Theravada Vs. Mahayana

Theravada vs. Mahayana

Theme 1: Rituals

Theravada festivals: One important festival in Theravada is Wesak, which celebrates the life, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. It is usually practiced on a full moon in May, but the date of the festival differs between each country based on the calendar they use. During Wesak, Buddhists congregate in temples where the ceremony of the hoisting of the Buddhists flag is performed and they sing hymns about the three jewels of Buddhism. Then they will lay candles and flowers at the feet of a statue of the Buddha, which are supposed to remind the people celebrating that everything decays and is impermanent. Buddhists also perform service or acts of charity on Wesak, in order to help those who are less fortunate or just to offer food to those who stay in the temples during Wesak. Since the Buddha did not want to be worshipped by His followers, Wesak acts as a way to remind Buddhists that the true way to worship Him s to follow Buddhist teachings. Theravada Buddhists also celebrate Asala, which commemorates the conception, renunciation, and first sermon that he gave. Asala is also called Dharma day and allows Buddhists to show their gratitude to the Buddha or other Buddhas who have taught Buddhists.

Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhists celebrate Wesak and Asala along with Theravada Buddhists but have their own New Year’s holiday, which is celebrated on the first full moon in January.

Theme 2: Sacred Texts

Theravada Texts: The main texts used in Theravada Buddhism are the Tipitaka, which is divided into three sections: the sutras, the texts on discipline (Vinaya-pitaka), and the texts on special topics (Abhidharma-pitaka). The most common version of the Tipitaka is the Pali Cannon, which is the Tipitaka texts translated into Pali. Theravada Buddhists do not think that the Mahayana texts are authentic or carry authority.

Mahayana Texts: The main Mahayana texts used are Sutras, which Mahayana Buddhists believe carry the authority of the Buddha but it is argued that the Buddha did not actually write or speak the words in the Mahayana Sutras. The sutras are called Prajnaparamita Literature because they are considered to contain a lot of wisdom are divided into categories like the Heart Sutra, the Sukhavati Sutra, or the Lotus Sutra, which describes the world in which the Buddha resides, which is called the “pure lands.”

Theme 3: Doctrines/Beliefs

Theravada Eschatology Doctrine: Theravadins do not believe in an ultimate or permanent higher power and generally do not focus on metaphysics. They believe in the basic cycle of life that consists of birth, death, and re-birth until one reaches Nirvana. In Theravada Buddhism, human suffering is due to Tanha, and the defilements that come with cravings can be classified into the Ten Fetters and the Five Hindrances. Theravadins believe that each person is responsible for his or her path to enlightenment and focus primarily on attaining wisdom through deep meditation and study of the Dharma.

Mahayana Eschatology: Mahayana Buddhists believe there is a supreme power that does not directly control everything, but keeps the universe in balance. Mahayana Buddhists also focus on emulating the Bodhisattvas such as Amitabha, who are viewed like saints within the religion. Mahayana Buddhists focus more on practicing compassion and view the sacrifice of Nirvana in order to help others reach enlightenment by the Bodhisattvas a model and example of compassion.

Theme 4: Religious Experience

Theravada Religious Experience: Theravada Buddhism emphasizes monastic as the best way to attain Nirvana. Although there are many people who practice Theravada Buddhism who are not monks, this lifestyle is emphasized and lay people believe that good karma will help them be reborn into a better life where he or she can be a monk. Monks have the opportunity to devote their lives to achieving enlightenment and Nirvana. All boys are required to spend some time in a monastery, even if they do not plan on becoming a monk.

Mahayana Religious Experience: Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes practicing compassion in one’s everyday life and although monasteries and monk-hood are important, they are not seen as the only way to achieve enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhists perform daily puja and also perform service to monks, so it is more individual based than group based.

Theme 5: Ethics and Moral Conduct

Theravada and Mahayana Ethics: There are some distinctions between Theravada and Mahayana ethics specifically relating to the Vinaya, or rules of the monasteries in each type of Buddhism. Theravada follows the traditional Vinaya and Mahayana Buddhists will either follow the Vinaya or the Bodhisattva Precepts, which are mainly used in Japan. There are 253 rules for the Bhikshus and 364 rules for the Bhikshunis (female monks).

