Yoga

Mishras 2012 Europen Musical tour

Dear Friends,

We are in Varanasi now and wish all of you. We are happy to inform you that our tour for Europe this year will be in October/ November 2012. So we are starting now for booking the Concert dates of Europe and just like to inform you that if you want to book any concert of us then please contact us soon as now we are booking the dates.

We are coming three musician Pandit Shivnath Mishra, myself Deobrat Mishra on Sitar and Prashant Mishra on Tabla. So please contact us soon for any information you need.

Hope to hear from you soon.

 

Yours, Deobrat Mishra

Sitar Artist.

 

Contact us at: mishramusic@hotmail.com

Website: www.music-of-benares.com

Facebook: Deobrat Mishra

Cell: 0091-9451586700

Note: we are also sending you a attachment of recent concert photos and Video Link on youtube we did with 108 Sitar players in Varanasi to save holy River Ganges. Please have a look. You can see more picture of it on my facebook account: Deobrat Mishra

My father Pandit. Shivnath Mishra made a history in Varanasi-India to conduct a orchestra of 108 sitar players. Total musician where 151 including Tabla players and Flute players.

 

Varanasi (Sanskrit: वाराणसी ) is a city situated on the banks of the River Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (199 mi) southeast of state capital Lucknow. It is regarded as a holy city by Buddhists and Jains, and is the holiest place in the world in Hinduism (and center of earth in Hindu Cosmology). It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest of India. The Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi and an essential part of all religious celebrations.The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river’s religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious centre in North India for several thousand years.

The Benares Gharana form of Indian classical music developed in Varanasi, and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians resided or reside in Varanasi, including Kabir, Ravidas Their Guru Swami Ramanand, Trailanga Swami, Munshi Premchand, Jaishankar Prasad, Acharya Shukla, Ravi Shankar, Girija Devi, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Bismillah Khan. Tulsidas wrote Ramacharitamanas here, and Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath located near Varanasi (Kashi). Varanasi is home to four universities: Banaras Hindu University, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. Residents mainly speak Hindi and Kashika Bhojpuri, which is closely related to the Hindi language. People often refer to Varanasi as “the city of temples”, “the holy city of India”, “the religious capital of India”, “the city of lights”, and “the city of learning.”

 

Mishras Press release:

Very rare to see three generation master musician’s on same stage.

11th GENERATION FATHER AND SON SITAR MASTERS of Benares Gharana

From their home city of Benares, an ancient spiritual centre of traditional music and Indian culture, “The Mishras” are bringing classical North Indian Ragas and meditative music to the world audience, gifting the audience with a fabulous performance and a spiritual experience. Join this father and son duet of two of the worlds finest Sitar Artist and Prashant Mishra on Tabla grandson of Pandit Shivnath Mishra as they inspire one another to new levels of loving interplay.

PANDIT SHIVNATH MISHRA

Pandit Shivnath Mishra was born on the 12th of October 1943, in Varanasi (North India). Also known as “Legend of the Sitar”, he is the 10th generation of the prominent Benares Gharana lineage of top class singers including Pandit Bade Ramdas Mishra and Panditji Great Grand Father. Since childhood, his highly musical family could see signs of a masterful musician in him. When Panditji was five years old, he began studying vocal music with his father, Badri Prashad Mishra, and his uncle-guru, Pandit Mahadev Prashad Mishra. However, when he was eight his musical inclination led him to study the sitar. In a family of great classical Indian vocalists, he was the first one who mastered the sitar.

Due to the vocal influence from his family as well as the Benares Gharana tradition, he is one among few artists in Contemporary India who ‘sing inside’ while playing a musical instrument. His lively, powerful and unique style has praised him with innumerous titles by the most representative authorities and institutions of music in and outside India. In 1966, when he was only twenty-three, he received a gold medal in the All India Music Conference, in Calcutta.

1979 marks the beginning of his performances abroad. Sine then, he has been constantly on tour in many foreign countries, among them Germany, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Holland etc. In 1999, he gave his first concert in the USA and Canada. During his tours, he has performed with several international jazz artists such as John Handy, Paul Horn, David Freezen, Ben Conrad, Berred Kworrase, George Figgler Aimester among others. Moreover, he participated in many conferences and recitals including the Condolence Metal of Late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, in Germany. He also took part in programs broadcast by the BBC Television and the German Radio.

Being one of India’s premiere sitar artists of all times, Pandit Shivnath Mishra was the Head of the Music Department at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University of Benares, in Varanasi, for 36 years. At this time, in 1994, he formed the “Music of Benares” which consists of a group of North Indian (Hindustani) classical musicians whose aim is to familiarize audiences all over the world with Hindustani music in general and the Benares Gharana in particular. What is characteristic of the Benares Gharana is exactly the singing of the Thumri, a light Indian classical music that is highly ornamental and thus very emotional and expressive. At a time when many different Gharanas mix with each other, the “Music of Benares” group keeps this ancient tradition alive.

Incorporation of this style with the “Jugalbandi” presentation, in which there are two solo artists sharing the stage, has created a unique synthesis of classical and folk that appeals to audiences everywhere. But this is not just Jugalbandi, this is a duet between a Guru and his Shishya (disciple) and, in this case, between father and son. Seeing this special interaction on stage is no doubt an unforgettable and mesmerizing experience.

Deobrat Mishra – biography

Deobrat Mishra is no doubt one of the most energetic and innovative sitar artists of India. Selectivity, melody and rhythmic complexity are typical features in his lively playing style.

Born in 1976, he represents the 11th generation of the Benares Gharana tradition. As a young child he studied tabla with his mother, Pramila Mishra, who is the granddaughter of the well-known tabla player Pandit Baiju Mishra. He started by studying vocal music with his father at the age of five and began his sitar lessons a year later. That same year, after only six months of studying the sitar, he gave his first public performance on stage. Five years later, he performed for the first time on the All India Radio.

Since 1994 he has been touring throughout Europe with his father. In the same year he was chosen to receive the award of the best young sitar player of India. In 2000 he received the “Jewels of Sound Award” in Mumbai. His many projects include music workshops, solo performances for radio and television as well as world music programs with Indian and European artists. Moreover, he is the one in charge of cultural events and music lessons provided by the Academy of Indian Classical Music, the school he founded along with his father, Pandit Shivnath Mishra, in 2006.

Recently, he received a Masters degree in sitar from the Prayag Sangit Samiti in Allahabad. Among many other projects, the Mishras performed and recorded their music with the Western Symphony Orchestra of Italy in 2005. Nowadays, they fully dedicate their art to similar projects including annual tours around the world.

Above all, the Mishras (father and son) serve as two of India’s leading cultural ambassadors of our times

Prashant Mishra is one of the best young Tabla player of benares music tradition. When he was five he started to learn tabla with the family member of Biru Mishra of Varanasi also studying Tabla presently with Mr.Chakkan lal Mishra(Student of Great Tabla player Anokhelal Mishra..

Soon after few years of hard practice with his grandfather Pandit Shivanath mishra and uncle Deobrat mishra he was able to perform with Mishras His skills beautifully compliment and support the Mishras in their concerts.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Aviral-and-nirmal-flow-of-the-Ganga/news

In 2004 he won first prize in Tabla competition organized by Sangeet Natak Academy Uttar Pradesh India. He received many awards for his tabla playing at many different places. The Mishras tour will help to support the Academy Of Indian Classical Music School in Varanasi, India.

Additionally, the Mishras support their Academy of Music in Benares, India where they keep alive the tradition of their music amongst young musicians. Every January and February, the Academy is open to international students of all ages and skill levels. These study tours to India are a cultural experience combining ashram style living and intensive music instruction in one of the world’s oldest cities.

Visit: www.benaresmusicacademy.com

For more information, contact Deobrat Mishra: mishramusic@hotmail.com
Visit our website: www.music-of-benares.com

http://www.gangaaction.com/index.php
http://aviralnirmalganga.blogspot.co.at
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/event

#Previous #articles #videos #benares #gharana
#Previous #articles #save #ganga  #water #humanrights

 

Note: Mishra or Misra (Hindi: „मिश्र“ „मिश्रा“) is a Hindu Brahmin surname found mostly in the northern and central parts of India. It is one of the most widespread Brahmin surnames in the fertile Gangetic plain region and in the Indian states of Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Assam and West Bengal. It is also found in countries such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago under the anglicized version of Misir, due to migration owing to agricultural/plantation employment. The surname is also found in Nepal, Fiji and Mauritius, as well as in other Indian diaspora communities.

