Buddhism

In this paper we will put to an end to the ongoing question if the Buddhists are bowing down to Idols or Gods and why they do what they do. This paper will go into detail about the temple that I went to and the different tours that I was able to go on and the interview I was able to hold. I will also go into great detail about what you experience during one of the services in the Main Shrine. The Hsi Lai Temple sits on 15 acres of land and has a floor area of 102,432 sq. ft. nd is located at 3456 Glenmark Drive, Hacienda Heights CA 91745. The architecture when you first drive up is mind blowing and beautiful. The architecture stays true to the traditional styles of buildings, gardens, and statuary of the ancient Chinese monasteries. They started the planning and building of the temple in 1978 and finished the building ten years later in 1988. Hsi Lai means “coming west” and signifies the dedication of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order to spreading the teachings of the Buddha. Fo Guang Shan is the largest monastery and covers over 370 acres.

When you walk up the first set of steps you come to what they call the gate. On the top part of the sign it says Hsi Lai Temple which again means “coming west” and then on the four pillars it says the four universal vows, which are “to save all sentient beings, to eradicate all worries, to study the boundless Dharma, and to attain supreme Buddhahood. ” After you walk up the steps from the lower parking lot where the gate is you walk up more steps to the upper parking lot and then from their you walk up more steps to what they call the Bodhisattva Hall.

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings that made a vow to selflessly serve others with loving-kindness and compassion and are committed to liberating all beings from suffering. It is said that each one of the bodhisattvas represents a virtuous quality essential to all Buddhists. When talking about the bodhisattvas they made a point to make sure that we understood that when we saw that people were bowing to them that they were not bowing to an idol, but rather a sign of showing respect and seeking their guidance to develop the virtuous qualities they represent. Bowing also shows our own humility and the curbing of our ego.

There are five bodhisattvas are: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva which is symbolic of great practice, and helping us achieve more discipline in our daily life, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva which was known for his great vow to help all beings in hell and would not stop till hell was emptied of all beings, Maitreya Bodhisattva is the future Buddha and is the symbol of great benevolence and is often referred to as Happy Buddah, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva which symbolizes the perfection and loving-kindness, and Manjusri Bodhisattva which is known for great wisdom which empowers one to distinguish universal morality from wrongdoing.

Underneath the five bodhisattva are engraved Chinese characters from the Diamond Sutra. Next to the Heart Sutra the Diamond Sutra is the most widely read of the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, and is highly valued among sects in Chan Buddhism.

While I was at the His Lai Temple I found that they have an information where you can go on two different types of tours of their temple: the first being a self-guided audio tour where they give you a cd player and it gives you valuable information about the temple and all its rooms and buildings as well as the gardens and information on the statues that are found throughout the temple, The second type of tour they offer is with a docent who is more than willing to answer any questions that may come up during the tour, while they inform you about everything within the temple.

The two gardens I was able to see within the temple was: the first being the Arhat Garden where the eighteen arhats are seated. The Arhats have realized the truth of no-self and that all is a composite of the five aggregates dependant on other phenomena originally empty and subject to impermanence. It is said that the eighteen Arharts were able to overcome the difilements of greed, anger, and ignorance.

The eighteen Arhats are: Cudapanthaka which is the door watching arhat, Jivaka which is the heart exposing arhat, Vajraputra which is the persuading arhat, Subinda which is the pagoda holding arhat, Panthaka which is the arhat with stretched arms, Kalika which is the dust cleaning arhat, Bhadra which is the arhat that crossed the river, Pindola which is the arhat with long eyebrows, Nakula which is the silently seated arhat, Ajita which is the arhat riding the deer, Maitreya which is the tiger taming arhat, Angaja which is the arhat with a sack, Vananasim which is the arhat under the banana tree, Rahula which is the arhat in deep conversation, Manakassapa which the dragon subduing arhat, Kanakabharadavaja which is the arhat holding the alms bowl, Nagasena which is the ear cleaning arhat, and Kanakavatsa which is the jolly arhat. The second garden is the Avalokitesvara Garden. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is seated on a giant rock with both her attendants, Shanci and Longnu who are standing beside her.