Theravada Vs. Mahayana

Theravada vs. Mahayana

Theme 1: Rituals

Theravada festivals: One important festival in Theravada is Wesak, which celebrates the life, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. It is usually practiced on a full moon in May, but the date of the festival differs between each country based on the calendar they use. During Wesak, Buddhists congregate in temples where the ceremony of the hoisting of the Buddhists flag is performed and they sing hymns about the three jewels of Buddhism. Then they will lay candles and flowers at the feet of a statue of the Buddha, which are supposed to remind the people celebrating that everything decays and is impermanent. Buddhists also perform service or acts of charity on Wesak, in order to help those who are less fortunate or just to offer food to those who stay in the temples during Wesak. Since the Buddha did not want to be worshipped by His followers, Wesak acts as a way to remind Buddhists that the true way to worship Him s to follow Buddhist teachings. Theravada Buddhists also celebrate Asala, which commemorates the conception, renunciation, and first sermon that he gave. Asala is also called Dharma day and allows Buddhists to show their gratitude to the Buddha or other Buddhas who have taught Buddhists.

Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhists celebrate Wesak and Asala along with Theravada Buddhists but have their own New Year’s holiday, which is celebrated on the first full moon in January.

Theme 2: Sacred Texts

Theravada Texts: The main texts used in Theravada Buddhism are the Tipitaka, which is divided into three sections: the sutras, the texts on discipline (Vinaya-pitaka), and the texts on special topics (Abhidharma-pitaka). The most common version of the Tipitaka is the Pali Cannon, which is the Tipitaka texts translated into Pali. Theravada Buddhists do not think that the Mahayana texts are authentic or carry authority.

Mahayana Texts: The main Mahayana texts used are Sutras, which Mahayana Buddhists believe carry the authority of the Buddha but it is argued that the Buddha did not actually write or speak the words in the Mahayana Sutras. The sutras are called Prajnaparamita Literature because they are considered to contain a lot of wisdom are divided into categories like the Heart Sutra, the Sukhavati Sutra, or the Lotus Sutra, which describes the world in which the Buddha resides, which is called the “pure lands.”

Theme 3: Doctrines/Beliefs

Theravada Eschatology Doctrine: Theravadins do not believe in an ultimate or permanent higher power and generally do not focus on metaphysics. They believe in the basic cycle of life that consists of birth, death, and re-birth until one reaches Nirvana. In Theravada Buddhism, human suffering is due to Tanha, and the defilements that come with cravings can be classified into the Ten Fetters and the Five Hindrances. Theravadins believe that each person is responsible for his or her path to enlightenment and focus primarily on attaining wisdom through deep meditation and study of the Dharma.

Mahayana Eschatology: Mahayana Buddhists believe there is a supreme power that does not directly control everything, but keeps the universe in balance. Mahayana Buddhists also focus on emulating the Bodhisattvas such as Amitabha, who are viewed like saints within the religion. Mahayana Buddhists focus more on practicing compassion and view the sacrifice of Nirvana in order to help others reach enlightenment by the Bodhisattvas a model and example of compassion.

Theme 4: Religious Experience

Theravada Religious Experience: Theravada Buddhism emphasizes monastic as the best way to attain Nirvana. Although there are many people who practice Theravada Buddhism who are not monks, this lifestyle is emphasized and lay people believe that good karma will help them be reborn into a better life where he or she can be a monk. Monks have the opportunity to devote their lives to achieving enlightenment and Nirvana. All boys are required to spend some time in a monastery, even if they do not plan on becoming a monk.

Mahayana Religious Experience: Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes practicing compassion in one’s everyday life and although monasteries and monk-hood are important, they are not seen as the only way to achieve enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhists perform daily puja and also perform service to monks, so it is more individual based than group based.

Theme 5: Ethics and Moral Conduct

Theravada and Mahayana Ethics: There are some distinctions between Theravada and Mahayana ethics specifically relating to the Vinaya, or rules of the monasteries in each type of Buddhism. Theravada follows the traditional Vinaya and Mahayana Buddhists will either follow the Vinaya or the Bodhisattva Precepts, which are mainly used in Japan. There are 253 rules for the Bhikshus and 364 rules for the Bhikshunis (female monks).

Buddhism -The Worlds Wisdom

The World’s Wisdom, Buddhism

Main Ideas of Buddhism

1. Anatta

Anatta means that each person does not have an inner substance or soul and that each physical body is just a constantly changing mixture of thoughts and physical appearances. It is related to how we do not see a machine, such as a car, as anything other than a combination of the parts that make up the machine.

