Bhagwan Buddha

Tips on Positive Relationships from Buddhism

2012-01-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

Tibetan Buddhism starts with the premise that what is involved in life is first, birth, then, sickness, oldage and death. What a sharp contrast to modern western beliefs that life is largely a bowl of cherries. As a result of the miracle of modern medical technology people in the west are largely sheltered from the ravages of the sicknesses and early deaths experienced all the time in what are referred to as Third World Countries such as Tibet.

Perhaps as a result of this early shelter westerners pursue a path of individual achievement geared towards career, relationships, and build up of material possessions. This path is largely of an outward, hedonistic nature. In sharp contrast the path of Tibetan Buddhism is one of blending with something higher than oneself and dedicating ones life to the benefit of all sentient beings not just human ones.

This path is largely of an inward, altruistic nature. There are sharp contrasts in attitudes towards death as well. Tibetan Buddhists view death as a natural part of a cyclic existence for a non-materialistic spirit while most westerners equate death to a final cessation with the last breath of life extinguishing the function of the brain. As a result westerners have a marked feeling of taboo about death while in sharp contrast Tibetan Buddhists have a great deal of advice about dealing with the process of death and its aftermath.

For instance, Tibetan Buddhists propose an interim dwelling place for the spirit called the Bardos where it is very important to avoid negative emotional states like fear, anger or resentment which in their view can lead to a premature rebirth in a very disadvantaged circumstance. Unenlightened birth is referred to as "Samsara", a state like a rodent on a treadmill, where the same life mistakes such as avarice, stinginess, grasping for material pleasures and what are called unskilled actions lead only to death and further disadvantaged births. In order to prepare oneself for both sides of a cyclic existence Tibetan Buddhists have practices that enable a person to remain in a positive state despite what is happening to and around them.

These practices are precisely where westerners can draw hints and valuable information for both relaxation and relationship success in their own lives. To enter and move deeper into a state of relaxation that allows contact and even blending with a higher power Tibetan Buddhists practice chanting of positive affirmations and the recreation of mental images of drawings of various Tibetan personages such as Green Tara, the goddess of mercy. These practices are meant to still the mind from its habitual ramblings. The goddess and other images are also drawn on paper and made with colored sand.

The sand drawings are destroyed after completion to illustrate the impermanence of life. While chanting in Tibetan and drawing Tibetan personages is not likely to help a stressed out westerner relax, the principle behind the practices (positively reprogramming the subconscious) is readily available in the west through relaxation and meditation classes and/or through subliminal, audio-hypnotic tapes, videos and CD's.

With the use of these tapes, etc. it is possible to use the power of positive conditioning to develop altruistic compassion and joyous love. For those having their lives negatively impacted by repeated chains of relationship difficulties (similar to the Buddhist "Samsara") the principles behind attaining "Enlightenment" or the Buddhist idea of release from the ever reoccuring "Wheel of Life" can be remarkably helpful.

BUDDHIST ART AND CULTURE IN GREATER ASIA

2012-01-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

Buddhists all over the world celebrate every year Buddha Purnima solemnly, chanting Buddham Sharanam Gutchhami, Sangham Sharanam Gatchhami in a serene atmosphere. It is understood that there are about 350 million Buddhists spread in many a country of the world.

Lord Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism was born in 563B.C. He renounced sensual pleasures and advocated total spiritual detachment from the world. The religion founded by him is today one of the major Asian religions.

Emperor Ashoka who ruled India in third century B.C, (died in 232 B.C.) galvanised growth of Buddhism in Asia by becoming a Buddhist disciple himself. He sent Buddhist missionaries to far-flung lands. By conscious and consistent efforts, Ashoka transformed Buddhism from a localised religion to a faith of world importance.

During emperor Ashoka’s reign and also later, Buddhism spread widely in Central and Western Asia. Its missionaries reached far east in the south and the south-east Asia. Along with the spread of basic Buddhism in the above-mentioned areas of Asia, the Buddhist art and culture also flourished in these countries. Many of the ancient relics and archaeological findings have drawn attention of the historians of the day. Early Buddhism was not far away from Hinduism, but eventually emerged as a separate entity and split into several branches. The main branches include Mahayana Buddhism, which stresses salvation and contemplation; and Hinayana, which preserves the monastic tradition of the believers. Japanese type of Mahayana is popularly called as Zen Buddhism. The Lamaism of Tibet is a combination of Buddhism and the primitive beliefs of the region.

Archaeological objects related to Buddhist art and culture have been found in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran in Central Asia, and even in Turkey and Greece. There are large chunks of Buddhist population in Mongolia, Tibet and Buriyat an autonomous State in Russian federation. Buriyat alone has a population of more than 5 million Buddhists. Buriyat is situated near the Baikal lake in Russia.

In the eastern part of Asia, China, Japan and Korea have a large Buddhist population. Buddhist art, sculpture and culture flourished here in the past centuries. Vietnam, Laos and Combodia or Kampuchea are having Buddhism for over a thousand years. Their art and culture are also deeply rooted in Buddhism. Eighty per cent of the total population of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia mainly belong to Mahayana Buddhism. In the south and south-east Asia, Indonesia’s Bali island has a majority of Buddhist population and though the rest of the country has insignificant representation of Buddhist population. The Indonesian dance-drama, art, culture, sculptures and other folk forms, richly reflect the Buddhist tradition and style. Malaysia and Singapore at present have insignificant Buddhist population but in the past centuries Buddhist art and culture prevailed here quite predominantly. Thailand and Myanmar had Buddhism for centuries and they continue to have rich tradition of Buddhism even today. Sri Lanka in our neighbourhood has a large Buddhist population and Buddhist art and culture has influenced the people there in a big way. Bangladesh have a small Buddhist population scattered in the Chittagong hill tracts. Our own homeland, India has 5 million Buddhist populations and that constitutes 0.8 per cent of country’s total population.

India is proud of her heritage, historical monuments, art, sculptures, frescoes and historical sites. Buddhist heritage Object d’art archaeological findings, Stupas, Viharas and other monuments are essential components of Indian culture. We are proud of our heritages, which include Cave paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, Allora and Elephanta caves. Aurangabad cave sculptures and architectures are essentially great Buddhist contribution. Sarnath was a charming place with a serene atmosphere and the Buddha camped there for quite sometime, guiding the world’s first five Buddhists along the path of Dharma. Probably the first Vihara was established there and it flourished over time. It is believed that fifteen hundred Bhikshus lived there when Hiuen Tsang visited the place around 700 AD. Emperor Ashoka built an impressive Stupa on the spot where Lord Buddha initiated his first set of disciples.

Contacts between the peoples of Central Asia and India date back to thousands of years. Archaeologists have found great resemblance between the stone implements of north-western India and the Southern Tajikistan in Central Asia. The intensity of cultural contacts is above all proved by archaeological finds. Archaeologists have found ornamented Indian Cornelia beads in the graves of Saka nomads in the eastern Parmirs dating between the fifth ad third centuries B.C. At the site of ancient town of Dalverzintep in the south of Uzbekistan they found a hidden treasure of gold items, including beautiful pieces of Indian jewellery and gold bars with their weights written in the Kharosthi script.

From the fifth to eighth centuries AD contacts between Central Asia and India flourished largely due to the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia. One Buddhist centre was located in northern Toharistan and the other in Semirechye in Central Asia. Buddhism was professed by different groups of Central Asia population comprising all sections including townsfolk, peasantry and nobility. Archaeologist found many Buddhist temples with large libraries. Some of the books and manuscripts had been brought from India. Indian fables were well known to sogdians who richly used them as subjects for their wall paintings.

At the end of 20th century, a team of French archaeologists headed by Prof. Dupont-Sommer found Ashokan inscription, relics and object d’art in Aramin language (a Semitic group) in many parts of Syria, Iraq and even in distant countries of turkey and Greece. Naturally these Ashokan inscriptions signifies Buddhist religion and depth of art and cultural influence of Buddhism in those countries in ancient times.

Discovery of Buddhist Stupa

2012-01-13T06:07:00.000-08:00

A Buddhist Stupa site was discovered in Munjuluru Village, Bantumilli Manda, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh by the State Department of Archaeology, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh in 2010 consisting of a hemispherical mound about 10 meters height with rectangular projections at the base on four cordinal directions found in the Village Munjuluru in an extent of 43 cms. The brick size measures 27x23x7 cms. in the surrounding areas of the mound noticed black and red ware, buff along with conch shells. Broken Ayaka Pillar of lime stone and pitha datable to 5th – 6th century A.D. were also noticed.

The State Department of Archaeology & Museums, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has issued the Notification No.G.O.Ms.No.64, YAT &C (PMU) Deptt., dated 16th June, 2011 for protecting the said ancient monument.

Mahavira Jayanti

2011-12-06T04:30:00.001-08:00

Celebration of Mahavira Jayanti on April 16 commemorates the auspicious birth anniversary of an illustrious saviour of mankind. This supreme apostle of peace and non-violence was born on this day two thousand six hundred years ago. At worldwide ceremonies across the continents millions of devotees will rededicate themselves to the ideals of this foremost sentinel of universal brotherhood. His birth anniversary reminds leaders of nations to strive for a world order that ensures peaceful co-existence. The guidelines preached by Mahavira are valid for all time in the interests of the continuance of civilised life on our planet.

The age in which Prince Mahavira was born was a time of serious unrest when an ailing society was in grave distress. But the Licchavi enclaves of his ancestors however served as realms of orderly life in contrast to the distressed areas around the land. Vardhamana Mahavira was born in Kundalapur, a suburb of Vaishali in North Bihar. His parents were King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala Priyakarini. The child was named "Vardhamana" - one who prospers and is ascendant since the land saw increasing prosperity from the day he was born. As the child showed signs of extraordinary wisdom he also came to be known as "Sanmati". The prodigy’s feats of fearlessness and valour earned for him the name," Mahavira", - the Great Hero.

Though born in princely comfort, Mahavira began setting himself on spiritual pursuits quite early in life. At the age of thirty he renounced the pleasures of the palace and undertook the vows of ascetic life. Retiring to a forest he practised hard penance and rigorous austerities. He was often subjected to torments by his detractors and disbelievers. He endured them all ungrudgingly. Mahavira responded with supreme forbearance. "I forgive all living beings. May all beings forgive me. I have forgiveness for one and all. I bear no malice towards anyone", he declared. Through his precept underscored by a practice of forgiveness and compassion, Mahavira brought about a happy transformation in a strife-torn society that was in perpetual tension and conflicts.

After twelve years of ascetic life of austerities in intensive contemplation, the seer Mahavira attained omniscience or all-knowledge (Kevala Jnan) that transcends the limitations of time and space. Thus he became a ‘Tirthankara’.- one who guides fellow-mortals across the recurring chasm of life and death. He was the last of the twenty-four Tirthankaras in the present cosmic time-cycle’. Tirthankara is a self-enlightened propagator of right doctrines that lead to a path of spiritual advance. Tirthankara Mahavira revived the teachings of his precursors adapting them to the needs of the time. The teachings popularised by him provided the formula for universal welfare-the concept of Sarvodaya. This was the formula commended by Mahatma Gandhi and later taken up by his disciple, Vinoba Bhave. The concept and the contents of ‘Sarvodaya’ had been first mentioned in the scriptures containing Mahavira’s teachings.

Mahavira traversed the land for thirty years preaching the gospel of co-existence, harmony and the universal brotherhood. He was born some twenty years before Gautama Buddha, the other great apostle of peace of the age. They were contemporaries of other seers of the time like Cofucius in China and Zoroaster in Persia. They had all bequeathed the message of humanism to posterity. Sakya Muni Gautama Buddha’s ancestors were believed to have been the followers of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parsvanatha, who is recorded in history as having lived a couple of centuries earlier. Gautama Buddha was said to have exhorted his disciples to bow to "Natha Putta" (scion of the Jnatr royal family) Nigganta (Sky-clad) Mahavira. Buddha reversed his senior contemporary and there is a remarkable similarity in their teachings. Mahavira attained Nirvana in 527 B.C. But the light of knowledge he bequeathed to the world continues to enlighten the path of redemption for humanity.

Mahatma Gandhi, who in his early life had been influenced by Mahavira’s teachings, had more than anyone else upheld the soveriegn formula of non-violence which brought freedom to our land after centuries of colonial domination. He had also imbibed Mahavira’s other tenets including the reformative guidelines for restraint on possessions. The world has enough resources to satisfy everyone’s needs but not everyone’s greed" is one of his quotable quotes. The significant message of the enlightened seer is a sure enough guidepost to economic democracy in the circumstances of social unrest with more and more among the less affluent demanding better living conditions there can be no better formula than voluntary restraint on property and possessions. Besides, it would forestall any violent conflicts between the ’haves’ and ‘have-note’ both among national societies and among the nations of the world.

Appreciation of the points of view of others is another main plank of Mahavira’s teachings. It is described as Anekantavada, or the principle of the multiple-dimensions of truth. Looked at it from another angle, the other point of view may be correct. This was the formula for mutual understanding stressed by Tirthankara Mahavira. He spoke of the need for synthesis as an imperative necessity in order to avert clashes among the followers of different creeds. This pattern of reconciliation of divergent streams of thought is also described as Syadvada, similar to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

This principle has been upheld by succeeding generations as a virtue of toleration and a part of the noble ideology propounded by Mahavira. With catholicity of thought foremost in his call to humanity at large he succeeded in promoting inter-religious dialogue. The present-day conferences of World Religions highlighted by Swami Vivekananda’s participation at the Chicago Parliament of Religions are footnotes to the everlasting value of the legacy of Mahavira and other seers. It is as well that we remind ourselves that the circumstances of today’s global village of points to the all-time relevance of the call for co-existence as the only alternative to co-destruction.

The postulates preached by Mahavira revolve around the innate life-force in all beings. Each living being is essentially and individual soul striving for ultimate happiness, he said. The supreme bliss, therefore, consists of liberation from the vicious circle of life and death. Freedom from the bondage of attachments is the only path that leads to salvation or ‘Nirvana’ - a state of perfection or the Life Eternal. The word "Jina" in this context implies the spiritual conqueror. The term "Jain" or "Jaina" connects a follower of the path shown by "Jina".

Non-killing or non-violence as preached by Mahavira enjoins people to respect the life-force in every creature. Non-violence as laid down by him is not to be interpreted as a negative dogma of merely refraining from killing It is a positive conduct that enjoins everyone not to harbour even the thought of injuring any being, or of uttering by word the intention to injure or to kill another.

The role of Mahatama Gandhi as the greatest champion of non-violence in our age was shaped to a large extent early in life by the Jain society in Gujarat amidst which he lived. The study of jain religion was among the seminal influences which took him Above narrow limits of any community. It helped him touch the hearts of man and women everywhere. Non-violent resistance to evil has indeed been accepted as a potent force in all societies.

Gandhiji acknowledged mankind’s debt to Mahavira in these words: "No religion in the world has explained the principle of Ahimsa so deeply and systematically as discussed with its applicability in life in Jainism. As and when this benevolent principle of Ahimsa will be sought for practice by the people of the world and beyond.......Mahavira is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on Ahimsa." Of anybody developed this doctrine it was Bhagwan Mahavira who thought over it and translated it into action.

"Non-violence is the religion of tomorrow", was the prophecy of the world’s front ranking scientist ,Albert Einstein. He was visualising the deadly menace of a nuclear holocaust. Like him, the doyen of historians. Arnold Toynbee, emphasised that in the modern context non-violence is the sole alternative for the human race from destroying itself in the atomic age. A humanity desperately seeking means of survival in the face of its nuclear extinction has been turning to the path of peace and abstinence from violence preached by Mahavira and the seers who followed his line of thought. And people everywhere are conscious of the extreme gravity of the possibilities of nuclear annihilation through the drift of nations arraigned against one another.

Leaders of nations can help in building the bastions of peace by implanting the message of peace through non-violence intoned by Mahavira centuries ago.

As savant and noted orientalist H.W. Beecher, said. "Mahavira was a great saviour, a benefactor of humanity and "one of the greatest of the great. His sermons, universal in scope and content are as valid today as in the age when he articulated the message of universal love and co-existence."

Development and promotion of Buddhist and the heritage sites

2011-12-06T04:25:00.001-08:00

Development and promotion of tourism including Buddhist and the heritage sites is primarily undertaken by the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. However, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, provides Central Financial Assistance to the project proposals identified in consultation with them subject to availability of funds and inter-se-priority under various schemes of the Ministry.

Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned central financial assistance of Rs.117.39 crore for 34 Tourism Projects during 11th Plan including current financial year for Government of Uttar Pradesh. This includes Destination Development of Varanasi-Sarnath-Ramnagar, Phase-II.

Apart from this, a loan agreement has been signed with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Government of India on March 31, 2005 for Uttar Pradesh Buddhist Circuit Development project. The scope of the project covers improvement of roads, public utilities, site development and support programmes etc. at selected Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh.

BUDDHIST ART AND CULTURE IN GREATER ASIA

2011-11-28T04:13:00.001-08:00

Jagannath & Buddha

2011-11-28T04:11:00.001-08:00

The temple of Lord Buddha in Tripura,

2011-11-28T04:09:00.001-08:00

Locally called by its popular name, Buddha mandir, the serene, peaceful and beautiful Venuban Vihar, the only temple of Lord Buddha in Tripura, is a unique holy shrine within an easy reach. Being the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu’s Dashavatar, Lord Buddha and his merciful message of peace and love drew devotion and admiration of the whole mankind. The picturesque shrine is a real pride of Tripura.

Although somewhat neglected for a long time now, this temple was a favourite resort of peace-loving people till three decades ago. Since it possessed quite a good number of ancient Buddhist religious scrolls and scripts along with some invaluable paintings, this temple is still a pleasant and delightful spot in Tripura.

A few other small temples of Lord Buddha are there at Pecharthal in North Tripura, Manu-Bankul and also near Kalsi and Jolaibari in South Tripura district. But none of them is as charming as Venuban Vihar.

Although totally unknown to most of us, it is a fact that more than one Bahai Temple exists in Tripura. Standing no comparison with the famous Lotus Temple of Bahai’s in New Delhi, the temples of this faith in Tripura, one at Dharmanagar and the other at Kunjaban, Agartala, are actually neat meditation halls with no deity or image therein.

The Dharmanagar temple also has a school for kids as well. It is like a placid oasis of peace amidst harsh noise and bustle. One is charmed with its tranquillity once inside the temple.

AJANTA CAVES - TRYST WITH BUDDHA

2011-11-28T04:03:00.001-08:00

When people kill their own brethren without any remorse, commit adultery and indulge in corruption, drown themselves in intoxicants, it is time for us to imbibe the essence of Lord Buddha’s teachings. Gautam Buddha was born on the Full Moon day of Vaisakh in 563 BC at Lumbini to King Subhodana and Queen Maha Maya of Kapilavastu. It was on the same day 36 years later that Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment under a bodhi tree in Gaya. This day of the year also marks the death anniversary of Gautam Buddha (who attained Parinirvana at the age of 80). In Sikkim, Buddha Purnima is called “Saga Dasa” and “Vaishakh Pooja” in the Thervada tradition. On this day, Buddhists reaffirm their faith in the five basic principles of Buddhism called Panchsheel. They are not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to drink any intoxicant, and not to commit adultery.

Prince to Preacher

Prince Siddharth married Princess Yasodhara at the age of sixteen. He had a son named Rahul. One day, Prince Siddharth went out of the palace and saw a feeble old man, a diseased person, a dead body and a dignified hermit. This made him understand the futility of materialistic life. These different faces of life made the 29 year old Sidharth to renounce his family and kingdom to attain enlightenment. Sidhartha became Lord Buddha- the enlightened one from then on. Buddhism flourished and spread to all parts of the world. Buddhist followers went to all parts of the land to preach the message of love and compassion. The imprints of Buddhism and their symbols are living testimony to the glorious past.

Discovery of the Caves

It was poetic justice that in 1819, British army officers in pursuit of a hapless tiger, chanced upon the horse-shoe shaped rocky caves above the ravines of Waghora river, near Ajanta Village in the Deccan region (now in Maharashtra). Perhaps the soldiers forgot all about their hunting escapades and were shell-shocked seeing such artistic wonders carved and painted in 30 odd caves on the other side of the river. These caves were as old as 2nd BC to 6th Century AD. The caves were the monsoon retreats or Varshavasas of Buddhist monks. Ajanta Caves is perhaps the most beautiful and awesome depiction of Lord Buddha and his ideals of non-violence and compassion in the most astounding art forms. No wonder UNESCO has declared it as a World Heritage site. Of the thirty caves in Ajanta five are chaityas or prayer halls and the rest are viharas or monasteries.

The two hour drive from Aurangabad through Maharashtra State Highway-8, is a forgettable experience. But things change after Ajanta Village which is 12 Kms before the Ajintha Leni- i.e., Ajanta Caves, in Marathi. After the hairpin curves and the drive upwards, serenity prevails as there are no human inhabitations for quite a stretch of land. The climb to the caves from Camp Station is a bit arduous. But the treasure chest awaiting the eyes and soul are worth the climb. Actually the Caves are situated 76 metres above the Waghera River. When it was built, each of the 30 caves had separate flight of stone steps from the riverside.

When we enter Cave 1, a soothing feeling of calmness and serenity engulfs us. Glorious idol of Lord Buddha in a blessing pose makes us bow our heads in reverence. The frescoes of Bodhisatva Padmapani and Bodhisatva Vajrapani are wondrous form of art which have survived the test of time and ravages of Nature. Till now the colours are distinct and features sharp enough for any connoisseur to stare at them in delight. The stone carving on a pillar of four deer with a single head is a thing of joy to behold. It is done so exquisitely that each deer gets separate identity with just one head. Beautiful murals depicting Jataka tales of Maharaja Sibhi and others are also there.

