Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Buddha which are referred to as “Dharma” or “the Dharma.”  Buddhist believe they are on a spiritual quest to attain a state of complete enlightenment known as Nirvana.

Over time the Buddhist religion has evolved, fractured and adapted as the religion spread to the continent of Asia and around the globe.  There are three main sects of Buddhism today along with several smaller variants of the religion.

These different Buddhist religions are all united under some core Buddhist principles. In each, the Buddha is considered the spiritual leader.  The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are core principles and philosophies of the faith.  All believe that Buddhahood is the highest possible state that can be achieved.

The Theravada or “doctrine of the Elders” was established around 300 BC.  This religion centered around the teachings of Buddha and encouraged it’s followers to use meditation as a means to teach the mind and eliminate suffering with the ultimate goal of reaching Nirvana.  Theravada Buddhism established the canon of Buddhist teachings and the Ten Precepts which govern the lifestyle of Buddhist monks.

This discipline of Buddhism originated in India and moved through southeast Asia into Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and other Asian countries.  As this form of Buddhism was embraced by the indigenous people, the Theravada was altered to incorporate the religious beliefs of the various geographic regions. It is still practiced in Laos, Sri Lanka and Cambodia today.

Mahayana, or Eastern Buddhism, expands the Pali Canon and includes other religious philosophies and texts that encourage altruism and the need to live a life of universal compassion.  These beliefs are central to their concept of an “Awakened mind.”  Practiced primarily in China, Korea and Japan, Mahayana Buddhism incorporates elements of mysticism and cosmology.

Mahayana Buddhism itself has divided into two main sects.  Zen Buddhism, which focuses more on internalization of the spiritual path and self-reliance and Pure Land Buddhism which teaches that dedication to the Amitabha Buddha is required to reach Nirvana. Although deeply influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana is another distinct discipline of the Buddhist faith.

Referred to as Tantric Buddhism, Vajrayana incorporates text and scriptures from both Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism along with Buddhist Tantras.  A major difference of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it teaches that Buddhahood can be achieved in a single life time without need for reincarnation.

The Path to Enlightenment and Buddhahood is the most significant difference between the various Buddhist disciplines.  While all believe in the core principles of meditation and spiritual questing guided by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the attainment of Nirvana varies considerably.

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Though it is one of many, Zen Buddhism is likely the best known branch of Buddhism, at least in the West. It is a simple practice which focuses on meditation techniques as the way to reach enlightenment. Other Zen Buddhism practices do exist, however.

Rinzai and Soto are the two largest sects of Zen Buddhism in Japan, and Soto is the most common one outside the country. Their focus is, needless to say, on the practice of meditation. In fact, the word itself, Zen, originates from the word in Sanskrit for meditation. Zen Buddhists think that enlightenment is only reached by focusing your mind internally and that meditation is the most effective device for doing this.

To meditate in the Soto style, you would face the wall and sit quietly. You need to be aware of thoughts as they come, but just as effortlessly release them. With the Rinzai style, you would look toward the center of the room and focus on your breathing, permitting it to calm your mind and body.

Everything you do throughout the day can be turned into zazen, the name for Zen Buddhist meditation techniques. By focusing your entire attention on each activity at a time, and only that activity, it becomes zazen. However, one should still meditate on a daily basis, for a minimum of 5 minutes. Regular, daily practice is of the highest importance.

For a practicing monk, significantly more time will be spent in meditation. Many minutes of meditating, maybe 40 or 50, will be relieved by walking meditation. This gives the legs an opportunity to get relief. Sesshins are typically offered for lay students which may be from one to seven days in length, sometimes more. The students will meditate for hours on a daily basis, as well as attending talks and doing some silent work to help out.

Although Zen isn’t as well recognized for chanting as some other sects, it is part of the practice at many temples. Sutras which are often included in this practice are the Heart Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, among other sutras and mantras. There are also altars with figures of Buddhas. House altars are often utilized to honor ancestors.

Meditating on Koans is a well known practice of Zen, and mostly practiced by the Rinzai sect. These stories or phrases do not make much sense at first glance. They’re meant to drive the meditator into a deeper level of consciousness. Without this, the Koan won’t be understood.

All Zen Buddhism practices have as their purpose Satori, or enlightenment. When you reach Satori, you’ll no longer have to be reincarnated into this earth, which is viewed as a place of suffering. While meditation is the key aspect of the practice, including other methods can assist you to reach that goal.

