NGÀI NETEN RINPOCHE TULKU HÓA SANH ĐỜI THỨ 9   VIỆN TRƯỞNG TU VIỆN JUNGPA, TÂY TẠNG VIỆN PHẬT HỌC JAM TSE CHO LING, CANADA

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Nghỉ lễ

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Lễ Chiến Thắng Dạ Ma Phật Yamantaka ( hóa thân của Đức Phật Đại Trí Văn Thù Sư Lợi ) giúp tiêu trừ bệnh hoạn, nghiệp chướng và giải oán kết

 

 

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Thuyết Pháp: Luyện Tâm Qua Tám Đoạn Kệ

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Thuyết Pháp: Luyện Tâm Qua Tám Đoạn Kệ (tiếp theo) 

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Lễ cúng dường Đức Phật Thiên Thủ Thiên Nhãn Đại Từ Đại Bi Quán Thế Âm theo nghi lễ Mật Tông

A LOSAR GIFT FOR RANGZEN ACTIVISTS - Jamyang Norbu

Phayul[Thursday, February 26, 2009 02:11] Inside Tibet people have made the decision not to celebrate Losar this year. It appears to be not just an expression of sorrow for those Tibetan shot, tortured and imprisoned in last years uprising,  but also an act of defiance against the Chinese government that wants to show  the world that Tibetans enjoy religious and cultural freedoms under its rule. In exile there has been some debate on whether or not to celebrate Losar. There are valid arguments on both sides, but then again the logic of revolution is another thing altogether. When the struggle calls we can only obey. Earlier I had written a cultural essay for Losar, but then I decided on a a more political gift for Rangzen advocates and activists. The following piece is actually a pamphlet to be distributed on March 10 and future rallies and meeting, but I thought that those who believe in Rangzen might enjoying sitting back with a chang-koe and reading it on Losar day. Most of us have a general idea of the facts that have been presented before the UN and the world, to show that Tibet was an independent country before the Communist invasion: treaties, the Shakabpa passport, the flag and so on. I have tried to provide details that are probably not that well known but which I hope will edify and perhaps even cheer and encourage. I have attempted to be scrupulously honest with the facts and have provided authentic references for nearly every claim or statement made in the pamphlet. Since the pamphlet had to be kept short, all the references, additional material, related documentation, photographs, maps, illustrations, audio clips and bibliography will be on a website www.rangzen.net. You can access what you want on the section “Independent Tibet - Some Facts”  and clicking on the reference number. The fully laid-out and illustrated pamphlet  can be downloaded (in black & white or colour) at the website  and can be printed at home or at a commercial printer. Individuals or organization can print and distribute the pamphlet, and space is provided on the front cover for the organizations credit line. The website will be up in a few days – definitely before March 10. INDEPENDENT TIBET – SOME FACTS Compiled by Jamyang Norbu for the Rangzen Alliance FUNCTIONING STATE Before the Chinese Communist invasion of 1950 Tibet was a fully functioning and independent state. It threatened none of its neighbors, fed its population unfailingly, year after year, with no help from the outside world. Tibet owed no money to any country or international institutions, and maintained basic law and order. Tibet banned capital punishment in 1913 (mentioned by a number of foreign travelers [1]) and was one of the first countries in the world to do so. There is no record of it persecuting minorities (e.g. Muslims [2]) or massacring sections of its population from time to time as China and some other countries do – remember Tiananmen. Although its frontiers with India, Nepal and Bhutan were completely unguarded, very few Tibetans fled their country as economic or political refugees. There was not a single Tibetan immigrant in the USA or Europe before the Communist invasion. FOREIGN MILITARY INVASION NOT “PEACEFUL LIBERATION” On the dawn of 6th October 1950, the 52nd, 53rd  & 54th divisions of the 18th Army[3] of the Red Army (probably over 40,000 troops) attacked the Tibetan frontier guarded by 3,500 regular soldiers and 2,000 Khampa militiamen. Recent research by a Chinese scholar reveals that Mao Zedong met Stalin on 22nd January 1950 and asked for the Soviet air force to transport supplies for the invasion of Tibet. Stalin replied: “It’s good you are preparing to attack Tibet. The Tibetans need to be subdued.”[4] An English radio operator (employed by the Tibetan government) at the Chamdo front wrote that Tibetan forward defences at the main ferry point on the Drichu River fought almost to the last man.[5] In the south at the river crossing near Markham, the Tibetan advance guards fought heroically but were wiped out, according to an English missionary there.[6]  Surviving units conducted fighting retreats westwards, in good order. No unit fled or surrendered. Four days into the retreat, one regiment was overwhelmed and destroyed. Only two weeks after the initial attack, the Tibetan army surrendered. The biography of a Communist official states “Many Tibetans were killed and wounded in the Chamdo campaign.” and “… the Tibetan soldiers fought bravely, but they were no match for the superior numbers and better training”[7] of the Chinese forces. According to the only Western military expert who wrote on the Chinese invasion of Tibet “…the Reds suffered at least 10,000 casualties.”