Ho Chi Minh Order award

(CHAKRA) The Ho Chi Minh Order award was granted to the Head of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue for his hearty contributions to Buddhism in Vietnam and across the world.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nguyen Thien Nhan, was honoured to reward the 95-year-old VBS head at the Vien Minh Pagoda in Hanoi’s district of Phu Xuyen on the outskirts.

At the honorary celebration, the Deputy Prime Minister shared many great words about the VBS head.  His contributions to the VBS, to the country of Vietnam, and to the rest of the world, were honoured when passing over the award to him.

During the celebration, PM Nhan, spoke highly of the Patriarch, wishing him well-deserved happiness and good health.  He also, thanked all of Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue’s followers, Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns both within the borders and outside of it for all their support.

In addition to his gratitude for the Patriarch’s work, PM Nhan stated that he hopes the Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue can continue to share his wisdom with his country and even towards the country’s reform plans.

AIDS red ribbon

(CHAKRA) Buddhism is playing a key role in China to help prevent the spread of AIDS. Several Buddhist monks have created a plan to promote the awareness of HIV and have also found ways to support people carrying the virus in Xishuangbanna Dai located in the Yunnan province of China.

One of the programs launched by the Buddhist community in China is the Home of Buddha Glory program known as HBG. The program was first launched in 2003 with the support of UNICEF. It offers a place to regularly gather at in the Zongfo Monastery. People of many faiths join the discussion whether they have the virus or not to listen to each other and the monks preach words of wisdom.

One of the attendees stated that she has learned to be much more positive by learning to accept the disease and move forward. According to her, learning from the monks has helped her to live a more positive life with space for much more happiness than she initially felt.

Du Hanting, Deputy Abbot of the monastery said that the disease leaves a huge burden on individuals with it as well as their families. Children have to face the loss of parents and absence of care when their parents are diagnosed HIV positive. Families are left poorer and carry extensive societal burdens, which they are not able to express to anyone. A part of the monk’s role is to inform the public of how the virus can be contracted as well as to help individuals to cope with the anxiety and stress that comes with finding out they have the virus. The main issue the monks are attempting to deal with is the issue of AIDS being a taboo, leading families to disown their loved ones due to shame.

Du Hanting said that the monks join families for dinner to discuss AIDS more thoroughly with the patient as well so that they become aware of how the disease is contracted and do not think the virus can be transmitted through air.

The monks also hold HIV education classes in rural areas to better inform the rural communityof how AIDS is transmitted. Since sex is a taboo topic for monks to discuss, they discuss the spiritual aspects of how to deal with AIDS while the secular members of the group discuss the sex-related content of the teachings. Furthermore, to make illiterate and uneducated individuals who have little excess to education, the HBG is creating dvd’s which have songs and visual aids to help anyone understand the risks of AIDS and prevention methods.

The program thus far has been very successful and the members are continuing to spread ‘positivity’ with a positive attitude.

Buddhist Leader Dalai Lama

(CHAKRA) His Holiness, the Dalai Lama paid a recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir to see some Buddhist landmarks on the bordering outskirts of the city. R.S. Mehta, the Director of Tourism, warmly welcomed him.

Mehta convened a meeting with the representatives of Travel, Trade and Hotel Association so that his Holiness’s visit would be nothing but smooth. Necessary arrangements including security measures were made well in advance of the Dalai Lama’s visit.

During the trip, His Holiness first visited an ancient Buddhist place on the Akhnoor border belt known as Amabaran. Health Minister Sham Lal told reporters that His Holiness addressed up to 50, 000 people at Amabaran.

In addition to that a group of school children in Akhnoor were an audience to His Holiness’s teachings during a photo exibition inauguration in kala Kendra. The well-behaved children listened with interest at the Amabaran Buddhist site.

It is hoped by the government officials of Jammu that the Dalai Lama’s visit will increase tourism for pilgrims in the Jammu division. The Nobel Peace Prize Receiver was welcomed with bright banners and advertisements, as well as crowd waiting in anticipation.

Buddha

A 112-year-old nun who is one of the two oldest currently living in Taiwan, proclaimed that her secret to a long life was simply to practice Buddhism. She is from the central area of Taiwan’s Nantou County.

Liu Ching-huan was brought to Taiwan from China’s Sichuan Province, where she was born, when the late President Chiang Kai-shek’s forces pushed her along with many others out of the province. In 1965 at a young age, she was ordained at a Buddhist temple in the county’s Puli Township.

She is currently taken care of by a nurse at a government-funded nursing home since August of 2010 and is in overall good health although she is in a wheelchair.

