Religion is very important in the cultural system of every society. It is said to be a well built faith in a mystical power occurring in the supernatural state.
Every person is supposed to adhere with the beliefs and the customs involved in his or her faith on the spiritual base. There are different types of religions but this discussion focuses on just two: Buddhism and Hinduism. These two religions happened to originate in one region in that they share some terminologies which are alike.
Their goals are however different on their practices even though they share a lot on the faith (Eliot 15). The following discussion therefore, is inclusive of the comparisons and contractions between these two religions with their differences during their childhoods and the way they were raised.
To start with the two religions share many things in their beliefs in that they both believe in rebirth which is determined by the actions one does in the daily life.
This is where there is rebirth of the individual’s soul into any life form. They both believe that it is individual’s responsibility to work out on his salvation which is dependent on his good actions (Eliot 9). Basing on enlightenment they both believe that it is possible to attain it through rising above individual’s way of thinking and the desires as well as controlling individual’s six senses.
It is a common belief on the pain one achieves through too much attachment to people and the worldly things, both therefore advocate in freeing oneself out of the fantasies of the worldly desires. Meditation is a common emphasis to both faiths which liberates an individual; enhance concentration in life and enlightenment .They also practices the tantric practices (Georg and Peter 731).
There are contradictions on their beliefs such that in Buddhism godly figures are not involved in their belief basing on the original doctrinal principles even though there is some introduction of Godly figures by the later believers. On the other hand in Hinduism there are 300,000 Gods which are believed in.
These two religions are also different on their foundations which are referred as their childhood state. On Hinduism there is no complete certainty of on who started it and where. It is also believed that this religion originated from the Vedas which were written at about 1000 years Before Christ even though they were still on existence for a long period but in oral form.
In Buddhism there is complete certainty of who founded it- the Siddartha Gautama who is known as Buddha. At first he did not intend to create any new religion as he had left for the meditation to modify Hinduism where he became Buddha as his answer thus the foundation of Buddhism (Bhaskar 5).
There are complex rituals performed in Hinduism from the day one is born till death where priests play a very significant role when carrying these roles. On the other hand Buddhism practices these rituals in worship forms without involvement of the priest. Hinduism follows the caste system and believes in excessive asceticism but Buddhism does not pursue caste system and rejects the excessive asceticism.
In Buddhism there are no stages that one has to go through in life where one is given freedom to join any depending on the preparedness while in Hinduism there are four stages that one must go through in life which follow in this order: student, family, leaving of the worldly wishes and meditation stage awaiting truth and death. Finally, despite all these differences the two religions play important roles on them that practice them in their way of life (Williams 523).
Work Cited
Bhaskar, V. S. Faith & philosophy of Buddhism. New York: Gyan Publishing House, 2009.
Eliot, Charles. Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol I. (of 3). New York: Echo Library, 2007.
Eliot, Charles. Hinduism and Buddhism, Volume . New York: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2008.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Peter C. Hodgson. Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion: Determinate Religion. New York: University of California Press, 1996.
Williams, Monier. Buddhism – In Its Connexion with Brahmanism and Hinduism and in Its Contrast with Christianity. New York: READ BOOKS, 2007.
Comprehension of an interfaith dialogue as well as its relevance is the first point that should be considered before answering the question.
In understanding this, we will all be able to have a clue on what the topic of argument is all about. We will consider Buru Dede’s perspective as the leader of our discussion. According to Buru Dede, all the discussions whose major intention is to encourage joint considerate between two or more religions can only attain his intention by only tackling his or her own religion.
As long as we all concentrate on the scope of our spiritual mores, we will not be capable of articulating in a language that can be interpreted by the participants in our discussion. We are all obliged to reveal to the fullest the genuine theology only by exceeding the customary teachings and policies.
In this case, there will be higher chances of occurrence of an interfaith dialogue. For a victorious interfaith discussion, there must be an individuals tackling using his personal religious conviction. In addition to this, the participants’ religion should also be tackled. The interfaith discussion will thus be satisfactory and successful too. The joint disclosure of each person’s religion encourages mutual understanding among the participants.
To begin with Tom’s idea on the existence of the sharing of certain perspectives among both the Christians and the Buddhists, I think the outlook is true. Assuming that you all know Pope John Paul II, he was a great Christian who also took part in publishing work. During his ‘Crossing the Threshold of Hope and His Holiness’ he emerged with some annotations on a Christian perspective.
As stated in (Cobb 50), The Holy Father reminded us all, that “what unites us is much greater than what separates us … It is necessary … to rid ourselves of stereotypes, of old habits and above all, it is necessary to recognize the unity that already exists.” This is acceptable too among the Buddhists.
Given that, you are well informed about the account of inter-religious discussions, I don’t intend to tire you by repeating its review. I think it is better to make ourselves remember certain aspects of the interreligious discussion. First the term ‘step back’ as it has been used in the context refers to reminding oneself the far one has gone some few decades back. A proof that identifies a Pope’s perspective is ‘unity that already exists’ is quite heartening.
While I was busy searching for some information on the guidelines when an individual is writing a dialogue in a WCCs booklet. The author to this book put up a suggestion as cited in (Sernett 27), “it is easy to discuss religions and even ideologies as though they existed in some realm of calm quite separate from the sharp divisions, conflicts and sufferings of humankind”.
Nearly all the Christians agree to this statement. However, the reverse is true to the Buddhists. The Buddhists claim that they could only agree to the statement if “religions and ideologies often contribute to the disruption of communities and the suffering of those whose community life is broken” (Sernett 27).
These differences in perspectives concerning religious doctrines have entrenched into other peoples activities. However, it is probable that individuals from the Buddhist will with time regret why they don’t do what is expected.
The Christians have a holy book that is written the Holy Father in which the features are given in some kind of sequence and also emphasizes on some topics which the Buddhist can find it rough on disagreeing. The book also has opinions on which the dialogue can proceed: “….there is basis for dialogue and for the growth of unity, a growth that should occur at the same rate at which we are able to overcome our divisions — divisions that to a great degree result from the idea that one can have a monopoly on truth (Smith 37).
However, the faith of the Buddhist does not correspond to the dialogue the way other religions do towards the dialogue. Buddhism is not a doctrine that has salvation. Buddhists were discouraged from blind fellowship in faith matters. He advised his followers to be listening to teachings keenly and assessing personally whether they are convinced if it is the truth or not.
