Understanding Buddhism From A Functional Approach

Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions and one of the oldest ones of our time. Religion can be examined from different perspectives, and the anthropology perspective helps give an unbiased examination. The term anthropology refers to the study of humanity, and its goal is to study the broad range of human beliefs and behaviors, to discover what it means to be human (Stein 3). The focus will be to understand Buddhism from a functional approach which seeks to understand what religion does either socially or psychologically. Emphasis will be put on the origins of Buddhism and its beliefs, its religious symbols, institutions, and an introduction to its rituals.

In accordance to the functional approach we can understand that religion has

Since the death of the Buddha, many were inclined to create Buddhist schools to continue the Buddha’s teachings and way of life. However, this was no easy concept since according to Violatti, “language differences, doctrinal disagreements, the influence of non-Buddhist schools, loyalties to specific teachers, and the absence of a recognized overall authority or unifying organizational structure divided up many.” After lots of change and separation, today there are two schools recognized, and these are the Theravada and Mahayana. It is important to note that many religions have split over differing ideals, which is not to say that one is more correct than the other. It simply means that new ideals can come forth and if felt strongly they can inspire change. Violatti explains that the Theravada school was the most powerful of the early schools of Buddhism, making it one that is close to the early traditions. But when the Mahayana school was created it was intended to have a more adaptable approach and was open to doctrinal innovations (Violatti). From a functional perspective, the splitting of Buddhist schools in this instance act as a way for people to choose the institution that best suits their needs and appeal to their beliefs. Having an option gives them the feeling that they have a sense of control of where to begin their religious learning

“Meditation is about the mind and its purification. It is a technique for developing the right concentration which can only be acquired through direct experience, and not from reading alone” (“Buddhist Rituals”). In a way, meditation could be categorized as a therapy ritual since consistent practice could aid with physical and emotional pain. It can also help one be more mindful of one self and others, thus creating an opportunity to reflect on the good and bad in one’s life. Another way to see how meditation works is to understand how this practice creates an altered state of consciousness. In its simplest sense, an altered state of consciousness is any mental state that is recognized by the individual or observer as differing from a normal state (Stein 103). According to Stein, characteristics of an altered state of consciousness that can be linked to meditation are a disturbed time sense or feelings of timelessness, body image change such as dissolution of boundaries between self and others and the universe, change in meaning or significance, and experiences of a new sense of hope, rejuvenation, and rebirth. It is often believed by many that once you have entered an altered state of consciousness through meditation you are more prone to understanding or learning more about the problems one may have. “Buddhist