Path cleared for South Korean Buddhist university to sue Yale
Path cleared for South Korean Buddhist university to sue Yale |
- Path cleared for South Korean Buddhist university to sue Yale
- Asia Society Opens in Hong Kong
- Misconceptions and Code Words: Getting Schooled by Gary Snyder
- Medvedev praises Russian Buddhists' social role
- 'Buddhism has globalised Indian culture'
- Losar – February 22, 2012
- An Endangered Culture: the Movie
- Tibetans in China mark new year with sombre defiance
- Tibetan Buddhist translation project “84000″ launches “Reading Room”
- Devotees celebrate Buddhist and hope at Myanmar shrine where festival was banned 20 years
- The Importance Of Inter-Religious Harmony
- Jogye Order calls China to cease Tibetan oppression
- Burma's State Buddhist council lives in authoritarian past
| Path cleared for South Korean Buddhist university to sue Yale Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST The Associated Press is reporting that US District Judge Tucker Melancon has cleared the way for South Korea's mighty Buddhist university Dongguk to proceed with it lawsuit against Yale University this June. In its lawsuit, the institution claims it hired an art history professor after Yale incorrectly confirmed that the professor had earned his doctorate from Yale. Dongguk seeks $ 50 million in damages, citing the considerable scandal the hire caused. Last week, Judge Melancon rejected almost all of Yale's motion for summary judgment (though he did grant a request to dismiss a civil charge of reckless and wanton conduct). Read the whole report here. Read More @ Source
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| Asia Society Opens in Hong Kong Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:00 PM PST By JOYCE HOR-CHUNG LAU, The New York Times, February 22, 2012
The inaugural exhibition of the new Asia Society Hong Kong Center considers the role of Buddha in art. HONG KONG, China -- Traffic was diverted and uniformed guards were on patrol as several hundred guests got a private preview of Asia Society's fortress-like Hong Kong headquarters earlier this month.
Heads of government and culture made their way around the New York organization's largest overseas outpost - a new compound that combines minimalist modern structures with a restored 19th-century British Army explosives magazine. The 1.3-hectare, or 3.2-acre, space opened after a decade of planning and construction, with care taken to preserve both the colonial-era buildings and a long-neglected wooded area above a busy commercial district. A sleek walkway suspended over the tree canopy was designed to zigzag around an indigenous bat population. New glassed-in halls were set amid ancient banyan trees, their roots growing into stone walls.
"It allows for a kind of pan-Asian discussion," said Melissa Chiu, Asia Society's museum director, who had flown in from New York. "We're looking for a sort of parity, with New York and Hong Kong as our two major hubs. It signals a new chapter in building new partnerships between the U.S. and Asia." Last weekend the center staged the premiere of a commissioned work by the Hong Kong composer Aenon Loo, accompanied by a video by Silas Fong, a local artist. The opening exhibition is "Transforming Minds: Buddhism in Art," a modest but well-curated show tracing the religion's past and present. It matches 13 artifacts from the Rockefeller Collection of Asian Art with six contemporary works. The pieces, which range from a pair of marble Chinese bodhisattvas from 570 A.D. to an 18th-century Korean scroll, were chosen to track the evolution of Buddhism and, in particular, how its symbols and beliefs crossed cultural and national boundaries. One gem is a deceptively simple 8th-century Thai bronze sculpture of Maitreya, a young bodhisattva chosen to become a future Buddha. It shows a boyish, almost pre-adolescent slender figure with the elegance of a young David. "This work is of perfect proportions," said Alice Wong, a gallery official. "It strikes the perfect balance of showing a body that is both in action and at rest." The most beautiful face in the exhibition is carved of volcanic rock and belongs, unfortunately, to one of the many Buddhist sculptures that had their heads or hands hacked off long ago, probably by invaders or looters. What is left of this 9th-century Indonesian work reflects an Asian ideal - a serene round face, closed lotus-petal-shaped eyes, voluptuous nose and lips, and long earlobes. A favorite among visitors was "Amida Nyorai," a delicate Japanese cypress wood carving from the 13th century with a hint of gold plating on the draped robes and light-colored crystals decorating Buddha's head. Most arresting were the black crystals beneath his heavy lids. They were hard to see clearly at first, but when they caught the light, they gave off the liquid luminosity of real eyes. "This is the first time that this very rare work has traveled outside New York since it became part of the collection," Ms. Wong said. "It is also very fragile because it is hollow, and might have once been full of relics. The staff holding it broke out in a sweat, literally, when they unpacked it and set it down here." The Buddha's relative small size and light weight meant it was probably moved from place to place. "War was raging through Japan at the time," Ms. Wong said. "Perhaps this Buddha was the last thing shoguns saw as they awaited death." "Transforming Minds" is unusual in its mix of old and new religious works. The contemporary installations, though set off at a respectful distance, were shown in the same spaces as the artifacts. The Chinese artist Zhang Huan created two rather eerie Buddha heads from ashes left over from the burning of incense at a Shanghai temple. The former New York resident also made the "Long Island Buddha," looking much like a giant copper head that had fallen from the sky and sunk halfway into the ground, that is displayed in an outdoor courtyard. "Lotus Sound," by the Thai artist Montien Boonma (1953-2000), casts back to early Buddhism, when Buddha was often represented by a simple symbol, like a hand or a tree, instead of a human figure. Here, he used everyday objects: lotus petals covered in gold leaf float above 473 black terra cotta bells arranged in a semicircular wall. The bells were glued together for this show, but they were not for the original installations in the 1990s, when they were stacked precariously to symbolize man's fragility. "When it was shown in Brisbane, someone really did touch it and made it topple over," said Dominique Chan, the assistant gallery manager. "Boonma, a former Thai monk, was not bothered. His view was, 'if it falls over, we'll rebuild it."' The strongest contemporary work was the only one to use an ancient artifact. For "Bodhi Obfuscatus (Space Baby)," the Korean-American artist Michael Joo took a regal 2nd- or 3rd-century Gandharan Buddha from the Rockefeller collection and surrounded its head with a halo of 50 surveillance cameras. The sculpture, from what is now a region of the India-Pakistan border, is set in a large, dark room lined with more than 90 mirrors and 10 TV screens. The Buddha's handsome face, clouded by wires, lenses and cables, is only clearly seen when it flashes on the monitors. Visitors are confronted with endless reflections of themselves juxtaposed with images of the Buddha, breaking down the barrier between the worshiper and the worshiped. "On one hand, we focus on new scholarship in the traditional arts. On the other hand, we're seeking cutting-edge ideas about the contemporary arts. And sometimes, we do that in