John C. Reilly to direct “Buddha” in L.A.

John C. Reilly to direct “Buddha” in L.A.
Video: BBC’s mindfulness report reveals “brain boost”
Karmapa receives Kalachakra Initiation from Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya
Study: MBSR helps breast cancer survivors with depression
Seokwang-sa, Surrey, BC
International Buddhist Society Temple, Richmond, BC
Lingyen Mountain Temple, Richmond, BC
Thrangu Monastery, Richmond, BC
Buddhist Leader Stressed Simpler Lifestyle, Mind
Former head of the Jogye Order Venerable Ji-kwan Passes Away At the Age of 79
Looking West: A Primer for American Buddhism
David Duchovny gets the gist
The Dalai Lama receives Mahatma Gandhi International Award in Bodh Gaya

Posted: 05 Jan 2012 10:00 AM PST

Actor John C. Reilly — you know him from an impressively long list of films including Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Gangs of New York, Cedar Rapids, and on and on — has been selected to direct the Oscar and Tony-nominated Buddha: Triumph in the Life of the Great Sage, written and performed by Evan Brenner at LA's Bootleg Theater. The drama is set for this February 3 to 25, 2012 — a reenactment of the life of the Buddha. The play is based on Buddhist texts.

While discussing his play, Brenner said, "I became deeply engaged in the sutras which are really quite dramatic and work really well just as a story. And so I had a eureka moment: what if I did the Buddha as a one-man play — in his own words, taken directly from the sutras?" [More, with a video, after the jump.]

The show will run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM Pacific at The Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles this February 5 to 25. Tickets are $ 30 USD. The Bootleg Theater is located at 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057.

To make reservations, call 800-838-3006. or visit their website at: http://www.thebuddhaplay.com/

See Brenner in video introduction to the play here:

(Photo via Wikimedia Commons by Georges Biard. Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.)

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Video: BBC’s mindfulness report reveals “brain boost”

Posted: 05 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST

The other day we shared with you BBC culture correspondent David Sillito's first installment of an ongoing look at the connection behind mindfulness meditation and science. Would eight weeks of the practice of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in fact reduce stress, or even, in the case of Sillito's friend and case study Fiona Assersohn, chronic pain caused by Lupus? And what would a neuroscientist, or a pain researcher say about all this? Find out here in Sillito's followup.

Click here to watch Part 1. And here, for an audio followup, "The Science of Silence."

For more on mindfulness, its benefits, and the science behind it all, check out "The New Science of Mind," in the March 2012 issue of the Shambhala Sun magazine.

And for much more on mindfulness, science, and health, visit Mindful.org.

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Pema Chodron "Common Tactics of Aggression"

eomega.org A leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life, Pema Chödrön is widely known for her insightful, down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Meditation for Western audiences. Chödrön is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners. An American Buddhist nun, she began studying Meditation in the early 1970s, working closely with the renowned Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition until his death in 1987. She is currently a student of Dzigar Kontrul Rinpoche. From years of study and monastic training, she addresses complex issues with a clarity that bespeaks the fruits of her practice. Chödrön is interested in helping establish Tibetan Buddhist monastacism in the West, as well as continuing her work with Western Buddhists of all traditions, sharing ideas and teachings. She is the author of numerous books and audiobooks, including When Things Fall Apart; The Places That Scare You; The Wisdom of No Escape; Getting Unstuck; Start Where You Are; The Pema Chödrön Audio Collection; Comfortable With Uncertainty; No Time to Lose; Always Maintain a Joyful Mind (lojong teachings); and Practicing Peace in Times of War.

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Karmapa receives Kalachakra Initiation from Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya

Posted: 05 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST

On Tuesday, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa traveled to Bodh Gaya to receive the Kalachakra Initiation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He also spent time during his stay giving audience to a large audience of Tibetans and others from the Himalayan region.

Learn more by visiting: http://www.kagyuoffice.org/

Click through here to watch video of His Holiness the Karmapa's arrival at Tergar Monastery.

