Visit of the most Venerable Luag Pho Dhatta (Phra Bhavanaviriyakhun)

Vice Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation

First International Buddhist Forum in the West

By the blessing of Inner Scientist Shakyamuni World Peace Buddha

8th of August to 12th of August 2013

Temple of Heaven on Earth - Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre

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Short history of Dhammakaya meeting with Lama Gangchen The Dhammakaya Foundation is one of the largest existing temples and Buddhist ordained and lay communities in the world.

It is a non governmental organisation affiliated to the United Nations, with the aim of promoting the Dhammakaya meditation technique and dharma education to the general public to bring peace to the world. Since 1999, the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation has been often collaborating with the Dhammakaya

Foundation.

In February 1999, during the Tibetan (Losar) New Year Celebrations in Nepal, Professor Nina Meyerhof, Founder and President of the USA based Non Governmental Organisation - Children of the Earth, came to see Lama Gangchen in Kathmandu together with a representative of the Dhammakaya Foundation, Mr Phakk Boonsong to introduce the astonishing work of this most developed Theravada Buddhist Thai organization to Lama Gangchen and to invite him to their annual Mahapuja in Thailand.

Lama Gangchen gladly accepted the invitation and since then has participated annually with an ever growing international delegation, in the Mahapuja at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple. A close friendship between the most Venerable Luag Pho Dhatta (Phra Bhavanaviriyakhun), Vice Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation and Lama Gangchen developed and, as a result, Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation – LGWPF and Dhammakaya Foundation have collaborated on many occasions in support of United Nations Humanitarian aims. As both foundations share similar aims such as peace education, promotion of interfaith understanding and dialogue, for example: through inter-religious meetings, humanitarian aid projects and so forth, they have joined together in many events, with the common aim of promoting world peace.

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In December 2000, Lama Gangchen dedicated a special prayer ceremony to the late founder of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple, the nun Khun Yai Maharatana Upasika Jan Khon-Nok-Yoong together with a small Dhammakaya Foundation delegation at Borobudur Stupa in Indonesia.

On the 22nd of April 2000 Lama Gangchen participated with a LGWPF delegation in the Earth Day Celebration at Dhammakaya Temple in Bangkok, followed by an International Buddhist Forum held at Dhammakaya headquarters, co-organized by Dhammakaya Foundation and LGWPF.

On this occasion, LGWPF also dedicated a Peace Bodhi Tree to Dhammakaya:

“May the precious Buddhist teachings

of Dhammakaya Foundation remain

now and forever”

Borobudur UNESCO World Heritage Site

10th of December 2000

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Most Venerable Luag Pho Dhatta, Vice Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation, Thailand visited Lama Gangchen at Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre in July 2004 on the occasion of Lama Gangchen’s birthday celebrations. At that time he gave the initial donation for the development of our Temple of Heaven on Earth.

“Inner peace is the most solid foundation for world peace”

T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen

LGWPF granted the Millennium Peace Award to Ven Phrabhavanaviriyakuhn, Vice-Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation on the occasion of the Mahapuja in Bangkok on 8th Feb 2001.

LWGPF organized a joint visit with a Dhammakaya Foundation delegation to Lumbini in March 2001.

On the 3rd of Feb 2002 Lama Gangchen and a delegation participated in a cremation Ceremony for the late founder of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple, the nun Khun Yai Maharatana Upasika Jan Khon-Nok-Yoong.

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In 2005 he was our guest of honor at the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation Annual Congress organized in Verbania, Italy. In 2006 the Dhammakaya Foundation was represented at our fourth annual Congress in Verbania by the Venerable Phra Wirot Treenet, Phra Bhandit Sudhipan, Phra Nicholas Thanissaro and Dr. Pawithai Shaijarernwana.

In 2012 a delegation of Dhammakaya Foundation visited our Brazilian branch at Shide Choe Tsog Centre in São Paulo.

Lama Gangchen deeply appreciates the extraordinary work of Dhammakaya Foundation in Thailand and has visited their premises many times.

Since 2011 Lama Michel Rinpoche, has been invited to hold an annual one day symposium on Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings at the Dhammakaya Foundation.

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The Most Venerable Phrabhavanaviriyakhun was born Padej Pongsawat on 21st December 1940 (B.E. 2483) in Kanchanaburi Province. He graduated from Kasetsart University, Bangkok in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (B.E. 2510) and went on to earn a Diploma in Dairy Technology from Hawkesbury College in Australia.

