...My Buddhism Essay DeVry University I chose to do my essay on Buddhism since reading about it in my religion class it grabbed my attention and I wanted to know more about it. My husband and I are born and raised Catholics but for the past 2-3 years we have shied away from the church because we feel they are more commercialized and are not concerned with how their followers feel about the church. Doing my research, there were no Buddhist temples in my area so the closest one I found was about 30 minutes away in New York City. When I called to find out if they offer tours they didn’t but I was welcomed to come and sit in on one of their temple meetings. This is about that experience. I found a Buddhist Church online called “The New York Buddhist Church.” The woman I spoke to was not very friendly and when I started to ask some questions, she gave me their website and said I could find the answers I was looking for. I went online to their website and started looking around to see when they would have meetings that I could attend. From what I gathered it looked like there was a temple meeting that I could attend on a Wednesday evening for chanting and meditation, this sounded like something I may enjoy! I left straight from work to attend this meeting in New York City and was planning on taking public transportation because I did not know how the traffic or the parking would be and taking public transportation I would be less stressed with both. I had dressed causal...
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...By the time Buddhism entered Japan in the sixth century C.E., it had already become a world religion with a history of a thousand years. The form of Buddhism that from the start was dominant in Japan is known as Mahayana, the Buddhism of the Greater Vehicle, and it brought with it an enormous canon of religious literature, an elaborate body of doctrine, a well-organized priesthood, and a dazzling tradition of religious art and architecture - all of which Shintô lacked in the sixth century. Although its view of the world and mankind differed markedly from that of Shintô, it is important to understand that within the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism both differences from and similarities to the native tradition could be found. On the one hand, for example, Buddhism regarded the world as transient and saw it as a source of suffering for those who remained attached to it, a view that contrasts sharply with Shintô's ready acceptance of the world. On the other hand, however, there was an optimism in Mahayana Buddhism that meshed well with Shintô - an optimism about human nature, for it was committed to the belief that all human beings had the potential to attain the wisdom that brings an end to suffering, and an ultimate optimism about the world itself, since it taught that once human attachments are discarded, the world takes on a new and positive significance. At first the Japanese regarded the Buddha as simply another kami and were drawn to the religion by the beauty of its art...
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... Koguryo from its north and Paekche, which was located to its west. However, after years of battles between these three kingdoms Silla was successful in conquering other two kingdoms, and emerged three of them under Silla Dynasty. This gave the Korean society sense of nationality for the first time and provided Silla Dynasty massive power over the peninsula. In this essay I will discus the fact that Buddhism played major role in both rise and fall of the Silla Dynasty. First of all, the main factor that helped Silla Dynasty to gain...
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...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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...http://www.jstor.org Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1999 26/1-2 Jichihan and the Restoration and Innovation of Buddhist Practice Marc BUIJNSTERS The various developmentsin doctrinalt houghta nd practiced uring the Insei and Kamakurap eriodsr emaino ne of the mosti ntensivelyr esearched fields in the study ofJapaneseB uddhism.T wo of thesed evelopmentsco n-cern the attemptst o restoret he observance of traditionalB uddhiste thics, and thep roblemo f howP ureL and tenetsc ouldb ei nsertedin to thee soteric teaching.A pivotal role in bothd evelopments has beena ttributedt o the late-Heianm onkJ ichihan,w how as laudedb yt her enownedK egons cholar-monkG y6nena s "ther estorer of the traditional precepts"an d patriarcho f JapaneseP ureL and Buddhism. "A t first glance, availables ourcess uch as Jichihan's biographies hardlys eem to justify thesep raises. Severaln ewly discoveredt exts and a moree xtensiveu se of various historicals...
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...R/ST 341i: MW 3:30 pm Final Essay-1 The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Lin-chi One of the greatest Zen Masters of all time, who spoke powerfully to awaken without compromise, was Ch’an Master Lin-chi. Among the most important texts of Zen literature, the Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi details the insights and exploits of the great ninth century Chinese Zen master Lin-chi, one of the most highly regarded of the T'ang period masters. This essay discusses about some main themes in the Record of Lin-chi. “The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master” depicts the exchange between Lin-chi and the monk-questioner in much more vivid terms. Following the monk's question: "Who is the true man with no rank?” the passage continues Lin-chi provocations with "the Master got down from his chair, seized hold of the monk and said "Speak! Speak!" (Watson 1). The monk tried to say something. The Master let go of him, and said: "The true man with no rank-what a dried shit stick!" He then returned to his quarters." Lin-chi is really saying that the essential Buddha is the One who controls the physical body. This "true man without rank" has no form and is definitely not a fixed thing. The "true man" is intrinsically free from the basic qualities of material and mental phenomena. The One who sits upon this lump of red flesh is free of impermanence, suffering, and insubstantiality — what Buddhists call "the three marks" of conditioned phenomena. True nature is intrinsically free, now and forever ( Watson...
