Aurobindo Ashram This ashram has been created with another object than that ordinarily common to such institutions, not for the renunciation of the world but as a centre and a field of practice for the evolution of another kind and form of life which would in the final end be moved by a higher spiritual consciousness and embody a greater life of the spirit. Sri Aurobindo For years after his arrival in Pondicherry in 1910, Sri Aurobindo was unwilling to speak of his household as an ashram. Not the the term would have been inappropriate, for an ashram is simply “the house or houses of a teacher or master of spiritual philosophy in which he receives and lodges those who come to him for the teaching and practice.” In the early days, Sri I Aurobindo took no disciples as such. He once wrote, “With the three or four young men who accompanied me or joined me in Pondicherry, I had at first the relation of friends and companions rather than of a guru and disciples; it was on the ground of politics I had come to know them and not on the spiritual ground. Afterwards only there was a gradual development of spiritual relations.” But even as more and more aspirants gathered around Sri Aurobindo …show more content…
Most of this is done by members. The primary purpose of the work, however, is not to satisfy any practical or economic need, or to be a means of self-expression of the members but to provide a spiritual growth. As Sri Aurobindo once said “work done in the Ashram” is not done “as a service to humanity” or even as a service to the sadhaks of the ashram, but “as a service to the divine and as a field for the inner opening to the Divine, surrender to the divine alone, rejection of ego and all the vital movements and the training in a psychic elevation, selflessness, obedience, renunciation of all mental, vital or other self-assertion of the limited
The statue that will be the focus of this paper portrays the figure “Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light.” Like many other statues of the Buddha, this Amida Buddha was portrayed to be deep in meditation, sitting cross-legged. A viewer could observe that the Amida Buddha is making a hand gesture while in deep meditation. These gestures, also known as “mudras,” are symbolic in the Buddhist religion, and they are used to convey certain ideas (O’Riley 70). In this case, the Amida Buddha is making the mudra of appeasement (“Amida”). More physical observations could be made by pointing out the “balanced form, divine features, and flowing drapery” (“Amida”) of the Amida Buddha. Those qualities represent the nature of the Buddha, revealing him as “transcendent, graceful, and compassionate” (“Amida”). Features common to other Buddha sculptures show up on this Amida Buddha, like the elongated earlobes, the mole on his forehead, and patterned hair. At first glance, the Am...
The temple puja is identified as a public and formal form of worship and devotion undertaken by adherents of Buddhism. Within puja each of the steps of the Eightfold path can be approached and there is the opportunity for one to reach Nirvana with puja alone. The last step of the Eightfold Path, right concentration is the end point for the chanting and the meditation. Adherents enter the temple in a physical and mental state of reverence or Puja, and inside they primarily recognise the importance of the Three Refuges. Additionally, temple puja has great significance for the community as it intrinsically reflects on the significance of the community as part of the Sangha, and strengthens relationship and devotion within the community. The temple itself is often in the centre of a Buddhist town or village, symbolising that is the heart and the central point of the Sangha, and acts as a daily reminder for the community to remain devoted. Thus reinforcing a quote written by Buddhaghosa in 5th century India, “[Nirvana] can only be reached, not produced, by the Path . . . it transcends the intrinsic nature of matter . . . being attainable through special insight affected by strong effort” (Stimulus). The quote is explaining that by remaining devoted, one can reach Nirvana through total enlightenment. Temple Puja provides social cohesion in that the role and function of participants demonstrate the social status of the individuals and their connection with each other, for example, the role of members of the Sangha lead the participants in prayer and reflection. Overall, temple puja has a profound impact on the individual and the greater community as it allows them to reach
As a piece of ethnography, the work is competent, but draws little attention to the classic anthropological methodology of participant observation, characterized by long-term engagement with local cultural practices. Instead the claims made are gathered through an analysis of publications and dialogues within the Thailand Buddhist community, mostly centered on a controversy surrounding fundraising methods for the construction of the Dhammakaya Temple and situated within the socio-historical context of Thailand’s changing economic climate throughout the later half of the Twentieth Century. This socio-historical situation is fitting for a work that seeks to illuminate and elucidate the discursive tradition of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand.
1.) Intro: I decided to focus my Religious Ethnography on a friend whom I recently have become close with. Adhita Sahai is my friend’s name, which she later told me her first name meant “scholar.” I choose to observe and interview Adhita, after she invited me to her home after hearing about my assignment. I was very humbled that she was open to this, because not only was it a great opportunity for this paper, but it also helped me get to know Adhita better. I took a rather general approach to the religious questions that I proposed to the Sahai family because I didn’t want to push to deep, I could tell Hinduism is extremely important to this family. Because this family does not attend a religious site where they worship, I instead listened to how they do this at home as a family instead.
Sri Aurobindo believed that nothing can be taught, one cannily guide a child to acquire knowledge. A child’s mind needs to be consulted in its growth,he said everyone has something divine
"The Dhammapada: Socrates & Buddha Vs. Desire — The League of Ordinary Gentlemen." The League of Ordinary Gentlemen. Web. 05 July 2011. .
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
...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).
As one can see, meditation is a sacred act that can have endless benefits. As well as being a physical act, activities such as transcendental meditation can also be fulfilling spiritually and mentally. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness. This essay has shown many ways as to why this is so. Through the simple acts of letting one’s mind go, there are endless possibilities that can happen. Without meditation and altered states of consciousness, the world as we know it would be completely different.
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
Lewis, Todd, and Ted Bicknell. "The Asian Soul of Transcendentalism." Education About Asia Oct. 2011: 12-17. Association for Asian Studies. Association for Asian Studies, Inc., Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
"What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre." What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
In the process of interiorizing awareness, we have referred to the ashtangas. Hence, it is in order to briefly describe the ashtangas. They are as
Understanding the Buddhist lifestyle requires learning about the background of the religion and the monks. Buddha set the teachings of Buddhism, also called the Dhamma-Vinaya. The code of conduct, called the Vinaya, teaches people aspiring to gain the monastic life of a monk to gain wisdom and mindfulness. Buddha set these rules for the well-being of the Bhikkus, or the monk. He set these rules to help create a peaceful atmosphere for the Buddhist community and to avoid corruption in the Buddhist community. All monks and/or nuns must not only follow these rules, but also many other rules and principles.
The Sarvastivadins, who established the Sarvastivada school of Buddhism, had a long established history which encompassed a vast geographical area of India. In the 2nd to 1st centuries B.C.E. the Sarvastivada school first came to the forefront in the northwestern part of India and was most prominent up to and including the 7th century A.D. The Sarvastivada school was one of the most important and influential Buddhist schools during the period of Abhidharma development.