Should we ‘celebrate’ Vesak?

Home Opinion

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Buddhism is the most environment-friendly religion on Earth, and Vesak is the most important day for the Buddhists. How should we spend this day? Every year this topic is discussed, written about over and over again, and after Vesak till the next year, we forget about it. This article is an attempt to look at all the issues once more, but from a different angle.

Among all the teachings of the Buddha, we cannot find a single word that goes against nature, that would hurt or harm any living thing on Earth, or that would cause any disruption of the natural ecosystem. Today our people call themselves Eco-Buddhists - an unnecessary prefix - as Buddhist naturally cannot be eco-enemies but eco-friendly since they are a prominent part of that very eco-system.

A person who observes the Five Precepts is the most eco-friendly person among us. The first precept ensures that no living creatures are hurt or killed. The person who observes the first precept will not spray pesticides and insecticides on plants. This would save ecosystem including lives of animals big and small as well as indirectly stop poisoning the people who consume such food. When we do not kill or consume meat, we become more peaceful and kind.

The second precept ensures that we do not take what does not belong to us. Then no wars will be fought to grab other peoples’ land, or to defend lands that we live in. Man out of greed will not destroy the forests or block waterways – the natural resources that do not belong to individuals but to all lives on Earth. People would be safe from robbery and violence. Corruption will disappear.

The third precept ensures our abstention from sexual misconduct. When we follow it, our women and children will be safe from abuse, molestation and AIDS. Then including those and other STDs will disappear from the face of the Earth.

The fourth precept ensures our refraining from incorrect speech. Due to correct speech, no one will mislead us telling us lies for their personal gain. No hate-speech occurs any more to put brother against brother. When we follow the first three precepts, we automatically follow the fourth precept.

The fifth precept ensures peace at home and in the village. The first four precepts are usually violated by those who violate the fifth, and those who keep to the other four precepts never violate the fifth.

If all our Buddhists follow Five Precepts that they recite day in and day out, the government does not have to ban selling meat and alcohol on Vesak and other Poya days. Both these businesses would never open in such a situation, except to serve the few non-Buddhists in the country. Likewise, if all employers follow the second and the fourth precepts, no need arises to hold May Day rallies.

If all of us could keep our promises, as we recite the Five Precepts, what a beautiful and wonderful country this could be, and what an inheritance to leave for our children! Re-reading the Tripitaka, specially Aggana Sutta and Cakkavatti Sutta, trying to understand how man’s greed led to his own destruction over the ages, is a need of our time. To make this more feasible, it is high time to translate the Tripitaka into modern day Sinhala so that all lay people could read and understand what the Buddha said.

Today most of us cannot understand easily the officially available Sinhala translation of the Tripitaka published 56 years ago on the Buddha Jayanthi unless we have a good knowledge of Pali and old Sinhala. Because of this handicap, ‘Evam Me Sutam’ we have to hear from third or fourth persons, and we are hampered with “Ehipassiko”.

Today our country has achieved such a high literacy rate and therefore, our people are highly educated and very intelligent. Really, they do not need to hear bana day and night to understand what is right. Instead of preaching bana, people should be encouraged from their young age to start reading and learning the Buddha Dhamma themselves. Enough books are available now both in Sinhala and English languages including pioneer books such as Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera’s ‘What the Buddha Taught’ (Budun Vadala Dharmaya).

It is the only way to educate our people. We cannot blame them today for going after meaningless practices, which we have borrowed from other cultures and religions alien to us. They are also so harmful to our environment.

Vesak Pandals: Environmental friendly? >>

The most environmentally damaging act we find on Vesak day is the illuminations all over the country. A Vesak pandal would have around 50,000 bulbs. Around the country we have several hundred such pandals on a Vesak day. This is in addition to the illumination of buildings and streets. Whether the power is drawn from the national grid or from private power generators, we consume fossil fuel. We are burning money, polluting the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. A really pathetic report in a recent news item was that the CEB expects power piracy to increase during Vesak, Does it mean our Buddhists, after reciting the second precept, are stealing more on Vesak Day?!

If we need illumination we could light just one clay lamp, because what is we should do on this great day is not to illuminate the surroundings but to illuminate our innerself. Pandals were a necessity when most people were illiterate, when they could not read and understand the teachings of the Buddha. Then they had to be shown the Narakadiya and enacted Jataka stories. Most of the Jataka stories depicted in the pandals today are very familiar to almost all the people in the country. Is there any need to spend colossal sums to show them repetitively things that they already know?

Giving Dansala by the road side everywhere in the country is another act we should rethink. There was a time when people traveled on foot or by cart from villages to the city to see the pandals and Vesak decorations. It would have been a meritorious deed to provide food and drink to these people. Today the Dansala has become a mere farce. Sometimes it only reminds us of NGO’s distributing food to people in Ethiopia. Though there are a few misguided people among us who would want our country to become an Ethiopia, we are a fortunate country where people have not reached and would never reach starvation levels.

Instead of spending money on Vesak Dansala, if we forego a meal from a high class restaurant at least once a month, we can feed a needy family for a whole month. Instead of spending millions on wedding receptions to feed people who are already overfed and overweight, we can offer a simple meal to the wedding guests and feed a whole village for one month.

I would like someone to explain to me and to all the readers how the serving of manioc, ice cream, coffee or a fruit drink could earn us merit, or appease the thirst and hunger of a starving child. My understanding is that offering of alms is to be made to those who are in need, and it has to be with good intentions, with a loving heart and without expecting anything in return.

We also offer flowers in millions and make aloka puja by lighting millions of lamps. By the time we collect one million flowers, most of them are withered. In addition, we have deprived nature of most of the flowers on trees. How much coconut oil is burned on these lamps need to be considered too. Do we earn merit million times more by this act? Can’t we light just one lamp and offer one flower instead?

Let us all live in harmony with the nature. Let us be satisfied with what we have and not to have lust for what others have or enjoy. Let us open our eyes to realize that ‘Small is Beautiful’, not because Schumacher reminded us about it, but because it is a lesson we have learnt from the Buddha. Let us be peaceful and useful for all lives on Earth.

Vesak is not a day for ‘celebrations’. It is a day for contemplation, for meditation.

View the original article here

Buddhist monks filmed smoking, drinking, playing poker

Home Issues

Seoul, South Korea -- Eight monks of the Korean Buddhist Jogye sect were secretly filmed drinking, smoking and gambling in their hotel suite. The hidden surveillance camera recorded them playing a game of high stakes poker in which $875,000 was won.

According to Reuters, the scandal erupted a few days before Korea's national holiday to celebrate the birth of Buddha, the holiest day of the religious calender.

According to the Daily Mail, six of the monks, leaders of the Korean Jogye Order, have quit.

Korea Bang reports the incident was allegedly filmed April 23. The eight monks spent the night gambling, smoking and drinking at a hotel suite in Yaksu-ri Buka-myeon Jangseong District in South Jeolla Province, close to the Baegyang Temple.

South Korean television showed footage of the monks who were at the luxury lakeside hotel for a colleague's memorial service. According to Herald Sun, the dead colleague was the Zen Master at Baekyang Temple.

The monks gambled all night and continued playing until well after eight in the morning. Korea Bang reports that among the gambling monks were high-profile members of the Jogye Order, including a member of the Jogye committee, a former member of the memorial service committee, and a chief monk of a temple branch.

Seoul District Public Prosecutor's Office said that Seong-ho, a former member of the order, lodged a complaint and accused eight monks of gambling $875,0000 from 8 p.m. on April 23 to 9 a.m. the next day. The monk wrote: "They have violated good customs and social order, and I therefore request them to be punished severely." The monk handed over the videos showing the monks gambling to the authorities. According to Daily Mail, Seongho said he obtained a USB drive containing a video clip taken by a camera hidden in the hotel room, but did not give information about the source of the clip.

The Daily Mail reports that gambling outside of licensed casinos and horse racing tracks is illegal in South Korea and is a social taboo even for those who are not of the religious order. According to Daily Mail, Seongho said: "Basically, Buddhist rules say don't steal. Look at what they did, they abused money from Buddhists for gambling."

Korea Bang reports Monk Jin-je, the highest ranking monk of the Jogye Order, said, "any monk who gambles does not deserve to eat the offering meal or wear Indian ink clothes [the grey clothes that Korean Buddhist monks wear]. Someone who has left home and joined the Buddhist priesthood should not commit an unscrupulous act."

Herald Sun reports that Jin-je made a public apology vowing "self-repentance." He said "Basically, Buddhist rules say don’t steal... they abused money from Buddhists for gambling."

Jin-je also announced an investigation into the installation of the camera, which he said violated the law.

Daily Mail reports the episode has led to speculation of a power split within the order with observers saying the camera was installed by opponents to bring down the monks.

Reuters reports the civic group, Buddhist Solidarity for Reform, said:" A group of monks who gamble, drink and smoke in a hotel room is tainted in the eyes of all people in the nation."

There are about 25 Buddhist orders in South Korea, and the Jogye Order is the largest with about ten million followers, about a fifth of South Korea's population.

