Tibetan Monks Beaten, Detained
2011-06-07
They are held for demonstrations against Chinese rule.
AFP
Tibetan monks at a monastery in China's southwestern Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, March 23, 2008.
Three Tibetan monks in a Tibetan-majority area of China protested against Chinese rule in separate actions this week, drawing severe beatings by police, sources in the region and in exile said.
The protests took place in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, an area known for frequent protests by Tibetans against Beijing's rule.
“On June 6, at around 2:30 pm, two young monks appeared at Do Sengge in Kardze town, a place used by police for their headquarters,” a local Tibetan told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity and identifying the protesters as Tsewang Tashi and Gyurme Sonam, both around 18 years old.
“They shouted slogans calling for the long life and return to Tibet of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and calling for freedom for Tibet. They also threw leaflets in the air,” the man said.
Police rushed in and attacked the two with iron rods before detaining them, he said, adding that “local residents saw stains of blood on the pavement from the beating.”
Speaking separately to RFA, another resident of Kardze town confirmed the incident, saying that though she did not witness the event, “I heard from others that two monks had protested downtown.”
‘Gestures of support’
The next day at around noon, another monk staged a solitary protest in downtown Kardze, and was also detained and beaten, sources said.
“At mid-day today, June 7, a monk named Oser Phuntsog suddenly appeared in the middle of town and shouted slogans,” Tenzin Namgyal, a former Tibetan political prisoner now based in India said, citing contacts in the region.
“Since there was an incident in Kardze the day before, armed police forces were present everywhere, and [Oser Phuntsog] was detained, severely beaten, and taken from the area,” he said.
“Many Tibetans who witnessed the incident made gestures of support and showed their displeasure when Oser Phuntsog was beaten and taken away.”
“No information is available about his present condition or whereabouts,” he said.
A Tibetan living in Belgium confirmed the protests had taken place, citing sources in Kardze.
“Three monks protested in Kardze town for two days in a group of two monks on June 6 and one monk on June 7,” the source, named Trechoe, said.
“They are currently detained at a prison in Kardze town near the hospital,” he added.
Attempts to reach Kardze police authorities for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Reported by RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/protest-06072011204542.html
2011-06-07
They are held for demonstrations against Chinese rule.
AFP
Tibetan monks at a monastery in China's southwestern Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, March 23, 2008.
Three Tibetan monks in a Tibetan-majority area of China protested against Chinese rule in separate actions this week, drawing severe beatings by police, sources in the region and in exile said.
The protests took place in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, an area known for frequent protests by Tibetans against Beijing's rule.
“On June 6, at around 2:30 pm, two young monks appeared at Do Sengge in Kardze town, a place used by police for their headquarters,” a local Tibetan told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity and identifying the protesters as Tsewang Tashi and Gyurme Sonam, both around 18 years old.
“They shouted slogans calling for the long life and return to Tibet of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and calling for freedom for Tibet. They also threw leaflets in the air,” the man said.
Police rushed in and attacked the two with iron rods before detaining them, he said, adding that “local residents saw stains of blood on the pavement from the beating.”
Speaking separately to RFA, another resident of Kardze town confirmed the incident, saying that though she did not witness the event, “I heard from others that two monks had protested downtown.”
‘Gestures of support’
The next day at around noon, another monk staged a solitary protest in downtown Kardze, and was also detained and beaten, sources said.
“At mid-day today, June 7, a monk named Oser Phuntsog suddenly appeared in the middle of town and shouted slogans,” Tenzin Namgyal, a former Tibetan political prisoner now based in India said, citing contacts in the region.
“Since there was an incident in Kardze the day before, armed police forces were present everywhere, and [Oser Phuntsog] was detained, severely beaten, and taken from the area,” he said.
“Many Tibetans who witnessed the incident made gestures of support and showed their displeasure when Oser Phuntsog was beaten and taken away.”
“No information is available about his present condition or whereabouts,” he said.
A Tibetan living in Belgium confirmed the protests had taken place, citing sources in Kardze.
“Three monks protested in Kardze town for two days in a group of two monks on June 6 and one monk on June 7,” the source, named Trechoe, said.
“They are currently detained at a prison in Kardze town near the hospital,” he added.
Attempts to reach Kardze police authorities for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Reported by RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/protest-06072011204542.html
Tokyo, Japan -- On the 7th day after the earthquake, at precisely 2:46 p.m., sirens rang out along Japan’s northeastern coast. Millions paused, placing their palms together and bowing their heads to remember those who were lost. In the Japanese Buddhist funerary cycle, the living perform rites for the dead every 7th day, continuing until the 49th day after death. Spirits of the deceased are believed to spend 49 days traveling to their next rebirth.
<< Mass memorial at Higashi Honganji in Kyoto - (from bukkyo-times.co.jp)
As communities transition to harsh new realities, Japanese Buddhist groups are hard at work in expected ways, performing memorials for those lost and comforting those displaced. Perhaps unexpectedly, they are also organizing an effective emergency response.
Such Buddhist organizations’ efforts are rarely documented despite a remarkable level of activity. The mainstream media is focused on sensational artwork, festival, or scandal, rather than the ways these organizations contribute to civil society. Yet, not only have Buddhist groups set up memorial services, prayers, and vigils, they have also created special bureaus to respond to the disaster.
These bureaus mobilize nation-wide temple networks, fundraise, coordinate assessments of affected areas, and arrange temporary lodging. They gather supplies to fulfill both the immediate and long-term needs of those who have lost their homes, providing food, blankets, heaters, and portable toilets. And, they dispatch priests, laypeople, and youth to deliver these supplies, to support the work of local followers, and to offer comfort. To date, Buddhist groups have devoted the equivalent of tens of millions of Canadian dollars in funds and organizational capacity to disaster relief.
One of these Buddhist groups, the Otani-ha, has a large membership and temple network in the affected region. Over one hundred Otani-ha temples and graveyards were damaged or flooded, a few extensively. In response, money and supplies have flowed from headquarters and parish districts throughout Japan, some collected at a mass vigil attended by over 4,000 people at the head temple in Kyoto, called Higashi Honganji. As well, a growing number of affiliated temples, schools, and meeting halls have opened their gates and are prepared to house displaced individuals and families for many months regardless of religious affiliation.
On the 49th day, the sojourning spirit settles into its new life. On the 49th day after the earthquake and tsunami, Japanese Buddhist organizations will be settling into longer-term projects of relief and reconstruction, actively facilitating the process of recovery, even as the nuclear crises and hardships of displacement continue. They perform rites, and work through their institutions, for a Tohoku and Kanto region reborn.
Article source: http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/japanese-buddhism-after-earthquake
While many saffron-robed foreigners are genuinely interested in studying religion, some are entering Thailand illegally to beg for money from the public
* Published: 26/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News
The presence of more than 300 foreign Buddhists at a Bangkok temple has raised concerns that some might be bogus monks begging for money and preying on people.
Almost 300 foreign monks live in tents at Wat Talom in Bangkok’s Phasicharoen district where six Burmese monks, a Mon monk and a Cambodian novice were arrested on charges of illegal entry to the country last week. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD
Officers from the Immigration Bureau, Thammasala police station and the National Buddhism Bureau inspected Wat Talom in Phasicharoen district early on March 17 following complaints that hundreds of foreign monks had sought shelter at the temple.
The team found about 300 monks and novices from various countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos and Burma living in tents on the temple grounds.
Many had entered the country legally, with some carrying tourist visas and some using foreign students' visas.
Eight, including six Burmese monks, one ethnic Mon monk and one Cambodian novice, failed to produce travel documents and ordination certificates.
The eight were defrocked and sent to the Immigration Bureau on illegal entry charges.
Pol Col Chartchai Iamsaeng, deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau's investigation centre, who led the inspection, said members of the public had complained that many monks, thought not to be Thai nationals, lived in the temple and some went out in the afternoon to collect alms, which was against Buddhist teaching.
Phra Maha Boontheung Chutinatharo, abbot of Wat Talom, said the foreign monks had entered the country legally to study dhamma and some wanted to visit Thailand.
Many monks from overseas wanted to study here as Thailand was known for its Buddhism studies. "Residents living near the temple might not be aware that many monks staying at the temple are foreign monks who entered the country to study Buddhist teachings," said the abbot.
"Those foreign monks do not have the same custom of completing their alms-collecting by 10am, the way we do."
Nopparat Benjawattananan , director of the National Buddhism Bureau (NBB), said 1,057 foreign monks sought permission from his office to live in the kingdom last year.
Most came from Cambodia with 279, followed by Bangladesh 264, Nepal 131, Burma 104, Laos 46, China 34, Malaysia 33, Vietnam 29, the United States, 23, and Indonesia 18. The rest were from other countries, he said.
