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Showing posts from June, 2024

The Buddha's Teaching Style: Adaptable, Analytical, and Practical

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The Buddha tailored his teachings to his audience, using questions and real-life situations to guide them towards his perspective. He reinterpreted existing concepts, like calling a worthy person a "true Brahmin" instead of one based on caste. Careful and Critical Approach: The Buddha addressed questions directly, analyzed them for clarity, or challenged them to expose hidden biases. He encouraged independent thinking and examining teachings through personal experience. He wasn't afraid of disagreement but disliked misinterpretations of his message. Self-Reliance and Open-Mindedness: The Buddha emphasized personal testing of all teachings, including his own. He advised against blind faith or tradition, promoting exploration and critical analysis. The story of the Kalamas people exemplifies his encouragement to evaluate teachings based on their results. Practical Use and Letting Go: The Buddha's teachings were meant to be applied, not just memorized. He compared the Dh...

The Symbolism Behind Lord Ganesha

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Decorative symbols and figures are used to represent the special powers of important leaders. Lord Ganesha, often shown with a red and yellow flower, is linked to the hand gesture of explanation. Elephants everywhere symbolize strength, wisdom, and dignity. They were so respected that in ancient times, they were even used to choose new kings! In the past, the strength of an army was measured by its elephants. The largest recorded group had 5,000 elephants and belonged to a king named Rajaraja Chola. White elephants were seen as especially pure, and their birth was believed to bring good times to the whole country. There are many stories about visions of white elephants, including one seen by the mother of a famous prince before his birth. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity, is a beloved figure in Hinduism, and his form is packed with symbolism. Symbols of Ganesha: Red and yellow flowers, vitarka mudra (hand gesture) - associated with Ganesha. Elephants i...