Category Archives: Buddhism
DAILY PHOTO: Little Monk at Peace
DAILY PHOTO: Ajanta Caves from a Distance
DAILY PHOTO: Kannon in Stone, Noda City
BOOK REVIEW: Teachings of the Buddha ed. by Jack Kornfield
Teachings of the Buddha: Revised and Expanded Edition by Jack Kornfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a collection of excerpts and short writings conveying Buddhist teachings. The pieces range in length from about a stanza of verse to a few pages in length. Each lesson tells what book it comes from and who the translator was, which can be a nice feature if one will be comparing different translations.
Unlike Walpola Rahulaâs similarly named âWhat the Buddha Taught,â which focuses entirely on what Gautama Buddha taught while he was living, this book includes many teachings from long after the life of the Buddha. Which is to say, this is more a book of Buddhist teachings than an elucidation of what the Buddha, himself, taught. [Not to offend, but religious teachings seem to inevitably shift and evolve over time, and so what is taught by various sects of Buddhism today is by no means a perfect reflection of what the Buddha, himself, taught.] That said, the writings toward the beginning of the book tend to be closer to the Buddha, himself â i.e. from the âDhammapadaâ and other early Pali works. While the teachings toward the end of the book tend to be more from much later (e.g. from the Zen tradition.)
I found the book to be quite readable and to feature some intriguing food for thought. If you are interested in an English translation of Buddhist sutras, scriptures, koan, etc., this is a good work to check out.
DAILY PHOTO: A Phuket Temple
POEM: Mustard Seeds
She’s chasing after mustard seeds
from a household that’s known no Death.
With eyes that droop and feet that bleed,
she’s out of the village and into the weeds.
Finding a family that’s known only life
is like finding one that’s known but good deeds.
Not finding a one, she finally concedes
knowing her suffering is not unique,
and with that realization she is freed.
DAILY PHOTO: Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy
DAILY PHOTO: Vajrayana Buddhist Art, Namdroling
DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from Spirit City
Xieng Khuan (which translates to “Spirit City”) is what this statue park outside Vientiane, Laos is apparently called by locals. In English, it’s usually listed as “Buddha Park.” I used the former translation because it’s way more intriguing, but if you’re looking to find the place…
It should also be pointed out that some of the artwork is Hindu in origin, rather than Buddhist.