Art, History, and Heritage
Category Monks
Plum Village - Thich Nhat Hanh
Plum Village - Thich Nhat Hanh
A Plea For Life
18
May
1966
Renowned female Buddhist spiritual leaders
The rise of Buddhism in the world has provided women with a chance to take on new roles in the Buddhist tradition.
Women have become more involved in movements to restore the ordination lineages for nuns in the Theravada and Vajrayana traditions.
This has been a major part of the transformation of Buddhism globally, as women are now seen more often as practitioners and teachers.
While Asian Buddhist women have already made their mark in Buddhist history, .
The 1000-day pilgrimage around Mount Hiei
The Kaihōgyō is a 1000-day pilgrimage around Mount Hiei, which takes seven years to complete on foot.
It is a ritual performed by monks, or gyoja, in the Tendai sect. The journey is equivalent to a trip around the globe and is traditionally seen as a way for monks to offer prayers to the Buddhas and for the well-being of others.
Only 46 monks have survived the ritual since it began in 1885, and those who are .
The Spiritual Athlete’s Path to Enlightenment
Throughout this world, there are many mysterious and amazing feats that can be found. People are capable of doing most incredible things that we have never deemed possible.
Only by truly believing in ourselves can we accomplish what were thought as impossible goals.
Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
In Mount Hiei of Japan, there can be found a small group of monks who live in a monastery and can accomplish many remarkable challenges. This mountain had .
The Tibetan Lung-gom-pa runners
Lung-gom-pa is an esoteric skill in Tibetan Buddhism that is believed to enable practitioners to run for extended periods of time without tiring.
This technique is similar to those used by Kaihōgyō monks in Japan and practitioners of Shugendō.
Like so much about Tibet, Lung-gom-pa running remains something of an enigma.
Enlightenment through physical endurance
Lung-gom-pa, also known as "tibetan marathon runners," is a form of spiritual training within Tibetan Buddhism.
This practice involves intensive spiritual training, .
Buddhist religious clothing, amulets & talismans
In Buddhism, religious clothing is not required however, many Buddhists choose to wear special clothing as a sign of respect for the Buddha and his teachings.
It is important to remember that the purpose of religious clothing is not to show off or to attract attention, but rather to express respect and reverence for the Buddha and his teachings.
Buddha taught that the path to enlightenment is within each of us, and that we all have .
Tibetan Buddhist nuns – The Buddha’s most resilient disciples
Buddhist convents also called Gompas have historically been well established in Tibet, certainly from the twelfth century and with traditions reaching back as far as the eighth century.
Traditional education in the nunneries included reading, writing, and lessons in ancient scriptures and prayers taught by the senior nuns or lamas from monasteries.
Traditional activities for the nuns included performance of rituals requested by the lay community and crafts such as embroidery and sewing.
Administrative .
The most prominent Buddhist monks of the Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty, or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD.
Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilization, and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture.
From the outset, religion played a role in Tang politics. In his bid for power, Li Yuan had attracted a following by claiming descent from the Taoism sage Lao Tzu.
People bidding for office would request the prayers of .
Tibetan Buddhist monks – Leaders of the Tibetan tradition
Buddhist monasticism is an important part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, all the major and minor schools maintain large monastic institutions based on the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya (monastic rule) and many religious leaders come from the monastic community.
Monasteries generally adhere to one particular school, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug or Jonang.
Medium to large communities of celibate monastics maintains several hundred monks and might have extensive land holdings, be financially independent, and sometimes also act as trading centers.
Large .
Theravada Buddhist monks – Guardians of the monastic code
Theravāda is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school.
The school's adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha's teaching or Buddha Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over a millennium.
Aided by the patronage of Mauryan kings like Ashoka, this school spread throughout India and reached Sri Lanka through the efforts of missionary monks like Mahinda.
Starting at around the 11th century, Sinhalese Theravāda monks and Southeast Asian elites led .
Fully ordained Buddhist nuns – people & concepts
A bhikkhunī or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female monastic in Buddhism.
Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the Vinaya, a set of rules.
Until recently, the lineages of female monastics only remained in Mahayana Buddhism and thus are prevalent in countries such as China, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam but a few women have taken the full monastic vows in the Theravada and Vajrayana schools over the last decade. .