Dalai Lama & Tibetan Buddhism - First thoughts about

"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." Dalai Lama [Tenzin Gyatso] (1935-) 14th Dalai Lama of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism Source: (May 15, 2001, The Seattle Times) speaking at the "Educating Heart Summit" in Portland, Oregon, when asked by a girl how to react when a shooter takes aim at a classmate See, not even the Dalai Lama is a gun-grabber!

I totally dig the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, but the whole thing about not killing animals, and yet Tibetans eat meat, doesn't make sense to me. As long as someone else does the killing, it makes it OK karmically? (disclaimer: I am a confirmed omnivore)

Altan Khan, the king of the Tümed Mongols, first invited Sonam Gyatso, the head of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism (and to be known later as the third Dalai Lama), to Mongolia in 1569. He invited him to Mongolia again in 1578, and this time he accepted the invitation. They met at the site of Altan Khan's new capital, Koko Khotan (Hohhot), and the Dalai Lama gave teachings to a huge crowd there. Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of the Tibetan Sakya monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235–1280) who converted Kublai Khan, while Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan (1215–1294), the famous ruler of the Mongols and Emperor of China, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating the Buddhist religion.[44] While this did not immediately lead to a massive conversion of Mongols to Buddhism (this would only happen in the 1630s), it did lead to the widespread use of Buddhist ideology for the legitimation of power among the Mongol nobility. Last but not le ...

Updated schedule for 10 December There will be Lamrim teachings in the afternoon of 10 December. Today is the 23rd anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In the morning only (beginning 9.00am), there will be speeches by His Holiness and by Indian and Tibetan representatives. An award will be presented to His Holiness by the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to humanity. The program will be translated and available on the live webcast. In the afternoon, His Holiness will continue the Jangchup Lamrim Teachings.

Who Hacked the Dalai Lama's Website? - A website associated with the Dalai Lama's YouTube account has been hacked using malware, a member of the security firm F-Secure's Threat Research team discovered on Monday. The Dalai Lama, a position filled since 1939 by Tenzin Gyatso, is the highest religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism, who serves as the leader of the Tibetan government in exile. The existence of an independent Tibetan polity, based in India since 1959, has been a ...

Though it became quite late, in a Dalai Lama visit to Japan of November, it was talked at the meeting of the member of the Diet volunteer in the Diet. Because the contents looked in Yahoo news, I reprint it. When the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party were absent from this lecture, there is it. In the Social Democratic Party, the Communist Party was surprised as irrelevant matter. This party has already finished a historic role. Dalai Lama "watches what's what of Tibet" and Visit request of the lecture representation first in the Diet An origin of delivery: Sankei Shimbun (msn news) 2012/11/14 09:21 update The category of this news peg is from the world. The supreme leader of.Tibetan Buddhism in an article text visit to Japan, the Dalai Lama 14th (77) give a lecture in a member of the House of Councilors hall in the Diet on November 13, and "the China government should examine what is a cause about the suicide by fire of the Tibet group occurring successively in China, but points it out, prob ...

Description From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama, as well as the longest lived incumbent. Dalai Lamas are the head monks of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and is also well known for his lifelong advocacy for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. The Dalai Lama was born in Taktser, Qinghai (also known to Tibetans as Amdo), and was selected as the rebirth of the 13th Dalai Lama two years later, although he was only formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama on 17 November 1950, at the age of 15. The Gelug school's government controlled an area roughly corresponding to the Tibet Autonomous Region just as the nascent People's Republic of China wished to assert central control over it. There is a dispute over whether the respective governments reached an agreement for a joint Chinese-Tibetan administration. During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, which China regards as an uprising of feudal landlords, the Dalai Lama, ...

