0:00:13 > 0:00:19Buddhism is one of the most ancient belief systems in the world.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Buddhism is both a religion and a philosophy.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Only your own understanding saves you from suffering.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31It is practised by over 350 million people today.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36There are many people who feel attracted to a religion
0:00:36 > 0:00:39which empowers the human individual.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I am going to travel to seven wonders of the Buddhist world.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Seven wonders that give an insight
0:00:46 > 0:00:49to the long and rich history of Buddhism.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53At each location I'll meet Buddhists who will help me to understand
0:00:53 > 0:00:57the different concepts that form the core of Buddhist belief.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03I'm going to explore how it started, where it travelled
0:01:03 > 0:01:08and some of the most spectacular monuments built by Buddhists
0:01:08 > 0:01:10right across the globe.
0:01:13 > 0:01:19And to try to get to the bottom of the attraction of this philosophy for mankind
0:01:19 > 0:01:23for close on 2,500 years.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Buddhism's numbers grow year on year
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and I'll be uncovering why
0:01:31 > 0:01:38as I experience seven modern and ancient wonders of the Buddhist world.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55This is north-eastern India,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00where Buddhism began around 500 years before Christ.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Millions of pilgrims come to this country, and to the sacred city of Bodh Gaya,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08to visit the place where a young Indian Prince underwent
0:02:08 > 0:02:10a life-changing personal transformation
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and came to be known as the Buddha.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19I've studied the period in history when the Buddha lived for over 20 years
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and I just love it
0:02:21 > 0:02:25because this was such a radical age.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27This was a time when men like the Buddha,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and Socrates in Ancient Greece,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33turned the world of belief upside down.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39Instead of focusing on tradition and convention and ritual,
0:02:39 > 0:02:45they dealt with ethics and the possibilities of the human mind.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53And I'm particularly fascinated to follow in the trail of Buddhism,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57because as the philosophy has travelled through 25 centuries,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00it's marked out a path that leads directly
0:03:00 > 0:03:05from ancient society to the modern world.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09This is Mahabodhi,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13the "great awakening" temple in Bodh Gaya in north-eastern India,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16our first wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28The reason Bodh Gaya is here at all
0:03:28 > 0:03:32is because two and a half millennia ago, one man
0:03:32 > 0:03:35had an internal, personal revelation
0:03:35 > 0:03:37while he sat underneath a peepul tree.
0:03:37 > 0:03:44It's a very quiet, simple beginning to end up with all of this.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50That man was called Siddhartha Gautama,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and we're told he renounced his privileges and family
0:03:54 > 0:03:58to embark on a rigorous quest.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02A journey to understand the inherent challenges of the human condition,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06sparked by the suffering, sorrow and deprivation
0:04:06 > 0:04:08that he saw all around him.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It was a long and difficult journey.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Siddhartha renounced the comforts of the material world.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19He meditated for weeks on end.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21He broke with the status quo
0:04:21 > 0:04:24in a region that had been dominated by the old gods
0:04:24 > 0:04:26for the previous thousand years.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Finally he achieved Nirvana,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33what we loosely translate as Enlightenment,
0:04:33 > 0:04:39and became known as the Buddha or "the enlightened one".
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The Buddha, according to Buddhist scriptures,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47made his way to this spot, and determined not to move
0:04:47 > 0:04:51until he found an answer to the world's suffering.
0:04:51 > 0:04:57So, it was here, on one warm spring evening, 2,500 years ago,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00that the Buddha came to sit.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05We are told that all night he was tormented by demons
0:05:05 > 0:05:11but then, as the sun began to rise in the East, he found enlightenment.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The Bodh Gaya temple is the Mecca of Buddhism.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22It is where the Buddha attained enlightenment
0:05:22 > 0:05:24according to their belief
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and the Bodhi tree, or a great- grandson of the Bodhi tree,
0:05:28 > 0:05:29still grows there.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32So, Buddhists go there to remember the great breakthrough
0:05:32 > 0:05:35that was the Buddha's discovery of the true nature of the universe.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And inspired by the Buddha's example,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41you'll find visitors here from every corner of the globe,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45from the 90 or so countries where Buddhism still flourishes today.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Bodh Gaya is one of those key sites
0:05:49 > 0:05:52for all Buddhists worldwide.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56It serves as a magnet, as a centre point, for Buddhists from around the world.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You could say it's the place
0:05:59 > 0:06:01exactly where Buddhism started.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I'm not a Buddhist, but if you ask anyone who's involved in Buddhism,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11they'll tell you that it's a very difficult philosophy
0:06:11 > 0:06:13to teach or to explain,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and that the very best way to understand it is to experience it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21And so, by experiencing Buddhism,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm going to try to get to the heart of a philosophy
0:06:24 > 0:06:27that can sometimes seem complicated, out of reach.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I'll start with the three key principles of Buddhism -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33what are known as its "Three Jewels".
0:06:36 > 0:06:41The first is the life and example of Buddha himself.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48All Buddhists are encouraged to model their approach to life on his.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56The most important single point in the Buddha's teaching,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00and one that distinguishes it very sharply from other religions,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04is that the Buddha taught that each of us
0:07:04 > 0:07:09is entirely and solely responsible
0:07:09 > 0:07:13for our own lives and our own salvation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16No-one else can be responsible.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The Buddha didn't claim any divine status,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24nor did he profess to be a personal saviour.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27He called himself a guide and teacher.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31His message appealed to people of all social classes in ancient India,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35to merchants, to farmers, and to the Untouchable caste.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39The Buddha, in the course of his spiritual awakening,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42rejected a good number of aspects of Hinduism.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46He rejected some philosophical components of Hindu beliefs,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51he was very critical of the position of the Brahmins or priests
0:07:51 > 0:07:55in society at that time, which was a very elitist position.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57He was similarly critical of the caste system.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02He positioned himself, as a result, outside of the caste system.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07The Buddha spent his remaining years travelling through deep forests,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10across mango groves, from village to village.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12The curious would bring food and clothing
0:08:12 > 0:08:15for the philosopher and his band of followers.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And, in turn, he encouraged them
0:08:17 > 0:08:21to reconsider the purpose and point of life,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24to recalibrate their moral compass.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Although the Buddha didn't establish a church or temple system as such,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34over time, the significant locations in his life
0:08:34 > 0:08:37were gradually turned into shrines.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Originally Bodh Gaya was just a pastoral sanctuary,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45marked out with a stone balustrade,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49200 years or so after his death, but by the 6th century AD,
0:08:49 > 0:08:54a full-blown temple, the Mahabodhi Temple,
0:08:54 > 0:08:55marked the spot.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00About 400 years after, the first temple,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03that was built here for the worshiping of the Bodhi tree,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06was replaced by this kind of a temple, built to enshrine
0:09:06 > 0:09:11the iconic image of Buddha, which had gained currency by that time.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15The temple, particularly the Mahabodhi Temple,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19is representative of how important Buddhist temples were,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24and how, you know, this idea of building a temple to enshrine statues
0:09:24 > 0:09:25started from here.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35As Buddhism's travelled through the centuries,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39perhaps inevitably, it's taken on more the aspects of a religion,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43with temples and pilgrims and a religious hierarchy.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48You could be forgiven for mistaking Buddhism
0:09:48 > 0:09:52as one of the great, god-driven faiths of the world,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but there is a key difference.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59By putting such an emphasis on a system of personal morality
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and breaking with the conventions and traditions
0:10:02 > 0:10:04and rituals of the past,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07in many ways, the Buddha was one of those men
0:10:07 > 0:10:09who gave us the modern world.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And although he never denied that there were gods,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15he simply said
0:10:15 > 0:10:18you don't have to rely on the gods to make everything OK.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23According to Buddhist sources,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26having seeded a radical new world view,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29the Buddha died at the age of 84.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34His body was cremated but his bones remained unburned.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39They were distributed amongst the various tribes, rulers and kingdoms,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42who are now starting to follow the Buddhist way,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and who honoured its founder by building monuments, or stupas,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48over his remains.
