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By John Carlos Cantu, AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist, May 24, 2013. The latest installation of the University of Michigan Museum of Art's Collections Collaborations series is a spiritual journey wrapped around an exotic adventure. << "Vairocana Buddha" (or "Celestial Buddha") The series is co-organized by the UMMA and other U-M units to showcase the diverse collections held by that university. The latest, "Buddhist Thangkas (pronounced tong-kah) and Treasures: The Walter Koelz Collection of Himalayan Art, Museum of Anthropology" was curated by Carla M. Sinopoli, U-M professor of anthropology, curator, Museum of Anthropology, and director of the Museum Studies Program; Donald S. Lopez Jr., U-M professor of Buddhist and Tibetan studies; and Natsu Oyobe, UMMA coordinating curator and associate curator of Asian art. It features what the UMMA calls "the rich iconography of Buddha and Buddhist deities and the colorful images (that)

by Thomas Hon, The Buddhist Channel, May 30, 2013 Hong Kong, China -- A new website on Pure Land Buddhism – http://www.purelandbuddhism.org was recently launched to promote awareness of the "original Pure Land Buddhism". The aim of the new site is to introduce to international audiences the original Pure Land school in the lineage of Tang Dynasty China's Master Shandao (????), synthesizer of the Pure Land thought of the great early masters and de facto founder of Pure Land Buddhism. The website, the only one of its kind in English, is part of a broader effort, now gathering momentum in eastern Asia, to restore the original face to Pure Land Buddhism, the subject of so much historically-accumulated confusion and misunderstanding about its true nature. Pure Land has long been the largest school of Buddhism in China and eastern Asia. But the versions that have flourished over the past millennium are not the original form taught by Shandao. The reason is histori

Asiantribune.com, May 28, 2013 Brussels, Belgium -- Decorated with Buddhist flags, scores of colourful Vesak lanterns, and also other decors presented by several Buddhist countries, gave an ambiance of a temple and serene atmosphere to the Sri Lankan Residence in Brussels, on the evening of Sunday 26th May, when the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Mission to the European Union marked the noble Day of Vesak. The event was graced by the presence of Hon. Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament, Mr. Chandima Weerakkody and the five-member cross-party Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka who are on an official visit to the European Parliament. Ven. Murungasyaye Gnanissara Nayaka Thero of Jethavana Vihara in Paris and Ven. Pra Shdhinanaivides of Wat Thai Dhammarama Temple in Brussels and monks conducted the religious ceremony, including the Buddha Pooja, a Dhamma Sermon, and invoking blessings by chanting Seth Pirith followed by a brief med

By Michael Runyon, Wauwatosa Today, May 28, 2013 Congregation relocating from Milwaukee due to growth Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (USA) -- When Tu Mai, leader of the Buddhist Youth Association, moved to Milwaukee in 1988 there were only 15 people in his congregation. Now there are 150. During Tu Mai's early years as a Milwaukee resident, the 15-person congregation was praying in a small, two-bedroom home. They recently bought a 14,000-plus square foot complex and will be moving in where Unity West Church once stood at 4750 W. Mayfair Road. The newly-named Phuoc Hau Buddhist Temple opens its doors June 16. Open to the public "It will be very open to the public," Tu Mai said, adding that they will post events on their website for people to follow and will have open meditation and culture classes for the public every Sunday. Some classes will focus on Vietnamese culture and dharma, the teachings of Buddha. Tu mai stressed that he wanted many classes

by Bambang Muryanto, The Jakarta Post, May 26 2013 Magelang, Indonesia -- Thousands of Buddhists celebrating Waisak, or Buddha's Day of Enlightenment, in the yard of Mendut Temple in Mungkid, Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday prayed for an end to the Rohingya ethnic conflict in Myanmar. "Hopefully the Myanmar government will be able to end the conflict soon," one of the Buddhist monks said as he led the prayers at an altar in the southern yard of the temple. Buddhist nun Daya Kusala of the Buddha Mahayana Community Council expressed the same hope, expecting the Myanmar government to handle the Rohingya conflict with love , not violence. "Are the killers in Rohingya really Buddhist monks? If they are, they shouldn't have done so because Buddha taught love," Daya Kusala said. She also expressed hope the Rohingya conflict would not influence Indonesians and they should remain living in harmony. The prayers at the Mendut

