Buddhism in the news: September 2012

The following is part of my monthly "Buddhism in the News" series, where I provide links to articles about Buddhism, along with news of prominent Buddhists and everyday laypeople. I welcome you to browse the linked articles below and read what interests you. Enjoy!

1. Nazi-acquired Buddha statue came from space Brought to Europe from Tibet by Nazi archeologists/scientists, this is a Buddhist artifact that was likely carved from ataxite metorites that are believed to have fallen near the Siberian-Mongolian border 10,000-20,000 years ago. Article is from LiveScience via Fox News. For another look at this intriguing artifact, see this article from National Geographic. (One of the comments of this second article aptly points out the mistake of describing the statue as of a 'Buddhist god')
UPDATE: "Space-Buddha" may be a fake. Additional inquiries to the story surrounding this supposedly 1000 year-old artifact have brought the age of the item into question. Archeologists address the possibility that the statue carved from an ataxite meteorite is a western reproduction crafted between 1910 and 1970, mostly to appeal to the Nazi-memorabilia market.  

2. Rioters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh Violence erupted in Bangladesh after a Buddhist man posted a photo defaming the Koran on facebook. 25,000 people rioted, set fire to Buddhist temples and homes, and looted businesses. These events mirror the sectarian violence and tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Article is from AFP via The Deccan Chronicle.

3. We need to be 21st century Buddhists: Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama talks about human emotions and intelligence, the growing influence of Buddhism, and suggests that temples and monasteries also become places of learning. Article is from the Times of India.

4. Steven Colbert vs. Buddhism A silly montage of Colbert's rantings and ramblings about Buddhism. (Not exactly accurate- 5000 years after Buddha's death? lol) Video posted on Huffington Post. 

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Please share your thoughts about whatever captured your interest in the comments. Also please let me know if I missed something by providing the title of the article. I will google it and include it here, with credit to you! :) Finally, if you are reading this at a later date, please inform me of any dead links, since some newspapers only post articles for a short time before archiving them. Thank you!

May all beings be happy!

Back again (and hopefully 100%)

As you may recall, September was going to be my great Anniversary Celebration, to commemorate  five years on the Buddhist Path. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. On the second of this month I tripped and had a bad fall, busting open my knee. As if that wasn't bad enough, the cut became infected, so I was put on a course of strong antibiotics. Although I was very happy and thankful to be quickly rid of the infection, the antibiotics wore me out! 

The good news is that as far as I can tell, I am recovered, and ready to get back to writing here at BCB! As always, I look forward to your comments and interacting with you. Thanks for bearing with me!

With Metta,

Renata

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May all beings be happy! 

In remembrance

Before I publish my next few posts, I thought it was important to offer some words of remembrance on this day that is significant to so many of us. 

The following is what I feel in my heart as I remember the events, the victims, the heros (many being one in the same), and the resolve and compassion of a nation on 9.11.2001.

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As I learned of the planes crashed into buildings

and the many who had perished,

my heart broke for those innocent souls and their families.

As I learned of the bold actions of heros, 

who's last deeds were to save the lives of others,

my heart sobered with reverence for their bravery and compassion.

As I listened to and read the countless stories of those left behind, 

Stories of pain and suffering, but also of courage and hope,

my heart became aware that with love and wisdom, violence and hatred cannot crush us so easily. 

And As I sit here today, alive in this moment

I remember the events, the people, the words, the emotions, 

and my heart feels all these things once again. 

May those who were lost be blessed and remembered, always.  

Though borne from the mud beneath the dark water, Hope is the open lotus, luminous under a clear blue sky.

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May all beings be happy!

Happy Anniversary!

As I wrote a few weeks ago, today is the beginning of my month-long celebration of the fifth year anniversary of my first embarking upon the Buddhist path. I am excited about this celebration and hope to embrace it as much as possible. To understand where I'm coming from, I have written for you a short summary of what first inspired me.

In the summer of 2007, I was feeling overwhelmed with work and worry. The familiar feeling of searching for something that would help me feel more at peace with welled up in me once again. I'd had enough of self-help books, the initial enthusiasm they invoked, and the inevitable disappointment of realizing the author's theories and advice did not apply to me. Instead I just wanted to read something that would help me feel more at ease, so on a whim I chose the book 'Open Heart Clear Mind' from Amazon. On a quiet and pleasant August afternoon, I read the whole book while sitting outside in the peaceful downtown parks of my college town. I was amazed by what I read, because most every page echoed what I had believed all my life. 

As they say, the rest is history. (To read more about me and my story, just follow the links). Two years after I began my Buddhist practice, I decided that I would start a blog to reach out to others and discuss Buddhist ideas and spirituality. That was the beginning of ByChanceBuddhism!

In an effort to revisit BCB's original purpose, I have dedicated this month to writing about basic Buddhist concepts. I don't know how many posts I will write, but as always, I hope you enjoy them. I very much look forward to your comments and discussing posts with you!