0:10:49 > 0:10:55In Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, stands The Bodanath Stupa,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58our second wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It was first built in the 5th or early 6th centuries AD,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06then rebuilt and restored a number of times,
0:11:06 > 0:11:12finally as this giant, enclosed tomb in the 14th century.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15It is the largest in the Indian subcontinent,
0:11:15 > 0:11:21a sacred place for thousands of Buddhists throughout the world.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Here at Bodanath, I am going to find out more
0:11:25 > 0:11:27about the three jewels of Buddhism.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Buddhism consists, as far as Buddhists are concerned,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34in three things which they call the three jewels.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Those three things are closely connected.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40The first is the Buddha, the founder of their religion.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The second is called the Sangha,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and that is the community of monks and nuns.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The third is called the Dharma.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54The Dharma refers to the preaching, the teaching of the Buddha.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59In other words, it's what the Buddha discovered and it's also the truth.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02As you walk around the Bodanath, here, you always have this sense
0:12:02 > 0:12:04that you are being watched
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and that's because the Buddha's all-seeing eyes
0:12:07 > 0:12:09are always staring down at you.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13That squiggle in the middle of his face, incidentally, is not his nose,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16it's actually the Sanskrit character for the number one,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19to represent a kind of unity in the Buddhist faith.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24Something you won't find represented up there are the Buddha's ears,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and there is a particular reason for that.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28We are told that the Buddha said
0:12:28 > 0:12:33he never wanted to hear that he was being worshipped.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And of course, that is what is so unique about Buddhism -
0:12:38 > 0:12:42this is a religion without a central authority figure.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Instead there's just this credo that man is his own lord and master,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52that mankind itself can control humanity's destiny.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It's not atheistic, because they do believe in the existence
0:12:59 > 0:13:03of, sort of, Gods and angels and so on, but they simply don't believe
0:13:03 > 0:13:06that those beings have the universe under control
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and therefore they cannot save us from suffering.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11They themselves need saving from suffering
0:13:11 > 0:13:14from a future time when they cease being gods
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and they become beings that are vulnerable to pain and suffering.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24At the Bodonath Stupa, one of the many people who come
0:13:24 > 0:13:27to circumambulate and to pay their respects to the Buddha
0:13:27 > 0:13:30is Ani Choying, a Buddhist nun
0:13:30 > 0:13:34famous throughout Nepal for her sweet singing voice.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38She is, in fact, known as the singing nun.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42This is a very highly spiritual place, we consider.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It's a holy place, and we believe
0:13:45 > 0:13:48that all the great relics of the Buddha's are in the stupa
0:13:48 > 0:13:53and it holds a very special religious spot.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And every people who come around here
0:13:56 > 0:13:58are always reciting mantras
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and really focusing on meditation,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03they do the circumambulation, prostration,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06to keep the physical healthy
0:14:06 > 0:14:10and the mind, to be energy clean,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13chanting mantras as well as doing prayers
0:14:13 > 0:14:18so trying to put yourself in a very good, positive discipline.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21This is a very, very highly blessed place.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Ani is originally from Tibet.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Thousands of Tibetan Buddhists now live in Nepal as refugees.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34The brand of Buddhism is as much Tibetan as it is Nepalese.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Flexibility and diversity has always been one of Buddhism's strengths.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44The Buddha himself said there should be no one official Buddhist language.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Instead, Buddhists are encouraged to focus on the universal relevance
0:14:48 > 0:14:51of the Buddha's wisdom.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54There are some people here who will tell you that
0:14:54 > 0:14:59buried deep in that stupa is a fragment of the Buddha's bone.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Now, I'm not certain that we're going to be able to prove that
0:15:03 > 0:15:06but what is sure is that this is the biggest stupa
0:15:06 > 0:15:11in the whole of Nepal and one of the largest in the world,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and it is immensely impressive,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17but do you know what's significant about it, actually
0:15:17 > 0:15:19is not how it looks but what it means
0:15:19 > 0:15:24because this was built to represent something very special.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26For the men who created this,
0:15:26 > 0:15:31this was nothing less than incarnation of the Buddha's mind.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40The symbolism of the stupa is very interesting because
0:15:40 > 0:15:45it takes the elements of earth, water, fire, wind and space,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47different shapes that represent those,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and they put them in an ideal aesthetic form,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and so the idea is that the Buddha's mind is the awareness
0:15:53 > 0:15:58that the universe is the ideal environment for the human being
0:15:58 > 0:16:00to achieve freedom from suffering.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Around the Buddha gathered men who shared with him a common vision and goal.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Gradually, this group came to be a formalized community,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12a body that took its name
0:16:12 > 0:16:16from the old aristocratic councils of the day. The Sangha.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The Buddhist Sangha became a monastic tradition,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22comprising ordained monks and nuns
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and it's one of the three jewels of Buddhism.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35My first experience of the Sangha
0:16:35 > 0:16:38came at what felt like an ungodly hour.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43At Bodanath every morning, just after dawn, monks of all ages
0:16:43 > 0:16:47gather to perform the first of many rituals of the day.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51The Sangha is one of the oldest continuously active
0:16:51 > 0:16:53spiritual organizations in the world.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57LOW CHANTING
0:17:02 > 0:17:06What's being recited here is a Tara Puja,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10it's a chant that aims to ensure a kind of liberation from suffering.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And it's really interesting because "Tara" is thought to be
0:17:13 > 0:17:16a female manifestation of Buddha's wisdom,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18something which is incredibly potent.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I mean, this isn't just an abstract idea of wisdom
0:17:21 > 0:17:23this is thought to be healing,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26to actually be stronger than medicine itself.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30DRUM BOOMS AND BELLS RING
0:17:33 > 0:17:35The Sangha includes women and was set up
0:17:35 > 0:17:38to allow those who wish to practise Buddha's teachings
0:17:38 > 0:17:41a disciplined environment and maximum time
0:17:41 > 0:17:44to focus on the philosopher's ideas,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47free from the responsibilities and distractions
0:17:47 > 0:17:50of a domestic or conventional lifestyle.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56A few miles outside Kathmandu,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Ani, the singing nun, runs her own nunnery.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05It's a refuge for girls, many as young as ten,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08the age both sexes can embark on the life of a Buddhist novice.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10SINGING
0:18:17 > 0:18:19I have here mostly
0:18:19 > 0:18:24girls from families who are facing some difficulties,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27obviously poverty, and the other thing is
0:18:27 > 0:18:30the fathers are often very ignorant.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34They get carried away with the alcoholic behaviour, as well.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Very abusive behaviours, and they do not think that it is good
0:18:37 > 0:18:39to send their girls to school,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42so I try to collect them here,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and give them a much as I can give them.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Controversial for its time was the inclusion of women
0:18:48 > 0:18:50among the ranks of the Sangha.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52The Buddha allowed women to become nuns,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55to lead a life devoted to spiritual development.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Like Buddhist monks, nuns are expected to remain celibate,
0:18:59 > 0:19:04pure, since they are one of the three jewels of Buddhism,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06not just Buddha's foot-soldiers
0:19:06 > 0:19:10but an incarnation of the belief system itself.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15So, I've learnt about two of the three jewels of Buddhism.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19The Sangha and the life of the Buddha.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24But what about the third jewel, the Dharma, or teachings?