the same show," said Ms. Chiu, who curated the exhibition. "Some may see contemporary art as a disruption from the past; but it can also have a connection to the past." Wong Chiu-chan, a Hong Kong resident, attended one of the first public tours of the galleries and seemed to prefer the historic artifacts. "It's not often that you see such a collection of fine pieces here in Hong Kong," he said. Images of Buddha are not often controversial, but there are sensitivities about whether he is portrayed respectfully. Although he said he was not particularly religious, Mr. Wong was unsettled by Mr. Joo's digitized work. "It makes me feel uncomfortable to see the Buddha's face obstructed by wires and television cameras," he said. Asia Society in New York is not known for backing away from debate, and its Web site includes criticism on topics like Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel laureate who is currently jailed in China. "I curated a show on the Cultural Revolution in 2008, and we recently showed 200 photos by Ai Weiwei," Ms. Chiu said, referring to the Chinese artist who was detained for more than two months last year. "We've never shied away from topical subjects. But I do believe that, while operating in different environments, you have to be culturally sensitive." "So far," she said, "we haven't had any issues in Hong Kong. It's a very open community." --------- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 4/5 
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| Misconceptions and Code Words: Getting Schooled by Gary Snyder Posted: 22 Feb 2012 09:00 PM PST By Julia Hysell, Planet News Article, February 22, 2012San Francisco, CA (USA) -- Before Bill McKibben wrote thoughtful prose about the effects of human impact on the Earth's environment, there was Gary Snyder; before Pema Chodron penned approachable writings on Meditation, there was Snyder.
In his published collections, including The Back Country (1967), The Real Work (1980) A Place in Space (1995) and Danger on Peaks (2005), Gary Snyder has established his singular Pacific Rim perspective, rooted in North America's West Coast and innately inclined to the East. His work has been translated into 20 languages, and the poet-scholar has translated various Chinese texts into English, most famously, Han Shan (Cold Mountain) poems. In 1975, Snyder won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for Turtle Island, a meditation on the geo-mythical history of the North American continent.
As part of its biannual "Page to the Podium" author series, Teton County Library Foundation presents two free evening events with Gary Snyder. At 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 13, at the Center for the Arts, Snyder will give a poetry reading followed by an interview with author, Exum mountain guide, and Zen practitioner, Jack Turner. Tickets will be available at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 29 at the Library main desk. At 5:45 p.m., Wednesday, March 14, at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse, Snyder will give a poetry performance featuring a number of old poems and some new, never published poems. Space will be limited, without tickets, and seating is first-come, first-serve. (Full disclosure: I am employed by Teton County Library and sit on the Foundation's "Page to the Podium" selection committee.) Poet-professor makes points During our 40-minute phone interview, I found that Gary Snyder, 81, is one of those disarming characters, like the best professors, who cannot help but shed light on the fundamental fallacies of your position. Accordingly, he demonstrated gratitude for the opportunity to remind me that all-too-common assumptions should not be co-opted without scrutiny. He's practiced in the art of making or breaking an argument. His measured points remind one to be vigilant. Always vigilant. I discovered Snyder's writing through my study of Jack Kerouac's Buddhist immersion in the 1950s. Kerouac's writing at the time, especially in his 1958 novel The Dharma Bums, seeks to show that Meditation, Catholicism—these religions are "all the same." Snyder's writing, however, has rarely if ever veered toward Christian themes or symbols. I asked Snyder about his commitment to Meditation, a philosophy and practice he adopted as a young man. I wondered what early experience influenced this point of view, not realizing the naïveté so evident in the question. Continuing in stride, Snyder reminds me that the United States has an important legacy of secular whites, non-Christian devotees, including Thomas Jefferson and other deists, which continues to be eschewed in popular conversations about our nation state. He noted, patiently, that while I may have been raised in a community in which Christianity was prominent (and I was), this is not an unqualified American experience. On both counts, I silently took the Lord's name in vain. I think I should??ve known better. Snyder explained that he was raised in the Pacific Northwest in a family of secularists, in a community of thinkers with an eye toward Marxists ideas. His first introduction to Abrahamic religions came through the Ten Commandments. He quickly figured out that "thou shall not kill" was entirely human-centric, and he found this "troubling, even as a kid." So, his curious mind determined a resonance with the systems of morality evidenced in Eastern traditions, particularly Zen Meditation. Essential to this resonance remains the notion of respect for all living beings, a notion contained in the Sanskrit word ahimsa, defined as "non-harming." He expounds that Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. both acted as proponents of ahimsa, though neither spoke for the animals, determined as they were to speak for their respective people. Snyder speaks as much for coyotes, bears and moose as he does for humankind. "Christ," I thought. Perhaps, readers might be interested, since so many of us headed to Jackson Hole instead of pursuing further education or hopping into the main stream of corporate careerism? "The Project On Student Debt estimates that the average college senior in 2009 graduated with $ 24,000 in outstanding loans. Last August, student loans surpassed credit cards as the nation's single largest source of debt, edging ever closer to $ 1 trillion. Yet … no one dares call higher education a bad investment." Snyder certainly doesn't. In fact, he won't suffer making any economic valuations of education. He tells me he's loath to continue talking about the aims of "classical education" versus the aims of current educational systems. Now, certainly, I hadn't exactly intended to spur a full conversation about the "history of Occidentalism," which is what he feared the question warranted. He stopped himself and begged off the subject: "You're writing for a newspaper, remember." Nature. Intellect. Territory. Snyder's hardly one to beat around the bush or play to some other's fancy. He's made a career of articulating his mind. His words are exacting but rarely mean-spirited. Take for example, his essay "Nature as Seen from Kitkitdizzee is No Social Construction" published in Whole Earth Catalog, winter 1998. Snyder's body of writing proves nature to be just that: intellectual, serious and territorial. Nature, both as a place and as an idea, has been Snyder's literary stomping ground since Riprap (1959). In "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain" Snyder writes:
This stanza establishes perspective, the "what" that's seen, establishing the "where" that the speaker is, illustrating a fire-lookout's view of the valley.
