03/12/05 Taiwan to return ancient Buddha head to China...

Taiwan to return ancient Buddha head to China

Hong Kong - A precious thousand-year-old stone Buddha head will be returned to its historic roots in Chinese mainland's Shandong Province by a Taiwan religious organization next month, according to news reaching here from Taipei.

Master Sheng Yen, founder of the Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Foundation located in Peitou, Taipei, explained that "returning this 1,300-year-old Buddhist relic to its historic roots and restoring it to its original dignified completeness is much more important than keeping it here at the DDM."

The stone head of the Akshobhya Buddha statue, originally from the Four Gate Pagoda of the Shentong Monastery in Shandong, was sawed off and stolen in 1997. The Buddha head was then moved from place to place around the globe over a period of more than four years before coming into the possession of a few Taiwanese business people.

The relic, which is highly representative of the buddhist culture in China before the Tang Dynasty, was presented to Master Sheng Yen earlier this year as a gift intended to be displayed in the DDM Museum of Buddhist History and Culture that is under planning and construction.

The DDM spent six months on an investigation into the origins of the stone Buddha head. Through the help of local art experts and scholars, preliminary results revealed that the Buddha head might be the missing Buddha head of the Four Gate Pagoda at the Shentong Monastery in northern China.

In order to confirm this, Liu Fengjun, a department head of Shandong University's Institute of Archaeological Art and Research, and Liu Jiwen, vice president of the Committee of the Four Gate Pagoda Scenic Spot, were invited by the DDM to Taiwan for further inspection of the statue.

After thorough observation and analysis on the artifact, the two experts confirmed the Buddha head to be the missing head of the Akshobhya Buddha statue that is located at the east wall of the central column of the Four Gate Pagoda, which was built during the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and was ranked as China's most important artifact in 1963.

Master Sheng Yen has decided to allow the Taiwan public an opportunity to view the Buddha head between Dec. 1-15, before it is to be returned to the mainland.

People who go to see the Buddha head will be allowed to write their blessings and wishes on 10,000 wooden plates, which will be used to build a case to transport the Buddha head to Shandong Province via Hong Kong.

Sheng Yen said that the return of the Buddha head is also a move in support of international campaigns for cultural preservation as this year has been proclaimed by the United Nations as the "UN Year for Cultural Heritage." [XINHUA]

Hanoi - Party and Government leaders offered their condolences at a memorial service for Patriarch Thich Tam Tich who passed away on Sunday at the age of 91, head of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha.

Delegations from the Government, led by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, led by President Pham The Duyet, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, and Ha Noi’s People’s Council and Committee all attended the memorial service.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Tran Duc Luong, and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An sent wreaths and representatives from Ha Noi-based agencies and social organisations also paid tribute.

Patriarch Thich Tam Tich, who was born Nguyen Dinh Khue, was also head of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council. For his services he was conferred the Independence Order First Class by the State, the People’s Solidarity Medal by the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and the Capital City badge by the Ha Noi People’s Committee.

The memorial service took place at Ha Noi’s Quan Su Pagoda; the commemoration service will be held on March 13. [VIETNAM NEWS]

Brave monk saves load of tsunami passengers

Colombo - From Telwatte comes the story of a Buddhist monk who risked his life to rescue passengers in a bus trapped by the tsunami waves.

For Ven. Telwatte Nandatissa Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Sri Shailamadhayarama, Dadalla, Galle, it was an important day in the calendar. A large number of devotees would come to the temple to observe sil and other religious activities as it was not only a Sunday, but also a Poya Day.

The Thera was delivering an anusasana when the tsunami waves struck. Having sensed that a disaster was in the making, he resolved to take all possible steps to save as many lives as possible.

Then they heard the cries of passengers who had got stuck in a submerged bus. The Thera immediately swam towards the submerged bus to rescue the passengers.

Ven. Nandatissa Thera, with the devotees' help managed to save many of the passengers. They were then taken to the Karapitiya hospital.

His temple escaped damage, but the loss of lives in the area and in the whole country saddened him. Many of his relatives perished in the tsunami. The temple accommodated the village residents displaced by tsunami.

The Thera has undertaken the challenge of building 75 houses for the families whose houses were destroyed by the tsunami in Telwatte and suburbs.

Several donors and well wishers in Thailand, Germany and the US support his project. He also seeks further public assistance to make his project a success.