[8] It was not a peaceful liberation of Tibet as Beijing claims. In 1956 the Great Khampa Uprising started and spread throughout the country culminating in the March Uprising of 1959. Guerilla operations only ceased in 1974. “A conservative estimate would have to be no less than half-a-million”[9] Tibetans killed in the fighting. Many more died in the subsequent political campaigns, forced labor camps (laogai) and the great famine. The revolutionary uprisings throughout Tibet in 2008 and the brutal Chinese crackdown clearly demonstrate that the struggle continues today. NATIONAL FLAG The modern Tibetan national flag was adopted in 1916.[10]  Its first appearance before the world was in National Geographic Magazine’s “Flags of the World” issue of 1934[11]  and other publications, and was reproduced in the early thirties in cigarette card collections in Europe.[12] The flag was probably too new and unknown to appear in the very first flag issue (1917) of the National Geographic, but Tibet did receive mention in an article on medieval flags in that same issue.[13]  According to an eminent vexillologist, Professor Lux-Worm, the national flag of Tibet was based on an older 7th century snow lion standard of the Tibetan Emperor, Songtsen Gampo.[14]  It should be borne in mind that over 90% of the flags of the nations in the UNO were created after WWII, including the present national flag of China. NATIONAL ANTHEM The old Tibetan national anthem or national hymn, Gangri Rawae or “Snow Mountain Rampart” was composed in 1745 by the (secular) Tibetan ruler Pholanas.[15]  It was recited at the end of official ceremonies and sung at the beginning of opera performances in Lhasa.[16]  When the Tibetan government came into exile in India, a more modern national anthem, Sishe Pende (“Universal Peace and Benefits”)[17]  was composed. The lyrics were written by the Dalai Lama’s tutor, Trichang Rimpoche who was considered a great poet in the classical nyengak (Skt. kaviya) tradititon. MAPS OF TIBET Many pre-1950 maps, globes and atlases showed Tibet as an independent nation separate from China. Some of the earliest maps on record of Asia show Tibet (variably spelled as Tobbat, Thibbet, or the Kingdom of Barantola) as separate from China or Cathay. A map of Asia drawn by the Dutch cartographer, Pietar van der Aa around 1680 shows Tibet in two parts but distinct from China;[18]  as does a 1700 map drawn by the French cartographer Guillaume de L’isle, where Tibet is referred to as the “Kingdom of Grand Tibet.” [19]  A map of India, China and Tibet published in the USA in 1877 represents Tibet as distinct from the two other nations.[20]  An 1827 map of Asia drawn by Anthony Finley of Philadelphia, clearly shows “Great Thibet” as distinct from the Chinese Empire.[21] Probably the largest stained glass globe in the world (in Boston), based on the Rand McNally 1934 map of the world, clearly shows Tibet as a separate nation.[22] (Tibet is in pink above India) Following the publication of the great atlas commissioned by the Manchu Emperor Kangxi and created by Jesuit cartographers, some European maps in the mid-1700s began to depict Tibet as part of China. The Jesuits could not personally survey Tibet (as they had surveyed China and Manchuria) since Tibet was not part of the Chinese Empire. So they trained two Mongol monks in Beijing and sent them to make a secret survey of Tibet. Similar clandestine surveys of Tibet were conducted by British mapmakers using trained Himalayan natives and even a Mongol monk. An American sinologist has observed that, like European colonial powers, China could be said to have used cartography to further its “Colonial Enterprise” in Tibet and Korea.[23] TIBETAN CURRENCY Before the Chinese invasion, Tibet had its own currency based on the Tam and Srang denomination system. The earliest coinage used in Tibet was silver and struck in Nepal under a treaty agreement.[24] A joint Chinese-Tibetan currency (the Ganden Tanka) was issued when Manchu forces occupied Tibet. After the Chinese army was expelled in 1912, Tibet minted its own coin using Buddhist and Tibetan designs. Paper currency was only introduced into Tibet in the early 20th century, but according to the numismatist Wolfgang Bertsch, these bank notes were “small works of art.”[25]  A unique aspect of Tibetan banknotes was that the serial numbers were handwritten by a guild of specialist calligraphists, the epa, to prevent forgery. Even after the Communist invasion, Tibetans successfully undermined Chinese efforts to take over its currency. Official Chinese currency only came into use after the departure of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government from Tibet in March 1959.26 TIBETAN PASSPORTS The Tibetan government issued its own passports to travelers entering its borders or (the few) Tibetans who traveled abroad. Before WWII, the term passports covered visas and travel documents in general. The earliest record of a Tibetan passport issued to a foreign traveler is in 1688 to an Armenian merchant, Hovannes (Johannes).[27] The Tibetan government gave its approval for the first-ever Everest expedition (1921). Charles Bell, the visiting British diplomat in Lhasa wrote “I received from the Tibetan Government a passport in official form, which granted permission for the climbing of Mount Everest.”[28] The subsequent Everest expeditions of 1922, 1924 and 1936[29]  also received passports from the Tibetan government. Passports were sometimes issued for scientific undertakings: the Schaeffer expedition of 1939,[30]  Tucci’s expedition of 1949 [31]  and the plant hunter Frank Kingdon Ward in 1924.[32] President Roosevelt’s two envoys to Tibet in 1942 were presented their passports at Yatung.