The diversity seen in East Asian musical styles is so drastic that many styles are incomparable to each other. There are obvious similarities, of course, like their instruments being similar to another in shape, material, overall sound, and usage. But be that as it may, it's difficult to find a common thread between these few specific countries in regards to classical music, with the exception of the droning, and usually repetitive, vocalization of mantras. Chants are spoken or sung words on one or two pitches. Despite the fact that Merriam-Webster defines music as “vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony”, and that chanting is sufficient in being both vocal and rhythmic, it is still controversial whether …show more content…
While still following a similar Buddhist lifestyle, the Japanese believe in a variation of Mahayana Buddhism, called Zen Buddhism that focuses mainly on meditation. Despite popular belief, Zen Buddhism is not a religion, but instead a “practical application.” Contrary to Chinese practices, Japanese Zen is not an agent for moral growth but alternatively, focuses on a peaceful mind. One of the biggest aspects of Zen Buddhism is meditation. Teachers of Zen believe that chanting is a catalyst for the deep self-discovery and inward experience that is meditation, and even occasionally an impetus for enlightenment. The understanding of chanting in relationship to Zen comes after grasping what meditation is on its own. A totally calm mind from a complete release of thoughts, a completely relaxed physical feeling, and a hyper-awareness of the body and mind’s current state: that is meditation. Chanting encourages successful meditation by allowing the participant to submit to the rhythmic patterns of the chants and to produce sounds without feeling it necessary to attempt to decipher what they mean and why they are saying them. By allowing an individual to be submersed in something outside of themselves, it allows them to dive deeper into this meditative state. While internal focus is important, the Japanese believe that chanting is as much an opportunity to connect as a community and learn to embrace others as it is to learn about yourself. Group chanting sessions are common in monasteries and classes in Japan. Each person has their own journey, but no one will ever get anywhere alone; Zen Buddhist chanting promotes this group
Zen in the Art of Archery, by Eugen Herrigel describes the ritualistic arts of discipline and focus that the Zen religion focuses around. In this book, Herrigel describes many aspects of how archery is, in fact, not a sport, but an art form, and is very spiritual to those in the east. The process he describes shows how he overcame his initial inhibitions and began to look toward new ways of seeing and understanding. In the beginning of the book Herrigel tells us that he is writing about a ritual and religious practice, “whose aim consists in hitting a spiritual goal, so that fundamentally the marksman aims at himself and may even succeed in hitting himself.” (Herrigel p. 4) Through his studies, the author discovers that within the Zen ritual actions, archery in this case, there lies a deeper meaning. Herrigel explains throughout this book that it is not through the actual physical aspect of shooting arrows at targets that archery is Zen, but through the art and spirituality through which it is performed. It is not merely shooting an arrow to hit a target, but becoming the target yourself and then, in turn, hitting yourself spiritually. By meeting this spiritual goal, you will then meet the physical goal. The struggle then is, therefore not with the arrow or the target but within oneself.
To begin, it is generally difficult to pinpoint a consensus date for the commencement of a martial arts tradition in Japan because the learning of these arts was mostly done orally and through practice. It is by and large agreed upon that all of the Oriental martial arts have their roots in China, from the founder of Zen Buddhism, the Indian monk Bodhidarma (Daruma for the Japanese), in the 6th century. The principles of Zen Buddhism would later be reflected in most of the ph...
Puja is an auspicious activity that Buddhist adherents practice at a Temple or at home in their daily lives which may assist their path to nirvana. “Single-minded intense sitting…” is the key to proper meditation (Dogen) highlights that for one to transcend into a higher state, they must be able to meditate without the need to burn incense which distracts their senses from the environment. Puja portrays that rather than having the focus on physical matters, one should give focus on the spiritual side. Hence, the belief of mind over matter exists. Temple Puja is a place which adherents may practice rituals, allowing adherents to take on Buddhahood and contemplate about one’s self. The practice involves reciting prayers, chanting, bowing, and lighting incense which is all symbolic; Incense symbolises the purifying of oneself which represents the concept of achieving nirvana as the incense distracts one from their senses. During Puja, the adherents see the image of Buddha, hear the chanting, and smell the burning incense which make their experience multi-sensory. The monks of the Sangha usually chant ‘Hail Jewel of the Lotus’, bringing the adherent closer to nirvana, or they chant ‘Perfection of Wisdom’, enhancing the adherent’s understanding of their life. In Temple Puja, offerings are also made to bring about good Karma. Temple Puja is the interaction point between the Sangha and the adherent, thus creating a connection in the Buddhist community. The three jewels become non-existent if the connection between the Sangha and adherent did not exist. The Eightfold path plays an immense role in Puja: Right intention and view relates to the way an individual offers something. Right speech and action is the making of offering, bowing and chanting. Right effort and mindfulness is much more difficult for an adherent to attain but belongs to the meditation and chanting process. Right
Suzuki, D.T. An introduction to Zen Buddhism. Ed. Christmas Humphreys; fwd. C.G. Jung. London: Rider, 1983.
