http://yamantakasonictitan.bandcamp.com/

Speaking of Buddhist Metal (?), don’t forget . . . Read More.]]> Yamantaka // Sonic Titan are a music collective from Montreal. They bill themselves as a Black Metal band. The two leads, Alaska B and Ruby Atwood, identify themselves as practicing Buddhists. Here’s a recent article about them: http://www.avclub.com/toronto/articles/alaska-b-and-ruby-atwood-of-yamantaka-sonic-titan,68404/

Speaking of Buddhist Metal (?), don’t forget Affinity in Toronto, with Sean Hillman on drums. Sean is a former Gelugpa monk, currently a Buddhist scholar at the University of Toronto, and publisher of the blog, http://www.torontobuddhistethics.blogspot.com/. You can follow the band via their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/affinityband

I WON’T FALL DOWN from SUNRISE and GOOD PEOPLE on Vimeo.

Here are the lyrics, courtesy of the band: Iwontfalldown

Here’s the web poster:

For full info, follow this link: A Day in . . . Read More.]]> “A Day in Tibet”, Montreal’s annual Tibetan bazaar is happening later this month – and this year it’s TWO days, since it has become so popular.

Here’s the web poster:

For full info, follow this link: A Day in Tibet

A  PRECIOUS  COLLECTION  of  THE  BUDDHA’S  SACRED  RELICS from SRI LANKA

After His Nirvana 2500 years ago, the Supreme Buddha’s precious relics were preserved by gods and kings. In Sri Lanka, they . . . Read More.]]> From the organizing committee at the Montreal Buddhist Monastery & Cultural Center:

A  PRECIOUS  COLLECTION  of  THE  BUDDHA’S  SACRED  RELICS from SRI LANKA

After His Nirvana 2500 years ago, the Supreme Buddha’s precious relics were preserved by gods and kings. In Sri Lanka, they were royal gifts, venerated for centuries in holy stupas. For the first time in the world, we are blessed to receive (tentatively) in Canada, from the renowned

• Thuparamaya stupa, the JAW relic
• Seruwavila stupa, the FOREHEAD relic, and
• Thiriya stupa, the HAIR relic

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to worship, pray, and be blessed as in the presence of THE BUDDHA

You are invited to contemplate and worship this unique collection of the Buddha’s Relics thanks to the generosity of the Government of Sri Lanka, the dedication of Ven. Dodampahala Vipulasiri Thero, with blessings from the International Council for Buddhist Development in Sri Lanka (ICBSL).

CANCELLED

Here’s a brief 6-minute English video she made to explain her background, while running for that position:

And here’s a brief description about her . . . Read More.]]> She’s a Tibetan Canadian from Montréal, who is a new minister (Kalon) in the 15th Tibetan Government in Exile.

Here’s a brief 6-minute English video she made to explain her background, while running for that position:

And here’s a brief description about her from an article introducing all the new ministers, taken from an article in The Tibetan Review, about Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay’s new Cabinet:

Dicki Chhoyang (Minister for the Department of Information & International Relations (DIIR))

Chhoyang is a surprise choice, though not the biggest surprise.  Her choice as a Kalon may, perhaps, have had to do with Sangay’s election campaign to have at least two women Kalons, besides the fact that Chhoyang ancestrally hails from Amdo province, a case of one stone killing two birds. 

Her lack of experience, both as a politician and as an administrator, and also her lack of in-depth practical knowledge of Dharamsala politics, the Tibet Support Group movement, or the day-to-day lives of Tibetans living in India, Nepal and Bhutan are big drawbacks.  As the Kalon for DIIR, it remains an open question whether her Tibetan language skills are strong enough to serve her daily at the level required to manage a government organization. 

On the plus side, she is relatively young, energetic, and has a proven enthusiasm to work for the cause.  Chhoyang’s upbringing in the West may give her a different perspective and hence a new angle in diplomacy, information dissemination, and even possible restructuring of the existing media channels under DIIR. 

Her experience living in Tibet and briefly in Beijing could prove invaluable, as will her working knowledge of Chinese.  Her fluency in English and French are also big plusses for the lead diplomat of the Central Tibetan Administration.  If Chhoyang proves to be a quick learner in administration and in speaking professional Tibetan, she may prove to be a very successful DIIR Kalon.  She is someone to watch closely.
——
And here is a link to her campaign website, which explains her background, vision and issue focus, as well as a variety of other resources: http://www.dickichhoyang.org/bio

According to an article in the Edmonton Journal (originally appearing in the Montreal Gazette), His Holiness is “being duped . . . Read More.]]> There have been several news articles in the past few days about controversy surrounding the Second Global Conference on World’s Religions, happening tomorrow in Montréal.

