Buddha’s Birds

http://www.lionsroar.com/buddhas-birds/

Buddha’s Birds

BY ANDREA MILLER| JULY 4, 2016

From the swan that Siddhartha nursed as a boy to the fantastical Garuda—Andrea Miller explores the intriguing role that birds play in Buddhist mythology and teachings.

The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey

http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/458496650/the-heros-journey

From the Odyssey, to Robinson Crusoe, to Star Wars — why are we drawn to stories about heroes? And what do they tell us about ourselves? This hour, TED speakers explore what makes a hero's journey.

Mandala e Yantra

http://zenvadoligure.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/mandala-e-yantra.html

Mandala e Yantra

Quel grande studioso dell’Oriente che fu Giuseppe Tucci (1894-1984) scrisse in un suo libro del 1949: “Gli Indiani non hanno concepito la vita come una lotta fra il bene ed il male, la virtù e il peccato, ma come opposizione fra [..la] coscienza luminosa ed il suo contrario, la psiche e il subconscio che essi chiamano maya”[1].

The Symbols of Buddhism by M-L Marx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVawLckv190

The Symbols of Buddhism by M-L Marx

The Hero's Journey - Joseph Campbell (not the interview)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YjpNMYCEN8&index=3&list=PLSOK9277zGLCynOAlmrsri90Xb9KPB_hE

The Hero's Journey - Joseph Campbell

Published on Dec 26, 2014

The Hero's Journey - Joseph Campbell. Please download and re-upload to various places. English subtitling is half ready.
"My fears are my army." "Follow Your Bliss" - I don't think more profound teachings have ever been given than this one. - Alan Cohen . See also Blake Snyder's http://www.savethecat.com

CNN: Mysterious Symbol of Swastika & Its Different Perceptions

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1206098?ref=feeds%2Flatest

CNN: Mysterious Symbol of Swastika & Its Different Perceptions

By Drlamba  |  Posted 13 hours ago  |  Innisfil, Ontario

The swastika is a symbol used by of one of the most hated men on Earth, a symbol that represents the slaughter of millions of people and one of the most destructive wars on Earth. But Adolf Hitler was not the first to use this symbol. In fact, it was used as a powerful mark thousands of years before him. Let’s explore the many unknown facts related to this sacred Hindu symbol…

The Material Culture of Lived Religions: Visuality and Embodiment

http://materialreligions.blogspot.dk/2014/09/the-material-culture-of-lived-religions.html

The Material Culture of Lived Religions: Visuality and Embodiment

David Morgan of Duke University comments on the entanglement of body, material culture, and lived religion in his article, "The Material Culture of Lived Religions." Of particular use, he offers a set of operational definitions regarding material culture, embodiment, lived religion, aesthetics, and the material economy of the sacred.

Originally published in:

Mind and Matter: Selected Papers of Nordic Conference 2009. 
Studies in Art History, volume 41. Helsinki: Society of Art History, 2010.

PDF version

also : 

http://materialreligions.blogspot.dk/2014/09/food-for-thought-contributions-of.html

Food for Thought: The Contributions of 'Matière à Penser' to the Study of Material Culture

Jean-Pierre Warnier offers us a précis on the aims of the Matière à Penser working group. The French term -- 'Matière à Penser' -- translates into 'food for thought.' The group has developed a cutting edge approach to studying "bodily-and-material-culture" in motion by synthesizing a variety of theories regarding the body, subjectivity, and material culture.

Topic: Buddhism and the God issue

Buddhism and the God issue

 

God as a symbol, a 'finger pointing to the moon', may be useful, and some people may find it easier to relate to an entity projected out and personilized.

However, ultimately all good symbols are pointers, and the more one investigate them the deeper they should lead, until they resolve themselves into the trackless : the Tao that can be named is not the true Tao..

If we look at the finger instead of looking at the moon, we miss the point altogether. And then my finger is better than yours, and we might even go to war over it... :-))

Also, whether in the hands of 'God' out there, or by giving myself away into what is right now, i.e. the common ground of being, both approaches should lead to the laying of 'Me' down, 'Thy will be done' or 'Fiat VoluntasTua', and the awakening to the fact that we are all waves of the same ocean, all children of the same 'God'

 

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda03.htm

 

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/budgod.html

 

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html

ReligionFacts: Buddhist Rituals and Practices

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm

What are Buddhist Rituals and Practices?

Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. While some activities are unique to certain expressions of Buddhism, there are others that are found in most of the popular forms of the belief system.
For example, the practice of meditation is central to nearly all forms of Buddhism, and it derives directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Meditation is is the central focus of Zen Buddhism and the only way to liberation in Theravada Buddhism. (Comparison Chart: Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism)
In addition to meditation, the Mahayana schools of Buddhism have developed a variety of other ritual and devotional practices, many of which were inspired or influenced by the existing religious cultures of India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Tibet. (Also see Chinese Religion, Taoism, and Confucianism)

Common Buddhist practices

The articles in this section provide an overview of some of the main Buddhist sacred rituals and practices. Please click on a link to learn more about the practice and scroll below for more articles on Buddhism.

Meditation

Meditation in Buddhism refers to mental concentration and mindfulness.

Mantras

Mantras refers to sacred sounds.

Mudras

Mudras are symbolic hand gestures.

Prayer Wheels

Prayer wheels assist in reciting mantras with the turn of a wheel.

Buddhism Symbols

These are used in nearly all expressions of Buddhism.

ReligionFacts: The symbols of Buddhism

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols.htm

What are the Symbols of Buddhism?

In the earliest centuries of Buddhism, statues of the Buddha were not used. Instead, Buddhist art consisted of images symbolizing the Buddha and his teachings, such as the lotus, the Wheel of the Law, the Bodhi tree and the Buddha's footprints.
Eventually, the Buddha image became one of the most popular representations in Buddhism, but these early symbols remain important and are frequently used to this day. They are especially important in Theravada Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand.


As Buddhism spread, Buddhist symbolism was enriched by the cultures it came into contact with. This is especially true of Buddhism in Tibet, which has developed a rich symbolic tradition. The central symbols of Tibetan Buddhism are the Eight Auspicious Symbols, known in Sanskrit as Ashtamangala (ashta meaning eight and mangala meaning auspicious). The Eight Auspicious Symbols are printed on Tibetan prayer flags, incorporated into mandalas and thangkas, and used in other forms of ritual art. Another important symbol is the Wheel of Life, a symbolic representation of the universe as understood by Tibetan Buddhists.
Other important types of symbolism in Buddhism include colors, especially the five colors of white, yellow, red, blue and green, and symbolic hand gestures called mudras. The articles in this section explore these Buddhist symbols, providing information on their history, meaning and use in Buddhism today. (For an introduction and quick guide to Buddhist colors, see our Chart of Buddhist Color Symbolism.)

Abhaya Mudra

Bhumisparsha Mudra

Buddha Eyes

Buddhapada

Conch Shell

Dharmachakra

Dharmachakra Mudra

Dhyana Mudra

Eight Auspicious Symbols

Endless Knot

Golden Fishes

Lotus

Om Mani Padme Hum

Parasol

Swastika

Triratna

Varada Mudra

Wheel of Life

Zen Circle

Blue

Black

Green

Red

White

Yellow