The Nature of Buddhism
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Buddhist tradition is rife with redundancy and repetition as topics, doctrines, rituals, myths, and other elements of the tradition are repeated with slight variations. In part, such redundancy is always part of ritual practice and the telling of myths in religion given that the same practices and stories are repeated by followers of a given religious belief, though those practices and stories may not be repeated quite as often as they are in Buddhism. Another reason for this is that Buddhism is a religion that does not have a rigid set of doctrines, and elements of religious practice may be repeated with slight variations from the many different manifestations of the religion that can be identified. The redundancy may also give added weight to certain beliefs and practices through repetition, making them seem more necessary and vital than if they were not given so much attention. Buddhism is not a religion with an omnipotent creator god, and the role of ritual differs in this religion in part for this very reason. Devotional practice in Buddhism can mean something as simple as gazing at a statue of the Buddha and experiencing a sense of quiet and peace. Devotional practice might include chanting a few traditional verses, evoking a colorful mental visualization, or taking part in a dramatic and moving ritual with other people, even a ritual that might include poetry, music, readings, incense, and offerings:
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the world. Burtt notes the difficulty he had in developing this book given the vast amount of material from which he had to choose, though a great deal of what might be considered is not available for study or has not yet been translated into English (Burtt 1-4). The fact that there are so many texts and versions of Buddhism also suggests that much of the redundancy has developed from the many who are writing about Buddhist practice and analyzing buddhist issues, placing their own emphasis on different practices and other elements. Burtt relates the development of Buddhism to earlier and more primitive religious ideas in India, recognizing that much of the history of that period is unknown and that the precise details of earlier religious beliefs and how they affected the development of Buddhism remains unknown. Since that time, many have written about these beliefs and have recounted myths, reshaped those myths to a degree, and given their particular view of those myths.
Burtt and other writers offer some indication of different types of Buddhism, with differences noted between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, and differences created as the teachings were adapted to the realities of China and Japan. Zen Buddhism is
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2880
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)
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