Practices

Wisdom is the power of seeing things as they truly are, and how to act rightly when the problems of come before us. The seeds of wisdom lie latent in us, and when our hearts are warm with love they grow into their powers.

What it means to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Three Jewels are the foundation of all forms of Buddhism, and the first jewel is the Buddha. The word buddha means "the Awakened One." And it doesn't mean only Shakyamuni Buddha, formerly the ...

All growth is from within. This is evident in all nature. Every plant, every animal, every human being is a testimony to this great law. But in error we keep searching on the outside when we could be looking within.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into ...

The practice of mindfulness/awareness meditation is common to all Buddhist traditions. Beyond that, it is common to, inherent in, all human beings.

The earliest centres of Buddhist pilgrimages were the places associated with the life and Teachings of the great Master. These four places are Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kusinara. Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.

The Buddha himself never claimed divinity -- only clear-sightedness and purity of apprehension of truth through deepest intuition, leading to equanimity and enlightenment. He was a great and rare individual but not a god. If some simple and mistaken few have elevated him to godship and worship him with requests for favors and special dispensations, this does not alter the situation one bit.

While many spend their birthdays celebrating their birth and well being, some birthdays deserve a bit more. Although Buddha achieved enlightenment, but he was eager to stay behind and help others to do the same. In this sense, Buddha's Birthday should not only be about celebrating with parades and lanterns, but thanking him for believing and spreading his wisdom.

There is a divergence of views within Buddhism as to whether vegetarianism is necessary, with some schools of Buddhism rejecting such a requirement. The first precept in Buddhism is usually translated as: I undertake the precept to refrain from taking life. Some Buddhists see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat meat, while others argue that this is not necessarily the case.