Friday, April 10, 2009

Mahathera's mortal remains consigned to flames

HT, Patna 11-02-09

Mahathera's mortal remains consigned to flames

Gaya, Feb. 10

MORTAL REMAINS of 79-years-old Dr. Rashtrapal Mahathera were consigned to flames at International Meditation Centre (IMC), Bodh Gaya on Tuesday. Mahathera died on December 22. since then, the embalmed body had been kept for the last darshan (glimpse) of the devout.

Dr. Rashtrapal Mahathera, an international meditation teacher of repute and supreme patriarch of Indian Buddhism called Sangharaja, was also the founder of IMC. His disciples lit the funeral pyre.

Earlier, a dhamma sabha, presided over by IMC general secretary Dr. Varasambodhi Thera was held for the peace of the departed soul. Around 4,000 persons from different countries, including the UK, the US, Japan, Bangla Desh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Taiwan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia and different parts of India, besides representatives of the Buddhist monasteries at Bodh Gaya participated in the funeral.

Although this was the first instance of display of the body for the benefit of the devout, the IMC general secretary said it was a routine Buddhist tradition.

Mahathera was born on April 25, 1930 in Chittagaonj, now in Bangla Desh. He authored at least 18 books and did his Ph.D. from Magadh University on the thesis, 'God and Goddesses in Pali Tipiutika'. His books included Glory of Bodh Gaya, A guide to mind purification – Bipasana, Psychological approach to Buddhist meditation, etc. The Burmese government had honoured him with Agga Mahasaddhamma Jotikaddhaja award in 2004 and the All India Bhikkhu Sangha (AIBS) had conferred on him the title, Tipitaka Mahapundit, in 2008. Mahathera also held key posts in different organizations. He was general secretary of the International Buddhist Council, an organization of ordinary Buddhist devotees, besides being the third Sangharaja of Bharatiya Sangharaja Bhikkhu Mahasabha and was also a member of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) for two terms.

lchi Monstery

HT, Patna Feb. 08, 2009

Alchi all over

Fabulous photos of the paintings in this 11th century Ladakhi monastery will travel to Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore from the National Museum, New Delhi.

Some years ago, I was lucky enough to see the murals at the Alchi Gompa (monastery) on the banks of the Sindhu in adakh, a drive of about 67 km to the West of Leh (the great river is known locally as 'Sengge-Chu', the Lion River, 'sengge' being the Ladakhi variant of the Sanskrit 'simha' for 'lion'). Outwardly, Alchi is a silent, peaceful cluster of typically gompa-like buildings, white, rimmed with dark red about the roofs. As is often the case in an Indian sacred site, the pat segues into the present without effort because of the living faith that vivifies out holy places. So a visitor feels automatically loved and included in the sacred space of this 11th century monastery. The calm and quiet is especially refreshing and the complete absence of offering sellers, souvenir sellers and dirt!

Alchi's temples hide softly shimmering murals of Buddhist themes, painted in both bold jewel colours and subtle tints. It was the Ladakhi leader Rinchen Zangpo who is said to have brought in thirty-two artists of various crafts from Kashmir in the 11th century CE to decorate, in the 'Gandhara' school of art, the 108 monasteries he built in the Kailash-Mansarovar belt.

This form of art originated and prevailed in north-west India between the seventh and 11th centuries when that region was a 'Bauddha Bhumi' (A Buddhist region). The art subsequently spread to Tibet, Nepal, Central Asia and in the Western Himalayas. Ladakh also has colossal rock-cut images of the Buddha that were the forerunners of the Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban at Bamiyan.

Experts say that the miniature scale paintings at Alchi "exceed in beauty and variety" those in Tabo in Himachal Pradesh and Tholing in western Tibet, the two complexes created by Rinchen Zangpo at the same time as Alchi.

This show, of 150 photographs, offers a vivid glimpse of Alchi to those cannot go just yet to Ladakh. They offer a gracious, energetic and beautiful world view and the viewer may find great pleasure in contemplating them quietly with the cellphone switched off and the everyday mind left at the museum door. Like life, art has different bandwidths, and India, fortunately, has appreciative room in law and civil society and importantly, in Indian heads, for all these experiences (think of what befell the Buddhas at Bamiyan and look again at Alchi's treasures with gratitude). Indeed, it is hard not to think of Bamiyan when Peshawar is virtually in Taliban hands now.

