Archive for the ‘Buddhist Concepts’ Category
Distributing Buddhas Congee Thousands Of Miles From Home – Religion Unplugged
Posted: January 24, 2024 at 2:34 am
January 23, 2024 Heerea Kaur Rikhraj
NEW YORK Every year in mid-January, Livia Gao arrives at Mahayana Buddhist Temple in New Yorks Chinatown at dawn to prepare 2,000 batches of congee, a soupy rice mixture, for the community.
About 30 volunteers join her, peeling longan skin, boiling coconut milk with white sticky rice and organizing red beans, green beans, dates and lotus seeds to add for additional flavor.
When a sweetness fills the air signaling that the congee is done, the team wanders to the main hall to join a line of monks who begin the days service with a variety of sutra prayers, followed by a series of chants. As the prayers come to an end, the attendees then pack the congee and distribute it to senior centers and passersby on Canal street.
READ: Religion And National Identity Linked In Southeast Asian Countries
This special service is held each year, and is more commonly known as the Laba Festival by Mahayana Chinese Buddhists. Laba, which translates to 12 (La) and eight (ba) is named as such as the festival falls on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, typically three weeks before Lunar New Year. It usually falls on Jan. 18 on the Gregorian Calendar. The day is one of the most important for Chinese Buddhists as it is considered the day that Buddha achieved enlightenment.
According to various historical accounts, Buddha achieved enlightenment while sitting for several days under a Pipal tree in what is now modern day India. It is believed by many that a young girl who was passing through handed him a bowl of rice pudding, which was the last thing he ate before achieving enlightenment.
This is why Buddhists prepare during Laba, a way to commemorate the shepherdess who offered Buddha rice pudding that enabled him to achieve enlightenment. Eight, which is a lucky number in Chinese culture, is a central number during the festival. Thus, the congee made is prepared with eight or more ingredients to bring in good luck. For Mahayana Buddhists, distributing Buddhas congee or Laba congee is a way to bring happiness, luck and good health to the public.
This act also helps us as Buddhists practice grace and generosity, Gao said.
While the modern-day Laba festival is connected to Buddhism, the festival itself existed long before Buddhism came to China. In its original form, folks would pray for good fortune, health and a good harvest by making sacrifices to the gods a few weeks before the new year.
When Buddhism arrived in China in the first century, locals switched the offerings to congee, and used the festival as a way to commemorate Buddha. This is why the Laba Festival is typically only celebrated in China and by Chinese Buddhists in other areas of the world.
Buddhism, the worlds fourth largest religion, originated in modern day South Asia, and the teachings of Buddha are central to the religion. Buddha, who was born as Siddhartha Gautama, was a child of a royal family from the Shakya Clan. Miraculous circumstances surrounded his birth and early life. Gautamas mother was said to have given birth to him standing up while leaning against a tree.
Moments after he was born, it was noted that he proceeded to take seven steps. Astrologers also predicted he would be a great king or religious teacher. His father, who feared that Gautama would choose the path of religious teachings if exposed to the ails of the world, isolated him from the outside world for as long as he could.
At age 29, Gautama ventured out of the palace grounds three consecutive times, encountering an elderly person, a corpse and an ill person for the first time. The fourth time he ventured out, he encountered an older holy man, whose way of life inspired Gautama to leave home and pursue a life of spirituality. He spent years as an ascetic, and fasted intensely before attaining enlightenment. He then shared his learnings, encouraging folks to pursue The Middle Way, which emphasizes a life of balance.
There are four tenents central to Buddhism, known as the Four Noble Truths. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. In essence, these tenents emphasize one principle: That while suffering exists, there is a way to its end. Buddhism also recognizes that happiness is present, but that it is fleeting. There are several schools of Buddhism which currently exist such as Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, but the four noble truths are central in these variations of Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism is the most common form of the religion practiced in China and other East Asian countries. It differs from other schools as it accepts both early Buddhist teachings and other doctrines that other schools dont. For instance, Mahayana Buddhists believe that anyone can aspire to achieve Buddhas awakening and become a bodhisattva (one who is one the path to becoming a Buddha). Other schools of thought believe that Buddha is the only bodhisattva that can exist.
