Asia is the largest continent when measured by landmass and human population. Following is an overview of Asia.

Asia is considered one of the seven continents. This continental definition, however, is far broader than many people think. Under the seven continent methodology, Asia stretches from Japan in the East through Russia in the West. It encompasses Saudi Arabia and everything above Asia. While it doesn’t always make practical sense, there is no denying this definition of Asia makes it the home of over 60 percent [4 billion] of all humans. China and India, of course, are the locations of a vast majority of these people.

In modern times, geographers recognize there really is no dividing line between Asia to the west and Europe to the East. This has resulted in the entire area being called Eurasia, but thousands of years of terminology aren’t about to pass into antiquity. Today, most people refer to Europe as a continent so far as it extends to the Ural Mountains in Russia. Everything to the east of that mountain range is considered Asia. For instance, Israel is considered a country in Western Asia!

Russia has even picked up on this theme with the two heads on the national flag. The west facing head refers to the European part of Russia while the East facing head refers to the Asian part of the country. Within Russia, it is almost as if there are two countries with Moscow and St. Petersburg having heavy European influences. Cities in the Far East, such as Vladivostok, are much more oriented to China and such.

To resolve the boundary issue, the powers that be have started defining Asia subcontinents. The areas are:

Central Asia - Kazakhstan Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

1. East Asia - China, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, North and South Korea.

2. North Asia - Russia.

3. India Subcontinent - India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

4. Southeast Asia - Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar [Burma], Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

5. Southwest Asia - The Middle East including Turkey, Iran, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and sometimes Egypt.

Given the problems defining the boundaries of Asia, you can imagine it is also difficult to define certain characteristics regarding the continent. After all, life in Turkey is much different than in China. Conversely, customs in India are completely different than those in China. In fact, most people living in Asia take offence when someone uses the word “Asians” to refer to them. The word implies a similarity among all people in Asia, which simply isn’t true.

Economically, things are a bit easier to categorize. The largest economy in Asia is China as a measure of gross domestic product. Officially known as the People’s Republic of China, this country remains communist in name only when it comes to economic issues. With massive economic growth over the last 10 years, China is the second largest economy in the world after the United States. Another heavily populated area, India, is now the fourth biggest economy in the world, while relatively small Japan is the third. Put in practical terms, Asia is home to three of the four biggest economies on Earth. The three dominant financial centers are Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.

With so many countries, it is hardly surprising to find a wide variety of religious practices in Asia. There are a wide variety of belief systems, but Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam have the largest number of adherents.

Figuring out exactly what constitutes Asia is largely a matter of opinion. Among many assertions about Asia, the undisputable one is it is the home to the largest percentage of humans on the planet.

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Bihar is a state in the northern side of India. The state of Bihar is situated in the Southern side of Nepal. On the west lies another Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and in the east there is West Bengal. Bihar is considered as the Hindi heartland of India. Here the Buddha delivered his very first speeches and achieved nirvana.

The capital city of Bihar is city of Patna. Patna is situated at the meeting point of 3 important rivers of which one is the might river Ganges.

They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.

The province of Bihar was titled as Magadha in its old times. Its very first crucial emperor was called by the name of Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Far East is attributable to this distinguished emperor.

It is said that he sent his numerous sons to various parts of the world as missionaries. The empire of Ashoka spread from the east of India to Persia. It is said that he fell short of invading Persia simply because the rulers had him married to the king of Persia.

For the student of ancient history and followers of Buddhism, a trip to Bihar is a must. The ancient town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar houses the most holy sites of Buddhism. Some of which includes the original Bodhi tree where Buddha got enlightenment.

Various sects of Buddhism and various Buddhist countries of the world have set of temples at Bodh Gaya. The town of Bodh Gaya can be reached by getting to Patna and then taking the road or overnight train. A pilgrimage to the holy sites of Bodh Gaya is a revelation.

Tags: buddhism, india, places, religion

Bihar is a northern state of India. The state of Bihar lies south of Nepal and with West Bengal in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the east. It is the Hindi heartland of India. It is here that Buddha gave his first sermons and obtained enlightenment.

The capital city of Bihar is Patna. The metropolis of Patna lies on the junction of 3 crucial rivers of which one is the river Ganges River. Lord Siddhartha once told that the city of Patna, then called Patliputra would confront three major assaults in the future.

They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.

The state of Bihar was named as Magadha in its ancient times. Its very first major ruler was called Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and the Far East is credited to this great ruler.

He sent his sons as missionaries to spread the word of Lord Buddha. The kingdom of this ruler spread from eastern India to the borders of Persia. It has been documented that he did not invade Persia because he was married to the daughter of the king of Persia.

For the student of ancient history and followers of Buddhism, a trip to Bihar is a must. The ancient town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar houses the most holy sites of Buddhism. Some of which includes the original Bodhi tree where Buddha got enlightenment.

Various sects of Buddhism and various Buddhist countries of the world have set of temples at Bodh Gaya. The town of Bodh Gaya can be reached by getting to Patna and then taking the road or overnight train. A pilgrimage to the holy sites of Bodh Gaya is a revelation.

Tags: buddhism, india, places, religion

Bihar is a northern state of India. The state of Bihar lies south of Nepal and with West Bengal in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the east. It is the Hindi heartland of India. It is here that Buddha gave his first sermons and obtained enlightenment.

The capital city of Bihar is city of Patna. Patna is situated at the meeting point of 3 important rivers of which one is the might river Ganges.

They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.

The state of Bihar was named as Magadha in its ancient times. Its very first major ruler was called Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and the Far East is credited to this great ruler.

It is said that he sent his numerous sons to various parts of the world as missionaries. The empire of Ashoka spread from the east of India to Persia. It is said that he fell short of invading Persia simply because the rulers had him married to the king of Persia.

Anyone interested in ancient history and the Buddhist religion, a trip to Bihar should be worthwhile. The old city of Bodh Gaya of Bihar has the most important grounds of the Buddhist religion.

Various factions of Buddhism and various Buddhist states of the world have set of temples at Bodh Gaya. The township of Bodh Gaya can be arrived at by getting to Patna and then taking the road or nightlong train. The pilgrim’s journey to the holy sites of Bodh Gaya is definitely a revalation.

Tags: buddhism, india, places, religion

Bihar is a northern state of India. The state of Bihar lies south of Nepal and with West Bengal in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the east. It is the Hindi heartland of India. It is here that Buddha gave his first sermons and obtained enlightenment.

The capital of Bihar is Patna. The city of Patna lies on the junction of 3 major rivers of which one is the river Ganges. Lord Buddha once said that this city Patna, then called Patliputra will face 3 major issues.

They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.

The province of Bihar was titled as Magadha in its old times. Its very first crucial emperor was called by the name of Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Far East is attributable to this distinguished emperor.

It is said that he directed his numerous sons to several regions of the Earth as missionaries. The empire of Ashoka fans out from the east of India to the Persian Empire. It is said that he fell short of occupying the Persian Empire merely because the ruler had a matrimonial alliance to the king of Persia.

Anyone interested in ancient history and the Buddhist religion, a trip to Bihar should be worthwhile. The old city of Bodh Gaya of Bihar has the most important grounds of the Buddhist religion.

Here grows the Bodhi tree, where Buddha attained enlightenment. Most Buddhism countries and sects of the world have set of temples in the holy town of Bodh Gaya. The city of Bodh Gaya can be reached by either flying or taking a train to Patna and then taking the road or train to Bodh Gaya. A trip to the town of Godh Gaya is revelation.

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Generally speaking, Buddhist symbols can be considered based on a particular culture and its followers. Everebody heard about Eight Auspicious Symbols, dorje and bell, mandala etc. Many of these symbols can be found in ancient India where Hinduism is the main religion. Their meaning and usage may however not be in the same light. The Buddha lived around the 6th Century B.C. However, no Buddhist art or artifacts are known to have been in existence by then. In the Buddhist holy writings, it is claimed that the Buddha would sometimes use Buddhist art or images such as the Wheel of Life to illustrate his teachings. Ornamental carvings have been found dating to the reign of Emperor Ashoka. Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism, thereby making this religion popular both in India and the countries in the vicinity.

