 | Fourth Petra Nobel Conference What happens when King Abdullah II of Jordan invites 30 Nobel Laureates to gather in the ancient jewel of Petra, and "imagine practical approaches to sustainable growth, development, and prosperity, the real foundations of peace"? |
 | H.E. the 7th Dzogchen Rinpoche H.E. the 7th Dzogchen Rinpoche Birth: 1964 in Sikkim Lineage: Nyingma Residence: Karnataka, India Heart Advice: given in 2003 Schedule: Europe, Asia, Australia Website: www.dzogchen.org.in Dzogchen Rinpoche was recognised by His Holiness the fourth Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Thupten Thrinle Palzang, and this was confirmed by His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The enthronement ceremony was officiated by Dodrupchen Rinpoche on the 8th of October 1972, in Sikkim's royal palace at Gangtok. At only twelve years of age, Rinpoche had completed his ritual training and memorised many of the texts that he was to study later on. At the request of the Dalai Lama, Khenpo Mewa Thubten would visit Dharamsala for two months each year, and with him Rinpoche studied Longchen Dzödun, Nyelso Korsum and Kunzang Lamai Shalung. He also received the transmission and teaching of Chokling Terdzö from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Terchö from Dudjom Rinpoche and Könchok Chidü from Trulshik Rinpoche.Throughout his years of study, Rinpoche displayed exceptional learning ability, and although he was up to six years younger than his fellow students in Dharamsala, he quickly mastered the art of debate and revealed a high degree of wisdom. In 1985, Rinpoche accepted an invitation to visit Dzogchen Monastery in Tibet. Rinpoche was able to meet with all the head lamas of his branch monasteries, and he made pilgrimage to many of the regions sacred sites. The same year, at the invitation of his brother, Sogyal Rinpoche, he made the first of what has become a regular series of visits to the Western world; teaching in Europe, America and Australia. He then returned to South India and continued construction of Dzogchen Monastery. In recent years, through the inspiration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and with the generous support of Sogyal Rinpoche and the international Rigpa sangha, Rinpoche has worked selflessly to improve the quality of life for the Tibetan refugee community in India. And, at the same time has continued to care for his monastery, the education, training and welfare of its monks, and the spiritual needs of the local community. http://www.terma.nygma.ru |
 | Phakchok Rinpoche Birth: 1967 in Kalimpong, India Lineage: Nyingma Residence: Heart Advice: given in 2005 Schedule: Website: www.vkr.org The seventh Phakchok Rinpoche, Tendzin Jigmey Drakpa, was born in the Year of the Iron Bird, 1981. The family he was born into is, among the six original clans, the Nangchen Tsangsar of the Khepaga line which were chiefly holders of the Barom Kagyu Dharma lineage, a family line who maintained an unbroken tradition of combining Kagyu and Nyingma. Phakchok Rinpoche's father is Mingyur Dewey Dorje, the fourth incarnation of Tsikey Chokling. The mother is Dechen Paldron who belongs to the Gatsal Tashi Delek family of Gyangtse. He received ordination from Tendzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama and was given the name Tendzin Jigmey Drakpa. Here is a description of the ripening empowerments and liberating instructions Phakchok Rinpoche has received from masters of the Sarma and Nyingma schools of all traditions: From Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche he has received longevity empowerments, the Six Volumes of Jatson Nyingpo, Gyachen Kadzo (of Jamgon Kongtrul). From Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche he has received the empowerments of longevity. From Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche he has received the empowerments for the Rinchen Terdzo, the complete empowerments and reading trans-missions for the New Treasures, the Dzogchen Desum, the empowerments, reading transmissions and instructions for the Kunzang Tuktig, the empowerment of awareness-display and mind-instruction for Dzogchen, the complete empowerments and reading transmissions for the Root Volumes of Nyingtig, the Hundred Cho Empowerments, and the Namkha Gojey. From Kyabje Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoche he has received the complete empowerments and reading transmissions of the Taklung Kagyu, and the complete empowerments and reading transmissions for the collected works and terma teachings of Jedrung Rinpoche. From Kyabje Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche he has received the empowerments and reading transmissions for the Gyudey Kundu. From Sakya Dagtri Drolma Podrang he has received the complete Drubtab Kundu. From his father, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, he has received the complete empowerments and reading transmissions for the Chokling Tersar. From Dzongsar Khenchen Kunga Wangchuk he has received the reading transmission for the collected works of the Five Sakya Forefathers, the Prajñamula, Madhyamikavatara, and the 400 Verses, Sakya Pandita's Tsema Rigter, Tsema Namdrel, the