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The heads of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the Central Tibetan Administration's Department of Religion and Culture in Dharamsala rejected a regulation imposed by the Chinese Government that aimed at undermining Tibet's traditional Buddhist culture.
The State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) of the People's Republic of China, issued a circular called the 'Regulation on the administration of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries or Order No 8', which would come into effect by November 1.
The order clearly states that any overseas individual or organisation, which means the Dalai Lama's set-up, must not control Tibetan Buddhist temple affairs.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday here, Minister of the Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Tsering Phuntsok, said the new regulation is in total violation of the provisions of the Chinese Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religious belief for citizens of the People's Republic of China.
Phuntsok added that the new regulation has been designed to snap any possible links between Tibet-based monks and the Dalai Lama.
"Though China is a Communist country they have shown their political view on religious issues. They want to bring an end to the teaching sessions about our religion given by the Dalai Lama and top leaders of Tibetan communities," he added.
"They want the people and monks of all the monasteries and temples in China to be followers of Communism. So, we are protesting this regulation imposed by the Chinese government and have a press conference for it," he said
Phuntsok added that this regulation is also a means employed by the Chinese government to not only destroy the tradition and study of Tibetan Buddhism, but also uproot the monastic institutions and the transmission of Buddhist teachings in these centers of learning.
An estimated 80,000 Tibetans along with the Dalai Lama arrived in India in 1959 after an unsuccessful uprising against Chinese rule. By Akhilesh Bharati (ANI)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tibetan Monk Talks Smack on China
Dharamshala: Ven. Tsering Phunstok, minister of the Department of Religion and Culture, held a press conference in Dharamshala today (27th October), to emphasize his objection to the regulations by Chinese officials regarding religious practice in Tibet.
The statement came in reaction to the State Administration of Religious Affairs of the People's Republic of China who on the 30th September 2010 issued "a regulation on the administration of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries." The regulation relates to the how China will manage the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.
Tsering recounted the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which states that "Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination," calling the recent regulation "proof of the fact that the citizens of the People's Republic of China do not have religious freedom and that the country is ruled by man and not by law."
He continued by saying "The religious heads and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole are, currently, living outside Tibet. Hence, the lineage of the sacred Buddhist teachings and initiations can be said to be existing in the exile Tibetan community."
He added that "this regulation is an evil design on the part of the Chinese government to obstruct the Buddhist teaching and its sacred transmissions inside Tibet and makes it extremely difficult for the monastic institutions to undertake important religious activities. This is also a means employed by the Chinese government to not only destroy the tradition and study of Tibetan Buddhism but also uproot the monastic institutions and the transmission of Buddhist teachings in these centers of learning by diluting the spiritual bond between teacher and pupil."
He concluded his statement with a clear message to the Chinese officials, saying that they repudiate "this injunction of the Chinese government" and "express our strong opposition to it."
The statement came in reaction to the State Administration of Religious Affairs of the People's Republic of China who on the 30th September 2010 issued "a regulation on the administration of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries." The regulation relates to the how China will manage the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.
Tsering recounted the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which states that "Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination," calling the recent regulation "proof of the fact that the citizens of the People's Republic of China do not have religious freedom and that the country is ruled by man and not by law."
He continued by saying "The religious heads and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole are, currently, living outside Tibet. Hence, the lineage of the sacred Buddhist teachings and initiations can be said to be existing in the exile Tibetan community."
He added that "this regulation is an evil design on the part of the Chinese government to obstruct the Buddhist teaching and its sacred transmissions inside Tibet and makes it extremely difficult for the monastic institutions to undertake important religious activities. This is also a means employed by the Chinese government to not only destroy the tradition and study of Tibetan Buddhism but also uproot the monastic institutions and the transmission of Buddhist teachings in these centers of learning by diluting the spiritual bond between teacher and pupil."
He concluded his statement with a clear message to the Chinese officials, saying that they repudiate "this injunction of the Chinese government" and "express our strong opposition to it."
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Disaster Talks
Religious representatives debated Monday night whether modern day disasters are a divine punishment or natural occurrence at the fifth annual World Religions Conference at Red Deer College.
None of the men of various faiths — Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, aboriginal spirituality or Judaism — solely credited a greater being for these acts.
Islam representative Ataul Wahid LaHay was in fact the only speaker to say some calamities can be attributed to the hand of a higher power, as noted in the Qur’an.
“Islam does not believe that each and every accident of nature, disaster, upheaval or change for the worse is a reflection of divine punishment or chastisement,” the member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’ said to the roughly 350 people in attendance.
“Nor is every divine punishment obtained by means of a natural disaster.”
LaHay explained that destructive mayhem is considered divine punishment if the event is foretold, made conditional, spares believers and annihilates evil ideologies.
Christianity representative Paul Vallee, a pastor, argued that God cannot complete evil acts that are not consistent with His good nature and therefore cannot be held accountable for disasters that range from floods to famines.
“It’s humanity sins that brings disasters into the world,” he said, then questioning why God does not stop such tumultuous events.
“God himself, he does utilize all these things in our lives to direct us back to him.”
Lyle W. Keewatin Richards, who spoke of aboriginal spirituality, agreed that world disasters are being created by humans who are not leading a balanced life.
“We are at a place where we’re taking far more than we’re giving back,” said the man born of a Cree mother. “We are changing this planet irrevocably. Whether or not it’s a natural disaster or whether it’s divine intervention, it’s irrelevant.”
Zvi Andrews Pardes, a masters student in religious studies, said Judaism does not ponder that which creates turmoil and instead focuses on a response to such events.
“There is an idea that suffering is reparative, that suffering has a role to play in your life,” he said. “A life with no suffering would involve no growing.”
Only Pliny Hayes, a practicing Buddhist for the past 30 years, denounced that natural disasters could be created by a divine being.
He relied on science to explain earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, adding that Buddhists don’t believe in God (the Buddha, a human, was the “awakened one,” he said).
“These world calamities, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, are perfectly predictable in time and space,” Hayes said. “They’re predictable because they’re caused by natural phenomena. The main point is what can we do, all of us, to help the people who are suffering?”
The World Religions Conference, held at the Arts Centre Mainstage at RDC, provides speakers the opportunity to discuss a topic in an attempt to dismiss any religious misunderstandings as well as to explore any similarities shared by different faiths.
None of the men of various faiths — Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, aboriginal spirituality or Judaism — solely credited a greater being for these acts.
Islam representative Ataul Wahid LaHay was in fact the only speaker to say some calamities can be attributed to the hand of a higher power, as noted in the Qur’an.
“Islam does not believe that each and every accident of nature, disaster, upheaval or change for the worse is a reflection of divine punishment or chastisement,” the member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’ said to the roughly 350 people in attendance.
“Nor is every divine punishment obtained by means of a natural disaster.”
LaHay explained that destructive mayhem is considered divine punishment if the event is foretold, made conditional, spares believers and annihilates evil ideologies.
Christianity representative Paul Vallee, a pastor, argued that God cannot complete evil acts that are not consistent with His good nature and therefore cannot be held accountable for disasters that range from floods to famines.
“It’s humanity sins that brings disasters into the world,” he said, then questioning why God does not stop such tumultuous events.
“God himself, he does utilize all these things in our lives to direct us back to him.”
Lyle W. Keewatin Richards, who spoke of aboriginal spirituality, agreed that world disasters are being created by humans who are not leading a balanced life.
“We are at a place where we’re taking far more than we’re giving back,” said the man born of a Cree mother. “We are changing this planet irrevocably. Whether or not it’s a natural disaster or whether it’s divine intervention, it’s irrelevant.”
Zvi Andrews Pardes, a masters student in religious studies, said Judaism does not ponder that which creates turmoil and instead focuses on a response to such events.
“There is an idea that suffering is reparative, that suffering has a role to play in your life,” he said. “A life with no suffering would involve no growing.”
Only Pliny Hayes, a practicing Buddhist for the past 30 years, denounced that natural disasters could be created by a divine being.
He relied on science to explain earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, adding that Buddhists don’t believe in God (the Buddha, a human, was the “awakened one,” he said).
“These world calamities, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, are perfectly predictable in time and space,” Hayes said. “They’re predictable because they’re caused by natural phenomena. The main point is what can we do, all of us, to help the people who are suffering?”
The World Religions Conference, held at the Arts Centre Mainstage at RDC, provides speakers the opportunity to discuss a topic in an attempt to dismiss any religious misunderstandings as well as to explore any similarities shared by different faiths.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Lama Talking Again
On the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 21, I was lucky enough to see the 14th Dalai Lama speak in Ox- ford, Ohio. And let me tell you, it did not turn out exactly how I expected.
A couple months ago, my friend Elizabeth, who attends Miami University, called me and asked if I would like to go with her to the Dalai Lama's speech when he would be in Oxford. I was incredibly excited for this opportunity, and was honored that Elizabeth would ask me to go with her. I don't have any sort of personal ties to Buddhism or His Holiness, but Elizabeth and I are both journalism majors and on the staff for publications at our respective universities, so we were definitely giddy to see such an important figure speak.
The Dalai Lama is the most influential and revered individual in Tibetan Buddhism. Members of Tibetan Buddhism believe that the Dalai Lamas are reincarnations of one another, and the cur- rent one was chosen for his position at the age of two. His life has been spent preaching the message of peace around the world, and as a 75-year-old man, he has certainly been a prominent member of pop culture for a long time.
I drove down to Oxford Thursday to see his speech, and Elizabeth and I were positively elated, exchanging several Facebook wall-to-walls and texts about our excitement. We fought the traffic to get to Miami's basketball arena, where the Dalai Lama would be speaking to 10,000 plus people. After making our way through airport-esque security, we found our floor seats and waited for the speech to start.
The first thing that surprised me was the lack of formality at the event. The president of Miami University gave a relatively short introduction before giving the stage over to the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness was dressed in traditional Tibetan Buddhist robes, but had also donned a red Miami visor for the occasion as well. He sat on a couch on the stage, explaining to the audience that he was a little too tired to stand for the entire hour-and-a- half speech, and asked for permission to rest his feet. His query was greeted with applause, which he chuckled at.
The Dalai Lama's speech was entitled "Ethics in a Modern World," but his talk was largely spontaneous. His Holiness preached simple messages during his time in the arena, focusing mostly on kindness to one other. He said that all humans have the choice to be kind and make others happy. People require a drive to achieve that happiness, and it's mostly a mental choice. Of all the points he made, the one I found to be most important was his statement on compassion.
His Holiness said all humans require compassion, a fact that may seem obvious to some. But, many people don't realize that every other person is very much the same, from a best friend to a worst enemy. Even the Dalai Lama has the same human needs as anyone else, he said, not long before he kicked off his shoes to get more comfortable.
I was really, really eager to see the Dalai Lama, and came out of the experience fulfilled, but for a different reason than I expected.
His Holiness is an incredibly important figure in the world, but he's also just a normal guy - a cool dude I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with. He may speak to sold-out crowds and has met many world leaders, but deep down, he's just like each and every one of us. It's a message that I think people have a hard time remembering, and a tough vision to live out. But His Holiness reenergized me to attempt to live that out in my daily life and spread his message to others.