In Hinduism, Brahmin refers to the class of educators and preachers. It is the highest class in the caste system. There are many references in the Ramayana and Mahabharata about the importance of a Brahmin. In the Vedic period, the Brahmins preferred isolation and solely dedicated their life to propagating knowledge and Dharma. However Misras have historically been martial Brahmins and in earlier years, many were drafted into the army. 

Dalai Lama stattet Österreich im Mai bisher längsten Besuch ab

 

http://dalailama.com

http://www.tibetcenter.at

 

Dalai Lama stattet Österreich im Mai bisher längsten Besuch ab. Der Dalai Lama wird im Mai zehn Tage in Österreich weilen und dem Land damit seinen bisher längsten Besuch abstatten. Das Oberhaupt der Tibeter reist nach Kärnten, Salzburg und Wien. Am Donnerstag wurde das Besuchsprogramm präsentiert.

Zum vierten Mal seit 1992 besucht das Oberhaupt der Tibeter Österreich, von 17. bis 26. Mai wird der Dalai Lama bleiben. Der Direktor des Tibetzentrums in Hüttenberg (Kärnten), Lama Geshe Tenzin Dhargye, präsentierte am Donnerstag in Wien gemeinsam mit dem Kärntner Landeshauptmann Gerhard Dörfler (FPK) das Besuchsprogramm.

Kärnten: „Die Kunst des Glücklichseins“

Den Auftakt des Dalai Lama-Besuchs stellt ein Treffen mit den Schülern des Tibetzentrums in Hüttenberg, dar. An den darauffolgenden zwei Tagen stehen dann in der Klagenfurter Messehalle „buddhistische Unterweisungen“ auf dem Programm. Am 20. Mai wird am selben Ort ein Vortrag unter dem Titel „Die Kunst des Glücklichseins“ stattfinden. Ein Thema, das dem Dalai Lama laut Geshe Dhargye besonders am Herzen liegt: „Seine Heiligkeit glaubt, dass es notwendig ist, eine Spiritualität zu schaffen, die von allen Menschen – egal ob gläubig oder nicht – angenommen werden kann. Aus dieser können dann jene menschlichen Werte entstehen, die eine Schlüsselrolle auf dem Weg zum Glücklichsein einnehmen.“

Salzburg: Internationale Flüchtlingsproblematik im Mittelpunkt

Anschließend geht die Reise weiter nach Salzburg, wo beim Besuch in der Salzburgarena das Thema „Weltfrieden und universelle Verantwortung“ im Mittelpunkt steht. Vor allem die internationale Flüchtlingsproblematik soll dabei behandelt werden, sagte Ernst Löscher, Direktor der Flüchtlingshilfeorganisation „Alpine Peace Crossing“ (APC), der die Vorträge in Salzburg mit organisierte. Denn: „Der Dalai Lama ist wahrscheinlich der prominenteste Flüchtling, den es gibt.“ Am Nachmittag wird der Dalai Lama mit dem Salzburger Erzbischof Alois Kothgasser, der evangelischen Superintendentin Luise Müller, dem Präsidenten der islamischen Glaubensgemeinschaft Fuat Sanac und dem Wiener Gemeinderabbiner Schlomo Hofmeister zusammentreffen und mit ihnen über die Möglichkeit religiöser Harmonie in Zeiten der Globalisierung diskutieren.

Wien: Berührungspunkte zwischen Wissenschaft und Buddhismus

In der Wiener Stadthalle hält das tibetische Oberhaupt dann am 25. Mai einen Vortrag unter dem Titel „Jenseits von Religion – Ethik und menschliche Werte in der heutigen Gesellschaft“. Den Abschluss wird am 26. Mai das wissenschaftlich-religiöse Symposium „Geist und Materie – neue Modelle der Realität“ an der Universität Wien bilden. Gemeinsam mit den Quantenphysiker Anton Zeilinger, einem langjährigen Freund des buddhistischen Oberhauptes, und weiteren führenden Wissenschaftlern aus Physik, Neurowissenschaft und Philosophie wird der Dalai Lama über Berührungspunkte zwischen Wissenschaft und Buddhismus diskutieren.

 

Previous articles #dalai lama #tibet #humanrights

http://religion.orf.at/projekt03/news/1204/ne120426_dalailama.html

(APA)

Themenabende im Monat Mai / Juni mit Shri Sarvabhavana

 

http://www.vedic-guide.de

Wir laden herzlich ein zu den Vorträgen und Veranstaltungen mit Shri Sarvabhavana im Monat Mai/ Juni VORTRÄGE in BERLIN / DRESDEN & PIRNA

The Bhagavad Gita (pronounced: [ˈbʱəɡəʋəd̪ ɡiːˈt̪aː] ( listen)), also referred to as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. Due to its presence in the epic, it is classified as a Smṛiti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a Śruti or „revealed text“.[1][2] As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called „the Upanishad of the Upanishads.“[3] HERE

 

Free Will…now in english! http://www.vedic-guide.de/en/texte/freier-wille

http://www.facebook.com/shrisarvabhavana

 

Previous #articles #videos #bhagavadgita

Freedom of Religion & Belief – China: Tibetan Monasteries Placed Under Direct Rule

Tibetan Yoga Center – Yoga Retreats

Contact: tibetanyogainfo@gmail.com

www.tibetanyogacenter.org

www.bhutanzopa.com.bt/AdventureTravel

www.awamfoundation.org

The practice of Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of both Buddhism and Hinduism. However there are distinct variations in the usage of yoga terminology in the two religions. In Hinduism, the term „Yoga“ commonly refers to the eight limbs of yoga as defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written some time after 100 BCE, and means „yoke“, with the idea that one’s individual atman, or soul, would yoke or bind with the monistic entity which underlies everything (brahman). In the Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet, however, the term „Yoga“ is simply used to refer to any type of spiritual practice; from the various types of tantra (like Kriyayoga or Charyayoga) to ‚Deity yoga‘ and ‚guru yoga‘. In the early translation phase of the Sutrayana and Tantrayana from India, China and other regions to Tibet, along with the practice lineages of sadhana, codified in the Nyingmapa canon, the most subtle ‚conveyance‘ (Sanskrit: yana) is Adi Yoga (Sanskrit). A contemporary scholar with a focus on Tibetan Buddhism, Robert Thurman writes that Patanjali was influenced by the success of the Buddhist monastic system to formulate his own matrix for the version of thought he considered orthodox. Read More: HERE

Early Buddhism incorporated meditative absorption states. The most ancient sustained expression of yogic ideas is found in the early sermons of the Buddha. One key innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditative absorption must be combined with liberating cognition. The difference between the Buddha’s teaching and the yoga presented in early Brahminic texts is striking. Meditative states alone are not an end, for according to the Buddha, even the highest meditative state is not liberating. Instead of attaining a complete cessation of thought, some sort of mental activity must take place: a liberating cognition, based on the practice of mindful awareness. The Buddha also departed from earlier yogic thought in discarding the early Brahminic notion of liberation at death. Liberation for the Brahminic yogin was thought to be the realization at death of a nondual meditative state anticipated in life. In fact, old Brahminic metaphors for the liberation at death of the yogic adept were given a new meaning by the Buddha; their point of reference became the sage who is liberated in life. Read More: HERE

Dream Yoga or Milam (T:rmi-lam or nyilam; S:svapnadarśana)— the Yoga of the Dream State are a suite of advanced tantric sadhana of the entwined Mantrayana lineages of Dzogchen (Nyingmapa, Ngagpa, Mahasiddha, Kagyu and Bönpo). Dream Yoga are tantric processes and techniques within the trance Bardos of Dream and Sleep (Tibetan: mi-lam bardo) and are advanced practices of Yoga Nidra. Aspects of Dream Yoga sadhana are subsumed within the practice suite of the Six Yogas of Naropa. Read More: > HERE <

Tibetan yoga center was established to provide a program of study and practice in the Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayana) tradition that would integrate the essence of these teachings and present them in a suitable way for practitioners in the West. The program combines the core practices relying on visualizations, yoga of channels, winds and drops, and insight into the nature of the mind (rigpa) for efficient progress on the path. The core teachings of Tibetan Yoga Center are ‚The yogas of the six bardos‘ of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, summarized in the curriculum as seven courses (see the program section). The founder and master teacher of the center, Khenchen Lama Rinpoche, was at numerous occasions encouraged by his teachers to focus on helping Western students, particularly through these practices. To help bring these teachings closer to the background of Western practitioners, the program of the Tibetan Yoga Center also integrates elements of Western neuroscientific research on changes in behavior, mind and brain as a result of meditation. Building on the tradition of enlightened householder yogis in Tibet, the program of the center was developed for yogis of the current era – serious practitioners leading busy lives with work and family commitments who want to bring their spiritual practice to swift fruition to fully benefit sentient beings.