Higher and Lower Abhidharma and other works. From Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche he has received the reading transmission for the Tengyur, the Great Collection of the Translated Treatises. From Kyabje Penor Rinpoche he has received the complete empowerments for the Rinchen Terdzo. From Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche he has received the complete reading transmissions for the Rinchen Terdzo. From Arik Khenchen Petse Rinpoche he has received explanation to the Guhyagarbha Tantra and the Manjushri Nama Sangirti, as well as mind-instruction. From Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche he has received the complete empowerments for the Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. From Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche he has received the Togal Cycle of Khenpo Ngakchung's Hearing Lineage, as well as mind-instruction. From Kyabje Namkha Drimey Rinpoche he has received the empowerments and reading transmissions for the Gesar Cycle. From Kyabje Dabzang Rinpoche he has received the reading transmission for the Nagya Pagsum. From Kyabje Tsetrul Rinpoche he has received the Jangter Cycle of Gongpa Zangtal. Thus he is gaining mastery of an ocean-like amount of studies and understanding. http://www.terma.nygma.ru http://www.heart-advice.org |
 | France on damage control amid Chinese protests The president of the French Senate is in China on behalf of President Nicolas Sarkozy to try and dampen the anti-French sentiment that has been on the rise since the Olympic torch relay disturbances in Paris. Christophe Robeet explains. French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday sent his personal support to a wheelchair-bound Chinese athlete caught up in Olympic torch protests in Paris, as fresh anti-France rallies exploded across China. In a letter delivered by the visiting French Senate president, Sarkozy condemned the attacks on Jin Jing, who was forced to shield the torch from pro-Tibet protesters during the relay's chaotic Paris leg. The message was given to Jin as China sought Monday to dampen anti-French sentiment triggered in part by that incident, which has flared into three days of demonstrations targeting French store Carrefour. "I was shocked to see what happened during the torch relay," French Senate president Christian Poncelet said in Shanghai, quoting from Sarkozy's letter. "It is understandable that the Chinese people feel hurt. I hereby strongly condemn what they did." Jin, who is a fencer, was attacked when protesters repeatedly disrupted the April 7 relay, and had to fend off attempts to grab the flame. Sarkozy invited her to France, saying those behind "this painful incident" did not represent the feelings of friendship between the two nations. The incident has turned Jin into a hero figure while the state-run press here has used it as symbolic of the disruption that has marred the relay and angered Chinese hoping for a successful Beijing Olympics in August. Over the weekend, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside many of the French retail giant Carrefour's 122 branches nationwide. The store has denied claims it supports exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Despite an impressive police presence, demonstrations continued Sunday with protesters chanting slogans and holding banners against Tibetan independence. Fresh protests erupted in nine cities on Monday. For the fourth straight day, the leading People's Daily carried Monday an editorial urging Chinese to be "rational" in showing their "patriotism." All major dailies also prominently ran a denial by Carrefour of its alleged support for Tibetan independence. France said Sunday it would send former prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin to Beijing later this week on a previously scheduled trip. Also expected in the Chinese capital was Sarkozy's top diplomatic adviser, Jean-David Levitte, on a mission arranged after the protests broke out. China has become increasingly angered by protests over Tibet that have marred the torch relay in Paris, London and San Francisco. Anti-China demonstrations have grown internationally since Beijing started quelling unrest in Tibet last month, when peaceful protests turned into riots and spread through neighbouring Tibetan-populated areas. Despite the calls for calm, state press on Monday accused the Dalai Lama of trying to sabotage the Olympics by fomenting unrest in his Himalayan homeland. Exiled Tibetan leaders say more than 150 people have died in the government crackdown on unrest. China says Tibetan "rioters" killed 18 civilians and two policemen. Comments this month by Sarkozy that he might boycott the August 8 Olympics opening ceremony unless China opened a dialogue with the Dalai Lama have also appeared to fuel the action against Carrefour. Despite becoming an unwitting symbol of the outrage, Jin has been criticised by some Chinese Internet users for voicing opposition to boycotting Carrefour, arguing it employs large numbers of Chinese. "Everyone has freedom of speech. It's fine that we see different feedback. I have respect for what they said," she said Monday in response to the criticism. Original video: http://www.france24.com/en/20080422-paris-honors-dalai-lama-chinese-dissident-france-china-protests&navi=FRANCE?q=node/1375990 + http://www.cctv.com/english/20080422/101078.shtml |
 | Om Mani Padme Hum 4 The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. P d, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. "So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The Tibetan pronunciation of the mantra of Avalokiteśvara is "Om Mani Peme Hung" and the sanskrit is pronounced "Om Mani Padme Hum" and when you chant this mantra you invoke the Buddha of compassion or Avalokiteśvara , this buddha manifests in HH the Dalai Lama and he is that buddhas earthly incarnation.................... OM MANI PADME HUM. THE MYSTIC LAW IS THE LOTUS SUTRA. This is the true interpretation. The most powerfull of mantras, written on tibetan prayer flags and hung out in the wind, whatever beings are touched by the wind that has passed across the mantra are highly blessed and will attain enlightenment. It is said that the whole Lotus Sutra is in this one mantra. |
 | Buddhist Chanting, Lotus Sutra http://www.encognitive.com The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra; 妙法蓮華經 Chinese: Miàofǎ Liánhuā Jīng; Japanese: Myōhō Renge Kyō; Korean: Myobeomnyeonhwagyeong; Vietnamese: Diệu Pháp Liên Hoa Kinh) is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sutras in East Asia and the basis on which the Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established. The Lotus Sutra was probably compiled in the first century CE in Kashmir, during the fourth Buddhist Council of the newly founded Mahāyāna sect of Buddhism, more than 500 years after the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. It is thus not included in the more ancient Āgamas of Mahāyāna Buddhism, nor in the Sutta Pitaka of the Theravada Buddhists, both of which represent the older Buddhist scriptures which to a greater amount of certainty can be historically linked to Shakyamuni Buddha himself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Sutra |
 | Om mani padme hum 6 Budhist Mantra - Om Mani Padme Hum. "It is very good to recite the mantra. According to Gen Rinpoche's" The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum" is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. P d, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. "So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The Tibetan pronunciation of the mantra of Avalokiteśvara is "Om Mani Peme Hung" and the sanskrit is pronounced "Om Mani Padme Hum" and when you chant this mantra you invoke the Buddha of compassion or Avalokiteśvara , this buddha manifests in HH the Dalai Lama and he is that buddhas earthly incarnation.................... OM MANI PADME HUM. THE MYSTIC LAW IS THE LOTUS SUTRA. This is the true interpretation. The most powerfull of mantras, written on tibetan prayer flags and hung out in the wind, whatever beings are touched by the wind that has passed across the mantra are highly blessed and will attain enlightenment. It is said that the whole Lotus Sutra is in this one mantra. |
 | Om Mani Padme Hum - Sanskrit Short Form (108 Repetitions) Gen Rinpoche's definition "The mantra Om Mani Päme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pä, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. — Gen Rinpoche, Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum Fifteen Major Benefits 1.In all lifetimes, one will meet with virtuous kings - religious kings like His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other virtuous leaders - and by being in such a place where there is a virtuous king one will have much opportunity to practice Dharma. 2.One will always be reborn in virtuous places where there is a lot of Dharma practice, where there are lots of temples, where one can make lots of offerings, where there a lot of holy objects, statues, stupas and so forth. Being in a place where there are all these holy objects gives one the opportunity to practice Dharma, to create the cause of happiness, to accumulate merit. And being in a place where there are many in the city doing practice inspires oneself to practice Dharma, the cause of happiness. 3.One will always meet with fortunate times and good conditions, which will help your Dharma practice. Having many good things happen it inspires you to practise Dharma, to receive teachings and to meditate. 4.One will always be able to meet with virtuous friends. 5.One will always receive a perfect human body. 6.One's mind will become familiar with the path, with virtue. 7.One will not allow one's vows, one's morality to degenerate. 8.People around you - family, Dharma students, people in the office, and so one - will be kind and harmonious with you. 9.You will always have wealth, the means of living. 10.You will always be protected and served by others. 11.Your wealth will not be stolen or taken away by others. 12.Whatever you wish will succeed. 13.You will always be protected by virtuous nagas and devas. 14.In all lifetimes, you will see Buddha and be able to hear the Dharma. 