tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462Tue, 11 Aug 2020 12:36:57 +0000IndiaBurmaSri LankaThailandUSAArcheologyChinaControversyPoliticsTibetCambodiaMediaPakistanVietnamAfghanistanKoreaTaiwanAustraliaBhutanDalitsJapanLawOpinionSingaporeAcademicsAfricaArtCentral AsiaChristianityDisasterFree BurmaHighlightsHinduismHmongHuman RightsLadakhMoviesNepalPure LandSouth AmericaTourismA review of the latest stories of Buddhist interest, with commentary.http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)Blogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-4526762112658063241Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:19:00 +00002008-10-12T15:20:02.707-05:00Central AsiaJapanTourismAn article published in the Times of Central Asia today featured a discussion of Japanese interest in Buddhist archeological sites in Kyrgyzstan and gave some statistics about recent trends in Japanese tourism to that country. The article also covers Kyrgyzstan's participation in the Japanese Association of Travel Agents (JATA) World Tourism Congress and Travel Fair which took place in Tokyo http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/10/japanese-tourism-and-buddhist-sites-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-925620039821279562Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:17:00 +00002008-10-13T10:43:18.237-05:00ChinaIndiaKoreaLawPakistanThailandUSABefore I move on to some highlights from last few days, a quick note that the Buddhist Peace Fellowship has posted a special edition of its journal (published online and in print), Turning Wheel, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the BPF's founding. Also, a bit of website business, I have added a new "About this blog" link on the sidebar explaining why I even bother. Okay, let's get http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/09/bpf-turns-30-and-some-headlines.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7131790645674655765Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:15:00 +00002008-09-17T21:09:06.224-05:00LawPoliticsSri LankaUSAI've been following the story of Ven. Pannala Pagngnaloka Thero, a Sinhalese monk who was arrested for ignoring a summons issued by Sri Lanka's Supreme Court regarding charges of noise pollution brought against the temple he presides over. The temple had been using loudspeakers during its services, which lead to the noise pollution charges. The case has ballooned into something quite a bit http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/09/lots-of-noise-in-sri-lanka.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6290314492042218997Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:12:00 +00002008-07-06T14:43:47.709-05:00CambodiaKoreaThailandVietnamHere's a quick recap of news from last week that's bound to stay in the headlines over the coming week.❖ ❖ ❖Buddhist groups in South Korea take on the government for what they say is pro-Christian bias in the Lee administration.Joo Dae-joon, the deputy chief of the presidential security division, publicly stated, “My dream is to bring evangelism to all government agencies.” Cheong Wa Dae “http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/07/recap-and-week-ahead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-1020656069814554114Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:28:00 +00002008-07-01T00:52:01.190-05:00ControversyIndiaHi all! Back from my summer escapades, and just in time for an article about the deepening controversy in Bodhgaya. One of three chief priests at the Mahabodhi Temple recently forced to resign under allegations of illegally cutting a branch of the Bodhi tree in 2004 now stands accused of having stolen precious jewelry and other ritual items donated by pilgrims to the holy site. The items, http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/06/back-also-much-amiss-in-bodhgaya.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-8093098062018685069Tue, 13 May 2008 20:48:00 +00002008-05-13T15:48:34.031-05:00Back in June...http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/05/away-back-soon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-5985369565729398146Mon, 05 May 2008 21:00:00 +00002008-05-05T21:18:14.911-05:00BurmaDisasterPoliticsFrom a recent article featured in Thailand's The Nation discussing the possible political impact of Cyclone Nargis:"With many of the town polling stations destroyed, I'm worried that they may now make people vote in more public places, like stadiums, so they can watch how they vote," said Win Min, a lecturer on Burma affairs at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. "Many people are saying this (http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/05/junta-cyclone-and-merit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7852983890019394378Sun, 04 May 2008 02:01:00 +00002008-09-17T21:04:11.328-05:00ControversyIndiaLadakhHere are two video reports accompanying two recent articles from IBNLive.com. The articles, which can also be found in the Buddhist News Roll, are entitled "Buddha's teachings being forgotten in Ladakh" and "Hindu monk strives to save Mahabodhi Temple."http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/05/video-reports-bodhgaya-and-ladakh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-4748094644380475949Sat, 03 May 2008 02:17:00 +00002008-05-03T11:24:15.522-05:00ArcheologyArtCambodiaChinaIndiaJapanTaiwanTibetUSAIt's May! And interesting Buddhist news is springing up like daffodils, so let's get started on your review for the week of Friday, May 2nd. Here are some articles you may have missed!