Ananda: Pre-eminent in Remembering

Buddhanet.net

Among the disciples of the Buddha, Venerable Ananda had the most retentive memory. Ananda joined the Sangha when he was a child. It was said that he became a monk together with Aniruddha and Bhadra. Initially when the four Sakyas princes became monks, Ananda was the youngest of all.

The father of Ananda was King Suklodana, Buddha's greatest betrayer, Devadatta was Ananda's elder brother. Once when Buddha returned to his homeland to preach, King Suklodana was afraid that Buddha would influence Ananda so after meeting Buddha, he brought Ananda to Vaisali so that there would be less opportunity of Ananda meeting Buddha. However, later Buddha went to Vaisali too so King Suklodana again brought Ananda back to Kapilavastu.

In fact, among the princes, Buddha had the greatest hope that Ananda would leave home with him. The Buddha could foresee the future and he thought, " If Ananda leaves home, he shall spread Buddha Dharma to the future generations.

When the Buddha knew Ananda had returned to Kapilavastu, he immediately went to the palace of King Suklodana. When Ananda saw the Buddha, he paid his respects to the Buddha and used a fan to fan Him. From here we can see that little Ananda had respected Buddha even at a young age.

When the time was ripe, Ananda and prince Bhadra joined the monk's community.

Helping in the Setting up of the Order of Nuns

Growing up in the Sangha, Ananda had a gentle and compassionate disposition. He was most respected by women because he was caring towards the bhikkhunis and women followers of the Buddha.

It was due to the effort of Ananda that Buddha allowed female to become bhikkhunis.

When Buddha's foster mother Mahaprajapati saw that the Buddha had attained enlightenment, that some of the princes had taken refuge in Buddha and the king was dead, she wanted to leave home to be a bhikkhuni or nun. Read more

Monks With Guns: Discovering Buddhist Violence

By Michael Jerryson, Religion Dispatches, January 12, 2010

<< Buddhist monk with toy gun. Bhutan, 2008.

The co-editor of a new book on the history of Buddhist violence and warfare explains how the notion of a purely mystical and otherworldly Buddhism—promoted by some of the great interpreters of the tradition—denies its adherents’ humanity.

The publication of Buddhist Warfare, a book I co-edited with Mark Juergensmeyer, is a bittersweet experience as it marks the culmination of a journey that began with an exploration of the peaceful aspects of Buddhism only to end up chronicling portions of its dark side. This journey, which consumed much of the last six years of my life, began in 2003 when my wife and I spent a little over a year in Thailand. It was then that I began to research Buddhist social activism which was going to be the topic of my dissertation.

Rather than look to archives, I decided to speak with Buddhist monks and nuns on the ground. I interviewed monks protecting the forests from big business and villagers from dangerous pesticides; I met and began to chronicle the activities of the first fully ordained Thai Buddhist nun, Dhammananda Bhikkuni; and I met with Thai Buddhist monastic intellectuals.

Military Monks

Then in January 2004, violent attacks broke out in the southern provinces of Thailand, some of which were directed at Buddhist monks. These attacks and the numerous ones to follow shocked the country. But, since contemporary issues and my research interests seemed to be converging, I thought: what better way to study Buddhist activism than to observe Buddhist monks engaged in peacemaking?

Unfortunately, I found very little of this.

During my visits between 2006 and 2008, southern Thai monks shared the challenges of living in their fear-infested communities. All but a few concentrated on survival; peacemaking was the last thing on their minds. Read more

Zen master accuses Vietnam's government of paying mobs to evict his followers

By Ben Stocking (CP), January 11, 2010

<< Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh

HANOI, Vietnam — A famous Zen master has accused Vietnam's communist government of hiring mobs of people to violently evict his Buddhist followers from two monasteries.

Thich Nhat Hanh, who helped popularize Buddhism in the West and has sold millions of books worldwide, also called on Vietnam to lift restrictions on religious freedom and respect human rights.

Nhat Hanh made the comments in a letter to his Vietnamese followers in late December, days after they were pressured by a mob and government authorities to leave the Phuoc Hue temple in the southern province of Lao Dong.

"Our country does not yet have true religious freedom and the government tightly controls the Buddhist Church machinery," Nhat Hanh wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Monday. "The Buddhist Church is helpless, unable to protect its own children. This is a truth clearly seen by everyone."

The monks and nuns had sought refuge at Phuoc Hue after being forced from the nearby Bat Nha monastery on Sept. 27.

"In the case of Bat Nha and Phuoc Hue, government officials hired the mobs and worked together with them," Nhat Hanh wrote in the letter, dated "the last days of 2009."

Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment. But Vietnam's Committee on Religious Affairs had previously scheduled a press conference for Monday to discuss the Bat Nha situation.

The government has accused Nhat Hanh's followers of failing to follow various Vietnamese religious regulations. The monastics say they have been harassed because in 2007 their teacher called on Vietnamese authorities to abolish government control of religion.

In his letter, Nhat Hanh said the mobs at Phuoc Hue and Bat Nha were hired by police and the Fatherland Front, a communist party organization. At Phuoc Hue, they were paid 200,000 Vietnamese dong ($11) a day, he wrote. Read more

UPR Session

By karmatoons.blogspot.com, January 7, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons'

By Jonathan Leake. The Sunday Times, January 3, 2010

<< Dolphins have long been recognised as among the most intelligent of animals but many researchers had placed them below chimps.

Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”.

Studies into dolphin behaviour have highlighted how similar their communications are to those of humans and that they are brighter than chimpanzees. These have been backed up by anatomical research showing that dolphin brains have many key features associated with high intelligence.

The researchers argue that their work shows it is morally unacceptable to keep such intelligent animals in amusement parks or to kill them for food or by accident when fishing. Some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die in this way each year.

“Many dolphin brains are larger than our own and second in mass only to the human brain when corrected for body size,” said Lori Marino, a zoologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who has used magnetic resonance imaging scans to map the brains of dolphin species and compare them with those of primates.

“The neuroanatomy suggests psychological continuity between humans and dolphins and has profound implications for the ethics of human-dolphin interactions,” she added.

Dolphins have long been recognised as among the most intelligent of animals but many researchers had placed them below chimps, which some studies have found can reach the intelligence levels of three-year-old children. Recently, however, a series of behavioural studies has suggested that dolphins, especially species such as the bottlenose, could be the brighter of the two. The studies show how dolphins have distinct personalities, a strong sense of self and can think about the future.

It has also become clear that they are “cultural” animals, meaning that new types of behaviour can quickly be picked up by one dolphin from another. Read more

'Illegal' Vietnam Buddhists leave temple: abbot

AFP, December 31, 2009

<< File photo of Zen Buddhist monk leader Thich Nhat Hanh. Followers of an "illegal" Buddhist group set up by the monk in communist Vietnam have dispersed ahead of a Thursday deadline to leave a temple where they had sought shelter, the head of the pagoda said Wednesday.

HANOI — Members of an "illegal" Buddhist group in communist Vietnam who took refuge in a temple for three months have left the pagoda in accordance with a deadline, the temple's head said on Wednesday.

Their departure from Phuoc Hue pagoda follows what Human Rights Watch, a US-based watchdog, alleged was a year of intensified government efforts to disband the community of young monks and nuns.

They are devotees of the French-based Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen monk who was a confidant of slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

"The last of about 200 followers of Thich Nhat Hanh left our pagoda on Tuesday evening," said Thich Thai Thuan, who heads the Phuoc Hue pagoda in Lam Dong province.

Religious activity remains under state control in Vietnam, although the government says it always respects freedom of belief and religion.

Human Rights Watch has said that pressure on Nhat Hanh's followers was "clearly linked to his call for religious reforms".

In early December, Thai Thuan said that after three days of mob pressure he had "no choice" but to sign a written promise that the devotees would leave his temple by December 31.

A crowd of about 100 people had descended on the pagoda demanding that the monks and nuns depart. One nun claimed that police were among the crowd and that some in the crowd had been paid to intimidate the Buddhists. Read more

Buddhist prayers for Indian Ocean tsunami victims in Aceh

The Jakarta Post, December 21, 2009

<< Never forget: A Buddhist prayer leader places flowers at a mass cemetery for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Ulee Lheu, Banda Aceh on Sunday. Nearly 230,000 people around the region were killed in the disaster. (Antara/Irwansyah Putra)

Hundreds of Buddhist residents on Sunday joined a prayer in front of a mass cemetery for people who died in the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that hit Aceh five years ago.

The followers also took part in other rituals such as releasing flowers and lanterns to the Ulee Lheu Sea.

One of the event’s organizers, Yuswar, told news portal tempointeraktif.com this commemoration was aimed at praying for the Buddhists killed during the disaster.

“The rituals will continue until Dec. 26,” Yuswar added.

Apart from Buddhists, Islamic followers will hold similar prayers on Dec. 26. Read more

Vietnamese Buddhists seek asylum in France

By Justin McCurry, guardian.co.uk, December 17, 2009

Followers of radical leader Thich Nhat Hanh claim they are not safe in Vietnam after standoff with authorities turns violent

<< The Vietnamese Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh, left, attends a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City in 2007. AP

Hundreds of Vietnamese followers of a radical Buddhist leader have called on the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to grant them temporary asylum, a week after they were attacked by vigilantes allegedly hired by the Vietnamese authorities.

Representatives of the followers yesterday urged Sarkozy to grant them asylum "until it is safe for them to return to Vietnam to practise their faith, together".

About 380 young monks and nuns were forced to flee Bat Nha monastery in central Lam Dong province at the end of September after the authorities reacted angrily to a call by their exiled spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hanh, to end religious intolerance and disband the country's notorious A41 religious police.

Supporters say that several monks were beaten and four were sexually assaulted, while two others were held under house arrest without charge.

The year long standoff between the Buddhists and the Vietnamese authorities took another violent turn last week when the government sealed off a temple where 200 followers had been taking refuge. Read more

The truth is I've never fooled anyone

American Buddhist Net, December 11, 2009

"The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving someone I wasn't. When they found this out, they would blame me for disillusioning them and fooling them."
~ Marilyn Monroe

Perhaps in Obama's future memoirs, there will be a similar quote that reads something like this:

"The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to look at what I actually did. Instead they would simply believe the crap I said in the speeches that were written for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were in love with what they thought I represented. When they found this out, long after it had become obvious that I had never fulfilled any of my campaign promises, they blamed me for disillusioning them."

Threatened Buddhists to leave Vietnam temple: Abbot

Foreign, December 11, 2009

HANOI, Dec 11 (AFP) - The head of a Buddhist pagoda in Central Vietnam said Friday that followers of an influential French-based monk can no longer seek shelter with him following three days of mob pressure.

"I had to agree, and I had no choice," Thich Thai Thuan told AFP from Phuoc Hue pagoda in Lam Dong province.

He said there has been "strong pressure" from crowds of about 100 people who noisily descended upon the pagoda for three days until Friday, demanding that devotees of the French-based Thich Nhat Hanh leave.

"It's because of that that I had to sign this morning... a written promise of their departure, at the latest December 31."

Nhat Hanh is a Zen monk and was a confidant of slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

Almost 200 of his followers have been staying at Phuoc Hue since September when they fled their monastery at Bat Nha, also in Lam Dong province.

Followers said at the time they left Bat Nha after threats from people armed with hammers and batons.

"For the authorities, we are illegal," Trung Hai, a monk representing the group, said last month in Geneva.

One nun, who declined to be identified, said police were among the crowd, whose members told her they had been paid to intimidate the Buddhists.

"We don't have a place to go. We don't know what to do," the nun said. Read more

Our Real Home

By Ajaan Chah

A Talk to an Aging Lay Disciple Approaching Death

Now determine in your mind to listen with respect to the Dhamma. During the time that I am speaking, be as attentive to my words as if it was the Lord Buddha himself sitting in front of you. Close your eyes and make yourself comfortable, compose your mind and make it one-pointed. Humbly allow the Triple Gem of wisdom, truth and purity to abide in your heart as a way of showing respect to the Fully Enlightened One.

Today I have brought nothing material of any substance to offer you, only Dhamma, the teachings of the Lord Buddha. Listen well. You should understand that even the Buddha himself, with his great store of accumulated virtue, could not avoid physical death. When he reached old age he relinquished his body and let go of its heavy burden. Now you too must learn to be satisfied with the many years you've already depended on your body. You should feel that it's enough.

You can compare it to household utensils you've had for a long time — your cups, saucers, plates and so on. When you first had them they were clean and shining, but now after using them for so long, they're starting to wear out. Some are already broken, some have disappeared and those that are left are deteriorating; they have no stable form, and it's their nature to be like that. Your body is the same way — it's been continually changing right from the day you were born, through childhood and youth, until now it's reached old age. You must accept that. The Buddha said that conditions (sankharas), whether they are internal conditions, bodily conditions, or external conditions, are not-self, their nature is to change. Contemplate this truth until you see it clearly.

This very lump of flesh that lies here in decline is saccadhamma, the truth. The truth of this body is saccadhamma, and it is the unchanging teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha taught us to look at the body, to contemplate it and come to terms with its nature. We must be able to be at peace with the body, whatever state it is in. The Buddha taught that we should ensure that it's only the body that is locked up in jail and not let the mind be imprisoned along with it. Now as your body begins to run down and deteriorate with age, don't resist that, but don't let your mind deteriorate with it. Keep the mind separate. Give energy to the mind by realizing the truth of the way things are. The Lord Buddha taught that this is the nature of the body, it can't be any other way: having been born it gets old and sick and then it dies. This is a great truth you are presently encountering. Look at the body with wisdom and realize it. Read more

Vietnam crowd blocks EU probe of Buddhist conflict

By Ben Stocking, Associated Press, December 9, 2009

An angry crowd disrupted a meeting Wednesday between European Union representatives and followers of a famous Buddhist monk involved in a tense standoff with Vietnamese authorities, a Swedish diplomat said Wednesday.

The crowd of roughly 100 people forced the EU delegation to postpone its session with followers of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who has popularized Buddhism in the West and sold millions of books worldwide, said Mary Louise Thaning, the delegation leader.

"They were very angry, so it was not useful to continue the meeting," said Thaning, the political counselor at the Swedish Embassy in Hanoi.

Nhat Hanh's followers say they are being persecuted because their teacher called on Vietnam's Communist government to end state control of religion and dismantle the country's religious police. The government says they have failed to follow Vietnam's laws on religion and must return to their home villages.

Wednesday's meeting was at Phuoc Hue pagoda in Lam Dong province, where Nhat Hanh's followers have taken refuge since being forcibly evicted from the nearby Bat Nha monastery on Sept. 27. Read more

Nobel Peace Prize proposed for Master Cheng Yen

The China Post, December 4, 2009
Courtesy: Buddhist Channel

Taipei, Taiwan -- This year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Barack Obama of the United States, albeit he doesn't seem to have done anything to contribute to world peace. Well, that may be the reason why a German Nobel laureate on a brief visit to Taipei is planning to nominate Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen for that prize next year.

Dr. Harald zur Hausen, director of the German Cancer Research Center at Heidelberg and winner of last year's Nobel Prize for Medicine, wants to recommend Master Cheng Yen for the peace prize for her compassionate work around the world. She is Taiwan's equivalent to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who started her Missionaries of Charity that extends love to and takes care of those persons nobody is prepared to look after. She won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.

Professor Hausen, who won the prize for his discovery of human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer, came to Taipei last Thursday for a lecture tour at the invitation of the Sayling Wen Cultural and Education Foundation. He took time out to visit Hualien, where the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, founded by Master Cheng Yen in 1966, has grown from its original 30 housewives to over five million members in 45 countries over the past 43 years. He was so greatly impressed by Tzu Chi's contributions to the promotion of social and community services, medical care, education and humanism in Taiwan and around the world that he announced he would nominate her for next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

The work Master Cheng Yen has done rivals that of Mother Teresa, whose Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Her followers provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics and famine, as well as for refugees. The order also has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless and AIDS sufferers are taken care of. Tzu Chi has done all this and even a little more. Read more

Letting Go, Letting Be

By Lama Surya Das

How do you spell relief? For starters, stop trying to change things you have no control over.

Q. I hear a lot about letting go, but how do I do it? There seems to be few teachings on the subject, except that letting go and practicing nonattachment are supposed to be good things to do.

A. The Buddha said we experience the peace of nirvana by letting things be as they are. Indeed, applying the Beatles' exhortation to "Let It Be" to our lives can bring a lot of serenity and equanimity. My own personal Buddhist bumper sticker is "breathe, relax and smile." It works for road rage and for diminishing all kinds of problems. Repeat after me: "Breathe, relax and smile." Now that's not so hard, is it?

Of course, if it were that easy, we'd all be enlightened by now. Letting go, letting be, or embodying the Buddhist term "nonattachment" greatly reduces and even alleviates suffering. In fact, it is the goal of Buddhism. Buddha taught that the cause of suffering is craving and attachment. Therefore, letting go of our tight-fisted grasping is in our own self-interest, as it helps erode our wellspring of dissatisfaction and anxiety.

Attachment is like holding on tightly to something that is always slipping through my fingers--it just gives me rope burn.

For me, attachment is like holding on tightly to something that is always slipping through my fingers--it just gives me rope burn. But letting go--nonattachment--relieves the constant, painful irritation. A good example of this is not being able to fall asleep at night because you keep turning something over and over in your mind. It's one of those times when letting go is obviously a necessary virtue, and having some kind of relaxation tool can be extraordinarily helpful.