There are currently three Mahayana Buddhist temples in the greater New York area, with two of them sitting in the city. The original temple, on Mott street in Chinatown, opened in 1962. The largest of the three sits on Canal Street, and opened to the public in 1997.
Outside the red pillars is where Gao and several volunteers man a booth to hand out around a 1,000 congee boxes to passerbyers during the Laba festival. The other 1,000 are sent to senior homes in the neighborhood.
Gao, who has organized the festival in New York for the last four years, grew up as a Mahayana Buddhist in China before moving to the United States. The festival was only open to the Buddhist community during COVID, but reopened to the public last year. Every year, the congee runs out before the day is over.
Its nice to see so many people celebrating with us and enjoying this gift, Gao said.
Heerea Kaur Rikhraj is a New York-based journalist who covers religion, health, Indigenous and foreign affairs. She is currently an intern for New Mexico in Depth.
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Distributing Buddhas Congee Thousands Of Miles From Home - Religion Unplugged
Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Attends Forum at Hsuan Chuang University to Discuss Current Status and Future … – Central Tibetan Administration
Posted: at 2:34 am
Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa addressing the conference.
Taipei: Under the direction of the Office of Tibet, the first conference of Tibetan Buddhist Centres based in Taiwan was organised, together with a forum to discuss the current status of Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan and its prospects for the future, on 18 and 19 January 2024, at Hsuan Chuang University. This duo symposium was jointly organised by the Universitys Tibetan Buddhism Research Centre, Global Tibetan Buddhist Research Center, and Taiwan International Tibetan Buddhist Association.
Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa from the Office of Tibet delivered opening remarks during the forums inaugural session. The opening session was also addressed by the Hsuan Chuang Universitys Chancellor, Xingguan; Principal Dr Chien Shao-chi; President of the Tibetan Buddhism Research Centre, Shih Chao-hwei; President of the Global Tibetan Buddhist Research Center, Khenpo Tsewang Rigzin; Chen Ming-ru; and Zhong Zhi.
Over the course of the two-day conference, the speakers consisting of Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, Dr Liu Huijuan, Professor Liu Yu Guan, Professor Weng Shi Jie, Professor Pan Mei Lin, and Guoji Rui read their respective research articles on the current status and prospects of Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan to the forums participants and discussed on inviting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan as wills of the Taiwanese people.
As part of the Tibetan Buddhist Centres conference, a round table meeting was also held between the representatives of the major Tibetan Buddhist schools who introduced their respective schools and spoke about the establishment of their religious centres in Taiwan. It was also joined by the advisors of the Office of Tibet, Zhong Zhi and Chen Ming-ru, along with the President of the Taipei-based Gaden Shartse Centre, Liu Jin Chai.
On the second day, a debate session was organised to discourse on observing Buddhist ceremonies in Taiwan, developing relations amongst dharma centres in Taiwan, preserving and promoting Tibetan Buddhism in Taiwan, and the services Tibetan Buddhism provides to contemporary global societies.
-Report filed by OoT Taiwan
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Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Attends Forum at Hsuan Chuang University to Discuss Current Status and Future ... - Central Tibetan Administration
Japan Art and Cats: Cat in Buddhist Robes Modern Tokyo Times – Modern Tokyo Times
Posted: at 2:34 am
Japan Art and Cats: Cat in Buddhist Robes
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Cats are the theme in this article concerning Japanese art. However, the above art piece by Okubo Tadanobu(1722-1777)is very intriguing, unlike the other two more natural settings of cats.
In traditional Japanese folklore, cats had a deeper negative angle. This concerns the corpse-eating cats (kasha), the shapeshifting (bakeneko) cat with one tail, and the two-tailed cat (nekomata).
Yet, in the art piece by Okubo Tadanobu,the cat is the protector of the written words of Buddhism. This concerns cats being brought to Japan in increasing numbers during the Nara Period (710-794) for a specific purpose. Accordingly, cats protected important Buddhist scrolls from gnawing rats.
Another unique trait of this stunning art piece is the chrysanthemums on the robes. Henceforth, another important connotation that links the Imperial Family with cats.
The second art piece is by Sasajima Kihei (1906-1993). From 1962, he focused on religious themes in his art. For example, the Sacred Moutain and Fudo Myo-o (Buddhist Deity).
The final art piece of the Sleeping Cat is by Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889). He was independent in mind and thought. This reality shines right through the art of Kyosai.
