Zen Mirror

Shamanism, Korea's spiritual core

2012-01-29T23:11:00.000-08:00

Bowls of fruit are laid out on the altar. There are also bottles of whiskey and a meter-high stack of Marlboro cigarette cartons. With a grin, Korean shaman Tae Eul says his gods like to drink and smoke.

You'd be mistaken if you thought tech-savvy South Koreans only worshiped smartphones and the latest cars -- many believe in an ancient, animistic spirituality. At the center of Korean shamanism is the mudang, or shaman, the medium between the material and spirit world.

"People hear about me through word of mouth," explains Eul, from inside his temple on the slopes of Korea's Mt Samgak. "I try to figure out how the energy of the universe flows through, then the gods show the way." The 38-year-old shaman says that even if he wanted to stop being a mudang, he couldn't -- the spirits control him now. Inside his mountain temple, a robed Eul asks a Korean woman to light candles and bow in front of an altar as he summons the gods of the mountain and sky and calls out to her ancestors.

Amid the crashing of cymbals and the blaring of a horn, Tae Eul stands barefoot on knife blades that somehow do not puncture his skin. He spins in circles waving a sword in one hand and a silk scarf in the other.

After the ceremony is complete, Tae Eul says his client will be fine. The gods have opened a door for her to solve her financial problems, he says, and will make sure she'll spend her money more wisely and have a luckier future.

Shamanism is the indigenous faith of the Korean people and despite centuries of influence from other religions, it still appears in many aspects of modern life there. Tae Eul says that many of his clients are not necessarily believers in shamanism. Some are often devoutly religious in other faiths.

In Korea, religious beliefs are not always mutually exclusive. For example, a mother might pray at a church, then a Buddhist temple, and then visit a mudang all in hope of bringing good luck to her family. It's this intrinsic search for spiritually divined good luck that keeps the nation's 50,000 mudangs in business, says David Mason, author of Sacred Mountains, a book on Korean shamanism.

"He adds: Koreans are still shamanic believers at the core of their psychology and then layers of Buddhism or Confucianism, then Christianity and modern scientific thinking as the outer layers."

The Power of Words

2012-01-23T11:14:00.001-08:00

This is a very powerful video that was shared with me by one of my wonderful Zen Students, Rev. Bill Charama. I must say that it is important for all of us to realize in our hearts that even the little things we do can have a dramatic impact on this world if our intentions are pure.

Hyon Gak Sunim on World Peace

2012-01-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

Zen Master Seung Sahn (1927-2004) was one of the greatest Zen teachers of the 20th-century. And he always taught about world peace. But one day, a student of his, who was deeply involved in peace-work and social justice issues, said to the Master, "I think that working for social justice should precede my work in meditation. So, I won't meditate until we have become closer to world peace." Zen Master Seung Sahn replied, "World peace is not possible." After a pause of a few moments, he continued, "Also it's not necessary."

Hyon Gak Sunim is an American-born Zen monk who received inga, or "formal authorization to teach," by Zen Master Seung Sahn in a public ceremony in August 2001. In this talk, Hyon Gak Sunim "riffs" on his Teacher's startling insight to the real meaning of meditation and world peace. He improvises, as a commentary, on his Teacher's view that "world peace" and the struggle for social justice -- the most important social and political issues of our time, and things of great and searing urgency in these times of oligarchs and international financial control by the few -- should not be "required" or "expected" by one who sets insight into the nature of self as their goal.

If "world peace" and the struggle for social justice are predicated on thinking and philosophy alone -- on conceptual critiques and analyses with no interior looking, or meditation -- then they can be just another form of opposites' thinking. To truly bring world peace, as Zen Master Seung Sahn emphasized, we must all look deeply inside, find our original "root," our True Nature, which all beings share, and then act from THAT to bring acts of love and compassion to this world. THAT is the true meaning of "think globally, act locally." There is nothing more local than our own original nature, which connects us to the infinite web of all life.

Jakusho Kwong-roshi: On Becoming a Teacher

2012-01-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

Jakusho Kwong-roshi: On Becoming a Teacher from Bill Scheffel on Vimeo.

My old friend Jakusho Kwong-roshi is the abbot of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, a country zendo and retreat center in Northern California. Kwong-roshi is a dharma heir of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and also had a close relationship with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In this video, Kwong-roshi discusses his own path of becoming a Zen practitioner and eventually a teacher.

I spent many retreats at his Zen Center outside Santa Rosa sitting solo retreats and enjoying the scenery. There are many nice shots of the property in this video. For anyone seeking a place to do a solo retreat, please consider the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center as a place for a wonderful experience.

Confession of a Buddhist Teacher

2011-12-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

no comments are required about this post, welcome to the 21st Century.

Neon Dharma

2011-12-09T18:32:00.001-08:00

Zen in the jaws of the lion

From Vegas Seven Magazine

By Joseph Langdon

December 8th, 2011

Photos by Hamesh Shahani

The MGM lion, that great golden idol of so many earthy desires, long dominated the view from the Zen Center’s old home in an industrial park on Dean Martin Drive. Not your typical ambiance. And yet, when Zen master Seung Sahn paid a visit, the renowned Korean founder of the Kwan Um school declared: “The jaws of the lion is a wonderful place to practice Zen!”

“What he was saying was that Vegas is wonderful because it’s not hiding anything,” says the Zen Center’s abbot, Thom Pastor. “‘Desire mind’—sex, drugs, gambling, alcohol—all of it is right here. There’s no pretense. No trying to hide it or veil it, it just is what it is. [Zen master Seung Sahn] told me, ‘If you can find your center here, then going anywhere is no problem.’”

We talk cross-legged on the floor of the Zen Center’s new digs, pretty little whitewashed buildings with blue trim at Harmon and Eastern avenues. The center moved here in 2009, thanks in part to the collapse in housing prices (call it karma). It has 18 pine trees and a sculpted pool out back (although one of the new waterfalls is on the fritz). Inside, members of the 50-person congregation chant, bow and sit in silent meditation. The room is simple, though not austere, and is dominated by a large golden statue—not the MGM lion, but the Buddha in his serene pose.

Pastor, 65, has a wide grin and a shorn head. His presence is at once avuncular and intimidating. He has a tendency to whack interlocutors on the thigh with a short stick, especially when they’re trying to take accurate notes.

This is Las Vegas’ very own Zen master—and his path to the Buddha goes straight through the heart of Sin City.

In a previous incarnation, Pastor was a master sax player (among 10 other woodwinds). He toured the world with the likes of Humperdinck, Anka and Tom Jones before settling down in 1973 to spend 15 years on the Strip playing behind Frank Sinatra and other headliners as part of the Caesars Palace house orchestra.

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a being who attains enlightenment but decides to stick around here for a while to help out the rest of us bums. Now, I’m not saying Sinatra was one of these guys, but he did help Pastor down the path, in a manner of speaking. Pastor started to explore Zen as an antidote to those swingin’ nights on the Strip, when he was seeking an alternative to the musician’s traditional stress-reliever, the between-show cocktail. And he found that high-stakes musicianship can be good training for Zen.

Case in point: his first rehearsal with Sinatra at the old Circus Maximus. The famously temperamental Chairman of the Board only played with musicians he trusted, so when he noticed a new face in the woodwinds, Sinatra suddenly announced that he’d be conducting the first set of tunes himself. “Frank came and put one foot up on the riser right in front of me and said, ‘OK, fellas, here it is,’ and started conducting,” Pastor says. Sinatra stayed there, looming over him and reading along with his music while he played. After getting through the tricky intro to “I’ve Got the World on a String,” Sinatra passed the baton back to the conductor; the lead alto leaned over to Pastor and said, “Congratulations, you just passed the audition.”

That audition, a one-on-one gut-check with the big guy, is not too unlike the Zen tradition of “dharma combat,” in which the student must respond intuitively, with moment-mind, to challenges posed by the master. In 2002, Pastor survived dharma combat with five Zen masters, the last step in a 20-year process of study, retreats and training to become only one of 40 master dharma teachers worldwide in the Kwan Um School of Zen.

Pastor doesn’t view his new life as a break with his old one—he still finds time to perform in addition to abbot duties here and in centers in Madison, Wis., and Fairbanks, Alaska, and he just cut an album,Sleeping Lions, at the Straight Up Martini Lounge with his jazz outfit, B3 Conspiracy. Besides, Buddhism is about the oneness of all things, and that includes Las Vegans and all its denizens, too. And with times tough and looking to get tougher, a lot of us could do with a dose of the dharma. In a delightfully ironic metaphor, Pastor calls Buddhism the “Rolls-Royce teaching” about how to be happier with less. All you need is “moment-mind—not getting lost in your thinking, but being present in this moment.”

That is the “bone of the teaching” that runs through all forms of Buddhism, and it fits the Vegas experience perfectly. From my new, more enlightened perspective, the Strip looks less like a Buddhist obstacle course and more like a training course. Anyone here can see that nothing is permanent, not a hot streak, nor the city itself. And we are bombarded by reminders that grasping is endless—the promise of this place is that there will always be more to desire. If you are convinced that a jackpot will end your suffering, you will likely depart burdened with bad karma and calls from collection agents. Instead, just open your eyes and take it all in: You’ll probably have a decent time whether you hit blackjack or go bust.

“Gain and loss are just opposites,” Pastor says. “Winning the lottery or losing all your money at the craps table—both have no meaning. The fan above you is whirring. The floor is brown. The Buddha is gold. That’s my teaching to you. No more, no less. If you get caught in gain and loss, then you are a slave to your mind and to all things. If you attain pure mind, then complete freedom is available to you.”

The Zen master falls silent, then chuckles. “Doesn’t help the economy here, though!”

Continued Vandalism in Buddhist Temples

2011-11-25T16:04:00.001-08:00

Bodhisattva statue sprayed with red paint at Gaeun-sa Temple in Busan City Korea

Four temples near Haeundae (Busan city) have been vandalized in the early morning of November 21st, enraging many Buddhist communities throughout Korea.Vandalism was reportedly to have taken place on the 21 st , between 12am and 4 am. The suspected culprit is assumed to have entered Busan Gaeun-sa Temple and Jirim-sa Temple and sprayed red paint on important Buddha and Bodhisattva statues enshrined within the temple.The vandal sprayed red paints on Buddha statues in Gaeun-sa Temple, and broke in to the main Buddha Hall in Jirim-sa Temple by breaking a large window glass. The culpritsprayed ‘s’ and ‘x’ mark on Buddha statues, Buddhist paintings, and Stupas. Moreover, they even sprayed on Moktak (Wooden Fish) and Buddhist Scriptures before they fled.

The Abbot of Jirim-sa Temple, who first discovered the problem when he entered the main Buddha hall for the Morning Prayer, stated that the culprit must have entered the temple after he fell asleep after midnight. The Haeundae police investigating the case stated that the similar case which took place on November 16 and 17 matches the crime of Jeokjo-am Temple and Wono-sa Temple, thus it is most likely that the temples were vandalized by the same person.Haeundae Police Department stated, “The culprit is deliberately trying to undermine Buddha statues, and the crime have been planned intentionally,” and added “scientific investigation and CCTV analysis will narrow down the investigation. To prevent further damage to the nearby temples, more guards will safeguard the temples.” However, vandalism taken place on the later date occurred despite the strengthened police patrols, therefore concern for safety is growing among Korean Buddhist community.On November 22 nd , Ven. Mokjong (Chairman of Buddhist Monastery, Haeundae Police department), Ven. Boun (Director, Department of Regulation in Beomeo-sa Temple), and Ven. Gwangjin (President, Haeundae Temple Alliance) met with the Chief of Police, Mr. Jeongjingyu (Haeundae Police Station) to state their position, “We hope that the police department will come up with definite crime prevention measures to avoid such indiscriminating vandalism in the future"

Giving Thanks for Freedom

2011-11-24T12:16:00.001-08:00

care for some pepper on Thanksgiving?

earth from space

2011-11-17T17:50:00.001-08:00

I saw this video today and wanted to share it. Time lapse sequences of photographs taken by the crew of expeditions 28 & 29 on board the International Space Station from August to October, 2011, who to my knowledge shot these pictures at an altitude of around 250 miles.

What stands out are the auroras and the actual 'thinness' of the atmosphere. In relation to the size of the planet our atmosphere is rather thin, also the auroras are an expression of the earths magnetic field interacting with cosmic rays that would kill life on this planet. We truly live in a fragile ocean of life, it is quite humbling to be able to see such a magnificent view of our world.

I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?
Look at your eyes, they are small but they
see enormous things.

Jelaludin Rumi

WARRIORS, TOMBS AND TEMPLES: CHINA`S ENDURING LEGACY

2011-10-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful local Orange County Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, has some great exhibitions from China going on right now. If you are in or near Orange County you will want to make sure to catch these rare finds.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 - SUNDAY, MARCH 04, 2012

Follow this exhibition through the underworld empires of three of the most formative dynasties in Chinese history: the Qin, the Han and the Tang, each a high point of culture and technology, looked back to with pride by Chinese people and admired by others today. The treasures that accompanied China’s rulers and elites in the afterlife, and the spectacular gold and silver offerings placed in their temples, speak to the incredible accomplishments of an ancient culture whose descendants still live on today.

The exhibition features the famous life-size terra cotta warriors, protector of China’s first emperor Qin Shihuangdi, whose mausoleum complex is considered the eighth wonder of the world. Newly excavated, the painted garments and armor are clearly visible thanks to new conservation techniques. Smaller in scale but equally impressive are some of the more than 40,000 smiling terra cotta warriors from the imperial tomb compounds of Han emperors Gaozu and Jingdi. They are presented in combination with concubines, animals and a multitude of objects that insured a lavish and comfortable afterlife.

The royal and elite tombs from the Tang Dynasty were stocked with riches clearly tied to the trade of exotic goods along the Silk Road. Dazzling gold ornaments, tomb guardians, a mural depicting a game of polo and many other luxuries illustrate the taste of Tang elites and the era’s connection with the West. And, for the first time in the United States, come gold, silver and gemstone treasures deposited into the treasure-crypt of the Famen Monastery by six Tang Dynasty emperors and China’s only female emperor Wu Zhao. This important Buddhist site, sealed in 874 of the Tang Dynasty and rediscovered in 1987, was founded with the fragment of the historical Buddha’s finger bone. The reliquaries associated with the sacred relic are part of this exhibition.

ANCIENT ARTS OF CHINA: A 5000 YEAR LEGACYONGOING

Journey back through 5000 years of Chinese history and follow the efflorescence of arts throughout one of the world’s oldest living civilizations. From large painted ceramic pots used during the Neolithic period, to sculptures of camels and horses made at the height of the Silk Road, to beautiful embroidered silk court robes and ivory carvings from the 19th century, this exhibition presents the importance of fine art made to be admired during life and depended on in the afterlife.

MASTERS OF ADORNMENT: THE MIAO PEOPLE OF CHINAONGOING

This important collection of exquisite textiles and silver jewelry on loan to and from the Bowers Museum’s permanent collection highlights the beauty and wealth of the Miao peoples of southwest China.

Symbols of status and culture, the elaborate textiles in this exhibition include finely pleated skirts, complex batik pattered cloth, intricate silk embroidery and shining textiles woven with metal. Over 50 examples of ornately designed and created silver bracelets, necklaces and decorative ornaments compliment and complete the exhibition of late 19th and 20th century Miao regalia. More than an examination of masterful techniques and beautiful style these objects reveal hundreds of years of Miao history and tradition and, the patience and dedication to achieve beauty.

World Population Poised to Hit 7 Billion.

2011-10-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

BY: LARISA EPATKO

On Monday, a baby will be born somewhere and demographers will proclaim that the world's population has reached 7 billion. That's good news and bad news, according to a United Nations Population Fund report released Wednesday.

People are living longer and leading healthier lives. But there are plenty of worries that the globe may not have enough food and water to sustain rapidly growing populations.

The date itself, Monday, is a symbolic one, extrapolated from census data, surveys and population registers, but the implications are real, the United Nations says. (Read the U.N. Population Fund's full report.)

Even though fertility rates are lower than in the past, the population is still expected to rise naturally through what is known as population momentum, said Richard Kollodge, editor of the U.N. report.

Each incremental growth of a billion takes less and less time. Those increases are attributable to positive factors, said Kollodge. "People are healthier; they're living longer. Child mortality is down. This relatively recent surge in population growth for the most part can be seen as good news."

View past and projected global population growth:

In South Asia and Africa, population growth is most prolific. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have high population growth rates and high fertility rates but low economic growth rates, which can be problematic, said Kollodge. "The population is growing faster than the government's ability to meet the need for services, education and health. Economic growth isn't keeping up with population growth," so the countries become poorer.

In the middle-income countries -- mainly in Latin America -- population growth has stabilized, he said. But they still face challenges of rapid urbanization and people moving in and out of the countries quickly, which governments are trying to manage.

Asia's population, currently at 4.2 billion, is expected to remain the highest during the 21st century, according to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Photo of Dotombori, the entertainment district of Osaka, Japan, by photholic.com via Flickr Creative Commons.

But even while the world's population is growing, in some wealthy industrialized countries -- including several European nations and Japan -- populations are shrinking because fertility rates are not high enough to replace population losses. That means there aren't enough young people entering the work force to sustain economic growth and pension systems are receiving less funding to support the elderly, said Kollodge.

