Pray for Peace in 2011

Pray for Peace - services are around the country. Science of Mind Church usually knows where there is a peace vigil.

Erie's Tibetan Buddhist center will host a First Light 2011 nondenominational offering of prayers for peace on New Year's Day
The hourlong service of meditation, chanting and candle lighting will begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m. at the center, 722 W. Eighth St., according to a news release.

Members will be available afterward to answer questions and share information about the center, an affiliate of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

To learn more, call 449-1816 or e-mail juliazen02@yahoo.com.

Buddhism in Sri Lanka

The Buddhism practiced in Sri Lanka, better known as Sinhala-Buddhism (or Mahavamsa-Buddhism) is different from the Theravada Buddhism practiced in other countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and so on. The Buddhists in these countries follow only the Buddhist scriptures Tripitaka (Viniya, Sutta, Abhidhamma), whereas in Sri Lanka the 'Mahavamsa,' which was written by one of the Mahavihara monks (Ven. Mahanama) more than 1000 years after the passing away of Lord Buddha is also considered as a part of the Buddhist scriptures, although it deals mostly with mythical or supernatural Buddhist history, some episodes of which are copied from the 'Mahabaratha' and 'Ramayana.' Since the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka) and the mythical Buddhist history (Mahavamsa) were both written in the Pali language, a Buddhist layperson who does not understand Pali cannot understand the difference between the two and, therefore, he/she believes everything that the Buddhist monks preach, to be the true words of Buddha.

Due to ignorance, even the present day Sinhala-Buddhists still believe that they are blood relatives of Buddha because, according to the Mahavamsa, their forefather Pandu-Vasudeva belongs to the Sakya clan, and is a relative of the Buddha where as the historians believe that the term ‘Pandu’ in Pali means Pandyans.

According to Buddhism, a person ordained as a Bikkhu should practice Ahimsa (non-violence), Karuna (compassion), Metta (affection), and Maithriya (loving-kindness) towards fellow humans, (irrespective of race or religion), not only by words but also in his thoughts and action. Unfortunately in Sri Lanka, due to the influence of the Mahavamsa, a Buddhist Bikkhu is at liberty to engage in racist politics and promote Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism and hatred, as we see today.

Protecting Buddhism

There was NO Buddhism in Sri Lanka until Emperor Asoka's missionary monks led by Mahinda converted the Hindu (Siva worshipping) Naga King Tissa into a Buddhist in the 2nd century BC. Similarly, there was NO Sinhala race/tribe in Sri Lanka until the Mahavihara monks created it in the 5th century AD. When Hindu/Brahmanical influence posed a serious challenge to Buddhism and when Buddhism started to lose popular support and the patronage from the rulers, the Buddhist institutions in India came under attack. The Mahavihara monks of Anuradapura including Ven. Mahanama, the author of the Pali chronicle Mahavamsa and a close relative of the Buddhist Naga king Dhatusena witnessed the decline and disorientation of Buddhism in India. The events that took place in India against Buddhism must have prompted the Mahavihara monks in Sri Lanka to come up with a plan/strategy to protect Buddhism. Due to their strong devotion to Buddhism and desire to consolidate and protect this religion in Sri Lanka they have decided to write the Pali chronicles Deepavamsa/Mahavamsa making Sri Lanka a Dammadeepa/Sinhaladvipa (chosen land of Buddha where Buddhism will prevail for 5000 years) and creating the Sinhala race by integrating all the Buddhists from different tribes/ethnic groups into one race and making them the sustainers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha's chosen people) to protect Buddhism in Sri Lanka for 5000 years until the next Maithriya Buddha arrive. With the patronage of the Buddhist Kings, it is the Mahavihara monks who assimilated all the Buddhists from many different tribes together and called them Sihala (followers of Mythical Vijaya). There may have been instances where the convicted criminals from India (Bengal/Gujarat) who were exiled would have sleeked asylum in the island and would have been allowed to settle and got assimilated with the local population, but there is NO historical evidence what so ever to prove Vijaya's arrival with 700 men or to say there were Sinhalese during the Early Historic period. The term 'Sihala' itself first appeared ONLY in the 5th Century AD Pali chronicles Deepavamsa/Mahavamsa and that also ONLY twice in the beginning chapters. To date, no archaeological evidence has been found to prove ‘Hela' or 'Sihala' or ‘Sinhala' existed before that or anything about Vijaya's arrival. Only the Mahavamsa Tika that was composed very much later to interpret the Mahavamsa, mentions that it was adopted from the mysterycal ‘Vamsa texts’ known as ‘Sihala Atthakatha’ (collection of Sinhala verbal stories). Very strangely, most of the mythical/supernatural stories from the so called ‘Sihala Atthakatha Vamsa texts’ are very similar to those found in the Indian Epics and Puranas such as the Mahabaratha/Ramayana. Ultimately, the Mahavamsa has transformed the Buddha into a special patron of Sinhala-Buddhism, an ethnic religion created in Sri Lanka.

