Vesak celebration, NoHo (May 28, 2014)

Wisdom Quarterly; Abbot Ven. Sirinwasa, Sarathchandra Buddhist Center, No. Hollywood

The Sri Lankan Theravada center has ongoing meditation and Dharma classes

Sunday, May 18: Vesak 2558 (2014), 10717 Oxnard Street, North Hollywood 91606

 

For a Vesak celebration in every state in the USA this month, track down the nearest Thai (Yellow Pages), Sri Lankan (Sinhalese), Burmese (worldwide), Laotian, Cambodian (Khmer), Vietnamese, Indonesian, or American Theravada Buddhist Center (such as IMS or Spirit Rock or other Insight Meditation centers). There are now countless Buddhist Websites and centers (Wiki) to be found using StartPage.com or Facebook.

• World Buddhist Directory (BuddhaNet.info)
• Buddhist Radio, LA: Alan Watts two-hour special (KPFA, 8:00-10:00 am, May 18, 2014 from Roy of Hollywood's Something's Happening, Pacifica Network)

Vesak celebrations sweep across Los Angeles

Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Bhante, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly  THREEFOLD VESAK

Indonesian Buddhist Vesak, May 25, Ontario, So. California (DhammaCakraTra)

 

Birth of Siddhartha, Salabhanjika

The full moon day of May marks the traditional anniversary of three major events in the Buddha's life, and Buddhists celebrate it worldwide as the most significant holiday on the calendar of observances.

Some call it "Buddhist Christmas" as it commemorates the Buddha's birth somewhere northwest of India 26 or more centuries ago. But his birthday is only important because of something that happened 35 years later.

 

Vesak 2013 (LABV)

Now in the Buddhist-year 2558, families gather, children and elders dress in all white. Flowers flood shrines. Candles glisten, incense smoke permeates the air with many perfumes. There are devotional activities, recitations, meditations, and eight precept observances.

LABV Vesak 2012

After all, what we are really celebrating is Prince Siddhartha's renunciation and conquest of suffering, the enlightenment (mahabodhi) and glimpsing nirvana.

People still become enlightened, still glimpse the timeless bliss of nirvana, but what does not happen is the arising of a world teacher, a samma-sam-buddha, a "perfectly and fully enlightened teacher" of the Path to Enlightenment, replete with mental and linguistic abilities that make possible the establishing of the Dharma in the world-system again.

 

Overcoming Mara's army, tide of death

Such a person will come -- far in the future when the Dharma has disappeared and the world is rapidly decaying. "But the world is rapidly decaying right now!" some say. It will get even worse before it turns around. Being cyclical in nature, it always turns around. And that goes not only for this plane of existence -- this Human Realm which extends far off the planet to include other planets that other "humans" inhabit.

 

On Earth we are earthlings and unique for that, but among humans we are only a part of the puzzle of which the class is composed. We are fortunate beyond belief that it was here that Siddhartha Gautama, the Shakyan prince, heir of a human kingdom (likely in modern A5fghanistan beyond the area and territories that would have been considered "India," as if India were a country then) practiced here, became enlightened here, and established the Dharma here for the benefit of devas and humans, and other living beings.

 

Massive Vesak celebrations, Dhammakaya (dimc.net), Azusa, Los Angeles (WQ file photo)

 

Buddha flags, Lantau Island (m.gin/flickr)

Other living beings? Our scientific Western education tells us we are the only ones who exist. We very quickly forget the other animals that far outnumber us on this planet. We are not allowed to seriously entertain talk of ghosts, the dead, shapeshifting spirits, divinities, titans, gnomes, avians, reptilians, poltergeists, sylphs, goblins, ogres, or maras (spiritual killers). They are well remembered in our histories, our cosmologies, and our mythologies. And even when scientists study them, all that happens is that those "scientists" lose the label. They have stepped out of bounds of what the gatekeepers will allow. So when will UFOs be real? When academics, approved scientists, and government officials give us permission to believe our eyes -- and not a moment sooner! So look down, bow your heads, brothers and sisters, a raise a mighty voice unto the Judeo-Christian "lord," the approved God in capitalism, in whom we trust, with obedience and discipline for all. The priests in white lab coats approve of some gods, not others.

And to this day after 45 years of the Buddha's teaching, the Dharma survives -- fragmented, obscured, and falling but nevertheless still sufficient that some attain the knowing-and-seeing the Awakened One intended when he taught others to awaken.

Vesak, named after the Indian lunar calendar month Vesakha, marks the birth, enlightenment, and final nirvana of the Buddha. These events took place years apart on the full moon day of that month.

