A new exhibition draws on a massive collection of rare texts and early printed works to trace the dharma throughout the ages.

Buddhism has one of the richest textual traditions of any world religion. While many Buddhist teachings implore us to look beyond our language and concepts, the written word and awakening have been closely connected since the earliest days of the dharma.The British Library recently opened a major new exhibitionsimply called Buddhismthat explores this important relationship between textuality and spirituality with a collection that spans around 20 countries and 2,000 years.

We have designed the exhibit with everyone in mind, said lead curator Jana Igunma. We wanted to display the diversity of Buddhist art and, at the same time, show the strong continuity of the life of the Buddha and his teachings in scripture. Accompanying the librarys largest-ever display of Buddhist treasures will be a series of meditation classes and lectures on Buddhist art history, music, dance, ethics, the contributions of women, calligraphy, and more. The events program will conclude with a two-day international conference on translation, transmission, and the preservation of Buddhist texts and practices from February 78, 2020. Buddhism runs through February 23.

The exhibition begins by recounting the life of the Buddha and his past lives through scripture, sculpture, scroll paintings, and votive objects. From his enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and first sermon at Deer Park to his passing away (mahaparinirvana) and the distribution of his relics, viewers will gain a fuller picture of how the Buddhas long career was artistically represented and understood within and outside the Buddhist world. We see the Buddhas miraculous birth at Lumbini Grove in a woodblock print from Eastern Tibet, his encounter with the four sights (Siddhartha Gautamas first inspiration to end suffering: an elderly man, a sick man, a deceased man, and an ascetic) in a hand-painted Chinese book, his renunciation of royal privilege and family life in a 7.6-meter-long Burmese accordion-style codex, and his temptation by the demon Mara is depicted in vivid colors in a Nepalese translation of the Lalitavistara Sutra.

Nearby is a 15th-century copy of the book Barlaam and Josaphat, a Christian romance inspired by the life of the Buddha, opened to a page with an engraving of Josaphat, the Christianized Prince Siddhartha (whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word for bodhisattva), giving up his worldly life. Printed in Germany around 1470, this story was the Middle Ages equivalent of a bestseller, and it saw many translations, including Arabic, Georgian, Hebrew, Slavic, and Ethiopic versions.

European encounters with Buddhism are not the main focus, but there are traces of British patronage and power throughout the exhibition. This is intentional, and part of a wider effort of British institutions to confront their colonial histories and explore alternative ways of exhibiting Asian objects, many of which were stolen or otherwise procured during the countrys imperial expansion.

A contemporary Thai-style thangka painting, for example, depicts traditional scenes from the Vessantara Jataka, one of the Buddhas birth tales in which he perfected generosity. Occupying the typical place for donors on the composition are William Shakespeare and English officialsa playful and somewhat satirical nod to the British Library, which commissioned the piece in 2019.

For many, the stories in these illuminated scriptures may raise the question of whether the Buddha was a historical or purely mythical figure. While interesting, this question is not the best way to approach the exhibit or the tradition itself, explained Vishvapani Blomfield, an author and Triratna Buddhist meditation teacher, during his inaugural lecture at the library on October 25. Instead, he argued, viewers should use their imagination to enter the mental world that these texts evoke and describe, so we can come closer to seeing them in their full context.

Some of the more remarkable texts invite us to stretch our imagination back to the early centuries CE. A collection of 2,000-year-old birch bark scroll fragments contain texts from the Tripitaka (the three baskets comprising the Theravada Buddhist canon) and are among the oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts in the world. It was discovered inside a clay water vessel in the historical region of Gandhara (located in modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), which was a vibrant center of cultural exchange on the Silk Road that enabled Buddhism to spread from India to East Asia. Other fragments from the Buddhist canon in the exhibit date back to the 5th century. Written in Pyu script and hammered onto gold sheets, extracts from the Vinaya Pitaka, excavated in Burma in the late 1890s, spell out rules of discipline for Theravadan monastics.

The Hyakumant Dharani or One Million Pagoda Dharani, dating 764-770 CE. Courtesy British Library Board Illustrated palm leaf Pancharaksha, from 12th-century Nepal. Courtesy British Library Board

Another emphasis in the collection is how the spread of Buddhist ideas and value systems across Asia impacted the development of new writing and printing techniques. The Hyakumanto Dharani, or One Million Pagoda Dharani [a chant or incantation] commissioned in the late 760s under Japanese Empress Shotoku, is one of the oldest existing examples of printing in Japan (and in the world). Likewise, the illustrated palm leaf Pancharaksha, a ritual text on the Five Protectors from 12th-century Nepal, testifies to the printing technologies being developed in the medieval period. There is even a station where you can touch some of the materials commonly used in manuscript production, such as palm leaves, mulberry paper, and silk. Made from paper, wood, cloth, mother of pearl, ivory, or gold, the 120 illuminated texts are exceptionally varied, but the care put into each work binds them.

Other works, like the Jataka Tales from Southeast Asia, are filled with folk wisdom and lessons about virtuous qualities. The collection also contains rare copies of the Lotus Sutra found in caves near Dunhuang, China, and various translations of the Diamond Sutra from China, Tibet, and Koreakey Mahayana sutras that convey cornerstone philosophical tenets, including Buddhist teachings on non-attachment and emptiness.

Despite the exhibitions heavy focus on text, Buddhism is not all about doctrine. It has flourished over the millennia through the living practices of its devotees, and the final section of the gallery contextualizes this idea. Copying the words of the Buddha was and still is considered a highly meritorious act. Memorizing, chanting, and listening to the recitation of sutras remains a significant part of ritual life for monastic and lay communities worldwide. The library further encourages an experiential understanding of the displayed works through an accompanying soundscape, an ambient blend of birdsong, flowing water, and gongs.

Just before leaving, viewers will pass three short films by Hong Kong-based visual artist Stanley Wong that bring to life a popular passage from the Heart Sutra, one of the many sutras found in a body of literature known as the Prajnaparamita, or Perfection of Wisdom. With a calligraphy brush and wet ink, the artist paints the words form is emptiness, emptiness is form in large Chinese characters on paved ground. Once etched, the inscription quickly fades away.

The same principle can be applied to the words of the Buddha. Scripture from antiquity to the present may be preserved in libraries and museums, but, as the Buddhism exhibition makes clear through its collection, the enduring resonance of the Buddhas teachings comes from the way they are rewritten into peoples lives in each and every era.

Buddhism is on display at the British Library through February 23, 2020. Tickets for the exhibition and events program can be purchased here: http://www.bl.uk

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The Buddhas Words Open Up Ancient Worlds at the British Library - Tricycle

As is the case with all religions, practitioners of Buddhism sometimes suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol. If this happens, experts agree that the best way to achieve and maintain long-term sobriety is to attend a treatment program where patients receive professional help and support. Luckily, there are many Buddhist drug and alcohol rehab options available, along with many other non-Buddhist programs that offer quality care and dedicated support to Buddhists seeking recovery.

Buddhism is a religion that promotes themes such as karma, reincarnation, compassion, and non-attachment.

