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Eight Consciousness: For a Spiritual and Peaceful Life

Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, in his teachings, always led emphasis on the purification of thoughts and awakening of the mind. He wandered from one place to another, teaching people the renewal of mind, the concept of mind consciousness, and how to eliminate sufferings of the present life and even after life. The word Consciousness is derived from the Latin word ‘Conscientia’ meaning moral conscience, to be able to judge between the right and the wrong. Most of the Buddhist traditions have differently interpreted the ways to awaken the mind. Precisely, Buddhism and consciousness of mind are deeply interconnected with each other. Most of the teachings of Buddha is based on the knowledge of the mind.  Many meditation techniques in Buddhism, practice with the removal of impurities of the brain, and then leading to more conscious thought. The meditator, who has profound knowledge of the technique and is consistent in practicing the methods taught, achieves the desired results, i.e. a conscious mind. 

Meaning of The Eight Consciousness​

There are three branches of Buddhism – Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Presently Mahayana and Theravada, are the two main existing branches in Buddhism, and they lead to the organization of different Buddhist philosophies and practices.  Mahayana is referred to as the path of Bodhisattva, in search of complete enlightenment for the betterment of the living. The Eight Consciousness is a categorization of the eight conscious states, formed in one of the schools of Mahayana Buddhism called Yogacara. The school cites five sense consciousness along with mental awareness, defiled spiritual awareness, and storehouse awareness as the remaining three. It is believed that the eight consciousness stores the imprints of past experiences, which is the foundation of karma in the present life and after reincarnation.  

The eight consciousness are as follows –

  • Visual consciousness (related to eyes)
  • Auditory consciousness (related to ears )
  • Olfactory consciousness (related to the nose)
  • Gustatory consciousness (related to the tongue)
  • Tactile consciousness ( related to the body )
  • Mental consciousness (related to mind)
  • Defiled mental consciousness
  • Storehouse consciousness

According to some ancient believers, the concept modifies to the five pearls of wisdom- the wisdom of dharmadhatu, mirror-like wisdom,  wisdom of equality, knowledge of judgment or discrimination, and complete wisdom. 

History of the Eight Consciousness

All the existing schools of Buddhist believe in the reality of six consciousnesses. Also known as Vijnana in Sanskrit terms. However, the Yogacara school of Buddhist, believes in the existence of two new primary knowledge other than six primary consciousness, to explain the concept of karma more appropriately. The six primary ones consist of the five senses and the mental consciousness makes the sixth. The works of Yogacara school gives detailed explanations on how the mind works and create the experiences that one faces in reality. The reports focus more on the detailed understanding of the skills instead of the system of ontology. Some of the ancient monks believed that some of the ‘underlying dispositions’ are the reasons for the cycle of wandering or reincarnation. However, the Theravada branch has different theories related to this. 

 

The followers of Buddha played an essential role in the widespread of Buddhism. Apart from India, Buddhism has planted its roots in many Asian countries. Buddhism in Singapore is the most widely practiced religion in the country.  It was spread by the migrants Buddhist followers over the past centuries. The historic monasteries like Thian Hock Keng and Jin Long Si Temple can be reached out for the history of Buddhism. Various Buddhist organizations are practicing Buddhism in Singapore, where the Singapore Buddhist Federation is the leading organization. With the increase in religious freedom, more and more people are trying to participate in Buddhist organizations. There are many institutions, youth groups, and events that are making Buddhism as far as possible.

How does the process work?

It is believed that initially, all living beings have storehouse consciousness, which is in a calm state. The disturbances occur when there is discrimination, selfishness, pride, etc. that pave a path for the materialistic attachment. This causes distress in the spheres of the six senses. This in turn creates different experiences and also the so-called karma. The attachment to worldly desires and materialistic objects create karma. And once the living beings fall in the trap of desires, they search for different ways to fulfill their desires. So the distressed awareness, in everyday life leads to the formation of karma. The troubled mind always thinks about self, imprinting it in the storehouse consciousness. The distressed mind –

  • Is still connected with the belief in self (Atma drusti)
  • Negligence about the person (Atma moha)
  • Self-pride ( Atma mana)
  • Self-love ( Atma sneha )

There are some undefined and complicated evils. The threads are related to the same characteristics as that of the three principalities in which an alive soul is categorized in residing people’s pure and impure mind projected through the distressed self. If one eliminates all the impurities present in mind, then the state of termination of sufferings can also be achieved called Nirvana. Precisely, conquering over the eight consciousness leads one towards the ending of its distress.

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BuddhaHome Rice: The Gift of Buddha

India is known to be the land containing numerous riches. One such treasure is the divine Kalanamak rice. Grown in the Himalayan Tarai region, the rice belongs to the place where Gautam Buddha spent his entire life. While the variety is quite famous among the locals, the rest of the world is unaware of this rice which is said to be the blessing of Gautam Buddha.

 

BuddhaHome brings you the same rice which is the gift of the Buddha to mankind. Named as Kalanamak Rice, this variety is one of the scented rice of the finest quality cultivated in India. The name of the rice variety is derived from its black husk; ‘kala’ means black in the local Indian language and ‘namak’ means salt, as the taste is a little salty. Also known as the Black Pearl Rice, the rice variety is uniquely blessed with a heady aroma, a savory taste, and numerous health benefits. It is interesting to understand that how the rice is grown in India got blessed by the Buddha and even centuries’ later spreads the divine essence of the Lord.