The caves can be broadly divided into two phases of Buddhism. Six caves - Cave no. 9 and 10 which are Chaithyagrihas and Cave no. 8, 12, 13 and 15 which are Viharas - belong to Hinayana Phase of Buddhism. In the Hinayana phase Lord Buddha is revered in the form of Stupa, throne or other symbols. The earliest among them dating back to 2 BC is in Cave no. 10. In the later Mahayana phase Buddha is worshipped in human form.

Miracles and Temptations

The paintings depicted in the Caves are also of two phases. The earliest ones belonging to 2 BC are seen in Cave no. 9 and 10. The second phase of paintings seemed to have been done around 5th-6th Century AD. These paintings depict previous births of Lord Buddha as Bodhisatvas known as Jataka tales. Some depict the important miracles performed by Buddha like manifesting himself into 1000 Buddhas at Sravasti, Buddha preaching at Tusita Heaven, subjugation of Nalagiri the instigated elephant, Mara the evil force trying to tempt Buddha with his daughters and other royal gifts etc,.

The huge stone carving of Lord Buddha in Parinirvana in Cave 26 is tinged with melancholy. Below the huge image on stone of reclining Buddha are many forms of Bhikshus crying. The rest of the caves is untouched as work was not started.

Development of Buddhist Locations

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture has provided significant amount for the upgradation of infrastructure at Buddhist’s places, which include the development of Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda in Bihar and development of Lower Krishna Valley Buddhist circuits in Andhra Pradesh.. Apart from the above, loan assistance from Japan Bank Industrial Construction (JBIC) for Phase-II of the Tourism Infrastructure Development of Buddhist locations in the Buddhist Circuit of UP at Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu, Sravasti and Sankisa has been approved.

Walk the Path through Bihar to Vihara

2011-11-07T23:19:00.000-08:00

Nav Nalanda Mahavihara, in collaboration with the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee, has conceived a series of events to mark the theme 'Walk the Path through Bihar to Vihara'. The Nalanda district administration has also joined hands with them and organized the second 'Sariputta World Peace Walk' on November 12 at the Giriyak hill in Rajgir.

The objective of these events is to increase awareness about the rich Buddhist legacy of Bihar. The three chief disciples of Lord Buddha - Sariputta, Maha Moggallana and Maha Kassapa - are an important aspect of the Buddhist pilgrimage and the places and events associated with their lives are the main focus of these events.

As per the Buddhist literature, Sariputta attained 'parinirvana' on 'Kartik Purnima' and fifteen days following it Maha Moggallana attained 'parinirvana' on 'Agahana Amavasya'. These events took place just six months before the 'Mahaparinirvana' of the Buddha. The awareness events are likely to be timed around these dates.

In 2010, the first 'Sariputta World Peace Walk' was a big success and received positive response from the local community and the 'Bhikkhu Sangha'. "It is time again to reunite our efforts and pay respect to our heritage and celebrate the legacy that is ours!" one of the organizers said on Thursday.

Narendra Modi plans world's biggest stupa

2011-11-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

In a bid to turn Gujarat into a pilgrim place for countries which follow Buddhism, chief minister Narendra Modi is pulling out all stops to build the world's biggest stupa, over 100 km from the place Suzuki has chosen for the biggest Maruti plant in North Gujarat.

The project will cost Rs 1,000 crore, centred around a 351-ft high stupa towering over a 151-ft statue of Lord Buddha. The site - Dev-ni-Mori in Sabarkantha district - is two km away from Shamlaji temple located on the Ahmedabad-Delhi National Highway. An active archeological site, this is the 5th place in the world where Buddha's body relics have been found.

The relics are at present kept wrapped in a silk cloth in a gold-plated casket at the archaeology department of MS University in Vadodara. A team from the department then headed by well-known archaeologist and professor B Subbarao had unearthed the ashes belonging to third or fourth century in Dev-ni-Mori in 1957. It was shifted to Vadodara as the site was getting submerged under the Meshwo dam. Prominent archaeologist and former MSU professor V H Sonawane says the casket's inscription refers to it as bodily remains of Buddha.

Modi is not only eyeing foreign tourists from the Buddhist world but also big business from South-East Asia economies like Japan and South Korea which have lined up bigticket investments here. Of 22 companies which evinced interest in the project, Gujarat has shortlisted two from China, a country Modi is visiting next week.

Lord Buddha himself visited several places in Gujarat. Excavations of stupas and viharas suggest that Buddhism came to Gujarat during his lifetime itself. Chinese traveller Huen Tsang has mentioned about the several monasteries in the Vadnagar-Vijaynagar region and that almost 1,300 monks lived here.

Modi may also steal the thunder of his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, who has been actively promoting Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and other sites. This may enhance his appeal among dalits - a large number of them being Buddhists - besides tribals who also have belief in the Buddha sites in North Gujarat.

Bihar would, of course, not be able to match the money power of Gujarat which plans to spruce up the stupa site with resorts, retreats, ecotourism and a riverfront on the Meshwo. About 100 acres of land have been notified for it and more may be acquired.

THE BUDDHIST VISION OF UNIVERSAL COMPASSION AND PEACE

2011-08-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Light of Asia, a perfect embodiment of knowledge, love, sacrifice and universal compassion emerged on this earth in the sixth century B.C. Seeing the human life fraught with colossal misery and pain of old age, sickness and death, Prince Siddhartha at the age of 29 did not kick away only the luxurious Shakya Kingdom but also his beloved wife, Yashodhara, and newborn son, Rahul. The three strong bonds of the world - gold, women and fame - could not detract him. He underwent rigorous religious austerities for six years and at last found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Gaya.

The enlightened Siddhartha became the Buddha who preached his enlightenment to all without any distinction of caste, creed or colour. And thus Buddhism was embraced by rich and poor, the high and the low, the intellectual and layman. It spread from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari and crossed the frontiers of India to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Malaya (Malaysia), Jawa, Sumatra (Indonesia) in the South-East and afterwards to Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, China and Japan. Buddhism has now entered into European and American academic life as a fascinating discipline. Buddhism was the first missionary world religion. It revolted against Hinduism and became a revolution deeper than Jainism in India.
Essence

The essence of Buddhism is the Dharma, i.e., Moral Consciousness which starts with a deep problem of suffering. Suffering and its total eradication is the main theme of Buddhism. The root cause of suffering is Avidya -Ignorance and the passions (attachment, aversion, avarice, anger and lust). The entire existence springs from the 'I' Consciousness (Satkayadristi), the basic wrong notion of something permanent, identical with one universal entity which endangers thirst for life.

Buddhism is committed to the Dharma-moral law and the theory of Karma. This law operates without any super agency. The entire universe is the expression of the Moral Order (Karmajam lokavaichitryam). This is the basic assumption of Buddhism, the Hinayana as well as Mahayana. The suffering is Samsara -the endless series of birth and death, with which one's soul is bound, coming and going which is the result of our Karmas. The cessation of suffering is Nirvana - liberation. The human problem is basically moral and spiritual i.e. absence of self-analysis through self -control, self-effort and self-education. We must understand what the Buddha taught: "Be light unto thyself".

The Buddhist concept of reality is dynamic and functional. It believes in the theory of casual efficiency -Arthakriyakritvam). The reality must produce it. It must be effective. The reality is Svalaksana, i.e. extreme particular. This is another basic assumption of Buddhism. This establishes the theory of momentariness.

The Buddhist theory of causality, i.e. Dependent Origination (Pratityasamutpada) explains both Samsara as well as Nirvana.

The Four Noble Truths

The entire Buddhist philosophy and religion is simply an elaboration of four noble truths: Suffering-Dukha, the cause of suffering-Dukha-Samudaya, the cessation of suffering-Dukha-Nirodha and the way leading to the cession of suffering-Dukha-Nirodhagainipratipat.

The noble eightfold path consists of eight steps which are: Right Path (Samyak Dristi), Right Resolve (Samyak Samkalpa), Right Speech (Samyak Vak), Right Action (Samyak Karma), Right Living (Samyak Ajiva), Right Effort (Samyak Vyayama), Right Thought (Samyak Smrti), and Right Concentration (Samyak Samadhi).

Out of the eightfold paths the first two combined together are called prajna. The last three paths combined together are called sila. These three have been termed as three jewels- Ratna-Traya. They correspond to the three jewels Jainism-Samyak Jnana, Darsana and Charitra.

The first sermon taught by the Buddha at Sarnatha was the Madhyama Pratipat-the Middle Path. "There are two extremes, O Monks, a religious man must abstain. One is a life of pleasure, devoted to desire and enjoyment: that is base, ignoble and unworthy. The other is a life of mortification: it is gloomy and unworthy. The perfect one, O Monks, must abstain from both extremes and he should follow the middle path which leads to enlightenment, knowledge, to Nirvana."

The early Buddhists were Saravastivadins. They denied only soul, i.e. Pudgalanairatmyavada which culminated into Nagarjuna's philosophy of Sunyata which negates both Pudgala as well as Dharmas, i.e. Pudgalanairatmyavada and Dharma-Nairatmyavada. The Vijnanavadins realised the lacuna of the absolute negation of Nagarjuna, and therefore, accepted the ultimate reality of Vijnana, Consciousness and rejected the reality of the external world. The later developments of Mantrayana and Tantra have their significance and Buddhism never ceased to develop and modify its position through the centuries. In the early Buddhism Buddha was an exalted person (Samyak Sambuddha). He was still a human being who by his preservance and accumulation of meritorious deeds (Punya Sambhara) in his several past births could actually shake off all the causes of bondage to attain Buddhahood. It is the concept of Pratyeka Buddha, who attains enlightenment without guidance from others but liberates only himself without teaching others. Another attempt was made by the Mahayana Buddhism thereby divinity enters into it through the personality of Buddha and the transcendence of Buddha (Lokottarvada) was accepted. The Buddhist concept of Trykayavada is the answer to the orthodox Hindu conception of Isvara. The divinising effect of Buddhism was universal and the traditional Hindu worship entered not only in the Mahayanistic countries but in the Hinayanistic countries as well. The temples, images and statutes of Buddha are found in all these countries.
Influence Abroad

Buddhism went outside India as a moral and spiritual movement propagating and advocating its high moral and spiritual ideals. It was embraced everywhere simply because it did not supplant and destroy the religions of those countries but only supplemented what they were lacking in their higher spiritual order. It never adopted force, violence and persecution and taught them the Buddhist message of universal compassion and peace. A Bodhi-sattva, perfect embodiment of knowledge, courage, love and sacrifice defers his own Nirvana in order to liberate those who are still entangled in themselves of suffering. This is the height of religious compassion which can save humanity from all dangers.

Lord Jagannath And Buddha

2011-08-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

In the 12th century AD, Jayadeva, the famous Vaishanava poet of Orissa, in his Geetagovinda, has described Buddhadev as the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. The Buddhists subscribing to the Mahayana philosophy held the view that both Buddha and Purushottam belong to "Mahasunya" having no shapes. In the Mahabharata of Sarla Das, Jagannath has been described as the Buddha of Kali Yuga. Scholars are of the opinion that when Gaya was a principal centre of Buddhism, Puri was also flourishing as an equally important centre devoted to Buddhism. According to them, before Vaishanavism influenced Buddhism, Orissa was already under the influence of Buddhism. In short, Jagannath cult has a built-in component of Buddhism.

In the Jain scripture "Jnana Siddhi", Indrabhuti has described Jagannath as "Gina". The followers of Mahima dharma having their centre of learning and worship at Joranda near Dhenkanal (Orissa), do not worship any idol, but they worship Lord Jagannath.It is easy to establish that Jagannath attracts people from all religions and all sects. Prophets and saints of different religious faith have visited Puri and sang in praise of the Lord. Prominent among them were Adi Shankara, Guru Nanak, Sant Kabir, Shri Chaitanya Dev and the celebrated Muslim poet Salabeg.

In the province of Bali, Indonesia, where the majority of people are Hindus, one finds and feels the presence of the Jagannath Cult. In the Besakih temple, the oldest one in Bali, one finds the idol of Lord Jagannath. Thanks to the satellites, the Rath yatra of Puri is being telecast live by Doordarshan in the national hook up since 1993. People in more than 40 countries all over the world are able to see the live telecast through the international channel of Doordarshan. People all over the country watch the telecast with pride and joy. What does it communicate? What is the message? It communicates that India has a vibrant and dynamic culture, which cannot be debased or distorted. It also communicates that the people of India have been sustained over the centuries by such a powerful cultural force. In all these communications, the central message is that all people are one. And the focus of the message is that Lord Jagannath is a unique symbol of secularism and is a deity for all

MAHAVIRA JAYANTI

2011-08-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Buddha Temples and Heritage Sites in Uttar Pradesh.

2011-08-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Four Stages of Enlightenment

2011-06-30T00:49:00.000-07:00

Buddhism - Introduction

2011-06-30T00:34:00.000-07:00

Teaching of the Dalai Lama: Introduction to Buddhism

2011-06-30T00:20:00.001-07:00

BUDDHA PURNIMA: THE ‘ TRIPLE BLESSED FESTIVAL’

2011-06-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

The festival of Buddha Purnima falls on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month, in the month of Vaishakha (May). This year it is going to be observed on 18th May. Though it is celebrated mainly as the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, it is on this particular day that he attained Bodhi (Enlightenment) on the banks of the river Niranjana, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, under a pipal tree (Ficus religiosa), which has since been called the Bodhi Tree. He also attained Mahaparinirvana, at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh on Vaishakha Purnima. That is why it is called a thrice-sacred day or ‘triple blessed festival’. Siddhartha’s wife,Yashodhara, his charioteer Channa, his disciple Ananda, his horse Kantaka and the Bodhi Tree under which he received Enlightenment were all born on the same day.

The birth of Gautama Buddha is steeped in both history and legends. The Buddha was born in the royal clan of an Aryan tribe, Sakyas, in East India in the 6th Century B.C. His father King Shuddhodana was the chief of the clan and ruled the principality of Kapilavastu on the borders of present-day Nepal. The King was married to Mahamaya, the daughter of the Raja of the Kolyan clan. Scriptural accounts of the life of Buddha mention that his greatness was foretold in a dream of his mother in which she saw a white elephant holding a lotus enter her womb. Buddha was born in about 563 BC and his mother died seven days later. The child was brought up by his mother’s younger sister Mahaprajapati Gautami. He was named Siddhartha Gautama. At the time of casting his horoscope it was predicted that he would become either a world monarch or a great religious leader. Shuddhodana did not wish his son to be an ascetic. So he had him married to his cousin, Yashodhara, when he was 16 years old. Siddhartha lived a happy life, unaware of suffering, old age, disease and death.

But in his twenty-ninth year, he came across a man bent with old age, a sick person, a dead body, and finally , an ascetic and became aware of the sufferings of life. He became dissatisfied with his luxurious style of life and decided to give it up in his quest for Truth. Returning home, he heard of the birth of his son, Rahul, and the same night he left the palace renouncing his kingdom, his son and his wife. It is called the Buddha’s Mahabhinishkraman. After crossing the Anoma river he sent his horse and the charioteer back to the palace with his royal robes. Siddhartha continued his journey alone till he attained Enlightenment six years later. Since the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, in his eightieth year on Vaishakha Purnima, Buddhists have been celebrating this thrice-sacred day with great fervour and devotion. Fa-Hien, the Chinese traveller who visited India in the fifth century AD, also mentioned about the celebration of this festival in his memoirs.

Celebration

The mode of celebration has remained unchanged since ancient times. It consists of continuous recitation from the Buddhist scripture the Tripitakas; worship of the Buddha’s statue with offerings of incense, flowers, candles and fruits and distribution of fruits and clothes among the poor. The Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya is also worshipped. Its branches are decorated with garlands and coloured flags. Rows of lamps are lit and milk and scented water are sprinkled on the roots of the Bodhi Tree.

On this auspicious day meditation and contemplation is undertaken by monks and laymen alike. Buddhists, taking refuge of the Buddha, the refuge of Dharma and the refuge of Sangha (order), take 10 precepts: the charge to avoid the taking of life, taking what is not given, sex, falsehood, liquor, untimely meals, dancing, playing music and seeing unseemly scenes, use of unguents and ornaments, lofty and luxurious beds and acceptance of gold and silver. A large number of pilgrims attend the celebration at places associated with the great events of the Buddha’s life; Lumbini (where he was born), Bodh Gaya (the place of his Enlightenment), Sarnath, near Varanasi (where he delivered his first sermon) and Kushinagar where he attained Mahaparinirvana (his death).

Four Noble Truths

According to the teachings of the Buddha, there are Four Noble Truths- all life is suffering; suffering is caused by craving; to end suffering, one must end craving; suffering individuals have to follow the Eightfold Path of right view, right aim, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort and right contemplation. The ideal practice of Buddhism involves moral conduct as the pre-requisite, study and meditation as the means; and contemplation for fulfilment.

The Excavated Buddhist Site, Lalitgiri

2011-04-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Buddhist relics found during an excavation at Lalitgiri in Orissa are proposed to be housed in a museum. The Excavated Buddhist Site, Lalitgiri was notified as Centrally Protected in the year 1937. The site has been extensively excavated by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) during the year 1985-1992. The remains of a massive Stupa including a relic caskets consisting of four containers made of Khondalite, Steatite, Silver and Gold containing corporal remains have been recovered during the excavation, besides other important structure and archeological remains. At present, the relic caskets are in the safe custody of Superintending Archaeologist, Bhubaneswar Circle, ASI, Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Further, In order to set up a site museum at Lalitgiri the site has been inspected and preparation of detailed drawing (Plan, Elevation, Design) of the proposed museum building have been initiated by the Bhubaneswar Circle, ASI.

The relic –caskets containing Buddhist bone relics would be housed and displayed for the public under adequate security and surveillance.

AMBEDKAR AND BUDDHISM

2011-04-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. B R Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was the Architect of the Indian Constitution. Born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was the fourteenth child of his parents, Bhimabai Sakpal and Ramji. “Sakpal” was the surname of Bhimrao and “Ambavade” was the name of his native village. To avoid the socio-economic discrimination and the ill-treatment of the higher classes of the society, Bhimrao changed his surname from “Sakpal” to “Ambedkar” by the help of a Brahmin teacher, who had great faith in him. Since then, Bhimrao and his family used the title, Ambavedkar.

He was a well-known politician and an eminent jurist. Ambedkar’s efforts to eradicate the social evils like untouchablity and caste restrictions were remarkable. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar a great scholar, Lawyer and freedom fighter along with hundreds of thousands of Mahar’s an untouchable caste, converted to Buddhism and changed the face of Buddhism in India. Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion was a symbolic protest to the oppressions of caste inequality.

Bhimrao Ambedkar experienced caste discrimination right from the childhood. After his retirement from the Indian Army, Bhimrao’s father settled in Satara Maharashtra. Bhimrao was enrolled in the local school. Here, he had to sit on the floor in one corner in the classroom and the teachers would not touch his notebooks. In spite of these hardships, Bhimrao continued his studies and passed his Matriculation examination from Bombay University with flying colours in 1908. Bhim Rao Ambedkar joined the Elphinstone College for further education. In 1912, he graduated in Political Science and Economics from Bombay University and got a job in Baroda. In 1913, Bhimrao Ambedkar lost his father. In the same year Maharaja of Baroda awarded scholarship to Bhim Rao Ambedkar and sent him to America for further studies. Bhimrao reached New York in July 1913. He immersed himself in the studies and attained a degree in Master of Arts and a Doctorate in Philosophy from Columbia University in 1916 for his thesis “National Dividend for India: A Historical and Analytical Study.” From America, Dr.Ambedkar proceeded to London to study economics and political science. The Maharaja also convened many meetings and conferences of the “untouchables” which Bhimrao addressed. In September 1920, after accumulating sufficient funds, Ambedkar went back to London to complete his studies. He became a barrister and got a Doctorate in science.

In 1947, when India became Independent, the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who had been elected as a Member of the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, to join his Cabinet as a Law Minister. The Constituent Assembly entrusted the job of drafting the Constitution to a committee and Dr. Ambedkar was elected as Chairman of this Drafting Committee. In February 1948, Dr. Ambedkar presented the Draft Constitution before the people of India; it was adopted on November 26, 1949. In 1950, Ambedkar traveled to Sri Lanka to attend a convention of Buddhist scholars and monks. After his return he decided to write a book on Buddhism and soon, converted himself to Buddhism. Ambedkar founded the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha In 1955. His book “The Buddha and His Dhamma” was published posthumously.

On May 24, 1956, on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, he declared in Bombay, that he would adopt Buddhism. On 0ctober 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. On October 14, 1956 Ambedkar organized a public ceremony to convert around five lakh of his supporters into Buddhism. In his speech on the Eve of the great conversion at Nagpur Dr. Ambedkar said that Buddhism can serve not only this country, India, but the whole World at this juncture in the world affairs; Buddhism is indispensable for world peace you must pledge today that you, the followers of Buddha, will not only work to liberate yourself, but will try to elevate your country and the world in general.

Ambedkar traveled to Kathmandu to attend the Fourth World Buddhist Conference. He completed his final manuscript, “The Buddha or Karl Marx” on December 2, 1956. Dr. Ambedkar dedicated himself to the propagation of the Buddhist faith in India. He wrote a book on Buddhism titled “Buddha and His Dhamma” explaining its tenets in simple language to the common man. His another book is “Revolution and Counter Revolution in India”. He made the provision for the study of Pali in the Indian Constitution.

