news and articles
A New Breed of Monk Rises in Myanmar
SAGAING, Myanmar -- Sitagu Sayadaw sits on a raised platform, three visitors kneeling below him, and explains the source of his power as a Buddhist monk. "I don't have any guns but I have very strong weapons: love, kindness and compassion," he says, as two novice monks massage his feet. Read more
Dalai Lama: China mistreating Tibetans during Games
PARIS, Aug 16 - The Dalai Lama said on Saturday China was mistreating and torturing civilians in Tibet while the Olympic Games were going on. Read more
YouTube stands up to IOC over Free Tibet video
The International Olympic Committee has withdrawn a DCMA takedown notice that targeted a two-minute long YouTube video of a Students for a Free Tibet protest at the Chinese consulate in New York. The video shows protesters gathering outside the building at night and projecting images of the Olympic symbol, 'tank man,' Tibetan riot footage and clips of victims of the Chinese police crackdown in Tibet. After receiving the request, YouTube contacted the IOC and asked if it really planned to pursue a claim. The IOC retracted the notice and the video was reposted within hours. Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society praised YouTube for 'going out of its way to do more than it's required to do under the law to protect free expression.' Read more
Women's Kingdom
Western China -- Deep in the hills of south western China lives a Buddhist community of 60,000 people called Mwa-Swa. Read more
Voices from the cave
Dunhuang, China -- A traveler falls into a river and calls for help. A huge stag with a fur of nine colors saves the drowning man. The queen of a nearby kingdom dreams about the stag and longs for its fur. Read more
South Korea: Religion Continues to Haunt the Lee Administration
Seoul, South Korea -- The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism has demanded an apology and an answer from the government for leaving out Buddhist temples, including major ones such as Bulguk, Baekyang and Bongeun temples, on a website called the Educational Geographic Information System, operated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which shows the locations of schools and surrounding areas. Read more
The Dalai Lama's demons
Paris, France -- Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is revered as a hero by his people and respected world-wide for his peaceful philosophy. Today, however, there are cracks at the heart of his community. Read more
Contempt ruling delayed in fight over Long Beach temple
LONG BEACH, CA (USA) -- The 70 or so protesters from the Cambodian community who gathered in front of the Long Beach courthouse Monday and the 50 who crammed into Judge Joseph DiLoreto's courtroom will have to wait for the latest chapter to be played out in a dispute for control of the local Buddhist temple they attend. Read more
Photo exhibit captures Buddhist philosophy
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -- Some photographers strive to capture the beauty of nature and human life, but 12 professional photographers and monks in the Ha Noi-based Que Huong Photography Club are out to show the Buddhist philosophy of everyday life.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama express concern for Tibet's fragile environment
NOTTINGHAM, UK -- Answering a question relating to Tibet’s environment from the well-known British TV presenter Jonathan Dimbleby, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the eminent danger facing Tibet’s fragile environment cannot wait. Read more
A Buddhist shrine grows off Highway 395
Adelanto, CA (USA) -- It doesn't take long to get acquainted with the rhythm of things at a new Buddhist shrine in this high desert community presided over by a monk nicknamed "Tom" and a 24-foot-tall statue of a saint said to have miraculous powers. Read more
Karmapa draws 1,600 to county
SHAMONG, New Jersey (USA) -- More than 1,600 people from all over the country gathered here yesterday to listen to the teachings of a Tibetan Buddhist leader. Read more
Buddhism and humanism: A reflection
Dhakka, Bangladesh -- Today is the Sacred Buddha Purnima, the full-moon day of Vesakha blessed by the birth, Enlightenment and Passing way of the Buddha. The day in very significant and important to the Buddhist world. It brings peace, integrity brotherhood, non-hatred, universal love, compassion and full humanism of the mankind of the world.
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Unravelling meaning of life through Buddhism
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever-wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. Read more
Tallest Buddha Statue Undamaged by Sichuan Earthquake
Sichuan, China -- The 1,200-year-old Leshan Buddha in China's southwestern Sichuan Province, the world's tallest ancient statue of the deity, was undamaged by the nation's strongest earthquake in 58 years. Read more
Monks' Relief Aims Thwarted
RANGOON, Burma -- After the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, the military junta has forcibly relocated tens of thousands of survivors from the Irrawaddy Delta, including many who had sought shelter in Buddhist monasteries, the centre of unrest during protests against the generals last year. Read more
The real heroes of Myanmar's cyclone disaster
Rangoon, Burma -- As the urgency intensifies to get food, water and medicine into the worst-affected areas of Burma 11 days after the country was hit by Cyclone Nargis, the country's military government continues to baffle the world by stonewalling international disaster relief. Read more
Bombs in ‘terrorist plot’ kill at least 60 in India
JAIPUR, India - Bombs ripped through crowded parts of this ancient city in western India on Tuesday, killing 60 people and wounding 150, police said. The seven explosions in Jaipur took place in markets and several other areas of the city in Rajasthan, a region dotted with palaces and temples that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, said A.S. Gill, the state's police chief. Read more
Monks back on front lines to aid cyclone victims
KYI BUI KHAW, Myanmar -- The saffron-robed monks who spearheaded a bloody uprising last fall against Myanmar's military rulers are back on the front lines, this time providing food, shelter and spiritual solace to cyclone victims. Read more
Master Tsin Tao calls for international aid to Myanmar
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- People of kindness around the world should join in efforts to help the Burmese people suffering from the May 2 cyclone that devastated the region, the Burma-born Buddhist Master Hsin Tao said Friday following his visit to the disaster areas.
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More aid, and heavy rain, on way to Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar - More aid is on the way to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar — but so is the heavy rain. Read more
'A nightmare to make this operation run'
GENEVA - No helicopters. Almost no boats. Floods and fallen trees on the roads.
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Myanmar's top temple source of comfort
YANGON, Myanmar -- As the steady rain that had been falling all day Monday eased off, the monks at the Shwedagon Pagoda began to chant and the worshippers prayed. Many brought their children, some of whom laughed and played marbles in the pavilion.
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Was Burma's cyclone predicted?
US First Lady Laura Bush has accused the military government of failing to act to protect its people. Read more
Mangrove loss 'left Burma exposed'
ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said coastal developments had resulted in mangroves, which act as a natural defence against storms, being lost. Read more
UK pledges £5m for Burma relief effort
Britain today pledged an immediate £5m to help the relief effort in Burma and warned the ruling military junta to allow aid agencies proper access to the country. Read more
Banned Vietnam Buddhist group claims repression before UN meet
HANOI, Vietnam -- A Buddhist group banned in Vietnam has said police in the communist country have tried to evict its monks from a pagoda to use it for a UN-sponsored international Buddhist meeting this month. Read more
China agrees to second round of talks with Dalai Lama's envoys
Beijing, China -- Chinese officials and envoys of the Dalai Lama have agreed to a second round of talks, China's state-run media said Monday, in an apparent sign of progress in easing tensions raised by violent anti-government riots in Tibet. Read more
Buddhism and its place in Tibetan protests
Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh (India) -- Buddhism is often seen as a religion that does not have place for politics. A faith that many believe shuns the power play of everyday life. But do these notions about Buddhism hold true in contemporary India? How are Buddhism and its followers changing? Read more
Buddhist monk jailed for life over Tibet riots
Beijing, China -- Six Buddhist monks are among the first people to be jailed for a riot in which Tibetans rampaged through the capital of the Himalayan region six weeks ago, receiving sentences ranging from life to 15 years in prison. Read more
Saffron Revolution renewed
Rangoon, Burma -- Sporadic street protests erupted in several Burmese cities over the weekend, as people prepare to go to the polls in May to vote on a new constitution. More than 50 demonstrators, led by some 20 saffron-clad monks, tried to make their way to the country's famous Shwegadon Pagoda in Rangoon on Saturday. Police prevented them for entering the temple and quickly herded them away. Read more
Unholy goings-on at Buddha Gaya
Bodhgaya, India -- I am in Buddha Gaya, India, for an extended stay. I arrived earlier this month, and I am attempting to meditate in what is possibly the holiest place in the universe. Read more
Colour of Peace
Kashmir, India -- The First Great Diffusion of Buddhism in the trans-Himalayas was in the 8th century. Guru Padmasambhava established the religion in the entire mountainous region, from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. He had studied at Nalanda University in eastern India. Read more
Paying homage to our only home in the universe
Today, together with millions all over the world, the Buddhist Channel will lay down its regular routine and bow towards its spiritual home, our venerable mother Earth. As we breathe in, we pay homage to the only place we know that allows us to practice the Buddha-Dharma. As we breathe out, we pay our gratitude to this hallowed planet, for allowing us to savor a bit of what it means to be Enlightenend, for allowing us to hope. Read on, and we hope you will enjoy this special edition just as we have enjoyed putting it together. We would like to dedicate this Earth Day special to all sentient beings.
