Gelitza Davila ETH/125 Gdavilaperez@email.phoenix.edu

The religion group that I chose is Buddhism which the path of enlightenment, along with the racial ethnic group of Pacific Islander (Polynesian descent). I will explore their differences and similarity. I will also show what each of their practices is like. Is Buddhism something that is discriminated against? Especially in the United States? Are Pacific Islander discriminated against? What have each group contributed to the American Culture? In this paper I will go all into that.

Religion: Buddhism (Theravada)

Theravada Buddhism in the oldest surviving Buddhist branch. It draws from the scriptural inspiration from Tipikita or Pali Canon, which scholars generally agree contains the earliest surviving record of the Buddha teachings. A Buddha teaching goes by four noble truths. He to teach that Dukkha, suffering, un-satisfactoriness, discontent, stress; the cause of Dukkha, the cause of dissatisfaction is craving (tanha) for sensuality for states of becoming and states of no becoming; the cessation of Dukkha, the relinquishment if the craving. The last teaching is the path of practice leading to the cessation of the Dukkha, there is a method of achieving the end of all un-satisfactoriness, namely the Noble Eightfold Path. To each of these Noble Truths the Buddha assigned a specific task which the practitioner is to carry out: the first Noble Truth is to be comprehended; the second is to be abandoned; the third is to be realized; the fourth is to be developed. The full realization of the third Noble Truth paves the way for the direct penetration of Nibbana (Sanskrit: Nirvana), the transcendent freedom that stands as the final goal of all the Buddha's teachings. The last of the Noble Truths -- the Noble Eightfold Path -- contains a prescription for the relief of our unhappiness and for our eventual release, once and for all, from the painful and wearisome cycle of birth and death (samsara) to which — through our own ignorance (avijja) of the Four Noble Truths — we have been bound for countless eons. The Noble Eightfold Path offers a comprehensive practical guide to the development of those wholesome qualities and skills in the human heart that must be cultivated in order to bring the practitioner to the final goal, the supreme freedom and happiness of Nibbana. The eight qualities to be developed are: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddhism has contributed so much to world as well as the United States. Buddhism has allowed people to find their “Zen”. Of all the religions in America Buddhism seems to have been the one best able to tap into this desire for spirituality -- to transcend its status as a religion and present itself as a free-floating spiritual resource not tied to a particular institution, community, dogma, or ritual. Though many people follow Buddha there are still those that don’t believe in this. Buddhist hasn’t so much been prejudiced or discriminated against as much as it has been persecuted. Many people believe that it is a sexist religion but there were reasons because of the year that the religion was noticed it wasn’t a fair place for women in those days. Buddha wasn’t trying to change society but only to change the hearts of the elements of society, human beings. All throughout history Buddhist were persecuted from armies killing, torturing, destroying their temples, and confiscating their homes. For example, in the Government of Myanmar has attempted to control Buddhist institutions through coercive means, including the intimidation, torture, and murder of monks. After monks played an active role in the protest movements against the military dictatorship in 2007, the state cracked down on Buddhist monks and monasteries. Also in Sri Lanka, Under British rule, Christians were openly favored for jobs and promotions. Robert Inglis, a