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Faith, Evidence, and Heritage: A New Chapter in the Study of Sacred Relics

Dharma News Desk, The Buddhist Channel, 27 Aug 2026

A report on three major institutional research monographs published by the Hswagata Buddha Tooth Relics Preservation Private Museum (August 2026)

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The Hidden Library of Sakya Monastery

Dharma News Desk, The Buddhist Channel, 29 July 2026

Shigatse, Tibet (China) -- In 2003, during routine renovations at Tibet's Sakya Monastery (Tibetan ས་སྐྱ་དགོན་པ།), monks broke a sealed wall and discovered a hidden library containing roughly 84,000 sacred and secular manuscripts. This hidden treasure trove captured a frozen moment in the intellectual and spiritual history of Asia. It was one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds of the 21st century!

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The Lama and the Khan: How a Young Monk Converted a Powerful Emperor

by Samten Palzang, The Buddhist Channel, 9 July 2026

In world Buddhist history, few moments carry the political and spiritual weight of the meeting between Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (འགྲོ་མགོན་ཆོས་རྒྱལ་འཕགས་པ; also known as Phakpa Rinpoche) and Kublai Khan, grandson of Ghengiz Khan and founder of China's Yuan Dynasty (元朝). The iconic thangka depicting this encounter is more than a beautiful piece of art; it is a visual representation to the birth of the Chö-Yön (མཆོད་ཡོན་), the Priest-Patron relationship that would shape the destiny of Tibet, Mongolia, and China for centuries. Under Kublai, Tibetan Buddhism especially the Sakya school became the de facto state religion of the Empire of the Great Khan, spanning much of present day East Asia. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this story is that the lama who stood before the most powerful emperor on earth was only twenty-three years old.

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The Lost Stupa of the Golden Peninsula

by Kooi F. Lim, Op-Ed, The Buddhist Channel, 18 June 2026

How a 1,200-Year-Old Temple in Kedah is Reshaping the History of Buddhism in Southeast Asia

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Lost 8th-Century Medical Text Finally Published

Dharma News Desk, The Buddhist Channel, 19 May 2026

Kyoto, Japan -- In a discovery that bridges the Dharma, history, and healing, researchers have confirmed the reemergence of Jianshangren’s Secret Prescription (鉴上人秘方) - an 8th-century medical text long believed lost.

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The Stone That Speaks Six Languages
Giant Sentinels of Old Tibet
The Great Sanchi Stupa: A Monument to Dāna by the people
How Xuanzang's journey united two ancient cultures
New Discoveries at Wat Dhammachak Semaram Shed Light on the Dvaravati Era
First-Ever Stone Inscription of a Buddhist Monastery Found in Krishnagiri
Rare 5th-Century Buddhist Seal Unearthed at Odisha’s Ratnagiri Site
ASI Resumes Excavation at Odisha’s Ratnagiri After Major Buddhist Discoveries
Renewed Excavations Unearth Buddhist Complex at Ratnagiri, 60 Years After Initial Discovery
Environmentalists demand restoration of ancient Buddhist site in Thotlakonda
Ancient Buddha Statue Unearthed in Kedah, Malaysia
Reasons for the Deification of the Buddha
Why Buddhism Declined in the Land of its Birth
2,000-Year-Old Coin Stash Discovered at Ancient Buddhist Shrine in Pakistan
Subash Buddhist Ruins, Largest Buddhist building complex in Xinjiang
A Buddhist Innovation - The Sauna
Ancient Indian Buddhist elephant statue discovered, dated back to 2,300 Years Ago
Tibetan Buddhism, heir to ancient India’s Nalanda Tradition
The Influence of Ancient Greece on Buddhism - A Cultural Exchange
The Licchavis, their Stupa, and its Relics
Lumbini – Birth and Rebirth
Stolen Bodhisattva Statue Recovered and Returned
Oldest Buddhist stele discovered in Tibet
1,700-year-old sleeping Buddha found in Pakistan, evoking diverse heritage
Buddhist Monastery Site Uncovered in China
University of Toronto researchers unravel mysteries of ancient Buddhist manuscripts
Rare Tibetan Buddhist canons restored
Buddhist site found atop hillock in Andhra Pradesh
ASI explores Buddhist pillar of pre-Christian era in Odisha
Painting restoration launched in major Tibetan Buddhist monastery
Buddhist museum has seen better days
Telangana has Buddhism roots
Ghantasala ASI museum gets Buddhist umbrella
Xuan Zang stayed in Vijayawada to study Buddhist scriptures
Ancient Buddhist scripture discovered in rural Beijing
Conservation of historic Buddhist site delayed
Kancheepuram may soon have a Buddhist temple
Maharashtra: Nallasopara Buddhist stupa proves it was once hotbed of Buddhism
Endangered Buddhist Temple Preserved for Posterity With VR Tech
Bagan builders ‘destroying Bhuddists’ medieval pagodas
Ancient Buddhist site found in Amaravati
Buddhist-era lamps found near Indo-Pak border
Buddhist Sculptures Discovered in Ruins of Ancient Shrine
Six new ancient Buddhist caves found in Sangli
Remnants of Buddhist era settlement found in Sherwan Khurd
Doors open to unseen Buddhist cave temple
Buddhist settlement discovered on Seethanagaram hill
16 Buddhist stupas found at Nateshwar
40 Buddhist relics unearthed at Moghalmari in a single day
Seven ancient Buddhist caves found in Mumbai
Evidence of Buddhist monastery found
Adurru Buddhist site lies ignored
Uzbekistan life: The Buddhist legacy of Termez
Did Buddhist monasteries exist in Vadnagar? ASI to begin finding out today
China works to preserve Xinjiang's historical Buddhist caves
The Buddhist medicine men of Thotlakonda
Buddhist sculptures found in digging in Mainpuri village
Ancient Buddhist scripture found near Beijing
China restores 800 year old Buddhist statue
SPA to help CRDA build Buddhist museum
Bihar Buddhist sites in a shambles
Spectacular 800-year-old Buddhist statue of goddess with a thousand hands restored to former glory after eight-year conservation project
Buddhist stupa gets facelift in Prakasam
European scholars document status of Buddhist sites
Kizil Caves, earliest Buddhist caves in China, hide rare images from the time of the Silk Route
Exploring the Buddhist treasure
Copper mining threatens Afghan site of ancient Buddhist past
Buddhist Relics of 3rd Century Unearthed
Third Century Buddhist Relics Discovered in India
British historian stumbles on world's oldest Buddhist paintings in Ajanta
Decay of Buddhist heritage goes unchecked
New dam threatens 2,000-year-old Buddhist engravings in Pakistan
Roof tiles found in Nara related to 8th-century Buddhist priest from China
Oldest Buddhist Manuscripts Damaged in Kashmir Floods
Excavations prove spread of Buddhism in Tamil Nadu: ASI
Archaeologists Unearth Remains of Buddhist Stupa at Bhimeswara Temple
Rescuing the Ancient Buddhist Artifacts of the Yungang Grottoes
Afghanistan's Hidden Trove Of Buddhist Artifacts Threatened By Violence, Mining Contracts
Under the sands of time: Ancient Buddhist mound discovered in Sector E-11
Archaeologists unearth Buddhist artefacts in Kilinochchi
India: Buddhist sites' poor upkeep irks Intach
Ancient Buddhist temple found
In search of imprints of Buddhism: Puthur
No stone unturned at NW China Buddhist site
Buddhist Artifacts Found in Jajpur
The World's Richest Treasure Trove of Buddhist Art-the Mogao Caves
Moghulmari houses oldest Buddhist vihara in Bengal
Buddhist relics found in Jingchuan County
1400-year-old Buddhist temple discovered in China
Archaeologists' discovery puts Buddha's birth 300 years earlier
Earliest Buddhist shrine links Buddha's life to 6th
Buddhist carvings in Pakistan said to need protection
China sackings over ruined ancient Buddhist frescos
Most Buddhist sites in India in despicable state
China installs sensors to monitor ancient Buddhist grottoes
Antique Buddhist sculptures found in Odisha
Buddhist site in Guntur district faces monumental neglect
Ancient meditating Buddha discovered
Ancient Buddhist Vihara found in Munshiganj
Buddhist site unearthed near Mylavaram
Inscription hints at Buddhist treasures
Call to construct protective wall around Buddhist stupa
Two more Buddhist caves discovered in Jajpur
Ancient tombs discovered in Swat valley
Ancient Buddhist Relics Returned by Burmese Locals
Buddhist museum in a bad shape
Evidence of Buddhist site found
Pakistan struggles with smuggled Buddhist relics
Ancient Buddhist statue found in Tibet carved from meteorite
Mes Aynak: Recent excavations along the Silk Road
Buddha relic likely to displayed at state museum
Archaeology Department seeks nod to link Rajaghatta to Buddhism
Bamiyan Buddhas: Should they be rebuilt?
Pakistan is world exporter of smuggled Buddhist relics
Afghan museum regains its looted treasures
Illegal digs threaten Pakistan’s Buddhist past
Pak police seize 2,000-year-old Buddhist relics worth millions
Gandhara Buddhist artifacts caught being smuggled out
Wall of Udayagiri collapses while others like Ratnagiri plundered and neglected
Nalanda University and Buddha's last sermon
Ancient Buddhist learning center Taxila is one of the most endangered sites in Asia
China Invests to Protect Oldest Cliff-carved Buddha
Buddhist complex: The fallen, forgotten kingdom
Historians dig out 9th century Buddhist relics
Rare ancient Buddhist scriptures found
Buddhist antiques unearthed at Peruvaje
Moghalmari excavations unveil West Bengal's Buddhist past
Pakistan’s cultural treasure documented by Japanese archaeologist
‘19th century archaeologists rediscovered Buddhist past’
Discovery of Buddhist Stupa
Ancient pillar with Buddha image found in Nalasopara
Stunning indicators of Nagapattinam's Buddhist legacy
Sanchi becomes first blind-friendly heritage site
Fears for ancient Thai temples as floods recede
Bihar: 18th century univ set for conservation
The future is digital
Buddhist stupa discovered in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district
Remembering the Taliban in Ancient Buddhist Copper Mines
Excavation findings: Carvings reveal Kirana Hill’s Buddhist heritage
Long discovered Buddhist site brought to light
Vanished Buddhist site rediscovered in Pakistan
India imposes by-law to protect Buddhist sites
Buddha statue found near Kyrgyz capital
Gandhara era antiques restored in Pakistan's Buddhist Museum
First dig at Toyoq Grotto finds Buddhist temple ruins
Threatened rock carvings of Pakistan
Rescue Excavation of Buddhist Relics in Mes Aynak, Afghanistan
China to restore protective eaves to ancient Buddhist grottoes
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to develop Buddhist sites
A Buddhist temple reappears as water dries up
Bamiyan II? Buddhist site in Afghanistan faces threat from China miners
Ashoka era stupa lost in renovation
Gujarat Govt expedites work on preservation of Buddhist sites
India plans to preserve Buddhist caves
Ancient Buddhist monastery comes to sight in Midnapore
Kushinagar monks complain about poor maintenance of old Buddha statue
Conservation scientists mull reconstruction of buddhas
Another Buddhist site found in Islamabad
Heritage forgotten: Gandhara civilization site fading away
Buddhist statue expert finds ‘missing link’
Ancient Buddhist seals found in NW Pakistan
Buddhists pledge to protect religious caves in Mumbai
A rare 8th century statue becomes casualty of Indian piety
1,800-yr-old Buddha statue excavated
Chinese archaeologists excavate millennium-old Buddhist temples
Japan team excavates ancient statues in Cambodia
Ancient Buddhist site faces threat from mining
Ancient Buddhist site faces threat from mining
Buddhist caves face threat
Buddhist structures found in Simhachalam hill-range
Malaysia's Hindu-Buddhist civilisation spread over 1,000 sq km
Oldest Buddhist monument gets a makeover in Nepal
New Buddhist Site Found In Andhra Pradesh
New archaeological sites emerge from ruins of war
Buddhist artifact found in Chandrapur village
Buddhist monastery from 700 AD found
Work on Buddhist relics, 80 years on
Bronze-era Buddhist sites discovered
Yungang Grottoes
China's 1,459-year-old Buddha gets $10.8M facelift
Why Buddhist caves near Borivali not a protected monument
Buddhist-era rock engravings found in Udupi dist
Archaeologists Recount a Buddhist Tale
Earliest Buddhist religious building reported in Jammu & Kashmir
"Shangri-La" Caves Yield Treasures, Skeletons
British 'Indiana Jones' finds missing legs of 900-year-old Buddhist statue
Third century Buddhist relics, caves found at Taranga Hills
The glory of Gandhara
Rare Buddhist treasures unearthed in Gobi Desert
Unesco, archaeology dept urged to save Buddhist stupa
Underneath the muck
The Thai Silk Road
Archaeologists search for Afghanistan’s third giant Buddha
5th century artefacts discovered in West Bengal
Islander unearths Buddhist relics
Buddhist carvings found on cliff
Anti-Seeping Project Approved for Grottoes at World Heritage Site
Mound of ruins Bengal’s oldest Buddhist site
Japanese research team to help restore Indian cave art
Centuries-Old Votive Buddhist stupa discovered at Gujarat
Stupa found in Bihar 'could be world's second largest'
Clerk crusades to restore Khambhalida's Buddhist caves
Buddhists caves facing neglect in Jahanabad
Remnants of Buddha Found in 1,000-year-old Asoka Pagoda
Buddha's skull found in 1,000-year-old miniature pagoda in China
'Buddha's skull' found in Nanjing
Japanese researchers may have found new frontier of ancient Buddhist world
Buddhist steles found in East China
Bamiyan Buddha treasure found
Gujarat archaeological dept finds Buddhist monastery in Sabarkantha
1,900 yr old Buddhist monastery discovered in Gujarat
Buddhist relics back to Song Dynasty found in Shandong
Buddhist relics back to Song Dynasty found in East China
Buddhist monument in a dilapidated condition in Bihar
Borobudur, Path to Enlightenment
Ancient Buddha statue unearthed
Buddha statue’s head unearthed
Ancient Buddha plaque excavated in Vadnagar
Voices from the cave
Gandhara art greatly influenced by Greek, Roman, Iranian culture
Buddha's Caves
2nd century “future Buddha” sculpture discovered at ancient site near Taxila
‘Protected’ Buddhist sites under threat
Ancient murals found in Pakistan
Lithuanian archeologists make discovery in Afghanistan
Remnants of Possible Oldest Buddhist Tower Uncovered in South Korea
Temple harmony
Wat's happening?
World's oldest oil paintings in Afghanistan
Buddha idol recovered in 2005 handed over to Indian Museum
Rare Mathura style Buddha sculpture found in Pakistan
Thirty-six million dollar cost of preserving unique Buddhist grotto art
Antique Buddha statue stolen from Orissa
The sound of artifacts disappearing
Scientists say Bamiyan has world's oldest oil paintings
Headless Buddha unearthed in Indian village
Ayutthaya under threat of delisting by Unesco
Diggers stumble upon remains of ancient Buddhist monastery
Buddhist Treasure 'Five-layer Sarira Pagoda' Discovered
Bid to find main gateway to Nalanda
Yungang Grottoes in urgent need of attention
Nalanda, the Ancient University
Jammu University to host lecture on Pre-Tibetan Buddhist Rock Sculptures
India's Ancient Art
Search for Origins of Buddhism
China's ancient Buddhist frescoes fading into history
A Buddhist trail in the Sahyadri range
Shifting desert puts Silk Road art at risk
Ancient Buddhist urn found in Korea
Rare Buddhist relics found in Jajpur
Palm-leaf manuscripts throw new light on ancient kingdom Mon
China's Ancient Sculptural Sites Suffer Damage
Historian finds new links on Indian roots of China, Tibet art
Eastern art finds Indian roots
Australian Efforts Uncovering Buddhist History
In Afghanistan, 900-foot Sleeping Buddha eludes archaeologists
Wisdom among the ruins
Major Buddhist site comes to light
Inside the hidden past of Borobudur life's lessons lie
Udaygiri Buddhist site exposed to antique smuggling
Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Monuments in the Upper Sutlej Region (Tibet)
Dam Threatens Ancient Buddhist Stone Carvings
Gandhara artist’s lasting contribution to Greco-Buddhist art
Freezing Buddhist culture in stone - 2,200 years later
Pakistan’s ancient ruins fading away amidst official tussle
Buddha 'saffronised', has to smile
1,700-Year-Old Buddhist Temple Discovered in Bangladesh
Call to refrain from politicising Buddha`s relic
Gate of ancient Nalanda university discovered
Seeking the truth on a Buddha's trail
Archaelogist identifies new Buddhist-era site in Mardan
Encasing the relics of Buddha
A museum for Buddha's relics
Buddhist stupas recovered
Leshan giant buddha gets a checkup
Archaeological Survey of India takes over Orissa Buddhist site
Gandhara's UNESCO site in danger of collapse
Xinjiang Grottoes get electric eyes
Tracing the path of enlightenment
Neglected Buddhist site decks up to woo tourists
Archaeologists work to salvage fragments of the giant Buddhas
18 priceless Buddha statues stolen from Indian museum
Andhra Pradesh site yields new Buddhist school based on goddess
Signs of early Dakiniyana Buddhism
Ancient Rahimin drawing found in Bamiyan
1,100-year-old artifact found in China
India: Seepage in Ajanta worries Archaeological Survey of India
China protects Buddhist leaf scriptures
Bamiyan dig yields mythical image
2,300-year-old artefacts may change Ashoka-Buddhist history
Eight Ashokan period stupas found in Orissa
World largest Buddha statue to receive health checkup
1,200-yr-old temple dug out in Bangladesh
Pakistan: Ancient art in danger from writing on the wall
Three Buddhist 'chaityas' discovered
Lost in the shuffle - Precious artefacts gather dust in Taxila museum
Saving Afghanistan's cultural heritage
Asian nations join forces to repair mural
History of Gandhara
Gandhara’s wonders
Sharing a treasure with the world
Bombay High Court limits construction to 300 metres around cave monuments
Japanese-Afghan team tries to catalog Buddhist ruins
Centuries-Old Temple Uncovered in Laos
Restoring books an age-old problem
Plan to develop Bodhgaya as World Buddhist Centre
Indian state for declaring Sarnath as world heritage
'Gandhara Week 2006’ in Pakistan
Meet focuses on Gulbarga’s rich heritage
Swiss documentary on Afghanistan: Pakistani, Saudi engineers helped destroy Buddhas
Looters Strip Afghanistan of Its Archeological Treasures
Gold idols found in Tripura pond
Ancient Buddhist statues unearthed in Henan
Buddhist scrolls at one with carbon dating
Little hope for Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhas
Buddhist marvel traced
Thailand to hold exhibition on Gandhara art pieces in Pakistan
Hint of urban appeal in Buddhist finds
10th-century Buddha statues found in India
Ancient Nara diaries to be displayed
Ancient stone sculptures on display in Hebei
Nepal's Boudhanath Buddhist stupa to be renovated
Renovation for Tibet Cultural Relics 80% Complete
Oldest Buddhism literature in Chinese discovered in Northern China
Pollution, No.1 "killer" of world heritage grottoes site
China saves corpus of Buddhist scriptures
Buddhagaya restoration resumes
Japanese researchers find Buddhist stone caves in Afghanistan
Smallest ancient temple discovered
Buddhist Statues Return Home
No headway in Chhattisgarh antique robbery
Stupa crack: Commission summons ASI official
China overhauls Buddhist grottoes, in fund & talent deficiency
The Plunder of Tibet's Treasures
Rains affect major Buddhist shrine at Sanchi
400-year-old Buddhist monastery gets over million dollar government grant
Bengal museum to reconstruct excavated Buddhist site
Buddhist Structures Dug up in Bamiyan
Precious grottoes on "Silk Road" under Sino-foreign joint protection
Arakanese People concerned with the Junta?s so-called Restoration of Ancient Pagoda
Japanese artist seeks enlightenment in Afghanistan
Experts to seek signs of Buddhism along Iran's section of Silk Road
Lasers Recreate Destroyed Statues
The Buddha had visited Orissa, say archaeologists
Three Asokan stupas found in Orissa, add new chapter to Buddhist history
Stupas, inscription indicate Lord Buddha's visit to Kalinga
China to Take Innovative Measures to Protect Grottoes against Water-erosion
Univ of Chicago project putting ancient pieces together
Ming Dynasty stone Buddha statues discovered in Chongqing
Yungang Grottoes attract 15 million tourists
International seminar on grotto protection opens in N. China
Buddhist mural survives Taliban
Seminar on grotto protection to be held in Shanxi
Afghanistan seeks help from Sri Lanka to rebuild damaged Buddha statues
Century old pagoda found under trash in Bangkok
Sixth century statue of Buddhist monk stolen
92 new Buddhist sites found in Malakand
Buddhist site discovered
Burma rebuilding risks Pagan jewel
Buddhist monuments under threat
Sixth century Buddhist statue discovered
Discovery of Buddhist stupa may turn remote hamlet into tourist hotspot
Tibetan Buddhist scriptures discovered at Dunhuang
Treasures saved from Taleban vandals
Lost Dunhuang documents returned through joint publication
Buddhist artefacts dug out by J&K Archaeology Dept
The Compassion of Buddha
Indian Survey body ?stumbles upon? Buddhist site
Burma military turns old city to its own use
Buddhism's birthplace protests against Unesco plan
Facelift for ancient Tibetan buildings
Statue in auction may be from Borobudur
World Heritage Site wilts in Bihar
Railway link to Mogao Grottoes
Coins, Buddha head, stucco pieces discovered at Taxila
Restoration work resumes at Potala Palace
154 buried Buddha artifacts discovered in Cambodia
Archaeologists unearth major Buddhist settlement in Pakistan
Ryukoku University team to explore rare Buddhist ruins in Afghanistan
Over 200 archaeological sites found near Taxila
Buddha bronze idol could belong to 17-18 century
Ancient Buddhist Image Found on Rock in Gyeongju
Large Tibetan religious site discovered in Sichuan
Awakening a Sleeping Buddha
1,000-year-old image of temple may be that of Kota Gelanggi
Afghan Archaeologist Seeks Sleeping Buddha
Fabled Monkey King?s tomb discovered
Sikkim showcases rare ethnic Buddhist paintings
Monks to be trained in conservation of Buddhist sites
Restorers breathe new life into Afghanistan's shattered heritage
Virtual treasures get real protection
Priceless, yet of little value
Help of Interpol sought to trace stolen Buddha head
Completion of the Preservation of Bamiyan
9th century Buddha idol seized in Siliguri
"Silk Road" to apply for world heritage
Kingdom of mystery
German researcher claims Buddha born in Orissa?
Kabul Museum Presents First Exhibition
Japanese researchers make breakthrough on destroyed Bamiyan paintings
Nanjing plans to rebuild old pagoda
Find in Afghanistan stirs Sleeping Buddha talk
Mural shards key to temple's past
Potala Palace plaza to begin facelift in next March
Buddhist relics unearthed in Taxila
Ngari: Ancient Tibetan city
Afghan Artifacts, Feared Lost, Are Discovered Safe in Storage
Tracing the Buddhist Path
Data base to be set up for better protection of ancient Tibetan kingdom
Wounds of time to Dunhuang grottoes aired
Discovering the Origins of Martial Arts: The Dunhuang Caves
Fasting Buddha at Lahore Museum attracts Japanese aid
Afghanistan wants its 'Dead Sea Scrolls of Buddhism' back from UK
Stolen treasure returned home
How Partition affected Lord Buddha
Buddhism?s ?Dead Sea Scrolls? for sale to Norway
Buddha statues to be auctioned
Troubling questions behind Tibetan sales

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