[33] The Americans Lowell Thomas Jr. and Sr. visited Tibet in 1949, and were issued “Tibetan passports” at Dhomo. “When the Dalai Lama’s passport was spread out before us, I could not help thinking that many Western explorers who had failed to reach Lhasa would have highly prized a document like this.” [34] The first modern Tibetan passport [35] with personal information, photograph and space for visas and endorsements was issued in 1948 to members of the Tibetan trade mission. It was modeled on the international one-page fold-out model of 1915. Britain, USA and seven other countries issued visas and transit visas for this document. TREATIES One of the most important treaties between the Tibetan Empire and the Chinese Empire dates back to AD 821-822. The text, carved in Tibetan and Chinese on a stone pillar [36] near the Jokhang temple in Lhasa states that “Great Tibet” and “Great China” would act towards each other with respect, friendship and equality. As an independent nation, Tibet entered into treaties with neighboring states: Bushair 1681, Ladakh 1683 and 1842, Nepal 1856 and so on. Tibet signed a number of treaties and conventions with Britain culminating in the Simla Treaty of 1914 by which British India and Tibet reached an agreement on their common frontier.[37] India’s present-day claims to the demarcation of its northern border is based on this treaty which was signed by Tibet – not China. In January 1913, Tibet and Mongolia signed a treaty in Urga, the preamble of which reads: “Whereas Mongolia and Tibet having freed themselves from the Manchu dynasty and separated themselves from China, have become independent states, and whereas the two States have always professed one and the same religion, and to the end that their ancient mutual friendships may be strengthened…”[38]  Declarations of friendship, mutual aid, Buddhist fraternity, and mutual trade etc. follow in the various articles. The Tibetan word “rangzen” is used throughout to mean “independence”. A Tibetan Bureau of Foreign Affairs was established in 1942, which conducted diplomatic relations (and correspondence[39]) with Britain, USA, Nepal, independent India and China. POST & TELEGRAPH SYSTEM The modern Tibetan postal system was built on the older messenger system of the early Tibetan Empire and the later Mongol courier system. A Post and Telegraph Office (dak-tar laykhung) was created in 1920.[40]  Postage stamps of various denominations were indigenously designed and hand-printed, and which are now collector’s items.[41] Though not a signatory to the International Postal Treaty, a system was created so that letters from Tibet could be delivered to foreign addresses, and letters from abroad be delivered inside Tibet. Spencer Chapman, visiting Lhasa in 1936, declared that “the postal and telegraph system is most efficient.”[42]  The same system continued for a period after 1950. The Czech filmmaker Vladimir Cis had a letter from his family in Prague delivered to him in the wilderness of Tibet by a postal runner.[43] A telegraph line from India to Lhasa was completed in 1923, along with a basic telephone service.[44]  Both were open for public use. The Tibetan capital was electrified in 1927. The work of installing both the hydroelectric plant and the distribution system was undertaken near “single-handedly”[45] by a young Tibetan engineer, Ringang. All these projects were initiated and paid for by the Tibetan government. Radio Lhasa was launched in 1948 and broadcasted news in Tibetan, English and Chinese.[46] WITNESSES TO INDEPENDENT TIBET The fact that Tibet was a peaceful, independent country is attested to by the writings of many impartial western observers [47] who not only visited pre-invasion Tibet, but even lived there for considerable periods of time – as the titles of some of their memoirs seem to proudly proclaim: Twenty Years in Tibet (David McDonald)[48],  Eight Years in Tibet (Peter Aufschnieter)[49],  Seven Years in Tibet (Heinrich Harrer)[50].  The premier scholar on Tibet, Hugh Richardson lived for a total of eight years in Tibet, and his many writings[51] reveal a country that was functioning, orderly, peaceful and with a long history of political independence and cultural achievement. Another great scholar and diplomat, Charles Bell, regarded as the “architect of Britain’s Tibet policy,” was convinced that Britain and America’s refusal to recognize Tibetan independence (but which they sometimes tacitly acknowledged when it was to their advantage) was largely dictated by their desire “to increase their commercial profits in China.”[52] It is almost certain that none of the official propagandists who demonize Tibet in Chinese publications had witnessed life in old Tibet. In fact, none of Beijing’s Tibet propagandists in the West (Michael Parenti, Tom Grunfeld, Barry Sautman et al)[53]  had visited Tibet before 1980. They often misrepresent the old Tibetan society and government with select quotes from English journalists and officials (L. A. Waddell, Percival Landon, Edmund Candler, Captain W.F.T. O’Connor) who accompanied the British invasion force of 1904, and who sought to justify that violent imperialist venture into Tibet by demonizing Tibetan society and institutions. The only high-ranking Chinese official with scholarly credentials who spent any length of time in old Tibet was Dr. Shen Tsung-lien, representative of the Republic of China in Lhasa (1944-1949). In his book Tibet and the Tibetans, Dr. Shen writes of a nation clearly distinct from China, and one that “…had enjoyed full independence since 1911.” He writes truthfully of a hierarchical, conservative society “fossilized many centuries back” but whose people were orderly, peaceable and hospitable – but also “notorious litigants,” adding that “few peoples in the world are such eloquent pleaders.” Shen also mentions “Appeals may be addressed to any office to which the disputants belong, or even to the Dalai Lama or his regent.”