The Five Stages Of Grief

The Five Stages Of Grief
Death is just another state we encounter in the human life. Death is the state of being when the brain
and brain stem stop working and the effects become irreversible. Once a person passes, his or her
love ones go through many stages of grieving. The famous Kubler–Ross model, commonly referred
to as the "five stages of grief," is a great representation of the stages. These stages do not occur in
any particular order, but it is predicted these stages do occur in most people. The grievers not only
have to cope with the loss of their love ones, but they also have to deal with the new changes in their
life (E., 2010). No matter the condition of death whether it be expected or unexpected, everyone has
their own ways of dealing or coping with death. Different religions and cultures practice death and
grieving very differently from one another. Buddhism is not necessary a religion but more of a
philosophy that focuses on leading a moral life while being mindful of thoughts and actions.
Buddhists practice the power of mindfulness by staying focused on the mind and body in present
conditions and becoming aware of the person. This is the idea of allowing a person's mind to accept
the reality of death from a love one. Accepting death releases all the pain and grief resulting in the
ability to move on. Buddhist sees death as a natural stepping stone into rebirth or to reach nirvana.
Buddhists describes a story in which a woman pleaded the Buddha to bring her child back to
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Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Abraham Lincoln once said "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is
what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart she tells a story
about a culture deeply rooted in tradition that's facing the prospect of change. The story gives the
reader an insight on the reality of change and it effects on the characters. The aggravated
circumstances of whether or not change should have advantage over tradition oftentimes involves
questions of both societal and personal status and reputation. An example being the protagonist,
Okonkwo, who opposed the incoming political and religious changes, for the idea that such
practices are "unmanly" and in turn he would eventually be seen as weak and ... Show more content
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Achebe uses Unoka, Okonkwo's father as an example to this in saying, "Unoka... was a failure. He
was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was
a loafer... When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. Any wonder then
that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of him." (pg. 4) Thus showing the reader that the social
hierarchy played such an important role in their clan that a son can come to resent their father for
not being in a respectable position in the society. We see a similar emphasis on Status and
reputation, instead through the use of religion in Molière's play, Tartuffe where Madame Pernelle
visit but soon decides to leave her son Orgon's house, for she believes that the household lacks
respect and morals. She deems her grandson Damis as a fool and brat, and granddaughter Mariane
fragile. Pernelle also believes that the servants shouldn't have opinions for they are beneath her. The
only person who seemingly earns her praise is a religious man who goes by Tartuffe invited by
Orgon to stay with the family due to his apparent piety. The family doesn't believe that Tartuffe is
being honest and that he is using the power of religion to manipulate Orgon, yet Madame Pernelle
chooses to side with Tartuffe and claims he's just trying to show them the way to heaven. After
Madame Pernelle departs, the servant Dorine and Orgon's brother–in–law Cleante discuss how they
might convince Orgon that Tartuffe is manipulating him. Damis is concerned that, under Tartuffe's
influence, Orgon might refuse to let Mariane marry her beloved Valere even though he has already
promised to approve the match. When Orgon arrives, Cleante begs him to see through Tartuffe's act,
but Orgon waxes poetic about

Buddhism Influence
As Buddhism developed, there was a great request for Buddhist texts to be converted from Indian
languages into Chinese. This headed to the influx of translators from Central Asia and India. The
initial prominent one was Anshigao from Central Asia who came to China in the middle of the
second century. With a budding collection of Chinese translations of Buddhist texts, Buddhism
became more broadly known and a Chinese monastic command was also designed. The first
recognized Chinese monk was said to be Anshigao's follower. The influences Buddhism had was
extravagant. Praying and being devout were not the only ways to express Buddhism. Buddhist
beliefs are expressed in artwork, music, literature, and architecture. Buddhist art expanded and
changed as it modified to the new countries where the belief was growing. It advanced to the north
through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern division of Buddhist art. It went to
the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The traditions or Dharma of the Buddha reference music on many cases. It is printed in an
significant Buddhist text the Amitabha Sutra, that blissful singing and chanting is heard all day and
night in the world around us. Music for a long time has been altered for use in numerous formalities
like weddings, funerals, and so on. Therefore, Buddhist Music plays a very dominant role in normal
cultural exercise among the observant. Buddhist Music exploits a rich assortment of musical
devices. Other than the inverted bell, supposed to have initiated in northern India, the instruments
used in customary Buddhist Music are natural to China, and include the gong, large bell (qing), large
drum (gu), a resounding wooden block known as the wooden fish, small cymbals, large cymbals and
Chinese

The Kushan Empire: 2nd Century BCE To The Second Century
The Kushan Empire the second century BCE to the second century CE influenced the Silk Roads in
China firstly through the spread of Buddhism. As seen in The Questions of King Milinda, Menander
prior to the Kushan Empire played a role in converting Buddha from a sage to a god and in his
conversation with Nāgasena justified the giving of jewels and tribute to Buddha. As a result,
Buddhists fueled trade for the import of valuables, and the donated riches to Buddhist monasteries
became sapta ratana, "The Seven Treasures" of the Buddhalands. These valuable included gold,
silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, coral, and diamonds. When the Kushan Empire was established, the
empire benefitted from the Buddhists traveling through that made donations,

Artistic Gateway Of The Silk Road
Artistic Gateway to the Silk Road As history has progressed and ideas have travelled the globe,
there have been many locations that may be considered cultural hubs. These places are often at the
meeting place of cultures, wherein religious ideas and artistic styles are traded as often as food and
money. One such religion that spread through these cultural hubs was Buddhism, which found its
beginning India, and it traversed the world as followers of this belief system grew and expanded
their worldly domain. Buddhist monks then built several cave temple systems throughout China,
some on the famous Silk Route, including a temple system known as the Mogao Grottoes in
Dunhuang, located in the Gansu Province in Western China. As one of the most important locations
on the Silk Route, located where travelers from the West would have first encountered Chinese
territory, these Buddhist caves served as a place to stay for the travel weary and today serve as an
archival relic to the history of Buddhism and art styles throughout Chinese history. "Imagine artist–
monks in an oasis providing a safe haven, both physically and spiritually to travelers at a remote
location along the Silk Road ... The Mogao Grottoes site thereby gains even more value" as a
cultural and historical site. Founded in 111 B.C.E. by Emperor Wudi as the Han Dynasty was
expanding from the Yellow River valley, Dunhuang became an important location, militarily and
culturally. The name of the town itself has importance,

The Buddha Vairocana And Buddhism
Buddhism was introduced into Japan in Nara Period through Korea, with only some scripts in
Chinese writing. At the time, Japanese find their country in lack of civilization like writing and
cultural religion. By sending people to China to accept more doctrine from foreign countries,
different Buddhism schools are developed later in time. During the end of Heian Period, one of the
popular sect is dedicated to Shingon, which is established by a monk named "Kukai". Buddha
Vairocana is one of many Buddhas revered by this particular sects of esoteric Buddhism, also among
the Chinese school of Hua–Yen(华严). This essay will be focusing on the Buddha Vairocana, the
meaning behind this Sanskrit name, his wisdom and doctrine and his characteristic Mudra (hand
gesture, a major practice in esoteric Buddhism) will be explained. The essence on how this Buddha
is introduced into Japan, along with traditions and activities that are relevant to Buddhism in general
will be also stated in this essay.
Shingon, (Japanese: "True Word") a branch of Vajrayana (Tantric, or Esoteric) Buddhism is one of
the three main schools of Buddhism in Asia, most widely practiced today in Tibet. In Vajrayana
Buddhism, the concept of Five Dhyani Buddhas (Skt. for "concentration"), also known as the Five
Wisdom Buddhas, are representations of the five wisdom aspects of Buddha. With Amitabha
presented in the West, Vairocana sits at the centre turning the Wheel of Dharma (teaching).
(Vairocana, 2016)
Over the time,

