Kagyu Nl

Many Buddhists do not support the war in Iraq and they want peace throughout the region. Who can blame anyone wishing for peace, that is the noblest goal of mankind, but is mankind ready for peace yet or are we simply doomed to repeat in a continual loop? Will the Middle East ever be peaceful? Speaking of history it should be noted that Muslim invaders destroyed temples and killed monks only a few hundred years ago. In the world of Islam that is recent history and if this same attitude now permeates some of the international terrorists who "claim" Islamic faith then indeed the Buddhists might wish to reconsider their defense. Surely, everyone wants peace, but that is no reason not to defend against...

Religion is a system which connects a human being with the Creator to make sense of his existence. There are different types of religions practiced by the people throughout the world. God is explained in different ways by different religions but the motive of all religions is same-connecting with the Creator. By all means, religion is a path to reach near the God. There are many paths of religion. A religion is much more than deity worshipping. There are a lot of religions in the world, though people know only a handful of religions. Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Jainism are some of the popular religions in the world. There are also Zoroastrianism, Santeria, Bahai and...

Tibet is surely a destination apart from most in the world, the rolling hills of the high plateau and the stunning Himalayas are none to any. Today in the age of information with jet aircraft, highways and the net work of computers, mysterious places are rare to be found. But, Tibet is an exception. Refereed as Shangri La, The Forbidden Land, The Roof of the World and by many more, the mysterious Buddhist Kingdom remained long closed to foreigners, exerting a strong hold on the imagination of the world. For centuries, it has fascinated mankind. It was hardly accessible to the outside world and has been always a challenge to human beings. Tibet, a "forbidden land" not only by man but also by nature...

The Buddha spent his life in preaching and by his personal exertions spread his doctrines over Bihar and Oudh but for two centuries after his death we know little of the history of Buddhism. In the reign of Ashoka (273-232 B.C.) its fortunes suddenly changed, for this great Emperor whose dominions comprised nearly all India made it the state religion and also engraved on rocks and pillars a long series of edicts recording his opinions and aspirations. Buddhism is often criticized as a gloomy and unpractical creed, suited at best to stoical and scholarly recluses. But these are certainly not its characteristics when it first appears in political history, just as they are not its characteristics in...

Religions are now again in the news. This time, religions are accused for the wars and conflicts in the world. Almost every day, there is some blast in some part of the world that is caused by so called Religious Fundamentalists and the victims are none other than their own brothers and sisters. As a result religions, particularly Islam, is accused to be the inspiration can cause of the terrorist attacks and violence that has gripped the world in last one decade as most people involved in the violence happens to be Muslims, the followers of Islam. However, the truth is only partly revealed by terming one religion as violent while calling other religions as peaceful. It is only few decades ago that...

Only the TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH shall set you free For thousands of years, all the world's greatest spiritual teachers: Buddha, Mahavira, Lao Tzu, Bodhidarma, Socrates, Plato, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Osho Rajneesh (and others) have been preaching the same thing to humanity. We can summarize all of their teachings in just 2 words "Know Yourself". What do they mean by that? Why is "Knowing Yourself" the Foundation of WISDOM? How do you know yourself? Who are You? And who is this "Yourself"? You're are "God" or "Consciousness" or "Infinity". But at the moment, you don't know it, because you're living in a body with unawareness and allowing your mind to run your life. So for now, you've not...

Surely, you have seen images of the practitioners of Buddhism sitting in the lotus position. Those familiar with such a posture are undoubtedly aware that when practitioners are in such a position they are meditating. Without a doubt, meditation can be considered one of the most vital components to the practice of this eastern religion. Yes, if there was one component that most people were familiar about when it comes to Zen Buddhism it would be the art and science of meditation. Now, while most people are familiar with the concept of meditation, they are probably only familiar with it on a cursory level. Meditation is not just about calming and relaxing the mind. There is a deeper meaning and...

A veil hides something. When something is hidden, we can't see what it is or what it stands for. Therefore, when something is represented for something that it is not (and many times is opposite of what it represents), then we can say that it is veiled; it's real nature is hidden. Religion, marriage and nationalism are represented as good, wholesome values. But is this actually true? Isn't it the norm for an extremist religious person to be hateful towards those who don't believe, or believe differently? And that being the case, isn't it normal for these people to then lack the capacity for forgiveness, even though the veil of religion says otherwise? And if we are hateful, unforgiving, doesn't that...