"They're also dealing with issues of migration and asking questions of, 'If our populations are shrinking, should we invite more people from other countries to come in and meet labor shortages?'" he said.

The U.N. report makes some recommendations for addressing population challenges, such as giving women access to reproductive health services, education and good jobs. "When women are educated and healthy, they choose to have smaller families, and when they do have smaller families, their children end up being healthier," said Kollodge.

Africa's population is expected to more than triple, from 1 billion in 2011 to 3.6 billion in 2100, according to the United Nations. Photo by Novartis AG via Flickr Creative Commons.

The report also recommends investing in youth. About 1.8 billion young people, between the ages of 10 and 24, live around the world now, he said. "That's the largest youth cohort in human history. So we're advocating for making sure that all these young people have education, that they're all in good health and free of HIV, that they have opportunities, that they are empowered to drive our future economies."

But all of that takes money. Sexual reproductive health initiatives alone -- an action plan was proposed at a 1994 population summit of 179 countries -- would cost $68 billion in 2011. Countries agreed to pay $34 billion and international donors $10.8 billion, but that left a nearly $25 billion gap, Kollodge said.

The elderly also are a growing segment of the population, raising the challenge of who will take care of them and how social security programs will be funded. "But also look at the flip side -- let's not create a world where the elderly are only dependent," but are active and independent and continuing to contribute to their communities, he said.

"Those are big challenges and it's better to plan for them now because the world is only going to grow older in the years ahead," he said.

And depending on fertility rates, the next milestone birthday -- when the world hits 8 billion people -- might be as soon as 2025.

Clear Eyed View on Suffering

2011-10-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Rev. Paul Yuanzhi Lynch, Bruce Ohjok Foley, HJN and Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN in April of 2011

I want to share a letter I recently receivedfrom a very close friend. He has lived a checkered path as many of us have. Hewas a ‘tough guy’ growing up in the back streets of Boston, and eventually becamea United States Marine. Following his experience with the military, he returnedand decided that a life of contemplation might help his dismal life. He entereda Catholic Carthusian monastery and led a cloistered life for many years.

A longing in his soul caused him toleave this path and to re-enter lay life. He became a Zen Practitioner manyyears ago and this is where our paths crossed. I have known him for about fifteen years andwe have celebrated successes and failures together. Through it all we havemaintained a firm bond on what the essence of life and experience is.

My friend has recently fallen uponhard times, both personally, economically and physically. He has two herniateddiscs and spends his days lying on the kitchen floor taking all kinds of painkillers just trying to find this moment. We have been discussing this lately,he lost his job, faces eviction, and can’t really function the way he wouldlike. Considering all of this, I would like to share his wonderful insightsinto ‘true’ practice with everyone. I couldn’t say more clearly, so I will letmy friend say it to you.

My Dear Brother Paul,

Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement andacceptance. I will pull through, with your blessing and those of others who Ihave met to be “altruistic” along the spiritual journey. My material needs willcome and go. I have known both near poverty and a taste of being idle, withmoney to spare. It ebbs and flows. Somehow, the Universe provides and in itall, rich or poor, the Inner Man remains the same, like a rock in a ragingriver rapids, or shallow slow moving quiet brook. The waters change. The rockstays still. The essential man is untouched by externals. That’s the thing I’velearned time and again. The litmus test, if you will, of just where we are at,in the spiritual life.

Christ, a Zen Master if there ever was, says as much, inspeaking of impermanence and tribulation: “And on that day, you will then cometo know, whether you have built your house on rock or sand.” Our inner humanityis best revealed in trial and upheaval. We have all been there. Especially peoplelike us, who have taken the path seriously, no matter what tradition. It is allthe same. We know it is easy to cruise into our practice when the bills arepaid. When there is some extra cash to travel a bit, eat at some nicerestaurants and drink from the golden cup. But..lo..a day may come and itusually does, when the scene shifts and we find ourselves in need. We lookaround and realize, “Hey, I’m not on top anymore.” (This was not in thebrochure!) If this shift rocks us beyond a very human and acceptable concern,then we see that we really have not digested what spiritual detachment trulymeans. We have not quite got it. These shifts are our teachers.

This is what Christ meant if I can paraphrase Him, “Watchout followers, especially you monks and teachers of the Path, because, someday, a wind will blow and you had better be prepared for a change. You hadbetter be ready to walk the talk, or you will be exposed. You’ll either findyourself standing on the solid ground of all that you have learned in yourpractice and inner life experiences, or, you’ll come tumbling down in alandslide of sand, only to be blown away like dust because you failed to buildyour inner life properly.” Here, I suppose, Jesus is also saying, “Don’t bewasting time on stupid shit, because you got a foundation to build on, and it’sone never really quite finished. You can slack off and cruise, and that isO.K., a man needs some rest. However, do not get too comfortable. Do not kidyourself. Keep mixing that mortar and laying those bricks because you neverknow when that storm will hit.” My point being, I think we can only manage lossand suffering to the degree that we build our inner ground, because ultimately,that is where the storm will come to rip us up. It will challenge our emotionalstability. It will challenge our composure in the face of crisis. It willchallenge our thought process and reveal, a quiet, strong mind, or, one tossedin every direction. Recently, I took a storm as such. O.K., so I bitched andmoaned a bit, but I can also say that the years given to practice built a strongenough foundation of the inner human that I did not topple over like a sandcastle. Therefore, it really does pay off to practice. (I know you know this. Iam just sitting with my brother reflecting, not preaching.)

My Grandpa, (Died at 96) an old blue blood Yankee, anorthern Maine farmer, was a sort of Zen master. You know the type. Wise, quietand strong, one of those old-timers that are better listeners than talkers, butwhen they spoke, Boom! Their words hit you like a thunderbolt. I am stilllearning, all the time. All the time a beginner. I am learning to not onlylisten again, as a good monk should, but also to see that if I do not let go ofneeding and wanting to control it all, I suffer even more. If you grab theTigers tail, he will take you for a ride, or worse, turn around and rip you up.It is nothing new, non-clinging. Detachment. No holding. No desire to control. Itslike, “I see you Old Man Suffering, you cunning bastard, but guess what? I amnot your boy. I am not buying it today, or tomorrow. Take it somewhere else.You’d love to see me take your hand and walk with you, see me come undone, butsee, I got this secret inside me, the Pearl of Great Price-years of Practicethat tell me you are a fraud and when you’ve had enough of your attempts tomake me miserable, mean and nasty, you’ll leave me alone. You’ll leave becauseI never took hold of your hand in the first place.”

So, what do we do with our suffering? Where does it reallycome from? Who asks me to hold onto it? In addition, who says it is permanent?Ahh, I hear Paul saying: “Don’t make anything. Do not check. Don’t hold.” Yes,Pop Sa Nim, many bows..

I am not in the market. I am not buying. I am going to aplace I know well. A place where it’s warm, welcoming and where the winds canblow all they want, but the walls will stand, the foundation is laid strong.

This morning, I saw wind and rain outside my window and darkclouds hover above me. Tonight, the sky is wide and clear. The stars shinebrightly in midnight blue. A gentle breeze strokes my face and my cat, Master Zhaozhouyawns, rolls over to sleep. I slip in beside him gently, and together, we know,just this.

My love and peace is yours Paul,

Oh Jok, Haeng Ja Nim

Noted ghazal singer Jagjit Singh dead at 70

2011-10-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

As Many of you know, I have been a fan of Jagjit Singh for many years, I loved his melodic voice and was saddened to hear that he had passed away. Below is the story, he will be missed by many. I had the opportunity to see him live in Long Beach several years ago.

Mumbai: Acclaimed ghazal singer Jagjit Singh died on Monday in Mumbai. The 70-year old was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati hospital after he suffered brain hemorrhage last month. He underwent two surgeries and was on life support.

Born on February 8, 1941, 'the ghazal king' was a singer, composer, activist and entrepreneur. He has sung in several languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Nepali. Jagjit Singh entered the music circuit at a time which was primarily dominated by Pakistani ghazal singers, and Indian singers were considered relatively lesser authentic than their Pakistani counterparts.

Unlike other ghazal singers, Singh did not hesitate in lending his voice for films. His silky voice ruled during early 80's in films like Prem Geet, Saath Saath and Arth. However, his major work is spread over more than 60 filmy and non filmy albums.

Jagjit Singh was also known for modern approach and infusion of technology in the traditional art of ghazal singing. Singh was the first Indian music director to use the technique of multi-track recording for his album 'Beyond Time'.

Recipient of Padma Bhushan award, Jagjit Singh was the man behind making the ghazal genre available and understandable to all. Prior to Singh, ghazal singing was considered as an elite art, which was difficult for the common mass to understand due to high class Urdu and Persian.

Jagjit Singh broke this myth by coming up with songs such as 'Kaagaz ki kashti', 'Chaak jigar ke', 'Kal chadhanvi ki raat thi', and 'Shaam se aankh me name si hai'. He mixed the words of legends like Ghalib, Qateel Shifai, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Nida Fazli and Sudarshan Faakir with melodious indigenous tunes and achieved a state where nothing came in between him and his listeners.

Later when television started showcasing music videos, he was among one of the prominent members of the music fraternity to avail the facility. He again came up with brilliant albums such as 'Face to Face', 'Marasim', 'Aaeena', and 'Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin'.

Jagjit Singh had also given his voice for ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee poems in the albums 'Nayi Disha' and 'Samvedna'.

Jagjit Singh is survived by his wife Chitra Singh, with whom he had produced several record breaking albums. Their only son Vivek Singh had died in a road accident in 1990.

Heineken "The Date"

2011-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

This may seem a bit weird to many of my readers, but so be it. I am often intrigued by the obtuse and strange. The new Heineken ad, titled 'The Date' is a legendary date in action and highlights some interesting music as its backdrop. The video is here:

I found it interesting that the video appears to be taking place somewhere in China and yet the music is some strange Hindi song being sung by a fusion Ventures Rock and Jazz Band. So I had to know what the source of the video's song was and I was able to discover it. I discovered, this song came out in 1965 and sounds like a combination of a Hindi Movie song made by the Ventures who just happened to get together with one of the big bands from the 1950's and was sung in a mysterious Hindi language.

So why an Indian ballad in Chinese Restaurant, I cannot answer this. But if you watch the original video you might see some of the inspiration that Quentin Tarantino may have found for 'Pulp Fiction' and "Kill Bill." The masks in the video remind me of the "Batman" series that was so over the top campy in the sixties in America. I didn't have the chance to experience this back in 1965 but I thought I'd share it with you all anyway.

The song's video was shot in a disco and features Laxmi Chhaya. The song also appears in the opening credits of the 2001 movie Ghost World. In an interview, Ghost World writer Daniel Clowes mentions that he obtained his 20th generation copy of the scene from someone who had been housesitting for Peter Holsapple, guitarist and songwriter for The dB's, and he copied it from Peter's collection. Then they approached the sons of the producers and acquired the rights to use the song in the movie. The Ghost World DVD features the entire music video from the movie.

The song, with similar costumes and choreography, also appears in the Cullberg Ballet's rendition of Ekman’s Triptych.

Here are the Hindi lyrics with literal translation in the brackets.

"Jaan Pehechan Ho, Jeena Aasaan Ho,
Dil Ko Churane Walon, Aankh Na Churao,
Naam To Batao.. (2)"

(If I knew you, living would be easy.
All you heart-stealers, don’t hide your eyes too
at least tell me your name.)

"Aaj Ki Yeh Shaam Javan, Yun Na Chali Jaaye,
Phir Se Na Aayegi Yeh Kisi Ke Bulaaye"

(May this wonderful evening, Not pass unavailed,
For it will not return on anyone’s call)

"Bolo Yeh Na Bolo Tum, Hogaye Ishaare,
Seedhi Seedhi Chot Huyi Dil Pe Humaare.."

(Whether you speak or not, your message is clear,
The hard blow fell Right on my heart)

"Chup Chup Dekha Dekhi, Nazaren Diwani,
Zara Si Yeh Baat Ban Jaaye Na Kahani.."

(Stolen glances, Impassioned looks,
Let this small matter Not become a huge tale)

Zen in Las Vegas

2011-09-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

My Best Friend and fellow Zen Teacher, Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN, was featured in an article today in the Las Vegas Weekly.

Founder of the Zen Center of Las Vegas shares his journey

Kristen Peterson

Wed, Sep 28, 2011 (4 p.m.)

Thom Pastor meditates inside the Zen Center of Las Vegas

Photo: Leila Navidi

Thom Pastor is the founder and abbot of the Zen Center of Las Vegas, a meditation and teaching space on East Harmon Avenue. When not in Las Vegas, he leads Zen retreats in Asia and North America, including Madison, Wisconsin, where he is guiding teacher for the Isthmus Zen Center.

The Weekly spoke with Pastor—a dharma teacher since 1994 and musician who’s played with Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra—at the Zen Center, which recently completed its outdoor meditation garden with walking paths, an altar, bamboo trees and a turtle pond.

How did you get here? In college in Boston back in the ’60s I used to read, and was fascinated with Eastern philosophy. At some point I realized I could be 70 years old and still hanging around the Eastern philosophy section at Barnes & Noble, searching for that one seed to bear fruit. The catalyst for it was when my brother died in his sleep. He was a young man. I came to see very clearly the genesis of human suffering—the arrogance, the manipulation, the wanting something. I went to the Zen Center of Los Angeles and met Zen Master Seung Sahn.

You were raised Catholic in New Jersey. Why Zen? No dogma. Zen cuts all the mental constructs out from under you and you’ve got nothing, and in that nothing is profound wisdom. No meaning is profound meaning.

How do you balance Zen with a music career? I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston and we’d play jazz where the music should be spontaneous and also in the moment. I wanted to be completely present so I wasn’t reliant on my patterns and scales. I was listening to others. Being in the moment musically is important, whether it be a symphony orchestra playing Mahler’s Second Symphony or a jazz trio.

Can you sum up your music career? I had a rock ‘n’ roll band after graduation. A Blood, Sweat and Tears/Chicago-type band. It was an exciting time. We toured and I met my wife at Lake Tahoe King’s Castle and we were married. She was a New York City Rockette on vacation and decided to stay. In the ’70s, I traveled as a musician and played 11 woodwind instruments. I went on the road with Paul Anka, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. In Las Vegas I worked in the showrooms behind Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. I worked in lounges and really small clubs, which I liked because it was locals.

How did you become a Zen teacher? Being a teacher never occurred to me. That’s aspiring. A Zen master tells you if you’re to be a teacher. And when you’re being prepared to be a teacher, they look at you under a microscope, at how you live your life and how you do things. I studied 16 years until inka. It’s the hardest Ph.D. program going.

Characterize human suffering. We create suffering in this world by thoughts of, “Here I am, this is where I want to be.” We’re always projecting outward. We’re clouded by “I, my, me.” By getting rid of judgmental thought, we get back to the essence of who we are, which is compassion. Most people want to be a better person. There are a lot of self-help books. But meditation is just like taking an onion and peeling away myriad transparent layers and relinquishing our desire mind. Anger is a poison. By seeing it, it begins to melt. You don’t have to deal with it or give it energy. Just see it.

What about physical suffering or death? This life guarantees us nothing. We come empty handed. We leave empty handed. We are a temporary manifestation of energy. These bodies we inhabit are like rental cars, something we have to trade in.

Why meditate together? All sects of Buddhism teach together action because you are less apt to get up when the phone rings or when something interesting comes on TV or you get hungry. In the beginning, the discipline isn’t there.

What’s it like hanging with monks? Fun. Hysterical. Funny stuff. Jokes. I think it’s their way of spending all the dharma gasoline from meditating.

Do you love it? I’m grateful for having been born a human being, exposed to the dharma and having a keen-eyed teacher. Everything is spiritual in Zen. Brushing your teeth is a spiritual act, washing your face is a spiritual act.

source: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/sep/28/zen-las-vegas/

Documentary: Zen Furnace

2011-09-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is well produced video on transplanting Zen in rural America. Zen Furnace examines a group of Zen Buddhists in rural Eastern Kentucky. Hidden away inside the mountains is the Furnace Mountain Zen Retreat Center. Led by Zen Master Dae Gak. The retreat center and the Zen Buddhists have lived peacefully in the Appalachian mountains for 25 years now. After 25 years locals of the region still have many doubts and thoughts of what occurs on the mountain.

Buddhist Choir

2011-09-15T01:11:00.000-07:00

This is a very interesting Video as I have never seen a Buddhist Choir before. The lyrics are written by Seon Master Dae Haeng who is the spiritual head and founder of all HanMaUm Seon (Zen) Centers of the Chogye Order of Korean Buddhism worldwide.

So, I thought I'd share it with everyone. Changing, changing, changing, is the way of the world.

Should Creationism Ever Be Taught in Schools

2011-09-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot to say about these two videos with the exception of the banter back and forth. It is interesting that each of the speakers are quick to point out when others judge them; however, they are all blind to their own comments which are in sometimes extreme judgement of others. This is what happens when we attach so strongly to our opinions that we follow them blindly. There are a few high points in the videos, but I will leave that to the viewer/reader.

today

2011-09-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today, like every other day,
we wake up empty and frightened.
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Rumi

Causal Conditions

2011-08-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

Every practitioner should, at first, establish the correct causal conditions. For instance, the Five Precepts, the Ten Virtues, the Twelve Dependent Origination's, and Six Paramitas are not, in fact, true causal conditions. Instead, you should firmly believe that your own mind is the Buddha, and if you can completely cut off deluded thoughts, incalculable kalpas will become completely transparent. This is the right causal condition.

