Dear UK Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea The Scholars, Academics, Researchers, Workers, Volunteers and other Comrades that comprise the UK and world Membership of the BMA (UK) and the Sangha Kommune - convey their collective admiration, respect and support for the noble and progressive achievements of the People that comprise the world-shaking (1948) Revolution that generated the DPRK! The BMA (UK) and the Sangha Kommune support the noble People of the DPRK and admire the wise thought-formations of the Respect Comdrade Kim Jong Un! In everyway the DPRK has defended Revolutionary dialectics through 'Juche' (Self-sufficiency) and has constructed a just and able military to defend DPRK territory and population from US, ROK and Japanese aggression! Comradely Greetings! Proletarian Administration BMA (UK) & Sangha Kommune
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(KPL) Many thousands of Buddhist followers gathered at the annual almsgiving ceremony of the That Luang Festival, the biggest religious ceremony of the country on 27 November morning. (KPL) Many thousands of Buddhist followers gathered at the annual almsgiving ceremony of the That Luang Festival, the biggest religious ceremony of the country on 27 November morning. The alms giving ceremony was attended by President Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane, along with their spouses. The religious ceremony aims to pay homage to That Luang stupa. The final day of the celebration of the That Luang Festival also witnesses an alms giving ceremony in the morning. Several hundreds of monks are invited to the ceremony.
They represent all temples in the Capital. The traditional game Tee Khee is played in the afternoon and the candlelit procession takes place in the evening to pay homage to the grand stupa. The Buddha’s explanation as to ‘why’ suffering and dissatisfaction exist within the human mind and the material environment is as good an explanation as any other theory found in Social Science, Psychology or Psychiatry. Past and present lives, when viewed genetically and collectively then take on a new scientific meaning when detached from the dogma of religiously motivated individualism – a mistaken mind-set which perfectly mirrors the Bourgeois ideal state of unbridled ‘individualism’ defined as being the ‘perfect’ (and preferred) mode of predatory capitalism! Of course, from a dialectical position, what we experience today will inevitably dictate how material life will unfold in the future. This intprets the past, present and future existences as taught by the Buddha as coinciding with the past from which the present as emerged – and the ‘future’ into which the present will ‘develop’. Indeed, outside of the superstitious meaning often encouraged amongst the Buddhist laity – it is an established fact that the Theravada Sangha of ordained monks and nuns discuss past, present and future lives in exactly this manner (Abhidhamma) – clarify this issue further by specify the ‘past’ life equals the past moment, the ‘present’ life equals the present moment, and the ‘future’ life equals the life yet to come. Around two to three-thousand years ago, when very few people could read and write, the ordained Buddhist monastic seemed a world apart from the average lay-person. There was good reason for this separation which probably does apply to contemporary life in all but the materially poorest of places. Whatever the situation, the agency of theistic ‘faith’ should NOT replace materially-derived ‘wisdom’. Of course, where literacy is unknown, then faith tends to be the strongest. Ancient India was both poor and illiterate and so the Buddha’s Enlightenment offered a strand of awareness which required the open rejection of ordinary existence. This was, in effect, the rejection of religious-based ‘faith’ – and yet amongst the ignorant masses – ‘faith’ continued to function as a very powerful force and still does. This misinterpretation is encouraged in the West as the theistic religions that have historically dominated these countries have been ‘faith’ based. This is why Buddhism in the West is falsely presented as just another version of the Judeo-Christian religion – when it is clearly (dialectically) far superior to these theistic paths. The philosophy of ancient India, particularly that found within Buddhist ideology, intersects perfectly with the thinking that undermines modern science. India, even before ancient Greece, is well-known to have developed a system of material interpretation of reality. The Buddha seems to have developed his system of interpreting reality from within this system of understanding and explaining existence. The Buddha, whilst experiencing material reality, purified his perceptual understanding so that he realised the ‘essence’ of the human conscious ability – which is used to ‘sense’ the world through the six-senses that comprise the inner and outer body and the physical environment within which it exists. Worshipping the Buddha as a ‘God’ – or continuing to worship the ‘polytheism’ of India – was to miss the dialectical point that the Buddha was making. Perceiving the ‘essence’ of perception is an interesting challenge.