BBC, May 27, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka is to investigate the role of the media in the death of a Buddhist monk on Saturday, the day after he set fire to himself. << Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk Officials say journalists who filmed Bowatte Indarathana's self-immolation could have tried to have him rescued. The Media Ministry Secretary, Charitha Herath, said the monk had told at least one TV journalist of his plan. Meanwhile, hardline Buddhist nationalists are hailing the dead monk as a hero for his act. Mr Herath said any reporter who knew in advance of the monk's plans should have contacted the police. "My issue is that if you have already [been] informed by somebody that he is going to commit suicide, you are supposed to at least inform others to get rid of that disaster," he

ColomboPage News Desk, May 28, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Beijing: President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wikaramasinghe Rajapaksa, along with members of the Sri Lankan delegation, visited the Lingguang Buddhist Temple located on the outskirts of Beijing Monday. The chief incumbent most venerable Chang Zang and fellow monks welcomed the President, the First Lady and the delegation, and invoked blessings. The temple, which was established 1,200 years ago, has become a center for Buddhist pilgrims because of the Buddha tooth relic that it houses. The only other recognized tooth relic of the Buddha is located in the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Sri Lanka. The tooth relic at the Lingguang Temple had first been taken to what is now Pakistan after the passing of the Buddha before it was brought to China. President Rajapaksa donated a gold-plated Buddha statue to the temple when he visited China in 2007. Minister of External Affairs Pr

by Shenali D Waduge, LankaWeb, May 29, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Thai Prime Minister Ms. Shinawatra is due to visit Buddhist Sri Lanka during the month of Wesak. The bond that Sri Lanka and former Siam (Thailand) share needs to go beyond diplomatic niceties. << Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra The people of present and future need to know the exact nature of what ties Buddhist nations together. In addition to seriously considering forming a League of Buddhist Nations it is suggested that a film be produced in co-partnership about the "Fascinating Journey from Sri Lanka to Siam" based on the narration of Wilbagedera who wrote the original narration of his journey to the Thai capital of Ayuthiya and the magnificent welcome accorded to the Sri Lankan delegation by the Thai King. Let all those preparing to welcome the Thai PM remember that she arrives not to talk about multiculturalism but to mark the special Buddhist bond that exists between Buddhists

TNN May 26, 2013 NAGARJUNASAGAR, India -- Anupu Park located near Macherla town in Guntur is one of the important Buddhist religious sites in Andhra Pradesh. This is where Acharya Nagarjuna was believed to have taught his disciples. The Anupu ruins were surrounded by lush green gardens and beautiful parks, till recently. But the visitors to the park who came here to attend the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organized by the state government on Saturday were shocked to find the place in complete neglect. All the greenery around the park has vanished due to the lack of maintenance. Several Tibetans, who visited Anupu and Nagarjunakonda museum, expressed their dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance. Horticulture department foreman Sunil Kumar said the motor of the borewell in the park had tripped thrice in the last one month due to frequent fluctuations in power supply. The entire Anupu Park, it seems, has dried up due to poor maintenance. Incidentally, the

By Dan New, Times Union, May 24, 2013 Albany, NY (USA) -- The Buddhist monk is a former crew chief of a helicopter gunship in Vietnam. He enters to the singing of the bell. Barefoot and robe-clad with shaved head and an austere embodiment, he walks the center aisle that leads to a raised platform. Lining his entrance path are the chairs and cushions of the 130 who are gathered in this sacred setting. He climbs the stage and turns to us. He begins in a soft measured voice. "A veteran commits suicide every 62 minutes in our country. Seventy percent of them are over the age of 50. We sit here and meditate to honor them and to save ourselves, for this is the cost of war and violence in this country. You sitting before me are the light at the tip of the candle. For the next five days, we will practice meditation in all that we do to combat the moral and spiritual wounds of war. Please respect the silence and dedicate yourself to this practice." We introduce ourselves by

Registration is now open for the Shambhala Sun 's livestream of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's foreword to The Rain of Wisdom , a collection of songs of realization from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Meditation. . The teachings will take place today at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (6:30 EDT) and tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Atlantic Time (8 a.m. and 1 p.m, EDT, respectively) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Click here for to register for the teachings, and here for to open a PDF of the foreword to The Rain of Wisdom . . This weekend's teachings are the first of the Shambhala Sun 's new "Direct Dharma" series of livestreamed talks, offering access to premiere Buddhist teachers from lineages across North America. To learn more about Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, read these articles from the Shambhala Sun archives. What Changes and What Doesn't: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche If I'm Lucky T

