HuffPost: China's Worst Kept Secret: 5 Facts About the Abduction of Tibet's Panchen Lama

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorjee-tseten/chinas-worst-kept-secret-_b_7308598.html

China's Worst Kept Secret: 5 Facts About the Abduction of Tibet's Panchen Lama

Posted: 05/19/2015 5:28 pm EDT Updated: 05/19/2015 5:59 pm EDT

Harvard Divinity School: How Should We Train Buddhist Students to Be Chaplains?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp2ahUIHp2g

How Should We Train Buddhist Students to Be Chaplains?

Published on May 19, 2015

Scholars and educators discuss how to train Buddhist students to be chaplains in religiously diverse settings. The panel took place on April 24, 2015 at "Education and Buddhist Ministry: Whither—and Why?", a conference hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Buddhist Ministry Initiative.

The conference was funded by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.

00:00 Welcome and introductions by Chris Berlin, Counselor to Buddhist Students and Instructor in Ministry, Harvard Divinity School

10:53 Rev. Koshin Paley Ellison, New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care

23:37 Ven. Myeongbeop Sunim, Nungin University of Buddhism, South Korea

32:50 Joshin Brian Byrnes, Upaya Zen Center

42:33 Victor Gabriel, University of the West

53:46 Q&A moderated by Chris Berlin

Learn more about Harvard Divinity School and its mission to illuminate, engage, and serve at www.hds.harvard.edu.

Pilgrimages : the four main sites

http://www.tendreltravel.com/the-four-places-that-shaped-buddhism/

Pilgrimages : the four main sites

Independent: Practice Mindfulness – says mental health charity

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/practice-mindfulness---says-mental-health-charity-10254799.html

Practice Mindfulness – says mental health charity

A mental health charity has suggested that mindfulness treatments should be more widely available on the NHS, after revealing the results of a new YouGov survey.

Thai TV anchor turned monk fights for women's right to be ordained

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1789268/thai-tv-anchor-turned-monk-fights-womens-right-be-ordained

Thai TV anchor turned monk fights for women's right to be ordained

In Thailand, where women are forbidden from being ordained, a former TV anchor turned 'bhikkhuni' is shaking up the old guard. Carol Isoux reports. Pictures by Dario Pignatelli

BBC Radio 4: The Buddha: Waking India Up

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05rptcs#auto

The Buddha: Waking India Up

Incarnations: India in 50 Lives

Over the course of 50 episodes, Sunil Khilnani, director of the King's India Institute in London, takes listeners on a whirlwind journey from ancient India to the 21st century through the prism of the life

Tricycle: What's Ethics Got to Do with It? The misguided debate about mindfulness and morality

http://www.tricycle.com/blog/whats-ethics-got-do-it

May 14, 2015

What's Ethics Got to Do with It?

The misguided debate about mindfulness and moralityRichard K. Payne

As mindfuness has made greater inroads into public life—from hospitals, to schools, to the workplace—its growing distance from Buddhist thought and practice has become a hotly contested issue. Is mindfulness somehow deficient because it lacks Buddhist ethics, and should Buddhist ethics be replicated in mindfulness programs and workshops?

The Hindu: Buddhist renaissance in China

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modis-china-visit-cultural-parks-planned-to-lift-hindi-chini-bhai-bhai-spirit/article7202427.ece

The Hindu : Updated: May 14, 2015 01:45 IST

Cultural parks planned to lift Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai spirit

..

‘It is a Buddhist renaissance in China’

With China and India ready to inject a cultural vigour to their bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on soft power dovetails completely with China’s remarkable ongoing cultural renaissance, says Dana Schuppert, who is the driving force behind the initiative of setting up two sister cultural parks in Beijing and Bengaluru.

“The cultural renaissance that we are experiencing under President Xi [Jinping] is a great Buddhist renaissance. Buddhism is number one together with Confucianism and Taoism. These are three schools of thought that shape the Chinese mindset. The distance this country has travelled from the trauma of the Cultural Revolution is unbelievable,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Hindu.

..

AfB Spring Newsletter

-----Original Message----- 
From: Alliance for Bhikkhunis
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2015 7:07 PM

Subject: AfB Spring Newsletter

------------------------------------------------------------
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d081c03c356665756e3a8ac94&id=18db371850&e=bd165d4899
Both exciting and difficult times in the life of bhikkhunis across the globe Since our newsletter last autumn, a lot has been happening with us here at AfB.
* We are moving forward with a comprehensive listing of bhikkhunis and bhikkhuni monasteries with volunteers from our wonderful supporters offering to help.
* We are continuing to support bhikkhunis and monasteries with financial support.
* Thanks to you! - Our fund raising activity continues to be strong, especially toward the latest disaster in Nepal by distributing funds to DhammaMoli.

Dhamma Moli (http://www.dhammamoli.org/index.htm) is a Buddhist project 
based in Nepal that provides shelter and education to young Nepalese girls 
at risk of falling victim to human traffickers who will sell them to 
brothels in India. We were asked by supporters of AfB to help channel monies 
for their assistance after the terrible earthquake there. As of this 
writing, events continue to unfold there. We hope to bring you more about 
this in our next newsletter.

The following is our annual fiscal year financial report, prepared by our 
treasurer, Donna McCarthy.

------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Report - Fiscal Year April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015
As this fiscal year came to a close, we looked back with much gratitude for 
the very generous support Alliance for Bhikkhunis has received during the 
past year.

This has been an unusual and exciting year for us. We received an 
unprecedented $27,724 in donations! Of that, a very special anonymous 
donation of $15,000 came from a very generous woman who was about to ‘take 
robes’. Another large donation of $4700 was from a woman who wanted to add 
to the medical fund for North American monastics. Once again, for the third 
year, we received a donation of $1542 (£1000) from an anonymous donor 
through the Camellia Foundation in the UK. Another generous donor gave $1000 
for the Vibhanga Translation Project. Two others each donated $500, and 
there were many other generous donations. While our donations come mainly 
from the US, we receive many generous donations from all over the world. 
This year we received donations from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sweden, 
Canada, Germany and Sri Lanka.

With these funds are very pleased to have been able to support numerous 
projects at monasteries and viharas, as well as the needs of individual 
bhikkhunis. To see where your donations have gone please see our 
website:http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-funded-2014/ and 
http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-funded-2015/.

AfB is an all-volunteer organization. Only 2% of funds go to administrative 
costs; 98% of the funds raised go directly to support of the bhikkhunis. A 
pretty good record for a charity! (Administrative costs are items like PO 
Box rental, website charges, printing Thank You cards and a number of wire 
transfer fees.)

Where did our expenditures go?
* 43.4% went to North American monasteries, viharas or bhikkhunis
* 27.2% supported healthcare premiums for North American bhikkhunis (NABA)
* 27.4% to Overseas monasteries or bhikkhunis
* 2% for administrative costs

As the Four-fold Sangha grows worldwide, we have been expanding our 
donations to these emerging sanghas. This year our overseas donations went 
to monasteries or bhikkhunis in: Australia (4), Sri Lanka (2), Thailand (1), 
Czech Republic (1), and Bangladesh (3 nuns.) .

Two of our fundraising efforts had been especially successful: 1) meeting 
Pavarana requests (http://www.bhikkhuni.net/project-2/) posted on our 
website and 2) International Bhikkhuni Day 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/4th-international-bhikkhuni-day/) .

Through the efforts of our former Pavarana Coordinator, Mindy Zlotnick, and 
our current Coordinator, Gwen Jones, we have offered a ‘Pavarana’ to 
bhikkhunis, an invitation to make it possible for them to let us know of 
their needs. Thanks to the talents of our web designer, Helen Geld, we have 
posted those requests on our website 
http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-2/project-requests/. This has resulted in 
raising $6242 for specified needs!! (Excluding the $15K donation, this was 
62% of our total $10,064 donations.) The Pavarana concept has been a great 
success! Your continued support of this concept will be much appreciated! 
Please check out the link above for current needs.

Another source of funding has been our annual International Bhikkhuni Day, 
started by our founder, Susan Pembroke and an original board member, 
Jacqueline Kramer, and held every fall. This year we raised a little over 
$500 from events around the world and related donations.

We are extremely grateful for your continued donations. With your support 
and donations (http://www.bhikkhuni.net/dana-offerings/) , the bhikkhuni 
sangha around the world is growing!

Anumodana!

------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, we invite you to take a look at some of our most recent articles on 
our web page:
* Interview with AfB President Michael Bratton by Brenna Artinger 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/a-path-to-mindful-service/)
* Interview With Venerable Bhikkhuni Thanasanti by Brenna Artinger 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/we-are-in-this-together/)
* You Just Need To Be Hungry: 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/2014/12/31/ayya-jayati/) An article and interview 
of recently ordained Ayya Jayati Bikkhuni by Margo Mallar

Thank you for your support of the bhikkhuni sangha. Together we are making a 
diference!

Michael Bratton
President, Alliance for Bhikkhunis

Photo by Michael Bratton

============================================================
Copyright © 2015 Alliance for Bhikkhunis, All rights reserved.
You have received this message because you provided your email address to 
the Alliance for Bhikkhunis Mailing List. By supplying your information, you 
grant the Alliance for Bhikkhunis permission to occasionally send you 
messages containing news, issues and events related to bhikkhuni activities, 
challenges, achievements and history. If you no longer wish to receive these 
emails, please click on unsubscribe.

If you need assistance, please contact us by clicking on  info@bhikkhuni.net

Copyright © 2010 Alliance for Bhikkhunis. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
P.O. Box 1058
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1058
USA

Oxford: ‘The imaginary mass murderer who owes his existence to ignorance of Pali.

http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/event/151320/The_imaginary_mass_murderer_who_owes_his_existence_to_ignorance_of_Pali

‘The imaginary mass murderer who owes his existence to ignorance of Pali.' Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies

A lecture by Professor Richard Gombrich, Director, 

Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies.

Mon 11th May 5:30pm 

Free. All welcome.

St Peter's College, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DL

www.ocbs.org/ Email Me 01865 274098

SOAS: Thai Buddhism Day on 4th June

http://www.soas.ac.uk/add/wp/languages-and-culture-outreach-activities/04jun2015-thai-buddhism-day-2015.html

SOAS :

Thai Buddhism Day 2015

Date: 4 June 2015Time: 10:00 AM

Finishes: 4 June 2015Time: All Day

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Type of Event: Workshop

A celebration of the Buddha's birthday at SOAS.

Discover Thailand, its language, culture and religion!

For students in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Schools are welcome to bring up to 10 students each.

Lunch will be served.

Register here.

Thai Buddhism Day Programme

10:00- Welcome
10:10-11:40- Presentation and conversation- basic facts about Thailand and Thai Buddhism.
11:40-12:40- Language taster
12:40-13:25 Lunch break
13:25-14:15 -Thai demons and ghosts: role play
14:15-14:40- Extract from the animated film “The Buddha” showing the Buddha’s enlightenment scene flowed by a short talk and guided meditation.
14:40-14:55- Fruit salad game/Counting game
14:55-15:15- Make your own Buddha; students will receive Buddha templates according to their date of birth and will decorate them, to take home with them.
15:15-15:30 Evaluation

Contact email: routes@soas.ac.uk

HuffPost: The Future of Buddhism: Race, Money, Mindfulness and the World

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yael-shy/the-future-of-buddhism_b_7225290.html

The Future of Buddhism: Race, Money, Mindfulness and the World

by Yael Shy

Wakayama Tourism and Kukai: Koyasan, the Richness of Buddhism and Old Japan Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times

http://moderntokyotimes.com/?p=2847

Wakayama Tourism and Kukai: Koyasan, the Richness of Buddhism and Old Japan

Lee Jay Walker, Modern Tokyo Times

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE : Vesak Message

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e5wgvjrxmmge2yk/PONTIFICAL%20COUNCIL%20FOR%20INTERRELIGIOUS%20DIALOGUE.pdf?dl=0

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE : Vesak Message

Vesak Festivals in Sri Lanka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eunH6Dh2mM

Vesak Festivals in Sri Lanka

Vesak is considered as both a religious and cultural festival in Sri Lanka. It is celebrated on the day of the full moon in May.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,12294,0,0,1,0#.VUY0L6nZVng

Vesak Message 2015 by Ven. Mahinda Thera

The Buddhist Channel, May 3, 2015

SUKHO BUDDHANAM UPPADO - Happy is the birth of all Buddhas
Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia) -- Vesak is mostly celebrated as a merit-making festival, but we must not lose our focus on the true significance of Vesak, and the real reasons for merit-making at this time.