Compassion with fangs? Buddhist protector

Mom, is this what you call compassion? - Shut the front door, you worthless piece of me!

(Buddha's Wisdom) MAHA KALA: The Buddhist protector who looks like a demon

Mahākāla (Sanskrit महाकाल) is a deity common to Buddhism and Hinduism [1].

In Buddhism, Mahākāla is regarded as a Dharmapāla ("Protector of the Dharma") and a wrathful manifestation of a cosmic or primordial buddha or bodhisattva.

In Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu God Shiva and the consort of the Goddess Mahākālī [1].

Sri Yantra, sacred chakra (Shaktism)

He most prominently appears in the Kalikula sect of Shaktism [2, 3, 4]. Mahākāla appears as a protector deity in the various traditions of Vajrayana Buddhism, like Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Japanese Shingon, and Tibetan Vajrayana [1] and Bon.

He is known as Dàhēitiān and Daaih'hāktīn (大黑天) in Mandarin and Cantonese, Daeheukcheon (대흑천) in Korean, Đại Hắc Thiên in Vietnamese, and Daikokuten (大黒天) in Japanese. More

• 6-armed Mahakala Buddha Thangka | Hand-Painted Tibetan Art

Six-armed Mahakala to develop Six [of Ten] Perfections

Prince Harry meditates daily: Mindfulness

BD Dipen (BuddhistDoor.net, 2/1/19) via cosmopolitan.com; Erika Belair; Ven. Nyanaponika on Satipatthana (Buddhist Dictionary); CC Liu, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Prince Harry, right, with Buddhist monk Kelsang Sonam, left (from cosmopolitan.com)

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Britain’s Prince Harry tells Buddhist monk about daily meditation practice

+1: Princess Meghan (thesun.co.uk)

Meeting well-wishers during a royal visit to Birkenhead in Merseyside, England, on January 14, 2019, Britain’s Prince Harry reportedly shared with 69-year-old Buddhist lama Kelsang Sonam that he meditates every day.

Following their conversation, Kelsang Sonam presented the prince a copy of the book Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness by the Tibetan [renegade anti-Dalai Lama separatist Vajrayana] Dharma teacher Kelsang Gyatso.

New Kadampa Tradition book

Prince Harry and his wife, American former actress and humanitarian [Princess] Meghan Markle, visited a community café and supermarket called Number 7 selling discounted food for low-income families, operated by Feeding Birkenhead, a coalition of organizations “working together to eliminate hunger” in the local community.

During the visit, the couple had the chance to sit with some of the organization’s staff and customers, which is when the prince and Kelsang Sonam spoke.

That's my son, and I'm so glad he meditates with his lovely wife Meghan (Princess Di)

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The Daily Mail tabloid’s correspondent Rebecca English tweeted about their conversation: “Random fact of the day: a 69-year-old Buddhist monk named Kelsang Sonam, who gave Harry a copy of a book titled Eight Steps to Happiness, said the prince told him he meditates every day” (Rebecca English on Twitter).

Prince Andrew does not meditate.

[Black California actress turned Princess] Markle might have introduced her husband to meditation.

Prior to marrying the redheaded prince, she practiced meditation daily, and the practice continued as she made the [stressful] transition to royal life.

Years before her royal engagement, Light Watkins (beginmeditating.com), an American "Vedic meditation" [$$] teacher, taught her Buddhist mindfulness practice,* which she quickly adopted into her daily wellbeing routine. More

• 
  COMMENT: Erika Belair points out that the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) is a well-known separatist sect with only one leader who is not recognized by any other Buddhist group, transmission, or teacher [particularly not the current Dalai Lama]. NKT is hostile toward the Dalai Lama and frequently demonstrates against him and has allegedly even threatened his life. NKT is doing an ancient Tibetan practice which the Dalai Lama has prohibited, claiming it can lead to physical and mental harm [and is alleged the cause of China's invasion and occupation of Tibet]. For details of that practice, type "Shugden" into a search engine. [Tibet's "pope," the 14th Dalai Lama, likely regards this dharmapala or wrathful deity/protector as a "demon" as did the 5th Dalai Lama.] For details of the sect and the damage they have allegedly caused people, search "New Kadampa." I hope Harry will be warned, as they also like money donations. OK, they are not the only ones but...