Surrounding the pond are the four Deva Kings: Virudhaka of the Southern Kingdom which is holding the sword, Virupaksa of the Western Kingdom which is holding the dragon, Dhanada of the Northern Kingdom which is holding the umbrella, and the Dhrtarastra of the Eastern Kingdom which is holding a sitar. The four Deva Kings are revered as guardians who protect devout sentient beings from being harmed by unwholesome elements. Standing around the four Deva Kings are the four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. The flowing water in the garden is symbolic of the Dharma water flowing everywhere to purify people’s minds. Although the Buddhist love informing people of their religion and teaching you about their beliefs. They are really not very forth coming when it comes to helping someone who is there for a school assignment.

I was asked by the individual to leave his name out and was further informed that they do not normally do this kind of interview. When asked about the holidays and traditions he said the most important holiday is Wesak Day which comes in May on the day of the full moon. As for traditions he said that it all depends on the form of Buddhism tradition that you followed. When asked how has his life has been shaped by the Buddhism religion he said that it has made him a more understanding person to what he called the true nature of life. When asked what the biggest challenge is to the Buddhist religion he said that with all beliefs the biggest challenge is changing you.

He has been practicing Buddhism since he was born and was taught by monks and other teachers about the Buddhist religion. When asked if there were any dietary restrictions, he did not come out and say that you had to be vegan but stated that it was more wholesome to be vegan. During our interview I found that it was real simple to become a Buddhist and that all you really have to do is follow the teachings. After that question he seemed to be in a real hurry to end the interview but I thanked him for his time and let him know that what I was able to get answered was very helpful. When it came to compairing this religion to another I chose Christianity, not because it was the easier to compare because I found them to have very obvious differences.

In Christianity when you become a Christian you accept God into your heart as Lord and Savior and then are baptized as a symbol of the washing of your sins. When you become a Buddhist you just start following the teachings of the Buddha. The other difference that stood out to me was that Christians believe in a heaven and hell and Buddhist believe that hell is only in the mind. Christians believe that when you die you go to heaven to be with your Lord and Savior, Buddhist believe that when you are done with this life you are reincarnated in the next life. I found this religion to be incredibly interesting as well as beautiful. This religion is all about selflessness, which I found in this day and age to be comforting.

In order to become a Buddhists you, you are told to give up all your worldly possessions. Today, everything is about worldly possessions from the cell phone that they have the designer clothes they own, to the car that they drive. When the subject of material possessions is brought up it starts making you think about what is really important in your life and how much thought you actually put into material possessions. I have found that people say that their family and friends are important, but if someone were to ask them to give up these possessions what do you think they would say? These people would tell you that you were out of your mind and then proceed to give you every excuse under the sun on why they could not do this.

I believe that it takes an amazing person to be able to put someone else’s life before their own and to truly be devoted unconditionally. As I watched the monks interact with people throughout the times I was there it seemed like they were truly at peace and seemed like they had it all figured out when it came to life. When I first started the assignment I thought that it was going to be stuffy and that I would have to deal with someone who did not want to truly be in the place of having to help someone with a school paper. I found that to be completely false and actually found that not only the monks were willing to answer questions, but all the staff members were happy to answer whatever questions that anybody came up with.

At the end of this assignment I found that Buddhism not only left you with such a serine feeling not only while you were in the temple but when you left it made you feel like you could accomplish anything if you just believed. They believe that the only way to truly achieve happiness is by giving up yourself and start paying more attention to others. References: An Introduction to Buddhism. (2000). Retrieved from http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/buddhaintro. html Religious Tolerance. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. religioustolerance. org/buddhism. htm buddhanet. (2013). Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cwe/citation_generator/web_01_01. asp

Buddhism states that Amitabha did not in fact create the world; this is because the world is so impure and detestable and Amitabha is far superior and perfect to ever have created the world. In a government run by this Buddhist belief it would be a continuous effort being made to reiterate the fact that the world is evil and a lot would be done in order to try and purify this state of being. Thus, a lot would change in a government run with the Buddhist belief: From healthcare to employment, the changes of such a society would be immense and drastic.

The main belief of Buddhist is a state of Nirvana, and it is with this state that the rules governing the country would be based. This paper will explore the hypothesis of a Buddhist government, the changes it would make, and how it would affect the lives of the citizenry from their jobs to what is held sacred in this world. Buddhism is based on the teaching of Siddhartha, who is known universally as Buddha (Delahunt, 2006). In the Buddhist belief, suffering is a part of life, not an emotion or state of being outside of the natural world.

