Video: PBS looks at Nicholas Vreeland, historic Dalai Lama appointee
Video: PBS looks at Nicholas Vreeland, historic Dalai Lama appointee |
- Video: PBS looks at Nicholas Vreeland, historic Dalai Lama appointee
- Saturday: Aung San Suu Kyi delivers 1991 Nobel Prize speech
- Ancient Buddhist music used first time for a stage play on life of Buddha
- Arunchal Pradesh gets fourth Buddhist center in India from government
- Tibetan delegates forced to leave conference due to Chinese pressure
- Right Before One's Eyes
- Bhikkhuni ordination in Vaishali to be historic event
- From the July 2012 magazine: “I Want to Be… Peaceful”
- Myanmar is reminded of its ethnic realities
- Early Tibetan scriptures discovered at monastery in Lhasa
- From the Under 35 Project: A mom’s perspective on metta
| Video: PBS looks at Nicholas Vreeland, historic Dalai Lama appointee Posted: 16 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Via PBS 's Religion & Ethics comes a new report on, and conversation with, Buddhist Abbot Nicholas Vreeland — newly appointed by the Dalai Lama: "The Dalai Lama has given Vreeland an historic task: as the first Westerner appointed abbot of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, he's to be a bridge between East and West." Watch Buddhist Abbot Nicholas Vreeland on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. Read More @ SourceDalai Lamas Public Talk 7: Questions and Answers 
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| Saturday: Aung San Suu Kyi delivers 1991 Nobel Prize speech Posted: 16 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT
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| Ancient Buddhist music used first time for a stage play on life of Buddha Posted: 15 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT by Walter Jayawardhana, The Buddhist Channel, June 16, 2012New Delhi, India -- Deb Chowdhury is a popular music director from the West Bengal state of India with strong and ancient Buddhist roots.
The stage play became more unique as Chowdhury decided to make use of thousands of years old ancient Buddhist music for the play. To adapt such a music track for Thathagatha he did research in two Tantrayana Buddhist monasteries in India and five other monasteries in China. Commenting on the kind of music he has invented for the play a Times of India writer Dibyajyajyoti Chaudhuri said, "Music transcends all barriers, they say. But when it comes to music associated with the Buddha, there is something in it that makes it universal."
The man behind this feat further said, "For the music, I researched for more than two years. I visited monasteries in Bodhgaya and Mirik and recorded the music of Vajrayana Meditation. English speaking Lamas translated the notations of the original music from the libraries at the gumphas." When Deb got a chance to fly to China in September 2011, he visited six ancient Buddhist places of worship there. "I was at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Famen Temple at Xi'an, the White Horse Temple and the caves of Longmen Grottoes, both in Luoyang in the Henan Province, the Five Pagoda Temple at Haidan and the Tanjhe Temple at Memtougou, both in Beijing. I recorded the Buddhist chants and music from these places and used them in the play," Deb says. Many chants were processed at the studio and some of the music was re-created locally to get that authentic feel. Tapanjyoti Das, the director of the play, feels that it was imperative to have that perfect music for bringing the 3,000-year-oldstory alive on the stage. "Such a deeply researched work on Gautam Buddha is perhaps being done for the first time in India. The script, written by Mohit Chattopadhyay, is a result of years of research on the Buddha. Added to that, Deb's music was the icing on the cake. The play is for a qualified audience and the first staging was only for a select few from the theatre fraternity. It was much appreciated by them," says Tapanjyoti. "The temples are mostly 1,400 to 1,500 years old and are storehouses of Buddhists music," Deb says. Apart from the string instruments, sounds of the Chinese flute, the Xiao, and many other Chinese percussions have been used in the play too. Read More @ SourceRam Bahadur Bomjan - The Meditating Buddha-Boy from Nepal - Part 1c 
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| Arunchal Pradesh gets fourth Buddhist center in India from government Posted: 15 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT by Walter Jayawardhana, The Buddhist Channel, June 16, 2012Arunchal Pradesh, India -- After Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Arunchal Pradesh becomes the fourth state in India to receive the next fully fledged Buddhist Center by the allocation of funds by the Central government of India.