Ambedkar’s whole life and mission was a practical contribution to humanistic Buddhist education in India and not just intellectual and philosophical. Though he was not a Buddhist by birth but by practice and at heart he was a Buddhist.

Buddha Temples and Heritage Sites

2011-03-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

Tourists from Sri Lanka

2011-02-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India from Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s rank amongst source countries for FTAs in India during 2007, 2008 and 2009 are given below:

Sri Lanka	2007	2008	2009
FTAs	204084	218805	239995
Rank	6	5	4

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sri Lanka on Tourism Cooperation was signed on 23.1.2004. Recent meeting between the Minister for Economic Development, Government of Sri Lanka and Minister for Tourism, Government of India held in August, 2010, emphasized upon the need to strengthen the co-operation in tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism participates in various exhibitions, fairs and other events in Sri Lanka considering their tourism promotion potential and invites representatives from the travel trade, etc. in the spirit of MoU.

The number of FTAs, from Sri Lanka have increased from 128711 in 2004 to 239995 in 2009 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.27 %.

BuddhaNet

2010-09-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

BuddhaNet is the result of a vision to link up with the growing world-wide culture of people committed to the Buddha's teachings and lifestyle, as an on-line cyber sangha. In this way, an ancient tradition and the information superhighway will come together to create an electronic meeting place of shared concern and interests. BuddhaNet is a not-for-profit organisation affiliated with the Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc, which was first established as a Vipassana Meditation Centre in 1992 in Sydney by an Australian meditation monk Ven. Pannyavaro. BDEA has since evolved as a Buddhist Information and Education Service. BuddhaNet is a non-sectarian organisation, offering its services to all Buddhist traditions. It aims to facilitate a significant Buddhist presence in the ever-expanding realm of computer communications technology, applying this technology to helping make the Buddha's teachings freely available to all. BuddhaNet is administered by Venerable Pannyavaro and a dedicated team of lay volunteers.

Buddhism India

2010-03-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

Buddhism in India began with the life of Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 563-483 B.C.), a prince from the small Shakya Kingdom located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. Brought up in luxury, the prince abandoned his home and wandered forth as a religious beggar, searching for the meaning of existence. The stories of his search presuppose the Jain tradition, as Gautama was for a time a practitioner of intense austerity, at one point almost starving himself to death. He decided, however, that self-torture weakened his mind while failing to advance him to enlightenment and therefore turned to a milder style of renunciation and concentrated on advanced meditation techniques. Eventually, under a tree in the forests of Gaya (in modern Bihar), he resolved to stir no farther until he had solved the mystery of existence. Breaking through the final barriers, he achieved the knowledge that he later expressed as the Four Noble Truths: all of life is suffering; the cause of suffering is desire; the end of desire leads to the end of suffering; and the means to end desire is a path of discipline and meditation. Gautama was now the Buddha, or the awakened one, and he spent the remainder of his life traveling about northeast India converting large numbers of disciples. At the age of eighty, the Buddha achieved his final passing away (parinirvana ) and died, leaving a thriving monastic order and a dedicated lay community to continue his work. By the third century B.C., the still-young religion based on the Buddha's teachings was being spread throughout South Asia through the agency of the Mauryan Empire (ca. 326-184 B.C.; see The Mauryan Empire, ch. 1). By the seventh century A.D., having spread throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia, Buddhism probably had the largest religious following in the world.READ MORE........

Buddhism after the Buddha

2010-01-17T22:09:00.001-08:00

Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into many countries .
After about 500 CE, Buddhism showed signs of waning in India, becoming nearly extinct after about 1200 CE. This was partially due to Muslim invasions and partially due to Hinduism's revival movements such as Advaita and the rise of the bhakti movement.
Elements of Buddhism have remained within India to the current day: the Bauls of Bengal have a syncretic set of practices with strong emphasis on many Buddhist tantric and philosophic concepts. Other areas of India have never parted from Buddhism, including Ladakh and other areas bordering the Tibetan, Nepali and Bhutanese borders.
Buddhism also remained in the rest of the world although in Central Asia and later Indonesia it was mostly replaced by Islam. In China and Japan, it adopted aspects of the native beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto respectively. In Tibet, the Tantric Vajrayana lineage was preserved after it disappeared in India.

Buddhism after the Buddha

2010-01-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Potala Palace, the Dalai Lama's residence until 1959

2009-12-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

2009-12-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

Tenzin Gyatso is the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in 1935 and recognised as the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso at a young age.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, was born Lhamo Dhondrub on July 6 1935 to a peasant family in the province of Amdo, in a village called Takster in northeastern Tibet.

The High Lamas of the Gelugpa tradition had been searching for many years for the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, but according to reports, there were incidents which marked out Lhamo as the correct child.

The face of the embalmed thirteenth Dalai Lama is reported to have mysteriously turned north east. This, combined with a vision a High Lama had when looking in the sacred lake Lhamo Lhatso, indicated that Amdo was the village they should search. Furthermore, the vision also clearly indicated a three storey monastery with a gold and turquoise roof, and another vision of a small house with odd guttering.

A monastery at Kumbum in Amdo fitted the description given by the High Lama and, after a careful search of the neighbouring villages, the house of Lhamo Dhondrub was identified. Lhamo was around three years old at the time.

The search party went to his home and observed him without revealing their reasons. They came back a few days later with the formal intention of performing the final test.

They presented some items to the child, including a mala, or rosary, and a bell that belonged to the deceased Dalai Lama. Lhamo instantly identified the items shouting "It's mine, it's mine!"

At just over five years old, he was enrolled in the local monastery and began his training. He was also trained by the highest monks in the land at Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city, at that time his official residence. He was enthroned at the age of 15 in 1950 amidst the start of troubles with China, but continued to study until the age of 25, receiving the highest honours available.

The young Lhamo Dhondrub, who was renamed Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, took leadership of a country that was, according to traditional maps, still a Chinese province.

Around 1950, the political landscape of China was changing. Plans were made to bring Tibet officially under Chinese control. But in March 1959, Tibetans took to the streets demanding an end to Chinese rule. Chinese People’s Republic troops crushed the revolt and thousands were killed.

Fearing that the Chinese government would kill him, the Dalai Lama fled from Tibet to India with thousands of followers, where he was welcomed by Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru gave him permission to form The Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala in India. The Dalai Lama, and the refugees who followed him, created a society in which Tibetan language, culture, arts and religion are promoted.

He is the first Dalai Lama to travel to the West, and his charismatic manner has helped to draw much support for Buddhism and the Tibetan resistance movement.

In 1989 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for maintaining a policy of non violence with the Chinese government, despite the knowledge that many Tibetans would be happy to take up armed resistance to return him to his position as their leader.

Buddha :the Enlightened One.

2009-12-09T01:09:00.000-08:00

Gautama Buddha (560-480 B.C.E.)was born a prince in the Sakya or warrior caste, the second highest in the Hindu faith of India. His mother died when he was young and the boy was brought in luxury with servants in a palace.

When Gautama was 29 and just after the birth of his son he felt the need to leave and felt great sorrow at leaving his family. He wandered across the fertile Ganges plains to the tree covered hills of Vindhya hills where he lived for six years.

Here Buddha practiced the usual ways of the ascetic then common among holy men in India. He shaved his head and beard, put on the yellow robes and tortured his body with long fasts and every known form of physical mortification.

He became known as a pure man yet the truth seemed to escape him until he awoke from a fainting fit from hunger he awoke as light came like a flash to his mind.

All the fasting, the suppression and control of the breath, the fasting were leading him to enfeeblement of mind and body. To reach unclouded reason, flawless thinking, surveying the processes of thought, acquire clarity of vision and unadulterated experience, a person must have proper food and lead a healthy life.

Buddha was thrilled by his discovery but his disciples were so shocked that their master would turn away from constant suffering and all left him. The day that followed has been said to be one of those defining moments in history.

Left to himself Gautama walked the forests in now Bihar and sat by the banks of the River Neranjara where he sat under a wild fig tree. Here a lady presented him with a dish of milk which invigorated him.

And it is said there, after his ranging through every emotion known to humanity from blackest despair to sublime hope. Gautama found at last the peace and certainty he sought. Truth was revealed to him and he became the Buddha, the Enlightened One.

Followers became drawn to him from the great and ancient Hindu religion, which caused consternation among the ruling courts. The caste system which Buddha rejected held that all were born into one of five levels of caste, with the ruling court on top.

Next were the warrior caste to protect the court, then down to merchants who were needed for trade and wealth, the higher skilled laborer, and at the bottom the Untouchables. They were all stuck in their positions for life, an Untouchable could never work his way up into court. This is changing now in modern India finally.

Buddhism exported better in other nearby lands, where the gentle teachings allowed all to reach heaven, or Nirvana by living pure lives and forgoing excess. Buddha has long since taken on more oriental eyes and the fat belly in south east Asia, Japan and again now in China.

It seems the feeling of empty lives is driving young affluent coastal Chinese to be meditating in city parks and the authorities are so far able to realize this is not threat.

People are reporting happier lives and feeling more calm. What came to the West in a faddish wave in the 1960 era and has shown evidence of reducing high blood pressure and many calming effects. Good news circles the world in way and waves that can be very good news.

We will carry these thoughts into further articles that had Gautama be the first to break through the Hindu anger about his greater freedom to a rather court style Nirvana that was not sure Untouchables were ever going to more than the septic brigade.

Buddha overlapped their eight steps which might have you become a cow or monkey on your steps through reincarnation. He added a fast track that anyone could choose to make it to Nirvana or Eternal Bliss or Heaven in this life if one lived a pure life and learned the four basic truths.

Is Buddhism a Religion- Helen Wyre

2009-12-02T02:49:00.000-08:00

Buddhism is a teaching which has spread worldwide absorbing the culture of each country it arrived in, which has resulted in many expressions of Buddhism. Each strand, no matter how varied in nature and practice, holds a common emphasis on the impermanence of human life. The worldwide spread of Buddhism means that it is now practiced by over three hundred million people worldwide, and thus, is generally considered to be a world religion. However, its authenticity as a religion has often come under scrutiny by intellectuals in the Western world. To explore whether Buddhism can in fact be counted as a religion we must acknowledge that the main problems arise when looking for a definition of what a religion is. Either, definitions have proved too narrow excluding many belief systems which people believe are religious, or they become too broad which means that any structure can be counted. When applying varying definitions of religion to Buddhism we come up with some very contradictory answers; some which say that Buddhism is simply a philosophy or teaching, whilst others will prove that it is in fact, a religion in practice.

To determine whether Buddhism is a religion or not, we must also note that we, as Westerners will have different views and concepts of religion to those practicing in the East. We must ask the question, is it even possible for Westerners to understand the religious life of Asia? What we view as Asian religion and religious activity is for most of the people practicing it a natural part of daily life; our ideas and concepts vary so greatly that perhaps someone observing Buddhism from a Western perspective may never truly grasp the religiosity of the group.

For one attempting to provide a definition of religion these practices would need to be described in a manner which did not exclude one religion from the definition. There needs to be one thing that is attributed to all religions, a common factor. For many, the common factor is God. However, if we conclude that God is the focus of all religion then much of the material found in Asia must be excluded because there is no God here, and occasionally not even Gods. From the perspective that religion entails belief in a God, Buddhism is excluded from having the title of religion. Many outsiders to the Buddhist tradition may claim that the Buddha held some divinity and is elevated to a Godly position, but the Buddha himself refused to be regarded as divine. For the Buddha, humanity is here to improve ourselves and achieve liberation rather than worrying about ultimate questions. Buddhists would argue that knowledge of a God or the afterlife does not matter as neither help in the quest for nirvana.
If Buddhism is not counted as a religion then what is it? Buddhism can be thought of as a way of life, a philosophy, a psychology, a way of thinking through which we can take responsibility for our present life and lives.

Like all major religions Buddhism contains a morality, rituals and behaviours, certain ethical values and an origin of existence, yet because Buddhists do not believe in an all knowing creator God some claim that Buddhism fails to be a religion. The large variety of definitions of religion shows that we can never give a solid, one answer description of what it is that religion is and does.

We must remember that previously Buddhism has many names such as the Buddha's teaching or message, or the Buddha's way or the path of attainment. Although the religious status of Buddhism has come under constant attack, we could argue that the questioning is in fact, not necessary. If we were able to ask the Buddha if Buddhism was in fact a religion or not he would probably answer with the response that it does not matter. To the Buddhist, their beliefs are essentially a philosophy by which individuals can attain release from the world of karma and rebirth. Knowing whether or not Buddhism is a religion or not cannot lead to salvation, only through practice and understanding can one be led to a happiness which is not transient.

Karma Theory in Buddhism

2009-11-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

Jainism and Buddhism: A Comparative Study

2009-11-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Reiki

2009-11-16T02:02:00.000-08:00

"Everyone is born with the right to be healthy and live with happiness, and the path of Reiki helps us to fulfill that right." - Roberta R. Barnes, Reiki Shihan

In Japan, in the early 1920s, Mikao Usui developed Reiki-ho (Reiki method) as "the way to make mind and body healthy on the basis of Universal Reiki".* Reiki is the vibration of love and harmony of universal energy. Reiki-ho is not only a wonderful "healing technique", but also "an effective way to raise spirituality and to create a positive life". Reiki brings all within and around the body into balance, surrounding with harmony, and helps in personal relationships. It enhances mental clarity in the workplace. I have had students say to me, "Reiki is making such a positive difference in my life".
The Reiki (ray - key) practitioner's body is the instrument through which universal energy flows drawn by the magnet of any imbalance in the mind, body, or spirit of the person, animal, or plant receiving. Neither Reiki practitioners nor teachers can direct the flow of Reiki. No worry has to be given to harm coming from Reiki. It will only flow when needed, and will never give a negative reaction with any prescribed medication, or require a person to drink extra water, as with massage. Clients often speak of feeling a gentle soothing heat from the Reiki practitioner's hands going deep within, but warmth is only one sensation that may or may not be experienced. The stresses of everyday life can rob our bodies of vital energies and Reiki replenishes those energies. Reiki will flow to any person even if he or she does not believe in Reiki. Reiki travels to where the need exists, and touches all the cells that it passes through in a positive way. It goes to the core of the illness, within the nucleus of the cells, to begin healing. It does not simply mask the symptoms of an illness.
Reiki is not a substitute for any professional medical care, but is used in balance with medical or psychological care and expedites the recovery process. Reiki practitioners who are also medical professionals, in hospitals initiate Reiki while doing conventional medical practice or therapy treatment. Reiki speeds recovery in all types of trauma. More and more hospitals welcome Reiki practitioners coming in to assist in the healing process of those patients that have requested it. Reiki can help those people in nursing homes and in assisted living facilities to adjust to his or her new environment. It is commonly believed it was on Mt. Kurama where Mikao Usui meditated and connected with the vibration of universal energy he named Reiki in March 1922, some records say 1921 but Reiki did not exist anywhere in the world prior to Mikao Usui's second or true awakening. Over the centuries, there have been countless forms of hands-on-healing. Using universal energy to heal has perhaps been happening for over 40,000 years, and there are other energy systems used today for healing. In 1923, Usui-sensei created the society, which still exists in Japan today, Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai. Reiki is not connected to any religion. It is a spiritual practice, which complements all. Mikao Usui was born August 15, 1865, left home in his youth, traveled, married and had two children, and held numerous jobs. Hiroshi Doi said he was called a person of free will. Usui-sensei passed away in his sleep after a long day of giving treatments, March 9th, 15th year of Taisho (A.D. 1926). *** His secular name is Usui Mikao and his Buddhist posthumous name is Reizan-in Shuyo Tenshin Koji. A Buddhist priest of the temple where the deceased use to belong customarily gives a person upon death, a Buddhist posthumous name. His Buddhist name is typical of the Japanese Buddhism sect Jodo shu. All those that knew him spoke of him as a very intelligent man, but there are no records of him ever receiving a doctorate or who decided "Dr." should be placed in front of his name. I was taught Sensei is a term of respect for an honorable teacher, so I am content to use that. Legends surrounding Reiki and created myths about Usui-Sensei are plentiful, but the natural healing wonderment of the energy Mikao Usui named Reiki overshadows all. can learn to allow Reiki to flow through him or her from a person who has satisfactorily completed the highest level of the style he or she chose to practice in accordance with the Usui Reiki Ryoho tradition. The highest level in today's world is usually the fourth, but I have been told that before Reiki-ho began to move out of Japan in the late 1930s there were many more levels to be completed before one was considered to be a teacher. Reiki is not a skill so there are no schools as we think of them in this country, but a Reiki teacher will have a certificate and a lineage going back to Mikao Usui. It is often heard that once a person has had his or her channel opened to Reiki s/he should devote his or her life to Reiki. Devote does not mean to earn an income from Reiki. Gendai Reiki-ho and Komyo Reiki, the methods I teach most frequently, teach how to make Reiki-ho a way of living in the home or at the job. Reiki can help a person to develop relationships that are more positive. Reiki allowed to flow into the work place can make workdays more enjoyable by helping to remove obstacles and developing productive relationships. Each of the levels I teach, except for the Pre-Shoden for children, includes a minimum of twelve hours of instruction which focuses on self-care practices that bring the mind, body, and spirit into balance and nurture a person's positive natural talents, abilities, and gifts. The path of Reiki helps each individual to develop in a positive way that is best for him or her, a wonderful way of honoring the uniqueness in each of us. Reiki may sound complicated with so many people introducing so many different things into their practice, but it is not. The wonderment of the universal energy Usui-Sensei named Reiki resonates with life energy, enhancing everything positive one does in their life, and works in harmony with other positive energies. Reiki is a spiritual path we travel for our own growth. It enhances skills, and can bring wealth in many forms. Are there people in the world that have read a book or watched a video, and know the subject well enough to pretend they have had their channel opened? There will always be pretenders in the world, but any person having had their channel opened will have at least one certificate, and easily be able to give their energy and technique lineages back to Usui-Sensei. The Gokai, or five precepts, or principals, is the backbone of Reiki. The five short lines are five ways to invite happiness in your life now (today), which can touch the past and future in a positive way.

The Story of Lord Buddha

2009-11-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

The Buddha, the founder of the great religious philosophy of Buddhism, lived in North India over two thousand and five hundred years ago and was known as Siddhattha (Siddhartha = one whose purpose has been achieved). Gotama (Sanskrit= Gautama) was his family name. His father, King Suddhodana, ruled over the land of the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu on the Nepalese frontier. His queen was Mahamaya, a princess of the Koliyas. On a full-moon day of May, when the trees were laden with leaf, flower and fruit, and man, bird and beast were in joyous mood, Queen Mahamaya was travelling in state from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha, her parental home, according to the custom of the times, to give birth to her child. But that was not to be, for halfway between the two cities, in the Lumbini grove, under the shade of a flowering Sal tree, she brought forth a son.Lumbini or Rummindei, the name by which it is now known, is 100 miles north of Variinasi and within sight of the snowcapped Himalayas. At this memorable spot where Prince Siddhattha, the future Buddha, was born, Emperor Asoka, 316 years after the event, erected a mighty stone pillar to mark the holy spot. The inscription engraved on the pillar in five lines consists of ninety-three Asokan (brahmi) characters, amongst which occurs the following:

