Why is Santa Buddha (Budai) so fat?

Hotei/Budai is not Buddhist but Shinto

"The Legend of Hotei, the Laughing Buddha" (holymtn.com) edited by Wisdom Quarterly

Hotei (Budai) is a Shinto god

Japanese Hotei (known in Chinese as Budai) is one of the Shichi Fukujin, or "Seven Shinto-Gods of Luck." He is the "god of happiness, laughter, and the wisdom of contentment" and the patron of the weak and of children, fortunetellers, and bartenders.

• The term "Shinto" derives from the combination of two Chinese characters -- shin (神), which means "spirit" (kami, supernatural entities, possibly heavenly ETs coming to this dimension) or "god," and tō (道, tao), which means "way," "road," or "path" [45]. Shintō (神道) is therefore "the Way of the Gods" (or Spirits, the shapeshifting kami at the center of the priestly religion). It was a term already used in the I-Ching or Book of Changes, referring to the divine order of nature [46]. Around the time of the spread of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), the term was used to distinguish indigenous Chinese religions (shamanic or magic-based traditions) from the new imported religion. Ge Hong used it in his Baopuzi as a synonym for Taoism [47]. Shinto is animistic and polytheistic with priests who deal with the unruly shapeshifting monsters/gods known as the kami. The Chinese term 神道 (MC zyin daw) was originally adopted into Japanese as Jindō [48]; this was possibly first used as a Buddhist term to refer to non-Buddhist deities [49] or spirits. More

Budai points at the Moon

Hotei is distinguished by his [fat] body, which is of generous proportions with a round belly exposed beneath loose robes. This big jelly belly is a symbol of happiness, luck, and generosity.

On his back he carries a huge linen sack, containing candy, precious things, and gifts of good fortune, including children.

He also holds an uchiwa, a flat fan of Chinese origin used by ancient chieftains as an emblem of authority and wish granting.

Hotei may sit in an old cart drawn by boys, as the Wagon Priest, and can be compared with the Buddhistic Mi-lo-Fo.

Chinese backstory

I am the big Friendly One. Here's some candy!

In Chinese Buddhism he is known as Budai, the "Loving or Friendly One." He was a wandering Chan Buddhist monk who lived in the 9th century.

At his death between the years of 901 and 903, he recited a poem that revealed to the world that he was in fact the Bodhisattva Maitreya in disguise.

Maitreya, Chinese Mahayana Buddhists believe, is the Future Buddha, who will return to the world and bring innumerable individuals to realization (bodhi) and salvation (nirvana).

This concept of hope for all those who suffer, combined with Budai’s pleasing (always kind and smiling) human features, made him a most popular Buddhist deity (deva).

Good Luck Budai honored in Thailand

It was not until the 16th century that he was canonized as the sixteenth and last Chinese Bodhisattva.

According to Chinese legend he carried a sack of candy to give to children. He is sometimes worshiped as a god of good luck and prosperity.

He is always represented as very stout (fat), with breasts and upper abdomen exposed to view. His face has a widely grinning, joyful, or laughing expression, so he is also known loosely as "the Laughing Buddha" even though he is NOT a buddha.

• [EDITOR'S NOTE: Even "Maitreya Buddha" is actually not yet a buddha as his name would suggest but rather a bodhisattva, that is, "a being striving to become a supreme buddha" (samma sam buddha) in the future.]

He stands in the first hall of Buddhist monasteries. Because of his constant good nature, he has become the symbol of philosophical contentment. Source

• Not to be confused with Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)

The Laughing Buddha Story | Joy of Enlightenment | Zen Buddhism

(Narrative Dreamscape) This short Zen story follows the tale of Hotei (Budai, Putai), a Chinese Buddhist monk who attains "enlightenment" [satori or kensho, an epiphany or spiritual realization] after hearing a child's laughter. He then wanders the land being called the "Laughing Buddha" [Bodhisattva], spreading joy and showing that enlightenment [a realization] can be found by embracing the humor and impermanence of life. This lighthearted and inspirational Zen tale reminds us not to take life too seriously but to greet each moment with childlike joy and presence. Let this [Fat Happy] Laughing Buddha story bring a smile to the face and warmth to the heart.

#zenstory #lifelessons #laughingbuddha #laughingmonk #laughingbuddha

• Legend of Hotei, the Laughing Buddha (holymtn.com); Narrative Dreamscape, Sept. 9, 2023; CC Liu, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Buddhist fighter Shaolin monk Yi Long

Hiya! Take that! - Whoa, I didn't see that one coming from above onto my shoulder neck back!!

Yi Long: Kungfu in Modern Combat Sports

At the monastery, everyone stood back as I went off

(Ramsey Dewey) Jan. 27, 2020: Ramsey Dewey Podcasts. Chinese kickboxing star Yi Long discusses the role of traditional Chinese martial arts in modern combat sports. Listen to the whole interview on the Ramsey Dewey podcast.

• Ramsey, how is Yi Long doing the impossible?

In the dojo we learn the Way of Combat when we would rather be mastering meditation, and it never ends well... One must be disciplined, peaceful, and humble. For the best mastery is mastery of oneself. Just ask war cheerleader Alfred, Lord Tennyson. As soon as one seeks to master others, a world of hurt opens up:

 

What is the best way to fight?

Kung fu is for self-defense and protecting Dharma

Why is Buddhist Shaolin monk Yi Long demonstrating his Shaolin kung fu training? 

It's hard to say. What was once a Buddhist temple practice developed alongside mental training of the heart and mind in meditation eventually became the martial (war) arts independent of their roots in moral and wisdom training.

It is said that South Indian Bodhidharma brought these skills to China, which gave rise to the Chan ("Meditation") school that went on to Japan as Zen, to Korea as Seon, and Vietnam as Thien.

Shaolin kung fu (Chinese 少林功夫, Pinyin Shǎolín gōngfū), also called Shaolin Wushu (少林武術; Shǎolín wǔshù), or Shaolin quan (少林拳, Shàolínquán), is the largest and most famous style of kung fu.

It combines Chan Buddhist philosophy and martial arts. It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China during its 1,500-year history. In Chinese folklore there is a saying, "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven." More

The Charge of the Light Brigade

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson: European pride? Let's ride into the jaws of death? 

I

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!” he said.

Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

II

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

   Someone had blundered.

   Theirs not to make reply,

   Theirs not to reason why,

   Theirs but to do and die.

   Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

III

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

   Rode the six hundred....

V

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell.

They that had fought so well

Came through the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

   Left of six hundred.

VI

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

   All the world wondered.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

   Noble six hundred!

Rematch with Thai kickboxer

WARNING: Fighting is ugly and fraught with danger, so it is always best avoided. The highlight reels make it seem fun and easy, but the truth is much uglier, vicious on the street, technical in the ring.

Dulce et Decorum Est

By Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—

Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.*

*Latin phrase is from the Roman poet Horace: “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.” 

• Seth Auberon, CC Liu, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Intro to Zen, empty mind, how to (video)

Empty the Mind: A powerful Zen story for life

(The Fictionist) Join Akira on a transformative journey as he learns the power of emptying the mind in this Zen story. Overcome worry, embrace mindfulness, and find inner peace.

Zen: An Introduction

Chill out, be cool, and go with the flow.

(Share Ideas) Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in the 7th and 8th centuries in China, when Buddhism arrived from India and interacted with the indigenous Taoist tradition. The word "Zen" reflects this: It is the Japanese way pronouncing the Chinese chan (from channa), which is derived from the Indian Buddhist term jhana, from the Sanskrit dhyana, which originally meant "meditation." So Chan Buddhism or Zen Buddhism literally means a particular school that emphasizes meditation (which originally meant meditative absorption as the central practice). March 4th, 2018.

Video script written by David Loy. Narration by Luke Mullins. Film by Digifish. Websites: David Loy (http://www.davidloy.org/), Luke Mullins (https://voice123.com/profiles/lukemul...), Digifish (http://www.digifish.tv/).