Scientific research has shown that people who are optimistic and have an ability to accept or let go of negative memories, experiences, and events tend to be healthier and live longer than people who are pessimistic and worry about or try to change things that are out of their control. Indeed, acceptance is actually transformative, and awareness is curative. Sometimes mistaken for passivity or complacency, acceptance has a powerful magic that is actually quite dynamic and creative. Have you ever noticed, for example, how accepting your mate rather than trying to change him or her ends up improving your relationship? Read more

Painter Hirayama dies at 79

The Straits Times, December 2, 2009

<< Hirayama is known for his efforts to preserve cultural treasures such as the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, China's Mogao Caves and Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhist monuments. -- PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO - JAPANESE painter Ikuo Hirayama, a campaigner for the preservation of the world's cultural heritage known for his works on the Silk Road and Buddhism, died on Wednesday, a spokesman said. He was 79.

Hirayama died of a stroke at a Tokyo hospital, the spokesman for his art museum in western Hiroshima said.

He is known for his efforts to preserve cultural treasures such as the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, China's Mogao Caves and Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhist monuments, which were dynamited in 2001 by the Taleban.

His goal was 'to make people of all races and religions aware of the value of these human treasures, thus leading to mutual understanding and the promotion of world peace', said the UN cultural organisation, which made him a goodwill ambassador in 1988. Read more

Vietnam Buddhists complain of ongoing harassment

Philstar.com, December 02, 2009

HANOI (AP) – Followers of a famed Buddhist monk say they are continuing to suffer police harassment two months after they were forcibly evicted from a monastery in southern Vietnam.

The followers of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who has popularized Buddhism in the West and sold millions of books worldwide, say they are being persecuted because their teacher called on Vietnam's Communist government to end state control of religion and dismantle the country's religious police.

They say authorities are pressuring them to leave three temples where they have sought refuge since being ousted from the Bat Nha Monastery by an angry mob and police in late September.

On Sunday, police escorted about 20 monks and nuns from the Tu Duc Monastery in Khanh Hoa province and drove them back to their home villages, according to Sister Chan Khong, a close associate of Nhat Hanh who spoke from the Plum Village monastery in southern France, where he is based.

Police declined to comment and government officials could not be reached. Authorities have previously described the conflict as a dispute between two Buddhist factions.

They say they are simply upholding the will of Bat Nha Abbot Duc Nghi, a member of the official Buddhist Church of Vietnam who invited Nhat Hanh's followers to settle at the monastery in 2005 but rescinded his offer in 2008.

Last week, the European Union's parliament passed a resolution that criticized Vietnam's human rights record and mentioned the events at Bat Nha. Read more

Myanmar and Sri Lanka to jointly promote Buddhism

The Sunday Times, November 15, 2009

<< Mayanmar's President General Than Shwe and his wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing visited the Shri Maha Bodhiya yesterday. Atamasthanadhipathi Ven Pallegama Siriniwasa Thera is seen here donating a Bo-sapling from the Shrimaha Bodhiya. Pic by Athula Bandara.

Myanmar and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement to promote Buddhism, which includes setting up an exchange programme for students of Buddhism. The signing took place during Myanmar leader Senior General Than Shwe’s visit to the country.

During his three day tour, the Myanmar leader visited some of the country’s most hallowed places of worship, including the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, the historic shrines in Anuradhapura, and the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara. General Than Shwe has donated US$10,000 for the upkeep and development of the Dalada Maligawa.

During his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at President’s House, Kandy, Senior General Than Shwe said the world appreciated the Sri Lankan President’s achievements in eliminating terrorism from the land and steering the country towards development. Read more

Ancient Buddhist monastery conserved in SW China's Tibet

www.chinaview.cn, November 12, 2009

<< Ceyun Bainco feeds a young Tibetan antelope at Sonam Daje Natural Protection Station in Hol Xil Natural Reserve in Northwest China's Qinghai Province, Oct. 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Hou Deqiang)

LHASA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- First-phase of the project to conserve a more-than-1,000-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ngari prefecture of southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been completed, and the second phase will begin soon.

Tsering Tashi, head of the prefecture's culture bureau, said Thursday that the second phase will focus on restoration and consolidation of monk dormitories and residential buildings of civilians surrounding the Khorchak Monastery.

The first phase, which began in October 2008, featured restoration of two main halls of the monastery, including anti-infiltration treatment and consolidation arrangements for the roofs, according to Tsering Tashi.

The original styles and features of the monastery have been maintained in the conservation project, which costs 15 million yuan (2.2 million U.S. dollars), he added.

Located in Khorchak village of Burang county, the monastery is a well-known one for the Sakya Tradition of the Tibetan Buddhism. Built in 996, it boasts profounding influence among the Buddhist followers in Ngari prefecture and the nearby Nepal. Read more

Despite protests, Nepal to host world’s largest animal sacrifice fair

Submitted by Sarthak Gupta, November 9, 2009

Maneka Gandhi’s protest and Nepal’s ‘Budhha Boy’ Ram Bahadur Bomjan’s appeal would not be able to prevent sacrifice of nearly half a million animals at this month’s Gadhimai Mela in this Himalayan nation.

Billed as the world’s largest animal sacrifice fair, the event held every five years at Bariyapur in Bara district of southern Nepal is expected to attract nearly five million Hindu devotees from across the country and several Indian states as well.

But despite protest from several quarters, the Nepal government has refused to intervene in the religious custom meant to appease Goddess Gadhimai and has decided to provide adequate facilities for the two-day ritual beginning on November 24. On Sunday, Home Minister Bhim Rawal assured the development committee of parliament that 1150 additional security personnel would be deployed in the mela area for security of the pilgrims.

“Security could be a cause of concern as a large gathering would congregate at the fair and there is difference of opinion among the local populace as well on whether the custom should continue,” said chairman of the committee Jitendra Sonar who had visited Bariyapur recently.

According to estimates, nearly 500,000 animals including buffaloes, goats, ducks, roosters and pigeons would be sacrificed at the fair to appease the goddess. Some say the number has increased because of several Indian states banning animal sacrifice for religious purposes.

“Since many devotees come from India, we have asked the administration in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, states that border Nepal, to stop smuggling of animals and birds for the fair,” told DB Bomjan of Tamang Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, an NGO recently. Read more

Monk fakes PM and Kalam's signature

By Aman Sharma, New Delhi, November 9, 2009

The CBI has registered a case against a Buddhist monk in West Bengal who has allegedly published fake messages by PM Manmohan Singh and ex-President APJ Abdul Kalam in a book.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the agency to probe the monk who published these messages praising his two books, and even forged their signatures on these fake messages.

The monk, Buddha Priya Mahathera, is not co-operating with the probe, sources said. CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal said the agency had lodged a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery for the purpose of harming reputation of important personalities.

"The suspects are Buddha Priya Mahathera and Atri Sinha Barua.

The name of the books are - Dr Bongkot Sitthipol, A Life Dedicated To World Peace written by Mahathera and Ven. Dr. Buddha Priya Mahathera - Ambassador of Peace edited by Barua," Bhal said.

The case has been assigned to the CBI's Special Crimes Division.

The PMO was apprised of the fraud this April. Ananda Bhikkhu, the general secretary of another prominent Buddhist organisation - the Bharatiya Sangharaj Bhikkhu Mahasabha in Bodhgaya - filed an RTI application to the PMO and the President's Office, asking if Manmohan Singh or APJ Kalam had ever written messages for the books concerned in 2006.

"Both the PMO and President's Office replied saying no such message was issued. This confirmed our doubts. We then filed an official complaint with the PMO," Bhikkhu said.

CBI on trail of monk who published fake messages in books By Aman Sharma in New Delhi First, a team from the Intelligence Bureau was deputed to contact Mahathera and speak to Bhikkhu in Bodhgaya to know more about the matter. After being convinced of the fraud, the Centre asked the CBI to step in. Read more

Review: Anti-war Buddhist monk's story told in miniatures at Heart of the Beast

By Quinton Skinner, Special to the Pioneer Press, November 7, 2009

There are a pair of emblematic passages in Masanari Kawahara's understated and gently affecting story of Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh. In the first, we see the monk as a young child, laughing and gleefully declaring to his mother, "I want to be a monk!"

In the second, a miniature American warplane flies over a bucolic Vietnamese landscape; as it passes, Kawahara slams a hand down upon the greenery, which is replaced by stark flames. Such is the dichotomy between joy and grief that marked Thich's anti-war efforts and writings, which arguably made as great a mark in bringing Buddhist thought to the west as any of his contemporaries.

In "A Path Home: A Story of Thich Nhat Hanh," Kawahara uses an array of devices to tell this story in miniature. In a visual space no more than four feet across, he employs handheld figures, shadow puppets and painted scenery to move the narrative from Vietnam to France and Washington, where Thich tried to stop the war in his homeland from what he called its "roots" in America (making enemies of U.S. allies in South Vietnam in the process).

Appropriately enough, the mood here is meditative, an intent announced from the ceremonial bell chime that starts the proceedings. The action is accompanied by Kawahara's sporadic easy-going narration, and Matt Larson adds a slow, dreamlike score on guitar, whistle and a variety of stringed instruments.

There isn't much here in the way of conventional drama, nor a sense of Thich the person, other than his public persona and altruistic pursuits (although, given the egoless state to which he apparently aspired, operatic thunder of the soul might not have been prominent in his biography.) What we have instead is a simply elegant relaying of events, interspersed with humble profundities.
Yet it's not as though "A Path Home" is lacking in passion. When Kawahara's puppets representing Thich and Martin Luther King Jr. meet, we hear a recording of one of King's late-period speeches on Vietnam. It is far more revolutionary, more incendiary, than history generally remembers. To one side, a paper monk burns while Kawahara unreels his words on a long scroll, the holy man offering his body in flames to light the way toward peace. Read more

German Court Denies Buddhist Bank Robber’s Request To Visit With Cat

The Inquisitr, November 3, 2009

Whirl, Germany (AHN) – A Buddhist bank robber’s plea to have his cat visit him in jail was turned down by a German court-even with the caveat that the cat is the reincarnation of his mother.

Peter Keonig, 46, doesn’t want to spend the five years he was sentenced for armed robberies without seeing his cat, Gisela, England’ The Daily Telegraph reported.

He told the court the cat should be allowed to visit him because he’s certain she’s the reincarnation of his deceased mother. Buddhists believe that people return to the Earth as animals after they die.

In turning down the kitty-plea, the court said they respected religious freedom, but that there’s no proof that cat is in fact Keonig’s mother reborn, the Telegraph reported.

The court did note he would be able to write the cat, but there’s no indication his mother retained her reading skills after transitioning to feline form. Read more

Concern over monks' poor health

The Nation National, October 27, 2009

Concern that the health of more than 40,000 monks around the country was at risk has prompted the Public Health Ministry to speed up reforms to allow the safe transfer of sick monks between the Priests Hospital and hospitals in Bangkok and upcountry.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai told a meeting yesterday of 100 officials from hospitals and health agencies about results from a random survey last year on the health of 80,945 monks in all regions (out of 300,000 Buddhist monks and novices around the country). While 44 per cent of the monks were healthy, some 56 per cent, or 45,333 monks were found to be unhealthy, he said.

About 31 per cent of those deemed unhealthy, or 24,937 monks, were sick, mostly from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and emphysema.

Another 25 per cent, or 20,396 monks, were said to be at risk of falling ill, mostly from coronary heart disease and diabetes, he said.

Witthaya affirmed that sick monks and novices could get medical treatment from state hospitals freeofcharge via the universal healthcare system.

Bangkok also had the Priests Hospital, the world's only hospital specifically for monks and novices.

He said the health of monks, and other groups, would be well taken care of, due to plans to have 9,000 tambonlevel hospitals promoting good health and the training of 970,000 officials and volunteers by the year 2012. Read more

Elder monk accused of killing 68-year-old nun

By Kim Yuthana and Chrann Chamroeun, The Phnom Penh Post, October 27, 2009

 

A 68-YEAR-OLD monk in Banteay Meanchey province bludgeoned a nun to death with a piece of firewood on Sunday after he caught her allowing pigs to eat from his rice plate, officials said Monday.

Or Borin, provincial military police deputy chief, said the monk, Pov Ron, had confessed to the killing and blamed an uncontrollable anger.

“The pair had been feuding over little things for a long time, and the most recent incident happened when he saw the nun letting pigs use the plate he always used for eating rice,” he said.

Or Borin said he was defrocked before being taken to the police station for interrogation. The victim was identified as Kheuv Lav, also 68.

The killing came two days after two monks allegedly beat to death a fourth-year medical student in the capital’s Meanchey district after he chastised them for drinking palm wine. Read more

Buddhist Hell and reincarnation

By Emily Breder, Buddhism Examiner, October 26, 2009

<< Chinese shadow play figure of Buddhist Hell - the Punishment of Belly Smashing
Set of the Mandschu Prince; Qing Dynasty, Deutsches Ledermuseum, Offenbach (Germany)
Photographer: Dr. Meierhofer

Hell to Buddhists is quite different than other religions, excepting some of Hinduism. First one needs to understand their view on death. A measurable principle of the universe, the law of conservation of energy, shows us how matter and energy are interchangeable but nothing is lost in the conversion. Likewise, impermanence is one of the three Foundations of Buddhist enlightenment. "Everything changes, nothing stays the same..." It is a short step to understanding that Buddhists don't believe the when we die, we're worm food and that's it. There are six "states of existence" which seem to be universally agreed upon, amongst the amazing variety of cultural interpretations.

Your state of existence is determined by how much merit you have acquired. A good allagory for this might be to consider a wind that propels a sailboat in a particular direction and the better you are at sailing, the stronger the wind gets. An unfavorable wind can wreck you on the rocky shoals all around. 'Merit' is a favorable wind. The people you have in the boat with you can affect the way your wind blows by associated karma. The process in this and all realms is to get good at living. In our realm, for instance, the goal is to get good at being human. At some point, one transcends the boat, the ocean, the wind and is out of the whirlwind cycle of existence and suffering (Samsara).

The first is the Heavenly Realm, which is a place with no suffering which is populated with Deva and Devi, higher beings whom have accrued enough merit to be born in a better place. This is not an eternal heaven, however. A day in this place lasts by some accounts more than 10,000 human years, making for a very long life. At some point, the acquired good merit is used up and the being is born in a lower realm. Since there is no trouble here, one does not grow and there are no good deeds to be done. It's a nice place, but not to be desired as it is only a delay to the process of enlightenment. Read more

Review - Buddhism and Science A Guide for the Perplexed

By Donald S. Lopez, University Of Chicago Press, 2008
Review by Jason

Amongst the names of major world religions, why does "Buddhism" sound more acceptable in the same phrase as "Science" than "Christianity" or "Hinduism"? Harvard neuroscientists collaborate with Tibetan monks, not Franciscan Friars; MIT invites a lecture from the Dalai Lama, but not Pope Benedict XVI; Marsha Linehan and Daniel Siegel describe the clinical efficacy of Buddhist-derived mindfulness training, but not Holy Communion. Do Buddhism's truth claims really approximate more closely to the data-driven testable propositions of modern neuroscience, cosmology, or evolutionary biology than those of other religious belief systems --- with the insights derived from its ancient contemplative practices even representing (as some claim) direct intimations of concepts only now revealed experimentally by the western mind sciences – or do other factors explain its vogue? Does Buddhism's Most Favored Religion status in the court of Science derive from the two traditions' genuine compatibility, or rather from scientists' yearning to fill a "God-shape" hole in empiricism's frosty weltanschauung with a spiritual tradition whose warm optimism and non-theistic metaphysics strikes them as a temple broad enough in which to run cosier-feeling, lotus blossom-scented laboratories without censure or loss of tenure?

Readers perplexed by the question of Buddhism's genuine compatibility with scientific evidence can already avail themselves of a small library of volumes on this topic, including profoundly erudite discussions on the former's intersection with cosmology (Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan's The Quantum and the Lotus); neuroscience (James Austin's Zen and the Brain and Selfless Insight, and Siegel's The Mindful Brain); and psychoanalysis (Jeffrey Safran's Psychoanalysis and Buddhism: An Unfolding Dialogue and Mark Epstein's Thoughts Without a Thinker.) Lopez, however, wisely reserves the issue of Buddhism's scientific and clinical validity for other authors to discuss elsewhere in the discipline-specific terms warranted by each field's technical complexity, focusing on the fresher, meta-scientific question of what broader historical, cultural and rhetorical forces might have led a rationalistic western endeavor to increasingly embrace "the teachings of an itinerant mendicant in Iron Age India." If the "Buddhism" of Harvard and Daniel Siegel is not isomorphic with the philosophy and practice of Siddhatha Gotama and recognized early Buddhist philosophers such as Nagarjuna, Dogen, or Tsongkhapa, what parts of Buddhism get lost in Science's selective version?