VIDEO

View the original article here

South Korea Buddhist leaders resign over gambling scandal

Home Issues

Seoul, South Korea -- The leadership of the South Korea's largest Buddhist order resigned en masse after video footage of junior monks playing poker with thousands of dollars at stake emerged.

Prosecutors launched a probe after the footage came to light this week of eight monks from the Jogye Order gambling at a hotel room in southern Jangseong County.

Gambling is illegal in South Korea, except for in special areas such as casinos for foreign tourists, and is also a breach of the Buddhist order's code of discipline.

The gambling, which took place last month, was filmed by another monk and the video footage was given as evidence to the police. The eight monks were also allegedly drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in breach of Buddhist rules.

"All the six members of the executive committee of the Jogye Order have tendered their resignations, holding themselves responsible for the incident," a Jogye Order spokesman told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Jaseung, head of the order, said that the monks would face tough punishment and would be required to make an apology to the nation as early as on Friday, Yonhap news agency said.

The gambling controversy is the latest incident in a long-running feud between supporters of the Jogye Order's current administration and its opponents, as the footage was secretly recorded by an opponent and then made public.

One of the opponents, known by his Buddhist name Seongho, sued his eight fellow monks for gambling and betting "hundreds of millions of won."

The Jogye Order, which claims 10 million followers among South Korea's 50 million population, has been plagued by factional feuds. Dozens of monks were injured when rival factions clashed in 1999.

View the original article here

The Passing of Daehaeng Kun Sunim

Home Asia Pacific North Asia S/N Korea News & Issues

Seoul, South Korea -- Hanmaum Seon Center announces the passing of their teacher, Venerable Daehaeng, on Monday, May 21, 2012. She was 85 years old. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 26th, with more details to follow as they become available.

<< Daehaeng Kun Sunim 1927 - 2012

Ordained as a Buddhist nun 63 years ago, Daehaeng Kun Sunim* was a rare teacher in Korea. She was a female seon(zen) master, a nun who also taught monks, and a teacher who helped revitalize Korean Buddhism by dramatically increasing the participation of young people and men.

She made laypeople a particular focus of her efforts, and broke out of traditional models of spiritual practice to teach in such a way that anyone could practice and awaken. At the same time, she was a major force for the advancement of Bhikkunis (nuns), heavily supporting traditional nuns’ colleges, as well as the modern Bhikkuni council of Korea.

Born in Seoul, Korea, in 1927, she awakened when she was around 7 years old, and spent the years afterwards learning to put her understanding into practice. She would wander the mountains of Korea, wearing a ragged set of clothes and eating only what was at hand. Years later, she said that she wasn’t pursuing some type of asceticism; rather she was just completely absorbed in returning everything to her fundamental Buddha essence, and seeing how that affected what she entrusted.

This greatly affected her teaching style later, for she could clearly see the great potential, energy, and wisdom inherent within each of us, but saw that people suffered because they don’t know about this, and instead were looking outside of themselves. Clearly seeing the great light we each have, she taught people to rely upon this inherent foundation, and refused to teach anything that distracted people from that.

Her deep compassion made her a legend in Korea long before she formally started teaching people. She was known for having the spiritual power to help people in all circumstances with every kind of problem. She compared compassion to freeing a fish from a drying puddle, putting a homeless family into a home, or providing the school fees that would allow a student to finish high school. And when she did things like this, and much more, few knew that she was behind it.

She supported many social welfare projects, founded centers in 11 countries around the world (15 centers in Korea, and 10 in other countries), and her teachings have been translated from Korean into English, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Vietnamese.

---------
*Kun Sunim is the Korean Buddhist title of respect for a senior nun or monk.

View the original article here

Europe's biggest Buddhist temple to open

Home Europe

BUSSY-SAINT-GEORGES, France -- The final touches are being put on what will be Europe's largest Buddhist temple, complete with a 16-foot, 8-ton Buddha statue, officials says.

The $20 million temple and cultural center at Bussy-Saint-Georges, France, near Paris, is to officially open June 22, Radio France Internationale reported Monday.

Along with space for 1,000 worshipers, the complex will have about 40 bedrooms for people on spiritual retreats, prayer rooms, space for meditation sessions, calligraphy workshops and other activities, and a vegetarian restaurant.

Designed by the Frederic Rolland architectural firm, the structure doesn't have the traditional pagoda-style most often-associated with Buddhist temples. Set on a large parcel filled with fruit trees, it is built mostly of glass, wood and unrefined concrete accented by roof gardens. In the main area is the massive Buddha made of white jade from a mountain in Myanmar.

"The statue was hewn directly into a mountain in Burma and then transported to the port of Marseilles, which at the time was on strike," architect Polly Rolland told RFI. "We had to organize a special convoy, and arrange cranes to position the Buddha inside the temple, before finishing the roof, because the statue wouldn't fit through the doors."

Rolland said the project was notable for harmony during its construction.

"Usually there are always arguments on a site, but this time, everything was managed in a spirit of total zen," the architect said.

View the original article here

Buddhist monk accused of Alabama temple killing

Home The Americas US South

Grand Bay, AL (USA) -- Police have charged a Buddhist monk with fatally bludgeoning a temple leader in Grand Bay, AL.

<< At the Buddhist temple in Grand Bay where the Rev. Chaiwat Molechee was killed on Friday, fellow Buddhist monks gathered on Saturday from throughout the Southeast to receive prayers on behalf of the late monk. Buddhists from Jackson, Mississippi; Jacksonville, Florida; and New Orleans were among those who traveled to Grand Bay to honor the memory of the beloved monk. (Press-Register/Roy Hoffman)

Vern Phdsamay was arrested Friday and charged with the murder of 45-year-old Chaiwat Moleechate, who was found beaten to death. It was not clear whether Phdsamay had a lawyer.

Sgt. Paul Burch of the Mobile County Sheriff's Office said the killing happened at the Wat Buddharaksa Temple, which primarily serves Thai and Laotian immigrants.

Burch told The Mobile Press-Register that investigators found a witness. Police are seeking a Laotian interpreter to help interview that witness. Temple member Sasikant Noreross said the killing left her in disbelief.

She said Phdsamay had recently refused to talk to others and locked himself in his room for months, except when he would leave briefly to get food.

On Saturday morning, Buddhists began to gather from throughout the Southeast to mourn temple leader Chaiwat Moleechate, 45, who died Friday.
Moleechate was found beaten to death inside the temple, according to Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Vern Phdsamay, 32, a monk who lived at the temple, has been arrested and charged with murder, officials said.

“People are here to pay respects,” said Somprasong Songcharoen, a native of Bangkok who works as a plastic surgeon in Jackson, Mississippi, and helped fund the building of the temple.

With others from Jackson, Songcharoen mingled and visited with Buddhists from temples far and wide as cars pulled into the 5-acre religious site off a rural highway of cornfields, farmhouses, and small, Christian churches.

Among visitors were monks from Jackson; New Orleans; Jacksonville, Florida, and other cities, that had gathered to pray and receive offerings for the late monk.

Before the altar, with figures of the Buddha, a shrine was set up to Moleechate, with photos of the monk, a plate with apples, day lilies, and a candle.
The apples and other fruits, said Songcharoen, were symbolic of feeding the spirit of the monk.

Mourners approached the shrine and lit incense.

The temple, said Visanou Khamphouy, president of the congregation, planned a prayer service Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.

View the original article here

The Philosophy behind the Buddhist ethic of Ahimsa

Home Dharma Dew

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- The concept of ‘ Ahimsa ‘ had its origins in the movement to oppose Animal Sacrifice initiated by the Buddha and Mahavira (also known as Nigganta Natha Putta ) the founder of Jainism, in the 6th Century B.C.

We reproduce below an article by Professor Mahinda Palihawadana, President of the Sri Lanka Vegetarian Society and Founder Member of the Society for the Protection of Animal Rights (SPAR), on this subject:

During the time of the Buddha, many kinds of sacrifices were practised by Brahmins who were the priests of the Vedic religion professed by the upper castes of contemporary Indian society. The Buddha did not see any value in these sacrifices, primarily because they were entirely external rites. If one could speak of a ‘right sacrifice’, it had to be something that was internal or ‘spiritual’.

“I lay no wood, Brahmin, for fire on altars Only within burneth the fire I kindle” – says the Buddha, mindful of the Brahmins’ practice of tending a regular ‘sacred fire’ and pouring oblations into it for the various gods of the Vedic pantheon.

This however was only a relatively harmless, albeit in the eyes of the Buddha useless, activity. The Vedic priests also advocated and performed several types of cruel animal sacrifice such as “The sacrifices called the Horse, the Man, The Peg-thrown Site, the Drink of Victory, The Bolt Withdrawn – and all the mighty fuss- Where divers goats and sheep and kine are slain”.

The Buddha rejected all these sacrifices in no uncertain terms. For example, when he was told of a ‘great sacrifice’ that the king of Kosala was about to perform, where 2500 cattle, goats and rams were to be immolated, he declared: “Never to such a rite as that repair The noble seers who walk the perfect way.”

