DOCSLIB.ORG

Untitled [Suchandra Ghosh on Battling the Buddha of Love

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Untitled [Suchandra Ghosh on Battling the Buddha of Love Jessica Marie Falcone. Battling the Buddha of Love: A Cultural Biography of the Greatest Statue Never Built. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2018. 324 pp. $23.95, paper, ISBN 978-1-5017-2348-3. Reviewed by Suchandra Ghosh Published on H-Diplo (August, 2019) Commissioned by Seth Offenbach (Bronx Community College, The City University of New York) Jessica Marie Falcone’s deeply researched ings/DHARMA: Religious Practice in a Global Bud‐ book, Battling the Buddha of Love, revolves dhist Institution”—deal with the people and func‐ around the activities of the Foundation for the tioning of the foundation respectively. In the frst Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), chapter, we are introduced to the early history of particularly the organization’s plan to construct a the foundation and the FPMT’s sangha, the Bud‐ colossal statue (five-hundred-feet tall) of Maitreya dhist spiritual community, the definition used by Buddha in Kushinagar, India. The idea for the Paul Williams.[1] Falcone draws a picture of the statue was to thank India for giving refuge to various categories of people who are part of the many Tibetan exiles. However, the project raised FPMT family and discusses non-heritage Buddhist serious questions regarding the effects it would practitioners, who were a diverse group. In chap‐ have on farmers’ land, their only source of sur‐ ter 2, she addresses the religious practices within vival. Ironically, Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Bud‐ the FPMT, among other things. Taking her cue dha of love, would have caused suffering among from Nicholas Thomas’s notion of promiscuity in small farmers in Kushinagar. As a cultural anthro‐ the context of objects (Entangled Objects: Ex‐ pologist, Falcone conducted extensive feldwork change, Material Culture, and Colonialism in the in India; she is well grounded in the theoretical Pacific [1999]), she refers to the promiscuity of no‐ literature on material culture studies, the anthro‐ tions and ideas: Buddhist traditions, mantras, ritu‐ pology of materiality, and the anthropology of art. als, etc. Falcone explains that the notion of karma Rich ethnographic data enriches the quality of the is “arguably as promiscuous, mobile, and global narrative. The author interviewed the affected as the now ubiquitous Tibetan prayer fags” (p. farmers and much of her observations are de‐ 54). At the foundation, the difference between rived from her conversations with them. preservation and appropriation was often The book, comprising nine chapters, is laid blurred. Ethnic Tibetans preferred to have non- out into two sections: “The Transnational Bud‐ heritage practitioners among them as this helped dhist Statue Makers” and “The Kushinagari Resis‐ in the spread of the romantic notion of “Ti‐ tance.” The frst section primarily focuses on the betophilia,” Western appreciation for Tibetan‐ work of the FPMT, a transnational organization. ness. The frst two chapters—“Community/SANGHA: After introducing the readers to the institu‐ FPMT’s Transnational Buddhists” and “The Teach‐ tion and the people of the FPMT, Falcone dwells H-Net Reviews on the planning of the colossal Maitreya project in politics/participation by the state governments in chapter 3, “The Statue/MURTI: Planning a Colossal India for building the statue of Maitreya. The Maitreya.” The project was originally conceived whole project was extremely contested and there by Lama Yeshe, who wanted a Maitreya statue to were competing visions. be built in India as a way to give back to the na‐ The second section shifts its focus from insti‐ tion that had offered refuge to the Tibetan refugee tution to space; here Kushinagar and the people community. Falcone discusses in detail the trials of Kushinagar are privileged. We have Kushina‐ and tribulations of the building process, which gar as the space where the Buddha attained were laced with politics. parinirvana and the narrative of the conversion In Buddhism, worshipping the relics of Bud‐ of this space as a site of pilgrimage with sacred dha is an important phenomenon and much has monuments. Among the sites related to the life of been written about it. The presence of historical Buddha, Kushinagar generally got less attention Buddha is evoked through his relics, which could from scholars as Bodhgaya remained the center of be physical relics or relics of use. In chapter 4, attraction as a pilgrim center reaching out to the “The Relics/SARIRA: Worship and Fundraising world. The situation has changed of late. Kushina‐ with the Relic Tour,” Falcone eloquently discusses gar is part of the Buddhist Circuit that enhances the essence of relic worship through a thorough its importance as a destination for pilgrims. Fal‐ study of the viewpoints of scholars like Gregory cone then goes beyond the sacred to the secular Schopen, Kevin Trainor, and John S. Strong, space, which is entwined with the sacred. She among others. We learn that for collecting funds, looks into the cultural lives of Kushinagar’s many relic tours are often organized throughout the communities. Greater Kushinagar is brought to world. The mechanism of organizing such tours is the foreground. Thus, in the frst chapter of this quite mindboggling. Arjun Appadurai’s study on section, chapter 6, “Holy Place/TIRTHA: Living in the social life of objects has a strong presence in the Place of the Buddha’s Death,” Falcone beauti‐ this book.[2] Falcone places the relics into Ap‐ fully weaves the pilgrimage industry into the larg‐ padurai’s category of “enclaved” commodities er social fabric of the town and its environs. She since the social rules for their movement high‐ gives us a panoramic view of vibrant light their scarcity, authenticity, and sacredness. “ethnoscapes” and “sacroscapes” at play.[3] For She ably examines the traveling spectacle of Bud‐ Falcone, Kushinagar is a rich translocal space of dhist relic veneration. abundant “crossings” and “dwellings.”[4] It offers The next chapter, “Aspirations/ASHA: Hope, a powerful vision of motion and dynamism alive the Future Tense and Making (Up) Progress on the with crossings and flows. Maitreya Project,” turns to FPMT aspirations and The next chapter in this section (chapter 7), Buddhist notions of hope for the future. “Steadfastness/ADITTHANA: Indian Farmers Re‐ Maitreya’s fgure traditionally evokes love and sist the Buddha of Love,” centers on the resistance kindness among his followers. His abode is the of the farmers to the Maitreya project. There were pure land of Tushita. According to Falcone, the various stakeholders, and a clear divide was per‐ Maitreya Buddha narrative is an “imaginative ceived between the statue’s supporters and de‐ horizon” in the Buddhist social landscape as ex‐ tractors in the region. The connivance of the Uttar pounded by Vincent Crapanzano in Imaginative Pradesh government in this project is clear from Horizons: An Essay in Literary Philosophical An‐ the fact that the government quickly signed the thropology (2004). Falcone narrates with preci‐ memoranda of understanding for just one single sion the story of the progress, the dead ends, and Indian rupee in perpetuity! Significantly, the gov‐ 2 H-Net Reviews ernment exempted the Maitreya project from tax‐ from the organization. When she writes “my frst es, charges, duties, and fees. The farmers were sangha [Buddhist community] is now lost to me,” given minimum compensation despite their po‐ it is indeed heartrending (p. 220). The author talks tential loss of land, livelihood, homes, and com‐ about debate and looks at the Tibetan Buddhist munity. Notwithstanding personal threats, Fal‐ tradition of debate to show that such advocacy cone participated in the protests. can itself be an ethical practice. Admittedly there was a disconnect between In conclusion, Falcone illustrates guru devo‐ the suffering of the farmers and the moral values tion in the classical Tibetan Buddhist sense. With‐ that the Buddhist communities espoused. In chap‐ in the FPMT, guru devotion is seen as a necessity ter 8, “Loving-Kindness/MAITRI: Contested No‐ for devotees and monastics. It is not to be ques‐ tions of Ethics, Values, and Progress,” the author tioned. Some questions are addressed like how succinctly discusses Buddhist ethics and the no‐ did a transnational Buddhist organization callous‐ tion of “engaged Buddhism.” The three ways of ly create so much suffering for the common peo‐ perceiving engaged Buddhism are general mind‐ ple? The epilogue highlights the future of the fulness and kindness in everyday life, ethical liv‐ project. So far, the FPMT has laid the foundation ing in general, and collective political action or stone for a smaller statue. Though the project has volunteering for social justice projects. On the is‐ still not come to fruition, a shadow of anxiety en‐ sue of special land acquisitions, Falcone draws a gulfs the author and the people of Kushinagar. momentous comparison between the people’s This book is a fruitful intellectual effort that movement in Nandigram in West Bengal and the challenges the stereotypical narration of protests. movement in Kushinagar.