From chapters 1-5, I learned about the main features of Indigenous Religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Indigenous religions seem to be common religions within one state or have followers predominantly among members of one nation, but they are hardly as widespread as Christianity. Hinduism is a religion that is well-known worldwide, tolerated by many other beliefs, and practiced mainly in India. I believe that Hinduism is well accepted because of its traditional nature and peaceful atmosphere of the commandments. Buddhism creates a similar impression and is characterized by highly spiritual practices, which is why it is famous worldwide. Jainism is also a dharmic religion, believed to have originated in the ninth and sixth centuries BC, which preaches non-harm to any living creature. However, I still have questions regarding Indigenous religious practices and their implication in the modern world since people might not broadly practice them. In addition, I still have a question regarding Jainism and its role in the religious society compared to other dharmic religions.
Chapters 6-7 gave me a perception of the religions prevalent in East Asian countries. For example, Confucianism is one of the modern national religions of China, which was formed at the turn of the new era based on the ethical-philosophical teachings of Confucius and his followers. It intersects with the biblical story of Jesus Christ and his followers, except Confucius is more of a philosopher than a preacher. Taoism, in turn, does not particularly interested in the order of society and public decency. The most fascinating about these chapters for me was studying Shintoism, the native religion of the Japanese. The whole concept of the world of the supernatural that surrounds the faith has been worshiped by the Japanese, and it has a deep connection with national folklore. However, I am still questioning how Confucianism became a religion since this was only philosophical teaching. In addition, I wonder whether religion must have implications for gods, heaven, hell, etc.
From chapters 8-10, I learned about the most famous Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The one particular aspect that seemed especially fascinating to me is that they are completely different despite having common subjects such as the existence of Scripture and the belief in the revelation of their teachings. Consequently, I question how the religions with the exact origin happened to become significantly distinct. Moreover, which factors played the most crucial roles in forming and interpreting Abrahamic groups?
Siddhartha was born in the 6th century to a royal family, but he left the palace when he was still young in search of explanations for life’s inconsistencies and pains. He founded Buddhism before his death in 483 B.C., aged eighty years. Nanak was born in Pakistan to an ordinary Hindu family. He refused to adhere to the beliefs and customs of the Hindu religion and instead founded Sikhism. There are four noble truths in Buddhism. The four are dukkha, the origin of dukkha, the cessation of dukkha, and the path to the cessation of suffering. Both Buddhism and Sikhism believe in the concept of suffering in the world.
Introduction
In 6th century B.C., a royal family was blessed with a son, who was named Siddhartha Gautama. As a young adult, Siddhartha Gautama started looking at life from a different perspective. His life experiences motivated him to search for the true meaning of life and how individuals attain spiritual fulfillment (Kinnard, 2011). He meditated and sought guidance in his endeavors. As a result of this, he achieved a state of enlightenment. The attainment of this state of enlightenment is what gave him the name ‘Buddha,’ which translates to the “Enlightened One” (Armstrong, 2008). Buddha traveled long distances to teach people how they can save their souls while living in this wretched world. He was able to attract a large number of people to his faith. After his death, his students spread his teachings in the world with the aim of bringing hope to ordinary people (Higers, 2012). As a result, a religion was born in a humble village in Nepal, India (Kinnard, 2011).
In this essay, the author will provide a comparison between Buddha and Guru Nanak. The latter is the founder of the Sikh religion, as earlier mentioned. Special attention is given to the four noble truths as taught by Buddha. The author will also compare how the two figures traveled around the world to enlighten other people. An analysis of various aspects that are common to both Sikhism and Buddhism is provided in the paper. The author will examine Buddha’s life within and outside the palace and how he transformed his life and philosophies after the enlightenment.
Buddha and Guru Nanak: A Comparison
After Siddhartha was born, astrologers were called to prophesy how his life will turn out (Reis, 2010). The astrologers prophesied that he would make a choice between two options, a choice that will drastically change his life. According to the astrologers, the young man will either become an emperor or denounce the privileges of a prince to become a spiritual leader (Kinnard, 2011). As a young prince, Siddhartha had no contact with the world beyond the walls of the palace. His life since birth revolved within the walls of the palace. Siddhartha did not have the chance to interact with the subjects he was supposed to lead on ascending to the throne in the future. He was trained as a prince and learned how to handle issues to do with the palace. Later, he married Yashodhara, and the two were blessed with a child named Rahula. Siddhartha and his family lived in the abundance and luster of the palace.
His life took a drastic turn when his father allowed him to visit the city one day. However, the king had ordered his men to remove all the sick and old people from the streets before the prince’s scheduled visit (Armstrong, 2008). The aim of this order from the king was to shield the young prince from the ugly reality of life outside the fortressed walls of the palace. As he strolled along the streets of the city, everyone appeared healthy and young to the prince.
However, in spite of all the efforts made by his father, the young prince came across one weak old man along the road. The old man had somehow escaped the attention of the king’s men. As a result of this serendipitous encounter, it dawned on him that life is full of inconsistencies. He was very moved by what he saw that he arranged to come back to the city in the future. During the subsequent visits to the city and the regions beyond, he realized what life meant to the ordinary people outside the walls of the palace. He forsook the luxuries and other benefits associated with life in the palace to join the rest of the people in the streets. At this point, Siddhartha started pursuing knowledge about life and salvation. One day, he sat down under a tree to meditate after seeking knowledge from many people and from many places. While he was meditating, he overcame the temptations of demons to achieve enlightenment, and later become a Buddha. From that moment on, he began sharing the knowledge he received during his meditation with other people. The sharing and teachings continued until his death in 483 B.C. (Armstrong, 2008).
Guru Nanak was born to a Hindu family on 15th April 1469. He was born in Western Punjab (Thanissaro, 2011). During his early years, he had a network of both Muslim and Hindu friends. In addition, he was very inquisitive about life. He was exceptionally gifted in class. On his thirteenth birthday, Nanak was supposed to be initiated into Hinduism as customs dictated. However, the young boy surprised many people when he declined to receive the symbolic thread. He cited several reasons for this rebellion. According to him, the only thread that could not break, get lost, burnt, and soiled was the one that could only be worn in the heart (Thanissaro, 2011).
Nanak read widely about Islamic principles and doctrines, and later became a leader of a new religion called Sikhism. The ideas of the new religion were borrowed from both Islamic and Hindu teachings. The religion was founded on the principle of one God and equality for all humans. Just like Siddhartha, Nanak traveled a lot to teach people about the new religion. Most of the time, he used hymns to teach people, and as a result, he became a guru. The desire to come up with a new religion is traced back to the time when Nanak realized that people no longer held God in awe. Instead, the man was blinded by superstition and greed. Nanak came up with rules meant to draw people close to God. According to Thanissaro (2011), his teachings are divided into three basic categories. The first category is Nam Simran, which translates to ‘think about God.’ The second category is Kirt Kaara, which teaches that honesty and hard work are the basis of a normal human life. The final category is Wand Chhako, which teaches people to ‘share the extra they have with the less fortunate’ (Thanissaro, 2011, p. 23).