15.By listening to the pure Dharma, you will be able to actualise the profound meaning, emptiness. It is said in the teachings that anybody who recites this mantra with compassion - devas or humans - will receive these virtues. In addition, the mantra has the power to heal many diseases and to protect from any harms. The Benefits of Chanting OM MANI PADME HUM Lama Zopa Rinpoche When one who recites ten malas a day [Repeating this video 10 times = under an hour].... Such a person becomes meaningful to behold; being seen and touched becomes a means of liberating other sentient beings. This means that even the person's breath touching the bodies of other sentient beings purifies their negative karma. - http://www.medicinebuddha.org/chenrezig.htm Digital Prayer Wheels featured in this video: "His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, has said that having the mantra on your computer works the same as a traditional Mani wheel. As the digital image spins around on your hard drive, it sends the peaceful prayer of compassion to all directions and purifies the area." Music is an excerpt of Deva Premal. Courtesy of dharma-haven.org For some Mantra downloads to help you with your Japa, please go to: http://www.mantra.lilasakura.com (Sometimes the website is temporarily down, if so, please try again later) |
 | China's Tiananmen Square massacre - Thousands remember It seemed that the 19th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing would pass quietly this year amid shock over the devastating Sichuan earthquake. But in the end a couple of interesting things happened regarding both the anniversary and the quake. Thousands of people jammed Hong Kong's Victoria Park last night, enough to cover seven soccer fields. Crowd estimates range from 15,000 or so to nearly 50,000. Organizers decided to commemorate both the Tiananmen bloodbath as well as the huge toll from the Sichuan quake. So Hong Kong remains the epicenter, as it were, of collective memory about the events of June 4, 1989, when soldiers from the People's Liberation Army fired on and killed hundreds, and maybe thousands, of pro-democracy protesters in and near the main plaza in Beijing. The topic remains radioactive in China, where all media and internet mention of the events are flatly banned. And the Chinese Communist Party has done a pretty good job of erasing memory among youth of what happened that day. Most university students and those younger know only vaguely of those long-ago events. But this wound has not healed. For one thing, dozens of people remain in prison for their involvement in the pro-democracy protests. Early last month, I spoke by telephone with Joshua Rosenzweig of the Dui Hua Foundation in San Francisco, an organization that works to free political prisoners in China. I didn't get a chance to write a news article at the time about Dui Hua's appeal for a blanket amnesty for June 4th prisoners. But it is worth noting that China has tied itself into some legal knots as it tries to become recognized as a state with rule of law even while denying legal recourse to these prisoners. According to Dui Hua, 60 to 100 people remain in prison for June 4, 1989, involvement. Tam2 "Many of the remaining June 4th prisoners who remain in prison today, that we know about, we're charged with hooliganism. That crime doesn't exist anymore," Rosenzweig told me. So there you have it. Still in prison for a crime that isn't a crime. And it's been nearly 20 years. Anybody care to defend this policy? Dui Hua last month called for a blanket pardon for those among the prisoners who clearly are no longer a threat to society. The last such pardon was in 1975. Speaking of interesting commemorations, the South China Morning Post has a story this morning about the Dalai Lama leading a prayer ceremony of his Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, for the victims of the May 12 earthquake, which took some 70,000 lives. Here's an excerpt from the Morning Post's article, which unfortunately is behind a pay wall: A banner expressing condolences in Chinese characters was hung at the main entrance of the monastery, an unusual sight in Dharamsala, while monasteries across India also held similar ceremonies yesterday morning, according to Lawrence Brahm, a columnist who participated in the ceremony. The ceremony, which lasted for one hour and 15 minutes yesterday morning, was attended by Samdong Rimpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, together with all the members and staff of the exiled government. "It is a very strong positive message to China. And this can be interpreted as the kind of gesture China has been waiting for," Brahm said by telephone from Dharamsala. "While China has repeatedly asked them [the Dalai Lama's side] to exert some control over the protesters, stop all the protests during the mourning period, it is the kind of gesture that goes beyond simply Dalai Lama himself saying prayers." Brahm said the ceremony was held yesterday because it was the opening day of the month-long Sagadawa festival commemorating the birth of Buddha. |
