By Dorje Lama

Buddhism - Lord Buddha
(CHAKRA) Albert Einstein famously dubbed Buddhism ‘the religion of the future’ and several studies show Buddhism to be the fastest growing religion among Westerners all over the world. In addition, the PEW Forum has found that a 65% majority of Americans subscribe to Dharmic practices like yoga, meditation, karma and the number continues to grow in record numbers.
To help everyone with their New Year’s resolutions, complimentary digital downloads are being offered of the most ambitious international film ever made on Eastern philosophy – ‘Karma Yoga: The New Revolution’. Filmed all over the world in India , Japan , France , UK , USA , Switzerland , Hong Kong and Hungary , the epic features more teachings of Lord Buddha as well as the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads than any other film with real-life testimonials of how Westerners are increasingly using Dharmic traditions to overcome serious life challenges from cancer to strokes.
The film is presented by Zenji Acharya, who hails from the oldest Buddhist lineage of India and donations will benefit the world’s first Museum of Buddhism and Yoga. Featuring an unrivalled collection of Buddhist and Hindu artifacts, antiquities, manuscripts and murtis, the Museum will unite all traditions of Buddhism – Mahayana, Vajrayana and Theravada as well as build a bridge between Buddhists, Hindus, yoga practitioners and spiritualists worldwide.
The Buddhist Assemblage will include the earliest original Indian depictions of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Devas from the Gandhara, Gupta and Pala empires of India that inspired the majority of art all across Asia over many millennia. Be it Lord Buddha’s own Footprint Buddhapada and His earliest aniconic representations of the Triratna and Dharmachakra – all over 2000 years old, a 4th century Gupta masterwork that reflects the glory of Nalanda; a large antique sculpture of the emaciated Siddhartha or the last full-size prayer bust of Amitabha in the trademark Black stone of the 8th century Pala Empire, the Museum will feature rare artworks unmatched by any other collection. It will also contain the earliest Indian depictions of Avalokiteshwara, Maitreya and Vajrapani and an unprecedented gallery dedicated to history’s second most influential monk Bodhidharma – the founder of Zen Buddhism who himself resurrected to Amitabha’s Pure Land. In addition, the collection features the world’s oldest and longest thangka in 24K gold showing the Indo-Tibetan influence; ancient scrolls of China’s most famous Buddhist emperors, original art by Japan’s all-time greatest Buddhist monks including Nichiren, Hakuin Ekaku, Obaku Kosen, Ikkyu Sojun, Otagaki Rengetsu, Takuan Soho and Samurai legend Miyamoto Musashi and masterworks by the greatest Buddhist painters in history such as Seeshu Toyo, Katsushika Hokusai and Ando Hiroshige who all inspired Europe’s Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Obrist among others.
In addition, the Museum will feature some of the rarest Hindu deities that feature prominently in Buddhist texts and architecture as Guardians of the Buddha and that reflect the artistry of majestic Hindu empires from Pallava and Chola to Hoysala and Vijayanagara. There will also be the oldest palm-leaf manuscripts of Tipitakas, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and Puranas and collectibles of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore and Shankaracharya – all of whom venerated Lord Buddha in superlative terms. Each item will be used to teach Dharma and visitors will be allowed to interact with these relics through prayer, meditation and chanting – a feature no other world-class museum allows. The Museum will also produce films, art exhibitions, magazines and speaking events to promote Dharmic philosophy to all demographics with a special emphasis on the youth and the young at heart.
This monumental project is the brainchild of Zen Acharya (Sanskrit: Dhyanacharya) – the only Western acharya to share lineage with Indian Buddhist gurus such as Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, Bodhi Dharma, Nagarjuna, Asvaghosha, Buddhaghosha, Nagasena, Kumarajiva, Padmasambhava, Atisa and the like. The ‘last of the Jedi Knights’ so to speak, Zenji’ hails from a direct line of Buddhist Brahmin sages that built dozens of temples near the Buddha’s home in Magadha over a millennia ago and were appointed by the Palas of Bengal – the last Buddhist empire of India – to preserve Buddhist practices. In fact, the temples continued to honor the traditions of Shakyamuni, Amitabha, Lokeshwara, Vajrapani and Maitreya long after Buddhism disappeared from India and they carry the oldest figures of Dharmapala Nio that are seen today across Japan as Kongo Rikishi temple Guardians. The temples also bear architecture similar to the greatest Buddhist centers Vikramashila and Nalanda where the monks taught and also contained a monastery for monks who brought Buddhism down the Silk Road to China from where it spread to other parts of Asia . Moreover, the compound includes a cave for meditation similar to the one used by Bodhi Dharma at the Shaolin monastery of China .
At Bodh Gaya where Lord Buddha gained His enlightenment, Zen made a vow to his ancestors to honor their traditions and preserve the teachings of the Tathagatha. For this reason, he conducted years of research into the forgotten Buddhist practices of India and early Buddhist traditions of Asia and discovered that a great deal of what passes off for Buddhism in the West is not in line with what his ancestors had intended. He also realized that the only way Buddhism will thrive is if it can generate excitement and enthusiasm among the youth who often do not relate to monks in general. This is why Zenji is using “upaya kausalya” or skillful means to make Buddhism and Dharmic traditions exciting and cool to young people as well as older generations.
Akin to a Buddhist version of Joel Osteen, Zen is giving a whole new face and voice to Dharma. Instead of a shaved head, he maintains the long cascading hair of a yogi. Instead of a monk’s garb, he wears modern suits. While he fluently quotes Sanskrit and Pali, the bulk of his Dharma talks engage eloquent British motivational speaking in the realm of Tony Robbins generating excitement and enthusiasm. Instead of merely referencing old scriptures, he also cites present day pop culture scenarios so that everyone can relate to the applicability of Dharma even in this day and age. Inspired by the Jatakas and Ramayana, Zen is also using the power of film to communicate dharma and will also present another epic on the Bodhisattva Warriors and Dharmapala Defenders in the near future. In addition to art exhibitions, Zen is also ushering in a new collection of “Spiritual Bling” or dharma related accessories to reflect spirituality instead of materialism. And while he has been compared to Deepak Chopra, Zenji is able to reach out to the youth in a manner that is simply unprecedented as he honors the Buddhist heritage of India’s past by introducing it to the world’s future.
Not since Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has Buddhism had an Indian ambassador. Zen Acharya is ready to answer the call.
Lovely concept, I agree that the world can only benefit from such a museum. Karma is a fundamental part of Buddhism and many would agree, a fundamental part of life. I have just begun a blog on Thangkas and Mandalas, it contains explainations and descriptions of numerous Buddhist philosophies. If you ever get curious come visit! http://www.thangka-mandala.com/blog
Om Mani Padme Hum