Registration is now open for the Shambhala Sun 's livestream of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's foreword to The Rain of Wisdom , a collection of songs of realization from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. . The teachings will take place today at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (6:30 EDT) and tomorrow at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (8 a.m. and 1 p.m, EDT) Atlantic Time in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Click here for to register for the teachings, and here for to open a PDF of the foreword to The Rain of Wisdom . . This weekend's teachings are the first of the Shambhala Sun 's new "Direct Dharma" series of livestreamed talks, offering access to premiere Buddhist teachers from lineages across North America.   To learn more about Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, read these articles from the Shambhala Sun archives. What Changes and What Doesn't: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche If I'm Lucky They'll Call

By Hozan Alan Senauke of the Clearview Project Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world; by non-hatred only is hatred appeased. This is an unending truth. — Dhammapada , 5 Religious and ethnic confrontation in Burma challenge cherished ideas of Buddhist and religious tolerance. This week, two days of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Lashio — the largest town in Burma's Shan State, near the Chinese border — have left a mosque, an orphanage, and many shops destroyed by Buddhist-identified mobs roaming the streets on motorcycles. Three hundred Muslims have taken refuge in a local Buddhist temple, thousands have fled, and the count of dead and injured is still not clear. In March there were similar riots in Meikitla, in central Burma, south of Mandalay, which left forty-four people dead, and thousands of homes consumed in flames. Last year's conflict in Burma's western Rakhine state, also saw thousands of homes destroyed and roughly a hundred thousand

By Hozan Alan Senauke of the Clearview Project Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world; by non-hatred only is hatred appeased. This is an unending truth. — Dhammapada , 5 Religious and ethnic confrontation in Burma challenge cherished ideas of Buddhism and religious tolerance. This week, two days of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Lashio — the largest town in Burma's Shan State, near the Chinese border — have left a mosque, an orphanage, and many shops destroyed by Buddhist-identified mobs roaming the streets on motorcycles. Three hundred Muslims have taken refuge in a local Buddhist temple, thousands have fled, and the count of dead and injured is still not clear. In March there were similar riots in Meikitla, in central Burma, south of Mandalay, which left forty-four people dead, and thousands of homes consumed in flames. Last year's conflict in Burma's western Rakhine state, also saw thousands of homes destroyed and roughly a hundred thousand

A bizarre twist of events in Kathmandu led Jessica O'Neill into a meditation class – the place she was most scared to be. I arrived at the yoga studio at 9:10 that morning. The class wasn't due to start until 9:30, so I was a little bit surprised to see a small clutch of people waiting outside the studio door. "Pfft. Eager!" I thought, a brief moment of irritation flickering in my mind. This was my first yoga class in months, and I was eager to stretch and sweat. I had, admittedly, been a pretty epic slacker in regards to my spiritual practice lately. In November and December I spent six weeks at Kopan Monastery and during this time I was immersed in Dharma, convinced that I would never, ever EVER let myself fall off of the meditation wagon again. After all, I would be living in Kathmandu, a city so steeped in Meditation that I couldn't possibly abandon my practice… This, it would seem, was overly optimistic. The yoga class was described online as a "

Looking for a great summer read? Andrea Miller reviews new titles from Shozan Jack Haubner , Robert Rosenbaum , Michael Sowder , Sister Chan Khong , and more in the July Shambhala Sun . Click here to read them all. To see what else is in the July magazine, click here . If you're not a subscriber, click here to subscribe and save. Read More @ Source

The July Shambhala Sun is on newsstands now, and it's all about the body —  your body — from pleasure and pain to performance and path. Inside, Norman Fischer contemplates the deeper reality of the body , Karen Connelly feels the heat in "Flesh Sex Desire," Thich Nhat Hanh offers three exercises for well-being, and four athletes talk sports and mindfulness . Plus: Andrea Miller speaks with Jane Goodall , Sumi Loundon Kim tells why (and how) how she quit Facebook, and much more. Click here to browse our July magazine online, and if you're not a subscriber, click here to subscribe and save. Read More @ Source

Every week we choose a photo submitted to Andy Karr's contemplative photography site  seeingfresh.com  that really exemplifies the practice, and sometimes the simplest is the best. This week's photo, by Seeing Fresh user Christiane, shows how rich and textured a simple crack in a wall can be. It's a great example of fresh seeing. For more about contemplative photography, and lots of other great photos, visit seeingfresh.com . And don't miss this video or this article on contemplative photography. You can see all our Seeing Fresh posts on Shambhala SunSpace here . Read More @ Source