'Hida Budhe jate Sakyamuni', 'Here was born the Buddha, the sage of the Sakyans'. The mighty column is still to be seen. The pillar, 'as crisp as the day it was cut', had been struck by lightning even when Hiuen Tsiang, the Chinese pilgrim, saw it towards the middle of the seventh century after Christ. The discovery and identification of the Lumbini park in I896 is attributed to the renowned archaeologist, General Cunningham.
Queen Mahamaya, the mother, passed away on the seventh day after the birth of her child, and the baby was nursed by his mother's sister, Pajapati Gotami. Though the child was nurtured till manhood in refinement amid an abundance of material luxury, the father did not fail to give his son the education that a prince ought to receive. He became skilled in many a branch of knowledge, and in the arts of war easily excelled all other. Nevertheless, from his childhood the prince was given to serious contemplation. When the prince grew up the father's fervent wish was that his son should marry, bring up a family and be his worthy successor; but he feared that the prince would one day give up home for the homeless life of an ascetic.According to the custom of the time, at the early age of sixteen the prince was married to his cousin Yasodhara, the only daughter of King Suppabuddha and Queen Pamita of the Koliyas. The princess was of the same age as the prince. Lacking nothing of the earthly joys of life, he lived knowing nothing of sorrow. Yet all the efforts of the father to hold his son a prisoner to the senses and make him worldly-minded were of no avail. King Suddhodana's endeavors to keep life's miseries from his son's inquiring eyes only heightened Prince Siddhattha's curiosity and his resolute search for Truth and Enlightenment. With the advance of age and maturity the prince began to glimpse the woes of the world. As the books say, he saw four visions: the first was a man weakened with age, utterly helpless; the second was the sight of a man mere skin and bones, supremely unhappy and forlorn, smitten with some pest; the third was the sight of a band of lamenting kinsmen bearing on their shoulders the corpse of one beloved for cremation. These woeful signs deeply moved him. The fourth vision, however, made a lasting impression. He saw a recluse, calm and serene, aloof and independent, and learnt that he was one who had abandoned his home to live a life of purity, to seek Truth and solve the riddle of life. Thoughts of renunciation flashed through the prince's mind and in deep contemplation he turned homeward. The heartthrob of an agonized and ailing humanity found a responsive echo in his own heart. The more he came in contact with the world outside his palace walls, the more convinced he became that the world was lacking in true happiness. In the silence of that moonlit night (it was the full moon of July) such thoughts as these arose in him: ' Youth, the prime of life, ends in old age and man's senses fail him when they are most needed. The hale and hearty lose their vigour and health when disease suddenly creeps in. Finally death comes, sudden perhaps and unexpected, and puts an end to this brief span of life. Surely there must be an escape from this unsatisfactoriness, from aging and death.' Thus the great intoxication of youth, of health, and of life left him. Having seen the vanity and the danger of the three intoxications, he was overcome by a powerful urge to seek and win the Deathless, to strive for deliverance from old age, illness, misery and death, to seek it for himself and for all beings that suffer. It was his deep compassion that led him to the quest ending in Enlightenment, in Buddhahood. It was compassion that now moved his heart towards the Great Renunciation and opened for him the doors of the golden cage of his home life. It was compassion that made his determination unshakable even by the last parting glance at his beloved wife asleep with their babe in her arms.
Now at the age of twenty-nine, in the flower of youthful manhood, on the day his beautiful Yasodhara, giving birth to his only son, Rahula, made the parting more sorrowful and heart-rending, he tore himself away - the prince with a superhuman effort of will renounced wife, child, father and a crown that held the promise of power and glory, and in the guise of an indigent ascetic retreated into forest solitude to seek the eternal verities of life. 'In quest of the supreme security from bondage-Nibbana'. This was the great renunciation. Dedicating himself to the noble task of discovering a remedy for life's universal ill, he sought guidance from two famous sages, Nara Kimma and Uddaka Ramaputta, hoping that they, being masters of meditation, would show him the way to deliverance. He practiced concentration and reached the highest meditative attainments possible thereby, but was not satisfied with anything short of supreme enlightenment. Their range of knowledge, their ambit of mystical experience, however, was insufficient to grant him what he earnestly sought. He left them in turn in search of the still unknown. In his wanderings he finally reached Uruvela, by the river Neranjara at Gaya. He was attracted by its quiet and dense groves and the clear waters of the river. Finding that this was a suitable place to continue his quest for enlightenment, he decided to stay. Five other ascetics who admired his determined effort waited on him. They were Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji. There was, and still is, a belief in India among many of her ascetics that purification and final deliverance from ill can be achieved by rigorous self-mortification, and the ascetic Gotama decided to test the truth of it. And so there at Uruvela he began a determined struggle to subdue his body, in the hope that his mind, set free from the shackles of the body, might be able to soar to the heights of liberation. Most zealous was he in these practices
He lived on leaves and roots, on a steadily reduced pittance of food, he wore rags from dust-heaps; he slept among corpses or on beds of thorns. The utter paucity of nourishment left him a physical wreck. 'Rigorous have I been in my ascetic discipline. Rigorous have I been beyond all others. Like wasted, withered reeds 'became all my limbs. . . .' In such words as these, in later years, having attained to full enlightenment, did the Buddha give his disciples an awe-inspiring description of his early penances. Struggling thus, for six long years, he came to death's very door, but he found himself no nearer to his goal. The utter futility of self-mortification became abundantly clear to him by his own experience; his experiment for enlightenment had failed. But undiscouraged, his still active mind searched for new paths to the aspired-for goal. Then it happened that he remembered the peace of his meditation in childhood under a rose-apple tree, and confidently felt: 'This is the path to enlightenment'. He knew, however, that, with a body so utterly weakened as his, he could not follow that path with any chance of success. Thus he abandoned self-mortification and extreme fasting and took normal food. His emaciated body recovered its former health and his exhausted vigour soon returned. Now his five companions left him in their disappointment; for they thought that he had given up the effort to live a life of abundance.Nevertheless with firm determination and complete faith in his own purity and strength, unaided by any teacher, accompanied by none, the Bodhisatta (as he is known before he attained enlightenment) resolved to make his final search in complete solitude. Cross-legged he sat under a tree, which later became known as the Bodhi tree, the 'Tree of Enlightenment' or 'Tree of Wisdom', on the Bank of the river Neraiijara, at Gayii (now known as BuddhaGaya)-'a pleasant spot soothing to the senses and stimulating to the mind making the final effort with the inflexible resolution: 'Though only my skin, sinews and bones remain, and my blood and flesh dry up and wither away, yet will I never stir from this seat until I have attained full enlightenment (samma-sam-hodhi).' So indefatigable in effort, so unflagging in his devotion was he, and so resolute to realize Truth and attain full enlightenment. Applying himself to the 'Mindfulness on in-and-out Breathing' (ana + pana sati), the meditation he had developed in his childhood, the Bodhisatta entered upon and dwelt in the first meditative absorption. By gradual stages he entered upon and dwelt in the second, third and the fourth jhanas. Thus cleansing his mind of impurities; with the mind thus composed, he directed it to the knowledge of recollecting past births. This was the first knowledge attained by him in the first watch of the night (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.).Then the Bodhisatta directed his mind to the knowledge of the disappearing and reappearing of beings of varied forms, in good states of existence, and in states of woe, each faring according to his deeds (cuti + upapata). This was the second knowledge attained by him in the middle watch of the night (10 p.m. to 2 a.m.). Next he directed his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understood as it really is: This is suffering (dukkha), this is the arising of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.' He understood as it really is: These are the taints, this is the arising of the taints, this is the cessation of the taints, this is the path leading to the cessation of the taints. Knowing thus, seeing thus, his mind was liberated from the taints: of sense-pleasures, of becoming and of ignorance (avijjiisava). When his mind was thus liberated, there came the knowledge: 'liberated' and he understood:
Destroyed is birth, the noble life (brahma cariyam) has been lived, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this to come (meaning, there is no more continuity of the mind and body, that is, no more becoming, rebirth). This was the third knowledge attained by him in the last watch of the night (2 a.m. to 6 a.m.).' Thereon he spoke these words of victory:
'Being myself subject to birth, ageing, disease, death, sorrow and defilement; seeing danger in what is subject to these things; seeking the unborn, unageing, diseaseless, deathless, sorrowless, undefiled, supreme security from bondage-Nibbana, I attained it (literally I experienced it). Knowledge and vision arose in me; unshakable is my deliverance of mind. This is the last birth, now there is no more becoming, no more rebirth. Thus did the Bodhisatta Gotama on another full moon of May, at the age of thirty-five, attain Supreme Enlightenment, by comprehending in all their fullness the Four Noble Truths, the Eternal Verities, and become the Buddha, the great Healer and Consummate Master-Physician (bhirakko) who can cure the ills of beings. For a week, immediately after this enlightenment, the Buddha sat at the foot of the Bodhi tree experiencing the bliss of deliverance. Then he thought over the Dependent Arising (paticca samuppada). The Blessed One then spent six more weeks in lonely retreat at six different places in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree. At the end of the seven weeks, he made up his mind to communicate the Dhamma, his, discovery of the Ancient Path (puranam maggam), to his former friends, the five ascetics. Knowing that they were living at Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana, the Resort of Seers (modern Sarnath), still steeped in the unmeaning rigours of extreme asceticism, the Buddha left Gaya for distant Varanasi, India's holy city, walking by stages some 150 miles.
There at the deer park (migadaya) he rejoined them. Now on a full moon day of July, at eventide, when the moon was rising in a glowing Eastern sky, the Blessed One addressed the five ascetics:'Monks, these two extremes ought not to be cultivated by the recluse, by one gone forth from the house-life. What two? Sensual indulgence and self-mortification which lead to no good. The middle way, understood by the Tathagata,' the Perfect One, after he had avoided the extremes, gives vision, and knowledge, and leads to calm, realization, enlightenment, Nibbana. And what, monks, is that middle way? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); Then the Buddha explained to them the Four Noble Truths. Thus did the Enlightened One proclaim the Dhamma and set in motion the matchless 'Wheel of Truth' (anuttararm dhammachakkam). With the proclamation of the Dhamma, for the first time, and with the conversion of the five ascetics, the deer park at Isipatana (Sarnath) became the birth place of the Buddha's Dispensation (Buddha-sasana), and of the Sangha, the community of monks, the ordained disciples. Before long fifty-five others headed by Yasa, a young man of wealth, joined the order of the Sangha. When the rains ended (vassana, July-October), the Buddha addressed his disciples, the Accomplished Ones (arahats), now sixty in number and said:
'Released am I, monks, from all ties whether human or divine. You also are delivered from fetters whether human or divine. Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of many out of compassion for the world, for the gain, welfare and happiness of gods and men. Let not two of you proceed in the same direction. Proclaim the Dhamma (doctrine) that is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, possessed of meaning and the letter and utterly perfect. Proclaim the life of purity, the holy life consummate and pure. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who will be lost through not hearing the Dhamma. There are beings who will understand the Dhamma. I also shall go to Uruvela, to Senanigama to teach the Dhamma." Thus did the Buddha commence his sublime mission which lasted to the end of his life. With his disciples he walked the highways and byways of Jambudipa, Land of the rose apple (another name for India), enfolding all within the aura of his boundless compassion and wisdom.

Ultimate RealityLaw Of AttractionBuddhism - TheravadaChakras Of Tantric YogaLaw of AttractionLearn Simple REIKI !!Save My MarriageDalai LamaHealth, Mind & BodyMeditationMeditation - VipassanaMeditaton Music CDsREIKI HealingVegetarian CookingYoga

Then the Buddha explained to them the Four Noble Truths. Thus did the Enlightened One proclaim the Dhamma and set in motion the matchless 'Wheel of Truth' (anuttararm dhammachakkam). With the proclamation of the Dhamma, for the first time, and with the conversion of the five ascetics, the deer park at Isipatana (Sarnath) became the birth place of the Buddha's Dispensation (Buddha-sasana), and of the Sangha, the community of monks, the ordained disciples. Before long fifty-five others headed by Yasa, a young man of wealth, joined the order of the Sangha. When the rains ended (vassana, July-October), the Buddha addressed his disciples, the Accomplished Ones (arahats), now sixty in number and said:
'Released am I, monks, from all ties whether human or divine. You also are delivered from fetters whether human or divine. Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of many out of compassion for the world, for the gain, welfare and happiness of gods and men. Let not two of you proceed in the same direction. Proclaim the Dhamma (doctrine) that is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, possessed of meaning and the letter and utterly perfect. Proclaim the life of purity, the holy life consummate and pure. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who will be lost through not hearing the Dhamma. There are beings who will understand the Dhamma. I also shall go to Uruvela, to Senanigama to teach the Dhamma." Thus did the Buddha commence his sublime mission which lasted to the end of his life. With his disciples he walked the highways and byways of Jambudipa, Land of the rose apple (another name for India), enfolding all within the aura of his boundless compassion and wisdom.

Buddha

2009-05-16T04:45:00.001-07:00

Madhubani Painting:Gautam Buddha

2009-05-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

Buddhism

2009-01-08T21:35:00.000-08:00

Prince Siddhartha:Buddha (or Gautama Buddha) was born as Prince Siddhartha in about 563 BC. His father Suddhodana was the King of Kapilavastu. His mother, Mahamaya, gave birth to him in Lumbini village while returning to Kapilavastu. She died a week after the child's birth. The responsibility of bringing up the child fell on Prajapati Gautami, Siddhartha's step-mother.
Buddhism:Buddha (or Gautama Buddha) was born as Prince Siddhartha in about 563 BC. His father Suddhodana was the King of Kapilavastu. His mother, Mahamaya, gave birth to him in Lumbini village while returning to Kapilavastu. She died a week after the child's birth. The responsibility of bringing up the child fell on Prajapati Gautami, Siddhartha's step-mother.
Buddha and His Dhamma:In the year 563 B. C. on the Full Moon Day of Vaisakha in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, a young prince was born to King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya in the royal Lumbini grove under a Sal Tree. On the fifth day of his birth he was named 'Siddhartha' and on the seventh day his mother expired. The younger sister of Mahamaya, Prajapati Gautami who was his step-mother took care of the young child like any other mother would do.
Bodh Gaya:An International Place Of Pilgrimage :"Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".
BUDDHAGAYA - PAST AND PRESENT: Buddhagaya or Bodhgaya as is generally known is an ancient and hallowed spot on earth. Being the seat of Enlightenment of the Buddha it is the holiest of the holies for the Buddhists of the world. Situated on the banks of the river Niranjana, Buddhagaya was originally a part of the Uruvela village (presently Urail). Its geographical location is at 24o 41’ 45’’ N. Latitude and 85o 2’ 22’’ E. Longitude and is located inBihar which again is an ancient and historical place not only due to Buddhagaya but because Bihar is equally important to the Jains, Hindus and Sikhs.
BUDDHAGAYA -- THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE:Going by the preamble to the constitution of UNESCO – "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed". Therefore the Mahabodhi Temple vis-a-vis Buddhagaya needs to be preserved, developed, expanded and beautified for the future generations so that they can come and feel the positive vibrations from where the message of peace, compassion, unity, universal brotherhood and love pervaded the entire universe more than 2550 years ago.
Bodhgaya Temple:The history of the Mahabodhi stupa (Bodhgaya Temple) goes back 2,500 years. Here is recorded the rise, fall and resurrection of Buddhism in India. According to the Jataka tale, when Buddha first came here , the Papilla, or Indian fig (Bodhi) was a massive tree. It stood at the centre of a mandala composed of a silver white sandy ridge, encircled by creepers and a grassy woodland with all the trees inclining towards the Bo tree that stood in the middle. Close by were the pure, glassy waters of the Neranjara river, with many pleasant bathing pools.
The Buddhagaya Temple History:The Mahabodhi Mahavihar or more popularly known as the Buddha Gaya Temple or Great Stupa and is one of the shrine out of 84000 shrines erected by King Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century B.C.
The secret of Gautam Buddh’s ‘enlightenment’ and his term ‘nirvan’:When Gautam Buddh said that he got enlightenment after 49 days of fasting and meditation, it doesn’t mean that previously he was ignorant and then he became enlightened in a literal sense. His ‘enlightenment’ only meant ‘the discovery of a truth,’ and the truth was that desires are the cause of pain; so, remove the desires, and the pain is gone.
MAHABODHI TEMPLE PRECINCTS:The Mahabodhi Temple constructed in the 7th century A. D. has had repairs and renovations from time to time. Kings and commoners, both from home and abroad, were always vying with each other to donate in cash and kind to the Mahabodhi Temple which always survived on donations from the time it was first built. The Mahabodhi temple must have required constant minor repairs and occasional major renovations. The temple received its last and massive restoration and conservation work after it was excavated. The restoration work was started by Burma on the request of King Mindon Min (1853-1878) to the Government of India asking for permission to renovate the Mahabodhi Temple which the Burmese received.
BUDDHAGAYA - PAST AND PRESENT:Buddhagaya or Bodhgaya as is generally known is an ancient and hallowed spot on earth. Being the seat of Enlightenment of the Buddha it is the holiest of the holies for the Buddhists of the world. Situated on the banks of the river Niranjana, Buddhagaya was originally a part of the Uruvela village (presently Urail). Its geographical location is at 24o 41’ 45’’ N. Latitude and 85o 2’ 22’’ E. Longitude and is located in
The Buddhagaya Temple History:The Mahabodhi Mahavihar or more popularly known as the Buddha Gaya Temple or Great Stupa and is one of the shrine out of 84000 shrines erected by King Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century B.C.The Mahabodhi Mahavihar is the sole surviving example of what was once an architectural genre
History Of Bodh Gaya:Bodh Gaya is a small town in Gaya district of Bihar in India. It is the place where Shakyamani Gautama Buddha reached enlightenment. Since early in the history of Buddhism it has been a sacred place of pilgrimage and attracted pilgrims from all over the Buddhist world.The main focus of activity is the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment, the temple next to the tree, and the sacred complex surrounding the tree and temple. Every year thousands of pilgrims from every Buddhist country in the world visit this sacred site.Bodh Gaya has a history which stretches back into the mists of antiquity. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the earliest traces of human habitation stretch back to at least as early as 1100 BCE.
STUPA:"Stupa is a sanskrit word and it is translated as "a knot or tuft of hair, the upper part of the head, crest, top, summit". In Rigveda texts stupa means "tree's stem". The root "stup" and the noun "stupa" was a living lexeme as evidenced by its derivatives in several languages distribuited over vast areas from Afghanistan to Lahndi in the eastermost region of India. Stupa is also a "pile-up of clay", meaning supported by its hindi derivatives
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya:Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya;India State of Bihar, Eastern India 24° 41' N, 84° 59' E;Inscribed :2002 Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi) Justification for Inscription:
Criterion (i): The grand 50m high Mahabodhi Temple of the 5th-6th centuries is of immense importance, being one of the earliest temple constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent.It is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era.
Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:
Sometime after Gautam Buddh the integrity of Buddhism began to fall and the Buddhists, instead of following the path of purity, humbleness and giving respect to others, became involved in religious politics, self praise and opposing Vedic dharm.
Kushinagar
Kushinagar is a rural town situated in Kushinagar District, Uttar Pradesh. This place, which forms a part of the famous Buddhist trail encompassingBihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, is famous for the Mahaparinirvana (death) ofBuddha. Located at an altitude of 400 m above sea level, Kushinagar is 51 km north-east of Gorakhpur.
Nalanda:An ancient center of learning, Nalanda is situated in the eastern state ofBihar. A part of the Buddhist circuit, it is about 75 km from Patna and 80 km from Bodhgaya. Nalanda was visited by Buddha frequently during his lifetime. Hieun Tsang, a Chinese scholar, lived and studied here during the 7th century. The ruins of the Nalanda University, a prime center of Buddhist learning in ancient India, are spread over an area of 14 hectares. The ruins of the university which attracted scholars from all over the world are a major attraction. The Nandangarh stupa is believed to house the ashes of the Buddha.

Bodh Gaya:An International Place Of Pilgrimage

2009-01-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

"Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha-to-be, had been dwelling on the banks of the Nairanjana River with five ascetic followers for six years practicing austerities. Realising that austerities could not lead to realisation he abandoned them. His five ascetic companions disgusted at his seeming failure, deserted him and left for Sarnath.
He then moved towards the village of Senani where he was offered rice milk by a Brahmin girl, Sujata. Accepting from a grass-cutter a gift of kusa grass for a mat, the Bodhisattva took a seat under a pipal tree facing east. Here he resolved not to rise again until enlightenment was attained."Here on this seat my body may shrivel up,my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve,but my body will not move from this seat until I have attained Enlightenment,so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas".

As Gautama sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, perceiving that his power was about to be broken, rushed to distract him from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to bear witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's wisdom broke through the illusions and the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers and Mara and all his forces fled in disarray.

The Maha Bodhi Temple
The historical place at which the Enlightenment took place became a place of pilgrimage. Though it is not mentioned in the scriptures, the Buddha must have visited Bodh Gaya again in the course of his teaching career.

About 250 years after the Enlightenment, the Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka visited the site and is considered the founder of the Mahabodhi Temple. According to the tradition, Ashoka, as well as establishing a monastery, erected a diamond throne shrine at this spot with a canopy supported by four pillars over a stone representation of the Vajrasana, the Seat of Enlightenment.

The temple's architecture is superb but its history is shrouded in obscurity. It was constructed with the main intention of making it a monument and not a receptacle for the relics of the Buddha. Several shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship.
The basement of the present temple is 15m square, 15m in length as well as in breadth and its height is 52m which rises in the form of a slender pyramid tapering off from a square platform. On its four corners four towers gracefully rise to some height. The whole architectural plan gives pose and balance to the observers.
Inside the temple there is a colossal image of the Buddha in the "touching the ground pose", bhumisparsha mudra. This image is said to be 1700 years old and is facing east exactly at the place where the Buddha in meditation with his back to the Bodhi tree was enlightened. The Bodhi Tree

For seven days after the Enlightenment, the Buddha continued to meditate under the Bodhi tree without moving from his seat. During the second week he practiced walking meditation. A jewel walk, Chankramanar, was built as a low platform adorned with nineteen lotuses which are parallel to the Maha Bodhi temple on its north side. For another week the Buddha contemplated the Bodhi tree. In this place a stupa was built called Animeschalochana situated to the north of the Chankramanar.

On the back of the main temple situated to the west there is an ancient pipal tree- Ficus religiosa or Bodhi tree. It was under this tree that Gautama sat for enlightenment. The present tree is considered only as the descendant of the original tree. There is a tradition that Ashoka's wife had it secretly cut down because she became jealous of the time Ashoka spent there. But it grew again and a protective wall was also built at the time. Many sacred trees in India and other countries are originally raised from seeds brought from the ancient Bodh Gaya tree.

A shoot of the original Bodhi tree was taken to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. by Bhikkhuni Sangamitta, daughter of Ashoka, where the Lankan king Devanampiyatissa planted it at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura where it still flourishes today. While the Vajrasana was the specific site of the enlightenment, the Bodhi tree, closely linked to the Buddha's accomplishment, became a central focus of devotion early in the history of the Sangha. Pilgrims sought the Bodhi Tree's seeds and leaves as blessings for their monasteries and homes.

Around the Bodhi tree and the Mahbodhi temple there are quadrangular stone railings around 0.2m high with four bars including the top piece. These are of two types and can be distinguished from each other in style and material used. The older set is dated to about 150 BC and made of sandstone while the latter set is probably of the Gupta period (300-600 AD) and constructed from course granite. The older set has a number of designs representing scenes from the purchase of Jetavana by Ananthapindika at Sravasti, Lakshmi being bathed by elephants, Surya riding a chariot drawn by four horses, etc. On the latter set there are figures of stupas, Garudas, etc. In most of these railings lotus motifs are commonly used.
Bodhgaya Revitalised
Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world.
At any time during the cooler months between December and March, a visitor to Bodh Gaya can observe a continual stream of Indian and international pilgrims walking the roads or arriving in buses, circumambulating the temple, performing prostrations and offering prayers in a multitude of languages.

