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.

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.

Every year innumerable pilgrims of Buddhism come to India to experience Buddha tour or Buddha temple tour or simply Indian temple travel package to mollify their prancing mind. On influx you will be received by our envoy and this day you will be taken for an excursion to this very heart of India- Delhi. The journey will cover Qutab Minar / Humayun Tomb / India Gate / Red Fort / Jama Masjid / Gandhi Memorial etc.

Drive to Agra en-route visiting the old desolate town of Mughal empire i.e. Fatehpur Sikri. On influx, check in into hotel. Afternoon you go out for city trip covering Taj Mahal, Red Fortand the Tomb of Itmad-ud-daula’s Tomb. Afternoon city trip of Sarnath: renowned for its Dhamekh Stupa and for it being the place where Buddha preached his first sermon enshrining the belief of his teachings into laws. You learn and assimilate so many things to usher peace in your life during Buddah travels package in India that it remains in your memory for ever.

At sunrise take pleasure in boat ride at River Ganges, followed by a city trip covering – Vishwanath Temple, Bharat Mata Temple etc. Stay there for two nights with outings to Rajgir/ Nalanda / Sapta pari cave and Venevamas. Above two days you will come across with many locales of Buddhist significance, i.e., Rajgir: A significant Buddhist pilgrimage since the Buddha spent 12 years here, and the first Buddhist council after the Buddha achieved Nirvana was held here, Nalanda: founded in the 5th century known as center of intellectualism. You learn the truth of existence and the objective of life during Buddhist pilgrimage tour in India.

A.M. ensue to Vaishali, a very extraordinary place to Buddhists as The Lord preached his last lecture & announced his imminent “Nirwana”. See the majesty of Ashok Pillar – Lotus tank, Chaumukhi & proceed to Kushinagar for during the night stay.

Morning trip to Ashoka’s pillar (249 BC) rediscovered in 1890’s inside thick sal woods, a shrine of Mayadevi, the ruins of an old monastery and some new stupas, then in the afternoon go on to Balrampur en route visiting Sravasti where you will see the extensive debris of this antique city & Jetavana Monastery.

In the end, with Taj tour you can’t forget the hospitality and satisfaction you get from our envoys during this Buddha tour India.

India, during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha was “in a state of religious ferment,” it was a period during which the authority of The Vedas was in doubt; this was significant as The Vedas were central to Hinduism. Therefore, scepticism regarding their authority was seen as scepticism regarding the Hindu religion itself. The Buddha addressed what he perceived to be the shortcomings of Hinduism; he rejected the inequitable nature of the caste system and preached instead that all beings were equal; by doing this he challenged the supremacy of the Brahmins. It is also interesting to note that Buddhism was the first

“Religion” to indoctrinate women into its religious order or sangha. The Buddha also held the superstitious nature of Hinduism in disdain, as Spears says, “He (Buddha) was an opponent of the priesthood, magic and sacrifice.” Buddha advocated rightful conduct over spells and charms. This line of thought held particular resonance with members of the middle class, who were growing increasingly critical of the aristocratic privilege bestowed upon Brahmin priests. The priests, in turn maintained their stronghold over Hinduism by way of performing rituals, which were often in the form of spells and sacrifice. Buddha’s open rejection of Hinduism was highly inflammatory, especially to the Brahmins. However, Buddha’s message of equality for all strongly appealed to the lower castes within Hindu society. Thus, the egalitarian nature of Buddhism, as well as its renunciation of Hindu ritualism and Brahmanism contributed to its success.

The Buddha rejected the idea of man’s salvation being reliant upon an external force or being such as God. In this sense, Buddhism is not a religion, but rather a philosophy. The early Buddhist sects were either atheistic or agnostic. The atheists believed it was “man, who created God in his own image,” whilst the agnostics believed that the search for and contemplation of God was “an exercise in futility.” Both of these beliefs were in stark contrast to Hinduism’s worship of a pantheon of Gods. Buddha championed the benefits of meditation and reflective practises over prayer, ritual fasting and sacrifices. Buddha’s philosophy taught that salvation lay in one’s own hands. This belief was certainly a revelation to low caste Hindus, who had been brought up to believe that their only hope was to observe the laws of dharma (duty to one’s caste) in order to be reborn into a higher position in the next life. The importance stressed on dharma effectively immobilised lower caste Hindus into a lifetime of servitude and oppression, it also served to perpetuate the hegemonic nature of Indian society. Buddha’s teachings liberated lower caste Hindus. For the first time they were given a feeling of control over their own lives, in the sense that salvation was attainable through a course of right conduct and action rather than adherence to rules made by those in power. Thus Buddhism gained support by espousing the virtues of freedom for all beings, and by preaching that salvation was attainable inside oneself.

As well as placing emphasis on the attainability of salvation, Buddhism also stressed a great deal of importance on the accessibility of its teachings. It was for this reason alone that The Buddha preached in Pali, the then common language of the Gangetic Plain. Spears- “Buddha was an opponent of hiding the truth in the mystery of a strange language and unintelligible books…his message was for all equally…” Therefore, a factor crucial to determining the success of Buddhism in India was the level of its accessibility, particularly to the common man who had long been deprived of religious or philosophical education, accessibility also fostered a sense of inclusiveness.

Buddhism’s success in India lay in its attempts to be tolerant of, yet distinct from Hinduism. Therefore, the early success of Buddhism in India can be attributed to its egalitarian, accessible and peaceful nature, it’s addressing of the social tensions of the day and the support and promulgation it received under several rulers. The social atmosphere of the time was calling for reform, and for many this reform was to be found in Buddhism.