In this paper, I will discuss some significant differences of Mainstream Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Meditation is the action or practice of concentration and mindfulness. Now there are four important things to remember when meditating and they are your environment, body position/technique, motivation and support. I think these four things are pretty universal when it comes to meditation. According to Mainstream Buddhism there are two categories in which meditation falls under samatha and vipassana. Samatha translate into calming which is intended to keep you focused on a certain object for a length of time. The second one is vipassana, which means insight, and this is intended for you to gain wisdom and see things as they are. The way
At the beginners course at the Shambhala Center, there is a step by step instruction on how to meditate for anyone who is interested. There are distinct steps to doing this, such as sitting cross legged while looking slightly down, sitting up straight, while relaxing every muscle in your body. The vibe of the room as a whole created an environment that let you completely relax and reflect. The goal of meditation is to completely detach yourself from the outside world and its problems, yet answer the questions about these very things. According to Shambhala’s buddhist roots, this meditation is to ultimately reach enlightenment. The english word for enlightenment is awakening, which is what Shambhala’s goal is for the world. This tradition took traditional buddhist teachings of enlightenment and put it into meditation, and related it to our daily lives. In The Shambhala Principle, Sakyong Mipham said “We can hear logics and theories, but ultimately change and growth occur when we are touched at a human level-when we personally feel and experience something”. Sheila, the meditation leader, made it clear that whatever came to mind while meditating meant something, and if you detach yourself from these problems, you can truly meditate. The experience changed my outlook on not only religion as a whole, but my personal view on
With all of it’s lofty, mystical terms and ideas, Zen Buddhism can seem very hard to talk about much less understand and follow. The beauty of Zen, though, is its practicality, its simplicity, its ingenious grasp of the obvious. There are few of the traditional Buddhist rituals or ceremonies in Zen. It is known as the "Way of Sudden Enlightenment." It is a way of life that brings one closer to the satori experience. Satori is the enlightenment itself and, thusly, the complete understanding of Zen’s truths.
Zen is a Japanese word. So, it is natural that some people assume it is a Japanese belief, but actually the Japanese borrowed the word from Chinese Ch’an, which was influenced by Buddhism ideas. Of course, Buddhism came from India and Ch’an was adopted from the Sanskrit word dhyana, meaning
The development and evolution of the different sects of Japanese Buddhism such as Zen Buddhism played an important role in the development of classical Japanese culture throughout the four major periods, which was shown in the way that the Nara period, the Heian era, the Kamakura period, and the Edo period were all shaped by the ascent and decline of different Buddhist sects. It is these transitions that make Japanese history a myriad, but fascinating web of interconnecting events that manages to confuse even the most veteran historians. At first, Buddhism was only a pastime of the elite class of landowners and daimyo that held no special significance to the common peoples. It was mainly another way for the central government to gain power and influence among the many local lords that it had to contend with on a regular basis. Although it is to be noted that most of these new converts to Buddhism did not abandon their earlier religions, but instead blended it together with several aspects of Shintoism, the original indigenous religion of Japan(“Japanese Buddhism”,1). This created several amalgamations of the two religions wherever and whenever they met(“Japanese Buddhism”,1). However, as Buddhism was introduced to the general population through the process of hierarchical diffusion, it quickly branched off and evolved from its original form as different sects that shaped contemporary Japanese culture (Kasahara, 302).
Compare And Analysis The Japanese Buddhism And Indo Buddhism Buddhism is a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama in northeast India during the period from the late 6th century to the early 4th century BC. Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism has played an influential role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of much of the Eastern world. It is the prevailing religious force in most of Asia (India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet). ‘Buddhism’ is reformulated and re-expressed in different cultures and at different times, adopting and redefining aspects of the cultures in which it has taken root. Today, there are about 300 million followers. (Yamplosky) The Indian religion Buddhism, founded in the sixth century BC, is one of the common features of Asian civilization, and Buddhist institutions and believers are found all over East, South, and Southeast Asia. While Buddhism is now just a minority belief in the country of it’s founding, it remains a significant religious and cultural force in Japan today. Buddhism started in India and made its way to China and Korea. From there, it ended up in Japan. Buddhism went through several different periods before it became Japan's national religion. In indo Buddhism, the temple is the main sanctuary, in which services, both public and private, are performed but Japanese Buddhism is mainly hub of individual activities and services. Similarly to Japanese Buddhism, in Indo Buddhism the monastery is a complex of buildings, located usually in a spot chosen for its beauty and seclusion. Its function is to house the activities of the monks. Images are important features of temples, monasteries, and shrines in both Indo a...
Meditation aims to develop and master mindfulness, insight, and equilibrium. It allows its followers to obtain indifference to worldly attachments, experience the mind as it is and its original nature. The mind continuously engages with internal and external stimuli, constantly at work. Meditation is a way in which one can gain control over this constant flow of stimuli, by focusing the mind. Within the practice of Theravada Buddhism, meditation is seen as the most crucial way of reaching enlightenment, escaping samsara, and gaining the full understanding of what nature is. Whereas Mahayana buddhism utilizes mantras and incantation as a form of buddhism that also allows its practitioners to use this form of meditation to reach enlightenment. Despite its origination in religious practice, it has been loosely defined as a self regulating technique of having control over one's physical and mental
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.
The term “classical music” refers to the western influence, not the eastern influence of Asia; the two are very different (History). Classical music can be split into several historical periods that cover thousands of years; those periods are: medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary. Throughout each of these time periods, the style of music distinctively changes and evolves due to the different interpretations and ideas of the many different composers and arrangers at the time. Each era of a style of music was from when that style of music first came to be and was the most popular at the time. So, currently the world is experiencing the contemporary era of music, which consists of all types of new popular music.
Zen Buddhism teaches of a concept called wu-nien, or “no-thought”. This of course is not a literal absence of thought, but it is rather a detachment from the thou...
Fourteenth century Japan was a time of peace for many people. Buddhism had just become a major part of Japanese culture due to the Shogun Yoshimitsu. He became ruler in 1367 at the sapling age of ten (Waley 21). Yoshimitsu needed to distinguish himself from his ancestors and he did this by being devoted to Buddhism, specifically the Zen Sect (21). “Zen Buddhism and the life and teaching of Shinran are popularly identified as typical Japanese Buddhism.” (Takeda 27) However Buddhism, in Japan, is different and unique from Buddhism in other countries because it is considered the “funeral religion” (27). This is mainly influenced by ancient Japanese beliefs of the onryo.