This course will examine how the term "Buddha" has evolved. What started out as an adjective quickly became understood as a noun, the historical Buddha. As Buddhism develops and adapts to different cultures, this noun is re-imaged as a "what" rather than a "who". Amida Buddha becomes a symbol for what caused Shakyamuni Buddha to seek the way. The historical Buddha is no longer available to us but we can still embrace the very same reality and circumstances that led to his awakening. This transcendent truth is still immanent in our everyday lives. This is what Amida Buddha not only represents but actualizes in the hearts of Pure Land Buddhists universally. We will also explore how many Buddhist traditions rely on Buddhist statues that are not to be taken as literal history but perhaps as a literal spiritual truth.
Your Instructor
Rev. Jon Turner
HUGE BEATLES FAN
Lead Minister for Everyday Buddhist. Resident Minister at Orange County Buddhist Church. High School athlete, UCLA mathematician, and computer programmer, who found Buddhism mid-career and changed the course of his life. Earned a Master’s degree from the Institute of Buddhist Studies and was ordained as a full-time Shin Buddhist Minister at the Nishi Hongwangi in Kyoto, Japan.
Course Curriculum
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