*Mindfulness Practice

The Four Foundations or Fourfold Setting Up of Mindfulness

Ven. Nyanatiloka (Anton Gueth), edited for Wisdom Quarterly by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines (palikanon.com

The Four "Foundations of Mindfulness" (lit., "awareness of mindfulness," sati-upatthāna), are the systematic contemplation of:

1. body (form, materiality)
2. feeling (sensation)
3. mind (mentality)
4. mind-objects. More

Buddhist Mindfulness Practice

Ven. Nyanatiloka (Anton Gueth), edited for Wisdom Quarterly by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines (palikanon.com)

Mindfulness meditation accepts all, sees all, comes to know all. (Vedic? sporteluxe.com)

Before Harry: Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness (Meghan Markle/besthealthmag.ca)

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The Four Foundations or Fourfold Setting Up of Mindfulness

[See PART 1] The Four "Foundations of Mindfulness" (lit., "awareness of mindfulness," sati-upatthāna), are systematic contemplations of:

1. body (form, materiality)
2. feeling (sensation)
3. mind (mentality)
4. mind-objects.

1st human depictions of the Buddha: Gandhara

For sati ("mindfulness, wakefulness, vigilance, bare-awareness [free of evaluation and reactivity]," figuratively, striving-for-insight-into).

Two sutras give a detailed treatment of this subject, so important for the practice of Buddhist meditation/mental cultivation. The two Satipatthāna Sutras (DN 22 and MN 10) proclaim these weighty words as they begin and again when they close:

"The one and only way [or the direct way] that leads to the attainment of purity [of view], to the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, to the end of pain and grief, to the entering of the right path, and to the realization of nirvana is the Four Foundations of Mindfulness."

After these ominous introductory words, aasking the question, "What are these four?," it is said that the meditator dwells in contemplation of the body, feelings [sensations], the mind, and mind-objects "ardent, clearly conscious and mindful, after setting aside worldly greed and grief."

Bliss becomes joy.

These four systematic contemplations, in reality, are not taken merely as separate exercises. On the contrary, in many cases, particularly for arriving at the blissful meditative absorptions (jhanas), the four are inseparably associated with one another.

Meditation is the greatest thing!

So the Satipathāna Sutra forms an illustration of the way these four contemplations relate to the Five Aggregates Clung to as Self (khandha) simultaneously come to be realized.

This finally leads to insight and enlightenment (awakening) by directly realizing the impersonal nature of all things and all forms of existence. More

• Introduction to Meditation (The Tig)
• Prince Harry tells Buddhist monk he meditates ‘every day’ during visit to Merseyside with Meghan Markle (The Sun)
• Does Prince Harry Meditate? The Duke Of Sussex Just Revealed His Wellness Routine (Bustle)
• Prince Harry Has a Cute New Hobby and I'd Bet Literal Money It's Inspired by Meghan Markle (Cosmopolitan)
• Meghan Markle Is Using This Centuries-Old Stress Relieving Tool to Prepare for Her Wedding (InStyle)
• Related news from BuddhistDoor Global
• American Actress and British-royal-to-be Meghan Markle Reportedly Combats Stress with Meditation
• Bill Gates Takes Up Meditation to Improve FocusUgandan Buddhist Monk Offers Mindfulness Meditation as an Antidote for Violent Crime in Jamaica
• Study Suggest Buddhist Meditators Can Learn and “Perfect” Meditation-Induced Near-Death Experiences
• Related features from Buddhistdoor Global
• Contemplative Practices: Helping Children Enjoy Meditation
• The Daily Practice of a Modern Chinese Buddhist Nun: Facing the Discomfort
• The Revival of Meditation in China: A Seven-day Retreat at Yuquan Monastery