Liu’s caregiver said that just last month, Liu travelled on the Taiwan High Speed Railway to attend the Face of Changing Phase which is a photo exhibition that highlights Taiwan’s centenarians and the Republic of China centennial.

Liu who has devoted her life to the teachings of Buddhism still enjoys reading the religious classics related to the religion.

Liu told the Nantou Magistrate Lee Chao-ching that chanting “Nam Amitofo” is the secret to a long life. Chao-ching presented her with the centenarian cash gift plus a gold pendant with a peach-shaped “Shoutao.” This is a symbol commonly used to celebrate the birthdays of elders in the community.

Director general of the county’s government department of social affairs, Lin Jung-sen said that the other oldest living women is coincidentally also the same age as Liu and lives in Hulaien County in eastern Taiwan.

Currently in the Nantou County, there are 13 men and 29 women equalling a total of 42 centenarians. Majority of the living individual practice Buddhism and 14 of them will be celebrating their 100th birthday this year, Jung-sen said.

Harvard University Logo

The Robert H.N. Ho Foundation recently donated $5.2 million to Stanford and Harvard Universities to raise awareness of Buddhism by proving my courses to teach it.  The grants were provided by the foundation which is based in Hong Kong, and whose main focus is to increase Buddhism awareness in the United States.

Siddhartha Gautama, first started the religion of Buddhism.

The Harvard Divinity School will get $2.7 million of the $5.2 million and it will be used to fund the Buddhist Ministry Initiative and create a Master of Divinity Degrees option for candidates who are interested.  This will allow students to better research the areas of Buddhism that they are more interested in and want to research in-depth.  Stanford received the other $2.5 million of the grant to created an endowed chair in Buddhist studies at the University’s  Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Center for Buddhist Studies.

William A. Graham, Dean of Harvard Divinity School is very pleased with the grant donated for Buddhist studies.  He looks forward to the enhanced learning experience that will be available to students interested in Buddhist studies.  He believes this enhancement in the courses offered will build greater Buddhist leaders in North America and provide Harvard students the opporunity to experience Buddhist lifestyle in Asian countries, while participating in their research.

Stanford not only received the recent $2.5 million in funds but was also granted an art collection from Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson and Mary Patricia Anderson Pence, to support the Stanford Arts Initiatives.

Hindu Tribute to Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

(CHAKRA) Steve Jobs, 56 and a Zen Buddhist, died on October 5th, 2011 once served as CEO of Pixar and Apple. In his popular Stanford University commencement address in 2005, Jobs said: “I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna (Hindu) temple. I loved it.” In the same speech, he talked about “karma”: “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma…”

Many reports suggest that Jobs worked for the video game manufacturer Atari as a technician with the main purpose of raising enough money for about a year-long spiritual and dharmic retreat to India in the 1970s in search of enlightenment. The trip to India including visiting the Ashram of Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba. Steve Jobs came back to America with a shaved head and wearing traditional Indian robes. He regularly walked around his office/neighborhood barefoot which is very common in Buddhist and Hindu faiths.

Hinduism was a definite source of spirituality and inspiration for Steve Jobs as he  liked yoga and was also vegetarian, known for his strong love and compassion to all animals and was even known to explore Hinduism during his trip to India in 1970s.

Hinduism and Buddhism are Dharmic religions with many similarities and both originated in Ancient India.

Yingluck Shinawatra

Bangkok, Thailand (CHAKRA)—In the southern region of the Narathiwat province, three consecutive bomb explosions killed four Malaysians as well as a Thai volunteer that was working in a tourist area. Concern has risen for the area, especially because officials believe that the targets of such blasts are foreign tourists. The specific targets of the blasts were a hotel and a Chinese-Thai cultural center, which were both partly damaged. These spoils have reminded the government of the ethnic minority problems that exist in the south.

Approximately 80% of the population in Thailand’s three southern provinces is made up of Muslims which add up to about 1.7 million people. For about seven years now, ethnic Malay Muslims have been looking to separate their portion of the south from the rest of the majority Buddhist land.

Governments of Thailand have placed over 60,000 troops in the southern region but even that has not helped stop the frequent attacks that take place in the area. The local population largely opposes the presence of soldiers in their area.

Yingluck Shinawatra, the Prime Minister has promised to take more seriously the terrorism problem of the Muslim south although the Phue Thai party has no representatives in any of the three southern provinces. People wonder, without representatives, how the Prime Minister will go about making a positive change related to the violent extremist behavior that takes place in the southern provinces.

The Thai military claims that there are many insurgents out in the south, who want to terrorize the area making it difficult for foreigners to get in and out without fear.

There are various Buddhist tours in Bihar

By Linda Brock

Patna, India (CHAKRA)— A project titled “Revival of the Ancient Buddhist Pilgrimage in Bihar” has been an ongoing introduction that the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University in collaboration with the Department of Youth, art and Culture has been participating in.