History and Spread of the BuddhaHome Rice

BuddhaHome Rice comes from the home of the Buddha, ancient India, primarily in the Himalayan Tarai of eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that scented black pearl rice dates almost 3000 years back to the Buddhist period (600 BC) or even before that. A proof of the ancient history of the Kalanamak rice can be understood from the fact that in the excavations of Aligarhwa, ancient specimens of Kalanamak rice grains were found. Interestingly, Aligarhwa lies in the Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh in India close to the Nepal border. It is believed to be the real Kapilvastu, which was the Kingdom of King Śuddhodana, the father of Siddharth Gautam, who became the Buddha after gaining enlightenment.

 

It is said that Gautam Buddha after attaining enlightenment was on his way to visit Kapilvastu, the kingdom where he was born as the prince. On his journey, he was passing through the Terai region crossing the Bajha jungle. On the path, he was stopped at the Mathla village where the villagers asked him for Prasad (blessings). It was then that Buddha gifted them scented rice grains with unusual black husk. He asked the villages to sow the grains and said that the rice grown from these grains will have a special aroma that would always remind people of him.

 

Now, centuries later, one may not find the Bajha jungle, however, Kalanamak rice is still cultivated in a few villages of the Terai region. To date, it is famous as the “black pearl” of Uttar Pradesh and if the rice variety is grown anywhere else in the world, it is said to lose its aroma. Now, with the revival of Buddhism, the ancient grain has also slowly gained its lost legacy. It has made a comeback from the brink of extinction. The rice recently got listed in ‘Speciality Rices of the World’ book by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Gift of the Buddha: Its Unique Quality

Kalanamak rice is a unique variety of scented rice grown in India. The black-husked medium-length rice grain is a supreme-quality rice variety grown in India. The most unique quality is its aroma which is quite arresting. The heady aroma is much finer in comparison to even the most exclusive Basmati rice varieties.

 

The cooked Kalanamak rice meets many important parameters of quality in the international rice market. The rice variety is soft, fluffy, and 40% longer than Basmati rice. There are numerous benefits of Kalanamak rice as such it is used in many rice recipes in India. The rice variety has a high amount of micro-nutrients such as Iron, Copper, Magnesium, and Zinc. In fact, studies reveal that the regular intake of Kalanamak rice prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s and others caused due Iron and Zinc deficiencies. The Low glycemic index rice variety is also known as sugar-free rice. The glycemic index is less than 55, which is very less compared to other basmati rice varieties and can be consumed by people with diabetes without any health complications.

 

The gifted rice variety has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its aroma and distinct taste by the Government of India. Besides, it was introduced as the Nutri-Farm scheme in 2013. The scheme aims to boost the production of food crops rich in micro-nutrients that could benefit the fight against malnutrition and other diseases.

The Gift of Buddha in Singapore

Singapore is known for its cosmopolitan culture. Here, you will find people from different cultural backgrounds. Of the total population in Singapore, currently, one-third are Buddhists. As such we can say that the island country is quite influenced by Buddhism that reveres the Gifts of the Buddha and follows the practice of Buddha’s word. One such blessing of the Buddha is the Kalanamak Rice. Its unique taste and aroma will click the tongue of the locals while and connect them to the roots of Buddhism.

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Samatha Meditation: The Route to Peace

Samatha meditation, practiced by Buddhist monks is a renowned technique of meditation. It is often considered equivalent to ‘peace of mind.’ Buddhism consists of various traditions, spiritual practices, and beliefs in order to reduce the sufferings of their lives. It uses techniques like meditation to preach the same and help people to calm and feel the peace within. According to Buddhism, continuous practice of meditation develops two distinct mental qualities – Samatha and Vipassana, where Samatha leads to ‘calmness’ and Vipassana to ‘insight.’ 

 

In this blog, we would deeply dig into the concept of calmness, i.e., Samatha meditation, its technique, and how to practice Samatha meditation.  

Monk in Meditation Pose

What is Samatha Meditation?

Samatha meditation is one of the techniques to train the mind to develop a state of peace and better focus and hence mindfulness. Samatha is derived from ‘Shama’ meaning ‘peace’ and ‘tha’ meaning ‘to remain’. Hence, Samatha sums up to remain at peace. It relaxes the mind and body by bringing clarity of thoughts. It is also called ‘Zhi’ in Chinese and ‘Shyine’ in Tibet meaning the same.

 

 

Origin Of Samatha

The origin of Samatha meditation lies in ancient India near about 6th and 4th century BC known as Sramana tradition. The followers of Buddhism played an important role in spreading it in most parts of Asia. It was introduced in England in 1962 by a Thai meditation teacher – Nai Boonman. Although all Buddhism schools practice it, the Theravada Buddhist tradition favors it more as compared to others. Theravada Buddhism comprises various traditions and many theories leading to awakening.

Samatha Meditation vs Vipassana Meditation

The sole purpose of Samatha meditation is to stabilize the mind by bringing awareness. In other words, it can be said that Samatha brings the distracted mind into being more concentrated. It makes one more aware and sensible towards the situations that are encountered in the journey of life. It opens the doors to wisdom. Samatha is also popular as Jhana meditation. There are two ways to practice Samatha meditation – one with an object and second without an object and implies the concept of single – point meditation.  

