Tian Tan Buddha

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…

Buddhist and Hindu philosophies have several fundamental differences in their basic ideas. One major difference is on the entity called the “self”: Buddhists does not believe in the existence of an eternal “self,” while Hindus affirm the existence of a perpetual, indestructible “self.” In this paper, I will reconstruct the arguments on the “self” raised by three different texts: The Questions of King Milinda and The Bodhicaryavatara¸ Buddhist texts arguing that there is no self; and The…

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline which originated in India. The origins of yoga have been speculated to be around fifth and sixth century BCE. Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the west, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th century. Since then yoga has been working as a torch bearer for Indian culture in the west. Hence, any amount spend on yoga day celebration helps in glorifying Indian culture. Hence, expenditure on yoga day is fully…

As argued, Kumagusu challenged the world view of modern science and pointed out the limitations of science through his thinking based on Buddhist ideology. Kumagusu’s main intention was not to argue that Buddhism implies a superior universal view. Instead, by utilizing the Buddhist cosmology, his intention was to better science itself and to point out the limitations embedded in the modern scientific view. By following Kumagusu’s thought concerning his ideal science, Kumagusu’s ethical…

in many cultures and societies. Over time it has changed and morphed in each location to conform their certain ideology. Each culture looks toward different bodhisattva and have various elements in their iconography that they believe, represent the Buddha his teachings. This essay will explore the beginning of Buddhist iconography, Buddhist symbols and their meanings, how the different locations picture Buddhist iconography, the similarities between each cultures iconography, and how Buddhist…

Musallam Almashali Dr. William L. Blizek RELIGION AND FILM December 4, 2017 Eat Pray Love Description: Hinduism is the religion of the major population in both Nepal and India, which is considered the set of religious beliefs, religious traditions, and a way of living. It has no single scripture, no single founders, and no unified set of teachings which make Hinduism different from other religion (Senker n.p.). There are instances wherein this religion is considered the oldest living religion…

In Park’s essay “Zen and Zen Philosophy of Language: A Soteriological Approach,” Park offers an alternative understanding of the role of language in Zen philosophy by examining it not in regard to the state of enlightenment but rather in the process of reaching this state. With this perspective, he disputes the claim that a linguistic and non-linguistic approach to enlightenment must be mutually exclusive and instead posits that they can both be understood as complementary aspects of the path to…

of finding oneself and the true meaning of life; therefore, it is a philosophy rather than a religion. The philosophy of Buddhism is centered around self-discovery, and therefore can be classified as a philosophy. The Kalama Sutta, a discourse of Buddha states, “Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition… when you yourself knows… (it will) lead to benefit and happiness” (Thera 9). This quote directly relates to self-discovery in Buddhism. From Sutta’s…

Detachment in society today is a result of technology; while it used to be a choice in seeking liberation. In Karen Armstrong’s Buddha, Gotama’s process of detachment is illustrated throughout, in addition to detachment being a personal choice it is also emphasized in his teaching. Detachment is sought in an attempt to achieve Nirvana. In today’s society, however the practice of detachment is due to technology. As a result of detachment in our society, there is a loss of communication and…

forms. Meanwhile, Asoka only spread Buddhism during the Mauryan rule. His ruling style created many new Buddhist architectural styles. First and foremost, Buddhist stupas were first made at this time. These were domes that contained the relics of the Buddha, and would usually be on a square or circular base with a flattened top and kiosk. Secondly, the chaitya hall was invented during Asoka’s reign. These would be made from large rocks, and workers would hollow out the inside to make a cave.…