Buddhist monasteries are known as vihara in India, gompa in Tibet, wat in Thailand, Laos & Cambodia. The concept of a Buddhist monastery emerged in the 4th century B.C.

Buddhist monks used to wander all over South Asia. But in the rainy season, they needed to stay in a shelter for protection. The usual practice was to clear forest land to prepare a temporary shelter. Sometimes monks used to get trapped in rough weather. In order to avoid this, monks were ordered to stay in a fixed location for the period of the rainy season. The places these monks used to stay during the rainy season were the first monasteries.

The groups of monks, known as sanghas, started staying in buildings donated to them by wealthy followers. Over a period of time, they left their wandering life and started living in the monasteries. They debated and developed philosophical ideas in these monasteries. Gradually, these monasteries turned into centers of learning, many of them famous, like the University of Nalanda.

Through the years, monasteries became an indispensable part of Buddhism. Living and learning in monasteries is now the preferred lifestyle for Buddhist monks.

Architecture of Buddhist monasteries

The architecture of ancient Buddhist monasteries is different in different countries. The first monasteries, which were in India, were very simple. As time passed, they became more beautiful and more lavish.

Some famous Buddhist monasteries include Nalanda in India, Shaolin in China, etc.

Buddhist Non-Vegetarian Recipes
Here are two recipes which the Buddhists make which may taste like non-vegetarian but are pure vegetarian.

• Vegetarian Ham Serves two: The ingredients that go into it are – tofu (1 ounce), soy sauce (1 ½ tablespoons), anise (a pinch of it), clove (1) and water (1 tablespoon). The preparation time is of less than twenty minutes and cooking would take about an hour. Soak the tofu for half an hour to soften. After that has been done put all the other stuff into it and marinate for two hours. On a smooth sheet in a flat surface put the mixture and cover it with another sheet. Then roll it up in a way that it forms a cylinder. Folding should be very tight. Tie it up with a cheese cloth and steam it about an hour. Your Vegetarian Ham is ready but should be served cold. Cut it into two pieces.
• Buddhist Fish Dish Serves four: The ingredients for this are – Potatoes (2 large), Flour (4 tablespoons), Onions (1 large), Snow pea (1 pound), Peanut Oil for frying, Sugar and Salt to taste. Preparation time is just ten minutes and cooking another ten. Set aside potatoes after frying till golden-brown them with a thin flour coating. Fry onions, add snow peas and stir-fry it for some ten seconds. Gradually add salt, sugar and water. Boil it till the peas become tender. Then add the already fried potatoes. After a while your fish is ready.

These mock non- vegetarian dishes have been developed mainly by the Chinese and the Japanese; apart from them the Buddhists living in Vietnam, Thailand, Tibet, India etc have also contributed in this.

Buddhist festivals take place according to the Buddhist Lunar calendar. Four main festivals of the Buddhists are – Buddha’s birthday, his enlightenment day, the day for the deceased and the day when he attained the Nirvana.

Different Buddhist Festivals
Listed below are some popular Buddhist festivals:

• Buddha Purnima: The most important Buddhist festival is the Buddha Purnima which is the celebration of the birth of Lord Buddha. On this auspicious day, devotees pray for strength so that they can gain spiritual power in order to achieve Nirvana. There is a custom according to which a lantern is offered to God with dedications to family and friends.
• The Day of Buddha’s Enlightenment: On this day the Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s Day of Enlightenment. The celebration spans over three days because Buddha took three days to get enlightened under the Bodhi tree at Gaya, in India. It is celebrated on the 12th month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar.
• Parinirvana Day: Buddha knew that he was about to die and peacefully lay down to attain moksha. This is Buddha’s death anniversary when he attained the Nirvana and was freed from the cycle of birth.
• Ullambana Day: This day Buddhists pray for all those close ones who are no more with them. The day is totally dedicated in their memory. It is done to bring peace to their spirits.
• Magha puja: This is the day when some 1200 of Buddha’s disciples had been enlightened all at the same time.
• Losar: It is the Tibetan New Year. It is celebrated for half a month and is the most important in Tibet.
• Songkran: It is celebrated in Thailand in the New Year. Water is a very important part of this festival. Boat races and water fights along with firecrackers and puppet shows are common in the three days of celebration.
• Poson day: Buddhism is said to spread on this day to Sri Lanka.

All Buddhist festivals are colorful and joyously celebrated amongst families, friends and relatives. The celebration is all about renewing their vows to lead a life similar to that of the Lord Buddha.

He left his life of luxury and went in search of Truth. After six years of yogic training he got enlightened under the Bodhi tree of Gaya. This is how Buddhism comes to being.

Zen is a Japanese adaptation of the Mahayana Buddhism which in turn is based on the earliest teachings of Buddha. More than a religion Zen Buddhism or Zen is a philosophy which preaches that there is nothing called the “I” or the self. All human sufferings are a result of the false ego of an individual and only if one is able to free himself from this false notion he will be emancipated and attain nirvana.

