Difference between revisions of "Buddhism, customs, culture and views on life"
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− | ===[[Buddhist]] culture=== | + | ===[[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|culture}}=== |
− | [[Buddhism]]’s success as a [[religion]] has been at least partly attributed to the universality of its [[ethical]] [[teaching]] and the [[flexibility]] of its [[spiritual]] message. It provides a code of conduct for the community and the {{Wiki|individual}} that provides a framework for a [[peaceful]] {{Wiki|society}} and [[peace]] of [[mind]]. | + | [[Buddhism]]’s [[success]] as a [[religion]] has been at least partly attributed to the universality of its [[ethical]] [[teaching]] and the [[flexibility]] of its [[spiritual]] message. It provides a code of conduct for the {{Wiki|community}} and the {{Wiki|individual}} that provides a framework for a [[peaceful]] {{Wiki|society}} and [[peace]] of [[mind]]. |
− | [[Buddhism]] is arguably the most tolerant and adaptable [[religion]]. Wherever it has gone it has adapted to local [[conditions]]. That is one [[reason]] why there are so many different sects and schools and it is winning so many adherents today in the West. | + | [[Buddhism]] is arguably the most tolerant and adaptable [[religion]]. Wherever it has gone it has adapted to local [[conditions]]. That is one [[reason]] why there are so many different sects and schools and it is winning so many {{Wiki|adherents}} today in the [[West]]. |
− | [[Buddha]] preached against the [[caste]] system. One of the basic premises of [[Buddhism]] is that [[life]] is full of [[suffering]]. | + | [[Buddha]] [[preached]] against the [[caste]] system. One of the basic premises of [[Buddhism]] is that [[life]] is full of [[suffering]]. |
− | ===[[Buddhism]] and Character=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]] and [[Character]]=== |
− | The [[religious]] [[scholar]] A.C. Graham wrote: “[[Buddhism]] is a ‘Nay-saying’ [[religion]], rejecting all [[life]] as [[suffering]] and [[promising]] release from it; yet when one is actually in a [[Buddhist]] country it is hard to resist the [[impression]] that one is among the liveliest, the most invincibly cheerful, the most ‘yea-saying’ [[people]] on [[earth]].” | + | The [[religious]] [[scholar]] A.C. Graham wrote: “[[Buddhism]] is a ‘Nay-saying’ [[religion]], rejecting all [[life]] as [[suffering]] and [[promising]] [[release]] from it; yet when one is actually in a [[Buddhist]] country it is hard to resist the [[impression]] that one is among the liveliest, the most invincibly cheerful, the most ‘yea-saying’ [[people]] on [[earth]].” |
− | Describing his [[people]] the [[King]] of [[Thailand]] told National Geographic magazine, "Thais seem to be [[happy]] go [[lucky]] but are quite strong. Our [[people]] are [[relaxed]], not high strung or stiff. They are hospitable—to strangers and to new ideas. The majority are Buddhist—and the [[Buddhists]] have never had a holy [[war]]. They are polite. Honorable politeness. They have {{Wiki|courage}} but are not harsh—strong but gentle." | + | Describing his [[people]] the [[King]] of [[Thailand]] told [[National Geographic]] magazine, "[[Thais]] seem to be [[happy]] go [[lucky]] but are quite strong. Our [[people]] are [[relaxed]], not high strung or stiff. They are hospitable—to strangers and to new [[ideas]]. The majority are Buddhist—and the [[Buddhists]] have never had a {{Wiki|holy}} [[war]]. They are {{Wiki|polite}}. Honorable politeness. They have {{Wiki|courage}} but are not harsh—strong but gentle." |
[[File:Babymonk1.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Babymonk1.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | Poor [[people]] in [[Buddhist]] countries often have a big [[smiles]] on their faces, something that many [[people]] believe is attributed to the fact they spend so much [[time]] praying and engaging [[religious]] activities. [[Religion]] is a daily, if not hourly, practice for many [[Buddhists]]. [[Tibetans]], for example, seem to spend hours each day praying or spinning [[prayer wheel]]s. | + | Poor [[people]] in [[Buddhist]] countries often have a big [[smiles]] on their faces, something that many [[people]] believe is attributed to the fact they spend so much [[time]] praying and engaging [[religious]] [[activities]]. [[Religion]] is a daily, if not hourly, practice for many [[Buddhists]]. [[Tibetans]], for example, seem to spend hours each day praying or spinning [[prayer wheel]]s. |
− | [[Buddhism]] encourages its practitioners to keep their [[emotions]] and [[passions]] in check and stresses [[karma]] over [[determination]], which often means [[people]] are more willing to accept their lot in [[life]] and look for [[happiness]] in future [[lives]]. This outlook and is sometimes viewed in the West as a lack of [[ambition]] or unwilling to work hard to get ahead. | + | [[Buddhism]] encourages its practitioners to keep their [[emotions]] and [[passions]] in check and stresses [[karma]] over [[determination]], which often means [[people]] are more willing to accept their lot in [[life]] and look for [[happiness]] in {{Wiki|future}} [[lives]]. This outlook and is sometimes viewed in the [[West]] as a lack of [[ambition]] or unwilling to work hard to get ahead. |
− | ===[[Buddhist]] Morality=== | + | ===[[Buddhist]] [[Morality]]=== |
[[Buddhism]] also provides guidelines for village justice, namely in the [[form]] of the five basic [[moral]] prohibitions (the [[Panch Sila]], or the [[five precepts]] for the laity): | [[Buddhism]] also provides guidelines for village justice, namely in the [[form]] of the five basic [[moral]] prohibitions (the [[Panch Sila]], or the [[five precepts]] for the laity): | ||
:1) refrain for taking [[life]]; | :1) refrain for taking [[life]]; | ||
:2) don’t steal; | :2) don’t steal; | ||
− | :3) avoid illicit sexual [[activity]]; | + | :3) avoid illicit {{Wiki|sexual}} [[activity]]; |
:4) don’t speak falsely; and | :4) don’t speak falsely; and | ||
− | :5) refrain from consuming inebriating substances. | + | :5) refrain from consuming inebriating {{Wiki|substances}}. |
− | These guidelines are supposed to be followed by both [[lay people]] and [[monks]]. Devout [[Buddhists]] and [[monks]] are also supposed observe a number of other prohibitions such as avoiding [[dancing]], singing, eating after midday and wearing jewelry and cosmetics. | + | These guidelines are supposed to be followed by both [[lay people]] and [[monks]]. Devout [[Buddhists]] and [[monks]] are also supposed observe a number of other prohibitions such as avoiding [[dancing]], singing, eating after midday and wearing jewelry and [[cosmetics]]. |
