'Fake’ Buddha’s Followers Defend His Teachings

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KOH THOM DISTRICT, Cambodia -- In this rural part of Kandal province, a 35-meter-high statue of a mustachioed Buddha towers incongruously above the surrounding fields of corn and rice, providing a glimpse into the mystical world of Thean Vuthy.

<< When monks bow to lay people. The cult of Thean Vuthy

A self-professed holy man who habitually dresses in white robes and sits on a throne to receive visitors, Mr. Vuthy claims to be able to communicate with animals and to have unique insight into Buddhist teachings.

For years, he has attracted throngs of followers hoping to absorb his purported wisdom. But he has also drawn the ire of numerous devout Buddhists who call him a charlatan.

Most recently, he was publicly lambasted last week by authorities for apparently describing himself as the fifth reincarnation of Buddha and allowing monks and nuns to bow down to him.

According to his followers, he has a network of supporters that extends as far as Thailand, Vietnam and the Cambodian community in the U.S., and it is not unusual for more than 1,000 people to descend on his Tuol Preah Reachea pagoda during Buddhist festivals.

The extravagant pagoda complex, which was built by Mr. Vuthy between six and eight years ago, also includes a 20-meter-high statue of Buddha surrounded by the mythical nine-headed serpent known as a naga. Twenty gold-trimmed stupas each hold a single jade Buddha on a gold throne. Visitors are left in little doubt that he is able to draw on substantial wealth.

Ten large residential villas have been built parallel to the main temple, with a further five apparently abandoned halfway through construction. Officials also say Mr. Vuthy has a number of personal homes away from the pagoda.

The Ministry of Cults and Religion - which accused him of “seriously offending the values of Buddhism” - says it is investigating allegations he was cheating his followers out of their money.

Phen Phoan, a 43-year-old cook at the pagoda, said one family was to blame for trying to profit from videos and photographs of Mr. Vuthy, although she declined to give details.

“After teacher [Mr. Vuthy] got money from overseas, he only took a video to show them what he had done,” she said.

The pagoda was shut down on Sunday after police and officials from the Ministry of Cults and Religion discovered what they said was improper religious iconography there, including videos promoting Mr. Vuthy and pictures depicting his face over Buddha’s body.

Kandal Governor Phay Bun Chhoeun said expensive goods had been seized from Mr. Vuthy’s room at the pagoda.

“The jewelry we saw looked like it came from a big jewelry store in Phnom Penh,” he said.

Some of Mr. Vuthy’s followers had already left before the raid, while seven monks were afterward relocated to a pagoda in nearby Takhmao City.

On Tuesday, about a dozen police officers washing down their lunch with cans of Anchor beer - with orders to “protect the property” until provincial authorities said otherwise - were among a small contingent of people at the site that included a handful of curious villagers. Construction workers who were extending the pagoda also remained, hopeful that Mr. Vuthy would return to pay them.

Som Sovann, 70, one of several elderly nuns still living at the pagoda, has spent eight years at Wat Tuol Preah Reachea. She said Mr. Vuthy had “special knowledge” but never claimed to be a god—although many of those who flocked to pay their respects viewed him as one.

“We respect him because he built the pagoda and because he loves Buddha, and also he can make people believe in Buddhism,” she said. “He knows and understands a lot of dharma of monks and priests, which could make people feel that they believe in him.”

Surrounded by a group of fellow nuns who nodded in agreement, Ms. Sovann said Mr. Vuthy only sat on a throne—where a Buddha statue would normally be inside a temple—at the behest of his followers, who referred to him as “louk kru,” or teacher.

“He preached for a long time, so that since he was 16 years old he has been able to speak with animals. That is something a god can do, so people have considered him to be a god,” she said.

Ly Try, chief monk of Pichey Sakor pagoda, the nearest Buddhist temple to Tuol Preah Reachea, condemned Mr. Vuthy’s actions as being driven by commercial interests.

“These are not dharma to follow Buddha, these are dharma for cheating people,” he said, referring to the teachings of Buddha.

Erik W. Davis, a scholar of Buddhism who has interviewed Mr. Vuthy, said that unless he had dramatically changed his position recently, Mr. Vuthy did not present himself as the fifth Buddha of the era, Maitreya, but as “a person with special knowledge of Maitreya’s birth and identity.”