 

Buddhist flags above golden Buddha (WQ)

Los Angeles is being swept up in celebration in Theravada temples across the county. Sri Lankan temples, adhering closely to the Buddhist traditions of ancient India, raises Buddhist banners (rainbow colored with a lot of monastic orange).

How Los Angeles celebrates Vesak

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara, Pasadena

Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara, 920 N. Summit Ave. at Mountain, Pasadena, CA 91101

The Buddha against the clouds on the island, Bentota Gama Vihara, Sri Lanka

  

A shower of Dharma, a spiritual offering to the Buddha, is made through the cultivation of virtue and meditation (sila-bhavana).

"The audience (hearers and learners) of Gautama ever awakens happily, day and night recollecting the qualities of the Buddha."

- Dhammapada

 

Gal Vihara (UNESCO/Alagz/mac.com/flickr)

The Pasadena monastery, known as the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara on Mountain and Summit, planned out a full day of activities open to all on Vesak, May 17, 2014. At 8:00 am we took on eight precepts and participants recollected and made offerings to the memory of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. At 9:00 am there was morning tea, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) having been a British colony previously known as the Island of Serendipity. At 9:15 Ven. Karunagoda gave English meditation instructions. At 10:45 there were more devotions and offerings to the memory of the Buddha. 

Adam Eurich, Dr. Ven. Karunananda (WQ)

At 11:00 there was a lunch of island delicacies -- red field rice, green jack fruit, golden curry, orange dal, bright greens with coconut shavings, crisp yellow papadum, fruits, treacle sweets, colorful strips of sauteed vegetables in tangy juices, and more. At 12:00 pm there was a recess to digest all that great food. At 12:30 pirith (parittas, protective mantras) chanting. At 1:00 there was a Dharma Forum, a lively discussion on the Buddha's message, with audience questions, and three very learned monks and a nun to discuss. At 3:30 we had more tea; it's what Ceylon and the Lipton Company are famous for. At 3:45 there was a Dharma Sermon in Sinhalese by a guest monk. At 4:45 a Buddhist Sermon and meditation practice in English with Ven. Chandananda, recently back from Sri Lanka. And at 6:00 a concluding eight precept observance (when practitioners revert to observing the Five Precepts), closing with a sharing of merits.

"We can influence others for the good by the good we are thinking."

- the Buddha

Day went into night with the cultural program running from 6:00-10:00 pm. The summer-like evening began with devotional songs (bhakti gita), a free food stand (dansala), and the exhibition of the rotating Vesak lantern.

While this event sounds unique splendid, it is only one of dozens throughout the city this month as Burmese, Thai, Laotian, Cambodian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Bangladeshi temples also celebrate. There are at least eight local Sri Lankan temples. On Sunday the North Hollywood Sarathchandra Buddhist Temple puts on a larger display. The highlight will be the big all-Buddhist Thai lay Dhammakaya-meditation movement evening, which annually invites every single Buddhist school and tradition to participate. Happy Vesak!

 

Documenting Buddhism in America (seekingheartwood.com)

• The Buddha's Birthday at Dhammakaya, L.A.
• Hindu temple opening in Chicago, Illinois

Buddhism in SWEDEN is growing fast!

Jaya (Buddhist Broadcasting Network, bbncommunity.com, 9-11-13); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

It is evident that Europe is changing very rapidly, economically and socially. Although these changes are widely discussed in the media, there are a few that attract very little attention.

 

The change in demography, in particular the growth of alternative religions, is one notable item. Sweden is no exception.

Due mainly to the arrival of Diasporas and the organic growth of Eastern traditions, such as Buddhism, many domestic people are paying attention. Buddhism is still relatively small in Sweden. But in recent years it has seen tremendous growth. It is trending, and estimates on new Buddhists are on an upward swing.

• Indigenous Buddhism in Kalmykia, Europe
• Swedish Christmas in Buddhist Los Angeles
• Buddhism in Russia and Yetis in Siberia
• Celtic Buddhism in Ireland

In April 2011 (the last year for which reliable data are available) it is estimated to have risen to around 35,000 to 40,000 or 0.38-0.43% of the Swedish population, making it the third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.

 

Most practitioners have Asian backgrounds from Thailand, China, and Vietnam. According to official reports in 2011, Buddhism is proportionally the fastest growing religion.

There are now several Buddhist temples in Sweden, including Stockholm (Theravada Thai and Sri Lankan), Borås, Eslöv, Gothenburg, Fredrika, and other parts of Sweden.