I think Megan has a point. On building on it, I can say Buddha offers knowledge in academics as well as spiritually so that this proficiency can be applied in all fields of life both individually as well as in a group. In spite of the fact that most of the spiritual teachings offered are anticipated to be the same in other religions, it is extra ordinary in this case.
According to Buddha as cited in (Smith 37), “One is indeed, one’s own savior, for what other savior could there be? When one is in control of oneself, one obtains a savior difficult to find”. According to Buddhists perspective, one has to move into the spiritual world for his own benefit.
We may also consider another aspect which is eclecticism. This may be viewed in two outcomes. Firstly, the dissimilarity between faiths should never be rejoined where it has ceased existing. The Pope in most books exemplifies the Buddhists attitude towards salvation as being completely negative.
The following is what he explains, “We do not free ourselves from evil through the good which comes from God; we liberate ourselves only through detachment from the world, which is bad.
The fullness of such a detachment is not union with God, but what is called nirvana, a state of perfect indifference with regard to the world. To save oneself means, above all, to free oneself from evil by becoming indifferent to the world, this is the source of evil. This is the culmination of the spiritual process.”
The Pope’s assurance is what unites all the people and its superior than what isolates people. This can help in creation of a strong foundation of faith in ones heart.
Buddhism is concerned with day to day sufferings that human beings experience. According to Buddha, “it is suffering I teach and the cessation of suffering”. Christians also talk about suffering. According to Pope’s perception, “The cross remains constant while the world turns.” Buddhist is only concerned amount the reality of evil and suffering.
I would like to complete by looking at the suggestion made towards Buddhism, “the Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. The Church has a high regard for their conduct and way of life, for those precepts and doctrines which, although differing on many points from that which the Church believes and propounds, often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men”.
The Buddhist should thus be given a chance to be wished with a happy feast of Vesakh as we are not only taught to be tolerant but also to love one another.
Works Cited
Cobb, John. Beyond Dialogue: Toward a Mutual Transformation of Buddhism and Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982. Print.
Sernett, Milton. “Religion and Group Identity: Believers as Behavers,” in Introduction to the Study of Religion. New York: Harper and Row, 1978. Print.
Smith, Huston. “Accents of the World’s Religions,”: Introduction to the Study of Religion. New York: Harper and Row, 1978. Print.
Both Hinduism and Buddhism religions share their origin from the Indian subcontinent. They are known to share long but rather strange and uneasy relationship in many ways. The Buddha was born in a Hindu family and many believe it gained huge number of followers since it released people from the oppression of Hindu caste system.
The religion brought on board salvation hope as well as freedom of preference in the society. Hinduism may not be entirely regarded as a religion but a collection of sectarian and religious associations united by some fundamentally comparable beliefs, origin, and custom of their descendants (Jayaram 1).
The Different Ways the Hindus and Buddhis Meditate
Meditation involves developing a faith in something else other than oneself. This means being able to give applause for little things and above all express gratitude for having been born as a human. Both religions meditate differently.
Hinduism
According to the Hinduism teachings, each and every living being is filled with an everlasting soul. They hold the belief that Brahma (the creator spirit) is intertwined with an individual’s soul.
Thus it is each individuals role to return the soul but this is not possible because of the sins and impurities one becomes exposed to once living in this world and since the process of becoming pure again is very difficult no one can accomplish the fete in one lifetime thus the soul is forced to live after life till the purity can be achieved and then the soul returns to the maker. Thus, one has to go through rebirths until fully cleansed.
Hinduism is a religion made of numerous gods and the followers are at liberty to choose among the many. In order to become a Hindu there are things you must believe in and promise to live by among them includes believing in karma and reincarnation.
The Hindu society is divided into castes and the different castes do not mingle. The divisions are largely exhibited by the belief in Karma and Dharma that expresses the idea that if someone is born into a specific caste they must stay there until death (White 1).
Meditation among the Hindus commonly known as the Yoga in Hindu is the path of salvation. Hindu meditation is a state of relaxed contemplation of the present moment it is the freedom from all thought. It is classified according to its focus.
Among the types of Hindu meditation are Vedanta and Raja Yoga. To cover one of the types, Verdanta means culmination of the knowledge and deals with reality nature while raja yoga is concerned with primarily cultivating the mind through meditation
Buddhism
This is a version of Hinduism and based on the four noble truths which make the foundation of the Buddhism as a religion. In order to escape reincarnation Buddhists believe it can be done by passing through the eight fold which says to practice moderation by having the right mind set, not lying nor insulting if these are practiced among others then one can reach the Brahma in one lifetime (White 1).
One is not a Buddhist until he has taken refuge in the triple gem. The triple gem in which one takes refuge in consists of getting refuge to the Buddha, refuge to Dharma, and refuge to Sangha. This is repeated twice or more. The going to take refuge in the triple Gems entails pure surrender of oneself, acceptance of discipleship among others.
Though surrender is delusional it is the hardest sacrifice which until made, enlightenment remains a dream (Yorke 8).
Then once a day a few minutes should be devoted to the compassionate meditation. This entails developing in the heart the feelings of love and kindness to oneself. This helps in keeping the follower within the religion framework. Before coming into meditation one has to clear the air by saying what it is not.
According to Buddhists the only person you surrender to is your meditation master. There are no prayers to God or anything you are your own except from the help of your teachers and fellow disciples. As research shows mindfulness is in the core of Buddhist meditation and it entails clear and single minded awareness of what happens to us.
Similarities in both Religions
The two traces their roots on the Indian soil. Furthermore, Buddhism was initiated by a Hindu and as a result they share origin. The two religions share karma. This is the belief in law of consequences. It simply states your actions revolve around you either as blessings of good deeds or curses of evil deeds.
They could take several lifetimes to be enacted depending on your actions while in this world. The revolution or the rebirth is either to reward or punish a person for his actions while he was in this world (Woinarowicz 1).
The two religions believe in the existence of several hells and heavens or higher and lower worlds (Anon 1). They hold the belief that one deeds determines how one will reincarnate after death
The two religions also believe in the existence of gods or deities. What really differ are the powers they place to these gods.
Both believe in certain spiritual practices like meditation concentration which helps them to try and discover their own selves and how they relate to their gods and themselves. In order to join the next world a believer in either of the two religions has to detach and forget everything about the worldly life in order to enter the spiritual life.
Contrasting the Two
Unlike Buddhism whose founder was a telepathist, Hinduism initiator was never a prophet. Hinduism believes in the worth and preeminence of the VEDAS (scripture) whereas the Buddhist does not believe in any religious scripture. In addition they (Buddhism) do not accept as true the idea of soul existence.
