Tea House: Interviews, Commentary, Reviews, Poetry

The caves of Manjushri Mountain in Gansu Province

22
Apr
2024
Tea House: Interviews, Commentary, Reviews, Poetry

The influence of Vairocana in Chinese Buddhist history

16
Apr
2024
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

The profound significance of holy objects and monuments in Buddhist practice

31
Jan
2024
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Mengshan Giant Buddha, Taiyuan

Colossal Buddha statues – sculptures of the Buddhist era

3
Aug
2022
Monuments, Statues
After the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization there is little record of larger sculpture until the Buddhist era. During the 2nd to 1st century BCE in far northern India, in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara from what is now southern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, sculptures became more explicit, representing episodes of the Buddha's life and teachings. Since then many Colossal Buddha were carved across the silk road and later beyond south Asia. This is a .
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Interior of the vihara of the Phra Phuttha Chinnarat

Buddha statues in Thailand – iconography & examples

2
Jun
2022
Art
Buddha statues in Thailand are typically made of stone, wood, clay, or metal cast. While there are such figures in all regions where Buddhism is commonly practiced, the appearance, composition and position of the statues vary greatly from country to country. In Thailand the statues of Buddha recall specific episodes during his travels and teachings that are familiar to the Thai according to an iconography with specific rules. .
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Chinese Early Qing Dynasty "Water and Land Ritual" Painting, 17th Century

Buddhist Rituals – A captivating fusion of materiality and spirituality

7
Oct
2023
Culture
have long been a subject of fascination and inquiry. They encompass a rich of practices, from and chanting to and ceremonies. Beyond their surface, these are deeply intertwined with materiality, forming a complex and meaningful relationship that merits exploration. On the surface, emphasizes detachment from the material world, yet its rituals employ material objects and sensory experiences to enhance the spiritual journey. This apparent contradiction is a central .
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Nyingma Tree Lineage Thangka with Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal in center

Termas & Tertöns – Padmasambhava & Yeshe Tsogyal’s succession

1
Sep
2022
Biography, Rinpoche, Vajrayāna
is a term within Tibetan Buddhism meaning a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or terma. Origin of the Tertöns Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava (Guru ), who foresaw a dark time in Tibet. Padmasambhava and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal hid teachings to be found in the future to benefit beings. According to generally accepted history, the rediscovering of terma began with the first .
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The Ancient Town of Panauti and its Heritage

14
Aug
2022
Dharma, Hinduism, Temples
Panauti is one of the oldest towns in situated at the confluence of the two rivers Punyamata and Rosi. Legend has it that a third invisible river also meets with the two rivers, making it a Triveni (a scared place where three rivers meet). Many believe Panauti was named after the Punyamata river. Moreover, Panauti has been called by different names throughout like Punyawati, Punyamatinagar, Panchal desh, Punanti and Palaati. The Town The .
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Phra Pathom Chedi, one of the earliest Buddhist stupas in Thailand

Buddhist Stupas in Thailand – The golden architectural era

30
Jul
2022
Monuments, Stupas
Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden , and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is similar to that in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailand shares cultural and historical heritage. During Ram Khamhaeng's reign, stupas were built, reflecting the Sri Lankan influence. One of these is Wat Chang Lom. Thai travelers to Sri Lanka also brought back the root of a Bodhi tree, which began the Thai tradition of .
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13th century copy of the Taima Mandala. Japan, Kamakura period.

Buddhist art – The devotional artistic practices

26
Jul
2022
Art, Dharma
Buddhist is the artistic practices that are influenced by Buddhism. It includes art media which depict Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other entities, notable Buddhist figures, both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from the lives of all of these, and other graphic aids to practice, as well as physical objects associated with Buddhist practice, such as vajras, bells, stupas and Buddhist temple architecture. Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life .
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Maruyama Ōkyo by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.

Buddhist artists – The creative Buddha Mind

22
Jul
2022
Art, Biography, Painters
During the Pre-iconic phase (5th–1st century BCE) artists were reluctant to depict the Buddha anthropomorphically, and developed sophisticated aniconic symbols to avoid doing so (even in narrative scenes where other human figures would appear). This tendency remained as late as the 2nd century CE in the southern parts of India, in the of the Amaravati School. In Tibet the vast majority of surviving artworks created before the mid-20th century are dedicated to the depiction .
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The Sheshnaryan Temple & Rigzin Drubte Ghatshal Monastery

17
Jul
2022
Dharma, Hinduism
In the same complex, close to the the Sheshnarayan is the oldest in , Rigzin Drubte Ghatshal Monastery. It is a great example of and cultural pluralism in . A , a and a prophetic vision Lord is one of the principal deities of . He is part of the holy that consists of three — , the creator, , the god of destruction and Vishnu who is responsible .
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The Historic Sacred Shrines in Surkhet

5
Jun
2022
Dharma, Hinduism
Kakre Vihar is the oldest shrine in Surkhet — several were built by the in the region but most of them have been lost to . Surkhet valley was part of the Khas Kingdom that controlled parts of , and between the 11th and early 14th centuries. The in Jumla District of the Karnali Province was the kingdom’s capital city. However, the Surkhet valley which connects the northern .
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