stairclimbingsport.com This site is also by Dr. David N. Snyder and is a site to promote the sport of stair climbing. A fit mind works best with a fit body. The first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma, taught his monks military exercises which became the birth of the martial arts so that his monks would not be sluggish in their meditation. In addition, on a recent trip to India I discovered that the Buddha was a stairclimber! Well, sort of; the Buddha liked to meditate at Vulture Peak and he had to climb a steep hill to get to the top. Today there are stairs up this steep hill to Vulture Peak; it is roughly equivalent to climbing 1,500 stairs. In the 10th century a King called the Maha Bodhi temple (holiest place of Buddhism) the stairway to heaven.
sunchaselv.com Need a place to stay for a while in Las Vegas? Sun Chase Apartments is the place! Or if you just want to see the pros and cons of buying vs. renting, go to this site.
theravadabuddhism.org A short excerpt from the book providing a description of Theravada Buddhism. After the
short excerpt there is an excerpt from a chapter in the book followed by a discussion for a more progressive Theravada, based on the teachings of the Buddha, to keep the teachings in line with the spirit and intent of the Buddha.
the4nobletruths.com An excerpt from chapter 2, but does not include some of the mathematical formulas and symbols as the site would not support those fonts. The full chapter can be obtained by ordering the book.
jhanas.com An excerpt from chapter 12 on the important teachings of the jhanas. In most Dhamma / Dharma books the jhanas have been ignored, yet the teachings of Buddha are permeated with discussions of the jhanas in the discourses (scriptures) of the Pali Canon.
brahmaviharas.com An excerpt from chapter 14. See why the brahma-viharas are one of the favorite lists of the author.
mahabodhitemple.com Article about the Maha Bodhi temple, including the one below and other information and photos from Bodh Gaya, the location of the Maha Bodhi Temple, most sacred spot in Buddhism.
vibhajjavada.com A brief explanation of the origin of Theravada Buddhism and the emphasis on investigation and analysis for wisdom.
veggiebuddhists.com A resource on the vegetarian vs. meat based diet debate in Buddhism. Includes a question and answer format to common questions and includes material from a chapter in the book.
D-Chess.com Another website by Dr. Snyder about chess and it includes an article named The Zen of Chess.
shabkar.org An excellent resource on the Buddhist - vegetarian issues. Dr. Snyder is quoted here with a copy of the essay from veggiebuddhists.com and excerpt from the book.
deathclock.com A good site to keep you mindful of death and mortality. How many seconds do you have to live?
tricycle.com A Buddhist magazine.
spiritrock.org A large vipassana meditation retreat center and ongoing programs in the San Francisco Bay area.
dhamma.org Ten day vipassana retreats in the tradition of S. N. Goenka, non-sectarian. Ten days of meditation, room, board (vegetarian meals) all at no cost. Participants are not allowed to make voluntary contributions until at least one ten day retreat has been completed.
Good Question, Good Answer An excellent introductory book to Buddhism, by Ven. S. Dhammika, 4th edition, available free as an online book.
Navel of the Earth, the history and significance of Bodh Gaya Another online book by Ven. S. Dhammika. See my article below about religious pilgrimage.
Buddhist pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya as compared to other pilgrimages
I recently came back from a Buddhist pilgrimage to India and Nepal and saw all of the important places, the birth (Lumbini), enlightenment (Bodh Gaya), the first teaching (Sarnath), and the death-paranirvana (Kushinigar).
Noticeably the most important site in Buddhism is Bodh Gaya where the Buddha got enlightenment. The other sites were mostly ruins and did not have too many temples around them. But in Bodh Gaya there were many temples from many nations, many more tourists, and the beautiful Maha Bodhi temple complex where the Buddha attained enlightenment. The Maha Bodhi temple shown above was most likely originally built by King Ashoka in the 3rd century B.C. and rebuilt after warfare destruction in the 2nd century A.D. and subsequently repaired over the centuries up to the present time. It is 52 meters high (171 feet). There are also gardens, lakes, and a 24 meter (80 feet) Buddha statue in Bodh Gaya.
This shows that the holiest place in Buddhism (if there is such a thing) is Bodh Gaya. Pilgrimages are not too important in Buddhism because one can get enlightenment anywhere, but for those who wish to do this devotional and respectful practice, the Maha Bodhi complex in Bodh Gaya is clearly the most important place.
This gets me to reflect on the holy sites of all the different religions:
In Islam, the holiest place is Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed. The religion is centered around the prophet Mohammed as he is considered the final prophet by many Muslims.
In Judaism, the holiest place is Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is the capitol of the ancient and modern nation of Israel. The religion of Judaism is centered on ideas that the Jewish people are both a faith and a people. Especially in Israel, the people see themselves as both a people and a religion.
In Christianity, a very holy place and pilgrimage site is also Jerusalem, but not for the above political reasons. Christians venerate Jerusalem as the place of Jesus' crucifixion. The Christian faith is centered around the death of Christ, believing that Christ rose from the dead in Jerusalem.
The clear contrast in Buddhism is that it is not the place of his birth, not the place of his death, but rather the place of enlightenment that is so important. Buddhism is a come and see religion with much effort required of each individual. We all must take the time to do study and practice, to attain insights. It is a hard work religion and this is why the enlightenment place is venerated most of all.
This is not to disparage or say that the other religions are bad or in any way lower, but it is just interesting to see the differences in the religions as to what they define as the most important pilgrimage site.
Even though one can achieve enlightenment anywhere, there is a recommendation by the Buddha for pilgrimage for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. From the parinibbana sutta, Digha Nikaya:
“Ananda, there are four places the sight of which will arouse strong emotion in those with faith. Which four? Here the Tathagata (enlightened one) was born, this is the first place. Here the Tathagata attained Enlightenment, this is the second place. Here the Tathagata set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma, this is the third place. Here the Tathagata attained final Nibbana (Nirvana) without remainder, this is the fourth place. The monk or nun, layman or laywoman, who has faith should visit these places. And anyone who dies while making a pilgrimage to these places with a devout heart will, at the breaking up of the body, be reborn in heaven.”
A couple of more links can be found in "Dharma Groups" page on this site.
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