>Another Way Of Healing

>

In due time Kisa Gotami became pregnant and after ten lunar months she gave birth to a son. But the child died as soon as he was able to walk. Kisa Gotami had not known death before and when they came to remove the child’s body for cremation, she refused to let them do so, saying to herself: “I will get medicine for my son.” Placing the dead child on her hip, she went from house to house, pleading: “Do you know a cure for my son?” Everyone said to her: “Woman, you are completely mad in seeking medicine for your son,” but she went away, thinking: “Truly, I will find someone who knows the right medicine for my child.” Now a certain wise man saw her and thought to himself: “I must help her.” So he said: “Woman, I do not know if there is a cure for your child, but there is one who will know and I know him.” “Sir, who is it who will know?” “Woman, the Lord will know. Go and ask him.” So, she went to the Lord, paid reverence to him, stood at one side and asked: “Venerable sir, is it true as men say that you know a cure for my child?” “Yes, I know.” “What then do I need?” “A few mustard seeds.” “I will get them, Venerable sir, but in whose house?” “Get them from a house where no son or daughter or any other person has ever died.” “Very well, sir,” Kisa Gotami said, and having paid reverence to the Lord, and having placed the dead child on her hip, she went to the village and stopped at the very first house. “Have you any mustard seeds? They say they will cure my child.” They gave her the seeds, and then she asked: “Friend, has any son or daughter died in this house?” “What do you ask, woman? The living are few and the dead are many.” “Then take back your seeds, for they will not cure my child,” she said, and gave back the seeds they had given her. In this way she went from house to house but never did she find one that had the mustard seed that she needed. Then she thought: “Oh! It is a difficult task that I have. I thought it was only I who had lost a child, but in every village the dead are more than the living.” While she reflected thus, her heart which had trembled now become still.

Dhp. a. 242

Original Posted by Shravasti Dhammika

>Buddhism in London

>

A group of Buddhists in London

Buddhism

Welcome to our section dedicated to the Buddhist community in London. Find out the origins of the Bhuddist faith and how the 2,500 teachings of Siddartha Gautama influence the lives of many Londoners today.

Photo courtesy of London Buddhist Centre

There is a thriving Buddhist community in London with many centres offering urban retreats and meditation courses. Although there are many traditions of Buddhism, they all share the goal of making an inner change in order to create a happier, healthier planet. Buddhism is based on the 2,500 year old teachings of Siddartha Gautama, or Shakyamuni Buddha, in Northern India.

Buddhist Festivals

Although there are a number of Buddhist festivals and most are celebrated during the advent of a full moon, the four main Buddhist festivals are;
Wesak which marks Enlightenment of Buddha.
Sangha Day represents the celebration of Buddhists followers who have reached Enlightenment.
Dharma known as the First Turning of the Wheel celebrates Buddha’s first passing of his teachings to his disciples thus reaching Enlightenment.
Parinirvana or Death of a Buddha is the time when Buddhists remind themselves of death.  Buddha was known to have said “Those who are aware of death put down their quarrels.”

The word ‘Buddha’ means ‘one who is awake’. The Buddha awakened to Enlightenment meaning that he attained perfect clarity, unceasing compassion, and tireless energy. Common to all Buddhist schools is the belief that everyone has that capacity. The teachings and methods of Buddhism ultimately have one goal, to enable us to fully realize that potential.

The largest Buddhist movement in the capital is Soka Gakkai (Value Creation society) International.

Together with Tibetan, Zen, Thai, Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) and New Kadampa Tradition, the community is ever growing, as more and more people seek a  return to spiritual values in the materialistic and fast-moving daily life of London.

Internationally, the FWBO has 65 dedicated centres as well as groups with no dedicated premises and 17 retreat centres in about 25 countries.  In the UK, it has 21 centres and 8 retreat centres, plus groups without dedicated premises.

Buddha

The first ever Buddhist mission in the UK was established in 1908 by Charles Henry Allan Bennet, who had been ordained as a Buddhist monk in Burma.