Rebirth: Indian Buddhism under Modi (video)

Crystal Quintero and Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; BuddhistChannel.tv (buddhistnews.tv); "India Jones and the Election of Doom" (Daily Show with Jon Stewart)

The Daily Show's Jason Jones chases down look-alikes of India's new PM Narendra Modi in an attempt to interview him about a bloody piece of his past. (thedailyshow.cc.com)

 

Rebirth of Indian Buddhism under PM Modi

Senaka Weeraratna, Lankaweb, May 21, 2014

Newly elected prime minister will promote India’s rich Buddhist heritage to attract tourists and scholars and enhance India’s standing in the world.
 
NEW DELHI, India - The world’s first global Buddhist missionary, Anagarika Dharmapala, and the most talked about man in India today and perhaps in the entire policy and decision making world, Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi, share something in common. More

Bangladesh makes amends after anti-Buddhist rampage

Nicholas Farrelly, Myanmar Times, May 22, 2014

In contrast to Burma, the government moved quickly to rebuild and restore Buddhist buildings.

DHAKA, Bangladesh - “Who did this?” I asked a monk [in formerly Buddhist now Muslim "Bangla" or "West Bengal"] on a recent afternoon in Ramu, southeastern Bangladesh. “It was the Islamists,” he replied. He pointed to the marks beneath the glistening new paint where a Buddha’s head had been cleaved off and rented asunder. When asked about the culprits -- “miscreants” in the local application of English – he gave me a glimpse of monastic resignation. “I don’t know. They are people who don’t understand.” More

Lonesome Japanese Buddhist temple comes alive with cute anime characters
Yusuke Kato, Asahi Shimbun, May 19, 2014
TOKYO, Japan - Shoeizan Ryohoji Temple, tucked away in a residential area in western Tokyo, has a 400+ year history. But until just a few years ago, many locals didn’t even know the Nichiren Shu [devotional] sect Buddhist building was there. More

More from BCTV

• India: Buddhist sites' poor upkeep irks Intach
• A train trip in Buddhist India on the "Mahaparinirvana Express" explores the ancient Buddhist trail
• Ancient Buddhist temple found
• Vesak Greetings around the World
• Play explores Buddhist enlightenment 
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First Generation Buddhism in America

“Theravada Buddhism has never gotten proper attention in the literature devoted to Buddhism in the West. Wendy Cadge here observes two Theravada communities in the U.S. to reveal how American Buddhists actually live out their religions. She also offers new and important input into how we think about the role of religion in American society during times of globalization. Heartwood [by Wendy Cadge] will add tremendously to our understanding of the Buddhist tradition in America” — Charles Prebish, Penn State University.

The origin of Theravada Buddhism in America can be traced to a speech made by Anagarika Dharmapala at the World Parliament of Religions meeting in 1893. Born in 1864 in Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon), Don David Hewavitharne became a celibate layman and adopted the title Anagarika Dharmapala, meaning “homeless one,” “guardian of the Dharma.”

Heavily influenced by [Colonel] Olcott (1832–1907) and [Madame] Blavatsky (1831–1891), Theosophists who first visited India and Ceylon from America in 1878 and 1880, Dharmapala spent his life spreading Buddhism around the world. At the Parliament, Dharmapala spoke about how Buddhism, Christianity, and scientific approaches to the world overlap, saying that the “Buddha inculcated the necessity of self-reliance and independent thought,” and “accepted the doctrine of evolution as the only true one.”

Theosophists and others in the United States were influenced by elements of Theravada Buddhism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Groups of Burmese and Sri Lankan monks visited the United States before the first Theravada Buddhist organization was formed in Washington, D.C., in 1966. The Washington Buddhist Vihara and the Buddhist Study Center in New York, the first two Theravada Buddhist organizations in the United States, were... More>>

• Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravada in America

This Week: Wisdom Network News (I)

Buddha tree (religion-cults.com)

Dozens of American Buddhists prepare for 3+ years of silence
Deep in a remote desert valley, Stephane Dreyfus and several dozen other Buddhists are preparing to undergo a mind-altering journey: three years... (San Jose Mercury News, Duke Helfand, 9/19/09).

