Buddhism Impact On Society
SOR DRAFT
[Nirvana] can only be reached, not produced, by the Path . . . it transcends the intrinsic nature of matter . . . being attainable through special insight affected by strong effort.
BUDDHAGHOSA, 5th century India
[Proper meditation is] single-minded intense sitting without burning incense, worshipping, reciting . . . , practising repentance, nor reading sutras.
DOGEN, 13th century Japan
With reference to the quotations and a significant person studied, analyse the impact of
Buddhist teachings and worship on individuals and the Buddhist community.
Buddhist teachings influence the adherents to change their way of life, following the Buddhist way of life and teachings. Buddhist teaching influence the adherents to change their way …show more content…
of life, following the Buddhist way of life. The way the Buddhist community interact upon each other and send their messages through include the views on Bioethics, Laws of Buddhism that promote influential change through Temple Puja, and the role of the Tibetan Buddhist Leader, Dalai Lama. It is through the Four Noble Truths, Five Precepts and the Three Jewels that Buddhists teachings reduce the cause of all sufferings and sorrows, while increasing the source of happiness into the religion - where meditation fits in. The ethics of the Buddhist are based on the Buddhist guidelines, which include the Ten Precepts, the Four Noble Truths and the beliefs on reincarnation as stated above. Individual Buddhists interpret these specifications in opposing ways. An adherent may take this in an utilitarian or value oriented approach to an ethical issue depending on the circumstances. Euthanasia is translated as assisted suicide, a painless death brought upon a person with an incurable disease at the request of the ill person. The day-to-day Buddhist, does not generally support euthanasia, in light of the idea that the life and death cycle may be interrupted and should not be intercepted. Buddhists believe that a person’s suffering may be the result of incompetent actions within a person’s previous life. Thus, Buddhists believe that nobody should intervene to shorten a person’s life. Asked on his views on Euthanasia, the Dalai Lama stated that the “Buddhists believed every life was precious and none more so than human life… I think its better to avoid it” ("What Are Buddhist Perspectives On Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide? - Euthanasia - Procon.Org". Euthanasia.procon.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.) The Dalai Lama is stating that although it is not the morally right thing to do, depending on the circumstances it may be the final option as it may be seen as an obligation to relieve suffering. For Buddhists, Euthanasia is seen as being more of a problem than abortion as the last moments of a person’s life is seen as being more important in determining a person’s next life. In light of this, even giving a dying person large amounts of drugs can be seen as a problem. This is because the drugs can impair the person’s ability to think. This conflicts with the fifth precept with states that an adherent cannot use intoxicated substances, which many Buddhists believe, that any drug impairing a person's cyclical train of thought can not be used. Albeit, the intention of the Buddhist is to end suffering, death is seen as part of the suffering process. As a result, killing yourself to alleviate suffering is seen as illogical and irrational, evident within the statement “[Nirvana] can only be reached, not produced, by the Path . . . it transcends the intrinsic nature of matter . . . being attainable through special insight affected by strong effort.” This signifies that Nirvana is not reached just through the reading of precepts and the eightfold path, but in order to reach Nirvana, they must execute the cyclical continuum of Samsara. Therefore, the notion of Nirvana may be tarnished if the Buddhist is an advocate of the concept of Euthanasia.
The Temple Puja is seen as a place of worship for the Buddhist adherence and community.
Worship is seen as an example of merit making and is seen as a way to generate good karma. This teaching impacts an individual and community by showing them that by going to the temple they are able to generate their good karma and ultimately be one step closer to achieving enlightenment. Many buddhists regularly go to a temple to worship.
Worshippers usually enter the temple and undertake their devotions individually. They are not required to gather at the temple at a particular time, shoes cannot be worn in the temple as it is a sacred site and usually food is not allowed to be brought into the temple unless it is used as a offering. A worshipper may sit cross legged and in silence adjacent from a Buddha statue. Sitting cross legged is crucial as facing the sole of your feet towards a monk or a Buddha can be seen as disrespectful. The buddhist teachings mention to adherents that the head is the most sacred part of the body whilst the feet are the most profane or unholy part of the body. Worshipers may listen to monks chanting from the scriptures. This reflects the belief that by chanting ‘perfection of wisdom’ the believer …show more content…
will get more understanding and insight of their life. Buddhanet states that “The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.” (“Buddhist
Festivals And Special Days". Buddhanet.net. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.) In significance of all festival days Buddhist adherence always end that day with chanting gaining a sense of insight and reflection of their day. Apart from the sight of a Buddha statue, chanting and bells, there is also a burning of incense which represents perfecting one’s efforts in purifying oneself. It can also represent the idea of a person reaching
Nirvana, which is likened to the blowing out of a candle. “[Proper meditation is] single minded intense sitting without burning incense, worshipping, reciting . . . , practising repentance, nor reading sutras” This idea from Doggen is contradicted by the Buddhists as
Doggen sees the burning of Incense and all the things they normally do within Temple Puja as not a means of proper meditation. He thinks of them as an easy way to relax yourself, however the Buddhists believe that by doing all of these rituals they are able to become closer to reaching Nirvana which these teaching impact the individuals and their society.
