Many people seek success in their lives, whether it’s wealth, a good education, or a family of their own. Zen Buddhism leads to a different kind of success than that. It brings success in the form of happiness, morality, self-actualization, and lack of stress: most of which one will not take away from Taoism. With origins in China, Zen Buddhism focuses on discipline and meditation as a portal to spontaneity and freedom. Many describe it as a blend of Mahayana Buddhism (originally from India) and Taoism (another philosophy from China). Ultimately, Zen Buddhism is the philosophy that will lead to a successful life because of its principles of showing others unconditional love and compassion as well as letting go of surrounding negativity. Zen …show more content…
For instance, one Zen teaching states: “In any case, the purpose is to dissolve people’s sticking points and relieve them of their bondage” (Kokushi 23). It represents the need to eliminate bias because doing so will open up more opportunities and free people from living a mundane life. Being able to break from bias also allows people to learn new aspects of themselves that they wouldn’t have been able to discover if they held on to partiality. Furthermore, “The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity” (Rider and Company 55) reinforces the importance of openness. The ability to release any distractions such as mediocrity will push out negativity. According to BBC, “The key to Buddhahood in Zen is simply self-knowledge” (“Zen Buddhism”). Finding oneself will lead to a true understanding of how each person as an individual finds happiness. Gaining self knowledge requires the ability to relieve the mind and spirit of factors that act as obstacles such as grudges or minor inconveniences. As can be seen, the Zan way letting go of any negativity and focusing on one’s own mind will lead to self-development and thus
Zen themes may be familiar to a student of religion, since they arise from Buddhism. The Buddha, Sidhartha Gautama, is said to have achieved his four noble truths about the nature of existence through meditation.
Philosophy is a complicated subject. Since the beginning of human existence, many tried to come up with theories about life, happiness, reality and knowledge. From philosophical ideas different beliefs sprung, and existence of different religions followed. Every theory raised by a philosopher attracted different followers. In today's modern society aside from major religions, there are thousands of others that suggest that their explanations to universal questions are the only accurate ones, and all of these religions seek to gain more followers to join their "way". One of these religions is the religion/philosophy of Taoism. Taoism has it roots in China, where the founder of Taoism Lao-Tse was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted his society during his lifetime. The result was his book: Tao-te-Ching. Lao-Tse described Taoism as a path or a way which one must follow in order to reach inner serenity and peace. In order to reach these inner goals one must live in harmony with nature and natural process that creates the balance in the universe.
The topic of Zen Buddhism and understanding how it fits into a framework that was designed to describe and compare religions is important because religion has a major impact on the world and to be able to understand and “explore” what the world has to offer is an important aspect of existence as a human being. Some might wonder why Zen Buddhism is important when it is not a major religion in the United States, but perhaps that is the very reason it is so important to understand Zen Buddhism and to be able to describe it in a way that allows one to make comparisons with more familiar religions in a standardized framework. Zen Buddhism in particular is interesting in the setting of the United States because as Americans we have had little experience with Buddhism. Shunryu Suzuki related in the book Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, that Americans start Buddhism with a very pure mind, a beginners mind, which allows us to understand the Buddha’s teaching as he meant them to be understood (138). Suzuki also states in the book that because of this, hopefully, young Americans have the chance to find out what the true way of life is for human beings (138)....
Good things will happen if you accept and follow Buddhism. With that having said, many of the Chinese people tried Buddhism as a new religion when their government was weak. Buddhism was the answer to their problems and the escape to inner freedom. According to Buddhist tradition, “The Four Noble Truths” are steps towards achieving enlightenment. “The Four Noble Truths are the Noble Truth of Sorrow, Arising of Sorrow, Stopping of Sorrow, and the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. ”
Like all Buddhism, Zen is a means by which one can achieve Buddha-consciousness, or in effect "total-consciousness." "Total-consciousness" means being aware of the true self and its role in regard to the infinite cosmos of all existence. This awareness allows one insight into or perhaps understanding of the Tao, the essential singularity to which all things belong. Understanding the Tao, for Taoists and Zen Buddhists alike, is the equivalent of Nirvana, loosely described as the utmost fulfillment of one’s existence.
Dukkha is the first of the four noble truths of Buddhism. The word means suffering, but just
Some of the core beliefs of Taoism are that the way to happiness is for people to learn to go with the flow of life. Ying is the moon in other words death and Yang means sun which is birth, they both have to be balanced if not tragedy will occur. Lao also belief in that one should make their own decisions.