2. Right Mindfulness

The practice of right mindfulness comes from the Satipatthana Sutta and is very important to Buddhists for meditation. It contains information on the four foundations of mindfulness, which are awareness of the body, sensation, mind, and mind-objects. To be aware of one’s body, he or she tries to be aware of his or her body by meditating while controlling one’s breathing, being mindful of one’s posture, the parts of the body, bodily acts, and recognizes that at some point, they will die and the body will decay like all others do. To be aware of sensations, one must constantly be aware of what he or she is feeling and what kind of sensation they experience. To be aware of the mind, one must try to recognize his or changes in feelings and be in control of his or her feelings and mental states. To be aware of the mind-objects, one must always try to be aware of the five Hindrances, the five Skandhas, the six-sense bases, the seven factors of enlightenment and the four noble truths. The five hindrances are lust, anger, sloth, restlessness and doubts and one must try to always be aware of when he or she has or does not have these. Skandhas are groups of existence and they are materiality, sensation, perception, moods, and thoughts. The seven factors of enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation of the “law”, energy, enthusiasm, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. One must try to recognize when these qualities are within him or her and if they are not, one must try to bring about these qualities and develop them.

3. Description of Nirvana

There are five qualities of Nirvana that help describe it, although it is impossible to truly describe Nirvana. The first quality of Nirvana is that it is the end of Karma and therefore the end of rebirth and attachment to the physical world or craving. The second quality is that in Nirvana the three poisons (greed, hate, and delusion) do not exist. Also, there is no such thing as death or aging in Nirvana and one’s heart is delivered to Nirvana to be in bliss. It is also emphasized that Nirvana is real and is a tangible state of existence.

4. Description of Arahat

An Arahat is an individual who has followed the four noble truths and the eightfold path and has reached enlightenment and Nirvana. An Arahat is different from a Buddha because a Buddha is someone who is considered to have reached Nirvana without outside aid or information. An Arahat is someone who does not have any more spiritual progress to make and are happy because they have detached themselves from craving.

Mahayana Buddhism

1. Emptiness

In Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of Anatta is emphasized a lot and it is believed that things are empty, including the Buddha and his teachings. Therefore, the only thing that is permanent is the emptiness in the world. Mahayana Buddhists believe that even Nirvana is empty and that the emptiness of the world should be embraced and that people should try to recognize it as much as possible. They believe that we are all already enlightened, therefore there is no problem and no solution in life because we are all already enlightened.

2. The ideal Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva is someone who has reached enlightenment but does not move onto Nirvana in order to help others reach enlightenment. Through this process, a Bodhisattva eventually realizes that because we are all born enlightened, there is no one to help. A Bodhisattva is also someone who’s compassion for humanity causes them to make this decision, instead of wanting to be remembered as a Bodhisattva or enlightened one. A Bodhisattva also tries to display their enlightened state to others and “radiate” their enlightenment in order to help lead others toward Nirvana.

3. Devotional Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhists created new scriptures when it was developed that provide a way for people to be devotional within their practice of Buddhism. The scriptures allow Buddhists to call on Bodhisattvas and Buddhas for guidance in the journey, and they do this through devotion like prayer or meditation. There are many texts on the greatness of the Buddha and how he has allowed all being to reach salvation and this is a reward for devoting oneself to the different Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. One of these Buddhas is Amitabha, who resides in a pure world that humans can go to after death in order to reach enlightenment more easily. The Lotus Sutra is also a prominent part of this scripture as it portrays the Buddha as a savior and someone who has come to help humanity and that we should devote ourselves to him because this will lead to our salvation.

1. The first question is whether or not other people's actions affect each individual or if other's actions have no effect on the outcome of one's life. The second question is whether or not humans are independent of fate and what happens in their life relies solely on free will, or if humans are not independent of fate and there is a reason for everything that happens. The third question is whether or not the mind or the heart is the best or most important part of humans. Smith argues that these distinctions have divided humanity throughout history including within Buddhism because they contribute to our basic fundamental beliefs of the world around us.

2. The main division between the different sects of Buddhism is that one group of Buddhists believed that it was more important for one to work towards enlightenment through extreme diligence and meditation, while the other group believed that it was more important to be compassionate and love others. This main difference translated into other important differences between the two sects and the sect that believed in the importance of compassion was called Mahayana which means "big raft" because it focused more on the ordinary person. The sect that focused on meditation and gaining wisdom was called Hinayana, which means "little raft".

