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WHAT IS BUDDHISM? |
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Buddhism is a way of life which is based on
the profound and wholesome teachings of the Buddha to all
people, revealing the true face of life and the universe. The
Buddha did not preach to win converts but to enlighten
listeners. It is a religion of wisdom where knowledge and
intelligence predominate. Buddhism has brought peace of mine,
happiness and harmony to millions of people in its long history
of more than 2,500 years. |
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Buddhism is practical religion devoted to
conditioning the mind through normal daily lift in such a way as
to lead to peace, tranquility, happiness, wisdom and perfect
freedom. As a plan of living which derives highest benefit from
life, it is sometimes referred to as ¡§Humanistic Buddhism.¡¨
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| A COLLECTION OF BUDDHIST TERMS
& DEFINITION |
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Buddha & Bodhisattva |
Buddhist Holy Places |
Buddhist Terms |
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Life of the Buddha |
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| Buddha, ¡§the Awakened One¡¨, is a
descriptive name for all those who have attained
Enlightenment, the goal of Buddhist spiritual practice.
Buddhists believe that everyday human beings are asleep and
unaware of the human condition, but the Buddha are those who
are awakened to the true nature of reality as taught in the
Four Noble Truths. |
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| The name of the historical
Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama; Siddhartha (meaning ¡¥one whose
goal is accomplished¡¦) and Gautama his family name. He was
born into a noble family of the Sakya clan and therefore he
is also known as Sakyamuni (the sage of the Sakyas). His
father was a king of Kapilavastu, a city in the south of
present-day Nepal. The name Buddha became his title after
his Enlightenment/ awakening. |
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| The exact dates of Buddha¡¦s life
are still uncertain and debated across the Buddhist world:
624-544 BCE (before current era) in Sri Lanka and south-east
Asia, 448-368 BCE in east Asia, 566-486 BCE or 563-483 BCE
in secondary Western literature, and according to recent
scholarship c.485-405 BCE. |
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| The Buddha was born in Lumbini,
a park not far from Kapilavastu; the fortune tellers saw his
32 marks of a Great Being and foretold that he would be
either a Universal Monarch or a Buddha. He spent this first
29 years in the royal palace in Kapilavastu and accepted the
prevailing Indian worldview about the cycle of life and
death, transmigration, karma and liberation. He was
concerned about the problem of human suffering and how to
resolve it. He married and had one son. |
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| At 29 he went forth to seek
liberation from human predicament: practiced asceticism,
fasting, breath control, concentration and finally developed
his own style of practice. |
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| In Bodhgaya at the age of 35 he
attained awakening and liberation (Nirvana), and liberation
from its suffering (Dukkha). After this enlightenment the
Buddha went to Sarnath where he delivered his first
discourse on the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Noble Path. |
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| After his awakening he attracted
many followers and established a monastic order (Sangha) of
monks and nuns. The remaining 45 years of this life he spent
as a wandering teacher traveling through north-east India.
The Buddha taught that others could replicate his
experience. |
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| The Buddha died in Kusinagara at
age 80 and was cremated outside this town. His teaching
(Dharma) was memorized by his disciples and transmitted
orally until it was written down several centuries later. |
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Spread of Buddhism |
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| Buddhism is a Western term,
which became popular in the 19th century to refer to the
teaching of the Buddha. There is no direct equivalent for
this term in the Buddhist sources where terms like ¡§the
Teaching of the Buddha¡¨, ¡§the Word of the Buddha¡¨ and ¡§the
Doctrine of the Buddha¡¨ are used instead. |
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| Indian Buddhism developed in
three main stages, each of them containing a great diversity
of schools and practices: |
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- In the first 400 years after the Buddha¡¦s death
a diversity of early Buddhist schools developed in India.
The only one to have survived down to modern times is
Theravada (the Teaching of the Elders). It is
characterized by its Pali Canon, the earliest complete set
of Buddhist scriptures.
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- A major movement in Buddhist tradition called Mahayana
(The Great Vehicle) began c.2nd century CE and
reinterpreted fundamental doctrines of earlier schools. It
placed great emphasis on the twin values of wisdom (Prajna)
and compassion (Karuna) and included the Bodhisattva
(Enlightenment being) who sacrifices the attainment of
their own Nirvana to devote themselves to the services and
liberation of others.
