Steve-MCcurry’s photo from 2004 draws various information about the circumstances depicted in the photo along with larger themes surrounding Buddhism. Firstly, it appears the photo was taken in a Buddhist temple, with young monks in training. At first glance those depicted in the image can be assumed to be diligent practitioners of Buddhist religion. Through their practice, one of the monks is seen to be walking along a wall. This dedication to Buddhism is intended for those practicing achieving the state of enlightenment. A prominent theme that can be drawn from this image is gender. Every monk photographed, similar to Buddhist culture, are men. In Buddhist culture, men are monks and women are nuns. This gender separation is seen within this photograph. The attire worn by these monks are significant to Buddhist culture because of its minimalistic nature. Minimalism in Buddhism refers to the absence of earthly possessions. Buddhists attempt to remove …show more content…
Malcolm Brown’s photo from 1963 demonstrates enlightenment through altruistic behaviour. Steve-MCcurry’s 2004 photo explores gender roles and minimalistic roles in Buddhism and the commitment to its practice. The photo published in 2011 by anonymous source is an excellent example of the bodhisattva discipline, and demonstrates the importance of reincarnation in Buddhist culture. In comparing these three photos one can see similarities such as (insert text here). Although these photos share these similarities, there are different messages attributed to each photo such as (insert text here). Without the dedicated study of these Buddhist monks, the tasks occurring in each photo would not occur without their commitment to Buddhism. This commitment has driven these monks beyond laymen’s terms, and their advancement physically and spiritually has led to them being able to perform tasks such as those depicted in these three
The first view of the temple, I felt that I have stepped into another culture. Culture is “the way of life a people, including their behavior, the things they make, and their ideas” (Ibid 518). The city of Hacienda Heights is the center of the largest Buddhist temple in North America. There are many Chinese cultures symbols at the temple. From the golden hip and gable roof top to the red pillars holding up the temple. The monks and nuns are the ones organizing the temple events. They wear a light brown robe. I have notice that all monks and nuns have shaved their heads. I believe this is called rites of passage which “are ceremonies that mark c...
Peter Lik is a pioneer in landscape photography and is extremely well known. He has spent over 30 years pushing the boundaries of fine art. He has been shooting scenes of Mother Nature his entire life. Born in Melbourne, Australia to hardworking Czech immigrants, he has always appreciated life's beauty and never taken it for granted. Peter's work can be traced back to the essential moment when at 8 years old he received the gift of a Brownie Kodak camera from his parents. This event set him on a course for destiny. Since his first snapshot of a spider web in his family garden, he has wanted to share with people some of the most beautiful places in the world. One of the biggest growing points in his career was when he took on a massive project
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, “Buddha I have sinned.” It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called “The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru”(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Buddha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque).
Buddhism is considered as one of the leading religions throughout the world today. In order for a Buddhist to follow the religion, there are certain set of guidelines that one has to follow to gain a better life, but most people have other factors that they have to face along this path. The story, “The Journey of One Buddhist Nun” by Sid Brown, is an account of a Thai woman, Maechi Wabi, who entered a spiritual life along with life struggles and outside influences. According to Brown, Wabi faced many challenges along the way to liberation and two challenges she faced most are the gender and socioeconomic issues which she overcame during her spiritual journey.
In ancient India, many members of lower casts wanted to come back as members of higher casts. While this is an important goal of reincarnation, the main goal is to reach either moksha (Hinduism) or nirvana (Buddhism). In other words, the goal is to reach a point of spiritual enlightenment that removes the person from the reincarnation process. Geoff Childs, an anthropologist, examines the views of the Buddhist religion by studying the lives of the people in Tibetan villages. He looks at issues that adversely affect these people, such as infant mortality.
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
This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory.
Armstrong, Karen. Buddha. New York: Lipper/Penguin, 2004. 66-98. Print.
Lessons that might be stark on the page are given life on the canvas that film furnishes. Movies are able to convey a story in an imaginative and inventive way. Some films are able to convey weighty messages in accessible ways. In some of the films this quarter we see echoes of the Three Jewels, these jewels often show us key beliefs of Buddhism and touch on themes of the course - Samsara and Nirvana, impermanence, cyclical nature, community, diaspora and among others. Film is able to deal with concepts as Three Marks of Reality, 4 Noble Truths, Right Mindfulness from the 8-fold noble path in a way that you don 't have to be a Buddhist scholar. You can experience the essence of the message. In a way this couldn 't be more American in nature, Buddhist film can present an easy entrance, an ‘all gain, no pain’ delivery. Seeing the message of a film loses the viewer theopportunity of self discovery and the difficulty associated with creating your meaning of the text is lost. This struggle of the mind is crucial for a lasting lesson to be gained. We see the importance of the struggle in the films discussed, Hwaomkyung, Why has Bodhidharma Left for the East?, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring. Buddhist film is able to present to the lessons of the Three Jewels in an accessible way. This golden bullet of film leaves bright flashes of upsight that do not stick with the viewer as they might had the revelation come from more orthodox Buddhist
“In Tantric Buddhism, we are dealing with a misogynist, destructive, masculine philosophy and religion which is hostile to life – i.e. the precise opposite of that for which it is trustingly and magnanimously welcomed in the figure of the Dalai Lama.”[1] Within Tibetan Buddhism, there is an inherent contradiction regarding the status of women. Although in many aspects women are seen and treated as inferior to men, several of the ancient and fundamental values of Tibetan Buddhism, and more specifically Tantric Buddhism, emphasize equality of the sexes, universal compassion, and most importantly the significant and essential role of the woman. Tibetan Buddhist nuns have been trying to correct this contradiction for years to remove the inferior and degrading stereotype that defines them and to be seen as equal to men. Beginning with the emergence of Tibetan Buddhism from India until today, the status of women, both physically and symbolically has declined due to the patriarchal system adopted by Tibet. “The mystery of Tantric Buddhism consists in the sacrifice of the feminine principle and the manipulation of erotic love in order to attain universal androcentric power.”[2] In their patriarchal society, the symbol of the woman is used by men now as an instrument; manipulated by men in order to acquire control and power.
Malcolm Browne’s photo The Burning Monk challenges the ethics of protest, more specifically the ideas of self-immolation and thanatopolitics. The photo draws to question the ethics of thanatopolitical self-sacrifice and breaks down into two ethical perspectives. Perspective one, the self-immolation of the monk represents a dead man in a living body being put to rest, protesting the persecution of Buddhism evoking strong emotion and bringing attention to the issue. Perspective two, the practice of self-immolation only brings to light a problem for nothing to be done, emotions provoked by the practice overcome the practical thinking of those affected, the guilt felt by those affected only serves as guilt and nothing more, self-immolation is an
was, and still is. sexual stereotypes present in the culture of Buddhist communities. By contrast to such bigoted practices that hinder spiritual development, Buddhism can be claimed. to be the least discriminatory in attitudes towards women. There is no doubt at all that the Buddha was the first religious teacher who gave women equal and unfettered opportunities in the field of spiritual development and development.
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.
In the modern world, there is this stigma to always be engaged in a constant uphill battle of getting from place to place, desire to desire, and everything is always in a rush forward. In a world where everything is met by instant gratification and the evolving of technology, the people of today need to understand that there needs to be a point where they slow down and allow themselves to breathe and simply be present. The sacred text of Buddhism provides the parable “Carrying a Girl” which describes how people need to live simply in the moment, but not beyond that. Additionally, there is the element of detachment which holds an element of importance in the Buddhist cultures.