Wat Buddharangsi Of Miami : Theravada Buddhist Temple

Buddha shares his teaching with his followers but says it worked for him but it may not work for everyone. Every person is different so they have to find out what works for them, he gives his knowledge on what worked for him as a guide but not a definite path. Buddhism is the most physiological religion because humans can solve the human problem which is suffering on their own. Humans don’t need wealth, God, divine revelation or other people to help them, they can end suffering on their on their own with experience over belief. Buddha is also called the doctor of the soul because of his teaching and view on life. Buddha learned how to end his own suffering and then went on to help others end their suffering through his own methods or methods that worked for him. Instead of staying silent he decided he wanted to help others reach his feeling of peace. Buddhism is one of the newest religions founded and Buddha's teaching growing to impact more and more people every day.

The Kannon Bosatsu, or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, is a carved wood statue of a Bodhisattva figure standing about two and one half to three meters tall. This statue shows a high level of detail on the Bodhisattva 's body, and is carved so smoothly that it could be mistaken for a stone carving. The show of skilled craftsmanship can be seen around the shoulders with the interaction of the cloth with the jewelry the Bodhisattva. The statue is placed on an ornate pedestal to cause the figurine to appear taller, giving it a feeling of authority, which contrasts with its calm, expressionless face. While the figure appears to be standing in a meditative state like the Buddha, the jewelry present all over the body of this figure distinguishes this figure as a Bodhisattva instead of a Buddha. In his book, The Story of Buddhism a Concise guide to Its History and Teachings, Donald S. Lopez Jr. establishes the importance of imagery in Buddhism. One major point he makes concerning the worship of Buddhist figures, is that the disciples of Buddhism not only believe that the figures are a mere representation of Buddha, but that the figures actually become and are animated by Buddha, an argument which seems to hold merit as truth.

No matter how enlightenment is reached, either through sufferings, teachings, or sacrifices, enlightenment has to be reached by one’s self. Enlightenment can’t be explained or taught which Siddhartha mentions to Gotama (29). And although enlightenment can’t be taught, the biggest factor for Siddhartha though to reach that state was teachings from Vasudeva and the river. But the realization that allowed him to get there was from himself. How Siddhartha reached enlightenment wasn’t instant, it took many years for him to attain that peace which Siddhartha’s many changes through life actually helped him. When Siddhartha says “and everything together, all the voices, … all the suffering, all the desire, everything good and evil, everything all together was the world” (106) it represents how you can’t truly comprehend what life is without going through highs and lows, poor and rich, and happy and sad, all that was necessary for enlightenment.

The Buddha was destined for greatness. From the miraculous events that occurred during his birth to him leaving behind the palace and his riches behind. Buddha was not like other individuals he viewed the world in a different perspective, he was well aware of his surroundings. His father raised in one of the most stress free environments, a pampered lifestyle, with luxuries beyond any average person's imagination. He was entirely sheltered from all the catastrophes in life. However, the Buddha knew that this was not the lifestyle for true eternal happiness. Under these conditions it was no surprise that he reacted in such shock to the real sufferings of life, he had finally come face to face with the fundamentals of human life. I believe that this added to his motive to achieve enlightenment. He was aware that the suffering of people could not be solved through social work and material items.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, later known just as “The Buddha”. He was born a prince and prophesied to either become a great king or a great sage, his father favoring the idea of him becoming a great king, caused him to shield Siddhartha from the suffering of the world. Yet, living the life of luxury Siddhartha felt there was something he was missing out on, causing him to sneak away from his palace and witness what is known as the “four sights”. On his journey he came across an old man who represents the fear of change, a sick man who represents the fear of pain, a dead man who represents the fear of the unknown, and finally a monk who represent the solution to these problems. This experience ultimately led to his

On Sunday, September 8, 2013, I visited the Wat Buddharangsi Buddhist temple of Miami in Homestead. Every Sunday, they present a meditation service in English for two hours from three to five in the afternoon. Once I parked, the place of ritual was conveniently located across the parking lot. There was a shoe rack outside of the temple. Before I came to this temple, I read the guidelines from their website. The requirements for new guests are to remove your shoes before entering inside. Therefore, when I saw the shoe rack, I was not in shock. I was relieved to see that the temple provided a neat spot to place shoes rather than having them scattered on the floor.

Buddhism, on the other hand, understands the psychological nature of humans very deeply and develops effective treatment methods. As revealed in the Flower Ornament Sutra [Avatamsaka Sutra], "Our perception Three Kingdoms arise from the mind, so do Twelve Links of Dependent Origination; birth and death come from the mind, which are extinguished when the mind is put to rest”. If we view Buddhism in this lens, itself in conglomeration with psychology has much to reveal about both practices (Williams-Oerberg, Elizabeth, 2012).