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- Around the 7th century CE a special path called
Tantric Buddhism (also Vajrayana, - Diamond Vehicle or
Mantrayana ¡V Mantra Vehicle) arose within Mahayana
Buddhism. It claimed to provide a quicker, alternative
path to Enlightenment through lay practitioners, rather
than monks and nuns. Buddhism mostly disappeared from
India c.12th century CE, but remains the most important
Indian influence on the rest of Asia and can be found in
the following areas:
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Southern Buddhism ¡V the Theravada school (with
elements of Mahayana) is present in: Burma, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and partly in India, Nepal,
Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Bangladesh. It has the
oldest Buddhist Canon composed in Pali language. |
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| Eastern
Buddhism ¡V the Chinese version of Mahayana school
(with elements of Tantric Buddhism) is found in: China,
Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It has a Buddhist Canon
in Chinese language. |
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Northern Buddhism ¡V Tantric Buddhism (the late
version of the Mahayana), is present in: Tibet, Mongolia,
Bhutan, Northern Nepal and some provinces of the Russian
Federation. It has a Buddhist Canon in Tibetan and Mongolian
languages. |
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| Western
Buddhism ¡V Buddhism had vary early contacts with
western cultures through individuals such as Alexander the
Great (4th century BCE) and the Greek King Menander (1st
century CE), but its study by western academics did not
begin until c.1800. It now flourishes around the world, as a
religion/philosophy/way of life. Since the 1960s, western
Buddhism has grown enormously becoming one of the fastest
growing religions in Australia. |
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Buddhism in Brisbane |
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| The introduction of Buddhist
practice into Brisbane is a very recent event in the 2,500
year history of Buddhism, with the first record of a
Buddhist presence here dating from the 1880s. |
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| Among Brisbane¡¦s Chinese
population was a small group who identified themselves as
Buddhists. They gathered at Brisbane¡¦s first temple, the
Temple of the Holy Triad, which was built at Breakfast Creek
in the mid 1880s and remains on its original site. Religious
practice at this temple was not exclusively Buddhist, but a
blend of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. By the 1900s,
the number of Chinese people in Brisbane and the practice of
Buddhism had declined. |
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| In 1953 the first attempt was
made to organize Anglo- Australian Buddhist activity in
Brisbane, through the foundation of the Buddhist Society of
Queensland. The high point of the Buddhist Society¡¦s brief
period of activity was the April 1955 visit to Brisbane of
the first internationally known Buddhist teacher, the
Venerable Narada Maha There. Despite the success of the
visit, the society¡¦s numbers dwindled and it ceased to
function after 1956. |
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| The most important influence on
the growth of Buddhism in Brisbane was the arrival, from the
late 1970s, of immigrants from Buddhist countries; in
particular Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand. |
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| In recent years, people¡¦s
contact with Buddhism has increased through visits of
prominent Buddhist teachers, most notably His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, the growth in spiritual and tourist travel to
Asia and the influential profile created by Hollywood
celebrities like Richard Gere. |
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| The growing appeal of Buddhist
philosophy and mediation in the changing world has seen the
number of Buddhist organizations in Brisbane increase by 10
times ¡V from 4 in 1982, to 40 in 2004. Attendance at the
various Buddhist festivals in Brisbane also continues to
rise, In 1997, its first year, the Buddha Birthday Festival
at South Bank attracted 5,000 people and last year up to
180.000 attended. This celebration of Buddha, is Brisbane¡¦s
best attended festival and showcases the growing importance
of Buddhism in our wider community. |
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Signs of a Buddha |
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| According to Indian tradition
there are 32 identifiable physical signs that indicate a
person is destined for greatness and has the potential to
become a Buddha. The following is a list of signs that may
be identified on sculptures of the Buddha: |
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¡´ Long Fingers
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Fingers and toes evenly spaced
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Projecting heels
¡´ Legs
shapely like those of antelopes
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Private parts covered by a sheath
¡´ Golden
complexion
¡´ Well
built upper body
¡´ No
hollow between shoulder blades
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Symmetrically curved shoulders
¡´ Even
teeth
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Intense blue eyes
¡´ Long
eyelashes (like that of a cow)
¡´ A soft
hairy growth between the eyebrows
¡´ A
turban shapes head
¡´ Each
hair is straight and curling to the right as its tip |
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| Buddha is also often shown with
short hair and elongated earlobes to represent his
renunciation of the princely life |
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Poses of Buddha
Sculpture |
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| Buddha sculptures not only serve
an important teaching role but also convey the calm feeling
that inspire the mental discipline to work towards
Enlightenment. |
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| While Buddha sculptures come in
a wide variety of poses, they are usually either seated,
standing or reclining: |
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- Buddha standing or working after his Enlightenment.