Thailand's reputation as a haven for Buddhist studies had opened the way for gangs to enter the country under the guise of being foreign monks, said the NBB director.
A source said Singapore and Malaysia had also grappled with problems of bogus monks begging for money.
Mr Nopparat said the NBB could not control foreign monks who had not registered with his agency.
Bogus monks had entered the country using tourist visas.
The NBB did not know how many foreign monks had entered the country. Foreigners wanting to study at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University or Mahamakut Buddhist University could directly seek permission from those two Buddhist universities.
Mr Nopparat said he would invite representatives from the two universities to discuss the registration of foreign monks with his agency to ensure better controls.
Kai (real name withheld), 40, who lives near Wat Talom, said most foreign monks had left the temple following news reports about their presence.
However, he believed some of the monks were still staying in the country, begging for money.
He said they would probably return to the temple after news about them faded away.
"The problem started about 10 years ago when the temple changed abbots," he said.
Boonchai Chuecharnwong, a businessman in Bang Bua Thong area, condemned those who wore saffron robes to exploit Buddhism.
Monastic police patrol city
Many people know the city administration is responsible for ensuring the safety of Bangkok residents. Its city inspectors or thetsakit officials are assigned to help police guard the city.
But only a few people know about the monastic police whose task is to protect Buddhism.
The National Buddhism Bureau formed a group of officials to monitor the wayward activities of Buddhist monks in Bangkok and surrounding provinces a long time ago.
The monastic police look for monks who fail to adhere to their vows or are involved in disciplinary or legal wrongdoing and report their misconduct to the bureau. The bureau will alert the police, who apprehend the monks, said Udom Songkhajorn, a bureau official.
There are about 15 monastic police officers in Bangkok. The officials are divided into four teams.
The duties of the monastic police are similar to those of thetsakit officials as they have no authority to make arrests. They only pass on information as whistleblowers.
Monks accused of breaching Buddhist teachings or involved in wrongdoing will be investigated by a panel of monks. If there is a basis to the accusation, the monks will be defrocked.
Mr Udom said cases against wayward monks in the provinces would be handled by provincial Buddhism offices.
Bangkok Post
* Newspaper section: News
The presence of more than 300 foreign Buddhists at a Bangkok temple has raised concerns that some might be bogus monks begging for money and preying on people.
Almost 300 foreign monks live in tents at Wat Talom in Bangkok’s Phasicharoen district where six Burmese monks, a Mon monk and a Cambodian novice were arrested on charges of illegal entry to the country last week. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD
Officers from the Immigration Bureau, Thammasala police station and the National Buddhism Bureau inspected Wat Talom in Phasicharoen district early on March 17 following complaints that hundreds of foreign monks had sought shelter at the temple.
The team found about 300 monks and novices from various countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos and Burma living in tents on the temple grounds.
Many had entered the country legally, with some carrying tourist visas and some using foreign students' visas.
Eight, including six Burmese monks, one ethnic Mon monk and one Cambodian novice, failed to produce travel documents and ordination certificates.
The eight were defrocked and sent to the Immigration Bureau on illegal entry charges.
Pol Col Chartchai Iamsaeng, deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau's investigation centre, who led the inspection, said members of the public had complained that many monks, thought not to be Thai nationals, lived in the temple and some went out in the afternoon to collect alms, which was against Buddhist teaching.
Phra Maha Boontheung Chutinatharo, abbot of Wat Talom, said the foreign monks had entered the country legally to study dhamma and some wanted to visit Thailand.
Many monks from overseas wanted to study here as Thailand was known for its Buddhism studies. "Residents living near the temple might not be aware that many monks staying at the temple are foreign monks who entered the country to study Buddhist teachings," said the abbot.
"Those foreign monks do not have the same custom of completing their alms-collecting by 10am, the way we do."
Nopparat Benjawattananan , director of the National Buddhism Bureau (NBB), said 1,057 foreign monks sought permission from his office to live in the kingdom last year.
Most came from Cambodia with 279, followed by Bangladesh 264, Nepal 131, Burma 104, Laos 46, China 34, Malaysia 33, Vietnam 29, the United States, 23, and Indonesia 18. The rest were from other countries, he said.
Thailand's reputation as a haven for Buddhist studies had opened the way for gangs to enter the country under the guise of being foreign monks, said the NBB director.
A source said Singapore and Malaysia had also grappled with problems of bogus monks begging for money.
