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It is often said in Chan literature that there are 84,000 doors to the practice and 84,000 obstructions. The door that resonates with my practice are the teachings of Master Lin-Chi. “Teachings” is a misnomer, however, as there is nothing to teach and no one to learn.
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Meeting wellwishers during a royal visit to Birkenhead in Merseyside, England, on 14 January, Britain’s Prince Harry reportedly shared with 69-year-old Buddhist monk Kelsang Sonam that he meditates every day. Following their conversation, Kelsang Sonam presented the prince a copy of the book Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness by the Tibetan Dharma teacher Kelsang Gyatso.
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In many Buddhist texts, both within the Tripitaka and elsewhere, are complex scientific discussions about the relationship between body parts and the mind or thought; processes such blood circulation, digestion and the digestive tract, and medical treatments. The Mahavagga of the Vinaya Pitaka of the Pali Canon offers a detailed description of the treatment of physical diseases. The book is divided into ten chapters or sections. In the sixth chapter, the Buddha is said to have described different diseases and methods and medicines used to cure Buddhists of health problems.
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Walking up to Hoi Duc Temple in Portland, Maine, the first thing one notices is the aroma of incense. Approaching the modest corner building located in a peaceful residential area, one is greeted with a shining image of Quan Am (Guanyin, Avalokiteshvara), the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, whose welcoming gaze casts benevolence onto this snowy street of South Portland. The incense offered at her feet serves as a portal into this abode of refuge and beauty.
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Archaeologists have unearthed a carved Buddha head at a Ramdev Pir temple—a temple dedicated to a the local Hindu folk deity Baba Ramdev—at Negardi Village near Taranga in the Indian state Gujarat. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the find will further consolidate the work of Excavation Branch V of the ASI, which has expanded the search and excavation of Buddhist-related sites to include northern Gujarat.
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An environmental expert in New Zealand has cautioned Buddhists against practicing life release—the act of saving the life of an animal by returning it to the wild—warning that unmindfully releasing animals into environments to which they are not native can be deadly for the animals being freed and in some cases can wreak havoc on delicate ecosystems.
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American singer-songwriter and Noble laureate Bob Dylan wrote in his song Ballad of a Thin Man: Because something is happening here But you don’t know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?
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I have my favorites when it comes to Buddhist writing (who doesn’t?)—there are texts that speak to me and others that don’t. Some sources are clear and straightforward, while others are . . . well, not so straightforward. Some Buddhist texts are so convoluted and flamboyant, it’s like rummaging through a crowded attic looking for hidden treasure.
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On 13 November, Buddhist leaders from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia met in Vientiane, the capital of Laos,to “strengthen co-operation between the three countries’ Buddhist organizations and promote and develop Lao Buddhism [both] in the region and internationally.” This meeting, attended by over 500 monastics, was called “The 1st Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Buddhist Leaders' Conference.” (Việt Nam News)
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Though overshadowed by other, more prominent Buddhist sites in Pakistan, the 2,500-year-old Buddhist caves of Shah Allah Ditta village attract hundreds of visitors each weekend. The caves themselves and the amenities surrounding them, however, appear to have been neglected by the authorities, and plans for the regulation, conservation, and development of the site have yet to be put into action.