His Holiness the Dalai Lama Gives a Public Talk at Souji Temple

Tokyo, Japan, 11 April 2015 - After two restful days with the Busshokai group in Kanazawa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama left this morning for Tokyo. He travelled by Kagayaki Shinkansen one of Japan’s newest, and most up-to-date bullet train services, which was only inaugurated last month. Passing through Nagano, the approximately 500 kms journey was completed in two and a half hours.

The drive from Tokyo station to Souji Temple in Yokahama on Tokyo’s congested roads was considerably slower. His Holiness was received by the Chief Priests of the temple and escorted into the main Buddha hall where he paid his respects before joining them for a traditional Japanese lunch. At their meeting afterwards, they explained that the temple is observing a memorial year to commemorate their founder, Taiso Josai Daishi. His Holiness inscribed two messages for the temple as a memento of his visit and gifts were exchanged. “All 7 billion people alive today want happiness,” His Holiness went on, “and yet because of anger and resentment we tend to see people in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’. This is the kind of attitude that encourages conflict and even the killing of other people. It’s especially sad when such conflict revolves around religion.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at Souji Temple's assembly hall in Tokyo, Japan on April 11, 2015.
Photo/Tenzin JigmeyHe clarified that all religious traditions teach love and compassion, so when their followers give in to anger and hatred, it is because they are not sincere in their practice. It is said that 1 billion people today claim not follow any religion, but as human beings they share our common need for love and affection. Our mothers give birth to us and nurture us with love and affection and even when we grow up we need friends and affection to survive. If we regularly give into anger and suspicion, not only will we have no friends, but it will undermine our health. Whether we believe in religion or not, the need for affection is part of human nature.

“Historically Japan has been a Buddhist country. Buddhism includes the Pali tradition, which finds authority in scriptural citations and the Sanskrit tradition which depends on reasoning. Within the Sanskrit tradition, Japanese monks and lay people regularly recite the Heart Sutra. We can also distinguish between religious traditions that believe in a creator god and those that don’t. Among these non-theistic traditions, it is only Buddhism that asserts the lack of an independently existent self. Rather than a partless, permanent and independently existent self, existing from its own side, the self is said to be merely designated on the basis of the body and mind. If the body changes, the self changes. We say for example, as the body ages, ‘I have got older’.”

Holiness remarked that, like other Indian traditions, Buddhism aims to achieve liberation, which is to have overcome our disturbing emotions. When our minds are subject to disturbing emotions we continue to be caught in cyclic existence.

Members of the audience reacting to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's talk at Souji Temple's assembly hall in Tokyo, Japan on April 11, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
“Therefore,” he said, “if we want to be genuinely happy, we need to train our minds, even if we live somewhere as busy as Japan. In many advanced countries there has been great material development, and yet people are not necessarily happy. I’ve met billionaires who have all they could wish for, but who are still not happy. On the other hand, at Montserrat in Spain, I met a Catholic monk who had spent five years living as a hermit in the mountains, living on little more than bread and water. When I asked him what he’d been meditating on, he replied, ‘Love’, and his eyes sparkled with happiness. With almost no physical comfort, he was happy.”

His Holiness explained that if we are mentally disturbed, physical comfort alone will not set us at ease, but when we are in physical pain, we can cope if our minds are at peace. What this shows is the importance of developing a peaceful mind. While all religious traditions try to help us find happiness, most do so on the basis of faith, whereas Buddhism stresses the importance of reasoning. It teaches the perfection of wisdom, not the perfection of faith. The key to the three higher trainings - the discipline of ethics, the stability of concentration and the wisdom understanding reality is that because they are qualified by wisdom they lead to liberation.

He added that Tibetans were strongly influenced by the writings of the Indian masters Dignaga and Dharmakirti on logic and reasoning and he had heard that at one time Japan too had followed such an approach. If there was such a tradition, he urged them to revive it.

He teased the audience telling them that although some of them returned his smile, many of them remained grave faced. He told them that a Japanese scientist who is an old friend was only the other day telling him about the positive power of laughter; how it does us good physically and mentally.

His Holiness the Dalai lama answering a question from the audience during his talk at Souji Temple's assembly hall in Tokyo, Japan on April 11, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
The audience were invited to ask questions and the first man to come forward mentioned how impressive it is to see His Holiness always dressed in his monk’s robes wherever he goes. He asked how he copes with whatever difficulties he faces. His Holiness replied that it helps to see things in the broader context of the experience of all sentient beings. As another way of extending experience, he again encouraged young Japanese to learn English and volunteer overseas.    

He told a man who wanted to know how to help his mother, who has fallen ill with leukaemia, to laugh again, that he would give him Tibetan medicine that could help and would that he would pray for her. When a woman who practises Zazen daily asked if doing so would be effective in spreading Buddhism, His Holiness said that spreading Buddhism is not his intention. He is more interested is making people aware of secular ethics on the basis of common sense, our common experience and scientific findings.

Someone whose work is to help people build and restore their confidence asked about the link between altruism and self-esteem. His Holiness said that if you only dwell on your own problems it will get you down, you have to think more broadly. He remarked that Japanese who travel abroad as volunteers are in a better position to appreciate how well developed Japan is.

A member of the audience asking His Holiness the Dalai Lama a question during his talk at Souji Temple in Tokyo, Japan on April 11, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
Asked about the most important problem the world has to deal with, His Holiness mentioned the declaration of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome last December that a timetable should be set and pursued for the elimination of nuclear weapons. He recalled that Japan, as the victim of two nuclear explosions, has been at the forefront of such a movement and urged them to keep it up.

A woman asked how to help a friend with cancer who has declined treatment and only has a year to live. His Holiness replied that if she is a Buddhist her friends could encourage her to develop a sense of love and compassion, along with the awakening mind of bodhichitta. He also recommended introducing her to the verse from Shantideva’s ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ that says:

Why be unhappy about something
If it can be remedied?
And what is the use of being unhappy about something
If it cannot be remedied?