Even Buddhism's earliest texts contain repeated insistences on the necessity for individuals to verify the truth of doctrines through observation and inquiry, rather than unquestioning faith in a teacher's validity. This emphasis on the experiential construction of knowledge has led some modern Buddhist or Buddhist-sympathetic thinkers to infer that the early texts therefore effectively authorize a selective approach to Buddhist teachings and the abandonment of ideas that strike us moderns as too supernatural. For such an affront to rational modernity, Lopez turns to the Abdhidarmakosa ("Treasury of Knowledge"), a text by the fourth century Indian scholar Vasubhandu, which claims that at the center of the earth is a vast mountain, called Meru or Sumeru. Buddhists continued to debate Meru's possible location into the twentieth century, even after extensive human exploration and mapping of the Earth's entire surface had rendered this peak's existence rather unlikely. Buddhist scholars then claimed that their tradition's classical cosmology was metaphorical, and to downplay the significance of cosmology within the wider scheme of Buddhist thought. "The purpose of the Buddha coming to this world was not to measure the circumference of the world and the distance between the earth and the moon, but rather to teach the Dharma, to liberate sentient beings, to relieve sentient beings of their sufferings," Lopez cites the Dalai Lama commenting. However, as Lopez shrewdly comments, "once the process of deciding between the essential and the inessential is under way, it is often difficult to know when to stop." Read more

Vietnam Buddhist case shows suppression: watchdog

By Ian Timberlake (AFP), October 19, 2009

<< Zen Buddhist monk leader Thich Nhat Hanh (front) prays at a requiem for Vietnam War victims near Hanoi

HANOI — The forced expulsion of more than 300 followers of one of the world's most influential Buddhists highlights Vietnam's suppression of religious freedom, Human Rights Watch said Monday.

"The government views many religious groups, particularly popular ones that it fears it can't control, as a challenge to the Communist Party's authority," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of the US-based watchdog.

It said that late last month more than 100 "thugs and undercover police" armed with sticks and hammers broke down doors at the Bat Nha monastery and forcefully evicted 150 monks who follow Thich Nhat Hanh.

Nhat Hanh is a French-based Zen monk and peace activist who was a confidant of slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

A day after the monks were evicted, according to a Human Rights Watch statement, more than 200 nuns were forced out of Bat Nha and joined the monks in a temporary refuge at a nearby pagoda.

Earlier this month Nhat Hanh, on a visit to the United States, said authorities had also surrounded the pagoda in Vietnam's Central Highlands.

Follower Nguyen Phuoc Loc, reached Monday in the area, told AFP there had been no further incidents "especially since a visit by a mission from the US embassy".

The government says local authorities "tried to maintain law and order to avoid clashes" and described the matter as an internal dispute between Nhat Hanh's followers and those of the top monk at Bat Nha, Thich Duc Nghi.

Duc Nghi belongs to the official Vietnamese Buddhist Church.

The communist government says followers of the French-based monk organised religious courses without permission and failed to register their temporary residence at the Bat Nha monastery. Read more

Purna: Pre-eminent in Preaching

Buddhanet.net

Among thousands of Buddha's disciples, Purna was well-known as, "pre-eminent in preaching."Purna is the shorter term of "Purnamaitrayaniputra" which means boundless preaching and compassion.
Attained the State of Arahat After Renunciation

Purna came from a rich and happy family. He was very much loved by his parents. However, Purna felt that all the love and wealth in this world were temporary so he bid farewell to his relatives and took refuge in the Buddha. He vowed to spread the truth to salvage sentient beings.

Not long after he became a monk, Purna became an Arahat which was the highest state among the disciples.

Buddha's Prophecy

Once, Buddha talked to his disciples about causation. Purna stood up and walked towards Buddha. He paid homage to the Buddha and with devoted eyes, he stared at Buddha's compassionate looks. He felt no words could express the meritorious virtues of the Buddha so he stroke his chest with his hands, hoping Buddha could understand his feelings.

Buddha understood Purna's meaning and said, "Purna! You helped me spread the truth of the universe and convert sentient beings. Among the preachers, you are number one. You shall become a Buddha and your name will be Dharmaprabhasa Buddha."

Buddha's prophecy made Purna cry with joy. He paid respects to the Buddha again and returned to his seat.

Buddha's prophecy had made the other bhikkhus very curious and surprised because Purna had only attained the state of arahat and not bodhi. Buddha knew they would think that way so he addressed the assembly, "Fellow bhikkhus!" Purna is good in preaching so he receives the Dharmaprabhasa. He is the best among the preachers. Not only did he assist me preach the Dharma, in his past lives, he supported and helped Buddha preached and was always praised the number one preacher. All of you must learn from him!"

Admonitory Role In The Sangha

Buddha's compassion and impressive virtues touched all the kings in India and they took refuge in Buddha. The Kings ordered, "Any criminals willing to renounce the world and take refuge in Buddha will be released." And so some people with bad moral characters mixed into the Sangha.

Purna warned these bhikkhus who were there in name only, "You cannot do things that are against the rules and precepts of the Buddha. We are lucky to have the Buddha as our teacher giving us an opportunity to repent. If you do things that damage our religion, not only will you harm others but also yourselves. I hope all of you practice seriously and obey the teachings of the Buddha." The bhikkhus were touched upon hearing this. Read more

Fury over south India temple ban

By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, October 16, 2009

<< Many Dalits convert to escape what they say is caste discrimination

Police in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu have shot in the air to disperse a stone-throwing crowd protesting against Dalits entering a Hindu temple.

The Dalits, described as low caste Hindu untouchables, tried to enter several temples as part of their campaign in protest at the practice.

The latest incident took place near the town of Vedaranyam.

Discrimination against Dalits, who are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system, is an offence in India.

Dalits, who make up nearly 20% of the Indian population, say little has changed despite the government enacting various laws banning caste-based discrimination.

For example, Dalits are still being denied entry into Hindu temples in parts of India, where a system of rigid social hierarchy exists.

The latest incident in Tamil Nadu shows that many people remain resistant to any changes to the system.

Supporters of the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) have been leading protests in the state with the help of other groups.

"In some temples, upper caste Hindus do not allow Dalits even to take a bath in temple wells," says V Marimuthu, a Member of Legislative Assembly from the CPI-M, who has been leading the protests in Chettipulam village in Tamil Nadu.

The village temple has been temporarily closed and the authorities have promised to find a solution by the end of this month.

What has surprised many campaigners is that such a discriminatory practice is still prevalent in a state like Tamil Nadu, where many social reform movements vigorously fought against the Hindu caste system for decades.

But activists say Tamil Nadu is not an exception. The prejudice continues in other parts of India as well. Read more

Nutritious temple food for body and soul

By Lee Ka-young, JoongAng Daily, October 16, 2009

With skin as white as snow and dimples that show when she smiles, it’s hard to believe she’s already 50 years old. When asked if she gets her good looks from eating only temple food, the monk smiles and waves her hand modestly, saying no.

The Buddhist monk Daean is the head of Baru, a restaurant opened by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism last June to popularize temple food. Public interest in temple food has increased in recent years, as knowledge of its benefits as a healthy, vegetarian diet has become more widespread.

As a result, Venerable Daean has a busy schedule that keeps her going nonstop. During the week she gives lectures about temple food at Dongguk University in central Seoul and many other places around the country.

“Temple food is slow food, and at the same time soul food,” she said. “It is made with ingredients that are grown in the right kind of earth and with the right kind of weather. Because the plants are well taken care of, the person consuming it will also feel good in both body and soul.”

The menu at Baru is similar to a traditional temple menu, but it also takes some unconventional twists of its own, featuring dishes that are more colorful and creative than traditional temple fare. It’s enough to make one wonder if it’s alright for temple food to be so flamboyant, and so tasty. After all, the Buddha taught his disciples to rid themselves of the desire for food.
Read more

Destroying Superstition within Buddhism

By Venerable Master Hua

When laypeople go to the temple, they think that the more incense they burn, the more merit they will have. That’s wrong. Left-home people say that burning paper money gives the deceased money to bribe the wardens of the hells. That’s a vile tactic.

I feel that Chinese Buddhism contains a lot of superstition. The irrational ideas and practices that cause people to lose faith in Buddhism should be reformed. If sweeping changes aren’t made, I can hardly imagine what will become of Buddhism in the future.

For instance, when people go to the temple, they equate the amount of incense they burn with the amount of merit they will earn. That’s wrong. We offer incense to the Buddha to show our respect. It’s enough to sincerely offer one stick of incense. Why offer so many sticks? If our mind isn’t sincere, then no matter how many sticks we offer, there won’t be a response.

It’s not that Buddha like the smell of incense. If they did, they would be no different from ordinary people. We have to change this trend; otherwise, people will think that Buddhas crave the smell of incense, and the lofty name of Buddhism will be ruined. That would be a great offense!

Ordinary people are doing the right thing when they bow before the Buddhas, but they don’t know the real meaning behind it. They only pray to the Buddhas for protection, a good position, good fortune, peace, a son or daughter, fame, and profit. The things they seek show that they are selfish and only want to benefit themselves. They don’t think about benefiting people or helping the world.

Although the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas respond to all prayers and do not disappoint any living being, it is not right to be insatiably greedy. When I see this kind of situation, I have many feelings. I wish to change people’s views about bowing to the Buddhas. I want to teach them that they should bow to the Buddhas to show their faith and to pray for world peace. Their prayers should be proper, noble, and bright. They should pray for others, not for themselves. That’s how true Buddhists should behave. Read more

Dalai Lama gives teachings for Taiwanese Buddhists

By Phurbu Thinley, Phayul, October 15, 2009

<< His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives teaching at the Main Tibetan Temple (Tsuglakhang) in Dharmsala, India, Thursday, October 15, 2009.Dalai Lama is giving four-day teachings to thousands of devotees at the request of a Taiwanese Buddhist group. (Photo by Abhishek Madhukar)

Dharamsala, October 15: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Thursday began giving Buddhist teachings at the request of around 1000 Taiwanese devotees at the Main Tibetan Temple (Tsuglagkhang) here.

The four-day teachings will cover The Diamond Sutra (dorjee chotpa), Geshe Chekewa's Seven Point-Mind Training (lojong dhondunma) and Tsongkhapa's The Three Principal Paths (lamtso namsum). On the last day, His Holiness will confer the Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wang).

Over 4000 devotees, including more than 1400 foreigners and some 1500 Buddhist monks and nuns, have registered for the teachings. Besides, several hundred non-registered followers attended the teachings today.

Many waved their hands in joy and others were seen folding their hands in deep reverence as the 74-year old spiritual leader arrived at the teaching venue early this morning.

Speaking in Tibetan through a Chinese translator, the Nobel Peace laureate extended greetings and thanked the Taiwanese and other devotees for coming all the way to hear his teachings.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to see many of you again and I want to say thank you for coming all the way here,” the Dalai Lama said before started giving the teachings.

In recent years, Taiwanese Buddhists have been coming to Dharamsala in large groups to seek Buddhist teachings from the Dalai Lama. Around the same time last year some 600 devotees from Taiwan attended his teachings here.
Last month the Dalai Lama visited Taiwan, his third time to the island state, to bless the survivors of Typhoon Morakot, which left nearly 700 people dead after it hit the island on Aug 8.
Read more

Military Buddhist Chapel Represents Tolerance

By Jeff Brady, NPR, October 14, 2009

<< Steve Honda, an Air Force Academy military trainer, kneels before the altar in the base's Buddhist chapel. Jeff Brady/NPR

The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., is home to the only Buddhist chapel on a U.S. military base. After a controversy over religious intolerance during the summer of 2005, the chapel was built in the basement of the academy's iconic Cadet Chapel.

In 2005, conservative evangelical Christians were accused of trying to force their religion on others. According to current and recently graduated cadets, the religious climate has improved substantially since then.

Chapel Construction

The controversy prompted the Air Force to issue guidelines for religious expression. The military also has made efforts to accommodate all faiths. These include the construction of the 300-square-foot Buddhist chapel at the Air Force Academy paid for by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.

The floor is bamboo, and the walls are Port Orford cedar. The focal point is a cherry and ash altar with a Burmese Buddha statue on top.

Curiosity Trumps Judgment

During services, which are held Wednesday evenings, about half of the 18 pillows on the floor are usually occupied.

Tanner Faulkner, an 18-year-old student attending the prep school at the academy, says he feels encouraged to explore his religious curiosity.

"They let us know, 'We have this available for you, and it is possible for you to go to different services, whether you're Jewish faith or Buddhist or Christian or whatever,' " Faulkner says.

Sophomore cadet Dan Dwyer says his fellow cadets seem to have respect for his religion.
Read more

'Bhikkhunis' Hold Unique Place in Buddhism

By Ines Min, Contributing Writer, Korea Times, October 6, 2009

<< Ven. Myoeom

Imagine having to live your life strictly adhering to 348 precepts ― think you're up to the challenge?

In daily life, bhikkhunis, or Buddhist nuns, abide by nearly 100 more regulations than monks, who follow roughly 250 laws. Women who practice the religion are subjected to different laws at times, but Korea may be one of the more accepting countries for Buddhist females to live.

Bhikkhunis have been around since the time of Buddha, but the number of ordained Buddist nuns has been growing over the past few decades, sparking an ever-growing number of controversies. Different sects of Buddhism have come to either support or outlaw Buddhist nuns. Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan are a few of the countries where those in training can receive ordination.

In Thailand, where roughly 95 percent of the population is Buddhist, male bhikkhus do not believe it appropriate for women to serve an active role in monastery life. Sri Lanka showed a similar hesitation toward the increasing population of bhikkhunis, which resulted in 10 women flying to Sarnath, India, in 1996 to be ordained by Korean bhikkhunis. Read more

Lay Guide to the Monks' Rules

Buddhanet.net

This compilation is for anyone interested about Bhikkhus (monks) and about how to relate to them. Some may think that this lineage follows an overly traditionalist approach but then, it does happen to be the oldest living tradition. A slight caution therefore to anyone completely new to the ways of monasticism, which may appear quite radical for the modern day and age. The best introduction, perhaps essential for a true understanding, is meeting with a practising Bhikkhu who should manifest and reflect the peaceful and joyous qualities of the Bhikkhu's way of life.

The Discipline of a Buddhist monk is refined and is intended to be conducive to the arising of mindfulness and wisdom. This code of conduct is called the Vinaya. While it is not an end in itself, it is an excellent tool, which can be instrumental in leading to the end of suffering.

Apart from the direct training that the Vinaya provides, it also establishes a relationship with lay people without whose co-operation it would be impossible to live as a monk. A monk is able to live as a mendicant because lay people respect the monastic conventions and are prepared to help to support him. This gives rise to a relationship of respect and gratitude in which both layperson and monk are called upon to practise their particular life styles and responsibilities with sensitivity and sincerity.

Many of the rules of discipline were developed specifically to avoid offending lay people or giving rise to misunderstanding or suspicion (for example, the rules stipulating that another male be present when a monk and a woman would otherwise be alone together). As no monk wishes to offend by being fussy and difficult to look after, and no lay Buddhist would wish to accidentally cause a monk to compromise the discipline, this booklet is therefore intended to be a useful guide to the major aspects of the Vinaya as it relates to lay people. Read more

Buddhist sect decries lack of religious freedom in communist Vietnam

By Simon Montlake, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor, October 5, 2009

 

After being forced from their monastery last week, 354 followers of a world-famous monk face new police pressure to leave the temple where they sought refuge.

Bangkok, Thailand - A Buddhist sect led by a world-renowned Vietnamese monk has been driven out of a monastery in Vietnam's southern highlands in what sect members say is an official crackdown.

Supporters say around 100 police and plainclothes thugs evicted more than 350 Buddhist monks and nuns by force last Sunday from the hillside monastery in the town of Bat Nha. The followers, many of them in their twenties, then found refuge in another, smaller temple in nearby Bao Loc but say they are now being pressured again to leave by local authorities.

In recent years, communist-ruled Vietnam has begun to loosen its grip on sanctioned faith groups, while keeping a close watch on dissidents. In 2006, the US State Department took Vietnam off a blacklist of countries that severely limit religious freedom, a move that human rights groups called premature. Now, followers of the popular sect are asking for the US and other governments to intervene, arguing that Vietnam is persecuting them.

"We see clearly that they don't want our young nuns and monks to stay together and practice as a community," says Trung Hai, a monk in France who is in contact with the 354 followers holed up in the temple near Bao Loc. He says they are fearing for their safety. Read more

Buddhist monks: Vietnam police still harassing us

By Ben Stocking, Associated Press, October 1, 2009

<< Followers of Thich Nhat Hanh (left), said about 150 monks were forced from the Bat Nha monastery in Lam Dong province Sunday, and about 230 nuns left on their own Monday morning. AP photo

Followers of a world-famous Buddhist teacher who were forced out of a Vietnamese monastery over the weekend have taken refuge at a nearby pagoda, but they say they have once again been surrounded by police.
The monks' ongoing standoff with Vietnamese authorities has tested the communist country's sometimes edgy relationship with religion, which the government views as a potential rival power structure. The government closely monitors all churches in the country.

The Buddhists say the police are now pressuring them to leave the Phuoc Hue pagoda in Lam Dong province, even though local officials of the state-sanctioned Buddhist Church of Vietnam have welcomed them to stay.

The 376 monks and nuns are followers of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese-born monk who helped popularize Buddhism in the West, has sold millions of books worldwide and now lives in France. He was once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King.

Nhat Hanh's Vietnamese followers sought refuge at Phuoc Hue after being forced out of the nearby Bat Nha monastery Sunday by police and an angry mob. Both are located in Lam Dong province in the Central Highlands, near the mountain resort city of Dalat.

"It is now clear that the police and government are not satisfied with the forced closure and violent eviction of monks and nuns from Bat Nha monastery itself, but are intent on continued, aggressive persecution of this one group of people," Nhat Hanh's followers said in a press release posted on a Web site called helpbatnha.org.

