Aaaaah, the last two years have been quite a blur and we all faced so many personal challenges.....yet, we somehow survived!!The pandemic hit us all hard, at times, testing our ability's to seek the light at the end of the tunnel or rather question if there even was any light present. The future seemed grim, dark, oh so torturous...….would this virus ever end? Would we ever see any resemblance of what we knew as normalcy?
To keep my mind engaged, I enrolled in HUM 20-Asian Humanities class. Here, We had two required texts that I read for my books for the year 2022.
Patrick S. Bresnan. Awakening-An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Sixth Edition. Routledge,2018
This book focuses primarily on India, China and Japan while showing the relationships that exist between Eastern and Western traditions. He enlightens the readers with Buddha's "Four Noble Truths", explains the Vedanta Philosophy along with the Yoga Sutras. He describes, compares, and contrasts between Zen Buddhism and Chan Buddhism. Patrick Bresnan just a fabulous job with talking about Indus Valley Civilization. I would definitely recommend this book as an enriched read.
Jack Hawley. The Bhagavad Gita-A Walkthrough for Westerners. New World Library,2011
The Gita is a universal love song sung by God to his friend man. This book teaches us the very essence of life, of humility and devotion through service to the
Divine, the Godhead, the Brahman! It is a statement of the truths at the core of what we all already believe, only it makes those truths clearer and help us utilize them in our daily lives. Conversations between Krishna and Arjuna are heartfelt, honest and outrageously brutal at times. Another book I would recommend as a read for mind, body and soul well being.
This semester, I also worked on my final project with a theme of Religion. It started a little rough as I wasn't managing my time well and wasn't too invested initially. However, with a little self pep talk and fire under me, I spent a good 24-28 hours, starting all over from scratch and gave it my all. Was I impressed with my end product?? You bet so!! LOL.....I researched, reviewed my past content, reread my discussion notes and complied all together to have a fabulous presentation.
I began the semester with a clean slate, an open mind, a yearning for learning. After a first few weeks, I felt overwhelmed but told myself I got this....I could do this and my goal was to have nothing but an 'A' in my class. Did I know much about humanities or what it entailed? Nope, just that it had to do something with people and culture.
As this semester ends, I have learnt a lot. I feel confident in the knowledge gained and am pleasantly surprised with how much I have learnt about past civilizations and how they shaped today's world. I enjoyed reading and learning of conversations between Arjuna and Krishna, learning of the "Four Noble Truths", Shintoism, Confucianism, the Silk Road, Trade and Travels and most importantly, the presence of Islamic world values in such ancient past.
I sign off with a huge huge sigh of breath....that breath of relief. I did it:)
Sheep and Goat by Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) China, Yuan dynasty, early 14th century Handscroll; ink on paper 25.2 x 48.4 cm (10 x 19 in.) Purchase F1931.4
I began my virtual visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art this glorious evening. I must admit I am a tad bit tired after a hectic day at work but I'm keeping my spirits light knowing we are on the final stretch.
Shall we begin now.....As I browsed through the many virtual museums, I somehow was pulled by the Chinese Arts of the Brush gallery. Chinese calligraphy has always fascinated me so I figure...hey, why not?? Entranced and enchanted, I was mesmerized instantly by the Zhao Mengfu's Sheep and Goat handscroll. The inscription caught my attention as it read "I have painted horses before, but have never painted sheep [or goats], so when Zhongxin requested a painting, I playfully drew these for him from life. Though I cannot get close to the ancient masters, I have managed somewhat to capture their essential spirit."
Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫, 1254–1322), courtesy name Zi’ang (子昂), pseudonyms Songxue (松雪, “Pine Snow”), Oubo (鷗波, “Gull Waves”), and Shuijinggong Daoren (水精宮道人, “Daoist of the Crystal Palace”), was a prince and descendant of the Song Dynasty, and a Chinese scholar, painter, and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). He was a native of Wuxing (吳興, modern Huzhou 湖州, Zhejiang). Though occasionally condemned for having served in the foreign Mongol court as an official in the Hanlin Academy, Zhao Mengfu has been honored as an early master within the tradition of the literati painters, who sought personal expression rather than the representation of nature.
In calligraphy, Zhao Mengfu rejected the gentle brushwork of his era in favor of the cruder style of the Jin and Tang dynasties. In his early years, Zhao Mengfu studied the style of the Song dynasty emperor Gaozong, but later turned to the styles of Wang Xizhi (王羲之) and Wang Xianzhi (王獻之), in the end studying that of Li Yong (李邕). His Regular Script is considered one of the top four in the Chinese history. The other three Regular Script masters are Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿), Liu Gongquan (柳公權), and Ouyang Xun (歐陽詢).
Zhao Mengfu’s paintings were among the first after the collapse of the Song dynasty and its academy of painting to show an interest derived from subjects and styles of ancient masters. Zhao Mengfu is popularly remembered as a painter of horses in the manner of the Tang dynasty (618–907) master Han Gan (韓幹), but he also painted other animal groups, landscapes, and bamboos. Referring to the antique, he generally avoided superficial beauty by utilizing deliberately simplified color and compositions and a schematic, even childlike, rendering of forms and scale. His works often display a great variety of brushwork. Among his most famous landscape paintings are Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains [National Palace Museum, Taipei], Twin Pines, Level Distance [The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York], and Water Village [The Palace Museum, Beijing]. Zhao Mengfu’s wife, Guan Daosheng (管道升, 1262–1319), and his son, Zhao Yong (趙雍, 1289–1360), were both painters of note.
Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains National Palace Museum, Teipei
As I research Zhou Mengfu using JSTOR database, I found the article "Recent Studies on Zhou Mengfu's Painting in China by Chu-Tsing Li. The article was published by Artibus Asiae Publishers, Vol. 53, No. 1/2 (1993), pp. 195-210 (16 pages) Chu-Tsing Li talks in detail about Zhou Mengfu and how he was shunned as an artist during 1950's and 1960's.
It is also important to note "in the history of Chinese art, Zhao Mengfu (I254-1322) has been a figure that is rather difficult to understand. Up to more recent times, he was known and respected as a great calligrapher; generations of Chinese have practiced his style of writing and developed from it. But as a painter, Zhao Mengfu was not well understood and sometimes even regarded as having been overly praised." (Chu-Tsing Li: Recent Studies on Zhou Mengfu's Paintings in China -195)
"In theory, Zhao emphasized two major ideas: "antique spirit" (guyi) and "not seeking
form-likeness" (buqiu xingsi). In technique, Zhao advocated the application of calligraphic brushwork
to painting and specially introduced dry brushwork on paper as the chief means of expression for
literati painters. Fu Xinian feels that Zhao was most influential on later artists in landscape painting,
and was equally important in figure, bird and flower, and bamboo and orchid types. Again this
treatment of Zhao Mengfu fully recognizes his important position in Yuan painting."(Chu-Tsing Li: Recent Studies on Zhou Mengfu's Paintings in China -197)
Works Cited
“Gallery Guide: Chinese Arts of the Brush.” Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, 25 Mar. 2020, https://asia.si.edu/exhibition/gallery-guide-chinese-arts-of-the-brush/.
Li, Chu-Tsing. “Recent Studies on Zhao Mengfu’s Painting in China.” Artibus Asiae, vol. 53, no. 1/2, 1993, pp. 195–210, https://doi.org/10.2307/3250514. Accessed 11 May 2022.
“Zhao Mengfu.” China Online Museum, 27 Feb. 2015, https://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/zhao-mengfu/.
Japan ~ Land of the Rising Sun; we all are pretty familiar with that phrase, right!! I can say when I hear people talk about Japan, I immediately tend to associate it with sushi, oh those oh so gorgeous "Sakuras" or cherry blossoms and then, there are just lots and lots of people. But let's look at Japan through a different lens today....let's get to the nitty gritty of its religious teachings and practices and how these things came about to be.
Early Japanese society was organized by clans. The clans were unified within a sort of confederacy with their being an 'Emperor'. Upon the passing of the 'Emperor', the courts would be moved to a new location and a new palace would be constructed to house the new successor. This practice was probably derived from the traditional religious rites of purification. The Japanese borrowed the Chinese style grid patterns of streets along with adopting the Chinese system of writing , hence the keeping of written records. This knowledge blew my mind as I always thought the Japanese were far too superior and way too smarter 😐😐 Anyhow, this already goes on to solidify the fact there was a great deal of Chinese influence already in existence in Japan.
Though most of the Japanese people practice Shinto- which is very much connected with nature worship and also the belief in traditional souls of the ancient Japanese, Buddhism was slowly creeping up onto the scene. Let's just say Chinese Buddhism was strictly transplanted onto Japanese soil. (Bresnan 486)
In 805 CE, a Japanese monk named Saicho was received at the courts by the Shogun- a hereditary post that controlled military power. Saicho was now ready to weave together the various strands of Buddhism along with some aspects of Shinto to create a new wave of Buddhism, called Tendai(the Japanese rendering of the name of the Chinese Monastery, Tiantai.) While the power and prestige of Tendai Buddhism grew rapidly, a rival school of Buddhism called Shingon Buddhism emerged.
It was during the time of the Kamakura Shogunate that Japan was nearly invaded and conquered by the huge Mongol armies of Kublai Khan. Luckily, with the fortunate timing of a typhoon, Japan was able to beat back the invasion and survive. "Naturally, the Japanese interpreted the typhoon as a heaven-sent answer to their prayers; it was kami-kaze, a "divine wind." (Bresnan 488)
What this led to, though, is the formation of three new schools of Buddhism; Nichiren Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism. Closest to the traditional Tendai Buddhism was Nicheran Buddhism, named after the monk who began the movement in the thirteenth century. At odds with the usually tolerant attitude of Buddhism, he argued that all other Buddhist sects were heretical: he alone held the key to the truth of Buddha's teachings.
Unlike Nichiren, Pure Land Buddhism was founded by the monk, Honen who preached a very simple, unsophisticated doctrine. Honen taught that one can achieve salvation simply through the ceaseless invocation of the name of the loving and compassionate Buddha Amida. Let's take note that Pure Land Buddhism is also known as the most "religious" of Buddhist sects.
The seeds of Zen would reproduce two great schools; Caodao, which would be pronounced "Soto" in Japanese and Linji, which would be pronounced "Rinzai". Zen Buddhism, with its emphasis on simple virtues, self discipline, and self-reliance spoke to the heart of the warrior. A Samurai warrior was expected to always accept death before dishonor; the sword a symbol of the samurai. "The code of bushido maintained that great gentleness is evidence of great strength." (Bresnan 492) Rinzai Zen became the Buddhism of the aristocracy. Soto Zen, on the contrary, focused on sitting meditation. Dogen emphasized that "seeing into one's nature" is the very essence of Buddhism. One's nature is the Buddha-nature.
While both Soto and Rinzai were solidly grounded in the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism, they both were also different. Their difference in style was expressed in three primary ways; First was the matter of social class. Rinzai was the Zen of the aristocratic class while Soto was favored by the common people. The second concerns the place of meditation. While Rinzai and Soto held zazen in high regard, Soto emphasized the practice of zazen to a far greater degree, thus resulting in mockery by the Rinzai Zen masters for their "excessive love of sitting meditation." The favor was well returned with Soto masters chastising Rinzai for its attachment to the koan exercise: "wall-gazing" versus "koan-gazing"; "quiet illumination" versus "dynamic enlightenment." Finally, the third difference exists in the approaches to Zen; Rinzai took a dynamic, energetic approach to community for a short period while Soto monastery was more likely to attract the dedicated person who wished to make the way of the monk his own life's work.
Buddha in its natural state of meditation
Work Cited
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2022.
Cartwright, Mark. “The Mongol Invasions of Japan, 1274 & 1281 CE.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 1 May 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1415/the-mongol-invasions-of-japan-1274--1281-ce/.