Mr. Padej Pongsawat was ordained on 19th December 1971 at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen in Bangkok with H.H. Somdej Phra Maharatchamongkhalachan

(Venerable Chuang Worapunyo Bhikkhu, Dhamma, Pali Level 9), current abbot of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, as his preceptor. His monastic title is “Dattajeevo,” meaning “a person who has dedicated himself to Buddhism.”

Using the Tipitika as his cornerstone, he has dedicated countless hours extensively researching Dhamma – the teachings of the Lord Buddha, in order to incorporate them in the countless lectures he has given and over a hundred books he has authored for the sole purpose of encouraging right view and virtues in the citizens of the world.

Once ordained as a Buddhist monk, Ven. Dattajeevo Bhikkhu was entrusted with the responsibilities in the area of teaching and training monks to become true monks and cultivating people to be virtuous people. Thus, this led to the establishment of many projects such as the Dhammadayada Training Program; training programs for soldiers, police officers, teachers, government officials from various departments, and many private companies. Furthermore, he is instrumental in the propagation of Buddhism through the development of domestic and international branch centers of the Dhammakaya Temple. He has been working tirelessly on these tasks since the first year of his ordination, and at the age of 72 he shows no signs of slowing down.

It is a great honor and privilege to introduce the Most Venerable Vice Abbott of the Dhammakaya Temple - Thailand

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Additionally, the Most Venerable Phrabhavanaviriyakhun places the highest priority in cultivating monks to be true monks, developing people to be virtuous people, and creating a temple that is ideal for studying the teachings of the Lord Buddha and practicing meditation. He once declared, “A temple is a school to educate the general public on morality.”

The Most Venerable Phrabhavanaviriyakhun is a natural born teacher endowed with immense virtues and possesses the heart of a true and virtuous friend. He has given himself completely to Buddhism – dedicating his time to offering Dhamma lectures and writing over 136 exemplary books on Dhamma. These books on the precious teachings of the Lord Buddha have been translated into English, published, and converted into various media formats.

We deeply honor and recognize the benevolence and kindness of this magnanimous human being for his complete devotion to Buddhism and the vast knowledge he has imparted. His invaluable teaching is clear, precise, contemporary and grounded soundly on the principles of cause and effect. The teaching methodology and volumes of books he has penned, which illustrates his exemplary nature, offer his audience and readership the technique and inspiration to continue improving themselves.

Aside from being Vice Abbot of the Dhammakaya Temple, Most Venerable Phrabhavanaviriyakhun also holds the following positions:

• Vice President of the Dhammakaya Foundation

• President of the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (U.S.A.)

• Deputy Assistant to the Monastic Ambassador of the 8th Region

• President of the Dhammadayada Training Programme

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Buddhism has celebrated the West as the Western Pure Land of Amitabha the Buddha of Ininite Light.

This Pure Land is known as Sukhavati in Sanskrit. He made a series of 48 vows to ameliorate the lives of all sentient beings. Along with Amitayus holding a vase of medicines with leaves of the asoka tree or the tree beyond (a) all afflictions (‘soka) in his blissful kingdom.

H.H. Gangchen Rinpoche has termed it “spiritual healing”. The NgalSo Tantric Self-Healing Practice of the Rinpoche emanates the days of the “Sutra on the Meditation of Amitayus” The monastery of the Rinpoche in Tibet was consecrated by H.H. the

Panchen Lama who is incarnation of the Amitabha Buddha of the West. A long destiny has bequeathed to the Rinpoche to carry the “Inner revolution” to the West, the direction of Amitabha. He is to enrich the lives of all by the altruism of love and empathy. Through self-transformation to social transformation. Rinpoche’s dynamics of meditation reminds of Nagarjuna’s “Jewel Garland of Royal Counsel” to King Udayi. He summons us to attain heights of transcendence and to discover the strength that comes therefrom. As a homocentric system, Buddhism has been renewing the spirit of the West in a consciousness that transmits agonising inner upheavals into the glow of spiritual beauty and creativity, in an inner revolution of the quest of Bodhi. H.H. Gangchen Rinpoche is invoking the prime virtue of Bodhi: generosity in all actions. His approach of timelines of history is a profound re-energisation of the grand spirit of Europe, which has ever found fruitfulness of existence in new creativities. Like Sakyamuni “the Sage of Sakya” H.H. Gangchen Rinpoche is the “Sage of the West” to bring boundless positivity on the path of inner peace in the Western world.

