Buddhism supplies adherents with a form of spiritual guidance and the correct moral conduct through the scriptures and spiritual practices. These practices a significant impact on the adherents life by the leading of the XIV Dalai Lama strengthening the buddhist community. Currently one of the most influential individuals in today’s society, mainly known for advocating peace through central buddhist teachings of ‘The Three Jewels’ , ‘The five precepts’ and ‘Eightfold Path’. These teachings have spread buddhism to adherents and non-adherents in the western world providing a unique view on the widely discussed bioethics of euthanasia and abortion. The practice of Temple Puja encourages the everyday involvement of the buddhist teachings in an …show more content…
The Dalai Lama simplified the buddhist teachings extending the reach into the western world shaping the lives of significant world figures to achieve enlightenment. Therefore has continued to modernise and clarified the buddhist teachings and publicise world peace with the Eightfold Path influencing individuals across the world Buddhist and non-buddhists. The Dalai Lama believes that all buddhists has a common goal “Our ultimate aim as Buddhist practitioners is attaining the fully enlightened and omniscient state of a Buddha” XIVth Dalai Lama ‘An Open Heart, through his lifetime he has been affiliated many social and political issues delivering his opinion, using it as a tool to promote world peace and re-establishing Tibet as segregated from China, opposing their oppressive use of violence to control, He meet with world leaders to aid and enlighten them towards world peace. His holiness is the first to release a complete translation of ‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’, expressing the ideas of life and death allowing adherents to have a greater understanding of the Buddhist teachings and the implementation of these teachings in the world around them. The XIV Dalai Lama has significantly affected the world around him by becoming the model for Buddhist communities around the world …show more content…
Abortion is the early removal of a foetus during pregnancy and may be view different depending on the situations if the foetus has an effect on the mother’s life. The first of the five precept is ‘Do not kill any living thing’, Abortion is generally viewed as wrong and are usually influenced to avoid ending any life pre-emptively due to life beginning at conception. These ideas are closely related to the Dukkha and Ahimsa where suffering and violence should be avoided at all times respectively. Dalai Lama states “Abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking.” from this people who decide to pursue abortion will be given bad karma though he also said “I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance.” His standing point of abortion is situational, depending on individuals personal circumstances the right actions taken may vary, As a result the Buddhist teachings have a very profound effect on individuals, on their thoughts and actions on abortion within the Buddhist
The teachings of buddhism, the Dalai Lama and the Temple Puja can all impact a Buddhist adherents on the ethical issues of the individual. The buddhist teachings consist of lists of rules that can be followed in order to live a peaceful and humble life, which nirvana can be met. Temple Puja are acts and ways the buddhist teaching can be applied to the life of Buddhist adherents. The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader of the tibetan people who expand on the teachings of Buddhism worldwide. All these factors influences the decision making of challenging ethical issues of Buddhist adherents.
With guidance from principle beliefs and the XIVth Dalai Lama, Buddhist bioethics and the devotional practice of Temple Puja have an impact of high significance on individuals, and the Buddhist community in ultimately, guiding the life of the adherent to achieve total enlightenment. As the modern figurehead for Buddhism, the XIVth Dalai Lama has contributed to the formulation and reassessment of the Buddhist approach to ethical issues.
Buddhism is a religion from the East that has spread to many different countries all over the world. It has spread to the West, and has had a great influence and impact, especially in America. However, the Buddhism that is practiced in the United States is not exactly the same as the one that is practiced in Asian countries. If Buddhism differs between the different traditions of the Asian countries themselves, it is obvious that it will differ greatly in America as well. However, even though there are obvious differences, it is important to maintain the core values and fundamental principles the same. This research explores how the three different types of Buddhist practitioners have adopted Buddhism in America, and it describes some differences
Buddhism in India was born and would eventually rank as the world’s fourth major religion. The Buddha preached his first sermon in Deer Park, still a definitive text for all Buddhists. He proposed a path to enlightenment very different from the elaborate ceremonies and colorful myths attached to the Hindu deities of his youth. The Four Noble Truths: Recognizing and understanding suffering, letting go of self-centered cravings, realizing liberation, and cultivating the path. (Gach) Pain is inseparable part of mankind’s everyday life, our cravings of all kinds are the cause of this pain, and the way off this treadmill is to free oneself of these cravings. This can be achieved by following the Eightfold Path of: Right view, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. The goal is to break the cycle of reincarnation based on your Karma and to reach Nirvana, the final goal of Buddhism. (Gach) The Buddha said that desire is the cause of suffering, and any kind of over indulgence may lead to addiction. Addicts and alcoholics are experts on desire; addiction is desire run rampant. (Griffin) In his book, Buddhism and the Twelve Steps, Kevin Griffin relates the steps with the practices of
In a world of suffering and pain the Dalai Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive”. The Dalai Lama has become a figurehead for Buddhism worldwide for his compassion and warm smiles. Buddhism has extended beyond meditation and even monks such as the Dalai Lama. The basic concepts of compassion and mindfulness in Buddhism are being applied in the daily lives of lay people who need it the most.
