Kadampa Buddhist Temples

A Kadampa Buddhist Temple is a special, holy place, where we can receive blessings and powerful imprints on our minds that lead to deep inner peace in the future.

Many Kadampa Temples are being built around the world as part of the International Temples Project.

Kadampa Buddhist Temples take many forms. Some are custom built according to a special design developed by Geshe Kelsang based on traditional Buddhist architecture, such as the Mother Temple at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in England and the Temples in New York, and São Paulo.

Others are adapted from existing buildings acquired for Kadampa Meditation Centers around the world, such as the Temples in Toronto, Le Mans, Berlin, Zurich Texas and Melbourne. Yet others
are incorporated within Hotel Kadampas, such as those in Málaga and Tuscany.

Many more Temples are planned throughout the world.

Whatever form they take, Kadampa Temples are holy places open to everyone to enjoy. They are Pure Lands in our troubled world – offering doorways to inner peace for all who visit them.

Pure land

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explains that at first a Temple is a representation of a Pure Land, such as Tushita Heaven where Je Tsongkhapa abides, or the Pure land of Buddha Heruka and Vajrayogini.

Eventually, however, through the force of all the pure practices and sincere prayers performed in it and the blessings of the Holy Beings, the Temple becomes an actual Pure Land.

Blessed statues

Kadampa Temples all house beautiful shrines in which you can see magnificent statues cast in Kadampa Studios. Just seeing these blessed statues places powerful imprints on the mind to experience deep inner peace in the future.

The Temples are open to the public for both private and group visits. Information on local visiting times can be found on each Temple’s website (see menu).

Annual events

Kadampa Temples are international establishments and each year they host major gatherings such as Dharma Celebrations, National Festivals, and International Festivals.

Buddist temples

phnom penh buddhist temple	All Buddhist temples include gardens ...	Buddhist Temple	Buddhist temple in Taipei	Chogyesa Buddhist temple
	Buddhist Temple		Buddhist temple of the Shingon

Chinese Language

China is a nation boasting diversified nationalities, languages, and characters. It has 56 ethnic groups, over 80 languages, and about 30 kinds of character. Chinese is the most widely used language in China and the world at large. It is designated as one of the six official languages by the United Nations. Chinese is the shared language of Han Nationality. Besides Han ethnic group which accounts 91.59% of China’s integral population, some ethnic minorities also speak Chinese or take Chinese as their second mother tongue.

Modern Chinese can be divided into standard Chinese (mandarin) and dialect. Mandarin takes Peking Dialect as its standard pronunciation, dialect of people in North China as its basis, and classic modern colloquial works as its linguistic regulations. On October 31st, 2000, Law of Universal Language and Character of People's Republic of China came into force and it stipulates mandarin as a universal national language. Han Dialect comprises of seven branches, namely, North China Dialect, Wu Dialect, Hunan Dialect, Jiangxi Dialect, Hakka Dialect, Guangdong Dialect, and Fujian Dialect. Each branch has its own sub-branches and jargons. For instance, the most popular North China Dialect can be further classified into North Mandarin, Northwest Mandarin, Southwest Mandarin, and Xiajiang Mandarin.

The 55 ethnic minorities account 8.41% of Chinese population. Among them, 53 have their own languages. But Hui and Manchu people have accepted mandarin as their first mother tongue for daily use. Some ethnic minorities take mandarin or the languages of other nationalities as their second mother tongue. Even different branches inside certain ethnic group are still using languages of their own.

Mandarin is not only the standard and shared language of Han Nationality, but the common language of the whole Chinese nation

Taiji Quan

The medical benefits of Tai Chi are starting to be discovered. Taiji Quan is a Taoist internal martial art. One account of the history of Taiji Quan credits its development to the Taoist immortal Chang San-feng, who is said to have drawn the inspiration for the art by watching a fight between an snake and an aggressive eagle. Chang San-feng was reportedly a master of Shaolin Kung Fu who reached an extraordinary level of cultivation through Taoist internal practices. Another account of the history of Taiji Quan is that many different Kung Fu masters developed it over a long period of time; as a synthesis of internal meditation and martial technique. Either way, the written history of Taiji Quan goes back about 300 years and it was not until the turn of the 20th century that it was introduced to the general public.

