( Photo/ Jamyang Tsering/ DIIR)

PM Dr. Lobsang Sangay was speaking on Sunday to over 120 Tibetan monks and nuns at the inaugural ceremony of the first ever seminar of the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon at Gyuto Monastery near here.

Also present at the gathering were Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, former PM Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche and Dhondup Dorjee, the Religion Secretary.

Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche appealed to the custodians of Tibetan Buddhism to preserve the jewel, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Rinpoche said the true essence of Buddha Dharma is preserved in the form of Tibetan Buddhism and expressed through the Tibetan language only.

Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, reminded the gathering of the efforts made by the great religious kings and Buddhist saints of Tibet in spreading Buddhism to Tibet and other parts of the world.

Through this seminar, the Tibetan exile administration aims to foster the preservation and progression of Tibetan Buddhism, and to affirm harmonious relations between the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon religion.

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CTA holds seminar of four schools of Buddhism, Bon

The third Buddhist council headed by Ven. Moggalipuththa Tissa was one of the most important events in the history of Buddhism. Its most significant out come was to bring Theravada Buddhism to Sri Lanka. This council was convened around 250 BCE by King Asoka, the greatest ruler of India. The third Buddhist council had a vital objective. This was to spread Buddhism beyond India by sending missionary monks to nine different countries. However the most important mission came to the island of Sri Lanka. This mission was led by none other than King Asoka's own son, Ven. Mahinda, who was to convert the King of Sri Lanka and all of his followers and subjects too. Ven. Mahinda before his passing away introduced not only the Buddha's teaching but also writing, new forms of art, architecture and literature to Sri Lankan society.

Ven. Mahinda performed a vital task to introduce a new writing tradition to Sri Lanka. He introduced a Brahmin alphabet to expand the writing methodology. So much evidence can be found out to prove that there was a writing tradition using Sinhala language (Hela Basa) after arrival of prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka. But it was developed well after Ven. Manhinda's arrival in Sri Lanka. He translated Pali commentaries in to Sinhala Commentaries. Ven. Mahinda with mission utilized Sinhalese Language to preach dhamma.

Some devotees who embraced Buddhism restored some caves and they were offered to Buddhist monks. These offerings were written on inscriptions in Sinhala Language. This Language and shape of letters had very close resemblances with the language in inscriptions of Ashoka. Accordingly Buddhism influenced to the Sinhalese Language from 3rd B.C.E. to present time not only for writing but also speaking. Sinhalese Language has borrowed so many Buddhist words to his word stock. The Buddhist influence on Sinhalese language can be seen in Orthography (letters), Etimology (words) and syntax (Sentences).

After establishment of Buddhism in the island Ven. Mahinda took various strategies to spread Dhamma with the help of king Devanampiyatissa. One was to introduce a new alphabet to expand the writing tradition and the other was to translate Pali Commentaries in to Sinhala language. This step caused to develop Sinhala language with its word stock. Buddhism was established in Sinhala as Helatuwa. This "Atuwa" influenced for the post literature. A.W. Adhikaron mentions a list of 'Helatuwa" in his book named Early History of Buddhism in Ceylon. They are:

Maha Attakata (Culattakata )

Maha pachchariya Attakata

Kurundi Attakatha.

Andhattakata.

Sankapattakata.

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Buddhist influence on local culture

YANGON: The New Zealand-born general manager of a bar in Myanmar and two local colleagues will hear in two weeks from a Myanmar court whether they are guilty of insulting Buddhism in an online promotion.

They were charged with insulting the religion because they used an image of Buddha in an online ad for a bar in Yangon. The men have been in jail for about two months.

The promotion for V Gastro Bar went viral on social media in Myanmar, where the majority of citizens have strong ties to the Buddhist faith.

Bar manager Tun Thurein and Htut Ko Ko Lwin both Myanmar nationals and New Zealander Philip Blackwood managed a short chat with family members before the hearing began.

Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom where Blackwoods defence argued he did not intend to insult Buddhism. His counsel said the ad was misguided and once informed it could be seen as sacrilegious, he removed it and apologised.