Another woman who spoke of how tiring today’s information overload can be was advised instead to learn about the workings of the mind. Similarly a woman, who said she worked as an artist, asked for advice to feel happy from day to day. His Holiness recommended that if the ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ was available in Japanese, she should read it, paying particular attention to chapters 6 and 8, which deal with patience and meditation. Then, although it is tough, he advised her to tackle chapter 9, which deals with wisdom. He said:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama shaking hands with members of the audience as he leaves the main assembly hall of Souji Souji Temple at the conclusion of his talk in Tokyo, Japan on April 11, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
“You’re young; you can take the time to study. Do so steadily and it will have an effect. And as for your painting and drawing, I remember a Japanese man who came to see me after visiting Tibet who told me how frightening he found all the fierce images. Try and create peaceful images, figures that induce a feeling of peace.”

As His Holiness left the temple, walking down the middle of the audience, many pressed forward to catch his attention and shake his hand. When he reached his hotel, representatives of several of the groups who have come from faraway places, among them Russians, Chinese and Mongolians, to attend tomorrow’s teachings on the Heart Sutra, Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhichitta & The Middle Volume of the Stages of Meditation, were there to greet him.

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Ceres Buddhist temple has plans for expansion

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Modesto, CA (USA) -- A group wants to expand its Buddhist temple in Ceres, at 3761 Roeding Road, but has run into some opposition from neighbors.

The plans include a 9,500-square-foot activity hall, a new ashery for cremated human remains and additions to the temple and multipurpose room. The Cambodian Buddhist Association of Ceres also proposes 122 additional parking spaces at the 3-acre site, west of Faith Home Road, just outside the city.

Stanislaus County planning commissioners are scheduled to consider the land-use permit Thursday at 6 p.m. Staff recommends they approve the permit, which would allow construction of the facilities.

According to agenda reports, the addition of 12,225 square feet of building space would increase the occupancy by 400 people. And the additional space would allow religious activities to move indoors.

The church’s property is situated near ranchettes, pasture, an egg ranch and Ceres Christian Church. County planners gave approval to the original temple in February 2007.

The county has received letters from five neighbors opposing the recent application. They express concern about large gatherings at the temple, as well as loudspeakers, compromised real estate values, increased traffic, dust and parking on the shoulder of Roeding Road.

Some letters claimed the neighborhood has been disrupted by festivals that generate large numbers of cars and loud music. Some complained about the weekly religious services.

The Planning Commission will consider whether the larger church facilities are consistent with the county general plan and would have a detrimental affect on nearby properties. So far, county officials do not see a reason to deny the church the right to use its property for religious services.

The Cambodian Buddhist Association of Ceres owned a previous temple site on Service Road before it was sold to a grocery store developer in 2006.

The county Planning Commission holds regular meetings at 6 p.m. the first and third Thursday of every month in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. in downtown Modesto.

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Famed Buddhist temple going global

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Beijing, China -- The Shaolin Temple, known as the cradle of Chinese kung fu, is preparing to stage its first cultural festival in the United States as part of efforts to expand its global clout.

<< The Shaolin Temple [Photo by Wang Zirui/Asianewsphoto]

The first North America Shaolin Cultural Festival is scheduled to be held from Oct 8 to 14 in Los Angeles, according to Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Buddhist temple in the city of Dengfeng in Central China's Henan province.

The temple has successfully hosted an annual Shaolin Temple Day in California for nine consecutive years, Shi said.

He added that the temple has over a million followers in North America.

"We're working to build a platform to support exchanges between Shaolin disciples and kung fu lovers across the world," he said.

Over the last two decades, Shi and his disciples have visited more than 60 countries and regions, mainly to stage kung fu shows. The abbot regularly spends two months a year conducting overseas trips.

In September, Shi will lead a delegation to take part in an international martial music festival to be held in Russia. The "Shaolin fighting monks" will demonstrate their kung fu skills in Moscow's Red Square, according to Shi.

Shaolin kung fu has gained worldwide popularity through the success of Chinese kung fu movies, particularly those filmed in the 1970s.

Shi said training for the inheritors of Buddhism has been crucial to the 1,500-year-old temple's development.

"We encourage our young monks to travel overseas to expound scriptures and pursue their practice. We also welcome people all over the world to learn kung fu and practice Zen Buddhism," he said.

The temple, which has more than 300 locally registered monks, also has more than 40 overseas culture centers, mostly in the United States and Europe.

Shi said he expects a boom in Buddhism's popularity in the west and believes that the religion can blend well with western culture.

"Buddhism can win respect from the world because it can peacefully co-exist with other religions. It focuses on the purification of the soul," he explained.

In order to bring Shaolin martial arts to a wider audience, Shi has joined hands with a Beijing-based film company to shoot a 3D kungfu movie -- a remake of the 1982 blockbuster "Shaolin Temple".

Born in East China's Anhui province, Shi became abbot of the Shaolin Temple in 1999. He has courted controversy in recent years for developing business operations, such as profitable kung fu shows and online sales, and has subsequently been referred to as China's "CEO monk".

However, Shi said he always insists on making time to meditate, despite his tight schedule.

"How wonderful it would be if I could sit in my meditation room for dozens of days at a time," he mused.

"That's what I hope for my life from the bottom of my heart," he said.

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Thai Buddhist temple serves Hmong in St. Paul

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St Paul, MN (USA) -- From the outside, nothing distinguishes Watmongkhool-Khunaram from the family residences on the block.

