Wat Phra Kaew

The Wat Phra Kaew (English Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thai: วัดพระแก้ว; full official name Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram, Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม) is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located in the historic center of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the grounds of the Grand Palace.
The construction of the temple started when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1785. Unlike other temples it does not contain living quarters for monks; rather, it has only the highly decorated holy buildings, statues, and pagodas.
The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses the Emerald Buddha. Even though it is small in size it is the most important icon for Thai people. Legends hold that the statue originated in India, but it first surfaced in the vassal Kingdom of Cambodia and was given as a gift to the King of Ayuttaya in the 15th century 1434. The image disappeared when Burmese raiders sacked Ayuttaya and the image was feared lost. A century later, the 'Emerald' Buddha reappeared in Chaing Saen, after a rainstorm washed away some of it's plaster covering. It was then moved to Chiang Rai, then Chiang Mai, where it was removed by prince Setatiratt to Luang Prabang, when his father died and he ascended the throne of that Siamese vassal state. In later years it was moved to the Siamese vassal state of Vientiene. During a Haw invasion from the North, Luang Prabang requested Siam's help in repelling the invaders. The King of Vietienne tratoriously attacked the Siamese army from the rear, so the 'Emerald' Buddha returned to Siam when King Taksin fought with Laos and his general Chakri (the later King Rama I) took it from Vientiane, which at that time had been brought to its knees by the Thai Army. It was first taken to Thonburi and in 1784 it was moved to its current location. Wat Prah Keo, in Phnom Penh, is considered by many modern Cambodians as its rightful resting place, whereas, Haw Phra Kaew, in Vientiane, is considered by many Lao people as the Emerald Buddha's rightful place.
The wall surrounding the temple area – from the outside only a plain white wall – is painted with scenes from the Thai version of the Ramayana mythology, the Ramakian. Several statues in the temple area resemble figures from this story, most notably the giants (yak), five-meter high statues. Also originating from the Ramayana are the monkey kings and giants which surround the golden chedis.
The Temple also contains a model of Angkor Wat, added by King Nangklao (Rama III), as the Khmer empire of Cambodia and the Thais share cultural and religious roots.
Despite the hot weather most of the year in Bangkok, long trousers are required to enter the wat. This rule is strictly enforced. The facility can offer the rental of proper trouser wear.

Three Jewels

Refuge in the Three Jewels
Footprint of the Buddha with Dharmachakra and triratna, 1st century CE, Gandhāra.Main articles: Refuge (Buddhism) and Three JewelsAcknowledging the Four Noble Truths and making the first step in the Noble Eightfold Path requires taking refuge, as the foundation of one's religious practice, in Buddhism's Three Jewels . Tibetan Buddhism sometimes adds a fourth refuge, in the lama. The person who chooses the bodhisattva path makes a vow/pledge. This is considered the ultimate expression of compassion.

The Three Jewels are:
The Buddha (i.e., Awakened One). This is a title for those who attained enlightenment similar to the Buddha and helped others to attain it. See also the Tathāgata and Śākyamuni Buddha. The Buddha could also be represented as the wisdom that understands Dharma, and in this regard the Buddha represents the perfect wisdom that sees reality in its true form.
The Dharma: The teachings or law as expounded by the Buddha. Dharma also means the law of nature based on behavior of a person and its consequences to be experienced (action and reaction).
The Sangha: This term literally means "group" or "congregation," but when it is used in Buddhist teaching the word refers to one of two very specific kinds of groups: either the community of Buddhist monastics (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis), or the community of people who have attained at least the first stage of Awakening (Sotapanna (pali) - one who has entered the stream to enlightenment). According to some modern Buddhists, it also consists of laymen and laywomen, the caretakers of the monks, those who have accepted parts of the monastic code but who have not been ordained as monks or nuns.

