Sri Lanka’s admirable Buddhist missionary achievements in the West

Anagarika & Asoka offer role models to emulate

by Shenali D. Waduge, Lanka Web, May 31st, 2015 Colombo, Sri Lanka -- As the Buddhist public in Sri Lanka begin to close ranks to meet the challenges facing the continuity and preservation of the Buddhist ethos and heritage in the light of planned incursions, it is good to take stock of the admirable services rendered by Sinhala Buddhists who have carried the torch of Buddhism and ignited it on foreign shores. Asoka Weeraratna  (circa 1956) (1918 – 1999) Anagarika Dharmapala and Asoka Weeraratna are two such leading pioneers among many others who should be gratefully remembered for helping spread Buddhism on western shores. Their legacy must be publicly acknowledged and continued to draw inspiration of fellow Buddhists. Poson Poya marks the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. Poson commemorates the occasion of King Devanampiyatissa embracing Buddhism after listening to the Dhamma preached by Arahat Mahinda. Buddhism came to Sri Lanka by royal invitation and all kings/queens thereafter ruled the nation according to the dasa raja dhamma.

3 Buddhist Beliefs That Will Rock Your World (And Make You Much Happier!)

So whether or not you think about balancing your dosha, here are three powerful elements of Buddhist philosophy, "The Noble Truths," and how you can incorporate them into every day. They might just change your life...

Respect

Should one find a man who points out faults and who reproves, let him follow such a wise and sagacious person as one would a guide to hidden treasure. It is always better, and never worse, to cultivate such an association.
- Dhammapada Verse 76

'Respect is the attitude you develop toward the things that matter in life. ... '

'... the canon treats the issue of respect. It details the varied ways in which lay people of the Buddha's time showed respect to the Buddha and the monastic Sangha, and the more standardized ways in which the members of the Sangha showed respect to the Buddha and to one another. Especially interesting is the protocol of respect for the Dhamma. Buddhist monks and nuns are forbidden from teaching the Dhamma to anyone who shows disrespect, and the Buddha himself is said to have refused to teach his first sermon to the five brethren until they stopped treating him as a mere equal.'

- 'Opening the Door to the Dhamma : Respect in Buddhist Thought & Practice'
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

What is Theravada Buddhism?

Theravada (pronounced — more or less — "terra-VAH-dah"), the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration from the Tipitaka, or Pali canon, which scholars generally agree contains the earliest surviving record of the Buddha's teachings. For many centuries, Theravada has been the predominant religion of continental Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos) and Sri Lanka. Today Theravada Buddhists number well over 100 million worldwide. In recent decades Theravada has begun to take root in the West.

Many Buddhisms, One Dhamma-vinaya

The Buddha — the "Awakened One" — called the religion he founded Dhamma-vinaya — "the doctrine and discipline." To provide a social structure supportive of the practice of Dhamma-vinaya (or Dhamma for short [Sanskrit: Dharma]), and to preserve these teachings for posterity, the Buddha established the order of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns) — the Sangha — which continues to this day to pass his teachings on to subsequent generations of laypeople and monastics, alike.

Pope Francis meets with Buddhist leaders

http://www.romereports.com/pg161925-pope-francis-meets-with-buddhist-leaders-oethese-small-gestures-are-seeds-of-peace-en#

2015-06-24  

A dialogue between Catholic and Buddhist religious and social action 
leaders began today at the Vatican. Pope Francis stopped by the 
meeting, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran gave a welcoming address. 

"We have been engaged in discussing how to collaborate together in 
a world of divisions.”

The Pope then made some brief remarks that were translated to English 
as he spoke.

"It is a visit of fraternity, of dialogue, and of friendship. And this is good. 
This is healthy. And in these moments, which are wounded by war and 
hatred, these small gestures are seeds of peace and fraternity. I thank 
you for this and may God bless you.”

As he went to greet everyone, Pope Francis was overwhelmed with 
gifts: from different kinds of artwork to books.

The 46 participants all live in America. They came from New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

"Your Holiness, thank you for your leadership.”

While receiving gifts, the Pope also gave blessings.

And the Pope himself received a Buddhist blessing.

"Holy Father, this is a Buddhist blessing.”

In the past, dialogues between the two religious groups focused on 
mutual understanding. However, in this meeting, the focus is on how 
they can work together to address social problems. 

Pope Francis clearly enjoyed the event, as he was beaming on his way 
out of the meeting.

The dialogue took place from June 23rd to 27th. It is being hosted 
by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the 
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Nobel tributes at Dalai Lama 80th birthday bash in US

July 6, 2015-AFP

Fellow Nobel Peace laureates joined thousands of followers of the Dalai Lama Sunday to celebrate the Tibetan spiritual leader's 80th birthday, kicking off a three-day honorary bash in California

Fellow Nobel Peace laureates joined thousands of followers of the Dalai Lama Sunday to celebrate the Tibetan spiritual leader’s 80th birthday, kicking off a three-day honorary bash in California.

A string of minor celebrities also paid tribute to the crimson-robed 14th Dalai Lama ahead of his birthday Monday, although protesters also gathered outside the event south of Los Angeles.

“Whenever I get tired or I lose hope I remember you,” said 2003 Nobel Peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi from Iran.

“For 60 years you have been fighting for the rights of the people of Tibet without becoming tired and without losing hope.”

The Dalai Lama was guest of honor at the Global Compassion Summit at the Honda Center in Anaheim, speaking on “awakening compassion” and the “transformative power of creativity and art.”

About 18,000 followers packed into the conference center gave him a standing ovation during the three-hour event, at which he was presented with an eight-foot-high (2.4 meters) birthday cake.

“The Dalai Lama does not want any physical gifts. For him, this birthday is just like any other day,” said Ven Lama Tenzin Dhonden, founder of Friends of the Dalai Lama.

“However, if we can help to create a more compassionate, kind planet, that would be the most beautiful gift of all,” added the Buddhist monk, who broke down in tears at one point in his tribute.

Other speakers included rapper MC Hammer, veteran CNN talk show host Larry King and online entrepeneur Arianna Huffington, as well as TV actors Josh Radnor and Wilmer Valderrama.

Anti-landmines campaigner Jodi Williams, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1997, sang a snippet of Happy Birthday to the aging monk.

“He always says he is just a simple Buddhist monk. He may be a simple Buddhist monk, but he is the most rocking, compassionate simple Buddhist monk I know,” she said.

So how relevant is Buddhism to therapy?

By Murray Hunter  January 1, 2014


Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, especially after World War II, there has been a growing interest in Eastern philosophy in the West. The teachings of the Abhidhamma Pitaka have inspired and influenced many psychoanalysts and psychologists, including Carl Jung, Erich Fromm, Albert Ellis, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Marsha M. Linehan. There has been a great leap forward in humanitarian and transpersonal philosophical influence in therapy. Dialogue between philosophy theorists and practitioners of East and West has led to mutually influential relationships between them. This has led to new insights into therapies and new schools of thought on both sides. Aspects of Buddhist Dharma are also incorporated in the works of Western philosophers including Caroline A. F. Rhys David and Alan Watts.