Ashoka Newmedia

Thailand's Coronation Day: May 5, 2010 Coronation Day is a public holiday in Thailand. Coronation Day in Thailand commemorates the coronation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on May 5, 1950. In local Thai language, the holiday is called Wan Chattra Mongkhon. English speakers usually refer to him as or "Rama IX", although the terminology is never used in the country. Bhumibol Adulyadej is the ninth king of Thailand's Chakri Dynasty. History of Thailand's Coronation Day Thailand's political system is based on constitutional monarchy with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the current head of state. He's been Thailand's King and head of state since 1946 but his formal accession to the throne did not take place until...

This is a difficult question. The Buddha said that he came to this world to point out the way. He said not to look at the finger, but at the way. So, why all these images of the Buddha? Do Buddhists worship him? Is he a god for them? Well, the Buddha didn't want people to worship him. Anyway, after his Parinirvana(passing), his followers cremated his body and took some relics. Many of these followers (specially the lay ones) started to worship these artifacts that had a relationship to the Buddha. They could be the relics of his cremation or simply objects that the Buddha touched during his life, like his begging ball. Eventually, they built great and beautiful shrines to hold and worship these...

LAOS Population: 5.9 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Vientiane Area: 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles) Major languages: Lao, French (for diplomatic purposes) Major religion: Buddhism Life expectancy: 53 years (men), 56 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 new kip = 100 ath The Lao People's Republic is one of the, if not the least modernized countries of the Southeast Asia region isolated by the communist government, so poor it makes Cambodia look industrialized. As such, the small country prides on rich culture and heritage as much as its pristine surroundings and solemn traditions. Why Laos? Why now? Why not? This is a place so mysterious, outsiders know next to nothing about it, and it is this potential...

"Everyone has problems, everyone suffers to varying degrees at different degrees. The only way out is objectivity" -- Buddhist teaching The only business that doesn't have problems is the one that is out of business.The larger number of people in a company, the more people problems there will be. The manager's job is to make sure that every employee produces a return of 90% while only creating a 10% of cost in problems. The most successful businesses, because they are growing and adding people, have an increasing set of problems. This is good. The difference between a successful business with problems and an unsuccessful business that has -- or had -- problems is that the managers can't, or couldn't...

"I had a choice in my life, to either love or hate, and I am glad I chose love". This was spoken by one of the Slum dog Millionaire Oscar winners on last Sunday night and it really gave birth to my thoughts about LOVE. Lately, I have been learning a lot about love. What is love? Love in our most traditional sense is a feeling that is supposed to be felt by one being to another, the dictionary defines Love as: affection, devotion, it means a deep and enduring emotional regard, usually for another person. But from a spiritual perspective, love is more than a feeling reciprocated to another. It is an endless well of positive energy that dwells inside us. We can tap into this endless source by going...

Siddartha Gautama was born in Lumbini. He was born into royalty as a prince in Kapilvastu. He had three palaces that were built specifically for him. His father, King Suddohodana, wanted Siddartha to follow in his footsteps and become a king. His method of doing this was sheltering Siddartha from human suffering and of religious teachings. Siddartha spent 29 years in Kapilvistu getting pampered and receiving everything he wanted and needed. The life that he lived is what many western Americans long for. In America capitalism and wealth is praised. There is a strong connection between belief in God and money. If majority of Americans practiced Buddhism there wouldn't be so many wealthy individuals in...

NESE BUDDHISM OUT OF THE COLONIAL PERIOD Ceylonese Buddhism has been in close connection with Ceylonese nationalism throughout Ceylonese history. This connection was even stronger during the British colonial period. Under British rule, the monasteries lacked official status and were unable to defend their land or rights. One report claimed that 800,000 acres of temple property were confiscated. The colonial government and the Christian missionaries took the entire school system out of the hands of the Buddhists. The Buddhists became second-class citizens, while the Christians and the English-educated rose to the best positions in the colonial administration. Only Christian Sundays and feast days and...

Once there was a very famous pianist who had won many musical awards. He had mastered his craft to the utmost level, thus many people wished to be his students. One day another pianist paid him a visit and said, "I wish to continue my learning with you and I have been playing piano for three years. Can you tell me how long will it take for me to complete with you?" The famous pianist said, "It will take six years." The other pianist then asked again, "How long will it take if I have no foundation at all in playing the piano to learn to play to the same level like you?" The famous pianist said, "Three years." Greatly puzzled, the other pianist said, "This does not make sense to me." The master...