− | The [[religious]] historian I.B. Hunter wrote: “The criteria of [[Buddhist]] [[morality]] is to ask yourself , when there is one of three kinds of [[deeds]] you want to do, whether it will lead to the hurt of [[self]], of others, or of both. If you come to the conclusion that it will be harmful, then you must not do it. But if you [[form]] the opinion that it will be harmless, then you can do it and repeat. A [[person]] that torments neither himself or another is already transcending the active [[life]].” | + | The [[religious]] historian I.B. {{Wiki|Hunter}} wrote: “The criteria of [[Buddhist]] [[morality]] is to ask yourself , when there is one of three kinds of [[deeds]] you want to do, whether it will lead to the {{Wiki|hurt}} of [[self]], of others, or of both. If you come to the conclusion that it will be harmful, then you must not do it. But if you [[form]] the opinion that it will be harmless, then you can do it and repeat. A [[person]] that torments neither himself or another is already transcending the active [[life]].” |
− | Among [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] there is a great deal of [[discussion]] of what is beneficial for [[people]] and what isn’t since [[people]] don’t always necessarily [[know]] what is good for them. [[Mahayana]] [[scholars]] discuss things like whether it is an act of [[kindness]] to kill an [[animal]] in extreme [[pain]] or give whiskey to an alcoholic and [[debate]] about the [[merits]] of medical technology which can make [[people]] healthier but ultimately is a benefit provided by material [[objects]] rather than [[spirituality]]. | + | Among [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] there is a great deal of [[discussion]] of what is beneficial for [[people]] and what isn’t since [[people]] don’t always necessarily [[know]] what is good for them. [[Mahayana]] [[scholars]] discuss things like whether it is an act of [[kindness]] to kill an [[animal]] in extreme [[pain]] or give whiskey to an alcoholic and [[debate]] about the [[merits]] of {{Wiki|medical}} technology which can make [[people]] healthier but ultimately is a [[benefit]] provided by material [[objects]] rather than [[spirituality]]. |
[[File:Av1qz.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Av1qz.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | ===[[Buddhism]], [[Desire]] and Attachment=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]], [[Desire]] and [[Attachment]]=== |
− | [[Buddhists]] believe that [[humans]] want many things and want to keep them forever, which is impossible and creates a constant state of [[desire]], which in turn [[causes]] [[suffering]] and {{Wiki|fear}} of further loss. To get beyond [[desire]] and [[pain]] one has to find an alternative. | + | [[Buddhists]] believe that [[humans]] want many things and want to keep them forever, which is impossible and creates a [[constant]] [[state]] of [[desire]], which in turn [[causes]] [[suffering]] and {{Wiki|fear}} of further loss. To get beyond [[desire]] and [[pain]] one has to find an alternative. |
− | William Dalrymple of the Paris Review talked with an elderly [[Tibetan]] [[monk]] named [[Tashi Passang]]. The [[monk]] said, “ The main struggle, especially when you are young, is to avoid four things: [[desire]], [[greed]], {{Wiki|pride}}, and [[attachment]]. Of course no [[human being]] can do this completely. But there are techniques that the [[lama]]s taught us for diverting the [[mind]]. They stop you from [[thinking]] of yaks, or [[money]], or [[beautiful]] women, and teach you to [[concentrate]] instead on [[gods]] and [[goddesses]]. “ [Source: William Dalrymple, Paris Review, Spring 2010] | + | William Dalrymple of the {{Wiki|Paris}} Review talked with an elderly [[Tibetan]] [[monk]] named [[Tashi Passang]]. The [[monk]] said, “ The main struggle, especially when you are young, is to avoid four things: [[desire]], [[greed]], {{Wiki|pride}}, and [[attachment]]. Of course no [[human being]] can do this completely. But there are [[techniques]] that the [[lama]]s [[taught]] us for diverting the [[mind]]. They stop you from [[thinking]] of [[yaks]], or [[money]], or [[beautiful]] women, and teach you to [[concentrate]] instead on [[gods]] and [[goddesses]]. “ [Source: William Dalrymple, {{Wiki|Paris}} Review, Spring 2010] |
− | When asked about the techniques the [[monk]] said, “The [[lamas]] taught us to stare at a statue of the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] and absorb the details of [[the object]] the color, the [[posture]], and so on, reflecting back all we knew of their teachings. Slowly you go deeper; you [[visualize]] the hand, the leg, and the [[vajra]] in his hand, closing your [[eyes]] and trying to travel inward. The more you [[concentrate]] on a [[deity]], the more you are diverted from [[worldly]] [[thoughts]]. It is difficult, of course, but it is also [[essential]]. In the [[Fire Sermon]], the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] said, The [[world]] is on [[fire]] and every solution short of [[nirvana]] is like trying to whitewash a burning house. Everything we have now is like a [[dream]] [[impermanent]]. This floor [[feels]] like stone, this cupboard [[feels]] like wood but really it is an [[illusion]]. When you [[die]] you can’t take any of this. You have to leave it all behind. We have to leave even this [[human]] [[body]].” [Ibid] | + | When asked about the [[techniques]] the [[monk]] said, “The [[lamas]] [[taught]] us to stare at a statue of the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] and absorb the details of [[the object]] the {{Wiki|color}}, the [[posture]], and so on, {{Wiki|reflecting}} back all we knew of their teachings. Slowly you go deeper; you [[visualize]] the hand, the leg, and the [[vajra]] in his hand, closing your [[eyes]] and trying to travel inward. The more you [[concentrate]] on a [[deity]], the more you are diverted from [[worldly]] [[thoughts]]. It is difficult, of course, but it is also [[essential]]. In the [[Fire Sermon]], the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] said, The [[world]] is on [[fire]] and every {{Wiki|solution}} short of [[nirvana]] is like trying to whitewash a burning house. Everything we have now is like a [[dream]] [[impermanent]]. This floor [[feels]] like stone, this cupboard [[feels]] like [[wood]] but really it is an [[illusion]]. When you [[die]] you can’t take any of this. You have to leave it all behind. We have to leave even this [[human]] [[body]].” [Ibid] |
===[[Buddhism]], [[Patience]] and Non-Violence=== | ===[[Buddhism]], [[Patience]] and Non-Violence=== | ||
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[[Patience]] is a great [[virtue]] especially to [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]]. One passage from the Manual of [[Zen]] [[Buddhism]] goes: “However unnumerable [[sentient beings]] are, I [[vow]] to save them! However inexhaustible the [[defilements]] are, I [[vow]] to extinguish them! However [[immeasurable]] the [[dharmas]] are, I [[vow]] to [[master]] them! However incomparable [[Enlightenment]] is, I [[vow]] to attain it! | [[Patience]] is a great [[virtue]] especially to [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]]. One passage from the Manual of [[Zen]] [[Buddhism]] goes: “However unnumerable [[sentient beings]] are, I [[vow]] to save them! However inexhaustible the [[defilements]] are, I [[vow]] to extinguish them! However [[immeasurable]] the [[dharmas]] are, I [[vow]] to [[master]] them! However incomparable [[Enlightenment]] is, I [[vow]] to attain it! | ||