In the ancient Buddhist teachings, suffering can be superceded or be traversed by the Buddhist student who acquires mental and moral self-purification (Delahunt). Thus, a government based on Buddhist beliefs would have campaign slogans and propaganda commercials illustrating the belief that although one is suffering now with gas prices, war, poor health care and lack of job security, can all be overcome with meditation and proper spiritual guidance. Therefore in a Buddhist government part of the health care system would offer spiritual therapy in order to come to this spiritual enlightenment.

Since the philosophy of Buddhism requires an abandonment of material possessions, the earthly life is transitory. Therefore, the market industry under a Buddhist run government would have a failing import export scenario but on the other hand the country would be self-sufficient and harvest their own necessary food supplies which would definitely bring job security to farmers. A major issue that would arise from this would be corporate run farms and the individual farmer; it would seem that individual farmers would be the main occupation of the worker under this government.

Buddhism does not render revelation to be intrinsically involved in their religion because God knows all and this knowledge is passed on to them, , “In the Buddhist scriptures, there is something remarkably indistinct and evanescent; there is the spirit of the disintegration, of the dispersal of individuality. The I does not act resolutely. ” (Otto 97). In Buddhism, sickness would heal itself through death and when Nirvana was reached, such earthly trivialities would be of no concern.

Corpulent emotions and feelings would be annihilated in Nirvana while in heaven an over flooding of love and forgiveness would be the reality. In this line of thinking health insurance would have a drastically low rate of sales since death was conceptualized as an extension of life, and the profit margin on this would have no lasting effect on a Buddhist government since material possessions such as money or items money can buy would become un-important the general psyche and welfare of the people.

Bibliography Delahunt, Michael. Buddhist Art. 2006. < http://www. artlex. com/ArtLex/b/Buddhism. html> Otto, Rudolf. Buddhism and Christianity Compared and Contrasted. Ed. Trans. Philip C. Almond. University of Hawaii. 1984. Ser-Odjav, Namsrain. (March, 1986). Treasures of Mongolia. UNESCO Courier. < http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1986_March/ai_4153135>

At first glance, the Protestant and Buddhist religions do not appear to have much in common. However, some of the rituals observed in one have parallel rituals observed in the other. At the structural level, there are more comparisons than contrasts to be made. If the view is expanded to include the followers of each religion, however, many more contrasts than comparisons can be observed. It is the people, the Protestants and the Buddhists, that make the religions different, due to teachings that cannot necessarily be observed.

The customs of each religion will be detailed, and the similarities and differences made clear, in the essay that follows. This particular Sunday morning Protestant service begins at nine o’ clock, though the schedule is far from rigid. Members of the congregation are milling happily about, most wearing smiles that are wide and bright. Some of them spot me as a newcomer as soon as I step through the doorway, and they rush to shake my hand and introduce themselves. (One of these is Tobias Scouten, who agrees to be interviewed for this essay.

) Protestants in this particular church, and this may be the same everywhere, are always welcoming new members. This is evidenced almost immediately after the service begins. The room, which Scouten calls “the sanctuary,” is dimly lit, except for the stage. Three spotlights illuminate the entire stage. There are candles burning on either side, but the dominant aromas are carpet cleaner and the various mingled odors of the people filling the room. After a few songs, which are sung with great enthusiasm by the entire congregation, the preacher takes the stage.

His smile is perhaps brightest of all, and he makes a point of welcoming any visitors who might be in the audience. (There are no pews in this sanctuary; the worshippers are seated in cushioned chairs, which are arranged in long rows. ) He then offers up the microphone to anyone who has a “testimony” to share. Testimonies, in this context, means a story in which congregation members spread the letter or the spirit of the message. Examples shared this morning include a few bags of groceries purchased for a needy family, an invitation extended to a despairing nonbeliever, and a night spent in prayer over a friend’s sick father.