Son Master Bojo Jinul

Doban (friends on the path)

2011-08-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

The great reformer of Modern Korean Buddhism was Seon Master Gyeongheo Seongu (鏡虛惺牛)

What is the purpose of our practice?
It is to cultivate meditation and wisdom together,
To be born in the Tushita Heaven together,
To attain true enlightenment life after life together,
As fellow practitioners who will help those who lag behind
When someone attains enlightenment ahead of the others,
And, most of all, not to forsake our noble resolution
If anyone is interested in our resolution and wishes to join us,
We will welcome them,
whether they be a monk or a lay person,
Whether one is male or female,
Whether one is old or young,
Whether one is wise or foolish,
Whether one is noble or mean,
Whether one is friendly or aloof,
Whether one is in accord with us or against us,
Whether one is away from us or near us,
Whether one is our senior or junior.

We are all innate Buddhas with countless virtues within.
The only difference among us is that
Some did not have the chance to receive teachings
From a great enlightened Master for eons so as to be free
From the Three Spheres of Life in this realm of birth and death.

Mangong's Inka Ceremony

2011-08-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Master gives a letterless seal to the disciple Susan Wolmyeon,
Hits the Dharma staff once,
then says, "‘These words are nothing more than what they say.’
Now, tell me what that means."

The Master hits the Dharma staff once again and says,
"‘One laughs and doesn't know where it has gone to.’
Now, tell me what that means."

"The color of the sea of Anmyeon Island in spring Is dark green,"
says the Master,
Who then drops the staff and comes down from the platform. "A-hem!

Seon Master Gyeongheo

Buddhist Geeks and Sweeping Zen

2011-08-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Richard Maurice Bucke
(18 March 1837 – 19 February 1902) from Wikipedia

Over on Zen Forum International one of the moderators,Seigen, asked the following question.

Buddhist Geeks has a project that is very differentthan, for example, Adam Tebbe, also a young man who began his own website,Sweeping Zen, in the year after Buddhist Geeks began. Where Sweeping Zen willfocus on interviews with teachers and topics that are very close to what mightbe understood as formal practice, Buddhist Geeks spreads the net outwardstowards technology and culture, and is directly engaged with an economicimagination that it believes to be transforming. It is a self-describedfor-benefit community.

What do you think of the difference between these twowebsites, as models of practice? As statements of where things stand today inthe dialogue between elders and youth? Is Buddhist Geeks something that youcheck in to regularly, or is it of no interest? What have you gravitatedtowards there? And so on..

The following is my reply.

It seems that perhaps this topic has gotten a bit sidetracked so I'd like to address the original question posed by Seigen. Iattended all three days of the Buddhist Geeks conference and I happen to knowAdam Tebbe, who founded Sweeping Zen, personally. I met Adam through someprompting by James Ford Roshi back in 2008 and have followed his progress sincethat time. Also, a few of my students have been interviewed on Buddhist Geeksand at least one has been involved with some of the founders.

I must say that normally I wouldn't have attended theConference; however, I was in between consulting jobs and it was being heldonly 25 minutes from my house so I figured why not. I enjoyed the experience, Imet many people that I know indirectly by reputation, and have struck up a fewnew friendships.

I suppose on the surface one might view Buddhist Geeks asbeing more directed to a younger and perhaps more technologically savvyaudience. Yet, I think the biggest divide between the two approaches aredefined more by the communities they represent. Sweeping Zen is only involvedwith Zen Mahayana Buddhism; whereas, Buddhist Geeks is a conglomeration ofBuddhist Practices, some of which border on the cusp of being 'new age.' I donot think this is a bad thing, but there was an attitude at the conference thatsomehow this technology is going become the savior of Western 21st CenturyBuddhism.

I should be clear, I am 54 years old, have never played avideo game on a computer (outside of Solitaire) yet have been directly involvedin Business Software and Programming since I left the US Air Force in 1980. Icurrently own and run an Enterprise Software Support and development company soI see technology as a tool; however Shinzen Young's assertion that we canpossibly build an enlightenment machine, reminds me of what can be found in theclassic, Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind froma 1901 book by Richard Maurice Bucke. Bucke had one of those 'big enlightenmentexperiences' and he spent the rest of his life trying to prove that is wasinevitable that all humans will evolve into the Higher Consciousness he hadexperienced.

Perhaps many will find my stance 'old fashioned' and that isOK; it is human nature to believe that we can improve upon things, yet this isthe very paradigm that separates us from the 'experience of the Absolute.' It seemed, at times during the BG Conference,that we were in the midst of a Buddhist Marketing Convention. I was a bitdisturbed by a thread that ran though most of the weekend that seemed to befocused on how to make money at teaching the Dharma. Several of the speakersalso employ a fee based system similar to what you might pay to a Professionalfor Services, (ie: Psychologist, Lawyer, Counselor, etc..) Statements like, 'Psychologist'shave already co-opted mindfulness and they are charging huge amounts for it, sowe better wake up before there is nothing left for us,' I found distasteful.

I am prepared to get flack for saying this, so I willaddress the issue with maintaining a 'bricks and mortar' organization. Realestate, utilities, maintenance all cost money and these organizations needdonations to flourish. So, I am not saying that it can be done for free; yet Ifeel strongly that teaching the dharma is a gift and should never involve afee. It would have been nice to have someone on one of the panels who had analternative view, but it seemed everyone was on board with the Dharma Gravytrain. Shinzen Young was proud that he has lived off the Dharma his whole lifeand never had a real job, I think that is great for him. Some would say thatpeople don't value what they are being given if they don't have to pay for it.This may be the case, but once it is given it is no longer ours. The otherthing here is that it seems too much like 'selling water down by the river.'Buddha taught that we are already enlightened, so there is nothing changinghands and nothing to be gained. Enlightenment is not something that can bemarketed as a Brand Name, and we have way too much of that already.

I have been using technology to break down the walls of theMonastery and to reduce the costs to the end user and no one brought that upduring the weekend conference. Unlike Shinzen Young, I actually spent $270,000of my own earnings trying to support the dharma in the first seven years of the21st Century and this has led me to find alternatives to the bricks and mortarapproach. Teaching the Dharma is a service to others, so viewing it asprimarily in the realm of making a profit seems troubling at best.

I think Buddhist Geeks is doing a wonderful job ofpresenting alternative views of the Buddhadharma; I think that Sweeping Zen isdoing a wonderful job of presenting alternative views of the ancient Ch'anBuddhist approach. Both are free and seem entirely altruistic in their approachand are serving two diverse audiences. That stated none of us live our liveswithout casting a shadow, and sometime those shadows can offend others, so inadvance I apologize for saying anything that may seem awkward.

These are merely my opinions, and like allthoughts, constructs, ideas and concepts have no self nature. :O:

Celebrating Peace and Communication! The 2011 Manhae Festival

2011-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Manhae Han Yong-un

Manhae Han Yong-un was a poet who devoted his life for Buddhism,literature, and the independence of Korea. He dreamt of peace during theJapanese colonial period, when there seemed to be nothing but darkness ahead.

Jeon Bo-sam who is the Director of the Manhae Museum said, "ManhaeHan Yong-un is a poet who wrote the great poem "Love's Silence," andan independence fighter who led the March 1st Independence Movement. He is alsoa Korean well-known for being a great thinker and Buddhist monk."

The Festival is held in Inje county, of Gangwon Province, and is aboutthree hours from Seoul. It was here, near Baekdam Temple where Manhae HanYong-un wrote his seminal poem "Love's Silence," the "ManhaeFestival" is an annual event held every year in mid-August.

Hong Sa-seong who is the Executive Director of the 2011 Manhae Festivalsaid, "The Manhae Grand Prize was created to promote Manhae's love oflife, peace, and the Korean people. We are hoping that this award will spreadManhae's thoughts and philosophy not only all over Korea, but also theworld."

It has already been 67 years since he passed away, but Korea still strivesto remember him and his work. A special ceremony is held before awarding theManhae Grand Prize to renowned figures who were carrying on Manhae HanYong-un's spirit of life, love, and patriotism. The formal ceremony begins bylaying flowers at the bust of Manhae Han Yong-un.

Choung Byoung-gug who is the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism wasquoted, "Manhae's philosophy, which is based on the Buddhist philosophiesof peace and equality, can truly become the foundation on which the Koreanpeople can resolve social conflicts and achieve unification, peace, andprosperity."

This year, the Manhae Peace Prize went to Anuradha Koirala, the directorof Maiti Nepal who works to rescue girls from sex slavery. The Manhae PracticePrize was awarded to Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, a Sri Lankan archaeologist. Theprize for literature was awarded to Korean poet Lee Keun-bae, and Chinesenovelist Mo Yan, the author of the original novel of the movie "RedSorghum."

The author Mo Yan, was asked about receiving the literature prize andsaid, "I was very excited when I first heard that I had been awarded thisprize. The Manhae Grand Prize is a symbolic prize awarded to many greatwriters, and it is a great honor for me."

Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, who received the Practice Prize said,"Well, it is a great honor. For the whole academic world and for mycountry also. Not a personal thing. When I receive that award, certainly, I'llbe happy, but that happiness is not for me. It is for the whole world."

Manhae Han Yong-un was especially beloved by the Korean people for his"Love's Silence," which expressed his passion for Korean independenceand his love for Korea.

My love is gone.

Ah, the one I love is gone.

Crossing the narrow path

to the maple grove

that shatters the mountain green,

She tore away from me.

The love that he spoke of in the poem was Korea, and its independence. 2011marks the 15th anniversary of the Manhae Festival, which adopted the theme of"peace and communication" for this year.

Perhaps that is why so much of the spotlight was focused on AnuradhaKoirala, the winner of the Manhae Peace Prize. She stated, "This awardwill always remind my people and me that problems still exist and we have towork hard to fight this crime and keep the society free of tragedy." Somecall her the“Mother of Nepal," or "Nepal's Mother Theresa." Sinceshe established Maiti Nepal in 1993, she has rescued, treated, and educated12,000 Nepalese women who had been trapped in sexual slavery.

Anuradha Koirala, Winner of Manhae Peace Prize said,"I think the onlything which I will learn from him is peace and wisdom. I am working on the partwhich Manhae has shown, that you have to work for peace and stability. I alwayshave in mind, only one thing. Let us be a world free of trafficking."

Freedom is the life of the world, and peace is the happiness of life. Theweak are not weak by nature, and the strong cannot be strong forever. ManhaeHan Yong-un's legacy was a philosophy of non-violence and peace, based onBuddhist thought.

What would he have wanted to teach to us, living in the modern world wasechoed by Sirisenda Banda Hettiaratchi, "What Master Manhae taught us, howbest we can propagate Master Manhae's peace for the peaceful coexistence of thepeople and respect for human life. How to work towards these two directions."

Eastern Buddhism meets 21st Century Buddhism

2011-08-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ani Choying Drolma has done what she can in this situation

I haverecently become disappointed by the lack of skillful Buddhist compassion shownto a Nepalese Buddhist Nun who was gang raped and now is facingex-communication.

The twenty nine year old Buddhist nun from Nepal, was allegedly raped byfive men on a bus in July of 2011. Following the horrendous attack, at least adozen Eastern Buddhist organizations signed a statement that said she should no longer be a nun because she had lost her virginity.

This obvious travesty further exemplifies the current gapbetween Eastern and Western interpretations of the Buddhadharma, I am saddenedthat arcane social convention is overriding common sense and compassion in thiscase. Śakyamuni Buddha was a radical who did not follow the social mores of hisday, he did not discriminate based upon Caste or Sex which did not make himpopular with the local powers of his time. The point is that he was pushing theboundaries of what was and was not acceptable.

Buddha taught us “to do no harm.” It seems that this isanother case of societal mores and conventions becoming more important to theNepalese than Śakyamuni’s exhortation to put an end to suffering.

Compounding the stress of being raped to discover that yourSangha is willing to abandon their support of your original dedication for some external eventtotally outside of your control. This issimple male misogynistic rhetoric, which dominates the current incarnation ofEastern Buddhism.

The Nepal Buddhist Federation’s official stance on thismatter is, “Such a thing never happened in the Buddha’s lifetime . . . So hedid not leave instructions about how to deal with the situation.” This is merepipelining to state this publically, it is the purest form of fundamentallegalizism that destroys all religions in the end. It now seems that thefederation has been strongly urged to reconsider their judgement following repeated complaints from the InternationalCommunity. Their current stance is, "[The federation] will do everythingin its power to help restore the dignity of the nun and continue to fight forjustice," found recently on astatement from their website.

The nun was a member of the Karma Samtenling Monastery atPharping in Nepal; and at the time she was in India expanding her Buddhisteducation.

AniChoying Drolma, who has come to fame in the West as a Buddhist Nun who hasreceived recent success in popularizing traditional Buddhist Chanting, spoke upimmediately and came to the victim’s defense. She has offered her a placeto live as well as helping with medical expenses. “The most important thing is to treat her likea human being and then later we can look into the matter of whether she isstill a nun," Drolma told news outlets.

Drolma, like others in the East, are not allowed to speak outagainst the hierarchy for fear of reprisals. These issues exist in Nepal,India, China, Korea and Japan and are deeply embedded in the cultures in whichthey prosper. It is easy for us in the West who are on the other side of ourcultural revolution that took place in the 50’s and 60’s to perhaps sit in judgmentof these actions. However, we also have Western Buddhist Organizations whowield power absolutely with little regard for compassion and understanding. I donot know what can be done about the overriding social mores that exist in theEast, but let us not become too arrogant and assume our own shit does notstink. Think globally and act locally, compassion needs to be cultivated fromour hearts moment after moment after moment.

The best outcome for this situation is that the Nun lives ina nurturing and supportive environment and gets the kind of counseling sheneeds to recover from her trauma and is allowed to get back to her life ofservice to others. Let us all hope that this is the outcome of this tragicevent. In the mean time, let us take this as a wakeup call to connect deeper tomanifesting compassion in our own lives.

The 108 Prostrations of Repentance

2011-08-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

The 108 Prostrations of Repentance was probably developed by the Chan school of Buddhism in China. It was brought to Korea and used for some time until it evidently became lost. It was rediscovered and revived in recent decades by the late Ven. Seongcheol, Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and is usually performed during the evening ceremony in major monasteries. It has also become highly popular with lay Buddhists at numerous Chogye temples throughout Korea. Each number in parenthesis refers to the number of the prostration.

Written by Brian Barry

Invocation

We honor will all our hearts the Buddha who gives us direction through his great selfless compassion for all sentient beings. He provides us with great joy and happiness, for he is the one who is adorned with the marks of a Buddha, and the one with great wisdom and great light. (1)

With all our hearts, we take refuge in Vairocana Buddha (2)

and we take refuge in the Three Jewels -- the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. (3)

Now that we have become spiritually aware, we pay homage not in the hope of receiving blessings or entering Paradise. Nor do we hope to become personally enlightened by hearing the Teachings, through karma, through mystical powers nor through the Bodhisattvas. We rely on the Incomparable Teaching so that all sentient beings may reach the Great Enlightenment simultaneously. (4)

(Prostration numbers 5 through 97 are to 93 different Buddhas, many of whose names in Chinese characters are unknown. Romanization of the Korean would probably create considerable problems for the reader, so the names have been intentionally omitted for the time being. Instead, 93 prostrations to all the Buddhas of the universes should suffice for now!)

Supplication
To the innumerable Buddhas of the past, present and future, we ask that you remain with us always, compassionately looking over us.
.. In this life and in lives throughout time immemorial, we have performed all kinds of seriously unwholesome karma. We have performed this ourselves, made others perform it and delighted in seeing others perform it. We have stolen scared objects, have made others steal them and delighted in seeing others steal them. We have performed enough unwholesome karma to drive us into the realms of the hells, urged others to perform such karma and delighted in seeing others perform such karma.

We are aware of some of this awesome karma but we are unaware of much of it, for it is buried deep within the karmic storehouse. And for all this karma, we deserve such retribution as to fall into the realms of hells, of hungry ghosts or of animals. Even if we were to reincarnate in the human realm, we would deserve to be born in unbearable circumstances -- in terrible isolation or among savages. We now repent for all of this unwholesome karma. (98) We ask all the Buddhas of the universes to verify this repentance and we ask them to look over us with their great compassion.

Transference of Merit
Furthermore, if in the past we have achieved merit through selfless generosity, through keeping the Precepts, through feeding even a single morsel to a hungry animal, through purity of action, through helping others to achieve the Way, through training on the Path, or through great wisdom, we now gather all of this merit together, and before the Great Wisdom of Enlightenment, we transfer it just as all the Buddhas of the universes transfer their merit.