Buddhism contain several principles that can help condition someone to abstain or reduce dependency on harmful chemicals. Like the 12 Steps, Buddhisms spiritual concepts can help teach someone about deeper values and accountability. In understanding how cravings and attachment work in a Buddhist context, individuals can apply these principles to substance use disorders and consider this in addition to detox and medications in treatment. Two collections of doctrines used to reduce suffering include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

The term dukkha represents suffering that is inevitable in humankind. To exist is to suffer, and it cannot be avoided.

We cause our suffering by craving and failing to be accountable. Oftentimes, we can blame others before taking accountability for our shortcomings and cravings. The Buddha believes the root of suffering is purely mental and clinging to things that hurt us.

Ending cravings starts with letting go of the things we are attached to. This can include unhealthy or healthy relationshipsand unhealthy substances, modes of thoughts, or habits. We can change our beliefs and the way we react to external events. Understanding that life is temporary can encourage us to release things which cause suffering.

One way to escape suffering and gain enlightenment is through the Eightfold Path. This is a set of principles which encourage a Buddhist lifestyle that can produce peace, balance, and self-control. The Eightfold Path, sometimes called The Noble Eightfold Path is as follows:

Attachment can manifest in trauma, self-destructive habits, or negative lifestyle practices. Buddhist non-attachment encourages peace of mind and self-preservation. Factoring the idea of non-attachment in alcohol or drugs with the awareness that meditation can bring peace is a powerful step in attaining positive change. Buddhism also mirrors spiritual themes in 12-Step programs such as embracing a higher power and taking control of ones life. Life can range from relationships, to the relationship with ones self and ones habits. For example, Step 1 of the 12 Steps admits to powerlessness. Understanding one is powerless can signal the suffering those battling withdrawals and cravings for harmful substances experience.

Taking inventory of ones thoughts, words and actions bear a similarity to mindfulness. This is the act of practicing self-awareness and observing thoughts, usually in a meditative state, and allowing them to pass without attachment or judgement. Once individuals seeking recovery in treatment facilities gain exposure to such ideas, undergo traditional treatment methods, and meditate, true change can begin.

Fighting addiction brings several discouraging and difficult symptoms; shame, guilt, and a loss of control are a few common side effects. Thankfully, there are facilities available to assist you in overcoming substance abuse problems with themes of meditation, mindfulness, and faith-based 12-Step programs. Take charge of your future, and contact a dedicated treatment professional today.

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Relax.

Buddhism is a religion that has been practiced for more than 2,500 years starting in northeast India, with over 450 million followers worldwide.

Buddhism is the act of people studying how to be patient and find complete zen. It focuses on the follower's spiritual development while showing true intuition in life.

Followers practice Buddhism through meditation to find their inner zen. Finding one's zen means being fully attentive to the world around you while maintaining a complete state of calm. This is the crux of zen meditation and the art of mindfulness.

Meditation is when an individual is focusing on a singular thought or idea and removing distractions of the mind.

RELATED: The Meditation You NEED To Be Doing Regularly, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Some meditations are guided by an outsider. Some people enter a meditative state by focusing on their breathing. Doing meditation helps people be calmer and emotionally stable.

Many people use meditation to help with anxiety, stress, improve mental health, be more self-aware, helps be more of a kind person, and research has shown it can help lower blood pressure.

Zen is feeling relaxed and is very mindful of decisions because they think in a very calm manner, which is why Buddhists practice zen it via meditation.

There are many ways to meditate such as, concentration meditation, which is when the individual focuses on a single thought while repeating a certain phrase and staring at the flame of your candle.

RELATED: 5 Of The Best Meditation Apps For Instant Stress Relief (That You Can Keep In Your Back Pocket)

Mindful meditation is my personal favorite, as it is perfect for someone like me who has a wandering mind.

Mindful meditation allows the practitioner to be fully present. The practice of mindful meditation helps quiet thoughts in order to become fully zen.

RELATED: What Happened When I Tried Guided Meditation For Anxiety In A Room Full Of Strangers

Here are a couple of meditations to help you out and calm your soul!

Breathe and focus on one thought.

During the loving-kindness meditation, you are putting positive energy towards another person and you focus on other people, this helps one feel at ease and let go of our unhappiness.

Zen meditation is the most known form of meditation because you are sitting upright and just breathing.

A sound bath uses sounds like gongs, instruments, and bowls to put someone in a calm state.

You don't have to be Buddhist to do yoga. Many people do yoga in order to be in a serene state.

A guided meditation can be any audio recording letting your mind focus on a certain story, putting you in a peaceful mindset.

RELATED: Stop Stressing Out & Do These 31 Things To Find Instant Relaxation Instead!

Danielle Vickers is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.

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What Is Buddhism & 6 Meditations To Find Your Zen - YourTango

In the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, traditional Buddhist culture has helped shape government policies on the environment and the search for human happiness. Should we all follow suit?

Its my fathers house, but I look after it while hes away. Hes been gone a long time now.

As she spoke, Mrs Chozams hands were awhirl with cotton threads and the slowly growing kira (traditional wraparound clothing of Bhutanese women) that she was weaving on a traditional loom. Pausing from her work, she waved a hand vaguely towards to the north: Hes meditating in one of the caves about four hours walk further up that mountain.

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In the direction she pointed, the mountain slope rose sharply upwards from the river valley. A few stone houses with brightly painted wooden window frames clung to the lower parts of the hillside. Yellowing heads of maize drying in the weak sun hung from roof beams and around each house were a couple of small, roughly terraced fields. Up above the last house though, nature reasserted herself. Forests of rhododendrons the size of oak trees and covered in fiery red and purple flowers mixed with straight-backed conifers. All were festooned in Spanish moss like a million tangled fishermens beards. All the way up the valley there was nothing but trees until, eventually, they died away among the empty scree slopes below distant snow peaks. It seemed like a pristine Himalayan environment. Mrs Chozam glanced pensively towards the mountains. He wont come back home now until he dies.

The Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan. Rare black-necked cranes overwinter on the valley floor and local people hold a festival to celebrate their arrival each year

DEEP THOUGHTS

Landlocked and sandwiched between India and China, the tiny (its about the same size as Switzerland) Himalayan Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan treads a fine balance both politically and socially. Until the 1950s, the country was sealed to the outside world and was one of the least developed countries on Earth. At the time the average life expectancy was just 33 years old, there were only two doctors in the entire country and the GNP per person was a mere $51. There was no electricity. No telephones. No postal service. No roads. No cars. Things have changed since then.

It shouldnt have been at all surprising to hear that Mrs Chozams father was going to remain meditating in a remote cave until his death. Long periods of solitary meditation are common in Bhutan. Id already met a number of people whod recently emerged from meditation. But these werent casual, an-hour-or-so-before-breakfast meditators. Almost all of them commit to spending a solid three years, three months, three weeks and three days (3,333 being an auspicious number here) confined to a cave on a forested mountain slope. During this period they can have no contact whatsoever with the outside world.

A few days earlier Id met a monk whod recently re-emerged after just such a period of meditation. The thing that shocked me the most when I returned to the monastery were the telephones, he said. Yes people had them before I went to the caves, but now all the younger monks do is stare at their phones and play games on them!

