Amitābha

Zen Buddhism emphasizes much like the Shinto tradition the act of cleansing, accept that it focuses on meditation as a way to purify the mind. This interpretation of purification as seen within the Buddhist teachings, is the attempt to clear the mind of contaminated beliefs, concepts, and materials, which can be harmful to someone seeking enlightenment. This can be understood by Dogen who wrote within the Bendowa that the, “The person seated in zazen without fail casts off body and mind, severs all

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

The first introduction of Buddhism into China was in 1st c. CE. It spread throughout north and south China from the 2nd to the 7th centuries. Buddhism was able to become so widespread and to gain so many believers in China due to a process called “sinification”. Buddhism came under the influence of Chinese culture to become a Chinese religion. Some prime examples of this “sinification” have to do with religious texts, the development of Chinese Buddhist sects, and the conflation of Daoist deities

Introduction Unsurprisingly, apocalyptic tendencies make their way into nearly every civilization time and time again. From modern day film and literature, to ancient religions, talk of the apocalypse is unavoidable. Despite Buddhism being a religion with tenants based on detachment from the material, emphasis on the distinguishment of suffering, and an enlightened existence, there have been several notable moments in East Asian history when Buddhism was the source of all apocalyptic panic. The first

There are many different religions with many different beliefs, traditions, practices, and rituals. These differences are a very important part of understanding and appreciating the culture and history behind the specific religion. However, the practices that certain religions have in common can aid even more in furthering the understanding of specific beliefs of other religions. Since most religions cultivate from the practices and beliefs of other religions, they use those core values and beliefs

1.The Western Paradise Of Amitabha Buddha, 10'2" x 16', Cave 217 Dunhaung Gansu, 346, Tang dynasty, Paint. 2.In the painting there is around 45 people that i can see. Most are wearing robes so i would guess they are monks, however there is three big people who seem to be the center of attention i think they are buddha in the middle and two random gods on either side of buddha.It looks as if the people are either praying to Buddha or they are listening to a speech he is giving. Buddha looks to be

A Brief History of Japanese Religion The Buddha is said to have been born in India around 500 BCE. During his life time, he preached the benefits of the Middle Path, the road between the two extremes of a decadent life style and severe austerities. Soon after the death of the founder, Buddhist missionaries began to travel through out Asia, finding their way along the Silk Roads to China, first arriving around 100 CE. The climate there was hospitable to the teaching of the Buddha, and soon Buddhism

Abraham Lincoln once said “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart she tells a story about a culture deeply rooted in tradition that’s facing the prospect of change. The story gives the reader an insight on the reality of change and it effects on the characters. The aggravated circumstances of whether or not change should have advantage over tradition oftentimes involves questions of

difficulty. There are two important schools of Buddhism in China, they are Pure Land and Chan schools. Pure Land Buddhism discusses that achieving nirvana is so difficult in life that there may be a better route. They put their faith in a Buddha called Amitabha, whom they believe has taken it upon himself to transport those who remember his name in mantras to a heavenly realm called the Pure Land, when they die and reincarnate. In this peaceful place, where they are freed from the worries of this world

Throughout history, Japanese architecture has often been compared to that of Chinese architecture due to the dominant influence of techniques and styles that originated in China, but are illustrated throughout the art of Japan. Although the similarities between designs are fundamentally alike, there are apparent differences between the two. The Japanese incorporated things like lifestyle differences, climate changes, and construction materials. Religion, primarily Buddhism, was a key component