Japan congratulates President-elect Penpa Tsering
Shimomura Hakubun, Japan’s former education minister (L) and Mr. Makino Seishu, a former Parliament member and Representative of Save Tibet Network Japan congratulate Sikyong-elect Penpa Tsering.
Tokyo: The All Party Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet congratulated the newly-elected President of the Central Tibetan Administration Mr. Penpa Tsering.
In his congratulatory message, Mr. Shimomura Hakubun, Japan’s former education minister and current chairman of the All Party Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, extended his ‘heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Penpa Tsering on his election as the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile’.
Mr. Shimomura said the Japanese Parliamentary Support Group will work in close cooperation with the countries sharing the universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, adding, they will mobilize efforts towards the resolution of the issue of Tibet.
He also thanked the outgoing Sikyong, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, for his active service for the last ten years.
Mr. Makino Seishu, a former Parliament member and Representative of Save Tibet Network Japan, extended his heartfelt congratulations to Sikyong-elect Mr. Penpa Tsering.
In his letter, Mr. Makino wrote: ‘you have taken the responsibility of the prime minister at this difficult time. We in Japan will be with you in full support’.
The inauguration of Mr. Penpa Tsering as the new President of the Central Tibetan Administration will take place on 26 May.
– Filed by Office of Tibet, Japan
Creating Hope—His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s conversation with Pico Iyer
Dharamshala, 19th May 2021: This morning, after His Holiness the Dalai Lama had smiled, waved and taken his seat in front of the cameras, Celesta Billeci, Executive Director of Arts & Lectures, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), introduced the occasion. “We’re living in a moment that calls for optimism, resilience, courage and vision,” she said. “Who better to spark these qualities in us than the Dalai Lama?” Henry Yang,
Chancellor of the University welcomed everyone and addressing His Holiness declared, “It’s an extraordinary honour to welcome you today.”
“I am delighted to share this message of hope from His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” he continued. “This is the fifth time we’ve had the privilege of welcoming him here. And it is now twenty years since we established the 14th Dalai Lama Chair of Tibetan Studies. The Dalai Lama is an incomparable Buddhist teacher and a champion of reconciliation. He radiates compassion and peace.”
With that, he called on Pico Iyer to open a conversation with His Holiness.
Pico Iyer: Welcome Your Holiness, it’s nice to see you again. We are turning our focus to hope. What does hope mean for Buddhists?
HH Dalai Lama: “To put it simply, our life is based on hope, a desire for things to turn out well. Even in the womb, their mother’s peace of mind affects the unborn child. Hope is concerned with the future. Although nothing about the future can be guaranteed, we remain hopeful, which is much better than being pessimistic. On a global level too, we have grounds for hope.
“We all come from our mother. We grow under her care. Appreciating her kindness, without which we would not have survived, is a basis on which to cultivate compassion. Experiencing our mother’s kindness gives us hope.
“If we investigate cases of children whose mothers pass away when they are young, I think we’ll find some emotional scars.
“Our lives depend on hope. If you have hope, you’ll be able to overcome problems you face. But if you’re without hope, your difficulties will increase. Hope is linked to compassion and loving kindness. In my own experience. I’ve faced all sorts of difficulties in my life, but I never gave up hope. Also, being truthful and honest is a basis for hope and self-confidence. Being truthful and honest is a counter to false hope. Hope founded on truth and honesty is strong and powerful.”
Pico Iyer: Can we train ourselves to be more realistic in our hopes?
HH Dalai Lama: “Our human brain, our intelligence, enables us to take a long view, not thinking only of our immediate needs. We can adopt a broader perspective and consider what is in our long-term interest. In terms of Buddhist practice, for example, we talk about aeons and aeons and serving all sentient beings, which strengthens our self-confidence.
Pico Iyer: Is hope not connected with religion?
HH Dalai Lama: “Generally, religion is a question of faith, but when we bask in our mother’s affection, there’s no faith involved. Faith is something human beings have created. All the major religious traditions teach the importance of kindness and love. Some say there’s a God, others deny it. Some say we go on for life after life, others assert that we live only one life. These traditions propound different philosophical points of view, but they share the message of loving kindness.
“Theistic traditions like Christianity teach that we are all created by God, who, like a father, embodies infinite love. It’s a powerful idea that can help us recognise the importance of being kind.
“We are social creatures, dependent on our community. And as members of a community, even people with no faith or belief can keep their peace of mind by being considerate, truthful and honest. Being honest and compassionate are not necessarily religious qualities, but they contribute to our being able to lead a happy life. Being concerned about our own community lends to our own survival. The key factor is compassion. Anger is its opposite. Anger destroys happiness and harmony.
“We need a sense of the oneness of humanity. It’s because I cultivate this that wherever I go and whoever I meet I regard as just another human being; a brother or sister. We seven billion human beings are essentially the same. We do have differences of nationality, colour, faith and social status, but to focus only on them is to create problems for ourselves.
“Imagine you’ve escaped from some catastrophe and find yourself all alone. If you see someone in the distance coming towards, you won’t care about their nationality, race or faith, you’ll just be glad to meet another human being. Desperate situations encourage us to recognise the oneness of humanity.
“There’s been enough war and violence in the past. Nowadays, when we face serious problems as a result of the climate crisis, we have to help each other. We have to make an effort to live together happily while we can.”
Pico Iyer: You mention global warming. How can we remain hopeful in the face of such a challenge?
HH Dalai Lama: “Global warming is a good reason not to squabble with each other. We must learn to live together. We are all human beings and we are all living on this one planet. We can’t adopt an out-of-date stance thinking only of ‘my nation’, ‘my community’, we have to take account of the whole of humanity.”
Pico Iyer: Have you ever worried about losing hope?
HH Dalai Lama: “Only on 17th March 1959 as I was leaving Lhasa. I really wondered if I would live to see the following day. Then, the next morning, the sun rose and I thought, ‘I’ve survived’. One of the Chinese generals had asked to be informed where the Dalai Lama stayed in the Norbulingka so he could avoid shelling it. Whether he really wanted to protect me or target me, I don’t know. On that occasion I felt some anxiety.
“Next day, when we reached the Che-la pass, the man who was leading my horse told me that it was the last place from which we could see the Potala Palace and the city of Lhasa. He turned my horse so I was able to take a last look.
“Eventually we reached India, the source of all our knowledge and the Nalanda approach to learning. Since childhood I’d been steeped in this tradition of investigation with its application of reason and logic. Faith rooted in logic is sound. Otherwise, it’s fragile.
“Today, scientists are intrigued by our analytical approach, which provides a basis for our discussions. In addition, we cultivate ‘shamatha’ to achieve a calm and focussed mind as well as ‘vipashyana’ insight as a result of analysis. And besides these qualities we cultivate ‘ahimsa’ and ‘karuna’ — non-violence and compassion — on the basis of reason.”
Pico Iyer: So many have been affected by the Covid pandemic. How can we deal with death and loss?
HH Dalai Lama: “I really appreciate the efforts of all the doctors and nurses who have given and are giving help those who are sick.
“As a Buddhist, I see this body as something that predisposes us to falling ill. But maintaining peace of mind makes a difference. Anxiety just makes things worse. If you have a calm mind and you can accept that we fall ill as a result of our karma, it can help.”
Pico Iyer: Your Holiness you have great faith in young people. Are they the basis of your hope?
HH Dalai Lama: “Older people tend to look to the past, to the way things have been done before. Young people tend to be more open, to have more interest in the mind. Modern education has its origins in the West, but ancient India cultivated an extensive understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions. Ancient India outlined more than fifty types of emotion. I believe that India today can combine the materialistic thinking of modern education with an understanding of how to tackle destructive emotions.”
Pico Iyer: How can an ordinary person find peace of mind?
HH Dalai Lama: “Modern education in India was introduced by the British, but as I’ve already mentioned, I believe it can be usefully combined with the ancient Indian understanding of the workings of the mind and secular ways to achieve mental comfort. In addition, it can be combined with methods for tackling destructive emotions. When the pandemic is over, I’m looking forward to holding discussions with Indian educators about how this could be done.”
Pico Iyer: Is the world a better place than it was when you were born almost 86 years ago?
HH Dalai Lama: “People no longer take things for granted as they once did. Events like this pandemic and global warming present challenges that compel us to examine how we can deal with them. Difficulties can make us open our minds and employ our intelligence. The Indian Buddhist master Shantideva advised us to examine the problems before us to see if they can be solved. If they can, then that’s what we have to do. Worrying won’t help. Challenges can wake us up.
“The younger generation tend to be more open-minded, while older people stick to established patterns. It’s the younger people who will adopt a fresh approach to overcoming problems.”
Pico Iyer: Some people worry that there is increasing anger and violence in the world today. Do you agree or do you remain hopeful?
HH Dalai Lama: “Last century there was so much bloodshed. But after the second world war, former foes, Adenauer and de Gaulle founded the EU. Since then, there’s been no fighting amongst its member states. The entire world should adopt such an attitude of concern for the greater good of the whole of humanity. Conflicts and difficult situations tend to prompt us to turn to out of date ways of thinking — a resort to the use of force, for example — when we should adopt a fresh and more humane approach.
