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Encyclopedia > Vihara

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Vihara (विहार) is Sanskrit or Pali for (Buddhist) monastery. It originally meant "dwelling" or "refuge", such as those used by wandering monks during the rainy season. The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Pali may refer to: Pāli, a Middle Indo-Aryan language Pali, Rajasthan, a town and district in Rajasthan, western India Pali, a Hawaiian word, meaning cliffs Nuuanu Pali, a region on the Hawaiian island of Oahu Ballaleshwar Pali, the Ganapati temple of pali and place in Maharastra This is... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Monastery of St. ...


In the early decades of Buddhism the wandering monks of the Sangha had no fixed abode, but during the rainy season (cf. vassa) they stayed in temporary shelters. These dwellings were simple wooden constructions or thatched bamboo huts. However, as it was considered an act of merit not only to feed a monk but also to shelter him, sumptuous monasteries were created by rich lay devotees (Mitra 1971). They were located near settlements, close enough for begging alms from the population but with enough seclusion to not disturb meditation. Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ... Vassa (Thai พรรษา, pansa or phansaa), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. ...


Trade-routes were therefore ideal locations for a vihara and donations from wealthy traders increased their economic strength. From the first century CE onwards viharas also developed into educational institutions, due to the increasing demands for teaching in Mahayana Buddhism (Chakrabarti 1995). Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...


In the second century BCE a standard plan for a vihara was established. It could be either structural, which was more common in the south of India, or rock-cut like the chaitya-grihas of the Deccan. It consisted of a walled quadrangular court, flanked by small cells. The front wall was pierced by a door, the side facing it in later periods often incorporated a shrine for the image of the Buddha. The cells were fitted with rock-cut platforms for beds and pillows (Mitra 1971). This basic layout was still similar to that of the communal space of an ashrama ringed with huts in the early decades of Buddhism (Tadgell 1990). A chaitya-griha (stupa hall) is a meeting or assembly often used for purposes similar to a stupa. ... The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... Media:Example. ... An Ashram (Pronounced aashram) in ancient India was a Hindu hermitage where sages (See Rishi) lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ...


As permanent monasteries became established, the name "Vihara" was kept. Some Viharas became extremely important institutions, some of them evolving into major Buddhist Universities with thousands of students, such as Nalanda. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... A view of the ruins of Nalanda University In the extreme rear is visible stucco (lime plaster fresco) wall art from the Gupta period. ...


Life in "Viharas" was codified early on. It is the object of a part of the Pali canon, the Vinaya Pitaka or "basket of monastic discipline". Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ...


The northern Indian state of Bihar derives its name from the word "Vihara", probably due to the abundance of Buddhist monasteries in that area. The Uzbek city of Bukhara also probably takes it name from "Vihara". Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: ,  ) is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern part of the country. ... Bukhara (Tajik: Бухоро; Persian: ‎, Buxârâ; Uzbek: ; Russian: ), from the Soghdian βuxārak (lucky place), is the fifth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and capital of the Bukhara Province (viloyat). ...


In Thailand, "Vihara" has a narrower meaning, and designates a shrine hall. Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ...


See also

Nava Vihara (Sanskrit: नव विहार - New Temple or New Monastery (See Vihara), has been arabized as Nau Behar or Navbahar) was a buddhist temple or monastery near near the ancient city of Balkh, in the Khorasan province of Persia (now in present-day Afghanistan) The temple may have been an old Zoroastrian... WaT (Wentz and Teppei) is a Japanese pop duo, composed of singer/songwriters Eiji Wentz and Teppei Koike. ...

References

  • Chakrabarti, D.K. (1995). Buddhist sites across South Asia as influenced by political and economic forces. World Archaeology 27(2): 185-202.
  • Mitra, D. (1971). Buddhist Monuments. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta. ISBN 0-89684-490-0.
  • Tadgell, C. (1990). The History of Architecture in India. Phaidon: London. ISBN 1-85454-350-4.

External links

  • Lay Buddhist Practice: The Rains Residence - A short article on the meaning of Vassa, and its observation by lay Buddhists.

  Results from FactBites:
 
Welcome to NEW YORK BUDDHIST VIHARA (389 words)
The Staten Island Buddhist Vihara at 115 John Street, Staten Island, New York, 10302 was opened on July 15th, 1999 under the patronage of Ven.
The Buddhist Vihara branch in New Jersey at 65 Main St., Metuchen, New Jersey, 08840 was opened on January 5, 2002 under the patronage of Ven.
Presently the Vihara is housed in a building that is rented out with the necessary funds needed for its maintenance provided by the Buddhist devotees of the area.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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