Books
Middle Land
Ananda, there are four places the sight of which will arouse strong emotion in those with faith. Which four places? ‘Here the Tathagata was born’ this is the first. ‘Here the Tathagata attained enlightenment’- this is the second. ‘Here the Tathagata set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma’ – this is the third. ‘Here the Tathagata attained final Nirvana without remainder’ – this is the fourth. And the monk, the nun, the layman or the laywoman who has faith should visit these places. And anyone who dies while making a pilgrimage to these shrines with a devoted
heart will, at the breaking up of the body at death, be reborn in heaven. (1)
Good Question
QUESTION: What is Buddhism?
ANSWER: The name Buddhism comes from the word budhi which means ‘to wake up’ and thus Buddhism can be said to be the philosophy of awakening. This philosophy has its origins in the experience of the man Siddhattha Gotama, known as the Buddha, who was himself awakened at the age of 35. Buddhism is now more than 2,500 years old and has about 380 million followers worldwide. Until a hundred years ago Buddhism was mainly an Asian philosophy but increasingly it is gaining adherents in Europe, Australia and the Americas.