...Japanese Zen is a distinct form of Buddhism from the Pure Land and Lotus movements, but it is arguably similar as well. Nembutsu Buddhism is, in fact, the most different of the three. It argued that all other practices were useless and that this path was the only one that led to salvation. Since they were in the mappoo period, or the beginning of the end of times, one could only chant “Namu Amida Butsu” to get into the Pure Land. The Pure Land was the only way because enlightenment couldn’t be achieved during the mappoo period. Honen’s one-page testament, Selecting the Nembutsu of the Original Vow Collection, basically claimed that one didn’t have to understand the teachings of Amida but merely recite them to be accepted into the Pure Land. Nichiren and Zen Buddhism are a lot more similar to each other in that they believe enlightenment can still be reached. They believe in sutras, Nichiren in particular claimed the Lotus sutra to be of highest regard, and bodily being able to become a Buddha. Nichiren Buddhists and Zen Buddhists both believe that afflictions and sufferings in birth and death are a form of liberation and that Buddhahood must be expressed in one’s daily life. The biggest difference between the two is that Zen Buddhism values silent meditation and Nichiren Buddhists chant. Japanese Zen would not exist without its Chinese roots. Zen originated in China, and even the name Zen itself is derived from a Chinese word that was derived a Sanskrit word meaning...
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...The Daisen-in garden1 is known as one of the world’s most famous gardens and is based inside the Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan. Daitoku-ji is a walled sanctuary compound in northern Kyoto. Within this complex lies 22 sub-temples, which are available to the public on different occasions. Most of these temples are used for religious practices. In 1319, the Daitoku-ji2 began as a small Zen temple but was repeatedly destroyed through the arts of war and fire. Later during the 15th century a Zen master by the name of Ikkyu Sojun rebuilt the temple on a greater scale which became the “center of the Rinzai Zen culture during the late Muromachi, Momoyama, and early Edo periods” (Japanese Gardens). Over the years this temple sealed its importance by holding a funeral ceremony for a great warlord. Due to money and patronage of the higher classes this once small temple provided artistic visuals through architecture, paintings, calligraphy, tea ceremonies and Zen gardens. Tea...
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...Buddhism is different from many religions because they there is no belief in a supernatural deity, known as nontheistic (Fisher, 2005, pg. 134). Buddha is not a God and is not worshipped as one. Buddha was the man that founded the religion based on his desires to end human suffering. Instead of worshipping a God, Buddhists follow beliefs that will eventually lead them to an enlightened life and Nirvana in the afterlife. The beliefs that they follow are known as the Eight Fold Path. This path is used to help humans end the suffering in their life and achieve liberation. It is based on The Four Noble Truths that Buddha set forth in his first Sermon (Fisher, 2005, pg. 135). The Four Noble Truths speak of suffering as an inevitable part of life. It states that suffering can be ceased through the ending of wants and desires, because these things cause our suffering in life. By understanding the Four Noble Truths and following the Eight Fold Path, followers can learn to liberate themselves from suffering and find enlightenment. Many different forms of this religion exist today. The Zen sect of the Buddhist religion is one of the most practiced in the United States. Zen Buddhism teaches enlightenment through meditation. They believe that meditation will lead to a sudden...
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...ARTH304 Art of Japan Final Exam To Mrs. Pia Brancaccio June 13th, 2013 1. Please select two works of Buddhist art from the Early Heian Period and explain: a. The political transition from Nara to Heian period. b. The religious changes we see taking place in Japan during this time. c. The main features of Buddhist art and architecture in the early part of the Heian period. Please include in your discussion an explanation on how these works of art and architecture were used by religious practitioners. Works selected: • Interior of the kondo, Kanshinji, Osaka, fig.151, page125 • Taizokai (Womb World) of Ryokai Mandara, fig.152, page126 The Heian period (794-1185) takes its name from the new capital established in 794 at Heian, or Capital of Peace and Tranquility, a variation on the Tang Chinese capital’s name of Chang’an (Everlasting Peace). The shift in power from the Buddhist community back into the hands of the powerful aristocratic family is fully realized early this period (794-951). Buddhism was allowed only a limited presence within the capital itself, reorients itself into esoteric cults focused on complex philosophies and rituals as well as into more populist “saviour” movement that helped for the first time spread the religion widely amongst the common people.One of the major events of the Early Heian period, the introduction into Japan of Tendai and Shingon Buddhism was precipitated by the loss of direction on the part of the Buddhism community that had led to the...