By founding The London Buddhist Vihara in West London, the Sri Lankan Buddhist scholar and religious propagandist called Anagarika Dharmapala (previously Don David) ensured the continuation of Buddhism in the UK.

Buddha, courtesy of London Buddhist Centre

In the 1970s, Tibetan refugee teachers imported four schools of Buddhism (Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug) to Britain, which still have a following.

The Zen tradition is described on the Soto Zen web site as “not a philosophy or system of ethics or religion, but it enables one to reach the source of all philosophies, ethics and religions”. The largest group within the tradition is called the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives and was founded in 1972.

“The central challenge to life is how to be happy and do good in this world. The key to this challenge is changing your mind and Buddhism offers this.”
Dh Maitreyabandhu of London Buddhist Centre

The lay Buddhist movement of Soka Gakkai International was established in London in the 1960s and has approximately 6,000 members.  Followers study the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th Century Japanese priest. At the heart of the practice is the chanting of “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo”.  This is the title of the Lotus Sutra and surrounds the universal truth to which Shakyamuni Buddha was enlightened.

The Lotus flower is very much connected to Buddhism and can be found on Buddhist figures and in centres.  It generally symbolizes birth, growth, transformation and development. Also the way the lotus grows unsullied out of muddy water makes it an appropriate symbol for purity

The Lotus Flower

Soka Gakkai International also believes in peace through education and culture, which is based upon the view of the inherent dignity and interconnection of all life.  It is a non-governmental organisation affiliated to the United Nations with members in 180 countries and territories.

Buddhist mediation group

There are approximately 400 committed Friends (or novices) of The Western Buddhist Order in London. At its core are about 120 ordained members who teach meditation and Buddhism in the city.   The society has 80 centres around the world and activities in 25 countries. A representative states: “It is a dynamic spiritual community of men and women who together follow the Buddha’s path”.

London Buddhist Centre

The New Kadampa Tradition is the third largest Buddhist movement in the UK, founded by the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha in the 11th Century.

Kadampa Buddhists follow the teachings of Shakyamuni, Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa, emphasising the Lamrim instructions which are all stages of the Buddhist path to enlightenment, and involve reciting the prayers of the Guru Yoga of Je Tsongkhapa.

last updated: 12/01/2009 at 14:55
created: 11/08/2004

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2004/08/11/faith_buddhism_feature.shtml

>Buddhism explained

>

A Budda statue in Japan

Sarah a Buddhist in West Yorkshire  explains her  interest in  Buddhism  and its beliefs.

 

“Interest in Buddhism in the UK is growing. According to the latest census information, the number of people who classify themselves as “Buddhist” has doubled over the last 10 years. The wide range of Buddhist groups and meditation classes in and around West Yorkshire represents the richness and complexity of the Buddhist philosophical tradition, whose history stretches back over 2,500 years.

Tosho temple in Japan

There are three main Buddhist traditions: the “Theravada” of South East Asia, the Eastern tradition of China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, (“Zen” Buddhism comes within this tradition), and Tibetan Buddhism. The essential Buddhist teachings remain the same, but have adapted themselves to different cultures.

This richness of traditions offers many ways of practice, to suit people of different personalities and backgrounds.

Buddhism refers to the teachings of the Buddha. The word “Buddha” means “one who is awake”. The historical Buddha was not a god or a prophet, but a man called Siddartha Gautama, and this title was given to him when he achieved “enlightenment”, or “nirvana”. A difficult concept to grasp, nirvana is described as the highest bliss, it is a profound experience of total liberation from suffering, achieved through a complete understanding of the nature of all reality. The Buddha taught a path that, if practiced for oneself, leads ultimately to this goal.

Essentially, there are three parts to the Buddha’s path

• The practice of training the mind, or meditation
• The development of wisdom, or insight
• The practice of skilful conduct – endeavouring to live in a way that does not harm oneself or others.

The Buddha taught that, through the cultivation of this path, we can start here and now to live more wisely, to increase our own sense of well-being, and be kinder to ourselves and those around us.