A couple months ago, my friend Elizabeth, who attends Miami University, called me and asked if I would like to go with her to the Dalai Lama's speech when he would be in Oxford. I was incredibly excited for this opportunity, and was honored that Elizabeth would ask me to go with her. I don't have any sort of personal ties to Buddhism or His Holiness, but Elizabeth and I are both journalism majors and on the staff for publications at our respective universities, so we were definitely giddy to see such an important figure speak.
The Dalai Lama is the most influential and revered individual in Tibetan Buddhism. Members of Tibetan Buddhism believe that the Dalai Lamas are reincarnations of one another, and the cur- rent one was chosen for his position at the age of two. His life has been spent preaching the message of peace around the world, and as a 75-year-old man, he has certainly been a prominent member of pop culture for a long time.
I drove down to Oxford Thursday to see his speech, and Elizabeth and I were positively elated, exchanging several Facebook wall-to-walls and texts about our excitement. We fought the traffic to get to Miami's basketball arena, where the Dalai Lama would be speaking to 10,000 plus people. After making our way through airport-esque security, we found our floor seats and waited for the speech to start.
The first thing that surprised me was the lack of formality at the event. The president of Miami University gave a relatively short introduction before giving the stage over to the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness was dressed in traditional Tibetan Buddhist robes, but had also donned a red Miami visor for the occasion as well. He sat on a couch on the stage, explaining to the audience that he was a little too tired to stand for the entire hour-and-a- half speech, and asked for permission to rest his feet. His query was greeted with applause, which he chuckled at.
The Dalai Lama's speech was entitled "Ethics in a Modern World," but his talk was largely spontaneous. His Holiness preached simple messages during his time in the arena, focusing mostly on kindness to one other. He said that all humans have the choice to be kind and make others happy. People require a drive to achieve that happiness, and it's mostly a mental choice. Of all the points he made, the one I found to be most important was his statement on compassion.
His Holiness said all humans require compassion, a fact that may seem obvious to some. But, many people don't realize that every other person is very much the same, from a best friend to a worst enemy. Even the Dalai Lama has the same human needs as anyone else, he said, not long before he kicked off his shoes to get more comfortable.
I was really, really eager to see the Dalai Lama, and came out of the experience fulfilled, but for a different reason than I expected.
His Holiness is an incredibly important figure in the world, but he's also just a normal guy - a cool dude I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with. He may speak to sold-out crowds and has met many world leaders, but deep down, he's just like each and every one of us. It's a message that I think people have a hard time remembering, and a tough vision to live out. But His Holiness reenergized me to attempt to live that out in my daily life and spread his message to others.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
New Buddhist Library in India
CHANDIGARH: The Beant Singh Memorial and Chandigarh Centre for Performing and Visual Arts has decided to set up a library having books in digital and physical forms. The library would have books related to religions including Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Confucianism. Books on Indian folklore, history of different countries, Indian epics, biographies of Indian personalities, on world wars and on religious and cultural movements in India and the rest of the world would also be housed there.
Stating this, centre director NPS Randhawa revealed it has also been decided to purchase publications of universities and state governments. 'The Punjab digital library has been entrusted with the job of setting up a digital library at Beant Singh Memorial and Chandigarh Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. The library software has been installed on 20 computers. A presentation given on Tuesday related to digitization of books and its benefits in the 21st century as every library endeavours to offer the readers the best,' said Randhawa.
At a meeting in this connection under chairmanship of adviser to UT administrator Pradip Mehra on Tuesday, it was decided that a special committee would visit the upcoming Delhi Book Fair between December 27 and January 2 to shortlist the books to be purchased.
It was further decided that a membership campaign for the lib
Stating this, centre director NPS Randhawa revealed it has also been decided to purchase publications of universities and state governments. 'The Punjab digital library has been entrusted with the job of setting up a digital library at Beant Singh Memorial and Chandigarh Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. The library software has been installed on 20 computers. A presentation given on Tuesday related to digitization of books and its benefits in the 21st century as every library endeavours to offer the readers the best,' said Randhawa.
At a meeting in this connection under chairmanship of adviser to UT administrator Pradip Mehra on Tuesday, it was decided that a special committee would visit the upcoming Delhi Book Fair between December 27 and January 2 to shortlist the books to be purchased.
It was further decided that a membership campaign for the lib
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Texas Science of Mind
“If you are happy with your life the way that it is now, great; keep thinking and doing what you have been thinking and doing to get the results that you have now! However, if you want to change your life, any part of your life, you must change what you think and then do what your new thoughts lead you to do,” says Sr. Minister Rev. Lee Wolak.
Rev. Wolak is the founding minister of the Agape Center for Spiritual Living (www.VisitAgapeNow.com) based in Plano, TX, a northern suburb of Dallas, Texas.
Wolak said: “The founder of Religious Science, Dr. Ernest Holmes, never intended to start a church or a religion. He really did understand how controversial any type of religion can be. He wrote “The Science of Mind” as a text book which he used along with many of his other books, to build a series of lectures that were attended by thousands of people. Dr. Holmes required that the ideas and practices of how to cause your life to improve, be kept simple and removed from religious conflicts.”
It was more important to Ernest Holmes to help one person to demonstrate abundance, peace, health, wealth, happiness, and prosperity, than to have one million people praise him personally.
His writings have been quoted by almost every inspirational speaker worldwide, many of whom don’t even know it. The Science of Mind teaches a five step positive or affirmative prayer. ”Once you learn how to use these New Thought tools to build a new mindset, you start to notice that your life improves really fast. This applies to both your personal and business lives.”
These New Thought principles and practices are alive and well and available to anyone who wants to see, hear or to experience them, every Sunday at the Agape Center for Spiritual Living. To find the map to the Agape center, visit: http://tinyurl.com/AgapeMap or call 972-302-9907.
Wikipedia, the largest and most widely recognized online encyclopedia in the world, said of Dr. Ernest Holmes: “His influence beyond New Thought can be seen in the Self-Help movement.”
Rev. Lee Wolak is the featured presenter on several professionally produced free web videos where he expresses the New Thought, Science of Mind message. To find access to this free resource, visit: http://tinyurl.com/RevLeeWolak
Rev. Wolak is the founding minister of the Agape Center for Spiritual Living (www.VisitAgapeNow.com) based in Plano, TX, a northern suburb of Dallas, Texas.
Wolak said: “The founder of Religious Science, Dr. Ernest Holmes, never intended to start a church or a religion. He really did understand how controversial any type of religion can be. He wrote “The Science of Mind” as a text book which he used along with many of his other books, to build a series of lectures that were attended by thousands of people. Dr. Holmes required that the ideas and practices of how to cause your life to improve, be kept simple and removed from religious conflicts.”
It was more important to Ernest Holmes to help one person to demonstrate abundance, peace, health, wealth, happiness, and prosperity, than to have one million people praise him personally.
His writings have been quoted by almost every inspirational speaker worldwide, many of whom don’t even know it. The Science of Mind teaches a five step positive or affirmative prayer. ”Once you learn how to use these New Thought tools to build a new mindset, you start to notice that your life improves really fast. This applies to both your personal and business lives.”
These New Thought principles and practices are alive and well and available to anyone who wants to see, hear or to experience them, every Sunday at the Agape Center for Spiritual Living. To find the map to the Agape center, visit: http://tinyurl.com/AgapeMap or call 972-302-9907.
Wikipedia, the largest and most widely recognized online encyclopedia in the world, said of Dr. Ernest Holmes: “His influence beyond New Thought can be seen in the Self-Help movement.”
Rev. Lee Wolak is the featured presenter on several professionally produced free web videos where he expresses the New Thought, Science of Mind message. To find access to this free resource, visit: http://tinyurl.com/RevLeeWolak
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tibetan Rugs at the Met
Rugs and Ritual in Tibetan Buddhism, an installation dedicated to ritual practice in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, explores the role of the ritual objects that were employed by its practitioners in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Comprising 30 tantric ritual rugs and utensils-including knives, vessel, fire-offering ladles, ritual staff, daggers, offering table-the installation illustrates an esoteric Buddhism that flourished in Tibet from its beginnings in the eighth century through to the 20th century. While many of the objects on view-depicting gruesome images such as exposed brains in skull cups and flayed human skins-may be shocking to those unfamiliar with the meaning and purpose of Tibetan religious art, the deployment of these objects celebrates the power of detachment from the corporeal body that advanced Buddhist practitioners strive to attain. The installation features Tibetan rugs and ritual utensils from the collection of Anthony d'Offay, London, together with New York-based loans and works from the Museum's own collection.
Vajrayana ('Diamond Vehicle') refers to the advanced school of Mahayana Buddhism practiced in Tibet. Vajrayana has, at its core, the pursuit of higher spiritual awareness and ultimate enlightenment through the study and mastery of ritual activities, whose purpose is to remove obstacles on this path. Those obstacles-ignorance, greed and delusion-hindering spiritual advancement are characterized as the "three poisons"; much of the ritual enactment is devoted to quelling the negative passions. Works on view includes a personified ritual dagger, Phurba Emanation of Padmasambhava as Guru Dragmar, which was used to slay these passions in an exorcism-type performance.
The installation includes colorful rugs and a rich assortment of ritual paraphernalia. Highlights are two large cloth paintings of the late 16th century depicting wrathful protective deities-such fearsome imagery was displayed in a Tibetan monastery's chapel dedicated to the wrathful protective deities, in a room reserved for tantric initiation rites. Mahakala-an emanation of transcendental Buddha Akshobhya, and the principal destroyer of the corporeal bonds tying human to material and physical existence-is represented in both tangka paintings and sculptures, along with an extraordinary sculpture of a wild ascetic, probably a mahasidda, one of the advanced yogic practitioners revered in Tibetan Buddhism. He drinks from a skull cup, celebrating his detachment from bodily concerns.
Rugs and Ritual in Tibetan Buddhism is organized by John Guy, Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art in the Metropolitan Museum's Department of Asian Art.
In conjunction with the installation, gallery talks led by John Guy will be offered on November 3, December 13, and January 26. He will also narrate a podcast episode related to the installation that will be available online at www.metmuseum.org/podcast.
The installation is featured on the Museum's website at www.metmuseum.org.
Vajrayana ('Diamond Vehicle') refers to the advanced school of Mahayana Buddhism practiced in Tibet. Vajrayana has, at its core, the pursuit of higher spiritual awareness and ultimate enlightenment through the study and mastery of ritual activities, whose purpose is to remove obstacles on this path. Those obstacles-ignorance, greed and delusion-hindering spiritual advancement are characterized as the "three poisons"; much of the ritual enactment is devoted to quelling the negative passions. Works on view includes a personified ritual dagger, Phurba Emanation of Padmasambhava as Guru Dragmar, which was used to slay these passions in an exorcism-type performance.
The installation includes colorful rugs and a rich assortment of ritual paraphernalia. Highlights are two large cloth paintings of the late 16th century depicting wrathful protective deities-such fearsome imagery was displayed in a Tibetan monastery's chapel dedicated to the wrathful protective deities, in a room reserved for tantric initiation rites. Mahakala-an emanation of transcendental Buddha Akshobhya, and the principal destroyer of the corporeal bonds tying human to material and physical existence-is represented in both tangka paintings and sculptures, along with an extraordinary sculpture of a wild ascetic, probably a mahasidda, one of the advanced yogic practitioners revered in Tibetan Buddhism. He drinks from a skull cup, celebrating his detachment from bodily concerns.
Rugs and Ritual in Tibetan Buddhism is organized by John Guy, Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art in the Metropolitan Museum's Department of Asian Art.
