Discover BIA’s Dhamma Delights
Among Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s unique approaches to sharing the Dhamma is to nourish human beings’ intrinsic need for entertainment—the fifth requisite of life along with food, clothing, shelter and medicine. Entertainment venues are necessary, and should be flavored with Dhamma to help stimulate healthy spiritual inquiry.
BIA’s creators took this legacy as paramount for their design, establishing a Dhamma edutainment center unique to the world.
The resulting natural and spiritual theater allows minds and hearts to reflect on and absorb the Dhamma through a variety of means beyond written and spoken words.
Many of these offerings are replicas from Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s Suan Mokkh monastery, such as ancient relief sculpture from the earliest Buddhist shrines in India along with numerous paintings, statues and other artwork from all major Buddhist schools.
These exhibits are integrated into gardens, landscaping and architectural features that reinforce Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s own teachings on the importance of simplicity and the natural world to cultivating our understanding of the Dhamma.
Works depicting different forms of formal meditation and mindfulness practice complement inviting practice areas, which themselves heighten the uniqueness and beauty of this Dhamma exposition.
Come discover these Dhamma Delights on your own at anytime during BIA’s operating hours or join us the first Sunday of each month for a Taste of Liberation.
Highlights
1
Kuti
Seclusion, Revelations, Resolutions
2
Five Pillars
Teachings you can count on one hand
3
Buddha Dhamma Garden
Nature is Dhamma’s best classroom
4
Zen Ox Herding
Realizing the true self
5
Buddhist Mission
Eradicating obstacles to spiritual awakening
6
Nalikae Coconut Tree
The ultimate liberation from suffering is within our reach
7
Life of the Buddha Stone Carvings
World’s first biography of the Buddha
8
The Progress of Insight
The journey to Nibbana
9
Giving of the Dhamma Eyes
Receive the wisdom, know the truth
10
Taste of Nibbana Room
Come practice! Nibbana is right at the tip of your nose
11
Wheel of Life Zen Garden
How suffering arises and ceases
12
Paticcasamuppada
A Dependent Origination riddle
13
Grandma and Grandpa’s Beans and Sesame
Dependent Origination folktale
14
Brahma Creating the World
How humans were created
15
Owata Patimokkha Hall
Gather for the Buddha’s first teaching
16
Turtle Whiskers, Rabbit Antlers, and Frog Horn
Metaphors for non-self and emptiness
17
Meditation Hall
Many messengers, many methods, one sangha
18
Calm Abiding Meditation
Steps of insight meditation
19
Monkeys Cleansing their Ears
Do not cling to anything
20
Origin of Wisdom
Begin with the middle path