Through the merit achieved through repentance, and merit achieved by imploring the Buddhas of the universes to spread the Dharma throughout the universes for eons, we hope to achieve incomparable wisdom. We now take refuge in and honor the Buddhas of the past, present and future, Buddhas who are the seas of noble and endless virtue for suffering sentient beings. (99)

(from "The Vows of Practice of Samantabhadra")

"I now honor, with purity of deed, word and thought, all of the past, present and future Buddhas of the universes. I honor all of the Buddhas, who through the wondrous power of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, are as numerous in a single atom as there are atoms in the Dharma realm. (100)

"I praise, through all eternity, the Buddhas who are as numerous in a single atom as there are atoms, and who, surrounded by Bodhisattvas, pervade the Dharma realm, speaking in mysterious and wondrous ways throughout eternity. (101)

"I offer such adornments as the finest of flowers and garlands, of musical instruments and perfumes and parasols. I offer a mountain of robes and the finest of fragrances and powdered incense, and sticks of incense and lamps, all piled as high as Mt. Sumeru. I deeply believe in the Buddhas of the past, present and future, the magnificent teachers of wisdom; and I make offerings to the Buddhas through the great powers of Samantabhadra. (102)

"I repent for all my unwholesome karma of the past that was rooted in the three poisons of avarice, aversion and delusion, karma which I performed mentally, verbally and physically. (103)

"I take joy in all the virtuous deeds of sentient beings, of the educated and the uneducated, of noble beings and of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. (104)

"I implore to hear the Dharma Teachings of the Enlightened Ones, the lights of all the worlds. (105)

"I implore the Buddhas who are striving for Final Enlightenment to remain with us for our benefit. (106)

"And all merit from honoring, lauding and making offerings to the Buddhas; all merit and joy from imploring the Buddhas to remain with us and teach us; and all merit derived from repentance -- all of this I transfer to all forms of life throughout the universes." (107)

And should there be any remaining merit for transferring such merit, I again transfer this to the Incomparable Eternal Dharma. I also transfer the great sea of merit obtained through the single-minded absorption beyond dualities of mind and phenomena and the dualities of Buddhist Law and the secular world.

And may all the retribution I have acquired from finding fault with and criticizing others for their misdeeds, and all the retribution I have acquired from illusions produced by attachment to the self and to dharmas be dissipated. With each thought I will spread great wisdom throughout the Dharma Realm and rescue all sentient beings from suffering.

I vow to transfer all merit as endlessly as the Void is endless, as endlessly as the karma of sentient beings is endless, as endlessly as agonies are endless. (108)

Church minister 'got four teenage girls to coat themselves in honey… and then videotaped them showering clean'

2011-08-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

By SARA NELSON
dailymail

A youth pastor has been accused of using a hidden video camera to film four naked, honey-covered girls showering. Thomas Fortenberry had organised a ‘Fear Factor’ reality-style contest for the girls which saw him drizzle them in the sticky substance.

The girls, two of whom were 15 and two were 17, were then told to wash the honey off their bodies – during which they were allegedly filmed by a camera Fortenberry had hidden in the bathroom at the Greater Harvest Community Church in Pasadena, Texas.

The matter only came to light after Fortenberry, then 26, began a relationship with one of the girls and confessed to her after they became engaged, The Smoking Gun reported.

When questioned by police, Fortenberry did not deny filming the teenagers, the website claims.‘The defendant would only say that he has done things that he should not have done.’Today Texas prosecutors announced they could not pursue charges against Fortenberry since the incident occurred more than three years ago in 2007, making it beyond the statute of limitations for an improper photography/ visual recording count.Felony complaints, which were filed against Fortenberry earlier this week, were today dismissed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Justice Department settles religious discrimination lawsuit with city of Walnut

2011-08-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

By [WIRE SERVICES] Story Updated: Aug 3, 2011

The federal government has preliminarily resolved its religious discrimination case against the city of Walnut over handling of a proposed Zen Center, it was announced Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued the municipality last September, accusing Walnut of violating the civil rights of the Buddhist group Chung Tai in 2008 by denying its request to build the only non-Christian religious center in the city.

The lawsuit alleged that, until it denied the Zen Center's application, the city had not rejected any application for a conditional use permit to build, expand or operate a house of worship in the area since at least 1980.

The complaint further alleged that the San Gabriel Valley city treated the Zen Center differently than similarly situated religious and non-religious facilities.

For example, in August 2008, the city approved a conditional use permit for a Catholic church that, when completed, will be larger than the Zen Center's proposed facility, according to the Justice Department.

A Walnut city representative did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge before it takes effect.

As part of the settlement, the city has agreed not to impose differential zoning or building requirements on other houses of worship, according to the Justice Department.

The city also agreed that its leaders and managers, and certain city employees, will attend training on the requirements of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 -- the federal law Walnut was accused of violating.

In addition, Walnut will adopt new procedures that clarify its appeals process for houses of worship, and will report periodically to the Justice Department, it was announced.

"Religious freedom is among our most cherished rights, and our nation's laws prohibit cities and towns from discriminating based on religion when they make zoning decisions related to houses of worship,'' said Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General of the department's civil rights division.

"We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with the city of Walnut that prohibits inferior treatment of any religious organization that seeks to build a house of worship in compliance with local zoning laws,'' he said.

After Chung Tai was denied a permit to build its house of worship, the Zen Center opened in Pomona, according to the lawsuit.

A Short Diversion before Buddhist Geeks

2011-08-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

I was attending a Buddhist Conference this past weekend, andone of my friends from Oakland was also planning on attending the event aswell. Because he was flying in from out of town, I told him I would pick him upat the LA Airport. The event was being held at the University of the West whichis about forty miles from LAX, but Al’s plane landed about six hour before theconference was scheduled to commence. I thought about what we could do, besidesgoing to a restaurant and having lunch, and realized that Al had never had theopportunity to visit Hsi Lai Temple. Because the temple was practically on theway to the event, we agreed we could both go and visit this unique facilitytogether.

Rev. Al Jigen Billings, BPSN

Over the years, I have visited this landmark many times andfind it a compelling location to visit with out of town friends. There is alsoa small museum on the premises, which interests those with Buddhist leanings. It was a nice sunny Friday in SouthernCalifornia and we had a good visit touring the facilities.

Hsi Lai Temple is a Chán Buddhist monastery located in thefoothills of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles County.The name can be translated as Coming West in the sense of the "GreatBuddhadharma Coming West."

The temple is affiliated with one of Taiwan's largestreligious organizations, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. It is one of thefirst overseas branch temples, and is often called the "Western torch ofDharma" by order members. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha'sLight International Association, established in 1991. The temple, like itsmother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates allof the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism - primarily the Línjì Chánand Pure Land schools - to provide guidance deemed most useful to modern life.

In 1976, Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the order,represented a Buddhist group from Taiwan to participate in America'sbicentennial celebration. Master Hsing Yun was asked by American friends tobuild a monastery in the United States. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked theVenerable Tzu Chuang (who, upon the inception of the temple, became thefounding and first abbess of Hsi Lai Temple) and Yi Heng to plan and organizethe construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It wasofficially registered under the name of International Buddhist ProgressSociety. Until the temple was complete, Ven. Tzu Chuang bought an old churchbuilding, which was to be Hsi Lai's temporary headquarters. The originaltemple, located in the city of Maywood was called the Bai Ta (White Pagoda)Temple.

The temple was finished at a cost of ten million dollars. Immediatelyafter its opening, Hsi Lai was the venue of many important events. The 16thGeneral Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the 7th conferenceof the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth were held from November 19 to the26th, an international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monasticswas held for over a month, and a Liberation Rite of Water and Land, the firstof its kind in North America, was held prior to the temple's opening.

In 2008, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of theopening of Hsi Lai, another international Triple Platform Full OrdinationCeremony for monastics and a Liberation Rite of Water and Land was subsequentlyheld. In 1990, in conjunction to the completion of Hsi Lai Temple,Master Hsing Yun founded Hsi Lai University, one of sixteen Buddhist collegesand universities operated by Fo Guang Shan. The university was relocated inRosemead, California in 1996. It is one of the first Buddhist colleges in theUnited States.

Degrees are currently offered for Bachelor of Arts andMaster of Arts in Buddhist studies, comparative religious studies, and a Masterof Business Administration. In 2004, the university changed its name to theUniversity of the West and appointed Dr. Lewis Lancaster, a religion professorat UC Berkeley and longtime member of Fo Guang Shan, as president. Dr. RogerSchmidt became Lancaster's successor in 2006, who was then replaced by Dr.Allen M. Huang a year later.

Dharma Talk on the Buddha’s Enligtenment Day

2011-07-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Larry Martin

Dharma talk given on the Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, December 8, 1948, at Haein-sa monastery, Gaya chongnim

About the Author
Hyobong Hangnul (1888~1966)

Master Hyobong left his position as a judge in the Japanese colonial period after bestowing the death penalty on independence fighters and became a monk based on his own experience of the human suffering. Applying himself with lionhearted devotion, he earned the nickname of “stone mortar master.”

Ascending the dharma platform and taking his seat, Hyobong Sunim said, “Over the last 3,000 years, there have been many who criticized the Buddha but few who praised him; the only one in the past who did so was Master Yunmen (雲門). However, today, this ‘mountain monk’ is about to praise the Buddha.”

He recited a gatha:

What thought did he needlessly arouse about entering the Snowy Mountains?
Sitting quietly for six years, what did he accomplish?
It is said that he awakened to the Way at the sight of the morning star,
But what is the Way and what also is awakening?

”The Buddha is a crazy thief who has sullied the pure and clear dharma realm, as well as a sinner who has fallen into the sea of the suffering of birth and death. The reason I say this is because the dharma realm is originally pure, clear, and impartial; so why did he speak of the distinctions between the six destinies of rebirth? All sentient beings enter supreme nirvana [無上涅槃], so why did he speak about the dharma of transmigrating through birth and death, which prompts sentient beings to arouse doubts in their own minds!”

He recited a gatha:

Taking seven steps in each direction was the beginning of the Buddha’s transgressions,
Displaying his Nirvana in the twin Sala grove was the end of his transgressions.
His transgressions have been irredeemable since the distant past,
Where will he be able to repent?

He paused for a while and then said, “Today, this mountain monk will repent on the Buddha’s behalf before this assembly. Will the assembly accept it and forgive him?”

He paused again for a moment and said, “The transgressive karmic fruit of the Buddha have now vanished.”

He continued, “Generally speaking, if practitioners who are cultivating the Way simply calm their restless minds moment (kşana) by moment, right away they will be connected to the buddhas and patriarchs. Does the assembly in fact know the buddhas and patriarchs? That which, right before your very eyes, hears the dharma is in fact the buddhas and patriarchs, but practitioners of the Way often resist believing it. Hence, if one seeks [the buddhas and patriarchs] outside oneself, he will not attain it in the end." The triple world is like a burning house where one cannot abide for long, The evil spirit of impermanence, moment after moment, never stops Without discriminating between noble and humble, young or old. “In order to avoid the invasion of this evil spirit, one more than anything one must first find the Buddha. Where is the Buddha? This assembly’s one thought of pure and clear radiance is exactly the dharma-body buddha (dharmakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall; one thought of this body being free from discrimination is exactly the reward-body of the buddha (sambhogakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall; one thought of acting with the wisdom that is free from contaminants is exactly the transformation-body buddha (nirmanakaya-buddha) in your own family’s dharma hall."

"Commentators consider these three buddhas to be the most precise standards, but this mountain monk’s view is different. In my view, they are like wanderers who have left their homes; the equanimous enlightenment and sublime enlightenment (of the buddhas) are like a person in bondage; ‘voice-hearers’ [sravakas] and ‘solitary realizers’ [pratyekabuddhas] are like turds in an outhouse; bodhi and nirvana are like a blind man’s mirror. Because ordinary practitioners do not awaken to the transparency of the three asamkhyeyakalpas [infinite eons], they are subject to such obstructions, but this is not the case with the true sages. At the moment a thought arises, there never is a thought present: They eat and put on their clothes as they may, come and go as they may, and sit or lie down as they may; at any time or place, they manifest themselves in only one way. Furthermore, they do not even have a thought of seeking the Buddha. Therefore, if you try to seek the Buddha, you only become entangled by the Buddha; if you try to seek the patriarchs, you become entangled by the patriarchs. Seeking is nothing but suffering, which is worse than if one had not sought anything at all.”

He recited a gatha:

Whatever thoughts one may have,
Make it difficult to become a person of no-affairs.
If one suddenly forgets all things at once,
There will be no final eight days in the last month of the year.

He raised his staff, struck the platform once, and said: “Today, there are many in this dharma assembly who have been listening to the dharma, but only one person among them will gain benefit. I ask you, ‘Who is this person?’ KATZ!”

He then descended from the dharma platform.

Losing My Religion

2011-07-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

Since the time this song was released way back in 1991, it has been a theme for me in my Zen Practice. The paradox of having and losing a religion, (of which I have always been averse to), has haunted me since I began. And at the same time it always felt like the authentic path of Zen was about religion not being a religion. So I have been drawn in and repulsed by the orthodoxy of all religions, and especially focused on that of Zen Buddhism. It is easy to be seduced by form and liturgy and our ancient teachers constantly told us that the practice wasn't about that. So it isn't about losing or gaining, it is about not picking or choosing. We come into this life empty handed and leave the same way, all that we accumulate along the way doesn't amount to anything. So I share this with a big question, 'What is this?'

Losing My Religion

Oh life, it's bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep a view
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

Consider this
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing aground
Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep a view
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream

What Buddha said about eating meat

2011-07-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

by Ajahn Brahmavamso

Since the very beginning of Buddhism over two thousand five hundred years ago, Buddhist monks and nuns have depended on almsfood. They were, and still are, prohibited from growing their own food, storing their own provisions or cooking their own meals. Instead, every morning they would make their day's meal out of whatever was freely given to them by lay supporters. Whether it was rich food or coarse food, delicious or awful tasting it was to be accepted with gratitude and eaten regarding it as medicine. The Buddha laid down several rules forbidding monks from asking for the food that they liked. As a result, they would receive just the sort of meals that ordinary people ate - and that was often meat.

Once, a rich and influential general by the name of Siha (meaning 'Lion') went to visit the Buddha. Siha had been a famous lay supporter of the Jain monks but he was so impressed and inspired by the Teachings he heard from the Buddha that he took refuge in the Triple Gem (i.e. he became a Buddhist). General Siha then invited the Buddha, together with the large number of monks accompanying Him, to a meal at his house in the city the following morning. In preparation for the meal, Siha told one of his servants to buy some meat from the market for the feast. When the Jain monks heard of their erstwhile patron's conversion to Buddhism and the meal that he was preparing for the Buddha and the monks, they were somewhat peeved:

"Now at the time many Niganthas (Jain monks), waving their arms, were moaning from carriage road to carriage road, from cross road to cross road in the city: "Today a fat beast, killed by Siha the general, is made into a meal for the recluse Gotama (the Buddha), the recluse Gotama makes use of this meat knowing that it was killed on purpose for him, that the deed was done for his sake" [1].

Siha was making the ethical distinction between buying meat already prepared for sale and ordering a certain animal to be killed, a distinction which is not obvious to many westerners but which recurs throughout the Buddha's own teachings. Then, to clarify the position on meat eating to the monks, the Buddha said:

"Monks, I allow you fish and meat that are quite pure in three respects: if they are not seen, heard or suspected to have been killed on purpose for a monk. But, you should not knowingly make use of meat killed on purpose for you." [2]

There are many places in the Buddhist scriptures which tell of the Buddha and his monks being offered meat and eating it. One of the most interesting of these passages occurs in the introductory story to a totally unrelated rule (Nissaggiya Pacittiya) and the observation that the meat is purely incidental to the main theme of the story emphasizes the authenticity of the passage:

Uppalavanna (meaning 'she of the lotus-like complexion') was one of the two chief female disciples of the Buddha. She was ordained as a nun while still a young woman and soon became fully enlightened. As well as being an arahant (enlightened) she also possessed various psychic powers to the extent that the Buddha declared her to be foremost among all the women in this field. Once, while Uppalavanna was meditating alone in the afternoon in the 'Blind-Men's Grove', a secluded forest outside of the city of Savatthi, some thieves passed by. The thieves had just stolen a cow, butchered it and were escaping with the meat. Seeing the composed and serene nun, the chief of the thieves quickly put some of the meat in a leaf-bag and left it for her. Uppalavanna picked up the meat and resolved to give it to the Buddha. Early next morning, having had the meat prepared, she rose into the air and flew to where the Buddha was staying, in the Bamboo Grove outside of Rajagaha, over 200 kilometres as the crow (or nun?) flies! Though there is no specific mention of the Buddha actually consuming this meat, obviously a nun of such high attainments would certainly have known what the Buddha ate.

However there are some meats which are specifically prohibited for monks to eat: human meat, for obvious reasons; meat from elephants and horses as these were then considered royal animals; dog meat - as this was considered by ordinary people to be disgusting; and meat from snakes, lions, tigers, panthers, bears and hyenas - because one who had just eaten the flesh of such dangerous jungle animals was thought to give forth such a smell as to draw forth revenge from the same species!

Towards the end of the Buddha's life, his cousin Devadatta attempted to usurp the leadership of the Order of monks. In order to win support from other monks, Devadatta tried to be more strict than the Buddha and show Him up as indulgent. Devadatta proposed to the Buddha that all the monks should henceforth be vegetarians. The Buddha refused and repeated once again the regulation that he had established years before, that monks and nuns may eat fish or meat as long as it is not from an animal whose meat is specifically forbidden, and as long as they had no reason to believe that the animal was slaughtered specifically for them.