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Living Lightly on Earth
Although the interdependence of all things lies at the heart of Buddhist teaching, ecology as such is a modern formulation. We might certainly plead that it is a much needed restatement of the Buddhist vision in modern times, we might side with the poets (among them, the Buddha himself) and agree that truth gets lost in the words and therefore needs restating anew from age to age. It is still up to us, however, to prove our claim from traditional sources in order to carry everyone with us. Read more
Japanese Buddhist temple withdrawn from Olympic torch route
Nagano, Japan -- A famous Buddhist temple in Japan has been withdrawn from the Olympic flame relay over security concerns and anger at China's crackdown on Tibetans.
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"Watching the sun" - Hyangiram Hermitage
Dolsan-eup, Yeosu (South Korea) -- After passing narrow paths between rocks and climbing the narrow stairs for 30 minutes, the South Sea appears, spread right before your eyes. Read more
Ven. S Mahinda and the Dalai Lama
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- In the early 1900s Tibetan Ven. S Mahinda visited Sri Lanka during the time Sri Lankan patriots were launching the freedom struggle to gain independence for Sri Lanka from the British rule. Read more
In Tibetan Monasteries, the Heavy Hand of the Party
BEIJING, China -- Arjia Rinpoche was 47 years old and a senior Tibetan abbot when he first signed a document denouncing the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader.
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Is the temple of Buddha’s footprints the temple of doom?
It’s a Buddhist temple that cares for dying Aids patients. It’s also a hugely successful money-making operation, attracting thousands of tourists with its displays of mummified corpses. So where does all that money go?. Read more
Dalai Lama avoids talk of Tibet woes
SEATTLE–In contrast to the chaotic reception of the Olympic torch relay in San Francisco earlier this week, it was all peace and compassion in Seattle yesterday as the Dalai Lama arrived to welcoming crowds and no protesters in sight. Read more
Eye to eye with the Dalai Lama
Seattle, WA (USA) -- "The eyes are the windows to the soul," says an old English proverb. I am about to look into a pair of eyes that will change my life. Read more
An exercise in futility to denounce Dalai Lama
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- DESPITE the seeming sophistication of the present generation of the country's leaders, China's heavy-handed denunciation of the Dalai Lama since the Lhasa riots of mid-March, blaming everything on him and his "clique", shows that the Communist Party has not changed some of its basic characteristics, such as seeking to depict its opponents as evil beyond compare. Read more
Gaya shrine suffers civic delay
Bodh Gaya, India -- Plan to demolish illegal constructions around Maha Bodhi Temple has suffered a setback, yet again. Read more
Buddha leads
Bangkok, Thailand -- Can the ancient teachings of the Buddha, which date back more than 2,500 years, cure the modern angst of globalisation? Ask Seksan Prasertkul, and the answer from the former Marxist revolutionary is a firm "yes". Read more
Buddha's birthday 'for all cultures'
Auckland, New Zealand -- BUDDHA’S birthday celebrations at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple in Botany on Sunday will be a day for all cultures and religions to come together, the organisers say. Read more
Buddhism fastest growing religion in West
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Buddhism is being recognized as the fastest growing religion in Western societies both in terms of new converts and more so in terms of friends of Buddhism, who seek to study and practice various aspects of Buddhism. Read more
Monk Rambo
Karen State, Myanmar -- In a jungle encampment in eastern Myanmar, 67-year-old monk Saw Wizana sits meditating in orange robes. Behind him, hundreds of men with semi-automatic weapons line up in military formation and march in circles around a field. They are preparing for another battle against Myanmar’s military government. Read more
Hanamatsuri celebrates Buddha’s birth
Honolulu, Hawaii (USA) -- The story of Buddha's birth is rich in symbolism and suggestions of meaning, appealing to the imagination and feelings. It is a question for us whether we can draw any meaning for ourselves out of such ancient stories. Read more
In Malaysia's Muslim ruled state, the Buddhist Trinity is complete
Kota Bharu, Kelantan (Malaysia) -- At 8pm on Aug 8 this year, the tallest Standing Buddha in South-East Asia will be opened to the public, thus completing the three stances of the Buddha in Kelantan. Read more
Did Dalai get the wrong picture on Tibet riots?
HONG KONG, China -- Chinese internet users have gone to extraordinary lengths to disprove the Dalai Lama’s claim that the riots in Lhasa on March 14, which claimed several lives, were instigated by Chinese soldiers disguised as Buddhist monks. Read more
From Shangri-La to Angry-La
Toronto, Canada -- The conundrum of Tibet baffles and defies not only its Chinese rulers, but the region's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. That's not Beijing's view. It comes from Pico Iyer, author and lifelong friend of the popular Buddhist monk. Read more
Last master of Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism shares insights at age 101
LOS ANGELES, USA -- Anyone who lives more than a century and maintains sharpness of mind is likely to have a great deal of wisdom and experience to share. Read more
An American monk in Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia (USA) -- Over the telephone, Buddhist monk Bhante Yogavacara Rahula sounds a little like a stranger in a strange land. There's a faint accent that suggests he learned English later in life and, of course, there's his name. Read more
Mental Migration
In what he calls one of the high points in his life, Andy Fort got arrested on charges of disturbing the peace in 1972 in front of Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Mass., when he joined the 400 people protesting the Vietnam War.
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Colgate prepares for Dalai Lama
Utica, NY (USA) -- The Dalai Lama will speak April 22 as part of Colgate University’s Global Leaders Lecture Series sponsored by the Colgate Parents Fund. The Observer-Dispatch recently interviewed Colgate University President Rebecca Chopp about the lecture.