Hinduism recognizes that Buddha reincarnated from one of the religion’s gods (MAHAVISHNU) whereas Buddhists do not buy the idea that there could be a superior god fro their known (Buddha). Buddhists hold the view that the earth is a place of distress and believes that man is in the world with the sole aim of fighting the unhappiness whereas Hindus posit that there are four main objectives that man fights to accomplish in this world.
In Hinduism the four phases of life must be followed to the latter whereas there is no set condition in Buddhism. Buddhists stay in groups. Hinduism is basically a religion of individualism
Hinduism believes in Mayaism while Buddhists do not deny or support Mayaism which states that anything seen in this world is illusion. This dissimilar perception could mean no objective reality but subjective that is found in the perceiver mind but because everyone views the object differently then it qualifies not to be an illusion.
They argue if it was an illusion then the perception could be similar. The Maya nature is a practice in Hinduism but Buddhists do not hold any belief on the same. Dharma another aspect of Hinduism which is translated as obligation is another concept not shared by the two religions. Hindus must live by their castes while in Buddhism one can belong to any group just because you were born in an upper caste it does not mean you cannot intermingle with the people of the lower caste
The two religions are almost similar but there are differences in the attempt to make the world a better place; the Buddhists have beliefs going beyond and even contradicting those of the Hindus. Buddhism advocates equal love the populace and upholds the caste system, a thing that Hindus never practice.
Acceptance of god is another factor that differentiates the two religions. The Hindus have many gods including Brahman the super creator but Buddhists refute their existence. Not that Buddhists preach that there is no god rather they refute the need to search for one. They say one should concentrate in what you can know rather not on what you cannot know.
Conclusion
We can conclude that religion plays a vital role on how we behave and relate to one another. Thus we should always take the best in our religion and compromise what might not be ethical to others in order to avoid conflicts that may arise due to religion affiliation.
Various communities have emerged from religions each with its own beliefs, practices, and purpose. Examples of these communities are the Zen Buddhism and Oneida community. These two communities share certain beliefs and differ in others.
Zen community and Oneida community were formed with the objective of creating a community where people would live on earth without suffering. The founders of these two communities established the cause of suffering, and then found ways of eliminating it.
Oneida community practices and beliefs
The Oneida community was established by John Humphrey Noyes in the name of “free love.” Love was expressed through sexuality. Noyes was against the normal marriage because of two reasons, marriage made a woman a productive drudge and secondly, it was an obstacle to true Christian community because of the issue of staying as couples.
To solve this issue, Noyes created a method where men would restrain themselves as a method of birth control and members of Oneida community had liberty to have sexual relations with the opposite gender. In addition, monogamous marriage was not allowed.
Noyes stated that his teachings came from the bible. From the book of Genesis 1-3, sexuality served the purpose of expressing love and also that of recreation. However, after the fall, harmony between human beings was no more and this resulted to sufferings.
As a result of this fall, human beings experienced financial struggles in catering for their families while women suffered in giving birth. Men separated from their wives in such of support for their families.
The purpose of the Oneida community was to bring back the love that was lost between man and wife. People worked as a community for short hours, therefore reducing the burden of working. The path taken to live a life without suffering was, first, eliminating sin, shame, and then the burden of child birth.
Zen Buddhism practices and beliefs
The Zen community followed Buddha’s teachings. They had many practices such as zazen, where a person sat in meditation. Through this process of meditation a person experienced harmony. During meditation, thoughts passed through the mind but did not remain there. In this state of mind, everything that a person did came from natural impulses. A person was able to fully concentrate in his actions without interactions.
Koan was another practice done in Zen tradition. Koan used a question that puzzled the brain of a person. One was made to view the world in its original form. To understand a koan, one focused on it without reflecting on it, interacting directly with it. The significance of koan was to bring the understanding that every person was an interdependent whole of the world.
The purpose of Zen practice was enlightenment, or satori. One felt the harmony of all beings by realizing that everything was whole. Every living thing became valuable and at the same time invaluable. This enigma was understood only with consciousness rather than intellectuality.
Comparison and contrasts
The founders of both communities were human beings. The initiator of Buddhism was Shakyamuni. He was fully enlightened through meditation and opened ways of spirituality and liberty. The initiator of Oneida was known as John Noyes. He formed Oneida community in the name of love. They two founders had one main objective of reducing suffering in human beings.
Though Zen Buddhism and Oneida community shared common values, they also differed in some beliefs. Buddhism believed in no supreme power. Furthermore, they did not worship Buddha. Buddhism was not a religion of God; instead it was of wisdom, insight, and kindness. Oneida community believed in God, who was the creator of the universe.
Oneida community believed that salvation came through confession of sin; however, Buddhists believed that salvation and enlightenment came through meditation and taking away of defilements and illusion. Oneida community believed that there God lived separately; while Buddhists believed that Buddha was inherent in them.
The Buddha did not pay attention to aspects such as the soul, life after death, or how the earth was formed. Buddhists focused on the things that existed such as birth, aging, death, suffering and how they could be eliminated from people.
The teachings of Buddha were facts of existence and the way to freedom; nirvana. The Oneida community believed in life after death, where they stated that the kingdom of heaven would come to earth.
According to Buddha, life was about suffering which came from the desires of humans, and could end through the Noble Eightfold Path. Therefore, Buddha was neither negative nor positive about life.
Buddha outlined ways that would liberate people from suffering. The Eightfold Path gave procedures to eliminate past mistakes, abstain from keeping any wrongs, and forming values for a good rebirth. One step in this path was to know reality perfectly. This was done through knowing the four noble truths. Every action was controlled by the mind.
Therefore, the actions of people could either produce happiness or suffering. The second aspect was to have the right intention, then right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness, and the eighth factor right meditation.
According to John Noyes, suffering began with the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. From that time onwards, women suffered during child birth, while men had to toil hard to support their families. This separated men and their wives, and the love that existed before ceased.
To stop this suffering, Noyes formed a community of “free love.” People worked as one, therefore reducing working hours. Men restrained themselves as a method of birth control, therefore reducing the suffering of women in child birth.
Zen Buddhism and Oneida community differed in their view of birth and death. In Buddhism, a changing form of being provoked another into motion. Every good or evil deed created another personality with time which was realized after death. For freedom to occur even after death, people had to live a life without desires. A liberated person experienced an eternal, calm, and permanent state. Oneida believed in eternity which would be on earth.