Vietnamese Buddhist conference set
“Many who are Buddhists and friends of Buddhism would be coming to the temple these days,” said Tapovanaye Sutadhara, director of the Ventura Buddhist... (Ventura County Star, Alicia Doyle, 9/19/09).‎

Arts, Briefly
“Buddhism is an antidote to the characters in the film,” who are “desirous of something spiritual,” said Mr. Imperioli, above.... (New York Times, 9/7/09‎).

Sopranos actor Imperioli directs first film

The resolution of the characters' predicament relies on Buddhist principles (AP).

An excellent example of Asian Buddhist modernist
A major portion of their Anagarika Dharmapala's family riches had to be spent for the upliftment of Buddhist Dharma education and the propagation of the Buddha Dharma because... (Ceylon Daily News, 9/17/09).‎

Inner peace? Ditch the Buddha, buy the T-shirt (USA Today)

Education Board looks at curriculum standards
Why replace Christmas with a Buddhist holiday for study in sixth grade social studies? Why downgrade Cesar Chávez from a “citizenship” role model to a... (Houston Chronicle, - Gary Scharrer, 9/16/09‎).

Interfaith dialogue offered and embraced at Center
Greg Nikon Hicks, a Zen Buddhist Priest, smiles at a student as they introduce each other during a Introduction to Zen Buddhism class at the Mosswood Center... (The Ledger, Cary McMullen, 9/19/09).‎

Concord's resident Lama offers insight into Western Buddhism
At first glance, this might seem strange: A nationally renowned authority on Western Buddhism cavalierly making plans to take in a football game. ... (Concord Journal, Patrick Ball, 9/17/09).‎

Buddhist Quote of the Day: What kind of karma do you drive?
"There is another issue that has important implications for how Buddhism will adapt to a more global role in the future. Karma has been used to rationalize... (Beliefnet.com, 9/17/09).

Buddhist Center hosts total health day
Meditation classes and tips on how to cope with stress will be on offer at a Total Health Day at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green.... (East London Advertiser, 9/17/09).‎

Quick Look
Research papers relating to Buddhism are welcome from a variety of disciplines such as Philosophy, Civilization, History, Psychology, Sociology... (Ceylon Daily News, 9/17/09).‎

VIDEO: UN presses Sri Lanka to release Tamil civilians (Al Jazeera, 9/17/09).

• Sri Lankan SEP holds first meeting for Southern Provincial Council... (World Socialist Website).
• Dayanidhi Maran meets PM over Lanka (Express Buzz).

Burmese monks key to democracy process: rights group
What role does Buddhism play in Burma's democracy efforts? MATHIESON: It plays a very strong role. I mean Burma is a predominantly Buddhist country and... (Radio Australia, Sen Lam, 9/15/09).‎

Against the Stream Buddhist meditation and discussion.
It's great for beginners to Buddhism and meditation, but it is also ample ground for some serious meditation work. The philosophies of the Against the Stream... (Examiner.com, 9/3/09).‎

Shake your Buddha (Creative Loafing).

Meditation pilot for city school
A common objection from parents, especially in highly multi-cultural areas, has apparently been a perception that TM is closely associated with Buddhism... (BBC News, 9/17/09).

• Claims that Transcendental Meditation could help Welsh schoolchildren (WalesOnline).

Museum and Gallery Listings
The paradox of militant Buddhism inspired the Metropolitan's fascinating 2006 exhibition “Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of... (New York Times, 9/17/09).‎

Museum displays finds from around the world
The Buddhism Gallery includes a number of artifacts, including a replication of a Tibetan Buddhist temple, charting Buddhism and its traditions across Asia.... (SJU The Hawk, 9/16/09).‎

Civil rights museum plans first exhibits (Bizjournals.com).

