The Seven Dimensions Of Buddhism - 985 Words

Ninian Smart believes there is no true way to define a religion. Instead, one must apply the seven dimensions in order to fully understand it. The seven dimensions are ritual (practical), mythology, doctrinal, ethical, experiential, social, and material. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha. Buddhism can be understood using all seven of the dimensions. The first dimension used to understand a religion is based off its rituals. Buddhist perform rituals as a way to offer respect to the Buddha and find peace from within. The common ritual practiced by Buddhists is meditation. Meditation is all about focusing and purifying the mind. In meditation, Buddhists go through the steps called Samadhi (calming of the mind) and Vipassana (self-contemplation). During these steps they must adjust their body, breath, and mind, in order to achieve the goal of meditation. The rituals are an important part of Buddhism. The second dimension used to understand a religion is based off its mythology. Buddhist mythology and stories are different in each denomination. The mythology is different in each denomination because many were not written down, but passed orally from generation to generation. One commonly accepted piece of Buddhism mythology is the story of Buddha’s life. An accepted story of Buddha’s life is that when he was born he was given a prophecy of him becoming a monk instead of following in his fatherShow MoreRelatedBuddhism and the seven dimensions2538 Words   |  11 Pagesextremely valuable way of classifying religion and its many aspects is through the Seven Dimensions, developed by Ninian Smart. (See Appendix 1) These dimensions explore the many aspects of religion in a systematic and logical way. This theory of classifying religions can be lucidly applied to the Buddhist tradition in order to gain a wider understanding. 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