0:19:24 > 0:19:29You can, perhaps, help me out a bit. How do you describe Dharma?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32What does Dharma mean to you?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35According to my understanding,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40what Dharma is to do whatever you do,
0:19:40 > 0:19:47very practically, skilfully, for the benefit of all beings,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52without causing any harm, and for their wellbeing,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56including oneself and all, is Dharma.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03SHE SINGS:
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Dharma means the purity of heart. Dharma means peace,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26and Dharma means wellbeing of all human society.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Are there special ways that you can achieve Dharma?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Are there rules and regulations that show you what to do?
0:20:34 > 0:20:39We are taught what causes suffering and what can cause suffering,
0:20:39 > 0:20:46and how to avoid causing suffering in life, one's own life.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50And when you implement those teachings
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I think that is what really contributes towards
0:20:53 > 0:20:56one's own wellbeing and others' wellbeing,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and I think that is considered Dharma.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06In the Buddhist context, the word Dharma refers, above all,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09to the teachings of the Buddha as he rediscovered them
0:21:09 > 0:21:14in the process of his progress towards enlightenment.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The reality of the Dharma which holds you free from suffering,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24is what they take, the root of the word Dharma, which means to hold,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and the Buddha said Dharma holds a being free from suffering.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Coming here to Nepal, it has been relatively straightforward
0:21:39 > 0:21:43to identify two of the jewels of the triple jewels of Buddhism.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The Buddha himself, both ideas about him and his image,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50are absolutely everywhere, as is the Sangha,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55and here in Kathmandu, there are monks and nuns at every street corner,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00but what has been harder to pin down is the Dharma itself,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03the belief system, the philosophy, the religion,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06whatever you want to call it, of Buddhism.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Maybe it's unrealistic of me to expect there to be
0:22:08 > 0:22:12one single definition for such a broad concept.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The Buddha himself said the Dharma was like
0:22:15 > 0:22:20the salt of the oceans of the world, a universal taste.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26So, the Buddha implied the Dharma could be tasted anywhere, by anyone,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29but the question for me, as a historian,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33is how that "taste" of the Buddhist Dharma could become "universal",
0:22:33 > 0:22:40practically, how Buddhism established itself as a global belief-system.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Buddha's teachings were charismatic and radical for their time,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46but, as with all big new ideas,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50they needed a groundswell of popular support or a patron, or both,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54to gain a firm foothold and to really fly.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58While there was grassroots interest in what he had to say,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02it was about 200 years after the Buddha's death that Buddhism got a major boost.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08In 250BC, the ruthless, all-powerful emperor Ashoka,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10who controlled most of ancient India,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13proved Buddhism's greatest ally.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Ashoka was haunted by the memory of the blood that he'd acquired
0:23:20 > 0:23:25on his hands as a result of the cut and thrust of his rise to power
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and he decided to turn to "the good"
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and in order to realize that ambition
0:23:31 > 0:23:34he vigorously promoted Buddhist ideals
0:23:34 > 0:23:38right across the Indian subcontinent.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40According to Buddhist tradition,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42in the centuries following Ashoka's
0:23:42 > 0:23:43sponsorship of Buddha's ideas,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45the philosophy evolved into
0:23:45 > 0:23:48at least 18 different schools.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49One of these, the Theravada,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51still survives today
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and is mainly associated
0:23:53 > 0:23:55with south and southeast Asia.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Another came to be called
0:23:56 > 0:23:57the Mahayana,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59the "Great Vehicle" or "Way",
0:23:59 > 0:24:02now most often found in north and east Asia.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Ashoka, by embracing Buddhism,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10put a particular emphasis on the consequences of his actions,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14on what he thought and how he lived in the world.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15On his Karma.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Karma is a word well known in the west today.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It has its roots in early Indian belief systems,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25but the value of Karma became
0:24:25 > 0:24:27a fundamentally important
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Buddhist concept,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and one that I am going to explore
0:24:31 > 0:24:32at...
0:24:36 > 0:24:39..our next wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that the tooth relic
0:24:57 > 0:25:01was brought to their country around 300 BC.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Safeguarding the relic became the responsibility of kings
0:25:04 > 0:25:08and over the years, the custodianship of the relic
0:25:08 > 0:25:10came to symbolize the right to rule.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19The Buddha is said to have given two legacies to future generations -
0:25:19 > 0:25:23the body of his teachings, the Dharma,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and also relics of his physical body itself,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30which are now scattered in shrines right across the globe,
0:25:30 > 0:25:37and one of the most precious is kept in here, in the Temple of the Tooth.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43That relic makes the presence of the Buddha more graphic to people,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45so it gives them a power.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Actually, many Buddhist temples around the world have relics,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51a piece of bone or something,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53just as in Europe, you have relics of saints,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58so it's a way of making the person's presence feel more immediate.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03That gives the temple more power, as a magnet to draw the worshipper.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The shrine stands right at the centre of a paved courtyard.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13The ceiling is decorated with moonstones and floral designs.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19There are ivory reliefs on the doorways.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The inner chamber contains the tooth relic and other sacred objects
0:26:26 > 0:26:30and all around there is a brightly painted corridor.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44DRUMMING AND WIND INSTRUMENT
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Monks conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00Rituals are performed at dawn, at noon and in the evening.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05The tooth is in this upper chamber in a casket of gold
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and is only revealed to a chosen few.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13The sacred relic is symbolically bathed
0:27:13 > 0:27:18with an herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23This holy water is believed to contain healing properties
0:27:23 > 0:27:25and is distributed among those present.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Once a week, mothers gather at the temple with their babies.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40All these little babies are waiting to be taken in to be blessed by the priests
0:27:40 > 0:27:44so that they have Buddha's power with them for the rest of their lives.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47They're given a white piece of string to wrap around their wrist
0:27:47 > 0:27:50which shows that the Buddha is with them from now until they die.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55It's thought incredibly important that they get the blessing at this early stage
0:27:55 > 0:27:58because everything that they do from now on,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00all their intentional actions,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04what they think, what they say and what they do, their karma,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08will affect how they are then reborn in the next life.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13Karma is one of the main concepts of Buddhism.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17It is the belief that any of our intentional actions, both thought and deed,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21will be mirrored by something similar happening to us in future.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25So, if you harm someone, someone will harm you.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29This principle of cause and effect can bring consequences
0:28:29 > 0:28:32that are either good or bad depending on what it is you've done.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37Because Buddhists believe we have many lives, this good and bad karma
0:28:37 > 0:28:43can generate consequences both throughout this life and long into the next.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Karma is what you do. The word literally means deed or action.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53But the Buddha said
0:28:53 > 0:28:55that all Karma that matters
0:28:55 > 0:28:59is what is morally good or morally bad,
0:28:59 > 0:29:03and you decide what to do.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Now, we must remember that for Buddhists,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11your life goes on beyond what we normally think of as this life.
