Little Monk Goes Viral

A little child dressed up as a monk in Fuzhou China has gone viral on Weibo

Robot Monk Unveiled In China

A buddhist temple, Dragon Spring Temple in Beijing, China has developed a robot monk named "XianEr" which was unveiled at the temple's National Day Gala celebration earlier this mont

Steven Seagal To Rebuild Buddhist Temple In Serbia

Steven Seagal Wants To Rebuild Europe's First Buddhist Temple

Buddhist Story - The Dog And The Pet Shop Owner

About A Dog And His Master, A Pet Shop Owner

Get Rid Of Bad Luck

Japanese Style

Friday, April 29, 2011

Buddhist Personality- Master Cheng Yen


Master Cheng Yen, the head of the private, non-profit Tzu Chi Foundation, headquartered in Hualien, eastern Taiwan has been name by Time magazine as one of World's 100 Most Influential People for this year.

Tzu Chi Foundation has 50 chapters across the world to extend assistance to victims of natural disasters as well as people in needs regardless of race or religion. Master Cheng Yen is compared to Mother Teresa of India who received a Nobel Peace Prize. I

Master Cheng Yen was born as Wang Jinyun on May 11, 1937 in a village, Chingshui in Taichung, Taiwan. She was given by her parents to her childless uncle and aunt to be raised. She had first hand experience growing up in sufferings during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. When she was 8, she had to look after her sick brother in hospital for 8 months. At age 23, her father died and while searching for a burial for her father, she came in contact with the Dhamma. After her father's death, she took over her father theaters business and became financially responsible for the family.

When she decided to become a nun, she attempted to run away from home to a temple, in anticipation of her mother's disapproval but was eventually discovered and brought home by her elder. It was in 1961, her second attempt of running away that changed her life. She met a friendly nun Master Xiudao and traveled with the master, shaved her own head but was not ordained as a nun. After travelling with Master Xiudao, she decided to become an ordained nun in order to continue her lifestyle.

She went to Lin Chi Temple and asked to be ordained but was rejected as she did not have a master. Fortunately, Cheng Yen encountered Master Yin-shun whom agreed to be her master. In February 1963, she officially became a disciple of Master Yin Shun and was given a buddhist name, Cheng Yen.

In May 1963, shortly after receiving her initiation as a nun, she went to Pu Ming Temple in Hualien county to continue her spiritual formation. As a part of that formation, she recited the Lotus Sutra which she revered every day and copied it every month. It was during her six months there that she vowed to commit herself to the Lotus Sutra and the "Path Of the Bodhisattvas "

Master Cheng Yen founded Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation on April 14, 1966 to meet the needs of the poor in eastern Taiwan. She encouraged her 30 followers to save fifty cents from the grocery every day and put them into little saving banks made from bamboo. In the first year, the foundation 15 families were helped by the 30 followers. ,

Today, the foundation has grown to be a big and established organisation with chapters across the world and has it's own hospital, a nursing college and even a TV station and is quick to act in the event of any natural disasters in any parts of the world.

In honoring her, Time said " In this life, Cheng Yen is already a saint but she isn't a saint who has been declared by the Catholic Church to have won through her good deeds, a place in heaven and veneration on earth. She has performed no miracles. She hasn't been canonised for Buddhism isn't an organized religion like Catholicism. She isn't even a Bodhisattva, a person withholding her nirvana in order to help sentient beings"

Last year, a vegetable seller from Taiwan, Chen Su-Chu ( my earlier post on her here ) was also named in the Time's list However unlike Chen, Master Cheng has no plan to go to New York to receive the honor.

For more info on her foundation, visit its official website here

Read the brief article on her on Time's offical website here

An introductory video on Master Cheng Yen



Some of the many videos on the foundation helping the poors and victims of natural disasters in different parts of the world.

In Dominican Republic


In aid of victims of earthquake in Haiti


In South Africa


In Pakistan

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Earth Day Celebration

In conjunction of Earth Day, Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand held a mass meditation ceremony in the temple ground on the April 22, 2011. To Buddhists, meditation cultivates inner peace and this wave of peace and compassion is transmitted through atmosphere to all beings in all directions. Buddhists see the mind as a tool to create world peace.

The celebration was participated by 100,000 monks and lay followers.

n addition, the Earth Day anniversary this year was highlighted by the Casting Ceremony of 100,000 Buddha Images. The cast images will be enshrined at the Dhammakaya Cetiya . where in the future will be the venue for 1,000,000 (one million) meditators to assemble on Earth Day. One million peaceful minds create a wonderful peaceful world. As such, the Earth will be taken care of on the Earth Day by means of meditation.












































Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Living Buddha Visits Lhasa

The sixth Living Buddha Dezhub recently made his first pilgrimage to Lhasa since his enthronement last year, a six-day tour that took him to several major monasteries and the Potala Palace.

The five-year-old arrived in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, on April 15.

During the trip, he visited two of Lhasa's most important monasteries, the Jokhang Temple and the Drepung, and also visited the Potala Palace, a regional museum and the Lhasa railway station.

At the Jokhang Temple, the Living Buddha paid his respects to Buddha statues, including a life-sized representation of Buddha Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

He also blessed worshippers with a head-touching ritual upon request.

The young Living Buddha, whose secular name is Losang Doje, was born in Tibet's Shannan Prefecture on Nov. 30, 2005.

Last year, he was selected through a lot-drawing ceremony as the reincarnation of the fifth Living Buddha Dezhub, who died in March 2000.

He was tonsured by Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, in Lhasa on July 4, 2010 and was enthroned in August. The Panchen Lama gave him the religious name Dezhub Jamyang Sherab Palden