By Shyamal Sinha

The President said that he is totally committed to build a cultured society with values such as freedom, morality and democracy, and added that he has taken many steps with dedication in the past three years to achieve that objective.
A government that respects democracy and freedom has been clearly established in the country, the President said and added that certain parties are trying to destroy that freedom.

President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka has re-imposed a 39-year-old ban that prevents women from buying alcohol and working in bars without obtaining a permit, mere days after his finance minister had lifted the restriction.

On Sunday, Sirisena ordered finance minister Mangala Samaraweera to reverse his decision, made just days prior, to overturn legislation that prohibits the sale of alcohol to women. The presidential office released the following statement on Sunday: “From tomorrow [Monday], the minister’s order will be rescinded.” (The Guardian) The president stated that he had only heard of the decision by his finance minister via the newspapers.

The law, which bans women from buying alcohol and from working in distilleries, breweries, and bars, dates back to 1979, when, according to a finance ministry official, it was imposed to appease the conservative Buddhist hierarchy.

Last week, Samaraweera revoked the law as part of a campaign to remove gender-discriminatory regulation from the law books, and in an bid to promote tourism. By amending the law, women over the age of 18 could legally buy alcohol and work in places where alcohol is sold or produced. Although only in effect for a few days, ministry spokesman Ali Hassen noted that “the idea was to restore gender neutrality.” (The Guardian) With the change in the law, the government also allowed liquor to be sold for an hour longer than before:from 8am–10pm, rather than between 9am and 9pm.

Last November, the government reduced tariffs on beer and wine, while raising tariffs for hard liquor. According to Samaraweera, the strict alcohol regulations have enouraged a black market to flourish, which not only presents a public health threat, but also deprives the Sri Lankan government of revenue.

Although the law banning women from buying alcohol was not strictly enforced, Samaraweera’s decision was applauded by many women in Sri Lanka, who saw it as one more step towards gender equality. However, the move was also met with resistance. The National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection accused Samaraweera of encouraging drinking, appealing the president to take action. Leading figures of the Buddhist clergy, meanwhile, who are against the sale of alcohol in general, openly criticized the decision to lift the ban, citing fears that women might become addicted to alcohol, which would destroy Sri Lankan family culture. One could argue that if one were to appeal to the Buddhist precepts as a justification for a ban, it should include men as well.

In light of the fact that President Sirisena runs an anti-alcohol campaign and has in the past stated that he is concerned about the “drastic” rise in alcohol consumption among Sri Lankan women, the decision to overturn the lifting of the ban came as no surprise.

Women were quick to point out yhe double stadard when re-installing what some have called a “sexist” alcohol ban, as in the past year, Presidents Sirisena’s government has been actively trying to increase the participation of women in politics.

Many women in Sri Lanka abstain from drinking alcohol due to cultural and religious (Buddhist) norms. According to 2014 data from the WHO, 80.5 per cent of the women in Sri Lanka abstained from alcohol consumption, compared with 56.9 per cent of men.

By Shyamal Sinha

The Carpathians are the largest mountain range of Europe, shared by seven Central and Eastern European countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic and Ukraine.
Buddhist monks from the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine are relocating to a quiet village in the Carpathian Mountains to escape the ongoing conflict in the region. However, accustomed to a peaceful and reclusive lifestyle, the local Orthodox Christian population have mixed feelings about the arrival of their new neighbors.

“[The] locals do not understand us because they think very superficially about things like faith,” said Buddhist monk Vasyl Nastyuk. “They do not perceive us well because they think it is something totally different.” (Euromaidan Press)

The small community of Buddhists, however, is hoping that locals just need time to accept the presence of monks in the region.

One of the local residents, Ivan Bondaryk, told Euromaidan Press, an independent online English-language newspaper launched in 2014 by Ukrainian volunteers, that he is happy to see the new arrivals, as he has watched many of his fellow villagers pack up their belongings and move on in search of a better life elsewhere. “They have bought the house. I’m happy they have come here,” he said. “Not many residents remain in the village, earlier there were 12 houses, now only four.”

The war in Donbass, a region spanning the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, is an armed conflict between the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic (DPR and LPR respectively), and the Ukrainian government. The conflict has escalated from a series of pro-Russian and anti-government protests in Donetsk and Luhansk, in the wake of the Euromaidan movement—a wave of pro-European demonstrations concentrated in the capital of Kiev that followed a series of pro-Russian decisions of the Ukrainian government and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation—and the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution.

