Buddhism attained huge popularity in the early first century BC. Since the asceticism of the religion was beyond the understanding of the followers, an iconic image of Buddha transpired in Northern India and portrayed Buddha in human form, which still exists. Gandhara (now in Pakistan) and Mathura (in Central Northern India) were the primary centers for the production of the ‘Buddha Images.’ The ‘Gandharan’ image displayed Buddha in standing or sitting position, with wavy hair and well-draped shoulders, closely resembling the Greek God, ‘Apollo.’ The ‘Mathuran’ school, on the other hand, contributed to the lotus seat (depicting the importance of mediation and His enlightenment), sporting a standing Buddha, holding one hand high and wearing a robe, baring His right shoulder.

The ‘Buddhist Art’ in India continued to expand. The pink sand stone sculptures made during the Gupta period at Mathura are an exemplary of finesse and competent artisanship, with few dating back to even 81 AD. Some gold and copper currency coins of 78 AD carry the ‘Buddha Image’ on one side and Kanishka’s (the ruler then) on the other.

The historical ‘Buddha Images’ were depicted in five different positions, symbolizing the significant events of His life, such as birth, exit from home, enlightenment, first sermon, and death. The images are postured in four styles, standing, sitting, walking, and reclining with the position of hands conveying several connotations, such as:

Pacifying Relatives – Standing Buddha with right hand lifted to chest and the left one resting on the side

Calming the ocean – Standing Buddha with both hands raised up to chest

Subduing Mara – Crossed legged, seated Buddha, with his right hand on the right knee, pointing four fingers to the ground, while the left hand rests on His lap

Some fascinating details to be taken into account while creating the ‘Buddha Image,’ are the pre-defined measurements for physical proportion such as the exaggerated earlobes, and the “enlightenment-elevation” on the top of the head. Apart from the historical ‘Buddha Images,’ various other forms such as “Laughing Buddha” and “Medicine Buddha” are available in a variety of materials, such as sand stone, clay, gold etc. A renowned Buddhist follower once stated that “A Buddha image is not only a symbol of the historical person but the human qualities that he perfected; compassion, wisdom, patience, generosity, kindness, etc., worthy of bowing down to.”

Zen. The Mystery

Now that your curiosity is aroused, I will try to explain more about this type of garden and its impacts on visitors. The first question that needs to be answered is, what is Zen? Many associate it with Japanese Buddhism. Well, this again is partly true, and indeed Zen Gardens originated from

Buddhist monasteries and temples around 1300 AD by Zen priests and artists, prominently Muso Soseki. Some people think that Zen is an interpretation of the Buddhist concept of enlightenment, and this may be close to the truth as well. Zen plays an important role in many Japanese concepts and aspects.

Actually Zen means waking up to the present moment. That is, perceiving this moment exactly as it is, rather than through the filter of our ideas, opinions, etc. And this is what is reflected in a Zen garden.

Examples

- Royanji Temple in northwest Kyoto, Japan.
- Nanzenji Zen Garden in Kyoto, Japan.

The Philosophical Impact

A Zen garden is an aesthetic arrangement of stones with little vegetation, water or other elements at a first glance. But on careful observation, we understand that they represent the elaborate equilibrium of contraries and the apprehension of the world as a dialect continuum.

For example, how can one express nothingness ‘mu’, more dramatically than by taking water out of a garden? Zen garden, is thus a metaphorical representation of the concepts of Zen. The exclusion of water is not its denial, it is in fact a more potent assertion as it is done metaphorically.

The significant aspect of a Zen garden is that the rocks form subliminal images of objects like trees, lakes, ponds etc. which can not be perceived while looking consciously at them, but the subconscious mind is able to observe a subtle association between the rocks. While
viewing, the distinction between subject & object, and viewer & viewed is blurred. This results in the garden being a source of strength, courage, fortitude, tranquility, serenity, peace.

Another specialty is that none of of them have been created by one person, epitomizing the aspect of parts forming a whole.

Although these gardens have been engulfed with controversies and criticism, there is no denying their impact on the viewers and the inherent creativity.

The philosophy of these gardens can be summarized in the poetics of Karesansui: ‘ Flower does not Talk but a Rock has the Voice of Water.’

There are several main types of Buddhist meditation that you can pursue when you are looking to achieve peace, relaxation and understanding in your own life. The first technique is called the Mindfulness of Breathing. During this type of Buddhist meditation, the practitioner must so fully relax their physical body that the only function they concentrate on is their own pattern of breathing. But putting an entire being’s focus just on the repetitions of breathing in and breathing out and breathing in and breathing out, one can successfully move to a higher plane of consciousness where the physical pains of life are not intrusive.

