Becoming the Buddha

Becoming the Buddha
Author: Donald K. Swearer
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 351
Release: 2020-07-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0691216029

Becoming the Buddha is the first book-length study of a key ritual of Buddhist practice in Asia: the consecration of a Buddha image or "new Buddha," a ceremony by which the Buddha becomes present or alive. Through a richly detailed, accessible exploration of this ritual in northern Thailand, an exploration that stands apart from standard text-based or anthropological approaches, Donald Swearer makes a major contribution to our understanding of the Buddha image, its role in Buddhist devotional life, and its relationship to the veneration of Buddha relics. Blending ethnography, analysis, and Buddhist texts related to this mimetic reenactment of the night of the Buddha's enlightenment, he demonstrates that the image becomes the Buddha's surrogate by being invested with the Buddha's story and charged with the extraordinary power of Buddhahood. The process by which this transformation occurs through chant, sermon, meditation, and the presence of charismatic monks is at the heart of this book. Known as "opening the eyes of the Buddha," image consecration traditions throughout Buddhist Asia share much in common. Within the cultural context of northern Thailand, Becoming the Buddha illuminates scriptural accounts of the making of the first Buddha image; looks at debates over the ritual's historical origin, at Buddhological insights achieved, and at the hermeneutics of absence and presence; and provides a thematic comparison of several Buddhist traditions.

Becoming Buddha

Becoming Buddha
Author: Whitney Stewart
Publisher: Heian International
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008
Genre: Buddhism
ISBN: 9780893469566

An intriguing and captivating introduction to the story of Buddhism.

Becoming the Compassion Buddha

Becoming the Compassion Buddha
Author: Thubten Yeshe
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2012-06-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0861719018

Not only was Lama Yeshe one of the most beloved Tibetan Buddhist masters of the late twentieth century, he was also a remarkably effective teacher and communicator. In Becoming the Compassion Buddha, just as he did with his bestselling Introduction to Tantra, he once again demonstrates his extraordinary ability to present practices that once were considered arcane or hidden in a way that is clear and understandable to the general reader. In these pages, Lama Yeshe guides readers through the tantric practice of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, basing his instructions on a text written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at age nineteen. He gives special emphasis to mahamudra, the emptiness of one's own mind, and demystifies these esoteric techniques, clearly showing them for what they are: highly developed psychology. Throughout, Lama Yeshe presents his approachable teachings by drawing on examples from daily life and introducing meditation practices that all can follow. Becoming the Compassion Buddha is an extraordinary book that opens new doors for countless readers.

Siddhartha

Siddhartha
Author: Marilia Albanese
Publisher: White Star
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9788854403956

"Siddhartha: The Prince Who Became Buddha is a compelling reconstruction of the life of the man who became Buddha. Siddhartha Gautama was a historical character that was born in a century of great ferments and in a country where the spiritual search has been a priority for a long time. The salient episodes of the life of the Buddha are introduced in the first part of the work, getting information from various literary sources, such as the Buddhist Canon or the Chinese pilgrims' reports, with an iconographic support of works produced in different times and countries. In the second part it is human feeling of the Buddha that is tried to express, going the same way that one day saw him tireless pilgrim, with a specially commissioned search of modern images, that remembers the suffered run of Siddhartha, tragically stricken by a universal pain and determined to find an antidote, not only for the people of his time and his country, but forever and for everybody."--BOOK JACKET.

What Would Buddha Do at Work?

What Would Buddha Do at Work?
Author: Franz Metcalf
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2001
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781569753002

In this antidote to business books that advocate predatory strategies, a leading Buddhist author and a bestselling business writer present advice that applies Buddhist values to the workplace.

On Being Buddha

On Being Buddha
Author: Paul J. Griffiths
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 1994-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780791421277

What is it like to be a Buddha? Is there only one Buddha or are there many? What can Buddhas do and what do they know? Is there anything they cannot do and cannot know? These and associated questions were much discussed by Buddhist thinkers in India, and a complex and subtle set of doctrinal positions was developed to deal with them. This is the first book in a western language to treat these doctrines about Buddha from a philosophical and thoroughly critical viewpoint. The book shows that Buddhist thinkers were driven, when theorizing about Buddha, by a basic intuition that Buddha must be maximally perfect, and that pursuing the implications of this intuition led them into some conceptual dilemmas that show considerable similarity to some of those treated by western theists. The Indian Buddhist tradition of thought about these matters is presented here as thoroughly systematic, analytical, and doctrinal. The book's analysis is based almost entirely upon original sources in their original languages. All extracts discussed are translated into English and the book is accessible to nonspecialists, while still treating material that has not been much discussed by western scholars.

