Buddhism And Sidhartha Essay, Research Paper
Buddhism
Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world, was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Conze 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or “Way of the Elders,” is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or “Great Vehicle,” is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell-beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however, specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanence, and no-self, or anatman. Individuals not only suffer in a constantly changing world, but what appears to be the self, the soul, has no independent reality apart from its many separable elements (Davids 17). The second Noble Truth is that suffering itself has a cause. At the simplest level, this may be said to be desire; but the theory was fully worked out in the complex doctrine of “dependent origination,” or pratityasamutpada, which explains the interrelationship of all reality in terms of an unbroken chain of causation (Conze 48). The third Noble Truth, however, is that this chain can be broken, that suffering can cease. The Buddhists called this end of suffering nirvana and conceived of it as a cessation of rebirth, an escape from samsara. Finally, the fourth Noble Truth is that a way exists through which this cessation can be brought about: the practice of the noble Eightfold Path. This combines ethical and disciplinary practices, training in concentration and meditation, and the development of enlightened wisdom, all thought to be necessary. For the monks, the notion of offering extends also to the giving of the dharma in the form of sermons, to the chanting of scriptures in rituals (which may also be thought of as magically protective and salutary), and to the recitation of sutras for the dead (Corless 57). All of these acts of offering are intimately involved in the concept of merit-making. By performing them, individuals, through the working of karma, can seek to assure themselves rebirth in one of the heavens or a better station in life, from which they may be able to attain the goal of enlightenment. Zen Buddhism Zen or Chan Buddhism represents a movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. Zen and Chan are, respectively, Japanese and Chinese attempts to render the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana (Coomaraswamy 94). Zen’s roots may be traced to India, but it was in East Asia that the movement became distinct and flourished. Like other Chinese Buddhist sects, Chan first established itself as a lineage of masters emphasizing the teachings of a particular text, in this case the Lankavatara Sutra (Coomaraswamy 96). Bodhidharma, the first Chan patriarch in China, who is said to have arrived there from India in 470 A.D., was a master of this text. He also emphasized the practice of contemplative sitting, and legend has it that he himself spent nine years in meditation facing a wall (Davids 101). With the importance of lineages, Chan stressed the master-disciple relationship, and Bodhidharma was followed by a series of patriarchs each of whom received the dharma, or religious truth, directly from his predecessor and teacher. By the 7th century, however, splits in the line of transmission began to develop, the most important of which was between Shenxiu (606-706) and Huineng (638-713), disciples of the 5th patriarch, Hung-jen. According to a later and clearly biased legend, Huineng defeated Hung-jen in a stanza-composing contest, thereby demonstrating his superior enlightenment (Davids 104). He was then secretly named 6th patriarch but had to flee south for fear of his rival’s jealousy. The split between Shenxiu and Huineng accounts for the southern and northern branches of Chan, which competed vigorously for prestige and state support. Huineng’s branch dominated in the long run, and by 796 an imperial decree settled the matter in his favor posthumously (Berry 122). By then, however, Huineng’s branch was itself beginning to subdivide into several different schools. The subsequent history of Chan in China was mixed. The sect suffered from the great persecution of Buddhism in 845. It recovered better than many Buddhist schools, however, partly because, in contrast to other monastic communities, Chan monks engaged in physical labor, which made them less dependent on state and lay support (Davids 109). During the Song dynasty (960-1279), Chan again prospered and was a leading influence on the development of Chinese art and neo-Confucian culture (Conze 105). It was during this period that Chan was first established in Japan. Within 30 years of each other, two Japanese monks, Eisai (1141-1215) and Dogen (1200-53), went to China, where they trained respectively in the Linji and Zaodong schools of Chan (Davids 112). These they then introduced into Japan. Rinzai emphasizes the use of the koan, a mental stumbling block or riddle that the meditator must solve to the satisfaction of his master. Soto lays more stress on seated meditation without conscious striving for a goal, or zazen. Both schools fostered good relations with the shoguns and became closely associated with the Japanese military class (Berry 127). Rinzai in particular was highly influential during the Ashikaga period (1338-1573), when Zen played an important role in propagating neo-Confucianism and infusing its own unique spirit into Japanese art and culture. The heart of Zen monasticism is the practice of meditation; it is this feature that has been most popular in Zen’s spread to the West. Zen meditation highlights the experience of enlightenment, or satori, and the possibility of attaining it in this life. The strict training of Zen monks, the daily physical chores, the constant wrestling with koans, the long hours of sitting in meditation, and the special intensive periods of practice, or sesshin, are all directed toward this end. At the same time, enlightenment is generally thought of as being sudden. The meditator needs to be jolted awake, and the only one who can do this is his Zen master (Davids 113). The master-disciple relationship often involves private interviews in which the Zen trait of unconventionality sometimes comes to the fore; the master will allow no refuge in the Buddha or the sutras but demands from his disciple a direct answer to his assigned koan (Davids 114). Conversely, the master may goad the disciple by remaining silent or compassionately help him out, but with the constant aim of trying to cause a breakthrough from conventional to absolute truth (Corless 131).