The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha
The first truth is dukkha, which loosely translates to ‘suffering.’ However, the real meaning encompasses a sense of dissatisfaction with life and the fact that things do not always turn out the way people want them to. According to Armstrong (2008), Buddha outlined that “there is a dissatisfaction that permeates all forms of life” (p. 93). He adds that although life is made up of happy and sad moments, the sense of happiness that life brings to humans is temporary. Because of this unstable nature of human life, all experiences in life have a dukkha quality. Consequently, human beings will always be dissatisfied with their life (Higers, 2012). To avoid this dissatisfaction, individuals should make efforts to understand the truth behind life experiences. The understanding will guarantee them happiness. Buddha implied that for the individual to find true happiness, they must first understand that life is naturally flawed.
Samudaya
According to Cho (2004), this is the origin of dukkha. It is the second noble truth taught by Buddha. Samudaya is regarded as a form of craving caused by ignorance (Cho, 2004). The craving manifests itself through three channels. The first channel is the craving for ‘sense pleasure’ (Cho, 2004); the second is the craving ‘to be,’ and the third is the craving ‘not to be.’ The first form of craving involves the desire for objects that generate pleasurable feelings. The second form of craving involves the desire to ‘unite with experiences’ (Cho, 2004, p.45). It includes craving for dominance and progress in life. The third category of craving involves the desire to separate or alienate oneself from painful experiences and feelings.
Buddha explained that ignorance is “the lack of the implication and meaning of the four truths” (Armstrong, 2008, p. 39). In addition, ignorance is regarded as the failure to understand reality and ‘the self.’ Disturbing emotions, which are caused by ignorance, are cited as probable causes of dukkha. The disturbing emotions referred to here are categorized into three (Kinnard, 2011). The first is ignorance, which is explained above, while the second is attachment to pleasure (Armstrong, 2008). The third emotion is the fear of ‘experiencing undesirable things and not getting desirable things’ (Reis, 2010, p. 95).
Nirodha
It is the third noble truth, according to Buddha and Nanak. Nirodha is viewed as ‘the cessation of dukkha’ (Armstrong, 2008, p.49). In this context, Nirodha refers to the cessation of both dissatisfaction and its causes (Armstrong, 2008). It is a spiritual goal in Buddhism. After one has genuinely and sufficiently understood suffering and its various causes, such as ignorance and craving, they can lead a life that is free from dissatisfaction. The reason for this is that the individual is able to get rid of the causes of dissatisfaction. Many people have drawn parallels between Nirodha and Nirvana, which is the constant state of cessation. When people manage to rid their minds of the causes of pain, they experience temporary nirvana (Cho, 2004).
Path to the Cessation of Suffering
The fourth noble truth is regarded as the essence of Buddhism. It is an eightfold path, which consists of right view, right intention, right speech (Cho, 2004), right action, right livelihood, right effort (Armstrong, 2008), right mindfulness, and right concentration (Reis, 2010). The first three noble truths help the individual to understand the nature of dukkha, while the fourth truth is concerned with overcoming dukkha (Kinnard, 2011). The eight factors in the path are meant to develop together in a person. The simultaneous development helps the individual to attain cessation. The implication is that the conditions are not independent or standalone phenomena, where the successful completion of one leads to the onset of the other. They are factors touching on the individual’s bodily, verbal, and mental behavior. The factors largely depend on each other, as a result creating a complete path that describes the way of life (Higers, 2012).
Buddhism and Sikhism: A Comparison
The two religions are different from one another, even though some parallels are drawn between them. For example, Buddhism is polytheistic. It opposes the concept of a ‘Creator God.’ Sikhism is monotheistic and acknowledges the existence of God, who should be worshiped. The main objective of Buddhism is to attain nirvana, while that of Sikhism is to have a positive relationship with God through unconditional love and obedience (Thanissaro, 2011). The main rituals in Buddhism include contemplation, offerings, and meditation. On the other hand, the teachings of Sikhism encourage people to acknowledge God and devote their lives to Him. The devotion is demonstrated through service to others, leading an honest life, and denouncing idols. However, the two religions acknowledge the concept of suffering. They agree that the world is full of suffering, which is averted through enlightenment (Thanissaro, 2011).
Conclusion
Buddhism is based on the four noble truths described above. The first three noble truths are concerned with the nature of dukkha, which involves suffering, stress, and anxiety. The fourth truth encompasses the eight conditions of the body, mind, and speech, which are critical to the cessation of dukkha. Buddhism and Sikhism are basically different from each other, with the exception of their common belief in the concept of suffering.
References
Armstrong, K., (2008). Buddha. Waco: Paw Prints.
Cho, E. (2004). From Buddha’s speech to Buddha’s essence: Philosophical discussions of Buddha-Vacana in India and China. Asian Philosophy, 14(3), 255-276.
Higers, L. (2012). The 3,000 Buddhas. Archaeology, 65(5), 34-38.
Kinnard, J. N. (2011). The emergence of Buddhism: Classical traditions in contemporary perspective. Santa Barbara: Fortress Press.
Reis, H. M. (2010). The notion of Buddha-nature: An approach to Buddhist-Muslim dialogue. Muslim World, 100(2/3), 233-246.
Thanissaro, P. (2011). Measuring attitude towards Buddhism and Sikhism: Internal consistency reliability for two new instruments. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 14(8), 797-803.
Tibetan Buddhism, alongside other schools of the religion emphasize on the development of mental training techniques that facilitate the attainment of a status where Buddhists acquire an enlightened perspective of life. This enlightened process is solely possessed by Buddhists because the followers of the religion believe that everyone else does not share their viewpoint because they are blinded by the lack of mental awareness. The article titled “The Role of Meditation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism” attempts to highlight the essence of mediation as seen through Tibetan Buddhists. This paper critically analyzes the article, with a close focus on the subject matter covered in the course.
Critical Analysis
According to the content, meditation is an integral part of practicing Buddhist doctrines because it is the essence of cleansing the mind of the bad ideas that have been instilled from one generation to the other. While this sounds quite plausible from a believer’s point of view, a critical perspective on the claim reveals that Buddhists share the sentiment that every man can achieve a Buddhist perspective through intense meditation.
There is an obvious assumption that meditation can ultimately eliminate all types of suffering for the associated individuals. Meditation is believed to eliminate all types of suffering, including death (Powers 83). This implies that one can connect with their inner soul through focusing the mind on attaining a status where their mental focus is aligned with the true nature of reality.
The article also reveals that the Tibetan meditation approaches are meant to eliminate thoughts that foster negative afflictions by restructuring the mind. The purpose of the process is to instill mundane desires in individuals when they realize that materialism is a short-lived paradigm. The meditation process assumed by Buddhists in this school of thought is quite complex because they sometimes think about unrealistic images of the world and its contents (Powers 83).