Author’s Note: What follows is a diary entry included in Alexander Werth’s epic 1947 book that records the events surrounding the momentous Battle of Stalingrad - which occurred in 1942. Werth spent much of the war-years between 1941-1945 ensconced as a BBC Journalist in the USSR and witnessed first-hand the brutality of the Catholic-supported Nazi German invasion - and attempted genocide - of that country’s population. Of course, the USSR was in fact fifteen diverse countries united in their joint other-throwing of the Bourgeoisie and the vicious capitalist system it practiced. At least three of these Republics, although ‘Socialist’, were nevertheless historically and culturally ‘Buddhist’. A number of Red Army regiments were formed containing ‘Buddhist’ men and women who fought bravely to defend the USSR from external attack! Of course, the West exercises a mixture of racially motivated ‘ignoring’, ‘disinforming’ and ‘misinforming’ when it comes to recording Soviet history. Soviet ‘Buddhists’ were good Communists – as Werth records. Furthermore, as we live in changing times in Bourgeois society - the manner in which Werth describes 'Tanya' is a product of his time and considered today as being 'insensitive' at best and 'discriminative' at worst. I certainly do not endorse this type of demeaning narrative. On the other hand, the historical data Werth conveys is infinitely valuable in the face of wall-to-wall US anti-intellectualism. Think for yourselves and make-up your own minds. As the (British-educated) Werth could read, write and speak Russian fluently, (he was born in Russia - but his family migrated to the UK when he was very young), he takes a rather stern and overly critical attitude toward the Soviet method of providing authoritative translation textbooks (conveying correct Russian to Asiatic language translations and vice versa) – which were then deployed amongst the non-Russian populations by specially trained Cadres of young people who could not necessarily understand the language of the non-Russian ethnicities to any great degree (as they did not have to). This Soviet method allowed a few genuine experts in all the included languages to centrally compile these textbooks - which were then printed in their tens of thousands and quickly distributed freely to the masses – thus enhancing communication and cultural exchange. In a very real sense, Cadres such a ‘Tanya’ featured below – acted as a proto-search engine – with the caveat that unlike the universal translators of the modern internet age, the translations she supplied were ‘correct’ and ‘sound’. Once again, if indeed another example is needed, we see the ‘corruption’ of the Lamaist system of landlordism which the Communist Party of China has thoroughly over-thrown in Tibet and China! Although John Snelling – of the Buddhist Society in London – once published a book about ‘Buddhism in Russia’, he did so by completely ignoring the English language evidence provided by Werth, a fellow Britain who had lived in the USSR for many years of his life! After-all, people like Snelling were pursuing the hidden agenda of conforming to the strictures of US anti-intellectualism during the so-called ‘Cold War’ and misrepresenting the USSR through the agency of Buddhism. For the record, I do not agree with the arbitrary ransacking of temples or stealing Buddha statues – as this is the behaviour of the Western imperialists (a process which can be clearly observed in the British Museum). Local people taking matters into their own hands, however, is an issue involving the self-governing of Revolutionary activities, and the situation explained below should be interpreted in this context. (25.9.2023) November 23 (1942) ‘The other day I got to know, through Ludmilla, an enormously fat girl, tall, red-cheeked, and ginger-haired, called Tanya – with legs like Doric pillars. She seems to be vaguely married to somebody – or divorced; I don’t know. Anyway, this formidable fat blonde is said to drive all the Caucasians and Asiatic crazy, whenever she visits their countries. She’s on a good racket. She translates into smooth Russian verse the works of Azerbaijan, Buriat-Mongol, Yakut and God knows whatever poets. She doesn’t know any of their languages, of course, but she is given a literal translation, and then concocts a poem with roughly the same idea, and it’s often called “Translated from the Buriat-Mongol,” etc. It’s a well-paid and well-encouraged racket, and she claims that Stalin himself was delighted with her Buriat-Mongol Poems. It’s done in the name of a closer acqiantance amongst the peoples of the Soviet Union, and these “translators” are given some wonderful facilities by the Writers’ Union. Thus, Tanya, has travelled by plane, ship, carriage, reindeer, sleigh, railway, and every other means of locomotion all over Western Siberia, and Yakutia, and right up to the Siberian Arctic coast, and all through Central Asia and Mongolia, and also the Caucasus. She is full of good stories about life in Yakutia, now quite a reasonably large town, and almost a metropolis in north-Siberian terms, and about all the remarkable adventurous characters one