− | [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] see [[patience]] in terms of [[moral]] [[patience]] to endure [[suffering]] and hostile acts of others and [[intellectual]] [[patience]] to accept ideas—especially ones that seem so unfathomable and [[unpleasant]] like the [[non-existence]] of all things—before understanding them. | + | [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] see [[patience]] in terms of [[moral]] [[patience]] to endure [[suffering]] and {{Wiki|hostile}} acts of others and [[intellectual]] [[patience]] to accept ideas—especially ones that seem so unfathomable and [[unpleasant]] like the [[non-existence]] of all things—before [[understanding]] them. |
[[Buddhism]] teaches inner [[peace]] leads to outer [[peace]]. | [[Buddhism]] teaches inner [[peace]] leads to outer [[peace]]. | ||
− | ===[[Buddhism]], [[Compassion]] and Charity=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]], [[Compassion]] and [[Charity]]=== |
− | [[Buddhism]] emphasizes ideals of [[wisdom]] and [[compassion]] and sometimes gives as much weight to [[thoughts]] as [[actions]]. The [[Buddhist]] equivalent of the [[Golden Rule]] is that “all we are is the result of what we have [[thought]].” There is a great emphasis on [[generosity]] and the giving of [[alms]]. Concepts such confession, [[forgiveness]] and restitution that are normally associated with {{Wiki|{{Wiki|Christianity}}}} are also emphasized in [[Buddhism]]. | + | [[Buddhism]] emphasizes ideals of [[wisdom]] and [[compassion]] and sometimes gives as much {{Wiki|weight}} to [[thoughts]] as [[actions]]. The [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|equivalent}} of the [[Golden Rule]] is that “all we are is the result of what we have [[thought]].” There is a great {{Wiki|emphasis}} on [[generosity]] and the giving of [[alms]]. Concepts such {{Wiki|confession}}, [[forgiveness]] and restitution that are normally associated with {{Wiki|{{Wiki|Christianity}}}} are also emphasized in [[Buddhism]]. |
− | [[Buddhists]] are taught to practice [[nonviolence]], do [[good deeds]], present gifts to [[monks]], aspire to have gentle [[thoughts]], [[meditate]], and have [[respect]] for the sanctity of [[life]]. The basic tenets of [[Buddhism]] influenced {{Wiki|Gandhi}} and {{Wiki|Martin Luther King}}. | + | [[Buddhists]] are [[taught]] to practice [[nonviolence]], do [[good deeds]], {{Wiki|present}} gifts to [[monks]], aspire to have gentle [[thoughts]], [[meditate]], and have [[respect]] for the sanctity of [[life]]. The basic [[tenets]] of [[Buddhism]] influenced {{Wiki|Gandhi}} and {{Wiki|Martin Luther King}}. |
− | [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] have also debated the [[merit]]s of charity. [[Scholars]] are clearly in agreement that charity is beneficial to the giver but how helpful and useful it is to the recipient is not such a clear cut matter. Some argue charity is merely a means for the well-off to relieve themselves of [[guilt]] and duty by giving a few scraps to the poor that ultimately humiliates them. | + | [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhists]] have also [[debated]] the [[merit]]s of [[charity]]. [[Scholars]] are clearly in agreement that [[charity]] is beneficial to the giver but how helpful and useful it is to the recipient is not such a clear cut {{Wiki|matter}}. Some argue [[charity]] is merely a means for the well-off to relieve themselves of [[guilt]] and [[duty]] by giving a few scraps to the poor that ultimately humiliates them. |
[[File:Bodhgaya-1.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Bodhgaya-1.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | The great [[Tibetan]] {{Wiki|saint}} [[Milarepa]] was once asked by his [[disciples]] “if they could engage in [[worldly]] duties, in a small way, for the benefit of others.” [[Milarepa]] replied: “If there be not the least self-interest attached to such duties, it is permissible. But such [[detachment]] is indeed rare; and works performed for the good of others seldom succeed, if not wholly freed from self-interest...One should not be over-anxious and hasty in setting out to serve others before onself has [[realized]] the [[Truth]] in its fullness; to do so, would be like the blind leading the blind....Til the opportunity come, I exhort each of you to attain [[Buddhahood]] for the good of all [[living beings]].” | + | The great [[Tibetan]] {{Wiki|saint}} [[Milarepa]] was once asked by his [[disciples]] “if they could engage in [[worldly]] duties, in a small way, for the [[benefit]] of others.” [[Milarepa]] replied: “If there be not the least [[self-interest]] [[attached]] to such duties, it is permissible. But such [[detachment]] is indeed rare; and works performed for the good of others seldom succeed, if not wholly freed from self-interest...One should not be over-anxious and hasty in setting out to serve others before onself has [[realized]] the [[Truth]] in its fullness; to do so, would be like the [[blind]] leading the blind....Til the opportunity come, I exhort each of you to attain [[Buddhahood]] for the good of all [[living beings]].” |
[[Buddhism]] [[beliefs]] in sanctity of [[life]] and [[non-violence]] have their origins in [[Hinduism]] and [[Jainism]]. | [[Buddhism]] [[beliefs]] in sanctity of [[life]] and [[non-violence]] have their origins in [[Hinduism]] and [[Jainism]]. | ||
− | ===[[Buddhism]] and Violence=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]] and [[Violence]]=== |
− | The [[view]] that [[non-violence]] is a dominate [[belief]] is a bit of a [[myth]]. [[Robert Thurman]] of Columbia University told the {{Wiki|New York}} Times, "There is a [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|theory}} of [[war]], of self-defense, and there is also a kind of {{Wiki|theory}} of surgical violence. The optimal ideal thing is [[non-violence]]. But sometimes you have to do a little violence to prevent a larger violence. The [[Buddhist]] have [[thought]] about this are they are not simplistic." | + | The [[view]] that [[non-violence]] is a dominate [[belief]] is a bit of a [[myth]]. [[Robert Thurman]] of [[Columbia University]] told the {{Wiki|New York}} Times, "There is a [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|theory}} of [[war]], of [[self-defense]], and there is also a kind of {{Wiki|theory}} of surgical [[violence]]. The optimal {{Wiki|ideal}} thing is [[non-violence]]. But sometimes you have to do a little [[violence]] to prevent a larger [[violence]]. The [[Buddhist]] have [[thought]] about this are they are not simplistic." |
− | There lots of examples of violence committed by [[Buddhist]]. Largely [[Buddhist]] [[Cambodia]] produced the Khmer Rouge. A miliary junta rules in [[Buddhist]] [[Burma]]. In [[Sri Lanka]], [[Buddhists]] are engaged in a low-intensity civil [[war]] with [[Hindu]] [[Tamils]] and [[monks]] have supported Sinhalese militia that murdered thousands of class enemies. | + | There lots of examples of [[violence]] committed by [[Buddhist]]. Largely [[Buddhist]] [[Cambodia]] produced the {{Wiki|Khmer Rouge}}. A miliary junta {{Wiki|rules}} in [[Buddhist]] [[Burma]]. In [[Sri Lanka]], [[Buddhists]] are engaged in a low-intensity civil [[war]] with [[Hindu]] [[Tamils]] and [[monks]] have supported [[Sinhalese]] militia that murdered thousands of class enemies. |