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...Buddhism in Hollywood Jaime Palomo World Religion RE 109 Nancy Almodovar May 1, 2016 “You’re going to steal it?, No we’re going to give it back, we must give back more than we take.” This quote was taken from the movie Point Break. Buddhism ideas in Hollywood has been portrayed in countless movies, however, are these ideas that Hollywood portray are authentic? In this short essay I will give example on how accurate Hollywood is when dealing with Buddhist idea. Religious stereotypes can be found throughout a wide variety of shows, movies, and commercials, however are these depictions as accurate as you think? For example in an episode of family guy entitled “Mom’s the Word”, Stewie Griffin’s grandmother recent dies and it is brought to his attention that death happens to all. So in his quest to ease his mind he travels to different churches to find out what happens after death. In this episode Brian, the family dog, and Stewie stop by a Buddhist temple and Brian explains how Buddhist believe after death that you are reincarnated and come back as a pig, cow, or a rooster and also there lack of demonstrating emotion. While there is some truth to this clip, there are also some false as well. For instance, with Buddhism and reincarnation, also known as rebirth, is the concept that a person’s spirt or soul can begin a new life in another body. These lives do not only include animals such as mention in the television show family guy, but rebirth takes place in one of five...
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... One of the basic beliefs of Buddhists is the conviction that happiness and good fortune are attainable to all, regardless of age, race or background. They believe that all negative mental states can be overcome through the practice of meditation and by learning how to meditate; humans can develop peaceful and positive states of “virtue” and be able to solve the problems associated with their daily lives. Reincarnation is another belief of Buddhists. They believe that humans are reborn after dying and adhere to the notion that most humans go through many cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth. These cycles will end when the attachment to desire and the self is released. Once this achieved, a state of freedom from suffering is accomplished. This is the state of Nirvana and the desired destination for believers. Zen Buddhism: Both the words “Zen” (Japanese) and Ch’an (Chinese) derive from the Sanskrit word Dhyana, meaning “meditation”. Zen Buddhists focus on attaining enlightenment (bodhi) through meditation as Siddharta Gautama did. It teaches that all human beings have a Buddha- nature or the potential to attain enlightenment, within them, but the Buddha – nature has been clouded by ignorance. To overcome this ignorance, Zen rejects the study of scriptures, religious rights, devotional practices and good works in favor of meditation leading to a sudden breakthrough of insight and awareness of ultimate reality. Training in the Zen path is usually undertaken by...
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...is Every Step Paper Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist. He lives in the Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He has published more than 100 books. He was born in central Vietnam in 1926; At the age of 16 he entered the monastery at a Temple near Hue, Vietnam, where his primary teacher was Dhyana Master Thanh Quy Chan That. A graduate of Bao Quoc Buddhist Academy in Central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh received training in Zen and the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in 1949. He lived through the Vietnam War, seeing all of the terrors of war. Nhat Hanh taught Buddhist psychology and Prajnaparamita literature at the Van Hanh Buddhist University, a private institution that focused on Buddhist studies, Vietnamese culture, and languages. At a meeting in April 1965 Van Hanh Union students issued a Call for Peace statement. It declared: "It is time for North and South Vietnam to find a way to stop the war and help all Vietnamese people live peacefully and with mutual respect." Nhat Hanh left for the U.S. shortly afterwards. That’s just the beginning of Thich Nhat Hanh’s life story, his life is a very active and involved one. Nhat Hanh's novel "Peace is Every Step" is a work that centers on the concept of meditation and enlightenment. Hanh bases his discussion on Zen Buddhism, using anecdotes and personal testimonials to...
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...Relation between Koan and Zen Meditation Because koan is the Way which leads a person to mindfulness, koan is essential to Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism has had such great influence on the life and culture of Japan. Zen Buddhism is a “just sitting” style of Japanese Buddhism that has been influenced by Chinese Zen. The person who discovered or revised this technique was Tendai monk Eisai. “Eisai went to Mountain Tiantai in China and practiced by eliminating all traditional aspects of Chinese Zen Buddhism except for shikantaza (just sitting) and the meditation of koans (puzzles aimed at overcoming dualistic thoughts) and returned to Japan with Zen” (Koller 278). As Eisai returned, he forcefully headed to Kamakura to establish new temple. At Kamakura, Samurais recognized the importance of Zen in mental detachment and practices of daily life, they allowed Eisai to flourish the temple and after his death, Samurais built Rinzai school of Zen which exercised great influence in Japanese culture, thoughts, and philosophy. The origin of Japanese tea culture is also from Rinzai. Similar to original Buddhism, Zen Buddhism is not a theory or a conception of the world but it is practical experience. A person who meditates is already a Buddhist. One cannot truly understand or comprehend Zen Buddhism until experiencing it. “While intellectual understanding and thinking only grasp the subjects of representation of things, experiencing not only grasps subjects but also does not have distinction...
