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.
A monk lived a simple life in a small hut. One night, when the monk was in the forest, a thief entered the hut. However, he found nothing to steal. Just then, the monk returned. “I am sure you have come a long way to visit my humble hut,” he said to the thief, “I
Once a student went to a monk and said, “I am devoted to studying the art of meditation. How long will it take me to master it?” The monk casually replied, “Ten years.” The student became impatient. He said, “That is very long. I want to master it sooner than that. I will work very
The Maqam Echahid is a monument built in Algiers, Algeria, in 1982. The Maqam Echahid, meaning Martyrs’ Memorial, was built to honour the martyrs of the Algerian war of independence. The monument is 92 metres in height and comprises three concrete fins that join at mid-height. Above the congregating fins, there is a 7.6-metre high
Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex built in Japan, in the early 8th century. The Todai-ji was one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Due to fires, the temple was rebuilt twice, the last time in 1709. Over the years, the temple and surrounding gardens have been aesthetically redesigned to enrich the ambience of the
The African Renaissance Monument is a sculpture built in Senegal between 2006 and 2010. The African Renaissance Monument was built in honour of Senegal’s 50th anniversary of Independence from France. The monument is a bronze 49-metre high structure of a man and a woman emerging from a cave with a child aloft the man’s shoulder
The Union Buildings were built in Pretoria, South Africa, between 1910 and 1913. The Union Buildings are English monumental style structures built from light sandstone. They are the official seat of the South African government and also house the office of the President of South Africa. The building has a semi-circular shape with two identical