− | William Dalrymple of the Paris Review talked with an elderly [[Tibetan]] [[monk]] named [[Tashi Passang]] in {{Wiki|Dharamsala}} who took up arms to defend [[Tibet]] when the {{Wiki|Chinese}} invaded [[Tibet]]: When asked, can one be both a [[monk]] and a resistance fighter? Tashi said, “Once you have been a [[monk]], it is very difficult to kill a man. But sometimes it can be your duty to do so. I knew that if I stayed in a [[monastery]] under the {{Wiki|Chinese}} there was no point in [[being]] a [[monk]]. They wouldn’t let me practice my [[religion]]. So, to protect the ways of the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]], the [[Buddhist]] [[dharma]], I decided to fight...Yes, [[nonviolence]] is the [[essence]] of the [[dharma]]. This is especially true for a [[monk]]. The most important thing is to [[love]] each and every [[sentient being]]. But when it comes to a greater [[cause]], sometimes it can be your duty to give back your [[vows]] and to fight in [[order]] to protect the [[dharma]].” [Source: William Dalrymple, Paris Review, Spring 2010] | + | William Dalrymple of the {{Wiki|Paris}} Review talked with an elderly [[Tibetan]] [[monk]] named [[Tashi Passang]] in {{Wiki|Dharamsala}} who took up arms to defend [[Tibet]] when the {{Wiki|Chinese}} invaded [[Tibet]]: When asked, can one be both a [[monk]] and a resistance fighter? [[Tashi]] said, “Once you have been a [[monk]], it is very difficult to kill a man. But sometimes it can be your [[duty]] to do so. I knew that if I stayed in a [[monastery]] under the {{Wiki|Chinese}} there was no point in [[being]] a [[monk]]. They wouldn’t let me practice my [[religion]]. So, to {{Wiki|protect}} the ways of the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]], the [[Buddhist]] [[dharma]], I decided to fight...Yes, [[nonviolence]] is the [[essence]] of the [[dharma]]. This is especially true for a [[monk]]. The most important thing is to [[love]] each and every [[sentient being]]. But when it comes to a greater [[cause]], sometimes it can be your [[duty]] to give back your [[vows]] and to fight in [[order]] to {{Wiki|protect}} the [[dharma]].” [Source: William Dalrymple, {{Wiki|Paris}} Review, Spring 2010] |
[[File:Bud4.jpeg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Bud4.jpeg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | “So your [[desire]] to protect the [[dharma]] ultimately led you to kill? “It was not that I wanted to murder {{Wiki|individual}} {{Wiki|Chinese}} soldiers. I certainly did not have blood [[lust]] I took no [[pleasure]] in killing. But I knew that the {{Wiki|Chinese}} soldiers were committing the most sinful of all crimes trying to destroy [[Buddhism]]. And I knew that in our [[scriptures]] it is written that it can be right to kill a [[person]], as long as your {{Wiki|intention}} is to stop that [[person]] from committing a serious [[sin]]. You can choose to take upon yourself the bad [[karma]] of a violent act in [[order]] to save that [[person]] from a much worse [[sin]].” | + | “So your [[desire]] to {{Wiki|protect}} the [[dharma]] ultimately led you to kill? “It was not that I wanted to murder {{Wiki|individual}} {{Wiki|Chinese}} soldiers. I certainly did not have {{Wiki|blood}} [[lust]] I took no [[pleasure]] in {{Wiki|killing}}. But I knew that the {{Wiki|Chinese}} soldiers were committing the most sinful of all crimes trying to destroy [[Buddhism]]. And I knew that in our [[scriptures]] it is written that it can be right to kill a [[person]], as long as your {{Wiki|intention}} is to stop that [[person]] from committing a serious [[sin]]. You can choose to take upon yourself the bad [[karma]] of a [[violent]] act in [[order]] to save that [[person]] from a much worse [[sin]].” |
− | “In our [[scriptures]] there is a story about a man called [[Angulimala]] who had killed nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine [[people]]. He Hung a finger from each corpse on a garland around his neck. He hoped the [[Buddha]] would be his thousandth victim. But on meeting the [[Lord]] he converted and became a [[monk]]. Many [[people]] opposed this, but the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] insisted his repentance was genuine, and that he should be allowed to atone for his misdeeds. I think that if [[Angulimala]] could be forgiven, then maybe so could I. ” | + | “In our [[scriptures]] there is a story about a man called [[Angulimala]] who had killed nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine [[people]]. He Hung a finger from each corpse on a [[garland]] around his neck. He hoped the [[Buddha]] would be his thousandth victim. But on meeting the [[Lord]] he converted and became a [[monk]]. Many [[people]] opposed this, but the [[Lord]] [[Buddha]] insisted his repentance was genuine, and that he should be allowed to atone for his [[misdeeds]]. I think that if [[Angulimala]] could be forgiven, then maybe so could I. ” |
===[[Buddhist]] [[Attitude]] Towards Women=== | ===[[Buddhist]] [[Attitude]] Towards Women=== | ||
− | As is true with many other [[religions]], [[Buddhism]] sees women in a less favorable [[light]] than men and provides them with fewer opportunities. Some [[Buddhist scriptures]] are downright {{Wiki|cruel}}. One [[sutra]] reads: “one who looks at a woman even a moment will lose the [[virtuous]] [[function]] of [[eyes]]. Even though you may look at a large [[snake]], you must not look at a woman.” Another reads, “If all the [[desires]] and [[delusions]] of all the men throughout the major [[world]] system were lumped together, they would be no greater than the [[karmic]] impediment of one single woman.” | + | As is true with many other [[religions]], [[Buddhism]] sees women in a less favorable [[light]] than men and provides them with fewer opportunities. Some [[Buddhist scriptures]] are downright {{Wiki|cruel}}. One [[sutra]] reads: “one who looks at a woman even a [[moment]] will lose the [[virtuous]] [[function]] of [[eyes]]. Even though you may look at a large [[snake]], you must not look at a woman.” Another reads, “If all the [[desires]] and [[delusions]] of all the men throughout the major [[world]] system were lumped together, they would be no greater than the [[karmic]] impediment of one single woman.” |
− | [[Theravada]] [[Buddhists]] have [[traditionally]] believed that women had to be [[reborn]] as men to achieve [[nirvana]] or become [[Bodhisattvas]]. [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhism]] by contrast cast women in more favorable terms. [[Female deities]] hold high positions; The [[Buddha]] is regarded a subordinate to a [[primordial]] {{Wiki|female}} force described as the “Mother of all [[Buddhas]]”; men are told they are more likely to attain [[enlightenment]] if they open up their soft, intuitive feminine side in [[meditation]]. | + | [[Theravada]] [[Buddhists]] have [[traditionally]] believed that women had to be [[reborn]] as men to achieve [[nirvana]] or become [[Bodhisattvas]]. [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhism]] by contrast cast women in more favorable terms. [[Female deities]] hold high positions; The [[Buddha]] is regarded a subordinate to a [[primordial]] {{Wiki|female}} force described as the “Mother of all [[Buddhas]]”; men are told they are more likely to attain [[enlightenment]] if they open up their soft, intuitive {{Wiki|feminine}} side in [[meditation]]. |