 

 

Talking about Vipassana, the crux of the meditation aims to achieve ‘insight.’ This meditation technique is a practice that helps one to see things in its actual form or the real form. It aims at clearing all the mental impurities present in oneself and resulting in ultimate happiness. It can be considered as a self-exploratory technique resulting in a balanced mind. According to many Buddhist traditions, in order to reach Vipassana, one must first practice Samatha. Precisely, Samatha can be considered as a precursor for Vipassana.

Samatha Meditation – The Technique

There are many traditional ways to practice Samatha like – the seven-point position, the body sensitive position, and breathing meditations.

The Seven-Point Position 

  • This practice brings our energetic body and physical body into alignment.
  • Sit on the floor and cross your legs.
  • Rest your hands on your knees
  • Try to keep your back straight and relax your shoulders.
  • Slightly lower your head.
  • Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth, open your mouth a bit.
  • Keep your eyes open and focus on the distance equivalent to four fingers from the nose tip.

A Body Sensitive position 

  • Sit on a chair. You can even lie down or stand, and there is no boundation.
  • Relax your hands in the most comfortable position.
  • Keep your back straight.
  • Relax your shoulders and chest open.
  • Rest your head at the most comfortable level
  • You can either keep your eyes open or closed
  • Try to be in this position for as long as you can

The Breathing Meditation 

The most common way to practice is taught by Gautam Buddha. The process starts with ‘concentrated breathing’ also known as ‘Anapanasati.’ The following steps direct on how to perform breathing meditation:

  • Sit in a comfortable position or your normal position (be it on floor, chair or bed)
  • Straighten your back and try to keep your spinal cord upright.
  • Relax your body starting from your shoulders to your face and then hands and legs.
  • Slightly bend your head and chin a bit towards inside.
  • Focus your mind on the rhythm of breathing that is inhaling and exhaling.

If the mind is lost and is unable to concentrate, then slowly bring it back to focus on the flow of breath. Feel the flow of your breathing.

There is also another way of breathing meditation that involves Buddha. Here, Buddha means to enlighten and to awake, so by reciting the word ‘Buddho’ the said characteristics are aimed to be achieved. The technique is simple. While inhaling, recite ‘Bud’ and while exhaling, recite ‘dho.’

The Stages of Samatha

According to Theravada Buddhism, Samatha process involves five stages of joy which depict renunciation of five obstacles that helps in the attainment of complete focus. These fives stages are described as follows:

  • Slight Joy – The first stage that raises the hair of the body.
  • Momentary Joy – It arises fleetingly for repeated times flashes of lightning.
  • Showering Joy – It washes over your body like waves for repeatedly some time and then subsides.
  • Uplifting Joy – During this stage, one feels sensations of lifting one’s body into the air.
  • Suffusing Joy – As the name suggests, it permeates through the whole body touching every part which signals ‘access concentration’.

Samatha slowly leads to an increase in concentration and calmness of mind. For first-timers, the mind will wander, and the practitioner would find difficulty in concentration. However, by keeping up the regularity, the obstacle could be conquered. It is said that once Samatha is achieved, then the next step towards Vipassana becomes easy. 

In ancient times, the only way to learn and practice this technique was by going to monasteries and temples. But in today’s era, there are multiple means to learn Samatha meditation. The easiest one is online learning. You can either join an online course by professionals or go through the videos available on websites like YouTube. Another way is to visit a place, particularly a Buddhist school, monastery or a temple if you are keen to learn face to face. 

Samatha Meditation is the first stage to reach enlightenment. It can be adopted in your daily routine to overcome anxiety and help you relax.



Stages of Samatha Meditation

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Bodhisattva: Becoming an Enlightened Being

A Bodhisattva is said to be a great practitioner who aims to walk on the path taught by Gautam Buddha. He aspires to follow the practice of benefiting sentients of all beings and himself. The destination of Bodhisattva is far. It is a selfless journey that involves numerous kalpas and comprises compassion, diligent practice of patience, wisdom, and mindfulness. A bodhisattva makes the greatest vow for liberating sentient beings from pain and suffering. With undying compassion for others, a bodhisattva guides to hop on the path of awakening.

Bodhisattva

The Terminology of Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva word is an amalgamation of two Sanskrit words, namely bodhi and sattva. The definition of the word ‘Bodhi’ is ‘to awaken’ whereas ‘Sattva’ is derived as a ‘sentient being.’ After combining both the meanings, Bodhisattva becomes ‘an awakened one who is a sentient being.’

 

However, the meaning of a bodhisattva is very deep in Buddhism. In a nutshell, it means the practitioner who is seeking enlightenment but is also available to help others towards liberation and push them on the path of awakening. Thus, Bodhisattvas are referred to as the beings that have perfected the practice of benefitting both themselves and society while progressing on the way to enlightenment.

 

 

Vows to become a Bodhisattva

When Buddha returned after attaining enlightenment, he imparted four noble truths. These contain the entire essence of Buddha’s teachings. The four noble truths are:

  1. The truth behind every suffering is pain (Dukkha).
  2. The origin of the pain starts from desire (Samudaya).
  3. The end of suffering starts with letting go of the desire (Nirodh).
  4. The path towards the cessation of desire (Magga). 