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Vibrant ceremony marks grand opening of new Buddhist temple PHOTOS – Las Vegas Review-Journal
Posted: at 2:34 am
Disciples of Buddhism and honorary guests were treated to a vibrant grand opening for a new house of worship in central Las Vegas.
Thursday mornings festivities at the Benevolence Temple kicked off with a traditional Dragon Dance, which saw performers gyrate to booming and clanking drum sounds as they entered the packed building past cloth-covered deities that towered over fresh fruit and food offerings.
The temple will extend equal care to all sentient beings regardless of race, gender, or religion, according to the organization. The term benevolence signifies language, actions, and thoughts that are kind, caring, and beneficial to others.
Elected officials or their representatives entered and lined up in front of the main shrine, each holding a red ribbon shaped like a flower. They each were handed scissors to cut strands in a lavish ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The curtain shielding the shrine was pulled to reveal a large golden statue at the center of what appeared to be a tranquil garden.
Great day for the state of Nevada, Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony said in his opening remarks. I want to congratulate you on this significant milestone for your temple and your efforts to unify local residents and people from different religions and races.
The temple led by Holy Guru Jiaozun Zhengda, vice president of the World Buddhism Headquarters will preach the teachings of Namo Dorje Chang Buddha III and Namo Shakyamuni Buddha, according to the organization.
Naming a Buddhist temple with these words expresses the original intention of Holy Guru Jiaozun Zhengda to propagate the cause of Buddhism through selflessness and compassionate virtuous deeds, with the vow to enable sentient beings to learn the Buddhist Dharma and attain liberation through a compassionate Bodhi mind, the organization wrote.
The Las Vegas Benevolence Temple was founded in 2019 but operated at a temporary site before it found its new home, 700 E. St. Louis Ave., which was vacant four months ago.
The Buddha statues were declared sacred in a Thursday ceremony. Now, the temple will offer meditation guidance, teach Dharma discourses and the chants of Mahayana Buddhism, according to the organization.
The disciples will participate in charity, the organization wrote. The objective is to contribute in a practical way to the local community while spreading the doctrines of Buddhism to the public.
The Metropolitan Police Department and City Council members Victoria Seaman and Olivia Diaz sent representatives.
The community will benefit from the sanctuary that your temple provides, Anthony said to applause.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
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Vibrant ceremony marks grand opening of new Buddhist temple PHOTOS - Las Vegas Review-Journal
Vadnagar unearthed: Journey through Millennia, challenging notions of a Dark Age – Times of India
Posted: at 2:34 am
In the early 2000s, the state archaeology department unearthed a significant piece of history a Buddhist monastery in Vadnagar. This discovery marked the town as a pivotal center for Buddhism. The journey to uncover Vadnagars Buddhist heritage began in 1992 with the finding of a Bodhisattva idol, subsequently leading to the revelation of a trove of artifacts from both the town and its surroundings.
HiuenTsangsAccount :
In 641 CE, the renowned Chinese travelerHiuenTsang traversed the region, bestowing the name Anantapura/Anandapura uponVadnagar. He described a bustling town with a dense population, boasting tensamgharamasand harboring fewer than 1,000 monks.HiuenTsang noted their study of the Hinayana of theSammatiyaSchool,providinginvaluable insights into the religious practices of that time.
Approximately38kmnortheast ofVadnagarlies Taranga, offering a distinct chapter in the regions Buddhist history. Experts contend that while Buddhism flourished inVadnagarfrom the 1st to the 7th centuries CE, its practice persisted in various forms until the 14th century at the Taranga hills. Further excavations at Taranga uncovered structures believed to be part of a Buddhist religious complex, unveiling the enduring nature of Buddhism in the region.
ASI Excavations atVadnagar:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),commencingexcavations inVadnagarsince 2015, has uncovered remarkable structures. Among these is an elliptical structure accompanied by a nearby square stupa, alongside a colossal edifice near Sharmishtha Lake. These findings contribute to solidifyingVadnagarsstatus as a crucial Buddhist site, echoing with historical significance.
The recent joint study by prominent institutions, including the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Physical Research Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Deccan College, reveals compelling evidence of cultural continuity inVadnagar, Gujarat. This continuity persists even after the collapse of the Harappan civilization, challenging the notion of a Dark Age in Indian history.
