text:
How does Shambhala differ from traditional Vajrayana Buddhism as it is practiced in Asia?
How is Shambhala Buddhism as founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and continued by folks like Pema Chodron different from traditional Tantric Buddhism such as that practiced by the Dalai Lama?  Does Shambhala rely on the same texts as Tibetan Buddhism?

In the editor's preface of my copy of Trungpa's 'Shambhala - The Sacred Path of the Warrior' it is claimed (and I do well agree with that), that the Shambhala teaching is "a major departure" from Trungpa's earlier, popular but quite orthodox Tibetan Buddhist books. This is further elaborated, saying that the outlook is rather secular than religious and in the broadest possible way universally-human.
This fits quite well with my personal impression of the teaching, that it tries to avoid anything too specifically buddhist, too 'sectarian', too foreign (for westerners), too 'exotic', but rather attempts to - if I may say so - lead westerners (that unmistakably are the audience talked to) back to a common human source of dignity rather than providing yet another foreign source of 'spirituality' to draw from.
This also means, that it does not rely on any scriptural source, rather - in a rather unimportant and personal way - it relies on the tradition of the Shambhala kingdom.

could you share some specifics?

I can give you just examples. There are hardly any foreign terms in the book. The practice of meditation is introduced from a totally doctrineless angle, working with posture and breath. It claims to be about being human (and not enlightenment or suchlikes) etc. etc. - but why don't you just read the book?

I have.  I know the book but not the tradition from which it springs.

Original Shambhala as founded by Chogyam Trungpa was not supposed to be Buddhism at all, it was supposed to be a secular teaching loosely based on Buddhist principles intended to heal society from its insanities, toward Enlightened society.

"Shambhalian practices focus on using mindfulness/awareness meditation as a means of connecting with one's basic sanity and using that insight as inspiration for one's encounter with the world." (Wikipedia)

"Shambhala Buddhism" is an unfortunate (IMHO) attempt of Trungpa's son to bring Shambhala back into familiar territory.

Personally (and I belong to a Shambhala sangha and have 20+ years as a Zen Buddhist practitioner), it's good to see Shambhala returning to it's roots. The "old" Shambhala incorporated too much of Trungpa's crazy wisdom, a scheme that finally killed him through alcohol poisoning. I'm always shocked when people from other Shambhala centers across the country visit our place and admit that they have very little meditation discipline. Instead, Shambhala focuses on training courses, most of which cost money.
It's much more helpful if people get their meditation discipline down FIRST, then try different things. The Buddha knew what he was talking about. Sitting meditation, and mindfulness practice when we leave the cushion, are the heart of this practice, and they work! Thankfully, those disciplines are offered at Shambhala, and the Sunday sits are very Zen like with 20 minutes of sitting meditation, 10 minutes of walking meditation, and this goes on from 9Am to around 11AM. After that a "teacher" gives a talk of sorts (not a dharma talk). I usually skip this, and go help w/ food preparation for the free community Sunday lunch at noon. Or go for a walk.

Thanks for your answer- I have been thinking of attending a local Shambhala center but have been a little wary of getting caught up in that.  I practice sitting meditation as I understand the teaching from the Satipatthana sutta and also mindfulness / loving kindness during the day and it does indeed work.  I will probably visit the Shambhala center at some point, but my expectations are not high.  I just look at it as the opportunity to meet some like-minded people.

Shambhala is one expression of buddhism with the Kalachakra at it's roots.  It addresses hineyana and mahayana teachings as most things are taught in buddhism - symbolically.  It pulls from Kagyu and Dzogchen traditions, where the Dalai Lama is from the Gelug tradition.  Trungpa Rinpoche worked closely with Suzuki Roshi and was in spiritual agreement with Gerald Red Elk, the Lakota Sioux shaman.  His son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, is teacher to Taoist lineage holder Eva Wong.  This speaks to the universality of true and direct spiritual 'attainment'.  The teachings themselves are historic - read The Epic of Gesar - yet are considered new and "terma" because the direct experience of a master must be taught to an entirely new culture.  No monks or nuns in "the west."  Look at Tibetan iconography and it won't make much sense, but those raised in such a culture see it filled with meaning.  Westerners just automatically think "cult."  In Eastern culture, especially Japanese (my Ikebana teacher shared this, as well as stories from Eva Wong's empowered qigong teachers), one NEVER questions a teacher.  In the West, we question everything!
In a nutshell:
Shambhala is an expression of buddhism;
Theravada is an expression of buddhism;
Galupa is an expression of buddhism;
Zen is an expression of buddhism;
Chan is an expression of buddhism;
etc.
And - buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy and a meditative path of direct experience, not study.
Hope that helps a super complicated question!

Does this answer the question, i.e., "How does Shambhala differ"?


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What are the Five Precepts?
And where are they found in the Pali Canon? I realize that this is a Straw Man question for the group but I would like to raise our visibility on  the Web and perhaps start our community wiki.

It is the start of Abhisanda Sutta (AN) 8:39:

"Now, there are these five gifts, five great gifts — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that are not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and are unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & brahmans. Which five?
"There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life.  In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. […]
"Furthermore, abandoning taking what is not given (stealing), the disciple of the noble ones abstains from taking what is not given. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. […]
"Furthermore, abandoning illicit sex, the disciple of the noble ones abstains from illicit sex. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings […]
"Furthermore, abandoning lying, the disciple of the noble ones abstains from lying. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. […]
"Furthermore, abandoning the use of intoxicants, the disciple of the noble ones abstains from taking intoxicants. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. […]

These are the "five precepts" or pañca-sikkhāpada. They are frequently stated in English as:

I undertake the training rule to abstain from killing.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
I undertake the training rule to avoid sexual misconduct.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.

Which you can see along with the Eight Precepts at The Five Precepts

source: Stack Exchange

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What concordances are there for the Pali Canon?
I am amazed at how quickly folks on this SE find detailed quotes from the canon.  Are folks using a concordance?  (That's what Christians call it for the Bible--it's a dictionary of topics cross-referenced to the source text so that it's easier to look up passages by subject.)
If there is a concordance for the Pali Canon, where can it be found?

I had to look up "concordance" in the dictionary. Do you mean a list of words? If so, there is one here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html

Make that an answer and I'll vote it up. :-)

Google search also helps.

Google searches aren't curated.  Lots of quantity, little quality. :-)

Here's a list of terms in the Pali Canon that can be used to quickly find particular suttas:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html

The number of suttas available here is quite limited. And the translations are idiosyncratic. So this is not the best resource available. Better to use one of the electronic versions.

There is the: Pali Tipitakam Concordance: Being a Concordance in Pali to the Three Baskets of Buddhist Sciptures in the Indian order of letters, listed by F.L. Woodward.
3 Volumes
Available from the Pali Text Society:
http://palitext.com/
Not much use if you are not familiar with and have the Pali.
A concordance is a work giving the page locations of a list of words or words in passages of a given work or set of works.
A good way to quickly find passages you are looking to research is to use the Pali English Dictionary. (also available from the PTS, and on line at:
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/index.html )
The problem with both of these is the need to look things up using the Pali ordering of the letters.
Another way people are using is to look up key words in the CSCD which will give the Sutta Citation which can then be looked up in the various translations available.
Obtain the CSCD from
the Vipassana Research Institute
http://www.vridhamma.org/Chattha-Sangayana-CD-ROM-Update

I also use the VRI Burmese Ed. It is far better to have electronic search than a concordance.

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What are the Four Noble Truths?
What are they?  Where are they found in the literature?  Are there any significant differences in them among the traditions?

Here is a version from the Triratna site

All existence is dukkha
The cause of dukkha is craving
The cessation of dukkha comes with the cessation of craving
There is a path that leads from dukkha - (The path most commonly associated with this is the eightfold path).

Dukkha is commonly translated as suffering but the translation that I find more useful is unsatisfactoriness. The original meaning comes from an ill fitting chariot wheel. A bumpy ride if you will.
The formulation is related to a medical diagnosis e.g.

The illness
The etiology (cause)
The prognosis
The cure

As far as I am aware the 4 Noble Truths are a central teaching in Buddhism perhaps comparable to the divinity of Christ for Christian's (controversial comparison maybe). I have not heard of any significant variations. I would be very interested to hear if they were any.