Tibetan Yoga Center operates on principles of a social business, offering teachings mostly by suggested donation and for minimal possible fees to cover expenses. The aim of the Tibetan yoga of mind is to develop universal loving kindness and compassion coupled with the ultimate wisdom of the nature of phenomena, the ultimate truth. At the basic level of achievement, one wishes happiness for oneself as well as other people.

At the medium level of achievement one realizes that the source of ultimate happiness is the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. One realizes that the most profound way to benefit sentient beings is to achieve enlightenment and works very hard towards this goal. On this path, one completely purifies his/her mental afflictions – anger, attachment, ignorance, jealousy and pride. The highest level of achievement in the Tibetan yoga of mind is the experiential understanding of our own Buddha nature – the deepest level of the mind. When one continuously sustains this realization in his/her mind stream, s/he becomes the embodiment of the union of primordial wisdom and compassion, and benefits sentient beings in limitless ways. This achievement is the essence of the Tibetan yoga and the deepest meaning of the term ’naljor‘.

TYPES OF YOGA IN TIBETAN BUDDHISM – There are six yanas (modes of spiritual practice) in Vajrayana: 1. Kriyayana, 2. Upayana, 3. Yogayana, 4. Mahayoga, 5. Anuyoga, and 6. Atiyoga. In Nyingma lineage, the main focus of practice is on Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga.

Teaching and Practice Downloads: This section contains general teachings given by teachers of the Tibetan Yoga Center at various occasions as well as specific teachings that are part of the curriculum of the center. These teachings are available for free, but proper reference to the teachings if used as part of other materials should be included.

Previous some related #articles #videos:

Mountain Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

Yoga of Himalayas – Nuns & Communities

The Ninth Mandaean Camp Niagara Falls

UNESCO – The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

UN – Nagoya biopiracy agreement ‚is unexpected success‘

Saving the Bedouin Heritage and Biodiversity

A Call for Renewable Energy in Brazil – Belo Monte

Indigenous Australien Medicine – Bush Medicine

MORINGA THE MIRACLE TREE

Build Hope – Sivananda Sevashram

ARGAN TREE – Argan Oil Morocco

Jain Tradition – Mahavir Jayanti India

Monasteries Environmental Himalayaprotection

Monks lead march to save Himalayas

Interfaith Center: Gala Dinner with Yusuf Islam

Gilgit (UNESCO Gilgit Manuscripts) Baltistan – National Conference Sufism

Bahá’í – Religion für eine neue Zeit




Introduction Swami Vivekananda – Jnana Yoga

The Hindu approach to spiritual evolution leading to liberation or moksha or Self-realization is one of the four major paths or yogas:

  • the path of knowledge or Jnana yoga,
  • the path of mind control or Raja Yoga ,
  • the path of devotion of Bhakti yoga and
  • the path of action/work or Karma yoga.

#video Swami Vivekananda 1893 Speech at Parliament of Religions Part 1 of 4

Swami Vivekananda was the chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the „Western“ world, mainly in America and Europe and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the end of the 19th century CE. Vivekananda is considered to be a major force in the revival of Hinduism in modern India.

He is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech which began: „Sisters and Brothers of America,“ through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions http://parliamentofreligions.org brings people of faith together to work for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. We invite you to join us today at http://www.PeaceNext.org the social network of the inter-religious movement.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions works to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

The first Parliament of Religions was held at the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, and was the first formal meeting of the religious East and West. In 1988 the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) was founded to organize a centennial celebration of the original Parliament. Since 1993, three Parliaments have been held in Chicago, Cape Town, Barcelona and in 2009 the most recent Parliament was held in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Joachim Reinelt: Zur Zeit des indischen Mittelalters wanderten in weiten Teilen Indiens und Tibets tantrische Mystiker umher, die Nathas, Nathayogis oder Nathasiddhas genannt wurden. Sie praktizierten und lehrten Hatha- und Kundaliniyoga und hatten großen Einfluss auf das religiöse Leben der Menschen.

Gorakshanatha Saivism: Gorakhnath or Gorakshanatha Saivism is also known as Siddha Siddhanta and Nath tradition. It was founded by Gorakshanatha (Gorakhnath) who lived about 10th century AD. He is believed to be 3rd, 4th or 5th in a line of 12 prominent teachers of this tradition, which has followers in both Buddhism and Hinduism.

He was said to be a disciple of Matsyendranatha who was from in Nepal. Followers of this sect believe that knowledge of this tradition was received by Matsyendranath directly from Siva himself. Gorakshanatha is credited with such works as Siddha Siddhanta Paddhathi and Viveka Martanda. He composed them in Hindi. He also created 12 monastic orders across Northern India in an effort to preserve the Adinatha tradition. Other important works of this tradition are Hathayoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita and Jnanamrita.

History of the Nathas – The history of ancient Indian sadhu texts reveals a succession of several main groups. There were the Sadhs, Yatis, Siddhas, Nathas, Pashupatis, Sant-Mats, Dasnamis and Nagas. Apart from these, many small sadhu sects have existed and played their part in the great stream of Indian life. In early history, it would appear that some sects were interwoven with others, and some merged or developed into other sects. Some thus became extinct, and others are still with us.

Full Article: http://www.saivism.net

 

http://www.facebook.com/parliamentofreligions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda

Bhutan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_national_happiness

UN – The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity

UNESCO – Cultural Diversity

UNESCO – Intangible Cultural Heritage

UN – Nagoya biopiracy agreement ‚is unexpected success‘

http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/books/The.Road.to.an.Anti-Biopiracy.Agreement.htm

Amnesty International – What are economic, social and cultural rights?

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China: Tibetan Monasteries Placed Under Direct Rule

Human Rights Watch: The Chinese government has ended a key policy of allowing Tibetan monasteries to be run by monks who comply with government regulations and have instead introduced a system that will place almost every monastery in Tibet under the direct rule of government officials who will be permanently stationed in each religious institution.

(New York) – The Chinese government has ended a key policy of allowing Tibetan monasteries to be run by monks who comply with government regulations and have instead introduced a system that will place almost every monastery in Tibet under the direct rule of government officials who will be permanently stationed in each religious institution, Human Rights Watch said today.

 

The new system now requires an unelected „Management Committee“ – also referred to as zhusi danwei/gongzuozu („monastic government work-unit“)- to be established in every monastery, with up to 30 lay officials stationed in each monastery, depending on the size of the institution, according to a February 15, 2012 article in the government-run Global Times. The new „Management Committees“ will run the monasteries and will have authority over the previous „Democratic Management Committees,“ which will now be responsible for rituals and other matters.

