Do you practice Buddhism? Have you been following the footsteps of a Buddhist but lack the fundamental principles to exercise fully? Then, this article is a detailed guide to see you through.

Buddhism is a non-theistic system. That is to say, they do not believe in the existence of a supreme being. However, it is a way of life. And, Buddhism is beyond religion. In addition, about an estimated 488 million in the world practice Buddhism. Hence, it represents up to 9% to 10% of the worlds total population.

Buddhism as a philosophy exists across many cultures and periods. Also, it goes with variable teachings and practices. Despite the differences among Buddhist traditions, they still share a standard set of core beliefs.

Thus, in Buddhism, the primary purpose of life is to end suffering. The Buddha teachings emphasize that humans suffer because of earthly pleasures. In the same manner, he taught that these pleasures mask the rate of human suffering. Therefore, Buddhism teaches us the importance of recognizing the impermanence of all things. And, above all, how to free oneself from such attachments.

This is one of the core beliefs of Buddhism. Hence, Reincarnation is the concept that people are reborn after dying. In general sense, it is merely understood as living a multiple life. But, the idea of reincarnation is quite broad in Buddhism. In other words, reincarnation can also be referred to as rebirth. However, the idea behind the two might differ to a certain extent.

To clarify, in reincarnation, the individual may recur repeatedly. But for rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to earth as the same entity ever again.

From Buddhism, it generally takes between 49 days and two years after death.

Buddhism teaches the belief in karma. Certainly, Karma means that all actions have consequential effects. Furthermore, the consequences of acts undertaken in earlier lifetimes will be felt immediately, or years later.

The laws of karma are all about the positive and negative implications of our words, thoughts, and deeds. In essence, everything we do links to our karma. Thus:

Indeed, it is a Buddhist aim to educate oneself through how karma works to escape the adverse effects.

Meditation is an essential practice of a Buddhist. Most of all, meditation means focusing the mind on achieving an inner stillness that leads to a state of enlightenment. More so, it is a devotional exercise. Meditation is merely the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object of practice. Or, generally something simple, like a word or phrase. Also, it is another core belief of Buddhism. Meditation is the key. That is to say, the practice of meditation helps you attend a heightened state of awareness and focused attention.

With meditation, you can achieve a tremendous calming effect. Surprisingly, it can make your brain age slower. Also, meditation removes your mind from unnecessary worries. And, it increases the life span.

One can practice meditation in various forms. It can be:

Meditation can also help those affected by:

Its importance can never be overemphasized. Most importantly, except by calming our mind, and examining our minds nature, we will never reach enlightenment.

Other teachings of the Buddha are ideas expressed most briefly in the Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path, and the Five Precepts. Similarly, they form together a foundation of belief for all branches of Buddhism.

Suffering can come in many forms. However, there are three distinct kinds of pain corresponding to the first three sights the Buddha. More so, these are what the Buddha saw on his first journey outside his palace. Thus, they include:

Even more, according to the Buddha, the problem of suffering goes much deeper. As a result, Life is not ideal. Hence, it frequently fails to come up to our expectations.

Human beings are subject to desires and cravings. But, even when we can satisfy these desires, the satisfaction is only temporary. That is to say, pleasure does not last. Or, even if it does, it becomes boring.

However, when we are not suffering from outward causes like illness or grief, we are unfulfilled and unsatisfied. This is the truth of suffering. Although, some people who encounter this teaching may find it doubtful. Either way, Buddhists find it neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic.

Fortunately, the Buddhas teachings do not end with suffering. Instead, they go on to tell us what we can do about it. And, also, how to stop it.

Our day-to-day troubles may come from the following causes: thirst, failure, pain from an injury, sadness from the loss of a loved one. Certainly, in the second of his Noble Truths, the Buddha taught about the cause of all suffering. And, most noteworthy, it is much more deeply rooted than our immediate worries.

The Buddha taught that the root of all suffering is desire, tanh. Further, this comes in three forms. And, can come in any of the listed names as the Buddha described:

Greed and desire and envy are the three ultimate roots of evil.

The Three Fires are hate, greed and ignorance exhibited simultaneously.

Ignorance or delusion, represented by a pig. Then, hatred and destructive urges, represented by a snake.

The Buddha taught that the way to extinguish desire, which causes suffering, is to liberate oneself from attachment.

By extinguishing the three fires of greed, delusion, and hatred. Above all, the Buddha himself showed the possibility of such virtue during his lifetime.

The final Noble Truth is the Buddhas prescription for the end of suffering. This is a set of principles called the Eightfold Path.

According to the fourth Noble Truth, one can permanently escape suffering by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

You need to know things as they indeed are without misunderstandings for all things change. Hence, the need to develop the wisdom of how things work. On the same note, identify yourself and respect others.

Always set your life on the correct path. Similarly, make a full resolution and dedication to overcoming the urge for self-centered craving. Certainly, one can achieve this by developing love, kindness, empathy, and compassion for others.

Abstain from lies and deceptions, backbiting, idle, and abusive speech. Instead, cultivate honesty and truthfulness. Also, practice speech that is kind and benevolent. Let your words reflect your desire to help, not harm others.

Practice selfless conduct that reflects the highest state of the life you want to live. That is to say, express the manner that is peaceful, honest and pure showing compassion for all beings.

Earn a living that does not harm other living beings. Thus, avoid work that causes suffering to others. Or, that makes a decent, virtuous life impossible. Therefore, do not engage in any occupation that opposes or distracts one from the path of love. Most of all, serve the world through your work.

Seek to make a balance in the exertion of your spiritual path. Hence, Moderate your life, not to over-zealously do things. Work to develop more wholesome mind states, while gently striving to go deeper and live more fully.

Become intensely aware of all the states in the body, feeling, and mind. Through meditation always examine your thoughts, speech, and action. Moreover, do not set your mind on self-centered thoughts. Instead, be aware of your thoughts, emotions, body, and world as they exist in the present moment. Note also, your thoughts create your reality!

