First Taiwanese Buddhist gay marriage to take place in August
First Taiwanese Buddhist gay marriage to take place in August |
- First Taiwanese Buddhist gay marriage to take place in August
- Another self-immolation in Tibet; witnesses to the protest arrested
- The Four Agreements
- Compassion in Action in Southern Italy
- From Matera to Milan
- Teachings in Milan
- Avalokiteshvara Empowerment & Ethics for a Whole World
- Thousands Wish the Dalai Lama a Happy Birthday in Dharamshala
- Dalai Lama celebrates 77th birthday in Dharamsala
- Book Brief: “Tibet: Culture on the Edge”
| First Taiwanese Buddhist gay marriage to take place in August Posted: 11 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT The Huffington Post reports on Taiwan's first Buddhist gay marriage, which is set to take place next month in Taipei. The lesbian couple, social worker Fish Huang and her unidentified partner, have been in a relationship for seven years. Their nuptials will be presided over by Buddhist master Shih Chao-hwei (who is also a professor at Hsuan Chuang University) at a Buddhist altar in Taoyuan County on August 11th. You can find the whole story (and links to other reports) here. Read More @ Source
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| Another self-immolation in Tibet; witnesses to the protest arrested Posted: 11 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT  Exiled community vigil. Photo via Tibet Post International Tsewang Dorjee, a 22 year-old Tibetan man, has died after self-immolating in Dhamshung region on July 7. According to different sources, either 43 or 45 Tibetans have set themselves afire to protest Chinese rule since 2009. Tibet Post International (TPI) reports that the region where the protest took place is now under lockdown and those who witnessed the self-immolation have been arrested. Chinese authorities have issued orders prohibiting anyone from discussing the most recent protest. TPI says: "This is the longest string of self-immolations that has occurred in history. Tibetans have set themselves ablaze to protest against China's repressive policies, demand freedom in Tibet and call for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile." On the evening of July 10, the Tibetan Women's Association and the Tibetan Youth Congress put together a candlelight vigil in Dharamsala to remember the life of Dorjee and all of the others who have self-immolated. Speaking to a crowd of about 100, Tsering Yanchen (Vice-President of the regional Tibetan Youth Congress) said, "As the count of self-immolations increases, the pressure rises on Hu Jintao's government who is already so insecure in Tibet and has completely lost confidence of the people they are ruling over. The international community who trade with China must bear responsibility to increasing suffering of the Tibetans in Chinese occupied Tibet.' Read More @ Source
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT I was sitting talking with a group of people this evening and somebody mentioned The Four Agreements which I found interesting. They seem to be applicable as a common agreement between those working or studying or living together. Applicable in life generally, especially in secular settings. All of the text below has been copied from this website. Thank you. The following is an overview of the meaning of each of The Four Agreements, based on the writings of don Miguel Ruiz. Be Impeccable with Your Word Impeccable means "without sin" and a sin is something you do or believe that goes against yourself. It means not speaking against yourself, to yourself or to others. It means not rejecting yourself. To be impeccable means to take responsibility for yourself, to not participate in "the blame game." Regarding the word, the rules of "action-reaction" apply. What you put out energetically will return to you. Proper use of the word creates proper use of energy, putting out love and gratitude perpetuates the same in the universe. The converse is also true. Impeccability starts at home. Be impeccable with yourself and that will reflect in your life and your relationships with others. This agreement can help change thousands of other agreements, especially ones that create fear instead of love. Don't Take Anything Personally We take things personally when we agree with what others have said. If we didn't agree, the things that others say would not affect us emotionally. If we did not care about what others think about us, their words or behavior could not affect us. Even if someone yells at you, gossips about you, harms you or yours, it still is not about you! Their actions and words are based on what they believe in their personal dream. Our personal "Book of Law" and belief system makes us feel safe. When people have beliefs that are different from our own, we get scared, defend ourselves, and impose our point of view on others. If someone gets angry with us it is because our belief system is challenging their belief system and they get scared. They need to defend their point of view. Why become angry, create conflict, and expend energy arguing when you are aware of this? When we make assumptions it is