China’s state-run Global Times newspaper announced a series of “grass-roots” measures to diminish the influence of religion in the lives of individuals, particularly designed to weaken “overseas influence” and manage “illegal” religious practices that do not promote communism.
School children in the traditionally Buddhist Chinese region of Tibet are prohibited from practising religious activities during the summer holidays, Chinese state media reported on Monday.
The future of the Dalai Lama, who has received shelter in India since Beijing launched a crackdown on Tibetans nearly 60 years ago, reportedly surfaced as the predominant subject of discussion between China and India at a recent summit as both sides try to mend their tumultuous relationship, according to a report in Indian media this week.
China’s state-run Global Times newspaper argued in a column Tuesday that banning all religious garments in public is necessary to achieve “social unity” and contended the act does not portray “religious hatred.”
Pope Francis told a Buddhist delegation from Thailand Wednesday that his desire was for Buddhists and Catholics to grow ever closer to each other.
Contents: Bangladesh formally protests Burma’s (Myanmar’s) troop buildup near border; April monsoon rains will have disastrous impact on Rohingya camps in Bangladesh
We have the duty to “expose attempts to justify every form of hatred in the name of religion,” Pope Francis told a group of political and religious leaders Friday, insisting that all religions want peace.
Contents: Burma makes farcical agreement with Bangladesh to take back Rohingya refugees; China proposes farcical three-point solution to Rohingya crisis; India and China support Burma on Rohingya ethnic cleansing for business reasons
Contents: Burma’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims passes a major milestone; Burma has possible parallels to Pol Pot’s Cambodian Killing Fields
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a fiery response to the U.S. State Department’s accusations of flagrant religious freedom violations in its latest report on Wednesday, insisting America “mind its own business” and “respect the facts.”
The government of Myanmar arrested a Buddhist monk on Tuesday for hiding over four million methamphetamine pills and a cache of “a grenade and ammunition” in his monastery. The incident highlights one of the world’s most sprawling drug epidemics in a nation former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has regaled as an Obama White House success story.
A top Sunni theologian has faced backlash on social media after he praised Buddhism and described its founder as “one of the most humane characters in history.”
Local Chinese governments on the border with Mongolia have imposed new fees on companies exporting minerals from Mongolia into China, a move that closely follows Mongolia’s warm welcome of Dalai Lama.
Chinese communist officials have admitted that diminishing the influence of the Dalai Lama, the highest authority in Buddhism, is their “highest priority” for governing Tibet, as Chinese state media attempts to elevate the profile of a rival, state-approved Buddhism authority.
China is taking steps to at least partially demolish Larung Gar, described as “the biggest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world” by the BBC.
President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, much to China’s disappointment.
China is continuing its push to promote further communist government meddling in Buddhism. An article in the state-run Global Times cites an “expert” warning that the religion’s living Buddhas could become “weapons of mass destruction” if not properly controlled by Beijing.
According to TMZ, late comedian and actor Garry Shandling was a devout Buddhist and asked to be posthumously honored as a monk at his upcoming funeral. The entertainment news and gossip site reports Jewish-born Shandling, who died suddenly a week
It seems like a decision that might be rather long overdue, but the UK Guardian reports that Japan has decided to stop using swastikas to mark the location of Buddhist temples on maps.
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, a Tibetan monk and prominent political prisoner, died in Chinese captivity on Sunday. In 2002, he was arrested and imprisoned on a bombing charge his supporters claim was wrongful. The United States, European Union, and international human rights organizations all pushed for his release.
The UK’s Glastonbury music fest featured a slew of big names over the weekend, and although rapper Kanye West was describing himself as “the greatest living rock star on the planet” Saturday, the Dalai Lama spent Sunday calling for world peace.
Buddhist monks in Myanmar have called for a government-enforced ban on headscarves in schools across the country. “When [Muslims] live in Myanmar, they need to obey the laws and regulations of the country. We are not targeting or attacking their religion,” U Pamaukkha, a monk calling for this ban, said.
The principle of non-violence is central to Buddhist teachings, but in Sri Lanka some Buddhist monks are being accused of stirring up hostility towards other faiths and ethnic minorities. Their hard line is causing increasing concern.
Buddhists live a life of simplicity and gratitude, yet even the most simple of lifestyles require the bare necessity of a sound shelter for living. A group of Buddhist nuns in Escondido, California has been working together to build their own
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Tibetan nun Yeshi Khando is presumed dead after setting herself on fire to protest Chinese rule, demanding freedom for Tibet and the return of the exiled Dalai Lama. Her death could not be confirmed by international media or Tibetan advocacy groups because her body was so quickly removed from the scene by police.
Valentine’s Day 2015 will be infamous for more than the release of the film version of 50 Shades of Grey. It also witnessed the world’s first recorded polygamous gay marriage, as Joke, 29, Bell, 21 and Art, 26 tied the knot. Watchers of The Hangover Part 2 will not be surprised to learn that the marriage took place in Thailand, in the Uthai Thani Province.