[5] Except for land ac‐ It is a story that shows how an institution manipu‐ quisition and protest by the farmers nothing is lates to invoke a Buddha of love. How religion sit‐ common between the two. The interviews lay uates devotees in time and space is underscored bare the distraught conditions of the farmers in in the book. The interviews are eye-openers for Kushinagar. Falcone makes clear that mindfulness lay readers. What makes this book different from and ethical living were not the central purpose of just a narrative of protest or an activist’s account the Maitreya project. is that even in the discussions of the quotidian The last chapter, “Compassion/KARUNA: Re‐ struggle of a farmer, the approach of a social sci‐ flections on Engaged Anthropology,” is crucial to entist is embedded. The end notes are extremely the book, as here the author reflects on her illuminative.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Buddhist Pilgrimage
    Published for free distribution Buddhist Pilgrimage ew Edition 2009 Chan Khoon San ii Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati. The Gift of Dhamma excels all gifts. The printing of this book for free distribution is sponsored by the generous donations of Dhamma friends and supporters, whose names appear in the donation list at the end of this book. ISB: 983-40876-0-8 © Copyright 2001 Chan Khoon San First Printing, 2002 – 2000 copies Second Printing 2005 – 2000 copies New Edition 2009 − 7200 copies All commercial rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or part, in any form, for sale, profit or material gain is strictly prohibited. However, permission to print this book, in its entirety , for free distribution as a gift of Dhamma , is allowed after prior notification to the author. ew Cover Design Inset photo shows the famous Reclining Buddha image at Kusinara. Its unique facial expression evokes the bliss of peace ( santisukha ) of the final liberation as the Buddha passes into Mahaparinibbana. Set in the background is the Great Stupa of Sanchi located near Bhopal, an important Buddhist shrine where relics of the Chief Disciples and the Arahants of the Third Buddhist Council were discovered. Printed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by: Majujaya Indah Sdn. Bhd., 68, Jalan 14E, Ampang New Village, 68000 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel: 03-42916001, 42916002, Fax: 03-42922053 iii DEDICATIO This book is dedicated to the spiritual advisors who accompanied the pilgrimage groups to India from 1991 to 2008. Their guidance and patience, in helping to create a better understanding and appreciation of the significance of the pilgrimage in Buddhism, have made those journeys of faith more meaningful and beneficial to all the pilgrims concerned.
    [Show full text]
  • Battling the Buddha of Love: a Cultural Biography of the Greatest Statue Never Built'
    H-Diplo Ghosh on Falcone, 'Battling the Buddha of Love: A Cultural Biography of the Greatest Statue Never Built' Review published on Saturday, August 31, 2019 Jessica Marie Falcone. Battling the Buddha of Love: A Cultural Biography of the Greatest Statue Never Built. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2018. 324 pp. $95.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-1-5017-2346-9; $23.95 (paper), ISBN 978-1-5017-2348-3. Reviewed by Suchandra Ghosh (Calcutta University)Published on H-Diplo (August, 2019) Commissioned by Seth Offenbach (Bronx Community College, The City University of New York) Printable Version: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=53470 Jessica Marie Falcone’s deeply researched book, Battling the Buddha of Love, revolves around the activities of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), particularly the organization’s plan to construct a colossal statue (five-hundred-feet tall) of Maitreya Buddha in Kushinagar, India. The idea for the statue was to thank India for giving refuge to many Tibetan exiles. However, the project raised serious questions regarding the effects it would have on farmers’ land, their only source of survival. Ironically, Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of love, would have caused suffering among small farmers in Kushinagar. As a cultural anthropologist, Falcone conducted extensive fieldwork in India; she is well grounded in the theoretical literature on material culture studies, the anthropology of materiality, and the anthropology of art. Rich ethnographic data enriches the quality of the narrative. The author interviewed the affected farmers and much of her observations are derived from her conversations with them.