A clear mind sees only the ever-present moment. Buddhist concepts like no-thingness and impermanence provide a paradoxical element to Snyder's depictions of mountain streambeds, granite ridgelines and burnt-red Manzanita. Isn't the phenomenological world illusory? Build. Present. Place. When speaking with Snyder or reading his work, place is always present. As we begin our conversation, he asks questions about current snowpack and recent weather, not for polite conversation but to determine the present state of this place, Jackson Hole. It has just snowed at his property, called Kitkitdizze, located in the Sierra Nevada, near Grass Valley, Calif. His home place bears the Miwok name for a plant native to the area. In "Building," a poem from No Nature (1992), Snyder writes how the house and the other buildings that followed were built with "Sharp tools, good design," outlasting wars and revolutions, existing within and outside of history. Though Kitkitdizze is less rural now, Snyder remarks that his community has learned to live with the animals in the surrounding woods—often cougars, sometimes black bears. There's an understanding that no one contacts any agency when animals are sighted. Snyder's current projects consist of a chronicle of the construction of Kitkitdizze, a memoir about his East Asian and West Coast Buddhist practice and a new volume of poems, his first since 2005. "I work all day, every day," he tells me: dealing with the workings of his homestead, which is essentially off-the-grid, to his many travel and speaking commitments, in addition to his discipline of sitting zazen and always writing. Revolution is the revolution Snyder, grumpy or not, has over the course of his career earned his position on higher ground through a currency that doesn't depreciate: authenticity. (He'd probably cringe, squinting his eyes, at that metaphor.) His writing has made seemingly-radical claims over the years, touching on taboo subjects like population control, polyamory, and legalizing drugs. In an essay, first published in Journal For the Protections of All Beings in the early 60s before being edited and published as "Buddhism and the Coming Revolution" in Earth House Hold (1969), Snyder writes that morality means "supporting any cultural and economic revolution that moves clearly toward a free, international, classless world." In "Why Tribe" from the same book, Snyder identifies his Tribe: "a new subculture … based on community houses, villages and ashrams, tribe-run farms or workshops or companies; large open families; pilgrimages and wanderings from center to center. A synthesis of Gandhian 'village anarchy' and I.W.W. syndicalism." In a prose piece titled "Four Changes, with a Postscript" Snyder writes that "if humans are to remain on earth, they must transform the five-millennia-long urbanizing civilization tradition into a new ecologically sensitive harmony-oriented wild-minded scientific-spiritual culture." Famously vocal about his progressive political and social views, Snyder explained he was brought up around Marxist ideas in the 1930s, when "everybody had read enough to know Marx's essential critique." Snyder notes that when Mitt Romney and other Republican politicians use the phrase "class warfare," they invoke a Marxist concept as a "code word" for Socialists. Indeed, in the mid-1950s during the McCarthy era, Snyder was blacklisted for his association with Marine Cooks and Stewards union. He was barred from his summer Forest Service job in Washington's Skagit country. In an essay, his son Kai remembers being a kid with his father explaining "the difference between capitalism and communism." I once heard poet Michael McClure state that he'd like to support "Kropotkin for President." So, I asked Snyder about Alexander Kropotkin. He suggested I read Kropotkin's "masterpiece" Mutual Aid if I was interested in the Russian anarchist. Often labeled as an "anarchist," Snyder explains, the distinction fails to be made between violent and nonviolent anarchists. This gives all anarchists a "bad rap." Despite – or because of – these worldviews, Snyder has become a figure of great renown among scientists, (some) politicians, academics, students, forest rangers, writers, ski bums and philosophers across generations. His writings tread the path between prescience and prophecy. From his poem "Oil" written in 1958, he writes of "crazed, hooked nations" that need "long injections of pure oil"; in Back on the Fire (2007) Snyder includes "Ecology, Literature, and the New World Disorder," an essay indicating that "we need to find the trick of weaving civilized culture and wild nature in to the fabric of the future" in order to avoid utter ruin. Snyder was an environmentalist before the term existed, and he finds no pleasure in the fact that his anxieties have proven founded. Snyder is a hero of mine. He's a wise teacher. And we still have much to learn from him. -------- 
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| Medvedev praises Russian Buddhists' social role Posted: 22 Feb 2012 08:00 PM PST Interfax, 22 February 2012Moscow, Russia -- President Dmitry Medvedev has credited Russia's Buddhist community with effective work to build ethnic and religious harmony in the country.