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.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success Following the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success has made me the person that I am today. The laws that we have followed have been the Law of Pure Potentiality, the Law of Giving, the Law of Karma or Cause and Effect, the Law of Least Effort, the Law of Intention and Desire, the Law of Detachment, and the Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life. These laws have taught me that success is not a destination, it is a journey. They have taught me that true success is the unfolding of the divine within us. And following these steps has helped me to find success within myself.
The subject of analysis I have chosen this week, are the ethical teachings that can be found within Zen Buddhism. Soyen Shaku was a Zen master and Buddhist monk from Japan. He wrote the book “Zen for Americans” from which we will review the teachings he discussed regarding spiritual enlightenment. The mixture of Buddhism and Taoism is what composes Zen Buddhism. Zen in its essence, involves a process of self-discovery. Meditation is a vital process of self-discovery and is also an essential process of both Zen Buddhist and Buddhist alike. Which is what is said allows the individual to reach a connection with the universe.
While still following a similar Buddhist lifestyle, the Japanese believe in a variation of Mahayana Buddhism, called Zen Buddhism that focuses mainly on meditation. Despite popular belief, Zen Buddhism is not a religion, but instead a “practical application.” Contrary to Chinese practices, Japanese Zen is not an agent for moral growth but alternatively, focuses on a peaceful mind. One of the biggest aspects of Zen Buddhism is meditation. Teachers of Zen believe that chanting is a catalyst for the deep self-discovery and inward experience that is meditation, and even occasionally an impetus for enlightenment. The understanding of chanting in relationship to Zen comes after grasping what meditation is on its own. A totally calm mind from a complete release of thoughts, a completely relaxed physical feeling, and a hyper-awareness of the body and mind’s current state: that is meditation. Chanting encourages successful meditation by allowing the participant to submit to the rhythmic patterns of the chants and to produce sounds without feeling it necessary to attempt to decipher what they mean and why they are saying them. By allowing an individual to be submersed in something outside of themselves, it allows them to dive deeper into this meditative state. While internal focus is important, the Japanese believe that chanting is as much an opportunity to connect as a community and learn to embrace others as it is to learn about yourself. Group chanting sessions are common in monasteries and classes in Japan. Each person has their own journey, but no one will ever get anywhere alone; Zen Buddhist chanting promotes this group
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism capture ethos of the spirituality and its teachings. By just these four lessons, Buddha preaches the principles of tranquility within meditation of mere concentration. From these truths he developed a guidance referred to as the Eightfold Path, a series of principles that lead to awakening when practiced and understood. He preaches that inevitable suffering comes from desire, however he concludes with a solution to a life lived in nirvana. The first two of the Four Noble Truths are Dukha and Avidya, focusing on the primitive presence of suffering within day to day life. The other two are Nirodha and Magga, contributions to having faith that solvents for all suffering do exist and how it is accomplished. The combination of each understanding is a simple recipe to ultimate salvation, hence the contribution to development of self awareness and happiness within cultures across the map.
In Zen living, you do not strive to analyze or explain what happens in your life. You just learn to embrace whatever that may come your way. Life is to be experienced, not just to be enjoyed. Therefore, you do not try to avoid anything in life. Neither do you try to "accept" what is pleasant and "reject" what is unpleasant; the very act of "selecting" is a sickness of the mind. To heal depression with Zen, you must learn to let go - not just of the past (especially a traumatic past experience that might have triggered the depression) but also what you are afraid to let go. Once you mind becomes uncluttered by distorted thoughts, you begin to look at everything in your life in perspective.
What are your thoughts, views, musings and experiences etc. regarding meditation? As we all can learn from each other when it comes to sharing ways of creating a healthy, happy and vibrant life work balance.
History proves that as Buddhism spread throughout the Asian world in the early 1st century, it was occasionally altered to fit the specific needs and beliefs of people it touched. Mahayana Buddhism is one such example of this gradual evolution. It was primarily a movement started and kept alive by monks that slowly gained popularity amongst lay people but was in no way a unified movement. Mahayana Buddhism still adheres to the basic fundamental beliefs presented in the Pali Canons, however, it Sutras often expand upon these basic ideas and traditions in order to answer the questions of a later generation. After closer study of the Mahayana texts the “A Sutra for Long Life” and “The World Universe as a Sutra”, it seems evident that, although Mahayana Buddhism is based on the teachings of the traditional Pali Canon, it places a larger emphasis on philosophical inquires; and ultimately creates a more accessible version of enlightenment, and the Buddhist faith in general, for all.