Another main type of Buddhist meditation includes Contemplation of Impermanence. During this type of Buddhist meditation, the practitioner must direct their mind to reflect upon the complete impermanence of life, which cycles through death and living and death and living continuously as a matter of sustaining mankind. By contemplating the mysteries of the impermanence of life, practitioners of Buddhist meditation are able to remove themselves from every day worries and instead exist at a conscious level where they are simply filled with the power of existing.

One of the most commonly used practices of Buddhist meditation includes visualization. During visualization, you will pick an object to picture in your own mind. The object can be nearly anything at all, but it must be something that you can visual in an all-consuming matter. During visualization, you will leave behind all conscious thoughts and all conscious words and simply focus on a mental picture of your chosen object. When you do so, you will be able to move beyond the physical plane and instead to a state where you become at one with the world around you.

The Buddha lived twenty five centuries ago in North India. He was born a prince of the Sakyan kingdom which was located at the foot of the Himalaya. His father, who was the king ruling over the Sakyas, was called Suddhodana. The Queen who was the Prince’s mother was called Maya. As a prince, he grew up in the midst of luxury, led the happy life of a privileged youth and married Princess Yasodhara. His beautiful cousin, who bore him a son, Rahula.

This happened for the first time when he took chariot rides in the streets of his father’s capital, Kapilavastu. Then he saw four sights which altered his whole life. The first three of them – a man feeble with old age, another with a grievous disease, and a corpse – filled him with a longing to find some way to help his fellow men and to discover the true meaning of life. The fourth sight, a monk, gave him a hope of the possibility of learning about Truth and finding a way out of suffering. Then, at the age of 29, Prince Siddhattha left his father’s palace, left his dearly loved wife and newborn son, and led the life of a wandering ascetic, devoting himself to finding some way of overcoming suffering.

At the full moon of May, forty five years before the Buddhist Era, while sitting under the Bodhi tree at Gaya, he found his answer and at tained the Enlightenment. The Great Man, now known as the Buddha, went first from Gaya to Sarnath mear Benares where he gave his first sermon in the Deer Park. From then through the remaining 45 years of his life, he wandered from place to place teaching his discoveries to all who would listen to him and organizing his followers who renounced the world to form the Sangha.

Though it is now more than 2500 years since the passing away of the Buddha, the Dharma he taught remains our Teacher as he himself named it. The Sangha which consists of the followers who study, prac tise and disseminate the Dharma, has received this torch of light from the torchbearer himself and carried it on and on to us throughout lands and centuries. The three of them – the Buddha, the founder; the Dharma, the teaching; and the Sangha, the Order of disciples – form the Triple Gem which all Buddhists value the best of all precious things, and the Threefold Refuge which guides them on the Path of the true good life. Each year on the Visakha Full Moon, throughout the world, millions of men and women gather together to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of this Great Man.

The Birth reminds them of the fact that a man, by training himself through his own effort and intelligence, can achieve supreme attainments even to be a Buddha; the Enlightenment, that only through the discovery of the Buddha did the timeless Dharma become known to the world; and the Passing Away, that though the Buddha as a person was gone, the light of the timeless Dharma will still be kept shining so long as there is a Sangha, a community of righteous followers, to carry on the torch by treading the path of self enlightenment themselves and helping others towards the same goal.

Samyaksambuddhas (Pali: Sammasambuddha) Students of this order reach Buddhahood. Then they teach other people about the truth or enlightenment of Buddha Dharma and teaching his methodology / philosophy / ideology / religion, guiding them to a sense of spiritual awakening. Siddhartha Gautama, referred to as The Historical Buddha, fits in this category type, described as a Samyak-sambuddha. Pratyekabuddhas (Pali: Paccekabuddha) Somewhat similar to the Samyaksambuddhas above in that they reach the state of Nervana with powers, this type of Buddha is also known as Silent Buddhas, becuase they decided to not share their knowledge with others.

Disciples of a Sammasambuddha are called Savakas (hearers or followers) or Arahants (Noble One). These terms have slightly varied meanings but can all be used to describe the enlightened disciple. Anubuddha is a rarely used term, but was used by the Buddha in the Khuddakapatha as to those who become Buddhas after being given instruction. Enlightened disciples attain Nirvana and Parinirvana as the two types of Buddhas do. The most generally used term for them is Arahant.

One 12th century Theravadin commentary uses the term Savakabuddha to describe the enlightened disciple. According to this scripture there are 3 types of Buddhas. In this case, however, the common definition of the meaning of the word Buddha (as one who discovers the Dhamma without a teacher) does not apply any more. Mainstream Theravadin and Mahayana scriptures do not recognize this term and state there are only two kinds of Buddha.