 | WHO WROTE BIBLE?AUTHORS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS NEVER MET PROPHET JESUS (PBUH),THE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE FOUR GOSPELS,FOURTH GOSPEL,THE USE OF "FATHER" AND "SON"(PART 2) The meaning of the word of God.PROPHET JESUS (PBUH), THE PROPHET OF GOD DESCRIBED IN THE HOLY QUR'AN ,PROPHET JESUS (PBUH), THE PROPHET OF GOD DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT The life of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) refutes the Trinity,The birth of Prophet Jesus, his lineage, and family,Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) human characteristics,Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was a servant in need of God's mercy,Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) prayers to God ,The New Testament calls him the prophet of God,The essence of Prophet Jesus' message: believe in and serve God,Sincere Christians who adhered to the message of Prophet Jesus (pbuh): The Nazareans,The Nazarean Message,THE AUTHORS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS NEVER MET PROPHET JESUS (PBUH),The Gospel's authors,The differences among the four Gospels,The Fourth Gospel ,THE USE OF "FATHER" AND "SON"......All in my videos The Qur'an is God's revelation.QUR'AN is the GREATEST Miracle. Some miracles of the QUR'AN (38 PART) 1)Creation of the universe 2)Expansion of the universe 3)Black Holes 4)Orbits and rotating universe 5)Duality in Creation,Sub-Atomic Particles 6)Matter Transmission 7)The Exploration of space 8)The seperation of the heavens and the Earth 9)The Alaq Clinging to the Uterus 10)The Wrapping of Muscles over the Bones 11)The layers of the atmosphere 12)The Layers of the Earth 13)The Gender of the Child 14)Stages of the baby in the womb 15)The importance of Movement in Sleep 16)The identity in the fingerprint 17)The protected roof 18)The returning sky 19)The mystery in iron 20)Land loss at the Extremities 21)Seas not mingling with one another 22)Function of mountains 23)The Well-Guarded sky 24)Winds That Fecundate 25)The Moving mountains 26)Rain in measured amounts 27)The Region Responsible for our Movements 28)Combustion without Fire 29)Word repetitions Historical Miracles of the Quran 30)Byzantine Empire's Victory 31)The Preservation of Pharaoh's Body 32)The Conquest of Makkah 33)The tribe of israel will become haughty 34)Haman and ancient egypt monuments 35)The troubles which afflicted pharaoh and those around him 36)The city of iram 37)The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah 38)the people of saba and arim flood.... The unique style of the Qur'an, which was revealed 14 centuries ago, and the superior wisdom it represents are definite proof that it is the word of Allah. Additionally, the Qur'an has many miraculous aspects which prove that it is sent by Allah. One of them is that some scientific facts, which we have only been able to discover by the technology of the 20th century, were stated in the Qur'an 1400 years ago. These facts which could not have been known at the time of the Qur'an's revelation once again show to the man of today that the Qur'an is the word of Allah. ALLAH Kuran Islam,God-devoted,mash lima,Muslim, Muslims,Quran Koran,Koran on-line,God, Mohammed, Mohammad, Muhammad, muhammed, muhamed, Mohammed, Koran on German, Islam leader, human rights humans the Islam as religion on allah camii prayer believes to God Islamic jesus koran kuran minarett mohammed mosque Muslim Muslim mash lima quran religion Bible Christian Christianity Christ church Evangelist gospel free church prayer municipality believes like a Christian believes to God service youth catholic children church dear mission music religion Bible Christian Christianity Christ church Evangelist gospel freely free church municipality glaeubig believes like a Christian believes God service jesus youth group of young people catholic children church religion sin Asia buddha buddhism buddhistisch China dalai Lama hinduismus India mahayana meditation philosophy religion sangha spiritualitaet tantra temple Thailand terrorism,Mrs.true religion, prophet, Jesus, Christian, chamfered, hidjab, to pray learn, prayer washing,paradies,hell fires clothing,Germany,girl,peace,prayer,wars,believed,head prophet religioncloth,mosque,war,peace,Satan,satanisch,angel,religio ns,faith,prayer,word of God, glaubensbekenntnis, grundpfeiler,Bible,Bible and Koran, Tora Moses, the Psalmen David, the gospels,holy,Suren,prophet,hadith, Sunna,God envoy holy, welfare,holy war,Ramadan, pilgerfahrt, Shiite, Sunniten, Muslim population, state religion, holy war,foreigner, Turkish,truth,Islam and science,faith,Islam and Christianity,english katolik romanist, Roman, Catholic, Roman Catholic,papalist,papist Catholic,popish,papistic,papistical,Roman Catholic,orthodox nasa esa nasda planets big bang big crunch black holes earth mercury venus saturn world mars jupiter uranus pluto neptun phobos deimos cosmos space space man creation human people astronomy atom proton electron notrino notralino simetric astronaut,spaceman,spacewoman,newyork oxford washington iraq middle earth persia palestine newyork washington space traveler white dwarfs neutron pulsar nova cosmology cosmolog Cosmologia Generalis science, |