"The Russian Buddhists carefully preserve the legacy of their ancestors and work for the spiritual and physical health of the young generation. All this helps strengthen mutual understanding between different ethnic and religious groups," Medvedev said. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in his turn, has credited Russia's Buddhist community with an effective public role and has said it has "extensive opportunities for the revival" of their traditions. "The Buddhist organizations of Russia enjoy extensive opportunities today for the revival of traditions that span many centuries. Temples and religious educational institutions continue to be built. There are Buddhists among members of influential Russian public institutions. Buddhists carry out significant work to maintain interethnic dialogue and build up their interaction with bodies of government. They make a large contribution to friendship and mutual understanding between people," a Cabinet statement quoted Putin as saying. Read More @ SourceZen 禅What is no mind? 
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| 'Buddhism has globalised Indian culture' Posted: 22 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST TNN, Feb 22, 2012VARANASI, India -- Buddhism has not only influenced the art and culture of the country but also globalised the Indian culture. On that note, the Centre of Excellence, department of history, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth (MGKV) organised a seven-day national workshop on the 'Role of Buddhism in the Cultural Intergration of India' at the seminar hall of the history department on Tuesday. During the workshop, different topics like influence of Bhuddhism on Indian art, effect of Buddhist religion in uplifting social integration and various social organisations of the country, Buddhist literature influencing the Indian Medieval literature and many other related topics were discussed at length on Tuesday. Prof Rana P B Singh, department of geography, Banaras Hindu University ( BHU); Dr Prithvish Naag, vice chancellor, MGKV; Prof Mahesh Vikram Singh, head of department, MGKV, and many other scholars and professors were present on the occasion. MYSTIC TIBET : Lama Zopa Rinopoche - Part 1 Milarepa - www.Youtube.com/TibetArchive 
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| Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST |
| An Endangered Culture: the Movie Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST
Cultural values form the founding principles of one's life. By preserving a culture, one keeps their traditions, family values, sociological standards and language intact. Without a culture, no one knows what the traditions are and where the family came from, nor could they appreciate the family history and struggles made. That is usually seen in about the fourth generation in any ethnic state. In 1971, the government of Canada had sponsored a group of Tibetan refugees from India to immigrate to Canada. They were young and innocent and had lived their lives in poverty. These young families were grateful and felt very fortunate to be able to immigrate to Canada and raise their families. Over the years, they have worked hard to preserve their traditional values and have managed to retain their language, traditional festivities, costumes, food and most importantly, the cultural values to which they adhere, to bind them together. They strongly believe that if they don't speak out for their culture and traditions, they are doing injustices to their children. They have always felt very strongly that the culture in fact is a link between people and their value systems and is a common bond that ties the people of community and country together. And they believed that Tibetans should celebrate who they are and must feel proud of ones identity despite their political status. After nearly forty years in Canada, these people have now grown old, few passed away and the rest are making their final turn of their lives. Today, many of their children have become parents of their own and had inherited a quite a few of those cultural values through constant reminders by their traditional parents. However, they are still facing a big challenge in raising their children and trying to impart the same traditional values that they have learned through their parent's. Tibet still remains a mystical place for many people across the globe. But in recent years, the intriguing culture of this historic nation is found rapidly dwindling in the Exile Tibetan communities and more especially in the West. This film provides a glimpse of the Montreal Tibetan community and their challenges in retaining the original values of the ancient culture and tradition. Namsto Chhoyang who escaped Tibet in 1959 is a senior member of the Montreal Tibetan community. She immigrated to Canada in 1971 under the Canadian refugee program. She shares some of her personal experiences of lifelong endeavor to preserve her native culture and tradition. Kalsang Dolma, born in India but raised in Montreal unravels her special journey in maintaining the best of both Cultures – the contemporary culture of the west and her native Tibetan culture. Topjor Tsultrim representing the youngest generation of Tibetans born in the west gives his innocent yet powerful personal views on why it's so valuable to uphold your native culture and tradition despite place of residence. Finally the Dalai Lama delivers his profound view on why the Tibetan Culture is unique and important to the international community. Trailer: http://anendangeredculture.com/?page_id=135 Screening at the Amérasia Film Festival, Montréal: 6 pm, March 11, 2012. ONF theatre at the corner of St. Denis and de Maisonnneuve St. Festival link: http://www.amerasiafestival.com/2012/en/?projects=an-endangered-culture Read More @ Source
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| Tibetans in China mark new year with sombre defiance Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Reuters, 22 February 2012
Losar celebrations quieter than usual after call for Tibetans to shun festivities and pray for those who suffered under Chinese Langmu, Tibet (China) -- Tibetans in north-west China have marked a tense traditional new year with prayer, the sounding of a gong and subdued defiance, in the wake of a string of self-immolations and protests against Chinese control.