Taiji Quan is a very unique and powerful art, for both internal power and longevity. Taiji Quan is a martial art which embodies Taoist philosophy. When Taiji Quan was developed, the martial arts were very aggressive. One's proficiency was measured by the strength and aggression of attack, in terms of the Taoist principle of yin and yang this was a purely "yang" conception of martial arts. What was revolutionary about Taiji Quan was the incorporation of the yin element to fighting. In Taiji Quan one uses a balance of yin techniques with yang techniques, a balance between yielding and attacking. It is for this reason that Taiji Quan is described as "a needle hidden in cotton" or "hardness concealed in softness".

Presently Taiji Quan is rapidly growing in popularity for the tremendous health benefits which come through practice. Clinical studies have shown that T'ai Chi practice can lower blood pressure, reduce nervous tension, and benefit the immune, digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. At this time, over one hundred million people practice Taiji Quan on a regular basis.

The heart of the Taiji Quan system is the practice of the single Taiji Quan form. The form practice of Taiji Quan is the foundation of the training. Though Taiji Quan is done slowly, the movements are very difficult and strenuous. Regular practice of Taiji Quan greatly improves the functioning of the bodily systems.

Chen style taiji quan

Chen-style Taiji Quan is an ancient traditional Chinese Kung Fu. It's also the origin of all kinds of Taiji style. It falls into two categories - the old and new frames. The old frame was created by Chen Wangting himself. It had five routines which were also known as the 13-move boxing. Chen Wangting also developed a long-style boxing routine of 108 moves and a cannon boxing routine. It was then handed down to Chen Changxing and Chen Youben, boxers in the Chenjia Valley who were all proficient at the old frame. The present-day Chen style boxing boasts of the old routine, the cannon routine and the new routine. The Chen style taiji boxing is the oldest form, all the other styles of taiji quan having derived from it either directly or indirectly.

Other styles of taiji quan include Yang style taiji quan, Wu style taiji quan, Wu Yuxiang style taiji quan, and Sun style taiji.

Chinese Kung-fu

Kung fu, (also known as wushu or martial arts) is one of the most well known examples of traditional Chinese culture. It it is probably one of the earliest and longest lasting sports which utilizes both brawn and brain. The theory of Kung Fu is based upon classical Chinese philosophy. Over its long history it has developed as a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline and art. In sports like track and field, ball sports, weightlifting, and boxing, an athlete typically has to retire from full participation in his 30s. Injuries sustained during years of active sport participation at a young age can that affect our health in later life. In Chinese Kung fu however, a distinction is made between "external" and "internal" kung fu. It is said that "In external kung fu, you exercise your tendons, bones, and skin; in internal kung fu, you train your spirit your qi, and your mind."

About Forbidden city

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 buildings. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the gates in the east and west walls is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide.

Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420. It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the long-term hard labor. Stone needed was quarried from Fangshan, a suburb of Beijing. It was said a well was dug every fifty meters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city. Huge amounts of timber and other materials were freighted from faraway provinces. Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building the Forbidden City. Take the grand red city wall for example. It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meters wide at the top. The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it. The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.

Since yellow is the symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City. Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles; decorations in the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by a special process. However, there is one exception. Wenyuange, the royal library, has a black roof. The reason is that it was believed black represented water then and could extinguish fire.

Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe halls, with their surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy 'modern civilians'.

Pictures of Forbidden city

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called gugong, in Chinese, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is called the Palace Museum now. It lies 1 kilometer north of the Tian'anmen Square, with its south gate, the Gate of Devine Might (Shenwumen), facing the Jingshan Park. 960 meters long and 750 meters wide, the world largest palace complex covers a floor space of 720,000 square meters, having 9,999 buildings.