3.

a)In Theravada Buddhism, one's progress relies specifically on his or her actions. In Mayahana Buddhism, one's progress is linked and connected to all other individuals.

b)Theravada Buddhists believe that there is no god and that humans are alone in the universe and do not focus on metaphysics. Mayahana Buddhists believe that there is a supreme power that does not directly controls everything, but keeps the universe in balance and focus more on metaphysics.

c)In Theravada Buddhism, the best way to enlightenment is Bodhi, or wisdom while in Mayahana Buddhism, the main path to enlightenment is Karuna or compassion.

d) Due to the emphasis on wisdom in Theravada Buddhism, the Sangha is very important. Mayahana Buddhism is designed for the normal everyday person.

e) Theravada Buddhists emulate the Arhats, who seek nirvana and enlightenment on their own while Mayahana Buddhists emulate the Bodhisattvas, who help others reach nirvana and enlightenment.

f) All of the differences between the two contribute to how they view the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism, he is viewed as a saint and more of as an example of what to do. In Mayahana Buddhism, he is viewed as a savior who used his knowledge to help others. This difference in how they view the nature of the Buddha sums up the main differences between the two religions.

g) Theravada Buddhism minimizes ritual and focuses and meditation while Mayahana Buddhism emphasizes ritual and includes prayer as well as meditation.

Smith Buddhism Assignment

1. What is the biggest problem faced when trying to understand some of the core ideas/beliefs of Buddhism?

The biggest problem in trying to understand Buddhism is that Buddha did not teach on certain topics such as cosmology but focused on developing a way to live one's life. He only taught about how to live a life that leads to ending suffering, but did not teach as much about more abstract metaphysical topics.

2. How does Smith describe/define nirvana? Is it possible to conceive of what Nirvana is? Why or Why not?

Smith explains that Nirvana has a duality of what is left once one reaches Nirvana. The negative view is that all of the finite things that restrict the infinite self have been destroyed. The positive view is that it is a state in which only the infinite self exists. Some believe that Nirvana can be interpreted to be the closest definition to a God-head that Buddhism has, but the Buddha never confirmed this belief in his teachings. According to Buddha and his followers, one cannot explain or conceive of what Nirvana is because it is a state in which nothing physical or finite exists, so there is no way for humans to understand it.

3. How/what is Anatta according to Smith?

Anatta is the Buddhist doctrine which says there is no permanent soul within each person. It does not mean that there is no soul, but the doctrine denies the traditional Hindu beliefs that it a "spiritual substance" that always has a separate identity. There is a sense of a soul in Buddhism, the concept of Anatta just clarifies that Buddhism does not hold the same view of the soul as Hinduism.

4. How does Smith describe the concept of transmigration and its relation to Karma?

In Buddhism, Transmigration is like a flame being passed from one candle to another indefinitely. There is always a flame, but it is not exactly the same flame as the flame that was on the first candle. This means that Buddhists view transmigration as a continuing cycle of events. One's present condition is due to Karma in the sense that what has already happened causes what is happening presently even if it was in a past life because the world is seen as a sequence of actions and affects of those actions. This also affirms the Buddhist concept that there is no spiritual substance transmitted from one life to the next.

5. According to Smith, why did the Buddha belabor the concept of Anicca?

The Buddha emphasized the concept of Anicca because he believed that if people really accepted this concept it would be easier for them to separate themselves from the physical world, making it easier to reach Nirvana.

6. What is the biggest problem, according to Smith, when trying to answer the question “Do Humans survive bodily death?”

It is hard to answer this question because human’s can only describe things within our physical parameters because that is the only consciousness we have ever known. The problem is that after death or once one has reached Nirvana, everything that we have experienced in the physical world is eliminated. This means that it is hard to describe what happens after death because the idea that the soul does survive bodily death usually makes humans think of a physical soul, which cannot exist after death.

Bahá'í Faith

Part 1

What is the human condition?
Bahá’ís believe that all humans are born good because everything created by God is good in nature. Humans have free will and therefore stray from their inherent good nature, which is the cause of evil in the world. Bahá’ís believe that each human is part of a unified human race and it is the responsibility of each person to recognize this truth and work towards manifesting it. Bahá’ís also believe that humans exist in a physical form on earth in order to use the opportunities of the physical world to understand and know God better and to grow spiritually.

Where are we going/what is the goal?

Bahá’ís believe that after death one’s soul can either go to paradise, which is a state of perfection and unity with God. Bahá’ís do not believe in a physical location of hell, but if one’s soul does not obtain the spiritual growth required to become unified with God one’s soul will remain in a state of imperfection and disunity from God. Humans should also work toward the goal of creating a unified human race as the maturity of humanity progresses over time.

How do we get there?

