buddhism travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao“. Laos’ isolation from foreign influence offers travelers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional Southeast Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, Laos is the highlight of Southeast Asia.
Enigmatic and relatively undeveloped, Laos bears the dubious distinction of being the most bombed country in history. However, it is gradually emerging from its tumultuous recent history thanks to a combination of foreign aid, a growing ecotourism industry, and its charming, philosophical people. Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture. It is reflected throughout the country from language to the temple and in art, literature, performing arts, etc. Many elements of Lao culture predate Buddhism.
Laos has rich vegetation, mainly monsoon forest. Parts of the Annamite chain are covered with tropical evergreen forest, where rainfall is highest and in the south, tropical pine forests can be found. Laos has a large number of animal species, including as many as 500 different birds. Reptiles include many snakes, including king cobras. Laos is famous for its woven silk and cotton which are found in varying designs throughout the country. Each area has its own specific design.

Sanjusangendo is the popular name for Rengeo-in, a temple in eastern Kyoto which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama District of Kyoto, Japan. Officially known Sanjusangendo belongs to and is run by the Myoho-in temple, a part of the Tendai school of Buddhism. The temple name literally means Hall with thirty three spaces between columns, describing the architecture of the long main hall of the temple. Temple built in 12th century. Initially temple contained 124 small statues. In 13th century statues were added till 1001 units were reached. First row of statues are impressions of different gods (Thunder, Wind, …). Each one of them being remarkable pieces of art!

Archers compete against each other in the 120-meter long Sanjusangen-do Temple, which is the world’s longest wooden structure. The l meter in diameter target is positioned 60 meters away, so a high level of expertise is required
“Sanjusangendo” means a hall with 33 bays. The number 33 is sacred in Buddhism, for it is believed that Buddha saves mankind by disguising himself in 33 different forms. The 33 bays hold 1,001 statues of Kannon-Bosatsu! Each small image is 5 1/2 feet tall, carved out of wood and leafed in gold. It was an amazing sight.

There are 30 guardian deities, at one side the God of thunder and at the other side the God of wind. Both gods were worshipped as deities who controlled weather and brought good harvest. The statues are from the Kamakura period (12th-14th century) The temple was established by a powerful warrior-politician Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1164. The original building was destroyed by fire, but was reconstructed in 1266. Since then it underwent 4 major reconstructions. The hall is 120 meter long. It is open from 9:00 to 16:00. Admission free is 600 Yen. Photography is not permitted inside the temple.

Fo Guang Shan is situated in the suburbs of Kaoshiung. It is the largest Buddhist sanctuary in Kaoshiung County. Founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1967, Fo Guang Shan is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. Besides the main shrine at Fo Guang Shan, its biggest attraction would be the Great Buddha Land, surrounded by 480 golden Buddha statues, a sight worth visiting. The Buddhist Cultural Museum has a collection of thousands of modern and ancient Buddhist works of arts. Buddhist works of art are invaluable skillful means for attracting people to Buddhism. Visiting this museum has helped many people to believe.

Around 5,000 people, including hundreds of monks and lay followers from overseas, sit listening in a newly-built meditation hall. Some have spent the night sleeping on mats, waking in the cold dawn to join the morning rituals. There are dzen meditation classes from their organization in Taipei, so they were excited to have us to the HQ and planned a gala affair (for which we were terribly under dressed). And for 2 days, we were followed around by an entourage – cellphone nuns, photographer monks, video camera monks, elevator door-holding nuns. No talk of compassion, ending suffering, or enlightenment. It was, “Enter, bow to the Buddha, soundlessly go to your seat, be seated without your chair making noise, join your palms for the chanting and with each bite recite inside your head: do all good, stop all evil, deliver all sentient beings”. Other attractions include a lantern festival showcasing 60 lanterns with Buddhist characteristics and an Artistic Exhibition featuring art works such as stone collections, carvings, paintings and pottery by over 100 local artists.