The monks moved to the village of Krivopillya to escape the spreading violence: “Everything that happened is connected with the Donbas and with war. Everything has started from there. I am from Donetsk, for example,” said Buddhist monk Serhey Filonenko. (Euromaidan Press)

Interest in Buddhism in Ukraine first arose in the 19th century, although the country was exposed to Buddhism, at least on a superficial level, for many centuries prior due to contact between Ukrainian Cossacks and Kalmyks who profess Buddhism. The growth of Buddhism in Ukraine, however, was stunted by the Soviet government, which banned all religious teachings that differed from Soviet ideology. In the late 1980s, at the end of the Soviet era, interest in Buddhism flourished once again, with the first public Buddhist teachings taking place in 1989. An estimated 5,000 people practice Buddhism in Ukraine today.

In 1991, there were three registered Buddhist communities in the eastern regions of Donetsk, Kharkov, and Lugansk. At present, Ukraine is home to 58 formally registered Buddhist communities, but according to religious scientists there are probably 100 communities in Ukraine. The largest Buddhist communities in Ukraine belong to the Tibetan tradition. Most widespread are Karma Kagyu communities, of the Kagyu school. Besides the Tibetan Buddhist schools, Ukraine also has practitioners of Zen Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhists from the Nippondzan Myohoji Monastic Order, who are currently building a Stupa in Lugansk, and Vipassana meditation followers of S. N. Goenka, a Burmese-Indian teacher.

By Shyamal Sinha

“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” ― Dalai Lama

21st century should imbibe peace, dialogue, disarmament and oneness of humanity. In order to create peaceful century, first we need to promote compassionate mind through education, His Holiness the Dalai Lama exhorted 5000 plus teachers of post graduate and undergraduate colleges of all disciplines from India and 1000 teachers of Indian origin serving globally.

Addressing the inauguration of the 2nd National Teachers’ Congress here in Pune, chief guest of the event, His Holiness the Dalai Lama hailed India’s unique potential to combine modern technology and science with its ancient knowledge on the workings of mind and emotions.

“In today’s world we are facing emotional crises, but technological developments alone cannot solve our emotional problems. We can only deal with them by training the mind and this we can learn from the psychology of ancient India. Therefore, only India can combine modern education and technology with ancient Indian knowledge of how to tackle our emotions,” he averred.

Advocating the inclusion of ancient Indian knowledge as academic curriculum, His Holiness argued that education system should take care of inner wellbeing as much as it focusses on phyiscal. “The existing system of modern education is largely oriented towards material growth, but we have to include inner values too. We should include in education both physical and inner wellbeing”.

This is consistent with scientific findings that tell us of evidence that negative emotions undermine our immune system, he said. “They also observe that constant anger, fear and hatred undermine our immune system and so are bad for our health. This is why in addition to physical hygiene we need to cultivate emotional hygiene, a focus on achieving peace of mind. As social animals, we appreciate affection and geniune concern of others’. That is our innate nature; compassionate”.

In his keynote address, His Holiness stressed that the knowledge contained in the ancient Indian tradition is much relevent today when tackling destructive emotions is so urgent.

“I have committed the rest of my life to the revival of these knowledge. I think of myself as student of Nalanda tradition. These are in Buddist text, but these knowledge of human mind, emotions, we should consider academic subject. Teachers are very important roles, you can really make some change. But in order to make some contribution to humanity level, first the ancient Indian knowledge must be revived in India,” he appealed the largest Indian confluence of educators of all disciplines.

While calling himself a messenger of ancient Indian thought, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said he also admired India’s 1000-year old Ahimsa and religious tolerance. “Really remarkable. In this country, homegrown different religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism flourish alongside religions that have come from outside, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Judaism together in harmony. India most populated democratic country with rule of law and religious harmony, wonderful!”

The 82-year-old Nobel laureate reiterated his lifelong campaign for peaceful, dimilitarised world. “The next century should be a century of dialogue and discussion rather than one of war and bloodshed. We must embrace oneness of humanity, not nationalistic views. We must strive towards making the later part of this century a dimilitarised world. Use of force is outdated. Then in tackling our differences with others, we should embrace compassionate approach, with the conviction in the onesness of humanity and learn to live on this planet together as human brothers and sisters”.

Ravi V Karad, Vice President, MAEER’s MIT group and founder, MIT school of government, National Women’s Parliament called His Holiness guru of the gurus. “Today your presence, I have no words to express my happiness. You blessed this campus first time in 1996 when you came for world peace conference, second time in 2013 for Indian Students Parliament, then in 2017 for Naational Women’s Parliament. I am grateful from bottom of my heart. I look at him, as he is a guru of various gurus.”

He also thanked President Dr Lobsang Sangay of Central Tibetan Administration.

The second edition of the National Teachers’ Congress is India’s first confluence of eminent teachers worldwide, connecting more than 8000 spirited teaching fraternity of higher education across India and teachers of Indian origin serving globally.

Other speakers at the 2nd NTC were Mayor of Pune, Smt. Mukta Tilak, Shri. Rahul V. Karad – Executive President, MIT World Peace University, Dr. Anil Kakodkar – Padma Vibhushan & Eminent Scientist (Atomic Energy), Dr Vishwanath D Karad, Prof. S. C. Sahasrabudhe among others.

By Shyamal Sinha

Now a days temple fund embezzlement is the hot topics among thai officials , Thailand’s anti-corruption agency has charged nine former officials of the Southeast Asian kingdom’s National Office of Buddhism, including the office’s former director, with embezzling state funds intended for use by temples.

An investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found that former National Office of Buddhism director Phanom Sornsilp and former deputy director Pranom Kongpikul, along with six other officials, had committed serious disciplinary offenses. The National Office of Buddhism is an independent government agency reporting directly to the prime minister.

The alleged embezzlement centers on three Buddhist temples in southern Thailand: Wat Choltarawas in Narathiwat Province, Wat Yuparam in Yala Province, and Wat Suriyaram in the province of Songkhla, NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon said on Monday.

According to local media reports, the director of the Songkhla Provincial Office of Buddhism contacted the three temples in 2015 with a pledge to earmark special budgets on condition they repay a fixed amount to him. The temples were later each granted a budget of 4 million baht (US$124,000). Phanom Sornsilp approved the transfers, after which the temples were each asked to return 3.2 million baht (US$99,000). The funding subsidies came from the National Office of Buddhism’s state-funded budget of 459 million baht (US$14.2 million), intended for activities aimed at promoting Buddhism.

“We will forward our opinions to the attorney-general to start criminal proceedings,” NACC secretary-general Warawit Sukboon said yesterday. (The Nation)

The charges follow earlier guilty verdicts late last year against Phanom Sornsilp and two other officials of a similar embezzlement scheme involving a temple in the central province of Ayutthaya. At least 35 temples in Thailand are facing investigation as part of a probe into the scam, which is estimated to have resulted in total losses of at least 203 million baht (US$6.3 million).

Thailand’s Buddhist establishment has be plagued by a growing number of allegations of corruption and reports of the misbehavior and extravagant lifestyles of some monks. Following the 2014 coup d’état, the monastic sangha came under increased state control. The military junta has proposed requiring temples to open their finances to the public and requiring monks to carry smart cards to identify their legal and religious backgrounds.

In 2016, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) probed the assets of senior monks on the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body of the monastic sangha, resulting in tax evasion allegations against the most senior member of the council who was in line to become the supreme patriarch. The incident led to a change in the law that allowed the Thai government to appoint the supreme patriarch directly, bypassing the Sangha Supreme council.

In 2017, the junta replaced the head of the National Office of Buddhism with a DSI official, who vowed to reform Thailand’s temples and open their finances to the public. However, in August last year, the junta removed him from the post under pressure from religious groups.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, with 93.2 per cent of the nation’s population of 69 million identifying as Buddhists, according to 2010 data from the Washington, DC-based Pew Research Center. The country has more than 40,000 Buddhist temples and some 300,000 monks.

By – Shyamal Sinha

His Holiness the Dalai Lama along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar released the first ever volume of ‘Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics’ on Sunday at Bodh Gaya, Bihar.

“Thanks to His Holiness’s vision, contemporary readers have, for the first time, an opportunity to engage from a scientific perspective with ideas and insights of Indian Buddhist thinkers like Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, Asanga, Bhasubandhu, Dignag and Dharmakiriti,” the General editor of the series, Dr Thubten Jinpa said.

In his introduction of the book, Dr Jinpa said, “The creation of this series represents a truly historic achievement . Firstly the careful extraction and organisation of the views and insight of the great Indian buddhist thinkers within a framework of scientific enquiry is in itself a revolutionary achievement in the history of Buddhist thought. This series was conceived by His Holiness, and compiled under his supervision by a team of scholars over many years. It brings together classical Buddhist scientific and philosophical explorations into the nature of reality within a framework that is accessible to the modern reader. Of the 4 volumes with in the series, fist volume which is being released here today is on science of the physical world.”

Speaking on the occasion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “When we first arrived in exile in India we had a wide range of problems to deal with. However, in due course it became clear that the psychology, philosophy and logic that we studied in Tibet from childhood had a wider relevance in the world today. It seemed to me that the science of mind, philosophy and logic in our literature could be studied in an academic way beyond the context of religion.”

“If we think of our literature in terms of science, philosophy and religion, the religious part is only of interest to Buddhists, but the science and philosophy can be of interest to anyone. I believe we can profitably incorporate ideas and values from these writings into the modern education system. In a world in turmoil because of people’s unruly minds, what we are doing is not propagating Buddhism but exploring how we Buddhists can contribute to the well-being of humanity,” he said, emphasising the vision behind the project.

By coming to better understanding of the workings of the mind, we can learn to tackle our disturbing emotions and mental afflictions, something we can’t do with either weapons or money, he reminded.

His Holiness thanked Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar for joining the auspicious event and presented him with a portrait of the Buddha as a special token. “My friend the Chief Minister is a sincere man and the release of this book here is a special occasion for us all. He has already revealed his spiritual interests with the establishment of the Buddha Memorial Park in Patna. Perhaps he has a karmic connection reaching back to the time of the Buddha.”

The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude towards His Holiness for blessing the state and his people with his visit.”I feel deeply happy and gratified whenever the Dalai Lama visits Bodh Gaya. His discourses have inspired and transformed a countless number of people. I am hopeful that this new book, which has been compiled under his supervision, will serve as an inspiration for promoting peace in the world.”

“It is most fitting that this series is being launched in Bodh gaya which lies in state of Bihar where the great Indian monastery of Nalanda and Vikrama Shila once flourished.”

Committee members for the compendium project are Tromthok Rinpoche, Abbot of Namgyal Monastery, Geshe Yangteng Rinpoche, of Sera Me Monastic College; Geshe Jangchup Sangyey, Abbot of Ganden Shartse Monastery; Geshe Chisa Drungchen Rinpoche, of Ganden Jangtse College; Geshe Lobsang Khechok of Drepung Gomang College, who were all present on the stage, and Geshe Ngawang Sangye of Drepung Loseling College, who was unable to attend.

By Shyamal Sinha

His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Bodh Gaya, he opted to travel to the Buddhist holy site from Varanasi by road instead of air as a result of poor visibility. One of His Holiness’s first acts yesterday morning was to visit the ancient Mahabodhi Temple complex that marks the location where the historical Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment some 2,500 years ago.

“The Dalai Lama offered prayers for world peace under the Bodhi Vriksha [the Bodhi Tree] and also visited the sanctum sanctorum of the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple,” said a Bodh Gaya administration official. (Business Standard)

At the temple’s main entrance, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, the 42nd Sakya Trizin, and Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche, received His Holiness, who gave a blessing for the ongoing 26th Sakya Monlam being held in Bodh Gaya. His Holiness then approached the western side of the temple where the Bodhi Tree stands, lighting a lamp among the numerous offerings arranged as part of the Sakya Monlam. He then circumambulated the temple’s inner circuit, smiling and waving to the well-wishers outside. The Dalai Lama made three prostrations at the door to the temple before entering and inspecting the statue of the Buddha inside. Accompanied by several monks, His Holiness recited prayers, texts, and verses of dedication.

The administration official noted that the octogenarian monk, who marked his 82nd birthday in July, spent almost an hour near the Bodhi Tree and a further half an hour meditating in the Mahabodhi Temple’s inner sanctum.

Thousands of devotees thronged the streets bearing flowers and khata, the traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarf, to greet the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, including local Indian officials, members of the Tibetans diaspora and other Himalayan communities, as well as foreign visitors from around the world. Bodh Gaya is expecting a major influx of visitors as a result of the Dalai Lama’s stay.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who was previously scheduled to arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage Site on 26 December, is expected to remain in Bodh Gaya for about a month—his longest stay at the holy site since his asylum in India in the 1950s. A source from the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, is reported to have said that His Holiness is scheduled to leave on 1 February, although his travel plans could change: “Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is likely to meet him in the last week of January during his Vikas Sameeksha Yatra and request the spiritual leader to grace the Bodh Mahotsav. The Dalai Lama has been a great admirer of Kumar for his initiative to enforce total ban on liquor and his campaign against dowry.” (Hindustan Times)

Tens of thousands of followers are expected to attend scheduled teachings at the nearby at the Kalchakra Maidan. From 5–7 January, the Dalai Lama will give a three-day teaching on theDharmachakrapravartana Sutra and the Pratityasamutpada Sutra. From 14–16 January, His Holiness will give teachings on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta and Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. He will also confer the Avalokiteshvara Initiation on 15–16 January. The initiation ceremony on 16 January will be followed by a long life offering ceremony to His Holiness.

A temporary police station has been setup near the Kalachakra puja ground to provide round-the-clock surveillance throughout His Holiness’ visit. Security arrangements reportedly also include the deployment of some 2,500 police personnel to Bodh Gaya, and increasing the height of the boundry wall around Mahabodhi Temple.