In reports coming out of Tibet, a man self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation in the Adril region of Eastern Tibet on Monday. Tenzin Sherab, 31, died at the scene. His body was confiscated by Chinese police but returned to his family the next day. Phayul reports that Sherab had spoken about China's human rights abuses in Tibet a few days before his immolation. "We can no longer bear to live under China's constant torture and repression," he reportedly told his friends. He is survived by his parents and four siblings. At least 118 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation since 2009. Click here to see all of Buddhadharma News ' coverage of the protests. Read More @ Source

Mobs of Buddhists torched a mosque, a Muslim school and Muslim-owned shops in the northern Burmese city of Lashio on Tuesday. On Wednesday, bands of young Buddhist men were reportedly still roaming the city on motorcycles, throwing rocks and wielding sticks and metal rods. A government spokesman said he did not yet have any information about casualties. The violence started after a Muslim man reportedly attacked a female Buddhist shopkeeper. When the man was detained by police, a crowd of Buddhists, including many monks, gathered at the police station, and became violent when police would not hand him over. Sectarian violence in Burma began last year between Buddhists and the Muslim Rohingya minority in the country's western Rakhine state, but has since spread to other areas of the country. Click here for all of Buddhadharma News ' coverage of the violence. Read More @ Source

The third annual Buddhist Geeks conference is coming on August 16–18 in Boulder, and this year's conference features a discussion on scandals in the Buddhist world. Facilitated by Diane Musho Hamilton with panelists Shinzen Young, Sofia Diaz, Kenneth Folk and Michael Zimmerman , this discussion will use the recent allegations of sexual abuse leveled against Joshu Sasaki Roshi as a jumping-off point for not only identifying the contributing factors that make scandals more probable, but will also help illuminate potential ways to work with this complex territory of sexuality and spirituality. You can read more about the discussion here . Early-bird tickets are for the conference are on sale through this Friday, May 31. Click here for a full schedule of events at the conference, and click here to register. Read More @ Source

As the inaugural event at the Monastery's new Performance Hall, Evan Brenner will perform his moving and illuminating one-man play,  Buddha: Triumph & Tragedy in the Life of the Great Sage on Sunday, July 14th at 7pm. Framed in a most unusual and personal context, writer/performer Evan Brenner brings selections from original Buddhist sutras to the stage, unchanged, to enact the extraordinary life of the Buddha from start to finish. Brenner workshopped the play for two years before premiering it at Boston Center for the Arts in 2009. Following the Boston production, Brenner has toured with  Buddha  to performing arts venues around North America including New York, Pittsburgh, and Denver. The Performance Hall of Zen Mountain Monastery's newly opened Sangha House will be used to offer an ongoing series of musical performances, dance, plays, talks, and movies, including events related to Zen and the Zen arts, environmental education, and other arts of interest to the co

Sensei Al Genkai Kaszniak leads the Upaya Sangha of Tucson, which is now an affiliate of the Zen Peacemakers Sangha, as well as Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kaszniak is a member of the Lay Zen Teachers Association and the White Plum Asanga. He received jukai and dharma transmission from Roshi Joan Halifax, and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Upaya Zen Center. He writes about spiritual and clinical issues in geriatrics, hospice, and palliative care, and also works with the Mind and Life Institute. Read more at the Zen Peacemakers website . The Upaya Tucson Sangha meets on the first and Saturdays of each month, from 10 am – noon at the Tucson Community Meditation Center, 1231 East Edison Street. For more information, email Al at kaszniak [at] u.arizona.edu or call 520-331-7875.   Read More @ Source

The July Shambhala Sun is on newsstands now, and it's all about your body — from pleasure and pain, to performance and path. Inside, Norman Fischer contemplates the deeper reality of the body , Karen Connelly feels the heat in "Flesh Sex Desire," Thich Nhat Hanh offers three exercises for well-being, and four athletes talk sports and mindfulness . Plus: Andrea Miller speaks with Jane Goodall , Sumi Loundon Kim tells why (and how) how she quit Facebook, and much more. Click here to browse our July magazine online, and if you're not a subscriber, click here to subscribe and save. Read More @ Source

