(By Tsem Rinpoche) Why Go on Pilgrimage? One foot in front of the other, time after time, over hours, over days, over weeks. From the narrow glacial passes of the mighty Himalayas to the arid lands of Saudi Arabia and Israel, and from the foothills of France to towering peaks in China, the pilgrim...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 11 Comments »
Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands. It is also the least urbanised, famous for the volcanoes, natural hot springs (onsen) and snow fields that dot its landscape. At 32,221 square miles (83,457 sq. km), representing over 20% of Japan’s total land mass, Hokkaido Island is the country’s second-largest island, while Hokkaido...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 9 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Gyeongsang, or Gyeongsang-do in Korean, is where many travellers will head towards if they wished to explore beyond Seoul. It is one of the eight provinces in Korea located on the south-eastern side of the country, and boasts huge mountain ranges, beautiful parks, and amazing islands. This is the land where...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 8 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Karen Chong) 五台山位于中国山西省,因五峰耸立,上平坦如台而闻名。人们普遍相信这是智慧佛文殊菩萨在人间的道场,相传每一座山峰皆住着文殊菩萨的其中一个化身。
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, China, China 中国, Travel, 中文 | 5 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) If there were only one place in this world where all Buddhists must go on pilgrimage, it has got to be Bodhgaya. Every year thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make their way to Bodhgaya to circumambulate, recite mantras and prayers, engaging in retreats, meditation and rituals. This is the most important sacred...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 14 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Nepal, officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia. It is a country with a diverse tapestry of culture and religion, and Nepal has always been a popular destination known for its best value for money. Eight of the world’s ten...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 15 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline) Shikoku (四国, which literally means “four countries”) is the smallest among Japan’s four main islands as well as the least populous one with over 4 million people. It is located at the southwest of Honshu Island and is east of Kyushu Island. Just as its name implies, Shikoku is divided into four prefectures that refers to the former four provinces that made up this island, namely Awa, Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo. These four provinces are replaced by today’s four prefectures of Tokushima, Ko...
Posted in Asia, Travel | 8 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Located in the southernmost part of Japan is Kyushu, which literally means “Nine Provinces” in Japanese. It is Japan’s third biggest island and was the earliest centre of civilisation in Japan. It is also home to Japan’s most active volcano, Mount Aso, as well as a haven for natural hot springs....
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 14 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Significance to Buddhist Sarnath is considered a sacred place to the Buddhists for being the place where Gautama Buddha first taught seven weeks after achieving enlightenment in the 6th century BC. This first teaching is known in Sanskrit as Dharmacakrapravartana Sutra, Turning the Wheel of Dharma Sutra. The main topic is...
Posted in Asia, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Travel | 10 Comments »
In the heart of Indochina lies Laos, a tropical country that was once known as the realm of a million elephants. Today Laos or Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao P.D.R.) boasts a wealth of natural wonders and unchartered rivers, surrounded by mountains and lush green landscapes, making it one of the leading countries for...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 8 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2011 MES AYNAK, Afghanistan — It was another day on the rocky hillside, as archaeologists and laborers dug out statues of Buddha and excavated a sprawling 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery. A Chinese woman in slacks, carrying an umbrella against the Afghan sun, politely inquired about their progress. She had...
Posted in Asia, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Travel | 15 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline Woon) Among the many countries around the world, Sri Lanka is known for its rich Buddhist culture and heritage. It is where the the ancient city of Polonnaruwa is located, a place where kings ruled Sri Lanka’s central plains more than 1,000 years ago. It was a thriving...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Travel | 13 Comments »
Mount Wutai, better known as Wutaishan or Five Peaked Mountain, is a sacred Buddhist mountain located in Shanxi Province, China. Mount Wutai is identified by its five flat-topped peaks which are strongly believed to be the earthly abodes of Lord Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. Each peak is inhabited by a different form of Manjushri. On the south peak resides the white form of Manjushri called Jvanasattva(智慧文殊菩萨). On the peak itself, there is a temple called Puji Temple (普济寺) where they house the Jvanasattva statue. On the West Peak there is Fa...
Posted in China, China 中国, Guest Contributors, Students & Friends, Travel | 38 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear friends around the world, I always encourage my blog followers to visit as many holy places as possible. It is a great blessing to go on a pilgrimage to holy and sacred places, for instance to the monasteries. These holy places were built with the kindness and generosity of sponsors...
Posted in Asia, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Travel | 23 Comments »
Dear friends around the world, I have an interesting blog post here for you. Have you ever read a book and felt incredibly connected to its content and message? Not all of us may have had this strong experience however, unless we have a very strong imprint of the particular topic perhaps from another...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Explorers | 7 Comments »
Nov 10, 2012 My talk on “Why Visit Holy Pilgrimages?” (By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear friends, Some students and friends will be visiting Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda and Sarnath. I decided to record the significance of these places for them. Knowing the significance their pilgrimage will be more powerful and meaningful. Lord Buddha Himself recommended we...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 67 Comments »
Dear students and friends, Take a look at the pictures below of Serthar Buddhist Institute in China! Spiritual aspirants actually built their houses around the monastery where they learn and practice Dharma.
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Current Affairs & News | 30 Comments »
I was informed by Liaison Paul Yap that a group of Dharma practitioners from Singapore visited Kechara House yesterday. This group of practitioners were led by their teacher Venerable You Wei.
Posted in Kechara - 13 Depts | 27 Comments »
A few months ago, one of my close student's father had a medical condition that was quite life threatening. Sharon, a loving mother, daughter and one of my loyal student... loves her parents very much. When she heard of her father's condition, she selflessly put all her feelings aside and thought only on how...
Posted in Art, Architecture & Culture, Asia, Students & Friends, Travel | 23 Comments »