International Education Week at UCLA

From Nov. 16-20, UCLA will be celebrating International Education Week. There will be many different events happening throughout the week that help promote worldwide educational exchange. The best part is that they even have two Buddhist-related events happening! Here are some of the events I would like to highlight:

IEW 2009: International Opportunities Fair

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Kerckhoff State Rooms

Study Abroad Fair

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Pauley Pavilion North Concourse

Buddhist Cave Temples of the Kucha Kingdom

Friday, November 20, 2009
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Seminar Room, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology

"Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country" Film Screening

Friday, November 20, 2009
7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
James Bridges Theater

For a full list events, please click here.

The Sutra Translation Project

I found this information on Rev. Danny Fisher's blog and thought it would be especially useful for college students (or any student) seeking to read the Dharma but can only understand English.  

The Sutra Translation Project

The Woodenfish sutra translation project aims to produce bilingual editions of a sizeable portion of the Buddhist canon, translated into English from the original Chinese. With FGS’s publishing company, Buddha’s Light Publishing, Woodenfish has thus far produced Buddha’s Light editions of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Sutra on the Past Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Sutras on Filial Piety and the Nagasena Bhiksu Sutra. The chief translators on the project are Venerable Yifa and HBMLP 2004 participant Peter Romaskiewicz. They coordinate with the Center for Sutra Translation and Research at the University of the West.

 

The Buddha’s Light editions are unique in a number of ways:

• Each sutra copy provides facing bilingual pages, so that students who are learning Chinese can compare the English translation with the original text. Each copy also includes a brief history of the particular sutra, an exhaustive glossary of foreign words and ideas, and a translation catalogue which lists many of the other Chinese and English translations of the same text.
• Each translation attempts to provide a fluid, yet literal rendition of the Chinese text, trying to capture the experience of reading sutras in Chinese while remaining as faithful as possible to the original text.
• Woodenfish aims to produce not just one, but a complete series of translations of specifically Chinese Buddhist sutras using a consistent vocabulary for technical terms and foreign concepts. In all translations, a standardized lexicon and methodology is used, so that a technical term will be translated, or transliterated, in the same manner in every volume in the series

You will find translations for:

T 235 *Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra* 金剛般若波羅蜜經

T 251 *Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra* 般若波羅蜜多心經

T 366 *Amitabha Sutra * 阿彌陀經

T 412 *Sutra on the Past Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva* 地藏菩薩本願經

T 685 *Yulan Bowl Sutra* 盂蘭盆經

T 684 *Sutra on the Difficulty of Repaying the Kindness of Parents* 父母恩難報經

T 2887 *Sutra on the Profound Kindness of Parents* 父母恩重經

---- *Sutra on the Difficulty of Repaying the Profound Kindness of Parents * 父母恩重難報經

T 1670 *Nagasena Bhiksu Sutra* 那先比丘經

*Nagasena Bhiksu Sutra* –endnotes那先比丘經註解

Download Here.

Dharma Drum for Young People Summer Retreat

I was sent an email about a summer retreat opportunity from Venerable Chan Yu of Dharma Drum for Young People. Here is his attached message:

"Dear Friends,

 

I am writing to announce an opportunity for college students and young professionals to attend the Chan Summer Retreats for Young People. The retreats are sponsored by Dharma Drum for Young People (DDYP), an affiliate ofUS-based *Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association*  (DDMBA).  DDYP offers the retreats as an opportunity to introduce undergraduate and graduate students, and young professionals to the benefits of meditation and the practices of mindfulness living.  Membership or affiliation with DDYP is not required.

 

The Summer Meditation Retreat for Self-Discovery (for beginners and non-beginners) will be held August 12-15 and the Chan Meditation Summer Retreat (for past participants) will be held August 15-18.  The retreats will take place at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York, located in the Hudson Valley near the Shawangunk Mountains. Meals accommodations, meditation, mindfulness and Dharma instruction are all included. Interested individuals are welcome to participate. The retreat fee is $40 for college and graduate students, and $120 for young professionals.

