Buddhism Basics

A collection of posts, pictures and videos of everything Buddhist, Yoga and Nature. Find out more about Buddhism at avazengarden.blogspot.com Don't be afraid to ask questions! ~Avazen

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7 basic steps towards beginner meditation practice 

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Bob Ross gets it.

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Scent of Spring by Evgeni Dinev

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The Schools of Buddhism: Therevada

Therevada is the oldest of the branches of Buddhism, and literally means “The Doctrine of the Elders”. This is referring to the more senior members of Buddhism including the Buddha himself.

Therevada Buddhism concerns itself mainly with the scripture that has been passed down over the years, and focuses heavily on the teaching itself, not the teacher.

Like most (if not all) Buddhist paths, Therevada holds no belief in a higher deity or God, but instead just preaches mindfulness and compassion.

This branch of Buddhism is most prominent in Sri Lanka, Burma, Maos and Thailand. This is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘Southern Buddhism’.

Therevada is what most would describe as pure Buddhism, as it maintains the closest resemblance to Buddhism as the Buddha originally founded it. However that does not mean that the Mahayana school of Buddhism is any worse, or better. The two compliment each other and serve different purposes in the Buddhist community.

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“In Bloom” — Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower Painted by GoodVibesGallery.com *For prints email [email protected] .

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Another fantastic painting from @goodvibesgallery!

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I've been interested in Buddhism for years and done some light research into it, and what I've found has been interesting and appealing to me. I know you can't really convert overnight to fully follow any religion or belief, so could you offer some tips/ideas of how I could gradually convert? I've always been an atheist but for some reason I've always been drawn to Buddhism. Thanks

Hi Universityfit!

Those who convert from pure atheism to Buddhism normally find it quite a refreshing change as they can have a form of religious outlet but don’t get bogged down in beliefs that they find unrealistic. With Buddhism you can dictate just how literally you follow scripture and how much you want it to impact your life. Hopefully this link below will point you in the right direction, but if not don’t hesitate to ask me more questions. I’d be happy to answer!

https://avazengarden.wordpress.com/2017/03/16/where-to-begin-with-buddhism/

I hope this helps! 

Metta, 

Avazen

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Hi! I wondered; since the Buddha grew up in ancient India (if I remember correctly), would he have been a Hindu? Or was he an atheist? I would like to know your thoughts (or knowledge) on that!

Hi dunno-a-name! 

The Buddha’s early life is somewhat unclear when it comes to what is legend and what is history, however the general consensus is that the Buddha was born into a Hindu family in Nepal.

I hope this helps!

Metta, 

Avazen

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Wait the photo of the heart chakra, what does the symbol in the photo mean. Oh and what does chakra mean as well? May you have a great day! And thank you

Hi there Butterforbutterfly,

As I understand it the symbol in the middle of the heart chakra I posted (The symbol can vary sometimes) in Sanskrit is called Anahata Chakra, which can be translated as unbeaten, unstruck, intact and unwounded. 

The Sanskrit word Chakra literally translates to wheel or disk. In yoga and meditation, this term refers to wheels of energy throughout the body. Whether or not these are thought of as literal pools of energy, or whether they are just a representations that are used for focus depends on the person you are talking to. 

I hope this helps! And apologies in taking so long to answer!

Metta, 

Avazen

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For all those...

…who may be struggling with where they belong or who they are inside, remember that you have no obligation to set yourself within societal boundaries.

The joy and wonder of life is that we are free to explore and grow and change and be unique. You aren’t placed in ‘black’ or ‘white’, but exist on a vibrant spectrum of joy and individuality. Embrace that individuality and flourish!

Metta,

~Avazen