Spiritual autobiography. Religion & Theology Essay

Spiritual Autobiography Name Institutional Affiliation
Spiritual Autobiography It is estimated that at least 8 in every ten people identify with a certain religion globally. This translates to over 5 billion adults and children (Pew Research Center, 2012). The same study estimates that approximately 1 billion people are not affiliated to any religion. Nevertheless, the unaffiliated population holds some spiritual and religious beliefs regardless of the lack of identification with any particular religious group. The Asia-Pacific region, where I come from, has the highest concentration of both the religious and unaffiliated populations in the world. I do not personally associate myself with any religion. However, I have been exposed to Buddhism through my grandmother, who is a staunch Buddhist. Practiced by over 520 million people globally, Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world. With its roots in India, the religion consists of various beliefs, traditions, and practices based on Buddha’s teachings and the subsequent interpretations. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to overcome suffering as well as the death and rebirth cycle. This can either be achieved through attainment of Nirvana or by following the Buddhahood path. However, different schools of Buddhism hold different views on the path to follow in achieving liberation. Today, Buddhism is outgrowing its Indian origins and is becoming a global religion. This has led to the emergence of diverse non-traditional practices and beliefs such as discarding of monk lifestyles among others (Ch'En, 2015).How Buddhism Shapes Its Followers Though I do not personally identify with Buddhism, I have grown up around Buddhists. My grandmother is also a keen follower, and hence I possess firsthand experience of how Buddhism influences and shapes its followers. Being a practicing Buddhist means that one follows the ideas that are at the core of the religion and also engage in activities that are associated with the religion. Well, some staunch Buddhists devote their lives to Buddhist monasteries, and hence their lives are shaped by the decision. Other Buddhists practice at least a 20-minute meditation practice every day. This is the belief that my grandmother holds most dear. Though traditionally performed by monks, the evolution of the religion has enabled different followers to perform meditation. All followers of Buddhism practice some form of meditation. Buddhist morality is based on five precepts, Pancha Sila, which greatly shape the lives of Buddhists. Buddhists take a vow to live in accordance with rules which warn against taking life, taking what does not belong to one, distorting facts, misuse of senses, as well as self-intoxication. It is due to these rules that most Buddhists, including my grandmother, are vegetarians. However, it is mostly the Western Buddhists who practice vegetarianism. The rule against misuse of senses largely regulates sexual relations and also promotes faithfulness within the community. The religion also requires that Buddha should be worshipped and revered. For this reason Buddhists clean and worship Buddha with milk, flowers, candy, and other goodies. Singing and chanting is involved in this process. This treatment is given to images and statues of Buddha. Prominent religious leaders can also be accorded the same treatment. Involvement in a Buddhist Activity Apart from the experience I have had seeing Buddhists go about their daily lives, I have been involved in various Buddhist activities. Buddha Day festival is one of these activities. ...