Unaccepting of some social and cultural practices of the time, the Buddha was openly critical of the Hindu Brahman’s possessiveness and almost secretive knowledge of the Veda texts; sharing this knowledge only with their son’s, assuring their family’s position socially and spiritually(Wattananarong). Accordingly, he proposed the solution to the cessation of one’s suffering should be available to and for everyone, “rather than to an exclusive few based on if one becomes a Brahma or Outcaste by birth, one becomes either by living well or living badly” (Wattananarong). For this reason, he rejected the caste system predicated on the belief that all people are equal and have a right to choose how to live their lives, thereby making decisions about their future and potentially reduce or eliminate their own suffering.

In recent class sessions, we have been able to expand our knowledge about different religions, and engage in discussions about how their principles impact their followers and the world around them. While exploring the practice of Buddhism, we were able to learn more about its origins and core beliefs, and how they can assist one’s journey towards true enlightenment. The Buddha taught his followers about The Four Noble Truths, the first two comprised of the truth of suffering (dukkha) and the origin of suffering (samudāya). The First Noble Truth, known as the truth of suffering, conveys the idea that both happiness and sorrow exist in the world, and that any sense of happiness we receive is “subject to change” (Zen Philosophy, “The Four Noble Truths”). In order to fully understand The First Noble Truth, one must understand how “all conditioned phenomena are pervaded by these three marks:

In 563 B.C. a baby boy was born in northern India to a royal family. The baby grew up wealthy but found that this lifestyle did not promise happiness. He saw suffering all around him and desired to find the key to happiness. When he was 29 years old he started to seek answers about why there is suffering from religious teachers. Although he learned from these teachers none of them were able to fully explain the causes of human suffering and how to overcome it. After six years of study he “had an experience in which all ignorance fell away and he suddenly understood.” From that day on he was called Buddha, the Awakened One. For the rest of his life, 45 years, he traveled around northern India and taught what he discovered. Through his compassion

Tilopa once said, “It is not the outer objects that entangle us. It is the inner clinging that entangles us.” Over 2500 years ago, Buddha outlined the framework for Buddhist thought in which he declared that he taught suffering, its origin, cessation and path. The four noble truths contain the basis of Buddha’s ideas which he attained while meditating under a bodhi tree, which would later become a Buddhist symbol. While Buddhism is not practiced by many, its affect in the world can be seen in the utilization of the four noble truths that Buddha was enlightened with. By accepting the four noble truths, we are able to identify, heal, and be set free from a life of suffering.

Ever since I was a sophomore in high school, I have always had a particular interest in Buddhism. I have embraced the similarities that I have found within myself and the Buddhism religion. A few years ago, I was in a dark state of mind after my father had passed away. During my healing process, I felt that I was awakened in which I found my determination to search for my enlightenment. I spent a few weeks searching for what I thought was my path to end my suffering. I needed to make changes in my life. I was not happy with my job, my choices of education, or the person I had become. The Four Noble Truths, karma, and meditation are the three things that hold my particular interest in this ancient cultured religion.

Piloting to the fourth and final truth, the Buddha asserts that this can be accomplished through following his “Eightfold Path.” I consent that suffering is inevitable in life, but I find it impossible to fully liberate one’s life of suffering. When I was a Samana, I realized that I could only temporarily free my inner self from suffering because I was depleting myself from the positive desires, dreams, and aspirations, and in the end, I found myself more lost and out of touch with myself than ever before. In his “Eightfold Path,” the Buddha tells us his theory about how the world is an unbroken chain made of cause and effect. His own doctrine contradicts itself, because how can one possibly embrace the unity of the world, if they are told in his teachings to overcome it? In order to truly reach personal enlightenment, one must set off on that journey on their own and be exposed to various aspects of human nature until truly finding the key to their inner selves.

This means that any individual can become a Buddha with the right practices, as there are no external powers facilitating the process. There is also a degree of freedom in the Buddhist thoughts that is rare amongst religions. Therefore, it can be argued that Buddhism lean towards psychology rather than religion. According to the Buddha, a man’s emancipation is dependent on his own realization of the Truth and not the magnanimous grace of a god or an external power as a reward for a good attitude in life.

Buddhist says the teaching of Buddha was described as a formula that includes physical and mental treatment to be free from suffering. This can only work if the person takes full responsibility and apply to their life by following the steps.