The traditional new year, or Losar, is a combination of Buddhist ceremony and family celebration observed across the Tibetan highlands of western China. But this year, unrest has overshadowed the celebrations and there has even been a call from an exiled Tibetan leader for people to shun festivities and instead pray for those who have suffered under Chinese rule. At least 16 Tibetans are believed to have died after setting themselves on fire in protest since March, most of them Buddhist monks in Tibetan parts of Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
At the Kirti monastery in Langmu, a town straddling Gansu and Sichuan, hundreds of Buddhist monks gathered on Wednesday to chant prayers while a large gong rang twice a minute to mark the new year. "Life is full of this pressure here. With the Dalai Lama in India and us here, it is very painful for us," said Jiata, a 51-year-old Tibetan herder who had come to watch the ceremony. The Kirti is a smaller offshoot of a monastery in Sichuan that has been at the centre of confrontation between the Chinese government and Tibetans. Authorities have blamed supporters of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, for fomenting defiance. "The government controls everything we think. They say we have freedom to think as we like, but we don't," said the Jiata. In Langmu, police and security forces stayed in the background. But some Tibetan areas have faced heavy police controls as authorities seek to deter fresh protestsleading up to 10 March , the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule that ended with the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile. Lobsang Sangay, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India, this week urged Tibetans not to celebrate Losar, and instead to pray for those "who have sacrificed and suffered under the repressive policies of the Chinese government". Labrang, a heavily Tibetan part of Gansu, and home to a large monastery, was calm on Wednesday. "This year, celebrating new year won't be as good as last year. Why? You know why. The Communist party is putting a lot of pressure on us Tibetans," said a resident who declined to be identified. "But we have no plans to do anything different. There won't be any protests. Protest, and people get shot." The Dalai Lama has blamed the self-immolations on "cultural genocide" by the Chinese, and has not directly called for them to stop. But he has long denied Chinese accusations that he incites violence and wants fully fledged independence. The Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, said last week the self-immolations were extreme acts to undermine stability in the region and had no popular support, the highest-level comments since increased tension in January. The government has branded the immolators terrorists. "Since last year, there have been individual incidents of self-immolation in Sichuan and other Tibetan regions, and we are pained at these deaths," a foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, told reporters on Tuesday. "According to what we know, many of these self-immolations are directly connected with the Dalai clique's inciting of popular feelings overseas." Advocacy groups say as many as seven Tibetans were shot dead and dozens wounded during protests in January. China's official Xinhua news agency said police fired in self-defence on "mobs" that stormed police stations. The official Tibet Daily said on Tuesday that a senior Communist party official had visited monasteries in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, and asked people there to "make contributions" towards stability in the new year. Read More @ Source
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| Tibetan Buddhist translation project “84000″ launches “Reading Room” Posted: 22 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST
You can read our past posts about the project here. And be sure to check out our interview with Sarah Wilkinson, one of the 84000 Project's American Ambassadors, at Shambhala SunSpace as well.  Kamui Gakupo & Megurine Luka - "人狼狂詩曲(Rhapsody of Loup-Garous)" English subbed 
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| Devotees celebrate Buddhist and hope at Myanmar shrine where festival was banned 20 years Posted: 22 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Associated Press, February 22, 2012
Myanmar Marks 2600th Anniversary Of Shwedagon Pagoda YANGON, Myanmar -- Amid the towering golden spires of Myanmar's grandest Buddhist shrine there was talk of politics and hope for the future as thousands came Wednesday for the return of an annual festival that was banned for more than 20 years by the former military regime.
Gongs chimed at Shwedagon Pagoda as the diamond-studded monument marked what is being billed as the 2,600-year anniversary of the temple, which according to legend houses eight strands of Buddha's hair.
"The previous regime, they wanted people to be repressed, suppressed, quiet and stable," said Pyinya Wuntha, a saffron-robed monk who not long ago might have been jailed for saying such things. "Now the government has changed and the system has changed." "They cannot control us by pointing guns at us anymore," the monk said. For nearly half a century, the country was ruled by a secretive, xenophobic military regime that cracked down on any perceived dissent. The junta ceded power last year to an elected but military-backed government that has surprised critics with an unexpected wave of reforms — freeing political prisoners, relaxing strict media censorship and allowing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to run for parliament in April. Fear that was so pervasive among the people of Myanmar is gradually giving way to greater confidence. Many people spoke candidly about the new government, without lowering their voices. Under the junta, it was taboo to discuss politics with foreigners and gatherings of more than five people were liable to a ban, due to the generals' fears of an uprising. Smaller pagoda ceremonies that focused on religious rituals were allowed by the defunct military regime. But larger festivals, particularly at the Shwedagon, were seen as holding potential for trouble in this devoutly Buddhist country, where religion and politics have often mixed. The Shwedagon was used as a rallying point for anti-government protesters in 2007 when monks led a pro-democracy uprising that the army quashed with deadly force. It was against the backdrop of the Shwedagon's golden dome that Suu Kyi electrified a crowd of half a million people in 1988 with a speech that launched her career as opposition leader and Myanmar's icon of democracy. After that, the ruling junta halted the annual pagoda festival at Shwedagon for what they called "security reasons," said Khin Maung Aye, a Buddhist scholar and an organizer of the event. "My son is 22. He was born in 1989, and he has never witnessed the real Shwedagon Pagoda festival," he said. "I have dreamed of this for many years, but I dared not think it would be so big." Perched on a hilltop, the Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the Yangon skyline, and is especially prominent at night, when floodlights make the golden temple glow brightly. In a country of great poverty it is a lavish shrine; the main spire is said to contain 4,351 diamonds, including a single 76-carat diamond at the top. For the festival, Shwedagon's well-maintained grounds were spruced up with a half million orchids, dahlias and other flowers, organizers said. The event opened with a morning procession of thousands of people in ceremonial costume walking barefoot along the temple's marble halls. Gongs clanged from all corners of the compound as hundreds of monks chanted and the government's Religious Affairs Minister, Myint Maung, came to pray. A group of 12 monks are to take turns chanting nonstop until the full moon on March 7, when the celebrations will end. Entertainment outside the compound will include traditional puppet shows and dancers, and a fairground with vendors selling handicrafts and food from around the country. One frail older woman said she had read in newspapers that the festival was making a comeback, but she didn't believe it. So she traveled two hours by bus from her hometown of Oakkan, north of Yangon, to see it firsthand. "It's a shame and a sad thing that the government in a Buddhist country took this significant festival away from us for so long," said Myint Kyi, whose husband held her upright for support. "This makes me not only happy but excited," she said softly. "Now I realize there is some change in Myanmar. There must be if this is allowed." --------- 
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| The Importance Of Inter-Religious Harmony Posted: 22 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST by Shen Shi'an, The Buddhist Channel, Feb 22, 2012
As featured in Singapore's Inter-Religious Organisation's 2009 commemorative magazine for the China-Singapore Religious and Cultural Exhibition, by committee member Shen Shi'an, who co-represented the Buddhist faith. Singapore -- It is a common and idealistically beautiful notion, that all the religions of the world essentially practise and preach the same teachings for the betterment of the world. In fact, this forms part of the spirit that makes harmonious inter-religious dialogue possible – when we choose to focus on the similarities of compassion and wisdom. If we are to harp on the differences to one another instead, there would be inter-religious conflict.