 

A BNN reader reports that a giant project in the northernmost part of Sweden is underway. It is supposed to be the biggest Buddhist center in Europe. It has now, however, had to scale back its plans to get clearance for its application to build. But once the project is completed, Sweden will have an enormous Buddhist center that can facilitate more followers.

 

 

Stockholm Buddhist Temple

The Stockholm Buddhist Vihara (monastic residence) is a Buddhist temple in the Theravada tradition. Like old centers in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and elsewhere, it was established by the Sinhalese community to continue an ancient tradition of spreading the Dharma or Dhamma. The center was built in Sweden in 1985 by the Sri Lanka-Sweden Buddhist Association (SIDA) in conjunction with the arrival of the first resident monastic in Stockholm. It is the first ever Buddhist temple formed in Scandinavia, and the members are mostly of Sri Lankan origin.

A Scandinavian home
SIDA came into being in 1983 as a result of the energetic efforts and dedication of ardent Buddhist devotees who gathered in Stockholm during the winter of 1982 to discuss the possibility of forming an association.

Their courage and determination resulted in establishing a temporary organization, which became permanent after a general meeting in March, 1983 at the SIDA Auditorium in Stockholm.
 
Once established in 1985 the Stockholm Buddhist Temple moved to several temporary locations until the monastics and devotees succeeded in acquiring a permanent building for the center in Jakobsberg in 1995.

Thai Temple in Gothenburg
In 2005 Mrs. Eh and her husband Stein donated five hectares in northern Rörum for a temple building. However, lack of municipal water and sanitation would have meant additional costs if it had been built there.
 
So in 2006, Mrs. Eh and her husband found a property, one owned by a Thai/Swedish family, was for sale. They jumped at the opportunity to create a temple in southern Sweden and decided to purchase the property.
 
The temple has been built by Theravada Thai Buddhists and their partners living in southern Sweden. They have received help from the monks of Wat Pa in Copenhagen under the direction of Abbot Phar Kru Somsak.
 
Theravada temple in Skåne Åstorpsvägen

Buddhism is not a law or set of dogmas. It is a direct path to enlightenment, something to be undertaken and verified for oneself. Since it is not a "religion" in our Western sense, one need not abandon any faith or creed to practice.

It is often spoken of as an Eastern philosophy or a way of life, says the Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Assati. All are welcome here to meditate, not only Buddhists. When the temple at Railway Road 13 in Åstorpsvägen was recently inaugurated, about 100 people attended. Most were Sri Lankan Buddhists from southern Sweden who previously had to travel to Stockholm or Copenhagen, where there are already Buddhist temples.
 
"Some attendees were not Buddhists," says Mr. Nandi Dei Zylva, Chairman of Standing Behind the Temple, a Sri Lankan Buddhist cultural association in Skaane. "My wife, for example, is a Christian."

"We’re neighbors with Björnekulla Church, and the pastor and his family came here," continues Mr. Dei Zylva. "They were very friendly and accommodating and said that our visitors were free to use their parking [lot]."

The temple in Åstorpsvägen was financed by members and is a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple, unlike the Bjuv, which is Vietnamese. Bhikkhu Assati explains the difference:
 
"Buddhism, which originated in Nepal and India, has two branches -- ours called Theravada [Teaching of the Buddha's Elder enlightened disciples] and the Bjuv called Mahayana [Great Vehicle]. Theravada is more conservative than the Mahayana. It is much like the difference between Catholicism and Protestantism."

• [A more apt comparison might be Sufism to Islam or Judaism to Christianity because both are related but one is a popularization and is ten times larger.]

"Regardless of the difference, we have a good working relationship with the temple in Bjuv," adds Mr. Dei Zylva. "Before we got our own [Theravada] temple, we went there often."
 
The temple’s representatives wish many Åstorpsbors will come to visit and meditate. They welcome all who feel the need to replace their daily stress with a moment of contemplative rest.
 


In addition to the Bjuv Buddhist temple of Sweden, there is a Vietnamese temple in Katrineholm.

Full Moon Observance/War Crimes

Wisdom Quarterly; LABuddhistVihara.org, 11-17-13

Lunar observance flyer

November 17: The Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara in Pasadena is a Sri Lankan Theravada monastery and temple complex. It observes the traditional lunar observances (uposathas), which include the practice of the Eight Precepts (sila or sill), meditation (bhavana), hearing the Dharma (bhana).

• Next lunar observance: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2013 - Sill Program (Eight Precept observance and meditation)

Sinhalese war crimes against Tamil minority

Krishnadev Calamur (NPR.org, Nov. 15, 2013)

Rajapaksa (Chris Jackson/PA/Landov)

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa defended his country's human rights record amid a barrage of criticism as the [largely Buddhist] Indian Ocean island-nation hosts the Commonwealth summit [with prominent nations boycotting].