❖ ❖ ❖The Ghantasala Stupa, first excavated in the late 1800's, will be reopened for public viewing after over a year of excavation and conservation work.This article explains why the campaign to get the ancient http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/05/week-in-review-may-2nd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6537591081925116117Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:26:00 +00002008-04-28T15:35:23.864-05:00AcademicsControversyThailandAn recent article from the Bangkok Post by famous author, monk, and "engaged Buddhist" Phra Paisan Visalo mentions in the same breath cheating amongst Thai university students and cheating amongst novices on monastic exams.This comes as little surprise. Since the 1960's, receiving a college education has evolved into a high-stakes financial investment for families the world over. A major http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/04/cheating-your-way-through-thailands.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-1214487390310125988Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:06:00 +00002008-04-11T17:36:12.342-05:00PoliticsJayshree Bajoria of the Council on Foreign Relations recently did an interview with Professor Paul Harrison, who currently holds the George Edwin Burnell Professorship in Religious Studies at Standford University and is a faculty member of the Stanford Center for Buddhist Studies. The interview is entitled "Buddhism and Politics," and deals mainly with the increasing role Buddhist monks have http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/04/paul-harrison-interview-cfr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7728359333673133427Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:48:00 +00002008-04-11T13:25:48.478-05:00BurmaCambodiaChinaIndiaTibetUSAVietnamHere are some interesting articles from the past week, just in case you missed them:Following the resolution passed in the US House of Representative this week demanding that China stop its crackdown on Tibetan protesters, at least one Senator has suggested that the US should seek to open a consulate in Tibet--a possibility Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the administration is http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/04/week-in-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7058050035626001435Sat, 05 Apr 2008 05:34:00 +00002008-04-13T00:49:52.018-05:00ArcheologyPakistan"The archaeology department of the Northern Areas has confirmed the discovery of the Buddha-era stone work. 'We believe that nearly 30,000 raw carvings and such invaluable sculptures of the Buddha-age have been found where the Bhasha dam is being built,' said Northern Areas Archaeology Department Secretary Sanaullah."-The Hindu"The NA [Northern Areas] Chief Executive Mir Ghazanfar Hussain, when http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/04/major-buddhist-archeological-find-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7468075918493469349Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:56:00 +00002008-03-29T02:43:38.474-05:00ChinaTibetThe Cry of Tibet - Wang Lixiong, Wall Street JournalIn the wake of the unrest in Tibet, it is entirely disheartening to see China regurgitating the same tired old lines about the Dalai Lama being the sole source of the trouble, and about the Dalai Lama having to recognize that Tibet and Taiwan (?! to this day I cannot recall the Dalai Lama every making any claims about Taiwan) belong to China http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/03/tibet-some-things-to-consider.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-3663637394621691244Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:17:00 +00002008-03-28T19:17:47.904-05:00Should I get this thing back in gear?http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-do-ya-say.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-5500329605638879657Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:14:00 +00002007-11-27T14:42:45.236-06:00AfricaBhutanChristianityIndiaMediaMoviesTaiwanThailandA quick recap of articles from the last fews days which should not be missed!Vying for the Dalit Buddhist vote, politicians in Maharashtra are looking to pass laws legally recognizing Buddhist marriages in the state. Up until now, couples who had received Buddhist marriages did not have their rights protected whether as a couple or in case of divorce since they were not seen as legitimately http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/11/highlights-for-november-27th.