In conjunction with the installation, gallery talks led by John Guy will be offered on November 3, December 13, and January 26. He will also narrate a podcast episode related to the installation that will be available online at www.metmuseum.org/podcast.
The installation is featured on the Museum's website at www.metmuseum.org.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
5,000 Gather to Pray in India
KANPUR: On a day when the country was busy burning the effigies of demon king, the villagers of nondescript Pukhrayan village in Ramabai Nagar had gathered to worship Ravana and to embrace Buddhism on the occasion of Dussehra or Vijaya Dashmi on Sunday.
Over 5,000 dalits embraced Buddhism in the presence of 12 Buddhist monks during Ambedkar Baudh Deeksha ceremony held at the Krishi Mandi Samiti `maidan' in Pukhrayan, 70-km from the city. In addition to the converts, several thousand other persons came to witness the ceremony. The converts were mostly from Allabahad, Hardoi, Azamgarh, Auraiyya, Kannauj, Unnao, Agra, Firozabad and rural pockets like Bhognipur, Akbarpur, Rura, Derapur, Sikandara and Shivli villages of Kanpur Dehat.
Before taking the oath, they took out a long procession. A man seated on a chariot and depicting Ravana's character was hailed by them. They showered flowers and threw colours on the procession.
Later, Bhante Angulmal, a Buddhist monk, along with many other monks delivered a sermon and made people take oath to follow principles of the Buddhist religion with utmost dedication.
"From today onwards, we would only abide by the principles of Lord Buddha," said middle-aged Ram Vilas Sachan, who had travelled all the way from Fatehpur to attend the ceremony in Pukhranya.
Dhani Rao Baudh Panther, president, Bharatiya Dalit Panther party, who has been conducting the annual ceremony against the discrimination in the society, said: "We believe that Ravana was a `Dravidian' king of `Gond' tribe and a learned person, well-versed in the vedas. We have been organising this Baudh Deekhsha ceremony every year so that the future generation can remember his (Ravana) sacrifice and continue the tradition."
Retired IAS Chandrapal Arun, former vice-chancellor, Jhansi University, Anil Kumar and deputy general manager, enforcement, Base Yamuna Power limited, Ramesh Chandra were present on the occasion.
Over 5,000 dalits embraced Buddhism in the presence of 12 Buddhist monks during Ambedkar Baudh Deeksha ceremony held at the Krishi Mandi Samiti `maidan' in Pukhrayan, 70-km from the city. In addition to the converts, several thousand other persons came to witness the ceremony. The converts were mostly from Allabahad, Hardoi, Azamgarh, Auraiyya, Kannauj, Unnao, Agra, Firozabad and rural pockets like Bhognipur, Akbarpur, Rura, Derapur, Sikandara and Shivli villages of Kanpur Dehat.
Before taking the oath, they took out a long procession. A man seated on a chariot and depicting Ravana's character was hailed by them. They showered flowers and threw colours on the procession.
Later, Bhante Angulmal, a Buddhist monk, along with many other monks delivered a sermon and made people take oath to follow principles of the Buddhist religion with utmost dedication.
"From today onwards, we would only abide by the principles of Lord Buddha," said middle-aged Ram Vilas Sachan, who had travelled all the way from Fatehpur to attend the ceremony in Pukhranya.
Dhani Rao Baudh Panther, president, Bharatiya Dalit Panther party, who has been conducting the annual ceremony against the discrimination in the society, said: "We believe that Ravana was a `Dravidian' king of `Gond' tribe and a learned person, well-versed in the vedas. We have been organising this Baudh Deekhsha ceremony every year so that the future generation can remember his (Ravana) sacrifice and continue the tradition."
Retired IAS Chandrapal Arun, former vice-chancellor, Jhansi University, Anil Kumar and deputy general manager, enforcement, Base Yamuna Power limited, Ramesh Chandra were present on the occasion.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Dalai Lama to Speak to H.S. Students in England
OXFORD — Select students at Talawanda High School will attend the address by the 14th Dalai Lama at Miami University on Thursday, thanks to a close partnership between the two schools.
Seniors Lexie Withrow, Christina Lindner, Morgan Cox, Josh Owens and Dylon Kalous said they are anxious to learn more about the exiled leader of Tibet during his sold-out lecture “Ethics in a Modern World.”
“I’m hoping he’ll explain about himself and the history of what he does,” Withrow said. “I’m also excited for the question and answer session. It’s cool that he’s interested in what we think.”
“I’m really interested in Buddhism, so I hope I’ll get more insight about it,” Lindner said. “I also think it’ll be just a really cool experience in general, especially to see someone that esteemed.”
Cox said a lot of people could be inspired by His Holiness.
“I’d also like to learn more about Buddhism, and I have never seen anyone that’s as big of a historical icon, either,” she said.
Owens and Kalous said they don’t know much about His Holiness.
“I hope he’ll come explain about himself and tell what he’s trying to do ... but whatever he talks about really will be a cool experience,” Owens said.
Miami has listed prohibited items and other important information about attending the public address online at muohio.edu/dalai-lama.
Free tickets may still be available to view the lecture by video from other locations on Miami’s campus. For more information, visit tickets.muohio.edu.
Seniors Lexie Withrow, Christina Lindner, Morgan Cox, Josh Owens and Dylon Kalous said they are anxious to learn more about the exiled leader of Tibet during his sold-out lecture “Ethics in a Modern World.”
“I’m hoping he’ll explain about himself and the history of what he does,” Withrow said. “I’m also excited for the question and answer session. It’s cool that he’s interested in what we think.”
“I’m really interested in Buddhism, so I hope I’ll get more insight about it,” Lindner said. “I also think it’ll be just a really cool experience in general, especially to see someone that esteemed.”
Cox said a lot of people could be inspired by His Holiness.
“I’d also like to learn more about Buddhism, and I have never seen anyone that’s as big of a historical icon, either,” she said.
Owens and Kalous said they don’t know much about His Holiness.
“I hope he’ll come explain about himself and tell what he’s trying to do ... but whatever he talks about really will be a cool experience,” Owens said.
Miami has listed prohibited items and other important information about attending the public address online at muohio.edu/dalai-lama.
Free tickets may still be available to view the lecture by video from other locations on Miami’s campus. For more information, visit tickets.muohio.edu.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Budda Relics to Massachusetts
WORCESTER — The life story and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama — a wealthy prince born in northern India sometime between the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. — laid the foundations for the establishment of Buddhism, the world’s fourth largest religion.
After his death, Gautama, who’s revered as the historical Buddha, was cremated.
This weekend, hundreds are expected to visit Worcester to view a precious collection of about 1,000 sacred Buddhist relics, which include pearl-like crystals that were reputedly found among the former royal’s remains.
“We are very happy that the relics are here,” said the Venerable Thich Tri Hoa, the abbess of Linh Son Temple on Ruthven Avenue, where the historical objects will be displayed.
The exhibition will open at 6 p.m. today with a blessing ceremony. During the ritual, the relics will be placed on the crown of the participants’ heads.
The public is also invited to view the relics from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The collection, which will be permanently displayed in a shrine now under construction in Kushinagar, India, is visiting a number of sites around the globe.
It also includes relics of Maudgalyayana, Sariputra, and Ananda, the Buddha’s closest disciples, as well as the remains of spiritual masters from many Buddhist traditions.
Visitors reportedly experience inspiration and healing when in the presence of the relics. Many Buddhists believe the relics embody the Buddha masters’ spiritual compassion and wisdom, and are produced by the masters themselves at their deaths.
“The relics touch and open hearts,” said Jeff Bailey, who is associated with the temple. “The exhibit’s goal is to promote love and kindness.”
The collection also includes a life-size statue of the Maitreya, who according to Buddhist scriptures, will be the next Buddha.
Maitreya is expected to bestow teachings, which will bring love and kindness to the world.
“The arrival of Maitreya is similar to Christ’s second coming in Christian tradition,” explained Mr. Bailey.
He said it’s never been scientifically proven that the remains are of the historical Buddha or of his dearest followers.
“The question has been lost in antiquity. Most Buddhists believe but nobody knows for sure,” he said. “In reality, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is the reason for the visit — to spread love and understanding.”
The Venerable Man Shing said the timing of the visit is important, given all the uncertainties Americans are facing.
She noted that many are out of work and have lost their homes and ways of life.
“Uncertainty is everywhere. Faith in our social institutions is faltering,” said the Venerable Man Shing. “With this social malaise beginning to manifest in an insidious way, it is our hope that these relics and our heartfelt prayers will bring some relief, comfort, inspiration, and life transforming processes in people’s hearts.”
The Venerable Tri Hoa said she expects Buddhists from all over New England to visit. She said the collection’s only other regional stop is Hartford.
The tour is organized by officials with the Maitreya Project, who are constructing the complex in Kushinagar.
In addition to building a religious facility, project officials are also constructing space from which workers will provide spiritual, educational and health care services to residents of that area, considered one of the poorest in India.
They’re also hoping to improve the area’s infrastructure, as well as helping individuals find work.
The temple earlier this year hosted the visit of a $5 million, four-ton translucent jade statue of the Buddha. Officials said that thousands attended that weekend event.
After his death, Gautama, who’s revered as the historical Buddha, was cremated.
This weekend, hundreds are expected to visit Worcester to view a precious collection of about 1,000 sacred Buddhist relics, which include pearl-like crystals that were reputedly found among the former royal’s remains.
“We are very happy that the relics are here,” said the Venerable Thich Tri Hoa, the abbess of Linh Son Temple on Ruthven Avenue, where the historical objects will be displayed.
The exhibition will open at 6 p.m. today with a blessing ceremony. During the ritual, the relics will be placed on the crown of the participants’ heads.
The public is also invited to view the relics from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The collection, which will be permanently displayed in a shrine now under construction in Kushinagar, India, is visiting a number of sites around the globe.
It also includes relics of Maudgalyayana, Sariputra, and Ananda, the Buddha’s closest disciples, as well as the remains of spiritual masters from many Buddhist traditions.
Visitors reportedly experience inspiration and healing when in the presence of the relics. Many Buddhists believe the relics embody the Buddha masters’ spiritual compassion and wisdom, and are produced by the masters themselves at their deaths.
“The relics touch and open hearts,” said Jeff Bailey, who is associated with the temple. “The exhibit’s goal is to promote love and kindness.”
The collection also includes a life-size statue of the Maitreya, who according to Buddhist scriptures, will be the next Buddha.
Maitreya is expected to bestow teachings, which will bring love and kindness to the world.
“The arrival of Maitreya is similar to Christ’s second coming in Christian tradition,” explained Mr. Bailey.
He said it’s never been scientifically proven that the remains are of the historical Buddha or of his dearest followers.
“The question has been lost in antiquity. Most Buddhists believe but nobody knows for sure,” he said. “In reality, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is the reason for the visit — to spread love and understanding.”
The Venerable Man Shing said the timing of the visit is important, given all the uncertainties Americans are facing.
She noted that many are out of work and have lost their homes and ways of life.
“Uncertainty is everywhere. Faith in our social institutions is faltering,” said the Venerable Man Shing. “With this social malaise beginning to manifest in an insidious way, it is our hope that these relics and our heartfelt prayers will bring some relief, comfort, inspiration, and life transforming processes in people’s hearts.”
