The Wat Buddharangsi Of Miami Essay

While this dimension is not as important as in some other faiths of a strongly sacramental kind, it is still highly regarded. This can be attributed to the fact that it is through certain rituals that the core experience of enlightenment is obtained. (Hope, 1995) The ritual central to the Buddhist faith is the practice of meditation. The importance of meditation is paramount because it was through meditation that Buddha was able to gain enlightenment. Consequently, Buddhists attempt to emulate Buddha when meditating by endeavouring to cultivate wisdom and compassion, whilst also trying to gain control of the mind and expel suffering. (Mudge et al, 1993) If a Buddhist is successful in accomplishing this then they are said to have gained enlightenment. In terms of mass rituals, Buddhism maintains a plethora of ceremonies dealing with both the 'Sangha' (Order of monks and nuns) and laity. The primary rituals concerning the 'Sangha' includes; the initiation ritual in which the shaving of the head is a common practice and the annual Kathina Festival, in which the laity of the faith offers fabric to the monks for their new robes. For the laity, worship is more personal than congregation. A common practice is the taking of the three refuges (See appendix 3), in which adherents chant the same three sayings in repetition. This type of chanting, along with meditation, are common acts of devotion in Buddhism. Recently

It goes without saying that I learned so much in Religious Studies 101. I was introduced to multiple world religions that were foreign to me prior to taking the class. I never felt the need to explore any other religion besides Christianity because I was content with my faith. However, after learning about different religions and interacting with people that are not Christian, and grew up with different beliefs and values, I now find myself questioning reconsidering my beliefs. By being exposed to the rituals and ideas of cultures and religions across the globe, I find myself wondering what it would be like to follow some of these principles or to try some of these practices for myself. I find myself trying to follow the moral guidelines and principles of the traditions I learn about all the time. It has helped me ask even more questions and broadened my horizons. It 's helping me shape my beliefs and find out who I want to become. I was especially fascinated with Buddhism and have grown a huge admiration for it. In my learning portfolio I will examine what I learned about Buddhism and what about it is so appealing to me. I will also briefly summarize that I learned that Buddhism – just like any other religions, is not flawless and cannot provide a perfect view of life that would be influential enough for me to devote my faith to it. However, there are certain

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 have always been attracted by the study of religion and interested in the different disciplines that study religion such as: psychology, historiography, anthropology, etc; there are many aspects related to religion that can be analyzed. I believe in the existence of something superior; I do not belong to any specific religion, but I sympathize with some specific ideas of different religions. I used to get the ideas that I believe that are more logical and put it in practice. Taking advantage of the research paper ordered in class, I decided to visit a Theravada Buddhist temple. This temple is located in 15200 SW 240th St, Homestead, FL, Miami, and it is called “Wat Buddharangsi of Miami.”

Tucked away in the mountains of the northern San Diego County, hidden in an avocado orchard is the Metta Forest Monastery. The Metta Forest Monastery was founded in 1990 by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco and practices the Theravada tradition, primarily the Thai Forest Tradition. At the monastery there are currently nine American monks and one Thai monk. I arrived to the monastery at night for their evening meditation service on March 12th, 2016. The pathways that led up to the monastery were lined by small lights. After driving up the winding switchback roads I finally reached the monastery. One of the lay people of the monastery came out to greet me and handed me a flashlight. We then proceeded to walk to the main worshipping area together. As we walked you could hear nothing but the calls of the animals within the forest and the cool night breeze blowing through the trees. After removing our shoes we walked into the small worshiping area at the top of the hill where it was completely dark except for a couple of small candles that lite the front of the room. In the candlelight you could see a huge Buddha statue surrounded by multiple smaller Buddha statues as well as other adornments. The area was very open and had raised benches lining the right side of the room.

When given this project I was a little hesitant, I’m not a religious by any stretch of the word, I don’t believe in the Catholic Church, or in any priest out there, don’t get me wrong they are many priest I believe are good persons, but there are some that are not and it makes me think of how you get chosen to be one. So after revising the project I decided that I could make it a great experience so my classmate and me decided to go to the Wat Buddharangsi Buddhist Temple of Miami. The Buddhist Temple is located in homestead by the fields so only by getting out of the car you can hear nothing, no cars passing buy, no traffic just a relaxing and peaceful silence.