Today, I discuss my thoughts and views on The Silk Road. As interesting as I find it, I will admit I was taken aback by the mention of Venice in the video; "The Silk Road: Where East Met West." I was floored to learn of the presence of many Arabian artifacts present in Europe, especially Venice!! Yes, you read correct....Venice!! "Wherever he looked, he saw the orient; windows everywhere that belonged to the Arab world. Venice is full of traces of the trade on which its wealth was based; memories of a network of business connections known today as The Silk Road, that once stretched across the Mediterranean sea into the very heart of Asia." (Silk 3:43-4:07)
The book mentions Tiantai Buddhism in China which the video fails to highlight. Exploring the origination and purpose of Tiantai Buddhism is intriguing while also complex and confusing. Reading about the monk, Zhiyi (Chih-i) who founded Gouqing monastery and initiated the teaching of "Tiantai" Buddhism is enlightening. "Although Zhiyi is recognized as the founder of Tiantai, he was (as is so often the case) largely responsible for pulling together and giving a coherent form to currents that had been developing for centuries before his time. Zhiyi played the role of a peacemaker, a compromise maker, who brought together the disparate and often feuding members of the family of Buddhist teaching in China." (Bresnan 382-383)
Transportation and Expansion- The Silk Road Camels
As I watched the video and made my notes on my read from Chapter 16: Early Buddhism in China by Patrick Bresnan, I could find myself wondering why there was no mention of the rich presence of Muslims in China in the book. The video, on the other hand, describes the impact of the Muslim traders in Chinese community and how religion came with them. "Hmmm, lamb kabobs, which I'm pretty sure was a Turkish dish. Everywhere I look, there are people wearing Islamic prayer hats and this is nothing new. It's not some recent wave of immigration. I think you'll agree I could be forgiven if I became confused. And the fact there has been a Muslim community here since the eighth century is entirely due to The Silk Road; to the lines of trade and communication it established. The Muslims who came here weren't tourists or captives; they were traders." (Silk 8:05-8:43)
"Trade brought these people here and religion came with them inevitably as naturally as their luggage." (Silk 10:49-10:56) This passage right here gives me a better understanding of how religion flows with people through their travels, trades, commodities and despite language barriers, it somehow still manages to flourish and leave a legacy behind for future generations to come.
Also learning of Zhiyi's emphasis on the nurturing of compassion in all things is enlightening. "The mortal enemy of acceptance is hatred. The strength of hatred (and its fellow traveler, anger) is the perfect gauge of the strength of ego. And the ego, the illusion of a private self, is what Buddha held to be the greatest obstacle to liberation. It was for this reason that Zhiyi emphasized the nurturing of compassion in all things. Compassion and hatred cannot dwell together under the same roof." (Bresnan 384)
Citations
National Geographic Society. “The Silk Road.” National Geographic Society, 22 July 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/silk-road/.
“R/Videos - India, China, and the Maritime Silk Road: More than Just a Trade Route.” Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/ngaqsd/india_china_and_the_maritime_silk_road_more_than/.
To say I was educated on the traditions of both Confucianism as well as Daoism would be a gross understatement!! Growing up and to date, I consider myself somewhat of a snobbish quote freak 😊😊 but is that really true? Whoaaaa....let's just begin our conversation by having my little acknowledgement or public service announcement shall I say with me saying I have a lot more research and learning to do.
I shall begin by introducing my reads for the day; Chapter 13: Confucius and Confucianism & Chapter 14:Daoism from 'Awakening' by Patrick S. Bresnan. These two chapters bring to light three influential non-Buddhist traditions native to East Asia.
As I started reading through chapter 13, I began to have the realization on how intrigued I already was on learning about the early life of this great philosopher named Confucius.
Confucius was born in 551 BCE. And was a native of Eastern China. Having lost his father at the age of three, he was raised by his widowed mother until the age of nineteen when he married and settled down. Confucius had a brilliant mind, was always interested in learning, especially the study of the ancient history and culture of his people.
