Term Paper on "Buddhism the Facts"

Term Paper 4 pages (1288 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Buddhism

The facts of Buddhism are simple and easy to understand. The Buddhists use a sacred book called the Tripitaka, or the Pali Canon. To translate the Tripitaka from an ancient Indian language into English is tough, because it is so long, over forty volumes. In Christianity they believe that Jesus Christ came down from heaven and was the Son of God. In Buddhism, they believe in the wisdom of a very intelligent man named Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. The Tripitaka has three sections of sacred writing the religion call "baskets"; the first "Vinaya Pitaka" (Discipline Basket) a book that has rules; the "Sutta Pitaka" (Teaching Basket) the real things the Buddha did in life; the "Adhidhamma Pitaka" (Higher Doctrine Basket) the teaching of Buddha, or "Sutras" of Buddha.

The Buddhist religion believes that Siddhartha Gautama lived in Nepal, and was born into a royal family, and he became a rich prince. And that situation did not allow him to ever see the poor people that lived outside the walls of his palace. He never saw the way people suffer when they are sick, or when they get real old. So when Siddhartha got married and they had a baby, he went out from the palace walls for the first time, according to Buddhism beliefs, and when he got outside the walls he saw a very old man, a very sick man, and a dead body. Those things worry him.

He also saw a monk outside the wall and this a sign for him that he may leave the life of rich man and be homeless, to learn that suffering experience. This way he become Buddha.

Meanwhile the Theravada approach to Buddhism seems to resonate especially well with some Americans, according to books on the subject. And this paper will examine the question of, why does Theravada Buddhism - more than Zen and Mahayana Buddhism - seem to have found a place among those Westerners who have taken an interest in Buddhism? There are many reasons why the innovations that have occurred regarding Theravada Buddhism have struck a chord with a seemingly growing number of Westerners. This paper will review the precepts and philosophies put forward by those interpreting Theravada Buddhism, and a comparison of Theravada with Zen and Mahayana Buddhism (and Shin Buddhism, a form of Mahayana).

First there is the question of why Buddhism itself is becoming a more popular religion in the West. That question is answered by author James William Coleman in, the New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition. "One of the most fundamental reasons, then, for the spread of Buddhism in the West is that modern technologies of transportation and communication have brought more and more Westerners into contact with it" (Coleman 203). The rise of interest in and knowledge of Buddhism is directly connected to the better and quicker movement of "ideas" and "beliefs" - at a faster pace "than ever before in human history."

And because of this rapid pace of communication and immigration to the West, the Japanese-American community played a "particularly important role" in introducing Zen Buddhism to North America, and Sri Lankans and Burmese immigrants had a large role in bringing Theravada Buddhism to the UK and the U.S. according to Coleman's book.

As to why Theravada has become an attractive way of practicing Buddhism in the U.S. Donald Rothberg, writing in the Faces of Buddhism in America (Rothberg 268) explains that Theravada has evolved from its traditional and more conservative form in Asia and now is thought of as "socially engaged Buddhism." That means, it responds to and addresses "social action," and is more germane to the average person's "everyday life."

Rothberg asserts that the "1st Precept" of traditionally practiced Theravada is against killing; it implies that one person of Theravadan Buddhist faith should not kill another. But the "socially… READ MORE

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