 1. What are they?
They are the diagnosis, description, prognosis & prescription for emotional suffering, distress and dissatisfaction.
2. Where are they found in the literature?
The most succinct & direct description is found in the Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion (SN 56.11, Dhammacakkappavattana-suttaṃ).
However, the most detailed description is found in one of the sections of the Greater Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness (DN 22, Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-suttaṃ) & the Discourse on the Dissection of the Truths (MN 141, Saccavibhaṅga-suttaṃ).
Even though these discourses are the most explicit, the four truths are found throughout the whole Pāḷi Canon.
3. Are there any significant differences in them among the traditions?
According to Thich Nhat Hanh, craving as a cause for suffering is just an abbreviation for a list of causes, craving being the first cause in the list:

"Another common misunderstanding of the Buddha's teaching is that all of our suffering is caused by craving. In the Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma, the Buddha did say that craving is the cause of suffering, but he said this because craving is the first on the list of afflictions (kleshas). If we use our intelligence, we can see that craving can be a cause of pain, but other afflictions such as anger, ignorance, suspicion, arrogance, and wrong views can also cause pain and suffering. Ignorance, which gives rise to wrong perceptions, is responsible for much of our pain. To make the sutras shorter and therefore easier to memorize, the first item on a list was often used to represent the whole list. The word "eyes," for example, is used in many sutras to represent all six sense organs and "form" is often used to represent all Five Aggregates (skandhas). If we practice identifying the causes of our suffering, we will see that sometimes it is due to craving and sometimes it is due to other factors."
The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh. Ch. 5: Is Everything Suffering?

sunyata, interesting edit. I've tried to make the wording more direct. Is it possible to provide a quote from the book so that we can read Thich Nhat Hanh's words on the subject?

@Anthony: I've added a link to a quote from TNH and i just updated it with a longer quote which includes the comparison with writing down "eyes" for all six senses. Is this ok?

@sunyata it's ok but i've tried to bring it closer to the StackExchange model by incorporating the text into the answer as a quote.

@Anthony: Thank you, much better after your edit. Slightly off topic but connected: This same chapter in "The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings" contains other (in the author's view) misunderstandings of the Buddha's teachings (maybe this is a discussion for meta?)

Here's the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta (SN 56.11), supposedly the earliest occurence of the FNT in the Canon:

[beginning skipped]
"Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:1 Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress: the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
[ending skipped]

"The Four Truths of The Nobles" are a formulaic summary of Buddha's Awakening. They are easier understood in context of Three Characteristics of Existence:

Whatever is compound (consists of multiple pieces coming together), will fall apart. Same way, whatever is conditional (depends on multiple factors coinciding together), is impermanent.
Nothing is solid, everything is made of pieces or depends on conditions. This includes "I" which cannot possibly be a solid/independent entity. Since "I" is really just a compound phenomena, it is not independent and too is subject to conditions.
Because of the above, there is no (and there can't be!) such thing as permanent Sukha ("ease", "comfort") . Dukkha ("wrongness", "trouble") is an inevitable part of existence at large.

Now, instead of being a helpless victim caught in this universal trap, let us take master's stance, as was Buddha's habit:
Whatever comes together, can be broken apart. Therefore, whatever is conditional (depends on multiple factors coming together), can be controlled. Because all subjective experiences are conditional, they can all be controlled. This includes experience of Dukkha ("wrongness", "trouble"), which is a conditional phenomena and therefore can be controlled. All we need is 1) analyze Dukkha 2) identify factors comprising Dukkha 3) pick a factor in our control that we can remove, thereby disbanding the entire compound Dukkha 4) work towards removing that factor.

There is Dukkha, this life is not without Dukkha ("wrongness", "trouble"). Dukkha must be understood. Dukkha comes from superposition of "that" and "this". "That" is a desirable possibility, object of unsatisfied thirst. When a desirable "that" emerges in the mind, "this" co-emerges as undesirable, Dukkha. From emergence of "that" comes emergence of "this". When "that" does not exist, "this" does not exist. From cessation of "that" comes cessation of "this". Dukkha has been understood.
Dukkha depends on factors, is not without its factors. The key factor of Dukkha is "Thirst" -- unrealistic clinging to "that", or irrational attachment to "this". The Thirst must be let go. The Thirst has been let go.
Dukkha is subject to disbanding of its factors, is not immune to disbanding of its factors. With disbanding of factors of Dukkha comes cessation of Dukkha. Cessation of Dukkha must be realized. Cessation of Dukkha has been realized.
There is Path to cessation of Dukkha, cessation of Dukkha is not without a path. Path must be actualized. Path has been actualized.

May I suggest you make more explicit that the Path is the Noble Eightfold Path?

I left that out on purpose, because according to some research the Eightfold Path as we know it today could be a later compilation that did not exist at Buddha's time. Buddha did mention Ancient Path but not necessarily all of its components at once.

Fascinating!  If it's not too much trouble could you add your findings to the N8P question?

According to the Saccavibhanga Sutta translated by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu:

the noble truth of stress.

Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.

And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful? The clinging-aggregate of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the clinging-aggregate of perception, the clinging-aggregate of fabrications, the clinging-aggregate of consciousness: These are called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful.

the noble truth of the origination of stress.

And what, friends, is the noble truth of the origination of stress? The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.

the noble truth of the cessation of stress.

And what, friends, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress? The remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.

the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.

And what, friends, is the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress? Just this very noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

According to the Tittha Sutta, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, the second and third noble truths are related to the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.

And what is the noble truth of the origination of stress? [the second noble truth]

From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then old age & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.

And what is the noble truth of the cessation of stress? [the third noble truth]

From the remainderless fading & cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form. From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then old age & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering.

The way I explain the Four Noble Truths to non-Buddhists is:
The Four Noble Truths

Life means suffering
The origin of suffering is attachment
It is possible to end suffering through...
...The Eightfold Path


text:
What is the Noble Eightfold Path?
Where is the Noble Eightfold Path found in the Pali Canon?  Are there significant differences among the traditions in its interpretation?

The way I explain The Path to non-Buddhists is:
The Noble Eightfold Path

Right View (The Four Noble Truths)
Right Intention

Renunciation:
Resistance to desire
Goodwill:
Resistance to anger and aversion
Harmlessness:
Compassion,
Don't think or act cruelly, violently or aggressively

Right Speech

Tell the truth
Don't gossip
Don't use offensive or hurtful language

Right Action (The Precepts)

Don't harm other living beings
Don't take things not freely given
Don't engage in sexual misconduct
Don't engage in false speech
Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

Right Livelihood
Don't work in a job that violates The Precepts
Right Effort

Create, preserve and increase healthy states
Prevent, eliminate or decrease harmful states

Right Mindfulness

See things clearly
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Be mindful of:

body
feeling
state of mind
phenomena

Right Concentration

Meditation
Concentration on healthy thoughts and actions

According to Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Path
Now what, is the Noble Eightfold Path?

Right view

Knowledge with regard to stress, knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with regard to the stopping of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of practice leading to the stopping of stress

Right resolve

Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness

Right speech

Abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle chatter

Right action

Abstaining from taking life, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity

Right livelihood

There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going with right livelihood

Right effort

(i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
(ii)He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.
(iii)He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
(iv)He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen

Right mindfulness

(i) There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.
(ii) He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.
(iii) He remains focused on the mind in & of itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.
(iv) He remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.

Right concentration

(i) There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
(ii) With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.
(iii) With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.'
(iv) With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.

1. What is the Noble Eightfold Path?
The Noble Eightfold Path is the prescription, made known by the Buddha, for emotional suffering, distress & dissatisfaction.

The Buddha: I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path, the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.
-SN 12.65, Nagara-suttaṃ

(For details about what constitutes the path see the reference provided in the next answer.)
2. Where is the Noble Eightfold Path found in the Pali Canon?
It is described in many places throughout the Canon but one detailed example is the Discourse on the Dissection of the Path (SN 45.8, Maggavibhaṅga-suttaṃ).
3. Are there significant differences among the traditions in its interpretation?
No, but as a related side-note, the path culminates with two additional stages, Right Knowledge & Right Release, making it tenfold, as is stated in MN 78, Samaṇamuṇḍika-suttaṃ:

Now, an individual endowed with which ten qualities is one whom I describe as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments? One endowed with the right view of one beyond training, the right resolve of one beyond training, the right speech... the right action... the right livelihood... the right effort... the right mindfulness... the right concentration... the right knowledge... the right release of one beyond training. An individual endowed with these ten qualities is one whom I describe as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments.

May I suggest that you add the relevant passages in block quotes to supplement your links?  All things are transient, links even more so. :-)

A whole discourse might be a bit excessive but I can add this last reference since it's just a paragraph.

Let us try to understand the word "samma". It has 03 meanings. "Yatavata, Niyanika and Kusala".
01. Yatavata means Absolutely correct,
02. Niyanika means definitely satisfying [by reaching Nirvana].
03. Kusala means merit[Definitely destroys evil],

Then because it does not change, because it leads to nirvana, we say merit by merit is "samma".
Good vision, that is, "samma ditti" is something that does not change.
A remedy, a course of action. If someone has samma ditti, he will definitely attain nirvana. If it is endowed with samma ditti, that mind will surely become meritorious. Moreover, the Samma Ditti is divided according to merit consciousness.