    [Show full text]
  • Maitreya Project Trust in Kushinagar – Update October 2014
    Maitreya Project Trust in Kushinagar – update October 2014 Proposed Maitreya Buddha Statue Maitreya Project History – A Quick Recap; Lama Yeshe initiated the Maitreya Project in 1982 after returning from his first visit to Tibet since fleeing in 1959. Lama’s vision was to build a huge statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha in Bodhgaya, Bihar State. The statue would achieve several goals. The first was to make a statement that the loving kindness Maitreya Buddha will embody, is the most critical human quality, and the only cause of peace and happiness in human society. The statue had to be huge to make such a statement and to move people’s minds and bring about the understanding that loving kindness is so important to humanity. A second goal was Lama Yeshe felt to offer such a great monument as a token of gratitude for the kindness Government of India and Indian society showed in receiving and accommodating Tibetans from 1959 onwards. Despite many difficulties, setbacks, and challenges, the Project has moved forward and Lama Yeshe’s vision developed under the spiritual guidance of Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. Decision to move the Project to Uttar Pradesh By 2001 Bihar had become an extremely difficult place to work. The law and order environment had been deteriorating for more than a decade and Government at all levels was essentially dysfunctional. Although by this time Maitreya Project was far advanced in planning and design of a magnificent statue building in Bodhgaya, the extraordinarily adverse circumstances in Bihar, forced the difficult decision to relocate the Project to Uttar Pradesh where the State Government welcomed Maitreya Project and the prospect of it’s helping to develop the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh.
    [Show full text]
  • Temple Treasures of Japan
    5f?a®ieiHas3^ C-'Vs C3ts~^ O ft Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/ternpletreasureso00pier_0 Bronze Figure of Amida at Kamakura. Cast by Ono Goroyemon, 1252 A. D. Foundation-stones of Original Temple seen to left of Illustration. Photographed by the Author. TEMPLE TREASURES OF JAPAN BY GARRETT CHATFIELD PIER NEW YORK FREDERIC FAIRCHILD SHERMAN MCMXIV Copyright, 1914, by Frederic Fairchild Sherman ILLUSTRATIONS Bronze Figure of Amida at Kamakura. Cast by Ono Goroyemon, 1252 A. D. Foundation- stones of Original Temple seen to left of Illustration Frontispiece Facing Pig. Page 1. Kala, Goddess of Art. Dry lacquer. Tempyo Era, 728-749. Repaired during the Kamakura Epoch (13th Century). Akishinodera, Yamato .... 16 2. Niomon. Wood, painted. First Nara Epoch (711 A. D.). Horyuji, Nara 16 3. Kondo or Main Hall. First Nara Epoch (71 1 A. D.). Horyuji, Nara 16 4. Kwannon. Copper, gilt. Suiko Period (591 A. D.). Imperial Household Collection. Formerly Horyuji, Nara 16 5. Shaka Trinity. Bronze. Cast by Tori (623 A. D.) Kondo Horyuji 17 6. Yakushi. Bronze. Cast by Tori (607 A. D.). Kondo, Horyuji 17 7. Kwannon. Wood. Korean (?) Suiko Period, 593-628, or Earlier. Nara Museum, Formerly in the Kondo, Horyuji 17 8. Kwannon. Wood, Korean (?) Suiko Period, 593-628, or Earlier. Main Deity of the Yumedono, Horyuji . 17 9. Portable Shrine called Tamamushi or “Beetle’s Wing” Shrine. Wood painted. Suiko Period, 593- 628 A. D. Kondo, Horyuji 32 10. Kwannon. Wood. Attributed to Shotoku Taishi, Suiko Period, 593-628. Main Deity of the Nunnery of Chuguji.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating the Sacred
    SACCR E A T RI N G T EH E D A MANDALA EBOOK F P M T Creating the Sacred A Mandala Ebook FPMT © 2017 Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or developed, without permission in writing from the publisher. Mandala/FPMT, Inc., 1632 SE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214, US; fpmt.org Table of Contents Editor’s Introduction Foreword: Why Holy Objects Are Precious and Wish-Fulfilling, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Mandala April–June 2010 1. A Mandala Made of Sound, by Lorne Ladner, Mandala November–December 1995 2. Art for Enlightenment: An Interview with Peter and Denise Griffin, Mandala