The archaeological excavation, led by the ASI and funded by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums (Government of Gujarat), uncovered a settlement inVadnagardating back to 800 BCE. This period aligns with the late-Vedic/pre-BuddhistMahajanapadas or oligarchic republics, suggesting a rich historical tapestry that endured over 3,000 years. The study proposes that the rise and fall of kingdoms and recurrent invasions in India were influenced by climatic changes, such as rainfall or droughts.
Published in the Elsevier journal Quaternary Science Reviews, the paper titled Climate, human settlement, and migration in South Asia from early historic to medieval period: evidence from new archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Western India outlines the research findings. The excavation, supported by Sudha Murthy (former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation), unveiled Vadnagar as a multicultural and multireligious settlement encompassing Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Islamic influences.
The archaeological exploration in Vadnagar unearthed seven cultural stages, spanning from the Mauryan period to Gaekwad-British colonial rule. The citys endurance through diverse cultural epochs is evident in the discovery of one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries, along with artifacts like potteries, copper, gold, silver, iron objects, intricately designed bangles, and coin molds from the Indo-Greek rule.
According to ASI archaeologist Abhijit Ambekar, the excavations co-author, Vadnagar may be the oldest living city within a single fortification in India. Recent unpublished radiocarbon dates suggest the settlements potential age of 1400 BCE, contemporary to the late post-urban Harappan period. Professor Anindya Sarkar of IIT, the lead author, posits that if true, this challenges the concept of a Dark Age and implies cultural continuity in India for the past 5500 years.
As we look to the way forward, these findings emphasize the importance of continued archaeological research and preservation efforts in Vadnagar and other historical sites. Understanding the rich cultural history can contribute to a deeper comprehension of Indias past and foster a sense of national identity.
However, the path forward is not without challenges. Preservation of archaeological sites requires substantial resources and vigilant conservation measures. Furthermore, disseminating these historical insights to the wider public is crucial for fostering a collective appreciation of Indias diverse cultural heritage.
In conclusion, the discovery in Vadnagar provides a fascinating glimpse into Indias ancient history, challenging prevailing notions and underscoring the need for sustained efforts in archaeological exploration, preservation, and public awareness. The journey towards uncovering the depths of Indias past continues, promising a richer understanding of the cultural mosaic that has shaped the nation over millennia. This groundbreaking study challenges historical perceptions and suggests a cultural continuity in India for the last 5500 years, potentially debunking the idea of a Dark Age.
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Vadnagar unearthed: Journey through Millennia, challenging notions of a Dark Age - Times of India
In Himachal Pradesh, Hindus and Buddhists organise religious ceremonies for rain & snow – Down To Earth Magazine
Posted: at 2:34 am
With the 3-month-long dry spell continuing in the state, people say they have been left with few alternatives
The people of Himachal Pradesh have turned to the divine, praying for snow and rain as a dry spell that has been on in the state since the past three months, continues.
Hindus and Buddhists in Himachal Pradesh are organising special religious ceremonies in temples and monasteries for rainfall and snowfall.
Hindus are praying to Kamrunag and Indrunag, two deities that are considered rain gods. Buddhists are organising prayers in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Dharamsala.
Hindus and Buddhists together organised a joint prayer for rain and snow at the Kunzum glacier located at a height of 4,590 metres.
Buddhists in the Spiti Valley organised a prayer ceremony at the 1,000-year-old Key monastery belonging to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Residents from across the Tod Valley took part in the ceremony at Key.
Jogendra Sharma, a horticulturist from Rohru in Shimla district, said people were distressed due to the lack of snow and rain. Not having any alternative, they had now sought divine help.
People had started ceremonies to appease the gods and he was sure they would shower their benediction upon them in the form of rain and snow.
The long dry spell in Himachal is having an impact on fruit-bearing trees and cereal crops. The latter are on the verge of drying out. Apple growers are worried as the fruits require a certain chilling hour to develop.
This years rainfall deficit has broken a 122-year-old record for Himachal Pradesh, according to the meteorological department. Rain and snowfall is likely to be miniscule in the state till January 24, according to the department.
Shyam Azad, from Lahaul-Spiti district, told this reporter that the area was facing a lot of problems due to the lack of precipitation. People now only have the divine to look up to for help, he said.