The author fails to clarify this revelation with the procedural elements of the mediation process, which makes it difficult to connect with the audience. Some of the claims in the article sound farfetched, but it is apparent that one of the characteristics of the Tibetan Buddhists is the mystical powers possessed by some of the individuals.
One of the core principles of Buddhism is the concept of equality. Buddhists are compelled to assume a mental status where everyone is viewed as equal regardless of their social, political, and economic status. This is the main reason that death plays an important role in the mediation process as seen through the article. Apparently, Buddhists focus on death as a reminder that everyone will eventually lose their earthly status; hence, they are lured into ignoring material gains in their lives. Buddhists are required to eliminate their earthly desires, and this can only be attained if their mediation process is associated with a focus on the culmination of life (Powers 84).
The author utilizes direct quotes of the Buddha to explain the concept of eliminating normal human desires in different states of meditation. This gives the information the validity required to compel readers to believe the content. However, it would still be difficult to implement the highlighted stages for an individual learning the Tibetan Buddhist meditation process.
The article highlights some of the stereotypical and condescending ideas. “The minds of ordinary beings are scattered and confused…” (Powers 85). This is one of the contradictions seen with the Buddhists because one of the doctrines observed by the followers is that everyone is equal, but the followers also look down on the mentality of individuals who are not believers. The cyclic existence concept, which Tibetan Buddhists believe in, entails the subscription to an inhumane nature where birth is timeless, but individuals get through various life experiences that are temporarily halted by death.
This is the major reason that meditation focuses on attaining a mental status that connects with previous life paradigms for individuals. This concept can only be perpetuated by Buddhists; hence, other humans are deemed weaker and destined for permanent elimination from existence after death.
The article provides a comprehensive coverage of the various types of meditation processes practiced by Tibetan Buddhists. These include meditation processes to calm, stabilize, and control the brain (Powers 86). There are different mental abiding areas that individuals can attain through meditation. However, the article does not provide the procedural requirements in meditation that lead to the specific levels of mental abiding (Powers 88). This makes the article sound vague because most of the content only reports on the theoretical aspects of the meditation process.
Conclusion
The reviewed article provides a clear view of the importance of meditation for Buddhists, and it also clearly provides the theoretical aspects of the process and its results. However, there is little clarity on the procedures that take place in meditation; hence, readers are left wondering about the practical elements of meditation among the Tibetan Buddhists. The article quotes various Buddhists to enhance the validity of its claims, which is quite an impressive approach to writing about religious doctrines.
Work Cited
Powers, John. “3. Meditation: The Role of Meditation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism.” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Shambhala, 2007, pp. 81–99.
Buddhism is a religion with a variety of beliefs and traditions attributed to Buddha. It is believed that Buddha lived and taught in the northern side of India in the 4th century Before Christ. Since then Buddhism has been spreading in many countries, for instance, Japan and China.
This paper looks at the introduction of Buddhism in both china and Japan. It also gives an overview of how Buddhism is viewed in both countries. It will conclude by giving some of the differences that have been observed on how Buddhism is observed in both china and Japan.
Buddhism in China
Buddhist missionaries were sent to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 3rd B.C. The missionaries were successful in the mission and managed to convert many people into Buddhism. Later merchants also accepted this religion after they went trading in the region. Soon after Buddhism was accepted as a religion in the whole religion and many people converted from their religions into Buddhism. The merchants who had converted into Buddhism established many monasteries across Central Asia.
It is through the Central Asians that the Chinese people accepted Buddhism as their religion. With the growth in Buddhism, there was need to create more Buddhist texts and this required Asian translators to translate Indian languages into Chinese (Anon. “Buddhism in East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan”, 2). One such translator was Anshigao who came to china from central Asia.
From 15th century to the 16th century china was under separate rules, there was north china and south china. Buddhism flourished in both parts and translators continued to translate Indian language into Buddhist texts.
In the early 17th century, the Tang Dynasty was established which helped to spread Buddhism (Anon. “Buddhism in East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan”, 5). This Dynasty soon became an essential part of Chinese culture which has an immense sway on Chinese writings, Art and philosophy. By this time Buddhist texts translators had augmented considerably.
All the new converts could at least find some literature to read about Buddhism and this increased their understanding and overall acceptance of Buddhism as a religion. They were then faced by the challenge of how to study all the Buddhism texts that had been translated and how to conduct their teachings. To address this challenge many schools were established where people could be taught the religion of Buddhism.
Buddhism in Japan
Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the early 16th century by the king of Packche. Buddhism was later recognized as a means of restoring peace in the country among other benefits. Japanese recognized it (Buddhism) as their religious conviction thus holding it to their (Shinto) values. It was not long before harmony was restored in Japan and all this was achieved because of the introduction of Buddhism (Anon. “A view on Buddhism” 3).
The introduction and spread of Buddhism in Japan depended on the support that was offered by the Japanese rulers. Prince Shotoku was one of the rulers that played a very crucial part in the establishment of Buddhism in the early 20th century. He was devoted to Buddhism and helped to spread it allover Japan. Through his help, many Buddhist were built and all the new converts found a place to meet for teachings.
Differences between China Buddhism and Japan Buddhism
Since the introduction of Buddhism in china and Japan, cultures and politics have been greatly affected in both countries. In China Buddhism is one of the religions that’s has many followers. For nearly two thousand years ago, many people have accepted Buddhism as their religion and have embraced the Buddhist teachings. Buddhism became popular in china in the 8th century when the White Horse Temple was established. Later on, Buddhism art was established with some Chinese qualities (Coates 1).
Buddhism is more popular in china than in Japan. China has a wide collection of Buddhism arts than any other country in the world. There are so many structures and scriptures filled all over china to this date. Examples of the oldest carvings include the Dazu stone and the Longmen Grottoes.
China also acts as the home of the largest Buddha statue in the world known as the Leshan Giant Buddha. On the other hand, Japan has the highest population of Buddhism in the present world. However, it is worth noting that, Buddhism was introduced to Japan from china in early 6th century. During this time, Japan was able to preserve most of the Buddhist art and scriptures from china while other countries were repressing many aspects of Buddhism.
Other paintings and sculptures were created in Japan through the help of the government; these sculptures were influenced by the Chinese Buddhist work. Japanese developed a unique Buddhist art known as Zen art, which was defined by original poetry and paintings. The purpose of the Zen art was to express a clear essence of the earth by use of impressionistic representations. Today, Buddhism is one of the largest religions in Japan, there are more than 80, 000 Buddhist temples in Japan.
Both china and Japan have their unique artistic styles. As we all know, china is one of the countries that have managed to preserve most of its cultural practices and most of the Buddhist art in china is influenced by its culture. When Buddhism was first introduced into china, most of the Chinese converted the Buddhist art into their own unique style.
