Monks’ Convention in Burma Calls for Restricting Buddhist-Muslim Marriage

• Monks’ Convention in Burma Calls for Restricting Buddhist-Muslim Marriage
• Help Lotus Outreach make a fundraising goal right now / Sponsor a GATEways University Scholar in Cambodia
• 50th Anniversary of the self - immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc
• Second Day of the Jewel Lamp Teachings in Sydney
• Buddhist monastery protects Muslim refugees in Myanmar
• Myanmar monks make clarification on Buddhist meeting
• Myanmar Buddhist monks call for peace as they conclude meeting on religious tensions

Monks’ Convention in Burma Calls for Restricting Buddhist-Muslim Marriage Posted: 15 Jun 2013 07:00 PM PDT By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY, June 13, 2013 RANGOON, Burma -- About 200 senior Buddhist monks convening in Rangoon on Thursday have begun drafting a religious law that would put restrictions on marriages Buddhist women and Muslim men. << Buddhist monks U Dhammapiya, Dhamma Duta Ashin Saykaneda (C) and U Wirathu (R) discuss their plans to push for a law that restricts interfaith marriage. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Ahead of the two-day conference, the monks — who are highly revered in Burma — had said that they would meet to discuss how to resolve ongoing tensions between Buddhists and the country's Muslim minority. On Thursday, the monks announced that preventing interfaith marriage would help improve inter-communal relations in Burma, and much of their time was spent discussing a 15-page draft law that would introduce the restriction. "We hold this meeting with the intention of protecting our Buddhist race and our religion, and also to have peace and harmony in our community," said U Dhammapiya, a senior monk and a spokesman for the convention. U Wirathu, a well-known nationalist monk, said he was delighted with the plans to try to stop any Buddhist woman from marrying a Muslim man. "I have dreamed of this law for a long time. It is important to have this law to protect our Buddhist women's freedom," he said during a press conference. U Wirathu leads the controversial 969 campaign that is being implemented all over Burma. It encourages Buddhists not to do business with Muslims and only support fellow Buddhists' shops. The participants of the conference came from townships across Burma to convene at a monastery in Rangoon's Hmawbi Township. The monks said they would collect signatures to pressure Burma's Parliament to adopt the law, adding that they would send letters to President Thein Sein, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and all other lawmakers. They said the law would follow other examples of restrictions on interfaith marriage, such as those that are in place in Singapore and in Muslim-majority Malaysia. "We found that there was peace and harmony in Singapore after they ratify this law in their country. This is why we should not have a problem [passing a similar law] in our country," U Dhammapiya told reporters. Singapore and Malaysia both have long-standing restrictions on interfaith marriage between Muslims and people from other religions. The rules require that non-Muslims convert to Islam in order to register their marriage. A copy of the law proposed by the monks would require any Buddhist woman seeking to marry a Muslim man to first gain permission from her parents and local government officials. It also requires any Muslim man who marries a Buddhist woman to convert to Meditation. Those who do not follow these rules could face up to 10 years in prison and have their property confiscated, according to the draft law. Kyaw Khin, secretary of the All Myanmar Muslim Federation, said the proposed law would violate basic human rights. "In terms of human righ! ts, this type of restriction would be an abuse," he said. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 16 states that "Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family." Kyaw Khin doubted however, that the draft law would be adopted by lawmakers, adding, "There would be a long way to go, if it is to be passed in Parliament. I believe it won't happen." Kyee Myint, a senior lawyer and member of the Myanmar Lawyers' Network, warned against passing a prohibitive religious rule into law. Burma's government, he said, "should be careful not to pass a law just to protect one particular religion." The proposed law comes at a time of growing sectarian tensions between Burma's Buddhists and Muslims, who are estimated to make up some 5 percent of the country's total population. Violence between Buddhists and Muslim communities broke out in Arakan State, western Burma, in June last year. The unrest has since spread to dozens of towns in other parts of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 150,000 people — mostly Muslims — have been forced to flee their homes. Nationalist Buddhist monks have been accused of openly supporting the violence by calling for the removal Muslims to leave towns and villages in order to establish Buddhist dominance. In some cases, monks were reportedly observed participating in and organizing the street violence. Other Burmese monks however, have also criticized the actions of their nationalist brothers. U Pantavunsa, the leader of the Saffron Monks Network, told The Irrawaddy recently that he rejected the 969 campaign, as it was stoking up inter-communal tensions in Burma. Read More @ Source