In the West Kameng District, where the institute is located, the majority of people, and 13 percent of the population of the people of Arunchal Pradesh follow Meditation. India's largest monastery Tawang is also in Arunchal Pradesh. The institute, conceived by Rinpoche in 2000, had received the approval of the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2010 with a project cost estimated at Rs 9 crore and recurring annual cost of Rs 124.86 lakh. "It began with a central government grant of Rs 97 lakh and has since grown into a good institute to fill the vacuum in imparting education on Meditation," Rinpoche said. "I had pursued the Centre to establish such an institute considering the large number of Buddhist population residing in the Northeast," he said. He pointed out that with only 25 faculty members and limited infrastructures, the institute has so far produced two batches (18 each) of Shastri (equivalent to BA in Buddhist Philosophy) degree holders. Besides teaching arts and crafts for self-sufficiency and sustainable development and preservation of ethnic identity to foster national integrity, the institute has been inculcating an awareness on the ecological balance and preservation of natural resources, he said. He said the other three institutes are: Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, a deemed university, Central University for Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, and Central Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies, Leh. Read More @ SourceHow To Meditate II - Sitting Meditation 
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| Tibetan delegates forced to leave conference due to Chinese pressure Posted: 15 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT by Emi Hayakawa, BTN, June 15, 2012
Three Tibetan delegates left the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) conference after China's delegation threatened boycott Yeosu, South Korea -- Three Tibetan delegates were forced to leave the delegates' assembly meeting after Chinese officials threatened to boycott the 26th World Fellowship of Buddhist Conference's delegate's assembly on June 12th, 2012 claiming that they represent Tibet's government-in-exile.
AFP reports a spokesperson stating that "The WFB secretary-general accepted the Chinese demand that the Tibetans leave so the meeting could go smoothly," as the spokesperson "...called the decision by the WFB chairman 'embarrassing.' " The Chinese delegation left for Busan on Wednesday morning in a vehicle provided by the Chinese Embassy, the organizing committee said. Seventeen delegates from China and the Chairman of the WFB returned to their home countries on early morning of June 14th, 2012 in what was said to be an apparent protest against Tibetan participation. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the main organizers of the the 26th World Fellowship of Buddhist Conference of South Korea, criticized the Chinese delegations' actions and showed support to the Tibetan delegations. In a statement released on June 14th, 2012, the Jogye Order criticized the actions of the Chinese delegations stating, "...Tibetan participation is a WFB approved representation, and the Chinese delegation's apparent protest against Tibetan participation goes against values of what the Buddhist communities across the globe stands for..." The Jogye Order also states, "Through the World Fellowship of Buddhists Conferences in South Korea, we hope that the Buddhist communities across the globe can once again recognize Tibetan Buddhism warm heartedly, and we also actively wish for Tibetan Buddhism to be freely practiced in Tibet." Read More @ SourceOM (aum) 
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| Posted: 15 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT  That which is manifesting  right before one's eyes (genjo)  is the absolute reality. (koan) Genjo Koan is the first chapter of Great Master Dogen's Shobogenzo. Scholars regard the Genjo Koan as foundational to Dogen's religious understanding, with the rest of the Shobogenzo being a development of the teaching embedded in Genjo Koan. Here are the opening four lines of Genjo Koan. But first a reminder from me.
Francis H. Cook, Sounds of Valley Steams I am no Dogen scholar. A book fell into my hands this morning and opened at Genjo Koan. I read it, I read it again. And then came back to it again this evening. All I can say is, This is profound. And simple. Better get to bed now. Please don't lose sleep over this! Read More @ SourceFinding Happiness in Troubled Times 
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| Bhikkhuni ordination in Vaishali to be historic event Posted: 15 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT by Lee Yu Ban, The Buddhist Channel, June 16, 2012Vaishali, India -- About 2,600 years ago, the Buddha initiated the Order of bhikkhunis or nuns in Vaishali with the ordination of his aunt and step-mother, Maha Pajapati Gotami in the town of Vaishali, now in the state of Bihar, India.
This July, the event will occur again for the first time in modern times when several samaneris or novice nuns take ordination to become bhikkhunis in the Theravada tradition at the Vietnam Mahaprajapati Gotami Nunnery in Vaishali . The event is the brain-child of Ven Lieu Phap Viditadhamma, a Vietnamese Theravada bhikkhuni and a lecturer with the Department of Buddhist Studies in the University of Delhi, who has been staying in India for almost 14 years. The ordination ceremony will be held in the Nunnery in Vaishali in recognition of the town's historic connection with the birth of the bhikkhuni sangha more than two millenia ago.