Temples are classified into two main categories: Royal Temples and Common Temples. The Royal Temples were either built by royalty or came under their sponsorship. In Thailand, there are about 200 Royal Temples though there are only six of the highest grade. With its beautiful temples, rich culture and history, great weather, fine food and world-renowned beaches, Thailand is visited by approximately seven million visitors each year. It is a country of approximately sixty million people, with a land area equivalent to that of France. It is undergoing a remarkable economic expansion, with growth rates of approximately 8%-10 % each year.

Tourists and other foreigners should know some basic information before visiting Thailand and especially its temples. Thailand is a Buddhist country where Buddha images are held secret. Sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors. Visitors to temples should ensure that they are suitably dressed – no shorts or sing lets and ladies should also cover their arms. Shoes should be removed before entering any building and it would be polite to sit quietly when in the main temple buildings.

When visiting a temple it is polite to seek the permission of the Abbott before taking photographs or entering other than the main area. This can be done by approaching a monk or one of the many helpers found in the temple grounds. Normally permission is granted without seeing the Abbott, but your show of respect by asking, will be returned. If visiting popular temples, such as Wat Phra Kaeo in the Grand Palace grounds, there is no need to seek any permission, but you should look out for signs indicating where photography is forbidden.

Wat Phra Kaeo temple is situated in the capital city of Bangkok and is more commonly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha because it houses a small two foot jade statue of Buddha which rests upon a huge golden alter. The temple is very elaborately decorated with a rich array of colours that are sure to astonish and dazzle all visitors. This Buddhist temple is also significant in that it is the official royal chapel where the revered Thai royal family goes to perform their religious ceremonies.

Wat Traimit, Temple of the Gold Buddha- the most amazing feature of this temple is the fact that the 3 meter tall Buddha image is made up of 5.5 tons of solid gold. It was made about 700 years ago in the Sukhothai period but the image was covered in plaster in fear of the invading Burmese. It was rediscovered about 40 years ago. Besides these one should also visit the Wat Pho, Wat Suthat, Wat Ratchabophit, Wat Ratchanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram , Wat Saket, Wat Mahathat and the Wat Rakhangkositaram.

In the Dhammapada, (the essential teachings of Buddha) Buddha begins by teaching is the absolute essence of how wealth is created.

First you must build riches in your mind.

In order to become wealthy you have to imagine yourself as wealthy. You have to believe that wealth is a natural state for you. You don’t achieve this, as many uninformed people suggest, by imagining an exact dollar amount by an exact date.

The way you create a state of wealth in your mind is to imagine the life that you would be living when you are wealthy. Imagine the freedom and opportunities that having a large amount of money could open up for you.

By creating in your mind a lifestyle that you could only have by becoming wealthy then your subconscious mind will set about the task of helping you become rich.

The second part of Buddha’s advice is to listen to what you are saying and how you are saying it you can discover what your subconscious mind really believes. If your words don’t agree with your consciously stated goals it is because your subconscious has not accepted those goals.

Many people follow the practice of setting New Year resolutions. However most of these resolutions are broken and discarded within the first week. Why? Because they were conscious goals that were never accepted by the subconscious.

In order for you to turn your goal for riches into reality you have to listen to your own words and then ensure that they consistently fall inline with your stated goal. In this manner you can reprogram the subconscious mind so that it falls in line with your conscious goal of becoming wealthy.

The third part of Buddha’s advice is that once you have your words in tune with your thoughts then you have to ensure that your actions are also brought into line.

You may well be imagining that you have the lifestyle of a multimillionaire and everything you say may be supporting that idea but what of your actions. Are you taking the actions that a self made multimillionaire would be taking?

How are you utilizing your time and money? Is it consistent with your goal to become a multimillionaire or not?

Your words are a reflection of both your conscious and subconscious minds. Well your habitual actions are a reflection of an even deeper, more robust part of your subconscious. Sometimes both a person’s conscious thoughts and their words will be consistent but their habits will betray that they still have not fully reprogrammed the subconscious to be supportive of their goal.

This is why you must complete the three stage process of bringing thoughts, words and actions into the same purpose. You complete the reprogramming of your subconscious by becoming fully aware of your actions and ensuring that you persist in acting in line with your thoughts and words for long enough for those new actions to become your automatic habits.

Only when you have succeeded in bringing your thoughts, words and actions habitually inline with your goal of wealth will you then see actual wealth coming into your life.

The temple is famous for the large standing Buddha image that is known as the Thai image of Buddhasiariyametriya which is 32 metres tall. The topknot of the Buddha image includes a sacred relic of Buddha that was gifted from Sri Lanka. This was built during the period of king Rama IV. The image is facing the east and it is covered in 24K gold mosaics that were brought from Italy. This image very well depicts the modern architectural designs.

