World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

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UK Bodhi Assoc.
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World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

WYBS Annual Conference 2014
Theme: Social Responsibilities

Friday, August 1st, 2014 to Tuesday, August 5th, 2014, Hong Kong

CALL FOR ESSAYS, VIDEOS AND CARTOONS

(Submission due: Friday 30 May 2014)



To encourage a young generation of researchers, scholars and students to understand the essence of Buddhism and to promote social harmony, World Youth Buddhist Society is delighted to announce the fourth WYBS Annual Conference of this year which will take place at the end of July at Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong.




World Youth Buddhist Society contributes to critical research discussions and provides prestigious opportunities for scholars, researchers, and students at all stages of their work across the world to get involved and to give their perspectives in relevant domains and discussions. It focuses on bridging gaps among academia, theory and practices with an open, inclusive and altruistic heart.




This year, echoing the aim of WYBS, we invite you to the WYBS Annual Conference exploring how we can respond positively to and how we can contribute to the social responsibilities regardless of ethnics, gender and religion. You are very welcome to participate in this year’s 5-day conference by submitting an essay or creating a video or cartoons for a presentation, or simply by attending this event as audiences.




● Events and Opportunities:


WYBS Annual Conference provides the winners of the essay competition and video/cartoons competition with the Excellent Essay Awards and Creativity Awards, respectively.




WYBS Annual Conference provides a unique space for researchers, scholars and students to share and discuss their views and ongoing or completed work, to network with peers gaining feedbacks in a friendly audience, whilst learning more about various topics in relevant fields and exploring from a wide range of perspectives, as well as gaining experience through presentation.




WYBS Annual Conference provides a precious opportunity for researchers, scholars and students interested in religion and culture to meet and talk with the Conference Keynote Speakers.




WYBS Annual Conference provides prestigious chances for all attendees to learn contemplation and meditation under the direction of experienced teachers.




WYBS Annual Conference provides a unique chance for all attendees to visit some of the most attractive tourist destinations inHong Kong.




WYBS Annual Conference also provides a vibrant and interactive online community for all attendees to share their experiences and to exchange their ideas promptly.

Meet WYBS Committee and other WYBS members on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wybuddhist.

Update the information of WYBS on Wechat: WYBS_HK, or on Weibo: http://weibo.com/u/3573842014




● Eligibility:


This call for essays, videos or cartoons is directed at researchers, scholars, students from junior college education and above levels, and presidents of societies related to religion or culture in universities, colleges or institutions. In particular, the applicants should be interested in religion or traditional culture.




● Submission and Presentation:


Excellent Essay Awards applicants and Creativity Awards applicants should submit a max 500 word essay abstract and brief description of the videos or cartoons by 31st March 2014 at: WYBS Application, respectively. Attendees who don’t apply for the awards should submit understanding of the conference’s theme by 31st March 2014 at WYBS Application.




The essay abstract should contain the following: title of presentation; author name and/or affiliation; purpose of presentation and/or research questions; nature of the research presented (e.g. conceptual work, literature review discussion, or empirical research); research methodology and/or sample; key arguments, findings, and/or conclusions (if available/relevant).




Request for full essays, videos and/or cartoons from awards applicants is also due by 31st March 2014. Please email a 3000-5000 word essay (a maximum of 20 pages in length including appendixes, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font), videos and/or cartoon documents at [email protected]. For submissions which have been already published, the authors should email the scanned copy.


Submissions should critically examine existing phenomenon and/or propose new strategies for tackling issues related to the conference theme or sub-topics. Submissions from a variety of perspectives are appropriate. Essays, videos or cartoons linked to the following sub-topics are preferred:


Ÿ Social responsibility

Ÿ Environmental protection

Ÿ Ethics

Ÿ Public welfare

Ÿ Dialogue between Tibetan Buddhism and other religions


All submissions will be reviewed by a panel composed of members of the sponsor organizations, which will ensure a range of high-quality presentations. Notification and offer of admission will be sent out by mid May 2014. Each nominated submission will have the chance to be presented at this year’s WYBS Annual Conference.




