Research Papers / History research paper about Buddhism [NEW]

Buddhism, the religion was born in India in the sixth century, with wide spread over a large part of Asia and many parts of the world. After the death of the Buddha, the Buddhist communities of their own have been met in a series of councils, each sponsored by a different king, to resolve disputes related to what the Buddha's taught and what rules should follow by monastic orders. These councils led to the emerged of two main branches of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism ("Way of the Elders") sought to preserve the original and orthodox teachings of Guatama Buddha. Mahayana Buddhism ("Greater Vehicle") find Guatama Buddha's taught are more flexible and innovative.

During the Fourth Great Council, which confirmed the division of Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism by its different interpretations of achieving enlightenment.

Theravada tradition is organized according to the basic teaching of the Buddha. The Theravadin ideal is to embodied arhat. The arhat, a Buddhist follower by his own strenuous efforts has reached the stage of enlightenment; has reached Nirvana. "Burmese Hinayanist, U Thittila: the extinction of greed, the extinction of anger, the extinction of delusion - this indeed called Nirvana. And for the disciple thus freed the Arhat, in whose heart dwells peace, there is nothing to be added to what has been done and naught more remains for him to do."

The arhat or a fully being, one who attains enlightenment as a result of their efforts. A life, where all birth is ends; one has achieved holiness; there is no more suffering, and no more back to the time of the live. Those who listened to the original teaching of the Buddha and put them into reality practice would finally become one of seclusion. The arhat is completely enlightenment being is selfless, such a person thoroughly in knowledge, understanding and wisdom. "Problematic arise on whether Nirvana represents the annihilation of the self? Buddhism in answer is that there is not a permanent resident to self annihilate, the annihilation of the illusion."2 While Nirvana may easily go through as some form of mental euthanasia, orthodox Buddhism, rebut any suggestion that it involves some form of total annihilation. The Theravadin undoubtedly stresses arhat consciousness as reaching nirvana and that person to be kept that life's highest arhat, for example, worth being. But in what sense of an arhat? Arhat in a sense of Nirvana went to the outside simultaneously loyal to tradition and faithfulness to reality of Nirvana .... Nirvana arise.

In Theravadin tradition, only those who practice the meditative monastic life -- spirit can achieve perfection. Monastery includes monks and nuns. Monastic life is based on the rules can be understood as an attempt to guide and a commitment to transfer of individuals rather than to change society. Monastic are regulations that are exclusive right to be based on the instructions of the Buddha. Any father was a monk, harmony with the orders for .... in accordance with the Dhamma and discipline ... the attributes of a perfect man ... a monk, is a spirit of understanding the full perfection.

Monks can make a significant study of the Pali Canon; in general, monks are expected mainly to learn from their experiences and personal meditation teacher, to participate in the life liturgical and to provide a basic foundation for Buddhist teachings. The meditation traditions associated with the supernatural achieve some powers are described in Pali traditional folk. Those who advocate the meditative monastic life as a path to salvation, a path so that the monks all over to follow the strict practices.

Mahayana Buddhism, began more formal emerge with distinction in Theravada Buddhism, after the Fourth Council. The Mahayana emphasis on the existence of many bodhisattvas, who acts as the universal savors. The Mahayana promises salvations for all those who sincerely search for it through the propaganda of the bodhisattva ideal.

Bodhisattva is one of the rests of Nirvana heaven and remains on the earth in different semblances to help people find salvation and enlightenment. The road to becoming a Buddha or bodhisattva is open to all individuals, not just the monks or nuns in the monastery.

"Mahayana sees the goal of enlightenment recede to a point beyond horizon...not an object of emulation; the bodhisattva was an object of devotion...vows to deliberate all beings in the universe from suffering, all beings were object of the bodhisattva's compassionate deeds."

The presence of innumerable bodhisattva revealed the message of the Buddha is being expressed to the world. The Buddhist is one who awakens within his pure mind, promised to save all living beings, and exerts himself in the performance of these behaviors will make a Buddha - Bodhisattva. 6 A Bodhisattva would indeed summon on six perfections - human compassion, to comply with discipline, forbearance, exertion, meditation, and wisdom. How can one self vow to the Ten Stages of Bodhisattvahood? Mahayana philosophy for the characteristics of the Ten Bodhisattvahood is relatively

quick path to enlightenment: "Joy-self salvation, Purity-selfless, Brightness-intellectual condition of the awakened, Burning-consumes evils and illusion in purifying, Invincibility-the Virtues, breaks all evil passions, Revealing Oneself-reach Dharma, Going Far Away-work of salvation for benefit of mankind, Immovability-attained by bodhisattva when acquires very highest knowledge, Good Intelligence-sentient beings benefit by his works, Clouds of Dharma-enlightened man has practiced all the virtues of purity."

