Mahayana

Buddhism is a starting point for religious culture in Japan, it wasn’t necessarily thought of as a spiritual guide, but was a technology that enhanced disease prevention, and warfare antics, state security, and increased the power and wellbeing of those who were in possession of it. (8-2) It was elitists until the 8th century when missionaries started to educate ordinary people. There is a large defining presence in Japanese religious culture. Shinto is said to be the organized religion prior to…

The Seven Stars Temple Remains locates 30 km southwest of Karasahr County and sits at the east foot of Mount Huola (霍拉山). The site was populated during the 7th and 8th century as part of the Karasahr Country (焉耆国), among the remains of which discovered several sculptures. This damaged artifact collected at the Seven Stars Remains was portrayed with a plump face, long and slim eye, and a subtle smile which indicate the classical Bodhisattva image of the Western Regions (西域). The Bodhisattva gazes…

When attending the Rubin Museum of art, the first thing I found out, was that the museum was once a department store called Barneys. When we started our tour around the museum, we first started at the top floor called “the world is sound”. While being there, we learned a lot about Tibetan Buddhist’ ritual of music. This exhibition explored the different dimensions of sound and listening, and its many functions in the Tibetan Buddhism. The first floor we had gone to, which was the fourth floor…

Buddism is a religion that originated 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama (known as the Buddah) was himself enlightened at the age of 35. In Siddhartha Gotama’s early years, he lived as a prince in his royal palace. When he was 29 years old, he retired to the forest where he followed a spiritual life of meditation. He attained enlightenment after six years under the Bodhi Tree in in Bodh Gaya, India. Siddhartha was not the founder of a new religion, but the founder and leader of a group…

In Tamura Yoshirō’s description of Shinran, it is evident how the idea of nonduality has influenced Shinran’s idolization of the Pure Land teachings. His approach to Pure Land Buddhism was impacted by Honen, who introduced him to the practice of Pure Land nembutsu but was mainly composed with his beliefs, such that “within human existence there is an ideal realm of enlightenment” (Yoshirō, 99). Yoshirō describes Shinran’s notion of Pure Land teachings as being capable of “affirming empirical…

I would like to attend Machik Weekend because I want to learn more about how I can help my homeland. I am passionate about Tibet because of my heritage, and I want to improve the lives of my fellow Tibetans inside Tibet. Tibet is currently facing many problems like poverty and lack of access to education with can be overcome by humanitarian organizations like Machik. That is why, in the future, I want to volunteer in helpful organizations and perform my own projects in Tibet so they can live…

Formal and Iconographic Analysis of Table Screen Depicting the Daoist Deity Doumu and Her Entourage The gilded bronze sculpture Table Screen Depicting the Daoist Deity Doumu and Her Entourage (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco) was made in approximately 1500-1700 during the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. As the Mother of the Dipper, Doumu represents the Big Dipper, and her nine sons are the stars of the Big Dipper, two invisible. The iconography of Doumu was originated from Marici, an Indian…

There are vast amount of things within our daily lives that have been a result of cultural diffusion. These can range from food, religion, economics, and even technology. Buddhism is a good example of religion cultural diffusion. It reached China, due to cultural diffusion as it was favoured by the merchants along the silk roads, and therefore, was able to extend into China. Buddhism would be met with its patrons, as well harsh critics. Some viewed Buddhism as an outside force that had no place…

Before the name Buddha comes into play he started off as Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism itself to be a Dharma away a teaching and it's much less focused on the exterior it's not really monotheistic or polytheistic- they're not talking about gods or goddesses they're talking about you they're talking about what you cando to free yourself to find enlightenment of what they call Nirvana and we'll talk about that in a moment but we have the year at about 563 BCE and you have to remember that a lot of…

What led to the spread of Buddhism during the Mauaryan period? What lead to such rapid growth of a religion? In the following essay I will try to argue how Emperor Ashoka's kingdom was a doorway for the spread of Buddhism. This happened majorly due to three reasons- Firstly, Ashoka the emperor of such a vast kingdom himself preached the religion of Buddhism. Secondly Emperor Ashoka played a major role in propagation of Buddhism by spreading the teachings of Buddhism through his rock and pillar…