Transforming minds through Buddhism

"What I learned at first was about understanding, that our minds are the source of our experience of the world as positive or negative, and that, if we learn to transform our minds, we will effectively transform the world by altering our experience of it," says the associate professor in the faculty of religious studies at McGill University.

"It was a life-changing experience for me.

"Eventually, I started to study Buddhism formally and got hooked. The philosophy, the history, the many forms of practice and extraordinary range of cultures that are all authentically Buddhist. What's not to like? Buddhism describes such an amazing array of traditions. To me, it is totally captivating."

Braitstein will bring her passion, wisdom, knowledge and perspective on Buddhism to Calgary for two talks.

The Numata chair in Buddhist studies at the University of Calgary is hosting her lectures.

On April 2 at 7: 30 p.m. at the CIBC Hub Room, Rozsa Centre, her topic is titled Composing Awakening: Saraha and his Adamantine Songs.

On April 3 at noon at Social Sciences 1339, her topic is Doringpa's spiritual biography (rnam thar) and the 10th Shamarpa: On the Trail of an 18th-century Renegade Lama.

"Well, these are academic talks. They come out of my research over the past many years. They will be quite different from each other," Braitstein says.

"The first one is about the ninth-century Indian Buddhist yogi-saint-poet Saraha. One of the famous 84 Great Adepts ("mahasiddha" in Sanskrit), he was an unconventional, even wild, figure who flouted social and religious conventions and taught through poetry and song. I will mainly be focusing on a set of three poems he composed about the nature of mind and how to become awakened. Until now, these particular poems have remained untranslated and untreated in scholarship. I'm not sure why that's been the case, but I translated these poems myself and have been working with them for 12 years now. I will be introducing Saraha and these poems, as well as discussing how he fits into the broader South Asian religious and literary context.

"The second talk is about a Tibetan Lama who lived in the 18th century (1742-1792)," Braitstein says. "His name is Chodrup Gyatso and he was the 10th incarnation of the Shamarpa, or Red Hat Lama, the second-oldest reincarnate Lama lineage in Tibet. He is remembered in many histories of Tibet in the 18th century as something of a villain for the role he played in a series of wars between Tibet and Nepal. At the same time, however, he is revered to this day in Nepal, and there are other narratives of that period (Nepalese, British and one important Tibetan text) that seriously challenge the view that he was a 'renegade Lama.' So I will be discussing his life and the many ways that his deeds have been interpreted, really trying to trace the history of his story."

She says the appeal of Buddhism today is the same as since the lifetime of the Buddha: we want to be happy, but we suffer.

Why is that the case?

How can we have a positive effect on that experience?

"Those are the questions that Buddhism goes deeply into," says Braitstein. "I'm not sure it's growing - it is certainly moving and changing, as it has done since the very beginning. I think it is growing in Canada, in the Americas as a whole, in fact, and in Europe. And that may give us the impression that it is growing, but I think we may have that impression because it is relatively new here. I think it is simply the case that it is becoming a Canadian tradition, or set of traditions, now and this is just one more place that it has taken root and taken new shapes, just like it did all over South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia over the past 2.5 millennia. We're just the latest stop."

Braitstein says a variety of people have been attracted to Buddhism.

"If you visit local Buddhist temples or Dharma groups, or attend large events, like His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Kalacakra initiations, for example, you will see people from everywhere and all walks of life," she says.

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Ancient Buddhist music in a Bengali play

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New Delhi, India -- Music transcends all barriers, they say. But when it comes to music associated with the Buddha, there is something in it that makes it universal.

<< A scene from 'Tathagata' play

The Erhu, Pipa, Ruan and Gu jheng may sound like words from a distant land but are actually names of Chinese string instruments used in authentic Buddhist music that have been adapted into the soundtrack of " Tathagata", a Bengali play based on the life of the Buddha, by the theatre group Rangapat.

Behind this feat is Deb Chowdhury, the music director of "Tathagata". "For the music, I researched for more than two years. I visited monasteries in Bodhgaya and Mirik and recorded the music of Vajrayana Buddhism. English speaking Lamas translated the notations of the original music from the libraries at the gumphas," he says.

When Deb got a chance to fly to China in September 2011, he visited six ancient Buddhist places of worship there. "I was at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Famen Temple at Xi'an, the White Horse Temple and the caves of Longmen Grottoes, both in Luoyang in the Henan Province, the Five Pagoda Temple at Haidan and the Tanjhe Temple at Memtougou, both in Beijing. I recorded the Buddhist chants and music from these places and used them in the play," Deb says. Many chants were processed at the studio and some of the music was re-created locally to get that authentic feel.

Tapanjyoti Das, the director of the play, feels that it was imperative to have that perfect music for bringing the 3,000-year-oldstory alive on the stage. "Such a deeply researched work on Gautam Buddha is perhaps being done for the first time in India. The script, written by Mohit Chattopadhyay, is a result of years of research on the Buddha. Added to that, Deb's music was the icing on the cake. The play is for a qualified audience and the first staging was only for a select few from the theatre fraternity. It was much appreciated by them," says Tapanjyoti.

"The temples are mostly 1,400 to 1,500 years old and are storehouses of Buddhists music," Deb says.

Apart from the string instruments, sounds of the Chinese flute, the Xiao, and many other Chinese percussions have been used in the play too.

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Public Interest Litigation against the Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949

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Darjeeling, India -- Shri WANGDI TSHERING s/o Late Shri Mingyur Tshering, aged 77 years and a faithful follower of Buddhism has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India for handing over the management of The Bodh Gaya Temple over to the hands of Buddhists as The Bodh  Gaya Temple Act 1949 which expressly vests control of the most sacred temple of the Buddhists into the hands of Hindus is ultra vires Article 25, 26, 29 and 30 of the Constitution of India.

The PIL filed by Shri Wangdi Tshering through Advocate Shri J P Dhanda has been listed for hearing on 13-02-2012 in the Honorable Supreme Court of India.

The Bodh Gaya Temple in the state of Bihar is the holiest place for all the Buddhists for it was here that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment and is regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism religion. It can be called the Mecca of Buddhism but this very sacred temple is controlled by Hindus by way of  The Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949. That in the past Buddhists, Devotees, Monks and common people from all over India agitated in Bodh Gaya for many years against the illegality of The Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 with even self immolation bids by monks but to no avail. Therefore, it was realized that no Government agency or the authorities that be are going to redress this illegality and grievance of the Buddhists.

The petitioner, Shri Wangdi Tshering who is a public spirited person, an old Buddhist as also an educated man felt deeply the injuries caused to the feelings of the Buddhists. At the same time the petitioner realized that it is a public cause and individuals cannot make much efforts much beyond what has already been made by way of agitations. It was in these circumstances and for the common cause the petitioner has knocked the doors of the Apex Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation.

The relevant provisions of The Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 being challenged are as given below :

That the section 3(1) of the Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949 reads:-

3(1) As soon as may be after the commencement of this the 1 (State) Government shall constitute a committee as hereinafter provided and entrust it with the management and control of the temple land and the properties appertaining thereto.

3(2) The committee shall consist of a Chairman and 8 members nominated by the (1) (State) Government, all of whom shall be Indians and of whom four shall be Buddhists and 4 shall be Hindus including the Mahanth.

Provided that if the Mahanth is a minor or of unsound mind or refuses to serve on the committee, another Hindu Member shall be nominated in his place.

3(3) The District Magistrate of Gaya shall be the Ex- Officio Chairman of the committee: Provided that the 1 (State) Government shall nominate a Hindu as Chairman of the committee for the period during which the District Magistrate of Gaya is non-Hindu.