The Vinaya, then, is quite clear on this matter. Monks and nuns may eat meat. Even the Buddha ate meat. Unfortunately, meat eating is often seen by westerners as an indulgence on the part of the monks. Nothing could be further from the truth - I was a strict vegetarian for three years before I became a monk. In my first years as a monk in North-East Thailand, when I bravely faced many a meal of sticky rice and boiled frog (the whole body bones and all), or rubbery snails, red-ant curry or fried grasshoppers - I would have given ANYTHING to be a vegetarian again! On my first Christmas in N.E. Thailand an American came to visit the monastery a week or so before the twenty fifth. It seemed too good to be true, he had a turkey farm and yes, he quickly understood how we lived and promised us a turkey for Christmas. He said that he would choose a nice fat one especially for us .... and my heart sank. We cannot accept meat knowing it was killed especially for monks. We refused his offer. So I had to settle for part of the villager's meal - frogs again.

Monks may not exercise choice when it comes to food and that is much harder than being a vegetarian. Nonetheless, we mayencourage vegetarianism and if our lay supporters brought only vegetarian food and no meat, well...monks may not complain either! May you take the hint and be kind to animals.

Refs:
[1] Book of the Discipline, Vol. 4, p324
[2] ibid, p325

Ajahn Brahmavamso
(Newsletter, April-June 1990, Buddhist Society of Western Australia.)

Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

2011-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

This video was recorded at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA on 03.19.10 and is given by Stephen Batchelor where he talks about his new book "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist."

According to Batchelor, the outlook of the Buddha was far removed from the religiosity that has come to define much of Buddhism as we know it today. He argues that the Buddha was a man more focused on life in this world than the afterlife.

Special Medicine and Big Business

2011-07-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was just reading my friend Brad Warner's Blog post on Mountain of Drugs and it reminded me of a story from Dropping Ashes on the Buddha. Zen Master Seung Sahn was often asked about the helpfulness of taking drugs and once a few of the students in Provide normally nce convinced him to drop acid (take LSD) with them. They said he seemed to act through the whole experience while they were swinging wildly through the cacauphany of their own experiences. The next day, when asked what he thought about the experience, he merely said, "Yes, this is very interesting, however taking more than one time is not necessary as you already know the experience."

From Dropping Ashes on the Buddha by Seung Sahn Grove Press 841 Broadway NY NY 10003 LC: 75-37236 ISBN: 0-8021-3052-6

One spring afternoon, three students were having tea in Seung Sahn Soen-sa's room at the Providence Zen Center. One student said to Soen-sa, "Many people have come to Zen as a result of their experience with psychedelics, or 'special medicine,' as you call it. Is taking psychedelics good or bad?"

Soen-sa said, "The question of good or bad is not important. It is neither good nor bad. What is important is why they take this medicine. Do you understand?"

Another student said, "What do you mean by good and bad?"

Soen-sa said, "Taking the medicine in order to understand is good. Taking the medicine because of the good feelings it gives you is not so good."

"Then it's possible to come to an understanding through special medicine?"

"It is possible. Many people are attached to name and form. They take this medicine and for five or ten hours it is the same as death. They have no hindrance from their body and their body's desires. It is like a dream. There is only the free action of their consciousness, the free play of the Karma I. So they understand that all life is empty. Life is death; death is life. They understand very clearly that fighting and differences among people are unnecessary, are just the result of wrong thinking. They no longer desire to be rich or successful. Rich or poor, success or failure--it is all the same. It comes to the same thing when you are dead."

The first student said, "You've just convinced me to take special medicine twice a day!"

Soen-sa said, "Taking it once or twice can be very helpful. But taking it more often is dangerous. It is very easy to become attached to special medicine. You are already a Zen student. So you already understand that life is empty; you understand what the true way is. When your body is sick, it is sometimes necessary to take a strong drug. But when you are healthy, you don't take drugs. So this special medicine cures some sickness, but it creates other sicknesses. After you take it, you have many attachments. You don't feel like working. You don't want money. You only want to relax or work in the garden or listen to music or enjoy art."

"Not make money? Heaven forbid!"

"This is an attachment to natural-style or hippie-style living. It is no good for a Zen

A new global interest in Korean Studies

2011-07-12T23:58:00.000-07:00

From Korean JoongAng Daily
July 11, 2011
By Kang Hye-ran [enational@joongang.co.kr]

Six scholars of Korean studies speak on July 7 in Seoul. From left, USC Prof. David Kang, Georgetown University Prof. Victor Cha, UCLA Prof. Robert Buswell, University of Bologna Prof. Antonio Fiori, Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof. Vyjayanti Raghavan and Shandong University Dean of Korean studies Niu Linjie. Provided by the Korea Foundation

Scholars from around the world who teach and study Korean said that Korean studies have grown substantially in other countries. The scholars were attending the 2011 Korea Foundation Assembly in Seoul, which was held earlier this month.

The event was hosted by the Korea Foundation, which promotes Korean studies around the world and is marking its 20th anniversary. Six of the 96 scholars who attended the assembly held a press conference while in Seoul to share how they become associated with Korea.

“When I told my mother that I am going to Korea to study, she asked for me to show her a map and tell her where Korea is. And even though it was 1978, Korea still had a strong war image,” said Vyjayanti Raghavan, Korean department professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. “Now, Nehru University has over 100 students who are majoring in Korean and four full-time professors, including myself.”

UCLA Professor Robert Buswell, who studied Buddhism and became interested in Korea, spent five years at Songgwang temple, North Jeolla, when he was 19. When he went back to the States, he continued his study. “Korea to me is like my home because I know a lot of monks in Korean Buddhist temples.”

“At the point when I was appointed as a professor at [UC] Berkeley and at UCLA, there was no such thing as a Korean major,” Buswell said. “However, a Korean major became one of the important fields in Asian Study in the U.S.,” he added.

The growth of Korean studies also has occurred in China. “At my university, 150 students who are in the Korean major are admitted every year and there are 28 professors,” said Niu Linjie, a Korean study dean at Shandong University, China, who graduated from Kim Hyong Jik University in North Korea, and finished his master’s and doctorate program at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul.

“I, having a father who defected from North Korea, got more interested in the tension on the Korean Peninsula,” said Professor David Kang of the University of Southern California, who has a Korean father and an American mother.Emphasizing that national security and economic growth in Korea are intriguing topics, Victor Cha, a second-generation Korean American who is a Georgetown University professor and chief of Asia research, attended a lecture by visiting Professor Han Seung-ju during his doctorate program at Colombia University and became interested in issues of East Asia and Korea. These professors agreed that the Korean Wave is having a great influence on Korean studies. “In the olden days, people studied Korea for jobs at Korean companies. However, one third of admitted students are now in the field because they like Korean popular culture,” said Professor Niu said.

According to the Korean Foundation, as of the end of 2010, the foundation has supported 987 fellows from 75 countries in field research in Korea as well as helping establish 100 Korean studies faculty positions at 69 universities in 12 countries. The assembly, which was held from July 6-9 and drew about 200 participants, centered on “new ways to approach Korean studies and understand Korea in a global context.”

American Buddhism Keeps Asian Influence, Adapts to West

2011-07-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Mike O’Sullivan | Los Angeles

This week's visit of the Dalai Lama to the United States is focusing attention on American Buddhism, which is growing because of the influx of Asian immigrants and conversion of Westerners to the faith. American Buddhism retains its Asian flavor, but is adapting to Western ways.

Boys aged five to 14 have their heads shaved as they start a five-day retreat. A rite of passage in many parts of the Buddhist world, it gives them an introduction to Buddhist teaching and offers a brief taste of the life of a monk. Here at the Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, the congregation is predominantly Chinese American, but these children get their instruction in English.

A class of 31 boys receives instruction at the Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, California, with their heads temporarily shaved as monks, in a retreat to introduce them more deeply to Buddhist life before they return to their regular lives, July 2011.

The Hong Kong-born director of outreach, Miao Hsi, explains that American Buddhism is largely divided on ethnic lines.

"That is why there is Chinese Buddhism, there is Tibetan Buddhism, there is Japanese Buddhism, and so on," said Miao. "So I think that right now, we have some form of American Buddhism as well."

An American-born priest at the International Buddhist Meditation Center in Los Angeles, Kusala Bhikshu, said Buddhism has a history of more than 100 years in the United States.

"And it now has dug its roots into the soil of America, so there are people [like] myself being born in Iowa - people who were born in America - who are coming as a convert to Buddhism, some becoming ordained as Buddhist monks or nuns, and bringing those teachings to everyday Americans."

The Dalai Lama may be the world's best-known Buddhist, and he enjoys wide respect among Americans. He has drawn some notable followers, including actor Richard Gere. His message of compassion has attracted other Americans.

There are Tibetan Buddhist facilities around the United States. Kusala Bhikshu said his Los Angeles center brings together several Buddhist schools. He studied under a teacher from Sri Lanka and was ordained in the Vietnamese tradition. His center was founded by a monk from Vietnam, and is located in a Korean-American neighborhood.

He noted that Buddhism's rich body of teaching varies from one tradition to another. Here at the Hsi Lai Temple, they say that despite the diversity, the core of the teaching is the same: a respect for the tradition, a desire to adapt it to the American context, and a search for harmony among people of all faiths.

"Every being is connected. It is like we are connected to this world," said Miao. "So I think we should be working towards harmonizing with one another. Harmony and peace would be something that we should all work toward."

Buddhists say there is a bridge that links the many strains of American Buddhism. It is the American-born children, who share a Buddhist faith and American culture, regardless of where their parents were born.

Korean Buddhist Sutras on Wood

2011-06-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

On June 19, Korean Buddhists organized a procession of ancient Buddhist sutra on wooden blocks in Seoul. With the participants lined up with the wooden blocks on their heads, the line was 1.5 km long:

Alan Watts - On Śūnyatā

2011-06-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

Alan Watts was the first author I ever read on Zen Buddhism, I remember reading ‘The Way of Zen’ and deciding that when my son had graduated from college that I would move to Japan and study Zen with a Zen Master. So, he was the impetus that initially set me on this path. I like this collaboration of some of his talks on Śūnyatā as the Video is a kind of MTV version of related snippets. The following is a synopsis from his life from Wikipedia for those who are interested.

In 1936, Watts' first book was published, The Spirit of Zen, which he later acknowledged to be mainly digested from the writings of Suzuki.

In 1938 he and his bride left England to live in America. He had married Eleanor Everett, whose mother Ruth Fuller Everett was involved with a traditional Zen Buddhist circle in New York. A few years later, Ruth Fuller married the Zen master (or "roshi"), Sokei-an Sasaki, and this Japanese gentleman served as a sort of model and mentor to Alan, though Watts chose not to enter into a formal Zen training relationship with Sasaki.

During these years, according to his later writings, Watts had another mystical experience while on a walk with his wife.

Watts' fascination with the Zen (or Chan) tradition – which began for him during the 1930s – developed because that tradition embodied the spiritual interwoven with the practical, as exemplified in the subtitle of his Spirit of Zen: "A Way of Life, Work, and Art in the Far East". "Work," "life," and "art" were not demoted due to a spiritual focus.

Watts left formal Zen training in New York because the method of the teacher didn't suit him. He was not ordained as a Zen monk, but he felt a need to find a professional outlet for his philosophical inclinations. He entered Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, an Anglican (Episcopalian) school in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied Christian scriptures, theology, and Church history. He attempted to work out a blend of contemporary Christian worship, mystical Christianity, and Asian philosophy. Watts was awarded a master's degree in theology in response to his thesis, which he published as a popular edition under the title Behold the Spirit. The pattern was set, in that Watts did not hide his dislike for religious outlooks that he decided were dour, guilt-ridden, or militantly proselytizing — no matter if they were found within Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, or Buddhism.

All seemed to go reasonably well in his next role, as Episcopalian priest (beginning in 1945, aged 30), until an extramarital affair resulted in his young wife having their marriage annulled. It also resulted in Watts leaving the ministry by 1950. He spent the New Year getting to know Joseph Campbell; his wife, Jean Erdman; and John Cage.

In early 1951, Watts moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco. Here he taught alongside Saburō Hasegawa, Frederic Spiegelberg, Haridas Chaudhuri, lama Tokwan Tada, and various visiting experts and professors. Hasegawa, in particular, served as a teacher to Watts in the areas of Japanese customs, arts, primitivism, and perceptions of nature.

Besides teaching, Watts served for several years as the Academy's administrator. When he left the Academy, the position was inherited by another faculty member, the Sanskrit scholar, former Theosophy insider, and practicing yogi Ernest Wood.

Watts also studied written Chinese and practiced Chinese brush calligraphy with Hasegawa as well as with some of the Chinese students who enrolled at the Academy. While Watts was noted for an interest in Zen Buddhism, his reading and discussions delved into Vedanta, "the new physics", cybernetics, semantics, process philosophy, natural history, and the anthropology of sexuality.

Chanting for Joko Beck

2011-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

As most of you already know, one of the pillars of Western Zen, Charlotte Joko Beck, recently left her earthly form. As my Dharma brothers and sisters have already adequately posted tributes to Joko, I felt I could help those who have felt deeply affected by her teaching. You can click on the photo above, it is an altar plate that can be printed out and placed upon your home altar. Then I would suggest chanting, Jizo Butsu (Japanese), Ji-jang Bosal (Korean), or Dizhang Pusa (Chinese) 108 times for the next 49 days. At the end of that time you can hold your own Memorial Ceremony for our great teacher. I have included an explanation of the theology below for those who might be interested.

Kshitigarbha literally means "earth store bodhisattva." One of the four Great Bodhisattvas in Asian Buddhism. He is venerated in folk belief as a savior from the torments of hell and helper of the deceased. Sometimes he is also regarded as a protector of travelers. He is the only bodhisattva portrayed as a monk, however also with an urna (one of the thirty-two marks of perfection) on the forehead. His attributes are the wish-fulfilling gem and a monk's staff with six rings, which signifies that Ji-jang Bosal stands by all beings in the six realms of existence.

Ji-jang Bosal, through his supernatural power, can take on six different forms in order to help the beings of the six modes of existence. In a special ceremony, which is generally held on the 49th day after the death of a sangha member, the sangha member invokes Ji-jang Bosal in front of an ancestor tablet erected on behalf of the deceased and supplicates him to guide the deceased to the pure land of the Buddha Amitābha. Then follows the recitation of a mantra through which the deceased is summoned back so that he/she can hear the teachings expounded. The ceremony ends with the invocation of Amitābha Buddha and Ji-jang Bosal.

In addition, Ji-jang Bosal is well known for his vow: "If all sentient beings in hell are not released from the cycle of existence, I would never attain enlightenment.

According to certain Buddhist lore or myth, when someone dies they go to the place of the Ten Kings, wherever such place may be. Every seven days the Ten Kings serve as judges at a court. Seven times seven, they go to court. The judges ask the newly deceased, “What kind of good action did you do when you were alive and what kind of bad action did you do?” According to your good or bad action, a certain kind of rebirth is attained or you may be sent to a certain realm.

Of course, there is an inner meaning to all of this. At this time after someone dies, during this 49 period, their mind opens up in an unusual way and all of their karma comes before them. So their energies lead them in particular ways and they gravitate according to their energy pull toward those things that they need yet to learn in a rebirth. That is the inner meaning of this ‘judgment’ of the Ten Kings.

The Ten Kings dwell only in one’s own mind. Perhaps they may be viewed as ten levels of awareness. Therefore, if someone has made good karma then they go to a place that is good. If someone has made bad karma, they go to a place that is bad. However, if someone has perceived the essential true meaning that there is no birth and not death, then they perceive the Mind of No Hindrance and then coming and going is all just this Bodhisattva path or Bodhicitta “Altruistic Intention.”

Therefore, this 49 day period has several aspects to it. In a sense this is not so much a ceremony or a period for us as it is a time to try to help the person who has died to keep a clear mind during this time before rebirth. We chant certain mantras and names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to call on the mystic powers of those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to help the dead person wake up and get enlightenment. There are certain Dharma speeches given during this time to remind the person to keep clear mind and perceive the essential true meaning of no life, no death. In addition, besides offering the service to the person who has just died, we also make compassionate offerings toward all suffering beings in tall realms who are still wondering somewhere. We transfer the merit of any good karma that comes from this to our dearly departed love ones.

Tohoku Earthquake Memorial Sutra Mound

2011-06-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Rieko Sekine, who is one of the representatives of the project (10,000 shakyo for Japan / Tohoku Earthquake Memorial Sutra Mound Executive Committee) requests that people around the world to participate in the making of shakyo, which is the hand-copying of the Heart Sutra for the victims of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident.

The participants of the Committee will recite each of the shakyo one by one in a Buddhist ceremony (Gongyou). After that, they will bury all the collected copies at the top of Mt. Gassan (literally "Moon Mountain" in Japanese) which represents the three sacred Mountains of Dewa where the souls of the victims of the Tohoku Earthquake are to rest in peace, and at the same time they will erect a "Tohoku Earthquake Memorial Sutra Mound" at the site on October 9th. In addition, they plan to broadcast the ceremony on either ustream or youtube.

The Committee’s aspiration would chant together with the people around the world that the devastated area will be reconstructed as soon as possible and that all the victims can be relieved from terrible sufferings and hardships.