 

More information and the retreat application can be found at: www.ddyp.org and for the retreat center, visit www.dharmadrumretreat.org. "

Buddhism and Bhagavad-Gita

I remember being approached by someone on campus who asked if I wanted to give a donation in exchange for a book called the Bhagavad-Gita. The cover of the book and the name of the book both sounded "eastern" and I asked what it was - a religion? a part of a religion? what was it? Unforutnately, the person gave me a very vague, general answer that really didn't tell me anything except he had a bitterness toward the university education system.

Anyways, I found a nice article about the differences between Buddhism and the Bhagavad-gita. It's every clear-cut and gives a nice, brief introdution to each of the teachings.

Buddhism v.s. Bhagavad-Gita

The Buddha as Astute Businessman, Economist, Lawyer

I regret not having attended this lecture by Gregory Schopen, chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism.

"The Buddha was a businessman. But don't take anyone's word for it — it's written in stone.

Of all the iconic scenes found in the earliest Buddhist art from India, none are more striking than the sculpted representation of a title deed involving one of Buddhism's most venerable monasteries: The transaction, involving 10 million gold coins, clearly shows that, far from being an ascetic, other-worldly religious tradition, Buddhism was, in fact, "deeply entangled with money – and a very great deal of it at that," according to Gregory Schopen, chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism."

Read Full Article.

Spring Break: Summer in Thailand

Hi there UBA friends,

We hope you're enjoying the break so far! This is just a quick note to let you know of a great travel study opportunity for students wishing to get away this summer. Here is the forwarded message:

***

Hi all Dharma friends at the UBA,

I wanted to let you all know about a program I've developed on Sustainability in Thailand, Thailand Sustainable Communities and Ecosystems. Do you want to learn about Dharma practice in Buddhist Thailand? While our program does not focus on Buddhism directly, taking part in the 5 week summer program provides an authentic experience and insight into Buddhist life.

Please let me know your interest or any questions you may have.

Cheers,

Michael Silverman, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Institute of the Environment
300 La Kretz Hall, UCLA
Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1496
silvermanmc@ucla.edu

***
Registration ends April 15th, and financial aid may still be available to those who sign up pretty soon. Here's the link for more
information: http://www.ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/IOE-Thailand/overview.htm.

See you next week when we start up again in the spring!

Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program

I received news of this program from the UCLA Center of Buddhist Studies. Sounds like a great way to start off your summer!

Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program

Program Location

The Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program (HBMLP) will take place at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery outside the city of Kaohsiung (Gaoxiong) in southern Taiwan. All participants will be provided lodging on the monastic grounds. All courses and activities will be conducted in English.

Program Objectives

The objective of this program is to promote the understanding of Chinese Buddhism by exposing the participants to the daily practice of Humanistic Buddhism within a traditional Buddhist monastery. The Buddhist Monastic Life Program provides international graduate and undergraduate students interested in the study of religion, Buddhism and/or Chinese culture first-hand experience in the lifestyle, training, and rituals of contemporary Chinese Buddhist monastics. This year, approximately 40 applicants will be selected to participate in the program. The primary goals of the program include:

• Offering participants a chance to view and experience Buddhism as it is practiced in modern-day Taiwan.
• Providing courses on Buddhism and Chinese culture, taught by Buddhist monastics from Fo Guang Shan
• Introducing participants to the concepts and practices of Humanistic Buddhism
• Teaching Buddhist monastic disciplines and traditions
• Exposing participants to Chinese culture and language
• Cultivating spirituality through meditation

All of these goals are to be achieved within the context of the monastic experience.

For more information, visit their website.

Legal Education in Tibet

"Tibet has reported success in a year-long legal education at its monasteries, where monks have been told to abide by laws and regulations in religious practice, rallies and parades, officials in charge of religious affairs said Monday.

More than 2,300 officials were sent to Tibet's 505 monasteries after the deadly riots of March 14 last year to promote the legal awareness of monks and nuns and dissuade them from being duped by separatist forces and ensure the normal practice of Buddhism, said Soinam Renzin, deputy chief of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Tibet Regional Committee."

Read full article.

Photo from ChinaView

UCLA Buddhist Scholar Gregory Schopen

From our very own UCLA:

"As one of the world's leading authorities on Buddhism, Gregory Schopen has shattered many myths, notably the notion that Buddhist monks in ancient India renounced money and property.

