Search Buddhist Channel

Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire joins millions of Buddhists in prayers for Buddhist Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang

INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST INFORMATION BUREAU, Nov 20, 2004

Hanoi, Vietnam -- International personalities and Vietnamese Buddhists around the world are expressing their sympathy and praying for the swift recovery of the Patriarch of the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) Thich Huyen Quang. The Patriarch, 87, was taken into Binh Dinh General Hospital on Thursday for urgent treatment for a stomach hemorrhage. He is extremely weak, but he is reportedly responding well to treatment and his is condition is said to be stable today

Following its report on Thich Huyen Quang?s ill health, the International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received thousands of messages of sympathy from all over the world wishing the Patriarch a speedy recovery. We convey our warm thanks to all those who have sent these kind messages. Below is a message received this morning from Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairéad Corrigan-Maguire. Ms Corrigan-Maguire, a Roman Catholic, was awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace prize along with Betty Williams, a Protestant, for uniting Catholics and Protestants in a common initiative to end sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

?I am so sorry to read that Buddhist Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang is gravely ill in hospital. Please convey to him my prayers and best wishes for a good recovery.

I would like to join with millions of people around the world in appealing to the Vietnamese Government to grant religious freedom, human rights and democratic reform in Vietnam, also to respect especially the rights of the Buddhists, and other faith traditions, to practise their faith without harassment and persecution.

Peace,

Mairead Corrigan Maguire

Nobel Peace Laureate

Since last night, millions of Vietnamese Buddhists inside Vietnam and around the world have begun to organize prayers, vigils, gatherings and ceremonies to pray for Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang. Venerable Thich Ho Giac, President of the Vietnamese American Unified Buddhist Congress in the USA (the UBCV?s Overseas headquarters) sent a letter calling on Buddhists in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia to hold services in their communities. In a letter sent clandestinely from Hue, Venerable Thich Thien Hanh, Vice-President of the UBCV Institute of the Sangha, one of the UBCV leaders placed under house arrest in the October crackdown, called on UBCV Buddhists ?to unite in prayer for the swift recovery of our Patriarch, so that he may continue to lead the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam?. In Vietnam this week-end, hundreds of Buddhist pagodas all over the country are holding ceremonies to pray for the UBCV Patriarch.

Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang, who, along with his deputy Thich Quang Do, has led the UBCV?s nonviolent movement for human rights and freedom for the past three decades, is deeply loved and respected in Vietnam. His courage and resistance during 23 years in detention, internal exile and house arrest have deeply inspired not only Buddhists, but also human rights defenders, democracy activists and members of the many religious denominations in Vietnam

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP