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Local Events
BPF Cleveland plans Iraq War anniversary observance
The Cleveland Chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship will hold an hour of silent meditation to observe the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War on Wednesday, March 19 at the WestShore Unitarian Church, 20401 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River (directions). In view of the recent protests in Tibet, and the brutal Chinese response, BPF will add remembrance of the Tibetan and Burmese people to the remembrance.
The observance will be in the church's beautiful Fireside Room. Periods of sitting meditation will alternate with walking meditation. The observance will close with the recitation of the Metta Sutra, followed by tea and fellowship.
Doors open at 6:30 pm. Meditation begins at 7:00 pm. For more information, contact Lynne Brakeman, 216 521 4239.
The Cleveland chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship is affiliated with the international Buddhist Peace Fellowship headquartered in San Francisco. The group meets monthly at members' homes and sponsors activities throughout the year aimed at carrying the organization's message of socially engaged Buddhism.
Insight Meditation welcomes Amita Schmidt, March 28-30
Insight Meditation of Cleveland will sponsor a three-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat at the Cedar Hills Conference Center in Painesville, March 28-30. Amita Schmidt will lead the group in alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation.
Schmidt was a resident teacher at the Barre, Mass. headquarters of the Insight Meditation Society from 2000 to 2006. She is an author and co-founded a Buddhist community and retreat center in New Mexico.
The retreat fee is $150 which includes meals and accommodations. A limited scholarship fund is available. Registration deadline: March 11, payment due in full. You can download the registration form at the IM-Cleveland Web site. For more information, contact Susan Cyphers.
Insight Meditation of Cleveland meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, 21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights. On the first and third Tuesdays of each month, IM's Brecksville Sangha meets at the Brecksville Library at 7:00 pm.
Jewel Heart Cleveland welcomes Gelek Rimpoche April 30
Gelek Rimpoche, founder and spiritual leader of Jewel Heart will visit Cleveland on Wednesday, April 30 from 7:00-9:00 pm. In a follow up to HH the Dalai Lama's presentation in Ann Arbor (see Regional News, below), Gelek Rimpoche will speak on "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion." Fee: Donation
.Jewel Heart Cleveland is located at 2670 W. 14th Street in the Tremont neighborhood. For more information, call 216/687-1617 or e-mail cleveland@jewelheart.org.
Local News
CloudWater Zendo plans busy March schedule
CloudWater Zendo announced several upcoming events and classes:
- The Buddhist Cafe, Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 pm. The group will discuss Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron.
- Basics of Buddhism, Saturdays, March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 28, May 3, 10. Fee: Tuition for students wishing to take the Five Lay Precepts at the end of the course: $80. Others: $100. The tuition includes cost of textbook: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism. For students who wish to take the five lay Buddhist precepts after the series, a ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 pm. The course will cover core Buddhist teachings and the evolution of Buddhism from ancient India to modern times. Deadline to register: March 19.
CloudWater Zendo is located at 14436 Puritas Ave. on Cleveland's West Side. Call 216/889-1393 or e-mail yingfa@cloudwater.org for more information.
Ani Palmo offers meditation classes in multiple locations
Buddhist nun Ani Palmo, who has trained in both the Theravada and Vajryana traditions, offers a wide variety of classes at venues on both the East and West Sides of town. Check out her upcoming class schedule.
Jewel Heart Cleveland announces Spring class schedule
Jewel Heart Cleveland announced several ongoing classes and one new one for its current session:
- Deepening Awareness, 8 Sundays beginning March 16, 1:00-2:30 pm. Bill Kirchner will lead this course based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Open to all. Fee: $80 for nonmembers.
Jewel Heart Cleveland is located at 2670 W. 14th Street in the Tremont neighborhood. For more information, call 216/687-1617 or e-mail cleveland@jewelheart.org.
Cleveland Shambhala announces new Shambhala Training series
The Cleveland Shambhala Meditation Group announced it will offer a special package of the introductory Shambhala Training series in March and April.
March 29-30 Level I: The Art of Being Human
April 11-13 Level II: Birth of the Warrior
April 25-29 Level III: Warrior in the World
Students must sign up for all three courses. The fee is $420, additional discounts are available if contacted in advance. To confirm the class, six registrations must be received by March 17. For more information, contact Ann Palomo, Resident Director of Shambhala Training, (216) 592-8584.
The Cleveland Shambhala Meditation Group meets at the Tyler Building, 3615 Superior Ave. near downtown Cleveland (Directions).
Buddhist precepts study group continues in Lakewood
One Saturday a month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Lynne Brakeman will host a study group on the Buddhist precepts. Currently, the group is finishing up Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Buddhist Precepts by Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi.
The next study dates are Saturday, April 12, May 10 and June 14. E-mail lbrakeman@cox.net for details and directions. Everyone is welcome and anyone who wants to join the study group can help the group identify its next study book.