The temple operates out of a two story grey house surrounded by a grey cyclone fence. But when you leave your shoes at the door, step inside and you find a small prayer hall with statues and pictures of Buddha on the wall and a low dais where Ajan Phra Khrupras- itthamrha Kosam, the resident Thai Buddhist monk sits during services. The lay people coming there are not Lao or Thai. They are Hmong.

Traditionally the Hmong in Laos and Thailand believe in shamans or have been converted to Christianity. I had not heard of Hmong practicing Buddhism. It was therefore a surprise when I learned that a group of Hmong had provided the finances to start a Buddhist temple in St. Paul.

My first thought was that they might be Hmong from the last wave of Hmong refugees who had lived in Wat Tham Krabot under the protection of Thai Buddhist monks until the closing of that last unofficial refugee camp. But Chung Yang, a key founder member, has been here in Minnesota since 1991, He had not learned much about Buddhism in Southeast Asia, but his interest was piqued when his brother was healed by a Thai monk who came to his home.

The monk was then living at a Lao Buddhist temple in Anoka. This led to Chung and a few others inviting the monk to form a temple closer to the Hmong in St Paul.

Ajan Kosam, the resident monk, is quiet, reflective and thoughtful in all his answers to our questions. He has an air of natural calmness around him. He was born in Thailand December 6, 1968.

Like many Thai boys he became a novice while still a young boy. He served four years. Later at the age of 22 he became a monk. His teacher came to America and then invited Ajan He first lived in Anchorage Alaska, but has also lived in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin before coming to Minnesota. He was first contacted by the Hmong when he was at a temple in Anoka County.

I asked Ajan Kosam what he would like to say to readers. He said his mission is to serve the community and help keep them strong in Buddhist principles. He explained some of the core principles of Buddhism – don’t kill, even animals: don’t say bad things, don’t speak badly of other people. It is his mission to try to help people maintain a Buddhist mind awareness, to maintain Buddhism here in the west.

The Wat opened in October of 2012 and is now serving about fifteen Hmong families who have been drawn to Buddhism. The house is leased by a Hmong benefactor with substantial financial help from four other Hmong and donations and community support. The members are currently in the process of obtaining a tax free status. The Wat is located at 697 St Anthony Avenue, St Paul, MN 55104, just west of Dale. Visitors are welcome and visits can be arranged by calling Mr. Yang at 952-594-9582.

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Buddhist temple moving to Wauwatosa due to heavy growth

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Congregation relocating from Milwaukee due to growth

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (USA) -- When Tu Mai, leader of the Buddhist Youth Association, moved to Milwaukee in 1988 there were only 15 people in his congregation. Now there are 150.

During Tu Mai's early years as a Milwaukee resident, the 15-person congregation was praying in a small, two-bedroom home. They recently bought a 14,000-plus square foot complex and will be moving in where Unity West Church once stood at 4750 W. Mayfair Road.

The newly-named Phuoc Hau Buddhist Temple opens its doors June 16.

Open to the public

"It will be very open to the public," Tu Mai said, adding that they will post events on their website for people to follow and will have open meditation and culture classes for the public every Sunday.

Some classes will focus on Vietnamese culture and dharma, the teachings of Buddha. Tu mai stressed that he wanted many classes to be open to children.

Growing pains

The two-bedroom home on 11th street and Southside in Milwaukee worked for the congregation for 10 years. The living room served as a prayer room and the kitchen could be used for cooking for the congregation.

As the community grew, the house became more and more cramped. In less than 10 years the congregation had outgrown the home. Sunday services had to take place in hourlong shifts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The congregation sold the home and moved to a 2,000 square foot old school building on 16th Street and Oklahoma Avenue in Milwaukee in 1993. From there, things were perfect. They could fit as many people as needed for their Sunday service, have enough space for their classes on the Dharma and Vietnamese culture and accommodate everyone.

The congregation, however, kept growing.

Much like their house, their prayer space was getting more and more cramped as members joined the congregation. So they looked around for something in their budget and found the Unity West Church on sale for $625,000.

They bought it, hoping that the church's size, which can accommodate 225, will meet the needs of their growing community.

Tu Mai said he was happy with the congregation's growth.

"The Buddhist followers feel good and we have more people and more members," he said. "That's the way it's supposed to be. We believe in the Buddha and the dharma and it really helps our lives."

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Sri Lankan President visits China's Lingguang Buddhist Temple

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Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Beijing: President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wikaramasinghe Rajapaksa, along with members of the Sri Lankan delegation, visited the Lingguang Buddhist Temple located on the outskirts of Beijing Monday.

The chief incumbent most venerable Chang Zang and fellow monks welcomed the President, the First Lady and the delegation, and invoked blessings.

The temple, which was established 1,200 years ago, has become a center for Buddhist pilgrims because of the Buddha tooth relic that it houses. The only other recognized tooth relic of the Buddha is located in the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Sri Lanka. The tooth relic at the Lingguang Temple had first been taken to what is now Pakistan after the passing of the Buddha before it was brought to China.

President Rajapaksa donated a gold-plated Buddha statue to the temple when he visited China in 2007.

Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Douglas Devananda, Parliamentarians A.H.M. Azwer and Namal Rajapaksa, Chief-of-Staff Gamini Senarath and Sri Lanka's Ambassador in China Ranjith Uyangoda were also present.

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Guiyuan Buddhist Temple

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Wuhan, China -- Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is located at Hanyang District, which lies in Wuhan, the largest city in mid-west China. It was built in 1658 during the Qing Dynasty, and was included into "the Four Buddhist Monasteries of Wuhan" together with the Baotong Buddhist Temple, the Gude Temple and the Zhengjue Temple.

<< The huge two-sided Guanyin Avalokitesvara saves you from torment. (CRIENGLISH.com)

Guiyuan Temple covers an area of 4.67 hectares, with more than 200 halls, rooms and temple buildings. It is famous for its splendid architecture, unique sculptures and rich Buddhist collections.