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In Himachal Pradesh, Hindus and Buddhists organise religious ceremonies for rain & snow - Down To Earth Magazine
Meet Tyrone Sterkenburg: Greco-Roman wrestler, monk, model, and influencer – Olympics
Posted: December 31, 2023 at 2:42 am
For some people, Buddhism and Greco-Roman wrestling could be considered contradictory in nature.
While the Bhuddas teachings emphasise calmness and inner peace, wrestling is one of the most abrasive and confrontational sports on the Olympic programme.
But for 22-year-old Netherlands grappler, Tyrone Sterkenburg, its the perfect match.
**My mum is a Buddhist from Thailand and when I was 16 years old, I became a monk for the summer. That greatly improved my mental focus and my spirituality, Sterkenberg, who competes in the 97kg category, told Olympics.com from the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
**It showed me a whole new side of life because I was used to training two times a week, studying and being busy all the time. And then all of a sudden at the monastery I couldnt eat, run or do fast movements.
I used to have rage before my matches and I was always so nervous. But now I actually close my eyes and try to meditate a little bit for the match, to have a little bit more focus and calmness.
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Meet Tyrone Sterkenburg: Greco-Roman wrestler, monk, model, and influencer - Olympics
Japan Art and Bleak Midwinter: Buddhist Monk Modern Tokyo Times – Modern Tokyo Times
Posted: at 2:42 am
Japan Art and Bleak Midwinter: Buddhist Monk
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Two stunning art pieces by the contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi fuse a stunning landscape with a wandering Buddhist monk in the bleak midwinter. Indeed, the religious angle, be it Buddhism, Christianity, or Shintoism, are themes that pop up often in her delightful art.
In the above art piece, a Buddhist monk is on his way to a distant Buddhist temple. Ice, snow, and a freezing wind abound. However, it is of little concern to the Buddhist monk, for holy scriptures await.
The two art pieces are titledBleak Midwinter and the Buddhist Tree of LifeandStunning Bleak Midwinter of Northern Japan.
Interestingly, the Buddhist tree of life is singular in both art pieces. However, one art piece focuses on the Buddhist monk fighting the wintery conditions while the other is focused on a stunning landscape.
Despite this, the singular tree is symbolic in both art pieces.
The holy Buddhist monk Nichiren (1222-1282) said:Life in this world is limited. Never be in the least bit afraid!
Overall, the Buddhist tree of life and nature are interwoven seen and unseen. Henceforth, the mystery of life through the prism of art.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/bleak-midwinter-and-the-buddhist-tree-of-life-sawako-utsumi.html
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sawako-utsumi.html Sawako Utsumi and where you can buy her art, postcards, bags, and other products. Also, individuals can contact her for individual requests.
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A Zen master’s guide to crushing pain & unlocking peace – Big Think
Posted: at 2:42 am
Delve into the teachings of Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and Zen priest, as he explores the essence of Zen Buddhism.
Waldinger, who directs the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development, discusses how Zen can help people discover the transformative power of impermanence, mindfulness, and the art of relieving suffering. He shares practical wisdom on cultivating loving-kindness, maintaining a beginners mind, and fostering fulfilling relationships.
Whether youre seeking inner peace or navigating relationships, Waldinger offers practical guidance for a more fulfilling existence.
ROBERT WALDINGER: Zen emphasizes community. It's called 'Sangha' in the Buddhist language, and it's really the idea that we practice learning about ourselves and each other by being in relationships with each other, both during meditation sessions and out there in the world.
I am a Zen practitioner. I'm actually a Rshi, a Zen Master. It's a big part of my life, and it is an enormous benefit in terms of how I think about my own life, other people's lives, how I think about my research, and how I think about working with patients.
I would rate the concept of impermanence as, number one, as the greatest hit of Zen Buddhism. Basically, the idea of everything constantly changing. There's nothing to hold onto in the deepest sense.
And that, on the one hand, that can be scary; on the other hand, it can be an enormous relief because we tell ourselves so many stories about who we are, and who we're supposed to be, and how the world is supposed to be, and when we really know the truth of impermanence, we let a lot of that go.
Once we realize that everything is always changing, it helps us be more compassionate to other people because we realize that they are also dealing with all the complexities of a self and a world that's constantly changing.
