Thien A: When was Buddhism noticed by American?
Who brought Buddhism to US? And why does people say Buddhism is a mercy religion?
Thanks.
@Richard…: No I don’t think by trading with Orient, maye by culture and the Truth to escape.
thank you so much @ziud….
Answers and Views:
Answer by Alexander- The Legend is Back
Bruce Lee?
Answer by Beavis Christ AM – Book 2
The TV show Kung Fu. Who often kicked butt.
Answer by Richard Cranium
Probably when we started trading with the Orient.
Answer by ziudfhg lehia.fh
Buddhism in the New World
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At about the same time that Asian immigrants were first starting to arrive in America, some American intellectuals were beginning to come to terms with Buddhism, based primarily on information reaching them from British colonial possessions in India and East Asia. The Englishmen William Jones and Charles Wilkins had done pioneering work translating Sanskrit texts into English. The American Transcendentalists and associated persons, in particular Henry David Thoreau took an interest in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. In 1844, The Dial, a small literary publication edited by Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, published the first English version of a portion of the Lotus Sutra; it had been translated by Elizabeth Palmer Peabody from a French version recently completed by Eugène Burnouf (this translation is often attributed to Thoreau himself, but this appears to be erroneous). His Indian readings may have influenced his later experiments in simple living: at one point in Walden he wrote: “I realized what the Orientals meant by contemplation and the forsaking of works.” The poet Walt Whitman also admitted to an influence of Indian religion on his writings.
The first prominent American to publicly convert to Buddhism was Henry Steel Olcott. …
A series of new publications greatly increased public knowledge of Buddhism in 19th century America. In 1879, Edwin Arnold, an English aristocrat, published The Light of Asia[2], an epic poem he had written about the life and teachings of the Buddha, expounded with much wealth of local color and not a little felicity of versification. The book became immensely popular in the United States, going through eighty editions and selling more than 500,000 copies. …
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_the_United_States
Buddhism as a mercy religion:
Dhammapada from Theravada Buddhism:
3. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.
4. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.
5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
Source: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html
Majjhima Nikaya 41 from Theravada Buddhism:
12. … Here someone, abandoning the killing of living beings, becomes one who abstains from killing living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all living beings.
Source: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.041.nymo.html
Bodhisatta/Bodhisattva way, and the Dana and Kshanti Paramitas shown here:
Dāna (Pali, Sanskrit: दान dāna) is a Sanskrit and Pali term meaning “generosity” or “giving”. In Buddhism, it also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity. Ultimately, the practice culminates in one of the Perfections (paramitas): the Perfection of Giving (dana-paramita). This can be characterized by unattached and unconditional generosity, giving and letting go.
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In another narrative from the same text, the bodhisattva throws himself in front of a hungry tigress, who, otherwise, was on the verge of consuming her own cubs.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C4%81na
Kshanti or kṣanti’ (Skt.) or khanti (Pali) has been translated as patience, forbearance and forgiveness.[1] It is one of the practices of perfection (Skt./Pali: paramita) of both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshanti
Kuan Yin Bodhisattva (Goddess of Mercy) of Mahayana Buddhism:
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: guān yīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin, Japanese: Kannon, Korean: Gwan-eum) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. …
It is generally accepted (in Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), which is her male form. …
Guanyin and Vegetarianism
Due to her symbolising compassion, in East Asia Guan Yin is associated with vegetarianism. Chinese vegetarian restaurants are generally decorated with her image, and she appears in most Buddhist vegetarian pamphlets and magazines.
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Guanyin and Chinese Folk Belief
Guan Yin is an extremely popular Goddess in Chinese folk belief and is worshiped in Chinese communities throughout East and South East Asia. Guan Yin is revered in the general Chinese population due to her unconditional love, compassion and mercy. She is generally regarded by many as the protector of women and children. By this association she is also seen as a fertility goddess capable of granting children. She is also seen as the champion of the unfortunate, the sick, the disabled, the poor, and those in trouble. Some coastal and river areas of China regard her as the protector of fishermen, sailors, and generally people who are out at sea, thus many also come to believe that Mazu, the Taoist goddess of the sea, is a manifestation of Guan Yin. Due to her association with the legend of the Great Flood, where she sent down a dog holding rice grains in its tail after the flood, she is worshiped as a rice goddess. In some quarters, especially among business people and traders, she is looked upon as a Goddess of Luck and Fortune. In recent years there have been claims of her being the protector of air travelers.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuan_Yin
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