The central Asia Buddhist art was quite different from the first Chinese Buddhist art which was less realistic during that time (Coates 3). After realizing this, the Chinese changed their Buddhist art into a more realistic form. Initially, they had adopted an abstract style for their art which was replaced to make it more realistic because other foreign countries were also concerned with the Buddhist art from china.
The Chinese Buddhist art was mainly influenced by other countries, for instance India which used a more realistic approach to the Buddhist art. This realistic approach is evident today in the Chinese Buddhist art which have attracted a significant large population from all over the world.
Japanese Buddhist art has relied heavily on the Chinese art since the introduction of Buddhism in Japan. This may be attributed to the fact that, Buddhism was first introduced into Japan from china through Buddhist monks that traveled from china and Korea. Then it is clear that, most of the Japanese art was influenced by the work of art that was done during Tang dynasty in china. To some extent, it was also influenced by Buddhist art from India and Korea (Coates 3).
There is a significant difference between the Chinese art and the Japanese art. This is because, Japanese art seems to be more refined than Chinese, reason being that, the Japanese art emerged from Korea, china, and India. It is worth noting that, china also borrowed from other countries but to a lesser extent than Japanese did. Japanese art focused mainly on the spirits and the gods contrary to Chinese art which focused on its culture.
Another different between the artwork of these two countries is that, Japan started Zen art which china did not have. This was a more impressionistic form of art than all the other types of Buddhist art which were present at that time.
Both countries have a feature of realism in their artwork although there are still many differences in their Buddhist art. For instance, the Chinese focuses mainly on status in the expression of their faith, while the Japanese focuses on poetry and paintings to express their beliefs.
Japanese Buddhist art was supported by the government while the Chinese government did nothing concerning the Chinese Buddhist art. Before Chinese incorporated the aspect of realism in their work, most of the art was abstract in nature as compared to the Japanese which was not at anytime interested in the abstract art. Japanese art tends to be more inclined to realistic portrayals of Buddha which has never interested the Chinese.
Conclusion
Today, the Buddhist art form an integral aspects to the Buddhists living in both Japan and china. The artwork is not only designed for the Buddhists but attracts a significant number of people from both countries. Many people who love art admire the Buddhist art which also acts as a form of tourist attraction. For instance, the giant statue of Buddha has become famous in most parts of the world. The Buddhist art has had a great impact in shaping cultures of people living in both japans and china.
This paper’s topic is religion (primarily Buddhism and Confucianism) in China and its influence on the Chinese people. The articles and books chosen for this paper will refer to 20th and 21st century China. The topic was selected because the impact of religion in China is, in many ways, unique and cannot be compared to other countries.
In the article “Concepts and Institutions for a New Buddhist Education: Reforming the Saṃgha between and within State Agencies,” Stefania Travagnin discusses the opposition between Buddhist education and Western education in China the beginning of the 20th century. The importance of Chinese tradition in education was supported by many, which eventually resulted in demand for drastic education changes during the Republican era1 When secular education was implemented in 1928, the monks Taixu and Jichen firmly supported it. 2 The significant changes in Buddhist education began in the 20th century when Christianity and Japanese institutions influenced education.3
Buddhist education eventually adopted the approaches used in secular schools (the monks called it “school format”), but only in the 1920s Buddhist seminaries allowed monks to study such subjects as astrology and biology. Psychology and biology were officially added to the curricula in 1923, and the monk Taixu stated that there were similarities between Western psychology and Chinese Zen.4 Additional programs were created for student-monks; these programs reflected the multilevel education at secular schools. Eventually, Buddhist education reformers agreed that secular knowledge was to be considered when clerical education was transformed. This learning material points out the influence of secular education on Buddhist education and the reformations that happened in clerical schools in the 20th century, which is essential for understanding the transformation of Buddhism.
The next article discusses the influence of Buddhism on China-Singapore relations in 1982-1990.5 The author argues that the Venerable Hong Choon’s respectful approach to Buddhism and the followers of the religion helped improve China-Singapore relations and positively influenced the communication between the two states. The first two visits allowed the Venerable Hong Choon to establish good relationships with the religious officials in China; in 1982 and 1983, the Venerable met political and religious leaders Zhao Puchu and the Panchen Lama.6 It is also possible that Venerable’s role in promoting Chinese Buddhism at the global level was significant.7 It was exciting for me to find out that his visits eventually led to establishing official diplomatic ties between China and Singapore in 1990.
During the next visits, the Venerable met China’s highest officials, including Ulanfu (乌兰夫), China’s vice-chairman8 Later, the Venerable took part in discussions of political questions. Eventually, he invited the inter-faith organization IRO (Singapore) to China; the organization met with high-ranking politicians, although it was their first visit. The Chinese government organized the next visits, and religion was used to foster ties with the religious leaders from Singapore. Although the aims of the Chinese government were evident to Singapore, further invitations were supported by the government of Singapore and the Buddhist communities of both countries.
The next paper examines the gender differences in China and how these differences were reflected in technology and religion. The author points out that the concept of embroidery, seen as a “female” activity today, was influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism, where the strict differences between males and females (“men plow; women weave”) remain partially unchanged even today. However, the author also points out that pictorial textiles were seen as a form of painting and highly praised during the late Ming. The author points out that this was an attempt to colonize the female market of art and craftsmanship.
Even though religious views heavily influenced the perception of embroidery, there was a period in history when the predominantly “female” art was evaluated with male scholar’s criteria and even seen as “male” sometimes (when it was commercially profitable).9 This article is highly relevant because it does not only show how technologies and art can be influenced by religion, but it also displays how the differences in “male” and “female” activities are created. That is why scholars need to be attentive to the periods and eras during which a paper or a document was written10. It is possible to assume that historical documents are influenced by subjective opinions, which, in turn, are influenced by religion or religious movements.
The following article investigates the influence of Buddhism on Chinese society and how this religion works as a social force.11 The post-Mao revival of Buddhism is large, although statistical information about the possible percentage of Buddhist followers is scarce. Nevertheless, the author provides several hypotheses, and one of them discusses the possibility of Buddhism becoming a reference for political protest. However, unlike other religious movements, Chinese Buddhism does not have a charismatic leader because China’s political environment does not allow it.12 Although Buddhist leaders can invest their capital into religious facilities and monuments, they do not have the power to organize any social protest because it is dangerous.
The author also assumes that Buddhism can become a civil religion in Taiwan, where nongovernmental religious organizations contribute to the development of society and invest in it.13 Religious actors in China cannot establish movements that contradict the state’s politics, although they do have the opportunity to make citizens more compassionate and caring.
The author concludes that the government also uses Buddhism as soft power, which can be used in foreign affairs to improve and establish diplomatic ties. As it seems, Christianity and Confucianism gain more attention and power compared to Buddhism, which can eventually adversely influence Buddhism’s spread.14 I assumed that Buddhism had more power over social and governmental movements, and the information about its relatively weak positions was new to me.