In this first of a two part series we're going to discuss Japanese Buddhist funeral customs. What most people don't realize, even those familiar with Buddhism, is that Japanese Buddhist funeral customs differ from region to region. There is no one custom that encompasses all of Buddhism. Therefore, a generic description will not be possible. The religion of the deceased also plays a role in the burial ceremony. Also the person's age and social status, as well as economic situation, affect how they are buried. Even though the services themselves are different based on the above factors, there are some customs that are the same or similar throughout. What follows is a brief list of the common...

While religion is faulted for many things that ail the human race, it is doubtful if there would still be a human race as we know it today if it had not been for religion. Many of the most useful things in societies across the planet exist because of the impact of religion in preserving those societies from the dawn of civilization. In one way or another, newly weds will have to deal with the factor of religion. You may have had a religious component to your marriage, or you may have decided against such a component. Either way, you have taken a religious stance. Do not be fixed on either stance, because life, while having constants, also has elements that change depending on the quality and...

Have you noticed the slow death of some religions in the world and the growth of others. What is your thinking on this? The reason I ask is that this same topic seems to be a re-occuring conversation at the Online Think Tank; World Religion and its influence on human societies and civilizations. Perhaps you may have observed the growth of the Star Wars or Jeti Religion, which seems to be going strong in Australia and UK, as people are ditching their religions for a better understanding of science, quantum mechanics and living within this dimension as it relates to all the others. So, is religion on its last leg? Could be already? Will this mean Christians, Muslims and others will be jumping out of...

Bodhgaya: Located across the river Phalgu at Gaya District in Bihar, Bodhgaya is a well known place for Buddhist. This small village beholds the footsteps of Lord Buddha, which dates back to 2500 years ago. The entire place is embellished with lush greenery and its pristine aura, helps one escape from the bustling cities and towns. Mahabodhi temple is the major attraction of Bodhgaya. History says that, in this religious shrine Lord Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. Also, its interior complex sparkles with beholding the 9th century-old Shiva-Linga. A Mahabodhi tree outside the temple is a place, where, Lord Buddha is said to have spend precious time of His life.. Another visible attraction is...

Is it possible that, in an age of globalism and science, our future rests with a goddess from mythology? In the 1960's, British scientist Richard Lovelock put forward the Gaia Theory. Named after the Greek Goddess Gaia, the theory said the earth was a living organism. In mythology, Gaia was the Earth Mother, the creator of the skies, the seas, and all life-forms. Lovelock updated the myth using scientific jargon. Lovelock captured one of the big ideas of the past half century. Since he published, debates have intensified. A major debate is about the role between religions, cultures and the earth's living systems. As the evidence of environmental degradation increases, people have a growing sense of...

When debating the philosophy of man-made religion, the invention of a God and the tales that can embody the masses in a aligned forward progression - some have stated that Religion is a good thing, as it keep the society together. Indeed, in hindsight and history one could debate that religion has kept civilizations and societies together, but do the means justify the ends? Is it okay to live a lie, purport a lie and collect billions of dollars in tithing to continue the game and justify the good that has come out of it? What if World Religions did not exist at all - where would we be today? Would human civilizations progressed further? Would there be chaos, anarchy, what would the World look like...

Why do we as human beings choose to utilize the mind in order to discover if there is anything beyond the mind? Is there something truly sacred beyond the mind? To be clear, all the religious as well as the so-called spiritual people tend to resist and live in conflict with the things of the mind in an attempt to discover if there is the sacred. We struggle aimlessly to discover if there is anything beyond this life that can correct and prevent our destructive lives. So I am wondering, why not simply drop the mind all together. If the mind is the cause, the chaos and the destruction of this world, why do we insist on utilizing it as our means of problem-solving? Is it out of habit that for millions...

Green Tara Thangka (Sanskrit: Syamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang), filled with youthful vigor, is a goddess of activity. She is the fiercer form of Tara, but is still a savior-goddess of compassion. She is the consort of Avalokiteshvara and considered by some to be the original Tara. Like Avalokiteshvara, the Green Tara is believed to be an emanation of the "self-born" Buddha Amitabha, and an image of Amitabha is sometimes depicted in Tara's headdress. Green Tara is believed to have been incarnated as the Nepali wife of the Tibetan king Srong-brtsan-sgam-po. In Buddhism, the color green signifies activity and accomplishment. Thus Amoghasiddhi, the Lord of Action, is also associted with the color green...

