La Cina pubblica la lista dei lama reincarnati ritenuti “autentici”.

Con il pretesto di combattere la proliferazione di “falsi Buddha” che approfittano del loro status per ingannare e sottrarre denaro ai fedeli del buddismo tibetano, il 18 gennaio la Cina ha per la prima volta pubblicato la lista dei “Buddha viventi autentici”.

Nella lista figurano i nomi di 870 “Buddha autentici” dei quali vengono fornite non solo le generalità e le fotografie ma anche i nomi religiosi, i monasteri di appartenenza, i titoli accademici conseguiti e la setta religiosa di appartenenza. Secondo l’agenzia di stato Xinhua che ha diffuso il rapporto, stilato dall’autorità cinese per gli Affari Religiosi, il provvedimento è stato adottato per limitare il crescente numero dei “falsi Buddha”. Il database è accessibile via internet e può essere oggetto di modifiche. Read the rest of this entry »

Notice

January 19th 2016

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is departing Dharamsala today for the United States where he is scheduled to undergo prostate treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota followed by a period of rest from the end of January 2016 for approximately one month.

His regular engagement schedule will resume in March.

Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Dated: January 19, 2016

http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1366-notice

China's buddha database includes photos and other personal details

China publishes ‘verified living buddha’ list.

By News from Elsewhere……as found by BBC Monitoring 18 January 2016

• China has published its first list of “authentic living buddhas”, saying that growing numbers of fraudulent buddhas are using their status to swindle money from believers.

Beijing has taken the unusual step of concerning itself with matters of reincarnation by releasing the names, photographs and locations of 870 “verified” buddhas on the website of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Xinhua news agency reports. Read the rest of this entry »

Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Delhi in his 80th Year

New Delhi, India, 4 January 2016 – His Holiness the Dalai Lama was very welcomed in Delhi today by old friends who wished to celebrate his reaching his 80th birthday. The event included a vivid exhibition of photographs that His Holiness took interest and pleasure in viewing, as images reminded him of people he’s met and places he’s been. Likewise, after a leisurely lunch, when His Holiness joined the party he was pleased to spot and greet old friends in the audience.

Mr Analjit Singh introducing the “Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama” event in New Delhi, India on January 4, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery opened proceedings by chanting the verse for taking refuge and generating bodhichitta, followed by a prayer for His Holiness’s long life. The compere, Ms Komal GB Singh, briefly explained that since His Holiness had had a busy year, many in India had not had the opportunity to congratulate him and wish him well on his actual 80th birthday in July 2015. She called on the principal organizer Mr Analjit Singh to introduce the occasion.

“I’m sure many of you are familiar with Winnie the Pooh and Piglet’s asking him, ‘How do you spell love?’ and Pooh’s reply, ‘You don’t spell it, you feel it.’ That’s what I thought when I first met His Holiness and he held my hand for almost our entire 40 minute meeting.”
Ram Jethmalani, one of India’s most celebrated lawyers, confessed he was a sinner who wondered why he’d been honoured with the opportunity to speak. He declared himself a great admirer of His Holiness who he sees as a living example of the practice of the Buddha’s teachings. Read the rest of this entry »

Leaving Tashi Lhunpo for Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India 2 January 2016 – Prominent Lamas like Ganden Tri Rinpoche, Sharpa Chöjey and Jangtse Chöjey and several Abbots waited in the Tashi Lhunpo Assembly Hall to bid His Holiness the Dalai Lama farewell this morning. When he stepped out into the sunshine, shielded by a large yellow ceremonial umbrella, the monks of Tashi Lhunpo were sitting on the monastery steps. He sat smiling among them as final group photographs were taken and then climbed into his car. Driving away from Tashi Lhunpo and Bylakuppe thousands of Tibetans lined the road, some holding flowers or incense, but nearly all holding white silk scarves that caught the early morning light as he passed.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the monks of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India on January 2, 2016. Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

At a certain distance from the settlement, His Holiness’s car stopped and the Abbots who had followed it came to the door and paid their respects one last time. The motorcade drove on towards Bengaluru, stopping for a short break at Mandya where members of the local press were on hand to greet him. Before continuing the journey he spoke to them and the local police escort about the importance of inner peace and preserving the knowledge and values of ancient Indian culture. He arrived in Bengaluru in time for lunch.

In the early afternoon he was invited to address a meeting of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association (Karnataka).