Generally, it was divided into two parts, the northern half, or the Outer Court where emperors executed their supreme power over the nation and the southern half, or the Inner Court where they lived with their royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor in China was driven out of the Inner Court, 14 emperors of the Ming dynasty and 10 emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. About 500 years being the imperial palace, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. It is now listed by the UN as World Cultural Heritage in 1987.

Taihemen Gate and the Inner Golden Water Bridges

The Forbidden City

Another view of the Forbidden City

The Yangxin Hall

The Chuxiu Palace

The stone slab carved with clouds and dragons at the back of Baohedian

The Hall of Celestial Purity

A watchtower

The gilded bronze lion in front of Qianqing Gate

The bronze crane in front of Taihe Hall

The passage inside Yingrui Gate

The Nine-Dragon Screen in front of Huangji Gate

A part of the Imperial Garden (Yuhuayuan)

The imperial throne inside Taihedian

The Changyin Hall

Another ghosts...

Leak
Is Balinese demon, originated as a witch that worship or disciple of "Calon Arang" or "Rangda". Calon Arang or Rangda is a demon witch that cause plague and any other disaster in ancient times. Originated in 10th century East Javanese Legend of King Airlangga who fight against evil witch, Calon Arang.

Leak usualy a female demon that practice black evil witchcraft. She can turn into anything she desire, any animals or any things.
Her popular sighthings is flying blue fire during night, and also flying head without body, with intestine and internal organ hanging under the head. -eek

It seeks victim to suck their blood and sometimes eat their internal organs. But Leak usually prefer infant or baby for her food. It's believe the baby is eaten as part of the witch black magic ritual to stay young and beautiful forever. Witch who practice Leak witchcraft usualy looks beautiful and young, but the'll look horrible when they turn to Leak.

Some source believe that sometimes Leak can turn into many things, including automobiles. Some sighthing tell that one day, a young girl, the nephew of Pedande (Balinese Priest) want to go home, but she finds there is two car. Both looks like hers. She get confused and ask her uncle, the Pedande. Than the Pedande hit those car with stone after chanting some magic spell. One of the car say "Ouch...!" Then there is hair growing out from the car. The car slowly turn into a hairy demon. Then the priest hit that demon. The demon runs away in fear. The Priest says that it is a demon that originaly a person who practicing Leak witchcraft. And she wanna kill the Pedande's nephew.

Roro Kidul
Some anthropologist believe it is originaly a natural female deity that rule the Java southern sea that may exist long before the arrival of Hindu and Islam to Java. Roro Kidul doesn't necesarily evil, some dukun or psychic even finds her generous and kind Queen. She rules all spirits, demons, deity in Java southern coast.

The bad side is, she's love to drawned people to southern sea, especially handsome young men. Then she will take their soul and keep them as her pet, her lover -red , servant, or just as citizen of her underwater spirit kingdom.
The most peculiar thing is she love the green color, so if you visit southern beach of Java, locals may warn you not to wear green shirt, clothes, or bathing suit, cause Roro Kidul will take you and drawn you to her kingdom.

Rara Kidul is the spiritual eternal consort of Yogyakarta Sultans for generations. On the account and autobiography of late Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, he mention that the spirit deity Queen Roro Kidul looks extremely beautiful during full moon and to the person she like. But she will turn old and rather ugly during new/dead moon and when she get angry. :D

Legend links her to a cast away Princess of Sundanese Hindu Pajajaran kingdom. She's the daughter of the queen, but a jealous concubine cast black magic spell on the queen and her daughter. The Queen and the Princess being struck with horrible skin desease caused by black magic. The king then cast away the queen and her daughter. Suffering the desease, the queen passed away in agony. Then the princess wandering around until she reach southern beach. Then a magic voice tell her to drawn in to the wave of southern sea. Then cured, and become the Queen of Southern Seas.


Suster Ngesot
I believe this has something to do with Jakarta urban legend, and bring to popularity by film Jelangkung. All I know about her is she is a nurse (suster) during Dutch East Indies, colonial era in Indonesia.

