Four Noble Truths

Although America welcomes all religions, and individuals have the freedom to practice whatever religion they choose, some religions require practices and rituals that may not be as effective in American culture. When all forms of Buddhism are considered, such as Theravada, Mahayana, including Chan/Zen and Pure Land, or Vajrayana, I think it would be more difficult to practice Theravada Buddhism in twenty-first America. Theraveda Buddhism thrives in tradition, so monasticism and the community…

Path” and soon was enlighten after meditation under a Bodhi tree. When Siddhartha reached enlightenment he became Buddha meaning the “Awakened One.” Siddhartha travelled around various regions gaining an assembly of followers, teaching the 4 noble truths and the Noble Eightfold. American was introduced to Buddhism around 1840’s, but there was not much interest until 1893 parliament, which caused public curiosity. A sub-genre of Buddhism that stuck out was Soka Gakkai International (SGI) a form…

Jonathan Haidt discusses " the pursuit of happiness" can possibly be persuade by money and power. In some cases it brings no satisfaction. In order to find happiness in Buddhism is by separating from your attachments to outside things and positive attitude of accepting. In order to feel happy you need to not be emotionally attached to having a relationship, job, and possessions. In the section the progress principle, it stated that pleasure is getting what you want. It includes your dream of…

Barath is also one of Lord Rama’s brothers in the Tretha Yuga. He is called as Bharat and the India is called as Bharat because of his righteous rule in Ayodhya in 4000 BC. He is considered as more noble and honest than the Lord Rama, since he didn’t accept the throne when Lord Rama was in forest exile. He is considered to be a true man and will bless us with prosperity. He is worshiped her as higher than the Lord Rama by his deeds. In this temple…

Confucianism and Buddhism are Chinese belief systems that originated from different places. Confucianism is a type of Chinese culture, taught by Confucius emphasizing love towards humanity, respecting ancestors, and maintaining peace in people’s thoughts and deeds. On the other hand, Buddhism is rather a religion, not a culture which originated from India where people follow the teachings from Buddha. In other words, Confucianism focuses on how to become a perfect man whilst Buddhism tries to…

Surname 4 Name: Course title: Instructor: Date: Analysis of Artistic Works Amitabha Budda (Amida), the Buddha of Infinite Light, Kamakura period, Japan, 13th century, is a work of art made in a gilt bronze medium (Sayre, 33). The gilt bronze used in making the sculpture of Amida accentuates the iconographic role that the way a Buddha positions his/her hands plays. The creator of Amida’s sculpture has succeeded in showing the mythical qualities surrounding the wisdom Buddhas. Amida’s standing…

of Mindfulness: The Satipatthana Sutta and Commentary, which describes how mindfulness can be utilized in order to obtain nirvana. However, Thera claimed that mindfulness was “not suited to the ordinary person” (Wilson, 25), meaning the action and truth of mindfulness was specific only to the Sangha. This belief was quickly altered by two monks, Nyanaponika Thera and Walpola Rahula, who both detailed how mindfulness can be utilized by any individual in multiple texts. These texts and practices…

The 14th Dalai Lama once said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive” (BrainyQuote). This quote explains that without the essential characteristics that make humans human, humanity will be lost. As evidenced in the dystopian novel, 1984 by George Orwell, once the government denies people the right to have their own thoughts and feelings, they lose their humanity. Also, in Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, the Government through the misuse…

“Enlightenment” is a broad term that is entirely dependent on the context of the religion, and or philosophy, that used it. In general, Enlightenment is a state of peace derived through understanding. The actual particularities of this understanding is what is disputed amongst the different Eastern philosophies and religions, such as Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Hinduism. I will focus on Zen Enlightenment, but to do so, it’s necessary to explain Theravada Buddhism and Daoism, in order…

analysis of this system. Varna may be translated as "class," and refers to the four social classes which existed in the Vedic society, namely Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Certain groups, now known as Dalits, were historically excluded from the varna system altogether, and are still ostracised as untouchables. The caste system in India started since the period of ancient Aryans. They divided the society into four caste: the Brahmana was to study and teach, worship god and…