Japan Tour Ends with Audiences for Tibetans, Mongolians and Chinese

Tokyo, Japan, 18 April 2014 - Before leaving for the airport and his flight back to India this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama made time to meet separately with groups of Chinese, Mongolians and Tibetans.

Meeting first with more than 100 people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and China he said:

“Wherever I go I try to meet with Chinese friends. Tibetans and Chinese have had relations with each other since the time of Songtsen Gampo. Sometimes we’ve fought, but for more than one thousand years we’ve shared an interest in Buddhism. This began when Songtsen Gampo took a Chinese and a Nepalese wife. So I often tell Chinese Buddhists that I respect you as the senior students. Similarly, when I’m talking to Indians I tell them that as far as we are concerned Indians are our gurus and we are the disciples. And I mention that in times of trouble we look to the gurus and senior students for help. I have been to Taiwan several times and many Chinese have come to Dharamsala so our people to people relations have improved.”

He pointed out that when we don’t know what the real situation is it gives rise to suspicion, which is unhelpful and unnecessary. If we are able to meet and learn what’s really going on it makes for happier relations. He said that he had been recommending that Tibetans reach out to China even before the Tiananmen incident took place, but until that point people from mainland China avoided contact with Tibetans. After it happened they came round and connections became stronger. He added that even today it seems a lot Chinese are out of touch with reality; therefore he suggested that people from Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have a better idea about what’s going on, should do what they can to help the people of China become better informed.“For example, although it might seem inappropriate to say so, those people in Tibet who have the courage to commit self-immolation are clearly capable of harming others, but have determined not to do so. Despite the difficulties they face they still follow the Buddha’s teaching about non-violence. This may not be clearly understood.”

He said that he has heard that recently in Tibet, where Tibetans used to work as tour guides they have been replaced by Chinese who denigrate Tibetan people to Chinese and other tourists. When Tibetans approach such groups to sell things to them they shoo them away. He suggested that problems between Tibet and China could be resolved, but hardliners continue to accuse Tibetans of being splittists.

“Since 1973 we decided not to take that line. Direct contact with China began in 1979 and we had already decided our stand. What we are asking for is the implementation of provisions already recognised in the Chinese constitution. Hardliners use the phrase ‘Greater Tibet’, but there is already recognition of Tibetan regions, prefectures and counties that share a common culture and language. We want these provisions fulfilled on an equal basis.

Audience members during the meeting with groups from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and China, listening to His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking in Tokyo, Japan on April 18, 2014.
Photo/Office of Tibet, Japan
“Because the Tibetan language is a focus of our identity its use is discouraged. But as you know, the Tibetan language today is the best medium for explaining Buddhist philosophy and science. Sanskrit is no longer a living language and although there is substantial Buddhist literature available in Chinese, Tibetan translations are more accurate. So this issue is not just the concern of the Tibetan people, it’s about the expression of Buddhism in the world, the most comprehensive teaching of which is preserved in Tibetan.

“The existence of different languages is not a threat. Look at India, many people there speak and write in different languages without it being a threat to the country. When they enjoy equal rights under the rule of law people can live together in freedom and equality. Tibetans having their own language is not in itself a threat.”

He went on to mention that Hu Jintao’s idea of promoting a harmonious society was admirable, but it couldn’t be fulfilled by use of force. Friendship and harmony need to be based on trust not fear. Meanwhile the internal security budget in China exceeds the defence budget. His Holiness suspected that of the 200 countries in the world, this is only true of China. He concluded by saying that if harmony and respect prevailed between Tibetans and Chinese they could live together.

He invited questions from his listeners and the first was an invitation to come to Taiwan. His Holiness replied that since his first visit he had thought about coming to Taiwan every other year, but he hasn’t received government approval to do so. He said he’d wondered about making a transit stop in Taiwan on his way back from Okinawa, but that too was not approved. A woman who suggested that relations between Hong Kong and China have worsened lately asked how to stick to the path of non-violence. His Holiness responded that Tibetans have maintained a strictly non-violent approach for more than 50 years but it hasn’t yet solved the problem. He pointed out that in democratic countries there is transparency and that transparency is clearly better than secrecy and suspicion. Since the arrival of Xi Jinping there seems to be some improvement and he seems at least interested in seeking truth from facts.