Nhat Hanh's followers say police have been guarding Phuoc Hue 24 hours a day, calling individual monks by name and urging them to return to their hometowns. Under police pressure, 15 monks left Wednesday, they said.

"They are using psychological tactics," said Sister Dang Nghiem, a nun who was traveling with Nhat Hanh in New York on Thursday. "They are trying to break them down one by one."
Read more

Religious tension mounts in Vietnam

By Nguyen Giang, BBC Vietnamese service, September 30, 2009

Four years ago the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, a monk who popularised Buddhism in the West, was invited by the Vietnamese government to return home after 39 years in exile.

<< The Bat Nha monastery is at the centre of a complex dispute

The move was seen as a sign that the authorities were becoming more tolerant of religion, a very sensitive issue in the communist state.

But four years on, there are signs that the authorities' new-found tolerance is waning.

Followers of Thich Nhat Hanh say they have been forced out of a monastery by police and angry crowds who ransacked the building over the weekend.

Reports say about 150 monks were evicted from the Bat Nha monastery and more than 200 nuns left on their own on Monday.

And Catholics in Vietnam have been embroiled in a two-year dispute with the government, holding mass demonstrations to demand that the authorities return land they say belongs to the Church.

Relaxed approach

The government believes religion should be a private matter but had begun to ease its grip on religious freedom largely for economic reasons.

Some analysts say that before joining the World Trade Organisation in 2007, Hanoi was under pressure from the US and European governments to grant people greater religious freedom.

So the government took a more relaxed approach.

Pilgrimages by party leaders to temples and shrines of famous local deities used to be very low key, but they became acceptable and were featured regularly in the media. Read more

‘Biting monk’ finally speaks

By May Titthara, The Phnom Penh Post, September 30, 2009

<< Kiet Chan Thouch, the ‘biting monk’ from Wat Leu in Preah Sihanouk province. Photo by Deum Ampil

IN his first interview with the media since being accused of attacking and biting his fellow monks and nuns, the chief monk of Preah Sihanouk province’s Wat Leu and adviser to Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong told the Post on Tuesday that the allegations against him were totally baseless.

“I am a monk. I have been ordained for 20 years already. How could I drink wine? If I drank wine, I would have defrocked myself, but I haven’t done this,” Kiet Chan Thouch said, accusing his colleagues of acting on personal agendas. “There are some monks and nuns who are accusing me of things for their own profit, getting local newspapers to write bad things about me. All I asked them to do was to clean the pagoda on Phchum Ben day. I’m the leader. It’s up to me to order them to work, but they said I mistreated them. I am a monk, so how can I have a gun?

“If I was supposedly fighting with them, why didn’t they stay at the pagoda and talk with me instead of running to talk with the newspapers? This is a part of Buddhist Lenten practice, that a monk cannot stay away from the pagoda. I’m a monk, but I still know about penal law. If I fight with people, the police will come to arrest me. They wouldn’t allow me to stay in the pagoda, as they are today.”

Despite his protestations of innocence, one of the monk’s colleagues insisted the original claims were true. The Venerable Koa Suon told reporters Kiet Chan Thouch bit him in the incident, which took place earlier this month. “This wasn’t the first time he’d drunk wine or threatened to fight other monks,” the 76-year-old said. “He would always threaten violence against all the monks and nuns in the pagoda, but nobody dared to say anything because they were scared of his power.”

A resolution seems unlikely, with various authorities reluctant to intervene. Kang Dinath, Preah Sihanouk province chief for the Department of Cults and Religions, said: “This case lies outside of my jurisdiction because it’s a matter among the monks,” he said. “I’ve reported my findings to the provincial chief monk already, so what happens now is up to them.” Read more

Dalai Lama to be given white cowboy hat before speech at Calgary conference

CP, September 30, 2009

<< The Dalai Lama looks out toward the crowd prior to a panel discussion in Vancouver, Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

CALGARY — The Dalai Lama will be welcomed to Calgary with a time-honoured Western tradition - the placing of a white cowboy hat on his head by the city's mayor.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is coming to the city for the first time in decades to take part in a conference organized by the University of Calgary.

University president Harvey Weingarten says it's hope the appearance by the Dalai Lama will encourage students to think about their futures and what they can do for their community.

The Dalai Lama appeared in Vancouver earlier this week, telling a peace summit that technology may be eliminating compassion. Read more

Monk fined for distributing Communist Party fliers set to lose trespassing appeal

Mainichi Daily News, September 30, 2009

A Buddhist monk fined for distributing fliers in an apartment block is set to lose his trespassing conviction appeal when the Supreme Court hands down its ruling next month.

Yosei Arakawa, 62, of Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, was charged with entering the apartment block in December 2004 to distribute Japanese Communist Party fliers about the party's activities at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. A not guilty verdict in Arakawa's first trial was overturned on appeal in December 2007, and the monk was ordered to pay a 50,000-yen fine. Lawyers for the monk appealed, but the top court's Second Petty Bench did not hear arguments necessary to alter the second verdict, making a confirmation of the fine all but certain when a ruling is handed down Oct. 19.

"There are no cases of arresting or holding a person on trespassing charges for distributing commercial information such as pizza delivery fliers," lawyers for Arakawa stated in their appeal. "This is a violation of freedom of expression." Read more

Police violently attack Buddhist monastery

By J.B. An Dang, VietCatholic News , September 29, 2009

<< Thich Nhat Hanh on his return to Vietnam

Police in Vietnam accompanied by armed mob attacked a Buddhist monastery in a province in Central Highlands of Vietnam, smashed the monastery and evicted about 400 monks and nuns out of their homes.

At 9am Sunday Sept. 27, hundreds of police men and pro-government armed thugs attacked a Buddhist monastery in Lam Dong province. The attack lasted for the whole day. The angry mob smashed windows and knocked down doors to drag monks and nuns who were trying to hide inside their dormitories in the Bat Nha monastery.

“They beat us brutally, yelling at us cursive words. They torn our clothes in order to humiliate us, smashing everything within their reach,” said Buddhist Monk Thich Phap Tu in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Sept. 28. “Also, police poured water into our computers and other devices to damage them,” he added.

“We tried to sit down to pray together ignoring what were happening. But they kicked and dragged each of us out to the courtyard, and forced us to stay there braving heavy cold rain,” he continued noting that having waited for hours, 150 monks and 230 nuns were herded onto buses and were transported to a location far away from their monastery. They were then ordered to return to their place of origin.

Police have since seized the monastery threatening extreme actions against those who dare to return.

The Buddhist monks and nuns, who were assaulted on Sunday, were followers of Thich Nhat Hanh, an exiled Vietnam-born monk living in southern France. The attack against his followers on Sunday highlights the true color of religion freedom in Vietnam and its policy of using religions for diplomatic gains.

Vietnam began the WTO accession process in 1995. On entering the final stage of accession, many attempts were made to cover up its notorious human rights record. In 2005, Vietnam authorities invited Thich Nhat Hanh’s followers to settle at the pagoda, a move that surprised many Vietnamese Buddhists and believers of other faiths.

In 1981, the Unified Buddhist Church (UBCV) was outlawed and the “patriotic” Buddhist Church of Vietnam was established. Many leaders of the underground UBCV, which has claimed the support of 80 percents of Vietnamese Buddhists, were imprisoned for years. While the UBCV was still being outlawed, the permission for an exiled monk to open a monastery was seen by many as a significant move towards religious freedom in Vietnam. Also, the return of Thich Nhat Hanh to his native land after 39 years of exile made headline in most state-owned newspapers. Read more

Anger management

Bangkok Post, September 29, 2009

Learning the art of mindfulness can lead to a happier life

<< We must learn the art of mindfulness because anger arises from mindlessness. If you are mindful and always fully aware of yourself, anger cannot conquer your heart - PHRA MAHA VUTHICHAI VACHIRAMETHI

Dharma can help manage anger. Usually we study about human resource management, risk management, time management and financial management, which are all concerned with external elements. But anger management concerns our inner self. When anger arises, we often do not know how to manage it and we become manipulated by it.

The symptoms of anger can range from fury, frustration and rage to a desire to destroy, and finally, attack what we hold to be the cause.

Anger may manifest itself in the following ways:

• Like a line drawn across water, anger that disappears quickly.

• Like a line drawn in the sand, disappearing when a wave washes ashore.

• Like a line carved into a stone, surviving all kinds of weather conditions over thousands and thousands of years.

Anger is not a physical entity, but once it appears, its destructive potential is far more devastating than any nuclear weapon.

During World War II, the US became furious when the Japanese Army carried out kamikaze attacks on their warplanes and ships at Pearl Harbour. The anger drove the US to attack the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, killing more than 400,000 people. Hitler, the famously angry Nazi leader, killed more than six million Jews. King Vidudabha of India was infuriated that the Sakya who were relatives of Buddha insulted him so he unleashed the might of his army on them, wiping out the entire race. This is the power of destruction wrought by anger.

When anger appears in your heart, everything can be turned into a devastating weapon.

In terms of love, it feels marvellous when two lovers' eyes meet because the eyes are the windows to the heart. But two angry people can also burn each other with the fire in their eyes.

Family members living in the same house may start off decorating the house together all in complete agreement with one another, but when overwhelmed by anger they might start throwing the decorative pieces at one another instead. Read more

Vietnam Buddhists flee amid threats: monks

AFP, September 28, 2009

<< A group of monks in Vietnam have fled from their monastery after threats from unidentified people

HANOI — Followers of one of the world's most influential Buddhist monks said on Monday they had fled their Vietnamese monastery after threats from unidentified people armed with hammers and batons.

More than 200 nuns left Bat Nha monastery for a pagoda in Lam Dong province where about 100 monks were staying after leaving Bat Nha a day earlier, said Nguyen Phuoc Loc, who is assisting the evacuees.

All are devotees of Thich Nhat Hanh, a French-based Zen monk, peace activist and confidant of slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

Problems for Hanh's followers at Bat Nha began about a year ago when the abbot there, Thich Duc Nghi, who is linked to the official Vietnam Buddhist Church, told them they were no longer welcome there.

"This morning we organised cars to move all the nuns" from the Bat Nha monastery to avoid a repeat of the intimidation which occurred on Sunday, Loc said. Read more

Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader who won't slow down

By Penny MacRae (AFP), September 28, 2009

<< At 74, the Dalai Lama keeps up a globe-trotting schedule that would tire anyone half his age

DHARAMSHALA, India — At 74, the Dalai Lama keeps up a globe-trotting schedule that would tire anyone half his age and aides say it is impossible to slow him down.

In the last two months, the peripatetic spiritual leader, who calls himself a "simple Buddhist monk" despite being "god-king" to six million Tibetans, has been to Taiwan, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Poland.

Now the Dalai Lama is on a whirlwind tour of North America where the Memphis mayor Pro Tem Lowery hit the headlines after giving him a genial, informal "fist-bump" greeting on his arrival in the city last week.

"I tell him to slow down," Tibetan premier-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche said in Dharamshala, the mist-shrouded Indian hill station where the Dalai Lama set up headquarters after fleeing Tibet half a century ago to escape Chinese rule.

The maroon-robed monk -- known for his infectious guffaw, oversized spectacles and teachings about peace -- keeps up his gruelling pace despite two hospitalisations in the past year, albeit for relatively minor ailments such as gallstones.

"He has an extraordinary energy and capacity. I can't keep pace with him -- and I'm three years younger," Rinpoche said in an interview.

On a typical day in tiny Dharamshala, ringed by pristine Himalayan peaks and reached by crumbling zig-zag roads with vertiginous drops to pine-clad valleys, the Nobel Peace Laureate rises at 3:30 am. Read more

Human Bones Burned to Make "Spirit"-Filled Swords

National Geographic News, September 25, 2009

WATCH VIDEO

September 8, 2009—When forged over burning human bones, swords become filled with "spirit," says the Taiwanese swordmaker behind the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sword and other masterpieces.

© 2009 National Geographic (AP)

Unedited Transcript

This skull is not just for decoration.

In a moment, it will be thrown into the fire and burned to make a sword.

Kuo Chang-hsi inserts a slab of metal into his kiln, adding a human femur to the fire.

This 65-year-old craftsman from Taiwan practices the intricate art of Chinese sword making.

As Taiwan's last known practitioner of the craft, he has produced countless replicas of the fighting tools that Chinese and Japanese warriors have used since ancient times.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Kuo Chang-hsi, Blacksmith: "In ancient China, a good sword was made by 'throwing a man into a furnace'. It helps to melt the metal and creates the pure iron that we can further hammer. In Taiwan, there were not many people who studied how to forge a good sword. So when I first made a sword, I did not succeed. In the past there's been a saying that if one wants to make a good sword, one needs human bones. By chance, my friend was collecting bones (from the deceased). Then I just asked him to give me some human bones for forging swords."

Kuo's sword-making process begins when he inserts a slab of mixed iron and steel into a small kiln preheated to more than 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.

After heating until it is supple enough to work with, he transfers the metal to a piston-shaped electric press, shaping and flattening it under rapid fire thrusts.

Then, over an anvil, repeated hammer blows shape the metal. Read more

Ceres monk who died after fire ID'd

By The Modesto Bee, September 24, 2009

 

<< Ven. Masarin Visothea

Stanislaus County coroner officials Thursday identified Masarin Visothea as the Buddhist monk who died last week after he inhaled smoke while trying to put out an electrical fire in Ceres.

Visothea, 52, of Ceres, was critically injured and taken by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, where he was pronounced dead, said Ceres Fire Battalion Chief Bryan Hunt.

The fire occurred about 3:40 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Cambodian Buddhist temple in the 3800 block of Roeding Road, just east of Mitchell Road. Hunt said the fire was caused by an overloaded electrical outlet in a back room used for worship.

Temple members, including Visothea and other monks, grabbed garden hoses and sprayed water into the burning room. Hunt said it appeared Visothea was fighting the fire from outside the room when he collapsed after inhaling too much smoke. Read more

Angry monks pray as China opposes Dalai Lama's Arunachal visit

Calcutta News.Net, September 24, 2009 (IANS)

 

Buddhist monks have been holding special prayers here for the safe visit of the Dalai Lama to India's frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh after China objected to the Tibetan spiritual leader's proposed trip, religious leaders Thursday said.

'We are holding daily prayers so that the Dalai Lama's visit passes off peacefully,' J.P. Shastri, a priest at the historic Tawang monastery, told IANS.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, besides capital Itanagar, in November.

China recently raked up a controversy by asking India not to allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu was quoted as saying in the media: 'We firmly oppose Dalai Lama visiting the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'.'

India rejects Beijing's claim to Arunachal Pradesh.

'Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India, and the Dalai Lama is free to go anywhere in India,' India's Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said recently reacting to the Chinese objection. Read more

Buddha Dharma is the Light of Deliverance

Buddhanet Production

Dear Dharma Friends! In this desolate and miserable period, it is precious to have such a valuable opportunity here and now to share Dharma with joyful hearts. We should all therefore greatly honor the benevolence of the Triple Gem and the compassion of the Buddha.

This is the first Dharma Talk I have given in Xin Yuan Monastery during this Chinese New Year. Thus I have taken "The Light" as the theme of my talk. I have seen so many people looking for brightness and hope in their lives. No doubt, living in the light is blissful and peaceful. However, the universe is full of gloom. Who, or what, can give us hope? The answer is the Buddha and the Dharma. In other words, brightness will only eventuate if one believes and practises the Dharma.

We often hear others commenting that the world is gloomy. Conflicts and violence are everywhere, and they create agitation and anguish. Buddhists understand these problems and seek for brightness within the dark.

From the perspective of Buddha-Dharma, the cause of darkness and chaos in this human world is grounded in the sentient beings themselves. We often think that we are very intelligent and capable. But in actual fact, we are not. We often mistake the bad deed for the good deed, and not many of us are interested in doing good. The activities that bring us suffering are often misconstrued as sources of excitement and happiness. Do you think then that human beings are really so clever and intelligent?

Let me take an example. Human beings are getting more knowledgeable nowadays. Science and technology are advancing. Harmful products are continuously being produced by these intelligent minds. What are the threats that they have brought to the mankind? Fear and worries consequently arise. Everyone fears the explosion of wars and nuclear weapons. This is a cogent evidence that our intellect is misleading us. Therefore various discoveries and so-called material "progress" may in fact harm us and leave us with a nagging sense of insecurity. Read more

P Sihanouk province’s ‘biting monk’ to stay in office, officials say

By Kim Yuthana, The Phnom Penh Post, September 22, 2009

 

A PROMINENT monk accused of getting drunk and biting his colleagues remains in office because of a lack of authority over the case and the absence of formal charges, officials said.

Kiet Chan Thouch, an adviser to Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, was accused by his fellow monks and nuns of attacking them during the course of a boozy weekend bender earlier this month.

Witnesses said the 76-year-old abbot of Wat Leu pagoda in Preah Sihanouk province drank too much and fought with four monks, two clergymen and a nun over a 48-hour period.

Speaking to the Post on Monday, Kang Dinath, director of the Department of Cults and Religious Affairs for Preah Sihanouk province, said: “I have been to the pagoda to examine the place, but I could not find any wine bottles or glasses at all. All we have heard are rumours saying that he has drunk alcohol and beaten priests and nuns at the pagoda in the past.”

Buddhist monks are banned from drinking alcohol. Had the allegations been proved, Kiet Chan Thouch could have been defrocked, but his alleged victims last week said they were “too afraid” to file formal complaints.