The Venerable Tri Hoa said she expects Buddhists from all over New England to visit. She said the collection’s only other regional stop is Hartford.
The tour is organized by officials with the Maitreya Project, who are constructing the complex in Kushinagar.
In addition to building a religious facility, project officials are also constructing space from which workers will provide spiritual, educational and health care services to residents of that area, considered one of the poorest in India.
They’re also hoping to improve the area’s infrastructure, as well as helping individuals find work.
The temple earlier this year hosted the visit of a $5 million, four-ton translucent jade statue of the Buddha. Officials said that thousands attended that weekend event.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Meditation Party in India
On Wednesday afternoon, at Pattaya City Hall, the Advisor to the Mayor- Mr. Bandit Siritanyong commenced a meeting attended by the representatives of relevant government and private sectors, to gather ideas for a Buddhism Ceremony focused on meditation, to lift up the spiritual level of people in the city.
This meeting was held in cooperation with the “Satien Tamma Satarn”, a well-known Buddhist center in Bangkok, represented by its founder- the famous Buddhist Thai nun “Mae Chee Sansanee”. Other participants were the “Sut Tang Rak Restaurant” located on Jomtien Beach, represented by Mr. Daeng, and Pattaya City Hall. The group is seeking a way to combine Buddhism with Safety Security Procedures, to help decrease the numbers of criminals in the city by sending them to be trained in the Buddha’s Dhamma, to help bring peace in the community. The teachings will be at the Alcazar Hall, aided by the Pattaya Police, who will bring prostitutes from the North Pattaya areas to attend the teachings. After the preaching and training program in the morning, all are invited to a dinner treat in the evening at the “ Alangkarn Entertainment Hall” on Sukhumvit road, in the Huay Yai district.
This meeting was held in cooperation with the “Satien Tamma Satarn”, a well-known Buddhist center in Bangkok, represented by its founder- the famous Buddhist Thai nun “Mae Chee Sansanee”. Other participants were the “Sut Tang Rak Restaurant” located on Jomtien Beach, represented by Mr. Daeng, and Pattaya City Hall. The group is seeking a way to combine Buddhism with Safety Security Procedures, to help decrease the numbers of criminals in the city by sending them to be trained in the Buddha’s Dhamma, to help bring peace in the community. The teachings will be at the Alcazar Hall, aided by the Pattaya Police, who will bring prostitutes from the North Pattaya areas to attend the teachings. After the preaching and training program in the morning, all are invited to a dinner treat in the evening at the “ Alangkarn Entertainment Hall” on Sukhumvit road, in the Huay Yai district.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Hindu and Christian to Dialogue
Renowned Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has welcomed hosting of dialogue by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams with five Hindu swamis (ascetics) in Bangalore (India) on October 20, "to engage in discussions for mutual understanding".
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. Religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience, Zed stressed.
Rajan Zed further says that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. The dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.
To be held at Whitefield Ecumenical Centre, participants besides Williams include: Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar (Hyderabad), Sugunendra Theertha (Udupi), Harshanand (Bangalore), Shivamurthy Shivachary, Paramananda Bharati (Sringeri Math), and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad (United Kingdom).
Its two sessions are titled as "Visions of the Divine" and "Social Harmony", which will be followed by public question-answer session, totaling dialogue about three and a half hours. "The Swamis and the Archbishop will discuss the social values central to their respective traditions and ask how a pluralist society can encourage and protect true freedom of belief", according to a release by Kate Wharton from Lambeth Palace in London.
Williams is visiting India from October nine to 24, travelling across Kolkata, Ranchi, Nagpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapurum. He will deliver the Chevening Lecture at New Delhi entitled "Pluralism and the Dialogue of Religions". It is his third visit to India.
Archbishop Williams is the senior bishop of the worldwide Anglicans, a Christian denomination, who number around 77 million. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. (ANI)
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. Religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience, Zed stressed.
Rajan Zed further says that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. The dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.
To be held at Whitefield Ecumenical Centre, participants besides Williams include: Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar (Hyderabad), Sugunendra Theertha (Udupi), Harshanand (Bangalore), Shivamurthy Shivachary, Paramananda Bharati (Sringeri Math), and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad (United Kingdom).
Its two sessions are titled as "Visions of the Divine" and "Social Harmony", which will be followed by public question-answer session, totaling dialogue about three and a half hours. "The Swamis and the Archbishop will discuss the social values central to their respective traditions and ask how a pluralist society can encourage and protect true freedom of belief", according to a release by Kate Wharton from Lambeth Palace in London.
Williams is visiting India from October nine to 24, travelling across Kolkata, Ranchi, Nagpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapurum. He will deliver the Chevening Lecture at New Delhi entitled "Pluralism and the Dialogue of Religions". It is his third visit to India.
Archbishop Williams is the senior bishop of the worldwide Anglicans, a Christian denomination, who number around 77 million. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. (ANI)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sri Lanka and Buddhism Intertwined
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that the country faces the biggest challenge of protecting cultural values and virtues in the face of western culture and attitudes seeping into society.
He said that Theravadhi Buddhism which was protected and promoted by members of the Magasangha throughout the history of 2,500 years is the biggest gift that Sri Lanka can give to the world. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking at the 200th anniversary of Rankoth Viharaya in Panadura.
The Rankoth Viharaya, Panadura was established on October 10, 1810 by Batapola Kalyanathissa Nayake Thera on the directive of Most Ven Sri Kathaluwe Gunarathana Nayake Thera for the promotion of Buddhism and Buddhist education in the country.
Most Ven Sri Kathaluwe Gunarathana Nayake Thera established the Amarapura Chapter in the country and he was the first Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya.
The Temple played a pivotal role in effecting a Buddhist revival in the country and the world at large by creating the background for the Great Panadura Debate.
Various scholars of the calibre of Sir Henry Olcott arrived in Sri Lanka in search of Buddhist teachings after this debate which took place between the Buddhist and Christian clergy in a land adjacent to the temple.
Speaking on the occasion, President Rajapaksa lauded the indelible services rendered by the Rankoth Viharaya to Buddhists and the country at large.
He said society undergoes various tragedies from time to time and whenever the society faces a threat, the Maha Sangha came to the fore to the rescue of the people.
The President added that children who were born and bred in religious background can avoid elements that can distract them from studies. He added that technological developments such as the Internet has good and bad aspects that children living in a religious background can identify easily.
President Rajapaksa said the country enjoys the fruits of freedom.
“Parents no longer feel afraid to let their children go by bus or train. Terrorism has been totally wiped out from the country” , he added.
The President stressed that “we are faced with an enormous challenge to develop the country. He said that Sri Lankans should not be ready to go before the world with a begging bowl.
Rankoth Viharaya Viharadhipathi and Dean of Sanskrit Studies Department of the Kelaniya University Prof Kahapola Sugatharathna Thera presented two books written by him to the President on this occasion.
Former SLFP Parliamentarian for Panadura Dr Neville Fernando presented a book written by him to the President on this occasion.
External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peries who received Dhamma and Sinhala education from the Rankoth Viharaya explained how this institute was dedicated in the promotion of Buddhism in the country and the world.
The Ambassadors of China, Myanmar and representatives of the Royal Thai Embassy and Indian High Commission were also present.
He said that Theravadhi Buddhism which was protected and promoted by members of the Magasangha throughout the history of 2,500 years is the biggest gift that Sri Lanka can give to the world. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking at the 200th anniversary of Rankoth Viharaya in Panadura.
The Rankoth Viharaya, Panadura was established on October 10, 1810 by Batapola Kalyanathissa Nayake Thera on the directive of Most Ven Sri Kathaluwe Gunarathana Nayake Thera for the promotion of Buddhism and Buddhist education in the country.
Most Ven Sri Kathaluwe Gunarathana Nayake Thera established the Amarapura Chapter in the country and he was the first Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya.
The Temple played a pivotal role in effecting a Buddhist revival in the country and the world at large by creating the background for the Great Panadura Debate.
Various scholars of the calibre of Sir Henry Olcott arrived in Sri Lanka in search of Buddhist teachings after this debate which took place between the Buddhist and Christian clergy in a land adjacent to the temple.
Speaking on the occasion, President Rajapaksa lauded the indelible services rendered by the Rankoth Viharaya to Buddhists and the country at large.
He said society undergoes various tragedies from time to time and whenever the society faces a threat, the Maha Sangha came to the fore to the rescue of the people.
The President added that children who were born and bred in religious background can avoid elements that can distract them from studies. He added that technological developments such as the Internet has good and bad aspects that children living in a religious background can identify easily.
President Rajapaksa said the country enjoys the fruits of freedom.
“Parents no longer feel afraid to let their children go by bus or train. Terrorism has been totally wiped out from the country” , he added.
The President stressed that “we are faced with an enormous challenge to develop the country. He said that Sri Lankans should not be ready to go before the world with a begging bowl.
Rankoth Viharaya Viharadhipathi and Dean of Sanskrit Studies Department of the Kelaniya University Prof Kahapola Sugatharathna Thera presented two books written by him to the President on this occasion.
Former SLFP Parliamentarian for Panadura Dr Neville Fernando presented a book written by him to the President on this occasion.
External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peries who received Dhamma and Sinhala education from the Rankoth Viharaya explained how this institute was dedicated in the promotion of Buddhism in the country and the world.
The Ambassadors of China, Myanmar and representatives of the Royal Thai Embassy and Indian High Commission were also present.
Sand Mandala for New York Campus
Ven. Lama Tenzin Yignyen, an ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk and visiting professor of Tibetan Buddhism at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, will visit the Keuka College campus Oct. 18-30.
His visit is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Center for Spiritual Life.
Lama Tenzin will create a sand mandala, a cosmic diagram that represents the dwelling place or celestial mansion of a deity. According to Tebetan Buddhist history, the purpose, meaning, and techniques involved in the spiritual art of sand mandala painting were taught by Buddha Shakyamuni in the 6th century B.C.E. in India. Mandalas are created for rituals of initiation, meditation, and to purify the environment and its inhabitants.
A mandala can be visualized, painted, or constructed from wood, precious metals, rice, flowers, and other materials. Sand is considered to be a superb medium because of its composition and the great skill required to create the exquisite details characteristic of a mandala.
The artist chants before starting the mandala creation and then outlines the blueprint of the design. Next, he begins constructing the mandala, working from the center outward. He applies sand through a long metal funnel, called Chakpu.
Since sand mandalas are created “in the spirit of impermanence and non-attachment,” they are dismantled after they are completed.
Lama Tenzin will create the Mandala of Chenrezig, or mandala of compassion.
An opening ceremony is scheduled Monday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. Lama Tenzin will create the mandala Oct. 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, and 30 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily meditations will be held from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 4 p.m. The mandala dismantling and closing ceremony will be held Friday, Oct. 29 at 12:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Phillips Lounge of Dahlstrom Student Center.
Lama Tenzin has created sand mandalas for museums and educational institutions throughout the United States, including the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, Cleveland Museum of Art, Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, and Cornell University.
For more information, contact Director of Multicultural Affairs Chevanne DeVaney at 315-279-5295 or cdevaney@keuka.edu.
His visit is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Center for Spiritual Life.
Lama Tenzin will create a sand mandala, a cosmic diagram that represents the dwelling place or celestial mansion of a deity. According to Tebetan Buddhist history, the purpose, meaning, and techniques involved in the spiritual art of sand mandala painting were taught by Buddha Shakyamuni in the 6th century B.C.E. in India. Mandalas are created for rituals of initiation, meditation, and to purify the environment and its inhabitants.
