Before “Buddhism” became the religious family of traditions it is now – with its many schools and an elaborate tapestry of beliefs, rituals, and doctrinal and metaphysical systems exhibited in voluminous scriptural sources – it was a path spirituality and a simple way of life as experienced and taught by a man his contemporaries revered […]
Buddhism is generally considered, with good reason, to be the most peaceful religion in the world. Like other South Asian religions, it emphasizes the principle of Ahimsah, the “non-injury” of other living beings. Yet his teachings also emphasize that violence harms the spiritual state of the abuser, as well as that of the victim. Evil […]
A waterfall on Tiantai Mountain, China. From gochengdu.cn In the first installment of this trilogy, I introduced the Tiantai School of Chinese Buddhism (å¤©å° å®— 佛教) and explained why and how I personally find it more compelling than the more “devotional†Pure Land Buddhism (淨土 å®— 佛教) and “cerebral†Chan (Zen) Buddhism (禪宗 佛教). The […]
Shakyamuni Buddha was the pioneer who initiated this way of life 2500 years ago. Buddhahood is about transforming suffering and overcoming it. All you need is to meditate, amend and train yourself in inner wisdom, kindness and healing. Nichiren the 13th century radical Buddhist monk, an outspoken critic of Buddhahood, on whose preaching the Soka […]