The Buddha Is Staying On Indasala Cave

The Buddhist instructor informed us that Buddha was just a title given to those that reached enlightenment. He also clarified that the statue in the center was of Chenrezig Buddha. Chenrezig Buddha is known as the Buddha of compassion. Under that statue was the Vajrapani statue, which is the protector of Buddha. This statue looks very fierce in nature in order to show the strength and power of Buddha. To the right was the picture of the founder of Diamond Way Buddhism centers, Lama Ole Nydahl, and the founder’s wife who had passed away. The instructor explained to us that Nydahl was a very inspirational and motivational Buddhist who was currently on tour all over the world for Buddhist teaching purposes (Anonymous).

Describe the four sights that the young Siddhartha Guatama experienced upon leaving the palace. Reflect on the significance of each of the four sights.

The planet that we reside on has a long, enduring history. Today, remnants can still be found that tell the history of the land, and of its inhabitants; many of these remnants, however, have been destroyed over time. The Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan has a rich and complicated history that continues up to the present day. The residents of Bamiyan live neighboring a wall of cliffs, speckled with caves. Bordering the city on each side, two abandoned niches are carved into the cliff face, each towering over 100 meters. These great niches once held two Buddha statues that looked out over the Bamiyan Valley, but now stand empty. Once a witness to the history of the area, these Buddhas were destroyed in 2001 when the Taliban, a terrorist group, destroyed them due to their religious imagery.

“Amida Buddha” (Figure 1) is a bronze figure created during the Kamakura Period, dated 1185-1333. The work is a figurative representation of Amida, who was highly worshipped during the Kamakura Period. The figure “Amida Buddha” is currently on exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum (2018) in Fort Worth, Texas as part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Lands of Asia Exhibition.

Buddhism is the fourth largest religion on earth and is composed of three major traditions today; Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism (“Lecture 5”). The founder of Buddhism, known as Buddha, was a royal prince named Siddhartha Guatama from Northern India. Siddhartha’s father kept him closely confined inside of a large palace, with the intention of preventing him from taking up a religious life, so that he too would one day become a great king. However, one day while Siddhartha was outside of the palace, he observed four sights that would change his destiny forever. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the four sights experienced by Siddhartha Guatama, their significance and examine why they led him to seek religious

This is truly an illuminating moments as readers are finally convinced of Siddhartha’s readiness as Buddha and are strangely perplexed at Siddhartha’s relentless dedication to the holy

Govinda is the “shadow” or “sidekick” of Siddartha throughout the entire novel, but he has his own path to follow to Nirvana. Govinda goes through three specific stages to get to Nirvana. The Samanas help Govinda understand what spiritual life is. The Buddha helps him discover that the way to Nirvana cannot be taught it is discovered on one’s own. Finally, Govinda goes out on his own to discover Nirvana because the Buddha cannot teach him his way.

Between the second century BCE and the early first century CE, buddhist art was not represented as human form rather than symbols. Symbols were represented by the buddha's footprints, or a stupa. The Great Stupa is located in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India and was founded in the 3rd century BCE. The stupa is derived as burial mounds for buddhas, holding the remains of their cremation. The main body of the stupa or dome represents the world mountains, which rises through the center of the buddha universe. The railing encloses the top of mast bearing three stone disks or “umbrellas” represent the three jewels of buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama, sangha, and dharma.

These two seated Buddha represent the meaning and the embodiment of Buddha. Both of these sculptures convey Buddha and represent key aspects of Buddhism, but these two sculpture do not convey and represent the symbolism entirely of what Buddha is in other art pieces. Rock cut stone sculpture of Buddha is represented in a peaceful nature as he gives the first sermon, the sun, the lotus flower, the knot on his head, the elongated earlobes, the slightly closed eyes and cherubs up above are common symbols that represent Buddha. Where the Grand Buddha at Ling Shan is an 88 metre tall bronze statue, that stand upward, and has very little Buddha symbolism represented. He has the knot on his head, slightly closed eyes, standing on an opened lotus flower

Before visiting this site, I did some researches about the building of this temple. The design of the temple was conceived by Noppom Poochareon, an architect from Miami. He built this structure thinking in a refuge for the local Buddhist community. His vision for the sanctuary was a peaceful place, full of light, and quietness. He had no predetermined notion of what type or size of the Buddha might reside there. The project results in many difficulties and countless personal expenses for him just to obtain the proper permits. Money is always a problem in such a project. It was not easy to find financing. The National Bank of Homestead, Florida, was the first in giving a hand and allowing the start of the project ("History").

Spirit Cave is located in Thailand, in the Pang Mapha district, in the Mae Hong Son Province. (1) The Hoabinhian hunting tribe occupied it from 9000 to 5500 BCE. They were a community of hunters and gatherers that used tools such as the short axe, hammerstones, and tools made of bone. The cave is on a hillside overlooking a small stream. This site dates back to the Neolithic or New Stone Age.

For my religious site visit, I decided to go to the Tibetan Yungdrung Bon Institute in Miami. For the first time ever, I would experience the practices and culture of another religion outside of my own. The Tibetan Yungdrung Bon Institute was not a temple like I expected, but instead, the prayers and rituals were performed in an apartment. Even though it was not a temple, the close attention to authentic decorations was very interesting. After leaving all my anxiety and shyness behind, I entered the building and waited until one of the instructors came down to take me to the room.

Buddha Amitabha is a bronze statue that was found in Zhaozhou Hebei of China. It was made in Sui

The Standing Amida Nyorai sculpture is standing on a lotus throne that symbolizes divine birth. A lotus flower also means a symbol of purity (Jansen 62). The Standing Amida Nyorai figure represents the one made by Amida in Japan or Amitābha in Indian at the moment of his descending from his paradise to welcome a dying individual into his heavenly realm, also called the Pure Land. This position is also called Raigō. Amitābha is the fourth Jina. Jinas are cataloged as “’He whose splendour is immeasurable’” in India (Jansen 134). Amitābha is also called the Buddha of intellectual power (Jansen 135). It said that while he was still a Bodhisattva that is an aspiring Buddha, Amitābha meditated for five Kalpas that means Indian aeons before pronouncing his great vow in 48 points by which he undertook to save al beings, irrespective of who or where they were (Jensen 135). Amida or Amitābha was seemed as a great identity at that because of what he

The Great Stupa of Sanchi is located in Sanchi, which lies in central India. The Great Stupa follows the same basic structure blueprinted for all stupas. What makes this one so unique is that it stands fifty feet high and has two different levels that are designed to be circumambulated. There are four gates that the Buddhists enter