Three jewels namely: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are the three main aspects of Buddhism. Dharma is a name that is used to define the teachings of the leader called Buddha while Sangha describes the entire community of Buddhism.
The religion is however, not universal as compared to the others. This is because it varies from country to country and from one sect to another. To try to unify it, the monks and nuns still follow the teachings that existed during the ancient times.
It is a sin to lie, still, kill, and engage in sexual acts and to take intoxicants for the nuns and monks. An exception is given only for some of the nuns and monks from Japan and Korea who are allowed to marry and have families of their own.1
The rest should follow the latter. If the sins are committed, the monks and nuns risked expulsion which was a very embarrassing moment for them.
This was ensured through taking of oaths and going through training sessions and seminars regularly to remind them on what they are expected to do. Religious activities are carried out by the monks and the nuns as well as giving service to the community without bias.2
Buddhism is one of the most dominant religions in the world. Today, the religion is diverse compared to the way it was some few years ago. It has been adopted as a culture and a political basis in some counties of the world.
It is taking new forms in ceratin countries especially because of the way certain governments are trying to eliminate it. It is also vital to note that the Ancient Buddhists’ pictures and carvings have been stored in museums and myriads of stories written about them, how they started and progressed till this date.
Templates have also been developed to explain how and why this religion came into existence. When relatives die, there are rituals that are carried out in harmony to mourn the loss.
In order to ensure that its existence is not eliminated from the face of the earth, some universities and institutions of higher learning have adopted it as part of the curriculum.
Students are taught about the religion so as to keep it alive. There are quite a number of rituals that are always followed such as ringing the bell in Japan on the eve of every New Year.3 The people take it both as a religious and a cultural practice. Some of the rituals, beliefs and acts conflict with the expectations of the government.
For instance, this religion was abolished ling ago in China for the same reason. All the temples that were used for worshiping were brought down, nuns and monks demanded to follow a secular life failure to which they would find themselves in trouble. The government assimilated Tibet.
This eventually made Dalai Lama to vacate the country. Several other countries including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand are working hard to recover the religion. Since they followed the Buddhism religion, the monks and nuns were killed and others taken to prison.
On separate occasions, the Tibet people, monks and nuns have always protested with the aim of bringing back the religion to its feet. The religion is still prominent in Asia and it is treated as a culture not a religion.4
Bibliography
Garfield Johnston. “Buddhism and Modernity.” Smith College, Melbourne. Web.
Julia Hardy. “Religion Library.” Buddhism. Web.
Sahn, Seung. On Kong-an Practice in Only Don’t Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn London: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
Footnotes
- Hardy Julia, “Religion Library,” Buddhism.
- Seung Sahn, On Kong-an Practice” in Only Don’t Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn. (Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 1999), 145.
- Ibid 146.
- Johnston Garfield, “Buddhism and Modernity.” Smith College, Melbourne.