Theravada

Dagchen Sonam Rinchen, the Sakya Head, was then a boy of only 16 years old. Well, Who would have thought in his or her wildest dream that, some 300 hundred years later, a local spirit of Dol region would one day occupy the highest and undisputed Dharma protector throne of Gelukpa School? Shugden followers assert that he is a Dharma protector who appeared for the sole purpose of protecting Gelug doctrine. He has the blessing and the recommendation of Tsongkapa. If that is true, why was he not…

Compared to Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism focuses solely on the teachings and doctrines of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren, the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, believed that the Lotus Sutra is the only true and direct teaching of the Buddha (Earhart 138). Nichiren also criticized other forms of Buddhism while promoting his own. Nichiren believed that “Nenbutsu leads to…Hell, Zen is a devil, Shingon will destroy the nation, and Ritsu is a traitor” (Earhart 138). Nichiren…

"In Tibet we think of the mind and the body as the content and the container." He holds up a cup of tea, then shatters it, "The cup is no longer the cup, but what is the tea?" He pauses, "Like the mind after death, the tea moves from one container to the next, but it is still tea." Lama Norbu wipes up the liquid from the floor and squeezes it out. "Still tea," he chuckles. (Little Buddha) Lama Norbu comes to Seattle in pursuit of finding the reincarnation of his dead teacher, Lama Dorje. His…

Buddhism is not only seen as a religion, but a way of life to it’s followers. It stems back to Siddhartha Gotama, aka Buddha, around 2,500 years ago. According to our book, “The coming of a Buddha occurs perhaps every 25,000 years” (R. Janaro). The main goal in Buddhism is to reach a point of enlightenment that includes wisdom, a moral life, mindfulness and understanding. There is no ‘god’ in Buddhism, instead, the followers learn from the teachings of the enlightened one. A core belief to…

Buddhism is based upon the teachings of Buddha, a man known as “the enlightened one”. Hinduism is one of the most diverse and complex religions in the world, this is because of Hinduism having no official set of teaching or rules to follow. Hinduism and Buddhism are similar in several ways, such as their ways of worship, their pilgrimage, and their beliefs. When it comes to worshiping Hinduism and Buddhism are rather similar. Hinduism uses murtis (images), mantras (prayer), separate rooms…

Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin who lives in India at the same time of the Buddha, and his spiritual quest for enlightenment. The first chapter of the book, Siddhartha leaves behind his parents, community, and formal religion. Except for his devoted friend, Govinda. Siddhartha refrains from following the path of the Buddha. His reason for doing so is his realization that Buddha teaches freedom from suffering, and this powerful goal has to be attained, and not by following a teacher,…

The Buddha, one of the most interesting philosophers in my opinion, was previously known as Siddhartha Gautama. During the 6th to 4th century B.C., he lived in Nepal and was born to a large clan called the Shakyas in Lumbini. His father was a king who ruled the tribe that was known to be economically poor. After giving birth to Siddhartha, his mother died seven days later. However, a holy man prophesized that Siddhartha would do great things: he would either be a great king or military leader or…

Culture can be defined as the way of life for many groups of people. Often times, culture forges one's identity, and allows them to express themselves through their cultural roots or where they came from. Countries from all around the world share different perspectives on the music, clothes, religion and food, which makes them unique in many aspects. Growing up as a Cambodian who was raised in America allowed me to figure out my true identity. The culture and traditions that both countries…

The religion of Hinduism has no founder. Hinduism is a collection of other religions that slowly merged into one. In Hinduism, there are traces of the Vedic Religion. The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha was born into a noble family where his family was told that if Siddhartha stayed at home, he will be a world ruler. If Siddhartha leaves home, he would become a universal spiritual world leader. Siddhartha’s father tried to keep him at home but Siddhartha decided to leave…

In modern society people tend to look over the history of religions. That also means they don't like to compare their religions to others. They don't really know how similar they really are. Take Buddhism and Hinduism for example. Buddhism and Hinduism are both originated from an Indian Subcontinent. They spread rapidly but Buddhism died away quickly but is still around today. 2 of the 5 most popular religions are actually more alike than you think. Buddhist and Hindus may seem like they live…