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Ap world history spread of Buddhism
Buddhism past and present
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As a student that is just beginning to learn and discover all that encompasses Buddhism, it is easy to get wrapped up in the facts and to never truly feel connected to the religion. I believe that the best way to fully understand something is to experience it first hand. Throughout this semester, I have learned the values, history, teachings, and practices of Buddhism but I have been lacking the opportunity to see and experience any of these things first hand. While there are many important Buddhist sites scattered throughout India and Nepal, I would choose four as amongst the most significant to arrange a tour to for myself and for my fellow classmates. This tour would allow us to view sites where Buddha himself lived and where Buddhism grew its roots. I would first arrange to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. The next stop of the tour would be Bodhgaya, which is the location of where the Buddha reached enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree. The third holy site on the tour would be to Deer Park located in Sarnath, and the fourth stop on the tour would be to where the Buddha reached parinirvana in Kushinara. In the Parinibanna sutra, the Buddha declared these four spots to be holy locations of future pilgrimages. These four spots are significant to the Buddhist religion and its followers as well as being significant to me on a personal level.
Lumbini, located in Nepal, is the location of where the Buddha was born as Siddhartha Guatama. Maya Devi, the Buddha’s mother, was traveling to see her parents when she paused in the garden at Lumbini underneath a sal tree. She suddenly felt labor pains, grasped a drooping tree branch and gave birth to the Siddhartha Guatama who would grow to become t...
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... located in India and is where Buddha meditated underneath the Bodhi tree until he had found the truth and had become enlightened. Once the Buddha realized the suffering that was happening all around him, he went on a journey to discover a way to eliminate all suffering for mankind. After many failed attempts, Buddha sat down with the mindset that he was not going to move until he reached enlightenment. It is said that Buddha proclaimed, “Here on this seat my body may shrivel up, my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve, but my body will not move from this seat until I have attained Enlightenment...” (“Bodh Gaya Buddhism,” n.d.).
Works Cited
"Bodh Gaya Buddhism, Guide to Buddhism in Bodh Gaya,Buddhist Pilgrimage in Bodh Gaya India." Bodh Gaya Buddhism, Guide to Buddhism in Bodh Gaya,Buddhist Pilgrimage in Bodh Gaya India. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
...eautiful scenes within the temple. It was very interesting to learn about specific interactions and lifestyles many Buddhists go through when at the temple and their perspectives on life. The location of the temple was one that really provided an atmosphere that was heavenly. The architecture and the buildings were meticulously built. The landscape was very beautiful and the atmosphere was very relaxing. I felt at peace and calm when I was at the temple. I also feel a step closer to understanding my culture.
The Buddha did not want to teach at first, but as stated in old stories the king of the gods, Brahma, convinced the Buddha to share his ways (Editors of Biography.com). The Buddha found his five former followers and said his first sermon to them (“Buddha” Reynolds) in present day Varanasi, India (“Buddha” Compton’s). He taught them the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths, which are both central teachings in Buddhism and they became his first followers (Editors of Biography.com). He also taught Dharma, which means “saving truth”, throughout India (“Buddha” Reynolds). The Buddha founded an order of monks after reaching enlightenment. They did not pray to any gods and the Buddha did not claim to be a god. (“Buddha” Compton’s). The Buddha taught for 80 years and died in India (Editors of
I was very nervous to visit the Hindu Mandir. However, once I got there, I saw how beautiful and amazing it really was. It was so beautiful that I thought that I was in a museum instead of a place of worship. It was absolutely nothing as I expected it to be at all. While I was in the Mandir, I felt a sense of honor and serenity and at peace while looking around at all the beautiful art. In addition, I learned many different things because of this visit about Hinduism. The visit made me learn things that I would have never learned if I did not go on the trip. I learned about what a Mandir is, a Mandir functions, the history of Hinduism, their beliefs, and their festival celebrations.
Buddhism originated from India, and was founded by Prince Siddharta Gautama, who later came to be known as Buddha, or the enlightened one. Born of a princely caste, he later renounced his comfortable life in search for nirvana. In order to do that, he joined a band of ascetic, who was a group of Hindu priests. In his teaching, the Buddha taught his followers to follow "the middle way", that is, not the way of extreme asceticism. He attained full understanding of the nature of being by meditation and after his success, decided to impart his knowledge to those who follow him .
