ivo moeys Buddha who was he ?
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was a spiritual leader on whose teachings Buddhism is based. According to Buddhist tradition, he lived from c. 450 BC to c. 370 BC in Nepal. Modern scholars suggest c. 480-400.[1] According to religious tradition, Gautama Buddha attained complete and complete enlightenment, the hood.
He is the Enlightened One who taught his followers, the Buddhists, to do good deeds and how to be free from misery.
What is the difference between Gautama and Jesus Christ
or Mohamed ?
All religions teach us to be kind and have compassion. But he also taught us how to break through the circle of misery which consists of being born, being old, being sick, dying, facing the ever-changing nature of life and all things.
If you want to know more in deep about the teachings about Buddhists then you can find more information on a website like www.knowingbuddha.org or you can simply ask at a monk in a temple or read on other websites about it ,because there are different meanings about Buddha learning.
If you want to help to respect on your trip and even at home, here are some tips :
Do’s and Dont’s
We often find that he is not treated with respect. Many people overlook the feelings of billions of Buddhists around the world.
Why is the image so important ?
When Gautama was still alive, he never asked his followers to make statues or worship him in images. Instead, he taught us to not have any attachment to anything—not even himself.
He said that the best way to worship him was to follow his teachings. And that after he passed away, after his “Nippana” or “Nirvana”, his teachings would take his place.
100 years later, some of his followers wondered how he looked. They prayed to an angel who used to meet him. Then the angel appeared i image, and so the first statues were created.
Since then the statues have become a key element for most Buddhists around the world are reminded of his compassion, kindness and his teachings and feel the highest regard for him.
Some show respect, others behave with ignorance.
This summary might help you understand how you (should) can treat Buddha’s images appropriately.
Do’s with regard to Buddha
1. Respect
Pay respect with body and/or mind.
To pay respect doesn’t mean one has to be a Buddhist. If one behaves with respect towards the father of a friend, one should treat likewise, for he is worshipped as the enlightened father.
Body language respect can be shown by “Wai” (Worship)
Respect of the mind can be shown by your attitude.
If you don’t want to pay respect at all at least do not look down on Buddha.
2. Correctness
If you see a picture, amulet or statue in inappropriate places such as a walk way floor, in a toilet or on a chair, please help to place it in a proper place up high such as on a shelf or higher.
3. Knowledge
If you are a Buddhist inform those who have the wish to know more
If you are not a Buddhist, just give the person who might ask “Who is Buddha ?” The simple answer that “Buddha is the Enlightened One who taught the Buddhists to do good deeds the same way other prophet
Don’ts with regard to Buddha
1. Do not treat Buddha badly.
If you cannot pay respect to Buddha at least do not treat the image of Buddha badly. Nobody should look down on or treat badly someone’s father. Buddhists respect Buddha as the religious father. All leaders of religions are regarded with respect. This should also be applied to Buddha.
2. Do not place Buddha images in inappropriate objects or places.
Buddha images should be placed away from objects of daily use such as handkerchiefs, napkins, towels, rags or cleaning item. Also do not use for the lower part of the body shoes, underwear, skirts including all sorts of toys and furniture etc.
True Buddhists who see a Buddha image placed with objects as mentioned will feel very unhappy and may become subject to conflict arising from such situations.
3. Do not place images or statues of Buddha as if they were furniture or decorative objects.
For example:-
Don’t place a Buddha statue in the middle of a table.
Don’t place a Buddha statue in the toilet.
Don’t place Buddha statues in bars or restaurants.
4. Do not treat Buddha as merchandise.
You might wonder why there are merchants even in some Buddhist countries who treat Buddha statues or images without respect and sell them like furniture. That is a reflection of human nature. In every society there are good and bad people. Bad people don’t care about anything except their own benefit but the true Buddhist will feel ashamed of that.
In some countries, you may see shops selling statues in various sizes. These may be considered acceptable because the buyers are Buddhists who acquire statues and images to place in the temple or other appropriate places with the intention to respect them.
5. Do not use his’s name in a disrespectful way.
For example, in a movie a dog’s name is ‘Buddha’.
There is an ice cream shop named ‘Budd hi Belly’ and a bar called ‘Buddha Bar’.
6. Do not under any circumstance make fun statues or images.
For example, there is a film poster which shows a man sitting on Buddha’s shoulders.
7. Do not tattoo an image of Buddha onto the body
