In western popular culture Buddhist monks often are depicted as unflappably serene, wise, and really, really nice. So it might be jarring to hear about Buddhist monks behaving very badly. But, in fact, sometimes they do behave very badly.
...The government of China has released a documentary through its CCTV global media outlet that claims His Holiness the Dalai Lama is behind the wave of self-immolations in China. About 34 ethnic Tibetans, most of them Buddhist monks and nuns, have set fire to themselves over the past few months to protest Chinese oppression of Tibetan Buddhism.
...Now that I've got a Facebook fan page to maintain I'm spending a lot more time on Facebook. I think about half of the posts from friends that scroll down my "home" page are pictures of babies or pets, or graphics with inspirational sayings. Sometimes they are pictures of babies/pets with inspirational sayings.
...I'm ambivalent about Mother's Day. I'll be spending some time with my adult children later today, which I enjoy. But my own mother is long gone, and I miss her.
It seems lately that half the people I know are losing their parents. Of course, this is part of the natural progression. There was a time that half the people I knew were finishing school and starting careers. Then half the people I knew were getting married. Then they were having babies. Then the babies were graduating. Now half the people I know are losing parents to old age, disease, and death.
...Following up the last post -- a reader who appeared to know what he was talking about (although I have no way to know) said that Michael Roach's prohibition on criticizing clergy is based on the 6th Precept, not the 13th, as I had guessed. If so, this makes Roach's interpretation even more out of whack.
...Continuing some of the issues brought up in "Psychosis, Stabbing, Secrecy & Death at a Neo-Buddhist University in Arizona" by Matthew Remski. Remski was a student of Michael Roach some years ago, and while he does not have first-hand knowledge of the death of Ian Thorson, I assume he does have direct knowledge of how Michael Roach teaches.
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There's been no media coverage of the death of Ian Thorson, which surprises me. Someone asked if there's a news embargo on the story. I can't imagine how there could be. It's more likely the story just hasn't caught anyone's attention outside of American Buddhist circles.
Vesak is May 5 in many traditions, especially in most of southeast Asia. Here is a Buddha from Thailand, in honor of the birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana of the Buddha.
Last week a man was found dead in a cave in Arizona. The local newspaper reported that the man was Ian Thorson, 38, who was the husband of Christie McNally.
If the names are not familiar -- Christie McNally was once the spiritual partner of Michael Roach, an American man who was ordained in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. I believe Roach still considers himself to be a monk, although Gelugpa would disagree. His Holiness the Dalai Lama considered Roach's relationship with McNally to be a breach of his monastic vows and barred Roach from further involvement with the order.
...I've said before that it's perilous to try to understand Buddhism just by reading about it on your own. It's like finding your way in the woods without a guide. Here's a great example, from Dosho Port.
...For the past several days there have been news stories from Sri Lanka about Buddhist monks attempting to tear down a 50-year-old mosque. This morning I read that the government of Sri Lanka plans to relocate the mosque. Muslims are saying they will not relocate.
...As I wrote Monday, today the third World Buddhist Forum, hosted by China, began in Hong Kong. It is also the 23rd birthday of His Holiness Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, who is either a political prisoner of China or dead.
Predictably, news of the forum has focused on China's puppet Panchen Lama, whose name appears in press releases as Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu rather than the more common Gyaltsen Norbu. I don't know why the name changes from here to there, but it's clearly the same guy in the photographs as the one named Gyaltsen Norbu.
An official in the Press Section of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi told Phayul that the real 11th Panchen Lama "...is currently in mainland China along with his family and he doesn't want to be disturbed." And why doesn't he want to be disturbed? Because the Dalai Lama is "fabricating the truth." Right.
...Partly as a follow up to the last post, which touched on China's plan to appoint the next Dalai Lama -- there seems to be considerable confusion about just what the Dalai Lama is and does. I often run into "commentary" on the Web complaining that His Holiness opposes China because he wants to turn Tibet back into a theocracy.
...This Wednesday, His Holiness Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, will observe his 23th birthday. This assumes he is still alive, of course, and I think it likely he is not. Those who might know are not talking.
...Genju asks, "Which do you follow: the teacher or the teachings?" It's a good question. From reading comments here the past four years, I get the impression that some of you do follow one teacher pretty faithfully, and others of you are more focused on the teachings.
...Justin Whitaker's post "In Search of Original Buddhism," although interesting, describes a "search" that I think is beside the point, somehow. But let's look at this search for a minute, anyway.
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I found an essay by Tsoknyi Rinpoche (I believe the Rinpoche is of the Phaktru Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism) titled "The Meaning of Virtue and Virtuosity." Which got me thinking about the word virtue. Just what is "virtue," anyway?
Awhile back I created a list of the succession of Dalai Lamas. Doing the research was fascinating and fun, but also frustrating. His Holinesses 9 through 12 all died too young to have left much of a mark, or much in the way of a biography.
When I first read this article by Charles Prebish on Precepts practice in Western Buddhism, I thought he was arguing that we must somehow re-invent the Precepts to make them relevant in the West. It turns out that wasn't exactly what he meant to say.
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(jpellgen / flickr.com / Creative Commons License)
Ryoanji -- Temple of the Peaceful Dragon -- is a Rinzai Zen temple near Kyoto that is best known for its garden of gravel, rock and moss. But other parts of the grounds are beautiful as well. Here are flowering trees at Ryoanji in honor of Hanamatsuri, "flower festival," which is the celebration of Buddha's birthday in Japan. Hanamatsuri is held every year on April 8.