Abortion has become a strong debate for the society about whether it is morally permissible or impermissible to abort a fetus regarding the unborn child being a person, having a right to life, and its characteristic of personhood. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy; ending the life of a fetus which leads to their death. It is taken into place considering the different factors, such as a women’s financial state and education, a single mother, in a case of rape, or the woman or baby has health problems. In the population of women, minors, and young women are the ones who might abort the fetus regarding those factors. Considering abortion, death is the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the
Abortion is a voluminous topic today all around the world. Differing viewpoints on abortion are recognized in politics, religion, and throughout the general population. There is a small amount of people who are nonchalant on the subject. Women have abortions for many different reasons and according to certain groups these reasons are either justified or not. Everyone tends to have their own articulated opinion, and many vocalize tenaciously what they believe. Pro-life individuals along with religion are sanguine that abortion is ethically and morally erroneous. Whereas those who are pro-choice say that abortion is inconsequential and the mother’s choice is more important than the fetus. Reasons to not get an abortion include risks involved in receiving an abortion. In some cases death can occur. However, there are other alternatives to abortion. For example, raising the child and adoption.
Dalai Lama, in The Four Noble Truths states that anyone who can perceive the inter independent nature of reality can see the Dharma, and by seeing the Dharma one can see the Buddha. He strongly believes that anyone who approaches such assertion from the perspective of Nagarjuna's teachings can accomplish the deepest understanding of its inference. With such approach of the Nagarjuna, one can then discover the three levels of purpose.
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 ...
He also makes reference to the long history of religious intolerance and persecution within the Christian tradition, brought about by greed, mistrust, and ignorance. He emphasizes the need for continuous practice, prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and personal growth within individual religious traditions and cultures. We must make the spirit of the Buddha and the spirit of Christ part of our everyday lives. He explores the “Five Wonderful Percepts of Buddhism”: reverence for life, generosity, responsible sexual behavior, speaking and listening deeply, and ingesting only wholesome substances; comparing them to the teachings of Christ. These precepts are without a doubt, very similar to the principles thought by Christ and his apostles. Each precept or teaching works with the next, interconnecting and building upon each other toward the same goal to end suffering, bring about personal and worldly understanding, world peace, and spiritual
Rinpoche, Samdhong. Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism in Today’s World; forward by 14th Dalai Lama. (Tibet: World Wisdom, 2006), 264.
Lama, Dalai, XIV. Toward a True Kinship of Faiths: How the World's Religions Can Come
The Dalai Lama consistently preaches nonviolence, and his beliefs and actions earned him the Nobel Prize for Peace. What are his beliefs and actions? Peruse some of his writings and read about the life he lives and the community he has established in India, and describe the witness of the Dalai Lama. What is his relationship with his native Tibet and with occupying China? And what does the future of the Dalai Lama position look like?
In examining religious opinions on abortion, one must find common ground on which to form a foundation of comparison. With most of the religions to date, that common ground lies on the argument of whether or not a fetus is an actual person. Some religions protest by saying a fetus isn't a conscious being -- therefore there is no loss in doing away with it. But for those religions that do believe there is a life -- or any spiritual being -- in a fetus, it is clearly a crime to have an abortion.
"Buddhism's Core Beliefs." ReligiousTolerance.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.