Tibet: Atsok Gon Dechen Choekhorling Monastery to be relocated for a hydrodam

The Buddhist Channel, 16 April 2024

Dragkar County, Tibet (China) -- Chinese authorities have initiated the relocation of a 19th-century Buddhist monastery in Tibet as part of preparations for the completion of the world's tallest 3D-printed hydropower dam, according to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report.

Chion-in Temple in Kyoto Celebrates the 850th Anniversary of the founding of Jodo Shu Buddhism

The Buddhist Channel, 10 April 2024

Kyoto, Japan -- Chion-in in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, the head temple of the Jodo Shu, began a service Tuesday to celebrate the 850th anniversary since the sect’s founding by Honen in 1175.

Buddhism puts on young face

By Choi Si-young, The Korea Herald, April 8, 2024

Seoul, South Korea -- Buddhism has traditionally prioritized silence, a hallmark of meditation that sets the religion apart. That notion took a hard turn Thursday as a DJ in a monk’s robe kicked off the four-day International Buddhism Expo in Seoul, shouting out Buddhist verses to the beat of electronic dance music.

National Museum of Korea to show Buddhist paintings, drawings

By Choi Si-young, Korea Herald, 21 Feb 2024

Seoul, South Korea -- The National Museum of Korea is mounting an exhibition through July 21 dedicated to exploring Buddhist paintings and drawings from the 19th to 20th century, a period the museum says is marked by Western influence.

Ancient Buddhist Statue Unveils Hidden Treasures at Myooin Temple

The Buddhist Channel, 14 Feb 2024

FUKUYAMA, Japan -- An important discovery has unfolded at the Myooin temple in Hiroshima Prefecture, revealing layers of traditional "washi" paper adorned with images of revered Buddhist figures within the hollowed-out head of an ancient statue. The revelation came to light during the dismantling process of the Maitreya statue, a designated important cultural asset by Hiroshima Prefecture, for repair work.

Korea hopes for ‘progress’ in repatriation of Buddhist relics

By Choi Si-young, The Korea Herald, Feb 1, 2024

Seoul, South Korea -- The chief of the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday he is looking to “make some progress” in the talks on the repatriation of Buddhist objects, at his scheduled meeting with officials from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Buddhism and Cultural Preservation in Korea

The Buddhist Channel, 20 Jan 2024

Seoul, South Korea -- On an auspicious day of Tuesday, 30 January 2024, marking the 2568th year in the Buddhist calendar, the Korean Republic's President, Yoon Suk Yeol, attended a vibrant Buddhist New Year's gathering of 800 attendees, which included eminent Buddhist leaders such as Ven. Jinwoo of the Jogye Order, lawmakers, and government officials. The event was a joint effort by the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders and the Jogye Order's Buddhist leaders' forum.

Why Buddhism Faded in Japan and How It Can Be Revived

by Kooi F. Lim, The Buddhist Channel, 23 January 2024

Tokyo, Japan -- The downturn of Buddhism in Japan started shortly after the end of the second World War.

Tongbulgyo and the Distinctive Journey of Korean Buddhism

The Buddhist Channel, 18 January 2024

Seoul, South Korea -- Korean Buddhism holds a unique position among its global counterparts, marked by an intrinsic effort to reconcile perceived inconsistencies within Mahayana Buddhism.

Zuiryu-Ji: A Historic Soto Zen Buddhist temple in Takaoka

The Buddhist Channel, 10 Jan 2024

TOYAMA, Japan -- Zuiryu-ji, located in Toyama Prefecture, is a splendid temple with  historical importance which is recognized as a national treasure of Japan. It stands as an essential destination for those journeying to Takaoka.

Exploring Seoul's Inspiring Buddhist Temples

The Buddhist Channel, 15 December 2023

Seoul, South Korea -- Embark on a spiritual journey through Seoul as we unveil the city's seven distinctive Buddhist temples that offer a unique blend of tradition and serenity. Local Buddhist priest Jang Jeok, known for his "extreme calmness," guides us through these cultural treasures, each holding a rich history and cultural significance.

The Kizil Grottoes, China's Ancient Buddhist Legacy Along the Silk Road

The Buddhist Channel, 12 Dec 2023

Xinjiang, China -- Amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, an awe-inspiring tribute to China's ancient Buddhist history emerges along the northern Silk Road — the Kizil Grottoes.
Carved into the vibrant cliffs of the Flaming Mountains, this archaeological marvel stands as a testament to the cultural exchanges and religious diffusion that occurred along the Silk Road.

Ven. Jaseung, Influential Leader of Jogye Order, Passes Away

The Buddhist Channel, 3 December 2023

Seoul, South Korea -- The untimely demise of Ven. Jaseung, the former head of the Jogye Order, has sent shockwaves through the Buddhist community, prompting widespread reflection on his profound impact on the dissemination of Buddha's teachings.

Nakazawa Hiromitsu: Pilgrimage to the Thirty-Three Western Provinces

The Buddhist Channel, 11 December 2023

A 78-day Pilgrimage to Seek Solace After the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake
Tokyo, Japan -- Renowned Japanese artist and illustrator Nakazawa Hiromitsu (1874-1964), aged 49, embarked on a pilgrimage on December 11, 1923, accompanied by his friends, haiku poet Ishikura Suiyō and Western-style painter Akatsuka Chūichi. Their destination: the thirty-three temples that make up the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a journey spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers in Western Japan's Kansai region.

Koyasan's Fukuchi-in Shukubo, a Night in the Sacred Realm

The Buddhist Channel, 4 November 2023

Koyasan, Wakayama (Japan) -- Nestled amidst the serene beauty of Mount Koya in Wakayama, Japan, lies an extraordinary opportunity to immerse yourself in a unique facet of Japanese culture. For travelers seeking an authentic and spiritually enriching adventure, a stay at a "Shukubo", or temple lodging, is an unparalleled experience.

South Korea’s top court orders stolen Buddhist statue to be returned to Japan

The Buddhist Channel, 28 Oct 2023

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea’s top court today rejected a local temple’s claim to a statue that it said Japanese pirates had looted in the 14th century, clearing the way for Japan to press for the artefact’s return after it was stolen by South Korean thieves.

Forum Explores Influence of Chinese Chan Culture in Belt and Road Initiative Discussions

The Buddhist Channel, October 28, 2023

Suizhou, Hubei (China) -- The recent "Dahong Mountain Forum: The Overseas Spread and Influence of Chinese Chan Culture" convened on October 19-20 in Suizhou, Hubei province, attracting global attention from religious and academic communities both within China and abroad.

India and Republic of Korea Strengthen Historic Ties through Buddhism

The Buddhist Channel, 30 September 2023

Seoul, South Korea -- In the backdrop of the momentous 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and the Republic of Korea, a significant event took place on September 22, 2023, organized by the Indian Embassy in Seoul and the Gaya Culture Promotion Foundation of Korea, as part of a series of forums and cultural exchanges commemorating this milestone.

Could a Buddhist Bot Alleviate Japan's Loneliness Crisis?

The Buddhist Channel, August 31, 2023

Tokyo, Japan -- Japan, a nation renowned for its collective ethos and bustling urban centers, paradoxically finds itself grappling with a pervasive loneliness epidemic. The cacophony of work-life imbalances, rising suicide rates, and the lingering plight of the post-bubble "Lost Generation" exposes a chilling reality: loneliness has woven itself deeply into the fabric of society, affecting all segments of the population.

Jizo Bosatsu, Where Moss Covered Statues Teaches Patience and Compassion

The Buddhist Channel, 5 August 2023

Kyoto, Japan -- As you wander through the serene and sacred Japanese forest paths and cemeteries, your eyes are inevitably drawn to the statues of Jizo Bosatsu, or Jizos as they are commonly called, a compassionate and revered figure in East Asian Buddhism.

Sensō-ji, the Kannon Temple of Asakusa

The Buddhist Channel, 14 July 2023

Tokyo, Japan -- Many first timers setting sight on the grand Sensō-ji temple in Tokyo do not know what to make of what their eyes see. Like a gigantic red dragon hiding behind the corner of a big rock, visitors first approach the temple by entering through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate).

Haein Temple: A Sanctuary of Spiritual Reflection and Cultural Treasures

The Buddhist Channel, 8 July 2023

Daegu, South Korea -- Haein Temple, nestled in the serene surroundings of Gayasan National Park near Daegu, South Korea, has stood as a testament to Buddhist heritage for over a millennium.

This Big Buddha at Kamakura Breathes in Perfect Solitude

by Kooi F. Lim, The Buddhist Channel, 6 July, 2023

Kamakura, Japan -- Awe, reverence and tranquility. The usual testaments one gets to hear as visitors lay their first gaze at the Daibutsu, the Big Buddha of Kamakura.

Tōdai-ji, a Gigantic Monastery Built to Ward Off Disasters

The Buddhist Channel, 3 July 2023

Nara, Japan -- During the Tenpyo era (ca. 729 to 749), Japan experienced a series of disasters and epidemics. Recognizing these national catastrophes, Emperor Shomu (701 – 756) ordered in 741 the establishment of provincial monasteries and temples (寺,dera) in all 66 provinces of Japan. Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the “Great Temple of the East,” became the main temple of the Kokubun-ji, the national monastic system and the center of national ceremonies.

The Giant Buddha of Tōdai-ji: A Testament to Grandeur and Serenity

The Buddhist Channel, 3 July 2023

Nara, Japan -- The Daibutsu (大仏), also known as the Giant Buddha Vairocana of Tōdai-ji, is a remarkable symbol of human ingenuity and spiritual devotion. This awe-inspiring statue holds the title of being the largest gilt bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana in the world and has fascinated countless visitors for centuries.

Kōfuku-ji: A Temple Born Out of A Wife's Prayer

The Buddhist Channel, 30 June 2023

Nara, Japan -- With a history of more than 1,300 years, Kōfuku-ji in the prefecture of Nara is one of Japan's oldest and most famous Buddhist temples.

Ancient murals of Horyuji temple move closer to public display

The Buddhist Channel, 23 March, 2023

Nara, Japan -- Japan's oldest Buddhist paintings are making progress towards their first public display after being severely damaged in a fire at Horyuji temple in 1949. However, it may still be several years before the public can view these renowned artworks, often referred to as the "crown jewels of the art."

The Zen Garden Way of Healing

The Buddhist Channel, 22 June 2023

Goryeo-Era Buddhist Text Transcription Returns to Korea from Japan

The Buddhist Channel, 20 June 2023

Seoul, South Korea -- The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced on Thursday that a Goryeo-era transcription of a Buddhist sutra, written in gold on indigo-dyed paper, has been repatriated to Korea from Japan.

In the Gardens of the Eleven Headed Kannon

The Buddhist Channel, 17 June 2023

Kamakura,Japan -- Hase-dera, also known as Hase Kannon (Chinese: Kuan yin or Avalokitesvara) Temple, is a renowned Buddhist temple located in Kamakura, Japan. It is known for several notable features and attractions, making it a popular destination for visitors. Here are some special aspects of Hase-dera which makes it one of the "must visit" destination to Kamakura apart from the Big Buddha.

Prince Shotoku and his legacy at Horyu-ji

The Buddhist Channel, 16 June 2023

Nara, Japan -- Did you know that in some legendary tales, Prince Shotoku was associated with both the founders of Japanese Zen and Jodo Shinshu?

Tenryū-ji, a Zen Oasis in Kyoto's Rich History

The Buddhist Channel, 14 June 2023

Kyoto, Japan -- This is an abode made in the likeness of heavenly perfection. Welcome to Tenryū-ji, a serene temple nestled in the heart of Kyoto's Arashiyama district, Japan. With a history dating back to the 9th century, this temple has witnessed the rise and fall of emperors, the transition of power, and the enduring spirit of Buddhism. Here the Buddhist Channel explores the fascinating story behind Tenryū-ji. Join us to discover the treasures it holds within its sacred grounds.

Hongan-ji , monument to a resolute, restless monk

The Buddhist Channel, 13 June 2023

Kyoto, Japan -- Matsuwakamaro (Shinran's birth name) was born in 1173 in Heian-kyo (now Kyoto). Early in his life, both his parents died. The trauma led him to search for the meaning of life, specifically what happens after death, and enrolled to become a monk at Shoren-in at the age of 9. There he stayed as a lowly priest until 28. During this period, acutely aware of his own impermanence, he practiced at Mt. Hiei.

Kukai, Emperor Saga, and the Founding of Toji Temple

The Buddhist Channel, 11 June 2023

Kyoto, Japan -- Toji temple, also known as Kyo-o-gokoku-ji or the "East Temple," holds a significant place in the history of Kyoto. When Kyoto became the capital of Japan in 794 CE, only three Buddhist temples were permitted in the city. Toji was one of them. Emperor Kanmu founded Toji in 796 CE and declared it to be "The Temple for the Defence of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines." This designation established Toji as a state-sponsored institution, providing divine protection for the nation and its people.

UNESCO Recognizes Ancient Buddhist Documents for Memory of the World Register

The Buddhist Channel, 25 May 2023

Otsu, Japan -- UNESCO's Memory of the World register will now feature a remarkable collection of documents dating back over a thousand years, shedding light on the historical and cultural exchanges between Japan and China.

The Rise of K-Buddhism

by Emi Hailey Hayakawa, The Buddhist Channel, 14 July 2022

Cheonjinam Hermitage and Jueosa Temple: The Forgotten Sacrifices of Buddhist Monks by the Korean Catholics

By Emi Hayakawa, BTN Korea, Published on the Buddhist Channel, Dec 7, 2021

Gwangju, South Korea -- Currently at the Cheonjinam memorial site located in Toechon-myeon Village in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province) a large statue of the Virgin Mary stands at the entrance, with the inscription “The Statue of Virgin Mary for World Peace,” by Pope John Paul II, and the grand tombs of five Catholic martyrs exalted where the Buddhist dharma hall of Cheonjinam hermitage once stood.

Buddhist monk master in China resigns after sexual misconduct allegations

by Lusha Zhang and Philip Wen, Reuters, Aug 15, 2018

BEIJING, China -- One of China's highest-ranking Buddhist monks quit as the head of the country's Buddhist association on Wednesday after facing a government investigation over accusations of sexual misconduct.

Japan's Buddhist temples to offer rooms to rent after law change

by Danielle Demetriou , The Telegrraph, 28 May 2018

Tokyo, Japan -- The words “spiritual” and “spartan” are not often used to describe properties listed on Airbnb. They are, however, more likely to crop up following the launch of a service devoted to providing accommodation in temples across Japan.

For China's Buddhist Monks, an IPO Too Far

by Adam Minter, Bloomberg, April 25, 2018

Entrepreneurs hoped to list a sacred mountain on a Chinese stock exchange. Trouble ensued.
Beijing, China -- In China, religion is big business. The famed Shaolin Temple owns dozens of companies and its abbot is popularly known as the "CEO monk." Two of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains are publicly listed. So management at Mount Putuo Tourism Development Co., which oversees a third holy mountain, probably thought that their own initial public offering would cause little controversy.

Fire at sacred Tibetan Buddhist temple sparks suspicion about censorship

by Neil Connor, The Telegraph, 18 February 2018

Beijing, China -- A fire broke out at one of the most sacred temples in Tibetan Buddhism, prompting concern and suspicion that information on the incident is being controlled by authorities.

Ancient Banquet Hall Near Country's First Buddhist Temple Discovered in Former Capital of Japan

By Sydney Pereira, Newsweek, Feb 26, 2018

Tokyo, Japan -- Archaeologists may have found a 63-foot-long banquet hall for nobility, dating back to the Asuka period, which extended from 538 A.D. to 794 A.D. What remains of the structure are holes in the ground measuring 3 to 4 feet wide, where, researchers believe, wooden pillars once stood lining the banquet hall.

Nara temple unravels giant scroll of 11-faced Buddhist statue

By YUYA TANAKA, Asahi Shimbun, February 28, 2018

SAKURAI, Nara Prefecture (Japan) -- A gigantic scroll containing a life-size picture of the main Buddhist statue of Hasedera temple here has been dusted off for the first display in six years.

What’s behind the ‘Buddhist mentality’ among mainland China's youth?

by Chung Man, Hong Kong Economic Journal , Feb 9, 2018

Hong Kong, China -- The “Buddhist concept”, i.e., a laid-back outlook on life, has become all the rage among young people in the mainland; they have become too relaxed about everything and stopped being competitive.