“Don’t be discouraged,” he said.

Another questioner wanted to know if there was any chance of His Holiness coming to China and he reminded her that in the fourth round of meetings his representatives had had with the Chinese, he had expressed interest in making a pilgrimage to Wu Taishan, but like his plan to come to Taiwan, it wasn’t approved.

Meeting a group of about 50 Mongolians His Holiness praised the friendship and cultural ties Tibetans and Mongolians have long shared. He said:

“In the 20th century you faced great tragedy and Buddhism in Mongolia went into decline. Tibetans are facing similar problems now. But relations between Tibetans and Mongolians go back hundreds of years to when we roamed the land as nomads. Now that you have regained your freedom, you must use the opportunity well. There are too many examples in Africa of what can go wrong when freedom and democracy are misused. With democracy comes responsibility. Today, Mongolians place great faith in the Dharma, but faith based on reason is even firmer and more stable, so study is important. In the past there were many great scholars who came from Mongolia. However, understanding of Buddhism needs to be combined with basic modern education. Tibet was backward in terms of modern education and technological development and we lost our country.”

His Holiness advised Mongolians to emulate the determination exemplified by their people at the time of Genghis Khan. But today they need that kind of courage combined with intelligence. He said that he has also counselled Indians to focus development efforts in villages, not only in cities. Schools, hospitals and other facilities need to be provided to people in the rural areas where they live.

He recalled that there are now 300 Mongolian monks studying in the main Tibetan monasteries in South India who will be able to contribute to the flourishing of the Dharma in the future.

When he met with Tibetans who live in Japan His Holiness said he didn’t have a lot to say because he has been able to meet them quite often.

“My meetings with scientists and the ongoing dialogues I’ve had with them have reinforced my appreciation of the marvellous qualities of Tibetan language to describe how to deal with the mind and emotions. English is not yet adequate, the best language in this area is Tibetan. That’s something we can be proud of. After all, Buddhism is important as one of the great world religions.

“As I mentioned earlier when I met with some Chinese, self-immolations are still going on in Tibet. Those who do this clearly could, but don’t, choose to harm others. Despite everything, they don’t want to breach the basic Buddhist pledge not to hurt others. Even Chinese visitors to Tibet report that Tibetans are a kind and compassionate people. This is one of the reasons why our cause commands respect today. Keep up this moral standard, don’t be deceitful. Things are changing in China. People inside Tibet still have an unflinchingly strong spirit. We all have to keep this up. In the USA our representative office has moved to Washington DC, but I have suggested that a branch office be  maintained in New York to be focussed on keeping Tibetans in touch with each other. We have to stick together. Tashi delek.”

His Holiness then drove directly to Narita airport to board his flight to India. Representative Lhakpa Tshoko, who will shortly be transferred to Australia, Lungtok, who is to be his successor as Representative in Japan and East Asia and Tsering Dorje from the Representative’s office, were all there to see him off at the end of a successful two weeks in Japan.

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How an MBA degree helped Buddhist priest Matsumoto to revitalise temples in Japan

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Tokyo, Japan -- It's hardly unusual for mid-career professsionals to take time off to study management. Having had some real world exposure, an MBA usually helps put things in perspective. It's the same logic that Keisuke Matsumoto used when he decided to enrol for a management degree at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad in 2010.

A philosophy graduate from the University of Tokyo, Matsumoto is a Japanese Buddhist priest. The decision to pursue a management degree - with a specialisation in marketing and strategy - came after spending seven years as a monk at the Komyoji Temple in Tokyo. "These days, many people from nonprofit entities like schools or hospitals are studying in B-schools. In order to manage any kind of organisation, an MBA is very useful," he explains. In Japan, the Buddhist temples, called Otera, have been at the centre of community life; but not anymore. Matsumoto wants to change that. "An MBA would help me to revitalize Otera and local communities in Japan," says the 33 year-old.