Essential to the teachings of the Buddha was the principal that “Buddhas only point the way”. The Buddhist path is a practical one, to be explored and developed for oneself, though with support and guidance from friends and teachers.

Although Siddartha Gautama was born in India over 2,500 years ago, the experiences that led him to discover this path were perhaps not so different to those of modern western people. He was born into a wealthy and powerful family, was given every luxury, and was shielded from the realities of death, old age, and sickness. This is perhaps similar to the way that we are cushioned, through material security, from the uncertainties of life. Yet the Buddha eventually came to the realisation that life was fundamentally insecure and unsatisfactory, and this troubled him greatly. In the same way, we may often succumb to anxiety and depression, and a sense of general unease or dissatisfaction with our lives. It was this type of experience that led him on a journey to search for a solution to the problem of suffering, and which often motivates us now in a quest for deeper meaning or satisfaction in our lives.”

Sarah Yorke

If you would like to learn a meditation practice, or find out more about Buddhism within the Theravada tradition, beginners meditation classes are held in Huddersfield on a weekly basis – for further information contact Deborah Raikes on 01422 843 469.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/lifestyle/faith/2003/buddism.shtml

>Buddhism in the West

>

Although Buddhism spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. The early missions sent by the emperor Ashoka to the West did not bear fruit. 

Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them to Europe, North America and Australia.

The ‘come and see for yourself’ attitude of Buddhism attracts many Westerners. They are not asked to believe in anything, but to follow the Buddha’s advice of testing ideas first. 

With the growth of easy travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before. The informality and emphasis on practice of Buddhism appeals to many Westerners.

Above picture is a group of Buddhist practitioners at the conclusion of a 10-day meditation retreat at in the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre, Australia.

The Influence of Buddhism 

Buddhist attitudes of peace, mindfulness and care for all living creatures have come to be the concern of many groups in the West. Buddhist believe that all things should be looked after: the earth, plants, birds, insects and animals. This is close to the feeling among many people in recent years that the human race should stop polluting the atmosphere and destroying the surface of the earth by cutting down forests. 

Buddhism Travels West 

Although the Buddha’s teachings have been known in countries throughout Asia for over 2,500 years, very few people in Europe or America would have known what the word ‘Buddhist’ meant unless they had been born in the last 50 years. 

Over a century ago people from France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and other European countries began to travel in the Far East. Many of them returned with Eastern ideas, and so Europeans began to hear about Buddhism. 

More recently, Buddhist people have moved to the West. Many of them have been refugees from conflict. Many Tibetans, for example, fled from their country after the Chinese takeover in 1959. The wars in Indochina in the 1950s and 1960s led many Vietnamese people to move to and settle in Europe, Australia and America. Other Buddhists from countries such as Thailand have established businesses in the larger Western cities. They have all brought their Buddhist beliefs to their new homes, and helped to set up Buddhist centres. 

Introduction of Buddhism to Europe

In the eighteenth century onwards, a number of Buddhist texts were brought to Europe by people who had visited the colonies in the East. These texts aroused the interest of some European scholars who then began to study them.

Around the middle of the nineteenth century, a few Buddhist texts were translated into European languages. Thus Buddhist teaching came to be known to the European scholars. A few of them who were influenced by Buddhism, introduced Buddhist ideas into their own writings. Later, more and better European translations of Buddhist texts were made by the early part of the twentieth century, a large number of Buddhist texts had already been translated into English, French and German. This includes virtually the entire collection of Theravada scriptures as well as a number of important Mahayana texts.


Second picture above is a typical scene in western countries during the construction of a centre,
which are usually built with the help of volunteer labour.

Growth of Buddhism in Europe

Before the beginning of the twentieth century, the study of Buddhism was confined mainly to scholars and there was not much practice of the teachings. Later, this pattern began to change. A number of Europeans felt that merely reading about Buddhism was not enough, so they travelled to the East to acquire firsthand knowledge of the Buddhist practices and to experience the monastic life.

