The Tannisho are the teachings of Shinran, Master of Shin Buddhism, which is a form of Shingon or Esoteric Buddhism. Shin Shingon Buddhism is also known as Pure Land Buddhism. This school of thought, therefore, comes out of the Mahayana tradition. It holds that the Dharma has become too corrupt to lead anyone on Earth to nirvana. Instead, there are “Buddha fields” (Gethin, 263) that one can be reborn into and obtain freedom from samsara through nirvana there. Through the Tannisho Shinran explains how one can call on the name of one of these Buddhas, and thus be saved from samsara by calling on the name of the compassionate Amida, Lord of the Western Paradise, Buddha of Immeasurable Light.
This is due to the compassionate nature of Amida, who took on a “Primal Vow” to take all who ask for it to nirvana. The Primal Vow is as follows, “If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.” (Cîrlea, 11)
Like all Buddhists, Shinran believed that the cycle of samsara conditioned people into ignorance. Through the delusion of believing in the independence of the self, the ignorant suffer and cling to the ephemeral and transient. This conditioning is what he terms “self power”, the drive of the enlightened mind, trapped in the cycle of samsara, suffering and bound by ignorance and delusion. (Unno)
The way to salvation, Shinran tells us, is through shinjin and nembutsu. Nembutsu is the practical element to Shinran’s formula for salvation. It is the focus and centering of one’s self on the compassion of Amida and the calling up...
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...e notion of interbeing provides a full picture of understanding connecting different Buddhist ideas such as emptiness, no-self and impermanence together using just one simple word. As Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the role of Buddhism as a liberating vehicle for the mass of its practitioners, the “heart” of the understanding of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra is emancipation from fear. Through the eyes of interbeing and skillful practice of penetration can one attain the “heart of the understanding.”
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Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
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Several comments should be made about this choice. First of all, it should be emphasized that the scope of this essay is such as to only be able to examine Buddhism as a philosophic system with psychological implications. Buddhism is, of course, mu...
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.
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Buddhism is one of the major world religions with many followers around the world. It is unique in its nature as it is frequently referred to as a ‘spiritual tradition’ (Miller, 2010). Buddhism focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life (Johnston, 2003). Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. This belief in the impermanence of all things underpins the Buddhist interpretation of the world and reality (Maguire, 2001).
A comparative analysis of salvation in Christianity and Buddhism exposes stark contrasts between the grace of Jesus Christ and the self-saving action and enlightenment of Buddha. I attempt to compare the Christian and Buddhist concepts of salvation in this essay to emphasise on the significance of each founder's roles in salvation, and to extract similarities and differences between them both.