Mahayana sutras

Metaphor and Symbolism in Passing the Wide River Monkey is a story wrought with metaphor and symbolism. In the final stretch of the travelers’ journey, they are faced with a wide river which they must pass in order to meet with Buddha. This river is no mere body of water, and their crossing is no mere voyage; both are packed full of various literary devices. Beginning with the river’s , the metaphors extend to the thin bridge, the bottomless boat, the floating body, and finally the interactions…

Dumarcay’s studies show several periods of construction of the Borobudur temple. Miksic believed that there was already a pre-existing monument on the site of Borobudur which might be built by a group of Hindus or followers of pre-Indic beliefs before the Buddhist took over of the land and started the construction of Borobudur (46). He also added that this was the reason why Borobudur’s structure is unlike any other Buddhist temples in the world, because it is a product of assimilation between…

Antony Gormley Antony Gormley is a British contemporary sculptor born in 1950. His works focus on the human body in relation to surrounding space and he often uses his own body for the basis of metal casts. Gormley pursued art after studying anthropology in Cambridge and practicing Buddhist meditation in India and Sri Lanka, both of which heavily influenced his concepts and works. Interested in artists who explored the relationship between sculpture and space, he drew inspiration from the…

With no doubts, The Tale of the Heike is one of the most influential, well-known and renowned classics in Japanese literature. Initially, the authorship of this work is unknown but it is known that The Tale of the Heike was compiled by blind monks in the mid 13th century. While reading, one may face numerous instances of dharma, the Buddhist law that claims that evil doings in the present will ultimately ruin the future of one's generations. Also, The Tale of the Heike incorporates the Buddhist…

Ques 1 Discuss how the religious thinking of Buddhism and Hinduism influenced the layout and appearance of temple architecture by examining case studies of Ajanta Caves and Lakshmana Temple. The Ajanta caves situated at a distance of 200 miles from Mumbai are cut into the face of a mountain, form a horseshoe shape around the Wangorah River. They are an example of one of Indian's unique artistic traditions known as rock cut temples. Ajanta consists of thirty caves, each dedicated to the life of…

Original Material Reading Raja Rao’s Chessmaster and his moves from Buddhist viewpoint Buddha “The Awaken One” gave his philosophy of life his teaching is known today as Buddhist philosophy and it has been seen as very important phenomena and studied and practiced till today. Influence of Buddhist philosophy is not only seen on Indian culture but also on the world which embraces all areas such as literature, architecture, dance, music, drama, painting, printing, and various Art associated with…

Being of bodhisattvas postpones Nirvana. Mahayana Buddhists are different from Theravada Buddhists in many ways. In Theravada, including Thailand, believes that anyone can become arhat and obtain enlightenment. However, Mahayana Buddhists believe that not anyone could attain Nirvana and become bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhists adapt the text from what Buddha told to be more understandable and practical. Two concepts above make…

CHAPTER FOUR Raja Yoga R aja Yoga or Royal Yoga, is based on the history and philosophy of true yoga. That is, the yoga which rests on the thousands of years of Veda Knowledge, the Upanisads, and the Patanjali Sutras. Raja Yoga refers to training the mind so that we can experience direct contact with the inner self. Ashtanga Yoga is derived from the Patanjali system called Raja Yoga. Having studied some yoga history, the principles of Hatha, Ashtanga and Iyengar, I started thinking about how…

Zen Buddhism was originally a practice in China before it was introduced to Japan in the 11th century. Buddhidharma was the first Zen master to teach in the monastery; he was applauded for teaching meditation and the monks saw it through Buddha’s precepts. The word Zen means “meditation,” and the goal of Zen meditation is to achieve enlightenment. It can be experienced through everyday life, at work, in art, and in sports. The monks practice meditation, which is the fundamental part of Zen. The…

In the seventh and eighth centuries CE in China, Christianity and Buddhism had an amenable and receptive relationship. This affiliation between the two growing religions remained agreeable due to religious tolerance in the T’ang Dynasty. Yet, when the T’ang Dynasty began to lose power, religious pluralism was no longer tolerated. Alopen, a Syrian Nestorian monk, arrived in Chang-an in 635. Emperor T’ai-tsung granted Alopen a license for religion in 638, officially marking Christianity’s…