For instance, the Buddha taught that greed, anger, and misunderstanding are the causes that give rise to suffering. If we ourselves are not yet acquainted with greed, anger, and misunderstanding, then there is no way we can believe this. But to believe it would be foolish. When we know ourselves what greed, anger and delusion are like, and that whenever they arise in the mind, they produce suffering like a fire burning us, then we can believe it on the basis of our own experience…
Buddhism
Digitising manuscripts at Gangtey Monastery in Bhutan
Since the decline of Buddhism in Tibet, Mongolia and other parts of the Northern Buddhist world, the Kingdom of Bhutan has come to be seen as the last bastion of Mahayana Buddhism. With its long history of isolation and independence, Bhutan has remained a unique repository of the cultural and religious wealth of the Buddhist Himalaya. Its secluded monasteries and temples today represent a literary treasure trove that is largely unharmed and still unexplored.
The Three Refuges, by Ajahn Sumedho
The post discusses the underestimated significance of the three Buddhist refuges: Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
These aren’t merely traditional markers but pointers to reality. They elucidate that refuge in Buddha is mindful awareness, going beyond the body’s confines, potentially accessible to every human being.
The Laughing Buddha Humour and the Spiritual Life, by Dennis Sibley
Fun and laughter are also central to the story of Maitreya, the future Buddha, as taught in Mahayana literature.
Buddhist Insight from Mahasi Meditation Tradition, by Bhante Bodhidhamma
Bhante Bodhidhamma’s talk begins with a short meditation then goes on to explore the nature of self as experience.
Wrinkles, The Universe and All That, by Linda Clark
I never really thought about the ageing process until I was twenty-five and my new employers, the South-Eastern Electricity Board, sent me to London on an induction course. I was a very timid soul in those days and it was… Read More ›
Tea with the last Emperor, by Patty Elwood
Bronzes were arranged along the stairway, one of them being the Buddha-rupa which I have now.
Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness
Buddhist art: Some Buddha images.