Some source says that she's being raped and killed in the old Dutch Hospital. One night the nurse confront an evil man. When she try to escape, she fell down the stairs and broke her legs. Then the evil man drag her to a "bangsal" (ward or "salle" in French), rape her and kill her. The unrest spirit of poor nurse still haunted the hospital. Some sighthings report the presence of female sighing and sounds in vain, then some people saw a nurse moving around the hall by dragging her body with her hands on floor ("Ngesot" in Indonesian language), because her legs is broken.

About Indonesian ghosts....

Indonesian ghosts:

Tuyul
A demon child or infant that usualy originate from the unrest spirit of aborted or miscarried fetus or baby. Tuyul look like a small child or a baby about 2 to 5 years old, but his face is rather horrible and evil. It seek "mother" for keep it, in return Tuyul will help it's master to stole money or gold from people in the neighbourhood. In return, the master must gave them "milk" and breast feeding it, that is with blood. So the master or "mother" doesn't necesarily female, male could do to. It is blood they suck. But unlike vampire, tuyul doesn't drink you to death. Just nough to suffer loss of blood. -laugh

Genderuwo
Originate as a natural deity or spirit, kind of demon that guard and inhabit (penunggu) specific places such as big stone, big tree, cave, lake, empty house, and any other creepy and haunted places. But usually it prefer big "Waru" or "Beringin" tree as his house.
His form is bigger and taller than human, about 3 meter to 5 meter tall, some source report bigger sighthings. It whole body covered with thick hair, similar to bear or some kind of giant ape. It's canine teet is big and long, kinda Balinese monster mask.

Jenglot
A small living monstrous doll. Have striking similarity to troll doll. -laugh
It size about a palm of adult. Although it not moving in present of human, it hair and nail are growing, the sign that it is some kind of living thing. Some people believe that keeping and collecting these Jenglot mummies (that still live) can bring fortune, but with some kind of cost (tumbal).

Babi Ngepet or Were-Pig
It's some kind of "ilmu pesugihan" or black magic to be rich, but sell your soul to demon or satan. That the person who study this black magic sometimes will turn into a wild pig. This "Were-Pig" sometimes storming the village, and when the villager kill it, the pig corpse turn into a human body.

Kalong Wewe (sometimes called Kantong Wewe)
A horrible female demon with big enourmos breast. This demon love to eat children. She will catch the unguarded and stray kids. then put her victim in to the hole in her breast. Her breast acted as a pocket, like kangaroo. Then she take the children to her place and eat them

Chinese good luck symbols

Chinese characters usually have one or more meanings and some of them are particularly loved by Chinese people. Here is the top ten list of the lucky ones. Please note Pinyin is also used here, which is the Chinese spelling system for the characters. For example, fu is the pinyin for good luck in Chinese. But fu is only the phonic part of the character and it also represents other Chinese characters that sound the same.

1.) Fu - Blessing, Good Fortune, Good Luck Fu is one of the most popular Chinese characters used in Chinese New Year. It is often posted upside down on the front door of a house or an apartment. The upside down fu means good luck came since the character for upsite down in Chinese sounds the same as the character for came.

2.) Lu - Prosperity
It used to mean official's salary in feudal China. Fengshui is believed to be the Chinese way to health, wealth and happiness. If you are interested in Fengshui, you may check out the book 'The Feng Shui Kit.'


3.) Shou - Longevity
Shou also means life, age or birthday.




4.) Xi - Happiness
Double happiness is usually posted everywhere on Chinese weddings.




5.) Cai - wealth, money
Chinese often say money can make a ghost turn a millstone. It is to say money really can do a lot of things.



6.) He - harmonious
'People harmony' is an important part of Chinese culture. When you have harmonious relations with others, things will be a lot easier for you.



7.) Ai - love, affection
Don't need to say any more about this one. Just want to point out ai is often used with 'mianzi' together. Aimianzi means 'be concerned about one's face-saving.'



