2010 July « Rev. Danny Fisher

New Report from Human Rights Watch: Chinese Forces Violated International Law by Firing Indiscriminately on Tibetan Protestors in 2008

The Guardian brings us news of a just-issued report from Human Rights Watch:

Chinese security forces fired indiscriminately on demonstrators and brutally beat detainees during unrest in Tibetan areas in 2008, alleges a report released today by Human Rights Watch.

After interviewing 200 refugees and travellers, the organisation says that hundreds of those arrested remain unaccounted for after what was the region’s most serious unrest for decades.

The riots in Lhasa on 14 March, in which officials say 21 died and hundreds were injured, followed protests by monks. Unrest then rippled across other Tibetan areas of China.

Chinese officials have said the security forces exercised “extreme restraint”, and the commander of the People’s Armed Police has said its actions complied with both domestic and international law.

But the report says that, while security forces showed some restraint on some occasions, “in multiple incidents … [they] broke international law, including prohibitions against disproportionate use of force, torture, and arbitrary detention, as well as the right to peaceful assembly”.

You can read the rest of The Guardian article here. Download the full Human Rights Watch report here.

Library of Congress Receives Special Gifts from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Special Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari (L) presents His Holiness the Dalai Lama's gifts to Dr James Billington, Librarian of the Library of US Congress." Image via TibetCustom.

This from TibetCustom:

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. organised an event on Monday (19 July) during which the Librarian, Dr James Billington, received three gifts to the Library from His Holiness the Dalai Lama from his Special Envoy Lodi Gyari.

The three gifts consist of an 18th century Thangka of the Buddha from the Paksam Trishing collection; a Mandala offering set; and a golden butter lamp.

Gyari Rinpoche spoke about His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Library in February this year, during which he had expressed his desire to make some gifts to the Library’s collection. Rinpoche described the significance of the Thangka. He referred to these gifts as strengthening the bond between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the United States, 102 years William Rockhill had received some gifts from the 13th Dalai Lama, which later became a part of the Library’s collection.

Dr Billington, in his remarks, said he was honoured and humbled to accept these very special gifts from His Holiness. He said that when His Holiness visited the Library he had the opportunity to show him the gifts given by his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama, to William Rockhill in 1908. These included a beautiful thangka and a copy of the Tibetan text on the perfection of wisdom, both highly symbolic of the special meeting.

Dr Billington said today’s gifts also have special symbolic significance. He said they reminded him of the Library’s core mission, to offer the light of wisdom and learning to the world through preserving a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. He said this includes the Library’s Tibetan collection consisting of nearly 13,000 volumes.

Librarian Billington requested Gyari Rinpoche to thank His Holiness for these profound gifts, symbolic also of our friendship, and said he welcomed His Holiness to visit again and again. Dr Billington concluded by wishing Gyari Rinpoche Tashi Delek.

Read the rest here.

A Gift of Dharma for 7.20.10

Today’s quote is another from the much-beloved Acharya Ani Pema Chödrön, whom I first quoted and wrote a little biography for in this post. This is it:

…Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.

“On Creating a Buddhist Vestment”

The author officiating at the wedding of Anna Fisher Kohansky and Matthew Kohansky, June 26, 2010.

As some of you in the blogosphere already know, my beautiful baby sister Anna married her beau Matt (one of the best guys you’re ever going to meet) a couple weeks ago. I had the honor of officiating the wedding in my parents’ backyard in Greensboro, NC, with family and friends in attendance.

I got a lot of questions at the service and from those who saw the pictures about the article I’m wearing in the above picture. The artist responsible, my mom, explains it in a post at her blog The Quilted Librarian. Give it a read.

Congrats, Anna and Matt! May you always be happy, may you always be well, and may you always be peaceful.

Matthew Kohansky and Anna Fisher Kohansky on their wedding day, June 26th, 2010. Photo by the author.

2 comments

July 19, 2010

A Gift of Dharma for 7.19.10

Today’s quote is from Kyabje Gelek Rimpoche, founder and president of Jewel Heart, “a spiritual, cultural, and humanitarian organization that translates the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism into contemporary life,” and author of Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation. This is it–a quote included in a post today at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog:

…This life is wonderful, but there are limitations. Before those limitations take over, achieve what you want to achieve. Do something while you are able to. Right now everything is wonderful, enjoyable, but that well being is temporary. It could change at any minute. Anything can go wrong at any moment.

This talk of death or impermanence is not meant to make you afraid. The whole purpose of it is for you to have compassion for yourself. And travel well.

Rev. Danny Fisher

Month: July, 2010

July 21, 2010