- Buddha in a lotus position or a seated position of
meditation
- Buddha in a reclining state, leaving his physical form
and passing into Nirvana. The Buddha is depicted dying
peacefully ¡V his body released from the endless cycle of
rebirth.
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Mudras |
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| Mudras are the hand gestures
used to represent meaning and concepts about Buddhist
doctrine. Also found in Buddhist artworks, they are a
powerful means of non-verbal communication and used in all
schools of Buddhism. |
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 Gesture
of Turning the Wheel of Dharma
The thumb and index finger of the right hand stand for
wisdom and method combined. The other three raised
fingers symbolize the teaching of the Buddhist doctrine,
which leads sentient beings to the paths of the beings
of three capacities. The position of the left hand
symbolizes the beings of the three capacities, who
follow the combined path of method and wisdom.
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 Gesture
of Meditation
The nerve channel associated with the mind of
enlightenment (Bodhichitta) passes through the thumbs.
Thus, joining of the two thumbs in this gesture is of
auspicious significance for the future development of
the mind of enlightenment.
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 Gesture
of Bestowal of Supreme Accomplishment
The gesture of the right hand symbolizes bestowal of
supreme accomplishment. That of the left hand symbolizes
meditation. Together, they stand for the Buddha's power
to bestow supreme and general accomplishments on his
disciples, while he meditates.
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 Gesture
of Pressing the Earth
The right hand gestures pressing the earth to bear
witness. The position of the left hand symbolizes
meditation. Together, they stand for the Buddha's
overcoming of hindrances while meditating.
This gesture 'of touching the earth' or 'calling the
earth to witness', commemorates Gautama Buddha's victory
over temptation by the demon Mara.
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 Gesture
of Turning the Wheel of Dharma while in Meditation
The gesture of the right hand stands for turning the
wheel of Dharma, while that of the left hand symbolizes
meditation. The two conjoined symbolize teaching the
Dharma while in meditation.
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| Buddha &
Bodhisattva |
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| ¡]1¡^ |
SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA |
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He is the founder of Buddhism. After 500 previous
incarnations, Sakyamuni finally attained to the state of
Bodhisattva, was born the son of Suddhodana, of the ksatriya
caste, ruler of Kapilavastu. In search for truth, he left
home, severely disciplining himself and became an ascetic.
Finally at age of 35, under a tree, he realized that the way
of release from the chain of rebirth and death lay not in
asceticism but in moral purity through wisdom and compassion
- the ¡§middle way.¡¨ He founded his community on the basis of
poverty, chastity, and insight or meditation, and it became
known as Buddhism. |
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AMITABHA BUDDHA |
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The Buddha of boundless light or life. An imaginary
being unknown to ancient Buddhism, possible of
Persian or Iranian origin, who has become the most
popular divinity in the Mahayana Teaching. His name
indicates an idealization rather than a historic
personality, the idea of eternal light and life. The
origin and date of the concept are unknown, but he
has always been associated with the west, where in
his Pure Land, Sukhavati, he receives with unbounded
happiness those who call upon his name. This is
consequent on his forty-eight vows, especially the
eighteenth, in which he vows to refuse Buddhahood
until he has saved all living beings to the Pure
Land, except those who had committed the five
unpardonable sins, or are guilty of blasphemy
against the faith. |
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MAITREYA BUDDHA |
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Maitreya, ¡§The Friendly and Benevolent One¡¨ or ¡§One
who possesses loving-kindness¡¨ is widely adored by
the Chinese Buddhists for his willingness to grant
help to those who direct their minds towards him. He
is also known as Ajita, ¡¥the Unconquered¡¦ and ranks
equal with the other great Bodhisattvas such as
Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Samanthabadra,
Mahasthamaprata and Ksitigarbha. As the next
Buddha-to-be he alone enjoys the distinction of
being the only Bodhisattva recognized and popularly
accepted by both Mahayana and Theravada countries. |
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MAHAVAIROCANA |
Mahavairocana (Sanskrit name) is a Buddha honored by
the esoteric school of Buddhism. The name has three
meanings:
(1) Elimination of darkness by total illumination.
The light of wisdom of the Buddha constantly
illuminates everywhere, irrespective of inside or
outside, day or night.
(2) Success in all affairs. The light of wisdom
illuminating the whole universe will develop equal
infinitely good qualities in all sentient beings and
warrant full success in all excellent affairs in and
beyond this world.
(3) Light of eternity. The light of wisdom of the
Buddha will not be reduced by ignorance, nor be
increased. |
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MEDICINE BUDDHA |
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BHAISAJYA GURU means Medicine Buddha, who heals all
diseases, including the disease of ignorance. His
image is often at the left of Sakyamuni Buddha, and
he is associated with the East. |
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AVALOKITESVARA (Kuan-Yin)
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Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit name) is commonly known as
the Goddess of Mercy who, in the spirit of great
compassion, vows to reach out for the salvation of
all sentient beings. She and Mahasthamaprata
Bodhisattva, being the left and right hands of
Amitabha (Buddha of boundless light and life) are
jointly referred to as the three Saints of the West.
As the regarded of world¡¦s sufferings, all sentient
beings who call upon her name will be heard and be
liberated from suffering. She had indeed reached a
state of utmost freedom without hindrance in respect
of wisdom and actions. |
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KSITIGARBHA |
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Ksitigarbha (Sanskrit name), is the Guardian of the
Earth. He vowed to save all sentient beings in the
six realms of existence. According to the
Ksitigarbha-Sutra, Ksitigarbha should have achieved
Buddhahood but in order to devote himself to educate
and save all sentient beings, he is willing to
remain in the status of Bodhisattva. The Sutra
mentions that those who chant his name in great
faith, give offerings, or worship his portraits or
statues will be relieved from all sorrows and
sufferings. They will not regress into evil realms
but will be rewarded with ten or twenty-eight kinds
of benefits. Ksitigarbha is one of the four most
renowned Bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. |
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MANJUSRI (Budhisattva of Wisdom) |
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Manjusri (Sanskrit name) is one of the four most
renowned Bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. Manjusri
and Samantabhadra, being the left and right hands of
Sakyamuni Buddha (the founder of Buddhism)
represented Buddha-wisdom and Buddha-discernment
respectively. He is often depicted riding on a lion,
symbolising strength and courage. |
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| ¡]9¡^ |
SAMANTABHADRA |
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Samantabhadra [Sanskrit name] is one of the four most
renowned Bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. Manjusri, often
depicted riding on a lion and Samantabhadra, riding on a
white elephant, served on the left and right sides of
Sakyamuni Buddha [ the Founder of Buddhism] respectively. In
the Avatamsaka-Sutra, Chapter 40, the Ten Great Vows of
Samantabhadra were recorded. The tremendous credits of these
vows were explained, and all sentient beings, following the
guidance of Samantabhadra will be able to reborn in
Amitabha¡¦s Western Pureland after death. |
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| Buddhist holy
places |
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| ¡]1¡^ |
The Nilajan River |
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Prince Siddhartha, sought enlightenment through many
years of ascetic life. Despite undergoing such
hardships as limiting his diet to one grain of
barley a day, he was unable to find enlightenment.
At the age of thirty-one, he decided to renounce his
futile asceticism and went to the Nilajan River to
wash away the dirt on his body. There he accepted
food offered to him by a shepherdess named Sujata.
After meditating for forty-nine days at Gaya Hill
under the Bodhi tree, he finally became enlightened. |
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| ¡]2¡^ |
The cave of ascetic
practice - Snow Mountain |
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Prior to the Buddha¡¦s full enlightenment, he
diligently practiced an ascetic life in a cave on
Snow Mountain. Gradually reducing his food intake
until his body became so weak and emaciated that his
sinews and bones showed. As he was unable to find
full enlightenment by practicing austerity in this
way, he began to take food to regain his strength. |
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The Enlightenment Stupa (The Great
Stupa of Bodhagaya) |
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The Enlightenment Stupa was built with bricks and
stones and has undergone various rebuilds over many
years. The four small stupas on the four corners at
the top, date back to the 14th century approximately
and were erected by Burmese builders. The oldest
Buddha stupa can be traced back to the early Gupta
period. |
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| ¡]4¡^ |
The Vairasana (The
Diamond Seat) |
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To commemorate the place in Boddhagaya where the
Buddha attained full enlightenment under the Bodhi
tree, a Vajrasana (Diamond seat) was erected.