● Conference Fees:


All conference attendees will be entitled to 300 RMB (non-refundable) administration fees. Students who could not afford the fees can apply for waiving them. Information on the payment procedure will be made available at a later stage.




The accommodation costs (6 nights, including one night the day before the opening of WYBS conference) and meal fees for all attendees during the 5-day conference are fully sponsored by World Youth Buddhist Society Committee.Other costs, including (but not limited to) transportation (such as flights/trains to and fromHong Kong) and visa fees, should be at the expense of attendees. Information on the accommodation will be made available at a later stage.




● Conference Hosts:


WYBS Annual Conference is hosted by the World Youth Buddhist Society, the Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, the Buddhist Society of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.




Extensive appreciation is given to all donators and volunteers for their strong and long-standing dedication.




● Conference Venue:


The Hong Kong Institute of Education

TaiPoCampus

10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po,NewTerritories, Hong Kong (travel advice)


Information on the conference timetable will be made available at a later stage.


For further enquiries, please email WYBS Annual Conference Committee at [email protected].


More information about the conference can be found at: World Youth Buddhist Society Hompage


We look forward to meeting you at July 2014!
Last edited by UK Bodhi Assoc. on Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
UK Bodhi Assoc.
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Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:39 pm

Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

At long last, I have finally completed this manuscript. I can’t help letting out a deep sigh of relief.

That this diary now makes its debut is not without twists and turns; after a good initial start it nearly didn’t make it. This bride-to-be “young maiden” has been hiding out for almost two years. It is only now that she, after nearly turning into a fading beauty, gingerly and bashfully, steps out to meet her future “parents-in-law”. But even at this moment, my mind is still vacillating. I can’t decide if I should have it printed. Many years from now, I am afraid, I may be plagued with regret over a decision made in a moment of weakness.

The genesis of this diary came from my reading of Opening the Door to the Mind: Training on the Graded Path to Enlightenment by Gyalwa Lodro Gyaltsen Palzang while I was staying in Xiamen. At that time I was free from trivial responsibilities and had the leisure to read and savor very much this wonderful teaching. But to hoard such a Dharma feast selfishly runs against my sense and sensibility. Why not select a few excellent passages daily from it and share them with others? It would benefit not only myself but also others. That is, one gets twice the results with half the effort. Why not go ahead with it?

Thus the rudimentary form of this diary started to take shape. Yet serendipitously, I was so enthralled by Opening the Door to the Mind that I could not resist translating it from beginning to end. Having finished that, I ran into an awkward situation as to what to do with the bulk entries in my “diary.” I tried to resolve the dilemma by revising it, but never got the job done due to my indolence and limited vigor.

I found some high-sounding justifications for myself: The purpose of my writing a diary is not for winning public applause or bouquets of flowers; rather, it is for reflection on my own conduct, thoughts, and everything I do, such that I could keep my efforts going and make progress. Why put so much emphasis on external perfections? What’s more, as the adage says: “Reviewing old material, one gains new insights;” by reviewing the entries once more, there shouldn’t be any harm but there could be many benefits. Why worry and toil over changing the diary beyond recognition? Armed with my own rational excuses, all of a sudden, I felt relieved.

Although called a “Diary” in the beginning, the entries of this book were not necessarily made on a daily basis. Sometimes I had to make up for a few days’ content because of a stagnation of thoughts resulting from being overly busy. At other times my mind would bubble with ideas that rushed over me like pounding waves or the galloping of wild horses, and could not be contained on the pages. My pen, trying to keep up with the torrent of inspiration, would jot down in a flowing and bold style many days’ entries in one stretch.

In the early phase of this work, ample time allowed me to finish articles of a few hundred words quickly with seemingly little effort; this made me very confident and proud of myself. However, after returning to the Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in the second half of the year, I was immediately ensnared by many heavy and trifling matters. My thoughts were jumbled; it became almost impossible for me to sort out clear thinking for even one diary entry. I can’t describe the frustrations over the feeling that my inspiration had dried up. It was like riding a tiger and I found it hard to dismount. What’s more, there was a leap month of October in that year, a realization that almost made me throw away my beloved pens, if not for the encouragement from many Dharma friends. Biting the bullet, I trudged on, but I felt like a destitute person being chased by creditors, running here and there to hide, but finding no way to flee from the ever growing pile of debt.