In this ever-shrinking global village called the world, there is increasing interaction between adherents of various faiths. Depending on how this happens, it can be for better or worse. Rub shoulders in a friendly way and mutual understanding is fostered. Rubbed the wrong way, enmity is stirred up instead.
There is nothing wrong though, with sincere personal belief that one's faith is the best. That would be "making peace" with oneself. However, when one insists others to agree likewise, that would be "making war" with others. Asoka, the great Buddhist emperor (circa 304 B.C.) had this to say:
There is a diversity of religious beliefs in our world simply because there is a corresponding diversity of mindsets. Even two random adherents of the same faith are unlikely to have totally identical views. We need to respect this worldly reality – before arguing on any spiritual reality. If not, there would be no harmony but only conflict. Surely, a religion that is pro-conflict is not one we need. What if it is a central tenet of a religion that it cannot agree to disagree with others? Thankfully, there is no such religion in practice today, or there would be inter-religious chaos. With all orthodox religions advocating peace, this implies that those who cannot agree to disagree might not really be religious at heart. When any inter-religious dialogue is not so much to learn, but to be preachy, there is no true dialogue. One will notice that those truly interested in understanding others ask and listen more than they speak. Sadly, those uninterested in dialogue are usually the close-minded ones too sure and proud of themselves, while belittling others' religions. This itself is potential for conflict. During inter-religious dialogues, it is wise to discuss in a "monkly" manner – in a way calm, kindly, harmonious, rational and gentlemanly – a manner similar to the Buddha's, as opposed to rude and impatient name-calling or ridicule – which often happens anonymously in cyberspace. We need to be mindful that this virtual tension can spill over into the real world. When we lose our compassion and wisdom while sharing or defending the beliefs we profess to represent, surely, we are misrepresenting our faiths with our very loss of compassion and wisdom - which are undoubtedly virtues universal to all respectable religions, and even to free-thinkers. The basic ethics of free speech (or any other form of expression) with responsibility should be followed both offline and online, by sticking to the so-called golden rule found in many religions – to not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. In sincere dialogue, there is gentle nudging to reflect, instead of proselytising with threats of spiritual damnation. Real dialogue never insists on acceptance of one's beliefs, but merely offers them respectfully for rational consideration. When learning about a certain faith, we need to be wary of its misrepresentations by those not of that faith – since outsiders often generalise other faiths in inaccurate ways, albeit accidentally. While being open-minded to hear outsiders' views, the insiders' should be heard too – for balanced and right understanding. The Buddha himself actively engaged in much skilful inter-religious dialogue with great compassion and wisdom. As there were more than 60 different stems of religious thought in his time, the feat of being able to engage in harmonious dialogue is most remarkable. His is the example that Buddhists aspire to follow. The Buddha's timeless advice on critical-thinking is still valid. Buddhists are first and foremost encouraged to self-reflect, to be critical and even doubtful about their own faith before accepting it, and to always balance faith with sound reason. Which makes more sense on the path to Truth? To engage in harmonious dialogue with an open heart and mind, or to refuse dialogue, while insisting others are totally wrong, that only oneself is totally correct? We all already know the answers. Since religions exist to benefit humankind, may all religions co-exist harmoniously in the light of true mutual-understanding! Read More @ SourceDalai Lama - Joking, Laughing and Funny Videos Collection 
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| Jogye Order calls China to cease Tibetan oppression Posted: 22 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Translated by Emi Hayakawa, Chief of Overseas Operations BTN, The Buddhist Channel, Feb 22, 2012Seoul, South Korea -- The central council of the Jogye Order called the oppression of Tibet by the Chinese government "a situation in which we cannot ignore" and was appalled by the Oppression of Tibet and Tibetan people by the Chinese government and urged for the early withdrawal of Chinese troops, release of political prisoners, act of fidelity towards Buddhist monks, and to end forced migration policy.