A mandala can be visualized, painted, or constructed from wood, precious metals, rice, flowers, and other materials. Sand is considered to be a superb medium because of its composition and the great skill required to create the exquisite details characteristic of a mandala.
The artist chants before starting the mandala creation and then outlines the blueprint of the design. Next, he begins constructing the mandala, working from the center outward. He applies sand through a long metal funnel, called Chakpu.
Since sand mandalas are created “in the spirit of impermanence and non-attachment,” they are dismantled after they are completed.
Lama Tenzin will create the Mandala of Chenrezig, or mandala of compassion.
An opening ceremony is scheduled Monday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. Lama Tenzin will create the mandala Oct. 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, and 30 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily meditations will be held from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 4 p.m. The mandala dismantling and closing ceremony will be held Friday, Oct. 29 at 12:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Phillips Lounge of Dahlstrom Student Center.
Lama Tenzin has created sand mandalas for museums and educational institutions throughout the United States, including the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, Cleveland Museum of Art, Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, and Cornell University.
For more information, contact Director of Multicultural Affairs Chevanne DeVaney at 315-279-5295 or cdevaney@keuka.edu.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
China Tells World Stay Out of Tibetan Buddhism
The Chinese government issued a document on religious affairs on Friday which states that foreign forces are not allowed to interfere or dominate temple affairs relating to Tibetan Buddhism.
This document, called "Management Measures for Tibetan Buddhism", says that no individual or organization is permitted to utilize religion to engage in activities that undermine social order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state.
The feudal and religious priority that has been abolished and affiliation between temples must not be allowed to resume.
The document also calls for the legal rights of clergies and religious faculties to be protected.
The measures will be implemented on November 1.
This document, called "Management Measures for Tibetan Buddhism", says that no individual or organization is permitted to utilize religion to engage in activities that undermine social order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state.
The feudal and religious priority that has been abolished and affiliation between temples must not be allowed to resume.
The document also calls for the legal rights of clergies and religious faculties to be protected.
The measures will be implemented on November 1.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Buddhism, Taosim and Chinese Religion Scholars Meet in Princeton
Princeton University
Address: 5 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540
Cost: Free
Phone: 609-258-5545
Website: http://www.princeton.edu/csr/current-research/buddhist/buddhism-daoism-and-chine/
An international conference on the study of Buddhism, Daoism (Taoism), and Chinese religion. Over twenty scholars from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. will gather at Princeton University to reflect on Chinese religion, using the interactions between two of China’s oldest forms of organized religion, Buddhism and Daoism, as a starting point. Sessions, all held in Jones Hall Room 202, begin on Friday, October 8, at 4:30 pm, continue through October 9, and conclude on the morning of October 10.
The conference is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required (please contact Barbara Bermel). Rather than being read aloud at the conference, papers will be pre-distributed and then discussed at the conference. Languages of the conference are English and Chinese.
The conference, organized by Stephen F. Teiser (Princeton University) and Franciscus Verellen (École française d’Extrême-Orient), is sponsored by Princeton’s Program in East Asian Studies (The Mercer Trust), Council in the Humanities (David P. Gardner Magic Project), Center for the Study of Religion, Buddhist Studies Workshop, and the École française d’Extrême-Orient.
Contact: Barbara Bermel
Phone: 609-258-5545
Email: bbermel@princeton.edu
Sponsor(s): rinceton’s Program in East Asian Studies (The Mercer Trust), Council in the Humanities (David P. Gardner Magic Project), Center for the Study of Religion, Buddhist Studies Workshop, and the École française d’Extrême-Orient
Address: 5 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540
Cost: Free
Phone: 609-258-5545
Website: http://www.princeton.edu/csr/current-research/buddhist/buddhism-daoism-and-chine/
An international conference on the study of Buddhism, Daoism (Taoism), and Chinese religion. Over twenty scholars from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. will gather at Princeton University to reflect on Chinese religion, using the interactions between two of China’s oldest forms of organized religion, Buddhism and Daoism, as a starting point. Sessions, all held in Jones Hall Room 202, begin on Friday, October 8, at 4:30 pm, continue through October 9, and conclude on the morning of October 10.
The conference is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required (please contact Barbara Bermel). Rather than being read aloud at the conference, papers will be pre-distributed and then discussed at the conference. Languages of the conference are English and Chinese.
The conference, organized by Stephen F. Teiser (Princeton University) and Franciscus Verellen (École française d’Extrême-Orient), is sponsored by Princeton’s Program in East Asian Studies (The Mercer Trust), Council in the Humanities (David P. Gardner Magic Project), Center for the Study of Religion, Buddhist Studies Workshop, and the École française d’Extrême-Orient.
Contact: Barbara Bermel
Phone: 609-258-5545
Email: bbermel@princeton.edu
Sponsor(s): rinceton’s Program in East Asian Studies (The Mercer Trust), Council in the Humanities (David P. Gardner Magic Project), Center for the Study of Religion, Buddhist Studies Workshop, and the École française d’Extrême-Orient
Reverend Enters Stanford Whos Who
Stanford Who's Who welcomes Reverend Dr. DiAnn Johnson to the ranks of leading professionals as a result of her remarkable work in the Religious Services Industry. As Reverend for the Vermont Square United Methodist Church, as well as throughout her incredible 35 years in the ministry, Dr. Johnson has consistently demonstrated the vision, dedication and diligence necessary to be considered among the best.
The Vermont Square United Methodist Church has been around for 100 years. They recently merged with the United Methodist Church and used to be the home church of the University of South Carolina staff. The church has 5 levels and is a 735 seat sanctuary. They provide Sunday Morning worship service as well as 8 am service for recovering addicts and alcoholics. The facility also houses a basketball court and an exercise room.
Dr. Johnson is always there for the members of her church, offering counseling at any time of the day or night. She is actively involved in the community and regularly sponsors homeless food and clothing drives. During her educational career, Dr. Johnson earned a Doctorate degree in Humane Behavior from Almeda University in 2003. She is a member of the Soroptimist Organization, Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and United Methodist Women. She is also an Honorary Mason.
To view more information on Reverend Dr. DiAnn Johnson click here
About Stanford Who's Who
Stanford Who's Who empowers executives, professionals and entrepreneurs around the world. Our mission is to recognize successful individuals in multiple industries by providing a forum for networking, consulting, exposure and credibility to broadening one's future success. Realizing the power of forming business and professional relationships, we have created numerous resources that our members use for a multitude of reasons. With access to thousands of professional biographies of individuals in over 100 different industries, our members utilize our database to recruit others, to announce their career accomplishments, and for lasting, valuable relationships that extend beyond our membership program.
The Vermont Square United Methodist Church has been around for 100 years. They recently merged with the United Methodist Church and used to be the home church of the University of South Carolina staff. The church has 5 levels and is a 735 seat sanctuary. They provide Sunday Morning worship service as well as 8 am service for recovering addicts and alcoholics. The facility also houses a basketball court and an exercise room.
Dr. Johnson is always there for the members of her church, offering counseling at any time of the day or night. She is actively involved in the community and regularly sponsors homeless food and clothing drives. During her educational career, Dr. Johnson earned a Doctorate degree in Humane Behavior from Almeda University in 2003. She is a member of the Soroptimist Organization, Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and United Methodist Women. She is also an Honorary Mason.
To view more information on Reverend Dr. DiAnn Johnson click here
About Stanford Who's Who
Stanford Who's Who empowers executives, professionals and entrepreneurs around the world. Our mission is to recognize successful individuals in multiple industries by providing a forum for networking, consulting, exposure and credibility to broadening one's future success. Realizing the power of forming business and professional relationships, we have created numerous resources that our members use for a multitude of reasons. With access to thousands of professional biographies of individuals in over 100 different industries, our members utilize our database to recruit others, to announce their career accomplishments, and for lasting, valuable relationships that extend beyond our membership program.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Buddhist Comment
Stanley Koh
Popularly known as the Heavenly City, Nakhon Sawan, about 240km north of Bangkok, is a favourite midway stop for tourists heading further north to Chiengmai.
It was in Nakhon Sawan in 1978 that I had my first encounter with a ghost. I had just begun my spiritual apprenticeship as a Buddhist monk at a temple called Wat Kiriwong.
After that encounter, I had many more weird experiences through these 32 years, including the time when I was under the guidance of Taoist masters belonging to the ancient and legendary sects of the Golden Eagle School and White Lotus.
My ghostly experiences were in fact part of my spiritual training.
As a Buddhist monk, I was taught many esoteric lessons about the human spirit and the evolutionary stage at which the spirit becomes what we call a ghost. This learning has had a tremendous impact on my outlook on life.
I spent two years at Wat Kiriwong in strict discipline, following the daily monastic routine of meditation and occult studies.
Wat Kiriwong is famous for its 600-year-old pagoda, built in the 19th century. It is located at the foot of the low-lying Bawa Dung Hills, a cluster that stretches further than the eye can see.
But let us return to 1978.
I arrived in Nakhon Sawan late in the night on April 9 after a six-hour bus ride from Bangkok, where I had touched down from an afternoon flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
A week later, I realised I had fallen in love with the temple and its surroundings. The monastery’s premises stretched over more than a hundred acres of undulating land, hosting numerous buildings for worship and temple administration.
Next to a cemetery was a secluded area for meditation training, reserved for forest monks donning dark saffron robes that looked almost brown. This was where I had my residence.
Quiet and secluded, the area had eight small individual wooden huts. Each of these kuti, as the locals called them, could accommodate only one monk. It had a simple bathroom and a floor that was just wide and long enough for one to sleep on.
The huts were arranged in a circle around a large bodhi tree. Bodhi, in the Pali language, means tree of wisdom. It got the name after the historical Gautama Buddha, having attained his spiritual enlightenment, paid it his respect and gratitude for sheltering him throughout his struggle for the Truth.
The Encounter
The night of Aug 17, 1978, began like any ordinary night. I had sat in meditation with my spiritual master in his kuti, which was adjacent to mine.
The night was still and humid, and moonlight illuminated the area. It was the dry season in Nakhon Sawan, and there had been hardly any rain for days. In the distance, crickets and other insects sang in chorus.
We emerged from meditation at about 8pm. We had some tea and decided to check for small scorpions wandering around inside the master’s hut, particularly around the mattresses. We had to use a torchlight because a small light bulb was the only electrical supply available for all the huts. It was not bright enough for anyone to trace the small light brown insects known for their painful stings.
We had to put the scorpions we caught in small plastic bags and release them at a distance away from the huts since the first Buddhist precept is the prohibition of killing.
We then decided to look for scorpions inside my own hut.
I opened my kuti’s flimsy wooden door, and as I walked in with my master following, we both saw in the dimly lighted room a young woman sleeping on my mattress. She wore a long flowing dress of yellowish white.
My jaw opened wide and my whole body felt like it was rooted to the ground. My heart probably stopped a second but instantly started to race through several beats. I also lost my voice, but I darted a look of shock in the direction of my master, who stood beside me with an incredibly calm expression.
There was this instant disbelief inside me, but the woman was real and there, lying on her back with both arms resting on my pillow, which supported her head. She was probably in her early 20s and had an oval face and a look of calmness about her.