Blackwood remained positive as he emerged after the hearing.

We've done what we can. It's now up to the court to decide," he told Channel NewsAsia.

For the other two accused, the defence said they did not know that Blackwood had posted the ad online. All three accused asked for all charges to be dropped.

He had no intention, no malicious assaulting of religious feelings, just for the promotion of the shop, put it up on the 9th and scrubbed it out on the 11th with good intention, said Mya Thway, Blackwoods lawyer. It was a good final argument, but what will happen, I dont know.

Each of the accused faces two charges related to causing religious offence and a third charge of operating the bar after hours, which together carry a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.

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Myanmar bar staff accused of religious insult to learn fate in 2 weeks

THE CHAIRMAN of the reform committee on the protection of Buddhism has said the purpose of his committee is to seek an answer on whether monks can spend money, so the matter can be regulated with sincerity.

"We are focusing on the case of Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of Dhammakaya Temple, because there was a report indicating he has been involved with money matters, including the source of the money, that has been handled without transparency," Paiboon Nititawan told The Nation.

Paiboon, whose committee was set up earlier by the National Reform Council, sparked uproar when he said at a recent meeting of the committee that according to a 1999 statement by the then-Supreme Patriarch, Phra Dhammachayo had been automatically defrocked.

This created tension between the NRC panel, the monk and Buddhist groups.

Dhammakaya Temple is believed to be the wealthiest temple in Thailand, but some Buddhists view it as a temple that has distorted Lord Buddha's teachings in relation to money matters.

"Our goal is to protect religion by scrutinising the temple's budget or financial status, with Dhammakaya Temple the main case study we have to look into," Paiboon said.

He said the study's findings could result in the public realising what the real problems were and how they could be regulated.

He said that along with investigating whether monks could spend money, his panel wanted to determine if monks can collect money if they are allowed to spend it.

If they were, it needed to be determined how much they could collect and whether they had to declare assets like non-monks had to.

"All these questions have been frequently asked by many people, and if the monks can use and collect money do they have to pay taxes too? This is one of the important questions we have to search for facts [to reach a conclusion]," he said.

Continued here:

Thailand reform council focused on monks and money

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With money corruption and drugs this monk fears Buddhism in Thailand is a poisoned fruit

By Kuo Yong Kooi Malaysiakini Mar 3, 2015

COMMENT If someone handed me a copy of the Quran, I am happy to accept it with no ill will in my heart. I have concluded long ago that all religious texts in this world are guidelines to improve human behaviours.

The unfortunate part is many people misinterpreted religious text all the time. If someone has got it right, then it does not matter what religion you are from, their action shows.

In my opinion, the rules that the fundamentalists Muslims want every Muslim to follow are not that much different from the monastic rules for the Buddhist monks and nuns. The only big difference is their approach.

Buddhists see the rules as a path for their followers to practice if and only if they want to attain Nibanna (enlightenment). The themes that Buddhism carried all through a persons religious life are basically an invitation to explore and the gradual training. It is a personal inward journey. No amount of compulsion can facilitate a personal journey.

If a Buddhist decides to go to the beer festivals and have vice activities, that is his or her Karma. It is as simple as that. That is their business. If you want Nibanna, the monastic codes are much stricter than the rules imposed by the Taliban or IS.

A Buddhist monastic cannot have sex, drugs/intoxicants or entertainment. The Taliban can have up to four wives.

I have tried two years as a monk in 1997/98. I left the monastery and prefer to live a lay life; that is to follow the basic Buddhist rules ala Taliban. No, I did not take four wives, but I am married and live a simple Buddhist Talibanistic lifestyle as a Yoga and Qi Gong teacher.

Familiar rules

Here are the basic five precepts for a general practitioner of the Buddhist faith to follow; I undertake the training not to kill, steal, lie, commit sexual misconduct and not to use intoxicants (drugs or alcohol). Sounds familiar to Christians and Muslims?

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Comment on I would accept a copy of the Quran by lbn