Analysis of Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen The book Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen, caught my attention and became more interesting to me than I thought. I have always heard of the religion Buddhism, but I never knew what it was all about. I never thought that Buddhism was as huge as it is. I knew that it existed in other countries, but I never knew what exact countries. Many of the views in this book surprised me and the book taught me a lot about morals and better ways to live your life. The word “ Awareness” is talked heavily all through this book. For Buddhists, this is probably the most important aspect in their religion. Unlike the other books I have read, this book left out a lot of elements like ritual, prayer, clothing, and all of the trappings of religion. I really do not agree with this part of the book. I find this part of religion interesting and I was looking forward to reading and learning about it. I am still not disappointed, but I would have liked the book better if it was expressed. I never knew that, “ Buddhism is sometimes called a non historical religion. In other words, it does not tell a story of creation, or speculate that we are heading toward a heaven or afterlife of some kind” (p.10). For me it is hard to imagine not believing in any of this like people who practice Buddhism do. It is difficult to understand how they might see where they will be when they die. I look forward to being in heaven after I live and complete my life. I could not imagine dying and not having any kind of afterlife. I know that one day when I die I will see all the people that died who I love and dearly miss. I had a best friend die and I cannot wait to be with him after I die. One view of Buddhis... ... middle of paper ... ...tation is nothing other than the intention to wake up” (p 74). I like how meditation begins and ends with your intention, you do not have any set time or order. Meditation is all in how you want to practice it. Whenever you lose your intention to be awake, you are no longer in meditation. Overall I value this book, and I am glad that I read it. I now know more about the Buddhist religion, and I want to change certain aspects of my life. I like how this religion is so forgiving and laid back. I really wish other things in my life were so forgiving. The idea of oneness with your self sounds very peaceful and understanding. I am going to try to have more oneness with myself. I can now see people from a different standpoint. We are all created equal, and we should all help each other. Bibliography: Religious Persons and Traditions Buddhism- Plain and Simple
The parts that I found boring were when there was a lot of description going on from the author. I do realize that it is necessary to set up the scenes and locations so that us as readers can have a better understanding of what is happening in the book, however I felt like at times he went too far into detail and had me nearly sleeping at times, literally.
When the customary time for practice of meditation had passed, Godiva rose. It was now evening.¨ (Hesse 5-6). Siddhartha´s actions represent the last step, Right Contemplation, of the the Holy Eightfold Path. Meditation self-teaches the practitioners to clear their minds of
The first concept of Living Buddha, Living Christ that was the most important to me was the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness was particularly interesting to me because it isn’t something that is thought of in daily life. It is a concept that you unconsciously think about, and you are never truly aware of what you are doing until you accept it. My favorite part of mindfulness was how the author described Buddhism. He described it as “we sit, we walk, we eat” and that is a very blunt statement. Although the statement is blunt, it opened up my eyes to see that mindfulness does not require excessive thought like I had assumed. Excessive thought is something that is not a part of mindfulness, and it relates to what the book said about the past. If you worry about the past or future, you’re wasting time. I love the idea of living in the present, not the cliché type, but I love the idea that the past and the future can only hurt you. You are never truly aware of what is going on within you and around you until you focus on the present. If you do everything with mindfulness, you will always see the beauty that surrounds you. I also thought of the story of the tiger and the monk while reading about mindfulness. As the monk was hanging on the vine, he ate the strawberry. He was only focusing on what he was doing at that moment, and he wasn’t worried about what was behind him o...
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
24 Amore, Roy C. and Julia Ching. The Buddhist Tradition. In Willard G. Oxtoby, Ed. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. P. 221
After the Han dynasty collapsed in 220 CE, China faced a period of political disunity, during that time Buddhism gained popularity with the Chinese people. Both foreign and Chinese monks were actively involved in establishing monasteries and lecturing on the Buddhist teachings. Many Chinese people accepted Buddhism and advocated its principles such as the philosophy and promise of afterlife over the Confucian ideals, but the truth was that Chinese people turned to Buddhism for its promises of eternal enlightenment during times of struggle. However, lots of people rejected the concept of Buddhism because it was a foreign influence, as well as a belief that it lowered the status of upper-class people. Nonetheless, many people converted to Buddhism because it allowed them to break out of the rigid hierarchy that Confucianism imposed, which is why it was common among the lower classes. Document 2, written by Zhi Dun, illustrates the reasons for the initial compatibility of Buddhism with the time period. Zhi is scholar who clearly admires Buddhism, who sees its value in correct observances in face of uncontrolled passion. Zhi Dun wrote how in times of upheaval, Buddhism presents a comforting worldview for Chinese scholars and aristocrats.
Armstrong, Karen. Buddha. New York: Lipper/Penguin, 2004. 66-98. Print.
The novel Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh shows how the world can be made a better place though the application of Buddhism and meditation in our daily lives. Thich Nhat Hanh describes practices and suggestions that the common person can apply in their daily lives immediately in order to create peace in their life and in the world.
I decided to pick the religion Buddhism because I am researching more depth of a quote that I found from Ralph Emerson. It is from his speech "The American Scholar". The speech was delivered by Emerson is August 31, 1937. Throughout the speech he goes on talking about the educational system and how we as a society should not be confined to a single room environment to learn but I have many experiences outside of the classroom and in nature strongly which he suggests. The quote that I am taking from his speech is this, "The one thing in the world of value is the active soul" (Emerson). When I read those two words in the active soul, the faith Buddhism popped into my head
Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions, but Buddhism differs from those religions as it is considered more of a ‘lifestyle’ than a specific type of religion. Buddhism centers around ...
Thích Nh’at Hanh is a world renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, religious figure and accomplished writer. Living Buddha, Living Christ is only one of his many famous publications. Thích Nh’at Hanh, is famous for his insights into spiritual heritage and mindfulness in the present moment. Many Americans are seeking religious understanding and personal spirituality, even if they do not practice in the traditional manner. Throughout this book Nh’at Hang encourages readers to find meaning, understanding, mindfulness, and peace in the teachings of Buddha and Christ. His main focus is to open meaningful dialogue between different traditions, cultures, and religious groups around the world, for the betterment
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Deleanu, Florin. "Agnostic Meditations On Buddhist Meditation." Zygon: Journal Of Religion & Science 45.3 (2010): 605-626. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
The Everything Buddhism Book: Learn the Ancient Traditions and Apply Them to Modern Life. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 2003. Print. The.
Death is one of the hardest things to over come; while others have developed paganism for death it’s ultimately the scariest thing to face in life. Losing a best friend, a family member, or the love of your life. Therefore the death of someone special is definitely the hardest thing to face. Many people believe when someone dies, they’re sleeping, and they wake up when Jesus comes again and brings you to heaven with him, this is called Christianity, however, Buddhism believe when the body dies it disappears, but the mind goes on, which means you have no after life to experience. I personally believe after you die, you will go to a very special place, with past family members who have passed away. I also believe if you don’t think there is a God you will go to