The history of the rin bell is deeply intertwined with meditation practice. During meditation, everything around you is involved in the experience – from your meditation cushion to your surroundings. Indeed, silence itself is an integral part of the meditation experience, but sound is as well. The rin bell acts as a stark counterbalance to… Read more »
Category: History
Who is the Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin?
In the pantheon of Buddhist deities, the bodhisattva Kuan-Yin (also Guan-Yin, Guan-Yim, Kuan-Yim, Kwan-im, and in Sanskrit, Avalokiteshvara) occupies a special position of honor and affection. This is especially true in the lay Buddhism of China, Japan, and to a lesser extent Vietnam. The Goddess of Compassion, Mercy & Kindness The reason for Kuan-Yin’s popularity is… Read more »
The Sleepy Sit: Staying Awake While Meditating
Staying Awake While Meditating When we lived at the Mt Baldy Zen Center we began our day at 4 a.m. with a pucker-inducing dose of hot lemon tea, followed by almost an hour of chanting. Both tea and chanting helped keep everyone awake while meditating. Monks and nuns of all types get up before dawn… Read more »
A Look at the Earliest Buddhist Statues
This guest post by Robert Cain takes us on a tour of some of the earliest historical instances of Buddhist sculpture. Sculpture is the visual art form most closely identified with Buddhism. The types of Buddhist statues that we see today took time to develop, and changed significantly along the way. This post will highlight some of… Read more »
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