To download the template for hand-writing the Sutra click on this link for the pdf :
http://homepage.mac.com/ssxlh1200/10000sfj/dl/hannyas_in_dl.pdf
or the website on facebook "10,000 Shakyo for Japan"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/10000-Shakyo-for-Japan/20026808000397

They are anticipating to collect 10,000 shakyo by the end of August.

your faithfully,
Rieko Sekine

10,000 Shakyo for Japan / Tohoku Earthquake Memorial Sutra Mound”

Executive Committee Chairman: Hoshino Fumihiro
(Dewa Sanzan Haguro-san Shokubo “Daiseibo”)
Yamagata Prefecture, Tsuruoka City, Haguro Town, Toge 99　

Head of the Secretariat: Sekine Rieko
Tokyo, Kiyose City, Noshio 1-348-5

seki-hase@mail.goo.ne.jp

Adviser and Translator: Sekine Yasumitsu
jack_yasumitsu_sekine@yahoo.co.jp

address:

10,000 Shakyo for Japan
Poste Restant
Kiyose Noshio PostOffice
kiyose,Noshio 204-0004
Japan

e-mail: 10000shakyoforjapan@gmail.com
10,000 Shakyo for Japan

Temple ban on politicians called off

2011-06-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

JoongAng Daily

by Moon Gwang-lip

Govn officials, GNP, snubbed after temple budget cut

Seoul, South Korea -- The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the nation’s largest Buddhist sect, said yesterday it is lifting a ban on government officials and Grand National Party members entering Buddhist temples across the country.

“We will consider a change in the stance we’ve taken over the past six months in dealing with the government,” the Venerable Jaseung, the head of the order, said at a press conference. “We will annul the suspension on communication [with the government and ruling party members] and [their] entry to temples,” he said.

The ban was put in place in December to protest the GNP’s passage of the 2011 budget, which included a cut in subsidies for temple stay programs. The sect complained of “Buddhist-bashing” policies by a predominantly Christian administration.

The signature tourism program for Korean Buddhism was slashed from 18.5 billion won ($17.1 million) in 2010 to 12.2 billion won. The sect has been complaining of unfairness since President Lee Myung-bak, a Presbyterian elder, took office in February 2008.

The passing of a hefty budget for Lee’s four-rivers restoration project was also mentioned as a basis for the ban.

The Blue House yesterday welcomed the move.

“We highly appreciate efforts by the Buddhist community to resolve conflicts in Korean society and promote inter-religious harmony and its resolution to improve the relationship with the administration,” said a high-ranking official at the presidential office of the Blue House.

“The Blue House and the administration will strengthen cooperation with the religious community for social integration.”

Conciliatory gestures between the two groups have been made since March, when a group of Buddhist GNP lawmakers was allowed to hold a meeting inside Jogye Temple in central Seoul, the headquarters of the sect. Later that month, the Venerable Hyechong, one of the high-profile Jogye leaders, attended a meeting of Buddhists at the Blue House.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announced a plan on May 25 to ease regulations on the construction of temples, which will allow old temples to be renovated and expanded.

Military's first Hindu chaplain brings a diverse background

2011-06-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

By CHRIS CARROLL
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 2, 2011

WASHINGTON — As a child in New Delhi and other cities of India’s northern Plains, Pratima Dharm moved easily through a kaleidoscopic swirl of religions and cultures.

“My neighbors were Muslims, my neighbors were Jews, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Christians,” she said. “My close friends in school represented all the different faith groups, and it never occurred to me then that we were different or there was anything strange about it.”

She feels the same decades later. The U.S. Army, where she holds the rank of captain, and the United States itself, where she immigrated just months before the 9/11 attacks, were founded on the idea that people can be united while worshipping differently, she said.

Dharm, 40, has been named the first Hindu chaplain to serve the Department of Defense. Hinduism, with nearly a billion adherents worldwide — but fewer than 1,000 active servicemembers, according to Pentagon statistics — was the largest of the world faiths not represented by a chaplain.

Though the Army hasn’t yet publicized her appointment, the rumor has spread among Hindu servicemembers around the world. And Dharm, a chaplain on the medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, has started getting emails from them.

“I’m already on the job,” she said. “There’s this tremendous sense of hope and relief that there is someone who understands their story at a deeper level, coming from the background I do.”

Still, most of her time at Walter Reed is spent reaching across faiths to minister to anyone who needs it. That’s a key responsibility of military chaplains, she said.

“Some of them come back having lost their buddies, some of them come back having lost their limbs, and things have changed for them forever,” she said. “To be able to sit down and show compassion for soldiers I have never met before is part of the message of Christ as well as [the Hindu teachings] of Vedanta.”

Dharm speaks easily of Christian teachings. A unique aspect of her story is that until this year, she wore the cross of a Christian chaplain on her battle fatigues. When she started on active duty in 2006, she was endorsed by the Pentecostal Church of God, based in Joplin, Mo.

But she’s now sponsored by Chinmaya Mission West, a Hindu religious organization that operates in the United States. A Washington, D.C.-area religious teacher who interviewed her for the organization before giving her an endorsement said her multifaith background is an advantage.

“She knows Christian theology, and she has a great grasp of Hindu theology,” said Kuntimaddi Sadananda of Chinmaya Mission’s Washington center. “This means she can help everyone.”

She didn’t convert from Christianity to Hinduism, she said.

“I am a Hindu,” she said. “It’s how I was raised and in my heart of hearts, that’s who I am.”

But — and perhaps it is hard for some Western Christians to understand — she hasn’t rejected Christianity either.

“In Hinduism, the boundaries are not that strict,” she said. “It is to base your life on the Vedantic traditions, and you can be a Christian and follow the Vedantic traditions.”

An Indian-American Army Reserve veteran said that during his years in the service, he was always comfortable meditating in Christian services and talking to non-Hindu chaplains about spiritual matters.

“Hinduism has a strong interfaith philosophy,” said Chaturbhuj Gidwani.

But having a Hindu chaplain available, even if only by email, will make one important group very happy — military mothers who want to make sure their children can practice their faith properly. Sometimes that means explaining cultural fine points.

“Mothers would ask, can you give proper rites to the soldiers?” he said. “For example, if I die, I don’t want to be buried, I want to be cremated. I don’t want to eat beef, I want vegetarian food.”

The Air Force officer who led the Pentagon action group that established Chinmaya West as a chaplain endorsing agency said Dharm’s story is testimony to American pluralism and democracy.

“I get emotional when I talk about it,” said Lt. Col. Ravi Chaudhary, a cargo plane pilot and acquisitions officer. “When you consider Pentagon bureaucracy ... when people here saw that in a fundamental way this is an expression of American values, people moved so quickly to accomplish this.”

Dharm spent a year at a forward operating base near Mosul, Iraq, in 2007 and 2008. She received a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal, among other awards, but the most important thing she came home with was a deeper understanding of what Army chaplains are there for.

It isn’t to advocate for their own faiths, but to bind up the wounded spirits soldiers of any background receive in the brutality of battle.

“You learn to grieve with someone you don’t know on a deep level,” Dharm said. “You watch someone die in front of you and comfort the soldier left behind who had a connection to that person.

“Things of that nature you don’t learn in seminary.”

carrollc@stripes.osd.mil

Temple stay program marks 10th anniversary

2011-06-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

This year marks the tenth anniversary of temple stay programs in Korea.

The program began in 2002 as the government and the Korean Buddhists community sought new ways to accommodate the growing number of overseas tourists who visited Korea for international soccer matches during the Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup.

Since then, temple stays have become a key tourism program, allowing visitors to learn about traditional Korean culture and Buddhism firsthand while experiencing the beauty of local temples.

The number of temples participating in the program grew from 33 in 2002 to 122 this year, and the number of participating tourists, both local and international, has also risen dramatically.

In 2002, slightly more than 2,500 people enjoyed a temple stay. In only two years time, the program had increased 14-fold to include 37,000 people in 2004 alone. More than 170,000 people took part in the program in 2010, and is predicted to surpass 710,000 this year.

To improve the quality of temple stay program, the Temple Stay Information Center run by the Jogye Order, plans to develop more programs with new and more diverse activities.

The center plans to introduce new programs targeting people with distinct interests in programs on temple food and multiculturalism and healing programs people dealing with divorce, unemployment and other problems.

Earlier this year, the center upgraded its English homepage and added access in Chinese, Japanese, German, French and Spanish. It also recently developed a temple stay application in English for smartphone users. The app contains not only temple stay information but also overall tourism information and pictures. (To visit the homepage of the Temple Stay Information Center, click here)

To celebrate the program’s tenth anniversary, the Temple Stay Information Center and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a cultural event from May 30 to June 1 at the Traditional Buddhist Cultural Center in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. About 200 people, including the abbots of participating temples, attended the event.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer

The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin

2011-06-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Pavilion for Japanese Art, East Wing, Levels 1–3
May 22, 2011–August 14, 2011

Part 1: May 22–June 28, 2011

Part 2: July 1, 2011–August 14, 2011
The exhibition will be closed Thursday, June 30, 2011.
Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768) is widely acknowledged as the most important Zen Buddhist master of the past 500 years. He was also the most influential Zen artist of Edo-period (1615-1868) Japan, but unlike the highly studied monk painters of earlier centuries, he received no formal artistic training beyond the basic skills in handling brush, ink, and paper that were required for everyday writing.

Hakuin’s self-taught, spontaneous, yet masterly and inspired painting and calligraphy, just like his teachings and writings, expressed the mind and heart of Zen for monks and lay followers alike. With the aim of reaching out to people of all social and economic classes, rather than just the élite, he invented a new visual language for his religion, depicting everyday subjects and themes from other Buddhist sects, as well as Zen patriarchs and masters.

For this first exhibition in the West devoted to Hakuin, nearly 80 of his scrolls will be gathered from collections in the United States and Japan. Organized in collaboration with New Orleans Museum of Art, and curated by Audrey Yoshiko Seo and Professor Stephen Addiss. The Los Angeles presentation is made possible by LACMA’s East Asian Art Council.

Korean Catholics and Buddhists on Vesak stress shared commitment to reconciliation and dialogue

2011-05-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

by Theresa Hwa-young Kim
Korean Catholic religious leaders offer gifts and best wishes to Buddhist leaders. A monk from Seunwun Temple calls for “new paths to save the world and humanity”. Seoul archbishop says sharing and mercy are essential values for a life of virtue.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – At a time of trials and difficulties, the great religions must promote “true reconciliation and dialogue.” For this reason, it is important “to reconfirm the common mission of Christians and Buddhists who share a deep sense of respect for human life and dignity as well as respect for and responsibility towards nature,” said Mgr Huginus Kim, archbishop of Gwangju and president of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue, in a message he delivered to Rev Beopman, a great Buddhist monk from Seunwun Temple. The Buddhist religious leader thanked the catholic representative, renewing his commitment to work together.
Mgr Kim visited Rev Beopman at Seunwun Temple, in Gochang, Jeulla Province, to celebrate Vesak, marking 2,600 years since the Buddha’s enlightenment.
The prelate also brought a letter from the Vatican addressed to Korea’s Buddhist believers, and donated a copy of the Bible with a picture of Our Lord’s Last Supper.
Stressing the value of respect for nature and human life, Mgr Kim reiterated the importance of the journey of “reconciliation and dialogue” promoted by the great religions.
The Buddhist leader thanked his guest for the gift, stressing the importance of working together with Catholics to seek “new paths to save the world and humanity” through the “dialogue and practice.”
Rev Beopman offered the archbishop green tea and utensils for its preparation, as well as Jakbeupgwigam, a work published by Seunwun Temple.
On Tuesday, the Buddha’s birthday, Card Nicholas Cheong, archbishop of Seoul, sent a message of best wishes to the Korean Jogye Order, stressing the value of the teachings offered by Buddhism as well as the contribution it has made to the progress of the Korean nation. In modern life, the spirit of “sharing and mercy” is essential for a life of virtue, the prelate said.
Mgr Lazarus You, from the Diocese of Daejun, also brought a message of congratulations during a visit to the head of a Buddhist temple in Gwangsu.
During the friendly exchange, the Catholic representative delivered a letter of best wishes from the Vatican and shared in the joyful spirit of the occasion.

Korean Buddhists concern decreasing candidate monks

2011-05-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am quoting an article from the Korea Herald which appeared on May 10, 2011. After the article I am inserting my commentary.

Korea’s biggest Buddhism sect “Jogye” is reportedly anxious about a decreasing number of people seeking to be monks.

The religion prospered in Korea until the end of the Koryo dynasty and, although it has declined since, remains one of the major religions in Korea.

But according to statistics the number of new monks is on the wane.

There were 466 new Jogye monks in 2005, but just 274 in 2011. The number of preparatory monks has also showed a gradual decrease of 5 percent every year since 2004.

Of the 10,744 Jogye monks in Korea today, about 3,688 are in their 40s, and 3,368 in their 50s. Just 62 monks are in their 20s.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is seeking for solutions to the problem including extending the current age limit of between 15 and 50. An official from the Order said, “the number of people seeking ‘chulga’ is falling due to multiple reasons, including the decrease in population. We will prepare a countermove by end of the year.”

Others claimed that materialism in Korea has caused the decrease. “The young generation no longer wishes to do hard things,” one elder monk said.

Those wishing to be a Jogye monk must live in a temple and complete several study courses. After that, they become preparatory monks -- “sami” for male, “samini” for female. They continue studying for four years for a Buddhism degree to become an official monk -- “bigu” or “biguni.”

The process of preparing to become a monk is called “chulga,” which literally means “leaving home.”

By Kang Yoon-seung (koreacolin@gmail.com)
Intern reporter

I am going to first briefly talk about a religion that took hold in America before the United States was a country. The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends. Founded upon the teachings of Ann Lee, Shakers today are mostly known for their cultural contributions (especially style of music and furniture). However, the Shakers' enduring legacy includes their model of equality of the sexes (or gender equality), which they institutionalized in their society in the 1780s.

At its height with some eighteen active societies, over 100,000 acres of land, and thousands of members, the Shakers constituted a multistate corporation. Central authority rested with the two elders and two elderesses at the New Lebanon society, east of Albany in New York, with the head elder or elderess the official head. Elders appointed their successors. Each Shaker society was governed by two elders and two elderesses assisted by deacons, who managed the day-to-day operation of the society, and trustees, who dealt with the outside world and were essentially the financial managers. Within the communities, the Shakers were divided into Families of about one hundred persons each, who lived and worked separately from other families and with strict sexual segregation within the families. Despite the fairly rigid social structure, authoritarian rule was the exception; social cohesion was mostly the result of a shared commitment to Shaker values and beliefs. All property was owned communally, and new members were required to turn over all personal property to the society upon signing the covenant. This was a major source of the large acreage owned by the Shakers, but also the cause of a number of lawsuits by former members and heirs of deceased members. These suits were nearly always decided in favor of the Shakers.

An issue of this lay religious order has been that they demand celibacy from their members, and along with the strict rules of engagement, there are now only three living Shakers left in their religion, and the three remaining members are steadfast in not changing the rules. The two women are in their eighties and the last male is in his late fifties.

Let us shift now to the Catholic Church. At the end of 2007, Vatican records showed 408,024 Catholic priests in the world, 762 more than at the beginning of the year. This continued a trend of moderate growth, which began in 2000 following more than two decades of decrease. The main growth areas have been Asia and Africa, with 21.1 percent and 27.6 percent growth respectively. In North and South America, numbers have remained approximately the same, while there was a 6.8 percent decline in Europe and a 5.5 percent decrease in Oceania from 2000 to 2007. Priest from Asia and Africa are now being assigned to Churches in staunchly Catholic countries like France and Ireland, due to a shortage of local priests.

Jainism used to be a dominant religion in India, in fact, Śakyamuni Buddha studied with Mahavir who was the 24th and the last Tirthankara (perfect arhat) of Jainism. Today, because of its very strict rules, only slightly more that four million Jains practice the religion today. As India has experienced a growth as a world power many of these Jain practitioners have relocated to Europe and to the US; however, they have no teachers in these countries. Because their monastic codes prevent the Monks and Nuns (Teachers) from wearing shoes, staying in one place more than a day and even traveling on an Ox Cart, much less a car or boat or plane, they have to try and make due with their own faith and draw together as communities. Several monastics have tried to break with tradition, but they failed as they have been rejected by their communities, much as Buddha was initially rejected by his followers when he broke his long fast and ate some nourishing food.

So, we can read the story of Buddha going against some idea (form) he was following to 'attain enllighentment' and yet so many are attached to the form that was created following his death, which we call Buddhism today. Also, the supposition from the lead article "“The young generation no longer wishes to do hard things,” one elder monk said" is part of the reason why these organizations are experiencing declines. Is is more difficult to live the life of a monk than live the life of a Lay Person? My Zen training tells me that this is entering into the realm of opposites, one is not better or superior to the other; and yet many of those on the path have this attitude, that somehow what they are doing is much more significant that what the guy on the street working two jobs, going to night school and trying to maintain relations with his wife and kids. I won't comment on this as there is nothing to say about it.

I was recently talking to a friend of mine, who had recent conversations with someone who gave up his lay life and entered into the Chogye Order. He was saying how important it was to learn how to do what he was told and to not question anything his teacher told him to do. I went through that kind of training at Lackland AFB in 1974, and only learned that it was easier to give up to the 'system' if you didn't want to inherit a pile of shit in retribution. I will stop now before I embarrass myself further for having an opinion about all of this.

