Buddhism through the Prism of Catholicism - Essay Example

?Religion Buddhism is one of the popular religions in the world. Being the fourth largest religious group, it has gained status worldwide. It is known for its focus on personal as well as spiritual development. Believers are commonly associated with profound reflections. Unlike other religions, there are no gods or goddesses being venerated. Much of the belief’s concentration is on the meaning of existence. This paper generally delves into Buddhism and how it compares to Catholicism. Siddhartha Gautama was the founder and is the renowned teacher of Buddhism (Chodron, 2001). The belief’s name came from the word “Buddha” which means “the enlightened one”. He was able to achieve this after meditating under the Bodhi tree. After this monumental event, Buddha was able to have a band of followers and he started teaching the path towards awakening. “The Four Noble Truths” are fundamental to Buddhism. These are: “dukkha” or suffering, its origins, the path to stop it, and the truth regarding the path to stop it. This leads to the Eightfold path which is the way to freedom that was mentioned in the fourth noble truth. The path has three main divisions: wisdom, ethical conduct, and concentration. Specifically, the eight pathways state that one should have the right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. Buddhists believe that reality should be viewed as how it actually is and not how it seems to be. There should also be an intention of repudiation of materialism as well as nonviolence and freedom. Believers should speak in peaceful and truthful ways. Actions should be shown in diplomatic ways. A livelihood must be chosen basing on its nonviolent characteristics. Individuals should have ample effort to progress. The mind should be very much aware of the present and not shrouded with hatred. Lastly, proper meditation must be practiced. One of the Buddhism Temples in Massachusetts is located in Boston. At 930 Commonwealth Avenue, the Boston Center of Soka-Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) is situated. It is a Buddhist association for peace, culture, and education. Though the temple is near the street, the ambience is made serene with trees and other vegetation. Like any other church, they have weekly and other scheduled services. For instance, their calendar includes Sunday meditation and services, monthly Saturday evening services, and different night activities. They also seek to enlighten visitors with their 4-week-class, essentials of Buddhism. It focuses on their traditional texts, history, meditation practices, and others. To further ascertain knowledge regarding Buddhism, a temple-goer was interviewed. Ken has been attending regular services for a year. I was able to sit next to him during one of their Sunday services. He said that he became a Buddhist through a friend. He has been convinced to join this faith after becoming more well-informed about the practices and their elucidations. When asked about his prior religion, he said that he was an atheist. He added that he could have also been an agnostic. He agreed to be interviewed as long as the details of his personal life and identity will not be revealed. He was very cooperative and proved to have much knowledge about his belief. The steps of becoming a member of Buddhism are somehow vague. First off, there is still a debate whether it may be fully considered as a religion. Some authors say that several of its philosophical and empirical elements may classify it as more of a science than a religion. However, the traditions and rituals involved are much related to the definition of Buddhism. The commonly viewed paths to becoming a full-pledged Buddhist are the major teachings and the “Three Jewels”. The meaningful credos have two aspects: dependent origination and no-self. This means that a Buddhist must realize his connection to other beings, thus respecting them. Furthermore, one must understand that giving up of selfish desires is necessarily to truly attain liberation. In addition, the groundwork for the belief is known as the “Three Jewels”. These comprise the Buddha, the “Dharma” or the teachings, and the “Sangha” or the community. Giving importance to these foundations has been known as proofs of being committed to the Buddhist way of life, thereby differentiating a follower from his counterparts. Truthfully, Ken wants his relatives to likewise appreciate Buddhism. However, he has not broached this subject to them. He feels that they should have the initiative and the liberty to approach him about it. He personally does not want to impose his convictions on his loved ones. He feels that it is enough to let the people around him observe how his life has changed since he has entered this faith. At present, Ken does not feel the need to change his religion. He is quite satisfied of “how things are going on” right now. Since he has been involved with the group for only a year, he is still adjusting. There are times when he is overwhelmed with the new culture. These novel activities make him interested with the myriad philosophies incorporated in the hundreds of texts where the teachings of Buddha are