An experiment in cyber meditation

Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Read more...

Borobudur and the power of meditation

In the first photo, a tourist poses for the camera as if to celebrate. Because he is standing at the very bottom level of the Borobudur, a monk might think the elation unwarranted.*

Located on the island of Java in Indonesia, Borobudur is one of world's outstanding Buddhist temples. It is Indonesia's greatest monument. Shaped like a mandala, the path of the pilgrim consists of walking around each of the several layers clockwise until you reach the top. Spiraling your way upwards makes for a journey of five kilometers. Carvings visible on the lowest levels portray drunken revelers, monkeys, and people catching fish -- among other things. The higher you get, the more Buddha statues and carvings of celestial beings you pass. The second and third photos depict the caged Buddhas near the top level.


After taking the long journey to the top, the impression one gets is of suddenly entering rarefied space. It is like stepping out of the mundane world into a massive power generating station. Dozens of meditating Buddhas sit as if each housed within his own reactor-plant.

I will say this: whoever designed Borobudur believed in the power of mediation.

Read more about Borobudur here and see my one-of-a-kind photo of the "No Logo Buddha" here.

___
Photos: by Jotman.
* The base of the structure symbolizes the lower level on path of a Buddha's development. So the triumphant gesture of the tourist might seem a little misplaced to a monk.

Read more...

Burma's Democratic Religion

I took this photo on a trip to northern Burma. Buddhism, as a Burmese man explained to me on my trip, is a very "democratic" religion. By this, I believe he implied open and scientific. Buddha said to accept no dogma, to believe no truth beyond the bounds of your own personal experience.

As I write this, the monks in Burma have started mass protests against the repressive military regime. It has ruled their country since the late 1980s. On my other blog, I'm following developments closely --see here.

A few years ago I began training in a Burmese tradition of meditation, rooted in the teachings of Buddha, called Vipassana (described here).

Read more...