Sacred Object In Religion

2. The wheel might serve as an effective symbol of the Buddha's message because the eight spokes of the wheel symbolize the noble Eightfold Path set out by the Buddha in his teachings. Also, it represents the endless cycle of rebirth, which can only be achieved by reaching nirvana and it can only be achieved by following the Buddha's teachings.

Buddhism originated in the early Fifth century BCE, from the teachings of Siddhartha Buddha (Fisher, 2005). Plagued by the desire to help end human suffering, Buddha reached a state of pure enlightenment showing him the way to end earthly suffering. Through meditation, people can control the desires of their human nature. By gaining control of our desires we can end our suffering. He taught his wisdom to all that wanted to learn. After his death, three main forms of Buddhism emerged; there was the Theravada’s, the Mahayana’s, and the Zen Buddhists (Fisher, 2005). For the sake of this report, the local Buddhist

Buddhism originated in Nepal, India approximately around 600 B.C.E.-300 B.C.E. and it is a monotheistic religion that

The objects symbolise the physical and mental security that they yearn for during the

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.

He does not only reorient our minds but our bodies too. This therefore suggests that the natural affinity towards the divine, which pulls humanity away from the extremity of bodily inclination, is naturally implanted or rather fashioned in human soul. The soul controls humanity and prevents it from the excesses of the ego. With this divine nature, we can distinguish between good and evil and choose to do good and shun

Objects have an important impact on our society. However, we all have different objects that are meaningful to us. These objects can be anything from a teddy bear, smart phone, or vehicle that are meaningful to someone. For me, that item is my Fiji Water bottle. I drink it at home and take it everywhere I go like to the gym, the library, and to class. To understand the relationship between my Fiji Water bottle and myself, we must know how the Fiji Water bottle becomes meaningful in the first place.

Objects can prove to be the cause of some of the most impactful features or events in someone’s life. “Once he finished work on the Prospector and we struck it rich, he’d start work on our Glass Castle.” (Walls 25). The Prospector was a symbol of aspiration, she wanted to have a more exciting and fulfilling life. Although it also represents lies and distrustfulness because her father never actually worked on the Prospector. Instead, he went out and got drunk. The Glass Castle is quite impactful in Jeannette’s life, it gave her hope for a better life. However it’s not just that, it’s confidence in her father. That he will provide for her and create a good life for her, despite the drinking and other horrible habits he has developed. Jeannette

Between sixth and eighth grades, I tried out for the dance team three times and color guard once. I did not make it onto any of these teams. It baffled me that I could not do it even after six years of dancing. Was I not trying hard enough? This was a rough time for me for I could not comprehend what was happening. However, each time I learned to get back up and work harder. I never did make the dance or Color Guard teams, but my failures set me on my path to finding something that I could do and be proud of. On this path, I found Cross Country. This team did not require a try-out; it was all about gradual improvement. I had never run before, but if my failures taught me anything, it was that I should never give up. My teammates and I pushed

Vajrayana is a sect of Buddhism that is primarily found in Tibet and is known for it's use of tantras. The Vajrayana's believe that the use of sounds, sights, and movement can help empower an individual during meditation, and believe that pleasures can be sought after you have a pure mind. They use mantras to during meditation and try to envision deities in order to enhance their spiritual power (Smith 1994). Overall, we find that the Vajrayana and Zen Buddhist's are mystical sects, and concentrate on experiences rather than scriptures to reach enlightenment.

Prayer beads have a important role in the history of believers as they seek to deepen their connection to God. Prayer beads, according to a study in 1987, are a tool for prayer used by five major religions; Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity (Wernik, 361)(Television 430). Not only are prayer beads used in religion but there is also a branch of secular prayer beads, called worry beads; which are used as a stress management tool (Wernik, 362). The book, A Bead and a Prayer, is an excellent resource in learning the basic premise and theories associated with praying with Prayer beads. The book explores four integral questions regarding the use of Prayer Beads; Why use prayer beads? Why prayer beads for Protestants? How to use

It is sacred because it is a picture of Jesus crucifixion with beautiful lighting and colors around Jesus. However, since it was known that urine was used, it was viewed as profane because the image of Jesus is submerged

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

Theravada Buddhism, or otherwise known as ‘The Way of the Elders’, is the oldest form of Buddhism, and was formed just after 500 BC. It was established by the Second Buddhist Council, which was assembled 100 years after the Buddha’s death who died approximately around 483 B.C.E. During the time of the Second Council, there was plentiful controversy revolving around monastic beliefs and followers. Many monks were disagreeing with the set beliefs and interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings and were consequentially being expelled or leaving by their own will. In order to settle this controversy there was a split instituted in the religion, with the group of monks who remained faithful to the initially set beliefs deeming themselves ‘The Elders’ (or ‘Thera’ in Pali). The other group regarded themselves as ‘The Great Community’ (Mahasanghika in Sanskrit), and they interpreted the Buddha’s teachings more liberally or openly, as they believed this was in fact more accurate to the Buddha’s beliefs. Over time, these groups evolved into Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism respectively. Today, Theravada Buddhism is active in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia and in other parts of Southeast Asia. Its origin language is Pali, while Mahayana’s is Sanskrit. Theravada is known to be the stricter and more traditional division of Buddhism, and therefore has a smaller number of followers compared to Mahayana.

Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. They believe that every action has an effect that counts towards the next life. This is called the law of Karma. Buddhists believe that the main goal is to achieve nirvana in the afterlife. Rotating prayer wheels is a ritual of Tibetan Buddhists. The wheels have mantras or sacred chants inscribed on them. They are said to release benevolent forces and bring merit to the worshipper. While Hinduism and Buddhism come from the same cultural backgrounds, their rites of passages have vastly different traditions and their beliefs on the afterlife, deity and ritual are extremely diverse.