Keeping One's Head
Keeping One's Head |
- Keeping One's Head
- From the September 2012 magazine: “Chilling Out, Naturally”
- Afghan museum regains its looted treasures
- Pakistan is world exporter of smuggled Buddhist relics
- Faith Alive in Phnom Penh
- Dedham resident publishes book on Buddhism
- Visit to Buddhist temple inspires artistic awakening
- George Lopez: America's Buddhist?
- Odisha Urges Centre to include state's Buddhist heritage sites in NCERT text books
- Meditation marathon in Brunswick
- Self-immolation cases spread beyond monks, nuns in Tibet over Chinese repression
- Buddhists outraged at Buddha's images on shoes
- Bill Clinton Turns to Meditation to Improve His Health
| Posted: 11 Aug 2012 03:00 AM PDT  From highways to byways - High Cup Nic
A group of us did a circular walk yesterday. The high point was gazing down this amazing valley. 
|
| From the September 2012 magazine: “Chilling Out, Naturally” Posted: 11 Aug 2012 12:00 AM PDT
The mind, says Morey, the executive director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, creates stress by dwelling in the past or the future.
Click here to learn how to do Morey's three-minute five-senses drill. And you can see what else is in the magazine, including lots more stress-relieving techniques, here. Read More @ Source
|
| Afghan museum regains its looted treasures Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:00 PM PDT Agence France-Presse, Aug 8, 2012Kabul, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of archaeological treasures looted from Afghanistan were returned to the war-torn country's National Museum on August 5, after being recovered with the help of the British Museum. .jpeg) << Many archaeological treasures that had been looted from Afghanistan, are now back on display at country's National Museum.Many of the 843 artifacts were seized as they were being smuggled into Britain after some 70 percent of the museum's contents were stolen during Afghanistan's civil war in the early 1990s. Others were identified on the black market and acquired on behalf of the museum by private donors. The returned treasures include "exquisite examples" of the Begram Ivories, a series of decorative inlays dating back to the first century AD, the British Museum said ahead of Sunday's handover ceremony. Afghanistan, lying on the famed Silk Road trading route connecting east and west, absorbed Buddhist from India and the religion flourished for hundreds of years before the arrival of Islam in the eighth century. The museum itself -- rebuilt with international aid -- was largely destroyed as rival warlords unleashed artillery and rocket fire on the capital in a brutal struggle for power in the early 1990s. And the country achieved global notoriety for cultural barbarism when the Taliban Islamist regime, which came to power in 1996, blew up the famed and ancient Bamiyan Buddhas shortly before being overthrown by a US-led invasion. In a country still at war, with 130,000 US-led NATO troops helping the government of President Hamid Karzai fight a Taliban insurgency, it remains unsafe for the museum to display some of its most important possessions. Read More @ Source 
|
| Pakistan is world exporter of smuggled Buddhist relics Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:00 PM PDT AFP, August 10, 2012
Charsadda, Pakistan -- When a Pakistani family dispute over land degenerated into cold-blooded murder, Zaman Khan was quickly in over his head. As cousins killed cousins, he borrowed more than $ 18,500 to buy guns, ammunition and guards. But soon debtors were demanding repayment, leaving him so depressed he contemplated suicide. Then a friend came up with an idea. He took Khan to a site in northwest Pakistan which dates back to the ancient Gandhara civilisation where they dug up 18 pieces of statue, selling them to market traders for $ 20,700. After two more visits, Khan - names changed - had found enough statues, coins and ornaments to not only settle his debts but also bankroll his feud. Thirty years on, he presides over a lucrative trade in illegally excavated treasures, smuggled to Thailand, Europe and America as part of Pakistan's sophisticated underworld business in archaeological remains. "I can fight against my enemies and my friends' enemies now. I've earned millions from this business," he said. Pakistan is home to two ancient civilisations, the Indus and the Gandhara whose artefacts are highly prized. Statues of the Buddha, can fetch thousands of dollars across the world. "Whenever I'm on a digging mission, I pay $ 100 to the police station as a bribe in advance and $ 10 a day while the work continues," said Khan, who is into this business for 20 years. He sells the artefacts to dealers in the main northwestern city of Peshawar who later sell them to dealers in Islamabad and other cities from where they are exported to Thailand. "Ladies are used to smuggle it from Peshawar to Islamabad, as they aren't usually checked by police at the security posts." "At a minimum I've sold 20 big Buddha statues (weighing 40 to 80 kilograms). Each piece sold for around $ 20,000," said Javed. Customs officials say they have cracked down on the smugglers. "The whole system is computerised now and the chances of corruption are rare," said Riffat Shaheen Qazi, a customs spokeswoman. "Some individuals might be involved in smuggling artefacts but we're trying to curb this menace." 
