The Great Buddha's Noble Teachings : The Origin & Spread of Vipassana

Language: English
Pages: 248 (Throughout Colored Illustrations)

Preface

This book contains the photographs of the beautiful paintings
in the picture gallery at the Global Vipassana Pagoda, as well as
the associated stories about important incidents from the life of
the Buddha. A vast amount of information is availabie about the
many monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who benefited from
Vipassana during the lifetime of the Buddha and also helped many
others in coming out of their suffering. If one were to make a TV
serial about the life of the Buddha along with his previous lives,
it would run into more than 1000 episodes. This publication gives
only an outline of the origin and spread of the great technique
of Vipassana, discovered and taught by that supreme man, the
Buddha.

In India, there are many misunderstandings about the Buddha.
Many believe that he is called a bhagavan because he was an
incarnation of God Almighty. The truth is that he discovered
Vipassana and used it to totally rid himself of all craving, aversion
and ignorance; and thus became a bhagava or bhagavan
(literally, one who has totally destroyed ones craving, aversion
and ignorance).

After some time, his teaching started being called Buddhism
and his followers Buddhists. In reality, he only taught Dhamma.
Those who followed his teaching were called dhammiko, dhammi,
dhammacari, dhammavihari and not Buddhists. Buddhism and
Buddhists are associated with a sect. The Buddha never formed
a sect. He was against sectarianism. The word for Buddhism
bauddha is not found in any text until centuries after the Buddha.
In Pali there is no parallel word to bauddha.

There are so many othe
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