“I should add that…some of the pictures I have seen from the recent raid do indicate that he is placing himself in the position of the Fifth Buddha, but that this alone constitutes proof of very little,” he wrote in an email.

Mr. Davis, who is an assistant professor of religious studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, said various other figures in Buddhism throughout history had also claimed to be Maitreya, regarded as the Buddha of a new era, who will bring about a violent apocalyptic reckoning before ushering in the dawn of a new age of peace and justice.

“Making such claims, or even profiting off of them, is hardly unusual, and while the Ministry [of Cults and Religion] may charge itself with the defense of Buddhism, Buddhism is far too vigorous to need such defense, having lasted over 2500 years already,” he wrote.

“I suspect the real story here is not that Thean Vuthy was making such claims, but that he fell on the wrong side of a patronage network engaged in housecleaning.”

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Cambodia observes Buddha's Day

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KANDAL, Cambodia -- Thousands of Buddhist monks and Buddhists marched on Friday morning around Preah Reach Trap Mountain, where the relics of Buddha are housed, to celebrate the Visak Bochea's Day, or Buddha's Day.

The annually religious ceremony was attended by Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, leader of the Mohanikaya Buddhist sect, and Supreme Patriarch Bou Kry, head of the Thammayut Buddhist sect, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh.

Visak Bochea's Day marked the anniversary of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, said a media statement from the National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals.

It is a public holiday in this Buddhist-dominant country, where about 90 percent of the 14.5 million populations are Buddhists.

At the event, lay people prayed to the Lord Buddha by lighting candles, incense sticks and laying flowers before the Lord Buddha' s statues and relics. In addition, they donated foods and money to participating Buddhist monks with the dedication to their deceased relatives.

"The celebration is to maintain national identification and tradition and to enhance the key role of Buddhism in Cambodia," the statement said.

One of the participants Top Pich, 72, said that she has come to attend this important ritual every year.

"As a Buddhist, today is a very important day for me to commemorate my Lord Buddha," she said. "All of my family members are Buddhists and we have followed this practice from generation to generation."

Buddhism is the state religion in this Southeast Asia nation. According to the figures of Ministry of Cults and Religion, the country has about 4,400 Buddhist pagodas with more than 50,000 monks.

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To Buddha’s delight

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Yogyakarta, Indonesia -- The wave of Buddhism that spread from India to South East Asia around the first century AD lasted several centuries when many of the countries came under the Buddhist influence, with numerous temples and stupas springing up all over.

Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, too passed through a spell of Mahayana Buddhism, and it was more pronounced in Central Java, thanks to patronisation by rulers of the Sailendra Dynasty reigning at the time. One of their legacies was a huge Buddhist temple at Borobudur near Yogyakarta.

Though no written records about the date and purpose of its construction were available, it has been established, from a study of the relief panels and inscriptions of the temple discovered during excavations, that the structure was indeed built between eighth and ninth centuries by the kings of the Sailendra Dynasty. What was intriguing about the structure was whether it was built to be a temple or a stupa.

While the temple is mainly a place of worship entered by pilgrims, a stupa is a closed structure where Buddhist relics are kept, usually buried in a container at the base. The monument at Borobudur, as it has been interpreted, is both a temple and a stupa. Built in the shape of a stupa with a large number of miniature stupas all around, it is also a temple with stairways and corridors, niches, wall panels and images.

The area where the temple stands now is guarded by twin volcanoes of Sumbing and Sundoro on one side, and Merapi on the other, which have been erupting off and on. The plateau between them called Kedu Plains is not only enriched with volcanic ash, but fed by two rivers Progo and Elo, and a lake, making it a very fertile tableland nicknamed ‘The Garden of Java’.

The place was considered sacred by the Buddhists, who decided to build a massive stupa on a high mound to symbolise the lotus flower. So it was around 750 AD that the work on the stupa commenced. The meticulously planned construction process of the towering structure went on for as long as 75 years and culminated in 825 AD during the time of King Samaratungga.

The stupa is a colossal structure, built on a large square base with nearly 400 ft each side. There are nine platforms one above the other, the first six being square ones and the top three being circular. The whole structure has been built in such a way as to symbolise the cosmic levels one undergoes to attain purity and salvation. The first platform at the base represents Kamadhatu, a world of desires. The next five tiers are the Rupadhatu, the world of forms.

The three circular platforms and the stupa at the top together symbolise Arupadhatu, which signifies a world of formlessness. The platform at the base was hidden initially and was discovered only in 1885, and as such referred to as ‘the hidden foot’. It was found to have 160 panels narrating the meaning of Kamadhatu. In higher platforms are intricate base-relief panels, which depict events from the life of commoners, kings and queens, Gandharvas and Apsaras.

At the next level of Arupadhatu, the world of formlessness, the panels are plain and devoid of decoration. There are 2,672 relief panels in all and 504 Buddhas besides innumerable images. A labyrinth of stairs and corridors lead the way up to the top, dominated by a huge stupa encircled by 75 smaller stupas. The stupas are bell-shaped with latticed openings, with an image of a Buddha sitting inside, in the lotus posture. But the main stupa is empty.

Towards the 11th century, as Buddhism declined and the capital moved towards the east, probably to escape the repeated eruptions from volcanoes, Borobudur went into oblivion. It lay buried in a time warp for centuries under a heap of ash, and was rediscovered only in early 19th century.

The credit for bringing it to the knowledge of the world yet again undoubtedly goes to Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the then ruling British Governor General. Later on, after decades of repeated restoration, UNESCO lent great support in a massive overhaul of the whole structure, eventually declaring it as a World Heritage site in 1991. As recently as June this year, the ancient monument has also been included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

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Bamiyan Buddhas: Should they be rebuilt?

When the Taliban were at the height of their power in Afghanistan, leader Mullah Omar waged a war against idolatry.

His biggest victims, in size as well as symbolism, were two standing stone Buddhist statues. Once the largest in the world - one measured 55 metres in height - they were carved into the sandstone cliff face of the Bamiyan valley in central Afghanistan during the 6th Century.

When the Taliban were overthrown in 2003, Unesco declared the valley a world heritage site and archaeologists flocked to it. What they found were two enormous empty caverns and a pile of debris littered with unexploded mines.

One of the Buddhas was 55 metres high
Since then, they have been surveying the rubble of the two stone structures to determine whether the Buddhas should be rebuilt.

The Bamiyan valley marked the most westerly point of Buddhist expansion and was a crucial hub of trade for much of the last millennium. It was a place where East met West and its archaeology reveals a blend of Greek, Turkish, Persian, Chinese and Indian influence that is found nowhere else in the world.

But last year, Unesco announced that it was no longer considering reconstruction. In the case of the bigger Buddha, it was decided there wasn't enough left to rebuild and though rebuilding the smaller one is possible, they said it is unlikely to happen.

Instead they are working with teams from Japan and Italy to secure the cracking cliff face and keep the cliffs and any of the remaining wall paintings that once covered the caves and niches intact.

But a German group of archaeological conservationists, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos), are still pushing for the Buddha to be rebuilt.

Bert Praxenthaler works alongside Icomos and since 2004 he has been working on the site to salvage any remaining fragments of the sculpture, some weighing up to 40 tonnes and putting them under a protective covering to preserve them as best he can.

He is interested in a process called anastylois which involves putting these fragments back together using a minimal amount of new materials.

"It's a jigsaw puzzle with missing links but with geological methods we can discover where those fragments have been before," says Praxenthaler.

The method has been used on the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens but it would be the first time it is used to reconstruct a monument that was intentionally destroyed and arguments against reconstruction abound.

Not least is money. Rebuilding just the small Buddha would cost millions of dollars in a region that lacks basic infrastructure such as roads and electricity. It would require the manufacture or import of a huge amounts of metal which would have to travel along the dangerous road from Kabul.

"Of course the counter argument to that is that jaw-dropping sums of money are spent in Afghanistan every day," says Dr Llewelyn Morgan, author of The Buddhas of Bamiyan, a history of the sculptures. "This would be a drop in the ocean."

