...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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...Huy Pham ACCT 6318 Buddhism and Ethical Reasoning First of all, about the definition of Buddhism, this is a religion indigenous to the Indian subcontinent that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and Pāli). The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering through eliminating ignorance and craving, by way of understanding and seeing dependent origination and non-self and thus attain the highest happiness. Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada - it means School of the Elders and Mahayana – it means Great Vehicle. Ethics in Buddhism are traditionally based on what Buddhists view as the enlightened perspective of the Buddha, or other enlightened beings that followed him. Moral instructions are included in Buddhist scriptures or handed down through tradition. Most scholars of Buddhist ethics thus rely on the examination of Buddhist scriptures, and the use of anthropological evidence from traditional Buddhist societies, to justify claims about the nature of Buddhist ethics. According to traditional Buddhism, the foundation of Buddhist ethics for laypeople is The Five Precepts: no killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct...
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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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...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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...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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...Buddhism What is Buddhism? Buddhism is a religion that dates back about 2,500 years ago or so. However, Buddhists may argue that Buddhism is not a religion but more of a philosophy or a way of life. To better comprehend Buddhism, “the Buddha once told the story of the blind men and the elephant” (pg.1). The purpose of the story was emphasize the complexity of Buddhism. That it shouldn’t be generalized based on any single part of it. The other purpose of the story told “is that there are many kinds of blindness” (pg.2). This was to raise awareness that our minds have a great influence on what we want to see. Ultimately, to attempt to define Buddhism is almost impossible because arguments can be raised from any stand point of view. The Buddha was a prince born in modern day Nepal, around 566 BC in what was known then as the Terai lowlands. His birth name was Siddhattha Gotama. His first 29 years of life were lived in full commodities and luxuries. He had never been exposed to the many peasant issues such as: poverty, sickness, famine, and death. He came to the realization that happiness could not be purchased nor held in simple materialistic things. Money does not guarantee happiness. “He was thunderstruck by the discovery of old age and ordered his charioteer to return immediately to the palace where he reflected upon what it meant to grow old”” (pg. 22) Just like Buddha I can relate to his awakening when I was 20 years old I was involved in gang activity. I was foolish...
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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 was founded by Siddhartha during the fifth century BC. He was a young prince and married a yound girl named Yasodhara at the age of sixteen. His father made the decision that his daughter would live a secluded life. So Siddhartha went out into the world and faced the cruel reality of life and worldwide suffering. When he turned twenty nine, he left the kingdom and newborn son to lead a simple and isolated life. He did this to try to find a way to relieve worldwide suffering. He meditated for six years but never attended full satisfaction. He was offered a bowl of milk-rice from a girl and that was the start of him pursuing a path of equilibrium rather than extremism. The name of this path was Middle Way. Buddhism is a more reformed version of Hinduism. The Four Noble Truths that are included in the religion are the basis for all forms of Buddhist philosophy. These truths are called Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Marga. According to dictionary.com, Dukkha is the first of the Four Noble Truths, that all human experience is transient and that suffering results from excessive desire and attachment. According to the Wisdom Library, Samudaya is Second of Four Noble Truths: Suffering is caused by desire. Nirodha is usually translated as "cessation", as in "cessation of suffering", the third noble truth. In a more general sense, Nirodha is often used as a synonym of Nirvana (What is Nirodha, n.d.). Marga (Sanskrit mārga; Pãli magga, "path") in Buddhism refers...
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...In Chapter 15, it presents us with summarized and detailed explanations of how basic ideas change with time in Buddhism especially after Mahayana becomes the main stream of Buddhism. There are also dialogues between Mouzi and questioners arguing about the Buddhism’s potential effects on Chinese culture. Buddhism does not put much concentration on philosophical and metaphysical explanations of the Way like other schools of thoughts; neither did it intend to admonish rulers by concerning about political issues. Buddhism’s targeted audience would be those who want to achieve nirvana since it emphasizes a lot on humanity and regards teaching the idea of transmigration to commoners as their priority. The questioners’ suspect tones in Mouzi’s Disposing of Error reveal that most people at that time are suspicious about Buddhism because it is completely different from ideas proclaimed by former religion groups. However, it does not deviate from central ideas but brings more flexibility. Based on the belief that all things are transient, people and rules need to change with time. This is demonstrated by Buddhism beliefs that monks can injury themselves, do not need to marry and give birth to the next generation and even do not have to bow down before a king. Although it seems that Buddhism contradicts with Confucianism’s idea of filial piety as well as disregards Daoists’ desire for immortality, it actually brings humanity to the first place. Buddhism’s arguments are not as effective...
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