The worldly["Laukikika"] samma ditti - Worldly samma ditti is the samma ditti that arises with meritorious minds in this worldly lands like Kama vachara[Earthly world, 6 heavens], Rupavachara[16- Brahma Loka], Arupa vachara[4- Brahma Loka] etc.
The transcendental["Lokoththara"] samma ditti.- Transcendental samma ditti is the samma ditti that occurs during the fruition of the transcendental path.

Under the worldly samma ditti, in several ways it is explained namely
**01.**Kammassakata samma ditti, -  means the samma ditti of believing in karma and the result of karma. Now look, those who commit deadly evil will definitely be born in the four hells, and those who live by stealing will be born in hell. Likewise, people who misbehave in lust, and those who live by telling lies, will be born in hell. People who are addicted to gambling are born in hell.
Also, if someone steel the things belongs to the Lord Buddha and the Sangha[Monks] or dharma are born in Avicii great evil, those who live by killing mother, father, shaking the blood of Buddha, creating sectarian divisions among sangha[Monks] are born in Avicii great evil, those who live by killing goats, chickens, pigs, are born in Sanjiva evil, in that way, according to their badness of karma Lord Buddha preached.
Likewise, those who do charity are born in the divine world or the human world. Those who practice meditation are born in the Brahma worlds. We call the samma ditti of believing about this karma as 'kammassakata samma ditti'.
**02.**Dasa Vatthuka samma ditti - If someone think with the below 10 types of faith, then it is called "Dasa Vaththuka Samma Ditti".
Those are
 1. That there are rewards for giving
 2. That there are rewards for sacrifices
 3. That there are rewards for sending gifts to the virtuous
 4. That there are rewards for doing good and bad deeds,
 5. That those who are in the hereafter will return to this world as births,
 6. That those who are in this world will come to the other world as births
 7. That there are consequences for the good and bad deeds done to the mother,
 8. That there are consequences for the good and bad deeds done to the father,
 9. That there are beings who are reborn after death,
 10. That there are beings who are reborn after death, and that there are
     Brahmins in the world who follow the good path and follow
     the good practices of this world and the hereafter, who perceive the
     world and the hereafter with their wisdom.

**03.**Jhana samma ditti - During meditation, using "samatha"  meditation "karmasthanas"[40 Samatha meditation methods] and achieve  meditation, samadhi, samapati, and abhijna in the meditation, the samadhi that occurs in the mind, and the wisdom that occurs with the samadhi mind is called Jhana samma ditti
04.****Vipassana samma ditti- Vidarshana meditation means that we  investigate our body using  our consciousness whether it is made of gold, silver, pearls, gems etc.? or else Eye hairs, fur nails, teeth etc. These parts are broken and damaged and moving towards destruction. All these things are impermanently, painfully, inanimately meditated upon, Vidarshana. The samma ditti that occurs in Vidarshana meditation is called Vidarshana samma ditti.
**05.**Transcendentally, Chatusachchasammaditti[Four Noble Truth Samma Ditti] -, the samma ditti that occurs in the understanding of the four truths. It means that when the understanding of the

truth of suffering arises
the cause of suffering when understanding Samuda
when understanding about Nirvana,
the path to Nirvana, when understanding the path of Seela, Samadhi, and Pragna arise in the mind it is called, Chatusachcha Samma Ditti.

06.Magga samma ditti - in Buddhism there are four stages of awakening and four progressive stages culminating in full awakening (Bodhi) as an Arahant.
These four stages are

Sotāpanna,
Sakadāgāmi,
Anāgāmi, and
Arahant.

Buddha refers to people who are at one of these four stages as noble people (ariya-puggala) and the community of such persons as the noble sangha (ariya-sangha).
The 4 Magga cittas(path thoughts) and the 4 Phala cittas(fruition thoughts) can be explained as follows-
01. When magga citta occurs for the first time, it is followed by sovan phala citta.
02. When magga citta occurs for the second time, it is followed by sakadagami phala citta.
03. When magga citta occurs for the third time, it is followed by anagami phala citta.
04. When magga citta occurs for the fourth time, it is followed by arahatta phala citta.

Having explained those, now "Magga samma ditti" means the samma ditti knowledge that occurs in "Sovan marga [Sovan path]. it's magga samma ditti, Same as Sakadagami Marga gnānaya, in Anagami Marga gnānaya, in Arihat Marga gnānaya, those Samma Ditti's are called Magga samma Ditthi. Phala[Result ] samma ditti is the samma ditti that occurs in the result  knowledges of sovan phala, sakadagami phala, anagami phala, and  arihat phala.
Samma ditti can be divided and explained like this. The Samma Ditti, which was the first element of the Arya Ashtangika path[Eight fold path], which is called the "Dukkha Nirodha gamini Pratipada Arya Satya[Fourth Noble Truth]", is not the Samma Ditti of this decade. It is called Chatussatya Samma Ditti. It is a much higher Samma Ditti than this ten-object Samma Ditti.
Those who want to get rid of the sufferings of the world and come to nirvana should first of all be in the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu. Those who come to Buddhism are first established in Tisarana, and make them to follow Tisarana   in order to establish them in the Samma Ditti  of this Sasanika Dasha Vastu.
If one takes refuge in the triple gems and descends into the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu[ten objects], it is the first step towards nirvana gamini path.
There is no one who has attained nirvana by adopting a path that is not based on the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu[ten objects]. If a person got rid of the sufferings of the previous world and reached Nirvana, he reached Nirvana from all of them by staying in the Samma Ditti of the first decade and fulfilling the practices.
Similarly, you need to understand Kammassakatha Samma Ditti talking about the cause and the effects of each actions and thoughts.
Now, hope you understood how important the word Samma is.
"Arya Ashtangika Marga"
Let's talk about lord Buddha's Great Eight fold Path called "Arya Ashtangika Marga".  In simple words it has explained in all the above articles. hence would like to discuss the important divisions and word meanings as you may get deep knowledge of the eight-fold path.
Do you remember we learned three words at the beginning of this article

Yatavata means Absolutely correct,
Niyanika means definitely satisfying [by reaching Nirvana].
Kusala means merit[Definitely destroys evil],

**01.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Ditti[Right Seeing]- Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma ditti- This is the "Pragna Chethasika[Wisdom Mental Factor] in Abhidhamma.
Samma Ditti - The Path of Suffering, Not knowing The Fourfold Truth Ignorance. It is known only as Samma Ditti. Abhidharma system mentions 8 things. Suffering, Samudaya, Nirodha, Marga, Purvantaya, Aparanta, Purvaparantaya, Paticha Samuppadaya, knowing here is samma ditti.
**02.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Sankappa[Right Thought] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Sankappa - Samma Sankappa includes[The 2 Illimitable factors and Adhimokka[Occasional mental Factor] 3 Chethasika's in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Abhiropana Lakshana" A feature of Focusing on merit frequently with the determination of achieving Nibbana.
Samma Sankappa - three forms.
01.The thought of renunciation (nekkhamma) - Adhimokka[Determination of Nibbana]
02.The thought of non malevolence (avyapada)- Metta[Sympathetic Joy]
03.The thought of non harming (avihimsa)- Karuna[Compassion]

There are three kinds of akusala vitakka and They are:
01.Thought of sense pleasures (kama vitakka)
02.Thought of malevolence (vyapada vitakka)
03.Thought of harming (vihimsa vitakka )

Only By knowing the unwholesomeness thoughts we are able to apply below 5 methods to tame them and completely eradicate them. unwholesome thoughts - as defined under akusala, five methods of overcoming them are given:
01.by changing the object, [The Removal of affected Thoughts by Distracting]
02.thinking of the evil results [Thinking of bad sorrowful results occurring in samsara]
03.paying no attention [ neglecting them by way of let it go]
04.analyzing [ Vipassana through Abhidhamma through Nama Rupa]
05.suppressing [ Keep the thought surrender until it tamed and silent] By doing so bring them into Samma sankappa path

**03.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Wacha[Right Speech] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Wacha - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Parigrahana Lakshana" A feature of Unifying, purifying, speaking words of lovingkindness, speaking the Dhamma, the crowd gathers around.  Making attractive, popular.
01. Refraining from lying - To speak the true words without lies
02. Refraining from gossiping - To speak the words of harmony without gossip
03. Refraining from filthy words - To speak gentle words without harsh language
04. Refraining from empty words - To speak soft words without speaking empty words

Always, speak good words that are beneficial to both society or the person who is listening and the for the purpose of words user.
**04.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Kammanta[Right Action] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Kammanta - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Samuttapana Lakshana" A feature of Due to the merits performing using body, new merits are brought forth.
Samma Kammanta means
    01. Abstaining from killing,
    02. Abstaining from stealing,
    03. Abstaining from fornication,
    04. Abstaining from drinking alcohol,
    05. Abstaining from unrighteous physical activities.