That's the title of Deepak Chopra's bestselling book and the author himself assumes that God is. In other words, the book is not like so many you'll find in bookstores today which are basically treatises on the existence of God. Personally, I find it humorous when people write books that try to prove God exists. You can no more prove God exists any more than you can prove God does not. The whole debate is similar to the one about extraterrestrial life or UFO's, neither of which anyone has ever been able to prove or disprove. I begin with the assumption that God exists - that there is intelligence within and beyond everything material. So, my interest is in knowing how to know God, this intelligence...

You're American, she's Chinese. You're Jewish, she's Buddhist. Yet, in spite of your differences, you've decided to make it official and get married. So, how do you arrange the ceremony with such obviously different cultures and religions? Some couples opt for one of them to convert to the same faith, and follow that religion's rites. Others will try to combine elements of both (a really tough thing to do). The easiest solution by far is to simply have multiple weddings. Multiple weddings simply means, getting married more than once. It's a compromise especially when both sides of the family insist on your following tradition - their tradition. Still the compromise isn't that bad. Contrary to what...

Greek mythology is taught in most schools during some time of your education, if you grew up in the United States. I remember looking back at the Greeks and thinking, "I can't believe these people were that stupid, who believes that there is a God of the ocean or one for love." I couldn't believe as a young elementary school student, that these people got caught up in these beliefs. I mean come on, I was a Christian at that time and there was only one God, how stupid can these people be or misinformed about the way things really and truly are. It's kind of sad, but all the people in the past that did not accept Jesus Christ as the one true God are all living in hell. Well, that's how I thought when...

The opinion of the church has always had a major impact on almost every issue. Ever since time immemorial, religion played a very important role in shaping society as it is today. While it is true that the church position is almost always at odds with practices that are not traditional, it is important to bear in mind that religion has withstood time and therefore her stance carry significant weight to society. Christianity has been in recent times the most liberal of modern religions. With regards to tattoo, the Christian church does not seem to have a consistent stand for or against tattooing. In fact, you will find many tattoo designs that are Christian of origin like the cross and images of the...

Terrorism in the name of religion, riots in god’s name, killing innocents for not worshipping a particular god, hatred or dislike for people of a particular religion, looking at worshippers of a certain god with suspicion….unfortunately such is the reality of today’s world. Religion is a personal choice which is supposed to bring peace of mind and guide you to your life’s purpose. Loving god should encourage you to love everything he/she has created…yet why is there so much destruction and violence in the name of religion? Perhaps it’s because we focus on our differences more than our similarities. We look for ways to hate others because they are different from us. We use religion to...

Our religion is not our choice We all know that our religion is not our choice. We have inherited this religion from our forefathers. We never chose our religion. The parents brought us up as per norms of the religion in which they themselves had been trained and since our birth we are following the same, whether we are liking that religion or we are not liking that religion. It is on record that at times people had been forced to change their religion and convert to the religion of their rulers and if they did not agree, there are instances where they had been killed . In India the Muslim rulers had been converting the people to the Muslim fold and we have heard that during the time of...

cl Religion is a huge aspect in people’s lives. For many people (2.1 billion), the top religion in the world is Christianity. However, there are other religions that all have millions of people in them. The top five different types of religion are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Judaism has diminished in size and is number six with only fourteen million people. It used to be much larger and have a larger reach. Christianity is a monotheistic religion that started out a separate sect of Judaism. It was believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God and had come down to suffer for the people. At first, this religion was heavily persecuted by the Romans and other Jewish sects...

How should the word religion be defined? Most of the people have their own personal definition which is for them the right one, to the exclusion of all others. Some people give a very narrow definition which matches with their own individual's religion. Like in 'Tom Jones", a novel written by Henry Fielding where he has one character: "By religion I mean Christianity, by Christianity I mean Protestantism, by Protestantism I mean the Church of England as established by law." For some people, the definition of religion require a belief in the God or Goddess or combination of both who are responsible for the creation of the universe and for its ongoing operation. Such definition eliminates non-theistic...

Religions are all over the earth. We have book-based religions (such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and cultic versions such as Mormonism, Armstrongism etc.), man-based (such as ideological belief systems, not necessarily claiming religious authority but perhaps a more mental reason - many self-help ideologies are centered around this) and others are nature-based. There are numerous sub-groups to these major groups. What is it about religion that attracts us? Many of them are isolationist in nature. Christians don't like Jews, and others don't like Muslims. Some can't stand buddhists - and on and on it goes. People drive one another to hate and division in the name of religion. They want to be "in...

