Download Buddhism Rituals and the Contemplative Life

Buddhism Rituals and
the Contemplative Life
“Meditation is a form of self-blessing that leads us
deeper into our own hearts, and in so doing reveals
a deeper beauty in the world around us.”
Paramananda
From “Buddhist Reflections of Everyday Life”
Daniel R Powers
PSY 2012
Individual Assignment #3
The Kadampa Meditation Center
in Sarasota
Sunday’s Prayer’s for World Peace:
Learning to Enjoy Everyone
The Kadampa Meditation Center
in Sarasota
The Kadampa center follows the Mahayana Buddhist sect and traditions.
The Kadampa Meditation Center
in Sarasota
The teacher conducts the course and meditation from this chair in front
of the altar. The garden outside of the center is featured in the second
photo.
Eightfold Path in Buddhism To Cease Suffering
When a person who practices dharma seeks enlightenment they must follow the four
noble truths (as described in my essay) and the eightfold path as summarized below.
Right View ~ It is incumbent on us to embrace the impermanence of everything, and to
produce the correct actions from our pure and desire-free thoughts.
Right Intention ~ The ability to control the mental forces that direct us on a moral path
and assists us in developing a positive attitude towards all life.
Right Speech ~ In essence, to limit one’s conversations to being truthful, warm, gentle,
and kind. We must remove any hurtful, lying, or negative statements from our daily
speech.
Right Action ~ Refers to our physical actions towards yourselves and others. We must
not deliberately harm ourselves or others, and we must show respect by honoring
other’s property and/or personal space.
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html
Eightfold Path in Buddhism To Cease Suffering
Right Livelihood ~ Requires that we earn our living in honorable ways without causing
harm to others or through illegal activity. Dishonorable ways would include: selling
military hardware, raising animals for slaughter, slave trafficking, involvement in the
meat industry, or selling drugs and/or liquor.
Right Effort ~ This path provides the basis for the entire principle behind the other
seven path ways to enlightenment. If you don’t feel or exhibit the focus required to put
the correct “effort” to following the path, the other seven pathways cannot be
achieved.
Right Mindfulness ~ Relates to the need for our consciousness to be uncluttered and
free from preconceived ideas. The ability to control this is set in the “four foundations
of mindfulness” as first stated by Buddha; these involve observation of our physical
being, our emotions, our thoughts, and the way we view stimuli.
Right Concentration ~ This final path relates to the need to set our mind into one
direct point of thought. Meditation is the practice that should be used when trying to
achieve this intense mental state. It is thought that as we deepen our meditation
practice this “focused effort” can be applied to our normal “awakened” life
occurrences.
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html
Eight Symbols of Buddhism
Banner – Signifies the triumph of
Buddha against Mara (the Great
Temptor). Mara represents desire,
arrogance, and hedonism.
Fish – Symbolizes the ability for those
who follow Dharma (the Great Law), to
swim freely throughout life without the
fear of “drowning” in suffering.
Conch – Different colors, and whether
the conch opens to right or the left,
determines its importance. Generally, it
stands for the breadth of Dharma’s
reach in one’s life.
Lotus Blossom - Like the conch, different
colors of the lotus carry unique significance.
Overall, this flower represents the growth
someone experiences when reaching
enlightenment.
Dharma Wheel – Eight spokes are
symbolic of the eightfold steps. Said to
have been used by Buddha during his
first sermon after his enlightenment.
Parasol - Serves to shield humans
from suffering
Eternal Knot – Represents Karma
(cause & effect) and the intersection
of compassion & wisdom
Vase - Filled with valued and revered
items, this vessel never empties (this
symbolizes longevity and success).
Images from Osel Shen Phen Ling copyright by Bob Jacobson
Meditation/Ritual Symbols
These are just some of the ritualistic items used during
meditation or chanting. Colors are also very important in
Buddhism. Yellow and red are predominant as they are used in
the robes of monks and nuns. Yellow signifies being grounded
and denial of desire. Red represents life and reverence.
Buddha Singing Bowl
Lord Buddha in
Meditation
Monastery Gong
Tibetan Dragon Trumpet
Dragon Altar Table
Photo Credit: http://www.ExoticIndia.com
Ritual Damara
Altar Prepared for Lotus Sutra Meditation
Photo Credit: www.DarmaForest.com
Buddha in Meditation
Photo Credits: HKoppdelany (2) and Javier Alfaro (Yahoo Groups)
Meditation Images
Photo Credits: Wanda Pietrzak, Kapros, and Sayuri (Yahoo Groups)