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  In  Mahayana Buddhism , the ideal of practice is to become a  bodhisattva  who strives to liberate all beings from the cycle of birth and death. The Bodhisattva Vows are vows taken formally by a Buddhist to do exactly that. The vows are also an expression of  bodhicitta , the desire to realize enlightenment for the sake of others. Often known as The Greater Vehicle, Mahayana is quite different than the Lesser Vehicle, Hinayana/Theravada, in which the emphasis is on the individual liberation and the path of the  arhat.   The exact wording of the Bodhisattva vows varies from school to school. The most basic form is: May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. A passionate variation of the vow is associated with the iconic figure  Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva : "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; not until all beings are saved will I certify to ​Bodhi." The Four Great Vows In  Zen ,  Nichiren , Tendai, ...

Living in the west, in the wealthiest and most powerful of nation on the planet, I find much unhappiness and confusion. Daily. Considering myself a "normal person" I freely admit I often share in this widespread disenchantment and confusion. Actually, I've experienced it most of my adult life. I blame the stories. I'm sure you're familiar with the stories to which I allude. They are the stories we continually tell ourselves as we struggle to align our years of societal conditioning with actual reality. The self, or ego, will always attempt to manipulate the truth (reality) so as to align the stories with actual reality. IOW's, we make stuff up out of whole cloth, so that we feel good.  That, and we readily attach ourselves to things that give us pleasure and or a sense of wellbeing. Then, when things change, as they always do, or we lose the attachment completely, we suffer a sense of loss, great anxiety, or even anger.  Whenever we make up stories about th...

T here are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the Buddhist community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar. The most significant celebration happens every May on the night of the full moon, when Buddhist all over the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha over 2,500 years ago. It has become to be known as Buddha Day. Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit and in the evening join perhaps in a ceremony of circumambulation a stupa three time as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.  The Thai Buddhist Calend...

Paticcasamupada   is a belief that is essential in fully understanding the   Buddha’s Dhamma . This is because it leads to the realisation, or deep understanding, of the   Three Marks of Existence , also known as the  Three Universal Truths . This is the belief that everything that is in existence exists because other things are in existence. Therefore, everything is interconnected, and everything affects everyone. Paticcasamupada also relates to the   principle of conditionality . This means that everything, whether mental or physical, exists and occurs because of the presence of certain conditions. Everything is dependent on other things. More BELOW the FOLD .

  Bodhisattva -  (in Mahayana Buddhism) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings. The Sixteen Precepts of a Bodhisattva The Three Treasures (or Refuges) 1. Being one with the Buddha 2. Being one with the Dharma 3. Being one with the Sangha The Three Pure Precepts 1. Ceasing from evil 2. Doing good 3. Doing good for others The Ten Grave Precepts 1. Non-killing 2. Non-stealing 3. Not misusing sex 4. Not telling lies 5. Not deluding the mind 6. Not talking about others errors or faults 7. Not elevating oneself and blaming others 8. Not being stingy 9. Not being angry 10. Not speaking ill of the Three Treasures Read MORE .

The suttas described 31 distinct “planes” or “realms” of existence into which beings can be reborn during their long wandering through samsara.  These range from the extraordinarily dark, grim and painful hell realms all the way up to the most sublime, refined and exquisitely blissful heavenly realms.  Existence in every realm is impermanent; in the  cosmology  taught by the Buddha there is no eternal  heaven or hell.   Beings are born into a particular realm according to both their past kamma and their kamma at the moment of death.  When the kammic force that propelled them to that realm is finally exhausted, they pass away, taking rebirth once again elsewhere according to their kamma.  And so the wearisome cycle continues on and on into the deepest recesses of infinity. SOURCE