According to an article in the Edmonton Journal (originally appearing in the Montreal Gazette), His Holiness is “being duped into promoting Islamic fundamentalism.” Here’s the link for you to make up your own mind: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Controversy+brews+ahead+Montreal+conference+world+religions/5355208/story.html

Here’s another article about it, from the Canadian webzine Tolerance: http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=118005&L=en

My guess is that His Holiness, who has had years of experience dealing with difficult conversations, will do just fine, thank you very much.

UPDATE: Here’s the follow-up article from The Montreal Gazette after the conference… http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Dalai+Lama+addresses+conference+Montreal/5367020/story.html

It would appear that engagement and dialogue were key themes that kept coming up from all participants.

A cinematic journey to one of the most remote places on the planet, Tibet: Land of the Brave transports the audience into the everyday lives of Tibetan herders, seen through the eyes of Gyamtso, Marijo and their daughter, Yangchen. Following . . . Read More.]]> From the film’s website, http://tibetterredesbraves.net/en/accueil/

A cinematic journey to one of the most remote places on the planet, Tibet: Land of the Brave transports the audience into the everyday lives of Tibetan herders, seen through the eyes of Gyamtso, Marijo and their daughter, Yangchen. Following this Tibetan-Canadian couple, who are expecting their second child in Tibet’s snowy mountains, Tibet: Land of the Brave explores how China’s radical turn toward a market economy has devastating effects on the nomadic lifestyle.

Gyamtso Sotse lives in Canada with his wife, Marijo Demers, a young Quebecker passionate about the Tibetan language and culture. Gyamtso left his native Tibet in 1992, but has not been back in the past thirteen years. With a Canadian passport in hand, he sets out to rediscover for himself and to introduce his wife and daughter to his ancestral heritage without fear of reprisal from the Chinese authorities.

Gyamtso’s community in Tibet have raised yaks for generations and have managed to preserve a nomadic existence for thousands of years. For the young family, the journey is an opportunity to immerse themselves in the local customs and daily tasks, which little Yangchen seems to have no problem with.

Herding yaks, preparing food and crafting wool by hand form the daily routine of Tibetan nomads. Yet to maintain this mode of existence the nomads must fight a daily struggle against China’s rapid modernization which threatens to sweep their traditions aside. Filmed over several years, this documentary is a witness to the effect of China’s sedentarization policies on the nomadic life.

Through the experiences and culture shock of a Westerner, a Tibetan and their daughter, Tibet: Land of the Brave looks at the daily life of Tibetans in China and exposes the dangers threatening their traditional existence.

The film Tibet: Land of the Brave marks the fruition of a long journey that began with director Geneviève Brault’s research on the Tibetan community in Québec in 2001. Geneviève met Marijo Demers while directing two short television stories about the community. She continued to attend various Tibetan events with Marijo and her family, building a level of trust that would allow Geneviève to accompany the couple and their daughter on two different trips to Tibet. In 2005, Geneviève stayed with the family for three months while embedded in a nomad community in the mountains, opening up a unique reporting opportunity with fascinating and dynamic people. This first immersion in Tibet revealed the urgency of a people whose way of life was threatened and compelled her to tell their stories.

Tibetan nomads, who until recently have managed to preserve their ancestral heritage, now face serious threats to their daily lives. The Chinese government, convinced that the nomad population should follow the Western development model, ordered the sedentarization of 80 percent of Tibetan plateau nomads in 2010. During her time there, Geneviève witnessed first-hand the effects of government policies: Tibetans nomads, forced to fence in their herds with barbed wire, are hammering the nails in their own coffins.

Through this highly intimate and original creation process, Tibet: Land of the Brave reflects candidly on the condition and future of the Tibetan people. Giving them a voice and a face, it reveals the vestiges of an ancestral lifestyle under constant threat.

Productions Multi-Monde is proud to announce the première of Tibet: Land of the Brave at Cinéma du Parc in Montréal, Québec, on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Projections at Cinéma du Parc:

• Première : September 9, 7pm
• September 10, 5pm
• September 11, 5pm

On the ITC website are offered a selection of texts translated . . . Read More.]]> Geshe Thubten Jinpa, PhD, is one of Canada’s treasures. He is the former translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and founder of the Institute of Tibetan Classics in Montréal where he lives.

On the ITC website are offered a selection of texts translated by Geshe Jinpa. Here is the link: http://www.tibetanclassics.org/Jinpa_Translation.html