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Tibet Isn't a Buddhist Litmus Test
San Francisco, USA -- As the violence in Tibet has continued, the Dalai Lama issued a stern statement that he could not align himself with insurrection in his home country. Buddhism rests on several pillars, one of which is nonviolence. Tibet quickly became a kind of Buddhist litmus test. Read more
Silk Mountain, King Mountain
Yellow Springs, Ohio (USA) -- As a girl growing up in Nepal, Sister Dhamma Vijaya saw few opportunities. Most girls were not educated. She was expected to marry by 15, then leave her parents’ home for the home of her husband’s family, where she would have little power. Should her husband die, she would lose her status and support — in most ways, her life would end too. Read more
Visiting Buddhist nuns seek help for Nepali girls at risk
Yellow Springs, Ohio (USA) -- As a girl growing up in Nepal, Sister Dhamma Vijaya saw few opportunities. Most girls were not educated. She was expected to marry by 15, then leave her parents’ home for the home of her husband’s family, where she would have little power. Should her husband die, she would lose her status and support — in most ways, her life would end too. Read more
Saffron revolutionaries
NEW YORK, USA -- Westerners tend to think of Buddhism as a passive religion, focused on silent meditation and personal spiritual growth. The image of the Buddha seated with a smile sums it up. Read more
Helping the helpless
Mumbai, India -- A SRI Lankan monk was in a crowded train travelling from Mumbai to Ulhasnagar in India, in 1982. A couple of superior caste members were seated comfortably, while several labourers were standing nearby. When a labourer accidentally brushed against a woman’s shoulders, the husband took offence and beat him up. Read more
Buddha made unforgettable
New Delhi, India -- Once in a while you come across a book that you know will remain in your mind, turning and curing well after you have finished reading it. Read more
Fight violence with nonviolence
Atlanta, Georgia (USA) -- Legends relate that Buddha stopped a war between two kings who were quarreling over rights to a river by asking them, "Which is more precious, blood or water?" Read more
Fitting home planned for Golden Buddha
BANGKOK, Thailand -- It's a ho-hum temple in the midst of Chinatown, one of the most popular draws for tourists visiting Thailand's bustling capital city, and many visitors walk straight past it. Yet the temple contains one of the city's most beautiful attractions – a maginficent golden Buddha worth about $14 million. Read more
Monks in tears cry out against lies while Beijing instructs foreign journalists
Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- A group of Buddhist monks blocked a tour of 26 foreign journalists in Lhasa, led by the Chinese government, crying out that there is no freedom in Tibet and that the Dalai Lama is not responsible for the recent violence there. Some of them after having cried “Tibet is not free! Tibet is not free!”, broke down in tears.
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World to Watch Vesak in Vietnam
Hanoi, Vietnam -- Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Tu sits with a group of monks in a temple room at 2am, planning meticulously for the Buddha's Big Day celebrations - the United Nations Day of Vesak 2008 (UNDV) in Vietnam. Read more
Buddhist monk dies of starvation
Beijing, China -- A 12-day blockade of food and water to major monasteries in Lhasa by Chinese forces has killed a Buddhist monk of starvation, reported Tibetans in exile yesterday. Read more
Kushok Bakula Rinponche born again in Ladakh
Ladakh, India -- A two-year-old boy, Thubstan Nawang has been identified as the reincarnation of the Indian Buddhist saint, Kushok Bakula Rinpoche. Read more
Thai temples flooded with pets after viral outbreak
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Buddhist temples in central Thailand have been flooded with abandoned cats and dogs after an outbreak of feline and canine distemper killed hundreds of pets in the past month, newspapers reported on Wednesday. Read more
The United Nations Has Failed to Take Responsibility to Protect The People of Burma, Who Are Prepared for the Worst
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma) -- We paid serious attention to the briefing by the UN Special Envoy Mr. Ibrahim Gambari to the United Nations Security Council on March 18, 2008 on Burma. Read more
Uttar Pradesh to boast of world's tallest Buddha statue
Lucknow, India -- Decks are being cleared for the installation of the world's tallest Buddha statue in Kushinagar town of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Read more
130 killed in Chinese crackdown in Tibet: report
Around 130 people have been confirmed killed in a Chinese crackdown on protests and unrest in Tibet, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile told AFP on Monday. Read more
China accuses Dalai Lama of taking Olympics "hostage"
BEIJING -- China accused the Dalai Lama on Sunday of using unrest in Tibet to back demands for Tibetan independence ahead of the August Olympic Games in Beijing.
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NGOs come out in support of Tibetans, Dalai Lama
DHARAMSALA: Two NGOs here have come out in support of the Tibetans and their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and condemned alleged human rights violations in Tibet.
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Olympics will be 'taken hostage': China
China has accused the Dalai Lama of using unrest in Tibet to back demands for Tibetan independence ahead of the August Olympic Games in Beijing. Read more
Tibetan revolt has China's empire fraying at the edge
For all its overwhelming force in the lonely mountain passes, where military convoys toil towards the clouds, or in the dark alleys of Chengdu’s Tibetan quarter, where soldiers stand watch, the sour tang of a debacle for China is in the air. Read more
Tibetans expect little help from world
DHARMSALA, India—Nearly six decades of struggle against the might of China has taught the Tibetans one thing: Ask the world for little, expect less. Read more
Dalai Lama Calls for End to Violence against Tibetans
Deaths are mounting in Tibet and neighboring provinces in China and there is no end to the bloodshed in sight. In a meeting with international journalists, including SPIEGEL reporters, the Dalai Lama calls on the world to pressure China to stop using violence against Tibetan protesters. Read more
China Issues "Most Wanted" List Of Rioters
(CBS/AP) China issued a "Most Wanted" list of 21 rioters Friday - shown in grainy photos waving knives and fighting during last week's violence over Chinese rule in Tibet. Thousands of troops continued to push into western China to contain unrest.
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Divine authority over fear in Tibet
The weekly "Free Tibet" demonstrations along the river in downtown Chicago used to be about a block long. This past Tuesday they were over five blocks long with 50 police walking along to safeguard their crossings at the intersections. Read more
Who is the Dalai Lama, and why is he the focus of protests over Tibet?
Dozens of people have died in mass protests against Chinese rule in Tibet. Protestors on the streets of Lhasa set fire to Chinese businesses and smashed government buildings. The demonstrations began whenBuddhist monks marched from their monasteries on 10 March, to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet which in 1959 tried to restore the Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, as the political leader of Tibet.
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A Monk's Struggle
"Since China wants to join the world community," the 14th Dalai Lama said as I was traveling across Japan with him for a week last November, "the world community has a real responsibility to bring China into the mainstream." The whole world stands to gain, he pointed out, from a peaceful and unified China—not least the 6 million Tibetans in China and Chinese-occupied Tibet. "But," he added, "genuine harmony must come from the heart. It cannot come from the barrel of a gun." Read more
Free Tibet parties meet Dalai Lama
DHARAMSALA, India (CNN) -- Tibetan Youth Congress president Tsewang Rigzin and other "Free Tibet" party representatives met with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala on Tuesday morning, representatives from both sides said. Read more
Young Tibetans reject Dalai Lama's lead
(CNN) -- While the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet, many younger Tibetans do not follow him on a crucial question -- whether Tibet should have genuine autonomy or independence from China. Read more
Protests in Tibet: Day by Day Account
The authorities in Tibet gave people involved in anti-China protests a deadline of midnight to give themselves up, encouraging people to inform on protest organisers. A large buildup of troops is reported in the provinces bordering Nepal. Read more
Fresh Protests Reported, School Children Turn Latest Victims
Lhasa, Tibet -- As the protests in Tibet's capital city Lhasa spread like wild fire monks from Thangkor Soktsang Monastery, Zoegey County, Ngaba Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, are demonstrating in front of Chinese government office 8kms from the monastery. At the time of this report going online slogans of free Tibet and Dalai Lama's long life could be heard in the background as a protester tries to reach the outside world through his phone. Read more
Anti-China protest shadows trade deal
Trade Minister Phil Goff yesterday said he was "concerned" about the worst riots in the Tibetan region in almost 20 years and by at least 10 deaths in the protests during the weekend. Read more
Monks leading cry for a free land
HERE in the biggest and most important monastery town outside Tibet, hundreds of monks, locals and visitors from the countryside, here for a religious festival, have staged a series of protests in support of the protesting monks in Lhasa, chanting "Free Tibet" and waving Tibetan flags and scarves. Read more
Tibetan monks defy police with prayer protest
Rebkong, Tibet (China) -- Defiant Tibetan monks burned incense today despite orders from Chinese police.