Humans can reach paradise by praying and communing with God daily in order to achieve spiritual growth and development. Humans should also follow the religious laws set forth by Bahá’u’lláh and some of the other prophets, and should try to avoid making evil decisions due to free will that could distance them from God. Humans can also achieve paradise by working towards the unification of humanity specifically through performing service and recognizing the unity of all religions and practicing religious tolerance.

Part 2- In Depth Research

1. Key Concepts:

1. The Unity of Humanity: Bahá’ís believe that the human race is one unified group and therefore there is no justification for any type of prejudice. This is the main tenant of the Bahá’í Faith and therefore influences all other Bahá’í principles and doctrines. Bahá’ís believe that humanity is going through a gradual maturation process, and we are at the point in which we need to begin working towards eliminating prejudice and injustice from the world in order to unify the human race.

2. The Unity of God: Bahá’ís believe that there is only one God, and they believe that there is only one God throughout all religions and that God has been responsible for the creation of all major religions in the world. Bahá’ís also believe that part of our purpose in life is to better understand and know God through spiritual development in order to unite with God after death.

3. The Unity of Religion: Bahá’ís also believe in the unity of all of the major religions in the world and believe they’re beliefs are valid because they all came from the same God. Bahá’ís stress accepting all religions and religious traditions while they also stress focusing on what Bahá'u’lláh taught in order to bring humanity into a new era and a new step in the progression of its maturation process.

4. Bahá’u’lláh: Bahá’u’lláh is the messenger of God who founded the religion. It was announced by the Báb that there would be a new religious prophet coming and in the late 1800’s, Bahá’u’lláh began working towards founding the Bahá’í Faith. He and his followers were imprisoned and tortured for many years, which resulted in multiple exiles from Baghdad during his lifetime.

5. Messengers of God: Bahá’u’lláh is seen as one of the many messengers of God that have been sent to earth throughout history. This is the main reason for why Bahá’ís believe in the unity of all religions. They believe that each messenger of God has been sent to earth at different stages in humanity’s maturation process and to different cultures. These messengers of God communicated God’s wishes to that specific culture during that specific time so that humanity could progress more and more over time with the guidance of God.

6. Independent Search For Truth: The Bahá’í concept of the independent search for truth means that every person has the responsibility to investigate their religious beliefs and seek the truth about life’s questions for themselves. One is not supposed to simply follow a religion just because his or her parents did, or because he or she has been told to. Bahá’ís believe in studying all kinds of religious texts and each person is responsible for finding their own personal truth.

7. Service: Service plays a large role in worship in the Bahá’í Faith. Service is considered worship whenever one does anything that is done with the interest of serving others. For this reason, many Bahá’ís hold service-oriented professions like teachers, doctors, or work with local non-profit organizations. Service can also be in the form of community service projects on an individual and community wide level, but it can also just mean providing for one’s family and taking care of one’s children.

8. Good and Evil: Bahá’ís do not believe that our desires for materialistic things are evil because everything created by God is viewed as good. Bahá’ís believe the physical form of the human body and the physical world are supposed to be used as a way to develop spiritually. Bahá’ís believe that if these physical desires are unlimited, they could cause harm to the soul or the spiritual progress a person has made. Bahá’ís also believe that humans are inherently good and that evil is simply the absence of good in the world due to our decisions caused by free will.

9. The Universal House of Justice: The Universal House of Justice is a legislative community of the Bahá’í Faith that began in 1963. It is a group of nine members who are elected every five years. They determine the progress and development of the Bahá’í Faith. They also control holy sites and artifacts of the faith. It is very similar to the Vatican in its purpose and function within the faith, except it has multiple leaders who do not play as large of a role in the religious experience of members.

10. Universal Education: The goal of having universal education is a very important concept within the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’u’lláh valued education a lot because he believed that it is a main part in the development of society and humanity. Bahá’ís believe that all humans should receive an education in terms of subject matter and also believe that everyone should be educated on what it means to be a global citizen of the world.

