What is Buddhism and Nirvana?
Perhaps I shall first begin by talking about my personal experiences with Buddhism. My family, originally from Laos, are all Buddhist. In fact, my mother and father are devout Buddhists and attend temple on a regular basis. My sisters and brother and I were all raised Buddhist, but we did not really learn the meaning behind the practices. For example, we adhered to many Buddhist traditions, such as praying in front of a shrine, bowing to the Buddha statue to show reverence, holding hand-held prayer wheels, and honoring our ancestors on specific days. However, we were not taught the stories and significances behind such practices. Rather, we were expected to practice many aspects of Buddhism simply because generations and generations of our ancestors had adhered to these traditions. This did not make sense to me however - to accept things solely based on tradition did not seem practical to me. My desire to learn more about my Buddhist background, coupled with my desire to travel to Southeast Asia, led me to travel to China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar last summer. It was there that I really learned more about the different aspects that comprise Buddhism, the different wa
My visit to the Dunhuang Caves in China also stand out vividly in my mind when I reflect on my trip and on Buddhism. When I emerged from the dark grottoes of Dunhuang, my mind was reeling with images of Buddha, repeated over and over in vivid colors. In three hours it was as if I'd passed through several Sistine Chapels and experienced some of the most inspired art ever made. The caves at Dunhuang date from around 300-1200 A.D. Wealthy merchants and pilgrims heading west on the Silk Road made donations to the monks here to paint grottoes dedicated to their God. For them it was like insurance against the dangers and evils of the Taklamakan that lay ahead. Outside the grottoes, busloads of tourists poured out like bees from a nest. People hawked stuffed camels and Buddha key chains. As I walked past them shaking my head, I noticed an old man in yellow robes, standing as still and regal as Buddha himself. In his weathered hands he held shell beads which he shuffled as he prayed. He was a Buddhist monk who had traveled 2,000 miles from Shanghai to see the caves. I asked him how he felt about this Buddhist shrine becoming a visitor site, thinking he'd be disgusted. He smiled gently, "Buddhism is an education itself. There is no conflict between learning and praying." His are the same beliefs that this place was founded on over 1,700 years ago. I suppose people still worship at Dunhuang in their own modern, capitalist way. When I asked the old monk whether the souvenir stands bothered him, he laughed, "They don't bother me! Without the souvenirs many people wouldn't come at all. They'd be too bored!" My experience with this Buddhist monk showed me that Buddhism is such a diverse religion. There really is no one "correct" way to worship. Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, did not claim to be divine. In regards to nirvana, he claimed to be the one to point the way to nirvana, but it was up to each individual to find his own way there. This monk really affected my feelings on the concept of Buddhist nirvana. I know that the way that one goes about attaining such a task is going to differ from person to person. No two paths will ever be the same. The monk taught me that Buddhism is based on personal experience, rationalism, practice, morality, and insight. Traditional practices proclaim that nirvana can only be reached by practicing the four nobles truths, which is accepting the principles that (1) life is suffering, (2) this suffering is caused by craving (3) this suffering can be overcome and happiness obtained and (4) truth and contentment are possible. However, although the ultimate outcome will be the same, which is to reach a state of nirvana and perfect happiness, each individual will have a different route of getting there. What is actually the state of nirvana? Is it a passing away into some void, into some nothingness, into some state that is without a
Some common words found in the essay are:
Silk Road, Myanmar Buddhist, Laos Buddhist, Nee Myanmar, Indian Burmese, Hinayana Mahayana, Burmese Buddhists--more, Caves China, Cambodia Myanmar, Myanmar Traveling, buddhist nirvana, middle path, concept buddhist nirvana, live home, buddhist monk, person attains, concept buddhist, described nirvana, total peace, concept nirvana, practice morality,
Approximate Word count = 2138
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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