Buddhism

The Buddha is said to offer 84,000 categories of teachings to present them in twenty weeks in their historical and their practice context in a concise overview manner is a daunting task indeed. The course while not an in depth teaching of Buddhism succeeded in giving a good secular view of Buddhism. The questions asked could be better formulated and many of the references could be updated, some of the suggested reading was out of print. The Buddha teaches us how to overcome suffering with The Four Noble Truths and it is the basis for all of the rest of his teachings. Better than just solving the problems others he gives them the tools to solve their own problems and end their suffering. he teaches us we must be our own savior. Through out the years of religious study I have come to believe that all religions are talking about the same experience and that which is unthinkable and unspeakable is the same for all. The conflict which arises is when we conceptually fabricate an explanation and rely on the words of others rather than experience for ourselves the great wonder of creation. The Buddha was a guide to the path of self exploration and knowledge in order to end ones own suffering. The method he used was meditation. The simplest and most effective way to experience this is simple. Seek seclusion Sit Still Be quiet All that can be known will be revealed, since we are that which we seek. On November 15th I will enter a two month retreat and upon completion I will then begin a three year three month retreat at the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Chino Valley, Arizona. Thank you Rev. Mark for your moderation and thank you Rev. Amy for all the hard work that you have done. Many Blessings and Prayers Rev. Don Bowes aka Konchog Jimpa a Drikung Kagyu monk. ******************************************** To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for Free, for Life, right now, use the Free Online Ordination, button -- Click the link! As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

Michael S Barth

Master of Buddhism Final Essay

      This course about Buddhism was fascinating.  I have heard people talk about it but I never knew too much about Buddhism.  I felt that this course was presented well with great explanations of Buddhism terms and ideas/concepts were.  I started learning things about Buddhism from the very first lesson that I received to the very last lesson.

      I really loved the first lesson and how Buddhism got started.  I did not know that Buddha meant the enlightened one.  I always had thought that Buddha was the actually name of the person who started and founded Buddhism.  I did not know that the Buddha's actually name was Siddhartha Gautama.  I found his early life, before founding Buddhism, very fascinating.  I was very surprised that he had never left his home until he was 29 years old.  I also learned that the Bodhi Tree- the Tree of Enlightenment- was the tree that Siddhartha Gautama was sitting/meditating under when he experienced enlightenment.  I also enjoyed how he set out to explain to people how he had found enlightenment.

      I also liked learning about the Four Noble Truths.  I had heard of the term the Four Noble Truths before taking this class but did not know what the Four Noble Truths consisted of.  I am glad that this class went into each of the Four Noble Truths and how the Buddha explained them to his first disciples.  I had also had heard the term the Eightfold Path but did not know what the eight different points were in the Eightfold Path.  I enjoyed how this course described the Eightfold Path.

            The topic of the Three Jewels was totally new to me.  I had never heard of the Three Jewels before.  I was really grateful that the Three Jewels (The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha) were explained beautifully in this class.  This class went into some detail about the Three Jewels and learned quite a lot about the Three Jewels.  Also, I enjoyed the lesson about the Buddhist Councils that were held and what was discussed at these council meetings.  I liked how this course explains how the world ended up with different branches of Buddhism that came out of the Second Buddhist Council.

            I liked the section on how Buddhism spread into the different countries in Asia and then into the West.  I feel that it is too bad that some of these countries that people practice Buddhism have tried to control Buddhism or eliminate Buddhism (e.g. China, etc.).  I was surprised that the Dalai Lama had been exiled from Tibet since 1979.  I know who the Dalai Lama is but did not know he had been exiled for so long.

            Karma was covered in this class and I was glad that I learned how and what Karma is and is not.  The Wheel of Life was something totally new to me.  I did not know that there is a pig, rooster, and a snake at the very center or that the two paths around the center are the dark path and the white path.  I also did not know before about the six realms around the Wheel of Life.

            Some other topics I enjoyed learning about include enlightenment, meditation, and the different branches of Buddhism.  I did not know that the Dalai Lama was the leader of Tibetan Buddhism.  I had previously had thought that he was the leader of all Buddhists in the world.

            This was a great course for me.  I learned a lot and each lesson contained a lot of information that I had never known before and could go on much longer about all the other things that I learned in this course.  I am glad that I took this course because I think it is important for me to know about other religions/philosophies when I do my work with people.  I think this class is worth taking and I think that this course would broaden the horizons of a lot of people who do not know very much about Buddhism.