“I think that if I had remained in Lhasa, I’d think more narrowly than I do. Coming to India as a refugee has opened and broadened my mind and induced me to use my intelligence.”
Pico Iyer: How can we help Tibet and ensure the survival of Tibetan culture?
HH Dalai Lama: “Since 2001, I’ve retired from political involvement, but I still feel a responsibility to preserve Tibetan culture. In the eighth century, the Tibetan Emperor invited Shantarakshita, a great philosopher and correspondingly great logician to Tibet. He introduced the Nalanda Tradition, which has much in common with scientific thinking. It’s founded on taking a logical, investigative approach.
“At that time, there were Chinese Buddhist teachers in Tibet who asserted that the practice of meditation was more important than study. Shantarakshita’s disciple Kamalashila debated the merits of the Chinese and the Indian approaches before the Emperor. The Indian tradition prevailed and the Chinese meditators were invited to return to China. Since then, we have embraced logic. The key Indian treatises on reason, logic and epistemology were translated into Tibetan. This, the foundation of the Nalanda Tradition, is what we have kept alive.
“Nowadays, in remote parts of Tibet, despite the efforts of Chinese communist hardliners to oppose it, study of these traditions goes on. In India we have re-established our major centres of learning and more than 10,000 monastics are engaged in rigorous study.”
Pico Iyer: Can you explain emotional hygiene?
HH Dalai Lama: “It involves recognizing, for example, that the most effective destroyer of peace of mind is anger, but that anger can be countered by developing altruism and compassion for others. Ignorance, another mental affliction, also brings us problems, and it can be undermined by study. A great Tibetan scholar once remarked that even if I’m to die tomorrow, it’s still worth studying today.”
Pico Iyer: Is interest in Tibetan Buddhism growing in China?
HH Dalai Lama: “Yes, even among university teachers. We have published several volumes in a series entitled ‘Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics’ and Chinese translations have reached them. As a result, they have developed a greater appreciation of our tradition. Perhaps they see that Buddhist education is so much deeper than Marxist totalitarianism.”
Pico Iyer: Do you have any words of advice for the students of the University of California, Santa Barbara?
HH Dalai Lama: “This university is important. Our future must be founded on education. We need new knowledge. It’s important that professors can conduct research and pass on what they learn to their students. This university can make a significant contribution to our ability to create a better world. Thank you.”
Michael Drake, who is President of the University of California thanked His Holiness for sharing his time. He observed that His Holiness has been associated with UCSB for forty years and that twenty years ago saw the founding of the 14th Dalai Lama Chair of Tibetan Studies. He thanked Pico Iyer for leading the conversation. He noted that compassion is important in the lives of all seven billion human beings alive today and ended with thanks to Chancellor Yang and Celesta Billeci for organizing the event.
His Holiness responded with his own thanks and the suggestion that from time to time it will be possible to hold further conversations like todays over the internet. “Any contribution I can make to the betterment of the world, it’s my duty to do. I may be getting older, but my brain is still ok. The purpose of our lives is to serve humanity.”
Celesta Billeci ended the session, thanking His Holiness, Pico Iyer and President Drake once more and expressing her optimism that the University’s initiative ‘Creating Hope’ will have benefited others. She concluded by quoting His Holiness:
“Be kind whenever possible; it is always possible.”
–Sourced from dalailama.com
Buddhists invited to attend Visakha Bucha activities online
By — Shyamal Sinha
Culture Minister, Ittipol Khunplome, has revealed that the resurgence of Covid-19 has again put a limit on Visakha Bucha Day religious activities, hosted annually by the Department of Religious Affairs (DRA) in cooperation with the clergy and other public and private businesses.
In Thailand, Buddha’s birthday is known as Visakha Bucha Day.When is Buddha Purnima?
Buddha Purnima is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. It is the most important festival of the Buddhists and is celebrated with great enthusiasm.
Although Buddhists regard every full moon as sacred, the moon of the month of Vaisakh has special significance because on this day the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment (nirvana), and attained parinirvana (nirvana-after-death of the body) when he died.
To help flatten the curve of the contagion, this year’s activities on 26 May will now strictly follow preventive measures from the Ministry of Public Health. Buddhists are thereby encouraged to participate in Visakha Bucha Day 2021 “new normally” via online platforms.
The minister also addressed the ongoing cooperation between DRA and a network of clergy to host online activities from 20-26 May, to promote understanding of the essence of Buddhism. Religious practices, such as making offerings to the Buddha, will be broadcast live on the NBT channel from Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm on 26 May from 8.30 pm to 9 pm, along with the chanting of Buddhist mantras and traditional candle-lit temple walks.
Organisers have also put together an online exhibition of the Buddha’s life. Thus Buddhists at home can still join Visakha Bucha Day celebrations through the Stay Home, Make Merit app. Essential doctrines, insights and sermons from several monks of repute are also featured on the platform. Visitors can also write down their resolutions to perform good deeds using the Buddha’s teachings as guidance. Candle-lit temple walks can be safely joined online at www.เวียนเทียนออนไลน์.com.
To support the continued promotion of Buddhism, a Visakha Bucha Day E-Booklet is available at no cost on “Stay Home, Make Merit” application, DRA’s Facebook page, and www.dra.co.th.
On Buddha Purnima, people dress in white clothes and give out kheer (a rice pudding) as, according to legend, a woman named Sujata once offered Gautam Buddha kheer on his birthday and it has since become a tradition.
The dharmacakra or dharma wheel is a symbol often seen during Vesak. It is a wooden wheel with eight spokes. The wheel represents Buddha’s teaching on the path to enlightenment. The eight spokes symbolize the noble eightfold path of Buddhism.
source – Bangkok post
Buddhist Times News – Indian Embassy celebrates Vesak Day through webinar in Cambodia
The Indian Embassy in Cambodia celebrates Vesak Day via webinar on Sunday. Facebook
The Embassy of India in Phnom Penh, in collaboration with Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University (SBU), hosted a webinar discussion on Sunday, about Buddhism in Cambodia and Southeast Asia to celebrate Vesak Day and the 130th anniversary of the birth of Dr B R Ambedkar, considered the chief architect of the Constitution of India.
During the webinar, Ambassador of India to Cambodia Dr Devyani Khobragade stressed the importance of Vesak Day for the Buddhist community all over the world.
“The United Nations at the 54th session of UN General Assembly in 1999 had recognised Vesak as an International Day of Observance. The teachings of Buddha have brought people together across social, generational, cultural and national divides especially in these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
She highlighted the ancient connections between India and Cambodia and India’s efforts to take its relationship with Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, to new heights through Buddhist linkages.
“As heirs to these ancient civilisations and religion, our countries have a lot to offer to the rest of the world in the form of culture and learning,” she added.
Dr Khobragade also outlined some of the initiatives that the Indian government has been undertaking, such as working on the Buddhist circuit, organising international Buddhist conferences, offering scholarships to Cambodian students and monks in Nalanda University on Buddhist studies as well as organising online ITEC courses on Buddhism and Vipassana and more.
She highlighted India’s resolve to continue fostering strong Buddhist linkages between India and Cambodia through various bilateral, multilateral and public and private initiatives.
Samdech Preah Maha Ariyavamsa Venerable Khy Sovanratana, Acting Rector of SBU, also spoke on the Buddhist linkages between India and Cambodia and the Indic roots of Buddhism and its influence on Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations.
During the webinar session, all the speakers agreed on how the Buddhist tradition and the philosophical ideas that underpin it have been instrumental in maintaining Cambodia’s resilience to the adversities it has faced in the recent past.
It highlighted that Buddhism embodies universal values such as human dignity, individual freedom and equality, tolerance and plurality as well as truth and non-violence.
Accordingly, these were the values that inspired Dr Ambedkar to adopt Buddhism later in his life, along with millions of his followers.
Dr Ambedkar is therefore respected and well known in many Buddhist countries as a social reformer who led to a revival of Buddhism in India.
He is also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination.
India launches first of its kind app that teaches Sanskrit
By — Shyamal Sinha
Indian government has launched first-ever app that enables the user to learn Sanskrit, the ancient language of the country. The app created by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has been named ‘Little Guru’.
In Sanskrit verbal adjective sáṃskṛta- is a compound word consisting of sáṃ (together, good, well, perfected) and kṛta- made, formed, work.
The app aims to make learning Sanskrit easy and entertaining by ‘gamifying’ it. It has been developed by Bengaluru-based company Gamapp sportswizz. The app is available on Google Play Store.
Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies.
