UN Secretary-General Praises Buddha's Vision of Peaceful and  Harmonious Co-existence
(2005-May-15)
         [soc.culture.cambodia] : As millions of Buddhists, in Europe as well as all over the world, celebrated the life of their spiritual leader, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged all people to work together towards the common good and a peaceful and harmonious co-existence. In a message marking the Day of Vesak, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of Guatama Buddha, the Secretary-General said that in this time of global  uncertainty, "the Buddha's vision of peace and of humanity's highest potentials may be more relevant than ever before." "Indeed, if we want to have a chance of overcoming the many challenges that face us today - in the fields of peace and  security, development, and the protection of our global environment - we must think beyond our narrow, short-term self interests, and raise ourselves to a universal perspective from which the well-being of the broader human community appears as important as our own well-being," Mr. Annan said. The Secretary-General noted that the Buddha's lofty ethical and humanitarian ideals have given birth to a vibrant spiritual tradition that continues to ennoble the lives of millions of people all over the world, as Buddhists celebrate the message of compassion, understanding and mutual respect that the Buddha brought to mankind. "Each of us shares the hope of a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future," Mr. Annan said. "Our actions - as individuals and as members of our communities - must be guided  by that common dream."

Brazil's Buddhists try to plant a seed (2005-Apr-29)
Roman Catholics still dominate nation
         By Stan Lehman, ASSOCIATED PRESS : COTIA, Brazil -- As the Buddhist monastery's sweeping red roof comes into view above the rolling green hills, a visitor can imagine its chambers filled with robed monks meditating and chanting. Instead, the sprawling monastery and temple is home to just 14 young Brazilians studying to become Fo Guang Shan monks or nuns in this city about 20 miles west of Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city. "We have planted a seed for the future growth of Humanist Buddhism in Brazil," said Chueh Cheng, abbess of the Zu Lai monastery. "It is a slow and gradual process that will require a lot of patience, because we do not proselytize." Still, Chueh -- who is known by the nickname Sinceridade, Portuguese for sincerity -- says the monastery is the cornerstone of a plan to help Buddhism grow in the world's largest Roman Catholic country.
         Fo Guang Shan, or Mountain of Buddha's Light, is a Chinese school of Humanist Buddhism that encourages its followers "to incorporate into our day-to-day lives the teachings of Buddha about generosity, compassion and happiness, not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of all those around us," explains Chueh. In other words, unlike the more introspective transcendental Buddhism, the Humanists set an example with their good works and concern for the interests, needs and welfare of society as a whole. "In 50 years, there will be at least 2 million practicing Buddhists in this country," Chueh predicted. It's an ambitious goal, considering that today just 214,873 people in Brazil call themselves practicing Buddhists. Some 125 million of Brazil's 183 million people are Catholics, according to the 2000 census. Another 26 million or so Brazilians are evangelical Protestants. Aggressive proselytizing by the Pentecostal sects has made Protestantism the country's fastest-growing religious sector.
         Moacir Mazzariol Soares, one of Chueh's aides, says the census underestimates the number of Buddhists. "What the census does not show is the number of people who follow and practice Buddhist philosophy and tenets, without abandoning the religions they were born into," Soares said. Andre Porto, a coordinator at Rio de Janeiro's Institute for Religious Studies, agrees. "There is definitely a swelling tide of interest" in Buddhism, Porto said. "A growing number of Brazilians are seeking some form of spirituality but reject the dogmas or God of the Judeo-Christian tradition." It was this kind of spiritual quest that led Joao Paulo Vito to turn to Buddhism and enter the monastery last year to become a monk. "Here I found the spirituality I was looking for," the 21-year-old Vito said. "I also think that Buddhism is the best path to take to help my country, the world and mankind. "I want to work with street children and others who have lost their way in this chaotic world and help them find a purpose to their lives."
         Fo Guang Shan is not the only school of Buddhism in Brazil, but it has the best chance of growing and taking root in Brazil, according to Frank Usarski, a religious studies professor at Sao Paulo's Catholic University. "Fo Guang Shan is one of the biggest and definitely the most dynamic schools of Buddhism," Usarski explained in an interview. "It is in constant expansion." "In Brazil, where the number of Buddhists is very small, the monastery and temple are part of a well-planned strategy to establish Fo Guang Shan's roots in this country." Besides courses in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, the monastery offers classes in kung fu and tai chi chuan as a way to attract interest in the religion. It also sponsors outreach programs to help underprivileged children in a nearby shantytown. "These programs are a way of exposing these children to Buddhism in the hopes that one day they will become devoted followers," Usarski added.

Jesus after David and before the Vatican (2005-Apr-24)          LUKE 4:1-8 : «Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'" And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory ; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"            MATTHEW 12:1-8 : At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

PHOTO  REUTERS

           But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. "But if you had known what this means, ' I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,'  you would not have condemned the innocent. "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

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