How do we associate with the Buddha? In our mind, Buddha is probably a “greater” being that is larger than life. A character that we cherish in our mind, almost like a fairy tale figure. A “god” like figure. The Buddha said that after his Parinirvana, disciples should rely on the Buddhist precepts as their… Read More Projecting our imperfections onto religion.
The Buddha received many offerings from devotees during his life time. From a simple ladle of gruel begged at householder’s door to a lavish reception hosted by the Kings and wealthy merchants; he accepted them equally. However, stories of miraculous offerings are those that are simplest but made with a pure heart. Many have heard… Read More Best Offerings is from the heart
In Buddhism the art of letting go is a personal journey towards non attachment. It is closely related to the noble truth that craving causes sufferings. Therefore letting go means we let go of unhealthy attachment. Sometimes, we can be obsessively attached to an idea or an ideal, or obsessively attached to a relationship or towards… Read More Letting go
This is not a Buddhist practice. The Buddha never taught we can wash away our bad karma or bad luck or sins. I am sharing this mysticism because like any other experience in life, they can have positive effect on our mental state. It can be beneficial if we learn how to apply them skilfully… Read More Power baths and showers
According to Buddhist records, the Buddha is an extremely handsome guy. His wife, princess Yashodara was also a beauty. There is nothing bad about being pleasant looking. It is a result of good karma. Since ancient times, people are attracted to beauty. Many buddhist teachers taught that if one desires to become beautiful then one… Read More Buddhist beauty
When we learn Buddhism, we need to think and discern before accepting. There are numerous “new age” guru spreading their teachings and branding them as Buddhism. Regardless of who we learn from, we should try to study Buddhism by reading traditional Sutra / sutra and check what we heard with what we studied. This is… Read More Authenticating what we hear
Buddha was a great father to his son Rahula for he guided his boy towards enlightenment. If we study the Buddha’s life, we could see that his son Rahula remains a playful young boy after joining his dad in the monastic order at age 7. In fact he took a liking to telling lies for… Read More Buddhist parenting
The four noble truth is the first sermon preached by Buddha. It actually has more importance other than being ranked the first lesson taught. If we undertsand the 4 noble truth well, then we are equipped with the wisdom to distinguish the true teachings of Buddha. In Buddha’s career of spreading enlightenment, he met with… Read More Importance of 4 noble truths
In this modern world, information is spread at break neck speed. No matter what our interest is, just google and you get tons of information. Interested in Buddhism? No problem. From youtube to facebook, tons of Buddhist related information. Different faces claiming to be Buddha reincarnate or enlightened masters; Some wearing reinvention of traditional Buddhist… Read More Choosing a reliable source
One of my favourite stories in Buddhism is Angulimala. Angulimala was a feared serial killer in ancient India who was tamed by Buddha and later became enlightened. Angulimala wasn’t born a killer. He used to be a diligent and bright young man seeking spiritual insights. He followed a famous teacher to obtain higher eduucation. Angulimala… Read More Following a right Teacher