How many of you have heard of the saying "Ask and you shall receive"? Ok - great concept, but how does it actually work? Many thinkers, religious, new age and scientific have been exploring this puzzle in recent years. Have you ever decided that you need to buy a washing machine and then suddenly noticed there is a rush of companies advertising washing machines? What about if you are expecting a baby - noticed how many people are pregnant around you? This is due to a part of your brain called the reticular activating system. The reticular activating system (RAS) is at the base of the brain stem and expands into the mid brain (neo cortex). It controls your sleep and arousal patterns and contributes...

-- End Ad Box ---> The issue concerning whether the Internet plays a pivotal role in globalization is a highly contentious and debatable topic. Globalization, often defined as “the integration of economic capital markets and culture throughout the world” is seen as a concept that has both negative as well as positive benefits. The rate of growth in the globalization of nations and geographical regions is seen to be heavily assisted by the speed of information knowledge that the Internet provides. However, although in theory, the sharing of knowledge is supposedly to be beneficial towards the development of humanity, the Internet also provides a pathway to homogenizing culture and creating an...

The 10 precepts of Mahayana Buddhism comprise one of the three legs on which Buddhist teaching and practice stand. The other two are zazen and enlightenment-wisdom. These three are intimately related. The strongest effort to keep the precepts can be only partially successful if it is divorced from zazen; and a zazen apart from the precepts is weak and uncertain. It is true zazen, supported by the precepts, that awareness of our true nature is raised to consciousness, and in this true nature the precepts, zazen, and enlightened wisdom are grounded. While it is common upon first seeing the 10 precepts of Buddhism to think of the 10 Commandments of Christianity, to compare them is to distort both. For...

During this time of tremendous shift and change, it can be difficult to come back to "center". Back to balance and harmony. Part of doing this is becoming aware of when we are out of balance, and not grounded or centered. We live in such a fast paced society, that it can be easy to lose ourselves in work, family, over commitments and busyness. So the question is, how do we begin to tune in to being out of balance in the first place? I would like to share with you my own awareness and journey of coming back to center, at least for fleeting moments, that seem to get longer the more I slow down enough to notice. After my huge transition this last year of selling my home, relocating and settling into a...

We see the Buddha as a monk, it is hard to imagine him as a politician, but politics has been a deeply rooted theme in Buddhist life. These are figures that represent the intersection between traditional Buddhist and political values: - King Ashoka: The Protector of the Dharma When King Ashoka assumed the throne in the year 269 BCE as Emperor of the Maurya dynasty in India, he already dominated a large portion of land. There was a particular kingdom that resisted domination, the Kingdom of Kalinga. He waged a very bloody and cruel military campaign to bring the Kalinga people under his domination. The brutality of this campaign apparently provoked Ashoka to convert to Buddhism. After his conversion...

Recently I stumbled upon this "new secret" which is called "The Law of Attraction". According to this "secret" if you want to get something you only have to really think of it. The SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) say that you have to strongly imagine what you want and the universe will rearrange itself and that thing soon will become available to you. Basically they say that thoughts eventually become things. The thoughts are impulses released in the universe by us and the universe has to replay to them weather they are good or bad. If you know and understand the mechanism of this "Law of Attraction" you will be able to acquire objects you wish, subjects you love or even the experiences you want. This...

We all know what meditation means, but what specifically does mindfulness meditation imply? What is mindfulness according to definition? Mindfulness meditation refers to a mental state that is characterized by a very calm awareness. The person experiencing mindfulness is totally aware of his own body functions, feelings, consciousness and the content of his consciousness. Furthermore, he is aware of all this happening within a single mind. Mindfulness is actually part of Buddha teaching, so analyzing some basic concepts of Buddhist religion might help to better grasp the definition. Buddha teaches that correct mindfulness is an important part in finding the path to liberation and enlightenment...

