Buddhadharma

Buddhism, or Buddhadharma, is Buddha’s teachings and the inner experiences or realizations of these teachings. Buddha gave eighty-four thousand teachings. All these teachings and the inner realizations of them constitute Buddhadharma.

Buddhadharma does not stay in one place but moves from one country to another. Just as gold is precious and rare, so Buddhadharma is precious and very hard to find. Buddha taught how to examine our mind and see which states produce misery and confusion and which states produce health and happiness. He taught how to overcome the compulsively non-virtuous minds that confine us to states of discontent and misery, and how to cultivate the virtuous minds that liberate us from pain and lead us to the bliss of full enlightenment. By learning Buddhadharma, we will have the opportunity to gain the happiness we seek and to fulfill all our temporary and ultimate wishes.

→ The Wheel of Life in Buddhism

Buddha about Happiness

Tame the mind. This is the greatest challenge before you. It rushes here and there, swifter than the wind, more slippery than water. If you can arrest the flights of the mind to your will, happiness will be assured to you.

What is Dharma?

"Dharma" means "protection". By practicing Buddha's teachings we protect ourselves from suffering and problems. All the problems we experience during daily life originate in ignorance, and the method for eliminating ignorance is to practice Dharma.

Practicing Dharma is the supreme method for improving the quality of our human life. The quality of life depends not upon external development or material progress, but upon the inner development of peace and happiness. For example, in the past many Buddhists lived in poor and underdeveloped countries, but they were able to find pure, lasting happiness by practicing what Buddha had taught.

If we integrate Buddha's teachings into our daily life, we will be able to solve all our inner problems and attain a truly peaceful mind. Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. If we first establish peace within our minds by training in spiritual paths, outer peace will come naturally; but if we do not, world peace will never be achieved, no matter how many people campaign for it.

The Wheel of Dharma

The Wheel of Dharma, or the Wheel of the Teaching, is the translation of the Sanskrit word, "Dharma cakra" (dharma-chakra). Similar to the wheel of a cart that keeps revolving, it symbolizes the Buddha's teaching as it continues to be spread widely and endlessly. The eight spokes of the wheel represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, the most important Way of Practice. The Noble Eightfold Path refers to right view, right thought, right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. In the olden days before statues and other images of the Buddha we made, this Wheel of Dharma served as a the object of worship. At the present time, the Wheel is used internationally as the common symbol of Buddhism.

After he had attained enlightenment, as a result of requests Buddha rose from meditation and taught the so-called first "Wheel of Dharma. These teachings, which include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses, are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism. Later, Buddha taught the second and third Wheels of Dharma, which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra Discriminating the Intention, respectively. These teachings are the source of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, of Buddhism.

In the Hinayana teachings, Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for oneself alone. In the Mahayana teachings he explains how to attain full enlightenment, or Buddhahood, for the sake of others. Both traditions flourished in Asia, at first in India and then gradually in other surrounding countries, including Tibet. Now they are also beginning to flourish in the West.

Buddha's teachings, which are known as "Dharma", are likened to a wheel that moves from country to country in accordance with changing conditions and people's karmic inclinations. The external forms of presenting Buddhism may change as it meets with different cultures and societies, but its essential authenticity is ensured through the continuation of an unbroken lineage of realized practitioners. Buddha's teachings are said to be like a precious wheel because, wherever they spread, the people in that area have the opportunity to control their minds by putting them into practice.

The Dhammapada

The Dhammapada is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Theravada canon.

The title, Dhammapada, is a compound term composed of dhamma and pada, each word having a number of denotations and connotations. Generally, dhamma can refer to the Buddha's "doctrine" or an "eternal truth" or "righteousness" or all "phenomena"; and, at its root, pada means "foot" and thus by extension, especially in this context, means either "path" or "verse".

Buddha about Conquering

Conquer the angry man by love

Buddha Healing Mantra

May the many sentient beings who are sick, quickly be freed from sickness.
And may all the sicknesses of beings never arise again.

The Value of Leading a Balanced Life

Balance is a key element of a happy life.

Dalai Lama teaches, 'A balanced and skillful approach to life, taking care to avoid extremes, becomes a very important factor in conducting one's everyday existence... More

Happiness – It's All in Our Own Hands

Here are three little anecdotes that I'd like to share with you. They concern three sisters: Arom, Aporn, and Arpa. Taken together, the trio of anecdotes tells us how to cope with problems, how to turn the negative into the positive. If we can do that, then we'll have a definite guarantee that, regardless of what we encounter, we won't suffer as much or as easily as we did before. That is our true guarantee of happiness.

Thailand: 11 Tips for Visitors

Thailand is a Buddhist country where Buddha images are held secret. Sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors.