Buddhahood Essays

Tara – A woman of many colors In Buddhism, bodhisattva is the term for a being with bodhi or enlightened. A bodhisattva is anyone who, motivated by great caring, has generated total enlightenment. Tara is a female Bodhisattva who appears as a female Buddha. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the value of success in work and achievements. Statues of Tara represent the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva (“Buddha-to-be”) Avalokiteshvara. According to popular belief, she

Throughout buddhist practice, there have been various buddhist figures. However, two buddhist figures, which set themselves apart from other buddhist figures are, respectfully, Soko Morinaga and Milarepa. Although there are differences between Soko Morinaga and Milarepa, there are similarities between them. They both learned and discovered different meanings of what it means to practice buddhism. Therefore, an in depth discussion of these two buddhist figures from differing buddhist traditions (i

The image of Buddha has become widely known icon of one of the most popular religions that occupy Asian Pacific landmass, but it also extends to a worldwide platform. Like any image that holds great meaning it is something that was subject to change and “revolution” so to speak. The idea of Buddha is an image that represents the philosophy of “master”. When the King would leave and go on a journey of sorts the Buddha image would be left to cover the “master’s” absence and represent an ideal to follow

Abstract: There are two opposed worlds in “Macbeth”_ rational and irrational. Macbeth’s tragedy begins when he begins to apply the standards of the irrational world in the rational one where he lives. The rational world is marked by complexities, uncertainties and inter-dependences of events. Heroism, in this world, consists in confronting these. The irrational world is characterized by simplicities, certainties and isolation of events. Macbeth loses his heroism and becomes fear-stricken when, undeservingly

A Buddha is a spiritual person who recognizes that enlightenment can end the cycle between birth and death as well as bring deliverance from suffering. Buddha went by more than one name such as Shakyamuni Buddha or basically the Buddha. As stated in the article, “The Life of Shakyamuni Buddha”, Buddha real name was known as Gautama Buddha and lived from 566 to 485 BCE in central north India (Berzin, 2007, para. 1). The name of the city in India where Buddha grew up and stayed the rest of his life

In Stephen Batchelor’s book, Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening he goes into depth about the idea that Buddhism is not a religion or something to believe in, but rather a mindset that is a way of living with a course of action. Throughout the book he gives examples and tells stories to defend the idea that Buddhism is more than just something to believe in, but it is a way of living. Batchelor noted that when it comes to viewing Buddhism as a religion it is important to know

Eventually Mahayana became the largest major branch of Buddhism, due to its integration with the early schools. According to Wikipedia, “The Mahayana tradition is the largest major tradition of Buddhism existing today, with 53.2% of practitioners, compared to 35.8% for Theravada and 5.7% for Vajrayana in 2010.” (htt) The early beginnings of Theravada spread back furthermost in history. It is descending from an elder group called the Sthavira that broke away during the Second Buddhist Council, in

equally within all people. This life state of "Buddhahood" is characterized by the qualities of compassion, wisdom and courage, which enable us to create something of value from any situation. Nichiren realized that the deepest process of transformation and purification takes place when we bring forth this state, and he taught the practice of chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" as the direct means for accessing and experiencing the life state of "Buddhahood". This Buddha nature expresses itself in substantial

last body is the Body of Transformation or Emanation which is an illusion used to guide humans to Enlightenment. Everyone can achieve Nirvana and become one with Ultimate Reality. Bodhisattvas are human spirits who sacrifice their Buddhahood to help others attain Buddhahood and are, as a result, worshipped as Gods by some Buddhists. Others believe that countless Buddhas preside on the Earth, including the incarnation of Siddharth

As Buddhism spread across Asia, particularly towards the north and through the region of Tibet and China, there was an emergence of the Mahayana tradition that adopted the regional and local customs which began to augment, reevaluate and reshape fundamental early Indian Buddhist concepts. Thus, early Indian Buddhism had inevitably evolved and formed a new school of Buddhism known as Mahayana. The Mahayana school of Buddhism shares vast similarities with Early Indian Buddhism in their fundamental

