Bookie's Bodega

The Vehicles of Buddhism Temple containing a branch of Buddha's bodhi tree Chapters 11 and 12 of Patrick Bresnan's work "Awakening" discuss two prominent schools of Buddhist thought- Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. Theravada means "teachings of the elders," which implies that this path is the more orthodox of the two. Mahayana Buddhism is more spiritual and focuses on making Buddhism more accessible for those who cannot or do not wish to become monks. Mahayana Buddhism is "more influenced by traditional Hindu beliefs and practices," as opposed to Theravada's strict philosophical teachings (Bresnan 262).  Theravada Buddhism originated following the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. Many Buddhists feared the decline of Buddhism due to a splintering of beliefs, because Buddhism was practiced in small, isolated communities during this time. So, theoretically, each of these communities could develop their own practices and interpretations of Buddha's...

 Bhagavad Gita     The Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu religious text that is part of the Mahabharata, a larger group of texts outlining the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas (Bresnan 74). It is unknown the exact era in which this work was written, but it is estimated to originate from between 400 and 200 BCE (Lumen 2). According to legend, the Mahabharata was written by a sage named Vyasa who fathered the heads of the Kauravas and the Pandavas (Bresnan 76-77). "Mahabharata" Hindi Book Cover      The Bhagavad Gita focuses on a conversation between the deity Krishna and the leader of the Pandavas, Arjuna. Arjuna and Krishna are longtime friends, and Krishna had presented himself to Arjuna as a human. During the battle, Krishna served as Arjuna's charioteer, helping guide him. So, when Arjuna asks Krishna to roll him out to see his opponents, his cousins, he is devastated at the thought of having to kill his brethren. Thus begins the conversation between th...