China’s handpicked Panchen Lama “elected” Vice President of Buddhist group February 4, 2010
Posted by Monty McKeever in : China, Dalai Lama, News, Politics, Reincarnation, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism , add a commentAs reported by phayul.com:
Dharamsala, February 4 – The handpicked “11th Panchen Lama Gaincain Norbu” has been “elected” as one of the 25 vice presidents of the Buddhist Association of China on Wednesday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the eighth national conference of the Buddhist Association of China in Beijing, the 19 year-old appointed by China to replace the boy recognized by the Dalai Lama said he would “uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adhere to socialism, safeguard national unification, strengthen ethnic unity and improve Buddhist exchanges, on the basis of adherence to the law and love for the nation and Buddhism.”
For the entire article click here.
For more information on Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama click here.
Left image: Gendhun Choekyi Nyima (last photo before going missing in 1995), Right image: Gaincain Norbu
What is the Right Way to Sit? October 20, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Meditation, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen , 4 commentsDifferent Buddhist schools recommend a variety of meditative postures. Some emphasize a still, formal posture, while others are less strict and more focused on internal movements of consciousness. Tibetan traditions, for instance, advise an upright spine, erect but relaxed; hands at rest in the lap, with the belly soft; shoulders relaxed, chin slightly tucked, and the gaze lowered with eyelids half shut; the jaw is slack with the tongue behind the upper teeth; the legs are crossed. A Soto Zen Buddhist saying instructs us to sit with formal body and informal mind. The common essential point is to remain balanced and alert, so as to pierce the veil of samsaric illusion.
–Lama Surya Das, from “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation,” Tricycle, Winter 2007
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The Heart of Buddhist Meditation
Come and See October 10, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Dharma, Tibetan Buddhism , 2 commentsPerhaps because of our Judeo-Christian background, we have a tendency to regard doubt as something shameful, almost as an enemy. We feel that if we have doubts, it means that we are denying the teachings and that we should really have unquestioning faith. Now in certain religions, unquestioning faith is considered a desirable quality. But in the Buddha-dharma, this is not necessarily so. Referring to the dharma, the Buddha said, “ehi passiko,” which means “come and see,” or “come and investigate,” not “come and believe.” An open, questioning mind is not regarded as a drawback to followers of the Buddha-dharma. However, a mind that says, “This is not part of my mental framework, therefore I don’t believe it,” is a closed mind, and such an attitude is a great disadvantage for those who aspire to follow any spiritual path. But an
open mind, which questions and doesn’t accept things simply because they are said, is no problem at all.
–Ani Tenzin Palmo, from “Necessary Doubt,” Tricycle, Summer 2002
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“Touching Enlightenment,” by Reggie Ray October 5, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism , 5 comments
After years of meditation, you may feel you’re making very little progress. But the guide you may need has been with you all along: your body. Drawing on Tibetan Yogic practices, Reggie Ray takes on the modern crisis of disembodiment.
Read “Touching Enlightenment.”
Now is the Time
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Daily Dharma, Tibetan Buddhism , add a commentNow is the time to free ourselves from samsara. Unless we do it in this lifetime, it is not going to happen all by itself. We have to take care of ourselves. Right now we have the ability to receive teachings and practice the Dharma. Isn’t this the right time? Wouldn’t that be better than continuing to act like an animal, concentrating only on eating and sleeping and letting the time run out? Why not take your future into your own hands?
- Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, “Taking the Future into Your Own Hands,” Tricycle, Fall 2001
Read the complete article on tricycle.com
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Why Are You Doing This? Daily Dharma, September 28th, 2009 September 28, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Daily Dharma, Tibetan Buddhism , 1 comment so farBefore you do anything, you should ask yourself why you are doing it, what is your purpose; what course of action are you embarking on. If the path ahead seems troublesome, perhaps you shouldn’t take it; if it looks worthwhile, you can probably proceed. First, check up. Don’t act without knowing what’s in store for you.
–Lama Thubten Yeshe, from “Your Mind is Your Religion,” Tricycle, Summer 2000
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Three Takes on Nirvana September 22, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddha, Buddhism, Insight, Nirvana, Tibetan Buddhism, Vipassana, Zen , add a comment
Nirvana, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, is a notoriously difficult concept to pin down, not least because it is sometimes described as being “beyond experience” or “beyond words.” This is another way of saying that we here in samsara have a hard time wrapping our heads around what this transcendent experience would mean. And to complicate things further, the different Buddhist traditions often have very different understandings of what precisely “nirvana” means.
Some time ago, we asked three dharma teachers to help us understand this better: Vipassana teacher Gil Fronsdal, Tibetan-born Tulku Thubten Rinpoche, and Zen teacher Roko Sherry Chayat. You can read all three takes here.
[Image: Tisra Til, 2005, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 140 inches. © Antonio Puri]
Namkha Rinpoche visits Tricycle
Posted by James Shaheen in : Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist Teachings, Film, Movies, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, Tricycle , 4 comments
Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli (aka Christopher Moltisanti) presented his film The Hungry Ghosts, his directorial debut, at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City this month. The screening was a fundraiser for Namkha Rinpoche’s charitable organization, The Golden Bridge Association, a not-for-profit dedicated to humanitarian aid and the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion.
Imperioli brought Rinpoche to the office this morning for a chat and some coffee. Rinpoche is on his way to Washington, where he will meet with diplomats and lawmakers to discuss The Golden Bridge, which, among other projects, is building an old-folks home in Dza Chuka, Tibet, and constructing housing to relieve crowding at Sera Je monastery, in southern India. You can make a donation to Golden Bridge here.
Namkha Rinpoche’s advice for Western practitioners? “Patience!” When we asked him what the biggest obstacle Westerners face in their dharma practice, he answered, “Hesitation.” In other words, we worry too much, questioning whether we’re doing the right thing and whether we’re “doing it properly.” This, he says, hinders a full commitment to practice.
Born in Kham, Tibet, Namkha Rinpoche is a teacher in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He left Tibet in 1998 and is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. He has centers in Switzerland, Lithuania, Spain, and soon, in the United States. We look forward to his arrival here—especially since he’ll set up shop just a block from Tricycle’s offices!
Keep an eye peeled for our interview with him. An interview with Michael Imperioli will appear in the November issue of Tricycle.
[Above: Namkha Rinpoche with Michael Imperioli at Tricycle. Below: Namkha Rinpoche with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama]
Seven Tips for Giving Up Gossip September 21, 2009
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Buddhist Teachings, Tibetan Buddhism , 13 comments
by 1. Recognize that gossip doesn’t undo the situation you’re talking about. It only puts in motion another situation based on negative feelings.
2. Know that comparing yourself to others is useless. Everyone has his or her own talents. In this way, give up jealousy and the wish to put others down.
3. Be aware of and transform your own thoughts, words, and deeds rather than commenting on those of others.
4. Train your mind to see others’ positive qualities and discuss them. This will make you much happier than gossiping ever could.
5. Forgive, knowing that people do harmful things because they are unhappy. If you don’t make someone into an enemy, you won’t want to gossip about him.
6. Have a sense of humor about what you think, say, and do, and be able to laugh at all of the silly things we sentient beings carry out in our attempt to be happy. If you see the humor in our human predicament, you’ll be more patient.
7. Practice saying something kind to someone every day. Do this especially with people you don’t like. It gets easier with practice and bears surprisingly good results.
(from Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron’s “The Truth About Gossip,” Tricycle, Summer 2006 )
The Karmapa on Hip-Hop & Video War Games: : “The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling.” September 20, 2009
Posted by James Shaheen in : Buddhism, Karmapa, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism , 6 comments
Video game site kotaku.com points us to an interview with Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa (the one recognized by the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government), who enjoys hip-hop and considers video war games a kind of “emotional therapy”:
I believe you like to listen to hip-hop on your ipod. Who are your favourite artistes?
I can’t think of any specific artists right now, I basically listen to what ever comes my way, whatever sounds appealing. It’s important for me to stick to my traditional forms of art because I am a Tibetan Buddhist teacher wearing these robes. It’s important for me to maintain my cultural affiliations.
But from time to time I do enjoy listening to hip-hop because it has a very modern sound to it and even though I’m a Tibetan teacher representing these ancient teachings, I’m also a global citizen in the 21st century. Hip-hop perhaps is one way of me being a 21st-century person.
Is that why you play war games on your play station because many might say it’s inappropriate for a Buddhist monk dedicated to peace to play war games?
Well, I view video games as something of an emotional therapy, a mundane level of emotional therapy for me. We all have emotions whether we’re Buddhist practitioners or not, all of us have emotions, happy emotions, sad emotions, displeased emotions and we need to figure out a way to deal with them when they arise.
So, for me sometimes it can be a relief, a kind of decompression to just play some video games. If I’m having some negative thoughts or negative feelings, video games are one way in which I can release that energy in the context of the illusion of the game. I feel better afterwards.
The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling. For me, that’s very skilful because when I do that I don’t have to go and hit anyone over the head.
But shouldn’t meditation take care of that?
No, video games are just a skilful method.
A few weeks back, I wrote about Cursed Mountain, a Tibetan Buddhist inspired video game. I don’t know if he has stumbled upon it yet.
You can read the full Times of India interview with the 17th Karmapa here.