I was just too exhausted to deal with it, and so had to leave it half done. Yet as someone with a strong affinity for writing, I managed to fabricate an excuse to get out of this embarrassing situation: At some point in the future, when not too busy in the second half of a year, I would catch up with the unfinished part of my diary. I even thought of a perfect title for my diary-to-come—365 Days Out of 730 Days. But in truth, finding a not-too-busy half-year in the rest of my life is almost out of the question. So my wish was never realized. This draft of my incomplete diary ended up at the bottom of the drawer, sinking into deep sleep for nearly two years.

Then, on a bitterly cold winter day—January 7th, 2004—the Master of the Three Worlds, the Protector of all beings and our most beloved Guru Wish Fulfilling Jewel, H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, left this world. Totally caught off guard by his sudden departure, every student was stricken with utter sorrow, grieving even more than when losing relatives. My frail body collapsed at this heavy blow, almost unable to recover; the sense of total loss whipped again and again on my already painful heart. Long after the Cremation Ceremony, I could find nothing to fill my hollow and blank mind. Our teacher chose to show us what impermanence is by this stark reality, which will be forever engraved in our bones and hearts. I was shaken and made keenly aware of the impermanence of all phenomena as never before.

“Wait no more!” This calling started ringing in my ear, tapping at my heart that had almost gone numb. It dawned on me that I could not keep on making long-term plans and waiting for one of these days to complete the diary. Retrieving the dust-covered draft and flipping through the pages, I was absent-minded until I caught sight of some teachings from our revered teacher in it. How lucky that I had written them down and how precious these entries seemed, now that our teacher had left us! If I could make the diary available soon, wouldn’t it help many of us to struggle through this chilly and dark period? Thus, without much fanfare, I made simple edits to my words and sent it off on the road hurriedly—incomplete as it was in many aspects. What would be the fate awaiting this diary? I cannot but worry about its future.

Assessed from the viewpoint of writing, this humble little diary is nothing when lined up against the works of numerous professional authors in the world. As to the command of Chinese phraseology, I cannot compare with even an ordinary Han Chinese, let alone with those of great masters behind whom I could only be left in the dust. This diary, on all accounts, can only be qualified as a faithful recorder which takes glimpse after glimpse into the adventures of my mind; it faithfully reflects the thinking process, the everyday life, the perceptions, the daily encounters with the world and its people, of an ordinary Buddhist. Lacking any unprecedented idea, profound or complicated theory or shocking proclamation, this diary can only be likened to a plain musical movement. Spontaneously assembled from a few fragmentary pieces, it nonetheless plays out the vicissitudes, bit by bit, of my life throughout the year. Leaving marks on life’s vast desert plain, it is like the footprints that trace the actual passage of my time.

You may find in this diary, besides being commonplace or merely echoing others’ words, some of my judgmental views and criticisms of others. They contrast glaringly to my own advice to others, for example, to not become too distracted by the outer world, and to not get involved in sectarianism, turning only inward to the mind, and so on. What’s more, I also noticed the over-usage of aggressive statements and little mention of my own faults. Some of the quotes or teachings—my favorites—that I recommended with enthusiasm may not strike a chord in others.

For each practitioner, various experiences may arise while walking on the spiritual path. Some prefer to keep such experiences to themselves; their silence provides me with the exact opportunity to show off. Unwilling to be neglected, I am here prattling like a melon salesman extolling the sweetness of my fruit. In Compendium of Trainings, it says: “In the bark of sugarcane, there’s no sweetness, no matter how one chews on it. Should one teach Dharma without going through deep meditation, he is just like the bark of the sugar cane”, and: “It’s a fault to babble like an entertainer giving a show, it does not provide any service as you might have imagined, you may actually diminish your own merit” Here I, the “entertainer,” ignoring advice and overrating myself, present the lazy lady’s foot-wrap, or “sugarcane bark” of mine, as an offering.

