The World Of The Buddha - 1381 Words

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C, founded Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Cones 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or Way of the Elders, is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (CorlessShow MoreRelatedWorld Religion Studies of Siddhartha or the Buddha1344 Words   |  5 Pagesenlightenment, Siddhartha or the Buddha, came across four sights that changed his thinking. The first sight he road upon was an old, homeless man who signified that flesh is not eternal and age; the second sight ties into the first, because the next day Siddhartha encounters a human body deteriorating from disease, lying on the side of the road. He was quickly discovering that the physical body could not avoi d the nature of life and was exposed to the real world. The third sight was a dead bodyRead MoreThe Eightfold Path, World Religions, Buddha, with Works Cited1085 Words   |  5 Pagesa 50 out of 50 on this paper. Please do not copy this word for word, use the format and information to help you with your own paper. Good Luck. The Eightfold Path by JOE Professor Hartman World Religions PHI243 10 December 2009 Scarbrough 1 JOE Professor Hartman World Religions PHI243 10 December 2009 The Eightfold Path The â€Å"Eightfold Path† of the Buddhist religion is believed to be the way to end all suffering. More than steps the â€Å"Eightfold Path†are elementsRead MoreWorld Religions Book Report: Living Buddha, Living Christ Essay768 Words   |  4 PagesThis paper is a book report on â€Å"Living Buddha, Living Christ,† written by, Thich Nhat Hanh. In this paper I will discuss the four themes; Mindfulness, Understanding, Interbeing, and Wisdom. I will define the themes, and explain how each theme listed is a part of my life and whether this theme, can be co-related along with my faith. Throughout this book, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about one being mindful. Anyone would define this term, being mindful means to acknowledge what you are doing, why you areRead MoreBuddhism : The Seven Wonders Of The Buddhist World771 Words   |  4 Pages In a world filled with tradition and conventions, one man underwent a rigorous journey to achieve Nirvana; that man was Siddhartha Gautama. With his success, came the birth of a new religion called Buddhism. His journey to reach Nirvana was marked by important sites that are now popular and religious attractions visited by Buddhists everywhere. These historic sites are known as the Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World. The Mahabodhi Temple, also known as the â€Å"great awakening† temple, is locatedRead MoreWhat Work Of Art Was It? How Did It Affect Our Life?861 Words   |  4 Pagesastonishing piece of art that can have a powerful impact on our life. I have experienced that feeling at age of 14 when my family took me to visit the two monumental sculptures of Buddha at Bamiyan’s valley in Afghanistan. It was unbelievably huge and a piece of art that cannot be found anywhere else. History of Buddhas Bamiyan is a small city in Afghanistan which lies between the Indian subcontinent (to the southeast) and central Asia (to the North), which is an important location because it isRead MoreJesus The Christ And Gautama The Buddha1400 Words   |  6 PagesGautama the Buddha In this paper, I want to compare and contrast Buddha and Christ, the two personalities that have significantly influenced human history: one of the eastern hemisphere and the other the western hemisphere of earth. Both Buddha and the Christ have millions of followers. Not only are their teachings of huge interest separately, but also is there growing interest in how they relate to each other. In Christianity, there is an all-loving, all-power God. He designed a world of harmonyRead MoreAfghanistan s Giant Buddha Is Restored By 3d Light Projection Technology1097 Words   |  5 PagesAfghanistan’s giant Buddha was restored A Chinese couple insistently tried to do something meaningful for the conflicts countries with courage. Introduction: The Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan has been restored by 3D light projection technology by Xinyu Zhang’s work team. One Sunday night, in the moment when the giant Buddha was raised up after fourteen years of laying destroyed in front of around 200 locals, everyone was cheering up and gazing over the Buddhas, as the Bamiyan can see their hope againRead MoreTÃ… daiji: The Eastern Great Temple in Japan956 Words   |  4 Pagespeople should become directly involved with the establishment of new Buddha temples throughout Japan. He believed that such piety would inspire Buddha to protect his country from further disaster because at the time the Japanese suffered from a series of disasters and epidemics. Shomu traveled the provinces asking for donations and according to records kept by TÃ… dai-ji, more than 2,600,000 people in total helped construct the Great Buddha and its Hall. (Official Todai-ji Homepage) The making of the statueRead MoreThe Avatamsaka Sutra ( Flower Ornament Su tra )856 Words   |  4 PagesGarland School Vairocana Buddha resides at the center of the cosmos where philosophically one is all and all is in one. Paragraph 3 Five Dhyana Buddhas- http://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/5families.pdf The five are almost identically represented in art, all dressed in monastic garments, seated with folded legs, with the same hairdress and long-lobed ears, but are distinguished by characteristic colours, symbols, poses of hands, and the directions they face. The five eternal Buddhas are correlated to otherRead MoreBuddhism And Its Views On Buddhism973 Words   |  4 Pagesreligions of the world; it was founded in India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, or the Enlightened One/Awakened One. Buddhism is non-theistic and is not based on any concept of a supreme or one ruling God. A Buddhist approach is a naturalistic one and the sole purpose of the followers is to end or reduce suffering (dukkha) and attain a state of liberation or enlightenment and the freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth (Nirvana). Buddhist are their own Buddha and the answers