Buddhism Information and Articles

This Page consists of information on Buddhism, and has links to dozens of articles about the Buddhist Religion, as well as Meditation and insight. Learn about Buddhism by reading these articles from Buddhist monks, as well as lay people who have a love and appreciation of the Dharma. The information contained in these articles is meant to help all. Our most popular Buddhism resource is our Buddha Statues page which presents a gallery of Buddhist carvings.

The articles are separated into different categories on this page. The first section presents information on the basic concepts of Buddhism and how it differs from other religions, as well as a history of the development and spread from India across Southeast Asia and the world. The next section presents articles related to Buddhist artwork and imagery. While the majority of the images are from the Thai Theravada lineage, there are other images from the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools.

The third section covers the practical implications of Buddhism in daily life, and comprises articles on personal development and self growth, as well as a small collection of transcribed Dharma lectures taught by Buddhist monks in the Thai forest tradition.

Also, if you are interested in Buddhist and Hindu news, events, and culture, you should be sure to sign up for our newsletter, which is located at the bottom of each page. If you would like to contribute to our web site, please CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE

History and Concepts of Buddhism:

9/11 And Buddhism In America: A Tenth Anniversary Survey
The attacks of 9/11 changed the way America thought about religion. Ten years after the attacks of 9/11, we examine how Buddhism in America has changed in the decade since that fateful day. Share with others how the role of religion and faith has changed in your life.

An Introduction to Buddhism
Buddhism 101, or "Buddhism for Dummies," if you like. This explores who the Buddha was, how he came to found a religion, and what the basic principles of Buddhism are.

What Is Buddhism?
This article describes what Buddhism is and isn't, and compares it to other religions.

Buddhism and Hinduism: Differences and Similarities
Both Buddhism and Hinduism have many similarities, but they both have many differences as well. See what things Buddhism and Hinduism have in common, and see where these two religions diverge from one another.

Thai Buddhism
How Thai Buddhism differs from the Buddhism practiced in other Asian countries.

Thai Temples in the USA
A list of Thai Buddhist temples in the USA and Canada, with contact information. This is the best way to find a Thai temple near you, in our humble opinion.

Vietnamese Buddhist Temples In The USA
A list of Vietnamese Temples practicing in the Mahayana and Zen tradtions of Buddhism, with the addresses, phone numbers and GPS Coordiantes of the temples.

A Buddhist Glossary
A growing list of Buddhist terms, primarily using Pali Romanizations, but also with some Sanskrit language Romanizations.

What Is Buddhism
A look at the beliefs and history of Buddhism.

What Is Dharma
An article explaining the basics of what the Dharma is.

How To Convert To Buddhism
A brief description on how to convert from one religion to Buddhism.

Buddhist Images and Icons

Mudras: Buddhist Hand Gestures
Instead of holding weapons the way that Hindu deities are usually depicted as doing, the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas are seeing using special hand gestures that display their special attributes.

Where To Place A Buddha Statue
Are you accidentally placing your Buddha statue in a bad spot and not even realizing it? Find out if, despite your best intentions, you might be setting yourself up for some real bad karma - before it's too late...

The Swastika in Buddhism
One of the most hated symbols in the world is actually one of the most revered symbols in the world. Find out how.

The Laughing Buddha
Who is the Laughing Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha or the Happy Buddha). This article explains the difference between the Laughing Buddha and the Historical Buddha (aka, Shakyamuni Buddha).

Buddha Amulets
Amulets are the Buddha pendants worn around the neck by millions of practicing Buddhists in Asia.

Personal Development

Breathing and Chi
An article by Aaron Hoopes on how breathing is crucial to the development of Chi.

Dharma Lessons by Buddhist Monks

Lama Garchen Rrinpoche Documentary Movie
A quick look at the movie documentary by filmmaker Christina Lundberg about the life of venerable Tibetan Lama Garchen Rrinpoche.

Kilesa / Defilements
The defilements are one thing that Buddhists strive to overcome on the way to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Buddhist Meditation and the Mind
What is Buddhist meditation, and what mindset do we need to meditate better?

Buddhism and Suffering
This article explains how the Buddhist mind deals with and works to overcome suffering in the world.

Ajahn Cha on the Dhamma
Venerated monk Ajahn Cha gives a lecture on the meaning of the Dharma, and provides insights for laypeople to better understand and apply the teachings of the Buddha.

Buddhist Meditation
A description of Buddhist meditation which is delivered to a group of Thai Buddhists, both laypeople and Buddhist monks.

Daily Buddhism
How do you use Buddhism in your daily life?

Developing Awareness
One of the main practices of Buddhist meditation is to develop awareness (vipasana), and this article helps explain how to to this.

Buddhist Insight Meditation
This title says it all - an article about Buddhist Insight Meditation, which is crucial to Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition as practiced in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia.

The Buddha Mind
How to develop a Buddha mindset.

Death and Dying
The Buddhist view of death and dying.

Marriage and Dharma
Explains the traditional view of the Buddhist Sangha on marriage and family life.

Taste of Freedom
Freedom from defilements is explained here in this article.

Timelessness of the Dharma
This article describes the true essence of the Dharma (the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha) and its continuing relevance today.

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