Assorted Paintings of my hero, the Buddha
I'd like to meet:
The Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the historical founder of Buddhism. He is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age.
Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni (“sage of the Shakyasâ€), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were summarized after his death and memorized by the sangha. Passed down by oral tradition, the Tipitaka, the collection of discourses attributed to Gautama, was committed to writing about 400 years later. The time of his birth and death are uncertain; most modern historians by the end of the nineteenth century and during the first half of the twentieth date his lifetime from about 563 BCE to 483 BCE, but more recently the majority of scholars advocate dates around 410 or 400 for his passing away.
Venerable Ajahn Mun, Teacher of Ajahn Chah
Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Thera, 1870-1949, was a Thai Buddhist monk who is credited, along with his mentor, Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo, with establishing the Thai Forest Tradition (the Kammatthana tradition) that subsequently spread throughout Thailand and to several countries abroad.Ajaan Mun's mode of practice was solitary and strict. He followed the Vinaya (monastic discipline) faithfully, and also observed many of what are known as the 13 classic dhutanga (ascetic) practices, such as living off alms, wearing robes made of cast-off rags, dwelling in the forest and eating only one meal a day. Searching out secluded places in the wilds of Thailand and Laos, he avoided the responsibilities of settled monastic life and spent long hours of the day and night in meditation. In spite of his reclusive nature, he attracted a large following of students willing to endure the hardships of forest life in order to study with him.
Venerable Ajahn Chah
Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhatto (Chao Khun Bodhinyanathera) , alternatively spelled Achaan Chah, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra (17 June 1918, Thailand – 16 January 1992), was one of the greatest meditation masters of the twentieth century. Known for his informal and direct style, he was a major influence on Theravada Buddhism around the world.Venerable Ajahn Chah was an influential and perhaps the most famous monk of the Thai Forest tradition of Theravada. The monks of this tradition use various ascetic practices, known as dhutanga, on an occasional or regular basis to deepen their devotional practice. They might, for example, eat only one meal a day, sleep outside under a tree, or visit fearsome forests or graveyards. They also use meditation, for calming (samatha) and for insight (vipassana).Ajahn Chah established the monasteries of Wat Nong Pah Pong and Wat Pah Nanachat in Northeast Thailand, the grounds of which contain some of the last remaining forest land in Thailand. Wat Pah Pong now includes over 250 branches in Thailand, as well as over 15 associated monasteries and ten lay practice centers around the world.Ajahn Chah himself did not write much if anything for publication, but his talks were recorded, transcribed, translated and published as books and as free materials available on the Internet.Over a million people attended Ajahn Chah's funeral in 1992, including the Thai royal family. He left behind a legacy of Dhamma talks, students, and monasteries.
Music:
One of the most amazing things I have ever heard. This song brought me to tears. Please listen. It's " Tell Me Why " by Delcan Galbraith
Free Hugs Campaign!
Some of my favorite music:
The Soul of Healing Meditations
A Tribute to the Karmapa
Music of Laos: The Buddhist Tradition
Buddhist Chants
Buddhist Relaxation
Chants and Music from Buddhist Temples
Global Journey: Chill Out Buddhist Chant
Sacred Land
Buddhist Chants: Music for Contemplation and Reflection
Religious Chants From India: Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu
Medicine Buddha
Tibetan Mantras and Chants
Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart
Buddhist Chants & Peace Music
Movies:
The Mindful Way
Short Clip of Maha Ghosananda's Funeral Ceremony
Wat Marp Jan
Tiger Temple
Short Clip of The Documentary " Fearless Mountain "
Did Jesus learn what he knew from India?
Some of my favorite movies:
The Green Mile
The Prestige
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Big Fish [Blu-ray]
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto [Blu-ray]
The Butterfly Effect 2
The Butterfly Effect (Infinifilm Edition)
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Zen Noir
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East
The Lake House [Blu-ray]
Next
Deja Vu
The Fountain (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Groundhog Day (Special Edition)
Waterworld
Phenomenon
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
TALKING WITH THE DALAI LAMA
Dharma River
Prajna Earth
Tibet: A Buddhist Trilogy
Seven Years in Tibet [Blu-ray]
Kundun
Life of Buddha
Little Buddha
Television:
These days I am afraid I don't watch much television. When I do it is always either the Discovery channel and the History channel. Occasionally I do also watch my long time favorite comedy seinfeld.
Books:
My Favorite Books
Some more recommended books:
The Simple Guide to Theravada Buddhism (World Religion Series)
Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works. Their Legacy
Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective
The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
Living Buddha, Living Christ
The Gods Drink Whiskey: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha
The Accidental Buddhist
What Would Buddha Do?
What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
Phra Farang
Venerable Father: A Life with Ajahn Chah
Teachings of a Buddhist Monk
The Sound of Silence: The Selected Teachings of Ajahn Sumedho
The Mind and the Way: Buddhist Reflections on Life
Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings
Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah
Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties
Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook
Questions from the City, Answers from the Forest: Simple Wisdom You Can Use from a Western Buddhist Monk
Mindfulness With Breathing : A Manual for Serious Beginners
The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering
The Path of Purification (Vipassana Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings)
The Life of the Buddha : According to the Pali Canon
In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha)
Heroes:
*The Buddha*, Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Chah, Bhante G, Bhikkhu Pesala, Acharn Maha Boowa and all other homeless ones who have gone forth out of compassion for the world and the search for nibbana.
Where Are You From?
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Myspace Trackers at
www...
Buddhist Websites:
Wat Pah NanaChat
Almost complete list of buddhist texts
E-sangha buddhist forum
Access to insight
Wat Pah Pong
Forest Sangha
Forest Sangha in Europe
Abhayagiri
Bhikkhu Bodhi's Monastery