Deep meditation leads to a higher state of consciousness (enlightenment). Therefore, through the application of meditation and mental discipline, always seek to extinguish the last flame of consciousness. Therein, develop an emptiness that has room to embrace and love all things.

The Five Precepts are basic ethical guidelines for the followers of Buddhism. As a result, they are to be undertaken voluntarily. In contrast to the idea of commandments from a god.

According to Patimokkha, there exist over 227 rules of conduct that all Buddhist are supposed to observe. However, the five Buddhist precepts summarize all.

The above five principles are closely related. But, they are the core five ethical rules of Buddhism. One can refer to them as Buddhist commandments.

The five precepts are like candle lights which cannot burn without fire. Hence, it is the spiritual life of every Buddhist.

To clarify,

A Buddhist is such a person who cares more about existence, both living and non- living things. Lying in the conscience of any practicing Buddhist is such a kind heart to associate with all and sundry. Hereafter, contributing mainly towards the growth of humanity and its environs.

The Buddha encouraged his followers to refrain from consuming intoxicating drinks and drugs. Because this will lead to carelessness. Examples of intoxicants include alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. These substances are inconsistent with Buddhist beliefs as they distort the mind. Therefore, it is unreliable with a Buddhists quest to understand and develop the mind.

According to our belief, by practicing meditation, wisdom, and morality, every individual has the ability to experience eternal happiness. Hence, as we regard the mind as precious, we work earnestly by mastering it through mediation.

Ideally, this means avoidance of fornication, rape, adultery or any form of satisfying ones libidinal inclination. Most noteworthy, this precept can best be achieved by avoiding sexual activity. And, however, practicing celibacy at all cost.

Thus, having different building positions for the monks and nun serves as the best policy to breaching temptation that may arise due to proximity issues.

This is merely avoiding an act of theft. A Buddhist fails this precept when he, with the intention of robbery, takes away others possessions. Consequently, he outrightly loses his status as a bonafide member.

Supposedly, a Buddhist directly supports someone to steal for him or pays a token for a prohibited product by the custom to be smuggled in for him; such persons status is questionable. Also, traveling with an invalid ticket is also a theft case in the Buddhist community.

A Buddhist, may either out of insanity or owing to complete absentmindedness, or under the influence of a painful disease, takes someone elses possession. He does not commit any crime. That is to say, such will be condoned regarding the situation at the moment. But, urgent attention is giving afterward to prevent a repetition of such actions.

Evil is a word many people use without thinking deeply about what it signifies. Although, human history documents a lot of atrocities committed by humanity against themselves due to personal beliefs. However, relating this to Buddhist teachings, no member has an entitlement to such an act.

Any Buddhist intoxicated by self-righteousness. And, as such does terrible things to those he hates or fear does not qualify as a member.

A later discovery will warrant a severe punishment for such a fellow.

No, usually people have two different thinking about Buddhismthat Buddhists believe in reincarnation and that all Buddhists are vegetarian.

These two beliefs are false. However, Buddhist teachings on rebirth are considerably different from what most people call reincarnation. And, although Buddhism encourages vegetarianism in many sects it is a personal choice, not a requirement.

To say that doctrines and teachings shouldnt be accepted on blind faith does not mean they are not important. As a result, the many lessons of Buddhism are like maps to follow on a spiritual journey. In addition, it is like a boat to carry you across a river. Daily meditation or chanting may seem pointless. But, when practiced with sincerity they have a real impact on your life and outlook.

Over the centuries Buddhism has developed diverse schools with distinctive, and sometimes contradictory, doctrines. As such, you might often read that Buddhists believe in an idea. But, it applies to only one school of thought.

Throughout Asia, one can find a kind of folk Buddhism. Here, the Buddha and other iconic characters from Buddhist literature appear to be divine beings who can hear prayers and grant wishes. There are Buddhists with such beliefs. However, focusing on those beliefs will teach you little about Buddhism. Hence, remember the Zen saying The hand pointing to the moon is not the moon.

In most religions, their belief defines them. But, in Buddhism, merely believing in doctrines is beside the point. Rather, the Buddha said that one should not accept doctrines just because they are in scripture or taught by priests.

Therefore, instead of teaching doctrines that one can memorize and believe, the Buddha taught how to realize the truth for yourself. Conclusively, the focus of Buddhism is on practice rather than belief.

If you want to learn about Buddhism, put aside all assumptions. This includes assumptions about Buddhism, and then assumptions about religion. Also, put aside assumptions about the nature of the self, of reality, of existence. Keep yourself open to new understanding. Thereby, whatever beliefs you hold, hold it in a free hand and not a tight fist. Just practice, and see where it takes you. Hence, practice what you teach and teach what you practice

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THE CORE BELIEFS OF BUDDHISM - Buddhism Zone

ZENTSUJI, Kagawa Prefecture--Buddhist pilgrims now have two reassuring companions making their difficult journey easier: the spirit of an ancient Buddhist saint and a high-tech robotic exoskeleton.

In mid-December, a man ascended a slope with ease while generating a smooth mechanical hum. The sight of his robotic exoskeleton drew praise and astonishment from the TV crew filming him.

The scene was cool and looked like something out of 'RoboCop,' a cameraman said.

The trekker was outfitted with a control device on his back and motors on his shoulders and waist. He wore a conical straw hat, although the traditional headpiece clashed with the futuristic robotic suit.

It was part of an experiment to see how the machine would fare in supporting the religious pilgrims on the tough terrain. They were walking the henro pilgrimage in the Shikoku region to trace the footsteps of Kukai (774-835), a Buddhist priest, also known as Daishi or Kobo Daishi.

After the test was over, a woman in her 50s who climbed a 500-meter slope between two temples with her husband called the technology marvelous.

I was worried about my weak right knee, but I could walk just like healthy people do, she said.

A man in his 60s also expressed surprise and admiration.

I could step smoothly without wheezing thanks to the power of this machinery.

