Noble

Natun Kamalabari Sattra, Majuli : A study of its Socio-Cultural life Nayanika Das, Dilip K. Medhi, Research Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Gauhati University, Assam, Email: nayanikadas006@gmail.com, Phone: 8134066846 Former Professor, Department of Anthropology, Gauhati University, Assam Abstract: Sattra is universally a religious institution which signifies the Neo-Vaishnavite monasteries in Assam. These are the institutions which were sophisticatedly established by…

The Fundamental Concepts of Humanistic Buddhism The term “Humanistic Buddhism” was raised by one of Taixu’s disciples, Yin Shun, to indicate the criticisms against the deification of Buddhism. Humanistic Buddhism can be understood as the integration of our spiritual practice into all aspects of our daily lives. The important features of Humanistic Buddhism can be discussed in following six characteristics: 1. Humanism/altruism Yin Shun followed his master’s idea that the Buddha was neither a…

In the religion of Buddhism, there are stories that range from life lessons to the way the Buddha achieved the “Middle Way.” Although the stories differ in the lessons and plot, they all share the same gendered protagonist who obtains enlightenment- a male. The males play the key role in the stories as they are the ones who search for enlightenment, leave their old ways and life behind, and achieve liberation from saṃsāra ( ).Women who practice Buddhism are not perceived as the great Buddha or…

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…

Mahayana is the largest division of Buddhism, so it is only appropriate to talk about this branch first. Mahayana is the dominant type of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, and a few different countries. Since its starting point around 2,000 years prior, Mahayana Buddhism has separated into many sub-schools and factions with an immense scope of tenets and practices. This incorporates Vajrayana schools, for example, some branches of Tibetan Buddhism, which are frequently considered…

“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…

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Modern Buddhist Movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Untouchables (Dalits). Ambedkar was born into an ‘Untouchable’ family. He was the first untouchable to attend college and earn advanced degrees at Columbia University and London School of Economics. He was India’s most radical thinker and an eminent…

What does it mean to be Buddhist? There are many ways to interpret what it means to be a Buddhist. Buddhism is a religion that has faith in in customs, views and divine practices that are based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Buddha referred to his religion as “finding peace in oneself”. Buddhism is all about finding inner peace and being content with oneself. The story, The Monk’s Tale in the book, Nine Lives, by William Dalrymple portrays a good example of what it means to be a…

In the broad sense, dependent arising is something I would consider a simple idea. In my interpretation, dependent arising refers to the concept that everything arises due to something else. It is basically a cause-effect theory in Buddhism. However, when you begin to dissect what Buddha really means when he brings up the core idea of dependent arising, it can seem perplexing. For the most part it seems that Buddhists use the principle to illustrate life, specifically birth and death, and how…

Cultures are usually diffuse within close regions along with communication of travelers to local people. Just like the practice of Buddhism has travel through the silk road from India to many other countries such as China, Japan, Korea and even Thailand. Today, I will compare the Buddha sculpture from Indian culture to the Standing Buddha sculpture from the Thailand culture. Although both works of art are from different geography regions, we tend to think the two sculptures are very different…