meets there – trappers, and sea captains who sometimes hibernate in the Bear Islands and Wrangel Island. She also tells stories of Buriat-Mongolia – of the secretary of the Obkom who as a youngster became famous for killing the most notorious bandit of the region; he came home one day and threw the bandit’s head on the family dinner-table, much to his mother’s horror. “He has an extraordinary face,” said Tanya, “very and pale, a perfect Mongolian face, with grey temples and black fiery eyes.” He had also led the young people’s revolt against the Lamas. When the Buriat-Mongolian Communists heard Stalin had expressed approval of Tanya’s translations from Buriat-Mongolian, they ransacked a distant temple and presented her with a whole trunkful of Buddhas. When I went to her flat the other day – she shares her house with some other people – I found that she still had a few Buddhas left; the rest had been looted by her friends, while some had been destroyed in the bombing of Moscow last year when there was a fire in the house where she was living. One of the Buddhas she carries around everywhere and seems to be very superstitious about it. She also owns a remarkable brass statue from a Buddhist temple – an unbelievably erotic affair.’ Alexander Werth: The Year of Stalingrad, Simon, (2001), Book III - The Defensive Battle – Chapter V - Moscow in October and November, Pages 327-328 English Language Reference:
Art is useful to uplift the spirit (mind) and generate a broader perspective through which the world can be understood! Marx and Engels discussed often how the external world conditions the inner being - whilst the Buddha explained in detail how to identify and uproot the 'imprints' projected into the mind in the form of greed, hatred and delusion - the tripartite cornerstones of ancient Indian feudalism and modern (predatory) capitalism! This relationship between the 'old' and the 'new' explains WHY Buddhism retains its importance in the modern world and can be a useful developmental tool for the contemporary Proletariat! Of course, the Bourgeoisie also claims Buddhism for itself - the paedophile 14th Dalai Lama springs to mind - but so do any of the so-called 'Western' Buddhist movements of appropriation! Just as soon as a monetary 'price' is charged for what amounts to regulating the breathing process - it is clear the true path of Dharma has been abandoned! Capitalist endeavour is NOT the uprooting of greed, hatred and delusion - but its EXACT opposite! The White intellection that justifies this process in the numerous so-called 'journals', 'magazines' and special interest 'books' - is surely the very definition of pure evil! An example of racism through the written word! The message is simple - the White Bourgeoisie has appropriated Buddhism for its own deceptive ends - and the developing (non-White) Bourgeoisie throughout the Asian countries is prepared to 'sell' their traditional culture to the Europeans as a means to fuel this racist addiction! Buddhism, when it is successful, is the end of predatory capitalism and the end White domination! This reality is true of both the 'inner' and the 'outer' world simultaneously!
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On this day - December 2nd - it is the National Holiday of Laos! On this day in 1975 - King Savang Watkhan abdicated and the Laos People's Democratic Republic was proclaimed! The People of Russia wish all the citizens of our fraternal countries Unity of Spirit, General Development, both Personal and Ppiritual, Well-Being, Order, Support and Great Growth! Let our fraternal countries Improve, Prosper and Improve with Us!. Russian-LaotianRussian-Laotian Friendship Society Site administration — [email protected] Russian Language Article: 2-ое декабря — День независимости Лаоса Дата публикации: 02 декабря 2021 г. В этот день 2-ого декабря отмечается национальный праздник Лаоса; в этот день в 1975 году отрекся от престола король Саванг Ватхан и была провозглашена Лаосская Народно-Демократическая Республика. Желаю всем гражданам наших родных стран единения духа, общего развития как личностного, так и духовного, благополучия, порядка, поддержки и большого роста. Пусть наши страны совершенствуются, процветают и улучшаются вместе с нами!. Общество Российско-Лаосской Дружбы
Администрация сайта — [email protected] DPRK: Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends Congratulatory Message to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic! (29.3.2023)