Kang Dinath said Monday that he could not yet take any further measures because of the abbot’s high position in the Buddhist clergy. “He is appointed by the Royal Kret and is beyond my authority, so I have to pass the case on to the monk management board,” he said.

Khim Sorn, assistant monk to the Venerable Buddhist Clergy Director Non Nget, said the board had not yet received any official complaints about the monk’s behaviour. Read more

Driver's license for Buddhist monk is his key to assimilation, improving harmony

By Michael Lollar, Memphis Commercial Appeal, September 21, 2009

<< Khenpo leaves the Pema Karpo Buddhist Meditation Center to practice driving. Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal

The Buddhist monk reaches a top speed of 5 mph as he maneuvers his 16-year-old Toyota around the grounds of the meditation center in Raleigh.

It is a practice excursion to make sure that the monk, Khenpo Gawang Rinpoche, is familiar with the car the next time he takes his driver's license test.

A scholar among Buddhists, he has the equivalent of a doctorate in religion and literature. That means nothing to driver's license examiners who have flunked him three times on Tennessee's written driver's exam.

"It's kind of important to drive, to be independent, but language is a problem," says Khenpo, who lives about a mile from the meditation center that he founded here two years ago.

He wears the same deep amber and burgundy colors as those worn by one of his heroes, the Dalai Lama, leader-in-exile of Tibet. The amber represents wisdom, the burgundy compassion.

Like the Dalai Lama, the monk fled Chinese-occupied Tibet to study in India. The Dalai Lama was born to a farm family. The monk was born to yak herders. The monk has studied in group sessions with the Dalai Lama as his teacher and thinks of him primarily as a religious figure -- "the holiest of monks, a good and great teacher."

He also thinks of the Dalai Lama as a political figure, campaigning for world peace and for self-determination for Tibetans in an occupied country.

The monk and his students bought tickets as soon as they became available for the Dalai Lama's visit to Memphis Wednesday. The Dalai Lama will accept an International Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum, then speak at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on "Developing Peace and Harmony." Read more

Death and Dying

By Ajahn Jagaro

More often than not in this society of ours, which is a life-affirming society, a beauty- and pleasure-affirming society, the topic of death and dying is avoided. Not only this society, but most societies, including traditional Buddhist cultures, avoid the topic of death as though it were something unpleasant, depressing, to be avoided; even a bad omen: "Don't talk about it as you may encourage it to happen!" Of course this attitude is not very wise and certainly not in keeping with the Buddhist attitude. So this evening I would like to speak on the Buddhist attitude to death and dying.

Why think about it?
First of all, why should we think about death? Why should we contemplate it? Not only did the Buddha encourage us to speak about death, he encouraged us to actually think about it, contemplate it and reflect on it regularly.

On one occasion the Buddha asked several of the monks, "How often do you contemplate death?"

One of them replied, "Lord, I contemplate death every day."

"Not good enough," the Buddha said, and asked another monk, who replied,

"Lord, I contemplate death with each mouthful that I eat during the meal."

"Better, but not good enough," said the Buddha, "What about you?"

The third monk said, "Lord, I contemplate death with each inhalation and each exhalation."

That's all it takes, the inhalation comes in, it goes out, and one day it won't come in again - and that's it. That's all there is between you and death, just that inhalation, the next inhalation.

Obviously the Buddha considered this a very important part of meditation and training towards becoming more wise and more peaceful. Why is it that this contemplation is encouraged? Because we don't usually want to think or talk about death. Be it conscious or unconscious, there is a fear of death, a tendency to avoid it, a reluctance to come face to face with this reality.

Death is very much a part of life; it's just as much a part of life as birth. In fact, the moment of birth implies death. From the moment of conception it is only a matter of time before death must come - to everyone. No one can escape it. That which is born will die. The mind and body which arise at the time of conception develop, grow and mature. In other words, they follow the process of aging. We call it growing up at first, then growing old, but it's just a single process of maturing, developing, evolving towards the inevitable death. Everyone of you has signed a contract, just as I did. You may not remember signing that contract, but everyone has said, "I agree to die." Every living being, not only human, not only animal, but in every plane, in every realm, everywhere there is birth, there is the inevitable balance - death. Read more

Monk dies after fire in Angkor Borey Buddhist temple

By The Associated Press, September 18, 2009

<< Venerable Masarin Visothea

CERES, Calif. (AP) - A Buddhist monk has died after an electrical fire in a San Joaquin Valley temple.

An official with the Ceres Fire Department says the monk died after inhaling smoke as he and others tried to put out a fire Friday afternoon at the Cambodian Buddhist temple in Ceres.

Fire Battalion Chief Bryan Hunt says the fire was sparked by an electrical overload in a back room of the temple.

Hunt says the victim and others were fighting the fire with garden hoses, when the monk collapsed. The name of the victim has not been released.

The fire was contained in the back room, with damage estimated to be about $2,000. Read more

BACKGROUND: A history of Pchum Ben

By Ou Mom, The Phnom Penh Post, September 18, 2009

What does Pchum Ben Festival mean in Buddhism? In the Khmer language, Pchum or Brochum means “a meeting or gathering”. Ben means “a ball of something”, such as rice or meat. The Pchum Ben festival originated in the Angkorian era when people followed animism, before Brahma or Buddhism.

Both Buddhism and animism reflect Khmer respect and remembrance for their ancestors.
Pchum Ben is also a convenient way for Buddhist monks to receive food during the heaviest part of the rainy season while they stay in the pagodas to follow their moral principles.

Celebrations
The first 14 days of the Khmer month Pheakta Bot are called Kan Ben (“observed celebration”). The 15th day is called Brochum Ben or Pchum Ben Day. During Kan Ben, people give Buddhist monks gifts of food and candles. At night Buddhist monks recite a protective prayer. Cambodian artists play traditional music such as yike and lakhon basac. Pchum Ben Day is the biggest celebration. Villagers come from all around to prepare the pagoda of their village the night before the celebration. Pchum Ben is when the villagers gather to celebrate in their villages.

Scriptures
The scriptures relating to the festival are complex, but the first scripture involves the five Buddhas negotiating with hungry ghosts. In the second scripture, from Pet Vuto (Monks’ Governor), the King’s servants and soldiers were commanded to make war. On the ship at night, they met ghosts who were hungry. The servants and soldiers asked: “How can we get food to you?” The ghosts said: “You can offer the food to the person among you who has the five moral conducts or eight moral conducts, and invoke our names.” The third and fourth scriptures say that in the first 15 days of Pheakta Both, the heaviest rainy period, the devil releases the ghosts to find their relatives to receive food.

Ghosts
There are four kinds of ghosts: those eating pus and blood, burning ghosts who are always hot, hungery ghosts and the Pakrakteaktopak Chivi, who can receive food through the monks. The others cannot receive food from their relatives until their sins are reduced to the level of Pakrakteaktopak Chivi.

What is bay ben?
Bay ben (balls of rice) are offered to ghosts at dawn. People believe ghosts with heavy sins cannot receive food during the day. Bay ben is made from sticky rice and sesame. Sometimes people add coconut cream to make it more delicious. Buddhist Institute consultant Miech Ponn said he thinks bay ben should be put on a plate. “Getting rice to the poor, people also can get more merit than only giving it to ants,” Miech Ponn said. Read more

Nepean Buddhist community prepares to honour its ancestors

BY Ben Godby, YourNEPEAN.com, September 16, 2009

Cambodian group makes Nepean its home

The Mondul Ottawa Khmer Buddhist Monastery is gearing up to celebrate the annual Pchum Ben ceremony, a Cambodian festival that honours ancestral spirits.
The monastery, which is attached to the Bodhikaram Temple, is located at 1197 Deer Park Road in Nepean. It serves between 2,000 and 3,000 Buddhists, many of whom live in the Nepean and Barrhaven areas and are of Cambodian descent.

“Most of [the Cambodian Buddhist] community lives in the downtown area,” says Rivaux Lay, one of the monastery’s directors. “But the closer we are to downtown, the more expensive the rent is going to be!”

Lay says that although the heart of Ottawa’s Cambodian Buddhist community is Somerset Street West, the Bodhikaram Temple’s location in Nepean is relatively central and has many benefits. He says that by locating the temple in Nepean, the community both saves money and has more space. This allows the temple to better serve the members of its community.

One reason the temple is trying to cut property costs is in order to provide better material support for their clergy. The monastery currently has four full-time monks, who live in the monastery and are entirely provided for by the community.

The monks have important religious roles in ceremonies like the Pchum Ben and also serve as spiritual advisors for lay Buddhists. Read more

Buddhism DIY style

By Pamela Duncan, IRISHTIMES.COM, September 15, 2009

<< Rob Nairn believes happiness begins with being able to accept oneself and one's situation in the world.
Photograph: Alan Betson

Rob Nairn, lecturer and author on Buddhist philosophy, says his job is to develop some sort of access mechanism which will allow people to get to the essence of Buddhism in their own way

Often when problems arise it is said that overcoming them is a case of mind over matter.

According to Rob Nairn, a lecturer and author on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, mindfulness may hold the key to the goal which we all strive for: that of happiness. But this seemingly simple objective can often evade us, especially in this fast-paced modern world.

Nairn, who recently visited Dublin to give lectures on the topic of mindfulness, says the technique may well bring us a step closer to the ultimate, but seemingly elusive goal.

“I define mindfulness as knowing what’s happening while it’s happening,” he says, adding that most people are never present in the moment, distracted as they are by thoughts, worries and stress.

“I would say happiness begins with being able to accept oneself and one’s situation in the world, so that one is not constantly in a state of inner turmoil, striving, strife, conflict. Those are the main things which actually prevent us being happy,” he says. Read more

Opinion: Do you believe Thean Vuthy,
at Tuol Reachea pagoda? Not me!

Read by Jendhamuni Sos

Thean Vuthy impersonates H.H. Jotannano Chuon Nath, the Lord Buddha, future Buddha Maitreya, degrades Buddhist monks, lies his way to make more than U.S. $60 millions, pocket mostly for himself, his family and powerful official.

His Holiness Samdech Chuon Nath?
Not even close! Do some more research on His Holiness biography.

Lord Sakyamuni Buddha?
Sorry, Lord Buddha went to Nirvana 2553 years already. No more rebirth.

Gautama Buddha teachings will last 5000 years after His death. Like I just said, it's only been 2553 years so far. After that the world will begin an inevitable and gradual process of degeneration and moral decline. At this point, Lord Sakyamuni said, Maitreya will appear; not as a Buddha, but as a royal personality. He will win the admiration and faith of people. These people, who would follow the path of Maitreya, will transcend the suffering of old age and death. However, as they become immersed in their pleasures, they will pay little heed to virtue and morality. And there will be another period of generation. It is then that Maitreya will appear as the fifth founding Buddha: Maitreya Buddha.

Our future Buddha, Maitreya?
Maitreya Bodhisattva is still in the Tusita Heaven that is reachable through meditation. The bodhisattva will eventually appear on earth, descend to the human realm as a Buddha, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. Maitreya Bodhisattva will be the successor of the historic Sakyamuni Buddha. He is predicted to be a “world-ruler,” uniting those who he rules over. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya is accepted by the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. Maitreya will be born as a Brahmin priest. He will renounce the world and attain enlightenment in a day. Maitreya is predicted to attain Bodhi in a single year, by virtue of his many lives of preperation for Buddha-hood (similar to those reported in the Jataka stories of Shakyamuni Buddha). Maitreya’s coming is characterized by a number of physical events. His arrival, it is believed, will be heralded by a decreasing in the size of the oceans so that he may traverse them easily. The teachings of the Maitreya Buddha will be similar to those of Shakyamuni Buddha, with one difference: Maitreya Buddha will not teach esoteric Tantras.

So, does Thean Vuthy fit the description of Maitreya Bodhisattva?
Convince me, prove me wrong. It's time for all Khmer Buddhist to stop believe in such thing. It's time for all Khmer Buddhist to dig out the truth about this fake man. ~Jendhamuni Sos

Well, listen to what Dr. Venerable Hok Savann has to say about the man who robs Khmer Buddhist ALIVE... Listen now

Dalai gets human rights award

By The Associated Press, September 9, 2009

<< Dalai Lama said he considers the prize 'new encouragement' for his efforts to find a 'mutually agreeable solution' for China and Tibet. -- PHOTO: AP

BRATISLAVA (Slovakia) - The Dalai Lama received an international award on Wednesday for his promotion of human rights and his leadership in the nonviolent campaign by Tibetans seeking autonomy from China.

After receiving Slovakia's Jan Langos award at a theater in Bratislava, the Dalai Lama said he considers the prize 'new encouragement' for his efforts to find a 'mutually agreeable solution' for China and Tibet.

Chinese authorities accuse the Tibetan spiritual leader of seeking independence from Communist China, but the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, insists he merely wants more autonomy for Tibet.

The Jan Langos Foundation, which invited the Dalai Lama to Slovakia, gives its award to 'an outstanding figure of the local defiance against oppressed regimes and their security services' and to civil servants and politicians who 'endeavor for human dignity and freedom.'

The Dalai Lama, who arrived in Slovakia on Tuesday, was received by Bratislava's mayor on Wednesday and planned to meet with opposition leaders and the public. Read more

Temple's display of corpses is 'a rights violation'

By The Nation/Asia News Network, September 10, 2009

<< A patient with Aids is seen in the shower area at the Aids hospice on the grounds of the Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu Buddhist temple. Inset: Bundles containing ashes of Aids victims stacked at the temple. By Atthayuth Butrsripoom

Many non government groups called on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday to stop Thailand's infamous "Aids temple" - Wat Phrabat Namphu - from displaying corpses of Aids patients and information about the dangers of risky lifestyles.

The display, these activists said, was a violation to human rights.

The temple has explained that the dying Aids patients have given written consent with aim to warn other people against taking the wrong path of life.

The risky behaviours, for example, are about offering sex service and taking illicit drugs.

Supatra Nakhapiew, who heads Foundation for Aids Rights, yesterday said the patients who turned to Phrabatnampu Temple were so helpless and would have no choice but agreeing to the temple's request.

Her alliance felt the display for the Aids patients' corpses without any clothes on was like shaming them in public.

"Help given to the Aids patients is good but things should be handled in respect for human rights," Supatra said.

She also disagreed with Phrabatnampu Temple's decision to show the faces of Aids patients to raise donations. Read more

Sacred no, but the American lotus has its charms

By Moira Sheridan, Delaware Online, September 10, 2009

<< Although it's pretty, the American lotus in some places is regarded as an invasive weed. Moira Sheridan

Tucked into the tidal waters surrounding the Mount Harmon Plantation near Earleville, Md., the American lotus is in full bloom throughout August.

Abundant in the small cove, it's nonetheless an uncommon aquatic plant in Maryland,where it grows in only four creeks and rivers. Its flat, rounded leaves and enormous, buttery-yellow flowers bob rhythmically, churned now and then by a passing boat wake. The undulating blossoms and foliage stretch across the shallows like a living carpet.

The American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is found primarily along the east coast of the United States, where it prefers the still waters of lakes and ponds. But it also thrives in quiet inlets and coves, where its fleshy rhizomes can burrow into the muddy bottoms.

Known in some states as a weed, here in the calm waters of McGill Creek it tends toward the picturesque rather than the obnoxious.

A relative of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), known for its luscious pink flower and linked with Buddhist symbols of purity, the American lotus is smaller and lesser known. It lacks both mystique and symbolism, but its flowers are no less beautiful, its leaves no less magical and its seed heads no less recognizable.

Lotus flowers are large and bowl-shaped with up to 20 petals. The yellow color is ethereal, glowing through each petal like moonlight. The blue-green leaves are perfectly round, and, because of a waxy coating, water beads like mercury atop them, catches the sun in a crystal flash, and rolls off. Read more

Mass wedding ceremony held on 09.09.09

Xinhua English, September 9, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<< A new couple takes part in the mass wedding ceremony at Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, Sept. 9, 2009.(Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

New couples during the mass wedding ceremony at Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, Sept. 9, 2009.

Some 500 couples got married on the auspicious date 09.09.09 here on Wednesday. In Chinese, the number 9 has the same pronunciation as "everlasting" which makes people believe that the number ensures longevity and everlasting love. Read more

Big Phuket birthday party for 'World's oldest man'

By Fraser Morton and Kitima Pornmongkhonwat, Phuket, Thailand, September 8, 2009

<< Luang Pu Supha blesses 2,000 teddy bears at his temple in Phuket as part of a road safety campaign in 2007. File photo.

PHUKET CITY: More has been revealed about the amazing life of Luang Pu Supha, claimed by adherents to be the oldest man in the world.

Luang Pu Supha, abbot of a temple named after him in Chalong, is preparing to celebrate his 113th birthday in Phuket next week.

Government-issued identification records presented to the Gazette show he was born on September 17, 1896.

If accurate, the birth date would make Luang Pu Supha four days older than American Walter Breuning, who currently claims the Guinness World Records’ title of ‘Oldest Living Man’.

Thanapong Korudom, President of the Wat Luang Pu Supha committee, said he would like to invite Guinness World Records to come to Phuket and verify that Luang Pu Supha is the oldest living man in the world.

Luang Pu Supha has lived through several historical events, including Siam changing its name to Thailand in 1939, the Japanese occupation of Thailand in 1942, Thailand becoming the 55th member of the United Nations in 1946, the coronation of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950 and the 2004 tsunami.

Nowadays, Luang Pu Supha lives quietly at his Chalong temple.

