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Here are some picutres of common things within Buddhism!

wheel.jpg

Unlike most forms of Western thought, Buddhism does not see life as being a linear path. In Buddhism, life is circular, always going around in a never-ending cycle. The only way to break that cycle is to reach Enlightenment. Within the image of the wheel is contained the idea of reincarnation, karma, and much more.

mandala

The above picture is of a mandala. Mandalas are imaginary palaces that are contemplated during meditation. Each object in the mandala carries some significance. They represent some aspect of wisdom, or work as a reminder of some guiding principle for the meditator. Tradition dictates the shapes, sizes and colors of these objects. There are many different mandalas, each with different lessons to teach. Most mandalas contain a number of deities as well as inanimate objects

1001 Sansjuans

This picture is of 1,001 Buddha statues located in Sanjusangendo, Japan. The tallest being just shy of 12 meters. The statues are all contained in a large hall and are the largest concentration of Buddhist statues in the world.

Temple

This is a picture of a Buddhist temple. This particular temple, the Kiyumizu Temple, was constructed out of divine ordinance. Legend says that a Buddhist priest named Echrin had a vision that he would build a temple at a fountain of pure, clear water. When he came across a fountain, the image of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Mercy) appeared and told him to build a temple there.

The Dalai Lama

This picture is of the current Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the religous leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Dalai Lama is a mongolian term that means "ocean of wisdom." The Dalai Lama is a boddhisatva, or one who rejects enlightenment in order to help others to reach it. He is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and escaped persecution by the Chinese during the cultural revolution.

For more information on the Dalai Lama click here: http://www.tibet.net/eng/hhdl/

monks.jpg

This is a picture of Tibetan monks meditating. Meditation is one of the key elements on the road to Nirvana. Monks spend hours a day meditating and repeating mantras again and again in their heads, or aloud.