We owe this glimpse of our national treasures to the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh, which celebrates its golden jubilee this year.
This exhibition of the crest-jewel of Ladakhi Buddhist art, is the first event, in collaboration with the National Museum, New Delhi and the Likir Gompa, Leh.
The key person behind the exhibition is Dr Nawang Tsering, Principal, CIBS.

The celebrations will culminate on October 23, 2009, on the institute's campus, on its founding day. This show is on view at the National Museum until February 5 after which it will move to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai and then to Kolkata and Bangalore.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Archaeologists baffled by tantric varsity

TOI, Pat 24.10.08
Archaeologists baffled by tantric varsity
Pranava K.Chaudhary
Patna: The recent discovery of forgotten ancient tantric university – Oddantapuri Mahavihara near Biharsharif, district headquarters of Nalanda, has baffled archaeologists here. Archaeological survey of India (ASI) claims to have discovered the location of this forgotten university which was set up in 730 AD somewhere near Biharsharif hill.
"I have made frequent visits to the site which is located on Biharsharif hill to locate the exact location of the ancient tantric university," said superintending archaeologist, Archaeological Survery of India (ASI), Patna circle P.K Mishra. "On the basic various ancient texts I found a settlement on the top of Biharsharif hillock, " he said.
Mishra told TOL: "At least a dozen-member ASI technical team, including archaeologists, would visit the site on Friday to authenticate existence of the university.
On the basis of various ancient texts and records I have come to the conclusion that the university is located somewhere around this site."
A large number of seals, sealings and images of Buddhist the Hindu cult, were found at Biharsharif during 1910, Mishra said. They are preserved in the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
During research, Mishra procured a model of Oddantapuri from Tibet. The model must have been imported from the original Oddantapuri, Mishra said.
Interestingly, in 775 AD, the king of Tibet had established a ‘Sarmaya Vihara’ on the model of Oddantapuri at Lhasa. It is also mentioned in the Rahul Sankrityayana collection which is preserved in Patna Museum. The Tibet model of Oddantapuri is still alive, Mishra said.
Ancient texts say that the tantric university was destroyed in 1199 AD when Turk Afghan Mohd Bakhtiar Khilji invaded it. Quoting various ancient texts, Mishra said that Gopala, the first king of Pala dynasty, funded a great monastery at Oddantapuri. Laksmana Sena was then the kind of Bengal.
"The discovery of Tantric university at Biharsharif as a major seat of learning would add a new dimension to the field of ancient Indian history. Already we have two ancient universities – Nalanda and Vikramashila in Bihar. Now a third university in Bihar would be a new dimension to the study of tantricism," Mishra said.

Glimpses of Buddha's life in 2000-yr-old caves

H.T., Patna Oct 22, 2008
Glimpses of Buddha’s life in 2000-yr-old caves
P.K. Mishra
EIGHT CAVES with unique ancient Buddha paintings, idols and equipments inside them, have been discovered on the three adjoining hills on the Bihar-U.P. border, about 40 km south-east of Kaimur district headquarters Bhabua. Archaeologists and Buddhist experts, who visited the hills, spread over 2 km area and over 600 feet height falling in Kaimur (Bihar) and Chandauli (U.P.) district, said the paintings and equipments were more than 2000 years old and a strong evidence of the fact that Gautam Buddha stayed in these caves with his two principle disciples during his first visit to sarnath from Bodh Gaya after enlightenment.
The caves later became an important pilgrimage centre and the monks lived in them from 6 century BC to 12 century AD. They were also used as a ‘Vishramagar’ for the monks visiting Sarnath, Southern states and Sri Lanka. The caves were however abandoned after the Afghan invader Bakhtiar Khilji attacked and broke thehead of Lord Buddha’s statue.
A 12 year handicapped boy chandan of village Ghurhupur first discovered the main cave on Bhitarigarh hill on September 21. The boy informed the villagers who passed on the news to the Buddhists at Sarnath.
This correspondent visited the Ratanpura cave (Bihar) and caves on Bhitarigarh and Vaina hills (U.P.) on Sunday. Ancient painting depicting lion, elephant, bull, deer, horse, snake, owl, peacock, men, women are present in all the caves. The paintings are outlined with black colour and filled with red inside. Plant serum and animal blood were used as colours. Of the eight caves, the four most special ones are located over Bhitarigarh hill. The main cave has a hall of 27’x24’ with nature-carved pillars. There are 12 sub-chambers carved in the walls probably for penance. The entrance measures 9’8"x5’6". The second cave measuring 18’x8’x6’2" has five fine paintings of Buddha and Bodhisatvas in ‘Dhayanyoga Mudra’ done in ‘Gandhar style’.
There is another cave located at a height of above 40 ft. It can be reached with the help of a bamboo ladder. The cave is 48 feet long, 34 feet wide and 7 feet in height. The inside has a unique painting of child Buddha. The pillars have a unique transparent polish like the ones used on the Ashokan’s pillars and Mauryan sculptures. There is a natural pure water source in the adjacent cave. Eminent Archaeologist, excavator, Buddhist scholar and author of ‘Sambodhi’, Amarnath Pathak said that General Cunningham in his memoir has written that Gautam Buddha after enlightenment at Bodh Gaya stayed at two places on way to sarnath, one near sherghati and another at Ghuneree (or Ghurhupur as it is called now). UP Archaeology director, Rakesh Tiwary and BHU HoD Ancient Indian History and archaeology Dr Vibha Tripathy said the ancient rock paintings were earlier found in the caves of the Kaimur and Vindhya ranges in Bihar, UP and MP dating 15,000 BC to 800 AD. However, Dr. Tripathy said more excavations and extensive study were needed before definite conclusion could be drawn.

