During the Buddha’s lifetime he was given numerous epithets in recognition of his outstanding qualities. Some of these include the Happy One, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Lord of Creatures, King of Truth, Teacher, etc. One of the most interesting … Read the rest

What makes someone English, Malaysian, French, Chinese or, for the purposes of this article, Indian or Nepalese? Is it their birth certificate, their citizenship documents, the ethnicity of their parents and ancestors, their cultural particularities? Since the 1950s the Nepalese … Read the rest

Much has been written about what the Buddha taught which is only right given its clarity, consistency and the fact that 2500 years later millions still accept and live by its principles. However, beyond what the Buddha said, perhaps almost … Read the rest

The founder of most of the world’s major religions are credited with performing marvels and miracles. Jesus walked on the water, Muhammad flew to Jerusalem on the back of a winged horse-like creature, and the Hindu gods performed too many … Read the rest

The other day someone passed me a book called ‘Einstein and the Buddha: Parallel Sayings’ by Thomas J. Farlane. “Now that might be an interesting read” I thought to myself. If ever you need to be reminded of the truth … Read the rest

The Buddha was long-lived by the standards of the time which is remarkable given that after he became a monk his life was a hard one – eating scraps, often sleeping in the open and spending much of the year … Read the rest

So extraordinary was the Buddha, so unerringly kind and wise, and so positive was an encounter with him, that is would change people’s lives. Even while he was alive legends were told about him. In the centuries after his final … Read the rest

What is often referred to as “the silence of the Buddha” has become almost proverbial and has been widely commented on by both academic and popular writers. Some have claimed that the Buddha remained silent when asked questions about ultimate … Read the rest

A great deal of discussion has been given to the last meal the Buddha ate before he passed into final Nirvana. The Mahaparinibbana Sutta specifically records that the blacksmith Cunda offered the Buddha a dish called sukaramaddava and that this … Read the rest

What is often referred to as “the silence of the Buddha” has become almost proverbial and has been widely commented on by both academic and popular writers. Some have claimed that the Buddha remained silent when asked questions about ultimate … Read the rest