A Brief History of Japanese Religion Essay
A Brief History of Japanese Religion
The Buddha is said to have been born in India around 500 BCE. During his life time, he preached
the benefits of the Middle Path, the road between the two extremes of a decadent life style and
severe austerities. Soon after the death of the founder, Buddhist missionaries began to travel through
out Asia, finding their way along the Silk Roads to China, first arriving around 100 CE. The climate
there was hospitable to the teaching of the Buddha, and soon Buddhism was counted along with
Taoism and Confucianism as one of the major religions of the period. The Chinese interpreted the
Buddhist texts in a new light, and Chinese Buddhism began to take on its own distinctive character.
Around 600 CE, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thus an ancient hero could become a kami, as could a venerable ancestor, or a mountain, or a
natural phenomenon. In fact, to the ancient Japanese, the entire universe was animated and alive
with kami. These kami were generally described in ambiguous terms, taking on a super–natural
aura. Kami who were once people lost their human qualities. Many of their actions were strictly
"context based"–they laid no hard and fast moral code that humans should emulate or strive to
follow. They were thought to live on some sort of heavenly plane, above the world we live in. One
popular myth of creation involved two kami (Izanagi and Izanami) coming down from the plane of
heaven and creating Japan, along with all of its people, plants, and animals. Another prominent kami
was Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess and founder of the line of Emperors. The kami were usually
neither all good nor all evil; depending on the situation, the kami could help or hinder human
progress. The early Japanese did not attempt to unify the worship of kami; in fact, it was not until
the introduction of Buddhism to Japan that the Japanese used the word Shinto as a sort of umbrella
term to distinguish their indigenous religion from the foreign ideal of Buddhism.
So how did the Japanese worship these kami? There were two main rituals (that can still be found in
Japan today). The first is a shamanic ritual, where one would

Essay about The Evolution of Buddhism
Buddhism is a unique religion that bestows upon its members that their actions accumulate karma
and too much bad karma leads to rebirth. A person reaches Nirvana (also known as heaven) when
achieving enlightenment and is no longer subjected to rebirth. Buddhism also believes there is no
one almighty god, but rather many gods, which they refer to as deities. Dharma is commonly known
as the sacred teachings of a deity. The Buddha is only born in certain situations that members are in
need of re–teaching the Dharma. There are three schools of Buddhism also referred to as vehicles
and are taught in different geographic regions. The first is the oldest form known as Theravada and
is usually found in Southeast Asia. The second is the most ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Suffering has a cause. Suffering can be suppressed. The way to suppression of suffering is the noble
eight fold path, which consists of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration," (CH'EN 33). The teachings of
the Buddha held a person to high morals and conduct. If a person went against these values, it would
be considered the ultimate sin and would, therefore, be trapped in the vicious cycle of rebirth.
Theravada also known as "The Doctrine of the Elders," (CH'EN 30) was for a long time the only
teachings and means to obtain nirvana. Nevertheless, Mahayana came along and the appeal of less
restrictive acceptance made it popular. One of the major schools within Mahayana is Pure Land
Buddhism, which contradicted the teachings of Theravada by allowing anyone to achieve nirvana by
devotion to the Buddha, Amitabha. In Theravada, a person's karma is the distinguishing factor of if
and how long a person may be in heaven. Nirvana is not a permanent place in Theravada, but in
Pure Land Buddhism it is and that devotion undermines the concept of karma. The main philosophy
of Pure Land is that a person is not restricted or held to a high moral code. if a person, chants praises
to Amitabha, they are relinquished from transmigration. Theravada teaches its members that the
Buddha is a human but not a single person, while Pure Land teaches its followers that Amitabha is
the

How Did Heian Culture Influence Tang China
After the reign of the Tang Dynasty, the influence of the Chinese was nearing its completion, both in
religion and culture. The following years spanning 794 to 1185 was known as the Heian period. The
Heian period can be classified into 3 distinct phases over its four centuries. Early Heian (794–951),
Middle Heian or Fujiwara (951–1086), and Late Heian or Insei (1086–1185). During the Early
Heian Period the shift in power from Buddhist community back to the Aristocratic families is fully
realized. The Court culture that was heavily adopted from Tang Chinese influences facilitated this
shift. Buddhism makes a transition from a cultural state presence to a set of complex philosophies.
During the Early Period it was the people realized that they had nothing left to learn from Chinese
influence and started to look to themselves for as the center of all things. Poetry began during this
time in Heian aristocratic society not simply as a personal accomplishment which could prove the
quality of a gentlemen or gentlewoman as it had been since at least the Nara period. It became a
more sophisticated ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Amida, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land, was said to save believers through rebirth in his
realm. The idea of eternal salvation in the Pure Land helped spread Buddhism to all classes of
Japanese society. The most important surviving monument in Japan relating to Pure Land is Phoenix
Hall. Inside the Phoenix Hall is a famous Amida image, the Amida Nyorai, by Jocho. A truly
remarkable work. It sits serenely on its pedestal. It stands in the meditation gesture, and its eyes in
an unfocused gaze. The Raigo triptych in the Juhakkain of the Yoshi Hachiman Association of
Mount Koya demonstrates the development of this genre. The Amida Buddha is represented in a
gold figure seated in a formal, cross–legged position on a golden lotus blossom

Standing Amida Nyorai Essay
The Japanese sculpture Standing Amida Nyorai, also known as Amitābha Buddha, is modernly
located in the department of Asian Art at the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston in Texas. The
medium of the Standing Amida Nyorai sculpture is wood with gold pigment. It also has cut gold
leaf, and its eyes have an inlaid of crystal eyes. This figure has a simple robe and it completes lack
of adornments. However, it has tight spiral curls forming a bun atop of its head. This sculpture has a
Halo of 113.4 centimeters and a pedestal of 42.1 centimeters, showing a Raigo–in, also known as
Reasoning Mudrā. Overall, the Standing Amida Nyorai sculpture is 32 half inches (82.5
centimeters). The description posted below this figure on the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston says
that this sculpture is a Nyorai that is a Buddhist deity who ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The Standing Amida Nyorai sculpture is standing on a lotus throne that symbolizes divine birth. A
lotus flower also means a symbol of purity (Jansen 62). The Standing Amida Nyorai figure
represents the one made by Amida in Japan or Amitābha in Indian at the moment of his descending
from his paradise to welcome a dying individual into his heavenly realm, also called the Pure Land.
This position is also called Raigō. Amitābha is the fourth Jina. Jinas are cataloged as "'He whose
splendour is immeasurable'" in India (Jansen 134). Amitābha is also called the Buddha of
intellectual power (Jansen 135). It said that while he was still a Bodhisattva that is an aspiring
Buddha, Amitābha meditated for five Kalpas that means Indian aeons before pronouncing his great
vow in 48 points by which he undertook to save al beings, irrespective of who or where they were
(Jensen 135). Amida or Amitābha was seemed as a great identity at that because of what he