|
| Posted: 10 Aug 2012 09:00 PM PDT by Katherine Marshall, The Huffington Post, Aug 8, 2012Phnom Penh, Cambodia -- Aug. 1 was a special day in Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia), the start of Choul Vassa. Buddhist monks dedicate themselves for three months (during the rainy season) to their Buddhist practice, retreating to the pagodas. By tradition people visit the pagodas (also called wats) on this day with offerings for the monks, seeking their blessings.
Some 95 percent of Cambodia's people are Buddhist. "Nation, Religion, King" is Cambodia's national motto and it is one of the few world nations where Buddhism is the state religion. The religious world here, however, is not just about Buddhism. Freedom of religion is guaranteed and there's an extraordinary range of different faith traditions, mostly working on education and to help the poor and vulnerable, but also bringing their beliefs to Cambodia. Cambodia has ancient Muslim communities also, and a host of small but distinctive traditional indigenous religions. And Cambodia's Buddhism is recovering still from its near destruction during the Khmer Rouge period (1975-9) when most monks were killed or disrobed and many pagodas were destroyed. But the religious marketplace is a story for another day. What piques my interest on this trip is how religion is lived in daily life. And indeed, Buddhism and religion more generally are visible everywhere. Orange robed monks walk the streets each morning with a bowl, as the tradition is that they must beg their food (or the equivalent in cash) from citizens. They attend universities and ride motorcycles and tuk tuks (the three wheeled taxis), carrying iPads and cell phones. Gorgeously adorned pagodas peek out from the trees and buildings almost anywhere you turn. Stupas, where the ashes of the dead are stored, are everywhere. But beyond the visible signs of the Buddhist faith, there's another phenomenon that has intrigued me from the day I first noticed them: the spirit houses that are a standard part of virtually any house or shop, every gas station, music store, restaurant, school or mechanics store. These small houses or shrines offer a way to comfort or appease the spirits, a place where offerings are made. It's a bit more complicated than that, however. There are first the spirit houses that are outside the house. They are to ward off the evil spirits who seek to enter. The spirit must ask permission to come into a house and the offerings assure that at least they enter in a good mood. A practical and sensible insurance policy, surely. Inside the house is a second kind of spirit house, again a place where offerings are made, that honor the gods or spirits in the home. The visiting spirit must ask permission to stay by asking the one inside the house, usually the house keeper or family ancestors who have are part of the household. The outside spirit houses tend to look like pagodas, with the remarkable Cambodian decorations of nagas and curliques. Being practical people, most Cambodians today have concrete spirit houses that bear up to the rains and humidity but there are also intricate wooden houses if you know where to look for them. And there are also simple makeshift spirit houses slapped together with a few boards. Many are gorgeously painted. The inside spirit houses are more square and generally made of wood, though today plastic is used more and more. Where does this tradition come from? It is hardly a formal Buddhist practice, though it is so integrated into this very Buddhist society that it is accepted as part of the culture and beliefs. It seems that the spirit houses are part of far more ancient traditions, animist colored by the Hindu beliefs and gods that were part of Cambodian culture and life for a thousand years. The inside spirit houses owe far more to Chinese spiritual traditions, both in design and the way they are described. The gods or spirits who come to these houses are as diverse as can be. Some are general, unnamed, feared and loved. Some are specific, speaking to people, even seen by them. One example is the spirit house at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, where accused Khmer Rouge are on trial. The spirit house there is where Cambodian citizens take their oaths and it honors a specific guardian spirit, Lokta Dambang Dek, the Lord of the Iron Staff. Spirit houses are a vivid illustration of faith in daily life. Many Cambodians pray there every day, make a small offering once a week, and a bigger offering once a month on tgni sol (holy day). They exemplify the complex ways that culture and religion, history and present are intertwined. And they are only a tiny piece of the story. Religious beliefs are such an integral part of life for many here that it's hard to see much less to pin down how those beliefs affect behavior, relationships and values. But one thing is sure. If you want to try to understand a nation or culture in any serious way you need to try to understand peoples' faith and religious beliefs, not only in the official texts and teachings but in daily life. -------- 
|
| Dedham resident publishes book on Buddhism Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:00 PM PDT By Andrea Salisbury, Wicked Local Dedham, Aug 9, 2012
Dedham, MA (USA) -- What started as a spiritual journey for Barbara Wilson Arboleda ended with a blog, a successful Facebook community and ultimately a book.
