Wishing you a happy Losar
as our young ones debate
memorize
And venture out to Jang Kung Choe to sharpen their logic
under coconuts
and mango trees
abbots scrutinize
and young ones challenge
teachers teach
and wise ones explain
a novice learns the alphabet
to eventually know what's true
and what is not
to be worshiped
or used to worship
to propitiate
and to develop our hearts
and minds
to make our way to enlightenment
Permission to photograph!!!
in the Mahabodhi Temple
the image of the Buddha, created, it is said, by a celestial artist during the life of Gautama Buddha
at the place where he sat beneath the Bodhi Tree and attained enlightenment
Rinpoche reads the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment
then visits the place where the Buddha spent six years
leading a life of austerity
A young girl offered him boiled milk and rice
We need to be healthy to practice, help others...
and proceed along the middle path,
accepting life's challenges
The Buddha traveled to Rajgir
up to Vultures’ Peak, where he taught the Wisdom Sutras
on the lack of an inherently existent self
Form is empty, emptiness is form; form is none other than emptiness, emptiness is non other than form...
And on to Vaishali
Korean Buddhists chant and bow
before the Buddha’s ashes
and the stupa where relics are protected by Ashoka’s lion pillar
Then to Hampi to meet old friends...
well pampered
It is the 14th century capital of the Vijayanagar Empire
A natural spot for a picture
a family portrait
with holy elephant
holy cow
holy bull
holy monkey
holy self, the source of all our troubles!!!
And so, we follow our Master along the path to enlightenment
Bodhgaya
full of hidden corners
little stupas under little bodhi trees
The Mahabodhi Temple
pilgrims
below the Bodhi Tree
offerings before the engraved mantra of compassion, Om Mani Padme Hum
And Goddess Tara, who skillfully implements compassion
Some circumambulate the temple, others prostrate before it
All seek the blessing of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment
But many are in need of sympathy...
Is anyone taking any notice???