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Police break up Tibetan protest in Nepal's capital, arresting at least 20
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Police have broken up a protest by 200 Tibetans in the Nepalese capital, beating them with bamboo batons and arresting at least 20 of them. Read more
Human rights could end council prayers
Cambridge, UK -- THE tradition of prayers before council meetings faces the axe - under the banner of political correctness. Read more
Buddhist Temple invites people of all faiths to 26.2-hour walking meditation marathon
Ontario, Oregon (USA) -- In 13th century Japan, a Buddhist monk named Shinran Shonin undertook a 100-day walking meditation, hoping to achieve enlightenment. Read more
Taiwan: A nun's story
Taipei, Taiwan -- It's a magical, if slightly surreal, moment. We're standing in the courtyard of the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan, surrounded by 480 identical gold statues of Buddha, listening attentively to the softly spoken words of one of the nuns, the Venerable Yi Jih. The early evening light is starting to fade and there's not a breath of wind.
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New Christian President Rattles Korea's Buddhist Nerves
SEOUL, South Korea -- The anonymous monk makes his way through downtown Seoul towards the presidential palace, prostrating face down in supplication with each step.
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Troops 'seal Tibet monasteries'
Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- Campaigners say several hundred monks have joined protests Security forces have sealed off three monasteries in the Tibetan city of Lhasa after protests earlier this week, witnesses and a rights group said.
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Monastery set ablaze after bulldozing
Kyauktaw, Burma -- A monastery in Kyauktaw Township was set on fire after being bulldozed by army authorities because the abbot of the monastery was involved in the recent Saffron Revolution. Read more
China admits Tibet monk protests
Lhasa, Tibet -- Chinese officials have admitted that Buddhist monks have been protesting in the Tibetan city of Lhasa this week. Read more
Myanmar's monks still seething, but lack leaders
MANDALAY, Myanmar -- Beneath the veneer of serenity and religious devotion, Myanmar's maroon-robed Buddhist monks, the engine of the protests six months ago against the ruling junta, are seething with rage. Read more
Buddhist blessings for new Hindu temple site in Berlin
Berlin, Germany -- Sri Lankan Buddhist monks on Mahasivarathri Day March 7 blessed a site situated in Berlin, Germany, on which is planned the construction of Europe's second largest Hindu temple. Read more
Leshan: Exploring Sichuan's Buddhist heritage
BEIJING, China -- Listed as a World Heritage site in 1996, Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei in Southwest China's Sichuan Province draw tourists and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. Read more
China crushes protest by monks in Tibet
Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- China admitted today that it had quashed a protest by Buddhist monks in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, underscoring the opposition Beijing still faces to its rule in the remote Himalayan region. Read more
Malaysia a model for the world, says Buddhist leader
KUANTAN, Pahang (Malaysia) -- Malaysia is a fine example of a global human family and can be a model to the world, adviser to the Pahang Buddhist Association (PBA) Venerable Sik Ji Xing said. Read more
Buddhist Monk Calls for Arms Embargo Against Burma
Jakarta, Indonesia -- A Buddhist monk involved in the September protests in Burma has called on the world community to stop supporting, recognizing and selling arms to the military-run Burmese government. As VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports, U Awbata made his appeal at an international human rights conference on Burma in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Read more
The Pure Truth and Benevolence Is Really Good
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan -- At the Divine Performing Arts' premiere in Kaohsiung on March 4, there were some Buddhist monks and nuns wearing yellowish frocks in attendance. They were from the Baoding Buddhist Monastery at Bingdong County in southern Taiwan. The abbot of the monastery Shi Faguang took twelve of them to see the Spectacular.
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Rural Winchester area home to Buddhist temple
WINCHESTER, CA (USA) -- It's an unlikely setting for Buddhist monks native to Southeast Asia. In a rural neighborhood near Leon and Scott roads - between a recreational vehicle storage lot, horse corrals and an empty field - two monks live a devotional existence, their days full of meditation, study and prayer. Read more
Burmese monks in Thailand pace, pray and wait
Mae Sot, Thailand -- Wrapped in orange robes, Oh Bah Seh, a Buddhist monk, shows a visitor a scar on his head - compliments of a police baton. Read more
Investiture of Ven W. Kassapa (OBE) at Buckingham Palace
London, UK -- Ven. Kassapa as always emphasised that the Order of the British Empire (OBE) he received was not only due to his own hard work but of team and the Buddhist community in the world. In turn he presented the award to his hard working team who has dedicated their service to the world community regardless of their nationality, creed, cast or geographical differences. Read more
Are Buddhist monks flirting online?
BANGKOK, Thailand -- The Thai government said Tuesday it was investigating claims that supposedly celibate Buddhist monks have been using a U.S.-based social networking website to flirt with women. Read more
Suffer the little children
Tokyo, Japan -- One of the most endearing and recurrent images of Japan, found on temple grounds, country roads and in cemeteries, is that of Jizo, the stone-carved, baby-faced monk. Read more
Tzu Chi Foundation Approved To Open Branch In Mainland China
Taipei, Taiwan -- Fan Liqing, a spokesperson from the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, has disclosed at a press conference that Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation has been approved to set up a branch in mainland China. Read more
Dalai Lama might be the area's hottest ticket
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (USA) -- The Dalai Lama's first-ever visit to the Lehigh Valley this July has taken years to plan, but tickets to see the exiled Tibetan leader and Nobel laureate might sell out in just a few minutes Monday morning. Read more
Serving the People
Mandalay, Burma -- When Burmese monks protested in September 2007, the disciples and monks at Sayadaw Nyanissara’s monastery in the Sagaing hills near Mandalay exercised restraint and stayed away from the demonstrations, largely because of their respect for the work the activist monks were accomplishing throughout the country. Read more
CIHTS to confer Honorary Degree on Dr Abdul Kalam
Dharamsala, India -- The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies will confer an honorary degree on Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India. Read more
Thai community in Miami struggles to complete Buddhist temple
Miami, FL (USA) -- Not far from tomato fields, surrounded by litchi, longan and avocado groves, an unlikely collection of concrete and clay-tiled buildings presides over a quiet corner of the Redland.