In addition, Buddhist organisations were founded in the major cities of Europe. One of these, the Buddhist Society of London, was established in 1924. It is the oldest and one of the largest Buddhist organisations in Europe. These organisations helped the growth of interest in Buddhism through their meditation sessions, lectures and circulation of Buddhist literature.

By the early part of the twentieth century, a number of the Europeans, who had travelled to the East to study Buddhism, had returned. Some of them had become monks and they inspired and strengthened the Buddhist circles in Europe. They were soon joined by Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka and other Buddhist countries in Asia. In recent years, there has been a marked growth of interest in Buddhism in Europe. The membership of existing Buddhist societies has increased and many new Buddhist centres have been established. Their members include large numbers of professionals and scholars. Today, the major Buddhist traditions of Asia such as Theravada, Pure Land, Ch’an (or Zen), Vajrayana and Nichiren Shoshu, have a sizeable number of followers in Europe.

Introduction of Buddhism to America

As in Europe, scholars in America became acquainted with a number of Buddhist ideas in the nineteenth century. Some of the oldest universities in America had departments of oriental studies where scholars studied Buddhist texts.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants settled in Hawaii and California. These immigrants brought a number of Mahayana Buddhist practices with them and built numerous temples. The Japanese Buddhist immigrant who arrived later, not only built temples but also invited over to America, the Japanese monks who belonged to the various Mahayana Buddhist sects. However, Buddhist activities remained largely confined to these immigrant communities.

At the end of the nineteenth century, two outstanding Buddhist spokesmen, Dharmapala from Sri Lanka and Soyen Shaku, a Zen master from Japan, attended the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Their inspiring speeches on Buddhism impressed their audience and helped to establish a foothold for the Theravada and Zen Buddhist traditions in America. During this period, the Theosophical Society, which teaches the unity of all religions, also helped to spread some elements of Buddhist teachings in America.


Third picture above: Service: volunteers cleaning the Buddha
images in the shrine room.

Growth of Buddhism in America

It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that Buddhist ideas reached a wider section of the American society. American servicemen returning from East Asia after the Second World War and Korean War, brought with them an interest in Asian culture which included Nichiren Shoshu and Zen Buddhism. The latter gained considerable popularity in the nineteen-sixties among literary and artistic groups in America and this helped to popularise Buddhism. When Tibetan refugees began arriving in America after 1959, they brought with them Vajrayana Buddhism. Soon it gained a substantial following there. During the postwar period, academic interest grew. Many new departments of Buddhist studies were established in the American universities.

At Western Buddhist Centres 

The basis of Buddhist practice in the West, as in the East, is meditation, and people may sit on cushions with their legs folded and hands in their laps. The photograph on the left was taken during a ten-day retreat at the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre, Australia, with a western monk as the Teacher. 

 

The students practised intensive sitting meditation and meditative walking, with a daily interview; received personal instruction and listened to an evening talk.

Some groups will also do some chanting, and make offerings to the Buddha image in its shrine. A Theravadin group will be very quiet and peaceful. They may form themselves into lines to give food to the monks in the morning and expect to hear a talk during the day. 

A Tibetan group can be more active, chanting, asking questions and ringing bells. Japanese Zen groups are more restrained and spend a lot of time in meditation or zazen. The activities at Buddhist centres allow people to find ways of understanding Buddhism. 

Today, there exist numerous Buddhist centres spread across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America. Virtually all the major Buddhist traditions are represented and continue to attract the interest of Westerners in all walks of life.

Sources: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/to-west.htm

>Noble 8 Fold Path

>Noble 8 Fold Path http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17115284&access_key=key-q3n2f0bcy2u2egaa8lm&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list   

>Good Question Good Answer

>Good Question Good Answer http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17133743&access_key=key-25l3vzgn75wi6y2xuwph&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list   

>British Buddhism

>

How many Buddhists are there in Britain?

According to the 2001 census there are 151,816 Buddhists in Britain. However, that does not take into account those who regard themselves as Buddhists as well as Christians, or Jews, or Taoists, or anything else. The census form made no provision for such people to be counted. There are also those who refuse to label themselves as ‘Buddhists’ because it runs counter to the principle of selflessness or egolessness. They prefer to think of themselves as free spirits. Irrespective of how many Buddhists there are in Britain today, there is unquestionably a growing interest.