Still, Morgan says, there are more pressing issues that archaeologists need to look at in Afghanistan. "Bamiyan has a tendency to draw all archaeological resources to it," he says. "But in Afghanistan you are looking at an astonishing archaeological treasure trove."

Families living in the valley remain impoverished
Looting is a very big problem and artefacts from around the country often end up in art markets in Pakistan. Morgan believes that resources would be better spent on creating an infrastructure to protect the breadth of Afghanistan's ancient treasures.

In a recent Huffington Post article he publicised the case of Chehel Burj, a medieval fortress in the mountains to the west of Bamiyan that is suffering from degradation.

"Give it time and illicit treasure hunting, earthquakes and old-fashioned freeze-thaw action will destroy more than the most single-minded iconoclast could ever dream of," he said.

But whatever the reason, the Bamiyan Buddhas have captured the international imagination and ideas for what to do with the site still pour in from archaeologists, architects, artists and historians.

One that has gained quite a lot of attention is a proposal from Italian architect Andrea Bruno to construct a small underground sanctuary at the foot of the Great Buddha which would allow visitors to look up at and appreciate the immensity of the empty niche.

Bruno believes the niches should be preserved as a monument to the crime of their destruction. "It is a kind of victory for the monument and a defeat for those who tried to obliterate its memory with dynamite," he says.

He argues that reconstruction would be culturally insensitive. "Here the Muslims strictly oppose images - to recreate the Buddhas would be an insult even to non-Taliban Afghans. We must show good manners," he says.

But Praxenthaler believes that reconstruction is a matter of local pride for the Hazara people, Shia Muslims who were targeted and persecuted by the Taliban.

Access to where the statues once stood has revealed much about the region
"It wasn't just a religious fatwa, to destroy all the idols, it was also an attempt to destroy the culture and the background and the pride of the people," he says. "The Hazara people appreciated that we were going to help them do something with their destroyed Buddhas."

He also says that reconstruction would enrich the local economy. His project has already employed over 50 people for salvaging and has also helped to train students from Bamiyan University in ancient stone-cutting techniques.

"People are building homes and they are employed by us, they are working and they get a decent salary."

Llewelyn Morgan, who last visited the site a year ago, also found reconstruction to be popular among locals for whom the Buddhas were once a great source of income from tourists.

"The impression you get in Bamiyan is that they are almost too naively positive about the reconstruction of the Buddha," says Morgan. "I've spoken to people who would like to see it go up in concrete, which of course Unesco would never countenance."

But the reception to rebuilding in the rest of the country is unpredictable.

"Afghanistan is a great melting pot of cultures but the one thing many of them share is they are very pious," says Morgan.

"Though many clerics and religious leaders may not have agreed with the destruction of religious idols, building them again is an entirely different matter."

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Buddhists outraged at Buddha's images on shoes

Tibetans and Bhutanese Buddhists have written to the company, Icon Shoes, to express their disgust. They have flooded the company's Facebook page with protest notes.

"Unfortunately, it is a basic Buddhist tradition to treat images of Buddhist deities with reverence. Having the images on shoes is disrespect to the Buddhists," wrote Bhuchung Tsering form International Campaign for Tibet.

"Could you kindly consider this and withdraw the shoes from your catalogue," the Tibetan leader demanded.

The North American member of the Tibetan Parliament, Tashi Namgyal, wrote a protest letter to Icon Shoe.

"I came across shoes with image of Lord Buddha on it, manufactured by your company. I was totally shocked and dismayed at being so insensitive," wrote Namgyal.

"Lord Buddha is worshiped by millions of people around the world including the writer of this letter... Therefore, I would like to strongly urge your company to recall every merchandise sold with Buddha's image and stop not only selling such merchandises but manufacture of such products. Above all, I want you to tender unqualified apology posted on your website," Tashi demanded.

Based out of Palm Desert, California, ICON was launched in 1999 by a Hollywood filmmaker and art collector.

"Icon is for the art lover and the woman who loves shoes and handbags. We support artists by paying royalty for the use of their art," the company says on its Facebook page.

"I really think you should stop manufacturing the shoes with Buddha's imprint... it is totally against Buddhist sentiment," wrote one Tshewant Gyeltshen on the company's Facebook page.