The freedom to leave or discontinue membership in a religion or religious group —in religious terms called „apostasy“ —is also a fundamental part of religious freedom, covered by *Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[2]

Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion.[1]

#video Meeting with Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt As always saying something on the topic of freedom of religion or belief, to say it again, the most shocking experience when dealing with case of violations of freedom of religion is the extreme manifestation and degree of hatred “ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81qyyKzntJw


http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/religion/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FreedomReligionIndex.aspx

 

February 29, 2012

Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Exiled PM wants ‚fact finding‘ mission in Tibet

March 3, 2012

UN Human Rights Chief asked when she would visit Tibet

Mar 6, 2012

UN calls on China to stop forced settlement of Tibetan Nomads

8 March 2012

“Unfinished progress” – UN expert examines food systems in emerging countries reports* on China, Mexico and South Africa to the Human Rights Council. In China, local-level authorities often have allowed land-grabbing at the expense of poor rural households. And between 50 and 80 per cent of the 2.25 million nomads on the Tibetan plateau may be relocated into settlements close to rural cities, overhauling the food and farming practices of this vulnerable community as part of a programme to abandon nomadic life and modernize agriculture. ( Latest Water UN Report – World Consumption of modern agriculture on fresh water by 70% )

Natural resource extraction takes a heavy toll on the lives of indigenous peoples who depend wholly on the land. Read further on how their rights are being stripped away. http://bit.ly/qTTxkS

chinadialogue Tibetan herders are struggling to adjust to sedentary life on the edge of the city of Golmud. Xia Liwei visited one family and listened to their story. http://www.chinadialogue.net/–Who-are-these-people-now

chinadialogue As China seeks to protect a delicate corner of Qinghai, 50,000 herders have been moved off the grasslands. Ill-prepared for urban life, they face a bleak future, write Guan Guixia and Suonan Wangjie. http://www.chinadialogue.net/–Hard-times-for-eco-migrants

TIBETAN NOMADS Tibetan herder with a yak Nomadic herders are known as drokpa. They make up about 25 percent of Tibetans in Tibet. In some Tibetan counties they make up 90 percent of the population. http://factsanddetails.com/china.tibetan nomads

‘Obesogenic’ food systems & Right to food in emerging countries

OLIVIER DE SCHUTTER

U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR

ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD

Newsletter 12 March 2012

Here is the latest news from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter. You will find more information on our website.

In the spotlight

‘Obesogenic’ food systems must be reformed

“The West is exporting diabetes and heart disease to developing countries, along with the processed foods that line the shelves of global supermarkets,” warned the Special Rapporteur, calling for an urgent response to the public health disaster of poor nutrition.

On March 6th the UN expert presented an official report, entitled ‘The right to an adequate diet: the agriculture-food-health nexus’ to the UN Human Rights Council.

Instead of medicalizing diets, we must tackle the systemic problems that generate poor nutrition in all its forms, he urged, calling for the taxation of unhealthy products, regulation of foods high in saturated fats, salt and sugar and the way they are marketed, reform of wrong-headed agricultural subsidies, and support for local food systems.

Read the press release or the report and recommendations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_food

 

“Unfinished progress”
– UN expert examines food systems in emerging countries

 

[8 March 2012] GENEVA – “The food systems of emerging countries are at a major crossroads. Millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, yet whole communities have been left behind,” warned Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, after presenting his reports* on China, Mexico and South Africa to the Human Rights Council.

“As many as 19 million Mexicans and 12 million South Africans remain food insecure, and China’s rural dwellers are up to six times poorer than urban populations,” the expert said, calling on emerging countries to act now to lay the foundations for fair and sustainable food systems by implementing the following actions:

Mr. De Schutter urged emerging economies to protect the rights of land users, especially minority and vulnerable groups, and to establish in law the right to food, so it can be rapidly translated it into national strategies and institutions. He also advised supporting smallholder agriculture in the face of mega-development projects, and stopping soil and water degradation through a massive shift to agroecological practices. Likewise, the UN expert suggested the adoption of a strategy to tackle rising obesity.

Read more…

“Emerging countries face the huge task of feeding fast-growing populations whose increasing wealth is exerting new pressures on scant resources. They must secure and strengthen their food production bases as a matter of urgency; and they will only do so by working with farmers and their organizations, rather than against them,” he urged.

END

(*)Check the reports: China, Mexico and South Africa.

 


Sivaratri Celebration and Sri Ramakrishna’s Brithday Celebration :

 

Sri Ramakrishna’s 175th Birth Anniversary : The Yearlong Celebration’s Concluding Programme and Sri Ramakrishna’s 177th Birthday Celebration : Watch LIVE from 22. Feb to 26. Feb 2012

Maha Shivratri ( Sanskrit:महा शिवरात्रि, Tamil:மகா சிவராத்திரி, Hindi:महाशिवरात्रि Nepali: महाशिवरात्रि) or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivarathri (Great Night of Shiva or Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana or Gujarati Vikrama) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar (that is, the night before and day of the new moon). The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil. Per scriptural and discipleship traditions, the penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life’s summum bonum steadily and swiftly. International Mandi Shivratri Fair is held every year.

Shiva-ratri (Magha-krishna-chaturdashi) :

Shiva-ratri is observed on the 14th lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Magha (February-March). Watch LIVE Feb. 20. 2012 http://www.belurmath.org/siva_ratri.htm

Mahashivaratri is on February 19th in Entire North America, Canada, and United Kingdom. For Middle East, India, Srilanka, Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Newzeland and Fiji Mahashivaratri is on Feburary 20th 2012. Please remember there is no Chaturdashi during 20th February’s midnight in America, Canada and United Kingdom. Hence If you are observing Mahashivaratri on February 20th in America, Canada, and United Kingdom you are observing amavasya not mahashivaratri. However in Middle East, India, Srilanka, Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Newzeland and Fiji Mahashivaratri is on Feburary 20th 2012.


http://www.belurmath.org/siva_ratri.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivarathri

Hindu Festivals 2012 Time Table:
http://www.mypanchang.com/hindufestivals2012.php

(mehr …)

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION : Live Webcast

http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/swami-vivekanandas-birthday-celebration-live-webcast/

http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2012/01/10/national-youth-day-12-january-2/

 

http://www.sv150.info

Previous #articles #videos # development #reliefwork

http://ramakrishna.org Ramakrishna – Vivekananda Center of New York

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta

Live Webcasts from the Kalachakra Teaching

There will be live webcasts from the Kalachakra Teaching in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, from January 1-10, 2012. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be teaching in Tibetan and there will be live webcasts in English, Chinese, Russian and Tibetan languages.


All times Indian Standard Time (GMT+5.30)

January 1: Short Teaching
His Holiness will give a short teaching.
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

January 4-6: Preliminary Teachings
His Holiness will give preliminary teachings on Kamalashila’s „The Middling States of Meditation (gomrim barpa)“, Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s „37 Practices of A Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma)“, Geshe Langri Thangpa’s „Eight Verses of Training the Mind (lojong tsik gyema)“, Nagarjuna’s „The Praise to the World Transcendent (jigten ley deypar toepa)“ and Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen’s „The Precious Lamp in Praise of Bodhicitta (jangchup sem kyi toepa rinchen drolma)“.
Times: 1:00pm – 3:30pm each day

January 10: Long life empowerment and offering

A long life empowerment (tsewang) and a ceremony offering prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be performed.
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am (approximate time)

January 10: Ceremony honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama
There will be a public felicitation ceremony for His Holiness.
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Live English language webcast can be viewed here.
Live Chinese language webcast can be viewed here.
Live Russian language webcast can be viewed here.
Live Tibetan language webcast can be viewed here.

More information and a full schedule of events at:

http://www.kalachakra2012.org/

http://dalailama.com

http://www.facebook.com/DalaiLama

For times in your region 1:00pm Indian Standard Time (IST) on January 1st in India is the same as 7:30am on January 1st in London, England.