3 Imprisoned Monks

Tibetans are increasingly concerned about the fate of three senior Buddhist monks who were imprisoned following a 2008 crackdown on anti-government riots in Tibet, an overseas rights monitoring group said Wednesday.

The three were senior religious teachers at Drepung monastery in Lhasa, whose monks were at the forefront of the March 2008 protests that started out as peaceful marches before exploding into violence days later.

The U.S.-based International Campaign for Tibet said in a news release that their whereabouts remain unknown and there is growing concern among Tibetans about their welfare.

The three were listed as: Jampel Wangchuk, 55, the disciplinarian at Drepung's Loseling college, who is believed to have been given a life term; Konchok Nyima, 43, the scripture teacher at Drepung's Gomang college, sentenced to 20 years; and Ngawang Choenyi, 38, scripture teacher at Drepung's Ngakpa college, sentenced to 15 years.

The International Campaign for Tibet said the three were not believed to have taken part in the demonstrations and it was not known what crimes they had been charged with.

China frequently uses vaguely defined laws against separatism and subversion to imprison political and religious dissidents. However, the lack of a clear political connection in the three cases has raised concern that authorities are using the 2008 protests as a pretext to attack Tibetan Buddhism, the International Campaign for Tibet said.

Calls to Drepung monastery and the Lhasa police spokesman rang unanswered Wednesday. Nyima, an office director at Lhasa's bureau of ethnic and religious affairs, who like many Tibetans uses only one name, said he had no news on the three. He recorded their names and details and promised to relay any information on them.

The 2008 protests, which later spread to other Tibetan inhabited regions in western China, marked the largest uprising against Chinese rule in decades. The government says at least 22 people died in Lhasa violence. Tibetan rights groups say nearly 140 Tibetans were killed.

Authorities responded with a massive security clampdown, sending hundreds of armed police into Drepung and other monasteries and detaining an unknown number of monks and lay people. Tibet was closed to all foreign visitors for months and security remains extremely tight. Foreign journalists are required to apply for special permission to travel there and access is usually provided only through rarely scheduled government organized trips.

Beijing blamed the 2008 violence on outside agitators linked to exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama">Dalai Lama, who denied any involvement. Many Tibetans remain loyal to the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and resent heavy-handed Chinese rule, including stringent controls over Buddhist monasteries and restrictions on religious practices.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries and sent troops to occupy the region following the 1949 communist seizure of power. Historians say Tibet was functionally independent for most of that time under the rule of a succession of Dalai Lama">Dalai Lamas.

European Buddhism

Guernseyman Richard Moorman became a Buddhist in 1997 but said he had been "flirting with the idea" since 1971.
He explained that in that time he had researched the faith and had been practising elements of it before his official conversion.
He said the Guernsey Buddhist Group held meetings open to anyone from any branch of Buddhism or any faith.
Richard said: "We've had Zen and Tibetan Buddhists and people of other religions come to our meetings."

He explained: "They enjoy the chanting, the meditating and the things we do."
Even though meditation is a central part of Buddhist practice Richard said it had its origins in the pre-Buddhist religions of northern India where the original Buddha was born, and today was practised by many people both as a religious activity and in secular life.
He said: "Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce stress levels - it's a very good thing to do irrespective of the religious association...it sharpens powers of concentration."

Buddhists use beads as part of chanting and meditation
Richard decided to make the step of taking on Buddhism in an official capacity following his step-daughter's move to the faith and, along with his wife, began practising a Japanese derivation of the religion.
He explained when they converted to Buddhism they took part in "taking refuge" which involves accepting "the Buddha as your teacher, the Dharma as his teaching and the Sangha as the community of Buddhists".
Richard said Buddhists have "a profound respect for all sincere religious practice".

Using the example of Christmas he said they respected Christians and their celebration of Jesus' birth.
Richard said as he lives in a Christian culture he still celebrated the event: "It's not a religious festival for me but its certainly a time to enjoy being with family."
He said the main teaching of Buddhism is: "We don't exist in isolation to everything else, we are one with everything and everything is one with us... once that becomes a profound insight, it produces great happiness."

Chinese Premier Knows Buddhism

Berlin, Dec 19 (IANS) Leaked US diplomatic cables portray the anointed Chinese leader Xi Jinping as incorruptible, disinterested in extra marital affairs and a Communist hardliner who is 'redder than reds'.

Der Spiegel, the German magazine which reproduced the cables leaked by whistleblower web site WikiLeaks, says money seems unimportant to Xi as he apparently has enough. He likes the US and was at one time fascinated by the mysteries of Buddhism and Asian martial arts.

On Oct 18, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party appointed 57-year-old Xi Jinping vice-president of the powerful Central Military Commission. This makes it all but certain that he will succeed Hu Jintao as Communist Party leader and Chinese president in 2012, Der Spiegel said.

The US embassy in Beijing has remarkably precise information about China's future leader. Xi is 'extremely ambitious', and a good man, according to a US source.

He also has a privileged upbringing.

Xi is the son of former guerilla fighter and later deputy prime minister Xi Zhongxun. Xi is a 'princeling', one of an influential class of sons and daughters of loyal functionaries that steadily rise up the Communist Party hierarchy under their parents' influence.

During Mao Zedong's cultural revolution Xi's father was purged and young Xi sent to the countryside.

In the early 1970s Xi and many princelings were permitted to return to Beijing. But while many of his young contemporaries set about enjoying their newfound freedom, 'he chose to survive by becoming redder than red', the US embassy's source says.

Xi realised that he could only become a career politician if he temporarily removed himself from Beijing's power clique and gathered experience in rural areas, US cables say.

He believed that his father's connections weren't enough - and that the risk of making too many enemies in the capital was too great.

He slowly worked his way up the ladder in Heibei, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. Because Fujian faces the breakaway island of Taiwan, US dispatches say, Xi has an understanding for the plight of the Taiwanese people.

During his time in eastern China, Xi developed a fascination with the mysticism of Buddhism, the Qigong breathing technique and martial arts. It appears he also believed in supernatural forces.

In 2007 the leadership made him the Party leader in Shanghai. At the time, the Communist Party was embroiled in a corruption scandal and desperately needed a clean pair of hands. He was seen as incorruptible and as having sufficient authority to clean up the party's ranks.

Xi spent just seven months in China's financial centre before the leadership brought him to Beijing and anointed him vice president.

'Xi had promotion to the Center in mind from day one,' a US Embassy dispatch says. He is said to be a realist and a pragmatist, one who keeps his cards close to his chest before coldly playing his ace when the time is right.

Xi appears uninterested in drinking and extramarital affairs, the pursuits preferred by many high-ranking officials. Women consider him boring, a trait he shares with his stern superior, President Hu Jintao.

Xi, US cables say, knows his own country extremely well. He is well aware how corrupt many of his comrades are. He abhors the pursuit of money, much as he does China's nouveau-riche. His greatest fear is that the new, free-market era will rob people of their dignity and respect.

But he refrains from showing political initiative or promoting his own ideas, realising that such things are not good for a career within the Chinese Communist Party.

In spite of Xi's background and current position, the current Party chairman and president, Hu does not consider him his successor.

Hu's favourite for the post is Li Keqiang, whose career began in the Communist youth organization. But a group of older comrades, including former party chairman Jiang Zemin, reject their president's preferred successor.

Hu relented, and now it is thought that Li will soon replace Wen Jiabao as prime minister instead.

Xi, the winner of this power struggle, thinks little of democratic reform. He is convinced that only a small elite can maintain China's social stability and lead the country to new heights.

Buddhist Temple Fire is Political Headache

The destruction of a wooden gate in a Buddhist temple by arson, Thursday, has put a negative spin on the already chilled relations between Korean Buddhism and President Lee Myung-bak, a devoted Christian.

The fire, which reduced Cheonwangmun gate in a 1300-year-old Beomeo temple in Busan to ashes, broke out amid escalating tension between the second largest religion of the country and President Lee’s Grand National Party (GNP) following a budget cut for “templestay” programs in the process of the GNP’s railroading of next year’s state budget early this month.

It was the latest in a series of cases deepening Buddhists’ hostility against the ruling party and the government during Lee’s presidency.

Police have opened an investigation into the fire and placed a man spotted on a surveillance camera video on a wanted list since flames began to engulf the wooden gate upon his departure from the temple.

Police believe there was no political motive behind the incident. Yet, Buddhist circles seem to be trying to take advantage of the case to gain leverage in its protest against what they call “Christian-friendly” President Lee and his administration.

A group of monks held a press conference in Seoul Thursday morning, just hours after the fire was extinguished. They called for an extensive probe into the incident and condemned President Lee for his “biased” religious policies.

“The number of incidents meant to hurt the properties and value of Buddhism has surged since the Lee administration took over,” an association for young Buddhists said in a statement. “The incident came as a great surprise because it took place at a time when the entire Buddhist circle was raising voices against the ruling party’s short-sighted passage of bills regarding the templestay budget.”

Currently, all Buddhists leaders refuse to have any official meeting with those from the GNP, under the direction of Ven. Jaseung, chief executive of Jogye, the largest Buddhist order. In a statement issued last Friday, Jaseung denounce the budget reduction and urged all Buddhist leaders “not to meet with any figures from the ruling camp.”

Following the incident, the ruling camp moved first to break the deadlock.

Kim Moo-sung, floor leader of the GNP, hurriedly visited the site of the fire about 400 kilometers south of Seoul on the same day it broke out. Kim, an aide to President Lee, offered commiseration to the angered monks there and promised that his party will fully cooperate to restore the burnt structure in the first high-profile meeting between a ruling party lawmaker and a senior monk since the boycotting.

During a lunch with Ven. Jeongyeo, head of Beomeo temple, Kim apologized for the budget reduction and said his party was suffering from “a sense of guilt.”

“We have set plans to secure additional budget for the programs,” Kim told the head monk. “Please forgive us and, if necessary, berate us.”

Presidential spokesman Hong Sang-pyo also talked with the head monk over the phone and delivered President Lee’s message regarding the restoration plan.

However, Ven. Jeongyeo’s meeting with GNP leaders also drew criticism from the Jogye Order leaders who have declared that they will not meet any of GNP members.

Since Lee’s inauguration in early 2008, Buddhist groups have often clashed with his administration over its religious policies and Lee’s alleged bias as a Christian. Lee is well known as an elder of the Christian Somang church in Seoul. The conflict reached the highest level in August 2008 when tens of thousands of monks and Buddhists took to downtown Seoul to hold a massive rally against Lee’s “biased” religious policies.

China's Premier Quotes Gandhi

Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao virtually launched a charm offensive as he quoted the Upanishads, praised Mahatma Gandhi saying he has always lived in his heart and fondly remembered students calling him "grandpa" during his visit to a school here.

During his 30-minute address at the Indian Council of World Affairs, Wen also drew parallels between Chinese calligraphy and Yoga, and noted the influence of Buddhism on Chinese culture.

Recalling his visit to the Tagore International School last evening, the 68-year-old Chinese leader said he felt as if he was in his country when he was addressed as 'Grandpa Wen'.

"Children back home call me 'Grandpa Wen'," he said. "The Upanishad says 'the truth is above all and is the common foundation of conception'," the Chinese premier said as he went on the describe his "friendship" with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Prime Minister Singh and I are old friends. We have had long discussions on a dozen of occasions and forged a sincere friendship," he said.

The Chinese leader said he could see Mahatma Gandhi's unyielding image and clear eyes as he laid a wreath at the Raj Ghat memorial.

"For peace and justice, Mahatma Gandhi travelled from one village to another with firm steps, knowing no fatigue. He was intrepid, and so much so that no force or individual could make him stop," he said.

"This great man, a man of love and integrity, has always lived in my heart," Wen said.

Paying tributes to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, he said the sage poet forged a deep friendship with China's literary giants Lu Xun, Liang Qichao and Xu Zhimo.

Drawing similarities between Yoga and calligraphy, Wen said while Yogic postures signify the union of soul and physical strength, the Chinese art demonstrated the strength of hand and that of the mind.