The most archaic of these is Vedic Sanskrit found in the Rig Veda, a collection of 1,028 hymns composed between 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE by Indo-Aryan tribes migrating east from what today is Afghanistan across northern Pakistan and into northern India. Vedic Sanskrit interacted with the preexisting ancient languages of the subcontinent, absorbing names of newly encountered plants and animals; in addition, the ancient Dravidian languages influenced Sanskrit’s phonology and syntax. “Sanskrit” can also more narrowly refer to Classical Sanskrit, a refined and standardized grammatical form that emerged in the mid-1st millennium BCE and was codified in the most comprehensive of ancient grammars, the Aṣṭādhyāyī (“
“Little guru is a beautiful symbol of what we proposed to do in teaching to people across the world. This app will help students, teachers, monks…to be able to get an app that will help them learn easier at their own pace, whatever time they want. It helps you do better,” said Dinesh Patnaik, director general of ICCR.
“We realised something, we need something more modern, more up to date. Which works with technology, to bring this ancient language to the people…We decided to use modern-day tools like machine learning, AI, and gaming techniques. Gaming techniques help in bringing life to language,” he said.
Sankrit is often called the ‘language of the Gods’ in Indian culture. ICCR has been providing Sanskrit books and other material to help people learn the language. ICCR comes under India’s Ministry of External Affairs. It also deputes teachers, professors to universities and institutes.
Indian diaspora as well as foreigners have been requesting ICCR for assistance in Sanskrit learning. Many Buddhist, Jain and other religious texts are in Sanskrit. There has been great demand from some countries for assistance in learning the language.
Many Indian languages like Bengali, Tamil, Marathi use Sanskrit as a base.
A number of universities teaching Sanskrit across the world have been keen for an app that helps not only the current students but also other young scholars who wish to learn Sanskrit before joining universities.
Sanskrit’s status, function, and place in India’s cultural heritage are recognized by its inclusion in the Constitution of India‘s Eighth Schedule languages.
Interestingly, a fact that is well known, that in the 80s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also did a study to know which is the most computerable language. They realized given its clear grammatical structure and strict pronunciation that Sanskrit was the most computerable language in the world as its structure allowed it to merge into any computerable system.
The Sanskrit language scholar Moriz Winternitz states, Sanskrit was never a dead language and it is still alive though its prevalence is lesser than ancient and medieval times. Sanskrit remains an integral part of Hindu journals, festivals, Ramlila plays, drama, rituals and the rites-of-passage.
Sanskrit is the sacred language of various Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. It is used during worship in Hindu temples. In Newar Buddhism, it is used in all monasteries, while Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhist religious texts and sutras are in Sanskrit as well as vernacular languages. Some of the revered texts of Jainism including the Tattvartha sutra, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, the Bhaktamara Stotra and later versions of the Agamas are in Sanskrit. Further, states Paul Dundas, Sanskrit mantras and Sanskrit as a ritual language was commonplace among Jains throughout their medieval history.
Buddhist Times News – Cambodia’s Angkor temple complex to remain shut till 20 April
By — Shyamal Sinha
Cambodia is shutting its most popular tourist destination, the centuries-old Angkor temple complex, to visitors for two weeks to help curb the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
Angkor, in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.
The closing of the world-famous site is the latest in a slew of measures the country is taking after the number of coronavirus cases surged in February.
The Apsara Authority, the government agency that oversees the archaeological site, said that temporarily stopping local and foreign tourists from visiting the temples is important to help combat the virus. It said in a statement dated Wednesday that visitors are banned from 7 April through 20 April.
The Angkor site, in the northwestern province of Siem Reap, attracted 2.2 million foreign tourists in 2019, but experienced a sharp falloff last year due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. Cambodia allows in tourists, but they must undergo a quarantine.
The Health Ministry on Thursday announced 113 new local cases of the coronavirus and two deaths. Cambodia has recorded a total of 3,028 cases, including 23 deaths.
The ministry has traced the latest outbreak to a foreign resident who broke quarantine in a hotel and went to a nightclub in early February. The government on 20 February announced a planned two-week closure of all public schools, cinemas, bars and entertainment venues in the capital, Phnom Penh.
As the number of cases rose, the closures were extended throughout the country for schools, gyms, concert halls, museums and other gathering places.
A defunct luxury hotel in the capital has been converted into a 500-room coronavirus hospital, and the authorities are enforcing a new law imposing criminal punishment for violating health rules.
The use of face masks was made mandatory in Phnom Penh and four of the country’s most densely populated provinces.
The government stepped up other restrictions at the start of this month, including a two-week, 8 pm to 5 am curfew in Phnom Penh.
It also broadened its coronavirus vaccination campaign, targeting 1 million doses a month beginning in April. Through the end of March, about 400,000 people €” about one-third of them members of the armed forces €” had received vaccinations.
By the end of March, Cambodia had acquired more than 3.1 million doses of vaccines from China and through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX initiative. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million.
For several centuries Angkor was the center of the Khmer Kingdom. With impressive monuments, several different ancient urban plans, and large water reservoirs, the site is a unique concentration of features testifying to an exceptional civilization. Temples such as Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan, and Ta Prohm, exemplars of Khmer architecture, are closely linked to their geographical context as well as being imbued with symbolic significance. The architecture and layout of the successive capitals bear witness to a high level of social order and ranking within the Khmer Empire. Angkor is, therefore, a major site exemplifying cultural, religious and symbolic values, as well as containing high architectural, archaeological and artistic significance.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said this week on his social media channels that vaccinations are voluntary, but that civil servants and members of the military would be at risk of being dismissed if they fail to be inoculated.
source – Firstpost
Buddhist Times News – CTA President releases Human Rights report of seven neighbouring countries of India
Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay along with legal and human rights experts at the Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights report launch.
By — Shyamal Sinha
The President of the Central Tibetan Administration released a human rights report published by the New Delhi-based Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi earlier today.
The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights consists of a robust team consisting of university academics, legal experts, community volunteers involved in promoting and advocating for human rights, basic freedom, equality, justice and dignity to all irrespective of gender, religion, class or caste.
Experts from the field of legal and human rights led by Chief guest, Dr Lobsang Sangay President, Central Tibetan Administration, Guests of Honour, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Former Chief Justice of India Former Chairperson, NHRC of India, Prof. Paramjit Singh Jaswal VC, SRM University, Sonepat Former VC, RG National University of Law, Punjab, Dr Prerna Malhotra President, CDPHR, Dr Ravindra Gupta Principal, PGDAV College, Delhi University, Adv. Sandeep Mahapatra Trustee, CDPHR were present at the launch.
Speaking as the chief guest of the ceremony, Dr Sangay noted how China’s presence in most of the neighbouring countries from Tibet, to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka comes as no surprise, adding “President Xi Jinping has declared socialism with Chinese characteristics as the vision for China and the whole world and China’s dream is another of his vision based on which they want to ideologically dominate the world, specifically on human rights.”
Sikyong told ,Tibet as known today is only a fraction of the historical mainland of Tibet. The Chinese have created a façade by giving the autonomous region of Tibet, which is what is left of Tibet after its repeated geographical divisions, an autonomy nonexistent in practice. People in Tibet demand the unification of all the parts, which were historically part of Tibet, and post that want complete political, economic and religious freedom.
“If you look at the 15 UN agencies, 5 are headed by Chinese officials because China happens to be the second-largest donor to the UN after America by which they can appoint their personnel. China also happens to be the largest borrower of the World Bank, at least 2 years ago. They get a loan at a low-interest rate from the World Bank, more than a billion or two and they donate 100 million dollars to the UN and they can appoint their personnel,” he said explaining how China manoeuvres its UN membership status to redefine human rights and restructure the UN body.
Dr Sangay while appreciating the efforts made by the Centre in bringing out the report urged that there should be a greater awareness drive needed in the universities in terms of Tibetan studies.
“The Indians, particularly the younger generation, should pay more attention to the study of Tibet and understanding Tibet better is only in the interest of Indians,” signed off Dr Sangay.
Sikyong cited the recent World Freedom Index published by Freedom House which ties Tibet with Syria, indicating a marked deterioration in human rights abuses the last year in order to highlight the lack of media coverage of Tibet’s plight in comparison with Syria and the suppression of journalistic freedom.
He challenged the justification of poverty alleviation that is used as a ruse for Sinicization goals citing the reports of Adrien Zenz who revealed the labour militarization programme in Xinjiang and Tibet and ironically used by China to claim victory of its policies, in turn, applauded by the Human Rights Council which favours China’s account over Tibet.
Calling for global coalitions to contain China’s threats, he suggested a united approach to counter China, rather than individual countries engaging in a ‘tit for tat’ response with China.
Other legal and Human rights experts also spoke on human rights violation being perpetrated in these countries.
The gross human violation in Tibet is not a new story and is not hidden from anyone despite the media ban and propagandistic approach adopted by the Chinese government to have control of one’s destiny is the luxury Tibetans don’t have. Young People are abducted from the tribal regions of Tibet and are inducted into PLA (People’s Liberation Army), who are then sent to various regions of mainland China wherein they go through the process of political re-engineering; approximately half a million people have already been inducted in PLA from Tibet tribal regions and they are being engineered to serve the agenda of communist China.
One of the major internationally recognized research organization has stated the conditions being equally worse as that in Syria.
