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Monday, November 19, 2012

Thai Monk Joins US Army

University of the West (UWest), the only accredited Buddhist university in Los Angeles County, graduated on May 15 a former Buddhist monk from Thailand who will use his training to become the second Buddhist chaplain in the US Army ranks.

First Lieutenant Somya Malasri, 39, of Rosemead, seemed an unlikely candidate for the US Army in 2001, when he arrived in the United States garbed in a saffron robe, the traditional attire of a Buddhist monk. Originally from a small village in Buri Ram province, Thailand, Malasri had been a Buddhist monk since he was 17 years old.

The US military has been actively trying to recruit Buddhist chaplains since the Second World War, said Rev Danny Fisher, programme coordinator for the MDiv in Buddhist Chaplaincy at UWest.

Before this point, there have only ever been two Buddhist chaplains in the US military, Fisher said. Both are on active duty now.

One of the two is also a UWest student: Jeanette Shin is earning her PhD in Buddhist Studies at UWest and is currently a Buddhist chaplain in the Navy. The other is Thomas Dyer, who is in the Army and became the Army's first-ever Buddhist chaplain about a year ahead of Malasri, Fisher said.

The US Army currently has an estimated 3,300 soldiers claiming a Buddhist affiliation. It wasn't until Malasri met some US soldiers who were Buddhist that he realised their need for chaplains. So, Malasri disrobed to join active service in the Army.

After graduation last month, Malasri expects to be deployed, although he is not yet sure where.

''I'm very happy, and also at the same time I don't know what to expect in the Army,'' Malasri said. ''When I adjust to everything. it'll be okay. I'm really happy.''

In 2007, Malasri became the first Buddhist chaplain candidate for the Army. He would have become the first chaplain, but Dyer, a chaplain from a Christian background, converted to Buddhism, making Malasri the likely second Buddhist chaplain ever in the Army. He will become a full chaplain by the end of 2010, Malasri said.

Malasri did achieve a first by becoming the first student to graduate from UWest's MDiv in Buddhist Chaplaincy programme. The MDiv in Buddhist Chaplaincy programme at UWest is one of only three accredited Buddhist chaplaincy training programmes in the United States.

''Graduating our first chaplain is a joyous way to cap off the first year of the programme's existence,'' Rev Fisher said. ''In addition, Somya, who has done so much training already as a former Theravada Buddhist monk and chaplain candidate in the US Army, has set a wonderful example for his fellow students.''

''I learned a lot from the programme,'' Malasri said. ''For example, I learned how to be a good facilitator, how to be a good counsellor.''

To have more Buddhist chaplains in the military is important because servicemen and women have been needing and asking for them for a long time now, Rev Fisher said.

University of the West is a Buddhist-founded campus open to all students and located in the Eastern suburbs of Los Angeles County. More information can be found at http://www.uwest.edu

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Dalai Lama In Gucci ?

News have been circling in the internet for quite a while that Dalai Lama wears luxury goods while he travels around the world. This was started by Australian tycoon Rupert Murdoch in which during an interview with a magazine, he called Dalai Lama as " a political monk shuffling around in Gucci shoes ". I am apolitical in issue pertaining to Dalai Lama, i don't support him, neither nor i dislike him. My intention of posting this is not to discredit the Dalai Lama but just to share with you all what some people have been saying about him. Below are a few photos of Dalai Lama, you decide if these photos are real or fake. This photo showing the Dalai Lama wearing Gucci shoes This one showing Dalai Lama wearing the luxurious Patek Philippe watch
























This photo was taken during his trip to America a few years ago to meet President Obama, he was seen wearing only a pair of very basic sandals.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Buddhist From Both Koreas Hold Ceremony Together

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s (South) Korean Community Advancement Organization and the Central Committee of the (North) Korean Buddhist Federation met at Kumgang Mountain’s Shingye Temple Oct. 13 for Buddhist services to mark the fifth year since the temple’s restoration.

These joint ceremonies were the first to be carried out by a South Korean Buddhist delegation visiting the North this year. At the services held that day, Lee Gyu-ryong, chief secretary of the North Korean Buddhist Federation said, “If Buddhists from both Koreas put enough effort into it, there will come a day when this very spot, Shingye Temple, can be reborn as a genuine venue for the reunification of our nation.”