Conclusion
Zen community and Oneida community shared common values and differed in others. Both were formed with the intention of reducing suffering in human beings. Buddha gave teachings to its followers that acted as guidelines to a liberal life.
The main idea of these teachings was to flee from desires, which was the main cause of sufferings. On the other hand, John Noyes who was the founder of Oneida community stated that suffering began with the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and this suffering would end through birth control and a complex marriage.
However, the Zen and Oneida community differed in various aspects. The Zen community was non-theists, while Oneida community believed in God. The Oneida community followed biblical teachings while Zen community followed Buddha’s teachings.
Some monks have come up with belief that obstructions like lust and sensual pleasures cannot obstruct anyone from practicing their religion.
This is however a misrepresentation because these obstructions only lead to self-gratification which lead to perpetual suffering. Because of the debates that have clouded the sexuality of the monks many have had to believe that monks can marry. This is a misconception because monks must remain celibate.
Clear line has to be drawn between those who dress like monks and marry and the actual monks. Those who put on monks and have wives should never be mistaken for monks. Whoever feels like abandoning the monk’s way of life if free to go because it is their individual right.
But once they have given up their vows they must stop putting on like monks. Buddhism gives a lot of credence to scholarship that is anchored on the practitioner’s investigation and his experience.
This scholarship is not in essence a textual tradition. The scholarship is intended to enlighten someone under the Bodhi tree. Many people have mistaken Buddhism to be a religion.
In actual sense it is a philosophy of life. That there is god in Buddhism is a misrepresentation because the original scriptures do not talk of any conscious higher being in the world. The scriptures regarded nature as the highest being.
The Indian who started Buddhism died some time back and is not immortal (Nakamura, 1990). The fact that his followers called him Buddha simplify imply that he is enlightened but does not render him immortal.
Buddhism is against praying to idols but encourages individuals to think. The scriptures encourage people who practice Buddhism to challenge the existing teachings. This is meant to encourage thinking while discouraging blind following. Individuals must no what the verses in the scriptures actually mean. Scriptures tend to discourage offering of prayers to idols and statues.
One must not just go to the temple to pray but to think. It is likely that people who pray to idols do not engage in constructive thinking and tend to leave everything to Buddha and assume that things will resultantly be well with them. Individual is called upon to understand the ultimate source of suffering by engaging in thinking.
One can only fully understand how the world works when he or she is enlightened. Unless one is enlightened it is very difficult for them to attain happiness.
Buddhism calls upon its adherents to be compassionate towards everything, plants and animals included. This compassion makes one to attain higher level of enlightenment. This kind of enlightenment compels a man never to run but offer himself as food to the lion. The lion will be converted to a vegetarian by this higher enlightenment.
Scriptural teaching on retribution has up to today been misconceived because of the theories that have been advanced from the original scriptural teachings. Many stories have been told about the 18 levels of hell. Good and bad in Buddhism context is relative. Quite often whatever is perceived to be good or bad depends on how one was brought up, the state of their mind, and their level of education.
Because Buddhism is practiced not only in India but also widespread in Japan, and China it is practiced differently in these countries. The faithful have varying intellectual capacity hence the different ways in which these people understand Buddhism. Clever people and the greedy people practice Buddhism.
This call upon believers to be independent minded and interrogates the teachings of the Buddha so that they get enlightened. Because these people practice different cultures and have different social and economic background, it is possible that their understanding of Buddhism has to be divergent from those popular beliefs held by other faithful.
Christian’s perception of Buddhism
Buddhist practice denial of a self. They believe that human existence is characterized by impermanence. The impermanence is devoid of abiding principle.
Christians are tempted to ask that if there is no self then what it that reincarnates from one existence to the next is. Their view of rebirth has inherent potential problems with some of their texts alluding to continuity of personal existence. The scriptures are categorical that Yama will judge the dead.
Yama is the god of death. The dead will be sent to hell where they will suffer because of the sins they committed while living. If indeed there is no self why did Buddha have to say that ‘’this is my last birth, I will have no further existence’’. Whose last birth was this supposed to be if there is no self to be reborn. Various texts also refer to Buddha previous life (Masih, 2000).
Buddhist term for liberation literally means blowing out of candle and on getting liberated the five aggregates are scattered forever at death hence extinction of ontological elements that defines existentialism and the agents who experiences things like hatred. A Buddhist will not consider this horrifying because this spells death of illusion. As opposed to Christian’s belief in almighty God, Buddhists do not believe in existence of almighty God.
As opposed to Christianity where the Bible states that man cannot be good and needs a savior Buddhism stresses that works alleviate suffering and makes one to get enlightened (Wynne, 2007). All followers of Buddha are students as opposed to Christianity Jesus Christ are the lord through whom God reveals himself to humankind.
Misconceptions about Buddhism are common
Misconceptions about Buddhism are common because you are likely to encounter one who dismisses Buddhism on grounds that it teaches that nothing exists. This is attributed to teachings from anatta and shunyatta which in essence are not doctrines of non-existence but rather a teaching that gives limited scope to existence.
All and sundry do make a joke on a Buddhist monk telling a hot dog vendor to make him one with everything implying that Buddhism teaches that we are all one.
Buddha himself taught that it is wrong for a faithful to think that self is finite. He added that it is also wrong for someone to think that self is infinite. Buddha emphasizes that individuals are component part of one thing and that for one to fully understand self he or she has to go beyond concepts and ideas (Wynne, 2007).
Because school facilities attended by Buddhists insist on vegetarianism, many people have taken to believe that Buddhists are vegetarians, however, to be or not to be a vegetarian is a personal choice that is not forced on someone.
The ancient scriptures on Buddhism say that Buddha was not a vegetarian. Ancient monks used to beg for their food and if they were given meat they made it upon themselves to interrogate that the meat was strictly meant for monks. If the meat was not specifically for monks then they were not supposed to eat it.
Step to be taken to minimize misconception about Buddhism
To dispel the misconceptions that many people have had about Buddhism it is only practical that a deeper understanding of what Buddhism is all about be developed. This can only be achieved when people take to reading scriptures that throw light on what it is all about.
Reference List
Masih, Y. (2000). A Comparative Study of Religions. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
Nakamura, H. (1990). A History of Early Vedānta Philosophy: Part One. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
Wynne, A. (2007). The origin of Buddhist meditation. New York: Routledge
Buddhism is a religion of practice and experiences as opposed to other religions that emphasize on believing in the tenets that define them. This and many other factors have made it hard for many people to maintain their faith in this kind of religion strongly. Like any other religion in the world, Buddhism has its own set of cultural systems, beliefs and symbols, which define acceptable human practices, in terms of spirituality.
