...no one really knows the exact teaching of the Buddha. Most of his teachings where done orally past down from generation to generation. It was not until several hundred years after his death when the first versions of his teaching were written. However there are three marks of reality from his teaching, which are Change, No permanent identity and suffering. The mark of reality which is change states that nothing ever stays the same no matter how you look at things and think that they are the same they are constantly and gradually changing. The mark of reality which is no permanent identity states that Buddha believes that there is no such thing as consistency, which everything and everyone will forever be changing and are made up of parts that are also in constant change. And the last of the three marks are suffering also known as dukkha this marks states that no matter how you live your life the right way and do everything that you have to do there will always be dissatisfaction. This is because of the constant change in our lives. There are also Four Noble Truths to the Buddha teachings. Which are to begin with the first noble truth is “To Live and to Suffer” which means life is pain almost everything you go through in life involve some type of pain be it physical or mental. It also states that if you understand why suffering comes about the better we can lessen it. The second noble truth is “Suffering Comes from Desire the Buddha believes in so many words that desire is a inevitability...
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...Bruno Pendola Comparative Religions Movie questions 1. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a Hindu family. Into what caste was he born and what kind of life did he live as a boy and young man? He was born into the top caste because his father was a king. He had everything he could ever ask for when he was a young boy but he was never able to leave the walls of the city so he though life was easy, he was living in a blind world. 2. What was his father's reasoning for raising him the way he did? Do you agree with his father? His father raised him inside the city because there was no reason to leave the city. He had everything he could ever want when he was in the city. Trying to make him believe that everything was easy but then he realized that there is people suffering out there. Is not the fathers fault because he just want the best for his kid so basically I agree with the father because I would do the same if I have a kid just making sure that life is not easy. 3. What experience did Siddhartha have that opened his eyes to the world and made him question his father? Have you had an experience, maybe even a tragic one that has caused you to see the world in a totally different way? What can you say about that experience? Siddhartha saw suffering for the first time when he explored the city and he opened his eyes when he realized all the negative parts of the world, all the suffering. When a friend passed away from a heart disease, she got sick one day and the next...
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...Buddha Preaching the First Sermon The Buddha Preaching the First Sermon is symbolized by the two small deer at the base of the Buddha's seat. The Buddha has his right hand on a wheel, which is the symbol of the Buddha's doctrine. By turning the wheel with his hand, he figuratively sets the doctrine in motion and disseminates Buddhism through the world. The Buddha is surrounded by six figures. The five robed figures with shaved heads represent the five ascetics who originally abandoned Siddhartha when he ended his six years of stringent yogic practice and fasting and accepted a bowl of rice. They became his first audience and then his first disciples. It is unclear who is represented by the bare-chested sixth figure. This piece of artwork is depicting a sculpture of a religious artifact, or of a religious figure in the religion of Buddhism. It is a sandstone sculpture. It looks very smooth. The figure that is sculpted looks calm and at peace. It looks like a young boy trying to meditate. The texture of this particular art piece looks incredibly smooth. This is piece is very detailed in some areas, such as the top plate around the figures head. This artwork doesn’t look like it’s been painted at all. I think the purpose of this sculpture is to represent a holy figure in Buddhism. This sculpture could be for people to pray to or maybe to just use as remembrance for this holy figure. The social issue I chose to go along with this is religion. This is clearly a special...
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...Buddha’s enlightenment and the meaning of suffering in Buddhism Buddha’s enlightenment come by denying the body nourishment and sleep (Smith pg. 85), thereby mastering pain but he still didn’t feel that he was enlightened so he went and sat under the Bo Tree til he became enlightened. Buddha seem to appear overnight verses its counterpart in Hinduism that is largely imperceptible spiritual accretion. (Smith pg. 92) Buddha preached a religion devoid of authority, devoid of ritual, a religion that skirted speculation, devoid of tradition, a religion of intense self-effort, devoid of supernatural. He went on from there to teach the four nobles. First noble truth the dukkha which is the suffering in life. Second noble truth is selfish that is the cause of suffering. Third noble truth is overcoming selfish craving. Fourth noble truth is how to accomplish overcoming selfishness through the Eightfold Path (Smith pg. 99-103). Correct me if I’m wrong but from what I read the meaning of suffering is denying ones flesh of the worldly things that we believe brings us enjoyment. Joy that may become pain as stated in the book (Smith pg. 100). It goes on to say that the for noble truths stands as the axioms of his system that suffering is a part of life, it can be stopped, it came from the desires and attachments and the way to end suffering is by following the eightfold path. Right Views is what life's problem basically is. Right Intent is what we really want. Right Speech is being aware...
