Antique Buddhist sculptures found in Odisha

• Antique Buddhist sculptures found in Odisha
• UMMA displaying rare, treasured Buddhist thangkas
• Website aims to project "original Pure Land Buddhism"
• Vesak Celeberated In Brussels With Participation Of International Buddhist Community
• Buddhist temple moving to Wauwatosa due to heavy growth
• Buddhists pray for end to Rohingya conflict
• Sri Lanka inquiry into Buddhist monk's self-immolation
• Sri Lankan President visits China's Lingguang Buddhist Temple
• Thai PM visit Sri Lanka – a platform to align the Buddhist Nations of Asia
• Buddhist site in Guntur district faces monumental neglect
• Buddhist view of survival
• Register now for Friday and Saturday’s free livestreams of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s “Rain of Wisdom” teachings
• Register now for Friday and Saturday’s free livestreams of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s “Rain of Wisdom” teachings

Antique Buddhist sculptures found in Odisha Posted: 01 Jun 2013 12:00 AM PDT PTI, May 26, 2013 Kendrapara, India -- Antique Buddhist sculptures comprising monolithic and votive divinities have been found near a cremation ground in a remote village in Odisha's Kendrapara district, known for its rich Buddhist legacy. The two antique pieces are of 4.6 foot and 3.6 foot in length and were found lying close to the cremation ground at Sadanandapur village by researchers. Researcher Harish Chandra Prusty said the sculptures date to the 11th century AD when Bhaumakara dynasty ruled the then Kalingan Empire. The stone-cut sculptures are strikingly similar to those unearthed and preserved in Buddhist heritage sites of Udaygiri and Langudi in Jajpur district, he said. The village is also not far from Lalitgiri-Ratnagiri-Udaygiri Buddhist heritage sites. "We found the sculpture pieces during a visit to the village on May 24. The locals were not aware of their antique value of the stone objects. However, the sculptures have not been vandalised. Locals have not damaged it," he said. "The discovery of Buddhist sculptures bears ample testimony of the rich history of the place. It needs to be protected as there is every likelihood of more discoveries of rock-cut sculptures from these places. State archaeology department and Archeology Survey of India should take steps to conserve and save it," said archaeologist Bijoy Kumar Rath. Buddhism flourished in Odisha under Bhaumakaras and Somvamshis during 7th to 11th Century AD and declined with the fall of these dynasties. There are innumerable sites in both Kendrapara and Jajpur district which have treasures of Buddhist heritage and legacy but are still unexplored. "We had spotted the sculptures in the past. But nobody knew their historical significance. People are glad to know of the chance-discovery of Buddhist sculptures from their village," said Ajaya Bebarata, a local resident. Read More @ Source

