Buddhism is a religion that has been under pressure for hundreds of years. Specifically in China, the acceptance of the religion was a hard, long battle that formed demise and refute amongst the society. Emperors, Scholars, and even anonymous Chinese writers voiced their opinions for and against Buddhism. Many controversial arguments are held today. Emperor Wu of the Tang Dynasty (845 C.E.), did not respect Buddhism as a religion. He described the practice as a “vine until it has poisoned the customs of our nation”. (Doc. six.) This document displays Emperor Wu’s dislike for the religion. When the Buddhists leave their jobs to become Monks and Nuns, they lose their economic growth as well. “If even one man fails to work the fields, …show more content…
These sets of laws were part of the first sermon preached by Buddha in the fifth century B.C.E. The first truth is sorrow, “Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow, contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorrow, every wish unfulfilled is sorrow”. The second truth is the arising of sorrow, “it arises from craving, which leads to rebirth, which brings delight and passion, and seeks pleasure- the craving for sensual pleasure, the craving for continued life, and the craving for power”. The third truth is the stopping of sorrow, “It is the complete stopping of that craving, so that no passion remains, leaving it, being emancipated from it, being released from it, giving no place to it”. The fourth truth is “the way that leads to the stopping of sorrow”. (Doc. one.) Document one is a cultural and social outlook. Without the Four Noble Truths, there might be less optimism. Optimism is not always a good thing, especially when it is the fuel to anticipation for a victory that is not calculated to be true. There would be less disappointment after losing, or not getting what was expected. The Four Noble Truths were intended to stop …show more content…
“If Buddhism is the greatest and most venerable of ways, why did the great sages of the past and Confucius not practice it?” This is the person’s first question and the answer is “All written works need not necessarily be the words of Confucius. To compare the sages to the Buddha would be like comparing a white deer to a unicorn, or a swallow to a phoenix.” (Doc. three.) The next question about Buddhism contains the need and respect for family. “Now of happiness there is none greater than the confirmation of one’s line, of unfilial conduct there is none worse than childlessness. The monks forsake wives and children, reject property and wealth, Some do not marry all their lives.” In China, having a family is crucial. To the monks, family is just another pleasure that they do not need. “Wives, children, and property are the luxuries of the world, but simple living and inaction are the wonders of the Way. The monk practices the Way and substitutes that for worldly pleasures. He accumulates goodness and wisdom in exchange for the joys of having a wife and child.” (Doc.
Zhao wrote that “If a wife does not serve her husband, then the proper relationship between men and women and the natural order of things are neglected and destroyed. ”5 Here the natural role for women is to be subservient to her husband. According to Prazniak, “The worthiness of the husband and wife as individuals was evident…in the husband’s ability…to allow his wife to serve him. ”6
Through trade, Buddhism was implemented into Chinese culture. Although it became a pillar religion of China, it also became incorporated into the government while also influencing society (TedEd). This is noteworthy because these pillar religions were able to merge in a way, shaping the literature and architecture of China. Religion was especially important in China as it not only centralized a person but the government. New aspects of a religion, although similar to existing ones, allowed for a shift in government.
In a small village in China, during the early 20th century, a man’s life is about to be changed forever: he is about to get married, he is going to have children, and him and his family will go through the peaks and valleys that life bestows upon them. They endure harsh floods and excruciating famines, but they also live through times of wealth and prosperity. This man is Wang Lung, who was raised with traditional family values and customs such as filial piety, the respect for the land, and worshiping the gods. He achieves much success and wealth largely because he has followed these traditions. However, Wang Lung fails to pass these sacred family traditions down to his children.
During the period of time before 350 CE, some Chinese people had begun to like Buddhism. They favored it believing it established order. It was brought to China after the collapse of the Han Dynasty in 220 CE. The collapse made China unstable. Some people thought Buddhism was toxic, while others thought it was good for China.
The Declaration of Independence is far from alone in the writings of happiness. All of the books
Buddhism is a very intriguing religion to study and to be a part of. Before I learned about Buddhism, I thought it was just about Monks and meditating. Little did I know, it is much more, it’s a lifestyle. The first time I actually wanted to learn more about Buddhism was from the movie The Hangover Part II. I know that does sound weird and crazy, but in the movie, the characters Alan Garner, Phil Wenneck, and Stu Price, portrayed by Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, and Ed Helms, somehow kidnapped a monk and now have to return the monk to his temple.