Mr Nopparat said the NBB could not control foreign monks who had not registered with his agency.
Bogus monks had entered the country using tourist visas.
The NBB did not know how many foreign monks had entered the country. Foreigners wanting to study at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University or Mahamakut Buddhist University could directly seek permission from those two Buddhist universities.
Mr Nopparat said he would invite representatives from the two universities to discuss the registration of foreign monks with his agency to ensure better controls.
Kai (real name withheld), 40, who lives near Wat Talom, said most foreign monks had left the temple following news reports about their presence.
However, he believed some of the monks were still staying in the country, begging for money.
He said they would probably return to the temple after news about them faded away.
"The problem started about 10 years ago when the temple changed abbots," he said.
Boonchai Chuecharnwong, a businessman in Bang Bua Thong area, condemned those who wore saffron robes to exploit Buddhism.
Monastic police patrol city
Many people know the city administration is responsible for ensuring the safety of Bangkok residents. Its city inspectors or thetsakit officials are assigned to help police guard the city.
But only a few people know about the monastic police whose task is to protect Buddhism.
The National Buddhism Bureau formed a group of officials to monitor the wayward activities of Buddhist monks in Bangkok and surrounding provinces a long time ago.
The monastic police look for monks who fail to adhere to their vows or are involved in disciplinary or legal wrongdoing and report their misconduct to the bureau. The bureau will alert the police, who apprehend the monks, said Udom Songkhajorn, a bureau official.
There are about 15 monastic police officers in Bangkok. The officials are divided into four teams.
The duties of the monastic police are similar to those of thetsakit officials as they have no authority to make arrests. They only pass on information as whistleblowers.
Monks accused of breaching Buddhist teachings or involved in wrongdoing will be investigated by a panel of monks. If there is a basis to the accusation, the monks will be defrocked.
Mr Udom said cases against wayward monks in the provinces would be handled by provincial Buddhism offices.
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post, Apr 4, 2011 
Bangkok, Thailand -- The country's first and only college for Buddhist nuns has suffered a discouraging setback, with only 20 prospective students applying to join the institution this academic year. << Nuns at Mahapajapati Buddhist College in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Thong Chai district undertake a prayer session as a part of their training programme. LAMPHAI INTATHEP Thanyamas Netenoi, 30, a teacher of academic affairs and a Buddhist nun, said this represented only a tenth of the college's capacity. Established 13 years ago by the late Khunying Kanitha Wichiencharoen, the Mahapajapati Buddhist College (MBC) under the Supreme Patriarch has offered bachelor degrees in Buddhism to nuns and other women. Students are also taught other academic disciplines, similarly to those offered in mainstream universities. Located in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Thong Chai district, the college has provided Buddhism education at the faculty of Buddhism and philosophy, and Buddhism teaching at its faculty of education. The college's curriculum is set by Ma hamakut Buddhist University in Bangkok. Normally, about 100 students enroll to study at the college each year. The low enrolment this year was blamed on a poor public relations drive. Mae Chee Thanyamas admitted that some Nakhon Ratchasima natives did not even know the MBC was in their province. Tuition fees are set at 360 baht a month but students who participate in 80% of the college's chanting ceremonies will be allowed to study free of charge. Applications began on April 1 and will be accepted until the end of next month. Mae Chee Thanyamas said the college's priority was not academic achievement, but rather developing good people who could live a happy life and contribute to society. She said many students who graduated from well-known universities might excel academically but fail in their social lives. ''Our society is now in need of good people more than the geniuses,'' she said. At the college, the nun said, the students learn how to survive in society. They learn how to handle problems and solve them with dhamma principles. The college also plans to open a new faculty, Social Administration, next academic year, said Mae Chee Thanyamas. Suteera Vichitranonda, advisory committee president of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, said the MBC has been left to stand on its own because of what she claimed was the state's discrimination against nuns. The Education Ministry has refused to apportion funds to MBC because it was for nuns and not for monks, she said. She also claimed the Interior Ministry had refused nuns the right to exercise their voting rights, saying they hold cleric status. As a result, financial support for the college has come from Mahamakut Buddhist University's fund-raising efforts and other activities. http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,10035,0,0,1,0
The monks and I: Teaching and learning in Thailand
By Richard S. Ehrlich, CNNGo.com, 31 March, 2011
International volunteers pay to teach Buddhist monks in Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi. Journey to nirvana not guaranteed
Bangkok, Thailand -- Foreigners are being invited to teach English to Buddhist monks at two temples in Thailand -- at a cost of hundreds of dollars.