 

"Civilians, women, children, and pregnant women were brutally killed by the terrorists continuously for 30 years, and none are being killed now," Rajapaksa said [as if to justify the war crimes he committed and those of previous administrations]. "That is the peace the country has won."

 

Sri Lanka has only recently emerged from a bloody decades-long civil war [the longest in Asia], which pitted the country's Sinhalese [Buddhist] majority with separatist [Hindu] Tamil rebels in the north and east of the island nation. [Tamils have lived on the island, coming from neighboring Tamil Nadu, India, a few miles away by a strait, Palk Bay, that is sometimes traversable by foot.] 

 

Buddhism traveled through Asia from India

Human rights groups allege that tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed [in a genocide that followed decades of prejudicial treatment by the majority Buddhist Sinhalese] in the final push against the few rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

 

The issue has dominated the Commonwealth meeting, which begins in [the Sri Lankan capital of] Colombo this week. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Canada's Stephen Harper are among the leaders who have stayed away [boycotting the meeting to demonstrate against human rights abuses by Pres. Rajapaksa and previous administrations]. India has a significant Tamil population of its own.

 

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is attending the meeting, says he will ask Rajapaksa "tough questions" on human rights and war crimes charges.

Rajapaksa heads the Commonwealth for the next two years. The group comprises countries that were former British colonies. [Sadly, not all Buddhist monks stayed neutral during the civil war, evincing nationalist sympathies against the direct calls of elder Sangha leader pleading for peace and neutrality.]

Sri Lankan war crimes

North was once a Tamil majority area

Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)

Wisdom Quarterly is a great fan and supporter of Sri Lanka, a beautiful Buddhist island nation and former colony of the British and Portuguese. But one need not be blind to love it. We will not defend, conceal, minimize, or collude with ANY country's government engaging in systematic institutional racism, war crimes, genocide, or abuse of its citizens, not even if that country is our own.

 

Our weapon-dealing, conflict-loving USA is much to blame for the civil strife in Sri Lanka, playing the Gandhi Family's India and Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan against Sri Lanka's majority government. There is perhaps no country in the world that is not touched and ruined by our CIA, which has now become a transnational institution unto itself, an ally of the military-industrial complex rather than the vast majority of American citizens. Americans know more about the secret NSA and its illegal activities than we even begin to suspect about the CIA and its push to destabilize governments worldwide to serve the interests of business and multinational corporations.

While we do not agree with the Tamil separatist movement, it is certainly understandable why it happened: decades, perhaps centuries, of abuse by the majority Sinhalese population. The island's civil war was never a religious conflict, but it certainly got painted as such. Nearly all Tamils are traditional Hindus. And there are sizable Muslim (as in the nearby Maldives), Christian (remnants of British rule), and Catholic (remnants of Portuguese) minorities.

Sri Lanka's government repeatedly colluded to lengthen the war rather than rushing to end it at all costs. A previous president was assassinated for playing both sides (Tamil and Sinhala) to advance his own hold on power. A Gandhi was taken out by a disgruntled Tamil on account of the civil war, India never being able to overtly support the Tamil separatists, though perhaps aiding them covertly. CIA and British involvement is implicated, with America working its own strategy of supporting and pressuring all sides and all countries involved. The US trained Sri Lankan government and police services, so their draconian use of force was not completely unexpected. 

Indian atrocities

The same outrages occur in Kashmir between India and Pakistan and China. It is impossible to fully side with India against Pakistan because of its unconscionable abuse of Kashmiri Muslims. Indian militants -- sent to occupy the Himalayas by the Indian government to maintain its Line of Control (border) with Pakistan, China/Tibet, and Afghanistan -- disappears, imprisons, tortures, recruits, beats, and murders Kashmiris on a regular basis. This behavior against its Muslim-majority neighbor (Pakistan), created by the exiting colonial British with their successful "divide and conquer" strategy, is not limited to a sworn enemy. It is visited upon tiny landlocked Nepal, which is utterly dependent on India economically and politically. 

Nepal is mainly Buddhist, as all Himalayan nations (former kingdoms) traditionally were. But it is now the world's only "Hindu nation." This is brought about by Indian influence and census manipulation. Nepalese cry out every time we point out that the Buddha came from India. The Buddha was not born in India. He came, according to Dr. Ranajit Pal, from what is now Afghanistan and what was then the northwest frontier of greater India (Bharat) in the region of ancient Gandhara. There was no organized or united "India" at that time, only loosely affiliated maha janapadas (great clan territories).