Buddhism and R-Rated Movies

I don't let my daughters watch R-Rated movies.  Their ages are 3, 6, and 8.  Truthfully, I'm not even sure they're aware of R-Rated movies yet.

When I was a kid, there was a time I wasn't allowed to watch R-Rated movies either.  I don't ever remember there being a hard and fast rule.  But it was understood that there were some things I wasn't supposed to see.

One evening, I was home alone.  I turned on the TV, and Arachnophobia was on.  (I just went back and rewatched the trailer.  ...I was freaked out by a John Goodman/ Jeff Daniels movie?)

I shouldn't have watched that.  Did I run up to my room and pull the covers over my head?  Maybe...  Did I think that maybe there were spiders under the blanket and jump back out of the bed?  ...Maybe...

Why wasn't I allowed to watch R-Rated movies as a kid?  Why don't I show my daughters R-Rated movies?  And what does this have to do with Buddhism?

If you were in class today, you should be able to answer all of that.  If you weren't you could at least discuss the first two questions.

If you're struggling, think about what Siddhartha Guatama saw on his walk.  Think about the way he was raised.  Those hints should move you along.

You could earn a little extra credit if you read and discussed the blog with an adult.  If you've done this, write a couple sentence about your discussion.  Am I right to keep my kids from seeing R-Rated movies?  What about Siddharta's parents?  At what point should they grow up?  Is that a choice I have any control over?  Do you feel like you've grown up?  What does this have to do with suffering?

Once you write out your thoughts, have the adult you've read and discussed the blog with sign the paper.  Turn it in tomorrow.  (Double check, make sure your name is on it.)

Suffering: The Pink Eraser

Buddhism and Hinduism have many similarities.  They both believe in karma, dharma, they both believe in reincarnation, and that there is an end to the reincarnation cycle - at least for the individual soul.

It's worth noting that even though the religions share these similarities, they don't hold identical beliefs on any... for instance, even though dharma relates to rules and order and teachings, the concept is different between the two religions.

Hinduism and Buddhism are similar much like Islam and Christianity are similar.  They share some concepts, (both Christians and Muslims believe in one God, trace their roots back to Abraham, believe Jesus Christ was a prophet...) but those practicing the religion would not claim they were the same.

One major way Buddhism differs from Hinduism is that Buddhism deals primarily with suffering.  Siddhartha Guatama (the founder of Buddhism) taught that suffering comes from desire.  Buddhism tries to point out how to end suffering.

I think we see this concept played out pretty clearly in children.  How many of us have seen a child throw a fit at the check-out line because they want a candy bar and the parent won't give in?  (In this case, the parent is also suffering, because they want the child to stop throwing a fit...)

I thought about this the other day when my middle daughter Gwen lost her pink eraser.  This was a big deal because it was given to her by one of her best friends at school.  (Maybe her best friend?  ...Kindergarten friendships are sometimes difficult to keep straight.)




Or, here's my youngest daughter.  She's sad because she wants her mommy:




I have a video where I'm crying because I wanted Notre Dame to beat Kentucky, but I've been advised against including it.

In all three cases, people were suffering because they wanted something, and they didn't get it.  What do you think?

If you want the extra credit for reading and discussing the blog with an adult, discuss this with them:  Buddhism teaches that everyone suffers, and that everyone suffers due to desire.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  Is it possible to end suffering?

When you're done, write a short paragraph about your discussion.  Then, have the adult you discussed with sign the paper.  (Make sure your name, date, and hour are on it.)

Turn it in tomorrow.