Many people think that the Noble Eightfold Path (Ariya Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga) and the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariya Saccāni) are different. However, the Noble Eightfold Path is actually the Fourth Noble Truth (Magga Sacca) among the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths Dukkha Sacca — The Truth of Suffering Samudaya Sacca — The Truth of the Cause of Suffering Nirodha Sacca — The Truth of the Ending of Suffering Magga Sacca — The Truth of the Way Leading Out of Suffering (The Noble Eightfold Path) Summary Poem Some think the Truths and the Path are not the same, Because they don’t know all four by each name. Suffering is the first, while the cause is number two, The third is its ending, the fourth — a Path to do.

I explain the Triple Gem to Westerners who know nothing about Buddhism in an unconventional way. I use an analogy that helps them understand what the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha really mean — through something they already respect: Einstein and the laws of physics. The Buddha — The Discoverer When I talk about the Buddha, I say he’s like a scientist — but not just any scientist. He’s like Einstein in some ways.

Vesak is a Buddhist holiday that celebrates the Lunar Full Moon Day of May, commemorating the birth of our Bodhisatta, the night he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, and the day Parinibbāna was attained (His Final-Death). This holiday is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world, especially in Theravāda Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. This year, it will be on May 23rd, 2024. You can find the dates here at timeanddate.com

Introduction: Today we will have a short and brief introduction into the meaning of “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa”. We could easily say it is the most frequently chanted stanza of all Buddhist Pāḷi because this is said before any other type of chant. It is also chanted before every proper Theravāda dhamma talk. We will discuss the word by word meaning and the basic grammar. In short, the phrase means “Reverence to the Buddha.” Namo means reverence while the other words represent The Buddha. A video of this lesson can be found here.

What qualities make up the real Buddha Statues? There are certain qualities of a Buddha that makes one instantly recognizable from afar. There are many features that make the Buddha a Buddha besides the iconic drooping earlobes. From time to time, I see statues of the Buddha that are just not right. When you know the correct signs of The Buddha, you immediately know that something is wrong. While you cannot fool a Sri Lankan, you can fool others from all parts of the world. Some of these incorrect Buddhas have been donated here at Pa-Auk too! There are many features that are not correct in many different types of Buddhas, but today we will focus on the Head and the Feet.