Excavations of Buddhist art that have been discovered dating to the first century have mostly been symbolic by nature and their significance remained symbolic until the appearance of the Buddhist Tantra. This Buddhist used imagery and visualization as part of the Buddhist meditation. From here, Tibetan Buddhism was born and Buddhist temples began to have collections of Buddhist art and religious artifacts for Buddhist meditation purposes.

Symbols as the wheel, lotus and the stupa were found in almost any Buddhist temple. Reflecting on these symbols was regarded as part of the Buddhist meditation ritual. Let?s consider some of these symbols in the light of current Buddhist meditation and religious practices.

The bell is one of the symbols used and it serves a natural function and is said to drive out evil spirits. It consists of a lotus symbol, dorje and a moondisc. In religious rituals, the bell is harmonized with the dorje, another symbol. The bell is used to represent the feminine principle of wisdom while the dorje represents the masculine principle of compassion.

The dorje is a substantive symbol that represents the invincible state of Buddha hood. The dorje is actually a scepter and is regarded as a very important ritual item in Buddhism meditation practices.

Incense burning is also taken to be a significant part of Buddhism worship. During the incense offering, this is the time to offer specific requests of success, longevity and any personal need. After this, Buddhist meditation is performed and such qualities as love, joy and compassion are reflected upon during these meditation periods.

Some religious locations are also part of Buddhism. Mount Kailash is regarded as a Buddhist temple and a significant symbol of Buddhist worship. Taken to be the central point of the universe, Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak and is considered out of bounds to climbers. Its religious attachment extends to 4 religions. These are Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism.

Buddhist art forms are seen by many as visual mantras. The large assortments are usually located in the Buddhist temples. By contemplating on these religious Buddhist art forms, it is generally accepted that one will build an inner contact with the facet being represented.

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Incense burning is considered a religious and a purification rite in many places. Incense, the practice of burning aromatic materials to release fragrance has been done for hundreds of years and in recent years, the practice is quite popular. Burning of incense is done either for aesthetic purpose or due to some medicinal benefits that go along with it.

Today, with advanced technology, incense burning has taken a different turn and the reasons for incense burning have changed. This has largely been influenced by the underlying cultural of roots of the people as well as the diversity of cultures. Whatever the reasons, it seems that incense burning has picked up in recent years.

There are many aromatic materials that are burnt today as incense. Extractions of solid materials as well as oils have been burnt and considered authentic aromatic substances. With the many materials has come the many incense burners used while undertaking the ritual.

When it comes to liquid aromatics, these substances must have special incense burners to hold the essential oils. In most cases, a base that is extracted from charcoal powder is added to the liquid fragrances and is used as a base. Cheaper fragrances have been used as incense and they are derived from chemical synthesis. These fragrances require special incense burners to hold them during the burning process.

Incense classification can take many forms. In most cases, the mode and degree of incense burning is used. The 2 groups commonly used are indirect and direct burning. In indirect burning, charcoal or burning embers provide the heat source. Frankincense is one of the materials that is indirectly burnt as well as myrrh. In Europe, Frankincense is used to signify any aromatic substance that is burnt on an incense burner. During burning, frankincense is placed on coal embers in its unprocessed state on the incense burner and let to burn.

In direct burning, the combustible incense is placed on an incense burner and lit directly. Once the flame has been removed, the material will continue to smolder away burning the entire incense without the need to put a flame in again. The incense substance must therefore be made of a moldable substance that has to be finely grounded or even in liquid form.

Frankincense coils can be burnt directly or by suspending them on an incense burner so that it burns completely in a coil-like fashion. Some incense sticks have a bamboo core for support while for loose powder, wood ash incense burners are used. When burning powder directly, it first has to be enclosed under another material before placing it on the incense stick and lighting it up. Other forms of direct burning use cored sticks, solid sticks and incense blanks. In incense blanks, scented dust is used as the fragrance substance.

Incense burners come in virtually all shapes and sizes. Whether buying incense burners or aroma lamps, burners can be classified in countless ways. There are incense burners that look like mythical gods and goddesses, celestial burners, pentagrams, animal and miscellaneous incense burners. You can find all the pictures of these burners online before making a purchase.

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