Dukkha

Buddhism Started in 560 B.C.E, this religion is about a thousand to five-thousand years old. The founder of Buddhism was Gautama Siddartha who was born a prince, but at a very young age he found himself troubled by all the human suffering that was going on. So Gautama Siddartha eventually gave up his place as prince and went on a spiritual quest to understand how to overcome human suffering. On Gautama Siddartha quest he came to a place near the city of Gaya, and he set underneath a pipal…

In Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse shows and exemplifies the life and teachings of Buddhism by Siddhartha following his own path to enlightenment, living a life of simplicity, and using the Four Noble Truths to gain Nirvana; much like Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, did. Both of these men lead lives of agony and hardship to find their way to Nirvana or enlightenment. Siddhartha abandons his cast and Dharma, to gain his own way of enlightenment and make his own path in the universe. His father…

The existence of self-centeredness and the lack of evolution within the human spirit are not ideas unique to just this current generation, they have been occurring since the beginning of mankind. The novel Siddhartha follows a member of the Buddhist faith, Siddhartha as he searches for the best way to attain the spiritual bliss, Nirvana. Siddhartha begins his venture towards Nirvana with the notion that no one can teach him anything, he can only learn from the best tutor, himself. However, it…

The Extraordinary Beauty behind Patience I chose to do my paper on the colorful and extraordinarily detailed titled “Dhrtarastra (Dharma King of the East Direction) with 16 Attendants” by Shashi Dhoj Tulachand. This work of art was created in the most beautiful and inspiring way, which is why I choose this story to talk about. Shashi is also known as Guru Nawang Chhogyall Tenzin, he is a 69 year- old spiritual leader of the Chhairo Gompa, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism. He is a master of thangka…

Buddhism and Stoicism: Comparing and Contrasting Philosopher Epictetus, the creator of Stoicism, and Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the creator of Buddhism, share similar beliefs and morals despite having different views on what makes our planet work. Stoicism revolves around the belief of treating things that our in our lives as if they were borrowed. Buddhism also shares the same belief, but in a different context. According to Buddhism, the desires that we have in life are the cause of our…

In this chapter, some relevance of Buddhist thought in contemporary society will be presented. Firstly, an attempt has been made to describe the Buddha's teachings on resolution conflict in society, then analyze issues of crime and social control under the light of Buddhist thought. Finally, this chapter presents Buddhist social thoughts for awakening society. Resolve Conflict in Society under the Light of Buddhist Thought Conflict is used to describe both people and groups who have beliefs,…

Brahman (2 meanings) 1- A concept found in the Vedas and Upanishads. A Sanskrit word for the ultimate reality/principle in the universe. 2- Top of a caste system which include priests. Bhagavad Gītā- A Hindu scripture written in Sanskrit. It is a part of the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is a story of Arjuna and the difficult decisions he has to make. Thus he is guided through them by Krishna. Buddha (word meaning and historical figure) The meaning of buddha is one who has been awakened…

The social philosophy of Buddhism acts as a guide for living life in the most mindful, compassionate, and just way; of which there are three main ways to do so. First, according to Interbeing by Hanh, rejection of universal Truth is one of the most important keys to living a compassionate life. Secondly, Seeds of Peace by Sirvaraska discusses consumerism’s poisonous effects on mindful living. Lastly, The Great Awakening written by Loy connects mindful living to the equalitarian relation…

Both the Lotus Sutra and the Zen teachings of Master Lin-Chi are texts that define what it means to practice Buddhism. One would think two books over one doctrine would be very similar in their prescriptions, but this is not the case. The Lotus Sutra is presented as a discourse delivered by the Buddha towards the end of his life, featuring many sutras on processes to gain enlightenment. The Zen teachings feature Master Lin Chi and were writing in 810 to 866 AD, during the Tang Dynasty and focus…

Two and a half thousand years ago Siddhartha Gautama, who would become the Buddha, set out on a journey to find enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family and from an early age showed signs of being special. His father was told a prophecy that his son would either become a great ruler or a great philosopher or world changer. As a young boy Siddhartha saw a man plowing a field and saw what back breaking work the farmer did to sow seeds. This had a very profound effect on…