because we believe we know what others are thinking and feeling. We believe we know their point of view, their dream. We forget that our beliefs are just our point of view based on our belief system and personal experiences and have nothing to do with what others think and feel. We make the assumption that everybody judges us, abuses us, victimizes us, and blames us the way we do ourselves. As a result we reject ourselves before others have the chance to reject us. When we think this way, it becomes difficult to be ourselves in the world. Take action and be clear to others about what you want or do not want; do not gossip and make assumptions about things others tell you. Respect other points of view and avoid arguing just to be right. Respect yourself and be honest with yourself. Stop expecting the people around you to know what is in your head. Doing your best means enjoying the action without expecting a reward. The pleasure comes from doing what you like in life and having fun, not from how much you get paid. Enjoy the path traveled and the destination will take care of itself. Living in the moment and releasing the past helps us to do the best we can in the moment. It allows us to be fully alive right now, enjoying what is present, not worrying about the past or the future. Have patience with yourself. Take action. Practice forgiveness. If you do your best always, transformation will happen as a matter of course. Read More @ Source
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| Compassion in Action in Southern Italy Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Matera, Italy, 25 June 2012 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in Matera at the invitation of his friend and fellow Nobel Peace Laureate, Betty Williams, to support her work here to create a City of Peace, a place where refugees from war, hunger or social, economic, or political upheaval can be rehabilitated. Today, she escorted His Holiness to two of the sites where the work is going on. At the first, new buildings are under way and His Holiness said prayers for the success of the project. From there they drove to the Baronale Palace, Scanzano Jonico where they were welcomed by the Mayor and the President of the Region and took their seats on a stage overlooking the town square under the burning sun. In her speech, Betty Williams looked forward to the day when people understand that non-violence is a weapon of the strong. She expressed her appreciation of Aung San Suu Kyi's saying that war can be unlearned. She said it is time to listen to what children tell us and learn from them.
His Holiness began his address with his customary greeting, "Brothers and sisters, we are all the same, none of us wants problems, we all want to live a peaceful life. And although that is what we want, we human beings tend to create a lot of problems for ourselves. Then, when we encounter those problems, anger develops and overwhelms our mind, which leads to violence. A good way to counter this and to work for a more peaceful world is to develop concern for others. If we do that, our anger, jealousy and other destructive emotions will naturally weaken and diminish. "Like anyone else, I too have the potential for violence; I too have anger in me. However, I try to recall that anger is a destructive emotion. I remind myself that scientists now say that anger is bad for our health; it eats into our immune system. So, anger destroys our peace of mind and our physical health. We shouldn't welcome it or think of it as natural or as a friend" He explained that we need to understand how destructive emotions affect us and constructive emotions can help us, so that we can maintain our peace of mind. "People in every part of the world are fed up with violence; increasingly people are looking for ways to create peace. Start a project like this and people support it spontaneously."
"Instead of this land being used as a dump for nuclear waste, it is being transformed into a city of peace. What a wonderful idea? In this part of Italy and in this part of the world, this project will be like a seed of peace. We need to plant such seeds elsewhere. This is the beginning of a way to create a happier world, something that cannot be done by passing a UN resolution, but by ordinary people becoming involved, by bringing up children to be peaceful, and equipped for peace. Our need is to eliminate anger, not in some future life, but here and now in this very life. Let us try to build a more peaceful world."
"How good it is to see so many people from different backgrounds here together, smiling! A smile is a mode of expression unique to human beings, a sign of trust and affection that is the basis of friendship. I really enjoy this sign of warmth and hope - wonderful!" were His Holiness's opening words. "Here in the courtyard of this old monastery," he continued, "I remain a Buddhist monk. Since the 70s I have made it my practice to promote inter-religious harmony through pilgrimage to different places of worship. And today I've had the opportunity to stop and pray before the images of Jesus and Mary that remind us of God's love. I've been very moved."