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...attended the Temple Buddhist Center in connection with Unity Temple on the Plaza to create this first person narrative on a Buddhist service. Unity Temple existed nearly 100 years before the Buddhist Center was founded at their current Plaza location in 1996.(Unity Temple) The director of the center Nima Janet Taylor added the Serenity Pause meditation to the center after founding Serenity Pause six years ago.(Temple Buddhist Center) Before going to the Buddhist center I watched Nima’s video Basics of Buddhism and was struck by the idea the the Buddha is not looked at as a deity of buddhism like revered people in other religions. Nima says in the video “Whenever I look at the statue of Buddha that inspires me, reminds me that I have that ability to be awake.” I include her quote here because it makes sense to me how a dead figure can be a teacher if they are seen as an inspiration. The buddha inspires generations of buddhists to meditate and practice his recorded teachings. The service I attended was a buddhist meditation and dharma talk led by minister Ronn Pawo McLane. The...
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...Artistic evolutions occur throughout the Kamakura and Muromachi eras, altogether spanning from 1185 to 1550. Both eras demonstrate interests regarding the past, Buddhist principles, and tradition but have different influences. Beginning the Kamakura period, the war between the Taira and the Minamoto families concludes in 1185, resulting in the significant work Tale of the Heike (Varley, 91). The Tale of the Heike reflects the developing value towards documenting and reflecting on the past, as well as ongoing nationalism (Varley, 91). It continues acting as a guideline for further historical documentation (Varley, 108). Buddhism also continues holding significance to society, with new medieval aesthetics and Kamo no Chomei's publication Hōjōki (Varley, 92; 93). The Buddhist path towards Amida Pure Land expresses light pessimism about negative life events and "deprived beauty" (Varley, 92; 93). One major negativity Buddhism expresses is...
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...20th Century Design 1. Examples of megalithic and geoglyphic sites from around the world. * Machu Picchu A city built in 15th century on top of a mountain in southern Peru for the Inca civilization. URL * Matt, N 2008, Top ten historical sites in the world, Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site, viewed 6 September 2012, http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ten-historical-sites/ * Machu Picchu Facts 2008, Peru-Facts.co.uk, viewed 7 September 2012, http://peru-facts.co.uk/machu-picchu-facts.html * Jarus, O 2012, Machu Picchu: Facts & History, Live Science, viewed 7 September 2012, http://www.livescience.com/22869-machu-picchu.html * Tikal It is located in Guatemala and was an important city of the Maya inhabited in the 900 – 300 BC. Tikal comprises of 5 step pyramids, a paved plaza and 3 acropolises holding tomb chambers. URL * Gill, N.S 2012, Tikal, About.com, viewed 7 September 2012, http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/archaeologicalsites/g/010609tikal.htm * Villatoro, M.K 2011, 7 Facts about Tikal, Travel Experta – Central America Travel Expert, viewed 7 September 2012, http://travelexperta.com/2011/04/7-facts-about-tikal.html * Matt, N 2008, Top ten historical sites in the world, Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site, viewed 6 September 2012, http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ten-historical-sites/ * Moai Statues About 887 Moai statues carved from the hard stone of the Rano Raraku volcano between the years 1250...
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...become a Zen monk. In the book, He’s Leaving Home: My Young Becomes a Zen Monk, Ryota must slowly lose his attachment to objects in order to become a Zen monk, but it proves to be difficult. Attachment is a well discussed topic in Buddhism because it means that person has the ability to become enlightened. Detachment, however, means that a person has already become enlightened because of the absence of desire. Throughout most of the book, Ryota is at a constant battle between boyhood wants and spiritual duties which result in him becoming detached. Ryota’s attachment proves to be difficult to break when he decides to become a...
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...Asian Buddhist world. The legend shows the divergence between Northern School of Ch’an advocating gradual enlightenment and Southern...
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...Initially an assemblage of monks in a Zen temple silently meditating appear vastly unrelated to that of a group of fitness-goers holding erratic poses in a yoga studio. At the surface level, it is easy to examine the differences between the practice of Zen Buddhism/zazen meditation and modern day yoga. However, when examined more deeply both groups have comparable audiences, techniques, applications and ultimate objectives in each practice. Although seemingly different in geographical origin and purpose, the practice of silent seated meditation and yoga are notably similar. In this paper, I aim to elucidate the conceptual parallels of zazen meditation that originated in the East, compared to the popularized practice of contemporary Vinyasa...
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...Jains can escape the cycle of karma where as hindus can not 4.What are the two monastic orders in Jainism? Name one difference between the two. There is the Svetambara and the digambara. The digambaba is for males and the svetambara is for females Sikhism: Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib): received authority from guru gobind singh when he died. Guro granth sahib means living guru. Adi granth= kritan raga. Also is a holy scripture. Amrit: Amrit means nectar. Amrit is prepared from ground sugar and water. In Sikhism, Amrit, also known as Khande Ki Pohul, means taking the sublime essence of God to purify yourself and live a moral and just lifestyle. Receiving or drinking Amrit means getting baptized in Sikh religion. Amritsar: golden temple ( Amritsar darbar sahib), located in Amritsar. Gurdwara: holy worship center; need to take...
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