The Otera, which were once a gathering ground for people across all ages are now used only for ancestral ceremonies. Observing the people around him (the temple is in the heart of the city) Matsumoto realised that most people view temples as conservative places and prefer to stay away. To change that perception, he set up the Young Buddhists Association with a few friends who were interested in Buddhism and the temple culture.

Their activities range from holding a music concert at the temple to yoga classes to setting up a free Temple Cafe that was open to everyone. All this helped in bringing more people to the temple.

He agrees that there is hardly any common ground between business and temples. "There are no parallels between the two. Both of them are what humans do. I know businesses are for profit and temples are not. But regardless of the type of the organisation, the mission is the most fundamental aspect," he says. The Otera are at the heart of Buddhism, and their mission, he says, is to help people live a happy life and cultivate their mindfulness. The choice of India wasn't surprising given that it's the birthplace of Buddhism. "I love India and I wanted to study at a world-class school. ISB was the only b-school across the world which could satisfy my interest," he says.

Matsumoto has always tried to bridge the gap between the temple and the changing world. In 2003, he was probably the first monk to start blogging in an effort to guide others through the process of becoming a monk. Eventually, this resulted in Japan's first online Buddhist 'temple' where anyone can log on for spiritual guidance or simply to clear their mind. The temple is connected through various social media. Given the way the world is changing, Matsumoto feels that Buddhism is relevant more than ever before.

"In a sense, Buddhism is a kind of science which can analyse and cultivate our mind. In the current world environment which is changing very fast in terms of value system, I believe Buddhism can play significant role as a next value system which focuses on the human mind rather than money making," he says. He has carried out a study, 'Economy and Buddhism' to understand the impact it can have in this current overwhelmingly capitalist economy.

And how did the MBA actually help? "Having a customer-centric view is one of the greatest learnings from the MBA," he says. And initiatives that make the temple more accessible to the younger generation fit in perfectly with that. Quoting Drucker, an obvious effect of the b-school training, Matsumoto says that temples should be changeagents. "The value of temples exists not in tangible assets but intangible assets like relational value with people. Temples should focus on how to change people better in terms of spirituality."

Matsumoto believes that he can use his B-school learnings to revitalise the temples. He has already set up a management school for Buddhist priests and monks and has over 100 monks studying there this year. "After launching the school, I have been creating a powerful Buddhist monk's network. In one or two years, the number of temples in our community will reach over two hundred across Japan. I would like to support those temples to create good relationships with people in a local community," is what his vision for the future is.

His time at ISB was an experience he cherishes. "At ISB, I was very much influenced in every moment. Particularly, I learned a lot in the friendship with Indian friends on and off campus. They are open, friendly and kind. They greatly appreciate their family. I was moved to see how strongly bonded their families are," he says. And no, he never considered giving up the temple for the corporate world after finishing his management education.

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"Stolen" Buddhist statue raise friction between Japan and South Korea

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Seoul, South Korea -- In October 2012, a bronze standing statue of Tathagata Buddha, designated an important cultural property by the Japanese government, from Kaijinjinja shrine, and a seated statue of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva, designated a tangible cultural property by Nagasaki Prefecture, from Kannonji temple were stolen by a theft ring of five South Koreans causing further diplomatic dispute between Japan and Korea.

Kaijinjinja shrine and Kannonji temple are located on Tsushima island, Nagasaki prefecture, which is a small island that lies between Japan and Korea.

The monks of Buseok Temple  of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province claims that the statues were made in their temple but stolen by Japanese invaders during the 14th century.  On February 26th, 2013 the Daejeon District Court ruled in favor of the Buseok Temple in South Korea's southwestern province, saying that the Kanzeon Bodhisattva statue should not be returned until it becomes clear through legal proceedings that the Kannonji temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture acquired it in a lawful manner.

The Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea stated that they had planned to return the statues to Japan once it had been confirmed stolen. However, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism urged the South Korean government to investigate how the statues were acquired by the temple and shrine in Tsushima in the first place.

The Buddhist community of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province and Buseok monastery have formed an anti-return group of the two statues and had an internal meeting at the Buddhist History and Cultural Memory Hall of Jogye Order of the Korean Buddhism in Seoul. During this meeting, they have decided to voice their opinions on why the statues should remain in Korea.