Quantum - Pantanjali The Age of Aquarius and it's new paradigm of the Laws of Quantum Physics have opened wide the lid on "Universal Secrets." Universal Secrets were kept hidden from the average man by the sages, mystics and wise men of the past. They felt that the "Secrets" held too much power and that an unenlightened person would not understand them. If they tried to apply these occult secrets, they would only hurt themselves as well as others. Therefore, they cloaked their wisdom in metaphors and aphorism and made it very difficult for the average person to understand. Now we are in the Age of Aquarius and this new paradigm shows us that there really are no occult secrets about creation, the...

To celebrate Equinox this year, try sending out free e-cards. You can send e-cards to friends, family, colleagues, or anyone else that has a computer connected to the internet. Free e-cards are gradually starting to dominate the card market, and have never stopped growing since the internet took of. E cards are environmentally friendly and obviously are totally free. You can include any message you wish in a free e-card, and they come in all sorts of varieties, so you could cheer someone up with a humorous card, or share your condolences with a very moving, heart felt card. Equinox is the term that describes the day on which the Sun's plane intersects with the Equator, making the length of night and...

Tree tattoo pictures are not very common. Are they? Not many people will be having tree tattoos. Have you wondered why it is so? That is because trees have a great significance in many Asian and African cultures. It also has links with Celtic history. The meaning of tree tattoo pictures is linked with all these cultures and the impact and significance is so strong that many people prefer not to get it. Now if you are thinking that you see so many girls with different flower tattoos like roses, daisy, lily, sunflower and leaves like shamrock and others. Are they not tree tattoo pictures? NO! They are not. They are flower tattoos. I am talking about a tree as in whole. So here are some popular tree...

Eckhart Tolle was originally born Ulrich Leonard Tolle on February 16, 1948 in a small area near Dortland, Germany. He lived with his father in Spain from the age 13-19. During those years Tolle refused to go to school, complaining that the environment there was too "hostile". Instead he studied literature, astronomy, and languages at home, on his own. When he was about fifteen, he studied seriously five books given him by a German mystic, Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken. He credits those with touching him deeply. Eventually, Tolle moved to the United Kingdom. He received a graduation diploma from the University of London and studied but did not complete his doctorate at the University of Cambridge...

The Law of Attraction holds many secrets. There are many strange and remarkable things in the theory. Essentially the theory is based upon the teachings of Buddha. The foundation is taken from Buddha... 'All that we are is the result of what we have thought'. Thus you can make up your own reality through the positive energy of your thoughts. Many people believe this, and many think it is nonsense. What do you think? Philosophers throughout history have written about this theory. Aristotle, Plato and Confucious have all been quoted. However, since the early twentieth century, many books are now more available to us that have been written about the theory or Law of Attraction and about the secrets...

Metta was inspired by the teachings of Buddha. By consciously practicing random niceness we develop into peace promoting individuals - even when our stress threatens to control our world. 'They' say if we consciously practice anything ten or more times it can become habit. What a great habit it could be if everyone practiced being nice to others. While it is a basic instinct to care for family and friends, consciously being nice to people we don't know is a different story. People are afraid to reach out to others, often with good reason. The violence we read about, and sometimes experience, makes us keep a safe distance from anyone we don't know. Even still, there are plenty of safe opportunities...

There are many reasons for meditating, such as meditating for relaxation, stress relief or dealing with an issue. Sometimes you may even meditate for the fun of it because of the high you get coming off a meditation session. However, sometimes you may want to meditate for a purpose or to help reinforce something you want to achieve. If you are an elite athlete you may meditate each day to help you in your mental preparation by meditating on what you will do to win your race or if you are a basketball player you may meditate on shooting a 3 point shot. You can achieve these outcomes by using phrases during your meditation session. The objective of these phrases during a meditation session is to...

The Dharmachakra Mudra is also known as 'Turning the Wheel of Dharma.' It symbolizes the moment that the Buddha preached his first sermon after achieving enlightenment. It can be thought of us a symbolic gesture of the Buddha setting into motion the wheel of the teaching of Dharma. The wheel itself is the wheel of law which consists of eight spokes that represent the Noble Eightfold path. These are Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Each a part of the Buddhist philosophy of pursuit of Wisdom, Ethical Conduct and Mental Development. In this wheel of Dharma pose, the tips of the thumb and index finger of...