1. What are some of the more “devotional” forms of Buddhism, and how are they distinguished? Theravada the most ancient form of Buddhism also called “ The Doctrine of the Elders”, undo itself as representing the original authentic teachings of the Buddha. By studying the ancient texts, meditating, and following the Eightfold Path, that Theravada Buddhist believe they will achieve Enlightenment,Which is mainly pursued through meditation; merit- making to improve future rebirth,which is primarily

The “small island nation” Japanese have always had very strong values that they pass down to their generations (Kanagy,2013). They teach their children to place others before them, respect their elders, and to always be honest. The country of Japan remained mostly isolated until whale hunters wanted to hunt, and dock in the Japanese territory in 1825 (Japan: Memories). The culture of Japan before World War II, was one of a deep history of knowing one’s place, keeping traditions, and honor. That

Angkor was first opened as a Hindu shrine and later a Buddhist temple in the late 13th century. Today Angkor is Cambodia's most famous site of religious art and its silhouette appears on Cambodia's flag. The temple was designed and built on a basis of religious and political ideas imported from India. Angkor defines what has come to be understood as the classical style of Angkorian architecture. It combines two basic features of the Khmer temple; the temple-mountain and the galleried temple.

Religious expression through a form of art and its process of creation provides mankind with aesthetic enjoyment, a means of communication, and a show of devotion to one’s faith. Art has been associated with religion since prehistoric times. Paintings created of past events can help elicit a feeling of devotion to one’s art and faith that can be lost over time. Art throughout the ages has become a powerful voice for the expression of religious beliefs. When it comes to the art of Christian Europeans

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (萬佛聖城, Wànfó Shèngchéng) is situated in Talmage, Mendocino Country, California, about 180km north of San Francisco, and about 2 miles east of Ukiah. It is the first international Buddhist monasteries established by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua in the United States. It occupies an area of 488 acres (about twenty-five the size of the grounds of the White House), of which 80 acres are presently been used, and the rest of the land includes meadows, orchards and forests

Midterm Paper Chan/Zen is supposed to be founded on an experience beyond words. “A separate tradition outside scripture, not founded on words and letters.” Is it? How do you see earlier Buddhist and/or Daoist ideas giving rise to, influencing, or differing from the Chan emphasis on an “experience beyond words”? Cite specific traditions and philosophical concepts from our readings where possible. Chan belongs to a branch of Buddhism known as Mahayana, which separated from the traditional

religions. In Theravada Buddhism, the ultimate goal is the attainment of the great state of Nirvana, achieved by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, finally escaping what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth. Mahayana Buddhism instead aspires to Buddhahood via the buddha path, a state when one remains in this cycle to help other beings reach awakening. Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially

1. Thesis Introduction This thesis is a translation and study of the text called “Fount of Scripture and Reasoning: Responses to the Questions Posed [by the Treasure revealer Ratna Lingpa] in ‘Exquisite Palace of Vaijayanta’”. This work was composed around 1590 by possibly the greatest polemicists of the Old School tradition, Sokdokpa Lodro Gyaltsen (1552-1624). This work intermingles some of the thorniest questions about the Buddhist doctrine raised by Ratna Lingpa by the middle of the sixteenth

There are various sources with conflicting information about Bodhidharma arrival in China. The Further Biographies of Eminent Monks is more detailed on the origin in Bodhidharma in that it claims that he traveled to Nanyue (now modern day northern Vietnam and Chinese Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan) during the Liu Song Dynasty. The Liu Song Dynasty ruled from the years 420-479. The Long Scroll of the Treatise on the Two Entrances and Four Practices claims that Bodhidharma, after giving up his royal

Since the beginning of time, in every culture, in every epoch, human beings have had a burning desire for love. It seems as if no other topic has been able to captivate the popular imagination like love has. Love is the most irresistible of all emotions, there has never been an instance where a love story hasn’t attracted an audience. However, no matter how destined for each other lovers can seem, their story doesn’t always end with a “They lived happily ever after.” Of all love stories one genre