The Chairman of the Standing Subcommittee of the Central Council of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and all the people of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism held a press conference on February 21st, 1:30pm in the Central council conference room and disclosed the statement below:
Also, the Standing Subcommittee of the Central Council of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism was appalled by the Chinese government's recent actions and stated that, " ...The Chinese Government responded to the protests with gun fire and independence of Tibet, will not tolerate anymore oppression such as the acts going on in Tibet currently, and ask to change the regulations of the situations," and urged for the "..return of the bodies of those who have self-immolated to the Tibetan people and their families, along with the early withdrawal of Chinese troops, release of political prisoners, act of fidelity towards Buddhist monks, and to end forced migration policy..." The Headquarters of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism and the Buddhist declaration of the three nations are working to adopt a peaceful resolution in Tibet and configuring a fact finding committee. Venerable DaeOh announced the following statement. Furthermore, it was announced that "...On November 2011, during the Buddhist friendship interchange meeting with the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Buddhist delegation, we all wished for life and equality, peace, wisdom, and for the world to be the Pure land of the Buddha in a written declaration. We, along with the Headquarters of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism and the Buddhist declaration of the three nations are working to adopt a peaceful resolution in Tibet and configuring a fact finding committee. Ignoring the fact that Tibet is currently under Chinese military pressure, but to wish for the development of Buddhism in China, Japan, and Korea is impossible..." The Standing subcommittee of the Central Council, from hereafter the Central Council, announced the standpoint of their plans to constitute a resolution letter and to go to the Chinese embassy for a remonstration visit and to hand over the resolution letter solution.." and.. "after consulting with the Executive Board, we will be the spokespeople of the Buddhist community and expand on our position." Venerable BeobAn, the chair of the Education committee, pointed out that "..The Central Committee is not the executive board. The Tibetan Situation is sympathized by the Korean Buddhists and a heart felt situation, thus the Central Committee is declaring this statement with heart felt desire..," "...The executive board should properly play their role. We should not feel diffident of the Chinese government." Venerable BeobAn continued to say that "we urge the UN to announce a petition, and political parties, especially Buddhist members of the parliament must confront this problem together..." However, in April 2012, the Associations of Korean Buddhist Orders will be joining the 3rd China World Buddhist Forum, and sees that the confrontation of the Buddhist community will not be easy. Venerable BeobAn states that.. "the executive board has used the media to announce our statement, and the Headquarters will constitute a Fact finding committee to investigate the actual conditions and report to the executive board." While urging joint confrontation with the Headquarters, he continues that "The Buddhist Order should come up with answers so we can join forces. We will all join our minds and hearts together until the Tibetan situation is resolved." Statement in full We Demand the Cessation of the Oppression of Tibet by the Chinese Government From 1951, the Chinese government has occupied Tibet for over 60 years and is responsible for the death of 1.2 million Tibetan people, and is oppressing the freedom and spirituality of the Tibetan people through repressive religious policies. Currently in Tibet, extreme measures, such as self-immolations, are being taken to demand freedom and independence of Tibet. These sort of desperate measures began in 2008 and has been an ongoing form of protest. From 2008 and recently in 2012, twenty four Tibetan monks and civilians have self-immolated themselves, and even now many Tibetan people continue to protest even if it means risking their own lives. The Chinese Government responded to the protests with gun fire and indiscriminate force such as beatings and abuse, and more recently the Chinese Government responded to the protest of the people asking to return the bodies of the self-immolated Tibetan monks with gunfire and crackdowns. Additionally, in the areas where the protests occurred all means of communication, including telephone, internet etc were blocked, roads to these areas have been blocked off and closed off, and all foreigners were banned to enter the premises. All these measures are taken to block all and any information on what is happening inside of Tibet. The Chairman of the Standing Subcommittee of the Central Council of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and all of us here warns the Chinese authorities that we, along with the world who longs for peace and independence of Tibet, will not tolerate anymore oppression such as the acts going on in Tibet currently, and ask to change the regulations of the situations. Additionally, we ask for the return of the bodies of those who have self-immolated to the Tibetan people and their families, along with the early withdrawal of Chinese troops, release of political prisoners, act of fidelity towards Buddhist monks, and to end forced migration policy. On November 2011, during the Buddhist friendship interchange meeting with the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Buddhist delegation, we all wished for life and equality, peace, wisdom, and for the world to be the Pure land of the Buddha in a written declaration. We, along with the Headquarters of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism and the Buddhist declaration of the three nations are working to adopt a peaceful resolution in Tibet and configuring a fact finding committee. Ignoring the fact that Tibet is currently under Chinese military pressure, but to wish for the development of Buddhism in China, Japan, and Korea is impossible. Once again, we commemorate the people of Tibet who sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom and wish to Shakamuni Buddha for their easy passage into the Pure land. We would like to continue to appeal to the public to be aware of the oppression of Tibet and the Tibetan people by Chinese authorities, and will not rest until the Tibetan situation is resolved and there is true peace in Tibet. ------------ Life of the Buddha (Khmer) 16 
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| Burma's State Buddhist council lives in authoritarian past Posted: 22 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Mizzima, February 20, 2012
As the military prepares to bring Ashin Gambira back into criminal court, it's time to reexamine the relationship between the State-sanctioned Sangha Council and the military-dominated government of Burma. Rangoon, Burma -- In the traditional Buddhist Pali language, a single monk is called Puggala, an individual. Two to three monks are called in Sanskrit Gana, a circle of devotees, and four or more monks constitute a Sangha or Samgha. From the time of Buddha, Buddhist monks have always lived in communities of Sangha and will continue to do so for ages to come.
Throughout history, ordained monks and nuns were not obligated to join additional organizations outside of the Sangha. According to the Pali Canon, there are no other organizations to represent Buddhist monks besides the Sangha. Buddhism recognizes all ordained monks as members of the Sangha as long as they adhere to the moral discipline outlined in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Buddhist scripture. There is no requirement to register with any government authority to prove one's identity of monkhood. Monks have always lived a simple and meditative life by paying respect to the senior monks and by fostering harmonious relations among the monastic members. No monk can be involuntarily expelled from a Sangha, except when the Buddhist monastic code of conduct, called "the four Parajika Dharma," has been violated.
