Verified Document

Analysis Of Buddhism And Zen Buddhism Essay

Buddhism Summary of the History of Buddhism and the Life of Buddha

Buddhism is known to be a school of ethical thoughts and philosophies, in addition to being a religion of worship. Different from other religious sects, the sole purpose of Buddhism is not just worshiping a certain god. Buddhism purposes to expound the thought of divine growth that brings about compassion and knowledge. With respect to history, the ancestries of Buddhism can be traced back to 563 BC. The word Buddhism comes from the term "Budhi," which means awakening. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Guatama, who was later on referred to as Buddha. Guatama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment when he was 35 years old. In terms of the life of Buddha, it is acknowledged that he lived between the years 563 to 483 B.C, although it is estimated that he went on to live 100 years more (Brown, 2003). Legend says that the birth of Buddha was extraordinary. Maya, his mother, conceived him in a dream where a white elephant moved into her right side. During birth, the baby came out from her right side, completely made and went on to take seven steps. The baby was brought forth to an oracle who prophesied that he would come to be either a great king or religious educator. As a result, he was handed the name Siddhartha, which means "The one who attains his goal" (Brown, 2003).

Siddhartha's father unmistakably assuming that any interaction with unlikableness may cause him to pursue a life of abandonment...

However, when he attained 29 years of age, he came to the realization that affluence and luxury was not a surety of happiness in life, and therefore, he set forth on a spiritual expedition, reconnoitering dissimilar knowledge, faiths, and viewpoints of his day. 6 years subsequent to studying and meditation, Siddhartha finally claimed to have discovered the key to human happiness. After this, Siddhartha was handed the title Buddha, which means the one that is enlightened. Subsequent to this, Buddha spent the rest of his lifetime teaching the philosophies and ideologies of Buddhism (Brown, 2003).
Basic Teachings of Buddhism

The basic teachings of Buddhism can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. To start with, the Four Noble Truths encompass the quintessence of Buddha's teachings. These truths include: the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path that set in motion the culmination of suffering. Dukkha is the first noble truth, which asserts that all life is suffering. It proclaims that life comprises bodily aching and psychosomatic suffering, for instance, fear, solitude and sickness. Teachings by Buddha elucidate how to evade suffering and finally attain a state of spiritual enlightenment (PBS, n.d). Samudaya is the second noble truth and proclaims that…

Sources used in this document:
References

Seiler, P. (2015). Zen Buddhism. Christian Library. Retrieved 26 October, 2015 from: http://www.christianlibrary.org.au/cel/documents/cults/16.html

Gardner, G. (2015). Unique Teachings of Zen Buddhism. Opposing Views. Retrieved 26 October, 2015 from: http://people.opposingviews.com/unique-teachings-zen-buddhism-4917.html

Brown, K. S. (2003). Life of the Buddha. In Heibrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 26 October, 2015 from: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/hd_buda.htm

CNN. (2002). Religions: Zen Buddhism. Retrieved 26 October, 2015 from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/zen_1.shtml
PBS. (n.d). Buddhism: An Introduction. Retrieved 26 October, 2015 from: http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Deciphering
Words: 2454 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

According to Suzuki, when meditation is performed appropriately, time becomes a river that can be traveled: "When we experience this kind of truth it means we have found the true meaning of time. Time constantly goes from past to present and from present to future. This is true, but it is also true that time goes from future to present and from present to past" (pp. 33-34). Certainly, the Zen

Buddhism As a Religion Occupies
Words: 1395 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

An examination of the many issues like the left-right divisions in the monastic order, Buddhist social activism, the rise of organized lay movements as well as the Buddhist founded and inspired forms of political activity indicates that indeed politics has a great influence on Buddhism (Harris 1). How cultural and social forces shaped Buddhism in China A review of literature indicates that cultural and social forces shaped Buddhism in China. The

Buddhism: Changing and Adapting to
Words: 1637 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Thus to some, Chinese acceptance of Buddhism was surprising given that "China was already a very old civilization, with a written language, a well-organized government system and educational system, with two well-established philosophical and religious traditions -- the Confucian and Daoist Traditions -- sophisticated literature, poetry, art & #8230; so we had here a very highly developed highly literate civilization, and Buddhism came from outside via missionaries" (Garfield 2010).

Zen and Haiku: The Influence
Words: 2298 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Many early haiku poets recognized this, writing purely from the heart and without too much subjective interpretation, perhaps reflecting their adoption of Zen philosophy. Basho is but one early haiku poet that took Zen moralisms and philosophies to heart when writing haiku. Many believe that Basho wrote purely from Zen tradition, providing contrasting images of time and setting using only observation. Basho notes that "from ancient times those with a feeling

Buddhism, Religion and Philosophy Founded in India
Words: 1368 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Buddhism, religion and philosophy founded in India c.525 B.C. By Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide. One of the great world religions, it is divided into two main schools: the Theravada or Hinayana in Sri Lanka and SE Asia, and the Mahayana in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. A third school, the Vajrayana, has a long tradition in Tibet and Japan. Buddhism has largely

Buddhism the True Buddha Diamond Temple Is
Words: 1373 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Buddhism The True Buddha Diamond Temple is located in a residential neighborhood in Flushing (3332 148th Street), allowing it to be intimately connected with the community and fully integrated with it. As with many Buddhist organizations, the True Buddha society is a global one and this temple is a branch of a worldwide organization known as True Buddha. The True Buddha Diamond Temple in New York is therefore part of a

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now