She vanished out of sight moments later, but stayed long enough for us to know that our eyes were not playing tricks on us.
Her body floated with ease and flew out through the window of the hut.
As I stood there frozen with my feet unwilling to move despite signals from my brain, my master smiled at me, gesturing with his hand that I should follow him back to his kuti.
I could not comprehend how my master could be so calm. As we sat together, my mind was blank, but I wanted an answer from my master.
From my diary recording of this episode, the conversation between us went like this:
“What happened? Was it a ghost?” I asked, expecting an affirmative answer.
“I am not sure. It could be a deity testing your courage and guts or probably urging you to study occultism,” my master replied.
I knew that it was not the real answer, as spiritual masters are sometimes known for their strange ways of teaching. Sometimes they deliberately say the stupidest things or just play dumb to provoke critical thinking.
Impatience was getting the better of me. But before I could utter another question, my master asked, “Could it be a mountain spirit?”
I stared at my master, probably with bloodshot eyes, and thought to myself, “Come on, you must be joking, a lady mountain spirit dressed in yellowish white?”
“Do you have any relative who recently passed away?” my master asked.
“No,” I replied.
I also searched my conscience and cleared it, for I had not caused anyone’s death to justify a ghostly revenge.
Lessons to learn
Years later, I learnt that this was how some spiritual masters would teach their disciples. Hardship and experience are your teachers, but you often realise your lessons only much later.
In my younger days, I was sceptical of the existence of spirits and ghosts despite my wide reading on paranormal existence.
Years later, I learnt of two security guards of a high-rise building who had resigned abruptly due to a frightening encounter with a female ghost in the wee hours.
The guards insisted that they heard noises of children playing football along a corridor of an office building and water running from closed faucets after midnight, when nobody was around.
The lesson learnt from my Taoist masters was simple. Man is a multidimensional being, composed of earth, air, water, fire and metal. Man and animals are constantly generating electromagnetic vibrations in which the character, personality, mentality, psyche, thoughts, feelings, impulses and different types of consciousness come into being.
All cultures and civilisations speak of the existence of ghosts in folklore as well as formal records. We celebrate Halloween, All Souls’ Day and other occasions to affirm our belief in the world beyond the physical. We enjoy comedies like Happy Ghost, Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Ghost Whisperer, but know -- or suspect -- that the belief in the existence of ghosts is no laughing matter.
“Ghost stories have probably been around as long as humans have had a language,” says an article posted on science.hoestuffworks.com. “A person’s spirit continues to exist in some form after the physical body has died.”
According to enthusiasts, ghosts exist because these beings refuse to leave the physical world for the spirit world in the process of evolution because they have unfinished business. They say some places are haunted if they are the location of violent or traumatic deaths or if some dead persons have strong attachments to those places or people living there.
Advanced technology and scientific progress have made it possible for unmanned spacecrafts to explore faraway frontiers of the galaxy. In decades to come, perhaps, paranormal scientists will be able to explain in scientific terms how hauntings take place and why ghosts exist. More than likely, these explanations will be in the language of complexities relating to man’s spiritual existence and layers of consciousness.
Stanley Koh is a political observer who use to head the MCA's research unit.
Popularly known as the Heavenly City, Nakhon Sawan, about 240km north of Bangkok, is a favourite midway stop for tourists heading further north to Chiengmai.
It was in Nakhon Sawan in 1978 that I had my first encounter with a ghost. I had just begun my spiritual apprenticeship as a Buddhist monk at a temple called Wat Kiriwong.
After that encounter, I had many more weird experiences through these 32 years, including the time when I was under the guidance of Taoist masters belonging to the ancient and legendary sects of the Golden Eagle School and White Lotus.
My ghostly experiences were in fact part of my spiritual training.
As a Buddhist monk, I was taught many esoteric lessons about the human spirit and the evolutionary stage at which the spirit becomes what we call a ghost. This learning has had a tremendous impact on my outlook on life.
I spent two years at Wat Kiriwong in strict discipline, following the daily monastic routine of meditation and occult studies.
Wat Kiriwong is famous for its 600-year-old pagoda, built in the 19th century. It is located at the foot of the low-lying Bawa Dung Hills, a cluster that stretches further than the eye can see.
But let us return to 1978.
I arrived in Nakhon Sawan late in the night on April 9 after a six-hour bus ride from Bangkok, where I had touched down from an afternoon flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
A week later, I realised I had fallen in love with the temple and its surroundings. The monastery’s premises stretched over more than a hundred acres of undulating land, hosting numerous buildings for worship and temple administration.
Next to a cemetery was a secluded area for meditation training, reserved for forest monks donning dark saffron robes that looked almost brown. This was where I had my residence.
Quiet and secluded, the area had eight small individual wooden huts. Each of these kuti, as the locals called them, could accommodate only one monk. It had a simple bathroom and a floor that was just wide and long enough for one to sleep on.
The huts were arranged in a circle around a large bodhi tree. Bodhi, in the Pali language, means tree of wisdom. It got the name after the historical Gautama Buddha, having attained his spiritual enlightenment, paid it his respect and gratitude for sheltering him throughout his struggle for the Truth.
The Encounter
The night of Aug 17, 1978, began like any ordinary night. I had sat in meditation with my spiritual master in his kuti, which was adjacent to mine.
The night was still and humid, and moonlight illuminated the area. It was the dry season in Nakhon Sawan, and there had been hardly any rain for days. In the distance, crickets and other insects sang in chorus.
We emerged from meditation at about 8pm. We had some tea and decided to check for small scorpions wandering around inside the master’s hut, particularly around the mattresses. We had to use a torchlight because a small light bulb was the only electrical supply available for all the huts. It was not bright enough for anyone to trace the small light brown insects known for their painful stings.
We had to put the scorpions we caught in small plastic bags and release them at a distance away from the huts since the first Buddhist precept is the prohibition of killing.
We then decided to look for scorpions inside my own hut.
I opened my kuti’s flimsy wooden door, and as I walked in with my master following, we both saw in the dimly lighted room a young woman sleeping on my mattress. She wore a long flowing dress of yellowish white.
My jaw opened wide and my whole body felt like it was rooted to the ground. My heart probably stopped a second but instantly started to race through several beats. I also lost my voice, but I darted a look of shock in the direction of my master, who stood beside me with an incredibly calm expression.
There was this instant disbelief inside me, but the woman was real and there, lying on her back with both arms resting on my pillow, which supported her head. She was probably in her early 20s and had an oval face and a look of calmness about her.
She vanished out of sight moments later, but stayed long enough for us to know that our eyes were not playing tricks on us.
Her body floated with ease and flew out through the window of the hut.
As I stood there frozen with my feet unwilling to move despite signals from my brain, my master smiled at me, gesturing with his hand that I should follow him back to his kuti.
I could not comprehend how my master could be so calm. As we sat together, my mind was blank, but I wanted an answer from my master.
From my diary recording of this episode, the conversation between us went like this:
“What happened? Was it a ghost?” I asked, expecting an affirmative answer.
“I am not sure. It could be a deity testing your courage and guts or probably urging you to study occultism,” my master replied.
I knew that it was not the real answer, as spiritual masters are sometimes known for their strange ways of teaching. Sometimes they deliberately say the stupidest things or just play dumb to provoke critical thinking.
Impatience was getting the better of me. But before I could utter another question, my master asked, “Could it be a mountain spirit?”
I stared at my master, probably with bloodshot eyes, and thought to myself, “Come on, you must be joking, a lady mountain spirit dressed in yellowish white?”
“Do you have any relative who recently passed away?” my master asked.
“No,” I replied.
I also searched my conscience and cleared it, for I had not caused anyone’s death to justify a ghostly revenge.
Lessons to learn
Years later, I learnt that this was how some spiritual masters would teach their disciples. Hardship and experience are your teachers, but you often realise your lessons only much later.
In my younger days, I was sceptical of the existence of spirits and ghosts despite my wide reading on paranormal existence.
Years later, I learnt of two security guards of a high-rise building who had resigned abruptly due to a frightening encounter with a female ghost in the wee hours.
The guards insisted that they heard noises of children playing football along a corridor of an office building and water running from closed faucets after midnight, when nobody was around.
The lesson learnt from my Taoist masters was simple. Man is a multidimensional being, composed of earth, air, water, fire and metal. Man and animals are constantly generating electromagnetic vibrations in which the character, personality, mentality, psyche, thoughts, feelings, impulses and different types of consciousness come into being.
All cultures and civilisations speak of the existence of ghosts in folklore as well as formal records. We celebrate Halloween, All Souls’ Day and other occasions to affirm our belief in the world beyond the physical. We enjoy comedies like Happy Ghost, Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Ghost Whisperer, but know -- or suspect -- that the belief in the existence of ghosts is no laughing matter.
“Ghost stories have probably been around as long as humans have had a language,” says an article posted on science.hoestuffworks.com. “A person’s spirit continues to exist in some form after the physical body has died.”
According to enthusiasts, ghosts exist because these beings refuse to leave the physical world for the spirit world in the process of evolution because they have unfinished business. They say some places are haunted if they are the location of violent or traumatic deaths or if some dead persons have strong attachments to those places or people living there.
Advanced technology and scientific progress have made it possible for unmanned spacecrafts to explore faraway frontiers of the galaxy. In decades to come, perhaps, paranormal scientists will be able to explain in scientific terms how hauntings take place and why ghosts exist. More than likely, these explanations will be in the language of complexities relating to man’s spiritual existence and layers of consciousness.
Stanley Koh is a political observer who use to head the MCA's research unit.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Christian Teacher Leaves Maldives
Authorities in the Maldives last week had to transport a Christian teacher from India off one of the Islamic nation's islands after Muslim parents of her students threatened to expel her for "preaching Christianity."
On Wednesday night a group of angry Muslim parents stormed the government school on the island of Foakaindhoo, in Shaviyani Atoll, accusing Geethamma George of drawing a cross in her class, a source at Foakaindhoo School told Compass.
"There were only 10 teachers to defend Geethamma George when a huge crowd gathered outside the school," the source said by telephone. "Numerous local residents of the island also joined the parents' protest."
The school administration promptly sought the help of officials from the education ministry.
"Fearing that the teacher would be physically attacked, the officials took her out of the island right away," the source said. "She will never be able to come back to the island, and nor is she willing to do so. She will be given a job in another island.
A few days earlier, George, a social studies teacher, had drawn a compass to teach directions to Class VI students. But the students, who knew little English, mistook the drawing to be a cross and thought she was trying to preach Christianity, the source said. The students complained to their parents, who in turn issued a warning to the school.
Administrators at the school set up a committee to investigate the allegation and called for a meeting with parents on Thursday to present their findings. The committee found that George had drawn a compass as part of a geography lesson.
"However, the parents arrived the previous night to settle the matter outside the school," said the source.
According to local newspaper Haveeru, authorities transferred George to the nearby island of Funadhoo "after the parents threatened to tie and drag her off of the island."
The teacher, who worked at the school for three years, is originally from the south Indian coastal state of Kerala. Many Christians from Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu state in India are working as teachers and doctors in the Maldives.
Preaching or practicing a non-Muslim faith is forbidden under Maldivian law, which does not recognize any faith other than Islam. The more than 300,000 citizens of the Maldives are all Sunni Muslims.