For my cultural event I decided to revisit a Theravada Buddhist temple that I once visited previously but rather briefly. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t visit the temple since it is a different religious practice than my own. This temple is called the Wat Florida Dhammaram. The name may seem bewildering to most people but I have learned what the name means. I found out at the temple that the word “Wat” in three different countries (Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos) is defined as a Buddhist monastery or temple. This temple differs in that it is a Theravada Buddhist Temple. Prior to my visit at the temple I never knew what Theravada meant. Theravada is the more conservative of the two major traditions of Buddhism Theravada and Mahayana. What I discovered at the temple was beauty and culture every where I laid my eyes upon.

Life can be stressful with no end in sight. To some that can put them over the edge and need an out for all of their frustrations. An abundant of options are out there in today’s culture. One of those options is Transcendental Meditation. This technique involves one to become fully immersed in the spiritual world. It takes People out of the physical realm and allows them to “spirit walk.” Many may see this meditation as a solution to the stress and problems in their lives. The hard truth is that this New Age religion is insufficient for one looking for redemption and freedom.

Buddhist temples was an area I have been intrigued to go. My friend talked about her growing up in a Buddhist religion. Some of the idealistic beliefs they hold and the actions they do in order achieve those beliefs. I never thought I would go because I did not know much about approaching. This assignment helped me achieve that. I will go over my experience with why I chose this, how it went, the and relations with the readings/class. Basically, trying to answer the questions in a format and analyze my experience. This projected allowed me to go a place and not only go but to learn about my experience. I learned a lot about the religion and know how to approach it. Also, reflect on my experience which I often do not do when I go to new places.

Buddhism arose in northern India in the 6th century BCE. The historical founder of Buddhism, Siddharta Gautama (c.560-480 BCE) was born in a village called Lumbini into a warrior tribe called the Sakyas (from where he derived the title Sakyamuni, meaning 'Sage of the Sakyas'). According to tradition Gautama's father, Suddhodana was the king of a small principality based on the town of Kapilavastu. His mother, Queen Maya, died seven days after Gautama's birth. Following the death of Maya, Suddhodana married Maya's sister, Prajapati, by whom Gautama was brought up in great luxury and sheltered from the harshness of the outside world.

Free societies benefit from a separation of church and state, while others are greatly governed by a combination of the two. The problem arises when religious beliefs overpower human rights, and oppression takes over. At the center of its core, Buddhism emphasizes on meditation as the path towards liberation of the wheel of samsara. To further my understanding, I chose to focus on a Tibetan meditation practice known as Vajrayana, which is the most important practice from the Theravada schools as a means to the liberation of all sentient beings, hence, eliminating oppression and suffering (Lewis, 69). To gain a greater understanding and appreciation for this practice, I participated in a meditation service and lecture given by Buddhist monk

Exploring different religions help broaden awareness of the world around us. Many can be too ignorant to research religions different than their own and become educated on our communities beliefs and culture. Through research I have examined the religions of Buddhism and Christianity. In this paper I will apply the seven basic worldview questions to Buddhism and Christianity, followed by examining the similarities of Buddhism and Christianity, how different faiths can affect healthcare treatment, and finally describe my own perspectives on healing and what I have taken from this research.

“Hatred does not cease in the world by hating, but by not hating; this is an eternal truth.” This philosophy quoted from Buddha is only one of his many great teachings that inspire people all over the world to live their lives in a loving and respectful manner. The Buddha influences so much because he was such a great man. He sacrificed a kingdom, wife, and child in order to pursue Nirvana and find enlightenment. HE invoked the Dhamma, and spread his ‘pro-life’ principals to all who would listen.

As a child, I was born and raised in a Buddhist family. My dad and grandparents were very religious and would often attend the local temple down the street on Saturdays in order to meditate. As a Buddhist myself, I too attended temple on Saturdays with my family. Being a child, I had no idea what religion was and what was going on inside the temple. I do remember hearing voices, voices of a crowd of Buddhist praying at the same time in a low tone of voice. To be honest, I was scared when I first walked in. I had no idea what all the statues meant, and I didn 't understand why there was such a strong smell of incense. I was never informed of why my family went to the temple, and why there were