As a scholar, the suffering of the common people was the central concern of Confucius. "Confucius was a very compassionate man, and the suffering he saw everywhere among the common people moved him to action." (Bresnan 307) As Confucius looked back to the past Zhou dynasty; a feudal era that would eventually give way to the Han dynasty, he identified prominent figures of the era, 'sages' to whom he attributed almost divinely inspired wisdom. With this knowledge, Confucius set out to bring a healing reformation of the social order, considering himself a transmitter. He would reveal the truth of Dao, which, to Confucius, meant the right "way" for men to live.
Daoism, on the contrary, is undoubtedly a reaction to the teaching of Confucius. The Daoist tradition is divided into two very different species: Philosophical Daoism and Religious Daoism. The central teaching of Philosophical Daoism is found in two fascinating works; the Dao De Jing and the Zhuang Zi.
"Daoism is founded on a deep love of nature, a love of the organic wholeness of nature. Mankind- that is, human society- is seen to be an integral part of the natural order, and as such, human life is potentially a perfect expression of the play of the Dao. To the Daoist, restoring humanity's proper harmony within the natural order thus becomes the only matter of real importance." (Bresnan 338)
After the demise of the Zhou dynasty, the four centuries preceding it- ravished with feudal warfare, ravaging armies, brutal conquest , ruined crops and villages, contributed towards the formation of the Period of Warring states. Unsurprisingly enough, this period also became known as the Period of the Hundred Philosophers. Upon Confucius's demise, he was survived by a community of disciples dedicated to preserving the teaching of the Master. One such disciple who remained steadfast was Mencius (his Chinese name was Meng Zi). One can almost think of the relationship between Confucius and Mencius as that of Socrates and Plato. Both Confucius and Mencius had commonalities they shared; both were itinerant philosophers who failed in their desire to hold powerful public office, both were products of the Period of Warring states, they were from the same general region.
What I found rather interesting is how both men had equitable agreements as well as vast disagreements on their teachings and thoughts. "Of greatest importance was the basic agreement between them as to the truth of Dao, theright "way" (that is, the natural right way) of conducting one's life. Both men believed that right education could transform the wild infant into a man of junzi, a "Superior Man", a sage- and that achieving sage-hood was the only legitimate goal of life. Mencius fully agreed with Confucius that the family is the basis of the social order and that the maturing of compassion begins within family. Then through right education, compassion can be directed to move outward, ultimately to encompass the universal family." (Bresnan 318)
"Perhaps the most salient point of difference between Mencius and Confucius concerns purpose. Confucius, was the Superior Man's reason for being in terms of government service. On the other hand, Mencius, focused on right living, not right governing, as the proper goal of the Superior Man." (Bresnan 318) While Confucius focused on building an elite system of scholars, selected through a series of examinations to enter the ranks of the governing class and dedicate their lives to serving wisely and being a model for all, "Mencius believed that everyone is at least potentially capable of becoming a sage because he believed in inherent "goodness" of human beings. Mencius added this element to the teaching of Confucianism." (Bresnan 319) I must say I am glad he chose to add this element as it brings much more depth to the teaching. The story Mencius shares about the child about to fall into an open well is quite relatable and pulls definitely pulls a string in the heart. It's a pulsating pressure cooker of emotions comprising of empathy, compassion for the fellow human beings, morality and human goodness.
Quote by Mencius
Daoism seems to be the very antithesis of Confucianism. As noted in chapter 14, when the young Confucius ventures out to meet Lao Zi- an older contemporary of Confucius, he comes out of the meeting having a profoundly moving experience. "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is a very dangerous man!" (Bresnan 336)
The Dao De Jing comprises of only 5000 Chinese characters and is arranged into eighty-one "chapters". "Like the Analects, the Dao De Jing is largely addressed to the ruler, offering that person many sage and often, ambiguous pieces of advice. The Daoists were passionately opposed to the Confucian system but why? "The problem, in the eyes of the Daoists, was the nature of the remedy that Confucius proposed for reestablishing the harmony that had been lost. The Confucian "system" aroused the ire of the Daoists, because, basically, they felt that not only did it fail to restore man to his natural state, it actually made things worse! The simple, natural life that the Daoists cherished was seen to be smothered in the complex, highly formalized way of the Confucian system." (Bresnan 339)
Religious Daoism talks about the Yin&Yang.