Dalai Lama gives sermons on Buddhism in Dharamsala
Dharamsala, India - ANI: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama gave sermons on Buddhism. The Dalai Lama began the three-day sermons on Buddhist... (Little About blog, 9/15/09).‎

Devotees from 55 countries attend Dalai Lama's teachings (Phayul).

Tibet's mystical castle in Doon (Daily Pioneer).

India Rejects China's Opposition to Dalai Lama Visit (Bloomberg).

What would "Sid" do about my party-hardy neighbor?
How would he combine Buddhism and dating? We all make mistakes on our spiritual journey; here is where they're discussed. Each week I'll take on a new... (Beliefnet.com, 9/19/09).‎

Nepean Buddhists prepare to honor ancestors
The Mondul Ottawa Khmer Buddhist Monastery is gearing up to celebrate the annual Pchum Ben ceremony, a Cambodian festival that honors... (YourNepean.com, Ben Godby, 9/16/09).‎

Buddhism D.I.Y. Style
According to Rob Nairn, a lecturer and author on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, mindfulness may hold the key to the goal which we all strive for: that... (Irish Times - Pamela Duncan, 9/14/09).‎

Monks hold prayers for Dalai Lama's Tawang visit
The Tibetan leader is scheduled to visit Tawang, one of the last vestiges of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism [in India] and a major cause of tension over the decades-old conflict with China... (Reuters India, Biswajyoti Das, 9/17/09).‎

VIDEO: India and China's border bother (Al Jazeera, 9/17/09).

• India vs. China: Dalai Lama's planned visit to border state sparks fight (Inter Press Service).

Himalayan conflict centers on Tibet (guardian.co.uk).

Ancient Book of Buddhism Chantings Found
The book was originally written by a Buddhist master from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and dates back to the 16th century. "We discovered the 'shiphyeondam... (Korea Times, Han Sang-hee, 9/15/09‎).

Buddhist chaplain is Army first
Instead, Dyer, a Tennessean National Guardsman from Memphis and the first Buddhist chaplain in the history of the US Army, hopes to bring serenity and calm... (USA Today, Bob Smietana, 9/8/09).‎

Buddhism in Mexico

Buddhism in Mexico

(Public Radio Int'l)

The World’s Lorne Matalon visits a touring display of ancient Tibetan relics in Mexico City and tells us how Buddhism is gaining popularity in mostly-Catholic Mexico.

• View audio slideshow

Buddhism in Ancient Mexico

Book Reviewer Brian Bruya (Gaia.com)

"If there is a lake, the swans would go there." So said the 16th Karmapa when asked why he visited America in 1976. Of course, the Karmapa wasn't the first swan to go to the lake. In a BOOK of immense scope, Rick Fields surveys the history of Buddhism in America.

From the quasi-legendary Fu-sang in the 6th Century, to Asian immigrant communities, to the latest trends in American Buddhism, Fields goes in depth. Writing as a storyteller as much as a historian, he takes us back to the earliest European contacts with Buddhism.

Most notably, he covers Sir William Jones, who was about to go to America on the recommendation of Ben Franklin when at the last minute he fortunately chose to visit India instead. His work would influence the American Transcendentalists and eventually the great Theosophist and first American convert to Buddhism, Henry Steel Olcott.

A sympathetic writer, Fields is also meticulously inclusive. Besides the obvious transmitters, like Zen pioneers D.T. Suzuki and Roshi Philip Kapleau, Fields traces the forgotten influences of Paul Carus, Ernest Fenollosa, and Dharmapala. One memorable story is of the ex-Navy submarine mechanic Heng Ju, who walked (three steps then a kowtow) from San Francisco all the way to Seattle for a berry pie. Fields has countless stories that make How the Swans Came to the Lake a priceless contribution not only to Buddhism in America but to Buddhism itself. Source