<< Foreign teachers can expect to work six hours a day, but can spend the rest of their time absorbing Thai culture. And staff at one temple claim that many visiting instructors "experienced nirvana temporarily" during meditation sessions. The temples, Wat Luang Phor Sodh in Ratchaburi and Wat Doi Saket in Chiang Mai, run slightly different programs, but essentially offer the chance to learn about Thai culture while teaching English. Foreign teachers have to pay for their own lodging, food and other expenses, as well as their airfare to and from Thailand. And though all of the saffron-robed monk students are male, the temples welcome both men and women teachers.
"All English speakers are welcomed," said Dr. Barton "Bart" Yanathiro, a 75-year-old American Buddhist who helps run the classes in Ratchaburi, about two hours southwest from Bangkok by bus.
Dr. Yanathiro is the temple's secretary for international affairs and assists with the Immersion in Buddhist English Program. He also manages the Buddhist Meditation Institute, which teaches meditation in English, as part of the World Buddhist University.
Dr. Yanathiro said the abbot and several monks at the temple already speak English, and "a foreign professor monk" heads the teaching program.
"We began informally two years ago, but last year was our official opening," said Dr. Yanathiro. "We have had a total of 18 teachers and 85 registered students so far. Two teachers stayed long-term, but most came for one to two months.
"The [monk] students learn English from fluent English-speakers, and the teachers learn meditation and Thai Buddhist culture."
Classes run from May 23 to September 7, and from October 10 to February 22, 2012.
When foreign instructors are not teaching the monks, they can study Buddhist Samatha-Vipassana meditation, in an English-language program led by Dr. Yanathiro.
"Numerous teacher volunteers have been able to meditate to experience nirvana, and get advice from Buddha or the Noble Disciples," he said. "This is an undreamed of, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Of 16 teachers since the very beginning, six experienced nirvana temporarily. An additional three transcended beyond this world to Dhammakaya, and another three more achieved trance states like heavenly bliss. The remaining four only attained inner peace."
All of the monk students are male, but both temples welcome male and female teachers from abroad >>
Asked about their purported temporary experience of nirvana, Dr. Yanathiro replied: "I am using the official definition, where one actually sees and communicates with Lord Buddha and his disciples.
"Most amazing is the personal instruction some have gotten directly from Buddha. One was taken to a volcano and told to jump in. When he did so he became one with the earth. In another meditation he became a tree. Another teacher-meditator experienced becoming a leaf on a tree which then fell to earth, decayed and became part of the earth.
"They see Buddha and the disciples. Communication is by direct telepathy, so language is irrelevant. One does get clear verbal communications, but more impressive are their descriptions of experiences such as feeling oneself becoming a tree."
None of the teachers reported any side effects from their trances.
'Hey, fat lady! You so beautiful!'
Foreigners who want to teach and study at the temple can register with Global Service Corps of San Francisco, via its website which offers classes lasting two weeks or longer.
Fees, described as "Service-Learning Program Contributions," start at US$1,480 for a two-week program and jump $415 dollars for each additional week, up to a 13-week program which costs a total of $6,045. After that, the weekly fee increases by $255.
The temple provides "a U.S.-style house across the street from the wat, which has two bedrooms for two people each. A cabin and separate dormitories for men and women, which are more spartan, are also available inside the temple," Dr. Yanathiro said. Thai cuisine, non-vegetarian and often spicy, is included.
An American woman, who taught at the temple, wrote in her "CHITARITA" blog in 2010 that shortly after she arrived, a good-natured monk called out to her: "Hey, fat lady! You so beautiful!"
She described her role as an English teacher at the temple as a "culture shock" and fascinating life-changing experience.
In Chiang Mai, Wat Doi Saket welcomes foreign teachers but does not actively encourage meditation, though they are welcome to study Buddhism in their free time.
"I have been developing this program since October 2009," said Wat Doi Saket's teaching director David Poppe, 25, who was born in Simsbury, Connecticut.
"The temple has 160 novice monks, and class sizes range from six to 35. Given the size and schedule of the school, only two volunteers can live here and teach at one time.
"Teachers can expect to work roughly four to six hours per day, with the mornings free."
Wat Doi Saket's English teaching program is part of the ATMA SEVA Foundation. Foreigners pay much less to teach English at Wat Doi Saket, compared with the teaching and meditation program in Ratchaburi.
