Buddhism Past and Present Essay - 665 Words

Overtime many significant events have shaped history, from natural disasters, wars and the never ending feud of politics they have all played a significant role in history. But there is one that has had the most influential effect of all, religion. Throughout time there has been an abundance of different religions and practices formed over the years, from Christianity to Judaism, each of them having their own impacts on culture and society, one of the major religions that formed was Buddhism. Today we will discuss how Buddhism was founded, the practices of it, and how it has changed as it has entered a new area and interacted with a new people. Buddhism was founded by or Siddhartha Gautama also known as â€Å"Buddha† was born about 2565†¦show more content†¦The Four Noble Truths include suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachments, people can understand triumph over weaknesses, and finally triumph is possible by following a simple code of conduct. The Eightfold Path was a path that could lead towards liberations, â€Å"beginning with right conduct and ending with right contemplation† (McKay, 2012). Those who were able to reach the point of liberation would become free from the cycle of birth and death and reach a state known as nirvana, a state of blissful nothingness and freedom (McKay, 2012). To reach nirvana one has to perfume the following, â€Å"believe right, desire right, think right, live right, do the right efforts, think the right thoughts, behave right and to do the right meditation†(Philosophy of Religion). Over twelve centuries after Buddha’s death, early communities transformed into permanent Mona static Institutions in India, it also began to spread through Asia and became commonly recognized by Buddhist scholars, which include Theravada Buddhism or â€Å"the way of the elders† which is very close to the early teachings taught by Buddha. It thrives in areas of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and parts of Southwest China. (Namgyal Monastery Institute). Which leads into the final point of how Buddhism has transformed and changed over the years and began to interact with new people. One of the lasting strengths of Buddhism that has become some influential over the years has been theShow MoreRelatedThe Nature Of The Buddhist s Claim Of Suffering1098 Words   |  5 PagesAs a result of asceticism and hedonism being deemed irrational, Buddhism was born, the middle way between the two. Siddhartha Gautama (later known as the Buddha) is the rishi (founder) of Buddhism which is built on the doctrine that humans are forever burdened with suffering or dukkha. The teachings of Buddha serve as a tool to overcome desire, which is the root of all suffering. In this paper, the nature of the Buddhist’s claim of suffering will be dissected and further examined along with the ideaRead MoreBuddhism, The Practical, Theatrical, And Its Social Aspects Of Buddhism1224 Words   |  5 PagesPractitioners of Buddhism practice in many varying ways based off their geographical and social conditions.The real practice of any Buddhist is to concern themselves with their spiritual at titude that affects themselves and their community. Meditation is used to refocus the mind to develop a greater mental state. Buddhism can be defined as:the path, and livelihood to practice the spiritual development that leads to the true nature of oneself and reality. The basics of Buddhism: there are no fixedRead MoreBuddhism And Its Effect On Society842 Words   |  4 PagesBuddhism originates from Hinduism, and thus it advocates samsaric cycle driven by karma (intentional action). 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Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow the path of spiritual development. Ultimately, the Buddhist path culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood. Who was theRead MoreComparing Karma, Reincarnation, Rebirth, Moksha, and Nirvana644 Words   |  3 PagesDescribe the difference between Karma, Reincarnation, Rebirth, Moksha, and Nirvana in relation to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Karma is the connotation of causality that past actions influence future events. This is the same for both Buddhism and Hinduism. Both also believe in an endless cycle of births known as endless cycle of births, known as samsara. and release from this cycle of rebirths. Hindus believe in an everlasting soul (atman) that is reincarnated almost intact from birth to birth,Read MoreBuddhism Can Not Be Categorized As A Religion1149 Words   |  5 PagesBuddhism is a religion unlike any other in what they believe in and the teachings they follow. Before reading Damien Keown’s Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction, I did not know much about Buddhism at all. The only things I knew is that people worship a Buddha, and that Tiger Wood’s is a Buddhist. Damien Keown helped me to understand the Buddhism belief’s and teaching’s, as well as help me get a better understanding of what Buddhism really is. I realized that Buddhism is almost more of a way of life