Articles of The Constitution of India which are hit by The Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 are as given below :

Article 25 : Because the Right to Freedom of Religion is a Fundamental Right as enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution of India. Article 25 (1) Guarantees to every person, and not merely to the citizens of India, the freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.

Because under Article 25 of the Constitution of India the rituals and observances, ceremonies and modes of worship considered by religion to be its integral and essential part are also secured.

Article 26 : Because Article 26 of the Constitution of India provides freedom to manage religious affairs. It reads- Subject to the public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right:

a. to establish and maintain institution for religious and charitable purposes;

b. to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;

c. to own and acquire moveable and immovable property;

d. to administer such property in accordance with law.

Because the Article 26 of the Constitution of India deals with a particular aspect of the religious freedom. Under this Article every religious denomination or a section of it has the guaranteed right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes and to manage in its own way all affairs in matters of religion. Rights are also given to such
denomination or a section of it to acquire and own moveable and immovable properties and to administer such properties in accordance with law.

Article 29 : Because Article 29 of the Constitution of India provides protection of Interests of minorities. As indicated above Buddhist Community is a minority community and its interests are requested to be protected. But the particular provisions i.e., Section 3 (3) of the The
Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949 is ultravires the provisions of the Constitution of India under Article 25, 26 and 27.

Article 30 : Because Article 30 of the Constitution of India provides Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. The Buddhist community is a minority community and as the protection of their rights to establish and administer the Educational Institutions similarly the Buddhist community has a right to head their own places of worship
like the Bodhgaya Temple. But the great injustice is being perpetrated as the section 3 (3) of the Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949 ultravires the Constitution. It provides that a Hindu instead of Buddhist will be the Chairman of the Bodhgaya Temple.

Hence Shri Wangdi Tshering has approached the Hon'ble Supreme Court with a prayer to:

a. issue an appropriate writ /order or direction directing the quashing of Section 3(3) of the The Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949;

b. issue an appropriate writ/order or direction directing that the Head of the Bodh Gaya Temple will be a Buddhist and not a Hindu;

c. issue an appropriate writ/order or direction directing the necessary amendment in the The Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949 in Section 3(3) substituting the Chairman of the Committee administering the Bodhgaya Temple as a Buddhist and not a Hindu;

d. issue an appropriate order or direction for handing over the management of the Bodh Gaya Temple including the Mahabodhi Tree and Vajrasan as defined in section 2 of the Bodhgaya Temple Act 1949 to the Buddhists.

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Calming influence of Tibetan Buddhism

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Balmain, Australia -- CHODEN Rinpoche never left his room for 19 years. Rather than escaping his country during the Chinese invasion, Rinpoche, one of the highest lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, decided to not leave his small, dark room in Lhasa until 1985.

<< Buddhist Master Choden Rinpoche with attendant Geshe Gyalten.DANNY AARONS

Through Rinpoche’s attendant Geshe Gyalten, he said there were two main reasons: “The benefit of doing a 19-year retreat was to be able to enhance the quality of the mind in ways of peace, focus and clarity, even though the outside world during that time was very crazy during the cultural revolution.”

Rinpoche said all Tibetans were forced to denounce Buddhism as the the Chinese saw it as poison, another reason to stay indoors. “The second reason was to learn all about the Buddhism philosophy, to interpret it and put it into practice.”

He was closely monitored by the Chinese and if any religious objects were found they would take them away, but Rinpoche did all the retreats using just his mind.

Rinpoche will bring his extraordinary knowledge, peace and spiritual teachings to Balmain. “All this stress, fear and worry can be defeated” he said. “In order to overcome it you must identify it ... the stress and worry is just a feeling and part of the mind.

“If you have a content mind, there’s no more base for fear or worry,” he said.

Rinpoche will teach calm abiding meditation and the six yogas of Naropa.

There will also be an introduction to Tantra with Geshe Gyalten.