Bibliography
Bibliography Berry, Thomas Mary. Buddhism. New York, Hawthorn Books. c1967 Conze, Edward. Buddhism. New York, Philosophical Library. c1951 Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. New Hyde Park, N. Y., University Books. c1964 Corless, Roger. The Vision of Buddhism. New York: Paragon House. c1989 Davids, T. W. Rhys. The History and Literature of Buddhism. Calcutta, Susil Gupta. Bibliography Berry, Thomas Mary. Buddhism. New York, Hawthorn Books. c1967 Conze, Edward. Buddhism. New York, Philosophical Library. c1951 Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. New Hyde Park, N. Y., University Books. c1964 Corless, Roger. The Vision of Buddhism. New York: Paragon House. c1989 Davids, T. W. Rhys. The History and Literature of Buddhism. Calcutta, Susil Gupta. Bibliography Berry, Thomas Mary. Buddhism. New York, Hawthorn Books. c1967 Conze, Edward. Buddhism. New York, Philosophical Library. c1951 Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. New Hyde Park, N. Y., University Books. c1964 Corless, Roger. The Vision of Buddhism. New York: Paragon House. c1989 Davids, T. W. Rhys. The History and Literature of Buddhism. Calcutta, Susil Gupta.
334
Другие работы по теме:
Buddhism Essay Research Paper BuddhismBuddhism is the
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Buddhism Buddhism is the fourth largest religion of the world after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Although it originated in India, it has been adopted in countries like Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Buddhism was founded in India by prince Siddhartha Gautam, who was born about 550 B.C in Northern India.
Buddhism V Hinduism Essay Research Paper BuddhismHinduism
Buddhism V. Hinduism Essay, Research Paper Buddhism/Hinduism Comparison Report Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is very rich with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C. but no one person founded Hinduism as it evolved over a long period of time.
What Is Shin Buddhism Essay Research Paper
Shin Buddhism was the creation of Shinran Shonin, who lived in Japan around 800 years ago. He saw, as did Buddha, that what stands in the way of our awakening to the Dharma is really only us. Specifically, it is our ego, or that illusion we have that we are a fixed and separate entity apart from everything else. Thus, Shin Buddhism starts by getting us to see our egocentric, arrogant and self-centered nature.
Buddishm Essay Research Paper Buddhism is one
Buddishm Essay, Research Paper Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world. Like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, it has influenced many live and many cultures. Buddhism has also been a driving social force in many countries, including India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Tibet. In all these areas, Buddhism has incorporated different aspects of other religions, for example Hinduism and Shinto.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper Essay Question
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Essay Question #5: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity Throughout the history of Japan, foreign religions such as Buddhism, Christianity and Confucianism have been introduced. These three religions have had their share of successes as well as failures. However, the fates of these religions have completely different endings due to conflicting beliefs of religious men and the presence of political influence.
