By  Shyamal Sinha

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa is the spiritual head of the 800-year-old Drukpa Order based in the Himalayas, with around 1,000 monastic centers and millions of followers worldwide. His mission is to promote universal harmony and inner peace by integrating the spiritual tenets of love and appreciation into daily life. His work includes promoting gender equality, establishing educational institutes, medical clinics and medication centers as well as rebuilding several heritage sites in the Himalayas.
His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, some 200 nuns mounted their bicycles on Sunday and pedaled forth on the start of a month-long yatra, or pilgrimage through Nepal and India. The nuns plan to cover a roughly 3,000-kilometer route from their nunnery in Kathmandu to New Delhi and then on to Darjeeling, aiming to raise awareness about human trafficking and gender equality.

“We are starting our fifth cycle yatra today and our main mission is about increasing awareness about female empowerment, the environment, and human trafficking,” said nun Yeshe Lhamo on Sunday. (NDTV)

Thousands of women and children across South Asia are sold into modern-day slavery annually, lured into servitude from their homes and villages with promises of work and a better life. In Nepal alone, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) estimates that 23,200 cases of trafficking or attempted trafficking took place in 2016—a marked increase since the massive earthquakes that devastated the country in 2015 left tens of thousands homeless.

In the aftermath of the deadly quakes, the nuns traveled to remote communities to provide aid and recovery assistance. While carrying out relief work, the nuns also learned about a surge in Nepalese girls and women being trafficked across the border to India.

“It was terrible. People were selling their sisters, daughters, and even mothers just to have money to rebuild their homes,” said 19-year-old nun Jigme Wangchuk Lhamo at a conference last month. “Some men just see girls as a bunch of money . . . but we need to change this and help promote equality. His Holiness [the Gyalwang Drupka] likes to encourage girls. He says there can be no world peace unless we are all equal.” (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

During the course of their pilgrimage, the nuns, the majority of whom live and train at Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery in Kathmandu, will also perform kung fu demonstrations and meet with local community leaders along the way to talk about gender equality initiatives.

“That’s how we had this idea of going on this cycle yatra to all the remote places and telling people we are all girls; girls are capable of doing everything. They are not useless, they are not things to sell,” said 23-year-old nun Jigme Konchok Lhamo. (The Himalayan Times)

The “kung fu nuns,” earned their colloquial moniker after the Gyalwang Drupka initiated the study of martial arts at their nunnery in 2008 as a means of self-defense, but also to instill such skills as concentration, discipline, and self-confidence. As part of their monastic life, the nuns also engage in more mundane daily chores, cleaning, cooking, and carrying out administrative tasks along with their monastic studies.

His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, Jigme Pema Wangchen, born in 1963, is the spiritual head of the Drukpa lineage of Vajrayana Buddhism. A renowned humanitarian, educator, environmentalist, and an active proponent of gender equality, the Gyalwang Drukpa has initiated a host of social engagement programs and initiatives, including the Live to Love international humanitarian organization, aiming to address contemporary social and environmental issues through the compassionate application of Buddhist teachings and philosophy.

Founded in Tibet in 1206 by Drogon Tsangpa Gyare Yeshi Dorje (1161–1211), the first Gyalwang Drukpa, the Drukpa lineage is a branch of the Kagyu school of Himalayan Buddhism. Along with the Sakya and Gelug schools, the Kagyu tradition is classified as one of the Sarma or “New Transmission” schools. The Drukpa lineage is also the dominant school of Buddhism and the state religion in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

By Shyamal Sinha

The Dalai Lama addressed Tibetan college students and public around south India, Himalayan region and few Indians and foreigners at Palace ground this morning.

Chief Representative, settlement officer of south zone Tibetan settlement and other dignitaries attended the meeting.

More than 2500 people including Tibetan college student from south India, Tibetan working and staying in Bengaluru, Bhutanese, Himalayan region and few Indians and foreigners were present at the gathering.

His Holiness begins his address with, “ I have been to Tibetan settlement in south India for couple of week. I had bad cold in between and tiredness also. Now I’m totally recovered and fine. I’m happy to meet you today for short time.”

His Holiness outlined his relations with Prime Minister Nehru and the practical advice and support he offered. Especially he praised the then Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddavanahalli Nijalingappa for his support to have majority of Tibetan settlement in south India state of Karnataka.

His Holiness remarked, “By recalling past 50 years, we are totally different from other refugees as we have our own administration and unique culture, language and religion. Tibetans are scattered through out the world even though we are not born in Tibet but we are Tibetans by blood.”

His Holiness also mentioned that Tibetan refugees are well known through out the world these days and get many support from different parts of the world.

He further talked about change in name of religious teacher in school to philosophy teacher and other developments in the monastic community such as encouraging rigorous study of Buddhist texts among monks and nuns.

His Holiness then focussed his talk on the Middle Way Approach, how Tibetans have been pursuing the middle way approach since 1974 as a policy to achieve genuine autonomy within framework of PRC constitution.

Urging the students to pay attention to Buddhist texts, he spoke briefly about principal of causality and reminded Buddha’s teaching relation with quantum physics.

His Holiness said, “Tibetans must combine Buddhist philosophy with modern education as however technology advance, we can’t buy and produce compassion. Many western psychologists were amazed with Buddhism study of mind and emotion.”

On Kagyur and Tengyur preservation in Tibetan language, he said, “Only in Tibetan we could explain about all this Buddhist text.”

“Initially I have requested monks to study science to have addition to Buddhist text and philosophy. Now it can help to move parallel with modern science. So not only monks and nuns but even common people should also study ancient Nalanda knowledge,” he remarked.

He said Tibetan students have potential to bring compassion and peace in this world. “Even monks and nuns can add some positive change in future of the world.”

Chief representative of south zone read brief annual report of south zone Tibetan settlement and chief representative office in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Dhondup, Director Tibetan Youth Hostel gave the vote of Thanks.

By Shyamal Sinha

Qingdao is a city in eastern Shandong Province on the east coast of China. It is the largest city in its province.
Qingdao is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial centre. The world’s longest sea bridge,
An art gallery in the eastern coastal Chinese city of Qingdao is exhibiting three 3D-printed reproductions of ancient Buddhist sculptures of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta, from the Yungang Grottoes, a 1,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site.

The exhibition, which opened to the public on 16 December, offers a close-up encounter with the life-sized reproductions. The statue of Amitabha Buddha stands 10 meters high, and is flanked by the two smaller statues, each standing six meters tall.

“It’s amazing to see the Buddha figures of Yungang,” said exhibition visitor Cai Meijiao. “I plan to visit the grottoes next year.” (CCTV.com)

The original carvings stand in the Yungang Grottoes, a series of ancient Chinese Buddhist temple caves near the city of Datong in the northern province of Shanxi. The grottoes, described by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of early Chinese Buddhist cave art,” are one of three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites in China, along with the Longmen Grottoes and the Mogao Caves.

“It’s hard to believe that they are reproduced,” said Zhang Zhuo, head of the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute. “They look so real.” (3Dprint.com)

The 3D-printed replicas were scanned by a collaboration of conservers from the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute, Qingdao Publishing Group, and Zhejiang University. It is the first time that 3D printing has been used to duplicate historical artifacts on such a large scale.

The project was divided into two phases, beginning with planning, data acquisition, and processing, before moving on to structure design, large-scale 3D printing, construction and assembly of the replicas, sandblasting, and light source design and installation.

“We used 20 sets of large-scale 3D printers in synchronous production. [The process] lasted a year, and we produced a total of 842 pieces,” said Diao Changyu, associate professor at Zhejiang University Cultural Heritage Research Institute. “Because of the large volume, [and the fact that] every part has to be reinforced, this is a test of technology processes. [In total] 10 tons of support structure was used.” (3ders.org)

On-site assembly and construction took three months to complete. “This is the first large-scale relic project to use 3D printing in the world, marking a breakthrough in material strength, block assembly, and engineering installation of large-scale stone artifacts in China,’’ Changyu added. (3ders.org)

The conservers also scanned more than 10,000 photographs and 842 models made using local sandstone materials to complete the project. “It took 20 printers and one year to print,” said Changyu. “The color was first painted automatically by machines, then artists from Yungang added detail.” (GB Times)

With a history of more than 1,500 years, the Yungang Grottoes contain 252 caves and niches, and over 50,000 statues. The grottoes were excavated in the southern face of a sandstone cliff almost 800 meters long and 10 to 18 meters high. The Yungang Grottoes were listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2001.

The team is currently using the 3D-printing technology to replicate caves 12 and 18 of the Yungang Grottoes, Zhuo said. “We hope that in the future, all Buddhist statues in Yungang Grottoes can be displayed all over the world.” (GB Times)

An important region in Eastern China, Shandong Province has seen substantial change in its economic landscape in recent years. Much of this development has been concentrated in Qingdao. Qingdao has seen rapid development. With an annual growth rate of 18.9 percent in 2006, the city’s GDP reached 42.3 billion, ranking first in Shandong Province and tenth out of China’s top 20 cities.

Published By Jamphel Shonu

DHARAMSHALA: In what comes as a good news for Tibetans living in India and abroad, the government of India has streamlined stay and travel regulations for Tibetans.

According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs/Foreigners Division, regulations regarding renewal of Residential/Registration certificates for Tibetans in India have been slightly relaxed, and the validity and the number of entry for return visas for those who wish to travel abroad have been increased from single to multiple entry lasting a year.

Responding to the decision which was made public on December 7 this year, the President of Central Tibetan Administration Dr Lobsang Sangay thanked the government of India for relaxing the regulations and said:

“Over the years, Kashag and the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been pursuing the matter wit the Indian Government and on many occasion have diligently requested for provisions to ease travel for Tibetans holding Identity Certificate and to facilitate easy process for renewal of Registration Certificate for Tibetans living in India.”

“On behalf of CTA, I want to extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Government of India for not only heeding to our requests, but for putting in place all possible measures for CTA and the Tibetans people.”

The circular reads as follows:

(i) Tibetan migrants who are registered online may be granted Residential/Registration certificate for 5 years and such certificates may be renewed for five years on each occasion as and when applicable. However, if a Tibetan Migrant faces difficulty in online registration and desires renewal of Residential/ Registration Certificate without online registration, his/her Residential/Registration Certificate may be renewed as per extant instructions i.e registration will be valid for one year with provision of extension by one year on each occasion. The present instructions of issuing five-year extension of Residential Certificate to those Tibetan Migrants, who have stayed in India for more than twenty years, will continue to remain valid.

(ii) Transfer of Residential/Registration certificate in case of migrants shifting from one place to another may also be done online, avoiding need for personal visits and delays in manual transfer of registration.

(iii) In case of delays in renewal of Registration Certificate by any Tibetan Migrant due to any unavoidable reason or oversight, stringent action like prosecution/imprisonment may be resorted to only if a serious offence has been committed which is not compoundable. In normal cases, pecuniary fine/penalty as per provisions of Law/Rules/Instructions may be imposed.

(iv) Tibetan migrants, who wish to visit abroad, may be granted one year multiple entry Return Visa which may be issued by FRRO/FRO, or Indian missions abroad. This one-year Return visa will be given to Tibetan migrants whose cases are recommended by the Central Tibetan Administration.

2. All concerned authorities may be sensitized that as a general policy Tibetan migrants in India may be dealt with dignity. It should be the endeavor of officers concerned to facilitate them within the provisions of Law/Rules. However, in case of any specific violation of any provision of Law/Rules/instructions, due action may be taken as applicable to other foreigners.

3. All authorities concerned are requested to strictly comply with the above mentioned instructions.

4. These instructions shall come into force with immediate effect.

By Shyamal Sinha

Buddhism originated in Ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, from where it spread through much of Asia, where after it declined in India during the Middle Ages. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada (Pali: “The School of the Elders”) and Mahayana (Sanskrit: “The Great Vehicle”). Buddhism is the world’s fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.
Buddhism is China’s oldest foreign religion. It merged with native Taoism and folk religion. Ancient Buddhism taught by Buddha involved reaching Enlightenment through meditation.
China’s government has issued a series of new directives to Buddhist and Taoist temples across the country aimed at curbing commercial, for-profit activities at religious sites, banning commercial capital injections, and prohibiting temples from being commercially managed and from organizing for-profit activities in the name of religion.

Twelve government departments—including the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA), the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security—jointly issued a document detailing a series of regulations aimed at reigning in commercial activities at temples late last last month. The document states that the commercialization of temples and other religious sites has become “a notable problem” in recent years that “not only impacts the healthy inheritance and development of Buddhism and Taoism, but also degrades social conduct and causes corruption problems.” (Sixth Tone)

Buddhism has become big business in China. Since the 1980s, when the Communist Party of China (CPC) began easing restrictions on religion and the construction and renovation temples, there has been renewed interest in religion in general and Buddhism in particular. With the more recent boom in domestic tourism, many temples, regional officials, and businesspeople have recognized the accompanying opportunities to make a profit.

Many new Buddhist sites targeting domestic tourists have sprung up throughout the country, and plans are afoot for dozens more. Examples include the 128-meter-high Spring Temple Buddha statue in Henan Province, the statue of Guan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya in the island province of Hainan, and plans in Gansu Province to connect the historic Mogao Caves in Dunhuang with the sand dunes of another nearby tourist attraction.

While temples are permitted to engage in commercial activity, for example selling religious objects and artworks, and publishing books, the SARA said in a statement that revenue from such enterprises should be directed toward temple maintenance and operating costs, and charity programs.

Master Xuecheng, president of the Buddhist Association of China (BAC), noted that commercial activities at Buddhist temples should only be a means for promoting Buddhism in approachable ways and not for financial profit.

“Many of the commercialized Buddhist temples are actually not authorized religious facilities run by religious personnel,” he stated, adding that staff members at those temples would ask visitors to pay outrageously high prices for lighting incense to prove their devotion. “People will then think all temples are like that, so the reputations of authorized temples are damaged too.” (Ecns.cn)

The new rules forbid temples from overcharging visitors for entry, erecting large, poor-quality religious statues in public spaces, and calls for stricter regulation of practices such as life release—a tradition of freeing captive animals in the belief that the practitioner will earn karmic merit—over concerns about animal exploitation by for-profit businesses. The directive also prohibits unauthorized religious facilities from erecting donation boxes and the collection of donations from unauthorized online platforms.

“Some ancient temples have been encompassed by so-called ‘cultural parks,’ with non-religious buildings constructed around them for commercial use,” said BAC deputy director Sheng Hui at a meeting of the BAC earlier this year. “To protect religious rights and uphold dignity, Buddhist associations across China have been asked to tighten their management of personnel and strictly prohibit any commercial activities.” (Xinhua Net)

As of 2015, according to official figures, there were 33,000 registered Buddhist temples and 8,200 Taoist temples in mainland China.

In modern China, the “Happy Buddha” is most commonly seen. He is depicted as being fat and laughing or smiling. The main goal of life in modern China is said to “be happy.” Maybe that is why Buddha is shown this way. The “Happy Buddha” has been the common popular Buddha in China for hundreds of years.

By Shyamal Sinha

Tripiṭaka, also referred to as Tipiṭaka, is the traditional term for the Buddhist scriptures.in three parts or baskets of teachings: (1) the basket of expected discipline from monks (Vinaya Piṭaka), (2) basket of discourse (Sūtra Piṭaka, Nikayas), and (3) basket of special doctrine (Abhidharma Piṭaka).
The 13th International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony was held underneath the most sacred Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, from 3–12 December. This year, the ceremony was led by the Thai sangha in collaboration with the international Mahasangha. Theravada monks from 11 countries and devotees from nearly 15 countries chanted sections of the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon, a Theravada scripture. The ceremony was sponsored by the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI) and organized by the International Tipitaka Chanting Council (ITCC).

The ITCC also organized the first Mahayana chanting ceremony in Rajgir,The city of Rajgir (ancient Rājagṛha; Pali: Rājagaha was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha.

which began on 14 December and will continue until 17 December. Monks, nuns, and devotees from China, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam are participating in the ceremony.

“In bringing the international sanghas of monks and lay followers together in this way, the foundation has been supporting the Buddhist culture of India, and is demonstrating the vitality and relevance of this ancient religion in the modern world,” LBDFI executive director Wangmo Dixey commented. (International Tipitaka Chanting Council)

“We feel very inspired by the growing interest in the role of India as the homeland of the teachings of the Buddha, and the positive economic, social, and political consequences that will follow a full-scale revival of Buddhism in the land of its origin. Buddhism is the third-largest world religion, and a unifying force in Southeast Asia and the Far East. To see the great country of India playing a role in its development will be a great benefit, both for the region and the entire world.” (International Tipitaka Chanting Council)

The opening ceremony began with a colorful procession of pilgrims in traditional dress from the Kalachakra grounds, after which participants began chanting the Tipitaka under the Bodhi tree. Bangladeshi participant, Venerable Rupananda Bhikkhu, said when approached by Buddhistdoor Global, “I am very happy to be part of this event. I have been participating as a chanter for the last few years. For me, the event is special because I get an opportunity to meet monks and devotes from all around the world. I believe that all who have come here to attend are feeling very joyous as well.”

The ITCC was inaugurated in 2006 on the occasion of the 2,550th Buddha Jyanti at Bodh Gaya. With the sponsorship of LBDFI, the International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony is organized in December each year, underneath the Bodi Tree at Mahabodhi Mahavihara Temple. Sequential sections from the Pali Canon are chanted on each occasion, so that eventually the entire canon will have been recited under the tree, where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, attained enlightenment.

On the last day of the ceremony, coordinators of the ITCC organized a 13-kilometer walk from Jethian Valley to Javika Mango Grove. The path is believed to be one of the main routes taken by the Buddha while traveling on foot to various parts of India. Thousands of monks and devotees from across the globe took part in the walk.

LBDFI director Wangmo noted that the organizers intend to expand the chanting ceremony to other sites in India such as Sarnath, New Delhi, Sankasya, Kushinagar, Sravasti, Vaishali, and Rajgir. He expressed hope that the ceremonies and Dharma talks held during the event would inspire others to come forward and strengthen the Buddhadharma in India and overseas.