Eastern Buddhism meets 21st Century Buddhism

Ani Choying Drolma has done what she can in this situation

I have recently become disappointed by the lack of skillful Buddhist compassion shown to a Nepalese Buddhist Nun who was gang raped and now is facing ex-communication.

The twenty nine year old Buddhist nun from Nepal, was allegedly raped by five men on a bus in July of 2011. Following the horrendous attack, at least a dozen 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 gap between Eastern and Western interpretations of the Buddhadharma, I am saddened that arcane social convention is overriding common sense and compassion in this case. Śakyamuni Buddha was a radical who did not follow the social mores of his day, he did not discriminate based upon Caste or Sex which did not make him popular with the local powers of his time. The point is that he was pushing the boundaries of what was and was not acceptable.

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

Compounding the stress of being raped to discover that your Sangha is willing to abandon their support of your original dedication for some external event totally outside of your control.  This is simple male misogynistic rhetoric, which dominates the current incarnation of Eastern Buddhism.  

The Nepal Buddhist Federation’s official stance on this matter is, “Such a thing never happened in the Buddha’s lifetime . . . So he did not leave instructions about how to deal with the situation.” This is mere pipelining to state this publically, it is the purest form of fundamental legalizism that destroys all religions in the end. It now seems that the federation has been strongly urged to reconsider their judgement following repeated complaints from the International Community. Their current stance is, "[The federation] will do everything in its power to help restore the dignity of the nun and continue to fight for justice," found recently on a statement from their website.

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

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

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

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

A Short Diversion before Buddhist Geeks

I was attending a Buddhist Conference this past weekend, and one of my friends from Oakland was also planning on attending the event as well. Because he was flying in from out of town, I told him I would pick him up at the LA Airport. The event was being held at the University of the West which is about forty miles from LAX, but Al’s plane landed about six hour before the conference was scheduled to commence. I thought about what we could do, besides going to a restaurant and having lunch, and realized that Al had never had the opportunity to visit Hsi Lai Temple. Because the temple was practically on the way to the event, we agreed we could both go and visit this unique facility together.

Rev. Al Jigen Billings, BPSN

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

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

The temple is affiliated with one of Taiwan's largest religious organizations, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. It is one of the first overseas branch temples, and is often called the "Western torch of Dharma" by order members. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates all of the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism - primarily the Línjì Chán and 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's bicentennial celebration. Master Hsing Yun was asked by American friends to build a monastery in the United States. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked the Venerable Tzu Chuang (who, upon the inception of the temple, became the founding and first abbess of Hsi Lai Temple) and Yi Heng to plan and organize the construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It was officially registered under the name of International Buddhist Progress Society. Until the temple was complete, Ven. Tzu Chuang bought an old church building, which was to be Hsi Lai's temporary headquarters. The original temple, 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. Immediately after its opening, Hsi Lai was the venue of many important events. The 16th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the 7th conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth were held from November 19 to the 26th, an international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monastics was held for over a month, and a Liberation Rite of Water and Land, the first of its kind in North America, was held prior to the temple's opening.

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

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

What Buddha said about eating meat

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

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.

A new global interest in Korean Studies

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

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.

Tohoku Earthquake Memorial Sutra Mound

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

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

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

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

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)

Stephen Batchelor: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

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.

About Five Mountain Buddhist Seminary

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

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"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

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.

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

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)

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.