They remember the night of his enlightenment and his insights into his previous lives, as well as his revelations about the nature of death, karma and rebirth, suffering and desire. The Sanga plays a significant role in the feast of Wesak. Buddhists acknowledge the wisdom of the members of the community and spend time listening to their advice and explanation of the important teachings of the Dharma. The Sanga is further shown appreciation by gifts of food, clothing and donations at this time. The Buddhist community strengthens its identity by coming together to celebrate Wesak.
One of the amazing things about a Guru is their vast range of intelligence. Through the years of meditating a Guru is able to gain so much experiential knowledge which allows him to teach values to the student. Those who have been under the teaching of a Guru will tell you how they can perform miraculous events such as healing the sick with a simple touch of the finger. For centuries the role of the Guru has remained the same for them to lead others on a spiritual path to discover one’s true self. In an excerpt from the writings of ancient Guru Paramahansa Yogananda, he explains how only those who truly know God can teach others about him: “The blind cannot lead the blind, only a master, one who knows God, may rightly teach other about him.
They both mention us being born with the skills of achieving the enlightenment, but both require us to have the discipline that it takes to take on such a roll. The word discipline comes from a Latin root meaning “to learn”. In Christianity it’s using discipline of not giving into temptation or any other immorality. Buddhist have to go through the discipline of overcoming the three poisons, which keeps us from achieving clarity, compassion and real happiness. Discipline is the key role in reaching the spiritual enlightenment, it
One is officially recognised as a Buddhist after he/she has undergone refuge. "Taking refuge in the Buddha, we learn to transform anger into compassion; taking refuge in the Dharma, we learn to transform delusion into wisdom; taking refuge in the Sangha, we learn to transform desire into generosity.” - Red Pine (2005) The Triple Jewels (or called The Three Treasures) in the refuge are inseparable as they all together generate considerable amount of merit and wisdom to a Buddhist. As mind is the forerunner of all things and, all living beings are suffering and trapped in the Samsara due to karma and entanglement; a wise man can disentangle this tangle through building well in virtue, developing concentration and understanding, which would help one gain wisdom. Only through taking refuge from the Triple Jewels, one could gain wisdom and have a good start for his/her path to awakening. The ultimate goal of this path is to
Recently multiple western universities and institutions have bestowed Peace Awards upon hm. He has also been given honorary Doctorate Degrees because of his prolific writings on Buddhist philosophy and his spectacular leadership in the name of peace. He continues to travel the world today giving
It also teaches the Tao of Heaven and provides moral training that is quite religious. Tao of heaven is the transformation of the individual into a living example of virtue as a strict duty to Heaven. The active pursuits of the Tao of Heaven are the six virtues that have to be master in order to become a virtuous person. Also, the Six Art forms the basis of Confucianism‘s education.Confucianism stresses the importance of avoiding conflict and emphasizes correct behavior. Desire is suppressed and people are expected to live by a elevated moral code.
Meditation: Buddhist Tradition Buddhist meditation is a form of mental concentration that can lead to enlightenment and spiritual freedom. Meditation occupies a central place in all forms of Buddhism. Meditation is the second category of the Eight-Fold Path, which is one of the principal teachings of the Buddha. The Eight-Fold Path is described as the way of leading to the cessation of suffering and the achievement of self-awakening. In general, meditation is a way to quiet the mind.
The core teaching of the center are “ageless wisdom, the perennial philosophy, or the eternal way.” The four fundamental principles of this teaching are - there is only one “power” he is called by many different names - nothing exists without the spirit - all human beings are demonstration of life -spiritual awareness is needed in order to awaken the inner spirit. At the center they teach their followers that if we only use our mind and body we are limiting ourselves from awakening the spirit and through the practice of self-discipline people can achieve life’s purpose which is spiritual awakening. At the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Karaka. I asked him what some of his early difficulties or setbacks were when he first got
A comparison between Jesus the Christ and Gautama the Buddha Just as Jesus in Christianity, Gautama the Buddha plays an essential role in preaching the doctrines of Buddhism. People may see them both as great teachers that guide them to do good and avoid evil. However, despite the similarity of their roles as teachers, Jesus and Buddha are two distinct figures with essentially different importance. The greatest significance of Gautama the Buddha is about his teaching. Buddha was just an ordinary human that achieved enlightenment and preached his understandings.
Throughout time, Chinese culture has used the Analects as a foundation in their education system. The Analects of Confucius were collected because of the importance that was placed on the teachings of Confucius. Confucius’ emphasis on the idea that the “country’s welfare depended on the moral cultivation of its people”. His pupils believed that by recording the Analects in written language they would last forever and the philosophies of Confucius would spread throughout the Chinese culture. The essence of the message of the Analects is the key concept that individuals should think independently, and he strived to define concepts in an abstract, universal manner in which they could be applied to multiple cultures could understand them.