Contributions of Buddhism to the Asian Culture

Viewing Buddhism as a mystical religion far removed from the pressures and dynamics of capitalism is a popular belief but one which is far removed from the realities at the core of the religion. Buddhism has always faced this confusion, since there has always been "a tension between the this-worldly and the other-worldly. This tension was at the heart of many early doctrinal controversies about such matters as the nature of Nirvana, the purpose of monastic life, and the character of the relationship between monks and the laity" (Swearer, 1997, 81). It is this built in dichotomy between "this world" and "other world" that both hastened Buddhism's spread and caused resistance to what many nations saw (and some still see) as an encroachment. Is Buddhism that hard to understand? This analysis will trace its birth, its regional development, and make some assumptions about its future.

Some 2500 years ago in Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, or Enlightened One, was born. As Heinrich (1963) points out, Siddartha was born into a time of unusual upheaval and change throughout the world, based upon the fact that society had widely adopted the use of iron tools and weapons. This change in society had impacts on other societies besides India. As Swearer points out, "elsewhere in the ancient world, similar changes were bringing forth other thinkers and prophets, from Confucius and Lao-ts

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sia (due in part to its adoption by Kings who found it comforting since Buddhism acknowledged their existence in its cosmology.) As it spread, it usually maintained some of the basic teachings, but developed along many different lines, all of that acknowledged a joint belief in "other worldly affairs" as well as a great concern with very ordinary events shared in common by the people of the host nations. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhists, for instance, honor their ancestors during All Souls feasts. In Tibet, the new year festival includes a ritual exorcism of evil; in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, an image of the Buddha is paraded through the streets in hopes of ensuring the onset of the monsoon rains: "A day at a temple fair with the raucous noise of hawkers and entertainers would convince most outsiders that Buddhism is not all about withdrawal and meditation" (Swearer, 1997, 84). Why Buddhism Was Popular Rather than impose beliefs and attitudes on a new people, Buddhism managed to develop a symbiotic relationship with the cultures that embraced it. What Buddhism did do was to elevate existence from a mundane and poor situation to one that supposedly gives meaning to the seemingly random nature of human experie
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Zen Buddhism, Buddhism Popular, Spread Buddhism, Viewing Buddhism, Himalayas Kapleau, Chiang Mai, Buddhism Unpopular, Buddha Enlightened, Buddhism God, Eightfold Path, swearer 1997, swearer 1997 86, continue thrive, kapleau 1966, groothuis 1994, chiang mai, buddhist temples, isshu 1965, zen buddhism, heinrich 1963, siddhartha gautama, swearer 1997 81,
Approximate Word count = 1310
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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