Essays on Buddhas

Buddhism, like all the other Eastern religions, originated from “Animism”, which is the belief that everything in the universe has an essence, a spirit or a soul. As a way of life, it is similar to the other religions in promoting morality, generosity, kindness, harmony, and respect for all living beings including mother nature. Alike Hinduism, Buddhism believes in the following: 1. Reincarnation, wherein the soul is reborn into another body based on the level of spiritual attainment from the previous life. 2. Karma, which is either the positive or the negative effects of an individual’s actions. 3. ...

Summary and Analysis

South Asia is a huge piece of land and ocean for about 2 million square miles. It can be called India subcontinent as the major part of South Asia consists of India. By the way South Asia is the most populated land. It is known for its unique food and big amount of foreign residents. It tells us about the caste system which divides people into five groups: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Sudras and Untouchables according to different body parts of the deity “Brahma”. It explains in details caste system: how it works, food traditions, wedding and religions. Also it ...

Robert Thurman. We Can Be Buddhas. In this video, the American Buddhist scholar previously ordained by Dalai Lama speaks about the true meaning of ‘enlightenment’ and its connection with ‘suffering.’ First, he begins his explanation by drawing out references from the Vimalakirti Sutra. From the ancient texts, the Buddha explains that sufferings of the mankind come from the fact that they do not have compassion and contentment. The lack of these two disrupts the harmonious balance of life on the Earth. Such path when taken will only lead to more sufferings of the other which can be fatal to ...

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Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya - (Buddha of the Future) Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara), Ca. 3r century Introduction The significance of the term bodhisattva lies in the way it is used to designate Buddha-to-be. A bodhisattva is destined to become a Buddha as he progresses towards awakening because of his self- motivation and unique qualities. Buddha Gautama refers to his bodhisattva’ in his pre-awakening experiences and how he overcame fears during bodhisattva’s struggles. Bodhisattva gradually develops a clear division between unwholesome thoughts and wholesome thoughts. On considering these formulations, it is safe to assume that the idea of Bodhisattva ...

The Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism both share the common core beliefs and dedication to the life and teachings of Buddha. However, these two branches of Buddhism have some differences considering the location of Buddhist paths, scriptures, language, goals, types of meditation, and more. In the South East Asia, the Theravada Buddhism is closer to the Indian form of Buddhism while in the Northern part of Asia has its local traditions. Generally, Buddhism has a number of different transformations ranging from moral concerns, doctrinal interpretation, metaphysics, and philosophy. The perspective often holds the concept of a united and harmonious ...