7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 94)

Buddhist edition!

1. Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta were on campus this week working on a mandala. This is from the opening ceremony in which they sanctify the space where the work will be done. There is a series of chants and a few moments of instrumentation.

2. After the opening ceremony, they sketch out the mandala's design based on instructions found in their scriptures. There is a lot of sacred geometry and symmetry.

3. Once the design is sketched in chalk, they begin to apply sand. A mandala is sacred sand art representing sacred space and unity of the universe. The monks who work on the mandala study for more than 15 years on the meaning and meditations behind the mandala and then another 2 or 3 years on the actual artistry of it.

4. There was a station for people coming through to practice using the chakpur, the instrument that funnels sand onto the table in a manageable way. I was able to do straight lines but couldn't get creative. The girl next to me made this.

5. An altar with a picture of the Dali Lama was set up in the room as well.

6. The four main colors used represent four elements: yellow=earth, red=fire, green=water, and white (with blue in it)=air. Orange represents heat/spirituality. The mandala begins in the center and works outward. 

7. Here is the mandala near completion. Once it is finished, there is a closing ceremony, then the mandala is destroyed. The sand is poured into the closest moving water.

Religion Friday: Shintoism

Shintoism is the native religion of Japan. It dates as far back as the culture. Central to Shinto beliefs are the kami, mystical forces that revel themselves in nature (mountains, trees, springs, etc). The kami can answer prayers and guide people in the right way to live. Unlike many other religions, Shinto has a positive view of human nature; the kami get along together and try to guide humans, who are not perfect but not sinful, more like children who just don’t know better.

Shino families keep an altar in the home for offerings and prayers. There is not a specific day of worship; many go to the temples once or twice a month plus special ceremonies. Followers wash themselves before entering a temple in a purification (harae) ritual. A baby is taken to the temple to be anointed and so the parents can pray for the baby’s health. Children visit shrines/temples at ages 3, 5, and 7 to pray for special protection.

A torii stands at the entrance of a temple as a gateway between the sacred space and the non-sacred. It is usually orange and sometimes includes a shimenawa. A shimenawa is a rope of twisted rice or wheat and paper lightning bolts. Shimenawa are believed to mark a sacred space and ward off evil spirits. While indigenous nature worship seems primitive, I can admire it. To see something sacred in so many parts of nature is something many of us have lost in our industrialized world. At the root of all religions, I think, is that we sense something sacred among and want to tap into it, and want to ask for guidance from a knowledge beyond our simple understanding.

There are up to four million followers of Shintoism, but not many Japanese practice it exclusively. Most now follow a combination of Buddhism and Shintoism. As one woman explained to me: “We are Shinto for happy occasions, Buddhist for sad.” A child’s birth or a wedding is often honored in the Shinto style, while funerals or personal difficulties are observed in Buddhist style. Even the torii that mark Shinto temples may have been imported with Buddhism. I found this combo-style religion interesting, as most people follow an all-or-nothing faith. But the Japanese seem to see no conflict using both al la carte.

[Picture is of torii with a shimenawa at the 5th station of Mt. Fuji, Japan taken in 2008. Mt. Fuji is considered sacred in Shinto beliefs.]

Next Friday: Norse religion

Religion Friday: Buddhism

Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion, practiced by approximately 370 million people. It splintered from Hinduism and focuses on the teachings of the “Buddha” or the Enlightened One. It was founded by an Indian prince named Siddhartha around 520 B.C. Siddhartha left his life of privilege to seek an end to the suffering in the world. He sat beneath a tree and vowed not to move until he reached enlightenment. After a few days, he arose enlightened (the Buddha).

Buddhists believe each individual must seek his/her own enlightenment. Enlightenment releases the person from the cycle of suffering and reincarnation (similar to Hinduism). Some people view Buddhism more as a philosophy than a religion because it does not focus on any particular deity. Rather, reflection and meditation are key to the Buddhist faith. Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path.

Four Noble Truths:
1. All of life is marked by suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment.
3. Suffering can be eliminated.
4. Suffering is eliminated by following the Eight-fold Path.