But why do it? And how do the families of those left behind feel when people go off to meditate? Mrs Chozam answered that for me: My father is now 62. He went off to the caves for three years, came back for a few months and then went back to the caves. Hes been gone nine years now. Of course I felt sad when he went. We all did. Its like youre mourning the death of someone. But at the same time we are all proud. He is not meditating for himself. He is meditating for the happiness and peace of all sentient beings. People who go off to meditate do it for the good of all the people and all creatures on Earth. Its a thing of great pride for a family when someone devotes part of their life to this. One day I too will go and meditate, but not yet. Someone has to make dinner for the children!

A young monk of the Nyingma (Red Hat) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the predominate school of Buddhism in Bhutan

NATURAL HAPPINESS

When the country first creaked open its doors, peeked out at the rest of the world and contemplated how to catch up, it looked to its own culture and strong Buddhist faith for answers. The result was an emphasis not on GDP (though thats increased hugely, as has life expectancy and almost all other barometers of development), but on the health and happiness of the country and all the creatures that live within its diminutive borders. It was like the entire government was following the path set by Mrs Chozams father. The government called it Gross National Happiness (GNH), striking a balance, it says, between material and mental well-being.

There are four official pillars to GNH:

Sustainable and Equitable Socio-Economic Development Good Governance Preservation and Promotion of Culture Environmental Conservation

While most governments around the world protect the environment because it provides us with the essentials of life water, food and energy the official policy of Bhutans GNH is to protect the environment, according to the Centre for Gross National Happiness, because the environment is believed to contribute to aesthetic and other stimulus that can be directly healing to people who enjoy vivid colours and light, untainted breeze and silence in natures sound.

In many ways Bhutans environmental ethos evolved from the Buddhist concept of a sacred landscape. Buddhists believe that the forests, rivers and mountains should be left as nature intended. Such is this sense of the sacrosanct environment that Bhutans highest mountains remain unclimbed. Nor will they ever be summited. Mountaineering (but not trekking) has been illegal in Bhutan since 2003 for the express reason of preserving the sanctity of the summits where the gods reside.

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Young monks peer through a window at Punakha dzong, one of the most important religious centres in Bhutan

That concept of a sacred landscape means that in Bhutan a tree is more than just a tree. Its a symbol of long life, compassion and beauty. Needless to say, the Bhutanese love trees. In 2015, the country managed to plant 50,000 new trees in just one hour (breaking the world record in the process) and when the young, and much adored, king and queens first baby was born in 2016, the country celebrated by planting tens of thousands of trees.

But more importantly, because of the GNH policy and Buddhisms non-harm to all living beings attitude, this is a place that values its forests. By law, at least 60 per cent of the country must retain its natural forest cover for future generations, but right now an impressive 71 per cent of the country is forested (and its not like the remaining 29 per cent is urban or agricultural land. Large parts of upland Bhutan are above the tree line and are pristine alpine wilderness).

In terms of environmental protection Bhutan is way ahead of most Asian nations most nations of the world in fact. In 1999, long before it became fashionable, Bhutan became one of the first countries to partially (and now totally) ban plastic bags; its aiming to have 100 per cent organic farming in the coming few years, and, most impressively, its the planets only carbon negative country (although as development and the demand for cars increases this will become harder to maintain and so Bhutan is aiming to remain at the very least carbon neutral).

By 2030 the country also aims to be totally waste neutral. Almost half (47.3 per cent) of Bhutans surface area is classified (and thus protected) as national parks and sanctuaries. This makes it the fourth best protected country in the world. These parks are efficiently maintained and there are stiff laws in place for poaching or logging in such zones.

In May 2019, a UN report stated that one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction and that nature across the world is declining at speeds never previously seen. The reasons? Our need for ever more food and energy. The report went on to state that these trends could be halted but that it would take a transformative change in every aspect of how humanity interacts with the natural world. One of the ways the report suggested that things could change is for the world to move away from the limited paradigm of economic growth, i.e. to stop using GDP as a key measure of economic wealth and instead move to a system that measures the quality of human life and our long-term effects on the environment. That sounds a lot like Bhutans Gross National Happiness scale.

Masked dancers at one of Bhutans tsechus. These religious festivals are renowned for the elaborate costumes and masked dances

CRANE DANCE

A week or two after my meeting with Mrs Chozam I was walking across the hills that ring the glorious Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan. At the crest of one hill colourful bundles of prayer flags fluttered in the breeze. My guide pointed into a cluster of trees on the opposite hillside. There are mediation caves among those trees, he informed me.

Just then a distinct, raspy squawk echoed across the skies above us. A flock of black-necked cranes circled once, twice and then a third time before landing in the marshes below the large Gangtey Monastery. My guide smiled. The cranes are back, he said with a degree of pleasure. Every autumn they come from Tibet. They always circle the monastery three times. Theyre doing a Kora (religious circumambulation). The people here will be happy. Theyll hold a festival in a few weeks time to welcome the cranes back to the valley.

In a 2016 TED Talk, the then prime minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobhay, ended with a challenge to the global community: I invite you to help me, to carry this dream beyond our borders to all those who care about our planets future. After all, were here to dream together, to work together, to fight climate change together, to protect our planet together. Because the reality is we are in it together.

Meditating for the benefit of all life on Earth, protecting the natural world just for the inherent pleasure it can bring to us, and holding festivals to welcome migrating birds. As the cranes settled down to feed I couldnt help but think that this little-known nation has much to teach the world.

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Sri Lankan authorities delay on whether to prosecute award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara By Vimukthi Vidarshana 16 December 2019

Sri Lankan police told the Polgahawela magistrates court last week that they are yet to receive the attorney generals decision on whether to prosecute Shakthika Sathkumara. The acclaimed writer was arrested on April 1 and illegally held in remand for 130 days for allegedly defaming Buddhism.

Released in August on strict bail conditions, Sathkumara is accused of violating Section 291B of the Penal Code and Section 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act (ICCPR) No. 56 of 2007. According to legal procedures, the author should have been released on bail by the Polgahawela magistrate as soon as the case had been filed.

If the attorney general decides to indict Sathkumara, he will be prosecuted at the Kurunegala High Court and, if found guilty of the bogus defamation charge, could be sentenced to ten years jail. The next hearing in the Polgahawela magistrates court will be on May 19 next year when the attorney generals decision will be announced.

Questions are being raised about the attorney generals impartiality, given that he has been listed to appear for R.D.M.Syril, the officer in charge of Polgahawela police. Syril is a respondent in a fundamental rights case filed by Sathkumara over his arbitrary arrest and the violation of his freedom of expression and other constitutional rights.

Sathkumara was arrested following a complaint by a Buddhist monk, who is affiliated with a right-wing extremist organisation, over Ardha (Half), a short story by the author published on his Facebook page.

The monk claimed that the story, which included a reference to homosexuality among Buddhist monks, insulted Buddhism and Buddha. Extreme-right Buddhists are acutely sensitive to any exposure of the pseudo-sacred pretences of the religious establishment.

In his objections to Sathkumaras story, which were filed belatedly on August 15, Polgahawela police chief R.D.M. Syril did not present any substantive evidence to justify Sathkumaras arrest. One of the documents submitted by the policea statement from the inspector of police on April 1reveals that the police arrested the writer and brought him before the court on the request of the Buddhist monk.

Counter-objections filed by Sathkumara in a fundamental rights case argue that Polgahawela police organised protests in support of extremist Buddhist monks in order to bring pressure not to grant bail for the author. A hearing on Sathkumaras fundamental rights case, which was last heard on September 30, has been postponed until July 28 next year.

