In this way, the Tripitaka is very significant to adherents of Buddhism as it provides a clear set of expectations of the adherent of the religion as well as providing a guide to the teachings of Buddha. An example of this can be seen through a quote of the text (see appendix A), where it explains how Tanha is the cause of Dukkha. Many similar explanations are seen throughout the Tripitaka. The Tripitaka is also a very significant text as it represents the connection between the present monks and adherents of Buddhism to those of the past. This is significant to adherents of the religion as the text ensuring that the essence and facts of Buddhism do not alter over time, as they are clearly written within the Tripitaka.
Many converts of China looked upon Buddhism with admiration. They also accepted Buddhism with an open mind. Buddhism tried easing people’s sorrows by explaining how to stop the miseries of their lives through the Four Noble Truths. (Doc. 1) Buddha informs others that even though life was filled with suffering, it was possible to stop sorrow if one did not crave anything.
This awareness became more and more amplified by the fact that Taoism, which also held to a non-dual view of reality, was more sympathetic to the sudden enlightenment approach. For this reason, sudden enlightenment went on to dominate Chinese thought. Though sudden enlightenment isn’t seen as superior to gradual enlightenment, it does represent an opposing style of thought; where the Southern position can be characterized as sudden enlightenment followed by gradual cultivation and the Northern position can be characterized as gradual cultivation followed by sudden enlightenment. The Southern Schools of Ch'an Buddhism in China gave full support to sudden enlightenment. Although Hui-neng was the most prominent figure in the entire
Daoist stressed what their leader Laozi named, 'the way' and thought that with a restrained and balanced life one could ultimately reach a full understanding of and unity with the universe. Buddhists did not, they believed that throughout the meditation and improvement of one's inner balance a person could achieve a higher state of being for each lifetime reincarnated. For Daoists, balance and harmony with nature was simply a way of finding the path to ascension into a more ultimate ending of being with the world. Buddhists progressed constantly thought many lives improving, until 'Buddha' or meaning “awakened/enlightened one.” Daoism focused on a stipulation of “doing nothing,” which did not refer to inaction but instead to the natural flow which is continuous and perfectly synchronized and in balance. Buddhists achieved their end path after all suffering was endured and one has come in control of every action and thought, only then could the ultimate happiness and paradise in nirvana be reached.
Buddhists believe the more you give without seeking something in return, the ‘wealthier’ you become. Giving is said to purify and transform the mid of the giver. A monk or Bhikku is also another cultural link to Buddhist tradition. A bhikku’s lifestyle is simple + meditative, the ultimate goal to attain Nirvana. Like all other religious traditions Buddhism has an important place for pilgrimage based sites where Gautama Buddha lived and taught.
I watched the film Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion. In my opinion, this is an excellent documentary, full of vivid images, well-blended historical and modern footage and very good production planning. Although, the film pays ample tribute to Tibet's status as a Buddhist spiritual capital. However, the documentary also deals in brute, practical politics, examining Tibet's strategic position as a buffer between two of the world's most populous states- China and India- and its importance to the Chinese as a power base in the Himalayas. Early on I was struck by the similarity between the Tibetans, the Native Americans and the Guatemalan Indians (all of who share some basic moral precepts), but was distracted when I realized the compelling portrait that the documentary painted of Tibet as a nation committed to the concept of spiritual education.
It was not simply knowledge about the world, but wisdom about right relationships within the world, that propelled many agents for change in our own time. to challenge the dominant culture in their efforts to make the world a more just and caring place for everyone to enjoy. We often know a lot about these and other important persons -- that is, we know something about their politics, their moral vision, and their impact on society -- but we generally know little if anything about the spiritual sources that animated (and animate) their commitments to a larger good. Progressive educators have generally abandoned the so-called IQ measurement as the gold standard of educational success. The current
Discarding knowledge basically means that knowledge might be replaced by another. It could happen if there exist a new knowledge in which there are less counters and reasoning are more acceptable. Also, it could happen if old knowledge was proved to be away from truth, though, it might be hard to determine whether the “truth” is a real truth. Historians might have different opinions on knowledge about the same event based on their different nationalities, religions and even gender. Using the Long March as an example, elder Chinese historians mostly agree that the Long March is a demonstration of the success of the Chinese Army.
Let knowledge be a cosmic and complex structure, faith is the base for this structure for it provides fundamental assumptions and without these assumptions, the structure of knowledge will disintegrate. In the first Area of Knowledge religion, faith does play a pivotal role. Faith is an essential element that is mostly inseparable from the religion. An organized religion usually consists of a person’s relationship to that which they regard as holy, sacred,
BSTC1001 Introduction to Buddhist teaching Ven. Sik Hin Hung Individual Assignment - Short Essay 25 November 2014 According to Buddhism, why is it important that we take refuge in the Triple Jewels? Lai Hiu Nga Hilda (2013701500) Lai Hiu Nga Hilda P.1 Taking refuge is considered as a way to look for liberation from the sea of suffering. It is one of the practices of “Human and Celestial Vehicle”. which aims at attaining happiness in heaven and earth.