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Abhayagiri Vihāra
Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana Buddhism that was situated in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the most extensive ruins in the world and one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage cities in the nation. Historically it was a great monastic centre as well as a royal capital, with magnificent monasteries rising to many stories, roofed with gilt bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in brilliant colors. To the north of the city, encircled by great walls and containing elaborate bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, stood "Abhayagiri", one of seventeen such religious units in Anuradhapura and the largest of its five major viharas. One of the focal points of the complex is an ancient stupa, the Abhayagiri Dagaba. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara and the original custodian of the Tooth relic in the island. The term "Abhayagiri Vihara" refers not o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SL Anuradhapura Asv2020-01 Img31 Abhayagiriya Stupa
SL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * SL (rapper), a rapper from London * ''Second Life'', a multi-user 3D virtual world * Sensei's Library, an Internet site dedicated to the game of Go * Subdominant leittonwechselklänge * Leica SL, a mirrorless system camera by Leica Camera AG Business and organizations * Sociedad Limitada, the Spanish version of a private limited company Politics * Serbian Left (2022), Serbian Left (''Srpska levica''), a political party in Serbia * Stronnictwo Ludowe, a defunct Polish political party * Soyons Libres, a French political party Transportation and vehicles * SL Corporation, a Korean auto parts company * Rio Sul Serviços Aéreos Regionais (IATA code SL), a Brazilian airline * Salt Lake City Southern Railroad (reporting mark SL) * Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk, a public transport operator in Akershus, Norway * Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, the public transport operator in Stockholm, Sweden * Thai Lion Air (IATA airline code SL) * Mercedes-Benz SL-Clas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( guru or acharya). The other three varnas are the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood at the Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and rite of passage rituals such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 125 Traditionally, the Brahmins are accorded the highest ritual status of the four social classes. Their livelihood is prescribed to be one of strict austerity and voluntary poverty ("A Brahmin should acquire what just suffices for the time, what he earns he should spend all that the same day"). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faxian
Faxian (法顯 ; 337 CE – c. 422 CE), also referred to as Fa-Hien, Fa-hsien and Sehi, was a Chinese Buddhist monk and translator who traveled by foot from China to India to acquire Buddhist texts. Starting his arduous journey about age 60, he visited sacred Buddhist sites in Central, South and Southeast Asia between 399 and 412 CE, of which 10 years were spent in India. He described his journey in his travelogue, ''A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms'' (''Foguo Ji'' 佛國記). His memoirs are notable independent record of early Buddhism in India. He took with him a large number of Sanskrit texts, whose translations influenced East Asian Buddhism and which provide a ''terminus ante quem'' for many historical names, events, texts, and ideas therein.Faxian ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', 2019. Biography ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Relic Of The Tooth Of The Buddha
The relic of the tooth of Buddha (Pali ''danta dhātuya'') is venerated in Sri Lanka as a sacred cetiya relic of Lord Buddha, who is the founder of Buddhism, the fourth largest religion worldwide. History The relic in India According to Sri Lankan legends, when the Buddha died in 543 BC, his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kushinagar and his left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by his disciple, Khema. Khema then gave it to King Brahmadatte for veneration. It became a royal possession in Brahmadatte's country and was kept in the city of Dantapuri (modern Puri, Odisha). A belief grew that whoever possessed the tooth relic had a divine right to rule that land. The '' Dāṭhāvaṃsa'' recounts the tale of a war fought over the relic 800 years later between Guhasiva of the republic of Kalinga and a king named Pandu. The relic in Sri Lanka Legend states the Abhayagiri vihāra was first appointed custodianship of the relic when it was brought to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahasena Of Anuradhapura