The Four Noble Truths are perhaps the most iconic teachings of the Buddha. They start with the Buddhist statement. Now, it's often said that, "The Buddha was teaching that you could get to a point where you never suffer anymore." Zen does not teach that.
Rather, what we can do is learn to be with what's unsatisfactory in life, learn to be with unhappiness, even be with pain in a way that makes it more bearable, in a way that doesn't layer on the optional suffering being the stories we tell about how unfair it all is.
For example, that I have back pain or how unfair it is that I've got a cold todaythat all of these things are workable. It makes me a little less likely to blame other people for what's going on in me, and that can be hugely helpful.
When we talk about harmony in relationships. The best definition I know of mindfulness is simple: So right now, for me, that's talking with you. That's the feel of the chair on my back. It's the feel of the air on my skin.
You can work on your mindfulness right this moment, by simply paying attention to whatever stimuli are reaching you. It might be your heartbeat, it might be your breath, it might be the sound of the fan in the roomanything. And simply letting yourself be open and receive whatever is here right now. And you can do that in any moment.
Buddhism talks about the idea of attachment. It's really about holding on tightly to a fixed view of something. Zen teaches that unsatisfactoriness is always there in life, and that we do have preferences, but that what we can do is to insist less that the world be a certain way.
In other words, to insist less that the world be a certain way. I mean, think about in relationships, how much we try to insist that someone else be a certain way that we want them to be, and how much less we suffer if we let that go.
And just assume that that person is allowed to show up in the world as they are, and we are allowed to show up in the world as we are. So this idea of relieving suffering is in Zen, the idea of being able to face towards suffering, looking at it, and living with it in a way that hurts less.
There's a concept of Metta, loving-kindness, in Buddhism, and there are a couple of different ways that it's talked about. One is an explicit skill that we can cultivate. You can do a loving-kindness meditation where you think about another person and you say to yourself, "May you be happy, may you be at peace."
And you do that over and over again, and you come to feel differently about the other person, including about people you don't like very much or you're angry at. So there's that way of actively cultivating a skill.
There's another way, which is simply by becoming more and more aware of your own pain, your own anxious, angry thoughts, your own difficulties. Because what happens when we become more aware of that through meditation, for example, is that we become much more empathic toward other people.
And naturally, that kind of loving-kindness arises, where we see an angry person and say, "Oh, I wonder if that person is having a terrible day," rather than immediately reacting with our own anger. And so that's a different way to cultivate loving-kindness, but it happens pretty reliably through meditation.
And finally, there's a wonderful teaching in Zen about Beginner's Mind. The idea that we let go of all the stories we tell ourselves that we're so sure of. Having a beginner's mind really helps in relationships because it allows us to be curious, it allows us to say, "Okay, there's so much I don't know about this person, let me watch closely. Let me notice what I haven't seen before about this person. Let me find new ways to interact with this person."
And that brings a kind of freshness and openness to relationships that can otherwise easily get stale. Shunryu Suzuki was a Zen Master who had a saying that I love. And what he meant by that is when we can remain open to many possibilities, rather than being so sure that we know what's what, that we become open to surprise, open to new ways of experiencing ourselves and the world, that make us suffer a great deal less than when we are so-called experts.
And the older I get, and the more people call me an expert, the more aware I am of how little I know.
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A Zen master's guide to crushing pain & unlocking peace - Big Think
Ancient Buddhist art of India pulsates with life in Seoul –
Posted: at 2:42 am
A visitor looks at a third-century stupa drum slab honoring the Buddha as a flaming pillar, found in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. The musuem is presenting, Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, a monumental exhibition co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Yonhap
NMK's 'Tree and Serpent' features dozens of artifacts that previously never left India
By Park Han-sol
Buddhism has come a long way since the prince-turned-ascetic Siddhartha Gautama first attained enlightenment under a bodhi tree more than 2,500 years ago.
The religion, which reached its zenith of influence in India in the following centuries, eventually spread to Southeast Asia and China, before making its way to Korea and Japan.
In Korea, temples and relics enshrined within became the cultural bedrock on which Zen Buddhism bloomed since its arrival in the fourth century.
But how well do we know the religion, which has long seeped into our daily lives and vernaculars, during its formative years in India?
