Which tradition encourages the bodhisattva goal

Nichiren was not just a scripture scholar, he was an activist. Having worked out what was wrong with contemporary Buddhism he did something about it. He engaged in shakubuku. This Japanese word means "to break and subdue". Nichiren not only embarked on missionary work for his own cause, but also on energetic disparagement of rival Buddhist views, to the extent of warning that those who followed them were going to hell.

This made him extremely unpopular with other Buddhist teachers. Nichiren also rebuked the rulers of Japan for allowing rival Buddhist schools of thought to promote "erroneous teaching". The job of the government, he said, was to promote the Lotus Sutra and look after the monks who taught it.

Unless the government did this, Nichiren and his monks were duty bound to oppose the rulers of Japan. Loyalty to the Lotus Sutra was more important than loyalty to country or secular authority. He was exiled twice by the government and some of his disciples were executed. He refused to compromise his principles and continued to challenge the established schools of Buddhism.

During his second exile on Sado Island he wrote letters of encouragement to his disciples which later formed some of his most important works. In , he was freed and the government cleared him of any wrongdoing. He died on October 13 , surrounded by his closest disciples. Today there are many schools of Nichiren Buddhism. The Soka Gakkai is the only Buddhist group in the West that has attracted a significant multi-racial membership.

With just over 10, active members in the UK January figure , the movement is unusual in the Buddhist tradition. It has many centres throughout Britain run by the Soka Gakkai movement.

Unlike other schools of Buddhism, its members actively proselytise. Similarities can still be drawn between Nichiren practice and other forms of Buddhism. Nichiren Buddhists meet weekly or fortnightly in their own homes. Members of the practice are given a Gohonzon scroll , so that they can practice at home rather than going to a temple. People are divided into groups based on their location and will appoint an overall leader of the group, a men's and women's leader and a youth division leader.

This is a very structured arrangement which can be reproduced universally. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism was passed from generation to generation in Japan for years giving rise to over thirty different Nichiren denominations in Japan.

In a lay society known as the Soka Gakkai Value Creating Society started to spread its teachings. Soka Gakkai was founded by the educators Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda, who had found parallels between Nichiren's teaching and their philosophy of education. They followed in Nichiren's political footsteps, challenged the militaristic government during World War Two and were imprisoned for opposing government interference in religion.

Makiguchi, who was the society's first president, died in jail on November 18 After the war, the Japanese constitution allowed freedom of religion for the first time. Toda reconstructed the Soka Gakkai as a movement for people in all aspects of society, not just in education. By the time he died on April 2 the organisation had reached more than , households and some of its members had been elected to the Japanese Parliament. Daisaku Ikeda became the third President on May 3 , aged only Under his leadership the organisation grew rapidly and expanded abroad.

In Soka Gakkai International was established and he became its first president. This service is more advanced with JavaScript available. Buddhism and Jainism Edition. Editors: K. Sarao, Jeffery D. Contents Search. Authors Authors and affiliations C. Reference work entry First Online: 29 March We cling to things in the hope that they will provide us with a certain benefit. Buddha said that suffering can be extinguished. Freedom has, in fact, been used in Buddhism in the context of freedom from rebirth or freedom from the effects of karma.

For the existentialist, freedom is a fact of our being, one which we often ignore. Finally, Buddha says that there is a way to extinguish suffering. For the existential psychologist, the therapist must take an assertive role in helping the client become aware of the reality of his or her suffering and its roots.

Buddhistic mindfulness practices have been explicitly incorporated into a variety of psychological treatments. More specifically psychotherapies dealing with cognitive restructuring share core principles with ancient Buddhistic antidotes to personal suffering. Fromm attributes techniques associated with the latter to Buddhist mindfulness practices.

Linehan's dialectical behavioral therapy DBT. This is the essence of full catastrophic living. Not surprisingly, in terms of clinical diagnoses, MBSR has proven beneficial for people with depression and anxiety disorders; however, the program is meant to serve anyone experiencing significant stress.

This emphasis on acceptance as a balance to change flows directly from the integration of a perspective drawn from the practice of Buddhism with Western psychological practice. They are the first skills taught and are reviewed every week. The skills are psychological and behavioral versions of meditation practices from Eastern spiritual training. Linehan has drawn heavily from the practice of Zen. Controlled clinical studies have demonstrated DBT's effectiveness for people with borderline personality disorder.

Albert Ellis, has written that many of the principles incorporated in the theory of rational-emotive psychotherapy are not new; some of them were originally stated several thousands of years ago, by Taoist and Buddhistic thinkers. A common Buddhistic antidote for anger is the use of active contemplation of loving thoughts. The school of Behaviorism describe or reduce human functions to principles of behavior, which can be manipulated to create positive effects in the life of the patient.