Essay on Christianity And Buddhism Compared
Buddhist and Christian Prayer: A Comparison in Practice and Purpose
At first glance the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism appear very different from each other.
One centers around a God that was at one time physically manifest on earth in the human form of
his "son" Jesus Christ, the other primarily worships a historical figure that gained divine status
through enlightenment. This assessment is broad at best, especially in the case of Buddhism where
the Theravada and Mahayana traditions differ significantly. Christianity also has division within
itself, the most prominent being between the Roman Catholic and Protestant systems. There are
however, despite obvious differences, some very interesting similarities between Buddhism and ...
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For instance, both traditions make use of beads during the performance of prayer. Pure Land
Buddhism uses a string of beads that are fingered while invoking the name of the celestial
Amitabha, or Amida Buddha. A ritual that is very close to the Roman Catholic practice of counting
prayers and praying with a rosary. Pure Land Buddhism thus displays a strong resemblance to
devotional Christianity, with a God–figure (Omitofo), a mediator (Guanyin), and a prayerful
devotion resembling the rosary (Amore and Ching 273). The mediator for Chinese Pure Land prayer
is Guanyin, a feminized version of the boddhisatva Avalokitesvara. Guanyin is very similar to the
virgin Mary of Roman Catholicism, and as such is sometimes called the "virgin Mary of east Asia"
(Amore and Ching 247) as the bodhisattva she acts as the assistant to the celestial Buddha;
Amitabha (Omitofo in Chinese) who is seen as the giver of grace and salvation much the same as
God is seen as the giver of grace and salvation and Mary as the mediator or assistant in Roman
Catholicism (Amore and Ching 273). These observations display a definite similarity in prayer
techniques between the traditions in question. Both traditions make use of beads as a means for
counting the prayers recited, also the fact that the prayers are directed to the female assistants of the
supreme deities could mean that the followers thought a female mediator to be more compassionate
to the needs of the worshipper.
Christian

A path to spiritual discovery
As Madhu Bazaz Wangu indicates, Buddhism is a path to spiritual discovery (8). Being Buddhism, a
non–theistic religion, their disciples follow the monotheistic doctrine demonstrating they believe in
only one deity. Siddhartha Gautama, mostly known as Buddha––the enlightened––, is the one deity
Buddhists believe in. As Wangu writes, Siddhartha practiced severe self–denial and meditation
before he could reach Nirvana (state of mind that ends the path of suffering) (8). Siddhartha came to
the conclusion that in order to reach Nirvana one should be able to eliminate desire by doing right
and thinking right. This could be done by following the Dharma (the law of Buddhism). Because the
Buddha never wrote down any of his teachings, his disciples ... Show more content on
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Because Shunyata teaches that everything is independent, and that only understanding this concept
will allow to eliminate disturbing emotions in order to reach Nirvana, it is the primordial philosophy
in Mahayana. Shunyata can be realized by purification, practice of ethics, and single–pointed
concentration; this will allow the individual to understand him/her self as an independent I.
Moreover, it allows realizing that society does not shape an individual, but an individual shapes
his/her self by comprehending shunyata. Even though Mahayana Buddhists believe in Buddha, they
believe in a different form of Buddha; Bodhisattva––Being of Wisdom. As Heinrich Dumoulin
points out, a Bodhisattva is an enlightened Buddhist monk who delays Nirvana in order to help other
people obtain release from the path of suffering. Mahayana Buddhists believe that Buddha had been
a Bodhisattva in his past lives before he was born as Siddartha Gautama. Apart from showing
compassion, a bodhisattva also plays a sacrificial role just as any other deity in order to help the
latest individual to obtain nirvana. Being a savior, a bodhisattva practices the Six Virtues, or
Paramitas to gain merit for humankind. According to Wangu, the Six Virtues are, the perfection of
giving (dana), the perfection of morality (sila), the perfection of patience (santi), the perfection of
courage (virya), the perfection of meditation (dhyana), and the perfection of wisdom

Comparing Buddhism and Christianity Essay
Comparing Buddhism and Christianity
In the early sixth century Christianity was evolving at a rapid pace. The spread of Christianity was
not only moving westward through Europe, but it was also moving eastward down the Silk Road.
The eastward spread of Christianity was primarily a form of Christianity known as Nestorianism,
after the teachings of Nestorius, a fifth century patriarch. By 635 Nestorian Christianity had reached
the heart of China spreading through all of Persia and India. During the middle of the seventh
century Nestorian churches were found in cities all along the Silk Road, though there were
unquestionably many fewer Christians than Buddhists in Asia Up until the turn of the sixteenth
century Christianity endured ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The sutra explains that salvation could be gained by calling on the name of Amitabha with absolute
faith in his vow of a pure land. It is said that with absolute faith in Amitabha he would appear at the
time of death to lead the faithful to paradise or the pure land. In China the beginnings of the Pure
Land Buddhism can be traced back as far as the fourth century. During the fourth century a well–
known scholar named Hui–yuan formed a society of monks who meditated on the name of
Amitabha. Hui–yuan a former Taoist promoted this school of Buddhism and in 402 AD he founded
the Fellowship pf the White Lotus from which Pure Land School was developed. During the sixth
and seventh centuries T'an–luan, Tao–ch'o and
Shan–tao spread the sect of Pure Land Buddhism and are recognized as the first patriarchs of the
school. Monks of the Tendai School later brought the Pure Land teaching to Japan. In 1133 AD
Honen was born and at the early age of thirteen he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Honen spent
thirty year in training at the Tendai School on Mt. Hiei where he gained a large knowledge of all
forms of Buddhism. At the age of forty Honen broke away from his Tendai teaching and began to
write the foundations of Pure Land Buddhism. Honen completed his work in 1175 AD and began to
preach the faith of Pure Land. As a result of Honen simple religion of hope he became

Comparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and...
Comparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and Chinese Buddhism
Chinese Philosophy not only is the fruit of thinking of the Chinese nation, but also is the important
component part of world culture. In Chinese philosophy, there are three main parts: Confucianism,
Buddhism and Taoism. Among them, Chinese Buddhism, which came from India, experienced a
course of sinicization under the influence of Chinese traditional culture represented mainly by
Confucianism and Taoism , so it keeps the general features of Buddhism ,and also formed its
Chinese characteristics. The changes of Chinese Buddhism from "going out of this world " to "being
in this world " and "building pure land in this world " fully manifested the humanistic spirit ... Show
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In this way , in actual life, there are often conflicts and struggles between goodness and evil in
human nature. So Christianity stresses that human beings should believe in God, and depend on
God's power to ensure tending towards goodness, and entering the paradise after their death.
Buddhism, starting from its basic teaching "arising through causation (Pratityasamutpada)", believes
that all things are naturally formed from causes and condition (Hetupratyaya), man is also the
combination from Five Classifications (Pancaskandha), under given conditions and the result of
ignorance (Avidya). As for "man is the result of ignorance", it's a bit similar to Christian "original
sin ". but influenced by Confucius "goodness of human nature" and Taoist "return to nature and true
", Chinese Buddhism specially emphasizes the inner basis of "free from world ", and stresses that
human nature, which is naturally pure and enlightened but dirty and befuddled because of being
hoodwinked by desire. Only when man could see mind and enlighten nature by practicing
Buddhism, then he is free from world and become Buddha.
Comparative speaking, both Christianity and Buddhism have the tendency of paying close attention
to what happens