Views Of Jesus Essay Research Paper The
Views Of Jesus Essay, Research Paper The view of whom or what Jesus was, is a common question that arises even in the Christian religion. For Christians, for granted Jesus was the messiah. Other religions and people in our world do not agree upon this belief, in Jesus being the messiah though. Religions such as Muslim and Buddhism have very different beliefs.
Asoka Essay Research Paper AsokaAsoka was the
Asoka Essay, Research Paper Asoka Asoka was the third member of the Mauryan dynasty and the grandson of the founder of the first Indian empire, Chandragupta Maurya of Magadha. Some say Asoka was the most powerful monarch to embrace Buddhism. Asoka was born in 304 B.C. and came to power in 270 B.C. after a short struggle in which one of his brothers was killed.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper There were many
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper There were many religions that were practiced among the people of central Asia back in the early second and third centuries and forward. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were among the main three religions practiced then. Buddhism has been around since 273 B.C. It started in India and traveled into central Asia and continued on into Korea and Japan becoming one of the major religions in all of central China.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper The idea of
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper The idea of evolution by Darwin indicated that the world is not created by God, but through some kind of modification. This controversial idea is strongly objected by most of the religions, such as Catholic, Christian, and Islam etc. These religions sturdily believe that God is the creator of the world, the creator of everything.
Buddism Essay Research Paper Buddhism emerged during
Buddism Essay, Research Paper Buddhism emerged during the period of the Upanishads, but it is not so much one religion as two. Only two sects of Buddhism exist today that had formed after Buddha?s death. Although these three religions have some important things in common, the differences that divide them are profound.
Hinduisim And Christianity Essay Research Paper Two
Hinduisim And Christianity Essay, Research Paper Two religions, both very different and both very similar. Siddhartha Guatama also known as Buddha (“Enlightened One”) was the founder and probably the most influential person of Buddhism. He sat under a fig tree for 49 days to think and contemplate his thoughts.
Is Buddhism A Religion Essay Research Paper
Is Buddhism a Religion? To begin, let us ask once again the huge question that is all burning in our minds: is Buddhism a religion? There are many criteria by which this can be compared to and/or answered by. For example, many religions have the following aspects within them: beginning, ritual, followers/believers, morality, purpose, and goals.
Buddhism 3 Essay Research Paper BUDDHISMBuddhism is
Buddhism 3 Essay, Research Paper BUDDHISM Buddhism is probably the most tolerant religion in the world, as its teachings can coexist with any other religion’s. However, this is not a characteristic of other religions. The Buddhist teaching of God is neither agnostic nor vague, but clear and logical. Buddhism was created by Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in the sixth century B.C. in what is now modern Nepal.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper BUDDHISM
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper BUDDHISM INTRODUCTION There are four noble truths upon which all Buddhist teaching is based. It is said that if you do not understand these truths it is impossible for you to practice Buddhism. Buddhism, like most other religions has the potential to serve the community and produce good well-natured people.
Buddism Essay Research Paper BuddhismReligion is one
Buddism Essay, Research Paper Buddhism Religion is one of the most controversial topics in the world today. Buddhism is one the most interesting. In today?s society, Buddhism has grown to be one of the word?s largest. Although Hinduism and Native American religions are found to be interesting, nevertheless Buddhism in my eyes is the most interesting of the three, because of the strong evidence of creed, cultus, and the uncanny.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper What is the
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper What is the gist of the chapter or essay? The goal out of practicing Buddhism is to become a self-less person. Everything we do in life causes another. Nothing in this world happens independently. In Buddhism the relationship between on thing leading to another is called casual connectedness.
Taoism Versus Buddhism Essay Research Paper Eddie
Taoism Versus Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Eddie Bohn 103A History Thursday 7, 2000 Taoism versus Buddhism There are hundreds of religions in the world that are practiced. But only a few really stand out in the world and are widely known. I will focus on two particular religions and compare and contrast them.
