Meanderings thru Buddhaland

by fulltimestudent 5 Replies latest social current

• 

  fulltimestudent

  In one of my study units this semester, I'm taking a closer look at Buddhism, (and, in the other I'm taking a closer look at early Christian documents), so I've turned to Youtube, that great resource for contemporary sociology studies, to see what people are saying.

  And I'm posting this in News and World Events as I'm opining that 'Buddhism' is a 'world event' that is the equal of Christianity. I'm not arguing that it has any more 'truth' than Christianity has, in fact its origins arguably contain as much 'myth,' as Christianity does. That is, there's an historical core surrounded by layers and layers of imaginative mythology.

  The beginnings of Buddhism and the other mainstream religions of modern importance, all seem to be related in geographical terms to Central Asia, and chronologically date to around the 6th century BCE. From there, religious thought fragments and evolves to where we are today.

  So how do modern Buddhists communicate? I'll attempt to share their thoughts.
• 

  fulltimestudent

  Don't EMBARRASS the Buddha!!! - Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkICMrNG78M

  If you're attracted to this teaching, you may like his blog: http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/
• 

  Giordano

  My wife and I have a dear friend who back twenty years ago ended her spiritual search as a....... Buddhist. We have noticed apart from the teachings that Buddhists in the USA are similar to the JW's in terms of their interactions with one another and the ability to develop a social life and friendships.

  As a non religion religion (I gather they don't worship Buddha as a god) our friend since joining has not lacked for relationships and a good social life.

  There is a sense of kinship that must be a part of the appeal. Being the 'other' with others around you promotes bonding.

  I look forward to following your thoughts on Buddhism Fulltimestudent.
• 

  fulltimestudent

  Giordano:

  As a non religion religion (I gather they don't worship Buddha as a god) our friend since joining has not lacked for relationships and a good social life.

  There is a sense of kinship that must be a part of the appeal. Being the 'other' with others around you promotes bonding.

  I look forward to following your thoughts on Buddhism Fulltimestudent.

  Thnx Giordano. It seems rather clear that the social aspect is an important part of the "success" of any religious organisation. And, you're quite right in thinking that Buddhas are not seen as 'Gods', (though there are "gods" in Buddhist mythology).

  I hope I can share some thoughts, though I started the thread as a place to share what I might call, 'jottings.'
• 

  fulltimestudent

  Here's an image of Labrang Monastery, located in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu province PRC. The monastery Is (quote)

  "the political and religious centre of this area and one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Today, Labrang Monastery has the best Tibetan Buddhist education system in China and has been widely regarded as one of the best school of Tibetan Buddhism in the world."

  Reference: http://english.people.com.cn/n/2014/0812/c98649-8768313.html

  

  This monastery has some claims to fame. The most recent being:

  After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 and the fall of the radical faction known as the “the Gang of Four of Four,” Labrang monastery was officially reopened in 1979, just as soon as Deng Xiaoping’s reform agenda permitted. The only Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Gannan prefecture to have had any buildings left standing after the Cultural Revolution (1966-68), it was also the first place in the prefecture where, as the locals told me, the “door to the Dharma was (re)-opened” (Tib. Chos sgo phye dang). That very year, monastic official found the resources to hold the Great Prayer Festival again, …

  Reference: Charlene E. Makley, The Violence of Liberation: Gender and Tibetan Buddhist Revival in Post-Mao China, University of California Press, 2007, p 76.
• 

  yadda yadda 2

  Religion is best seen as an extension of certain cultures. A few ancient cultures were searching for spiritual answers in their particular isolated geographic region of the world, and a religion started that was really just a sort of expression of the culture they began in.

  It makes about as much sense to say that one religion is more true and correct than another as to say that one culture is more true and correct than another. The few ancient well known religions from which all other religions are traced back to (Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christinity, Islam) were just the spiritual expression of the geographic-specific ancient cultures that gave birth to them.