A local priest offered spontaneous words of thanks and appreciation for what is being achieved and the benefits it is bringing to the community. The local authority provided a forestry department helicopter to take His Holiness back to Matera quickly in the summer heat. Early tomorrow morning he will leave for Milan where he is due to visit Ghe Pel Ling and give a talk to university students.  Read More @ Source 
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Milan, Italy, 26 June 2012 - Betty Williams, with her sister, daughter and grand-daughter, were ready to bid His Holiness farewell as he made an early departure from Matera this morning. Leaving behind the hot, dry land of the south, with its acres of olive and citrus trees, and heading for the greener, but also more industrialized north of Italy he flew to Milan. On arrival he drove directly to City Hall for a meeting with the Mayor of Milan Giuliani Pisapia, followed by an opportunity to address members of the City Council in the Council Chamber. He acknowledged those who spoke before him and greeted the Council: "Respected Mayor and President of the Council, brothers and sisters - I prefer brothers and sisters because while official ranks and titles only last a few years we remain brothers and sisters from birth until death. Thank you for the kind words with which you've welcomed me here. "I've heard that people who are experiencing problems, particularly economic problems, are very gloomy about the future. I think that's a wrong approach. I believe that many of the changes that took place in the twentieth century give us grounds for hope." He clarified that we are all fundamentally the same. Mentally, emotionally and physically we are the same. He went on to say, "I am nothing special, just a human being like you, with the same potential to be good or bad. However, when anger develops I use my intelligence to disarm it. If I let it grow, it solves nothing, but spoils my physical and mental well-being. Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of particular emotions and applying our intelligence, we can transform our minds. Spreading awareness that the source of real happiness lies within ourselves is my life's first commitment. My second commitment is to foster understanding and respect among our various religious traditions."
"While that's true, now it's time for lunch!" In the afternoon, His Holiness drove to the Dal Verme Theatre, a facility made available by the municipality, to address about 1500 university students. After making the point that as human beings we are all mentally, emotionally and physically the same, and that we all want to live a happy life free from problems, His Holiness said,
Likewise, towards the end of the twentieth century, many scientists began to appreciate the importance of the mind. They began to recognise the role the mind has in our physical and mental well-being. Although our modern world has tended to look to materialist goals for satisfaction, there is a growing appreciation of the need to pay greater attention to our inner values, within the context of secular ethics. His Holiness appealed to those who are young today, those who genuinely belong to the twenty-first century, and who will shape its development, to engage in making it a century of peace. He said this will require cultivating a much greater concern for others' welfare, while acknowledging the oneness of humanity, cultivating respect for others' rights, while approaching problems and conflicts of interest in the spirit of dialogue.
While answering questions from the students in the audience His Holiness warned that young people often have a well-developed sense of good human qualities, but as they grow up these qualities become dulled and diminished as they develop greed, suspicion and distrust of others in the rough and tumble of adult life. We have to change this by nurturing and strengthening our natural good qualities from an early age. He also warned against thinking that individuals cannot make a difference, citing the example of Gandhi's launching his non-violent struggle for freedom in India. He began by himself and gradually attracted followers, who grew into a mass movement that changed the character of the twentieth century. Tomorrow, His Holiness will remain in Milan where he will be giving an explanation of Je Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path. Read More @ Source 
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| Posted: 10 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT June 27th 2012 Milan, Italy, 27 June, 2012 - Here in Milan, the commercial and fashion capital of Italy, His Holiness today gave an explanation of Je Tsongkhapa's small text, Three Principal Aspects of the Path with its succinct summation of the Buddhist path to enlightenment.
Before leaving for the teaching venue he gave a brief interview to Italian broadcaster TG1. Asked how the international community can help Tibet in the current circumstances, His Holiness drew attention to the number of Chinese intellectuals and retired officials who have expressed concern and are critical of Chinese policy in Tibet. Internationally there is interest in Tibet's ecology and the damage that is being done, concern about the survival of Tibet's culture of peace and compassion and growing interest in Tibetan Meditation as one of the most complete presentations of the Buddha's teachings. At a government level there is a need to consider economic relations with China, but just as Chinese people are showing concern about Tibet, international support is very helpful. To a question about what the world needs, His Holiness responded, "We need to pay greater attention to inner values. Of course we need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn't bring peace of mind. This can only be developed within the mind."