− | Some [[scholars]] argue that [[Gautama Buddha]] espoused equality for women. With some trepidation, he allowed women to become [[monks]] and gave tacit approval for women to participate in serious [[philosophical]] [[debates]]. These [[scholars]] argue that [[Buddhism’s]] sexist side is due primarily to its links with [[Hinduism]] and the conservative [[monk]] hierarchy that determined the [[path]] [[Buddhism]] took after The [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] [[death]]. | + | Some [[scholars]] argue that [[Gautama Buddha]] espoused equality for women. With some trepidation, he allowed women to become [[monks]] and gave tacit approval for women to participate in serious [[philosophical]] [[debates]]. These [[scholars]] argue that [[Buddhism’s]] sexist side is due primarily to its links with [[Hinduism]] and the conservative [[monk]] {{Wiki|hierarchy}} that determined the [[path]] [[Buddhism]] took after The [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] [[death]]. |
[[File:Budd as.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Budd as.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | In [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|societies}}, women generally have pretty high status. They inherit property, own land and work and enjoy many of the same rights as men. But still it is hard to say that are treated equally. The often quoted saying—“Men are the front legs of an elephant and women are the hind legs”—still sums up a [[view]] held by many. | + | In [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|societies}}, women generally have pretty high {{Wiki|status}}. They inherit property, [[own]] land and work and enjoy many of the same rights as men. But still it is hard to say that are treated equally. The often quoted saying—“Men are the front {{Wiki|legs}} of an [[elephant]] and women are the hind legs”—still sums up a [[view]] held by many. |
− | ===[[Buddhist]] [[Attitude]] Toward Killing of Animals=== | + | ===[[Buddhist]] [[Attitude]] Toward {{Wiki|Killing}} of [[Animals]]=== |
− | Most devout [[Buddhists]] are vegetarians who are opposed to killing any [[animals]]. [[Buddhists]] believe in [[reincarnation]] and they maintain that killing an [[animal]] is killing the [[soul]] of a [[being]] that may one day be a [[human being]]. Many [[Buddhists]] go as far as rescuing insects from their tea. Some [[Buddhists]] hold special ceremonies for [[dead]] chickens or [[dead]] fish. [[Tibetan Buddhist]]s believe that dogs are the last [[reincarnation]] before [[rebirth]] as [[humans]], and as a result the country is filled with mangy dogs. | + | Most devout [[Buddhists]] are {{Wiki|vegetarians}} who are opposed to {{Wiki|killing}} any [[animals]]. [[Buddhists]] believe in [[reincarnation]] and they maintain that {{Wiki|killing}} an [[animal]] is {{Wiki|killing}} the [[soul]] of a [[being]] that may one day be a [[human being]]. Many [[Buddhists]] go as far as rescuing {{Wiki|insects}} from their tea. Some [[Buddhists]] hold special {{Wiki|ceremonies}} for [[dead]] chickens or [[dead]] {{Wiki|fish}}. [[Tibetan Buddhist]]s believe that [[dogs]] are the last [[reincarnation]] before [[rebirth]] as [[humans]], and as a result the country is filled with mangy [[dogs]]. |
− | Many [[Buddhists]] believe that equal [[compassion]] must be extended to all living things. Some [[Buddhists]] believe that killing flies, mosquitos and even bacteria is wrong and walk softly so as not to trample insects and have special filters for their drinking cups and weak masks to prevent them from inadvertently consuming microorganisms. Despite this, there is a prevailing [[view]] that not are all living things are alike and equal and only [[humans]] are capable of reaching [[enlightenment]] | + | Many [[Buddhists]] believe that {{Wiki|equal}} [[compassion]] must be extended to all living things. Some [[Buddhists]] believe that {{Wiki|killing}} flies, mosquitos and even {{Wiki|bacteria}} is wrong and walk softly so as not to trample {{Wiki|insects}} and have special filters for their drinking cups and weak masks to prevent them from inadvertently consuming microorganisms. Despite this, there is a prevailing [[view]] that not are all living things are alike and {{Wiki|equal}} and only [[humans]] are capable of reaching [[enlightenment]] |
[[File:Buddhist-monk500.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Buddhist-monk500.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | The are a number of stories in [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|literature}} about [[Bodhisattvas]] and [[Buddhas]] giving their [[life]] for [[animals]]. In one often-told tale, The [[Buddha]], in his previous [[incarnation]] as the {{Wiki|Prince}} of [[Benares]], lashed his own throats with a piece of {{Wiki|bamboo}} so an exhausted tigress could eat him and take care of her five newly-born cubs. In another famous story, a celebrated [[Bodhisattva]] who was a [[king]] freed a pigeon from a hawk by giving the hawk a pound of his own flesh. | + | The are a number of stories in [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|literature}} about [[Bodhisattvas]] and [[Buddhas]] giving their [[life]] for [[animals]]. In one often-told tale, The [[Buddha]], in his previous [[incarnation]] as the {{Wiki|Prince}} of [[Benares]], lashed his [[own]] throats with a piece of {{Wiki|bamboo}} so an exhausted [[tigress]] could eat him and take [[care]] of her five newly-born cubs. In another famous story, a celebrated [[Bodhisattva]] who was a [[king]] freed a {{Wiki|pigeon}} from a {{Wiki|hawk}} by giving the {{Wiki|hawk}} a pound of his [[own]] flesh. |
− | ===[[Buddhism]] and Eating Animals=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]] and Eating [[Animals]]=== |
− | Baby [[Buddha]] [[Buddhist]] are not supposed to slaughter or witness the slaughter of [[animals]] and technically they are not supposed to even break open eggs. They are also prohibited from wearing [[animal]] skins and riding on [[animals]]. Thais were outraged when well known [[monk]] was photographed sitting on a cow in [[Thailand]] and wearing a leather outfit in [[Mongolia]]. | + | Baby [[Buddha]] [[Buddhist]] are not supposed to slaughter or {{Wiki|witness}} the slaughter of [[animals]] and technically they are not supposed to even break open eggs. They are also prohibited from wearing [[animal]] skins and riding on [[animals]]. [[Thais]] were outraged when well known [[monk]] was photographed sitting on a {{Wiki|cow}} in [[Thailand]] and wearing a leather outfit in [[Mongolia]]. |