Taoism And Buddhism Essay Research Paper Taoism
Taoism And Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Taoism and Buddhism were born in the same century. Siddhartha reached enlightenment in approximately 535 B.C. and Lao Tzu?s teachings were recorded
Christianity Buddhism And Islam Essay Research Paper
Christianity Buddhism Islam Concept Provided a substitute to the secular, rational values associated with classical culture in the west. The cause of human suffering was desire. The attachment to material things and ignorance. The concept was born among the tribal peoples of the Arabian peninsula.
Christianity And Buddhism Essay Research Paper Christianity
Christianity And Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Christianity became the religion of Emperor Constantine and the official religion of the Roman Empire in 395. Christianity strongly advocates acts of kindness, compassion and good deeds. John the Baptist encouraged the people to share with others what you have.
Buddhism Sects Essay Research Paper Buddhism SectsThe
Buddhism Sects Essay, Research Paper Buddhism Sects The similarities and differences between Theravada and Vajrayana Before we compare and contrast these two different sects of the same religion, we probably need to define the why first. There appears to quite a few different splinters of Buddhism, however they seem to all have the same goal, just a different way of achieving that goal.
Buddhist Beliefs Essay Research Paper Jackie McGlynnReligion
Buddhist Beliefs Essay, Research Paper Jackie McGlynn Religion 3/14/01 Work out your own salvation through diligence. To be diligent is to work carefully and assiduously. It is to do a good job, but more importantly, it is to pay close attention to the details along the way. The quote above assumes an obvious Buddhist belief: that people have control over their own salvation after death.
Buddhist Fundamentals Essay Research Paper Buddhist FundamentalismAlthough
Buddhist Fundamentals Essay, Research Paper Buddhist Fundamentalism Although religions differ greatly in the beliefs and practices they endorse, many universal themes can be found when comparing the underlying reasons that people practice religion. Freud believed that people practice religion as a form of displacement so that they could be at ease with themselves while not coming to terms with the actuality of their convictions.
Buddha
’s Meditative Position. Essay, Research Paper I feel that Buddha Being in this particular position expresses many things. First, one has to be able to understand what Buddhism represents. Buddhisn is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or “Enlightened one,” promised to offer an escape from suffering.
Chinese Buddhism Essay Research Paper Chinese Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Chinese Buddhism There is evidence of Buddhists in China as early as the 3rd century, but Buddhism was not popular in China for years. Buddhism was probably introduced after the Han emperor Ming Ti had a dream of a flying golden deity that was interpreted as a vision of the Buddha.
Buddhist Economics Essay Research Paper Buddhist EconomicsMost
Buddhist Economics Essay, Research Paper Buddhist Economics Most people think that religion and economics don?t mix. So you would think the same in the case with Buddhism and economics. But actually the there is a set of rules that go along with our modern day economics that have their own meanings. Buddhists believe that spiritual health and well being go hand in hand.
Buddhism Essay Research Paper 1st OHP 2
Buddhism Essay, Research Paper 1st OHP –BUDDHISM What is Buddhism? Buddha is the central symbol and reality of Buddhism, because he embodies the way of thinking and living. It is an analysis
A Look At Zen Essay Research Paper
FINAL PAPER LBRL STUDIES 272 MARK FERGUSON The study of Zen, it seems, became a main preoccupation of the Japanese, something never seen elsewhere. Embracing it with gusto, allowing it to mingle with old tales and myths, the Japanese raised Buddhism to a new height.
Outline Of Buddhism Essay Research Paper Outline
Outline Of Buddhism Essay, Research Paper Outline of Buddhism Buddhism is the oldest of the four major religions in the world today. Its followers inhabit such countries as India, China, Bhutan, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and
The Split In Buddhism Essay Research Paper
In the very beginning of Buddhism s growth there was a split into to major groups: Mahayana and Theravada. The split began almost three to five hundred years after the death of the Buddha. Most historians are unsure why the split occurred. The major difference between the two is whom Buddhism identifies with the common man or the monk.