"All of nature exhibits a wonderful harmony. The harmony results from the interworking of the basic forces of nature, which the Daoists refer to as yin&yang. Derived originally from the Chinese words for moon and sun, yin&yang stand symbolically for the dual forces of nature that are the most elementary of all. Yin, the passive force , associated with the feminine principle, is the force that maintains and regulates. Yang, the active force, associated with the male principle, is the force that initiates action." (Bresnan 352)
The most important and fascinating aspect of Religious Daoism is the quest for immortality. "Immortality could be had by ingesting a drug!" (Bresnan 355) However, that didn't quite pan out. What drug? Where would it be produced? What were the ingredients? Such were the many questions that never flourished and though there might have been drugs made, they resulted in many deaths, including those of some Tsang emperors. Ouch!
Citations
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2022.
Buddhism is a non -theistic religion, meaning there is no belief in a creator God. It is one of the world's major religions, originating in India in 563-483 B.C.E. It developed through the series of three realizations as Buddha experienced them along his journey and each of the three have a momentous impact on one's self as one reflects on their life on this earth. "We may put it in the following way: in his first great realization, Buddha concluded that there is no self-fulfillment through self-indulgence. In the second great realization, he concluded that there is no self-fulfillment through self-denial. His third great realization was the sudden awareness that there is no fulfillment at all- no self-fulfillment, period. There can be no self-fulfillment because there is no self to be fulfilled!" (Bresnan 212)
Siddharta Gautama, an Indian Prince, who would later go on to become the Buddha, had his 'Awakening' at the age of 9 as he stepped outside of the comfort of his fathers kingdom and onto the lands of the regular people to attend the Plowing festival with his father- the King. It is here that had his first bouts of mindfulness as he sat watching the plows working their way, dirt being unraveled, worms squirming through to the top layer, only to be eaten by birds. "He realized that everything was connected and that all actions had consequences. This simple observation would become one of the cornerstones of his teachings known as Karma." ( Life, 13:24-13:33)
The Beliefs of Buddhism The Four Noble Truths
Buddha wanted to be known more as a teacher than a leader." At the time of his dying, Buddha chose not to name any one particular person to stand in his place but left his disciples with the following words "be islands unto yourselves. Be lamps unto yourselves. Be a refuge to yourselves." (Bresnan 206)
Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths. "The First Noble Truth deals with the reality of suffering. It is universal, and it is the essence of the human problem. In the Second Noble Truth, Buddha identifies the cause of the suffering. He then goes on in the Third Noble Truth to assure us that release from suffering is possible, that every man and woman is capable of Awakening to the truth that brings freedom from suffering. In the Fourth Noble Truth, Buddha lays out the way of life that can lead one to Awakening. That way of life is referred to as the Noble Eightfold Path." (Bresnan 223)
After Buddha's death, many sects of Buddhist teachings emerged; however the Two Main Schools that exist and are prominent are Theravada and Mahayana.
Theravada Buddhism is the oldest surviving form of the Buddhist teaching and is more traditional and rationale based.