Today there are over 200 branches of Fo Guang Shan throughout the five continents. Together, Fo Guang Shan strives to serve the congregations and communities by providing educational opportunities, sponsoring cultural events, engaging in charity work, and conducting worship and meditation services. Guided by the principles of Humanistic Buddhism and the ideals of the Buddhist Pure Land, its ultimate goal is to foster peace and harmony among all people of the world. Humanistic Buddhism recognizes the compatibility of the eight schools of Mahayana, with Ch’an and Pure Land being the most prevalent at the Monastery.

Borobudur, the great Buddhist stupa on Java, Indonesia. The Borobudur Temple is considered as one of the seven wonders of the world. Constructed out of an estimated 1,600,000 blocks of volcanic stone, dredged from the river and assembled solely by human labor. Following in the footsteps of various discoverers, let us visit this unique and magnificent monument. Built and decorated perhaps before 800ad, should be on any body’s list of the ten greatest art – complexes in the world for its size, quality, sophistication and excellent state of preservation.The Borobodur Temple complex is one of the greatest monuments in the world. The structure, composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock is erected on a hill in the form of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 sq. m. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha. Besides being the highest symbol of Buddhism, the Borobodur stupa is also a replica of the universe.
The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels namely Kamadhatu, Rupadhatu and Arupadhatu. The 1300 bas-reliefs along the balustrades corridors of the square galleries forming the next five levels of terraces.Upon the upper three terraces are 72 small stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. It symbolises the micro-cosmos in which man’s world of desire is influenced by negative impulses, the middle level, the world in which man has control of his negative impulses and uses his positive impulses. The peak of the structure is a central stupa. The two chambers inside the stupa are empty and it is unclear whether they were empty from the beginning as a representation of nirvana.

The excavation of the monument, known as Borobudur has been ordered by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles in 1814. He found the temple in wined condition and ordered that the site be cleared of undergrowth and thoroughly surveyed. The massive restoration project began from 1905. It’s takes eight years of labor and unprecedented international cooperation to complete. The second restoration to rescue Borobudur was carried out from August 1968 to 1983 with the help of UNESCO. Souvenir hunters decapitate many of the Buddhas and ship them to mansions and museums throughout the world. For the weary tourist, a tea house is built high on the crumbling central stupa. Representing Nirvana.

A little more then 25 km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra state in India is the place of pilgrimage for Hindu, Buddhists and Jains. It is ranked amongst the most magnificent of Indian sculptural sites. They are placed in a horseshoe shape about 3.5 m away from the village. The river Wagura, a mountain stream flows along the bottom of the ravine.The beautiful caves of Ellora symbolize three of the major religions of the world, namely Buddhism. There are around 1200 cave temples still in existence, most of which are Buddhist. There are a total of 34 monasteries and temples inside these caves, dated to 7th to 9th century c.e. Discovery the enchanting Ajanta caves were discovered accidentally by a company of British soldiers in the 19th century. Before the excavation of these caves they were hidden under the thick vegetation for a long time. Today hold the distinction of being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tourists come from far and wide to visit this amazing cave temple.

The importance of the work may be judged by its size. The hill has been cut into as far back as 400 feet; the temples itself is 300 feet long. The width of the space between the scarps on each side is 185 feet; the highest part of the temples is about 100 feet high. This temples is an exception among the rock excavations of Western India. The intriguing Ajanta Caves are carved out of large rocks and are 30 in number. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the center dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain.

The Kailasa temple in Cave 16 is an architectural wonder, the entire structure having been carved out of a monolith, the process taking over a century to finish. This mountain – abode of Lord Shiva, is in all probability, the world’s largest monolith, the gateway, pavilion, assembly hall, sanctum and tower, all hewn out of a single rock. The Jain caves are about a mile away from the Kailasa temple, amongst which Cave 32, houses a beautiful shrine adorned with fine carvings of a lotus flower on the roof, and a yakshi on a lion under a mango – tree, while Caves 32 and 34 contain grand statues of Parasnath.

These caves have exotic paintings illustrating the life and incarnations of Buddha. The carvings and the paintings of the Ajanta caves tell us about the imagination and creativity of the artist. Compared to the Ajanta paintings and sculptures, the Ellora representations are more earthly, drawing elements from the Vajrayana school of Buddhism which was permeated with primitive ideas of magic and mysticism. In fact, it is architectural skill rather than sculptural aesthetics that Ellora is no founded. The murals on the walls of these caves are still in a good condition, maintaining the Ellora,a freshness of the color and spreading vibrancy in the atmosphere. Visitors will definitely enjoy watching these great historical pieces of art.

Wat Arun is one of the few Bangkok temples predating the Chakri dynasty, the current rulers of Thailand. When general Phya Taksin crowned himself king in 1769, he moved the capital across the Chao Phraya river to Thonburi.

Wat Makok temple fell within the area intended for the king’s new palace along the riverbank. The young king designated it the royal temple and changed its name to Wat Jaeng—the Temple of Dawn, a name thought to commemorate the founding of the new dynasty. King Taksin treated the monks badly, expelling them so that he could worship privately in the temple.

Monks were allowed to return during the rule of Rama I, the first King of the Chakri dynasty, who disestablished Wat Jaeng as the royal temple when he moved the capital across the river to what it today downtown Bangkok. His successor, Rama II, renamed it Wat Arun Rajtharam and renovated the temple. He planned to raise the central spire (called a prang) beyond its original 16 meters, but he died before the project was realized. His successor, Rama III, completed the project in the years 1842-1847. The prang was raised to an astonishing 67 meters, making it the highest one in Thailand even today.

The temple is an architectural reproduction of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. The four corner prang, which house images of the guardian gods of the four directions, reinforce the symbolism.

The origins of Shwedagon are lost in antiquity, its age unknown. Long before the pagoda was built, its location on Singuttara hill was already an ancient sacred site because of the buried relics of the three previous Buddhas. According to one legend, nearly 5000 years had passed since the last Buddha walked the Earth, and Singuttara hill would soon lose its blessedness unless it was reconsecrated with relics of a new Buddha. In order that such new relics might be obtained, King Okkalapa of Suvannabhumi spent much time atop the hill, meditating and praying. A series of miracles ensued and eight hairs of the historical Buddha were, somewhat magically, brought to the hill. To enshrine the relics, multiple pagodas of silver, tin, copper, lead, marble, iron and gold where built one on top of the other to a height of twenty meters. During the following centuries, passing from myth to historical fact, the pagoda grew to its present height of ninety-eight meters. Much of the continued construction of Shwedagon was actually reconstruction following disastrous earthquakes. During the 17th century the pagoda suffered earthquake damage on at least eight occasions. A particularly bad quake in 1786 brought the entire top half of the pagoda to the ground and its current shape and height date from the reconstruction of that time.

While much of the pagoda’s beauty derives from the complex geometry of its shape and surrounding structures, equally mesmerizing is its golden glow. The lower stupa is plated with 8,688 solid gold bars, an upper part with another 13,153. The tip of the stupa, far too high for the human eye to discern in any detail, is set with 5448 diamonds, 2317 rubies, sapphires, and other gems, 1065 golden bells and, at the very top, a single 76-carat diamond. Surrounding the pagoda are a plentitude of smaller shrines housing pre-Buddhist spirits called Nats, miracle working images, and even a wish granting stone. The entire temple complex radiates a palpable sense of beauty and serenity.

The perimeter of the base of the Pagoda is 1,420 fee and its height 326 feet above the platform. The base is surrounded by 64 small pagodas with four larger, one in the center of each side. There also are 4 sphinxes, one at each corner with 6 leogryphs, 3 on each side of them. Projecting beyond the base of the Pagoda, one on the center of each side are Tazaungs in which are images of the Buddha and where offerings are made.

There are also figures of elephants crouching and men kneeling, and pedestals for offerings all around the base. In front of the 72 shrines surrounding the base of the Pagoda, you will find in several places images of lions, serpents, ogres, yogis, spirits, or Wathundari (Recording Secretary Angel).

On the wall below the first terrace of the Pagoda at the WSW and WNW corners, you will see embossed figures. The former represents King Okkalapa who first built the Pagoda. The latter is a pair of figures; the one above represents Sakka who assisted in foundation of the Pagoda, and the one below, Me Lamu, consort of Sakka and mother of Okkalapa.