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...Anthony Milone 9/28/14 Dr. David Carpenter Response paper Against the Stream Summary: The first part of against the stream “Basic Training’’ is about the beginning stages of Siddhartha Gautama who is the Buddha’s life. For the book the author calls him Sid. While Sid was a baby there was an astrologist/fortune teller who had said that Sid would grow into an enlightened being. He would either become a great-enlightened spiritual master or a powerful warrior king. The problem with this is that Sids parents who were the rulers of a small kingdom did not want this to be true because they knew that Sid would leave them because spiritual masters do not hang around there families and almost never go into the family business. And being that he was there only child they knew they needed to keep him around. His parents being very powerful decided that they were going to keep Sid away from anything that would make him want to become a spiritual master or powerful king. He always had everything he wanted, he was surrounded young beautiful people all the time and never saw anyone that was old, sick, or dying. They thought that if he thought his life was perfect he would never have to leave. When Sid got older he eventually realized that he was not allowed to leave his palace with out guards and he had started to feel like prisoner even though he had everything he needed. Then one day Sid had convinced one of his guards to sneak him out and let him see the real world. So they went out...
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...Leadership S/S February 24, 2012 The Buddha Born the son of royalty, the Buddha was forced into being the future leader of his people (forces in the manager). Everyone else in the palace lived to serve the Buddha (forced in the subordinate role). For 29 years the Buddha lived in the palace where nothing bad happened to him until one day he decided to go out into the world. When he did he came across a sick man, an old man, and a dying man. It was then that the Buddha realized that the situation (the happiness, health, and no death) in the palace was forced and not real. As a young man he did not have a solution, but he could see the problem, suffering. He could see that the suffering outside the palace was endless, simply picking right back up with every reincarnation. So once a great prince he became homeless, giving up everything to find the answer to the problem of suffering. His search leads him to one of many spiritual leaders in his life. All of the spiritual leaders he meets are autocratic leaders and demand that he follows their lead all the way to enlighten. After giving himself up to their teachings of limiting food, water, and other comforts of the world, he found out that he was no closer to answering his question and becoming enlightened then he was when he started. So he went in search once more for a better path-goal situation. The Buddha realized that the answer to his question was within him and he had the readiness to face the question once more. He mustered...
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...Running head: THERAVADA BUDDHISM SCHOOL Theravada Buddhism School Ashleigh Sizemore REL/133 Mr. Calvin Habig May 4, 2015 Theravada Buddhism School Buddhism has over hundreds of million followers. The word Budi comes from when Buddha was awakened over 2,000 years ago. This is when Prince Siddhartha also went off to seek the world at 35 years old. Prince Siddhartha was a very sheltered prince who had no idea about the dangers of this world all he knew was bliss. He witnesses a series of events that open his eyes and made him leave his safety net even though is father wanted to keep him deep in pleasure his was the king of the entire world and try everything not to lose his son. Buddhism recognises no creeds whose uncritical acceptance is expected of its followers. Instead the Buddha enunciated certain basic laws and truths whose veracity he invited his followers to test for themselves (Gunasekara, V). One of the traditional epithets of the Dhamma is"ehipassiko"(meaning literally"come and see") which is an appeal to the empirical verification of the Dhamma (Gunasekara,V). The basic teachings of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths which are: There is Suffering, Suffering is common to all. 2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering 3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering 4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened The Buddhadid not deny that there is happiness in life, but he pointed out it does not last forever. Eventually everyone meets with some...
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...and 400 BC. Buddha's family name was Gotama (Sanskrit Gautama), and it was probably by this name that he was known in life. In all likelihood it was after his death that his disciples bestowed on him a number of laudatory names, the most common being Buddha, i.e. "the enlightened". He was brought up by his mother's younger sister, Maha Pajapati. By tradition, he is said to have been destined by birth to the life of a prince, and had three palaces (for seasonal occupation) built for him. Although more recent scholarship doubts this status, his father, said to be King Śuddhodana, wishing for his son to be a great king, is said to have shielded him from religious teachings and from knowledge of human suffering. Like the newborn youths of his day, he must have spent some time in the study of the 'sacred' Vedas. When he reached the age of 16, his father reputedly arranged his marriage to a cousin of the same age named Yaśodharā (Pāli: Yasodharā). According to the traditional account, she gave birth to a son, named Rahula. Siddhartha is then said to have spent 29 years as a prince in Kapilavastu. Although his father ensured that Siddhartha was provided with everything he could want or need, Buddhist scriptures say that the future Buddha felt that material wealth was not life's ultimate goal. At the age of 29, the popular biography continues, Siddhartha left his palace to meet his subjects. Despite his father's efforts to hide from him the sick, aged and suffering, Siddhartha was said...
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...theories to society. Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men. Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - were developed in different parts of the world and under different circumstances. But each religion is based upon the teachings and life of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay compares and contrasts the lives of Buddha and Jesus in two areas where they share similarities: conception and birth. The birth of Jesus was revealed to his mother, Mary, by the angel Gabriel, who prophesized, "The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33). Similarly, Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha, had a vision in which she was carried by the gods to a sacred place and Buddha entered her womb. Both births were in unusual places, which the mother of the child had to travel to. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, many miles from his hometown of Nazareth. Mary laid him in a manger. Buddha was born in a grove of sala trees at which his mother stopped while traveling from her home to her native city . Jesus' birth was accompanied by divine signs, such as choirs of angels and a new star. Three wisemen visited Jesus sometime in his infancy, worshipping him and presenting him with luxurious gifts. Siddhartha's birth was announced...
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...Jesus and Buddha are founders of two of the largest religions in the world. Both of them desire of making the world better, letting people love together, and giving happiness to all the people in the world. However, Christianity unlike Buddhism is unique in that it strips us of our self-righteousness by exposing our sinful nature, and causes us to see that our only hope is for God to reach down to us in mercy. Buddhism is the belief system of those who follow Buddha, the Enlightened One. It was founded as a form of atheism. It is the world’s fourth largest religion. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from northern India near modern Nepal who lived about 563–483 B.C. It is the world’s fourth largest religion; with adherents of 613 million worldwide and one million in the United States. Buddhists regard the United States as a prime mission field, and the number of Buddhists in this country is growing rapidly due to an increase in Asian immigration, endorsement by celebrities such as Tina Turner and Richard Gere, and use in major movies such as Siddhartha, The Little Buddha, and What’s Love Got to Do with It? Buddhism is related to the New Age Movement and may to some extent be driving it. Certainly Buddhist growth is benefiting from the influence of New Age thought on American life. Buddhism is an impersonal religion of self-perfection, the end of which is death, not life. The Buddhist belief system is in the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold...
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...783 February 9th, 2016 The Destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas-Unjustified There is a saying by Niccolo Machiavelli, a famous politician and philosopher of the 16th century, “The end justifies the means.” Where the Taliban justified in destroying the Bamiyan Buddhas? I do not think that this destruction of art was justified. It is unjustified for the following grounds; I trust the Taliban had ulterior motives, it diminishes an important region of Afghanistan and Buddhist civilization in the region, and the destruction represents religious intolerance and hate by the Taliban. The Taliban’s Supreme leader Muhammed Mullah Omar issued a decree to destroy the Buddhas in March 2001. Subsequently, after doing so, Mr. Rahmatullah, an advisor to him said he practiced this because the mullahs were outraged about money being applied to repair the statues for the thousands of hungry citizens’ of Afghanistan (partially the consequence of sanctions by the UN for bombing of two American Embassies in Africa). He said, “If we had wanted to destroy those statues, we could have performed it three years ago," Mr. Rahmatullah said. "Then why didn't we? In our faith, if anything is harmless, we simply give it. If money is going to statues while children are dying of malnutrition next door, then that makes it harmful, and we destroy it.”(Crossette, NYTimes.com) Mullah Omar had issued a decree in July of 1999 for a protection of the Buddhas “Because Afghanistan's Buddhist population no longer exists...