Therefore, Zen Buddhism is the means through which one extracts the meaning of life. The followers of this sect do not worship a God. Meditation and contemplation are the key practises in Zen Buddhism. The practitioners rather than followers of Zen are concentrated mostly in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

The western world is fast getting aware of Zen practises for it shows an alternative path of non-violence, peace and calm which one badly needs in the present world of sadism, brutality and aggression.

Buddha Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Buddha Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?

It was during meditation that the Buddha attained enlightenment and meditation was a practice that he instructed his followers to engage in diligently.

These are two concepts which go hand in hand and are interdependent on each other. If one wants to follow Buddhism one has to cultivate the art of meditation.

Here are a few tips which will enable you to have a meaningful meditation.

1. Quite the Mind

Meditation cannot be done by thinking. We need to silence our mind from every kind of thoughts for a few minutes. It is during this silence that our mind starts to enter a new consciousness, a consciousness not limited by the intellectual mind. With a quiet mind we will experience peace.

2. Concentration

If we are able to concentrate fully on the task in hand, we will be successful in whatever we do. Similarly when we meditate we need to switch off from everything else and put all our attention onto the meditation.

3. Place to Meditate

Keep a special place for yourself to meditate every day. You can decorate the place with a picture of a saint or Teacher who inspires you. Or just use flowers and a candle. If you meditate in the same place every day it builds up a meditative atmosphere.

4. Aspiration

If we have the aspiration to discover the inner peace within ourselves then we will be motivated to meditate every day. This aspiration or inner cry is perhaps more important than learning many techniques.

5. Perseverance and Patience

Practice makes a man perfect. Every time we meditate we are adding to our capacities even if we don’t have great experiences. There will be times when we want to quit. We should not give up at such times, we need to persevere and continue meditating persistently. If we practice sincerely we will definitely progress.

6. Use the Qualities of the Spiritual Heart

The heart is the location, the center point of our soul. If we focus on the heart, immediately our thoughts have less power. By concentrating on our heart we can enter into the vastness of meditation.

Blue- Associated with the Akshobhya Buddha and the healer ‘Blue Buddha,’ Blue represents tranquility, ascension, the infinite, purity, and healing. Over all, the color represents wisdom.The light blue speaks of the limitless heights of ascension simultaneously; it embodies the duality of living and dying.

White- White is representative of the principles of purity, as in Western Culture, but it is also considered the color of knowledge and longevity. White is associated with the Buddha Vairocana.

Red- The color red symbolizes life-force, preservation, fire, and sacred things or places.. Red is associated with the Buddha Amitabha. Throughout Tibetan culture, red is a marker of sacred areas. This color is also seen on the garments of the monks. It is believed to be a protective color, like that of shamanistic wards.

Green-Green denotes youth, vigor, action (Karma), and harmony. It also represents balance and is associated visually with the lush trees. Green is associated with the Buddha Amoghasiddhi.

Yellow- Yellow is the color that possesses the highest symbolic quality because of the saffron color of the monks’ robes. It was chosen as a symbol of humility and separation from materialistic society. It symbolizes renunciation. Because it is also the color of the earth, yellow denotes stability and grounded nature. It is a sign of humility.This color was chosen by Gautama Buddha.

The Noble Eightfold Path are divided into 3 sections, physical actions (Sila), meditation and concentration (Samadhi) and spiritual insight (Prajna)

Sila – physical actions

• Right Speech – One speaks in a non hurtful, non exaggerated and a truthful way
• Right Actions – Avoiding actions that would do harm
• Right Livelihood – One’s way of livelihood should not hurt others; directly or indirectly

Samadhi – meditation and concentration

• Right Effort — One makes an effort to improve
• Right Awareness — Mental ability and consciousness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness
• Right Concentration — Being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion

Prajna – spiritual insight

• Right Thoughts — bringing about a change in the pattern of thinking, by thinking right thoughts.
• Right Understanding — Understanding reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.

These are very important beliefs on which Buddhism is formed.

It believes in the concept of Zazen or Seated meditation. Meditation performed when seated is a meditative discipline performed to calm the body and the mind and experience insight into the nature of existence.

Originally the term referred to a sitting practice alone, but now it is commonly used to refer to practices in any posture.

Here are a few easy instructions, which will help you experience the Zen Meditation.

• Arrange you’re self comfortably on a cushion or chair. Make sure your legs are in a comfortable position.

• Take a deep breath, exhale fully, and take another deep breath, inhaling fully.

• Proper physical posture will enable your breathing to flow naturally into your lower abdomen.

• Breathe naturally and easily. Keep your attention on your breath whilst practicing this meditation.

• Be conscious and aware of your breathing. When your attention tends to wander- which will bound to happen, bring it back to the breath again and again — as many times as necessary.

• Remain as still as possible, following your breath and returning to it whenever thoughts arise. Be fully, vitally present with yourself. Concentration is very important. Simply do your very best.

• At the end of your sitting period, gently swing your body from right to left in increasing arcs. Stretch out your legs, and be sure they have feeling before standing.

Practicing easy Zen Meditation every day for at least ten to fifteen minutes (or longer) will help you discover for yourself the treasure house of the timeless life of zazen — your very life itself.