The temple has three distinct courtyards. The central yard possesses a free-life pond with a bell tower and drum tower on both sides. The Weituo Hall is located in the center with the Great Buddha's Hall several steps ahead.

The wing-rooms of the hall function as living rooms and the abstinence dining hall, while the meditation room sits at the back. In the south yard, 500 lifelike Arhat sculptures are enshrined in the Hall of Arhats. The superb manufacturing technique and distinctive styles of the sculptures make them extremely precious.

You can find the Depository of Buddhist Texts in the north yard. The first floor serves as a display room, exhibiting the stone sculptures found in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Guanyin Avalokitesvara in the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist statues from other periods. Some treasured instruments and paintings are also displayed here.

The second floor of the depository stores more than 7,000 volumes of Buddhist sutras, including some texts and pal-leaf manuscripts from India, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. There are two especially valuable treasures: a Chinese character of "Buddha" and a volume of the Flower Adornment Sutra and the Lotus Sutra.

The former is written on a piece of paper no larger than 60 square inches. Yet it consists of 5,424 small Chinese characters, showing the texts of the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra. The latter treasure is written in a special ink made by blood and gold dust.

There are a number of monks in Guiyuan Temple at present, and the current abbot of the temple is the respectable Master Long Yin. Walking into the temple, you'll be welcomed by small and winding paths that will lead you to clear ponds and solemn halls surrounded by big ancient trees. It's a perfect place to regain your inner peace.

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New Hartford Buddhist Temple Celebrates 30 Years

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NEW HARTFORD, CT (USA) -- More than 100 people were on hand on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 30 years for the Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center and the ordination of two new monks.

<< Master Dae San Dasa leads a monastic ordination to welcome two new monks. This ordination took place at the Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple in New Hartford as the temple celebrated its 30th anniversary. John Berry - Register Citizen

The temple, which was founded in Torrington in 1983, moved to its current location 20 years ago.

A Korean Buddhist temple, Dae Yen Sa welcomed Eduardo Barrios and Aaron Doyle as monks during an ordination ceremony that included prayer, food offerings, acceptance of the five Buddhist precepts and singing with the more than 100 guests inside the building located on Kinsey Road. A food reception followed the ceremony, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the temple.

Doyle, who’s Buddhist name is Bo Kyung Sunim, said being ordained as a monk is a new beginning. Doyle is from New Hartford.

“I’m excited to be beginning again,” Doyle said. The ordination was the culmination of eight years of service to his temple, and he said he’s still realizing the reasons why he decide to become a monk. He called it a process.

He said his goals were, “to deepen my practice and increase my motivation,” and that he looks forward to practicing his religion with the community.

“The support is a wonderful feeling,” Doyle said, speaking about the many people who saw and enjoyed his ordination at the temple. “There’s a certain amount of nervousness in the air, but having that support really kind of made it even out.”

Simply translated, “Sunim” is Korean for “teacher” and title is bestowed upon monks once they are ordained.

“It was just 10 years ago today or so that I was here and ordained. It was a wonderful day,” said Ban Ya Sunim, a monk. “I look forward to seeing the new monks create more monks and spread Buddhism throughout Connecticut and the world. If there’s ever been a need for it, there’s a need now.

Ban Ya Sunim was one of several other monks who oversaw the ceremony, which lasted about three hours. The ordination ceremony was led by Master Dae San Dae Sa from South Korea.

“Don’t be like Buddha, but be Buddha,” Ban Ya Sunim said before receiving an applause from the audience.

Lorein Cipriano is a member of the temple and a volunteer, one of about 30 present during the celebration.

“Some of the (volunteers) are connected to a temple in upstate New York, so a lot of those members came,” Cipriano said.

Her Buddhist name is Kong Duk Hang, which she said means “one who takes care of everyone.” She helped sell t-shirts and welcome guests inside the temple. She is also a teacher at the temple. She teaches Qigong, a 13-part exercise that helps strengthen the body and mind, Cipriano said.

“A lot of these people, some of them are from Korea, came here for this anniversary and for the ordination,” Cipriano said.

A monastic ordination welcomed new members of the temple to complete the day’s celebrations inside the temple. A majority of the guests and members then walked outside to enjoy a vegetarian meal.

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Buddhist Temple Finds a Home in Downtown Clayton

Blue Lotus Dharma Center Senior Priest Sha?ul Hirschmann maintained the temple for six years with his own money. He said as long as he has one follower he?d hold services.

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?We used yoga studios or whatever. We had just had little tiny groups,? Hirschmann said. He said there was a core of maybe five people.

?We ended up at a place behind the Hi-Pointe Theatre. So we built up a temple in there, with only three or four of us,? he said. ?Then in no time, as soon as we opened the doors?we didn?t have any grand opening, just a website and some flyers?we built it up to 50-some people.?

He said when they invited a teacher to come in it was standing room only. ? It was time to move,? he said.

In the beginning of April he signed a lease for a 2,500 square foot space at 7921 Forsyth Boulevard for services and classes.

They?re currently using a space across the hall while they renovate their own space, but when they?re fully moved in there will be a full temple and ceremony, Hirschmann said.

?It will be purification and consecration ceremony,? Hirschmann said. ?It is a weekend-long event that starts Friday night and goes through Sunday.?

He said the temple will be able to bring in lamas and monks for services and classes now.

Hirschmann said they signed only an 18-month lease because as soon as possible they?d like to have their own building.

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Buddhist monks outraged at plans to bulldoze centuries-old temple

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Xi'an, China -- Buddhist monks in central China are up in arms over government plans to demolish large sections of a Tang dynasty temple along the ancient Silk Road.

<< Xingjiao temple complex in Xi'an

Local officials reportedly want to bulldoze nearly two-thirds of the Xingjiao temple complex in Xi'an, apparently in order to restore the sanctuary to its original style.