The congregation encourages these stories with calls of “Amen” and “Praise Jesus. ” In this way, individual church members are rewarded, if with nothing more than the acclaim of their peers, for helping the Protestant faith as a whole to grow. The testimonies are followed by a musical performance. A young man and a young woman take the stage, the former holding a cordless microphone and the latter wearing an acoustic guitar. While they sing, the congregation sits back and listens, though a few scattered “Amen” calls can be heard at crucial moments in the lyrics. When the pastor returns to the stage, he reads from the Bible.

He pauses during this reading to clarify certain points, bringing the ancient writing into more current context. After the reading, he relates an family anecdote, which in the end returns to the theme (this week, the church is focusing on “forgiveness”) discussed in the Bible passage. This is the only time during the service that everyone in the audience is quiet. All eyes are on the pastor as he walks up and down the stage, speaking through a headset microphone. His pacing is matched to the tone of his voice; when his volume increases, so does the length of his stride.

Upon speaking the final words of his sermon, he allows full silence to descend on the congregation for a full five seconds before requesting everyone bow their heads in prayer. There is another song, again sung by the entire congregation, and the service comes to a close. No one appears to be in much of a hurry to leave the sanctuary. Many of the worshippers turn to each other and recommence the mingling in which they had been indulging before the service began. At this point, Tobias Scouten escorts me out of the sanctuary and into what he terms “the fellowship hall” for coffee and cookies.

We seat ourselves at one of the many tables, and he fills in the blanks for me. The information Mr. Scouten provides will be put to use when the Protestant practice is compared with the Buddhist practice, following the explanation of the latter. A small group of people, “fifty or so, on a good day,” according to Abbot Bai Tue, comes together at nine o’ clock on Saturday mornings for an English-language Zen service. The temple is a modest building, which consists of one large meeting room—called the “Zendo”—and a few smaller rooms.

Among these lesser chambers, the Abbot has an office, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Upon entering the building, it is required that I remove my shoes. In a coatroom just inside the front door, every pair of shoes is stowed in a separate cubby. Not many of the cubbies are used, either because the temple does not attract a large group of regulars or because more people choose to attend the Sunday morning Japanese-language service. As it is, I am joined with less than twenty people in the temple. These people are dressed casually, in comfortable clothes, to make seated meditation more peaceful.

As I will be told later, it is requested that people wear clothes that will not make much noise when the wearer moves, as this might be distracting during the meditation period. The dominant aroma here is one of incense, though the exact scent is unknown. Behind where the Abbot sits, a display consisting of a small Boddhisatva statue, a cup of incense sticks, and several burning sticks which are poking out of the base of the statue. The Zendo itself looks to be all natural wood, without much—if any—paint on the walls or ceiling.

As the Abbot will tell me later, the sight of natural wood calms those who come to the temple to meditate; it “allows them to feel surrounded by nature,” even while they are inside the building. No one says a word while they set up for the service. Cushions are retrieved from a closet off the main room for everyone to sit on, for there are no chairs. “Silence,” the Abbot will tell me, “is required in the Zendo. ” The temple’s attendance might be small, but this matters little to those who do come regularly. They do not come to meet with the other members of the “Sangha”—meaning the group—they come to experience something within themselves.

The service begins with the ringing of a smell bell and a chanting ritual, alternating between the Abbot and the Sangha. The nature of this chanting is the offering up of the mind and the prostration of the body to something higher. This higher ideal is not a being, but rather a state of being: enlightenment. It is a myth that Buddhists worship Buddha. They look to him as a leader, more of an example than a personification of judgment and the resulting punishment or reward. Following the chants, there is a type of sermon made by the Abbot, though the Sangha are encouraged to “turn inward” while listening.

The words are not to be taken at face value, but to be seen as portals beyond which greater meaning can be found. The Sangha meditates during this time, and after a short period the Abbot falls silent. Within the Zendo, not a sound can be heard. The remote location of the temple becomes a notable positive at this point, as the only noise from outside is the rather soothing rush of the wind in the trees. The meditation lasts almost an hour and a half, after which Abbot Bai Tue invites anyone with questions related to the temple in particular or the Buddhist practice in general to stay and talk.

Though I am not the only person to remain once the meditation is over, it quickly becomes clear that I am the only visitor to the temple this morning. The Abbot is more than willing to provide answers for me, though he does not lead me in my interview at all. Even now, the search is a personal one. He speaks only when a question is posed, and his responses are concise and to-the-point. As stated in the introduction, the comparisons to be made between the religions are mostly structural. Both Protestants and Buddhists come together to practice.

