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
Buddhist Sutras and Sutta English, Dharma
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 ...
The Power of Mantras: Healing, Setting the Mind Free, Protecting the Mind, and Remaining Mindful of Dharma Throughout the Day
Dharma, Mantra, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
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 ...
Four heroic incarnations of Ksitigarbha, the “Earth Store” Bodhisattva — unfailing, never-tiring compassion
Bodhisattvas, Buddhist Sutras and Sutta English, Deities, Dharma, Mahayana
Ksitigarbha is a bodhisattva revered by millions across East Asia — honoured by the Buddha Himself due to his "untiring limitless compassion" — and his vows to help all sentient beings. He is also popularly known as Lord ...
18 benefits to building, circumambulating or funding of Stupas, which represent “Buddha’s Holy Mind” — according to Sutra
Buddhist Living, Buddhist Practices, Buddhist Sutras and Sutta English, Dharma
Several Sutras cite Stupa building (Chorten in Tibetan) “while thinking of the Victorious One” as a “cause for Enlightenment.” The Analyzing Activity Sutra actually says, “Whoever builds the Stupa of the Tathagata will gain the eighteen benefits” (Je ...
The best Buddhists Books and Texts for Beginners
Book / Movie Review, Buddhist Living, Dharma
What are the Buddhist books or texts a beginner should read to know more about Buddhism? It is a frequently asked question, and this article contains 9 books that explain the basics of Buddhism — from the point ...
Bodhidharma’s Breakthrough Teaching: Shastra on Eradicating Appearances
Bodhisattvas, Dharma, Zen and Chan Buddhism
Bodhidharma[1] is one of the most venerated Buddhist masters of the far east. He was an Indian monk known for having brought the Zen[2] teachings to China, which then spread to Japan and other regions. He left behind ...
The dream of rebirth: is reincarnation real?; if so, why don’t we remember our lives?; how can we prove it?; and other difficult questions
Buddhist Living, Dharma, Scientific Buddhist
Do you remember your dreams, your memories as a baby, your previous life? This series of questions is often used by Buddhist teachers to illustrate why we don't have memories of past lives. Just as we often don't ...
Why 35 Confessional Buddhas practice and “The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls” is a critical purifying practice for Buddhists
Buddhist Practices, Dharma, Mahayana
The 35 Confessional Buddhas practice is the ultimate sutra-based purification practice. Ven. Thubten Chodron explains: “Why do we need to purify? Because our mind is full of rubbish." Even though The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls to the Thirty-Five ...
“The Mind of One Buddha is the Mind of All Buddhas”; How “Jewel Collection Refuge” Can Help You Manage Your Commitments to Multiple Practices and Yidams
Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Dharma, What the Buddhist Teachers Say
"The mind of one Buddha is the mind of all Buddhas," said learned teacher Gelek Rimpoche, in a commentary on Vajrayogini. [1] "The mind of all Buddhas is the mind of a Buddha. It is like a huge ...
Yamaka Sutta: clarifying that death is not extinction — “That which is stressful has ceased and gone to its end.”
Dharma
One of the five topics Buddha refused to discuss was "Does Buddha exist after death?" Why didn't he answer this question on death and life after death that "stresses" so many beings? In the Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta (MN 63), ...
Mother Earth: witness of Lord Buddha’s merits: Vasudhara, Phra Mae Thorani, Prithvi, Bhumi — the witness of all our merits
Deities, Dharma
One of the often-overlooked aspects of the story of Buddha’s Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree is the dual significance of the “Bhumi Sparsha” — the Earth Witness Mudra. By touching the Earth, to be a witness of His ...
The Lotus Born Guru Rinpoche: Master Padma’s Ten Key Points, Ten Foundations, Ten Faults, Ten Superficialities
Dharma, Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava, What the Buddhist Teachers Say
Has your Dharma practice become superficial? Are you trying to discover what errors or faults you have made in your practice? Superficiality, or alternately, distraction, are common Dharma obstacles in this "age of degeneration." It is reassuring to ...