Memorial for Fallen Warriors

NANJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- About 5,000 Chinese and foreigners gathered Monday in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, to mourn hundreds of thousands of people who were killed by invading Japanese troops 73 years ago.

Participants in the ceremony stood in silent tribute, offered wreaths and bowed in front of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre, with sirens wailing in the drizzling morning on Monday, the 73rd anniversary of the massive slaughter.

"The Japanese soldiers invaded Nanjing when I was four, and they killed some of my family members. On the anniversary of the massacre every year I would come here to express my grief," said Sun Xuelan, a 77-year-old survivor, who is confined to a wheelchair.

Japanese troops occupied Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937 and began a six-week massacre. Records show more than 300,000 people -- not only disarmed soldiers , but also civilians -- were killed.

Mikhalchev Mikhail, deputy director of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Russia, said, "In the history of human civilization, some facts shouldn't be forgotten, and the Nanjing Massacre was one of them."

He noted that the tragedy had become a symbol of the Chinese people's bitter suffering and prompted all people to learn the preciousness of peace."

"We should remember the history, but not hatred. Peace is a common desire of all human beings," said Nanjing citizen Yu Hong , who attended the ceremony.

Besides the memorial ceremony, Buddhist monks from China and Japan held a religious service Monday at the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

The assembly was attended by 15 monks from six Buddhist temples in Japan, more than 50 monks and Buddhist believers from China and thirty Massacre survivors and relatives of victims.

The monks chanted Buddhist prayers of mourning and prayed for peace.

Aori Take Shuna, abbot of Japan's Reiunti Temple, read a poem he wrote to honor the dead and prayed for long-term friendship between the peoples of China and Japan.

Yamauchi Sayoko, who was a representative of a sect of Japanese Buddhism, said that the people of Japan, which invaded and occupied China in the 1930s and 1940s, were deeply regretful for the victims of the war and sincerely hoped such a tragedy would never be repeated.

Built in 1985, the memorial hall annually records five million visitors since it was expanded and renovated in 2007.

Zhu Chengshan, curator of the hall, said that every year when the anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre occurs , nearly 10,000 Nanjing citizens would swarm the hall and spontaneously mourn the victims.

On Sunday, workers began to extend a memorial wall at the memorial hall on which names of those killed are engraved.

After the extension, the wall would have 10,324 names, 1,724 more than three years ago, Zhu said.

Collecting the names of the victims was an important job in researching the Massacre, but it was difficult to find witnesses and documents decades later, he said.

Moreover, a group of historians from China, Japan and the United States has begun compiling an encyclopedia on the Nanjing Massacre, which was expected to embody a wide range of historical documents and pictures. "The dictionary may serve as a consolation to the deceased," Zhu said.

Tibet and the Budda

A Tibet of the mind December 2010

By: Tenzing Sonam
For the generations of Tibetans now raised in exile, ‘home’ has taken on a complex tapestry of meanings.

Like most Tibetans born and brought up in exile, I grew up, in India, with a certain idea of my homeland, one that was informed by two extreme but inseparable views. On the one hand was an idealised state of grace that existed before the Chinese invasion; on the other, the violated and transformed land – a veritable hell on Earth – that it had since become. We were taught that we, the exiles, were the keepers of the true flame of Tibet’s national identity, the guardians of its culture and traditions, which, as far as we knew, were being destroyed in our homeland. And we were also raised to believe that one day we would triumphantly return home, that the entire raison d’etre for our displacement was to fight for that moment.

Over time, this lofty aspiration lost some of its bearings, instead becoming simply another component of our lives as refugees. Our world evolved its own particular reality; we were neither Tibetans in the way that our parents were – and Tibetans in Tibet still are – in the sense of having a physical connection to our land, nor were we truly a part of our adopted countries. Our peculiar in-between lives seemed to demand the expectation of returning to our spiritual homeland for sustenance, but not necessarily its fulfilment. As far as we knew, this was our life – being an exiled Tibetan, inhabiting an ersatz Tibetan world.

For the first two decades of exile, we had very little communication with our homeland. China, then in the throes of the Cultural Revolution, was closed to the outside world, and the ensuing shroud of silence fell even more heavily over Tibet. We had no idea what had befallen our families back home, and the occasional snippet of news only confirmed our worst fears. Tibet seemed to be undergoing horrors that we could not remotely imagine; the very fabric of its existence seemed to be in the process of being dismantled. This knowledge gave us the impetus to rebuild our lives in our new home in exile. The preservation of Tibetan culture, especially its Buddhist traditions, and the development of a modern education system for the younger generation, became the Dalai Lama’s most pressing concerns. And in this, helped by India’s generous accommodation and the support of many international agencies, we proved remarkably proficient. Within a few years, we were able to create a parallel Tibetan world, complete with our own religious establishments, educational and cultural institutions, settlements and, most importantly, our own government, headquartered in Dharamsala. We became, in the words of one academic study, ‘one of the most resilient and successful refugee groups in the world’.

In the early years, however, the belief remained strong that, sooner or later, we would be returning to Tibet. For people of my father’s generation, this goal was a very real one. They retained strong memories of home, and the thought of one day being able to go back sustained them through the trauma of escape and relocation. But with each passing year, this hope became remote and unattainable. By the time my father died in a Delhi hospital, in 1999, most people of his generation had already passed away. The expectation of return thus shifted from being a credible goal to an abstract ideal. By this point, the majority of us had only ever known the state of exile as our home. Over the years, as fewer and fewer of us had any direct memory or link with Tibet, we drifted further away from the reality of its contemporary situation. Instead, we retreated deeper into the cloistered world we had created for ourselves, an alter-Tibetan universe that was validated by the existence of the Tibetan government-in-exile and the various religious, educational and cultural institutions we had established. But above all, it was the presence of the Dalai Lama that gave us a kind of moral justification, a redeeming reason for our continuing existence as refugees.

Buddhist Thinker

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry and judging truth are found in the Kalama Sutra of the Anguttara Nikaya. In Kalama Sutra Buddha emphasized the importance of critical thinking that involves seeing things in an open-minded way. Critical thinking helps to evaluate and challenge the thoughts and ideas and rethink conclusions in the light of new knowledge.

Buddhism was conceived as a rational way of thought, being entirely in accordance with the latest findings of the natural sciences and Buddhism was not based on ‘dogmas of blind belief and revelation, but on rational thought and experiential examination. (Martin Baumann – Global Buddhism: developmental periods, regional histories, and a new analytical perspective – Journal of Global Buddhism 2001)

Critical Thinking

In 1987, Michael Scriven & Richard Paul gave a detailed description on Critical Thinking. According to Michael Scriven & Richard Paul Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes — is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.

Gautam Buddha from Lumbini

Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini in the 6th century BC in mid Tarai, Nepal. Nepal has been a pious and holy land for all Buddhists as well as all kinds of religious men and women. Buddha has guided human society on the path of peace, non-violence and prosperous thinking. Gautam Buddha meditated at Sarnath-Banarash and acquired the Light of Knowledge (Mokchya) under the holy fig-tree at Gaya, which is now called Buddha Gaya.

A Nepalese scholar Rupesh Shrestha writes-The term Buddha means “Enlightened One”, and signifies that the person to whom it is applied has solved the riddle of existence, and discovered the doctrine for the cessation of misery. Lord Buddha propounded Hinayana, a simple religion in which he followed to a large extent. This was a direct and simple philosophy that appealed to the masses.

Geographically, historically and politically, Nepal occupies a position in between two great empires of India and China and has drunk deeply from the two culturally rich springs, drawing inspirations from both its grand neighbors, as the political current ebbed or flowed - an influence clearly illustrated in the building styles of Nepal. In addition, there is the religious, cultural and philosophical effect of that great tide of Buddhism, which swept through the continent of Asia.

The descriptions of famous ancient Chinese pilgrims, Huian Tsang (who traveled through India between AD 629 & 645) and Fa Hein (who traveled between AD 400 & AD 414) indicate to this area, saying, 'Lumbini, where the Lord was born, is a piece of heaven on earth where one could see the snowy mountains amidst a splendid garden embedded with Stupas and monasteries.'

