Essays on Gautama

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. ...

Shintoism and Buddhism in Japanese History

Before the spread of today’s religion, the early civilizations had different views as to how they could explain the things around them. Some would say it is the work of spirits who dwell upon plants, animals and inanimate objects while others believe in the intervention of divine beings who created the world prior to mankind. While some of these early beliefs have been forgotten in favor of newer religions, there are countries where early beliefs played heavily in the formation of the nation and even triggered a conflict to occur when a new religion was introduced to the ...

Buddhism came to the USA due to immigrants from China and Japan and some eccentric Europeans who practiced Theosophy and spiritualism. More than a hundred of years, Buddhism remains very popular with North Americans, and step- by- step this kind of religion is penetrating farther into the people’s lives. Bookshops are full of books about Buddhism, popular magazines and newspapers placed plenty of articles devoted to this issue, film industry includes Buddhists way of life and philosophy in movies. The values of Buddhism can be seen in such social aspects as medicine, education, psychology, nutrition, sport, cosmetology, ecology, ...

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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 ...

Buddhism is a religious system that involves a variety of beliefs, spiritual practices, and traditions that are centered on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. According to Robson (2015) Gautama Buddha lived in the Northern India between 6th and 4th BCE.Buddha hailed from the Magadha Kingdom and was highly regarded as an enlightened and divine educator who shared his wisdom to help conscious individuals to bring their sufferings to an end. Buddha held an opinion that the only way of ending people's afflictions was through the elimination of ignorance. Haynes (2014) noted that Buddha accomplished his mission through the teaching ...