The robotic gear, called Walk Mate, was developed by the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

According to Yoshihiro Miyake, a biophysics professor at the institute who created the mechanical exoskeleton, Walk Mate can add power to a persons limbs in synch with their pace and gait.

When people walk with others, they unconsciously try to walk at the same pace as their companions, Miyake said. The same idea was incorporated into the robotic suit.

While Walk Mate has been used in medical centers and elsewhere for physical therapy since 2018, it was only tested for outdoor use for the first time in this recent verification trial.

The experiment took place in Zentsuji, where Kukai hails from. The test used a sloped road that connects the Mandaraji and Shusshakaji temples, which are the 72nd and 73rd destinations along the pilgrimage route.

Asked why the Shikoku henro route was chosen as the first test site, Miyake referred to the notion of dogyo ninin (two travel together), in which Kukai is said to accompany pilgrims on their journey regardless of what temple they visit.

The robot helps users move forward at their own pace, said Miyake. I would like users to feel like they are taking trips with Daishi.

Some devout followers of Buddhism may worry about whether temples would frown on substituting a robotic suit for Kukai. But it has already been recognized by Zentsuji temple, the birthplace of Kukai, as an official dogyo ninin robot.

Daishi is said to dwell inside the walking sticks of pilgrims on henro, said Chijun Suga, chief priest of Zentsuji temple. This robot is just a modern technological version of the walking stick.

After the experiment ended, Suga applied a sticker to the robot that reads dogyo ninin, in line with the traditional practice of writing that phrase on pilgrims headpieces or other garments.

All Nippon Airways Co. provided support for designing and publicizing the test. The company is considering pitching travel tours in the future so people with weak legs can easily travel this path, thanks to the help of a robotic suit just like Walk Mate.

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Buddhists turn to robotic suit for help on religious pilgrimage | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis - Asahi Shimbun

Self author Dr Eils Ward: If Buddhism does nothing else, it stands squarely in contradiction to the notion of selfhood that has driven European history, and Europes expansion outwards through colonial adventurism, since modernity.

On a very gloomy February afternoon some years ago, a young graduate student sat in my office in the university in Galway and spoke pessimistically about her future. During a recent night out with friends, deep confessions had, in time, emerged. None had glittering careers in business, social media or online enterprise. None had become a social entrepreneur. They were, they felt, already failures although their adult lives had barely begun.

I was struck that afternoon by the fact that the model of the entrepreneur was the standard against which these students measured success, that is, their success as humans. It seemed to me that they were exemplifying, painfully, what has been called the neoliberal self a self that is quintessentially emptied out of the social and defined by an idea of the entrepreneur.

The phenomenon described was not new. Nickolas Rose, a sociologist writing in the time of Margaret Thatchers rule, had noted British people beginning to speak about themselves as if they were projects or enterprises in a sea of enterprises. Their life work was to maximise the value of their existence for themselves. It was, he claimed, a revolutionary change in human affairs.

My conversation with that young student, some 30 years on, seemed to eerily prove the degree to which the entrepreneurial self had taken up lodgings in young bodies in Ireland. There, perhaps, should have been no surprise. Much commentary on neoliberalism points up that its out there (globalisation, state-shrinkage, privatisation, austerity) inevitably requires an in here: a different kind of human subjectivity. A particular account of a self is required for survival in a world of rapid change, insecurity of jobs, intense competition for resources, housing, education and the rise of the self-employed as the norm.

A desire to understand this space where the self meets political economy was the spark behind my book Self, published recently by Cork University Press. I was keen, however, to not simply criticise but to provide an alternative vision. As a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, it seemed to me that its understanding of what it means to be human offered an interesting potential for dialogue and a compelling vision of the human. If Buddhism does nothing else, it stands squarely in contradiction to the notion of selfhood that has driven European history, and Europes expansion outwards through colonial adventurism, since modernity; that is individualism, now on stilts in the era of late capitalism.

Self sets out a typology of the neoliberal self conveniently encapsulated by the acronym CARRPP. The neoliberal self is competitive, autonomous, resilient, responsibilised, perfectible and, always, positive. I suggest that the first two provide the sine qua non, all others coming afterwards but all interrelated. If we understand responsibilisation as a remaking of social justice problems (such as inequality) as resolved now by personal effort and responsibility, we can see its neat fit with the idea of perfectibility that we can all be whatever we wish, once we work hard enough and resilience, an ability to not just bounce back but to believe that lifes cuts and blows make us stronger, better.

The normalisation of private health insurance contains the idea that we are each responsible for our health and that we are in control of our bodies which, with the right foods, exercise and mental attitude we can keep in peak fitness.

Alongside and co-creating the rise of this selfhood has been therapy culture, a soft but insistent circulation of vaguely therapeutic ideas within the wider culture, largely taken from cognitive therapies and functioning outside the intimate relationship of actual psychological therapies.

Positive thinking, elevation of the personal story self-mastery in the pursuit of happiness (because you deserve it) all feed the new self, as does a stripped-down version of mindfulness, sometimes called in the literature McMindfulness. None of us can have escaped the exhortation that our problems are caused by incorrect thinking. In her memoir, Irish academic Emilie Pine describes how a mindfulness course was recommended to her and other colleagues for work-related stress. What they met was an invitation to further cannibalise themselves. The problem was not faulty thought processes or weak regulation but a high-pressure work environment.

In the past two decades or so, these ideas have reached hegemonic status in Ireland and elsewhere. Their flip side needs consideration too: an acceptance that those those who fail to flourish in this new world have only themselves to blame because they did not follow the new rules, did not try hard enough or invest enough in themselves. And critically, under neoliberalism, collective responsibility acts as a break on what is believed to be central to human life: freedom. That is freedom from others, or from taxation, or the consequences of unsustainable economic development.

In this context, how could ideas first expounded in Iron Age India, have anything to offer us? Zen Buddhism, the school of Buddhism which I know best, is founded on a radical account of the self. It says that there is no permanent, abiding, stable self, that self is empty of such features but is full of just about everything else. If we pay very close attention to our minds, in stillness, we will see that we are human becomings, or, in the words of Tich Naht Hanh, we inter-be.