[54] Reference Notes. (the expanded version will be on the website) Bell, Charles. Tibet Past and Present. London: Oxford University Press, 1924. See index: “Capital punishment abolished in Tibet, 142, 143, 236.” Byron, Robert. First Russia then Tibet. London: Macmillan & Co., 1933. pg 204: “Capital punishment was now abolished.” McGovern, William. To Lhasa in Disguise. New York: Century Co., 1924. pg 388-389. Kingdon-Ward, Frank. In the Land of The Blue Poppies. New York: Modern Library, 2003. pg 22. Winnington, Alan. Tibet: The Record of a Journey. London: Lawrence & Wishart Ltd., 1957. 2 Henry, Gray. Islam in Tibet. Louisville, Kentucky: Fons Vitae, 1997. Nadwi, Dr. Abu Bakr Amir-uddin. Tibet and Tibetan Muslims, Dharamsala: Library of TibetanWorks & Archives, 2004. 3 Goldstein, Melvyn. A Tibetan Revolutionary: The Political Life and Times of Bapa PhuntsoWangye. University of California Press, 2004, pg 137 4 Chang, Jung & Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. London: Jonathan Cape, 2005. 5 Ford, Robert. Captured in Tibet. London: George G. Harrap & Co., Ltd, 1957. pg 158. 6 Bull, Geoffrey T. When Iron Gates Yield. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1955. pg 130. 7 Goldstein, Melvyn. A Tibetan Revolutionary: The Political Life and Times of Bapa PhuntsoWangye. University of California Press, 2004, pg 139. 8 O’Ballance, Edgar. The Red Army of China. London: Faber & Faber, 1962. pg 189-190. 9 Norbu, Jamyang. "The Forgotten Anniversary – Remembering the Great Khampa Uprising of1956". Thursday, December 07, 2006, Phayul. 10 Tsarong, Dundul Namgyal. In the Service of His Country: The Biography of Dasang DamdulTsarong Commander General of Tibet. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2000. pg 51 11 Grosvenor, Gilbert and William J. Showalter, “Flags of the World”. The National GeographicMagazine: September, 1934 - Vol. LXVI - No. 3. Washington, D.C.” National Geographic Society, 1934. 12 Tibet Nationalflagge, Bulgaria Zigarettenfabrik, Dresden,1933. (From a series non-European countries, pictures 201-400) Courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jan Andersson. 13 Grosvenor, Gilbert H. “The Heroic Flags of the Middle Ages.” The National Geographic Magazine: October, 1917 - Vol. Xxxii - No. 4. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1917. 14 Lux-Wurm, Pierre C. “The Story of the Flag of Tibet.” Flag Bulletin: Vol. XII - No. 1. Spring 1973. 15 OLD TIBETAN NATIONAL HYMN Ghang ri rawe kor we shingkham di Phen thang dewa ma loe jungwae ne Chenrezig wa Tenzin Gyatso yin Shelpal se thae bhardu Ten gyur chik Circled by ramparts of snow-mountains, This sacred realm, This wellspring of all benefits and happiness Tenzin Gyatso, bodhisattva of Compassion. May his reign endure Till the end of all existence (my translation) The eminent Tibetan scholar, Tashi Tsering citing the historical work Bka’ blon rtogs brjod, says that this verse was composed by the Tibetan ruler, Phola lha nas, (in 1745/46) in praise of the 7th Dalai Lama. “Reflections on Thang stong rgyal po as the founder of the a lce lha mo tradition of Tibetan performing arts,”The Singing Mask: Echoes of Tibetan Opera, Lungta Winter 2001 No 15, eds. Isabelle Henrion-Dourcy and Tashi Tsering) 16 Audio clip of namthar (opera aria) of National Hymn sung by Techung. Courtesy of Chaksampa 17 TIBETAN NATIONAL ANTHEM Sishe phende dhoe gu jung wei ter Thubten sampel norbu honang bar Tendro nor dzin gyache kyong wey gon Trinle kyi rolsto gye Dorje kham sum tenpey Chok kun jham tse kyong Nam khoe gawa gyaden u pang gungla beg Phuntso deshi nga thang gye Bhojong cholkha sum gyi kyonla deyden sar pey khyap Chosi kyi pelon tar Thubten chochu gyepe dzamling yangpi kyegu shidi pela jor Bhojong tendro getzen nyi woe kyi Tashi woe nang humdu tro mi zi Nachoe munpey yul ley gye gyur chi TIBETAN NATIONAL ANTHEM (Translation) The source of temporal and spiritual wealth of joy and boundless benefits The Wish-fulfilling Jewel of the Buddha’s Teaching, blazes forth radiant light The all-protecting Patron of the Doctrine and of all sentient beings By his actions stretches forth his influence like an ocean By his eternal Vajra-nature His compassion and loving care extend to beings everywhere May the divinely appointed rule achieve the heights of glory And increase its fourfold influence and prosperity May a golden age of joy and happiness spread once more through the three regions of Tibet And may its temporal and spiritual splendour shine again May the Buddha’s Teaching spread in all the ten directions and lead all beings in the universe to glorious peace May the spiritual Sun of the Tibetan faith and People Emitting countless rays of auspicious light Victoriously dispel the strife of darkness Lyrics composed in 1959 by Kyapje Trichang Rinpoche, tutor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 18 Image. A map of Asia drawn by the Dutch cartographer, Pietar van der Aa around 1680 shows Tibet in two parts but distinct from China. 19 Image. A map of Asia drawn by the French cartographer, Guillaume de L’isle, around 1700, where Tibet is referred to as the “Kingdom of Grand Tibet.” 20 Image. “Map of Hindoostan, Farther India, China and Tibet”. Constructed & engraved by W.Williams, Phila. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1877 by S Augustus Mitchell in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 21 Image. An 1827 map of Asia drawn by Anthony Finley of Philadelphia, clearly showing “Great Tibet” as distinct from the Chinese Empire. 