Sculpting Humanity

Zen Buddhism is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China, as Chan Buddhism. Zen focuses on spiritual practice and the use of self-discipline, mindfulness, meditation ( zazen ), and dedication to understanding one's own "Buddha nature", in the hopes of attaining enlightenment. In the thirteenth century Zen Buddhism became deeply rooted in Japan and, as with Chan Buddhism, would develop into two main schools: Rinzai and Soto. Despite being distinct schools "Rinzai and Soto were not so much antagonistic rivals as they were different alternatives." (Bresnan 497) Springing from the same root stock these branches of Zen differ in ways that would appeal to different audiences in thirteenth century Japan, perhaps explaining the lack of antagonism. The fundamental differences between Rinzai and Soto includes the social class they appealed to when they became established in Japan and; more importantly, their specific meditative practices and how these practi...

This week while learning about the Silk Road, I ended up obsessively pondering ethics (or lack thereof) in archeology. I attempted to research further, to dig myself out of this negative thought spiral but at this point I doubt I'll be able to walk through a museum without questioning if all of the artifacts on display were obtained nefariously. I guess the best way to explain how I got to this point is to start where I began, the Silk Road.  The Silk Road was made up of numerous trade routes that enabled the flow of goods and ideas between the Middle East, Asia, and Europe from 130 BCE and 1453 CE. Among the many outposts that existed along these routes was Dunhuang, China, which would become a hub for Buddhism along the Silk Road with 15 monasteries by the 10th century. This wasn't unusual since many religions spread along the trade routes but what made this stop exceptional were the caves that Buddhists carved out to serve as places of worship. Dunhuang (Mogao) Caves The inc...

The Period of Warring States was a turbulent time in China's history. As feudal lords fought for power, a large number of philosophies emerged to make sense of life in trying times. Among the most notable of these burgeoning schools of thought were Confucianism and Daoism which, along with Buddhism, would become known as The Three Teachings in ancient China.  Confucius handing a baby Guatama Buddha to the elderly Laozi,  Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=858723 Confucianism and Daoism were both born from the idea that a healthy, thriving society needs to be in harmony with the natural order (for Confucianism that was the natural order of society and human relationships, for Daoism that was the natural order of man's relationship with nature). The two schools also agreed that this ideal required specific kinds of people to see it through. "Like the Confucianists, the Daoists believed that the solution depended on the fashioning of a "new pe...