Unlike many of my co-workers or others who have majored in history before. my rational background has been influenced by two major civilizations in the universe. As a 20 three old ages old pupil life in America but originally from Japan. the foundation of my rational being was shaped by the Nipponese civilization and instruction since the first 18 old ages of my life and schooling took topographic point in Tokyo Japan. Later I moved to America. California where I have been under taking my degree class. majoring in History.
This does non intend that my rational narrative is different or alone but I have to acknowledge that. it is someway interesting since many people and many things have played a portion in it. From the clip I started schooling. I have ever had an involvement in history. Just like America. Japan is truly rich in history which is someway different from the American 1. The wonder and the thirst to cognize more about my native state and the universe at big formed the footing of my involvement in history. In other words. I know why I am pursing history and sometimes I think taking this class of survey was inevitable since it has truly shaped my life.
It is a good known fact that Buddhism is one of the major faiths in the universe particularly in Japan and from a historical point of position ; the faith has come to be identified with the state. It has shaped its civilization. economic system and political facets. I am a ego confessed Buddhist brought up by Buddhist parents and the whole of my life has been characterized by Buddhist philosophies. My beliefs and how I view life can merely be attributed to the faith. As a history major. I believe one of the most interesting subjects in history is faith and how it shapes people’s lives.
I have ever taken myself as an illustration. seeking to analyse how it has truly affected my life and my positions about everything. I tend to hold that Buddhism is a doctrine more than faith because it defines lives of those who believe in it. Philosophers have defined the word doctrine as ‘the love of wisdom and Buddhism propagates that. I myself love wisdom and that is why I chose to make history in the first topographic point ; merely to cognize about everything that has shaped this universe from the clip it came into being. Another thing I believe in is honesty.
For me it is a really of import virtuousness and has a major function to play in this universe in respects to morality. Honesty. harmonizing to my apprehension and beliefs can merely be achieved the minute one is true to himself and to God/gods. depending on whom one worships or believes in. Bing true to oneself signifiers the footing of honestness which will be followed by other signifiers of honestness for illustration. being honest to others and to God/gods. Those who are familiar with Buddhism faith will hold that. this position has someway been influenced by the faith and that is why I began by stating that Buddhism is portion of my life.
As a Buddhist. I am supposed to be cognizant of my ideas before I do anything. This besides applies to actions. Before set abouting any action. one is supposed to be cognizant of it and to hold wisdom and understanding on how to travel about it. When all these are combined. they all add up to being true to oneself and that is what I call honestness in other words. This belief has truly shaped my life particularly in respects to my relationships with others. The minute one adopts this position of honestness. it is really hard to fall out with anyone since one will ever be open-minded.
Bing true to oneself will merely intend that. you will make what you believe is true and it will be really hard to be pressurized possibly by the equals into making something against your will. When it comes to managing others. it will be really easy. For illustration. if one sees a friend making something one is non comfy with and possibly that friend wants you to fall in him/her. since you are true to yourself. you will be able to show your concerns and at the terminal of the twenty-four hours. that friend will see that your concern is really echt since it is coming from deep within you.
It is non forced. non a pretension or look of fright but your true ego expressed in words. This will really be felt by another individual and it will finally act upon his thought. I remember adverting earlier that I am Buddhist and some may oppugn whether I believe in one God or Gods. I know in the modern yearss there are those Buddhists who believe in one God and there are others who do non for they believe in many Gods. The inquiry ever poses some jobs to me particularly when it comes to explicating to others. particularly my friends.
They have ever known the faith that I profess and what it says about the issue of God and Gods but they are ne’er certain about my base. First I have to clear up something. Buddhism is a manner of life and that is what makes it different from other faiths. It emphasizes so much on how people are supposed to populate and as a Buddhist ; there is that sort of life that I am supposed to populate. There is no reference in my faith that Buddha worshipped or believed in any one God.
That does non intend we are atheists in fact there are so many Buddhists who believe in that one God of the Jews. we call Him. ‘the God of the desert. ’ Personally. I don’t have jobs with those Buddhist who profess a sort of God in their lives even though it is non in Buddhism philosophies. Sometimes I tend to believe that I will head at that place someday. Right now. from what I have read and seen. I tend to believe that. there is a supernatural power that is in control of the universe. I have been disbelieving about the issue for a really long clip and sometimes I do non desire to speak about it.
I have read so much sing the affair. I have been exposed to so many faiths and I have even been following what is go oning in this universe and to some extent. I think there could be really a supernatural manus behind it all. Can I be regarded as an atheist so? I leave that judgement to 1s discretion but as I said earlier. I am true to myself and what I believe in. but possibly one twenty-four hours I may alter my head ; no 1 knows. I believe that Buddhism is a good organized faith. In fact. it has ne’er been heard before that Buddhists have fought with any faith over spiritual affairs and that is what I love most about the faith.