0:29:11 > 0:29:17In fact, you are reborn an infinite number of times
0:29:17 > 0:29:19until you manage to bring that to an end.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Buddhists use a metaphor to help explain what karma is.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30They say that if you sow thistle seed,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33then you can't expect apple trees to grow,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38and that is very clear. It's a basic principle of cause and effect
0:29:38 > 0:29:43and as a historian, I know that that principle has real validity.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46We are all affected by our past
0:29:46 > 0:29:50and our past and our present together informs our future
0:29:50 > 0:29:52so when the Buddha said
0:29:52 > 0:29:56that we should be mindful of our intentional actions, of our karma
0:29:56 > 0:30:00and that our highest authority is our conscience,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02than he was making real sense
0:30:02 > 0:30:07and he was also clarifying something about what it is to be human.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18Of course, the issue is that karma can be both good and bad.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21And in Sri Lanka, the fallout of action and reaction,
0:30:21 > 0:30:26of cause and effect, has been brutally tested in recent years.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28For nearly three decades,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31the country has been locked in a violent civil war,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35in which close on 100,000 people have been killed.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Sri Lanka is only now emerging from this debilitating conflict
0:30:40 > 0:30:46between the Hindu Tamil minority and a Buddhist Singhalese majority.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48The Temple of the Tooth was badly hit
0:30:48 > 0:30:50and partially destroyed during the war.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52It has now been fully restored.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59Buddhists believe this cycle of death and destruction can be broken.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03They assert that by following a certain path, it is possible
0:31:03 > 0:31:08to break out of a continuous round of life and death and rebirth,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10which in Buddhism has a name.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Samsara.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15And Samsara is the concept I am going to investigate now
0:31:15 > 0:31:19as I move to the next wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Once Buddhist ideas had flourished in Sri Lanka,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Sri Lankan monarchs sent emissaries to adjoining kingdoms
0:31:33 > 0:31:35in southeast Asia to carry
0:31:35 > 0:31:37the Buddhist message.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39By the 11th century,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Theravadin Buddhism was well established in Thailand
0:31:42 > 0:31:47and here in Bangkok, close on 90% of Thais are now Buddhist.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51The reason that Buddhism has thrived so vigorously
0:31:51 > 0:31:55and tenaciously here is because right from its very outset,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58it's had the support of the Thai kings.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02A king here can aspire to be a Buddha himself
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and there is one king who was actually a monk for 25 years
0:32:05 > 0:32:07before he came to the throne.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Every time the royal family builds a new palace for itself,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15it will also constructs next door a monastery and a temple complex
0:32:15 > 0:32:17as a kind of outward sign of its righteousness
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and commitment to the Buddhist cause
0:32:20 > 0:32:26and here in Bangkok, the temple complex is certainly fit for a king.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33This is Wat Pho, our next wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:32:33 > 0:32:39It's the largest and oldest temple complex in Bangkok.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43It's home to more than 1,000 Buddha images.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45The complex includes a temple, a working monastery
0:32:45 > 0:32:49and a large courtyard with a forest of stupas,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52thick with exquisite hand-made lotus motifs.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58And hidden within its own palatial hall...
0:32:58 > 0:33:02the golden reclining Buddha.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13The gold Buddha is 141ft long
0:33:13 > 0:33:15and 49ft high.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21Started in 1788, it took over five years to build.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39This one of the most stunning, gobsmacking
0:33:39 > 0:33:41works of monumental art I have ever seen.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I have to say I love its audacity,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46I love the fact that it says,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48"Look at me, look at what mankind can do
0:33:48 > 0:33:52"when he manipulates raw materials to create a thing of beauty,"
0:33:52 > 0:33:56because here there are thousands of fragments of mother-of-pearl used
0:33:56 > 0:34:00and a 153 plates of gold,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03but what it doesn't seem to me to say
0:34:03 > 0:34:07is that this is an incarnation of the Middle Path,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11that essential Buddhist notion that extremes and excesses
0:34:11 > 0:34:14should be avoided at all costs
0:34:14 > 0:34:17because there is no doubt that this is a thing of opulence.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20It's enormous, it's gorgeous
0:34:20 > 0:34:22and it's very sensuous.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30In history of Thailand there are a lot of large-scale
0:34:30 > 0:34:36reclining Buddhas built all over central part of Thailand,
0:34:36 > 0:34:43because to build a reclining Buddha, it's not a very easy process
0:34:43 > 0:34:49because most of the reclining Buddha is not made from casting
0:34:49 > 0:34:54it's made from bricks, plaster, or cement.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59It's considered very respectful image,
0:34:59 > 0:35:05so it must be decorated with very valuable materials
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and, of course, the most valuable materials
0:35:08 > 0:35:13for decorating the image of Lord Buddha should be gold.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Gold in Buddhism symbolizes the sun, or fire.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22The most valuable of metals, it is accorded a sacred status
0:35:22 > 0:35:27through its association with Surya, the sun god of the Hindu pantheon.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31For Buddhists in Thailand, and other South Asian countries,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34gold is an element that signifies homage.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39A gift of gold is the ultimate demonstration of one's piety.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43The meritorious act of putting gold leaf
0:35:43 > 0:35:46on the surface of a Buddha's skin
0:35:46 > 0:35:49is to commemorate the living Buddha,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53who had a golden-like aura, a radiance, they believe.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57But gold and its association with wealth and might
0:35:57 > 0:36:01is also the way Thai monarchs have used a showy form of piety
0:36:01 > 0:36:05to forge a strong relationship between Buddha's ideas
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and the power of the state.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10It was King Rama III
0:36:10 > 0:36:13who had the statue of the reclining Buddha opulently restored
0:36:13 > 0:36:17at the height of his reign in the mid-19th century.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19It's called the Lion Pose,
0:36:19 > 0:36:24so, as he lay there in the lion pose as he was preparing to die.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28It's described that he lay down on his right side
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and he rested his head on his right hand.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37There is a reason that this Buddha has got such a serene smile -
0:36:37 > 0:36:41it's because he has achieved enlightenment, Nirvana.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45It means that he has escaped what Buddhists call Samsara,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49an endless cycle of life, of birth and death,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52of passion and desire and delusion,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56that can only lead to pain and suffering.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Samsara effectively constitutes a cycle of birth and re-birth,
0:37:05 > 0:37:10and as long as we are in Samsara we are born innumerable times
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and moving from one existence to the next.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15We can be re-born as a human being, as a divinity,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18or you can be re-born as an animal, etc.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25'Tell me what you think Samsara is?'
0:37:25 > 0:37:30For me it's not just a physical picture
0:37:30 > 0:37:34of, you know, the circle of being born and ageing and dying,
0:37:34 > 0:37:39for me it has something to do with the state of mind as well.