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Shining light on depopulation problem
Sado Island, Japan -- The recent trend toward the mergers of villages and towns, known as "Heisei no Daigappei," has drastically reduced the number of municipalities in the nation, from 3,231 to 1,821 as of March 2006. Read more
Jordan's Prince El Hassan bin Talal wins 2008 Niwano Peace Prize
Tokyo, Japan -- Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan has been named as the 2008 winner of the Niwano Peace Prize for efforts at building peace with justice in the Middle East, especially with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Read more
Survey: US Religious Landscape in Flux
New York, USA -- The U.S. religious marketplace is extremely volatile, with nearly half of American adults leaving the faith tradition of their upbringing to either switch allegiances or abandon religious affiliation altogether, a new survey finds. Read more
Devotees unable to save Buddhist temple, but tree will be preserved
Singapore -- The Singapore High Court dismissed a bid to save a 65-year-old Buddhist temple site from government acquisition, but a Bodhi tree regarded as sacred will not be chopped down, news reports said Tuesday. Read more
Tibetan Buddhists celebrate as a new year marches in
Melbourne, Australia -- IT MAY seem odd to celebrate the New Year in March but for the Tibetan Buddhist Society it’s the most significant date of the year. Read more
Burning bright
Kanchanaburi, Thailand -- Either she likes it or I'm dead. I'm crouched next to a magnificent Indo-Chinese tiger at the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery in Thailand. Try saying that three times quickly; not surprisingly, it's better known as the "Tiger Temple". Read more
Fording the Stream: An Affirmation of the Bodhisattva Way of Life
Los Angeles, CA (USA) -- There are few expressions which capture the essence of Madhyamika Buddhism better than "fording the stream and returning to it with equal measure". Read more
Tzu Chi relief report in Philippines for Year 2007
Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwan Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines held charity activities and medical services to provide help for the victims and the poor in the year of 2007. The global warming has caused many calamities in recent years. The environmental protection is one of the efforts made by Tzu Chi volunteers. Read more
Adding a little harmony
Whangarei, New Zealand -- A BUDDHIST Stupa which aims to emit special energy bringing peace and harmony to the surrounding community was opened on top of a hill overlooking Whangarei yesterday. Read more
Runaway lawnmower kills Buddhist monk
London, UK -- A Buddhist monk was killed when he was run over by a lawnmower as he cut the grass at his temple, an inquest has been told. Read more
Inner peace in a conflict zone
Tel Aviv, Israel -- One of the leading teachers of meditation in the Western world has recently concluded his first visit to Israel. Jack Kornfield, a 62-year-old American Jew, is one of a handful of spiritual teachers who have brought Buddhist philosophy and Vipassana meditation techniques to the West. Read more
The path to bliss and wisdom
Bangkok, Thailand -- 'Teach what you know," says the old adage. Perhaps a more powerful directive would be to teach what you love. For Ajahn Brahm, the two come together in teaching meditation. Read more
May peace and tranquility prevail
Ontario, Idaho (USA) -- This year in March, the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, Ontario, is going to host a special event March 16 to commemorate the 750th Memorial for Shinran Shonin, the founder of Jodo-Shinshu Buddhism. Read more
Peace found in relics of the Buddha
KAHULUI, Hawaii (USA) -- Charmaine Rugg felt a sense of serenity as she viewed the display of the pearl-like crystal relics of the Buddha and Buddhist masters. Read more
South Korean Buddhist team visits Nepal
KATHMANDU, Nepal -- A South Korean Buddhist team has arrived in Nepal for five-day visit, the National News Agency RSS reported on Sunday. Read more
Governor inaugurates Buddhist Deepa Centre
Jammu, India -- Governor Lt. General (Retd) S K Sinha today said that the philosophy of Buddhism continues to be dear to most people of India and a source of inspiration to them, irrespective of their religion. Read more
Fording the Stream: An Affirmation of the Bodhisattva Way of Life
Los Angeles, CA (USA) -- There are few expressions which capture the essence of Madhyamika Buddhism better than "fording the stream and returning to it with equal measure". Read more
World religions for World Peace
The principles discussed so far are in accordance with the ethical teachings of all world religions. I maintain that every major religion of the world - Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taosim, Zoroastrianism - has similar ideals of love, the same goal of benefiting humanity through spiritual practice and the same effect of making their followers into better human beings. Read more
Buddhism defying religion's slide in Wollongong
Wollongong, Australia -- Wollongong people are becoming less religious, according to the 2006 Census, but Buddhism is defying the trend. Read more
“Tibetan non-violent struggle must have to triumph”
Dharamsala, India -- A group from Thailand led by Ajahn Sulak Sivaraksa, founder and president of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, are currently in Dharamsala, the seat of the Dalai Lama led Tibetan Government-in-Exile, to express their solidarity with the Tibetan cause and encourage preservation and promotion of the “unique and peaceful Tibetan Buddhist culture". Read more
Trading the World for a Cabin in the Woods
New York, USA -- IT’S my first night in the cabin, and I can’t sleep. The quiet is too loud, as if I were holding a conch shell tight over each ear, and any sounds that do seep through - a wet bulge of snow sliding off a fir tree, the pop of a log in our blazing wood stove - send me tossing and turning, a skittish city mouse in the country. Read more
Total alcohol ban sought for religious days
Bangkok, Thailand -- All sales of alcohol should be banned on religious holidays, according to Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee. Mr Surapong, also finance minister, came up with the proposal during merit-making to mark Makha Bucha Day at Wat Suan Kaew in Nonthaburi. Read more
Fire leaves Buddhist temple ruined
London, Canada -- A blaze that sent worshippers fleeing out the back door of a Northeast London Buddhist temple has left many elderly Cambodians with no place to gather.
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Sri Lanka: A buddhist encyclopedia soon
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- An international English medium encyclopedia on Buddhism, covering a vast range of subjects including doctrine, philosophy, culture and diverse Buddhist activities, will be completed shortly. Read more
The Buddha and the World
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- There has been a pervasive sense of anxiety in the world, since 9/11 and at the same time a search for spiritual answers. Is violence an aspect of human nature that can be cured, or are we caught in an endless cycle of violence that will never end? One of the most optimistic answers to that dilemma came from the Buddha more than two thousand years ago. Read more
Love makes the world go round
Bangkok, Thailand -- Love is a force in the human heart that is so influential it creates various contradicting emotions such as happiness, sorrow, gladness, depression, passiveness and eagerness. Some poets say love makes the world go round, turns a bad man into a good person and that love is a great inspiration. Read more
Arkansas University’s Outstanding Faculty Award goes to Tibetan Geshe professor
Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA) -- Geshe Thupten Dorjee from the University of Arkansas will receive the "The Outstanding Faculty Award" which is sponsored by the Student Government and the Arkansas Alumni Association. Read more
Mandala's path of colored sand grows at Chico State
Chico, California (USA) -- Three weeks into a five-week art residency at Chico State University, Tibetan-born Losang Samten continues to construct a vibrantly colored mandala, or sand painting, in the lobby of the Bell Memorial Union. Read more
Non-Violence And The Self-Cherishing Mind
Groningen, Netherlands -- To understand why non-violence in this sense is so powerful, I think we need to look more closely at the whole issue of altruism and self-restraint.
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Thai Prime Minister marks Maka Bucha Day
Bangkok, Thailand -- Prime minister Samak Sundaravej began his morning by making merit on Maka Bucha Day, the day the Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to 1,250 of his disciples who gathered before him without any prior arrangement. Read more
Monlam Chenmo - The Great Prayer Festival
Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- The Monlam Chenmo, also known as The Great Prayer Festival falls on the 4th - 11th day of the 1st Tibetan Lunar month. This is the greatest religious festival in Tibet and was established in 1409 by the great Tibetan philosopher, saint, monastic teacher, and social reformer, Tsong Khapa Losang Drakpa (1357-1419), the founder of the Geluk tradition of the Tibetan Buddhism. Read more
The temple that changed a town
Jenjarom, Malaysia -- About two decades ago, no one messed with Jenjarom new village - better known as a gangster hot spot rather than as the producer of quality ginger that is in demand nationwide. Read more
Nepal to recognise Buddhist and Muslim religious schools
Kathmandu, Nepal -- Hundreds of Muslim and Buddhist schools want to join the public school system after the government signalled its intention of recognising religious schools, but has set some conditions to do so, namely that such schools also use non-religious textbooks recommended by the government’s Education Board rather than rely exclusively on their own religious texts. Read more
Upwey class promotes peaceful poise
Anita and Frank Carter of the Upwey Buddhist Discussion Centre share their knowledge of Buddhism teachings with hills residents. Read more
Inspired by Buddha, Admired as Art
New York, USA -- The stars of the show arrived in wooden crates at Kennedy Airport on New Year’s Eve. They had already enjoyed a hugely popular run in Japan and were now embarking on a world tour.