The last source investigates the influence of Buddhism on the perception of tourists by Buddhist monks and nuns.15 The authors point out that monks and nuns see tourists both from a mundane and religious perspective. From the mundane point of view, tourists can be separated into three groups (Shinshis, Xiankes, and Jushis), while from the Buddhist point of view, they are equal. However, only the third group is perceived as “real Buddhists” because they want to learn Buddhism.16 Talking from the Buddhist perspective, most monks and nuns agree that the visitors are the same, and all carry a Buddhist seed (a good virtue)17.
Therefore, the author points out, these monks and nuns have a dual perspective on tourism to sacred places, and this view includes both a secular and a religious connotation. Although some of the interviewed participants agreed that tourists could evoke annoyance, others emphasized the importance of staying calm and not letting the disturbances reach one’s mind18. Furthermore, most interviewees agreed that tourism allows them to get people more acquainted with Buddhism and teach them about the religion if they ask for it. It was exciting for me to find out that monks and nuns prefer seeing leisure tourists as “future Buddhists”, while pilgrims are seen as Buddhism practitioners or devotees.
Bibliography
Chia, Jack Meng Tat. “Buddhism in Singapore–China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and His Visits, 1982–1990.” The China Quarterly 196, no. 1 (2008): 864-883.
Co, Dorothy. “Epilogue: Textiles, Technology, and Gender in China.” EASTM 36, no. 1 (2012): 167-176.
Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Keown, Damien. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: OUP Oxford, 2013.
Li, Zhe. “Chinese Buddhism as a Social Force.” Chinese Sociological Review 2, no. 2 (2012): 10.
Travagnin, Stefania. “Concepts and Institutions for a New Buddhist Education: Reforming the Saṃgha between and within State Agencies.” East Asian History 39, no. 1 (2014): 89-102.
Wong, Cora Un In, Alison McIntosh, and Chris Ryan. “Buddhism and Tourism Perceptions of the Monastic Community at Pu-tuo-shan, China.” Annals of Tourism Research 40, no. 2 (2012): 213-234.
Footnotes
Stefania Travagnin, “Concepts and Institutions for a New Buddhist Education: Reforming the Saṃgha between and within State Agencies,” East Asian History 39, no. 1 (2014): 94.
Ibid., 95.
Ibid.
Ibid., 96.
Jack Meng Tat Chia, “Buddhism in Singapore–China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and His Visits, 1982–1990,” The China Quarterly 196, no. 1 (2008): 864.
Ibid., 872.
Ibid., 873.
Ibid., 847.
Dorothy Co, “Epilogue: Textiles, Technology, and Gender in China,” EASTM 36, no. 1 (2012): 174.
Damien Keown, Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: OUP Oxford, 2013), 55.
Zhe Li, “Chinese Buddhism as a Social Force,” Chinese Sociological Review 2, no. 2 (2012): 10.
Ibid., 19.
Ibid., 20.
Ibid., 23.
Cora Un In Wong, Alison McIntosh, and Chris Ryan, “Buddhism and Tourism Perceptions of the Monastic Community at Pu-tuo-shan, China,” Annals of Tourism Research 40, no. 2 (2012): 214.
Ibid., 224.
Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012), 144.
What are the key features of Buddhist thought and practice?
The most important teaching of Buddha is anchored on the universal characteristic of existence. This is where the doctrinal contents of wisdom are propped. Buddhists believe in impermanence, suffering, and non-self. These three characteristics are always connected with existence as they tend to illuminate the nature of existence as well as helping the faithful to have knowledge of what to do with existence. Upon developing a deeper understanding of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, one gets to appreciate that existence of these three elements. With these three characteristics, one gets to disconnect the link between himself and existence. The disconnection of the link enables one to gain threshold of Nirvana.
The severing of attachment is attained by removal of delusions that sways someone into believing that existence is permanent, pleasant, and has got much to do with self. This is what makes the deeper understanding of impermanence, suffering, and non-self an integral part of contents of wisdom in Buddhism. The characteristic of impermanence makes part of Buddhist philosophy. It implies that things keep on changing and are transient in nature. The Buddhist scriptures say that the three worlds are impermanent like autumn clouds. The three worlds are known as Dhatus. The scriptures talk of birth and death to be like a dance. Human life is compared to flash of lightning or a waterfall.
These are all used to imply impermanence and help the faithful appreciate that things are characterized by impermanence. Human bodies are subject to changes. This underscores the impermanence in human life. People are born; they grow old and begin graying until their hair starts falling off. This is also true with the human person mental capability. For once, somebody is happy and in the subsequent minute he/she is sad. The constant changes that we undergo take place with or without people’s notice. It is pertinent that a Buddhist understands impermanence not only for the practice of Dharma but also to deeply understand their daily lives.
How is Buddhism an innovation to indigenous Indian Religion?
Buddhism is an innovation to the indigenous Indian religion especially with regards to the explanation of the third universal characteristic of existence, non-self. The development of philosophy and religion in India was characterized with some Hindu schools adopting the teachings of Buddha in the way they meditated and mainstream philosophical ideas.
Compare and contrast Buddhism and Hinduism
Both religions believe in the concept of karma, i.e. bringing oneself either good or bad destiny as a result of their deeds either in this life or in the afterlife, and the reincarnation of the departed. Both religions advocate for tolerance towards all living things and condemn any form of violence to the living creatures. Buddha had a strong belief that desire was the reason behind suffering and that suffering can only cease when desire results are removed. Some Hindu texts also point out that acts driven solely by desire only results into suffering. To become free, individuals should take part in activities in which they expect no form of pay.
The two religions differ mainly in their norms and beliefs. As opposed to Buddhism that was founded by Buddha, Hinduism was not founded by any prophet. Hindus believe in the supremacy of Vedas which is not true for Buddhists. Buddhists do not accept as true the existence of a supreme deity and souls whereas Hindus believe in a supreme deity, Brahman.
A myth is a narrative that attempts to explicate a natural phenomenon, the relationship between man and god(s), or the way the world works. Conversely, a ritual is a religious ceremony that consists of a number of actions, which follow a fixed order. Sacred refers to connectedness with God or Gods. Alternatively, it is something that people set aside for a religious purpose. ‘Profane’ refers to something that is not sacred or holy.
Rituals can bring religious practitioners into contact with the sacred owing to the importance attached to the ritual. It is not the beliefs that lie underneath the rituals that make them significant; it is the actual ritual. When a person gets involved in a set of behaviors or actions, he or she can get a holistic experience that would strengthen that person’s relationship with the deities. The physical sensations created by performing the ritual have an immense effect on the participant’s emotional and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, that person will feel close to the religious traditions of the past. The state of carrying out these rituals requires minimal intellectual input in order to eliminate doubt in the procedure. This whole process causes the religious follower to learn that the sacred or the spiritual is a vital part of the human world (profane). In this sense, the ritual becomes a living myth because it teaches the practitioner how the spiritual can penetrate into a human being’s world (Tunnels 120).