In keeping with his efforts to promote inter-religious harmony, on his way to the Mediolanum Forum, His Holiness made a short pilgrimage to the Milan Cathedral where he was welcomed by Monsignor Luigi Manganini and Monsignor Giordano Ronchi. He paid his respects and spent a moment in silent prayer. As His Holiness appeared on the stage at the Mediolanum Forum a cheer went up from the 8000 people waiting to hear him. He responded, "I am very happy to be here with you. As I always say, as human beings we are all the same. We have this marvellous intelligence, which sometimes creates problems for us, but when influenced by warm-heartedness can be very constructive. In this context we need to appreciate the value of having moral principles. We all have the potential for good and bad, but from birth are equipped to develop a warm heart by the affection we receive from our mothers."
After lunch His Holiness attended a meeting with the Press at which he said how happy he is to interact with them. Recognising the important role of the media, he told them he wanted to inform them about his two prime commitments: to spread awareness of the sources of genuine human happiness and the promotion of inter-religious harmony and understanding. He said that regardless of whether we are religious believers or non-believers we all have the same potential for good or bad which a greater awareness of inner values and secular ethics can temper. Wherever he goes he tries to generate awareness of this and he feels the media have a responsibility in this regard too. He also reiterated his sense that the media should have a long nose to sniff out what's going on and to report what they discover to the public. Back in the teaching hall, he turned to the short text by Je Tsongkhapa a great scholar and adept who wrote it as a letter in response to a request for spiritual guidance from one of his close disciples Ngawang Drakpa from Gyalrong. The text belongs to the Stages of the Path tradition that lays out the stages of Buddhist path to enlightenment. The three principal aspects that it deals with are the determination to be free, the altruistic awakening mind and the wisdom that realizes emptiness of intrinsic existence. This last point has to do with the Buddhist contention that things do not exist independently and of their own accord, but due to other factors. Combining a sense of altruism with this understanding can have the effect of loosening the hold of our apparently natural tendency towards self-centredness.
"When you have the opportunity, for example, early in the morning when the mind is clear, think about what you have heard and read here. Think about the difference between appearance and reality. My own experience is that when I wake at about 3.30 in the morning, I remember the Buddha and think about his teachings on altruism and emptiness. Then I dedicate the actions of my body, speech and mind to accomplishing the welfare of others - Christians and Muslims can apply the same procedure to their own faith. This contributes to my sense of inner peace." Tomorrow, early in the morning His Holiness will bestow an Avalokiteshvara empowerment; in the afternoon he will give a public talk on Ethics for a Whole World. In the evening he will embark on his journey back to India.   Read More @ Source 
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| Avalokiteshvara Empowerment & Ethics for a Whole World Posted: 10 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Milan, Italy, 28 June 2012 - His Holiness left his hotel early to have time to undertake the preparatory rituals for the Avalokiteshvara empowerment he was giving this morning. By the time he was ready most people had taken their seats in the stadium that was filled to its 10,000 capacity. His Holiness began by explaining that there are four classes of Buddhist tantra and that this empowerment of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, belongs to the class of Action Tantra. All four classes of tantra involve visualising yourself as a deity and the recitation of mantra and so forth. This is a specific method that combines the practices of calm abiding and special insight. Tantrayana is sometimes referred to as Secret Mantra. It is secret because it is fit for those who have developed the awakening mind of bodhichitta, while mantra literally means mind protector. We all have the potential to attain Buddhahood and visualising ourselves as deities, our speech as mantra and our minds as Dharmakaya is a way of fulfilling it. In this practice we are trying to transform our ordinary experience into a transcendental experience. His Holiness remarked that he received this empowerment from Tadrag Rinpoche and his Senior Tutor Ling Rinpoche and that last night he dreamt of Ling Rinpoche.
