Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers fc

High in the mountains of the Himalayas chants ring out from the Tibetan monastery. For most this is a dream-like vacation to a far away land. For some of the people who follow in Tibet and India this is everyday life as a Buddhist. Buddhism revolves around a strict code of daily rituals and meditations. To an outsider they can seem incomprehensible or even odd, but these are the paths to enlightenment and ghostly salvation. end-to-end the centuries, Buddhism has evolved into a major religion in Asia and other parts of the origination.The mystical roots of Buddhism can be traced back to the first century BCE. Buddhism began with the endure of Siddhartha Gautama. When Siddhartha was born he was noticed as having the 32 auspicious signs of an learned person one (Clark and embrown 3). His father, fearing Siddhartha would shun his inheritance, confined him to the w all in alls of the palace, never allowing his son to find want or suffering. However, Siddhartha on several occasio ns ventured outside the edge of the palace. On one of his visits into the city he saw an ascetic mendicity for alms in the city square. It was then that he realized that there was means beyond physical existence (Clark and Brown 3). Siddhartha then gave up his possessions to bet for enlightenment. He discovers that by following the path of moderation, one can depart enlightened (Clark and Brown 3). And so, he attained Buddhahood. Afterwards Buddha, the name stipulation to an enlightened one, travels through India preaching and educating others about the middle path (Clark and Brown 3). From this, Buddhism was born.The religion of Buddhism is not entirely in a sphere of its own. In fact, it combines several influences born in and around the Asian continent. The first religious influence is Taoism. Taoism embraces the belief in the fluid like spirit that flows throughout everyone and everything. The primary belief of Taoists is that the universe is in constant change. Taoists bel ieve that spirit and the earth is constantly in flux. Simply, the onlyconstant in the world is change. When individuals learn that growth and movement are natural and necessary, they can construct balanced (Clark and Brown 7).Taoism teaches self-control and the importance of meditation in hard-hitting for enlightenment. &nbs... ...ver which the imperial family presided, had been largely eclipsed by Buddhism (Ralph et al 34). Aspects of the religion have in any case moved into the U.S., Growing interest in Asian culture and spiritual values in the West has led to the development of a upshot of societies devoted to the study and practice of Buddhism. Zen has grown in the united States to encompass more than a dozen meditation centers and a issue of actual monasteries (McDermott 2). The Buddhist religion encompasses a large spectrum of people all diverse but united under the words and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Works CitedClark, Laura, and Suzanne Brown. Vietnamese Buddhi sm. 18 Jan. 2000. .Dharma Haven. Healing, Relaxing and Awakening Tibetan Buddhist Methods. 16 Jan. 2000. . 18 May 1999.Hansen, Jytte. Mandala. 17 Jan 2000. . 1 March 1997McDermott, James Paul. Buddhism Today. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99.Ralph, Phillip Lee, et al. terra firma Civilizations Their History and Culture. 9th edition. New York Norton, 1997.