...Buddhism Eric Regenbogen Akira Shimada Ancient World 12/4/13 Buddhism is a religion based upon the idea that people are responsible for their own liberations form misapprehensions, and to gain enlightenment. Two pivotal time periods are granted acknowledgement for the development of Buddhism. These time periods are known as the Later Vedic era and the Secondary Urbanization period. In the Gangetic Valley around 500-400 BCE, Buddhism along with Jainism began to emerge as prevalent religions. The main features within these non-Vedic religions appealed to the individuals within the Gangetic valley. Buddhism as well as the Non-Vedic religions seemed to flourish in this region because of their rejections to the Vedic religions and its acceptance of Urbanization. The first time period that was mentioned was know as the Later Vedic period. This era took place around 1000-500 BCE and put an emphasis on a more settled lifestyle leaving behind the nomadic way of life previously practiced in the early Vedic era. During this time period people practiced a non-urban lifestyle in which they lived in villages (Course, Reading, “Theravāda Buddhism,”). Around 1000-800 BCE iron began to be used more frequently, allowing the intensification of plough agriculture and increasing the surplus from cultivation. Rice and barley were the main source of food grown during this era (Course, Reading, “Theravāda Buddhism,”). Long distance trade started to develop stimulating the finding of new land...
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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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...recognizing the Buddhist worldviews using critical thinking. This way I will be able to perceive and have more of an understanding, to build that trust factor. Some practical steps: Not to be judgmental and focus on the good of Buddhism, because no-one is perfect and everyone have faults. Remember to smile it is a visual teaching. Be helpful, kind, and positive it shows’ gratitude. What barriers/hindrances would exist with presenting the Christian gospel to a person from this worldview? Some common objections and Evangelism of hindrances would be the fact of having different perspectives. Christians, for example, speak of a God who has emotions such as anger and love, but Buddhists see such emotions as indicating too much attachment to the ego (Tsering, P. 157). Most Buddhists believe that there are many paths to God. Buddhism believes Jesus is not unique and may see Jesus as being a spiritual Master on a par with Buddha (Theravada Buddhism) or as a bodhisattva (Mahayana Buddhism) (www.internationalstudents.org). In addition, Buddhism denies the existence of God, Buddhism worldview is monistic, there is no such thing to Buddhism as sin against a supreme being, according to the Buddhist belief man is worthless, having only temporary existence, and Buddhism takes on many forms that are contradicting. What personal challenges might you have with presenting the gospel? Al though, I was brought up in a church, attended Sunday school, and currently attends regularly it is sad to say...
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...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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...Buddhism Worldview 1. The Question of Origin i. The two branches of Buddhism, one conservative and one liberal, have two different views on the existence of God. Theravada (conservative) follows that there was neither confirmation nor denial of God by Buddha. Mahayana Buddhists (liberal) create deities that they pray, bow, and make offerings to, and look to Buddha as an essence that has many manifestations (Halverson 2). Therefore, there is no origin or creator of this Earth or us; it has been in existence and a part of an impersonal force (Weider and Gutierrez 66). ii. Christianity, on the other hand, affirms that God created the Earth and us, so there is no dispute on our origin (Genesis 1). 2. The Question of Identity iii. In Buddhism, everything that exists is of an essence and is looked at as being on the same level. Karma, and good or bad deeds helps one to move either closer or further away from Nirvana in levels of life form. Mahayana Buddhists believe that there are Bodhisattvas, who have earned Nirvana but postpone it in order to help others to reach it. Although they are above man, they are still subject to karma and can lose their level when their good karma is up (Prebish 16). iv. God created us in his likeness, in order to rule over his creations of the Earth, plants, and animals (Gen 1:26-27). Sowing and reaping, in biblical context, is much like karma for Buddhists in which good deeds produce positive rewards, and bad actions...