Mahasena, also known in some records as Mahasen, was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 277 to 304 CE. He started the construction of large tanks or reservoirs in Sri Lanka, and built sixteen such tanks. After becoming king, Mahasena discriminated the Buddhists belonging to the Theravada-school and destroyed several of their temples including the Mahavihara (the main Theravada temple) before his chief minister led him to realise his mistakes. He mended his ways and built the Jethavana stupa. Mahasena's countrymen regarded him as a god or deity (deva) after the construction of the Minneriya tank, he became known as ''Minneri Deviyo'' (God of Minneriya). Discrimination against Theravada Buddhism Mahasena was the younger son of King Gotabaya, who ruled the country from 253 to 266 CE. His elder brother and predecessor to the throne was King Jetthatissa, who was the king from 266 to 275. Mahasen and Jetthatissa were educated by a Buddhist monk named Sanghamitta, who was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gajabahu I
Gajabahu I (lit. 'Elephant-Arm'), also known as Gajabahuka Gamani (c. 113 – 135 CE), was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his military prowess, religious benefactions, extensive involvement in South Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa, though he is also the only early Sri Lankan king (along with Elara) to be extensively mentioned in the Chera Cilappatikaram (also spelled Silapathikaram). Life and Religion Next to nothing is known about Gajabahu's youth, except that he was the son of Vankanasika Tissa (reigned 110–113 CE), king of Rajarata from Anuradhapura, and his consort Mahamatta. As such he might have witnessed the most dramatic event of Tissa's reign, the invasion of Rajarata by the Chola king Karikalan. The Mahavamsa mentions Gajabahu's accession and reign of twenty-two years and mentions neither Karikalan's invasion nor the mili ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara-BMA
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools as well as modern Theravada Buddhism, a bodhisattva (Pali: ''bodhisatta'') refers to someone who has made a resolution to become a Buddha and has also received a confirmation or prediction from a living Buddha that this will be so. In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated ''bodhicitta'', a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Mahayana bodhisattvas are spiritually heroic persons that work to attain awakening and are driven by a great compassion (''mahakaruṇā''). These beings are exemplified by important spiritual qualities such as the "four divine abodes" (''brahmaviharas'') of loving-kindness (''metta''), compassion (''karuṇā''), empathetic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beminitiya Seya
Beminitiya Seya, also known as the Great Famine, (103-89 BC), during the reign of King Vattagamini Abhaya, known as Valagambahu, was a period of over a decade in which ancient Sri Lanka's irrigation systems failed as a result of invasion, corruption and neglect. It was a time of hardship, compounded by foreign invasion, making this a grey region of Sri Lanka's history. Long drought coupled with South Indian invasion completely neglected the repairs and maintenance of the advanced irrigation systems that was in place. The situation eased with the deaths of five warring princes and the return of King Valagambahu. As soon as Valagambahu took over power in 89 BC, work was done to repair and reconstruct the ill-fated irrigation system which saw the end of the baminitiya seya in 89 BC. Valagambahu is regarded as one of Sri Lanka's greatest heroes. The famine is mentioned a number of times in the stories contained in " Sihalavatthu Pakarana", the oldest work of Ceylonese literature. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Pandukhabaya
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to tribal kingship. Germanic kingship is cognate with Indo-European traditions of tribal rulership (c.f. Indic ''rājan'', Gothic ''reiks'', and Old Irish '' rí'', etc.). *In the context of classical antiquity, king may translate in Latin as '' rex'' and in Greek as ''archon'' or ''basileus''. *In classical European feudalism, the title of ''king'' as the ruler of a ''kingdom'' is understood to be the highest rank in the feudal order, potentially subject, at least nominally, only to an emperor (harking back to the client kings of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire). *In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional). The title of ''king'' is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jain Monasticism
Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the '' Digambara'' and the '' Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the major principles of both are identical. Five ''mahāvratas'' (Great Vows), from Mahavira's teachings, are followed by all Jain ascetics. Historians believe that a united Jain '' sangha'' (community) existed before 367 BCE, about 160 years after the ''moksha'' (liberation) of Mahavira. The community then gradually divided into the major denominations. Terminology ''Digambaras'' use the word ' for male monastics and ''aryika'' for female monastics. '' Digambara monks'' are also called ''nirgrantha'' (without bonds). '' Śvētāmbaras'' use the word ''sadhvi''s for female monastics. History Mahavira had 11 chief disciples, Indrabhuti Gautama being the most senior. Each chief disciple was made responsible for 250 to 500 monks. The Jain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_Bhumi_Puja%2C_yajna.jpg "Click for more on -> Brahmin")
