Maechi Wabi’s journey illustrates the relationship of vipassana meditation because of the suffering that she goes through to become a nun. Through her journey to become a nun, she learns that to become a nun in Bangkok you need to have money. Without much of money, she goes through difficulties to difficulties to find a place where she can stay, practices meditation and learn Buddhism. Vipassana meditation means “to see clearly” (43 Brown). While Maechi Wabi practices vipassana meditation, she learns a lot about the nun and her inner self. Wabi starts to understand the idea of rebirth and suffering (the Buddhist truth) as she continues practicing meditation. The more she meditates, the more she gained an understanding of suffering, karmic and notices that everyone, including herself, is suffering because of the karmic that they have had builds in their past …show more content…
In the documentary, it shows how they worship Buddhism by offering food. When offering food, they both say some chat as they did in meditation. In Buddhism, offering food is very important because you are given without the thought of wanting something back and in return, you get good karma; that good karma can be given to others to help their life better. Questions that I have arisen in this regard is why Maechi Wabi still want to go forth as a Maechi when she finds out that to become a nun you need money? In fact, she already knows that her family is poor and she won’t be able to afford it. Another question is that I notice in the Thai society women were viewed as powerless and have more karma which is one of the reasons why they’re born to be a woman, so why the society or government didn’t support the idea of becoming a nun to help women escape from samsara or reduce their
The excerpt being reviewed in this paper is the story of An Lingshou whose “secular surname was Xu” (Shi 307). She is an upper class woman who “was intelligent and fond of studies” and “took no pleasure in worldly affairs” (Shi 307). She is devoutly Buddhist and doesn’t want to be married, but her father Xu Chong disagrees, accusing her of being “unfilial” (Shi 307). She responds that her “mind is concentrated on the work of religion” and questions why she must “submit three times before [she is] considered a woman of propriety” (Shi 307). Her father thinks this is selfish and goes to see a “Buddhist magician monk” who tells him to “keep a vegetarian fast and after three days . . . come back” (Shi 307). Xu Chong does so and the monk “spread Xu Chong’s palm with the oil of sesame seed ground together with safflower” and has him read what’s there (Shi 307). He sees “a person who resembled his daughter” as Buddhist preaching to a large group. The monk tells him that it “is a former incarnation of” his daughter who left her house to help the world at large and that “she indeed shall raise her family to glory” and help them find Nirvana (Shi 307). Lingshou is allowed to become a nun and “cut off her hair, discarded secular ornaments, and received the rules of monastic life from” the monk who spoke to her father and another famous nun (Shi 308). Lingshou goes on to be a famously great nun who “built five or six monastic retreats” and her family goes on to be honored and promoted (Shi
A path less traveled by is often depicted as a path of self-motivation and loneliness, that is when one finds oneself alone in the vast sea of people. Forcing one to either quit or search for acceptance to get support and opportunities to succeed. Easier said than done, acceptance is the most common struggles one has – to be recognized and share feelings and thoughts of one’s own. These struggles ranging from culture to morals to geographical and societal borders are epitomized by the Japanese picture brides in Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic as the brides transform into a new culture to show the situational paradoxes Japanese faced during the time period in which they find intriguing by prejudice against them divided
Union between two quarrelsome objects can be the most amazing creation in certain situations, take for instance, water. Originally, water was just hydroxide and hydrogen ions, but together these two molecules formed a crucial source of survival for most walks of life. That is how marriage can feel, it is the start of a union that without this union the world would not be the same. A Hmong mother, Foua took it upon herself to perform a marriage ceremony for the author of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, Anne Fadiman. In this miniscule event, two cultures with completely conflicting ideas came together to form a union. In this union, an American was celebrating an event in a Hmong way, truly a collision of two cultures.
In class we watched a video about the Nun study, in which researchers study a group of sisters living in the Notre Dame convent in terms of aging. The study started as as one on Alzheimer’s disease, but instead researchers found the key to successful aging as demonstrated by the sisters. Researchers determined that the nuns of the Notre Dame convent were aging better than many elders, they concluded this after the researchers found that although each of the study sisters held the brain functions of one having Alzheimer’s they showed no psychical symptoms of it, such as memory loss. This researcher’s argued was due to a number of factors within the nun’s lives. The factors range from the activity of each of the tested sister’s, to the strong supportive community, to the strong faith that the sister’s held, that led to the pause on the the outward appearance of Alzheimer’s disease.
Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton, N.J. [u.a.: Princeton Univ. Press, 2004. Print.