22 The Mapparium, is a thirty-foot stained-glass globe room in the lobby of the Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, which gives one a unique “inside view” of the world. The political boundries are frozen circa 1935. It was based on Rand McNally’s 1934 map of the world,. At this size, the scale amounts to approximately 22 miles to the inch. In the photograph Tibet (pink) can be seen directly at the back above British India (red) and to the side of China (yellow). Check URL for history and directions. [Link1] [Link2] 23 Hostetler, Laura. Qing Colonial Enterprise: Ethnography and Cartography in Early ModernChina. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. 24 Bertsch, Wolfgang. The Currency of Tibet. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, 2002. 25 Bertsch, Wolfgang. A Study of Tibetan Paper Money: With a Critical Bibliography, Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, 1997. 26 Rhodes, N.G. “The First Coins Struck in Tibet”. Tibet Journal. Winter 1990: (LTWA), Dharamsala. 27 Richardson, Hugh. “Reflections on a Tibetan Passport”. High Peaks Pure Earth: Collected Writings on Tibetan History & Culture. London: Serindia Publications, 1998. pg 482. 28 Bell, Charles. Portrait of a Dalai Lama: The Life and Times of the Great Thirteenth. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987. pg 278. 29 Gould, B.J. The Jewel in the Lotus: Recollections of an Indian Political. London: Chatto & Windus, 1957. pg 210-211. 30 Englehardt, Isrun. Tibet in 1938-39: Photographs from the Ernst Schafer Expedition to Tibet. Chicago: Serindia, 2007. pg 121. 31 Tucci, Guiseppe. To Lhasa and Beyond. New Delhi: Oxford and IBH, 1983. pg 14-15. 32 Cox, Kennith. Frank Kingdon Ward’s, Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges. United Kingdom: Antique     Collector’s Club, 2001. pg 75. 33 Tolstoy, Lt.Col. Ilia. “Across Tibet From India To China”. The National Geographic Magazine.     Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, August 1946. “This letter was a piece of     red cotton cloth about 16 inches wide and two feet long, to be carried in the bosom or     on a staff by an outrider who would precede the party by one or two days. It stated that     two American officers were en route to visit the Dalai Lama…” 34 Thomas, Lowell Jr. Out of This World: Across the Himalayas to Forbidden Tibet. New York: The     Greystone Press, 1950. pg 79-80. 35 Facsimile of Shakabpa passport 36 Photograph. Treaty Pillar of AD 821-822 within protective enclosure. 37 The Sino-Indian Boundary Question (Enlarged Edition). Peking: Foreign Language Press,     1962. Photostat of eastern sector of original map of the McMahon line with signatures     and seals of Tibetan and British plenipotentiaries, Delhi 24 March 1914. Original scale     1:5000,000. 38 Facsimile of the Tibet-Mongolia Treaty of 1913, and English translation. 39 Facsimile of Tibetan Foreign Bureau letter (and English translation) to Mao Tse-tung in 1949 . 40 Waterfall, Arnold C. The Postal History of Tibet. London: Robson Lowe Ltd., 1965. 41 Images of Tibetan stamps and covers. 42 Chapman, F. Spencer. Lhasa the Holy City. London: Chatto and Windus, 1940. pg 87. 43 Cis, Peter. Tibet, Through the Red Box. New York: Francis Foster Books, 1998. 44 David, MacDonald. Twenty Years in Tibet. New Delhi: Vintage Books, 1991. (first published     1932). pg 287. 45 Tsarong, Dundul Namgyal. In the Service of His Country: The Biography of Dasang Damdul Tsarong Commander General of Tibet. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2000. pg 62. 46  Brauen, Martin. Peter Aufschnaiter’s Eight Years in Tibet. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. In 1948, Radio Lhasa started the first of its daily broadcasts to the outside world. At five p.m., the station would go on air. The news was read in Tibetan, and then in English by Reginald Fox or by Kyibuk, one of the surviving Rugby students and an official at the Tibetan Foreign Bureau. Finally, the news was read in Chinese by Phuntsok Tashi Takla, the Dalai Lama’s brother-in-law. Official announcements were also read over the radio, as this one prepared by Aufschnaiter: “We have the honour to announce that Radio Lhasa will broadcast an announcement of the enthronement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ruler of Tibet, together with a proclamation of the Tibetan government to the Tibetan people and the world, on Friday 17 November 1950, at 5.45 p.m. Indian Standard Time.” 47 Statement by Westerners who visited Tibet before 1949 (London13 September 1994). Mr Robert Ford, Mrs Ronguy Collectt (daughter of Sir Charles Bell), Dr Bruno Beger, Mr Henreich Harrer, Mrs Joan Mary Jehu , Mr Archibald Jack, Prof. Fosco Maraini and Mr Kazi Sonam Togpyal of Sikkim.   http://www.tibet.com/Status/statement.html 48David, MacDonald. Twenty Years in Tibet. New Delhi: Vintage Books, 1991. (first published     1932). pg 287. 49 Brauen, Martin. Peter Aufschnaiter’s Eight Years in Tibet. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. 50 Harrer, Heinrich. Seven Years in Tibet. London: Rupert Hart Davis, 1953. 51 Richardson, H.E. High Peaks Pure Earth: Collected Writings on Tibetan History & Culture.     London: Serindia Publications, 1998. Richardson, H.E. Tibet and Its History. London: Oxford University Press, 1962. Richardson, H.E. and David Snellgrove. A Cultural History of Tibet. London: George Wiedenfeld &     Nicholson,1968. 52 Bell, Charles. Portrait of a Dalai Lama: The Life and Times of the Great Thirteenth. Boston:     Wisdom Publications, 1987. pg 396. 53 Norbu, Jamyang. “Running-Dog Propagandists” Phayul.com, [Monday, July 14, 2008 09:37] 54 Shen, Tsung-lien and Shen-chi Liu. Tibet and the Tibetans. California: Stanford University     Press, 1953. pg 112.