The project has two main objectives that the participants are determined to carry out: to take the existing Buddhist pilgrimage to other Buddha influenced areas that are not very familiar with it and secondly to facilitate community-heritage interface.

The main purpose of the project has been in progress by starting an event calendar which was prepared to generate a greater awareness of the Buddhist heritage of Bihar. One of the events being held is a workshop titled “Engaged Buddhism”.

Shoton (Yogurt) Festival Celebrated by Tibetans

In the autonomous region of Southwest China, Tibetans freely worshipped Buddha on Monday at the annual Shoton Festival, known as the Yogurt Festival. The festival took place in the western part of the regions capital city of Lhasa and Tibetans met and enjoyed picnics while listening to traditional Tibetan Operas.

The Drepung Monastery was the opening ceremony that attracted over tens of thousands of people.

A guide of the festival, Tsering Donggar, with his wife offered hada to the Buddha. He was dressed in a traditional Tibetan attire and he offered a piece silk as a greeting gift to the Buddha of the monastery. This process of giving a greeting gift is known as hada.

Donggar said that every year the Tibetan people of Lhasa come together at the Shoton Festival either at the Drepubg Monastery or at the Norbulingka Garden.

The Shoton Festival literally means the yogurt banquet festival and is one of the most important festivals for the Tibetans. It dates back to the 11th century when it began as a religious occasion for local residents to offer yogurt to monks completing their retreats of mediation. The Drepung Festival which kicks of the festival is held at the bottom of the Gebeiwoze Mountain in a tranquil valley rising with colours as a result of the hada offerings.

Only around the 17th century did the Shoton Festival become an annual tradition which was celebrated by all Tibetans, featuring Buddhist rituals, traditional opera and other performances.

The Shoton festival almost always falls in the month of August by like all other eastern celebrations, it is not celebrated on the exact same date every year.

A man named Gyatso set up tents across two trees preparing for days of family fun, tradition and food in an exciting environment. He looks forward to the celebration every year to spend the seven-day festival in tents with his family playing card, eating food, drinking , sleeping and watching Tibetan operas on the grassland.

The Shoton Festival along with the Tibetan New Year are the two most important festivals for the Tibetan community.

The Shoton Festival brings family together in the spirit of celebration, respect to Buddha all while embracing a sense of being within the community.

Dong Duong Buddhist College

By Tan Ong

(CHAKRA) At a conference on the preservation of cultural relics in the province of Quang Nam, it was announced that the Dong Duong Buddhist College would be renovated to be able to continue to share its beauty with visitors from all around the world.

The Buddhist College, which is located in a jungle, is currently in ruins and in major need of renovations.  The people of the surrounding area are very happy to hear such news since the college has a lot of potential to spread cultural knowledge, being a National Heritage site.  Since it is located in one of the largest centres in Southeast Asia it has a large holding capacity.  One of the towers known as the Sang Tower is close to toppling down after merely being held up with a rotten piece of wood.

Nguyen Thuong Hi, a worker who spends a lot of time on the preservation of cultural architecture in the province, shared his fear of the tower and the high chance that it may not be able to withstand heavy rains.

Hoang Dao Kinh, an architect working on rebuilding the college stated that the difficulty in just repairing the My Son Towers has made clearer how difficult it will actually be to restore the Dong Duong Buddhist College. He envisions it to be a much more difficult job compared to the My Son Towers.

Kinh further stated that their top priority is to keep the current vestiges in tact.  He is determined to repair the college as soon as possible especially because he remembers visiting the relic over 30 years ago, after being mesmerized by photos of it published by the French.

Kinh is going about repairing the college with one important fact in mind: the less interference there is to fix and change the relic, the more it will continue to be recognized as a world cultural heritage site.

Tran Minh Ca, the vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said that scientific research would be carried out to preserve and restore the cultural heritage and significance of the spiritual attraction.

According to Truong Quoc Binh, a member of the National Council for Cultural Heritage, explained that the Buddhist College was first founded by King Indravarman II in 875 in the capital city of the Champa Kingdom.

Located in the Binh Dinh Bac Commune of Quang Nam Province’s Thang Binh District, the Dong Duong Buddhist College, was first excavated by a French architect H. Parmentier in 1902.  It is commonly known that the towers of the main shrine were strategically arranged from west to east with a length of 1,300m.

Most of the sculptural work is on display at the Da Nang Museum of Champa Sculpture and contains elements of Hinduism and Buddhism from the second half of the ninth century.

The college was recognized as a National Heritage site in September 2000, after its cultural and historical value were measured.