What is the best religion? A brief dialogue between a Brazilian theologist Leonardo Boff and the Dalai Lama. Leonardo is one of the renovators of the Theology of Freedom. In a Round Table discussion about religion and freedom in which Dalai Lama and myself were participating at recess I maliciously, and also with interest, asked him: “Your holiness, what is the best religion?” I thought he would say: “The Tibetan Buddhism” or “The oriental religions, much older than Christianity”. Dalai Lama paused, smiled and looked me in the eye - which surprised me because I knew of the malice contained in my question. He answered: “The best religion is the one that gets you closest to God. It is the one that makes you a better person.” To get out of my embarrassment with such a wise answer, I asked: “What is it that makes me better?” He responded: “Whatever makes you more compassionate, more sensible, more detached, more loving, more humanitarian, more responsible, more ethical.” “The religio ...

Dear campus community, This is a reminder about a very special event that is coming up at the beginning of next week. As part of the Arts & Humanities Division Colloquium and supported by the Intercultural Awareness Fund and Academic Environment Committee, our campus will be visited by Venerable Losang Samten, who will conduct a three-day long Buddhist sand mandala ceremony. Ven. Losang is a very well known figure in Tibetan Buddhism, and his visit to our campus is a great honor. He was brought to the US by the Dalai Lama in 1988 in order to introduce the Tibetan art of sand mandalas to this country, and since then he has created mandalas at some of the leading American cultural and educational institutions (including the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Chicago Field Museum, in addition to many leading universities). Public events taking place 10/8-10/10 include: Mon. thru Wed., 9:00-5:00: Stop by W 116 at any time to see Ven. Losang's work in progress. (It is requested that y ...

The happiness we seek, a genuine lasting peace and happiness, can be attained only through the purification of our minds. This is possible if we cut the root cause of all suffering and misery our fundamental ignorance. - His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The World of Tibetan Buddhism More Buddhism Quotes

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and outspoken advocate for peace, the Dalai Lama, will visit Syracuse University in October, according to a release issued by the school. He will be joined by several celebrities and musicians, including Dave Matthews.

Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg at a conference... "What do you think about self-hatred?" I asked when it was my turn to bring up an issue for discussion. I was eager to get directly to the suffering I had seen so often in my students, a suffering I was familiar with myself. The room went quiet as all of us awaited the answer of the Dalai Lama, revered leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Looking startled, he turned to his translator and asked pointedly in Tibetan again and again for an explanation. Finally, turning back to me, the Dalai Lama tilted his head, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Self-hatred?" he repeated in English. "What is that?" All of us gathered at that 1990 conference in Dharmsala, India-philosophers, psychologists, scientists, and meditators-were from Western countries, and self-hatred was something we immediately understood. That this man, whom we all recognized as having a profound psychological and spiritual grasp of the human mind, found the concept of self-hatred incomprehensib ...

Ajahn Brahm has written to the West Australian newspaper in response to an article published last week in which the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying that homosexuality was immoral. This article was first brought to the attention of Ajahn Brahm - the elected head of the Australian Sangha Association - by members of the BSWA's Armadale Meditation Group who felt that the Dalai Lama's comments were not in line with the Buddhist ethos. In his response Ajahn Brahm explains why, as follows. "Dear Sir/Madam, The Dalai Lama was out of line when he said (according to your article in the West, April 15, Page 7) "if you are a Buddhist, homosexuality is wrong. Full stop." The Dalai Lama is not the 'Pope' of Buddhism and, charming as he often is, he sometimes gets it wrong. He is only the head of one of the four main sects of Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism) and he speaks only for his group. The greater majority of Buddhists throughout the modern world are inspired to learn that the Buddha certainly did not discriminate aga ...

To further it more: This article/chapter is excerpted from Stripping the Gurus by Geoffrey D. Falk. CHAPTER XXII HELLO, DALAI! (THE DALAI LAMA) THE DALAI LAMA IS THE HEAD of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism. The title “Dalai Lama” itself is Mongolian, meaning “Ocean of Wisdom” or “Oceanic Wisdom Master.” Each successive Dalai Lama, beginning with the first such leader born in 1391, is regarded as being an incarnation of the previous one. They are also seen as incarnations of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva/Buddha of Compassion. Upon the passing of the Dalai Lama, his monks institute a search for the Lama’s reincarnation, who is usually a small child. Familiarity with the possessions of the previous Dalai Lama is considered the main sign of the reincarnation. The search for the reincarnation typically requires a few years which results in a gap in the list of the Dalai Lamas (Wikipedia, 2003). The current Dalai Lama—the fourteenth in that spiritual line—Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935. He ...