In 1980-81 the Maha Nayaka, the government sanctioned Sangha Council in Burma, was formed with 47 monks under the rule of the BSPP (Burma Socialist Program Party). Many prominent monks denounced the government's use of a registration system to control Burma's Sangha. Even at the height of the BSPP dictatorship, monks bitterly resisted the government's intrusion into Buddhism. They believed that by requiring the monks to register with the authority, Ne Win's government was putting collaborating monks in charge of the Sangha community to control religious freedom inside Burma. Some senior monks candidly told Sein Lwin, a government recruiter, that they would rather not become part of an instrument to tyrannize the monks. When more and more monks began speaking out against the government's attempt to undermine the religion, some were arrested under false charges of violating the most serious Parajika-Dharma, the monks' moral code of conduct. After accusing those monks as "fakes," the Central State Sangha Council was formed amidst criticism by the prominent monks in Burma. Again, in 1991 and in 2007, activist's monks were arrested under false charges of being "fake" monks when they refused to receive alms from the members of the military because of their failure to help the people in dire poverty. At the founding of the Maha Nayaka or Mahana, the BSPP raised enormous amounts of funds by partnering with popular entertainers. They brought in large amount of alms offerings, telephones, cars, land, and above all, power and influence, to the Mahana monks who collaborated with the authorities. From time to time some monks were even suspected of offering bribes for lucrative Sangha Council positions, causing conflicts within the previously harmonious monks' communities. Profits from bribery and kickbacks have become a big business for the justices and middlemen at the Ka-bar-aye office of the State Sangha Council, where monastic disputes over lands, buildings and violations of the monks' Parajika-Dharma code of conduct are settled. Regardless, it is still the responsibility of the Nayaka council to protect and promote the humanitarian and religious efforts of the Burmese monks. Together with local authorities, the Nayaka Council should try to clean up the unethical behaviors of a few monks - such as gaming, gambling, panhandling at bus depots, consumption of alcohol, and eating after noon. Though the Mahana was founded to preserve the growth and integrity of the Buddhist institutions in Burma, monks with true convictions were powerless against the regime's handpicked Nayaka Council members. Although a number of new Pariyatti Buddhist institutes for higher learning were opened in the past, young Burmese monks were still not able to practice religion freely. Young intellectual monks with true convictions were prohibited from openly discussing their views and were often threatened with expulsion and failed grades. Following the downfall of the BSPP, under the SPDC (The State Peace and Development Council), the Nayaka Council continued to harass these monks over trivial offenses while it routinely offered the preferred seats at the religious seminaries to monks who collaborated with the regime. Additionally, the government's Na-pa-tha Buddhist universities have not been able to promote Burmese Buddhism abroad because of the shortage of talent, inadequate supplies, and the dictatorial tendency of the Nayaka Council. Burmese Theravada Buddhism was brought to other countries only by those monks who were supported by private donations. Except for a brief period, religious freedom and Buddhism study came to a standstill under the present leadership of the Nayaka Council in Burma. While there were ecclesiastic Vinichaya courts available to handle charges brought against Burmese monks, without the help from the Mahana Sangha Council, Burmese monks were instead tried in military-controlled criminal courts during the Saffron Revolution. Monks were forcibly disrobed and sentenced to years in prison. In order to preserve their own privileges, the government-sponsored Mahana monks usually comply with the orders from the authority without weighing the moral consequences of their actions. As witnessed during the 2007 Saffron Revolution, a weak and ineffectual Maha Nayaka State Sangha did not try to stop the nighttime raids on monasteries and the brutality against the monks by the military regime bent on crushing the freedom of the young monks. Buddhism is a path of enlightenment from future sufferings, as well as the sufferings of the present life. According to Buddha's teachings, Burmese monks are expected to contribute toward the wellbeing of those around them, in healthcare, education and many other ways all across Burma. Historically, monasteries have been the bastions of intellectual studies; and their contributions to the quality of life have earned them religious merits and recognition as champions of the oppressed. Since ancient time, monks have acted as pillars of the community, and their efforts and advice were kept in high esteem throughout Burmese society, where accepted etiquette and codes of conduct taught by the monks provided guidance to rulers and lay people alike on how to live in peace and harmony. Burma, where Buddhism has flourished for centuries, deserves a much better Sangha Council, one which is unafraid to tell the truth, and which can remain independent of outside influences. It must be able to resist the temptation of the four offenses of Buddhism, and be able to provide proper guidance to the monastic communities across Burma. To create an independent Sangha Council, the monks must be allowed to make free choices, and while the authorities and lay people can offer support, religious matters must be left only in the hands of the monks. As long as the present Sangha Council remains in place there is no hope for the preservation of Buddhism in Burma. First, the Council collaborated with the BSPP, and then with the SPDC. And now under Thein Sein's government, the Maha Nayaka Council is still serving the interests of the authorities instead of the people. While the Burmese military is moving toward political reform, the State-sponsored Mahana is stuck in the authoritarian past. Indeed it is time now to replace the old and corrupt authoritarian Maha Nayaka Council permanently, with a new, democratic, just, kind, and truthful Sangha Council, according to the teachings of the Buddhist Canon. Read More @ Source
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"A Long Island Buddha,'' a contemporary work by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan, in one of the outdoor pavilions of the new Asia Society Hong Kong Center.
Snyder's accomplishments include 18 books of poetry and essays, numerous awards and fellowships, keynote lectures and an endowed chair at University of California at Davis. His writing delves into themes of pollution and overpopulation, wilderness ethics, Buddhist principles, and Native American mythology.
<< Chinese security presence has been heavy in Tibetan areas of Sichuan such as Aba, which is near the Kirti monastery. Photograph: Jonathan Watts for the Guardian
"84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha," the Tibetan canonical translation project headed up by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, has officially opened the 84000 Reading Room — a project of the organization, in collaboration with the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) — at 
<< Myanmar's women take part in the 2,600th anniversary celebrations of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012. Gongs chimed as thousands of people in ceremonial costumes walked barefoot Wednesday through the marble walkways of Myanmar's most sacred Buddhist shrine in an annual festival that was banned for more than 20 years under the former military government.
But are all religions exactly the same upon closer look? Realistically, of course not - this is why there are different religions in the first place, even though there might be certain teachings which overlap in between. If we truly wish to deeply comprehend various religions, we need to not only look at the similarities, which many tend to prefer to stop at, but to look at the differences too. However, this should be done for greater understanding and acceptance, not for debate.
The central council announced that they have plans to constitute a resolution letter and to go to the Chinese embassy for a remonstration visit and to hand over the resolution letter. Moreover, Central Council urged for a constitution of the Jogye Headquarters Executive Board and a joint Fact Finding Committee.
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