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Discuss the dimensions of religions
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e Rush
Professor Amita
Topics in History: Buddhism
December 16, 2013
“Finding Oneself in a Suffering Based World”
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY PLEDGE
On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment).
___________Paije Rush_______
Print Name
____________Paije Rush______
Signature (Print Name again on e-submission)
__________December 17, 2013________
Date
All of our problems and suffering originate from confused negatives states of mind and all happiness and good fortunes derive from peaceful and positive states of mind. In this course, we have learned about the Buddha, the Dharma, The Four Noble Truths, the cause and effect of suffering in one’s life. In this course I have learned to creatively and critically analyze literary materials learned through the Buddha’s insights from over 2,000 years ago. I was taught methods for gradually overcoming negative minds such as anger to develop minds with love compassion and wisdom, attributes that are obtained through experience.
Topics in History of Buddhism has taught me that Buddhism is a religion of its own that you learn through practice and experience rather than a belief. This idea is a little complicated for some to grasp. In our culture, “religion” is a better system and “faith” is one’s way of accepting those beliefs. The Buddha has taught us to accept no teachings without testing them. Instead of believing in teachings one should practice the teachings to realize the truth of them.
In Buddhism there are three general levels of the communication. There is the enlightened level, the intellectual level, and the common level. Within these three levels enforces the learning and practicing of the Buddha’s teachings. With le...
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...ous life changes. They went from having extremely poor behavior to influencing others to be involved in such an inspirational journey.
Overall, from this course I have obtained the notion that overcoming suffering truly depends on the person and their dedication to wanting to free themselves of suffering, pain, violence, and fear to live a liberated life. As long as we are enveloped in ignorance, one’s thought of self, the world, and anything else is just a theory until proven to be true. One must grasp the idea that extinction of desire, Nirvana, and following the steps on the path to liberation is the ultimate goal of a suffer-free life. Once one can successfully cultivate one’s mind so that they are free from the delusion of “I” and the craving for the wrong type of pleasures, one can then see oneself for themselves and the have a clear understanding of reality.
...e notion of interbeing provides a full picture of understanding connecting different Buddhist ideas such as emptiness, no-self and impermanence together using just one simple word. As Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the role of Buddhism as a liberating vehicle for the mass of its practitioners, the “heart” of the understanding of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra is emancipation from fear. Through the eyes of interbeing and skillful practice of penetration can one attain the “heart of the understanding.”
Suzuki, D.T. An introduction to Zen Buddhism. Ed. Christmas Humphreys; fwd. C.G. Jung. London: Rider, 1983.
Suffering arises early in the story and is a theme is a them that will preside over the entire text, valuable to the reader because of The Buddha’s first Noble Truth: human life is consists almost entirely of suffering. When the Buddha is just a baby, the relief from suffering he will provide is predicted. “Be steadfast, therefore, give up anxiety, be cheerful, for your clan will flourish without a doubt; The one born here as your son is the leader of those overcome by the suffering in the world” (B 1.33). The
Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.
Siddhartha Gautama is famously known as Gautama Buddha and was the founder of the idea of Buddhism. The Buddha was known to possess supernatural powers and abilities. He was born in the holy land of Nepal and his journey began in India when he decided to travel and teach himself about life. In the midst of his journey, he discovered Buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. Buddhism became a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and since then Buddhism has been popular throughout many civilizations. Buddhism is now one of the most ancient religions in the world, where people follow Buddha, which stand for “awakened one,” and Buddhism which has gained popularity because of the teachings of the Buddha.
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
When an average person seeks happiness, most often they search in the wrong place: "If only I could have that I would be happy." For ages, man has been seeking happiness from outside, not within. People have the misconception that material things and materialistic goals will bring them ultimate happiness, but in truth those only bring transient happiness. True and lasting happiness can be reached from within when one realizes the ultimate truth. This ultimate truth, the main focus of transcendentalism, can be reached through self-reliance, nature, and oversoul, the main principals of the philosophy. By meditation, by communing with nature, through work and art, man could transcend his senses and attain an understanding of beauty, goodness, and truth.
This course has helped to improve my understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist precepts. It has also showed me better ways to live my life and that Buddhism can be acutely studied under the pretenses of scientific means. Buddhism and Buddhist meditation is scientifically proven to be psychologically changing and meaningful.
Buddhism, like most other religions, originated in a particular place at a particular time, and its roots are in forms and ideas that were part of the environment in which it developed. The most important of these areas at the time of the Buddha was the valley of the Ganges river which flows from west to east across most of northern India. It was here that the great religions of India first arose and flourished. Only later did they spread to the south. In the time of the Buddha, about 500 B.C.E., this area was undergoing a period of vigorous religious development.
The Buddha stated that to live means to inescapably experience sorrow and dissatisfaction. Each new obstacle needs to be analyzed and understood so a solution can be found. Suffering cannot be avoided but the four noble truths indicate how each person can respond to it (Ellwood, McGraw, 121).
Furthermore, even the happiest and carefree of people will eventually experience some kind of suffering. The Buddha taught people to recognize that suffering is part of life and that it cannot be avoided. However, this suffering does not only come from the body—it also comes from within. Those who experience loneliness, depression, anxiety, or cannot satisfy their needs and wants are suffering. Despite the negative aspects of suffering, Siddhartha also spoke of happiness through friendships, family life, or health. Though, the downfall to this is that happiness is impermanent—or annica—and will not end all suffering. Buddhists believe that the way to end suffering is to first accept the fact that suffering is a fact of life. The next aspect to recognize is what causes such suffering?
From the moment we are born we have the tendency of craving the worldly desires that we are exposed to. Its part of human nature to want an ideal life where you are either wealthy, powerful, happy or all of the above without any suffering involved. Although that ideal sounds phenomenal, it is the thought of limitation that drives many people to seek for something more than just worldly pleasures. As some stay within the lines of an insatiable life, others come to the realization that living a life with nothing but worldly pleasures and goals are ultimately not everlasting. This is the point where people go on to pursue something bigger than themselves, something that gives them a purpose and infinite joy or as most would call it, a religion. One of the most fascinating major world religions that many have chosen to follow for centuries is Buddhism. A very complex, yet intriguing religion that seeks for a way of life that ultimately releases a person from suffering and leads them to inner peace and joy.
The teaching of Buddha, Dharma, and sangha does not mean one's self-surrender or relying on any human or spirituality to earn salvation. Buddhism does not require its followers to have any undeniable faith. Through the teachings of Buddha, Buddhists puts a priority on one's self-reliance, self-discipline, and individual
It’s a hot day, an unbearably hot day. You decide that the only thing that can cure the heat is something cool. You want something cold. You want ice cream. You spy an ice cream stand, and reach towards your pocket for your wallet. The corners of your mouth tug upwards at the feel of the cool metal against your hand—only for the smile to drop suddenly off your face as you gaze up then contents of your wallet. There is no money; there is only a slight amount of lint and a gift card for a massage. You don’t want a massage. You want ice cream. You are now suffering because you cannot afford to by ice cream. You suffer because you want to be cold, but you cannot afford an object that would make you cold. The second noble truth of Buddhism is that all suffering is caused by desire. This truth—as well as the knowledge that the only cure for suffering is the cessation of desire—is demonstrated in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring when the young boy returns as a man to the old monk.
Buddhism is a strict religion with restrictions that determines how a follower of the religion must live life. Buddhism is a large part of culture and society in south- eastern Asian countries. In the western hemisphere, there are simply not enough Buddhists to have a large impact on western society.