Axia College Material

Appendix B

7 Question Final Project Plan

What religion would you like to consider for your final project? Describe the place of worship you will visit. / I plan to visit places of worship that a couple of my friends go to near Auburn & Sacramento, CA. I also plan to research the Guang Ming temple in Orlando, Florida. Guang Ming temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Central Florida. It occupies 30,000 square feet and is three stories high. The temple adopts traditional Chinese Monastic style and is complete with a vast shrine room and meditation room, along with monastic and guest dormitories.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guang_Ming_temple
What do you already know about this topic? / I know the story of Siddhartha Gautama. I know that contemporary practices of Buddhism differ from place to place but Buddhism is more a way of life than just a mere philosophy or religion. Teachings of Buddha ask us to avoid harming other people and be as helpful as possible. Buddhism asks us to control our mind, be as virtuous as possible and abandon all negative actions like killing. Buddhism preaches that anger, attachment and closed-mindedness can be destructive. Perfect virtue helps us develop impartial compassion and love, and perform meaningful actions by getting motivated by these thoughts. Buddhism says that by controlling our mind, we can do away with all illusions, making us understand reality better in a calm and meaningful way.
What resource will you use to find a place of worship for this religion? / I will contact any Buddhists that I know, or any that my friends know and ask them to guide me to a place of worship for this religion. I will check also check the newspaper and the internet for help.
What are some sources you could use to gain more knowledge about this religion? / Buddhists that I know or any that my friends know would be ideal sources.
I will also use the internet and my library extensively. Museums, television, and Buddhist newspapers would be my other sources.
What type of materials do you expect to review for this project? / I expect to review religious books, texts, articles, videos, audio tapes, photographs of prominent Buddhism shrines and symbols, and other significant artifacts related to Buddhist art, culture, tradition, and ceremonies. I also expect to review Buddhist attire.
How will you gain access to the materials you need? / My main aim would to contact a good practicing Buddhists and take maximum assistance from them. I would travel to popular Buddhist shrines on a regular basis in an effort to meet more Buddhists whom I will attempt to persuade to give me access to the material I am looking for. Other than this, I will ask Buddhists that I know, any that my friends know, and even my librarian to refer me some good books on Buddhism that can help me learn about this religion in an extensive manner. I will browse through the internet and read about frequently asked questions and answers, and locate some informative videos to help me improve my knowledge on Buddhism. I will also look out for television programs on Buddhism.
What difficulties do you anticipate in conducting an interview with someone of this faith? / Getting access to the right person with ample knowledge to interview would be a challenge. Getting that person to give me a detailed interview, I anticipate would be a greater challenge. I expect the person to be apprehensive at first about my intentions behind conducting an interview. Asking questions about sensitive topics related to Buddhism would be difficult, and at the same time not asking them would mean that I don't really get the whole picture.
Create a list of 10 questions you would like to ask during the interview. / Is Buddhism a philosophy or a religion?
Have there been other Buddha’s? Who were they?
What is Nirvana and how can one attain it?
If there is no concept of self in Buddhism, then who gets enlightened?
How does Buddhism define enlightenment? How can we tell who is enlightened?
What is the significance of Buddhist flag and symbol?
How are Buddhist weddings conducted?
What does Buddhism say about color and caste?
How does one become a Buddhist?
What are some good books on Buddhism?

HUM 130