"The empowerment is complete, now, if possible serve others and if you find you can't do that, at least refrain from harming them. Follow your teacher, whoever you consider him to be; the teaching is concerned with being of benefit to others." Following lunch, His Holiness gave another television interview. Asked to comment about the series of self-immolations that have lately taken place in Tibet, he said that due to the politically sensitive nature of the issue he prefers to keep silent. "However, these sad events are evidently not taking place because the concerned individuals have family problems. The Chinese authorities must investigate what the cause is, what's wrong to provoke such desperate acts. After former premier Hu Yaobang, who was a good Communist, visited Lhasa in 1980 he publicly apologised for what had happened in Tibet and promised to reduce the Han population. As Deng Xiaoping recommended, the Chinese authorities should seek truth from facts. "When Hu Jintao became President and made known his aim to ensure harmony in society, I supported it. But the right method for achieving that is to create trust, whereas they think they can achieve it through force, which is illogical. The use of force contradicts any efforts to create trust. The Tibetan spirit will never be cowed down by the use of force. It is rooted in Buddhism, a tradition that is more than 2500 years old, whose image in the world is on the rise. Communism, on the other hand is! barely 200 years old and its image is on the wane, while totalitarianism is completely out of date."
Meeting a gathering of Mongolians and Tibetans resident in Europe he extolled the value of the Tibetan Buddhist culture both peoples share and encouraged them to continue their efforts to preserve it. Addressing the Tibetans in particular he explained how recent changes in his own political status and that of the institution of Dalai Lamas are not because he is downhearted, but for the good of the Tibetan people among whom he has wished to see democracy flourish since he was young. At the beginning of the afternoon's public talk speeches were made in His Holiness's honour by the Mayor of Assago, the Municipality in which the teachings were taking place, and the President of the Province of Milan, at the conclusion of which he was presented with the key of Assago. He responded,
"If we remember that at a fundamental level we are the same, that we all have a right to a happy life, we can understand that there is no difference between us. In this twenty-first century, when we live in such a globalized and interdependent world, our old notions of them and us are no longer relevant. We need instead to think of a great us. The Hawaiians have a marvellous saying 'Your blood is my blood, your bone is my bone' meaning that your pain in my pain and your joy is my joy. What this means is that if we must be selfish, it's much better to be wisely selfish rather than foolishly selfish. In order to derive the maximum benefit the wise thing is take care of others."
"Whatever you do, take a realistic view and think of the long term interests of humanity. Thank you." Before His Holiness left, the organizers of events in Milan made a financial report in the interests of transparency. They announced that of the 10,000 seats available, 1000 had been made available free of charge to monks and nuns and to the needy. Income from ticket sales and donations amounted to €628,000 while expenses for the rental of the venue and facilities cost €465,000, leaving a balance of €163,000. This will be divided as follows, 40% to be given to the Dalai Lama Trust, 30% to be given to Ghe Phel Ling to support future teaching programmes, and 30% to be given to two other Ghe Phel Ling charitable projects: one supporting young Tibetans studies in India and another dedicated to rehabilitation of prisoners in Milan. Tonight, His Holiness will board a flight back to India Read More @ Source 
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| Thousands Wish the Dalai Lama a Happy Birthday in Dharamshala Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Dharamsala, HP, India, 6 July 2012 (phayul.com) - Thousands of Tibetans, Indians, Chinese, and foreign tourists filled the courtyard of the Tsug-la Khang, the main temple in Dharamsala today to wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 77th birthday.
The Dalai Lama was welcomed at the official function by Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche, the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commissioners, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay, Speaker Penpa Tsering and a host of Tibetan officials. Kishan Kapoor, local member of the Legislative Assembly and Industries Minister of the state of Himachal Pradesh led a battery of Indian dignitaries to receive His Holiness. Speaking on behalf of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet and the Central Tibetan Administration, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay, in his official statement, offered His Holiness "deepest reverence, prayers, and warmest wishes."
