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Buddha Head
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Its long and complex history has made the Buddhist tradition extraordinarily diverse.
Buddhism is commonly known for its very austere tradition of self-reliance, found in the early Buddhist monastic community. Relying simply on yourself in order to achieve the experience of nirvana that the Buddha himself achieved. One example of this is the monastic practice in Theravada Buddhist countries of South East Asia, particularly Sri Lanka, where the center of Buddhist activity lies largely in the monastery among a group of yellow-robed monks. They go out in the morning in a very austere and simple way with their begging balls walking from house to house, holding out their balls, taking off the lead, and inviting members of the community providing them with the aids that will sustain them for that day.
One of the classical rules in traditional Buddhism is that monks can't carry food from one day to the next. Every morning those monks have to go out in their robes with their balls to beg their food. That austere simple tradition is a tradition that really grows right out of the experience of the Buddha, from the earliest stages in the growth of the Buddhist tradition.
You find the same kind of self-reliance in the Zen tradition in Japan. I was just visiting in Japan a couple of weeks ago as part of a conference when I went down to Kyoto, the great imperial capital of Japan, and visited with a Zen master, who was the head of one of the monasteries in one of the monastic compounds, a monastery called Daitoku-ji. I was talking to him and taking photographs. As I focused my camera on him, I told him how important it was going to be for my students to be able to show them a picture of a Zen master, who was clearly so accomplished, and who clearly embodied in a powerful way that tradition. He looked me straight in the eye and said: "I want you to tell them when you speak to them about this tradition: to be courageous, to stand up straight and to rely on themselves". Like many people in my business have a little bit of a scholars stoop, I found myself just standing a little straighter.
There is also another important aspect of the tradition that insists that is not possible, and perhaps not even desirable, to achieve salvation purely on your own merit, purely relying on your own power. But instead to rely on the power of some deity, some figure that is infinitely greater than you.
One example of this we'll study in more detail in other articles is the worship of the Amida Buddha by Pure Land Buddhists in Japan. Pure Land Buddhism has come to North America like many other varieties of Buddhism and in some of its manifestations in this country in particular it looks often a lot like Christian devotion.
I was visiting not so long ago one of the Pure Land temples in Hawaii and being the curious scholar that I am, I opened a little hymnal in the back of the temple and looked at it. It had words that seemed mysteriously familiar to me. It began: "Buddha loves me, this I know for the Sutras tell me so".
Another example of Buddhist devotion with which we'll occupy some of our attention is Chinese Buddhist devotion to the bodhisattva or Future Buddha, not a Buddha per say, but a deity that will become a Buddha in a future life. The bodhisattva Guan Yin.
Guan Yin is often pictured as a beautiful standing female figure holding a baby. In Chinese civilization, Guan Yin is viewed as being the emodiment of compassion, but of compassion particularly associated with the development of a healthy and happy family and the gift of children.
When I was visiting a Chinese Buddhist pilgrimage site in Shangai, I ran into a group of Chinese Buddhists, ethnic Chinese Buddhists who came from the Philipines and Indonesia. I asked why they had made the long and rather arduous, and rather expensive trip to pay homage to the deity Guan Yin, and they said that it was for the wealth of their family, and particularly for the hope to have children.
This is an aspect of Buddhism that for many people might seem unfamiliar but it too is deeply rooted in the practice of the Indian tradition and we'll need to occupy some of our attention in Tibet. One of the most important aspects of religious devotion is focused not necessarily on these great celestial figures but on the human beings who embody their power. The Dalai Lama in particular is one of these. People think of the Dalai Lama sometimes as being a living Buddha, technically that's not correct, he is a living manifestation of the compassion of the same bodhisattva who is manifested as Guan Yin in China. But he too has an extraordinary ability to make the power of compassion present for people. I'll occupy some articles on the important figure of the Dalai Lama.
Devotion is an important aspect of the Buddhist tradition, not just relying on yourself but in a sense opening yourself to the power that comes from a figure much greater than you.
- More about Self-reliance and devotion in Buddhism on my blog.
- More about Buddhism Beliefs
Amitabha buddha thagka
Amitabha is one of the Dhyani Buddhas said to be residing in Sukhavati, Dewa Chen,meaning ‘ the paradise of bliss’,in the Western Heaven in peaceful meditation. In Tibetan he is known as Opama (limitless light), or ‘Nangwathaye’ (endless pure perception). His resplendent body glows brilliant red, resembling a precious ruby. He exhibits the thirty two auspicious sign and the eighty physical perfections, as with the other Buddhas. All the Dhyani Buddhas are emanations of Supreme Buddha Essence. Most of the Vajrayana deities pertain to one of the Dhyani Buddhas.
Amitabha has one face and two hands. His eyes appear half closed as if in deep meditation, his expression is one of the contentment and peace. His hair is piled atop his head and crowned with a gem top. His hands, crushed in the Samadhi Mudra of meditation, hold a gold patron begging ball. He is attired in the Dharma robe and seats crossed legged on a moon disk atop an exquisite thousand petal lotus. The under rope, a red monastic garment, is lavishly adorned with gold cloud patterns. Over this, covering a portion of his topless body he wears orange shawl like robe decorated with delicate gold pattern patches.
Fragrant flower decoration flourish about Amitabha and various offerings are placed before him. The shimmering Nimbus abounds with rays executed in gold and bordered with a bejeweled band of intricately burnished gold. With the ever watchful eyes of compassion, he keeps vigil over all sentient beings. All, that is , except those who a have committed in expiable sins or who have no faith in the Dharma.
All beings who pray earnestly to him are immediately drawn by the power of Amitabha’s compassion, thus, enabling them to take rebirth in the blissful paradise in wish he resides. In this besutiful place all beings arise from a pure lotus bodies resplendent with luminosity. The land itself is very precious and id endowed with special qualities. The landscape’s beauty is indescribable and is said to shimmer with incredible brilliance, to be extremely smooth and spacious and contain the quality somewhat of a sponge. This is the famous “Buddha Land”.
The general impression presented by the figure of Amitabha is one of the tranquility and serenity. This is greatly emphasized by the soft hues graceful composition of the figure, the landscape, the floserd, the clouds and the remaining surrounds features. The landscapes are depicted in this manner as a suitable abode for celestial beings. The rare and precious offering is placed before him to purify our own delusion and defilements.
About the Author
Life of Buddha and Confucius?
after reading the Life of Buddha and Confucius i have a few questions that i just cant seem to get out of my head. Are we socially constructed?? are we defined by our own actions??
Buddha believes to treat everyone equally and well respect for others, as long as you follow that, you will have good "karma".
Confucius believes that we should respect the elders and treat the same rank with equal respect. Balance of nature.
Buddha is best - that's official!
TEACHERS and pupils from the Flexible Learning Centre at Bucklers Mead Community School in Yeovil were delighted to discover that their stunning stained glass interpretation of Buddha had won joint first place for the coveted Barbara Agutter RE Award.
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