Ven. Nandatissa Thera has been invited to the inaugural ceremony of the Global Buddhist Conference on "Buddhist Humanitarian Services in a Post-Tsunami Context" organised by the Buddhist Resource Centre, Sri Lanka and the Asian Buddhist Congress scheduled to be held at the BMICH on March 19 and 20. The Thera is due to make a presentation on his tsunami experience at this conference. [LANKA DAILY NEWS]

For more information on the Global Buddhist Conference on "Buddhist Humanitarian Services in a Post-Tsunami Context", visit www.dhammatimes.com/relief2005.

Thai's favorite: making merits

Hanoi - The locals believed that their present existence was a consequence of what they did in their past lives.

"Hence, the rush to make merit is to improve one's chances in the next life," said the "Streetwise" column in The Nation newspaper.

It could be offering alms, donating to the temples or any other kind act that you can think of. And it could be done at any occasion on any day. In short, anytime is a good time for a good deed.

Thaksin Shinawatra, for instance, made merit at a temple in his hometown of Chiang Mai four months ago. At one wat (temple) where his ancestors’ urns are kept, he donated THB 3million.

Just last week, about 100 Thai millionaires were reportedly in China for the opening ceremony of a Buddhist shrine.

A survey conducted by a research centre found that Thais collectively spend as much as THB 3billion every year in making merit.

However, there are different “categories” of making merit and the goodwill that these acts can lead to.

"For example, monks are holy men. So, donating to them will bring a lot of merit," said SK, a Thai friend.

On April 10, Thailand will witness mass merit-making ceremonies throughout the country. This is to mark 100 days since the tragic Dec 26 tsunami which swept away at least 5,300 people from the shores of Thailand.

Thais observe major events on the Buddhist calendar, which are declared public holidays throughout the country.

Last month, there was the Makha Bucha Day, which marks the anniversary of Buddha’s first sermon.

Come May 22, there will be the celebration of Visakha Bucha Day that commemorates Buddha's birth, his enlightenment and death.

And July 22 will be the start of the three-month Buddhist Lent.

Thais do not just pray at the temple. Everywhere in Thailand, you would see spirit houses that are said to be the dwellings of the spirits.

Such spirit houses can be found outside almost every building in Bangkok. They differ in sizes. A grand hotel would have an elaborate spirit house outside its premises.

The Erawan Shrine outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is arguably one of the most famous of all shrines in Bangkok and was built to ward off misfortune that occurred during the construction of the hotel. Scores of believers, not just Thais but foreigners from Singapore and Hong Kong, make their way to the shrine day and night to worship the four-headed Brahma deity.

The shrine is often stacked high with garlands and flowers placed by devotees. Smoke from joss sticks permeates the air, as men and women, young and old, kneel down in prayer in front of the deity, oblivious to the noisy traffic ouside.

The shrine is located at the junction of the ever-busy Ratchadamri Road, just in front of the sprawling World Trade Centre, which is a magnet to shoppers and tourists.

The Erawan Shrine is a fascinating place to get a glimpse of the Thai way of life. Several huge elephant statues stand at one corner of the shrine, donated by grateful devotees. Erawan, apparently, refers to a holy elephant.

Others conveyed their appreciation for prayers answered by donating to the dancers and musicians at the shrine, who would then perform a traditional song and dance.

"Once, I prayed at the Erawan Shrine to help me in my work at the office. When my wish was granted, I commissioned the dancers to give a performance," SK said.

Many pious Thais, when they drive or walk past a shrine or spirit house, would clasp their palms together towards the statue.

Still, there are concerns among the faithful in Thailand that youngsters these days are more keen on Valentine's Day than holy occasions such as the Makha Bucha Day.

According to the Religious Affairs Department, these youths were showing less interest in religious activities.

Furthermore, a survey had indicated that a large number of Thai families did not visit temples, according to the department.

But for the majority of Thais, Buddhism is still a huge part of their lives. [AT METRO KL]

Silpa-Buddha showcases Buddhist art
By Andrew J. West

Vichai Sithiratn's work Four Categories Lotus reflects the four groups of people in the world in relation to Buddha's teachings. Thanomchit Chumwong's Water Bowl of Dharma shows a freedom and variety of form in contemporary religious art. Dawn sculpture of three clay monks by Khemrat Gongsook.

Bangkok - Thai art is often characterised by its critics as fitting neatly into one of two categories; either strictly stereotyped as traditional Buddhist art as found in the country's temples and palaces, or as simply mimicking Western trends in a blind quest for international credibility. These less informed detractors should pay a visit to the exhibition "Silpa-Buddha" of Thai contemporary art, from which they will depart in silence.