The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of  Samantabhadra Samantabhadracaryä praôidhäna 'phags-pa bzang-po spyod-pa'i smon-lam-gyi rgyal-po I bow down to the youthful Arya Manjushri. You lions among humans, Gone to freedom in the present, past and future In the worlds of ten directions, To all of you, with body, speech, and sincere mind, I bow down. With the energy of aspiration for the bodhisattva way, With a sense of deep respect, And with as many bodies as atoms of the world, To all you buddhas visualized as real, I bow down. On every atom are buddhas numberless as atoms, Each amidst a host of bodhisattvas, And I am confident the sphere of all phenomena Is entirely filled with buddhas in this way. With infinite oceans of praise for you, And oceans of sound from the aspects of my voice, I sing the breathtaking excellence of buddhas, And celebrate all of you gone to bliss. Beautiful flowers and regal garlands, Sweet music, scented oils, and parasols, Sparkling lights and sublime incense, I offer to you victorious ones. Fine dress and fragrant perfumes, Sandalwood powder heaped high as Mount Meru, All wondrous offerings in spectacular array, I offer to you victorious ones. With transcendent offerings peerless and vast, With profound admiration for all the buddhas, With strength of conviction in the bodhisattva way, I offer and bow down to all victorious ones. Every harmful action I have done With my body, speech, and mind Overwhelmed by attachment, anger, and confusion, All these I openly lay bare before you. I lift up my heart and rejoice in all positive potential Of the buddhas and bodhisattvas in ten directions, Of solitary realizers, hearers still training, and those beyond, And of all ordinary beings. You who are the bright lights of worlds in ten directions, Who have attained a buddha's omniscience through the stages of  awakening, All you who are my guides, Please turn the supreme wheel of Dharma. With palms together I earnestly request: You who may actualize parinirvana, Please stay with us for eons numberless as atoms of the world, For the happiness and well-being of all wanderers in samsara. Whatever slight positive potential I may have created, By paying homage, offering, and acknowledging my faults, Rejoicing, and requesting that the buddhas stay and teach, I now dedicate all this for full awakening. May you buddhas now living in the worlds of ten directions, And all you gone to freedom in the past, accept my offerings. May those not yet arisen quickly perfect their minds, Awakening as fully enlightened ones. May all worlds in ten directions, Be entirely pure and vast. May they be filled with bodhisattvas Surrounding buddhas gathered beneath a bodhi tree. May as many beings as exist in ten directions Be always well and happy. May all samsaric beings live in accord with the Dharma, And may their every Dharma wish be fulfilled. Remembering my past lives in all varieties of existence, May I practice the bodhisattva way, And thus, in each cycle of death, migration, and birth, May I always abandon the householder' s life. Then, following in the footsteps of all the buddhas, And perfecting the practice of a bodhisattva, May I always act without error or compromise, With ethical discipline faultless and pure. May I teach the Dharma in the language of gods, In every language of spirits and nagas, Of humans and of demons, And in the voice of every form of being.  May I be gentle-minded, cultivating the six paramitas, And never forget bodhichitta. May I completely cleanse without omission Every negativity and all that obscures this awakening mind. May I traverse all my lives in the world, Free of karma, afflictions, and interfering forces, Just as the lotus blossom is undisturbed by the water's wave, Just as the sun and moon move unhindered through the sky. May I ease the suffering in the lower realms And in the many directions and dimensions of the universe. May I guide all wanderers in samsara to the pure bliss of awakening And be of worldly benefit to them as well. May I practice constantly for eons to come, Perfecting the activities of awakening, Acting in harmony with the various dispositions of beings, Showing the ways of a bodhisattva. May I always have the friendship Of those whose path is like mine, And with body, words, and also mind, May we practice together the same aspirations and activities. May I always meet a spiritual mentor And never displease that excellent friend, Who deeply wishes to help me And expertly teaches the bodhisattva way. May I always directly see the buddhas, Masters encircled by bodhisattvas, And without pause or discouragement for eons to come, May I make extensive offerings to them.   May I hold within me the Buddha's genuine Dharma, Illuminate everywhere the teachings that awaken, Embody the realizations of a bodhisattva, And practice ardently in all future eons. While circling through all states of existence, May I become an endless treasure of good qualities – Skillful means, wisdom, samadhi, and liberating stabilizations – Gathering limitless pristine wisdom and positive potential. On one atom I shall see Buddha fields numberless as atoms, Inconceivable buddhas among bodhisattvas in every field, Practicing the activities of awakening. Perceiving this in all directions, I dive into an ocean of buddha-fields, Each an ocean of three times' buddhas in the space of a wisp of hair. So I, too,  will practice for an ocean of eons. Thus, I am continually immersed in the speech of the buddhas, Expression that reveals an ocean of qualities in one word, The completely pure eloquence of all the buddhas, Communication suited to the varied tendencies of beings. With strength of understanding I plunge Into the infinite enlightened speech of the Dharma Of all buddhas in three times gone to freedom, Who continually turn the wheel of Dharma methods. I shall experience in one moment Such vast activity of all future eons, And I will enter into all eons of the three times, In but a fraction of a second. In one instant I shall see all those awakened beings, Past, present, and future lions among humans, And with the power of the illusion-like stabilization I will constantly engage in their inconceivable activity. I shall manifest upon one single atom The array of pure lands present, past, and future. Likewise, I shall enter the array of pure buddha-fields In every direction without exception. I shall enter the very presence of all my guides, Those lights of this world who are yet to appear, Those sequentially turning the wheels of complete awakening, Those who reveal nirvana – final, perfect peace. May I achieve the power of swift, magical emanation, The power to lead to the great vehicle through every approach, The power of always beneficial activity, The power of love pervading all realms, The power of all surpassing positive potential, The power of supreme knowledge unobstructed by discrimination, And through the powers of wisdom, skillful means, and samadhi, May I achieve the perfect power of awakening. Purifying the power of all contaminated actions, Crushing the power of disturbing emotions at their root, Defusing the power of interfering forces, I shall perfect the power of the bodhisattva practice. May I purify an ocean of worlds, May I free an ocean of beings, May I clearly see an ocean of Dharma, May I realize an ocean of pristine wisdom. May I purify an ocean of activities, May I fulfill an ocean of aspirations, May I make offerings to an ocean of buddhas, May I practice without discouragement for an ocean of eons. To awaken fully through this bodhisattva way, I shall fulfill without exception All the diverse aspirations of the awakening practice Of all buddhas gone to freedom in the three times everywhere. In order to practice exactly as the wise one Called Samantabhadra, 'All-Embracing Good,' The elder brother of the sons and daughters of the buddhas, I completely dedicate all this goodness. Likewise may I dedicate Just as the skillful Samantabhadra, With pure body, speech, and mind, Pure actions and pure buddha-fields. I shall give rise to the aspirations of Manjushri For this bodhisattva practice of all-embracing good, To perfect these practices Without discouragement or pause in all future eons. May my pure activities be endless, My good qualities boundless, And through abiding in immeasurable activity, May I actualize infinite emanations. Limitless is the end of space, Likewise, limitless are living beings, Thus, limitless are karma and afflictions. May my aspiration's reach be limitless as well. One may offer to the buddhas All wealth and adornments of infinite worlds in ten directions, And one may offer during eons numberless as atoms of the world Even the greatest happiness of gods and humans; But whoever hears this extraordinary aspiration And, longing for highest awakening Gives rise to faith just once, Creates far more precious positive potential. Those who make this heartfelt aspiration for the bodhisattva way Will be free of all lower rebirths, Free of harmful companions, And will quickly see Amitabha, Infinite Light. And even in this very human life, They will be nourished by happiness and have all conducive circumstances. Without waiting long, They will become like Samantabhadra himself. Those who give voice to this extraordinary aspiration Will quickly and completely purify The five boundless harmful actions Created under the power of ignorance. Blessed with supreme knowledge, Excellent body, family, attributes, and appearance, They will be invincible to vast interfering forces and misleading     teachers, And all the three worlds will make offerings. Going quickly to the noble bodhi tree, And sitting there to benefit sentient beings, Subduing all interfering forces, They will fully awaken and turn the great wheel of Dharma Have no doubt that complete awakening Is the fully ripened result – comprehended only by a buddha – Of holding in mind by teaching, reading, or reciting This aspiration of the bodhisattva practice. In order to train just like The hero Manjushri who knows reality as it is And just like Samantabhadra as well, I completely dedicate all this goodness, just as they did. With that dedication which is praised as greatest By all the buddhas gone to freedom in the three times, I, too, dedicate all my roots of goodness For the attainments of the bodhisattva practice. When the moment of my death arrives, By eliminating all obscurations And directly perceiving Amitabha, May I go immediately to Sukhavati, Pure Land of Great Joy. Having gone to Sukhavati, May I actualize the meaning of these aspirations, Fulfilling them all without exception, For the benefit of beings for as long as this world endures. Born from an extremely beautiful, superlative lotus In this joyful land, the Buddha's magnificent mandala, May I receive a prediction of my awakening Directly from the Buddha Amitabha. Having received a prediction there, May I create vast benefit For beings throughout the ten directions, With a billion emanations by the power of wisdom. Through even the small virtue I have accumulated By offering this prayer of the bodhisattva practice, May all the positive aspirations of beings Be fulfilled in an instant. Through creating limitless positive potential By dedicating this prayer of Samantabhadra' s deeds, May all beings drowning in this torrent of suffering, Enter the presence of Amitabha. Through this king of aspirations,  which is the greatest of the sublime, Helping infinite wanderers in samsara, Through the accomplishment of this scripture dazzling with     Samantabhadra' s practice, May suffering realms be utterly emptied of all beings.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama signs the "Golden Book of Rome." Hundreds of people welcomed the Dalai Lama as the motorcade drove up the hill to the Rome city hall, where he was received by the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno (Photo: Tibet Bureau/Geneva)