Regional News
Yellow Springs Dharma Center Spring Sesshin will be April 18-25
The Yellow Springs Dharma Center will hold its Spring Sesshin with Daniel Terragno Roshi April 18-25 at the Grailville Retreat Center in Southwestern Ohio. Attendees can choose either the full week or weekend option. Fee: $460 for the full week; $240 for the weekendFriday, April 18 to Sunday, April 20. Fees cover vegetarian meals, facility rental and travel arrangements for the teacher. In keeping with the Buddhist tradition of "dana," the fees do not include compensation for the teacher. At the end of the sesshin, attendees will have an opportunity to make a donation to Terragno Roshi.
Daniel Terragno is a teacher in the koan tradition of the Diamond Sangha, which was founded by Robert Aitken Roshi. Terragno is the dharma heir of John Tarrant Roshi of the Pacific Zen Institute. Daniel started his spiritual practice in 1967 studying the Gurdjieff Work with W.A. Nyland before taking up Zen. Daniel received authorization to teach Zen in 1995, and in 2001 received dharma transmission from Tarrant Roshi.
For more information about this retreat, contact Donna Denman, (937) 767-7877. The Yellow Springs Dharma Center is a Buddhist meditation center supporting practice in the three traditions of Vipassana, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism. The center is located at 502 Livermore Street, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Call (937) 767-9919 for more information.
HH The Dalai Lama visits Jewel Heart Ann Arbor in April
April 19-20, Jewel Heart, the Tibet Fund and the Garrison Institute will host His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet in Ann Arbor.On Saturday, April 19 and Sunday morning, April 20, HH will lecture on Nagarjuna Commentary on Ultimate Compassion and Je Tsong Khapa's In Praise of Dependent Origination. On the afternoon of April 20, HH will deliver a lecture on sustainability. For more information about free tickets, visit www.dalailamaannarbor.com.
Jewel Heart Cleveland is organizing car pooling to Ann Arbor for this event. E-mail cleveland@jewelheart.org with contact information and travel plans by March 20.Other upcoming Jewel Heart (Ann Arbor) events:
- Memorial Weekend Retreat: "Inner World of Mind," Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 26, Garrison Institute, Garrison, N.Y.
- Summer Retreat: "Compassion in Action," Friday, June 26 to Sunday, July 6, Jewel Heart Ann Arbor
- Fall Retreat, Friday, October 10 to Monday, October 13, Garrison Institute, Garrison, N.Y
For more information, visit www.jewelheart.org.
National News
Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to visit the U.S. this summer
The Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje (Karma Kagyu tradition) will visit New York, Boulder and Seatle between May 15 and June 2. An official website, www.karmapavisit.org, will be active soon with more details. In the meantime, you can contact the organizing commitee in each city:
New York: inquiries.east@karmapavisit.org
Boulder: inquiries.central@karmapavisit.org
Seattle: inquiries.west@karmapavisit.org
International News
Tibetan protests challenge Chinese authority
Lhasa, Tibet—It appears that the anniversary of HH the Dalai Lama’s flight from Tibet in 1951 collided with imminent plans to travel the Olympic Torch through Tibet, creating an incendiary political climate in the Tibet Autonomous Region claimed by the People's Republic of China. On Monday, simmering anger boiled over into violent riots. According to eye-witness (but unconfirmed) reports smuggled out of the country, more than 80 people have died over the last five days.
There is more news than I know how to present about related troubles in Dharmasala (India), Lhasa (Tibet), and most recently in the Chinese provinces bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region. Here are some of the most pertinent links:
Audio: China clamps down on news from Tibet protests, by James Miles, Louisa Lim and Ari Shapiro, NPR Weekend Edition, March 16, 2008 [6 min 1 sec]
Washington, Lhasa—China's crackdown against Tibetan protesters has reportedly spread neighboring provinces. Details of the protests, and Beijing's response, have been hard hard to come by due to efforts by China to stem the flow of news from the affected region. NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with James Miles of The Economist magazine (who is in Lhasa) and Louisa Lim of NPR (who is in China, but was prevented from reaching one of the cities affected by the protests).
Chinese security forces swarm Tibet, by Audra Ang, AP via YahooNews, March 16, 2008
Beijing—Soldiers on foot and in armored carriers swarmed Tibet's capital Saturday, enforcing a strict curfew a day after protesters burned shops and cars to vent their anger against Chinese rule. In another western city, police clashed with hundreds of Buddhist monks leading a sympathy demonstration.
Tibet protests spread to other provinces, by Tini Tran, AP via Yahoo News, March 16, 2008
Beijing—Violence in Tibet spilled over into neighboring provinces Sunday where Tibetan protesters defied a Chinese government crackdown. Protests against Chinese rule of Tibet were reported in neighboring Sichuan and Qinghai provinces and also in western Gansu province. All are home to sizable Tibetan populations.
In Pictures: Lhasa streets tense, AFP via BBC World Service, March 16, 2008
Video: Lockdown in Tibet, reported by Michael Tetlow, Reuters Video, March 16, 2008
Lhasa, Tibet—After local reports smuggled out of Tibet indicated that more than 80 people have died in five days of protests in Lhasa, rather than 10 as asserted by the Chinese authorities, HH the Dalai Lama called on the national community to investigate claims of cultural genocide.
