Kashyapa

Kashyapa, Korea, Joseon dynasty 1700. © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Intimacy and the Buddha’s Smile, by John Aske

By Buddhism Now on 26 January 2018 • ( 0 )

But don’t grasp at the smile — or the flower — or even the words, and most of us do, because we love to attach ourselves to things and meanings, and it’s not about things or meanings.

Dainichi Nyorai is known as the Supreme Buddha of the Cosmos in Esoteric Buddhist thought. He is the source from whom all other deities and everything in the universe emanate, as light does from the sun. Here, he appears in a form known as Ichiji Kinrin (Sanskrit: Ekaksara-ushnisha-chakra), or "One-Syllable Golden Wheel." His hands form the mudra (hand gesture) of perfect knowledge, also known as the "wisdom-fist" mudra (chiken-in), which holds the power to restrain passions that hinder enlightenment. Photo © Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Laughing Buddha Humour and the Spiritual Life, by Dennis Sibley

By Buddhism Now on 31 May 2014 • ( 2 )

Humour lies at the heart of Buddhist thought and practice. Indeed, according to Buddhist history, it was a central factor in the enlightenment experience of the monk Kashyapa. As you may recall, during one of his discourses the Buddha fell… Read More ›