Losar

Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet and celebrates the Tibetan New Year. Normally it is celebrated in February, but the date changes every, because of lunar calendar. It takes for three days. You are staying with your family for the first, on the second and third day you are able to visit friends and give gifts to them and receive gifts. At Losar all the buildings were washed and everybody wears new clothes and eats special food. Some rituals are performed in order to scare evil spirit. People are dancing and celebrating. During the festival you are allowed to make offerings.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh was born at 11 October 1926, as Nguyen Xuan Bao in Thua Thien, central Vietnam is a Buddhist monk, writer and poet. Thich is a title of Vietnamese monks.
Thich Nhat Hanh is the 42nd Generation of Linji line. In addition to the Dalai Lama he is the author of numerous books and a master of Buddhist doctrine and since his youth representative of a decidedly engaged Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh was ordained as a monk at age 16. Early he was interested in addition to the texts of the Mahayana tradition also writings of other schools, especially for those of the Theravada. An important step in his life was in 1966, the foundation of the Tiep-Hien Order, the Order of “the Inter One ", which task was to practice Buddhist teaching in social and peace problems. During a visit to America, Thich Nhat Hanh has been proposed by Martin Luther King for the Nobel Peace Prize. After the meeting with the Buddhist monk, Martin Luther King spoke for the first time publicly against the Vietnam War. 1969 Thich Nhat Hanh was a member of the Buddhist delegation at the peace negotiations for Vietnam in Paris. There he founded the in the same year, the United Buddhist Church. Tich Nhat Hanh’s teachings are based on the 8 full paths. He is one of the most important speakers of Buddhism and is highly respected all over the world.

Korean Zen Buddhism

Korean Zen Buddhism, which is translated as son, is mostly followed in Korea. Korean Zen Buddhism became the state religion when Korea was founded in 688 CE. It came to Korea in the 4^th century CE. It was introduced by a Korean monk with the name Pomnang, who had studied under Chinese patriarch. A lot of Korean masters went to china to learn about the Zen Buddhism and brought the lessons back to Korea. The Zen Buddhism became smaller after a pro-Buddhist government was replaced in 1392. Buddhists moved into the mountains under official pressure. The main idea of the Zen Buddhism changed from studying texts to meditation, to reach Buddha’s state.

The Zen Buddhists believe in the idea that they find the true meaning by meditating and personal experience. They think that you reach Nirvana by sudden awakening.

Mahayana Buddhism

Most off the people practicing Mahayana Buddhism are from Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The Mahayana Buddhism is a collection of different Buddhist traditions: Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, they are all different forms. You can compare the Mahayana easily with the Theravada Buddhism, since they both following the teachings of the historical Buddha. Furthermore they are about individual searching for the escape of samsara.

The main idea of the Mahayana is the Bodhisattva, which can be translated as enlightenment being. You can also compare the main believes of Mahayana with humanism, because they believe in all beings no matter who or what they are and that everybody can reach enlightenment.

Another main idea of the Mahayana is the three bodies of Buddha.

·         Dharmakaya: Buddha as transcedent

·         Sambhogakaya: Buddha’s enjoyment body

·         Nirmanakaya: Buddha’s earthly body

With these three bodies it is easier to imagine what Buddha really is. A “normal” human, who reached enlightenment and the founder of the important teaches.

Mandala

The word Mandala means circle and refers about a circular or square structure with a symbolic center, which was originally used in religious context. There are different possibilities to create a Mandala, one is to paint it or to built it with colored sand on the floor or on a table, the other one is to built a mandala in your mind. Mandalas bring positive energy and healing to the people, who see them. The Buddha introduced the mandalas. Every Mandala teaches his lesson and there are a lot of different mandalas and lessons.

In the beginning of mandala ceremony the lama call the Buddha and the monks perform dances in special dresses. Before they start to put the sand with metal funnels from the inside to the outside they draw the planed design on a wooden plate.

When the mandala is completed the monks pray for healing and good karma in a ceremony. Than a monk stars the destruction of the mandala to show that nothing in life lasts forever. After the entire ceremony the sand is put into an urn with water.

Venerating the Buddha

There are a lot of different traditions and different practices to worship the Buddha all over the world.

It is very common to give gifts to Buddhist monks or lay down gifts next to a Buddha statue. Or they give presents to each other for good karma. Most of the presents are food, which the monk shares with his students through their teachings.

Pilgrimage

After Gautama died, there were four main pilgrimages set, which are chosen as important stations in his life. The pilgrimage is important to the Buddhists to personalize with the Buddha. They also do that to advance their spiritual discipline.

Ordination

 

Ordination is an important ceremony for every Buddhist culture. It could be for example in the Theravada Buddhism to become a monk. During this ceremony you have to shave your head and your beard and accept the yellow/orange robes of the monks.