Ven. Jugyung states that “.. the seated statue of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva has made its difficult journey back to Korea. Although this situation is difficult, we are working hard to turn this situation for the best.”

Ven. Wonwu of Buseok Temple hopes that the statue will not cause further diplomatic dispute between Japan and Korea, but a beginning of a different and innovative relationship between the two countries.

Former lawmaker, Kim Won-ung emphasized that returning the Buseok Temple’s statue should not simply be a Buddhist matter, but a governmental matter. He goes on to state, “I dont think this is simply an issue concerning only the Buddhist community. I believe this includes sentiments from Korea being invaded and plundered in the past.”

Ven Doshin visited the Kannonji temple to find a diplomatic way to resolve this issue however he was unable to meet with the abbot of Kannonji temple.

Ven. Doshin states, “I believe communication is very much necessary in the Religious communities for both countries.”

Asahi shinbun stated that on March 15th, Ven Wonu brought a set of three miniature female figures sold as the temple's mascots along with a bronze Buddha statue made by an artist more than 20 years ago.

"We intended to give them to the temple as souvenirs. We wanted to offer our consolation," Wonu said.

But the visit failed to mend fences, as the Kannonji temple refused to meet the South Korean visitors, saying, "(Their visit is) nothing more than a performance to justify their claim that the statue belongs to them."

The Korean Buddhist community plans to hold various seminars, urge the South Korean government for an official document to Japan for the Buddhist statues to remain in Korea.

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Buddhist temples in Japan joining matchmaking boom

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Wakayama, Japan -- An increasing number of Buddhist temples have been joining the match making boom of recent years in Japan.

In the middle of February, 12 men and as many women, mostly in their late 30s and early 40s, gathered at Anrakuji, a temple of the Nichiren sect in the city of Wakayama, for a spouse-finding event, with each paying 2,500 yen for participation.

"Please value the chance of meeting each other here even if you don't find a partner," Shunko Yoshino, chief priest of the temple, said as he kicked off the event.

The men introduced themselves for three minutes each at tables occupied by women participants, cheerfully but earnestly talking about their occupations, families and other aspects of themselves.

After the event, which also included making colourful beadrolls and taking tea, participants wrote the names of those they were interested in on cards and submitted them to Yoshino, who chanted a Buddhist sutra, wishing for good matches.

"You have Buddha in yourself and I want you to find Buddha in other people," Yoshino said in his subsequent lay sermon. Buddha meets Buddha' is the theme of this event."Eventually, four couples were matched.

The matchmaking event was launched in 2011 jointly by Yoshino and Ryushin Yasutake, 37, chief priest of Dorakuji, a temple of the Kuze Kannon sect in the town of Katsuragi, Wakayama Prefecture, known as a foster home for children.

Yoshino, 35, and Yasutake got acquainted with each other through a nonprofit organisation aimed at teaching Buddhism to children.

Agreeing on the importance of families, the two priests jointly started the matchmaking event and have conducted it on seven occasions to date, including the latest one in February, at either of their temples. The event brings Buddhism to the fore because it is held at temples, the two stressed.

"Temples should be places for mental growth and I hope (participants) will think they can become happy if they bring Buddhism into their daily lives," Yoshino said.

"For people who found their spouses here, our temples are places they can return to and seek advice from," Yasutake said.

" Matchmaking events conducted by temples of different sects are also drawing attention as a model for revitalising temples.

While matchmaking events are now held at temples in various parts of the country, the move was triggered by Katsuhiko Horiuchi, 34, who heads a group of people interested in temple lodging.

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Japan Finds Story of Hope in Undertaker Who Offered Calm Amid Disaster

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KAMAISHI, Japan -- Amid the grief of finding her mother’s body at a makeshift morgue in this tsunami-ravaged city last March, Fumie Arai took comfort in a small but surprising discovery. Unlike the rest of the muddied body, her mother’s face had been carefully wiped clean.