Buddhism is one of the worlds major religions with 300 million followers around the world. Buddhism has many beliefs, tradition, and practices based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. It is a religion that doesn't involve in having a belief in a God or Gods. many people believe Buddhism is a way of life or a philosophy. Buddhists believe that Buddha is not God and he didn't say he was God, but he was a man that taught people the path to enlightenment that he learned from his own experience. Many believe that Buddhists worship statues of the Buddha, but by bowing to the Buddha statue they are paying their respect and expressing their gratitude for his teachings. There are also different types of Buddhism because it changes from country to country do to different cultures and customs. Buddhism is believed to originate in northern India in 563 BC. It is also believed that the traditions of Buddhism was taught by Siddhartha Gautama also called the Buddha meaning the enlightened one or awakened. Siddhartha Gautama was born to a rich family in Lumbini India. When Siddhartha Gautama reac...
Buddhism is considered as one of the three most widespread very important world religions. Buddhism was founded by the historical Buddha Gautama, in the 5th century B.C.E. Buddhism begun around 2,500 years ago by a young prince named Siddharthe Gautama. Living as a prince, he went on a religious endeavor seeking to improve human suffering. Gautama earned the title Buddha meaning “The Enlightened One”, when he found the answers to life's suffering. Buddhism rotates around the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. The Buddha addresses that if these beliefs are followed, Buddhists will reach enlightenment called nirvana, and thus freed from the worries of the physical world.
The founder of Buddhism was a man called Siddhartha Gautama, born to a wealthy family and destined for greatness; Siddhartha, however, left his family and the palace in search for religious truth and an end to suffering. Siddhartha tried many ways of reaching an enlightened stage; wandering the forest, joining the beggars, fasting, debating with religious leaders, but when none of these methods brought him a greater understanding of the world, Siddhartha sat himself down under a fig tree, and meditated. After forty-nine days of meditation Siddhartha was said to have achieved an understanding of the cause of suffering, he then became known as the Buddha, enlightened one.
Buddhism prevailed as a religion indigenous to west India and comprises of varieties of traditions, beliefs and practices based on the teachings of Buddha. There are many reasons why Buddhism became so popular and entered into many civilizations. Buddhism began to be popular throughout Asia alongside India. Buddhism has blossomed in the contemporary world, especially in the West. It is an issue to wonder what Buddhism offers that other religions cannot and has become so significant worldwide. Buddhism has become an idea that is widespread and the teachings of Buddha have made a real difference in many civilizations like India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and surprisingly Buddhism has come to make a significant difference in American culture.
"BuddhaNet Basic Buddhism Guide." n.d. BuddhaNet. Buddha Dharma Education Association BuddhaNet. Webpage. 6 March 2014. .
A man and a woman led us to a small room. The man wore jeans and a regular t-shirt and the women wore a colorful dress reaching her knees. The man later told us that he typically didn’t wear jeans, instead he is generally in a more relaxed and comfortable attire. In the small room, there were four quilts laid out on the floor with cushions to sit on. All of the small quilts faced one wall, which contained three statues and a couple of pictures. On the left side of the wall was a statue of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. As stated in an article in World-Faiths, Buddhism was established upon Siddhartha’s teachings. He was an Indian prince who began his spiritual journey when he was 29 years old. After six years, he rea...
For my site visit reflection paper, I decided to visit the Thai Buddhist Temple in Homestead. The reason this particular site was my choice was because information acquired from the videos in lecture about tradition and Confucianism in Asia made me curious to learn more about the Buddhist way of life. Because so many South Eastern countries instantaneously adopted Buddhism from India and then China with open arms, I decided to make the visit in the morning to learn the reasons for the international success of this way of life. This would give me a more interactive comprehension of Buddhism.
The customs and characteristics of Buddhism arose from the belief of many central myths. The most significant myth to the Buddhist faith would be the story of its founder, the Buddha. Before he became the Buddha, he was Siddhartha Gautama. The myth stated that the Buddha was conceived from a dream that his mother Mahamaya dreamt in which a white elephant entered her side. The Buddha was born from her side. He was born fully awake, and could speak and walk. He stated that he would end suffering. Unfortunately, his mother died a week after childhood. His aunt Mahaprajapati raised
"What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre." What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
The name Buddhism comes from the word "budhi" which means "to wake up." This philosophy originated from the life of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha. “At his naming ceremony, priests foretold that his life could go in one of two directions”( Molloy 125). He would either follow his father's footsteps and become a world ruler or he would become a spiritual leader, if he got exposed to the sight of suffering. As Siddhartha grew, his father kept him away from all the suffering of the outside world. He got educated and trained inside a luxurious palace, preparing to eventually become the ruler his father wanted him to be. All was going as planned until Siddhartha decide to visit a town close to his palace without...
"The Buddhist World: Lay Buddhist's Guide to the Monk's Rules." BuddhaNet - Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.