− | Many [[Buddhists]] believe that eating an [[animal]] after it has [[died]] naturally is all right. [[Buddha]] himself ate boar meat. The [[Tibetans]] have a special [[caste]] of [[people]] that slaughters [[animals]] after they have [[died]]. In some places you can get eggs that have “accidently” broken open and rich [[people]] hire servants to break open their eggs for them. | + | Many [[Buddhists]] believe that eating an [[animal]] after it has [[died]] naturally is all right. [[Buddha]] himself ate {{Wiki|boar}} meat. The [[Tibetans]] have a special [[caste]] of [[people]] that slaughters [[animals]] after they have [[died]]. In some places you can get eggs that have “accidently” broken open and rich [[people]] hire servants to break open their eggs for them. |
− | In [[Tibet]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Thailand]] and other [[Buddhist]] countries priests regularly eat meat and dairy products. Nearly all the [[Buddhists]] in [[Mongolia]] eat meat. A {{Wiki|Mongolian}} [[monk]] told the [[religious]] [[scholar]] {{Wiki|Edward Conze}}: “We Mongol [[monks]] always eat meat, because there is [[nothing]] else. Yes, we known that by habitually eating meat we act against the ordinance of [[Lord]] [[Buddha]]. As a result of our [[sin]] we may well be [[re-born]] in [[hell]]. But it is our duty to take the [[Dharma]] to the Mongol [[people]], and so we just have to take the consequences as they come.” | + | In [[Tibet]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Thailand]] and other [[Buddhist]] countries {{Wiki|priests}} regularly eat meat and dairy products. Nearly all the [[Buddhists]] in [[Mongolia]] eat meat. A {{Wiki|Mongolian}} [[monk]] told the [[religious]] [[scholar]] {{Wiki|Edward Conze}}: “We {{Wiki|Mongol}} [[monks]] always eat meat, because there is [[nothing]] else. Yes, we known that by habitually eating meat we act against the ordinance of [[Lord]] [[Buddha]]. As a result of our [[sin]] we may well be [[re-born]] in [[hell]]. But it is our [[duty]] to take the [[Dharma]] to the {{Wiki|Mongol}} [[people]], and so we just have to take the {{Wiki|consequences}} as they come.” |
[[File:Ha1r.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | [[File:Ha1r.jpg|thumb|250px|]] | ||
− | Some even eschew [[garlic]] and scallions because their smell is [[offensive]] to others. | + | Some even eschew [[garlic]] and scallions because their {{Wiki|smell}} is [[offensive]] to others. |
− | ===[[Buddhism]], the Environment, Science=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]], the Environment, [[Science]]=== |
− | The [[Dalai Lama]] told the Washington Post, “[[Science]] and [[Buddhism]] are very similar because they are exploring the nature of [[reality]], and both have the goal to lessen the [[suffering]] of mankind.” Matthieu Ricardo, a French-born [[monk]] with a Ph.D. in molecular {{Wiki|biology}}, told the {{Wiki|New York}} Times, “[[Buddhism]] is, like [[science]], based on [[experience]] and investigation, not on dogma...The [[Buddha]] always said that one should not accept his teachings simply out of [[respect]] for him, but rediscover their [[truth]] through our own [[experience]].” Some [[Buddhist]] however have little interest in investigating nature and [[science]] because they [[feel]] that these things were ultimately [[illusions]]. | + | The [[Dalai Lama]] told the [[Washington Post]], “[[Science]] and [[Buddhism]] are very similar because they are exploring the [[nature]] of [[reality]], and both have the goal to lessen the [[suffering]] of mankind.” Matthieu Ricardo, a French-born [[monk]] with a [[Ph.D.]] in {{Wiki|molecular}} {{Wiki|biology}}, told the {{Wiki|New York}} Times, “[[Buddhism]] is, like [[science]], based on [[experience]] and [[investigation]], not on dogma...The [[Buddha]] always said that one should not accept his teachings simply out of [[respect]] for him, but rediscover their [[truth]] through our [[own]] [[experience]].” Some [[Buddhist]] however have little [[interest]] in investigating [[nature]] and [[science]] because they [[feel]] that these things were ultimately [[illusions]]. |
− | ===[[Buddhism]] and the Modern World=== | + | ===[[Buddhism]] and the {{Wiki|Modern}} [[World]]=== |
− | The [[abbot]] at [[Shaolin temple]] in [[China]], famous for its kung-fu [[monks]], said commercialism doesn’t necessarily clash with or contradict [[Buddhism]]. “What is a [[pagoda]]. It is like an ancient billboard,” he told the {{Wiki|Los Angeles}} Times. “[[Buddhist]] [[statues]] to are a [[form]] of advertising. If we don’t advertise, nobody would [[know]] about us.” | + | The [[abbot]] at [[Shaolin temple]] in [[China]], famous for its kung-fu [[monks]], said commercialism doesn’t necessarily clash with or contradict [[Buddhism]]. “What is a [[pagoda]]. It is like an [[ancient]] billboard,” he told the {{Wiki|Los Angeles}} Times. “[[Buddhist]] [[statues]] to are a [[form]] of advertising. If we don’t advertise, nobody would [[know]] about us.” |
In the [[United States]], Target sells [[Buddha]] fountains for $349 and Pier 1 Imports sells stone [[Buddhas]] for between $20 and $125. Some [[object]] to the use of [[Buddha]] heads as doorstops and bookends. A few years ago Victoria’s Secret stop selling [[Buddha]] print bathing suits after international protests. | In the [[United States]], Target sells [[Buddha]] fountains for $349 and Pier 1 Imports sells stone [[Buddhas]] for between $20 and $125. Some [[object]] to the use of [[Buddha]] heads as doorstops and bookends. A few years ago Victoria’s Secret stop selling [[Buddha]] print bathing suits after international protests. | ||
− | In [[Thailand]], [[Thailand]] have placed the entire 2,500-year-old, 16,000-page [[Tipitaka]] in the ancient [[Pali]] [[language]] on CD ROM. The project was completed by 600 [[monk]]s in 12 years. Names, [[prayers]] and [[scriptures]] can be searched with a click of a mouse. [[Tibetan]] [[monks]] have placed important speeches of the [[Dalai Lama]] on the Internet. In [[Japan]], [[Buddhist]] [[monks]] perform an ancient [[fire]] ceremony on the Internet. In {{Wiki|South Korea}}, [[monks]] in have their own cable channel. In [[China]], they pay tens of thousands of dollars for [[air]] [[time]]. | + | In [[Thailand]], [[Thailand]] have placed the entire 2,500-year-old, 16,000-page [[Tipitaka]] in the [[ancient]] [[Pali]] [[language]] on CD ROM. The project was completed by 600 [[monk]]s in 12 years. Names, [[prayers]] and [[scriptures]] can be searched with a click of a {{Wiki|mouse}}. [[Tibetan]] [[monks]] have placed important speeches of the [[Dalai Lama]] on the [[Internet]]. In [[Japan]], [[Buddhist]] [[monks]] perform an [[ancient]] [[fire]] {{Wiki|ceremony}} on the [[Internet]]. In {{Wiki|South Korea}}, [[monks]] in have their [[own]] cable [[channel]]. In [[China]], they pay tens of thousands of dollars for [[air]] [[time]]. |
Some have argued that [[Buddha]] message about [[suffering]] is very relevant in the poor areas of the Third [[World]]. | Some have argued that [[Buddha]] message about [[suffering]] is very relevant in the poor areas of the Third [[World]]. |
Latest revision as of 17:36, 21 December 2023
Buddhist culture
Buddhism’s success as a religion has been at least partly attributed to the universality of its ethical teaching and the flexibility of its spiritual message. It provides a code of conduct for the community and the individual that provides a framework for a peaceful society and peace of mind.