Schopen finds the widespread Western fascination with Buddhism "highly artificial and a little bit silly because it takes place completely in the abstract." The average Westerner is not interested in the "totality of what Buddhism is – a way of interacting and being human – but with a certain set of free-floating ideas that have been connected with Buddhism," he explained, adding: "I have a problem with that."

One of his favorite images of Buddhism as it's practiced in America is from a photograph of devotees in a Thai Buddhist temple in Los Angeles: "All the local Thai people are doing worship to the Buddha image in the front; in the back is a whole row of white guys meditating," said Schopen. "These are completely different approaches to the same phenomenon – the picture is worth a thousand words."

Read full article.

The Passing of Ven. Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen

Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen
Founder and Spritual Director of Thubten Dhargye Ling

"Dear Friends,

We have very sad news. Our great and dear teacher Ven. Geshe Gyeltsen passed from our world today, Friday February 13th at around 12:20 p.m. Ven. Geshela died peacefully, surrounded by monks from Gaden Shartse Monastery and family members.

All prayers and necessary rituals were performed by the monks. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other lamas called and spoke to Ven. Geshela earlier this week.

Please pray for Geshela's swift return to continue his teachings for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Students are encouraged to include the King of Prayers into their daily practice, wishing Geshela to return quickly to continue to teach us.

Thubten Dhargye Ling / Center for the Study of Buddhism and Tibetan Culture"

Learn more about Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsten.

Photo from UrbanDharma

From Father to Son

From The News & Observer, Geshe Gelek Chodha, a teacher at Kadampa Center, answers this question from a concerned father, reminding me of some of the ways my father had exposed me to Buddhism as a child:

"Q: A week ago, my son asked for a Buddha figurine -- he's quite clear that it must have a round belly and be seated in a meditative pose.

He says he was inspired by "The Cat Who Went to Heaven," which we read several months ago. As he is not yet 6, I am keeping my discussions with him relatively simple. We've agreed that a Buddha is not a toy and cannot go in his toy box but must be displayed where he can see it. We've discussed the importance of compassion, and I have offered to meditate with him. We are reading about Buddhism in a book on comparative religion ("A Faith Like Mine").

Is there anything else we should do? Are there concepts we should discuss beyond the practice of compassion and meditation? Is there a temple we could visit during this very preliminary exploration of Buddhism?"

"A: It may be helpful to know that you do not have to be Buddhist to practice any aspect of Buddhism. You may find benefit from Buddhist methods such as meditation or teachings on compassion and wisdom. It is perfectly OK to put into practice what you find helpful and leave the rest. After all, the intent of the Buddhist path is to teach us to be better human beings.

For Buddhists the world over, a Buddha statue is a symbol of peace and freedom. It reminds us of our own potential to achieve his exalted qualities: perfect love, compassion, power, wisdom and skill in helping others..."

Read full article.

Inter-religious Open House

Hi UBA friends,

Here are some details on the event that was mentioned this week at our meditation meeting. It looks like an interesting chance to check out some of the different faiths and traditions that UCLA has to offer, including a tour of some of the actual facilities offering different religious services, so many of you may want to check it out. Rev. Kusala will be among those giving presentations towards the beginning of the event.

****
Inter-religious Open House
When: Saturday, January 31, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 2:30pm
Location: UCLA Campus (meeting at the University Catholic Center, 633 Gayley Ave)
What: a tour of four houses of worship/meditation at UCLA, with short presentations from other religious groups

Goal:
- to educate ourselves of the commonalities and rich diversity among different religions
- to celebrate together the richness and diversity of organized spirituality here at UCLA

Houses of worship to be visited (in order):
University Catholic Center
University Lutheran Chapel
Hillel
St. Alban's Episcopal Church

Other religious groups participating:
Univ. Buddhist Assoc., MTO Suffi Assoc., Wesley Foundation, Hindu Student Council, and the Univ. Presbyterian Church.

Worried about lunch? Well Don't!
We will be starting with a FREE Continental Breakfast and ending with a FREE Lunch (we'll be taking into consideration the dietary needs of all participating religious groups)

This is really a great opportunity to meet new people from many different backgrounds, build relations with other groups on campus, and get a glimpse of just a few religious groups at UCLA (not to mention, getting a free bite to eat)!