May all beings be happy! 

Buddhism in the news: August 2012

The following is part of my monthly "Buddhism in the News" series, where I provide links to articles about Buddhism, along with news of prominent Buddhists and everyday laypeople. My list of articles is shorter this month, which I think is perhaps more beneficial than a more exhaustive list. However, as always I have tried to provide a good sampling of current Buddhist happenings around the world. I welcome you to browse the linked articles below and read what interests you. Enjoy!

1. Buddhist monk sentenced to seven years for spreading information about Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist monk Yonten Gyatso was sentenced to seven years in prison for sharing pictures and information about the self-immolation of Tibetan Buddhist nun Tenzin Wangmo, and distributing information about the political situation in Tibet. Critics say that this incident shows the dire restrictions on free communication and speech in China and China-occupied Tibet. Yonten Gyatso will serve his sentence in the Mianyang prison in Sichuan Province, China. From Reporters Without Borders.

2. Two Buddhist brides wed in Taiwan. Two Taiwanese women were married in a Buddhist ceremony presided by Buddhist master and social activist Shih Chao-Hwei. The couple hopes that their union will help encourage fellow Taiwanese citizens to accept same-sex marriage. However, the article also commented that a bill introduced in 2003 legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption has received little attention from the Taiwanese legislature. From CNN.

3. Thai girl inspires Buddhist nun program. Video account of how an eight-year-old Thai girl wanted to share in developing good merit to her deceased grandmother by temporarily entering into monastic life. Although this is very common for (and often expected of) her male counterparts, this honor has not been extended to young females, because the ordinations of Buddhist nuns are not recognized in Thailand. Through this program, which allows young girls to enter temporary nun-hood, many hope that this will raise the status of Buddhist nuns in Thai society. Video is from Aljazeera.  

4. Buddhist ceremonial release of captive birds may harm wildlife. There are concerns from the scientific community that the practice of building merit by releasing captive animals (usually birds) may have negative impacts on the birds, other wildlife, and humans. This article also warns of the possibility of humans contracting H5N1 (aka: Bird flu) from birds that are stressed (and therefore more susceptible) to the disease. Article is from Scientific American. 

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Please share your thoughts about whatever captured your interest in the comments. Also please let me know if I missed something important this month by providing the title of the article. I will google it and include it here, with credit to you! :) Finally, if you are reading this at a later date, please inform me of any dead links, since some newspapers post articles for a short time before archiving them. Thank you!

May all beings be happy!

A short hiatus

I just wanted to let you know that for the time being I am going to be taking a short hiatus as I gear up for my anniversary posts in September. I will periodically be checking the comments to this post, so if you have any suggestions for posts about basic Buddhist concepts, please share with me! In return I will do my best to write something that is helpful (and hopefully also interesting and informative :). Your comments and suggestions will help immensely because chances are if you have a question about something, it is likely that someone else out there (including me!) will have the same question. I look forward to your input!

Also just FYI, I will still post my Buddhism in the News segment for August 2012 at the end of the month. From what I can tell, there seem to be some interesting stories out there, so stay tuned :)

Until later, all the best, I hope you enjoy the rest of August! 

With Metta,

 Renata

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May all beings be happy!

Behind the mango tree

One thing I love about writing ByChanceBuddhism is that I am constantly inspired by readers and their comments. My last post (also inspired by a reader's comment) was about the tendency for many of us to define ourselves with labels, sometimes with unfortunate results, i.e. relationships/perceptions based on assumptions and superficiality. In his response to this post, one reader summed it all up in an eloquent metaphor about a mango tree. As a botanist, I must say that this comparison hit a special chord with me, so I am excited to share it with you!

The comment went something like this:

 ". . . For example, when I go to the park, I look at a mango tree and I know it is a mango tree because I love to eat mangos. But that's about it. In truth, I don't know anything about the tree that produces the mango, but I know and understand only the fruit. But since I know this tree produces mango and I know its name, I assume I know everything. The label "mango tree" stops me from understanding and knowing the tree.

The tree is a totally different story, for it has a life force of its own. Deep within, the tree radiates life that if we were to sit or meditate under it, then we can feel its pulse. The tree is alive, so why do we not enjoy its presence, but instead choose to stop at the word "mango tree"?"

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So indeed, why do/should we stop at the words Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, agnostic, conservative, liberal when considering another human being? Although some labels can be useful, we must be careful in attaching them to ourselves, and distinguish the label from the human being as we try to relate to others.

The comment above was from xenusfreeman from over at www.powerfulintentions.org Please check out his page here. With that, I will leave you to ponder the "life force" behind the words "mango tree" with these pics that I took years ago in Florida :)

I hope you've enjoyed this post and pics! As always, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

May all beings be happy!