Zen Buddhism Essay Example for Free

Zen Buddhism Essay Buddhism has grown from the flowing of a single man in his path to nirvana to a religion that spans the globe and has shaped many cultures. This paper will first present the history of Buddhism and the life of the man known as Buddha. Then, the fundamental teachings of Buddhism will be discussed. Finally, the unique aspects of Zen Buddhism will be examined. History of Buddhism and Life of Buddha Although the truths are ultimately unknown, Michael Molloy, in Experiencing the World’s Religions (2013), presented the details of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who would come to be known as Buddha. Around 500 B.C.E., Siddhartha was born to a prince of the Shakya tribe in modern day Nepal. Siddhartha’s mother died a week after childbirth, leaving him in the care of a father whom, on the advice of a sage, ensured Siddhartha would leave an extremely sheltered but pleasant life. Upon Siddhartha’s first excursion into the world, he witnessed suffering and was so moved by it that he left home and went in search of a path to enlightenment. After attempting to gain insight through asceticism, Siddhartha rejected this way as inadequate and sought a path based on moderation instead. Legend speaks of Siddhartha meditating under a tree now knows as a Bodhi tree, resolved to not leave until he had reached the understanding that he sought. At dawn, Siddhartha achieved nirvana or enlightenment and became known as Buddha. Buddhism is a rejection of the Hindu gods, Vedic priesthood, and rituals. Fundamental Teachings of Buddhism Among Buddha’s teachings are three primary concepts: The Three Marks of Reality, The Four Noble Truths, and The Noble Eightfold Path. The Three Marks of Reality   Buddha taught that all reality bore three characteristics; Change, No Permanent Identity, and Suffering (Molloy, 2013). Change is the idea that all of reality, every facet and as a whole, is in constant flux, and turmoil. No permanent identity is the belief that all of reality, both living and non-living, has a permanent aspect; that no soul or spirit exists that resists the changes of time. The last mark of reality is suffering, the concept that, because reality is ever changing, all contentment most pass and bring misery in its wake. The Four Noble Truths The first truth is that to live is to suffer, meaning that in every stage of life, change will occur and that change will bring suffering and discontent. The second truth is that suffering comes from desire. This truth states that desire, in all of its aspects, binds mankind to illusions that reality will disprove and replace with suffering. The third truth is that to end suffering, one must end desire; that suffering will not cease when all desires are met, only when all desires are extinguished. Lastly, the fourth truth taught by Buddha is that release from suffering is possible and can be attained by following the noble eightfold path (Molloy, 2013). T he Noble Eightfold Path According to Molloy (2013), the Noble Eightfold Path is a set of eight practices, taught by Buddha, to allow the follower to â€Å"to face life objectively, to live kindly, and to cultivate inner peace† (pg. 134). The first part of the Path is Right Understanding, to recognize and understand the 3 marks of reality. The second part is Right Intention, maintaining a purity of thought and motives, untainted by desires and emotions. The third part of the path is Right Speech, the understanding that what if said can cause harm and that lies, exaggerations, and harsh words must be avoided. The fourth, Right Action, is to remember that there is already enough suffering in the world and that the actions of the follow should not contribute to that pain, even to animals. The fifth part is Right Work that one’s work does not cause additional suffering, even to one’s self. The sixth, Right Effort, is the understanding that, while maintaining moderation in one’s life, steps to improve should be taken when they can. The seventh step is Right Meditation that the follower uses meditation to examine the  depths of reality. Finally, the last part is the Right Contemplation, actively striving to obtain states of blissful inner peace in one’s life. Buddha did not teach that the eight steps were like a ladder, taken one after another, but all at the same times, to lead his followers closer to the state of nirvana. Zen Buddhism As the school of Mahayana developed, and traveled to China, it experienced pushback from its complex rituals and ceremonies. This pushback led to the forming of the school of Chan, with a simplification of Buddhist life and focus on singular meditation. As the school of Chan traveled to Japan, it further blended and developed into Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism developed it simplicity by examining the meditation and enlightenment of Buddha directly, and the teaching if Buddha that ritual does not directly lead to enlightenment. Zen has blended with Japanese society, and culture, influencing thought, art, and expression. Because of the influence of Zen Buddhism, Japanese arts have developed around the ideals of simplicity, practicality, and emptiness. An example of the ideals of Zen Buddhism can be found in the practice of the koan. A koan is a question that cannot be easily answered with logic, meditated on and answered in a way that demonstrated the understanding of the principle lesson of the koan, rather than explaining it (Molloy, 2013). Conclusion The paper has examined the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the man known as Buddha. Also, the Buddha’s teachings concerning reality and achieving inner peace have been described. Finally, the uniqueness of the school of Zen Buddhism has been explained. Reference Molloy, M. (2013). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Inc..