The four noble truths become the vows for a practitioner aspiring to become Bodhisattva. The vows for a Bodhisattva are:

  1. Learning the pain of others as well as oneself.
  2. Understanding that the desires are the reason behind all pains and suffering.
  3. To end the suffering, make oneself ready to give-up on desires.
  4. Practice the cessation of desire.  

Liberating the Sentient Being

For fulfilling the vows, there are two ways: 

  • Liberate oneself first and then liberate others: 

Until we taste the fruit, it is not possible to describe the taste. Liberating oneself from the sentiments will help in guiding others. Therefore, before extending the helping hands to others, the practitioner should be aware of the complexities of the path. Developing compassion for others can help in excelling the art.

A bodhisattva is required to be liberated from the primary cycle of birth, desire, and death. He must reach a state where the afflictions and sufferings couldn’t affect him much.

  • Liberate others first; then liberate oneself: 

This way comes directly under the radar of compassion. A Bodhisattva garners all teachings from sentient beings and for sentient beings. To fulfill the bodhisattva path, he has to liberate all sentient beings. If someone draws the path from the sentient beings, then the same couldn’t be recognized as a bodhisattva.

However, regardless of the approach, the Mahayana Buddhism vows to find a way for liberating sentiments making its primary responsibility for the Bodhisattva. They describe themselves as teaching Dharma is their duty; benefiting sentient beings is their mission.

Steps of Becoming a Bodhisattva

Seek Happiness

The path to achieving true happiness is enlightenment. A person enlightened from within is way happier than anyone who has attained fulfilled desires. The former type of happiness lasts forever; however, the latter vanishes with time. This is the first step of becoming Bodhisattva.

Strive to Attain Enlightenment

Achieving enlightenment is not one day’s job. It is a dedicated and diligent practice that involves meditation. For attaining enlightenment, one has to embrace love, wisdom, happiness, peace, and self-discipline.

Embrace Love

This is another key objective of becoming Bodhisattva. He who aspires to come to Bodhisattva has to embrace the love of the surroundings and develop equal compassion for the upliftment of the society. It is said to do a good deed every day.

Get help from the master

To master techniques, one needs proper guidance as we have already mentioned that becoming Bodhisattva requires years of practice to excel in the path. While practicing, there could be some guidance required. The practitioner needs to picture the master while meditating. If they are out of reach, then reading their books as well as understanding their wisdom might help extensively.

Find a personal role model

Finding a role model helps in shaping the path towards enlightenment. There are many Bodhisattvas and Buddhas of love. There are many spiritual ways to find the perfect role model. One can learn from Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), Buddha Amitabha, the Goddess Tara (Kuan Yin), or any other. The best role model, in this case, is oneself. Making believe that you have achieved enlightenment will ease the path. 

Observe the sufferings of the world

The world is always under peril. There are illnesses, agony, hunger, desire, and many other doshas that are creating suffering for humankind. Understanding the sufferings of the world could be sensed by developing empathy. This takes one to the path of excelling as Bodhisattvas.

Proceed to guide the rest

Start with seeing yourself as a spiritual winner. Understanding pain and suffering and guiding them towards enlightenment are the primary goals of Bodhisattvas. They seek ways to help the sufferers.

 

 

Becoming a Bodhisattvas is like embracing the responsibility of removing suffering from the world, liberating the sentient beings, and guiding all to be awakened. The task seems hard, but once embarked, the mystic satisfaction helps to take further steps.

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11 Reasons behind the Decline of Buddhism in India

As invigorating as it may sound, Buddhism has a rich history in India. If you would have gone through our blog Buddhist roots in India, you would be aware that Buddhism originated as a religion in India. Yes, Gautam Buddha, the awakened one on whose teachings, Buddhism is based was born in India. He spent his whole life on Indian Soil. As such, you will find numerous sites and scriptures that reflect on the origination as well as hint upon the decline of Buddhism in India.

 Although Buddhism was found in India in 6th Century B.C. and was one of the popular religions in the country during the 3rd Century B.C., it could not survive in its birthland for long. Today, while the religion is the fourth populated faith in the world, in India only 1% population, follows it. This has been a result of several factors that drove Buddhism out of India. Some of which we will be discussing below.

 

Many scholars of Buddhism and other religious Indian history are weaving an absolute answer to the reason for the decline of Buddhism in India. However, they are still looking for absolute consensus on this matter. Another set of scholars believe that the downfall of Buddhism from India is a very harsh way to express the union of the religion into Hindu practices. 

 If we start digging deep in history, there are shreds of evidence supporting that the dominance of reformed Hinduism has been a significant reason for the decline of Buddhism in India. It is believed that the revival of Hinduism caused a decrease in the popularity of Buddhism. Eventually, this phase drove the faith out of its birthland while it started growing substantially in the rest of the South-Asian countries. The pre-modern time writers of Indian history pulled out many unaware issues that Buddhist monks encountered that led to the decline of the religion. In this blog, we will be touching on all possible aspects that may have led to the downfall of Buddhism in India.

Hindu Reforms

Buddhism was a massive threat to the hierarchy command of the Brahminical Hindu faith. There was a situation of threat that could have led to extinction. Thus, Hinduism that used to follow the complex functioning system re-organized itself. Attempts to transform the complicated ways to simpler forms began. The Hindus came in support of non-violence and named Gautam Buddha as a Hindu reincarnation. The effort resulted favorably, making Hinduism popular once again. While, on the other hand, the Buddhist minority suffered an adverse. 

Buddhists created mini-groups

Buddhist teachings encountered many challenges within the group. The difference in thought and opinion led to the division of Buddhism into small groups, namely Mahayana, Hinayana, Tantrayana, Vajrayana, and Sahajayana. Buddhism lost its originality in subsequent years. Down the line, religion became more complicated than easy.

Corruption in Buddhists Sanghas

As it goes with everything, Buddhism too had its share of bad influences that greatly impacted its popularity. Some Sanghas got lured by materialism and lost their goal to luxury. With a minority status in India, the corruption among a few of Sanghas was quite evident which strayed away its followers resulting in its decline.  

Influence of Sanskrit Language

Legend says that Buddha preached his teachings in the Pali, the language of the commoners. Pali and Prakrit being widely practiced languages were initially used to spread Buddhist beliefs which led to its popularity. However, the fourth Buddhist Council adopted Sanskrit as the language of Buddhist preaching. Sanskrit was known to be the most complex language of all and was hard for the commoners to understand. As such, Buddhism which was popularized as a religion of common people lost its lustre.

Hindu Preachers painted a wrong picture

At a religious council held at Kannauj, Harsavardhan made the Brahmin flee to the Deccan. Kumarila Bhatta provided shelter and support to the Brahmins. Gradually, they started gaining strength and planned to take back what they lost. Adi-Shankaracharya joined them in the battle. The dominance of Hinduism over Buddhism made the latter lose its influence.  

Adverse effects of Brahmanism

The last warrior of the Mauryan dynasty, Pushyamintra Sunga, established the Bhrahmanical faith. He set up the Sunga dynasty after Mauryan lost utterly. Pushyamintra Sunga waved off the basic rule of non-violence from the book. As such many Buddhist monks were put to swords, and pilgrim sites destroyed. The same created fear among the people. 

Rift in Buddhist Order

The rifts within the dome were evident from outside. Division of groups, no support against the bullies, and many other reasons gave birth to doubts. On the other hand, Hinduism was rising with the help of royals.  

Buddha Worship

Idol worship had remained a crucial part of Hinduism and Gautam Buddha never proposed it. As such Buddhism never propagated the practice of Idol worship. However, lately, the different schools of Buddhism enforced worshipping Buddha’s idol. This did not go down well with the Buddhist followers who started thinking that Buddhism was transforming into Hinduism.

 

Royal patrons side-lined Buddhism

If you would look into history, you will find that royal patronage played an important role in the popularity of religion. Royal influence paved the path for establishing religious authority. It was Ashoka’s interest in Buddhism followed by the patronage of rulers like Kanishka and Harshvardhan that led to its popularity. However, after them, Buddhism couldn’t find strong support from Royal families who were instead patronizing Hinduism which once again rose to popularity.

Huna Invasion

According to historians, the Huna invasion was one of the prominent reasons for the decline of Buddhism in India. Huns invaded India during the end of the 5th or early in the 6th Century which led to the destruction of Buddhism in the country. Apparently, Huns were not believers of Buddhism. They profoundly believed in violence and thus brought many monks and Bhikkus to swords. They destroyed many Buddhist monasteries and learning centers.  

Muslim Invasion

Another factor that deeply impacted the popularity of Buddhism in India was the Muslim invasion. They evolved as a significant threat to Hinduism too. The Invaders caused mass destruction and killings. They forced the masses to adopt Islam and boycott the rest of the religion. The Buddhist monks didn’t have any choice but to seek shelter in Nepal and Tibet. 

 

 

The origin of Buddhism was for awakening oneself to experience the highest spiritual virtue. There was no discrimination or class division with everyone considered eligible for enlightenment someday. The teachings were very motivating and thus gained huge popularity in no time. In India, the caste system was quite prevalent. With Buddhism gaining popularity, the highest rank holders felt it as a threat to their position. The fear of losing the place in society made them push Buddhism away. 

 

From the past couple of centuries, Buddhism has started regaining its popularity. Several Archaeological excavations carried out in the 19th century have recaptured the true essence of Buddhism in India. The land of Gautam Buddha is repairing the strings that were cut off by some standard religious practices or invaders. Alongside, Buddhist monks also accepted the fall-off that brought down the popularity of Buddhism. We are all looking to a new day with possibilities to shine again and guide humankind towards enlightenment. 

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Tale behind 108 Snails on Buddha’s head

Buddhism as a religion does not propose idol worship, however, the statues of Gautam Buddha can be found everywhere. While Lord Buddha the founder of Buddhism is considered as a preacher by some sects, others do worship him as a guiding force to attain enlightenment. The common Buddha statues that you would have seen show Buddha with ringlets. Being curiosity struck, we tried to find out the reason behind those ringlets. And here we come with an interesting fact that those aren’t ringlets or Buddha’s hair but the shells of snails that count to 108. In this blog, we will dive into the reason behind the 108 snails on Buddha’s head.