 

http://tibetanyouthcongress.org

http://wiki/List_of_organizations_of_Tibetans_in_exile

 

http://www.ecobuddhism.org

http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org

 

http://www.tchrd.org/ Human Rights Situation in Tibet

https://www.facebook.com/tibetnewsonline

http://www.facebook.com/Tibet Sites


Further Sources #articles #videos #social projects #buddhism:

http://www.deinayurveda.net/wordpress/buddhism

http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/east-asia/china/

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON „SUFISM“

 

http://www.lokvirsa.org.pk

Conference on Sufism „as mainspring of Love, Peace and Harmony“

 

Opening Date: Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Closing Date: –

Additional Information : at 3.00 p.m at Lok Virsa Islamabad

The Gilgit Agency was a political unit of British India, which administered the northern half of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Gilgit Agency was created in 1877 and was overseen by a political agent of the Governor-General of British India. The seat of the agent was Srinagar. In 1935, the Gilgit Agency leased the territory comprising the agency from the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, for a period of sixty years. This lease and the Gilgit Agency ceased to exist when Pakistan and India became independent countries in 1947. HERE

LOK VIRSA – AN INTRODUCTION :

Lok Virsa (The National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage) works towards creating an awareness of cultural legacy by collecting, documenting, disseminating and projecting folk & traditional heritage. Surveys and documentation of traditional culture is central to the objectives of the institute. The Lok Virsa delve into and surveys are conducting by mobile recording and filming units. Dedicated individuals undergo the rigorous field work, to bring back valuable results to the central archives and production facilities housed at the Lok Virsa complex at Garden Avenue Shakarparian Hills Islamabad.

Lok Virsa is an affiliate member of UNESCO, The World Craft Council, International Council of Music, The Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, The International Council of Museums and similar other world organizations for the dissemination of art products abroad.

 

http://www.rferl.org/section/Pakistan

http://www.facebook.com/Gilgit Baltistan

http://www.facebook.com/kashmirsufismsociety

http://www.facebook.com/pakistanyouthforumpage


http://hunzalandslide.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Indian Youth Climate Network(IYCN)

http://de.wikipedia.org/Hunza Burusho people, Hunza-Mythos

http://en.wikipedia.org/Former State of Hunza (princely state)

http://www.facebook.com/International Organization of Folk Art (IOV)

https://www.facebook.com/unesco Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

 

Zamana is a public interest space for learning, reflection, and action on Pakistan.

Explore: Whose Land? Whose Food?

In its first issue, Zamana delves into the thorny subject of land and food rights in Pakistan. The focus is prompted by recent news reports that amidst rising hunger and food crises, the Government of Pakistan plans to give away thousands of acres of farmland to Saudi Arabia and other foreign investors. Zamana invites more commentaries on this issue. Please send your perspective to info @ zamana.org. Further Infos: http://farmlandgrab.org/

Act: Our Land, Our Food, Pakistan is not for Sale

Sign the petition to raise your voice against land leasing to foreign clients.

 

UPDATE 23.11.2011 Final Declaration: Stop Land-Grabbing Now!

The Oakland Institute http://www.oaklandinstitute.org

More than a hundred civil society organizations have submitted a document entitled „Time to Act – Agriculture and Food Security and Rio+20“ as input to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (the Rio+20 conference). The submission outlines the key actions that are needed to achieve viable food systems based on agroecological and other forms of sustainable production.

http://www.facebook.com/oak.institute

http://www.ourworldisnotforsale.org/members

http://www.facebook.com/road2rio20

http://roadtorioplus20.org

A global youth mobilization towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

http://www.timetoactrio20.org/ 20 years after the Rio Earth Summit, the planet is in a deeper environmental, energy and financial crisis.The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 might be just another high-level conference stating the need to eradicate hunger and poverty, stop climate change, the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and other serious environmental problems – and then, after the conference, life goes on as before. But it can be different. It has a historical opportunity to make important decisions and agree on actions that actually do eradicate hunger and poverty, and save the environment. It’s time to act!

Many civil society organizations have signed on to a document with proposals on issues linked to food and agriculture for the Rio2012-conference. Download the document (PDF) HERE. Download the document in Word format (doc) HERE.

If you have comments and suggestions for changes in this document, and if your organization wants to support the document, please send a mail to rio2012agcso@gmail.com

The document is available in English, Spanish, French and German

 

UPDATE 24.11.2011 @guardian – Africa’s great ‚water grab‘ Foreign investors aren’t just after land in Africa. Access to water is essential – which can bring them into direct competition with the needs of local communities.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/nov/24/africa-water-grab-land-rights

This article is about a right to water as a human right under international law. For a discussion of water usage laws in common law, see Water right. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_water

 

WORLD CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Vienna, 14-25 June 1993

 

VIENNA DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION

Note by the secretariat

Attached is the text of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993.

1. The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirms the solemn commitment of all States to fulfil their obligations to promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, other instruments relating to human rights, and international law. The universal nature of these rights and freedoms is beyond question.

… Emphasizing that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which constitutes a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, is the source of inspiration and has been the basis for the United Nations in making advances in standard setting as contained in the existing international human rights instruments, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights…

http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/%28symbol%29/a.conf.157.23.en

http://www.amnesty.org/en/economic-social-and-cultural-rights #video

Relay Hunger Strike to Kirti Gompa

www.dalailama.com

http://tibet.net

www.ippnw.org

www.tibetanyouthcongress.org

Kirti Gompa (Tibetan: ཀིརྟི་དགོན་པ།), (sometimes referred to as Ge’erdengsi or Gerdeng Monastery), properly known as Kirti Kalari Gon Tashi Lhundrub, is a Gelugpa monastery on the northwestern edge of Ngawa City, the main city in Ngawa County, within the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Sichuan, China. It is located on the Tibetan plateau at an elevation of 3,200 metres (10,499 ft.) Read More: > HERE <

The Fukushima I nuclear accidents (福島第ä原子力発電所ä故, Fukushima Dai-ichi are a series of ongoing equipment failures and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the 9.0 magnitude Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011.The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors maintained by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). This accident is the largest of the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents arising from the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and experts consider it to be the second largest nuclear accident after the Chernobyl disaster, but more complex as all reactors are involved. Read more: > HERE <

TYC will organise a mass prayer and donation drive on 28th April 2011 to observe the 49th day since the massive earthquake shook Japan.

Relay Hunger Strike to demand immediate withdrawal of Chinese troops from Kirti Monastery in Tibet – TYC launched today indefinite Relay Hunger Strike near Main Temple (Tsuklagkhang) to protest against the critical situation in and around Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, Tibet. 15 monks from Institute of Buddhist Dialectics today participated in the first batch of hunger strike. We are also collecting signatures at the site on the petition demanding immediate withdrawal of Chinese troops. All Regional chapters of TYC has also been instructed to launch relay hunger strike. Please see the statement on this campaign.

TYC-executives-indefinite-hunger-strike-poster-tib-b

www.studentsforafreetibet.org against Chinas „Re – Education Programme“ and for Human Rights 4 All

(mehr …)

BELUR MATH – REGENERATE RURAL INDIA

10president

http://belurmath.org

www.sriramakrishna.org

 www.ramakrishnananda.com

https://advaitaashrama.org

www.ramakrishna.org N.Y.

www.parliamentofreligions.org

Advaita Vedanta (Advaita VedÄnta; Sanskrit अद्वैत वेदान्त ) is considered as the most influential sub-school of the VedÄnta (literally, end or the goal of the Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu philosophy. Other sub-schools of VedÄnta are Dvaita and ViśishṭÄdvaita. Advaita (literally, non-duality) is a monistic system of thought. „Advaita“ refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman).

The key source texts for all schools of VedÄnta are the Prasthanatrayi—the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. The first person to explicitly consolidate the principles of Advaita Vedanta was Adi Shankara, while the first historical proponent was Gaudapada, the guru of Shankara’s guru Govinda Bhagavatpada. Read More: > Here <

Belūr Maṭh is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta. The temple is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions. Read More: > HERE <

The essence of Vedanta is that there is but one Being and that every soul is that Being in full, not a part of that Being. All the sun is reflected in each dew-drop. Appearing in time, space and causality, this Being is man, as we know him, but behind all appearance is the one Reality. Unselfishness is the denial of the lower or apparent self. We have to free ourselves from this miserable dream that we are these bodies. We must know the truth, „I am He“. We are not drops to fall into the ocean and be lost; each one is the whole, infinite ocean, and will know it when released from the fetters of illusion. Infinity cannot be divided, the „One without a second“ can have no second, all is that One. The Vedanta says that the Soul is in its nature Existence absolute, Knowledge absolute, Bliss absolute.