0:37:39 > 0:37:45That you have to deal with your bad emotions if you have problems,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48if you're suffering, you have... feel frustrated,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50you don't know how to deal with it,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53but this is just a small sample of bad things that happen to you,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57just keep go on and on and on, can find a real peace or happiness.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03The wheel of life is a common visual depiction in Buddhism.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06At the time Buddha started to teach,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08many understood life as a relentless cycle,
0:38:08 > 0:38:13where all were born, grew old, died and were re-born in another life.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It was an eternal morass, from which there was no release,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22but Buddha felt that an escape was possible.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26He taught that through one's actions, karma, and through a way of life
0:38:26 > 0:38:30that was characterized by wisdom, morality and compassion,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34via meditation and the triumph of the mind over craving, desire and excess,
0:38:34 > 0:38:39it was possible to achieve enlightenment, Nirvana.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45He believed that this enlightenment would empower ordinary people
0:38:45 > 0:38:47to break free from Samsara.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48THEY CHANT
0:38:50 > 0:38:53This idea gives Buddhist funerals a distinctive character.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Those present mourn their loss,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00but also hope that, thanks to their beloved's good karma,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04the dead are at least one step closer to enlightenment,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08that they have the chance of a re-birth as a better being
0:39:08 > 0:39:11who one day can escape Samsara.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17What goes around comes around, and that's what I believe,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21this body is just like a house that we rent for a while.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25After we die we have to find a new place to live,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28it's impermanent, it's just temporary.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32So, good Buddhists believe that we should do our best in this life
0:39:32 > 0:39:35to guarantee a better place after we die.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Buddhists say that there is only one certain way
0:39:57 > 0:39:59to break free from Samsara,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03to eliminate the desires, and the passions,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07and the distractions of everyday life.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Now, of course, that is very easy to say and it's very hard to do,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15so over the centuries Buddhists have employed specific rigorous methods
0:40:15 > 0:40:18to break free from all of this,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21from the troubles and the temptations of the real world,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and to set themselves on the path to enlightenment, to Nirvana,
0:40:25 > 0:40:31and that is the truly radical thing about the Buddha's example,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34his belief that each and every one of us
0:40:34 > 0:40:37has the capacity to achieve liberation,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40to achieve our own enlightenment.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47It took the Buddha years to arrive at this radical belief.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Ideas he developed through his own personal experience -
0:40:51 > 0:40:54in particular, an intense form of meditation.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59And it is Buddhist meditation that I'm now going to experience
0:40:59 > 0:41:01in our next wonder of the Buddhist world.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Buddhism continued to spread throughout the Mediaeval period.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08Come the 13th century
0:41:08 > 0:41:12and Buddhism was flourishing in the Khmer Kingdom...
0:41:12 > 0:41:13modern-day Cambodia.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19The temple complexes here at Angkor are our fifth wonder.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Angkor Wat began life as the sacred palace complex
0:41:25 > 0:41:28of a Khmer Emperor who, in fact, favoured Hinduism
0:41:28 > 0:41:30over Buddhist ideas.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35These aren't just buildings, but have a grand ambition.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40The whole complex is said to be a symbolic representation
0:41:40 > 0:41:42of Hindu cosmology.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51The original temple honoured the Hindu god Vishnu
0:41:51 > 0:41:56and incarnates the centre of the physical and spiritual universe,
0:41:56 > 0:41:57a mythical mountain.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04A series of five rectangular walls represent other mountains
0:42:04 > 0:42:08and the moats here evoke the cosmic ocean.
0:42:20 > 0:42:27This place reeks of a combination of earthly and divine power,
0:42:27 > 0:42:31and of the close-knit relationship between gods and kings.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34And, of course, it was a belief in that relationship
0:42:34 > 0:42:38that inspired the creation of this complex in the first place,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42but for some people it was just TOO exclusive,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45too strictly hierarchical...
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and Buddhism offered a solution.
0:42:48 > 0:42:54It was the Khmer Emperor Jayavarman VII who converted to Buddhism
0:42:54 > 0:42:56and his regime marked a clear dividing line
0:42:56 > 0:42:58with the old Hindu past.
0:42:58 > 0:43:04Before 1200, art in the temples mostly portrayed scenes from the Hindu pantheon.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09After his conversion, Buddhist scenes began to appear as standard motifs.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13During his reign, there was a focus on building libraries,
0:43:13 > 0:43:17monastic dwellings, public works, and more "earthly" projects,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19accessible to the common people.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24So history in Cambodia takes a humanist turn
0:43:24 > 0:43:26and as Buddhism rises in popularity,
0:43:26 > 0:43:32you find images of the Buddha and his followers emerging everywhere in the architecture...
0:43:32 > 0:43:36in gates, in walls and in temples.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40So now Angkor is showing the world a more human face.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48The Angkor complex is a prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50By the 12th century,
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in masonry,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57facing the monuments with intricate sandstone blocks.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03Angkor Wat is famous for the harmony of its world-class design.
0:44:03 > 0:44:09Architecturally, towers shaped like lotus buds are characteristic.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Half-galleries broaden the passageways,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15other galleries connect enclosures
0:44:15 > 0:44:18and terraces appear along the main pathways of the temple.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22The walls are decorated with bas-reliefs
0:44:22 > 0:44:26showing Hindu mythological figures and detailed narrative scenes.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31This one depicts the churning of the oceans.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting
0:44:38 > 0:44:40and the passage of time.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44They included gilded stucco, gold on some figures,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47and elaborate carved ceiling panels and doors.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52This was the largest sacred building in the world.
0:44:52 > 0:44:58Although there is an eerie, crumbling beauty to this place now,
0:44:58 > 0:45:02you have to imagine it in its heyday.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05All this stonework would have been brightly painted
0:45:05 > 0:45:09and in this corridor there would have been many hundreds of statues of the Buddha,
0:45:09 > 0:45:11wrought out of precious gold.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15The light from the statues would have been reflected back from the walls,
0:45:15 > 0:45:20which would have been studded with emeralds and sapphires and rubies,
0:45:20 > 0:45:24and outside there would have been crowds of monks,
0:45:24 > 0:45:27their eyes closed in meditation,
0:45:27 > 0:45:32their faces lit by the glow of torches made out of jungle resin.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38Since Buddhism is primarily an educational system,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42meditation is a key component of that educational system.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Meditation is the way you become viscerally and directly aware
0:45:46 > 0:45:50of all these deep connections and connectivenesses to the universe,
0:45:50 > 0:45:52and you have to become directly aware of it
0:45:52 > 0:45:56to become free of being controlled by unconscious processes.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00And that freedom is liberation, that freedom is Nirvana.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05I'd been invited by a group of trainee Buddhist monks
0:46:05 > 0:46:07to experience meditation for myself.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Members of the Sangha can spend hours each day meditating.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18The way they sit, the position of their hands,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21is copied from the practice of the Buddha himself.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26They are still and concentrate on their breathing...
0:46:26 > 0:46:29not doing anything to alter the way they breathe,
0:46:29 > 0:46:33not worrying about whether they're doing it right or wrong,
0:46:33 > 0:46:38clearing their minds of thoughts, of feelings, of fear and anger...
0:46:38 > 0:46:41of the distractions of the outside world.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Just following the breathing and becoming one with each breath.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56I can't say I've managed to completely block out the sound of the world going on
0:46:56 > 0:47:00and it feels hard to stay this still for so long,
0:47:00 > 0:47:08but if someone were to ask me if I had any anger in my head or my heart right now,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10I would have to say there is none.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25The Pali Canon advises that there are particularly good places to meditate -
0:47:25 > 0:47:30a mountain, a hillside, a rock cave, a cemetery,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33an open field, an open forest,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35the root of a tree,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37deep in the jungle.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40And this place certainly fits some of those criteria,
0:47:40 > 0:47:41but I have to say,
0:47:41 > 0:47:46I'm probably going to carry on meditating in my own sweet way for a while.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48I am not quite ready yet to do the deep breathing
0:47:48 > 0:47:51and the lotus position.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55But still I have huge respect for the practice of meditation,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58not least because it is a firm vote of confidence
0:47:58 > 0:48:01in the power of the human mind.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05It suggests that in order to transcend the difficulties of this world,
0:48:05 > 0:48:10we don't just need to appeal to a higher, divine authority...
0:48:10 > 0:48:14but to look to our own consciousness.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19Well, certainly the people of Cambodia have had more cause than most
0:48:19 > 0:48:24to find internal resources to deal with the troubles that the world has thrown at them.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30Cambodia has suffered some of the worst violence and genocide of the last century.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Between 1968 and 1976, over 3 million Cambodians were killed
0:48:36 > 0:48:42in the war that engulfed Vietnam and other countries of southeast Asia.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45This was then followed by the terror and genocide
0:48:45 > 0:48:47unleashed by the Khmer Rouge,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50a communist movement that ruled Cambodia for four years.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58The Khmer Rouge dealt particularly viciously with Buddhism.
