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    Chinese Honor Student Chooses Monasticism over MIT Paid Member

    Posted by Sam Mowe on 18 Sep 2010
    A "mathematics genius" in China has decided to become a Buddhist monk instead of accepting a full ride to MIT. examiner.com has the story: Liu Zhiyu received a diploma this past summer from the School of Mathematical Sciences at PKU and than applied for and was offered a full scholarship to MIT. However, just the last minute as his parents were ready to send him off to the states to study at MIT Liu changed his mind. Liu decided instead to head for Longquan Temple in Beijing's Haidian district to prepare to become a Buddhist monk. It has been reported that Liu's father, who teaches physics at the high school that Liu attended in his hometown of Wuhan, Hubei province, told the Beijing Times the family was strongly opposed to Liu's choice. Liu's father said he felt desperate and his wife had become ill because of their son's decision. More »
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    How much is that Buddha worth? Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 17 Sep 2010
    The spiraling price of gold has placed a whole new value on Taoist and Buddhist statuary in Taiwan. Gold, selling at $300 an ounce in 2002, is now pushing $1,300 an ounce. Temples are finding themselves in possession of golden Buddhas whose market values have significantly improved their fortunes. While many Taiwanese are building security systems to safeguard their treasures, not so the Nantien Temple in Ilan, in northeastern Taiwan, which built a 588-lb sea goddess (Matsu) in the mid 1990s. Canadian Business (CB) Online reports: "One would have difficulty hoisting the heavy statue even with a crane," said temple official Chen Cheng-nan. So far, I haven't heard of a temple that wants to sell. More »
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    Waiting out the Dalai Lama may be China's big mistake Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 12 Sep 2010
    Waiting out the Dalai Lama may be a big mistake for China. Dealing with him now may be easier than what may follow in his wake. Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's representative in Washington, writes this in the South China Morning Post, quoted yesterday in a blog post by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof: The third mindset is that China should wait until the passing away of the present Dalai Lama, when the Tibetan issue will naturally disappear. This thinking is based on the belief that a leaderless and disoriented movement would fragment into pieces and eventually become irrelevant. This is a misplaced mindset for many reasons, and very counterproductive to China’s own future. More »
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    Green China? It's complicated... Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 12 Sep 2010
    "China provides a free environment for architects. We're not impeded by the complicated regional planning and bureaucratic red tape. Most importantly, China has great craftsmen who can help me visualize my architectural concepts." That's how American architect David Greenberg sees it, whose work for the past 12 years in China has been heavily influenced by his Zen practice. Greenberg was introduced to Zen in Hawaii by a Chinese master, who also suggested he learn the Tao. A recent work of Greenberg's is a treehouse "eco resort," overlooking the South China Sea, at the Nanshan Buddhist Culture Zone, Sanya, Hainan province. Greenberg is no fan of the Western-style buildings springing up across Chinese cities like mushrooms. More »
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    President of Russia's only Buddhist republic to step down, may have to call on extraterrestrials for help Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 07 Sep 2010
    According to the Moscow Times, Kalmykia President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is ready to step down. The colorful leader of the Russian Federation's only Buddhist republic appeared in a post here earlier this year, when chess great Anatoly Karpov made it known that he'd like Ilyumzhinov’s position as president of the International Chess Federation when the latter's mandate expires this month. Ilyumzhinov is happy to step down from the presidency of the republic, or at least he's happy to humor President Medvedev, whose policy of rotating regional leadership he cites as his reason for calling it quits. More »
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    China's oldest Buddhist temple Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 02 Sep 2010
    According to the Asian News Network, China's oldest temple aims to position itself as a major Buddhist hub. Built in 68 CE, the White Horse (Baima) Temple, in Luoyang, in China's Henan province, has a colorful history. The ANN reports: According to legend, the Eastern Han Emperor Yongping (reign: AD 57-75) dreamed of a golden figure with a halo, which his advisers assumed was the Buddha, in India. More »