The transference of merit is the belief that it is possible to do good and then ‘transfer’ the kammic result (vipāka) of that good to a person who has passed away. This belief is current in all countries where Theravada … Read the rest
The first attempt to identify the plants in the Tipiṭaka was made by Robert Childers in his A Dictionary of the Pali Language of 1876. Childers gave about 165 plant names and provided … Read the rest
For centuries people have stood in awe of the Buddha and his attainments and have strived to express their feelings in stone and bronze and with brush and ink. Some have been moved by what the Buddha said, its logical … Read the rest
Like us, the Buddha lived in a world where politics had a profound influence on all aspects of life. So what was the Buddha’s attitude to politics?
After Mount Everest, Mount Kailash is the most celebrated mountain in the Himalayas. The name Kailash is derived from the Sanskrit kailāśā meaning ‘crystal’. It is 6,714 meters (22,028 ft.) above sea level and some 2000 meters above the surrounding … Read the rest
A little to the south-east of the entrance of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya are three stupas made out of carved stones held together by iron clamps. The form of these stupas and the decorations on them indicate that … Read the rest
After the Buddha himself, the most revered and universally popular figure in Buddhism is Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Since his appearance in about the first century BCE this beloved bodhisattva has been worshipped with almost unparalleled fervor by the … Read the rest
Mount Sinai was considered sacred at a much earlier date, Mt. Fuji surpasses it in beauty and height, and Mt. Kilash evokes a far greater sense of mystery. Nevertheless, no other mountain has been revered by so many people, from … Read the rest
Recently a friend asked me whether the Buddha had anything to say about criticism, speech pointing out the negative or the defective in things or persons. When I told him he was rather surprised, saying that he thought criticism would … Read the rest
India has literally thousands of places that its rich and enduring civilization has adorned with magnificent monuments. Although Bodh Gayā has not attracted as much attention as Agra with its Taj Mahal or Khajuraho’s temples with their erotic sculptures, it … Read the rest
