Buddhism is the religious system founded by Buddha, one of the most prominent doctrines of which is that Nirvana, or an absolute release from existence, is the chief good. According to it pain is inseparable from existence, and consequently pain can cease only through Nirvana; and in order to attain Nirvana our desires and passions must be suppressed, the most extreme self-renunciation practised, and we must, as far as possible, forget our own personality.
In order to attain Nirvana eight conditions must be kept or practised. The first is in Buddhistic language right view; the second is right judgment; the third is right language; the fourth is right purpose; the fifth is right profession; the sixth is right application; the seventh is right memory; the eighth is right meditation. The five fundamental precepts of the Buddhist moral code are: not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to lie, and not to give way to drunkenness. To these there are added five others of less importance, and binding more particularly on the religious class, such as to abstain from repasts taken out of season, from theatrical representations, etc. There are six fundamental virtues to be practised by all men alike, vizcharity, purity, patience, courage, contemplation, and knowledge. These are the virtues that are said to 'conduct a man to the other shore'. The devotee who strictly practises them has not yet attained Nirvana, but is on the road to it.
The Buddhist virtue of charity is universal in its application, extending to all creatures, and demanding sometimes the greatest self-denial and sacrifice. There is a legend that the Buddha in one of his stages of existence (for he had passed through innumerable transmigrations before becoming 'the enlightened') gave himself up to be devoured by a famishing lioness which was unable to suckle her young ones. There are other virtues, less important, indeed, than the six cardinal ones, but still binding on believers. Thus not only is lying forbidden, but evil-speaking, coarseness of language, and even vain and frivolous talk, must be avoided. Buddhist metaphysics are comprised in three theories - the theory of transmigration (borrowed from Brahmanism), the theory of the mutual connection of causes, and the theory of Nirvana. The first requires no explanation. According to the second, life is the result of twelve conditions, which are by turns causes and effects. Thus there would be no death were it not for birth; it is therefore the effect of which birth is the cause. Again, there would be no birth were there not a continuation of existence. Existence has for its cause our attachment to things, which again has its origin in desire; and so on through sensation, contact, the organs of sensation and the heart, name and form, ideas, etc, up to ignorance. This ignorance, however, is not ordinary ignorance, but the fundamental error which causes us to attribute permanence and reality to things. This, then, is the primary origin of existence and all its attendant evils.
Nirvana or extinction is eternal salvation from the evils of existence, and the end which every Buddhist is supposed to seek. Sakya-muni did not leave his doctrines in writing; he declared them orally, and they were carefully treasured up by his disciples, and written down after his death. The determination of the canon of the Buddhist scriptures as we now possess them was the work of three successive councils, and was finished two centuries at least before Christ. From Buddhism involving a protest against caste distinctions it was eagerly adopted by the Dasyus or non-Aryan inhabitants of Hindustan. It was pure, moral, and humane in its origin, but it came subsequently to be mixed up with idolatrous worship of its founder and other deities. Although now long banished from Hindustan by the persecutions of the Brahmans, Buddhism prevails in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Indonesia, and Japan, and its adherents are said to comprise about a third of the human race. Research Buddhism
The ISO (International Standards Organisation) assigns a two character code to each country name. These codes are used by Internet 'whois' databases (these two character abbreviations are the whois country codes) and also other applications.
The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is the Asian species of camel. It is a two-humped camel once commonly found in Asia, but now endangered and only found in parts of Mongolia and China. The Bactarian Camel has been domesticated for use as pack animals, and also a source of milk and wool, and their manure. Research Bactrian Camel
Deinocheirus was a dinosaur of the Cretaceous period. Only two arms have been found - in Mongolia during the 1960's - of Deinocheirus, each of which is 260 cm long with three fingers on each hand and powerful claws each 25 cm long. Research Deinocheirus
Opisthocoelicaudia was a dinosaur of the Cretaceous period. It was a large, bulky dinosaur about twelve metres long that walked on all-fours with a long tail related to Camarasaurus and Euhelopus, from which we guess it also had a long neck. Remains of Opisthocoelicaudia comprising a head and neck-less skeleton were discovered in 1965 in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Research Opisthocoelicaudia
Oviraptor was a dinosaur of the Cretaceous period. It was a small animal, about two metres long, walking on its hind legs and standing about one metre tall.
Oviraptor had hands furnished with three strong fingers, and a powerful toothless beak that could have crushed bones. It is generally assumed, as remains have been found near nests of other animals eggs, that Oviraptor ate eggs - hence it's name which means 'egg thief'. Remains of Oviraptor were first found in 1923 at Shabarakh in Mongolia. Research Oviraptor
The Pallas cat (Felis manul, manul, steppe cat) is an Asian wild cat living in rocky areas from the eastern border of the Caspian Sea to Tibet and Mongolia. It is about the size of domestic cat with soft, long, and thick fur which is whitish grey or light yellowish with black spots on the crown and black stripes on the rump. It eats small mammals and birds. Research Pallas cat
Protoceratops was a dinosaur of the Cretaceous period. Remains of Protoceratops were first discovered in Mongolia in 1922 and these remains included complete nests of eggs with skeletons of young and old. The adult Protoceratops was 180 centimetres long, walked on all fours, had a pointed beak and a small neck frill. Unlike later related dinosaurs, Protoceratops was devoid of horns but had thickened bony areas on top of the snout and above the eyes. Research Protoceratops
Przewalski's Horse (the Asiatic Wild Horse) is a breed of wild horse of China and Mongolia, the last sighting of a wild Przewalski was in 1968 in the Gobi desert, since then they have become extinct in the wild but have been maintained in zoos and in 2006 were reintroduced to Mongolia, though from a small group of about twelve horses captured in the wild and then bred in captivity.
Przewalski's Horse stands 13 hands high and is sand dun coloured with a lighter belly and muzzle and dark points and often zebra stripes. The mane is coarse and stands upright. They are a wild breed, temperamental, stubborn, aggressive and difficult to train. Research Przewalski's Horse
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
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