In the scope of Buddhism, and in religion in general, rituals are very important. When defining faith, the easiest ways to do so are to look at scriptures, material objects, and rituals. In Buddhism there is a wide variety of rituals practiced by a large group of people; however, I found interest in the lesser known, less popular rituals. One such ritual which grabbed my attention was self-immolation, specifically auto-cremation. Especially with the protests in Vietnam against the government led by Ngo Dinh Diem that oppressed the Buddhists there, auto-cremation is an important Buddhist tradition that people underestimate the historical and religious importance of. The ritual of auto-cremation can tell us a great deal about the range of Buddhist rituals as well as the social and political context in which it was practiced concerning the relationships between religion and state as well as monastics and laypeople.
Rituals are a significant aspect of Buddhist life. There is no one type of ritual in Buddhism and their level of importance range with their type. Various types of rituals include: going for refuge; offering homage to the Buddha or other important Buddhist teachers, teachings or areas of life; making offerings; confessing faults, precept ceremonies; calling on spiritual forces for support; blessings; dedications of merit; rites of passage; and initiations or ordinations. (Zheng 21) The importance of any of these rituals in Buddhism is paramount. The rituals in this religion are interwoven with the daily life of the Buddhist. They express many of the dimensions of the human condition: from our relationships with others to our spiritual life.
Many rituals are meant to be transformative, turning the ordinary into some...
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...nolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2007. Print.
Benn, James A. “Multiple Meanings of Buddhist Self-Immolation in China – A Historical Perspective”, Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, no. 25, Décembre 2012, pp. 203-212. Web.
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The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic. Trans. Gene Reeves. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2008. Print.
Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Into the Jaws of Yama, Lord of Death: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006. Print.
Yu, Jimmy. Sanctity and Self-Inflicted Violence in Chinese Religions, 1500-1700. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Web.
Zheng, Lixin. Buddhism: Rituals and Monastic Life. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2007. Print
(2050)An Analysis of the Religious Xenophobia, the Regionalism of Chinese Taoism, and the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution in the Tang Dynasty Writings of Han Yu
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.
Buddhist popularity towards the Chinese grew following the collapse of the Han Dynasty in 220 C.E. It’s influence continued to expand for several centuries. Between 220 C.E. and 570 C.E., China experienced a period of political instability and disunity. During this time, many of the Chinese, specifically scholars, sought for peace in Buddhism and approved of Buddhism. On the other hand, the strict confucianists and the government fought to end Buddhism and make people go against it.
Religion has always been a prominent part of our culture, yet is constantly changing. The stereotypes within these religions are slowly disintegrating, forcing people to become more accepting and open minded. Buddhism, specifically Shambhala, has changed what it means to be religious, focusing less on memorizing and worshipping, and more on finding the meaning to their life and who they are. The Shambhala tradition uses its rituals in order to answer questions about various other aspects of life. These rituals are derived from Buddhists myths, and form the foundation of the religion as a whole. The direct connection between ritual and myth allows Shambhala to be a transformative religion, in which it is redefining itself and our society.
Lee, Kori. "Eastern vs. Western Views of Death and Suicide." HubPages. 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. Web.
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.
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
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
From its inception, Buddhism has stressed the importance of death, since awareness of death is what prompted the Buddha to perceive the ultimate futility of worldly concerns and pleasures. Realizing that death is inevitable for a person who is caught up in worldly pleasures and attitudes, he resolved to renounce the world and devote himself to finding a solution to this most basic of existential dilemmas.
This course has helped to improve my understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist precepts. It has also showed me better ways to live my life and that Buddhism can be acutely studied under the pretenses of scientific means. Buddhism and Buddhist meditation is scientifically proven to be psychologically changing and meaningful.
Eliot, Sir Charles. HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. 1921. Vol. 1. London: ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD, 1954. 3 vols. wisdom library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .
Rituals are an important part of Buddhist practice, dating back to the times of Buddha himself . Rituals can be practiced in a variety of ways from precept ceremonies to initiations and ordinations. In Shan tradition, the initial ordination ceremony of a monk is called the paui sang long and is an elaborate festivity that is important for sustaining the sangha . It is important because without the ceremony there would be no new monks joining the sangha, causing it to shrink and eventually die out. Similar to other religions, over time rituals, lessons, and text in Buddhism get reinterpreted and sometimes misrepresented. The paui sang long ceremony is no different, as it too has been used for reasons other than its initial purpose. The paui
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.
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Vetter, T. (1988). The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism. New York: E.J. Brill.