Being Dharma

Being Dharma
Author: Ajahn Chah
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2001-10-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834823381

This collection of ‘dharma talks’ from one of the great Buddhist teachers of the 20th-century is a fun, accessible crash course in Theravadan teachings on meditation, mindfulness, and more Ajahn Chah influenced a generation of Western teachers: Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein, and many other Western Buddhist teachers were at one time his students. Anyone who has attended a retreat led by one of these teachers, or read one of their books, will be familiar with this master's name and reputation as one of the great Buddhist teachers of this century. Here, Chah offers a thorough exploration of Theravada Buddhism in a gentle, sometimes humorous, style that makes the reader feel as though he or she is being entertained by a story. He emphasizes the path to freedom from emotional and psychological suffering and provides insight into the fact that taking ourselves seriously causes unnecessary hardship.

Waking the Buddha

Waking the Buddha
Author: Clark Strand
Publisher: Middleway Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2014-05-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1938252527

Is there more to Buddhism than sitting in silent meditation? Is modern Buddhism relevant to the problems of daily life? Does it empower individuals to transform their lives? Or has Buddhism become too detached, so still and quiet that the Buddha has fallen asleep? Waking the Buddha tells the story of the Soka Gakkai International, the largest, most dynamic Buddhist movement in the world today—and one that is waking up and shaking up Buddhism so it can truly work in ordinary people’s lives. Drawing on his long personal experience as a Buddhist teacher, journalist, and editor, Clark Strand offers broad insight into how and why the Soka Gakkai, with its commitment to social justice and its egalitarian approach, has become a role model, not only for other schools of Buddhism, but for other religions as well. Readers will be inspired by the struggles and triumphs of the Soka Gakkai’s three founding presidents—individuals who staked their lives on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and the extraordinary power of those teachings to help people become happy.

You Are Buddha

You Are Buddha
Author: Dennis Hunter
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2014-05-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781499686197

We are all looking for greater meaning and wisdom in our lives. The problem is that we search for these things outside ourselves. The most profound teachings of the Buddha say that the wisdom we search for doesn't come from outside. It is already within us — it is our very nature. The spiritual path is simply a way of helping us uncover and manifest the wisdom we already have. Discovering our innate wisdom means learning to trust and rely not only on our intellect, but also on our intuition. It also means recognizing and letting go of negative thought patterns and emotional hang-ups that keep us confused and unhappy. You Are Buddha offers a practical guide to learning meditation, working with thoughts and emotions, becoming more deeply embodied, understanding the nature of mind, developing ethical conduct, and becoming an authentically mature human being. Through the path of meditation, action and insight taught by the Buddha, we can stop identifying with our false self and re-awaken to the wisdom we were born with. What Others Are Saying about You Are Buddha.... "You Are Buddha speaks about the nature of our mind and the spiritual path in a very fresh and personal way, making profound insights and practices readily accessible. By looking at ancient wisdom teachings through a contemporary lens and sharing his own rich experiences on the path, Dennis Hunter offers an approach to the Buddhist teachings that can be employed by readers of all kinds of backgrounds. There is no need to label oneself a Buddhist to benefit from this book and discover the basic nature that we all share." — Khenpo Karl Brunnhölzl, author of The Heart Attack Sutra and The Center of the Sunlit Sky "Starting from the most profound understanding of the Buddha's teachings, You Are Buddha offers an elegant and practical guide to bringing these insights into your daily life. The presentations of meditation practice, and working with negative thoughts and emotions, are especially valuable. Because this book is grounded in Dennis Hunter's own deep personal experience and his extensive practice of meditation, it brings a very contemporary perspective to these classical teachings." — Andy Karr, author of Contemplating Reality: A Pracititioner's Guide to the View in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and co-author of The Practice of Contemplative Photography: Seeing the World with Fresh Eyes "Combining insight into the spiritual path with engaging personal anecdotes, You Are Buddha introduces Buddhist practices and philosophy to support whatever path you're on." — Susan Piver, Founder, The Open Heart Project, best-selling author of The Wisdom of a Broken Heart