Emptiness Is Not Nothingness

The textbook “The Philosopher’s Way” states that “the challenge for each of us is to knowingly embrace this religious quest, seeking to disclose the meaning of our lives by halting to onward unreflective rush of life and instead ‘stepping back to come to the self’” (Chaffee 349). Therefore, religion become imperative because it provided individuals to gain some reason for their existence, but it also allows them to reflect on their lives and who they have become. Since Bibles and God could provide the answers to various question most individuals will take part in a religious quest. This concept is the beliefs of the philosopher Keiji Nishitani.

Emptiness is a descriptive word used day in day out in our lives to describe the state of an object, or feelings perhaps. We might not think about it as a deep meaningful word which has the power to ultimately release us from samsara. Emptiness is a central Buddhist teaching which is often misunderstood. According to the Buddhist Master Nagarjuna in The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, verse 11, “By misperception of emptiness A person of little intelligence is destroyed. Like a snake incorrectly seized or like a spell incorrectly cast”. In other words, a confusion in emptiness will only lead to more suffering and probably get bitten by a snake. Emptiness does not mean nothingness or complete non existence, but more of a molded concept

For this experience, I decided to explore Buddhism in order to enhance my involvement with the religion and build a strong understanding. What intrigued me about Buddhism was the social aspect and diversity that it had to offer. In order to explore this religion from a critical and analytical viewpoint, I decided to attend a weekend service offered at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. The San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin main temple is located in the Japantown section of Central San Jose. What made this temple stand out amongst the others was its historical standing in the community. It is one of the oldest temples established in the United States. In order to learn more about the history, environment, and community as a whole, I decided to contact the temple’s staffs. After a brief phone call, I was able to schedule a tour. In preparation, I decided to do a brief research on Buddhism to familiarize myself with the religion beforehand. With all preparations and research necessary, I was ready to visit San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.

As a scholar taking the class ‘Introduction to World Religions”, I had the opportunity to take part in a culture that is not normally found in the western world. I entered the Mon Buddhist Monastery in Akron, Ohio on October 2nd, 2016 only to be amazed at their way of life. Going into the temple, I knew of the basic religious practices and traditions that the monks and Buddhists had participated in daily. When I was coming up to the monastery, it did not look like anything other than an old brick building, but once we were inside it looked like a recreational area. Somewhere where they would meditate, hold daily activities, and teach the younger Buddhist about their way of life. On the far back wall, there was a stunning shrine dedicated to the Buddha where one would pray. Many figurines were displayed as well as flowers and offerings along it.

I went to Niagara Falls when I was about 12. I stepped out of the car and just hearing the incredible sound of the Falls, I was taken. It was so loud, just a huge roar of all the water going over the edge. It surprised me because I didn’t think it would be that loud. It only got louder and louder as I got to the rail by the edge of the fall. Seeing the view of the falls took my breath away. Between the blue of the flowing river water, the white of the rough water falling over the side, and the mist of the water splattering off the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall, I was taken by its glory. Add on the view of the city too and it was just an amazing experience for me.

It was a rather casual Wednesday morning when I arrived at the gate of the Fo Guang Shan Hsi Fang Temple. As the dews drip from the tall bush of grass in front of the red gate, I rang the bell to ask for permission to enter the sacred Buddhist Temple. A female monk named Miaozang slowly opens the door to let me and a fellow student in. Having been born and raised in Vietnam, which is predominantly a Buddhist influenced country, yet grew up in the States in a Catholic high school, I did not strongly identify with any particular religion. Thus, I took this opportunity to learn more about Buddhism by interviewing the monk and took part in a guided meditation session. Each small details from the moment I entered such as the sense of the incense, the lion statues, the mild background chanting, and so on are intentionally set up to make sure that I, the visitor, can have the most wholesome Buddhist experience while being inside the temple. Buddhism, through its teachings, which are called Buddha Dharma, and other rituals such as meditations and chanting, strives to set up an environment that helps its practitioners reach the state of enlightenment, where one can see the reality of the world and the truth behind everything.

Temporarily satisfied! Momentarily rewarded! Complete, but not accomplished! Re-living our experiences like the "Day of Atonement", but not aware of the need for renewal for the same yearnings. We long to be the manager and thrive to succeed the managed. The sustainer of the unsustainable. The one who tries daily to manages his own destiny. Some would say it’s in our DNA. It’s part of who we are. Even the Christian believer may have a valid argument that God has given them this urge, but they would be misguided and led astray by their own bad elucidation. I find it humorous how we, believers of Christ, bend the words to the shape what we want. I believe in my heart when we look at many of the works from C. S. Lewis that we see images of man’s condition as it tries to accomplish life without God. The thesis of this essay is to explore the defeated state of man when God is not present in his life.

Tenrikyo is a religion that emphasizes on how the joyous state of mind can greatly influence in what will be going through in our lives by satisfying god’s desires by making a good use of our body. In this paper, I am going to argue that Tenrikyo is one of the fastest growing religions in the world due to its rapid expansion that leads to an emerging new religion but does not interfere with other religions at the same time. Tenrikyo is based on a religion established by a Japanese lady named Nakayama Miki during the 19th century. Tenrikyo is a monotheistic religion that followers believe in the existence of this one particular God, as known as God the Parent. It was said that Nakayama Miki had received a calling by god, sent her to save all mankind from sufferings because god is the creator of mankind and it is his job to make sure that we are all in a joyous state. “God showed great mercy towards mankind, he came down and revealed himself as Nakayama Miki, taking her as mediatrix and his elected shrine. “ (van Straelen 8) It was said that she had a revelation at 1838, God the Parent replaced her mind and thus her words are the words of god. According to Eliade, He argued that all religions originate to serve the sacred, and stay in contact with them. This is because according to his theory, religions are man made and it exists because it was meant to be a response to the sacred. From what happened to Nakayama Miki, a myth might be established because the sacred has

people find it very important to observe the religious decrees and go every Sunday to meditate. A younger Japanese woman who worked in one of the shops seemed to think otherwise, as she expressed that nobody really follows the customs anymore, but certainly like to profess it. She continued by saying, “The only time we really care is during funerals”, but during weddings they are seen in churches wearing American style gowns, bearing a mark of Judeo-Christian Western ideology. Although Buddhism is widely recognized to be the major religion among the Japanese, some of the smaller religions like Shinto and Christianity bring in a small following also, just not in Little Tokyo. Strolling along the Plaza, I encountered a pleasant Japanese American student in her mid-20s who had come all the way from Orange County. She told

What is nothing? i’ve never seen nothing, I’ve never heard nothing, i’ve never felt nothing, and I’ve never thought of nothing. So then what is nothing? Nothing is a belief that we think of ourselves and that we may think of others. Nothing is an excuse to give for not writing that essay or buying anything you want. Some people make nothing apart of their lives when we don’t know what to do. If you’re nothing then why are you sitting there reading this paper. If you can’t hear, feel, see or think of anything, doesn’t that make you a robot? If you think that you are nothing, then make yourself a something, don’t sit there and do nothing get up and do something about it. And know matter how much you tell it to yourself you are not nothing.

“Machu Picchu is definitely the most beautiful place I have ever visited,” Northcott said. “I also went rafting a local river there but Machu Picchu was just

The most enjoyable place i've ever been was Mount Rushmore. It was a long drive up there and it was fun. The trip helped me discover new family members that I never knew I had before. We all went and bonded and got to know each other.

A life void of thought is empty. A life void of emotion is empty. A life void of passion is empty. Passion is as much a part of our thriving existence as joy and sorrow, anger and wonder. Without emotion, our comprehension of the world around us is jaded; we are essentially lifeless. Passion or lack thereof, creates the same effect. Passion for some is a guiding light set to give life purpose. Competitive cycling is my passion. It has taught me some of life’s most valuable lessons, it has taken me to incredible places, and it has helped, monumentally, to evolve me into the person who is writing to you today.

The purpose of life is to be happy; to seek a microcosm of something, and there find the slot where your piece fits. Once a person has become a part of something, happiness is achieved - and life is fulfilled; the priest finds the parish, the athlete finds the field, and the baker finds the bakery. Happily do they continue on with their lives, and to them, life is fulfilled. A haze of joy and mirth shields the everyday man from the reality of their insignificance; some admit it and manage on, but others crash and crumble under the weight of the truth: for what it is worth, the deeds of a man matter as much as the grime on a snail’s shell. This truth is not entirely grim; however, it does allure. Many have been drawn to find, for themselves, the truth of human worth. Existentialists focus on the question that is a concrete human existence, and the conditions of such existence; they do not dwell on a hypothesis for human essence, instead they stress that this essence is determined by an individual’s own life choices. Although humans live in the world, a distance is created in order to add meaning to the disinterested world; however, this meaning is fragile and can be disturbed by tragedy or insight. When this disturbance occurs, and humans’ precarious lives crumble, the true nature of the world is revealed; a nature that shows little importance for humans; this way of

As I took off my shoes before entering the main temple before the first worship session began, I began to feel a sense of peace within myself as well those that were attending the worship session. Inside the main temple was a huge statue of Buddha surrounded with white silhouettes of the Lotus flower, which seems to be the symbol of peace. Tens of incense jars filled with sand litter the alter the room. The room smelled like incense, pleasant and peaceful. There were twenty rows of small cushions that were used for kneeling and sitting, and twenty rows of small raised shelves that were used for holding the prayers that were going to be recited during that session. People were filling the room really quickly, and seats were being taken