The Pali Canon constitutes the definitive core of the Theravada Buddhism. It was the PaliCanon that defined the character of Theravada. "In addition to nourishing their own practice, the Buddhist monks and scholars of the time were there for the purpose of formally establishing an authentic body of Buddhist scripture. It was their hope that they could reach an agreement on a fundamental corpus of documents that faithfully preserved Buddha's teaching, including his teaching regarding the proper organization and discipline of the Orders within the Sangha. After many months of work, the members of this Great Council put their seal of approval on a collection of writings that has come to be known as the Pali Canon. (Bresnan 243)
What is the meaning of the word Theravada? "Theravada literally means "teachings (doctrine) of the elders," but in more everyday language, we could translate it simply as "the orthodox tradition." Through his teaching, Buddha had shown humanity how to liberate itself from its own characteristic form of suffering. Theravada's reason for being was to preserve and promote that teaching. The goal of Theravada, therefore, was to provide a nourishing context within which any person who wished to make the effort could strive to become an arahant, that is, a fully awakened man or woman." (Bresnan 252)
Mahayana Buddhism believe that it is selfish to solely focus on ending one's own suffering on ending one’s own suffering. As a result, they define Bodhisatva's as future Buddha's who have compassionately and selflessly delayed their own attainment of Buddhahood until they have helped others towards liberation. "Diversity is the most immediately apparent feature of the Mahayana. Mahayana opened its arms to embrace a huge variety of Upaya (ways of practicing the Dharma). In Mahayana, there is something for everyone. Included within this new openness was the appearance of decidedly religious practices. It is in the development of the Mahayana that Buddhism begins to take on a distinctly religious character.(Bresnan 268)
What was it about the character of the Theravadin tradition that opened the way for the rise of the Mahayana? Why did Mahayanists refer to the Theravada tradition as "Hinayana"? "The Theravada tradition was viewed by some as too rule-bound, too conservative, too elitist and too narrow in scope.What initially fueled the rise of Mahayana was a deep dissatisfaction on the part of some with the traditional interpretation of Buddha's teaching by the dominant majority, the Theravadins. It seemed that the only genuine Buddhists were the members of the monastic orders; the laity played hardly any part at all. Theravada had become far too self-centered.
The Mahayanists referred to the Theravada tradition as Hinayana as the hina-yana is known to be a small vehicle; in this case, a small ferryboat , to transport the teachings of Buddha. Now with the rift between the two schools, the label was created because the Hinayana only has room for the elite few and is simply lesser and therefore, inferior to the larger vehicle; the Mahayana. (Bresnan 264)
Citations
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2022.
National Geographic Society. “Buddhism.”National Geographic Society, 7 July 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/buddhism/.
Offenberg, Christian. “The Buddhist Museum at the Golden Temple in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. Editorial Photo - Image of Gold, Religious: 170574591.” Dreamstime, https://www.dreamstime.com/buddhist-museum-golden-temple-dambulla-sri-lanka-largest-best-preserved-cave-complex-image170574591.
“The Two Main Schools of Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana.” Buddhism Info, https://buddhism.info/the-two-main-schools-of-buddhism-theravada-and-mahayana/.
Krishna and Arjuna on the Battlefield Diorama-Museum of Bhagavad Gita (Los Angeles)-2020
This rendition of The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley is not merely a quick, fast knowledge into the Hindu culture but a superbly written, thorough publication which will most definitely captivate its readers.
The Bhagavad Gita opens up with the blind, old King Dhritarashtra requesting his Minister, Sanjaya, to narrate the battle between his sons, the Kauravas, and their cousins, the Pandavas. The Pandavas are led by Arjuna, the Great and Mighty warrior; who has now asked his chariot keeper, Lord Krishna to take him into the middle of the battlefield. As Arjuna comes face to face with the opposing armies, looking into the eyes of his relatives, teachers, and various friends and comrades, he loses all his will to fight.
Now begins the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna with Krishna taking Arjuna as his disciple, assuming his true role as the Divine teacher.
The Bhagavad Gita reiterates the main idea as acknowledging and understanding the concept of your True Self, also known as Atma. As one progresses through the chapters, one stumbles upon the conversation where Krishna explains to Arjuna once a person has control over their mind, they are able to control and eradicate any worldly desires out of their mind. Krishna explains to Arjuna that to attain the Supreme Goal, one has to act accordingly and goes on to further give examples of how nature contributes and works hand in hand. Krishna emphasizes to Arjuna the importance of the Atma (the True Self Within) and elaborates that once one has attained pure contentment and peace, they no longer have any dependence on anybody and have nothing to gain or lose by either action or inaction. "The point, old friend -and this is very important - is to do your worldly duty, but do it without any attachment to it or desire for its fruits. Keep your mind on the Divine (Atma, the Self)". (Hawley 32)
Bhagavad Gita Quotes
This book teaches us the very essence of life, of humility and devotion through service to the Divine, the Godhead, the Brahman!