2. Rituals:

a) Houses of Worship: Bahá’ís congregate in Houses of Worship, which are community centers that are common to churches or mosques and are open to members of all religions. Houses of Worship do not only act as places for worship, but also as the main center for the community. Bahá’í gatherings do not involve worship in the way that other religions do because they do not include rituals, clergy, or sermons. Instead, Bahá’ís read religious texts from all religions, pray, or play music. During worship, Bahá’ís read texts from varying religions while focusing on the texts of Bahá’u’lláh, the Bahá’í Prophet or messenger of God. There are major houses of worship around the world with at least one on each continent and community centers for smaller Bahá’í communities. Houses of Worship are important because community life is central to the Faith, as Bahá’ís believe that each community acts as an example of a unified human race and are places where service projects can be organized which is another important part of the faith.

b) The Nineteen-Day Feast: An important festival or religious holiday within the Bahá’í Faith is the Nineteen Day Feast. The Bahá’í calendar consists of 19, nineteen-day months, so once every nineteen days, Bahá’ís within a community gather to interact socially, make announcements that pertain to the whole community or administration of the community, and keep the community unified. Bahá’ís do not have clergy, but each community does have a group of nine elected leaders who organize community events and work with the national or international elected leaders. At each nineteen day feast, the community leaders can inform the members of the community about events and news on a community, national, and international level within the faith.

3. Sacred Texts:

The Bahá’í prophet, Bahá’u’lláh wrote around 40,000 pages of Bahá’í sacred texts within his life time that have all been preserved. Aside from studying the writings of Bahá’u’lláh Bahá’ís study the religious texts of all other religions as part of community meetings in Houses of Worship. They study other religious texts because of their beliefs on the unity of all religions and the validity of all messengers of God. Bahá’ís believe that the qualities of God can be seen through each of his messengers, but since one messenger only appears about once every thousand years, these messengers have written down God’s word in order for it to be preserved. Studying all religious text is really important to Bahá’ís because being able to understand all of the different messengers of God contributes to the Bahá’í principle of religious unity. Bahá’ís do not place a higher emphasis on one specific religious text because they view all religions as being equal. The most holy text written by Bahá’u’lláh is the Kitab-i-Aqbas, which consists of all of the moral laws and obligations of the faith.

1^st excerpt:

“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

This prayer is from the Kitab-i-Aqbas. It is the shortest obligatory prayer that was written by Bahá’u’lláh and it encompasses the main beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith because it states the Bahá’í belief of the human condition and the nature of God.

2^nd Excerpt:

“And now, concerning thy question regarding the creation of man. Know thou that all men have been created in the nature made by God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. Unto each one hath been prescribed a pre-ordained measure, as decreed in God’s mighty and guarded Tablets. All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify to this truth. Consider, for instance, that which hath been forbidden, in the Bayán, unto men. God hath in that Book, and by His behest, decreed as lawful whatsoever He hath pleased to decree, and hath, through the power of His sovereign might, forbidden whatsoever He elected to forbid. To this testifieth the text of that Book. Will ye not bear witness? Men, however, have wittingly broken His law. Is such a behavior to be attributed to God, or to their proper selves? Be fair in your judgment. Every good thing is of God, and every evil thing is from yourselves. Will ye not comprehend? This same truth hath been revealed in all the Scriptures, if ye be of them that understand. Every act ye meditate is as clear to Him as is that act when already accomplished. There is none other God besides Him. His is all creation and its empire. All stands revealed before Him; all is recorded in His holy and hidden Tablets. This fore-knowledge of God, however, should not be regarded as having caused the actions of men, just as your own previous knowledge that a certain event is to occur, or your desire that it should happen, is not and can never be the reason for its occurrence.” –Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

This excerpt is important because it describes the Bahá’í belief of the human condition and the nature of God more in depth. It basically says that human are made by God and are therefore good by nature, but our capabilities to make independent decisions cause us to disobey God’s laws. This means that any evil thing humans do is a result of their decisions while all good things that humans do come from the divine nature of humans that comes from God. Also, this excerpt illustrates the Bahá’í belief in a unified God by discussing the idea that there is only one all-knowing God, but emphasizes that God is not the reason for men’s evil actions.

3^rd Excerpt: “O YE children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requires…. It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favourably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men…. Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavours exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station.” –Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.

This passage is part of a series of proclamations made by Bahá’u’lláh that is directed toward the people of the world. It outlines the Bahá’í belief of the unity of humanity and calls on the global population to realize the unity of humanity and work towards achieving it. He specifically calls on the leaders of the other major religions and world leaders to begin this transformation and to understand that there could be serious consequences for humanity if we do not begin to work towards developing a unified human race.

4. Doctrines and Beliefs

1. Essential Statement of Belief: the essential belief of the Bahá’í Faith is that humanity is one unified element and Bahá’u’lláh said that God sent him to signal the oncoming unification of the human race. All other Bahá’í principles, doctrines and rituals center on this concept. The ethical and social concepts such as destroying all forms of prejudice, promoting equality, and accepting members of all religions are important ethical laws that support the unification of the human race. The idea that service towards others as a form of worship and the principles of the unity of God and other religions also center on this concept. Bahá’u’lláh said that he had been sent to signal this coming era, and people’s responsibility is to accept it and being working towards that goal.