In painting world, Ajanta paintings hold a very important place. Murals of Ajanta caves are one of the most vibrant, exuberant and vivacious murals in the world. Ajanta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located 105 kilometers from the town of Aurangabad in the Maharashtra state of Western India. There are total 29 caves in the horse shoe shaped mountains along the ravine of Waghora river valley. These rock cut caves were dug during 2nd to 6th century BCE, predominantly for the Buddhist monks. Most of these caves were dug under the patronage of Vakataka king Harishena. Till the beginning of 19th century, these beautiful caves were completely unknown to the world. Ajanta caves were first discovered by...

Unique Undamaged Buddhist Temple The eight-century Borobudur Temple is beautiful situated in the Kedu Plain of Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is an exceptional survival of an undamaged Buddhist temple from this era and therefore one the most impressive monuments in Asia and one of the greatest architectural structures in the world. The Temple was built for the Sailendra dynasty and it took about 80 years to complete it. The Sacred Flower of Buddha Borobudur Temple and its surroundings look like a microcosm of the universe. The Buddhist Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and designed like the sacred flower of Buddha, the lotus. The design of the structure visualizes the teachings of Buddha...

According to Buddha, the cause of suffering is attachment, anger and ignorance. Ever think of how much you are attached to things? Most of us do not even realize this until we are in a situation of loss or near loss. In India, it is said that the way to catch a monkey is to carve out a hole in a log big enough for the monkey to put his hand into it. Put nuts or something sweet into the hole to lure him. He will reach in for the nuts but he will not be able to pull out his hand nor will he surrender and let go of the nuts. He in essence, is trapped by his own doing and his will. Does this sound familiar to you? An old boyfriend confessed to me that when he broke up with me he got rid of everything in...

Buddha and Confucius are two very influential people. Buddha is a religious person and Confucius is more of a philosopher. Yet some people still believe that Confucius is a religious person. In the book of the 100 most influential men in history Buddha and Confucius are 4 and 5. This shows in this man's opinion that Buddha and Confucius made a difference on the world. The Buddha's name is Siddhartha Gautama, and his early life is known mostly through religious writings and literature. Gautama was born in 563 B.C and he was born a prince. He was born in Lumbini. His father's ruled Kapilavastu, a city in northeast India, near the border of Nepal. His father tried to prevent Gautama to be a wandering...

At first it was as the old warriors around the village water hole in their older days, reflecting on what had gone right and what had gone wrong in all their battles, defeats, retreats, returns with victories. What had it all been for? That would be Socrates. Others, as today, would shout all the platitudes of the day, defending what ever decisions, however apparently harmful, the present administration was taking. This little civilization on a hill was surrounded by ignorance or power. All citizens of Greece needed to be on their alert. As at Gettysburg two thousand years later, the fate of democracy could some times hang by threads. Socrates made the leaders of ancient Greece jealous and was...

There are a lot of differences between Buddhist meditation and the practice of Buddhism but they are both based on the ideas and practices of the Buddhist religion. The basis of Buddhist meditation is focusing and learning to control your mind. Buddhism comes from the teachings of Buddha and emphasizes the importance of concentrating and focusing. Buddhist meditation is based on these ideas and is sometimes falsely associated with a hypnotic trance by those who are unfamiliar with the practice. What is the Fourth Noble Truth? Buddha based his teachings on "eight noble truths" that make up the ideas of Buddhism and on the idea that we need to get rid of our desires and cravings in order to stop...

Emotional stress is something that we all experience when we have to cope with the many demands and responsibilities of home and work. Stress can be defined as an intense emotional and physiological reaction to a situation or the mental representation of a situation as a memory or anticipation. Chronic stress is produced when stress reactions do not resolve themselves and become habitual. The sustained physiological effects of chronic stress can have a serious effect on the body and lead to an increased risk of disease. The psychological effects of chronic stress produce fatigue, poor concentration and an impaired ability to perform tasks, which leads to more stress. Stress produces a general...