An English writer H.A. Oldfield has written- There are about 2000 Buddhist Shrines in the Kathmandu Valley.The majority of those are Chaityas. The Buddhist of Nepal has been adopting several Hindu deities as part of the religious behavior. I have included the opinions of many researchers as Ram Kumar Shrestha, Min Bahadur Shakya, V.K Manandhar, Shanker Thapa, Dr. Tilak Shrestha and others

DR. Tilak Shrestha writes-'The ethnic politics and Dharmic ignorance create non-existing problems. In the given setup, to assign Bahun, Pradhan and Kirati traditions into Hindu camp and Tuladhar, Bajracharya, Shakya, Sherpas & Tamang, Some Gurungs, Magars, Tharus, traditions into Buddhist camp is the outcome of serious comedy. Shaiva and Bauddha Religion are very similar emphasizing knowledge and meditation.The difference is that Shaiva begins with the assumption of ‘Brahma’ as the ultimate reality. The world as we know is one of its manifestations. Bauddha remains empirical and makes no assumptions. Though the goal is to go beyond emancipation, the discipline is within the direct understanding and experience of an individual in the world as it is. For Baudha Dharma the ‘Bodhi’ (Brahma) is the result of the empirical finding, not a priori. One of the philosophers of the middle age Shankaracharya was an Adwaita (Non-duel) scholar and debated mainly with Mimamsa school of Darshan. He also debated with Jaina, Shaiva and Baudha scholars. While Shankaracharya is given credit for the defeat of Buddhism in Hindu literature, he was in fact active after Buddhism had almost entirely faded from prominence. In particular, he was not a contemporary of the last great Indian Buddhist philosopher, Dharmakirti.

When Shankara came north to the intellectual centers there, he borrowed many of the ideas that had been formulated by Buddhist philosophers of the past. (external link)” The unity of the three principal Dharmas of Hinduism in Nepal – Buddhism (Buddha), Shaiva (Nilkantha) and Vaishnav (Narayan) is beautifully given in the temple located in Kathmandu valley, which we lovingly call – ‘Budha Nilkantha Narayan.’ The great contribution for the spread of Buddhism with definition of homely environment and Vikshus (begging alms) disseminated Buddhism was made by Shankaracharya. The opinion, doctrine and ethics strengthened Buddhism. Thus, Shankaracharya was not averse to real Buddhism.

Due to the Nepalese princess Brikuti who married with the King of China- the famous Shronchan Gompo, speeded the Buddhism and the craftsman Araniko who built numerous famous Buddhist statues in China and Tibet. From the time of Shronchan Gompo, Buddhism became gradually popular in China and Mongolia.

Medieval China learned and gained the Buddhism- 'the way of peaceful life.' Fa-xian, a famous monk visited the Buddha's birth place. His account on Lumbini -'Record of Buddhist Kingdom.' is applied as a useful historical asset. A Chinese scholar-Xuan-zhang visited 636 Kapilvastu and his traveling accounts are known as historical knowledge's. Lumbini, the holy pilgrimage had and has been attracting the Chinese monks to visit. The reality is that the Chinese monks contributed to preach Buddhism in China, India, south Asia Burma, Shilanka, Afhaganistan and the western world also. The monks preached translating the Sanskrit sermons of the Buddhism.The Tibetan Buddhism was developed as the most influential Buddhist heritage. Nepal and China have a long history of cultural relations.

In 1895, a German Archaeologist- Dr. A. Fuhrer, An Indian Dr. Mukargee and Nepalese Khadga Shamshere discovered the missing pillar which was set up by the Maurya emperor of India, Ashoka where Gautam Buddha was born-the most visible landmark of the Sacred Garden.The historic importance of the pillar is evidenced by the inscription engraved in the pillar (in Brahmi script).From excavations it has been found that the Ashokan pillar stands on its original base of unborn brick platform which concludes that the Pillar is at its original location.

900 Year Tradition

“The 17th Karmapa is the oldest and the most revered reincarnate lineage in Tibetan Buddhism,” Samdhong Rinpoche told AsiaNews. The Kalon Tripa or prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile spoke a few days before the 900th anniversary of the Karmapa, the third highest spiritual office in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. The current incarnation has lived in India since 2000, free from Chinese control. He is viewed as the “natural” successor to the Dalai Lama.
Born in 1983, the current Karmapa Lama (Trinley Thaye Dorje) fled from Tsurphu Temple in central Tibet and after an overland winter trek across the Himalayas, he reached India where he was given asylum.

He has lived in Dharamsala since he went into exile. He is free to travel but requires official permission to receive visitors.

For Rinpoche, 900 years “of Karma tradition are significant because it is an occasion to strengthen and reinforce the Tibetan religious and cultural identity”.