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Nalanda University: It's time Asia paid back the 'knowledge' debt
New Delhi, India -- IT is payback time for the world community, especially East and Southeast Asia, for what it received by way of knowledge from an ancient Indian university that is in the throes of revival as an international seat of learning. Read more
Gift of nature
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -- Huyen Dieu, an overseas Vietnamese monk who now lives in Nepal, says in his recently-published book Khi Hong Hac Bay Ve (When the Sarus Cranes Came Back) that 2 Sarus Cranes, one of the world’s most endangered species, suddenly flew into his monastery grounds to take up residence. Read more
Yen Tu festival opens in Quang Ninh, Vietnam
Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam -- About 50,000 visitors flocked to Yen Tu Mountain in northern coastal Quang Ninh Province for the opening day of the Yen Tu Pagoda Festival Saturday, the tenth day of the first lunar month.
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Three Buddhist Viharayas constructed in India
Chennai, India -- The three Buddhist Viharayas named, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha constructed at Thiruthanni, Trichy and Chennai in India will be opened on March 1, 2008. Read more
ISU students take part, explore Buddhist philosophy
Terre Haute, Ind. (USA) -- April Tucker, a sophomore pre-law major and explorer of the Buddhist doctrine, grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Her mother married a Muslim; her best friend is an atheist, and her boyfriend is a Catholic.
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Tukwila teen a monk no more
Seattle, WA (USA) -- Michael Sa-Ngoun is no longer a monk.
The 19-year-old from Tukwila, who spent two years in a Cambodian monastery because his mother was desperate to stop his self-destructive behavior, is not prone to deep philosophical meditation these days. Read more
Silicon Valley Tibetan Buddhists find a new home
Campbell, CA (USA) -- For 10 years, followers of Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center did not have a home, shuttling from living room to living room, libraries and community centers. Read more
Advert showing Indian President, Chief Minister 'above' Buddha irks monks
Patna, India -- Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Bodh Gaya are protesting a Bihar government advertisement showing photographs of President Pratibha Patil and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar placed above a picture of Gautam Buddha. Read more
Love your country not the lady, preach Lankan monks
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan Buddhist monks countered Valentine's Day celebrations in the island yesterday with programmes to lure the youth away from romantic love which they denounce as an undesirable Western concept. Read more
Buddhist temple fate undecided
BUXTON, Maine (USA) -- The Buxton Planning Board once again declined to vote Monday on approving a permit request by a Buddhist temple. Read more
One student's path to enlightenment
Boston, MA (USA) -- Brian Hanrahan leaves the hustle and bustle of Boston University each week and retreats to the Won Buddhism of Boston temple in Somerville, where the resonating sound of a gong indicates the start of meditation services. Read more
Sands of Peace and Harmony
Perth, Australia -- THEY say that just to gaze upon a sacred mandala enhances enlightenment. Start the year with some spiritual growth. Read more
Ancient teachings get modern twist
Thousand Oaks, CA (USA) -- The fourth reincarnation of a Buddhist lama sat in a chair on wheels at the front of a university lecture hall, at one point spinning 360 degrees, trying to lend balance to a world he pronounced out of sync. Read more
Burma: The Heartbeat Is Still Alive Underground
Washington, USA -- Lest we forget in the ruts many of us seem somewhat lost in these days, that of the dirt track race of tired horses we’re following, a/k/a the Presidential nomination process… meanwhile there are others in many parts of the world, who are striving just to speak aloud without being ‘disappeared’ by government thugs.
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Buddhist monks begin praying for world peace
Bodh Gaya, India -- Thousands of Buddhist monks and devotees, many of them from abroad, are participating in a 10-day chanting ceremony for world peace here.
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Meditating on shifting sands
Brisbane, Australia -- AS far as sandcastles go it probably won't impress too many youngsters handy with a bucket and spade. Read more
Monks to kick of Roseville visit Wednesday with sand mandala
Roseville, CA (USA) -- Roseville is readying for a Tibetan invasion.
Monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery exiled to southern India, will be in Roseville for as part of their Northern California Tour this week.
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Planning Board Delays Decision On Buddhist Temple Expansion
BUXTON, Maine (USA) -- The debate over the proposed expansion of a Buddhist temple in Buxton continues, with no decision from town leaders as to whether it can move forward. Read more
Boat capsize kills 10 in Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar -- A boat carrying Buddhist pilgrims capsized in southern Myanmar, killing ten people, state-media reported Monday. Read more
Planning Board Delays Decision On Buddhist Temple Expansion
BUXTON, Maine (USA) -- The debate over the proposed expansion of a Buddhist temple in Buxton continues, with no decision from town leaders as to whether it can move forward. Read more
Meditating For Health
Bismark, ND (USA) -- There are lots of things you can do to lower your blood pressure. We all know you can start eating healthy, become active, or even take certain medication, but not everyone is aware of another way to lower their bp. Read more
Love Advice for "The Heartbreak Kid"
Singapore -- "The Heartbreak Kid" presents an interesting dilemma about the nature of commitment. What should you do, if the person you married turns out not to be the person you thought? What if this person turns out much worse than you could even dream of? Worse still, what if you meet another person shortly after your marriage - a "dream lover", who seems so much better than the one you married? Read more
Lhosar: Mahayana Buddhism's New Year
Kathmandu, Nepal -- Situated in the lap of the Himalayas sandwiched between two giant nations Nepal is a home to 70 ethnic groups having their own religion, culture, language and life-style. It is the land of heady mixture of unique culture proudly preserved; mind boggling adventure and remarkable nature beauty. Read more
Buddhist relics on display in Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii (USA) -- The "Maitreya Project Relic Tour" will open at 10 a.m. next Saturday at Kapiolani Community College, Lama Library, 4304 Diamond Head Road. It will be open until 8 p.m. and continue on display from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 17 and 18. The exhibit is free and campus parking is free. Read more
At Buddhist Temple, Cleansing Rituals to Ring in the New Year
New York, USA -- Ha Tran was applying the final swipes on Saturday to a 20-foot Buddhist statue inside a Chinatown temple. It took two days, but Mrs. Tran, a 62-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, lovingly washed every one of the deity’s thousand arms and did the same for its 10 heads. Balanced on scaffolding, she painstakingly removed 12 months of accumulated dust and incense in time for the Chinese New Year on Thursday, her yearly rite for 22 years. Read more
Czech Republic first Buddhist temple opens
Varnsdorf, Czech Republic -- At the edge of a town on the edge of the country, across the street from the ruins of a squat stone building, sits an average house where the spirit of a vibrant minority community lives. Read more
Students find peace at Zen Center
Utah, USA -- Dozens of people arrive at the Kanzeon Zen Center just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, the largest crowd of the week, for meditation and a lesson on applying Buddhist teachings. Read more
BURMA: 'How Many Monks Must Die Before The UN Moves?'
MAE SOT, Thailand -- For one Buddhist monk from Burma, the brutal crackdown of peaceful street protests in the country last September was anything but a victory for the military regime. Read more
Newtown court case: Abusing their Religion
Newtown, CT (USA) -- Last week, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued a ruling that could be a "fatal blow" to the religious freedom of the Cambodian Buddhist Society of Connecticut, according to Yale Buddhist chaplain Bruce Blair. Read more
Monastery stops free education service
Rangoon, Burma -- A free tuition service at Ngway Kyar Yan monastery in South Okkalapa township, Rangoon, that provided extra classes to students from 10 townships in the surrounding area, has been suspended. Read more
Buddhist Monk case: Bail applications rejected
MUMBAI, India -- A local court on Monday rejected the bail applications of four persons who have been arrested in connection with the suspected murder of a Buddhist monk here on January 6. Read more
China jails Tibetan monk for "inciting masses"
BEIJING, China -- The abbot of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in southwest China has been jailed for three years on charges of endangering national security by inciting the masses, a group monitoring human rights in the Himalayan region said. Read more
A ritual ingrained in Buddhist monks
EWING, New Jersey (USA) -- A Tibetan Buddhist sand ritual, rare to New Jersey, will be performed by Buddhist monks during a week-long demonstration starting Saturday at The College of New Jersey Library. Read more
Scandal gnaws at Buddha's holy tree in India
BODH GAYA, India -- Tales of corruption, looting and religious rivalry are swirling around the spot where Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment in eastern India some 2,500 years ago, sullying one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Read more
New Year event in Tibet draws 100,000 Buddhist followers
LHASA, Tibet (China) -- More than 100,000 Buddhist followers have converged at a Tibetan monastery to celebrate a local religious festival in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Read more
Buddhist immersion
Berkeley, Calif. (USA) -- Waking up in the peaceful stillness of the California wilderness, he remembers that it is his turn to cook breakfast. After a few inventive attempts at waking his roommate, they work together to cook pancakes for the rest of the volunteers.