Additionally, Buddhism has some secret traditions that focus on individual spiritual development and a deeper insight of the true nature of life (British Broadcasting Corporation 1). Therefore, although Buddhism is one of the common religions, to some level it is a unique religion, because of its traditions, belief systems, and general practices.
History ofBuddhism
The origins of this religion can be traced to a prince of the Sakya tribe (Nepal), Buddhain 566 BC. At the age of twenty-nine, he left the comforts of the palace and went out to seek the real meaning of life (Tambiah 121). After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and sat under a bodhi tree where he hard a mindful reflection on the misery people went through(British Broadcasting Corporation1).
After this, he wentto the plains of northeastern India for an additional of forty-five more years. His mission was to teach the path of Dharma, which he hard realized during his meditation. During his travelling, he drew many followers from different communities, the Sangha of monks, and later on nuns from different societies; whereby, he made surethat all his converts devoted their lives to practicing this path (Kennedy67).
Beliefs ofBuddhists
The four noble truths
During his meditations under the bodhi tree, Buddha leant the meaning of the following four noble truths; truths that he taught his followers during his forty-five years of travelling. According to Buddha, religion is a belief and faith, which should be acknowledging by accepting its beliefs. However, during his teachings, instead of just believing, he taught his followers that there was no teaching without testing. Hence, they should practice the teachings in order for them to realize the truth.
The First Noble Truth: Suffering (Dukkha)
This truth is the root of the other three truths, since it explains about life and suffering. The word Dukkha refers to anything that is in a temporary condition.In other words, it will end including the precious and enjoyable Dukkha(Tambiah 145).
According to Buddha, suffering goes beyond life; the nature of life is closely related to the nature of self and human beings are not just temporal but they are compounded to many aspects of life. Therefore, for them to understand life and death,they must first understand the self. Fortunately, Buddha’s teachings do not end there, but go ahead to explain how human beings can endany form of suffering (British Broadcasting Corporation1).
Second noble truth: The origin of suffering (Samudaya)
Buddha claimed to have found out that, the root of suffering was desire (tanha) and it hard three causes, which he called,the three roots of evil, the three fires, or the three poisons(Boeree 33). They included greed or desire, ignorance or delusion, and hatred or destructive urges. He further argued that the connection between positive, negative and neutral sensation and thoughts were the cause of suffering (Tambiah183).
The Third noble truth: Cessation of suffering (Nirodha)
This involves blowing off, letting go, or just simply complete nothingness of any hatred, ignorance and desire.According to him, it is a way of letting go of the three fires (sources of suffering). He emphasized on complete avoiding of these three fires and liberating oneself from their bond (British Broadcasting Corporation1). By letting go all the pleasure and comfort of the palace by moving into the common world to see and experience actual suffering, he demonstrated an example on how people should live.
Under this truth, Buddha introducedNirvana (extinguishing any attachment to the three “poisons” and the significance of reaching enlightenment. He spoke about birth and not so much about death and what happens after death, because all he wanted his followers to concentrate on was how to free their souls from the cycle of suffering (Bradley 1).
The Forth noble truth: Path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)
According to this, for individuals to end their anguish’s, they have to adhere to a set of principles that are known as the Eightfold Path (Boeree62).
This path had eight principles, which were symbolized by the wheel of Dharma. They were Samma ditthi (meaning the acceptance of Buddhist teaching and the right understanding of all the practices), Samma sankappa (right intention or commitment), Samma vaca (telling the truth, avoiding slander and gossip), and Samma kammanta (behaving peacefully and harmoniously).
Others were Samma Vayama (developing positive state of mind), Samma sati (being aware of one’s body sensations feelings and state of mind) and lastly Samma Samadhi (building mental focus that is important for this awareness). This was to act as the bridge or raft for crossing to the other side of enlightenment (Boeree 89).
Buddhists’ Ethics
To start with, by all means all believers and other individuals should refrain from any abortion related acts. Buddhists believe that, nobody has the right to annihilate life, because they assume that, causing death is immoral.
This religion is an animal friendly religion and it expects humans to treat animal with kindness, although in the three fires that causes suffering, it uses animal symbols. The second main principle ethic centers onpunishment.According to the teachings of this religion, there should no coalesced policy on capital punishment, because of the existence of different forms of Buddhism (Boeree 124).
Another ethic is on contraception.According to the teachings of this religion, it is ungodly to use any medicine that prevents conception, because the use of these drugs is a form of causing death (Tambiah200).In addition, according to this religion’s teachings, euthanasia and going to war is wrong. On the other hand, there are no rules about organ donations, but its followers look at it a way of stopping suffering or being charitable (Bradley 1).
Customs
One of the main customs of this religion is venerating the Buddha. This is a practice that that is respect, because it is taken to be a way of meditating and honoring the qualities of Buddha. Another custom is the sacred mandala. This comprises of a picture of the universe painted on a wall or on a scroll that represent an imaginary palace that the Buddhists reflect on during contemplation (Bradley 1).
The third common custom is meditation.According to this religion, the state of being mentally and physically involved in an action that detaches one from his or her thoughts and feelings, with an aim of becoming more aware.In addition to these, adherents of this faith also believe in worship.
They do worship from both home and temples, but at home, they set aside a room to serve as the shrine. This room has a statue of Buddha, a rile banner and some candles in front of the statue(Boeree 89).
Holly Days
On f the holy days of this religion is Dharma Day or Asalha Puja. Followers of this religion have set aside this day as one their holy days, because it marks the beginning of Buddha’s teachings after his enlightenment. This religion also celebrates Kathina Day. It is the oldest festive and it is the day at the end of the Vassa (monsoon period).
This day is commemorate to remind believers of this religion some of the places where the nomadic Buddhist spent their three months. In addition to these days, this religion has aLoser‘s day, which is day that marks the Tibetan New Year(Boeree 43).
On the other hand, buddhists celebrate Parinirvana Day, which is the day of the Mahayana festive that marks the death of the Buddha. Another holly day that is important to this religion is the Sangha Day. This is one of the most vital days in this religion, because it is celebrated to honor the Buddhist community(Boeree165).
Buddhism Demographics
Buddhism spread fast during the fourth and fifth century and currently it has over three hundred million followers in the world. Some of its sub-divisions are Korean Zen Buddhism, which has over eleven million followers and nine thousand temples, Mahayana Buddhism that is the strongest in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan and Mongolia.