Jiuku tianzun (the Heavenly Venerable Savior from Suffering) was created by the imitation of the Buddhist Guanyin in the Daoists of the Lingbao texts (Guang, 2012). Since Guanyin is still the most popular worship idol nowadays, the Bodhisattva 's birthday and renunciation (Lunar New Year on February 19, June 19, September 19) are still China's Buddhist worshiped day. Even in the Theravada Buddhist countries, such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and India, least people believed in Guanyin and among them most are the Chinese people, and Buddhist countries in the North especially in China worshiping Guanyin becomes an everlasting faith (Irwin, 1990). Why Guanyin become so popular in Chinese society?
“If you really desire liberation, hold the objects of sense-enjoyment at a distance, like poison; and keep drinking in with delight such virtues as contentment, compassion, forgiveness” (Prabhavananda). This is important because the teachings may limit the follower in terms of their free will, but the follower had freedom and free will in the first place to choose that
Finally, the fourth truth is to accept the reality. These are teachings that prove that happiness is something that is potentially lethal when it comes to emotions. It isn’t anything that would be categorized in its own definition. Another concept Ricard brings into his work is responsibility. This is something happiness doesn’t want to deal with.
If you successfully completed your dharma you would be reincarnated after death into a higher caste, or reach Moksha which is the release from the cycle. The ability for social mobility affects China by making it so that being at the top of the social hierarchy was not something that you were born into, it was something that was earned. This caused the people of lower social classes to respect the elites and scholar-gentry far more. The result of no social mobility in India caused it so that people would work as hard as they could their entire life because they knew that the only thing that mattered in this life was fulfilling their duties so their next life could be better. Therefore everyone in India worked as hard as they could for as long as they could hoping their next life would be as a Brahmin or that they would reach moksha and not have a next life at
Chapter One: Monasteries and Monarchs The Role of Buddhism in Fostering Diplomacy Through the travels of Xuanzang, an interesting side of Buddhism and religion in general was shown by how the different people we met treated him, and how the countries in his story acted. Many of their actions were because they either were Buddhist or supported Buddhist monks in some way. From the beginning, we can see how the religion of Xuanzang and his brothers affected their actions and lives. In the very first paragraph of the chapter, the scene is set with imagery of war torn China and how it directly contradicts the beliefs of Xuanzang and that China is no place for peaceful Buddhist monks (1).
Nowadays, the religion’s ideals and moral values of Buddhism have proved to be crucial in saving so many people from their sufferings. One example is when Buddhism liberated the common man during the Vedic period. Buddhism continues to have influence, from the present generation to the future and from the East to the West. Confucius, the fourth most influential person in history, produced and taught a belief that all humans are created equal.
Ceremonies in Buddhism Description: Numerous holidays and festivals are celebrated by the Buddhist community. It is an established faith that Buddhism encompasses various rituals as per their tradition and custom. Throughout the year, special days and holidays are celebrated by the people of the Buddhist community. The Buddhist festivals are rejoicing occasions where in people visit the temples and monasteries and offer food to the monks. Process: Poya Ceremony: The Poya Ceremony takes place every full moon and the ceremony is called Poya as per the “Sinhala Language.”
Buddhism teaches people how to end their agony by eliminating greed, hatred, and ignorance. Buddhism was established in 500 BC and it started with a prince called Siddhartha, a representative of the Gautama clan. Siddhartha was known as Buddha. Siddhartha grew up living the luxury life of a young prince. Siddhartha married a girl called Yasodhara when he was sixteen.
The day before Buddha 's birthday, I secretly went to my computer and googled “don’t believe in Buddha.” I was motivated to go on Google when I realized that I just couldn’t worship any of the Buddhist ideals I was practicing. Unknowingly, there are people who consider themselves an agnostic or an Atheists. I researched about them and their ideas corresponded to my own beliefs. I didn’t tell anyone about my findings.