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Sand mandala for centre in Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia -- For the first time, four nuns from the Kopan Nunnery in Nepal will come over to Losang Dragpa Centre (LDC) here to recreate a sand mandala from Feb 8 to Feb 20. Read more
Subdued but Unbowed
Pakokku, Burma -- A 35-year-old, slender, dark man with a long face wearing a white shirt and longyi is sitting in a teashop opposite a A-Nauk Taik, a famous monastery in western Pakokku. Read more
Chinese New Year cheer at Jenjarom’s Dong Zen Temple
BANTING, Selangor (Malaysia) -- With Chinese New Year just 10 days away, the festive cheer at Dong Zen Temple in Sungai Jenjarom, Selangor, is in full swing. Read more
A Chaitya to be built in Birmingham Maha Vihara, UK
Birmingham, UK -- For the first time in the history of England a full scale Sri Lankan style Chaitya is to be built at the Birmingham Maha Vihara in the Midlands. Read more
Thai institute invents mosquito-repellent robe for monks
Bangkok, Thailand -- A Thai research institute has developed mosquito-repellent robes targeting the kingdom's 400,000 Buddhist monks, who are prohibited from killing all animals including pesky insects, insect, media reports said Wednesday. Read more
First board meeting of Nalanda university set for February
Patna, India -- A plan of action for setting up the ambitious Nalanda International University modelled after the famed ancient seat of Buddhist learning in Bihar is set to be chalked out during the first board meeting in February, an official said on Wednesday. Read more
Tibetan Buddhist Mandala In Process At Cathedral
Philadelphia, Penn. (USA) -- It's not a typical artwork. It doesn't fit into contemporary models of abstraction, representation or self-expression, drawing instead on 2,500-year-old traditions and symbolism. It contains no paint, no paper, no clay, just careful layers of brightly colored sand. The highly trained artist did not attend a top-tier art school, but studied at a monastery in India. And no conservationist will ever worry about the artwork's longevity; in another week it won't exist. Read more
Which Temple Follows The Way?
Beijing, China -- In recent years, Shaolin monks from China have gained an international reputation for their physical endurance and feats of kung fu skill. Shaolin monk troupes have toured the world, and Shaolin temples have become a common destination for foreign travelers, with some staying for extended periods. Read more
Buddhist blessings in South Florida
HOMESTEAD, Florida (USA) -- Between the alligator-infested Florida Everglades and the craziness of Miami Beach lies a peaceful center surrounded by tomato and fruit farms.
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Lessons beyond the temple
Bangkok's Mahachulalongkorn-rajavidayalaya University (MCU) has launched an undergraduate programme in Buddhist art to ensure the survival of temple murals and sculpture. Read more
Buddhists offered a home: Mansfield Zen Center's founder 'here to support'
MANSFIELD, OH (USA) -- Michael Minock, founder of the Mansfield Zen Center, is reaching out to other Zen Buddhists who would like to practice with him. Read more
China Cracks Down on Tibetan Buddhism Ahead of Olympics
Beijing, China -- Chinese authorities in Tibet have recruited more than 140 Tibetan youths to perform traditional dances at the forthcoming Beijing Olympics, even as they impose new curbs on Buddhist culture in the Himalayan region, sources there say. Read more
How to establish Peace and Security in Burma
Paris, France -- Two venerable Buddhist abbots, U Pannya Vamsa, from Penang and U Uttara from London, are journeying on a worldwide tour, which includes Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, India, Europe and the United States to gain support from leaders around the world for political change urgently needed in urma. Read more
Malaysian Buddhist Buried As Muslim After Dispute
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- An ethnic Chinese man received a Muslim burial after a court ruled against the wishes of most of his family members, who maintained Friday he never converted to Islam. Read more
Quest for enlightenment
Roanoke, Virginia (USA) -- Michael Love admits that his practice of Zen Buddhism isn't something he's likely to mention in casual conversation. The 27-year-old Virginia Tech graduate student isn't shy about his beliefs; it's simply hard to find others who share an interest. Read more
Buddhist monks walk through Fairfield County to promote peace
WILTON, CT (USA) -- Standing in a circle holding hands, about a dozen people silently prayed before chanting a Buddhist prayer at the Quaker Meeting House in Wilton on Wednesday night. Read more
Cambodian History Writ Large At Angkor
SIEM REAP, Cambodia -- This country's most famous temple may be 900
years old, but the message it sets out to convey is timeless: Angkor Wat
is all about glory. The temple is one of hundreds built by kings of the
Khmer Empire to commemorate themselves and their empire, as well as to
worship their gods. But Angkor Wat stands out from the rest -- in
artistry, in scale and in popular imagery. Read more
Dharamsala Diary: The Right to Be Reborn Denied
Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- There’s a new law in force in China these days that says the Chinese authorities in future would choose reincarnating Tibetan lamas. Partly in anticipation of such a move and mostly to keep pace with the changing times, the Dalai Lama said he has been toying with different methods to choose his successor.
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Monks in town to size up the sole
Grass Valley, Nevada (USA) -- For the eighth straight year, monks from the Gaden Shartse monastery in southern India are visiting Grass Valley as part of their annual U.S. tour. Read more
Taipei Taiwan -- It's a magical, if slightly surreal, moment. We're standing in the courtyard of the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan, surrounded by 480 identical gold statues of Buddha, listening attentively to the softly spoken words of one of the monks, the Venerable Yi Jih. The early evening light is just starting to fade and there's not a breath of wind.
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Venerable company
Taipei Taiwan -- It's a magical, if slightly surreal, moment. We're standing in the courtyard of the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan, surrounded by 480 identical gold statues of Buddha, listening attentively to the softly spoken words of one of the monks, the Venerable Yi Jih. The early evening light is just starting to fade and there's not a breath of wind.
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Bangladesh: The Army attacks Buddhism to facilitate illegal settlement in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh -- On 25 January 2008, indigenous Jumma peoples are scheduled to hold a large religious gathering at Sarnath Arannyo Kuthir, a Buddhist temple at Karallyachari in Khagrachari Hill district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs).