Easy Yoga Posture

Simple Yoga for Stretching

During my Kundalini Yoga teacher’s training course, we were required to take yoga classes from different types of yoga, as well as yoga classes taught by other teachers.  One such class was a Hatha Yoga Class, with an excellent teacher.  During this class, one of the poses we practiced was a very simple and easy looking pose, designed to stretch the entire body.  Sure it was an easy yoga pose, but boy did this simple posture end up giving us a great sweat and workout.  Today’s yoga pose is a variation of this very pose and I am sure you too will learn how to use this simple exercise as a great full body stretch.  The pose is called the Palm Tree Pose in Hatha Yoga and the variation we practiced was called Mountain Pose.

One of the first rules of of doing yoga is to make sure you do easy poses first and then after you are nicely warmed up move onto more difficult poses and sets.  Palm Tree Pose is perfect for the warm-up section of your practice.  Since it is a very simple exercise, it is also very safe to do, and in addition, it helps to stretch the entire body nicely, thus preparing it for the tougher yoga that is to come.  For more guidelines on doing yoga properly please refer to the following to articles:

Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Practice

Guidelines for Kundalini Yoga Practice

I noticed recently that although we have many yoga poses in our Free Online Hatha Yoga Book, our Standing Poses Section needs to be beefed up a little.  Palm Tree pose will contribute nicely towards this section and I will be adding some more standing poses in the near future as well.  In general, the standing yoga postures tend to be easier and simpler than poses from the other categories.  Palm Tree pose will also be added to our Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises e-book.

Below you will find an illustration of this posture, along with practice details, benefits and other related information.

Easy Yoga Pose – Palm Tree Pose

Illustration of Palm Tree Pose

Palm Tree Pose – Easy Yoga Pose:

A. How to Do Palm Tree Pose:

• Stand straight up with feet about shoulder width apart.

• Keep your eyes open and focus on a point in front of you to help you keep your balance. Advanced practitioners can also look upwards.
  
• Interlace your finger, stretch your arms up and have your palms facing UP.

• Now slowly slowly rise up onto your toes and STRETCH UPWARDS.

• Breathe normally and hold this pose for the duration of the exercise.  Keep STRETCHING.  The key to getting the most out of this pose, is to keep stretching upwards.  This aspect makes the pose very effective.

• This pose has a few variations to this exercise and below I give 2 good ones.

• Variation 1: After you reach up, bend to the left and hold, then come back to center.  Then bend to the right and hold.  Repeat stretching gently from side to side for the remainder of the exercise. This is called Swaying Palm Tree, and is also a nice easy way to stretch and warm-up.

• Variation 2: In the version I referred to above, called Mountain Pose, you don’t interlace your fingers.  Instead keep the palm wide open, facing forward with the fingers all stretched and pointing upwards.  Then STRETCH upwards, consciously stretching every joint and reaching towards the sky.  In this pose, you can also stretch left and right if you like.
  

B. Duration for Palm Tree Pose: 15 seconds – 3 minutes.

C. Benefits of Palm Tree Pose:

• Great easy stretch for the entire body.
  
• Helps stretch and strengthen up the joints.
• Helps stretch the ligaments as well.
  
• Stretches the side abdominal muscles and back as well.
• Good for your back and spine.
  
• Good way to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
• Helps build balance and mental focus.
  

D. Practice Tips and Cautions for Palm Tree Pose:

• This is a nice easy pose which almost everyone can practice without any problems.
• If you really stretch well, you will be able to break a sweat even while doing such a simple pose.
  

Here are some more simple and easy yoga poses to help you develop your practice.

Basic Yoga Poses | Beginner’s Yoga Poses

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance – Tree Pose – Part 2

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

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• Free Online Illustrated Kundalini Yoga Poses & Exercises E-Book
• Best Hatha Yoga Pose for Spontaneous Healing
• Important Hatha Yoga Posture for October Practice
• Lower Back Exercise – Yoga Spinal Twists

Cut the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand! Cherish the road of peace. Nirvana has been shown by Sugata (Buddha).

- Buddha

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As the Fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold back.

Buddha

From About.com

Twenty-five centuries ago, King Suddhodana ruled a land near the Himalaya Mountains.

