Among the many prominent supporters, the following are outstanding:- 1. King Bimbisāra donated the Bamboo Grove (Veluvana Monastery) 2. Anāthapiṇḍika donated the Jetavana Monastery 3. Visākha donated the Pubbarama Monastery 4. King Kosala Pasenadi performed the unique Alms-giving 5. King Ajātasattu - royal patron of First Buddhist Council 6. King Kalasoka - royal patron of Second Buddhist Council 7. Emperor Aśoka - royal patron of

Out of sheer frustration and unable to gain any spiritual solace, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī and the 500 Sakyan ladies shaved their heads, wearing yellow robes, marched up to the Buddha and again requested Him to allow them to be ordained as Bhikkhunīs. The Buddha still refused them the permission. Out of desperation and at wits end, they approached the Venerable Ānanda who succeeded in securing the

Outstanding amongst the Buddha’s disciples are the 2 Chief Male Disciples 1. Venerable Sāriputta 2. Venerable Moggallāna and also very important Arahants were 3. Venerable Maha Kassapa 4. Venerable Ānanda 5. Venerable Aṅgulimāla and the 2 Chief Female Disciples 1. Venerable Khema 2. Venerable Uppalavaṇṇa They had not only developed inner access into the Dhamma but also had special potency of their own in the

The 1st Great Buddhist Council was convened just 3 months after the Great Demise of the Buddha. An immoral Bhikkhu named Subhadda who had joined the Sangha (monkhood) in his old age, made derogatory remarks to the effect that monks were now free to do as they like. That prompted the Venerable Kassapa, the third chief Disciple of the Buddha, to convene a Council of

Today people all over the world love physical beauty: But how many people examine themselves when defilements rise to the surface of the mind? How rare it is to find an individual who can recognize the arising of defilements and then willingly suppress them. The rest of us give free rein to our defilements and allow them to run rampant in our mind. As if

The present text – Buddhism in Buddha’s own words – is a systematic exposition of all the main tenets of the Buddha’s Teachings presented in the Master’s own words as found in the Sutta-Pitaka of the Buddhist Pali Canon.Its chief aim is to give the reader who is already more or less acquainted with the fundamental ideas of Buddhism, a clear, concise and authentic summary

If one wants to accumulate wholesome kamma in this life, there are 10 bases or ways of meritorious action that produce good effects and which should be performed by all means. 1) Dana: giving charity or generosity 2) Śīla: morality i.e. observing 5 precepts, 8 or 10 precepts, etc. 3) Bhāvana: meditation i.e. both tranquillity and insight 4) reverence to elders and holy persons 5)

Buddha spoke of the advantages of cultivation of the five virtues, which are the Five Precepts, namely: 1) Abstention from killing living beings 2) Abstention from taking what is not given 3) Abstention from sexual misconduct 4) Abstention from telling lies 5) Abstention from partaking of intoxicants. One who has these five virtues lives the home-life with complete self-confidence. • One who has these five

‘Śarana’ in Pali means ‘Refuge’ and is defined as ‘a shelter or protection from danger or trouble; a person, thing or course that provides protection’. Theravada Buddhist teachers define ‘śarana’ as follows: If one pays respect or reverence to a certain object or person, and if that act of respect or reverence amounts to a Kuśala kamma (wholesome action), which can save one from the