How has Buddhism developed in Britain?

A Japanese-style Buddhist garden in Europe ©

Buddhism first found its way into Britain in the 19th century through translations of scriptures from the various schools in different parts of the east. In 1879 Sir Edwin Arnold compiled an epic poem, The Light of Asia, describing the Buddha’s life. This was to become a classic and is still in print today.

The limited number of books available in those early years was enough to inspire a few to begin actually practising Buddhism as a way of life. One of those, Allan Bennett, went to Sri Lanka in 1898 and returned as Ananda Metteyya, the first Englishman to be ordained as a Buddhist monk (Bhikkhu) of the Theravada tradition.

In 1907 a number of people got together and formed The Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland. This was succeeded in 1924 by The London Buddhist Society, founded by Christmas Humphreys. It was the first really successful organisation in Britain to provide a platform for all schools and traditions of Buddhism. It stood alone for almost fifty years as the focal point for Buddhists in Britain.

Sixties Britain brought eastern religions into fashion for the first time, including Buddhism. The Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 eventually led to the exodus of thousands of Tibetans with the Dalai Lama in 1959. This brought lamas to the west. These two factors in particular led to the mushrooming of new Buddhist groups. As a result, today almost every Buddhist tradition is represented in Britain.

Does Buddhism in Britain differ from that in the east?

The main differences are cultural. A few temples and monasteries in Britain almost entirely replicate their counterparts in the east. If one were to go to Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, in London, for example, there would be very little to distinguish it from a temple in Thailand. Even so, there will be differences.

It is unlikely that a Theravadan monk from Southeast Asia or Sri Lanka, for example, would be able to walk down a road in Britain in his saffron robes carrying an alms bowl, without getting some kind of surprised reaction from passers-by. And it is extremely unlikely that anyone would actually put food into that bowl for his daily meal, as is customary in the east. In Britain, therefore, food is taken to the temples by supporters, or cooked on site.

Celebrating a Buddhist festival in Britain ©

Whatever the tradition of Buddhism in Britain, however, the teaching has generally remained faithful to its origins. It could be said, therefore, that the essence of Buddhism, its practices, and teachings, are the same in Britain as in the east, but not necessarily its cultural customs.

Converts to Buddhism

Some Buddhists regard themselves as converts, i.e. have actually renounced or rejected the religion they were born into, and taken up Buddhism. Others, however, do not feel this sense of rejecting anything.

Buddhism does not demand a commitment to it alone, to the exclusion of anything else, and there are many who happily harmonise more than one faith or way of life within themselves. For example, there are westerners of the Judaeo-Christian traditions who maintain their faith yet supplement it with the practice of Buddhist meditation.

There are also people who were only ever nominally Hindus or Christians or whatever, but felt as though they were embarking upon a spiritual path for the first time on taking up Buddhism. These people, too, would have no deep sense of converting from one religion to another.

How are festivals celebrated in Britain?

There is much preparation and excitement around the Buddhist festivals that take place in British temples and monasteries at various times of the year. Food is prepared at or taken to the temples, and gifts are presented by lay people to the monks of money, sometimes robes, household goods, and food for the kitchen storeroom.

Women carrying gifts during the festival of Wesak in Manchester ©

These are not only special holy days of chanting and teachings, but happy, social occasions enjoyed in the way that Christmas or Easter is enjoyed, for example, by practising Christians.

Traditional festivals and ceremonies do not always rank highly, however, among western Buddhists. This is not to say that westerners do not attend them or enjoy them, but there is often no cultural connection. Whatever the case, this is an opportunity to make offerings to support the temples and monks in their way of life.

What sort of Buddhist Centres are there?

The types of Buddhism practised around the world can be vastly different. After all, it has been evolving and developing over twenty-five centuries in a variety of cultures. Therefore, there have been temples, monasteries and centres of all kinds set up in Britain over the last hundred years. Some of these have their roots in Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and Tibet.

