Essays and Research Papers on Eastern Religions

This is a 3 page paper discussing Taoism: its history, practice, and beliefs. Tao is translated into English as “the way” or “the path” but basically cannot be defined in the traditional sense. Instead, Tao (pronounced “Dow” and Daoism) “refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. Taoism ...

A 4 page paper which discusses the influence Buddhism has had upon Western religion, focusing on Christianity. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper that examines what it means to be a human being in the Hindu tradition. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page informative speech discussing past life regression and reincarnation, focusing on evidence supporting the notion of past lives. The bottom line is that close inspection of the reasons underlying individual reactions to fears, personal prejudices and other points that collectively define any specific individual can be beneficial in addressing personal issues in ...

A 3 page overview of the manner in which Gandhi advocated non-violent protest through his satvagraha campaigns. This paper considers the specifics of such campaigns and speculates as to how they might have been interpreted by Buddhists. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page research paper/essay that analyzes The Peony Pavilion, a 400-year-old masterpiece in the style of Chinese Kunju opera, China's oldest surviving theatrical style. Written in the late sixteenth century by Tang Xianzu (1550-1617), this work demonstrates how both Confucianism and Daoism had become intertwined in the fabric of Chinese culture. The writer discusses ...

A paper which considers Gandhi's satyagraha in terms of Tibetan Buddhism, with reference to its value as both a spiritual concept and a means of political struggle. Bibliography lists 2 sources

This 20 page paper examines Plato's Form of the Good, as well as forms in general, and compares and contrasts the concept to the Enlightenment concept associated with Zen Buddhism. An overview of each is provided. The ideas are compared and contrasted and similarities and differences are duly noted. Bibliography lists 14 sources. ...

This 8 page paper considers the different ways in which the role of women is perceived in Buddhism. The paper considers the social background, the impressions given by the Sutra’s, the discrimination that existed in practice and writings, such as the Lotus Sutra, that indicate a level of equality. The bibliography cites 12 sources.

This 4 page paper reviews Conze 's Buddhist Scriptures and Rahula's What the Buddha Taught are each reviewed. The works are compared and contrasted. Various concepts are discussed, inclusive of the relevance of the soul. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page paper which summarizes and discusses three essays concerning Muhammad. The sources were faxed by student and have no bibliographic information other than title and author The page numbers presented refer to the pages received by writer.

This 5-page paper compares and contrasts Buddhism with Islam (examining histories and practices), then discusses how these two faiths might impact global development. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the religious significance of pilgrimages in Islam and Buddhist traditions. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper examines the Buddhist notion that the gods and goddesses of Hinduism are not relevent for the Buddhist's journey to Nirvana. In this way, this paper asserts that Buddhism is fundamentally atheistic but also contends that it remains a spiritual practice. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper explores the ways in which Buddhism has changed as it bounced from culture to culture. Some buddhist concepts are discussed. Bibliography lists sources.

A 4 page research paper that discusses the role of tanha (thirst or craving) in the principle of the Second Noble Truth in Buddhism. The writer explains this principles and discusses its ramifications. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 9 page paper which examines the rise of fundamentalist forms of Islam in these countries of the Far East. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 5 page analysis of the Vedic Hymn of Creation. The author, using the information found in the book of Genesis as a contrast, contends that from a Western perspective at least the Hymn tells us nothing about the creation other than telling us that there was one. It provides nothing regarding the specifics of ...

A 5 page overview of the elements of each of these religions. The author compares them from the perspectives of god, ethic, and human ritual. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 9 page paper that explains the controversy between the Antiochene exegeses and the Alexandrine exegeses in the first few centuries. One was literal, one was allegorical. The early church fathers were trying to answer questions like what the purpose of Scripture was and the divine/human nature of Jesus. The essay provides background on the ...

Personal response to reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh. Reading The Miracle of Mindfulness is a practice in mindfulness because of the author’s and translator’s simple use of mindfulness in creating the written record of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Vietnamese Buddhist philosophy. For example, even before getting past the introduction, on page viii ...

Personal response to reading The Radiant Mind collection edited by Jean Smith. The Radiant Mind is a practice in walking the path of Buddha. It is the search for knowledge like walking a path in search of teachers, except that the teachers are all located in one place, The Radiant Mind. Not only is the ...

This 10 page paper discusses the moral dilemma that Arjuna finds himself in when asked by Krishna to go to war against his relatives. Story taken from the Bhagavd-Gita. Discussions of dharma, Krishna, and spiritual liberation included. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page discussion of the triangular relationship that existed throughout the middle ages between Islam and Eastern and Western Christendom. This relationship was ended with the united effort of the Eastern and Western Christendom to overthrow the Arabs. Includes a 1 page Roman Numerous Outline. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 10 page overview of the manner in which Confucianism has influenced family values. A person's commitment to their family supersedes any individualism that might exist. This forms the basis for Confucian proprietary rule. Bibliography lists 5 sources.