The future of Buddhism can be viewed as the future of physics. If indeed it is the truth, Buddhism will be what it will be. Cause and effect will be at play, funneling Creation in the only direction possible. Proselytizing is uncomfortable in the Buddhist tradition, and not advocated for. The reason is that, again, when an individual stops working on their own enlightenment to instruct another, he or she has, in that act, interfered with the greater Power of Creation. Just as in physics, theories abound of global warming and the influence that humans have on our atmosphere, in reality this is a local situation. The self-absorbed concern for oneself of the human being, suggests that we will change...

-> The Museum of Buddhist Art in Bangkok is reputed to have the biggest collection of Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines based on Buddhist art work from kingdoms dating back to the 6th century AD. The exhibits reflect the cultural heritage of the various kingdoms in Thailand and neighboring kingdoms as well. Visitors to the Museum of Buddhist Art are usually advised to start their tour in an annex to the main building that houses the Kuan Yin Palace and Museum which displays statues of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The courtyard outside this museum has six miniature wooden palaces housing Chinese deities. The main theme of the Museum of Buddhist Art, however, is housed in eight rooms...

If there was ever a time when we needed the Tidy Bowl Man, well now is the time. Why you ask would we discuss the Tidy Bowl Man in an intellectual talk? Well it is quite simple really, you see it is time to flush religion down the drain. That is to say lets discuss a new plan for the human species without religion shall we? Let us talk about; How to pull the Plug and Drain Religion from the Tub! It was once said about the United States Government that the size and scope of the government should be set up so if it got out of hand that it could be drowned in the bath tub. Well, this is where World Religion is today. You see it has gotten out of hand and now we have people committing violent acts...

Bright Filial Piety Temple located on Guangxiao Road is a monumental tribute to the grandeur of Ancient Chinese architecture. A religious centre of the highest importance in Ancient China, the holy premises offer the visitor a comprehensive view to the cultural and spiritual heritage of Chinese Buddhism. The temple traces its origins over 1700 years back to the Western Han Dynasty. It was initially built to serve as a royal palace and was later used as a centre to conduct lectures before the establishment of a Zen Buddhist temple in the course of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279). Thus the Bright Filial Piety Temple has the double distinction of being not only the most ancient temple in the...

Zen is a part of Mahayana Buddhism, referred to as "Chan" in Chinese. There are different forms of meditation emphasized by Zen, one being "zazen." The goal is the attainment of awakening, or becoming enlightened. It focuses less on theoretical knowledge but the actual experience through meditation and dharma practices. The establishment of Zen is credited to Bodhidharma. The first documented school of Zen Buddhism in China was built in the 7th century. Zen spread from China to several places such as Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Zen emphasizes that all awoken beings have Buddha-Nature and that Buddha-Nature is nothing other than the nature of the mind. The objective of Zen practice is to become...

Religion is a special way of sharing ourselves with others. Perhaps the best thing that we may share with others through our religions is our connectedness to each other and to our Creator. We may go through many relationships with religion in our lives. Some of us may find our spiritual path by only a single religion, whether they find that path through their religious heritage or go seeking a path on their own. Some of us may try many religions and may finally understand that none of them will be their single path to the divine; these people may go on to develop a personal, independent relationship with their Creator. Whether we have followed one religion or sampled many different religions...

Labels have potential to damage. Whether it be in the field of psychiatry, as in labeling someone as being ADHD, or "bipolar," or a child being "special education," or in the field of religion, labels stick, and they can be hard to shake, and are sometimes used loosely to describe anyone or anything that is a little bit different. A child who is labeled as being ADHD, as an example, or who knows they have been assigned to special education, can loose a little bit of his dignity, self-esteem, or self-effication, that is they begin to think of themselves in terms of the label, and people can start treating that child differently. Other children can use the label to ridicule. Similarly in religion...

Religious bigotry or fanaticism has been a permanent element of human history. Religious terrorism was not part of that phenomenon but it is a new and the most terrible development in this regard. Although human history is replete with the horrible tales of torture and violence yet the acts of large scale terrorism were not allowed by any religion. Now a day things have changed and the religious zealots do not spare the slightest opposition. They are so intense in their false beliefs that they do not even spare their co-religionists. All the major religions of the world teach the lesson of tolerance and peaceful living. The irony of the situation is that all the religious communities are at daggers...