And, in one of the Jataka stories (Bhuridatta), the future Buddha is reported to have said: “If he who kills is counted innocent, Let Brahmins Brahmins kill.

We see no cattle asking to be slain that they a new and better life may gain; Rather they go unwilling to their death And in vain struggles yield their final breath.

To veil the post, the victim and the blow, The Brahmins let their choicest rhetoric flow”.

Many times in his discourses the Buddha speaks of four kind of persons – those who (1) torture themselves, (2) torture others, (3) torture both self and others and (4) who do not torture themselves or others.

The first are the strict ascetics and the second the butchers, trappers, fishers and robbers. It is however the third group that is of special interest in our context. It includes kings and powerful priests who, on such occasions as the opening of a public building, hold a great ritual, “with the sacrifice of many cattle, goats and rams, with wood-cutting and grass-strewing and with much bullying and hustling of servants and slaves, working in fear of chastisement.”

The Buddha does not approve of the conduct of these three classes. It is the last kind, who do not torture themselves or others, that he admires and they are none other than those who follow a compassionate ethic such as the one the Buddha himself advocated.

A particularly touching discourse of the Buddha on animal sacrifice comes in one of the most ancient Buddhist texts, the Sutta Nipata. Here in a discourse on the ethical conduct fit for a Brahmin (Brahmana-dhammika Sutta), the Buddha speaks respectfully of ancient Brahmins who spurned the taking of life and never allowed their religious rites to be tainted by the killing of animals. But corruption set in and they started the practice of animal sacrifice. When the knife was laid on the neck of cattle, the gods themselves cried out in horror of that crime of ingratitude and insensitivity perpetrated on an animal that was to humans such a faithful worker, such a sustainer of life.

In the piece known as the Discourse with Kutadanta we come across a king’s Brahmin counsellor who is preparing a great animal sacrifice, concerning the right procedures of which he consults the wisdom of the Buddha. T. W. Rhys Davids, the distinguished translator of this text, alerts us to the fact that this would be the last thing that an eminent Brahmin is likely to do – to seek the Buddha’s opinion on how to conduct a sacrifice. So he describes the discourse as a “deliberate fiction full of ironical humour”.

The Buddha tells Kutadanta of a worthy sacrifice held in ancient times under the guidance of a certain enlightened Brahmin counsellor. In this sacrifice no living thing is injured; all the labour is voluntary and the sacrifice is offered not only on behalf of the king, but of all the good.

The Buddha then tells Kutadanta of even better forms of sacrifice. In the course of this discourse, as Mrs C. A. F. Rhys Davids points out (Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, article on Sacrifice/ Buddhist), the stations in the road to the good life – the perfect lay life and the perfect religious life – are set forth as so many degrees of sacrifice, each better than the other. Thus the highest sacrifice is that insight and wisdom which signifies the abandonment of the sense of self – i.e., the sacrifice of ego-centredness .

It is not a matter for surprise that the Buddhism along with Jainism, the other great religion of Ahimsa, as well as several sects of Hinduism, rejected animal sacrifice, although many other religions approved of it to some extent or another.

The Buddha in fact was outspoken in His criticism of such entrenched features of the contemporary religious and social scene as sacrificial rituals and the caste system. (His ‘detachment’ was not indifference or withdrawal of judgement, as has been often misunderstood. Consider his reply to Potaliya who told him that the best person was one who neither praised the praise-worthy nor blamed the blame-worthy: Far better is the person who speaks in dispraise of the unworthy and in praise of the worthy, saying in due time what is factual and truthful. (Anguttara ii 100)

In the modern world, there is a powerful movement which seeks to reduce and eliminate the crimes that are perpetrated on animals and to introduce to the social ethic an element of justice to other sentient beings who share the planet with us, humans. This movement is all the more remarkable in that it reflects an attitudinal shift in the predominantly Christian West which is beginning to see the true nature of the moral evil that the abuse and exploitation of animals is.

The fundamental thrust of this movement stems from the realisation that animals are like us when it comes to suffering, pain and the prospect of the deprivation of life. It is this very sympathy with the suffering of animals and other sentient beings that is at the core of Buddhist compassion or loving kindness (mettaa). Says a verse in the Dhammapada, the most popular of Buddhist texts:

“All fear the rod of death are all scared.

(Understanding others) from one’s own example, One should neither kill nor cause to kill.”

In the very next verse much the same is said with this addition: ‘For all is life dear’. Here in simple terms is the ‘philosophy’ behind the Buddhist ethic of Ahimsa: other living beings are like us; we should treat them the way we want to be treated ourselves. This is the spirit behind the first precept which enjoins us neither to kill, nor to encourage killing as clearly explained in the Dhammika Sutta.

This is the spirit that prompts the Noble Eightfold Path to forbid the trade in flesh and engaging in fishing, hunting etc. for those who profess to follow that Path. It is the same spirit that projected an ideal of kingship in which the ruler provided defence and protection (rakkhavarana-guttim) not only to the different classes of the human population, but also to birds of the air and beasts of the land (miga-pakkhisu).

The natural corollary of such a teaching in modern parlance is that animals have the same right to life which we humans claim for ourselves. And it is the sensitivity to this right that made Emperor Asoka, whose life was abundantly inspired by the teachings of the Buddha, to promulgate, in the well known Rock Edict I: “Here no animal shall be killed or sacrificed”. This is an outstanding example of an ethical teaching being made the basis for a legal pronouncement.

The tradition of royal decrees based on the ethic of respect for animal life was also followed in Sri Lanka prior to the advent of colonialism. Consider the Maaghaata (Do not kill) proclamations of five kings of Lanka from the first to the eighth century, beginning with Amandagamani Abhaya, which forbade the killing of any living being within the realm. King Vijayabahu I in the 11th century and Parakramabahu the Great in the 12th also made proclamations of protection of wildlife and fishes in the forests and lakes of Sri Lanka.

Kirti Sri Nissankamalla, one of the kings who came after Parakramabahu, promulgated a remarkable decree, which he publicised in six of his famous inscriptions, forbidding the killing of all living beings in the irrigation lakes of the entire country. In his Anuradhapura inscription he decreed that no animals should be killed within seven leagues of the city and induced a certain group of hunters to desist from the trapping of birds. These few instances suffice to give us an idea of the pervasive influence of the Buddhist attitude to animal life in the social and legal history of Sri Lanka.

-----------
The writer is the President, Sri Lanka Vegetarian Society.

View the original article here

Buddhism seeks to explain suffering in life

Home Dharma Dew

New Delhi, India -- Some people view Buddhism as pessimism. They call it the "religion of misery," because the word "suffering" or "unsatisfactoriness," which the Buddha taught in his first four noble truths, sticks in their minds.

Actually, Buddhism is not pessimism nor optimism. Buddhism is realism, a way to see things as they really are. The Buddha taught us about life from our birth till death. It covers many areas of life, such as how to live wisely and happily, how to win friends, how to accomplish our goals, and even how to die peacefully.

Why is Buddhism always talking about suffering? That is the truth of life we all have to accept and recognize in order to cure it. The Buddha did not speak about suffering only, but how to overcome suffering. That is happiness in life.

Let me share with you the secrets of happiness. There are three steps to follow.

The first step is to be happy or to enjoy whatever you do.

Abraham Lincoln said, "My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it." Most of us do not enjoy what we have and do, especially our work. Sometimes we depend on our like or dislike emotions too much. We do things because we feel good or like it. A lot of times we refuse and suffer if someone forces us to work. The problem is how are we going to love or be happy with the things we do.

In Buddhism, "Kuttukammayatachandha" means the willingness to do things. If we don't enjoy whatever we're doing, imagine what's going to happen. We will work eight hours a day and not enjoy it. Instead, we will hate and suffer, which I think is not healthy for body and mind.

Why don't we train ourselves to take pleasure in everything we do? There is the saying, "If you do not have the thing that you like, you have to like the thing that you have."

We have to train ourselves to love and see the positive side of things that come toward our everyday lives as a lesson. When you wake up in the morning, think that it is a great day and I'm still alive. I have a chance to do good and enjoy one more day. When you are having breakfast, enjoy that, and try the best you can to apply that to each daily moment. This is the first step to happiness.

The second step is mindfulness.

There is a saying, "The lights are on, but nobody is home." We are all in the information technology era and have a lot of convenient tools that make life easy. Sometimes we aren't even aware of doing things and we behave like a robot. We live by our old habits and are not mindful.

When you are eating, make sure you are enjoying your food, not thinking or planning. We must change our old habits, especially the natural habits in which we do things in life automatically.

If you are walking, do you know right now you are walking. In a practical way you have to know each moment, whether it is good nor bad. If you are angry, know that you're angry; if you're happy, know that you're happy. Whatever you do — sit, stand, shower, have coffee, talk, and so on — add knowing or mindfulness.