To understand how this works, one can examine the Hindu faith. Several rituals, such as Puja, characterize Hinduism. This term means ‘to worship’ or ‘to show reverence’. Hindu devotees perform the Puja ritual every morning after taking a bath and dressing up. They normally gaze at an image of a divine being. The worshipers do not think of the image as the actual deity but assume that it is merely a demonstration of the energy of that divine being. In this process, the devotee must pour an offering to the object by using food or flowers. The individual may also light some incense or candles in this ceremony. Sometimes a person may perform the ritual silently or may accompany it with prayers. Here, a person may request his or her god for blessings.
As the individual carries out these activities, one realizes their importance immediately. This reinforces the idea that the person is indeed a part of a spiritual world. One myth that may contribute towards a better understanding of the connection between rituals, myths, the sacred, and profane is the myth of the Brahmacharya. The Hindus believe that, at one’s early stages of life, one must remain celibate, sober, and in a state of contemplation. They claim that this will prepare the individual for a different phase of his life. The myth, therefore, reinforces a person’s belief in divine values and purpose, in his or her life. This myth allows the person to contemplate about his Guru or spiritual knowledge and thus leads to a greater connection with the spiritual world. The Puja ritual does the same thing, as well.
Muslims engage in an annual ritual called the Hajj. This entails visiting the holy place – Mecca. During the visit, believers often circle a black stone seven times and engage in several other acts (Tunnels 320). Followers believe Noah and Abraham carried out the rituals that they normally perform. As Muslim followers carry out these acts, they tend to contemplate upon ancient Muslim leaders such as Abraham. This causes them to understand the qualities that drove their spiritual leaders to obey God. Pilgrims find that they become spiritually connected to their divine being after performing the ritual. Therefore, one may explain that this ritual does bring pilgrims closer to the sacred. Muslims believe that one of their spiritual leaders – Ibrahim – erected a building whose foundation already existed. This belief is a myth and serves to reinforce the idea that man and God are constantly working together in the same way that the ritual does.
Judaism and Buddhism
The main problem with the universe in Buddhism is pain and suffering. Pain fills birth; death is painful; falling ill is painful and so is old age. Buddha taught that all these components were ordinary in life, yet they were highly undesirable. As can be seen, this worldview has no reference to an external deity. The problem with the universe centers on human agency rather than a spiritual agent. Conversely, in Judaism, the main problem with the universe is the lack of spiritual connectedness with God. Since the religion is monotheistic, Jews believe that God is the controller of the universe; if an entity moves away from this plan, then that ruins the order of things. When no association with God exists, then this results in a state of disarray (Tunnels 45).
The Buddhists explain that the cause of this problem is desire or greed. When one starts to crave happiness, wealth, and other material benefits, then that leads to excessive suffering. Buddha explains that desire leads to pain and suffering because greed can never be satisfied. This world view focuses on personal, human responsibility for the problem of pain and suffering. One does need an intermediary deity to straighten out the problem. In contrast, Jews believe that failure to maintain holiness creates poor relationships between man and God. Therefore, in this viewpoint, an external party defines the problems in the universe. The centrality of God takes precedence too.
The main goal in solving the main problem of the universe among the Buddhists is to get rid of desire. When desires no longer bound an individual, then people can live in a state of Nirvana. This term refers to a state of immense peace and job. At this level, one eradicates all suffering in the same way that one would put out a candle. Conversely, the Jews believe that the main goal is to become holy. Adherents assume that for a man to fit into the presence of God, one must be sanctified from one’s sins. Once again, the main reference in Judaism is God – the Supreme Being. However, in Judaism, the reference point is the mind or the intellect. In this regard, Judaism is absolutist while Buddhism is relative. In this religion, the individual must cultivate his or her wisdom.
In Buddhism, people recognize that an individual can convert from one existence to the other. Therefore, the solution for reaching this goal is through enlightenment or elimination of ignorance. One must use the intuitive experience as well as intellect in order to eliminate those desires. Followers achieve intuitive experience through long periods of spiritual and mental growth. This religion also teaches an eightfold path that leads a person to the state of Nirvana. The Jews propose that individuals must continue to sanctify themselves in order to get close to God; they can achieve this by worshiping God and practicing certain rituals. Since man is always in a state of uncleanness, he must continue to sanctify himself through worship. Therefore, one can assert that, in Buddhism, followers give a greater emphasis on spiritual rather than physical performance. On the other hand, Judaism tends to value ritualistic observations. Nonetheless, the rituals still possess a spiritual element in them. In this religion, man’s actions are not enough to solve the problem of impurity; therefore, to achieve this goal, he needs to rely on an external party. Both religions require humans to make the conscious choice to achieve the ultimate goal.
Works Cited
Hinnells, John. The new Penguin handbook of living religions. London: Penguin books, 1998. Print.
The book by John Strong “The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations” provides readers with insight into Buddhism, its practices, theories, teachings, and rituals. The author describes and explains many key aspects and notions of this religion. The key concepts as nirvana, thunderous silence, two extremes, Middle Way, the doctrine of emptiness are the basics of this religion. The author provides the evolution of Buddhism and the main religious figures that influenced the formation of the Buddhist vision of the world. In the next sections, the key concepts described in the book are discussed.
Channa Is Taught the Middle Way
In the Mainstream sutra from The Collection of Connected Discourses, Buddha describes the “way of wisdom,” which he explains as the middle way between extremes. Only a wise person can go along a middle path, and this is the best way to understand life. The extremes are sensual indulgence and self-mortification. It was the first teaching of the Middle Way by Buddha. The later interpretation of this term was found in the Mahayana sutra.
This time, the term defined the concept of existence and non-existence. So, things can either exist on do not, “the middle way is to be found in the way “reality” is somehow existent, non-existent, and yet existent at the same time.” (Gethin 247). This teaching can be put as a basis for more late theories of “duality of human nature” and other religious teachings about “the right way in life.”
Preliminary: The Parable of the Burning House
Lotus of the True Dharma is one of the most widely read sutras. It has a deep philosophical context and contains a reach teaching. It discloses three main themes: the doctrine of Priyanka, in other words, three vehicles that bring a person to nirvana. These are the vehicles that enticed children from the burning house – the disciples’ vehicles, the pratyekabuddhas vehicle, and the bodhisattvas’ vehicle (Strong 150).
The second theme is that every person can become a buddha and attain Nirvana. And the third one is the importance to believe and be devoted to your faith. The text is reached in parables. One of them is the burning house. The house symbolizes the world, fire is suffering, and the millionaire is a wise Buddha who saves people. The goat-cart, ox-cart, and deer-cart stand for the three vehicles to Nirvana. But Buddha gives to his children only one vehicle, which is the main to all teachings.
Nagarjuna: Verses on the Noble Truths and Nirvana
Nagarjuna is considered to be the second Buddha in East Asian and Tibetian Buddhism. His verses are opened to many interpretations (Robinson 95). The main of his teachings was the teaching of emptiness. It is his vision of the reality that is empty. It is a misunderstanding, indeed. Nagarjuna does not deny reality, he denies the description of the reality. (Strong 158) His fundamental work Verses on the Middle Way is a detailed analysis and his vision of Buddhism and the connection of Buddha with the world. In this verse, there is also the interpretation of the Four Noble Truth and Nirvana.