The Sri Lankan police are closely linked to the religious establishment and notorious for promoting the extreme-right Buddhist organisations, and have directly and indirectly backed racist assaults on minority communities. Recent communalist attacks included mob violence against Muslim-owned shops and houses in the Minuwangoda area on May 13 following the Easter Sunday bombings this year by a local ISIS-inspired terrorist group.

On October 24, Sathkumara was assigned to work at the Irrigation Department by the Director of Combined Services. However, in a blatant violation of the authors democratic rights, this was overruled by a senior official who is reported to have said that someone who wrote a book against Buddhist monks is not fit for this department.

On December 2, Sathkumara was reappointed as a development officer at the Maspotha Divisional Secretariat but on the condition that he may have to face a disciplinary inquiry into his authorship of the short story. The civil administration, however, has no legal mandate to conduct such disciplinary inquiries into this non-service related matter.

The state witchhunt of Sathkumara has been condemened by prominent Sri Lankan artists and international figures, including most recently a letter of support by Sahidul Alam, a renowned photojournalist.

Alam was arrested by Bangladesh police in August last year for condemning violent police attacks on students and for voicing his concerns on the al-Jazeera network. He was later released following local and international protests. Alams letter to Sathkumara is part of a campaign being organised by PEN International, which defends writers internationally from all forms of government repression.

Sathkumara responded to Alam with the following reply:

The repression I am facing is not limited to this country alone ... We are being driven to a magical world of after-life beyond the objective world, to hide the real causes of the social catastrophe of the crisis-ridden capitalist system. To meet this end, religion and the religious establishment has been a critical tool for the bourgeois ruling class. They have used religion as a weapon to defend their predatory system.

In countries like ours, even the Constitution has given religion the foremost place. This is a legal weapon used by the ruling class to divide the oppressed masses along racial and religious lines and defend capitalist rule. The ruling class is consciously cultivating lies, social and cultural backwardness and reaction against the masses. So, the attacks on journalist Julian Assange, who is being hunted due to his exposure of the crimes of US imperialism, and on yourself and myself are essentially political.

State attacks on artists and journalists have been stepped up following Sathkumaras persecution. On the eve of the recent presidential election, film director and playwright Malaka Devapriya was questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department over alleged violations of the ICCPR Act.

On November 25, following his appointment as Sri Lankan prime minister, Mahinda Rajapakse referred to Article 9 of the constitution, which gives the formost place to Buddhism, and declared, We will take legal action against those who defame Buddhism or any other religion.

Mahinda Rajapakse is also Sri Lankas minister of Buddha Sasana, which exists to protect and guarantee the dominance of Buddhism and the Buddhist religious establishment in Sri Lanka.

The judicial verdicts on the fraudulent defamation allegations against Sathkumara and Devapriya are being made in an increasingly communalist atmosphere. Sri Lankas ruling elite is whipping up religious divisions to counter the development of unified strike action and mass demonstrations of workers, youth and the rural poor against government austerity policies and attacks on democratic rights.

The Action Committee for the Defence of Freedom of Art and Expression, which was organised by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), has issued statements and launched a Solidarity Petition campaign in defence of Sathkumara and Devapriya. Its defence of democratic rights is an integral part of the SEPs political struggle for the independent mobilisation of the working class for a workers and peasants government based on a socialist and internationalist program.

2019 has been a year of mass social upheaval. We need you to help the WSWS and ICFI make 2020 the year of international socialist revival. We must expand our work and our influence in the international working class. If you agree, donate today. Thank you.

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Sri Lankan authorities delay on whether to prosecute award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara - World Socialist Web Site

The symbol of India in Indian passports and Indian currency notes has been a lion and a spoked-wheel or chakra, both from the Ashoka pillar. Now the government has introduced the lotus on the passport, as part of security measures, we are told, to be replaced by other national symbols in subsequent months. But many see this as a political move, yet another path of saffronisation, as the lotus is the political symbol of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party which values the Hindutva ideology-based Hindu Rashtra over the more secular Idea of India. This draws our attention to symbols, and how politicians have reduced it to signs.

A sign has a singular meaning. A symbol has multiple meanings, shifting with context. For example, the red colour is a stop sign in traffic, but a fertility symbol in Hinduism, and in China, while being indicative of the devil, scarlet women or Santa Claus in Christianity. Was the lion and the chakra chosen as a sign of India, or symbol? Does it have a specific meaning or a contextual one? One is constantly reminded it is not just any lion, or any chakra, it is that of Ashoka, which connects it with the first historical empire of India, the Mauryan, and to a king who found peace in Buddhism after years of violence. Did Ashoka see his symbols the same way as Indians did during the freedom struggle?

Ashokas India was very different from India under the British Raj. He lived in times when Buddhas body was never shown in art, but was represented as a lion (Sakyasimha or lion of sakya clan), or even as a wheel (Dhammachakka, or wheel of doctrine). Was the image on Ashokas pillar then that of the Buddha itself? Could the symbol then be construed as religious? Or was it imperial? Either way, why was it suitable for a secular republic?

Two hundred years ago, historians did not know anything about Ashoka or Buddha. Ashoka tales were found in folktales and legends. And Buddha was at best the ninth avatar of Vishnu as per some Hindu texts, but certainly not a popular sage or god at least not to European imperialists and colonisers who were slowly dominating the world with their new technologies. It was the rise of the subjects such as archaeology and philology, that led a great interest in ancient history and the discovery of Ashokas inscriptions and Buddhist manuscripts, that told the world of a revolutionary philosopher who lived five centuries before Jesus Christ and an emperor who lived shortly after Alexander the Great, who spoke of his subjects as his children, and expressed remorse over past violence.

This was when Edwin Arnold wrote the book The Light of Asia and The Song Celestial that introduced the world, and many Indians studying abroad, including Ambedkar, Gandhi and Nehru, to both Buddha and Krishna. The non-violent Buddha was found to be more appealing than the complex theology of Krishna that seemed to valorise war. This was the time when Indians were rediscovering India, and Hinduism, which appeared grand in its polytheism to 18th century Orientalists, but was seeming rather vile, barbaric and brutally hierarchical with its adherence to caste system to 19th century advocates of liberty and equality. Knowledge was being discovered, and framed, by European colonisers who were arguing the case for British colonialism as being the White Mans Burden of civilising.

It is important to see Ashokas pillar in this light: indicative of a lost good India. Buddhism was glamorous in the mid-20th century. Nehru and Gandhi admired the Buddha. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism finding it more egalitarian, rational and revolutionary. Even Savarkar admired the Buddha, though he did feel that Buddhist pacifism caused the downfall of India, as it led to invasions and incursions, that could only partly be resisted by the rise of Rajputs. It is only now that academicians are pointing out to the deeply misogynist and homophobic nature of the Buddhist doctrine, and to its role in legitimising kingship, which played a key role in its rivalry with Brahmins.

No one 70 years ago saw the lion or the wheel as a symbol of imperial power, the lion being the alpha predator, and the wheel indicating the sun, with the kings power located in the centre and the kings authority stretching out like spokes of the wheel to the boundaries. Was that subliminal messaging to establish Delhi as the seat of power in the new Indian order? Is this excessive centralisation being taken to the next level by the Modi government, angering people in Kashmir, and Northeast India?