 Head the Jogye Order’s delegation, Ven. Ji-hong, said in his opening remarks, “I am dismayed by seeing a shroud of silence brought to the prayers for reunification of Buddhists from both Koreas at Shingye Temple following the suspension of tourism to Mt. Kumgang”.

He went on to say, “With the opportunity provided by joint Buddhist services, Buddhists from both Koreas can combine their energy and insights to preserve Mt. Kumgang, which is both a holy site for the people of Korea, and a symbol of reunification.” The two sides also upheld the ideals of the June 15th South-North Joint Declaration (from the 2000 South-North summit) and the October 4th South-North Joint Declaration (from the 2007 North-South summit) in their official joint declaration for removing the threat of war from the peninsula.

Their joint statement reads, “We, the Buddhists of both Koreas, will follow the road set forth in the North-South joint declarations through cooperation with a Buddhist heart, to rid our nations of antagonism and suspicion, tension and combativeness and will continue our alliance to eliminate the threat of war and guarantee a permanent peace.” Ahead of the joint Buddhist services, there was also an official presentation of a final draft of a report on the excavation of the Shingye Temple.

The Shingye Temple, one of four major temples on Mt. Kumgang, was first built during the sixth year of the rule of Shilla king, Beop-heung (519 AD), but was destroyed during the Korean War. It was later restored on Oct. 13, 2007, through the cooperation of the (South’s) Jogye Order and the (North) Korean Buddhist Federation. The joint Buddhist services this time was agreed to during a set of talks between Buddhists of both Koreas held at Kaesong on Oct. 5.























Including the Ven. Ji-hong, the South’s delegation was comprised of 19 people, while 22 people attended from the North, including Chief Secretary Lee Gyu-ryong, Vice-Secretary Cha Geum-cheol, and the Ven. Jin-gak of Shingye Temple.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Buddhist Police

Espírito Santo state government , south- eastern Brazil, is an experimental training program for a number of daily new mobile police officers . Instead of learning new fighting techniques , the police officer is on skill development in relations between individuals , emotional balance and discipline in a Buddhist monastery , located 70 km from the capital Vitória .




Often more decentralized systems on the rigidity of the military, participants in this training program immediately faced with the engine of equality of the monks . Everyone, from commanders to subordinates , must strictly abide by the same habits , the same task . They started the day with a practice in meditation and silence, a complete change compared with traditional environments of the morning police headquarters . After the meditation, they continue to operate as a collective ikebana flower arranging , pottery and porcelain, practice tai chi chuan , and even participating in tea ceremony.

The police officer underwent this training program confided that they felt ready to face their task with much more violent path . With a better understanding of themselves, to colleagues and their interactions between objects according to Buddhist philosophy , the police can reduce the stress level ( stress ) in their career , so peacekeeping becomes more effective









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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Bill Clinton Turns To Buddhist Meditation

In an effort to compliment the beneficial changes he's made to his physical well-being, former President Bill Clinton is addressing his inner mental health as well.

RadarOnline recently reported that 66-year-old is taking private classes from a Buddhist monk to better relax his mind and body and reduce stress. In 2010, after suffering various health scares and heart surgeries, Clinton shifted to a plant-based diet, dropping 24 pounds and crediting the change with saving his life.

"When I had my second heart incident [in 2010] and I had the stents put in, I had passed all my physicals, I was doing great, but I was still building up plaque in my arteries," he told CNN. "So I decided that I wanted to see if I could live to be a grandfather, so I just went all the way."

A source told Radar that Clinton's move towards meditation is yet another way he's improving his overall health.

“He has a hectic life, he travels a lot on business as an ambassador for the U.S. and needs something to keep him sane.

“Meditation offers him that, he has a mantra that he likes to chant, and after every session he feels transformed and full of positive energy. It’s definitely doing him the world of good — he feels fitter and stronger than ever,” the source added.

Buddhist Personality : Scott Huang

Name : Huang Geng Hao ( Scott )
Country : Taiwan
Date Of Birth : August 17, 1967
Height : 173cm
Profession : Actor ( Hokkien drama )













Friday, July 20, 2012

Huang Teng Hao

Name : Huang Teng Hao
English Name : Tender
Nationality : Taiwan
Date Of Birth : 19th February 1979
Height : 182cm
Profession : Actor