Sarnatha- the Cradle of Buddhism (from an Archeological Perspective)

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Sarmatha, Deer Park (India) is the Cradle of Buddhism, an important center of Buddhism, and a place of peace and happiness.

Archaeological discoveries at the Sarmatha site, have confirmed that Sarnatha is the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon to five Аnna Kondanna brothers and where he founded the first Buddhist Sangha.

It was from Sarnatha that Buddha's disciples began to share his teachings, a path of bliss and happiness. Within a few years, Buddhism became very popular throughout India. From the common people to the king, all welcomed its spirit of equality and liberty. Today, Buddhism is practiced in many countries around the world.

Dr. Bhikkhuni Gioi Hong (world name Sunyata Pham) was born in 1963 in Binh Tuy, Vietnam and ordained at the age of fifteen under the great master, the Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Hai Trieu Am. In 1994, she received a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Sai Gon University. She studied in India for ten years and in 2003, graduated with a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Delhi, India. In 2005, she settled down in the United States and in 2015, she earned a second Bachelor's Degree in Literature at the University of Riverside, California.

Currently, she is pursuing a degree in the Master of Arts Program at the University of California, Riverside and works as a lecturer at the Vietnam Buddhist University in HCM City. She favors quietly reflecting on Dharma, and that leads her to write, as well as translate, Buddhist books and lyrics for music albums on her Bao Anh Lac Bookshelf.

In 2000, she established Huong Sen Temple, Binh Chanh, Sai Gon. Viet Nam. In 2010, she founded Huong Sen Temple in Perris, California, USA, where she serves as abbess.

Sarnatha (Deer Park) is a Buddhist holy place, related to the Buddha's life where he converted five of his friends to practice in the right track, established the first Sangha, and delivered his initial lecture. Sarnatha stands about 10 km north of Varanasi. In the past, it was called Varanasi Capital, and it is now in Uttar Pradesh state (the northern part of India).

At the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, Sarnatha was a quiet, lushly green area that became a fine place for meditation. The place was also called Isipatana, or Migadaya. Many kalpas ago, Shakyamuni Buddha was a Boddhissatta who often rebirthed there. As a result, numerous stories about the Previous Births of Gautama Buddha (Jataka Nikaya) have been linked to this place.

During the sixth century, China had Confucius and Lao-tzu, Iran had Zoroaster, Greece had Socrates and Plato, and India had Mahavira and Shakyamuni Buddha. That period was clearly a golden age for Asia, perhaps even the world.

The Shakyamuni Buddha was born to this world at Lumbini, attained Enlightenment at Bodhgaya, turned the Dhamma Wheel at Sarnatha, and entered Nibbana at Kushinagar. In the first discourse, the Buddha proclaimed the Four Noble Truths, or the Four Arya (Satyas cattari ariyasaccani), to be: suffering (Dukkha), the cause of suffering (Samudaya), the cessation of suffering (Nirodha), and the ways leading to the cessation of suffering (Magga), which together make up the Eightfold Paths: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right concentration, and right mindfulness. This basic doctrine that the Buddha experienced and proclaimed liberated living beings from suffering and led them to conduct a peaceful and happy life. The Buddha traveled to many places to show living beings how they could realize their own suffering and find a path leading to ending that suffering. Therefore, it can be said that Sarnatha, also called Deer Park, is the cradle of Buddhism, and from this place the Buddhist Sangha, or monastic community, was established. After Buddha's Nibbana, his disciples preached Buddhism throughout India and all over the world, setting up many temples, stupas, and signed stones everywhere. Buddhism is like the spiritual torch that perfectly meets the needs of humans. However, everything constantly changes day by day, and so does Buddhism. Due to circumstances of history, politics, and the fanaticism of other religions, at the joint destiny, Sarnatha collapsed and was burned down many times; however, luckily it was also restored many times. Today, it is safely protected by the government of India and maintained by countless archeologists, historians, scientists, and defenders of other religions throughout the land. People from abroad also go there to help continue excavating the temple to reveal the golden age of Sarnatha to human beings in India and all over the world.

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