March–April 1997 3. Manifesting the Buddhas: An Interview with Peter Iseli, Mandala September–December 1998 4. The Making of a Buddha, by Joyce Smith, Mandala May–June 1999 5. Capturing a Living Likeness, by Lisa Sofman and Jaffa Elias, Mandala June–August 2002 6. The Dharma King Takes Shape: Gautama Vajracharya Discusses the Origins of Buddhist Art, Mandala February–March 2007 7. Green Tara Rising, by Bertrand Cayla, Mandala August–September 2007 8. The Not-So-Inherent Power of Holy Objects, by James Blumenthal, Mandala April–June 2010 9. FPMT’s First Holy Object Project, Mandala April–June 2010 10. Buddha’s Builder: An Interview with Ian Green, Mandala July–September 2011 11. Painting the Dharma: The Inspiring Work of Gelek Sherpa, Mandala October–December 2011 12.
    [Show full text]
  • Chagdud Gonpa Thondup Ling to Construct First Shi-Tro Mandala For
    PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 SUMMER 1999 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG SUPPLEMENT Chagdud Gonpa Thondup Ling CONSCIOUSNESS AT to Construct First Shi-tro Mandala THE CROSSROADS Conversations with The Dalai Lama for Universal Peace in U.S. on Brainscience and Buddhism by Veronica Miller This book addresses some of the As part of His Eminence Chagdud most fundamental and troublesome Tulku Rinpoche's efforts to preserve questions that have driven a wedge the spiritual and cultural tradition of between the realms of Western sci- Tibetan Buddhism, Lama Nubpa ence and religion for centuries. Con- Chodak Gyatso (Lama Gyatso), resi- sciousness at the Crossroads is the dent lama of Chagdud Gonpa result of a series of meetings between T'hondup Ling in Los Angeles, has the Dalai Lama and a group of emi- commissioned a rare three- nent neuroscientists and psychia- dimensional mandala of the Peaceful trists. The Dalai Lama regularly dedi- and Wrathful Deities of the One Hun- cates several days out of his busy dred Buddha Families ("Shi-Tro" in schedule to engage in these kinds of Tibetan). meetings, which have resulted in The Shi-Tro Mandala for Universal more than a decade of fruitful dia- Peace, the first of its kind to be con- logue between Buddhism and West- structed in the United States, will be ern science. created by Tibetan artist Pema Is the mind nothing more than an Namdol Thaye, one of only a handful ephemeral side-effect of the brain's of artists in the world qualified to physical processes? Are there forms of consciousness so subtle that sci- execute a cultural treasure of this edited by Zara Houshmand, Robert ence has not yet identified them? import.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Pilgrimagepilgrimage Chan Khoon San
    BuddhistBuddhist PilgrimagePilgrimage Chan Khoon San HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Published for Free Distribution by: S J B A Lot PT 12593, Jalan Kewajipan, SS 13, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: 03-56348181, 03-56315299. Fax: 03-56315262 e-mail: [email protected] ISBN: 983-40876-0-8 © Copyright 2001, Chan Khoon San First printing, 2002 – 2000 copies All commercial rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or part, in any form, for sale, profit or material gain is strictly prohibited. However, permission to print this book, in its entirety, for free distribution as a gift of Dhamma, is hereby granted and no further permission needs to be obtained. Cover Design: Credit is due to Bro. Hor Tuck Loon, of Sukhi Hotu in Petaling Jaya, for his artistic design of this book’s cover. It shows Ven. Sayadaw U Rewata of Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Centre, Yangon offering lights at the main shrine hall of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya during the 1999 Pilgrimage to India. Originally printed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by: Majujaya Indah Sdn. Bhd., 68, Jalan 14E, Ampang New Village, 68000 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel: 03-42916001, 42916002. Fax: 03-42922053. ii iii ii iii Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati – The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts. D This book is dedicated to our spiritual advisors, who accompanied the various pilgrimage groups to India from 1991 to 2001. Their guidance and patience, in helping to create a better understanding of the significance of the pilgrimage in Buddhism, have helped to make those journeys of faith more meaningful and beneficial to all the pilgrims concerned.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhism in Second Life: Anthropologist Studies Spirituality in Virtual Reality 28 January 2013, by Jennifer Tidball