Buddha statue found in Tiruchy

Hindu, Chennai 19-10-08

Buddha statue found in Tiruchy –
by IRSHAD AHMED

Oct. 18: A 72 cm high granite statue of the Buddha, dating back to the Chola period, has been discovered on the campus of an educational institute in Tiruchy.
Dr. B. Jambulingam, superintendent of Tamil University, Thanjavur, stumbled upon the statue during a field study at the Periyar Centenary Educational Complex at Kajamalai in Tiruchy. He was assisted by Periyar Primary School teacher K. Anbalagan. The statue was found when a canal was being dug on the campus of the educational complex.
The Buddha is in the dhyana posture, with the legs crossed in padma aasana style and the hands holding a dharma chakra resting on the lap
The Sanghati or the upper robe draped on the left shoulder extends to the navel. A tilak adorns the forehead. The statue has beautiful eyes, smiling lips, elongated ears and curly hair. It has broad chest and wide shoulders.
Dr. Jambulingam, who did his doctorate entitled ‘Buddhism in the Chola country,’ said that granite statues of the Buddha had been found in many places in Tiruchy, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, which were once part of the Chola country. He himself had identified more than 60 Buddha statues so far.
In Tiruchy district, Buddha statues were found in Ayiraveli, Ayilur, Keezhakurichi, Kuzhumani, Mangalam, Musiri, Pettavaithalai and Vellanur. The statues discovered in Kuzhumani, Musiri and Pettavaithalai are now exhibited at the Government Museum in Tiruchy. The statue found in Keezhakurichi is without the head. The Buddha statue found in Mangalam has a moustache.
The discovery of many Buddha statues in this region proved Buddhism was flourishing in the Chola country, Dr. Jambulingam said.

Buddha statue found in Tiruchy

Deccan Chronicle, Chennai 19-10-08

Buddha statue found in Tiruchy –

by IRSHAD AHMED

Oct. 18: A 72 cm high granite statue of the Buddha, dating back to the Chola period, has been discovered on the campus of an educational institute in Tiruchy.
Dr. B. Jambulingam, superintendent of Tamil University, Thanjavur, stumbled upon the statue during a field study at the Periyar Centenary Educational Complex at Kajamalai in Tiruchy. He was assisted by Periyar Primary School teacher K. Anbalagan. The statue was found when a canal was being dug on the campus of the educational complex.
The Buddha is in the dhyana posture, with the legs crossed in padma aasana style and the hands holding a dharma chakra resting on the lap
The Sanghati or the upper robe draped on the left shoulder extends to the navel. A tilak adorns the forehead. The statue has beautiful eyes, smiling lips, elongated ears and curly hair. It has broad chest and wide shoulders.
Dr. Jambulingam, who did his doctorate entitled ‘Buddhism in the Chola country,’ said that granite statues of the Buddha had been found in many places in Tiruchy, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, which were once part of the Chola country. He himself had dentified mre than 60 Buddha statues so far.
In Tiruchy district, Buddha statues were found in Ayiraveli, Ayilur, Keezhakurichi, Kuzhumani, Mangalam, Musiri, Pettavaithalai and Vellanur. The statues discovered in Kuzhumani, Musiri and Pettavaithalai are now exhibited at the Government Museum in Tiruchy. The statue found in Keezhakurichi is without the head. The Buddha statue found in Mangalam has a moustache.
The discovery of many Buddha statues in this region proved Buddhism was flourishing in the Chola country, Dr. Jambulingam said.