For those who aspire to awaken their full potential, Bodh Gaya today is truly a field vibrant with the potentiality of enlightenment.

Enriched by devotion of Buddhists of all traditions, this holy site is emerging as a powerful inspiration to the modern world, awakening people of all nations to the real possibility of enlightenment.

Bodhgaya Temple

2009-01-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

The history of the Mahabodhi stupa (Bodhgaya Temple) goes back 2,500 years. Here is recorded the rise, fall and resurrection of Buddhism in India. According to the Jataka tale, when Buddha first came here , the Papilla, or Indian fig (Bodhi) was a massive tree. It stood at the centre of a mandala composed of a silver white sandy ridge, encircled by creepers and a grassy woodland with all the trees inclining towards the Bo tree that stood in the middle. Close by were the pure, glassy waters of the Neranjara river, with many pleasant bathing pools. When he sat down in front of it facing East, a long vista opened out to through an avenue of Sale trees to the glistening beach of the crystal Neranjara. Thus it was 2,500 years ago. Very beautiful.After he left, he never looked back, and never visited again. But he did recommend it as one of the four memorable places worth visiting for inspiration.
Buddhist believe this is the navel of the universe, the vajra seat, where past and future buddhas achieve the ultimate state.
Still, no one seems to have taken any notice for around 250 years.The Buddhist emperor Asoka went there after being in power for 10 years, and again 10 years later. This time, he set up a stone pillar with an elephant capital here, as well as similar pillars at Lumbini, Sarnath and Kusinara. He also sent a branch of the still living tree to Ceylon, where it was successfully planted. This all happened around 250 BC.A good thing, as his queen got jealous of her emperor’s devotion, and had the original tree destroyed. A new one was quickly planted.Another 150 to 300 years pass, then a couple of devoted women have some work done. One, an elderly matron who’d been married to a local king was called Kurangi. To perpetuate the memory of her dead husband, she built an open pavilion, supported on stone pillars, surrounding the tree and the "vajra-asana", or lion seat, the actual spot in front of the tree where the Buddha had sat. To the side, where Buddha had walked up and down for 7 days after achieving the sublime state, a "jewel walk" was constructed, a stone lotus petal for each of his footprints. A sandstone throne was formed over the spot where he had sat, and a sandstone railing was built right around the whole construction as well.
This gives us the 5 essential parts of the site, which can still be found today: tree, throne, jewel walk, temple and stone railing.The current Bodhi tree, within a small enclosure that also houses the varja seat (between the tree and the temple, directly above the monks, in behind the fence)The restored / rebuilt sandstone railing, very similar to the original
The first of many Chinese pilgrims who thoughtfully took good notes (and left them behind for prosperity) arrived not long afterwards, around AC 400. (So already 900 years have passed since the Buddha was there, and the open pavilion has been standing maybe 400 years).
Fa-hien records that there are now some statues of the Buddha in the open pavilion. He also notes that the whole area has become filled with monuments to specific instances in the Buddha’s travels to and from the spot. There are also monasteries, filled with monks keeping strict vows.Sometime in the next 200 years, there is a very major change. When the next Chinese pilgrim (Hiuen-tsang) visits around AC 635, the Mahabodhi stupa, remarkably similar to what we see today, has appeared. He took accurate measurements, both here and at Nalanda, where there was a similar stupa/temple. This means it was built around 1,500 years ago, or 1,000 years after buddha had passed through.
The most popular current theory is that the temple was built by a Brahmin minister, acting on advice given him by Shiva. His brother excavated the tank (lake) alongside, where Buddha had washed. Presumably these brother had the support of the local king. Shortly afterwards, King Puavarma (Ac 600-620) built a new 24 foot wall around the site, and planted another Bodhi tree in the time honored spot.During Hiuen-tsang’s visit, there were many other smaller temples, containing statues of the Buddha, and a very large monastery on the North side. This monastery had been built by the King of Ceylon (Shri Lanka), and had 6 courts, was three stories high, and surrounded by a 30 to 40 foot high wall. It had come about because of a pilgrimage by the king’s brother, who had returned home most upset, with a permanent stutter. This was the result of the appalling manners displayed by the locals. His brother, the king, was not amused, and quickly took steps to make sure no foreign pilgrims in the future would be treated so inhospitably. Or at least not ones from Ceylon. top of restored mahabodhi templecloseup of side of mahabodhi temple The main temple had a different entrance. There were 3 lofty halls interconnected, and 10 foot high silver statues, one on either side. It is not at all sure there were four miniature towers as seen today at the corners. These were put there by the British restorers. What is interesting, is that the original lion throne, jewel walk and stone rail and pavilion pillars had been all torn down to build this new temple. Some of the old foundations were found by British restorers under the foundations of the current temple.It must have been an amazing place. You could spend weeks on the local tour, following in the Buddha’s footsteps, reliving the golden moments at your leisure, with delightful rest houses and monasteries at every hallowed spotNot long after this, a Chinese official brought silk robes for the main image (AC 680 ish). During the 8th and 9th century, there was a slight decline. In the 10th century wealthy patrons sponsored new statues and shrines. In the 11th century, 2 Burmese missions came.
In 1035, the Burmese plaque reckons the temple has been rebuilt three times already. During this time local kings also patronised zealous monks who wished to do repairs.All through 12th and 13th century the Burmese were very active in sending teams to restore the temple, despite their own country being invaded by the Chinese. By 1305, they had completed the complete repair and restoration of all the walls, including the stucco facings, and side buttresses.A Tibetan monk visited around 1235 and found 300 Sinhalese monks in residence.
By now the Muslin invaders have well and truly invaded India. 1232 was the year the Qutub Minar was built in Delhi.It is not clear when exactly Mahabohi was sacked, but sometime during the 13th century. For the next (approximately) 350 years, it was abandoned, in ruins, ending some 1500 years of continuous occupation by practicing Buddhists.Around 1590, a wandering Hindu arrived and settled down on the river bank near the ruins, gathering disciples. A few generations later, the Muslim emperor in Delhi gave the successor vast amounts of property in the area, including a couple of local villages . The old temple was never actually converted to a Hindu shrine, although some extra buildings were established for Hindu worship.In 1811, the Burmese came back to work again, and the next year, 1812, sees the first visit of a European archaeologist. A few years later, the current leader of the Brahmins starts to claim the actual ruins as his.The Burmese came back again in 1874, with lots of gifts for the Govt. of India , to encourage them to offer assistance to Buddhist pilgrims, and to pay for the restoration of the temple. The British asked the local Bhramin if this would be okay, and he raised no objections, so work got underway. General A Cunningham came to supervise, and his work is were well covered in Root Institute’s page on the history of the Mahabodhi stupa, where there are also great "before" shots showing how much destruction had been wrought. Mind you, if the stupa at Nalanda was identical, then Mahabodhi got off very lightly, as the Nalanda one was reduced to a pile of bricks, The good general was also there when the two current Bodhi trees were planted.In 1889 the work was finished, and a couple of years later a young man from Shrilanka visited: Anagarika Dharampala. He was inspired, and formed the Maha Bodhi Society. He devoted the rest of his life to trying to get control of the temple restored to the world’s Buddhists. His life long struggle makes heart-rendering reading, and he died without completing his task. Several times he was beaten, and spent a fortune in protracted legal battles.
The British Colonial Government preferred to back a (local) Hindu, rather than handing over control to a group of (foreign) Buddhists. Especially as one of the biggest, most powerful groups of Buddhists was Japanese, and the British distrusted their motives.
In other words, it was political, and very painful for the Buddhists.bust of Anagarika Dharampala outside the Maha Bodhi Society Building in BodgayaFinally, after independence, in 1949, an act of Parliament was passed covering how the temple complex was to be administered. This is still in effect today. There is a committee, of four Buddhists and four Hindus. They first met in 1953, and since then have done a great deal to upgrade the facilities. In keeping with many of the previous repair jobs.
In 1973 the Buddha Gaya temple Advisory Board was formed. This has 21 members, including representatives from Thailand, Laos, Burma, Sikkim, Cambodia, Bhutan and Ladhak. Nearby are a museum, a library, lots of new temples and guesthouses to suit every inclinationThere is now a very nice marble walkway around the whole site, and an imitation Asokan railing / fence. The place is flood lit at night. The upper shrine is a sanctuary for silent meditation, open to all.
Tibetan artists are busy painting gold on to all the images. The grounds are filled with wooden prostration boards where Tibetans, Europeans and Asians work out their sweaty routines in murmured harmony. Practictioners of every age and nationality wend their ways around the three different circumambulatory paths, or sit on the lawns and under the trees. Indian tourists are reduced to respectful silence.
It's a place where any buddhist feels at home.

Nalanda

2008-05-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

An ancient center of learning, Nalanda is situated in the eastern state of Bihar. A part of the Buddhist circuit, it is about 75 km from Patna and 80 km from Bodhgaya. Nalanda was visited by Buddha frequently during his lifetime. Hieun Tsang, a Chinese scholar, lived and studied here during the 7th century. The ruins of the Nalanda University, a prime center of Buddhist learning in ancient India, are spread over an area of 14 hectares. The ruins of the university which attracted scholars from all over the world are a major attraction. The Nandangarh stupa is believed to house the ashes of the Buddha.
Other tourist spots are the Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall, Nav Nalanda Vihar, Surya Mandir and a museum established in 1971 which has a good collection of ancient manuscripts and Buddhist statues. About 15 km from Nalanda is Rajgir, a scenic place possessing a complex of temples and monasteries. Recent excavations have unearthed elaborate structures including impressive temples and monasteries built by King Ashoka and Harshavardhana, the Sariputra Stupa built by Ashoka to honor the Buddha's first disciple, Ananda, and scattered prayer halls.
The area is inhabited by around 30,000 people among whom Hindi and English are the major languages. The region experiences hot temperatures throughout the year (average between 26°C and 30°C). The average rainfall during monsoon is 120 cm. The ideal time to visit is from October to March.

Buddhism

2008-05-03T01:10:00.000-07:00

Buddha (or Gautama Buddha) was born as Prince Siddhartha in about 563 BC. His father Suddhodana was the King of Kapilavastu. His mother, Mahamaya, gave birth to him in Lumbini village while returning to Kapilavastu. She died a week after the child's birth. The responsibility of bringing up the child fell on Prajapati Gautami, Siddhartha's step-mother.

From early childhood, Siddhartha showed a strong inclination towards philosophical problems such as soul, God, birth and death. Disliking his son’s ideas, Suddhodana had him married to a beautiful princess named Yashodara, to divert his attention to wordly matters.

In due course, the couple had a son, Rahul. But eventually, Siddhartha returned to his philosophical thoughts. He had the opportunity of witnessing the sufferings of the people, the agony of death and the futility of desires. He decided to renounce the world to find the eternal truth. At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his wife and son, abandoned a life of luxuries and comforts of the palace and set out to find the mystery of birth and death. This event is known as the great renunciation.
Siddhartha went to two great teachers of his time, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. As he was not fully convinced by their teachings, Siddhartha left for Uravela jungles near Gaya and spent six years in his quest.

Legends say that impoverished due to self-starvation and on the brink of death, Siddhartha was revived by milk offered by a village girl called Sujata. He concluded that hunger and starvation was not the way to find truth. He renewed his search and finally in 531 BC, meditating under a peepal tree, at the age of 35, attained enlightenment. From that day Siddhartha became Buddha, the enlightened one and the tree came to be called the Bodhi tree.
In a deer park near Saranath, Buddha gave his first sermon and converted five people into Buddhism, his first disciples, in the event now known as Dhanua Chakra Parivartana. He traveled widely preaching his philosophies and the royal families of Kapilavastu, Magadha and Kosala embraced Buddhism. Buddha passed away in Kushinagar, around 487 BC, when he was 80 years old.

Kushinagar

2008-05-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

Kushinagar is a rural town situated in Kushinagar District, Uttar Pradesh. This place, which forms a part of the famous Buddhist trail encompassing Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, is famous for the Mahaparinirvana (death) of Buddha. Located at an altitude of 400 m above sea level, Kushinagar is 51 km north-east of Gorakhpur.
Kushinagar was a major center of the erstwhile Malla kingdom and was known as Kasia or Kusinara. It was a major center of Buddhism during the rule of Emperor Ashoka, the third monarch of the Maurya Dynasty. References about this town had been found in the records of the Chinese travelers Fa-Hien, Hieun Tsang and I-tsing. With the decline of Buddhism, Kushinagar lost its shine and fell into neglect. In the last century, during the reign of Lord Alexander Cunningham, important remnants of the main site such as the Matha Kua and Ramabhar Stupa were excavated, thus throwing light over its long lost past and cultural heritage.
Major tourist attractions in and around the town include Nirvana Stupa, Nirvana Temple, Mathakuar Shrine, Ramabhar Stupa, Japanese Temple, Kushinagar Museum, Japanese Garden, Buddha Vihar, Wat Thai Temple, Chinese Temple, Meditation Park and Birla Temple.

Prince Siddhartha

2008-05-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

Buddha (or Gautama Buddha) was born as Prince Siddhartha in about 563 BC. His father Suddhodana was the King of Kapilavastu. His mother, Mahamaya, gave birth to him in Lumbini village while returning to Kapilavastu. She died a week after the child's birth. The responsibility of bringing up the child fell on Prajapati Gautami, Siddhartha's step-mother.
From early childhood, Siddhartha showed a strong inclination towards philosophical problems such as soul, God, birth and death. Disliking his son’s ideas, Suddhodana had him married to a beautiful princess named Yashodara, to divert his attention to wordly matters. In due course, the couple had a son, Rahul. But eventually, Siddhartha returned to his philosophical thoughts. He had the opportunity of witnessing the sufferings of the people, the agony of death and the futility of desires. He decided to renounce the world to find the eternal truth. At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his wife and son, abandoned a life of luxuries and comforts of the palace and set out to find the mystery of birth and death. This event is known as the great renunciation.
Siddhartha went to two great teachers of his time, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. As he was not fully convinced by their teachings, Siddhartha left for Uravela jungles near Gaya and spent six years in his quest. Legends say that impoverished due to self-starvation and on the brink of death, Siddhartha was revived by milk offered by a village girl called Sujata. He concluded that hunger and starvation was not the way to find truth. He renewed his search and finally in 531 BC, meditating under a peepal tree, at the age of 35, attained enlightenment. From that day Siddhartha became Buddha, the enlightened one and the tree came to be called the Bodhi tree.
In a deer park near Saranath, Buddha gave his first sermon and converted five people into Buddhism, his first disciples, in the event now known as Dhanua Chakra Parivartana. He traveled widely preaching his philosophies and the royal families of Kapilavastu, Magadha and Kosala embraced Buddhism. Buddha passed away in Kushinagar, around 487 BC, when he was 80 years old.

Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:

2008-05-03T00:17:00.000-07:00

Sometime after Gautam Buddh the integrity of Buddhism began to fall and the Buddhists, instead of following the path of purity, humbleness and giving respect to others, became involved in religious politics, self praise and opposing Vedic dharm. Their vanity and opposition had become so strong that when Shankaracharya was born, at that time they were acting as a headstrong born enemy of Vedic dharm. They destroyed our religious books and tried to kill Kumaril Bhatt as he was a follower of Vedic dharm. Their monasteries grew in number and they were quite prosperous in India in those days. Jains were not so popular as Buddhists in those days but they also freely criticized Vedic dharm. So, to overthrow the effect of Buddhism from India, Shankaracharya used the philosophy of advait vad and re-established Sanatan Vedic dharm

The secret of Gautam Buddh’s ‘enlightenment’ and his term ‘nirvan’

2008-05-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

When Gautam Buddh said that he got enlightenment after 49 days of fasting and meditation, it doesn’t mean that previously he was ignorant and then he became enlightened in a literal sense. His ‘enlightenment’ only meant ‘the discovery of a truth,’ and the truth was that desires are the cause of pain; so, remove the desires, and the pain is gone.
Gautam Buddh used the word nirvan for this kind of desireless and thoughtless state of the mind. Nirvan word means to extinguish (the flame of the desires). Desires create anxieties and excite the heart so they are paraphrased as a flame, like the flame of a candle. Now take an example: A candle is burning. You extinguish it. But, as long as the candle is there, it can again be ignited, because the burning element, the wick and wax, is still there. This is nirvan, to temporarily extinguish the flame of the desires.
Thus, nirvan is not liberation from the mayic bondage, it is only an intermediate state. Liberation means the total elimination of the mind along with the past uncountable accumulated karmas of a soul (which means the total destruction of the candle according to the above example). The same is the case with the practices of Jain religion. So, after attaining the ultimate height, the nirvan (according to both, the Jain and Buddh religions), the practitioner has to adopt the guidelines of the scriptures (Sanatan Dharm) and do bhakti to a personal form of God. Only then he may receive liberation from the mayic bondage of birth and death with the Grace of God, otherwise not. But the approach of Gautam Buddh was only up to nirvan and the ‘absolute nothingness (shoonya vad)’ which is a mayic state, and so his theory was formulated on non-Godly grounds.
Reconciliation of Buddh and Jain theories: A question arises: What was the use of creating such a theory of nothingness, or the imaginative theory of soul (in Jainism) where it is lighter or heavier and smaller or larger?
It has already been stated that both Jain and Buddh religions were introduced for only a particular and specific purpose of showing the path of humbleness and compassion, because the animal killers, meat eaters, and non-Godly chatriya rulers of those days had no interest in God. So they needed the lesson of compassion which was the best thing for them to become good people, and thus, gradually practicing to renounce their worldly ambitions, they may become happier in their life. The talk of God was not needed for them. Thus, whatever theory was created was enough for them, and the main thing was that the practice of being humble and compassionate, and the procedures of penance, fasting, renunciation and meditation, or whatever was formulated in those two religions was to improve the sattvic quality of the doer. By practicing these religions, when the person has released his worldly desires and attachments, he would naturally begin to think of God and God realization and His absolute Bliss; and in that case he would naturally be drawn towards the greatness of Hindu scriptures and begin to follow the path of Sanatan Dharm. That was the hidden secret behind the formation of both the dharmas, Jain and Buddh. But the common people of kaliyug always take things in their wanted style, and thus, instead of following the universal teachings of Sanatan Dharm, the followers of Jain and Buddh dharmas made it an excuse to criticize the Sanatan Dharm.

Gautam Buddh

2008-05-03T00:14:00.000-07:00

Buddh religion starts with Gautam Buddh (1894-1814 BC) son of Shuddhodan who was the king of Kapilvastu which is at the border of Nepal near Gorakhpur. Buddh’s original name was Siddharth Gautam and his mother’s name was Mahamaya. He was born in 1894 BC at Lumbini in a mango grove when his pregnant mother was proceeding to her parents’ home. He was called Buddh when he got enlightenment. Thus he became famous as Gautam Buddh.
When he was young, he saw the miseries of the world in the form of old age, sickness and death that gripped every living being and he began to think deeply for a way to escape this situation. Seeing him gloomy and totally reluctant from the activities of the kingdom, his father got him married to Yashodhara, who, in time, got a son named Rahul, but the heart of Siddharth was still yearning to find the path of salvation from the pains. So, one evening he came out of the palace, went out of town, stripped off his fine clothes and jewelry which he was wearing, put on a hermit’s robe and started on an unknown journey to find the truth of the world. He reached Gaya and, resolving to perfect austerity, he sat and meditated under a peepal tree (a native tree of North India) for 49 days. In his enlightenment he discovered that ‘desires’ are the only cause of all the pains so they have to be totally removed to make one happy. Gautam Buddh was now thirty-five. He then proceeded to Varanasi and started preaching his religion. In his last days he also visited Vaishali. He lived for 80 years.
The Mahabharat war had happened in 3139 BC and, according to the Bhagwatam, after the war Brihadrath dynasty ruled for about 1,000 years, Pradyot dynasty for 138 years, and then it was taken over by Shishunag dynasty. The fifth king of Shishunag dynasty was Bimbsar. It is a well known historical fact that Gautam Buddh was propagating his religion during the reigning period of King Bimbsar.
In the Shishunag dynasty (according to Kaliyug Rajvrittant) Shishunag ruled for 40 years, Kakvarn 36, Cﬁhem Dharma 26 and Chamoja 40 years, then Bimbsar took over the throne and ruled for 38 years. Thus, deducting [1,000+138 +142 (40+36+26+40)] 1,280 years from 3139 comes to 1859 BC. Now adding 35 years of Buddh’s existing age of that time to 1859 comes to 1894 BC which is the birth date of Buddh.
The characteristics of his religion and his philosophy: Gautam Buddh was born in such a period when the prideful chatriya kings of Bharatvarsh had become extremely worldly. Their sensuality and meat eating habits had taken so much importance in their life that they wanted to get it justified in the name of God. Thus, during that period (before the birth of Buddh) those chatriya kings with the help of poor and greedy brahman scholars got such Sanskrit entries made in our religious books (like Manu Smriti, Grihya Sutras, Dharm Sutras and Tantra books etc.) that introduced the killing of an animal in yagya as an ordained act; and in this way those chatriyas freely killed animals in the name of yagya and ate them. In those days all of our religious books were in the shape of manuscripts so it was easy to reconstruct some verses and add to it and create a new manuscript.
Gautam Buddh, although he was a Divine personality, did not introduce the Divinity at all in his teachings. According to the need of the existing social conditions of that time, he only introduced the path of compassion for the beings of the world which is just the sattvic quality of maya. Maya is such a peculiar power which exists like ‘nothing’ for a God realized Saint, and, during the maha pralaya, it exists like ‘absolute nothingness.’ So, Gautam Buddh designed his theory of “nothingness.” Accordingly, it is called “shoonya vad,” which means the philosophy of nothingness or the philosophy of mayavad. There are four branches of Buddhism, called: Madhyamik, Yogachar, Vaibhashik and Sautrantik. There are slight differences in their philosophy, but all of them, in general, are called shoonya vad. That’s why Buddhism is called a non-Godly religion.