Human Rights Form The Crux Of Human Civilization - 985 Words

Human rights form the crux of human civilization. Without their paramount guidelines, humanity would collapse upon itself in a corrupted heap of carnage. Despite the importance of these right that were formatted by the United Nations, not every man or woman abides by them around the world. There are terrorist organizations that treat humans less than dirt, sex-traffickers that exploit young, defenseless children, and slavery that still occurs in the twenty-first century. Fighting the threat of inhumanity is a tough battle because countless individuals are brought up believing that it s their way or the highway. Understanding how to cope with others by treating them like your fellow citizen is the most quintessential task everyone on earth should abide by. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.† This seems like such a reasonable rule to follow, but terro rist groups such as ISIS have been dismembering this rule, along with countless others. Why do people act this way, and can they even be considered people if they break it? Even though these kind of terrorist acts are being done far away from home, we are still getting the news. We are getting this information into our houses through news outlets. Despite the United Nation s efforts to relay this human right, it is being broken day by day and we are listening to it on our televisions or radios. 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Ramses II’s Victory Free Essays

The victory of Ramses II over the Khita’s was probably one of the greatest stories of Egyptian literary works on war that had survived thousands of years to convey to us, the present generation, the underlying truths on how the centuries-past generations of Egyptians had regarded their Pharaohs: as a leader, a warrior, a general, and a man-god. WAR The poem starts with the king of Khita, together with his enormous armies and chariots, laid in wait for an ambush on the Egyptian Pharaoh. He had his armies divide into two groups, the first initiated a surprise attack on the Legion of Hormakhu, south of Kadesh, and successfully annihilated the Egyptian armies in that town who were not expecting such an attack (Halshall, 1998). We will write a custom essay sample on Ramses II’s Victory or any similar topic only for you Order Now Upon being informed of the tragedy that befell his troops, Ramses II quickly readied himself for war, donning his weapons and armors, and galloping on his majestic horses. But soon he found himself in the middle of the Hittite army; completely surrounded and alone, in an impossible battle between 2,500 chariots against one (Halshall, 1998). Due perhaps to his imminent defeat and utter helplessness, the Pharaoh-god called upon his deceased father for help. Enumerating the many glorious monuments, temples, shrines, and sacrificial offerings he had made for the glory of the deceased former god/Pharaoh Ammon, his father (Poem of Pentaur, 2003). And behold! Ammon had heard his cry from the temple of Hermonthis and had come for his beloved son for help. With strength as the sun-god Ra, and arms as strong as hundreds of thousands of men, Ammon found grace in Ramses II’s valor and bravery, and allowed for Ramses II to use Ammon’s god-strength in defeating the Hittites. And when Ramses II, alone except for his charioteer, Menna, finally assaulted the 2,500 strong enemy, the entire Khita army, together with their king, were stunned, frozen with fea r, unable to wield their sword and spear, for Ramses II fought with the spirit of a god. And when the day had come to pass, Egypt’s Pharaoh was able to slay each and every army of the Khita. No one was able to escape alive, each and everyone was fell by the Pharaoh. Propagandistic Element The Battle of Kadesh, as written by the ancient Egyptian authorities during Ramses’ reign, was a literature made for propagandistic purpose. Perhaps the ruler’s aim, other than for the citizens’ assertion of their belief of the Pharaoh as a god-man, was also to use this as a psychological tool on other nations against planning an invasion against Egypt. These types of exploits of Egypt’s Pharaohs being engraved on the walls of temples further amplify the effect of invincibility and immortality of the rulers of Egypt, by making it as a monument for all nations to see. Such is the case in one of the walls (Fig. 1. 1) where Egyptian chariotry is engaged in a battle between Hittite foot soldiers, when in actuality based on facts, it had been Hittites’ tradition to do battle using chariots (Battle of Kadesh, 2003). Thus, using politics in asserting control and obedience over the populace, as well as in warfare, rulers of ancient kingdoms often relied on exaggerated literature on war-victories as a means in achieving these. In the modern history, we have witnessed similar propagandistic methods used by governments, usually in defense of its purpose in declaring war: Hitler’s Arian race ideology, Marx’s and Lenin’s Russian Proletariat Revolution, the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and so forth. Almost always, the adage that goes, the victors write history, is appropriate. How to cite Ramses II’s Victory, Papers