0:48:58 > 0:49:03Thousands of monks were slaughtered and monasteries were destroyed
0:49:03 > 0:49:05and if people tried to hold on to their beliefs,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09they were often tortured and killed.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13But gradually, as the nightmare is beginning to fade,
0:49:13 > 0:49:17Buddhism is finding its feet here again and when you come to Angkor,
0:49:17 > 0:49:22you'll find little active shrines like this tucked away into corners.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27In Cambodia, Buddhism is slowly reasserting itself.
0:49:28 > 0:49:33This country, which had experienced such horrors, is now peaceful
0:49:33 > 0:49:35and Angkor, which had been brutalized
0:49:35 > 0:49:37by the Khmer Rouge regime,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40is now a world tourist site once again.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44It's been very moving coming here to Cambodia
0:49:44 > 0:49:47because this place has been the home
0:49:47 > 0:49:52to the most dramatic twists and turns in the fortunes of Buddhism.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55For centuries, Buddhism was the philosophy of choice,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58for both the kings and the people,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01and then thanks to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04there was a chance that it was going to be eradicated
0:50:04 > 0:50:05virtually overnight.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11But gradually, gently, it is now making a comeback
0:50:11 > 0:50:14and there's even a possibility that this place,
0:50:14 > 0:50:19which was once the biggest and most active Buddhist complex in the world,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23could be that again, some time in the future.
0:50:27 > 0:50:33While in Cambodia Buddhism is emerging out of the darkness of the Khmer Rouge regime,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Buddhism in mainland China, and here in Hong Kong,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39is also reasserting itself,
0:50:39 > 0:50:43an ancient tradition reappearing in modern society.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Buddhism is on the rise once again,
0:50:47 > 0:50:53partly perhaps because its positive attitude feels well-suited to an emerging superpower.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Particularly popular is the Zen form of Buddhism.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Little surprise given that Zen,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03although now typically associated with Japan,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06started off life in China.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08And I'm going to explore Zen
0:51:08 > 0:51:12in one of the places in the world where it is most vigorous...
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Hong Kong.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19Our sixth wonder is the giant Buddha that overlooks
0:51:19 > 0:51:22this great Asian city.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27This mammoth bronze statue was completed in 1993.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31It symbolises the relationship between man and nature,
0:51:31 > 0:51:33people and religion.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35The building of the giant Buddha in Hong Kong
0:51:35 > 0:51:38was a reassertion of an old Buddhist tradition
0:51:38 > 0:51:42of constructing massive Buddhist images.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46And the monks who initiated the project in Hong Kong
0:51:46 > 0:51:50had visited Japan, and they'd visited various sites in mainland China
0:51:50 > 0:51:54and seen medieval massive images of Buddhas,
0:51:54 > 0:51:57and this was something they were trying to re-create in Lantan.
0:51:57 > 0:52:03It's the only statue of Buddha to face north towards Beijing,
0:52:03 > 0:52:08and is named Tian Tan after the Temple of Heaven in that city.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15When Buddhism first starts out, it seems that people actively
0:52:15 > 0:52:19choose not to represent the Buddha figuratively.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23But then as the philosophy passes through regions like Afghanistan,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25which had a really strong Greek influence
0:52:25 > 0:52:28thanks to the invasion of Alexander the Great,
0:52:28 > 0:52:34it becomes the done thing to represent the Buddha in human form.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Now, once the belief system enters China,
0:52:37 > 0:52:40a new tradition gains popularity.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Not just to represent the Buddha in human form,
0:52:43 > 0:52:47but to do so on a monumental scale.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52And that's an art form that's now being revived here in Hong Kong.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03Everything about this statue means something.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05The Buddha is sitting in a lotus position,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09which shows that he was like the beauty of a lotus flower
0:53:09 > 0:53:13emerging from the muddy waters of a pond.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17His face is that beautiful round shape, which is supposed to be a reflection
0:53:17 > 0:53:20of the perfection of the moon.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24And his head is domed, which tells us just how wise he is.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26His hands are interesting
0:53:26 > 0:53:29because the right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34This is the Buddha's vow that he will release the entire world from its suffering.
0:53:34 > 0:53:39And on his chest he's got that so-called Swastika symbol.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42Of course the Swastika was unfortunately appropriated by the Nazis,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45even though they got it the wrong way round.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49But what it actually means is the power of the universe,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53so this tells us that the Buddha's compassion and wisdom
0:53:53 > 0:53:57is available to all.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne
0:54:04 > 0:54:06on top of an altar.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09It's surrounded by six smaller bronze statues.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13They're shown offering gifts like fruit and incense,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16gifts that symbolise different aspects of Buddhist philosophy,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20all virtues which are necessary to achieve enlightenment.
0:54:30 > 0:54:35The giant Buddha is part of the Po Lin monastery and temple complex
0:54:35 > 0:54:40set up nearly 100 years ago by three Zen masters.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44Zen has developed as a part of Mahayana Buddhism,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47the school of Buddhism practised in China
0:54:47 > 0:54:49and other northern Asian countries.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54Zen Buddhists believe that all people have the qualities that the Buddha had,
0:54:54 > 0:54:58and emphasise that these can be developed and were not unique to the Buddha only.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15The aim of Zen is to discover this quality within each person,
0:55:15 > 0:55:19through meditation and practice of the Buddha's teachings.
0:55:21 > 0:55:27The ultimate goal is to become a completely enlightened Buddha.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33Meditation has always been central to Buddhism,
0:55:33 > 0:55:36but here in China a new brand of meditation was born,
0:55:36 > 0:55:43and it took its name from a Sanskrit word Dhyana which is actually very hard to translate,
0:55:43 > 0:55:48but it means a kind of alert, productive state of mind.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49In China it was called Chan
0:55:49 > 0:55:55and when it travels to Japan it becomes Zen.
0:55:55 > 0:56:03It's a school of Buddhism which lays enormous emphasis on certain kinds of meditative practice.
0:56:03 > 0:56:09What you try to do is purely to empty your mind.
0:56:09 > 0:56:15It has an ideology that rational thought is not going to get you to enlightenment or Nirvana.
0:56:18 > 0:56:24It's practised here in a small secluded monastery, minutes away from the giant Buddha.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Formal silent meditation is central to Zen
0:56:30 > 0:56:35and is practised by both the laity and the ordained together.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43Some people find the concept of Zen quite difficult to grasp.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45How would you define it?
0:56:45 > 0:56:49So Zen means we never separate our life and our practice.
0:56:49 > 0:56:54Zen is like 24 hours when you are standing,
0:56:54 > 0:57:00sitting, walking, lying down, so never separate.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04You know, our everyday life and our practice cannot separate, it's not two things.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09Zen also means inside, inside, you know, our mind,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13and outside objects, inside and outside both become one, that's Zen.
0:57:20 > 0:57:25So if you're not making that separation between Zen practice and everyday life,
0:57:25 > 0:57:29does that mean that when you do everything, when you sweep the floor
0:57:29 > 0:57:35or prepare food or clean something, that is an act of Zen itself?
0:57:35 > 0:57:39Zen means what are you doing now, you know.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43So somebody might get enlightenment while they are eating meal,
0:57:43 > 0:57:49washing bowl, all these were designed to help people be in the moment
0:57:49 > 0:57:55and maybe at that moment your mind becomes clear and your life becomes clear.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58THUNDER RUMBLES
0:58:35 > 0:58:39This is called water bowl meditation
0:58:39 > 0:58:42and the purpose is to carry the water without spilling a drop.
