Buddhism
Taiwan Buddhists transform plastic waste
Millions of discarded plastic bottles that might normally land in Taiwan's trash are being diverted into the hands of Buddhists, becoming items of transformation — although not of a strictly spiritual nature.
Thousands of religious volunteers are taking the discards and turning them into shirts, toys and suitcases sold as far afield as San Diego.
Da Ai Technology Co., a nonprofit company funded by the Tzu Chi Foundation, gathers 2,000 tons of plastic bottles each year in Taiwan from a total of 100,000 tons tossed out. Tens of thousands of volunteers at some of the foundation's 5,600 recycling centers sort bottles by color, strip them of labels and bundle them. The bundles...
Related "Buddhism" Articles
Taiwan Buddhists transform plastic waste
Millions of discarded plastic bottles that might normally land in Taiwan's trash are being diverted into the hands of Buddhists, becoming items of transformation — although not of a strictly spiritual nature.
Thousands of religious volunteers are...
Lingering in Laos: Mind and spirit in harmony
I broke my own cardinal rule of travel, which is this: If you're going to visit a country, start in its capital to embrace the cultural customs and nuances of a new destination.
For Laos, that would be Vientiane, which sits on a plain that's northeast of...
If Queen Elizabeth can birth an heir, why can't the Dalai Lama rebirth one?
Recently, the revered and charismatic Dalai Lama told a German newspaper that there should be no more Dalai Lamas after his death. In other words, this 14th Dalai Lama, who is 79 (and has vowed to live to 113), says he will not be reincarnated as the 15th...
Bruce Wagner continues his Hollywood topography in 'Maps to the Stars'
He stands in black boots and black coat, phone at his ear, as if conspiring with a distant demon. He beckons in a rooftop cafe and hangs up. The Hollywood Hills, which he has known since childhood, rise tidy and neat; houses shine, pools glimmer. But to...
Joshu Sasaki Roshi dies at 107; monk brought strict form of Zen Buddhism to U.S.
When an obscure Japanese monk arrived in Los Angeles 52 years ago, he carried little more than a spare robe, a Japanese-English dictionary and an invitation to teach Zen.
But the trappings of his life would not always be so simple. At centers he...
Joshu Sasaki Roshi, who brought Zen Buddhism to U.S., dies at 107
Buddhist teacher Joshu Sasaki Roshi, a leading figure in Zen Buddhism in America whose legacy was later complicated by allegations of sexual abuse, has died. He was 107.
Roshi died Sunday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Gento Steve...
Indiana law allows Satanists to perform marriages, but not Buddhists
An Indiana law is "irrational" and "absurd" for allowing Satanists to perform legal marriages while making it a crime for Buddhists and humanists to do the same, a federal appeals court said this week.
It's been a rough few months for state marriage laws...
The 5 most beguiling-weird-curious works at LACMA's new Korean show
Depictions of torture in hell, a graceful screen of mountains that feels contemporary and a snarling lion holding a mirror that reflects your misdeeds. The L.A. County Museum of Art's exhibition "Treasures From Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon...
LACMA's lovely show on Korea in a time of transformation
How remarkable that a simple piece of undecorated, fired white clay can be a riveting work of art.
Yet there it is, beckoning quietly from a vitrine near the start of "Treasures From Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910." The large...
Review: Norton Simon's 'In the Land of Snow' is an enlightening exhibit
At a time when museums seem to be torn between blockbusters and specialized scholarship, it's refreshing to come across "In the Land of Snow: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas" at the Norton Simon Museum, a no-nonsense exhibition that spares the bells and...
Peter Matthiessen dies at 86; acclaimed author wrote 'The Snow Leopard'
Peter Matthiessen, a rich man's son who rejected a life of ease in favor of physical and spiritual challenges and produced such acclaimed works as "The Snow Leopard" and "At Play in the Fields of the Lord," died Saturday. He was 86.
His publisher Geoff...
Controversy marks start to Myanmar's first census in three decades
TAUNGGYI, Myanmar — Wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the national census logo, Tin Naing counted off the ethnic groups living in just one section of this regional capital in eastern Myanmar.
“Bamar, Shan, Pa’o, Intha — maybe 10 altogether,” said...
Spring arts 2014: Art
MARCH 28-AUG. 25
'In the Land of Snow: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas'
Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum is well-known for having the most impressive collection of European Old Master and early Modern paintings in Los Angeles. Less familiar is the...
Before bitcoin uproar, Dorian Satoshi Nakamato was a civic activist
As people continue to debate the claim by Newsweek that Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, 64, of Temple City is the creator of bitcoin, he has been often depicted as a private, seldom-seen man.
But far from being a recluse, Nakamoto is somewhat of a civic...
In a first for the Senate, the Dalai Lama gives the opening prayer
WASHINGTON--The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, delivered the opening invocation in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, praying "to Buddha and all" and suggesting that purity of thought will guide humanity's actions.
In his saffron robe, the...
Obama meets with Dalai Lama despite opposition of China
WASHINGTON – President Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House on Friday, casting aside familiar objections from China in favor of a private conversation on human rights with the Tibetan spiritual leader.
The meeting was the third White House...
Man convicted in 1991 killings of 9 people, 6 of them Buddhist monks
A jury in Phoenix on Thursday convicted a man charged in the 1991 killings of nine people, including six Buddhist monks, bringing an end to a bizarre decades-long case that involved numerous trials and accusations of police misconduct.
Johnathan A. Doody...
As Myanmar opens up to modern world, historic buildings are at risk
As Myanmar opens up to modern world, historic buildings are at risk
Letters: Readers share impressions of Myanmar
We enjoyed the article on Myanmar ("End of an Era?" by Amanda Jones, Dec. 15), and we were glad to see that the traveling was slightly off the beaten path. We recently spent two weeks there and recommend seeing this newly opened culture.
I beg to...
Myanmar travel: Seeing Bagan, more before Westernization ruins it
BAGAN, Myanmar — Mr. Aye has a round, aged face and a wide, betel-nut-stained smile. Like many Burmese, he punctuates his speech with giggling, which can be alarming to a Westerner.
"Just three years ago, hehehe," he says, "if I'd been seen reading one...