They begin with acts of participation, with songs in the Protestant church and chants in the Buddhist temple. Then a leader takes control of the service and gives the congregation or the Sangha what they cannot receive anywhere else. But even in these similarities, there are intrinsic differences. Mr. Scouten tells me he sings in order to show his “gratitude and love for the Lord. ” According to Abbot Bai Tue, the chants have a different purpose; they “prepare the mind for meditation. ” It would seem that the Protestant songs are sung for God, while the Buddhist chants are done for personal preparations.

When the sermon begins, the Protestants are listening closely to each word spoken, and vocal responses are encouraged. In the Buddhist temple, the sermon is meant only to set the stage, and such responses are discouraged. These differences point to a fundamental contrast between the two religions. The Protestant faith is founded on the concept of propagation, and the practitioners of the faith take great pride in aiding that propagation. Diametrically, the Buddhist faith is about looking inward and finding peace within oneself. Bibliography Scouten, Tobias. Personal Interview. 18 February 2007. Tue, Bai. Personal Interview. 24 February 2007.

The Buddha sought to show us how to overcome suffering by attaining Nibbana. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world today. Its history that now p some two and a half centuries began from the birth of its founder, Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Most scholars agree that Siddharta who became known as Buddha was an actual historical persona. He began the religion and philosophy of Buddhism when he reached Enlightenment in 535 BCE while meditating under a Bodhi tree following his abandonment of the life of luxury (The Buddha).

Beliefs and Ethics Central to Buddhism is the understanding of the nature of humans and the causes of human suffering or dukkha. The Buddhists hold the viewpoint that human suffering lays in ignorance, concluding that it is a condition brought about by conflict and stress inherent in human existence and the interaction with the world (Buddhist Ethics 2005). There are various schools of Buddhism such that it has no one bible or sacred texts but instead, a vast collection of authoritative texts from different traditions.

Theravada Buddhism has the Tipitaka or Pali canon; Mahayana Buddhism has the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka, and the Tibetan branch has the Kangyur and Tengyur, among others (Strong, 2008). In sum, the following constitute part of the basic beliefs in Buddhism: A. The Four Noble Truths 1. Life is suffering or dukkha; 2. The origin of suffering is attachment or craving; 3. Attachments can be overcome, and this cessation of suffering is called nirvana; 4. The way to accomplish the cessation of suffering is the Eightfold Path (Boerre).

B. The Eightfold Path – consists of eight elements that can be grouped into the three categories, as follows: • Wisdom or prajna – right view and right aspiration or intention • Morals – rights speech; right action and right livelihood • Meditation or samadhi – right effort; right mindfulness, and right concentration (Strong, 2008). C. Karma – all of human actions bear consequences within a cycle of human craving and suffering, such that our lives are always conditioned by our past actions (Buddhist Teachings). D.

Buddhist ethics or precepts termed as sila – made up of the four conditions of chastity, calmness, quiet and extinguishment. According to the Karmic Law, keeping sila is meritorious and serves as good cause to bring about happy or peaceful effects (Buddhism 2008). E. Rebirth – consciousness continues beyond death, finding expression in another life or reincarnation in the future (Buddhist Teachings). F. Enlightenment – through the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, one is liberated from karma towards Enlightenment, the state of being that transcends suffering (Buddhist Teachings).

Customs and Festivals Because there are many schools of Buddhism that have emerged throughout the centuries, the rituals and practices of Buddhists vary according to tradition in different parts of the globe. Significant Buddhist customs include the following: A. Veneration of the Buddha – refers to the honoring of, and meditation, on the qualities of the Buddha. B. Pilgrimage – the main purposes of the pilgrimage to the many Buddhist centers is the fostering of spiritual discipline or the fulfillment of a vow.