The revamp is part of a campaign to achieve UNESCO World Heritage site status.

"Some buildings will be demolished because it would make the environment more elegant," Zhang Ning, the head of the local Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, told the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper this week. A report in the Shanghai Daily newspaper claimed the buildings would be "rebuilt with a new and prettier look."

But the proposal has left local monks and Chinese micro-bloggers aghast.

The 1,300 year-old temple is home to three towers, one of which contains the remains of Xuanzang, a 7th century Buddhist monk revered for undertaking a 17-year pilgrimage to India.

While those towers will not be affected, many of the surrounding buildings have been slated for demolition by May. Some of those constructions date from between 1644 and 1911, according to the China Daily newspaper.

Local monks, who will be rehoused following the demolition, have vowed to fight the plans.

"If there was no demolition, we would support the world heritage application. But if the plan includes demolition, we shall quit," a local monk, Kuan Chi, told a meeting this week, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Huang Chunbo, a micro-blogger, wrote: "I can't understand why you would destroy a cultural relic in order to apply for cultural heritage [status]. Isn't protection the point of the application?"

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Largest Buddhist temple in Europe opens in Rome

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Rome, Italy -- While much of the international focus was on Pope Francis delivering his first Urbi et Orbi Easter Sunday address in Piazza S. Pietro, another significant religious event was taking place in the suburbs to the east of the capital.

The largest Buddhist temple in Europe was inaugurated in Rome on 31 March in the presence of the city's mayor Gianni Alemanno, thousands of members of the capital's Chinese community, and Tibetan monks.

Located between warehouses on Via Omo in the Tor Tre Teste area, the “Hua Yi Si” temple is designed in the style of a pagoda.

It was funded by the city's Chinese community which Alemanno described as growing "in peace and harmony with the rest of Rome".

Alemanno hailed the temple as "another record of religious tolerance in our city. We already have the largest mosque in Europe and now this Buddhist temple."

The Chinese community living in the city and province of Rome is estimated to number between 5,000 and 7,000 people, with most of them coming from a specific area of ??the Zhejiang province in southern China.

In 2005 the first Chinese Buddhist temple in Europe opened on Via Ferruccio 8, near Piazza Vittorio in the Esquilino area of the city.

The Mosque of Rome is located in the Acqua Acetosa area, at the foot of the Monti Parioli, and it is also the seat of the Italian Islamic Cultural Centre. Designed by Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi, the project was financed by 23 Muslim countries including its main sponsor Saudi Arabia, and was inaugurated in 1995.

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Watsonville Buddhist Temple celebrates Hanamatsuri

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Watsonville, California (USA) -- Watsonville Buddhist Temple celebrated the flower festival, Hanamatsuri, on Sunday in an annual tradition marking the birth of Buddha.

<< Rosellen Mastoris of Watsonville stops to smell the flowers as she browses through the Flower Festival displays at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple on Sunday morning. (Kevin Johnson/Sentinel)

Siddhartha Gautama was born in what is now Nepal on April 8, 566 B.C., festival organizer Perry Yoshida told the crowd at the start of the festival, which ran from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The local celebration brought springtime joy to the temple near Riverside Drive and Bridge Street near the ball fields behind Watsonville High School.

Yoshida said they were expecting between 300 and 400 visitors for an event that is part outreach, involving temple members making and selling food and other items, including fresh produce.

Food and flowers brightened up the temple's gathering hall and festival attendees lined up to scoop up bundles of both. They also milled about displays of floral arrangements, handmade dolls, and scrap books showing local Japanese and temple history. Others watched demonstrations on stage, including a demonstration by Salinas Kendo Dojo.

Also on display was a floral altar, or hanamido, that represents Buddha's birthplace, Yoshida said.

He said the special altar holds a festival allure and "allows us to express our respect and reverence toward the Buddha and his teachings."

In the temple, the Rev. Shousei Hanayama discussed the meaning of the festival after giving a tour. The temple was lushly adorned with bright flowers and gilded fixtures, as well as

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candles, scroll-like artwork on the walls and more.
At one point, Hanayama told those gathered that life is fragile -- "one crazy person and we might die" -- and he said to enjoy the festival offerings and life in general.

Watsonville Buddhist Temple is 170 years old and was moved to its current location after World War II, he said.

During a question-and-answer period, Fran Marshall of Santa Cruz said her mother told her that the Japanese-American internment was in part due to jealousy in those who had seen Japanese immigrants making "fruitful, lovely land" in the area.

"They had three days to move out; it was a land grab," she said.

Hanayama acknowledged the envy and greed and discrimination in the world.

"We have discrimination; everyone has it," he said. "If you don't accept that in your mind, you can't solve that problem."

Later, he said the temple is open to all and that "everyone has damage to overcome."

After his short talk, a warm and smiling Hanayama said it was all going pretty well. He said that they had prepared for days.

Two younger temple members, Alex Tao, 13, and Jordan Chin, 10, were sitting outside the hall, eating and talking.

Tao said he enjoyed the food the most, especially the sushi, sesame salad and chicken.

Nearby, Dennis and Lola Hamada were walking his 91-year-old mother, Michiko, to the car.

"The festival is coming along just fine, with all the displays and the food," said Dennis Hamada, who grew up in Watsonville and now lives in Belmont. "Part of it is social, too. I wish we could stay longer. But my mom is tired, and her baseball game is on.

"But every week there is something going on; it's part of the fun."

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Korean Protestant pastor urinates inside Buddhist temple, community apologises

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Seoul, South Korea -- The Korean protestant community sent an official letter of apology to the abbot of Donghwasa temple, Ven. Sungman, on regarding the actions of the Korean Protestant pastor, Seong, who urinated in the dharma hall and vandalized the Buddhist portraits with a permanent marker.