The lion is also a Jain symbol of Mahavira, a contemporary of Buddha, and last of 24 Tirthankaras of this era. The wheel is also a Jain symbol of time and space as well as kingship, found atop every Jain mandir. Ashokas grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, mentioned in Greek chronicles, converted to Jainism, as per Jain legends. Mauryan rock cut caves show great value placed on monks and naked ascetics, who could belong to numerous sects, including Ajivikas, not just Buddhist or Jain. These shramanas, or strivers in Sanskrit, known as sammana in Prakrit, travelled to south, which is why across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra and Odisha we find mountains and caves associated with Jain and Buddhist ideas, overshadowed by later Puranic and Vedantic themes. Despite so much value placed on monasticism in Mauryan times, great value was also placed on Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and her symbol lotus. Lakshmi is one of the earliest goddesses to be carved in India, first in Buddhist shrines, also appearing in dreams of Jain mothers and being invoked in Vedic mantras.

That makes the lotus not just a BJP symbol, just as the lion and the wheel are not just Buddhist symbols. The palm is also not just a Congress symbol; it is a gesture indicating protection (abhaya mudra) common to Buddhists, Jains and Hindus, and a common emoji indicating stop, or face-palm, i.e. a slap.

Devdutt Pattanaik writes and lectures on mythology in modern times

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Spot the difference between sign and symbol - The Hindu

(Editors note: This article is reprinted here from MIT News.)

Independence movements are complicated. Consider Burma (now Myanmar), which was governed as a province of British India until 1937, when it was separated from India. Burma then attained self-rule in 1948. Amid some straightforward demands for autonomy from India, one Burmese nationalist, a Buddhist monk named U Ottama, had a different vision: He wanted his country to break free of Britain but remain part of India, until Burma could become independent.

Why would a Burmese Buddhist want independence from one country, only to seek a union with a much bigger and majority Hindu neighbor to achieve this?

At the heart of Ottamas politics lay a spiritual and civilizational geography that framed his argument for Burmas unity with India, says MIT historian Sana Aiyar, who is working on a book about Burma and India at the time of the independence movement. As Burmese nationalists increasingly defined their nationhood in religious terms to demand the separation of Burma from India, U Ottama insisted that since India was the birthplace of Buddhism, Burma was inextricably linked with India.

That this vision found an audience hints at the extensive connections between Burma and India. From 1830 through 1930, an estimated 13 million Indians passed through Burma the majority of whom were migrant or seasonal laborers making the city of Rangoon a cosmopolitan capital. Many stayed and married Burmese women which helped spark an anti-immigrant, anti-Indian backlash that became one driver of Burmas independence movement.

The complexity of the political fault lines of Burmese self-rule makes the topic a natural for Aiyar. A historian of the Indian diaspora, she generally examines how migration, nationalism, and religion have fed into 20th-century anticolonial politics.

Aiyars work has another distinctive motif. She specializes in illuminating figures like U Ottama, who were once influential but are little-known now.

The core interest that I have is in political history, says Aiyar, who was awarded tenure earlier this year. But Im interested less in the big event, the obvious narrative, and the big leaders. What has always fascinated me are the alternatives, the possibilities that did not get a chance to see complete fruition the person who didnt become Gandhi, didnt quite get the same following, but seems to have really mattered in the moment.

In Aiyars 2015 book Indians in Kenya: The Politics of Diaspora, for instance, a key figure is Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee, a trader who, in another complex scenario, became a leader for Indian rights in British-occupied Kenya, even as many Indians never became fully aligned with the British or other Kenyans. But even people strolling through Jeevanjee Gardens, a park in central Nairobi, are unlikely to know much about its namesake.

In all of my research, Ive been following those kinds of elusive figures whose long, shadowy presence emerges in fragments in colonial and national archives, Aiyar says. They allow me to ask questions about the dilemmas and dynamics of the moment.

Old and new in Delhi

Aiyar grew up in Delhi, in an intellectually minded family; her mother was a journalist, and her father a diplomat and politician.

Even around the dining table, history and politics were always there. It was just part of growing up, Aiyar says.

History and politics were always there in Delhi, too.

Growing up in a city like Delhi youre surrounded by history, Aiyar notes. Its almost impossible to look out of the window when youre driving anywhere in Delhi without seeing historical sites and the outcomes of historical processes in peoples everyday lives.

Aiyar received a BA in history at St. Stephens College of Delhi University and then a BA and MA in history at Jesus College in Cambridge, U.K. Aiyars stay in England was also the first time she had observed Indians abroad, which made a significant impression on her: I noticed the way the diaspora made itself visible in Britain, especially in a multicultural state, was not by presenting itself as secular, but through religion, she says.

At that time, politics within India had also taken a turn away from the secularism of the post-independence era, opening up, Aiyar says, the question of what defined Indian nationhood, who is Indian.

Aiyar attended Harvard University for her PhD in history, originally planning a dissertation about the rise of Hindu nationalism among the Indian diaspora in Britain. She started her research examining the first group in Britain to assert their right to belonging through religion Indians who had arrived in the U.K. from East Africa in the 1960s. Aiyar became fascinated by the migration of Indians to Kenya in the 19th and 20th centuries, a little-known history at the time, and the relationship they had to both sides of anticolonial politics. Visiting Kenyan archives made clear there was abundant material on hand involving Jeevanjee and many other figures.

Methodologically it always comes back to the archives, where I find a person or an event that calls into question what we think we know about the past, Aiyar says. I wonder what is this person doing there, and then I start digging up all the files I can find. I am really an archive rat and the thing about dealing with South Asian history in the colonial period is, theres just files and files and files of documents the Brits really liked their paperwork! If one likes the joy of discovery in the archives, theres so much to piece together.

After completing her dissertation, Aiyar took a postdoc position at Johns Hopkins University, then served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin at Madison for three years. She joined MIT in 2013.

Partition project

At MIT, Aiyar appreciates her students They are curious, they are open-minded, and a lot of fun to teach and enjoys being part of a history faculty with global scope.

One of the things I absolutely love about being here is how international our world history section is, she says. For a small department, we really pack a punch. We have every region of the world represented with top-rate scholars.

While teaching, Aiyar is pursuing two long-term research efforts. One project is about the encounters between African soldiers and civilians during World War II, in Burma and India. The other, about Burmese independence and titled Indias First Partition: Recovering Burmas South Asian History, is her second book project.

The title is an indirect reference to the division of Pakistan from India in 1947, which almost exclusively holds claim to the world partition in South Asian history. But Aiyars contention is that this term applies to the separation of Burma from India in 1937.

It is a partition, Aiyar says. Its the very first time a carceral border is created in South Asia, and immigration laws are introduced that literally prevent the millions who moved in and out of Burma from crossing over without paperwork. The border creates a surveillance state. All of this takes place a full decade before Pakistan is created. I am arguing that 1937 was the first partition of India.

In writing the book, Aiyar is also digging into literature, diaries, and other documents to reconstruct daily life in Burma and show the many interconnections among people of Burmese and Indian heritage.

The history of the mundane, the everyday, I think will really complement the political history of conflict and tension, Aiyar says. Ive always been interested in how people live together with difference.

Or not live together, as the case may be. In South Asia or elsewhere, then and now, as Aiyar recognizes, separatist identity politics can also be a powerful animating force for individuals and political factions.

We can look to history to understand what these questions are about and why people are that invested, Aiyar says. Ive always found history is a really useful way to understand what is going on in the contemporary world.

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MIT historian Sana Aiyar sheds new light on the complexities of independence movements and global migration - India New England

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

When we hear the mention of the term burnout we get a sensory experience of exactly what it means. But what is the larger picture?

Is burnout related to anxiety, depression, or is it something else entirely?

Burnout is not something that occurs overnight. We tend to go back and forth with it for a while before making the leap. Knowing this is helpful since you can get ahead of it before it takes you into deeper waters.

In our success-driven culture, we can often end up on the fast lane to burnout. We forget to get our regularly scheduled oil check and we attempt to reach our goals with one foot on the brake and one on the gas.

The oil change that I speak of here is self-care. You can literally burn out just like an engine. And like the little plastic sticker on our windshields that serve as a reminder to change our oil; receiving some guidance to help manage our stress can be helpful as well.

Without the proper tools and support, there can be serious consequences from living under constant stress and great mental burden. But feeling burned out is not something that is new to our modern culture.

Great thinkers have been proselytizing about this since ancient times. Maybe the one historical figure who spoke to this human condition most specifically was Siddhartha Gautama also known as The Buddha.

Buddhism reflects on a timeless inner conflict that is inherent to all living beings: the nature of suffering and impermanence. The Buddha understood the constant stress and dissatisfaction in life, regardless of place and time. He saw how the energy that we tirelessly spend on seeking relief is only a form of suffering. And too much suffering leads us to exhaustion. This then causes us to burnout.

The Buddha has mapped this situation so thoroughly, he has also offered a solution: The Four Noble Truths, aka the route from burned out to blissed-out

If you are feeling burned out or have ever experienced work-related exhaustion, you may recognize some of the symptoms:

At this point the only hope is just to make it through the day.

Some situations that contribute to burnout include:

But prolonged excessive workloads will eventually lead you towards burnout. We tip the scales too far in one direction and lose sight of ourselves.

This can rear its head in many different ways, all leading to burnout.

Those without a community, a partner, close friends, a counselor, or life coach to talk to are at greater risk of burnout than those with support.

Differing from compassion fatigue; this type of burnout is caused by being overworked and underpaid (or appreciated). It happens to people who spend a lot of their energy only to see little in return. Also, not having enough time off, lacking resources, and support all play a role in compassion burnout.

Monotony isnt particularly stressful on its own, but it does cause people to check out and to become detached. You lose your creative spark and your work no longer brings you satisfaction. The continuation of this day after day ultimately leads to stress and burnout.

But its not all gloomy skies and stormy weather. You can always choose to remember that you do have control over your life. You can reach out for help from your support system. We can also choose to view burnout as serving to teach us something.

Burnout could be a call to re-evaluate what you are doing and the direction that you are headed.

Or it could be that you are headed in the right direction, but need to relax a little, loosen up your grip, and let life unfold with some faith and trust.

It could be a call to look after your health or well-being.

And it could be many numbers of things.

Through the Buddhist teachings of The Four Noble Truths we can examine this further

THE FIRST NOBLE TRUTH

Life is suffering

This may be quite a big bite to chew on. You can rest assured in knowing that the translation of life is suffering, or life involves suffering may actually be incorrect. According to Buddhist scholars, a more accurate translation would be life is stressful or there is dissatisfaction, discontent, pain, sorrow, sadness, disappointment, etc. in life.

Burnout is one of the major ways that this is dealt with.

A factor that greatly contributes to burnout, aka suffering, is our tendency to want to control the uncontrollable (or impermanent). How often do you try to hold onto things in fear that they will slip awayjobs, relationships, money, status positions, your identity?

This is amplified in people who own their own business or work for themselves. In this position, it can seem that you are responsible for everything. There is a lot of work to do and so much is always riding on your success. We ruminate believing that we can somehow control the outcomes.

This can make your business fertile ground for suffering. For many, its their primary source of stress. Without tools and support, this is a sure way to burnout.

The first of the Four Noble Truths is an open invitation for you to be still and take a moment to reflect on your life and motivations. It calls you to examine what about your beliefs and actions that are causing you to do the things that make you feel burned out.

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself:

Finding shelter from the storm through meditation or quiet time, you can rest and relax. From this vantage point you can view your situation with clarity and wisdom. It gives you the energy to take action where needed.

THE SECOND NOBLE TRUTH:

The cause of suffering is greed or desire

An alternate version of the Second Noble Truth is clinging, craving, attachment, and aversion. We rely on the external factors that we enjoy and avoid the ones that we dont.

Desire is both wonderful and natural. It is the attachment to it that causes suffering (and our burnouts). Think about it All that energy you are spending trying to attain your desire, all the anxiety, fear, shame, blame that arises on the journey. How helpful is it?

No amount of success (however you choose to define the term) can ever free you from this condition.

The Buddha taught The Middle-Way, which is the path to help you avoid any extremes. The Middle Way teaches balance. Its not to deny your needs and wants, but also not to become too wrapped up in them either.

Here you can ask yourself:

The Third Noble Truth

The Solution to Suffering is letting go of attachments

Complete enlightenment isnt expected of anybody, only that we may acknowledge what is causing suffering and work towards a shift.

There is a fair concern that you may become dull, boring, uncreative, and so forth in the process. This is an understandable fear. But its the complete opposite of what actually takes place when you begin to change.

A more helpful way to view this process is of letting go of the things that do not serve you. This includes thoughts, emotions, objects, goals, and people.

You can take a page from Marie Kondos book, Spark Joy, and literally let go of anything in your life that doesnt spark joy. This is an excellent gauge in determining what in your life is holding you down and keeping you from experiencing the happiness and productivity that you deserve.

You enter into a more empowered place when you let go of what isnt serving you. Youre left with a feeling of greater connection; which is more loving, more creative, more compassionate, more powerful, healthier, happier, and free.

An easy step is to ask yourself: Where am I holding on where I could be letting go?

The Fourth Noble Truth

The Eightfold Path; the road that frees us from suffering

The last of The Four Noble Truths is the path to end suffering by achieving nirvana (awakening, peace of mind, liberation).

This is called The Eight Fold Path. It is the action step of The Four Noble Truths and where the fruit of the practice is found.

Below we will take a look at The Eight Fold path through the scope of burning out.

The Eight Fold Path

This knowing can assist with taking lifeless serious and becoming less affected by its stress. You no longer put so much importance on outer things and spend more time on what really makes you really happy.

One of the best things that you can do in the workplace is to avoid taking part in gossip. That type of negativity will only drag you down and put your reputation on the line.

It is Right Action to set healthy boundaries.

Its important to look at, and really be honest about if your job is the right one for you.

It may not mean quitting your job exactly, but it could mean making some changes within it.

You are able to view yourself and the world from your true home of awareness; with greater love, strength, compassion, peace, and wisdom.

The Four Noble Truths gives us an excellent lens to examine our lives. It can bring new perspectives on burnout and exhaustion. It offers solutions to lessen lifes burdens and gives you the stress relief through its techniques allowing you to cope while reducing the effect that burnout and exhaustion can have.