Apart from that, samma kammanta is always applied when one exerts the body in some meritorious deeds, such as giving gifts, observing austerities, meditating, or doing practices.
**05.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Aajiwa[Right Livelihood] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Aajiwa - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Vodhaana Lakshana" A feature of Cleanliness, Purity.
Samma Ajiva - Abstaining from below factors as livelihood,
01. Abstaining from killing animals for living,
02. Abstaining from stealing,
03. Abstaining from sexual immorality,
04. Abstaining from lying,
05. Abstaining from backbiting,
06. Abstaining from harsh words,
07. Abstaining from empty talk,
08. Abstaining from poison etc.

Apart from that, the mind that is used to earn happiness slowly with effort and righteousness is Samma Ajiva.
**06.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Vaayaama[Right Effort] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Vaayaama - one of the Occasional mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Paggaha Lakshana" A feature of Supporting other Dhammatha[Dhamma factors].
The nature of the mental process effects a division of right effort into four "great endeavors":
01. To prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states
02. To abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen
03. To arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen
04. To maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen

**07.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Sathi[Right Mindfulness] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Sathi - one of the Beautiful mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Upasthana Lakshana" A feature of Being able to raise merits frequently.
Samma sathi  explained as
01. Mindfulness of the body,
02. Mindfulness of the mind or pain,
03. Mindfulness of the mind
04. Mindfulness of the Dharma-natures in the mind

is the four-way Mindfulness of Samma Sathi.
**08.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Samadhi[Right Concentration] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Samadhi - one of the Universal mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Awikshepa Lakshana" A feature of Keeping the mind free from distraction.
The eighth factor of the path is right concentration, in Pali samma samadhi. Concentration represents an intensification of a mental factor present in every state of consciousness. This factor, one-pointedness of mind (Chitta Ekaggata), has the function of unifying the other mental factors in the task of cognition. It is the factor responsible for the individuating aspect of consciousness, ensuring that every citta or act of mind remains centered on its object
 - By not doing evil, virtue grows.
 - Concentration increases due to accumulation of merit.
 - Because of these two, Samatha Vipassana meditation increases,improves.
 - The mind is purified until the path of Dhyana, Adhigama Gnana is resultant.

Those who willing to follow buddhism should first established in Tisarana, and Tisarana is celebrated for them in order to establish them in the Samma Ditti of this Sasanika Dasha Vastu. If one takes refuge in the triple gems and descends into the Samma Ditti  of the ten objects, it is the first step towards nirvana gamini path.
Furthermore, there is no one who attains the path and attains nirvana without being in the Dasa Vastuka Samma Ditti[the ten objects Samma Ditti].
May Triple Gem Bless You!

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
What are the Four Immeasurables (aka Four Noble Abodes)?
Also known as the Four Noble Dwellings or the Buddhist Virtues or the Brahmaviharas.  Where in the Pali Canon are these described?

Pali canon is not systematized by topic, like this part only talk about that subject, so brahmaviharas could be anywhere and manywhere in it. It's mostly systematized by length of texts and other theme-less classificators.

@catpnosis except Samyutta Nikaya which is systematized by topic.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara the Four Noble Abodes are:

Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā, Sanskrit: maitrī) towards all: the hope that a person will be well; "the wish that all sentient beings, without any exception, be happy."

Compassion (Pāli and Sanskrit: karuṇā): the hope that a person's sufferings will diminish; "the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering."

Empathetic joy (Pāli and Sanskrit: mudita): joy in the accomplishments of a person—oneself or another; sympathetic joy; "the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings."

Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā, Sanskrit: upekṣā): learning to accept loss and gain, good-repute and ill-repute, praise and censure, sorrow and happiness (Attha Loka Dhamma), all with detachment, equally, for oneself and for others. Equanimity is "not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. It is a clear-minded tranquil state of mind—not being overpowered by delusions, mental dullness or agitation."

According to the Metta Sutta, Shākyamuni Buddha held that cultivation of the four immeasurables has the power to cause the practitioner to be reborn into a Brahma realm (Pāli: Brahmaloka)

According to: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html:

These four attitudes are said to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal way of conduct towards living beings (sattesu samma patipatti). They provide, in fact, the answer to all situations arising from social contact. They are the great removers of tension, the great peace-makers in social conflict, and the great healers of wounds suffered in the struggle of existence. They level social barriers, build harmonious communities, awaken slumbering magnanimity long forgotten, revive joy and hope long abandoned, and promote human brotherhood against the forces of egotism.

They are found in the Pali Canon in Digha Nikaya 13:
Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html

The Basic Passage on the Four Sublime States from the Discourses of the Buddha
I. Here, monks, a disciple dwells pervading one direction with his heart filled with loving-kindness, likewise the second, the third, and the fourth direction; so above, below and around; he dwells pervading the entire world everywhere and equally with his heart filled with loving-kindness, abundant, grown great, measureless, free from enmity and free from distress.
II. Here, monks, a disciple dwells pervading one direction with his heart filled with compassion, likewise the second, the third and the fourth direction; so above, below and around; he dwells pervading the entire world everywhere and equally with his heart filled with compassion, abundant, grown great, measureless, free from enmity and free from distress.
III. Here, monks, a disciple dwells pervading one direction with his heart filled with sympathetic joy, likewise the second, the third and the fourth direction; so above, below and around; he dwells pervading the entire world everywhere and equally with his heart filled with sympathetic joy, abundant, grown great, measureless, free from enmity and free from distress.
IV. Here, monks, a disciple dwells pervading one direction with his heart filled with equanimity, likewise the second, the third and the fourth direction; so above, below and around; he dwells pervading the entire world everywhere and equally with his heart filled with equanimity, abundant, grown great, measureless, free from enmity and free from distress.

The four Brahmaviharas are four moods to be deliberately generated as antidotes against certain negative states of mind (longing, covetousness, ill will, malevolence, conceit, distress, enmity, negativity -- towards the world).

Loving-kindness. According to Chogyam Trungpa, as well as my current teacher, this is directed at self and is a foundation of compassion.
Compassion. An attitude of good king toward his subjects -- lack of harshness despite their shortcomings. Bodhisattva understands that people are different only because of their different backgrounds and experiences. In principle, there is nothing substantial that makes Bodhisattva "better" than others, beside the luck of having encountered, and benefited from, the genuine teaching. Even though Bodhisattva realizes Emptiness, s\he sees that other sentient beings still suffer because they assume things to be real. Bodhisattva understands that the subjective experience of each sentient being is basically the same, and therefore can relate to everybody's dukkha.
Empathetic joy. Feeling glad when seeing others succeed. Antidote for jealousy and competitiveness.
Equanimity. A mood that comes from an objective impersonal point of view.

Cultivation of Brahmaviharas culminates in the "state of Brahma" -- direct experience of unity with the world (AN 4.190).

It is also in the Kalama Sutta, AN 3.65:

"Then, Kālāmas, that noble disciple, who is thus devoid of longing, devoid of ill will, unconfused, clearly comprehending, ever mindful, dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness … with a mind imbued with compassion … with a mind imbued with altruistic joy … with a mind imbued with equanimity, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity, without ill will."

http://suttacentral.net/en/an3.65

The way that I explain it to folks is:
Buddhist Virtues (The Four Immeasurables)

Compassion: The intention and capacity to relieve the suffering of oneself and all other living beings.
Loving Kindness:  The intention and capacity to bring joy and happiness to oneself and all other living beings.
Empathetic Joy: Rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of another living being
Equanimity: Accepting loss or gain, praise or blame, success or failure with detachment.  Regarding all living beings equally. Being clear-minded and tranquil but not dull.


text:
Where are the Eight Worldly Winds and how to deal with them described?
To refresh your memory, the Eight Worldly Winds are:

Pleasure
Pain
Praise
Blame
Gain
Loss
Fame
Ill-repute

I am also curious to know why they are called 'winds'.  Term in original language?

The only source I found which indicates the reason why it's called 'winds' is Milinda Pañha pg.354 where they are called aṭṭhalokadhammavātehi, "by winds
of the eight worldly conditions".

Mentioned in both the Lokavipatti Sutta in the Pali Canon, and in verse 29 of Nagarjuna's "Letter to a Friend."
The short answer on how to deal with them is: see them for what they are. Transient sources of suffering.


text:
Did Gautama Buddha exist?
Is there any historical third-party evidence that the Gautama Buddha actually existed?
Is there historical third-party evidence that Prince Siddhartha or the Gautama Buddha existed outside of the writings of Buddhism?

Interesting answers, but he existed. period.

Mu. Does it matter?

It is not the man behind the words that matters but the content of the words themselves... in which case the Four Noble Truths and the Wings of  Awakening is so perfect only one with a Buddha's wisdom could have illuminated it.

@RubberDuck Doesn't the truth matter?

Aye @Uilium. It does, but which truth? The historical facts, or the truth.

10-4 @RubberDuck What truths are we talking about?

Honestly, I don't even know anymore @Uilium. I just find the question silly. It really doesn't matter if the Buddha existed, in my humble opinion. Does it matter so long as a single person has made their life, and the lives of those around them a bit better?