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6327532037117644037Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:57:00 +00002007-11-24T21:51:51.364-06:00Before I post my next article, I'd like to ask you, my readers, whether the content of this blog is useful and interesting, or whether this blog is rendered superfluous by the Buddhist Channel. My main purpose in starting this blog was:1. To gather articles on the internet missed by the Buddhist Channel (yes, it does miss quite a few articles of direct relevance to Buddhists and scholars of http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/11/your-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-4207237201346906928Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:07:00 +00002007-11-03T20:31:27.194-05:00BhutanBurmaChinaHighlightsIndiaSri LankaTaiwanTibetUSAHere are some highlights from the news for the past few days. As always, these stories and more can be found in the Buddhist News Roll.We now have a little more information about the secretive All Burma Sangha Council which formed in the days leading up to the Burmese demonstrations and urged monks to join the anti-junta movement. Two of the council's leaders, U Gambira and Ashin Nayaka, one ahttp://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/11/highlights-for-nov-3-2007.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-7111329777518202704Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:24:00 +00002007-11-01T18:58:02.993-05:00BurmaHmongIndiaThailandTibetUSAHere are two stories from the past few days that I'd like to highlight .This month, there have been a couple of articles about a group of Hmong refugees and their struggle to prevent a Thai wat from exhuming the bodies of their relatives buried there. The refugees had been living at a refugee camp in Saraburi, Thailand for over a decade before they were resettled elsewhere, with most being http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/hmong-grave-desecration-and-interview.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6310372117068020649Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:06:00 +00002007-10-28T21:10:58.801-05:00ArcheologyIndiaHere is a follow-up to the recent discovery of Buddhist artifacts in the district of Jajpur in Orissa, mentioned in my last post. This video was posted to ibnlive.com regarding that news story.A transcript to the video can be found here.http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/archeological-finds-in-orissa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6396136764332200837Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:12:00 +00002007-10-24T11:41:45.838-05:00ArcheologyDalitsIndiaThailandUSAA bill being considered by Thailand's National Legislative Assembly, if passed, will put in place harsh punishments for actions deemed "offenses against Buddhism." Such offenses include physically or sexually assaulting a monk, nun, or novice (which is already a criminal offense--the bill stands to triple the corresponding penalty), as well as more vaguely defined behaviors like "imitating" and http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/big-news-for-nuns-in-thailand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-3967943575564189403Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:31:00 +00002007-10-21T23:38:02.025-05:00ChinaNepalPoliticsTibetVietnamFirst, some technical remarks. There has been a few additions to the blog since the last post which I would like to draw your attention to. Note the "Buddhist News Roll" at the top of the side bar. I've decided to start using del.icio.us to catalog all the Buddhist related articles I find on the internet, some of which I will tie together in my blog posts, but the rest of which can be browsed http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/first-some-technical-remarks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-3824811370265650274Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:56:00 +00002007-10-09T08:29:12.398-05:00BurmaPakistanSingaporeSri LankaHere's a fascinating article by Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo which gives an idea of the complexity of the situation in Burma and argues for a diplomatic solution. It explains why, as much as we would like to see the junta thrown out on its rear end, the military must be engaged in order to reach a satisfactory outcome. After all is said and done, the military will still continue to http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/diplomacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-6672015498106438453Mon, 08 Oct 2007 02:37:00 +00002007-10-07T22:17:47.226-05:00BurmaKoreaI'm loathe to see Burma slowly slipping from headlines and front pages across the globe, which I suppose is inevitable (unless it's celebrity gossip, any news story is subject to fatigue). I nonetheless hope this doesn't translate into the world putting the "Burma problem" on the back burner. Rest assured that I am still devoting much of my time to following anything and everything I can dig uphttp://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/business-as-usual.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203388206283956462.post-4155423357283005189Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:11:00 +00002007-10-04T00:12:45.017-05:00Free Burma<!-- Free Burma! Image --><!-- End Free Burma! Image -->http://buddhistdigest.blogspot.com/2007/10/free-burma.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lotus_in_the_hills)0