Foundation is the most interesting portion of the faith every bit far as I am concerned. Buddha was born in an flush household but he decided to go forth all that to endure. He manfully focused on agony. The faith is non about God but enduring as a manner of life and that God has no solution to enduring. The lone thing can convey agonies to an terminal is the instructions of Buddha whereby merely wisdom and compassion can stop one’s jobs. I truly believe in these constructs which continue to determine my life. Wisdom has ever been a driving force behind everything that I do.
The class that I am prosecuting is my manner of going wise particularly of the things of his universe coupled with other ways for illustration speculation which is a demand of my faith. One has to accept everything that comes in the manner. That is how I chiefly live my life and this has truly helped me to come to footings with my jobs. The strivings that we go through as human existences can merely be solved the minute we accept them. Some people have ever misunderstood Buddhism as a faith. some of them claiming that we worship a human being. I don’t fault them because they are moving out of ignorance.
Even though we truly keep Buddha with high esteem that does non intend that we worship him. In fact I have so much regard for him and this should non be misquoted that I worship him. I have ever tried to use his rules in my life and so far I do non hold any ailments. Another thing that involvements me about Buddha’s instructions is that. he says that moral and ethical erectness will stop enduring everlastingly. Many will decidedly differ on the definition of the phrase ‘morally uprightness’ because the word ‘morally’ is comparative depending on one’s civilization and background.
However. harmonizing to me. being true to oneself constitutes moral erectness. Sometimes it is argued that 1s life is predestined and I find myself inquiring. since human life is characterized by so much agony. were we predestined to endure? If that is so. why so do we hold to fight to better life? Is at that place anything like free will? In the class of my survey. I have come across so many narratives and events that have characterized human existences from the clip they came into being and one thing we can hold on is that life has non been smooth sailing for human existences.
It has ever been about diseases. wars and rumours of wars. poorness among others. Sometimes I ask myself. if we use the construct of predestination to explicate this. does that intend that we were predestined to travel through all these? If we agree on this. so that means we have no control whatsoever and the actions that we carry out are besides predestined. Then why does human being attempt to look for solutions to work out these jobs or forestall them from reiterating themselves in the hereafter? If we believe that everything is predestined. so nil affairs because it means we are non in control of anything.
I have read about about all the wars that have characterized the universe right from universe wars and major civil wars and some states have justified some of these wars. giving so many grounds. Let’s see two wars ; World War II and the Vietnam War. These two wars have been surrounded by contentions right from the start. and some have argued that. they were non to go on in the first topographic point. The US has been repenting of its determination of traveling to war with Vietnam for so many old ages and if we adopt the construct of predestination. it will merely intend that. they do non hold a ground to repent because everything was predestined.
The war had to go on and they had no control over it. Why so should they fault themselves? Even though the universe has been seeking to forestall another World War. so its attempts are meaningless because if it is predestined to go on. so no 1 can forestall it. The construct of predestination will merely intend that. we are non answerable for the errors that we do and we owe no one an apology. If we believe that everything in the universe is pre-designed. so. that means we are merely bing to carry through our intents in life and non populating our lives the manner we would desire.
So does that intend that free will is at work and non predestination? The more I tend to believe about these two constructs. the more I get confused. If we say that free will is at work. so as human beings we are to fault for everything that we go through because the power of doing free picks is in our custodies. Every thought that we harbor in our caputs and every action that we undertake. will be determined by us. Should we fault ourselves for all those wars that took topographic point? Sometimes I tend to believe that free will and predestination are both at work.
There are some countries of our lives which have been predestined for illustration decease and birth of kids. No 1 wants to decease any twenty-four hours but at one point we will all hold to decease. When I was immature. still in primary school. I wondered what brought about twins. After larning some biological science I understood but I used to inquire myself why I was non born with a duplicate sister or brother and the lone reply I could believe of is predestination. I was destined to be born entirely. Where does liberate will come in so?
I believe that human existences can take to populate their lives the manner they want to populate. for illustration. one can take to be successful or to be a failure. one can take to go through tests or non. marry or non to get married. hold kids or non among others. Even though I believe this to some extent. I think that free will and predestination are both at work. I am ever left with so many inquiries sing the two constructs and therefore I agree with those who propose that. liberate will and predestination are two constructs that can ne’er be understood and are non conclusive plenty.
I am good cognizant of the construct of predestination harmonizing to Buddhism faith ; that every human being’s fate is determined by 1s personal actions. This means that. one’s ideas and words will find what he will go in the hereafter. I do non challenge that ; in fact. it forms the foundation of my religion. However. I besides believe that human existences have a pick to do when it comes to the actions they decide to transport out. In other words. if one chooses to make incorrect actions. that will find his or her fate. and that is why I believe that free will and predestination work together.