8.) Mei - beautiful, pretty
The United States of American is called Mei Guo in the short form. Guo means country so Meiguo is a good name.



9.) Ji - lucky, auspicious, propitious
Hope all is well.




10.) De - virtue, moral
De means virtue, moral, heart, mind, and kindness, etc. It is also used in the name for Germany, i.e., De Guo.

My and my boyfriend's chinese names...

The Chinese name for Anja:

The Chinese name for Ryan:

Chinese ghosts

There are many ghosts in Chinese culture. Ghosts have been believed and worshipped by Chinese for a few thousand years. Even Confucius said, "Respecting ghosts and gods, but away from them."

Many people believe ghosts, yet many don't. Chinese people often say, "If you believe it, there will be, but if you don't, there will not." Here is a story about this saying.

Zhuxi was a famous scholar in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). He believed there were no ghosts in the world, so he decided to write an essay "No Ghost." It was said he was a great sage so even ghosts were afraid of him. If he said no ghosts, ghosts could no longer exist. When ghosts knew he was writing the essay, they gathered together to discuss this and decided to send the smartest ghost to entreat him abandon the writing.

So one night, the smartest ghost appeared at Zhuxi's desk and kowtowed towards Zhuxi repeatedly. Zhuxi was surprised and asked:

"Where comes the ghost? How dare you disturbing me at night."
"Yes, I am a ghost, but ..."
"Why don't you leave and why do you come in my study room?"
"I am here to entreat ..." replied the ghost.
"People are in the Yang world and ghosts are in the Yin world. We are in the different worlds so there are no way I can help you."
"I have very important things to entreat you, Sir."
"Ok, say it!"

Then the ghost told Zhuxi the reason and beg him to abandon the writing to save them. Zhuxi laughed and said:

"You, the ghosts have been worshipped in the human world for so long. Isn't the time for you go away all together."
"We also have good and bad ghosts..."
"Well, I heard you can do anything. Can you move me to the outside?"
"Certainly, Sir."

Zhuxi was moved to the outside instantly without even noticing it. Zhuxi was astonished by the ability of ghosts, but was unwilling to say it. Then he asked again,

"You can move my body. Can you move my heart?"
"That is impossible to do, Sir." "But we can move things or a person's body so that it proves we exist." "We exist in illusion. If you believe it, there will be, but if you don't, there will not." "Can you say something like that in your essay, Sir?"

Zhuxi felt the words did have some merits so he promised the ghost he would do that. The ghost left happily. Therefore, Zhuxi wrote the words, under the title of the no ghost essay, "If you believe it, there will be, but if you don't, there will not."

Houyi Shot the Suns

Houyi (or Yi) was the hero who shot the suns in the ancient mythology of China.

Legend says Yi was very good at archery. There were once ten suns in the sky, which made plants wither, and fierce beasts run wild to imperil people. It was too hot to live under the suns. To save the people, Yi started to shoot the suns. He shot down nine of them one by one, and he might have shot the last one if it was not called off by others. Thus the severe drought was gone. He also got rid of those fierce animals for the people.

It is said Yi's wife was Chang'e, a legendary lady in the famous story, "Chang'e flying to the moon." Chang'e swallowed the elixir stolen from her husband, and she flew to the moon and became the goddess of the moon, who has lived in the palace on the moon ever since.

Yi was killed by Fengmeng, a disciple of Yi who learned to shoot from him.

Islamic mosques

This section exhibits the Islamic architecture of various mosques around the world. Mosques are shown separately for each country. Visit each of the countries' pages to view mosques in that specific country.

TURKEY	MALAYSIA	SAUDI ARABIA
PAKISTAN	INDONESIA	EGYPT
INDIA	LEBANON	MOROCCO
AFGHANISTAN	CYPRUS	FRANCE
HOLLAND	IRAN	JORDAN
SENEGAL	SINGAPORE	SWEDEN
SYRIA	TAJIKISTAN	TIBET
TUNISIA	UAE	YEMEN