The Korean protestant community officially apologized for their poor actions and promised never to repeat their mistakes.

Donghwasa temple repeatedly ask for an official apology since the tragic occurrence last August, however Pastor Seong nor his church gave any comments and refused to give any sort of apology to the Buddhist community or Donghwasa temple.

The Head of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), Pastor Yong-ju Kim and the Head of the Assemblies of God of Korea, Kil-hak Choi had a meeting with Ven. Sungman at Donghwasa temple and directly apologized for their member, Pastor Seong, for his poor actions.

During this meeting, Choi stated, “We deeply regret the actions caused by our community to the Buddhist community and Donghwasa temple, and we will educate and keep an eye on our community for this sort of action will never happen again

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Transformation of Runcorn pub into Buddhist temple nearly complete

Officials from the UK Border Agency last month granted Wat Phra Singh UK ? the charity that took over the historic building ? a Type A licence to allow it to bring over monks from Thailand to work in the temple.

The five monks, including one Abbott, will be able to gain Tier 2 visas as long as they pass a B2 English language exam.

Tony Collacott, a trustee for Wat Phra Singh, which is a Southern tradition of Buddhism, is currently applying to the agency to have the Tier 2 visas changed to Tier 5.

The move would mean the monks will be able to gain their visas more quickly and would not have to sit the language exams.

However, it would limit their time in the UK to a maximum of two years.
Tony said: ?The Tier 2 visa is for ministers of religion and the Tier 5 for religious workers.

?We just want to get them over as soon as possible.

?They?re the final piece in the temple.?

The pub, which was the backdrop of popular BBC sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps ? written by Runcorn scriptwriter Susan Nickson ? closed its doors to punters on New Year?s Eve.

Tony said he is thrilled with the support the charity has received from the community so far, and cannot wait to officially open the temple in time for Thai New Year in mid-April.

He added: ?Thai New Year has always been the target.

?It is the perfect way to start a new year with a new temple.?

On Saturday, March 2, Wat Phra Singh UK held one of its popular Thai nights. More than 160 residents turned up for the event which was held at Birchfield Sports Club in Widnes.

Tony added: ?The turnout was very encouraging, there was quite a lot of new faces and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.?

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Work begins on new Buddhist temple in Canberra

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Canberra, Australia -- Construction of a new Chinese Buddhist temple is underway in Canberra's north.

The Hu Guo Bao En complex is being built on Kelleway Avenue in Nicholls and will feature a temple, landscaped gardens and residential quarters for monks.

Member for Ginninderra Chris Bourke attended a foundation stone laying ceremony on Sunday.

He says the temple will be open to all.

"The Chinese Buddhist community in the northside has been using temporary facilities until now," he said.

"This will be a purpose built facility which will celebrate their form of worship and their religion, as well as being open to our local community, as well as residents, to be able to go and enjoy the beautiful gardens and temple buildings."

Mr Bourke says construction is expected to take two years.

"This will be an important place of worship for Chinese Buddhists," he said.

"The services will be conducted in Mandarin and it's a great addition to the vibrant and multicultural community that we have here in Canberra, where we celebrate diversity and look forward to celebrating religious differences."

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Buddhist temple planned for NE Portland lot

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PORTLAND, OR (USA) -- The former landfill across from Madison High School near Northeast 82nd Avenue has been one of Portland’s biggest eyesores and a magnet for transients.

The area has served as a driving range and there has even been a proposal for a Wal-Mart there, but now neighbors are talking about some other big plans for the space.

By next year, it could become a Buddhist religious center with community gardens and paths connecting it to Rocky Butte.

The Dharma Rain Zen Center bought 14 acres of the land in November.

It’s been in the Buckman neighborhood for the last 25 years, but now the center wants to expand.

Besides a temple and green space, the building plans include a preschool and a 30-unit co-housing community.

Crews have already started clearing the overgrown land and reaching out to neighbors.

Kurt Muntzel still has his yard sign protesting plans to build a Wal-Mart there a few years ago. He's more open to the idea of a Buddhist center.

"I think it's going to be a great addition to the neighborhood. It's going to have nature trails and multi-use buildings and classes, so I think it's great. Better than some big retail center,” he said.

Before plans can move forward, the city has to approve the land use. There will be a public hearing March 20.

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Buddhist Meditation Center is an oasis of peace next to former Temple Mt. Ski Area

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Hudson, NH (USA) -- Meditation is peaceful and inwardly focused, but occasionally it requires a lot of noise and outward effort, such as when you’re bringing a 4-ton statue of Buddha from Vietnam to the edge of Peterborough.

<< Staff photo by William Wrobel
Kien Tan stands in the meditation temple at Temple Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center in Peterborough, NH where he and other monks meditate three times a day and hold classes for local residents every Saturday.

“This was very difficult to get here,” said Kien Tan, one of two monks in residence at the Temple Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center, on Route 101, as he gazed at the huge seated Buddha. It greets you as you drive up to the house just west of what was once Temple Mountain Ski Area.

This Buddha is one of a number of statues placed along mediation pathways that wind through several acres of the property, depicting Buddha in several stages of his life as well as other figures important in his story. Along with a beautiful, 1-ton gong hanging in a pagoda, and touches of lighting and stonework near a small pond, they help create a space that is unique in the region, where people come each Saturday to learn how to meditate from two monks who have spent their lives at the practice.

The center was founded by Tue Man, 35, who lives at the center with Kien Tan, 75, both of whom originally came from near Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam. It follows the teaching of Vietnamese monk Thien Thanh Tu. (Note: The Telegraph’s typography cannot reproduce some punctuation marks used in Vietnamese names.)

The meditation center, which is registered as a nonprofit with the state, has been operating for about three years in a small, one-story house adjacent to what is now the Temple Mountain State Reservation, opposite Miller State Park and Pack Monadnock.