Another subdivision is the Nichiren Buddhism, which is found majorly in Japan, although it also has a fast growing number of followers in the United Kingdom (Boeree 187) in addition to these, there is also Pure land Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism, which is the strongest in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and sections of Laos. Finally, there is Zen Buddhism, which a combination of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism from China, Korea and Japan, Tibetan Buddhism (Boeree174).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Buddhists do not worship gods or deities. This religion started more than two thousands five hundred years ago with just one leader (Siddhartha Gautama) and five followers, but presently, it has over three hundred and seventy six million followers globally (Bradley 1). This religion is one of the unique religions, because of its unique principles, teachings, and morals, which mainly focus on methods of alleviating human suffering, unlike other religions that emphasize on only how to live a righteous life.
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion because it does not uphold the belief of a supernatural being, God, as the one who brought all things in to existence. Buddha was a person who had great power of meditation, which he used to bring spiritual knowledge and beliefs to his followers. This acts as the foundation for Buddhism.
According to Buddhism, salvation is the state of ‘being’ of a person obtained through the cleansing of one’s being by meditation. Its characteristics are freedom from all forms of defilements and delusion.
In Kapleau reading, feelings, thoughts, and sensations change over time. The writer points out that everyone experiences pain, unfulfilled desires, mental anguish, as well as moments of happiness and unhappiness. These changes occur depending on the experiences that one is undergoing. The narrator likens this to the way one candle lights another one; one moment’s characteristics heralds another moment’s identity and the chain continues. The writer also points out that nothing is permanent because things are constantly changing.
Satori is the goal of Zen practice; that is, enlightenment. It aims to preserve Buddha’s teachings. In the beginning of the diaries, Kapleau initially experienced his desire for satori through his recognition of his desire to end some natural phenomenon as sorrow, pain, misery, grief, old age, and death.
Through embracing of Zen Buddhism, his understanding about these natural phenomenons changed. In the reading, he accepts that he should not fight to bring such forms of suffering to extinction. His meditating experience helped to alter the way he understood it. Meditation involves opening one’s mind to the truth. He asserts that when one opens his mind to the truth there is nothing to fear.
Roshi is a term that refers to the person who passes spiritual knowledge to Buddhists. He has good mastery of Zen Buddhism practices hence acts as a teacher to the rest. Kapleau’s relationship with the various roshis with whom they have student- teacher relationship. He is also an admirer of the lives of the roshis.
Koan is a set of aspects that one cannot understand using normal human understanding but needs a form of spiritualism to understand it. It can be a question, statement or even a dialogue. The function of a koan is to make one to concentrate in Zen’s practices in order to get certain meanings to situations that do not have natural explanation.
The narrator’s development as a Zen practitioner changed the way he perceives things within himself and the world around him through embracing the four noble truths. The narrator changed his ways of viewing things and started observing one thing at a time. Through the practice of Zen Buddhism, the narrator gains the ability to reduce attachment to his body, mind, and his desires.
The writer notes that everything that comes to being passes away or dies; nevertheless, self dies not. This helped the narrator to be fearless. He also began sharing things with others than being selfish. He says that as people continue to unravel it, and eliminate some emotional blocks, egoism fades away and ushers clear and open thoughts leading to satisfying life.
The role of the body in this reading is to show its utilization to enhance the understanding of different phenomenon in human life. The reading has shown that, the body and the mind are two different entities and for the mind to work appropriately the body must be in a position to allow this. This is very important for Zen Practitioners who are in absolute need to meditate to achieve enlightenment. According to the narrator, during meditation the body must have a given upright posture and should not have any movements.
What it means for an individual to identify with Hinduism
Hinduism, as a religion, preaches total devotion to God. It is vital to recognize the faults addressed by Hinduism among other religious gatherings. Hindusim’s problem is samsara (a succession of death and rebirth). Hinduism believers endeavor to address samsara (their major problem). Accordingly, the proposed solution is moksha, a release from such obsolete bondages. The only technique required in this context is ‘devotion.’
The basic beliefs about the world held by persons participating in Hinduism
The followers of this religious group are required to demonstrate outstanding devotion as they strive to serve their religious faiths. The focus on this problem can serve as the major disparity between Hinduism and other religious groups.
A ritual action/observance/obligations that are important to members of Hinduism
According to the followers of this religion, Hinduism is part of humankind hence cannot be assumed at whichever cost. Hindus view themselves as God’s chosen and the true followers in the entire world/cosmos. The spread of this religion has majorly concentrated in Asia due to complications it fronts in its various contexts. It is crucial to understand Hinduism deeply before investigating how it varies with other religious factions. The need to worship together can hardly be achieved if the world is still embracing different religious doctrines, as noticed in various parts of the world.
Buddhism: The Way of Awakening
What it means for an individual to identify with Hinduism
Buddhism is a religion comprising of traditions, beliefs, and practices advocated for by Buddha. Buddhism has been grounded on the teachings of Buddha, who was initially recognized as the ‘awakened’ being. He used his ideologies to enlighten the people of the Indian Subcontinent. Accordingly, his major intentions were to end dukkha (suffering) among the Indian people (Dukkha is the major problem addressed by the Hinduism followers). This could only be achieved by eliminating ignorance and craving among the concerned groups.
The basic beliefs about the world held by persons participating in Hinduism
Buddhism has considerable doctrines and religious beliefs that are unique to the regions embracing it. The fact that it aimed at enacting enlightenment among its followers is a critical provision when considered perilously. It is crucial to understand various provisions of Buddhism so as to authenticate its religious values. The major problem associated with Buddhism is suffering. The followers of this religion are against the suffering of any kind.
A ritual action/observance/obligations that are important to members of Hinduism
According to Buddhists, the best solution to the atrocities of humankind is nirvāņa (happiness). The ability to attain this provision will allow the entire generations, who follow the teachings of Buddha, to stand by the truth and embrace enlightenment so as to obtain happiness. This is a substantial religious provision when considered decisively in the context of Buddhism. The most viable technique to be used in this context is the Eightfold Path.
This relates to the issues of enlightenment advocated for by Buddha, as indicated earlier. The problems addressed by different religions are different; hence every religion has a distinct destiny. Precisely, because Buddhism addresses suffering as the major problem of humankind, it differs considerably from Christianity, which addresses sin as the major problem of humankind.