The Four Noble Truths, according to Nagarjuna, are the following: the first truth is that all things around us are empty, and because we hold them and appreciate them, we suffer. The second truth says that the reason for our suffering is that we do not understand what is real and what is unreal. The third truth says that because emptiness and relativity of things are absolute, the suffering also has its end. And the fourth truth gives people the hope to prevent suffering. One can stop suffer if he/she follows the Middle Way. Nagarjuna claims that only the one who attains the fourth truth can attain nirvana.
Sudhana’s Vision of the Cosmos
Young man Sudhana wanted to attain enlightenment. On his way to enlightenment, he got lessons from 53 teachers who sent him from one to another until, finally, he met Buddha and saw the cosmos, “And in every single of those quadrillions of Buddha fields, he saw Tathagatas surrounded by countless assemblies of bodhisattvas. And he saw that all those quadrillions of fields had various bases, forms, arrangements…” (Strong 172). This is the story about how one can reach enlightenment and what steps should be done. At the end of his way, Sudhana understands that the main aim of Buddha is to save all people and that the greatest wisdom does not exist unless you put it into practice.
The Skillful Means of Vimalakirti
Meditation is a state of harmony with yourself. A Vimalakirti’s silence is silent meditation, a very significant silence. The Vimalakirti’s Sutra is one of the most important and significant works in the Mahayana canon. The sutra describes the silence as wisdom. There is a connection between silence and speech. The main question of the sutra is, how does the bodhisattva enter the gates of non-dualism (oneness)?
The answer was the next one, “I think that when you can neither speak nor talk of any event when you neither indicate nor know anything when you pass beyond both questions and answer, this is to enter the gate of oneness.” (Strong 187) This answer explains that silence is wisdom. But the silence is not just not to pronounce a word it means the silence that makes a point. Everything has sense, and silence can be louder than speech.
Commentary of the Passage
The birth of our Universe is the result of a Big Bang. What can be similar between the theory of the Big Bang and the doctrine of emptiness in Buddhism? Before the big bang in the Universe, there was emptiness. The smallest parts were moving in disorder, but the time has come, and those parts united, and life was born. The Buddhist doctrine of emptiness is based on the supposition that the world is an empty thing and all the objects in it.
Thus, there is no sense, and there is nothing essential in everything that surrounds us. Nothing is important, and nothing is permanent. But, can we come up to a conclusion that nothing exists? The theory of Buddhism explains that things are related to each other and can exist only in this relation. Pain exists only when you feel it music exists only when you hear it. In one understands it, he/she can attain nirvana.
The understanding of the emptiness” is the same as understanding the structure of the Universe. If you know how the thing is created, you can change it as you wish. Besides, the doctrine of emptiness and the Big bang theory has one basis: everything was created from the emptiness. Thus, the birth of the Universe can be compared with the attainment of nirvana.
Works cited
Gethin, Rupert. The Foundations of Buddhism. New York: Oxford University press, 1998.
Strong, John S., The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations. 3rd ed. New York: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007.
Robinson, Richard H., Willard L. Johnson, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu., Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction. 5th ed. New York: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004.
According to Theravada Buddhist and most Buddhists, the universe and its occupants are constantly suffering or in a state of Dukkha. This state defines humanity’s way of life. As such, it determines who remains in the arduous cycle of life that comprises of birth, suffering through illnesses, poverty, and death, death, and rebirth into the same cycle. Theravadas believe that the cause of all this suffering is the human craving for sensuality.
As a result, people are blind to reality. They spend their lives in pursuit of illusive ideas of what comprises true happiness, such as wealth, promiscuity, and power (Cunningham and Kelsey 34). Consequently, they are born and reborn into alternate states of happiness and suffering, more approximately, they exist in these alternating states, where at one instant, one is happy, for instance, one acquires wealth, and then in the next instant, they are suffering, for instance, when thieves steal this wealth.
On the other hand, Jain believers feel that the universe is too violent. They aspire to exist in a state of peace and tranquility where nobody hurts any other living thing, including plants. The basis of this belief is the belief that each living organism has a soul, jiva, and that all the other organisms, including human beings, should revere these souls. It comes as no surprise that they are vegetarian because their teachings forbid the killing of any organism that has more than one sense.
The cause of this violence, according to Jainism, is greed and so for a person to attain the ultimate goal, which is bliss or liberation from karma. It is fascinating to note that Jainism and Theravada Buddhism are almost similar to the extent that both religions incorporate the notion of karma, different though the definition may be. For Jain believers, they associate karma with the soul.
The ultimate goal for both Jainism and Theravada Buddhism is exaltation, and their respective paths to this goal are almost similar, at least in principle. For Buddhists, the Buddha outlined an eightfold path to exaltation after one has succeeded in relinquishing his / her craving. The eightfold path teaches values such as concentration, virtue, and self-control. More specifically, the eight qualities include right sight, speech, resolve, concentration, view, action, livelihood, effort, and mindfulness (Cunningham, and Kelsey 98).
Once a person manages to attain the correct amounts of each of these, they can attain awakening. In Jainism, the teachings are a bit simpler. The main goal is to attain a universe where no violence occurs. Consequently, Jain teachings speak of the ‘three jewels,’ which are the right belief, knowledge, and conduct. Following from these three, a true believer makes five sacred vows to non-violence, chastity, non-acquisition, not stealing, and honesty.
Strict Jain observers are remarkably honest. They live with the utmost care to use only what they need. In fact, ideally, a Jain believer ought to live on only half their income, giving a quarter to monks and nuns and the other quarters to other charities. It is pertinent to note here that regarding Jainism and Karma, they believe that one can remove bogus karma by making certain offerings to the images of their awakened role models or simply attract meritorious karma by behaving correctly and by thinking positive thoughts. This way, even though one’s conduct attracts negative karma, their thoughts will remain pure, and so the karma will not attach. Both religions are atheists. They look up to human beings who have attained enlightenment, not as gods but as a source of inspiration or as teachers, not gods.
Jain ascetic ideal and lay people
Jain monks and nuns are by far some of the strictest of all religions. “Jainism is split into two sects: the Digambara and the Svetambara sects” (Cunningham, and Kelsey 98). The Digambara are more pious than the latter. They have a more negative attitude about women too. The sects differ in the belief that women cannot attain exaltation outright, with the Digambara asserting that the woman needs to be reborn as a man first.
They give several reasons for this belief including the fact that ‘nakedness’ is an essential sign of being prepared for exaltation. This is because the present day Jain followers irrespective of contradictory scientific proof still believe that menstruation kills microorganisms in a woman’s body and so she is ‘committing a violent act’. All these are that naked women are not the sight that monks aspire to see on the street while striving for their own salvation and finally that it is impractical to expect women to walk around naked and unashamed, yet pious. Consequently, nuns wear a light white cloth. Other than these, men and women are equal.
