Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People around the world speak of American influence in politics, business, and merchandise. The terms ‘globalization’ or ‘global interdependence’ are recently being more understood by most when defining them with relation to corporations, environmental issues, and the modern economy. Can these terms be used to describe the religious beliefs in Canada? The religious life of North American society does not find its roots here at home. We live in a Christian domain. Its roots are 2000 years old and lie half way around the world. It is all around us in our homes, schools, workplace, media, and quite inescapable in our daily lives. In the 21st Century however, basic Christian values are being influenced by ‘Eastern’ religions. Buddhism, in particular, is becoming very popular in North America. What happens when a person attempts to be a Buddhist follower in a Christian society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long before Christian missionaries spread their word around the globe, Buddhist monks were traveling afar attracting followers. Buddhism was the world's first missionary religion. There was no evidence that any religion before it was interested in spreading their faith on a world-wide basis. Indeed, the opposite was the case. Pre-Buddhist religions were more interested in excluding others from its fold rather than welcoming them. However, outside Asia, these missionary attempts were somewhat unfruitful. Although Buddhism successfully spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them. Many Tibetans, for example, fled from their country after the Chinese takeover in 1959. The wars in Indochina in the 1950s and 1960s led m any Vietnamese people to move to and settle in America. Other Buddhists from countries such as Thailand have established businesses in the larger Western cities. They have all brought their Buddhist beliefs to their new homes, and helped to set up Buddhist centres all over North America. With technology and the expansion of travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...d by an arrow wishes to know who shoots the arrow, from which direction it comes, whether the arrow head is made of bone or iron, whether the shaft is of this kind of wood or another before he will have the arrow removed. This man is likened to those who would like to know about the origin of the Universe, whether the world is eternal or not, finite or not before they will undertake the practice of a religion. Just as the man in the parable will die before he has all the answers he wants regarding the origin and nature of the arrow, such people will die before they will ever have the answers to all their irrelevant questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personally, learning this theory has caused me to first, sigh in relief. I sigh because I realize that the Buddha is right. I realize that all the stress in deciding on a religion is completely irrelevant. The first step is accepting the world the way it is, at the present time, and understanding it. Then, concentrate on the things that are causing the suffering in my life. Without being a Buddha, one can live a life that would please any God (real or not, in almost any religion), while at the same time that person can be happy. Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People around the world speak of American influence in politics, business, and merchandise. The terms ‘globalization’ or ‘global interdependence’ are recently being more understood by most when defining them with relation to corporations, environmental issues, and the modern economy. Can these terms be used to describe the religious beliefs in Canada? The religious life of North American society does not find its roots here at home. We live in a Christian domain. Its roots are 2000 years old and lie half way around the world. It is all around us in our homes, schools, workplace, media, and quite inescapable in our daily lives. In the 21st Century however, basic Christian values are being influenced by ‘Eastern’ religions. Buddhism, in particular, is becoming very popular in North America. What happens when a person attempts to be a Buddhist follower in a Christian society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long before Christian missionaries spread their word around the globe, Buddhist monks were traveling afar attracting followers. Buddhism was the world's first missionary religion. There was no evidence that any religion before it was interested in spreading their faith on a world-wide basis. Indeed, the opposite was the case. Pre-Buddhist religions were more interested in excluding others from its fold rather than welcoming them. However, outside Asia, these missionary attempts were somewhat unfruitful. Although Buddhism successfully spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them. Many Tibetans, for example, fled from their country after the Chinese takeover in 1959. The wars in Indochina in the 1950s and 1960s led m any Vietnamese people to move to and settle in America. Other Buddhists from countries such as Thailand have established businesses in the larger Western cities. They have all brought their Buddhist beliefs to their new homes, and helped to set up Buddhist centres all over North America. With technology and the expansion of travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...d by an arrow wishes to know who shoots the arrow, from which direction it comes, whether the arrow head is made of bone or iron, whether the shaft is of this kind of wood or another before he will have the arrow removed. This man is likened to those who would like to know about the origin of the Universe, whether the world is eternal or not, finite or not before they will undertake the practice of a religion. Just as the man in the parable will die before he has all the answers he wants regarding the origin and nature of the arrow, such people will die before they will ever have the answers to all their irrelevant questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personally, learning this theory has caused me to first, sigh in relief. I sigh because I realize that the Buddha is right. I realize that all the stress in deciding on a religion is completely irrelevant. The first step is accepting the world the way it is, at the present time, and understanding it. Then, concentrate on the things that are causing the suffering in my life. Without being a Buddha, one can live a life that would please any God (real or not, in almost any religion), while at the same time that person can be happy.