0:58:42 > 0:58:45The idea is that you can do this through the application of Zen,
0:58:45 > 0:58:51because if you think you're carrying a bowl of water, you're bound to shake and lose some
0:58:51 > 0:58:57but if you clear your mind completely, you will complete the task successfully.
0:59:02 > 0:59:06In the West a lot of people have heard of Zen. It's something that is quite popular.
0:59:06 > 0:59:11Do you think that's partly because people's lives are so demanding
0:59:11 > 0:59:14and Zen offers a way out from that?
0:59:14 > 0:59:19- Not only the West are very busy, now Asia is more busy!- It's true!
0:59:19 > 0:59:25It's very money-oriented, everybody worry about the living,
0:59:25 > 0:59:29so it's very important our mind know how to relax
0:59:29 > 0:59:33and to be living at this moment and to keep clear.
0:59:33 > 0:59:38If you can live in this present, even if some problem appear, it's OK.
0:59:38 > 0:59:42You have this clear mind and you are not agitated.
0:59:42 > 0:59:47I think these are very important practice for everybody.
0:59:56 > 1:00:01Zen practitioners today don't like to use specific words to limit what Zen is,
1:00:01 > 1:00:06but if you want to find a definition for the practice, probably as close as you'll get
1:00:06 > 1:00:11is that this is something that really believes in the power of intuition
1:00:11 > 1:00:14and in a productive simplicity.
1:00:14 > 1:00:20I can see that cherishing intuition, living for the moment, living day by day,
1:00:20 > 1:00:25with a clear mind, is a very productive way to spend your time.
1:00:25 > 1:00:31Perhaps it explains why of all brands of Buddhism, Zen has become particularly attractive
1:00:31 > 1:00:35to those who live in our demanding 21st century.
1:00:45 > 1:00:48Zen, and its ancestor Chan,
1:00:48 > 1:00:51is a very practical form of Buddhist wisdom.
1:00:51 > 1:00:56It encourages a process of rediscovery by living simply.
1:00:58 > 1:01:02The Zen tradition emphasises that enlightenment is possible here and now.
1:01:05 > 1:01:09Is it then very different from other forms of Buddhism?
1:01:09 > 1:01:16Zen means pointing directly to our mind, it means right now wake up,
1:01:16 > 1:01:18and be clear, what are you doing now.
1:01:18 > 1:01:21Actually, our mind is not complicated.
1:01:21 > 1:01:25It is our thinking with our life that is very complicated.
1:01:25 > 1:01:33So Zen is a tool to help us to bring back our mind to our everyday life and be simple.
1:01:34 > 1:01:42Zen, like all Buddhist practice, turns philosophy into a tool to help in day-to-day life.
1:01:42 > 1:01:45Meditation is also used to bring about a tangible outcome,
1:01:45 > 1:01:48either in the understanding of the world or in our ability to deal with it,
1:01:48 > 1:01:53and with the suffering we see all around and feel within us.
1:01:53 > 1:01:57One thing that struck me was that whatever the regional variations of Buddhism,
1:01:57 > 1:02:02issues of suffering are right at the core of the philosophy.
1:02:02 > 1:02:07Now that is really interesting because in general over the last 2,500 years
1:02:07 > 1:02:11the cultures of the East have been very unabashed about suffering,
1:02:11 > 1:02:14they don't mind putting it centre stage.
1:02:14 > 1:02:19Whereas in the West, these are issues that we can sometimes try to brush under the carpet.
1:02:19 > 1:02:25In the modern age, for instance, we've been accused of trying to cheat death itself.
1:02:25 > 1:02:28But just look at that statue,
1:02:28 > 1:02:32there's the Buddha promising to deal with all the suffering in the world.
1:02:32 > 1:02:37So it does make you wonder what future Buddhism has as a global belief system.
1:02:37 > 1:02:40What's going to happen when ideas of the East,
1:02:40 > 1:02:44which put suffering to the fore, start to take root in the West?
1:02:53 > 1:02:57Buddhist ideas and philosophy have become increasingly popular
1:02:57 > 1:03:02in the fast-paced and highly competitive world of California.
1:03:03 > 1:03:08New Age concepts mixed with the counterculture of the hippies in the 1970s
1:03:08 > 1:03:13have made words like Karma and Nirvana commonplace.
1:03:13 > 1:03:19Buddhism offered a spiritual life and an emphasis on morality without being too authoritarian.
1:03:19 > 1:03:24Buddhism initially spread into the West and especially the West Coast of the United States
1:03:24 > 1:03:30in the 19th century, thanks to Japanese and Chinese labourers brought in to work on the railways.
1:03:30 > 1:03:35In Los Angeles, the first Buddhist temples were set up at the turn of the century.
1:03:36 > 1:03:38Today, the city is home
1:03:38 > 1:03:40to one of the largest Buddhist temples in the West.
1:03:40 > 1:03:44Hsi Lai Temple at Hacienda Heights,
1:03:44 > 1:03:48our seventh wonder of the Buddhist world.
1:03:52 > 1:03:57Here I am going to try to understand what has to be the most important Buddhist concept,
1:03:57 > 1:04:01the ultimate goal for Buddhists, Nirvana.
1:04:07 > 1:04:10The planning and construction of the temple in the 1980s
1:04:10 > 1:04:15was met with suspicion and resistance from local communities.
1:04:15 > 1:04:20The building of the temple at its current location survived six public hearings
1:04:20 > 1:04:22and 165 explanatory sessions.
1:04:22 > 1:04:28Finally, in 1985, the temple was granted a building permit.
1:04:28 > 1:04:32It was completed in 1988.
1:04:34 > 1:04:38I tell you what there is definitely a wealth of here, and that is Buddhas.
1:04:38 > 1:04:43I have never seen so many. There must be 10,000 or something.
1:04:43 > 1:04:46Yeah, there are over 10,000 Buddhas here, big and small.
1:04:46 > 1:04:50And if you look at all the Buddhas, you may find some names there.
1:04:50 > 1:04:55It's a Chinese practice that people make an offering
1:04:55 > 1:04:58and then to have the name of the family. It's their Buddha.
1:04:58 > 1:05:02And it's also a form of supporting the temple,
1:05:02 > 1:05:05they come in and say "I have a Buddha in there".
1:05:05 > 1:05:10It's like the connection between the Buddha outside and the Buddha inside.
1:05:10 > 1:05:15One of the many American Buddhists who come to the temple is Mario Cee.
1:05:15 > 1:05:17He became a Buddhist six years ago.
1:05:21 > 1:05:25There are some who'd say that the attraction of Buddhism for many Americans
1:05:25 > 1:05:28is that it's pleasingly mystical, it comes from the East
1:05:28 > 1:05:33but at the same time it ties in with an "anything goes" materialist lifestyle.
1:05:33 > 1:05:35How do you speak to that?
1:05:35 > 1:05:38I don't mean any disrespect by this, but I have some friends
1:05:38 > 1:05:41who use Buddhism and Eastern religion,
1:05:41 > 1:05:43Eastern philosophy, and they mix it up with New Age,
1:05:43 > 1:05:50and that's OK, if it works for them, but my concern is that it is that sort of anything goes,
1:05:50 > 1:05:56you know, it's a free market in spirituality. Whatever I'm saying and thinking today is fine.
1:05:56 > 1:06:00Because we have these core teachings in Buddhism, it keeps us in check,
1:06:00 > 1:06:04so we don't go into anything, "If it feels good, it's OK."
