Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Buddha which are referred to as “Dharma” or “the Dharma.”  Buddhist believe they are on a spiritual quest to Nirvana, a state of complete enlightenment.    Like all religions, Buddhism has evolved over time, fractured and adapted as the religion spread to the continent of Asia and around the globe.  Today, there are three major sects of Buddhism and several lesser-known denominations of the religion.

Despite their differences, these variations of the Buddhist religion still share core principles. They all accept Buddha as their spiritual teacher.  The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are core principles and philosophies of the faith.  All believe that Buddhahood is the highest possible state that can be achieved.

Around 300 BC, the Theravada, or “Traditions of the Elders” was first established.  This religion centered around the teachings of Buddha and encouraged it’s followers to teach the mind to eliminate suffering through the use of meditation with the ultimate goal of reaching Nirvana.  Theravada Buddhism established the canon of Buddhist scriptures and the Ten Precepts which govern the lifestyle of Buddhist monks.

This discipline of Buddhism originated in India and migrated to southeast Asia into Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries.  As it was adopted by the indigenous peoples, the Theravada was altered to incorporate the religious beliefs of the various regions. It is still practiced in Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia today.

Eastern Buddhism known as Mahayana expands the Pali Canon and includes other religious texts and philosophies that champion of belief in universal compassion and altruism.  This is central to their belief in an “Awakened mind.”  Mahayana Buddhism is most popular in Korea, Japan and China. It incorporates elements of mysticism and cosmology.  Mahayana Buddhism itself has splintered into two variants.  Zen Buddhism, which focuses more on internalization of the spiritual path and self-reliance and Pure Land Buddhism which teaches that dedication to the Amitabha Buddha is required to reach Nirvana.

Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism is very similar to Mahayana Buddhism with subtle variations.  Also known as “tantric Buddhism,” Vajrayana melds the scriptures and text of both Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism along with Buddhist Tantras.  A major difference of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it teaches that Buddhahood can be achieved in a single life time without need for reincarnation.   

The method in which one achieves enlightenment is the most significant difference between the various types of Buddhism.  While all believe in the core principles of meditation and spiritual questing guided by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the attainment of Nirvana varies considerably.

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Close to 2,500 years in the past, Prince Siddharta Gautama was born in what’s currently called Lumbini in Nepal. He was born a prince and his birth had been heralded with many distinctive signals that indicated a destiny of greatness. The prince’s father asked a wiseman who resided in the kingdom for guidance concerning his son.  The sage man theorized that the prince, Siddharta Gautama, would either follow in his father’s  footsteps and turn out to be a great king or he would become a spiritual leader.

Praying that his son would end up his heir, the king did his best to separate the prince from those things that might encourage him toward a spiritual existence.  The prince was bombarded by luxury  and excess, all the advantages that his royal status could offer.  Siddharta Gautama turned out to be to be an intelligent student and excellent sportsman.  He wed a exquisite woman whom he loved and  they  bore a child.

At the age of 29, the prince determined that the world surrounding him was a great deal more problematic than what he encountered in the walls of his palace.  Out amidst the citizens of the kingdom, he  discovered actuality: old-age, sickness and death. The great shock of this finding left the youthful prince shaken. He decided then to dedicate himself to ending the suffering. Leaving his wife and child, the prince forsaked his worldly property and embarked on a spiritual quest.

Guatama began a course of study with numerous instructors to understand their practices. With the aid of Alara Kalama, he soon started to understand meditation and discovered an exalted form called absorption.  This permitted him to attain a state of nothingness where there was no moral or cognitive dimension. While this was beneficial it was clear to the past prince that it would not eliminate the suffering he  had seen.  Guatama continued his hunt for other people who could possibly guide him on his spiritual journey.  Udraka Ramputra, helped Gautama to comprehend a state of neither perception or non-perception,  but this to was not just what he was looking for. The next step in the journey led Gautama to Uruvilva in Northern India.  It was there he selected an ascetic way, experiencing a life of deprivation for nearly 6 years. This only led to the degradation of his entire body, weakness and self-destruction. Even though it cost him his five followers, Gautama ended this ascetic way of life.

The end of this spiritual quest appeared as far away as ever, so the Buddha sat down under a Bodhi tree and announced that “flesh may wither, blood may dry up, but I shall not rise from the spot until Enlightenment has been one.”  After 40 days and nights of thought and meditation, the Buddha at last achieved Enlightenment.

It’s the Buddhist belief that at that moment he achieved a state of being that surpasses anything else in the universe. Each of our normal experiences are based on preconceptions and conditions: how we were raised, our ordeals, flaws and mistakes. Enlightenment is a state in which the complicated inner workings of life become apparent and the reason for man’s suffering discovered.

For the next 45 years, the Buddha journeyed through much of what is now north India. He taught the way of Enlightenment to all who wanted to comprehend. This teaching came to be referred to as the dharma or “the teaching of the enlightened one.     The Buddha accepted many disciples who in turn achieved their own Enlightenment and they trained others.