"I am Buddhist. Your idea of putting Lord Buddha's image on footwear is unethical," said one Yoezer Gempo.

"Why do they have to put Lord Buddha's image on shoes? Among Buddhist we don't even let our shadow fall on His image. It cannot be ignorance since they had the guts to run a company and even call the pattern 'Thangka of the Buddha'," wrote an angry Passang Tshering on his blog.

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Auckland: Buddha's Day out

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A day at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple provides much-needed nourishment for the soul, writes Farida Master.

Auckland, New Zealand -- You may be forgiven for thinking you've travelled into another dynasty. Though the busy Botany Town Centre is only minutes away, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple that stands tall at Flat Bush, has changed the skyline of the suburb.

<< The beautiful Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple at Flat Bush opens its doors to the public tomorrow for the Buddha's Day multicultural festival.

We've always been keen to discover what lies beyond the magnificent structure that overlooks the vast expanse of Sir Barry Curtis Park. Finally the moment has arrived.

As we drive into the gates of the biggest Buddhist temple in New Zealand, set over 3.65ha of spiritually cultivated land, we are greeted by the most enchanting sight of a group of women gracefully doing the fan dance.

My 9-year-old niece, Zeenia, finds her instant calling as she runs across to join the fan club. The women in white are dancing to a rhythmic beat, opening and shutting their colourful fans with a sharp click.

Watching them dressed in traditional regalia against the silhouette of the temple feels like a page out of another era. We're told the dance practice is for the big performance at tomorrow's Buddha's Day.

A flight of steps leads to the huge foyer of the temple that propagates the ideals of humanistic Buddhism and education through art and culture.

The larger-than-life shrine of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, who embodies compassion, smiles back at the assortment of tourists, women's groups, young families and volunteers strolling into the precincts of the beautifully designed temple. The energy is positively vibrant and relaxed.

On the left of the foyer is the inviting spiritual shop with its exquisite collection of artefacts, jade statues, jewellery, incense sticks, books, diaries and lucky charms. The spiritual shop further leads to the Water Drop Vegetarian Cafe. Though the aroma of the food is tempting, it's perhaps one of those enlightened moments that make us opt for nourishment of the soul over gluttony at this point of the day.

Instead, we walk towards the wooden doorway that opens up to a jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop of the palatial temple itself, which is designed in the style of the Tang Dynasty.

The manicured courtyard, lined with Zen gardens, elevated cherry blossom pathways, hexagonal-shaped stone lanterns, a wishing bell and statues of novice monks is a sight to behold. All the elements of design in the courtyard have a much deeper significance. The sprawling courtyard of little concrete blocks and mondo grass, signifies a "field of merit".

According to one of the Buddhist nuns we meet, venerable Man Wang who joins us on our stroll through the gardens, the design recalls the old Chinese fields where the philosophy of sowing good deeds to reap good karma works.

The stone lanterns with bell chimes represent the light bearers in the chain of existence; while the trees and the rocks from different rivers around the world tell stories of a bygone era to the next generation, representing spiritual strength in life.

We take a quick stroll to the art gallery to see the exhibition of Estuary Artworks. Zeenia is inspired by an idea for a school project. I'm more drawn to the Zen calligraphy next-door, by a Melbourne-based calligrapher, Kim Hoa Tram. My other half prefers the Way of Life photography exhibition displaying stunning visuals of the Fo Guang Shan temple in the North Island and the more modern structure in the South Island.

The 9-year-old is keen to watch the novice monks. And there is a story in there, says venerable Man Wang.

She explains that the concept behind it is for children to learn from novice monks how to have a balance between work and play. The novice monks also signify innocence and a sense of being carefree. Zeenia is inspired by the little monk meditating and decides to mirror his actions for the camera- which is a good beginning.

The wishing bell in the courtyard is a magnet for adults and kids alike. However, the real point of illumination is the ringing of the cast iron bell that weighs 3000kg. It's rung 108 times, twice a day at 6.45am and 4.30pm.

Spending the day at the Fo Guang Shan temple is about getting away from the hubbub of city life and soaking in the culture and the serenity. A definite sense of calm envelops us as we enter the main shrine where Buddha has been carved from a single block of white jade. The holographic images all around the main shrine symbolise the future Buddha in everyone. Animals included.