The Butterlamp House at the Samyeling Centre in Dumfriesshire ©

A few of these centres have been established specifically to serve their own ethnic communities, though they are generally open to everyone. The monk or nun incumbents will probably engage in daily devotions and practices, as well as giving teachings, blessings and ceremonies for the laity.

There are also centres that combine particular Buddhist practices and traditions with a western culture. Westerners who have been ordained in Japan or Thailand, for example, have returned to the west to set up training monasteries in Britain. These centres regard themselves as inheritors of authentic traditions. Inevitably, however, cultural adjustments have been made. Some chanting might be in English, for instance, and the sexes are treated on a more equal footing.

Yet other groups in Britain are principally concerned with the practice of meditation, while paying little attention to the rest of the Buddhist teachings or cultural trappings. They do not chant, bow, or have much by way of Buddha-statues, for example. Neither do they emphasise the study of scriptures. They rather stress the basic meditation techniques of mindfulness and awareness in daily life.

In contrast to this, there are a few organisations which give a platform to all schools and traditions of Buddhism from around the world. There is no intention by them of adapting or adjusting anything, and yet they may also be open to the organic development of what could eventually become a British form of Buddhism.

How is Buddhism as a whole organised in Britain?

There is no principal Buddhist Society or group in Britain, nor one which can speak for Buddhists as a whole, though attempts have and are being made to create such a body.

A selection of centres in Britain

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, Hertfordshire. This is one of a group of monasteries founded in 1979 by Ajahn Sumedho, an American-born Theravadan monk of the Thai Forest tradition. Amaravati houses both monks and nuns, has a retreat centre for lay people, a library, and is open to visitors for occasional talks and personal practice.
The Buddhist Society, London. One of the first Buddhist organisations in Britain founded in 1924 by the late Christmas Humphreys, QC. It offers talks and classes on all schools of Buddhism and has a library.
Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London. A Tibetan organisation of the Gelugpa tradition, under the direction of Geshe Tashi Tsering. Courses of study and practice are taught at all levels.
Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Centre, Dumfriesshire. A centre founded in 1967 by two refugee Tibetan abbots, now under the guidance of Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe Losal. This is a monastery as well as an active centre offering courses of study in Buddhism as well as other topics.
Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, Northumberland. A training monastery of the Japanese Soto Zen tradition, founded in 1972 by an Englishwoman, the late Rev. Jiyu-Kennett, and now under the direction of Rev. Daishin Morgan. It is open to lay guests.
Wat Buddhapadipa Temple, Wimbledon, London. This was the first Buddhist temple in the United Kingdom. It was set up with the objective of creating a centre for the dissemination of theoretical and practical Buddhist teachings in Europe.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/history/britishbuddhism_1.shtml

>Of Gods and, Well, Other Gods

>

People standing outside Buddhism and looking in often comment that for an allegedly nontheistic religion it has a lot of gods. Which I suppose is true, but Buddhist “gods” aren’t gods as most Westerners understand the word.

There’s a book review in the Sri Lanka Sunday Times that discusses the distinction from a Theravadin perspective. The book is Gods in Buddhism – Origin, Function and Relevance by Professor M.M.J. Marasinghe. The most important point, I think, comes at the very end of the review. In most religions and cultures, “gods” are beings with special powers and abilities who can help or harm humans. Much of the function of religion amounts to pleasing or appeasing these beings in order to receive favor and blessings from them.

However, the reviewer writes, “The gods in the Buddhist conception are merely a class of non-visible beings who have no power or influence over man or the world.” Practitioners of Vajrayana might disagree with this definition, but as I said, this is the Theravadin understanding of the gods in the early Pali texts.
People curious about Buddhism sometimes express concern about all the supernatural beings. In most schools, if the supernatural beings bother you, just ignore them. Or file them all under “allegory.

>Is A Sheep As Good As A Lamb?