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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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...Difference in Chan Buddhism and Indian Buddhism Indian Buddhism and Chan Buddhism differ from each other in a few ways. The Chan belief to achieving enlightenment one must be able to study, eat enough, and have a place to live. The Chan Buddhism belief in instantaneous enlightenment, whereas this belief isn’t available to Indian Buddhism. Both Indian Buddhism and Chan Buddhism belief in karma, that every actions has its consequences and that what happens to us are from actions that have been in the past. First, Chan Buddhism believes in the four noble truths which are, life is suffering, suffering is due to attachment (to an illusion), there is an escape from attachment/illusion, and the solution lies within the 8 fold path. There Is another form of meditation in Chan Buddhism, which is, Rinza. Rinza is a form of meditation hat gives instantaneous enlightenment. One gains enlightenment through good deeds, for example doing something without noticing it, this will lead to the instantaneous enlightenment. They also believed in the Soto, which is gradation of Enlightenment. The 8-fold path consists of Right view, Right intention, Right speech, Right actions, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right concentration/meditation. Second, A lot of the Buddhism was based on a lot of core concepts in Hinduism (possible, due the similarity in name). Buddhism all started in India, so India is the heart of Buddhism. Buddha was born is Brahmin Caste system. Which...
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...Buddhism, with about 365 million followers makes up 6% of the world's population and is the fourth largest religion in the world (exceeded by Christianity, Islam and Hinduism). Buddhism was founded in Northern India in the sixth century by the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama when he attained enlightenment. Buddhism is made up three main forms. They are Theravada Buddhism found mainly in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos, Mahayana Buddhism which is largely found in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Mongolia and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gautama Buddha, Siddharta, the prince who found Enlightenment after years of fasting, meditation and having followed the best spiritual teachers of India, When he was twentynine years old, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him. After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and instead sat in meditation beneath a bodhi tree. When Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha, are honoring the man who started the whole tradition and taking refuge in the Buddha. Dharma (or Dhamma in Pali) stands for the teachings of Buddhism, or for the practice of the Buddhist Path. And for all of the different branches of Buddhism this is obviously going to include a wide variety of texts and teachings. There are four principle beliefs in Buddhism but, the main two really known are The Four Nobel Truths and The Eightfold Path. The “Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism are: Life means suffering...
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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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...BUDDHISM I. Buddhism i. The Question of Origin: Buddhism is defined as a religion of eastern and central Asia growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha, the founder, that suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated from it by mental and moral self-purification. He was born in 624 BC, a place called Lumbini, as a royal prince. At the age of 29, he started his spirituality and meditation. He then was requested to teach his meditation in Bodh Gaya, India. His teachings that included the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses, are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Buddhism. Later, Buddha taught the second and third Wheels of Dharma, which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra Discriminating the Intention respectively. In the Hinayana teachings, Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for yourself. In the Mahayana teachings, he explains how to attain full enlightenment for the sake of others. By the time of his death at age 80, Buddhism had become a major force in India. Three centuries later it had spread to all of Asia. As a result, over seven hundred years later, the followers of Buddha began to worship him as a god although he never saw himself as one. ii. The Question of Identity: In the question of identity of Buddhism, modern no-self philosophers say that when the gross body is finished, the illusion of the self comes to an end. The Buddhists claim that...
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...BUDDHISM Hongpei Lu ELP 600 Julie Kidder 12/8/2012 Buddhism Buddhism is a major global religion with a really complex history and system of beliefs; there are almost 350 million Buddhists around the world which makes Buddhism the fourth largest of the world's religions. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago and Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived about 25 centuries ago in what is now Nepal and northeastern India. He came to be called “the Buddha”, which means “awakened one”, after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. In English, the Buddha was said to be enlightened, although in Sanskrit it is ‘Bodhi’ means "awakened." Buddhism is divided into two major branches: Theravada, the Way of the Elders, and Mahayana, the Great Vehicle. Buddhism is now prevalent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and in China, Japan, Taiwan, Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Korea, and Vietnam, and India. As the time go, the number of Buddhists is increasing everyday. Origin of Buddhism Buddhism is a popular religion. Many people in many countries practice it. Buddhism has a long history. 2500 years ago,Buddhism originated from north-east India.It became the most important religious parts of Asia. Buddhisms’ spread to most countries in the world in the 20th centry. It is very helpful to understand the beginning view of the development of the Buddhism,especially to know the aspects...