@RubberDuck Yes, I agree that it doesn't really matter but I was thinking that it might, in a subtle way, effect one's meditation.

Fair point @Uilium. Fair point.

There is an abundance of wishful thinking and a dearth of critical examination in many of the answers below. As a long-time user of several other Stack Exchange communities – and a brand new user of this one, I must say that I am disappointed.

To answer your very simple question very simply: there is no contemporary evidence for the Buddha, or for Jesus, or Muhammad, or Moses, or Zoroaster.  This does not mean that these people did not exist, it just means that there is no confirmation of their existence in contemporary sources.

Mohammed is in grave at Madina.

And there is a lot of non christian evidence that Jesus existed (largly Jewish and Roman records). Whether he was the son of god is somewhat more contested

Yes, but none of it is contemporary (i.e. before the second half of the 1st century).

@fdb Why is that defined as the cut-off for "contemporary" evidence? Also, could you give an example of contemporary evidence from that time that would have supported the existence of such a person?

"Contemporary" means from the lifetime of the person concerned. We have lots of sources from the first half of the first century in Greek, Latin, Aramaic: inscriptions, literary texts, papyri. None of them mention Jesus or Christians.

@fdb: A "Christian" in the first half of the first century would have been considered a Hebrew.

Lord Buddha's life and existence has been proven by archaeological proof. You can find such evidence in both physical and biological forms. Physical evidence can be found in India,Nepal and few other asian countries. Biological evidence can be found in India,Burma,Sri Lanka and few other countries that still protect the holy remains.

There are lot of archaeological evidence align with Buddha's life story. I think those can be considered as the most trusted third party evidence.
Here I am listing some of the web search findings.

Archaeologists working in Nepal have uncovered evidence of a structure at the birthplace of the Buddha dating to the sixth century B.C. This is the first archaeological material linking the life of the Buddha — and thus the first flowering of Buddhism — to a specific century.

You could find the full story from here and here
Apart from that, king Ashoka built Pillars at Buddhist monasteries, many important sites from the life of the Buddha and places of pilgrimage. This was done around 200 -300 years after the Buddha parinirvana. During that time those important sites and monasteries should have left some sort of evidence to support Buddhas existence that convince King to build the pillers. So it also can be considered as good indication.
Further:

The records which we can find in the Buddhist countries where people received Buddhism a few hundred years after the Buddha's passing away such as Sri Lanka, Burma, China, Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos show unbroken historical, cultural, religious, literary and traditional evidence that there was religious Teacher in India known as Gautama the Buddha. Ref: here

There are churches all over the world but no historical evidence that Jesus existed.  The more time between an historical figure and the first evidence of that figure's existence the less credible that evidence is.

That the shrine is Buddhist has been debunked. http://www.tricycle.com/blog/recent-discovery-earliest-buddhist-shrine-sham

I guess for something that happened such a long time ago you would struggle to prove it categorically. However I read that a shrine was uncovered at Lumbini (one of the candidates for the Buddha's birthplace) which dates to around the Buddha's time. This is taken to provide some kind of corroboration to the Buddha's life story.
Also the early texts do reference people who have been confirmed independently as existing such as King Bimbisara. This again is taken as lending weight to the events described in the texts.
Also some people would take the oral tradition and subsequent Pali Canon as historical evidence in it's own right of the existence of Buddha the man.
But to answer you question directly I'm not aware of any direct writings on the Buddha by (relatively - in the light of OP's comments) independent observers (as Josephus did for Jesus). Interested to see if anyone can come up with something.

That the shrine is Buddhist has been debunked. http://www.tricycle.com/blog/recent-discovery-earliest-buddhist-shrine-sham  Regarding the authenticity of Josephus, Wikipedia says: "Modern scholarship has largely acknowledged the authenticity of the reference...to "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James ...However, critics point out that Josephus wrote about a number of people who went by the name Jesus, Yeshua or Joshua,[20] and also speculate that Josephus may have considered James a fraternal brother rather than a sibling."

There's emperor Ashoka (304–232 BCE), who after a war in which a lot of people were slaughtered, decided to endorse Buddhism, having realized that what he did was wrong. He erected a bunch of columns (The Pillars of Ashoka) on which several inscriptions (The Edicts of Ashoka) are to be found with his view on Buddhism. These were erected after about one century after the Buddha's death, not that much time. The monks of the sangha would be the "second generation", some maybe even the very first generation who were taught by the Buddha directly (although I don't know that for sure, obviously). My answer was partly inspired by a thread on Reddit I remembered seeing. (Thread link)
I want to stress that I am by no means an expert on this field, but I can see that this is fairly well documented, and that the wikipedia page contains proper references.

100 years is 5 generations. That's a lot of time.  Buddha's father was a king. Wouldn't his first son's birth be documented?

I kind of meant generations of monks, but perhaps it wasn't quite the correct word to use. (The thread I linked used the same word, so I just went with it)
About your last question, I'm afraid I don't know enough about that.

The sacred Tooth relic of the Buddha

Hindus consider the Buddha as an Avatar of Vishnu.
Mahawamsa the great Chronicle of Sri Lanka gives an account of the Buddha's 3 visits to Sri Lanka.
Apart from those, we have the sacred Tooth relic of the Buddha in Kandy. We also have the sacred footprint of the Buddha at the top of mount Siripada. Also, lord Buddha's relics are placed inside many Stupas around the country.
Ruwanwelisaya is the main stupa among them. We also have the Jaya Sri Mahabodhi at Anuradhapura. It is the southern branch of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

From Wikipedia: " The historical accuracy of the Mahavamsa, given the time when it was written, is considered to be astonishing,[12] although the material prior to the death of Asoka is not considered to be trustworthy and is mostly legend. "

An anonymous wit of the Middle Ages once said something along the lines of "If you collected all the pieces of the True Cross, you would have enough wood to build Noah's Ark."

"material prior to the death of Asoka is not considered to be trustworthy" - This is because materialistic critiques reject anything supernatural on general principle. Because the Buddha came to Sri Lanka using his magical powers.
You can doubt about the authenticity of the sacred relics all you want. But it'll only be your loss! :) I'd trust the Mahawamsa any day as opposed to going by the words of an anonymous guy.

I'd trust my own (god-given?) sense of reason and my own assessment of any evidence instead of the words of an anonymous guy (yourself)! Please no offense.

Here is a quote from the book What Buddhist Believe by Ven. K. Sri. Dhammanda. The quote is from the chapter: "Historical Evidences of the Buddha", p. 38-41:

GAUTAMA the Buddha is not a mythical figure but an actual, historical personality who introduced the religion known today as Buddhism. Evidences to prove the existence of this great religious Teacher are to be found in the following facts:

The testimonies of those who knew Him personally. These testimonies are recorded in the rock-inscriptions, pillars and pagodas made in His honour. These testimonies and monuments to His memory were created by kings and others who were near enough to His time to be able to verify the story of His life.

The discovery of places and the remains of buildings that were mentioned in the narratives of His time.

The Sangha, the holy order which He founded, has had an unbroken existence to the present day. The Sangha possessed the facts of His life and Teachings which have been transmitted from generation to generation in various parts of the world.

The fact that in the very year of His death, and at various times subsequently, conventions and councils of the Sanghawere held for the verification of the actual Teachings of the Founder. These verified Teachings have been passed on from teacher to pupil from His time to the present day.

After His passing away, His body was cremated and the bodily relics were divided among eight kingdoms in India. Each king built a pagoda to contain his portion of the relics. The portion given to King Ajatasatthu was enshrined by him in a pagoda at Rajagriha. Less than two centuries later, Emperor Asoka took the relics and distributed them throughout his empire. The inscriptions enshrined in this and other pagodas confirm that those were the relics of Gautama the Buddha. Some of these relics which were not touched by Emperor Asoka were discovered only as recently as one hundred years ago, with inscriptions to prove their authenticity.

‘The Mahavamsa’, the best and authentic ancient history known to us gives detailed particulars of life as well as details of the life of Emperor Asoka and all other sovereigns related to Buddhist history. Indian history has also given a prominent place to the Buddha’s life, activities, Buddhist traditions and customs.

The records which we can find in the Buddhist countries where people received Buddhism a few hundred years after the Buddha’s passing away such as Sri Lanka, Myammar, China, Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos show unbroken historical, cultural, religious, literary and traditional evidence that there was a religious teacher in India known as Gautama theBuddha. Many of these records are widely separated in time and space and yet they say exactly the same things about the Buddha—this proves that they could not have invented these stories independently.

The Tripitaka, an unbroken record of His 45 years of Teaching is more than sufficient to prove that the Buddha really lived in this world because no other religious leader has ever said anything like what the Buddha has taught.