In his long lifetime, he has traveled the world in search of what Khun Thanapong says is ‘a life dedicated to truth’.

In 1905, at the age of nine, his father took him to study Buddhism at Pai Yai Temple in Ubon Ratchathani.

In 1916, the young monk embarked upon his official ordination pilgrimage that took him into the mountains of Laos, where he was ordained as a monk.

Six years later, he traveled to Burma, where he met other Thai monks who were on a pilgrimage to India.

Joining the monks, the young Luang Pu Supha set off on a series of adventures which took him to China, then Europe, before embarking on a mammoth journey back to Thailand. Read more

Dalai Lama in Taipei as nephew says 'gag order' imposed

By Amber Wang (AFP), September 2, 2009

TAIPEI — The Dalai Lama arrived Wednesday in Taiwan's capital Taipei, as his nephew said the island's government had put a "gag order" on Tibet's exiled religious leader due to fears over China's reaction.

The Dalai Lama travelled on a high-speed train from the southern city of Kaohsiung after two days focused on the plight of communities devastated by last month's Typhoon Morakot.

The Dalai Lama's nephew, Khedroob Thondup, told AFP that Taiwan had directly requested the tour be kept low-profile.

"They put a gag order on him. Before he left India he was told not to say anything political and to curtail his activities," said Thondup, also a member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in India.

"This was conveyed to our office in New Delhi. He was told to cut down even religious activities. This is all because of pressure from Beijing," he said by telephone from India.

A Taiwan government official denied a gag order existed, saying the Dalai Lama's schedule was arranged by the foundation that represents the Tibetan spiritual leader on the island.

"The Dalai Lama's schedule in Taiwan is decided by his foundation, and the government fully respects its decision," Wang Yu-chi, spokesman for President Ma Ying-jeou, told AFP.

The Dalai Lama's five-day visit has triggered strong reactions from Beijing, which considers him a "splittist" fighting for Tibetan independence, in turn causing the island's leaders to worry publicly about the impact on China ties.

"The coming few days will be extremely crucial," said Wu Poh-hsiung, chairman of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, according to the Taipei-based China Times newspaper. Read more

Food for the starving spirits

Peggy Loh, STREETS, August 31, 2009

<< The sight of small paper flags and joss sticks are common at junctions and by the roads. Photo by Peggy Loh

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival is the time when the dead are released from hell to be fed and entertained by the living on earth. PEGGY LOH shares a few friendly tips on how to avoid offending these ‘guests’

For the next few weeks, you will be seeing rows of small Chinese paper flags alongside joss sticks at many junctions and by the roads.

These are the offerings made to appease the "wandering souls" during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, which falls on the seventh month of the lunar calendar every year.

While the Qing Ming Festival is for families to make offerings and pray to their ancestors, the Hungry Ghost Festival is when the entire community "feed" and "entertain" the "hungry ghosts".

It is believed that the "Gates of Hell" are opened to release these pitiful souls to roam the earth for one month. During that month, the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts and Chinese opera and music peformances are held to satiate the appetites of these ghosts.

The festival stems from a combination of Buddhist and Taoist beliefs and is celebrated by the Chinese adherents.

The 15th day of the seventh month is the most important date. The Cantonese community holds prayers on its eve, while the Teochew and Hokkien perform the rituals on the actual night.
Read more

Calls to remove Buddhist statue from Bridge on the River Kwai

By Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok, Telegraph, August 31, 2009

<< Kwai Bridge with Goddess of Mercy statue in the background Photo by Ian MacKinnon

The Bridge on the River Kwai – the monument to the suffering of Allied troops in Japanese hands – has been overshadowed by a controversial new Buddhist statue.

Local conservationists described it as "visual pollution", saying that it endangered the symbolism of the site, which is in the western Thai town of Kanchanaburi.

The bridge symbolises the 258-mile Death Railway that claimed the lives of more than 12,000 British, Australian and Dutch prisoners of war.

"This destroys the cultural landscape of the bridge, which will be devalued because of it," said Apinya Baggelaar Arrunnapporn, an expert on the history of the Death Railway. "We must take care of this because it reminds us of a shameful past. This development is culturally, morally and ethically inappropriate."

Following objections from conservationists and residents of Kanchanaburi, the province's governor has set up a committee to review the scale of the building work and its legality.

In June last year a Buddhist foundation that owned land next to the bridge was given permission to build a statue and a single building but three were being built.

Veerapan Maleipan, an archaeologist and a member of the committee set up to review the complex described the work as "illegal" and "visual pollution". Read more

Buddhist pulls cars with her hair

By Becky Williams, Telegraph, August 27, 2009

A Chinese Buddhist uses kung fu to pull eight cars with her hair in her last stunt before having it shaved to become a nun.

 

Buddhist monks and nuns: instantly we visualise serine beings, deep in meditation, draped in blistered orange robes all with shaven heads. Not Zhang Tingting though. This fifty-two-year-old nun is a Chinese Buddhist martial arts expert.

Zhang, whose Buddhist name is Shi Deyu, started her kung-fu training at the age of 17 but took up a monastic lifestyle two years ago. Despite tradition dictating that her head should be shaved, she decided to keep her locks. As a result she's been denied official recognition for her orders.

Zhang believes her hair is instilled with special powers, giving her the ability to not only slice through paper with her plait, but also support great weights. Over the years she's taken part in a number of hair-raising challenges – pulling vehicles for up to a hundred metres.

Keen to fully integrate herself into the Buddhist lifestyle, she took up her final challenge on the streets of her native city, in China's central Henan province on Tuesday. Where, with her Kung-fu prowess, she managed to haul eight cars, each weighing over a ton, over 30 metres.
Read more

Junta Warns Buddhist Monks Online

By Arkar Moe, The IRRAWADDY, August 26, 2009

<< Two Buddhist nuns walk past a billboard advertising a sermon of a famous Buddhist monk in Rangoon. (Photo: AP)

A military government Web site, “kyaymon” [meaning “the mirror”], which operates as an online daily newspaper in Burmese, on Wednesday criticized two well-known Buddhist monks’ organizations and warned that the Burmese military authorities will take action against them.

The Burmese-language kyaymon Web site claimed that the International Burmese Monks’ Organization [commonly known as “Sasana Moli”] and the Sangha League (Myanmar) are trying to launch another monks’ boycott in Burma similar to the 2007 Saffron Revolution when Buddhist monks were instrumental in leading anti-government protests.
The Web site claimed that U Nayaka and U Candobhasacara from Sasana Moli, and U Jotika, U Paramikhanti and Shwe Zin Tun from Sangha League (Myanmar) are playing leading roles in the movement and that the Burmese public would not approve of it.

It went on to say that the Burmese government would not tolerate this type of movement and would take “severe action” against those involved in it. The Web site urged the public “not to become the monks’ victims.”

The warning comes the day after The Irrawaddy reported that several exiled monk leaders had said that Buddhist monks across the country were preparing to stage a third boycott of military personnel and their families.

A monk from Sangha League (Myanmar) told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: “It is clear that the Burmese military junta is afraid of the movements of Buddhist monks. It also raises the possibility of the authorities planting fake monks in monasteries and committing violations against our religion.

“Several saffron robe dealers near the Shwedagon Pagoda told our monks that the military authorities had come and bought about 500 saffron robes from them on September 21, 2007. They used those robes as disguises to infiltrate the protests,” he added. Read more

Monk Leaders Call for Third Sangha Boycott

By Arkar Moe, The Irrawaddy, August 25, 2009

<< A Burmese monk living in Thailand speaks outside the UN office during a rally calling for Aung San Suu Kyi's release in Bangkok in May. (Photo: Reuters)

Several exiled Buddhist monk leaders have told The Irrawaddy that Burmese monks across Burma are preparing to launch another boycott of military personnel and their families due to ongoing abuses against Buddhist doctrine and clergy by the ruling military junta.

Known as a “pattanikkujjana” in Pali, a Buddhist monks’ boycott involves refusing morning alms from those said to have violated religious principles.

Burmese monks have declared a pattanikkujjana against the military regime and their cronies twice in recent history: the first time in 1990 following the suppression of Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition party, the National League for Democracy, after they had won a national election by a landslide; and again in 2007, the so-called “Saffron Revolution,” when monks led demonstrations against price hikes in Rangoon that turned into a national uprising against the government.

Burma’s monasteries, some housing as many as 1,000 practicing monks, have been largely silent since the junta ordered a crackdown on the monk-led protests in August and September 2007. But several sources say that the simmering resentment could come to a head again in the lead-up to the regime’s election planned for 2010.

A monk in Rangoon who asked to remain anonymous told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday: “The local authorities are closely watching the monks and their monasteries. Moreover, there are plainclothes security forces keeping an eye on them.”

The military authorities closed and sealed Maggin monastery in Rangoon's Thingankyun Township in November 2007 after its abbot, Sayadaw U Indaka, was arrested for his involvement in the demonstrations. The monks and novices were evicted along with several HIV/ AIDS patients who were receiving treatment in the monastery at the time.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, Ashin Issariya, one of the leaders of the exiled All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA), said, “I want to call on all people and organizations to take part in a third monks’ boycott for the sake of peace and the welfare of all Burmese people.

“The Lord Buddha said that the sangha (Buddhist monkhood) had to carry out their religious duties by sacrificing their lives.

“Therefore, all members of the sangha must act to protect the Buddhist religion and the welfare of our people,” he said. Read more

Pursat's 'holy cow' laid to rest

By Suy Se, The Phnom Penh Post, August 24, 2009

<< People gather Friday to give money, offer incense and collect "holy water" from a dead calf that is rumoured to hold powers of healing after it was born with snakelike skin in Pursat. Photo by Reuters/Chor Sokunthear

Damnak Sangke commune residents believe the body of the calf, born with crocodile-like skin despite having died last week, holds magical properties.


Hundreds of Cambodians staged a ceremony after the death of a "holy cow" whose spit could supposedly cure several illnesses, local officials said.

The mystical calf, which reportedly had unusual skin that looked like crocodile hide, was born last week but died just two days later in northern Pursat province's Damnak Sangke, village chief Sok Mim said.

He said about 100 villagers gathered at the house of the cow's owner, Outh Kdep, for a three-day memorial ceremony. Despite living on the poverty line, many of them dug into their pockets to help finance the elaborate funeral.

"A lot of people have flocked to the ceremony. They offered money and lit incense sticks before the cow to pray for it to be reborn and live a longer life," Sok Mim told reporters. Read more

Multi-coloured Buddhists

The Straits Time, August 24, 2009

Religious harmony must be cultivated by those in the same faith too, says Yen Feng.

First, in gold; then red, and saffron, the monks sat in tight rows at the Wat Ananda Metyarama Buddhist Temple in Bukit Merah.

The colour of their robes represented each of the monks' Buddhist faiths respectively: East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and South-east Asian Theravada Buddhism.

With their palms pressed together in prayer, the 30 holy men – though differently shaded – were a vision of uniform serenity.

The 300 devotees who followed them on Sunday morning to witness the temple’s inaugural National Day Celebrations were much less homogeneous.

Among the locals were Buddhists from Lao, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. A few were visitors, but most were temporary workers, or residents for whom Singapore was now home.

Throughout the day, pockets of conversation, in various tongues, were heard in the temple in the corner of Jalan Bukit Merah and Silat Road.

The incongruity of it all seemed to bother no one.

Many, like housewife Linda Chia, 46, saw little difference between herself, a Singaporean, and the other Buddhists who sat around her. In fact prior to praying at this Thai Buddhist temple, she had been a member of a Burmese Buddhist temple in Pasir Panjang. Read more

Why sleep? Scientist delves into one of science's great mysteries

By Mark Wheeler, Physorg.com, August 20, 2009

August 20th, 2009 By Mark Wheeler (PhysOrg.com) -- Bats, birds, box turtles, humans and many other animals share at least one thing in common: They sleep. Humans, in fact, spend roughly one-third of their lives asleep, but sleep researchers still don't know why.

According to the journal Science, the function of sleep is one of the 125 greatest unsolved mysteries in science. Theories range from brain "maintenance" — including memory consolidation and pruning — to reversing damage from oxidative stress suffered while awake, to promoting longevity. None of these theories are well established, and many are mutually exclusive.

Now, a new analysis by Jerome Siegel, UCLA professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Sleep Research at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has concluded that sleep's primary function is to increase animals' efficiency and minimize their risk by regulating the duration and timing of their behavior.

The research appears in the current online edition of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

"Sleep has normally been viewed as something negative for survival because sleeping animals may be vulnerable to predation and they can't perform the behaviors that ensure survival," Siegel said. These behaviors include eating, procreating, caring for family members, monitoring the environment for danger and scouting for prey.

"So it's been thought that sleep must serve some as-yet unidentified physiological or neural function that can't be accomplished when animals are awake," he said. Read more

What will take us forward 3

The Straits Times, August 19, 2009

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the four challenges facing Singapore in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday. Here is an edited version

'To live peacefully together, we need good sense and tolerance on all sides, and a willingness to give and take. Otherwise, whatever the rules there will be no end of possible causes of friction.'

PM Lee, on how fragile religious and racial harmony is in Singapore and how crucial it is to be tolerant.

So what are these risks? Let me just highlight three of them.

Aggressive preaching - proselytisation. You push your own religion on others, you cause nuisance and offence. You have read in the papers recently about a couple who surreptitiously distributed Christian tracts which were offensive of other faiths, not just of non-Christians but even of Catholics. They were charged and sentenced to jail.

But there are less extreme cases too which can cause problems. We hear, from time to time, complaints about groups trying to convert very ill patients in our hospitals, who don't want to be converted, and who don't want to have the private difficult moments in their lives intruded upon.

Intolerance is another problem - not respecting the beliefs of others or not accommodating others who belong to different religions. You think of this one group versus another group, but sometimes it happens within the same family.

Sometimes we have parents from traditional religions whose children have converted.

The parents have asked to be buried according to traditional rites and their children stay away from the funeral or the wake. It's very sad. From a traditional point of view, it's the ultimate unfilial act but it does happen occasionally.

Exclusiveness is a third problem - segregating into separate exclusive circles, not integrating with other faiths. That means you mix with your own people. You'll end up as separate communities. Read more

Lakeside residents continue protest

By May Titthara, The Phnom Penh Post, August 19, 2009

<< Families from Boeung Kak lake’s Village 2 and Village 4 protest Tuesday in front of City Hall in Phnom Penh. Photo by Heng Chivoan

About 40 residents of Boeung Kak lake's Village 2 and Village 4 held protests in front of City Hall on Tuesday, requesting that they be allowed to stay at the lakeside temporarily while on-site replacement housing is being constructed for them.

Most of the families in the two villages have agreed to make way for a private housing and commercial development in the area, but have rejected officials' demands that they wait at Trapaing Anchanh relocation site, around 20 kilometres from the city.

"We will protest every day in front of City Hall to ask the authorities to help us live temporarily in our own area," resident Pol Toris said, adding that the Trapaing Anchanh site lacks access to schools and health facilities.

City officials have given residents until Sunday to relocate, warning that they will face "administrative measures" if they remain past the deadline and disavowing responsibility for any damage to residents' property that might result.

Despite the looming deadline, Pol Toris said residents were standing firm and pledged to remain at the site.

"If the deadline arrives, I will stay in my house and I will let them tear [it] down," he said.

"I would rather die in our place than move to Trapaing Anchanh." Read more

How the Virgin Mary Survived Sri Lanka's Civil War

By Amantha Perera, Madhu Monday, August 17, 2009

<< Thousands of Sri Lankan Christians gather at the sacred Madhu Shrine, located in a former war zone that is 144 miles northeast of the capital, Colombo. Eranga Jayawardena/AP

For Catholics around the world, Aug. 15 is among the holiest of feast days. It marks the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, when the mother of Jesus is believed to have been physically taken into heaven after death so that her body would not suffer earthly decay. For the Catholics of Sri Lanka, Aug. 15 this year marked a similar miracle: the survival of a 500-year-old statue of the Virgin, through the fiery tumult of a quarter-century of civil war, which was re-ensconced in a jungle church that was once again safe to travel to.

The voice coming through the public-address system was familiar yet strange. I had not heard it in at least 27 years, not since I had traveled to the sacred Madhu Shrine in northern Sri Lanka in August 1982 when I was a child and on pilgrimage with my family: "Aandavane" ("Oh, Holy Lord" in Tamil), "Aandavane." The words spread through the church compound where half a million others had made the same journey to see Madhu Matha, the Mother of Madhu, in her sacred precincts.

For 25 years, Madhu, some 185 miles (300 km) from the capital of Colombo, remained well within the battlegrounds of the civil war between the predominantly Sinhalese government and the separatist Tamil Tigers. It was not until April 2008 that the military gained full control of the shrine; the Tigers, who demanded a separate state for ethnic Tamils on the island nation, were finally crushed in May 2009.
(See pictures from inside Sri Lanka's rebel-held territory.)

Few made the pilgrimage amid the war, and those who did undertook the journey mostly during lulls in fighting. "We came, we worshipped, we left — that was it, we never wanted to stay back," says Lesley Fernando, who is Sinhalese and was brave enough to visit the shrine during the fragile truces in the war. (About 7% of Sri Lanka's population is Catholic, with adherents among both of the nation's major ethnicities: the Sinhalese, who are otherwise mostly Buddhist, and the Tamils, who are predominantly Hindu.) But never have pilgrims been seen in such numbers as they were last week. Numbering some 500,000, they still had to go through several security checkpoints to reach the shrine, though each stop was a formality compared to those during the stringent heights of the civil war. Read more

Reclining Buddhas

By David Wilson, The Star, August 15, 2009
Courtesy: The Buddhist Channel

<< The reclining Buddha at Gal Vihara in Sri Lanka measures 14m in length while the upright one is 7m high.