Buddhists believe that Buddha attained a state of being that flows beyond anything else in the world. If normal experience is based on conditions – upbringing, mindsets, viewpoints, perceptions, and so forth – Enlightenment is Unconditioned. It was a state when the Buddha obtained insight into the deepest operation of existence and for that reason, into the cause of human suffering, the challenge that had set Him on His spiritual journey in the first place.

The Buddha statue we often see doesn not represent a god and would not look at himself as a divine creature. He was simply a human that endeavored to transform himself through self reflection and meditation. Buddhists see him as an ideal and his journey as a guideline which will direct them on the path to enlightenment.  Most homes that practice Buddhism will display some type of Buddha decor like a statue of Buddha, but this is intended to remind them of their own spiritual journey.

The Bhumisparsha mudra [is most commonly known as the 'earth touching pose.' A mudra is a [motion or gesture of the hands and body to express a feeling.|Mudras are gestures or motions of the body and hands used  to express a feeling or thought non-verbally.]  the foundation of Buddhist meditation rituals.|Buddhist meditation rituals are based on the many different mudras.] The earth touching pose is most often seen in [statues of Buddha and is also referred to as the 'earth witness' mudra.|Buddha statues are often depicted in the earth touching mudra which is also known as 'the earth witness' position.]

The earth touching mudra [is performed by extending the five fingers of the right hand and placing them on the ground with the palm facing inward toward the body.|To perform this mudra, the hand is placed on the ground with all fingers touching. The palm faces inward.] symbolic of the moment when Buddha summoned the goddess, Shthavara to witness the moment in which he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.|It's believed that Buddha assumed the earth touching position after he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree to call the goddess Shthavra to witness the event.] Occassionally, you may see this mudra referred to as 'Summoning the Earth Goddess to Witness.'

Buddha figurines in the earth touching mudra have the right arm resting on the right knee with the fingers of the hand extended downward. The left hand rests in the lap, palm up in the mudra of meditation (dhyana mudra). This is believed to symbolize the marriage of wisdom and method or Nirvana and Samasara. (Buddhist teachings tell the tale of how Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, assumed the earth touching pose to resist against the temptations and distractions of the demon Mara who sought to lure the Buddha from his spiritual life.|The teachings of the Buddhist faith speak of how the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, resisted the temptations of the demon Mara by taking the earth touching pose.] In Buddhist folklore, Mara was viewed as everything from an all powerful demon to a gremlin-like nuisance. One story tells of how Mara summoned his daughter's to seduce the Buddha and distract him from his spiritual journey. This has parallels to the mythology of other cultures, similar to Greek sirens.

The earth touching pose is associated with Akshobhya, one of the Five Great Buddhas. Akshobhya is a manifestation of strength, confidence and determination and the use of the Bhumisparsha mudra is a reflection of that. Akshobhya and Amithaba were the two Buddhas who represented wisdom and compassion respectively. The Buddhist theology evolved to include the Five Dhyani Buddhas who each represent an aspect of the Buddhist philosophy.

Akshobhya sits in the Eastern position and is thought to possess the mirror wisdom that converts anger to wisdom. He is associated with the element water which also has reflective properties.

Display of an earth touching pose Buddha statue can be a prompt us to remember the Buddha's resolve and need to channel our anger into wisdom.

Namaste yoga represents a style of yoga based on the Hatha Vinyasa yoga practice. The meaning of the word namaste comes from the Indian greeting and it can be translated as follows: nama means bow, as it means I, and te means you; therefore namaste literally means I bow to you. It is a form used when greeting someone or when departing. As for Namaste yoga, the practice focuses on the importance of breathing; the breath is the guide and the body follows on the lines imposed by the breath. When greeting with namaste, the hands are placed together in front of the eyes while, bowing the head, and afterwards the hands drop down to the heart. The gesture implies a profound form of respect. Westerners perceive namaste in a different way than it is performed in India: westerners would say the word Namaste while making the gesture described above, while for Indians the gesture itself carries in it the word, making it unnecessary to pronounce the word while bowing.

Namaste yoga is often included in the practice of other yoga styles. The gesture namaste, the salute per se, is believed to enhance the divine love flow; when one closes the eyes and bows, he/she surrenders the mind to the divine in the heart. Ideally, Namaste yoga is a popular practice that opens and ends a yoga session, but it is usually done before completing the work routine, because it is considered that the mind and the body are more at peace then, not to mention the higher level of positive energy in the room.

The core of Namaste yoga is combined with the principles of Gautama Buddha, biggest Indian guru and the founder of Buddhism. Hence, a general consideration for all yoga styles is that the practice is more than a way to stay flexible or in good physical shape, as it is rather a way of life. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that one cannot benefit from Namaste yoga from the point of view of the physical fitness alone, it only means that if one gets interested in Namaste yoga, one will develop other preoccupations beside the immediate external reality. The yoga instructor offers Namaste as a token of respect and acknowledgment for the students, and in return invites them to connect with their lineage starting the energy flow from their hearts. It is rather difficult to properly perform various yoga positions, it requires practice until one is able to perform them with minimal effort.