Buddhism is arguably the most tolerant and adaptable religion. Wherever it has gone it has adapted to local conditions. That is one reason why there are so many different sects and schools and it is winning so many adherents today in the West.
Buddha preached against the caste system. One of the basic premises of Buddhism is that life is full of suffering.
Buddhism and Character
The religious scholar A.C. Graham wrote: “Buddhism is a ‘Nay-saying’ religion, rejecting all life as suffering and promising release from it; yet when one is actually in a Buddhist country it is hard to resist the impression that one is among the liveliest, the most invincibly cheerful, the most ‘yea-saying’ people on earth.”
Describing his people the King of Thailand told National Geographic magazine, "Thais seem to be happy go lucky but are quite strong. Our people are relaxed, not high strung or stiff. They are hospitable—to strangers and to new ideas. The majority are Buddhist—and the Buddhists have never had a holy war. They are polite. Honorable politeness. They have courage but are not harsh—strong but gentle."
Poor people in Buddhist countries often have a big smiles on their faces, something that many people believe is attributed to the fact they spend so much time praying and engaging religious activities. Religion is a daily, if not hourly, practice for many Buddhists. Tibetans, for example, seem to spend hours each day praying or spinning prayer wheels.
Buddhism encourages its practitioners to keep their emotions and passions in check and stresses karma over determination, which often means people are more willing to accept their lot in life and look for happiness in future lives. This outlook and is sometimes viewed in the West as a lack of ambition or unwilling to work hard to get ahead.
Buddhist Morality
Buddhism also provides guidelines for village justice, namely in the form of the five basic moral prohibitions (the Panch Sila, or the five precepts for the laity):
- 1) refrain for taking life;
- 2) don’t steal;
- 3) avoid illicit sexual activity;
- 4) don’t speak falsely; and
- 5) refrain from consuming inebriating substances.
These guidelines are supposed to be followed by both lay people and monks. Devout Buddhists and monks are also supposed observe a number of other prohibitions such as avoiding dancing, singing, eating after midday and wearing jewelry and cosmetics.
The religious historian I.B. Hunter wrote: “The criteria of Buddhist morality is to ask yourself , when there is one of three kinds of deeds you want to do, whether it will lead to the hurt of self, of others, or of both. If you come to the conclusion that it will be harmful, then you must not do it. But if you form the opinion that it will be harmless, then you can do it and repeat. A person that torments neither himself or another is already transcending the active life.”
Among Mahayana Buddhists there is a great deal of discussion of what is beneficial for people and what isn’t since people don’t always necessarily know what is good for them. Mahayana scholars discuss things like whether it is an act of kindness to kill an animal in extreme pain or give whiskey to an alcoholic and debate about the merits of medical technology which can make people healthier but ultimately is a benefit provided by material objects rather than spirituality.
Buddhism, Desire and Attachment
Buddhists believe that humans want many things and want to keep them forever, which is impossible and creates a constant state of desire, which in turn causes suffering and fear of further loss. To get beyond desire and pain one has to find an alternative.
William Dalrymple of the Paris Review talked with an elderly Tibetan monk named Tashi Passang. The monk said, “ The main struggle, especially when you are young, is to avoid four things: desire, greed, pride, and attachment. Of course no human being can do this completely. But there are techniques that the lamas taught us for diverting the mind. They stop you from thinking of yaks, or money, or beautiful women, and teach you to concentrate instead on gods and goddesses. “ [Source: William Dalrymple, Paris Review, Spring 2010]
When asked about the techniques the monk said, “The lamas taught us to stare at a statue of the Lord Buddha and absorb the details of the object the color, the posture, and so on, reflecting back all we knew of their teachings. Slowly you go deeper; you visualize the hand, the leg, and the vajra in his hand, closing your eyes and trying to travel inward. The more you concentrate on a deity, the more you are diverted from worldly thoughts. It is difficult, of course, but it is also essential. In the Fire Sermon, the Lord Buddha said, The world is on fire and every solution short of nirvana is like trying to whitewash a burning house. Everything we have now is like a dream impermanent. This floor feels like stone, this cupboard feels like wood but really it is an illusion. When you die you can’t take any of this. You have to leave it all behind. We have to leave even this human body.” [Ibid]
Buddhism, Patience and Non-Violence
Patience is a great virtue especially to Mahayana Buddhists. One passage from the Manual of Zen Buddhism goes: “However unnumerable sentient beings are, I vow to save them! However inexhaustible the defilements are, I vow to extinguish them! However immeasurable the dharmas are, I vow to master them! However incomparable Enlightenment is, I vow to attain it!
Mahayana Buddhists see patience in terms of moral patience to endure suffering and hostile acts of others and intellectual patience to accept ideas—especially ones that seem so unfathomable and unpleasant like the non-existence of all things—before understanding them.
Buddhism teaches inner peace leads to outer peace.
Buddhism, Compassion and Charity
Buddhism emphasizes ideals of wisdom and compassion and sometimes gives as much weight to thoughts as actions. The Buddhist equivalent of the Golden Rule is that “all we are is the result of what we have thought.” There is a great emphasis on generosity and the giving of alms. Concepts such confession, forgiveness and restitution that are normally associated with [[Wikipedia:Christianity|Christianity]] are also emphasized in Buddhism.
Buddhists are taught to practice nonviolence, do good deeds, present gifts to monks, aspire to have gentle thoughts, meditate, and have respect for the sanctity of life. The basic tenets of Buddhism influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
Mahayana Buddhists have also debated the merits of charity. Scholars are clearly in agreement that charity is beneficial to the giver but how helpful and useful it is to the recipient is not such a clear cut matter. Some argue charity is merely a means for the well-off to relieve themselves of guilt and duty by giving a few scraps to the poor that ultimately humiliates them.
The great Tibetan saint Milarepa was once asked by his disciples “if they could engage in worldly duties, in a small way, for the benefit of others.” Milarepa replied: “If there be not the least self-interest attached to such duties, it is permissible. But such detachment is indeed rare; and works performed for the good of others seldom succeed, if not wholly freed from self-interest...One should not be over-anxious and hasty in setting out to serve others before onself has realized the Truth in its fullness; to do so, would be like the blind leading the blind....Til the opportunity come, I exhort each of you to attain Buddhahood for the good of all living beings.”
Buddhism beliefs in sanctity of life and non-violence have their origins in Hinduism and Jainism.
Buddhism and Violence
The view that non-violence is a dominate belief is a bit of a myth. Robert Thurman of Columbia University told the New York Times, "There is a Buddhist theory of war, of self-defense, and there is also a kind of theory of surgical violence. The optimal ideal thing is non-violence. But sometimes you have to do a little violence to prevent a larger violence. The Buddhist have thought about this are they are not simplistic."
There lots of examples of violence committed by Buddhist. Largely Buddhist Cambodia produced the Khmer Rouge. A miliary junta rules in Buddhist Burma. In Sri Lanka, Buddhists are engaged in a low-intensity civil war with Hindu Tamils and monks have supported Sinhalese militia that murdered thousands of class enemies.