The first volunteer came for four months and paid 30,000 baht (US$1,000). A two-week trip would cost between 5,000 to 8,000 baht, depending on accommodation and working hours.
"At the wat, there is a kitchen below the volunteers' bedrooms, and each day one of the cooks delivers breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Mr. Poppe said.
"So far, none of the volunteers has been Buddhist. Religion has no bearing in regards to acceptance to the program. The goal is to improve conversational English, and if volunteers are interested in Buddhism they can pursue infinite knowledge, but nothing is scheduled or pushed."
Mr. Poppe first came to Thailand in 2007 and while not a Buddhist himself, is "very intrigued by Buddhism."
"I can arrange meditation retreats, dharma lectures, and have access to Buddhist resources if the desire to learn is present," he said.
--------
Richard S. Ehrlich is from San Francisco, California. He has reported news for international media from Asia since 1978, based in Hong Kong, New Delhi and now Bangkok.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,10025,0,0,1,0
By Richard S. Ehrlich, CNNGo.com, 31 March, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand -- Foreigners are being invited to teach English to Buddhist monks at two temples in Thailand -- at a cost of hundreds of dollars.
<< Foreign teachers can expect to work six hours a day, but can spend the rest of their time absorbing Thai culture. And staff at one temple claim that many visiting instructors "experienced nirvana temporarily" during meditation sessions. The temples, Wat Luang Phor Sodh in Ratchaburi and Wat Doi Saket in Chiang Mai, run slightly different programs, but essentially offer the chance to learn about Thai culture while teaching English. Foreign teachers have to pay for their own lodging, food and other expenses, as well as their airfare to and from Thailand. And though all of the saffron-robed monk students are male, the temples welcome both men and women teachers.
"All English speakers are welcomed," said Dr. Barton "Bart" Yanathiro, a 75-year-old American Buddhist who helps run the classes in Ratchaburi, about two hours southwest from Bangkok by bus.
Dr. Yanathiro is the temple's secretary for international affairs and assists with the Immersion in Buddhist English Program. He also manages the Buddhist Meditation Institute, which teaches meditation in English, as part of the World Buddhist University.
Dr. Yanathiro said the abbot and several monks at the temple already speak English, and "a foreign professor monk" heads the teaching program.
"We began informally two years ago, but last year was our official opening," said Dr. Yanathiro. "We have had a total of 18 teachers and 85 registered students so far. Two teachers stayed long-term, but most came for one to two months.
"The [monk] students learn English from fluent English-speakers, and the teachers learn meditation and Thai Buddhist culture."
Classes run from May 23 to September 7, and from October 10 to February 22, 2012.
When foreign instructors are not teaching the monks, they can study Buddhist Samatha-Vipassana meditation, in an English-language program led by Dr. Yanathiro.
"Numerous teacher volunteers have been able to meditate to experience nirvana, and get advice from Buddha or the Noble Disciples," he said. "This is an undreamed of, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Of 16 teachers since the very beginning, six experienced nirvana temporarily. An additional three transcended beyond this world to Dhammakaya, and another three more achieved trance states like heavenly bliss. The remaining four only attained inner peace."
All of the monk students are male, but both temples welcome male and female teachers from abroad >>
Asked about their purported temporary experience of nirvana, Dr. Yanathiro replied: "I am using the official definition, where one actually sees and communicates with Lord Buddha and his disciples.
"Most amazing is the personal instruction some have gotten directly from Buddha. One was taken to a volcano and told to jump in. When he did so he became one with the earth. In another meditation he became a tree. Another teacher-meditator experienced becoming a leaf on a tree which then fell to earth, decayed and became part of the earth.
"They see Buddha and the disciples. Communication is by direct telepathy, so language is irrelevant. One does get clear verbal communications, but more impressive are their descriptions of experiences such as feeling oneself becoming a tree."
None of the teachers reported any side effects from their trances.
'Hey, fat lady! You so beautiful!'
Foreigners who want to teach and study at the temple can register with Global Service Corps of San Francisco, via its website which offers classes lasting two weeks or longer.
Fees, described as "Service-Learning Program Contributions," start at US$1,480 for a two-week program and jump $415 dollars for each additional week, up to a 13-week program which costs a total of $6,045. After that, the weekly fee increases by $255.