Following the event, President Dr Sangay embarked on his official tour across Tibetan settlements in South India beginning with Kollegal Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement scheduled on Saturday.
Sikyong addresses the gathering.
Interaction with the press.
At the end of his speech Lobsang Sangay told,The Tibetan Support and Policy Act of 2020 passed by the US Congress this year is a landmark victory for the People of Tibet and their struggle. This bill acknowledges the struggle of the people of Tibet against the brutal and oppressive Chinese occupation and is in solidarity with six million Tibetans who are suffering inside Tibet.
Buddhist Times News – The World Must Stand With Tibet – OpEd
By Lobsang Sangay*
Tibet, famously called the roof of the world, a state in the Himalayas neighbored by India and China has for long been in a state of the tussle with Beijing. China lays the claim over the entire Tibet and calls it its own territory; however, Tibet has always strived for an independent existence. This is among the many conflicts currently brewing in South Asia, probably the worse as far as the power imbalance is concerned.
The water tower of Asia has for long witnessed the cold and dark nights under the communist regime of China. The process of democratization is merely a ghost only if that ghost exists. This makes it imperative for the powers across the globe to play their role in fostering a dialogue between Beijing and Tibet, and only recently we have seen some improvement on that front and some progress will hopefully be on its way.
Tibetan people have struggled under the mighty and brutal fist of Beijing and since the independence of China, we have been demanding our separate homeland. The division of Tibet into smaller units and segregating them from mainland Tibet is a typical example of engineering.
Tibet as known today is only a fraction of the historical mainland of Tibet. The Chinese have created a façade by giving the autonomous region of Tibet, which is what is left of Tibet after its repeated geographical divisions, an autonomy nonexistent in practice. People in Tibet demand the unification of all the parts, which were historically part of Tibet, and post that want complete political, economic and religious freedom.
People in Tibet have tried to resist the imperialistic control of communist China in Tibet and have always raised their demand for independent Tibet. The inspiration to the people of Tibet comes mainly from outer Mongolia and Bhutan, both countries are doing quite well in managing their affairs and their foreign policy. The other countries in the region enjoy the power over their own destiny while in the case of Tibet, the destiny of people is being meddled with and is mostly in the hands of Han Chinese, who have never been sympathetic to the people of Tibet.
The gross human violation in Tibet is not a new story and is not hidden from anyone despite the media ban and propagandistic approach adopted by the Chinese government to have control of one’s destiny is the luxury Tibetans don’t have. Young People are abducted from the tribal regions of Tibet and are inducted into PLA (People’s Liberation Army), who are then sent to various regions of mainland China wherein they go through the process of political re-engineering; approximately half a million people have already been inducted in PLA from Tibet tribal regions and they are being engineered to serve the agenda of communist China.
One of the major internationally recognized research organization has stated the conditions being equally worse as that in Syria. The excruciating pain shivers the spine when one sees that people are not even allowed to decide on the number of children they can have. The free and fair process of governance in Tibet is just a mirage and the reality, just the opposite.
Wrecked
The dilapidated condition of Tibetans is mostly being ignored and not reported, however, the reports which come out as Tibetans flee from Tibet in search of a peaceful asylum are very disturbing. The missing list of people from Lhasa and adjoining areas is growing and no political rival is left unmonitored. The accounts of the torture being administered to politically active workers in Tibet has seen no parallel.
The fear of losing identity is among the worst fears any community can encounter. The cultural identity and the religious identity of the people of Tibet is among the worst hit. Tibet and China are culturally diverse and have very little to nothing in common. The Chinese however are trying to impose their culture in Tibet, which would subsequently mean the lost Tibetan culture.
The freedom of religious expression is even more hit. The interference in the elections for Dalai Lama by China is not only protested against but the proxy Dalai Lama, which has been put in place in Tibet, is not even revered by the people of Tibet. Tibetans have a strong notion of being separated from their religion and fears of Chinese Buddhism taking over Tibetan Buddhism under the protection of communist China. This is one of the grave situations as far as the freedom to profess and practise religion is concerned.
The world needs to come together to solve this issue of gross human rights violation among other conflicts. USA, UK and India have been actively involved in resolving the long-pending issue of Tibetans. The USA and allied parties have actively participated in resolving the issues around the globe and the same needs to be done in the case of Tibet.
The democratic powers across the globe should come forth to rescue Tibet from this situation. The bills must be passed in their respective parliaments to put pressure on the Chinese govt. to secure rights for Tibetan people. Tibetans are peace and progress loving people, however, that has to come along with meaningful freedom.
The Tibetan Support and Policy Act of 2020 passed by the US Congress this year is a landmark victory for the People of Tibet and their struggle. This bill acknowledges the struggle of the people of Tibet against the brutal and oppressive Chinese occupation and is in solidarity with six million Tibetans who are suffering inside Tibet.
Washington has always fought the non-democratic forces and stands firm hand in hand with the Tibetan brothers and sisters and their freedom struggle. Washington DC has always supported the justice of the Tibetan people and will continue to pursue and support the cause. This is also the recognition of the legacy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his earnest efforts towards justice for Tibetan brothers. This will be a major boost to the Tibetan freedom struggle and is thus of historic importance.
It is not an easy task to fight evil and rise up against the fascist and dictatorial regimes. The manifestation of fascism as a democratic country won’t be tolerated and has to be fought against. We Tibetans are fighting for our rightful cause and in this regard, we have knocked at the doors of conscience of every major global player. Getting the laws enacted is a gigantic task that too when it is against one of the most brutal powers of the world.
We took to lobbying for enacting the bill as a law for recognizing the govt in exile for Tibet and giving Tibetans the right for their own representation in the world; all the Tibetan associations in America including the Tibetan Youth Congress, SFT and so on are involved in getting the justice for Tibet. Tibet has to be on the agenda of every Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s business meeting for the world to know the importance of this grave matter.
We the Tibetan diaspora want to be the representatives of Tibet which have been largely ignored on the world stage until recently. We have been trying hard to get the bill passed despite knowing the fate of the Hing Kong and Xinxiang bills. We got the major breakthrough when the Tibet bill was taken out of all other major bills. This would mean a lot of focus on the agenda of Tibet.
The Xinxiang bill didn’t get out from the Senate Foreign relation committee. We managed to get the bill out of the staff members and the senators agreed to attach it to the Appropriation Bill. That is how it got passed. Thanks to his Holiness the Dalai Lama and all the monasteries who prayed for the Tibet cause. It wouldn’t be fair if we overlook the struggle and the hardship His Holiness the Dalai Lama went through.
Policy Bill of 2020
The Tibet Policy Act Bill 2002 and Tibet Support and Policy Bill of 2020 are actually one. The latter one is actually the improvement, amendment, and addition to the previous bill. The 2002 bill addresses the situation inside Tibet as occupied Tibet, gross human rights violations, and the appointment of a special coordinator to help in pursuing dialogue between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese representatives.
The bill also calls for the opening of a US office in Lhasa that will help in providing funds, scholarships and other things, this will help the Tibetans to develop an understanding and get a formal education in developing fields of science which would further strengthen the existence and survival of independent Tibet.
In addition, the Tibet Support and Policy Bill of 2020 strongly call for the religious freedom of the Tibetan people i.e. securing the religious freedom for the people of Tibet. The Chinese government should not interfere in the reincarnation process, if they, sanctions will be imposed on them.
On the environmental matters, Tibet being a “water tower of Asia” and anyone who invests in Tibet must follow the US guidelines on development, etc. The bill specifically says that the US consulate should be allowed to open in Lhasa (Capital City of Autonomous Region of Tibet). If the Chinese government doesn’t allow that, they cannot open any consulate in America. So, this is a very strong condition.
And one great legacy of His Holiness is the democratic system or democratization of the exile Tibetans. It also acknowledges that Tibetan people participating in elections in 30 plus countries to elect a member of parliament in Sikyong and it also clearly says that the CTA reflects and represents the aspirations of the Tibetans in the diaspora and Sikyong is the President of CTA. For the first time, CTA is legally acknowledged by the US Congress and now through this law, by the US government. I am glad that the Tibetan Policy and Support Act is a major political statement for Tibet.
The Chinese stand and Chinese Foreign Ministry stand on Tibetans government-in-exile is that of a separatist organization insisted ‘no one should support it; no one should meet with their officials’. This bill counters the Chinese stand and the bill acknowledges the CTA and the Tibetan freedom movement thereby sending a message all over the world. The fact that Washington DC is acknowledging the Tibetan movement so; it is a huge political statement, particularly, to the Tibetans inside Tibet.
Yes, this bill will be read and heard all over the world particularly by Beijing and I am glad that six million Tibetans inside Tibet will get to hear the positive development and support for Tibet. So, it recognizes the Tibet Issue as an international issue. I am glad that the next Sikyong will have an easier path and will get enough time to focus more on political activities. He/she can double the funding or alleviate the legal recognition of CTA by other governments around the world. A lot can be done. I just feel I have fulfilled my task politically.