2. The two other key doctrines are the unity of God and the unity of all major religions, which stem from and support the main concept of the unity of humanity. The Bahá’í Faith is a monotheistic religion because they believe that there is only one all-knowing God. They also believe that God is unified throughout all religions because every major religion stemmed from the same God. Bahá’ís believe that God has sent different messengers or prophets to earth throughout history in order to bring his message to humanity at that specific time period.

3. Eschatology: Bahá’ís believe that every person has a permanent soul and that the body is just a physical being, not part of the soul. Bahá’ís believe that after the physical death of the body, the soul continues through multiple “worlds” on a journey towards uniting with God. Bahá’ís do not believe in literal locations of heaven and hell, but that if one’s soul does not make progress towards becoming closer with God after death, they will remain in a state of being distant from God, which is considered to be hell. Progressing towards and finally uniting with God is considered to be heaven. During one’s lifetime, Bahá’ís work on communing with God every day and studying religious text in order to begin getting closer to God.

5. Religious Experience

1. Role of worship and prayer: Prayer is very important within the Bahá’í Faith because it plays a key role in understanding and becoming closer to God, which is an essential part of the faith. Bahá’u’lláh wrote thousands of prayers during his lifetime, and prescribed a few obligatory prayers that Bahá’ís must recite every day, which is part of the obligation to pray and commune with God daily. Worship also plays a very large role in the Faith, because it plays a large role in the development of the Bahá’í community through the houses of worship. Music also plays a large role in worship, especially in social rituals like the Nineteen Day Feast.

2. The group experience in the Bahá’í Faith: The community of Bahá’ís can be seen as a model for a unified human race and therefore, the community plays a large role in the religious experience of the individual. The main center for community life is in the Houses of Worship and through community meetings and service as a form of worship. Each individual performs service-oriented tasks in their own life such as through their professions, and sometimes the community organizes larger projects that involve more members of the faith. Bahá’ís are also encouraged to connect with members of other faiths as a part of the principles of acceptance of other faiths and the unity of humanity. Throughout most aspects of the Bahá’í Faith, elements of the personal religious experience can are also part of the experience of the community as a whole such as the examples of service and worship.

6. Ethics and Moral Conduct

The main ethical beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith include:

-Praying daily and/or communing with God.

-Trustworthiness, chastity and honesty are some of the emphasized virtues, but being a generally moral person is very important.

-Being dedicated to service toward others

-Accepting members of all religions

-Avoiding being materialistic, using drugs and alcohol, or gambling.

The main social principles are also interconnected with the ethical beliefs of the faith, they include:

-Removing all forms of prejudice from society.

-Equality of women

-Recognizing the unity of religions

-Eliminating poverty and wealth.

-Universal Education

-Each person has a responsibility to independently search for truth.

-Establishing a global organization of nations

-Recognizing that religion coexists with science.

There are not many different interpretations of these ethical beliefs within the faith because it is such a young religion. These are the ethical beliefs of the faith but Bahá’ís also follow most of the other ethical beliefs of other religions like the Ten Commandments, and other beliefs from different religions. There are different interpretations that come with the tenants of other religions that Bahá’ís study, but they mainly rely on the texts for information on those religions.

Useful resources:

http://www.bahai.org/

http://reference.bahai.org/en/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6-lb6vRLE

Buddhism Overview 7-11

7. a) Buddhism does not have a text that is similar to the bible, but there are texts that were specifically designed for the sangha that elaborated on the teachings of Buddha such as the Pali Triptaka. Specific divisions of Buddhism also created their own group of texts like the canons of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. Mayahana Buddhism’s main texts are sutras such as the diamond sutra from the Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom.

b) The Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom was written in Sanskrit and is part of the sutras in Mayahana Buddhism. It describes various points in the life of Buddha and describes specific bodhisattvas and other celestial beings. It usually has a picture in the center and script around it describing it and the teachings that relate to it.

8. a) In Mayahana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are celestial beings who help others attain enlightenment. They are considered to be Buddhas who are representations of the nature of a Buddha. They are usually people who have reached a state of heightened consciousness but chose not to enter nirvana but to stay and teach others and once he or she does enter nirvana, he or she will not be able to help other Buddhists.

b) One of the symbols used to celestial beings is the lotus blossom as they are usually depicted holding one because it symbolizes enlightenment. Celestial beings are also sometimes depicted as holding a bow and arrow, which symbolizes their ability to know the heart of all beings. Also, sometimes the eye of compassion will be present on their hand, which symbolizes their compassion and heightened state of consciousness.