MASTER’S VISIT

The free teaching is on now until April 1 at Balmain Town Hall. For bookings and more information visit www.AwakeningVajraAustralia.org

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IBFF 2012 Hong Kong wraps

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Hong Kong, China -- The first-ever International Buddhist Film Festival in Hong Kong finished its initial run with another day of sold out screenings at the new Asia Society Hong Kong Center today.

Twelve films from nine countries, with eleven Hong Kong or Asia premieres were presented March 16-25, with a special presentation of The Buddha, by David Grubin scheduled for Vesak Day weekend in April, and encore presentations of all the films set through May 12.

Filmmakers from Thailand, Nepal and Vietnam attended and participated in discussions following screenings of their films.

IBFF 2012 HONG KONG is supported by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation and is one of several inaugural year events at the brand-new Asia Society Hong Kong Center, including a major art exhibition, Transforming Minds: Buddhism in Art, February 10-May 20, 2012, curated by Dr. Melissa Chiu with co-curators Dr. Adriana Proser and Dr. Miwako Tezuka.

The next stop for the IBFF 2012 will be London, the UK (April 11-15, 2012).

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Sounds of silence at Buddhist sites in Odisha, Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri

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Ratnagiri, India -- Hat patience is indeed a virtue is something a history buff discovers while exploring Odisha. In Puri, the pandas dominate, cajoling a visitor to perform ceremonies which he is not even remotely interested in. In Konark, a visitor needs to get through a swarm of tourist guides, each ready with his own interpretation of the place's history. In Raghurajpur, people are more polite. They only follow you everywhere, each politely asking you to come to his home and view his paintings.

If all these chattering Homo sapiens who come as a package deal with the regular tourist beat tend to put you off, take a break. As I did. And I headed for a hidden delight of Odisha - its Buddhist heritage at Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri, known as the 'Diamond Triangle'. Ratnagiri is 70 km north-east of Cuttack in Jajpur, just like Udayagiri, and Lalitgiri is a part of Cuttack.

I hit the road and went north, leaving first Puri, then Bhubaneswar and even Cuttack behind. Swinging off the highway after Cuttack, I took the road to Paradip on the coast. Another diversion left of this highway transformed the experience. The smooth, wide road became a shade uneven and a bit narrow. But I was so busy admiring the vivid greens and blues of the countryside that I didn't feel the change in the surface. The curving road passed tree-covered hills, traversed lush fields and forded blue water streams.

And then, just as I began to get over the journey and begin thinking of the destination, it arrived. Ratnagiri.

It is an ancient Buddhist site where excavations happened between 1958 and 1961 and revealed the presence of a flourishing monastic settlement. However, except for the Odisha Tourism and Archeological Survey of India signposts, a visitor would miss the place entirely. From a distance, it is just another hill, part of the range called Assia that dominates the area.

Ascending the hill, I came across hundreds of small votive stupas, rock cut sculptures and other remains spread throughout the area. The focal point of the hill was a large monastery whose ceremonial gateway was the highlight of Ratnagiri. The door - an opening formed out of a chlorite frame in the wall - was quite small but the rich rock-cuts that surround it make for spectacular viewing.

On both sides of the door and on the nearby walls were iconic representations of various celestial beings. The expressions on their faces are curiously life-like, their closed eyes a reflection of the monks who would have lived here once. According to a description on the ASI website, this ceremonial gateway is unique and forms the high point of Buddhist decorative art in India. Entering the monastery, I almost expected to find the monks seated at prayer.

An Abundance Of Buddhist Treasures

In their place the monastery, however, was a large number of rock cuts that the ASI has gathered from the excavations around the site and stored here.

The first thing I saw on entering the monastery was a huge head of the Buddha on the left. Going by its size, it would have been interesting to know what the full size of the idol would have been. In the cells within the monastery too, there are some life-size seated Buddha idols. The largest such idol is in the central sanctum where Buddha is flanked by idols of Padmapani and Vajrapani, Buddhist figures. The large courtyard formed by the monastery walls also has some small shrines.