This explains why the Tea House with its rustic decor serves vegetarian food. Finally, at the Water Drop Cafe, the 9-year-old opts for nuggets, only to realise later that they were the healthiest soy bean nuggets she's ever had.

We relish the delicately flavoured Good Wish rice served with crispy tempura vegetables and a plate of scrumptious spring rolls, washed down by lemon ginger tea. The cafe is packed and it is only the steady stream of people coming in that prompts our exit. And this is only because we know we are going to be back soon for the Buddha's Day food jamboree.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

The Buddha's Day multicultural festival is on tomorrow. The opening prayer ceremony is at 9.40pm followed by Bathing of the Buddha, with multicultural dance performances from noon to 4pm. Entertainment includes Children's Wonderland, games, calligraphy and more. There's a Baby Blessing ceremony at 1.30pm, where newborn to 5-year-olds will be blessed with love, wisdom and good fortune, and here will be food stalls selling Asian cuisine as well as gift items and souvenirs.

On Saturday mornings at 9.30pm there is free meditation and tai chi for the public. On Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9pm, venerable Miaoyu leads a meditation class that involves walking meditation in the courtyard and learning to focus on your breath and every movement you make. School and university groups can book a cultural experience of calligraphy, tai chi, tea ceremony, principles of Buddhism, chanting and meditation.

Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple is at 16 Stancombe Rd, Flat Bush, Manukau. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-5pm. See fgs.org.nz for information or bookings. Ph (09) 274 4880.

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Buddhists anticipate flower festival in honor of Buddha's birth

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Ogden, Utah (USA) -- Members of the Ogden Buddhist Church, 155 North St., are inviting the public to celebrate with them, at 10 a.m. Sunday, the birth of the Buddha, in their annual Hanamatsuri service.

"It's the biggest celebration of the year for our Buddhist community," said Mike Monson, a minister's assistant at the church. "We dress up our chapel and our children and so forth, and they all participate in a traditional ceremony recognizing the importance that the Buddha has in our lives."

Literally "flower festival," Hanamatsuri commemorates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama.

Siddhartha became enlightened as Sakyamuni Buddha.

According to Buddhist tradition, the birth marked the release of sentient beings from suffering and sorrow.

Sakyamuni, it is said, was born in Lumbini Garden in Nepal on April 8, 566 B.C.

He was born the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. There are many descriptions of the scene at his birth, including celestial birds singing beautiful songs, beautiful flowers, and a sweet, gentle rain bathing the baby Buddha.

Monson said the Ogden church decorates with beautiful flower displays that are symbolic of the myth and location of the Buddha's birth."When the Buddha was born, it is said that the whole area came in bloom,"

Monson said. "To which I say, if it didn't, it probably should have."

"We have five special services each year," said Annette Koga, also a minister's assistant at the church. "This one is very significant."

Koga said unlike other celebrations that vary by different Buddhist sects, this celebration is the same for all of them.

"This is a very good one for the public to come to," she said. "You are getting general information about Buddhism."

And this celebration, she said, is very colorful.

A saying the church uses in describing itself is: "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."

The saying is a quote from Buddha.

For more information, call the church at 801-392-7132.

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Uproar over tourism plan for Buddha's birthplace

The Buddha evokes feelings of peace and harmony, but a plan to boost the profile of his birthplace as an international tourist site has outraged followers and prompted protests.

The reason? Buddhist organisations are questioning the involvement of a man mired in the politics of violence as the head of that initiative, contrary to their religion's path of peace and non-violence.

Lumbini in modern-day Nepal is revered as Buddha's birthplace, and was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1997.

But despite its religious and cultural importance, it has never been seriously developed as an independent tourist site. Hotels are few and road access limited. It is often the last hop for Buddhist tours coming from India via Sarnath and important sites such as Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar.

Nepalese tour operators complain that pilgrims on such tours are returned back to India after a brief visit to Lumbini.

Now high-profile people such as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and as many as four heads of states are apparently involved in an effort to push it into the international tourism spotlight.