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...The Gautama Buddha sat for severe penance in the city of Gaya under the shade of a peepal tree which became famous as Bodhii vriksha which in turn is known as the tree of illumination and enlightenment . The earlier name of this tree was ashwattha, as below it horses were tied, where they would stand and relax (ashva is horse, stha is place. The meditation was also done by Goswami Tulsidas by sitting beneath this tree. The branches, vast foliage and fruit above constitute the final and resting for Lord Mahelwara .There are many references to the Ficus religiosa in Indian literature. The source of vitality is the roots which are believed to be the abode of brahma. The place near great city of Anuraadhapura in Sri Lanka stands a huge Ficus religiosa tree humming with the chants of Buddhist monks and...
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...Buddha was born in Kapilavastu, India. His full name was Siddhartha Gautama(Gale Research in Context). There were 360 million followers of Buddha (Thompson). I had chosen this topic because I had heard about Buddha that he was not a god but he was a good person. So, in many places their temples of Buddha and also I want to learn more information. So I had chosen this topic. There are temples of Buddha in Japan, China, etc. There are many statues of Buddha in many places, but there is the second largest statue of Buddha in Japan. That statue called The Great Buddha of Kamakura. In the text,"The Great Buddha of Kamakura, built in the 1200s, is a bronze statue that stands 13.35 meters tall and weighs 93 tons. Originally, it...
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...Lyndon B. Johnson took office during the 1960’s waging war with Vietnam. The people of Vietnam split into two different nations. The southern part of the country had a communist style of government and desired to take over the north. Unfortunately communism was the primary fear of American politicians and most American citizens. Although many Americans sided against going to aid North Vietnam, President Lyndon Johnson felt it was his duty as Commander and Chief of the United States Military to police the world and stop the spread of communism. America entered Vietnam in 1965; one of the first major battles was the Battle of La Drang. The Battle of La Drang took place from November 14-18 1965. The American troops were out numbered 3,000 to 300. The American army was led by Colonel Harold G. Moore. This battle was the first major battle in which constant air support was used. The strategy was helicopters would bring and take men in and out of battle every thirty minutes. This strategy would save over 200 American lives. The first wave of soldiers landed at approximately 10:48 A.M. Within the first thirty minutes of landing US troops had secured the landing zone and a creek bed. While setting up their perimeters along the creek bed the American troops spotted a SVA spy. After securing the creek bed Colonel Moore was informed that one of his platoons had been separated from the battalion. The leader of the cut off platoon Captain Herrick, he had a vital decision whether to attempt...
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...Journal #8 “Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” -Buddha What is spirituality? According to dictionary.com; “spirituality is the state or quality of being dedicated to God, religion, or spiritual things or values, esp. as contrasted with material or temporal ones. ” Personally, I believe that we are all spiritual beings that were put here on earth to fulfill a purpose and serve the Lord. To me, living life without a spiritual life is like living without morals. It’s like living a sin everyday. Who would want to live a life of sin? I don’t think a child of God would want to live like that. We live in a world of chaos. The earth is full of temptation and sin. Having a spiritual life sets boundaries to the good and bad, depending on your beliefs. Having these beliefs helps man stand ground and stand up for what he believes in. Believing can help a man to the right path and the right lifestyle. Believing in God can really help us in our struggles. Listening to the gospel and how Jesus lived a holy life can also help us in making our life better and spiritual. Having this spirituality can stable us to be who we are supposed to be. We can be much more holy when we start to build our spirituality. In order to build our spirituality, we need to do God’s will, such as; going to church, helping others, and preaching the good word of the Lord. By doing all of these things, we can be enlightened to the path that can lead...
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