Theravada

worship any gods. Instead, followers are called to pursue the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, towards the goal of achieving Enlightenment. In the process, the followers become liberated from samsara, There are two major schools of Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.…

Buddhism is one of the most important Asian traditions. How could it be that Buddhism, a totally foreign religion, successfully established itself in China? There are a plethora of reasons why this type of diffusion occurred. I will be providing the historical overview of the introduction to Buddhism and how it was developed once it spread through China. It begins with one man Gautama Siddhartha, (563-483 B.C.E), the founder of Buddhism, even though he was contemporaneous Confucius. He was…

At the beginning, Dalai Lama is the head monk of the “Yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the spiritual leader of Tibet. Dalai Lama is a very important figure in the world; he is Tibetan, his religion Buddhism and baddish monk. He is a very strong man. The political views are peaceful and a spiritual leader. He was very respected by many readers. He is one of a few who reached the Dalai Lama rank which is the highest rank in the Buddhism religion, he is very much respected by many…

What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula, is a general introduction to the Buddhist traditions. Buddhism is one of the largest religions with over 500 million devoted followers. Buddhism is not a traditional religion with god(s), but is the belief of human beings. The Buddha is recognized to be the first to achieve enlightenment. His teachings have transcended continents, and centuries. In the first chapter of What the Buddha Taught, the reader realizes that the Buddha was not a god, or an…

Ramakrishna, was a Hindu religious leader and a founder of religious thought that became the Ramakrishna Order. Ramakrishna also known as Gadadhar Chatterji or Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya claimed to have had the same experiences as brahman and he is often referred to as the first Hindu saint (“Ramakrishna”). Ramakrishna and his disciples were the first followers of the religious thought ramakrishna order. The Ramakrishna order follows unselfish work, love of god, knowledge, and awakening of…

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…

Siddhartha Guatama, or as he is better known, Buddha was born in Nepal in the sixth century B.C. and lived into the fourth century B.C. He was born into a large clan by the name of the Shakyas. His given name, Siddhartha means “he who achieves his aim”. His father is said to have been king of the tribe and his mother to have died only a few days after giving birth to him. It was foretold by a holy man that Siddhartha would go on to do great things in his life, whether it be military, political,…

Siddhartha’s life mimics the Buddha’s: departure from father’s home, years spent battling/struggling with worldly desires and utmost asceticism, and the realization of the Middle Path as the only road to Enlightenment. The major difference: the Buddha left a body of sermons and teachings, unlike Siddhartha. Being (Gotama) is represented in the existence of a man who has found unity. Becoming (Siddhartha) is represented in the presence of a man who has identified himself with perfection although…

What do you believe Buddhism should identify as the fundamental problem of sentient existence: ignorance or craving? In answering this question, one must delve deeply into the ideals of Buddhism and assess the ways in which the ideology acknowledges our existence as a whole. To clarify, I will define the terms ignorance and craving. Ignorance can be defined as “the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness;” whereas craving can be defined as “an intense, urgent…