It has probably gone under the radar, but there are no longer any Monks/Nuns in Kwan Um North America, please see Jihyang Sunim’s post Looking Back. Although the Kwan Um monastic order seems to be thriving in Kwan Um Asia and Europe respectively.

Now, it is unfair of me to judge a path that I have never engaged in, as I am an Ordained Lay Practitioner and Teacher in a Lay Order. I think that many people feel displaced and confused in our modern world and these people are honestly seeking a spiritual practice, in fact I believe there is a huge demand for it; however, I do not think that the old model of 'home leaving' and celibacy will persevere. This, of course, will not happen in my lifetime, yet I believe that it will come to pass at some point.

We need to begin to wake up to people's needs and model our spiritual practices around engaged and sectarian lives, there will always be a handful of those who wish to sequester themselves from society; however, the people to carry all religions forward in the future will be living in this world and of this world and will know the two worlds and call them as one.

A Buddha’s Birthday celebration

2011-05-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

In the above photo, Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, right, Roman Catholic archbishop of Seoul, smiles at a young Buddhist monk playing at Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral in downtown Seoul, May 9.

A group of Children monks visited the cathedral to view a documentary entitled, “A Chair of Venerable Beopjeong,” on the late Buddhist leader Venerable Beopjeong. The Catholic Church held a preview of the film one day before Buddha’s Birthday to express religious love and harmony.

In the photo below, young boys with shaved heads wear 3D glasses as they watch 3D TV monitors at the SK Telecom Ubiquitous Museum in Seoul.

The children entered the Jogye Temple, the main temple of Korean Buddhism’s Jogye Order, to experience a monk’s life in the short term to celebrate Buddha’s Birthday, which falls on May 10, the eighth day of April by the lunar calendar.

(Photo by Kim Jung-hyo and Lee Jung-a)

Ten Buddhist monks allowed in North Korea

2011-05-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

by Joseph Yun Li-sun

The ten men belong to the Jogye Order, the oldest and most respected tradition of Korean Buddhism. With the agreement of South Korean authorities, they delivered medical drugs for people in the North. They also visited a northern temple that does not have any pictures of the Kims. “It seems there are real worshippers,” one source told AsiaNews.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – Only religion can save the North Korean people from total destruction. After decades of humanitarian aid, ran mostly by Caritas South Korea, South Korean religious groups, both Catholic and Buddhist, are able to get around the ban on international aid to North Korea imposed by Seoul and Washington. “Ten Buddhist monks arrived in North Korea with government approval to bring essential drugs for the population,” a source told AsiaNews.

The venerable monks from the Jogye Order spent a day in North Korea, entering the border region near Mount Kumgang. The ten men visited one of the oldest Buddhist temples in all of Korea, located in the north, at the foot of the mountain. Inside the place of worship, they did not see any pictures of Kim Jong-il, or his father, Kim Il-sung, an exceptional circumstance since every place of worship in North Korea is usually used to venerate the two dictators.

Monks gave a village chief more than 100,000 anthelmintic tablets to kill parasitic worms. Many North Koreans suffer from them because of poor nutrition and lack of hygiene.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation, North Koreans have the worst diet and healthcare in the world.

“What struck me the most was the temple visit. We did not see any of the regime’s symbols but saw those of our faith,” the source told AsiaNews. “Although there were no worshippers, it is clear that someone is keeping the place clean and in order. This filled by heart with hope because it means that there are still some Buddhists in North Korea, even if they are hiding.”

S.Korean Buddhist Sect Seeks Joint Rites for Buddha’s Birthday

2011-05-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is pushing for joint Buddhist rites for Buddha’s birthday on May tenth.

The Jogye order said it had requested the Unification Ministry permission to visit the North, where it plans to hold a joint ceremony with the North Korean Buddhist Federation at Singye Temple in Mount Geumgang.

Upon government approval, the Jogye order will send ten delegates headed by the Venerable Hyegyeong. It will also deliver relief supplies to the impoverished nation.

A Jogye order official said the request was submitted on April 22nd.

The Jogye order had held joint rites with its North Korean counterparts on Buddha’s Birthday each year since 2000. However, the joint rites were halted since 2009, after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed at the Mount Geumgang resort in July 2008 and also due to the sinking of the South Korean navy vessel the “Cheonan” in March 2010.

Vesak 2011

2011-05-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]

Buddha’s mother, whose name was Maya had a strange dream of a Bodhisattva descending from heaven and riding on a white elephant that touched her side with its trunk, and she became pregnant with the Buddha.

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]

When Buddha was born, he sprang from his mother's side, walked seven paces in the four cardinal directions, then he said, “Heaven above, earth below, only I am holy.”

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]

Soon after his birth, a sage named Asita predicted that the child would grow up to be a holy man,
rather than following his father as ruler.

Are a mothers dream, a baby who walks and talks from birth and a sage who prophesizes a saint, the same or different?

KATZ!

They are all no good! We are all awake together; I am giving a Dharma Speech, and the room is full of smiling faces.

Happy Buddha's Birthday, everyone.

Following a life of pleasure and luxury, in the spring of his twenty-ninth year, Prince Gautama Siddhartha became troubled and didn’t know why, so he decided to leave the sheltered palace enclosure to view the flowers in full bloom; but instead, for the first time in his life he came face to face with the world's pain and misery. Departing through the eastern gate on the first day, Śakyamuni was troubled by the sight of an old, decrepit man who was barely able to walk. On the second day, passing out through the southern gate, he came upon a man suffering from a debilitating illness. On the third day, leaving by the western gate, he came in contact with a corpse surrounded by weeping mourners. Finally, travelling towards the north on the fourth day, he met a mendicant monk, and resolved to follow this holy man's example.
He was now fully aware of the sorrow that pervaded the world outside the sheltered life of the palace, Śakyamuni resolved to abandon his opulent life as a prince, vowing instead to seek through fasting and meditation a way to relieve the sufferings of humankind. Fearing that his father would try to prevent his departure, he decided to leave secretly at night. The king's guards fell into a deep sleep, and four nature spirits (yakshas) lifted the Prince's horse Kanthaka into the air, so that his hooves would make no noise on the cobblestoned pavement.
As an ascetic in the Himalayan Mountains, the former prince lived an austere life of self-denial – fasting, subjecting his body to strict discipline, meditating in the lotus position in all weather. Yet after six years, enlightenment still eluded him. He came down from the mountains, bathed, and sat beneath a fichus tree at Gaya, vowing not to move from that spot until he attained full enlightenment. Finally, at age 35, on the night of a full moon, Sakyamuni attained enlightenment. (From this time forward, the fichus tree under which he sat would be known as the Bodhi tree, or tree of enlightenment.) As he was alone with no one to witness this momentous event, he called the Earth itself to be his witness by touching the ground with his right hand in a gesture known as the Earth Witness mudra.
Sometime in the early 1990’s, a famous Italian Movie Director released a movie titled, ‘Little Buddha’, which was about a young boy in Seattle, Washington how was supposed to be a reincarnated Tibetan Lama. The story is about the adventure the young boy goes through traveling through India and Nepal. During the movie there is a counter story where the Director depicts the life of Buddha as the boy learns his story. I remember asking Zen Master Seung Sahn what he thought about the movie after he had seen it and he replied that it was a big mistake. He told me that this was the typical view of Buddha as the story ends when Buddha attains enlightenment. He said that in the West we are goal oriented and that the real meaning of Buddha’s life was the 45 years of teaching that followed his englightenment.
So, from humble beginnings, this selfless man eventually gave us the Tripitaka, which is the collection of his teachings. A full set of these teachings are housed in two very large buildings at Haein Sa in Korea, and it is said to be the last full collection of Sutras and Shastras carved into large wooden blocks. There are 84,000 volumes at Haein Sa. It would take many years to read all of these teachings and many more years trying to understand them. However, luckily for us Śakyamuni said something very important just before he entered into Nirvana. At the age of 80, he was surrounded by his discliples and Mahakasyapa asked him, “How will we continue once you have left us, who will guide the Sangha?” To this Buddha gently smiled and said, “Of the myriad tens of thousands of words attributed to me, of the myriad tens of thousands of words attributed to me, do not believe even one of them. Find your own true self and become a light unto yourself.”
This is why we celebrate such a great man’s birth for more than 2,600 years, for he taught us the meaning of the true path to enlightenment.

I'd like to end with a poem written by a very great Zen Master. The poem, called “Original Face,” is by Zen Master Seung Sahn:

So much suffering in Nirvana castles,
So joyous to sink into this world.

When in old clothes you call yourself
Buddha, what do you call yourself in silk?

Wooden man went out with shoes at night,
Stone woman came back with hat in morning.

You, for the first time, can perceive when you
Pick up the moon three times as it floats on the pond.

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]
Very big Golden Buddha on the main altar.

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]
Tiny baby Buddha on the side altar.

[Raise Zen stick overhead and hit table]
A room full of smiling Buddhas.

Are these the same or different?

Today is Sunday, May 1st and we are all at the Zen Center of Las Vegas. Thank you for your generous support today and for the rest of your lives.

My Response to all the Genpo Roshi Controversy

2011-04-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7

7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

B3 Conspiracy

2011-04-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN (on saxophone) has been my best friend and Dharma Brother for about 22 years and he posted this video of the band he has been working with playing together recently in Las Vegas. Thom is the Guiding Teacher and founder of the Zen Center of Las Vegas, which was founded by him back in early 1993.

Thom said on his recent Facebook post; "I invite all my friends to listen to the
jazz group I've been playing with for awhile now: B3 Conspiracy, we're having a blast. Hand held camera, so the sound is not recording quality, but fun nonetheless."

Stephen Batchelor: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

2011-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Stephen Batchelor talks about Confession of a Buddhist Atheist.

According to Batchelor, the outlook of the Buddha was far removed from the religiosity that has come to define much of Buddhism as we know it today. He argues that the Buddha was a man more focused on life in this world than the afterlife.

The first smart phone application developed by the Jogye Order

2011-04-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

The Bureau of Dharma Propagation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism unveiled its first smart phone applications, which were developed as part of the Jogye Order’s efforts to adapt to and utilize the ever changing digital space for the propagation of Buddhism.
Ven. Jeongho, Head of the Department of Propagation Research, the Bureau of Dharma Propagation held a press conference at the meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Korean Buddhist Culture and History Memorial Hall and introduced new smart phone applications entitled ‘Hello Dharma School’ and ‘Heart
Sutra (chanting).’ Developed by the Department of Propagation Research, these apps will be distributed and made available for free at Apple’s App Store, Android Market, T Store and KT Olleh Market.
The ‘Hello Dharma School’ app is based on the English program for Buddhist children televised on BTN (Buddhist Television Network) and English materials for Buddhist youth education published on Buddhist newspapers. The application is expected to generate much attention due to its unique contents and layout specially designed to appeal to children. The ‘Heart Sutra (chanting) ’ app is deliberately uncomplicated and straightforward for ease of use. The pure and clear chanting voice and the beautiful image will serve
as ‘a refuge of the heart’ for many people fatigued by the exigencies of modern life.
The ‘Hello Dharma School’ and ‘Heart Sutra Apps (chanting)’apps can be downloaded free of charge on all smart phones. Lee Hyeon-su, the President of the Jogyesa Temple Laity Association recited the aspiration prayer called
“Aspiration for World Peace.” Thereafter, Cheongryangsa Temple abbot led the ceremony for the repose the spirits and to send the diseased to a better rebirth. After the ceremony, participants went around the Jogyesa Temple grounds in a farewell ceremony. Then, a fire ceremony, burning the names of the diseased, ended the services.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id406108784?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id412560816?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id360391866?mt=8

About Five Mountain Buddhist Seminary

2011-04-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

About Five Mountain Buddhist Seminary from Jiun Foster on Vimeo.

Laura Neal, Five Mountain seminarian and new student mentor talks about her decision to study with Five Mountain Buddhist Seminary. Five Mountain is a community of Buddhist practitioners devoted to intensive study of Buddhist view and the contemplative practices through which we can personally engage these teachings and apply them to our own experience.

Believing in the utmost necessity of realizing our true nature, and embodying this realization in our everyday lives, we work to build lives, and therefore a world, of clarity, sanity, equanimity and compassion.

Buddhism is both something we are – our true nature expressing itself moment by moment – and something we do – a disciplined practice through which we can realize the joy of being. Instead of trying to catch up to where we think we ought to be, or trying to redirect the flow of the universe, through our Buddhist practices, we allow ourselves to experience life as it really is: vibrant, unimpeded, interconnected, ever-present.

Five Mountain upholds the importance of non-sectarianism and an appreciation for the many forms of Buddhism. Therefore, students of any background are welcomed and encouraged to participate in our activities, enter the seminary program, and even seek Buddhist ordination within the Five Mountain Order.

VATICAN NOTE ON OCCASION OF BUDDHIST VESAKHA

2011-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

"Seeking Truth in Freedom: Christians and Buddhists Live in Peace"

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 31, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the letter of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue addressed to Buddhists on the occasion of Vesakha, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha.

The message is titled "Seeking Truth in Freedom: Christians and Buddhists Live in Peace," and is signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the dialogue council, and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, its secretary.

Vesakha is observed this year in on April 8 in Japan, May 10 in Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and those that follow the Mahayana traditions, and on May 17 in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and those of the Theravada school.

* * *

Dear Buddhist Friends,

1. On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue I am happy once again to offer heartfelt good wishes to all of you on the occasion of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri. I pray that this annual feast may bring serenity and joy to Buddhists throughout the world.

2. In the light of an exchange of mutual friendship, as in the past, I would like to share with you some of our convictions in the hope of strengthening relations between our communities. My thoughts turn first to the relationship between peace, truth and freedom. In the pursuit of authentic peace, a commitment to seek truth is a necessary condition. All persons have a natural duty to seek truth, to follow it and freely to live their lives in accordance with it (Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, no. 1). This human striving for truth offers a fruitful opportunity for the followers of the different religions to encounter one another in depth and to grow in appreciation of the gifts of each.

3. In today’s world, marked by forms of secularism and fundamentalism that are often inimical to true freedom and spiritual values, interreligious dialogue can be the alternative choice by which we find the "golden way" to live in peace and work together for the good of all. As Pope Benedict XVI has said, "for the Church, dialogue between the followers of the different religions represents an important means of cooperating with all religious communities for the common good" (Message for the World Day of Peace 2011, no. 11). Such dialogue is also a powerful stimulus to respect for the fundamental human rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of worship. Wherever religious freedom is effectively acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root; by the sincere search for what is true and good, moral conscience and civil institutions are strengthened; and justice and peace are firmly established (Cf. ibid., no. 5).

4. Dear Buddhist friends, we pray that your celebration of Vesakh will be a source of spiritual enrichment and an occasion to take up anew the quest of truth and goodness, to show compassion to all who suffer, and to strive to live together in harmony. Once again allow us to express our cordial greetings and to wish all of you a Happy Feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri.

Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran

President

Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata

Secretary

Five Mountain Spring Retreat 2011

2011-03-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Although we have awakened to original nature, beginningless habit energies are extremely difficult to remove suddenly. Hindrances are formidable and habits are deeply ingrained. So how could you neglect gradual cultivation simply because of one moment of awakening? After awakening you must be constantly on your guard. If deluded thoughts suddenly appear, do not follow after them. Then and only then will your practice reach completion.

Zen Master Chinul, "Facing the Heat"

We returned to Las Vegas to the wonderful space that is the Zen Center of Las Vegas (Dae Myong Son Won) at the invitation of Rev. Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN. The transformation that I have witnessed to this location over the past twelve months is phenomenal. Ten Thousand Eight Hundred bows to Jim Standford who is truly a great Bodhisattva.

We were all blessed, including the local Sangha, to attend an amazing Dharma Talk by Zen Master Hae Kwang (Stan Lombardo) and Judy Roitman, JDPSN on Thursday evening. They shared Zen Master Seung Sahn's Dharma with precision and insight.

Our group practiced hard and we all shared in a Precepts Ceremony and a Special Panel discussion by our four Psychology Professionals on Zen and Psychology in the twenty first century.

Rev. Jishou Sears became a Senior Dharma Teacher, Rev. Jigen Billings took seventy four precepts and became a Bodhisattva Priest following his Graduation from the Five Mountain Seminary with a Masters in Buddhist Studies. Additionally, Rev. Chongan Denton became a Dharma Priest and both Bonjok Hoff and Bonyon Neal became Novice Priests.

We are a small and growing Sangha, and many of our members were not able to make this retreat, as time continues we will hopefully have more opportunities to share together in the future.

My congratulations to all who have committed to service in the Dharma, and my honest appreciation for everyone's dedication.

Zen Master Kusan sunim (nine mountain)

2011-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Jack Ferguson shared this on Facebook and I thought more people ought to see it. Among Master Kusan's written works are his 1975 book, Seven Perfections, aimed at bringing Buddhism back into daily life, and his 1976 book, Nine Mountains, an English version of his dharma talks, written for the benefit of his foreign disciples. After receiving much attention from scholars of Buddhism and eastern philosophy around the world, Nine Mountains was revised and published in Korean as Seok Saja (Stone Lion). After Master Kusan's passing, his foreign disciples published Seon! My Choice, a compilation of their impressions and experiences regarding Korean Buddhism and their Seon training at the Bulil International Seon Center. In 1985, Master Kusan's disciples Stephen Batchelor and Martine Fages edited an English compilation of his dharma teachings, The Way of Korean Zen. The Society of Kusan Followers also published Kusan Seonmun (Seon Teachings of Kusan) in 1994, a volume of the Master's Seon sermons, and Kusan Seonpung (Seon Tradition of Kusan)in 1997, a collection of his dharma sermons delivered in the early 1980s while touring the United States, Taiwan, Europe and elsewhere

Monastery Life

2011-02-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand.

