Subjects:
members were identified by their shaved heads and robes made of un-sewn orange
cloth. The early Buddhist monks, or bhikkus, wandered from place to place, settling
down in communities only during the rainy season when travel was difficult.
Theravadan monks and nuns were humble and obtained their food in the form of
offering on a daily round of the homes of ‘Lay’ devotees. Among the traditional
functions of the Buddhist monks are the performance of funerals and memorial
services in honor of the dead. Major elements of such services include the chanting of
scripture and transfer of merit for the benefit of the deceased. (1, 3)
Lay worship in Buddhism is primarily done individual rather than
congregational. Although technically the Buddha is not worshipped through
Theravada, worship is done through the stupa. A stupa is a dome-like structure
containing a relic. Devotees walk around the dome in a clockwise direction, carrying
flowers and incense as a sign of respect. The relic is the Buddha’s tooth in Sri Lanka. It
is the focus of a popular festival on the Buddha’s birthday. The Buddha’s birthday is
. . .
festivals in China and Japan is the Ullambana Festival, in which offerings are made to
the spirits of the dead and to ghosts. Also in the Christian
religion, there is no concept of reincarnation, there is incarnation of Jesus but no
reincarnation. (1, 3, 4)
To me, Christianity is more appealing to me, just because I have lived as a
Christian, my whole life. In
Christianity, it is more logical that there is someone watching over you at all times. (1, 2, 4)
The Christian religion is not that similar to Buddhism for many reasons. Baptism is an initiation into the religion. In Buddhism, people do not worship
anybody, since that divine being was also just human. God the Father, Jesus Christ the son, and the holy spirit
are essentially one Gold. It is said that during this celebration the gates to
the other world are open so that departed spirits can return to earth for a brief time. (1, 3, 4, 5)
Buddhism Sources:
World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery (1)
The Bible (2)
Encarta Encyclopedia 99 (3)
Compton’s Encyclopedia Deluxe (4)
Buddhist Cultures in America (5)
. (3, 4)
In General, I believe that Christianity has some similar aspects but the
path/direction is not the same. There is also a story of how the much of the
world began.
(1, 3, 4, 5)
In the Christian faith, people may practice several methods to bring them
closer to God or ‘Heaven. Jesus was among the first to be
baptized.
Essay's Topics
All research is for reference purposes only.