Nonetheless, I do know my limitations. If you ask me to make recommendations about my own work, no doubt the translation and commentary on The Words of My Perfect Teacher and the commentary on A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life are at the top of the list. But how can the discursive thoughts of an ordinary person be compared to the wisdom of the supreme beings? So, if this diary does not interest you at all, please do not hesitate to leave it on the shelf. I really don’t want to take on the blame of wasting others’ time.

On the other hand, should you like to read something leisurely during breaks of your practice, leafing through the pages of this diary may be more meaningful than spending time on worldly entertainment that caters to desire, hatred, and delusion. Furthermore, if this little book arouses in you or those around you even only momentarily the respect for the Three Jewels or compassion for sentient beings, all my hard work will have not been in vain.

Here I am making these silent prayers:

Manifested as a beam of light this diary may be,
The wild wish for it to match the brilliance of the sun or the moon I do not have.
Only, like an inconspicuous little star in one moonless dark night,
May its feeble light shine in the gloomy darkness!

Manifested as cool comfort this diary may be,
The wild wish for it to sweep away summer heat as the autumn gale I do not have.
Only, like a nameless little tree on a sweltering hot day,
May its shade provide cool shelter for beings tormented by heat!

Manifested as a medicine this diary may be,
The wild wish for it to be a panacea to cure all diseases I do not have.
Only, like a soothing palliative for the jittery and the restless,
May it offer peace and comfort during a time of distraught!

Oh wild geese, high in the sky,
Flying back north in the spring
Could you please tell me:
Will my wishes ever come true?

I dedicate this book to all my Dharma friends who, like me, will forever remember our most revered Guru!

Written with reverence at Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy
On the birthday of H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche
January 3rd, Year of JiaShen
Sodargye


——Footprints on the Journey —The Diary of Khenpo Sodargye
UK Bodhi Assoc.
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Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

Practice Immediately

Many lay practitioners today are often entrapped in trifles—parents, children, job, family; they worry about these things constantly and have never learned to let go. Similarly, robe-clad monks and nuns who should be concentrating on Dharma practice are busying themselves with building Dharma centers, erecting Buddha statues, and caring for disciples. They are concerned about these token good deeds all day long, leaving little or no time for inward reflection. This is not a proper trend and I worry about it. To be a genuine Dharma practitioner, one should give up external affairs and realize the mind’s essence. This is also the secret of success from many past great siddhas.

In the Life Story of Milarepa, there is such a passage: Once Jetsun Milarepa was about to leave for his hometown; his teacher Marpa, bidding goodbye reluctantly, imparted to his student the following golden advice as spiritual sustenance:

My heart son! Unless you renounce worldly affairs and never mix the supreme Dharma with mundane trivialities, your practice will be neglected or wasted.
My heart son, you should reflect deeply on the suffering of samsara, which is the so-called nature of samsara.
Even if I grow a hundred tongues with magic, and spend countless kalpas, I cannot completely describe all the sufferings. So don’t waste the marvelous Dharma that I have taught you.

Keeping these words firmly in his heart, Milarepa practiced accordingly and finally attained complete enlightenment.

Not only great Buddhist masters feel this way, but also worldly sages who recognize that running after fame and money is a waste of valuable time and ultimately gains nothing. In Tending the Root of Wisdom it says:

Striving hard you seize power and wealth; yet finally you must give it all up, all gains are but losses.
To live to 100 years old is wonderful; yet rushing through it, a long life still meets its final end.

What we call life is something that hinges on this breath and the next, that’s it.

Just learn to let go of attachment!

2nd of January, Year of RenWu
February 14, 2002
UK Bodhi Assoc.
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:39 pm

Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

Master’s Birthday

Today is our Guru Wish Fulfilling Jewel, H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche’s birthday. According to the Tibetan way of counting, he has reached the ripe old age of 70 years.

Any amount of compassion or wisdom that arises in students’ minds, even for just an instant, is a blessing bestowed by the teacher’s great compassion.

Even without mentioning the incalculable merits our Guru has accumulated throughout his past numerous lifetimes, in this life alone he has attracted countless beings onto the Dharma path with his great compassion beyond concept. What he has done to benefit beings is as high as Mount Meru; his mighty name is known throughout the East and West, resounding all over the world and vibrating in the three realms. It would be impossible for me, even if I were to take my entire life to do it, to describe a mere drop of our Guru’s ocean of boundless qualities, immeasurable compassion, and incomparable kindness. To sum up, his qualities are: having perfect wisdom, having vast compassionate aspiration, keeping pure precepts, and turning the Dharma wheel far and wide. But how could these few words match up to our Guru’s towering kindness?