This is where the National Museum of Korea (NMK)s Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, comes in.
Its a truly monumental exhibition, featuring nearly 100 ancient stone panels and sculptures from southern India dating from 200 BCE to 400 CE, and a rare one at that.
In fact, almost half of the artifacts on display had never left their home since their excavation until they were exhibited at the Met earlier this year.
A second-century sandstone sculpture of the goddess of abundance, Sri Lakshmi, is on display. She is depicted as a jewelry-laden woman surrounded by blooming lotuses and a pair of peacocks announcing the arrival of the monsoon. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
Carved fragments of lotus vines and nature spirits of southern India from the late second century BCE / Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
The NMKs presentation, a tweaked and reimagined version of the U.S. show with several immersive digital displays at hand, begins by dropping visitors in the heart of a vibrantly pulsating forest of southern India. It was the forest populated by indigenous nature spirits and deities that Buddhism, originating from the Ganges Basin in northern India, encountered upon reaching the south.
The local spirits yakshas for males and yakshis for females inhabiting the trees and the earth, as well as mythical creatures like makara part crocodile, part elephant, part fish and the naga serpent, gradually underwent transformation under the newly introduced Buddhist view of nature, eventually assuming new roles as bodhisattvas and guardian deities in its art.
The ancient "sarira," comprising jasmine buds, washed pearls and particles of gold flowers that were preserved as the relics of the Buddha, is laid out in a circular design. Yonhap
One prevailing theme throughout the second part of the show is the stupa, a domed monument that housed the relics of the Buddha, including cremated ashes, pearls and other precious gemstones known as sarira.
It was through sarira that the religion was introduced to southern India in the mid-third century BCE, when King Asoka of the first pan-Indian Mauryan Empire ordered the construction of at least 84,000 stupas derived from the original eight across the nation and redistributed the Buddhas ashes and gemstones among them all.
On view at the museum are 2,200-year-old jasmine buds, washed pearls and particles of gold flowers laid out in a stunning mandala design, as well as the fragments of stone panels and pillars that once adorned the many stupas. (Most of these colossal monuments in the country have crumbled with the passage of time.)
Interestingly, throughout the early centuries of Buddhism, the Buddha himself rarely appeared in sculptural reliefs and other art forms at stupas.
In many of the early Buddhist art and reliefs, the Buddha only existed in the form of symbols a pair of footprints, the wheel of Dharma, an empty throne under a Bodhi tree, or a flaming pillar. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
In fact, during this period, typically referred to as the aniconic phase, he existed only in the form of sacred symbols a pair of footprints; a riderless horse; the wheel of Dharma; an empty throne under a Bodhi tree; or a flaming pillar, which was a unique symbol found in southern India.
The reluctance to represent the Buddha in human likeness in those early days may have stemmed from the belief that he, having achieved nirvana, transcended the corporeal form.
Although it remains a topic of debate, human representations of the Buddha began to appear around the first century, following increased sea trade between Rome and the subcontinent, particularly in the northwestern region of Gandhara. The existence of this trade is evidenced by the exhibits inclusion of a bronze Greek figurine of the sea god Poseidon and a jug handle adorned with patterns of Cupid, both of which were discovered in Western India during a 1940s excavation.
Anthropomorphic visual elements from the Hellenistic world became combined with symbols of Indian Buddhism to birth the image we know well today a figure with a wisp of hair on his forehead (urna), tight ringlet curls, a cranial bump (ushnisha), distended earlobes and a draped robe reminiscent of a Roman toga.
A third-century Ayaka cornice with four narrative roundels found in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, is shown with an immersive digital display at the National Museum of Korea. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol
Such a tendency to depict the Buddha in bodily form eventually traveled to southern India as well.
The last section of the show is filled with the Buddhas dynamic life stories including his myriad past lives led before his princely incarnation as Siddhartha featuring his human form, told in a theater-like stage.
As you traverse the colossal stupas of southern India, a vivid tapestry of the Buddhas life unfolds before your eyes. Each monument becomes a stage, portraying distinct episodes from his journey, NMKs curator Ryu Seung-jin said of the reason behind the sections spatial design.
Tree and Serpent runs through April 14, 2024 at the NMK.
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Ancient Buddhist art of India pulsates with life in Seoul -