C. Ordination – the rite of passage of anyone wishing to be a Buddhist monk involves the renouncing of secular life and accepting life in the monastic sangha as a novice (Venerating). Buddhist festivals are important holy days celebrated in various traditions, which include: • Dharma Day, which marks the beginning of the teachings of Buddha; • Losar, the most important Tibetan holiday that marks the New Year (lunar); • Parinirvana, a Mahayan Buddhist holiday marking Buddha’s death;

• Wesak festival, the most important festival in the Buddhist calendar, celebrates the birthday of Buddha on the full moon of the month of May. Sangha Day that celebrates the spiritual community (Holy days). The divisions of Buddhism have sometimes been called sects or schools, but in this book I have used the word lineage, as it seems to fit better with Buddhist experience. A Buddhist is one who has taken refuge, and he or she has taken refuge in a specific tradition whose teachers stretch back, or are claimed to stretch back, in an unbroken line or lineage to Shakyamuni Buddha.

There is one over-arching principle in the effective spread of Buddhism: skillful means. As Buddhism asks the individual, so it asks a culture: What is it, do you think, that will bring you the most happiness? When it has heard the response, Buddhism says, under its breath, But that will only bring you samsaric happiness, and continues, out loud, That is good, the Dharma can help you. Then, starting from that samsaric desire, it seeks a way of assisting the individual or culture to break out into extra-samsaric joy.

Most countries into which Buddhism spread were what we might call low cultures, that is, they had rich local traditions but little sense of nationhood or broad cultural identity, and did not have a national religion or philosophy. Buddhism was able to supply this lack. It provided a Great Tradition perspective, encouraging local customs to coalesce into national polities and incorporating them in a supra-national worldview. The price was the downgrading of the local customs.

Indigenous deities were said either to have converted to Buddhism, becoming Dharma Protectors (dharma-pala), or foolishly to have rejected it, thus being demoted to demons. The only country in which this did not happen smoothly was China. It had already developed, in Confucianism and Taoism, sophisticated national systems, and so was not the “pushover” that, for example, Tibet was. Buddhism had to be more humble as it approached the Chinese, and it has often smelled, to good upstanding Confucians, of foreigners and their nefarious plots.

Even so, the cultural blending was such that Buddhism came to be counted as the third religion of China, and the eirenic phrase ‘The three religions are a harmonious unity’ was coined. No other foreign system, other than Communism, has been able to penetrate Chinese culture so completely. Buddhism says that it can be said that since the human problem is essentially one of ignorance, and since this is a phenomenon that exists in varying degrees of intensity, it is always worth examining any claims to truth.

This is especially the case when the Absolute Truth attested by Buddhism is beyond perfect verbalization, for another religious or philosophical tradition, despite apparent conflict of ideas, may actually be trying with different terms to express the same ultimate perception which is enshrined in Buddhism itself. Rival truth claims are, then, not necessarily hostile and the Buddhist should feel it possible to engage in interested discussion with advocates of other ideologies. Further, it is always possible that other religions may be able to suggest useful techniques for the attainment or apprehension of Absolute Truth.

Yet the Buddhist knows that the propositions which attempt to approximate Truth must be submitted to the light of the ultimate Buddhist experience, and if they cannot be seen to lead toward this, they are in genuine and decisive conflict with Buddhism. Each religion, then, is open to dialogue, but each presents a touchstone by which authority is to be tested – the experience which suggests the U+016nyatA concept for Buddhism, and for Christianity the experience of God as he expresses himself in Christ.

Interestingly enough, this emphasis on a decisive experience or intuition of Truth means that ardent adherents of both recognize the significance of Kierkegaard’s dictum about subjectivity being truth and know that there are important respects in which a man committed to another religious experience may yet understand mine far better than a purely objective observer can ever hope to do. To study and record the observable data of a religious tradition is utterly useless for the purpose of understanding what the religious man considers important about it.

Thus the dialogue between Christians and Buddhists may well be more productive of sympathetic understanding (even with strongly affirmed disagreement) than that between either Christians or Buddhists with disinterested social scientists. Resources Strong, John. Experience of Buddhism. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from Shippensburg University Site: http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/buddhawise. html. Buddhism. (2008, April 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:38, April 10, 2008, from http://en.

wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title= Buddhism&oldid=169957239. Buddhist Ethics and Social Criticism. (Updated 21 June 2005). Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from Image India Site: http://india_resource. tripod. com/buddhism. htm. Buddhist Teachings. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/buddhateachings. shtml. Holy Days. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/holydays/.

