Long ago, there lived a woman called Sujata. She was married to Ananda, the Blissful. The villagers had decided to build an inn for the travellers under Ananda’s directions. Sujata wanted to help the people, too. Since she was a woman, the villagers didn’t seek her help. One day, Sujata thought, ‘I must do whatever […]
The Valley of the Queens is the burial site for the wives of Pharaohs, built in Egypt between 1543 BC and 1077 BC. The Valley of the Queens included many members of nobility, including the princesses, heads of stables and viziers in the early years. However, from the 19th dynasty, the tombs were exclusively used
A monk took care of a garden in a famous monastery. Just next to the monastery was another smaller monastery. An old master lived there. One day, some special guests were supposed to visit the big monastery. So, the monk spent a lot of time pulling out the weeds, trimming the shrubs, and arranging the
Once, there was a cruel and miserly king. One day, a monk came to his court and narrated a parable. He said, “Once, a wicked king ruled the Earth. Thus, Lord Indra came to the Earth in the form of a hunter with the Naraka Matali who appeared as a fierce dog. When the hunter
An old farmer worked on his field for many years. One day, the farmer’s horse named ‘Kanthaka’ ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours said, “Bad luck!” “We’ll see,” the farmer replied. The next morning, Kanthaka returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful!” the neighbours said. “We’ll see,” replied the farmer.
The Bodhisattva took many births as an ascetic. But this time, he came as the most powerful ascetic in the world. He had many followers. During the same time, there was another ascetic who was envious of the Bodhisattva. He thought of a plan to remove the Bodhisattva from his path. He told one of
Deir el-Medina is a village built in Egypt between 1550-1080 BC. Deir el-Medina was a village comprising only of the artisans who were working on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The culture of the village and accounts of community life, spanning 400 years, are perfectly recorded. There is a rich variety of
It was forbidden to talk in a monastery. The monks had to keep a vow of silence. However, every ten years, the monks were permitted to utter just two words. Thus, after ten years, the head monk allowed all the monks to say the two words. One monk said, “Bed hard.” “I see,” said the
Diocletian’s Palace was built in Croatia, in the 4th Century AD. The Roman Emperor Diocletian built this structure as his retirement home. However, while half the ‘palace’ was used for the Emperor’s personal use, the other half was used as a military garrison. The palace was constructed of limestone, marble and brick. Decorative items like
Once, there was a famous monk. A number of disciples practised meditation under him. One day, one of the monk’s students went to him and said, “I am not able to meditate properly. I feel distracted. Sometimes, my legs start aching, or I fall asleep. I cannot concentrate. What should I do?” The monk smiled
Once, a man from a village heard that a Bodhisattva lived in a small house atop the mountain. The man decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. At the house, a servant greeted him at the door. The man told the servant, “I have heard a Bodhisattva lives here. I want
Once, there was a Bodhisattva. He was quite old, but the most enlightened man. He had many students who studied under him. One day, an infamous monk arrived in the village and challenged the Bodhisattva to discuss on a topic. The Bodhisattva gladly accepted the monk’s challenge. As the two prepared for the discussion, the
The Monastery of St. Anthony was built in Egypt in 356 AD. The Monastery of St. Anthony sits in an oasis in Egypt’s Eastern Dessert. The monastery was a self-contained structure comprising of a mill, bakery, gardens and five churches. The walls are decorated with paintings of knights in vibrant colours and hermits in lighter
The Monastery of St. Paul (the Anchorite) was built in Egypt, in the 5th century AD. The Monastery was built on the site where St. Paul lived for 80 years. The monastery was populated with monks who may have been Melkites, followed by Syrian and Egyptian monks. However, the monastery was raided and destroyed numerous
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was built in Alexandria, Egypt, between 280-247 BC. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was between 120 and 137 metres in height and considered to be the tallest man-made structure for many centuries. After having been badly damaged by three earthquakes, the site of the lighthouse was