I am very grateful to Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has been a rock-solid supporter of Tibet and a good friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I am thankful to all others who contributed immensely towards the cause of recognizing Tibet as a human rights issue and as a territorial occupation.
*The author is President of the Tibetan-government-in-exile, called as Central Tibetan Administration.
Buddhist Times News – 1st Century Buddhist remains found at Vaikunthapuram
By — Shyamal Sinha
Buddhist relics said to be 2,100-year-old were found at Vaikuntapuram in Thullur mandal of Guntur district on Tuesday. They surfaced during diggings at Bhavaghni Ashram in the village. An archeologist, who examined the findings, said the locals found a conical polished cup, terracotta tiles once used in the roofs of ‘Buddhist viharas’, a piece of well-polished muller granite and a broken parasol that enshrined a stupa of the Satavahana period.
Seeing the artefacts, asram people contacted Dr. E. Sivanagi Reddy, Buddhist archaeologist and CEO, Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati, who has examined the finds.
Since then, Sivanagi Reddy has found a conical cup of polished ware inserted into a redware stand of Iron Age (1000 BC), pit shreds of redware, terracotta tiles that once covered roofs of Buddhist viharas, a well polished black granite muller, and a broken chatra (parasol) that enshrined a stupa of Satavahana period.
The Buddhists archaeologist says a surprise discovery is a Brahmi inscription, which mentions that the chatra was donated by one household Pusana. He said Dr. K. Muniratnam Reddy, Director, Epigraphy Branch, Archaeological Survey of India, has confirmed that the script in Prakrit language belongs to 1st Century BC.
Dr. Sivanagi Reddy said Bhavagni Asram authorities have told him that the Buddhist finds will be displayed by them in their proposed museum at Vyasabhagavan Temple now under construction. He stated that Buddhist remains in Vaikunthapuram had originally been reported by then British archaeologists 125 years ago.
India’s COVID-19 situation turning from ‘bad to worse’
The Centre on Tuesday said the COVID-19 situation is turning from “bad to worse” and is a huge cause for worry, especially for some states, warning that the whole country is at risk and any complacency at this stage, and at any level, will have “heavy costs”.
Asserting that hospitals and the ICUs have to be readied, the Centre also cautioned that if the coronavirus cases increase rapidly, the healthcare system in the country would be “overwhelmed”.
The Centre simultaneously asked all states and union territories to adopt a district-centric approach to fight the upward swing in cases. Each district, irrespective of whether it is seeing a surge or is with low burden, should formulate an action plan with clear timelines and responsibilities, it said.
Two top Central officials sounded the warning about the country facing an “increasingly severe and intense” coronavirus situation, as the Union Health Ministry reported that India”s COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,20,95,855 with 56,211 more people testing positive in a span of 24 hours, while 271 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,62,114.
“COVID-19 situation is turning from bad to worse. In the last few weeks, especially in some states, it is a huge cause for worry. No state, no part of the country should be complacent,” NITI Aayog member (Health) VK Paul told a media briefing.
“We are facing an increasingly severe and intense situation, more so surely in some districts. But the whole country is potentially at risk and therefore all efforts to contain and save lives should be taken.”
“Hospitals and ICUs have to be readied. If cases increase rapidly, the healthcare system would be overwhelmed,” Paul warned.
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said eight of the top 10 COVID-19 high-burden districts of the country are from Maharashtra and that Delhi, taken as one district, is also on the list.
He said the 10 districts with maximum active COVID cases are Pune (59,475), Mumbai (46,248), Nagpur (45,322), Thane (35,264), Nashik (26,553), Aurangabad (21,282), Bengaluru Urban (16,259), Nanded (15,171), Delhi (8,032) and Ahmednagar (7,952).
Though technically speaking, Delhi has many districts, but it has been taken as one district, he said.
Bhushan dashed off a letter to to all chief secretaries saying public health measures can be used by states to contain the virus by quarantining and testing individuals suspected to be positive including close contacts of positive persons (at least 25 to 30 such contacts per positive person), isolating all those who are positive tracing their contacts, quarantining and testing them.
“Where there are clusters of cases simply quarantining individuals or families will not help. In that case, larger containment zones with clear boundaries and stringent controls must be implemented,” he said.
Any complacency at this stage, and at any level, will have heavy costs, he warned.
He said many districts in the country are seeing clusters of cases emerging because of specific events and/or places where crowding happens, or where a large number of people are in close physical contact coupled with lack of Covid appropriate behaviour.
He stressed that efficient implementation of “Test Track and Treat” remains the only proven strategy for control of transmission
Bhushan said some districts that saw a high number of cases in August-November are again reporting a high growth rate.
” In addition, a number of new districts that saw a limited prevalence earlier are worryingly showing a surge in Covid cases. States, UTs and Districts that have current low levels of cases, however, cannot be complacent.”
About the surge in case positivity rates, Bhushan said Maharashtra last week had an average of 23 per cent, followed by Punjab 8.82 per cent, Chattisgarh 8.24 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 7.82 per cent, Tamil Nadu 2.5 per cent, Karnataka 2.45 per cent, Gujarat 2.22 per cent, and Delhi 2.04 per cent.
The average national positivity rate during last week was 5.65 per cent.
The states and UTs that are reporting a surge in cases need to exponentially increase the number of COVID-19 tests. The proportion of RT-PCR tests need to be increased too, Bhushan said.
The daily rise in COVID cases in the worst affected state of Maharashtra has increased from 5,493 on February 17 to 34,456 on 24 March. The average daily deaths have also increased from 32 on 10 February to 118 on 24 March.
This means, simple public health response activities are not being followed, Bhushan said.
About the coronavirus situation in Punjab, Bhushan said in the second week of February 332 daily new cases were recorded which increased to 2,742. The average daily deaths were eight in February which has risen to 52.
“This signifies that neither are you doing an adequate number of tests nor are you able to promptly isolate (COVID-19) positive people,” the health secretary said.
The Punjab government, meanwhile, extended COVID curbs for another 10 days.
According to an official statement, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered to keep schools and colleges shut by another 10 days till 10 April after officials informed him at a meeting that a fall in daily cases is expected only by mid-May and the infection numbers likely to peak around 6 April.
In his letter, Bhushan said that in most states people are not being properly isolated. “Their close contacts must be traced within three days. Close contact does not mean just the family but all those an infected person came in contact with.”
He said states have been also advised to strengthen their healthcare resources.
“Those hospitals which were made non-COVID facilities must be converted to dedicated COVID facilities. There should be no delay in strengthening private as well as public health facilities,” he added.
Registering a steady increase for the 20th day in row, active cases rose to 5,40,720 comprising 4.47 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 94.19 percent, the Health Ministry said.
According to some experts, the relatively low count of daily jump in new cases (56,211) reported on Tuesday could be because of lower testing on account of Holi festival on Monday. India has been recording a daily spike of over 60,000 cases for a few days until Monday.
Buddhist Times News – Sri Lanka promoted as destination for Buddhist studies
Sri Lanka promoted as destination for Buddhist studies
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<span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Mar 26, 2021</span>
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By — Shyamal Sinha
Sri Lanka is being promoted as an international hub for Buddhist education by the Export Development Board.
Facilities currently exist for foreign students to be boarded in Sri Lanka during their studies.
Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Suresh de Mel noted that Sri Lanka was the leading English proficient country amongst Buddhist nations. De Mel said addressing a webinar on March 24 organised jointly by the EDB and the Sri Lankan embassy in Vietnam to promote Sri Lankan Buddhist education.
Buddhism was introduced into the island in the third century BCE after the Third Buddhist council by the elder Mahinda and by the elder nun Sangamitta. According to the Sinhala chronicles, both were children of the emperor Ashoka.
Buddhism has been given the foremost place under Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution which can be traced back to an attempt to bring the status of Buddhism back to the status it enjoyed prior to being destroyed by colonialists. However, by virtue of Article 10 of the Sri Lankan constitution, religious rights of all communities are preserved. Sri Lanka is one of the oldest traditionally Buddhist countries.
The island has been a center of Buddhist scholarship and practice since the introduction of Buddhism in the third century BCE producing eminent scholars such as Buddhaghosa and preserving the vast Pāli Canon. Throughout most of its history, Sri Lankan kings have played a major role in the maintenance and revival of the Buddhist institutions of the island. During the 19th century, a modern Buddhist revival took place on the island which promoted Buddhist education.
The EDB is working to bring down Japanese students to Sri Lanka with conversations in Tokyo being at a very advanced stage. Sri Lankan ambassador to Vietnam Prasanna Gamage said that Sri Lanka has a high-quality Buddhist education infrastructure. Currently, an estimated 80 monks from Vietnam are studying in Sri Lanka.
Gamage in his conversations with past students in Vietnam notes that they were all greatly appreciative of their time in Sri Lanka. To be eligible to study in Sri Lanka most courses require a grasp of the English language. Gamage noted that institutions were not willing to lower the standard of English so as to maintain standards for local students.
Gamage added that there was a comprehensive compilation of the educational offering of Sri Lanka as an education destination that could be communicated to interested foreign parties.