***As a side note, for those of you on Facebook, it might be helpful to search for the event (by the name "inter-religious open house") and RSVP to it, just to give the organizers a better idea of how much food to buy.

Interpretation of Yogacara Philosophy in Huayan Buddhism

The UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies is pleased to announce the next talk in our Numata Colloquium Series:

Interpretation of Yogacara Philosophy in Huayan Buddhism

by Professor HAMAR Imre of Eotvos Lorand University (Budapest, Hungary), currently Visiting Fulbright Professor at the University of Virginia

Friday, January 16, 2009
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
243 Royce Hall, UCLA

Free and open to the public

Parking available for $9

For more info, please go to http://www.international.ucla.edu/buddhist

Thank you for your ongoing interest in Buddhist Studies.

Developments in the Study of Buddhist Art @ UCLA

UCLA faculty and over 10 guest professors gathered at UCLA for a two-day conference on recent research in area of Buddhist art on Nov. 21, 2008. The event was hosted by Donald McCallum, a UCLA art history professor, and consisted of a full day of public lectures.

"In introductory remarks McCallum recalled a time when scholars in Buddhist religious studies and art history were very separate. 'Previously, there had been a strong tendency to isolate the study of Buddhist religious thought and practice from that of Buddhist art, and ordinarily scholars in the two groups did not interact very much.' "

Read full article.

Photo from UCLA International Institute

UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies

We are pleased to announce an upcoming talk titled "Asian Images Inside-Out: What Can We Learn From the Contents of East Asian Statues?" given by Prof. James Robson of Harvard University.

Friday, December 05, 2008
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
243 Royce Hall, UCLA
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Open to the public. Campus parking is available for $9.

"Museums throughout the world are filled with a variety of Asian religious images and icons, depictions of Buddhas, guardian deities, and saintly figures, which are usually rendered in stone, metal, wood, clay or lacquer. The icons and images in those collections tend to be examples of what is termed “elite” or “high” art and are often representations of gods and deities from a standard pantheon comprised of popular national deities and common Buddhist figures. It is now clear, however, that a different class of images and icons also circulated at a more diffused level of society and we are now also aware of a variety of images that were filled with different kinds of contents. The contents of those images might include Buddhist texts, relic fragments, symbolic organs, or consecration certificates. In this talk I intend ask what can we learn when we shift our gaze from external aesthetics to explore what is found inside images? How did the practice of interring things inside of images develop? How has the discourse on idolatry and iconoclasm conditioned the reception of these images? What new insights can be gained when we shift our concerns from traditional issues about the genesis and aesthetics of images, to the function of icons as they are deployed in social and ritual contexts? A satisfactory engagement with any of those questions will entail a substantial reorientation of our previous views about those objects and what inspired their production."

For more information, please go to http://www.international.ucla.edu/buddhist/.

Thank you for your interest.
UCLA Center of Buddhist Studies

Hsi Lai Temple awarded scholarships

The Hsi Lai Temple and the Buddha's Light International Association awarded 160 scholarships to elementary, middle, and high school students from the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. Elementary students were given $100, middle students $150, and high school students $200.

"Located in a low-income neighborhood, the families put the money to good use.

'It's all part of our community outreach program. We value education and want to help our local schools,' said the Venerable Miao Hsi, a Buddhist monk at the Hacienda Heights temple."

Deer Park Monastery Retreat

Iwill be attending a weekend retreat at Deer Park Monastery with the UBA so I will not be able to post any entries until Sunday. I will be posting pictures and my experiences there after I come back. Have a great weekend!

Buddhists learn English

On Tuesday, China began an English training program for Buddhist followers in order to prepare them for future global exchanges. This program opened at the Shanghai International Studies University, organized by the China Religious Culture Communication Association (CRCCA) and the Buddhist Association of China (BAC).

"Qi Xiaofei, deputy head of the CRCCA, said at the opening ceremony that the half-year course would train translators and interpreters for the Second World Buddhist Forum, scheduled to be held in China next year."

"China hosted the first World Buddhist Forum in April 2006."