Culture of Buddhism

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Buddhist culture is exemplified through Buddhist art, Buddhist architecture, Buddhist music and Buddhist cuisine. As Buddhism expanded from the Indian subcontinent it adopted artistic and cultural elements of host countries in other parts of Asia.

Features

Economics or the way in which work life is organized and the demands of production are met form an integral part of any culture. Buddhist economics forms an integral part of the Buddhist culture. Buddhist Economics does not work to maximum consumption but human well-being, which lies in a simple, purposeful and dutiful life, in which rightful livelihood is earned. Human beings must remain true to their heritage and avoid materialistic pursuit. Mechanical and redundant work that deprives the soul of meaningful pursuit is looked down upon, while too much leisure also is not approved of. Women becoming part of the active workforce is considered failure of the economic system, as women have to leave looking after the children to indulge in economic way-fare, while the children are untended for.[citation needed] Like language, religion has also divided the people of South Asia. The major religions in the subcontinent are Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Strong Indian, Chinese, Burmese and other Southeast Asian influences are still evident in traditional Thai culture. Buddhism, Animism and Westernization also play a significant role in shaping the culture. Three major forces have influenced the development of Buddhism in Thailand. The most visible influence is that of the Theravada school of Buddhism, imported from Sri Lanka. ... The second major influence on Thai Buddhism is Hindu beliefs received from Cambodia, particularly during the Sukhothai Kingdom.

In healthcare

For Buddhism, mental health is of supreme importance, and individuals must strive towards improving this by practicing non-violence and refraining from sexual misconduct and lying. However, Buddhist traditions do acknowledge physical ill-being. Pain and suffering are inevitable like death, for which taking any form of medication are not prohibited. The medicines taken should not be intoxicating or affect the clarity of mind in any way. Any physical ill-being must be endured with patience and steadfastness, as any form of physical suffering allows time for self-reflection and spiritual progress. The best way to cure a disease is to improve one's diet by practicing vegetarianism, reflective of the non-violent way of living. Buddhism also lays great stress on fasting on special days which helps revitalize the physical and spiritual being. Any form of organ transplant has been viewed as a supreme form of generosity as well.

In art

Main article: Buddhist art
See also: Greco-Buddhist art
Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, Bangkok

Buddhist art originated in the

Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th century BCE, before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of Asia
and the world. A first, essentially Indian, aniconic phase (avoiding direct representations of the Buddha), was followed from around the 1st century CE by an
Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of Hindu art, until Buddhism almost disappeared around the 10th century with the expansion of Hinduism and Islam
.

In the earliest form of Buddhist art, the Buddha was not represented in human form but instead was represented using signs and symbols such as footprints or an empty throne. From the fifth century B.C. to the first century B.C., Indian artists would make scriptures which revolved around the themes of the historical life of the Buddha and the previous lives of the Buddha.[1] The reluctance towards anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, and the sophisticated development of aniconic symbols to avoid it (even in narrative scenes where other human figures would appear), is believed to be connected 70 Buddha's sayings that disfavoured representations of himself after the extinction of his body.[citation needed] This phase is defined as the aniconic phase of Buddhist art. The iconic phase starts from the 1st century CE whereby the Buddha was given realistic human features and proportions.

In architecture

Main article: Buddhist architecture
Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand.

Buddhist religious architecture most notably developed in South Asia in the third century BCE.

Two types of structures are associated with early

Nālandā, (Bihar).[2]

The beginnings of the Buddhist school of architecture can be traced back to B.C. 255 when the Mauryan emperor Asoka established Buddhism as the state religion of his large empire and encouraged the use of architectural monuments to spread Buddhism in different places.[3]

Buddhism, which is also the first Indian religion to require large communal and monastic spaces, inspired three types of architecture; the first is the stupa, a significant object in Buddhist art and architecture. The Stupas hold the most important place among all the earliest Buddhist sculptures. On a very basic level, the Stupa is a burial mound for the Buddha. The original stupas contained the Buddha's ashes. Stupas are dome-shaped monuments, used to house Buddhists' relics or to commemorate significant facts of Buddhism.[4]

The second type of architecture unique to Buddhism is the Vihara, a Buddhist monastery that also contains a residence hall for the monks. The third type is the chaitya, an assembly hall that contains a stupa (without relics). The central hall of the chaitya is arranged to allow for circumambulation of the stupa within it.

In music and chant

Main article: Buddhist music

Buddhist music prominently includes

Shomyo.[7] Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachiyoku
for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century.

Buddhist chant is the chant
used in or inspired by Buddhism, including many genres in many cultures. It includes:

Musical chanting, most often in Tibetan or Sanskrit, is an integral part of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals. Yang chanting, performed without metrical timing, is accompanied by resonant drums and low, sustained syllables.