9. a) After Buddhism spread to China, they developed their own forms of different Buddhas that were depicted in Chinese Buddhist art. The Chinese depiction of an overweight laughing Buddha came from Maitreya, who was originally depicted as a young man.

b) Zen Buddhism is one of the most well known forms of Buddhism in the west although it is not the most practiced form of Buddhism in Japan. There are two schools of Zen Buddhism; Rinzai Zen Buddhism and Soto Zen Buddhism. Rinzai’s main practices focus on Koan, which is like a saying, or question they ask. Soto’s main practices focus on sitting in meditation to achieve enlightenment.

10. Tantric Buddhism is a form of Buddhism that focuses that uses meditation, rituals, magic, and forms of symbolism in order to attain enlightenment faster than the other forms of Buddhism. Tantric Buddhism also focuses on Bodhisattvas and recognizing that everything is Buddha-natured which makes everything equal. Tantric Buddhists base these practices off of the Tantra texts and also sometimes use mantras as a form of prayer.

11. Many different forms of Buddhism have developed since Siddhartha Gautama founded it, but the basic beliefs of each division are still basically the same. The methods of devotion, beliefs of cosmology and the nature of the Buddha are all similar throughout the different schools of Buddhist thought which mainly differ due to geographical or regional characteristics. Buddhism also generally relies heavily on symbolism and the use of drawings and texts to illustrate the teachings of Buddha and his life. Due to the differences between the different divisions of the faith, Buddhism can be very complex but at its core is the same set of beliefs.7. a) Buddhism does not have a text that is similar to the bible, but there are texts that were specifically designed for the sangha that elaborated on the teachings of Buddha such as the Pali Triptaka. Specific divisions of Buddhism also created their own group of texts like the canons of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. Mayahana Buddhism’s main texts are sutras such as the diamond sutra from the Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom.

b) The Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom was written in Sanskrit and is part of the sutras in Mayahana Buddhism. It describes various points in the life of Buddha and describes specific bodhisattvas and other celestial beings. It usually has a picture in the center and script around it describing it and the teachings that relate to it.

8. a) In Mayahana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are celestial beings who help others attain enlightenment. They are considered to be Buddhas who are representations of the nature of a Buddha. They are usually people who have reached a state of heightened consciousness but chose not to enter nirvana but to stay and teach others and once he or she does enter nirvana, he or she will not be able to help other Buddhists.

b) One of the symbols used to celestial beings is the lotus blossom as they are usually depicted holding one because it symbolizes enlightenment. Celestial beings are also sometimes depicted as holding a bow and arrow, which symbolizes their ability to know the heart of all beings. Also, sometimes the eye of compassion will be present on their hand, which symbolizes their compassion and heightened state of consciousness.

9. a) After Buddhism spread to China, they developed their own forms of different Buddhas that were depicted in Chinese Buddhist art. The Chinese depiction of an overweight laughing Buddha came from Maitreya, who was originally depicted as a young man.

b) Zen Buddhism is one of the most well known forms of Buddhism in the west although it is not the most practiced form of Buddhism in Japan. There are two schools of Zen Buddhism; Rinzai Zen Buddhism and Soto Zen Buddhism. Rinzai’s main practices focus on Koan, which is like a saying, or question they ask. Soto’s main practices focus on sitting in meditation to achieve enlightenment.

10. Tantric Buddhism is a form of Buddhism that focuses that uses meditation, rituals, magic, and forms of symbolism in order to attain enlightenment faster than the other forms of Buddhism. Tantric Buddhism also focuses on Bodhisattvas and recognizing that everything is Buddha-natured which makes everything equal. Tantric Buddhists base these practices off of the Tantra texts and also sometimes use mantras as a form of prayer.

11. Many different forms of Buddhism have developed since Siddhartha Gautama founded it, but the basic beliefs of each division are still basically the same. The methods of devotion, beliefs of cosmology and the nature of the Buddha are all similar throughout the different schools of Buddhist thought which mainly differ due to geographical or regional characteristics. Buddhism also generally relies heavily on symbolism and the use of drawings and texts to illustrate the teachings of Buddha and his life. Due to the differences between the different divisions of the faith, Buddhism can be very complex but at its core is the same set of beliefs