The temple provides "a U.S.-style house across the street from the wat, which has two bedrooms for two people each. A cabin and separate dormitories for men and women, which are more spartan, are also available inside the temple," Dr. Yanathiro said. Thai cuisine, non-vegetarian and often spicy, is included.
An American woman, who taught at the temple, wrote in her "CHITARITA" blog in 2010 that shortly after she arrived, a good-natured monk called out to her: "Hey, fat lady! You so beautiful!"
She described her role as an English teacher at the temple as a "culture shock" and fascinating life-changing experience.
In Chiang Mai, Wat Doi Saket welcomes foreign teachers but does not actively encourage meditation, though they are welcome to study Buddhism in their free time.
"I have been developing this program since October 2009," said Wat Doi Saket's teaching director David Poppe, 25, who was born in Simsbury, Connecticut.
"The temple has 160 novice monks, and class sizes range from six to 35. Given the size and schedule of the school, only two volunteers can live here and teach at one time.
"Teachers can expect to work roughly four to six hours per day, with the mornings free."
Wat Doi Saket's English teaching program is part of the ATMA SEVA Foundation. Foreigners pay much less to teach English at Wat Doi Saket, compared with the teaching and meditation program in Ratchaburi.
The first volunteer came for four months and paid 30,000 baht (US$1,000). A two-week trip would cost between 5,000 to 8,000 baht, depending on accommodation and working hours.
"At the wat, there is a kitchen below the volunteers' bedrooms, and each day one of the cooks delivers breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Mr. Poppe said.
"So far, none of the volunteers has been Buddhist. Religion has no bearing in regards to acceptance to the program. The goal is to improve conversational English, and if volunteers are interested in Buddhism they can pursue infinite knowledge, but nothing is scheduled or pushed."
Mr. Poppe first came to Thailand in 2007 and while not a Buddhist himself, is "very intrigued by Buddhism."
"I can arrange meditation retreats, dharma lectures, and have access to Buddhist resources if the desire to learn is present," he said.
--------
Richard S. Ehrlich is from San Francisco, California. He has reported news for international media from Asia since 1978, based in Hong Kong, New Delhi and now Bangkok.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,10025,0,0,1,0
by John Longhurst, Winnipeg Free Press, April 2, 2011
Tokyo, Japan -- In the aftermath of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan, much has been written and said about how the people of that nation have coped with the disaster -- how calm, stoic, patient and tranquil they are despite thetragedy that befell them.
<< Survivors pray for victims at the devastated city of Miyako, northeastern Japan - (from newsobserver.com)
Where do these attitudes come from? From their history, geography and culture, of course. But it also comes from their religion.
Although Japan is a thoroughly secular country, it is infused with Buddhist and Shinto thought. More than 90 per cent of Japanese claim to be adherents of one, or both, of these ancient religions, with most identifying as Buddhists. (Only about two per cent of the country is Christian.)
When disasters occur around the world, it is common to hear people who come from the Christian tradition asking why such a thing could occur -- how could God let something like the earthquake and tsunami happen?
But that isn't a question asked by adherents of eastern religions such as Buddhism and Shinto. For them, what caused the disaster isn't the important thing. What's important is to be positive, affirming and persistent in the face of adversity.
"Natural tragedies are part of living on the planet," says Fredrich Ulrich, senseiof the Manitoba Buddhist Temple. "Its geology and geography make such recurring tragedies inevitable. There is no need to think we have been targeted by a god of some sort."
What's important, he says, is how people respond to tragedies such as the earthquake and tsunami.
"It's what we do about them, and to each other, that'simportant," he says. "We face death with sadness, but not with terror. We bury the dead and honour them, then get about the work of rebuilding the community."
Similar thoughts were shared by Shravasti Dhammika, a Buddhist monk from Australia.
Reflecting on the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, he asked: "How does Buddhism explain natural disasters like the tsunami? In a sense it does not have to explain them. It is only belief in an all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful God that compels us to try to explain and explain away all the evidence that seems to contradict this belief."
When God is taken out of the picture, he says, "the answer is really very simple. The universe does not conform to our desires and wishes. It takes no notice of us and our aspirations."
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, drought, disease, accidents -- all these things just happen, he states.
"We live in a dynamic universe and sometimes events are to our benefit, and at other times to our detriment. That's the way the world is."
Buddhism, he adds, "is not concerned with explaining why this is so. It simply makes the common sense assertion that the universe is sometimes at odds with our dreams, our wishes and our desires."
