Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (13)

Dhammapada verses 7 and 8

"Just as a storm throws down a weak tree, so does Mara overpower the man who lives for the pursuit of pleasures, who is uncontrolled in his senses, immoderate in eating, indolent, and dissipated.

Just as a storm cannot prevail against a rocky mountain, so Mara can never overpower the man who lives meditating on the impurities, who is controlled in his senses, moderate in eating, and filled with faith and earnest effort."

Religion goes green in Taiwan pollution battle

© AFP / by Amber Wang | Heavy smoke billows from burnt offerings and incense at a Matzu temple during a Taoist ceremony in Taichung, Taiwan

TAIPEI (AFP) - 

Smoke billows daily from temples across Taiwan as visitors burn incense and paper money to bring luck and prosperity -- but that familiar fragrant haze could be a thing of the past as concerns grow over ritual pollutants.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (12)

The Monks Robe

Pali word for robe is "civara". The civara of Buddhist monks is called Kasava (or Kasaya) after the yellow stain applied to it. The Kasaya is composed of three parts so it is also sometimes also called Ticivara (literally the triple robe)

Buddhist monastery in Redwood Valley marks 20th anniversary

By Karen Rifkin, The Ukiah Daily Journal, May 10, 2016

Redwood Valley, California (USA) -- In English, Abhayagiri means Fearless Mountain, serving as a refuge where one can be free from fear, knowing that the land and the community practice harmlessness, honesty and respect. The Buddha spoke of the gift of fearlessness as one of the greatest gifts we can give each other.

Ajahn Pasanno is abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley dedicated to the spiritual practice in the Thai Forest Tradition, a branch of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Chris Pugh-Ukiah Daily Journal

Riding on dirt roads through forested woodlands, standing in the back of a pickup truck with Ajahn Pasanno, the gentle and unassuming abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, he points out the small cabins constructed over the past 20 years that serve as dwellings for resident monks who dedicate their lives to a spiritual practice in the Thai Forest Tradition, a branch of the Theravada Buddhist tradition.

Ajahn Pasanno’s interest in spirituality was piqued during his undergraduate work at the University of Winnipeg, Canada, seeking something peaceful, something not confusing, not chaotic.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (11)