Buddha Weekly's Latest Features
Don’t have faith in Buddha — Buddha taught the logic of karma, method and wisdom — not a religious belief-system
Buddha did not teach faith. Period. That doesn’t mean we can’t have faith in Buddhism — or Dharma — only that the faith is earned through logic, practice and practical methods. This is clearly stated in the discourses and Suttas. Most Buddhists classify Buddhism as “philosophy” rather than "religion" — and this...
Awakening to success — following in the Buddha’s footsteps — the ultimate “self-help” path
Around 563 BCE, Siddhartha Gautama sat under a massively branching Bodhi tree for days — until he achieved the "awakened" intellect of a Buddha. Bodhi literally means "awakened," and today, an "ancestor" of the great tree in Bodh Gaya — where Buddha became the "Enlightened One" — is called the "Maha-Bodhi" tree...
Dastan-e-Irfan-e-Budh – The Buddha story as a dastangoi — a performance of an epic
Dastangoi is probably an unfamiliar vehicle to transmit the Buddha's life and teachings - and the Buddha’s teachings have witnessed several kinds of “vehicles” for their dissemination. Dastangoi is a compound of two Persian words ‘Dastan’ (story, narrative) and ‘goi’ (‘telling’), which together mean to tell a Dastan. “Dastans were epics, often...
Tsog (Tsok) dates in 2020: quick reference with dates — the blissful feast
“The very highest meaning of tsog is to join method and wisdom. The real meaning of experiencing tsog is the transcendental wisdom, non dual great bliss – the wisdom of emptiness, the non-duality of that, and uniting these two. That is the very essence of tsog. It is the offering of that...
Video: In Praise of Tara, written and recited by Jason Espada — Praising the Mother of All the Buddhas
Jason Espada recites In Praise of Tara with beautiful Tara images. Don't miss this wonderful praise of the Mother of All the Buddhas. Jason Espada is well known for his Dharma Recordings.He is the author of several books on Buddhism and Dharma. [More on Jason below.] Buddha Weekly presents Jason Espada Recites...
May All Beings Have Happiness — Wishing all beings will have happiness in 2020 — the Year to Practice Metta and Loving Kindness (includes Metta Sutta)
May all beings have happiness and its causes, May they never have suffering or its causes. May they constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow; May they dwell in equal love for both near and far. — The Four Immeasurables May 2020 be a year of Metta and Loving Kindness...
Headed for darkness or light? Of world’s 7.8 billion people, Tamonata Sutta says there are four types of people, two headed to darkness
The world clock says there are now 7,752,598,114 people in this world. Of these, according to Holy Sutra, there are only "four types of people" — two types headed to "light" and two types headed to "darkness." This isn't meant to be judgmental. Buddha was teaching a way to change this outcome....
10 reasons meditation benefits students (and, the rest of us): citations from experts and studies
Meditation can offer many benefits to people of all ages, including students. Daily practice will help students to remain healthy and improve their wellbeing. Here are ten reasons why meditation is worth the time and effort. 1. Improved Focus and Academic Performance One of the key benefits of regular meditation is that...
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections — excerpts of timeless wisdom and practice advice from the World Honoured One
This sutra contains many favorite gems: "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion." "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you...
Buddhism 108: Much more than the number of beads on a mala
There are 108 beads on a mala; in yoga, the 12 postures of the sun salutations are often completed in rounds of nine; and pranayamic breathing is often practiced in cycles of 108. Several eastern spiritual paths, including Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, hold the number 108 sacred, and yogic and dharmic practices...
Improving your meditation by cleansing your environment, purging technology, and de-cluttering your space and mind
One of the greatest things about meditation, aside from the well-studied health benefits, is that you can practice anywhere or at any time. But even though that is true, there are some conditions that are more suitable for meditation -- especially for anyone new to the practice. So, if you’re struggling to...
The Power of Mantras: Healing, Setting the Mind Free, Protecting the Mind, and Remaining Mindful of Dharma Throughout the Day
In some Buddhist cultures, children learn to chant mantras before they learn more common speech. Mantra, sacred sounds, are often considered protective and healing, or even life-changing. They are commonly used by Buddhists and Hindus, and — arguably — other religions who make use of "chanting." It seems almost silly to accept the...