The final advice that Krishna gives to Arjuna is to use the sacred knowledge bestowed upon him to lead humanity from the darkness of ignorance to enlightenment, from the perishable world of nature to the imperishable world of Spirit, from the non-Real to the Real, from utter sorrow to eternal bliss. It is in the conclusion that Krishna urges Arjuna to give himself fully to him (Krishna) by intense devotion and self surrender, to take heed of all his teachings and the advice and guidance Krishna has thus far given to Arjuna.
"Fix your mind on Me. Give Me your whole heart. Revere Me always and bow before Me only. Make Me your very own. By these acts, you shall discover Me and come to Me. I promise you this because we are forever linked through love, this greatest of unifying forces. This Divine love is both the means for reaching Me and the ultimate goal of all human existence; indeed it is the pinnacle of human spiritual achievement." (The Bhagavad Gita, 165-166)
Arjuna's dharma in the end is to shed any doubts he had harbored within and lead his army to war as the great warrior that he is. By letting go of his ego and performing his duties selflessly with no attachment to the outcome and doing it as an act of devotion to the Divine, Arjuna will be able to convert his earthly existence into worship. "Do not renounce action itself but only the sense of doership. Thus, even while engaging in worldly actions be but an instrument of the Divine. When you surrender there is no weariness in your work. As you are fully concentrated on Me, you will come home to Me in eternity." (The Bhagavad Gita 163) "You can do no greater harm than fail to follow your inner truth! You have been nurtured into the duties of a warrior-leader. Your aptitudes, temperament, and disposition are such that you must oppose wrongdoing in the world. Facing this righteous fight you cannot simply decide on impulse to practice renunciation and quietism. This ego-driven decision of yours creates a conflict in your personality. You inner nature will prevail in spite of your ego. Do not yield to this egoism and disgrace yourself." (The Bhagavad Gita 164)
As I read through each chapter, I was taken aback by the enormity of wisdom shared by Krishna in his conversation with Arjuna. The following quotes resonated deep with me "Cast from yourself all egotism, violence, arrogance, desire, anger, and attachment. Turn your back on luxuries and property. Possess very little, and shed any sense of 'mine.' Be calm, at peace with yourself and all others. Enter into the supreme state of unity with Me- I who am Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss." (The Bhagavad Gita 163) I am glad to have actually read The Bhagavad Gita by myself as it enlightened my knowledge of the Hindu culture and its roots laid so deep within, giving me much more understanding and depth of what is a larger segment of the many deities I have known through these years.
On the contrary, what I struggled with is how The Bhagavad Gita conflicted with my own religious beliefs. However as a devoted person of my own strong beliefs and religion, I found solace in my faith and my Ultimate Creator and to this day, my own religious identity remains steadfast.
I felt very uncomfortable in places where Krishna mentions loving him, coming home to him! "Be very clear about the crucial importance of love. To love is to know Me. The act itself of loving is indeed the experience of really knowing Me, for I am Love, Arjuna! To love is to know my inner most nature, the Truth that I am. Is is through this sacred and deep knowing that you gain access to Me and become one with My own Self. Loving is knowing God! As a deep knower of the Godhead you actually become the Godhead." (The Bhagavad Gita 163)
Hawley, Jack. The Bhagavad Gita- A Walkthrough for Westerners. New World Library, 2001.
How Does the Bhagavad Gita Impact Our Daily Lives? - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlocFPImNlo.
Life Changing Advice by Lord Sri Krishna - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdWq3P_o7_Q.
*, Name. “Summary of the Bhagavad Gita.” The Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries of Ramanuja, Madhva, Shankara and Others, 7 July 2017, https://www.bhagavad-gita.us/summary-of-the-bhagavad-gita/.
