Jumeirah opens Maldives villas  

Jumeirah Vittaveli has unveiled its new two-bedroom beach villas in the Maldives, a new villa category available from next month. With spacious interiors and child-friendly facilities, the new villas offer flexible accommodation for families or couples seeking additional space. Each two-bedroom villa offers privacy, with direct access to the beach. Children can enjoy complimentary access to the Kuda-Koli Kid’s Club and the Teen Lounge, while adults have the option of utilising their private terrace or the L-shaped pool. Guests can also try the five-star Padi dive and watersports centre, offering activities including canoeing, windsurfing and diving excursions. The Talise Spa offers a wide range of treatments for guests. Prices start from £2,000 (Dh11,821) per two-bedroom beach villa, per night. To book, email JVMreservations@jumeirah.com or call 00960 665 8111.

New three-week northern India tours

As China's first official temple, Baima Temple - White Horse Temple - is not only the 'the cradle of Chinese Buddhism', but has also become an ideal place to demonstrate unique Buddhist cultures from different countries. The international Buddhist temple garden showcases shrines from foreign countries. Different styles of Buddha halls are magnificent and blend together.

The Indian-style Buddha hall is the first shrine that India has funded and built in a foreign country, which took 5 years and was inaugurated in May of 2010. Then Indian President Pratibha Patil attended the inauguration ceremony. The reason why she chose the west side of the Baima Temple as her location was that the Chinese Buddhism originated from India and came from the west.

The Thai-style Buddha hall is another shrine funded and built by a foreign country following the Indian-style Buddha hall to display the art of engraving. To guarantee the authentic Thai style, the halls' plan, design, and decoration are all undertaken by the Thai side.

The Thai Buddha, enshrined in the hall in 1991, is 7.2 meters high, weighing 6.68 tons and made of gold-plated copper.

The Myanmar-style Buddha hall is the third foreign shrine in the Baima Temple. The president of Myanmar Thein Sein made a special trip to the Baima Temple for the inauguration ceremony of the Myanmar Buddha hall on June 30, 2014.

The core building is a golden pagoda as high as 32.9 meters, modeled after Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, Myanmar. Covered with golden yellow, the pagoda is the highest architecture in the temple. What characterizes the Myanmar-style Buddha hall the most is that all the important parts are decorated with gold, and they look splendid regardless of viewing angles.

The capital of Myanmar is an amazing mix of Buddhist pagodas, heritage museums, shopping malls, great beaches and friendly people, says amrita dey

IF you’re done with Thailand and Singapore and looking for a closer Asian destination, there are a couple of good reasons to visit Myanmar, a country famed for its “golden pagodas”, resplendent lakes, heritage sites, simple, straightforward people and presently well on track to a full-fledged “democratic transition” since 2010. It was recently presented the award of World’s Best Tourist destination by the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade and in 2013 it attracted over two million tourists. The numbers seem to be climbing this year as well.

   On Day One, start with the , in the heart of Yangon (the old capital of Myanmar), one of the lofty and exquisite religious sites of the city. The Shwedagon, structurally like the Jaganath temple of Puri in India, is flanked by four entrances — North, South, East and West. The saying goes that two brothers, Tophussa and Bhalika, travelling from India, requested a token of remembrance from the Buddha to please the nat (spirit) of their dead mother. The Buddha in return gave them eight hairs and told them to enshrine it on Singuttara Hill. As the brothers neared Okkala (Yangon), they faced many misadventures but with the help of the Lord of Nats and King Okkalapa enshrined his hairs with the relics of three Buddhas before him — the water filter of Kawaganama Buddha, the Kassapa Buddha, the Konagamana, and Gautama Buddha in a ceti 66 feet high, which they consecrated as the Shwedagon (one can aptly call it the thirtha stan — auspicious place of worship — of Buddhism).

From 600 BC to the 14th century, this pagoda was maintained by 32 kings of the Okkalapa dynasty and since 1372 AD by King Banya U, Banyayan, Banyagyandaw and others. In 1453 AD, Queen Shin Saw Pu ascended the throne and raised it to a height of 302 feet. Presently, Shwedagon is 43 feet high with 500 tons of gold, 83,850 items of jewellery and small gold bells.

