Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Buddhism: Wisdom Network News

Theravada Buddhist temple, Bangkok, Thailand (JRaptor/Flickr).

Ancient book of chants found in Korean temple
SEOUL, South Korea — Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Chinese book of Buddhist chants in a Korean temple (New Kerala, 9/16/09).

Dalai Lama sermons in Dharamsala, India
DHARAMSALA, India — Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama gave sermons on Buddhism here on Tuesday (New Kerala, 9/15/09).

Minister says Khmer Rouge defendant conversion genuine
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The Christian minister who baptized Duch, not knowing he was the former head of the Khmer Rouge's execution center, told a war crimes tribunal Tuesday that Duch's conversion from Buddhism was sincere rather than a pragmatic decision to gain forgiveness in this life (The Nation, Thailand's English news, 9/16/09).

"National prosperity enriches Buddhism"
SHIFANG, China — The pines and cypresses are a lush green, and a bell rings far away. August was a busy time at the Arhat Temple in the city of Shifang, Sichuan province. With the joint effort of the monks and construction workers, the destruction caused by the earthquake to this ancient temple with a history of 1,400 years is quickly fading away. "2009 is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s..." (People's Daily, 9/15/09).

Buddhist clergy praised for traditional care of poor
HANOI, Vietnam — Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong praised the Viet Nam Tinh do Cu si Buddhism Association’s active provision of traditional medication for the poor across the country, saying it had helped cure diseases while strengthening the nation’s benevolent heritage (Việt Nam News, 9/16/09).

India rejects China on Dalai Lama visit to Chinese border
UPDATE
: India rejects China’s opposition to a plan by the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled leader, to visit a northeastern Indian state claimed partly by China, Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said (Bloomberg, 9/16/09).

Dalai Lama seeks Indian approval
The Dalai Lama is seeking Indian government permission to visit a Chinese-claimed town in the most sensitive part of the disputed India-China border, his spokesman said (Bloomberg, 9/16/09).

Museum displays archaeological finds from around the world
The Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology takes visitors through thousands of years of history from around the globe. The museum, itself a beautiful building worthy of appreciation, houses a wide range of artifacts from the Americas, the Mediterranean, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa (The Hawk).

Music of Steely Dan: "Bodhisattva"
"Bodhisattva" is an excellent track dealing with a somewhat obscure topic in a Western world that, according to Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen a few years later, welcomes its citizens with "sausage and beer" (Jazz.com, 9/16/09).

MFAH explores harmony
HOUSTON, Texas - "Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to Open Sea" on view through January 3, 2010 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston examines the cultural effects of trade in Southeast Asia (The Daily Cougar, 9/16/09).

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