The origin of Buddhism can be traced back from Hinduism religion in India though it is important to note that its introduction to Japan was through China. Buddhism in Japan was divided into four periods as we shall discuss below. These periods include the Nara period which ran from 701-794, it was then followed by Heian period which ran from 794- 1185. The third period was the medieval period which ran from 1133-1600 and finally the modern Kyoto school. These periods shall be discussed from the earliest to the just recent.
Nara school of Buddhism (701-794)
The Nara school of Buddhism was characterized by different schools of thoughts with Sanron being the first. The Sanron school of thought denied all views or ideas which at any given time could prevent an individual from attaining enlightenment. The school was introduced in Japan by a Korean monk and though it was difficult for the Sanron school of thought to develop and be recognized as independent, many people still followed its teachings.
The Sanron School advocated for teaching of the middle path These teachings of the middle translated into four views which the school held closely in its teachings. These views were: existence, non existence, existence and non existence, neither existence nor non existence. It developed its concepts of the middle path based on the absolute and the relative truths.
The second school of thought during the Nara period was Jojitsu. This school of thought was based on two propositions. The first proposition was that phenomena are usually transitory and thus they tend to pass away. The second proposition was that both the self and the world lack the required essential substantiality.
It was also through Jujitsu that a set of practices were introduced which when followed would allow the followers to experience what the real truths are. It was only after experiencing the real truths that they would be able to differentiate reality and illusions. The school main arguments were based on how an individual could discover the real truth. The school hoped to exert the four noble truths as the best process towards enlightenment.
The third school of thought during the Nara period was Hosso. Hosso explained that reality in our lives was brought out by our minds and not from real life experience as many people tried to put it. The school explained that our mind tampers with the real truth modifying it. The modified truth is then expressed by our minds as the reality itself (manifestations of our minds) The Hosso School then divided our minds into eight consciousnesses and which included: sight, sound, smell, taste, among others.
According to this school, these consciousnesses help us in understanding the cognitive world. It is however important to understand that Hosso did not deny in the existence of the physical world, but they maintained that what people knew or thought was the real world was usually not the real world but a manipulation of our minds. If only we could perfect our conscious only that time could we have taste of what reality is all about.
Introduced under the sarvastivada traditions, the Kusha School of thought sought to explain a method through which an individual can achieve nirvana (enlightenment). To explain this, they analyzed the elemental building blocks of phenomenal reality.
In their analysis, it was concluded that for one to achieve nirvana, the individual had to undergo through the daily activities such as the acts of thinking, perceiving, willing and desiring since it was through such activities that people were able to generate the required karmic energy that collectively brought out a continuously evolving person.
Contrasting with the other schools of thoughts, Ritsu main interests were focused on the practical matters of faith and how the faith could be maintained. Ritsu in Japanese means precepts .It is all about the moral obligations which Buddhism expects from its followers. The Ritsu School of thought was all about guarding the moral issues which are concerned with the religion. It indicated that before people could be converted to monks, they had to know and understand all the rules that were contained in Vinaya.
Kegon was the last school of thought during the Nara period. This school of thought was based on how the Buddha got his enlightenment. It explored the vision that changed or transformed Gautama the father of Buddhism into a Buddha.
During the day of his enlightenment, it is claimed that he saw dharma appearing in the eyes of his mind and these dharma were mutually related and interdependent. It was therefore an assumption under this school of thought that all living things depend on each other and that the universe itself is self creating.
As a result of all these things that happened to Buddha, Kegon School explained that Buddha was like a god. He was the center and ground of the universe and all phenomenons originated from him. As a result of these views, the court accepted the presumed imagery of the central power to which all living things owned their allegiance to.
It was as a result of these teachings that the emperor saw a good chance in which he could transform himself to be the Buddha where everything would be originating from him and everybody else would have to be under him. As time went by, the emperor liked the teachings and the views of the school and gave them a temple which would be the center for their activities.
The emperor also changed his name to Roshana which when translated partially meant Buddha. The Kegon School devoted their study to the scriptures but as time progressed, it found itself on the verge of being absorbed. Even though the group resisted being assimilated by the other groups, Kegon School was never able to exist as an independent institution. This school of thought was regarded by many as the best and the most profound statement on the way people view life.
Heian schools of Buddhism (794- 1185)
The Heian period witnessed the improvement of Buddhist technology and architecture. The Buddha sculptures which had been inherited from the earlier period (Nara) were during this period modified. Making of new images of the Buddha was also being made using bronze changing from the old forms when they were made out of wood. The Heian period was marked by two schools of thought the Tendai and Shingon.
The Tendai School of thoughts contained several views which tried to relate and bring together Buddhism doctrine and some aspects of the Japanese culture. This school of thought based its foundation on Mahayana Buddhism. Tendai school of thought stated that Buddha hood as a religion was the capability to attain enlightenment.
This enlightenment or Nirvana in all living things was an aspect which came from within (intrinsic). Under Tendai school of thought, the way people view things and what they have experienced is all what Buddha law is about. However, this view brought problems to many people due to the many and different experiences people go through. Under Tendai anything as the people see it is usually on of the many expressions of Dharma.
Contrary to the Tendai school of thoughts where enlightenment was achieved intrinsically, according to Shingon, the rituals connected with the three secrets (body, mind and speech) were passed orally from whoever was giving the instructions to the student who was receiving the teachings
The Heian period was followed by the medieval period which had three main sects: the Jodoshu or the pure land school, the Hokke or the Nichren School and finally the Zen. The Jodoshu was based upon the pure land sutras.
The pure land school became prominent with the founding of the monastery which spread through China before entering in Japan where it gained its prominence slowly. According to Jodoshu, entering the pure land was like rebirth or what is commonly referred to as reincarnation. If one could enter the pure land, to the Jodoshu School, this was the same as achieving Nirvana.
The followers of Jodoshu believed that during reincarnation, the Buddha had to help the individual as he or she underwent the multiple rebirths so as to prevent losing the person or avoid the person being possessed by the devils. As a result, it was only through the help of Buddha that nirvana was achieved.
The idea behind the pure land Buddhism was based on the fact that it was very hard to achieve the enlightenment and so that’s where the Buddha comes in to help us. According to Pure Land Buddhism, enlightenment could only be achieved through the combine efforts that we make and the assistance we receive.
Compared to other schools of Buddhism when putting focus on this world, Nichren School was different. The school viewed itself as the only correct tradition and emphasized that it is the role of individual to improve themselves and that Buddha was not involved.
The school of thought argued that individuals have got the capability of empowering and then transforming themselves inside and if this happened, this would contribute to a better world. Nichren school of thought taught that enlightenment was available to anybody irrespective of what he or she did. According to Nichren, enlightenment was opening of a person’s innate Buddha characteristic in this world.