Often vast, always mysterious, reclining Buddha statues sport enigmatic smiles. David Wilson digs around and discovers the secrets of these dazzling figures

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Strictly speaking, they should not exist. Reclining Buddha statues could be condemned as idolatry because the Buddha asked that no images be carved in his likeness. So, at first, after he slipped away, artistically inclined devotees only paid tribute to facets of his identity — footprints, the chair he sat on, among other relics.

“Eventually, the devotional impulse won out,’’ says Gary Gach, the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism. Good thing, too. Despite their languid pose, the statues cast a spell that few sights in Asia can rival.

Often to be seen glamorously draped across postcards, traditional reclining Buddhas have the left arm aligned along the body while the right serves as a pillow with the hand propping the head. Sometimes no longer than a grain of rice, the reclining Buddha is more often on the scale of a junk.

The icon appears mirage-like everywhere, from Penang and Bangkok to Yangon in Burma, along with Ayutthaya (old Thailand’s capital) and that Laos backpacker haunt, Vang Vieng. One even crops up in White Plains, New York. The reclining Buddha’s “home” may be a temple, grotto or fresco — anywhere with a touch of width and mystique.

The statue represents Shakyamuni Buddha — the historical Buddha — at his death at 80. It is said that when the Buddha knew the end was near, he asked his disciples to prepare a couch for him in a grove, then reclined on his right side, facing west, with his head propped on his hand.
Read more

Taipei Tibet Office organizes a prayer ceremony for Typhoon victims

By Yeshe Choesang, TheTibetPost.com, August 15, 2009
Courtesy: The Buddhist Channel

Taipei, Taiwan -- After seven days of natural disasters, the Tibet Office "Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama" in Taipei have organized a special prayer ceremony for the victims of Typhoon, those who lost their lives and those who still missing.

The ceremony was led by Tibetan monks including former abbot from Sera Jay monastery. Many Taiwanese Buddhist followers and all staff members of The Tibet Religious Foundation also attended the ceremony.

"The Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama based in Taipei has called Tibetans and Taiwanese Buddhist followers in Taiwan to hold a prayer ceremony for the Taiwanese who lost their lives in tragedy of the recent natural disaster," Keary Huan, Taipei correspondent for The Tibet Post (TPI) said.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the very tragic situation from the media, from our Taiwanese friends and even their relatives. The reports have revealed heart breaking stories of tragedy, of fear, and pain in their hearts. Taiwanese people not only suffered from the merciless wind and rain, but they have also taken a great hit, with high loss of livestock, and the loss of life of their loved ones in the disaster," Mr. Sodor, the secretary of the Tibet Office in Taipei told TPI.

"The typhoon had mainly hit southern Taiwan, causing many lives there buried under mud and rocks. Particularly Liouguei Township, and Shiao Lin village Kaohsiung County were reported to be covered with what rescuers say, may be, five stories of mud. The news has been officially confirmed that 398 people were buried alive," said Keary.

The residents said there were more people than usual in the village when the storm hit last weekend because Saturday was Taiwanese Father's day. So many people on that day returned to their home villages to celebrate the occasion with families.

People in Shiao Lin are also scene at the disaster yesterday, Chinese and Siraya (Taiwan native) have performed traditional rituals to commemorate the tragic deaths of their loved ones. They presented inscence, betel nuts and cigarettes, hoping their loved ones can rest in peace at an early date. Read more

Buddhist Monk Faces Worldly Green-Card Matters

By Miriam Jordan, The Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2009

Mr. Jomthong, Who Says His Job Is to 'Promote Peace and Harmony,' Gets Ensnared in U.S. Immigration Bureaucracy

Pomona, California -- Monk Phra Bunphithak Jomthong entered the U.S. four years ago on a religious visa and has since devoted himself to serving a burgeoning Buddhist community in Southern California. Barefoot and clad in a saffron robe, Mr. Jomthong recently gave what amounts to the most accurate job description he has: "to share Buddhist practices and to promote peace and harmony among people."

But the U.S. government wants to deport the 47-year-old monk, after denying him permanent U.S. residency, or a green card, on the grounds that he was employed without authorization after his temporary religious visa lapsed. Now, Mr. Jomthong, a citizen of Thailand, is fighting in federal district court and immigration court for the right to remain in the country.

<< Monk Phra Bunphithak Jomthong, third from right in this photo taken in Los Angeles last month, entered the U.S. four years ago on a religious visa. Michal Czerwonka for The Wall Street Journal
At issue is the meaning of "employment." Mr. Jomthong's fate may depend on whether his attorney can convince a judge that the monk's unpaid religious services don't constitute employment. "The monk may work at his religious labors but he is not employed by the temple. He took an oath of poverty and doesn't receive wages," says Angelo Paparelli an immigration attorney with Seyfarth Shaw LLP who is representing Mr. Jomthong free of charge. Read more

Baby Chhouk gets a leg up on life

By Tracey Shelton, The Phnom Penh Post, June 8, 2009

A volunteer initiative between a wildlife NGO and a maker of mainly human prosthetics offers Phnom Tamao's baby elephant Chhouk a new foot - and a new chance at life.

<< Nick Marx of Wildlife Alliance (far left, holding elephant trunk) comforts Chhouk, a baby elephant who lost his foot, possibly from a poacher’s trap, while elephant keeper Tan and staff from the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics attempt to fit him with a new “shoe” Friday at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. Photo by Tracey Shelton

PROSTHETICS students from 10 different nations travelled Friday to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center by Forestry Administration to see Chhouk, a 4-year-old baby elephant who lost part of a leg, be fitted with a new prosthesis.

During the trip, organised by the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (CSPO), Cathy McConnell, who headed the prosthesis project, said it was only the second case she knew of an elephant receiving a prosthetic limb.

"We weren't sure if it would work with the limited resources we have here," McConnell said. "But the staff were keen to take on the challenge."

At first, a temporary foot using the same materials as human prosthetics with a base made from car tyre was designed for testing, McConnell said. This was fitted to replace the 12 centimetres of Chhouk's
missing foot on March 28 with excellent results.

It was assumed Chhouk would need sedating during the X-ray and casting, McConnell said, but a supply of turnips and bananas was enough to keep him happy.

Thou Sambath, a key member of the design team from CSPO, said this original prosthesis needed three repairs in the two months since fitting, so the new design was made more rigid to withstand the wear and tear that comes with being an elephant's prosthetic. Read more

Former nurse, now a Buddhist nun will teach that change is inevitable

By Nancy Haught, The Oregonian, June 08, 2009

<< Ani Gilda Paldron Taylor is an Oregonian, a Tibetan Buddhis nun, a retired nurses and a survivor of breast cancer, and brain injury at at least one recession. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Ani Gilda Paldron Taylor was a nurse in the 1960s, confronting death and dying on a daily basis, when she began to think about suffering. A Christian at the time, she asked her Episcopal priest to explain why suffering seemed to be inevitable.

"It's God's will," the priest said.

"That did nothing but cause frustration," says Taylor, now 74 and a survivor of breast cancer, a brain injury and at least one economic recession.

She's also now a Tibetan Buddhist nun who thinks her own experience with suffering might help others who are struggling in today's economy.

Taylor, a native Oregonian and the leader of Portland Sakya Center, is offering a free series of conversations about fear and suffering. It's time, she says, to set aside the tongue-twisting jargon of Tibetan Buddhism and offer help to people, whether they have spiritual backgrounds or not, who are jobless, living on reduced incomes or facing the loss of their homes.

"If you were working in an emergency room," she says, "and someone came in with a headache and someone else was bleeding out of their belly, who would you attend to first?

"There's a lot of bleeding going on right now. Let's try to control the hemorrhaging."

In an interview, Taylor talked about suffering and the Buddha's insights. Her responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Isn't it a leap from the end-of-life suffering you saw as a nurse to the end-of-a-job suffering so many people feel now? Read more

Honouring Kampuchea Krom

By Holly Pham and Vong Sokheng, The Phnom Penh Post, June 5, 2009

Monks, Khmer Krom activists gather to urge the government not to halt future demonstrations

<< AFP

AROUND 600 monks, opposition politicians and rights activists gathered in Phnom Penh on Thursday to mark the loss of Cambodia's southern territories - Kampuchea Krom - to Vietnam.

The rally at Wat Botum park celebrating the 60th anniversary of the handover of Kampuchea Krom also aimed to draw attention to the human rights abuses still reportedly suffered by southern Vietnam's ethnic Khmer residents, known locally as Khmer Krom.

"We are in sorrow. This date represents all our suffering since 1949, when we lost our land to Vietnam. Our rally today sends a message to the young generation of Khmer Krom to remember our sufferings and sacrifices," said Young Sin, chief of the Khmer Krom monks from Phnom Penh's Sammaki Raingsei pagoda.

Historical watershed
The annual gathering marks June 4, 1949, when an ailing French colonial administration transferred Cambodia's old Mekong Delta territories to its colony of Cochinchina, a precursor to today's Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

It is a loss that is still keenly felt by many Cambodians, compounded by reports of human rights violations against Khmer Krom monks.

A Human Rights Watch report released in January decried the "severe and often shrouded methods" used by the Vietnamese government to stifle demands for religious and cultural freedom. Read more

Three Poisons/Three Evil Roots

 

In Flower Adornment Sutra, it says that

For all bad Karma created in the past,
Based upon beginningless greed, hatred and delusion,
And born of body, mouth and mind,
I now repent and reform.

It is the well known Repentance Verse in Buddhism. In Buddhism, the distinction between what is good and what is bad is simple. It hinges on the intention or motivation from which an action originates. The deed which is associated with greed/attachment, hatred/ill will, delusion/stupidity is evil.

Greed, hatred and delusion are called the Three Poisons or Three Evil Roots, which are the primary source of all evil deed. It is the Three Poisons that create all bad Karma, resulting all kinds of suffering in accordance with the Principle of Cause and Effect. The Three Poisons are also obstacles to the attainment of good Karma. Thus we have to abandon them by all means.

Greed

Greed is the cause of many offences. The five greedy desires are: wealth, sex, fame, eating and sleeping.

Greedy desire is endless and therefore can never be satisfied. The lesser the greedy desire, the happier and more satisfied we are. The best prescription to deal with greed is in giving away.

Anger

Hatred to people is another cause of evil deed. We should not lose temper and get angry when we are unhappy. We should be calm and patient.

Delusion

It means the persistent belief in something false and distorted. We have to observe and think in an objective and rational manner, so as to avoid prejudice and misunderstanding. For instance, if we don't believe in cause and effect, and then commit offence frequently and heavily, we will suffer from the retribution. Learn more Buddhism

Closure looms for dump families

By Mom Khunthear and Christopher Shay, The Phnom Penh Post, June 4, 2009

Hundreds will be left without work next month with the closing of Stung Meanchey dump, an icon of poverty that has become an unlikely safety net for some of the city's poorest inhabitants.

<< A woman combs through garbage at Stung Meanchey Municipal Dump on Monday, searching for recyclable goods that she can resell. Over the years, the dump has received a great deal of international attention, but next month, the government will close the infamous site, taking away the main source of income for hundreds of families. Photo by Christopher Shay

SPRINTING towards an oncoming garbage truck, Phorn Sreymean hoped to beat a dozen other scavengers in fishing out the bottles and cans embedded in the garbage raining down from behind the vehicle.

For her efforts, repeated each time a truck trundle over the mounds of refuse msaking up Stung Meanchey dump, Phorn Sreymean said she might make 5,000 riels (US$1.25) in a day.

The 14-year-old said she began working the dump five years ago, after her parents divorced and she was forced to join her mother to help support the rest of her family.

Stung Meanchey dump has been written about, photographed and filmed, and through these stories, the hundreds of dirt-poor families who work the 40 hectares of steaming trash have become international icons of Third World poverty.

"The fact that so many foreigners want to come here shows that it has become a symbol of poor people in Cambodia," said Cindy Godden, an anthropology PhD candidate at the Australian National University who has been doing her fieldwork at the dump for a year. Read more

Wildlife busts down across region: ASEAN watchdog

By Christopher Shay And Sam Rith, The Phnom Penh Post, June 3, 2009

Experts says animal seizures have decreased in Cambodia since 2005 but that illegal wildlife trade remains active.

<< An illegal hunter of wildlife displays a turtle - which will be cooked and eaten - in Battambang province last week. Photo by Heng Chivoan

IN the first three months of 2009, some 5,410 animal seizures and 38 arrests were made by wildlife law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia - a sharp decline compared with last year, according to recently released statistics from ASEAN's Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN).

With 24,175 animal rescues in the region in the second half of 2008, the number of wildlife enforcement actions in Southeast Asia lags far behind last year's pace.

In Cambodia, the number of seizures has been steadily dropping since 2005 when there were 6,294 seizures, compared with 2,933 in 2008, according to a Forestry Administration document obtained by the Post.

But Nick Marx, a Wildlife Alliance adviser to the Forestry Administration's Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT), says there could be multiple reasons for the apparent drop in Cambodia's wildlife trade, saying the WRRT and increased fines could have deterred many people from entering into the wildlife trade, or that traders had gotten one step ahead of enforcement and were not being caught.

Finally, he said, "There could just be less wildlife around."

ASEAN-WEN, which claims to be the largest wildlife law enforcement network in the world, highlighted one major animal trafficking bust in Cambodia when the WRRT rescued 150 live animals from traders in Pursat province on March 30 after a high-speed car chase. Read more

Coaxing a Khmer Temple From the Jungle’s Embrace

By ROBERT TURNBULL, The New York Times, June 2, 2009

To reach the temple of Banteay Chhmar from the Cambodian town of Sisophon in the dry season involves a two-hour drive through parched forests coated with brown dust. The temple is breathtaking. Bas-reliefs depict naval battles between ancient Khmers and their Cham rivals in remarkable detail. Giant sandstone faces loom over thick vegetation strewn with collapsed lintels and broken naga heads.

More Arts NewsVisitors to Angkor Wat will have seen something like this. But the glory of Banteay Chhmar is its raw, unadulterated state. Sitting 100 kilometers, or about 60 miles, northwest of Siem Reap, this is Cambodia’s “forgotten” temple. You will probably find yourself alone, able to rekindle the experience of colonial French explorers as they first stumbled upon Khmer antiquity.

But the same isolation was not lost on those who vandalized Banteay Chhmar in the late 1990s. The Cambodian military not only mined the complex but made off with large sections of bas-relief destined for private homes in Bangkok and beyond. Local guides like Seng Samnang remembers the oxcarts loaded with artifacts being wheeled out of the temple. “There was nothing we could do,” he said. “If we had challenged these men we would have been killed.”

About 115 pieces, a truckload, have been recovered and they are sitting in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Of the rest — there is allegedly much more — reports of Buddha heads appearing in Thai generals’ gardens have done little to ease longstanding tensions over Thai claims to Cambodia’s patrimony, an issue that resurfaced last year, and remains unresolved, at the northern temple of Preah Vihear. Read more

Ban imposed on commercial fishing to replenish stocks

By Sam Rith, The Phnom Penh Post, June 2, 2009

Officials say they are optimistic that the ban in selected provinces will improve Kingdom’s fish stocks next year

<< Women collect fish in Kampot province earlier this year. Photo by Tracey Shelton

THE Fisheries Administration has announced the end of the fishing season and a four-month ban on commercial fishing to allow fish stocks time to replenish.

"The closure takes place because from [Monday] onwards, about 90 percent of fish start breeding," Nao Thouk, director of the Fisheries Administration, told the Post on Monday.

"We will end large-scale fishing and we will only allow small-scale subsistence fishing so that families are able to eat."

The fishing season ends Monday for provinces located north of Chaktomuk river, including Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, Preah Vihear, Kratie and Stung Treng. Provinces located south of Chaktomuk, including Kandal and Takeo, will have to stop commercial fishing from July 1.

Tat El, chief of Koh Dach commune in Kandal province, said in his commune fishing has already been scaled back due to a lack of fish this season.

However, Nao Thouk anticipated an increase in fish yield - possibly up to 400,000 tonnes, from 370,000 last year - when fishing restarted after the ban, saying that he had observed early fish breeding and an apparent increase in the number of baby fish. He attributed the increase to a zealous crackdown on illegal fishing last year, which saw his administration take action against some 1,000 instances of abuse. Read more

Thai military encroaching on hill at Preah Vihear, RCAF warns

By Thet Sambath, The Phnom Penh Post, June 2, 2009

Military commanders say they are monitoring construction of a new road on Thai side of border

<< A Cambodian soldier carries a rocket-propelled grenade at Preah Vihear earlier this year. Photo by Tracey shelton

THE commander of an RCAF brigade at Preah Vihear said Monday that they were closely monitoring a road construction project undertaken by Thailand that they said was approaching Phnom Trop, located two kilometres from the temple.

"The Thais are constructing a road in their territory about one kilometre from Phnom Trop, where our soldiers are standing," said Yim Phim, commander of RCAF Brigade 8.

"They see that we have a road near here, so they are building one on their land. They can build it in their territory but not in the disputed area," he added.

He said he first noticed that the road was approaching Phnom Trop last week.