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...Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Thich Nhat Hanh: “Buddhism is already engaged. If it is not, it is not Buddhism.” Walpola Rahula: “Buddhism is based on service to others”…political and social engagement is the “heritage of the bhikkhu” and the essence of Buddhism. Robert Thurman: “The primary Buddhist position on social action is one of total activism, an unswerving commitment to complete self-transformation and complete world-transformation.” Stated in simplest terms, engaged Buddhism means the application of Buddhist teachings to contemporary social problems. Engaged Buddhism is a modern reformist movement. A practitioner is socially engaged “in a nonviolent way, motivated by concern for the welfare of others, and as an expression of one’s own practice of the Buddhist Way” (King Being 5). In this description Sallie B. King invokes the spirit of the Bodhisattva vow: May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. According to Ken Jones engaged Buddhism is “an explication of social, economic, and political processes and their ecological implications, derived from a Buddhist diagnosis of the existential human condition” (Kraft New). Jones emphasizes the social theory underlying engaged Buddhism. According to engaged Buddhists the “three poisons” of greed, anger and ignorance apply both to the individual and to “large-scale social and economic forces” (Kraft New); their remediation is therefore the collective concern of society. As the subject...
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...REL2300 – WORLD RELIGIONS WINTER 2014 EXAM ONE STUDY GUIDE Multiple-Choice Questions 1. Literally, the word religion means a. meditate on. b. worship. c. connect again. d. rise above. 2. A common element often found in religions is a. respect for sculpture. b. feelings of wonder. c. rules governing meditation. d. the use of permanent places of worship 3. The early anthropologist who saw religion as rooted in a belief in spirits and the worship of them was a. E. B. Tylor. b. James Frazer. c. Sigmund Freud. d. Carl Jung. 4. Sigmund Freud, when analyzing the origin of religion, emphasized a. the human need for psychological security. b. the certainty of an afterlife. c. his belief that religions were essential to psychological health. d. the valuable role that religions play in helping people find meaning in their lives. 5. Belief in many gods is called a. polytheism. b. monotheism. c. agnosticism. d. atheism. 6. Belief in one God is called a. monotheism. b. polytheism. c. atheism. d. agnosticism. 7. A universal religious symbol that is circular, or that blends a circle and a square, is called a a. mandala. b. mudra. c. mantra. d. megalith 8. Pantheism is the belief a. that all reality is divine. b. in the ancient Greek religion that believed the god Pan was the source of cosmic order. c. in endless reincarnation. ...
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...Introduction Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, AKA Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. “The Mongolians who inhabit the vast plain in the northern part of China have been called the ‘ethnic group of music and poems’” (Jin 92). Mongolian developed a unique singing genre: long songs. Long songs are characterized by a musical characteristic of “a falling and rising melody with a free profound, long and slow rhythm” (Jin 93), which is “melismatically decorated and without a regular beat” (Pegg 43). Long songs have a very long history. “When it was as early as over one thousand years ago, ancestors of the Mongolians migrated from mountains and forests along the banks of Ergun River and onto the Mongolian plateau. Their way of production accordingly turned from hunting to stock raising. Long songs were formed and developed since then” (Sakura). This unique musical style has very deep influence on Mongolian People. “Long songs can be said to reflect features of Mongolian nomadic culture, link closely together Mongolian people’s language, literature, history, religion, mentality, world view ecological view of life and customs, and run throughout Mongolian people’s history and social life” (Sakura). Long songs can be classified into three main musical forms: extended, general and abbreviated. “The extended long song unfolds melodically as a continual linear development. It is characterized...
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...Mysticism, according to its history, implies a relation to mystery. Mysticism is the spiritual quest in any religion for the most direct experience of God. Mysticism is widely practiced in Eastern religions and concentrates on prayer, meditation, contemplation, and fasting to produce the attitude necessary for what is believed to be a direct encounter with the spiritual realm (Bouyer, 1981). Typically, mystics, theistic or not, see their mystical experience as part of a larger undertaking aimed at human transformation (Teresa of Avila, Life, Chapter 19) and not as the terminus of their efforts. Mysticism has been an intimate part of human society, as a still-unexplainable part of nature, the divine forces over God’s existences, as well as the supernatural, that has allured and guided many to look as far as into the future for answers and as close as deep into themselves and an exploration of the unconscious mind. The many tools of Mysticism, like the Tarot, numerology, astrology, and dreams, are all used to provide insights into a "deeper consciousness" and a "higher plane of existence," which when properly interpreted could very well shed light into the murkiest situation. In today's societies, Mysticism continues to intrigue, appeal to, entertain and aid people across cultures that force us to question the existence of God and Man and develop a sense of understanding for Man’s relationship to God. Mysticism has made significant changes in reshaping the mines of people towards...
