Buddhist Compass App

September 5, 2025

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How to Make Your Worship More Powerful

If you know the direction of Bodh Gaya and align yourself with it when you pray, your devotion naturally becomes stronger. You don’t have to take my word for it—try and see for yourself.

Muslims have known this principle for centuries through the practice of facing Mecca (qibla). Until recently, Buddhists did not have such a tool. Buddhist Compass makes it possible with just a simple app.

Buddhist Compass

An app for locating Buddhist holy sites so that your worship of the Buddha can be more powerful.

It’s In The Buddhist Texts:

9. sāriputtattheravatthu (Dhp Commentary)
So, it is said that from the time when the venerable Sāriputta heard the Dhamma from the elder Assaji and attained the fruit of stream-entry, whenever he heard “In such-and-such a direction the elder dwells,” he would raise his hands in reverence, lay his head that way, and lie down.
The monks said, “Sāriputta holds wrong view; even now he goes about worshipping the directions.” They reported this matter to the Blessed One.
The Teacher summoned the elder and asked, “Is it true, Sāriputta, that you go about worshipping the directions?”
He replied, “Bhante, whether I worship the directions or not, you yourself know.”
Then the Blessed One said, “Monks, Sāriputta does not worship the directions. Having heard the Dhamma from the elder Assaji and attained the fruit of stream-entry, he reveres his own teacher.”

Afterwards, The Buddhas said this Dhammapada verse:
“yamhā dhammaṃ vijāneyya, sammāsambuddhadesitaṃ, sakkaccaṃ taṃ namasseyya, aggihuttaṃva brāhmaṇo"ti.
Just as a brahmin priest reveres his sacrificial fire, even so should one devoutly revere the person from whom one has learned the Dhamma taught by the Supreme Buddha.
(Ven. Buddharakkhita , BPS)

Why Another App?

While traveling in Thailand, I wished to know where Bodh Gaya was located so I could face that direction—just as Muslims face Mecca wherever they are. I found it inspiring to align myself with the place of the Buddha’s Awakening, and I wanted others to benefit from this as well.

That is why I created Buddhist Compass.

How to Use Buddhist Compass

When the app first starts, it will ask permission to use your location. Allow access.
Select the Buddhist site you wish to face (default is Bodh Gaya, India). Wait a few seconds for it to register.
Hold your phone parallel to the ground and slowly turn until the compass aligns with your chosen site.
When you are facing the right direction, the compass will become bright.
Pray in that direction.
Optionally, enable vibration mode for haptic feedback.

I find this app very useful, and I hope you will too. May it help make your worship more powerful. Please share it with others.

About Privacy

We do not collect or save any location or user data other than what the app store gives for general statistics. You can read the Buddhist Compass Privacy Policy.