Moreover, classical Buddhism suggests a very specific account of how we are deluded into thinking that there is a stable I that is separate from all other Is. This is, according to Buddhism, the greatest delusion and the one that causes us the greatest amount of suffering.

Similar ideas are found in deep ecology, in the work of Carl Jung, in relational psychology and some feminisms and are the stuff of the poetic imagination. From this account of the self flows an understanding that our collective and individual suffering are deeply and irreducibly bound together. An account that is surely the right medicine for our current many sicknesses.

Dr Eils Ward taught for many years in the school of political science and sociology, NUIG, is author of Self (Cork University Press, 2021) and a practitioner of Zen Buddhism

Link:
Dr Eils Ward: Where the self meets political economy - The Irish Times

On December 24 last year, one of the most popular directors of the Malayalam film industry, K S Sethumadhavan, passed away. Reading through the obituaries and his filmography, one of his movies caught my eye.

The film was Yakshi, released in 1968 based on a novel by the same name by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan published a year earlier. But even before the movies release, the stories of yakshis were very much in the popular imagination of Malayalis.

Kottaratthil Sankunni, in his collection of legends of Kerala titled Aithihyamala and published in early 20th century, brings in the story of few yakshis along with their tormentors like Surya Kaladi Bhattathiri and Kadamattathu Kathanar.

In these stories, yakshis with their bewitching beauty would entice their victims, usually travellers passing through scantily populated regions. Due to their magic spell, the saptaparni (Indian devil tree) would bloom with its intoxicating fragrance and the travellers would see a palatial mansionwhich in reality was the palmyra palm tree, the abode of these yakshis.

After reaching the top of the trees, these dazzling damsels would transform into ferocious ogresses and devour their victims. In some of the cases, the victims would escape these torments due to the protection they receive through some miracle or holy book. In one of the stories, Chamravattatthu Yakshi falls in love with her victim and spares his life and even enters into a secret relationship with him.

On the other hand, Kalliyankaattu Neelis story is more dramatic and narrates her gruesome murder by her own lover. Neelis name is associated with Kalliyankadu in southern Travancore and we find references to her in different ballads from the region. In addition to this, Marthanda Varma by C V Raman Pillai, one of the earliest Malayalam novels, also mentions her. Neeli was more ferocious and had a long list of victims and is said to have surrendered to Kadamattathu Kathanar, a well-known exorcist in Kerala who encaptivated her in Panayannarkavu temple in Pathanamthitta district.

My idea about the yakshis as a Keralite was well fostered by the legends expounded by Kottarathil Sankunni and movies like Yakshi (1968) and Kalliyankaattu Neeli (1978). These popular media created a picture of yakshis as blood-sucking vampires.

When I started learning art history, I got introduced to more yakshis, this time from north India. Mauryan-period yakshis of Didarganj, Patna and Vidisha with voluptuous physique, Kushana-period yakshis of Bhuteswar with nonchalant nakedness and Gyaraspur Yakshi, they all smiled at me enchantingly from the volumes on Indian art.

The difference was that they were not the poltergeists from horror movies but embodiments of beauty and the representation of abundance. The palmyra palm and the palatial house on its top disappeared; so did the enticing fragrance of the saptaparni tree. The only story close to the Kerala yakshis came from Buddhist tradition in the form of Jataka, known as Simhala Avadana Jataka, where Simhala, a merchant along with his friends reaches the shores of Tamradvipa inhabited by the ogresses who disguised themselves as beautiful women.

In the Jataka, these ogresses are never designated as yakshis because of the fact that in the Buddhist and Jain traditions, the yakshis and their male counterparts, yakshas, are protectors of the village and reside on the pipal or banyan trees. They are usually handsome and beautiful, representing the fertility cult. Many of them are represented with children as in the case of Ambika, the yakshi associated with Neminatha, the 22nd Jain Thirthankara. Buddhism has Hariti, an ogress converted by the Buddha as the protector of children.

The ferocious mother goddesses as the protectors of children and villages are also popular in Tamil culture. German scholar Heinrich Zimmer refers to a tree spirit known as Taalavasini who resided in the palmyra palm tree according to ancient Tamil legends. In the southern part of Kerala, one can observe the worship of Madan, a folk deity who got appropriated into the Brahmanical pantheon as the son of Siva. Madan is the protective spirit of the villages (kaval daivam) accompanied by yakshis and other female deities.

Most of the shrines exclusively dedicated to yakshis are in present-day Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts, with one or two in the Kochi region. Some of the shrines would be attached to Bhagavati temples as in the case of Panayannarkavu. Surprisingly the shrines for these semi-divine spirits are non-existent in the Malabar region, probably for the reason that these kinds of spirits were already incorporated in the Teyyam and Tirai tradition.

The yakshis also appear to be part of the Tantric tradition where they are classified into 36 types. The character of yakshis in Kerala seems to be having close affinity to those of Tantric tradition. This is because the state was one of the last bastions of Tantric Buddhism and an existing centre of Brahmanical Tantric tradition. However, as the yakshi cult is non-existent in north Kerala, it is safe to place them closer to the Tamil tradition.

In conclusion, one may state that the yakshis of Kerala have their origin in the Tamil tradition as tree spirits and protectors who have been given an Aryan name, just because of their enchanting beauty and bewitching smile.

Jayaram Poduval

Head, Department of Art History, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

(This is an article in the ongoing series by the author on pre-modern visual culture of Kerala)

(jpoduval@gmail.com)

Continue reading here:
Didarganj to Kalliyankadu, the Yakshi story - The New Indian Express

The historical and traditional glory of Sri Lanka have justifiably made millions of Sri Lankans living in Sri Lanka and in other countries as well as the expatriates justifiably proud. The fact that Sri Lanka has large followers of Buddhism, which advocates peace and non violence, is another feather in its cap.