If youre ready to include the four noble truths into your life to reduce burnout and exhaustion, along with navigating work and life struggles schedule your first $60-minute session for $1!

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Using The Four Noble Truths To Go from Burnout to Bliss - Thrive Global

Two hours and eighteen minutes into The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) projects his avatar from across the galaxy to confront Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and save the Resistance. Both times I saw the film theatrically, once in Mumbai, and then in New Delhi a thousand miles away, the image of Luke floating cross-legged, deep in meditation, was met with thunderous applause. This wasnt just a clever twist for fans of Force magic; for many eastern audiences, the image of the Jedi levitating cross-legged above a mound evokes depictions of Siddhrtha Gautama, the first Buddha, in sculptures and paintings across the centuries.

The climactic reveal of Luke, lost in deep meditation on Ahch-To (the site of his self-imposed exile, where he lives a similarly material-free life), takes the place of the typical cowboy shot, where a subject is framed from the thigh-up as they grab their weapon from its holster a technique Star Wars has used in the past. Instinctively, most audiences in the west know what this image means whenever it appears, especially if its accompanied by the camera pushing closer for emphasis (as it does on Rey when she first wields her weapon in The Force Awakens). Its a precursor to heroic action scenes; a familiar visual shorthand that tickles the senses, as all genre tropes do. But in The Last Jedi, as the camera pushes in on Luke, the shorthand of the climax is an image more familiar to viewers in South and Southeast Asia. For me, the image recalled an enormous statue of the Buddha in the Ajanta Caves, a series of rock-cut Buddhist monasteries built as far back as the 2nd century BCE.

Cross-legged depictions of the meditating Buddha are most often depictions of the revered monk achieving nirvana, a form of deep spiritual understanding in South Asian religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The latter, now the worlds fourth-largest religion, is believed to have been founded in the 5th century BCE by Siddhrtha Gautama, who most historians agree renounced the material world before embarking upon a journey of learning and teaching until his eventual death; more specific details are harder to verify, though most biographies cite his birthplace as Lumbini modern-day Nepal. In Buddhist traditions that arose in subsequent centuries, nirvana (or the great quenching) became one of Buddhisms central tenets, an escape from cycles of death and rebirth, achieved through deep concentration, helping others, and a state of peaceful, desireless living.

Despite its political and aesthetic touchstones, the Star Wars series philosophy has historically been a hodgepodge of eastern ideas, mixing Taoism, Buddhism and Zen. In the first film in the series, the Jedis belief in the Force and its light and dark sides mirrored the Taoist concepts of Qi (or Chi; a life force) and the yin-and-yang. Shortly thereafter, The Empire Strikes Back re-enforced, through characters like Master Yoda (Frank Oz), the idea that using the Force was akin to Zen or at least, the simplified version of Zen Buddhism that captured the attention of Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, and leaked into the western zeitgeist of the 50s and 60s. In the west, the word Zen has since come to mean a state of calm attentiveness in which ones actions are guided by intuition, not unlike Lukes education on the Force. How will I know the good side from the bad? Luke asks, to which Yoda replies, You will know when you are calm. At peace. Passive.

However, the contradictory behavior of the Jedi would come to light in Return of the Jedi, when Obi-Wan insists that, in order to defeat the Emperor, Luke must vanquish Darth Vader in an act of physical dominance. This course of action would require Luke to detach himself emotionally from his own father, but it also contradicted the very things Yoda had taught him. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, Yoda said, never attack. By the end of the film, Luke rejects both extremes of the Force equation, neither buying into the visceral hatred of the Dark Side nor following the dispassionate Jedi dogma that wouldve also lead him to violence. After pummeling Vader in a fit of rage, Luke tosses his own lightsaber aside, and offers him a path to redemption.

By The Last Jedi, Luke has cut himself off from the Force, having failed to exorcise the darkness in his nephew Ben Solo. In flashback, we see Luke momentarily tempted by both sides of the equation once more: the violent potential within him that the Dark Side could draw out, and the Jedis dogmatic call to ascetic detachment in order to vanquish evil. In this moment, as in the moment Luke nearly took Vaders life, the Dark Side and the ways of the Jedi are one and the same. Luke thinks about (and nearly acts on) killing Ben. He doesnt follow through, but its too late: The betrayed Ben, denied the road to redemption by his own uncle, is set down on a dark path of his own. A second Skywalker villain is created by Jedi zealotry.

The greatest teacher, failure is, Yoda tells Luke, setting him on a path of amends. While simply appearing in person at the battle of Crait would have fulfilled the same plot function, the mechanics by which Luke appears, battles Ben (now Kylo Ren), and subsequently dies, serve to complete his story thematically. Luke uses the Force not to walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order, as he jokes earlier in the film, but as means of spiritual communion, the way it manifests elsewhere between Kylo and Lukes new protg, Rey (Daisy Ridley). While Rian Johnson got the idea for force projection from the Star Wars reference book The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force, astral projection as a spiritual concept takes hold in Buddhist scripture. In the Samaaphala Sutta, or The Fruit of Contemplative Life, the Buddha says:

With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk directs and inclines it to creating a mind-made body ... He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird.

The Last Jedis cut away from the duel to Lukes cross-legged meditation signals the achievement of a greater, clear-minded understanding. The concept of nirvana ties back to the central Buddhist idea of escaping cycles of life and death, or attaining moksha, i.e. salvation from pain; what pains Luke, it would seem, is the guilt of his failure. In Buddhism, in order to attain this moksha, one must ascend as Luke does from ceto-vimutti, a state of simple, desireless living, to paa-vimutti, the escape from physical suffering through vipassana, or meditation. The term nirvana, when literally translated, means blowing out, as in a candle. As Luke fades from physical existence, backed by the sun-drenched horizon, his life ends like a fading flame.

Fittingly, Lukes enlightenment, and his rejection of Jedi dogma, mirrors the rift between two major sects of Buddhism: Theravada, or the School of the Elders, and Mahayana, or the Great Vehicle. Theravada, the oldest and most orthodox form of Buddhism, teaches the path to nirvana as a strict endeavour embarked upon only by chosen monks living according to a rigid monastic code, whose enlightenment takes precedence over helping others. In response, Mahayana, which arose cir. the 1st century BCE, introduced newer, more lenient teachings considered inauthentic by many Theravadins. It allowed laypeople the chance to walk the path to enlightenment, and placed a greater emphasis on helping struggling humans, even if it meant delaying ones own nirvana in order to do so (Mahayana, as it happens, was also the origin of Zen Buddhism).

This divide also echoes the paradigm of the new Star Wars films, which dramatizes the tensions between the rigidity of bloodline legacy from Vader to Kylo Ren and the arrival of an outsider Rey, who uses the Force and upsets the established order.

Rey is also a key fixture in the films use of Buddhist imagery. Her own moment of enlightenment, while searching for her parents identity in the cave on Ahch-To, comes in the form of gazing into infinite mirrors. In some sects of Buddhism, the mirror is considered a point of spiritual reflection; seventeenth century Zen master Hakuin Ekaku considered the mirror a false or illusory reflection of reality. Similarly, the truth Rey seeks in these mirrors presents itself first as illusion two silhouetted figures, perhaps her parents, walking towards her before finally reflecting the reality of the world as it truly is. In seeing these two shadows merge into her own reflection, Rey, the girl who raised herself on Jakku, begins to accept that its neither the phantom parents she clings to, nor idols like Luke or Han to whom she runs, nor Kylo Ren by whom shes tempted, that will show her her path. Its something she must forge herself.