Help Lotus Outreach make a fundraising goal right now / Sponsor a GATEways University Scholar in Cambodia Posted: 15 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Via Lotus Outreach –  a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to ensuring the education, health and safety of at-risk and exploited women and children in the developing world – comes this message asking for your support.  "We have just 36 hours and $ 5,512 to go to meet our goal!  Whether you donate $ 10, or fully sponsor a student for $ 1,200, every gift will have a huge impact on the life of a girl, her family, and her nation. "A very special thank you to everyone who participated in our GlobalGiving matching day on Wednesday. With your help, we raised over $ 7,000 for our GATEways scholars in a single day – wow! To meet our campaign goal and fully support these 40 girls through university, we only need to raise $ 5,512 more between now and 11:59 PM on June 15th. "Will you help us cross the finish line? It costs just $ 100 per month to fully support the university education of one student, including her housing, books, school fees, food, and transportation. Whether you donate $ 10, or fully sponsor a student for $ 1,200, every gift will have a huge impact on the life of a girl, her family, and her nation." Click here to donate now. Lotus Outreach was founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Though a secular non-profit, it is a focus of many Buddhists of different yanas, as well as having its focus in Buddhist countries. More at https://www.facebook.com/LotusOutreach. Read More @ Source

50th Anniversary of the self - immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc Posted: 15 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT by Senaka Weeraratna, The Buddhist Channel, June 16, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- On June 11, 2013 the world commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the self immolation of Thich Quang Duc, an endeavour that had an enormous impact on world opinion and public perception of the then unfolding events in South Vietnam. It may well be said that it was a moment that changed the course of history of Vietnam, USA and the world at large. The Buddhist world in particular has a moral obligation to commemorate this event and remember the great sacrifice of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc who burned himself to death on June 11, 1963 to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the US-backed South Vietnamese administration of Ngo Dinh Diem. Thich Quang Duc actively fought for religious freedom and equality for the Buddhist religion in pre – dominantly Buddhist (90%) South Vietnam. Many Buddhists outside South Vietnam who had lived through the western colonial period in Asia and having had the same / similar experience of denial of religious freedom and true equality for Buddhist under western Christian dominance, were very much moved to extend support for the Buddhist struggle in South Vietnam. Sri Lanka provided meaningful support to the Buddhists of South Vietnam. Ven. Narada heads the list of supporters in having made 17 journeys on Dharmaduta missions to that country. The Bauddha Jatika Balavegaya (BJB) ( Buddhist National Force) led by L.H. Mettananda spearheaded the campaign of public protest. There were public meetings and public demonstrations throughout the country. One huge public rally held at Ananda College, Colombo sponsored by the BJB following a three hour long Buddhist demonstration in Colombo called on the Government of Sri Lanka under Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike to extend maximum support to the beleaguered Buddhists in South Vietnam. Mrs. Bandaranaike who was very sympathetic to the cause of Buddhist, promptly instructed Hon. R S S Gunawardena, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN to highlight the grievances of Vietnamese Buddhists at the UN. His pleas articulated in an outspoken manner and with mounting evidence coming almost daily over the wires of repression of Buddhists in South Vietnam, resulted in the UN General Assembly adopting a motion on Oct. 8, 1963 to send a UN fact – finding mission to South Vietnam to inquire into the grievances of the Buddhists.  It was while the UN team was in Vietnam that the Govt. of Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown in an Army Coup on Nov. 2, 1963.  Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation sparked a sense of solidarity among Buddhists in Vietnam and brought the fight for religious equality and freedom to a success in 1963. The Most Venerable's remains was later re-cremated at 4,000 degree Celsius, but his heart did not burn and remained intact. Therefore, the heart was considered to be holy and placed in a glass chalice in Xa Loi Pagoda. Thich Quang Duc was declared and honored as a Bodhisattva in 1964. The last words of Thich Quang Duc before his self – immolation contained in a letter were as follows:: "Before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to President Ngo Dinh Diem to take a mind of compassion towards the people of the nation and implement religious equality to maintain the strength of the homeland eternally. I call the venerables, reverends, members of the sangha and the lay Buddhists to organise in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhist." Read More @ Source

Second Day of the Jewel Lamp Teachings in Sydney Posted: 15 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Sydney, Australia, 15 June 2013 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama resumed his seat in the Sydney Entertainment Centre punctually at 9.30 this morning. In the centre of the backdrop to the stage is a large screen onto which images of different historic Buddha statues have been projected. During the first session yesterday, it was the 2nd century CE Gandharan image of the 'Fasting Buddha', which His Holiness appreciated. During the second session, it was the contemporary Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, carved in Thailand for the Great Stupa in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, which His Holiness consecrated in 2009. This morning it was a 6th century carved wood image of the Buddha from China and this afternoon the 13th century bronze Great Buddha of Kamakura, Japan. His Holiness invited questions from the audience and the first enquired whether people following the teaching that is being webcast can consider that they are receiving the oral transmission. His succinct reply was: "Ok." The next question was from someone who said she found the prospect of cultivating altruism and the awakening mind of bodhichitta daunting. His Holiness agreed, saying that when he was in his 30s he felt that realisation of emptiness could be within reach, but that the idea of altruism was very difficult. However, constant familiarity has made it easier and it is an idea he feels much closer to now. Regarding wisdom and when the appearance of things being intrinsically existent ceases, His Holiness said that that the appearance of independent existence persists until the last moment before enlightenment. And asked what the difference is between compassion and feeling sorry for someone, he said that compassion involves not only a sense of empathy but also the wish to do something about it. Today, the Heart Sutra was chanted briskly in Korean to the steady beat of the wooden fish, followed by a poignant rendering of the refuge verses in Japanese, in a style that His Holiness commented he had not heard befo! re. He opened his remarks quoting Nagarjuna's Jewel Garland: "'Those who wish to reach the highest enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings need to develop the awakening mind of bodhichitta, which is rooted in great compassion and the correct view.' These are the factors we need to cultivate within us in meditation." His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking during the second day of his teachings at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia on June 15, 2013. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIA 2013 Training to develop the awakening mind requires periods sitting in meditation alternating with periods of post-meditation. The middle volume of Kamalashila's 'Stages of Meditation' makes this clear. He says that also paying attention to the post-meditation period is a key factor. It's a time to let go of our disturbing emotions. His Holiness suggested that those who are serious about this practice should try getting up a little earlier. He said: "I'm not claiming to be a serious practitioner, but I get up at 3.30 in the morning. Straight away I remember the Buddha and think about emptiness and bodhichitta. I do some exercises and spend quite some time doing analytical meditation. This is what really changes the mind. And then I stop for breakfast. I recommend that if you are serious about this, you reorganize your timetable in this way. In order to get up early, of course, you need to get about seven hours sleep, which will ensure a basic sharpness of mind." He told a story about staying in Berlin and noticing people dancing at a night club opposite his hotel from before he went to sleep until after he had got up again. He laughed saying that it is all right to enjoy yourself, but if you want a sharp mind, you need to get enough sleep. He recalled meeting people in Tibet in the 1950s who he knew were not telling the truth and noticing that they needed their wits about them even when they were going cheat and deceive others. Kamalashila's 'Stages of Meditation' is explicit about what needs to be done between meditation sessions. It explains the preliminary practices. Although there is no description of a merit field to visualise, it outlines the seven branch practice. Then we sit in meditation and do the visualisation or analysis. At the end it is important to dedicate the positive energy to the welfare of others. When we come out of meditation, our mindfulness should not let up. If we maintain our practice, it will strengthen our meditation when we resume the next ! session. Members of the audience listening to His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia on June 15, 2013. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIA 2013 His Holiness explained that in cultivating a single-pointed mind, we can take anything, such as a flower, as our object of meditation. First of all we have to have a clear image of it in our minds and focus our attention on it, not with our eyes but in our minds. He said that closing our eyes can be helpful, but it can be more helpful to keep the eyes open and let the visual consciousness become inactive. In due course, we can take the mind itself as the object of meditation. Whatever the object, the important thing is not to be distracted by our sensory consciousnesses. We also need to avoid being distracted by thoughts about the past and speculations about the future. "Try to remain in steady meditation. Gradually you'll find you can extend the time you can sit. A feeling will arise like clear water or looking into a clean mirror that reflects everything while adding nothing. Once you have some kind of experience like that, try to stay with it. This is how you begin to develop calm abiding or single-pointedness. You come to see the nature of clarity and awareness of the mind. You may also see how the sequence of change within the mind from moment to moment and how the mind that is the object and the mind that is the subject are both part of the same mind." His Holiness pointed out factors that impede stability: distraction and excitement, while mental laxity can impede clarity. He recommended that to begin with meditation sessions should be short, but they can gradually be extended. During the lunch-break His Holiness met with a group of Tibetans, Mongolians and Bhutanese. "We all share a common religious and cultural heritage that began when Shantarakshita introduced Buddhism to Tibet. That and our language are something to be proud of." Back at the teaching venue he remarked: "In 1956 when I came to India to take part in the 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations, I noticed one Western Buddhist nun. When I came back to India in 1959, I asked where she was and w! as surprised to hear that she had become fed up quite critical of Buddhism. Clearly she hadn't done sufficient investigation to begin with. Generally when I speak abroad, I tell people it's far better to stick with the religion you are born to. Change is not easy and there is a degree of danger involved. Of course, there may be exceptions for people like these monks and nuns here who have been practising a long time." His Holiness the Dalai Lama reading from Khunu Rinpoche's "Jewel Lamp" during the second day of his teachings at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia on June 15, 2013. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIA 2013 He opened Khunu Rinpoche's 'Jewel Lamp' saying that he would give the oral transmission by reading quickly through it, stopping to clarify verses as he saw fit. He completed reading 303 verses. When he came to a stop, he said he would finish it tomorrow, when he would also give the lay person's precepts, the ceremony for generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the Bodhisattva vow. He pointed out that his explanation of the text so far had been in the nature of a lecture, but that the various ceremonies tomorrow would involve creating a guru-disciple relationship. As such he needed to request anyone present who persists in worshipping the malevolent spirit Dolgyal, also known as Shugden, not to come. He said: "Out of ignorance, from 1951 until 1970, I worshipped this spirit. Then I discovered that the 5th Dalai Lama, who had a thorough knowledge of it, had said that it was an entity, born from distorted prayers, that brings harm to sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha. The 13th Dalai Lama also made efforts to contain it. I felt this was serious and that I had a responsibility to inform other people about it, although how they chose to respond is up to them." During his reading of the 'Jewel Lamp' His Holiness picked our several verses for particular acclaim; the following was one that he described as particularly important: In the morning when you get up, generate a heartfelt intention to be in accord with bodhichitta. In the evening when going to bed, investigate whether what you did was in accord with or in opposition to bodhichitta. Read More @ Source

Buddhist monastery protects Muslim refugees in Myanmar Posted: 15 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT By Eko Armunanto, Digital Journam, Jun 13, 2013 Lashio, Myanmar -- More than a thousand Muslims are sheltering in a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar's northeastern town of Lashio after violence that killed one person and burned down Muslim properties. << Buddhist monks welcoming Muslims refugee The army transported about 1,200 horrified Muslims by the truckload out of a neighborhood in Lashio where overturned cars and motorcycles that had been charred a day earlier left black scars on the red earth. Buddhist monks organized meals for the newly arrived refugees, who huddled together in several buildings in the monastery compound. A woman who fled a mob a day earlier was still in a state of shock. "These things should not happen," said the woman, Aye Tin, a Muslim resident who slept overnight in a Red Cross compound. She said most Muslims were staying off the streets. They're afraid they'll be attacked or killed if they go outside. Despite a few Buddhist men still being seen riding motorbikes with weapons like sharpened bamboo poles, there wasn't any violence reported. Banks and shops were reopened as residents emerged to look at destroyed Muslim shops. Trucks of soldiers and police crisscrossed main roads. They guarded the ruins of Muslim businesses that were reduced to ashes. As previous reports said, the riot began after a Muslim man splashed gasoline on a Buddhist woman and set her on fire. Buddhist mobs responded by burning down several Muslim-owned shops, a mosque and an Islamic orphanage. Deadly anti-Muslim violence began last year in western Myanmar has undermined the credibility of reformist President Thein Sein's administration. Lashio this week had witnessed how anti-Muslim unrest has slowly spread across Myanmar since starting last year in western Rakhine state and hitting the central city of Meikhtila in March. President Thein Sein's government, which inherited power from the military two years ago, has been heavily criticized for failing to contain the violence. The Muslim minority (4 percent of about 60 million people) have been the main victims of the violence since it began last year, but so far most criminal trials have involved prosecutions of Muslims, not members of the Buddhist majority. The violence is casting more doubt over whether Thein Sein's government can or will act to contain the racial and religious intolerance plaguing a deeply fractured nation still struggling to emerge from half a century of military rule. Read More @ Source

