CH.7 BUDDHISM "HOLY PLACES"

INTRO

• The Buddhist world holds a number of sacred places where pilgrimages are made.
• Two reasons for journeying to these ancient places/or sites is to:
• - Give respect and reverence to Buddha.
• - Give progress to the enlightenment.

STUPAS

• Stupas are burial mounds.
• Stupas were built according to Buddha's instructions to his followers that his body may
• be cremated and his ashes placed in a number of Stupas.
• Some objects found in Stupas are writings of Buddha's teachings, copies of important
• texts, relics, ashes, hair clippings and Buddhist saints.

STUPAS CONTINUED

• In India, the Bodh Gaya shows where Buddha became enlightened while under a bodhi
• tree.
• Pagodas differ from other stupas because they are eight-sided towers with many stories.
• Buddhist pilgrims walk around a stupa three times because it recalls the three jewels.

TEMPLES

• The largest Buddhist temple in the Western Hemisphere is the "Hsi Lai Temple."
• It is fifteen acres long and is located east of Los Angeles.

THE SHWE DRAGON TEMPLE

• Also known as the "Shwe Dagon Pagoda,"
• it is located in Yagon, in Myanmar.
• It is 325 ft. tall and is covered in golden leaf.
• This temple also contains eight of Buddha's hairs.

THE TEMPLE OF THE SACRED TOOTH

• One of Buddha's teeth is said to be enclosed or contained in the Temple
• of Kandy in Sri Lanka.

ANGKOR WAT AND ANGKOR THOM

• Ankor Thom differs from other Buddhist temples because it is a citadel,
• or a "fortress."
• Its walls are eight miles around and have five gates.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

• The largest Buddhist temple is the Borobudur Temple which is located in Java, Indonesia
• and is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the world.
• This temple stretches 15,000 square meters of land and contains two million pieces of stone.
• The temple also contains 504 statues of Buddha which gives its name "Borobudur,"
• which means "shrine of many Buddhas."

TODAIJI TEMPLE

• The significance of the Buddha statue in the Todaiji Temple of Nara, in Japan
• is that it contains the tallest Buddhist Statue in the world.
• Its size also makes this temple significant, and is the world's largest wooden
• structure.

THE GREAT BUDDHA OF KAMAKURA

• The Great Buddha of Kamakura stands in the open because the base of the statue
• is movable, and can protect it from any natural disaster.

MONASTARIES

MONASTARIES

• Some personal possessions of monks that are allowed are a razor to shave his head.
• Another possesion is a bowl/or cup to go out and get their daily foods and meals.
• Monks strain water before drinking/or using it is because Buddhist believe in not killing any
• living things and it is strained to eliminate the possibility of harming any insect that might
• be caught in a container.

MONASTERIES CONTINUED

• People gladly give food to monks because monks cannot use money.
• The monks must depend on other people for their daily meals.
• Some services that monasteries might provide to a community/ and or village are
• doubling into community centers, hospitals, schools, employment agencies and
• inns.

OTHER PILGRIMAGE SITES

• Sri Pada is located on top of a mountain in Sri Lanka called "Adams Peak."
• Adams Peak gets its name because Hindus believe that Adam landed on Sri Pada when he evicted
• from the Garden of Eden.
• Buddhists believe that Buddha visited the top of Sri Pada and he made the prints in
• the stone.

MOUNT FUJI

• Mount Fuji or "Fujiama" is in Japan.
• This is another sacred mountain where pilgrimages are made.
• Pilgrims make these pilgrimages to the top of Mount Fuji, which is almost 12,388 ft.