Module 10 Video Blog

Module 10 Video Blog

Videos watched: 1. Buddhism and 2. Hinduism

1.      The historical facts explain that there is a relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. Sri Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha or the enlightened one, was originally born from India as a prince. As a prince, he was not aware that outside of the palace there was suffering, pain, sadness, and more going on until one day that he went out to see what life was like outside of the palace and came across all of these things. Due to this he went out on a journey to find the meaning of life and everything that truly comes with it. When he was a prince, he was a believer of Hinduism and once he achieved enlightenment or nirvana, he went against it. This connection that exists between these two beliefs is worth exploring.

2.      In Buddhism the architecture like pillars, temples, and walking paths each contain the Buddhist teachings engraved in them as a reminder and a guide to those who chose to follow that path. Each structure has a story to tell. The Great Stupa is the most famous structure among the other architectural structures because it was built where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. In Hinduism, which is also from India, the city of Varanasi is the oldest city containing historical monuments going back in history more than 3000 years. The river, Ganges, surrounds these monuments and is a symbol of cleansing for the Hindu believer about reincarnation. Each Hindu temple has different gods and their structure and design are built around the concept of that god.

3.      The textbook explains in further detail about Buddhism and its founder, Buddha, that this structure is representation, of what those who want to be awakened most, follow to obtain it. The textbook also explains that Hinduism architectures are not just a symbol of worship, but they also used to be a place of sacrifices.

4.      Both films were very educative, however, I noticed that there is a major difference between both Hinduism art and Buddhism art structures. In Hinduism there is no sense of obtaining peace through the temple, it seems that it focuses on achieving a better afterlife. In Buddhism, there seems to be a gaining of peace while achieving enlightenment in this life.