Since the beginning of humanity, the dominance of Buddhism has carried over centuries of this world and has influenced empires of all kind. One way to keep Buddhist sharp in their meditations and get further insight of their teachings is retreat events. Buddhist retreats are an important aspect to teach Buddhist that attend this event of certain teachings that have been pasted down generation to generation. These retreats are instrumental for Buddhism, since it allows many of their traditions to be practiced during that time. Retreats are a spiritual path that enlightens the mind and soul, all aspects that leave only good energy for your body. However, Buddhist retreats are not a vacation for any curious leaner, but rather a hard working experience. …show more content…
However, Theravada does manage to include its own traditions that they preach in its daily practices. Some of these traditions include having silent mediations and following the eight monastery precepts. The eight monastery precepts are basically eight rules that do not allow bad behavior. Some of the rules are not taking drugs are alcohol, refrain from sexual activity, refrain from incorrect speech, eating from a forbidden time and the last three are beneficial to having a focused meditation. For some Theravada Retreats, they include their teaching of the Thai Forest tradition. This tradition that is taught by Theravada monks is a branch of Theravada Buddhism that is strict with their original monastic rules of discipline laid down by Buddha. They are mostly focused Buddha’s path of insight, meditation and peace in his and their own life. Another traditions that Theravada implements in their retreats is “The Vassa Retreat”, the retreat is annual three month retreat that usually beings in July. The monks must remain inside during this period and only leave when its necessary. It is also common for may of these Buddhist during this retreat give up things like eating meat, drinking alcohol or …show more content…
Not only do retreats help spread knowledge of Buddhist teachings, but they also show the way of life should be for each Buddhist. At each retreat, majority of them are not meant to be a small vacation or high end trip. When arriving, you have to help with the dishes, labor work and sleep with multiple people in 1 or 2 rooms. These activities and sleeping accommodations only emphasize on the importance of why they are there in the first place. Living like this only shows you need to work hard in order to get what you want, that being peace for people going to these retreats. Its serves as a symbolic movement and helps influences other Buddhist to establish the same ethics in their daily life. The impact that these retreats have help influence many Buddhist of the Theravada branch focus on creating a spiritual path that will lead them to a path of enlightenment and reach nirvana by following the guidelines that was set out for them at these
Buddha and the Arahat Buddha in the case of Theravada tradition. Rituals are not emphasized
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
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.
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
As the world moves into the twenty first century, Western civilizations are witnessing a surge of new technology, ideas and economic success. Urbanization is spreading rapidly and Western society’s push for progression is becoming more apparent. However, this obsession with advancement has begun to take its toll on the happiness of the citizens. Studies have shown that in 2002, up to 13 percent of U.S. citizens suffered from mental disorders and that this number has only increased since then (Rinpche 60). As a result of our push for new technology, more techniques and medication are evolving and being used in psychotherapy. We must, however, wonder if it is time to try something else? Despite new advancements in medication and psychology research, we are still witnessing an increase in psychology patients and it may be time to acknowledge the idea that we may not be able to solve these problems with the same mentality that created them. Fortunately, during this progressive push there have been a growing number of Western pioneers with the open mind of trying something new, specifically in the area of psychotherapy, and have been researching and experimenting with different forms of Eastern philosophy and its use in psychotherapy (Spretnak 2).
It is crucial for them to find the secret of enlightenment in the present world. For both the film, To The Land of Bliss and the book, The Sacred Quest, every Buddhist must do good deeds, believe in the dharma, and to understand life is temporary. Good deeds in life will give you good outcomes yet, wrongful actions will result in karma and can ruin anyone’s chances of attaining their goal. Buddhists must believe in the dharma which are simply the Buddha’s teachings. Life being temporary is true for everyone, in every religion. Buddhists interpret this differently because they understand life is temporary but have joy when someone passes. They must believe their soul is permanent and that it will live
Western medicine has recently discovered the powerful affects of meditation, by allowing doctors to treat the body and the mind. In reality, the mind is a very misunderstood and unexplored region of the human existence. Modern science knows more about the composition of the earth than it does about the mechanics of the human brain. Yet, meditation thwarts all notions of modern medicine with its shocking ability to to take obscure visualizations and create physical responses in the body. Mahayana Buddhism, found mainly in the autonomous region of Tibet, has become the main reference and standard for meditation practices in the west. Tibetans have used meditation for centuries as treatment for illness, and now, modern medicine of the western world is just beginning to reap the benefits of this unique and unconventional treatment for a variety of physical and mental ailments. Once a practice reserved strictly for Buddhist monks, meditation has become a worldwide phenomenon. Simply enter “Buddhist meditation” into the any Inter...
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.
...ave places where they can practice and have meeting here in the US and around the world. Again, like I mentioned before, economic resources can impact the level of commitment when it comes to visiting temples and extra things like having a teacher or mentor (monk) and an actual institution or church to meditate (although people can also simply meditate at home).
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
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.
Western psychology is concerned with the investigation of understanding the negative aspects of human behavior, emotions and the mind, and to some extent, with changing them. The Buddhist approach to the investigation of the mind is unscientific, as defined by the science of Western Psychology. It is not concerned with laboratory conditions, control groups, or ‘objectivity’ in the sense of the experimenter being separate from and impartial to the subject (Nettle, 2005). In Buddhism, the person conducting the experiment and the subject are the same. Buddhists seek truth, as do scientists. Science, for the most part, sees the world as something external, which can be observed and understood as truth. Psychology involves understanding the human experience through the study of the mind and how perception governs behavior. Buddhism sees perception as internal and of one’s experience of the outside world as a fundamental part of understanding the truth within our self.
I was always fascinated in the Buddhist religion and this class assignment was a great opportunity for me to take advantage of my curiosity. I decided I would visit a Buddhist center. With the company of my mother, I went to the Diamond Way Buddhist Center in Miami. According to my interview with the Buddhist that instructed the meditation service, every Monday and Friday they have a meditation service for the 16th Karmapa meditation from 8:00pm to 8:30pm. This center is part of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism (Anonymous). Upon arriving, I realized that it was in someone’s home. Many Buddhist offer their homes for Buddhist centers and are unpaid for their services. However, they do accept donations. Before entering the house, we had to remove our shoes. When we entered I could smell the scent of incense burning. As presented in World-Faiths, removing your shoes before entering a Buddhist center or temple is a form of worship. Also, incense and candles are used to represent Buddha’s enlightenment (World-Faiths).
For my site visit reflection paper, I decided to visit the Thai Buddhist Temple in Homestead. The reason this particular site was my choice was because information acquired from the videos in lecture about tradition and Confucianism in Asia made me curious to learn more about the Buddhist way of life. Because so many South Eastern countries instantaneously adopted Buddhism from India and then China with open arms, I decided to make the visit in the morning to learn the reasons for the international success of this way of life. This would give me a more interactive comprehension of Buddhism.
The life of a Buddhist monk involves a considerable amount of patience. One must go through an immense amount of training which requires a great amount of time to accomplish to become a Buddhist monk. One must also become familiar with the background behind Buddhism to fully understand the life of Buddhist monks. The restrictions on their daily life also allow us to visualize the life of Buddhist monks. A person seeking insight into Buddhist monks’ lives should learn about meditation in Buddhism to increase background knowledge.