By Shyamal Sinha,New Delhi 

Vajrayana, ( Sanskrit: “Thunderbolt Vehicle” or “Diamond Vehicle”)form of Tantric Buddhism that developed in India and neighbouring countries, notably Tibet.

The three-day international conference on Vajrayana Buddhism titled “Tradition and Innovation in Vajrayana Buddhism concluded on sunday. A Mandala of 21st Century Perspectives.” This unique and broad-ranging forum brought together more than 65 speakers from 17 countries, each of whom offered insights and experiences, thoughts and ideas on various aspects of Vajrayana and related disciplines for consideration and discussion among the attendees.

“This conference is not only about sharing ideas, but about discovering something at the core of our being that we all hold in common,” said Dasho Karma Ura, president of event organizer the Centre for Bhutan Studies & GNH Research (CBS & GNHR). “This is the heart of the Vajrayana Buddhist vision, and the conference will help international guests and Bhutanese alike to apply their innate qualities of compassion, wisdom, and creativity in all aspects of their lives.”

Held from 1–3 July in a specially erected “glass tent” in the verdant, forested campus of the Royal Institute for Tourism and Hospitality in the capital Thimphu, the ambitious undertaking played host to more than 300 guests, delegates, and dignitaries from Bhutan and around the world. The conference speakers included lineage holders, spiritual leaders, Buddhist scholars, academics, and scientists, all of whom offered unique perspectives on continuity and change within the contexts of historical and contemporary Vajrayana Buddhism, which has existed in Bhutan as an unbroken spiritual tradition since the 8th century.

Presentations during the course of the three-day forum ranged from perspectives on the historical evolution of Vajrayana Buddhism to art, ceremony, and tantric practices, and to visions and initiatives aimed at preserving the Vajrayana tradition and teachings of engaged compassion and adapting them to the challenges of the 21st century.

The Royal Institute for Tourism and Hospitality. Photo by the author

At the conference’s opening ceremony, Bhutanese prime minister Tshering Tobgay observed: “This conference is not only about what we Bhutanese can share with all of you who have come from across the world to experience Vajrayana Buddhism in its living context. We ourselves will benefit greatly by learning more about the forms that Vajrayana Buddhism has adopted in Mongolia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, Europe, and the United States.”

The first day opened with welcoming addresses from senior monastic leaders, including His Holiness the Je Khenpo Trulku Jigme Chhoeda, the supreme head of Bhutan’s Central Monastic Body, His Eminence Khamba Lam Gabju, supreme head of the Centre of Mongolian Buddhism, and Venerable Lama Lobzang, secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation. The themes for the day, “Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Vajrayana Buddhism” and “Vajrayana Buddhism and Mind-Body Practices,” brought speakers from Australia, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Italy, India, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, and the US. Among the speakers, Dr. Geoffrey Samuel, professor at the Department of Indian and Subcontinental Studies at the University of Sydney, gave an overview of Vajrayana’s evolution with respect to its understanding of healing and medical science, the sacredness of the environment, and death and dying. David Verdesi, founder of Human Potential Research and Development, addressed advanced yogic and tantric practices, urging that such teachings be promoted to ensure that they are not lost to future generations. Dr. Omanand Guruji, chief disciple of His Holiness Yugpurush Mahamandaleshwar Swami Shree Paramanand Giriji Maharaj, and yoga instructor Dr. Jean Lim explored the role of Kundalini in awakening Buddha nature.

The second day was structured around the role of women in Vajrayana, notable historical and contemporary figures, and Vajrayana’s tradition of active social engagement. Among the 20 speakers for the day, Canadian nun Venerable Ani Chozom discussed the intensive yogic and meditative practices of the nuns at Gebchak Gonpa in Tibet, and noted the contrast with an increasing emphasis on scholastic pursuits over traditional Vajrayana practices in many contemporary Tibetan monastic communities. Dr. Tashi Zangmo, executive director of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, emphasized the vital role of women in communicating wisdom and enlightenment, underscoring the progress still to be made in accepting female Rinpoches in the traditionally male-dominated monastic environment. Speakers from Bhutan, China, India, Italy, Nepal, Taiwan, and the UK, meanwhile, discussed various expressions of Buddhism’s role as a powerful force for positive transformation through social engagement.

A monk gives food to a Muslim woman. From dhakatribune.com

The writer claimed to be an Islamic militant, although didn’t mention an affiliation or allegiance to any extremist organization. However, the individual seems to have made a similar threat before. South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) reported that earlier, on 15 June, Dhaka’s Hindu Ramakrishna Mission received a similarly worded letter signed AB Siddique, with the difference that the letter claimed to be from Islamic State of Bangladesh (ISB).

The name “Islamic State of Bangladesh” seems to imply that AB Siddique is affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (known as Daesh to mainstream Muslims), or ISIS/ISIL. While there are conflicting reports about the relationship between the extremist factions in Bangladesh and IS, it is clear that a wave of Islamic extremism has swept Bangladesh over the past few years. Since January 2014 alone, more than 40 people, including people of non-Islamic faiths and agnostic or atheist bloggers and intellectuals, have been killed in extremist violence. Two organizations, a Bangladeshi militant group affiliated with al-Qaeda, and IS, have claimed responsibility for some of the murders. Bangladesh’s government has denied the presence of both IS and al-Qaeda in the country, attributing the acts to native radicals.In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal beliefs and Buddhist doctrines. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population.

By Shyamal Sinha,New Delhi

‘Yoga’ -the very word radiates peace and tranquility. This feeling probably stems from the etymology of the word.

The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ which essentially means to join or unite. The union referred to is that of the individual self uniting with Cosmic Consciousness or the Universal Spirit. Yoga is a means to achieving this goal.

The first International Day of Yoga, observed on 21 June 2015, millions of yoga enthusiasts joined mass gatherings in towns and cities in more than 150 countries across the world on Tuesday—from New York and London to New Delhi, Singapore, and Sydney—to participate in the second annual celebration of this ancient spiritual, mental, and physical practice.

Colourful  yoga mats were laid out in formation before Sydney’s iconic opera house, while New York’s Times Square was blocked off to make room for hundreds of eager practitioners. Afghans and expatriates gathered to stretch and bend in front of the Indian embassy in Kabul, while at Britain’s ancient standing circle of Stonehenge yoga practitioners flocked to welcome the Summer Solstice.

Yoga-lovers gathered in more than 150 countries all over the world to mark the second annual International Day of Yoga.

Beautiful  city Chandigarh,  Narendra Modi took to the mat with more than 30,000 people of all ages for a mass yoga session at the outdoor Capitol Complex. “Do not wait, make yoga a part of your life,” said the 65-year-old premier, who has established a government ministry charged with promoting yoga. “This is a day linked with good health and now it has become a people’s mass movement.” (Tibet Post)

The idea for an international yoga day was first introduced by Modi during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014. The following December, the United Nations adopted the proposal by a resolution that was endorsed by an unprecedented 175 countries, and the first International Day of Yoga was observed on 21 June 2015. The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is significant in the yogic tradition as it is believed to be the day on which Shiva, the Adiyogi, or first yogi, met his disciples, who went on to disseminate the practice around the world.

More than 8,000 people hold hands in Ahmadabad, India, as they attempt to create a record for the longest human yoga chain during International Day of Yoga.

Following the adoption of the resolution, a number of public figures in India expressed support for the initiative. “It is very difficult for any philosophy, religion, or culture to survive without state patronage. Yoga has existed so far almost like an orphan. Now, official recognition by the UN would further spread the benefit of yoga to the entire world,” said Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder of the humanitarian Art of Living Foundation. (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

Yogi and author Jaggi Vasudev, commonly known as Sadhguru, also praised the resolution, saying, “The coming year is an historic event in many ways because this could be a kind of foundation stone to make scientific approach to the inner wellbeing of the human being a world wide thing—that if you want to be well, you don’t have to seek heaven’s help; you can turn inwards and fix it; you can turn inward and create wellbeing . . . it’s a tremendous step for the world.”

Lying down in New York’s Times Square for International Day of Yoga.

The term “yoga” applies to a variety of methods, practices, and teachings that employ a range of specialized techniques intended to enable the practitioner to achieve different states of physical, mental, or spiritual development. The recent popularization of yoga in the West has generally taken a secular approach, with an emphasis on physical mobility, stress reduction, and overall well-being. The origins of the practice of yoga in ancient India are unclear, with little consensus on its earliest roots; some sources suggest it dates back to South Asia’s Indus Valley civilization (3300–1900 BCE). Other scholars believe the discipline most likely developed in the 6th–5th century BCE among India’s ascetic spiritual movements.Excavations give evidence of yoga’s existence during this period; yogi -like figures engraved on soapstone seals have been unearthed. In fact, it was the Aryans, migrating from the north- west, who were instrumental in discovering yoga.