Gautam Buddha found enlightenment in the 5th century B.C while he was sitting under the Bodhi tree. Siddharth Gautam adopted the path towards supreme spirituality after he spotted people suffering. Though he was born as a prince with all the luxuries of life, the pain and suffering of the people drove him to find a permanent solution to their bearing. It took six years for him to attain enlightenment, and in the following years, he decided to impart his knowledge for a better world. 

Buddhism is not about following the footsteps of a deity God rather a lifestyle that would help in breaking the chain of reincarnation and embracing the Karma (the law of cause and effect). Precisely, the path towards enlightenment is based on this concept. The followers have felt calm and found that Buddhism is much more than a religion. The increasing numbers in Buddhism, especially from south-Asian countries, have made it a notable religion among, Christianity and Islam.  

Significance of Buddha’s Statue

Buddha promoted his teachings as a lifestyle which originally spread orally. It was a century later that the documents came into existence.

The period between Buddha leaving his teachings to his followers and no document to support that Buddha existed brought a downtime for the religion to prosper. Later, the monks started drafting scriptures of Buddhist teachings and used the Buddha statue as the guiding light to overcome their fears and reach a calm state of mind.  

 

Along with the scriptures, the statue of Buddha became a significant source of sending messages related to enlightenment, reincarnation, relief from pain, suffering, etc. The calmness on Buddha’s face contrasts with the chaos of the material world. Each pose and position of Buddha has a message in it. Starting from hair to the rug he sits on, has a message for the disciples.  Here, in this blog, we will be discussing Buddha’s hair and the 108 snails on Buddha’s head story. 

108 Snails on Buddha’s head

The depiction of Buddha’s head is the same among all the statues. There are many fascinating facts hidden behind the structure and formation of the head, including the hairstyle. The figure of Buddha is based on iconography and not typically the one representing Buddha in his physical form. Buddhism has picked the idol formation from Hinduism yet hasn’t concentrated on sketching a physical image of Buddha. This also shows the fusion of Buddhism in India with its culture.

 

The physical appearance of Buddha represents the knowledge and awareness that could be attained after getting enlightened. You will find the structure of the face with 108 snails and third eye almost similar in all statue formations.

 

One of the stories behind the snail-like hair comes from the time when Siddharth left his riches in search of enlightenment. Facts state, that Buddha had long, curly hair. After giving up all the materials, he trimmed his hair with a knife. The statues and paintings of Buddha portray short and ringlike curls that look like a snail. Here, the hair represents the sign of ignorance; thus, cutting of hairs implies getting rid of ignorance. It also symbolizes that a clean body and mind can understand life better. Trimming of body hair and shaving indicates the determination that one keeps to walk on the path of enlightenment and help rest with the same too. However, you will also find structures of Buddha that are neither shaved nor with long hair. These statues signify extreme indulgence.

Snail Martyr’s Story behind 108 snails on Buddha’s head

There is another interesting tale associated with Buddha’s ringlets. According to the tale, ringlets on Buddha’s head are nothing but snails shells. The story behind 108 snails on Buddha’s head goes like this:

 

One day Buddha was out for a walk and lost in some deep thought. He found a tree and sat in its shadow to continue the meditation. He sat in the same position mediating for hours and was so engrossed that he didn’t realize that the sun had reached high in the sky. 

 

A snail noticed that Buddha’s head was getting dry due to the sun. In order to help Buddha, the snail climbed on his head to provide moisture. He didn’t want the heat to distract Buddha from his meditation. And thus rose to his head through the robe and sat there to protect him from the heat. Some more snails who were passing by the Buddha, saw him meditating and followed the path of the other snail. They covered Buddha’s head to protect him from the heat. While the moist skin of the snails kept Buddha’s head cool, the scorching heat of the sun-dried the snails and they eventually died. The snails are moist creatures, and too much dryness can cause death. 

 

When Buddha regained his senses, the 108 snails on Buddha’s head were dead and sitting like a cap. These snails are considered as the martyrs that helped Buddha in his journey towards enlightenment. Thus they are shown in many statues of the Buddha reminding us of their sacrifice.  

 

So, now you know why Buddha’s head is shown with 108 snails. There are numerous exciting tales associated with Buddha, that will tell you a lot about Buddhism. We will keep on delving into these interesting facts and sharing great insights related to Buddhism

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BuddhaHome Team

BuddhaHome Honey: Tell-tale of Honey in Buddhism

Honey is known to have a long history and is being used as a sweetener for thousands of years. The inherent properties of raw honey even popularized it as natural medicine. As such it was popularly used as a cure for various ailments during ancient times. BuddhaHome Honey brings back the essence of the ancient sweetener.

Honey is essentially associated with Buddhism which closely connects to nature. Gautam Buddha, the preacher of simple living believed in the power of nature. For him, all sentient beings are obliged to follow the rules of nature. As such, many of his teachings were taken from the animals, leaves, fruits, and even the seasons. Of the many nature’s blessings, honey, the sweet produce of the bees holds a significant place in Buddhism. Lord Buddha mentioned honey as one of the five vital medicines. Legend says that honey gave nourishment to Gautam Buddha preceding and following his enlightenment. Thus, Buddhist followers believe honey to be auspicious food. In this blog, we will delve into the significance of honey in Buddhism and what BuddhaHome honey brings to the table.