Fifteen renowned Thai artists have come together to exhibit at The Queen's Gallery for the purpose of unifying these two dominant divergent streams of Thai art, converging the influence of international styles with Thai traditional art. Of course, Thai artists have used modern methods to express old ideas before. What is noteworthy in "Silpa-Buddha" is the plethora of approaches that are imbued with high artistic values without sacrificing spiritual authenticity.

This confluence of multiplicity ranges across the board.

National Artist Panya Vijintanasarn's mixed-media piece Open Mind is a further move away for this artist and his neo-traditional style into different materials while continuing his same subject. His use of tin and ring tabs returns a sense of spirituality to everyday objects that have lost much of their meaning in the new age of disposable consumerism.

Sutee Kunavichayanont's conceptual piece, The Study of Eternity, of school desks and a stencil covered blackboard, contrasts concepts of eternity against human frailty. The lesson he is espousing is to develop the mind as well as the body, while not presuming to preach to the viewer.

The sculpture Dawn by Khemrat Gongsook, of three clay monks, communicates the Buddhist concept of Three Characteristics masterfully with a serene yet powerful elegance. The wisdom conveyed by the three figures is palpable.

Amrit Chusuwan critically examines modern ideas of beauty with his VDO installation work titled Pretty or Beauty. The artist juxtaposes the video image of the Buddha alongside that of a woman drenched in make-up, posing the question of external versus internal beauty very succinctly and interestingly.

Vichoke Mukdamanee's work is usually pure abstraction and although this series of 10 painting is analogous, its collective title, Universe, suggests the swirling black charcoal and white plaster to be figurative representations of the exactly that, while also implying in their round white centres the bliss of Buddha in Nirvana.

In the plaster cast footprints of Buddha surrounded on four sides in Four Categories Lotus by Vichai Sithiratn, the artist contends that there are four groups of people in the world in relation to Buddha's teachings. This deeply religious Buddhist artist's inspired _expression clearly symbolises this traditional concept in a new and revealing way relevant to modern audiences.

Lokeeya Lokutara by Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin, Hands of Buddha by Saravudth Duangjumpa and Thanomchit Chumwong's Water Bowl of Dharma also demonstrate that although contemporary artists no longer depend on temples to patronise their work, today's independent artists can include the same meaning in their content, only now with a freedom and a variety of forms unavailable to their predecessors.

Kongsak Gulnglangdon metaphorically illustrates different aspects of Buddhism from a personal perspective that comments on the contemporary world as much as reflecting upon Buddha's ancient wisdom. Sakarin Krue-on, Noppadon Viroonchatapun and Surasak Chareanwong's works are likewise not created for religious purposes. Rather they express the artist's spiritual life by integrating Buddhist symbolism and their personal responses to its teachings.

It is left to Pichai Nirand, Pichit Tangcharoen and Apichai Piromrak to fill in their conventional canvases with more accustomed artwork. Pichai's glowing colours, Pichit's subtly understated imagery, and Apichai's thickly layered textures all do justice with their individual styles to their subjects and to the school of modernist painting from which they come.

Every Thai and foreigner who either presupposes that Thai art is crystallised somewhere in the historical past or who doesn't understand contemporary art or see its relevance to their cultural tradition must see this exhibition. It is artists like these who are rooted in Buddhism that are keeping the artistic tradition alive, renewing it and taking it into the future.

"Silpa-Buddha" is showing on the 4th floor of the gallery, while on the 1st and 2nd is "Painting Phuket, the Pearl of the Andaman" and on the 3rd floor is "NORTH, Norway & Thailand, Converging Lines, a Prelude to Globalisation". These exhibitions are also running until March 27, and furnish further cause for visiting The Queen's Gallery this month. [BANGKOK POST]

'Silpa-Buddha' can be viewed from 10am to 7pm (except Wednesdays) until March 27 at The Queen's Gallery, 101 Ratchadamnoen Klang Road. For more information, call 02-281-5360/1.

News in pictures

AFP/STR		Thai princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra signs the visitor's book on her arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo last week. The princess was visiting Sri Lanka to hand over an English translation of Buddhist scriptures taken from Sri Lanka to Thailand centuries ago.
AFP/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR		Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje listens to a journalist's question at a press conference in Bangalore, 07 March 2005. The Karmapa is currently on a 25 day tour of southern India, during which he is visiting major Tibetan monastries and communities.