[Dance Spree] New Organization Formed to Stop Violence in Tibetan Monasteries

[keith harmon snow]

Hello

For Westerners attending Buddhist teachings, seeking to nurture and
promote compassion and kindness, a radical awareness is called for.

In January, 2006, His Holiness the Dali Lama held the traditional
Tibetan Empowerment Ceremony, the KALACHAKRA, at Amaravathi, India,
reportedly the site of Shakyamuni the Buddha's original teachings and
the first Kalachakra Empowerment.

While widely lauded for its spiritual dimensions, the realities of the
KALACHAKRA, and the deeper contradictions and politics behind Tibetan
Buddhism and the SAVE TIBET movement are rarely if ever discussed or
publicized in the Western World. The injustices of teh KALACHAKRA
itself will likely remain in darkness.

Get a unique and nicely balanced take introducing these surprises in
Kyoto Journal:
http://www.kyotojournal.org .
.
Or read the complete and extended story w/o subscription:
KALACHAKRA 2006: A PRAYER FOR ANDHRA PRADESH:
http://www.allthingspass.com/uploads/html-153Kalachakra_Full_Final_June%202006.htm

After attending the KALACHAKRA I was entreated by several monks to
help bring awareness to the problems of violence in Tibetan
Monasteries. Hence I helped to found a new organization in India in
February 2006:

Volunteers Against Violence in Tibetan Monasteries.

Help and support is needed to bring awareness to these problems, which
rival the insidious and patriarchal problems in the Catholic Church.
Innocent children are being abused, but beatings target monks and nuns
of all ages.

Sera Je Monastery was named as one of the worst examples in India
where the problems are very entrenched. While attending talks by
Tibetan Spiritual Masters it is important to raise the question of why
Ringpoches, Abbots and the Dalai Lama himself do not openly call for a
halt to "disciplinary" beatings in Tibetan Monasteries both inside and
outside of Tibet.

The answer is that these beatings are rationalized, and condoned,
under the philosophy of "compassionate beatings are needed to achieve
the proper course and help disciples find their way." According to
monks who spoke with me, this is not acceptable, because it
contradicts the teachings of the Buddha, but monks are not free to
speak and some have been punished ruthlessly for attempting to do so.

And then there is the issue of the CIA supporting the Dalai Lama and
the armed Tibetan Liberation struggle and the responsibility of the
United States in bringing repression down on the Tibetans becuase of
it.

Please read the story above and educate your self about these issues.
True compassion does not come from a place of aggression, and
violence, and kindness will never spring from a lack of awareness.

Anyone wishing to support the Volunteers Against Violence in Tibetan
Monsateries Project, or for further info, please contact me. Please
forward and post.

blessings
keith harmon snow



-- 
All things pass, so too will i

keith harmon snow
USA: 413-626-3800

http://www.allthingspass.com
http://www.stopexcision.net