‘Religious text. ’ (2008, October 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:44, April 9, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title= Religious_text&oldid=166613250. The Buddha. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/ religion/religions/buddhism/history/history. shtml. Venerating the Buddha, Pilgrimage and Ordination. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/ customs/customs. shtml.

My thesis is based on the colossal Buddha statues at Bamiyan, Afghanistan, which were destroyed by Taliban in March 2001. The Buddha statues at Bamiyan were of historical significance and were considered both as national and international heritage. I will provide in-depth information on those statues and their historical and cultural importance. There will be an introduction part in the thesis. I will then discuss step by step how these statues gained prominence on the global arena and the events leading to their destruction.

The origin, history and other related events surrounding the Buddha statues at Bamiyan will be discussed in this paper. The main focus will be to find out why these statues were so historic and the qualities they had to gain such significance. In the end, I will provide a well-observed conclusion on the significance of these statues to the world community. Introduction Preservation of historic monuments with cultural significance is not only the responsibility of the state, but also it is the responsibility of the world community.

However, the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan clearly indicated that the historical monuments are vulnerable to such attacks and are in real danger. The giant Buddhas of Bamiyan were considered as wonder monuments by people across the globe. They were carved into a mountainside at Bamiyan in the heart of the Hindu Kush Mountains. The Buddhas were among Asia’s great archaeological treasures. A Brief Background “During the medieval period, modern-day Afghanistan was a breeding place for Buddhist culture and art. It was strategically placed from the Silk route that saw flourished trade between the Roman Empire, China and India.

Bamiyan was a cultural center both in ancient and medieval period” (Rowland, 1960: 56). It made the region central to Buddhist history. Buddhism came into Afghanistan in the third century BC during the reign of Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The religion flourished further under the patronage of Kushans. “According to Huan-Tsang, the Chinese traveler, Bamiyan was a flourishing Buddhist center with many hundreds of monks living in the caves built around the Buddha statues” (Rowland, 1960: 61). The rulers of Kushan dynasty expanded their empire from China to India and Afghanistan.

They were responsible for bringing Buddhism to the soil of Afghanistan. They carved these beautiful wonders of the ancient world. Colossal Buddhas The Buddhas of Bamiyan were located in the Bamiyan valley of central Afghanistan. They were believed to be built in the fourth or fifth centuries. They represented the classic style of Greco-Buddhist art. There were two giant statues. “The larger one stood at 53 meters (125 feet). It was considered as one of the most wonderful representations of the Buddha in the world. The other statue stood at 38 meters. Both the statues were painted in gold and were decorated with glittering ornaments.

The entire structure of Buddhas of Bamiyan was a mixture of Greek, Persian and Central and South Asian art” (Rowland, 1960: 81). The architecture of the two grand statues was unique, as it differed from the sculptural traditions. The cliffs that housed the two main Buddha statues were 1300 meters long and 150 meters high. The taller statue was located at the far west of the cliff and the other one was located at the far east. Historians are still clueless on why such colossal statues were built. “Some believe that they were built by the Kushan rulers to attract attention and to gain supremacy over other countries in the world.

It was also argued by some historians that the main reason could be to propagate Buddhism in other parts of the world by attracting people to witness the beauty of these giant statues” (Flood, 2002: 56). Description about the Statues “The smaller Buddha was sheltered in a forte. It was carved out of the mass of the rock on three sides and stood with the right hand in the gesture of protection and the left in the gesture of charity” (Rowland, 1960: 83). The statue was built in such a way that voyagers considered the gestures shown by the statue as an assurance of protection from the dangers of travel.

“Both the statues were made with mud-plaster over a coating of lime plaster. They used to give a sense of naturalism and realism. The attributes found in the statues belonged to the style of ancient Gandhara art. The heads and the bodies of the statues were carved out of the sandstone cliffs. Due to lack of proper care and maintenance, the portions of the faces of the statues were destroyed. The hands of the statues were mutilated by some religious bigots who invaded Afghanistan several times” (Rowland, 1960: 84).

“According to Huan-Tsang, the taller Buddha was adored with bright gold dye and precious ornaments. Although both the statues had same style, the larger one was much younger than the smaller one. There were several slots with well decorated walls and ceilings within the shrines of the statues” (Rowland, 1960: 61). External Influence The paintings were executed in a unique manner. “The walls and ceilings were covered with mud mixed with straw and lime plaster. In the forte of the smaller Buddha, the ceiling had the image of the Sun-God on a chariot with the Buddha located below him.