In order to make the gilding stand the weather, the Trustees after the year 1900, decided to cover the bulbous spire, called the plantain bud with gold plates, each plate measuring 1 foot square and weighing 5 ticals of gold (0.18 pound). Subscriptions were called for and the work commenced in 1903, when the whole plantain bud was covered. It is on record that 4 such gold plates were donated by the late King George, V (then Prince of Wales) and Queen Mary when they visited Myanmar in 1906.

Open from 4am-10pm everyday.

Admission Fees – US$5.

The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku) is a three-story viewing and pleasure pavilion constructed on the edge of a pond as the focal point to a much larger garden on the grounds of the Rokuonji Temple. It gains its more popular name of ‘Kinkakuji’ from the gold plating on the exterior of the pavilion. The site in northern Kyoto was the developed as a large retirement estate by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1409) beginning in 1394. The pavilion itself was sited at the edge of a sprawling palace complex that no longer exists. This was intended as proof that the warrior shogunate could contribute to the cultural and aesthetic life of the land to an extent equal to that of the imperial aristocracy. This was born out by the visit from the emporer in 1408, the first time an emperor had ever stayed with a person that was not a member of the imperial court. The shogun died the following year. The palace complex was turned over to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism upon Yoshimitsu’s death and it has remained in their care since then.

The pavilion is based on the Chinese Sung style, though each floor has a somewhat different aesthetic. The first floor was used as a reception room for guests and as boarding site for pleasure boating around the small pond. The second story was for more private parties with an outstanding view of the garden. The third floor was an intimate space for meeting with confidantes and holding tea ceremony. Originally, only the ceiling of the pavilion’s third floor was gilt, but in 1950, a student monk burned the pavilion to the ground. When an exact replica was reconstructed in its place, it was decided to cover the exterior in its namesake gold.

The grounds surrounding the pavilion lie on four and a half acres, but the use of landscape elements make its apparent size much larger. The foreground is filled with small scale rocks and plantings. The more distant elements blend into the background, visually extending the garden. Mt Kinugasa rises in the background. Meanwhile, the chaotic shoreline undulates to and fro, disguising the pond’s true size.

The delicate nature of the pavilion make entry by the large number of annual visitors impossible. Most people follow a path that encircles the pond and then continues up the side of a hill to a very rustic tea pavilion.

The Borobodur Temple complex is one of the greatest monuments in the world. It is of uncertain age, but thought to have been built between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century A.D. For about a century and a half it was the spiritual centre of Buddhism in Java, then it was lost until its rediscovery in the eighteenth century. The structure, composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock is erected on a hill in the form of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha. For each direction there are ninety-two Dhyani Buddha statues and 1,460 relief scenes. The lowest level has 160 reliefs depicting cause and effect; the middle level contains various stories of the Buddha’s life from the Jataka Tales; the highest level has no reliefs or decorations whatsoever but has a balcony, square in shape with round walls: a circle without beginning or end. Here is the place of the ninety-two Vajrasattvas or Dhyani Buddhas tucked into small stupas. Each of these statues has a mudra (hand gesture) indicating one of the five directions: east, with the mudra of calling the earth to witness; south, with the hand position of blessing; west, with the gesture of meditation; north, the mudra of fearlessness; and the centre with the gesture of teaching. Besides being the highest symbol of Buddhism, the Borobodur stupa is also a replica of the universe. It symbolises the micro-cosmos, which is divided into three levels, in which man’s world of desire is influenced by negative impulses; the middle level, the world in which man has control of his negative impulses and uses his positive impulses; the highest level, in which the world of man is no longer bounded by physical and worldly ancient desire. It is devotional practice to circumambulate around the galleries and terraces always turning to the left and keeping the edifice to the right while either chanting or meditating. In total, Borobodur represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva’s life which he or she must develop to become a Buddha or an awakened one. The monument was restored with UNESCO’s help in the 1970s.

In the western part of Shanghai, a very modern and flourishing city, there is a venerable and famous Buddhist temple, Jade Buddha Temple. As with most modern Chinese Buddhist temples, the current temple draws from both the Pure Land and Chan traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. It was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Burma by sea. These were a sitting Buddha (1.95 metres tall, 3 tonnes), and a smaller reclining Buddha representing Buddha’s death. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928. It was named the Jade Buddha Temple. The temple now also contains a much larger reclining Jade Buddha, donated from Singapore, and visitors may mistake this larger sculpture for the original, smaller piece.