Professor Pandit Lokesh Chandra World Renowned Buddhist Scholar

Former Member of the Parliament of IndiaAdvisor on the Board of the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation

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Professor Nirmala Sharma is an Art Historian and Professor of Buddhist studies at the International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi. She has a teaching experience of 19 years at the Post graduate level. She is working on the project of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on “Iconography of the mandalas of the Dukhang of Alchi”.

With two Bachelors and two Masters Degree, one in Fine Arts and the other in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, her PhD thesis is on the Ragamala paintings. She has been awarded two

gold and a silver medal for best papers read at the Gujarat Itihas Parishad. She is a recipient of National fellowship in Fine Arts, Nagpur University, senior

fellow of the American Institute of Indian Studies, and held the ICCR Chair as a Distinguished Professor at Shenzhen University, China. She has delivered lectures on Indian Art and Culture (Paintings, Sculptures and Monuments) as a senior Faculty at the Academic Staff College, Gujarat University from 2001-2004. Being a member of the Association of British Scholars, she has delivered lectures at the British Library, Ahmedabad, also lectured to IFS probationers at New Delhi, School of International Studies, Nirma University, and Gujarat on several occasions, Russian Centre for Science and Culture on the Roerichs, to students of Osaka, on Indian paintings at Peking University, and at Beijing Foreign studies University on Sinology in India.. Read papers in Indonesia on the Borobudur, on the Roerichs at Moscow, on Buddhist sculptures at Budapest, on Dun huang paintings at the Dunhuang Academy, a number of lectures at the Shenzhen University, China and in several places in India. She has made educative films for Doordarshan on the monuments, step wells, Sculptures, textiles and paintings. She held a senior position as a designer of textiles and costumes in Industries with specialization on the software for the weaving looms.

Professor Nirmala Sharma

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She has published several articles on Textiles. She is a member of Indian Art History Congress, Association of British Scholars and the Programme Advisory committee at the IGNCA. Travelled extensively: to Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Indonesia, Russia, Hungary, China, Japan, Central Asia (Silk Route), and Taiwan to attend International seminars and conduct field studies. Her books include (i) Kumarajiva: The Transcreator of Buddhist Chinese Diction; (ii) Bamiyan, Hariti and Kindred Iconics, (iii) Buddhist Paintings of Dunhuang in the National Museum, New Delhi, (iv) Twin Mandalas of Vairocana in Japanese iconography, (v) Buddhism in Kashmir and(vi) Ragamala Paintings.

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Gangchen Rinpoche as the incarnation of the Buddha of the west

Buddhism has a universal appeal where the supreme values like compassion and wisdom are enshrined as the summom bonum. Its immense diffusion in the first millennium raised the lives of many tribes and countries in the domains of literature, philosophy, social ritual, education as well as the transcendental aspects of meditation. To take an example Buddhism gave to Tibet a script, a classical language capable of expressing the most abstruse thoughts of sunyata, nirvana and Bodhi. Today Buddhism is bringing to the West the practice of meditation to enhance their consciousness and to raise them to higher levels of daily life so that dukha or negativities of life are obliterated.

His holiness Gangchen Rinpoche with his deep spirituality inherited from centuries of incarnations has come to the West with the message of lord Shakyamuni that each individual has to be a lamp unto oneself. The last words of shakyamuni to Ananda were that “be a lamp to yourself ”. Venerable Gangchen Rinpoche has inculcated this profound message to the men and women of the West.

When the Rinpoche was at the Borobudur the Gods celebrated his presence with the appearance of twin rainbows arching the Borobudur. The wisdom, affection, and psychic powers of the Rinpoche are shedding a new sheen into the hearts of the young generation of the West. He renews their humdrum lives with the divine cadences of reciting mantras, dharanis and hymns to different Buddhist deities like the seven eyed White Tara. White is the complexion of the west. Under the illuminating guidance of Gangchen Rinpoche Western Buddhism is becoming the charm of life. The close nexus of Gangchen Rinpoche with incarnation of Amitabha, the Buddha of the west has destined him to carry the message of Buddhism to the West.

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Like Emperor Ashoka who carried the message of Buddha to far off lands like Egypt Syria northern Africa and Hellenic kingdoms, and now Gangchen Rinpoche incarnates Emperor Ashoka in spreading the message further to the Western lands, His hermitage at Albagnano is like a Tibetan thangka scroll, a veritable visual dharma, where I saw dedicated devotees engaged in imbibing the message in supernal languages of Sanskrit and Tibetan. Their touching elegance of verbal expression goes deep into our consciousness, and we can only invoke our supreme Guru in the refrain of the triple refuge Gurum sharnam Gachami.