During the Fourth Great Council, which confirmed the division of Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism by its different interpretations of achieving enlightenment. Theravada Buddhism is more individualistic - organizations that each person must achieve enlightenment on their own. Those followers or aspirant seeker reached insight spirit from his or hers own experience and practices. Free from suffering and achieve enlightenment, the aspirant must meditate. This is the best and only effective technique to achieve a spiritual awakening. Only in the meditation can be understood and practices, and ways in which annihilated. In time, practitioners will come to awareness and enlightenment Nirvana, the ultimate goal of Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana emphasizes the enlightenment of all beings. The idea of Mahayana is to allow all beings to be enlightened together, not only a sense of oneself, but because oneself can not separate themselves from each other. Enlightenment is achieved through a normal life with different levels of the spirit of participation. Mahayana is the ideal to become a Bodhisattva strives to liberate all beings from the cycle of birth and death.

Book Reports / "Romeo and Juliet" is an Elizabethan play enact in Verona [2]

"Romeo and Juliet" is an Elizabethan play enact in Verona, which presents with two themes: love and hate. These themes are the reason that this play captivates the audience's attention and their imagination. Prior to both Act 1 and 2, the chorus addresses the audience with a prefatory speech in the form of a sonnet. These sonnets contributed with cue about where the play takes place, background information about the leading characters, and some basic meaning of the play. These sonnets are important to the play because it prepares the audience by giving clues and details about the plot and upbringing of the play.

Before Act 1, the play opens with a chorus announcing the background feud between two families, young lovers will die, and their deaths will reconcile their quarrelling families.

"....In fair Verona where we lay our scene
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife..."

In the fourteen lines sonnet, the chorus announces the climaxes of the plot. The sonnet includes words form to relate natural phenomenon, as well as to the shaping of ideas. For instance, Act 1 opens the dramatic purpose of introducing the two feuding families are destine together by an ancient blood feud that has grown to a deadly hatred. This play is about a conflict between love and hate, introducing the hatred that promotes the play's action and sets the play into the wrong path of tragic love. The exposition starts with the chorus presents that from these enemy families, Romeo and Juliet are destined to fall in love, disclosing an unfortunate fate. Thus, their fate of loving each other is the caused to their death. Therefore, their tragic deaths bring an end to the parents' bitter feuding. The prologues' imagery starts when Romeo and Juliet meet is the incident that leads to their death: "A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life." Chorus sets up the mood by telling the audience in the form of a sonnet that there is a feud in Verona and "star-cross'd lovers" that will bring peace to Verona. Further, the chorus tells the audience the play's outcome. Once knowing the play's outcome will enforces every line of the play toward the lovers' tragic death will motivate a genuinely felling. This remarks to that effect of the play's drama presence not only the anticipation of action, however the affections and thoughts that foreknowledge excites. On the contrary, this however is contradicts to the play by the fact that the sonnet is structural clues and the language is used to tells readers the basic story line and reinforces the themes. For example, Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed" and "death-marked" both destined for bad luck and death. Moreover, the chorus' words seem to focus on the idea of hate and not so much about love: "From ancient grudge break to new mutin. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." These two lines are about the feud between the families. It shows that it is a feud, which has been brewing for many years. The pride within each family has led them to violence and unpleasant.

Prior to Act 2, the chorus revisited the play.
"Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet..."

The chorus states that the love Romeo had for Rosaline has been substitute with his love for Juliet. The two lovers are equally attracted to one another: "Now Romeo is beloved and loves again." Their love gives each other the power and strength of mind to shun the feuding between the two families. This sonnet is the reinforcement that lay out of the lovers and gives clue that there may be some way to overcome their obstacles: "But passion lends them power, time means, to meet." The opening line, the chorus addresses the pace which Romeo is instantly fallen in love to Juliet and abandoned his pursuit of Rosaline. The chorus's tone seems to be making fun of Romeo's quickness in changing direction of his lovers. This sonnet only slightly shifts to enhance the play. Nonetheless, this introductory serves to distinguish between Romeo's miserable loves for Rosaline and his true deeply love with Juliet. However, the words of the chorus seem to raises numerous questions. For instance, why are their families in raging feuds but still love each other? and why do they fall in love so fast? In spite of this, it makes the audience want to read the story the play in order to find out why they die.

These sonnets are important to the play because it prepares the audience by giving clues and details about the plot and upbringing of the play. These sonnets do not ruin the story at all. "Romeo and Juliet" is a universal play that is practically customary to everyone. Ordinary by sixth grade everyone somewhat know the play and thus the deaths come as no surprises whatsoever. Even modern television broadcasting showed the tragedy would end in death of lovers and many characters. The magnificence of this play does not because of knowing how it ends, but in following the path of the lovers take through their belief and passionate affair.