<< A memorial in Koriyama, Japan, on Saturday was one of many to mark the March 11, 2011, quake and tsunami. More Photos »
Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

Atsushi Chiba used Buddhist rituals in caring for nearly 1,000 bodies in Kamaishi. “It's a way to comfort the living,” he said. More Photos »

Mrs. Arai did not know at the time, but the act was the work of a retired undertaker well-versed in the ancient Buddhist rituals of preparing the dead for cremation and burial. The undertaker, Atsushi Chiba, a father of five who cared for almost 1,000 bodies in Kamaishi, has now become an unlikely hero in a community trying to heal its wounds a year after the massive earthquake and tsunami that ravaged much of Japan’s northeastern coast a year ago Sunday.

“I dreaded finding my mother’s body, lying alone on the cold ground among strangers,” Mrs. Arai, 36, said. “When I saw her peaceful, clean face, I knew someone had taken care of her until I arrived. That saved me.”

As Japan marks one year since the quake and tsunami that claimed almost 20,000 lives in the northeastern region of Tohoku, stories like these are being told and retold as mementos of hope even as Japan struggles through what is expected to be an effort lasting decades to rebuild the region.

Mr. Chiba’s story has been immortalized in a best-selling book in Japan, which has sold over 40,000 copies and is in its eleventh printing.

“The dead bodies are the most disturbing aspect of any disaster, and some people might not want to remember,” said the book’s author, Kota Ishii, who spent three months in Kamaishi and its environs in the wake of the disaster, chronicling Mr. Chiba’s work. “But this story is ultimately about how small acts of kindness can bring a little humanity, even in a tragedy that defies all imagination.”

The 30-foot waves that struck Kamaishi shortly after the magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11 spared the white statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, which looks out to sea from the hills above the city. But the waves destroyed the liveliest parts of the city, the bars and restaurants frequented by the area’s fishermen.

As the black water receded, rescuers entered the city’s devastated streets and started pulling the dead from the rubble, carrying them on trucks to a vacant middle school that had escaped damage. The rundown gymnasium quickly became a large morgue.

Mr. Chiba, in his early 70s, whose home was also spared, raced to the gym on the day after the tsunami to look for friends and family, but was struck by the state of the mounting number of bodies there. Most were still clad in muddy clothes and wrapped in plastic, their rigid limbs jutting out and faces bruised by debris and contorted in agony.

“I thought that if the bodies were left this way, the families who came to claim them wouldn’t be able to bear it,” Mr. Chiba said Thursday in an interview. “Yes, they are dead. But in Japan, we treat the dead with respect, as if they are still alive. It’s a way to comfort the living.”

Mr. Chiba set to work. He became a fixture at the morgue, speaking to the bodies as he prepared them for viewing and then cremation. “You must be so cold and lonely, but your family is going to come for you soon so you’d better think of what you’re going to say to them when they arrive,” he recalled saying.

He also taught city workers at the morgue how to soothe limbs tense with rigor mortis, getting down on his knees and gently massaging them so the bodies looked less contorted. When the relatives of a middle-aged victim sobbed that her corpse looked gaunt, Mr. Chiba asked for some makeup and applied rouge and blush.

Mr. Chiba’s attempts to honor the dead quickly caught on. City workers put together old school desks to make a Buddhist altar. They lay the bodies of couples and of family members together. Each time a body was carried out, workers lined up with heads bowed to pay their last respects.

And at Mr. Chiba’s urging, Kamaishi became one of the only hard-hit communities to cremate all of its dead as called for by Japanese custom, enlisting the help of crematoriums as far as Akita, over 100 miles away.

In all, 888 of Kamaishi’s approximately 40,000 residents are known to have died; 158 more are listed as missing and presumed dead.

The disaster has been a major blow to the already declining fortunes of the city, whose steel industry thrived during the 1960s and 1970s but has been shrinking ever since. The tsunami laid waste to half the city, and a year later, streets in the worst-hit neighborhoods are still lined with the shells of buildings and empty plots.

As the city prepared this weekend for memorials to mark the disaster’s first anniversary, a Buddhist priest paid tribute to Mr. Chiba’s contribution to the city’s emotional recovery.

The priest, Enou Shibasaki, from the Senjuin Temple in the hills overlooking Kamaishi, remembers the change that came over the makeshift morgue as Mr. Chiba and city workers tended to the bodies.