Its goal,he goes on to say, is to teach people "to modify our desires so we are less likely to be in conflict with the way things are, and how to remain calm and content when they do conflict with the way things are."
A poem that seems to capture these sentiments is Unbeaten by Rain by Miyazawa Kenji, one of Japan's best-loved authors and poets. The poem -- which is "almost the national poem of that country," according to Ulrich -- illustrates the Japanese attitude of calm stoicism that we are observing in the face of the disaster.
Unbeaten by rain
Unbeaten by wind
Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat
Strong in body
Free from greed
Without any anger
Always serene
With a handful of brown rice a day
Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice
Whatever happens
Consider yourself last, always put others first
Understand from your observation and experience
Never lose sight of these things
In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields
Live modestly under a thatched roof
In the East, if there is a sick child
Go there and take care of him
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother
Go there and relieve her of her burden
In the South, if there is a man near death
Go there and comfort him, tell him "Don't be afraid"
In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute
Go there and persuade them it's not worth it
In a drought, shed tears
In a cold summer, carry on
Even with a sense of loss
Being called a fool
Being neither praised nor a burden
Such a person I want to be
Such a person many of us would likely want to be, faced with similar circumstances.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=44,10031,0,0,1,0
<< Survivors pray for victims at the devastated city of Miyako, northeastern Japan - (from newsobserver.com)
Where do these attitudes come from? From their history, geography and culture, of course. But it also comes from their religion.
Although Japan is a thoroughly secular country, it is infused with Buddhist and Shinto thought. More than 90 per cent of Japanese claim to be adherents of one, or both, of these ancient religions, with most identifying as Buddhists. (Only about two per cent of the country is Christian.)
When disasters occur around the world, it is common to hear people who come from the Christian tradition asking why such a thing could occur -- how could God let something like the earthquake and tsunami happen?
But that isn't a question asked by adherents of eastern religions such as Buddhism and Shinto. For them, what caused the disaster isn't the important thing. What's important is to be positive, affirming and persistent in the face of adversity.
"Natural tragedies are part of living on the planet," says Fredrich Ulrich, senseiof the Manitoba Buddhist Temple. "Its geology and geography make such recurring tragedies inevitable. There is no need to think we have been targeted by a god of some sort."
What's important, he says, is how people respond to tragedies such as the earthquake and tsunami.
"It's what we do about them, and to each other, that'simportant," he says. "We face death with sadness, but not with terror. We bury the dead and honour them, then get about the work of rebuilding the community."
Similar thoughts were shared by Shravasti Dhammika, a Buddhist monk from Australia.
Reflecting on the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, he asked: "How does Buddhism explain natural disasters like the tsunami? In a sense it does not have to explain them. It is only belief in an all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful God that compels us to try to explain and explain away all the evidence that seems to contradict this belief."
When God is taken out of the picture, he says, "the answer is really very simple. The universe does not conform to our desires and wishes. It takes no notice of us and our aspirations."
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, drought, disease, accidents -- all these things just happen, he states.
"We live in a dynamic universe and sometimes events are to our benefit, and at other times to our detriment. That's the way the world is."
Buddhism, he adds, "is not concerned with explaining why this is so. It simply makes the common sense assertion that the universe is sometimes at odds with our dreams, our wishes and our desires."
Its goal,he goes on to say, is to teach people "to modify our desires so we are less likely to be in conflict with the way things are, and how to remain calm and content when they do conflict with the way things are."
A poem that seems to capture these sentiments is Unbeaten by Rain by Miyazawa Kenji, one of Japan's best-loved authors and poets. The poem -- which is "almost the national poem of that country," according to Ulrich -- illustrates the Japanese attitude of calm stoicism that we are observing in the face of the disaster.
Unbeaten by rain
Unbeaten by wind
Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat
Strong in body
Free from greed
Without any anger
Always serene
With a handful of brown rice a day
Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice
Whatever happens
Consider yourself last, always put others first
Understand from your observation and experience
Never lose sight of these things
In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields
Live modestly under a thatched roof
In the East, if there is a sick child
Go there and take care of him
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother
Go there and relieve her of her burden
In the South, if there is a man near death
Go there and comfort him, tell him "Don't be afraid"
In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute
Go there and persuade them it's not worth it
In a drought, shed tears
In a cold summer, carry on
Even with a sense of loss
Being called a fool
Being neither praised nor a burden
Such a person I want to be
Such a person many of us would likely want to be, faced with similar circumstances.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=44,10031,0,0,1,0