The ideology of Ramakrishna Math and Mission consists of the eternal principles of Vedanta as lived and experienced by Sri Ramakrishna and expounded by Swami Vivekananda. This ideology has three characteristics: it is modern in the sense that the ancient principles of Vedanta have been expressed in the modern idiom; it is universal, that is, it is meant for the whole humanity; it is practical in the sense that its principles can be applied in day-to-day life to solve the problems of life. The basic principles of this ideology are given here: http://belurmath.org/Ideology.htm

 

http://belurmath.org/what_new.htm Releasing shortly… A Documentary on BELUR MATH The heart of Ramakrishna Movement .  Bhakti Yoga does not say ‚give up‘; it only says ‚Love; love the Highest‘; and everything low naturally falls off from him, the object of whose love is this Highest. — Swami Vivekananda / 12th January is celebrated as National Youth Day but do we know the relevance of this day? What is one supposed to do on this day, how does one celebrate? Is it a holiday?

AN APPEAL – Situated in one of the most picturesque spots of the Himalayas at a height of about 7000 ft., Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, was started by Swami Vivekananda in 1899. It is a branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur. The special object of the Ashrama, as its name implies, is to study, practise, and preach Advaita or the eternal truth of the Oneness of all existence. This centre has been entrusted with the publication and propagation of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and Vedanta literature. It is also publishing Prabuddha Bharata, the oldest English monthly magazine in India, since the last 115 years.

Apart from being a monastery, this Ashrama runs a hospital called the Mayavati Charitable Hospital. It came into being in response to the pressing needs of the neighbouring villages, where live some of the poorest people of the country. Patients come here from distant places across hills and dales, sometimes trudging a distance of nearly 50 km. Their helplessness in sickness would touch any heart if only it were known. We run a 25 bed indoor hospital and an outdoor patients department in this out-of-the way place since 1903. All treatment is done free of charges. Moreover, Surgical Camps, Dental Camps, Urological Camps, Eye Camps etc. are held throughout the year to provide special care to the poor villagers of Kumaon region. We bring qualified doctors from different cities to conduct such medical camps.

In order to accommodate these doctors we are building a Doctors‘ Quarters cum guest house. The new doctors’ quarters will have 8 rooms with attached baths for the doctors on the first floor and 6 rooms for guests and a meditation hall on the second floor. We request you to contribute liberally for this cause

The expected cost of construction, as submitted by the architects, will be Rs. 60 lakhs. Transportation cost is very high here because the materials have to be procured from 150 to 450 km away. The uplift of the backward and downtrodden has always been one of the key objectives of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, of which this Ashrama is a branch. It is needless to mention here that if this institution has attained to its present stature, it is because of love, sympathy, and benevolence of charitably inclined people like you. The donation has to be made in favour of Advaita Ashrama and can be sent to the address given below.

May the Lord help us work in a true spirit of worship.

Birth Anniversary Vivekananda

Activities of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

From April 2006 to March 2007

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Yoga of Himalayas – Nuns & Communities

Chumig Gyatsa Gargon Abbey

 www.icimod.org

www.pundarika.org

www.muktinath.org Chumig Gyatsa

 www.tnp.org

Nepal (नेपाल) (/nɛˈpɔːl/ Nepali: नेपाल ), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People’s Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world’s 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation’s capital and the country’s largest metropolis. Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized. Read More: > HERE <

The Tibetan Nuns Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and supporting nuns in India from all Tibetan Buddhist lineages. It supports nuns interesting in study and higher ordination. Tibetan nunneries have historically been well established in Tibet, certainly from the 12th century and with traditions reaching back as far as the eighth century. Before the Chinese invasion in 1949, there were at least 818 nunneries and nearly 28,000 nuns living in Tibet. Traditional education in the nunneries included reading, writing, and lessons in ancient scriptures and prayers taught by the senior nuns or lamas from monasteries. Read More: > HERE <

The vision behind the Pundarika lotus symbol is the immaculate wisdom and compassion of Dharma. It is Pundarika’s hope to manifest this vision by bringing the timeless wisdom of great Tibetan masters to the modern West.

Under the guidance of Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Pundarika Foundation was established in 1994 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization and as a 501(c)(3) church in 2006 (FEIN No. 84-1295990). Pundarika is a volunteer organization that relies on the generosity of students’ time and commitment. It has the support of over 2,000 students throughout the world who attend retreats, practice Dharma under the inspiration of Rinpoche and contribute time, money and prayers to its success.

Missions and Goals: „You can awaken a sense of responsibility for all the other sentient beings who are exactly the way you used to be, tormented by negative emotions. You can begin helping them–first one, then two, then three and finally all sentient beings.“ Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Pundarika Foundation’s primary mission is to support the teaching activities and humanitarian work of Tsoknyi Rinpoche by: Keeping alive the wisdom of the Dharma, Sustaining practitioners who preserve the teachings of the Buddha as a vital tradition, Helping people experience inner peace, to better face the challenges of modern life with compassion and sanity, ~For Recent Accomplishments, please click here ~

Produced by Chariot Videos – www.chariotvideos.com . Blessings tells the story of 3000 nuns living in the remote nomadic region of Nangchen in Eastern Tibet who practice an ancient yogic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Despite near extinction during the destruction of the Cultural Revolution, these remarkable practitioners have emerged to rebuild their monasteries by hand.. stone by stone. Now, their wisdom tradition is once again vital and growing. In 2005, Tsoknyi Rinpoche III led a small group of western students to meet these amazing women. Narrated by Richard Gere www.gerefoundation.org/, with music by Ani Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts, Blessings is the story of this extraordinary journey.

Rinpoche’s first visit to Chumig Gyatsa led to the immediate construction of 10 small rooms. Since then, their nunnery has been repaired and enlarged, and the nuns were able to perform a full Buddhist ritual practice for the first time. Twenty young girls were ordained and joined the community. Today, the 51 nuns divide their time between Kathmandu and Muktinath. Also, a health clinic (Chumig Gyatsa Gargon Abbey and Clinic) was constructed that serves the nuns and the local community. This year, a new large shrine hall is being constructed.

Ancient practices leading to enlightenment – The nuns’ story is a classic example of dedication and tenacity. Organized in nunneries comprised of several “Ani houses” (dwellings where up to 15 nuns live together), they perform their spiritual practices in a group, teaching and helping each other all their lives. Many nuns do three-year, nine-year or even lifetime retreat. On retreat, each nun sits all day in meditation posture doing her yogic practices and meditation.

The nuns’ daily routine captures a timeless scene from the past. A typical day starts around 3:30 a.m., as the nuns wake and immediately start their first three-hour practice session. After a short break for breakfast, they resume their second session, ending at lunch. The third session occupies the afternoon, and after a light evening meal, they complete their fourth practice session. They then continue sitting throughout the night, practicing dream yoga.

Many of the nuns are accomplished masters of difficult yogic practices such as tummo (the yoga of inner heat). They perform yearly rituals for the public that include a long procession around the center in the dead of winter in sub-zero temperatures, with only a sheet wrapped around their bodies. During the night, hundreds of the most adept nuns wet their sheets repeatedly in buckets of melted snow and continue their procession, drying the sheets again and again with the inner heat generated by their yogic practice.

This very rare and awe-inspiring event, as well as the realization of the elder nuns, has gained them respect and renown throughout Tibet. In a culture where female practitioners have struggled to gain respect, these nuns have risen to a high level of status, with many monks and lamas seeking their teachings and instruction.

 * Tsoknyi Nangchen Nun at Gebchak Gonpa *

The nuns also serve the community through spiritual support and counseling, giving love, compassion and emanating peace directly into people’s minds. This is a tangible example of the power of spiritual influence.

