In the document, the Buddhas Early Life, Siddhartha also known as, Buddha, had a planned life. His mother had died which lead to anger and depression at a young age. His father was a king. As a young child Siddhartha was spoiled, anything he wanted would be provided for him. His father picked him a woman for him to marry. The father expected his son, Siddhartha to marry her and have a kid to pass the throne. There was a day when Siddhartha had seen four moments that would change his perspective of life. A man with a disease, a person that is pale, a person laying still surrounded by mourners.
Then Siddhartha realizes that death will eventually come. Once Siddhartha realized that death will come, he felt like he was in a prison in his dad’s throne. He had realized that his life was set up to live with no worries. Also, he realized that his dad had structured his life. Siddhartha knew he would have to do something in order to feel content with his life. All his choices were influenced by his father. Thus, Siddhartha decided to go find himself. His father, the king, did not want his child to go find himself. He thought his child was foolish and did not know that he was saying. Perhaps your decisions are influenced by mom and dad. This should not be the case because your parents’ decisions to an individual’s choices make he or she depressed.
Obeying what your told to do will lead to dissatisfaction with one’s life. Perhaps his father was afraid to lose his child in death and depression. Siddhartha wanted to know the answer to suffering. Siddhartha escaped from his dads’ throne. After, Siddhartha had been meditating and learning new practices from different teachers. Now, the fourth moment that changed his perspective of life had occurred when he realized there is more discoveries than owning than being a king. Siddhartha had been mediating and, one day, he had become free. Now he is named Buddha. He found his purpose in life. He is free, has reached happiness and peace. He decided to teach his findings until the day he died.
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The focus of this article is that although an individual may be spoiled with riches, an individual has to make his or her own decisions I order to realize what is best. Siddhartha could have easily gone with the same tradition/routine which was to take his dads throne, obtain anything with easy access, marry a woman by his dads’ choice, and have a child to pass his stature of being a king. Wanting more than what is already set for Siddhartha was important to him. Why it is important to not be influenced by your parents’ choices or statements is because depression will occur due to not having to make your own choices. I focus on the aspect of making your decisions, only this will allow you to find your purpose in life and who you are in this world. Essentially, making own decisions will answer why you were bought to this world.
The purpose of life is to be happy and free from all problems. The document, Basics of Buddhism, states that “The quest of Buddhism is to put an end into the pain, frustration, disappointment, and suffering of life”. It should be noted that the author state that no one has been able to be free of frustration, etc., not even the buddha. When Siddharth found out that the whole world was pretending to be happy, he left home to find something real. Desires that happen will cure sadness but only for a moment. A person will perhaps never reach a place of contentment. In correlation to my main reading, it can be said that after Siddharth saw the suffering of people, he himself realized he was suffering by his dad making his life decision such as picking a wife for him.
Now, whether or not being non-heterosexual makes a person more or less Buddha is a interesting topic. If there is a gay couple and both are happy, that can be their way in being free from frustration and end suffering. In the document, Buddha Nature and Queer Consciousness, many queer people enjoy and live the world. When a gay couple is together they see themselves in another body. Therefore, brings happiness to the individual. It turns out that queers tend to not pay attention to sex rather, they want to be happy with their partner. In heterosexual relationships, it was noted that their relationships have a relatively higher change in failing. This correlated to my theme on enlightenment because non-heterosexual people realized that being ion a relationship with the same gender makes them happy. It total, understanding gender in Buddhism is shown by queer Buddhists finding their own path to freedom of suffering.
Like gay couples were left out on the texts in Buddhism, women were also left out. According to Women in Mahayana Buddhism, women in Buddhism had been overlooked. The first Buddhist nun is said to be Prajapati, Shakyamuni, Buddhas aunt. Prajapati said that, “Give women a chance; we cannot say for sure that they will fail unless they have a chance to study and follow the Dharma.” This sentence portrays that Buddha did not want women involved in his teachings because he feared that they will fail. In addition, according to Homosexuality in Theravada Buddhism, Buddhists usually follow an ethical behavior which includes fiver percepts. One of those percepts involves sexual behavior. Homosexuality was known in ancient India. A monk or nun must be celibate. It is clear that women had it tough to be Buddhists. Perhaps the women were just trying to be free from depression. However, In the article, the Place of Women in Buddhism, author states that “One of the classic titles given to the Buddha is ‘sattâ devamanussanam’ or ‘teacher of gods and humans’.
There is no sexist language in the title but in other titles there are. Although there can be sexist language in some texts, it can be said that women in Buddhism were fairly treated by the view of the many Buddhists. In addition, the Bhikkhuni allowed any gender to practice their teachings. No other religion/ institution had allowed women to participate in religion teachings for the past thousands of years. The Bhikkhuni allowed anyone to participate in Buddhists teachings and practices. Women in the Bhikkhuni group could have been searching for freedom =, thus formed the Bhikkhuni. But again, in Buddhism and Sexual ethics, it states that the language in the texts are only being addressed to men, not women. Therefore, the texts would benefit men.