Where is your mind? Is it absent? In order to gain happiness, you must bring our mind back to the here and now, and be mindful of each moment in life. Our mind and body are together, so try not to let your mind wander often. In the Buddha way, mindful action is the most important training. All teachings of the Buddha sum up to mindfulness. Be mindful, then you practice all the Buddha's teachings.

The third step is concentration.

In Buddhist countries, there are a lot of Buddha statues. One of the statue postures that is very famous is the meditation posture. In Pali, we call it the "Samadhi posture," which means concentration. When Buddhist followers see this statue, it reminds them that you should concentrate and focus on whatever you do. When you sleep or when you eat, concentrate on eating or your mind with that eating.

Do you observe yourself doing things? Can you really focus or concentrate ? It is difficult, right ? Sometimes we do a lot of things at the same time. We ponder that we are smart, that we can do a lot of things such as watching a TV show and calling our friends at the same time. Is there a quality of doing like that? I think it is not such a good habit to be like that, especially when you drive and text or drive and talk. It can cause problems. Concentration is another key to happiness and success in life.

These are the secrets to happiness; enjoy, be mindful, and concentrate. If you follow these steps hour by hour and day by day, your practice will get stronger and strongerBut you have to begin right now to change and start new way.

Enjoy the journey to happiness.

------------
Tawachai Onsanit is one of the founding members of Wat Pasantidhamma temple in Carrollton. Inquiries may be addressed to Ajaan Piya at p_kind_j@yahoo.com.

View the original article here

Thailand’s young Buddhist nuns challenge social conventions

Home Asia Pacific South East Asia Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand -- Beam Atchimapon is already three days late for the new school term in her native city, the Thai capital of Bangkok – but for a good cause.

<< Novice Thai nuns are seen before they receive food from people during the Songkran festival at the Sathira-Dhammasathan Buddhist meditation centre in Bangkok April 13, 2011. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

The nine-year-old is part of a small but growing group of Thai girls who choose to spend part of the school holiday as Buddhist nuns, down to having their heads shaven.

The temporary ordination of young men has long been part of Thai culture, with men spending a few days as monks and returning to their normal professions after time at a monastery.

But the ordination of “mae ji” or “nuns” is less common, and the idea that women should not play an active role in monastic life still prevails among more conservative Thais.

Fully ordained Buddhist nuns are not legally recognized, as they are in Myanmar and Sri Lanka – one sign of the inequality women still face in certain fields in Thailand.

“Thailand does not fully recognize the role of Buddhist nuns,” said Sansanee Sthuratsuta, a nun and founder of the Sathira Dammasathan center, a learning centre on the outskirts of Bangkok that is something of a green oasis.

Sansanee used to be a celebrated television personality in Thailand but gave up her fame for life as a nun 35 years ago. Her centre allows men and women to come and practice meditation, learn yoga and take part in retreats, part of its mission to make Buddhism an integral part of peoples’ lives.

She started the ordination of young nuns 3 years ago to raise awareness of nuns in the nation, where their role as spiritual leaders takes a backseat to their male counterparts.

“Nuns need to be educated. This is more important than a law that elevates the status of nuns in Thailand. If society can rely on nuns then they can be spiritual leaders,” she said.

This year, to celebrate 2,600 years since the Buddha gained enlightenment, the center arranged for the ordination of 137 women between the ages of five and 63.

The ordination involved shaving their hair off and living as a Buddhist nun for 20 days, including going on rounds to collect alms from worshippers at dawn, wearing simple white cotton clothes, and daily meditation classes.

The act of shaving their heads teaches the children to not hold on to impermanent things, Sansanee said.

"When we shaved off their hair the girls just said 'Take it off'. They are not embarrassed," said Sansanee. "None of these children were forced to come here. They volunteered."

The "mae ji noi" or "little nuns" are not from troubled families or poor backgrounds. The girls ordained at the center come from middle class Thai families that believe a religious education can enhance their child's formal education.

"My mother told me about it but I wanted to come here," said Beam, who attends a international school. "We are taught about the environment and about the Buddha."

The girls wake before sunrise, and finish their day with evening meditation at 6 p.m. The strict schedule is an impressive undertaking for the children but they take it in their stride, displaying a discipline beyond their years.

"Life is not just about finding money. It's about being useful to society and contributing in a positive way," said Sansanee.

"We believe they learn about life here whether they are walking or showering, they learn about awareness and everything becomes an act of meditation," Sansanee said.

Not all the time is spent in serious pursuits.

During one outdoor lesson the youngest nun Ploy, 5, ties two leaves together with a hair band and plays a shadow puppet game in the sun.

"Look! It's a rabbit!" says Ploy, to the amusement of her teachers.

The girls' parents feel the experience is more than worth it for what their daughters gain.

"My daughter has ordained for the second year. She is a more thoughtful child and she is doing very well at art in school now," said Karun Sribumroong, whose daughter Pim is eight. "Her time here made her even more creative and imaginative."

(Writing and Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, editing by Paul Casciato)

View the original article here

Buddha relic arrives in Hong Kong

Home Asia Pacific North Asia China

HONG KONG, China -- A skull bone believed to be from the original remains of Buddha arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday to much fanfare.

<< A skull bone believed to be from the original remains of Buddha.

It is the first time the sacred Buddhist relic has been taken outside mainland China.

The relic is believed to be the world's only remaining parietal bone of Buddha.

It was flown in by chartered plane and was greeted at the Hong Kong International Airport by government officials and monks.

The relic was reportedly buried for thousands of years and first unveiled in Nanjing two years ago.

According to Buddhist belief, Buddha's skull bone grew naturally upward, resembling a hair bun at the top of his head.

The relic is said to be yellowish-white in colour, around 10 centimetres in diameter, and curved at the top.

Some 300,000 devotees are expected to flock to see the relic over the next six days.

The Hong Kong leg of the relic's journey coincides with "The Third World Buddhist Forum" and the Birthday of Buddha on Saturday.

The relic will head to Macau next.

View the original article here

Buddhist chants help revive Cheltenham coma man

Home Europe

Cheltenham, UK -- WHEN pensioner Frank Soo suffered horrific head injuries in a car accident in Cheltenham, doctors gave him little chance of survival.

<< HEARTENED: Frank Soo and his wife of 49 years, Kitty

The 73-year-old, who lives in Pittville, was left in a coma for five days, clinging to life by a thread.

In a desperate bid to stimulate his senses, relatives played Buddhist chanting in his ward at Cheltenham General Hospital.

Amazingly, he began to respond within minutes, opening his eyes for the first time.

Now he is talking, moving and eating – albeit from his hospital bed – and looks set to confound medical experts by making a full recovery.

His daughter Karen Soo, 39, said: "It has been an incredible turnaround.

"When he was first admitted to hospital, doctors said he had 'catastrophic' head injuries and was not likely to pull through.

"We had to prepare ourselves for the worst.

"But he has always had a very strong constitution and we knew if anyone could pull through it was him.

"He was unconscious for five days and on a life support machine. But when we started playing the music, his condition improved straightaway. First of all he opened his eyes.

"Then he was able to squeeze his right hand and move his limbs. He is taking small steps every day. It is amazing to see."

The accident took place on March 15, during Race Week, when Mr Soo, a stalwart of All Saints Church, was walking home from the town centre. He was struck by a silver BMW in North Place.

At the time, police said he was in a life-threatening condition with lacerations to the head and a fractured skull. Officers did not arrest anyone in connection with the incident.

On hearing news of the incident his family rallied round to be at his bedside.

His two sons, Mark and Ian, who live in Thailand, caught the next flight to London to be near him and their mother Kitty – Frank's wife of 49 years.

Karen said the whole family had been heartened by his progress.

And she put his remarkable recovery down to an inner strength inherited from his father Soo Yow, who arrived in Cheltenham in 1948 and founded what is thought to be the town's first Chinese restaurant – Ah Chow, at the site of what is now the Mayflower, in Clarence Street.

"I don't know how to describe it, but my dad has always been very resilient," she added.

"He has had a calmness about him and takes everything in his stride. We knew if anyone could make it, he could. And he is proving us right.

"There is still a long road to making a full recovery but we are very hopeful now. The hospital staff have been fantastic and we would like to thank them for all they have done.

"It just shows – you should never give up hope."

View the original article here

Czech Vietnamese plan for Buddhist temple in Prague

Home Europe

Prague, Czech Republic -- A big Buddhist temple might be built on the outskirts of Prague as part of the planned Vietnamese cultural centre, Vu Thi Thu, head and priest of the Vietnamese Buddhist association in the Czech Republic, has told journalists.

<< A humble temple in Prague-Libuš. (CTK)

Czech Vietnamese already have a small temple in Prague-Libus, one of Prague's southernmost districts.

About four-fifths of Vietnamese adhere to Buddhism. After Slovaks and Ukrainians, Vietnamese are the third strongest ethnic minority in the Czech Republic. According to the Interior Ministry's data, 55,585 Vietnamese stayed in the Czech Republic legally as from end-November 2011, 37,497 of whom had permanent residence in the country.