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...Buddhism Samantha Hess Religion 1000 March 16, 2015 (1)The main features of the Theravada scripture canon are a limited canon, the triple gem, vipassana meditation, and the laity. The limited canon is about the Buddha’s teachings. It is said that each person is responsible for his/her own enlightenment. According to tradition after a person’s death that is when they collect the teachings of enlightenment. There are three sections to the Tiitaka; the Sutras, Vinaya, and Abhidharma. The Sutras are the discourses that contain the Buddha’s basic teachings. The Vinaya is about the monastic discipline, and consists of six volumes in English. Abhidharma has the seven scholastic treaties based on teachings of Buddhism. The Triple Gem are three statements the Buddhists follow. 1. I take refuge in the Buddha. 2. I take refuge in the dharma. 3. I take refuge in the sangha. The first one “I take refuge in the Buddha” means to honor and respect the Buddha as a teacher. The second “I take refuge in the dharma” means to study and use the teachings of the Buddha. The third “I take refuge in the sangha” means to participate in the monastic community founded by the Buddha. The Vipassana meditation can be translated as insight or mindfulness. The Laity is learning from monks and nuns, giving alms to support the sangha. (2)Buddhists take Gotama Buddha’s life as their religion because of everything he believed in their people, then he showed them what it was like and they believed in the...
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...Buddhism current issues and class handout Current Issues and Class Handout Religion can be defined as “a system of thought, feeling, and action that is shared by a group and that gives the members an object of devotion; a code of behavior by which individuals may judge the personal and social consequences of their actions; and a frame of reference by which individuals may relate to their group and their universe” (Religion, 2013). The world is made up of many different religions that share common practices and beliefs with one another and this paper will examine common characteristics that Buddhism shares with other religions as well as discuss how Buddhism has responded to challenges in the modern and what has changed about the roles of women in Buddhism over time. Buddhism Buddhism is an ancient religion that originated in India from the experiences noted by Siddhartha Gautama, a “mortal prince born miraculously to Maya who was kept from all the evil and misery of the world throughout his youth” ("Siddhartha Gautama," 1996). Siddhartha was forbidden to leave the royal grounds; however one day he disobeyed those order given by his father and visited a nearby town where he witnessed what is known as the four passing sights. The four passing sights were “an old man, crooked and toothless, a sick man, wasted by disease, and a corpse being taken for cremation. Then he saw a sannyasin (a wandering holy man, a renunciate), who had no possession but seemed to be at peace”...
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...Buddhism Deriving from India as early as the 6th century BC Buddhism is one of the worlds oldest religions. Buddhism has been and still is one of the world’s most popular religions with about 350 million followers ranking just below Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. There is no surprise in the amount of followers that Buddhism has considering it has been around for so long and wouldn’t be able to stay a religion so long without loyal adherents. Buddhism is based off of the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a royal prince born in Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama is also known as the Buddha or in other words “the awakened one”. The Buddha was believed to be enlightened teacher who believed it was best to live in the moment. As said by the Buddha “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.” Buddhists who would follow his teachings did so to escape their suffering. To escape their suffering they would have to achieve the state of nirvana. To achieve nirvana the Buddhists must first understand The Four Noble Truths and then practice the Eightfold Path. Buddhism believes in three main ideas when it comes to life and the rest of the world: Samsara, Karma, and Rebirth. Samsara is when a person continually goes through birth, life and death while cycling through the six realms of existence while doing so. Samsara causes suffering and unhappiness, which is the purpose of it because...
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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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