The fourteenth Dalai Lama was born in 1935 in North Eastern Tibet. The term Lama means ‘teacher’ or ‘monk’. The Dalai Lama has a number of titles, his full title however is shortened to Tenzin Gyatso meaning ‘ocean of wisdom’. He is also often given the title of
‘His holiness’. All of the Dalai Lamas have been seen as reincarnations of the Bodhisattva of compassion. The Bodhisattva people are those who are worthy of Nirvana yet stay on
Earth in human form to share their wisdom with the adherents of Earth. In the Dalai
Lama’s late twenties he took part in peace walks with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other leaders of the Chinese government. In 1959, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee into
India when the Chinese Army crushed a national uprising in Tibet. Many thousands of
Tibetans also went into exile due to this event. Since then the Dalai Lama has lived in
Dharamsala, India calling for a peaceful transition to Tibetan independence from China.
One problem facing the Dalai Lama is that the Chinese authorities have appointed an alternative leader for the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama is very well known across the world. He has tirelessly lobbied and campaigned for Tibetan independence. His appeals to the United Nations resulted in resolutions calling for Tibetan self determination, a watered down form of independence. He has addressed the united stated congregational human rights caucus and proposed a five point plan for Tibetan Independence. He has also held discussions with Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, as well as Anglican Archbishop
Ronald Runchie and Jewish leaders. He has travelled widely as part of his campaigning.
His travels included visits to Australia in 1996 and 2002. In 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. This was in the same year as the tiananmen square massacre, In Beijing’s central square. The Chinese army killed many Chinese students and others calling for democracy in China as the protested in the square. Estimates show between 500 and 2500 protesters died. The fourteenth Dalai Lama is seen as both a spiritual and political leader for the people of Tibet, although some people have
criticised him for not being assertive enough in the face of what they see as Chinese aggression towards Tibet. He has declared that he does not want to remain in political office once
Tibetan independence is achieved. It is evident that through the Dalai Lama’s teachings he has influenced many of the Buddhist people and their societies through his teaching of love and his handling of political issues peacefully.
The Buddhist teaching and worship have influenced the adherents for thousands of years, these influences had caused the societies and adherents to change their lifestyles as they had gained further understanding of the Buddhist way of life and its teachings. The teachings had shown Buddhists that in order to reach Nirvana they must follow all the processes of enlightenment. The Buddhist also believe that by participating in rituals they are able to become closer in reaching Nirvana and that through the Dalai Lama’s teachings they are influenced that they should love everyone and manage issues peacefully rather than forcefully.
[Nirvana] can only be reached, not produced, by the Path . . . it transcends the intrinsic nature of matter . . . being attainable through special insight affected by strong effort.
BUDDHAGHOSA, 5th century India
[Proper meditation is] single-minded intense sitting without burning incense, worshipping, reciting . . . , practising repentance, nor reading sutras.
DOGEN, 13th century Japan
With reference to the quotations and a significant person studied, analyse the impact of
Buddhist teachings and worship on individuals and the Buddhist community.
Buddhist teachings influence the adherents to change their way of life, following the Buddhist way of life and teachings. Buddhist teaching influence the adherents to change their way …show more content…
of life, following the Buddhist way of life. The way the Buddhist community interact upon each other and send their messages through include the views on Bioethics, Laws of Buddhism that promote influential change through Temple Puja, and the role of the Tibetan Buddhist Leader, Dalai Lama. It is through the Four Noble Truths, Five Precepts and the Three Jewels that Buddhists teachings reduce the cause of all sufferings and sorrows, while increasing the source of happiness into the religion - where meditation fits in. The ethics of the Buddhist are based on the Buddhist guidelines, which include the Ten Precepts, the Four Noble Truths and the beliefs on reincarnation as stated above. Individual Buddhists interpret these specifications in opposing ways. An adherent may take this in an utilitarian or value oriented approach to an ethical issue depending on the circumstances. Euthanasia is translated as assisted suicide, a painless death brought upon a person with an incurable disease at the request of the ill person. The day-to-day Buddhist, does not generally support euthanasia, in light of the idea that the life and death cycle may be interrupted and should not be intercepted. Buddhists believe that a person’s suffering may be the result of incompetent actions within a person’s previous life. Thus, Buddhists believe that nobody should intervene to shorten a person’s life. Asked on his views on Euthanasia, the Dalai Lama stated that the “Buddhists believed every life was precious and none more so than human life… I think its better to avoid it” ("What Are Buddhist Perspectives On Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide? - Euthanasia - Procon.Org". Euthanasia.procon.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.) The Dalai Lama is stating that although it is not the morally right thing to do, depending on the circumstances it may be the final option as it may be seen as an obligation to relieve suffering. For Buddhists, Euthanasia is seen as being more of a problem than abortion as the last moments of a person’s life is seen as being more important in determining a person’s next life. In light of this, even giving a dying person large amounts of drugs can be seen as a problem. This is because the drugs can impair the person’s ability to think. This conflicts with the fifth precept with states that an adherent cannot use intoxicated substances, which many Buddhists believe, that any drug impairing a person's cyclical train of thought can not be used. Albeit, the intention of the Buddhist is to end suffering, death is seen as part of the suffering process. As a result, killing yourself to alleviate suffering is seen as illogical and irrational, evident within the statement “[Nirvana] can only be reached, not produced, by the Path . . . it transcends the intrinsic nature of matter . . . being attainable through special insight affected by strong effort.” This signifies that Nirvana is not reached just through the reading of precepts and the eightfold path, but in order to reach Nirvana, they must execute the cyclical continuum of Samsara. Therefore, the notion of Nirvana may be tarnished if the Buddhist is an advocate of the concept of Euthanasia.