   Once “in”, there are a myriad images and adoration halls dedicated to the Buddha. There’s the image of the reclining Buddha, the large Buddha with open eyes and other images, mostly donated by devotees (some of them from the government) along with other offerings like flowers, coconuts, umbrellas and bananas. Apart from weekdays, on weekends people are found thronging the wide marble expanse of the pagoda, some meditating and praying, some busy appeasing their planetary shrine with lustral water. A devotee, if he/she can appease his/her planetary and weekday shrine, can remove obstacles and bring success to their lives. [ The Stateman ]

New Buddhist temple in Terrytown will be one of the biggest on the Gulf CoastBy Celeste Norris, Terrytown Columnist 

The temple under construction at 1731 Stumpf Blvd. is to be called Lien Hoa Van Phat. The translation of "Van Phat" is "10,000 Buddhas."

Those behind the project say the 54-foot-high, 7,200-square-foot structure will be the largest Buddhist temple between Houston and Florida, and will be completed in one year.

After 242 45-foot pilings were driven into the ground, a 6-foot deep cement foundation was poured, and the steel framework has begun.

General contractor Huynh Hong Quan said that much of the hand-carved furniture, statues and building materials were custom-made by fine craftsmen and women in Vietnam.

"The building's exterior will be dark brown brick, with marble stairs and columns, with golden dragons on the corners of the curved roof," Quan said.

He will be returning to Vietnam to secure the special tiles for the roof, either in red or yellow, designed to withstand 200 mph winds. In addition to the base members, the temple has gained support from the entire Gulf Coast Buddhist community.

The interior walls will be filled with 1-foot square shadow boxes, 7 inches deep, each enclosing an identical 8-inch golden Buddha statue. Below the statues will be a small plaque in commemoration of the family making the donation for the Buddha. The statues will be illuminated by special LED lights shining upward, hence the name Van Phat, or 10,000 Buddhas.

The main feature of the interior will include a 10-foot-high concrete statue of Buddha Shakyamuni sitting on top of a 4-foot high base in the shape of a lotus. A common symbol in Buddhism, the lotus flower has its roots in mud at the bottom of ponds, and people should aim to be like the lotus. The mud represents human life; the pure flower symbolizes enlightenment.

Some of the art work to be installed behind the Buddha statue will include a fig tree, an important symbol because it was in the shade of a fig tree that Siddattha Gotam, who lived 2,500 years ago, known as the Buddha, sat in meditation and saw the meaning of all things unfold.

Quan served two terms as president of the Vietnamese Americans Association in Louisiana. When asked if he was aware of the ratio of the Vietnamese in the New Orleans area who practice Buddhism compared to those who practice Catholicism, he said, "In Vietnam, 90 percent of the population is Buddhist. Back in the '70s after the war, a Catholic priest immigrated to this area and established a large Catholic congregation. Today, 70 percent of the Vietnamese in our community practice Catholicism and 30 percent practice Buddhism."

While the new temple is under construction, services are being held temporarily in the library located directly behind the construction site. The temple has a base of 500 members.

To pay respect, visitors often remove their shoes before entering the holy space. The Buddhist monk who heads the temple, Master Thich Nguyen Tam, is a gentle and inviting man who explained that the role of the temple is more than a house of worship. It is also an important cultural center for the entire Vietnamese community. To preserve tradition, Vietnamese language is taught to young people. Many members prepare and contribute traditional fruit and vegetarian dishes. Meat and dairy products are not allowed.

All visitors are welcome. Members of the community are invited to approach an altar, bow, light incense, meditate, and say prayers. While there is no requirement to offer money, many visitors leave donations which go toward building maintenance and to support the monks. The monks get no salary. The congregation hosts lively musical performances on traditional holidays. [ Nola ]

A spiritual journey to four holy sites in India and Nepal offers a much greater chance for deeper reflection than the usual toursAs a producer of dhamma TV programmes, Somnuek Khemacheeva has visited holy Buddhist sites in India several times as part of her work. As a devout Buddhist practitioner, however, she found the so-called “pilgrimages” that millions of Buddhist Thais make each year to India are quite spiritually superficial.

“I call them cha-ngok tours,” she said warily. Cha-ngok means craning one’s neck to have a quick glimpse of something. All four holy sites — the places where the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment,...

See Full History here...

The Baima Temple (White Horse Temple) in Luoyang, Henan Province, was the first Buddhist Temple in China. It is said that one night in the year A. D. 64, Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) dreamed of a golden man 12 feet high, and the light from the man's head illuminated the hall where he stood.

In the morning, the emperor told his officials what he had seen, and one of them, named Fu Yi, said the emperor had dreamed of the Buddha, a god of the West. Then the emperor sent Cai Yin, Qin Jing, and others to Tianzhu (now India) for Buddhist scriptures.

When Cai, Qin, and their group arrived in what is now Afghanistan, they met Kasyapamatanga and Dharmaranya, two eminent Indian monks, who were preaching Buddhism there. In A. D. 67, they loaded Buddhist scriptures written in Sanskrit and a portrait on white felt of Sakyamuni, the Buddha, onto a white horse and returned to Luoyang with the two Indian monks. The emperor lodged the monks at the Honglu Temple, which had a guesthouse for foreign emissaries. When living quarters for the monks were built in the temple the following year, the temple was renamed Baima (White Horse) Temple so people could remember the white horse that carried back the Buddhist scriptures and the portrait of Sakyamuni.

The Baima Temple has been through many changes. What we see today is a rectangular courtyard complex facing south, reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with an area of 40,000 square meters and a roofed entrance arch with three doorways. The entrance is built of blue stones, including several pieces from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Arranged along a central axis that extends northward inside the entrance are the Hall of the Heavenly King, the Mahavira Hall, the Receiving and Directing to Paradise Hall, the Vairocana Pavilion, and the majestic Hall of the Giant Buddha, with its upturned eaves and painted brackets.

On the east side of the halls and the pavilion are the Guest Hall, the Hall of Prayer, the Hall of Abstinence, and the living chambers of the monks. On the west are the Hall of the Founder of Buddhism, the Hall of Meditation, and the Preaching Hall. There are two opposite courtyards, and the complex as a whole is well proportioned. It has the flavor of traditional Chinese architecture and shows a distinction between more important and less important structurAll the halls housing statues of Sakyamuni, Maitreya, Amitabha, the Buddha of Medicine, and various bodhisattvas are built on the central axis following the terrain, and each hall stands higher than the one in front. The Vairocana Pavilion on Qingliang Terrace stands especially prominent and magnificent.

The Qiyun Pagoda was built after the temple was renamed Baima Temple and is known as the first pagoda in China. Originally, it was a pavilion-like wooden structure with paintings depicting Buddhist scriptures. It burned down toward the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and was rebuilt in 1175 as a 13-story square brick structure with closely arranged eaves. It is 25 meters in height and 7.8 meters on each side at the bottom. The eaves are built with small, exquisite overlapping bricks.

When one claps one's hands 20 meters away from the pagoda, the echo reflected from the eaves sounds like frogs croaking.

Admission: 35 yuan (US$4.4)

Transportation: It takes one hour’s time by taking bus 56 with nonstop.

Open Time: 7:30-18:00

(china.org.cn May 16, 2003)

Source: http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/64434.htm

India is the birthplace of Buddhism and boasts of several monuments associated with the religion. From the rock-cut cave temples at Barabar, Ajanta, Kanheri and Pitalkhora, to stupas of Sanchi and Sarnath, to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries like Rumtek, Key, Tawang and Hemis –Buddhist monuments are spread across the length and breadth of India.

Buddha before his death had declared four places as fit to be pilgrimages. On Buddha Purnima 2013, we list four of the most important pilgrimage sites associated with Gautama Buddha’s life.

Kapilavastu

Siddharth Gautam’s father ruled Kapilavastu and the place where he spent 29 years of his life. Gautam was the family name of the enlightened one. According to legend, Siddharth’s mother Queen Maha Maya conceived him here. Her dream of a white elephant with six white tusks entering her; portended the greats the yet-to-be-born child was to achieve.

Kapilavastu and Lumbini are often associated the birth place of Buddha. It is believed the queen left for her father’s kingdom to give birth; however, she delivered before reaching her father’s palace at Lumbini.

Two years after his awakening, the enlightened one returned to his birth place not to reclaim his kingdom but to teach the Path of the Middle Way to his father and foster mother.

Excavations have revealed a stupa which has revealed relics including bones of Lord Buddha. All that remains now are ruins of a monastery and palaces.

Kapilavastu relics (bone fragments considered sacred by Buddhists) were discovered in 1898. Best time to visit Kapilavastu is between

 

Bodh Gaya

After years of wandering and with no signs of enlightenment, Gautama sat under a pipal tree and vowed never to arise until he had found the truth. After 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, Siddharth attained enlightenment. And the pipal tree under which he sat is known as the Bodhi tree.

Post enlightenment, Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths and other tenets of Buddhism.

A World Heritage Site, shrines dedicated to Buddha have been built by various countries like China, Japan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Bodh Gaya Buddha statue has now become a symbol of the town.

Bodhi Tree leaves are popular mementoes and considered sacred. Best time to visit Bodh Gaya is between October to March

Sarnath

Buddha set in motion the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon at Sarnath deer park. His first disciples were his five companions with whom he had sought enlightenment. That was the first Sangha, or the monastic order of Buddhist monks.

Among the places of interest in Sarnath include, the Dhamek Stupa, the Dharmarajika Stupa and the Ashoka Pillar.

Best time to visit Sarnath is between October to March.

Kushinagar

Kushinagar is the place where the Buddha attained nirvana. According to legend, Buddha’s decision to enter Parinirvana in the abandoned jungles of Kuśinagar or as it was known during his time, Kusinara, was opposed by Ananda, one of his prominent disciples. The Buddha, however, reminded Ananda how Kushinagar was once ruled by a righteous king.

Kushinagar has other reasons for fame too. It is believed to be the city founded by Kusha, son of Lord Ram. However, Kushinagar vanished from the collective memory for a long time until its discovery by the British in the 19th century.

It’s the site where Buddha took his last bath in the Hiranyavati River, took his last meal from Chunda the goldsmith and died. The Buddha was cremated on the banks of the river and his relics distributed among the disciples.

Best time to visit Kushinagar is between October and March.

Kushinagar attracts Buddhist devotees from around the world because it is one of the four holy sites in Buddhism. It is the place where Lord Buddha breathed His last words,

“Behold now brethren, I exhort you saying, decay is inherent in all component things! Work out your salvation with diligence!”

Kushinagar, at that point of time, was a part of the Malla kingdom and known as Kusinara. Following the Buddha’s mahaparinirvana, the place shot into fame and a number of stupas and viharas were constructed in the following period. The great emperor, Ashoka got numerous Buddhist statues built here and the Chinese travellers, Fa Hien, Huen Tsang, and I-tsing, all paid a visit to this town.

However, when Buddhism began to loose its significance in the country, Kushinagar too, lost its importance. The number of people visiting it declined and preservation of Buddhist monuments saw an all time low. Kushinagar rose to prominence again recently when Lord Alexander Cunningham excavated many significant remnants of the main site. Today, Kushinagar is amongst the first four places to which Buddhists from around the world wish to take a pilgrimage trip to.

General Information :

    Country : India
    State : Utter Pradesh
    Location :  53 km from Gorakhpur.
    Climate :    Hot and humid summers and mild winters. Summers extend from mid-April-mid-September with maximum temperature touching 40-45°C while winters extend from December to February with minimum temperature touching 5°C. Rainy season extends from June to September. .
    Best time to visit : October to February
    Significance :   Lord Gautam Buddha died here.
    Languages :    Hindi and English.
    Festivals: Buddha Purnima


    Major Buddhist Attractions
    Mahaparinirvana Temple
    The Mahaparinirvana temple stands amidst serene sal grove and is famous for the 6 metres long reclining image of Lord Buddha. The image was discovered during the excavations of 1876 and shows the dying Buddha reclining on His right side. It is believed that this chunar sandstone statue was brought from Mathura by a devout monk, Haribala, during the reign of King Kumara Gupta in the 5th century AD.

    Nirvana Stupa
    This is a brick stupa located in the east of the Nirvana temple. Rising to a height of 2.74 m, the Nirvana stupa was excavated in 1867 by Carlleyl. A copper vessel, bearing an inscription in ancient Brahmi was unearthed from here. The inscription clearly stated that the last remains of Lord Buddha were deposited there.

    Meditation Park
    Close to the main Nirvana Temple, the park has been opened pretty recently. The atmosphere of the park, with lush green platforms surrounded by sal trees, is perfect for meditation. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

    Mathakuar Shrine
    Some four hundred yards from the Parinirvana stupa is the Mathakaur Shrine from where a 3.05 m tall black stone image of Lord Buddha in the bhumi sparsha mudra was unearthed. The place is widely believed to be the one where Lord buddha delivered His last sermon.

    Ramabhar Stupa
    Around a km from the Mathakaur shrine stands another stupa, Rambhar which rises to a height of 49 feet. The stupa site is believed to be the place where Lord Buddha was cremated. Close to the stupa is a pond which dries up when temperature soars up in summers. It is not clear which of the two, the stupa or the pond, was originally called Ramabhar.

    Japanese Temple
    This temple has been constructed by the Atago Isshin World Buddhist Cultural Association and is quiet well known for the ashta dhatu (eight metlas) statue of Lord Buddha. The temple is open for visit between sunrise and sunset.

    Kushinagar Museum
    The Kushinagar Museum is situated around a km southeast from the Kushinagar bus stand, half a km from the the Mahaparinirvana temple and three km from the Kasia bus stand. The highlight of the museum is the stucco statue of Lord Buddha in meditative posture. The statue is one of the finest specimen of the Gandhara School of Art. Apart from this, you can also have a look at other exhibits which include precious antiques like coins, statues, sculptures, architectural remains and bronze statues. These Buddhist treasures were found from the excavation sites. Some Hindus and Jain antiquies are also on display.

    Japanese Garden
    Open between sunrise to sunset, this Children’s park is presently under construction. The supervision of the construction work is carried out by the Japanese, however, once it is completed, the UP government will take over.

    Myanmar Buddha Vihar
    The first monastery in Kushinagar, the Myanmar Buddha Vihara is its temples adorned with beautiful metal statues of Lord Buddha. There is also a unique collection of the excavated bone & metals (asthidhatu) of Lords and followers.

    Wat Thai Temple
    The Wat Thai temple was constructed to mark the 50th year of His Majesty King Bhumibol the Great's Accession to the Throne. The temple has a various kinds of trees all around.

    The Lin Sun Chinese Temple
    From outside, this temple appears to be a combination of the Chinese and Vietnamese architectural style. Within, the temple houses beautiful Chinese images of Lord Buddha. For visiting tourists, the temple is open between sunrise to sunset. However, it is also possible to stay overnight here as the temple provides free stays.

    Birla Temple
    Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has been founded by the well known Birla family at the nirvana site of Gautama Buddha. Highlight here is a marble statue of Lord Shiva seated on a tiger flash cushion. The temple offers accommodation to Hindu and Buddhist tourists at a very reasonable rate.
    At the main site a marble statue of lord Shiva sitting in an erect posture on tiger flash cushion. The 'dhyana posture' he is sitting in, is termed to be the position in which the communion of thou soul (Jivatma) to thy soul (parmatma) is possible.
    The temple also provides accommodation for Hindu Buddhist tourist on very nominal rates. A dormitory is also specially made for Indian Buddhist tourists available at cheapest rates.

    Nearby Attractions : Gorakhpur is located 53 km from Kushinagar while Lumbini and Kapilavastu are located some 108 and 110 km respectively.

    Mode of Trasnsport

    Airways -  The nearest airport from Kushinagar is Varanasi which is located 275 km away. Flights from Varanasi connect to destinations like Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna.
    Railways -  Gorakhpur, 53 km s away is the nearest railhead connected to several important destinations in India like Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.
    Roadways -  Kushinagar is well connected by road to several important cities in the state as well as country. Some important road distances from Kushinagar include :
    Gorakhpur – 53 km
    Sravasti : 254 km
    Sarnath : 266 km
    Agra : 680 km