Buddha Vs Sasara Research Paper

In his book God is Not One, author Stephen Prothero offers audiences glimpses into the various religions throughout the world including Islam, Christianity, Confucianism, Buddhism, and more. Within the Buddhism chapter, Prothero discusses the numerous aspects of the religion. He provides extensive information regarding Buddhism’s background, beliefs, and practices. Although he mostly presents facts about this religion, Prothero effectively utilizes these details as substantial evidence to prove his argument that Buddhism heavily focuses on experience rather than narrative (Prothero 201).

Buddha is the main founder of Buddhism; an awakening sage. According to most biographical narratives, the legends that sprouted around Buddha conception, birth, life and death are extraordinary. Although Buddha whole existence can be seen as a phenomenon, I chose to write this reflection paper on Buddha conception and birth.

Buddhist theories of the self and personal identity must be studied in relation to their background in early Indian thought. (Kapstein, 2010)

The concept of dependent arising forms the central core of the Buddhism teachings. Dependent arising, also known as dependent origination or the Pratītyasamutpāda, holds that the origin of all things (dharmas) depends on other things. In fact, all other aspects of the Buddhist philosophy are viewed as being grounded in the Buddha’s teaching concerning dependent arising (Holder 26). This implies that if one thing exists, then another must also exist; and if one of them becomes extinct, so does the other one. This pragmatic teaching is applied in explaining the onset and cessation of pain or suffering. The first and most important factor in the formula of dependent arising is the development of craving (tanha) from a feeling (vedanā). Essentially,

There is a time in all religious experiences that people look for spiritual growth by reflecting on the basics of life. An estimated 376 million people are considered to believe and follow Buddhist practices, the question of the four elements (sight’s), aging people, the sick, funerals processions and religion. These elements that Siddhartha Gautama saw, that led to him to seek religious enlightenment, and to give up his privileged life. These four elements come up in every religious walk at some point. Reflection on these elements can have astonishing effects in someone’s life. By looking at these elements, and by showing the effect they had on Siddhartha Gautama’s life, will show that anyone could grow in their spiritual belief by reflecting

The mandala and sunyata are codependent, as the mandala allows one to fully comprehend sunyata. However, in order to understand sunyata, one must first acknowledge and comprehend the Theravada Buddhist teachings. Teachings, such a dependent variation, the no self, and even impermanence, are also intertwined with both each other, the sunyata, and the mandala. Therefore, while both sunyata and the Theravada Buddhist teachings may be taught through the mandala, these teachings are crucial in demonstrating the sunyata.

touched on reincarnation, “In the Buddhist view, karma is seen as the universal principle of causality that underlines the stream of “psychophysical” events” (547,2). Catherine briefly spoke about two past lives one being a prostitute as well as a 10 year old boy who was stabbed. These two examples were a continuation of a process, “a continuity between one birth and the next without requiring that the two be identified as the same person”(547,3).

While reaching and aboding in the Four Absorptions, the Buddha reflected on the Four Aryan Truths. With his mind fully awakened “he fathomed the Twelve Causes in the chain of Dependent Origination” (93). The Twelve Causes were as follows; “in the past life: 1. There is ignorance, 2. Ignorance conditions the predisposing mental formations, in the presents life: 3. The predisposing mental formations condition discriminative consciousness, 4. discriminative consciousness conditions mind-in-body, 5. mind-in-body conditions the six senses, 6. six senses condition contact, 7. Contact conditions feeling, 8. Feeling conditions craving, 9. Craving conditions attachment, 10. Attachment conditions the process of becoming, in the future: 11. The process of becoming conditions rebirth, 12. Rebirth conditions decay and death, likewise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair” (93-94). The Buddha then proclaimed, “Thus does the entire mass of suffering arise. But on the complete fading out and cessation of ignorance, this entire mass of suffering comes to an end” (94). The Buddha and his followers believe that in order to achieve nirvana and cease rebirth one must first extinguish ignorance of the Four Aryan Truths within one’s self through the Four

Both Buddhism and SD believe in reincarnation and karma. Both believe that there is an almost endless cycle of death and rebirth. Samsara is what they call the cycle of death and rebirth. The goal for Buddhist is to reach Nirvana or enlightenment. SD’s goal is to reach moksha (if I remember correctly). When karma is presented into the topic of both Buddhism and SD, both believe that our actions may affect our lives. It may be past actions that affect our present life or it my affect out next life.

Kamma or karma as it is commonly referred to, has a complex system of cause and effect that makes up the law. All humans experience karma, that is the process of acting with intention, throughout their lives (Jeffreys, 2/18). The result of their intent filled actions, vipaka, is either immediate or it accumulates and transmigrates across lifetimes. Though this may seem simple, the process is a very complex law. Maurice Walshe, the main editor of The Long Discourses of the Buddha helps explain the law of kamma in the “Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta: The Lion’s Roar on the Turning of the Wheel.” This paper will explore the law of kamma in terms of cause and effect as well as differing viewpoints on the law's existence.

The thought of early Buddha and Kukai's Shingon Buddha share several similar ideologies at the core but possess differing views about what the true nature of reality is. The historical Buddha approaches it from a standpoint of no true reality; whereas Kukai will explain reality in a semeiotic viewpoint. Overall, Kukai will elucidate a stronger claim towards the nature of reality. The early Buddhist proposition is that there is no self and no permanent, unchanging substances, otherwise known as Anatman.

It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men.  Great men are leaders.  They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society.  Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men.  Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres.  But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man.  When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common.  This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas:  conception and birth.

Buddhism, just like all religions, has many beliefs that they follow. Two of their beliefs are the Four Noble Truths and Karma.

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.

The question has been posed whether the new individual is the same as the old individual whose karma it has inherited. The Buddha's answer to this question was somewhat enigmatic: "It is not the same, yet it is not another" (na ca so, na ca añño). To understand the Buddha's reply we have to investigate the criteria, which establish personal identity. Is the child the same as the