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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword:
Contrasting Symbols by Culture
The Meanings of the Symbols The Swastika symbolizes the superiority of the Germanic or "Aryan" Race. But... The Wan Zi symbolizes 3 THINGS!
Hindu SuAstiKa = Well-being [comes from] The Sun Source: Wikipedia
Some Basic Beliefs of Buddhism The Four Noble Truths
The Eight-fold Path
{I'm not sure what this path is supposed to lead to. The goal of Buddhism is to end all human suffering. So, I guess the path leads in that direction. But, how exactly it is supposed to rid us desires is beyond me. And, I'm not criticizing. I really just don't understand. Moving right along, #4 (above), namely: "right action," is divided into the ten wholesome actions (below).}
I heard from someone (sorry, forgot his name) who did a lot of study into the philosophy of Buddha and actually read the Sutras, that the one called "Buddha" actually taught that the way to escape Karma is very simple: Forgive everyone! No matter what, forgive everyone! I did not say it was easy. I said it was simple. In fact, it was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. Unfortunately, I do not have chapter and verse, but I believe it. Did not the Nazarene teach the same thing?
Some Personal Experiences When I was young and single (around 1997), I decided to take part in a Buddhist class for foreigners (in English) at a Korean Buddhist Temple called: Hwa Gye Sa. I'm not sure, but I guess that means: Peaceful-World Temple. I mean that I'm sure that Gye means World and that Sa means temple, but I'm guessing on the Hwa word, which could have any of several meanings, depending upon the Chinese character. The Temple leaders have chosen to call the temple something else in English: The Seoul International Zen Center. So, I would attend every Sunday around 1pm. The first two hours were for Buddhist meditation, which is a gross misnomer, because there is NO thinking involved. Buddhist meditation aims at achieving the absence of thought. Since there is NO word in English, we "borrow" the Japanese word: Zen. The Korean word for Zen (absence of thought) is: Seon (pronounced like sun). There are three main kinds of (or ways to do) Zen. They are: sitting Zen, bowing Zen, and chanting Zen. We did sitting Zen for three sets of 30 minutes with 10-minute periods of walking Zen in between. The third hour was for listening to a dharma talk by one of the attending foreign monks AND for Q & A. As monks come from all over the world to practice their religion to the Seoul International Zen Center, there are always quite a few foreign monks residing there. The Q & A (questions and answers) time may go past the allotted time, and there are often refreshment afterward. Every day, people are invited to eat in the temple's cafeteria. There is no fee, but donations are appreciated. I don't know the meal times, but I believe that lunch is served from 12 noon to 1pm. The Auras So, anyways, I would attend every Sunday, religiously, even though I was not a Buddhist. You don't have to be a Buddhist to attend. In fact, the whole thing is geared toward the curious non-Buddhist. It is very basic and elementary. One day, I was doing sitting Zen (this was before I knew for a fact that I was iron-deficiency anemic, but I knew that I was always sleepy. I had chronic lethargy). As, we were doing our sitting Zen, I would often not be able to remain awake. So, I would pass the time by looking at everyone's auras, well especially the monks' auras. And, on one particular day, there was a Negroid monk from America. His aura was the brightest that I had ever before and have ever since seen. I don't know if it was because of the contrast against his dark skin made it stand out, or if the conditions (such as lighting) were just right, or if he was particularly "bright"; But, it was a powerful experience for me. I have never forgotten that. The Tunnel of Light Another time, I believe I was well rested and was going to make a serious attempt to achieve a mental state of Zen. I followed the instructions to the "t". And not long after beginning, the most amazing thing happened to me. I lost view of the floor and instead saw a tunnel of light. I felt myself being drawn into the light, at near light speed (I mean it was fast!). Then, I lost a state of no-thought. I regained presence of mind and got scared. As soon as I gained presence of mind and got scared, the tunnel of light was gone. I spent the rest of the hour trying to re-live the experience, but it was useless, because I kept thinking about it. Remember: you have to STOP thinking. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was literally freaked out! I mean nobody talks about such an experience. I never had a chance to ask a monk what it might mean. If anybody knows, please contact me. The Flying Crystals Another time, I was finding it hard to focus on the sitting zen and I was sleepy, so I tried to see what I could see in the air, using the focusing that I do to see auras. I don't know that I expected to see anything special, but what I saw "blew my mind". I saw these tiny spheres of light, kind of floating around the room. The room had no artificial lighting, and so it was a bit dark. And yet, these little spheres were emitting a very bright light in all directions. Afterward, I told my experience to a friend, and she replied: "Oh! You saw flying crystals!" I asked, "Oh, is that what they're called?" She said that she didn't know, but that's what her friend called them, who could see them as well. I have only seen them at the temple, though I've tried to see them in various other places. One time I went back to the temple, many years later, and not during zen time. I couldn't see them. It was amazing though... truly amazing. I cannot even speculate as to what they might have been, except to say that I felt they were "alive" because they moved through the air unlike anything non-living would move through the air. It seemed that they had full control over their own locomotion. Other than that, I have no clue what they could have been. The Mysteries of Buddhism: Here's My Favorite Photo of Buddhist Statues: Showing Buddhist Signs. This photo comes from China, but I've seen the same thing in Korea. If you are a Freemason or a Mormon, you will notice the similarity to your signs. How is it possible that Religions and Religious organizations worlds apart have the exact same signs? And, nobody seems to know the meaning of the signs. I've asked some many people. I've asked Mormon Temple Presidents. They don't know. I've asked Master Monks of the Buddhist Temples. They don't know. But, according to BuddhaGrove.com, I gained some insight to their meanings... The Signs are called "Mudras".
[Source#1: Buddhagrove.com ] [Source#2: SmartHistory.org ]
Here's what I think they mean:
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