MAHABODHI TEMPLE PRECINCTS

2008-04-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

MAHABODHI TEMPLE PRECINCTS
The Mahabodhi Temple constructed in the 7th century A. D. has had repairs and renovations from time to time. Kings and commoners, both from home and abroad, were always vying with each other to donate in cash and kind to the Mahabodhi Temple which always survived on donations from the time it was first built. The Mahabodhi temple must have required constant minor repairs and occasional major renovations. The temple received its last and massive restoration and conservation work after it was excavated. The restoration work was started by Burma on the request of King Mindon Min (1853-1878) to the Government of India asking for permission to renovate the Mahabodhi Temple which the Burmese received. The work started in right earnest for their faith and determination of the Burmese may have been great, but their understanding of the importance of preserving the temple’s original character was not there and inadvertently they caused enormous damage. When this situation came to the notice of the authorities, the expertised hands of the Archaeological Survey of India was sought under the guidance of the Director General of the Archaeological Survey, Sir Alexander Cunningham. The work was completed and the entire structure got back to its old glory and remains present to this day.
CONSERVATION :
At present, the Mahabodhi Temple requires a massive restoration and conservation work. This work is necessary if it is made to survive long enough for the future generations to have a glimpse of the ancient and glorious history. The work needs to be undertaken by expert hands as the originality of the work is to be kept alive without causing any change. The Restoration and Conservation work will be undertaken from February 2002 onwards and the expenditure will be 6 million rupees.
The much awaited conservation work of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara has started from the 13th February 2002 and is being done by the Archaeological Survey of India(A.S.I.). The A.S.I. is one of the best in the world for doing conservation and restoration works. Since the work has to be of very good quality keeping in mind the ancient history and the heritage iot needs the expertise of the Archaeologists to reproduce the same effect that it has at present.
Bamboo scaffoldings have been put up and masons and labourers have started work in the structure at the lower level. Work at the higher level will start shortly. At present the documentation work is also being done.
Day -to -day report alongwith the photographs of the conservation and restoration work will be uploaded shortly so that the donors and well-wishers can know the progress of the work
LANDSCAPING:
The entire complex in and around the Mahabodhi Temple needs landscaping work to be undertaken to beautify the area. At present the green area does not attract the visitors as all the greenery are in a very haphazard condition. The green slopes, the green lawns, the green hedges around the pathway, the flower gardens all need to be given a fresh and beautiful look.
LOTUS POND:
The Lotus pond needs to be developed too as at present it simply looks like a pond where nothing but fishes breed. The sanctity of the pond has to be maintained keeping in mind the importance of it being associated with the Buddha where he spent the sixth week in meditation. It needs to be highlighted with the entrance and be made visitor friendly. The pipeline around the pond also requires to be made concealed. The pathway around the pond has to be widened and the area around made green with arrangements for seating. Light and sound can also be set in such a way that it does not distract the meditator nor cause inconvenience to the visitor. Water fountains can be set up around the pond that will attract more visitors in the evening.

MEDITATION PARK :
The meditation- park is a new addition in the temple complex inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. But it requires to be developed further. There is a demand for meditation huts to be constructed. But these huts should depict Buddhist artistic pattern to accommodate an individual meditator. The park also needs to be landscaped and the pond in the park also has to be cleaned and deepened.
BUTTER / OIL LAMP SITE:
The more important and pressing need to save the temple from pollution at the moment is to stop the use of butter/oil lamps. The present site under the Bodhi Tree is not only causing great harm to the tree but is also destroying the temple, because the smoke and smoke particles emanating from the site is a great threat of pollution causing harm to the environment. The butter-oil lamp site needs to be shifted to a new place farther away from the temple with a scientific exhaust system. A glass house chamber can be constructed and a system be introduced where the smoke can be recycled and purified so that the area remains free from pollution and above all the holy Bodhi Tree and the Mahabodhi Temple stay alive for long enough.

LIGHTING SYSTEM :
The electrical lighting system inside the temple complex needs to be enhanced, but at the same time the lights should be set up in such a way that it does not distract the meditator. At the same time it should highlight the temple adequately and from every angle. Lights that are conducive to the naked eye and aesthetic in beauty should be used keeping pace with the Archaeological Survey of India’s specifications.

BUDDHAGAYA AND SURROUNDINGS

Buddhagaya is important because the Buddha attained Enlightenment here. It is here that the Bodhi tree exists under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. It is Buddhagaya that is home to the world renowned and international heritage — the great Mahabodhi Temple. Therefore, Buddhagaya has received help, recognition, donations from time to time since the days ancient from the kings and commoners alike both from home and abroad.
But, also equally important are those sites through which traversed Prince Siddhartha prior to his Enlightenment. These sites are also venerated by the pilgrims and are held in high esteem by the devotees of the Buddha.
These include sites like the Pragbodhi at the Dungeshwari Hills where Prince Siddhartha meditated for six years before attaining Enlightenment. The next is Sujata Kuti where Prince Siddhartha, before coming over to Uruvela, took rest and had his first morsel of food (kheer/sweet rice cooked in milk) from the village girl Sujata. After this he came over to Uruvela and attained Enlightenment. The other site that is of later development is the Taridih excavated site that was once a monastery. The last but not the least important site that has remained neglected for long is the Barabar caves. This site was constructed by King Asoka in the 3rd Century B.C. and is located on the borders of Jehanabad and Gaya districts.
All these sites are necessary to be developed, so that the tourists and pilgrims can reach these places apart from Buddhagaya and enjoy a prolonged stay here and witness the heritage of the past.

PROPOSALS :
PRAGBODHI CAVES (DUNGESHWARI HILLS)
The hill is situated about 3 miles to the north-east of Buddhagaya on the eastern bank of the river Phalgu. The hill had been identified by Cunningham with the Pragbodhi mountain of the Buddhist tradition, where the Buddha is said to have lived for six years before he proceeded to Uruvela, i.e., modern Buddhagaya. The identification is based on the fact, that, half way up the western slope of the hill, facing the river Phalgu, is a natural fissure or cavern, shaped like a crescent, 37’x5½’, with a small entrance 3’ 2’’ wide and 4’ 10’’ high, where the Buddha is said to have lived. Both Fa Hian and Hiuen Tsang visited and described the cave of the Pragbodhi mountain and their accounts, according to Cunningham, would perhaps refer to this cave. The height of the cave at the other end i.e. southern end is hardly 2’ 7’’, while the width is 1’ 7’’. At the back or east side of the cavern there is a ledge of rock, which probably served as a pedestal for the shadow of Buddha also figures on the rock.
The place is important as Prince Siddhartha prior to his Enlightenment meditated here for six years in search of peace and happiness. His search met with little success as his emaciated body made his search futile. The Buddha gives a vivid description of the severe austerities he practised in the six years before his Enlightenment. The Bodhisattva stayed in a cave on the mountain called Pragbodhi (Prior to Enlightenment) before finally deciding to go to Uruvela (Buddhagaya) and therefore the place deserves to be given its due importance.
At present there is a small temple that is maintained by the Tibetan monks and just above the temple there is a cave which sheltered the Bodhisattva during his stay there. Below that the pilgrims can see the foundations of a large monastic complex and on the top of the mountain the ruins of several ancient stupas. The peaceful environment around Pragbodhi, its wild beauty and the powerful presence that can be felt in the cave made it worth visiting. Therefore, the centre needs infrastructural developments, like water supply, roads, telecommunication, electricity and a health care centre.

BRIDGE TO CONNECT PRAGBODHI :
Although the Pragbodhi is only few kilometers away from Buddhagaya but it takes more than 1½ hours to reach this place via Gaya Town. At present the road leading to Pragbodhi directly from Bodhgaya does not have a bridge on River Mohane. A bridge is proposed on the river Mohane. It would directly connect Buddhagaya to Pragbodhi for the comfort of the pilgrims. It would also help the local population to come to the Block headquarters Buddhagaya for their everyday needs and necessities. The travel time could be reduced considerably and this would help the tourists and pilgrims to visit Pragbodhi more often as one would like during their course of stay here at Buddhagaya.

SUJATA-KUTI :
The Excavation Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India undertook excavation at the ancient site of Bakraur(Sujata-Kuti), near Buddhagaya, located on the right bank of the river Niranjana. The site, that is situated just north of the village, is traditionally known by various names like, Sujata Kuti, Sujatagarh and Sujata Quila, named after the maiden Sujata, the daughter of the chief of the village. It was she who offered milk-rice to the Buddha after he had undergone severe austerities for six years to gain Enlightenment.
The stupa, which was constructed to perpetuate the memory of the maiden Sujata, is 11m from the ground level. Unfortunately, through the years because of inefficient has been severely destroyed to collect baked bricks, caskets and reliquaries. Several plaques of the Buddha in bhumisparsha-mudra, made probably of plaster and surprisingly light in weight were found near the damaged top of the stupa.
The stupa was built in three stages. The pradakshina-path made up of baked bricks, was narrow in the earliest stage. It was surrounded by a wall enclosure of baked bricks. Subsequently, the diameter as well as the height of the stupa was increased, thus covering the original pradakshina-path. At that stage a 5 m. wide pradakshina-path, of thick lime plaster was added. Moulded bricks were used on the surface of the stupa. In the third stage of construction a wall enclosure of baked brick covered by lime plaster, railings and gateways, probably in all the cardinal directions, were provided. All around the wall enclosure, and in the front of the gateway, a pradakshina-path of lime plaster was also added. On the side of the gateway a baked brick platform, possibly intended for congregation was found. The purpose of the two brick structures at the back of the gateway could not be determined.
Encased in lime plaster, the maximum diameter of the stupa in the last stage was about 65.50 m. Mud-mortar of varying thickness was used as a binding medium in the construction of the stupa. The railings and pillars were made of stone.
It has not been possible to date the different stages of the stupa with certainty. The last phase of the stupa, however, can be assigned to a date between eighth and tenth century A.D., on the basis of terracotta sealing and plaques. It is quite likely that the religious zeal of the Pala Kings were responsible for the enclosure wall, railing and the gateway. The earliest occupation of the site may be placed in the second-first century B.C. on the basis of fragments of dark grey polished ware found in a partially exposed monastery-like structure towards the north-east of the stupa.
The important finds of the excavation include a fragmentary ear-ornament of gold; small terracotta plaques; beads of agate and terracotta; a punch-marked coin; head, torso and multiple Buddha in stone; a few ornamental pieces; and a terracotta sealing.
The Sujata-kuti needs to be excavated and the entire area should be developed and preserved. Parks and gardens have to be developed by landscaping the entire area. The historical importance of the place emanates from the fact that it dates back to 2nd century B.C. where the Buddha was offered milk rice prior to his attainment of Enlightenment by Sujata. The devout Buddhists also visit this place where the Bodhisattva himself came. The mound which in all probability is a stupa needs to be excavated (a work which was abandoned prematurely after doing half the work).

BARABAR CAVES :
The chief architectural remains, before the Gupta period, other than stupas and their surrounding gateways and railings, are artificial caves, excavated for religious purposes. Early specimens show a slavish imitation of carpentry that proves conclusively that the art of building in stone was still not fully developed. Two caves of Barabar Hill, 61.5 km. north of Buddhagaya, are in the form of a plain rectangular outer hall, at one end of which there is an inner chamber with a curved wall and overhanging caves. The caves were evidently substituted for a standardized religious meeting place consisting of a round thatched hut standing in a courtyard, and their designer could not transcend the pattern to which he had been used. Similar dependence on wooden models is evident in many other features of design until the Gupta period.
The caves of the Barabar and Nagarjuni Hills are unadorned, with the exception of one at Nagarjuni, near Barabar, which has a comparatively simple carved entrance, added during or soon after the Mauryan period. The inner walls of all the caves are finely polished, no doubt by workmen of the school that was responsible for the polish of the Asokan columns.
The Barabar caves, a fine specimen of workmanship needs to be added in the scheme of things for tourist development and if connected within the surroundings of Buddhagaya it sure will evoke much interest in the visitors.

TARIDIH (Buddhagaya):
This site is just adjacent to the Mahabodhi Temple lying on the western end besides the Mosque. The site is one of the most ancient and dates back before the time of the Buddha-starting from the neolithic period down to the Pala period. Excavations reveal seven cultural phases from the neolithic period, (25th cent. - 17th cent. B.C.) Chalcolithic (17th cent. - 11th cent. B.C.), iron age (10th cent. - 7th cent. B.C.), the Buddha -Asokan period (6th cent. B.C. - 1st cent. B.C.), Kushana period (1st cent. - 3rd cent. A.D.), Gupta period (4th cent. - 8th cent. A. D.), Late Gupta and Pala period (9th cent. - 12th cent. A.D.)
The excavated site is in the state of neglect. Their preservation is not being paid attention to. Being exposed to the nature’s fury and man made misery without protection and care these open structures are in a process of decaying. We must try and protect the valuable historical heritage. The A.S.I. has to ensure that the excavated site is well protected.

NIRANJANA RIVER EMBANKMENT :
The Niranjana river is important for its sanctity. Erosion of the river banks is causing danger to Buddhagaya and to the Temple which is an international heritage and a national treasure. Few years back breach on the banks of this River made flood water enter the Temple and damaged the Mahabodhi Temple. The embankment can also be developed into a park on both sides of the river bank where tourists can enjoy the river front.

ROADSIDE PLANTATION :
The entire stretch of roads should have roadside plantation that will beautify and also give shade to the roads. This will make the town more green and beautiful.
MAYA SAROVAR :
The lake opposite the Thai Temple should be developed and boating can be introduced. The land surrounding the lake should be developed into a park and a small playground for the children. A musical water fountain can also be installed. Fast food outlets can also set-up there.

TOWNSHIP
Buddhagaya today is no more the ancient and obscure village called Uruvela nor it is what it was 10 years ago. Buddhagaya today is a vibrant town growing day by day. Buildings are being built haphazardly without conforming to the master plan.

PROPOSALS:
MASTER PLAN :
Master plan of the entire Buddhagaya township which should also include Sujata-kuti in its ambit should be prepared taking into account the present status of the area as well, for it is of international importance. Buddhagaya needs to be beautiful is the popular belief. The master plan should include all required infrastructure that needs to be developed to make Buddhagaya a town of international importance. Buddhagaya has to be made clean. At present only concrete structures are to be seen all around. There is no space for green area anywhere.

DRAINAGE :
Buddhagaya today lacks a drainage system. The master plan prepared in the year 1956 suggested a drainage system but nothing could be done so far. Proper drainage for rain water as well as domestic waste independent of sewerage should be evolved.

BYE-PASS ROAD :
There is an urgent need for a bye-pass road that will divert heavy vehicular traffic from the Block office Via the Japanese Temple to Tikabigha-Urail (ancient village). This would make the town free from heavy vehicular movement near the Temple that remains congested for most of the time causing great harm to the temple with the vibration, dust and smoke pollution. The present main road runs parallel with the Temple complex and the noise and dust causes disturbance to the meditators which has to be stopped.

MARKET COMPLEX :
Buddhagaya is a town of international importance. The area around the temple complex is full of way - side shops. These encroachments block the smooth movement of the pilgrims and obstruct the view of the ‘Mahabodhi’ from outside. The shopkeepers also disturb the pilgrims. The encroachments need to be removed. New area should be developed as a modern shopping complex so that these encroachments do not come up again. This can be kept in mind while preparing the master plan for Buddhagaya township.

TOURIST FACILITIES
Buddhagaya is a very important place and it needs to be developed in a way that conforms to international standards. With the all-round development of Buddhagaya it will attract more pilgrims and tourists, because of the better infrastructure facilities which is at par with the best. With the globalization of Buddhism, Buddhagaya will become more important in the history of the World Cultural sphere. We need to preserve and present it to the world community. In the words of Shri Jagmohan, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism and Culture, "I believe this is the time to build on domestic tourism by putting systems and infrastructure in place and project India as a unique destination for physical invigoration, mental rejuvenation and spiritual elevation". What better place can it be than Buddhagaya to project it as a spiritual destination in India.
PROPOSALS :
BEAUTIFICATION OF BUDDHAGAYA :
Buddhagaya should be made more beautiful is the popular belief. Other than the Mahabodhi Temple and the different monasteries there is nothing to hold back the visitors for long. Theme parks, heritage parks, lakes, musical water fountains and recreational facilities will have to be given emphasis. Making Buddhagaya clean and green should be our objective. Use of plastic bags should be stopped immediately and use of paper bags be encouraged. Garbage and composte recycling plants be set-up to produce renewable energy. A Buddhist Art Gallery can also be set up.

FOREX :
Buddhagaya is a town of International tourist potential where thousands of foreigners visit every year. One of their complaints pertains to the process of Foreign Exchange. The Banks here have a limit on exchange of foreign currency. The main bottle-neck is a constraint for big groups. There is a limit to the amount an individual can exchange. This restriction needs to be lifted or the limit increased. Also the cheques/drafts in foreign currency are cleared with delay. The cheques/drafts deposited here takes more than one and half month for collection. The Foreign Tourists have to wait for a long time during the banking process. ATM counters can also be set up at least at two or three places for easy encashments.
AUDITORIUM :
Buddhagaya lacks modern amenities where its citizens and visitors can meet on occasions. Buddhagaya needs a multi-purpose auditorium where seminars, plays, symposiums and cultural theatres can take place. The auditorium can also have an annexe where an art gallery can be housed. This auditorium has to be of international standard with good lighting and sound equipments and the auditorium could also be rented out
CIRCUIT TOUR :
Conducted local circuit tours connecting the places of tourist and pilgrimage importance around Buddhagaya should be started. One such circuit could be connecting Buddhagaya with Sujata-Kuti to Dungeshwari and Barabar caves. The other tour could be by connecting Buddhagaya with Rajgir, Nalanda and Pawapuri. All such tours can be introduced through AC and non-AC buses run by the I.T.D.C., B.S.T.D.C. or Private operators.
HOTEL :
Boarding & Lodging facilities should be developed and set-up keeping in mind the low-budget travellers also so that it will encourage domestic tourists as more emphasis should be given to develop this section. Hotels available here are primarily aimed at the high budgeted travellers. The need is for the lower income group or middle income group travellers. Something like the Yatri Niwas should be set up. Even the government run tourist lodges are priced excessively high.

HOSPITAL:
At present the Hospital facilities are inadequate to serve the need of the general masses and the visitors. The existing hospital is more like dispensary or a first-aid centre with a couple of indoor bed facilities. The hospital needs to have a superior structure with clean environs and modern equipment to cater to the needs of the visitors who more often are also foreigners. The hospital needs to have facilities for Pathology laboratory, X-ray units, oxygen and other emergency facilities.
RAIL COMMUNICATION :
Visitors coming to Buddhagaya face immense problem getting reservations in trains. It is therefore suggested that foreigners be given preference in the Tourist Quota against their Passports in acquiring railway reservation. A train be introduced from Guwahati in the north-east to New Delhi Via Gaya. This would benefit the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains living in the seven north-eastern states, Sikkim, West Bengal, Bhutan and Nepal who come in large numbers to visit Buddhagaya, Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Parasnath, Varanasi, Sarnath, Allahabad etc.

REGULAR BUS SERVICE :
Communication facility to and from the Gaya railway station to Buddhagaya is not available as only private vehicles ply and they charge exorbitant rates. Therefore, bus services should be introduced through the road transport department especially keeping in mind the train timings.
GUIDES :
The tourism department should introduce trained guides with knowledge of different foreign languages to guide the foreign tourists who come independent of the conducted tours.
MOBILE TELECOM FACILITIES :
Mobile Telephone system should be introduced at the earliest. At present this facility is not available at Buddhagaya. There is heavy demand for the Mobile service.

BUS-STAND :
There is a Bus-Stand for the Tourist Buses coming with the tourists. But there is no Bus-Stand for the local buses plying between inter-state or inter-district rounds. At the moment buses park at the road side. This causes heavy congestion in the road traffic and hamper pedestrian movement.
ELECTRICITY SYSTEM :
Electricity system should be modernized. At the moment Buddhagaya can be termed a town of electrical wires. One can see overhead electrical wires criss-crossing the entire town. The wires run parallel to the road on both sides obstructing the growth of road - side plantations and trees and also affecting the scenic beauty of the town. Therefore, the electricity system should involve underground electricity wires thus making the town free from overhead electrical wires.
WATER-HEAD TANK :
Although the town has introduced door-to-door water supply system yet it is in-sufficient as it does not meet the demand. Therefore, another overhead tank for supply of drinking water should be constructed. This will ensure the availability of hygienic drinking water to the tourists and the people in general.

TOURIST FACILITIES :
The tourists coming to Buddhagaya need a single window facility under one roof where they can be provided with all the services that are related with their travel related issues and if this can be done it would enable the visitors to easily arrange all their travel related formalities :
1. Forex Bank
2. Railway Reservation Counter
3. Air Reservation Counter
4. Foreigners Registration Office
5. Travel Agents counter
6. Tourist Information Centre
7. Hotel Reservation Counter
8. Taxi on Call
9. Internet Cafe
10. STD/ISD Public Call Office
11. Restaurant
CURRENT WORKS IN MAHABODHI MAHAVIHARA :
1. Renovation of Platform around Pipal Tree near Lotus Tank (Muchlinda Sarovar)
2. Fixing of Railing Northern Circumambulatory Path in Temple Premises with retailing wall.
3. Lighting in the Mahabodhi Mahavihara Complex.