William Dalrymple of the Paris Review talked with an elderly Tibetan monk named Tashi Passang in Dharamsala who took up arms to defend Tibet when the Chinese invaded Tibet: When asked, can one be both a monk and a resistance fighter? Tashi said, “Once you have been a monk, it is very difficult to kill a man. But sometimes it can be your duty to do so. I knew that if I stayed in a monastery under the Chinese there was no point in being a monk. They wouldn’t let me practice my religion. So, to protect the ways of the Lord Buddha, the Buddhist dharma, I decided to fight...Yes, nonviolence is the essence of the dharma. This is especially true for a monk. The most important thing is to love each and every sentient being. But when it comes to a greater cause, sometimes it can be your duty to give back your vows and to fight in order to protect the dharma.” [Source: William Dalrymple, Paris Review, Spring 2010]
“So your desire to protect the dharma ultimately led you to kill? “It was not that I wanted to murder individual Chinese soldiers. I certainly did not have blood lust I took no pleasure in killing. But I knew that the Chinese soldiers were committing the most sinful of all crimes trying to destroy Buddhism. And I knew that in our scriptures it is written that it can be right to kill a person, as long as your intention is to stop that person from committing a serious sin. You can choose to take upon yourself the bad karma of a violent act in order to save that person from a much worse sin.”
“In our scriptures there is a story about a man called Angulimala who had killed nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine people. He Hung a finger from each corpse on a garland around his neck. He hoped the Buddha would be his thousandth victim. But on meeting the Lord he converted and became a monk. Many people opposed this, but the Lord Buddha insisted his repentance was genuine, and that he should be allowed to atone for his misdeeds. I think that if Angulimala could be forgiven, then maybe so could I. ”
Buddhist Attitude Towards Women
As is true with many other religions, Buddhism sees women in a less favorable light than men and provides them with fewer opportunities. Some Buddhist scriptures are downright cruel. One sutra reads: “one who looks at a woman even a moment will lose the virtuous function of eyes. Even though you may look at a large snake, you must not look at a woman.” Another reads, “If all the desires and delusions of all the men throughout the major world system were lumped together, they would be no greater than the karmic impediment of one single woman.”
Theravada Buddhists have traditionally believed that women had to be reborn as men to achieve nirvana or become Bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhism by contrast cast women in more favorable terms. Female deities hold high positions; The Buddha is regarded a subordinate to a primordial female force described as the “Mother of all Buddhas”; men are told they are more likely to attain enlightenment if they open up their soft, intuitive feminine side in meditation.
Some scholars argue that Gautama Buddha espoused equality for women. With some trepidation, he allowed women to become monks and gave tacit approval for women to participate in serious philosophical debates. These scholars argue that Buddhism’s sexist side is due primarily to its links with Hinduism and the conservative monk hierarchy that determined the path Buddhism took after The Buddha death.
In Buddhist societies, women generally have pretty high status. They inherit property, own land and work and enjoy many of the same rights as men. But still it is hard to say that are treated equally. The often quoted saying—“Men are the front legs of an elephant and women are the hind legs”—still sums up a view held by many.
Buddhist Attitude Toward Killing of Animals
Most devout Buddhists are vegetarians who are opposed to killing any animals. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and they maintain that killing an animal is killing the soul of a being that may one day be a human being. Many Buddhists go as far as rescuing insects from their tea. Some Buddhists hold special ceremonies for dead chickens or dead fish. Tibetan Buddhists believe that dogs are the last reincarnation before rebirth as humans, and as a result the country is filled with mangy dogs.
Many Buddhists believe that equal compassion must be extended to all living things. Some Buddhists believe that killing flies, mosquitos and even bacteria is wrong and walk softly so as not to trample insects and have special filters for their drinking cups and weak masks to prevent them from inadvertently consuming microorganisms. Despite this, there is a prevailing view that not are all living things are alike and equal and only humans are capable of reaching enlightenment
The are a number of stories in Buddhist literature about Bodhisattvas and Buddhas giving their life for animals. In one often-told tale, The Buddha, in his previous incarnation as the Prince of Benares, lashed his own throats with a piece of bamboo so an exhausted tigress could eat him and take care of her five newly-born cubs. In another famous story, a celebrated Bodhisattva who was a king freed a pigeon from a hawk by giving the hawk a pound of his own flesh.
Buddhism and Eating Animals
Baby Buddha Buddhist are not supposed to slaughter or witness the slaughter of animals and technically they are not supposed to even break open eggs. They are also prohibited from wearing animal skins and riding on animals. Thais were outraged when well known monk was photographed sitting on a cow in Thailand and wearing a leather outfit in Mongolia.
Many Buddhists believe that eating an animal after it has died naturally is all right. Buddha himself ate boar meat. The Tibetans have a special caste of people that slaughters animals after they have died. In some places you can get eggs that have “accidently” broken open and rich people hire servants to break open their eggs for them.
In Tibet, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other Buddhist countries priests regularly eat meat and dairy products. Nearly all the Buddhists in Mongolia eat meat. A Mongolian monk told the religious scholar Edward Conze: “We Mongol monks always eat meat, because there is nothing else. Yes, we known that by habitually eating meat we act against the ordinance of Lord Buddha. As a result of our sin we may well be re-born in hell. But it is our duty to take the Dharma to the Mongol people, and so we just have to take the consequences as they come.”
Some even eschew garlic and scallions because their smell is offensive to others.
Buddhism, the Environment, Science
The Dalai Lama told the Washington Post, “Science and Buddhism are very similar because they are exploring the nature of reality, and both have the goal to lessen the suffering of mankind.” Matthieu Ricardo, a French-born monk with a Ph.D. in molecular biology, told the New York Times, “Buddhism is, like science, based on experience and investigation, not on dogma...The Buddha always said that one should not accept his teachings simply out of respect for him, but rediscover their truth through our own experience.” Some Buddhist however have little interest in investigating nature and science because they feel that these things were ultimately illusions.
Buddhism and the Modern World
The abbot at Shaolin temple in China, famous for its kung-fu monks, said commercialism doesn’t necessarily clash with or contradict Buddhism. “What is a pagoda. It is like an ancient billboard,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “Buddhist statues to are a form of advertising. If we don’t advertise, nobody would know about us.”
In the United States, Target sells Buddha fountains for $349 and Pier 1 Imports sells stone Buddhas for between $20 and $125. Some object to the use of Buddha heads as doorstops and bookends. A few years ago Victoria’s Secret stop selling Buddha print bathing suits after international protests.
In Thailand, Thailand have placed the entire 2,500-year-old, 16,000-page Tipitaka in the ancient Pali language on CD ROM. The project was completed by 600 monks in 12 years. Names, prayers and scriptures can be searched with a click of a mouse. Tibetan monks have placed important speeches of the Dalai Lama on the Internet. In Japan, Buddhist monks perform an ancient fire ceremony on the Internet. In South Korea, monks in have their own cable channel. In China, they pay tens of thousands of dollars for air time.
Some have argued that Buddha message about suffering is very relevant in the poor areas of the Third World.
Source
by Jeffrey Hays
factsanddetails.com