The accuracy and authenticity of the Buddhist texts is supported by the fact that they provide information for historians to write Indian history during the 5th and 6th century B.C. The texts, which represent the earliest reliable written records in India, provide a profound insight into the socio-economic, cultural and political environment and conditions during the Buddha’s lifetime as well as into the lives of His contemporaries, such as King Bimbisara.
The names of the places where important events occurred during the Buddha’s time and which are recorded in the scriptures still exist today with slight modification in spelling and pronunciation. Examples of these are Buddha Gaya—Bodhagaya, Baranasi—Benares, Kusinara—Kusinagara, Rajagaha—Rajgiri, Lumbini—Rummini, Savatthi—Sahetmahet, Vihara—Bihar, and so on.

That is one beautiful house (or at least facade) you've constructed with all those cards you've stacked! You might consider some citations as a foundation though!

@DavidRivers The quoted book doesn't have citations/footnotes/references. The Author's Note says that the book is meant to "introduce the original teaching clearly", and that it is not meant to be one of the "books by learned scholars who present the teachings in a highly academic and abstruse manner".

@ChrisW So then why is this book being referenced here?

@DavidRivers Well, the moderation on this (beta) site is relatively permissive -- see e.g. Moderation policies for Questions. The policy for Answers is that they are more-or-less OK if they are more-or-less on-topic, and won't be moderated unless they're downvoted. This answer was upvoted, so I suppose some people found it useful (and/or popular). It's true there have been users who hoped this site might be for expert-level or precise Q+A (e.g. among scholars) and been disappointed sometimes, but maybe you can't please everyone all the time.

@DavidRivers There are (other) topics on this site with (relatively) expert answers; do you have questions or answers of your own, to ask? Is this the only topic you're interested in? Do you want to discuss something (about the site or this question or this answer) as a topic on Meta?


text:
What basic knowledge and skills are required to become a Vipassana teacher?
What would you say are the basic requirements to become a Vipassana teacher?
I don't necessarily refer to attainments. More to basic knowledge and skills.
What I can think of would be for instance:
 - knowledge of the 5 precepts;
 - knowledge of the 4 noble truths;
 - knowledge of the 8-fold path;
 - be able to listen.
(Just to name a few.)

What is the qualification to become a vipashyana assistant teacher.?

I imagine this varies from tradition to tradition. In my tradition, the Thai version of Mahasi Sayadaw's teaching, anyone can pass on the teachings, so in a sense anyone can be a teacher. What this means is that there is no governing body going to reprimand you if you go out and teach others as you have been taught. This seems in line with the Buddha's way himself; the only requirements as far as being a teacher is concerned relate to fulfilling a role as a monastic teacher (i.e. regarding monastic discipline).
That being said, to become recognized as a teacher in my tradition, one generally has to undergo training both theoretically and practically - and of course, it goes without saying that one must have previously completed basic training in insight meditation (at least one month of intensive practice, preferably more).
Theoretically, one must have studied and/or been taught about the sixteen stages of insight knowledge as found in the commentaries and Visuddhimagga, along with the sort of "symptoms" to look for in someone going through each of the stages. A basic knowledge of Theravada Buddhism (usually through the Thai Dhamma exams) is also understood as a given.
Practically, one would be required to first listen in on another teacher's interviews with meditators (I spent a year doing this, every day for about five hours including ceremonies) and then eventually teach yourself under the guidance of a qualified teacher.
There is generally no certificate given, though there is a standard course in Thailand now for monks that lasts 40 days and gets one a certificate of sorts. Since there is very little practical experience in teaching involved, it doesn't seem quite complete as a teacher training, more of a basic requirement that one should then use to undertake further practical study of the art of teaching.

Bhante, perhaps the answer would benefit from sources on the 16 stages of knowledge - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mahasi/progress.html and the Dhamma exams? /\

To know how to become a vipassana teacher go through this link http://www.globalpagoda.org/Seva-questions


text:
Overwhelming states of being reached through meditation
I'm wondering what the Buddhist tradition might say about the following state of being. Firstly a bit of background, explaining how I got there and how it felt:
I practiced (what I understood to be) mindfulness meditation for six months through a simple book that came with a CD of guided meditations. It improved my life immeasurably. I got everything everyone says they do from the practice: More control of my life, less stress, more happiness, better resilience to the bad things that happen to us all. Even though I don't practice it anymore, I have taken this knowledge and understanding with me, and continue to apply it as best I can, without the aid of meditation itself.
The reason I stopped meditating is because of a series of events that pretty much left me temporarily unable to work (I'm absolutely fine now!). I experienced an incredibly intense emotional explosion in my chest during one meditation, and in my daily meditations after that I experienced what can only be described as immediate and overwhelming bliss. My meditations were shorter, but extremely powerful (and actually became the highlights of my day).
Unfortunately after a meditation of such power, I also found myself in a state of mind that was unable to work. I felt as if my ego wasn't quite ready to deal with the complexities of modern life, and rather than help my daily existence, this new state of mind became a hindrance. Talking to my clients on the phone, fielding their complicated questions, suddenly became a daunting task. And the part of my brain that allowed me to program websites (which is what I do for a living) was struggling to focus.
It was worrying. I didn't feel as though I was in control of these feelings, or sometimes, even myself (I remember one time talking to a friend about these new experiences, and being unable to stop myself from talking -- I literally kept interrupting him with my "insights", very unlike me).
Despite beginning as bliss, it quickly became a worrying experience.
I reluctantly stopped meditating and, after a few weeks, thankfully returned to my normal self (perhaps even better than I was before).
My question:
Does this experience have a name in Buddhist tradition? I have read about "Spiritual Crises", and indeed it appears that what I experienced matches the symptoms of that, but what IS that? I'm guessing in thousands of years of Buddhist study that there are answers? (Although, I must ask that if you're just guessing loosely, that you don't attempt to answer. Thanks.)
For example: This answer mentions the differences between two types of meditation: Calm abiding (Tib.: Shine, Skr.: Shamata) and insight meditation (Tib.: Lhaktong, Skr.: Vipassana), stating that the first is "safe" for everyone, while the latter could be damaging to certain individuals in certain situations.
And finally, as a side question, can someone who has experienced such a thing learn how to avoid re-experiencing it in the future and continue meditating? Or is that, as my girlfriend asserts, just playing with fire?

Yeah, sorry it's a bit meandering. I don't know how else to describe a state of being :-/

Can you maybe separate out the state and the question?

Sure, I'll give it a shot!

Ok, I've removed the self-helpy stuff and shortened the whole question down. Any better? I'd love to talk to a guru about my experience, but it's so hard to find one :(

Yeah, it's actually a pretty good question I think; hopefully you'll get some answers :)

This is seeking personal consulting, rather than asking a question. Even if one of us could provide some guidance I don't think it would be appropriate in this format.

@AndreiVolkov I agree that it's quite specific. I've updated it again. If I knew the correct terminology I'm guessing I could probably reduce the question into something very simple and broad. Unfortunately I don't, so I'm left with having to explain things in specific detail :-/ There's very clearly a question here, but maybe it's not appropriate for this SE?

I may have thought was my "normal self" when I wrote this, and maybe the initial intensity had worn off, but it actually took me 3/4 years to fully recover. Just reading this message would have spun me out for days (it's why I disconnected this account), it's only now that I truly feel back to normal.

First of all, I think your question has gotten worse at explaining your condition through your edits (sorry!).
In Theravada Buddhism, and really I think I speak for all of Buddhism when I say, the object is to understand reality as it is. This means you actually have to understand the experience before you can "fix" it. Actually, it means once you understand the experience, there will be no need to fix it.

Saddhāya tarati oghaṃ appamādena aṇṇavaṃ,
Viriyena dukkhaṃ acceti paññāya parisujjhatīti.
With confidence one crosses the flood, with vigilance the ocean;
With effort one overcomes suffering, with wisdom one is purified.
SN 10.12

So, first you need to purify your understanding. What is it you are exactly experiencing? What is really happening? The Buddha reminded us that understanding reality means breaking experience up into its constituent parts and seeing them just as they are (called Yathā-bhūta-ñāna-dassana). For example, in the Bahiya Sutta (Ud 6):

"diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṃ bhavissati, sute sutamattaṃ bhavissati, mute mutamattaṃ bhavissati, viññāte viññātamattaṃ bhavissatī"ti. Evaṃ hi te bāhiya, sikkhitabbaṃ.
"In what is seen, there will be only what is seen; in what is heard, there will be only what is heard, in what is sensed, there will be only what is sensed, in what is thought, there will be only what is thought." Just so indeed should you train, Bahiya.