“Brothers and sisters,” he greeted them. “I’m very happy to be able to meet with you today. We are all part of humanity, 7 billion of us who are fundamentally the same as human beings. Of course, there are differences among us of faith, colour of skin and colour of hair, some of us come from different countries and speak different languages, but these are secondary differences. The primary thing is that we are essentially the same. Many of the problems we face, we make for ourselves, based on our mistaken emphasis on these secondary differences between us. Read the rest of this entry »

Longevity Empowerment, Long Life Offering

Tashi Lhunpo, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India, 1 January 2016 – Today’s White Tara Longevity Empowerment and Offering of Requests to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Live Long took place inside the new Tashi Lhunpo Assembly Hall. Once he had completed necessary preparations, as prayers were recited, His Holiness addressed the congregation of Abbots, former Abbots, Tulkus, monks, nuns and lay-people.

Members of the audience standing respectfully as His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrives at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery’s Assembly Hall in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India on January 1, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

“I’ve been teaching almost continuously since arriving at Gyumey Tantric College three and a half weeks ago. Today, as a way of dedicating the merit we’ll conduct a White Tara Longevity Empowerment. I gather 700 students from local schools have joined us today, I wish you a Happy New Year. Young students like these are very important because they belong to the generation of the 21st century. I and my colleagues belong to the 20th century. Our time has passed and our lives are nearly over. The 21st century generation on the other hand are just at the beginning. They have a realistic opportunity to change the world.

“We all want happiness and to avoid suffering, and within ourselves that involves a greater sense of love and compassion. As far as the external world is concerned it will entail taking serious steps to preserve the environment and adapt to climate change. These days scientists are increasingly finding evidence that cultivating love and compassion has a positive effect on our physical health and general well-being. Humanity is made up of individuals and we will only achieve a happier more peaceful society if those individuals are happier and more peaceful within themselves.

“I am optimistic about this. I believe that human nature is fundamentally positive and again scientists are finding evidence to support this. Experiments with infants, who are too young to talk, and so have limited conceptual thinking, show that they respond favourably to illustrations of people helping each other. They show clear adverse responses to illustrations of people harming or obstructing each other. What’s more, scientists have shown that constant fear and anger has a damaging effect on our immune systems.
“We may conclude that human nature is essentially compassionate. Love and affection are essential because we all depend on others to survive. Therefore affection is part of our basic nature. If it was otherwise and it was our nature to be angry and hateful, there’d be little we could do, but because it is our nature to be affectionate and compassionate it’s possible for us to think of enhancing these natural qualities through education and training. Read the rest of this entry »

Sixteen Drops of Kadam Empowerment – Day Two

Tashi Lhunpo, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India, 31 December 2015 – There was a rosy dawn in the skies over Tashi Lhunpo this morning shortly before His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived to prepare for the second day of the Sixteen Drops of Kadam Empowerment. He sat in silence performing rites before the mandala pavilion. To begin with, the only other sound was a steady hum and a regularly rising chorus from a group of Tibetan pilgrims seated on the steps below reciting Om mani padme hung.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama performing preparatory rituals before the second day of the Sixteen Drops of Kadam Empowerment at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India on December 31, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

“Today, we’ll complete the empowerments of the remaining drops,” His Holiness announced.

Referring to the Buddha as the ‘great protector’, he explained that he is the one who has eliminated all obstacles and acquired all realization. He has accomplished the welfare of others and self. His Holiness stressed the need not only to take refuge in the Three Jewels, but to generate the uncommon Mahayana refuge that also involves generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta. He said it was important to remember that the Buddha attained enlightenment as a result of his own effort; he wasn’t always the Buddha. He taught on the basis of his own experience about the cessation and path he had achieved within himself.

“We go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha not in order to live a long life, nor even to gain a good rebirth. Going for refuge intent on liberation is the practice of Hearers and Solitary Realizers. What I’m referring to is when we say ‘I go for refuge until I’m enlightened’. This is allied to the practice of the six perfections with which you ripen your own mind and the four means of gathering disciples through which you ripen the minds of others. Generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, we remember others and work for their benefit.”

His Holiness reviewed the drops, the empowerments of which he gave yesterday, beginning with Avalokiteshvara Jina-sagara. He resumed the empowerments with the 11th, the drop of Atisha and those that follow: Read the rest of this entry »