Buddhism Pure Land Essay
AO1: "Examine the distinctive features of Pure Land Buddhism"
Pure Land Buddhism offers a way to enlightenment for people who can't handle the subtleties of
meditation, endure long rituals, or just live especially good lives. The essential practice in Pure Land
Buddhism is the chanting of the name Amitabha Buddha with total concentration, trusting that one
will reborn in Pure Land, where it is much easier for a being to work towards enlightenment. Pure
Land Buddhism is particularly popular in China and Japan.
Pure Land Buddhism as a school of Buddhist thinking began in India around the 2nd century BCE.
Tan Luan was the first master of Pure Land lineage. He had his religious calling while recovering
from a serious illness. He said he ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Honen popularised the chanting of 'Namu Amida Butsu'. The result was a form of Buddhism
accessible to anyone, even if they were illiterate or stupid.
Honen didn't simplify Buddhism through a patronising attitude to inferior people. He believed that
most people, and he included himself, could not achieve liberation through any of their own
activities. They only way to achieve Buddhahood was through the help of Amitabha.
A century after Honen, one of his disciples Shinran brought a new understanding of Pure Land
ideas. Shinran taught that what truly mattered was not the chanting but just said have faith in Amida
– making it simpler, yet more strange. Chanting on its own had no value at all.
AO2: "Pure Land Buddhism is the easy route/path of Buddhism" Assess this claim
Pure Land Buddhism can be seen as both an easy and difficult path of Buddhism.
Pure Land Buddhism can be seen as an easy route because Buddhists can get help to enlightenment
and can still reach heaven if they have had a bad life by just reciting the name Amitabha with
complete trust and sincerity. Pure Land also surrenders personal responsibility, which means they
don't have to go through the eightfold path or the Tibetan wheel of life meaning that it is simple. In
addition, on a deathbed, a person can get transported to sukhavati heaven if they call out to
Amitabha. It is easy to live a non moral life and then chant out

The Great Buddha Of Kamakura, Japan
In the city of Kamakura, Japan sits The Great Buddha of Kamakura, or in Japanese, Daibutsu. This
large bronze statue is located in Kotokuin, a Buddhist temple and stands at 13.35 meters (almost 44
feet), weighing in at 93 tons (Figure 1). Cast in 1252 in the Kamakura period, the statue sat under a
wooden structure for cover. But the building was destroyed by a tsunami in the 15th century and the
statue has since endured the elements. The Buddha statue is actually the second largest Buddha
monument in Japan, is considered a National Treasure and is at the center of what many think is one
of the city's greatest cultural heritages, the Kotokuin temple (Daibutsu 2). This monument is
impressive not only for its size but also for the importance it holds in Buddhist culture and belief.
The Great Buddha is an example and reminder for Japanese Buddhists that to be enlightened, one
must disregard desire and be compassionate to all, like the Buddha; it also displays in the artwork
specific attributes of the Buddha as well as Mudras, or meaningful hand gestures and is also one of
the most popular visiting sites in Japan.
Japan has had Buddhist practices since 552 A.D. Today Buddhism is still a huge part of the culture
with about 85 million people or two thirds of the population identifying with Buddhist teachings.
(Buswell 384). It is important to note that Japanese Buddhism differs from traditional Buddhism; in
Japan the most popular schools of Buddhism are Pure Land Buddhism,

The Avatamsaka Sutra ( Flower Ornament Sutra )
In China, this form and its association with the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower ornament sutra) is
particularly representative of Buddhism in China, which followed primarily the Mahayana and
centered various schools on particular Mahayana Sutras. The period is reflected in the valuable
metals and gilding in gold as the Ming dynasty was a time of material prosperity and was
particularly noted for its fine artists and artisans reflected in the beauty of the sculpture. In the
Avatamsaka Sutra, the central sutra of the Flower Garland School Vairocana Buddha resides at the
center of the cosmos where philosophically "one is all and all is in one".
Paragraph 3
Five Dhyana Buddhas– http://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/5families.pdf
The five are almost identically represented in art, all dressed in monastic garments, seated with
folded legs, with the same hairdress and long–lobed ears, but are distinguished by characteristic
colours, symbols, poses of hands, and the directions they face. The five eternal Buddhas are
correlated to other groups of five, so that the entire cosmos is seen as divided between them and as
emanating from them. Thus, each represents one of the five skandhas, or mental and physical
aggregatesthat make up the whole of cosmic as well as individual existence.
All Buddhas together symbolize the entire cosmos of the universe, the cosmos emerge from them as
they emerge from the cosmos.
Vairocana is one of the five Dhyani Buddhas. five Dhyana Buddhas (1–7)
⁃ The nature of

Buddhism At The Gate Of The Fo Guang Shan Hsi Fang
It was a rather casual Wednesday morning when I arrived at the gate of the Fo Guang Shan Hsi Fang
Temple. As the dews drip from the tall bush of grass in front of the red gate, I rang the bell to ask for
permission to enter the sacred Buddhist Temple. A female monk named Miaozang slowly opens the
door to let me and a fellow student in. Having been born and raised in Vietnam, which is
predominantly a Buddhist influenced country, yet grew up in the States in a Catholic high school, I
did not strongly identify with any particular religion. Thus, I took this opportunity to learn more
about Buddhism by interviewing the monk and took part in a guided meditation session. Each small
details from the moment I entered such as the sense of the incense, the lion statues, the mild
background chanting, and so on are intentionally set up to make sure that I, the visitor, can have the
most wholesome Buddhist experience while being inside the temple. Buddhism, through its
teachings, which are called Buddha Dharma, and other rituals such as meditations and chanting,
strives to set up an environment that helps its practitioners reach the state of enlightenment, where
one can see the reality of the world and the truth behind everything.
Hsi Fang Temple is a two–story building in the town of University Heights, located on Park Street.
From the outside, it is a minimalistic building with white walls on all sides. In the front, just above
the entrance arc, there is an artifact in the shape of a

Enlightenment In China Research Paper
The Paths to Enlightenment in China: The Rocky Road of Chan Buddhism vs The Smooth Path of
Pure Land Buddhism I plan to do a comparative paper between achieving enlightenment in the Chan
tradition versus achieving enlightenment in the Pure Land tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. I will
be specifically looking at the difficulty of achieving enlightenment within these two groups and
through the explanations provided by my paper it will be determined that it is difficult to achieve
enlightenment in the Chan tradition and it is significantly easier to achieve enlightenment in the
Pure Land tradition.
I will argue the ease of achieving enlightenment in the Pure Land tradition versus the difficulty of
achieving enlightenment in the Chan tradition ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In addition to a paragraph containing the work that goes into attaining enlightenment in both
traditions with sub points being a comparison between the self power versus other power and
gaining insights into the rituals in both traditions, I will focus a paragraph on looking at the time it
takes one to attain enlightenment in these traditions. Within this paragraph I will look at the sudden
vs gradual enlightenment debate and what both entail. I will generally connect both schools to
sudden enlightenment but while some would argue that this means that enlightenment happens
instantaneously in both, I will counter that there is somewhat of a gradual enlightenment component
to Zen Buddhism making this the tradition in which enlightenment is slower to achieve. I will justify
this claim through evidence provided by the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra which is an important sutra in Chan
Buddhism. In this Sutra I will point to its endorsement of the Buddha Nature in graduations and will
use a quotation by Chan master Sheng Yen that talks about the importance of deepening your self–
nature and maturing to attain enlightenment. I will compare this information to sudden
enlightenment in the Pure Land Buddhism which entails chanting the name of Amitabha. I will
acknowledge the debate in the tradition surrounding the number of times one has to do recite the
name of Amitahba in order to be reborn in the Pure Land and will point to

