Life of Henry

Buddhism has spread dramatically among Asian countries and reshaped the views of many people. But "China's most important contribution to nascent Japanese civilization was Buddhism"(Bresnan 425). In early Japanese feudal society, the land was organized by clans and it took time for the region to unite after long conquest. Zen  Buddhism  began in China and spread to Korea and Japan and became a popular religion in the West. Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan When Zen became established in Japan, the Chinese monastic system was adopted and was gradually modified to blend in with the Japanese way of life. Zen monastery has been where the community resides and practices Zen way of life."Zen monastery is a community of monks living and working together under the guidance of a Roshi"(Bresnan 439). Founders of Zen monastery remotely located in an "out-of-the-way place," meaning an ordinary place that passes over by others and where the environme...

After visiting the Crocker Museum Asian exhibit, I decided to do my research on the "Standing Dog" pottery. The reason why I chose this artwork was mainly because of the design. The design was unique for its time in China and it was created in the Han dynasty from 206BCE-220CE. It stood out from the rest of the art that I notice because I was more interested in the pottery than the sculptures.  Standing Dog Picture taken at Crocker Museum by Henry Tran The research I performed on this artwork is that t he "ancient Chinese honored dogs, throughout Chinese history, China had appreciated dogs for their loyalty and trust.  Dogs have served China as hunters, palace guards, and gifts to emperors. During the early dynasties, dogs were interred with their deceased masters and mistresses as it was believed they would serve as guides into the afterlife." The ancient pottery dog is a burial votive figure in which it represents Chinese appreciation. Henry and The S...

After watching the video the   Silk Road: Where East Met West  and reading Chapter 16 The Awakening by Patrick S. Bresnan introduced the importance and the background of the famous Silk Road. "From Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan, emperors and princes fought to control the Silk Road" because it was worth fighting for due to the many miles of money to be made ( Silk ,1:38-1:43). Silk Road Map In the video, I learned that "Xi'an has always been seen as the beginning of the Silk Road"( Silk ,7:45-7:47). People of the region traded, bought goods, exchanged ideas and techniques with other traveling merchant. Many of them became an influence vital source to "Western Europe such as paper, gunpowder and musical instruments"( Silk , 2:01-2:03). It was interesting that Zhang Qian would lay a foundation of the Silk Road when he traveled to find the unique and dominate "heavenly horses" that were far superior to the ones in China( Silk ,19:11-...

Confucius   After reading Chapter 13 and 14 of Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought by Patrick S. Bresnan is interesting how early China had two set of pathway that collide one another to set how a person would set a standard to live. Confucianism and Daoism , also known as Taoism, help set your own pathway to society and life. Confucianism focus on creating harmony in society whereas Daoism focuses on a balance in life.  ideal influential political figure during his time. Confucianism is " often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion. In fact, Confucianism built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society" (Berling 1). At the end of chapter 13, Confucius introduced a question for the readers, “is a renaissance of Confucius humanism coming into view on the horizon? Or is it, perhaps, still just beyond the...

One Pillar Pagoda  Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Hanoi, Vietnam The history of Buddhism is divided into two traditions Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada Buddhism focuses on Buddha's Eightfold paths and Five Dedications to enlightenment, while Mahayana uses newer teaching rather than solely on the original teaching. Theravada or Hinayana, can be interpreted as the "stricter" teaching to enlightenment. The word "Theravada" literally means "teaching (doctrine) of the elders" which emphasizes the depth of the strict pathways to enlightenment if someone was to follow this path (Bresnan 221). While Mahayana is a Sanskirt word that literally means "Great Vehicle" which can be interpreted as not certain people can follow this path but a broader group(Bresnan 232). Theravada Meditation Artistic expression has been an influence on the rise of Mahayana and Theravada. A great flowering of Buddhist art was accompanied by the rise of Mahayana. I...

In The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley, the book reveals one noticeable theme that carries out through the story and meaning to our daily life. The theme of the book would be considered the practice that we learn in the past can help us through the harsh time in the future.  Arjuna and Krishna In the beginning of the book, Arjuna is observing the two armies in the battlefield and suddenly stops and tell Krishna(god/deity) "my arms and legs feel heavy" which reveals that Arjuna is questioning his decision on fighting his friends, family, teachers etc. (Hawley 7). Then through the next few chapter, Arjuna and Krishna go back to the basics of yoga principle teaching to help resolve Arjuna's most desire questioning of his dharma. Krishna Krishna emphasizes that "one's personal duty in life (one's sva-dharma ) should be viewed as one's responsibility to his or her highest Self, the Atma" (Hawley 17). "Krishna points out to Arjuna that hi...