A New Zealand woman accused of destroying a Buddha statue at the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia has admitted doing it because it “didn’t belong” in the temple. Willemijn Vermaat was detained by authorities early last Friday morning but was later released. Cambodian authorities earlier said there was no direct evidence that Ms Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Buddhism’
Buddhist charity helps rebuilds typhoon-hit church
Tuesday, March 4th, 2014The world’s largest Buddhist charity is helping rebuild a Catholic Church in the Philippines that was badly damaged in Super-typhoon Haiyan last year. The Tzu Chi Foundation is donating US$670,000 for the reconstruction of the Santo Nino parish church in Tacloban City. This show of generosity has been warmly welcomed by the Church. As many Read more
Traing underway for Buddhist Chaplains
Friday, November 22nd, 2013The New Zealand Buddhist Council is concerned that Buddhists who are sick or dying in hospital often do not have access to appropriate spiritual support. To address this, the Council has started to provide advice to hospitals on how to contact Buddhist clergy in their area when they have a patient in need. In the Read more
Burma’s religious conflict
Friday, November 8th, 2013
Religious persecution of Muslims in Burma has resulted in bloodshed and displaced entire communities. But grassroots initiatives have also emerged to counter the hatred. Ashin Issariya appears unassuming, but the quiet demeanour quickly changes when he has something to say. In the pre-dawn light of Burma’s nascent reform process the Buddhist monk and former Saffron Read more
Replying to objections about the uniqueness of Christianity
Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013
Ronald Knox once quipped that “the study of comparative religions is the best way to become comparatively religious.” The reason, as G. K. Chesterton says, is that, according to most “scholars” of comparative religion, “Christianity and Buddhism are very much alike, especially Buddhism.” But any Christian who does apologetics must think about comparative religions because Read more
Dalai Lama meets church leaders
Friday, June 14th, 2013
More than 30 Dunedin church leaders, including Bishop Colin Campbell, and representatives of the Dunedin Interfaith Council greeted His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet on the steps of St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral last Tuesday. The welcome was followed by a discussion on Maori beliefs at the University of Otago Clocktower Building. On Monday, in Read more
A better way of dying
Friday, June 14th, 2013
As Seigan Glassing walked down the sterile, white hospital corridor, he thought of a poem written by well-known Zen master Kozan Ichikyo shortly before his death. Empty handed I entered The world Barefoot I leave it My coming, my going — Two simple happenings That got entangled. Seigan paused outside one of the identical doors Read more
A broken offering — Leonard Cohen
Friday, December 7th, 2012
A cracked voice, an empty bank account, a tour of duty. Who would have thought so much light could still get in? Leonard Cohen’s autumnal years have been afflicted, and his writing nuanced, by more than a simple awareness of his own mortality. The Canadian singer-songwriter spent most of the 1990s in a Zen monastery Read more
iPad takes its place with Buddha statute
Friday, November 23rd, 2012What is it with Thailand, Apple and Buddhist temples lately? First, an abbott of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya said that Steve Jobs was kickin’ it in the afterlife as a mid-level angel with his own celestial palace. Now, a temple in Thailand’s Chom Phra district has decided that Buddha carries around an iPad with him Read more
Vatican cardinal hails Buddhist wisdom
Thursday, April 12th, 2012A Roman Catholic cardinal on Tuesday praised Buddhism for instilling the values of wisdom, compassion and non-violence in young people in a message to mark the Buddhist feast day of Vesak. “As Buddhists you pass on to young people the wisdom regarding the need to refrain from harming others and to live lives of generosity Read more