According to what is said, two hundred and fifty
years after the Buddha¡¦s passing, King Asoka went to
pay homage at the holy remains and erected a temple
beside the tree. He erected a diamond seat to
illustrate the diamond-like firmness and sharpness
of the Buddha¡¦s meditative contemplation and wisdom
practiced under the Bodhi tree; a practice which
could cut off all defilements and produce full
illumination. Now all that remains are the remnants
of a rebuilt version of the Diamond Seat dating back
to a later period of time. |
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| ¡]5¡^ |
Bodhgaya |
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Bodhagaya is six miles south of the town of Gaya.
The Buddha attained full enlightenment there under a
Bodhi tree. This place is the most important center
for Buddhists going on a pilgrimage. The tree has
been replaced three times, the present one, being
the fourth generation, is located near a stone
railing and a temple. |
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| ¡]6¡^ |
SARNATH (ISIPATANA) |
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The site where the Buddha gave his first sermon to
his first five disciples was at Sarnath (Deer Park).
The location is marked with a stone Buddha sculpture
from the Gupta period (5th century) and represents
the refinement and elegance of all the Indian Buddha
images. The Buddha is sitting in full lotus posture
on the Dharma seat and is holding his two hands in
front of his breast, one hand opposite the other.
Between the fingers of his hand, there is the
characteristic mark of the Buddha, namely the
formation of a web (all the Buddhas possess
thirty-two specific marks, and this is one of them).
In the center of the lower part of the precious seat
is a carving of the Dharma wheel which symbolizes
the Buddha expounding the Dharma. On both sides,
there are the five Bhiksus and two followers, a
mother and a son. In front of the Dharma wheel, is a
pair of crouching deer indicating that the place
where this happened was Deer Park. |
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| ¡]7¡^ |
RAJAGAHA |
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The Buddha stayed in this place for many years and
preached some of the most important sermons there.
The LOTUS SUTRA being one of them. |
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| ¡]8¡^ |
Jetavana Vihara |
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The Jetavana Vihara was in ancient Sravasti. It was
built by the elder Anathapindika and offered by him
to the Buddha. Now it has become a public park where
the Bodhi tree, the foundations of the monastery,
the stupa of the Buddha,, and other structures still
remain. In recent times, the site of the Jetavana
Vihara has undergone excavation. Buildings dating
from the time of the Gupta kings of the first
century up to the tenth century have been unearthed. |
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| ¡]9¡^ |
VELUVANARAMA |
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¡¨Bamboo Grove¡¨. A Monastery and park constructed by
King Bimbisara for Bhikkus is situated at Rajagaha. |
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| ¡]10¡^ |
NALANDA |
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This is the place where the famous Buddhist
University came into existence. The Buddha visited
this place in the course of His last journey. |
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¡]11¡^ |
Kushinagar |
-- The place where the Buddha entered into
Parinirvana
Kushinagar is approximately fifty-five miles east of
Gorakhpur in present day India. It was the place
where the Buddha entered into Parinirvana at the age
of eighty. His mortal remains were burned outside of
Kushinagar. After the Buddha¡¦s passing into Nirvana,
a stupa was built there to worship the relics of the
Buddha. This Nirvana stupa was rebuilt by Burmese
Buddhists in 1927. An image of the Buddha entering
into Parinirvana was created during the Gupta period
in the fifth century. It was later buried until it
was excavated in 1876 and refurbished. The image is
18 feet long and is now worshipped in the Nirvana
Hall later built at Kushinagar. The head of the
image is facing west, its body is clad in a yellow
robe and is resting on a great marble stone. Each
year, many Buddhists visit Kushinagar on their
pilgrimage. |
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¡]12¡^ |
Pippala Cave |
---The collection and fixing of the Buddhist Canon
Four months after the Buddha¡¦s passing into Paranirvana the
first assembly gathered to recite and collect the scriptures
for the fixing of the Buddhist Canon. Six assemblies for the
creation or revision of the canon were recorded; the first
was at the Pippala cave at Rajagrha under Ajatasatru. The
notable three disciples to whom the reciting was attributed
were Kasyapa for the Abhidharma, Ananda for the Sutra, and
Upali for the Vinaya. |
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| Buddhist Terms |
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¡]1¡^ |
BUDDHIST ALTAR |
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The altar supports different images of Buddhas. The