Hindu monk Dandapani: How to control the mind (brainwash yourself) to achieve anything

(Be Inspired) Aug. 7, 2018: Try this for 21 days, and see a huge difference in your life. ►If you struggle and have a hard time, consider taking an online therapy session with partner BetterHelp. http://tryonlinetherapy.com/beinspired, which receives commissions for referrals to BetterHelp. BeInspired only recommends products it knows and trusts. ►Motivational Alarm Tones

An Irish dojo is an emerald zendo in Ireland.

(The Fictionist) May 15, 2023. #ZenStory #EmptyYourMind #findingpeace💡 Catch the latest videos exploring groundbreaking techniques to master the mind and enhance life: How an Introvert Learned from a Zen Master | A Story of YOU. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfazed_211... TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefictionist... To read the story: https://thefictionist2116.blogspot.co... Want your videos to look amazing? Use the following video editor: https://www.mvvitrk.com/71fXJa. Image by: https://hannahjanewrites.com/2015/02/... #ZenStory #EmptyYourMind #FindingPeace #OvercomingAnxiety #Mindfulness #SelfDiscovery #InnerPeace #LettingGo #LivinginthePresent #ZenWisdom #FindingClarity #MeditationJourney #TransformYourLife #EmbracingtheMoment #PeacefulExistence

Casual Conversation w/ Zen Master, UCLA

Dogen (zeninlondon.org)

Ever dream of having a casual conversation with a real-life Zen master? Here's a talk is about life, love, success, and happiness with Korean Zen Buddhist monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.

ABOUT: Zen Master Pomnyun is a peace activist, humanitarian assistance expert, and an environmentalist, speaking about four topics and taking questions on all topics.

• TALK 1: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, 7:00 pm
• Bauer Center South - Pickford Auditorium
• Claremont McKenna College
• 500 E. Ninth Street Claremont, CA 91711

• TALK 2: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, 7:00 pm
• Orchard Conference Center
• Matador Bookstore Complex
• 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330
• RSVP and more info: JungtoSociety.org

See flyer with all details: Casual Conversation with a Zen Master (ucla.edu).  To view Master Pomnyun's past Q&A session, visit youtube.com/@VenPomnyunSunim

• UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies
• 11385 Bunche Hall, Box 951487
• Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487
• Tel: (310) 825-2089 • Fax: (310) 206-3555
• Email: buddhist@international.ucla.edu
• Click here to sign up for newsletter

UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies

• The Berenike [Egyptian] Buddha: Early Buddhism and Indian Trade Diaspora in the Red Sea (ucla.edu)
• Family love leads donor to create two endowed scholarships at UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies
• TALK CANCELED: How Japanese Buddhists Tried to Make Bad Kids Good (ucla.edu)
• In memoriam: Diego Loukota, 38, specialist in Buddhism and ‘once-in-a-generation’ intellect | UCLA

Happy New Year: Buddhist becomes Jewish

Marc Bennett; Shalom Auslander; Rob Fashler; Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How the president of a Tibetan Buddhist temple became an Orthodox Jew

(Jewish Learning Institute) Sept. 13, 2022. Rob Fashler was raised in an atheist home where Judaism was anything but trendy. On the contrary, Judaism was ridiculed, particularly the Hasidic (extremely sexist orthodox) kind.

The Jew in the Lotus (Kamenetz)

The quest for spirituality and truth permeated his adolescent years, turning him to experiment with mind-expanding hippie drugs (e.g., LSD), sex-drugs-n-rock 'n roll, transcendental meditation (The Beatles' Hindu practice called TM), and eventually Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana).

From the president of a Buddhist temple to an Orthodox Jew, here is the journey of a man to whom the meaning and relevance of Judaism is nothing short of a miracle.

• "Refuge" in Buddhism really means "Going for Guidance" to the Three Gems or Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha)
• Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir by Shalom Auslander (barnesandnoble.com)

Subscribe to channel for more of the best Jewish video content on YouTube. The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) has the largest collection of Jewish media content with exclusive videos that range from Torah insights to the most hotly debated contemporary topics. Facebook.com/myJLI, instagram.com/myjli. See full video library: torahcafe.com Website: myjli.com

I was Jewish and became Buddhist.