Ven Lieu Phap has already received applications from samaneris from India as well as other countries giving this event an international flavour. Bhikkhuni ordinations require the participation of both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. In this regard, senior bhikkhus and bhikkhunis from India and Sri Lanka have been invited to the event. Ven. Nyaninda, a much respected and the most senior Burmese monk of Bodh Gaya is also expected to attend. The new bhikkhunis are required to stay for at least 3 months to study the Vinaya, or rules of the order, before leaving for their home countries. Read More @ SourceOm Mani Padme Hum - male 
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| From the July 2012 magazine: “I Want to Be… Peaceful” Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT
A peaceful mind, says Ford, begins with three simple steps: sitting down, shutting up, and paying attention. Just doing that can make a big difference in our lives, he says.
Click here to read a lengthy excerpt from "I Want to Be… Peaceful." Also, try this basic mindfulness meditation, which appeared alongside this piece in the July magazine. Read More @ Source 
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| Myanmar is reminded of its ethnic realities Posted: 15 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT by Salil Tripathi, Livemint.com, June 15, 2012
Communal violence flares up even as the country tries to return to democracy Arakan, Myanmar -- A week ago, a Buddhist woman was raped, allegedly by a Muslim man in the Rakhine province (once known as Arakan) in Myanmar, once known as Burma. Incensed Buddhists stopped a bus which had many Rohingyas, who are Muslim, and killed at least ten, injuring others.
The stream of good news coming from Myanmar had to stumble at some point, and this is perhaps the time, where Myanmar's horrific past and tragic presence have cast a shadow on its future. That this week Aung San Suu Kyi will receive her Nobel Prize 23 years late combines the ironies of the country impeccably. This reality check doesn't come from some generals expressing unhappiness with the effortless re-emergence of Aung San Suu Kyi in public life, but it reveals a far older problem, of how the country treats its minorities.
Notice the absence of Rohingya Muslims in the conversation. This group is a minority in Myanmar, and they "look" South Asian and not Southeast Asian. They follow a different faith - Islam - unlike the majority Buddhists. (Some ethnic groups which have fought the Burmese army are majority Christians). Since independence, relations between Rohingyas and the Buddhists have been poor, and in the 1980s the government actively pushed them out, with most of them becoming de facto refugees in Bangladesh. Myanmar denies them citizenship rights and places many restrictions on their personal lives. Over the years, Bangladeshi governments have negotiated with Myanmar and repatriated some Rohingyas. Officially, there are fewer than 30,000 Rohingyas in Bangladesh, but there are claims that the real figure is ten times larger. The unrest has brought out horrendous atavistic emotions. When Irrawady, the independent magazine based in Bangkok that opposes the generals and is cautious about the current reforms, reported the riots, its message board began looking like the worst of the no-holds-barred comments against the Rohingyas. They're not Myanmar citizens, said one; other epithets and comments were more pejorative. (Myanmar citizens who object to give citizenship to Rohingyas apparently don't seem to mind Chinese nationals acquiring citizenship in their country. China has invested heavily in Myanmar, creating tens of thousands of jobs - for Chinese migrants in Myanmar. But let that pass. It is in that context that Bangladesh's decision to close its border, and turning back Rohingyas leaving Myanmar for Bangladesh, is cruel and unjustified, and possibly a violation of international obligations to refugees. Meghna Guha Thakurta, a peace and reconciliation expert in Dhaka told me at the time of the April by-elections which, Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy won, that dealing with the Rohingya issue will be a real challenge for her. That challenge has arrived sooner than she may have wanted. And yet, Bangladesh's response flies in the face of its own history. In 1971, nearly 10 million people from the land that became Bangladesh fled for India, as Pakistani troops unleashed brutality on an unprecedented scale, to suppress Bangladeshi nationalism. At that time, India opened its doors. Bangladesh has sought humane treatment of Bangladeshis who continue to cross the Indian border illegally since then. Surely its leaders know, then, that they should open their border with Myanmar, so that those who have well-grounded fears of persecution can feel safe. More than that, Myanmar's president Thein Sein has to use his imagination and political capital with the same skill with which he is guiding the country's return to democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi can help, but the government has to reassure the victims first. Read More @ Source
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| Early Tibetan scriptures discovered at monastery in Lhasa Posted: 15 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT  Photo: Dennis Jarvis via Flickr, CC-BY-SA license. Ancient Tibetan scriptures were recently discovered in Lhasa, Tibet, according to the Times of India. Comprised of some 100 pages, the writings date back to the 13th century and deal with Tibetan medicine and religion. Tashi Gyatso, and official with Lhasa's cultural bureau, reports that when the document was first discovered, the pages were loose and the scriptures were incomplete. "But the text, written in black ink and on quality Tibetan paper made of bark fiber, was still legible," he said. Gyatso said that the document will be included in China's "national list of endangered cultural heritage for special preservation." Read More @ Source