One day during a midsummer festival, his wife Queen Maya retired to her quarters to rest, and she fell asleep and dreamed a vivid dream. Four angels carried her high into white mountain peaks and clothed her in flowers. A magnificent white bull elephant bearing a white lotus in its trunk approached Maya and walked around her three times. Then the elephant struck her on the right side with its trunk and vanished into her.

When Maya awoke, she told her husband about the dream. The King summoned 64 Brahmans to come and interpret it. Queen Maya would give birth to a son, the Brahmans said, and if the son did not leave the household he would become a world conqueror. However, if he were to leave the household he would become a Buddha.

When the time for the birth grew near, Queen Maya wished to travel from Kapilavatthu, the King’s capital, to her childhood home, Devadaha, to give birth. With the King’s blessings she left Kapilavatthu on a palanquin carried by a thousand courtiers.

On the way to Devadaha, the procession passed Lumbini Grove, which was full of blossoming trees. Entranced, the Queen asked her courtiers to stop, and she left the palanquin and entered the grove. As she reached up to touch the blossoms, her son was born.

Read More

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From RealBollywood.com

Hollywood star Richard Gere met the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya in Bihar where the actor is attending a five-day long religious discourse on Buddhism by the Tibetan spiritual leader, an official at a Tibetan monastery said Wednesday.

A senior official associated with the Tibetan monastery in Bodh Gaya where the Dalai Lama is staying, said that Richard Gere is in Bodh Gaya to attend a religious discourse on Buddhism by the Tibetan spiritual leader.

“Richard Gere arrived in Bodh Gaya Monday evening. Gere is like any ordinary devotee of Dalai Lama. He may be busy in offering prayers, worshipping at the Mahabodhi temple and listening to religious discourses,” another official at the Tibetan monastery said.

Hollywood star Richard Gere met the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya in Bihar where the actor is attending a five-day long religious discourse on Buddhism by the Tibetan spiritual leader, an official at a Tibetan monastery said Wednesday.

A senior official associated with the Tibetan monastery in Bodh Gaya where the Dalai Lama is staying, said that Richard Gere is in Bodh Gaya to attend a religious discourse on Buddhism by the Tibetan spiritual leader.

“Richard Gere arrived in Bodh Gaya Monday evening. Gere is like any ordinary devotee of Dalai Lama. He may be busy in offering prayers, worshipping at the Mahabodhi temple and listening to religious discourses,” another official at the Tibetan monastery said.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama prayed for world peace here on Tuesday.

Hundreds of Buddhists and followers of the Dalai Lama converged at the Kaal Chakra Maidan (Wheel of Time Ground) in Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, as the five-day-long ‘Geluk Monlam puja (prayers)’ began.

“He (Dalai Lama) has given a lot of practical advise on being nice to the people and being transparent to yourself in your life so that you don’t have to hide things from people because you’ll have better relations with them and being open to them you’ll have more friends,” said James, a devotee from London.

Around 50,000 people from across the world are expected to assemble in Bodh Gaya over the five days to hear the Dalai Lama’s discourses.uring his stay the Dalai Lama would inaugurate a multimedia museum and visit new stone carvings on Buddha’s life erected in the Mahabodhi Mahavihara premises.

The 1,500-year-old holiest Buddhist shrine Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago.

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Whatever a hater may do to a hater or an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly directed mind will do us greater mischief.

-  Buddha

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Below is an excerpt from  Barbra O’ Brien’s Blog on Buddhism – Barb’s words were a bit twisted by the Family Research Council to defend Brit “If It Ain’t Christian…It’s Crap” Hume.  It’s a good read.

Today I was disappointed to learn that the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian organization, has quoted from my “Let’s Forgive Brit Hume” post to “prove” the superior forgiveness/redemption power of Christianity over Buddhism.  Peter Sprigg of the FRC writes,

Has Brit Hume slandered Buddhists by mischaracterizing their theology? Not really. Barbara O’Brien, author of “Barbara’s Buddhism Blog,” admits, “Mr. Hume is right, in a sense, that Buddhism doesn’t offer redemption and forgiveness in the same way Christianity does. Buddhism has no concept of sin; therefore, redemption and forgiveness in the Christian sense are meaningless in Buddhism.”

From here, Mr. Sprigg proceeds to slander Buddhism by mischaracterizing our “theology.”

Read the rest of this entry