Five Curious Aspects Of Buddhism

◈ Why are Buddha Images enshrined in the temples?

 One theory is that at the time of the Buddha, images were created because people missed the Buddha when he was far away. But actually this is not correct.

 When Sakyamuni Buddha was alive, there were no images of him. They were not necessary because there was the living Buddha they could see directly and rely on. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana people erected a pagoda containing his holy relics which they then depended on, but soon they stared to miss him. Many people wanted to practice with an image of Buddha in front of their eyes and so they began to construct the images.

 At a later date these images lf the Buddha were enshrined in temples. They were not considered objects of worship, not did they have mysterious powers people could rely on. Rather, they were a means to remember the Buddha's compassionate virtue and wise teaching and to help people to follow the example of the Buddha. Therefore the images of the Buddha represent his appearance and play an important role in helping Buddhists to maintain faith in His teaching and devore themselves to practice.

◈ Why do monks and nuns shave their heads and wear gray roves?

When one becomes a monastic, one severs all worldly desires and enters onto the road to seeking the truth. It is a path of renunciation with the goal of attaining enlightenment in order to help save all sentient beings.

 To help eradicate the three poisons (craving, anger, ignorance) from the mind, practitioners shave their gead and don gray roves, which are far from the changeability of normal fashion.

 In Buddhism hair is called 'weeds of ignirance'. Ignorance means the world lf darkness, namely, the world that is not exposed to the bright truth. So by cuttig the weeds of ignorance they rid themselves lf illusions and go forth on the read to enlightenment.

 The gray robes worn by a monastic declare that one is a practitioner, and represent the spirit of no belongings, letting go lf all worldly desires.

◈ Why do people bow in the Buddha Halls?

Bowing is a way of expressing Buddhists' volition, or faithful mind. While bowing they regret past errors and pray to be fortunate enough to live peacefully and happily. Eminent monkks in Korea used to teach the disciples who came to ask the way of enlightenment, to bow.

 To bow implies respect to the Three Jewels, but it also is a course of practice, the way to lower oenself completely and eradicate arrogance.

 In Korean Buddhism bowing, which helps practitioners to remove conceit, to respect others and cultivate a modest attitude, is considered a magnificent way of practice.

 It is not an act of prostrating before a deified entity, as many people from Western cultures may believe. In bowing, 'I' practice repentance for past misdeeds; voluntarily cultivate a more humble mind before all other sentient beings; and show respect for the teachings and for all those who have, through their practice and enlightenment, sought to liberate sentient beings from suffering.

◈ What is the meaning of the swastika (卍) in Buddhism?

 The swastika is used as a symbol denoting Buddhism and temple locations. On Korean maps if you see this sign it means 'a temple is located here'. The swastika is an ancient and mystical religious symbol adopted from india, and stands for happiness and virtue.

 Let's trace the origin of how Buddhism and the swastika have become connected. When Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree, the weeds he was sitting on were 'weeds of good fortune', which were pressed into the shape of a swastika. Later on, a swastika, representing the 'weeds of good fortune', became a symbol of Buddhism. Though in the mid-20th century, certain cultures have adopted the swastika to represent ideologies of racism and hegemony, in fact the swastika is an ancient mark of great mystical symbolism and power.

 Also, it must be noted with emphasis that the twentieth century "Nazi" swastika is a reversed swastika, the motion of its four arms flowing to the right, whereas the swastika originating in ancient cultures from Egypt and Phoenicia to classical India always points in the opposite direction.

◈ What is the purpose of believing in Buddhism?

 Buddhism is a religion practiced through one's own pure will and effort. It is not concerned with saving people through subservience to an Absolute Being. Rather, it is concerned with helping people to save themselves. Every sentient veing is ultimately responsible for their own liberation by freeing themselves from the suffering realm, the realm of Cause and Effect, an endless cycle of birth and death. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is very humanistic. It is avout finding the Buddhahood, which exists in one's pure faith maind, and is attained by practice and having faithful in th Buddha's teachings.

 Believing in Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, one devotes one self to practicing and to also gaining enlightenment and so to helping all beings. Thus. with wisdom and compassion we can help to make a world where all can live in equality and peace. This is the goal of Buddhism.

Copyright by

'GUIDE to KOREAN BUDDHIST TEMPLES'

_ International Dharma Instructors Association