Grace King's The Little Convent Girl is an excellent example of post-Civil War realism incorporating a trick-ending. In this local color short story, King methodically lures the reader into a false belief that her story is about an insignificant and nameless young girl who, after twelve years seclusion in a convent, is exposed to the fervor and excitement of a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River. The success of Ms. King's trick-ending is achieved through three basic elements; 1) de-emphasizing the importance of the main character, 2) tidbits of information followed by wordy misdirection, and 3) a false climax.
After finally being able to be her version of white, Pauline starts to become a devout Catholic and starts her journey of becoming a nun. From the beginning of her path to rid her Ojibwe heritage, Pauline decides she wants “to learn the lace-making trade from the nuns” to become diverse in her knowledge of artistry (14). Since Pauline no longer felt attached to her Ojibwe heritage, she veers towards Christianity to guide her through the rest of her journey in becoming a nun. The first thing Pauline wants to do before going to the convent is confronting the lake monster. She talks about how, “(her) fingers closed like hasps of iron, locked on the strong rosary chain, wrenched and twisted the beads close about his neck until his face darkened
Thích Nh’at Hanh is a world renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, religious figure and accomplished writer. Living Buddha, Living Christ is only one of his many famous publications. Thích Nh’at Hanh, is famous for his insights into spiritual heritage and mindfulness in the present moment. Many Americans are seeking religious understanding and personal spirituality, even if they do not practice in the traditional manner. Throughout this book Nh’at Hang encourages readers to find meaning, understanding, mindfulness, and peace in the teachings of Buddha and Christ. His main focus is to open meaningful dialogue between different traditions, cultures, and religious groups around the world, for the betterment
Analysis of Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen The book Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen, caught my attention and became more interesting to me than I thought. I have always heard of the religion Buddhism, but I never knew what it was all about. I never thought that Buddhism was as huge as it is. I knew that it existed in other countries, but I never knew what exact countries. Many of the views in this book surprised me and the book taught me a lot about morals and better ways to live your life.
Dalai Lama’s The Book of Joy with Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams. Lama is going to give his the main three lessons from The Book of Joy: Joy, Acceptance, and 8 Pillars of Joy.
The encounter between Christians and Muslims in the land formerly known as Sham and presently marked the country of Syria. One of the most noted early contact was the meeting of the then a young merchant boy by the name Muhammad and the Christian hermit Bahira on a trading journey he had made with his uncle Abi Talib. This encounter between Muslims and Christians could be seen as predating the coming of Islam, but as soon as the Christian Monk Bahira saw prophet the young Muhammad, he had felt some and seen some greatness in the boy, he felt an experience that kind of impressed him about the young Muhammad and even to the extent of seeing Muhammad as possessing the signs and qualities of greatness and prophet hood that were said in the gospel
“A New England Nun” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman illustrates a woman’s struggle with the commitment of marriage after waiting fourteen years for her fiancee to return from Australia, where he stayed to support her. Freeman’s character, Louisa, constantly works on domestic house activities alone in her home. Joe’s entrance caused disruption in Louisa’s organized life. Louisa discovers that life is not what is seems and decides to become a nun. Although many feminists at the time rejected domestic house chores as a way to free themselves, Freeman shows her character embracing her domestic chores as a way to indulge in her solitude.
Summary and Analysis of The Nun's Priest's Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Prologue to the Nun's Priest's Tale: The Knight interrupts the Monk's Tale, for as a man who has reached a certain estate, he does not like to hear tales of a man's fall from grace. He would rather hear of men who rise in esteem and status. The Host refuses to allow the Monk to continue, instead telling the Nun's Priest to tell his tale. The Nun's Priest's Tale: The Nun's Priest tells a tale of an old woman who had a small farm in which she kept animals, including a rooster named Chanticleer who was peerless in his crowing. Chanticleer had seven hens as his companions, the most honored of which was Pertelote.
Buddhism originated in India around the 5th century B.C.E. The tradition is began with Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha. The word Buddha translate to “awakened” or “enlightened one”. Buddha was born into one of the warrior clans south of the Himalayas. He was the son of a local ruler who was plagued with the prophecy that his son would one day refuse the throne and become a wandering ascetic. Despite being confined to the palace and given every pleasure imaginable, the prince grew curious of the outside world. A trip assisted by a trusted servant showed Buddha illness, old age, and death. Becoming increasingly unsettled, Buddha renounced claims to his father, just as the prophecy predicted, and became an ascetic to meditate and ponder
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.