Ronald Zazen Essay Questions
1. What is zazen? How is it beneficial?
Zazen is considered a form meditative discipline Zen Buddhism in which its followers perform a sitting meditation. In the film, Mr. Tahnee, a restaurant owner in Tokyo shows how himself and his employees perform this form of mediation. At one point a young waitress was slapped on the shoulder with a stick by Mr. Tahnee, the girl later explained this was a form of “encouragement.” Zazen is beneficial because one’s self can reflect on their lives and their personalities seem to change through just a meditational breathing. This meditation leads you to make the discovery of Buddha realization and discover their nature.
2. The host, Ronald Eyre keeps asking a specific question throughout the documentary. What does he ask? What sort of answers does he receive?
Eyre asks a specific …show more content…
What forms of Mahayana Buddhism are examined in the documentary? In what ways do the people in the documentary practice these forms?
There were multiple forms of Mahyana Buddhism shown in the documentary: Shintoism, Soka Gakkai, and Pure Land. The first form shown is Shintoism, known as the way of the Gods, is a special nature and spirit worship in Japan that harmonizes with Buddhism. Followers go to local temples to make offerings, ring a bell, and clap their hands to draw the local spirit. Once they do this they then go to a Buddhist priest to have their fortune told. Another form is a newer religious sect, Soka Gakki. Followers consider this as Buddhism of the true sort in which society is created on values and they claim the right worship, scripture, and the right Buddha. However, Eyre states that it doesn’t speak to the age we live in. The last form is known as Pure Land. This is considered the bravest and best movement of Buddhist history when monks, scholars, professionals were a part of it; however, the pure land technique gave hope to the masses and the masses have kept it going. It is also considered the easy way to
Zazen is considered a form meditative discipline Zen Buddhism in which its followers perform a sitting meditation. In the film, Mr. Tahnee, a restaurant owner in Tokyo shows how himself and his employees perform this form of mediation. At one point a young waitress was slapped on the shoulder with a stick by Mr. Tahnee, the girl later explained this was a form of “encouragement.” Zazen is beneficial because one’s self can reflect on their lives and their personalities seem to change through just a meditational breathing. This meditation leads you to make the discovery of Buddha realization and discover their nature.
2. The host, Ronald Eyre keeps asking a specific question throughout the documentary. What does he ask? What sort of answers does he receive?
Eyre asks a specific …show more content…
What forms of Mahayana Buddhism are examined in the documentary? In what ways do the people in the documentary practice these forms?
There were multiple forms of Mahyana Buddhism shown in the documentary: Shintoism, Soka Gakkai, and Pure Land. The first form shown is Shintoism, known as the way of the Gods, is a special nature and spirit worship in Japan that harmonizes with Buddhism. Followers go to local temples to make offerings, ring a bell, and clap their hands to draw the local spirit. Once they do this they then go to a Buddhist priest to have their fortune told. Another form is a newer religious sect, Soka Gakki. Followers consider this as Buddhism of the true sort in which society is created on values and they claim the right worship, scripture, and the right Buddha. However, Eyre states that it doesn’t speak to the age we live in. The last form is known as Pure Land. This is considered the bravest and best movement of Buddhist history when monks, scholars, professionals were a part of it; however, the pure land technique gave hope to the masses and the masses have kept it going. It is also considered the easy way to