>

By Shravasti Dhammika

A popular story in the life of the Buddha and retold in Arnold’s famous poem concerns the Buddha and the injured lamb. The Buddha came across a shepherd driving a flock of sheep along a road. Trailing behind the rest of the flock was a lamb with an injured foot. The Buddha picked it up and then asked the shepherd where he was taking the animals, and he replied that he was taking them to Rajagaha for a great sacrifice which King Bimbisara was holding. The Buddha carried the lamb all the way to Rajagaha, met the king, preached to him about the futility of sacrifices, the sanctity of life and the importance of kindness to all being, and the king cancelled the sacrifice.
The story is a popular one, especially in Sri Lanka, where it is often depicted on Vesaka cards and occasionally even appears in temple wall paintings. I have heard it being taught in Buddhist Sunday schools and once I attended a kids’ art competition where the winning painting was of the Buddha holding a lamb. Certainly it’s a lovely story and the image of a holy person, any holy person, tenderly holding an animals is a particularly poignant one. The question is ‘Where does this story come from?’ Well, despite pretty much having been incorporated into the Buddha’s biography, the earliest version of the story comes from…The Light of Asia. It is an invention of Sir Edwin Arnold. And where did he get it from? Who knows! But I would suspect that when he created it he was very much influenced by the Christian idea of the ‘good shepherd’ and those popular images of Jesus holding a lamb. That he should graft a Christian concept/image onto a Buddhist narrative to make it more familiar to a Western readership, was very skillful of him. Less laudable is the fact that many traditional Buddhists know so little of their own sacred scriptures that they actually think something written by an Englishmen in just 130 years ago is from those sacred scriptures.
If you would like to read The Light of Asia have a look at
http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Light-of-Asia/index.htm

I am very happy to inform you that the whole of my book A Guide to Buddhism A to Z is now on the internet in Serbo-Croatian due to the diligence and dedication of my friend Branko. Please have a look at http://www.yu-budizam.com/adoz/index.html The English is available at http://www.buddhismatoz.com Anyone want to do it in Hindi, French, Finnish, Spanish or Swahili?

>U.S. Army Sending First Buddhist Chaplain to Iraq

>

Friday, October 30, 2009 Fox News
By Lauren Green

All Army chaplains wear the same uniform, and all of them answer to the same calling: to provide comfort and to relieve the suffering of American soldiers.

But one chaplain stands out from the crowd. Thomas Dyer is the first and only Buddhist chaplain in the history of the U.S. Army.

Dyer will be deployed to the Middle East in December along with the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment. Although his faith is grounded in pacifism, the 43-year-old Dyer says war has become a necessary part of peace.

“My teacher has concluded that without the military, without civil protection, the world would enter into a very dark place very quickly,” Dyer told Fox News. “There aren’t that many caves to run to, there aren’t that many mountains to go to anymore. And if we don’t have protection, we suffer greatly.”

A former Baptist preacher, Dyer found his new faith a few years ago through the practice of intense meditation. Born in Nashville, Tenn., he says his Christian background gives him an advantage in meeting the demands of a military with diverse spiritual needs.

“It has made me kind of like someone who is bilingual, where they can speak two languages, or bicultural,” he said. “I am kind of like a bi-religious person, so I am able to make connections with soldiers in a way that is very familiar to them, so I don’t look so scary or … strange.”

Less than one percent of the United States population is Buddhist, and Buddhists make up only three-tenths of a percent of the military. But Dyer has quickly gained the respect of his Christian colleagues, who make up the vast majority of military chaplains. He has also fostered a close relationship with his chaplain assistant, Spc. Jonathan Westley, who’s trained specifically to protect him.

“It definitely was something different when I got to meet him for the first time last year,” Westley told Fox News. “Fortunately, we clicked right from the start.”

Dyer will be a spiritual guide to all soldiers, not just Buddhists. He says no matter what their faith, all soldiers at war have common spiritual needs.

“They have a lot to bear. The training is tough. The environment is rough at times … and as a result of this they will come to someone who wants to help,” he said.

Religion aside, he says, soldiers face death daily, and what matters most to them is that someone who knows what they’re going through cares about their fate.