  • Our current (2010) goals and a bit beyond are:
  • To begin the development of specific practice materials for Rinpoche’s students
  • To complete a shrine to the land protectress Dorje Yudronma on the Yeshe Rangsal retreat land by spring 2010
  • To complete the construction and landscaping for a Shrine/Tent by August 2010
  • To explore and complete the planning for new creative partnerships with humanitarian and dharma organizations
  • To publish a new book by Rinpoche on Bodhicitta for a more public audience in 2010/2011
  • To continue to provide material and financial support to the Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns of Nangchen in Tibet and the Chumig Gyatsa monastery in Nepal
  • To fulfill the Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns‘ endowment by the end of 2010
  • To complete construction of a new Shrine Hall for the Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns of Chumig Gyatsa in Nepal in early 2010
  • To support Rinpoche’s teachings by organizing all Pundarika sponsored retreats
  • „Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.“ ~ H. H. the Dalai Lama

    The values that nuns have—peace, love and compassion—affect an entire community and continue to branch out to the rest of the world. In summary, the nuns‘ lives exemplify the power of living Dharma and its realization to transform the hearts and minds of the surrounding communities.

     

    (mehr …)

    Mountain Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

    ICIMOD

    www.cbd.int/cop10

    www.icimod.org

    www.hrw.org/asia/china

    NGO Development Projects Active in Tibet

    About ICIMOD – The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD, is a regional knowledge development and learning centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – and based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

    Globalisation and climate change have an increasing influence on the stability of fragile mountain ecosystems and the livelihoods of mountain people. ICIMOD aims to assist mountain people to understand these changes, adapt to them, and make the most of new opportunities, while addressing upstream-downstream issues. We support regional transboundary programmes through partnership with regional partner institutions, facilitate the exchange of experience, and serve as a regional knowledge hub. We strengthen networking among regional and global centres of excellence. Overall, we are working to develop an economically and environmentally sound mountain ecosystem to improve the living standards of mountain populations and to sustain vital ecosystem services for the billions of people living downstream – now, and for the future.

    International Mountain Day, celebrated on December 11, gives us an opportunity to reflect on the relevance of mountains for the world. This year the International Mountain Day theme focuses on indigenous peoples and other minorities living in the mountains. The purpose is both to highlight the threats and challenges faced by these communities, and to acknowledge the invaluable knowledge they have and the contributions they can make towards overcoming global challenges of poverty and loss of diversity in a rapidly changing world.

    A majority of the world’s indigenous women and men live in mountain regions, many on the margins of society and facing poverty and exclusion. The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region has some of the highest diversity of indigenous peoples and other minorities in the world. An ICIMOD report identified more than 600 living languages in the Himalayas, 400 spoken by less than 100,000 people. According to current forecasts, ninety per cent of all languages could disappear within 100 years. The loss of these languages not only erodes an essential component of a group’s identity, it is also a loss to heritage for all humankind.

    The UN General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in September 2007, marking an important step in international efforts to preserve the identity of indigenous peoples. However, implementation has a different speed and different levels of commitment in different countries.

    In agricultural terms, mountains are often considered ‘marginal lands’, unsuitable for modern commercial farming which focuses on cultivation of single crop varieties for large markets. Indigenous mountain people and other mountain communities continue to use traditional practices and techniques including sophisticated terracing systems, water transportation and irrigation schemes, and a combination of pasture, forestry and farming practices. Indigenous women and men serve as custodians of this traditional knowledge on how to farm under difficult mountain conditions, and how to conserve important reservoirs of agricultural biodiversity.

    They sustainably farm a wide variety of crops that are adapted to a range of different elevations, slope conditions, and micro-climates, and this knowledge will be of great, if as yet little noticed, value in the world’s efforts to adapt to climate and other drivers of change. The autonomous adaptation practiced by mountain communities consists of community-based interventions that address underlying causes of vulnerability and reduce the risk of possible adverse impacts of climate change by building upon the existing rich indigenous knowledge base on adaptation to environmental change and helping to strengthen the resilience of the communities. Women especially play a critical role in gendered indigenous knowledge. Their roles and expertise have yet to be acknowledged, but has great potential for adapting to multiple drivers of change.

    Indigenous mountain communities are connected to the land, the environment, and natural resources in ways that are often inextricably intertwined and therefore expressed in spiritual and socio-cultural terms. Respecting this worldview, and preserving the languages, music, artwork, folk tales, culture, meanings, and myths that express it, is critical for the survival of indigenous communities in mountain areas. This ‘intangible heritage’ also enriches the global community, providing inspiration and insights for realising a more sustainable relationship between humankind and the environment.

      

    A scene from Tibetan Documentary „Leaving Fear Behind,“ shows a nomad school in Tibet (Amdo) working to preserve Tibetan Language and culture as it’s very existence is under threat from Chinese Government policies. Find out more: http://studentsforafreetibet.org Leaving Fear Behind: The Film the Chinese Government Doesn’t Want the World to See. // sumit sadhak practicing handstand in himalyas on the bank of ganga river one of the most important places for yogis.

    The involvement of indigenous mountain communities is an important prerequisite for sustainable mountain development. Therefore, as governments work toward addressing mountain development priorities, it is critical that they live up to their commitments outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    We hope that this year’s International Mountain Day will help to increase awareness of the central role of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples for mountain development, and to motivate all citizens, policy makers, and development actors to recognise the importance of their contribution to sustainable development. We trust that the Day will encourage organisations to invite indigenous and traditional mountain communities to participate actively in national and international efforts to understand and adapt to the multiple drivers of change, including climate change, in the mountains of the world.

    With best wishes, Andreas Schild http://www.icimod.org

    Culture and Development – Placing culture at the heart of development policy constitutes an essential investment in the world’s future and a pre-condition to successful globalization processes that take into account the principles of cultural diversity. It is UNESCO’s mission to remind all States of this major issue.

    As demonstrated by the failure of certain projects underway since the 1970s, development is not synonymous with economic growth alone. It is a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence. As such, development is inseparable from culture. Strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development is a goal that was launched in connection with the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1998). Ever since, progress has been made thanks to a corpus of standard-setting instruments and demonstration tools such as cultural statistics, inventories, regional and national mapping of cultural resources.

    In this regard, the major challenge is to convince political decision-makers and local, national and international social actors to integrating the principles of cultural diversity and the values of cultural pluralism into all public policies, mechanisms and practices, particularly through public/private partnerships.

    This strategy will aim, on the one hand, at incorporating culture into all development policies, be they related to education, science, communication, health, environment or tourism and, on the other hand, at supporting the development of the cultural sector through creative industries. By contributing in this way to poverty alleviation, culture offers important benefits in terms of social cohesion. Read more: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en

    The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity – United Nations  Background Note by Diana Ayton-Shenker:

    The end of the cold war has created a series of tentative attempts to define „a new world order“. So far, the only certainty is that the international community has entered a period of tremendous global transition that, at least for the time being, has created more social problems than solutions.

    The end of super-power rivalry, and the growing North/South disparity in wealth and access to resources, coincide with an alarming increase in violence, poverty and unemployment, homelessness, displaced persons and the erosion of environmental stability. The world has also witnessed one of the most severe global economic recessions since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

    At the same time, previously isolated peoples are being brought together voluntarily and involuntarily by the increasing integration of markets, the emergence of new regional political alliances, and remarkable advances in telecommunications, biotechnology and transportation that have prompted unprecedented demographic shifts.

    The resulting confluence of peoples and cultures is an increasingly global, multicultural world brimming with tension, confusion and conflict in the process of its adjustment to pluralism. There is an understandable urge to return to old conventions, traditional cultures, fundamental values, and the familiar, seemingly secure, sense of one’s identity. Without a secure sense of identity amidst the turmoil of transition, people may resort to isolationism, ethnocentricism and intolerance.

    This climate of change and acute vulnerability raises new challenges to our ongoing pursuit of universal human rights. How can human rights be reconciled with the clash of cultures that has come to characterize our time? Cultural background is one of the primary sources of identity. It is the source for a great deal of self-definition, expression, and sense of group belonging. As cultures interact and intermix, cultural identities change. This process can be enriching, but disorienting. The current insecurity of cultural identity reflects fundamental changes in how we define and express who we are today. Read More: * HERE*

     India, Pakistan, South Asia, China- Friends Forever

    www.business-humanrights.org , www.minesandcommunities.org

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    Build Hope – Sivananda Sevashram

    Swami Sivananda's Birthday 2010 celebrations and common prayer

    SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, PURIFY, MEDITATE, REALISE. So Says Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj

    www.buildhope.org

    www.sivanandaonline.org

    www.dlshq.org

    Swami Sivananda Saraswati (September 8, 1887—July 14, 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a well known proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism. He lived most of the later part of his life near Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh. He is the founder of The Divine Life Society (1936), Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy (1948) and author of over 200 books on yoga, vedanta and a variety of other subjects. He established Sivananda Ashram, the location of the headquarters of The Divine Life Society (DLS), on the bank of the Ganges at Shivanandanagar, at a distance of 3 kilometres from Rishikesh.