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Buddhism

Master of Buddhism ULC Majick W. RavenHawk This particular class is written quite well.  I have been a practicing Zen student for over 30 years and I am glad to see all the different nuances within Buddhism covered. It is not only learning about the philosophy/religion that is important , yes we are better human beings by learning the differences of each culture and religion.  What I find is that it is better to live the experience. By finding what resonated with your inner being and following your heart allowing your true essence to find its purpose while here on this planet at this time. The understanding that we are all Buddha and Buddha in nature we can come to grasp that we are all interconnected in the essence of consciousness.  There is truly no "us and them", there is only the oneness.   It struck me as incomprehensible when I witnessed a man on the news ranting about how he did not think it was his place to help those who were in need during this recession and had lost their homes.  He stated that it was their own fault for making bad judgment calls on investments and having little savings.  He felt that if they had to live on the streets so be it as long as he took care of himself.  The ranting was loud and full of rage.  I wondered if somewhere down the line he might not suffer the fate of those he refused to help and how he would feel if others turned their backs on him.  Whether or not people understood what they were getting into during the time of greed and attachment one good thing has come from it.  It has shown how painful it is to have such great attachment to the material so much so that one loses their own identity and becomes the "things".  It has also produced many who understand and have reached out in compassion to help those struggling during these times. As the Buddha taught that attachment only brings suffering is so true.  Without the attachment there is no suffering because the "want" no longer drives us and the "things" not longer define who we are.  We are part of the collective consciousness or unconsciousness. The choice is ours.  Should we decide to suffer or reach a point of non-suffering, it is ultimately up to us and what resonates with our very being.  Should we awaken or slumber in our suffering. ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church  materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

My interest in this class on Buddhism came about because of my interest in daily meditation, mindfulness, the books of the latest Dalai Lama, and the way I feel the God or spirit connection through nature and my garden. I have taken a local class in Buddhist meditation and connected greatly with the special classes on mindful walking and eating, as I have a practice of both walking and eating fast. Each practice has brought about a slowing down that has brought a special awareness of simple things of joy that have added much peace to a otherwise sometimes stressful life.       As I studied the weekly classes I liked the simple ways taught of kindness, compassion and a path to peace though non violence.  While my fundamental Christian family would not like the idea of me as comparing Jesus and Buddha as brothers, for most who have grown up with knowledge of just their own faith can never see beyond their own teachings, I personally, began to see each in a new light after this study.  I could see Jesus and the Buddha as almost twins or best friends of like minds in many ways, but as with my on Christian religion (that I find myself disappointed in at times) I found myself thinking as Jesus or the original Buddha might if each returned to day to evaluated or grade the current spiritual practices carried out in their behalf.  I feel sure that each would be highly disappointed and would no doubt give both spiritual paths a D minus when it came to caring forth the original mission of each man.  Jesus did not like the emphases on rules of his Jewish heritage that miss the point of love, compassion, forgiveness and love and perhaps the Buddha heard so much about all the Hindi gods and all their rules that he did not even want to utter the name God when it came to spiritual faith for he felt even that word had been misused so much it left the real meaning of a higher power wanting for something more.  AND YET look at both faith each have come down to proving ones faith by the keeping of rules, rules and rules.    I heard a lecture lately where the speaker said, that when mankind could study all faith and find common ground and not criticism of one being better than the other then perhaps the world would grow a little closer to peace.  I listened and thought to myself perhaps both Jesus and the Buddha saw this too and tried to help guide mankind's heart and eyes to viewing all mankind as one with the focus on Love and Soul and not the ego and rules, rules, rules.     I found myself wondering as we all become more and more educated and study all the many faiths maybe we will see the common ground and not the differences and move a little closer to peace. It would be nice to think that could come soon, though Jesus lived over 2000 years ago and Buddha long before him, and yet all things began with a vision and a dream and we must continue to carry their dreams forward for a better future for all mankind. Rev. Linda Francis ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church  materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

Throughout this course I learned more about the numerous schools of Buddhism and the evolution of these schools, and the effects of the cultures in the countries where the individual schools were established. From the beginning after siddhartha passed into parinirvana it seemed that at the first council people couldn't decide on what was the most significant things Siddhartha taught, so they kept a great amount of information that was sometimes overlapping and influenced by the different regional cultures. The development of mahayana from madhyamika from mahayana all of the greater vehicle schools from Tibetan to Zen vary quite a bit. The history of Buddhism is essential to understanding the contemporary buddhism, but to return to the basics is the best approach to begin down the path. The four noble truths and the eight fold path.Life is difficult economics politics socially and religiously it is hard to find moments of peace and happiness, and they must be cherished, so life is suffering so long as we allow ourselves to be controlled by external influences and let go of our own character and ideas. We must look within and see the sources of our hardships, there we see we often cause ourselves the majority of our problems just by having poor views and grand expectations of other and situations.We must focus on this source and change. The changes we make must be to learn to view the world as it is rather than how we would like it to be, a great amount of frustration comes from our tendencies to romanticize and idealize, without considering the other 6.5 billion people that might not feel the same way. Once we look at how we trouble ourselves we must begin to correct our thoughts and behaviors for some that means becoming a monastic which in some ways is an enviable life but in other it may be unfulfilling, I am a father of two and that has been a blessing. This is where the eightfold path becomes very important to the redevelopment of the basic thought process' which help us to heal. Right view-the world as-is, right intention,to bring goodness without stipulations, right speech to stop contributing to the constant noise in the universe which throws things out of balance, right effort the precepts for behavior and interaction, right livelihood to refrain from causing further disturbance,right action only that which is necessary to create balance and moderate living, right mindfulness being congnizant of our self control and influences, and right concentration through mediation, these greatly change our expectations and attachment to ideas and romanticized ideas. Rev. Joseph D. Brave-Heart ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church  materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