ABOUT: Serving learning centers in over 1,800 communities and on the internet, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is the world's preeminent provider of Jewish learning. The mission of JLI is to inspire Jewish learning worldwide and to transform Jewish life and the greater community through Torah study. To make Jewish learning accessible and personally meaningful to every Jew, regardless of background or affiliation. JLI's insightful curriculum utilizes cutting-edge pedagogical techniques, embracing the multiple intelligence model and utilizing multimedia and an array of approaches to engage, educate, and inspire all kinds of minds in a dynamic Jewish learning experience.

Another Jew supporting Boycott, Divestment, Sanctioning of Israel (Jewish Voice for Peace)

• Our favorite Jew: Shalom Auslander (NY Times)
• Was Jesus Christ a JuBu, a Jew who became a Buddhist?
• Sunday Meditation: Shambhala Meditation Center of LA

"Enlightenment" (short Thai TV film)

EPYX via epyxsite.com; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Girl troubles. Even monks got 'em. It's not what it looks like. He's trying to help her. Really.

Enlightenment: Thai TV movie (full film)

EPYX (Thailand), July 1, 2017

I saved you. - Naff off! - Don't you know it's wrong? - How the F would I know that?

  

A wandering ascetic Buddhist monk journeys into the forest in search of enlightenment (awakening, bodhi). It's not so easy. There are roadblocks and diversions. What this celibate monastic finds is a pretty girl trying to commit suicide. Her story leads him into a deep cycle of karma (the ripening of past actions in the present). He has to fix this loop for her sake as well as his own. But ain't nobody got time for grrrl troubles. Will he ever gain the enlightenment he seeks?

Closer to "God" high in Georgia

Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly; Yasmine Hafiz (Huffington Post Religion, 9-19-13)

Katskhi Pillar, high in Georgia, with its one-man hermitage (Amos Chapple)

(Maboroshi Productions) Early documentary trailer about the monk who now lives atop a 140 foot rock pillar in the central Imereti region, Georgia. He is the first to try in 600 years. Research will culminate in a short documentary out soon.

One of the men helped by Qavtaradze

The Eastern Orthodox Christian monk Maxime Qavtaradze is literally close to the heavens [space, the akasha deva loka]. The 59-year-old monastic lives atop a limestone pillar in the Eastern European Republic of Georgia.

He has to scale a 131-foot ladder in order to leave or return to his lofty home, reports CNN, the CIA/MIC's trusty American "news" outlet. Photographer Amos Chapple ascended the cliff to document his life there.

 

The Katskhi Pillar (wiki) has long been venerated as a "holy" place by locals in the area, although it has been uninhabited since about the 1400s. In 1944, when climbers ascended it, after centuries, of isolation, they found the ruins of a church and the 600-year-old bones of the last "stylite" who lived there.

(Paul Brian) "This.is.Georgia!" (comedy/documentary) follows the experiences of a volunteer English teacher in a small-town in the Republic of Georgia looking at the traditions, character, and quirks of rural communities in this small and proud nation where medieval meets modern and the hilarious exists side-by-side with the humbling. Nothing ever goes the way you expect in Georgia, but there's always more adventure (and alcohol) around the corner.

Waiting for the space saviors to return

The stylite tradition is believed to have begun in 423 when St. Simeon the Elder climbed a pillar in Syria in order to avoid worldly temptations. But the practice has since fallen out of favor. Nevertheless, Qavtaradze is a modern devotee.

 

Qavtaradze on ladder to heaven

Although isolated, he is not a total solitary yogi-hermit. He comes down once or twice a week to counsel the troubled young men who come to the monastery below for his help. After all, he was once one of them. He may now live at the top of the world, but Qavtaradze found his vocation when he was the lowest he had ever been -- doing time in prison after he "drank, sold drugs, everything" as a young man. But it's okay, for as we at Wisdom Quarterly say:

 

"Every saint has a past, every sinner a future."

  

He took monastic vows in 1993 and has been working to rebuild the monastery complex, chapel, and hermitage for the last 15 years, according to the makers of "The Stylite," a documentary about Qavtaradze and his community.

Yasmine Hafiz

Yasmine Hafiz, editorial fellow for The Huffington Post's Religion desk, holds a B.A. from Yale Univ., and co-authored The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook. Hafiz is a former State Dept. intern and a founding member of the Arizona Youth Interfaith Movement. She was a 2008 Presidential Scholar and has extensive public speaking experience regarding religion in America.

• Maxime: Meet the monk who lives a life of virtual solitude 
• A pillar with a view: Monk lives above it all (Yahoo!) 
• Georgian monk to mount Katskhi Pillar as a Stylite

Skateboarding Buddhist Monk? (video)

Chinese monk skateboarding on temple grounds; monk doll below (sodahead.com).

Skateboarding Monk: Contradiction or Product of Modern Age?

Text by Deborah Jiang Stein (Huffington Post, Dec. 28, 2009)
A monk [not the first] skateboards inside an historic temple and causes controversy in China. In Sichuan province near the top of Mount Emei, the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, stands the Dafu Temple. Here, a monk on a skateboard has stirred controversy about whether his skateboarding is appropriate behavior for a monk. Many are asking: Is this the way monks ought to live? Clad in his gray cloak and true skater form, the monk twists his legs, leans forward, and skateboards in the temple. More>>

Monks on Skateboards Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY

Is skateboarding appropriate behavior within the monastic code of conduct (Vinaya)? Technically, this behavior is fine in private. But in terms of decorum, it is pushing the envelope. On one occasion monks were bathing in a reservoir and splashed each other playfully. This innocent act offended a prominent disciple of the Buddha, who complained to him about how this might look to others. The Buddha then established a monastic rule barring playing in water.

• PHOTO: Tibetan Buddhist monk tries skateboarding at Arou Temple in Arou, Qinghai Province, China (Rob Thompson).

One could easily imagine that the Buddha would also deem recreational skateboarding out of bounds. But as it did not come up, he did not. It is therefore left to the abbot or the local Sangha to decide. Until such a decision is handed down, the bhikshus might consider a stint on the Warped Tour. After all, if that's the worst thing they're doing, we should rejoice.

Skateboarding has already met Christian "spirituality" in Australia and elsewhere. We know firsthand that Ven. Thanissaro (Wat Metta, California), who is known as "Tan Jeff," hikes, camps, and photographs every chance he gets -- and he's the author of the English version of the Buddhist monastic code.

• Online Buddhist Monastic Code (Ven. Thanissaro)

World's Oldest Man is a Buddhist Monk

Mail Foreign Service (9/17/09)

Revered: The abbot (in orange) has many followers who believe his advanced age makes him particularly wise (dailymail.co.uk).

Is 115-year-old Buddhist monk world's oldest man?

Buddhist monk Luang Phu Supha celebrates his 115th birthday today, although his claim has not yet been verified. He was born when Queen Victoria was on the British throne. But whether Luang Phu Supha is really the world's oldest man remains open to debate. The Buddhist monk claims to be celebrating his 115th birthday today at a temple in Phuket [poo-kit], Thailand.

He is certainly likely to provide some hot competition for American Walter Bruening, 113, who has also laid claim to the coveted title. Luang Phu Supha's birth was only registered two years after he was born and the certificate reads September 17, 1896. More>>

• Longing for love, world's tallest man...tops 8ft
• Burmese monks key to democracy process

(ABC Radio Australia) Human Rights Watch says the US government is moving too slowly in announcing its new policy on Burma, with the delay giving the regime in Rangoon too much space. Presenter Sen Lam discusses the issue with speaker David Mathieson, a Human Rights Watch Burma researcher. Listen (Windows Media).

• Freedom from religion: Atheism...

The national Freedom from Religion Foundation, a "freethinking" association of atheists and agnostics, founded in 1978 in Madison, Wisconsin is mounting a campaign this month in San Francisco, posting signs on buses with pithy sayings from the likes of Mark Twain: "Faith is believing what you know ain't so!" and from a song by John Lennon: "Imagine no religion"...

• St. Therese of Lisieux: come out, atheists...
  Grand tour of saint’s relics is preposterous nonsense
  If I believed in a God, I would be thanking Him now for sending me a sign. In yesterday’s newspaper arrived a story to rekindle my atheism. Just when my disbelief was flagging — not for want of certainty but out of weariness with banging on — comes a report that energizes me with anger. The relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a 19th-century Catholic nun, have arrived in Britain for a month-long tour of England and Wales.

Jhanas on TheravadaBlog (German)

• TheravadaBlog.de

Jhana Access

(TheravadaBlog.de, Sept. 5, 2009)
Dhamma blog – Jhana Access or dealing with the arising phenomena whilst accessing the ascending states of jhana (arupa-jhana) [namely, meditative-absorptions beyond the 4th, which are called the "four formless absorptions"].

One thing I would like to mention about the nimittas ["signs," objects focused on in deep meditation such as the breath, internal light, kasina-discs], sounds, and other tingling and inspiring experiences found in Jhana Meditation, is the fact that they are hypnotic and induce sukha ["pleasurable sensation," contrasted with dukkha or unpleasant sensation. This bodily-bliss is usually said to stem from purification as concentration temporarily suppresses the mental defilements].

Although most Western practitioners do not find anything negative about pleasurable experiences, experiences [themselves] are actually not pleasurable or unpleasurable. They are just exper-iences. Instead, it is our creation of mental formations (sankharas) and subsequent sensations (vedana) that arise (become) when our sanya (perception) and vinyana (conscious awareness) of these things come into contact with the object…

• Den Rest des Eintrags lesen. »

Gepostet von patimokkha in Allgemein, BlogWorld, Keine Kommentare

• VIDEO: iPhone Meditation Ap
• Netanyahu to world: Back Israeli self-defense (or else?)

Karma and Rebirth video (Theravada view)

Buddhist Philosophy and Meditation adult education course recorded live at the Vancouver School Board, British Columbia, Canada (November, 2008).

The speaker, Brian Ruhe, is a former Buddhist monk. He is also the author of the book Freeing the Buddha (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, India) and has been teaching Buddhism for 12 years. The topic is not being widely taught in a direct manner by Buddhist monks, nuns, or lay teachers in the West. So Ruhe has posted these videos to spread and make widely known these important Buddhist teachings.

• More information: theravada.ca

"Tibet" Arrives in America

Get a glimpse of Tibet at new center

Tom Grace (Cooperstown News Bureau, Aug. 22, 2009)

COOPERSTOWN, New York - Tibetan Yogi Phakchok Rinpoche has invited the public to a Himalayan cultural fair this weekend on the sylvan grounds of the The Rangjung (innate) Yeshe (wisdom) Gomde (place of meditation), a meditation center on Glimmerglen Road in the town of Otsego.

Visitors will hear Tibetan folk songs, experience religious chants, learn of Zen archery, and have a chance to meditate, as well as eat traditional Tibetan dumplings known as momos. In one barn on the property, movies of life in the Himalayan region will be shown all day.

Other group activities will take place in the other barn and people will be free to move from one activity to another. "We want everyone who wants to, to come,'' Rinpoche said Friday. "This place is not ours; it is for everyone.''

The Rangjung Yeshe Gomde is one of two Tibetan meditation centers in the United States, according to Norbu Gyari, Rinpoche's wife. About two years ago, the parcel, which includes a house and two barns situated on 27 acres, was donated to the Buddhists by Gloria Nielson.

The cultural fair is being staged to introduce the Buddhist community to the area and to share some core beliefs with those who want to learn more about Buddhism.

"A tamed mind brings happiness,'' said Rinpoche, a direct descendent of ancient practitioners. The goal of meditation and related exercises is to control one's own mind and fate, he said. "We believe you do not do things that are harmful to others or yourself, but do the things that benefit others and yourself,'' he said.

While Buddhist monks take vows of celibacy, as a yogi, Rinpoche, 28, is free to marry to perpetuate his lineage. He and Gyari have a young son. Although he strayed from his faith in his late teens, Rinpoche said, the example of his many teachers brought him back to the path of enlightenment and self-control. Source