The Open Canon
Introduction
In thinking about
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In thinking about the history of the world, it is apparent that some religions have been associated with violent struggles and wars, while others have not. Christianity, for example, continues to be associated with sectarian conflicts. Islam is perceived as war like, as having converted many of its adherents by the sword. However, Buddhism is not perceived in that way. Instead, it seems to enter countries quietly and gradually become an important part of their culture. This is even more intriguing, since it was not particularly successful as a philosophy in its own homeland. But, it proved very successful at adaptation to other cultures, and continues to do so, as witness its growth in the United States.However, there are those who contend that Buddhism is losing its character in the United States, becoming just another Western trend, denuded of its original meaning. The intent in this paper is to explore Buddhist tradition in order to determine what is necessary to the tradition for an expression to be authentic. In other words, what cannot be lost and what must be present for an adaptation to remain true to its source. While there are certainly elements of the story of the Buddha which are magical, and which would be difficult for modern readers to credit, there are many other elements which make it the story of an ordinary spiritual seeker. The Buddha tries many things during his spiritual search, before e
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Buddhist practice, rather than any particular beliefs. For him, even meditation practice is not as important. He has emphasized the importance of understanding the interdependence of all beings, the ignorance of some, and the necessity for kindness and compassion in all aspects of life.
For Sulak Sivaraksa (1992), this compassion is also central, and expressed in social engagement and activity. He is particularly concerned with translating Buddhist precepts into models for society, and for political action. For example, he looks at Buddhist scriptures in order to discover what is contained there regarding appropriate rulership and the relationship of government to society. For him, myths dealing with the Universal Monarch are helpful in thinking about characteristics of the ideal society and its leaders. From this, and other scriptural sources, he derived a political model which emphasized political and economic solidarity of north and south, curbing materialism, conflict resolution and arms control, democracy, egalitarianism, global disarmament, and a Universal Bill of Rights.
This degree of detailed focus is unusual for Buddhist practitioners, although many in the modern world have been involved in peace and social j
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Approximate Word count = 1865
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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Introduction
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