UMMA displaying rare, treasured Buddhist thangkas Posted: 31 May 2013 11:00 PM PDT By John Carlos Cantu, AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist, May 24, 2013. The latest installation of the University of Michigan Museum of Art's Collections Collaborations series is a spiritual journey wrapped around an exotic adventure. << "Vairocana Buddha" (or "Celestial Buddha") The series is co-organized by the UMMA and other U-M units to showcase the diverse collections held by that university. The latest, "Buddhist Thangkas (pronounced tong-kah) and Treasures: The Walter Koelz Collection of Himalayan Art, Museum of Anthropology" was curated by Carla M. Sinopoli, U-M professor of anthropology, curator, Museum of Anthropology, and director of the Museum Studies Program; Donald S. Lopez Jr., U-M professor of Buddhist and Tibetan studies; and Natsu Oyobe, UMMA coordinating curator and associate curator of Asian art. It features what the UMMA calls "the rich iconography of Buddha and Buddhist deities and the colorful images (that) make thangkas fascinating objects to study." "In the late fall of 1932," writes Sinopoli in her introduction to the exhibit, "U-M zoologist Walter Norman Koelz traveled to northwest India to lead a scientific expedition into the rugged Himalayan regions of Ladakh, Zanskar, Spiti, and Kunawar. Although part of India, these were the westernmost regions of the Tibetan cultural domain. "Over the next year, Koelz journeyed many hundreds of miles by foot and on horseback over treacherous mountain passes and through fertile valleys, stopping at Buddhist monasteries and isolated mountain communities along the way. The goal of U-M's Himalayan expedition was to create a collection of Tibetan artifacts for its Museum of Anthropology. "As recounted in his diary, Koelz's collecting was guided equally by his keen aesthetic sense and his stubborn determination — and by the assistance of his partner Rup Chand, a member of a highly respected Lahuli family, who provided him with entree into private homes and sacred places." He left with a dozen crates filled with plant and animal specimens as well as more than 600 objects of art. Some of the better parts of his labor are now wrapped around the UMMA's well-lit second-floor A. Alfred Taubman Gallery. They're mounted comfortably with an undeniable ethnographic spirituality in a showcase setting among other UMMA holdings of other indigenous cultures from around the world. As the exhibit notes, without "any particular interest in Buddhist," Koelz (with the assistance of Chand) "variously cajoled, threatened, and persuaded private (Tibetan) individuals and monks to part with their sacred and treasured objects, providing rich, if disturbing insights into the process of collecting in the region during the waning decades of British colonial rule." Granted, we can't separate the time from the effort, and this is merely the historic record of the event. What's more rewarding is the productivity of Koelz's work. As Sinopoli relates, "Taking pride of place among (these artifacts) are spectacular thangkas, or Tibetan scroll paintings, perhaps the most well-known form of Tibetan Buddhist art. "Additional rarely seen treasures of the exhibition include silver and brass ga'u, small boxes containing sacred texts or amulets that were carried by men and women as they travelled the rugged mountains, as well as bronze statues, jewelry, and carvings of wood and bone." Add additional figures of Buddha and bodhisattvas; printing blocks for making prayer flags; and molds for shaping dough offerings, and, as Sinopoli adds, "these objects speak to the rich history of western Himalayan art, early 20th century material culture, and the man who collected them." The thangkas serve a cosmological, theological, and social function in Tibetan culture. Depicting a Buddhist deity or serving as a mandala, these painstaking artworks are meant to reflect devotion through which both craft and function combine into an expression of personal dedication. Not only are they enlightening devotionals; they also serve as historical tools that showthe significance of Buddhist to Tibetan culture. And they're also astoundingly sophisticated art. As a single magnificent example (out of many) illustrates, one of the highest regarded of Koelz's accessions, a 13th century pigment on cloth "Vairocana Buddha" (or "Celestial Buddha") surrounded by more than 140 smaller Buddha figures from the Poo Monastery of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, illuminates both his intent as well as the purpose and meaning of these special artifacts. As the UMMA's exhibit gallery note says, "In Tibetan Buddhist there are five Buddha families, each associated with a primary Buddha, color, and direction. At the center of this thangka, the oldest in the Koelz collection, is Vairocana, who occupies the center direction and who is associated with the color white. "Radiating outward from him in diagonal lines are Buddhas representing the other families: Akshobhya (east, blue), Ratnasambhava (south, yellow), Amitabha (west, red), and Amoghasiddhi (north, green). "The bottom row is occupied by protector deities, including the four guardian kings and the guardians of the ten directions. The specific placement of the smaller Buddhas and guardians around the central figure conform to the requirements of the Vairocana mandala (celestial palace), suggesting its power even in the absence of the conventional palace structure." The rest of the exhibit follows along these erudite and cultured lines. And as such, "Buddhist Thangkas and Treasures" ends up being as much a lesson in comparative religion as much as anthropology and art. It's a spectacular array of rarely seen art and artifacts - venerated religious documents that now help create international understanding. If you go "Buddhist Thangkas and Treasures: The Walter Koelz Collection of Himalayan Art, Museum of Anthropology" will continue through June 9 at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. Museum hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 734-763-UMMA. Read More @ Source

Website aims to project "original Pure Land Buddhism" Posted: 31 May 2013 10:00 PM PDT by Thomas Hon, The Buddhist Channel, May 30, 2013 Hong Kong, China -- A new website on Pure Land Buddhism – http://www.purelandbuddhism.org was recently launched to promote awareness of the "original Pure Land Buddhism". The aim of the new site is to introduce to international audiences the original Pure Land school in the lineage of Tang Dynasty China's Master Shandao (????), synthesizer of the Pure Land thought of the great early masters and de facto founder of Pure Land Buddhism. The website, the only one of its kind in English, is part of a broader effort, now gathering momentum in eastern Asia, to restore the original face to Pure Land Buddhism, the subject of so much historically-accumulated confusion and misunderstanding about its true nature. Pure Land has long been the largest school of Buddhism in China and eastern Asia. But the versions that have flourished over the past millennium are not the original form taught by Shandao. The reason is historical: Because of a Buddhism-persecution campaign in the late Tang Dynasty, the writings of Shandao and his disciples were lost in China for a thousand years. During that period, the teachings became mixed as masters from other traditions interpreted Pure Land Buddhism according to the doctrines of their own schools. Shandao's texts were, however, transmitted to Japan, where they not only survived but thrived. The Shandao lineage became the basis on which the Jodo Shu (Pure Land School) and, later, the Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land School) were founded. These evolved into a dominant stream of Japanese Buddhism, though with many features different from what Shandao had taught. It wasn't until the end of the Qing Dynasty that Master Shandao's original writings were "re-exported" back to China. However, war, revolution and political upheavals posed formidable obstacles to the systematic study and propagation of pristine Pure Land Buddhism. Only with the relative peace and social development of recent decades have such efforts begun in earnest. For more information please visit: http://www.purelandbuddhism.org Read More @ Source

Vesak Celeberated In Brussels With Participation Of International Buddhist Community Posted: 31 May 2013 09:00 PM PDT Asiantribune.com, May 28, 2013 Brussels, Belgium -- Decorated with Buddhist flags, scores of colourful Vesak lanterns, and also other decors presented by several Buddhist countries, gave an ambiance of a temple and serene atmosphere to the Sri Lankan Residence in Brussels, on the evening of Sunday 26th May, when the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Mission to the European Union marked the noble Day of Vesak. The event was graced by the presence of Hon. Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament, Mr. Chandima Weerakkody and the five-member cross-party Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka who are on an official visit to the European Parliament. Ven. Murungasyaye Gnanissara Nayaka Thero of Jethavana Vihara in Paris and Ven. Pra Shdhinanaivides of Wat Thai Dhammarama Temple in Brussels and monks conducted the religious ceremony, including the Buddha Pooja, a Dhamma Sermon, and invoking blessings by chanting Seth Pirith followed by a brief meditation programme. The second half of the programme began with the lighting of the Vesak lanterns by the participants and inaugurating the illumination. Addressing the gathering that consisted the diplomatic corp, the Sri Lankan community in Belgium and Luxembourg, Ambassador P.M. Amza, recalled the joint efforts of the international Buddhist community, led by Sri Lanka to gain international recognition for the Day of Vesak in 1999. The life of Lord Buddha, was exemplary and his teachings convey a timeless message for every individual to live happily and peacefully, he said. A brief cultural programme symbolizing the diversity with which the millions of Buddhists around the world commemorate Vesak, brought in a group of Sri Lankans and Mission staff singing devotional songs (Bakthi gee), and the Thai Buddhist Community presenting two traditional dance items honouring the noble triple gem. At the end of the days programme, the gathering also had the opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous Sri Lankan vegetarian meal. Read More @ Source

Buddhist temple moving to Wauwatosa due to heavy growth Posted: 31 May 2013 08:00 PM PDT By Michael Runyon, Wauwatosa Today, May 28, 2013 Congregation relocating from Milwaukee due to growth Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (USA) -- When Tu Mai, leader of the Buddhist Youth Association, moved to Milwaukee in 1988 there were only 15 people in his congregation. Now there are 150. During Tu Mai's early years as a Milwaukee resident, the 15-person congregation was praying in a small, two-bedroom home. They recently bought a 14,000-plus square foot complex and will be moving in where Unity West Church once stood at 4750 W. Mayfair Road. The newly-named Phuoc Hau Buddhist Temple opens its doors June 16. Open to the public "It will be very open to the public," Tu Mai said, adding that they will post events on their website for people to follow and will have open meditation and culture classes for the public every Sunday. Some classes will focus on Vietnamese culture and dharma, the teachings of Buddha. Tu mai stressed that he wanted many classes to be open to children. Growing pains The two-bedroom home on 11th street and Southside in Milwaukee worked for the congregation for 10 years. The living room served as a prayer room and the kitchen could be used for cooking for the congregation. As the community grew, the house became more and more cramped. In less than 10 years the congregation had outgrown the home. Sunday services had to take place in hourlong shifts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The congregation sold the home and moved to a 2,000 square foot old school building on 16th Street and Oklahoma Avenue in Milwaukee in 1993. From there, things were perfect. They could fit as many people as needed for their Sunday service, have enough space for their classes on the Dharma and Vietnamese culture and accommodate everyone. The congregation, however, kept growing. Much like their house, their prayer space was getting more and more cramped as members joined the congregation. So they looked around for something in their budget and found the Unity West Church on sale for $ 625,000. They bought it, hoping that the church's size, which can accommodate 225, will meet the needs of their growing community. Tu Mai said he was happy with the congregation's growth. "The Buddhist followers feel good and we have more people and more members," he said. "That's the way it's supposed to be. We believe in the Buddha and the dharma and it really helps our lives." Read More @ Source

Buddhists pray for end to Rohingya conflict Posted: 31 May 2013 07:00 PM PDT by Bambang Muryanto, The Jakarta Post, May 26 2013 Magelang, Indonesia -- Thousands of Buddhists celebrating Waisak, or Buddha's Day of Enlightenment, in the yard of Mendut Temple in Mungkid, Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday prayed for an end to the Rohingya ethnic conflict in Myanmar. "Hopefully the Myanmar government will be able to end the conflict soon," one of the Buddhist monks said as he led the prayers at an altar in the southern yard of the temple. Buddhist nun Daya Kusala of the Buddha Mahayana Community Council expressed the same hope, expecting the Myanmar government to handle the Rohingya conflict with love , not violence. "Are the killers in Rohingya really Buddhist monks? If they are, they shouldn't have done so because Buddha taught love," Daya Kusala said. She also expressed hope the Rohingya conflict would not influence Indonesians and they should remain living in harmony. The prayers at the Mendut Temple were led by the nine councils grouped under the Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi). In their prayers, the monks also asked God to free Indonesia from ethnic, religious, race and inter-group conflicts as well as from natural disasters. Buddhists were seen following the prayers solemnly under tight security from the local police and the Yogyakarta Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob). The bomb squad was also deployed. Monk Wongsin Labiko Mahatera led the meditation procession held ahead of the enlightenment moment at 11:24:39. When the moment came, director general of Buddhist community supervision of the Religious Affairs Ministry, Joko Wuryanto, hit a gong three times. Chairman of the International Buddhist Sangha Mahayana, Monk Tadissa Paramitha Mahasthavira, called on Buddhists to implement the teaching of Sang Buddha Gautama. "The teaching must be understood thoroughly and not partially. That way you will also be able to develop wisdom," Tadissa said. The ritual at Mendut Temple continued with a parade to accompany the journey of the holy water, holy flame and the Buddhist relic from Mendut to Borobudur Temple. . The whole Waisak celebration was closed with the release of 1,000 decorative lamps to symbolize enlightenment in life and hope. Read More @ Source

Sri Lanka inquiry into Buddhist monk's self-immolation Posted: 31 May 2013 06:00 PM PDT BBC, May 27, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka is to investigate the role of the media in the death of a Buddhist monk on Saturday, the day after he set fire to himself. << Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk Officials say journalists who filmed Bowatte Indarathana's self-immolation could have tried to have him rescued. The Media Ministry Secretary, Charitha Herath, said the monk had told at least one TV journalist of his plan. Meanwhile, hardline Buddhist nationalists are hailing the dead monk as a hero for his act. Mr Herath said any reporter who knew in advance of the monk's plans should have contacted the police. "My issue is that if you have already [been] informed by somebody that he is going to commit suicide, you are supposed to at least inform others to get rid of that disaster," he said. Venerable Indarathana was protesting against the slaughter of cattle and the alleged conversion of Buddhists by Sri Lanka's minority faiths. He set himself on fire outside the holiest Buddhist shrine in the country - the Temple of the Tooth in the central city of Kandy. He died in intensive care in the capital Colombo the following day. The monk - believed to be aged 30 - belonged to a Buddhist revivalist group which has been campaigning against the Muslim halal method of slaughtering animals. Coverage criticised The government condemned media outlets showing video of the incident. The BBC's correspondent in Sri Lanka, Charles Haviland, says some viewers have criticised the extensive coverage the suicide received from a hardline Buddhist TV channel, Swarnavahini. However, Sinhalese ultra-nationalist ministers in the government have praised the incident as an act of self-sacrifice for the good of the country, he adds. Dozens of monks from the same group, Voice of Sinhala, and their supporters, staged a demonstration in Colombo on Sunday after the authorities rejected their demand for the monk to be given a state funeral. Self-immolation by Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka is exceptionally rare, although many Tibetan monks have recently committed suicide in this way for political reasons. Read More @ Source

Sri Lankan President visits China's Lingguang Buddhist Temple Posted: 31 May 2013 05:00 PM PDT ColomboPage News Desk, May 28, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Beijing: President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wikaramasinghe Rajapaksa, along with members of the Sri Lankan delegation, visited the Lingguang Buddhist Temple located on the outskirts of Beijing Monday. The chief incumbent most venerable Chang Zang and fellow monks welcomed the President, the First Lady and the delegation, and invoked blessings. The temple, which was established 1,200 years ago, has become a center for Buddhist pilgrims because of the Buddha tooth relic that it houses. The only other recognized tooth relic of the Buddha is located in the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Sri Lanka. The tooth relic at the Lingguang Temple had first been taken to what is now Pakistan after the passing of the Buddha before it was brought to China. President Rajapaksa donated a gold-plated Buddha statue to the temple when he visited China in 2007. Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Douglas Devananda, Parliamentarians A.H.M. Azwer and Namal Rajapaksa, Chief-of-Staff Gamini Senarath and Sri Lanka's Ambassador in China Ranjith Uyangoda were also present. Read More @ Source

Thai PM visit Sri Lanka – a platform to align the Buddhist Nations of Asia Posted: 31 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT by Shenali D Waduge, LankaWeb, May 29, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Thai Prime Minister Ms. Shinawatra is due to visit Buddhist Sri Lanka during the month of Wesak. The bond that Sri Lanka and former Siam (Thailand) share needs to go beyond diplomatic niceties. << Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra The people of present and future need to know the exact nature of what ties Buddhist nations together. In addition to seriously considering forming a League of Buddhist Nations it is suggested that a film be produced in co-partnership about the "Fascinating Journey from Sri Lanka to Siam" based on the narration of Wilbagedera who wrote the original narration of his journey to the Thai capital of Ayuthiya and the magnificent welcome accorded to the Sri Lankan delegation by the Thai King. Let all those preparing to welcome the Thai PM remember that she arrives not to talk about multiculturalism but to mark the special Buddhist bond that exists between Buddhists and Buddhist nations. Therefore, it is essential that the agenda is solely on Buddhism and those involved in discussions are capable of giving genuine voice to Buddhists this translated means that all those mouthing opposing views should be left out. It was in 1752 that Ven. Upali Thera of Siam was assigned by the Siamese monarch to visit Sri Lanka to restore the Buddhist Sangha Order in Sri Lanka. The backdrop to this was the request made by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who sent a convoy of monks initiated by Ven. Weliwita Saranankara to Siam. The Siam Nikaya is located around the city of Kandy and is named so because of its origins in Thailand. The two main divisions of the Siyam Nikaya are the Malwatta and Asgiriya. Together both Nikayas have over 6000 temples and close to 20,000 Buddhist monks. It is this bond that brings the Thai PM to Sri Lanka bringing a special message from Thailand. The hospitality shown by Siam continues unabated to this day and Sri Lanka acknowledges with pride the warmth with which a fellow Theravada nation continues to uphold traditions. The Sri Lankan delegation headed by Wilbagedera was a journey that took 3 months passing Cambodia to reach Siam in 1750. The detailed and picturesque account of the respect and honor given to the Sri Lankan 60 member delegation by the Siamese King is enchanting to any reader. We are told that a retinue of 32 boats formed in procession to carry the Sri Lankan envoys with music in accompaniment. Outdoing even the diplomatic chivalry of the present the protocol procedures followed at the Royal Thai palace cannot be left to a book for selected reading only. Ayuththa was 60km inland and described as a "glorious capital" and far more practical than the present floodprone capital of Bangkok. The narrative of Wilbagedera and others being taken on horse-drawn carriages to the Palace, given a Guard of Honor consisting of Regiments with thousands of troops in attendance needs to be visually made available to the entire world in film jointly sponsored by both nations and filmed in both Sri Lanka and Thailand. It would be a great opportunity to forge and strengthen people to people contact between Thailand and Sri Lanka to enhance cultures between the two nations. Everything that the Sri Lankan envoys saw from white elephants in the Thai place, the precious stones, gold, figures of lions and elephants, the golden Lion throne on which the King sat like a God Sakra radiating the place from the gemstones, being served on gold and silver trays, visiting holy temples is something that should definitely not escape the attention of the present and future generation of Buddhists. It was after this visit that Sri Lanka saw a revitalization of Buddhism and within 3 years 3000 samaneras had joined the Sasana. Sri Lanka also has the honour of initiating the discovery of Footprint of Buddha in Siam in the year 1628 A.D. Thus the meticulous account kept by Wilbegedera, Sri Lanka's envoy to Siam from the time the delegation departed from Trincomalee port aboard the Dutch ship Weltryg on 1st August 1750 to sail back to Sri Lanka on 30th May 1753 on board the VOC ship Oost Kapelle after 2 ½ years needs to be put into a film a joint effort by the Governments of both Sri Lanka and Thailand. The heroes of the Buddhist world need to now gain the publicity it is denied by the English press, in order to bring these to the open a League of Buddhist nations would ensure that forgotten histories are revitalized and forgotten heroes are once more remembered. Asia's heroes and Asia's fetes are exclusive and awesome too. A film on Wilbegedera's journey to Siam is certainly one agenda item that cannot be omitted. This will provide the basis to form better ties not only amongst the clergy but amongst lay Buddhists as well throughout the Buddhist world. Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters must back the initiative to form a League of Buddhist nations as well as the film that would link the people of Sri Lanka and Thailand closer. Read More @ Source

Buddhist site in Guntur district faces monumental neglect Posted: 31 May 2013 03:00 PM PDT TNN May 26, 2013 NAGARJUNASAGAR, India -- Anupu Park located near Macherla town in Guntur is one of the important Buddhist religious sites in Andhra Pradesh. This is where Acharya Nagarjuna was believed to have taught his disciples. The Anupu ruins were surrounded by lush green gardens and beautiful parks, till recently. But the visitors to the park who came here to attend the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organized by the state government on Saturday were shocked to find the place in complete neglect. All the greenery around the park has vanished due to the lack of maintenance. Several Tibetans, who visited Anupu and Nagarjunakonda museum, expressed their dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance. Horticulture department foreman Sunil Kumar said the motor of the borewell in the park had tripped thrice in the last one month due to frequent fluctuations in power supply. The entire Anupu Park, it seems, has dried up due to poor maintenance. Incidentally, the state government, during the World Tourism Conference in Hyderabad, had decided to celebrate Buddha Jayanthi at historical Buddhist sites including Anupu but did not do much to improve the conditions at the park. Hence, the festival at Anupu only showcased the utter casual attitude of the tourism department. Read More @ Source

Buddhist view of survival Posted: 31 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT By Dan New, Times Union, May 24, 2013 Albany, NY (USA) -- The Buddhist monk is a former crew chief of a helicopter gunship in Vietnam. He enters to the singing of the bell. Barefoot and robe-clad with shaved head and an austere embodiment, he walks the center aisle that leads to a raised platform. Lining his entrance path are the chairs and cushions of the 130 who are gathered in this sacred setting. He climbs the stage and turns to us. He begins in a soft measured voice. "A veteran commits suicide every 62 minutes in our country. Seventy percent of them are over the age of 50. We sit here and meditate to honor them and to save ourselves, for this is the cost of war and violence in this country. You sitting before me are the light at the tip of the candle. For the next five days, we will practice meditation in all that we do to combat the moral and spiritual wounds of war. Please respect the silence and dedicate yourself to this practice." We introduce ourselves by name, branch of the service, where and when we served. The room resonates with the pronouncements of those gathered from the last six wars stretching from Korea to Afghanistan - old and young, black and white, men and women. A few have brought their families and loved ones, most are alone. Some bear the visible wounds of war - limbs missing, scarred flesh - while others bear their wounds with vacant stares. This is Lourdes for the combatant. It holds the possibility of a new Memorial Day paradigm without the parades and celebration. And so we begin, prompted by the singing of the bell and the instruction of our mentor in the ways of sitting. The first sitting seems interminable, breathing in and breathing out. It is followed by a walking meditation leading us closer to awakening. Breathing in on one step and out on the next, this walking is unnervingly slow. The pace of the retreat slows my racing metabolism. The speed of my thoughts diminishes through the meditation. I strive to accept each moment as the only moment - ratcheting down from the normal pace of life, committing to being present to the real moments of my day. Continually prompted by the singing of the bell, I slide downward and inward with all the others into a steady rhythm of breath and awareness as silence becomes sacred. We write in meditation with stark purpose, sharing our words with others. The fears of each of us are shared in these chances of vulnerability and in the safety of blessed space that we have created. With the practice, there is an opening, an accessibility to words and images that have been hidden below the movements of our daily lives allowing what rises up from our beings to live. The thunder of an explosion increases in volume and pitch as it returns with the flow of our pens. Each day takes us deeper into the silence that allows feeling. Five days pass without some measure of normal time. We gather by the lake on Sunday morning for the closing, and the monk leads us in a Norse ritual when we light afire the raged paper scrolls containing the work of our practice and time together. Smoke billows to the clear sky as the bier floats to the lake's center and slowly sinks to rejoin the elements of nature. ------------- New is one of 2.6 million U.S. veterans who served in Vietnam. Read More @ Source

Register now for Friday and Saturday’s free livestreams of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s “Rain of Wisdom” teachings Posted: 31 May 2013 11:00 AM PDT Registration is now open for the Shambhala Sun's livestream of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's foreword to The Rain of Wisdom, a collection of songs of realization from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Meditation. . The teachings will take place today at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (6:30 EDT) and tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Atlantic Time (8 a.m. and 1 p.m, EDT, respectively) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Click here for to register for the teachings, and here for to open a PDF of the foreword to The Rain of Wisdom. . This weekend's teachings are the first of the Shambhala Sun's new "Direct Dharma" series of livestreamed talks, offering access to premiere Buddhist teachers from lineages across North America. To learn more about Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, read these articles from the Shambhala Sun archives. What Changes and What Doesn't: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche If I'm Lucky They'll Call Me Unorthodox An Uncommon Lama You can read more about and from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche on the Shambhala Sun's Chögyam Trungpa Spotlight Page. Read More @ Source This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Register now for Friday and Saturday’s free livestreams of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s “Rain of Wisdom” teachings Posted: 31 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT Registration is now open for the Shambhala Sun's livestream of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's foreword to The Rain of Wisdom, a collection of songs of realization from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. . The teachings will take place today at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (6:30 EDT) and tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (8 a.m. and 1 p.m, EDT) Atlantic Time in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Click here for to register for the teachings, and here for to open a PDF of the foreword to The Rain of Wisdom. . This weekend's teachings are the first of the Shambhala Sun's new "Direct Dharma" series of livestreamed talks, offering access to premiere Buddhist teachers from lineages across North America. To learn more about Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, read these articles from the Shambhala Sun archives. What Changes and What Doesn't: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche If I'm Lucky They'll Call Me Unorthodox An Uncommon Lama You can read more about and from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche on the Shambhala Sun's Chögyam Trungpa Spotlight Page. Read More @ Source This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now