Here is the interview Samdhong Rinpoche gave AsiaNews.

Why is the Indian Government keeping the Karmapa under such stringent restrictions? He was allowed to leave India only once, in 2008 when permission was finally given for him to visit the US.

The Indian Government is providing security and protection to the Karmapa, especially because since he was eight-year-old when he became the first reincarnation to be recognised by both the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. Importantly, in the absence of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, China wants to make use of him for their own purposes. Thus, the Indian government is kindly protecting him.

Why is China afraid of the Karmapa?

China considers Buddhist religion and culture as synonymous with the Tibetan identity. Hence, all spiritual activity, growth, and prosperity make Chinese officials unhappy, nervous and afraid especially as he was recognised by the PRC.

What is the core teaching of the Karmapa?

The Karmapa is a disciple of the Dalai Lama and for the past ten years, he has received his teaching. In keeping with his teachings, the Karmapa is promoting care for the environment and spiritual harmony among other teachings. With the rumoured retirement of the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa will take on additional responsibilities. The Dalai may retire from temporal leadership so that the Tibetan government will take care of administrative governance. This will not involve any change in functioning.

The first Karmapa appeared 900 years ago. What is the most important aspect of this celebration?

Nine hundred years of Karma tradition are significant because this is an occasion to strengthen and reinforce the Tibetan religious and cultural identity in the heart of every Tibetan, anywhere in the world. A two-day ceremony to mark the 900th anniversary of the Karmapa lineage will be held in Bodh Gaya, India, on 8 December. (N.C.)

Dalai Lama Teaches Russian Monks

Dharamsala, November 30: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday began a three-day Buddhist teaching at the Main Tibetan Temple (Tsuglagkhang) here at the request of a Buddhist group from Russia.

Over 1000 Russian Buddhists and, hundreds of Tibetans and visiting tourists packed the Tsuglagkhang Temple to listen to the teachings of the Dalai Lama on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo's "37 Practices of A Boddhisattva" (laklen sodunma)from November 30 to December 2. Along with the teachings, the Dalai Lama will also confer a Guhyasamaja Initiation.

The teaching has been specially considered by the Dalai Lama for the Buddhists from Russia and the Russian Republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. A small group of followers from Mongolia are also attending the teachings.

The Dalai Lama is revered by the Mongolian and Russian Buddhists as their spiritual leader and they continue to seek His Holiness’ blessing and guidance for the full revival of Buddhism in their regions after undergoing decades of severe repression from Communist rule.

"There has been a growing interest to learn and understand Buddhism in the three Buddhists Republics and also in the rest of mainland Russia," Telo Rinpoche, the spiritual head of Kalmyk Buddhists and the man responsible for organising the teachings, told Phayul.com.

"So compared to last year's teachings, when we have around 800 attendees, this time we have around 1035 people coming from Russia. Also this times there are more youngsters joining their family to hear teachings from His Holiness," he added.

"We have also seen more and more people from Russia coming to India every year to visit the holy Buddhist places and also to learn Buddhism," Telo added.

Despite decades of Soviet repression, Buddhism survived in the Buddhist Republics of Russia and is now being revived. Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist state, too suffered cultural obliteration at the hand of communism.

"So what is even more encouraging is that His Holiness has already given his kind consideration to give teachings for us again next year," Telo Rinpoche said.

Telo also said many of the Buddhist faithful attending the teachings have plans to stay little longer in Dharamsala, the exile home of Dalai Lama and the seat of Tibetan Government-in-Exile, or spend more time in India visiting other holy Buddhist places.

Among those attending the three-day teachings are former prime minister of Kalmyk Republic, three members of Russian Parliament (Duma) and the finance minister and other dignitaries from Kazakhstan, Telo confirmed.

There is also a strong media delegation of 27 journalists from different Russian news media currently in Dharamsala, the seat of Tibet's government in exile in north India. While in the town, they will explore the situation of the exile Tibetan community that includes interviews with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan prime minister and senior officials, and various other representatives from the community.

Information available with the organisers of the teachings shows more than 4000 enthusiasts from 54 different countries have registered for the teachings.

The teachings are scheduled to be held in the morning from 0900hrs to 1130hrs in the morning and 1300hrs to 1500hrs in the afternoon for the next two days.

These teachings are being translated in Russian. Simultaneous translations in English and Chinese are also made available on FM radio.