They have the same piety required of them. Both nuns and monks live a life of utter poverty they have no possession except for a light broom to sweep off insects on the streets so that they do not tread on and kill them. In addition to this, monks shield their mouths with a muslin cloth to avoid accidentally swallowing and, therefore, killing any insects. Svetambara nuns and monks also have a begging bowl and some writing and reading materials.
This purely selfless life, stripped of any distractions such as wealth, power or status is ideal for a Jainism believer striving for exaltation. Monks and nuns also strive to live chastely, meaning that they do not engage in sexual misconduct or thoughts. For those who had previous sexual encounters, they are encouraged not to think about them. In addition to these, they are not to watch pornographic material, or to consume drugs and other stimulating substances likely to impair their judgment.
Lay people participate in the ascetics’ way of life by giving food and other parts of their possessions. However, a monk or nun would never accept food that was specially prepared for them. They also cannot eat before sunrise or after sundown. On the other hand, the monks and nuns offer spiritual support to lay people. They offer prayers and blessings, for instance, to the sick. Lay people can become monks or nuns at any point of their lives.
During holy days, lay people can go for retreats to the monastery and for the duration they are there, they will abide by the same rules as the resident nuns and monks. Finally, Jainism forbids sexual indulgence even between married people. The ideal position is that, once a couple gets a son, they abstain from any more sexual encounters. These values as applied by ascetics are too strict and impractical for lay people to imitate; however, following the teachings to a lesser degree assuages the layperson’s conscience and most lay people believe that the effort alone will bring them blameless karma, which is critical for exaltation.
Work Cited
Cunningham, Lawrence, and John Kelsey. The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion. Kansas: Springler, 2009.
What do you see as notable about the birth of the Buddha? How does Siddhartha’s birth differ from Christ’s birth? How are they similar?
The birth of Buddha is associated with a miracle. It is said that Queen Maha Maya had a dream, and in the dream, there appeared a beautiful white elephant that encircled her and entered her right side. The Queen was a strict observer of all religious vows, and consequently, she was perplexed and consulted the King over the issue. Afterward, the King summoned the wise men, also known as Brahmin, to assist in the interpretation of the mysterious dream.
The wiremen’s interpretation of the dream was that there was going to be born a son to the royal family. According to the tradition of people, such a son was to become a Universal Monarch, incase he remained in the palace. Traditionally, the Queen had to return to her parents to give birth. However, while on the way to her parent’s home, she gave birth to a baby boy. The birth was an extraordinary event and was celebrated in the country.
The birth of Siddharta differs from that of Christ in a number of ways. Whereas Christ was born in a manger, Siddharta was born under a giant Sal tree. Furthermore, the birth of Siddharta occurred when the Queen was going back to her parent’s home. On the other hand, Christ was in Bethlehem as his parents had gone for a census. Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, Siddharta was a son to the Queen. As such, Christ was born from a humble background, whereas Siddharta from the royal family. The only similarity in the birth of Christ and Siddharta was that both their births were predicted by angels.
What do you see as the main ethical concerns of the historical Buddha? How do these ethical concerns overlap with the ethical concerns of Christ? In what ways are the ethical approaches of Buddha and Christ different?
The ethical concern in the birth of the Buddha was that it was predicted by angels. Normally, the birth of a child is supposed to be known by the parents. As such, the fact that four angels appeared and predicted this to the Queen goes against the conventional ethics of society. Additionally, as a child from the royal family, he was supposed to be born at home. Consequently, it becomes an ethical concern if the Buddha is born on the way under a Sal tree. There is an overlap between the Buddha’s birth and that of Christ in that Christ was born of a woman who was a virgin.
However, the birth of Christ also occurs away from home. The birthplace of Christ, the manager, was against societal ethics. Given the pivotal role that Christ was to play at the start of the Christian faith, one would have imagined that he would have been born in a decent place. Thus, there is a difference between the ethical approaches of Christ and Buddha. Here, it did not matter so much where the Buddha was born. On the other hand, the birthplace of Christ was significant in the Christian faith.
What is the cause of suffering, according to the Buddha? What is the cause of suffering, according to Christ? How does the Buddha see suffering overcome? How does the Christ see suffering overcome?
According to Buddha, there is a belief that suffering is an occurrence through a chain of endless rebirths. As such, Buddha believes that suffering is a desire. Here, there was a concerted effort among the Buddhists to desire this aspect. According to Christ, suffering is caused by men’s deviation from the teachings of the Bible. Among Christians, there is a belief that suffering is caused by Satan (the devil), who does not want to see God’s people live in peace. As such, the devil makes people commit sins resulting into suffering. To Christ, desires cause one to sin. Man’s body desires need to be fulfilled thus resulting into sin.
The Buddha believes that one could overcome suffering by eliminating the desire within. Here, the elimination of the desire is followed by the Noble Eight-fold Path. According to the Buddha, the Noble Eight-fold meant that one had the right views, the right livelihood, the right speech, the right conduct, the right intent ,the right effort, the right mindfulness and the right concentration. On the other hand, Christ believes that suffering can be overcome by trusting in God. Christians do believe that God is the giver of strength and offers refuge meaning that God helps during times of trouble. Remaining faithful in God’s teachings means that one receives eternal reward. This is in a place where no suffering occurs.
What is the view of atonement according to Christ? How are meals important? How does the view of Christian communion differ from the view of Buddhist enlightenment? How is Christian atonement the same as Buddhist enlightenment? How is it different?
According to Christ, atonement was meant to satisfy and reconcile sinners with God. It was through the atonement that redemption of sinners occurred. Christ obeyed and died in order for sinners to be reconciled with God. A number of theories have been proposed to explain the concept of atonement. The theory of Ransom states that atonement was as a result of Christ offering himself as a ransom. Early Christians believed that the ransom was paid to Satan.
On the other hand, the governmental theory explains that atonement was to demonstrate to men that sin did not please God. Christians view the Holy Communion as a sign of reunion with Christ. Christians practice the Holy Communion from time to time to celebrate their union with Christ. Whereas Christians do not have exceptions when it comes to the consumption of foods, Buddhists do not eat fish and meat.
Buddhists do not fully believe in the concept of atonement as expressed in Biblical teachings. To them, emphasis is not on forgiving. Buddhists value the act of following the right path rather than forgiving. They believe that there is a need to for one to look at the foolishness that leads them to commit an act of sin. The concept of enlightenment according to the Buddhists refers to the aspect of awakening.
By enlightenment, the Buddhists realize the truths as it concerns the teachings of Buddha. Christianity is achieved through faith by way of grace. On the other hand, Buddhism stresses on the concept of enlightenment whereby people seek to alleviate ignorance. As such, the two religions display clear differences in the concepts and doctrines they believe in their teachings.