 | BBtv WORLD (Tibet): Inside Lhasa Today's episode of Boing Boing tv is a new installment of our "BBtv World" series, in which we bring you first-person accounts of life around the world. In this episode, I travel to Lhasa during an annual Tibetan Buddhist festival. ~ ~ ~ ~ The first thing that hits you when you arrive in Lhasa is just how close to the heavens you are. Literally. The average elevation in Tibet is 16,000 feet. The fact that this place is known as the "Roof of the World" makes sense as your newcomer lungs and blood struggle to adjust to the altitude. Beijing says Tibet is historically part of China, not a sovereign nation. China's army invaded Tibet in 1950. Years of bloody conflict followed. In 1959, Tibet's traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled into exile in India. China has governed over Tibet since then. During the fourth lunar month in the Tibetan calendar, ethnic Tibetans celebrate the annual festival of Saga Dawa. Tibetan Buddhists believe that on the full moon in this month, in various years of his life, the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment, and died. A large armed police presence surrounded the festival during the year I shot the footage you'll see in this episode. When we asked one pilgrim why, she said "Because when too many Tibetans gather in one place, they are afraid we'll rise up." In 2008, Saga Dawa fell on the heels of a violent government crackdown on pro-independence protesters throughout Tibet, during the run-up to the Olympics. Thousands of armed troops filled Lhasa and outlying towns, and large numbers of "suspects" were rounded up and jailed. Widespread reports of human rights abuses filtered out, despite a virtual communications blackout. This year's Saga Dawa festival also fell near the anniversary of the Tiananmen democracy protests, and authorities cited fears that this would inspire more protest in Tibet. While first-person accounts were hard to come by, there were many reports of ethnic Tibetans being blocked from the traditional pilgimage route around Lhasa in the name of state security. BBtv online: http://tv.boingboing.net |
 | Monlan Festival, Xiahe Gansu China - Alfredo Bini. ITA Labrang stands near Xiahe, small town placed in a valley surrounded by endless grasslands, at 2920 m height, near the border with Qinghai. Its importance for Tibetan Buddhism lies in the fact that it is the seat of the living Buddha in Labrang, Jiamuyang. This lama is the third in order of importance, after Dalai Lama and Pancen Lama. Moreover Labrang is the biggest Buddhist monastery out of Tibet border, and, in order of importance, it is second only to Lhasa. This monastery was built between 1650 and 1700 by Rangzongtsé, the first Jiamuyang, and at the height of its magnificence, housed about 4000 monks. It was, and it currently is, a kind of superior school, like a boarding school. In it there are schools of Art, medicine, of pagan and religious Buddhist traditions. Before Chinese Cultural Revolution, there ware 38 monasteries (Lamaserie) and about 80 temples. Monlan or Great Pray The most important event of the year for the monastery is Monlan or Great Pray. Tibetans refer to a moon calendar, therefore the date of this anniversary change every year. Monlan starts three days after Tibetan New Year's Day, which usually falls in February or March. Four days long lasting spectacular ceremonies draw to the city nomads from grasslands, shepherds and pilgrims, each one coming dressed with his own colourful clothes. Especially girls wanting to marry adorn themselves with beautiful golden and coral jewels and put on their most gaudy dresses. It is not only a religious holiday, it is also a chance to meet someone and spend some time together. Many families living far from each other meet during this holiday; young people make the most of the opportunity to meet their future consort. On the street you can watch actors' performances. Everybody without exception prays to get new merits for his next life. During the fist day of the celebration, early in the morning, a holy image of Buddha, painted on a huge (35 x 25 m) thangka is displayed to all pilgrims. The image is laid on a holy hill on the southern bank of Dàxià Hè River. Many people take part to this ceremony, and the devoutness showed in front of the painting is unequalled compared with other religious event. All religious leaders of the monastery are present, including all living Buddhas living there. In the second day there is Qiamuqia -- devils dance. This event was related also by Marco Polo, who visited the monastery during his stay in China. The monks from dance school perform the whole day with very coloured masks and cloths. Such dances aim to avert evil spirits and to show people, originally nomad and ignorant, the Tibetan "bible". The third day, all night long, monks display very beautiful and coloured sculptures, made of Yak butter, symbolising different Buddhas. Pilgrims go many times by the sculptures and pray with very deep devotion. The sculptures are displayed in the night because, in spite of the low day temperature -10°/-15°, the strong sun irradiation could spoil the statues. The fourth day the statue of Maitreya is carried around the whole monastery's perimeter while a throng of believers follows this procession. |
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