Analyse the impact of globalisation on the nature and extent of belief systems.

Inevitable advances in technology leading to the creation of a smaller world through globalisation has lead to both positive and negative impacts on the practice of Buddhism and the extent to which it is practised. Specific aspects of the belief system such as the rite of joining the sangha or joining the Buddhist community has been affected by technology making it far more accessible to persons regardless of their environmental situation. However changing views of technology have also affected the Buddhist practise of vegetarianism in a far more direct manner with the rise in genetically modified food threatening the concepts upon which Buddhism is based. Alternatively, it can also be argued that due to the general versatile nature of Buddhism, it cannot and indeed should not be too heavily impacted by the forces of globalisation. Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions both in Australia and the world, this can be attributed to the prevalence of technology which has played a vital role in making the practice of joining the sangha, known as the brotherhood, more accessible. As we have entered the Age of Information, the expanse of the technology has widened with new means of transportation and adaptations of materialistic technology to increase the following of the belief system astronomically. The internet has made communications with other Buddhists on a global scale easier through the cyber sangha on websites such as Buddha.net wherein persons can become part of the Buddhist community without having direct physical link with a temple, monastic community whilst also removing access barriers like ethnicity and environment. In an increasing technological world this had made Buddhism appealing to a wider range of persons. Improvements in transportation technology such as plans and ships assist in breaking down the physical barrier preventing the spread of Buddhism, allowing persons to travel to Buddhist centralised countries to join the sangha on a more environmentally direct level. Conversely, it has also allowed Buddhist to travel into the West to apply the teachings of the Dharma, the most prominent example of this being the Dalai Lama. A more recent example of a technological advance, which aims to make the philosophy available to the youth, is through the implementation its ideals into a interactive video game based on the teachings of Buddhist morals, in particular the five precepts. Thus showing how Buddhism is adapting to modernise the act of joining the sangha more appealing and accessible, displaying the contribution of technology in cementing the continuity of the religion. While this increased use of technology has been beneficial to the growth of the Buddhist belief system on a global scale, it has quite possibly compromised the key values at the core of the religion in aligning itself with the new globalised technological norms. The use of technology contradicts the Buddhist second noble truth that life is Tsrna meaning that suffering is caused due to our selfish attachment to the world via the indulgence associated with materialism. Thus the over-bearing influence of technology on society can deter the individual from the path of enlightenment preventing them from reaching Nirvana. This is evident within the adaptation of traditional Buddhist temples to accommodate westerners such as the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, which incorporates televisions within their site. Furthermore, the use of technology in the creation of

weaponry is against the Buddhist moral of peace prevailing over conflict. Thus it is evident that the use of technology has threatened the Buddhist philosophies, leading them to be compromised or adapted to suit growing technological atmosphere. Another Buddhist practise, which has been affected by the technological derivative of globalisation, is vegetarianism, which is rooted within the five precepts for ethical behaviour that prevents the Buddhist from killing or harming another creature. With the introduction of genetically modified food, there has been a rise in the ethical issues associated for Buddhists who are wholly against consumption of animal products. Genetically modified food contains traces of animal, insect or event human genomes to make it more resistant and durable in harsher climates. Furthermore there are currently no legislations in place that requires the manufacturers of genetically modified food to label their product. This has meant that Buddhists who adopt principals of pure vegetarianism have no insight into what they are consuming, threatening the validity of their religious practice. This highlights the negative effect that technology has had on the belief system forcing its followers to compromise their ideals in order to adhere to modern social institutions and structures. Interestingly the use of GM foods has allowed having a vegetarian diet to become cheaper and much more available, thus making it easier to join the sangha and being a vegetarian. The general affordability of being a Buddhist increases making it even more appealing to those who share common values with the belief system. Therefore, it is clear that the impact of globalisation has been a ambiguous one in this case, preventing Buddhists from adequately practising their religion due to the tarnishing of their ideals whilst also making it more accessible to its followers. In light of both the positive and negative impacts that globalisation has had on the Buddhist practice of both joining the sangha and vegetarianism, it can be concluded that due to the general nature of Buddhism itself, it cannot be too largely affected by the impact of globalisation. This is linked to the core principal of Buddhism, which include the acceptance, and denial of everything, including change. The versatile nature of the religion is essentially the concept of Siddharthas, the original Buddha, Middle Path which enforces equilibrium between this acceptance and denial, which allows the Buddhist to become neutral and unbiased towards everything around them. Hence Buddhism will also adapt and accommodate itself to change including a changing world.