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...SOCIALISM OF SOCIETY IN INDIAN ECONOMY INTRODUCTION Impact of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar's thoughts on Indian economy is evaluated under the following main heads: * Reforms on agricultural lands. * Currency problem. * Financial problem in public. * Taxation policy. * Industrial growth on national level. * Economic development. * Socialism of state. * Miscellaneous economic Problems. I. Economy enterprises. II. Over population III. Upliftment of women for economic development. IV. Human capital. V. Hindu economy. (1) Reforms on agricultural land:- After long study on Indian agriculture Ambedkar recognised that problems of agriculture related to farmers should be solved, in one of his article i.e. "Small Holdings in Indian and their remedies"(1917) and also in "Status and minorities"(1947) he has suggested some reforms which has included in the manifesto of the "Swatantra Majdur Paksha"and the Scheduled caste Federation. Ambedkar recognized that small subdivided and fragmented holdings of land are the major problem of Indian agriculture with affects. It has resulted in various disadvantages, and there were difficulties in cultivation and utilization of resources increasing cost, low productivity, inadequate income, Low standard of living etc. According to Dr. Ambedkar reforms on agriculture is not related only with the size of holdings but also with other factors such as capital, labour and other inputs, so the concept of "Idea of...
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...Abstract This essay will focus on the differences in types of encounters and the degrees of cultural change have left on the world today and what are the legacies of cultural change. You could almost call this the evolution of societies and cultures through cultural encounters. The first step of globalization actually began with the encounters of cultures. In the last few weeks leading to this week’s assignment is we discussed how early civilization influenced each other we seen how the Roman and Greek civilizations had an impact on each other to some degree. We are now exploring how specific countries have all seen and dealt with the topic of cultural syncretism. Cultural Syncretism Still Waiting on First Question From Trya….. What cultural factors caused the differences in outcomes? Some of the cultural factors that caused the different outcomes that the Westerners encountered in both China and India are that they each had very different beliefs. Each culture had its own power, control or dominance (Sayre, 2010). In China, the Chinese would have rather stayed isolated that to be influenced by the Mongolians. In the Song dynasty prospered with their production of iron and therefore their government ended up being controlled by the merchants, they were extremely wealthy. They also had intelligent citizens due to the fact that they had an advance on their printing. They were able to print books and these books helped them get ready for their exams. The Chinese...
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...When America was first discovered, it was very much an unsettled land. There was no centralized government, no real established culture, and no official identity. Thus, it became the perfect place for people who were looking to start over. Many of the early settlers were younger brothers who hoped to claim the land that they could not inherit, religious pilgrims who hoped to be able to practice their beliefs, and floundering businessmen who hoped to create a fortune in a new land. What they all had in common was the idea that they could become something better, that in this empty land they could carve their lives into some fantastic image in their minds. Eventually, the ability to do big things in this country warped into the expectation to do something big with one’s opportunity in America. (And by “do something big”, it is meant that it is something big on societal terms.) This is the ideal that eventually became an important part of American culture. It resulted in entire generations growing up learning to measure their lives as the distance from where they were to some far off point in the horizon where they felt they should be. The late twentieth century showed the consequences of this kind of thinking. Due to a period of rapid technological and social change, America underwent a massive transformation in lifestyle. Thus, much of what had been built became obsolete, and the generation that spent their lives trying to become something suddenly found their entire life’s...
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...Europe, Asia became habitable – big game hunters already migrated 1. Geographical changes - 3000 BCE Green Sahara began to dry up, seeds to forests – N. America 2. Effect on humans – nomadic hunters didn’t move so much a. Settle near abundant plant life – beginning of civilization b. Sedentary life w/ dependable food supply 3. milder conditions, warmer temperatures, higher ocean levels 2. Demography: Major population changes resulting from human and environmental factors 1. 2 million people during Ice Age – allowed for growth 1. big game gone 2. more usable land available 2. 50-100 million by 1000 CE 3. Regional changes altered skin color,...
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...Art in the dark: the ritual context of Buddhist caves in western China Robert Sharf Preamble One can imagine a simpler time, when art was ‘art’ because it engendered an ‘aesthetic experience’, a time when art was understood with reference to beauty, and beauty was something that could not be reduced to utility or function alone. Just as the New Critics approached a work of literature through ‘close reading’, the meaning of a work of art could be deduced, it was presumed, from a close critical analysis of the autonomous object. This approach is not without appeal: in giving prominence to beauty and aesthetic experience, one assumes some degree of congruence between the aesthetic intent of the artist and the affective response of the intended viewer, both of which are vested in the work itself. In other words, situating the import of an aesthetic work within the object itself, rather than, let’s say, in its cultural context, enables one to circumvent the complex issues of production and reception, not to mention the apparent gap that separates the two. The art-historical counterpart of New Criticism, perhaps best exemplified in the formalism of Heinrich Wölfflin, Roger Fry and Clement Greenberg, found itself on the defensive during the last quarter of the twentieth century.1 Following the historicist and postmodernist currents of the day, art historians were increasingly critical of approaches predicated on the presumed autonomy of the object. Moving...
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