The inclusion of the image of the Sun-God was indicated that Bamiyan was a cross-cultural region that was located on a road that was leading to different directions” (Rowland, 1960: 84). The painting at Bamiyan represented three different styles of art: Greco-Roman, Indian and Central Asian. “The portrayal of deities clearly indicated the use of these styles of art. The ceiling of the forte that carried the larger Buddha carried damaged human and divine figures. Indian influence could be easily detected in the divine figures engaged in religious conversation” (Rowland, 1960: 84).

The convergence of people from different regions was the main reason behind the emergence of Bamiyan as a center for art and culture. The rock-cut paintings around the statues at Bamiyan exhibit recurring themes of the Buddha and scenes of his life. “A Bodhisattva image appeared in the northern part of the forte that carried the larger Buddha. The Boddhisattva sat with crossed ankles on his throne that was adorned with jewelry and embroidered clothing” (Rowland, 1960: 85). Many paintings around the Buddha statues were vandalized by fundamentalist forces, as they considered Buddhism an alien religion.

Despite the damage made to the place, the beauty of the art continued to attract visitors and scholars to Bamiyan. Some of the beautiful sculptures found around the statues were domes, garlands, lotuses, trees and musicians. Preservation of the Statues The Afghanistan government was aware of the significance of these statues to its culture and heritage. Hence, it took several measures to protect these monuments. “Between 1969 and 1978, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) worked closely with the Afghanistan government to conserve the site of Bamiyan.

Efforts were made towards preserving and repairing the small Buddha and its forte and shrines. A tubular scaffold was constructed to support the statue’s structure. A missing portion of the dome roof of a shrine was restored. Chemical treatment was applied to preserve the paintings around the statues” (Buckley & Rick, 2003: 61). Destruction of the Statues Although the Buddhas of Bamiyan were spared during the conquest of Mahmud of Ghazni in the 12th century, invaders like Aurangzeb, Genghis Khan and Nadir Shah used heavy artillery and cannon fire to destroy the statues.

However, they could not succeed in inflicting heavy damage on the statues. “Between 1999 and 2001, there have been much debate and discussions on the protection of the colossal statues. Afghanistan’s Islamic clerics began a campaign to crack down on non-Islamic structures, music, imagery and sports. In March 2001, a decree was passed to destroy all the statues in and around Afghanistan, which symbolized idol worship” (Buckley & Rick, 2003: 69). The issue was given a political color when Afghanistan’s foreign minister stated that the destruction was retaliation against the international community for economic sanctions.

“According to some reports, then Taliban rulers of Afghanistan were outraged after a foreign delegation offered money to preserve the Buddha statues at Bamiyan while a million Afghans faced starvation” (Buckley & Rick, 2003: 69). The Islamic government of Afghanistan took a serious note of this offer. That could be the immediate provocation behind the decision to destroy the statues. It was not easy to destroy the statues, as they were strongly built and were firmly attached to the mountain. “The Taliban forces used dynamite and tank barrages to demolish the monuments.

The intense bombing of the Budhhas at Bamiyan lasted for almost a month until the statues were completely destroyed” (Buckley & Rick, 2003: 70). Conclusion There is no doubt that the colossal Buddha statues at Bamiyan were international treasures that should have been preserved at any cost. However, that did not happen. The destruction of such a world heritage illustrates the need for international laws for the maintenance of sites and strict punishment of violators. The world community must take a vow that they will never allow such destructions to occur again.

The significance of the statues can be realized from the fact that despite the destruction caused by missiles, tankers and bombs, Bamiyan still remains as a unique example of the cross-cultural nature of Buddhist art. Bibliography: Rowland Jr, Benjamin. Gandhara Sculpture from Pakistan Museums. New York: Asia Society, 1960. Buckley, Mary & Rick Fawn. Global Responses to Terrorism 9/11, Afghanistan and Beyond. New York: Routledge, 2003. Flood, Finbarr Barry. Between Cult and Culture: Bamiyan, Islamic Iconoclasm, and the Museum. The Art Bulletin. Volume: 84. Issue: 4, 2002.