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Posted on 12/09/2004 3:13:31 PM PST by fishtank
Lords of the Rings star embraces Buddhism
Item 9652 • Posted: Wed, Dec. 08 2004 • Weblogged by ReligionNewsBlog.com
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Hindustan Times (India), Dec. 6, 2004 http://www.hindustantimes.com
Another Hollywood star Orlando Bloom is to become a Buddhist. The Lord of the Rings star, 27, took part in an hour long ceremony at a centre to commit himself to the faith, according to a Mirror report.
Orlando, who jealously guards his private life, joined 60 other fledgling Buddhists at the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist movement HQ at Taplow Court Mansion in Maidenhead, Berkshire. A visitor was cited: "He looked really happy. He looked comfortable and quite excited."
Bloom was presented with his Gohonzon, a scroll with Chinese and Sanskrit characters on it. Dressed in jeans, a camel coloured sweater and shirt, he accepted his scroll from centre director Ricky Baynes. An onlooker said: "He shook Ricky's hand like the other people getting their Gohonzons and looked calm."
"When everyone had theirs we all clapped and cheered. Afterwards we all had a cup of tea together and Orlando went to the gift shop. People were queuing up to get his autograph and have their picture take with him. He was very friendly and didn't seem to mind."
Orlando said his Gohonzon would take place of pride in his home. It is likely to be kept in a wooden shrine, surrounded by candles. He would chant the holy Japanese mantra nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the scroll twice a day. He must also read and recite two chapters from the Lotus Sutra holy scripture.
Orlando, who played elf Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has never publicly spoken about his religious faith but has often been seen clutching Buddhist prayer beads.
Erowid? LOL... I have met Earth & Fire Erowid, and they're not exactly the people you'd want to refer to as experts on spirituality.
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Is it just me or does Bloom remind anyone else of a slighly masculine-looking woman?
What I mean is that I cannot understand how anyone can believe in nothing. At least if someone has taken the time to believe in something or even think about it then I can understand.
As you walk around in Japan it isn't at all unusual to see both sorts of temple in close proximity, attended by the same people. The Japanese tend to take their religion on a sort of "cash and carry" basis as opposed to Westerners who tend to make lifelong payments. (That is not, of course, true of Japanese Christians).
There is nothing inherently incompatible about killing and Buddhism; it simply is held that you pay in the next life for the negative karma you accumulate in this one. If a strict code of honor exonerates one from the negative karma in killing, then there may be no theoretical penalty. Strangely, only those sects into killing seem to hold that... ;-)
:) hehehe, I have renamed some Hollywood actors as well, however none of them are flattering, LOL.
Okay, okay! Sorry, I should have been clearer. What I meant was Buddhists never started religious wars like the Crusades, etc... What you're referring to was mostly tribal/warlord/drug trade related. :-)
Wow
ßudda ßump
I dunno. Russia invented manly women and I ain't seen any that even came close to that...
You mean you've seen the picture? I can't seem to get past the hairline!
Well, I look at Buddah more like a philosopher. By my definition it isn't really a religion. It does teach to do good and not do evil, and that is better than nothing.
The Buddhism practiced by Hollywood celebrities and new-age hippie-types is very far removed from Buddhism as it should be practiced. I believe they give Buddhism a very bad reputation in this country.
While ritual has a large role in some schools of Buddhism, it is important not to get too caught up in ritual. It is more important to keep one's life in accordance with the principles of the religion.
Agreed... I also feel that "real" Buddhism is more strict than Christianity in some ways.
1. Birth
2. Act
3. Succeed
4. Lose mind
" I cannot understand how anyone can believe in nothing. At least if someone has taken the time to believe in something or even think about it then I can understand. "
1) All religious people hold a belief in a Supernatural Creator.
2) An atheist is someone who holds a belief that there is no God.
3) An agnostic is someone who does not hold either belief 1 or 2 because they are philosophically "faith based" beliefs and agnostics typically (but not always) rely on skeptical methodology based philosophy.
Therefore it is technically accurate that an atheist believes in "nothing", or at least the absence of God, but an agnostic is a believer in the philosophy of the skeptical (scientific) method.
I hope this helps.
The Buddhist concept of "nothingness" should not be understood as nihilism. The lack of an inherent nature is a great bit more subtle than that.
That won't last long... although it's better to embrace the Fatman's philosophy than switching over to Islamofascism like Cat Stevens did.
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