Shomyo (声明) is a style of Japanese

Buddhist chant
; mainly in the Tendai and Shingon sects. There are two styles: ryokyoku and rikkyoku, described as difficult and easy to remember, respectively.

Many ritual musical instruments are used in association with Buddhist practice including

bells, tingsha
, drums, cymbals, wind instruments and others.

The relationship between Buddhism and music is thought to be complicated since the association of music with earthly desires led early Buddhists to condemn the musical practice, and even observation of musical performance, for monks and nuns. However, in Pure Land Buddhism Buddhist paradises are represented as musical places in which Buddhist law takes the form of melodies. Most Buddhist practices also involve chant in some form, and some also make use of instrumental music and even dance. Music can act as an offering to the Buddha, as a means of memorizing Buddhist texts, and as a form of personal cultivation or meditation.[8]

In order to purify the hearts of listeners, Buddhist melodies are strong yet soft and pure. Buddhist music plays a central role in everyday cultural practices of Buddhists since it is also played in many ceremonies such as weddings and funerals[9]

Buddhist music developed when Buddhism spread to Tibet. The Tibetan traditions of Buddhism encouraged the use of song and dance in certain ceremonies. A wide variety of instruments such as specialized types of drums, windpipes, spiral conches, and trumpets were used in larger ceremonies.

Hymns are commonly used in the Buddhist culture in ceremonies for making offerings or inviting the presence of Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Buddhist hymns express the five virtuous qualities that are sincerity, elegance, clarity, depth, and equanimity and it is believed that regularly listening to Buddhist hymns or fanbei can give the following five graces: a reduction in physical fatigue, less confusion and forgetfulness, a reduction in mental fatigue, greater eloquence, and greater ease in expression and communication. Therefore, in the practice of Buddhism, hymns or fanbei have an important role in daily living, for example in repentance ceremonies. They are not designed to try to elevate or excite the emotions of participants or practitioners, but in fact aim to help conserve emotional energy, calm the thinking, lessen desire, and allow practitioners to see their true nature with clarity.[9]

In cuisine

Main articles:
Vegetarianism in Buddhism
A vegetarian restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan serving Buddhist cuisine in buffet style.

Buddhist cuisine is a kind of

meat analogues
in the world.

Buddhism forbids alcohol and other intoxicants because they may result in violations of others of the "Five Moral Precepts": no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying or partaking of intoxicants. In addition, intoxicants cloud the mind and interfere with the concentration needed to achieve enlightenment.

Some Mahāyāna Buddhists and sects in China and Vietnam avoid eating onions, garlic, scallions, chives and leeks, which are known as wu hun (五葷, 'Five Spices'). The spices are said to lead to anger (raw) and passion (cooked), and their odour is also said to repel Gods and attract hungry ghosts and demons.

Strict adherence to vegetarianism is the rule for priests, monks, nuns and those who feel they are on the Bodhisattva path - except in some schools and sects.[10]

In festivals

Main articles: Buddhist holidays and List of Buddhist festivals
Lotus Lantern Festival (연등회, Yeon Deung Hoe) in Seoul, South Korea.

fairs held at Buddhist temples in Myanmar. Features of Buddhist Tibetan festivals may include the traditional cham dance, which is also a feature of some Buddhist festivals in India and Bhutan. Many festivals of Nepal are religious festivals involving Buddhism, as are many Burmese traditional festivals. Lunar New Year
festivals of Buddhist countries in East, South and Southeast Asia include some aspects of Buddhist culture, however they are considered cultural festivals as opposed to religious ones.

See also

References

  1. ^ Dehejia, Author: Vidya. "Buddhism and Buddhist Art | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 2017-03-19. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Achary Tsultsem Gyatso; Mullard, Saul & Tsewang Paljor (Transl.): A Short Biography of Four Tibetan Lamas and Their Activities in Sikkim, in: Bulletin of Tibetology Nr. 49, 2/2005, p. 57.
  3. ^ "The Buddhist Architecture, Information on Buddhist Architecture, Guide to Buddhist Architecture, Buddhist Tourism". www.buddhist-tourism.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  4. ^ "Khan Academy". Khan Academy. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  5. ^ Shakuhachi Meditation Music, Stan Richardson. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True (1997) (liner notes)
  6. ^ Khantipalo (1982, 1995).
  7. ISBN 0521223520
    .
  8. ^ "Buddhism and Music - Buddhism - Oxford Bibliographies - obo". Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  9. ^ a b "Buddhist Sacred Music | Sacred Music Radio". Sacred Music Radio | Peace & Relaxation Through Music. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  10. ^ "Buddhist Dietary Customs". www.clovegarden.com. Retrieved 2017-03-19.

External links

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