Rey isnt the only important outsider in The Last Jedi either. Rose (Trn Loan) and Finn (John Boyega) help a young stable boy (Temirlan Blaev) on Canto Bight, the Casino city frequented by the galaxys war profiteers. The capital is a nexus of violence and materialism, in contrast with the Buddhist tenets of ending suffering (dukkha) and detaching oneself from the material desires that cause it (samudaya). At the end of the film, a young slave boy who finds inspiration in a Rebel ring given to him by Rose, as well as in the legends of Luke Skywalker, appears to use the Force. In an immediate sense, this child is a symbol of the continuing rebellion, the birth of a new generation of Jedi, and like Rey, a spiritual successor in the Skywalker story.

But where does the Force go from here, after Lukes ultimate rejection of violence and the Jedi dogma? How will this mysterious tool and spiritual fabric be seen, and canonized, in and after The Rise of Skywalker? The answer may partially lie with the new live-action Star Wars show on Disney Plus, The Mandalorian. The series, currently six episodes in of a planned total of eight, introduces a character colloquially dubbed Baby Yoda. This mute infant, of the same species as the Yoda we know, exhibits sensitivity to the Force, and in his innocent moments, tries to use the Force to heal the Mandalorians wounds. The Force as a means of physical healing is a concept yet unexplored by Star Wars, though it feels tethered to Lukes use of the Force as a great vehicle for spiritual healing in The Last Jedi.

When the film begins, Luke has taken a dark path akin to Yodas didactic prophecy many years ago: Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate leads to suffering. But by the end, Luke breaks this painful cycle by finding an alternative to Yodas three-pronged mantra, one that echoes the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, the core of the Buddhas teachings: Suffering exists. It has a cause. It has an end. And there is a noble path to ending it. The future of the Force, it would seem, lies in the ending of suffering, rather than in answering the call to violence; or, as Rose puts it, Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.

The saga thus far has woven a harmonious fabric, in which Luke Skywalker, the young farm boy from Tatooine who just wanted to be part of something greater, fulfills his destiny by becoming one with the Force. Hes helped along his path by none other than Master Yoda, whose own enlightenment has seen him become one with nature; We are what they grow beyond, Yoda tells him, of their Jedi students. That is the true burden of all masters. As the saga leans further into Mahayana tradition, the goals of its wise Jedi, and its older generations, are to guide these new heroes and outsiders toward their own forms of spiritual understanding.

Luke does not appear in front of Kylo Ren to fight, but to guide others to safety. When his astonishing new abilities are revealed, they are a path to salvation for Kylo, for the entrapped Rebels, and for the Jedi master himself instead of bloodshed. When Luke is revealed floating on the mound, the awesome power audiences applauded was not violent fantasy, but a path to peace.

Read the original:
The Last Jedi put Star Wars Buddhist philosophy in the foreground - Polygon

Its not easy being a 2,000-year-old Buddhist scroll. A slight gust of wind, a particularly humid day, or even a simple exhalation could cause the scroll to crack or crumble into pieces. To unroll a scroll this old is almost unthinkablebut recently, conservators at the Library of Congress found themselves with no other option. They wanted to read the words scrawled inside the Gandhara scroll.

Before the scroll came to the library, it was buried for 2,000 years in a clay jar in a Buddhist stupa, or dome-shaped shrine, in the ancient region of Gandhara, now the Peshawar Valley in northern Afghanistan and Pakistan. The high-altitude, arid climate kept it from crumbling until it was excavated in the 1990s. In 2005, conservators received the scroll in a Parker Pen box on a bed of cotton. It was the most fragile object we have ever encountered, Holly Krueger, a retired paper conservator at the library, writes in an email. A year passed before the conservators felt ready to unfurl the scroll without destroying it completely.

The scroll, which was radiocarbon dated to the first century B.C., is one of a handful of surviving early Buddhist manuscripts from Gandhara, according to Jonathan Loar, a South Asia specialist at the library. Gandhara, situated on the Silk Road, served as a gateway to India, and the regions monks are credited with spreading Buddhism into Iran and China, Krueger writes in a 2008 paper in The Book and Paper Group Annual. It was written in Gandhari, a language related to Sanskrit, on birch bark, an ancient writing material that consists of thin layers held together with a natural gluealmost like ancient phyllo pastry. As it ages, this glue breaks down, leaving the layers extremely vulnerable to shattering with the slightest disturbance, Krueger says, adding that a scroll this unstable could have only survived in a jar.

Krueger consulted conservators at the British Library, who had successfully unrolled 30 scrolls, for their input. Without any ancient, coiled birch bark laying around for a trial run, she practiced on a baked cigar roll, teasing apart its wafer-thin layers with bamboo spatulas. It was not as fragile as the scroll proved to be, Krueger says. A few days before the unrolling, the conservators placed the scroll in a specially constructed, humidified chamber, which softened the birch bark so it would not break upon contact.

The actual unrolling happened in June, 2006, on a Saturday, to reduce the risk of air currents created by coworkers and better control the humidity and temperature of the librarys paper lab. Krueger was present with only two others: Yasmeen Khan, a senior rare book conservator at the library, and Mark Barnard, the chief conservator at the British Library. One cannot underestimate the nerves of steel required for such a project, Krueger says. We had only one chance for success.

Krueger and Barnard removed the scroll from its moist chamber and placed it on top of a pane of borosilicate glass. One turn at a time, using bamboo spatulas, they unfurled the birch bark, placing small glass weights on newly flat sections. Each fresh turn revealed new fragments, which the conservators weighed down to preserve their place in the text. If the scroll seemed on the verge of cracking, a conservator would mist the air with a preservation pencil.

It was a dramatic and silent affair: Everyone took shallow, controlled breaths. One misplaced exhale could scatter the scroll shards and render something translatable into something lost. I was doing the photography and informed the conservators whenever I was going to move so that they would be prepared for air movement and change, Khan writes in an email. When the whole thing was laid flat, Krueger and Barnard removed the glass weights and laid a second pane of glass on the whole revealed scroll, pushing down tiny pieces that popped up with the bamboo sticks.

Finally translated, the final scroll has no title, beginning, or end, but it does retain around 75 to 80 percent of the original textone of the better-preserved Gandharan scrolls in existence, Loar says. It tells the story of 15 seekers of enlightenment who came before and after Siddhrtha Gautama, the sage living in the 5th or 6th century B.C. who became known as the Buddha. Repeating these namesverbally, mentally, and or in writingis a powerful practice, Loar says, adding that it functioned as a meditative exercise.

Too fragile for public display, the scroll has been reburiedthis time in a box within the archives of the library. Theres also a drawer that holds all the tiny bits of dust that sprung from the scroll during the unrolling. Conservators now transport it around the library on a cart with vibration dampening to ease its journey, Krueger says. But this past summer, the conservators digitized the entire scroll, making it surprisingly easy to read a millennia-old account of the lives of buddhasthat is, if you read Gandhari.

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How the Library of Congress Unrolled a 2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Scroll - Atlas Obscura