According to the Mahavamsa, they arrived in Sri Lanka during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura (307–267 BCE) who converted to Buddhism and helped build the first Buddhist stupas and communities. Tissa donated a royal park in the city to the Buddhist community, which was the beginning of the Mahāvihāra tradition. Mahinda is associated with the site of Mihintale, one of the oldest Buddhist site in Sri Lanka. Mihintale includes numerous caves which may have been used by the early Sri Lankan sangha.
source – Daily news ,LK
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Buddhist Times News – Buddhist stupa restoration begins
Buddhist stupa restoration begins
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<span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Mar 23, 2021</span>
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Buddhist stupa near Shingardar village. PHOTO: FAZAL KHALIQ/EXPRESS
By — Shyamal Sinha
The Archeology Department has started restoration work on the Buddhist stupa in Landi Kotal in Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s Khyber tribal district.
Lanḍī Kōtal is a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and the administrative capital of Khyber District. It was one of the largest towns in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and is located 1,072 metres (3,517 ft) above sea level, on the route across the mountains to the city of Peshawar. Landi Kotal is at the western edge of the Khyber Pass that marks the entrance to the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, which is located just 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the west.
Landi Kotal is a tourist destination.Landi Kotal was the westernmost part of the Khyber held by the British during their rule of the Indian subcontinent.
The stupa is a historical archeological site located in Landi Kotal by the PakAfghan road which is severely damaged. Talking to The Express Tribune an official of the Archeology Department and project supervisor Ehsan Javed said that the financial resources for the preservation work had been provided by the World Bank. The restoration and preservation of the stupa is the first project in the first phase of preservation process in the newly merged districts.
“This stupa belongs to the initial stages of Buddhism in the Khyber Pass which is considered a gateway to the Indus delta. We have found a coin which dates back to the first century which means that it is at least 2000 years old,” said Ehsan Javed, adding the stupa is 65 percent destroyed as locals had made tunnels in it in search of treasure and it was vandalized by antique hunters too openly. He said that locals were being employed in digging and other physical work on the site.
“Khyber Pass has its own importance in the history of the Subcontinent. It was used by invaders and religions including Buddhism, Mughals, Romans and Muslims to reach India. There is only one large surviving stupa here which is locally called Shpola Stupa,” he said. “The preservation process was started in December 2020 but due to winters only 15 percent of excavation was conducted. These initial excavations confirmed that the stupa is a relic from the early stages of Buddhist incursions in these areas.
The 2nd century stupa may have been constructed towards the end of the Kushan Empire or according to some sources soon after third to fifth centuries. It is the most complete Buddhist monument in the Khyber Pass. It is a reminder of the great Kushana Empire and Buddhism nexus which is often depicted in Gandhara artefacts. Gandhara sculptures were excavated at this very stupa and are now housed in the museum in Peshawar.
Two sculptures in pieces and incomplete condition have been found,” he said, adding that the preservation process will take two years and a half to complete. “This would attract tourists to the militancy-stricken area as Shalpa Stupa is the only large stupa in the former Fata. There were several smaller ones which have been destroyed by the locals, including one at Ali Masjid,” he said.
Source — Tribune ,pak
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Buddhist Times News – Connectivity forms an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy, says Secy Riva Das
Connectivity forms an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy, says Secy Riva Das
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<span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Mar 19, 2021</span>
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The ‘Act East Policy’, announced in November 2014, is the upgrade of the “Look East Policy” which was promulgated in 1992. It aims at promoting economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop a strategic relationship with countries in the Indo-Pacific region with a proactive and pragmatic approach and thereby improving the economic development of the North Eastern Region (NER) which is a gateway to the South-East Asia Region. The policy has been continuously evolving since the early 1990s and involves intensive and continuous engagement with South-East Asian countries in the field of connectivity, trade, culture, defence and people-to-people-contact at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
Connectivity forms an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy and its doctrine of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), which form the building blocks for India’s Indo-Pacific Vision, said Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Secretary Das made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of a webinar today on “Connectivity Cooperation for a Free, Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific”.
“At home, India has taken several initiatives to improve physical and digital connectivity. Bharatmala Pariyojana is a new umbrella program for the highways sector that envisages building more than 80,000 kilometres of roads with an investment of around USD 107 billion,” Das said.
Noting the importance of Sagarmala projects, Riva said, “Sagarmala aims at Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-linked Industrialization, Coastal Community Development and giving impetus to Coastal Shipping. Multi-Modal Logistics Parks shall act as hubs for freight movement enabling freight aggregation, distribution and multi-modal transportation.”
Secretary Das said India has devoted more resources and assigned greater priority to build connectivity in our immediate neighbourhood.
“Since 2005-06, India has extended Lines of Credit worth nearly USD 31 billion to more than 64 countries. Our Act East Policy is at the centre of our connectivity orientation and a fulcrum of our broader approach to the Indo-Pacific. Our efforts are focused on connecting our North-East with the dynamic economies of South East Asia, and enhancing connectivity within the North East itself,” Das said.
“On multilateral/regional front as a member of mechanisms such as the ASEAN, BIMSTEC, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, India is also undertaking various regional connectivity initiatives. We are currently discussing a Coastal Shipping Agreement and Motor Vehicle Agreement in the BIMSTEC format and also in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) group,” she added.
Talking about Prime Minister Modi’s IPOI initiative, Das said, “Our efforts to build connectivity can only succeed in synergistic partnership with other countries sharing the same purpose and objectives. And this synergistic partnership was the vision behind Prime Minister Modi’s announcement of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) in 2019 as an initiative for the countries in the region and beyond to collaborate for security and growth of the region.”
“Seeking the synergy between India’s “Act East” policy and Japan’s “Partnership for Quality Infrastructure”, the two countries have agreed to develop and strengthen reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructures that augment connectivity within India, and between India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Das further informed that Japan has undertaken a number of connectivity initiatives in India.
“The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) are all mega projects on the anvil. Japan is also partnering in various connectivity projects in Northeast India including the 20 kilometres long four-lane bridge between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya,” she said.
“Given Japan’s expertise in the development of quality infrastructure we believe that Japan’s lead on the Connectivity Pillar of IPOI will give a boost to connectivity in the Region and contribute to unlocking the potential for an equitable, positive and forward-looking change in the region contributing to Security and Growth of the Indo-Pacific.”
Source – (ANI)
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an environmental crisis in waiting
Representative Sonam Tsering Frasi, Office of Tibet, London speaking at the discussion titled ‘Tibet: an environmental crisis in waiting’ organised by the Democracy Forum.
London: Representative Mr. Sonam Tsering Frasi, Office of Tibet, London was invited by Lord Bruce, President of the Democracy Forum to give introductory remarks in a virtual panel discussion organised by the Democracy Forum. Watch here.
The discussion entitled “Tibet: an environmental crisis in waiting” was broadcast live on Tuesday, 16 March 2021, between 2-4pm UK time and 7.30-9.30 India time chaired by Humphrey Hawksley, author & former BBC Asia Correspondent and joined by panellists, Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, senior fellow/Head of Tibet Environment Desk, Tibet Policy Institute, Dharamsala, India, Dechen Palmo, Environment researcher at Tibet Policy Institute, India, John H. Knox, Henry C. Lauerman Professor of International law, Wake Forest University and former UN special rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment and Christa Meindersma, Director of Advocacy & communication, International Campaign for Tibet, Europe.
Lord Bruce, President of the Democratic Forum extended a warm welcome to the team of experts and panellists for agreeing to participate in the public event discussing a topic of such profile importance organised by the Forum. He mentioned a view of crises facing Tibet today was clearly enunciated at the Paris climate summit in 2015, highlighting a recorded message for the summit from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Lord Bruce, President of the Democratic Forum addressing the panel.
“Tibet is the roof of the world, the third pole. Once its ecology is damaged, it would take a longer time to recover”, he emphasised the impact of the plateau on the lives of billions of people in China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This is not a question of one nation or two nations. This is nothing less than the survival of humanity. Mr Bruce highlighted the importance of the preservation of Tibet’s rivers and informed data and report from the Tibet Policy Institute and UN team on China’s mismanagement of Tibet’s resources which led to the rising temperature faster than the global average causing flood in the country. Finally, he shared his anxiety about glaciers facing an awful scenario and assuming the audience will draw their own conclusion after listening to the speakers.
Representative Sonam Tsering in his introductory remarks said The Tibetan Plateau is called the Third Pole because its glaciers, ice fields and permafrost, contain the largest deposits of freshwater sources outside the two polar regions. Many of the most famous rivers of Asia flow out of Tibet, making Tibet, the water tower or the water reservoir for a very large part of the Indian subcontinent and the whole of South-East Asia. The Crisis in environmental issues in Tibet has adversely impacted the Tibetans already. The Chinese Communist State in the name to protect the headlands of rivers that feed the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong have involved the uprooting, relocation and settlement of thousands and thousands of Tibetan nomads. Regardless of any political or cultural view, the environmental impact of the Tibetan Plateau – the Third Pole – is one of the key issues of our time. To mitigate and plan for such a future, requires a sustained international response focused on the preservation of the Tibetan Plateau as well as on the question of Tibet’s sovereignty.