One may consider the story of the Buddha who was approached by a rich but miserly man who wanted to develop his spiritual life but was constrained by his seeming inability to share his wealth with others. The Buddha addressed this problem by telling him to get into the habit of using his right hand to give his left hand items of value and in doing so learn the art of giving!

Cognitive and cognitive-behaviorists focus more on training the mind to review and question assumptions, phobias, fears and beliefs. These therapists are typically associated with such techniques as visualization and positive self-talk designed to teach, or unlearn, principles that are, respectively, helpful or unhelpful.

Again, the noble eightfold path and its focus on right mindfulness and right thinking are the corollary in Buddhist thought. Gestalt Therapy is an approach created by Fritz Perls, based heavily on existentialist philosophy and significantly, Zen Buddhism among other influences. Its techniques encourage Right Mindfulness, and the focus on the immediate, phenomenological and experiential reality of the here and now, in the physical, emotional and mental realms.

David Brazier in his book Zen Therapy makes a thoughtful comparison of some principal Buddhist concepts and person-centered rogerian Therapy. In basic terms, its goal is to provide the patient a safe place, an environment where he or she may express their problems.

Although the therapist may do little more than provide active and empathic listening, and reflect and validate the thoughts and emotions of the struggling patient, they nonetheless, provide three crucial components for change to occur; unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence or genuiness. These are the elements that are considered essential to create an environment where the individual can grow, learn and evolve. All therapists do have similar aims.

Four Noble Truths are the method to adopt a diagnostic format to explain suffering and its cure; the 1 st Noble Truth identifies the disease, the 2 nd provides etiology, the 3 rd gives a prognosis, and the 4 th suggests a remedy. Philosopher and Orientalist Alan Watts once wrote: If we look deeply into such ways of life as Buddhism, we do not find either philosophy or religion as these are understood in the West.

We find something more nearly resembling psychotherapy. We stop torturing ourselves and allow ourselves to enjoy what there is to enjoy. Today the Western world has realized the psychological essence of Buddhism. Many Psychotherapeutic systems in the West are derived from Buddha's teaching. Buddha showed empathy and non-judgmental acceptance to everyone who came to him.

He helped people to gain insight and helped in growth promotion while eliminating troubling and painful emotions. His therapeutic methods are exceptional and can be applied for all times. Prince Gautama gave his entire life in understanding and then propagating his philosophy. People have devoted their entire lives in studying and understanding his philosophy.

This essay is just an expression of what little I have understood on His philosophy and an opportunity to offer my deep tribute to one of the greatest psychotherapists the world has ever produced! Source of Support: Nil. Conflict of Interest: None declared. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Indian J Psychiatry v. Buddhism and its ideas also provided comfort to many during this troubled and tumultuous time.

By the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties — C. For a long period during the Tang Dynasty — C. Buddhist temples owned large amounts of land and did not have to pay taxes.

Many Buddhist monasteries became very wealthy. When the Tang Dynasty fell on hard times, however, many Daoist and Confucian bureaucrats resented the wealth of the Buddhists. As a result, in —45 C. This persecution ended with the death of the emperor who had begun it. During the Cultural Revolution, Buddhism was once again suppressed.

However, Buddhism and its influences still remain woven into Chinese culture. Buddhism in China was undoubtedly quite different from Buddhism as it was originally practiced in India. According to tradition, there once was a king named Amitabha who became a monk after learning about Buddhism. When he became a buddha, he came into possession of the pure land called the Western Paradise. Individuals can supposedly reach the Western Paradise through devotion to the Amitabha Buddha.

Chan Buddhism developed in China in the sixth and seventh centuries. According to legend, the monk Bodhidharma was the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism. He is said to have meditated for nine years, cutting off his eyelids to stay awake. Chan Buddhism emphasized the importance of meditation in achieving enlightenment. Meditation, to the Chan Buddhists, was more important than sutra chanting, religious rituals, or worship of buddha images.

Buddhism in Tibet is quite different from traditional Chinese Buddhism. Tibet adopted Buddhism centuries after China and did not model itself on Chinese Buddhism. Rather, in the seventh century, Tibet actively studied and imported aspects of Indian, rather than Chinese, civilization. Another unique characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism is how some lamas, including the Dalai Lama, are identified through reincarnation.

Advanced lamas supposedly can know the identity of their rebirths. Many reincarnations of lamas have been found among the children of wealthy or influential patrons.

These children are then trained and guided until they are ready to take on the responsibilities of a lama. Prince Shotoku of Japan, for example, wished to learn more about Buddhism to help Japan become stronger like the larger and more advanced China.