Jogye Order Buddhist School of International Studies holds first graduation ceremony

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Seoul, South Korea -- After 2 years since the opening, The Jogye Order Buddhist School of International Studies held it’s first graduation ceremony with 9 monastic graduates at Hwaunsa temple in Gyeonggi province on February 22nd, 2013.

These 9 monastics enrolled 2 years ago in aims of further propagating Korean Buddhism to the rest of the World. Ven. Hyun ung, the head of the Jogye Order education institute was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony. During his speech, he stated, “... these nine graduates will be an important resource for the promotion of Korean Buddhism in the World.”
The principal venerable, Ven. Beob in, handed out the diploma to each of the nine graduates and congratulated on them on their accomplishments.

It was noted in the keynote speech that there had been no drop outs and all nine monastics had completed the course from the beginning.

Ven. Cheong ha and Ven. Jeong Hyo will go back to the United States to continue their work on Korean Buddhist propagation, and other monastics will continue to propel the advancements for International affairs, Temple stay programs, to further propagate Korean Buddhism to the rest of the world.

Native English teachers and the 16 students who entered the school last year and this year congratulated the graduates for their accomplishments. The Jogye Order Buddhist School of International Studies will continue to develop monastics with bilingual skills to further propagate Korean traditional Buddhism to the rest of the World to liberate people across the globe from suffering.

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Taiwan holds same-sex Buddhist wedding

<< You Ya-ting (2nd L) and Huang Mei-yu (2nd R) take a photograph with their friends and the Buddhist host Shih Chao-hwei (C) after casting their stamps during their symbolic same-sex Buddhist wedding ceremony at a temple in Taoyuan county, northern Taiwan.

Fish Huang and her partner You Ya-ting, both wearing traditional white bridal gowns, said I do in front of a Buddha statue and exchanged prayer beads rather than rings in a monastery in Taoyuan, in northern Taiwan.

Nearly 300 Buddhists chanted sutras to seek blessings for the couple, both aged 30.

Shih Chao-hui, a female Buddhist master who presided over the ritual, hailed it as a historic moment.

We are witnessing history. The two women are willing to stand out and fight for their fate... to overcome social discrimination,said Shih, a well-known advocate for social justice.

Some people might find it astounding (a woman performing the ceremony) but Buddhism does not engage in ideological struggles and I am used to strange looks from my own experience in the social movement, she said.

The couple's parents were notably absent from the ceremony, in an indication of the pressure facing some homosexuals and their families.

Our parents initially agreed to attend and they regret that they couldn't be here. We understand that people have different acceptance of media exposure and we want to give them more space, Huang said shortly before the wedding.

We hope with the master's support, the wedding will change many people's perspective even though it is not legally binding, said the social worker. We hope the government can legalise same-sex marriage soon.

Taiwan is one of the most culturally liberal societies in East Asia, and gay and lesbian groups have been urging the government for years to make same-sex unions legal.

Aiming to create awareness about the issue, about 80 lesbian couples tied the knot last year in Taiwan's biggest same-sex wedding party, attracting about 1,000 friends, relatives and curious onlookers.

Taiwan's cabinet in 2003 drafted a controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriage and allow homosexual couples to adopt children.

However, President Ma Ying-jeou has said public consensus was needed before the government can move ahead with the law.

Gay rights groups drafted a new bill earlier this year and urged Ma to push for its legislation before his term ends in 2016.

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Oxnard Buddhist Temple holds its annual Obon Festival

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Oxnard, CA (USA) -- Erika Ishii was putting last-minute touches on her friend Kimi Matsuoka's makeup as the two prepared for their dance.

<< Nathan Revard, from left, Tomo Nakamura and Master Sumi Arimura of the Bonsai Club of Oxnard put on a demonstration at the Oxnard Buddist Temple Obon Festival on Saturday.
Photo by Chuck Kirman // Buy this photo

Dressed in traditional and colorful Kimono-style robes, Ishii and Matsuoka are part of Azuma Kotobuki Kai, a traditional Japanese dancing group from Ventura County. The two were getting ready to perform at the Oxnard Buddhist Temple Saturday as part of the temple's annual Obon Festival.

"My sisters have done this for years and it got me interested," said Ishii. "It's really a graceful and traditional dance and it's a lot of fun." Though not Buddhists themselves, the girls said that dancing at the festival was still something they loved to do.

According to the Rev. Henry Adams, the Obon Festival is based on a scripture called Ullambana, that was spoken by the Buddha. A monk named Mogallana saw his mother suffering in the world beyond this one that she had passed into. Mogallana asked the Buddha what could be done to relieve her suffering. The Buddha told the monk that nothing would help her other than that the monk practice generosity in this life. The monk did so and saw his mother was relieved of suffering.

"We celebrate the Obon as a way to practice generosity and gratitude," said Adams. "This is our way of sharing that gratitude with others." Adams was dressed in traditional Buddhist fuho robes and a wagesa stole.

Adams, 33, and originally from Minnesota, studied in a student exchange program in India as a high school teenager. "I had a lot of questions and Buddhism answered those for me," Adams said.

"The Oxnard Buddhist Temple was originally founded by Japanese immigrants to the area," said Adams. "But Buddhism traces its roots to India and from there it spread throughout Asia and then the world. There are even some records of Buddhist communities among the Greek empire." The temple practices the Jodo Shinsu form of Buddhism tracing its roots to a 12th century monk of the same name.

"We have about 100 families in membership," said Yasuko Kujiraoka, who teaches at the temple's Dharma school. "We run a school that is sort of like Sunday school for churches

"It's all about the kids and we try to get them to incorporate Buddhist teaching into their everyday lives," she said.

The festival features a number of foods, most of them Japanese in origin like sushi, udon noodles, gyoza and teriyaki. Adams said that many Buddhists practice vegetarianism, but that the Oxnard temple does not. There was also a Dharma service in the temple held at 4:30 in the afternoon.

"The Dharma service is kind of an introduction to Buddhism and all the chants are in English," said Adams. "We also do an incense offering and teach people how to do it."

There were crafts and game booths and the Oxnard Bonsai club did a Bonsai demonstration for guests. "Bonsai has a lot of Buddhist influences," said Adams. The tradition of growing and trimming juniper bushes as well as other plants, comes originally from Japan.

"My wife has come to it every year," said Kent Hollenback of Ventura. "This is my first time coming. The kids are grown and out of the house, so I figured I had to come and see what I was missing."

Hollenback said he was most interested in the Bonsai demonstration.

"I learned a lot about that. I didn't know they used a variety of different plants," he said.

"My father in-law lives close by," said Mike Contreras of Oxnard. "We come every year and I learn something new each time."

Contreras said he was a practicing Catholic with an open mind.

"I like to broaden my horizons," he said. "The food is pretty good, too."On the web: www.oxnardbuddhisttemple.org

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