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Bhikkus battle tobacco, alcohol lobbies
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's Buddhist monks see their fight against tobacco and alcohol abuse as more urgent than the war that the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is prosecuting against the LTTE. Read more
German FM says ties with China will improve, strained over Dalai Lama visit
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's foreign minister on Tuesday welcomed what he called a return to "normalization" of relations with China, following several strained months triggered by Chancellor Angela Merkel's reception of the Dalai Lama. Read more
We are India's first line of defence but Han influx a grave threat: Dalai Lama
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 21: The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the Tibetans, today said he was open to the idea of his successor being a female as the “very purpose of the reincarnation, male or female, is to carry out the unfinished tasks of the previous life.” The unfinished task, he later said, was seeking “meaningful autonomy” for the Tibetan people from the Chinese government. Read more
Shaolin monks bring schools to Bay Area
FREMONT, CA (USA) -- All it took was one Jet Li kung fu movie for Shi Yanran to know what he wanted to do, way before he was all grown up. Read more
Newly democratic Bhutan in a tight spot
MADRAS, India — Bhutan is now a democracy. Its transition from a monarchy to a democracy has been smooth. The tiny country, where Buddhism is the state religion, has been applauded by the world for changing with the times, and not waiting to be pushed like Pakistan, which has stubbornly refused to adopt democratic ideals despite enormous pressure from the United States. Read more
G.S.UNNIKRISHNAN, The Hindu
New Delhi, India -- Amherstia nobilis, locally known as Simsapa, is one of the sacred trees of India. It belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae. Read more
The public face of Buddhism
Casper, Wyoming (USA) -- When most of us in North America think about Buddhist monks, we are likely to conjure an image of ochre-robed contemplatives engaged in quiet meditation. Read more
Walking For Peace
PORTLAND, Oregon -- Hannah Kluger has noticed that demonstrations of peace are not always met in kind.
"I don't understand why somebody would flip off a monk with a sign that says 'Peace,'" she said Saturday as she marched down Route 17A, past frozen fields and falling-down barns and the remains of an old drive-in. Read more
Ladakh: Faith in numbers
Leh, Ladakh (India) -- Buddhists of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir are having trouble making matrimonial choices. Read more
Another monk found dead in Deonar
MUMBAI, India -- A Buddhist monk from Gautam Nagar in Deonar committed suicide by consuming pesticide on Friday evening. The suicide note left behind by him did not blame anyone, however, the police have deployed more officials in the vicinity and other sensitive Dalit areas because Friday’s incident came only a days after the death of another Buddhist monk. Read more
Buddha Mahotsava ends
GAYA, India -- The three-day Buddha Mahotsava, aimed at attracting foreign tourists/pilgrims and market Bodh Gaya as an important international tourist destination, ended around midnight on Thursday. The Mahotsava was jointly organised by the tourism department of the state government and Gaya district administration. Read more
Official: Video Destroyed in Shock Case
BOSTON (AP) — A special education school destroyed videotape showing two of its students being wrongly given electric shock treatments despite being ordered to preserve the tape, according to an investigator's report. Read more
Couple could hold clues to Buddhist monk's death
A couple who tried to save a Buddhist monk from dying under a lawn mower could hold valuable information about what happened. Read more
What happened to Buddhism in India?
The fact that Buddhism disappeared from India over a period of about 800 years is not in doubt. Starting right from the great days of Buddhism after Emperor Ashoka gave the most almighty push, a combination of incorporation within Hinduism, emergence of Jainism, the invasions of the Muslims, the sectarian splits between various Buddhists sects, etc. all meant that we do not see Buddhism in India as seen in other countries. But this theory that Brahmins and/or Hinduism eradicated Buddhism does not quite hold. Read more
Foreign monks distribute blankets among the poor in Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gaya, Bihar (India) -- A group of foreign monks distributed nearly two thousand blankets among the poor and the needy during the ongoing ‘Buddha Mahotsava’ here.
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Hundreds protest facelift for Buddhist holy town
Patna, India -- Fearing displacement and loss of livelihood if the government's master plan for Bihar's Buddhist holy town of Bodh Gaya is implemented, hundreds took out a silent march to protest the proposed facelift of the town that is visited by thousands of tourists every year. Read more
Ayutthaya under threat of delisting by Unesco
Ayutthaya, Thailand -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) will soon send experts to evaluate the status of the world heritage sites in Thailand. Read more
South Korean President-elect seeks reconciliation among religions
Seoul, South Korea -- President-elect Lee Myung-bak pledged Wednesday that he would help preserve Buddhist cultural heritage with policy measures during his presidential tenure. Read more
Burma: Monks Call for Unity and Strength
Bangkok, Thailand -- “The year 2008 must be the year for change in Burma,” said U Uttara, secretary abbot of the International Burmese Monks Organization, at a meeting with civil society groups at the Student Christian Centre in Bangkok in Thailand on January 15.
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Monks honor Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary
Blowing brass pipes and hitting cymbals, Lamas, the holymen from Nepal's Sherpa climbing community, braved the morning mist and gathered in an ancient monastery in a Kathmandu suburb to pray for Hillary's rebirth. Read more
Monk's words stir the spirit of Myanmar's resistance
Sagaing, Myanmar -- In one of his most talked-about lectures, Buddhist monk Ashin Nyanissara tells the legend of a king who ruled more than 2,500 years ago. The king believed that spitting on a hermit brought him good fortune. Read more
Venerable Van Ly Obituary
and
Funeral Service
Van Ly Lowell, Buddhist Monk for two decades; 90 LOWELL
Van Ly, 90, the Head Monk of the Glory Buddhist Temple in Lowell, died Saturday afternoon, at Lowell General Hospital, surrounded by his family and members of the Buddhist community. Read more
Buddhism forced to turn trendy to attract a new generation in Japan
Tokyo, Japan -- Dressed in dark cotton robes, a bracelet of prayer beads hanging from his wrist, Gugan Taguchi certainly looks the part. But as he kneels to chant a sutra before an altar in the corner of the room, the people around him continue to chat, and his rhythmic prayers can only just be heard above a Blue Note jazz track. Read more
China's Spiritual Awakening
In early December, Beijing's in-crowd converged on the central business district for the opening of the Kunlun gallery. Sipping Veuve Clicquot and Mumm champagne, the real estate tycoons, stock market warriors, and Prada-clad celebrities gawked at Ming Dynasty Buddhist statuary and 15th century scroll paintings. Read more
Bon, Buddhism or both - What do we Bhutanese believe?
11 January, 2008 - While we in Bhutan may be Buddhists in faith, it seems that we are more Bon in our daily rituals. In the past, because of our lack of understanding of Bon, we simply relegated it to the villages (cf earlier Kuensel article written by Rinzin Wangchuk), where animals were sacrificed and Yul lhas worshipped. But Bon actually constitutes more than that. Read more
Buddhist abbot is face behind Ask a Monk online service
CLEVELAND, Ohio (USA) -- When the Ven. Shih Ying-Fa parks his 5-foot-10-inch frame before the computer in his home office, he never knows who will be seeking his help. Read more
Thai monk collects skulls in homage to buffalo
BANGKOK, Thailand -- The grounds of the 260-year-old Hua Krabeu temple on the outskirts of Bangkok look like a place where water buffalo go to die. Read more
Growing calls for South Korean priests to pay taxes
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean authorities Monday faced growing calls to force religious leaders to pay income tax following TV reports publicising the luxurious lifestyles of some of them. Read more
What does Alms mean?
Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions. In general, it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue. In Abrahamic religions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks to nurture laic virtue, merit and blessings and to ensure monastic continuity. The word comes from Old English ælmesse, ælmes, from Late Latin eleemosyna, from Greek eleEmosynE pity, alms, from eleEmOn merciful, from eleos pity. Read more
Thai monks blocking ordination of women
Bangkok, Thailand -- Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka has stepped forward. Tibetan Buddhism is ready to take the plunge. But the Thai Buddhist clergy still prefer to live in the Dark Ages when it comes to female ordination.
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Cambodian religious officials dismayed at theft of ancient statue
Phnom Penh- The daring theft of a 13th-century bronze Buddha statue from one of Cambodia's most important pagodas was an attack on the nation's culture of Khmer Rouge proportions, the nation's most venerable Buddhist monk said Wednesday. Supreme Patriach Tep Vong said by telephone that the theft had robbed the country of an important piece of its heritage and was a direct attack on the Buddhist religion by the perpetrators. Read more
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