Near the feet of this large image small Buddha statues are also placed allowing the visitors to mark their devotion. Even to have a look at this image is a wonderful experience which is why it is recorded as one of the highly populated temples in Thailand. If a visitor while standing on the base of the Buddha statue releases a caged bird kept for sale in the entrance, that is expected bring him prosperity and good luck. In addition with the miraculous power that this place has if someone offers a head of a mackerel fish, a boiled egg and lei of flowers after a vow it is regarded as bringing good luck.

There goes a belief in the Chinese mythology that an image of smiling Buddha can bring forth good luck, success, happiness, fulfillment, prosperity and wealth. This belief has motivated not only the Chinese but also people of all communities to keep laughing Buddha idols where they reside. A deity of the Buddhist monastery now has become a universal figure of admiration and worship.

The idea of Laughing Buddha originates from the later beliefs of the Buddhists that good life and contentment can be attained in this living world. It can be acquired through simple lifestyle, purposeful endeavors, benevolence and enlightenment of knowledge. Termed as ‘Budai’ in Chinese and ‘Budai Luohan’ in Japanese this pot bellied bald figure with a smiling face is linked to a roving ‘Chan’ monk who existed in the time of Liang Dynasty in China.

The monk dressed in a cloth-bag that is known as ‘pu-tai’ in Chinese and ‘Hotei’ in Japanese. Hence the local folks used to call him ‘Pu-tai Hoshang’ or ‘hemp-bag monk’. The legends say that the monk carried cute gifts for the children in his linen sack.

The Buddhist shrines grace the statue of ‘Budai’ in the entranceway. With an impish grin and a protruded tummy the robust monk is found in various poses. He is seated on an elaborately inlaid pedestal or a cart drawn by children. Sometimes he is seen waving a hand fan ‘ogi’. A symbol of aristocracy of the past the fan was believed to fulfill the wishes of those who carried them. Some ‘Budai’ statues with small children in his feet represent his fondness and love for the children.

Budai’ holding a begging bowl in his hand portray the typical Buddhist quality of renouncing material possessions. The century old figure of the Buddhist religion has now been intermingled with the Chinese ideals of life and happiness that has completely changed the previous Buddhist ideals and values. Today happiness has become synonymous to material riches. Hence the modern laughing Buddha has become the revered god of material plentitude and good fortune in life.

The images of laughing Buddha have become impressive elements of interior decoration. They make for exquisite residential and business decors as well as a potential power to bring in prosperity and wealth in life. The smiling figures are also positioned in the study table of the students to ensure success in exams. A wide array of statuettes depicting Buddha smiling makes brisk sales in the domestic and International market.

The figures curved out of fine wood, metals or stones are the most sought after decorative items of the day. They are placed in any direction facing the main entrance of the home or office. The new age people are in the aspiration of acquiring huge financial gains and flourish in their lives by rubbing the belly of this traditional Buddhist craft.

To determine whether Buddhism is a religion or not, we must also note that we, as Westerners will have different views and concepts of religion to those practicing in the East. We must ask the question, is it even possible for Westerners to understand the religious life of Asia? What we view as Asian religion and religious activity is for most of the people practicing it a natural part of daily life; our ideas and concepts vary so greatly that perhaps someone observing Buddhism from a Western perspective may never truly grasp the religiosity of the group.

For one attempting to provide a definition of religion these practices would need to be described in a manner which did not exclude one religion from the definition. There needs to be one thing that is attributed to all religions, a common factor. For many, the common factor is God. However, if we conclude that God is the focus of all religion then much of the material found in Asia must be excluded because there is no God here, and occasionally not even Gods. From the perspective that religion entails belief in a God, Buddhism is excluded from having the title of religion. Many outsiders to the Buddhist tradition may claim that the Buddha held some divinity and is elevated to a Godly position, but the Buddha himself refused to be regarded as divine. For the Buddha, humanity is here to improve ourselves and achieve liberation rather than worrying about ultimate questions. Buddhists would argue that knowledge of a God or the afterlife does not matter as neither help in the quest for nirvana.
If Buddhism is not counted as a religion then what is it? Buddhism can be thought of as a way of life, a philosophy, a psychology, a way of thinking through which we can take responsibility for our present life and lives.

Like all major religions Buddhism contains a morality, rituals and behaviours, certain ethical values and an origin of existence, yet because Buddhists do not believe in an all knowing creator God some claim that Buddhism fails to be a religion. The large variety of definitions of religion shows that we can never give a solid, one answer description of what it is that religion is and does.

One thing must remember that previously Buddhism has many names such as the Buddha’s teaching or message, or the Buddha’s way or the path of attainment. Although the religious status of Buddhism has come under constant attack, we could argue that the questioning is in fact, not necessary. To the Buddhist, their beliefs are essentially a philosophy by which individuals can attain release from the world of karma and rebirth. Knowing whether or not Buddhism is a religion or not cannot lead to salvation, only through practice and understanding can one be led to a happiness which is not transient.