    Buddhism in second life: Anthropologist studies spirituality in virtual reality 28 January 2013, by Jennifer Tidball A Kansas State University researcher is studying "They may have a temple or community nearby, but how religion—particularly Buddhism—fits into new there is something appealing about going online forms of virtual reality. and being able to spend their lunch break in meditation," Falcone said. Jessica Falcone, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology and social work, studies South Asian Falcone noted that other religions—including cultures and religions, particularly Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism and Islam—are experiencing Sikhism and Hinduism. Several of her current virtual communities on Second Life, and other research projects focus on Buddhist communities, groups and organizations also are creating virtual particularly the growing presence of Buddhism in communities. For example, universities can create the world of virtual reality. classrooms on Second Life and avatars can attend classes. Businesses have created virtual meeting For one project, Falcone is studying Buddhism and places for employees. Buddhist holy objects in Second Life, an online virtual world. "It is interesting to me and fascinating as an anthropologist that we are replicating some of our "I'm interested in looking at why Buddhist cultures in these virtual spaces," Falcone said. "For communities are developing on Second Life," the Buddhist groups in particular, it seems there is Falcone said. "I want to know what their religious a real effort to replicate their real-life practices, practices and materials look like in a virtual rather than innovate them. There is not much space." interest in doing experimental practices or trying new things because it is a virtual world." Users of Second Life develop an avatar for the virtual world.
    [Show full text]
  • Śākyamuni Devotion in Early Medieval Japan and Japanese Buddhist Conceptions of History
    Returning to the Founder: Śākyamuni Devotion in Early Medieval Japan and Japanese Buddhist Conceptions of History Luke Noel Thompson Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2017 © 2017 Luke Noel Thompson All rights reserved ABSTRACT Returning to the Founder: Śākyamuni Devotion in Early Medieval Japan and Japanese Buddhist Conceptions of History Luke Noel Thompson This dissertation examines Japanese conceptions of and devotional attitudes toward Śākyamuni (the historical Buddha) during the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. It focuses in particular on a new interest in Śākyamuni that arose in the twelfth century, and argues that this interest was a response to two developments: the appearance of the belief that the world had entered Buddhism’s final age, and the increasingly acute sense that Japan existed at the periphery of the Buddhist world. These two developments evoked in some clerics a sense of distance from the origins of Buddhism and a feeling of helplessness since the final age was a time when soteriological progress was thought to be particularly difficult. Japanese Buddhists were thus faced with a problem: how to proceed given these disadvantageous circumstances? Some clerics found comfort in theories about the Buddha Amida’s ability to take humans away from this world to his pure land, while others turned instead to the Mahāyāna Buddhist idea that humans are born enlightened (and thus need not worry about their personal salvation after all). The monks and texts at the center of my research instead looked to Śākyamuni in an attempt to reconnect with the source of the Buddhist tradition, thereby countering the inevitable decline of Buddhism by linking themselves to, and in some cases recreating, the imagined golden age that Śākyamuni and his Indian environs represented.