India and Sri Lanka have traditionally strong relationship due to historical reasons and large section of Indians have always wished that Sri Lanka should prosper and advance from strength to strength.

The fact that India tops Sri Lankas tourism list is not surprising , since many Indians want to visit Sri Lanka atleast once in the life time to see the historical monuments and enjoy the Sri Lankan hospitality and natural beauty.

In such circumstances, most Indians too just like Sri Lankans feel sad that Sri Lanka is in news for wrong reasons these days.

The recent declaration of food emergency by Sri Lankan government shocked Sri Lankans and Indians alike and expatriates around the world, making them wonder as to whether any fundamentally disturbing development has taken place in Sri Lanka in recent times. Declaration of food emergency in any country would inevitably reflect poorly on the economic and social welfare status of the country.

It is said that food production in Sri Lanka has steeply gone down in recent times , as the Sri Lankan government took a decision to resort to organic farming in agricultural field in a massive way, which mean use of organic fertilisers and organic pesticides, replacing synthetic fertilisers and synthetic pesticides. This decision to go for large scale organic cultivation in Sri Lanka, without adequate and long term trials , was a calculated risk and certainly reflects poorly on the decision making capability of the present Sri Lankan government.

The concept of organic farming is still in the evolving stage all over the world and it is well known that the use of organic fertiliser instead of synthetic fertilizer like urea, di ammonium phosphate etc. result in low crop yield in agricultural operations. While organically produced agricultural products could be more ecologically friendly , the cost of organic cultivation is higher and consequently making organic products more expensive. Further, the organic fertilisers are known to have short shelf life and require proper handling , storage , packing and transportation techniques. It is not clear whether the farmers in Sri Lanka were trained to handle and use organic fertiliser. Obviously, Sri Lankan administrators have not taken these much needed precautionary factors into consideration.

Sri Lankan government has imported large quantity of organic fertiliser from China, which were proved to be ineffective while applying to agricultural field. Sri Lankan government was forced to pay huge price to China for such ineffective organic fertilizer procured from China , though Sri Lankas foreign exchange reserves were very low.

As the crop production has gone down due to use of organic fertilizer , Sri Lankan government has made a knee jerk reaction and has gone for import of nano urea in a big way from India.

Nano urea is a recently introduced product as fertiliser and even in India, where nano urea has been developed , is not used in large scale at present and can be considered as being in introductory stage in India.

While there is no reason why nano urea would not be efficient, still, it may require some application development efforts in evolving proper techniques for use.

It is not clear why Sri Lankan government has not opted to import synthetic urea instead of nano urea at this time of crisis in agricultural field.

It is not known whether Sri Lankan government has ordered an indepth enquiry into the whole episode and fixed the responsibility for such ill fated decision.

Over the years, Sri Lanka has slowly and steadily dipped into serious economic issues and now the foreign exchange reserves have reached precarious level. Sri Lanka now needs huge loan and financial assistance from abroad to carry on .

There is no reason as to why Sri Lankan economy should suffer to such an extent, considering the fact that Sri Lanka is a large exporter of tea, rubber etc. and is an important destination for global tourists bringing millions of dollars for Sri Lanka.

While Sri Lanka somehow has got rid of the violent separatist movement by bravely fighting against the terrorist groups , it has not benefited by such victory so far.

Today, Sri Lanka has become a debt ridden country with policy planners and administrators in a blind and not knowing the way out.

Mahinda Rajapaksa who covered himself with glory by defeating the separatist movement and protecting the sovereignty of Sri Lanka is now responsible for leading Sri Lanka to such an economic distress conditions.

Today, Sri Lanka is under the governance of Rajapaksa family with one brother being the President, another brother being the Prime Minister and several members of the family holding crucial positions in the government and they have a lot to explain.

How can Sri Lankan government retrieve itself from such desperate conditions ?

One of the main reasons for Sri Lanka getting into debt trap is that the past governments in Sri Lanka have unwittingly placed Sri Lanka at the mercy of China , which has definite ambitions to expand its influence around the world by fair or foul means and dominate the world fully and entirely. Sri Lankan government has fallen into the trap by being tempted by China to avail huge loan at attractive terms and availing the project cooperation from China which would only meet the long term ambitions of global domination of China. Hambantota port is the ready example.

It is now absolutely essential that Sri Lanka has to extricate itself from the vice like grip of China to get out of the present mess.

All said and done, Sri Lanka is a democratic country with free press and it has to align itself with similar democratic countries , where there would be common interest and shared value system.

Sri Lanka and China are unlike friends and Sri Lanka shares no values with the present Chinese government. It is well known that Chinese government is totalitarian in outlook and China is under the leadership of coterie of so called communist leaders , who do not respect freedom of speech and personal liberty of citizens.

Sri Lanka should not go in the way that Pakistan government has gone by almost reducing Pakistan to the status of extended territory of China.

Sri Lanka has the potentials to become a rich country like Singapore. For this to happen, Sri Lanka has to choose the friends and allies with care, caution and pragmatism.

Today, Sri Lanka has no alternative other than cooperating with democratic countries like USA and West European countries and India , who have no vested interests to dominate Sri Lanka. Certainly, they would have economic interests but it could be to mutual benefit.

Of course, the western countries and USA and Canada have been highly critical of Sri Lanka for what they call as human rights violation by Sri Lanka while fighting the LTTE. In this regard, western countries criticizing Sri Lanka is like pot calling the kettle black. However, this irksome issue can be quickly sorted out across the table with mutual goodwill being the approach.

Moving away from China and moving towards democratic countries in fostering relationships will do lot of good for Sri Lanka by facilitating technology cooperation and investments. Building up of elegant relationships with western countries that have no conflict of interest is the best strategy for Sri Lanka

The question is whether the present leadership of Sri Lankan government has the strength of character and courage to reverse the present counter productive relationship with China.

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It's Sad That Sri Lanka Is In News For Wrong Reasons OpEd - Eurasia Review

Cheonggukjang (Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism)

I didnt realize until I was out in the real world how much effort and devotion it takes to make it. Now, as an adult, I appreciate the full, deep taste of cheonggukjang.

The fun part of making cheonggukjang is sharing it. Although it is simpler to make than doenjang, it takes about full five days to make cheonggukjang, if you include buying and washing the beans. Many of us dont make it at home because we dont know how to, or it takes too much work. I would make small amounts of cheonggukjang if it is only for myself, but I try to ferment enough beans to share with the old women devotees and monastics of my temple. They cherish a block of homemade cheonggukjang more than anything else. Some female devotees say, I receive more from the temple than I give. But I share because it is an act that accumulates merit and because I can.

I love cheonggukjang more than other foods because I can make it myself. I love the whole process: From selecting the beans to the last day of fermenting it. Its not like buying food ingredients and cooking. When we know and experience the whole process of preparing our food, our attitude and appreciation for it change. I dont throw away the water the beans soak in or the foam caused by boiling because I want to receive every molecule of nutrition they have to offer. Now I need to get busy making some more cheonggukjang.

Important source of protein for practitioners

As far as I know, cheonggukjang is only eaten in Korea. Because the name cheongguk also means Qing China, some people believe it was introduced from Qing, but that is only speculation. One record says cheonggukjang was eaten in the Joseon era, so it may predate even that. In the past, when Koreans ate less meat than we do now, beans were the main source of protein.

At temples, cheonggukjang often appears on the table when the cold winds begin to blow. Needless to say, monastics eat it frequently in winter. Cheonggukjang is a valued condiment at temples. Monastics love any food made from beans. Various processed bean foods, including soy ham, are popular among monastics nowadays, but Seon (Chan/Zen) practitioners tend to shun them. Thats because as you eat more of them, they all begin to taste the same. Even a good cook can only do so much with processed bean foods. They are also more difficult to digest.

Monastics enjoy eating rice cooked with beans, easy-to-digest tofu, and cheonggukjang. Cheonggukjang is easier to digest than tofu. Especially for older monastics who have sensitive digestive systems, cheonggukjang is highly recommended to prevent constipation. Recently, as COVID-19 makes us realize the importance of our immune systems, more young people are coming to like cheonggukjang.

How to make cheonggukjang stew Ingredients

1 cup cheonggukjang

1 tbsp doenjang

veggie stock (made from dried kelp, dried shiitake mushrooms, white radish, water)

sour kimchi

zucchini

tofu

oyster mushrooms

spicy green chile peppers and red chili peppers

Directions

1. Cut sour kimchi, zucchini, and tofu into bite-size pieces, and slice chile peppers diagonally. Tear oyster mushrooms into strands.

2. Add sour kimchi to boiling veggie stock.

3. Add zucchini, oyster mushrooms, tofu and chili peppers, in order, to the stock boil.

4. When the ingredients are almost cooked, add cheonggukjang and doenjang, and mix well until any lumps are gone. Bring to the boil and turn off heat.

Recipe by Ven. Yeogeo, specialist instructor at the Korean Temple Food Center

Provided by Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism

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Temple food is food of the ascetics who express gratitude for all forms of life and wish for peace for the whole world. The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism operates the Korean Temple Food Center where guests can learn and experience temple food. -- Ed.

By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

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[Temple to Table] Deep flavor of soybeans, cheonggukjang - The Korea Herald

An Overview of the Concept of God

There are, quite literally, thousands of different religions that exist in the world today, each with its own God or definition of God. There is no single, unified concept of God; it is a definition that is highly individual to each religion, including the five oldest (and largest) religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. As such, in the context of a singular religious philosophy, it is important to understand the alternative concepts of God and the religious significance of those specific divine attributes.

For this reason, and for the purposes of this commentary, we will explore the concept of God as proclaimed in the original doctrine of Islam There is no god Except God, a convenient and critical starting point in this endeavor.

Reflecting on these four divine words (translated as there is no god except God), it appears that the essential and exclusive message is to explain One True God to mankind. In Islamic teachings these words are Kalemah Tayyebah ( ). In the Arabic language, these four words are chanted as La Ilaha Illa Allah ( ), again translated as (There is no God Except Allah). These four words are conjugated from Three Root Letters ( ) and God sent the same message to all His Messengers (21:25 of The Quran).

Quraanic study teaches us that all messengers asked their nations the same question Who do you worship? This question is repeated several times in Ayahs (verses) 7:59, 65, 73, and 85; (No god for you, except Allah) and is repeated several times within each doctrine. I believe this is the fundamental message to the mankind. These four words describe purpose of our life and define the concept of God. It is therefore extremely important for all human beings to understand these Four Words .

:

Say, there is no god, but Allah, you will receive Salvation

Allahs Testimony is Validated:

With these four words, God provided confirmation of His own reality and divineness (Surah Ale-Imran, Ayah 18). The literal translation of these words ( ) is No god, except Allah. Thus, to understand God, we must understand these four words clearly and thoroughly.

Lets look at the stamen more closely La Ilaha Illa Allah. In Quranic language and style, a text that needs to be emphasized starts with the word La (No). In addition, the text contains the word Illa, an indication that the statement is likewise a conditional (or dependent) statement. More importantly, these four words have a built-in direction or roadmap, traveling from the negative (La) and moving towards the positive (Illa). These two structural components, the condition and direction, must be considered when studying this statement, as both the condition and the direction point to the ultimate destination.

Arithmetic Series

So, with this in mind, lets consider the statement from a secular perspective, that is, lets try to more deeply understand the meaning by using a mathematical frame of reference.

Consider the following. In an arithmetical sequence, when moving from the negative to the positive, zero is unavoidably crossed.

-5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

In essence, zero provides, what I will call, a Gateway from the negative to the positive. We will understand why this is so important to note later. Also note that in an arithmetical series, zero is always followed by 1, traditionally thought of and treated as a number but, in the language of mathematics, 1 is more correctly defined as unity.

In summary:

This is, effectively, a condition. We must clean our heart and mind from all false gods, idols and authorities before we can accept the Oneness of one True God.

In point of fact, with this statement Allah acknowledges, in a subtle way, there may be other false gods that must be rejected. Perhaps even earthly creatures would claim to be gods, but they are not true gods and must be treated and rejected as other false gods would be.

Allah acknowledges that there would be atheists in this world. Perhaps each of us first walks the path of an atheist in our earliest evolution, before we truly grasp the oneness of Allah. But eventually, to reach understanding, we must reject all created things, all observable things, and all animate or inanimate things that others might worship as much as gods. Including prophets, saints, dictators, presidents, ambassadors, kings, superpowers or anyone who has elevated themselves (or has been elevated by others) to the level of Godhood. For example, the Holy Quraan reminds us that the Pharaohs declared themselves as the highest gods. In scripture 79:24, the Pharaoh told his people I am your Lord; most high. Moses, of course, challenged Pharaoh, as we all must do to rulers who represent themselves as gods.

As mentioned before about the Gateway, zero is extremely important. We learned in mathematics that:

(A)0 = 1 (unity)

In this entity, A is anything unknown. In mathematics when A is raised to power zero, it is always Unity or 1.

(Universe)0 = 1 (unity)

The question is, when we allocate zero power to the entire Universe, it reduces to Unity. If God is part of the Universe, He will not be destroyed. The presence of God still remains in this universe, it does not vanish. And (1)0 = 1 and so it continues. Science cannot explain this identity fully. This indirectly demonstrates that to reach unity or oneness of God, we must give zero power to the entire universe or universes.

In this context, independent of religion, the concept of God can be summarized briefly in four words. Four Words that provide a remarkable insight for a global understanding of all forms of religion on this earth.

Dr. Kaleemullah is an interfaith advocate, religious thought leader and award-winning nuclear scientist, with years of teaching and industry experience. He has Ph.D. in Thermodynamics from University of Leeds and can be reached at mkaleemullah5@gmail.com

See original here:
Revolutionary and Scientific Foundation of Islam: One Other Way to Explain - Patheos

ANQING, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mount Jiuhuashan is located in Chizhou City, Anhui Province, not far from Mount Huangshan, another famous mountain in southern Anhui Province across a lake. Characterized by natural scenery, Buddhism and other splendid humanity cultures, it is known as one of the four famous Buddhism sacred mountains in China and designated as a national 5A-level scenic spot.

In 719 AD, Jin Qiaojue, the Prince of Silla State (the main body is now Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsan Province, South Korea) crossed the sea to China in Tang Dynasty, stayed in Mount Jiuhuashan for 75 years of painstakingly practicing and passed away at the age of 99 left with his flesh body unrotten after death. He was considered as the reincarnation of Buddhist Ksitigarbha and Mount Jiuhuashan was turned into "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Dojo".

In Winter, romance and solemnity coexist in Mount Jiuhuashan after snow. The echoing of ice and snow makes it like a "Coloured Glass World" in fairy tales while Tiantai Peak, Ten King Peak, Huatai and other scenic spots are all covered by snow in white like ice flowers blooming wantonly, with crystal clear beauty. When visiting ancient temples by walking through the snow, burning incense and listening to the Dharma, in contrast to viewing purity, inner peace stay in our hearts.

Being covered by the white snow, the distant mountains, ancient temples and snow complement each other. The branches of trees all over the mountains become into rimes, with exquisitely carved ice crystals like beautiful blooming snow lotus, or a natural ink painting, making people infatuated with it.

Mount Jiuhuashan, shining with silver light after snow, seems to be covered with white cloud-made clothes while the land with ancient pine trees are wrapped in ice and snow. It is even more beautiful and splendid under the sunshine.

After the snow, Huatai Scenic Area of Mount Jiuhuashan seems to be full of silver trees with white flowers, and the peaks are shrouded in dense fog. Thick rime condensed on the branches, furry and shiny, just like coral.

The Winter snow in Mount Jiuhuashan is waiting for you to explore by yourself!

Read the rest here:
Mount Jiuhuashan in the Snow, Wonderland of "Lotus Country of Buddhism" - Business Wire

Some might call me a heathen for rejecting established religion. At least Im not alone as I found out from an article in the Monitor last week, titled Whats your Religion? In U.S., a common reply now is None.

It turns out, 29% of us are not affiliated. If we were a church, we would be the largest religious group in the United States. Some are atheists, some agnostics, but many, like me, are spiritual. I agree with what one of the unaffiliated folks, previously a Catholic, said in the article.

It just means finding meaning and perhaps spirituality without practicing a religion pulling from whatever makes sense of me or whatever fits with my values.

Facing my fourth cancer has prompted me to look more closely at what makes my life meaningful. While I am comforted and buoyed up by something bigger than myself, it is not that bearded, old, white man in the sky. My spirituality, instead, comes from my Buddhist outlook coupled with my identity with Mother Earth.

Nevertheless, I still experience sacred moments with a sense of awe. For instance, just centering my breath on the present moment can induce a sublime sense of oneness, causing an involuntary smile to spread across my face.I am not my puny self anymore but tethered securely within a living Earth and the cosmos beyond.

Im attracted to Buddhism because it provides a pathway toward living a meaningful life, not by worshipping a supreme being but by coming to terms with who I am within an impermanent world. It is now paying dividends by helping me deal with the uncertainty of my medical prognosis. Like being drenched with a bucket of ice-cold water, cancer has woken me up to the present moment.

An American Tibetan Buddhist, Pema Chodron, said it best.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-mans-land. To experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again.

Connected to my Buddhist sensibility is my bond to the Earth. I identify with what Pablo Casals, the great cellist, wrote about natures mastery.

I do not think a day passes in my life in which I fail to look with fresh amazement at the miracle of nature. It is there on every side. It can be simply a shadow on a mountainside, or a spiders web gleaming with dew, or sunlight on the leaves of a tree.

Casalss ability to be present in the living moment was extraordinary, reminding me of William Blakes famous quote, If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.

Or this from another of Blakes poems:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

I get fleeting epiphanies like this from my photography. I like to carry my camera with me because it forces me to slow down and actually see what is in front of me a magical shadow on a rock, a hidden world in an ice crystal, or heaven in a mud puddle.

I am secure in my faith now, but as a young man, I was agnostic or worse. Christian Wiman has written a profound and poetic book,My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer,addressing folks who believe in God. I am cheeky enough to think it also applies to me.

When I assented to the faith that was latent within me and I phrase it carefully, deliberately, for there was no white light, no ministering or avenging angel that tore my life in two; rather it seemed as if the tiniest seed of belief had finally flowered in me, or, more accurately, as if I had happened upon some rare flower deep in the desert and had known, though I was just then discovering it, that it had been blooming impossibly year after parched year in me, surviving all the seasons of my unbelief.

A note to the reader: I wrote this essay in response to an article in the Monitor last week. In no way do I mean to detract from the joy and sacredness ofthis Christmasholiday which I savor as much as anyone.

(Jean Stimmell lives in Northwood. His blog can be found online at jeanstimmell.blogspot.com.)

Original post:
My Turn: To see the world in a mud puddle - Concord Monitor

Pat Orr | Guest Columnist

There are thousands of religions worldwide, but the five oldest and largest religions are usually considered the main ones. In order of their population percentage according to yourdictionary.com are, Christianity 31.5%, Islam 23.2%, Hindu 15%, Buddhism 7.1%, and Judaism at 0.2%. All other religions account for 6.7%, and those who claim no religious affiliation are 16.3%.

Why is Christmas, a holiday associated with only one religion, a worldwide phenomenon? When you look closer, Christmas starts with the New Testament believers whom we call Christians.

Of the five main religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic, each focusing on one God. Both Islam and Christianity believe their God sent one chosen messenger to redeem man, Muhammed, and Jesus, respectively. The two major differences in these two religions are what happened when each of the divine messengers died and how their followers were asked to proceed.

When Muhammed died, other leaders rose to take his place, known as caliphs. A set of laws developed requiring the devout ritual of prayer five times a day, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and completing a trip to the holy city of Mecca before death. There are other rules about dress, dietary habits, and the primary religious text is the Quran. The central dictum of Islam is to live by the will of Allah.

Judaism is the worlds oldest religion, and its holy text, the Tanakh, includes the same five books as the Christian Old Testament bible, in a different order. While Judaism shares the same God with Christianity, it stops short of treating Jesus as divine and considers him a prophet sent by God. The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God are also an important part of teaching in this faith. The Talmud is another holy text that includes extensive Jewish laws and teaching specific to Judaism.

For purposes of brevity, I will not go into detail about Hinduism or Buddhism, which both focus on following the path and prescribed laws to enlightenment and wisdom. Both religions believe reincarnation provides a path to a better understanding of the enlightened self.

The one element of Buddhism we all recognize but dont fully understand is the concept of Karma. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. Karma is akin to a divine bank account in which accounts of actions and moral life are recorded. You have work to do if you died as a Monk but are reborn as a goat. In the process of rebirth, your Karma can determine to what station in life you return.

The reason for this recitation of the worlds great religions is to help explain my understanding of the role that Christ played in the holiday we call Christmas.

One central theme repeatedly preached by Jesus and his disciples were that you could only be saved from earthly death by faith alone. He preached against the rules and regulations required of his Jewish followers, which got him nailed to a cross with thieves and murders.

Purported Christian sects and denominations that establish extensive rules, laws, and additional religious texts to be followed other than those specifically preached by Jesus and recorded and translated by his followers would not be tolerated by Jesus if he was traveling through the world today. He railed against mans laws as impediments to Gods truth.

No one can say for sure, but a painting of the nativity scene was first made famous around 1220 by the Church, looking to reinforce and humanize the birth story. The fact that Jesus was a human born of a woman had been muddled by myth and tales through the centuries.

That birth celebrated with gifts from afar by strangers dispatched by angels is the genesis of our Christmas. The entire concept that giving is better than receiving is a Christian concept that reinforces the story of Jesus willingly giving his life so that believers could be forever cleansed of sin and saved.

The resurrection of Lazarus and Jesus, both witnessed first-hand by multiple on-the-record testimonials, has forever cemented that Jesus birth is indeed a cause for global celebration.

The Christian faith in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus established the foundational belief of a better tomorrow through faith. Yes, the story of St. Nicholas dropping gold coins down the chimney of poor people is the archaic beginning of todays jolly fat guy in a red suit. Still, the original concept on which the story is based, that of helping the helpless, belongs to Jesus.

You do not have to jump through any hoops, have any surgery, wear any uniform, or even attend church to be saved by Jesus or receive his grace.

A recent Pew Research Center Survey released Dec. 14 found that the share of the American public who claim no religious affiliation has risen six points from five years ago and ten points from a decade ago.

A Fox Business poll asked why America is suffering a crime epidemic. Surprisingly, the No. 1 answer was not soft sentencing laws or liberal prosecutors. This group felt that the general breakdown of moral values in America was the root cause of the current criminal activity.

You can conclude cause and effect if you so choose. The pervasive anything goes and I have a right to do as I please mentality does not track with any major religions teachings.

As my mother told me once when at age 11, I began to question the validity of one fat guy delivering toys to the entire world in a single night; you stop believing, you stop receiving.

You can stretch, maim, trash, and discount it, but you cannot take Christ out of Christmas. I hope you celebrate the true meaning of the holiday and give the gift of love and faith to all those you care about.

If we all work to put the spiritual gifts of Christ back in Christmas, how can it hurt?

Contact Pat Orr at avreviewopinion@gmail.com.

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Around Town: It's time to put Christ back in Christmas - VVdailypress.com