Question #1: The Concept of ‘Going Forth.’

Wabi’s decision to ‘go forth’ was based on her tender age interest of becoming a nun due to meditation of the events that unfolded when her father decided to become a monk and the treatment that she got from her father after that on her life. Additionally she also had the interest to explore the world and get out the poverty that is said to have had tore apart. ‘Going forth’ was the biggest sacrifice she would make in order for her to fulfill her desires. ‘Going forth’ is an expression use to refer to a situation where one leave home and his/her people in order to live a life of serving others especially those with spiritual needs and other needs, as well as Buddha.

The decision of ‘going forth’ can be made by any person today in Thailand particularly if one is willing to separate life meditation, either as a monk or as a Maechi. Buddha, for instance also known as Siddhattha Gotama, made his sacrifice by ‘going forth’ during his era. He argued that one should not run away from life challenges, but should have the courage to face life and have compassion for those that suffers. In his case being born and brought up by a well-off family, Buddha did not experience challenges in his life. But later in life as he grew up, he had some life experiences that made him compassionate for people suffering in life. In part of his experiences, he meets aging man on the street who was very weak and crying for help from him. Another time he saw a man who was very weak with a mere skin and his bone could be seen from the skin. And lastly, he once came across members of a family carrying a body of their own for cremation that transformed his thought about life.

Through this experiences, he developed the desire to live a different life that would seek escape and also win from the deathless, the aging body, illnesses, and death both for himself and others. His ‘going forth’ come up when he decided to renounce his wife and only and join renunciation in order to go and seek answers to the challenges of life, driven by compassion he had towards life and those that suffer. To date, Buddhism is religion followed by over 300milion people globally who believe in the tradition and beliefs from the teaching of Buddha

Question #14: The Institute of Thai Maechi Functions

The Institutions of Thai Maechi are established with the purpose of the provision of spiritual training to nuns that are similar to that of the Thai monks. One of these institutions includes the Maechi institute located some miles away from Bangkok. Many of these institutions have been established in Thailand, though going against an early tradition where nuns were not ordained in Thailand; today most of these institutions have established programs that are used to educate nuns on Buddhism. Many of Thai Women who seek to diverge from the normal life filled with poverty and other challenges such as unhappiness have found alternatives of becoming nuns within institutions for Thai Maechi.

Many of this institutions have leaders who are well experienced in Buddhism especially women who are already ordained as nuns and qualified as Ajahn. In the Buddhist practice for nuns especially in the Institute of Thai Maechi, the presence of the monk is also vital in leadership for many of these institutions. Additionally, these institutions are also training many women in Thailand that have the interest in following the Buddhist practice and live a monastic life. In recent data, many of the Maechi’s institutions in Thailand have gained popularity for many women and through their programs they have influenced many that have turned to them through education offered. At the same time, many of the people in Thailand have also blended with the existence of these institutions and have come to accept the Maechi as religious persons. Occasionally, many of the women turning to these institutions have continued to ignore the merits of being ordained as Maechi’s but instead, they have concentrated on their religion in Buddhism. Although many of the Maechi don’t end up learning the Buddhist teaching through Thai Maechi institutions, many continue to offer their services to the monks such as cleaning and meal preparation.

Buddhism
Order Description
4). To what degree did either Buddhism provide a basis for cultural exchange and trade along the Silk Road? Please At least 5 formal Academic references, no online sources allow unless it is a proper Academic journal.
The question asks you to view the believers’ religiosity and the active spread of religious beliefs as stimulating cultural exchange and facilitating commercial activities.
Sources

T.H. Barrett, “The religious meaning of Buddhist sculpture in its cultural setting: the Buddha images of Qingzhou in the light of recent scholarship”. Buddhist Studies Review 22, 2005: 44-69.
Tamara Talbot Rice, Ancient Arts of Central Asia. London: Thames & Hudson 1965.
Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road. New York: St Martins Press 1999.
Susan Whitfield (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004.

Helen Wang, “How much for a camel? A New Understanding of Money on the Silk Road before AD 800”, in S. Whitfield (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004: 24-33.
Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press 1999: 27-54.

Buddhism
Order Description
4). To what degree did either Buddhism provide a basis for cultural exchange and trade along the Silk Road? Please At least 5 formal Academic references, no online sources allow unless it is a proper Academic journal.
The question asks you to view the believers’ religiosity and the active spread of religious beliefs as stimulating cultural exchange and facilitating commercial activities.
Sources

T.H. Barrett, “The religious meaning of Buddhist sculpture in its cultural setting: the Buddha images of Qingzhou in the light of recent scholarship”. Buddhist Studies Review 22, 2005: 44-69.
Tamara Talbot Rice, Ancient Arts of Central Asia. London: Thames & Hudson 1965.
Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road. New York: St Martins Press 1999.
Susan Whitfield (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004.

Helen Wang, “How much for a camel? A New Understanding of Money on the Silk Road before AD 800”, in S. Whitfield (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004: 24-33.
Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press 1999: 27-54.