Many people became aware of it only last year when a large, ornate gate was built at the bottom of the driveway, visible to passing cars on Route 101.

When it received permission to operate as a “church/meditation center” from the Peterborough Planning Board in June 2011, the only stipulation was that it could not host overnight retreats.

The center was founded by about 10 Vietnamese families throughout the Boston area and New Hampshire, said Kien Tan, who, like Tue Man, speaks heavily accented and halting English. They came to New Hampshire to be on a mountain and yet still close to Boston, they said. The nearest similar temple is in Braintree, Mass.

The 11-acre property includes a small, one-story house at the end of a steep, 100-yard-long driveway. The house has not been altered from its domestic function except for the former living room, which has been turned into an open meditation center. A ceiling skylight illuminates a large sitting Buddha on an altar, surrounded by fruit and flowers, while the floor is lined with rugs.

The house is surrounded by trees and offers a beautiful view to the west, toward Peterborough and Mount Monadnock. The property is full of winding paths that have been painstakingly created over the years, often with flat stepping-stones that lead to statuary or small grottos.

In winter, after trees have lost their leaves, some traffic noise can be heard from Route 101, but otherwise it is still and quiet – except for when the occasional snowmobiler comes through.

Such peace is key the monk’s daily meditation, from 4-6 a.m. and 7-8 p.m., a practice that is key to their lives.

“It can make my mind awaken, (so) we have to know what we are,” Kien Tan said.

“You can know what is going on inside yourself,” Tue Man said.

Meditation is surprisingly difficult, they say. One of the draws of the center is the guidance that the monks can provide to a loose class that gathers Saturday afternoons.

“In a group it is easier – on your own self, it is not so easy,” Kien Tan said. “We have practiced. We can meditate anywhere and anytime.”

To help others approach this state, the center opens at 2 p.m. Saturdays. The men say various numbers of people show up from week to week for the free sessions, including a few regulars. Practitioners sit on floor rugs, in full-lotus or half-lotus position, or just kneeling if their joints aren’t up to it, for meditation and chanting.

Kien Tan says he came to the U.S. among the “boat people” who fled the Communist takeover at the end of the Vietnam War and has been associated with several Buddhist monasteries on the West Coast, the Southeast and most recently Michigan, before coming to New Hampshire to be part of the Temple Mountain Meditation Center.

Tue Man comes from the same area, although it was known as Ho Chi Minh City by the time he grew up.

“You prepare your mind with a vision of the Buddha,” he said of the work they do. “Those who come to learn, we can help them.”

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South Korea ‘temple cuisine’ feeds body and soul

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PYEONGTAEK, South Korea -- A centuries-old tradition of Buddhist cuisine, with strict bars on foods linked to lust or anger, is enjoying a revival in South Korea, one of Asia's most high-stress societies.

"Temple food," as it is generally known, is moving out of the temples and monasteries and into mainstream restaurant culture, attracting a loyal following for its deceptive simplicity and health-giving properties.

Among its most skillful practitioners - and ardent promoters - is a 54-year-old monk, Jeokmun, who has devoted several decades to refining what he sees as a meditative diet that feeds both soul and body.

At his modest Sudoksa temple in Pyeongtaek City, about 60 kilometres  south of Seoul, Jeokmun teaches his techniques to an attentive class of a dozen students - mostly middle-aged housewives.

Shaven-headed with a round, tanned face, the monk shows off his knife skills as he dexterously chops cucumbers and bell peppers and cuts delicate slices of soft tofu.

His recipes for the day include tofu sauteed in plum-sauce, mushroom casserole, radish kimchi and noodles mixed in chilli sauce and vegetables.

"Temple cuisine means low-calorie dishes that make your body healthy and your spirit clean," Jeokmun said, as he makes fine diagonal slashes across the tofu slices to allow the plum-and-soy sauce flavour to penetrate.

Apart from a few dairy ingredients, temple food is largely vegan in nature and incorporates an impressive variety of wild roots, herbs and vegetables.

Its new-found popularity is partly attributable to the search for a healthier diet in a country which, like other Asian nations that experienced rapid economic development, has growing levels of obesity and diabetes.

As well as eschewing artificial flavourings and additives, temple cuisine also bans such vegetarian staples as chives, leeks, scallions, garlic and onion — known in the Buddhist traditions the "five pungent vegetables".

"The wisdom is as follows," Jeokmun explained. "Eaten cooked, these vegetable may incite the libido, while eaten raw they can set the mind to anger and greed."

South Korea is the world's third largest producer of garlic and a passionate consumer of the same.

For many Koreans, the absence of garlic from "kimchi" - the iconic national dish most commonly made of fermented cabbage - is unthinkable.

But Jeokmun sees no room for compromise.

Years ago, as a student reporter at a Buddhist college, he had been shocked to see scallion, garlic and even artificial flavour enhancers being widely used in the kitchens of many temples he visited.

Determined to bring the cuisine back to its roots, he set out on a nomadic life, visiting temples with renowned Buddhist chefs and learning their recipes.

In 1992, he launched a Korean temple food institute with like-minded monks and nuns.

In an effort to spread the message, he has taken part in numerous TV cooking programmes, given lectures and written several books, including one with 227 recipes that was published in 2000 and is now in its sixth re-print.

Jeokmun believes his food has wider appeal, including for foreigners who can have difficulties with standard Korean cuisine -- known for its liberal use of salt and spice.

For one of his students, Chang Bong-Suk, 43, the monk's teachings provide a path to bring a healthier diet to her family.

"I've been applying what I've learned here to cooking healthy meals at home, especially for my son who used to suffer from allergic skin problems," Chang said.

Her son's condition has improved as a result, she said, while admitting that her husband was less enamoured of the meatless diet.