A string of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka in South Asia, the Maldives is the only country after Saudi Arabia that claims to have a 100 percent Muslim population. As per its constitution, only a Muslim can be a citizen of the country. Importing any literature that contradicts Islam is against the law.
Many of the more than 70,000 expatriate workers in the Maldives are Christian, but they are allowed to practice their faith only inside their respective homes. They cannot even get together for prayer or worship in each other's houses - doing so has resulted in the arrest and deportation of expatriates in the past.
The Maldives was ruled by an authoritarian, conservative Muslim president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, for 30 years. The nation became a multi-party democracy in 2008 with Mohamed Nasheed—from the largely liberal Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)—as the new president.
Gayoom's right-wing party, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), however, managed to win a simple majority in the People's Majlis—as the parliament is known in the Maldives—in the 2009 parliamentary election. The Maldives follows the presidential system.
The DRP-led opposition often criticizes Nasheed's government, accusing it of being liberal in cultural and religious matters, which DRP leaders claim will have a bearing on the country's sovereignty and identity.
A key ally of the MDP, the Adhaalath Party, also holds conservative views on religion and culture.
Many in Maldivian society, along with religious and political leaders, believe religious freedom is not healthy for the nation's survival, although the Maldives does not perceive any threat from nearby countries.
Read more: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/29363-expat-christian-teacher-forced-to-flee-maldives#ixzz11X2K7aV5
On Wednesday night a group of angry Muslim parents stormed the government school on the island of Foakaindhoo, in Shaviyani Atoll, accusing Geethamma George of drawing a cross in her class, a source at Foakaindhoo School told Compass.
"There were only 10 teachers to defend Geethamma George when a huge crowd gathered outside the school," the source said by telephone. "Numerous local residents of the island also joined the parents' protest."
The school administration promptly sought the help of officials from the education ministry.
"Fearing that the teacher would be physically attacked, the officials took her out of the island right away," the source said. "She will never be able to come back to the island, and nor is she willing to do so. She will be given a job in another island.
A few days earlier, George, a social studies teacher, had drawn a compass to teach directions to Class VI students. But the students, who knew little English, mistook the drawing to be a cross and thought she was trying to preach Christianity, the source said. The students complained to their parents, who in turn issued a warning to the school.
Administrators at the school set up a committee to investigate the allegation and called for a meeting with parents on Thursday to present their findings. The committee found that George had drawn a compass as part of a geography lesson.
"However, the parents arrived the previous night to settle the matter outside the school," said the source.
According to local newspaper Haveeru, authorities transferred George to the nearby island of Funadhoo "after the parents threatened to tie and drag her off of the island."
The teacher, who worked at the school for three years, is originally from the south Indian coastal state of Kerala. Many Christians from Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu state in India are working as teachers and doctors in the Maldives.
Preaching or practicing a non-Muslim faith is forbidden under Maldivian law, which does not recognize any faith other than Islam. The more than 300,000 citizens of the Maldives are all Sunni Muslims.
A string of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka in South Asia, the Maldives is the only country after Saudi Arabia that claims to have a 100 percent Muslim population. As per its constitution, only a Muslim can be a citizen of the country. Importing any literature that contradicts Islam is against the law.
Many of the more than 70,000 expatriate workers in the Maldives are Christian, but they are allowed to practice their faith only inside their respective homes. They cannot even get together for prayer or worship in each other's houses - doing so has resulted in the arrest and deportation of expatriates in the past.
The Maldives was ruled by an authoritarian, conservative Muslim president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, for 30 years. The nation became a multi-party democracy in 2008 with Mohamed Nasheed—from the largely liberal Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)—as the new president.
Gayoom's right-wing party, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), however, managed to win a simple majority in the People's Majlis—as the parliament is known in the Maldives—in the 2009 parliamentary election. The Maldives follows the presidential system.
The DRP-led opposition often criticizes Nasheed's government, accusing it of being liberal in cultural and religious matters, which DRP leaders claim will have a bearing on the country's sovereignty and identity.
A key ally of the MDP, the Adhaalath Party, also holds conservative views on religion and culture.
Many in Maldivian society, along with religious and political leaders, believe religious freedom is not healthy for the nation's survival, although the Maldives does not perceive any threat from nearby countries.
Read more: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/29363-expat-christian-teacher-forced-to-flee-maldives#ixzz11X2K7aV5
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tucson Unified Introducing Yoga to Curriculum
Hindus have commended Tucson Unified School District in Arizona (USA) for introducing yoga in curriculum and have urged all schools in USA to do the same for their pupils.
Renowned Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, suggested all elementary-middle-high schools of the nation to incorporate yoga in the lives of the students, making it part of the curriculum. Yoga was a mental and physical discipline whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, he pointed out.
Tucson Unified School District provides education for K-12 students. Its High School Course Catalog includes (under Health/Physical Education) two-semester course titled “Yoga A, B” for grade levels 9, 10, 11, 12, in which, besides other topics, students will participate in discussions of Yogic philosophy. “The postures are taught in a way that integrates breath, movement, and mindfulness”, it adds. “Yoga, Advanced 1, 2”, two-semester course for grade levels 11, 12 includes advanced levels of Yogic Philosophy. “Students will be exposed to the Intermediate series of the Ashtanga tradition as well as a variety of advanced pranayama (breath control) exercises. The course is physically and philosophically vigorous. This course is designed to lay the foundations for a life long Yoga practice”, it points out.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, yoga was a world heritage to be utilized by all. Yoga, referred as “a living fossil” and handed down from one guru to next, was based on an eightfold path to direct the practitioner from awareness of the external world to a focus on the inner. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
Rajan Zed added that besides other benefits, yoga might also help deal with the obesity crisis faced by the country. According to National Institutes of Health, Yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. Swami Vivekananda reportedly brought yoga to USA in 1893, and according to an estimate, about 16 million Americans now do yoga.
Launched in 1867, Mission Statement of Tucson Unified School District includes "engaging, rigorous and comprehensive education". Currently it enrolls about 54,000 students, but in 1956, its Tucson High school had the largest enrollment of any high school in USA with over 6,800 pupils. Judy Burns is President of Governing Board and Dr. John Carroll is Superintendent-Interim of the District, which also owns a radio station.
Renowned Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, suggested all elementary-middle-high schools of the nation to incorporate yoga in the lives of the students, making it part of the curriculum. Yoga was a mental and physical discipline whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, he pointed out.
Tucson Unified School District provides education for K-12 students. Its High School Course Catalog includes (under Health/Physical Education) two-semester course titled “Yoga A, B” for grade levels 9, 10, 11, 12, in which, besides other topics, students will participate in discussions of Yogic philosophy. “The postures are taught in a way that integrates breath, movement, and mindfulness”, it adds. “Yoga, Advanced 1, 2”, two-semester course for grade levels 11, 12 includes advanced levels of Yogic Philosophy. “Students will be exposed to the Intermediate series of the Ashtanga tradition as well as a variety of advanced pranayama (breath control) exercises. The course is physically and philosophically vigorous. This course is designed to lay the foundations for a life long Yoga practice”, it points out.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, yoga was a world heritage to be utilized by all. Yoga, referred as “a living fossil” and handed down from one guru to next, was based on an eightfold path to direct the practitioner from awareness of the external world to a focus on the inner. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
Rajan Zed added that besides other benefits, yoga might also help deal with the obesity crisis faced by the country. According to National Institutes of Health, Yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. Swami Vivekananda reportedly brought yoga to USA in 1893, and according to an estimate, about 16 million Americans now do yoga.
Launched in 1867, Mission Statement of Tucson Unified School District includes "engaging, rigorous and comprehensive education". Currently it enrolls about 54,000 students, but in 1956, its Tucson High school had the largest enrollment of any high school in USA with over 6,800 pupils. Judy Burns is President of Governing Board and Dr. John Carroll is Superintendent-Interim of the District, which also owns a radio station.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Druids a Charity in England
The ancient neo-pagan religion best known for Stonehenge has been recognized as a religion and has been given charitable status in Britain.
The decision was made by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on Saturday after a four-year long application process brought forth by The Druid Network.
The 21-page final report released by the commission states, "The Board members concluded that The Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit."
Druidry is a belief that deities take on different forms of nature with roots in western Europe, Britain and Ireland.
"The Charity Commission now has a much greater understanding of Pagan, animist and polytheist religions, so other groups form these minority religions — provided they meet the financial and public benefit criteria for registration as charities — should find registering a much shorter process than the pioneering one we have been through," said Emma Restall Orr, founder of The Druid Network, a website devoted to the religion, in a statement.
The decision was made by the Charity Commission for England and Wales on Saturday after a four-year long application process brought forth by The Druid Network.
The 21-page final report released by the commission states, "The Board members concluded that The Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit."
Druidry is a belief that deities take on different forms of nature with roots in western Europe, Britain and Ireland.
"The Charity Commission now has a much greater understanding of Pagan, animist and polytheist religions, so other groups form these minority religions — provided they meet the financial and public benefit criteria for registration as charities — should find registering a much shorter process than the pioneering one we have been through," said Emma Restall Orr, founder of The Druid Network, a website devoted to the religion, in a statement.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Muslims Want Mosque in Ayodhya
Ayodhya, Oct. 2: Ayodhya’s leading Muslims want to build a mosque on the portion of land allotted to the community by Allahabad High Court and the temple town’s Hindu priests see no problem with that.
“Three months from now, we will offer namaz on the land given to us,” Haji Mohammad Aslam, the imam of Ayodhya’s biggest mosque, Teri Bazaar Masjid, said during Friday prayers yesterday.
The high court had asked for status quo to be maintained for three months.
“It (the land) belonged to Muslims. Now the court has given us one-third of the land. We have every right to construct a mosque at the site and offer prayers,” the imam said, hailing the court verdict and dismissing calls from some quarters to donate the land for building a grand Ram temple.
Santosh Tiwari, a priest at the makeshift Ram temple at the disputed site, sees no problem with a mosque and a temple standing side by side. “Hindus and Muslims were praying at the site even before the demolition in 1992,” he said.
“If the court has given them the land, our Muslim brothers are welcome to build a mosque at the spot. I do not foresee any tension,” added Tiwari, a priest in the service of Ram Lalla Virajman since 1991 who claims he was witness to the Babri Masjid demolition and wrapped the idols in a bedsheet to protect them from harm.
Delivering his Friday sermon, Aslam said Muslims should rejoice that the high court had recognised that a mosque existed at the disputed site.
“It is our community’s fault that we do not pray at several of our mosques. This (the verdict) is a punishment for our drawbacks. Thank Allah for what we have got. We should take a lesson from this and resolve that henceforth we would head towards the nearest mosque as soon as we hear the azaan,” he said.
Muslims should not lose hope, Aslam added. “Any place where prayers are offered is considered a mosque and it will remain such till qayamat (end of the world),” the imam said.
“The Supreme Court will do justice. Have hope.”
Later, he told The Telegraph that he had tried through his sermon to soothe any anger at the verdict. “It is important that people do not start listening to extremist elements,” he said.
Mohammad Sageer, a member of the local community, echoed hundreds who had gathered for the Friday prayers when he said: “Islamic law is clear on the point — a place where namaz is offered always remains a mosque. The onus isn’t just on Muslims to show large-heartedness but more so on Hindus, being the elder brother, to lead the way.”
Priests at Hanumangarhi, affiliated to the Nirmohi Akhara that has also been given a third of the land, said elements aligned to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were raking up a needless controversy about the mosque being near the proposed temple.
