Buddhist News

Thousands march to United Nations on Tibetan National Uprising day

Tibetans March In NYC. Photo by Annie Kohl.

The AFP has reported that some two-thousand protesters marched from New York’s Brooklyn Bridge to the United Nations headquarters on March 10 in commemoration of the Tibetan National Uprising day. This year’s march was fueled by a growing sense of unease in Tibet, where many have sacrificed their lives in self-immolation protests against Chinese rule in the region. Marchers concluded the day’s event with a candlelight vigil.

Protests on March 10 happened around the world also in Taiwan, London and Australia, to name only a few. There’s also a three man hunger-strike for Tibet that’s been underway for weeks now at the United Nations headquarters (which we reported on previously). The trio have experienced several run-ins with the NYPD early on in the strike but remain determined to continue. Click through here for related video. Read More »

Laurie Anderson and Tenshin Reb Anderson, in a conversation to benefit SFZC

As we wrote a little while back, the San Francisco Zen Center is celebrating its fiftieth year in 2012. In commemoration, several events are scheduled throughout the year to celebrate and benefit this mainstay of Soto Zen practice in the United States. One such event features performance artist/musician Laurie Anderson and Zen teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson, dubbed “Anderson and Anderson in Conversation,” to be held this Thursday, March 15, at Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA. Read More »

Inside the current Buddhadharma magazine: “My Practice Without Meds”

Image, from "My Practice Without Meds," by Kim Scafuro

After years of treating her depression with medication and therapy, Kiera Van Gelder turned to Buddhist practice to heal. But when her depression and suicidal thoughts returned, she was forced to reevaluate her view of an unmedicated spiritual path. Click here to the article’s opening section.

And, see also “Medicate or Meditate?”, one of our most popular stories, from the Buddhadharma archives.

Aung San Suu Kyi receives honorary Canadian citizenship

Nobel laureate and activist Aung San Suu Kyi was presented with honorary Canadian citizenship on Thursday at her home in Burma. Approved by the House of Commons in 2007, Suu Kyi has only now received the certificate, delivered in person by the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. Aung San Suu Kyi now joins four others who have received this high honor, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. More, with a link to video, follows. Read More »

Activists petition attempts to stop Voice of America radio broadcasts in Tibet

Change.org is currently hosting a petition to US President Barack Obama, asking him to prevent the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), “a US Federal agency which operates the Voice of America (VOA),” from ceasing VOA’s broadcasts to Tibet. In a comment to Buddhadharma News, Tenzin Wangmo, executive board member at Students for a Free Tibet, put the petition into perspective, stating: Read More »

Roshi Joan Halifax names Kaigetsu Sensei her third dharma successor

Today, Irene Kaigetsu Kyojo Bakker underwent a private denbo and denkai ceremony with Roshi Joan Halifax in Dokanji (Circle of the Way Temple), Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico. There she received the dharma name Kaigetsu (“the moon is reflected in the sea without a shadow”). Read More »

Dalai Lama offers prayers for victims of violence in Syria, Tibet, and the world over

His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over the annual Monlam Chenmo at Tsug-la Khang in Dharamshala on Tuesday, offering prayers to victims of violence in Tibet and Syria; he also asked that prayer offerings be made to all victims of violence across the world. Read More »

U Gambira, Burma’s “Saffron Revolution” leader, detained again

Voice of America has just broken the news that Burmese monk and famed Saffron Revolution leader U Gambira — who spoke with Hozan Alan Senauke on Senauke’s recent trip to Burma (which he wrote about on Shambhala SunSpace just two days ago) — has been again detained for questioning by authorities; his release is expected on Thursday. Read more from VOA’s report here.