“Whether you are religious or not, mourning for the dead is a fundamental need,” Mr. Shibasaki said. “Mourning starts by taking care of the body. It’s the last you see of your loved one, and you want to remember them as beautiful as they were in life.”

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Shinnyo-en Buddhist 'Eye Opening' Ceremony In Japan

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Tokyo, Japan -- Shinnyo-en Buddhism celebrated the re-inspiriting of the Nirvana Buddha sculpture in the renovated Nirvana Hall at Oyasono, the head temple complex of the order in western Tokyo prefecture.

The ritual to enshrine the peaceful and elegant image is called “the eye-opening ceremony,” which has long been a part of many Buddhist traditions. The ceremony inspires people to seek personal growth and awakening through acts of kindness, generosity and compassion in daily life.

Shinnyo-en is considered a layperson’s Buddhism that uses the last teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha as its central text. The third enshrining ceremony represents a significant step for Shinnyo-en as it brings renewed energy to spiritual community.

It was Master Shinjo Ito who was inspired to begin sculpting the Buddha image in 1957, who prayed, “May you cultivate the inherent Buddha nature that lies within each of you, so that you become Buddhas.”

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Japan tsunami survivors pray in summer Buddhist rite

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OTSUCHICHO, Japan -- In a little room of a small hillside temple that barely survived Japan's tsunami five months ago, Yuko Kikuchi knelt down, quietly sobbing and gently caressing the boxes that hold the bones and ashes of her perished mother and sister-in-law.

"It's harder now," 57-year-old Kikuchi, who came back to her devastated hometown Otsuchicho, about 500 km (300 miles) northeast of Tokyo, on Sunday to observe "obon," a series of annual Buddhist ceremonies in mid-August to honor the spirits of the dead.

"In the beginning, there were so many things I had to do and my feelings were high. But now that things are gradually settling, it's hard and I remember many things that we used to do without thinking deeply ... It was just so sudden."

Many survivors of the magnitude 9 quake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan on March 11 are trying to take a step forward in their shattered lives with obon ceremonies, which involve gatherings of extended family members, welcoming back the spirits of ancestors to homes, and praying.

But residents of Otsuchicho, still surrounded by burned and melted buildings and other reminders of the disaster, know that the annual festive mood they have long embraced won't be back this year.

"We can't celebrate obon like we used to until last year. But even though we can't recognize them in a visible way now, I believe talking about them with everyone and doing our best would help honor them, so I'm trying to stay strong," Kikuchi said.

The March 11 disaster left more than 20,400 dead or missing in Japan, and triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

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Kikuchi and her brother was in Dainenji, a Buddhist temple that survived the tsunami and fire that reached its gate. The temple is now temporarily housing cremated bones and ashes of more than 100 washed away by the tsunami and burned by the fire.

A big temple nearby burned down and heavy gravestones were knocked down all around, shattered by the force of the massive tsunami, which brought many followers of that temple to Dainenji.

Nearly 80 boxes containing remains of unidentified bodies lined up in the temple's hallway, while dozens more already identified rested in small rooms in the back of the temple, with relatives offering prayers in front of smiling portraits.

"We are sorry we could not find her until recently. At the weekend, we went around morgues many times. But we are relieved," said Shoetsu Kobayashi, 54, who came with his wife to honor his mother-in-law, identified last month with DNA testing.

A town of about 15,000 before the quake, Otsuchicho lost nearly 800 residents in the disaster, including its mayor, and more than 650 are still missing.

Rebuilding the town has not been easy. Five months on, many residents are still looking for jobs and the town is preparing for a mayoral election later this month so that reconstruction planning can go ahead.

Kobayashi and his wife Masako, who lost their mothers and their home, moved to temporary housing last month with their two sons. He was puzzled about how to prepare an obon altar -- an annual chore his mother took care of -- but said he was determined to observe the ceremonies as in the past.

"I only wish I'd done this before now," he said in front of the three-stage altar, where lilies and greens adorned his mother's photo, fruits and cakes were offered, and candles and incenses were lit. "But I think she would be happy in heaven."

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