Also Monday, Sao Socheat, deputy commander of RCAF Military Region 4, said 15 Thai soldiers had established a base last month at Chak Chreng, known as Hill 600, a disputed knoll located near Phnom Trop. Read more

Children's Day at Prey Sar

By May Titthara, The Phnom Penh Post, June 2, 2009

<< A young inmate at Phnom Penh’s Prey Sar prison looks at a prison guard during International Children’s Day celebrations. Photo by Heng Chivoan

THE RIGHTS group Licadho distributed gifts to 408 minor inmates and 17 children incarcerated with their mothers at Phnom Penh's Prey Sar prison Monday to mark International Children's Day.

The inmates were entertained by the popular comedians Tuy and To during an event held Monday morning. Of the 408 incarcerated minors, most of whom are males, 369 were arrested on robbery charges, said prison Chief Chat Sineang.

"It is a shame we have to celebrate International Children's Day in prison, but we must," he said. "These prisoners have done harm to their society, and they must pay for what they have done."

Tham Keng, chief of the Interior Ministry's Prison Correctional Department, said he hoped the presentation of gifts to the inmates would allow them to feel like valued members of society.

"By bringing gifts to the prisoners, Licadho is proving that they do not discrimate against anyone, and that they believe the prisoners can change their bad attitudes," he said. Read more

The True Buddhist

By Venerable Shangpa Rinpoche

When we call ourselves Buddhists, we mean we are the followers of Buddha. The most important aspect of being a Buddhist is that we should follow the path of Buddha and always reflect as Buddhists. Buddha is a Sanskrit word. It refers to one who has awakened from the ignorant mind and who has accomplished knowledge and wisdom. The Tibetan word for this is 'Sangye'.

Every Buddhist has ambitions and goals to attain the state of Buddhahood. The attainment of Buddhahood is the achievement and development of one's potential to liberate all sentient beings from suffering.

Those who have not yet achieved Buddhahood, have conflicting emotions such as desire, hatred, jealousy, ignorance and countless types of defilements. All these defilements come from ignorance; that is, being without wisdom and not knowing the true nature of mind. This ignorance causes all kinds of complications and confusion in the samsara. But ignorance is not permanent. It can be removed by applying wisdom. By turning ignorance to wisdom, one will be able to understand the truth. This will gradually lead one to the state of the enlightenment. Therefore, as a Buddhist, the most important goal is to develop wisdom and understand the basic teachings of Buddha dharma, such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eight Fold Paths; and then the practice of Bodhisattva paths and Vajrayana methods. An understanding of these will help us to develop wisdom.

Besides absorbing the knowledge of dharma,application of the teachings is also important. Whatever knowledge of the dharma we have absorbed into our mind streams, we must apply. For example, we all know that we should be generous. The knowledge of this is insufficient. We must implement that knowledge and practise generosity at all times. Read more

Government inaction worsens climate threat

By Eleanor Ainge Roy, The Phnom Penh Post, June 1, 2009

<< Around 85 percent of Cambodians depend on the land, putting them very much in harm’s way when it comes to climate change. Photo by Tracey Shelton

THE threat of climate change is gradually making its way to the top of policymakers agenda's worldwide, but in Cambodia such action is proving slower to catch on.

But with 85 percent of Cambodia's 14 million people living in rural areas and largely relying on the land for their survival, according to United Nations estimates, the issue could soon be a critical one.

What will these people do if the land begins to revolt?
GERES, an environmental NGO, released a climate change awareness report in March that showed that 85 percent of Cambodian people are already beginning to see the effects of climate change.

The report cited "unprecedented occurrences of pests, unseasonable rains, droughts and floods" in many areas of Cambodia and said these exacerbated the difficulties faced by people reliant on agricultural systems for their livelihood.

"People speak of the increase in temperature, the irregularity of the wet and dry season, and the growing prevalence of floods and droughts," said Nop Polin, national climate change awareness coordinator in GERES's Climate Change Unit.

"However, one of the main challenges in the battle against climate change in Cambodia is that most people don't know why these changes are occurring. They don't understand the term climate change or any of the causes - such as smoke and deforestation. Without understanding the scientific links they don't care about things like cutting down the forest." Read more

Talking about a green future

By Bennett Murray, The Phnom Penh Post, June 1, 2009

Cambodia’s second annual Environment Week features a range of events designed to encourage Cambodians to look after the world around them

<< Environment week aims to encourage local Cambodians to look after the environment, not trash it like this river in Siem Reap. Photo by Tracey Shelton

French NGO GERES, the French embassy and the French development agency AFD are coordinating Cambodia's second Environment Week, which runs today to Sunday.

The week is to feature film screenings at the Institute of Technology, the French Cultural Centre (CCF), Meta House, a display at Wat Phnom and a three-day Eco-Festival at the park east of Wat Botum running from Friday to Tuesday.

"The idea is to have one week in the year where we talk about the environment," explained GERES Deputy Director Charlotte Nivollet. "Whoever has something to say about the environment, whoever has experience on how to address the main environmental issues that the human being is facing nowadays."

In particular, the coordinators hope to raise environmental awareness amongst the Cambodian population and to promote discussion amongst the country's main environmental actors.

The events at Wat Botum park are the centerpiece of Environment Week. Lasting for three days, it will feature a tent complete with the displays of NGOs that deal with the environment.

"They can show the general public what they are doing," explained Nivollet. "People can walk around and have a look and discuss with the organisers." Read more

Dying coconut crops in B'bang have farmers, officials fearing the worst

By Thet Sambath, The Phnom Penh Post, June 1, 2009

Concern spreads over possible coconut beetle infestation, which devastated crops in 2004.

<< Healthy coconuts on sale in Phnom Penh this week. Farmers in Battambang say a disease is afflicting their palm trees and threatening their livelihoods, as officials say they are investigating the possibility of a spreading coconut beetle infestation. Photo by Tracey Shelton

Samlot District, Battambang -- FARMERS across Battambang province say their livelihoods are in peril as thousands of coconut trees and their valuable crop perish and fears spread of a possible infestation of Brontispa longissima - or coconut beetles - which wrought havoc on Cambodia's coconut crops five years ago, provincial officials say.

Khiev Moung has been a coconut farmer for years, but when the leaves of his palms turned red and began to die a few weeks ago, he lost confidence in his trade - the only source of income for his family.

"I don't know why my coconut trees are dying. They are dead, and I have noticed that many coconut trees in other places are also dead, and others look like they're going to die," he said at his farm in Samlot district, Battambang province. Read more

The Monk's Rules

By Bhikkhu Ariyesako

<< Buddhist monks enroute to their respective temples at end of memorial service. Courtesy: The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community

I. Beginner's Questions

Q. 1: Why does a monk wear the robe? Why do some wear brown robes and others wear yellowish brown?

A: The Lord Buddha gave this reflection about why a monk wears a robe:

Properly considering the robe, I use it: simply to ward off cold, to ward off heat, to ward off the touch of flies, mosquitoes, simply for the purpose of covering the parts of the body which cause shame.

In the Lord Buddha's time, 2,500 years ago, clothing was made without complex machinery. (Although simple 'sewing-frames' are mentioned in the texts, which the monks would have used at robe-making - Kathina - time.) So the pattern of the robe is very simple and designed so that it can be made up out of patches of cloth, for discarded rags were often used after washing and dyeing. This 'yellow robe' is considered the banner of the arahant and emblem of Buddhism. For the ordinary Theravadin bhikkhu it is a privilege to be able to wear this robe, continuing the tradition and practising to be worthy of it.

There are rules as to the robes' size, colour, how they are sewn, type of cloth used, etc., and how bhikkhus can acquire them.

The colour of the robes depends on the dye used. Until very recently, this would have been natural vegetable dye found in the jungle from roots or trees. (In NE Thailand, for example, we used the heartwood of the jack-fruit tree.) Nowadays chemical dyes are more used and sometimes give that more vivid orange colour that one sees in Bangkok. The colour white is used by Buddhist devotees to show their commitment to keeping the Precepts — usually the Eight Precepts — on Observance Days. (White robes are also worn by the anagarika, or postulant before he becomes a monk.)

Q. 2: Why do monks eat from the bowl? Can lay people serve soup to monks in normal bowls? Can they serve fruits or desserts on plates instead of putting them in the monk's bowl?

A: The Lord Buddha gave this reflection about finding and eating food:

Properly considering alms food, I use it: not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on weight, nor for beautification; but simply for the survival and continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the chaste life, (thinking) I will destroy old feelings (of hunger) and not create new feelings (from overeating). Thus I will maintain myself, be blameless, and live in comfort. Read more

VINAYA: The Ordination Ceremony of a Monk

By Ajahn Brahmavamso

The ordination ceremony (UPASAMPADA) which makes a Theravada Buddhist monk is one of the 'legal acts of the Sangha' contained in the Buddhist Monastic Rule (VINAYA). The ceremony must be performed according to this Rule or else the ordination in invalid and the candidate not a monk. The strict requirement to follow the Rule has meant that the ceremony has remained unchanged since the time of the Lord Buddha. It is still conducted in Pali, the language of original Buddhism, to give the rite a solemn formality which reflects the importance of the occasion. However, as the ceremony is always public, with relatives and friends and other well-wishers in attendance, the Pali phrases are often translated and the ceremony explained.

According to the Rule, some may not become monks: one who has murdered an Arahant (Enlightened Being), one who has murdered his mother or father, one who has injured the Lord Buddha, one who has raped a Buddhist nun, one who has caused a schism in the Sangha, one who has pretended to be a monk without ordination, one who has left the Sangha and ordained in another religion, one who as a monk committed any of the four 'disrobing offences' (see below), one who is a Eunuch, Hermaphrodite or who is an animal ...

... Once a Naga, a powerful serpent who can take the form of a human being, was mistakenly ordained as a monk. Shortly after, when asleep in his hut, the naga returned to the shape of a huge snake. The monk who shared the hut was somewhat alarmed when he woke up to see a great snake sleeping next to him! The Lord Buddha summoned the naga and told him he may not remain as a monk, at which the utterly disconsolate snake began to weep. The snake was given the Five Precepts as the means to attaining a human existence in his next life when he can then be a monk. Then out of compassion for the sad snake, the Lord Buddha said that from then on all candidates for the monkhood be called 'Naga' as a consolation. They are still called 'Naga' to this day. Read more

Buddha's Nagas

Source: http://www.khandro.net

According to the Vinaya or Buddhist Monastic Rule, an animal cannot become a monk. At one time, a Naga was so desirous of entering the Order that he assumed human form in order to be ordained.

"Shortly after, when asleep in his hut, the naga returned to the shape of a huge snake. The monk who shared the hut was somewhat alarmed when he woke up to see a great snake sleeping next to him! The Lord Buddha summoned the naga and told him he may not remain as a monk, at which the utterly disconsolate snake began to weep. The snake was given the Five Precepts as the means to attaining a human existence in his next life when he can then be a monk. Then out of compassion for the sad snake, the Lord Buddha said that from then on all candidates for the monkhood be called 'Naga' as a consolation. They are still called 'Naga' to this day." Learn more

The Buddha is not a God. He is a Great Human Being

Based on "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived - The Supreme Buddha"
By Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero

Those who do not know the Buddha properly, consider Him a God. The Buddha never esteemed such unnecessary glory, praise or honour. Nor did He expect such things.

" O Bhikkhus, gains, offerings, glory, praise are all harsh and fierce. They are a danger preventing the achievement of the highest bliss of liberation. "

The Buddha appeared among men solely to make people see their ignorance, lack of awareness, wrong views, fallacies, and wrong actions. Such a great man will never expect limitless deference, praise or honour from the people.

One day, the Buddha walked along the road from the city of Ukkattha to the city of Setavya. A Brahmin named Drona, travelling along the same road after the Buddha, saw His footprints. He looked at them and thought, " These can never be the footprints of a human being. " The Buddha stepped aside from the road and sat under a tree. Brahmin Drona walked up to the Buddha, whose demeanour was exceedingly calm and serene, and questioned Him thus:

Brahmin : " Are you a God? "

The Buddha : " Brahmin, I am not a God. "

Brahmin : " Are you a Gandhabba ( divine musician )? "

The Buddha : " Brahmin, I am not a Gandhabba. "

Brahmin : " Are you a Yakkha? "

The Buddha : " Brahmin, I am not a Yakkha. "

Brahmin : " Are you a human being? "

The Buddha : " Brahmin, I am not a human being, either. "

Brahmin : " When I ask you whether you are a God, you say " No, I am not a God. " When I ask you whether you are a Gandhabba, a Yakkha or a human being, you say " No. " If that were so, who are you? "

The Buddha : " O Brahmin, if I am a god, I must have those sense-desires. But, I have eradicated sense-desires fully. Therefore, I am not a God. If I am a Gandhabba, I must have sense-desires. But I have eradicated those fully. Therefore, I am not a Gandhabba.

O Brahmin, if I am a Yakkha, I must have the sense-desires that a Yakkha should have. But, I eradicated all that fully. Therefore, I am not a Yakkha, either. O Brahmin, if I am an ordinary human being, I must have the sense-desires of ordinary men. But, I have totally eradicated those. Therefore, I am not a human being like other human beings. Learn more Buddhism

GOODWILL

Source: kammatthana.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For one whose release of awareness through good will is cultivated... eleven benefits can be
expected. Which eleven?

One sleeps easily,
wakes easily,
dreams no evil dreams.

One is dear to human beings,
dear to non-human beings.
The devas protect one.
Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one.
One's mind gains concentration quickly.
One's complexion is bright.
One dies unconfused and -- if penetrating no higher --
is headed for the Brahma worlds.

These are the eleven benefits that can be expected for one
whose release of awareness through good will is cultivated,
developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding,
steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken."

~Angutara Nikaya XI.16

As a mother would risk her life
to protect her child,
her only child,
even so should one cultivate a limitless heart
with regard to all beings.
With good will for the entire cosmos,
cultivate a limitless heart:
Above,
below,
all around,
unobstructed,
without hostility or hate.
Whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down,
as long as one is alert,
one should be resolved on this mindfulness.
This is called a sublime abiding here & now.
~Sn I.8: Karaniya Metta Sutta Learn more Buddhism

Ten Unwholesome Actions

Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Suchart (Abhijato Bhikkhu)
Translated by Chantaporn Gomutputra, Edited by June Gibb

The Buddha teaches that we all have our kamma, intentional acts that result in a favorable or unfavorable outcome, as our possession. Whatever we do we are the recipients. Through his enlightenment he could see that our joy and sorrow are the consequences of our actions done through our body, speech and thought. If we do good, wholesome and meritorious kamma, happiness and prosperity, would follow. On the other hand if we do bad, unwholesome, and demeritorious kamma, sorrow and deprivation would follow. Knowing we all desire happiness and detest pain he therefore exhorts us to do good and avoid doing evil because good kamma generates joy and peace, while doing evil creates stress and pain for both ourselves and others.

If we cannot do good, at least we should abstain from doing bad kamma. Our mind may not be cool, but at least it’s not on fire. Unwholesome actions can be committed in three ways, through body, speech and mind that would result in sorrow and pain.

The ten unwholesome actions consist of three actions committed through the body - killing, stealing and committing adultery; four actions by way of speech - lying, foul mouthing, inciting hatred, and frivolous talk; and three actions by way of thought are greed, anger and delusion.

We should refrain from these ten unwholesome actions because they would only hurt others and ourselves, like killing for example. To lose our lives is excruciatingly painful because we all value life very dearly, whether we are human or the tiniest animal. All living creatures large or small are the same in this regard. If we don’t want to be killed then we shouldn’t kill others. We should also abstain from stealing because it hurts the people we steal from, and also from committing adultery, which causes us to worry about getting caught and punished. Read more

Misunderstanding Buddhism

By Barbara O'Brien, About.com

Common Things People Believe About Buddhism That Aren't True

Buddhists want to get enlightened so they can be blissed out all the time. And they believe in reincarnation, and if something bad happens to you it's because of something you did in a past life. And Buddhists have to be vegetarians. Everybody knows that. Unfortunately, much of what "everybody knows" about Buddhism isn't true.

What follows is a kind of Un-FAQ that lists common but mistaken ideas many people in the West have about Buddhism. If you can think of any more, please add them through the "Readers Respond" link at the end of this article, or discuss them in the Buddhism forum.

1. Buddhism Teaches That Nothing Exists
I've read many diatribes against the Buddhist teaching that nothing exists. If nothing exists, the writers ask, who is it that imagines something does exist?

However, Buddhism does not teach that nothing exists. It challenges our understanding of how things exist. It teaches that beings and phenomena have no intrinsic existence. But Buddhism does not teach there is no existence at all.

The "nothing exists" folklore mostly comes from a misunderstanding of the teaching of anatta and its Mahayana extension, shunyata. But these are not doctrines of non-existence. Rather, they teach that we understand existence in a limited, one-sided way.

2. Buddhism Teaches We're All One
Everyone's heard the joke about what the Buddhist monk said to a hot dog vendor -- "Make me one with everything." Doesn't Buddhism teach we are one with everything?

In the Maha-nidana Sutta, the Buddha taught that it was incorrect to say that the self is finite, but it is also incorrect to say that the self is infinite. In this sutra, the Buddha taught us not to hold on to views about whether the self is this or that. We fall into the idea that we individuals are component parts of a One Thing, or that our individual self is false an only an infinite self-that-is-everything is true. Understanding the self requires going beyond concepts and ideas. Read more