Teachings – Mind Place

In the 13th century, Tibetans developed a four-fold classification system for Tantric texts based on the type of practices each contained. Briefly, these are sub-divided into the lower tantras of Kriya (action) and Carya (performance) and higher tantras of Yoga and Anuttara Yoga. Practitioners of Kriya Tantra regard themselves and the deities as separate entities,…

There is an explanation on how the Unisha of the Buddha Sakyamuni came about. It was said that in one of Sakyamuni’s many past lives when he was an ordinary human being, he met Buddha Dipamkara. He was in awe of the magnificent sight and spontaneous presence of Buddha Dipamkara that he automatically lifted one…

What are the 32 signs or physical marks on an enlightened being like the Buddha? Level feet Thousand-spoked wheel sign on feet Long, slender fingers Pliant hands and feet Toes and fingers finely webbed Full-sized heels Arched insteps Thighs like a royal stag Hands reaching below the knees Well-retracted male organ Height and stretch of…

It is not common to spot buddha statues with a Royal Emblem embossed or inscribed onto it. What does this Royal Emblem signify? The Emblem is the personal flag of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej or Rama IX (5 Dec 1927 – 13 Oct 2016). The background of the flag is yellow or golden in…

Vajrayana Buddhism is commonly regarded as one of the three Schools within the Buddhism framework of teachings. It is commonly known as Tantrayana because its teachings are based on a set of texts known as Tantras. These tantric texts first appeared in Northern India during the 3rd century CE. Although Buddhism was first propagated in…

Literally meaning the “Great Vehicle”, the School of Mahayana Buddhism emphasises on the path of the Bodhisattva, a way of life that carries a deep wish for all sentient beings to be liberated from sufferings. This path is starkly different from the School of Theravada Buddhism which focuses more on self-disciplined mindfulness of one’s own…

The Four Noble Truths were expounded by Buddha Sakyamuni during the First Sermon, or commonly known as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. The Pali term for these Four Truths is Chattari-ariya-saccani (Sanskrit: Chatvari-arya-satyani), where noble (Pali: ariya; Sanskrit: arya) refers to those who understand them. A more accurate interpretation of the First…

Since its origination from India, the Buddha Dharma was propagated beyond India, and broadly divided into “Northern Buddhism” and “Southern Buddhism“. Northern Buddhism spanned northwards of India, from Central Asia to China, Tibet, Mongolia and onwards to Japan, Korea, Vietnam. This is now commonly known as Theravada Tradition. “Southern Buddhism” represents Buddhism as practiced in…

In its own unique ways, Buddhism was peacefully spread throughout much of Asia, carrying its message of using compassion and wisdom to end sufferings and disillusion, while fitting in to the needs and dispositions of different people. Often it developed in these regions organically, because of local interest in foreign merchant’s Buddhist beliefs. Sometimes rulers…

It was said that during the lifetime of Buddha Sakyamuni, when he was in Tusita Heaven preaching the Dharma to his mother for three months, King Udayana of Kausambi missed the presence of the Buddha on earth, and so he thought of creating an image of Him. He asked Maugalayanaputra to send an artist to…

The ascetic Gautama (A Prince of one of the Kingdoms in India and before he became enlightened and known as Buddha Sakyamuni) who, after renouncing his princely life, realised that meditative dhyana was the right path to awakening. He discovered “the Middle Way”—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. After…

The Buddha preached that human beings, and to a large extent all lifeforms, undergo four stages of existence, namely from birth, old age, to illness and eventually, death. Even an enlightened being is not exempted from perishing in worldly existence when all the elements disintegrate. The difference between an ordinary being and an enlightened being…

Theravada is the oldest tradition in Buddhism. It is relatively conservative and generally considered closest to the form of early Buddhism. Theravada is practiced in many countries especially Southeast Asia such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. If we were to talk about the development of Theravada Buddhism within Thailand, we would…

Back to Gallery Back to Teachings

This refers to the three major sermons or series of teachings given by the Buddha in His lifetime after attaining enlightenment. To ‘turn the wheel of Dharma’ means to teach on the Truth. The first sermon took place in Deer Park at Sarnath of Varanasi, where Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths. The first turning…

A Mudra (also known as a “sign” or a “seal” in Sanskrit) is the pose or gesture of the hand often depicted in Buddhist art to represent the intended action of the Buddha. The most notable mudras commonly found in representations of the Buddha include: 1. Dhyani With the mudra of meditation, the back of…

How Buddhism was propagated in Asia After attaining enlightenment, Gautama became known as Buddha Shakyamuni. For the next 45 years and as a travelling teacher, he shared his insights with those who were receptive and interested from the nearby kingdoms. Buddha Shakyamuni taught people not to follow his teachings out of blind faith, but to…