Buddhism Religious Identity Essay

Buddhist religious identity is a paradox. Buddhists religious identity is the lack of an identity; an emphasis on no-self. No-self is important because it breaks through one of the many dualisms that this world is make up of. Non-identity manifests itself in different ways and experiences in the Buddhist practitioner. The theme of non-being is common across the Dalai Lama’s and Jan Willis’ autobiography. One of the major ways that the theme of non-being manifests itself is through the Dalia Lama’s meditation on death. Contemplating death and thinking about the impacts on other people’s lives is part of the Dalai Lama’s daily routine. He knows that death is inevitable, so instead of being fearful of it, he prepared himself for it. Death is his way to be released from the suffering of life, so the Dalai Lama welcomes it (Packet page 207). By emphasizing death is his daily routine, the Dalia Lama is denying his selfhood and embracing the very thing that causes the end of the physical self. Jan Willis demonstrates the idea of no-self in her ritual practice of Buddhism. During her fire-puja, she has an experience of looking at herself from outside of the window of the house she was in. She says “I was no longer anchored to my psychical eyes. I could see myself anywhere I chose, and I could see …show more content…
They both see it as their duty as a Buddhist to help those who can’t help themselves. The Dalai Lama believes that he, as the Dalai Lama, has the responsibility to help and take care of all living creatures and nature. He calls this the Universal Responsibility (Packet Page 138). Jan Willis embraces the theme of compassion and acts it out by going to social justice rallies and marches. When Willis met the Dalai Lama they talked about the shootings and the protests happening in the United States and she asked him for advice on how to handle tough situations as a