Thai police recently busted a sex slavery ring, rescuing nine boys and arresting a Buddhist monk. Police footage shows the monk in possession of several fake guns. Experts working the case say he and another Thai man bought boys, held them prisoner and then sold them to Westerners for sex.
The leader of the ring was sentenced to 84 years in prison for human trafficking and sexual abuse, a sentence that has since been halved because the judges said he’d cooperated with investigators and the court. The monk, who has been expelled from the clergy, received a 21-year prison sentence for trafficking and sexually abusing under-aged children.
Read More >>>
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/24/fighting-child-sex-slavery-in-thailand/
Via Buddhaforum.org
May 31, 2011
May 26, 2011
Medicine Buddha Vows
Medicine Buddha has made a vow to help those who call upon him when ill or injured, and to aid those who revere him to achieve a long and healthy life. As Amitabha is the Buddha of the Pure Land of the Western Paradise, the Medicine Buddha is the Buddha of the Pure Land of the Eastern Paradise.
12 Vows of Medicine Buddha
1. I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings. May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha.
2. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfil their dreams in the right track.
3. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilised wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together.
4. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment.
5. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided for repentance. Provided they truly regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity.
6. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pays homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed.
7. I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the very sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted.
8. I vow to help women who are undergoing sufferings and tortures and seeking for transformation into men. By hearing my name, paying homage and praying, their wishes would be granted and ultimately attain Buddhahood.
9. I vow to free all beings from evil thoughts and its control. I shall lead them onto the path of light through inculcating them with righteousness and honour so that they will walk the Buddha way.
10. I vow to save prisoners who have genuinely repented and victims of natural disasters. Those who are sincere will be blessed by my supreme powers and be freed from sufferings.
11. I vow to save those who suffer from starvation and those who committed crime to obtain food. If they hear my name and faithfully cherish it, I shall lead them to the advantages of Dharma and favour them with best food and eventually lead a tranquil and happy life.
12. I vow to save those who suffer from poverty, tormented by mosquitoes and wasps day and night. If they come across my name, cherish it with sincerity and practise dharma to strengthen their merits, they will be able to achieve their wishes.
Extracted from The Sutra of the Master of Healing.
Homage to the Lord Master of Healing
The Lord Master of Healing is also known as the Medicine Master Buddha Who Dispels Calamities and Lengthens Life.
More and more devotees are reciting his dharani, seeking the blessings and compassion of the Medicine Master Buddha to help dispel their karmic obstacles, to free them from sufferings, illnesses and afflictions, and consequently lengthening their lives - hence this is A Mystic Formula for Dispelling Disease and Suffering.
This healing dharani, fervently recited 7 times or 49 times or 109 times depending on the situation - over a glass of plain water is able to relieve or heal a sick person.
On such an occasion, the above practice should be done daily (or a few times a day as the situation requires) until the sick person recovers.
Devotees who wish to uphold this dharani should sincerely attempt to recite it everyday 3 times, 7 times or according to one’s wisdom.
Medicine Master’s True Words
For Anointing The Crown
In Sanskrit
Namo bhagavate bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya
prabha-rajaya tathagataya arhate samyak-
sambuddhaya tadyatha. Om bhaisajye
bhaisajye bhaisajya-samudgate svaha!
This can be translated as:
"I honour the Lord Master of Healing, the Kin of Lapis Lazuli Radiance, Tathagata, Arhat, Perfect Enlightened One, saying: To the healing, to the healing, to the supreme healing hail!"
via http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Medicine.htm
12 Vows of Medicine Buddha
1. I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings. May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha.
2. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfil their dreams in the right track.
3. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilised wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together.
4. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment.
5. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided for repentance. Provided they truly regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity.
6. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pays homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed.
7. I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the very sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted.
8. I vow to help women who are undergoing sufferings and tortures and seeking for transformation into men. By hearing my name, paying homage and praying, their wishes would be granted and ultimately attain Buddhahood.
9. I vow to free all beings from evil thoughts and its control. I shall lead them onto the path of light through inculcating them with righteousness and honour so that they will walk the Buddha way.
10. I vow to save prisoners who have genuinely repented and victims of natural disasters. Those who are sincere will be blessed by my supreme powers and be freed from sufferings.
11. I vow to save those who suffer from starvation and those who committed crime to obtain food. If they hear my name and faithfully cherish it, I shall lead them to the advantages of Dharma and favour them with best food and eventually lead a tranquil and happy life.
12. I vow to save those who suffer from poverty, tormented by mosquitoes and wasps day and night. If they come across my name, cherish it with sincerity and practise dharma to strengthen their merits, they will be able to achieve their wishes.
Extracted from The Sutra of the Master of Healing.
Homage to the Lord Master of Healing
The Lord Master of Healing is also known as the Medicine Master Buddha Who Dispels Calamities and Lengthens Life.
More and more devotees are reciting his dharani, seeking the blessings and compassion of the Medicine Master Buddha to help dispel their karmic obstacles, to free them from sufferings, illnesses and afflictions, and consequently lengthening their lives - hence this is A Mystic Formula for Dispelling Disease and Suffering.
This healing dharani, fervently recited 7 times or 49 times or 109 times depending on the situation - over a glass of plain water is able to relieve or heal a sick person.
On such an occasion, the above practice should be done daily (or a few times a day as the situation requires) until the sick person recovers.
Devotees who wish to uphold this dharani should sincerely attempt to recite it everyday 3 times, 7 times or according to one’s wisdom.
Medicine Master’s True Words
For Anointing The Crown
In Sanskrit
Namo bhagavate bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya
prabha-rajaya tathagataya arhate samyak-
sambuddhaya tadyatha. Om bhaisajye
bhaisajye bhaisajya-samudgate svaha!
This can be translated as:
"I honour the Lord Master of Healing, the Kin of Lapis Lazuli Radiance, Tathagata, Arhat, Perfect Enlightened One, saying: To the healing, to the healing, to the supreme healing hail!"
via http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Medicine.htm
Breathing and Meditation
What we notice from watching our breath during mindfulness meditation is that the breath is impermanent ever-changing: it goes in it comes out it starts it stops it slows it speeds up it gets heavier then lighter lighter then heavier over and over. This insight leads us to the general conclusion that everything is impermanent. Mountains arise from colliding tectonic plates erode and disappear (albeit very slowly) and so it is we observe with everything. Everything arises runs its course and ceases. Everything is impermanent even us: we arise at birth run our course (age) and cease (die).
That is one of the most important insights that arises from meditation.
Why?
Because we can learn from that simple insight how to live our lives so that we reduce our everyday stress and anxiety and increase our peacefulness and well-being.
via Buddhaforum.org
That is one of the most important insights that arises from meditation.
Why?
Because we can learn from that simple insight how to live our lives so that we reduce our everyday stress and anxiety and increase our peacefulness and well-being.
via Buddhaforum.org
25 Years After Buddha, Women Are being Acknwledged
Buddhist women are celebrating a landmark victory: In April, the renowned Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) in Dharamsala, India, conferred the degree of "Geshe" -- the Tibetan equivalent of Ph.D. -- to Venerable Kelsang Wangmo, a German nun. This is a historical first in so many ways: Traditionally, Geshe degrees are conferred on monks after 12 or more years of rigorous study in Buddhist philosophy. For the first time in history, a nun has now received this degree, and even more surprising, a Western woman. Venerable Kelsang Wangmo is finally rewarded for mastering the strenuous study course in highest Buddhist philosophy. She has already been teaching philosophy at the Institute for more than five years.
So, why is this such a big deal and why did it take so long? After all, in the West the first professor degree was awarded to a woman at a European university almost 300 years ago, in 1732. (Scientist Laura Bassi taught physics at the University of Bologna.) And more than 2,500 years ago the Buddha himself allowed women into his order and ordained his own foster mother, Mahaprajapati. She and 500 like-minded women had to shave their heads and walk 350 miles barefoot to show their unwavering determination, before the Buddha finally granted their request -- a revolutionary decision in India at the time. The Buddha's order was the first in Asia to formally allow women in its ranks.
Read More >>>
www.huffingtonpost.com/michaela-haas/buddhism-women_b_862798.html
via Buddhaforum.org
So, why is this such a big deal and why did it take so long? After all, in the West the first professor degree was awarded to a woman at a European university almost 300 years ago, in 1732. (Scientist Laura Bassi taught physics at the University of Bologna.) And more than 2,500 years ago the Buddha himself allowed women into his order and ordained his own foster mother, Mahaprajapati. She and 500 like-minded women had to shave their heads and walk 350 miles barefoot to show their unwavering determination, before the Buddha finally granted their request -- a revolutionary decision in India at the time. The Buddha's order was the first in Asia to formally allow women in its ranks.
Read More >>>
www.huffingtonpost.com/michaela-haas/buddhism-women_b_862798.html
via Buddhaforum.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Sex Slave Ring Broken Up in Thailand
>> May 31, 2011
Thai police recently busted a sex slavery ring, rescuing nine boys and arresting a Buddhist monk. Police footage shows the monk in possession of several fake guns. Experts working the case say he and another Thai man bought boys, held them prisoner and then sold them to Westerners for sex.
The leader of the ring was sentenced to 84 years in prison for human trafficking and sexual abuse, a sentence that has since been halved because the judges said he’d cooperated with investigators and the court. The monk, who has been expelled from the clergy, received a 21-year prison sentence for trafficking and sexually abusing under-aged children.
Read More >>>
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/24/fighting-child-sex-slavery-in-thailand/
Via Buddhaforum.org
Medicine Buddha Vows
>> May 26, 2011
Medicine Buddha has made a vow to help those who call upon him when ill or injured, and to aid those who revere him to achieve a long and healthy life. As Amitabha is the Buddha of the Pure Land of the Western Paradise, the Medicine Buddha is the Buddha of the Pure Land of the Eastern Paradise.
12 Vows of Medicine Buddha
1. I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings. May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha.
2. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfil their dreams in the right track.
3. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilised wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together.
4. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment.
5. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided for repentance. Provided they truly regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity.
6. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pays homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed.
7. I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the very sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted.
8. I vow to help women who are undergoing sufferings and tortures and seeking for transformation into men. By hearing my name, paying homage and praying, their wishes would be granted and ultimately attain Buddhahood.
9. I vow to free all beings from evil thoughts and its control. I shall lead them onto the path of light through inculcating them with righteousness and honour so that they will walk the Buddha way.
10. I vow to save prisoners who have genuinely repented and victims of natural disasters. Those who are sincere will be blessed by my supreme powers and be freed from sufferings.
11. I vow to save those who suffer from starvation and those who committed crime to obtain food. If they hear my name and faithfully cherish it, I shall lead them to the advantages of Dharma and favour them with best food and eventually lead a tranquil and happy life.
12. I vow to save those who suffer from poverty, tormented by mosquitoes and wasps day and night. If they come across my name, cherish it with sincerity and practise dharma to strengthen their merits, they will be able to achieve their wishes.
Extracted from The Sutra of the Master of Healing.
Homage to the Lord Master of Healing
The Lord Master of Healing is also known as the Medicine Master Buddha Who Dispels Calamities and Lengthens Life.
More and more devotees are reciting his dharani, seeking the blessings and compassion of the Medicine Master Buddha to help dispel their karmic obstacles, to free them from sufferings, illnesses and afflictions, and consequently lengthening their lives - hence this is A Mystic Formula for Dispelling Disease and Suffering.
This healing dharani, fervently recited 7 times or 49 times or 109 times depending on the situation - over a glass of plain water is able to relieve or heal a sick person.
On such an occasion, the above practice should be done daily (or a few times a day as the situation requires) until the sick person recovers.
Devotees who wish to uphold this dharani should sincerely attempt to recite it everyday 3 times, 7 times or according to one’s wisdom.
Medicine Master’s True Words
For Anointing The Crown
In Sanskrit
Namo bhagavate bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya
prabha-rajaya tathagataya arhate samyak-
sambuddhaya tadyatha. Om bhaisajye
bhaisajye bhaisajya-samudgate svaha!
This can be translated as:
"I honour the Lord Master of Healing, the Kin of Lapis Lazuli Radiance, Tathagata, Arhat, Perfect Enlightened One, saying: To the healing, to the healing, to the supreme healing hail!"
via http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Medicine.htm
Breathing and Meditation
What we notice from watching our breath during mindfulness meditation is that the breath is impermanent ever-changing: it goes in it comes out it starts it stops it slows it speeds up it gets heavier then lighter lighter then heavier over and over. This insight leads us to the general conclusion that everything is impermanent. Mountains arise from colliding tectonic plates erode and disappear (albeit very slowly) and so it is we observe with everything. Everything arises runs its course and ceases. Everything is impermanent even us: we arise at birth run our course (age) and cease (die).
That is one of the most important insights that arises from meditation.
Why?
Because we can learn from that simple insight how to live our lives so that we reduce our everyday stress and anxiety and increase our peacefulness and well-being.
via Buddhaforum.org
25 Years After Buddha, Women Are being Acknwledged
Buddhist women are celebrating a landmark victory: In April, the renowned Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) in Dharamsala, India, conferred the degree of "Geshe" -- the Tibetan equivalent of Ph.D. -- to Venerable Kelsang Wangmo, a German nun. This is a historical first in so many ways: Traditionally, Geshe degrees are conferred on monks after 12 or more years of rigorous study in Buddhist philosophy. For the first time in history, a nun has now received this degree, and even more surprising, a Western woman. Venerable Kelsang Wangmo is finally rewarded for mastering the strenuous study course in highest Buddhist philosophy. She has already been teaching philosophy at the Institute for more than five years.
So, why is this such a big deal and why did it take so long? After all, in the West the first professor degree was awarded to a woman at a European university almost 300 years ago, in 1732. (Scientist Laura Bassi taught physics at the University of Bologna.) And more than 2,500 years ago the Buddha himself allowed women into his order and ordained his own foster mother, Mahaprajapati. She and 500 like-minded women had to shave their heads and walk 350 miles barefoot to show their unwavering determination, before the Buddha finally granted their request -- a revolutionary decision in India at the time. The Buddha's order was the first in Asia to formally allow women in its ranks.
Read More >>>
www.huffingtonpost.com/michaela-haas/buddhism-women_b_862798.html
via Buddhaforum.org
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