From her Voicewize studio in Dedham Square, Arboleda retold the story of her religious search that ultimately brought her to Buddhism. "I knew a lot of people who were of their own brands of spirituality," she said. "I figured that there had to be some people out there that already had something set up. I had to go out and find that group of people." Ultimately what she did was interview a group of people in an attempt to get past the textbook approach to "whatever the religion was." "I wanted a [religion that was] more down to the day-to-day of what people who have this spiritual focus were doing," she said. It wasn't until she read "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying," by Sogyal Rinpoche that something clicked.
Buddhism has had a presence in the United States for decades, but with all things, the message was translated through the culture, she said. Yet the truths remain the same – the core tenant of Buddhism is the four noble truths, Arboleda said. "No. 1 is that there is suffering in the world. No. 2 is that, that suffering is caused by that clinging attachment to having things a certain way," she explained. "No. 3 is that you can overcome that suffering. No. 4 is the way you overcome it is through the eightfold path." To put it simply, Arboleda said, "the core principal is that in our lives, we all have suffering. It is the nature of this world." Buddhism asks if we will make life worse or better for ourselves, and for others, she said. Everything else outside of this core principal is commentary on it, she said. This is where her blog, (www.averagebuddhist.com), Facebook page (facebook.com/averagebuddhist) and new book come into play. "The Average Buddhist" book is a compilation of her blog posts. It explores all facets of life, from emptiness, to cravings, to meditation, to ways to put it all into practice. "(In this culture) we are sold on the idea that if we buy this thing we can reduce the suffering," she said. Her book asks readers to pause and ask, "do I really need this?" ------- 
|
| Visit to Buddhist temple inspires artistic awakening Posted: 10 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT By Deanna Duff, The HeraldNet, August 7, 2012 Chang's "Five Buddha Symbols" is an example of mandala painting. Everett resident Lily Chang grew up in a remote village in Taiwan where attending school was a privilege. Even after moving to the bustling city of Taipei, she focused on work to help support herself and her family.
"I never thought seriously about art until I was 45 years old," Chang said. After visiting a small Buddhist temple, she was captivated by traditional images and artistry. "I never saw anything like it before, and it surprised me," she said. "It was so different and interesting, and I started researching how to paint." She persevered to find a class and studied for four years in Taipei. "I just fell in love with it," she said. Chang moved to Everett in 2008 with her husband and earned a fine arts degree from Everett Community College in 2011. Now 53, she recently transitioned to being a full-time artist. Her first exhibit, "The Beauty of Eastern Buddhist Art," was held in the spring at Bookend Coffee Company inside Everett's Public Library. "As soon as I saw her work, I knew we had to show it," said Keith Pace, volunteer curator of Bookend's rotating art exhibits and full-time curator of Everett's 3231 Creatives gallery. "It's fairly unique. There aren't a lot of people doing Buddhist imagery, and it's visually very interesting," he said. Chang works in various mediums such as acrylic painting, charcoal and calligraphy. Her signature style, however, is glue tempera on silk: Glue is infused with color pigment and applied to stretched silk. "It's a very traditional, special skill and very, very old," Chang said. "There are Buddha paintings found in mountain caves that are over 1,000 years old." When Chang began painting, she focused on simple portraits of the Buddha, but has since expanded to include Chinese figure drawings and classical mandala painting, a sacred art in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. "It's the first time I've seen it locally," Pace said. "You can see it if you go to the Seattle Asian Art Museum, but you won't see it out and about in the community." Chang is thrilled by the opportunity to preserve her native homeland's ancient artistic traditions while sharing them with her new hometown. "I want to introduce more people to eastern Buddha art. I hope that my exhibitions can show more about this different culture. That is one of my goals," she said. On a more personal level, Chang's artistic journey inspires those around her. "She's new to the area and to showing her work and all of that is very exciting. Everett needs people who are involved and enthusiastic so that we can build our reputation as an arts community," said Pace, who is a collage artist. Pace also is overseeing Chang's exhibit at 3231 Creatives Broadway gallery, which continues through Aug. 25. Chang is looking forward to continuing to follow her inspiration wherever it takes her. "I want to encourage people from my story. I didn't even find my passion until I was 45 years old. I'm happy that I found I have this talent because I feel so fulfilled," she said. 
|
| George Lopez: America's Buddhist? Posted: 10 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT By Olivia Flores Alvarez, Source:http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2012/08/george_lopez.php, Aug. 9 2012 .jpg) << Photo by Robert Sebree PhotographyOh, and he found Buddhist. Most recently he hosted a live HBO comedy special, It's Not Me, It's You. "All the specials that I do are live," he tells Art Attack. "In life, fear is the biggest inhibitor of people living a full life. We're afraid to do this, afraid to do that. In order to get past it, you take the things that are most challenging and face them head on. I grew up afraid of everything. Now I can honestly say I'm probably not afraid of anything. I remember my grandmother saying, 'Go get a blanket in there, but be careful.' Be careful? Of a blanket?" Much of Lopez's humor is based on growing up with his cantankerous, prejudiced grandmother. He remembers his grandmother's unorthodox way of grocery shopping. Seeing her fellow shoppers prompted her purchases. "She'd never make a list," Lopez says. "She'd see a chinito and say, 'Get some rice.' She'd see someone from the Middle East and say, 'Get deodorant.'" Relationship issues also make it into his show. "When you decide who you want to spend the rest of your life with, make sure it's someone who loves you for who you are and what you are, for your good side and your bad side" he says to his cheering audiences. Then he deadpans, "Good luck." Referring to his own failed marriage, Lopez is somber as he tells us, "That situation is just unfortunate. She's a good woman, but our personalities are just very, very different. When I got out, I started thinking about what I could do to be better. Now that I'm away from that situation, I'm able to examine myself. When you're in a relationship that's not the greatest, you're on guard all the time. You're not thinking about what you can do to be better; you're just thinking about what you can do to maintain. "I'm actually not anything like I was when I was married. I think my ex-wife would have been happier if I had been this guy then. It's not necessarily true that everyone is meant to be married until death. I know it says until death do you part, but when you wanna die every day, that's close enough." Lopez, considered a role model for young Latinos, says that's not a title he's sought. He acknowledges that he's overcome a difficult, disadvantaged childhood, but doesn't claim any particular strength of character. "When I think about where my life was, I'm just so appreciative that I never really got too sideways. I always kept my eye on something that I truly wanted to do - comedy. Fortunately, people enjoy what I do." So why do some people make it and others don't? "People settle for things without wanting to challenge themselves. They get a job and they stay there; they marry the first person they were ever with. They didn't look at the big picture and they settle for what's right in front of them. I think they chose to take what's behind door number one, without even bothering to think about what could be behind door number three. You have to take that chance. "I used to be ashamed of where I came from. I went through a lot of painful things as a child and saw things that I probably shouldn't have seen as a kid. I was always thinking, 'Things are so bad, there's got to be something better than this.' I took that negative and aspired to the positive." The comedian credits golf with teaching him the life lessons his family didn't. "The only lessons that I got growing up were, 'Don't touch that, don't do that, or don't ever let me see you do that again.' You're not going to learn much by that. When I started to play golf in 1981 it brought out all of the things that were wrong with me. I was bad tempered, I would quit, I would lie on the score - and I was really only lying to myself on that. "Through handling my temper, through calming myself down, through trying less, I did more. It's not a religious thing, because it's not a religion, but it is very peaceful. I'm practicing a little bit of Buddhist now, which is completely out of the ordinary for me. Golf is a little bit like that. At that moment, at that time, you're being your best. All we are is moments until the moments are gone. You can say, 'In two weeks, I want to go to Hawaii.' Well, good luck getting to the two weeks," he laughs. An avid supporter of President Obama, Lopez has been to the White House three times during the present administration. Not bad for a guy born in a charity hospital in L.A., he says proudly. "And every time I go to the White House, I steal something." See George Lopez in his This is The America I Live In tour at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Bayou Music Center, 520 Texas. For information, visit the Bayou Music Center website or call 713â€'230â€'1600. $ 49.50 to $ 61. 