BUDDHAGAYA - PAST AND PRESENT

2008-04-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Buddhagaya or Bodhgaya as is generally known is an ancient and hallowed spot on earth. Being the seat of Enlightenment of the Buddha it is the holiest of the holies for the Buddhists of the world. Situated on the banks of the river Niranjana, Buddhagaya was originally a part of the Uruvela village (presently Urail). Its geographical location is at 24o 41’ 45’’ N. Latitude and 85o 2’ 22’’ E. Longitude and is located in

Bihar which again is an ancient and historical place not only due to Buddhagaya but because Bihar is equally important to the Jains, Hindus and Sikhs.

Although Buddhagaya has not attracted as much attention as the world famous Agra or Ajanta, but of late it has become a significant and interesting place due to its having longer and more complete history than almost any other place in the sub-continent. Its history supplemented by geographical, archaeological and literary sources from China, Tibet, Burma and Sri Lanka. The history of Buddhagaya is also made more interesting by the participation of some of Asia’s greatest personalities from King Asoka to Hiuen Tsang and Edwin Arnold to Anagarika Dharmapala.

The history of Buddhagaya is not merely an outline of events, or a list of doubtful dates, but it ranks high in importance from an artistic and architectural point of view.

The Mahabodhi Temple — where Lord Buddha got divine light has given a place of pride to Buddhagaya in the world map, for religion and tourism is the sole surviving example of what was one a whole architectural genre. It even had an International influence, through models and plans and replicas of it which were carried throughout Asia by pilgrims and from which copies of it were reproduced. The large number of statues and stupas gives one an example of Buddhist art, but also makes it one of the richest repositories of sculpture from the Pala period.
The fame of Buddhagaya as the sacred site where the Buddha attained Sambodhi goes back to very early times giving it a religious significance.

For the millions of Buddhists, it is the Navel of the Earth — the geographical centre of their faith. For it is here that Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha after attaining Enlightenment sitting under the Bodhi Tree, and it is from here the phenomenon now called Buddhism began its gentle progress to the farthest reaches of the globe.

In keeping with Buddhism’s emphasis on calm detachment, Buddhagaya has never evoked in the Buddhists the intense fervour that Mecca, Benaras, Jerusalem or Amritsar have in the millions who hold these places sacred. It has, nonetheless, inspired countless pilgrims throughout the centuries to undergo hardship and danger for the blessing of just being able to walk on its sacred ground. The Buddha’s experience at Uruvela not only resulted in the location changing its name to Bodhgaya or Buddhagaya; it has also meant that this, otherwise an obscure village, has been the focus of attention for millions of pilgrims. It became very early and remains even today, the most important place of Buddhist pilgrimage. The exact place where the Buddha sat, when he was enlightened, was called Vajrasana meaning ‘Diamond Throne’.

It is believed that when the universe is finally destroyed, this could be the last place to disappear and that it would be the first place to form when the universe began to re-evolve again.

The Vajrasana was also, sometimes, called the Victory Throne of all the Buddha’s (Sabbabuddhanam Jayapallankam) or the Navel of the Earth (Pathavinabhi). The Vajrasana which was also called Sambodhi by King Asoka but the most widely used and also the most enduring of Buddhagaya’s names was Mahabodhi meaning ‘great enlightenment’.
Buddhagaya today is a place of attraction for the entire Buddhist world and groups of pilgrims and visitors come to visit it all the year round, some to pay their obeisance to this great edifice of veneration, whereas for some to come and see this great edifice of history.
Buddhagaya remained the cynosure of the Buddhist world upto the 13th century, thereafter due to the sudden political upheavals that took place in and out of India, activities at Buddhagaya were also interrupted and disrupted. The place was deserted and became desolate and it remained neglected and forgotten for several centuries.
But, as if by miracle, Buddhagaya, erstwhile an insignificant village, was transformed overnight for it now hums with life and bids fair to be the centre of the Buddhist world once more.

History has taken a turn and once again Buddhagaya is humming with life.

In the beginning, the pilgrims were only a few and far between, but there is tremendous increase in the number of pilgrims with the development of communication systems and other facilities. When this place is full of pilgrims, it is then a sight to see how they pour forth their devotion in various ways. These they do by offering pujas, circumambulating along the sacred precincts, prostrating round the main shrine, sitting in contemplation under the sacred Bodhi tree and holding meditation retreats, burning of candles and butter lamps.

All these inspiring and instilling into us a little hope and a little faith, the aroma of goodwill, peace and devotion pervades the whole atmosphere. Each and every follower frequents the holy place to receive inspiration and blessings at the seat of Enlightenment of the Buddha whose Sambodhi has universal significance.

Temple Complex :
The most important place for one and all, be it the pilgrims, the visitors, the tourists or the local populace is unquestionably the ancient heritage and world famous Mahabodhi Temple, which is the biggest, but by no means the only temple at Buddhagaya.

The great monument that exists today is a later structure built on the spot where once existed the Bodhi Shrine of Buddha built by King Asoka. The exact date of its construction is not available, but records and travelogues suggest that it was built sometime around the 6th-7th centuries A.D. As at present, the structure is 170 ft. high and consists of a straight pyramidal tower of nine storeys, the main structure is surmounted by a stupa-shaped dome and at the base of the main tower there rises a turret at each of the four corners, a miniature replica of the main edifice. Niches are carved into the body of the entire edifice for the placing of Buddha images and other cult images of the Mahayana pantheon.

Entering the temple inside the main shrine which is built on the very place where the Buddha attained Enlightenment, the place variously called "the victory throne of all Buddhas" (sabba buddhanam jayapallankam) or "the Navel of the Earth" (puthavinabhim).

It was while seated here that "vision arose, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, understanding arose, light arose" in the Buddha that full moon night of the 6th century B.C. and where he continued to sit for seven days "experiencing the joy of liberation".

The shrine on which the Buddha statue sits and the statue itself date back to the Pala period. The statue in the shrine dates back to the late 10th century A.D., is more than two meters high and shows the Buddha in the earth-touching gesture. Everyone who comes in contact with the statue is beholden with awe by the radiance it emits and

when Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore saw it for the first time, it was the only time in his life when he felt the urge to bow before a statue.

At the back of the Mahabodhi Temple is the Bodhi Tree under which Lord Buddha sat meditating and attained Enlightenment. The present Bodhi Tree was planted in the 19th century when a sapling was brought from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, several previous trees having died or been destroyed. The present tree is more than 122 years old. This is the most important object of veneration for the Buddhists of the world. Even the Buddha himself sanctioned the use of the Bodhi Tree as an object of veneration, as a symbol of the Buddha himself. The Buddha himself was so full of gratitude towards the Bodhi Tree that on the second week after his Enlightenment the Buddha simply stood gazing at the tree in gratitude that he stood there for seven days without blinking his eyes even for a second. It is therefore no doubt that the Buddha himself was greatly in awe of the Bodhi Tree which gave him shelter in his most momentous occasion during his search for peace and emancipation.

The Buddha spent seven weeks in seven different places that are all located in the precincts of the Mahabodhi temple.

The first week was under the Bodhi Tree itself and the second week he spent opposite the Bodhi Tree gazing at it which is known as the Animesalocana (the place of Unwinking Gazing). The third week he spent doing the walking meditation or Cankamana which is also a very prominent place. The fourth week was spent at the Ratanaghara on the jewel house where the Buddha spent his fourth week contemplating on the metaphysics (Abhidhamma) which was discovered here. This philosophy was based on the laws of Cause and Effect ( paticcasamuppada) and is the most important place and this shrine house was said to have been built for the Buddha by the devas.

It is believed that during the course of his meditation here rays of different colours emanated from his body and the colours (blue, yellow, red, white, orange) have been used to design the Buddhist flag.

The fifth week he spent under the Ajapala Nigrodha tree where he is said to have had a conversation with Brahma. The discourse given here is important, because the Buddha is said to have been the first exponent of equality in the social order discarding the caste system prevalent in the society. The sixth week he spent near the Mucalinda tank or the Lotus pond. The Buddha during the course of his stay met with a cyclonic storm and heavy rain there-after which the Naga King, Mucalinda, is said to have sheltered the Buddha from rain. The seventh week was spent by the Buddha at the foot of the Rajayatana tree,

where he made his first disciples, Tapussa and Bhallika, two merchants who came here on their way to a business trip. They were the first lay disciples of the Buddha.

The complex possesses a total area of 14.3 acres. The Mahabodhi Temple alongwith its several votive stupas and statues that surround the structure on all sides including the seven places of significance has also a Meditation Park and Shantivan in its complex. The meditation-park has been developed lately keeping in mind the demand of the pilgrims who want to meditate here in the sylvan solitude and feel the positive vibrancy that this place possesses.

Buddhagaya (Present)
Buddhagaya, to be very true is a Land of Spiritualism. Had the Buddha not attained Enlightenment here, this place would have remained an obscure village named Uruwela. For this significance alone, this entire place, with the vibrancy of its positively, to erase the pollution in the minds of man has become a place of importance.

Seekers of spiritual delight come in hoardes to experience that breathtaking emancipation, which the humankind thrives to attain, is in other words called Nibbana or Emancipation.

Therefore, the Holiest Buddhagaya Pilgrimage stands for the time-old spiritual activity itself. Because all sacred and religious activities may be deemed to have revived in oneself a spiritual zeal. That is why the entire Buddhagaya Vihara (Temple) Complex along-with all the surroundings whether of Artistic or of the Religiostic value, every aspect herein, inspires the devotees from over the globe, for a moment, with spiritual intention or the feelings.
In the above perspectives, the Mahabodhi Mahavihara, the Maha Bodhi Society of India, the Burmese Vihara, the Chinese Temple, the Japanese Temple, the Daijokyo Buddhist Temple, the Wat Thai, the International Meditation Centre, the Bhutanese Temple, the Nepalese Temple, the Vietnamese Temple, the Tibetan Temple, the Root Institute, the Maitreya Project and the other Institutions may be considered to be the sources of all the spiritual activities at Buddhagaya.

Buddhagaya being the Land of Enlightenment can be said to be the Land of the Spiritual Enlightenment where under the Hallowed Bodhi-Tree on the Full-Moon Day of Vaisakha 2543 years ago Gautama Siddhartha attained Enlightenment. After this historic event, Gautama who came to be known as the Historic Buddha -- travelled far and wide, in the villages and the country side, to the hills and dales, traversing the entire Janapadas of those days, preaching His new found Truth which He termed as the Dhamma , which not only can purify the mind of a person for eradicating the Ego-significance positively, but also paves his way to the attainment of Peace, Love, Compassion, Brotherhood and finally, the Deliverance.

And since then the Kings and the Commoners alike all thronged to this Pilgrimage, not only to offer their reverence to the most hallowed spot on earth, but also to experience the Bliss of which the Buddha and His disciples have been talking about.
The Message of the Buddhas for the spiritual upliftment are very simple and these go like

—"Sabba papassa akaranam kusalassa upasampada, sacitta-pariyodapanam etam Buddhana sasanam", which means to refrain from all evils, to do good and to purify one's mind are the Teachings of the Buddhas.

Thus, this very message percolates the source of spiritualism and can be said to the seed of lasting Happiness for the deliverance from all Sufferings. Since all things are mind created and mind made, it is therefore, the mind that is to be trained and controlled, to be tamed. The taming of the mind can only be achieved through the only path that took Gautama long six years to discover and this path is the vipassana or the Insight system of Meditation.

Buddhagaya is the only place which has attracted the seekers after Truth to came here in search of that eluding Peace and Happiness and in the last fifty years, i.e., after Independence much has happened in the field of spiritual activities.

With the revival of Buddhism in India religious activities as well as the literary activities were given much importance. The Govt. of India under the Prime Ministership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru celebrated the 2500 years of Buddhism and that is when Buddhagaya received a face-lift but still the spiritual actitivities in the organised way did not take place. Only the individuals have been practising it.
But the 1960's saw the dawn of spiritual activities at Buddhagaya. From 1966 onwards Anagarika Munindra was the one to start with the Vipassana Meditation retreats at Buddhagaya at the Samanway Asharam, and thereafter, Dipa-ma, the first woman teacher also used to hold retreats. In 1970 the International Meditation Centre, Buddhagaya, was founded and came into existence. This is the first registered Vipassana Meditation Centre in India and since then forward has been imparting Vipassana Meditation without a pause. The Centre has been organising and conducting Meditation Retreats round the year. Presently, the Centre has become a premier Meditation Centre wherein aspirant meditators come from all over the globe. Shri S. N. Goenkaji also started the first meditation camp at Buddhagaya at the Samanway Ashram on 9.4.1970 and subsequently arranged meditations several times, in different centres. For the last 5 years they have constructed their centre named the Vipassana International Buddhist Meditation Centre (Dhammabodhi) around 6 km. Away from the Main Buddhagaya Vihara.

The convergence of the meditators at Buddhagaya all round the year is proof enough of how Vipassana has been able to transform the minds of the people who come to Buddhagaya for spiritual regeneration.

Mr. Christoper Titmus holds retreats at the Wat Thai Monastery every year organise two 10-day courses. A large number of aspirants from different parts of the world use to take part in the camps. Mr. Michael Kewley also holds retreats for the Westerners for three months starting from the month of December every year. He holds the retreats at the Govt. of Bihar hotels and also held at the Old Centre of I.M.C. before it was transferred to the Maitreya Project. The other is Mr. Andrew Cohen who also comes here in the winters and holds retreats with the Westerners. The other important annual event is the one that is done by the Antioch University Group of the United States who bring in students to Buddhagaya for 3-4 months to study comparative Buddhism and Meditation. The classes and the retreats are held at the Burmese Vihara and in the other Centres under the different teachers and scholars. This is how the Western Teachers organise meditation Retreats at Buddhagaya.
Meditation sessions also take place in the evening for one-hour everyday at the Indosam Nipponji or the Japanese Temple. The ambience and the silent atmosphere has made it an important place for the meditators who throng here. Apart from meditatiors who throng here. Apart from meditational activities, religious rites and rituals is also an important feature here.

The Sri Lankans who come here in huge numbers converege at the Maha Bodhi Temple and offer prayer at the foot of the Holy Bodhi-Tree. They observe Sila and offer hand made flags and other things and eatables too. They also take part in the Sutta chanting and listen to discourses given by the Ven'ble Monks.

The Sanghadana is also offered to the Monks in the respective Monasteries of the countries they belong to. The Baruas or the Bengalese Buddhists come all round the year. They come here for dual pursoses. One is to offer their sons to the Sangha for Ordination as a Novice for a short period. And the other to offer Sanghadana to the Monks. The Thais come here in large numbers and offer Pujas at the Maha Bodhi Vihara and also meditate under the Holy Bodhi-Tree. They offer huge pieces of decorative clothes to the Bodhi-Tree, which they wrap around it. On some occasions they offer Sanghadana at the Maha Bodhi Temple. The Burmese pilgrims which were very few compared to the earlier years come in large numbers specially after the treatise signed by both the Governments and the treatise signed by both the Governments and the travel rules made more simple. They also offer Puja and meditate. The Burmese and the Thais have a penchant to offer gold leaves to paint the images, the Vajrasana and the Bodhi-Tree with gold or golden colour.
The Japanese who come here in groups go straight to the Maha Bodhi Vihara to offer their prayers. It is only then that they go about their respective ways. The Japanese unlike the others have a short stay at Buddhagaya.

The most noticeable and lively of all are the Taiwanese Buddhists. May be it is after a long time they are getting an opportunity to discuss religion openly which can be seen when they arrive at Buddhagaya they become very emotional. They cry, weep and beat their chests and offer their prayers in a choir and unision.

They are great donors and offer to the Monks, the laities and the begars as well. While donating and offereing they become most liberal and without any stop and binding. The Tibetans who are living today in different parts of the world come here in huge numbers in the winters. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a regular visitor here and has conducted Kalachakra Puja here. He offers prayers and discourses for his disciples and the devotees. The other Sect of the Tibetans hold a 10 day long Peace Prayer at the Maha Bodhi Temple. Buddhagaya during these periods look like a Mini Tibet. Also the 17th Karmapa has started coming here to hold meditation retreats and World Peace Prayer of the Kagyu- Karma sect.
The Great Seating Meditative postured Buddha by the Daijokyo Buddhist Temple of 80 feet high has a special at traction for the devotees and pilgrims. Sometimes the group meditators from USA, Japan etc. use to come and stay in the complex for meditation. The root in the complex for meditation. The Root Institute also maintains Meditation very off and on every year. The Maitreya Project too organizes meditation and the Project has been contemplating to install the Maitreya Buddha the highest ever in the world. Besides this, the International Meditation Centre, Buddhagaya, holds the Kathina Civara Dana or the Robe-offering Ceremony in October-November every year where Buddhists from different parts of the world converge. The ceremony is held after the Vassa Vasa or the Rainy Retreat. This is done so, to offer Robes to the Venerable Monks by the lay devotees. This ceremony is the only of its kind to be held at Buddhagaya at such a large scale.
The Thai Monastery holds prayer sessions every week, imparting training in chanting to the Buddhists of nearby villagers of Siddharthanagar (Miyabigha) who have been initiated to Buddhism.
So, Buddhagaya in the last Fifty years has become a vibrating centre of Spiritual activities and not only that- Buddhagaya has gone and grown from strength to strength in all its spheres.

Buddha and His Dhamma

2008-04-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

In the year 563 B. C. on the Full Moon Day of Vaisakha in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, a young prince was born to King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya in the royal Lumbini grove under a Sal Tree. On the fifth day of his birth he was named 'Siddhartha' and on the seventh day his mother expired. The younger sister of Mahamaya, Prajapati Gautami who was his step-mother took care of the young child like any other mother would do.
During the formative years of Prince Siddhartha, he received his early education and was trained in warfare, but he was often found immersed in deep - thoughts regarding the suffering and miseries of humanity. He was opposed to exploitation of man by man, inequality, poverty, violence, class and caste system. When he attained the age of sixteen he was married to a very beautiful and charming Princess Yashodhara, daughter of the Koliya King Dandapani of Devadaha.
When Siddhartha was 29 years old Yashodhara gave birth to a beautiful son named Rahula and this he termed as another impediment to keep him attached to worldly life. He left his palace leaving behind his parents, his beautiful wife and the new born Rahula in search of a way that would free mankind or humanity from the cycle of suffering.
Realizing that the practice of severe austerities would lead him to death and left his friends and came to the east bank of the river Niranjana where he was offered Kheer (rice-pudding = cooked rice with milk and sugar) by Sujata, daughter of the chief of the village Senani. Accepting the Dana (offer) of Sujata he crossed the river Niranjana and came to Uruvela on the same day and in the evening he prepared a seat of kusa grass and sat beneath the pipal tree facing eastwards. The Bodhisattva Siddhartha who was determined to reach the truth started his fight against the Mara, the Evil One sitting for meditation with strong determination (adhitthana) that unless and until he would not find out the truth he would not get up from the seat, come what may.
After attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha spent seven more weeks in meditation in seven different places around the Maha Bodhi Tree contemplating his stupendous achievement for this human life as to be born as a human being is very rare.

His Dhamma ( The Teachings)
The Buddha then set out for Varanasi where at the Deer Park (Mrigadaya vana) in Isipattana modern Sarnath where the first sermon (the Dhammachakra pravartana) was expounded or the setting in motion the wheel of the Law to the first five Brahmin disciples who earlier were closely associated with Siddhartha for six long years exhorting them to avoid the two extremes of self-indulgence and self mortification for self-indulgence leads to retardation of spiritual progress and the latter weakness one's intelligence.

The Buddha expounded the Dhamma based on the four Noble Truths i.e., Dukkha (Suffering) , the cause of Dukkha (Suffering), the cessation of Dukkha (Suffering) and the path leading to the cessation of suffering which was through Arya Astangik Marg (the Noble Eightfold Path) consisting of Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Efforts, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Understanding and Right Thought. The Dhamma which is based on the three pillars of Sila (Morality), Samadhi (Concentration) and Prajna (Wisdom) which in other words is also called the Middle Way or the righteous way of life.

The Buddha established the Sangha or the Order of Monks for the creation of an ideal society based on Maitri (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic joy) and Upeksha (equanimity) which was free from class, caste and colour prejudices and maintained equality, freedom, justice, fraternity and brotherhood. The Buddha in course of 45 years of his ministry moved from village to village, town to town, city to city along with His retinue of monks following His own prescribed dictum

' Bahujana Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya'

and finally at the age of 80 he attained Mahaparinirvana (left His body in meditation) lying between two Sal trees. It is an event of unique significance that all the three events of the Buddha, birth, Enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana all took place in the forest and beneath the trees and all happened at a single day on the fool Moon Day of Vaisakha in Sal grove at Kusinara, modern Kushinagar.

BUDDHAGAYA -- THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE

2008-04-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Modern village of Buddhagaya on the bank of the Lilajan (ancient Niranjana) has grown up around the ancient

Sambodhi, the holiest of the holy spots, near the ancient village of Uruvela.

Sambodhi later on became Mahabodhi, by which name the entire Buddhist establishment came to be designated in later times, though the Tibetan pilgrim Dharmasvamin refers to it as Vajrasana.
The Pipal tree (asvattha, Ficus religiosa), at the foot of which Gautama obtained his Bodhi, formed the nucleus of a great establishment.

The tree that is now present at the back of the Mahabodhi temple is only its remote successor.