Sangha Kommune (SSR) Blog: DPRK-Lao Relations - Flower Basket (112-2023) Vientiane General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party President of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos Tonglun Seesoul Comrade On the occasion of the 68th Anniversary of the Founding of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party - I send warm congratulations and Comradely greetings to the General Secretary and all members of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party! For the past 68 years since its Founding - the Lao People's Revolutionary Party has successfully organized and led the struggle of the Lao people to achieve independent development and prosperity of the country - while resolutely overcoming all kinds of challenges and difficulties at home and abroad! Today, under the precise leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party headed by Comrade General Secretary, the Lao people are making new strides in the struggle to implement the decisions of the Party's 11th Congress. I wish for greater achievements in the responsible work of Comrade General Secretary for the strengthening and development of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the welfare of the Lao people. In this aspiration I expresses a firm conviction. General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Kim Jong Un March 22, Juche 112 (2023) Pyongyang (End) www.kcna.kp (subject 112.3.22.) North Korean Language Article: http://www.kcna.kp/kp/article/q/35104d969cc6fb7cd36765b8ef06b3f8.kcmsf 경애하는 김정은동지께서 라오스인민혁명당 중앙위원회 총비서,라오스인민민주주의공화국 주석에게 축전을 보내시였다 비엔티안 라오스인민혁명당 중앙위원회 총비서 라오스인민민주주의공화국 주석 통룬 씨쑤릿동지 나는 라오스인민혁명당창건 68돐에 즈음하여 총비서동지와 라오스인민혁명당의 전체 당원들에게 열렬한 축하와 동지적인사를 보냅니다. 라오스인민혁명당은 창건후 지난 68년간 내외의 온갖 도전과 난관들을 과감히 극복하면서 나라의 자주적발전과 번영을 이룩하기 위한 라오스인민의 투쟁을 승리적으로 조직령도하여왔습니다. 오늘 라오스인민은 총비서동지를 수반으로 하는 라오스인민혁명당의 정확한 령도밑에 당 제11차대회 결정관철을 위한 투쟁에서 새로운 전진을 이룩하고있습니다. 나는 라오스인민혁명당의 강화발전과 라오스인민의 복리를 위한 총비서동지의 책임적인 사업에서 보다 큰 성과가 있기를 축원하면서 우리 두 당,두 나라사이의 전통적이며 동지적인 친선협조관계가 앞으로도 끊임없이 강화발전되리라는 굳은 확신을 표명합니다. 조선로동당 총비서 조선민주주의인민공화국 국무위원장 김정은 주체112(2023)년 3월 22일 평 양(끝) www.kcna.kp (주체112.3.22.) 2023-02-19 Ecns.cn Editor:Jing Yuxin By Li Hanxue
(Journalist from CNS) (CNS)-- Since Buddhism was introduced from India to China more than 2,000 years ago, it has not only merged with Chinese culture and philosophy, but also deeply integrated into the daily lives of Chinese people without their noticing. Buddhism comprises three major schools: Han, Tibetan and Southern, each with a different language. Has the Sinicization of Buddhism been completed? Can the historical process be interpreted as the secularization and Sinicization of Buddhism? SHENG Kai, vice president of Tsinghua University's Institute of Ethics and Religion and deputy director of the Institute of Buddhist Culture of China, explored these topics in an exclusive interview with China News Service's "W.E. Talk". Excerpts from the interview: Buddhism Sinicization is a brand-new process China News Service: How can we accurately understand Sinicization of Buddhism? Why can't we take this as Sinicization and secularization? SHENG Kai: Buddhism was introduced to China from India around the beginning of the Christian Era. To take root and develop in China, Buddhism had to be compatible with the traditional inheritance of Confucian and Taoist cultures, blended into the faith and belief of the Chinese ritual culture, systematically accepted by the monarchy, sustained by the society through communication, and well supported by a booming economy. So discussion of the historical connotation of the Sinicization of Buddhism means exploring the process and laws of Buddhism’s transformation from an alien civilization to Chinese religion, recording the continuity, separation, heritage, and innovation between Indian and Chinese Buddhism, and examining the conflicts, interpretations, and fusions with Confucian and Taoist cultures as a result of interaction with Chinese society. In contrast to the migration of other religions, Buddhism from India to China has four fundamental characteristics. First, its cultural communication is characterized by a "missionary as communicator" mode. The linkage between Indian and Chinese Buddhism is mainly the translation and dissemination of classical texts. Monks acted as individuals and had no relationship with organizations of Indian Buddhism, so the propagation of Buddhism never caused any war. Second, it is the original cultural integration process. The traditional Chinese culture of Confucianism and Taoism is the background for the development of Buddhism in China. Although there were conflicts between monasticism and filial piety, the original classical interpretation and theoretical innovation of Chinese Buddhism resolved the ethical conflicts among the three religions. They promoted the cultural integration of the three on the common understanding that their distinctive beauties should all be preserved. Third, its cultural practice has mainly been undertaken by the elite and the public. The Sinicization of Buddhism for thousands of years is not simply a creation by elite Buddhists and literati but the joint work of worshipers in Chinese Buddhism. Fourth, an integration of globalization and localization. As a result of the Sinicization of Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism is not only a local transformation of religious civilization from overseas but also a rediffusion to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Indian Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains of China around the beginning of the Christian Era, and Tibet in the 7th century, and Yunnan in the 11th. It blended with different cultures and regions, forming three primary schools of Chinese Buddhism with different temperaments, forms, and characteristics: Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Southern Buddhism. They use Chinese, Tibetan, and Dai languages to carry forward the significance of Mahayana, Tantra, and Theravada Buddhism. Therefore, the Sinicization of Buddhism is not based on any single nationality. For example, Southern Buddhism is practiced by the Dai, Blang, Deang, Achang, and some Wa and Yi ethnicities. Even Han Buddhism did not undergo the process of Sinicization because it was created by the monks of the Han, ethnic minorities, and even overseas Chinese expatriates. Foreign monks from West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, as well as those from Khotan, Qiuci, Shule, and other places in Xinjiang, traveled across China to translate Sutras and evangelize Buddhism. Of the eight primary schools of Buddhism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Three Treatises, Vijnaptimatrata, Avatamsaka, Tantra, and Dhyana were founded directly by non-Han monks or with their joint efforts. Han Buddhism integrates the collective multiracial wisdom of the monks and the public. It blends pluralistic cultures with Buddhism and reflects the complicated characteristics created by multiple nations. Between Chinese Mahayana and Indian Mahayana, the relationship is a creative transformation and innovative development. Although the fracture is bigger than the continuity, they are not opposites. Innovation is greater than inheritance but still keeps the fundamental spirit of the Buddha. Thus, it is not possible to use the linear historical view to explore the relationship between the two by saying that the previous generation is always better than the present, nor can we use the word “secularization” to describe the development of Han Buddhism. The connotation of secularization in the contexts of Western culture is related to sacredness, as Mircea Eliade wrote in the preface of his book The Sacred and Profane: "Sacredness is the opposite of profane." The Western narrative of secularization is that the propagation and development of Buddhism in China is a process of constant degradation and decline. However, the Sinicization of Buddhism is not simply about Buddhism in China, but refers to a process of interpretation and creation of Indian Buddhism by Chinese Buddhists, which finally took root and developed into a new form of Chinese Buddhism. The ideology of human Buddhism is the right way tothe Sinicization of Buddhism CNS: Recently, the reform of human Buddhism has effectively changed the Buddhist community. It calls for self-salvation and renewal to adapt to contemporary society. Please describe the background and significance of the ideology and reform of human Buddhism. How do you see the relationship between Sinicization of Buddhism and the vitality of Buddhism in China today? SHENG: Buddhism encountered crises in different periods. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, for example, Buddhism met the legitimacy problem of Dharma, and there was a debate about the relationship between Chinese and foreign cultures. In the mid-late Ming dynasty, talent lacunae and monastery malfunction happened. Masters like HanshanDeqing, YunqiZhuhong, ZibaiZhenke, and Yuyi Zhixu strongly advocated religious reform to rejuvenate Buddhism in the late Ming Dynasty. After the Opium War of 1840, the Chinese Buddhism community faced national peril and the decline of the religion. Human Buddhism was established and promoted as a way of modernizing Buddhism by consolidating doctrines, reforming teaching sources, and popularizing catechism. The announcement of human Buddhism has not only pushed forward the transformation of Buddhism from the old to the modern but also set an excellent example of retaining the past glory and inspiring future honor for the development of contemporary Buddhism. Human Buddhism was first advocated by Master Tai Xu as a correction to the unearthly ills of traditional Chinese Buddhism, which was guided by the principles of Buddhism doctrines and opportunities and focused on exposing and criticizing the accumulated ills of Buddhism and the decay of teachings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The theoretical construction and the practical development of human Buddhism are not only consistent with but also reinforce each other. After Master Tai Xu’s passing, many masters, such as Grha-pati Zhao Puchu and Master Jing Hui in Mainland China, Masters Yin Shun and Sheng Yen in Taiwan, and Masters Yan Pei and Lung Kan in Singapore, all adhere to the path of pluralistic and parallel development towards human Buddhism. Human Buddhism is a way of modernizing and synchronizing Buddhism, not a new Buddhism departing from tradition. It inherits traditional conventions, adapts current Buddhist thoughts, and underlines that religion shall conform to the national status quo and the current background of modern civilization. Sinicization of Buddhism has different historical connotations in different periods, such as the establishment of schools in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the religious reform in the late Ming Dynasty, and contemporary human Buddhism. Human Buddhism is a sensible choice for Buddhism to integrate its traditional inheritance with modern Chinese Buddhism. Summing up the historical experience of Buddhism Sinicization and the landmark of 100 years of human Buddhism, we realize that the Sinicization of Buddhism is continuing forever in a conscious and sustainable manner. It is the key to keeping Buddhism vital in China. Dual expectations and directions of self-renewal for contemporary Chinese Buddhism CNS: What challenges do you think Chinese Buddhism may encounter in today’s China? How does Buddhism continue to develop or rejuvenatealong the direction of Sinicization? SHENG: As part of Chinese traditional culture, Buddhism still exerts far-reaching influence in China and around the world, attracting the preference of Chinese today with its traditional charm. However, as an active religious society in contemporary China, its premodern institutional systems, customs and beliefs may contradict modern civilization. And some thoughts and doctrines are not in line with today's political and social situations. In the 21st century, Buddhism in mainland China faces a dilemma of dual expectations. The purity and tranquility of great monasteries in famous mountains are the spiritual home for people nowadays to heal their bodies and souls. But a big, invisible economic hand has reached out to the spiritual need and fostered the denounced commercialization of Buddhism. Following the development of the tourism economy, monasteries make for pure spiritual space but fail to meet the public's expectation of purity. At the same time, the Party and state authorities hope that Buddhist society will maintain traditional farming and praying daily and gear into the modern economy and social life norm. Adapting to the corporate system of assets and finance management is an example. The Buddhism community needs to solve its talent cultivation and survival issues. The discipline of religious life and the inheritance of doctrines are keys to enhancing the total quality and morale of Buddhist groups and to encouraging monks’ return to the fine Buddhist traditions, such as preaching, annotating scriptures, teaching the Dharma, educating people, meditating, chanting sutra and other inner practices with peace in mind. It is also necessary for the state and society to support the Buddhist community in working out its religious ways for monastic living and economic development. The Buddhist community should respond to the needs of society. The monastic groups shall be able to regenerate and benefit the public. Monasteries shall organize activities to promote the Dharma and the public interest and to help people in need with particular support for its charity businesses instead of conducting activities directed to the monasteries' interests. Buddhist society should respond to the concerns and needs of the Party and the state, adapting to the new situation and its requirementsfor a comprehensive modern socialist country.It should cultivate Buddhists of high quality, promote the contemporary interpretation of Buddhist classics, tamp down the ideological foundation for the Sinicization of Buddhism, develop and improve the internal standard of operation for modern Buddhism and strengthen the relevant policies of Buddhism's Sinicization. Historically, Buddhism has made important contributions to the formation and consolidation of a pluralistic society in China. Today, Buddhism still plays a significant role in unifying Chinese people and fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. In the meantime, it also has unique advantages in operating public charity businesses, facilitating the cross-strait relationship with peaceful development, and enhancing Sino-foreign friendship. (Translated by WANG Yunhong) LANZHOU, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- More than 76,000 believers and tourists from home and abroad attended a grand Tibetan Buddhist event, known as the "sunning of the Buddha" ceremony, held Friday at the Labrang Monastery in northwest China's Gansu Province.
Buddhists, Tibetan residents, and tourists gathered in the square in front of the monastery at around 9:00 a.m., waiting for the ceremony. Around one hour later, about 100 lamas carried a huge thangka scroll bearing the image of the Buddha to a nearby hill, where the thangka was unrolled at around 10:30 a.m. for believers to worship. After sunbathing for around an hour, the portrait was rolled up with loud cheers from the audience. The annual event is one of the most important ceremonies at Labrang Monastery, one of the six great temples of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which was built in 1709. The centuries-old ceremony is held each year on the 13th day of the first lunar month. It is not only a grand festival for Buddhists, but also a platform to showcase the unique Tibetan culture and customs to tourists. The ceremony had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. |
AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles PhD - Political Commissar and BMA (UK) Historian & Researcher. Archives
April 2024
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