“Hindus and Muslims had prayed together at the site for centuries. We live together in Ayodhya,” a mahant at the Nirmohi Akhara said.
“Three months from now, we will offer namaz on the land given to us,” Haji Mohammad Aslam, the imam of Ayodhya’s biggest mosque, Teri Bazaar Masjid, said during Friday prayers yesterday.
The high court had asked for status quo to be maintained for three months.
“It (the land) belonged to Muslims. Now the court has given us one-third of the land. We have every right to construct a mosque at the site and offer prayers,” the imam said, hailing the court verdict and dismissing calls from some quarters to donate the land for building a grand Ram temple.
Santosh Tiwari, a priest at the makeshift Ram temple at the disputed site, sees no problem with a mosque and a temple standing side by side. “Hindus and Muslims were praying at the site even before the demolition in 1992,” he said.
“If the court has given them the land, our Muslim brothers are welcome to build a mosque at the spot. I do not foresee any tension,” added Tiwari, a priest in the service of Ram Lalla Virajman since 1991 who claims he was witness to the Babri Masjid demolition and wrapped the idols in a bedsheet to protect them from harm.
Delivering his Friday sermon, Aslam said Muslims should rejoice that the high court had recognised that a mosque existed at the disputed site.
“It is our community’s fault that we do not pray at several of our mosques. This (the verdict) is a punishment for our drawbacks. Thank Allah for what we have got. We should take a lesson from this and resolve that henceforth we would head towards the nearest mosque as soon as we hear the azaan,” he said.
Muslims should not lose hope, Aslam added. “Any place where prayers are offered is considered a mosque and it will remain such till qayamat (end of the world),” the imam said.
“The Supreme Court will do justice. Have hope.”
Later, he told The Telegraph that he had tried through his sermon to soothe any anger at the verdict. “It is important that people do not start listening to extremist elements,” he said.
Mohammad Sageer, a member of the local community, echoed hundreds who had gathered for the Friday prayers when he said: “Islamic law is clear on the point — a place where namaz is offered always remains a mosque. The onus isn’t just on Muslims to show large-heartedness but more so on Hindus, being the elder brother, to lead the way.”
Priests at Hanumangarhi, affiliated to the Nirmohi Akhara that has also been given a third of the land, said elements aligned to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were raking up a needless controversy about the mosque being near the proposed temple.
“Hindus and Muslims had prayed together at the site for centuries. We live together in Ayodhya,” a mahant at the Nirmohi Akhara said.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Buddha Shrine to be Built
RAYNHAM —
Four years after setting up home and shrine in a humble New England farmhouse, a group of Thai Buddhist monks is preparing for grander quarters.
By 2012, a sprawling 60-foot-high Theravada Buddhist temple and meditation center will rise from the South Street East property. It will be topped by a 180-foot golden spire.
The complex will culminate the long-held dream of Boston-area Thai families to honor their monarch, King Rama IX, Bhumibhol Adulyadej, who was born in Cambridge in 1927.
The resident monks had been housed in small apartments from Brighton to Watertown.
After searching for land expansive enough for a new temple, cultural center, and monastery, they finally planted roots on the 50-acre parcel near Hill Street.
“This is the permanent land and the permanent home of the temple,” Lamiad Wechapak, a Brockton resident of Thai origin, said in 2007, not long after six monks settled into the 1850 farmhouse.
She said the experience in Raynham had been positive.
Since arriving, the resident monks have spent their days meditating, chanting, counseling laity, and studying the Dhamma or the teachings of the Buddha.
In 2007, residents along South Street East said they found the monks pleasing to watch in their saffron robes and sandals, as they tended to their garden and strolled the property.
Three years later, the welcome mat still appears to be out.
Only a handful of abutters attended Planning Board hearings this year as the elaborate site plans were reviewed and approved. None voiced objections.
Selectmen Chairman Marie Smith, who manages the nearby Pine Hill Estates Mobile Home Park, said she has heard nothing negative about the new temple.
“From what I saw, it looks like a wonderful building,” Smith said, after viewing a model on display.
The temple, or Wat Nawamintararachutis, will be the largest in New England, and possibly in the world, outside of Thailand.
The 109,000-square-foot, white structure with five tiered gables merges Eastern and Western aesthetics, proponents say.
The site will be formally landscaped and preserve existing maple trees and stonewalls. Five acres will be used for the temple. The remaining acreage is environmentally protected.
The building will sit 154 feet from the road and slope down toward the Taunton River.
It will include a temple, museum, meditation center, dormitory for about 16 resident monks who will live on site, and gardens.
The proponents will seek a variance on the town’s 40-foot-height bylaws. The soaring steeple complies with local and FAA regulations, Been Wang, of Architectural Resources Cambridge, said.
The temple and meditation center will be used for educational and religious purposes, including meditation and chanting services, religious rites, and teaching about Buddhism, Thai culture, and language.
Two major events a year, in the spring and fall, and another nine or 10 celebrations throughout the year, are expected to draw between 300 and 700 people but the attendance will be staggered.
In addition to the 240 parking spaces and a grassed area for an additional 100 cars, Depuy/Johnson & Johnson have offered use of their parking area in Raynham Woods Commerce Center and participants will be shuttled to the site.
Police details will be required to direct traffic for major events. Parking will be banned from South Street East.
Fire officials have approved the emergency access around the building, sprinkler plans and alarm systems.
The building will be tax exempt as a religious facility.
The Theravada Buddhist group of the Mahanikaya sect is registered as a nonprofit organization: the NMR Buddhist Meditation Center. It is part of a 2,500-year-old tradition that believes by letting go of desire and attachment, a person can be free from suffering and attain Nirvana or “awakening.” Its followers say it is a religion of wisdom and compassion.
“Anyone can come as a guest and observe and enjoy or join us in chanting and prayer,” Wechapak said. “Buddhism is an open religion. We accept everyone in our temple.”
Four years after setting up home and shrine in a humble New England farmhouse, a group of Thai Buddhist monks is preparing for grander quarters.
By 2012, a sprawling 60-foot-high Theravada Buddhist temple and meditation center will rise from the South Street East property. It will be topped by a 180-foot golden spire.
The complex will culminate the long-held dream of Boston-area Thai families to honor their monarch, King Rama IX, Bhumibhol Adulyadej, who was born in Cambridge in 1927.
The resident monks had been housed in small apartments from Brighton to Watertown.
After searching for land expansive enough for a new temple, cultural center, and monastery, they finally planted roots on the 50-acre parcel near Hill Street.
“This is the permanent land and the permanent home of the temple,” Lamiad Wechapak, a Brockton resident of Thai origin, said in 2007, not long after six monks settled into the 1850 farmhouse.
She said the experience in Raynham had been positive.
Since arriving, the resident monks have spent their days meditating, chanting, counseling laity, and studying the Dhamma or the teachings of the Buddha.
In 2007, residents along South Street East said they found the monks pleasing to watch in their saffron robes and sandals, as they tended to their garden and strolled the property.
Three years later, the welcome mat still appears to be out.
Only a handful of abutters attended Planning Board hearings this year as the elaborate site plans were reviewed and approved. None voiced objections.
Selectmen Chairman Marie Smith, who manages the nearby Pine Hill Estates Mobile Home Park, said she has heard nothing negative about the new temple.
“From what I saw, it looks like a wonderful building,” Smith said, after viewing a model on display.
The temple, or Wat Nawamintararachutis, will be the largest in New England, and possibly in the world, outside of Thailand.
The 109,000-square-foot, white structure with five tiered gables merges Eastern and Western aesthetics, proponents say.
The site will be formally landscaped and preserve existing maple trees and stonewalls. Five acres will be used for the temple. The remaining acreage is environmentally protected.
The building will sit 154 feet from the road and slope down toward the Taunton River.
It will include a temple, museum, meditation center, dormitory for about 16 resident monks who will live on site, and gardens.
The proponents will seek a variance on the town’s 40-foot-height bylaws. The soaring steeple complies with local and FAA regulations, Been Wang, of Architectural Resources Cambridge, said.
The temple and meditation center will be used for educational and religious purposes, including meditation and chanting services, religious rites, and teaching about Buddhism, Thai culture, and language.
Two major events a year, in the spring and fall, and another nine or 10 celebrations throughout the year, are expected to draw between 300 and 700 people but the attendance will be staggered.
In addition to the 240 parking spaces and a grassed area for an additional 100 cars, Depuy/Johnson & Johnson have offered use of their parking area in Raynham Woods Commerce Center and participants will be shuttled to the site.
Police details will be required to direct traffic for major events. Parking will be banned from South Street East.
Fire officials have approved the emergency access around the building, sprinkler plans and alarm systems.
The building will be tax exempt as a religious facility.
The Theravada Buddhist group of the Mahanikaya sect is registered as a nonprofit organization: the NMR Buddhist Meditation Center. It is part of a 2,500-year-old tradition that believes by letting go of desire and attachment, a person can be free from suffering and attain Nirvana or “awakening.” Its followers say it is a religion of wisdom and compassion.
“Anyone can come as a guest and observe and enjoy or join us in chanting and prayer,” Wechapak said. “Buddhism is an open religion. We accept everyone in our temple.”
1 Hour Course in Meditation
Southwestern Community College
Introduction to Meditation: 1 hour
Experience stress reduction, greater health and have a more vibrant life by utilizing simple deep breathing and meditation exercises you will learn in Introduction to Meditation from 10-11 a.m. Oct. 26.
This one- hour Southwestern Community College class is taught by Iva Veazey, a certified transformation meditation instructor and a performance wellness coach. The class will be held on the Jackson Campus and the charge is $15. If there is enough interest, an ongoing class will be developed.
For more information and to register, contact Michael Rich at 339-4497.
Summon Your Muse: 3 hours
Discover your hidden muse in a three-hour workshop offered at both Southwestern Community College’s Cashiers Center and the Jackson Campus.
In Summon Your Muse experience deep relaxation, enhanced creativity and greater clarity through exercises and visualization led by Iva Veazey, who has helped a number of local artists, writers and musicians with their creativity.
The workshop will be held 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 5 at the Cashiers Center and from 9 a.m.-noon Nov. 2 on the Jackson Campus. Cost is $30 for each workshop.
For more information and to register, contact Michael Rich at 339-4497.
Introduction to Meditation: 1 hour
Experience stress reduction, greater health and have a more vibrant life by utilizing simple deep breathing and meditation exercises you will learn in Introduction to Meditation from 10-11 a.m. Oct. 26.
This one- hour Southwestern Community College class is taught by Iva Veazey, a certified transformation meditation instructor and a performance wellness coach. The class will be held on the Jackson Campus and the charge is $15. If there is enough interest, an ongoing class will be developed.
For more information and to register, contact Michael Rich at 339-4497.
Summon Your Muse: 3 hours
Discover your hidden muse in a three-hour workshop offered at both Southwestern Community College’s Cashiers Center and the Jackson Campus.
In Summon Your Muse experience deep relaxation, enhanced creativity and greater clarity through exercises and visualization led by Iva Veazey, who has helped a number of local artists, writers and musicians with their creativity.
The workshop will be held 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 5 at the Cashiers Center and from 9 a.m.-noon Nov. 2 on the Jackson Campus. Cost is $30 for each workshop.
For more information and to register, contact Michael Rich at 339-4497.
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