The Dalai Lama (L) receives a diploma of honorary citizen of Rome (AFP)

Dalai Lama made honorary citizen of Rome

AFP[Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:22]

The Dalai Lama (L) receives a diploma of honorary citizen of Rome (AFP)

ROME: The Dalai Lama on Monday became an honorary citizen of Rome as the city pledged its support for the Tibetan spiritual leader's non-violent struggle for the Chinese-ruled province's autonomy.

"From now on you will be not just a prestigious guest but you will also be a Roman citizen," Mayor Gianni Alemanno told the Dalai Lama at a ceremony in the Italian capital.

"Your presence here is a sign of our moral rejection of injustice, violence and repression ... aimed at defending a people's identity and the right of each of us to express our spirituality and culture," Alemanno said.

"We stand by you and strongly demand the full recognition of the autonomy of the Tibetan nation," the mayor said, presenting the Dalai Lama with a statue of the she-wolf that raised Rome's founders Romulus and Remus, according to legend.

The honour "is for me additional encouragement to pursue my non-violent action and gives me the courage to continue to the death," the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate replied as he removed his white scarf and offered it to Alemanno.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama signs the "Golden Book of Rome." Hundreds of people welcomed the Dalai Lama as the motorcade drove up the hill to the Rome city hall, where he was received by the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno (Photo: Tibet Bureau/Geneva)

The exiled Tibetan leader told a meeting with Italian lawmakers earlier Monday that the Chinese authorities have stepped up repression in his homeland after a revolt by monks last year, the ANSA news agency reported.

"Recognizing the Dalai Lama as the interlocutor is the first step to getting China to recognise him as such as well," deputy Matteo Mecacci told ANSA.

"The Italian parliament and government cannot remain indifferent to the tragedy" of the Tibetan people, he said.

Protests against Chinese rule erupted in the Tibetan capital Lhasa on March 14 last year, spreading to neighbouring Tibetan-inhabited provinces of China.

The Tibet government-in-exile in India has said that more than 200 Tibetans were killed and about 1,000 hurt in Beijing's ensuing military crackdown.

China has reported killing one Tibetan "insurgent" and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.

The International Campaign for Tibet, a rights group, said last week that China had launched a clampdown in Lhasa, investigating thousands of people and detaining dozens ahead of the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising.

The failed insurrection led the Dalai Lama to flee into exile in India.

NGÀI NETEN RINPOCHE TULKU
HÓA SANH ĐỜI THỨ 9

VIỆN TRƯỞNG
TU VIỆN JUNGPA, TÂY TẠNG
VIỆN PHẬT HỌC JAM TSE CHO LING, CANADA



Tại Ấn Độ có đến 16 bậc giác ngộ và giòng Neten Rinpoche bắt đầu từ ngài Lam Tren Ten, bậc giác ngộ thứ 11. Ngài đã tái sanh nhiều lần ở Ấn Độ và Tây Tạng dưới dạng Bồ Tát Mahasiddha. Sau đó ngài được gọi là Neten Rinpoche và lãnh chức vụ viện trưởng tu viện Jungpa ở Tây Tạng.
Tu viện đã được ngài Neten Rinpoche đời thứ 1 xây cất. Ngài là vị Lạt Ma tái sanh của ngài Tsangchung Sangye Pasang, đệ tử của Lạt Ma Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). Ngài Neten Rinpoche hiện thời, ra đời một năm sau khi vị Lạt Ma Neten Rinpoche đời thứ 8 viên tịch. Năm 1986, Đức Dalai Lama đã tìm ra được Neten Rinpoche, chính thức công nhận ngài là vị Lạt Ma tái sanh đời thứ 9 và giao trọng trách quan trọng của một vị viện trưởng để tiếp tục bảo tồn tu viện Jungpa. Trước khi được công nhận là vị tái sanh đời thứ 9, ngài đã là một vị học giả nổi tiếng của Đại Học Phật Học SeraMey. Ngài rất tinh thông nghi lễ Mật Tông và được sự kính nể của tất cả chư tăng như một Thầy giảng Pháp và một Luận sư.
Sau khi đạt bằng cấp cao nhất Geshe Lharampa (Ph.D Tiến sĩ Phật học), Neten Rinpoche tiếp tục nghiên cứu và học thêm Phật Pháp tại tu viện Mật Tông Gyudmed. Sau 4 năm tinh tấn tu học và thực hành giáo pháp, ngài thành công trong khóa thi do Đức Dalai Lama cùng hội đồng giáo sư tu sĩ tổ chức và lãnh bằng Ngagrampa (bằng cấp cao nhất về Mật Tông). Sau đó ngài giảng dạy tại tu viện Gyumed và cùng một lúc nhận trách nhiệm làm vị Thầy trông coi về Kỷ Luật. Ngài trở lại dạy chư tăng ở Đại Học Phật Học SeraMey, miền nam Ấn Độ.
Neten Rinpoche hoằng Pháp khắp nơi và tại Canada, ngài thành lập Viện Phật Học Jam Tse Cho Ling Dharma Center, trung tâm chính vùng Mississauga-Toronto, Ontario.

TẤT CẢ NHỮNG BUỔI LỄ VÀ THUYẾT PHÁP ĐỀU ĐƯỢC DỊCH SANG VIỆT NGỮ & ANH NGỮ tại :
Viện Phật Học Jam Tse Cho Ling 2581 Rugby Road, MISSISSAUGA,Ontario, Canada

Chủ nhật 01 tháng 02 lúc 2:00 PM
Những giai đoạn luyện Bồ Đề Tâm (tiếp theo) (*)
Thuyết Pháp: Giai đoạn II Làm thế nào để phát Bồ Đề Tâm

Chủ nhật 08 tháng 02 lúc 2:00 PM
Thuyết Pháp: Giai đoạn II Làm thế nào để phát Bồ Đề Tâm (tiếp theo)

Chủ nhật 15 tháng 02 lúc 2:00 PM
Lễ an vị và cúng dường Đức Phật Dược Sư Lưu Ly Quang Như Lai theo nghi lễ Mật Tông

Chủ nhật 22 tháng 02 lúc 2:00 PM
Thuyết Pháp: Giai đoạn III Tu hành hạnh Bồ Tát - những chỉ giáo thực thụ về pháp luyện Sáu Ba La Mật sau khi phát Bồ Đề Tâm

Thứ tư 25 tháng 02 lúc 6:30 TỐI
6:30 – 7:00 PM: Lễ cầu nguyện Tân Niên Tây Tạng
7:15 PM - .. : Trai tịnh ẩm thực đặc biệt Tây Tạng kính mời


(*) Giai đoạn I : Lợi ích của Bồ Đề Tâm – Mississauga CN 18 tháng 1, 2009