    Sivananda Yoga, the yoga form propagated by him, are now spread in many parts of the world through Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, but these centres are not affiliated with Swami Sivananda’s original ashrams which are run by the Divine Life Society. Read More: > HERE <

    His Holiness Swami Sivananda was born in Pathamadai in Thirunelveli district, South India. Ever since his childhood, His Holiness was totally devoted to serving others. He worked very hard and graduated in Medicine. As a doctor he earned money but could not obtain peace of mind. He realized that earning a lot of money does not mean earning peace and happiness. Instead, spiritualism alone can help one attain MUKTHI or MOKSHA. His mind was in search of peace and was in a quest for the ultimate purpose of being born in this world. He felt that everyone must have a goal in life and one must lead one’s life with purpose and meaning.

    Swami Sivananda proceeded to Rishikesh in North India, where he realized his goal while sitting on the banks of Ganges. He advocated non-violence, truth and worship. Many were impressed by his simplicity and teachings. He gathered a lot of followers and in due course, a mission was started in a small hut which today proudly stands as SWAMI SIVANANDA SARASWATHI SEVASHRAM at Rishikesh. His teachings were simple and he saw God as Omnipotent. He advocated the principle that „ONE CAN FIND GOD IN HIS/HER OWN HEART BY BEING HONEST AND LEADING A SIMPLE LIFE“. He believed the teachings of the Quran, Bhagavath Gita and Bible to be the same. He also believed that there was no need for one to go in search of God, as one can find God in their own hearts by not being selfish, but by making sacrifices for others. Many devotees all around the world were fascinated by his teachings and started several missions in Yoga, Siddha and other spiritual awakenings.The late founders of Sivananda Ashram, Sri S. V. Iyer and Dr. V. Mangalam, started this organization after being enlightened by Swamiji that the only real happiness a human being could find was by serving others.

    We hope Swamiji’s teachings inspire and motivate all of us to do what we can to help others lead a better life.

    Shri. S. V. Iyer and Dr. V. Mangalam, an elderly couple, started Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram in 1945 with just 3 kids and with the blessings of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh. More popularly known as „Sivananda Ashram/Orphanage/Gurukulam“, the organization has grown to be a very well known and well recognized social institution in the country today.

    We are a „National Awardee“ institution recognized by the Government of India in 1983.

    Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram is a non-profit organization with the primary objective of protecting orphans, destitute women, the physically handicapped, AIDS-affected children, and the elderly.

    With the experience of more than 60 years of recorded services to thousands of poor orphans, Sivananda Orphanage effectively helps transform/grow these orphans to productive citizens. We not only provide food, education and shelter, but also instill character and morals to help them grow, learn and eventually become independent.

    Many, including former Prime Minister of India, Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru have visited our ashram and witnessed our committed work. We currently look after 300 children and 80 elderly, all of whom are accepted and cared for with love and affection.

  • Ayurveda, Yoga, Articles on his Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj <
  • Meet Build Hope, Sivananda Saraswathi Sevashram friends, fans at fb <
  • Meet www.suryajyothiyoga.org Surya Jyothi Yoga Vedanta Center, friends, fans at fb <
  • Meet www.sivanandapeetham.org Swami Govindananda, friends , fans at fb <
  • Meet Swami Sivananda – Divine Life Society, studies, friends at fb <
  • Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) at fb <
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    Omkar Spiritual Tours – Ticket for a Cause

     The new Middle School for the higher grades with three classrooms, science lab and open meeting hall

    www.internationalrivers.org

     www.omkarspiritualtours.com

    http://www.teach-india.com/index.htm

    www.srianandamayima.org/new_projects

    The Narmada (Devanagari: नर्मदा, Gujarati: નર્મદા) ,also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India and flows westwards over a length of 1,312 km (815.2 mi) before draining through the Gulf of Cambey (Khambat) into the Arabian Sea, 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Bharuch city of Gujarat. Read More > Here < 

    The Narmada Dam Project is a large hydraulic engineering project involving the construction of a series of large irrigation and hydroelectric multi purpose dams on the Narmada River in India. The project was first conceived of in the 1940s by the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The project only took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity. Of the thirty large dams planned on river Narmada, Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) is the largest structure to be built. It has a proposed final height of 136.5 m (448 ft). The project will irrigate more than 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi), most of it in drought prone areas of Kutch and Saurashtra. Critics maintain that its negative environmental impacts outweigh its benefits. Read More: > HERE < 

    A COMMERICAL AIR TICKETING SERVICE WITH A SOCIAL MOTIVE BY OMKAR SPIRITUAL TOURS – Ever thought that four flight ticket can elevate somebody´s hopes? Ever thaught that every time you fly, somebody´s future prospects could also take wings? Now this can happen by simply booking your air tickets with Omkar Spiritual Tours, a vital and innovative tours and travel service concern.

    ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS COMMERICAL SERVICE WILL GO TOWARDS THE RUNNING OF THE OMKARESHWAR SCHOOL.

    Omkar Spiritual Tours is a business venture run by entepreneurs who have begun this work out of a spirit of charity to fund a very active NGO (noncommercial Organization) — a free school for local village children in Omkareshwar, India. Omkar Tours is a commerical project specifically begun for supporting an important social project.

    At Omkar Tours, you are our guests and our fellow workers for a noble project, and not mere customers. All our guests receive unparalleled attention and care. Come and experience the spiritual side of India, and at the same time contribute to a worthy cause!

     

    Omkar Tours is not a cold business venture run by entrepreneur, but a vibrant group of dedicated devotees who have begun this work out of a spirit of charity to fund the ashram free school. All the proceeds go for the running of the Omkareshwar School for the local village children, and all the workers connected with this venture are devotees of Ma Anandamayi Ashram and are spiritual people in their own right.

    Tree Planting Project Omkareshwar

    The Wonder of Omkareshwar – In Cooperation with Israelian Agriculture Students a System has found where 98 % of the thousend planted trees survived on this rocky and difficult soil on the island above the Narmada River. The Indian Forest Minister stunned and reported about the many tree planting projects where the trees only on paper exist, because only a few trees surviving in lack of water or difficult soil the first years.

    THE SCHOOL ABOVE THE NARMADA RIVER –  On the hill above  the Ashram (The word ashram comes from “ah—without” and “shram—stress”. An ashram is a spiritual center, meant to be a place of quiet and peace and a place for spiritual discipline and meditation practice.) Swami Kedarnath and Dr. Swami Gurusharanan founded Mata Anandmayi Tripura Vidyapeeth, a thriving school for the local village children. The school is invaluable to the local community in offering free education to children from the poorest living conditions. Without it, the children would almost certainly have no chance for essential development in life.

    The school offers a unique style of education: while all the traditional subjects are extensively covered, emphasis is also placed on Dharma (the Eternal Path of Righteousness), moral values and character development, service to society and religious studies.

    400 children between the ages of 6-18 currently attend Mata Anandmayi Tripura Vidyapeeth. Demand for places is high and the school is eager to respond, although finding teachers in such a remote part of India is a constant struggle.

    The school initiates projects to help their local community and the school, such as litter-picking of the island or removing rubbish from the Narmada River on which it sits. Anyone who’s been to India will recognise the cultural unawareness of litter and it’s impact on the environment. Mata Anandmayi Tripura Vidyapeeth’s shaping of young hearts and minds to appreciate the need to care for their local environment is truly commendable.

    Hands-on work to help their community is known as Sewa and instils a sense of respect and responsibility for their local community. This shines through upon meeting the children and is deeply missing in modern societies.

    Projects range from small to large in size and continue throughout the school year.

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