I have vowed to myself that I will be in Southern India to hear the Dalai Lama's precious 12 days of Lam Rim teachings. The 'Lam Rim' or in English roughly the 'Enlightened Path' are core teachings by Je Tson Khapa who is my spiritual master. Tson Khapa was instructed in them by Manjushri and they have been continuously passed down intact through the centuries and are the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. No naras, Maras, or anything else will keep me away. If you are planning to be there let me know. Teshe Delai.

"Vreeland had a privileged upbringing - the son of a U.S. diplomat and the grandson of Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of Vogue magazine during the 1960s. When he first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in his 20s, he was working as a photographer in some of the industry's top studios."

Ven. Panchen Otrul Rinpoche in Mongolia 2012... final chapter Sitting on the plane in Moscow airport, enroute back to Dublin via Berlin. Thankfully not having to leave the plane in Moscow, just a 50 minute stopover while passengers board, and no anxiety wondering if we would make the ongoing flight. Through the traffic of jeeps, four wheel drives, buses and rain on Saga Dawa to the official opening of the Buddha’s relics tour. Rinpoche was guest of honour. It was lovely to see the relics again, the intimacy of seeing them in North Great Georges St. being blessed by Rinpoche, was really special. Events like these are big in Mongolia, 300 people an hour coming to see them; it’s a Buddhist country, the only independent, sovereign Tibetan Buddhist country in the world, and why it is so important, I imagine, for the future of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness the Dalai Lama visits often, again in the last twelve months, and sent a beautiful statue of Manjushri as a gift to Asral, which now sits on the shri ...

Geshe Dorjee is returning to The Healing Center! An Entire Weekend of his delightful, clear and insightful manner of teaching us Tibetan Buddhism Philosophy. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says these teachings are vital for humanity to survive and thrive as a Global Peaceful Community. I cannot tell you how much gratitude we have for his return, this will be one you for sure don't want to miss!

Whether going before the United Nations to publicize the plight of Tibetans under Chinese rule or appearing in events with Hollywood celebrities, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism has become a familiar face to many Westerners. Here are answers to some essential questions about the first Lama t...

Tibet A History Sam van Schaik Situated north of the Himalayas, Tibet is famous for its unique culture and its controversial assimilation into modern China. Yet Tibet in the twenty-first century can only be properly understood in the context of its extraordinary history. Sam van Schaik brings the history of Tibet to life by telling the stories of the people involved, from the glory days of the Tibetan empire in the seventh century through to the present day. He explores the emergence of Tibetan Buddhism and the rise of the Dalai Lamas, Tibet's entanglement in the "Great Game" in the early twentieth century, its submission to Chinese Communist rule in the 1950s, and the troubled times of recent decades. Tibet sheds light on the country's complex relationship with China and explains often-misunderstood aspects of its culture, such as reborn lamas, monasteries and hermits, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and the role of the Dalai Lama. Van Schaik works through the layers of history and myth to create a compell ...

Living your religious ideals From 1912 to 1950, Tibet had de facto independence. It was a theocracy, ruled by the Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1950, China annexed Tibet, over running the country with military force. Tibet's security force, more a police force, could offer little resistance. Many Tibetans fled the country. Tibetans could have struck back at China with guerrilla warfare raids, but did not. They chose to minimize bloodshed. Those that stayed in Tibet have not had an easy life. Buddhist monks have been imprisoned and tortured. One such monk stated that his greatest fear was that he might loose compassion for his captors. China has a psychological warfare campaign to make them turn away from their Buddhist beliefs. School children are given assignments to kill an animal, against Buddhist philosophy, and graded on how large an animal they kill. The exiled Tibetans have set up a government in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), centered in India. India has to be give ...