keeping him within the palace walls. As a young man, Siddhartha lived a life of pure luxury with any earthly item within his reach. Due to his future military status, he also learned martial arts and was at one time even married delivering him his own son. This life...
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...Comparison of Two Religions: Hinduism and Buddhism Strayer University Professor Carla Thompson April 28, 2014 Comparison of Two Religions: Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism Buddhism was founded around 500 BCE by Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Gautama Buddha who was born about 2,500 years ago questioned his sheltered luxurious life in a palace. Leaving the palace he found four sights, a sick man, an old man, a dead man and a monk. Seeing this he realized that even a prince could not escape the issues of illness, suffering and death. So a monk told him to relinquish all his power and become a wandering holy man and seek the answers of why must people suffer and what was the cause of the suffering” (United Religions Initiative, 2002). For many years of doing many religious practices, including praying, meditating and fasting, he finally understood the basic truths of life. He realized this all by sitting under a popular-figtree in India for many days in meditation and this is when he was enlighten which is actually known as nirvana and this is when he was given the title of the Buddha which is the meaning of the Enlightened One. Buddha spread his teachings from India as far as Asia, becoming the dominate religion in many countries” (Fisher, 2014).It is thought that the Buddha lived many lives before his birth as Gautama, and that he continues to live through his teachings and his relics. Buddhism is the religion and philosophy which developed out of the teachings of...
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...Religious and Ethnic Groups: Buddhism and Asians Cultural Diversity in the United States Religious and Ethnic Groups: Buddhism and Asians The world is a melting pot of people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds. The religious and ethnic groups I have chosen to focus on, are Buddhism and Asians. I selected these groups, because of my curiosity and intrigue for the ancient traditions and mystique surrounding these two groups. The Asian culture is very colorful, fascinating, and dynamic. Buddhism is a religion based on spiritualism and the development of one's spiritual growth toward enlightenment. Even though my culture is not Asian, and Buddhism is not my chosen religion, I do find the discipline, art, and the adherence to traditional values kindred to my own. I also find the Buddhist practice of meditation relaxing and very effective at calming one's mind and in refocusing your energy. Over the course of this paper, I will offer a brief insight into the religious and cultural similarities and differences between the Buddhist religion, the Asian culture, and the rest of the world, as well as the discrimination endured by both. Buddhism: Similarities, Differences, and Discrimination The Buddhist religion is unique because they do not worship a deity, as other faiths do. Buddhist followers believe that each being shall reach enlightenment without the guidance of a God or Gods (BBC Online Services, 2014). Contrary to what most people think or believe...
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...will joyfully gather good fruit. The Zen buddhist temple 1214 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 The Zen buddhist temple 1214 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 I was born to a Muslim family and raised as a Muslim in a Muslim country. I had read about Buddha in history class and admired his teachings and the idea of rebirth and how Buddhist don’t harm any living thing as they believe humans can be reborn into animals. Buddhism was started by Prince Siddhartha Gautama, heir to the throne of the Shakyas. His father, said to be King Suddhodana, wishing for his son to be a great king and leader, is said to have shielded him from religious teachings and from knowledge of Human suffering. Siddhartha is said to have been provided with all the luxuries of life. Buddhist scriptures say that Buddha felt human satisfaction was the goal of life, not material wealth. At the age of 29 Sidhhartha left the palace to meet his subjects, despite his father’s attempts, Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man. When his charioteer explained to him that all people grew old, the prince went on further trips beyond the palace. On these he encountered a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. These depressed him, and he initially strove to overcome aging, sickness, and death by living the life of an ascetic. Later he started to get known as “Buddha” which means “the wise” or “the awakened one” I had always wanted to experience Buddhism and its teachings first...
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...10/28/2012 Religion: Buddhism Specific Name of the Religious Place: Pao Fa Temple Type of Religious Ritual/Service: Water Repentance Service 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Time/Date of Observation: 10/28/2012 from: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm Address of Religious Center: : 2692 Beckman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92606 A. Background before Religious Center: Originally I had planned on visiting a different Buddhist temple in Irvine to view their Sunday service. But when I arrived, it was in an office building with no obvious religious symbols. I had also researched Pao Fa Temple, and knew they were holding the Water Repentance Service for most of the day, so decided to pursue that option. I used my map feature to get directions and very easily found the temple. It was a in a gated lot, and the temple was visible from a distance. B. Draw a Social Map: The Temple was on Beckman Avenue in Irvine. The major cross streets are Jamboree and Alton Pkwy. The gated parking lot entrance is on Noyes St. and the front entrance to the Temple faces Beckman Ave. and the West. The entrance to the Temple is very ornate with columns and sculptures at the corners and entrance. one standing and one sitting. The first thing you see when you walk into the entrance hall is a shrine to Namo Shakyamuni Buddha with flowers in front of it. To the right of this shrine is a door leading to a reception room. A short distance further is a shrine with two un-named bhodisattva/buddhas. There are plants in front of it and...
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