China blocks YouTube site over Tibet protest videos, AP via Houston Chronicle, March 16, 2008
Beijing—Access to YouTube.com, usually readily available in China, was blocked after videos appeared on the site Saturday showing foreign news reports about the Lhasa demonstrations, montages of photos and scenes from Tibet-related protests abroad.
Protesters’ message spread by activists world-wide, by Alistair MacDonald, Suzanne Sataline and Peter Sanders, Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2008 (Subscription)
Editorial: China's contradiction in Tibet, Boston Globe, March 15, 2008
Boston—Excerpt: “If China's leaders wish to salvage something of the reputation they hoped to burnish by hosting the Olympics, they should heed the wise counsel of the Dalai Lama.””
China's official Tibet Buddhist leader condemns riots, Reuters via YahooNews, March 16, 2008
Beijing—The 17-year-old, Beijing-picked Panchen Lama condemned the riots in Lhasa but avoided directly criticising HH the Dalai Lama.
Muscular Monks: How Buddhism became a force for political activisim from China to Myanmar, by Andrew Higgins, Wall Street Journal, November 7, 2007 (Subscription)
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This feature-length article published last Fall creates context around the protests in Tibet, Burma, and by adherents to the Falun Gong (a religion that is based on Chinese folk-Buddhism).
Links to bookmark:
International Campaign for Tibet: http://www.savetibet.org
Chinese official news agency: http://www.xinhuanet.com
Tibet Daily: http://www.tibetdaily.com
Chinese authorities accept Taiwan Buddhist charity
Paradoxically, on Tuesday, March 11, Chinese authorities recently granted recognition to the Taiwan-based Buddhist charity Tzu Chi. Before Tuesday, Tzu Chi was in legal limbo while its volunteers, many of them Taiwan businessmen or professionals in China and their families, carried out charity work across the country. For more:
Atheist China gives nod to Taiwan Buddhist group, by Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters, March 11, 2008
Update on Burmese protests
The similarities between the Buddhist protests in Burma and Tibet are also garnering attention in the press:
Myanmar's monks still seething, but lack leaders, by Ed Cropley, Reuters via Yahoo News, March 10, 2008
Vietnamese Buddhists celebrate Perfume Pagoda Festival
My Doc, Viet Nam--Award winning travel photographer Karoki Lewis documents the recent Vietnamese Buddhist festival of Chua Huong at the Perfume Pagoda. The festival takes place in the first lunar month each year in the spectacular landscape of the Huong Son, the Mountain of Perfumes. We can thank the ever-generous BBC World Service for this enchanting coverage: Audio slideshow: Perfume Pagoda Festival.
Arts, Society
Film producer seeks local screenings
This summer, producer-director Khashyar Darvich will release a new, 80-minute documentary: Dalai Lama Renaissance. Prior to its theatrical release, the producers are inviting organizations and churches to host sneak preview screenings.
Dalai Lama Renaissance shows what happened when forty of the world’s most innovative thinkers traveled to Dharmasala to meet with HH The Dalai Lama. The film has been screened at 35 film festivals and garnered 10 awards. For more information, visit the Web site link above.
Wisdom Books publishes new title by David R. Loy
The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory, by David R. Loy, Wisdom Books, March 2008
David Loy, a professor of ethics and religion at Xavier University and a member of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, spoke earlier this month at CWRU. This week, Wisdom Books announced the publication of this new book. Here’s an excerpt from the publisher’s description:
The most essential insight that Buddhism offers is that all our individual suffering arises from three sources: greed, ill-will and delusion. In The Great Awakening, scholar and Zen teacher David Loy examines how these three poisons, embodied in society’s institutions, lie at the root of all social maladies as well. This book will help both Buddhists and non-Buddhists to realize the social importance of Buddhist teachings.
If one of NEOBN’s readers plans to read this book and would like to contribute a short review, we’d be glad to publish it in an upcoming issue. E-mail lbrakeman@cox.net.
Pop Culture
NEO Buddhist News editor joins social networking craze
Yes, dear readers, I'm finally branching out into audio and video and all that good stuff.
My latest experiment is my Facebook page. In addition, I created a BPF Cleveland Group on Facebook. If you are interested in inter-Sangha cooperation, bookmark that too.
My YouTube "handle" is JidenLynne. Check out my playlist of Buddhist YouTube videos. Are you on YouTube? "Friend" me!
NetFlix has turned out to be a treasure trove of hard-to-find videos about just about anything. I'm also JidenLynne there, and have created a "Top Ten" list of Buddhist movies. If you're on Netflix, we could "friend" each other there too. It's sometimes very interesting to see what's in someone else's queue!
Finally, I'm also JidenLynne on MySpace. I'm not doing too much on that site (it's not very user friendly to manipulate). But I'm up for finding some friends there too.
—Lynne B.
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