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Shaolin Monk Rain Demonstration

The Shaolin Monks of China perform a private demonstration for United Studios of Self Defense an American Martial Arts Organization. The demonstration took place at the Shaolin Temples in Henan China. The monks performed the demonstration even though it rained. The Shaolin temples (Shàolín Sì) are a group of Chinese Buddhist monasteries famed for their long association with Chán (Japanese Zen) Meditation and martial arts. They are perhaps the Buddhist monasteries most familiar in the West. The name "Shaolin" means "Young Forest". Shaolin is situated on China's central Taoist sacred mountain, Songshan in Henan province. It was founded during the Northern Wei dynasty in approximately 497 AD and remains one of China's oldest Buddhist temples. It was said to have been used as a home by the Indian monk Batuo during the thirty years he spent preaching Nikaya Meditation in China. Probably the most famous name associated with Shaolin is that of Bodhidharma or Tamo (pinyin: Dámó), an Indian monk who travelled to China in 5th century to teach Meditation. A traditional story relates that Bodhidharma sat in meditation facing a wall in a nearby cave for nine years. Bodhidharma's ministry at Shaolin formed the basis for what would later be called the Zen or, in China, Chán (both terms means Meditation) school of Meditation. After entering Shaolin, it is said that Bodhidharma found the monks out of shape from a lifetime spent only in study and scholasticism, so he introduced a regimen of ...

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Study: MBSR helps breast cancer survivors with depression

Posted: 05 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST

Via Mindful.org: A women's health study, published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, has revealed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training effectively helps breast cancer survivors cope with emotional distress.

Researchers at the University of Missouri's Sinclair School of Nursing in the US provided such patients with group sessions for eight to ten weeks and found their respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure were lowered and their mood improved after participating in the program.

Previous research has shown 50 percent of those who have had the disease suffer from depression. Professor of nursing Jane Armer said: "Post diagnosis, breast cancer patients often feel like they have no control over their lives.

"Knowing that they can control something — such as meditation — and that it will improve their health, gives them hope that life will be normal again," she added.

For more, see this special collection of honest and supportive pieces about coping with cancer via mindfulness, from Mindful.org.

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Pema Chodron and Richard Reoch "Memorial Day Tonglin" (Part 1)

eomega.org A leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life, Pema Chödrön is widely known for her insightful, down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism for Western audiences. Chödrön is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners. An American Buddhist nun, she began studying Buddhism in the early 1970s, working closely with the renowned Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition until his death in 1987. She is currently a student of Dzigar Kontrul Rinpoche. From years of study and monastic training, she addresses complex issues with a clarity that bespeaks the fruits of her practice. Chödrön is interested in helping establish Tibetan Buddhist monastacism in the West, as well as continuing her work with Western Buddhists of all traditions, sharing ideas and teachings. She is the author of numerous books and audiobooks, including When Things Fall Apart; The Places That Scare You; The Wisdom of No Escape; Getting Unstuck; Start Where You Are; The Pema Chödrön Audio Collection; Comfortable With Uncertainty; No Time to Lose; Always Maintain a Joyful Mind (lojong teachings); and Practicing Peace in Times of War.

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Seokwang-sa, Surrey, BC

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 08:06 PM PST

Here's a beautiful photo-essay about this Korean Buddhist temple in BC, from Nathan Bauman's blog, Western Odysseus: http://nathanbauman.com/odysseus/?p=1862

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Nepal - Himalaya - Kathmandu

Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147181 square kilometres (56827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolis. Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20000 ft (6096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized. By some measures, Hinduism is practised by a larger majority of people in Nepal than in any other nation. Buddhism, though a minority faith in the country, is linked historically with Nepal. Many Nepali do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions. There are 3 different buddhist traditions: Himalayan Buddhism, Buddhism of Kathmandu Valley (mostly Mahayana and Vajrayana), and also the Theravada Buddhism. A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768, when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms. However, a decade-long Civil War by the Communist Party of ...

