Theravada

Buddhist teachings can be defined as principles which govern the way a buddhist thinks, acts and behaves. They are teachings provided by the Buddha also known as Dhamma which have had an immense impact on the lives of adherents and the community itself called the Sangha. Buddhist teachings and worship along with the Buddha himself and the Sangha combine to produce the three jewels which is centered around an Buddhist. It is important to note that to become a buddhist, one must take refuge in…

teachings of Gautama Buddha, while, Jainism is centered around the continued teachings of 24 prior teachers through Vardhaman Mahavira, and focus on the liberation of the soul. Buddhavamsa, is a Buddhist scripture, which is a part of the Pali Canon of Theravada (book of scriptures of the Theravadan Buddhist traditions) Buddhavamsa claims there were 24 preceding Buddha’s before the 6th century Buddha. Interesting similarity between Buddha and Mahavira was in the names, Mahavira was born to a…

Not only was Buddhism spread throughout the Tang Dynasty, two versions of it did as well. The most prominent type of Buddhism that spread in China was Mahayana, which went above Theravada in popularity according to document 1. As Zhi Dun, a Chinese scholar in 350 CE, says, Buddhism was appealing to people in China because people who followed its teachings would have an enlightened spirit and would enter nirvana (document 2). Zhi Dun…

The two religions that I choose are Buddhism and Hinduism. Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Gautama. He came to be called the Buddha, which means the “awakened one,” after he experienced a profound realization of the need to understand, death, and existence. The epic story of the birth of the Buddha was that he was conceived without sex; instead, a white elephant carrying a lotus flower entered his mother’s womb during a dream. The God arranged for the Buddha to see 4 sights…

But many women and children were left behind to fend for themselves, which gives much of the physical evidence which has been found today. The Khmer empire is said to have fallen for many reasons such as; the transformation of Mahayana Buddhism to Theravada Buddhism, Angkor’s strategic positioning becoming inadequate due to surrounding domains becoming more dependent on maritime trade rather than through Angkor and its various provinces. Also, the Khmer empire’s downfall is also credited to mass…

The idea of nature is of huge importance and the concept of harmony with nature and oneself is the defining characteristic of the ancient Chinese belief system. There is an emphasis placed on the welfare and well being of the individual in the present life as opposed to a future one. What separates Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism is the meaning which is associated with nature. Confucianism places emphasis on the nature of the human. Taoism focuses on harmony with the universe and…

Gamboge is the traditional color of the Theravada Buddhist monks, a group to whom meditation and calm is extremely important. This reference paired with the calmer nature of the color itself hammers in the message for students to relax and be more thoughtful, a useful message to send considering…

Many people are curious as to whether Buddhism is considered a religion or a philosophy, but I believe that it is both. According to http://www.ancient.eu/buddhism/ (2016) Buddhism is a non-theistic religion or philosophy that covers a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices mostly based on the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhism involves several traits that consider it a religion and a philosophy. There is not a clear difference that categorizes Buddhism as one or the other.…

Buddhism is next, Historians believe Buddhism was formed in northern India around the 5th century B.C.E. This custom hints that the beginning to Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as Buddha. Siddhartha saw the sorrow in the world and went to find a solution. Through meditation and study, he reached an “enlightened state” of being that marked the end of accessories, and ultimately, upon his death, issue after the “cycle of rebirth”. The Buddha's wisdoms are often condensed in the “Four Noble…

The topic of what exactly constitutes a World Religion is one mired in controversy due to the label being a typology which divides religious traditions into categories that some criticize as being non-inclusive of traditions that do not meet the established criteria--mislabeling them as something other than a religion. The World Religions category generally includes the traditions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism; though some like to to include Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and…