Myanmar monks make clarification on Buddhist meeting Posted: 15 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Elevenmyanmar.com, 15 June 2013 Hmawbi, Myanmar -- More than 200 Buddhist monks took part in a two-day event aimed at promoting the peace aspect of the religion amid a growing criticism from the international community about the role of the religion in the ongoing communal violence. << Dr. Ashin Dhammapiya, Ashin Cekainda, and Ashin Daewunabiwuntha (Photo - EMG) The event brought together famous Buddhist monks who stressed the peaceful nature of Buddhist. The event was held at the Cekainda Rama Monastery in Hmawbi Township, Yangon Region. The main purpose of the ceremony is to make clear the peacefulness of Buddhist, which the international community is misunderstanding because of the current situations in Myanmar, officials said. Head of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (patronage committee of Myanmar Buddhist monks), Sayadaw Vhaddanta Panna Vansa from Malaysia and 227 Buddhist monks attended the ceremony. A statement covering seven main topics was released today. The seven topics discussed include: (1) Solving the crisis through the Buddha's teachings (2) Legal sector (3) Peaceful living for all the citizens (4) Pursuance of the education sector (5) News and information sector (6) Coordination and negotiation of various organizations (7) Counseling program The statement urges the peaceful coexistence within the country, respecting the 1982 Citizenship Law, which supports peaceful coexistence in Myanmar. The monks also urged the Buddhists in the country not to take part in the so-called "969" anti-Muslim movement. The figure represents the religion's holy trinity - Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The monks also issued a statement suggesting the government to rule the country in accord with the Buddhist teachings. It also highlights doing research on the origins of Buddhist in Myanmar with confirmed data with the help of researchers. To include what made Buddhist disappear in some countries in the curriculum of the religious examinations is also suggested.  The statement proposes to launch a website for releasing the genuine information about Buddhist. "Why we have this ceremony is because Buddhist has already been regarded as the most peaceful religion in the world. Yet, clashes happened. Buddhist is intentionally disgraced on the pretext of some miscellaneous matters. We will continue to seek peacefully ways to make known that Buddhist is a peaceful religion," said a famous venerable monk Ashin Cekainda.  The monk stressed that the violence could be handled thanks to the cooperation of the government and religious and social leaders. The attendees expressed the condolences to the families of the victims killed in Malaysia. Also, they applauded the kind assistance of local businesses to the Myanmar nationals in Malaysia so that they can return home. Read More @ Source

Myanmar Buddhist monks call for peace as they conclude meeting on religious tensions Posted: 15 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT Associated Press, June 14, 2013 HMAWBI, Myanmar -- A meeting of more than 200 Myanmar Buddhist monks on how to solve deadly communal conflicts that have pitted majority Buddhists against Muslims declared Friday they seek peace and accused the media of tarnishing their religion's image. << Sectarian bloodshed mostly targeting Muslims has laid bare deep divides that were largely suppressed under decades of military rule which ended two years ago in the Buddhist-majority country. A statement released at the end of the two-day meeting did not mention a prominent Buddhist monk's proposal that a law be enacted to regulate inter-religious marriages, particularly specifying that anyone who marries a Buddhist woman must convert to Buddhist. The monk Wirathu, who is known for his anti-Muslim sermons, told reporters Thursday on the sidelines of the conference that he would propose the legislation to parliament. Conference spokesman Dhammapiya, another monk, said the proposal was not directly related to the meeting. "The draft law was proposed at the wrong place and caused confusion," he told The Associated Press. The remarks had fueled unease that Buddhist monks are promoting religious intolerance. Wirathu is a key leader of "969," an ultra-nationalist movement of monks that preaches that the country's small Muslim minority threatens racial purity and national security. The conflict has threatened to undermine the political and economic reforms undertaken by President Thein Sein, who came to power in 2011 after almost five decades of repressive military rule. Sectarian violence began in western Rakhine state last year, when hundreds died in clashes between Buddhist and Muslims that drove about 140,000 people, mostly Muslims, from their homes. The violence had seemed confined to that region, but in late March, similar Buddhist-led violence swept the town of Meikthila in central Myanmar, killing at least 43 people. Several other towns in central Myanmar experienced less deadly violence, mostly involving the torching of Muslim businesses and mosques. Regarding the violence, Dhammapiya said that anyone who broke the law should be dealt with according to the law. "We have to ascertain if the monks who took part in the violence were fake or genuine monks," he said. "It has to be investigated and there should be rule of law to stop the violence." News reports suggested that some monks were armed and encouraged the bloodletting. Participants in the meeting, held at a monastery in Hmawbi, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) from Yangon, complained that the media had presented a distorted view of Buddhist's role in the violence. Dhammapiya told reporters on Thursday that "We are just requesting you to write the news with the right information." "There are many media that report ethically. But there are some which get backing from some sort of organizations," he said, without elaborating. "We feel that it's not balanced." Read More @ Source