This central monastery at Ratnagiri is the site of the mahavihara or major monastery whose presence here is indicated by historians. That makes it a very, very special place. According to some Tibetian texts, the Ratnagiri mahavihara was a centre of the Tantric form of Buddhism. Excavated remains from this site are believed to bear a close resemblance to similar remains found in Java and Sri Lanka.

While most of the architecture at Ratnagiri dates between the 8th and the 10th centuries, it is believed to have been a flourishing center of Buddhism as far back as 639 AD when Hieun T'sang , the Chinese pilgrim passed through the region. Apart from the main monastery, there are remains of some large stupas and at least one more monastery. Rock cut icons are everywhere. The ASI-run museum at Ratnagiri also offers a visitor a glimpse of the region's rich past.

Ratnagiri is not an isolated site. It is one of three known excavated centres of Buddhism in the region - all tlocated on hill slopes in close proximity to each other. According to some historians , there are four more sites around but those await further excavation. While driving back to the main road that goes to Paradip, another diversion brought me to the second of the Buddhist sites: Udayagiri.

Incredible relics

While the first excavation at Udayagiri happened in 1958 (the same time as Ratnagiri) excavations there continued at regular intervals, the latest one lasting from 1997 till 2000. The result is an incredible treasure trove of Buddhist artefacts spread over a much larger area than the earlier site that I had visited.

A longish walk on a track bordered on either side by thick bushes brought me to the first excavated site. Remains of votive stupas were everywhere, some small, others large. Here and there were scattered monasteries too.

The Udayagiri-1 site, as the first excavated place is called, spreads from one hill through a depression below onto the next hill. Tramping through the undergrowth , I was awed as much by the extent of the remains as by the silence of the place. Here, far from the noisy faith of Puri and from the chaos of Konark, is Odisha's true soul, a silent link to its Buddhist past.

Udayagiri-2 , the second excavated site, has a few scattered stupa remains. One in particular is notable for Buddha representations in niches on its outer walls. On a gateway nearby is the figure of a being swinging on a rope. The eyes are closed and the person is in bliss. The rock-cuts here took me away from the real world into the bygone era of the Buddhist monks who lived and worshipped here. Leaving the place is a wrench but at least the magic of the place lingers till much later.

But before coming away, I did visit the third site, at Lalitgiri on the other side of the road to Paradip. The hill on which Lalitgiri sits is higher than the other hills, at least to a casual climber. The vegetation is thicker and here and there, I could hear creatures slithering in the undergrowth!

For quite a while during the ascent up the hill there is nothing to indicate that heritage lies hidden close by. But up on the hill, I stopped and stared. Everyone does. A massive banyan dominates the vista.

It has grown to such an extent that multiple branches have taken root themselves while the old patriarch continues to hang to onto them, refusing to let go, much like a strict grandfather holding back recalcitrant children.

Below the banyan the votive stupas begin to make an appearance again. On the other side of the gigantic tree and its descendants, is the base of a massive stupa. This site was the subject of an excavation that began in 1985 and continued with full intensity till 1992, and has been examined off and on ever since.

The findings at Lalitgiri include an incredible relic casket containing bones, believed by some historians to be of Gautam Buddha himself. The relic casket comprised four containers one inside the other, each layer made of khondalite, steatite, silver and gold respectively. The casket, of course, has been shifted to a safer location than the lonely excavation site.

The highest point of the Lalitgiri hill, accessed by a flight of steep steps, has a brick stupa on it. Centuries ago, Lalitgiri was the focal point of a Buddhist university called Puspagiri, the other two sites making up the rest. Huien T'sang described the stupa at Lalitgiri's highest point as emitting a brilliant light due to its sacredness.

While I did not see such a light, the sounds I captured then, standing high above a carpet of green fields, stayed with me long after. But then, the sound of silence is hard to forget...

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Gratitude

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"Let gratefulness overflow into blessings all around you. Then ... it will really be a good day." -  Louie Schwartzberg

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