Upon completion of the Master of Buddhism program, I have a better understanding of the religion of Buddhism and the teachings of the Buddha.  However, I feel that that biggest impact the course had on me is that it actually made me more humble and less judgmental about other religions.  Before taking this course I was unaware that the Buddhist religion had different offshoots from the main title of Buddhism and that Buddhism falls victim to all the same issues that are seen in the other religion.  Having recently taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, I wanted to see only the good portions of this new part of my life and was not aware that it was capable of being similar to the Christian religions that I did not find satisfaction in, I wanted it to be better and more true than the religions I was raised around.  As I learned that the religion had the same issues and problems, I began to realize that it was not a "better" religion than the others, it was the religion that called out to me when I was in need of a spiritual path.  In this epiphany I was reminded of a comment Gandhi made about each individual person on earth has their own individual "religion" and that the chances of finding two people who follow any religion exactly the same is nearly impossible.  Each of us picks the teachings or rules of the religion we chose to follow, the ones we choose to ignore and the ones we choose to argue.  These differences do not make any religion or follower of a religion right or wrong, it shows the differences in each individual and what they need to find and follow their spiritual path.   This simple discovery of the fact that Buddhism is not a better more holy or superior religion to any other has made me humble and brought me back down to earth and allowed me to focus more on the teachings of the Buddha and working towards finding a spiritual teacher to help me work towards the goals of enlightenment or having a positive reincarnation not spending time worrying about proving the Buddha and I are right and my Catholic Brother and Nazarene Wife are wrong.  I spent too much of my time worrying about academic proving the validity of my beliefs and proving theirs to be flawed that I did not have the time I needed to create a relationship with MY religion.  This course has caused me to realize that Buddhism is no more pure and unflawed than other religion and spending my time proving why it is better is a waste of my effort and that I need to focus on my spiritual growth and journey.    Rev. David Ellman ******************************************** To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link. Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church.  Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

Buddhism Course Essay

I have sat down many times now trying to write this essay on the Buddhism course by Tricia Stirling. I haven't been able to adequately put to words the influence that this course has had on my way of looking at life. Am I Buddhist, can I follow the Eight Fold Path? I would have to say no. I have been raised in this materialistic world and have become accustomed to my attachments to those things that make up my life, as I now know it to be.

Two aspects of Buddhism that do speak to me are the Six Perfections and the Four Immeasurables. Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha are to me four qualities that should be a crucial part of everyone's life and not just a Buddhist thing. If all encounters in life were to be approached with these four thought processes in mind, Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic joy and Equanimity, there would be little conflict and a lot less pain in our lives and the lives of those around us.

The Six Perfections of Generosity, Ethical behavior, Patience, Joyous effort, Concentration and Wisdom again, if practiced in everyone's daily interactions with everyone they encounter would eliminate conflict, anger and greed. Everyone should be concisely applying these 10 actions, regardless of their particular religious practice and belief system.

Am I ready to abandon all attachments? No, I like my home and truck and guitars. I like my children and wife and food and work and, well it goes on. I am learning though that allowing myself to become upset that I am late to work or the show or whatever I haven't achieved, is counter productive to peace in my life. I am learning that it is not the end of the world if I don't achieve something I was trying for or wanted. I am learning that I will not achieve enlightenment in this lifetime and that is all right. I have many lifetimes ahead to work on that.

I am on a path of enlightenment. Taking this course is one step on that journey. If I can share some of the knowledge that I am gaining in this lifetime with those that I encounter in this lifetime my journey will continue in a positive way. I believe that is where I am right now. Do I have a Buddha in me? Yes and he is guiding me along my journey, steering me in positive directions. I accept that the shortest path to enlightenment is not the best path. I want to enjoy the learning and the sharing and I am enjoying it. Maybe achieving is not the answer. Maybe traveling is.

Thank you Ms. Stirling. I recommend this course to anyone who is mildly interested. It will open up your mind to a different way of approaching your journey through this lifetime.

Rev. Kirk Haas

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

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Buddhism

Master of Buddhism by Rev. Nitza L. Melgar

When I think of life and it's meaning, I picture myself on the top of a very tall mountain. I stand there alone, overlooking the clouds that float slowly beneath me. I see the birds flying freely to their next destination down below. I am at the very point where the world ends and eternity begins.

There, there way down below the clouds, live the humans. Those beings, I am suppose to love and care for without constraint.

I stand dressed in a white hooded robe. No markings at all, as to indicate my station. My body is entirely covered, so my gender is not known, the color of my skin is hidden. My face, deep inside the white hood, is invisible. Here, I ponder, the question, regarding what I must do, to reach enlightenment?

I must empty myself. Disappear, if you will. I must love every living creature, as it is and not as I would like it to be. I must erase all anger, resentment, or feeling of hatred towards anyone.

I must walk away from all I have, and think more of others than myself.

I must dissolve myself and become part of the oneness that is humanity.

I am not black, white or any color. I am not male or female. I am not rich or poor. I am not tall or short. I am open to all things. Accepting all things as part of the greater picture, the tapestry that is life.

This, to me, is what Buddha, Christ and all those like them were trying to teach us. There is something greater than ourselves that rules all things. We must become less, in order to become more. It is only in dying to oneself, that one can live. It is only in reaching out to others, that we can receive.

We must accept ourselves, just as we are and strive continuously to do good. It is only in emptying yourself that you can become a vessel. A vessel to be filled with love, and selflessness.

The more I read the teachings of Buddha, the more I realize, how similar they are to Jesus teachings in the New Testament. It has been said, "that there is nothing new under the Sun." I began to think about this, and try to see why this happened. It seems to me, that whenever the world becomes full of anger, war and violence,teachers such as Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohamed and others would come and remind us what the True Path should be for us to follow.

In our lifetime, people like Martin Luther King, tried to do the same thing. If we stray from the Path, we will be damned to relive our mistakes. I do believe in reincarnation and I do believe a soul returns over and over till he gets it right. To me enlightenment is the only Path to Ascension and eternal reunion with the essence from which we came.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and highly recommend it to other ministers. Thank for this opportunity to learn and share ideas.

God Bless,

Rev. Nitza L. Melgar ULC Minister,SBT

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Buddhist Studies

Master of Buddhism Final Essay

By Rev. Patricia Buben

The term "Buddha" means enlightened one.  Buddha was a young prince who was born in Nepal around 563 B.C.  His real name was Siddhartha Gautama.  There were prophecies about Siddhartha.  If he stayed within the palace, he would be great leader; if he left the palace, he would become a holy man.  Because holy men were poor and often became beggars, Siddhartha's father kept him within the palace.  At the age of 29, Siddhartha left the palace because he felt there was something missing in his life and could no longer bear to see the suffering in the world.  By the age of 35, Siddhartha became enlightened under the Bodhi tree, where he meditated and has been known as the Buddha from that time.

Buddha's compassion is very similar to the ten commandments.  These are the things that he taught himself to avoid:

-         The killing of any living creature so that he might attain a long life

-         The sin of stealing because he wished everyone to have everything they need

-         The sin of adultery; he wanted all people to know the blessedness of a pure spirit and not suffer from insatiable desires

-         All deception, he wanted all people to know the tranquility of mind that would follow in speaking the truth

-         Double-talk; he wanted all people to know the joy of fellowship.

-         Abusing others; he wished that all might have the serene mind that would follow by living at peace with others

-         Idle talk; he wished that all might know the blessedness of sympathetic understanding.

-         Greed; and by this virtuous act he wanted all people to know the peacefulness that would go with this freedom

-         Anger as he wanted all people to love one another

-         Ignorance; he wanted all people to understand and not disregard the law of causation.

-         Thus Buddha's compassion embraces all people, and his constant consideration is for their happiness. He loves people as parents love their children and he wishes the highest blessedness for them, namely, that they will be able to pass beyond this ocean of life and death

Like Jesus, the Buddha was a man of parables and this is how he taught his disciples.  The system of religion that has developed as a part of the Buddhist practice include the elements of the eight-fold path:

Right Understanding – approaching everything with a positive attitude or joy

Right Intention – a commitment to mental and ethical self-improvement

Right Speech – being careful of the words we speak

Right Action – behaving in ways that do not harm others

Right Livelihood – earning a living honestly

Right Effort – using diligence, perseverance and exertion

Right Mindfulness – pay attention to what we are doing when we are doing it

Right Concentration – meditation

In summary, living according to the Buddhist teachings will help to bring serenity, through ethical behavior, compassion and respect for all life.  The teacher can only bring you so far, the student must apply this knowledge in order to raise his or her own consciousness.

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church  materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar