Daily Buddhism

Yama & Naraka: Death and Hell
Yama is the personification of death, or, in the more religious versions of Buddhism, as a the god of the dead. He’s usually depicted with green or red skin, and reigns over Naraka, the Buddhist version of Hell.
Naraka is “hell” for Buddhists. People go to Naraka due [...]

Stupas
What are Stupas?
Scattered across Asia are tens of thousands of stupas.  Stupas are dome-shaped structures of varying sizes that are usually said to contain some relic of Buddha.  Some are as simple as a mound of mud, while others are elaborate ornate buildings. Most are some form of stone statuary or monument.
When Buddha died, his [...]

Suicide
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A Reader recently wrote:
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A friend of a friend of mine recently killed herself.  My friend, raised in a Christian environment, knows from what she has been taught that people who commit suicide wind up in the worst part of Hell.
What is the Buddhist perspective on suicide?
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And my response:
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Suicide is bad, no matter what perspective you [...]

Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road 
Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his way to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain [...]

Today we have something a little different. It’s not a classic Buddhist text, but rather a modern poem submitted by a reader.  The theme of the poem involves current events that we have discussed previously in both the emails and blog, so I don’t think it needs any introduction.
In Burma
A Poem by Molly Locklear
In [...]

Buddhist Symbology Part 7 & 8
The Endless Knot
This interesting geometrical figure is made up of overlapping corners and lines, and almost looks like some kind of maze or complex moebius strip. You really probably need a picture of this one, check out the site.
The intertwined lines represent the dependence of each person on everyone else.  [...]

Buddhist Symbology Part 6
The Victory Banner
Early Buddhists adopted the victory banner as an emblem of the Buddha’s enlightenment, heralding the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. Buddha himself supposedly places the banner on the summit of Mt. Meru, symbolizing his victory over the entire universe. Mount Meru is believed to be the central axis supporting the [...]