"I transform the recipe a bit to make it more palatable for him," she confessed.

"For example, when I make a steamed pumpkin, I put some shrimp inside the hollowed-out pumpkin, together with mushrooms, tofu, ginko seeds and pine seeds demanded in the original recipe," she said.

While South Korean TVs, fridges and mobile phones have been exported with enormous success around the globe, Korea's highly distinctive cuisine remains relatively unknown.

In recent years, the government has invited overseas chefs to special "gourmet weeks," as it seeks to give Korean food the same exposure as Asian cuisines like Chinese, Thai and Japanese.

Some specialist dishes such as the pungent seafood delicacy "hongeo" - skate fermented in its own uric acid - will always be a hard sell, but staples like Korean barbecued beef and pork are already making inroads in the restaurant scene in western countries.

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Buddhist temple doesn't always inspire peaceful reactions

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A Buddhist temple in a Westminster neighborhood has some residents grousing about increased traffic and other annoyances.

Los Angeles, CA (USA) -- The sound of chanting echoed through the makeshift temple, to the slow steady pulse of a drum.

<< The congregation of Tinh Xa Giac Ly gathers for worship and other activities in the converted garage of a former single-family home in a residential neighborhood in Westminster. (Anne Cusack, Los Angeles Times / December 2, 2012)

Forty-nine days had passed since Jonathan Van's uncle had died in Vietnam, and he and his family gathered at Tinh Xa Giac Ly in Westminster, chanting so that his spirit might find its path. The puffs of incense dancing in the air would serve as the vehicle to carry his spirit to the next life, according to Buddhist tradition.

The relatives knelt on the floor of the two-car garage, high heels and sandals scattered outside on the driveway, as other loved ones spilled out to the patio, reciting from yellow songbooks.

The sound, for Van, calmed his own spirit.

"For me the chanting is very soothing," Van said. "Relieves stress."

Less so for some of the neighbors, however.

The temple sits among the suburban tract homes at Titus Street and Hazard Avenue, just steps from Little Saigon, converted about 26 years ago from a typical family home to a house of worship.

The sound of the chanting and the unfamiliar smells and rituals are an unwelcome intrusion to some in the neighborhood in the heart of Orange County, the traffic an inconvenience.

Officials said misunderstandings between the start-up temples and residents who find their neighborhoods transformed are an ongoing issue in the Asian communities that sprawl across Westminster, Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

Rita Leon and her brother Rudy Lastra live across the street from Tinh Xa Giac Ly and say their conflicts with the temple's worshipers have almost turned physical.

And traffic generated by visitors, they said, has turned their residential street into a bustling thoroughfare.

"It's like the 405 Freeway on a Monday at rush hour," Lastra said.

Temple organizers also clashed with the city, which after receiving numerous complaints from residents cited them for code violations involving outdoor cooking equipment as well as gas, electrical and plumbing lines, said Art Bashmakian, Westminster's planning manager.

The temple's leader, the Most Venerable Thich Giác Si, said he is mindful of his neighbors' concerns and reminds visitors to park outside the neighborhood to reduce the number of cars streaming along the residential streets.

"Whatever they like to say or express to us, we like to listen," he said.

Rusty Kennedy, executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, said budding religious groups often set up shop in suburban areas, and such clashes can be expected.

"In many religious communities you will see this tradition of starting a congregation in your home before you're able to buy or build," Kennedy said.

Even though the face of central Orange County began changing decades ago with the arrival of Vietnamese immigrants, the tiny neighborhood temples sometimes seem foreign to residents when they spring up.

"There's no question where you're confronted with something you don't understand or are unfamiliar with, you're uncomfortable," Kennedy said.

Often stereotypes about a culture or its images — such as the Buddhist swastika or Sikh turbans — can "color our thinking" about a neighbor, Kennedy said. But the conflicts, he said, sometimes sort themselves out.

Van agreed, saying some may feel uncomfortable with the chanting because of a language barrier, but the sound can comfort even those unfamiliar with it.

"You don't have to understand it for it to be soothing to your ears," he said.

For the recent gathering, Van's relatives came from as far as North Hollywood and West Covina to visit the temple to participate in the final day of prayer for his uncle's spirit, 49 days being the period a spirit needs to find its new life, according to Buddhist tradition.

The next time the family will pray for their uncle will be at the one-year anniversary of his death.

In addition to hosting ceremonies for the dead, Van said the temple gives back too — donating clothes and vegetarian food to the homeless and helping with construction of water wells in Vietnam. The temple also sends money to 120 handicapped people in Vietnam, Thich Giác Si said.

Thich Giác Si, who said he made his way through temples across the state before arriving in Westminster, said visitors may be drawn to his temple more than to others because its focus is on service and religious growth rather than a pressurized environment where fundraising is a priority.

Dressed in saffron yellow and orange robes, he said he came here with the idea of working to create a sense of community.

The temple has flourished over time, providing a haven for as many as 160 youth members and 1,000 families, he said.

"We offer support and peace."

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Admire the unique beauty of a Khmer Buddhist temple

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Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam -- Being considered one of the most beautiful Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples in the Mekong Delta, Ghositaram pagoda in Bac Lieu province has unique decorations, reflecting unique Buddhism cultural identity of the Khmer.

Ghositaram temple is located in the village of Cu Lao, Hung Hoi commune, Vinh Loi district, around 5km from Bac Lieu city center.

The temple was built in 1860-1872. After more than 150 years, Ghositaram temple was rebuilt at the end of 2001.

After about 10 years of construction, the main hall of the temple was inaugurated in mid-2010. The main hall has an area of more than 400m2, about 40m high, has many relieves, sculptural works and mural paintings with unique patterns of high artistic value.

In addition, in the temple campus there are two columns of over 40m high and two towers preserving remains of Buddhists, which also have beautiful decorative features.

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