The Kashag, in its statement, called on Tibetans and supporters worldwide to organise a global solidarity vigil for Tibet on August 8, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the new Kashag. "This international vigil will remember those Tibetans who have given up their lives for Tibet and show solidarity with every Tibetan in Tibet who continues to suffer oppression under Chinese rule," Dr Sangay said. Kalon Tripa further announced that a long-life offering will be also presented to His Holiness on behalf of the Tibetan people and administration during the four-day Special General Meeting to be held from September 25 to 28 in Dharamsala. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in its statement noted that the situation inside Tibet has been "deteriorating from bad to worse" with the "intimidation and violent repression" of the Tibetan people on a "war footing." "As a result, the situation in Tibet today is so extremely serious that a state of de facto martial law prevails there," Speaker Penpa Tsering said. "To sum up, the Chinese government is implementing in Tibet a policy of racial contempt, racial discrimination, and racial obliteration against the Tibetan people in a manner which is all too obvious and blatant to warrant any doubt." Representing the people of Himachal Pradesh and his government, Kishan Kapoor wished the Dalai Lama a long life and thanked him for making the Indian state his second home. "It is because of your blessings that Dharamsala and Himachal Pradesh has found a unique place in history and I pray that you, Your Holiness, live for thousands of years," the minister said.
The 77-year-old Tibetan leader who last year devolved all his political authorities to the elected leadership noted that he personally didn't consider celebrating birthdays important. "For me, every day is a new day, and every day is an opportunity to benefit others. Read More @ Source 
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| Dalai Lama celebrates 77th birthday in Dharamsala Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT
His Holiness spoke to the "courage and fortitude" of those living inside of Chinese-occupied Tibet, who he said were celebrating with attendees in Dharamsala in spirit, also remarking, "For me, every day is a new day, and every day is an opportunity to benefit others." In other news, the Dalai Lama recently received the city seal of Milan, Italy from mayor Giuliano Pisapia on June 26. The seal was given in lieu of citizenship to the city, which Milan backed away from over worries that it would hurt relations with China. Protesters who were unhappy with City Council's buckling to Chinese pressure a week prior attended, holding a banner that read, "Shame on You Pisapia!" Read More @ Source
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| Book Brief: “Tibet: Culture on the Edge” Posted: 10 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT  Seven-year-old Trinley Dolkar, shown here in the Yangpachen Valley, will be starting at a boarding school seven hours away next year. © Phil Borges TIBET: Culture on the Edge Photographer Phil Borges returns to land he showcased in his book Tibetan Portrait to profile some of the people living in one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth. The book is filled with hundreds of colorful photos of ordinary Tibetans and the environments they live in, along with stories of how they live their lives.
.  Rinch, 19, was on a four-month pilgrimage with four other monks, chanting and meditating twelve hours a day for rain, a good harvest, and tall grass for the animals. © Phil Borges In the face of all these hardships, Borges observes, Tibetan people remain incredibly devoted to their Buddhist practice. "The Tibetan Buddhists believe that there is no greater vehicle than compassion and forgiveness to counteract the suffering caused by the self-grasping attitude," Borges writes. "This attitude is slowly dissolved over lifetimes by the daily cultivation of compassion. Devotion to this daily practice is seen everywhere." Read More @ Source
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On July 6, thousands turned out in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness the 
After fifteen years away from Tibet, Borges says he was struck by how much the region had changed. During that time, modern infrastructure, as well as a flood of Chinese tourists, have entered the region, offering new economic opportunities but also threatening the traditional herding lifestyle that Tibetans have lived for centuries. New laws require that all Tibetan children attend school, so many are sent to faraway boarding schools and only rarely see their families. In addition, climate change has accelerated, Borges notes, melting the Tibetan glaciers that provide fresh water to people throughout Asia and turning once-fertile land into desert.| You are subscribed to email updates from BuddhaRocks ☸ Buddhist To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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