Meditation2

=media type="custom" key="8458430"= =Outline:= = The Buddhist way of life = Monks and nuns The teachings of Buddha The rebirth cycle Buddhist festivals Japanese Buddhism =Essay: =
 * 1) Buddhists always try to life according to their beliefs.
 * 2) They think positively, promote peace, love, and tolerance.
 * 3) They try to make the world a better place for everyone else to live in.
 * 4) There are a very large number of Buddhist shrines and temples. One reason for this is that putting up a new one is a way for lay people to gain merit. A rich person might pay for a whole temple. Poorer people can join groups to collect funds for building, or build simple shrines like this.
 * 5) Buddhists sometimes make offerings by burning incense sticks. It allows people to build up merit, allowing a good rebirth.
 * 6) Buddhists seek wisdom and enlightenment.
 * 7) All kinds of gifts are offered to the Buddha. As long as it is clean and good, and offered sincerely, it is accepted. Rice is also a common gift to the Buddha.
 * 1) Zen's authorities stem from their lineage of enlightened masters.
 * 2) Zen originated from the Buddha's disciple Kashyapa.
 * 3) Zazen (zen meditation) plays a central role in many monks' daily lives.
 * 4) Monks spend up to seven hours in a meditation hall (zendo).
 * 5) Zen monks meditate in a sitting position, straight backed and cross-legged.
 * 6) The community of monks and nuns is called the sangha. To join the sangha, Buddhists take part in a ceremony called ordination. They live to understand the Buddha's teachings and explain them to others. They follow a set of rules and live simple lives, wearing plain robes, shaving their head, studying, and meditating.
 * 7) Monks follow over 200 rules. They live in monasteries, but are not isolated from the world.
 * 8) Monks spend a lot of their time teaching the dhamma (the teaching of the Buddha).
 * 1) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The Buddha's teachings are known as dhamma, which means doctrine, truth, or law.
 * 2) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The Buddha's most important teachings regarded basic truths about existence and advice on how his followers should live. He offered a way to overcome suffering through the Noble Eight-fold path. This allowed people to break free of the birth and rebirth cycle and achieve enlightenment.
 * 1) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhists believe that when a person dies, he or she is reborn and a new being is created.
 * 2) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhists represent the cycle of rebirth with the Wheel of Life.
 * 3) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The Wheel of Life forms a Tibetan wall hanging.
 * 4) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">It shows several realms, which include the realm of the realm of the humans, the realm of animals, and many others.
 * 5) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Kamma means action or activity. If you do good deeds, use good words, and think good thoughts, you will have a better next life.
 * 6) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">In each realm, a bodhisattva teaches the inhabitants how to take the next step toward enlightenment.
 * 7) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhists believe you achieve enlightenment by breaking free of this birth and rebirth cycle.
 * 1) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhist festivals vary from one country to another. There are celebrations for New Years, and other types of celebrations for different stages in Buddha's life.
 * 2) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The celebrations vary from one type of Buddhism to another. Some Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha in one festival. Known as Vesak, it is a time for being especially kind to living things. It is marked by ceremonial cleaning and by offerings to the Buddha.
 * 3) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The tradition of dancing is part of many eastern religions, including Buddhism. Monks and Nuns don't dance.
 * 4) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Water is very important in Buddhist New Year Celebrations. Statues of the Buddha are washed and the people are sprinkled with water.
 * 5) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The Tibetan New Year is celebrated at the festival of Losar. People wear new clothes and eat special food while the monks scare away evil spirits with fearsome masks.
 * 1) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhism originated in India, and since the 7th century, travelers have brought Buddhist ideas into Japan.
 * 2) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">By this time, there were many Buddhism schools in Japan. Most of these schools are based on the Buddhist teachings in China, but one new school known as Nichiren Shu was founded in Japan.
 * 3) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Since there are so many types of Buddhism schools in Japan, temples and statues of the Buddha often vary.
 * 4) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; normal: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhism and Shinto mixed easily in Japan. There is a beautiful Tendai shrine in central Japan that is for Shinto and Buddhism.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Buddhism originated in India spreading to neighboring countries like China. Since the 7th century, travelers brought Buddhist ideas and teachings from China into Japan. During this time, many Buddhist schools came into existence in Japan. Most of these schools were based on the Buddhist teachings developed in China, but one new school known as Nichiren Shu was founded in Japan. Since there were so many types of Buddhist schools in Japan, temples and statues of the Buddha often varied in appearance and style. Buddhism and Shinto, the ancient religion of the Japanese, mixed easily in Japan. A beautiful Tendai shrine in central Japan was made for both Shinto and Buddhism.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Buddhists always try to live according to their beliefs, promoting peace, love, and tolerance. They think positively and try to make the world a better place to live in. Buddhists are followers of the Buddha and often make offerings to him. Common offerings include rice and fruits. As long as offerings are clean and good, offered sincerely, they are accepted. Buddhists also seek wisdom and enlightenment by building up merit. Merit is built when one has a positive force in one’s life by doing good deeds, using good words, and thinking good thoughts. Buddhists believe that when a person dies, he is reborn, and building up merit will allow them to have a favorable rebirth. Buddhists believe one way to make an offering to the Buddha and build up merit is to burn incense sticks.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: middle;">The community of monks and nuns is called the Sangha. In order to join the Sangha, Buddhist take part in a ceremony called ordination. Monks and nuns live to understand the Buddha’s teachings and to explain them to others. They follow over 200 rules and live simple lives. They wear plain robes, shave their heads, and they live in monasteries. Although they live in monasteries, they are not isolated from the world. A monk’s average day would consist of studying, teaching, and meditation. They spend up to seven hours a day in a meditation hall, which is known as a Zendo. While in their meditation hall Zen monks perform a sitting meditation position with their back straight, chin down, and legs crossed. By meditating the monks and nuns will be one step closer to enlightenment.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: middle;">The Buddha's teachings are known as Dhamma, the doctrine of truth and law. The Buddha's most important teachings regarded basic truths about existence and advice on how his followers should live. He offered a way to overcome suffering through the Noble Eight-fold Path. The Noble Eight-fold Path describes eight right ways to live one’s life, leading to wisdom, encouraging ethical conduct, and mental development. This allowed people to break free of the birth and rebirth cycle and achieve enlightenment.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhists believe that when a person dies, he or she is reborn and a new being is created. This Buddhist rebirth cycle is represented by the Wheel of Life. The Wheel of Life is shown with a Tibetan wall hanging. The Wheel of Life shows several different realms of existence, ranging from animals and humans to gods and spirits. The ring around the center represents Kamma, standing for actions or activities in one’s life. If you do good deeds, use good words, and think good thoughts, you will have a better next life in the Wheel of Rebirth cycle. In each of the realms, a bodhisattva or enlightened being, teaches the inhabitants how to take the next step toward enlightenment by breaking free of this birth and rebirth cycle.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: middle;">Buddhist festivals include the New Year’s celebrations and celebrations for different stages in Buddha's life. Vesak is the celebration for the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. It is a time for being especially kind to living things, marked by ceremonial cleaning and offerings to the Buddha. The tradition of dancing is part of many eastern religions, including Buddhism, although Buddhist monks and nuns don't dance. The Tibetan New Year is celebrated at the festival of Losar. People wear new clothes and eat special food while the monks scare away evil spirits with fearsome masks. Water is also very important in Buddhist New Year Celebrations. Statues of the Buddha are washed and the people are sprinkled with water.

= Citations: = Wilkinson, Philip. //Buddhism: Explore the teachings and traditions of this ancient religion.// New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 2003. Print.