The Story of Honey in Buddhism

Legend says that after his enlightenment, Buddha traveled all through ancient India spreading his word to his disciples. On his visit to Kaushambi, a prosperous city during ancient times, a dispute arose among monastic followers. Buddha made several attempts to resolve the quarrel but was unsuccessful as the people were adamant. To show his dissatisfaction with their conduct, Buddha left and retired to Parileyya Forest. 

During Buddha’s retreat in the forest, an elephant named Palilayaka came to him. He looked after Buddha, protected the Lord from wild animals, and brought him fruits and water. Seeing him, a monkey brought a honeycomb for Buddha to eat. Buddha took the offering, however, he did not eat it. The monkey on realizing it took back the honeycomb wherein he found bee larvae. It cleaned the honey of the larvae and brought back pure honey to Buddha which he accepted. 

When Buddha ate the honey, the monkey was overjoyed. In his excitement, the monkey began to jump from tree to tree. While doing so, he suffered a fall and died. However, because of his devotion to Buddha, the monkey found a place in Heaven. 

 

Elephant offering fruits to Buddha

 

On the very same day, the monks ended their discord. They took a vow of unity and cooperation which is one of the major principles of the Buddhist sangha. When the monastic community found  Buddha, the Lord preached some sacred lessons. Buddha thereafter went back to the city and the elephant tried to follow him. However, Buddha stopped him and said he belonged to the forest, not the city where humans are cruel and heartless. The elephant was heartbroken and died in grief. Like the monkey, he also found a place in the Tavatimsa Heaven. These events are believed to have taken place on the day of the full moon which is considered auspicious and celebrated by many Buddhist followers.

Buddhist Teachings arising from the event

The playful monkey shared his gift to the needy and found great pleasure in doing so. Buddha preached that his followers should be like the monkey, playful and helpful. He also took the example of the elephant and stated that though the majestic elephant is very powerful and can cause great destruction, it lives peacefully in the serenity of jungles. He further stated that in case of discord between communities, one can cultivate wisdom and consideration for others but if that is not possible, he should retreat to solitude as the foolish association will only increase suffering. The most important lesson he gave was about bees and honey gathering. Lord Buddha said that Buddhist followers should earn their livelihood similar to the bees collecting honey. Like bees put relentless hard work without harming the flower, Buddhists need to work tirelessly to follow their dharma.

 

The tale of the monkey gifting honey to the Buddha is an important chapter of Buddha’s life. As such, the concept has been used immensely in Buddhist art several times. The simple tale is a take on life and the simple concepts of Buddhism. 

 

Thus, the honey gifting occasion became one of the significant episodes in the life of the Lord Buddha. The day is commemorated as Madhu Purnima, or “honey full moon.” Buddhists, especially of Theravada sect, observe the Honey Festival on the full moon of the 10th lunar month.

The Buddhist Honey Festival

The Honey offering Festival is one of the traditional Buddhist festivals. As the tradition goes, Buddhist followers visit the temple dressed in white. The devotees pay their respect to the Buddha, his teachings, and monastics. The ceremony includes paying homage to Buddha via Chanting and engaging in Dhamma talks. Followers may also decide to meditate and offer flowers, incense sticks, etc. The blessings are shared with friends, family, relatives, and in fact all living beings with acts of charity, donation, and gifts. The festival is also significant as it marks an event that underlines the importance of harmony within the sangha. 

BuddhaHome Honey: The Gift of Nature

By now, you would have a clear idea about the importance of honey in Buddhism. The tale of the monkey offering honey to the Buddha provides us with some of the greatest lessons.

 

BuddhaHome revisits the traditions and brings you the natural honey which has high medicinal as well as culinary value. BuddhaHome honey is sourced from the local beekeepers who adopt sustainable measures to procure the natural sweetener.

 

Our processes are ethical and in no way disturb nature’s balance. We act as a link to bring you the unadulterated flavor of honey directly from nature. Learning from Buddhist teachings, we believe in being considerate to others and follow the same principle in sourcing the best honey flavors for you.

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BuddhaHome Team

BuddhaHome Incense: The Calming Fragrance of Divinity

Incense has played a major role in the prayer rituals of the major religions of the world including Buddhism. The burning of incense is a practice that is more than an act of devotion. The fragrant smoke of the incense calms the minds, sets the ambience to meditate and prepares the entire being to heed to the spiritual calling. All sects of Buddhism believe in the practice of burning incense. The burning of the incense sticks is believed to be a way to honor Lord Buddha, his Dharma (teachings) and the Sangha (his disciples & followers). As a tribute to Buddhist philosophy, BuddhaHome brings a range of luxurious incense sticks that connect you with nature. Dive into the serenity of Buddha with BuddhaHome Incense Sticks.

 

Incense sticks are typically derived from herbs, flowers and other natural sources. The fragrance from the incense sticks is known to spread far and wide, slowly purifying the surroundings. It is said that like the incense sticks burn to emit fragrance, everyone must understand the necessity to burn away negative qualities in order to reveal the pure and spread good deeds. Also, the smoke from burning incense that rises and dissolves into the air, reminds one of the temporary nature of existence.

The History of Incense in Buddhism

The use of incense can be traced long back in history. All the major religions of the world practiced the burning of incense sticks. In Buddhism too, incense has always been a part of the prayer rituals since the very start. The practice continued over the centuries that followed.

