2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the promulgation of India’s constitution: itself a complex and multilayered story in which Buddhism is interwoven. This year’s reception bid farewell to Mr. Puneet Agrawal as India’s consul-general in Hong Kong and Macau. Buddhistdoor Global first began collaborating on Buddhist projects with his predecessor. Under Shri Puneet Agrawal’s consulship, […]
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In Praise of the Monastic Experience, a Taste of Chinese Buddhism
In July I read the account of a philosopher spending time at the famous Trappist monastery called the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. This is the place where Thomas Merton lived for a while in the 1960s. Reflecting on the beauty and simplicity of monastic vocation, the philosopher wondered, “why do so few people choose […]
China’s Harmony and Freedom from Fear
Amid the turmoil and scandal of the contemporary political world, many eyes are turning toward China as a natural counterbalance to the stumbling United States. The continued growth, both internally and externally in influence, trade, new ports and infrastructure around the world should give pause to any China skeptics still remaining out there. The political […]
Spiritual Colossi: Buddhism and Christianity in China and America
As the United States launches its long-awaited trade war against China, I wonder whether something subtler, but just as significant, is bubbling under the already tumultuous surface. I pondered for a short while whether this observation held any water. After all, indirect pressures or persuasions, rather than outright pronunciations and their enforcement, characterize the influence […]
Recognizing the future in a greater self
It is commonly understood that the final goal of Buddhist practice involves a realization of not-self, or no-self; the direct “seeing” that there is no substantial and lasting essence in “me” (or in “you” or in anyone else). In American society, this can conflict with our desire to have a “healthy self-image” or adequate self-esteem. […]
Bridging China and Japan, the Buddhist Way
It’s the rawest of sensitive matters, the heaviest of historical burdens. I am referring to the shadow of past pain, bloodshed, and war crimes inflicted by Japan against China during the Pacific War that raged from 1937 until 1945. Yet behind the scenes of turbulent political relations and unhealed wounds, influential Buddhist forces in China […]
Hong Kong’s Buddhists Plug into the Belt and Road Initiative
By Arun Kumar Yadav Over the past few years, several major Buddhist institutions in Hong Kong, including the famous Chan monastery of Po Lin, have expressed their interest in participating in China’s monumental Belt and Road Initiative. Another such group is the Institute of Maitreya Studies, a non-governmental organization based in Hong Kong. On its […]
Dharma Dispatch, 16-27 April 2018: Prayers on the Korean Peninsula, Chinese IPOs, and Ambedkar Memorial
Good morning! Before the landmark meeting between South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which led to the official ending of the Korean War, Buddhist organizations met in South Korea to pray for peace, stability, and unification on the Korean Peninsula. On 12 April, 400 Buddhist nuns from 12 countries, including South […]
Dharma Dispatch, 2-11 April 2018: World Buddhist Forum, Vajrayana International Center, and Plastic-free Supermarkets
Good morning! The China Religious Culture Communication Association (CRCCA) has announced that the fifth session of the World Buddhist Forum will be held at the coastal city of Putian, in China’s Fujian province. The announcement was made by Chen Zongrong, vice chairman of the CRCCA, at a press conference, on 8 April in Beijing. Several senior […]
Into the Dharmadhatu: China, India, and Asia’s Buddhist Destiny
At a recent meeting with Buddhistdoor Global, British-born Lokamitra, who has long been involved in Indian (particularly Dalit) affairs since the 1970s, ended his presentation on his institute, Nagaloka Centre in Nagpur, with an observation: “The future of the world will be strongly influenced by relations between India and China. The Buddhist connection can contribute […]