arrangement and choice of personages on the altar
vary from temple to temple. One often finds
Sakyamuni Buddha being side by side the Amitabha
Buddha and the Medicine Buddha, the two great
Buddhas of past eras. At other times, a single
Buddha may be seen seated between his two
Bodhisattvas such as Amitabha Buddha with
Avalokitesvara (Kuan Yin) and Mahasthamaprata
Bodhisattvas. It is common to find altars dedicated
only to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, the most compassionate
one. At the altar, beside the dharma instruments
devout Buddhists offer their prayers. Offerings of
incense, candles, flowers, fruits, and other gifts
are placed on the table in front of the altar. |
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¡]2¡^ |
Sarira (Relics) |
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Sarira are relics left after the cremation of a
Buddha or saint and are formed as a result of
serious cultivation of precepts, meditation and
wisdom during a lifetime. These relics were usually
placed in stupas and worshipped, the white
representing bones, the black, hair, and the red,
flesh. A Sarira-stupa is a reliquary, or pagoda for
relics. |
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¡]3¡^ |
Sutra |
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The sutras in the Tripitaka are the sermons or
discourses attributed to the Buddha. Nearly every
sutra begins with the words, ¡§Thus as I hear,¡¨
indicating that it contains the words of Sakyamuni
Buddha which were recited by Ananda. |
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¡]4¡^ |
Dharma Instruments |
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Dharma instruments are located in front of the altar
in temples and are played by monastics to produce a
rhythm during chanting services. They are typically
arranged with the wooden fish to the left of the
altar, the large gong to the immediate right, and
the drum and suspension bell at the far right. They
may be accompanied by the smaller Dharma instruments
such as the hand bell-gong, tang, and chia. |
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¡]5¡^ |
Khakkara |
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Khakkara is a monk¡¦s staff that is partly made of
metal. It has four sides with twelve metal rings,
representing the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve
Nidanas (Twelve Causes and Conditions). In the olden
days, when a monk went for almsgiving, he held the
staff and shook the metal rings at the door to
announce his presence. This staff was also used for
the expulsion of demons. |
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¡]6¡^ |
The Almsbowl |
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During the time of Sakyamuni Buddha in India, it was
usual practice that sramanas carried a bowl and
collected alms from people. In return, they would
have time to cultivate themselves, preach to people,
and help them in their spiritual reliance. When
Buddhism was transmitted to China, monks were highly
respected and the practice of collecting alms was
taken to be too humiliating and was thus abandoned.
Today, almsgiving is still considered as an offering
to the Sangha and can generate a lot of merits. |
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¡]7¡^ |
THE BUDDHIST FLAG |
CHABBANNA DHAJA (Pali name) ¡V This is a six-colors
were taken from the rays RANAI (P), which radiated
from the Holy Body of the Buddha, immediately after
he had attained Full Enlightenment under the BODHI
TREE at BUDDHAGAYA in B. C. 588. From thenceforth,
during the rest of His life, He radiated these six
colors, whenever He wished. Sometimes He sent His
luminous body with these colors to convert people.
The colors are as follows:
(1)blue; (2) yellow or golden color; (3) red; (4)
white; (5) orange; (6) Lit: resplendent ¡]A mixture
of the above 5 colors¡^ |
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¡]8¡^ |
ZEN PITAKA |
| ¡§Zen is
the display of mercy, wisdom and humor, and has the power to
calm an irritated heart. The ¡§Zen Pitaka¡¨ which took ten
years to compile and edit, is not only a collection of
literary works, but also covers the area of philosophy. It
enables people to discover their own Zen heart, and
therefore light up their own spirit being. ¡§These words are
spoken by Ven. Master Hsing Yun during the book donation
ceremonies in which the collection of ¡§Zen Pitaka, Fokuang
Triptaka¡¨ were broadcast over four television stations, to
one hundred and forty tertiary institutions and universities
in Taiwan. |
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¡§Zen Pitaka¡¨ is a monumental accomplishment resulting from
many scholars¡¦ hard work for over ten year period. The
complete set consists of fifty-one booklets in luxurious
packing and collects the exploits, saying and thoughts of
the most well-known Chinese Master from Tan, Sung, Yuan,
Ming, Ching dynasties through to the Republic of China.
Contributions from overseas countries have been grouped into
four main categories which are: Historical Biography,
Sayings and Preachings, Theory of various branches and
Miscellanea. |
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Copyright © 2006 by Chung Tian Temple. All rights
reserved. |