"We want to build a cultural centre for us to have a place to pray in. We've already bough 12,000 square metres of land. However, we haven't gained the construction permit yet," Vu Thi Thu said.

Vu Thi Thu came to Bohemia 26 years ago to work at the Vietnamese embassy. After retirement she remained in the Czech Republic and took up care for the small Buddhist temple in Prague-Libus.

Apart from it, there is another Buddhist temple in the Czech Republic, which stands in Varnsdorf, north Bohemia.

Like Prague's planned big temple, the small one is situated in the Libus neighbourhood, known for a dense concentration of Vietnamese residents, near Sapa, the local giant marketplace run by Vietnamese. The Sapa complex also includes hairdressers' shops, restaurants, a kindergarten and traditional shops, apart from vendors' stands.

Tereza Kusnirakova, from Charles University's Geoemigration Centre, said Sapa plays a role in Vietnamese's integration in Czech society. It is visited practically by every Vietnamese coming to Prague, who gain here basic information about stay and conditions in the Czech Republic, Kusnirakova said.

View the original article here

Buddhists hope to build facility on former landfill site

Home The Americas US West

Portland, Oregon (USA) -- For years, Siskiyou Square, a 27-acre site at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Siskiyou Street, has languished as one of the largest undeveloped land parcels in Portland.

<< Gyokuko Carlson, left, an abbot with the Dharma Rain Zen Center, and Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, its development director, stand on a Northeast Portland site where the organization is hoping to build a facility. (Photo by Sam Tenney/DJC)

Developers resisted its potential because parts of the former landfill site are seismically unstable, and a methane distribution pipeline lies underground. In 2006, a Canadian real estate firm proposed to build a big-box store, but residents thwarted the bid when they discovered it might be a Walmart.

But the Dharma Rain Zen Center, a Soto Zen Buddhist organization running out of space in Southeast Portland, is looking to build a new facility on 13 acres of the square. Members of the organization said a proposed light footprint would suit the site and that the development would be better than a larger one because water runoff and trees could be preserved.

“It’s not a simple piece of land to work with, but we are thrilled to find it,” said Sallie Jiko Tisdale, a teacher at the center and a member of its development committee. “Buddhists believe how they live today affects tomorrow, so we practice a kind of carefulness of how we behave. In that, how we build and how we live on that land is going to be a direct religious expression.”

Preliminary designs for the project, which will go before the Bureau of Development Services during a pre-application conference early next month, show that the new facility would include a temple, a large vegetable garden, a playground for children and multiple residential units. All of the single-level buildings would be composed of wood.

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, the organization’s development director, said the buildings could be constructed more easily and for less money than larger ones because of small foundations.

“The bigger the building, the more expensive the foundation is necessary to hold it in place as the land settles around it,” Lowe-Charde said. “We are going to have really light buildings, and we can do a much simpler foundation that adapts to the landfill that doesn’t necessitate putting 80-foot piles through the solid rock below.”

To meet environmental quality standards, gas barriers would be installed below the buildings to prevent methane from reaching interiors. Additionally, perforated horizontal pipes would be placed beneath the buildings to ventilate accumulated gas and prevent gas pressures from elevating.

Seismic instability, however, is a real hindrance, Tisdale said.

“You can only do certain kinds of construction on the property and you can only put weight on certain parts of the property; it limits the kind of building that can be done,” she said. “People get scared from something like methane pumps, but if you know what you’re doing and go through 30 years of (U.S. Environmental Agency) reports like we are, everything should be green-lighted.”

Tisdale added that the organization would try to preserve the open green spaces of the square, which is near Rocky Butte.

“We really like the land as it is in its native state and space,” she said. “We believe we are not separated or disconnected from our environment or each other.”

The center has engaged in multiple meetings with neighborhood groups. The South Madison Neighborhood Association, which opposed the big-box store proposal in 2006, believes the project will be a positive contribution to the area.

“The vision they have would blend nicely with that piece of land,” said Dave Smith, the association’s chairman. “Putting in low buildings, plantings and walkways would be a more positive use than the proposed previous use for it.”

Both Tisdale and Lowe-Charde said the center’s existing facilities, on Southeast Madison Street between 25th and 26th avenues, are too small. They believe the proposed project would provide the appropriate amount of space for the center’s diverse set of programs – ranging from seminary training to children’s classes. The square also would provide space for residential units, so that the center’s members could live closely together.

“We have all this energy and we’ve been waiting for a space to put it in,” Lowe-Charde said. “This gives us room to continue growing and diversifying.”

If the $3 million to $4 million project were approved by the city, Lowe-Charde said it would be broken down into phases, with construction starting in summer 2014. He also believes more development would occur after its completion.

View the original article here

Renaming event set for Zen Center

Home The Americas US Midwest

Buddhist Temple of Toledo label to clarify purpose of site, leader says

Toledo, Ohio (USA) -- The Toledo Zen Center, a popular spot for local Buddhist events and services, is to be renamed the Buddhist Temple of Toledo in a dedication ceremony Sunday.

<< Jay 'Rinsen' Weik leads a service at the Toledo Zen Center in Holland. The center is changing its name to better reflect its growth as a spiritual home for Buddhism as well as to address confusion about what Zen is. THE BLADE/LORI KING

The reason for the name change is to better reflect the center's growth as a spiritual home for Buddhism as well as to clarify its purpose, according to Jay "Rinsen" Weik. who said, "There's a lot of confusion in the culture about what Zen is."

Mr. Weik, 43, an ordained Zen Buddhist priest, Aikido martial arts instructor, and jazz guitar teacher at the University of Toledo, runs the Toledo Zen Center/Buddhist Temple of Toledo with his wife, Karen "Do'on" Weik, also an ordained Buddhist priest.

Edward Espe Brown, a well-known Soto Zen priest and gourmet cook from California, will preside at the ceremony to be held at 10:30 a.m. at the center/temple, 6537 Angola Rd., Holland.

"One of the things that really motivated [the renaming] was that people were seeing the word 'Zen' used to sell digital devices," Mr. Weik said in an interview at the spacious facility this week.

"They see it used to sell shampoo, to sell furniture. … It's really confusing in the culture. The word has almost no usable meaning. It's come to mean a relaxed, slightly Asian-esque lifestyle.

"When we say it's a Buddhist temple and that we're actually serviced by priests and that we're a community, it much more readily communicates what is actually going on."

Mr. and Mrs. Weik have been studying Buddhism for more than two decades, having met when Mr. Weik, a Toledo native, was a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

The couple moved to Toledo in 2001 to be closer to Mr. Weik's family, and shortly afterward opened the Zen Center and the Shobu Aikido of Ohio in a business mall in Holland. (Aikido, a martial art, means "the way of harmony.")

The Zen Center attracts different "concentric circles" of participation, Mr. Weik said, from college students who visit one or two times for class credit in world religions, to devotees who become part of the close-knit Buddhist community.

This year, 16 members of the Zen Center/Buddhist Temple will formally be initiated into Buddhism.

"We have everything from 19-year-old undergrads to people in their mid-70s, and pretty equal gender distribution," Mr. Weik said.

One of the distinctions of the Buddhist Temple of Toledo is that it is thoroughly American, even Midwestern, in its culture.

People who visit Buddhist centers often expect to see a Zen master with a strong Asian accent teaching or leading the services and are surprised that a new generation of Buddhist sensei, or teachers, are as American as the Protestant clergy person next door, Mr. Weik said.

He credits the Americanized form of Buddhism available today to the labors of his predecessors, who sifted the Asian cultural influences from the essence of the religion.

Buddhism, which has 350 million adherents worldwide, was founded by a young prince born more than 2,600 years ago in the India-Nepal border region.

The prince attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha, whose teachings flourished in China, Korea, and Japan before arriving in the United States.

"Among my 'Gen X' generation of Buddhist teachers, there's a great thankfulness that the generations that preceded us did the work translating things," Mr. Weik said.

"Their teachers were all hard-pressed to speak English coherently, and so there's been this struggle -- actually it's been the work of their lives -- to translate this into discerning what is actually the teachings of wisdom and compassion and what is of Japanese culture."

The new crop of Zen teachers don't need to sift the culture from the precepts because that task has already been done, he said. "Our work is actually taking the real heart of wisdom and the heart of compassion and finding a way to make that accessible to middle America," Mr. Weik said.

The Zen Center, which started with just a handful of people 11 years ago, now draws about 30 on a typical Sunday morning.

Services include a time of meditation and a Dharma talk by Mr. Weik (the talks are available online at thedrinkinggourd.org).

The center offers a Dharma school for children during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday services and a prayer service every Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.

Practitioners come from a variety of spiritual backgrounds, Mr. Weik said, and because Buddhism has no religious tenets, some Zen Center members remain active in Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, and Islamic mosques.

Buddhists consider their founder to be "a guy, a teacher," Mr. Weik said. "So it's not like he's a deity figure. We honor him as the original teacher. … Buddhism is nontheistic. It's not atheistic at all, but it's not theistically oriented, either.

"It basically says the development of wisdom and compassion and the ease of suffering in life is not tethered to a particular belief system in some essentially unknowable thing," he said.