|
| Odisha Urges Centre to include state's Buddhist heritage sites in NCERT text books Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT Orissa Diary, August 9, 2012Orissa, India -- Odisha Government urges Union Culture Ministry to ask NCERT to make corrections to its text on Buddhist sites by including ones in Odisha. Odisha Tourism Minister Maheswar Mohanty demanded this during his meeting with Union Culture Minister Kumari Selja in New Delhi. Minister Mohanty said that, everyone knows about Nalanda from their school textbooks, but very few know about Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri. While textbooks prepared by the NCERT mentions Nalanda as one of the major Buddhist sites in India, it has ignored Odisha as an important seat of Buddhist Learning. He demanded centre to include Buddhist heritage sites of the state in NCERT text books. Minister Mohanty urged the Minister Kumari Selja to handed over the sacred relic of Buddha to the state government as state government will display it for tourists and public at the state museum in Bhubaneswar. After the completion of new museum in Lalitgiri the state government will transfer the sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha to Lalitgiri. It should be noted that ASI preserved the sacred relic of Buddha in it's strong room in Bhubaneswar after it was unearthed at Lalitgiri in 1986. 
|
| Meditation marathon in Brunswick Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT BY TESSA HOFFMAN, Moreland Leader, Aug 8, 2012Melbourne, Australia -- IT'S a 12-hour marathon with a difference - the participants don't move. Centre chairwoman Dharma Charini Sudaya said everyone was welcome to join the marathon, even those who had never tried meditation. "Anybody can come along and have a go," Ms Sudaya said. "It's a 12-hour program of meditation, but nobody is expected to meditate for the whole time." Forty-minute guided "taster" meditation sessions will run hourly for beginners while a continuous 12-hour meditation, chanting and puja (devotional ritual) program will run in a second shrine room. "There have been a lot of recent studies on how beneficial mindfulness meditation is," Ms Sudaya said. "One study found you can increase the grey matter in your brain, particularly in areas of empathy and memory, and most people know the connection between meditating daily and general stress relief." A traditional Japanese paper folding workshop and a Japanese tea ceremony will also be held. The event will be held at 1 Pitt St, Brunswick, on Saturday, August 25, 9am to 9pm. 
|
| Self-immolation cases spread beyond monks, nuns in Tibet over Chinese repression Posted: 10 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT 9 Aug 2012Beijing, China -- The cases of self-immolation have spread beyond monks and nuns, with ordinary Tibetans now setting themselves on fire in protest over China's repressive policies on Tibet. On Wednesday, two more young Tibetans, a mother and a monk, set themselves on fire in protest against the continued exile of the Dalai Lama and the lack of freedom in Tibet, raising the number of Tibetan self-immolations to 45, most of them having taken place since March 2011. Yet, 13 of the self-immolations in Tibet this year suggest that ordinary Tibetans are starting to torch themselves, and that the cases appear to be spreading geographically and are less confined to a few dissident monasteries. "We are seeing immolations in the lay community, not only among monks and nuns where it started. It is also spreading into a greater area, not just the [Tibet Autonomous Region], but Qinghai and Gansu [provinces abutting the Tibet Autonomous Region]." While the Dalai Lama has consistently opposed self-immolations as a violation of the sacredness of life, Tibetans are continuing to do it in an act seen as indicative of their depth of desperation."They are calling for Dalai Lama's return because they are in this very serious moment, very serious, in which the Tibetan nation, identity, culture, the spiritual tradition, are all being closed down by Chinese aggression," Kate Saunders, the spokeswoman for International Campaign for Tibet in London, said. In Tibetan monasteries, China continues to oversee aspects of religious instruction, control the appointment of teachers, give patriotic loyalty tests-actions that many Tibetans protest as serious infringements by Beijing on the faith. "All monasteries must display pictures of Mao Zedong and Chinese President Hu Jintao and fly the Chinese flag. In numerous monasteries, forced patriotic reeducation campaigns are under way," states Lobsang Sangay, who now heads a newly democratic government in exile in Dharamsala, India, in a statement this week. Some Tibetan experts say the past year of self-immolations represent a "tipping point" in the deepening clashes between locals and Chinese authorities. 
|
| Buddhists outraged at Buddha's images on shoes Posted: 10 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT PTI Aug 2, 2012WASHINGTON, USA -- The Tibetan and the Buddhist community are outraged at a California-based company for promoting a range of shoes with the Lord Buddha's images.
"Unfortunately, it is a basic Buddhist tradition to treat images of Buddhist deities with reverence. Having the images on shoes is disrespect to the Buddhists," wrote Bhuchung Tsering form International Campaign for Tibet. "Could you kindly consider this and withdraw the shoes from your catalogue," the Tibetan leader demanded. The North American member of the Tibetan Parliament, Tashi Namgyal, wrote a protest letter to Icon Shoe. "I came across shoes with image of Lord Buddha on it, manufactured by your company. I was totally shocked and dismayed at being so insensitive," wrote Namgyal. "Lord Buddha is worshiped by millions of people around the world including the writer of this letter... Therefore, I would like to strongly urge your company to recall every merchandise sold with Buddha's image and stop not only selling such merchandises but manufacture of such products. Above all, I want you to tender unqualified apology posted on your website," Tashi demanded. Based out of Palm Desert, California, ICON was launched in 1999 by a Hollywood filmmaker and art collector. "Icon is for the art lover and the woman who loves shoes and handbags. We support artists by paying royalty for the use of their art," the company says on its Facebook page. "I really think you should stop manufacturing the shoes with Buddha's imprint... it is totally against Buddhist sentiment," wrote one Tshewant Gyeltshen on the company's Facebook page. "I am Buddhist. Your idea of putting Lord Buddha's image on footwear is unethical," said one Yoezer Gempo. "Why do they have to put Lord Buddha's image on shoes? Among Buddhist we don't even let our shadow fall on His image. It cannot be ignorance since they had the guts to run a company and even call the pattern 'Thangka of the Buddha'," wrote an angry Passang Tshering on his blog. 
|
| Bill Clinton Turns to Meditation to Improve His Health Posted: 10 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT By Katherine Weber , Christian Post, August 7, 2012Washington D.C, USA -- Former U.S. president and environmental activist Bill Clinton, raised a Southern Baptist, has turned his spiritual focus to the religion of Meditation for the sake of his health and "hectic life," according to reports. "He has a hectic life, he travels a lot on business as an ambassador for the U.S. and needs something to keep him sane," the person presumably close to Clinton added. "Meditation offers him that, he has a mantra that he likes to chant and after every session he feels transformed and full of positive energy." "It's definitely doing him the world of good – he feels fitter and stronger than ever," the source concluded. According to the Times of India, Clinton has even hired a Buddhist monk to aid him in his spiritual studies. Clinton reportedly has sought to improve himself both spiritually and physically after surviving a wave of health scares, relating mostly to his poor diet and weight, in the mid-2000s. The former president also has become an advocate for veganism after he underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 to unblock four clogged arteries. He also received two stents, or mesh scaffolds, in a fifth artery in 2010 at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. "I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette," Clinton told CNN's Sanjay Gupta regarding his previous poor health in an Aug. 2011 interview. "I was lucky I did not die of a heart attack," the 42nd president added. Clinton's current diet consists primarily of fresh fruit and vegetables, although he reportedly occasionally eats fish. The former president, 65, currently travels the world speaking on the importance of international diplomacy and environmental responsibility through the Clinton Foundation, established with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." Clinton was raised a Southern Baptist, and many critics claim that he ebbed and flowed in his religious beliefs throughout his terms a! s president. "You know, Bill Clinton knew the language. Bill Clinton could talk like a Southern Baptist evangelist when he wanted to. But they hated what he was doing with it, because they were in fundamental disagreement with him about so many very important social issues," Richard Land, president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, has told PBS Frontline. Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/bill-clinton-turns-to-buddhism-to-improve-his-health-79617/#b5PzK53eQiG0Kmkw.99 
|
Forget drinking or drugs — Jessica Morey offers teens a straightforward stress buster for teens in our special section "Real Piece in Times of Stress." You might be tempted to skip it if you're too old to be worrying about proms or math tests, but as Deputy Editor Andrea Miller suggests in her 
This year the festival came the day before high school exams and hordes of young people crowded the Somrong An Deth Pagoda outside Phnom Penh, as laughing monks poured pitchers of water on their bowed heads to bring them good luck. Music played, children ran about the sprawling pagoda grounds with its fanciful statues of gods riding chickens and serpents, and white clad head shaved nuns added their blessings..jpg)
Arboleda, a Dedham resident and practicing Buddhist, recently self-published her first book "The Average Buddhist Explores the Dharma," with a hope to create an authentic experience with Buddhism.
<< Sarah Weiser/The Herald
Tibetans and Bhutanese Buddhists have written to the company, Icon Shoes, to express their disgust. They have flooded the company's Facebook page with protest notes.| You are subscribed to email updates from BuddhaRocks ☸ Buddhist To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
