South Asia

Who blundered Vesak Poya day?

The Sunday Times, May 29, 2018

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- As the world commemorates the thrice-blessed Vaisakya day this full moon Tuesday morn, how did Lanka get the date wrong?

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A Buddhist’s pilgrimage to Pakistan

by Manoranjan Sharma, Daily Times, May 24, 2018

Taxila, Pakistan -- At Lumbini in Nepal, we have a connection with Buddhism like a baby has with the breast. It is religious and spiritual, yes, but far more. Since it is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and a pilgrimage site, Buddhism – its sacraments and ceremonies – flows through the streets and sites of Lumbini like blood through veins. It is a part of our everyday life, like to a Muslim living in Mecca or a Christian in Vatican. So when I heard from my friends Bikram Pandey and Sarad Pradhan – who had been to Pakistan on the Buddha Circuit Tourism – about the country’s Hindu and Buddhist monuments, I decided to go and explore our heritage there.

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Kandy monasteries reject state diktat on Vesak

By L. B. Senaratne, Sunday Times, April 29, 2018

Colombo,Sri Lanka -- The two main monasteries Malwatta and Asgiri will proceed with Upasampada rituals, or higher ordinations, from May 29, Vesak Day to June 27, the Poson Poya Day. The two viharayas do not accept April 29, as Vesak Day, which they claim is the work of a misguided astrologer.

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‘Thailand ready to develop Buddhist circuit’

by Santosh Patnaik, The Hindu, Feb 11, 2018

Consulate-General says it will attract global tourists to A.P.
Visakhapatnam, India
-- After announcing construction of a world-class Buddha temple at Amaravati, Thailand is ready to partner with Andhra Pradesh for development of a Buddhist circuit to promote international tourists from ASEAN member-countries, Japan, Sri Lanka and other countries visiting the State.

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Maha Nayaka, Buddhist organization express reservations

Daily Mirror, Sept 29, 2017

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- The Maha Nayaka of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya Venerable Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thera and the Buddha Sasana Karya Sadaaka Mandalaya, a leading Buddhist organization, has opposed certain sections of the Interim Report on the new Constitution that was presented by the steering committee of the Constitutional Assembly recently.

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Buddhist woman’s wedding with Muslim sparks tension in Ladakh

by Abhishek Saha, Hindustan Times, Sep 11, 2017

Ladakh’s apex religious body threatens communal unrest unless the woman is “brought back”, asks chief minister Mehbooba Mufti for an annulment of the marriage
Srinagar, Kashmir (India)
-- A marriage between a Buddhist woman and Muslim man has stoked tensions in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh, with the region’s apex religious body threatening communal unrest unless the woman is “brought back”.

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Time for a closer look at universal human values

by Yangse Drubgyud Tenzin, Kuensel Online, July 29, 2017

Timphu, Bhutan -- In the past 20 years, our small country has been bombarded with modern influences from television to cell phones, the Internet, celebrities, fashions, superhero models, advertising, and news sound-bites.

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Bhutan: A Buddhist Development Model Worth Emulating

by the Venerable Dr Omalpe Sobhitha Mahathera, InDepthNews, 19 July 2017

ENBILIPITIYA, Sri Lanka -- There will be many answers to the question: which is the country where the happiest people live? In response many famous, developed nations will come to mind, but you will be surprised that the name of a little-known country could be the right answer to this question. It is Bhutan, the wonderful and amazing country that beats all others on the happiness index.

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Sri Lanka: Buddhism to remain paramount in new charter

AP, July 12, 2017

Prime Minister assured Buddhist monks that the new constitution will not take away the primary status given to Buddhism.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
-- Sri Lanka's prime minister said on Wednesday that Buddhism will remain paramount on the bitterly divided island, seeking to head off protests led by the powerful Buddhist clergy against proposed changes to the constitution.

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Top Buddhist priests denounce move to change Sri Lankan constitution

MENAFN - NewsIn.Asia, July 4, 2017

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's top Buddhist priests have jointly appealed to the government not to proceed with its plan to write a new constitution for the country or even amend the existing constitution.

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