But the initiative is being spearheaded by former Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as "Prachanda" or "The Fierce One'. From 1996 to 2006, he led a bloody insurgency against the state's monarchy that resulted in the deaths of more than 15,000.

A 2006 peace pact ended the civil war, and the Maoists won an election in 2008, paving the way for Dahal to take over as prime minister. But he resigned in 2009, and is now chairman of The Greater Lumbini National Development Committee, much to the concern of prominent Buddhist monks, including abbots of major monasteries in Nepal.

Dahal's project, however, is not the first one on Lumbini and neither is his interest in the holy site new.

Another initiative called the Lumbini Development Project is already being implemented as part of a vision shared by former UN secretary-general U Thant, a practising Buddhist, and the late King Birendra of Nepal. Noted Japanese architect Kenzo Tange was also involved in it.

But the pace of this project, which began in 1978, has been slow. Members of this project said they have no idea what Dahal's committee intends to do or implement. "We really don't know how the new project is going to add to the previous plan," a member, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Sunday Times.

In November last year, Dahal visited New York as chairman of the Lumbini National Development Committee to invite Ban to a conference on the holy site scheduled to be held late next month. According to Dahal, Ban readily accepted.

A spokesman for the office of the UN Secretary-General said it could not confirm the trip, and an announcement would be made much closer to the date if it happens.

Nevertheless, given Dahal's history and the concerns of Nepal's Buddhist community, Ban's alleged involvement in the initiative is already drawing controversy.

"It would be untimely and inauspicious for the Secretary-General to visit Lumbini under present circumstances," wrote Kul Chandra Gautam, a Nepali national who unsuccessfully contested for the chair of the UN General Assembly last year, a few years after he retired as assistant secretary-general of the world body.

"Nepal is at a critical juncture, struggling to overcome the legacy of a decade-long civil war that killed 15,000. Genuine peace has not yet dawned, the drafting of the new Constitution has been delayed by two years, and there is rampant lawlessness and impunity," he said in his blog, a posting that has since been carried by many Nepali papers.

Gautam wrote that the current government led by the Maoists has granted mass amnesty to Maoist cadres and leaders involved in cases like murders and abduction during the years of insurgency.

"Should Ban be chairing the international conference on Lumbini as the guest of Prachanda with that reputation?" he asked.

Ban had earlier planned to visit Nepal this month, some reports in the Nepalese press said, but cancelled that visit in the face of a series of protests by Buddhist organisations, with some of them submitting petitions to different embassies on how the development of Lumbini is being politicised, and how Buddhists - the real stakeholders - were being excluded from Dahal's initiatives.

This time, Ban is expected to be joined by the heads of Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and possibly Bhutan, foreign ministry officials said, on condition of anonymity as the plans have not yet been confirmed.

But Gautam said: "The Secretary-General co-chairing such a conference at a holy site would be a sacrilege, insulting not just peace-loving Nepalis but also millions of Buddhists around the world."

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Follow Lord Buddha's path for world peace: Dalai Lama

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Bodh Gaya, India -- Tibetan spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama, today asked Buddhist devotees to follow the path of Lord Buddha for promoting world peace.

<< Buddhist monks take shelter from the rain during a teaching session being addressed by the Dalai Lama on the first day of the Kalachakra festival in Bodhgaya January 1, 2012 - Reuters pic

Buddhism should not only be viewed as a tradition but taken up as a matter of study and exercise, the Dalai Lama said while addressing devotees who had assembled at Bodh Gaya, a place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment during Kalchakra Puja at Kalchakra ground here.

He described Lord Buddha as "an ancient ideologue and scientist of the religion and I am following the path of Buddha as a teacher for maintenance of world peace." The Tibetan spiritual leader conveyed his New Year's greetings to the devotees who had assembled here from all over the globe.

Enthusiasm was visible among the devotees who braved inclement weather condition and rains during the religious discourse by the Dalai Lama. Tight security was in place for the Kalchakra Puja.

The Dalai Lama had arrived here yesterday from Himachal Pradesh to participate in the 10-day Kalchakra Puja, which has religious importance in Buddhism. The Tibetan spiritual leader also offered prayers at the Mahabodhi temple here.

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