Professor John H. Knox during the discussion.
Professor John H. Knox, in his remarks, said that the core of the rights-based approach to environmental protection is to the protection of the rights of environmental human rights defenders. That is those who work to protect the only right is to protect the right of others. This means that China like every other country has an obligation to protect the rights of those who criticise its policies. Not to detain them or prosecute them for peaceful actions and protest. An obligation to investigate and punish actions taken to persecute them. Unfortunately, these rights are often not protected in many countries perhaps most countries in the world. Environmental defenders are often at great risk. In recent years, UN special rapporteurs said multiple communications to china raising concerns about critical allegations that Tibetans should protest against mining and other environmental issues as well as other human rights issues such as rights to teach Tibetan language in school.
Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, senior fellow/Head of Tibet Environment Desk, Tibet Policy Institute in Dharamsala in his presentation mentioned that Tibet is called the Third pole because the Tibetan plateau is home to the third-largest concentration of ice beside the north and south pole with 46000 glaciers on the plateau.
He further stressed that because of the large presence of ice on Tibet’s plateau, it also influences climate condition across Asia and as far as Europe and North America. He mentioned that there are some scientific findings that the intensity of the monsoon is influence by what’s happening in the Tibet plateau and also recent increase in heatwave across Europe is also due to the loss of glacier on the Tibet plateau. This means the importance of the Tibet plateau is not only across Asia but also for Europe and America.
Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, Head of Tibet Environment Desk, Tibet Policy Institute presents on the global significance of the Tibetan plateau.
Dechen Palmo, an Environment researcher in her presentation mentioned the increased number of dams built in China and Tibet. According to the International Commission on large dams, China has 23,841 large dams, accounting for 41% of the world total dams. China is one of the three countries in the world that voted against the convention on the law of Non-Navigational Uses of international watercourses adopted by the UN general assembly in 1997.
Mrs Palmo particularly spoke about the importance of the Mekong river in Tibet, the longest river in south-east Asia and the flow of the river dropped due to China’s construction of dams.
Christa Meindersma from ICT Europe said climate change is inextricably linked to biodiversity loss on the Tibetan plateau. The Tibetan plateau encompasses three biodiversity hotspots. We find as the earth’s most biologically rich but threatened regions. Divers of climate change such as extractive industries, pollution, infrastructure development, damming to the exclusion of Tibetan nomads as well as the effect of climate change including the certification grassland degradation and water shortage also lead to biodiversity loss. The global environmental governance report 2020 stresses that climate change and biodiversity loss are on the same side of a coin. And point to the need for a coherent approach to avoid climate action having unintended negative consequences for biodiversity.
Finally, Barry Gardiner MP and chair of The Democracy Forum in his closing remark said ‘we failed to hold the loss of biodiversity in 2010, we failed in 2020 and here we are beginning in a new decade and China is really committed to setting in place a target that doesn’t fail. Now there are two ways you can do that. You can either reduce the aspiration level of the target themselves so they are easy to meet. We do need very serious diplomatic engagement with China at an early stage in order to ensure that there is real cooperation that we bring to COP15 and they bring to COP26 in return. I think we need to be looking for areas where we can engage together because this is critical’.
- filed by Office of Tibet, London
Dechen Palmo, an Environment researcher presents the threat of China excessive damming.
Christa Meindersma, Director of Advocacy and Communications, ICT Europe speaks on the impact of biodiversity.
Barry Gardiner MP and chair of The Democracy Forum speaks on need for diplomatic cooperation with China.
Buddhist Times News – Ladakh UT Buddhist conclave commences in Leh
A two days long Buddhist conclave themed, ‘Ladakh UT Buddhist Council’ was inaugurated on March 13 at Sherab Skyadtsal ling Learning and Library Centre, Thiksey monastery
It is located on top of a hill in and is the largest gompa in central Ladakh, notably containing a separate set of buildings for female renunciates that has been the source of significant recent building and reorganisation.
The Buddhist conclave was organised by the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Ladakh Gonpa Association and Ministry of Culture, Govt. Of India, New Delhi.
His Eminence Togdan Rinpoche stressed the importance of standing together as a Buddhist before following any school of thoughts and sects. He suggested forming of a committee to work for the promotion and development of Nalanda tradition in Himalayan region.
Keynote speaker of the inaugural day, Secretary, Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition, Maling Gombu said, “We need to evolve with time for the development of the Buddhism. The issues have to be resolved unitedly without any differences and the time has come to get a positive change.”
Talking about the future crisis which can be faced, he stressed having a plan and course of action. He highlighted several issues concerning Buddhism and stressed the need to form a National Sangha Community to solve an unseen future crisis.
Talking about the issues of not having recognition of monastic education in India, Maling Gombu sighted an example of Nepal where monastic education is recognised. He said that it is high time that we should strive towards getting monastic education recognised so that it will further boost the development of Buddhism.
He said that the meeting and discussions on various issues by Lama Rinpoche on one platform in regular intervals will send across a strong message of unity and strength.
Congratulating Ladakh for the Union Territory status, Ven. Dr. Dhammapiya, Secretary-General, International Buddhist Confederation said that the main objective of organising Buddhist conclave is to bridge Buddhist people residing in different parts of India. He highlighted the various practice and sects in Buddhism which needs to be set aside to get identified as Buddhist first.
“The core responsibility is to identify the real root and nurture it rather than focussing on branches of Buddhism. The point is to understand Buddha Dhamma and practise it in our daily life to be called as a Buddhist”, he added.
Reiterating the words of His Holiness Dalai Lama to be 21st century Buddhist, Ven. Dhammapiya stressed practising it in daily life.
Talking about the various issues such as decreasing population of Buddhist, the crisis and issues he said, “ It is us who have to take the responsibility in understanding our problems and to get it solved. No one from the outside will solve the crisis, we must protect our own tradition and culture.”
International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) is a global umbrella Buddhist body headquartered in New Delhi. The IBC was conceived in August 2011, at an International Workshop in New Delhi, where 28 delegates from 11 countries unanimously agreed to form a new international Buddhist umbrella body that could serve as a common platform for Buddhist worldwide.
Addressing the gathering, His Eminence Thuksey Rinpoche also stressed the importance of recognising monastic education.
His Eminence said, “ The idea of following and practising Buddhism by only monks and nuns needs to be changed. The responsibilities lie on each and every one. It is important to inculcate the habit of practising Buddhism from a family and at a very young age.”
Thupstan Chhewang, President, Ladakh Buddhist Association said that on one hand the practice of Buddhism is growing in European countries but on the other hand Buddhist community residing in the Himalayan region is facing a threat of losing its identity. He said that such a Buddhist conclave is the need of the hour to address the issues.
He stressed standing unitedly to face all the challenges and prosper Buddhism in its true sense.
MP Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal also expressed happiness of organising Buddhist conclave in Ladakh which he said will prove beneficial to the Buddhist population residing in Ladakh. Highlighting the small population of Buddhists in India, he stressed the need for a policy to strengthen Buddhists in the country.
He said, “We as a Ladakhi failed to promote and strengthen Buddhist tradition culture and learning in true sense. We have also failed to promote our own language.”
Dr. Jamyang Gyalson and Tsultim Gyatson spoke on Indian Himalayan Buddhist Communities, culture, preservation, and identity- challenges and way forwarding the 21st century. A discussion was held on history, culture, preservation and identity in Ladakh, challenges and way forward in the 21st century.
source – Reach Ladakh Bulletin
Buddhist Times News – Donald Trump’s ‘Buddha Statues’, Selling for Over Rs 44,000, are a Hit on Chinese E-commerce Websites
Donald Trump’s ‘Buddha Statues’, Selling for Over Rs 44,000, are a Hit on Chinese E-commerce Websites
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<span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Mar 12, 2021</span>
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By — BT Newsdesk
Donald Trump may not be the global newsmaker anymore after he handed the reins of American leadership to Joe Biden. But, that still didn’t stop a Chinese entrepreneur from carving out a statue of the former US President in a pose that can be remotely associated with the Republican leader. The statue looks like Trump sitting in a Buddha posture. The white-coloured ‘Trump-Buddha’ statue shows Trump sitting like Buddha, with his face lowered and hands resting together on his lap, maintaining a calm aura, with eyes shut. The statue has been listed on the Chinese e-commerce site Taobao. The larger sized statue of 4.6m is available at 3,999 yuan (Rs 44,707) and the smaller size of 1.6 meters has been priced at 999 yuan (Rs 11168).
The Xiamen-based seller drew the concept from Trump’s iconic slogan “Make America Great Again.” Speaking to state-owned publication Global Times, the seller from the Fujian province said that he wanted to incorporate the idea into Chinese products by trying to deliver a message: “Make your company great again.” The seller, an entrepreneurial furniture-seller, said that people have bought them just for fun. The company made 100 of them, and already dozens have been sold out.