1:06:04 > 1:06:06We're really trying to avoid that.
1:06:06 > 1:06:10Buddhism gave me a discipline without a necessity of a God
1:06:10 > 1:06:13to reward me or punish me.
1:06:13 > 1:06:17There has been a tenfold increase in the number of Buddhists
1:06:17 > 1:06:20in Europe and America over the last 40 years.
1:06:20 > 1:06:26Most observers put the figure at between two to three million practising Buddhists in America,
1:06:26 > 1:06:30with the number of Buddhist "sympathisers" estimated at over 10 million.
1:06:32 > 1:06:37The His Lai temple is one example of the modern expansionism of Buddhism.
1:06:37 > 1:06:40BUDDHIST CHANTING
1:06:44 > 1:06:48Many Buddhists come to the His Lai temple for worship...
1:06:48 > 1:06:53..others come to practise meditation.
1:06:56 > 1:06:59In the West, there's recently been great interest in yoga,
1:06:59 > 1:07:02simply as a way to keep fit and as a form of meditation.
1:07:02 > 1:07:08Yoga has its roots in Indian traditions that predate both Hinduism and Buddhism
1:07:08 > 1:07:14and it's sometimes used by Hindus to assert mind over matter.
1:07:14 > 1:07:19For Buddhists, yoga's key purpose is to achieve personal enlightenment.
1:07:22 > 1:07:24It is a very ancient philosophy, Buddhism,
1:07:24 > 1:07:29but in some ways do you think it is very suited to American life,
1:07:29 > 1:07:32because it does have this kind of can-do attitude.
1:07:32 > 1:07:35It's very suited to America.
1:07:35 > 1:07:42One reason is that we've been materialistic, we're known for it,
1:07:42 > 1:07:46and I've found in my experience, it doesn't get you where you want to be.
1:07:46 > 1:07:50I can't believe that I'm alone in that, I can't believe that.
1:07:52 > 1:07:56It offers reasons why that is.
1:07:57 > 1:08:00I'm sure other people, like me,
1:08:00 > 1:08:04who can't understand why all this stuff didn't make them happy
1:08:04 > 1:08:07would be looking for something else.
1:08:07 > 1:08:13I'm not surprised that it is popular.
1:08:13 > 1:08:19It's not against any other religion and it's not against science.
1:08:19 > 1:08:20It's very in line with everything.
1:08:22 > 1:08:26The temple then offers American Buddhists lots of reasons to visit.
1:08:26 > 1:08:32But if you're a devotee of Buddhism, then one of your main motivations for coming here
1:08:32 > 1:08:35is to seek enlightenment...
1:08:35 > 1:08:37..Nirvana.
1:08:37 > 1:08:42I'd love to be able to tell you that I've got a textbook definition for what Nirvana is,
1:08:42 > 1:08:47but considering the Buddha himself said it was beyond words, beyond logic,
1:08:47 > 1:08:51I suspect it is going to be quite a tricky concept to pin down.
1:08:53 > 1:08:55Nirvana certainly is a state of mind,
1:08:55 > 1:08:57and it's a state of mind
1:08:57 > 1:09:01in which you have abolished strong emotions
1:09:01 > 1:09:04of very much wanting things
1:09:04 > 1:09:08or very much hating things or being confused.
1:09:08 > 1:09:15It's a state of mind which you attain, and, at that moment, and thereafter,
1:09:15 > 1:09:19you will enjoy a kind of blissful calm.
1:09:20 > 1:09:25And that path, is the end of that path, Nirvana, is that your goal?
1:09:25 > 1:09:31Yes, Nirvana, enlightenment, full understanding, awakening.
1:09:31 > 1:09:36Those are all terms that are very similar and, to me, it's understanding the truth,
1:09:36 > 1:09:40understanding what this is, what it really is.
1:09:40 > 1:09:44How confident are you that Nirvana is a goal you are going to attain?
1:09:44 > 1:09:47I am cautiously optimistic - how about that?
1:09:48 > 1:09:53There are people that say that it's very possible,
1:09:53 > 1:09:57and these are people that are very smart people and I'm following their advice
1:09:57 > 1:10:05and I think it can be done. I think it can be done.
1:10:06 > 1:10:13Like so much in Buddhism, Nirvana clearly has to be experienced, not explained.
1:10:13 > 1:10:17But for Buddhists, the journey to get there, the path you take,
1:10:17 > 1:10:21seems to be as important as the arriving.
1:10:22 > 1:10:29Buddhists will tell you that Nirvana has no fixed point in time or space.
1:10:29 > 1:10:34That's actually a little ironic because one of the few accepted fixtures of the Buddhist story
1:10:34 > 1:10:38is where the Buddha himself found enlightenment.
1:10:38 > 1:10:40We're told that that took place in Northern India
1:10:40 > 1:10:45under the spreading branches of a peepul tree.
1:10:48 > 1:10:53Which is where my quest had started, at Bodhgaya, at this spot
1:10:53 > 1:10:59where it's said Buddhist philosophy really began 2,500 years ago.
1:10:59 > 1:11:02In this journey I have explored key facets of Buddhist belief
1:11:02 > 1:11:05and got a little closer to understanding something vital
1:11:05 > 1:11:10about the core of Buddhist philosophy, the Dharma.
1:11:10 > 1:11:13The Dharma is simply the way the world is.
1:11:13 > 1:11:16We can all best live our lives if we follow a path
1:11:16 > 1:11:21that allows us to deal with the world as passionately, as compassionately,
1:11:21 > 1:11:26as positively and as wisely as possible.
1:11:26 > 1:11:30Now, whatever the permutations and interpretations of Buddhism,
1:11:30 > 1:11:36that seems to me to be pretty simple and pretty enlightened.
1:11:36 > 1:11:41I've learnt about Karma, how mindful actions impact on our lives,
1:11:41 > 1:11:45about Samsara, the cycle of life, birth and death,
1:11:45 > 1:11:49about meditation, about Zen,
1:11:49 > 1:11:53and the final goal for all Buddhists, Nirvana.
1:11:53 > 1:11:58I have seen some of the most beautiful architecture inspired by Buddhist ideas
1:11:58 > 1:12:04and how, after 25 centuries, Buddhism still attracts millions across the globe.
1:12:04 > 1:12:10A philosophy that is rooted in its ancient past and yet gives character to the modern world.
1:12:10 > 1:12:17How Buddhism places the responsibility to realise the truth on all of us.
1:12:17 > 1:12:22As Buddhism travelled, it transformed the cultures it came into contact with,
1:12:22 > 1:12:25just as it too was transformed.
1:12:25 > 1:12:30You wonder if Buddha could ever possibly have imagined the impact
1:12:30 > 1:12:32that his ideas would have on human history,
1:12:32 > 1:12:36particularly given the one thing he was certain about,
1:12:36 > 1:12:42was that impermanence and change were the only things that were definite in this world.
1:12:42 > 1:12:47Just listen to this - it's one of his most poetic epithets.
1:12:47 > 1:12:50"So shall you think of all this fleeting world.
1:12:50 > 1:12:54"A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
1:12:54 > 1:12:57"a flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
1:12:57 > 1:13:02"a flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream."
1:13:02 > 1:13:09Well, the Buddha's dreams of 2,500 years ago are still with us
1:13:09 > 1:13:14and they've been made incarnate in one of the most tenacious belief systems of all time
1:13:14 > 1:13:21and in some of the most iconic and beautiful monuments in the world.
1:13:38 > 1:13:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
1:13:41 > 1:13:43E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk