Buddhism Packet 7-11

7. Books such as the bible were produced to relay a mystical story to capture the imagination of a wide audience of believers. The texts of the Buddhist are revered simply as the teachings of the first buddha, and are written in a manner more conducive to appealing to the monks, and the people who are already proficient in spiritual matters.

8. Bodhisattvas are other worldly beings, like spirits. They are not necessarily divine, although showing faith in the bodhisattvas is representative of the faith one shows for the ways of Buddha. The Bodhisattvas also help other beings in their journey through life.

Symbols:

1. Black Manjusri: The spirit of wisdom. This spirit helps people recognize the truths and path that will help them escape the cycle of rebirths.

2. White Tara: The life sustainer. This is the highest respected buddha and is said to bring long life.

3. The Third Eye: Symbolic of the all seeing aspects of the Bodhisattva. Also representative of compassion.

9. Certain depictions of the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are uniquely Chinese. The translation of texts into chinese resulted in these specific changes and manifestations of the beings and their characters. Japanese buddhism lays claim to several uniquely japanese sects of the religion, such as the Rinzai or Soto. There is also the interpretation of the Lotus flower, introduced in the japanese Tendai Buddhism.

10. Tantras are concerned with the subjects of meditation, ritual, symbolism and magic. Magic is an outlier in terms of its inclusion here, for it is not something taught in the traditional buddhist teachings. Tantric Buddhists believe that by following their tantras, they will attain enlightenment faster than by following the example of Bodhisattvas.

11.

Devotion:

The devotion to Buddha is not like the devotion showed to God in western religions. More so it is a reverence for his teachings and way of life, as well as a respect for him as a person. Many people thank buddha for bringing these teachings to the common man. The devotional practices may look much like worship of buddha, however this is not the case. Worship is directed more at the ideas he presented, of which he is a physical manifestation for people to focus on.

Impermanence:

Buddhism's primary philosophy is that fulfillment in this life is trivial. Everything we perceive is an illusion, including happiness. Thus, all is also impermanent. For if one is attached to something that does not truly exist, or is truly unimportant, they will surely be struck with suffering. Buddhism is focused on knowing the impermanence of all, and therefore avoiding attachment to impermanent things.

Walking Spirits:

Spirits in Buddhism are not divine and there is no one god. Rather, spirits live amongst us, in life. These spirits have made their way to enlightenment and are therefore worthy of respect, for they may teach us much.