“From ancient times, it has been rare for humans to live to the age of 70.” These days our Guru appears to be advancing to senior years and he has been inflicted with various illnesses. Yet his efforts to benefit sentient beings, instead of becoming stagnant, are growing stronger. Ignoring his deteriorating health, he still confers blessings to followers coming from different places, even when confined to the sickbed. He continues to plant virtuous seeds in other beings’ minds in all possible ways.

Disciples from all different locations are involved extensively in releasing live beings today, and they all pray that our Guru will remain long in this world. Through his blessings, countless lives are saved from glittering, murderous knives; if these creatures had known the kindness behind saving their lives, how would they express their gratitude? Moreover, upon hearing the holy names of Buddhas and sacred mantras that are recited for them, how would they express their eagerness in repaying the kindness? And what worldly language can adequately describe the merit generated by the disciples through saving lives? All these are unfathomable to my unenlightened mind. The benefits of his living in this world, even for a mere instant are just incomprehensible.

Today, physicians arriving from the United States are tending to and treating our teacher meticulously. I press my palms together in reverence and pray from the depth of my heart: May our teacher recover swiftly from illness and regain health. May we be blessed with his great kindness each and every day. Lama chen!

3rd of January, Year of RenWu
February 15, 2002
UK Bodhi Assoc.
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Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

The Nurse

The little nurse who seems incapable of putting even a faint smile on her stiff face just came in. “How many bowel movements did you have yesterday?”

Since I was hospitalized here more than a month ago, she has asked me the same routine question every day. There has been no other greeting from her, which I feel is quite ridiculous: “You have been asking me only this one boring question all along, why not ask me how I am feeling?” She tilted her dignified head, glared at me, and walked away, leaving me with a mind rushing with thoughts.

Oh well, indeed it is a time of the five degenerations. Some hospitals no longer deem saving lives and healing the sick as their main purposes; quacks are found everywhere, so are fake medicines; people’s hunger for money is at its extreme. The image of the nurse as an “angel in white” is long gone; to some people, the health sector is a synonym for corruption. I have witnessed the sad situation where some dying patients are denied admission due to insufficient funds to pay for medical fees.

In Buddha’s previous lives, he assumed the responsibilities of doctors and nurses; he took tender care of patients suffering from long illnesses and relieved them of misery. He offered his own medicine collected over 12 years when he himself was a patient. Shantideva, a Bodhisattva, makes these aspirations in A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life: “For all those ailing in the world, until their every sickness has been healed, may I myself become for them the doctor, the nurse, the medicine itself.” Many great Buddhist masters also have devoted themselves totally to benefit beings, without the slightest concern for their own safety or welfare.

Such altruism is not limited to Buddhists only; people with high ideals in the world also have made their wishes such as:

How can I build thousands of big houses with plenty of rooms?
I’ll use them to provide shelter to all the poor scholars and make them smile happily…
Even if my thatched hut is the only one destroyed by the elements and I am to die from freezing cold, I am willing.

How I wish Buddha’s teaching would penetrate the minds of people, such that the world will have one ounce more of goodness and one ounce less of ugliness!

4th of January, Year of RenWu
February 16, 2002
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cooran
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Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by cooran »

Hello UK Bodhisattva Association,

This Forum is for the Dhamma of the Theravada. I wonder, have you posted the information in this thread over at our sister site for our Mahayana friends?
Dharma Wheel http://www.dharmawheel.net ?

With metta,
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
UK Bodhi Assoc.
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:39 pm

Re: World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference 2014

Post by UK Bodhi Assoc. »

cooran wrote:Hello UK Bodhisattva Association,

This Forum is for the Dhamma of the Theravada. I wonder, have you posted the information in this thread over at our sister site for our Mahayana friends?
Dharma Wheel http://www.dharmawheel.net ?

With metta,
Chris
OK, thank you for your kind advice. :smile:
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