    [Show full text]
  • Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism
    Brill’s Encyclopedia of Buddhism Volume II: Lives Editor-in-chief Jonathan A. Silk Editors Richard Bowring Vincent Eltschinger Michael Radich Editorial Advisory Board Lucia Dolce Berthe Jansen John Jorgensen Christian Lammerts Francesco Sferra LEIDEN | BOSTON For use by the Author only | © 2019 Koninklijke Brill NV Contents Prelims Contributors ............................................................................................................................................................. xi Editors and Editorial Board .................................................................................................................................. xxxiii Primary Sources Abbreviations........................................................................................................................... xxxv Books Series and Journals Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... xxxvii General Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................... xlii Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. xliv Section One: Śākyamuni: South Asia .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Barlaam and Josaphat ...........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar Is on the Move!
    Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar Is on the move! 2016 was a great year for Maitreya Buddha Project Things are moving fast after many years in limbo waiting for the handover of land. 2017 begins with work already started on the land. August 2016 The State Government of Uttar Pradesh graciously handed over the land for Maitreya Buddha Project in Kushinagar. October Venerable Kabir Saxena was appointed Director of the Project. December 10th Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of the Project met with Maitreya Buddha Project Trustees in Delhi. December 11th Tushita Centre Delhi hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 21st Annual Dharma Celebration. The packed event at the Ashoka Hotel was an opportunity for Maitreya Buddha Project to offer an updated video presentation. December 11th In a private audience, His Holiness met Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Maitreya Buddha Project Trustees. His Holiness reviewed the Project site plan showing the Maitreya Site contiguous to the Parinirvana Temple and Lord Buddha’s Ramabhar Cremation Stupa. His Holiness advised the Trustees to ensure the Project becomes a vibrant centre of Buddhist study and learning. December 15th On December 15th a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the Kushinagar land site. Honourable Minister Brahma Shankar Tripathi was present. December 15th Prayers were offered by monks from the Kushinagar Thai and Tibetan temples, as well as by local Hindu Priests. The ceremony was led by Ven Kabir Saxena January 2017 - Work begins on site Work has already begun on the land. The most auspicious task is to bring the 24 feet Maitreya Buddha statue from Bodhgaya, and to ceremonially receive Maitreya onto the land in Kushinagar.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred Asian Conserving Buddhist Heritage
    ICCROM-CHA International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Conservation Forum Series 1 Cultural Property Asian Buddhist Heritage: Asian Conserving the Sacred ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) is an intergovernmental organization (IGO), and the only institution of its kind dedicated to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage worldwide, including monuments and sites, as well as museum, library and archive collections. ICCROM-CHA Conservation Forum Series ICCROM-CHA Conservation Forum Via di San Michele 13 I-00153 Rome, Italy ICCROM fulfils its mission through collecting and disseminating information; Telephone: +39-06585531 coordinating research; offering consultancy and advice; providing advanced Fax: +39-0658553349 Asian Buddhist Heritage [email protected] training; and promoting awareness of the value of preserving cultural heritage. www.iccrom.org Conserving the Sacred www.facebook.com/iccrom @ICCROM ISBN 978-92-9077-240-8 ISBN 978-92-9077-240-8 © ICCROM 2016 9 789290 772408 1 ASIAN BUDDHIST HERITAGE Conserving the Sacred EDITED BY Gamini Wijesuriya and Sujeong Lee First ICCROM-CHA International Forum on Conservation Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred 4-6 December 2013, Seoul, Republic of Korea Organized by Gamini Wijesuriya, Sites Unit, ICCROM Sujeong Lee, National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Project Advisors Stefano De Caro, Director-General, ICCROM Rha Sun-hwa, Administrator, Cultural
    [Show full text]