The Buddha explained that to the extent that Bahiya could train himself in this simple teaching, "tato tvaṃ, bāhiya, na tena" - "therefore, Bahiya, there will arise no 'you' because of that," which means that there would be no misinterpretation of the experience as "me", "mine", etc.
"To the extent," the Buddha continued, "that there arises no self," "tato tvaṃ, bāhiya, na tattha" - "to that extent, Bahiya, there will arise no 'you' in regards to that object." "To that extent," the Buddha concluded, "nevidha na huraṃ na ubhayamantarena. esevanto dukkhassa." - "there will be neither here nor there or anything in between. This indeed is the end of suffering."
So, let's examine what exactly you experienced, based on your words, in order to try and see it for what it is:

I experienced an incredibly intense emotional explosion in my chest

First of all, emotions are not in your chest, they are mental. What you experience in your chest is a physical symptom, maybe accompanying emotion, maybe not. It should be understood as it is (in our tradition, this means reminding yourself "feeling, feeling..." until it goes away).
Second, "incredibly intense" is a judgement - not bad in itself, but indicative of some emotional reaction to the experience. That too should be seen as it is ("disliking" or "upset", for example).

I experienced what can only be described as immediate and overwhelming bliss.

Bliss is either mental or physical (or both); either way, it is a feeling (vedana) and should be understood as it is ("happy, happy" or even "feeling, feeling")

My meditations were shorter, but extremely powerful (and actually became the highlights of my day).

This indicates some degree of attachment, which is a cause for addiction and should be understood as it is to stop it from escalating ("liking, liking").

I felt as if my ego wasn't quite ready to deal with the complexities of modern life, and rather than help my daily existence, this new state of mind became a hindrance.

This as well is a judgement, probably indicative of aversion. Even though a state may be objectively "bad", disliking just aggravates the condition. This should understood as it is ("disliking, disliking").

Talking to my clients on the phone, fielding their complicated questions, suddenly became a daunting task. And the part of my brain that allowed me to program websites (which is what I do for a living) was struggling to focus.

Sometimes struggling to focus on worldly things simply means you are unable to care about what has no intrinsic benefit; you may have to in that case force yourself to stop practicing in order to carry out the worldly duties as you see fit. In this case, though, it sounds like you probably have too much concentration and not enough effort. If the mind is unwieldy, inflexible, it will have trouble keeping up with reality and thus interacting with daily life. Insight meditation that focuses on mundane reality should help. If you truly are distracted (in the sense of the mind flitting to many different objects at once), then it probably has less to do with the meditation practice and more to do with your reactions to it that have led to anxiety, etc.

It was worrying.

States can't be worrying, you can just worry about them. Which is unwholesome and should be understood as it is to avoid escalating it ("worried, worried").

I didn't feel as though I was in control of these feelings, or sometimes, even myself (I remember one time talking to a friend about these new experiences, and being unable to stop myself from talking -- I literally kept interrupting him with my "insights", very unlike me).

Welcome to the world of non-self :) The Buddha said that aspects of experience are non-self, including nibbana. We simply fool ourselves into thinking we are in control, when in fact the most we can do is react (or not react, which would be better).
Interrupting your friend, on the other hand, is a sign of too much energy - probably accompanied by faith, and, as you say, insight. Energy, faith and insight can all become hindrances or imperfections of insight (vipassanupakkilesa) if you follow them without being self-aware and letting them go. It is important not to cling to any positive states that may arise; as you have learned, they can lead to problems in your daily life.
Hopefully this at least gives you some guide as to how you can better pinpoint what exactly you experienced; if you want help, you will need to be able to express what is happening on a momentary experiential basis; the present moment is just one moment, and it is the only moment that is of true importance:

Let one not go back to the past, nor worry about the future, for the
past is gone and the future unreached; but which phenomena arise here
and now, let one see clearly into them all.
This is unconquerable, this is unshakeable; knowing thus, let one so
devote oneself. Today, indeed, should one strive at the task; who
knows whether death comes tomorrow? There is no bargain to be made
with him, Death with his great army, But one who dwells thus ardently,
day and night untiringly, is said by the peaceful sage to have had a
blessed night.
-- The Buddha (MN 131)

Wow, I have a lot to learn. Thanks for sharing this. I will digest and consider what you've written. (Some quick notes: I meant "intense" as in "strong", just to help clarify -- there was nothing negative about the experience, aside from slight pain, and indeed I was very happy for having it -- but that it probably just as bad as being unhappy about having it. Lol! Also: After the experience during meditation, when I couldn't problem solve as well, I was in a different mental state. Something akin to how one might feel the day after an LSD experience -- if that's a useful point of reference.)

Additional note: Although I mentioned LSD, I only experienced this a three times in my life, when I was a teenager. It had nothing to do with the experience above.

I love the technique of drilling down to reality in the way you did in this answer.  It doesn't always handle things but it almost always reduces or eliminates suffering.

"First of all, emotions are not in your chest, they are mental."
Comments like this are incredibly unhelpful. I know I was polite when I first answered (I'm user446), but I thought this at the time, too. In my question I was simply describing my experience, not making statements about physiology.

I'm not equipped to answer this, but I can maybe give you some pointers to people who can, and maybe allay your fears.
Effects such as you are describing have been described in quite some detail by Daniel Ingram, Willoughby Britton (from both a practice and academic/clinical point of view), and others. If you don't get a good answer here (and even if you do), I recommend dharmaoverground.org, especially this sub-forum, where people are willing to offer guidance. Try to get answers specifically from Dan himself, and also Nikolai (there are several on there who seem to know this stuff, but those two do seem to be especially experienced).
Also look for Willoughby's stuff at Cheetah House (she specifically mentions the work difficulties you describe). And look for Dan's podcast interviews on Buddhist Geeks (several years ago now). Willoughby also speaks there. Here's the first of her two part interview.
The bottom line is, from what I read, what you've experienced seems to be not uncommon (some of the dharmaoverground folks seem to think it is inevitable if following a particular practice path, but I can't find broader support for that view), is almost always able to be worked through, but your best bet is to find a good teacher who either has experience of this kind of thing, or has been trained by someone who has.
See also the answer I gave here.
CAVEAT: Don't trust the internet any further than you can kick it -- and that includes dharmaoverground, this SE site, and indeed this post. Always cross reference, triangulate, and always always keep your common sense switched on.

Thanks Tommy. Some interesting reading (and sound advice). I've seen so much random nonsense when it comes to meditation online, and agree that you should always cross-reference whatever you read, and keep your own common sense turned on.

You may have experienced the first Jhana.

Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, he enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. He permeates and pervades, suffuses and fills this very body with the rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal.

If you master it you will be able to enter and exit it at will. Getting stuck in it is not uncommon. The same goes for choosing to stay in it because it is pleasant, which is seen as a hindrance to final liberation.
Speaking the dhamma or keeping 'noble silence' is also part of the Jhanic experience. This sounds similar to what you described. You struggled to talk about work but once you were able to share your experience you could not stop talking.
Fighting against our lifelong programming, like you described, can make this experience seem negative. If you want to keep trying to master Jhana, while still continuing to work and continuing to fit in nicely with society, I recommend finding a teacher. Otherwise you might continue to experience this state for extended periods while attempting to master it.

One thing to say right off is,  this experience you describe is not a head trip and no amount of impressive intellectual bs is likely to help convert this to the fertilizer it can be.  It is about mastery of the emotions.  Something big is emerging from your own mind and it aint going to be intellectualized away.  Ever.
The very well trained and experienced buddhism teacher Alan Wallace addresses "meditative experience" ie "nyam" at length. Sounds to me that is what you are encountering.   My own experiences are possibly very relevent too, they are consistent with Alans teaching.  Since they can be quite frightening and end up as fragmenting instead of powerfully beneficial it pays to get great guidance to be sure they end up as the unimaginably positive influence they can be.
One important point would be to get qualified guidance from a qualified teacher.  Meditation,  shamatha practice,  when it is working right, will "dredge up the rotting corpses from the mud of the psyche."  In fact when it does so it is a sign the practice is working.  However its so powerful and fragmenting its necessary to have guidance.  Otherwise we can be thrown off,  put off,  and even have our well being damaged.
I had prior experience from years of training in psychology ,  psychotherapy and seeking out the most challenging experiences possible for the sake of rapid efficient  personal growth.  Still I was knocked off my feet by the power and sense of "loss of control",  emotionally,  when I got the meditation practice working for me.
It takes an intrepid attitude and competent external support to get thru such experiences.  My finding was that the "gold",   beyond what I was capable if hoping or dreaming of followed immediately that fragmenting moments ....
don't know if its possible to contact posters thru this site ... feel free to if you would like more discussion

You experienced first two jhanas. Being accompanied with happiness. Yes it feels like explosion.
And you also experienced the third Jhana which is disturbing.
I recommend you to study Jhana meditation
This will help you to develop further

It so happened in progressing to higher stage of knowledge. Out of sixteen stage of knowledge regarding insight meditation, in the third stage it used to happen in somebody depending on the past merit. "intense emotional explosion in my chest"  and "overwhelming bliss" if you note "know it" repeatedly or if you cannot concentrate any more just remember Arahan (one of the qualities of Buddha) until you can concentrate again. By doing so you can attain higher stage of knowledge. If you dare not do by yourself alone, go to one of the retreat and in front of the meditation master you can try again. Surely there will be no problem.


text:
Did the Buddha discourage antropomorphic representations of himself?
The first anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha appeared centuries after his death (see this related question). Buddhist art then was "aniconic", insofar as the Buddha was only represented through symbols such as the Buddha's footprint or the Dharma wheel. In the Wikipedia article on Greco-Buddhism, there is a hint as to why this might be so:

[The] reluctance towards anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, and the sophisticated development of aniconic symbols to avoid it (even in narrative scenes where other human figures would appear), seem to be connected to one of the Buddha’s sayings, reported in the Digha Nikaya, that discouraged representations of himself after the extinction of his body.