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International Buddhist Society Temple, Richmond, BC

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 07:02 PM PST

Here's a beautiful photo-essay on this Buddhist temple by Nathan Bauman, from his excellent blog, Western Odysseus: http://nathanbauman.com/odysseus/?p=2852

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Fivefold Teachings of Dawa Gyaltsen, Part 2 - Introduction 2

In this eight-part series of dzogchen teachings, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche explains the essence of a heart teaching by Dawa Gyaltsen, an eighth century meditation master from the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet. These teachings are designed to guide one directly to the root of one's self, to the clear and blissful experience that is the true nature of mind. For information about Tenzin Rinpoche and Tibetan Bon Buddhism, visit www.Ligmincha.org. For advance updates about his live Internet teachings, recorded teachings and in-person retreats, subscribe to Ligmincha's free monthly e-newsletter at http To learn and engage deeply in the Fivefold Teachings as a formal practice with direct personal guidance from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, consider enrolling in one of his upcoming online workshops in "Tibetan Meditation" at: www.glidewing.com

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Lingyen Mountain Temple, Richmond, BC

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 06:00 PM PST

Here's a beautiful photo-essay on this Buddhist temple by Nathan Bauman, from his excellent blog, Western Odysseus: http://nathanbauman.com/odysseus/?p=2660

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Thrangu Monastery, Richmond, BC

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST

Here's a beautiful photo-essay on this Buddhist temple by Nathan Bauman, from his excellent blog, Western Odysseus: http://nathanbauman.com/odysseus/?p=1238

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mantra of avalokiteshvara

Relax Buddhist Mantra.......Mantra Compassion Of Avalokiteshvara Namo buddha shakyamuni Chanting in,,, Nam Mo Bon Su thich Ca Mau Ni Phat! Nhac Phat Giao Niem Phat ! Buddhist Music , Buddhist Chanting, Buddha Music, Quan The Am Bo Tat... A Di Da Phat !

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Buddhist Leader Stressed Simpler Lifestyle, Mind

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 03:03 PM PST

The Buddhist Channel, Jan 3, 2011

Ven. Ji-Kwan, head of the Jogye Order from 2005 to 2009 dies after long illness

Seoul, South Korea -- Leading Korea Buddhist leader, Ven. Ji-Kwan, has died on Monday evening after a long illness. He was 79.

The late Ven. Ji-Kwan who once headed the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea have always stressed about the need for mutual support and a simpler lifestyle and state of mind.

"The things that we would like to avoid like pain, despair, and ongoing disputes are the reality that we must undertake, and the things that we would like to live with, like wealth and money, are those that we must release. They are the shadows of desire,'' he said.

"Yes, life will be difficult, not only in Korea, but also globally. People are worried but we must not avoid the reality. We must overcome things, and we must do this spiritually. The most important way is to control our minds. We must be modest and stop searching for luxury and wealth. If we have a clear mind, we can overcome anything,'' Ven. Ji Kwan stressed.

When asked in 2009 if he was satisfied with his past three years as the director, Ven. Ji Kwan laughed and said he still had a long way to go.

The 76-year-old head stepped down as the head of the Jogye Order in 2009.

"Personally, some plans were successfully completed, while some still need more work. In the case of the children's enlightenment programs, I think we still need to work more, but the fact that we started with children was an important step. We have also worked on various temple stay programs for the past three years, and I am glad that many people, including foreigners, know about them better compared to the past,'' he said.

Ven. Ji-Kwan Sunim founded the Kasan Institute of Buddhist Culture in 1990. It is a research institute dedicated to the study of Buddhism and in particular in compiling an-eighteen-volume Kasan Encyclopaedia of Buddhism in Korean language. So far, ten volumes have already been published.

Venerable Jikwan Sunim was also the Head of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Jogyesa is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and is located in the heart of Seoul city centre. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism represents the history and traditional culture of 1,700 years of Korean Buddhism.

Funeral arrangements are under way. More information to come. Read More @ Source

Leonard Cohen, interview 1997, Part 1 of 2

Leonard Cohen, 1997, Part 1 of 2 Buddhism, Buddhist monk, depression, mental illness, loneliness

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Former head of the Jogye Order Venerable Ji-kwan Passes Away At the Age of 79

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 02:02 PM PST

Arirang News, Jan 3, 2012

Seoul, South Korea -- A revered Buddhist monk here in Korea, the Venerable Ji-kwan, has passed away at the age of 79 after battling chronic asthma for many years.

A former chief executive of the largest Buddhist sect in the country, the Jogye Order, Venerable Ji-kwan died late Monday evening at Gyeongguk temple in Seoul.

The Buddhist monk had been under medical treatment since September as his health rapidly deteriorated with age.

Venerable Ji-kwan was known as a studying monk in Korean Buddhism who founded the Kasan Institute of Buddhist Culture, a research institute dedicated to the study of Buddhism and devoting most of his life to publishing Buddhist books.

A memorial altar will be set up at the Haeinsa temple in South Gyeongsang province later this morning and a cremation rite will be held on the 8th of this month.

About Ven Ji Kwan

Ven. Ji-Kwan was born Dec. 9, 1932 and entered into the priesthood at Haein-sa Temple in South Gyeongsang Province in 1947. He served as head monk at the temple from 1970 to 1972 and has worked as a professor of Dongguk University. He was also president of the university for four years from 1986.

Ven. Ji Kwan became the 32nd top administrator of the Jogye Order, Korea's biggest Buddhist order in 2005, winning a majority 165 votes out of the order's 320 representatives.

Ven. Ji Kwan led the Jogye Order for the next four years, following his predecessor Ven. Bub Jang, who died of heart attack in September 2005.

The nation's largest religious sect runs 2,000 temples, with 15,000 Buddhist monks and nuns and around 8 million followers, making it the nation's largest religious sect. Buddhism is the biggest religion in Korea.

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Looking West: A Primer for American Buddhism

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 01:05 PM PST

Charles Prebish, author of "An American Buddhist Life," published by Sumeru, and of many other books on Buddhism, has a new e-book out – "Looking West: A Primer for American Buddhism" – a short, basic introduction to one of the fastest growing new religions in America. It provides all the historical, doctrinal, and community information a curious person would want to know about Buddhism in its American home. It highlights all the key figures and religious practices employed by the various Buddhist communities in America. It's price is $ 9.99.
Smashwords URL: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117946
Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/Looking-West-American-Buddhism-ebook/dp/B006R8P1QM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325252526&sr=1-1

While the book is centred on the United States, there are some references to Canada. Futhermore, while the specific institutions and their histories may be different, the thematic issues are identical.

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The Dalai Lama and Quantum Physics 1/6

"Maybe knowledge is as fundamental, or even more fundamental than reality." (AZ) The austrian quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger explains to the Dalai Lama some basics of quantum physics and some results of the last 9 years of experiments in quantum mechanics. Themes: Atomism, randomness, the phenomenon, interdependence, the role of the observer in quantum physics and buddhism (Parts 1-3). Explanation of the quantum computer (Parts 4-6). Dialogue Leaders: Anton Zeilinger and Arthur Zajonc. Questions from Matthieu Ricard and Wolf Singer. Excerpt of: "Mind and Life XIV" - Dialogues on "The Universe in a Single Atom". Day 1 Afternoon Session (April 9th, 2007) (Held at His Holiness the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, India) In this video the sequences with longer translations to the Dalai Lama and the conversations in Tibetan (together about 20 minutes) are not included. The version without cuts is available here (Day 1 pm): www.youtube.com Day 1 am (with introduction from the Dalai Lama): www.youtube.com Anton Zeilinger (born on 20 May 1945 in Ried im Innkreis, Austria) is an Austrian quantum physicist. He is currently professor of physics at the University of Vienna, previously University of Innsbruck. He is also the director of the Vienna branch of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information IQOQI at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Zeilinger has been called a pioneer in the new field of quantum information and is renowned for his realization of quantum ...