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| From the Under 35 Project: A mom’s perspective on metta Posted: 15 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT
Sometimes I look at my one-year-old daughter and I feel this profound sense of well-being. A deep gratitude for being able to witness the kind of pure beauty and joy that she brings into our lives. By her presence, her laughter, her silly games, her loving embraces and her funny likes and dislikes. In these moments, I say a silent prayer: may you be well, may you be happy, may you be safe, may you have ease of heart. This prayer, the quintessential metta prayer, has saved me more times than I can recount. Anjali had just been born. Standing on the sink with a week old baby in the next room, I was sobbing as a result of exhaustion, sleep deprivation and hormones crashing after childbirth. My shoulders aching from nursing that seemed so much harder than I had imagined, I stood there hurting, feeling sorry for myself. Then a spontaneous prayer made its way. May I have compassion, and may I be free from suffering. Nothing on the outside changed. There was still a sleeping baby and still nursing to do, and more. But this prayer allowed just enough softening of the heart to allow space in. It allowed me to be vulnerable and hold that with compassion. Going back to work after maternity leave, I felt fortunate to be able to work part-time. But working part-time as a professor proved to be more difficult than I imagined. Constantly playing catch-up and bogged down by responsibilities and unable to enjoy the time I did have my little one, I was driven to the wall. After months of deliberation and going back and forth, I remember the evening when, on a walk by the pond, a silent prayer arose: may I be happy, may I have peace, and may I have an easeful heart. I decided to leave my job at the end of the year and pursue a more skillful livelihood for myself, one that would cause me less harm. Motherhood has immense joy in it, the delight in seeing the world through the eyes of a child, and the learning to be present and open to wonder, like a child. The challenges too are many. For me, the most difficult moments have been when my daughter was sick. The last time when she had an infection, she cried incessantly, inconsolable after having a heavy dose of antibiotics. My heart contracted, unable to witness the pain of my daughter, unable to help her with her diarrhea and discomfort. As I held her in my arms, it was metta that was my lifeline. The silent prayer for both of us – may we have compassion, may we be free from suffering. It was poignant. I remember the first time I said this prayer to Anjali. She was so tiny, and I had not yet gotten used to having her on the outside. This simple prayer allowed me to acknowledge that she was an individual, of me but not me. We were connected but we were also separate. I was there to love her, but I could not control everything for her. All I could do was my best, and trust that that was enough. Becoming a mom has changed my identity. It has changed my relationships, friendships, job, finances and availability of time. Some relationships have deepened, maturing like fine wine, and others have fallen to the wayside. In the climate of this change, there is one constant factor. The unconditional love that mother feels for her child, the metta heart. The metta heart gives me the steadiness to go on. We get through the difficult times, inevitably. What metta does is touch this heart in a deep way so that we get through them with compassion and kindness. And in doing so, our practice becomes our life, every moment, every day. We come home.
If you're interested in learning more about metta, check out Thanissaro Bhikkhu's "I Want to Be… Loving" in our July 2012 magazine. Together with our friend, author Lodro Rinzler, the Shambhala Sun has been sharing selections from Shambhala Publications' Under 35 Project, which gathers original writings from younger Buddhist practitioners. Click here to read our previous Under 35 Project posts. And for more from the Under 35 Project, check out the project's website, and click here to submit your own writing. Gongyo 
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Via NobelPrize.org: "Aung San Suu Kyi, awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights, is finally coming to Oslo, Norway, to deliver her Nobel Lecture. [...] Suu Kyi was under house arrest and unable to collect the award in Norway 1991. The Nobel Lecture will be delivered on Saturday 16 June 2012, at 1.00 p.m." Watch the lecture live at 
The drama company Rangapath of which he is the music director is the producer of a unique stage play entitled Thathagatha, based on Buddha's life.
<< The Vietnam Mahaprajapati Gotami Nunnery in Vaishali
Our annual all-teachings issue
The death toll in the unrest since has risen to 21. Myanmar is sending troops to the region. Rohingyas are fleeing their villages for Bangladesh, which has rushed its own troops to the border. Yesterday, the Bangladeshi border authorities sent back three boats full of civilian Rohingyas fleeing conflict.
Here's the latest piece from the Under 35 Project, by Subha Srinivasan.| You are subscribed to email updates from BuddhaRocks ☸ Buddhist To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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