View the original article here

Lotus lantern festival designated as Korea's "important intangible cultural

Home Asia Pacific North Asia S/N Korea Arts & Culture

Seoul, South Korea -- The Lotus lantern festival, “Yeondeunghoe” in Korean, was designated the intangible cultural heritage No. 122 by the Cultural heritage administration.

And now, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism announced that "Yeondeunghoe," a lotus lantern festival held by Buddhists, is also a candidate for UNESCO Memory of the World designation, the administration said.

Yeondeunghoe initially started as a Buddhist tradition held on the day of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar calendar, in the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.). The religious ceremony has now become an annual event to celebrate Buddha's birthday in downtown Seoul where a lantern parade and street fair take place.

The Jogye Order plan to create an office and hire more people within the Jogye Order headquarters to propel the Yeondeunghoe to be designated as the UNESCO Memory of the World.

Before the festival was designated the intangible cultura heritage, many protestants and christians protested against this event, however now the Korean government announced their support for the festival.

Choi Kwang sik, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism urged the UNESCO committee “..to experience the other three world festivals, and to come to Korea to experience and enjoy the Lantern Festival with us, and to actively promote and support the lantern festival.”

View the original article here

Thousands of Buddhist monks protest construction of mosque in Sri Lankan town

About 2,000 protesters, including 300 monks, waiving Buddhist flags and shouting slogans on Friday marched from the Dambulla town to the mosque at Kandalama a few kilometers away.

The police intervened as protestors entered the mosque and asked the devotees to leave after Friday prayers ended.

Local administrative officials has said the construction of the mosque was illegal and its removal would be done starting next Monday.

However, the worshippers claim that the mosque has been there for decades and is legal.

The protest came as a powerful leading Buddhist monk blamed the authorities for allegedly selling lands within the sacred Buddhist zone of Dambulla to non-Buddhist elements.

The authorities denied the charge. A similar protest in the area in 1992 couldn't prevent the construction of a five star hotel at Kandalama.

The hotel remains a leading eco tourism location in the island. About 7 per cent of Sri Lanka's 20 million people are Muslims.

About 74 per cent are Sinhalese, who are mostly Buddhists, while about 18 per cent are Tamils, who are predominantly Hindus or Christians.

View the original article here

Buddhism in a Nutshell: The Four Seals of Dharma

Home Dharma Dew

Timphu, Bhutan -- "Buddhism is distinguished by four characteristics, or 'seals.' If all these four seals are found in a path or a philosophy, it can be considered the path of the Buddha." People often ask me: “What is Buddhism in a nutshell?” Or they ask, “What is the particular view or philosophy of Buddhism?”

Unfortunately, in the West Buddhism seems to have landed in the religious department, even in the self-help or self-improvement department, and clearly it’s in the trendy meditation department. I would like to challenge the popular definition of Buddhist meditation.

Many people think meditation has something to do with relaxation, with watching the sunset or watching the waves at the beach. Charming phrases like “letting go” and “being carefree” come to mind. From a Buddhist point of view, meditation is slightly more than that.

First, I think we need to talk about the real context of Buddhist meditation. This is referred to as the view, meditation and action; taken together, these constitute quite a skillful way of understanding the path. Even though we may not use such expressions in everyday life, if we think about it, we always act according to a certain view, meditation and action.

For instance, if we want to buy a car, we choose the one we think is the best, most reliable and so on. So the “view,” in this case, is the idea or belief that we have, that is, that the car is a good one. Then the “meditation” is contemplating and getting used to the idea, and the “action” is actually buying the car, driving it and using it. This process is not necessarily something Buddhist; it’s something we’re doing all the time. You don’t have to call it view, meditation and action. You can think of it as “idea,” “getting used to,” and “obtaining.”

So what is the particular view that Buddhists try to get used to? Buddhism is distinguished by four characteristics, or “seals.” Actually, if all these four seals are found in a path or a philosophy, it doesn’t matter whether you call it Buddhist or not. You can call it what you like; the words “Buddhist” or “Buddhism” are not important. The point is that if this path contains these four seals, it can be considered the path of the Buddha.

Therefore, these four characteristics are called “the Four Seals of Dharma.” They are:

All compounded things are impermanent.All emotions are painful. This is something that only Buddhists would talk about. Many religions worship things like love with celebration and songs. Buddhists think, “This is all suffering.”All phenomena are empty; they are without inherent existence. This is actually the ultimate view of Buddhism; the other three are grounded on this third seal.The fourth seal is that nirvana is beyond extremes.

Without these four seals, the Buddhist path would become theistic, religious dogma, and its whole purpose would be lost. On the other hand, you could have a surfer giving you teachings on how to sit on a beach watching a sunset: if what he says contains all these four seals, it would be Buddhism. The Tibetans, the Chinese, or the Japanese might not like it, but teaching doesn’t have to be in a “traditional” form. The four seals are quite interrelated, as you will see.

The First Seal:
All Compounded Things are Impermanent

Every phenomenon we can think of is compounded, and therefore subject to impermanence. Certain aspects of impermanence, like the changing of the weather, we can accept easily, but there are equally obvious things that we don’t accept.

For instance, our body is visibly impermanent and getting older every day, and yet this is something we don’t want to accept. Certain popular magazines that cater to youth and beauty exploit this attitude. In terms of view, meditation and action, their readers might have a view—thinking in terms of not aging or escaping the aging process somehow. They contemplate this view of permanence, and their consequent action is to go to fitness centers and undergo plastic surgery and all sorts of other hassles.

Enlightened beings would think that this is ridiculous and based on a wrong view. Regarding these different aspects of impermanence, getting old and dying, the changing of the weather, etc., Buddhists have a single statement, namely this first seal: phenomena are impermanent because they are compounded. Anything that is assembled will, sooner or later, come apart.

When we say “compounded,” that includes the dimensions of space and time. Time is compounded and therefore impermanent: without the past and future, there is no such thing as the present. If the present moment were permanent, there would be no future, since the present would always be there. Every act you do -let’s say, plant a flower or sing a song - has a beginning, a middle and an end. If, in the singing of a song, the beginning, middle or end were missing, there would be no such thing as singing a song, would there? That means that singing a song is something compounded.

“So what?” we ask. “Why should we bother about that? What’s the big deal? It has a beginning, middle, and end - so what?” It’s not that Buddhists are really worried about beginnings, middles or ends; that’s not the problem. The problem is that when there is composition and impermanence, as there is with temporal and material things, there is uncertainty and pain.

Some people think that Buddhists are pessimistic, always talking about death, impermanence and aging. But that is not necessarily true. Impermanence is a relief! I don’t have a BMW today and it is thanks to the impermanence of that fact that I might have one tomorrow. Without impermanence, I am stuck with the non-possession of a BMW, and I can never have one. I might feel severely depressed today and, thanks to impermanence, I might feel great tomorrow. Impermanence is not necessarily bad news; it depends on the way you understand it. Even if today your BMW gets scratched by a vandal, or your best friend lets you down, if you have a view of impermanence, you won’t be so worried.

Delusion arises when we don’t acknowledge that all compounded things are impermanent. But when we realize this truth, deep down and not just intellectually, that’s what we call liberation: release from this one-pointed, narrow-minded belief in permanence. Everything, whether you like it or not - even the path, the precious Buddhist path - is compounded. It has a beginning, it has a middle and it has an end.

When you understand that “all compounded things are impermanent,” you are prepared to accept the experience of loss. Since everything is impermanent, this is to be expected.

The Second Seal:
All Emotions are Painful

The Tibetan word for emotion in this context is zagche, which means “contaminated” or “stained,” in the sense of being permeated by confusion or duality.

Certain emotions, such as aggression or jealousy, we naturally regard as pain. But what about love and affection, kindness and devotion, those nice, light and lovely emotions? We don’t think of them as painful; nevertheless, they imply duality, and this means that, in the end, they are a source of pain.

The dualistic mind includes almost every thought we have. Why is this painful? Because it is mistaken. Every dualistic mind is a mistaken mind, a mind that doesn’t understand the nature of things. So how are we to understand duality? It is subject and object: ourselves on the one hand and our experience on the other. This kind of dualistic perception is mistaken, as we can see in the case of different persons perceiving the same object in different ways. A man might think a certain woman is beautiful and that is his truth. But if that were some kind of absolute, independent kind of truth, then everyone else also would have to see her as beautiful as well. Clearly, this is not a truth that is independent of everything else. It is dependent on your mind; it is your own projection.

The dualistic mind creates a lot of expectations - a lot of hope, a lot of fear. Whenever there is a dualistic mind, there is hope and fear. Hope is perfect, systematized pain. We tend to think that hope is not painful, but actually it’s a big pain. As for the pain of fear, that’s not something we need to explain.

The Buddha said, “Understand suffering.” That is the first Noble Truth. Many of us mistake pain for pleasure - the pleasure we now have is actually the very cause of the pain that we are going to get sooner or later. Another Buddhist way of explaining this is to say that when a big pain becomes smaller, we call it pleasure. That’s what we call happiness.