Not all retreats can work for couples, and sometimes a retreat away from your spouse might be just what you need. But not only are there many types of retreats specifically organized for couples, there are various kinds of spiritual retreats that can be enlightening to both of you, even though they may not be specifically geared to couples. What is a retreat anyway? A retreat can simply be a place with seclusion or privacy affording peace and quiet. Or, it can be a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, or study. Either way, it is time away from your routine daily life. It is a time set aside for thought, reflection, creativity, imagination, rest and inspiration. Spiritual Retreats There...

ho follows the Dhamma in this Realm of Sense Desires ought to be on guard against the “Road to Ruin”, which, people have been warned against since ancient times. This “Road to Ruin” includes those allurements which lead to downfall. They are of six types, as follows: 1. Running after women. 2. Habitual drunkenness. 3. Habitual gambling. 4. Having bad friends. 5. Being lazy and dissatisfied in one’s work. 6. Wandering abroad at night. These six are the “Road to Ruin” of the pleasures of the senses; they are allurements which lead one to become fascinated with enjoying oneself to the exclusion of one’s duties in life. One may go through life enjoying...

e who practises Dhamma, understands clearly that seizing hold of the aggregates is wrong action, he then sees value only in letting go of them. Then that worthy person can get free of them because be does not hould on to them firmly. When one overcomes the grasping-after-self (Atthavadupadana), then all grasping and all becoming are finished and one comes to the end of suffering. This is the principle which was constantly taught by the Buddha. Thus, in the following quotation : “Upadanerayam Disava” ... To see all evil as due to grasping. “Esevanto Dukkhassa” ... That is the end of suffering. If one cannot get rid of grasping, what troubles will one come to? One will again...

Most people believe that singing bowls where brought by the Buddha, Padmasambhava, when he crossed the Himalayas from India to Tibet. With it, he also brought the teachings of the Buddha but the singing bowls that were brought with it were not used for religious practices. In fact, the singing bowls were used for begging and for eating food. The monasteries used it as a chalice during those times. Information about the production of the singing bowls extends throughout Asia where trade routes have been established. The reason behind the production of the these artifacts has not yet been established until now. If they were not produced for religious practices then why were they made? One theory is...

Finding one's life purpose and deepest life intentions can help one to move with greater focus and clarity every day of one's life. There are many ways to find and develop life purpose and intentions. The meaning of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of human existence. The concept can be expressed through a variety of related questions, such as Why are we here?, What's life all about? and What is the meaning of it all?. It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history and there have been a large number of answers from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. This suggests the meaning...

  The ancient Indian theory of liberation is the view that one can liberate oneself, permanently and in this life, from unhappiness.  The idea of liberation was first introduced as early as 800BCE in the Upanisads, part of the founding literature of Hindu thought.  It was subsequently accepted by all other ancient Indian schools of philosophy, including Jainism and Buddhism, except for the materialists.  It is an important theme running through Indian thought, right up to the present day, and a special Indian contribution to the world.   It is a tradition that has become most widely known in the case of Buddhism.  Here liberation is put centre stage, and here it is expressed most clearly that...

Buddhism began in Northern India around the year 500 BCE. The Buddhist tradition gets its name from a man known by his followers as the Buddha, or the awaken one. He was born in a princely family in a region of Northern India that now lies in Southern Nepal. In those days it was simply a part of the great undifferentiated geographical entity that we speak of today as the Indian subcontinent. The Buddha is the very picture of calm and contemplation. And is this image of a calm and contemplative human being that has drawn many people to the Buddha, for centuries in Asia, and of course, in our own environment today. This is the image that conveys more explicitly the experience of his awakening. But the...

In Central Java lies the city of Yogjakarta. The "Special Region of Yogyakarta" is a province of Indonesia on the island of Java. It is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate. Here, hundreds and hundreds of small and large factories can be found, producing accessories, stone carving articles handmade of natural mountain stone (e.g. lava stone, limestone, sandstone) as well as clay & ceramic items, mainly clay pot or ceramics vases. There is a temple to be found in very close proximity to Yogjakarta: the ancient Buddhist stone temple of Borobudur, the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in the world. It was built to resemble a microcosm of the...

Borobudur is the biggest temple in Indonesia. Borobudur temple is located in Magelang, Central Java, in addition of being a famous tourist attraction, this temple also becomes a center of worship for Buddhists in Indonesia, especially at every celebration of Waisak. Borobudur temple is also known as "Monastery in the hills" because it lies in the hills. The temple was built around 800 BC or 9th century it has been established as one of the cultural heritage of UNESCO and it does not only makes proud for all people in Indonesia but also throughout the world. This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies. Borobudur was built by Samaratungga, one king of Old Mataram Kingdom...