UIUC Buddhism Question

As you answer the following questions, try to be as specific as possible in your comments, making reference to the texts to support your interpretation. Take care to make specific reference to those things that you find particularly striking, confusing, or troubling.

1. Who is Kishimojin? How did she come to be a Buddhist deity? Why do Buddhists venerate her today? What does this suggest about the nature of gods in Buddhist practice?
2. What adaptations has Roshi Jiyu Kennet made in bringing Buddhism to America? Compare the chant by the “contemplatives” at Shasta Abbey (designed by Kennet) to the Japanese Goma ritual (you need only watch enough to get a sense of both chants)? In what ways do these adaptations seem to make Buddhism more accessible to Westerners?
3. In what way do these adaptations seem to conflict with Buddhist ideas we’ve discussed in class?
4. What appear to be the basic principles governing Buddhist relationships with members of other religions? Does the Buddha appear to permit violence against other religions?
5. Compare these principles to the situations in Myanmar and Thailand, where predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities have been persecuted. What appear to be the causes of the violence? In what ways are Buddhists resisting this violence?