Help Free Tibet
I have been a Buddhist for about 5 years now, and I am an activist to free the people of Tibet who have been tortured by the Chinese since 1950. …
Buddhism Bhagavad Gita
In this paper I will attempt to compare and contrast the two works, “What the Buddha Taught”, which is based on the Pali texts of Tipitaka, and the “Bhagavad-Gita-The Song …
Soka Gakkai International Young Womens Division
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a lay Buddhist organization based on the principals of Nichiren Buddhism. SGI is a global organization with over 12 million practitioners in 192 countries around …
Tibet China
Dressed in an orange and red robe, a bald man with glasses who refers to himself as the Dalai Lama actively seeks worldwide support from politicians to alleviate the cultural …
Amida Amida Buddhism Kamakura Dharamkara Amida Buddha Statue Amida Buddha Japan
“I am Amida, Buddha of the moon-lit garden, I welcome those who seek truth and liberation, I offer them the lotus seat of welcome.” Dharmakara was born a powerful Indian …
Flower Sermon Zen Buddhism
‘Nenge-misho’ is Japanese for “smiling and twirling a flower [between the fingers]. ” ‘Nenge-misho’ is popularly known in English as ‘The Flower Sermon’ or ‘The Flower Sutra’. In respects to …
Mahaprajapati Gautami Prajapati Buddhas Step Mother and Aunt
An insignificant second daughter, Prajapati not only became a queen but the first Buddhist nun, as well. Princess Maya was beautiful and graceful; she was also groomed to be a …
Zen Koan Matsu Drowning Monk
Case: It is sunrise in the temple courtyard. As the day’s first flowers bloom, Old Master Matsu takes his morning walk leaving no footprints and then settles in for life, …
The Contemplation of Feelings in Buddhism
Contemplation of feeling (“Vedananupassana”) is part of the 7th “insight” (Right Mindfulness or “Samma-sati”) on the Buddhist’s Noble Eight Fold Path to Enlightenment. The feeling is one of 4 concepts …
The Fundamentals of Buddhism
Who was Buddha and did he intend to begin a religion? Buddhism is one of the three major religions to come from Asia, with the other two being Hinduism and …
Buddhism Introduction to the Nirvana
According to Buddhist philosophy, the Third Noble Truth states that one can be free from suffering by attaining a state called “Nibbana”. Known in Sanskrit as “nirvana”, it means, “to …
Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
Siddhartha Gautama, known Sakyamuni Buddha (“Sakyamuni” translates to “sage of the Sakyas”), is arguably the most important historical figure in the Buddhist tradition and is the one most often referred …
Zen Koans Joshus Dog
A monk decided to test the wily old teacher, Roshi Joshu, by tugging sharply at his beard with the question, “Does a dog have Buddha-nature, yes or no?” Giving this …
Ishtadevata Hinduism Sanskrit Ishta
The particular title on Helium caught my attention and I felt an instinctive pull to make a contribution to it. The term ‘Ishtadevtaa’ is a Sanskrit word and is related …
There is no Good or Bad Karma only Karma
The popular understanding of karma is wrong. The majority of westerners believe it goes like this: If you do good things, good things will happen to you; and if you …
Buddhism the Noble Eightfold Path
The noble eightfold path is not just eight steps for a Buddhist but it is eight parts of a Buddhist’s life. Each of these eight parts can be sectioned into …
Tibetan Sky Burial Among Buddhists
After death ceremonies vary from each faith from Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc. In Tibetan Buddhism, there’s a method of burial known as sky burial. Being Buddhist myself, I didn’t know …
The History and Significance of the God Dainichi Nyorai
The two major religions of Japan, Shintoism, and Buddhism, have an interesting history and effect on each other. For a long time, Shinto was the key religion in Japan until …
Biographies the 14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is an extraordinary teacher, writer, and speaker. Some have revered him as a god, but within Tibetan Buddhism, he is actually a bodhisattva, an …
The Moral Code for Buddhists
Westerners often find it difficult to understand the Eastern way of thinking. Nevertheless, Buddhism remains one of the East’s most popular exports. What is it about Buddhism that, unlike Hinduism, …
Zen Koan Case of One Hand Clapping
The koan of the paradoxical idea of one hand being able to clap has been attributed to the Zen master Hakuin. Hakuin Ekaku was a famous Japanese Zen master, who …
Basics of Zen
If you have never come across Zen before, it might seem quite perplexing with its apparent contradictions and paradoxes. But if you are ready and willing to commit yourself to …
The Truth of Suffering in Buddhism
The aspect of suffering is one of the most important things one will know if studying or planning to convert to Buddhism. Suffering is the one truth that links the …
Avalokiteshvara the one who Hears the Cries of the World
John Daido Loori a Zen Master who founded Zen Mountain Monastery in New York said: “Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is the Hearer of the Cries of the World. And one of the characteristics of …
Basic Buddhism and Buddhist Thought Introduction
Buddhism was founded approximately 2,500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama. According to Buddhist tradition, Gautama was the son of a wealthy chief in Nepal. This chief did everything within his …
Being in the Now Moment
God is the space between the words. It’s the space between the bars that holds the tiger. It’s the space between the notes that makes the music. This says so …
Karma and Grace
How do karma and grace relate to one another? Initially, it would seem that karma and grace are opposing principles in the universe. After all, karma is law, and grace …
Attention through Meditation
These days, ADD and ADHD run rampant in the United States. I, myself, have ADD but have recently found a bit of hope in the concept of meditation. Buddha taught …
The Arts of Zen Explained
The art forms associated with the practice of Zen Buddhism are a way of approaching the artisan’s role in the totality of their existence. To practice Zen is to achieve …
The Three Universal Characteristics in Buddhism
If and when practicing Buddhism, you will come across various principles grouped together. Examples are the: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Three Poisons (if you are studying Tibetan Buddhism), Ten …
What is the Tibetan Wheel of Life
The Bhavacakra, or Tibetan Wheel of Life, is a graphic depiction of Tibetan Buddhism’s philosophy of existence. Although there are several versions of the Wheel of Life, the symbols maintain …