“Trump can also be regarded as a representative of an era, and extreme egoism. Now the era has passed but I want the statue to remind me: Don’t be too Trump,” said a buyer to the Global Times.
The US-China relation had hit a new low under the Trump regime. Ahead of Joe Biden’s presidency, in 2020 China had called for a reset of its troubled ties with the US under the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden to rebuild mutual trust and end months of hostility between the world’s two largest economies. President Donald Trump’s four-years in power is regarded as the worst phase in US-China relations as the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by President Xi Jinping struggled to deal with Washington under an unpredictable American leader. “The top priority is that both sides should work together to remove all kinds of disruptions and obstacles, and achieve a smooth transition in China-US relations,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a video meeting with business leaders from the US-China Business Council.
source – News18
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Buddhist Times News – India can be a hub of Buddhist studies
India can be a hub of Buddhist studies
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By — Shyamal Sinha
Nālandā is also about the gift of knowledge (ancient vidyā-dāna) that is meant to foster inspiration for a transformed global world rooted in cooperation and sharing — knowledge must be spread, shared, and not just compounded or kept for oneself alone. Since its ancient inception, Nālandā has played a major role in sharing and exchanging knowledge across the globe. The actors who played a major part in these ‘exchanges’ were the Buddhist monks or teachers (ācāryyas) Sūbhakarasiṁha , Nāgārjuna, Atīśa, Nāgajñāna (a disciple of Nāgārjuna), his pupil Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra (from India), Vajrabodhi’s disciple Huiguo (from China), Samantabhadra (from India or Śrī Laṅkā), Huiguo’s pupil Bianhong (from Java), and Kūkai (from Japan). Being a veritable cradle of Buddhist and Hindu learning, it was Nālandā that attracted such a great number of influential teachers and students from around India and the world.
The central government is keen to promote Buddhist studies in India and has prepared a comprehensive database of Indian universities offering Buddhist courses. UGC has instructed all universities to provide information related to Buddhist programs. It is believed to revive India as a global center of Buddhist learning and culture.Now that the world is tackling war and terrorism, it is time to introduce Buddhist studies to young people around the world. “Society is becoming more and more consumer and suffering from xenophobic anxieties. The values of consistent and symmetrical understanding and brotherhood are lost and peace and harmony must be built. Buddhism Science is the best way to do that, “says Sunaina singh, vice chancellor of the University of Nalanda.
India has a tradition of monastic knowledge that needs to be audited, reviewed, and revisited to relate it to today’s needs. “We need some kind of enlightened approach, which also helps shape the spirit of young people,” Sunaina singh adds.
India has a tradition of monastic knowledge that needs to be audited, reviewed, and revisited to relate it to today’s needs. “We need some kind of enlightened approach, which also helps shape the spirit of young people,” Sunaina singh adds.
Also, over the last 20 to 30 years, many Buddhist relics have been found in many parts of India, and the government is trying to update the curriculum. “India has a natural heritage of Buddhism and can be made more meaningful by combining new information gathered from archaeological excavations. This builds interrelationships in today’s life. “It also helps,” said Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, Vice President of the University of Gautam Buddha in Noida.
There are also Buddhist followers in the United States, Europe and elsewhere in China, Sri Lanka and South east Asian countries, and we can encourage them to take these courses. “By reviewing the Buddhist curriculum, we can integrate all the beliefs of Buddhism that fascinate the world,” says Sharma.
Chinese factors
Recently, China has promoted Buddhist studies by portraying itself as a major center of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Therefore, image-building exercises among all these Buddhist nations are important for projecting India as a real place for learning Buddhism.
“India has strong ties with Southeast Asian countries. By upgrading these courses to provide quality education, we can attract more international students,” says Sharma. Gautam Buddha University has 150 international students studying at different levels.
Anand Singh, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at Nalanda University, said the government is seeking to connect with Buddhist nations, especially SAARC and ASEAN countries, by using Buddhist ties in foreign policy.
“The government has two purposes, one is to develop India as an educational center and the other is to counter China, which is trying to be the torch of the Buddhist nation,” Sunaina singh said. I will.
“The emphasis on Buddhist studies is part of Track II diplomacy, as it plays a major role in boosting the economy and culture that India wants to compete with China, if not dominant,” says Anand singh .
Nalanda tradition the skills imparted to students extend from rigorous reading of literary and philosophical texts to archaeological training. The School emphasizes the study of Buddhism and its adjacent religious traditions such as Sāṁkhya, Vedānta and Tantra in their full range of spiritual, regional, and cultural contexts. It studies Buddhism, Yoga, Meditation, and other religious traditions, their history, culture and ideas from a Religious Studies perspective which includes critically reflected and applied theory and methodology.
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Buddhist Times News – To boost Buddhism, UGC plans ambitious database on courses, scholars and research
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) offers courses in Pali at advanced levels, including research and doctoral studies. (File Photo)
The Department of Pali was established in July 2006, to mark the 2550th anniversary of the Mahaparinibbana of the Lord Buddha and the 50th anniversary of Modern Buddha Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s historic embrace of Buddhism. Department of Pali is the only place under the jurisdiction of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) where facility for learning Buddhist Literature in Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan is available from basic to advance level. In its short career the Department has achieved the status of being one of the leading institutions in the field.
We have taken a holistic approach in the study of Buddhist Studies by including a number of related subfields such as Comparative Linguistics, Buddhist Psychology, Comparative Philosophy: Indian and Western, Buddhist Art, Architecture and Inscriptions, Buddhist Culture and History of Buddhist Thought, Socially Engaged Buddhism in our new curriculum. The Department has developed a strong bondage with local Buddhist community and Vipassana practitioners and is also successful in attracting overseas students and scholars.
In an ambitious plan to promote India as a global hub for Buddhist heritage and tourism, the University Grants Commission (UGC) plans to create a database pertaining to Pali and Buddhist studies.
In a notification dated February 23, the UGC has sought information about current courses, research, scholars and experts, alumni along with important events, seminars and conferences organised in this field from all universities, research institutions and centres. The UGC has also asked for details on the number of courses offered, number of students pursuing studies at undergraduate, post-graduate level and above at universities.
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) offers courses in Pali at advanced levels, including research and doctoral studies. Besides, research in Buddhist studies has been offered at Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute for over four decades now.
The two institutions had recently inked an MoU to jointly roll out a PG diploma in Buddhist Heritage and Tourism from the next academic year.
While many Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea and China offer select courses and have plethora of tourism-centered activities, a database with rich information on all available courses and research of this scale also aimed at long term plans, including promoting tourism, is a one-of-its-kind programme.
source — Indian Express,pune
Buddhist Times News – All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony
Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition speaking at the All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony, an initiative of Kullu-Manali Settlement Office. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
By – Shyamal Sinha
Religious harmony in India is a concept that indicates that there is love, affection in between different religions in India. The Indian constitution supports and encourages religious harmony. In India, every citizen has a right to choose and practice any religion.There are examples of Muslims and Sikhs building temples. In India, different religious traditions live harmoniously. Seers of religions call for religious harmony in India
The ancient Indian scripture Rigveda endeavors plurality of religious thought with its mention “ekaM sadvipraa bahudhaa vadanti ” (Sanskrit: एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति)– meaning wise people explain the same truth in different manners.
On 3 March, the auspicious White Wednesday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Settlement Office of Kullu- Manali organised the first of a kind inter-religious dialogue, titled ‘All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony’ under the auspices of the Central Tibetan Administration.
The Central Tibetan Administration led by the 15th Kashag dedicated the year 2020-21 as ‘Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is in this spirit that TSO Kullu Manali has taken the initiative to organise a special talk, bringing together representatives of various religious traditions to talk about one of the four principal commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the promotion of Inter-religious harmony.
Honorary representatives of the different religions who graced the event include Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Lochen Rinpoche, Khentsap, Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Pandit ji Mahima Nautiyal, Bodh Nath Mandir at Manali, Imam Molana Sajit ji, Masjid at Manali, Reverend. Naresh Lall ji, the Lady Willington Hospital, Manali, Sardar ji Bhagtishwar Sigh ji, Gurudwara Temple based in Manali. Local pradhan, members of Tibet Support Group also attended.
Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement delivered the welcome address, followed by all the representatives of various faith who spoke on inter-religious harmony.
On behalf of the CTA, the Settlement Officer felicitated each representative with a traditional Tibetan scarf and souvenirs and thanked the Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Kullu-Manali for sponsoring the luncheon and refreshments for all the guests and audience at the gathering.
The special talk concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr Thokmey, President of Local Tibetan Assembly, Kullu-Manali.
The second segment of the event included Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation by Kyapje Taklung Matrul Rinpoche.
Mandala offering by Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement to Taklung Matrul Rinpoche during the Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
Rinpoche blessing members of the audience. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
Ashoka (304–232 BC), in his 12th edict stated:
“The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. . Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought “Let me glorify my own religion,” only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions. ”
source — cta