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David Duchovny gets the gist

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

Photo by Kristin Dos Santos

This is hardly news, but it's kinda cool when celebs go public with their interest in dharma. Seems David Duchovny (of Californication, X-Files, and Larry Sanders-crush fame) just did a retreat at what sounds to be Zen Mountain Monastery, and he's told Perez Hilton's pet-gossip site (yes, you read that right) TeddyHilton.com about the experience.

Again, not news, but at least Duchovny's not looking for star treatment. "I'm a beginner," he says, "I've only been meditating for a little while. You pay a fee to go for this weekend and what I didn't know is that even though you pay a fee they put you to work immediately. You go there and first you bus some tables after you eat and they had me working in the garden everyday for an hour-and-a-half. It was fun, I was shoveling horse shit out there. You pay money and then you shovel horse shit!"

Zen, life…. Sounds like Duchovny is getting the basic gist of it. (More here.)

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Buddhism.wmv

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The Dalai Lama receives Mahatma Gandhi International Award in Bodh Gaya

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 11:12 AM PST

Homepage » News » The Dalai Lama receives Mahatma Gandhi International Award in Bodh Gaya »

January 4th 2012

Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, 4 January 2012 (by Tendar Tsering, phayul.com) - His Holiness the Dalai Lama formally received the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace earlier today during his Kalachakra teachings at Bodh Gaya.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace from Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter Mahatma Gandhi, in Bodh Gaya, India, on January 4, 2011. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

Representing the Gandhi Development Trust in Durban, South Africa, Ela Gandhi, grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation, personally presented the award to the Tibetan spiritual leader.

"We are privileged in honouring His Holiness the Dalai Lama in recognition of his work and contribution for world peace," Ela Gandhi announced.

The Dalai Lama was supposed to have received the award last October as part of a much anticipated visit to South Africa. The visit had to be called off at the eleventh hour following a five-week wait for a visa to be issued.

Referring to the South African government's tacit delay in issuing the visa, Gandhi said "it was very painful for the people in Africa for not being able to present the award to His Holiness in person."

"There is no justification for failing to issue the visa timely," Gandhi added.

However, the grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi acknowledged that it was a "blessing" to be honoring the Dalai Lama on the "special spiritual occasion" of Kalachakra.

"Words of Mahatma Gandhi and His Holiness challenge us all to lead a more humanitarian, a more humble and simple life," Gandhi said.

After receiving the Gandhi statue, the 76-year old Tibetan leader said that these days "more and more people" in the world are appreciating the virtues of non-violence.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking after receiving the Mahatma Gandhi Award in Bodh Gaya, India, on January 4, 2012. Photo/Getty Images

"As we all know, Mahatma Gandhi is no more with us, but his philosophy of non-violence is very much alive," the Dalai Lama said.

Exonerating Mahatma Gandhi for reviving the ancient Indian tradition of Ahimsa through modern education, the Dalai Lama assured the organisers of his lifelong commitment to non-violence.

His Holiness also urged his disciples for their moral support in his efforts to promote non-violence, love, and compassion throughout the world.

"Genuine non-violence will come only after the inner disarmament of our mind," the Dalai Lama said. "Only with inner disarmament, we can bring outer disarmament".

"Lots of problems in this world are created out of ignorance and greed. With our minds full of fear and hatred, it is impossible to achieve non-violence," the Tibetan Nobel Peace Laureate said while encouraging everyone to use human intelligence in challenging and overcoming negative emotions with positive emotions.

Former recipients of the Mahatma Gandhi International Award include Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, South African leader Nelson Mandela and Tanzania's Julius Nyerere.