The last school of thought during the Heian period was Zen. It removed much importance on the theoretical knowledge one possessed to the self realization through the meditation and dharma practice. There were two schools of thought under Zen schools and they were the Rinzai and Soto schools.
In the Rinzai School of thoughts, the religion was marked with its emphasis on places such as kensho which meant seeing one’s nature and perceiving the self as the connector between the real and the only true Buddhism. The Rinzai believed their approach towards enlightenment was the best since the over emphasis helped in meditating.
While the two belonged to the Zen school of thought, rather than the rigorous activities one had to undergo in Rinzai before achieving enlightenment, Soto placed great importance on Zazen (sitting meditation).
The putting of much emphasis on Zazen was based on the assumption that Buddha achieved his enlightenment when he was meditating while seated. Most of the followers in Soto devoted their activities to Zazen hoping to achieve the enlightenment and move to the next level. Zazen did not only help the Soto in achieving their enlightenment but it also formed the center of their philosophy.
Kyoto school was the name which was given to Japanese scholars who absorbed the western lies about the religion and tried to reformulate it. Kyoto schools philosophy of absolute nothingness formed the fundamental basis for the members of the Kyoto school and remains on of the features which has carried much criticism since its inception. They had derived their origin from sunyata Buddhist notion.
Beginning with Sunyata which forms the basis for Kyoto school, it is hard to understand its meaning since it derives its meanings from several factors. First, Sunyata has got many meanings in the Buddhist history, and then translating its meaning to English from its nature is another difficult thing. Given the difficulties, sunyata can be said to mean nothingness or emptiness. In terms of religion, it is said to mean religious attitude or a focus meditation.
When one compares the Buddhist emptiness or the absolute nothingness of the Kyoto school of thoughts, problems arise when defining the emptiness in Buddhism. Emptiness is a difficult idea to understand not only due to the technicalities involved but also due to the fact of the many ways it has been interpreted in the history of Buddhism. Every school of thought developed its own way of defining emptiness and as a result, it was hard to define which emptiness was more representative than the other.
Buddhism entails religious teaching spearheaded by the Buddha and his followers. Religion asserts that by eliminating hatred, greed, and delusion that are deemed to cause suffering, humans can achieve perfect enlightenment. Many people in Myanmar practice Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism originated from Northern India and traces its traditional origin to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. The philosophy of Buddhism revolves around the reality of life and social life other than the invisible creator. The essay describes some key points in the article “Between Controversy and Ecumenism: Intra-Buddhist Relationships” by Peter Harvey and reflects on them in the context of Myanmar Buddhism.
Features of Myanmar Buddhism
Myanmar followed the Theravada of Mons because they were impressed by the simplicity of its doctrine. Theravada is preferred to the sophisticated court religion. The major features of this religion are centered on the following traditions. Firstly, the formation of a Buddha through the ritual performance by placing and identifying within a person’s body the traits of the Buddha that, in turn, become the Buddha. The application of sacred language blended with microcosm to macrocosm recognition. Sacred phrases or syllables are employed to depict a larger group. Groups of syllables of a given number depict other important groups of a similar number. This application of sacred language comprises the utilization of heart phrases related to mantras, Mahayana, and yantras. Esoteric interpretations of objects, words, and myths that have a standard exoteric purpose or meaning in Myanmar Buddhism. Finally, there is the need for initiation before the performance of a practice or ritual.
Consequently, based on the features described, Theravada Buddhists mainly proposed to be relieved from the cycle of Samsara, and suffering and to attain nirvana. It shows that the people of Myanmar believe that to accomplish success in the world and enhance enlightenment in subsequent rebirths, they should establish positive merit or karma. Buddhists in Myanmar search for enlightenment when somebody mentions Buddha; people who are listening typically imagine a chubby person meditating under a fig tree. The real name of Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama, whose father kept in the palace to hide the truth of suffering in this world. However, when he flees and experiences pain in the world, he begins to look for enlightenment.
Further, a unique factor of Myanmar Buddhism is the expansion of meditation movements among the population. Conventionally, meditation rituals were reserved for monastic elites, and people’s religious rituals were mostly comprised of making offerings to monks who went on alms rounds. Nonetheless, meditation has been taught to most laypeople in big numbers, especially under British colonialism, and this continues up to now. In addition, prominent meditation teachers in Myanmar have influenced the Buddhist practice across Europe and America, specifically in the meditation style referred to as insight meditation or vipassana. Burmese meditations possess a wide range of practices and techniques.
Buddhism and Leadership
The Buddhists in Myanmar are trying to deny themselves through different other ways such as nature, even though their satisfaction is high. They have learned many things from the monks and Buddha through meditation, the path of self-denial via pain, bearing and suffering that pain, and also by living thirsty and hungry all day. They learned that Buddha washed all the pictures in his mind and emptied his mind for meditation. After meditation, Buddha, through their efforts, came back into himself again in the end. It has formed the main basis for the Buddhists in Myanmar. They believe that humans can achieve enlightenment and become arahants or arhats and be liberated from their sufferings. Through meditation, laypeople can place and recognize within their bodies the qualities of the Buddha. For example, the Myanmar leader imagines herself or himself a Buddhist dhammaraja and a Buddhist Ecumene leader. Dhammaraja has duties to herself to be Buddhist and to govern based on Buddhist sensibilities. In addition, they have to offer a Buddhist space for their subjects to practice Buddhist rituals.
Buddhism and Politics
However, Buddhist or Buddhism technologies, for example, patronage (dāna) and meditation, are merely considered mechanisms applied by those jockeying for influence. A Myanmar leader may appeal to be a dhammaraja, although only to get the support of the people. Buddhism in Myanmar was employed as a rallying cry for nationalist movements; however, it is dismissed that Buddhism is the central aspect of politics. In addition, there are different possibilities for the origin of the traditions; all of the terms are in Pali and its basic ideas are Theravada: the influence of Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, or Abhayagiri Nikaya, or the Sarvastivada. Buddhists’ monastic order often practices and follows the rituals and norms of the people in the past.
Conclusion
Myanmar Buddhism is unique because of the growth of the meditation movement among its people. Traditionally, the ritual was reserved mainly for monastic elites; however, many people in big numbers are practicing meditation practices that continue up to now. This practice is spreading across the world, particularly in Europe and America. Buddhists believe that through meditation in the image of Buddha, they can achieve enlightenment and be liberated from their sufferings in this world.