Portal:Buddhism
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 Buddhism is regarded as both a major world religion and a philosophy; it is based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, who lived in or around the fifth century BC. The teachings spread from their roots in India to most of Asia including China, and Japan and now exist in three main divisions: Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.  Śāriputra (Sanskrit) or Sāriputta (Pāli); Chinese: 舍利弗 Shelifo; Japanese: Shari Hotsu was one of two principal disciples of the Buddha. He became an Arhat renowned for his wisdom and is depicted in the Theravada tradition as one of the most important disciples of the Buddha. Śāriputra came from a brahmin family and had already embarked on life as a spiritual ascetic when he encountered the teachings of the Buddha. Śāriputra had a close friend Mahāmaudgalyāyana (Pāli: Mahāmoggallāna), another wandering ascetic. They both renounced the world on the same day and became disciples of the sceptic Sañjaya Belatthiputta before converting to Buddhism. After hearing of the Buddha's teachings from a monk named Assaji (Sanskrit: Aśvajit), Śāriputra sought out the Buddha and became an adherent to his teachings. These two are often depicted together with the Buddha, and several sutras regard interactions between Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana (who became renowned among the early Buddhists for his mastery of supernatural powers). Dipankara (Sanskrit and Pali Dīpaṃkara, "Lamp bearer"; Chinese 燃燈佛 (pinyin Rándēng Fo); Tibetan mi slob; Mongolian Jula-yin Jokiyaγči, Dibangkara, Nepal Bhasa: दिपंखा Dipankha) one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.
Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of "Thousand Buddhas". Each was responsible for a life cycle. According to some Buddhist traditions, Dipankara (also Dipamkara) was a Buddha who reached enlightenment eons prior to Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Generally, Buddhists believe that there has been a succession of many Buddhas in the distant past and that many more will appear in the future; Dipankara, then, would be one of numerous previous Buddhas, while Shakyamuni was the most recent, and Maitreya will be the next Buddha in the future.  Hanna Matsuri 8 April Japanese Mahayana celebration of the Buddha's birth. Flowers are usually offered to Buddha images and shrines. Songkran April Songkran is usually celebrated with entertainment: water boats, water fights, dancing, fireworks and shadow puppet plays. Gifts are given to monks and nuns at this time. It coincides with the New Year in Thailand. Main Category: Detailed information about Buddhism can be found under these sub-categories:  Kalachakra (Sanskrit कालचक्र; Tibetan dus kyi 'khor lo) is a term used in Tantric Buddhism that means "time-wheel" or "time-cycles". It refers both to a Tantric deity (Tib. yidam) of Vajrayana Buddhism and to the philosophies and meditation practices contained within the Kalachakra Tantra and its many commentaries. The Kalachakra Tantra is more properly called the Kalachakra Laghutantra, and is said to be an abridged form of an original text, the Kalachakra Mulatantra which is no longer extant. Some Buddhist masters assert that Kalachakra is the most advanced form of Vajrayana practice, it certainly is one of the most complex system within tantric Buddhism. The Kalachakra tradition revolves around the concept of time and cycles: from the cycles of the planets, to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the practice of controlling the most subtle energies within one's body on the path to enlightenment. The Kalachakra deity represents a Buddha and thus omniscience. Since Kalachakra is time and everything is under the influence of time, he knows all. Similarly, the wheel is without beginning or end. The Gateless Barrier (無門關, Mandarin. Wumenguan, Japanese. Mumonkan, often erroneously rendered as "gateless gate") is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans compiled in the early 13th century by Chinese monk Wumen (無門). Wumen's preface indicates that the volume was published in 1228. Each koan is accompanied by a commentary and verse by Wumen. A classic edition includes a 49th case composed by Anwan (pen name for Cheng Ch'ing-Chih) in 1246. Wu-liang Tsung-shou also supplemented the volume with three poems relating to case number 47, composed in 1230. Along with the Blue Cliff Record and the oral tradition of Hakuin Ekaku, The Gateless Gate is a central work much used in the Rinzai school of Zen. 
Mahayana (Sanskrit: mahāyāna:महायान, "Great Vehicle", Chinese: 大乘, Dàshèng; Japanese: 大乗, Daijō; Korean: 대승, Dae-seung; Vietnamese: Đại Thừa; Tibetan: theg-pa chen-po; Mongolian: yeke kölgen) is a classification of Buddhism used in several different senses. The most common, found in English dictionaries, is as one of two major branches of Buddhism existing today, the other being Theravada (上座部). However, the normal usage in the Mahayana in sense 1 is to refer to a level of spiritual motivation and practice, namely the Bodhisattvayana, the Bodhisattva's vehicle. The term Mahayana is also often used in a sense exclusive of the Vajrayana, which is itself used in a variety of senses. 
Subhuti asked the Buddha: “What should one who wants to travel the Bodhisattva path keep in mind?” The Buddha answered, “A Bodhisattva should keep this in mind: All creatures, whether they are born from the womb or hatched from the egg, whether they transform like butterflies or arise miraculously, whether they have a body or are purely spirits, whether they are capable of thought or not capable of thought: All of these I vow to help enter nirvana before I rest there myself!" 
Om mani padme hum (Derived from the Sanskrit, Devanagari ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ, IAST oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ) is probably the most famous mantra in Buddhism, the six syllabled mantra of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan Chenrezig, Chinese Guanyin). The mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara.
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