written. As of now, he has not seen any significant reason to make him think of leaving his current belief. Buddhism has a very rich tradition. It has several significant holidays as well. Many of its rituals are rooted to its institutions. For instance, devotion is a very essential facet for the believers. Manifestations of this practice include actions of respect such as bowing, and giving offerings. Many of Buddhists also engage in chanting and pilgrimages. Another common practice much entrenched in the founder is meditation. Most probably, the initial accounts of meditation come from Buddhist texts. A related ritual in meditating is yoga. Buddhism and yoga have been seen by many as inseparable. Classical yoga was taught by a pioneer named “Patanjali” and it very much emphasizes ethics and spiritual concepts. As for the holidays and festivals, there are a number of occasions. One of the most important is the Buddhist New Year. This is observed for three days starting from the first full moon of April. However, this schedule is only observed in “Theravadin” countries like Thailand and Cambodia. In other countries, the lunar calendar is used. Hence, Koreans, Chinese, and other Buddhist nations celebrate it on January or February. Ken said that most Buddhists in America commemorate it on late January. Another significant event is Buddha’s Birthday which also known as “Vesak” or “Visakah Puja”. It is a major festival since it denotes the enlightenment, birth, as well as death of Buddha. Sangha day or” Magha Puja Day” honor the Fourfold Assembly. This happened when Buddha ordained 1250 followers. The disciples marvelously convened without previous knowledge at the full moon day of March. One interesting facet of Buddhism is its view on life after death. “Samsara” is a concept that explains the cycle of life and death. Every instance of rebirth is influenced by how individuals facilitated pleasure and suffering. This proves the continuation of an ever changing and interdependent reality. Ken said that the aim of a Buddhist is to actually be free from the samsara. Being liberated means not having to be reborn into the world. The soul is not anymore obligated to take a new form and experience suffering. Relatedly, “karma” is the force that powers the cycle of reincarnation. Good deeds turn out to equally good life in the future whereas bad deeds produce a not so good rebirth. Hence, it is important to invest on moral actions to have a positive reincarnation. To be able to be free from bad deeds of the past, Ken believes that he should engage in sacred chants and be involved in the reading of holy texts. Ken stated that Buddhism prepares and individual both for the present and the future life. Everything is regulated by what is done at the moment. Each decision and action that is currently made momentously affects tomorrow. How one chooses his way of existence will affect his karma, thereby his samsara. This is one of the greatest assets of Buddhism. It empowers the individual to make his future better by making the best of his contemporaneous sources. For example, disappointments, frustrations, and other struggles may be viewed as motivations not to repeat the cycle. Besides its benefits, there are challenges to the practice of religion. John honestly talked about the difficulties he has encountered specially at the beginning of his conversion. There are many schools teaching Buddhism but the exact path to liberation is not the same. One source of confusion is concerning the topics on certain ethical precepts. There are some followers who adhere to definite ethics while others do not. Another issue of misunderstanding is about the backing of monastic community. There have been some opinions that do not support the funding of monks. Another challenge is the studying of Buddhist scriptures. The texts may be too deep to understand and going through all of them may be overwhelming due to its volume and traditional way of writing. Religious leaders have been advocating the view of Buddhism worldwide. Even though it did not have a very favorable history in India, this belief spread in several territories in Asia. Nowadays, the belief has convinced followers in an international level. Since many Asians have traveled to Western and European countries, there has been an enculturation of beliefs. More than a number of leaders have also actively taught and encouraged the Buddhist way of life. For instance, the infamous Dalai Lamas have been quoted and made international headlines for their philosophies and how they have affected the society. Master Cheng Yen is the founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation. At the age of 70, she is delivering speeches on television. Her foundation has gained millions of supporters across the globe. With her movement, the values of Buddhism especially on compassion have traversed borders. In the modern world, Buddhism is widely being promoted both by leaders and followers. There have been many literatures circulating as to the benefits of this practice. One of its strongest appeals to the updated masses is its compatibility with science. Ken asserted that many contemporary researches and concepts in Psychology and other related schools of thought have been supporting the canons of Buddhism. One prominent concept aside from mindfulness is positive thinking. This is related to one field in the study of behavior which is “Positive Psychology”. Indeed, Buddhism has significantly altered his way of life. Personally, his newfound belief has encouraged him to be more generous and altruistic towards others. With this practice, he trusts that he is having “good karma”. It is his strong conviction that what he does will come right back to him in various ways. Hence, he has to attract positive energy as much as possible. In every situation it is quite crucial to do the right thing. Accomplishing such feat can result to further optimistic advents. Since beings are naturally interconnected he has learned how to value each kind of life more. Each plant and animal has an existence worthy of respect. Of course, higher beings such as humans have lives that need to be regarded with much importance. It has not only affected his personal existence but his family and friends as well. The people around him has noticed how more “at peace” he has become lately. Apparently, he has become more confident on his take in life. This made his peers and relatives more interested in the concepts of Buddhism. One of the most tangible changes he has encouraged in others is their practice in yoga. Certainly, Buddhism and my current religious affiliation, Catholic has more than a few differences and some similarities. One of them is the non-dogmatic approach of Buddhism. In contrast to Catholics, Buddhists have a more open mind regarding individuals. This view makes it appealing for many. Buddhism does not particularly discourage other kinds of faith. As a result other believers of various faiths find comfort in the thought that they can practice Buddhism in compatibility with their respective religions. Furthermore, their view of suffering is different. Catholic creeds denote that suffering may bring one closer to God. This is commonly observed in our practice of penitence during the observance of the Holy Week. On the other hand, Buddhism teaches the ways on how to flee from suffering. The heart of Buddhist teachings is the various steps on how to free oneself from factors that bring misery. In addition, the entity of Buddha and Jesus are different. Buddha is a human being whereas Jesus is both of flesh and of divinity. The former has lived on earth and based his teachings from his inferences gathered in his mortal experiences. He was also born in a privileged status while Jesus was raised in a humbler social status. Buddha advocated that truth can be found not in him but in his doctrines or dharma. On the contrary, Jesus said that people should go to Him for salvation and that the purpose of people is to worship Him. Buddha said that each person has to find his unique course towards “nirvana”. The probability of an individual to achieve insight is merely his own self. Jesus said that He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6, King James Version). In addition to a Catholic’s efforts, there must be a great consideration regarding the Savior. Regarding similarities, both beliefs look into the requirements of specific moral codes. Like Buddhism, Catholicism has standards of principles such as the 10 commandments and other scruples in the Holy Bible. Buddhists observe the expectations found in the eight-fold path and other ethics in their traditional texts (Salzberg, Mipham, Thondup, Rosenburg, & Piver, 2008). Following the maxims make one more principle and somehow more ethical. Though there are no precise punishments for the violation of their standards, dissolute actions are generally frowned upon. Secondly, both value the essence of meditation. Catholics may meditate when they pray and seek the presence of the Lord. In the same way, Buddhists meditate to find connection to something greater than their selves (Hagen, 1997). The processes entail the meditators to have deep concentration and mindfulness. Utilizing the two comparable methods, followers seek to achieve inner serenity. Basing on the aforementioned discussions, it is evident that religions have been an imperative element of existence. Tapping the spiritual side of living is foremost in finding value amidst the everyday routine of survival. Believing in a divine or more encompassing presence intensely helps a person make sense of his world. From my talk with Ken, I have come to appreciate Buddhism as well as how it has shaped history. It has also opened my mind further to the antecedents that other religions propose such as dancing in the Spirit, baptism of the Holy Ghost, and speaking in tongues. It is exceptionally interesting how diverse people’s beliefs are. Ultimately, religions are one of the most if not the most powerful instigators of change in humanity’s course of subsistence. Reference List Chodron, T. (2001). Buddhism for beginners. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. Hagen, S. (1997). Buddhism plain and simple. Boston, MA: Charles E. Tuttle Co. Salzberg, S., Mipham, S., Thondup, T., Rosenberg, L., & Piver, S. (2008). Quite mind. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc. Read More