According to the scriptures, The Buddha presented himself as a model and besought his followers to have faith (Sanskrit श्रद्धा śraddhā, Pāli saddhā) in his example of a human who escaped the pain and danger of existence. The Dharma, i.e. the teaching of the Buddha, offers a refuge by providing guidelines for the alleviation of suffering and the attainment of enlightenment. The Sangha (Buddhist Order of monks) provides a refuge by preserving the authentic teachings of the Buddha and providing further examples that the truth of the Buddha's teachings is attainable.
Many Buddhists believe that there is no otherworldly salvation from one's karma. The suffering caused by the karmic effects of previous thoughts, words and deeds can be alleviated by following the Noble Eightfold Path, although the Buddha of some Mahayana sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra, the Angulimaliya Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra, also teaches that powerful sutras such as the above-named can, through the very act of their being heard or recited, wipe out great swathes of negative karma.

Buddhism

Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. Buddhism is also known in Sanskrit or Pali, the main ancient languages of Buddhists, as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of "the Awakened One". Thus was called Siddhartha Gautama, hereinafter referred to as "the Buddha". Early sources say that the Buddha was born in Lumbini (now in Nepal), and that he died aged around 80 in Kushinagara (India). He lived in or around the fifth century BCE, according to recent scholarship[1]. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and thence into Central, Southeast and East Asia and Eastern Europe over the next two millennia. Eventually, Indian Buddhism became virtually extinct, except in parts of Nepal. Most scholars[2] classify Buddhism into the same three traditions, though describing or naming them differently.
Southern Buddhism, or Theravada , or Pali Buddhism - practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Bangladesh (Southeast Asia)
Eastern Buddhism, or East Asian Buddhism, or Chinese Buddhism, or Sino-Japanese Buddhism - practiced predominantly in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and parts of Russia
Northern Buddhism, or Tibetan Buddhism, or Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism - practiced mainly in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of Nepal, India, China and Russia.
Eastern and Northern Buddhism both call themselves Mahayana. The term Hinayana, referring to Theravada and various extinct Indian schools, is sometimes used, but is often considered derogatory, and the World Federation of Buddhists recommends it be avoided.
Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide and is considered a major world religion. According to one source ([7]), "World estimates for Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million." However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis[3], Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. The monks' order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is amongst the oldest organizations on earth.
In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a buddha. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas before or after him. His teachings are oriented toward the attainment of this kind of awakening, also called with various nuances enlightenment, Bodhi, liberation, or Nirvana.
Part of the Buddha’s teachings regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is constituted by the "The Four Noble Truths" about dukkha, a term that refers to suffering or the sorrow of life. The Four Noble Truths about suffering state what are its nature, its cause, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. This way to the cessation of suffering is called "The Noble Eightfold Path", which is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral life.

Nibbãna is Supreme Happiness

There is a Buddhist proverb which states that "Nibbãna is Supreme Happiness". Nibbãna means elimination of desire, not only worldly desire but also deire in the sphere of the Dhamma. Action not dictated by greed is action leading to Nibbãna.
The buddha was once asked what was meant by Saying that "Dhamma" including "Nibbãna may be "realized by everyone personally". The Buddha's reply was as follows. When one's mind is subdued by greed, hatred and delusion, volition harmful to oneself or others or to both oneself and others will arise, causing physical and/or mental suffering. As soon as such volition arises, unwholesome actions, be it of body, speech or mind, will inevitably follow. One in such a state of mind will never be able to recognize, in the light of truth, what is to his own or others' benefit, nor to the benefit of both. However when greed, hatred and delusion are eliminated, when there is no more volition harmful to oneself or others, or to both, no more unwholesome bodily, verbal or mental actions, when what is to one's own or others' benefit, or both, is recognized in the light of truth and no more suffering of the body nor even of the mind occurs, this is the meaning of "Dhamma" leading to "Nibbãna". According to this explanation of the Buddha, realization of the Dhamma means realization of one's own mental states, good as well as bad. No matter in what state the mind may find itself, one should realize it correctly in the light of truth. This is what is called realization of the Dhamma. It may be asked what benefit can be derived from such realization? The answer is that it will bring peace of mind. When the mind is poisoned with desire, hatred and delusion, it always flows out-ward. If it is brought back to be examined by itself, the fire of desire, hatred and delusion will ultimately subside and peace of mind will ensue. This peace should be carefully discerned and securely retained. This then is realization of peace of mind which is realization of Nibbãna. The way to realize the Dhamma and attain Nibbãna as taught by the Buddha is a natural one which can be practiced by all From the simplest and lowest to the highest level.
The Noble Truths, the Three Characteristics of Life and Nibbãna are Sacca Dhamma, i.e. Universal or Absolute Truth as realized and taught by the Buddha (as expounded in the First sermon and in the Dhammaniyãma or Fixedness of the Dhamma). This may be termed Truth in the light of the Dhamma, which may be attained through Paññã or insight, and this is the Budhist way to end all suffering. Buddhism simultaneously teaches the worldly Dhamma or Lokasacca. This is worldly truth, a "relative reality" or conventional truth which views the material universe as it really is, i.e. an aggregate of composite factors existing in relation to certain imperfect states of consciousness such as belief in the existence of selfhood and all its belongings. But in the worldly sense it has a conventional identity as examplified in the Buddha's saying "A man is his own refuge" . In this connexion , the buddha said "As the assembled parts of a cart comprise a cart, so the existence of khandhas or composite factors of being comprise a being" . The worldly Dhamma includes conduct in human society, for instance, the Six Directions (conduct towards our fathers and mothers, our teachers, our religion, our wives and children and our servants), as well as religion precepts and disciplinary laws. Along with our practice of the Dhamma to liberate our minds from suffering according to Absolute Truth, we should also practice the Dhamma in the light of worldly or conventional truth. For example, if one is a son, a daughter or a pupil, one should comply with the Dhamma in a manner appropriate to one is a status and try to study and use the Dhamma in thesolving of one's daily problems. He should try everyday to apply the Dhamma in his study, work and other activities. He who conducts himself in this manner will see for himself that the Dhamma is truly of immeasurable benefit to his own existence.

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
We can experience these truths, which lie at the heart of the Buddha's teachings, through direct experience. They can be viewed as
(1) Diagnosis of an illness;
(2) Prognosis;
(3) Recovery; and
(4) Medicine to cure the disease.
The first 2 truths deal with the way things are; the last 2 point the way to freedom from suffering.

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering
Besides "suffering," other translations of the Pali word dukkha include unsatisfactoriness, dis-ease, and instability. All these words point to the fact that no conditioned phenomenon can provide true (lasting) happiness in our lives. The first step in a spiritual life is to
look very closely and honestly at our experience of life and see that there is suffering. We tend to overlook or ignore or just blindly react to the unpleasant, so it continually haunts us. Yet although physical suffering is a natural aspect of our lives, we can learn to transcend mental suffering.

2. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering
Through a lack of understanding of how things truely exist, we create and recreate an independent self entity called "me."
The whole of our experience in life can be viewed through this sense of self. In consequence, various cravings govern our actions. Cravings arise for sense experiences, for "being" or "becoming" (e.g. rich, famous, loved, respected, immortal), and to avoid the unpleasant. These cravings are the root cause of suffering.

3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering
The mind can be purified of all the mental defilements that cause suffering. Nibbana, the ultimate peace, has been compared to the extinction of a three-fold fire of lust, ill-will, and delusion. One who has realised cessation has great purity of heart, ocean-like compassion, and penetrating wisdom.

4. The Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering
The Way leading to cessation contains a thorough and profound training of body, speech, and mind. Traditionally it's outlined as the Noble Eightfold Path:
(1) Right Understanding;
(2) Right Intention;
(3) Right Speech;
(4) Right Action;
(5) Right Livelihood;
(6) Right Effort;
(7) Right Mindfulness; and
(8) Right Concentration.
On the level of morality (sila), the Path entails restraint and care in speech, action, and livelihood. The concentration (samadhi) level requires constant effort to abandon the unwholesome and develop the wholesome, to increase mindfulness and clear comprehension of the mind-body process, and to develop mental calm and stability. The wisdom (panna) level entails the abandonment of thoughts of sensuality, ill will, and cruelty; ultimately it penetrates the true nature of phenomena to see impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and impersonality. When all 8 factors of the Path come together in harmony to the point of maturity, suffering is transcended. In summary, the Four Noble Truths can be thought of as that which is to be
(1) comprehended, (2) abandoned, (3) realized, and (4) developed.