The Temple Puja is seen as a place of worship for the Buddhist adherence and community.
Worship is seen as an example of merit making and is seen as a way to generate good karma. This teaching impacts an individual and community by showing them that by going to the temple they are able to generate their good karma and ultimately be one step closer to achieving enlightenment. Many buddhists regularly go to a temple to worship.
Worshippers usually enter the temple and undertake their devotions individually. They are not required to gather at the temple at a particular time, shoes cannot be worn in the temple as it is a sacred site and usually food is not allowed to be brought into the temple unless it is used as a offering. A worshipper may sit cross legged and in silence adjacent from a Buddha statue. Sitting cross legged is crucial as facing the sole of your feet towards a monk or a Buddha can be seen as disrespectful. The buddhist teachings mention to adherents that the head is the most sacred part of the body whilst the feet are the most profane or unholy part of the body. Worshipers may listen to monks chanting from the scriptures. This reflects the belief that by chanting ‘perfection of wisdom’ the believer …show more content…
will get more understanding and insight of their life. Buddhanet states that “The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.” (“Buddhist
Festivals And Special Days". Buddhanet.net. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.) In significance of all festival days Buddhist adherence always end that day with chanting gaining a sense of insight and reflection of their day. Apart from the sight of a Buddha statue, chanting and bells, there is also a burning of incense which represents perfecting one’s efforts in purifying oneself. It can also represent the idea of a person reaching
Nirvana, which is likened to the blowing out of a candle. “[Proper meditation is] single minded intense sitting without burning incense, worshipping, reciting . . . , practising repentance, nor reading sutras” This idea from Doggen is contradicted by the Buddhists as
Doggen sees the burning of Incense and all the things they normally do within Temple Puja as not a means of proper meditation. He thinks of them as an easy way to relax yourself, however the Buddhists believe that by doing all of these rituals they are able to become closer to reaching Nirvana which these teaching impact the individuals and their society.
The fourteenth Dalai Lama was born in 1935 in North Eastern Tibet. The term Lama means ‘teacher’ or ‘monk’. The Dalai Lama has a number of titles, his full title however is shortened to Tenzin Gyatso meaning ‘ocean of wisdom’. He is also often given the title of
‘His holiness’. All of the Dalai Lamas have been seen as reincarnations of the Bodhisattva of compassion. The Bodhisattva people are those who are worthy of Nirvana yet stay on
Earth in human form to share their wisdom with the adherents of Earth. In the Dalai
Lama’s late twenties he took part in peace walks with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other leaders of the Chinese government. In 1959, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee into
India when the Chinese Army crushed a national uprising in Tibet. Many thousands of
Tibetans also went into exile due to this event. Since then the Dalai Lama has lived in
Dharamsala, India calling for a peaceful transition to Tibetan independence from China.
One problem facing the Dalai Lama is that the Chinese authorities have appointed an alternative leader for the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama is very well known across the world. He has tirelessly lobbied and campaigned for Tibetan independence. His appeals to the United Nations resulted in resolutions calling for Tibetan self determination, a watered down form of independence. He has addressed the united stated congregational human rights caucus and proposed a five point plan for Tibetan Independence. He has also held discussions with Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, as well as Anglican Archbishop
Ronald Runchie and Jewish leaders. He has travelled widely as part of his campaigning.
His travels included visits to Australia in 1996 and 2002. In 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. This was in the same year as the tiananmen square massacre, In Beijing’s central square. The Chinese army killed many Chinese students and others calling for democracy in China as the protested in the square. Estimates show between 500 and 2500 protesters died. The fourteenth Dalai Lama is seen as both a spiritual and political leader for the people of Tibet, although some people have
criticised him for not being assertive enough in the face of what they see as Chinese aggression towards Tibet. He has declared that he does not want to remain in political office once
Tibetan independence is achieved. It is evident that through the Dalai Lama’s teachings he has influenced many of the Buddhist people and their societies through his teaching of love and his handling of political issues peacefully.
The Buddhist teaching and worship have influenced the adherents for thousands of years, these influences had caused the societies and adherents to change their lifestyles as they had gained further understanding of the Buddhist way of life and its teachings. The teachings had shown Buddhists that in order to reach Nirvana they must follow all the processes of enlightenment. The Buddhist also believe that by participating in rituals they are able to become closer in reaching Nirvana and that through the Dalai Lama’s teachings they are influenced that they should love everyone and manage issues peacefully rather than forcefully.