Comparing the Power of Fiction in Canterbury Tales and Lord of the Flies :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Power of Fiction Revealed in Canterbury Tales and Lord of the Flies In accordance with E.M. Foster's analysis of a character's hidden life, a work of fiction gives us a better insight into the theme of a novel. As E.M. Foster said, "Fiction is truer than history, for it is in fiction [and drama] that we can understand the hidden life of the characters." History is the study of past events. It is based mostly on fact, accepted concepts and stories. Fiction is a literical genre in which the author writes about untrue events. The telling of historical events in a novel limits a reader's ability to expand on the text because it is a text based on textual references from the past. Fiction, on the other hand, sets no boundaries for the reader. In fictional literature the reader can expand and point his own picture in his mind without having to question his own creativity. In "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, the use of type casting in the direct and indirect characterization of the pilgrims shows us their true personalities. While Cha ucer uses characterization to reveal his characters. William Golding in his novel, The Lord of the Flies writes through allegorical writing which uses symbolism to portray a bigger meaning than the story's plot. Â   In "The Canterbury Tales" written by Geoffrey Chaucer, the pilgrims are characterized in two different ways to reveal their real intentions. "The Pardoner's Tale" is told by a Pardoner who is characterized in the prologue as selling fake relics. He than in his own tale goes on to denounce greed. By stating the pardoner's own selfishness it contradicts his own religious state in life. A Pardoner forgives others sins, but one with already too much load on his soul would not be able to do that. The Pardoner thinks himself to be a very holy and righteous man but does not realize that his own greed is seen by all the pilgrims after he admits selling fake relics. That makes his sermon of how "Greed is the root of all evil" a total hypocrisy. Chaucer purposely chose a member of a religious community to write a tale on because he wanted to write about unfaithful who sold indulgences to people.

Why I Became A Nurse

Nursing was not always something that I wanted to do in the beginning. I wanted to be a Photographer. Looking back at that period in my life there were many areas of my life that I needed to assess. I already had a daughter and was currently going to school for Photography. So the question became do I keep my passion, and will it always pay the bills? Alternatively, do I change career paths and pursue a new career that I know will pay the bills and will always provide for my family?My JourneyI knew that I would be a good nurse. I was loving, kind, thoughtful, a good communicator, liked helping people, I was caring, and I also liked math and science. The Journal of Nursing Education states, â€Å"researchers found the concepts of caring and nurturance were identified as high motivators for choosing nursing† (Williams, Wertenberger, Hames, Gushuliak, 1997). At that time, I was working back office at a Urology office and was going to school. I decided one day that to be able to p rovide for my daughter if something were to happen between my husband and I that I could always support us. Therefore, my journey began. A Journey Amongst FriendsI was fortunate enough to go to nursing school with my best friend Harley. We had gone to school since Elementary school. I knew that if we did it together that I would make it to graduation. I was right we did make it to graduation. We had some difficulties and it was a very stressful time in our lives, but we made it.ConclusionNow, at this point in my life, I have been a nurse for eight and a half years, and I am very fortunate that I chose this career. I have not only been able to help provided for my husband and our three kids, but I also enjoy taking care of people and not just the paycheck. I have been able to help many pregnant woman through their painful childbirth. I have been able  to assist to comfort them when their babies do not make it, and so much more. I can say that after eight and a half years that I cho se the right profession, and I am pretty darn good at it.

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