ART
Research
I created a mandala in the style of a Tibetan mandala. I looked into both the history of mandalas, and how they were used in Buddhism. I had many ideas for this project. Through my research I discovered that Tibetan mandalas are a pretty sacred creation and often require rituals to be completed in order to continue with each step. I also researched how to create a mandala so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. Due to my first idea this was also helpful to explain how to create certain patterns in a mandala.
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To create the actual mandala I went through a series of hardships. My first was I went through series of ideas: a hybrid of mandalas seen in western cultures and Tibetan mandalas; a pure replica; or even a hand-drawn mandala. In the end, I settled on a mandala within the Tibetan style that showcased the aspects without seeming culturally insensitive. Below is a series of my process and how the final product came to be. I was tasked with coloring in my mandala to get the full experience. I hope to complete this within the next week.
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Global Studies
I struggled with my topic in the beginning because I couldn't find the relevance between Buddhism and mindfulness. Most of my project ideas had been explored through the lens of Buddhism, although I wasn't necessarily enthused by it. All these things aside, I pressed on. I researched Buddhism as a whole, and once I grasped an understanding of the main principle, I delved into two specific types of Buddhism, Theravada (pronounced terra-vada) Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism. After completing the majority of my research, my last task was to connect Buddhism to my own life, and how certain values that each sect has, can be applied to my own life. In the end I'd only had time to summarize how I could use these ideas in my own life.
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The main principles of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths, which explain dukka--usually translated as suffering—and the Eightfold Path which is what should be done to move through the Truths, and eventually achieve the Fourth Truth, the ending of suffering. Some of the steps within the path are steps I could take to further my own journey through life. The step Right Intention, which emphasizes the idea of one’s thoughts affecting one’s actions. The teachings of both Zen Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism can also be applied to my life.
Theravada Buddhism firmly stands on the grounding of doctrine and self-enlightenment. The self-reliance is something I can benefit from. I understand that there are people there to help guide the way in life, but I also must be independent and work things out amongst myself prior to crying for help. Zen Buddhism can be useful within my own life as a reminder to stay present and open to the moment at hand, that each action as its own place and time. Together they share meditation, which is another practice that can be done on my own and helps to promote a more grounded and centered state of being.
Theravada Buddhism firmly stands on the grounding of doctrine and self-enlightenment. The self-reliance is something I can benefit from. I understand that there are people there to help guide the way in life, but I also must be independent and work things out amongst myself prior to crying for help. Zen Buddhism can be useful within my own life as a reminder to stay present and open to the moment at hand, that each action as its own place and time. Together they share meditation, which is another practice that can be done on my own and helps to promote a more grounded and centered state of being.