Comparative Insights: Non-Christian Symbols in Buddhism

Benchmark – Non-Christian Symbols Hannah Villines College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University COM-263: Elements of Intercultural Communication Professor Michael Dvorak December 19, 2021 1

Benchmark – Non-Christian Symbols Buddhism, a widespread Asian religion, is a religion that focuses heavily on rituals and traditional practices. Rituals have been a very significant symbol of their religious practices since the origins of the Buddhism itself. Buddhists have specific worldviews that seem to be completely opposite from those of traditional Christians. It can hard to find two religions that are more different from each other, and with this being said, what most people don’t realize is that, though it’s hard to envision, the two religions have some similarities within their cultures. History of Buddhism Buddhism is one of the worlds largest religions, originating in India in 563-538 B.C.E., over 2,500 years ago. It was originated by an Indian Prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautama during the fifth century. After seeing many people die and become poor, he realized that the anyone living the human life meant suffering was upon them. He got rid of all his riches and became poor himself. He lived a life of meditation, begging, and travelling, but it made him realize that he was suffering just as much as he was when he was rich. He later settled upon what would be called “the middle way”, which basically meant that you would never reach enlightenment as someone who is extremely poor or someone who is extremely rich, but instead while living a life somewhere in between. One day, while underneath “the tree of life”, or the Bodhi tree, during extreme meditation, he reached enlightenment with himself (S.R. Batomunkueva, & V. V. Khartaev. 2021). Siddhartha Gautama later became known as “the Buddha” and was and is still seen as an extraordinary being, rather than a god. Buddhist people focus on achieving a state of inner peace and wisdom, also known as “enlightenment”. Buddhist Rituals 2

Rituals and religious practice are an extremely important part of the Buddhist religion and a significant aspect of what they believe, will help them achieve “enlightenment” or inner peace. Buddhist Practices and rituals is their way of showing their commitment and devotion to Buddha. They do this through festivals, ceremonies, many ways of meditation, and rituals. The first example is called “Puja”. “Pujas” are ceremonies that involve gifts or offerings as well as contain prayer and meditation. The purpose of a Puja is to thank Buddha for all that he has taught them and to show how grateful they are to him. A few other rituals that Buddhists practice are Chanting, Mantras, and Mala, which are all different forms of worship. Meditation is central to Buddhism and is the most common practice. (Fronsdal, G. 2021) Their reason for meditating is to bring themselves to a “higher state of awareness”. Buddhists usually carry a mala (string of prayer beads) with them wherever they go so that they can stop and meditate no matter where they are. You may also find that Buddhists often bow, which is something that they see as a great sign of respect. Lastly, they often leave offerings, including flowers and candles, as forms of respect. Buddhists take part in these rituals and practices in order to become more and more deeply devoted to their religion every day so that they may find inner peace and understand Buddha. Christianity vs. Buddhism Surprisingly, though Christianity and Buddhism are extremely different, being that Buddhists do not believe in or acknowledge a god, but instead focus on achieving nirvana, or “enlightenment” and look to Buddha for wisdom, while Christians believe in one God, and that Christ is the son of God and are centered on the Teachings and Life of Jesus Christ, there are still some similarities between the two religions. Even though the beliefs couldn’t be more far off, the two religions share similar ways of showing commitment to who they worship. For example, for 3

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Buddhists, mudras are the rituals performed in order to bring divine powers, or positive energy to one’s body. While somewhat, Christians will Kneel or lift their hands in worship with the intentions of connecting the mind, heart, and body, and surrender while praying. In the Christian faith, you will find pastors who are meant to share what the gospel says and bring guidance to those who need it, and Buddhism has monks who also express their values and beliefs. Both religions encourage their followers to take further steps beyond just believing, so that they may better their well-being. Although the beliefs of Christianity could not be more far off from those of the Buddhist beliefs, as believers in Christ, whose main goal is to spread the gospel and love others, it is extremely important that we take the time to learn and understand the teachings of other religions. We must be properly informed, because without accurate knowledge, we may not be able to convey the gospel to them at the best of our abilities. Not only is a Christians main goal to communicate the gospel, but it is also important to do so in a cross-culture setting and communicating interculturally is extremely vital in that case (Moreau, Campbell, & Greener, 2014). References 4

S.R. Batomunkueva, & V. V. Khartaev. (2021). History of Buddhism in Mongolia in Essay of Kensur Ngawang-Nima “Coverage of Classical Sources on History of Buddhism.” (7), 400-411. https: doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ 10.24224/2227-1295-2021-7-400-411 Moreau, A., Campbell, E., & Greener, S. (2014). Effective intercultural communication: A Christian perspective. Baker Publishing. ISBN- 13: 9781441245939 https://www.gcumedia.co m/digital- resources/baker- academic/2014/effective- intercultural- communication_a- 5

christian- perspective_1e.php Moreau, A., Campbell, E., & Greener, S. (2014). Effective intercultural communication: A Christian perspective. Baker Publishing. ISBN- 13: 9781441245939 https://www.gcumedia.co m/digital- resources/baker- academic/2014/effective- intercultural- communication_a- 6

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christian- perspective_1e.php Moreau, A., Campbell, E., & Greener, S. (2014). Effective intercultural communication: A Christian perspective. Baker Publishing. ISBN- 13: 9781441245939 https://www.gcumedia.co m/digital- resources/baker- academic/2014/effective- intercultural- communication_a- 7

christian- perspective_1e.php Moreau, A., Campbell, E., & Greener, S., (2014). Effective Intercultural Communication: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing. SBN-13: 9781441245939 https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/baker-academic/2014/effective- intercultural-communication_a-christian-perspective_le.php Fronsdal, G. (2021) Rituals in Buddhism. Insight Meditation Center. https://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/rituals-in-buddhism/ 8

Non Christian Symbols

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