Mandala Religion Essay

During the Han Dynasty, Buddha’s teachings were introduced to China by Central-Asian traders and received little support from the Han dynasty rulers. However, after the collapse of the Han Dynasty, the country was fragmented. While northern China was dominated by invaders from the borderland and steppes, southern China was ruled by continuous “Chinese” dynasties. As a result, Buddhism appealed to people who felt baffled by the loss of an anticipated and durable society. Subsequently, in 581 CE, Sui emperor Wendi reunified China with this new religion and gained state support, therefore further spreading Buddhism. It was not until the Tang Dynasty did the Chinese rulers realize the threat Buddhism had posed on them. Consequently, during the

Beginning in the 5th century, Buddhism became a very popular form of religion throughout Asia. Because this was such a diverse and widely followed religion, it introduced many different architectural and innovational developments that had influence from Buddhism, but depending on the region, the styles changed. Also, High officials, like Ashoka, whose’ primary influence came from Buddhism, created practices for his people to follow and live by to bring peace to his kingdom. As this religion was gaining popularity throughout Asia, the transformation that it took was very diverse and long term.

Hinduism is known as the world's oldest religion. According to ISKCON Educational Services (2004), it is hard to construct a timeline because Hinduism has no identifiable human founder or specific origin in history. It is so old that its past goes into pre-history. It is extremely diverse with the Hindu people being more interested in the meaning of events than in providing first hand records. There is also no clear-cut divide between history and myth.

Many cultures believe in all sorts of symbols and ideas relating to plants and their spiritual meaning. The mescaline in the peyote gives people strong visions and vivid images, while allowing them to see a different landscape. The Huichol people in Mexico believed that peyote was supposed to be used in rituals and was a gift from the Gods. They harvest enough for the year and take just the right amount to see visions. To get the peyote they must undergo numerous rituals and stop at a few sacred sites in order to find the peyote in Wirikuta. This adventure is called the pilgrimage to Wirikuta also called the “Path of Freedom

Hinduism - stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live

What elements of earlier belief systems do you see integrated into Hinduism? What were the external conditions (environmental/societal/political/economic etc.) which gave rise to the origination of Hinduism? What was it about this time period? Location? Population?

Art can be used to express a specific understanding of the supernatural, the values, the universe, human body and life, and the environment of a culture. To Buddhists, the sand mandala’s represent the universe and human life. Mandala’s represent the world in its heavenly form on the outer level, a map of the human mind being transformed into an enlightened mind and a secret level showing the perfect balance of energies in the body and mind. The art in Buddhism reflects the idea that art can be used to express deeper meanings such as the universe and human life. Art can affirm cultural values are the next aspect of culture. The sand mandalas are an accurate example of this as they use them to represent some of their cultural values about life,

Ellen Goldberg, a professor of Religious Studies at Queen’s university, suggests that iconography is a dynamic and essential component of Hindu religious expression as it serves as a meditational and devotional aid for worshipers (Goldberg, 11). Shiva’s symbolic attributes work to reinforce crucial elements that are regarded as spiritually and domestically desirable. In regards to religious virtues that are revered which are illustrated through Shiva’s iconography, the Ganges River, which flows from Shiva’s head, indicates his role as supreme creator. The Ganges River is a rather sacred aspect of the natural world for Hindu’s for not only religious purposes, but for their everyday lives such as travelling, filtration and it provides water for crops and livestock. Additionally, Shiva’s snake, third eye, water pot and prayer beads are reflective of his religious influence. Devotees of Shiva, often members of the religious sect Shaivism, aspire to master the life force, open their third eye of wisdom and incorporate prayer into their lives as depicted through the ascetic attributes of Shiva. Furthermore, devotees of Shiva strive to attain moksha through his wisdom; they work to realize and come to know Shiva within their own hearts. To summarize, followers of Shiva work to achieve these religious goals by practicing

Mỹ Sơn is a temple complex located in central Vietnam consisting of over 70 Hindu temples constructed between the 4th to 14th century by the kings of Champa. The temples were built to worship the god Shiva that symbolizes the father/male realm. According to the Brhat Samhita scriptures of Hinduism, “The gods always play where groves are near, rivers, mountains and springs and in towns with pleasure gardens.” Hence, Mỹ Sơn was erected within several closed valleys that provide the watershed of the sacred Thu Bồn River. Only at Mỹ Sơn, the topography of the site’s narrow valley was used to symbolize a mandala. The spring of flowing sacred water symbolized the Goddess Ganga, wife of God Shiva, where rituals and sacrifices were performed. The river not only serves its religious

Another symbol I chose was the two arrows crossing over each other. This symbolizes friendship. My friends are an immense part of me. What this represents in my life is how my friends support and help me. They can be my emotional support, and are always there when I need them. Even I cannot me independently strong forever. My close relations help me rejuvenate my strength by cheering me up and helping me. The next symbol is a triangular symbol. It is a Celtic symbol for family. My family is my biggest support system. They are the reason why I am here today.They are also a main part of my life so I represent that through symbols.

I did this because I have always loved the city and I would love to move to one some day, and I added the different times of day because I love to watch the sun rise or set and see the stars and planets at night. On the left of my mandala I have a line of music because I love listening to music all the time, and next to that are five polaroids and that is because I love to take pictures to show people how beautiful the Earth is. I have also added a drawing of the earth because I think it is important to remember that there is so much to do on earth and so many places to go so if you want to do something do it there is nothing holding you back. It also could mean that there are places that need your help and to help as much as you can even if it is a little it still helps someone. Lastly I have a sunflower with a baseball bat as the steam with a camera dangling from one of the leafs. The sunflower is to show where my grandma lived, when she was little she had planted sunflowers in her backyard which she did until she moved to PA with my grandfather. I added the bat because I love to play softball and also love to watch baseball

Examination of the images of the Lord Buddha: the images show the interconnectedness of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha – The Buddha is composed (ordered, symmetric, well proportioned, alert) signifying the Dharma and is clothed in the robes of the monk.

The idea of the soul varies widely in religious tradition. While these variations exist, its basic definition is unvarying. The soul can be described as the ultimate internal principle by which we think, feel, and will, and by which our bodies are animated. The soul is seen as the core principle of life or as the essence of a being 1. Views on the permanence of the soul vary throughout religious tradition as well. While some view it as a mortal entity in flux others believe the soul is an immortal and permanent unit. These interpretations vary from time period to time period and between religions. These characteristics of the soul are interpreted differently through an Eastern or

From Sunday April 2nd to Thursday April 6th, the Tibetan Buddhist monks created a Mandala from colored sand. This act represents the monks recreating the world for five days only to be ritually dissolved on the 6th day. The ritual dissolution is thought to clean and purify the surrounding environment. Drupon Thinley Ningpo Rinpoche and other monks affiliated with Drikung Namgyal Ling invited the public to see this manala which illustrated their environment in a new and alternative way. Upon attending the 6th day of creating the mandala, which was the day the colored sand picture would be ritually dissolved. The downstairs library of the bookstore held a heap of people, anxiously waiting the ritual dissolution. I went to the event open minded and had no knowledge of what was about to occur. The ritual

The five are almost identically represented in art, all dressed in monastic garments, seated with folded legs, with the same hairdress and long-lobed ears, but are distinguished by characteristic colours, symbols, poses of hands, and the directions they face. The five eternal Buddhas are correlated to other groups of five, so that the entire cosmos is seen as divided between them and as emanating from them. Thus, each represents one of the five skandhas, or mental and physical aggregatesthat make up the whole of cosmic as well as individual existence.