How China's states are stealing a march on India's, with Buddhist tourism push

by Ananth Krishnan, India Today, Jan 3, 2018

At least in promoting tourism, India should learn from China's example in giving Buddhist tourism a push.
Beijing, China -- Datong in Shanxi province is known in China as the hub of coal-mining. But with a massive green makeover, it's Buddhism and not coal that it's city officials are now banking on.

Buddhist temples in Japan get digital upgrade with new techno wooden fish

by Oona McGee, Sora News 24, Dec 23, 2017

The most entertaining way to recite the Heart Sutra.
Tokyo, Japan -- One of the most impressive things about Japan is the way the country seamlessly ties in centuries of old traditions with more modern everyday elements. We’ve seen this enticing blend of old and new in things like kimono dress shirts, izakaya restaurant bathhouses, and even Pokémon osechi New Year’s meals.

China Plans To Renovate Dalai Lama's Iconic Potala Palace In Tibet

Press Trust of India, October 6, 2017

China plans to renovate the iconic Potala Palace, residence of the Dalai Lamas, in Tibet's capital Lhasa
Beijing, China -- The iconic Potala Palace, the official residence of the Dalai Lamas in Tibet's capital Lhasa will soon undergo a $1.5 million renovation, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.

This Japanese robot can host low-cost Buddhist funerals

by Matthew Field, The Telegraph, 24 August 2017

Tokyo, Japan -- Robots have been accused of taking people's jobs and stealing sexual partners. Now, they could also be used to give humans their last rites.

Chinese Communist officials to run Tibetan Buddhism center

AP, Aug 25, 2017

Sichuan, China -- China has appointed Communist Party and government officials to manage one of the world’s largest centers of Tibetan Buddhist learning, raising concerns over strengthened ideological control over religion that critics say is draining such institutions of their vitality.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Appoints the 104th Gaden Tripa

The Buddhist Channel, July 6, 2017

BYLAKUPPE, Tibet -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama has appointed Jangtse Choejey Kyabje Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin Palsangpo as the 104th Gaden Tripa, the head of Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, according to information received from Ven Atuk Tseten and Ven Gowo Lobsang Phendey, members of Tibetan Parliament representing Gelug school. The appointment was announced through an official letter dated 24 June.

With demolitions, China squeezes Buddhist academy

By AFP, 6 July 2017

Larung Gar, China -- The hills around revered Tibetan Buddhist academy Larung Gar were once a seamless carpet of vibrant red, dominated by the homes of thousands of monks, nuns and devotees who crowded the remote valley in southwest China to explore their faith.

Is a Buddhist Group Changing China? Or Is China Changing It?

By IAN JOHNSON, The New York Times, June 24, 2017

YIXING, China - For most of her life, Shen Ying was disappointed by the world she saw around her. She watched China’s economic rise in this small city in the Yangtze River Valley, and she found a foothold in the new middle class, running a convenience store in a strip mall. Yet prosperity felt hollow.

Statues to spread Buddhist teachings

By Huang Mei-chu and Jake Chung, Taipei Times, June 16, 2017

CULTURALLY ACCEPTING:The style of the statues are reminiscent of those that were made during the Tang Dynasty, Dafowang Temple master Shih Sing-yan said
Taipei, Taiwan -- Twenty-two five-story tall statues of Buddhist deities tower over the landscape in Hsinchu County’s Fonggang  area near the Sibin Expressway, making them a cluster that is considered a “temple” in and of themselves, the first of seven such clusters that are to be built at Dafowang Temple  on Mitoushan  in Jhubei City.

Kyoto-based Buddhist group struggles with decline in temples and priests

The Japan Times, Apr 24, 2017

KYOTO, Japan -- A Kyoto-based Buddhist group with the largest number of followers in Japan is boosting its support to its member temples in other prefectures amid a shortage of incoming chief priests and a decline in danka (financial supporters).

Thousands of Japanese Buddhist temples left 'priestless'

by ALEXANDER MARTIN, Nikkei Asian Review, April 26, 2017

Nearly 13,000 lack resident leaders as depopulation gnaws at community pillars
TOKYO, Japan -- Japan is home to more Buddhist temples than convenience stores, but many are struggling to find the parishioners they need to stay afloat. As congregations shrink, thousands of temples are going without resident priests.

Illuminating Buddhism in a high-tech light

by Tomoyuki Hamahata, The Japan News/Asia News Network, April 17, 2017

Fukui, Japan -- Faced with declining attendees among the young, one temple priest in Fukui has found a unique way to help them see the light. His “techno hoyo” fuses traditional religious images projected in brilliant lights with Buddhist sutras set to a techno beat.

Symbol of Mongolia’s Ancient Buddhist Culture to Complete in Summer of 2017

by Michael Fouts, The Buddhist Channel, March 27, 2017

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia -- In the summer of 2017 the people of Mongolia will regain an important part of their ancient Buddhist heritage. A statue of the historical Buddha designed by Mongolia’s first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (sacred leader of Mongolian Buddhism) placed within the Uguumur Valley just outside of the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Buddhist scriptures provide a feast for researchers

By Yang Jian, Shanghai Daily, March 27, 2017

Shanghai, China -- More than 40 Buddhism experts from home and abroad began researching a batch of historic Buddhist scriptures in Shanghai over the weekend.

Japanese Buddhist Temple Holds Techno Memorial Services

By Spooky, February 10, 2017

Fukui, Japan -- In an effort to make his Buddhist temple more accessible to the wider public and draw younger generations to religion, a former DJ turned Buddhist priest has been holding “techno memorial services” at his temple in Fukui City, Japan.

Ban on Buddhist bead bracelet violated my religious freedom, Hong Kong prison guard claims

by Eddie Lee, South China Morning Post, 7 February, 2017

Court document shows officer cited Bill of Rights Ordinance and argued Sikh bangle was not likewise prohibited
Hong Kong, China -- A prison officer has claimed that the Correctional Services Department’s “disapproval” of her wearing a Buddhist bead bracelet while on duty amounted to discrimination against her and violated her religious freedom, a court document showed.

Dalai Lama attends International Buddhism and Science conference

by Molly Lortie, Tibet Post International, 23 November 2016

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia -- Addressing a conference on Buddhism and Science in Mongolia on November 21st, His Holiness remarked that having attended such meetings in the West, in India and Japan, he was now happy and honored to participate in such a conference in Mongolia.

'Shukubo' inn to provide tourists with Buddhist buzz in Osaka

By SHIKI IWASAWA, Asahi Shimbun, November 7, 2016

OSAKA, Japan -- A new “shukubo” style inn to provide tourists with a Buddhist vibe usually available only in temple compounds will open here in March 2017.

New Taipei, Buddhist group to establish altar to mourn Thai king

by Lee Hsin-Yin, Focus Taiwan, Oct 16, 2016

Taipei, Taiwan -- New Taipei City government and Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society announced on Sunday that they will jointly establish a public altar for those who want to mourn the death of Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on Thursday at the age of 88.

Visitors Leave a Very Unusual Offering at This Buddhist Temple

by Chantel Delulio, Fodors, October 5, 2016

Mt. Koya, Japan -- At first, the Jison-in Temple complex seems perfectly ordinary.  Located at the base of Mount Koya in the small town of Kudoyama, the temple appears to be no different than any number of Japanese Buddhist temples.

In Japan there’s online Buddhist priest delivery service

INQUIRER.net, September 22, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- These days almost anything can be ordered through some website or app. From smartphones to fast food to groceries. A new kind of online service has popped up in Japan and it has ruffled more than a few feathers in Japan’s Buddhist sects.

Hundreds of Tibetans Gather For Buddhist Teachings in China's Qinghai

Radio Free Asia, Sept 13, 2016

Qinghai, China -- Hundreds of Tibetan monks and laypeople coming from across northwestern China’s Qinghai have gathered this week at a Buddhist monastery in the province for a traditional eight-day period of religious teachings and debates, according to a Tibetan source living in the region.

China: 1,000 Evictions from Tibetan Buddhist Centers

Human Rights Watch, September 13, 2016

End Threats to Families, Demolitions of Dwellings
Sichuan, China -- Chinese authorities are reportedly forcing at least 1,000 religious adherents to withdraw from two major Tibetan Buddhist institutions, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should resolve genuine safety and health issues at the Buddhist institutions without infringing on the rights to religious belief and freedom of movement.

Buddhist governing body questions monk over harassment claims

Japan Today, Sep. 8, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- A Buddhist governing body has questioned one of the two most senior monks at Zenkoji temple in the city of Nagano about allegations he sexually harassed a female staffer, it said Thursday, with the monk reiterating his denial of the claims.

China’s Tech-Savvy, Burned-Out and Spiritually Adrift, Turn to Buddhism

By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ, New York Times, Sept 7, 2016

BEIJING, China -- For centuries, Buddhists seeking enlightenment made the journey to Longquan Monastery, a lonesome temple on a hilltop in the hinterlands of northwest Beijing. Under the ginkgo and cypress trees, they meditated, chanted and pored over ancient texts.

Buddhist altar makers recreate armor worn by feudal clan chief

By HIROSHI ONO, Asahi Shimbun, August 28, 2016

HIKONE, Shiga Prefecture (Japan) -- Artisans in various fields banded together to recreate a suit of armor worn by Ii Naotaka (1590-1659), a feudal lord of the Hikone domain.

Holy Buddhist temple embraces its role as a Pokémon gym

By Heather Dockray, Mashable, Jul 27, 2016

Kyoto, Japan -- Pokémon fever has taken over the world - it's touched private businesses, Holocaust museums, and now, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.

Tibetan Buddhist abbot released from Chinese prison under surveillance

The Buddhist Channel, July 22, 2016

Beijing, China -- Free Tibet has confirmed that on 4 June, Tibetan abbot and teacher Khenpo Kartse (also known as Karma Tsewang – Khenpo is a religious title) was released from prison in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, after completing his two-and-a-half year prison term. Khenpo Kartse was arrested in December 2013 and reportedly convicted for harbouring fugitives. His case had been raised repeatedly by governments, lawmakers, Tibet NGOs and international human rights organisations.

Beijing hands prestigious Buddhist ceremony in Tibet to “fake” Panchen Lama

The Buddhist Channel, July 22, 2016

Beijing, China -- In a move intended to bolster his profile and religious authority, the controversial Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu will conduct the Tibetan Buddhist ritual called Kalachakra (1) in Tibet between 21 and 24 July. The ceremony tomorrow will be the first time that Gyaltsen Norbu (Ch: Gyaincain Norbu) has conducted the Kalachakra ritual, one of the most important in all of Buddhism. It will also be the first time that it has been carried out inside the heavily-policed Tibet Autonomous Region for 50 years.

Armed with an MBA, a Buddhist monk sets out to transform the future of the temple

by Mai Yoshikawa, Japan Times, Jun 29, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- Setting aside time for solitude can be a healthy habit, and doing it in a spiritual atmosphere can be even healthier.

Buddhist monk uses age-old wisdom to create driverless taxis

by Anna Kitanaka and Yuki Hagiwara, Bloomberg News, Jul 3, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- Hisashi Taniguchi took a sabbatical from developing software for driverless taxis and drones to pilgrimage to a Buddhist temple in western Japan. He shaved his head, donned black robes and studied to become the shrine's leader.

Kosanji Temple combines the greatest hits of Japanese Buddhist architecture

by Steve John Powell, SCMP, June 9, 2016

On an island in the Inland Sea, Kosanji Temple is an architectural mash-up of Japanese Buddhism's greatest hits.
Hiroshima, Japan -- Are you ever stuck for Mother's Day gift ideas? Why not build her a temple? That's what Japanese businessman Kozo Kanemoto did.

Thousands Attend Tibetan Buddhist Ceremony and Teachings in China's Gansu

by Kunsang Tenzin, RFA, June 8, 2016

Gansu, China -- Thousands of Tibetan devotees converged this week in an open plain in northwestern China’s Gansu province for the start of a four-day period of advanced Buddhist rituals and teachings, sources in the region said.

Religion goes green in Taiwan pollution battle

By Amber Wang, AFP, May 21, 2016

Taipei, Taiwan -- Smoke billows daily from temples across Taiwan as visitors burn incense and paper money to bring luck and prosperity – but that familiar fragrant haze could be a thing of the past as concerns grow over ritual pollutants.

Buddhist deity image emerges from Kumamoto Castle rubble

By CHIHIRO ARA, Asahi, May 16, 2016

KUMAMOTO, Japan -- Amid the damage and despair that have befallen historic Kumamoto Castle in the recent series of earthquakes, one discovery among the rubble provided a welcome source of illumination and inspiration.

Hong Kong Buddhists’ release of animals into wild needs regulating, Kadoorie Farm says

South China Morning Post, 16 May, 2016

Conservationists say release of captured animals to earn merit causes suffering, with many of them dying, and releasing non-native species threatens indigenous wildlife through disease
Hong Kong, China -- Hong Kong needs to regulate the practice of mercy release – the release of captured animals into the wild – if it is serious about protecting biodiversity, says a Hong Kong nature organisation. The practice is common among Buddhists, who believe it brings good karma.

Buddha-bot: Chinese temple enlists mini monk robot to boost teachings

RT.com, 22 Apr, 2016

Beijing, China -- A Buddhist temple in China is embracing new technology in the form of a tiny monk robot to help spread its teachings across the land.

Buddhist Grand Master Wei Chueh dies

CNA, April 9, 2016

Taipei, Taiwan -- Buddhist Grand Master Wei Chueh, who founded the Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Nantou County’s Puli Township, passed away at 10:31pm on Friday night, the monastery announced yesterday. He was 88.

A pint or a prayer? Monks in Japan put Buddhism on the menu

By Yiyuan Wang, Japan Today, Apr 10, 2016

TOKYO, Japan -- The hum of conversation and the clinking of spoons and coffee cups fills the wood-paneled cafe in a fashionable Tokyo neighborhood as more than a dozen customers sip drinks and nibble desserts.

Chinese Authorities Slap New Constraints on Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries

Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2016

Lhasa, Tibet -- Chinese authorities in Tibet have imposed new restrictions on monasteries in a county in northwestern China’s Qinghai province, intensifying an existing ban on displaying photos of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Tibetan sources in the region and in exile said.

Building Bridges of Loving-Kindness: Mongolia’s Rich History and Culture of Buddhism

by Michael Fouts, The Buddhist Channel, March 3 2016

Ulan Baator, Mongolia -- Under the spiritual direction of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama the Grand Maitreya Project is working to re-build Mongolia's ancient culture and history of Tibetan Buddhism. While at the same time constructing the worlds largest beacon of Loving - Kindness for peace on Earth.

You’re not a monk ... you’re a fake: how one Buddhist crusader is catching out Hong Kong’s street scammers

South China Morning Post, 18 March, 2016

Mary Jean Reimer’s video posted on Facebook shows man explaining ‘this is how we do it on the mainland’

Hong Kong, China -- An actress-turned-lawyer who exposed bad Buddhists last year has struck again this week, confronting an allegedly fake monk and stopping him from soliciting donations on a street in Tai Po.

Buddhism Is Growing in China, But Remains in Legal Limbo

by Yang Siqi, Time, March 16, 2016

There are an estimated 245 million Buddhists in officially atheist China, but the religion faces severe legal and political hurdles

Beijing, China -- Yan Lu studied Marxism-Leninism in college, majoring in ideological and political education. After graduating from the prestigious Southwest Jiaotong University in the Chinese city of Chengdu, she worked at a kindergarten and as a secretary. Neither job satisfied her.

Kamakura's Great Buddha waltzes through 'health checkup'

By TAMOTSU SUGAO, AWJ-Asahi, March 10, 2016

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan) -- He might be eight centuries old, but the Daibutsu Great Buddha here is in better shape than ever after a two-month "health checkup" was completed March 10.

In China, the state decides who can come back from the dead

by Jonathan Kaiman, Los Angeles Times, Mar 14, 2016

Beijing, China -- In China, it's not easy to become a “living Buddha.” First come the years of meditation and discipline. Then comes the bureaucracy.

China Hits Out at Hong Kong Stars Over Buddhist Event in India

RFA, Feb 26, 2016

Hong Kong, China -- State media controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party has warned two Hong Kong superstars that they could be at the receiving end of a boycott in mainland China after they sat close to two key figures in the entourage of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at a recent religious event.

A Zen Buddhist temple experience in Kyoto

By Seamus Kearney, Euronews, Feb 23, 2016

Kyoto, Japan -- Any holiday in Japan will almost certainly have to include a visit to one of the country’s vast number of beautiful temples and shrines; and for those who have the time, it’s possible to take part in one of the many rituals performed there.

Nature in Short / Sacred plant ‘Japanese star anise’ used in Buddhist funerals

By Kevin Short, The Japan News, Feb 16, 2016

Mt. Atago, Japan -- My research work on local ecology and folk spirituality often brings me into the grounds of small village Buddhist temples, many of which are surrounded by dense sacred groves.

Japan’s ‘monks by mail’ offer Buddhist ministry in Internet age

by Mari Yamaguchi, AP, Feb 2, 2016

YACHIYO, CHIBA PREF. (Japan) -- In Japan, where communal ties to local Buddhist temples are fading, families have in recent years been able to go online to find a monk to perform funerals and other rites.

The Buddhist Monk Who Uses Space to Teach Spirituality

by Emiko Jozuka, Motherboard, January 21, 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- In a pitch black room, Ryo Kasuga talks space as a simulated solar system rotates above my head. Kasuga, however, is no astronomer. He’s a Buddhist monk intent on using the stars to rouse the public’s interest in spiritual teachings.

Swastikas used on maps in Japan to indicate Buddhist temples to be replaced because tourists associate them with Nazis

By Caroline Mcguire, Daily Mail, 19 January 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese maps have long used swastikas to mark the location of Buddhist temples on maps.

Buddhist temple in Tokyo upgraded by Satoru Hirota Architects

Dezeen.com, 12 January 2016

Tokyo, Japan -- Satoru Hirota Architects has overhauled the site of a Buddhist shrine dating back to Japan's Edo period, adding a triangular reception hall and a priest's quarters with bare concrete walls.

Japan's Buddhists want Amazon to end 'rent-a-monk' service

By Mike Firn, The Telegraph, 27 Dec 2015

Monks are hired out to perform at Buddhist memorial services and other ceremonies

Tokyo, Japan -- Japan's Buddhists want Amazon to stop offering its rent-a-monk service in the country because it harms the religion's public image.

Ji Xiang temple: Orphanage for the elderly

By Celia Hatton, BBC News, 21 December 2015

Fujian, China -- China has the fastest-ageing population in human history but the state provides very little support for elderly people. Ageing parents have traditionally been looked after by their children - but in today's China that is not always the case.

Buddhist statue attracts scrums of fans with its ‘Goromaru-style’ rugby pose

By HARUKO KOSHIBU, AJW-Asahi, Nov 13, 2015

SEKI, Gifu Prefecture (Japan) -- Rugby players and fans have been scrummaging to a temple here to pray before a 500-year-old Buddhist statue that captures the signature pose of national team hero Ayumu Goromaru.

Missing Buddhist scroll from 12th century turns up in Nara temple

By KAZUTO TSUKAMOTO, AJW-Asahi, November 10, 2015

UDA, Nara Prefecture (Japan) -- A gold and silver-inked Buddhist text preserved at the Soyuji temple here has been found to be one of the famed Chusonji-kyo Sutras, a series of Buddhist manuscripts dating back almost 900 years.

Chinese Buddhist sect leader sentenced to life in prison

UCA News, November 2, 2015

Move comes amid wider crackdown on religious freedom

Beijing, China -- A Chinese court has sentenced a leader of a Buddhist sect to life in prison on charges of leading a cult, rape and fraud in the latest case to target the leader of a fringe religious group amid a wider crackdown on religious freedom.

Japan: Temples of doom

The Econimist, Oct 31, 2015

Japan’s Buddhist temples are going out of business

Tokyo, Japan -- FAR from preaching abstinence from earthly pleasures, the Buddhist priests behind the counter of Vowz, a Tokyo bar, encourage the opposite.

Buddhist Priest Invites Same-Sex Couples To Marry At His Temple

The Huffington Post, Oct 22, 2015

"We mustn't act as if it's all right to cast the LGBT community aside because they're a minority group," says priest at Japan's Shunkoin temple.

Tokyo, Japan -- Same-sex marriages are not legal in Japan. However, there is a Japanese Buddhist temple where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and members of other sexual minority groups can wed: the Shunkoin temple in Hanazono, Kyoto. Same-sex couples from around the world visit the temple.

Buddhist monk ends nine-day ritual without food, water or sleep

AFP-JIJI, Oct 22, 2015

Kyoto, Japan -- A Buddhist monk on Wednesday finished a grueling nine-day ritual of not eating, drinking, or sleeping as he chanted sutras 100,000 times.

Exclusive interview with Venerable Master Xuecheng: Buddhists need to advance with the times

by Han Bin, CCTV.com, Oct 25, 2015

Jiangsu, China -- The theme of this year's World Buddhist Forum is 'Exchange with Common Aspiration'. For two days, participants will discuss Buddhism's positive roles in resolving problems for human and social development.

Buddhists called to embrace the Internet

China Daily/Asia News Network, October 25th, 2015

Jiangsu, China -- Buddhist followers should embrace the Internet and spread the religion’s philosophy online.

Japan Survey: 12,000 Buddhist temples lack resident monks

By TAKUMI OKADA, AJW/Asahi, October 11, 2015

Tokyo, Japan -- More than 12,000 temples in Japan currently have no resident monk, an absence that could lead to the further demise of these traditional centers of local communities, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.

Hoodie Monks mix beats with their Buddhism

by Simon Scott, Japan Times, Oct 11, 2015

Tokyo, Japan -- At first glance, Yugasan Rendaiji doesn’t seem very different to the thousands of other Buddhist temples scattered across the country. It’s a place where members of the local community go at prescribed times of the year to pray, receive blessings and attend festivals. For tourists — the smattering who make it to the Okayama countryside, that is — it’s a picturesque place to drop by and snap a few photos.

Robo-monk: Buddhist temple in Beijing rolls out chatty robot hero from homegrown cartoon series to tap internet-savvy youth

by He Huifeng, SCMP, 8 October, 2015

Beijing, China -- In order to promote Buddhism among the growing hordes of tech-savvy young Chinese, Longquan (Dragon Spring) Temple in Beijing now has a new house guest: a cute-looking robot that resembles a Buddhist monk called Xian'er.

2,000-yr-old stupa marks revival of India-China Buddhist links

Press Trust of India, September 20, 2015

Nangchen, China -- The restoration of the 2,000-year-old Ashoka Stupa in this quintessential Tibetan town by an Indian Buddhist monk marks a new beginning in the revival of Buddhism links between India and China.

Buddhist monk Setouchi: Abe should go to war himself

By TAKUMI OKADA, ASW/Asahi, September 21, 2015

KYOTO, Japan -- Jakucho Setouchi, a Buddhist monk and novelist, denounced the Diet’s passage of security legislation as “foolish” and “embarrassing,” and urged voters to oust lawmakers who supported the bills in the next national election.

Shrines Turn to 3D Printing to Protect Buddhist Statues

by John Newman, Rapid Ready Tech, August 19, 2015

Wakayama, Japan -- One of the major tenets of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths, is that desire causes suffering. Apparently that idea holds true whether one is personally afflicted with desire or not.

China to expand 1,943-year-old Buddhist temple

by Jagriti Kumari, One India, July 27, 2015

Beijing, China -- China is all set to expand country's oldest Buddhist temple in Henan Province in the country, media reported.

Buddhism undergoes modern twist to attract young people

By JUNKO SAIMOTO, Asahi/AJW, June 26, 2015

Tokyo, Japan -- Discussing love, using social media and pouring cocktails are a few of the methods Buddhist monks and priests are now using to gain followers in modern-day Japan.

Zen and the art of moneymaking

The Economist, Jun 27 2015

Local officials make a packet from a religion of self-denial

Beijing, China -- THE white steel lady overlooking the South China Sea has three heads, three bodies and toenails bigger than human heads. Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, stands atop a temple on a man-made islet, each of her heads facing a different way.

Taiwan's Buddhist groups helping with Nepal quake relief efforts

CNA, April 26, 2015

Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwan's Buddhist groups are organizing teams that will go to Nepal to help with the Himalayan country's relief efforts in the wake of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake Saturday that have reportedly killed more than 2,000 people.

Hong Kong opens £193m luxury Buddhist monastery to public

by Caroline Davies, The Standard, 16 April 2015

Brainchild of Li Ka-shing, Asia’s richest person, Tsz Shan complex features several grand halls, gardens and 250ft statue of goddess Guan Yin

Hong Kong, China -- Watched over by a 76-metre-high bronze goddess of mercy, Hong Kong’s newest Buddhist monastery – which features bulletproof VIP rooms – has opened to the public.

The largest Buddhist settlement in the world is in China

By Becky Pemberton, The Daily Mail, 19 April 2015

Inside the village where 40,000 monks and nuns are segregated and televisions are banned... but iPhones are allowed

Larung Gar, China -- Among the green rolling hills in the Larung Gar Valley in China, the last thing you would expect to see in the countryside are thousands of red wooden huts that have been built in a massive cluster.

China wants to turn Tibet’s Buddhist monasteries into Communist Party propaganda centers

by Reinhard Krause, REUTERS, Apr. 3, 2015

Tibetan monks shield their eyes from the sun as they watch others dancing at the Kirti Monastery near the town of Langmusi, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province.

BEIJING, China -- Buddhist temples and monasteries in Tibet must become propaganda centers for the ruling Communist Party, where monks and nuns learn to “revere” science and appreciate the party’s love, the troubled region’s top Chinese appointed official said.

Senior Buddhist monk of Joney, Tibet released on bail, may face trial

by Yeshe Choesang, Tibet Post International, 13 April 2015

Dharamshala, India -- Sources coming out of Tibet say a senior Tibetan Buddhist monk and intellectual monk who was detained on eve of Tibet uprising anniversary has been released on "bail pending trial" on March 20, 2015.

Cup of noodles for vegans!

by Casey Baseel, Rocket News 24, March 28, 2015

Japanese Zen Buddhist temple starts selling instant soba and udon

Tokyo, Japan -- Upon coming to Japan, a lot of people are surprised to discover just how difficult finding vegetarian food can be. Many people imagine Japan as a country that eats very little meat, and while that’s definitely true in comparison to North America and western Europe, the flipside is that you’ll find at least a little bit of meat in just about all dishes, including salads and vegetable stews with surprising frequency.

China's stressed-out 'millenials' embrace Buddhism

by Lu-Hai Liang, CNN, March 30, 2015

Beijing, China -- Five years ago, Beijinger Robert Zhao went on a trip to Tibet. What he encountered left him confused but intrigued.

Cup of noodles for vegans!

by Casey Baseel, Rocket News 24, March 28, 2015

Japanese Zen Buddhist temple starts selling instant soba and udon

Tokyo, Japan -- Upon coming to Japan, a lot of people are surprised to discover just how difficult finding vegetarian food can be. Many people imagine Japan as a country that eats very little meat, and while that’s definitely true in comparison to North America and western Europe, the flipside is that you’ll find at least a little bit of meat in just about all dishes, including salads and vegetable stews with surprising frequency.

Dalai Lama's plan to end reincarnation blasphemous: China

PTI, Mar 9, 2015

BEIJING, China -- China on Monday termed as "blasphemous" the remarks of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama that the tradition of reincarnation should cease with his death, saying it will go against religion and history of Tibet.

Chinese Scholars to Create a Four-Language Dictionary to Aid Buddhist Manuscript Research

by Erika Miranda, Yibada, Mar 3, 2015

Beijing, China -- A Chinese political advisor and Tibetan scholar revealed to the Xinhua News Agency on Monday China’s plan to compile a polylingual dictionary on manuscripts in Buddhism this year.

Buddhist Monks Offended by Tourist's Attempt to Donate iPhone 6

by Donald Wood, Travel Technology, March 2, 2015

Guangdong, China -- A Chinese tourist named Cong Chu, 31, offended a group of monks at a Buddhist temple in Foshan, Guangdong Province during a visit when he attempted to donate his iPhone 6 in a collection box.

Japan Buddhist group to build 2 monuments on Saipan

By Junhan B. Todiño, Marianas Variety, 2 Mar 2015

Saipan, Japan -- SAIPAN Mayor David M. Apatang says the Nenpou Shinkyou Buddhist Denomination, which has 88 temples throughout Japan and a million members, is planning to erect monuments at the Last Command Post and at Banzai Cliff where they hold peace ceremonies every year.

Bizarre footage emerges of 150kg fugitive pig ‘praying’ before a Buddhist temple in Eastern China

By Nelson Groom, Daily Mail Australia, February 28th, 2015

Zhejiang, China -- Bizarre footage emerges of 150kg fugitive pig ‘praying’ before a Buddhist temple… and he only moved on after a group of monks chanted to him.It seems that humans aren’t the only ones who need forgiveness.

Buddhist master lashes out at Ko over his comments on Tzu Chi Foundation

By Abraham Gerber, Taipei Times, Feb 24, 2015

Taipei, Taiwan -- Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s comments about a project by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation on a disputed plot of land in Neihu District drew a heated response from Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hwei yesterday.

Mummified monk is ‘not dead’ and in rare meditative state, says expert

By Kate Baklitskaya, The Siberian Times, 2 February 2015

As police say lama found in lotus positon was destined for sale on black market, there are claims it was one step away from becoming a Buddha.

Songinokhairkhan, Mongolia -- A mummified monk found in the lotus position in Mongolia is 'not dead' and is instead one stage away from becoming a real-life Buddha, it has been claimed.

China's super-rich communist Buddhists

By John Sudworth, BBC, 29 January 2015

Shanghai, China -- Could China be bringing Tibetan Buddhism in from the cold? There are new signs that while a crackdown on Tibetan nationalism continues, the atheist state may be softening its position towards the religion - and even the Dalai Lama.

Buddhist followers pray for hostages during cold water ablutions in Wakayama

by KAZUHIRO NAKATA, Asahi Shimbun, January 26, 2015

KOYA, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan -- In sub-zero temperatures in this mountainous region, Buddhist followers prayed Jan. 25 for the safety of hostages held by terrorist groups in their annual ablution ceremony in frigid waters here.

Along Shanghai's River, Buddhist Tradition Meets Greedy Fishermen

by Frank Langfitt, NPR, January 2, 2015

Shanghai, China -- China today is a whirlwind of competing trends: authoritarianism versus personal freedom; pollution versus environmentalism, and self-interest versus spirituality.

Buddhist monks cultivate cat haven at Fukui Prefecture’s “Kitty Temple”

by Evie Lundevie Lund, RocketNews, Jan 12, 2015

Tokyo, Japan -- Here’s a familiar saying: “In Ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods; they have never forgotten this.”

Chinese university criticised again over new plans to give Buddhist abbot an honorary title

by He Huifeng , South China Morning Post, 12 December, 2014

Henan, China -- Plans by a Chinese university to give an honorary title to the abbot of a Buddhist temple have been criticised by social media users on the mainland.

Buddhist Temple Officiates Gay Weddings As Japan Continues to Struggle With LGBT Rights

By Charles Pulliam-Moore, Towleroad.com, Dec 7, 2014

Kyoto, Japan -- The Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto, Japan has become the first zen Buddhist temple offering to officiate symbolic same sex weddings within the country.

Buddhist master writes letter to Xi

By Loa Iok-sin, Taipei Times, Dec 8, 2014

Taipei, Taiwan -- Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hwei has written an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping urging the release of Buddhist Master Shi Shengguan, a Chinese citizen, who was arrested in May in China and has been in detention since then.

Dozen monasteries of Drukpa Buddhist lineage taken over by monks with strong financial backing

Economic Times, Dec 3, 2014

NEW DELHI, India -- While transgressions by Chinese soldiers in Ladakh in September and the resultant standoff were widely reported, an incursion of another kind shrouded in mystery is said to have taken place in Tibet at around the same time.

Four South Koreans held over theft of Tsushima Buddhist statue

Kyodo, Nov 25, 2014

NAGASAKI, Japan -- Four South Korean men were taken into police custody Monday on suspicion of stealing a Buddha statue from a temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, local police said.

Japan: Buddhist monks become models for fashion show

BBC, 4 November 2014

Koyasan, Japan -- A fashion show starring Buddhist monks as catwalk models has been held in Japan, it's reported.

Pursuing the goal of creating human happiness

The Nation, 2 November 2014

The following is the resolution adopted by delegates of the World Fellowship of Buddhist at the 27th General Conference held in China.

China lays claims to Leadership of the Buddhist World

by Kalinga Seneviratne, The Buddhist Channel, October 27, 2014

Baoji, China -- With an impressive display of Chinese Buddhist culture and hospitality, China laid claims to giving leadership to the Buddhist world, by hosting over 600 international delegates for the 27th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) at this historic city in north western China from 16th-18th October.

World Fellowship of Buddhist Opens in NW China's Shaanxi

by Sophia Zhu, Xinhua, October 18, 2014

Shaanxi, China -- Hundreds of the world's Buddhists gathered at an ancient temple in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on October 16 to mark the opening of the World Fellowship of Buddhists 27th general conference.

Glimpses of life at Famen Temple Buddhist Institute

by Han Bin, CCTV.com, Oct 15, 2014

Shaanxi, China -- Famen Temple in Shaanxi Province, is not only known for housing what’s believed to be a fingerbone of Sakyamuni, but also for its Buddhist Institute. The institute is one of China’s most influential in the sector. In the past decade, it has educated over 200 students.

Buddhist 'release life' act results in illegal animal trade in Hainan

http://shanghaiist.com, Oct 8, 2014

Hainan, China -- More and more businesses offering services to people who want to perform the Buddhist practice of "release life" are appearing in Hainan, where illegal animal breeding is rampant, China News Radio reports.

China embraces enlightenment

The Bangkok Post, Jul 19, 2014

The next World Fellowship of Buddhists conference in Baoji will highlight the growing influence of the Buddhist faith

Beijing, China -- China probably has the largest number of Buddhists in the world, yet so little is known about the practice of Buddhism in the world’s most populous country.

Learnt values of cleanliness from Buddhism: Kyoto Mayor

by Shubhajit Roy, Indian Express, September 1, 2014

Kyoto, Japan -- When Kyoto’s Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Japan’s values of cleanliness have come from Buddhism which was born in India, a candid PM lamented “we seem to have forgotten those values of Buddhism”.

Buddhist monks cause outrage after 'accepting cash' to bless businessman's Porche

By David Raven, The Mirror, Aug 13, 2014

Hubei, China -- Expensive properties and material items are supposedly being made holy in exchange for money but monks insist they are doing nothing wrong.

Priestly pair set out to boost ‘Buddhism 3.0' across Japan

by Takeshi Nishide, The Japan Times, Aug 5, 2014

Tokyo, Japan -- A pair of Zen priests have been causing a stir with their campaign to spread a new interpretation of Buddhism in Japan that combines practices from separate branches of the ancient religion.

Student Ventures to Taiwan for Buddhist Retreat

by Evangelia Stefanakos, Holy Cross, June 6, 2014

Taipei, Taiwan -- Keiving Wong, a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 2017, will travel to southern Taiwan this summer to participate in a Fo Guang Buddhist Monastic Retreat as one of roughly 50 college students accepted into the program world-wide.

Buddhist monk makes footprints in wooden floorboards through 20 years of prayer

Metro, 26 May 2014

Tongren, China -- Some people think going to the gym three times a week is dedication. This aged monk disproves that notion rather quickly.

Lonesome Buddhist temple comes alive after adopting cute anime characters

By YUSUKE KATO, Asahi Shimbun, May 19, 2014

Tokyo, Japan -- The Shoeizan Ryohoji temple tucked away in a residential area in western Tokyo has more than 400 years of history. But until a few short years ago, many locals didn’t even know the Nichiren Shu sect Buddhist temple was there.

Ancient Buddhist statue 3D-printed in China

Presstv.ir, May 4, 2014

Dazu County, China -- Using 3D printing technology, a replica has been created of an 800-year-old Buddhist statue to help restore the historical monument.

A young Buddhist monk stages protest in Ngaba County Tibet

by Yeshe Choesang, The Tibet Post International, 27 April 2014

Dharamshala, Tibet (CHina) -- A young Tibetan monk of the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County in Amdho region of north-eastern Tibet staged a peaceful protest against China's rule on April 26, raising slogans calling for freedom and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.

Chinese Buddhist temple forms "anti-terrorist" squad

by Ben Blanchard, Reuters, Apr 3, 2014

Beijing, China -- Nervous about a repeat of last month's deadly knife attack at a Chinese train station, a well-known Buddhist temple in eastern China has drafted some of its monks into a new "anti-terrorist" squad, state media said on Thursday.

Malaysia Flight MH370: Buddhist Volunteers Aiding Anxious Families in Beijing

By BREE FENG AND KEITH BRADSHER, New York Times, March 13, 2014

Beijing, China -- At one end of the room, Malaysia Airlines employees delivered the latest briefing to relatives and friends of passengers who were aboard the airline’s missing Flight 370. At the other end, volunteers listened from behind tables piled with snacks, waiting to provide counseling, logistical assistance or just hand holding.

Spreading Buddhism via old-style storytelling

by Takeshi Nishide, Japan Times, Feb 6, 2014

OSAKA, Japan -- In an effort to broaden the understanding of Buddhism among the lay population, some followers are using a traditional form of Japanese storytelling as a teaching tool.

Meeting Taiwan's new-age Buddhists

By Cindy Sui, BBC News, Jan 29, 2014

Taipei, Taiwan -- Sorting through a large pile of used clothes and household items, Hsiao Hsiu-chu is the picture of a new-age Buddhist.

Fire destroys 100 residences at the Larung Gar Buddhist

Radio Free Asia, Jan 9, 2014

A fire destroyed around 100 residences on Jan. 9, 2014 at the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Kardze prefecture’s Serthar county

Sichuan, China -- A massive blaze has destroyed around 100 houses of nuns studying at a prominent Buddhist academy in a Tibetan area of China’s Sichuan province, according to sources in the region.

Funeral gripes fuel Buddhist rethink

by Takeshi Nishide, Japan Times, Dec 4, 2013

Kyoto, Japan -- An increasing number of Buddhist priests are re-evaluating funeral services amid rapidly changing attitudes over the way they are conducted.

Some Buddhist temples now accepting ashes through the mail

By SHIGEYORI MIYAMOTO, Asahi Shimbun, December 30, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- A small number of Buddhist temples are being accused of blatant commercialism for providing burial services for cremated remains sent through the mail for one affordable and convenient fee.

Butter lamps light up Buddhist festival in Tibet

By Palden Nyima and Daqiong, Xinhua, Dec 28, 2013

BEIJING, China -- Butter lamps twinkled like stars, and the scent of burning juniper branches filled the evening air in Lhasa Friday as the annual Gadan Ngachod - Butter Lamp Festival - kicked off in the plateau city.

Taiwan: Historian fighting to protect Buddhist site

By Loa Iok-sin, Taipei Times, Dec 16, 2013

The Lay Buddhist building in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District was originally home to Chinese settlers, who arrived 200 years ago, the historian said

Taipei, Taiwan -- In tears, Lee Jung-tai, a historian and the daughter-in-law of late Buddhist clergyman Lee Ying-pin, yesterday recounted the history of the Lay Buddhist monastery Puantang, while calling on the government to save the building from a forced demolition scheduled for today.

Japanese Buddhists organize ‘monks without borders’

by John Hofilena, Japan Daily Press, Dec 17, 2013

Japanese Buddhists organize ‘monks without borders’

Kyoto, Japan -- A group of Buddhists in Japan have formed an organization called “Monks Without Borders,” aiming to unite different Buddhist sects in tackling global issues such as poverty. The new group is similar in name and in concept to organizations already created by doctors and reporters, and the monks recently held their inaugural meeting in the city of Kyoto.

Kukai and the impact of Shingon Buddhism in stunning Koyasan: Amazing beauty of Wakayama

by Michel Lebon and Walter Sebastian, Modern Tokyo Times, November 17, 2013

Koyasan, Japan -- Kukai is one of the most powerful individuals in Japanese history and religion. Today his legacy can be seen throughout Shingon Buddhism and this branch of Buddhism is still growing and developing in new countries. Kukai saw the world in a unique way and relayed this within esoteric Buddhism after various stages of his life created new milestones.

Tzu Chi Foundation Taiwan to send makeshift classrooms to disaster-hit Visayas, Mindanao

by Michael Siao, Tzu Chi Foundation, 12 November 2013

Taipei, Taiwan -- Tzu Chi Foundation, at the behest of founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen, will be sending 160 makeshift classrooms to the Philippines to address the urgent need for shelters of the victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Visayas and the armed conflict in Zamboanga.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hopes traditional faiths can fill moral void in China: sources

by Benjamin Kang Lim and Ben Blanchard, Reuters, Sep 29, 2013

BEIJING, China  -- President Xi Jinping believes China is losing its moral compass and he wants the ruling Communist Party to be more tolerant of traditional faiths in the hope these will help fill a vacuum created by the country's breakneck growth and rush to get rich, sources said.

Tibetan Buddhist criticizes China religious repression

By Loa Iok-sin, Taipei Times, Sept 11, 2013

Taipei, Taiwan -- During the launch of his autobiography, Buddhist master Arjia Rinpoche spoke about his time in China’s labor camps as well as why he went into exile.

Hanshan Temple opens Buddhist-focused studies for single female believers

Global Times, Sept 4, 2013

Suzhou, China -- Hanshan Temple, a famous Buddhist temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province has started special undergraduate courses for female believers, said the city's bureau of ethnic and religious affairs.

Cafés bring Buddhism to Japan’s urban dwellers

by John Hofilena, Japan Daily Press, Sep 2, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- In its efforts to keep Buddhism relevant and to connect the ancient religion to modern city folk, the Shingon Buddhist sect – one of Japan’s oldest, most prestigious Buddhist sects – has set up shop at a downtown Tokyo café, bringing a sense of tradition to the city’s ultramodern residents.

Buddhist charity promotes Ghost Month as joyful

CNA, Aug 16, 2013

Taipei, Taiwan -- While “Ghost Month” has traditionally been linked to danger and misfortune, a Buddhist charity group has been trying to change that perception by promoting the period as a joyous and auspicious time.

Guiyuan Buddhist Temple

CRI Online, August 12, 2013

Wuhan, China -- Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is located at Hanyang District, which lies in Wuhan, the largest city in mid-west China. It was built in 1658 during the Qing Dynasty, and was included into "the Four Buddhist Monasteries of Wuhan" together with the Baotong Buddhist Temple, the Gude Temple and the Zhengjue Temple.

Japan’s Buddhist Temples keeping up with the times using DJs, apps, video games, booze and more

Rocket News 24, July 17, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- While religions of all stripes have something to offer in terms of support and advice, they also share a common detriment: they’re all really, really old. While age brings with it wisdom and experience, if religion can’t relate to modern society it runs the risk of getting left behind.

A Charity Aims to Bring Buddhist Studies Into the Modern World

By YENNI KWOK, New York Times, July 29, 2013

HONG KONG, China -- Robert Y.C. Ho, a scion of a historic Hong Kong family, is the chairman of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, which supports study in the fields of Buddhism, Chinese art and culture. The charity is named after Mr. Ho’s father, who founded it in 2005.

China sentences Buddhist monk of Tibet to 10 years in prison

by Yeshe Choesang, The Tibet Post International, 19 July 2013

Dharamshala, India -- A Tibetan monk from the restive Nyatso Zilkar Monastery has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Dzatoe (Ch: Zaduo) town, Tridu (Ch: Chenduo) County in kyegudo (Chinese: Yushu, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province), Kham region of eastern Tibet.

Buddhist Temple for Science Nerds

by Brian Ashcraft, Kotaku.com, July 19, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- It's not every day you see a Buddhist temple with a planetarium. Or with a giant space shuttle. Or a dinosaur. This isn't your everyday Buddhist temple.

Monks graduate from Tibetan Buddhist school

Xinhua, July 15, 2013

Beijing, China -- The first batch of 150 monks graduated from the Tibet Buddhist Theological Institute on Monday, the autonomous region's first comprehensive Buddhist academy.

Shortcut to becoming a Buddhist monk or nun

by Clifford Coonan, The Irish Times, July 5, 3013

Ci’en temple in Zhejiang province offers three-month course and part-time vows

Zhejiang, China -- It’s a process that can take years, developing spiritual practice, studying ancient texts, meditating, chanting, and praying to achieve inner peace, following the monastic path to become a Buddhist monk or nun.

Buddhists believe in outer space: Shaolin abbot

Xinhua, June 13, 2013

Henan, China -- As China's successful launch of its fifth manned spacecraft marks another step in realizing the country's space dream, Chinese monks regularly ponder how space is related to their own life.

Famed Buddhist temple going global

Xinhua, June 19, 2013

Beijing, China -- The Shaolin Temple, known as the cradle of Chinese kung fu, is preparing to stage its first cultural festival in the United States as part of efforts to expand its global clout.

Mayor to seek return of Buddhist statue in South Korea

The Japan Times, Jun 15, 2013

TSUSHIMA, NAGASAKI PREF, Japan -- The mayor of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture has vowed to directly ask South Korea to return a Buddhist statue that he claims is the property of a temple on the island.

Priest uses eraser carving as a path to spread Buddhism

By RYOSUKE YAMAMOTO, Asahi Shimbun, June 19, 2013

OJIYA, Niigata Prefecture (Japan) -- With a cutter in his right hand and a 4-centimeter-square eraser with a paper pattern overlaid in his left, Kojun Asada starts carving.

Buddhist nun dies after setting herself ablaze in eastern Tibet

by Yeshe Choesang, The Tibet Post International , 11 June 2013

Dharamshala, India -- Emerging reports coming out Tibet say, a Tibetan Buddhist nun has set herself ablaze on Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013 (5pm local time) in Tawu county, Karze, Kham province of eastern Tibet, in an apparent protest against Chinese repressive rule in Tibet.

Seeing where Shinto and Buddhism cross

by Sachiko Tamashige, Special To The Japan Times, May 16, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- “The number of Shinto shrines in Japan has changed over centuries due to various political and social changes. There were about 190,000 shrines during the early Meiji Era (1867-1912), before a drastic change came about in the merging of shrines and temples. The number of shrines was greatly reduced, and now there are only around 80,000. That’s not much more than the number of convenience stores across Japan.”

China Is Transforming Tibet's Holiest Area Into A Tourist District

by Michael Kelley, Business Insider, May 10, 2013

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- China is transforming the ancient part of Tibet's capital into a tourist district according to a visiting native of the area, Amy Li of the South China Morning Post reports.

Students search for emotional benefits in Buddhist studies

by Lee Chack-fan, Sout6h China Morning Post, Friday, 10 May, 2013

In today's high-pressure world, some young people turn to philosophical input to cope

Hong Kong, China -- It is a known fact that teaching and research constitute the prime tasks of a university. Teaching is, of course, the dissemination of knowledge. Research, on the other hand, is the creation of new knowledge.

Enter the Buddhist College at the foot of Mt. Emei

People's Daily Online, May 3, 2013

Mt. Emei, China -- At the foot of Mt. Emei in SW China's Sichuan province, stands a unique college - Emei Buddhist College. The college is built in Dafo Temple. Unlike other temples filled with worshippers, the Buddhist College is tranquil and solemn.

Two more Buddhist Monks Self-Immolate in Tibet Protest

VOA News, April 24, 2013

Beijing, China -- Two Buddhist monks are reported dead in southwestern China, after setting themselves on fire at a monastery to protest Beijing's policies in Tibet.

Chinese Buddhist leader dies at 66

Xinhua, April 29, 2013

HOHHOT, China -- Jia Lasen, vice head of the Buddhist Association of China and a top Buddhist leader in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, died at the age of 66 on Sunday, according to local authorities.

Tibetan Buddhists practice sky burial for the dead

The Straits Times, Apr 20, 2013

Tibet, China -- Sky burial is a funerary practice in China's Tibetan regions, where the dead are laid out in a high flat place and ritually cut up, usually by a monk and rogyapas (body-breakers) and then fed to birds of prey, most commonly the Eurasian Griffon vulture.

Massive investment losses rock leading Buddhist sect

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN, April 22, 2013

Kyoto, Japan -- One of Japan’s oldest and largest Buddhist sects has been thrown into turmoil over hundreds of millions of yen in latent losses from risky fund management operations.

Buddhist monks outraged at plans to bulldoze centuries-old temple

The Telegraph, Apr 11, 2013

Xi'an, China -- Buddhist monks in central China are up in arms over government plans to demolish large sections of a Tang dynasty temple along the ancient Silk Road.

A Buddhist monk dies in latest self-immolation protest in Tibet

by Yeshe Choesang, The Tibet Post International, March 29, 2013

Dharamshala, India -- Reports are emerging from Amdho region of Eastern Tibetan that a Tibetan monk has set himself ablaze to death in protest against Chinese rule, pushing the estimated toll to 114 in Tibet.

Bogus monks are rightly scorned and loathed by the Hong Kong community

by Raymond Lam, Buddhistdoor International, Feb 25, 2013

Hong Kong, China -- It is a familiar story to any resident in Hong Kong – the peculiar sight of a monk wandering around begging for alms, regardless of the time of day.

Buddhist temples in Japan joining matchmaking boom

PTI, Mar 21 2013

Wakayama, Japan -- An increasing number of Buddhist temples have been joining the match making boom of recent years in Japan.

Another tragic self-immolation has occurred in Tibet

by HAROLD MANDE, The Examiner, March 16, 2013

Dharmsala, India -- The tensions in Tibet have continued on a daily basis with another self-immolation having occurred. On March 16, 2013, Phayul.com has reported, "Breaking: Kirti monk marks March 16 with self-immolation, Toll rises to 108". At the anniversary of five years since the 2008 peaceful protests in Tibet, a Tibetan monk in Ngaba region of eastern Tibet has become the 108th Tibetan living under China’s rule to self-immolate.

Japan to demand that South Korea return stolen Buddhist statues

Japan Times, Feb 28, 2013

Kyoto, Japan -- The government will demand that South Korea swiftly return two Buddhist statues that were stolen last year from a temple on the Nagasaki Prefecture island of Tsushima, which is situated about halfway between the two countries, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.

China arrests 5 Tibetans, mostly Buddhist monks, whom it accuses of inciting self-immolations

Associated Press, February 27, 2013

BEIJING, China -- Chinese police arrested five Tibetans, mostly Buddhist monks, whom they allege worked at the behest of foreign forces to persuade three people to set themselves on fire in anti-Beijing protests.

Hong Kong: Call for visa crackdown on bogus Buddhist monks

South Morning China Post, 24 February, 2013

Police want immigration to crack down on bogus Buddhist monks working as beggars in the same way that they deal with prostitutes

Hong Kong, China -- Mainland beggars masquerading as Buddhist monks should be treated the same as prostitutes, and the immigration authorities should crack down on the practice, according to police.

Gigantic Buddha tangka unfolds at Labrang Monastery

Xinhua, Feb 24, 2013

Xiahe, China -- The Labrang Thangka Festival is an important festival at the old Labrang Monastery that was one of the six leading monasteries of the Geluk tradition of Tibet.

China shuts down temples on sacred Buddhist site Mount Wutai

AFP, February 17, 2013

Mt. Wutai, China -- CHINA has shut down two temples on a sacred Buddhist mountain and arrested six people after fake monks reportedly deceived tourists into donating money.

Mongolia: Preservation Challenges Confront Trove of Buddhist Texts

by Pearly Jacob, Eurasia News, February 13, 2013

^{Ulan Bator -- Scholars believe it to be the world’s largest treasury of ancient Buddhist texts. The sheer immensity of the collection held in the National Library of Mongolia has prevented a proper tally to date.}

Young monks pitch new ways to teach old values

By HIROSHI MATSUBARA, AJW, February 09, 2013

Tokyo, Japan -- Put it down to good karma. More than 100 curious citizens
applied over the Internet for the chance to feast on vegetarian fare at the
table of Kakuho Aoe, chief monk of the Ryokusenji temple in Tokyo’s
Asakusa district.

Mass Buddhist prayer service held in NW China

Xinhua, December 29, 2012

Qinghai, China -- More than 5,100 monks from Jyegu Monastery in a Tibetan region of northwest China's Qinghai Province on Friday held a mass prayer service, ending a six-day gathering for world peace.

Legal action underway against self-immolations

CCTV, Dec 12, 2012

Beijing, China -- In order to combat the growing number of self-immolations in Tibetan communities across China, the country’s top court and public security authorities have now issued a directive that allows for criminal charges, including intentional homicide, to be filed against people who organize, plot or incite others to commit such suicidal acts.

Zenkoji Temple

Asian Age, Oct 28, 2012

Nagano, Japan -- Situated in Nagano, Japan is one of the oldest temples dedicated to the Buddha. Built in the 7th century, it is believed to house the first Buddhist statue brought to Japan and is therefore visited by millions of pilgrims every year.

China wants to stop profiteering at temple sites

By LOUISE WATT, Associated Press, Oct 27, 2012

BEIJING, China -- China is telling tourist-favored Buddhist temples: Don't let money be your mantra.

The Price of Faith: Chinese Buddhist Sites Plan IPOs

By CHENGCHENG JIANG, Time, September 27, 2012

China’s four most sacred Buddhist mountains are hatching plans to list on the Shanghai stock exchange.

Beijing, China -- In China today, there’s little that money can’t buy — even when it comes to faith. Many of the country’s most popular Buddhist sites are chock-full of cure-all tonics and overpriced incense.

Buddhist Mount Wutai listed World Heritage

China Daily, Sept 24, 2012

Mt. Wutai, China -- China's Mount Wutai became China's 38th site to join UNESCO's World Heritage List as a cultural landscape.

Starbucks near Buddhist temple triggers debate

Xinhua, Sept 24, 2012

HANGZHOU, China -- International coffee company and coffeehouse Starbucks has again brewed debate over business versus historical interests in China after its opening of an outlet near a famed Buddhist temple in east China.

A Monk Sentenced in Eastern Tibet, Another Presumed Dead

The Tibet Post International , 17 September 2012

Dharamshala, India -- Shonu, a monk as well as a staff member of Drakgo Monastery, Drakgo county, eastern Tibet whose whereabouts remained unknown since his arrest in February 2012, is in Mianyang Prison (Sichuan Province), according to Dharamshala based Tibetan Human Rights group.

Taiwanese vegetable seller is a philanthropist

By Jocelyn R. Uy, Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network, Sep 3, 2012

Taipei, Taiwan -- Every day for the past four decades, 60-year-old Chen Shu-Jiu wakes up at 2:30 a.m. to set up her stall at the busy central market in Taitung, a county in eastern Taiwan. With her fresh merchandise-about a hundred varieties of vegetables-towering over her, she works until dark.

IPO on Buddhist mountain makes business of religion

by Li Yao, China Daily, Aug 23, 2012

Putuo Mountain, China -- The Buddhist Association of China is strongly opposed to a plan for a public offering by a tourism development company that provides services around a sacred Buddhist mountain in East China.

China: Buddhist Monk Sentenced To 7 Years For Spreading Information About Tibet?

Eurasia Review, August 23, 2012

Sichuan, China -- Reporters Without Borders said Thursday it condemns the arbitrary detention for months of the prominent Tibetan Buddhist monk Yonten Gyatso, and the seven-year prison sentence he has received for spreading information about Tibet. The organization calls for his immediate release and the withdrawal of the charges against him.

New generation emerges at Shaolin Temple

Xinhua, Aug 16, 2012

ZHENGZHOU, China -- Tourists visiting the Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan province were amazed to see Master Yanpei fix a crashed computer in just under two minutes.

'Golden Buddha' from India adds sheen to China town

by Anahita Mukherji, TNN Aug 15, 2012

NANGCHEN, CHINA -- A glittering golden statue of the Buddha, 35-metre tall, bang in the middle of the hillside bordering Tibet, promises to change the landscape of the region in more ways than one.

Taiwan holds same-sex Buddhist wedding

REUTERS, August 12 2012

Monks are detained amidst protests in Tibet

by HAROLD MANDEL, The Examiner, AUGUST 8, 2012BY:

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- The tragic series of self-immolations has continued in Tibet in protest of an increased crack down in the region by Chinese security forces. There has been an escalation of tensions at a monastery where a woman self-immolated in protest of Chinese rule this week.

Self-immolation cases spread beyond monks, nuns in Tibet over Chinese repression

9 Aug 2012

Beijing, China -- The cases of self-immolation have spread beyond monks and nuns, with ordinary Tibetans now setting themselves on fire in protest over China's repressive policies on Tibet.

China plans £3bn theme park in Tibet

by Tania Branigan, 6 July 2012

Authorities want to attract 15 million tourists to Tibet per year but local groups worry about damage to traditional culture

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- Chinese officials have announced plans to build a £3bn Tibetan culture theme park outside Lhasa in three to five years.

Samye Monastery reborn

by Liu Xiangrui and Dachiong, China Daily, Jul 16, 2012

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- The best place to enjoy Samye Monastery's ingenious layout, a mini version of the Buddhist concept of the universe, is on the top floor of its grandiose and central Wuzi Hall.

Taiwan to stage first same-sex Buddhist wedding

by Benjamin Yeh, AFP, Jul 10, 2012

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Two women plan to tie the knot next month in Taiwan's first same-sex Buddhist wedding, as gay and lesbian groups push to make the island the first society in Asia to legalise gay marriage

Meditating Buddhist monk saddles up for London

AFP, July 10, 2012

OGAWA, Japan -- He'd prefer enlightenment to a medal, but when Japan's horse-riding Buddhist monk Kenki Sato saddles up for London 2012, he'll be representing one of the Olympics' more unusual families.

Shrine's IPO plan sparks public outcry

by He Wei, China Daily, July 3, 2012

Shanghai, China -- The latest effort to float on the capital market by Putuo Mountain, a Buddhist site, has renewed discussions over whether religious venues should turn into high-profile commercial entities through initial public offerings.

Japan must thoroughly re-examine nuclear energy policy

by Rev. Tetsuen Nakajima, Asahi Shimbun, June 15, 2012

Tokyo, Japan -- When I was a student, I was only interested in literature and the arts. Then in 1963, a friend took me to a peace march against nuclear weapons.

Thou shalt not launch IPOs, China tells temples

Reutyers, June 6, 2012

SHANGHAI, China -- Buddhist and Taoist temples have no right to go public and list shares on stock exchanges, a Chinese official was quoted in state media as saying of an issue that seems to have touched a nerve with the officially atheist government.

Religious leaders call on higher power against nuclear reactor restart

By RIE YAMADA, Asahi Shimbun, June 6, 2012

FUKUI, Japan -- Religious leaders from Buddhism, Christianity and other faiths are calling on a higher authority as they join the campaign against the restart of two idled reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co.

In Occupied Tibetan Monastery, a Reason for Fiery Deaths

By EDWARD WONG, The New York Times, June 3, 2012

DHARAMSALA, India -- One young Tibetan monk walked down a street kicking Chinese military vehicles, then left a suicide note condemning an official ban on a religious ceremony. Another smiled often, and preferred to talk about Buddhism rather than politics. A third man, a former monk, liked herding animals with nomads.

Two Tibetan Buddhist monks set themselves on fire in protest of Chinese rule

By Claire Cozens, AFP May 28, 2012

Beijing, China -- Two Tibetan Buddhist monks have set themselves on fire in Lhasa, US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia said, in the first-ever reported self-immolations in the capital of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

Head monk of Kyoto temple takes Buddhism into the community

By JANE SINGER, Special to The Japan Times, May 26, 2012

Honen-in's Shinsho Kajita attracts new generations through events such as concerts, art exhibitions

Kyoto, Japan -- Climb the stone walkway, stippled with fallen red camellia blossoms, that leads to Kyoto's Honen-in Temple, past a mossy thatched gate and raised platforms of sand combed in tight patterns of waves and chrysanthemums, and you enter a hushed and otherworldly space at the foot of Mount Daimonji.

Dalai Lama encourages Chinese to seek solace in Buddhism

by ADRIAN CROFT, The Globe and Mail, May. 14, 2012

LONDON, UK -- Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, said Monday that China is beset by a moral crisis, widespread corruption and lawlessness, leading millions of Chinese to seek solace in Buddhism.

Taiwan's Buddhist rites "killing millions" of animals

Channel News Asia, 13 May 2012

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Tens of millions of animals, mostly fish and birds, are dying every year in Taiwan because of so-called "mercy releases" by Buddhists trying to improve their karma, according to animal welfare activists.

Famed Buddhist nun in antinuclear hunger strike

The Japan Times, May 3, 2012

Kyodo, Japan -- Novelist and Buddhist nun Jakucho Setouchi joined a hunger strike Wednesday in front of the industry ministry in Tokyo in protest the government's moves to restart idled reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.

Buddha relic arrives in Hong Kong

Channel News Asia, 25 April 2012

HONG KONG, China -- A skull bone believed to be from the original remains of Buddha arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday to much fanfare.

3rd World Buddhist Forum opens in Hong Kong

China.org, Apr 26, 2012

Hong Kong, China -- The Third World Buddhist Forum, the largest international Buddhist conference ever held in Hong Kong, opened on April 26, 2012.

Cradle of Han Chinese Buddhism Has 1st Buddhist College

Xinhua, Apr 8, 2012

Henan, China -- Henan Buddhist College (HBC) held an inauguration ceremony on Sunday in central China's Henan province, marking the establishment of the first-ever higher institute dedicated to Buddhist education in the birthplace of Han Chinese Buddhism.

Bogus Buddhist monks exposed on the Internet

France24, Apr 13, 2012

Beijing, China -- Two men clad in traditional orange Buddhist robes have been spotted in the streets of Beijing hanging out with their girlfriends and downing cans of beer, raising more than a few eyebrows.

Cradle of Han Chinese Buddhism Has first Buddhist College

Xinhua, Apr 8, 2012

Henan, China -- Henan Buddhist College (HBC) held an inauguration ceremony on Sunday in central China's Henan province, marking the establishment of the first-ever higher institute dedicated to Buddhist education in the birthplace of Han Chinese Buddhism.

Beijing orders Tibetan detentions after India pilgrimage

by Edward Wong, Sydney Morning Herald, April 9, 2012

Beijing, China -- HUNDREDS of Tibetans who attended an important Buddhist ceremony earlier this year in India have been detained without charge by Chinese security officers on their return to Tibet.

Buddhist abbot given a 2-year sentence for fighting illiteracy

AsiaNews, April 4, 2012

Dharamsala, India -- After days of detention incommunicado, Khenpo Gyewala, the abbot of Gyegyel Zogchen Monastery, was sentenced to two years in prison for "anti-state activity".

Buddhist priests' foray into non-traditional activities offers comfort in troubled times

by Yoshiaki Ebata, Mainichi Shimbun, Apr 1, 2012

Tokyo, Japan -- In a corner of the Toranomon district of Tokyo's Minato Ward, where men and women in business suits hurriedly come and go, lies Komyoji Temple.

Bringing management lessons to Buddha

by Michiyo Nakamoto, Financial Times, Apr 2, 2012

Tokyo, Japan -- In Japan, where on-the-job training is often valued more than academic qualifications, an MBA is not an obvious step to career advancement – particularly if you are a Buddhist monk.

Buddhist Master Passes Away in Shenzhen

by Yihang, Xinhua, Apr 2, 2012

Shenzhen, China -- The 105-year-old master Ben Huan passed away on April 2, 2012 in the Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province, according to an announcement of the temple posted on its official website.

Monks guide temple toward a new image

Eastday, March 26, 2012

Beijing, China -- As the old saying goes, "Change comes from within."

Pilgrimage - 600 kilometers, 150 chanted sutras, and 20,000 written sutras

Majirox News, March 14, 2012

TOKYO, Japan -- Renjo Miura, a Buddhist priest of the Nichiren sect, made a 600-kilometer pilgrimage on foot, starting on June 18 last year, and finishing on August 1.

China's Tibetan areas experience fresh turmoil

by Robert Saiget ,AFP, March 15, 2012

ABA, China -- Armed police in full riot gear stand guard along the main street in Aba, a small Chinese town where a young monk burned himself to death last March, setting off a series of self-immolations.

Japanese monk guards remains of tsunami unknown

By Shingo Ito, AFP, March 3, 2012

YAMAMOTO, Japan -- Hundreds of the 19,000 people killed by Japan's horrific quake-tsunami remain unmourned, their bodies never claimed because there is no one left to notice they have gone.

Japan Finds Story of Hope in Undertaker Who Offered Calm Amid Disaster

by HIROKO TABUCHI, The New York Times, March 10, 2012

KAMAISHI, Japan -- Amid the grief of finding her mother’s body at a makeshift morgue in this tsunami-ravaged city last March, Fumie Arai took comfort in a small but surprising discovery. Unlike the rest of the muddied body, her mother’s face had been carefully wiped clean.

Famed temple faces safety woes

East Day, March 1, 2012

Shanghai, China -- A 130-year-old famous Buddhist temple in downtown Shanghai faces alarming safety hazards due to growing termite damage, aging structures and land subsidence caused by the building of nearby high-rises.

Tibetans in China mark new year with sombre defiance

Reuters, 22 February 2012

Losar celebrations quieter than usual after call for Tibetans to shun festivities and pray for those who suffered under Chinese

Langmu, Tibet (China) -- Tibetans in north-west China have marked a tense traditional new year with prayer, the sounding of a gong and subdued defiance, in the wake of a string of self-immolations and protests against Chinese control.

China Vies for Primacy Over the World's Buddhists

by Raymond Lam, Asian Sentinel, February 17, 2012

Religion as geopolitics

Bodhgaya, India -- The Buddhist holy sites of Bodh Gaya in India and Lumbini in Nepal - two of the religion’s most sacred pilgrimage locales, are becoming the dual epicenters of a Great Game between India and China.

Tibetan nun self-immolates: rights groups

AFP, Feb 13 2012

Beijing, China -- An 18-year-old nun set herself on fire in China's restive southwest and later died, rights groups said Sunday, the latest in a spate of such incidents among ethnic Tibetans protesting Beijing's rule.

China raises security in Buddhist monasteries, on roadways to prevent spread of Tibet protests

Associated Press, Feb 2, 2011

BEIJING, China -- A senior official in Chinese-ruled Tibet is ordering heightened security in Buddhist monasteries and along key roadways as the government tries to prevent protests that erupted in neighboring Tibetan communities from spreading.

The merry monk of Hangzhou

by Wu Yong, China Daily, Jan 27, 2012

Hangzhou, China -- The 18 life-size murals encircling the Ji Gong Hall of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou make a pictorial narration of the life of the legendary monk Ji Gong. Provided to China Daily

Buddhist monk dies from police torture

AsiaNews/RFA, Jan 23, 2012

Geshi Tsultrim Gyatso, 51, dies after six months in detention in a Qinghai prison. Police does not deny occurrence but claims it is “not responsible” for his death outside of prison. Chinese repression in Tibet continues unabated.

Dharamsala, India -- Geshi Tsultrim Gyatso, a Buddhist monk respected for his religious activities and commitment to Tibetan culture, died from the effects of torture by Chinese police during six months of detention. His death illustrates China’s relentless crackdown in Tibet and other provinces with a Tibetan majority.

Matchmaking service gives Buddhist monks a boost in dating market

The Japan Times, Jan. 19, 2012

Kyodo, Japan -- Buddhist monks and matchmaking services may sound like an unlikely combination, but many Buddhist sects in the country are now offering such services for their monks as their temples face a dearth of successors and possible integration with other temples.

China: Buddhist temple thrives by extorting offerings

by Lu Na, China.org.cn, January 12, 2012

Temple visitors were outraged by threats of bad fortune when they refused to pay thousands for incenses

Guangxi, China -- Ou Peng, from Guangxi Province, was visiting the Yanquan Temple in Kunming City of Yunnan Province in October 2011. Like most temple-goers, Ou had hoped to make a small offering and pray for his family's health.

'Cradle of Chinese Buddhism' embraces world

by Liu Xiangrui and Li Yao, China Daily, Jan 11, 2012

Temple complex to house shrines representing other countries

LUOYANG, Henan -- "It's unusual to see exotic Buddhist buildings at such an ancient Chinese temple. They're so delicate and look so different from the traditional Chinese temples next to them," said Tang Chan, a 22-year-old college student, looking at the Indian shrine at Baima Temple.

Monk who is sold on ISB: Japanese creating management model to attract Gen Y to Buddhist temple

by Kala Vijayraghavan, ET Bureau Jan 3, 2012

Keisuke Matsumoto is creating a management model to help Buddhist temples in Japan attract Gen Y based on his learnings from the Hyderabad B-school, reports Kala Vijayraghavan

Tokyo, Japan -- A year ago, a 32-year-old Buddhist monk completed a post-graduate programme from the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, the B-school that's known to have everyone from dancers to scuba divers as students.

China to expand oldest Buddhist temple

IANS, Jan 4, 2012

Beijing, China -- China's oldest Buddhist temple, built 1,943 years ago, is to be renovated.

Myanmar to build Buddhist shrine in Chinese temple

Xinhua, Dec 29, 2011

ZHENGZHOU, China -- Baima Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in China, will see a new exotic shrine, funded by the Myanma government, rise in its courtyard next year, local religious affairs authorities said.

The Real Buddha Bar, Tended By Tokyo Monks

by Lucy Craft, NPR, December 29, 2011

At Vow's Bar in Tokyo, Buddhist monks run the place and serve up advice along with cocktails. Here's a monk serving drinks on Monday.

Tokyo, Japan -- Another Friday night at this tiny neighborhood watering hole in Tokyo: By 7:30, the bar stools and tables in this cozy joint are filling up; office workers settle in with their cocktails and Kirin beers. And by a little after 8, it's time for the main act.

China targets India for Buddhist monks' stir in Sichuan

by Indrani Bagchi, TNN, Dec 8, 2011

NEW DELHI, India -- Rattled by a seemingly unending stream of self-immolations by young Buddhist monks in Sichuan, China, the Chinese authorities are blaming the Tibetan government-in-exile in India as well as what they call overseas organizations, press and media institutions.

Former monk dies after latest self-immolation protest in Tibet

Associated Press, December 9, 2011

BEIJING, China --  A former Buddhist monk in Tibet has died from burns after he set himself on fire about a week ago, a Tibetan rights group said Friday.

Japanese temple bans yakuza gangsters

AFP, Nov 20 2011

Shiga, Japan -- A prestigious Buddhist temple has informed Japan's largest yakuza crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, that it will no longer accept visits by its members, a temple official said Saturday.

Famous Indian environmentalist visits Taiwan

by Chen Shun-hsieh and Sofia Wu, Central News Agency, Nov 19, 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- The 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, a respected Indian environmentalist and educator, said in Taipei Saturday that he hopes his current visit will help lead more Taiwanese to dedicate themselves to environmental protection in their daily lives.

Buddhism plays role in China's battle against AIDS

by Wang Ruoyao and Li Meng, Xinhua, Nov 20, 2011

KUNMING, China -- "Chen Fen," a 43-year-old woman who has been fighting HIV for 16 years, projects an image of energy and vitality, despite being weakened by her affliction. The source of her strength isn't a new pill or medication, but an ancient religious belief.

Former head of the Jogye Order Venerable Ji-kwan Passes Away At the Age of 79

Arirang News, Jan 3, 2012

Seoul, South Korea -- A revered Buddhist monk here in Korea, the Venerable Ji-kwan, has passed away at the age of 79 after battling chronic asthma for many years.  More

Buddhist Leader Stressed Simpler Lifestyle, Mind
The Buddhist Channel, Jan 3, 2012

Taiwan museum says fake copies of treasured Buddhist scripture sold to buyers in China

Associated Press, Nov 14, 2011

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A museum in Taiwan says two employees made and sold unauthorized copies of a 220-year-old Buddhist scripture written in the Tibetan language, one of the museum’s most treasured pieces.

Beijing Eyes Tibetan Buddhist Resurgence

by Calum MacLeod, USA Today, Nov 8, 2011

SERTHAR, China -- Breathless but beaming, Sheng Zisu sounds confident after five months in a maze-like Buddhist encampment high on the eastern Tibetan plateau, nearly 400 miles from the nearest city.

With burnings, Buddhist monks sacrifice themselves for freedom

BY TOM LASSETER, Detroit Free Press, Nov. 6, 2011

HONGYUAN, China -- The young man's hands began to shake, and he tugged at his fingers to keep them still. The 20-year-old ethnic Tibetan was terrified of the police finding out that he'd spoken about the Buddhist monks who've been burning themselves alive.

Tibetan nun dies after setting self on fire in latest protest death

By Tom Lasseter, McClatchy Newspapers, Nov. 4, 2011

BEIJING, China -- A Buddhist nun in China’s western Sichuan Province burned herself to death on Thursday, bringing to 11 the number of Tibetan clergy and former clergy who’ve set themselves on fire since March.

Dalai Lama visits Tohoku, meets disaster survivors

The Japan Times, Nov. 6, 2011

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Pref. (Japan) -- The Dalai Lama on Saturday visited an area devastated by the March earthquake and tsunami and took part in a Buddhist memorial service for the victims.

Dalai Lama Praises Japan's Courage and Resilience to Rebuild

by YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International, 1 November 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- Sharing suffering with Japanese people affected by the recent natural disasters, the spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Monday 31st October, praised their resilience to rebuild their nation from even from ashes as they did after the second world war.

In China, tensions rising over Buddhism's quiet resurgence

By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY, Nov 2, 2011

SERTHAR, China – Breathless but beaming, Sheng Zisu sounds confident after five months in a maze-like Buddhist encampment high on the eastern Tibetan plateau, nearly 400 miles of bad road from the nearest city.

Tenth Tibetan monk burns self in west China: group

by Chris Buckley, Sabrina Mao and Michael Martina; Editing by Yoko Nishikawa, Reuters, Oct 26, 2011

Beijing, China -- A Tibetan Buddhist monk doused himself in fuel and set himself ablaze in far western China on Tuesday, the tenth ethnic Tibetan this year to resort to the extreme form of protest, an overseas advocacy group said.

In China, self-immolations add radical bent to Tibetan protests

By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times, October 23, 2011

Nine suicides by young Buddhists in Sichuan province have unnerved the Chinese government and given momentum to the Tibetan movement.

Beijing, China -- Shopkeepers peer out from storefronts festooned with traditional Tibetan prayer flags at platoons of armed police, some carrying an unusual addition to their riot regalia: fire extinguishers.

Shinnyo-en Buddhist 'Eye Opening' Ceremony In Japan

The Huffington Post, Oct 15, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- Shinnyo-en Buddhism celebrated the re-inspiriting of the Nirvana Buddha sculpture in the renovated Nirvana Hall at Oyasono, the head temple complex of the order in western Tokyo prefecture.

World Buddhism relic specialists to meet in Taipei

by Hsu Chih-wei and Deborah Kuo, CNA, Oct 17, 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- Renowned Buddhism heritage specialists from around the world are scheduled to meet in Taipei Oct. 21-22 to discuss how to protect the birthplace of Buddha and rebuild the historical site into a cultural heritage for the whole world.

Buddhist nun sets herself on fire as Tibet protests intensify

by Peter Foster, The Telegraph, 18 Oct 2011

Beijing, China -- A Buddhist nun has become the first woman to die during a wave of suicide-protests against Chinese rule in Tibet, the London-based campaign group Free Tibet has reported.

Chinese town under siege as Tibetan monks protest

by Robert Saiget, AFP, Oct 19, 2011

ABA TOWN, China -- Police in full riot gear carrying automatic rifles and iron bars stand guard outside a huge Tibetan monastery in southwest China, the scene of a series of self-immolations by Buddhist monks.

Two Tibetan monks self-immolate amid Dalai Lama feud

by ALEXA OLESEN, Associated Press, Sept 26, 2011

BEIJING, China -- Two Tibetan monks set themselves on fire Monday in a protest over China's tight rein over Buddhist practices, a rights group said as the Chinese government reiterated it will choose the next Dalai Lama.

China to preserve toppled Tibetan monastery

Xinhua, Sept 13, 2011

YUSHU, Qinghai -- China plans to preserve a badly damaged Buddhist monastery in a remote northwest Tibetan region as a memorial to the devastating earthquake that killed nearly 2,700 people more than a year ago.

Another Kirti Monk Jailed for 3-Years Term, Many Still Detained

by YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International, 9 September 2011

Dharamshala, India -- Another Buddhist monk of Kirti monastery of Ngaba County, eastern Tibet was sentenced recently to three years imprisonment by a Chinese Immediate people's court in Ngaba for carrying out protest against Chinese rule in Tibet and its severe repression of the peaceful Tibetan people. Several others are still being held without charge after detained for nearly six months.

Tibetans Celebrate Yogurt Festival

Xinhua, Aug 29, 2011

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- Tibetans kicked off the annual Shoton Festival, or Yogurt Festival, on Monday by worshipping Buddha, taking in traditional Tibetan operas, and enjoying picnics in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

China convicts monk of murder over self-immolation

M&C, Aug 29, 2011

Beijing, China -- A court in south-western China on Monday convicted a Tibetan Buddhist monk of murder and sentenced him to 11 years in prison following the death of a younger monk who set fire to himself to protest Chinese rule.

Tibetan monks face murder charges over 'fire protest' death of 16-year-old

Associated Press, Friday 26 August 2011

Official news agency says three men face two-day trial after monk set himself on fire at Buddhist monastery

Sichuan, China -- Chinese authorities have arrested three Tibetan Buddhist monks claimed to have links with the self-immolation of Phuntsok, who burned himself to death last March in protest at the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Tawu tense after monk’s self-immolation

Phayul, August 19, 2011

DHARAMSHALA, India -- Over a thousand Chinese armed security personnel have locked down Tawu Nyitso monastery, cutting off electricity and water supply as schools in the region remained closed following Monday’s self immolation of monk Tsewang Norbu.

Japan tsunami survivors pray in summer Buddhist rite

By Yoko Kubota, Reuters, Aug 13, 2011

OTSUCHICHO, Japan -- In a little room of a small hillside temple that barely survived Japan's tsunami five months ago, Yuko Kikuchi knelt down, quietly sobbing and gently caressing the boxes that hold the bones and ashes of her perished mother and sister-in-law.

Kyoto rejects ceremonial wood over radiation fears

By Shigemi Sato, AFP, Aug 13, 2011

TOKYO, Japan -- Japan's former imperial capital of Kyoto apologised Saturday after rejecting wood from the tsunami-ravaged Pacific coast for a traditional bonfire festival over fears of radioactive contamination.

Buddhism and borders in South Korea

by TADHG PEAVOY, The Irish Times, Aug 7, 2011

A stay in a remote temple where monks perform both martial arts and meditation was a good way to get your head around the dividing line between communism and capitalism, writes TADHG PEAVOY

Seoul, South Korea -- SUCH IS THE diversity of South Korea that in the space of five days I found myself bear-walking backwards up a mountain with a monk for company and 73 metres underground on the border of the Cold War.

Asian NGOs, awash with cash, ride a wave of economic growth

by Cain Nunns, Guardian Weekly, Tuesday 26 July 2011

Western aid gap is being filled by thriving NGOs in Asia, which apply business techniques to charitable ends

Taipei, Taiwan -- Yeh Ci-xing wasn't expecting a tectonic shift in her core values or the genesis of major lifestyle changes after picking up an in-flight magazine. They aren't intended for that. What they did contain, particularly in 1988, were pithy distractions from the boredom, bad food, and secondhand smoke-filled cabins that were the hallmarks of long-haul flights.

China jails Buddhist nuns

By Bill Smith, Sapa-dpa, July 19, 2011

Beijing, China -- Three Tibetan Buddhist nuns were sentenced to three years in prison by a court in south-western China's Sichuan province after they called for freedom and the return of the exiled Dalai Lama, a human rights group said on Friday.

Temples of change

By Cang Wei, China Daily, July 17, 2011

No longer cloistered, Buddhist monasteries now house thriving communities that develop in tandem with the rest of secular China. Cang Wei visits two leading temples and talks to the abbots.

Tohoku’s ‘Pure Land’ Blessed by World Heritage Status

WSJ, June 30, 2011

Iwate Prefecture, Japan -- It’s been a harrowing  few months for Japan’s disaster-hit northeast, but this week the residents of Iwate Prefecture were blessed with a rare piece of good news.

Top News from Korea

China invests heavily in protecting ancient town from desertification

Xinhua, June 24, 2011

LANZHOU, China -- China will invest more than 4.7 billion yuan (723 million U.S. dollars) over 10 years to improve the natural environment of a desert-threatened oasis city that holds one of the world's most impressive ancient Buddhist cave frescoes, local officials said Friday.

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes reopen after floods in NW China province

Xinhua, June 22, 2011

LANZHOU, China -- The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, one of the country's three major Buddhist art treasures, reopened as the severe flooding has been effectively controlled in northwestern Gansu Province.

Ship sets off on religious cruise to free suffering souls

by Elizabeth Hsu, Focus Taiwan, June 22, 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- A luxury cruise ship departed from Keelung Harbor in northern Taiwan Wednesday on a three-day cruise around the island, with over 1,000 Buddhist monks and nuns on board.

India, China organise conference on Buddhism

by K J M Varma, PTI, June 18, 2011

Beijing, China -- India and China today sought to rediscover their centuries-old close cultural and religious ties by jointly organising a conference on the impact of Buddhism in Asian countries.

More protests in eastern Tibet, many Tibetans detained

Tibet Custom, June 18 2011

DHARAMSHALA, India -- Many Tibetans have been detained in Kardze in eastern Tibet's Kham Province as their protests against the Chinese government's repression continue to escalate, Radio Free Asia reported.

Taiwanese Monk Gives TCV Students Performance Opportunities

by Cornelius Lundsgaard, The Tibet Post International, 10 June 2011

Dharamshala, India -- The Taiwanese-sponsored social and musical charity, White Tara, yesterday (June 9) held a concert at the Tibetan Institute for Performing Arts (TIPA) in McLeod Ganj. About 300 people, had bought a ticket for the venue which lasted a good three hours. Mainly young Tibetans were among the audience but a handful of foreigners also made it as well as a few children's families and a small crowd of monks.

Caught in the moment at a Taiwanese monastery

by Amber Parcher, The Washington Post, June 8, 2011

Kaohsiung, Taiwan -- The wind chimes were calling. Dozens of them, swirling in the soft April sun like butterflies dancing around a flower, waiting to be noticed. 

China rejects UN panel pressure on Tibetan monks

AP, June 11, 2011

BEIJING, China -- China rejected pressure from a U.N. human rights panel about more than 300 Tibetan monks and said Thursday that local authorities are "conducting legal education" for the monks to maintain order.

Whereabouts of 4 Tibetan monks unknown since last year

Tibet Custom, June 08 2011

The whereabouts of four Tibetans who peacefully protested the Chinese government’s repression and wrong policies in eastern Tibet last year remains unknown

DHARAMSHALA, India -- A group of four monks, three from Guru Monastery and one from Jamjor Monastery, raised slogans of “long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama”, “Tibet is independent” and “invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet” during their spontaneous peaceful protest in Nyagrong in eastern Tibet’s Kham Province on 8 May 2010, a video received by the Central Tibetan Administration revealed.

China's first collection of Buddhist medicine unveiled at Shaolin Temple

Xinhua, May 28, 2011

ZHENGZHOU, China -- A newly-published 100-volume collection of works on Buddhist medicine was unveiled Saturday at the Shaolin Temple, the shrine of Kong Fu in central China's Henan Province.

Hiroshima monk to invite Fukushima students to A-bomb anniversary

Mainichi Shimbun, May 22, 2011

HIROSHIMA, Japan -- Buddhist monk Hoji Okamoto and some of his colleagues are making arrangements to invite a group of junior high school students from Iitate, designated as part of a no-go zone due to the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, to have dialogue with victims of the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing in August.

China seeks world heritage status for Buddhist Pagoda

PTI, May 15, 2011

Beijing, China -- China is planning to submit a proposal to UNESCO to include Sakyamuni Pagoda, believed to be the oldest wooden structures in the world, in its list of heritage sites.

Shaolin Temple deny abbot caught with prostitute

By Gao Qihui, China Daily/Asia News Network, May 11, 2011

Beijing, China -- The Shaolin Temple's 30th abbot, Shi Yongxin, has been involved in an online rumor claiming that he was caught soliciting a prostitute by police.

Sakyamuni Buddha birthday celebrated in Taiwan

Taipei times, May 9, 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- Buddhists, politicians and diplomats gathered in front of the Presidential Office yesterday to celebrate Mother’s Day and the 2,633rd birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha.

Monks, Chinese Forces In Uneasy Peace

Radio Free Asia, April 30, 2011

Sichuan, China -- Tibetan monks remaining at a restive Buddhist monastery in China’s Sichuan province are being forced to undergo a “grueling” routine of political re-education by Chinese authorities after 300 of their number were forcibly removed by Chinese security forces, sources said.

Buddhist service for Japan's tsunami dead

AP, 29 April 2011

Soma, Japan -- Buddhist priests burned incense and chanted yesterday for Japan's tsunami victims, marking the 49th day since the disaster and closing the period when the dead were believed to be wandering restlessly through destroyed home towns.

The development of Taiwanese Buddhism

Taiwan Today, Apr 29, 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- The origin of Taiwan’s Buddhism dates back more than 300 years, to the time when Han Chinese began immigrating to Taiwan during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Tibetans take out rally on Kriti monastery issue

TNN, Apr 25, 2011

DHARAMSHALA, India -- Thousands of Tibetans, including monks, nuns and students from Tibetan Children Village (TCV) took out a rally from Buddhist temple, Mcleodganj to main chowk at Dharamshala on Sunday following reports from Ngaba region in Tibet of the alleged detention of 300 monks from Kriti Monastery and killing of two elder Tibetans during a clash on the night of April 21 by Chinese forces deployed there after a Tibetan monk set himself on fire.

China denies Tibetan monastery lock-down

BBC, 19 April 2011

Beijing, China -- China says the situation is "normal" at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in south-west China which campaigners say has been sealed off by police.

'Stand-off' at Tibetan monastery in Sichuan, China

By Michael Bristow BBC News, 14 April 2011

Beijing, China -- There are reports of a stand-off between Chinese security forces and residents outside a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Sichuan province.

Buddhist priest trying to help quake victims, drawing from 9/11

Mainichi Shimbun, April 12, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- After the March 11 quake jolted northeastern Japan and a deadly tsunami swept away coastal towns, New York-based Buddhist priest T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki shifted into gear, drawing from work with locals after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks a decade ago to initiate memorials and other events around the city.

World's first comprehensive Buddhist museum opens in Kyoto

PTI , Apr 6,2011

Kyoto, Japan -- Ryukoku Museum, believed to be the world's first comprehensive Buddhist museum, has opened in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward. The three-story museum with a basement opened yesterday.

Buddhism explains stoic reaction to disaster

by John Longhurst, Winnipeg Free Press, April 2, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- In the aftermath of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan, much has been written and said about how the people of that nation have coped with the disaster -- how calm, stoic, patient and tranquil they are despite thetragedy that befell them.

Japanese Buddhism After the Earthquake: Memorials, Spiritual Comfort, and Emergency Response

by Howard Tsang, Asia Pacific Memo, March 31, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- On the 7th day after the earthquake, at precisely 2:46 p.m., sirens rang out along Japan’s northeastern coast. Millions paused, placing their palms together and bowing their heads to remember those who were lost. In the Japanese Buddhist funerary cycle, the living perform rites for the dead every 7th day, continuing until the 49th day after death. Spirits of the deceased are believed to spend 49 days traveling to their next rebirth.

Buddhist monk in Japan raps to attract young converts

By Chu Yang, UPI, March. 29, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- The sounds of central Tokyo's Kyoouji Temple have long included softly chanted prayers and traditional bell chimes. But in recent years, another beat has joined them: hip-hop.

Mass graves replace elaborate funerals in northern Japan

By Kyung Lah, CNN, March 28, 2011

Kamaishi, Japan -- Ikuo Fujiwara stops in front of the wreckage of the Buddhist temple, brings his hands together and prays.

Charity knows no limits when disaster strikes

BY LOUIS TEMPLADO, Asahi.com, March 22, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- The disaster that struck northeastern Japan on March 11 shook members of the nation's foreign community in different ways. Some booked seats on the next flight out; others decided to stay put.

Authorities in Buddhist Japan consider burying quake victims

RIA Novosti, March 18, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- Authorities in Buddhist-majority Japan have given the green light for some of the 6,500 people killed by last week's earthquake and tsunami to be buried, citing fuel shortage, a government spokesman said on Friday.

For Buddhists, Ohigan ceremonies hold special meaning this year

The Associated Press, March 17, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- Friday begins a special annual period in Buddhism called Ohigan -@ "the other shore gathering," or enlightenment -@ when Buddhists in Japan go to their family's graveyards to worship on behalf of their ancestors and relatives.

Tibetan Buddhist monk dies after setting himself on fire

by K J M Varma, PTI, Mar 17, 2011

Beijing, China -- A Tibetan Buddhist monk who had set himself on fire in southwest China''s Sichuan Province in an anti-government protest died today, local officials said.

Japanese Look To Ancient Traditions For Strength

By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, March 15, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- When uncounted thousands have died in a disaster such as last week's earthquake and tsunami, where will the Japanese people find spiritual strength?

How Japan's religions confront tragedy

By Dan Gilgoff, CNN, March 14, 2011

Tokyo, Japan -- Proud of their secular society, most Japanese aren't religious in the way Americans are: They tend not to identify with a single tradition nor study religious texts.

Tzu Chi Foundation response to the Massive quake in Japan

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, 14 Mar 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- An 9.0-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale hit Japan on March 11 at 2:46 pm Japan time. Immediately after the quake, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation set up an emergency coordination center in its global headquarters in Hualien, Taiwan.

A new start for a land where Buddha meets Louis Vuitton

by JOHN GARNAUT, Sydney Morning Herald, February 19, 2011

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia -- Weathered old folk in fur hats and goatskin gowns and young couples wearing designer sunglasses are squeezing into Gandan monastery to lay money at the feet of a small and ornate statue of Buddha. The room has the yak butter smell of monasteries in Lhasa but the scene is otherwise more natural, lively and shambolic.

Monk brings global view to Buddhism

By KRIS KOSAKA, Special to The Japan Times, Feb. 19, 2011

After 18 years as head of Zen monastery in U.S., Issho Fujita now provides help around world

Hayama, Japan -- At some point or another, a child nibbles at the world of questions: "Why are we here, where did we come from, how did the world start?"

Eco-friendly blanket gains international recognition

CNA, February 13, 2011

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- An eco-friendly blanket produced by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation out of recycled PET bottles has gained world-renowned carbon footprint reduction certification, the first product of its kind to be recognized in this way.

Office of Tibet in Taipei Organises Discourse on Buddhism

by YC.Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International , 12 February 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama based in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan organised a religious discourse on "Parting from the four attachments" by Sakya Dungsei Ratna Vajra Rinpoche on the evening of 10 and 11 February in Taipei.

Fire at 1,000-year-old temple in China

IANS, Feb 7, 2011

Beijing, China -- A fire in a 1,000-year-old temple in China is believed to have destroyed a building of the temple.

Abbot of Shaolin Temple defends foreign ventures

Shanghai Daily, January 10, 2011

Shanghai, China -- The controversial abbot of Shaolin Temple says he will continue to concentrate on the overseas market even after the world famous temple has opened more than 40 centers around the world to teach foreigners kung fu and Zen Buddhism.

World's Buddhist Traditions Pray for Peace and Inter-faith Harmony

Tibet Net, 4 January 2011

Taipei, Taiwan -- Addressing a grand prayer congregation for world peace and religious harmony held on the New Year eve in Taipei, Tibet's spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's Representative to Taiwan has underscored the importance of religious harmony among different religions of the world.

'Immortal' body found after 32 years

Global Times/Strait Metropolis Daily, December 9, 2010

Longhai, China -- The "immortal" body of a woman who passed away in 1978 at a temple in Longhai city, Fujian Province is being gilded as a Buddha after it was discovered undecayed in a large jar by workers doing repairs on November 30.

Where Buddha beckons

By Sun Li, China Daily, December 10, 2010

Chongqing, China -- Dazu county lies just 80 km away from bustling Chongqing, but its Buddhist rock carvings and sculptures will take you back more than 800 years. Sun Li reports

China releases tortured Buddhist nun

CathNews Asia, December 1, 2010

Sichuan, China -- Chinese authorities have released a Tibetan Buddhist nun who was imprisoned for three years and suffered torture.

Buddhism Enjoys A Revival in China

By Mitch Moxley, IPS News, Dec 1, 2010

BEIJING, China -- Quan Zhenyuan discovered Buddhism by accident. After the owner of a vegetarian restaurant here in the Chinese capital gave her a book about the religion, she became hooked. Today, Quan is one of a growing number of urban Chinese who turn to Buddhism for spiritual fulfillment.

Japan launches 3D Buddhist temple

The ATelegraph, Nov 29, 2010

Kyoto, Japan -- A Buddhist temple in Kyoto is displaying its historic sculptures in 3D on iPads in a bid to provide 21st century appreciation of the artefacts.

China Sentences Two Buddhist Monks in Eastern Tibet

by YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post International, 22 November 2010

Dharamshala, India -- The local Chinese Intermediate People's Court on 25 October 2010 sentenced two Buddhist monks from Chamdho region, eastern Tibet to nine and half years' imprisonment for their activities and involvements in the March 2008 peaceful uprising to against China's rule over Tibet, according to a latest information received by The Tibet Post International.

Chinese temples turning into tourist spots

IANS, Nov 19, 2010

Beijing, China -- China's religious sites like the Buddhist Lingyin Temple and the Shaolin Temple, the popular symbols of the Chinese kung fu, are not only attracting thousands of followers but also turning into tourist destinations.

China's richest man donates $150 mn for Buddhist temple

The Economic Times, 10 Nov, 2010

BEIJING, China -- The Grand Bao'en Temple, a Buddhist monastery which had unveiled relics purported to have been sent by Emperor Ashoka, has received a mammoth donation of $150 million from the country's richest man.

U.S., European Buddhist nuns ordained in Taiwan

By Hermia Lin, CNA, Nov 7, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- Six Tibetan Buddhist nuns from Europe and the United States were ordained in a solemn ceremony held in Taipei on Sunday and they said they will try their best to make Buddhism take root in the West.

The Dalai Lama visits Nara, the ancient Buddhist capital in Japan

Tibet Custom, November 8 2010

Nara, Japan -- Early on a bright and shining morning, His Holiness began the second day of his autumn tour of Japan by traveling across the Deer Park at the heart of the ancient Buddhist capital of Nara, to the modern Nara Prefecture Auditorium, where 250 or so Koreans filled a large room, standing up and greeting him when he appeared. To this Buddhist group, including many monks and nuns, he   delivered a rigorous Buddhist talk on shunyata, and the powers of the mind.

Buddhist nun convicted of drunken assault on master in Hong Kong

M&C, Nov 5, 2010

Hong Kong, China -- A Buddhist nun has been convicted of drunkenly assaulting her master in a temple in Hong Kong, a news report said Friday.

China's new management measure for Tibetan Buddhist monasteries denounced

By Phurbu Thinley, Phayul, October 27, 2010

Dharamsala, India -- The religious and cultural department of Tibet's Government in exile and the heads of major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, now almost all based outside of Tibet, Wednesday formally repudiated China's plans to tighten control over Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples.

Wat Luang Sipsongpanna: The monks strike back

by Roger Casas, Originally published in New Mandala, Aug 3, 2010; The Buddhist Channel, Oct 13, 2010

Yunnan, China -- Some among New Mandala readers and contributors may recall two earlier posts concerning a new temple built in Jinghong City (the capital of the Xishuangbanna [Sipsongpanna] Dai Autonomous Prefecture, in Yunnan Province, People´s Republic of China), and managed by a property development company from the north of the country.

China issues regulation on administration of Tibetan Buddhist temples

Xinua, October 09, 2010

Beijing, China -- China has promulgated a regulation on the administration of Tibetan Buddhist temples which stipulates, among others, that overseas individuals or organizations should not interfere in temple affairs.

Buddhist temple at destryoyed royal garden renovated

Xinhua, Oct 9, 2010

Beijing, China -- A Buddhist temple, the only ancient building complex that remained standing at Beijing's Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, has been renovated and will open to visitors before the end of this year.

Yunnan's Buddhist temples preventing fish extinction

GoKunming.com, Oct 9, 2010

Kunming, China -- One of the most biologically diverse regions in China and the world, Yunnan province is home to a disproportionate amount of China's animal species – many of which are endangered. According to the Yunnan Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau, Yunnan is home to more than 59 percent of China's endangered animal species.

Taiwanese academic on a mission to study Buddhist heritage in Central Asia

By Lillian Lin, CNA, Sept 28, 2010

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Since 1999, Roland Lin has traveled to Central Asia a dozen times to study Buddhist heritage sites. As a follower and researcher of Buddhism, he considers it his mission to promote public awareness of Buddhist civilizations in the region along the ancient Silk Road.

Tzu Chi sends eco-friendly blankets to Pakistan as aid

AP, Sept 14, 2010

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A Taiwanese Buddhist charity is helping disaster victims stay warm - and eco-friendly - with fleece blankets made from recycled plastic bottles.

Buddhism continues to flower in Mongolia

By Nomi Morris, The Los Angeles Times, September 11, 2010

The practice, suppressed for decades by the Communist Party, is being reclaimed by Mongolians as an integral part of their national identity.

Shand Khiid, Mongolia -- In the crimson-painted interior of a monastery in central Mongolia, boys as young as 6 face one another cross-legged on benches and chant Tibetan Buddhist prayers that they barely understand.

Top student shuns studies for prayers

by Huang Yuli, Xinhuanet, Sept 9, 2010

BEIJING, China -- A Peking University (PKU) graduate has been attracting attention for turning down a full scholarship to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in order to become a monk.

Get a taste of a monk's life at Buddhist cafe

By TOMOKO OTAKE, Japan Times, Sept 3, 2010

Mount Koya, Japan -- Koya-san Cafe is an event that gives you a taste of what life is like at the Buddhist stronghold of Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture.

Buddhist monks pray for HK victims at Manila memorial service

GMA News, Aug 31, 2010

Hong Kong, China -- Prayers by Buddhist monks from China kicked off a unity memorial service for the victims of last week’s bloody hostage crisis in Manila early Tuesday.

Huayen Globalization Forum to be held in Taipei

By Bear Lee, CNA, Aug 29, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- The Huayen Forum of Globalization and the Seventh General Conference of World Buddhist Sangha Youth (WBSY) will take place Sep. 4-6 at the Sansia campus of National Taipei University, the organizers said Sunday.

Baima Buddhist center offers blessed relief

by Zhang Leilong and Zhang Yitian, China Daily, Aug 27, 2010

BEIJING, China -- Enlightenment calls, even though it is 37? under the mid-afternoon sun and sweat rolls off people's foreheads as if they are in a sauna.

China: In search of an identity

by ANANTH KRISHNAN, The Hindu, Aug 29, 2010

In new China's cities, millions of young people are turning to Buddhism to make sense of their county's rapid transformation while in the far west, minority communities are searching for ways to preserve their culture against the pressures of development.

Tibetans protest Taiwan exhibit of 'plundered' treasures

DPA, Aug 15, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- A group of Tibetans and Taiwanese protested at theNational Palace Museum Sunday against an exhibit of Tibetan treasure.

Tzu Chi sets up shop in atheist China

Indian Express, Aug 21, 2010

Suzhou, China -- A Taiwan Buddhist charity set up shop in China on Friday, a sign of the atheist Communist rulers growing but still limited religious tolerance and part of a drive to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese.

Buddhist monks learn firefighting in China

Sify News, Aug 21, 2010

Hangzhou, China -- Buddhist monks in China are undergoing training to combat fires so that they can handle emergencies in their temples.

China issues commemorative coins for world-renowned Buddhist grottoes

Xinhua, August 18, 2010

Beijing, China -- The People's Bank of China, or the central bank, issued on Tuesday a set of gold and silver coins featuring the famous Buddhist grottoes in Yungang of north China's Shanxi Province.

World-famed tower in east China to enshrine Buddha remains

Xinhua, Aug 13, 2010

NANJING, China -- An ancient Buddhist tower in east China's Jiangsu Province, which was a world wonder during the medieval ages, will enshrine part of the skull bone of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

Kamakura expat at one with all Buddhist deities

By KRIS KOSAKA, The Japan Times, Aug 7, 2010

Minnesota farmhand follows road of faiths, turns Asia scholar

Kamakura, Japan -- Mark Schumacher's home in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, requires a journey, both on foot and for the spirit.

Tibet selects top Thangka painters

Xinhua News, Aug 6, 2010

LHASA, Tibet (China) -- Twenty Tibetan artists have been named as China's top painters of Thangka, a kind of Tibetan scroll painting featuring Buddhist themes.

Tibet treasures exhibited in Taiwan

CCTV.com, August, 4 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- A special exhibition of Tibet treasures is being held at the Palace Museum in Taiwan to unveil the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism.

China's Shaolin temple in world heritage list

The Economic Times, 2 Aug 2010

BEIJING, China -- The Shaolin temple, China's ancient Buddhist monastery and the home of martial art kung fu, has now become a UNESCO world heritage site.

Beijing Finds Common Cause With Chinese Buddhists

by Louisa Lim, NPR, Jul 23, 2010

Beijing, China -- Four years ago, eight senior monks, clad in carlet and saffron robes, filed in front of a golden Buddha and began chanting on stage in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. It marked an important turning point in China's attitude toward religion.

Tzu Chi Foundation receives special status at U.N. ECOSOC

Taiwan News, July 21, 2010

Foundation's new role would allow it to provide information directly to the U.N. Secretary-General

Taipei, Taiwan -- The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has given the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation special consultative status, the Taiwanese humanitarian organization announced yesterday.

China blocks Buddha rally to Shanghai Expo

Indo-Asian News Service, July 19, 2010

Kathmandu, Nepal -- While announcing plans to boost tourism along the Nepal-Tibet border, China has blocked a Buddha rally from Nepal to the ongoing Shanghai Expo 2010 due to jitters that it may trigger fresh anti-China feelings in Tibet.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama meets Korean Buddhists in Tokyo

Tibet Custom, June 27 2010

Yokohama, Japan -- Over 500 South Korean Buddhists received an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama this afternoon at the the convention hall of the Intercontinental Grand Hotel at Yokohama in Tokyo.

'China and Japan should work on translation of Buddhist canon'

Tibet Custom, June 25 2010

Kanazawa, Japan -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday suggested that Japan and China should think of translating Buddhist texts and commentaries preached by Lord Buddha and other learned spiritual masters into their own languages.

Dalai Lama asks Japanese priests to produce Buddhist scientists

By Tsering Tsomo, Phayul, June 21, 2010

Nagano, Japan -- At an informal discussion with over 200 Buddhist priests, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said Japan with its highly developed scientific knowledge combined with its ancient Buddhist tradition can produce Buddhist scientists.

Awaken your Buddha Seed: Dalai Lama tells Japanese Buddhists

Orissa Daily, June 21, 2010

Nagano, Japan -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama told a crowd of over 300 Japanese Buddhists that all human beings have the same potential to achieve Buddhahood if they realize the source of all sufferings is ignorance and delusion about one's true nature.

Dalai Lama criticises anti-whaling protesters

AFP, June 19, 2010

TOKYO, Japan -- The Dalai Lama on Saturday criticised wildlife activists for staging what he said were violent protests over Japan's hunting of whales.

Dalai Lama: Do not politicize my visit to Zenkoji

Orrisa Diary, June 19, 2010

Nagano, Japan -- Amid speculations on the nature of his first visit to Zenkoji Temple, His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked a group of about 40 journalists who attended a press conference today at Zenkoji not to read too much into a visit that is purely religious.

Will the miniature stupa reveal Buddha relics?

Source: CNTV.cn, June 13m 2010

BEIJING, China -- Having gone through more than three years of excavation, archeologists in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, have disclosed more information of the miniature stupa in the Dabaoen Temple. The site is believed to hold the Buddhist relics of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama to pay week-long visit to Japan

PTI, June 12, 2010

Dharamsala, India -- Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will be on a week-long tour to Japan this month during which he will visit several Buddhist temples and give religious sermons.

China's Copy-Watch Panchen Lama

AsiaSentinel, June 9, 2010

A counterfeit religious leader makes a cautious foray into Tibet

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- The Chinese, having perfected the art of copying watches and DVDs, believe they have made a perfect copy of the Panchen Lama, Tibet's second-most revered religious figure, and set him loose on the streets of a prefecture in Southern Tibet.

Indian President dedicates Buddhist temple in China

Sify News, May 31, 2010

Luoyang, China -- Visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil Saturday dedicated a Buddhist temple, built with Indian assistance, to the Chinese people.

Beijing eases Buddha bar

by Saibal Dasgupta, Times of India, May 22, 2010

Beijing, China -- Though the Communist Party is counting on the ‘safety valve’ of faith to reduce social tensions, it will not allow religion to weaken its command and control system.

Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen Guides Asustek Plan to Challenge IPad

By Tim Culpan and Bruce Einhorn, Businessweek, May 18, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen, 73, leads Taiwan’s largest charity of 120,000 volunteers and teaches Buddhism on her television show. Add to her résumé product tester for Asustek Computer Inc.’s e-book reader.

Flowing queues of pilgrims, Buddhists mark Sagadawa festival in Tibet

by Wang Guanqun, Xinhua, May 15, 2010

LHASA, Tibet (China) -- Losang crawled on the ground and prostrated herself as she moved through the crowds on the Potala Palace square in Lhasa.

Forest Fire Threatens to Engulf 500-year-old Buddhist Temple in SW China

Xinhua, May 15, 2010

Kunming, China -- A forest fire broke out near the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming Saturday and was racing towards a 500-year-old Buddhist temple -- the city's famed tourist spot, local authorities said.

Buddhists provide psychological support for quake victims

Xinhua, May 4, 2010

YUSHU, China -- "With the help of the eminent monk, my mom can go to Sukhavati," said 14-year-old Nyima Tendru as he grieved for his mother lost in the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Yushu in northwest China's Qinghai Province on April 14.

Buddhist Tzu Chi group discusses Typhoon Morakot disaster relief at WHO conference

Taiwan News, Apr 28, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- A representative of Taiwan's Buddhist Tzu Chi group won a prize at a World Health Organization conference in Great Britain with a report about Typhoon Morakot disaster relief, reports said yesterday.

Lama Rescue Team: The Special Nature of Yushu's Relief Effort

by Chen Jiang, Danwei.org, translated by Dave Camp, Apr 29, 2010

Qinghai, China -- As a result of distinct ethnic and religious traditions, Gyegu Temple has become one of the centers of rescue-effort organization in disaster-hit Yushu.

Chinese curbs on quake relief by monks

by B. Raman, Sri Lanka Guardian, April 22, 2010

Qinghai, China -- Worried over nearly 10,000 Buddhist monks and nuns from the Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan and other neighboiuring areas rushing to the quake-hit Yushu area in the Western Qinghai province to organise rescue and relief work independently of the Government and the Chinese Red Cross, the Ministry of Public Security in the Qinghai province has imposed restrictions on rescue and relief work by monks and nuns.

Buddhist Monks Care For Quake Victims' Remains

by Anthony Kuhn, NPR, April 20, 2010

Qinghai, China -- Over the weekend, survivors of China's powerful April 14 earthquake cremated many of the more than 1,700 people killed. Hundreds of others remain missing.

Damage to relics to be assessed

UPI, April 20, 2010

BEIJING, China -- Chinese officials say they've called for an assessment of damage to historic relics in the earthquake-hit Yushu County, a mostly ethnic Tibetan region.

Buddhist monks engage in rescue efforts

Hindustan times, April 17, 2010

Qinghai, China -- The massive earthquake that hit Tibetan dominated Qinghai province is unlike any other calamity in China as red and orange robed Buddhist monks and ceremonies played important role in handling the tragedy in which over a thousand people were killed.

Arrests of Buddhist monks in Tibet continue

Asia News, April 13, 2010

Chinese repression of young monks in Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Tibet shows no sign of stopping

Lhasa, Tibet -- The campaign of arrests of Buddhist monks in Tibet, launched in recent months by Beijing to "reassure" the province and prevent further mass protests, is intensifying.

Aged Buddhist monastery in Western Tibet

Xinhua, April 12, 2010

Tibet, China -- With a history of 1,014 years, the Zhada Toding Monastery is the first Buddhist temple built by Tibet's Guge Kingdom in western Tibet's Ngari Prefecture.

China refutes Dalai charge on annihilating Buddhism

by K J M Varma, PTI, Mar 10, 2010

Beijing, China -- Refuting Dalai Lama's charge that China is "deliberately annihilating Buddhism" in Tibet, Chinese official media today hit back, saying the religion is being practised without any hindrance in the region.

Monk arrested for setting fire to temple for insurance

Mainichi Japan, March 9, 2010

HIGASHI-CHICHIBU, Saitama (Japan) -- A Buddhist monk has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to his temple and property after insuring them for about 300 million yen, police said.

Taiwan President hopes Taiwan Buddhism can influence China

Radio taiwan International, March 8, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou says he hopes the accessibility, volunteerism, and egalitarianism of Taiwan Buddhism can spread to China.

Shaolin Abbot calls for social harmony

By Wang Ke, China.org.cn, March 8, 2010

Beijing, China -- Buddhism shares with traditional Chinese culture a deep reverence for the value of harmony, and its doctrines promote social accord and world peace, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple told China.org.cn.

A dose of Zen

by Shirin Sojitrawalla, DPA, March 2, 2010

A visit to a hot-spring bath or Buddhist temple in Japan is like balm for both body and soul

Tokyo, Japan -- MONK-like, the tourists hasten away from their hotels at dawn wrapped in thin cotton robes called yukatas. On their feet are bathing slippers, and in their hands little baskets with the essentials.

Arrests of Tibetans continue: Lhasa prisoners disappear

AsiaNews / RFA, Feb 22, 2010

Dharamsala, India -- Hundreds of people, including Buddhist monks and nuns, gathered for a peaceful sit-in. The aim is to know what happened to the more than 7 thousand protesters arrested in March 2008. The police charge them without giving answers. Little hope after the meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama.

Religious rite worries conservationists in Taiwan

AFP, February 21, 2010

Taipei, Taiwan -- The small group gathered after dark at Taipei's Tamshui River with tanks of catfish could be easily mistaken for fishermen if not for their sombre looks and what they do to the animals.

Zhengzhou: Between peace and physicality, there is Shaolin

By Yvonne Tahana, New Zealand Herald, Feb 10, 2010

Mt Shaoshi, China -- Chinese emperors dubbed Shaolin Temple the First under Heaven and blanketed in the first snowfall of winter it truly looks otherwordly.

70,000 Buddhists gather to celebrate Tibetan festival

Xinhua, Feb 10, 2010

LHASA, Tibet (China) -- At least 70,000 Tibetan Buddhists gathered at a monastery in Lhasa Wednesday to celebrate a religious holiday and pray for good luck in the Tibetan New Year that begins Sunday.

Funky Buddha: Monk MC Has Hip-Hop Habit

by Tom Bonnett, Sky News Online, February 04, 2010

Tokyo, Japan -- A hip-hop monk nicknamed MC Happiness has started rocking audiences in Japan by rapping traditional Buddhist sutras over thugged-out beats.

New Chinese Buddhist Association leader elected

CCTV, Feb 3, 2010

Beijing, China -- China's top Buddhist Association has a new leader. Master Chuan Yin, has been elected as President of the Buddhist Association of China.

Tibetan Buddhist believers make New Year wishes

Xinhua/Chogo, Jan 26, 2010

Lhasa, Tibet (China) -- Workers replace prayer streamers around the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 26, 2010.

Rapping Monk Slings Buddhist Rhymes

CNN, Jan 22, 2010

'Mr. Happiness' Says Using Hip-Hop Good Way To Attract Young

Tokyo, Japan -- Outside the 400-year-old Kyoouji Temple, Kansho Tagai, dressed in his traditional monk robes, paused and began a sutra. He bobbed his head and then broke into a lyrical rap.

Buddhist priest to head Japan Airlines - and without salary

Reuters, Jan 17, 2010

Kazuo Inamori, the founder of electronics maker Kyocera Corp, agreed this week to become the new chief executive of Japan Airlines, as the carrier's shares plunged ahead of its expected bankruptcy

Tokyo, Japan -- Jal is likely to file for bankruptcy as early as next week as part of a broader restructuring aimed at reducing debts, slashing about 13000 jobs and cutting dozens of unprofitable routes.

Chinese court jails Tibetan Buddhist cleric

RNW.nl, 31 December 2009

Sichuan, China -- A court in China has sentenced a leading Tibetan monk to eight years and six months' imprisonment on counts including possession of ammunition. He denies the charges.

Shaolin Temple's kung fu monks prepare IPO

By Malcolm Moore, The telegraph, Dec 17, 2009

The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu, is preparing for a 1bn yuan (£85m) initial public offering (IPO), government sources have confirmed.
 
Shanghai, China -- Shaolin Temple, birthplace of kung fu, plans IPO. Chinese Shaolin monks perform during a kung fu show in southwest China.

China leaders have no faith in Buddhism

Central Chronicle, Dec 20, 2009

Gulbarga, India -- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said rulers of China have no faith in Buddhism despite China being a Buddhist country.

Rap and manga - new roads to Nirvana in Japan

By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, AFP, Dec 10, 2009

TOKYO, Japan -- They rap sutras, use manga characters and serve beers -- some of Japan's Buddhist monks are turning to decidedly unorthodox means to boost the appeal of their ancient faith.

Shaolin abbot defends lifestyle

By Echo Wang, Shanghai Daily, Nov 24, 2009

Shanghai, China -- THE abbot of Shaolin Temple, in central China's Henan Province, yesterday fought criticism against him for "leading a material life" by claiming he and his fellow monks only received a monthly allowance of less than 200 yuan (US$29.29).

Boy monks keep ethnic culture alive

Editor: Deng Shasha, Xinhua News, Nov 16, 2009

KUNMING, China -- A 6:30 a.m., Yan Guanghan has finished chanting his daily sutras for an hour. It's time for the 10-year-old to go to school.

Shaolin Temple Under Hacker Attack

By Ellen Zhu, WSJ, November 13, 2009

Beijing, China -- Shaolin Temple, the world-famous birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu, was attacked by hackers twice this month, reflecting long-standing ill feeling about the temple’s aggressive commercial activities in recent years.

Ancient Buddhist monastery conserved in SW China's Tibet

Xinhua, Nov 12, 2009

LHASA, Tibet (China) -- First-phase of the project to conserve a more-than-1,000-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ngari prefecture of southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been completed, and the second phase will begin soon.