The Central Tibetan Administration has announced that Kaydor Aukatsang has been appointed the new representative of the Office of Tibet in New York. Kaydor Aukatsang is currently the advisor of Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, elected head of the Tibetan people. He will replace Lobsang Nyandak on September 1. The Offices of Tibet, in 11 countries around the world, are the official agencies of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration. The CTA also announced the reshuffling of two European Tibet Office representatives. Ngodup Dorjee, currently representative at the office in Brussels, and Tseten Samdup, representative in Geneva, will switch positions in August of this year.   Read More @ Source

After a public talk in Kentucky last week, His Holiness the Dalai Lama recounted his 1968 meeting with Thomas Merton , the Catholic writer, mystic, and proponent of interfaith dialogue. Photo via The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University / merton.org During their three long conversations, Merton and His Holiness discussed their monastic traditions, including day-to-day routines and the goals of their meditations. Merton wrote that he felt "a real spiritual bond" with His Holiness, and the Dalai Lama said last week he recognized Merton as a "serious practitioner of his faith." Their meeting, and this photo of the two men together, have become significant for many people involved with dialogue between different religions. Read more at the Louisville Courier-Journal . Last week's interview was filmed by filmmaker Morgan Atkinson for a new documentary about Merton's final days. Merton died in an accident in December 1968, just a few weeks afte

Kimberly Brown has been appointed the new executive director of The Interdependence Project . Together with the IDP Board of Directors, Brown will expand the IDP's programming, improve financial tracking, and manage daily operations," said Board Chair Renee Bochmann. "We're proud of IDP's leadership, and excited about the many opportunities available for us to reach and grow our unique community." . Brown served as the IDP's Secular Buddhist Studies Program Coordinator, and is both a student and a teacher at The Interdependence Project. She practices Kriya Yoga with Alan Finger, and is learning Healing Touch, an energy medicine technique, which she offers to cancer patients in Manhattan. She has degrees in physics and literature, and spent several years in post-graduate training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist. . The Interdependence Project welcomes your comments and questions, which can be sent to leadership[at]theidproject.org . Read More

As Reuters reports today: "Myanmar opposition leader and pro-democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi condemned on Monday a policy by a district government to limit Muslim Rohingya families to two children in an effort to curb their population growth." "This is against human rights," declared Suu Kyi. Read the full Reuters report here , or see the recent New York Times coverage provided by the Associated Press, here . Read More @ Source

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The Shambhala Sun is pleased to present a livestream of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's foreword to The Rain of Wisdom , a collection of songs of realization from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The teachings will take place on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They will be the first of the Shambhala Sun's new "Direct Dharma" series of livestreamed talks, offering access to premiere Buddhist teachers from lineages across North America. The livestream will be free to watch — information on how to access it will be made available here and on the homepage of ShambhalaSun.com on the morning of Friday, May 31. To learn more about Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, read these articles from the Shambhala Sun archives: What Changes and What Doesn't: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche If I'm Lucky They'll Call Me Unorthodox: An Uncommon Lama You can read more abou

"Not a single one of you people at this meeting is unenlightened. Right now, you're all sitting before me as Buddhas. Each of you received the Buddha-mind from your mothers when you were born, and nothing else. This inherited Buddha-mind is beyond any doubt unborn, with a marvelously bright illuminative wisdom. In the Unborn, all things are perfectly resolved. I can give you proof that they are. While you're facing me hearing me speaking like this, if a crow cawed or a sparrow chirped, or some other sound occurred somewhere behind you, you would have no difficulty knowing it was a crow or a sparrow, or whatever, even without giving a thought to listening to it, because you were listening by means of the Unborn." (Bankei Yotaku Zenji) The above quotation comes from the Zen Master Bankei (1622-1693). For more on him, read the following: Review: Bankei Zen, by Peter Haskel . Read More @ Source

The Bangkok Post, 24 May 2013 Dunhuang, China -- Inching their cameras along a rail inside the chamber, specialists use powerful flashes to light up paintings of female Buddhist spirits drawn more than 1,400 years ago. One click after another illuminates colourful scenes of hunters, Buddhas, flying deities, Bodhisattvas and caravanserais painted on the walls of the Mogao caves in northwest China, considered the epitome of Buddhist art -- and now in existential danger. From the fourth century onwards the 492 largely hand-dug caves near Dunhuang, a desert oasis and crossroads on the Silk Road, acted as a depository for Buddhist art for around a millennium. Unesco describes the World Heritage Site as "the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world". "Dunhuang is where Chinese, Greek and Roman, Islamic and Indian arts meet," says Mimi Gates, a former director of the Seattle Art Museum who is helping to prese