He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk, says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son."

He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery
where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked
vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go
by and nobody sees the old abbot.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing,
"We missed the " R" ! , we missed the "R" !"

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying
uncontrollably. The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?"

With A choking voice, the old abbot replies, "The word was...

CELEBRATE !!!"

Just in Case you thought that Only we in the West have Issues

2011-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Infighting at Somang Church and Bongeun Temple

A fistfight and allegations of political interference have led both groups to call for resignations of their respective leaders

By Lim Ji-sun

“Reverend Kim Jie-chul, step down!”

This was the chant of around ten elders gathered at the chapel of the second Somang Church education building in Seoul’s Gangnam District around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Somang is a megachurch that President Lee Myung-bak also attends, and from which many of his appointments are made. That day marked the holding of the first church session since a violent incident on Jan. 2 between head Pastor Kim Jie-chul and two vice pastors. The church session, a conference in which the church’s pastors and elders gather to handle important matters, was supposed to be held on Jan. 5, but was delayed because of the incident.

Kim, who has avoided the press since the incident, said that he was “sorry to have shocked the church session members, believers, and Korean churches and society due to a violent incident that took place within the church at the beginning of the new year.”

In response, elder Gang Sam-hong stood up and delivered a statement on behalf of “all praying elders” in which he charged that “the head pastor issues improper orders to vice pastors and forces them to fall in line.”

“He must take responsibility for this situation,” he continued.

Around ten elders stood up and repeated chants demanding the head pastor’s resignation, after which they departed the meeting. The session resumed around twenty minutes later.

Kim said that day that believers had requested suspensions and bars to church access for the two vice pastors who caused the violent incident at the Korean Presbyterian Church and submitted that request for a vote. However, no vote took place due to objections from the congregation.

“Venerable Jinwha, head of Bongeun Temple and Jaseung must step down immediately!”

Members of the Laypeople’s Association, a believers’ group at Bongeun Temple in Seoul’s Gangnam District, distributed 700 copies of a statement at 1 p.m. Thursday. In it, they said that “the designation of Bongeun Temple as subject to direct management and the departure of Venerable Myeongjin are lamentable actions that sell out all believers.”

“Secretary-general of the Jogye Order Jaseung and Venerable Jinwha, who now seeks to gag believers, must step down,” the statement said.

The calls from Buddhists grew fiercer after Bongeun Temple shut down its web site on Feb. 11. The temple explained that it was a “temporary suspension of service due to reorganization work,” but believers countered that “the unilateral closure of a Buddhists’ forum for communication is an attempt to shut their eyes, ears, and mouths."

After the objections from believers grew more strenuous, the temple partially resumed service for the web site Friday morning. However, posts from prior to Thursday criticizing management of the temple by its head monk had been deleted in their entirety. Bongeun Temple announced that it would “delete writings that damage the harmony and order of Bongeun Temple” from the new bulletin board.

In response, a Laypeople’s Association member said, “Ever since Venerable Jinhwa arrived as head monk, people who were close to Venerable Myeongjin have been shut out of the temple’s operation.”

“If the biased operation of the temple continues, we will wage a campaign for the head monk’s resignation and a refusal to make offerings,” the member added.

A previous scandal unfolded around Bongeun Temple among allegations that then-GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo (now chairman) placed outside pressure on a Buddhist leader to put the Bongeun Temple under the direct management of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Bongeun Temple, located in the wealthy Gangnam District, was previously led by Venerable Myeongjin, an outspoken critic of the Lee administration. The scandal abruptly subsided with the sinking of the Cheonan.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha (Sanskrit)

2011-02-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

Ji-jang Bosal (Korean)
Dizhang Pusa (Chinese)

Kshitigarbha literally means "earth store bodhisattva." One of the four Great Bodhisattvas in Asian Buddhism. He is venerated in folk belief as a savior from the torments of hell and helper of the deceased. Sometimes he is also regarded as a protector of travelers. He is the only bodhisattva portrayed as a monk, however also with an urna (one of the thirty-two marks of perfection) on the forehead. His attributes are the wish-fulfilling gem and a monk's staff with six rings, which signifies that Ji-jang Bosal stands by all beings in the six realms of existence.

Ji-jang Bosal, through his supernatural power, can take on six different forms in order to help the beings of the six modes of existence. In a special ceremony, which is generally held on the 49th day after the death of a sangha member, the sangha member invokes Ji-jang Bosal in front of an ancestor tablet erected on behalf of the deceased and supplicates him to guide the deceased to the pure land of the Buddha Amitabha. Then follows the recitation of a mantra through which the deceased is summoned back so that he/she can hear the teachings expounded. The ceremony ends with the invocation of Amitabha Buddha and Ji-jang Bosal.

Also Ji-jang Bosal is well known for his vow: "If all sentient beings in hell are not released from the cycle of existence, I would never attain enlightenment.

According to certain Buddhist lore or myth, when someone dies they go to the place of the Ten Kings, wherever such place may be. Every seven days the Ten Kings serve as judges at a court. Seven times seven, they go to court. The judges ask the newly deceased, “What kind of good action did you do when you were alive and what kind of bad action did you do?” According to your good or bad action, a certain kind of rebirth is attained or you may be sent to a certain realm.

Of course, there is an inner meaning to all of this. At this time after someone dies, during this 49 period, their mind opens up in an unusual way and all of their karma comes before them. So their energies lead them in particular ways and they gravitate according to their energy pull toward those things that they need yet to learn in a rebirth. That is the inner meaning of this ‘judgment’ of the Ten Kings.

The Ten Kings dwell only in one’s own mind. Perhaps they may be viewed as ten levels of awareness. So if someone has made good karma then they go to a place that is good. If someone has made bad karma, they go to a place that is bad. But, if someone has perceived the essential true meaning that there is no birth and not death, then they perceive the Mind of No Hindrance and then coming and going is all just this Bodhisattva path or Bodhicitta “Altruistic Intention.”

So, this 49 day period has several aspects to it. In a sense this is not so much a ceremony or a period for us as it is a time to try to help the person who has died to keep a clear mind during this time before rebirth. We chant certain mantras and names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to call on the mystic powers of those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to help the dead person wake up and get enlightenment. There are certain Dharma speeches given during this time to remind the person to keep clear mind and perceive the essential true meaning of no life, no death. Also, besides offering the service to the person who has just died, we also make compassionate offerings toward all suffering beings in tall realms who are still wondering somewhere. We transfer the merit of any good karma that comes from this to our dearly departed love ones.

Zen Master Subong

2011-01-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

Su Bong Sonsa (January 7, 1943—July 17, 1994) was the first Zen Master in the Kwan Um School of Zen, as well as the designated heir of Seung Sahn's lineage. Of both Korean and Chinese heritage, he was born in Kona, Hawaii. He was born as See Hoy Liao and had a very deep question about the nature of reality. He eventually settled in Los Angeles about the same time that Zen Master Seung Sahn had also appeared in LA. See Hoy was already practicing with Dr. Thich Thien An (a Vietnamese Zen Master) and Hearn Roshi (a Japanese Zen Master.) He also added interviews and practice with Seung Sahn, which brought him to a very confusing point in his practice which is highlighted in the book, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha.

Su Bong began his practice with Seung Sahn in 1974, helping to establish many Zen groups and temples for the lineage in the years that followed. In 1981 he received inka from Seung Sahn, making him a Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (JDPSN) in the lineage and, in 1983, he was ordained a sunim and given the Buddhist name Mu Deung. He received Dharma transmission on October 11, 1992. On July 17, 1994, Su Bong died of unknown causes at a retreat while conducting dokusan in Hong Kong. Today the Kwan Um School of Zen has a practice center in his name located in Hong Kong and named Su Bong Zen Monastery.

The Stove Breaking Monk - Thom Pastor JDPSN

2011-01-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

Dharma talk by Thomas Pastor JDPSN in Suntec City, Singapore 18th September 2010.

Thomas Pastor JDPSN is founder and abbot of the Zen Center of Las Vegas. He began formal study in the Kwan Um School of Zen in the late 1980s with Zen Master Ji Bong and subsequently received inka from Zen Master Seung Sahn on April 6, 2002. Thom and I began practicing with Zen Master Seung Sahn at about the same time, and he and I opened Zen Centers at the same time in the early 1990's. We have traveled extensively through out the US visiting Zen Centers and sitting many retreats together.

Chán Master Pawhui talks with a beginner

2011-01-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

Chán Master Pawhui talks with a beginner about meditation, religion and practicing. He also discusses the issues facing many who are new to meditation practices in general.

Introducing Chán Master Pawhui

2011-01-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

Bhikkhu Buddydharma asks Chán Master Pawhui a few questions

The master discusses various forms of Zen Meditation
by Dochong

Sam Harris and Deepak Chopra: Consciousness and the Brain

2011-01-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

I would like to say that this is the beginning of a very interesting discussion on what constitutes 'I'. There are no winners or losers in this discussion, yet truth pervades both arguements and we must be open to that which transcends all. I will write more on this soon. Wonderful!

Aldous Huxley 1958 Interview with Mike Wallace

2010-12-31T14:03:00.000-08:00

Reading Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' in High School had a dramatic and continuing impact on my life even today, as you may find by listening to this rare interview with him. The other two books that shaped much of my world view were '1984' by George Orwell and 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury.
Much of what Mr. Huxley says is very prevalent today, and all three of these men were true visionaries.

Beomeo-sa monk found hanged

2010-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

A Beomeo-sa monk has been found hanged in eastern coast town of Sokcho, Gangwon Province, casting suspicion that he may be linked to the arson of the temple on Dec. 15.

Police in Busan said that a 48-year-old monk, identified as Yeo in family name, was found dead around 2 p.m. Monday at a motel room in Nohak-dong.

Yeo has left no suicide notes but his address was confirmed as Beomeo-sa, Cheongyong-dong, Geumjeong-gu, on his resident card, a police officer said, adding that the temple also confirmed him as the monk from the temple.

Yeo was checked to have stayed in Gwangsan Temple in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, in the trace of his cellphone calls on Dec. 15, when the main gate of the temple was set aflame, according to the police.

“So far, there has been no evidence that he is involved in the arson in the initial probe,” the police officer said. “But we are still investigating his suicide further.”

Temple fire fuels Buddhists' fury

2010-12-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

By Park Si-soo

The destruction of a wooden gate in a Buddhist temple by arson, Thursday, has put a negative spin on the already chilled relations between Korean Buddhism and President Lee Myung-bak, a devoted Christian.

The fire, which reduced Cheonwangmun gate in a 1300-year-old Beomeo temple in Busan to ashes, broke out amid escalating tension between the second largest religion of the country and President Lee’s Grand National Party (GNP) following a budget cut for “templestay” programs in the process of the GNP’s railroading of next year’s state budget early this month.

It was the latest in a series of cases deepening Buddhists’ hostility against the ruling party and the government during Lee’s presidency.

Police have opened an investigation into the fire and placed a man spotted on a surveillance camera video on a wanted list since flames began to engulf the wooden gate upon his departure from the temple.

Police believe there was no political motive behind the incident. Yet, Buddhist circles seem to be trying to take advantage of the case to gain leverage in its protest against what they call “Christian-friendly” President Lee and his administration.

A group of monks held a press conference in Seoul Thursday morning, just hours after the fire was extinguished. They called for an extensive probe into the incident and condemned President Lee for his “biased” religious policies.

“The number of incidents meant to hurt the properties and value of Buddhism has surged since the Lee administration took over,” an association for young Buddhists said in a statement. “The incident came as a great surprise because it took place at a time when the entire Buddhist circle was raising voices against the ruling party’s short-sighted passage of bills regarding the templestay budget.”

Currently, all Buddhists leaders refuse to have any official meeting with those from the GNP, under the direction of Ven. Jaseung, chief executive of Jogye, the largest Buddhist order. In a statement issued last Friday, Jaseung denounce the budget reduction and urged all Buddhist leaders “not to meet with any figures from the ruling camp.”

Following the incident, the ruling camp moved first to break the deadlock.

Kim Moo-sung, floor leader of the GNP, hurriedly visited the site of the fire about 400 kilometers south of Seoul on the same day it broke out. Kim, an aide to President Lee, offered commiseration to the angered monks there and promised that his party will fully cooperate to restore the burnt structure in the first high-profile meeting between a ruling party lawmaker and a senior monk since the boycotting.

During a lunch with Ven. Jeongyeo, head of Beomeo temple, Kim apologized for the budget reduction and said his party was suffering from “a sense of guilt.”

“We have set plans to secure additional budget for the programs,” Kim told the head monk. “Please forgive us and, if necessary, berate us.”

Presidential spokesman Hong Sang-pyo also talked with the head monk over the phone and delivered President Lee’s message regarding the restoration plan.

However, Ven. Jeongyeo’s meeting with GNP leaders also drew criticism from the Jogye Order leaders who have declared that they will not meet any of GNP members.

Since Lee’s inauguration in early 2008, Buddhist groups have often clashed with his administration over its religious policies and Lee’s alleged bias as a Christian. Lee is well known as an elder of the Christian Somang church in Seoul. The conflict reached the highest level in August 2008 when tens of thousands of monks and Buddhists took to downtown Seoul to hold a massive rally against Lee’s “biased” religious policies.

Mike Monsoor - Navy Seal

2010-12-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Mike Monsoor
April 5th, 1981 – September 29th, 2009
Navy Petty Officer PO2
(Petty Officer, Second Class)
EOD2 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Second Class)

Mike Monsoor was awarded "the Congressional Medal of Honor" last week, for giving his life in Iraq. As he jumped on, and covered with his body, a live hand grenade, saving the lives of a large group of navy seals that was passing by!

During mike Monsoor's funeral, at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery , in San Diego , California, the six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the hearse, and lined up on each side of mike Monsoor’s casket, where his family members, friends, fellow sailors, and well-wishers were present. The column of people continued from the hearse, all the way to the gravesite. What the group did not know at the time was, that every navy seal (45 to be exact) that Mike Monsoor saved that day were scattered throughout the column! As the pallbearers carried the rosewood casket down the column of people to the graveside, the column would collapse and formed the group of people that followed behind. Every time the rosewood casket passed a Navy Seal, he would remove his gold trident pin from his uniform, and slap it down hard, causing the gold trident pin to embed itself into the top of the wooden casket! Then the navy seal would step back from the column, and salute!

Now for those, who do not know what a trident pin is, here is the definition! after one completes the basic navy seals program which lasts for three weeks, and is followed by seal qualification training, which is 15 more weeks of training, necessary to continue improving basic skills and to learn new tactics and techniques, required for an assignment to a navy seal platoon. After successful completion, trainees are given their naval enlisted code, and are awarded the navy seal trident pin. With this gold pin they are now officially navy seals! It was said, that you could hear each of the 45 slaps from across the cemetery! By the time the rosewood casket reached the gravesite, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from the 45 trident pins that lined the top!

This was a fitting end to an eternal send-off for a warrior hero!

Jogye Order to Host 2012 WFB Conference

2010-12-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

The 2012 World Fellowship of Buddhist Conference will be held in Korea hosted by the Jogye Order. The decision came during the 25^th WFB Conference on November 13 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The 26^th WFB Conference will be organized by the Jogye Order and the Jogye Order’s Central Council of the Laity. The plan is to have the conference coincide with the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu City and the very popular Lotus Lantern Festival.

Director of Social Affairs Ven. Hyegyeong said, “The reason for coinciding the conference with the expo and the Lotus Lantern Festival is that it would be a good way to show the world the beauty and richness of Korean Buddhist tradition and to promote Korean Buddhism. We will have a tentative six-day visit plan with half the time spent in Yeosu City and the conference, and the other days to see the Lotus Lantern Festival.”

Jogye Order plans to make strong efforts in seeing the conference to be successful. In this way, the success can be carried over to the 2013 World Religious Leaders Conference, also hosted by the Jogye Order.

The WFB first began in May of 1950 in Sri Lanka as Buddhist representatives from 27 countries met to transcend sectarian barriers. This year marks the 60 year anniversary. Now, 153 WFB branches in 40 countries exist to unify Buddhists from all traditions and uphold the Buddha’s teachings. The conference is held every two years. There are seven WFB branches in

Korea

including the Jogye Order and the Jogye Order Central Council of the Laity.

Korea

hosted the 17^th WFB Conference in 1990 in Seoul. Now the conference returns after 22 years. The opportunity to host the WFB conference will be a chance to showcase the excellence of Korean Buddhism and share with the world Korean Buddhist cultural treasures such as templestay, temple food, and the Lotus Lantern Festival.

The 25^th WFB Conference, with the theme “Solving Social Issues with Dharma,” was held on November 13 in Colombo. Along with the conference, a Board of Directors Meeting, a symposium, and the 60-year Commemoration Ceremony were held until November 17. More than 500 representatives from North Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, and other countries attended this year’s conference.