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Buddha the founder of the Buddhist faith lived in India, Bihar, from 563-483 BCE. As the Buddha or enlightened one he preached his doctrine of the four great truths. Sorrow is inherent in life, it arises from desire, and only by eliminating desire can man be released from sorrow. This may be achieved by following the noble eight-fold path of right conduct in vision, thought, speech, action, giving, striving, vigilance and meditation. He preached that this middle path would lead to nirvana. There are now 4 distinctive types of Buddhism.
Theravada - or "way of the elders" - is the sole remaining form of conservative Buddhism, of which there were once at least 18 schools, or nikaya. It originated in India during the centuries after the final nirvana of the Buddha and was probably the dominant form of Buddhism in India. Theravada is now the dominant form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia (Burma [Myanmar], Thailand, Cambodia, Laos), where it replaced other types of Buddhism during the last five hundred years. According to followers of Mahayana, the Mahayana sutras were taught by the Buddha to only a select few, and were passed down "underground" (so to speak) until the time was ripe. Vajrayana Buddhism - Vajrayana -- or "Diamond Vehicle" Buddhism -- originated in India, perhaps as early as the 4th or 5th century CE. As with Mahayana, Vajrayana Buddhists hold that Buddha taught this form of Buddhism -- also called Tantra, after the name of its scriptures -- to a few disciples who then passed it on secretly. It is also called Secret Mantrayana or "Secret Mantra Vehicle"
The ideal in Conservative Buddhism is restraint and nonviolence, becoming detached from cyclic existence. The ideal in Mahayana is active involvement in helping beings in cyclic existence, but with detachment. The doctrinal focus is on the emptiness / transparency of all things. The ideal in Vajrayana Buddhism is reversal of traditional monastic…
(Kumar, 2004) Colors were essential as a means of expression in art as well. Explanation of laughter Laughter is rarely allowed in public, a cordial smile being always preferable. This limitation is yet again a proof of the influence Buddhism had on the aesthetic values of the world. (Clasquin, 2001) Conclusion Buddhist religion, as one of the oldest in the world, represents the expression of the constant quest for the meaning of life and
Buddhism I have admittedly led a pretty sheltered life in terms of interactions with people from other cultures. I am not a Buddhist and so I do not have any first-hand experiences with the religious practices associated with Buddhism. Before this course, and before my experience, I knew some things about Buddhism, but only as much as most people know. For example, I knew that Buddhism is primarily associated with Asian
Thus to some, Chinese acceptance of Buddhism was surprising given that "China was already a very old civilization, with a written language, a well-organized government system and educational system, with two well-established philosophical and religious traditions -- the Confucian and Daoist Traditions -- sophisticated literature, poetry, art & #8230; so we had here a very highly developed highly literate civilization, and Buddhism came from outside via missionaries" (Garfield 2010).
Instead, the practice bhakti-style devotion to various Buddhas and other supramundane figures (Protehero, 2010, p. 177). These are not manifestations of one God, as might be understood by practitioners of most Western religions, but more similar to spirit guides. Another aspect of Buddhism that might be surprising is the understanding of "karma." The word is commonly used in our current lexicon and refers to the good or bad that comes
An examination of the many issues like the left-right divisions in the monastic order, Buddhist social activism, the rise of organized lay movements as well as the Buddhist founded and inspired forms of political activity indicates that indeed politics has a great influence on Buddhism (Harris 1). How cultural and social forces shaped Buddhism in China A review of literature indicates that cultural and social forces shaped Buddhism in China. The
Charity, it may be said, therefore, is the initial step in establishing any relationship with a person of another faith. The barriers that one may face when attempting, however, to present the Gospel to a person of the Buddhist worldview may be found in the fact that Buddhism itself is not a religion. It is, rather, a kind of philosophy that enables one to remove oneself from the things in