Noble Eight-fold Path:
1. Right beliefs
2. Right aspirations
3. Right speech
4. Right conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right meditational attainment

Meditation is a key ritual of Buddhism, as adherents work to eliminate desires. Buddhism (or parts of it) has gained many followers in the Western world. I think this is because of its belief that the individual creates his/her own enlightenment (instead of relying on a deity). To me, the self-help approach to religion doesn’t sit right—but I can see the attraction. People like the calm meditation and peaceful attitude toward nature and the body. Mindfulness and meditation is important to faiths across the board. But I think many people in the West that are attracted to this Eastern tradition just pick and choose the parts they like while avoiding the actual work Buddhism takes. There’s something “hip” about Buddhism in the West that makes enlightenment look like the plastic trophy at the end of a self-help seminar. Its coolness diminishes it in my eyes. This is nothing against sincere followers of the faith; I just think there are many that claim it because it sounds deep and cool to do so at the moment. The Eight-fold Path, if done correctly, is no easy feat. I don’t believe suffering can ever be eliminated, though the goal to try to eliminate it is noble enough.

I guess some people like the lack of structure that comes with Buddhism. It is a very individual faith as I understand it. I think any faith has a level of individualism of course. To be faithful is an individual choice. But a community of rituals and structure is important to me too. And the Noble Truths and meditation are very good for the here and now, but I also think of out there, before and after.

There is some hierarchy in the Buddhist faith. Its most famous leader is the Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetan Gelug branch of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of a great teacher of enlightenment going as far back as the 15th century. The current Dalai Lama has been living in exile due to the tensions between Tibet and China.

[This prayer wheel is in a Tibet exhibit, part of a larger cultural exhibit I saw in Kunming, China in 2008. Prayer wheels are hollow metal cylinders with mantras or prayers written on them. It is believed that spinning the wheel is the same as verbally reciting the prayer.]

Next Friday: Shintoism

Religion Friday: Hinduism

Hinduism is the polytheistic religion of India. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, with around 900 million followers. Out of shear statistics, one would think I know some, but I live in the Bible Belt, so no. When I think of Hinduism, I think of gods with multiple arms, bright colors, body paint, reincarnation, mystical meditation, and all the magical things imperial Britain made India out to be. And that’s because the religion is so old, much of Indian culture stems from Hinduism. Worship consists of devotion/sacrifice to the gods, family duties, and meditation. The sacred writings are the Vedas and later, the Upanishads.

The symbol I have posted is the most important to Hinduism, the Om. In Sanskrit, the Om symbol is comprised of three sounds. The Om sounds is the essential sound of creation; it is believed that first the sound Om was created, and the world arose from that. The Om continues to hold everything together and is important in some meditations.

Hinduism is full of gods, and like the Greeks, individuals or local groups will usually have focus on one or two local, specific gods. The three main gods are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. While worship to the gods is part of the religion, the purpose of life is not to receive reward from the gods. Rather, the goal for Hindus is to attain a higher spiritual level, eventually ending the cycle of reincarnation. Hinduism states that dharma, or the path of ethics and duties, guides all of one’s actions. Karma is the right action that can lead to freedom from reincarnation. They believe that when a soul dies, it is reborn with a new chance to be break the cycle. And while I don’t agree, I do like the idea that those who aren’t of the faith aren’t evil and aren’t punished: they are simply less enlightened and will have the chance to be in the next life.

Maybe because there are so many gods to honor, there are lots of holidays. My favorite (purely because of the pictures) is Holi, the spring festival of merrymaking. There is not a lot of religious depth to it that I could find; it’s primarily just a spring celebration that includes a bonfire and tossing brightly colored paint. On the other end of the spectrum is Mahashivaratri (Festival of Shiva), a time of fasting and meditation. The temples to Shiva are filled with people praying and making offerings.

Besides the various gods, Hindus also believe in the existence of Brahman, the one force behind all that is. The many gods each characterize an aspect of the Brahman. It was actually this tenet of Hindi faith (and the world created from a sound) that made me start to see the universality of many religions. Before, I couldn’t understand how humans have such varying views of the world, but when I learned about the Brahman, I felt that, “When a Hindi feels the Brahman, it must feel very similar to when I feel God.” I’m not a relativist, so I won’t say that since the feelings are the same, the religions are equal. But I do think any person sincerely seeking God can feel Him. Even a polytheistic faith can acknowledge the oneness of the universe. Religions that seem so different can both feel His presence; it’s just the interpretations that are different.

Next Friday: Buddhism

[The picture of Holi only shows the bright colors used in the festivities. People will be covered head to toe in these colors, which makes for some beautiful pictures if you have the time to look them up. Photo credit to REUTERS/Amit Dave]