Moreover, emotion does not have some kind of inherently real existence. When thirsty people see a mirage of water, they have a feeling of relief: “Great, there’s some water!” But as they get closer, the mirage disappears. That is an important aspect of emotion: emotion is something that does not have an independent existence.

This is why Buddhists conclude that all emotions are painful. It is because they are impermanent and dualistic that they are uncertain and always accompanied by hopes and fears. But ultimately, they don’t have, and never have had, an inherently existent nature, so, in a way, they are not worth much. Everything we create through our emotions is, in the end, completely futile and painful. This is why Buddhists do shamatha and vipashyana meditation—this helps to loosen the grip that our emotions have on us, and the obsessions we have because of them.

Question: Is compassion an emotion?

People like us have dualistic compassion, whereas the Buddha’s compassion does not involve subject and object. From a buddha’s point of view, compassion could never involve subject and object. This is what is called mahakaruna—great compassion.

I’m having difficulty accepting that all emotions are pain.

Okay, if you want a more philosophical expression, you can drop the word “emotion” and simply say, “All that is dualistic is pain.” But I like using the word “emotion” because it provokes us.

Isn’t pain impermanent?

Yeah! If you know this, then you’re all right. It’s because we don’t know this that we go through a lot of hassles trying to solve our problems. And that is the second biggest problem we have—trying to solve our problems.

The Third Seal:
All Phenomena are Empty; They Are Without Inherent Existence

As Buddhists we practice compassion, but if we lack an understanding of this third seal - that all phenomena are empty - our compassion can backfire. If you are attached to the goal of compassion when trying to solve a problem, you might not notice that your idea of the solution is entirely based on your own personal interpretation. And you might end up as a victim of hope and fear, and consequently of disappointment.

You start by becoming a “good mahayana practitioner,” and, once or twice, you try to help sentient beings. But if you have no understanding of this third seal, you’ll get tired and give up helping sentient beings.

There is another kind of a problem that arises from not understanding emptiness. It occurs with rather superficial and even jaded Buddhists. Somehow, within Buddhist circles, if you don’t accept emptiness, you are not cool. So we pretend that we appreciate emptiness and pretend to meditate on it. But if we don’t understand it properly, a bad side effect can occur. We might say, “Oh, everything’s emptiness. I can do whatever I like.”

So we ignore and violate the details of karma, the responsibility for our action. We become “inelegant,” and we discourage others in the bargain. His Holiness the Dalai Lama often speaks of this downfall of not understanding emptiness. A correct understanding of emptiness leads us to see how things are related, and how we are responsible for our world.

You can read millions of pages on this subject. Nagarjuna alone wrote five different commentaries mostly dedicated to this, and then there are the commentaries by his followers. There are endless teachings on establishing this view. In Mahayana temples or monasteries people chant the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra - this is also a teaching on the third seal.

Philosophies or religions might say, “Things are illusion, the world is maya, illusion,” but there are always one or two items left behind that are regarded as truly existent: God, cosmic energy, whatever. In Buddhism, this is not the case. Everything in samsara and nirvana - from the Buddha’s head to a piece of bread - everything is emptiness. There is nothing that is not included in ultimate truth.

Question: If we ourselves are dualistic, can we ever understand emptiness, which is something beyond description?

Rinpoche: Buddhists are very slippery. You’re right. You can never talk about absolute emptiness, but you can talk about an “image” of emptiness - something that you can evaluate and contemplate so that, in the end, you can get to the real emptiness. You may say, “Ah, that’s just too easy; that’s such crap.” But to that the Buddhists say, “Too bad, that’s how things work.” If you need to meet someone whom you have never met, I can describe him to you or show you a photograph of him. And with the help of that photo image, you can go and find the real person.

Ultimately speaking, the path is irrational, but relatively speaking, it’s very rational because it uses the relative conventions of our world. When I’m talking about emptiness, everything that I’m saying has to do with this “image” emptiness. I can’t show you real emptiness but I can tell you why things don’t exist inherently.

Question: In Buddhism there’s so much iconography that you might think it was the object of meditation or an object of worship. But, from your teaching, am I to understand that this is all non-existent?

Rinpoche: When you go to a temple, you will see many beautiful statues, colors and symbols. These are important for the path. These all belong to what we call “image-wisdom,” “image-emptiness.” However, while we follow the path and apply its methods, it is important to know that the path itself is ultimately an illusion. Actually, it is only then that we can properly appreciate it.

The Fourth Seal:
Nirvana is Beyond Extremes

Now that I have explained emptiness, I feel that the fourth seal, “Nirvana is beyond extremes,” has also been covered. But briefly, this last seal is also something uniquely Buddhist. In many philosophies or religions, the final goal is something that you can hold on to and keep. The final goal is the only thing that truly exists. But nirvana is not fabricated, so it is not something to be held on to. It is referred to as “beyond extremes.”

We somehow think that we can go somewhere where we’ll have a better sofa seat, a better shower system, a better sewer system, a nirvana where you don’t even have to have a remote control, where everything is there the moment you think of it. But as I said earlier, it’s not that we are adding something new that was not there before. Nirvana is achieved when you remove everything that was artificial and obscuring.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a monk or a nun who has renounced worldly life or you are a yogi practicing profound tantric methods. If, when you try to abandon or transform attachment to your own experiences, you don’t understand these four seals, you end up regarding the contents of your mind as the manifestations of something evil, diabolical and bad. If that’s what you do, you are far from the truth. And the whole point of Buddhism is to make you understand the truth. If there were some true permanence in compounded phenomena; if there were true pleasure in the emotions, the Buddha would have been the first to recommend them, saying, “Please keep and treasure these.” But thanks to his great compassion, he didn’t, for he wanted us to have what is true, what is real.

When you have a clear understanding of these four seals as the ground of your practice, you will feel comfortable no matter what happens to you. As long as you have these four as your view, nothing can go wrong. Whoever holds these four, in their heart, or in their head, and contemplates them, is a Buddhist. There is no need for such a person even to be called a Buddhist. He or she is by definition a follower of the Buddha.

----------
This article is based on a talk by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche entitled, “What Buddhism Is, and Is Not,” given in Sydney, Australia in April of 1999.

View the original article here

Buddhist complex: The fallen, forgotten kingdom

Home Archaeology

Swat, Pakistan -- Located deep in Najigram valley in Abbasahib-Cheena which is renowned for its Buddhist monasteries, stands a Buddhist complex falling into disrepair and neglect.

<< Remains of a Buddhist monastery, require urgent attention if they are to be preserved for future generations. PHOTO: FAZAL KHALIQ/EXPRESS

The complex houses a main stupa, domed viharas and monastic cells. Additional cells are scattered along the mountains that run parallel to the site. To get to the remains, one has to travel on foot since there are no roads.

“I cannot believe such rich and beautifully preserved archaeological sites exist in Swat,” commented Faisal Khan, a student and adventurer. “The location, too, is breathtaking,” he added.

Some of the largest Buddhist settlements could once be found in the valley, but many have since been destroyed in the name of progress.

The coins, pottery and statues recovered from the debris were subsequently sold and stones reused in construction.

“Discovered by scholars E Barger and P Wright in 1938, it is undoubtedly the best preserved Buddhist complex in Swat,” said Dr Luca Olivieri, Director Italian Mission, Pakistan.

Olivieri stated that the Abbasahib-Cheena archaeological site shares similarities with the Gumbat Balo Kale site built in 3 AD, which suggests that the complex may have been constructed in the late phase of the Kushan Empire.

One major reason the site is so well-preserved is that it is situated far from residential areas and settlements, according to social and political activist Afzal Shah. However, the land is owned by locals and is under cultivation.

The site of the Abbasahib-Cheena Buddhist complex is owned by a landlord who is embroiled in a legal battle with the government, he said.

“In my view, the government should either lease the entire piece of land or buy it off him.” Shah believes that should the valley be granted protection by the government, it would help attract tourists in greater numbers, while simultaneously preserving its pristine environment.

Curator Swat Museum Faizur Rehman told The Express Tribune, “There is a plan to undertake further excavation and if we consider it worth protecting, the government will upgrade its status.” He added that various other sites in Swat are not legally protected and they have also been brought to the government’s notice.

Rehman stated that the Department of Archaeology has limited resources and with the increase in population, greater resources and at least 24 guards are required to protect the sites from vandalism.

The complex is currently one of the target sites selected by the Archaeology Community Tourism project jointly launched by the Italian Mission in Pakistan and Pakistani archaeologists.

View the original article here

Bhikkhuni attempts to build Nuns Forest monastery in Sri Lanka

Home Asia Pacific South Asia Sri Lanka

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- In the early period of His ministry, the Buddha did not lay down any regulations regarding dwelling places.  The monks lived in the forests, at the roots of trees and in caves.

After 2600 years, however, the Order of Monks is well established and is well supported.  They do not lack dwelling places or educational facilities to pursue their path to enlightenment.

Unfortunately, however, the Order of Nuns, at least of the Theravada Order, had much lesser support, such that in the present time, they have few aramas of their own. According to the Vinaya (Code of Discipline for the Monks and Nuns) Nuns are not allowed to live in unsafe places, but have to live in enclosed places such as monasteries that ensure their safety.

When the Buddha went to take up residence at the new “Anathapindika’s  Monastery” He expressed his appreciation in Verses (Vin II 147-48; 2:164-65):

                “They ward off cold and heat and beasts of prey from here
And creeping things and gnats and rains in the wet season.
When the dreaded hot wind arises, that is warded off.
To meditate and obtain insight in a shelter and at ease-
A dwelling place is praised by the Awakened One
As chief gift to the Order”.

A Theravada bhikkhuni is now attempting to build a monastery for Theravada nuns in Sri Lanka.

Ven. Bhikkhuni Bodhicitta is a Sri Lankan Buddhist nun based in Melbourne. Her path of secular higher studies in medicine saw her graduate in Bio Medicine.  However, her career as a medical scientist in Australia however took a turn when the Dhamma made her view life in a different paradigm.

She was an Anagarika in 2006 under the Ajahn Chah’s Forest tradition before she ordained as a Samaneri in 2007.  In 2010, Venerable received her Upasampada in Sri Lanka under the tutelage of Ven. Dr. M. Punnaji Maha Thera, Ven. Prof. Dr. Bhikkhuni Kusuma and several Senior Sangha members in Sri Lanka.

She is now attempting to raise funds to found the Nisala Arana, a forest monastery for Nuns and meditation centre in Molkava , Agalawatta, Kalutara District Sri Lanka. The land borders the scenic Sinharaja Rain Forest and will offer physical isolation and solitude for the spiritual development in the Dhamma. It is intended that emphasis will be given to train women who would like to ordain.

Ven Bodhicitta said “When I first returned to Sri Lanka, after completing the work at Nisala Arana, Melbourne, I was surprised and saddened as I could not find a single place that has been set up for the Nuns to practice serious meditation and to actualize our final goal of Nibbana.  Also there are only one or two meditation centres that allow the Nuns and lay people to practice their own method of meditation.

The Nuns do not have the facilities that are available for the Monks and it is due to this inequality that I wish to establish the Nisala Arana Forest Monastery in Sri Lanka.  This will provide a safe environment for the Nuns to practice serious meditation and progress with their Dhamma studies.”

However, the lack of financial support has currently brought the work to the Main Building to a halt.

More information on our project could be found at www.nisalaarana.lk .

View the original article here

3rd World Buddhist Forum opens in Hong Kong

Home Asia Pacific North Asia China

Hong Kong, China -- The Third World Buddhist Forum, the largest international Buddhist conference ever held in Hong Kong, opened on April 26, 2012.

At the beginning of the opening ceremony, led by President of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association Kok Kwong, President of the Buddhist Association of China Chuan Yin, the 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, all the participants, together with thousands of monks and Buddhist believers, bowed three times to the statue of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha and chanted the Heart Sutra, one of the most well - known Buddhist scripture.

The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, one of the two most senior living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, delivered a keynote speech at the forum.

"The virtuous Buddha compassionately and skillfully opened the door to the Dharma, pointing out for us the way to choose between wholesome and unwholesome acts," said the 22-year-old Panchen Lama.

China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin congratulated the opening of the forum in a letter which was read out to the attendees by Zhu Weiqun, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

During the two-day event, eminent monks, well-known scholars from home and abroad, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Australia, the United States and Europe, will participate in seven sub-forums and several TV forums to discuss the propagation of Dharma teachings and the protection of Buddhist scriptures, and exchange ideas on the development of Buddhist education and the promotion of Buddhist charitable efforts..

A rare piece of the parietal bone of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was flown to Hong Kong from east China's Jiangsu province on Wednesday for public worship. This is the first time the sacred remains is worshipped outside the Chinese mainland since it was unearthed in June 2010 in Jiangsu.

View the original article here

Historians dig out 9th century Buddhist relics

Home Archaeology

BHUBANESWAR, India -- Historians have stumbled upon what is believed to be remnants and relics of a Buddhist monastery belonging to the Bhaumakara dynasty of the ninth century, near Panaspur village in Cuttack district.

The backyard of a temple in Panaspur village is the place where these relics were first located. Locals informed about the relics to historians Harish Chandra Prusty and Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, who is also the chairman of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE).

The two historians started digging the spot and found what seems to be the tip of the iceberg in terms of Buddhist relics. ?We have strong reasons to believe that the relics are part of a Buddhist monastery during the Bhaumakara period. We are yet to put a precise date to the relics, but can safely say that they belong to the ninth century,? said Patnaik.

The relics form an interesting assortment like the Buddha in the Bhumisparsha and Dharmachakra Pravartana (with the head missing) mudras, Padmapani Bodhisattva carved out Khondolite stone and many more. A huge pillar has also been found and the historians guess that it must be a part of the monastery. ?With a well-planned and more thorough excavation, more vital relics can be dug out. This can open up a plethora of knowledge about the times in which the Buddhist monastery flourished,? explained Patnaik.

The two historians are now hoping that the Odisha State Archaeology or the Archaeological Survey of India would take up future excavation of the site. ?With more experienced people with good resources working on the site will help unravel a lot more relics than what we have found till now,? said Patnaik.

View the original article here

"Peace to our Mind. Happiness to our World"

Home Asia Pacific North Asia S/N Korea News & Issues

Slogan for Buddha's Birthday 2012

Seoul, South Korea -- The celebration committee of the Jogye Order of Korea Buddhism announced this year’s slogan to be Peace to our Mind. Happiness to our World as they opened the Buddha’s Birthday celebration poster and art installation by Lim Ok Sang.

The Jogye Order had a contest in February and chose the slogan created by Ahn Ho Suk, “Peace to Our Mind. Happiness to our World” and the artist and installation artist Lim Ok Sang created two posters based on the slogan.

In the book “The Life of an Artist: For the artist Im Ok Sang” by poet Kim Jong Hwan, states, “...Although Im Ok Sang is known to be an artist of great societal knowledge, he has the ability to pinpoint the darkness and light of current times..”

The Yeondeunghoe Lantern Festival will be from May 18th to the 20th, 2012.

Below is the full schedule:

May 18 ~ 28 (Fri ~ Mon) Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns at Bongeun-sa Temple and Jogye sa temple.
May 19 (Sat) 7:00 ~ 9:30 pm Lotus Lantern Parade at Jongno Street (Dongdaemun ~ Jogye-sa Temple)
May 19 (Sat) 9:30 ~11:00 pm Hoehyang Hanmadang (Post-Parade Celebration) at Jonggak Intersection
May 20 (Sun) Noon ~ 6:00pm Traditional Cultural Performance at front of Jogye-sa Temple

View the original article here

Buddhists come out for equality

Home Issues

Perth, Australia -- The House of Representatives public hearing on same-sex marriage, held at NSW Parliament on April 12, saw the largest non-Christian religious faith in Australia come out in support of marriage equality.

The Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC), representing Buddhist laypeople, and the Australian Sangha Association, representing Buddhist clergy, both put their support on the record.

Buddhist monk Bhante Sujato spoke on behalf of both groups.

“We should be focusing on the alleviation of human suffering, responding to human need,” Sujato told MPs.

A FABC submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs by Bodhinyana Monastery abbot Ajahn Brahm said religion had never owned the institution of marriage.

“Marriage was not always a religious ceremony,” Brahm wrote.

“Well before Christianity and Islam appeared, and independent of any Jewish tradition, Buddhism recognised and supported marriage without claiming to have invented it. The fact is that the rite of marriage existed before religion, and thus no one faith can legitimately claim ownership of it.

“The suggestion that a civil contract is good enough for gays and lesbians is like throwing crumbs to the hungry. It is not acceptable to them, or to any other clear-thinking person.

“We owe it to the institution of marriage, and to those who are married, to extend its warmth to those who are presently excluded. Extending love can only make for a better society.”

Australia’s Buddhist community is as large as its Muslim and Jewish communities combined.

Union for Progressive Judaism executive director Steve Denenberg reiterated Progressive Judaism’s support for marriage equality at the hearing.

Denenberg later told J-Wire that he told the committee that, “based on our beliefs that each person is created in the image of God, the way that person expresses his or her sexuality, each person is equal”.

“Therefore, their rights for full participation in society should be equal, including the right to marry,” Denenberg said. “Equality would dictate that same-gender couples should be able to marry.”

Sikh and Hindu speakers at the hearing were either opposed or undecided.

The final number of submissions to the Senate inquiry into marriage equality was 75,000, the most an Australian Senate inquiry has ever received.

Of those, 44,000, or 59 percent, were in favour while 31,000 were against.

“The unprecedented level of support for this legislation reflects the fact that a majority of Australians support marriage equality and support it passionately,” Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said.

“The take-home message for our federal politicians is that the Australian public wants this reform and wants it now.”

View the original article here