We have no record of the number of times it died but was revived through grafts and seeds.
The earliest construction at the foot of the Bodhi tree was a polished sandstone throne (vajrasana) found by Cunningham buried behind a stucco-faced throne, the latter itself hidden inside the present basalt throne of the temple.

It is ascribed to Asoka who, as one of his edicts avouches, undertook pilgrimage (dharma-yatra) to Sambodhi.

On the evidence of a relief on the railing of Bharhut the same monarch is credited with the erection of a shrine over the vajrasana, a railing around it and the tree and a pillar with an elephant-capital.
The earliest vestiges that are visible now are of the first century B.C. They are a carved stone seat (vajrasana), the one in front of the Bodhi tree; the remnants of a carved quadrangular three-bared railing of pale reddish sandstone, originally formed the enclosure of the Bodhi tree, fronted by a pillared pavilion, the latter in turn containing a throne within; and pillar-bases (found in situ) and a detached pillar of the covered promenade (chankama) of Buddha. The cankama marks the sacred spot where Buddha spent the third week after his Enlightenment, meditatively walking up and down. It is now a brick platform with representations of lotuses that are believed to have blossomed forth under the footsteps of Buddha. The railing of Bharhut bears a relief of the covered promenade.
The railing was enlarged in the Gupta period by new granite posts, crossbars and copings, which, though cleverly interwoven with the earlier ones, were in a different style of carving. The enlargement and re-erection in its present position became a necessity in order to provide space for the large temple - the nucleus of the present Mahabodhi temple erected during this period at the foot of the Bodhi tree to house an image of Buddha on a throne in place of the earlier vacant throne.
The temple (Vajrasana-brihad-gandha-kuti) assumed the appearance of the present temple not only in dimensions and broad features but also in decorations by the time of Hiuen Tsang’s visit (596-664 A.D.), as the pilgrim’s description of it was substantially true of the existing structure before the repair in 1880-81. During that repair it was found out that the temple had undergone major repairs and renovations more than once; scrupulous care had, however, been taken to simulate, though not always very successfully, the original decorations.

The original fabric of the present Mahabodhi temple at Buddhagaya which although,notwithstanding the simplicity of design and decoration, is of unique importance, being the sole survivor of a style of architecture which was in vogue in this region and of which vestiges are still in existence in the ruined temples at Nalanda and a few other places. In spite of having been subjected to many changes, including a complete overhauling in the eighties of the nineteenth century, curiously enough it retains the dimensions and broad features that characterized it in the time of Hiuen Tsang.

Buddhagaya is a transitional site, transitional chronologically between contrary perceptions of styles of Arts, transitional teleologically as the threshold where the pilgrim stands between the human and super-human condition, and transitional biographically where the Buddha shuffles off his mortal coils and then decides to postpone his ‘aspiration’ out of compassion for the suffering and benighted creatures of the earth. In the history of Buddhism, this impulse of compassion dilutes the atmosphere of glacial austerity and icy speculation which surrounds its early catechisms and then transforms its insular outlook, oriented to individual salvation by giving it and oecumenical dimension of proselytization.

Buddhagaya is venerated by Buddhists as the place where Bodhisattva Gautama becomes the Buddha and yet abstains from advancing to supreme fulfillment; where he demonstrates that, once he has opened the door, it is possible for everyone to follow suit and become a Buddha like him.

The Janus outlook of Buddha’s sojourn at Buddhagaya is heralded by an intense contraction and concentration of cerebration and culminates in a manifold expansion of consciousness. The ambivalence of outlook has left indelible imprints on the art of Buddhagaya in its earliest visible phase.
The site of the Buddha’s enlightenment became the nucleus of much building activity from the third century B.C. to about the fifteenth century A.D. It was surrounded, at an early stage in its history, by a carved sandstone railing. This railing was later enlarged and re-erected to form a larger enclosure with the help of additional posts, this time made of granite, and provided with a gateway to the east. Portions of this railing, both the sandstone and granite parts have survived to the present day. The granite portions are recognized as belonging to the Gupta period, that is the fifth century A.D. or a little later. The dates of the sand-stone railing however, remains controversial, ranging from the third century B.C. to the first or second century A.D. Determining its chronology, is, however, extremely important, for, together with Sanchi and Bharhut, it constitutes a very significant document of early Indian ‘Buddhist’ sculpture and forms the seed-bed for the vocabulary of later Indian art.

Buddhagaya has the distinction of possessing the earliest datable sculpture of the Buddha, presently housed in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. The image bears an important inscription on its pedestal, contains a date in the year 64 during the reign of Maharaja Trikamal.

S.K. Sarasvati narrates, "introduces a stern discipline which seems to restrain all earthly bearings of the monumentalised body and to endow it with a concentrated energy that has its roots in the within. With this transformation the image attains its true spiritual import".

The Bodhisattva from Bodhgaya, Kramrisch says, "is the first image in India which by its form signifies what its name implies." The importance of this image", opines C. Prasad, "in the history of the plastic art lies in the fact that it set the pattern for the evolved and distinctive Buddha image not only in India but throughout Asia."

Buddha image housed inside the Mahabodhi temple is particularly important in the context of Buddhagaya sculptures. This image was not in the temple when archaeological explorations were going on in and around Buddhagaya by the then British government. R. L. Mitra noted that it was in the Mahantha’s compound. Later on at the request of Cunningham and Beglar, it was moved to its present location in the main shrine. Its height of more than two metres has made it the largest surviving seated Buddha image from Buddhagaya. Its great size may indicate that it once served as the central image of the Mahabodhi Temple, replacing an earlier work for some reason.
The image of the main shrine is of 10th century A.D. Here the Buddha is sitting on a patterned cushion instead of a lotus. In the middle of the pedestal appears the earth goddess. Pedestal is also decorated with lions alternating with elephants. The patterned cushion, it seems, is a feature encountered in other sculptures of the Buddha from eastern India might have been copies of this image.

The surviving work from Buddhagaya, "certainly demonstrate the sustained pre-eminence given to the forms of the Buddha. This firmly established throughout Bihar and Bengal, inspired Buddhists from other parts of Asia to create similar works of art that celebrated the experience of Bodhgaya. And although this legacy was not strongly sustained in India after the 12th century, it certainly endured elsewhere in the Buddhist world."

Buddhagaya as we all know is a hallowed spot on earth and we are fortunate that this spot happens to be here in Bihar, in India which in itself is a boon to us. Millenniums are particularly significant for civilizations, cultures and world religions that have longer time spans. It is a suitable time to reflect on the development over the centuries, its expansion and the challenges it has to face in this modern age and to evaluate possible developments in the future.

Going by the preamble to the constitution of UNESCO – "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed". Therefore the Mahabodhi Temple vis-a-vis Buddhagaya needs to be preserved, developed, expanded and beautified for the future generations so that they can come and feel the positive vibrations from where the message of peace, compassion, unity, universal brotherhood and love pervaded the entire universe more than 2550 years ago.

Buddhagaya is an international pilgrimage and tourist spot. Tourism as an industry has enough potential to develop. The Mahabodhi Temple is here no doubt. Theme parks, heritage parks can come up. Lakes can be constructed in the parks where people can spend time. It will promote business for all classes of people. Business which takes place for a couple of months can take place round the year. Buddhagaya needs to be more green and pollution free. Use of plastic should be strictly banned and use of paper bags has to be made compulsory. Electrification system needs to be changed with underground cables as Buddhagaya is a town of wires and cables today. Noise and dirt pollution should be checked so that the environment remains clean and green.

With the all-round development of Buddhagaya it is sure to attract more pilgrims and tourists as there will be better infrastructure facilities which will be at par as is available elsewhere. With the globalization of Buddhism Buddhagaya will become a very important place in the history of the World Cultural sphere. We need to preserve it, showcase it and present it to the world community for the future.

Mahabodhi Temple and its precincts:
The Mahabodhi Temple and its precincts is the most important place in Buddhagaya. It is the hub of the entire spectrum of activities that take place here. Therefore, with its being included in the heritage list will ensure its longevity and survival. This is because modern technologies will be used for its maintenance and up-keep. International standard material will be used for its renovation and restoration. Expertise and knowledge of renowned and learned experts will be taken into confidence to ensure that standard work is being done for the renovation, restoration, development and beautification of the Temple and that the work is done keeping in view its archaeological and aesthetic value.

Tourism :
Tourism will get a boost no doubt. Presently, Buddhagaya is the highest revenue earner in Bihar as well as in India. Tourist related developments shall have to be undertaken. Better transport facilities to and from the airport and the railway station. Other than the Mahabodhi Temple and the different Monasteries there is nothing to hold back the visitors. Theme parks, heritage parks, light and sound project, multipurpose auditorium, lakes with musical water fountains and recreational facilities will have to be evolved. At present Buddhagaya lacks these facilities.

Globalization:
In today’s sense of globalization, Buddhism too is spreading all around the world. Globalization indicates the disappearance of national and continental boundaries bringing together nations, languages, cultures and religions. There is now a gradual movement towards mutual understanding and cooperation on the basis of common objectives and shared realities. What better place than Buddhagaya can it be for us to fulfil this objective.

Buddhagaya has monasteries from different Buddhist countries and we can rightly term Buddhagaya as the U.N.O.’S cultural capital. Buddhagaya will be the Cultural Ambassador of India to the world if developed according to the norms of World Heritage.

Overall Sustainable Development :
Buddhagaya will be developed at a more faster pace. With its inclusion in the World Heritage List the development process will gain momentum. Making Buddhagaya green and clean will be our objective. A proper drainage system should be included. Garbage and compost recycling plants should be set-up to produce renewable energy. Electricity system should be modernized and the town made free from overhead electrical wires. Vehicles should be parked in the parking bay and information system has to be introduced to inform the vehicle driver to bring the vehicle to come and pick-up the visitors. Use of plastic should be stopped immediately and use of paper bags should be encouraged. All these will be possible if and when Buddhagaya is included in the World Heritage list.
Buddhagaya is a very important place and it needs to be developed in a way that conforms to international standards. With the introduction and declaration of Buddhagaya as a World Heritage spot this will be a real possibility.

The Buddhagaya Temple History

2008-04-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Mahabodhi Mahavihar or more popularly known as the Buddha Gaya Temple or Great Stupa and is one of the shrine out of 84000 shrines erected by King Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century B.C.

The Mahabodhi Mahavihar is the sole surviving example of what was once an architectural genre.

How long it took to create this magnificent structure or whose creation it still remains a mystery and the lack of a comprehensive historical data this subject remains a controversy till date.
However, throughout the centuries, this blessed site has retained its deep spiritual vibration and and inspired countless beings towards a saintly life and the vihara itself stands out as an eye catching artistic landmark as if standing testimony towards the presence of the greatest Teacher of all time mankind has ever witnessed. The Temple underwent several restorations, renovations and repairs in subsequent periods by a number of devout Kings and philanthropists persons of home and abroad.

A very thorough renovation of the Temple was taken up during 1874 by the deputation of the Burmese King, Mindon-Min, with the permission of the Government of India but subsequently completed in 1884 under the supervision of Cunningham and Dr. Rajendra Lal Mitra.

This Temple suffered much at the hands of time, especially during the reign of the Hindu King Shashanka of Gour (Bengal).

Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

2008-03-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya;India State of Bihar, Eastern India 24° 41' N, 84° 59' E;Inscribed :2002 Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi) Justification for Inscription:

Criterion (i): The grand 50m high Mahabodhi Temple of the 5th-6th centuries is of immense importance, being one of the earliest temple constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent.

It is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era.

Criterion (ii): The Mahabodhi Temple, one of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India, has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries.
Criterion (iii): The site of the Mahabodhi Temple provides exceptional records for the events associated with the life of Buddha and subsequent worship, particularly since Emperor Asoka built the first temple, the balustrades, and the memorial column.
Criterion (iv): The present Temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone.
Criterion (vi): The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya has direct association with the life of the Lord Buddha, being the place where He attained the supreme and perfect insight.
Report of the 26th Session of the Committee Brief description:
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India, from the late Gupta period.

History Of Bodh Gaya

2008-03-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Bodh Gaya is a small town in Gaya district of Bihar in India. It is the place where Shakyamani Gautama Buddha reached enlightenment. Since early in the history of Buddhism it has been a sacred place of pilgrimage and attracted pilgrims from all over the Buddhist world.

The main focus of activity is the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment, the temple next to the tree, and the sacred complex surrounding the tree and temple. Every year thousands of pilgrims from every Buddhist country in the world visit this sacred site.

Bodh Gaya has a history which stretches back into the mists of antiquity. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the earliest traces of human habitation stretch back to at least as early as 1100 BCE.

Chalcollithic Age (1100-600BCE)

During this period there was already settled agriculture, hunting and fishing in Bodh Gaya. People were living in reed and bamboo or wattle and daub buildings and were skilled in making pottery, stone implements, arrow heads, fish hooks, etc. The pottery of his period is referred to as Black and Red ware, and features decorations in slips on red and black surfaces. The presence of rice husk impressions in pottery indicates that rice was already being cultivated in this area at this time as well as cereals. They did not use iron implements but were familiar with copper and there is evidence for the smelting of copper goods in Bodh Gaya.

Iron age (600-200 BCE)
This period is marked in archaeological excavations not only by the introduction of iron implements but by the adoption of new techniques in pottery making which produced a kind of pottery called Northern Black Polished Pottery (NBP), a remarkable mirror like light ceramic. This era also saw the introduction of coinage which is found in excavations from this period.

It is of course also the era in which Shakyamuni Guatama Buddha lived and attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. From Buddhist and Brahminical textual sources it can be gathered that Gaya and Bodh Gaya was already a place of pilgrimage by this time and the present day village of Bakraur was a significant market town.

Mauryan Period (200BCE-100CE)
In this period Bodh Gaya became a major place of Buddhist Pilgrimage. All the evidence points to the Emporor Ashoka having made a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya and built some sort of monument at the tree where the Buddha was enlightened, probably of railings around the tree and a monumental column. In subsequent generations the initial railings were extended.

The Kushana Period (100 - 400 CE)
It is likely that during this period the first temple was constructed at Bodh Gaya. It seems that the tree was moved back from its previous position and the alighnment of the shrine was changed. It is due to this that the 'Jewel walk' the ancient monument that marked where Buddha did walking meditation after his enlightenment has a slightly different alighnment from the temple.

The Gupta Period (400 - 800 CE)
This period marked the construction of the temple in a form probably akin to that of its present day appearance. The temple was also associated by this time with numerous other monuments and monasteries.

The Pala Period (800-1200 CE)
During this period Bodh Gaya was a major centre of Buddhism patronised by the Pala Dynasty of Bengal. It seems likely that at some point during this period the four subsidiary shrines on the main temple were added. Buddhism flourished in Bodh Gaya and there are a number of accounts by pilgrims of the wonders that they saw at this place.

The Medieval Period (1200-1800 CE)
In the late 1100's the Bodh Gaya area came under the rulership of the Islamic Sultanate of Delhi and state patronage for the temple and monasteries stopped. The lands of the monasteries and temples were taken over by the new rulers and it seems that gradually the temples and monasteries of Bodh Gaya fell into decay. During this period wandering Buddhist Siddhas, and Shaivite Nath Siddha ascetics continued practice in Bodh Gaya and Shaivite asectics established a permanent monastery, or Math, in Bodh Gaya. This Math gradually became the major landowner in the area and the Abott, or Mahant, the local ruler.

The Colonial Period (1800-1947 CE)
Early colonial accounts of Bodh Gaya depict it as a rural village where the principal landlords were the Abotts of the Hindu monastery and the temple was in a state of disrepair and falling down. The British were spurred to action over the temple in the 1880s when a Burmese mission to repair the temple was in action at the same time as the British annexed Burma. Due to this the Archaeological survey of India took over the rebuilding of the temple under the direction of Alexander Cunningham. The present form of the temple complex is that of this 19th century reconstruction.
In the late 1800s Anagarika Dharmapala, a Buddhist leader from Ceylon, began what became a long campaign to take the management of the temple into Buddhist hands.

The Modern Era (1947-)
On independence the management of the temple became a controversial issue. Eventually, the temple was taken out of the hands of the Hindu Abotts and put into the hands of a management comittee. The Temple Management Committee was made up of Buddhists and Hindus, but with a statuary majority of Hindus.
In the 1990s campaigning by the followers of Ambedkar, Indians who became Buddhists after 1956, led to the handing over of the management of the temple to Buddhists.

STUPA

2008-02-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

"Stupa is a sanskrit word and it is translated as "a knot or tuft of hair, the upper part of the head, crest, top, summit". In Rigveda texts stupa means "tree's stem". The root "stup" and the noun "stupa" was a living lexeme as evidenced by its derivatives in several languages distribuited over vast areas from Afghanistan to Lahndi in the eastermost region of India. Stupa is also a "pile-up of clay", meaning supported by its hindi derivatives. This is confirmed by the chinese traveller I-Tsing who visited India in the seventh century A.D. The word "stupa" can also be derived from "stup" which means "to raise well up, raise aloft, elevate". The word is also attested in Greek stupos "stem, stump, block. Compare the cognates in Latin stipes, stipa, stupeo, and in Lithuanian stups, stupe, pl. stupas. In Icelandic stupa is "tower". We can catch glimpses of the very beginning of the stupa as an element of the agricultural economy of early man. In its earliest stages it was a "tethering post" for an animal made out of a wooden stump to keep the animal in place. The animal was the symbol of wealth, Latin pecunia "money", originally property in cattle, from pecus "cattle". In its earliest form and function, the stupa represented a stabilisation of the socio-economic life of the comunity. The word tope for stupa was first introduced into English in 1839. It has three quite distinct origin. In the meaning of a buddhist monument: the word tope is in local use in the North-West Punjab, where ancient monuments of this kind occur, and appears to come from Sanskrit stupa, through the Pali or Prakrit thupo...The word was first introduced to European knowledge by Stewart Elphinstone in his account of the tope in Rawulpindi district, in the year 1839.
Monnier Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, renders stupa as "a Buddhist monument, dagoba (generally of a pyramidal or dome-like form and created over sacred relics of the historical Buddha [563-478 b.C.] or on spots consecrated as the scenes of his acts); a relics shrine or relics casket. The stupa was originally a topknot of hair, designating the upper part of the head but subsequently became used as an architectural term, indicating a monument of a dome-shaped form over the sacred relics of the Buddha or other saints or venerable persons. With the growth of Buddhism in the course of time, the early structural model of stupa underwent gradual architectural trasformation in various regions of India and elsewere. Penetration of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Central Asian, South-East Asian and East Asian countries besides Nepal and Tibet was followed by the trasmission of the religio-cultural traditions, concept, and form of Buddhist architecture including the stupa from their birth place to these foreign lands, where these were preserved , adapted and developed in accordance with local requirements, believes and taste."

BHAGVAN BUDDHA

2008-02-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

Bodh Gaya is the most sacred place for Buddhist from all over the world.This is where he got enlightenment.There are permanent monasteries of various countries near the famous temple of Buddha.

Bhagwan Buddha

Tips on Positive Relationships from Buddhism

BUDDHIST ART AND CULTURE IN GREATER ASIA

Discovery of Buddhist Stupa

Mahavira Jayanti

Development and promotion of Buddhist and the heritage sites

BUDDHIST ART AND CULTURE IN GREATER ASIA

Jagannath & Buddha

The temple of Lord Buddha in Tripura,

AJANTA CAVES - TRYST WITH BUDDHA

Walk the Path through Bihar to Vihara

Narendra Modi plans world's biggest stupa

THE BUDDHIST VISION OF UNIVERSAL COMPASSION AND PEACE

Lord Jagannath And Buddha

MAHAVIRA JAYANTI

Buddha Temples and Heritage Sites in Uttar Pradesh.

The Four Stages of Enlightenment

Buddhism - Introduction

Teaching of the Dalai Lama: Introduction to Buddhism

BUDDHA PURNIMA: THE ‘ TRIPLE BLESSED FESTIVAL’

The Excavated Buddhist Site, Lalitgiri

AMBEDKAR AND BUDDHISM

Buddha Temples and Heritage Sites

Tourists from Sri Lanka

BuddhaNet

Buddhism India

Buddhism after the Buddha

Buddhism after the Buddha

Potala Palace, the Dalai Lama's residence until 1959

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Buddha :the Enlightened One.

Is Buddhism a Religion- Helen Wyre

Karma Theory in Buddhism

Jainism and Buddhism: A Comparative Study

Reiki

The Story of Lord Buddha

Buddha

Madhubani Painting:Gautam Buddha

Buddhism

Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:Sometime after Gautam Buddh the integrity of Buddhism began to fall and the Buddhists, instead of following the path of purity, humbleness and giving respect to others, became involved in religious politics, self praise and opposing Vedic dharm.

Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:

Kushinagar

Bodh Gaya:An International Place Of Pilgrimage

Bodhgaya Temple

Nalanda

Buddhism

Kushinagar

Prince Siddhartha

Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:

The secret of Gautam Buddh’s ‘enlightenment’ and his term ‘nirvan’

Gautam Buddh

MAHABODHI TEMPLE PRECINCTS

BUDDHAGAYA - PAST AND PRESENT

Buddha and His Dhamma

BUDDHAGAYA -- THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The Buddhagaya Temple History

Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

History Of Bodh Gaya

STUPA

BHAGVAN BUDDHA

Buddhism after Gautam Buddh:
Sometime after Gautam Buddh the integrity of Buddhism began to fall and the Buddhists, instead of following the path of purity, humbleness and giving respect to others, became involved in religious politics, self praise and opposing Vedic dharm.