Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism: monasteries (viharas), places to venerate relics (stupas), and shrines or prayer halls (chaityas, also called chaitya grihas), which later came to be called temples in some places.

A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery, is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages.

Buddhism, the first Indian religion to acquire large communal spaces, inspired three types of architecture: the stupa, the Buddhist monastery (vihara), and a sepulchral monument (the caitya), a stupa that holds no relics.

Four major Buddhist pilgrimage sites apply to all Buddhists. These are Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar. (4) These pilgrimage sites compose of the core pilgrimage sites for Buddhism.

dharma wheel

Early Buddhist symbols According to Karlsson, three specific signs, the Bodhi tree, the Dharma wheel and the stupa, occur frequently at all these major sites and thus “the earliest Buddhist cult practice focused on these three objects”.

Drinking this kind of beverage whether one knows it as alcohol or not can be considered as transgression of vows. Despite the great variety of Buddhist traditions in different countries, Buddhism has generally not allowed alcohol intake since earliest times.

Some high level Buddhists have drawn analogies between Jesus and Buddhism, e.g. in 2001 the Dalai Lama stated that “Jesus Christ also lived previous lives”, and added that “So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that.” Thich …

Yes, Buddhists take alcohol. Buddhism especially the Mahayana sect does not abhor alcohol but intoxication. And, intoxication results from drinking more than required by your body. Hence, it can make one lose his mind, indulge in stupid actions and worry little about consequences.

The large majority of monks feel that smoking is not an appropriate practice and that there should be a Buddhist law that recommends they do not smoke. Most monks, however, have little understanding of the specific detrimental effects smoking has on them, as well as the effects of second hand smoke.

Dvesha (Sanskrit, also dveṣa; Pali: dosa; Tibetan: zhe sdang) – is a Buddhist term that is translated as “hate, aversion”. Dvesha (hate, aversion) is the opposite of raga (lust, desire). Along with Raga and Moha, Dvesha is one of the three character afflictions that, in part, cause Dukkha.

Dukkha, (Pāli: “sorrow,” “suffering”) , Sanskrit Duhkha, in Buddhist thought, the true nature of all existence.

Triratna, (Sanskrit: “Three Jewels”) Pali Ti-ratana, also called Threefold Refuge, in Buddhism the Triratna comprises the Buddha, the dharma (doctrine, or teaching), and the sangha (the monastic order, or community).

Duḥkha (/ˈduːkə/; Sanskrit:दुःख; Pāli: dukkha) is an important concept in Hinduism and Buddhism, commonly translated as “suffering”, “unhappiness”, “pain”, “unsatisfactoriness” or “stress”. It refers to the fundamental unsatisfactoriness and painfulness of mundane life.

The Three Universal Truths: 1. Everything is impermanent and changing 2. Impermanence leads to suffering, making life imperfect 3. The self is not personal and unchanging.

The Buddha believed that most suffering is caused by a tendency to crave or desire things. A person might crave something nice to eat or desire to go on a nice holiday or earn lots of money. Buddhism teaches that through being dissatisfied with their lives and craving things, people suffer.