Fukuda Kojin Research Paper
Fukuda Kodojin (1865 – 1944) was a Japanese master of painting, haiku, and a type of calligraphy
known as kanshi. Kodojin lived almost through World War II and maintained a literati lifestyle to
the end of his days. His art name Kodojin means "the old Taoist". Kodojin grew up in the Meiji
Restoration (1868–1912), a time when Japan was suddenly modernizing and westernizing because
of intense pressure from the Western colonial powers. This period sought to modernize Japan,
keeping close interest in all things European – science, music, philosophy, art, and fashion. The
Japanese, to compete in a modern world, looked to remake their country as an Asian version of
England or Germany. During this time, more and more people turned towards Western ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Kodojin's Japanese poetry was exhibited through his own haikus, a poem of seventeen syllables, in
three lines of five, seven, and five. In an ever–changing world, he focused on simple things like
nature, things that cannot be changed. His haikus represent Dao; harmony, natural order, the
absolute principle underlying the universe. The following haiku written by Kodojin alluding to Tao's
love of chrysanthemums, which the poet had planted by a hedge, "over the hedge/ a few mountains
can be seen/ chrysanthemums/ Your house too/ planted only with/ yellow chrysanthemums,"
exhibits the inner peace one feels in nature, which signifies the meaning of

Comparing The Dunhuang Caves Of China And Japan
Throughout history, Japanese architecture has often been compared to that of Chinese architecture
due to the dominant influence of techniques and styles that originated in China, but are illustrated
throughout the art of Japan. Although the similarities between designs are fundamentally alike, there
are apparent differences between the two. The Japanese incorporated things like lifestyle
differences, climate changes, and construction materials. Religion, primarily Buddhism, was a key
component considered while designing the architectural structures that inhabited both China and
Japan. This in turn ultimately impacted other corresponding aspects of each culture. A comparison
of The Dunhuang Caves of China and the Temple of Todai–ji of Japan, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Buddhism grew quickly to be associated with the Imperial Court connecting that of sacred and
secular power for the future centuries of Japanese ruling. During the ruling of Emperor Shomu and
Empress Komyo, Buddhism grew in Nara. The merging of Buddhist doctrine and political policy
supported Buddhism as the protector of the state. It was later ruled that throughout the provinces,
temples, monasteries, and convents would be built. These monasteries, through the Kokubin–ji
system, would be under the newly built chief temple, Todai–ji, in the capital of Nara (Stokstad,

Nirvana Vs Hindu Moksha
Whether you are of South East Asian beliefs, of western religions like Christianity or Atheist, we all
believe in different outcomes after death. The Hindu belief of after afterlife and rebirth can be seen
as the foundation for the Buddhists beliefs of the wheel of life and the pure land although many
believe that it is the ying to Buddhist yang. In order to understand these process we need to
appreciate the Buddhist nirvana and the Hindu moksha. Nirvana is a state of enlightenment in which
there is no suffering, desire, nor sense of self. The individual is set free from the positive, negative
and neutral effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. This ideology represents the final
goal of Buddhism. Every Buddhist wants to reach ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Hindu religion believes that moksha is a central concept, which is indeed included in the four
aspects of life. The other three aspects and goals of human life in the Hindu religions are, the
dharma which is both a religious law and also a moral law influencing individual conduct and is as
well one of the four ends of life. The artha essentially translates to the meaning, sense, goal, purpose
or essence of life. Finally karma, the last aspect and goal for human life is believe to have governed
all consciousness, karma is in no way fate, because we act with what is simplified as conditioned
free will which is creating our own destinies. The many deities of Hinduism such as Shiva or Vishnu
can be seen and interpreted as one grand deva who has been broken up into multiple deities for
easier purposes of prayer and ritual. The many deities, each represent different qualities and goals of
prayer: most are of forms of protection, but other deities can be prayed to for monetary wealth,
strength or even better grades in school (which includes the learning and mastering of instruments).
Prayer can be conducted by hymn singing, fire sacrifice or even puja, which is a series of
movements and gestures, as well as dressing of the statue and pouring of foods and liquids.
Different phrases are used in ancient literature for different strains of Hinduism. For example, Keval
jnana

Analysis: The Western Paradise Of Buddha
1.The Western Paradise Of Amitabha Buddha, 10'2" x 16', Cave 217 Dunhaung Gansu, 346, Tang
dynasty, Paint.
2.In the painting there is around 45 people that i can see. Most are wearing robes so i would guess
they are monks, however there is three big people who seem to be the center of attention i think they
are buddha in the middle and two random gods on either side of buddha.It looks as if the people are
either praying to Buddha or they are listening to a speech he is giving. Buddha looks to be siting on
a throne or pot like chair. In the very bottom middle there are two dancers who are standing in the
canal that drops of after surrounding Buddha. On the left side of the painting there seems to be a
pond next to these group of monks. Every person is wearing some type of robes thats why i think
they are monks. There is nine buildings all based on chinese agrocultre. Buddha and the three other
important people have what looks like halos made of wood and grass and other nature things
floating above their head. There are channels of water that go through the area ... Show more content
The painting has a really good color contrast that makes certain things pop out at you first like
Buddha and his red robes are the first thing that draws your eye when looking at the painting.The
Buildings and people have really symetrical shapes to one another they are the same on one side as
the are on the other side. The paintings paint has really held up well to the passing of colors because
the painting still has not only color but vibrant colors. The Building have the standard chinese shape
but in the picture they point out wards so as to try and give the illusion of 3d.
4.This Painting Changed Religous Beliefs Buddhism became popular were even sinners were
permitted into paradise to listen and be cleansed by Buddha. This is supported in the paintings as
there are mass groups of people sitting and listening to buddha. This painting was to show how the
after life for Buddhism worked and who goes

Sinification: The First Introduction Of Buddhism Into China
The first introduction of Buddhism into China was in 1st c. CE. It spread throughout north and south
China from the 2nd to the 7th centuries. Buddhism was able to become so widespread and to gain so
many believers in China due to a process called "sinification". Buddhism came under the influence
of Chinese culture to become a Chinese religion. Some prime examples of this "sinification" have to
do with religious texts, the development of Chinese Buddhist sects, and the conflation of Daoist
deities and Buddhas and bodhisattvas. An important example of how Buddhism was "sinified" has
to do with religious texts. First came the translation of Buddhist sutras into Chinese. It was a lengthy
process to translate the texts from Sanskirt, Pali, and

Daoism And Confucianism
Roles Under the Chinese Golden Age
The three main belief systems that shaped daily life in China under the Tang and the Song period:
Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Each played an important role in Chinese culture.
Daoism, an indigenous religion–philosophical tradition that has shaped Chinese life for more than
2,000 years. In the broadest sense, a Daoist attitude toward life can be seen in the accepting and
yielding, the joyful and carefree sides of the Chinese character. An attitude that balances the moral
and duty–conscious. Stark and deliberate character ascribed to Confucianism. Additionally, Daoism
is characterized by a positive, active attitude toward the occult and the metaphysical, whereas the
heathen, realistic Confucian tradition ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Buddhism needed the help of the ruling emperor to prosper, or suffered under their objection.
Emperor Wuzong, a faithful Daoist who viewed Buddhism as a barbaric, foreign religion used by
those to evade tax and responsibility to the state. In 845, he burned 4,600 monasteries and 4,000
temples. Buddhist temples became havens of refuge during times of the problem; land gifted to
temples and monasteries allowed monks to flourish their crops, and often, remains neutral from
conflicts. Buddhism was also useful for political reasons: some emperors persecuted them in favor
of Daoism, some adopted Buddhism to appease the masses (in Yuan Dynasty), and some
manipulated Buddhist ideologies of peace and neutrality as the publication to overcome social