This assertion isn't, however, accompanied by a reference to the relevant portion of the Digha Nikaya, and it is contradicted in Donald Lopez's latest book, From Stone to Flesh: A Short History of the Buddha (University of Chicago Press, 2013):

[N]o proscriptions against making images of the Buddha have been located in what scholars would regard as an early Buddhist text, nor have any prescriptions for his representation been found.

Is there actual textual basis for the claim that the Buddha discouraged antropomorphic representations of himself (in the Digha Nikaya or other early Buddhist texts)?

There is a Theravada Monk building a monastery in Malaysia without any image or representation of the Buddha, as you said Buddha images appeared only 500 years after his death. As the Buddha said, the Dhamma is our teacher now, this is the most important thing, the images are just to remind ourselves of the good qualities of the Buddha

Is anthropomorphic a correct term to use given that the historical Buddha was always human?

@Robin111 I'm not sure I understand your question. An anthropomorphic representation simply is a representation having human characteristics, while an aniconic representation is one that doesn't.

@konrad01 That's very interesting, do you have any information on the monastery (name, location, etc.)?

I'm going by this definition. It seems to say assigning human characteristics to something not human; like a deity or an animal. Is there a different definition? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphism

@Robin111 There is a difference between the noun anthropomorphism and the adjective anthropomorphic. An anthropomorphic representation can be a representation of anything (human or not) provided the representation has human characteristics. I hope that's clearer.

I'm not sure your link for anthropomorphic clarifies as it states: ADJECTIVE

Relating to or characterized by anthropomorphism. But if you believe it makes sense; that's fine. Be well. :)

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

A direct quote from the Digha Nikaya that explicitly expresses a prohibition or even a discouragement concerning his antropomorphic representations has not been found yet, as far as I know.
In Religions of the Silk Road (Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1996), Yuvraj Krishan maintains that the aniconic period is due to a Vedic heritage: Vedism was aniconic because it considered the highest gods as ultimately transcendent and formless. His contention is that when Buddhism was in its infancy, those who were faithful to the growing tradition were careful to act within to the Vedic tradition to avoid any normative displacement. So it should not surprise us that the earliest representational art appears at the geographical fringes of the Indian subcontinent (Sri Lanka and Gandhara). The earliest source for this thesis that I know is John C. Huntington's 1977 paper titled "The origin of the Buddha image".
Although there seems to be no known explicit doctrinal injunctions against the representation of the Buddha in anthropomorphic form, there is an  oblique statement in the Vinaya of the Sarvastivadins (first called attention to by Arthur Waley) which may be interpreted as a prohibition and consists the only textual source I have found to this effect. In this passage, which deals with the decoration of monasteries, Anathapindika asks:

World-honoured one, if  images  of yours  are  not allowed  to be made, pray  may we not at least  make images  of Bodhisattvas in attendance  upon you? (apud Waley, 1931/2)

Although this statement addresses the theme of iconic representation of Buddha, it is an isolated case and cannot really be construed as a prohibition. Therefore, Huntington's theory that the aniconic representation of the Buddha in early Buddhism was a result of Vedic traditions and not specific doctrinal prohibitions seems to be the best explanation.

Further reading:

Rob Linrothe, 'Inquiries into the origin of the Buddha image: a review', East and West 43, 1/4 (December 1993), pp. 241-256.

I suspect that the avoidance of idols and images was not the result of tradition but motivated by the same reasons it is avoided in the Vedic tradition and warned against in the Bible. To paraphrase, ' because it considered Reality and Consciousness to be ultimately transcendent and formless'..

You may want to refer to this sutta from Pali Canon
Buddha said to him, "The sight of my foul body is useless; he who sees the Dhamma, he it is that seeth me"
yo kho dhammam passati so mam passati; yo mam passati so dhammam passati
Vakkali Thera
Idols and Suptas are representing the teaching of Buddha, the Dhamma.

"The disciplines of austerity and contemplation Gautama had taught were now increasingly confined to a minority of orthodox .., the followers of Mahayana winning conversions among the masses. One sign of this was the proliferation in the first and second centuries AD of statues and representations of the Buddha, a practice hitherto restrained by the Buddha's prohibition of idol-worship." (Roberts 1995: 417)
ROBERTS; J.M. 1995. The Penguin History of the World. London: Penguin Group, 3rd edition.

Householder, interested,
Did the Buddha discourage antropomorphic representations of himself?
Not so explicite, but tendency to encouragements on reminders... image of him?
Ven. Ananda Thera once desired to keep a reminder of the Buddha at the monastery, while the Lord Buddha went into the lands, for encouragement of all in his absence, and asked the Buddha in relation of this. While the Buddha remarked that certain memorials of a Buddha while alive are not proper, he allowed to plant a Bodhi-tree one that occation.
"Not proper when alive..." does easy allow the thought that an image (after death) as encouragement and to increase faith, is approved by the Buddha. Now what kinds are there?
Maybe quoting the passage later...oh here

Kalingabodhi-Jataka (Kāliṅgabodhijātakaṃ)
..."This monastery, Sir, is left unprovided while the Tathāgata goes on pilgrimage, and there is no place for the people to do reverence by offering fragrant wreaths and garlands. Will you be so kind, Sir, as to tell the Tathāgata of this matter, and learn from him whether or no it is possible to find a place for this purpose." The other, nothing loth, did so, asking, "How many shrines are there?" —"Three, Ānanda." —"Which are they?" —"Shrines for a relic of the body, a relic of use or wear, a relic of memorial [202]" —"Can a shrine be made, Sir, during your life?" —"No, Ānanda, not a body-shrine; that kind is made when a Buddha enters Nirvāna. A shrine of memorial is improper because the connection depends on the imagination only.(?) But the great bo-tree used by the Buddhas is fit for a shrine, be they alive or be they dead." —"Sir, while you are away on pilgrimage the great monastery of Jetavana °° is unprotected, and the people have no place where they can show their reverence. Shall I plant a seed of the great bo-tree before the gateway of Jetavana?" —"By all means so do, Ānanda, and that shall be as it were an abiding place for me."...
202: See Hardy, Eastern Monachism, 216 f. The last class is said to be images of the Buddha. (similar in German translations)

My person also remembers, that in regard of not allowed to carry and draw pictures, images of humans, for monks, the commentary, at least, report that aside of samvega increasing, images of the Buddha are allowed.
The often ignored commentary, "historical" reports at least, of serious source, whould surely give much detail. There are even guidlines how and where to put (direction...).
Shrine should be understood as memorial image.
More on general reason why such "forms" is found in the Maha Parinibbana Sutta (DN16)

Vandāmi bhante cetiyaṃ, sabbaṃ sabbattha ṭhāne, supatiṭṭhitaṃ sārīraṅka-dhātuṃ, mahā-bodhiṃ buddha-rūpaṃ, sakkāratthaṃ.
I revere every stupa established in every place, every Relic of the Buddha's body, every Great Bodhi tree, every Buddha image that is an object of veneration.

The tendencies in Vinaya are generally strong against subha, but allow asuhba images. See also general comments on Buddhist Art here. The strong attachment to form, by humans, would also explain the Dhammic reason behind the rules.
Further additions, edits and discussion on it can be found here: [Q&A] Buddha-images are allowed by the Buddha (at least by monks)?, in the Open-Vihara.
(Note that this is not given for trade, exchange, stacks, entertainment and akusala deeds, but as a share of merits and continue such for release)

Early artists did not make statues of Buddha so as not to make mistakes in representing the features and characteristics of the Buddha.
The statues came later as a tool of worship to develop faith in the Buddha.
There is not encouragement or discouragement of this from the Buddha or in the ancient texts.

Can you cite any sources backing up your first claim?

John C. Huntington, a significant art historian of Buddhism, published an article in 1977 which argues that the only explicit ban on images of the Buddha comes from the Sarvastivadin Vinaya. In the passage, Anathapindika asks "World honoured one, if images of yours are not allowed to be made, pray, may we not at least make images of Bodhisattvas in attendance upon you?", to which the Buddha assents. Even that is rather oblique, of course.

Above is a common opinion held by many people in Sri Lanka regarding the matter. I am no sure it it is there in any texts. May be perhaps books by Sri Lankan historians.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_art

To get the 32 marks of a Great man 80 sub marks is not easy.