At the time emperor Guang Xu in the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908) ruled China, Hui Gen, a Mount Putuo abbot went on a pilgrimage to Tibet via the two famous Chinese mountains Mount Wutai and Mount Emei. First he goes to Tibet and then he contiduen his jorney to Burma. By this time Mr. Chen Jun-Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade statues of Buddha to Hui Gen, who transported two of them back to Jiang-wan, Shanghai. Here Hui Gen had a temple built with collected from various sorces money, mostly of them donated, and died shortly thereafter. This temple was occupied during the 1911 uprising, and the statues were moved to Maigen Road.

An Abbot by the name of Ke Chen later had a new temple built on land donated by a Mr. Shen. The construction took ten years, and lasted from 1918-1928. Ke Chen also invited Reverend Di Xian from Tian Tai mountain to come and lecture on Buddhism in a magnificent ceremony. In 1956, a ceremony was held at the temple by the Shanghai Buddhist Association to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment. In 1966, during the cultural revolution, the monks made a living by selling handicrafts. Monk Zhizhi Xuan and others made a trip to Dunhuang via Xinjiang In 1985. Shortly after their return regular scripture lectures, meditation and other features of temple life were resumed.

The two precious jade Buddhist statues are not only rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade gives the Buddhas the beauty of Jade Buddha in Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghaisanctity and make them more vivid. The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by the agate and the emerald, portraying the Buddha at the moment of his meditation and enlightenment. The Recumbent Buddha is 96 centimeters long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg, this shape is called the ‘lucky repose’. The sedate face shows the peaceful mood of Sakyamuni when he left this world. In the temple there is also another Recumbent Buddha which is four meters long and was brought from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989. Furthermore there are many other ancient paintings and Buddhist scriptures distributed in the different halls of the temple.

Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city. Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple and at sides are the Kwan-yin Dian Hall, the Amitabha Dian Hall, the Zen Tang Hall, the Dining-Room and the Recumbent Buddha Hall.

Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings – The Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings contains the statues of Maitreya, Wei Tuo Bodhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings, who represent favorable circumstance. The chamber is located on the southern-edge, or ‘front’ of the temple.

Grand Hall – Also called the Great Hall, this hall contains many statues.
* Three Golden Buddhas. The central sculpture is of Gautama Buddha, the left Amitabha and the right Bhaisajyaguru.
* Gods of the Twenty Heavens. The Gods of the Twenty Heavens, covered in gold, line the eastern and western sides of the Grand Hall.
* 18 Arhats. 18 unique golden Arhats stand in two groups of nine.
* Guanyin, Shen Cai and his 53 teachers. A large golden statue of Guanyin stands on at northern entrance to the Great Hall, with Shen Cai at her side and sculptures representing the 53 teachers of his life above.

Jade Buddha Chamber – The Jade Buddha Chamber is in the northern section of the temple, on the second floor. A fee of 10 yuan is charged to ascend to it. Some additional Buddhist sculptures are also viewable in the antechamber.

Public restaurant – The public restaurant is located on level two at the eastern edge of the temple and equipped with its own street entrance. Open daily, it serves a range of noodle dishes for five yuan per bowl, the most popular of which is ‘double mushroom noodles’ . Other dishes are served at moderate prices. Tickets are sold by color and this ticket is turned in inside the main eating room and your soup is then delivered to your table which you might share with others. Upstairs is a much more upscale restaurant at much higher prices.

Other – The temple also contains a private restaurant for the use of monks and temple volunteers, which is at the western edge of the temple complex. There is a visitor services office adjacent to the southern entrance, and a Buddhist library is also on the premises.

The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society. Be aware that there is an admission fee of CNY 15, which is about $1.88, and it works from 8:30 to 17:00. Here is a Google Earth Placemark of the temple

and you can reach it by using following lines of Shanghay’s trasportation system.19, 14, 36, 54, 63, 68, 76, 105, 106, 112, 113, 138, 206, 223, 506, 516, 550, 563, 738, 768, 830, 837, 866, 922