For example, if there is married couple, there is no such thing as martial rape. Once a woman was married to a man, she was considered as ‘property’. The article also states that we should rethink about sexual ethics. Thus, women had more issues to worry upon while searching for freedom. In the pdf Bhikkhuni Ordination Now it states that “How long will we allow women to be driven out of their monastic home rather than challenge the abuse of their freedom to practice fully within Buddhist monasticism? The persistence of gender inequality within a broader cultural context that tolerates it less and less threatens to bring the house down around us.”
Essentially, this article supports that women should have the freedom to search for their happiness as well as the male Buddhists. Some say that female Buddhists have it better than male Buddhists. The article, Women in Theravada Buddhism, it states that “woman suffers no moral degradation on account of her widowhood. Her social status is not altered in any way. In Buddhist societies she does not have to advertise her widowhood by shaving her head and relinquishing her ornaments. She is not forced to fast on specific days and sleep on hard floors for self-mortification has no place in Buddhism…” Essentially, women are in better positions than man in Buddhism.
Buddhas Early Life is important to understanding gender and/ or sexuality in Buddhism because no matter what gender an individual call themselves, there shall be the same objective in Buddhism which is to be free and relieved from what’s around you. Contemporary Buddha Spousal Roles states that “In five ways should a husband minister to his wife: by respecting her, by being kind to her, by being faithful to her, by giving her authority, by adorning her.” Women have to “love him: by performing her duties well, by giving hospitality to their relatives, by being faithful to him, by supervising their money, and by skillfully doing all her work.” Moreover, men have to take responsibility on emotional duties, while women take responsibilities on organization duties. In essence, both must be faithful to one another to have a long and happy relationship. This correlates to understanding gender by both genders having the same objectives in order to accomplish enlightenment. Likewise, in Women accruing the Essence, one day a person noticed that there was a female crying.
Later, the person discovered that the women had reached the Buddha way. So, began the findings of female Buddha ancestors. According to the article all Buddhas pass thru Prajnaparamita. A seven year old child had achieved enlightenment and realized her reason to be alive. There had been four major practice groups since the ancient times, woman had indeed accomplished the Buddha way. The seven sons from all the groups would raise them to learn the Buddha way. Once female buddhas accomplish enlightenment, it is said that their minds are peaceful and satisfied. Also, by achieving the stage of enlightenment illuminates a female’s whole universe.
My spiritual feelings were oppressed. Made me feel that we live in a society where everything is socially constructed. For example, at a young age we are told to attends school in order to have a successful future. Perhaps throughout grades K-12 a student is forced to attend because of their guardians and it is a law. After high school is college. Parents shouldn’t tell their children to attend college. Parents influence their children’s decisions. The children then are depressed because he or she has a routine that his or her parents have chosen for them. After that a college student gets a job. Then for the next couple of years the students go to work and school throughout the week. In my case I am part of the many students who want more out of life.
It is tough to find something that makes you happy and feel enlightened. Due to parents making the decisions for their children, the children end up being depressed. The children have to obey their parents because he or she may get removed from the household. The articles made me feel useless. There are many other things that are yet to be discovered, yet I have the same routine for the upcoming years. The routine is to go to work and school. There is no enlightenment by your parents tell what their child should do. Buddha escaped from his dad throne, his wife, and child in order to find the answer of suffering. Throughout many practices and teachings, buddha was free of depression and suffering. Buddha has to make sacrifices in order to obtain something he wanted to obtain.
Perhaps the reason why a college student is attending college is because having a college diploma leads to gaveling a high income. Buddha will state that this a desire which will lead to depression. Many of the times college students do things because of their outcomes and satisfaction. This made me realize that college is a structure of depression. Like previously stated college leads to depression. During college there are exams, homework, and projects which leads to students feeling anxiety and depression. If there was a way to earn money without having a college diploma, students will take that easy route on not going to college. In essence there are many influences that impact a college students’ decision on whether he or she should attend college.
The influences should be ignored because it will lead to depression by only thinking of the positive outcome. The individual itself should make his or her decisions without any influences. Doing what an individual wants to do with his or her life would be the key to a joy able life. This made me reflect and feel depressed that I have fallen into this system of social norms. In correlation to gender, females and males should both be allowed to be free from suffering. Although Buddhism texts were written for men, they are meaningful to women in today’s world. Women should be allowed to do as they wish just like men. Buddha texts have the same idea which both men and women can learn from. The ultimate goal is be free and have a enjoyable life. Ultimately, I am influenced by society and its usual purpose instead of finding my own purpose.