 

In the Pali Canon, scriptures that date to the life of the Buddha, incense is mentioned frequently. There is one incidence that states that incense first appeared as a repellent for mosquitoes and insects. According to a tale, during one of the Buddha’s sermons, a monk thoughtlessly swatted a mosquito. Realizing how his reflex was so strong that it would lead to a murder of a being, he was horrified. Even Buddha was drawn to the incident. He ordered that while meditating or concentrating on Dharma teachings, incense needed to be lit in order to keep the insects away and to prevent the needless taking of lives. As a result, incense sticks became customary at gatherings, prayers and meditation.

 

The Use of Incense in Buddhism and Our Daily Lives

Incense is a part of every Buddhist ritual. From gatherings to assemblies, meditations to prayers at the altar of Buddha, the burning of incense features as one of the eight offerings. Along with food, drinks, flowers, and even garments, incense is a common offering that is given as a sign of respect or reverence. Besides the altar of Buddha, these can be given to the monks or even during charities.

 

The fragrance from the incense sticks is known to purify the surroundings. Whether it is a meditation hall or your own room, the aromas create a tranquil mood. In many Buddhist schools and gatherings, three sticks are burned together that signify the Three Gems- the Buddha, the dharma (teachings), and the sangha (community).

 

Besides the symbolic meaning, burning an incense stick while chanting or meditation practice helps you in focusing. The fragrant aromas create a pure space for connecting at a spiritual level. Besides, it also keeps insects and other beings that might disrupt or distract at bay. The aroma is believed to have added benefits of enhancing concentration as it easily masks other unpleasant or distracting odors. Many Buddhist followers use an incense stick to measure the time duration of their meditation session.

BuddhaHome Incense Sticks

By now, you would have a clear idea about the importance of incense in Buddhism. BuddhaHome brings to you traditional incense in different aromas. Procured from natural things, our incense sticks are created from herbs, flowers, and other eco-friendly things. BuddhaHome’s premium collection of hand-rolled incense sticks consists of Indian Sandalwood, Arabic Agarwood, Egyptian Musk, and Turkish Rose. The aroma of BuddhaHome incense sticks is strong. It negates the negative energy and instills positivity around you. BuddhaHome envisions to bring you the unique products from the land where Buddha lived. We source the incense sticks from the local manufacturers of BuddhaHome region that embrace the beauty of nature and connect you with it. Keeping in accordance with the Buddhist teachings, we believe in purifying ourselves and society by bringing the best incense products for you.

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BuddhaHome Team

BuddhaHome’s Oath to GiveBack Prosperity to the Land of Buddha

Buddhahome

The land of Buddha where Gautam Buddha is said to have spent his lifetime holds numerous treasures. From beautiful crafts to healthy produces, there are some unique varieties that the world is unknown to. BuddhaHome visions to bring the land of Buddha under Global lens. We strongly believe in the riches this land holds and want to bring prosperity to the region. Thus, we have connected to remote sellers to identify their products and analyze marketing possibilities with the aim to GiveBack to the region that endows us with numerous gifts. By sourcing the produce of local farmers and artisans we wish to expand their market thus ensuring economic prosperity.

 

BuddhaHome’s efforts to GiveBack to the region, are not limited to just acting as a link between the local sellers and the market. We wish to contribute towards the betterment of society and what better way than working towards Girl Child Education. The states of U.P. and Bihar have one of the lowest literacy rates with even lesser opportunities for Girl Child Education. While some progress has been made towards the cause over the past years, but the present situation isn’t that acceptable. We wish to do our bit for the welfare of society by promoting Girl Child Education. BuddhaHome pledges to uplift the region by contributing 1.8% of its revenue towards Girl Child Education.

 

In our bid to help society, we have started with the very base. We have joined hands with a Not-for-Profit Organization: Children of the Mother Earth (CoME). The organization helmed by Mr. Ravi Rai Manas works towards providing shelter and education to the street children. Initially started by Mr. Ravi in 1998 in his ancestral home of Gorakhpur, the organization is currently running 4 centers in North India (Delhi and Uttar Pradesh). The state of poverty in India is quite high with the condition of children quite pitiable. As per statistics conducted in 2009 around 1.8 million children die before the age of 5. Children are the future of the world, hence it is important to uplift their living conditions. CoME has been working towards this cause and providing underprivileged children shelter and education that gives them a sense of safety, self-esteem, and possibility.

 

CoME believes that the world is one big family and being a part of a family, we must help each other. The centers of CoME are called “Apna Ghar” (translating to Our Home). The name to the centers was given by the children themselves as they give them a sense of belonging. The man behind CoME, Mr. Ravi Rai is an inspiration for everyone out there. Born and brought up in Singapore, Mr. Ravi left his stable job in Singapore as a Civil Engineer and came to India with all his life savings to work towards the welfare of the underprivileged children. He has been doing a commendable job over the past 20 years. He has saved the lives of numerous children and provided them a nurturing environment. Recognizing his humanitarian work in India, Mr. Ravi Rai was awarded the Singapore International Foundation award in the year 2002. It was just a beginning, as the man has received numerous accolades for the work he has been doing.

 

BuddhaHome realizes its responsibility towards society and vows to work towards its betterment. We hope that our small steps now shall bring economic prosperity to the local farmers and artisans while also improving the lives of children.

 

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