Long ago, in the time of the Buddha, people were very curious to know about him. They wondered if he was a god or a special human. Then, one day, they decided to ask the Buddha himself. So, several men collected together and asked the Buddha, “Are you a god?” The Buddha replied, “No.” “Are […]
Akaba Idéna is a gateway built in Kétou in 1894. The Akaba Idéna is aniconic gateway that was built by King Oyingin, so as to strengthen his city from the French. The gateway is an earthen architectural wonder with wooden carvings and shrines of Yoruba deities and is located close to the Royal palace. Amazing
The Temple of Philae is a temple complex built in Philae, Egypt, from approximately 380 BC till 145 BC. The Temple complex comprises beautiful temples, the most ancient of them was dedicated to goddess Isis and had to be approached through a double colonnade. Other temples include temples dedicated to Ammon and Osiris. The temple
Once, a monk was travelling with his student. The monk became thirsty and told his student, “Please get me some water from the lake there.” The student went to the lake. He saw a bullock cart crossing the lake, making the water muddy. He told the monk, “The water in the lake is very muddy.
Once, a student was caught stealing in an ashram by his fellow students. They reported him to the monk. Surprisingly, the monk took no action. A few days later, the same boy was again caught stealing. Again, the monk did nothing. The other students became very angry. They wanted the boy who committed the theft
The Wangdicholing Palace was the first palace built in Bhutan, in 1857. Initially, the structure was built as a private home for a legendary Bhutanese warrior. This warrior’s son became the first King of Bhutan, under whom the structure housed the King’s offices and residence. The palace is a classic example of the 19th-century Bhutanese
South of Savatthi was a great river, on the banks of which a small settlement of about five hundred houses was located. One day, the Buddha sat down under a tree, and began to preach to the villagers. When he had left Savatthi, Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s disciples, felt a desire to hear him
Once, two monks were washing their bowls in the river. Just then, they noticed a scorpion drowning in the river. A monk carefully took the scorpion up in his hands and set it upon the bank. In the process, he was stung. The monk had to stay in bed for some days because of the
The Al-Qal’a was an archaeological site built in North Africa in 1007 and abandoned by 1090. Hammad, the son of Bologine, the founder of Algiers, founded the Qal’a. The Qal’a comprises beautiful and accurately dated monuments, including palaces and the famous mosque which has a prayer hall with 13 aisles with 8 bays, which was
Once, a kingdom was attacked by the enemy’s army. On their way to the battlefield, the king and his army stopped at a monk’s hut. The king said, “O revered man! My army goes into the battlefield with fear and doubt (asankati). Please help us.” The monk took out a coin and said, “I shall
Once, a young archer whose brain was clouded with mana (pride) challenged an archery teacher. The young archer hit a distant bull’s eye. He then split that arrow with his second shot. The young archer then turned to the teacher and asked, “Can you match this?” The teacher did not speak but took the young
The CN Tower is built in Toronto, Canada, in 1976. The CN Tower is the world’s 3rd tallest tower measuring 553.33 metres in height. The main portion of the tower is a hollow hexagonal pillar that contains the lifts leading up to the main pod, which contains observation decks, a revolving restaurant and a glass
Once, a poor man was wandering in a forest. The tired man decided to rest against a tree. The tree was a Bodhisattva in its previous birth. And now it was a magical tree. As the man sat, he thought of searching for drinking water. Magically, a cup of cool water appeared in his hand!
Once, a traveller reached a river on hi journey. He thought, ‘In order to continue with my journey, I have to somehow cross this river.’ However, there was neither a bridge nor a boat to cross it. The traveller had an idea and built a raft with grass and twigs. He used the raft to
The Fountain of Neptune was built in Rome, Italy, 1574. The Fountain of Neptune’s basin was designed after the restoration of piped water supply into the city. Since the fountains were used more for drinking and washing purposes, the fountain of Neptune initially comprised a marble basin with local stone making up the upper parts.