Death Bed Testimonials Summary
In Death–Bed Testimonials of the Pure Land Faithful, Stevenson presents different stories about
people and their destination to the Pure Land. He states, "the writing of exemplary testimonials and
creation of hagiographical collections for the purposes of spreading the faith" (Stevenson 283). In a
way, these testimonials are an image of Buddha. They still represent the ideas of Buddhism.
Although they are not a physical representation of a person, they still pertain to the religion. A boy
named Kang did not speak until he was seven years old. The first time he spoke, he was responding
to his mother about Buddha. He left his home at a young age to go follow his faith in Buddhism. He
preached to people, "The Buddha Amitabha is your teacher and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Prayer flags carry great meaning to Buddhists; "the wind is said to carry the benefits beseeched by
the prayer imprinted on the fluttering flag, both to the person who flies the flag and to all brings in
the region" (Lopez 583). This backs up the central idea that was discussed during the group
presentations about Buddhist organizations. Buddhism today focuses on the well–being of everyone,
not only Buddhists. In this story, Lopez explains that Tara "first vowed to achieve Buddhahood in
order to free all brings from samara" (Lopez 584). She is an icon today that has twenty–one different
forms. Tara is a Buddha that helps people in their time of need. Her prayer is known by many and
can be "recited especially by travelers to protect them in their long journeys on foot and horseback
across mountains and plains" (Lopez 584). She is someone that all people can pray to if they
believe. She is someone who can overall be trusted and counted on; "If one wants a child one will
have one; indeed all desires will be granted, no hindrances will stand in the way, and buddhahood
will be achieved" (Lopez 584). This notion makes it seem like attaining Buddhahood is simple. In
class we discussed that Buddhahood is universal as far as the Mahayana Buddhism. Within the
concepts of Mahayana dharma, Buddhas have and will always exist and everyone possess the
Buddha nature. When

The World Of The Apocalypse
Introduction
Unsurprisingly, apocalyptic tendencies make their way into nearly every civilization time and time
again. From modern day film and literature, to ancient religions, talk of the apocalypse is
unavoidable. Despite Buddhism being a religion with tenants based on detachment from the
material, emphasis on the distinguishment of suffering, and an enlightened existence, there have
been several notable moments in East Asian history when Buddhism was the source of all
apocalyptic panic. The first took place in 6th century China when Chinese intellectuals closely
examined the "Three Ages of Dharma"–– dharma being a word "used to describe both the teachings
of the Buddha and their underlying moral laws" (9, The Art of Buddhism, Denise ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The same Three Age theory then made its way to 9th century Japan but had adverse effects on the
culture. Instead of increasing their production of Buddhist art, intellectuals turned to writing
pessimistic texts reflecting on the failures of the government and the military. In terms of explaining
how an apocalyptic Buddhist panic can be considered a moral panic, turning to the writing of Sean
P. Hier is most revealing. He writes, "scholars within and beyond the panic literature commonly
conceptualize moral panics as exceptional rather than ordinary phenomena to explain seemingly
irrational reactions to putative threats" (1, Bringing Moral Panic Studies into Focus, Hier). With this
scholarly interpretation, Hier details a moral panic as being some "phenomena" with "irrational
reactions"; a broad definition that certainly allows the tumultuous stages of an apocalyptic panic to
translate to a moral panic. In China, they followed a specific outline of apocalyptic moral panics in
that they felt their existence threatened, accepted their fate, proceeded to frantically increase their
production of art and text in order to leave a legacy, and finally turned to their religion for salvation.
Japan's reaction was far different, proving the existence of a background ebb and flow

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago practices one of the most...
The Buddhist Temple of Chicago practices one of the most popular sects of Buddhism in Japan
called Jodo Shinsu, also known as Pure Land Buddhism (Shotō 1). Instead of stressing the Eight
Fold Path, as traditional Theravada Buddhists do, Pure Land Buddhists chose to interpret the
teachings of the Buddha more freely (Wangu 1). Furthermore, Pure Land Buddhists seek guidance
from Amitabha Buddha, a deity figure from Mahayana Buddhism (Wangu 1). As the current ruler of
the Western Paradise of Sahavaki, it is believed that when Amitabha Buddha was on the verge of
enlightenment, he made a vow claiming that if he attained Nirvana, he will help those who seek his
name reach Nirvana as well (Wangu 1). Now, devote Pure Land Buddhists proclaim ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The service began with the strike of a gong by Rev. Nakai followed by a brief moment of silent
meditation. Afterwards, the Three Treasures, also known as saranagamana, were recited. The three
treasure state, "I go to the Buddha for guidance. I go to Dharma for guidance. I go to the Sangha for
guidance (budtempchi.org). Furthermore, these three treasures serve as a foundation of Buddhism
(Irons 1). Although the Buddhist Temple of Chicago is moving towards a more radical approach to
Buddhism, the temple still uses some traditional traits of Buddhism. According to the service book,
the day I visited was Hatsu Mairi, which in Japanese means "first visit." On this day, the children of
temple members are welcomed to temple. So, the Dharma School children, aged from five to
twelve, presented a game of Paramita Jeopardy. For myself and the rest of the congregation, our
skills of knowing the Six Paramitas were put to the test. Paramita, also known as a "perfection,"
include Donation, Morality, Forbearance, Effort, Concentration, and Wisdom (Edwards 1). However
the concept of the Paramitas may hold two different meanings in Buddhism. In one sense they may
be known as a "supreme." However in a more interpretive approach, a Paramita may signify "the
other shore" where the individual must leave the "shore of life" to reach to the "shore of Nirvana"
(Edwards 1). The game was played for about fifteen minutes and ultimately my team lost by

Buddhism and Christianity
In the early sixth century Christianity was evolving at a rapid pace. The spread of Christianity was
not only moving westward through Europe, but it was also moving eastward down the Silk Road.
The eastward spread of Christianity was primarily a form of Christianity known as Nestorianism,
after the teachings of Nestorius, a fifth century patriarch. By 635 Nestorian Christianity had reached
the heart of China spreading through all of Persia and India. During the middle of the seventh
century Nestorian churches were found in cities all along the Silk Road, though there were
unquestionably many fewer Christians than Buddhists in Asia Up until the turn of the sixteenth
century Christianity endured great persecution in China and Japan. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Honen completed his work in 1175 AD and began to preach the faith of Pure Land. As a result of
Honen simple religion of hope he became exceptionally popular. His popularity was achieved
because his genuine heart and personal appeal. His tremendous popularity created controversy and
political unrest and he was deported from his home from 1207 AD till he was allowed to return in
1211 AD. After his return he died a year later with a following that increased due to his persecution.
After Honen's death his disciples continued to preach the new school of Buddhism. Pure Land
Buddhism also known as Jodo grew in numbers at a large rate. Previously Buddhism was more of a
spectator religion, but now people committed to this new faith that had relevance to their everyday
lives. One of Honen's main disciples Shinran was the founder of one of the largest sects of Pure
Land Buddhism. This sect was known as Jodo Shinshu or True Pure Land Buddhism. Shin Pure
Land Buddhism continues to exist today as one of the largest sects of True Pure Land Buddhism.
Currently there are a number of different schools and sects of Pure Land Buddhism around the
world. Each school and sect differ in minor ways but all based upon the same sutra or scriptures.
Pure Land Buddhism is active in missionary efforts therefore making them a missionary religion.
Pure Land has

Jingxiu Nunnery Ancient India
14. Jingxiu Nunnery (Um retreat， Buddhist Convent)
Jingxiu Nunnery was located outside ancient city – at the Outside West Gate Street. Prior to the
Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, it was the only survived ancient monastery, a Buddhist
shrine. People from the ancient city and around villages, even Baili Island and other distant pilgrims
came here often, burned incense and prayed, asked God to bless. Perhaps they were nunnery,
women could not afford to lift big storms, in addition, the nuns had some dealings with Indian
Buddhism, the government concerned the international influence, so it was preserved, which
revealed the Communist Party and the government's religious policy.
Jingxiu Nunnery was not big. Above the front door，the "Jingxiu Nunnery " three Chinese
characters were inlaid with blue tiles. Beyond the front door were white walls on both sides, on
which the clause of "Namo Amitabha" were painted. Two large wood door planks were decorated
red with iron hoops and nail decoration. The first tier was Basilica with a number of large golden
shine Buddha statues. Tathagata was centered solemnly. Under the Buddha, a long altar was placed
with lamps, candles on it, which were burning immortal. Quadruped censers were set on both sides,
and were incensing constantly. The bricked ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The ancient city, a large number of ancient artifacts that already had been damaged was destroyed
again in another large scale. Ancient architecture, books, artifacts, and even old–style furniture,
tableware, tea sets, bed frame, bed and bedding...... which carved or painted with romantic, flowers
and other patterns of insects, birds, all smashed or burned. I remembered that my family had a few
glasses, usually not used much, because of painted with dragon and phoenix patterns, had to be

Essay about The History and Practice of Buddhism (Mahayana...
The religion Buddhism came from Buddha' meaning to awaken. 300 million people around the
world are practitioners of Buddhism. In the United States, about one million people serve one form
of Buddhism. From Indian, China, Japan, Russia to the United States have practitioners of
Buddhism. Siddhartha Gotama known as Buddha was the creator of Buddhism some 2,500 year ago
in India. Buddha taught his followers a philosophy teaching a way of life not just a religion. Buddha
also taught followers: have a spiritual life, to stay mindful and aware of thinking paths gain, and
achieve wisdom and understanding of one physical and spiritual life.
History of Buddhism Buddha was born in 563BC to a royal family in the land call Lumbini, India.
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He or she will suffer if one expects people to conform to he or she convictions of right or wrong
reasoning. If we want people to like us, we must not conform to convictions. Craving or distaste will
lead to physical suffering because it causes to us to reborn. Craving, want, or distaste he or she will
not gain guarantee happiness.
Third truth, he or she can overcome suffering and gain happiness, contentment maybe possible here
on earth. If he or she give up materials craving, and live one day at a time and do not worry about
what he or she had or have in any form of material possessions. This is the Nirvana.
Noble 8–fold Path
The Buddhist believe the noble 8–fold path is spirtual concerning what he or she will say, do live,
and speak to others. He or she is fully aware of daily thoughts, actions and by developing
compassion for other until death. Continue to develop wisdom by understanding the beliefs of the
four noble truths.
Conclusion
Buddha's teaching during first centauries BC was a development of the S`ramana movement to seek
happiness for practitioners. Buddhist teaching is not a branch of Hinduism, but Hinduism has
influences on Buddhism. Any human being here can understand and accept Buddhism teachings on
earth.
Mayhayana Mayhayana (great vehicle) this form of Buddhism became prominent during the reign
Kanishka who rule India during the first centuries BC and AD. The Mayhayana movement made

Zen And Pure Land Buddhism
A brief comparison between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism, both of these are very popular amongst
the Vietnamese community. The word Zen has been used many times in the West, due to the hard
work of Japanese culture; Zen Buddhism does not have a strong influence as that of the Pure Land
Buddhism. Also in the school of Zen, "they reject claims of scriptural authority and embrace many
different practices". Zen Buddhism rests on claims to an exclusive lineage that has been passed
down from teacher to disciple in a succession from "Shakyamuni", or the historical "Buddha", all
the way to the present day. Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism are just schools of practice. The
difference is mainly in practice. Buddhism, in general, does not worship what you call "Gods", but
their existences are acknowledged as a heavenly being of intense merits and blessings, often with
the leadership of qualities of that sort. Other cases of belief, Gods may or may not be acknowledged.
However, this is hardly accurate to the whole of the Buddha Dharma. Zen Buddhism is the focus of
meditation to attain enlightenment. This is the practice of sitting in stillness, focusing on single–
mindedness and investigating Zen. Whereas, Pure Land Buddhism is the focus of reciting Amitabha.
However, recitation of Buddha 's name can cause one to enter Samadhi. It employs the single–
minded focus that aims for in Zen meditation. Pure Land 's main goal was from the recitation of
Amitabha Buddha for

Mahasthamaprapta In Penn Museum
Sculpture Mahasthamaprapta in Penn Museum
–– Its Iconology and Possible Time Period
On either side of the entrance door of Chinese section in Penn Museum are two particularly
charming life–sized Bodhisattva statues in gray limestone, C111 and C112, which are considered as
a pair and most likely to be made by the same artist. They belong to the T'ang dynasty, that period in
which Buddhist sculpture reaches its height of perfection.
C111, the left side one, with a headdress, is the main sculpture that I want to discuss in this paper.
Being purchased from C. T. Loo , who's been considers as the leading Chinese artifacts dealer in the
twentieth century , the statue, combines a bodhisattva image with a lotus base, is in excellent
condition, although ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Let's compare his face with the head of a bodhisattva statue from Longmen Cave. The sharp–ridged
eyebrows, the contemplative almond eyes, the triangular nose, the pointed chin, comprised this
typical Northern Wei and early Eastern Wei style head. All of these facial features differ from the
soft and round ones in C111. Moreover, from another comparison with the beautiful limestone head
from the cave temple of Xiangtangshan, we can see that this more contemporary one is still with
sharper contours, especially of the eyes and the mouth. Here the idealized face of a full–blown Tang
beauty from Tianlongshan, with a small, slightly opened mouth, is so expressive that it seems as
though he is about to speak. The shape of the head is rounder and the carving for facial features is
softer with time going by, so the bodhisattva is more and more nearly human looking. By executing
vertical comparison with Wei Dynasty, Northern Qi and Middle Tang's bodhisattvas' heads
examples, we could perhaps draw a conclusion that C111's style is Early

Essay on Two Religions-Two Paths: Buddhism and Hinduism
Buddhism and Hinduism–– the core area of both is Northern India and each spread through the
Indian subcontinent, yet both did not seem to expand with the same radius. Buddhism flourished and
spread across central and eastern Asia; whereas, Hinduism generally stayed close to home, in India.
The question now becomes why.
The main area where these religions emerged is referred to as 'religion hearths', and these religions
originated where large civilizations also did in Mesopotamia, the Nile, and the Indus Valleys. (Park)
"This hints at a more complex interplay between religion and culture, involving factors such as
innovation and cultural diffusion, religious adaptation, and exchanges of ideas, beliefs and values
along migration and trade ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Ironically, it was subsequently to die out in the very area it had originated, and was re–absorbed
into Hinduism in India in the seventh century (although it has survived among the mountain people
of the Himalayas and on the island of Sri Lanka)."(Park)
These simple titles have a large impact on where each religion spread. Because Buddhism is
"universal", it is easy for each culture to modify the religion to suit their traditions, which is why
Buddhism was able to spread from India and become divided into different sect. If we take Japan as
an example, how the Japanese chose to depict Buddha is one way to see how Buddhism was altered
due to a cultural influence. A well–known monument in Japan is Diabutsu, which a large bronze
sculpture built in 1252, represents Buddha. (Gascoigne) This monument is not a representation of
the traditional Gautama Buddha but rather of another called Amitabha Buddha. The "cult of Amida"
arrived from China, and is based on a sutra. (Gascoigne) This means that all and any who reach
enlightenment will be secured with the love of Amida and live with him in a pure land. This would
appeal to those who suffer in their life on earth, which is mostly the poor and meek, so they will
now look forward to life after enlightenment with Amida. Another sect that was brought in from
China to Japan in the

Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism emphasizes much like the Shinto tradition the act of cleansing, accept that it focuses
on meditation as a way to purify the mind. This interpretation of purification as seen within the
Buddhist teachings, is the attempt to clear the mind of contaminated beliefs, concepts, and materials,
which can be harmful to someone seeking enlightenment. This can be understood by Dogen who
wrote within the Bendowa that the, "The person seated in zazen without fail casts off body and
mind, severs all the heretofore disordered and defiled thoughts and views emanating from his
discriminating consciousness, conforms totally with the genuine Buddha Dharma," (Dogen 2002, p.
12). Within this section of the text, Dogen uses a metaphysical approach to ... Show more content on
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The negativity of being attached to materialistic objects and desires are the two most prominent
possessions that Dogen explains must be destroyed in order to achieve absolute awareness. This
belief is evident when Dogen states that, "Leaving no perceptions in any sphere or directions; all
living beings use it unceasingly, with no sphere or direction appearing in their perceptions," (Dogen
2002, p. 8). This describes Dogen's thought that by being restricted or limited to think in a certain
way can be a leading influence where pollutants of the mind can grow and fester. The historical
context of the following passage was that Dogen gave the distinction that zazen was the more
superior technique. This was asserted in order to gain a better understanding of the prominent
technique that was utilized by the Buddha during his pilgrimage to Japan and China. It remains
evident that much like Shinto tradition, Zen Buddhism attempts to clarify within its own
interpretation the causes of these types of mental toxins, and ways in which they can be cured.
Although Shinto focuses primarily on physical impurities, Zen Buddhism describes them on a
spiritual level and so it is through this where we can see the clear relations that the two respective
religions have with each

Essay on Buddhism in Japan
"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future; it
transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, and
it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a
meaningful unity." Albert Einstein (Buddhism)
Buddhism has affected many people. From the Buddha's first followers to my next door neighbor,
people everywhere have followed the teachings of Buddhism. Buddhism was started by a Prince; a
prince who wanted more. Many different ways of showing appreciation to Buddha are present in
today's society as well as when Buddhism was first started. There are paintings, carvings, statues
and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One was an elderly man, another was a man suffering from illness, and finally he saw a dead body
surrounded by mourners. Since he had never seen anything like this before, he asked his charioteer
what these things were. He responded to the Prince that these things were natural and unavoidable,
and happened to everyone. Once again Siddhartha asked his charioteer to take him out into the city;
this time he was to see the last of four images that would change his life forever. The last sight he
saw was a wandering old holy man with no possessions. His head was completely shaved and he
was wearing a yellow robe. Having seen all these things, Buddha not only became aware of the pain
and suffering of humankind, but was also prompted to do something about it. He left his family in
search of the answers to his questions (Buddhism).
Siddhathra traveled throughout the northeastern portion of India, seeking out holy men and teachers
who taught him ancient Indian techniques of meditation. Even though meditation was important to
him, his main quest was to find the answer to the problem of suffering. He wanted to know why
they were suffering and how it could stop. So Siddhartha studied the teachings of Hinduism. He was
very fascinated by the belief of reincarnation or Samsara. (This was the belief of the soul, after
death, would travel to a new body and be born again.) Depending on the person's previous life, their
soul could enter a body of a higher or lower state of

Comparing Buddhism In Ancient China And Japan
First, Comparing Buddhism in ancient China and Japan. Buddhism in ancient Japan was similar to
Buddhism in China because, it was the Chinese who introduced Buddhism to Japan in the first place
and when the Chinese introduced this idea it "...became immensely popular, at least with the upper
classes." Another way that Buddhism in Japan was the same in China is because in Japan, when
Buddhism was introduced it taught people to achieve Buddhahood through the eightfold path, and in
China when it was introduced between 1 and 100 AD it taught the teachings of Buddha which is
basically the same fundamentals with different names. Some examples of the teachings are the
search for the truth of things such as what is your motivation to do things and ... Show more content
Ritual announcements by the emperor came to embody elements of both Shinto and Buddhism..."
This shows how different Buddhism in Japan is to Buddhism in China. Another reason why
Buddhism and Shintoism get along so well is because the doctrines of the two religions complement
each other very well. The two religions complement each other is because at "...birth and marriage
are Shinto, whereas funerals and communion with the dead are within the purview of Buddhism."
This shows how Buddhism in Japan connects with Shintoism and makes Buddhism in Japan much
different from Buddhism in China. Another example of Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan connect is
"... the principal kami of Shinto came to be regarded as Buddhist deities in different forms, and
Shinto shrines were ever amalgamated with Buddhist temples." Next, let's see how Buddhism in
China is different from Buddhism in Japan. First, when Buddhism was introduced to the Chinese
people from traders and merchants from India it caused "... Some early devotees of Buddhism to
regarded it as an exotic form of Taoism." In the later years of Buddhism in China a popular version
of Buddhism in China that strayed away from Buddhism that is practiced in India, has the concept of
a bodhisattvas, who is a

Tannisho Chapter 8 Analysis
In chapter eight of Tannisho, Shinran ensures that devotees understand what nenbutsu is. It is not a
ritual, a way to show respect to deities, or a way to reach salvation. It is an indicator of salvation that
a devotee has already achieved.
Shinran is breaking away from several of the central tenets of Buddhism. He is not, for example,
interested in cultivating good roots or focusing on rebirth. The nenbutsu is not like most traditional
Buddhist principles, "as it springs wholly from the other–power and surpasses all self–effort"
(Reader 577). No individual can attain salvation through "self–effort" because salvation is
independent of good karma. The devotee's intent to achieve salvation is hypocritical because he or
she is mixing desire with

Essay: Formal and Stylistic Analysis of Buddha Amit
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Essay: Formal and Stylistic Analysis of Buddha Amitabha
Naiwen Zhang
02/10/2014
Professor Jones
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The sculpture Buddha Amitabha is a typical Sui Dynasty style art piece that represents the will of
people who wish to have peace and joy. Their life goals is achieve enlightenment. Their believe of
the existence of the western paradise where they will suffer no more from anything. It is also a piece
of love and good fortune that was sent from the women to their family.
!
Buddha Amitabha is a bronze statue that was found in Zhaozhou Hebei of China. It was made in Sui
Dynasty dated 593. There is an inscription on the back of the statue that indicates that the sculpture
was dedicated in 593 by eight woman of the fan clan to ensure the rebirth ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
!
Sui Dynasty is a great time period for Buddhist art, because emperor Wen(Yang Jian) unified China
as a centralized empire, he converted Buddhism as the authority religion. The reason he does this is
that he wants to maintain the peace of his physical realm as well as people's mind. He command to
built many Buddhist art to spread the words. Early arts of Buddhist in the Sui Dynasty keeps part of
the Northern Dynasty style. The mature period they produced many stone carving. Sui Dynasty has
outstanding Buddhist statues with unique characteristics and dignified gestures and magnificent
dress. Stone sculpture is the most popular art form of this period and most of the bronze works are
based on the style of stone statues. The figures of Buddhist art of Sui Dynasty have broader
shoulders that evoke a sense of bulkiness compare with North Qi Dynasty and North Zhou Dynasty.
The faces look more realistic than the past, some of them facial expression, but the gestures of the
body are still stiff. Many of them have a belly that is slightly in an arc and the figure appears
relatively flat. They also use a lot jewels and complex tassels to decorate Buddha and Boddhisattva.
!
The iconography of is very significant in China. He is one of the Buddha from Mahayama. He is
defined as the Buddha of the pure land where is only peace and joy. People believe after death the
soul will have the chance to go to western paradise(the pure land). So amitabha is also

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