by AMY WOLD, The Advocate, May 20, 2013 Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA) -- The chanting started off deep and guttural as nine Tibetan monks began the opening ceremony Monday for the construction of a mandala sand painting at the Tam Bao Meditation Center in Baton Rouge. With their eyes closed, the chant blended into a song punctuated by music of drums, horns and hand bells. Lobsang Dhondup, a Tibetan monk, said creating a mandala, which is an ancient art form of Tibetan Buddhist, requires rituals, prayers and meditation. These, he said, ensure a friendly environment for the creation of this sacred art. The monks, who are traveling with the Dalai Lama, came to Baton Rouge to create the mandala over the next four days. People are welcome to come and watch construction of the mandala from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week. Visitors also can participate in an evening talk starting at 7:30 p.m. each night. The closing of the sand mandala when it is destroyed will occur Fri

by Peter Smith, The Courier-Journal, May 20, 2013 Louisville, Kentucky (USA) -- The Dalai Lama's second day in Louisville started on a solemn and contemplative note as he began two sessions of teachings at the KFC Yum! Center on Monday morning. << Michael Fitzpatrick got a blessing from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the KFC Yum! Center. May 20th, 2013 Kylene White The Courier-Journal The stage filled with monks and nuns sitting cross-legged in straight-backed postures, their robes of various shades reflecting a diverse group of Buddhist ethnic and spiritual traditions. Tibetan monks chanted Buddhist sacred texts in deep, rhythmic tones, which gradually transitioned to a contemplative solo electric cello performance by former Louisville resident Michael Fitzpatrick. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists sat cross-legged on a custom-made throne, indicating his status as teacher, beneath a large tapestry illustrating the Buddha and other sacred figures.

by By Shenali Waduge, Eurasia Review, May 24, 2013 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka with a Theravada Buddhist civilization that protected and fostered Buddhism has much to introspect. With over 70% of the population being Buddhists it is a national shame that we continue to forget the very basic teachings of the Buddha whose message to us was to treat non – human sentient beings with compassion and loving – kindness, as though they were no different to humans with feelings and pain. << Avukana Buddha statue from 5th century CE in Sri Lanka If animals share emotions no different to ours, is it not a huge embarrassment that in this reputed Buddhist country our elected leaders fall shy of enacting the Animal Welfare Bill tabled in Parliament in 2010 as a Private Member's Bill and which has its genesis in the Animal Welfare Bill drafted and sanctioned by the Law Commission in 2006? We cannot be Buddhists by name There are two mistakes one can make along the road to tr

by HANNAH FLEMING, Stuff.co.nz, May 20, 2013 New Plymouth, New Zealand -- New Plymouth's Sri Lankan community brought its culture alive on Saturday in celebration of religious and cultural festival Vesak. << TALKING TRADITION: Young performer Sethini Koralage, 3, at a Sri Lankan religious and cultural festival in Bell Block on Saturday. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. Organiser Ramitha Fernando said it was similar to what Diwali was to Hindus and what Ramadan was to Muslims. "It is important to celebrate this on a large scale because once you've left your motherland you are isolated. "There are no Buddhist temples in New Plymouth. "It's particularly easy for the young children to forget their culture, their religion and their mother tongue." More than 125 people attended the fifth celebration held in the province, as well as three monks who travelled from Auckland to take part in the cere

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by Thanachot Anuwan, Pattaya Mail, 24 May 2013 Pattaya, Thailand -- Saha Farms' Ban Sukhawadee and the Phra Yai Chaiyaphum Foundation organized a merit-making ceremony to raise funds for a 20 billion baht Buddhism center in Thailand's northeast. Saha Farms Managing Director Punya Chotithewan welcomed Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho, Nongprue Police Superintendent Col. Somnuk Janthages, and Thipakorn Rinthaisongh, president of the Phra Yai Chaiyaphum Foundation, to the grandiose Pattaya mansion May 10. Guests donate funds for the new Buddhism center in Thailand's northeast.Guests donate funds for the new Buddhism center in Thailand's northeast. Guests donated funds that will go toward construction of a religious center slated to host the world's largest Buddhist statue, among other attractions, in Chaiyaphum's Nafai Sub-district. The 20 billion baht project calls for a biography of Buddha's 500 lives, four pagodas, models of important