In the persona of Gangchen Rinpoche, Amitabha showers his blessings on the West from his Western Paradise of Sukhavati. Aum Vajrasattva samayam anupalaya “O Vajrasattva please grant us the power to divinize ourselves.

Prof. Nirmala Sharma

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Venerable Achaan Kalyanatissa Walpola (Sri Lanka)

Was born on the 18th of September 1954 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the age of 12, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and received his education in Sri Lanka. In 1975 he began the study of philosophy at the University of Kandy (Sri Lanka) and returned at the same time to intensive meditation at the International Center for Buddhist meditation in Kanduboda.

In 1982 he continued his studies at the University of Calcutta (India), where he specialized in comparative studies of different religions

(Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Jainism) and the various schools of Buddhist (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana). Here he received a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. From 1987-1990, he devoted himself to the study of French culture at the University of Lille (France). Throughout his education, he was a pupil of Venerable Balangoda Anan Matireya, who is recognized by all Buddhists as the great master of the Theravada school.

From 1981 to 2003, Venerable Walpola Achan has fulfilled the following tasks: rector of the grammar school of Buddhist monks from Sarnath (India); Head of the Buddhist Centre in Berlin (Germany) and Director of the Centre de méditation Vihara Lémanique in Morges (Switzerland). For several years he has traveled as an ambassador for Buddhism to pass on his knowledge to all those who want to learn more about the teachings of the Buddha. He coordinates the activities and promotes communication within the Centers for Theravada Buddhism in Europe. Venerable Walpola Achaan is the spiritual and philosophical head of the Zurich Buddhist Vihara.

Venerable Kalyanatissa Walpola and Lama Gangchen first met at the United Nations in Geneva in March 2003, on the occasion of the display of the sacred Buddha relics, donated to the United Nations by Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar

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“The most venerable your Holiness,

First of all I should be thankful for your invitation. But I regret very much of my inability of assisting and participating in this very auspicious event as I have already planned to go back to Srilanka on the 8th of August. I always highly appreciate your tolerant approach for the harmony of the society. I am very happy that Venerable Anuruddha will participate in this whole programme on behalf of Zurich Buddhist Vihara.I wish all the success of all activities at Healing Meditation centre in Albagnano.May the triple gem bless for your good health.”

With mettaWalpola Kalyanatissa

in appreciation for the international recognition of the Day of Vesak by the United Nations (UN resolution A/RES/54/115).

Ven. Walpola and Lama Gangchen accompanied the Sacred Buddha Relics together with H.H. Trijang Choektrul Rinpoche, Venerable Gonsar Rinpoche and Venerable Yantse Rinpoche in a procession from the Place des Nations to the exhibition hall.

Since then a close friendship and collaboration has flourished. Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation actively supported, sponsored and co-organized the sacred relics world tour to thirteen countries. Furthermore, Venerable Kalyanatissa Walpola and Venerable Annuruddha Thero Karuwelagaswewa have kindly accepted our invitations for Vesak celebrations and many others events in different locations in Italy, Spain, Brazi, Indonesia and so forth.

To T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen Rinpoche

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Venerable Anuruddha

Venerable Anuruddha Thero Karuwelagaswewa was born on the 22nd of March 1971 in Sri Lanka. At 8 years old he joined the monastery and was ordained as a monk at age 12. He was 23 years old when he began his study of Buddhist philosophy at the University of Jayawardhanapura (Colombo, Sri Lanka).

Since 2001 he worked at the Centre de méditation Vihara Lémanique in Morges, and now seconds Venerable Walpola Aaachan at the Zurich Buddhist Vihara, conveying his knowledge of Theravada

Buddhism and Vipassana meditation to all those in interested, as well as giving support and advice to all those in need.

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Multiple award winning writer/director Dr Titus Leber, Ph.D, who is currently working on a major interactive multimedia project on the Borobudur Temple, native from Austria, a graduate of the American Film Institute, a Research Fellow at MIT s Center for Advanced Visual Studies and Member of the European Cultural Parliament had several of his classical music films selected by the Cannes Film Festival; next to a monumental interactive biography of W.A. Mozart, he conceived and produced large scale cultural projects for the

Louvre Museum in Paris, the City of Vienna, and about the life of Louis Pasteur. His most recent four years project about the life and teachings of Lord Buddha was produced under Royal Patronage of the court of Thailand. Dr. Leber, chairman of the International Advisory board of the Borobudur, is currently producing a large intractive multimedia encyclopedia on “Borobudur-Paths to Enlightenment” and has recently published the book “Lalitavistara- The Buddha s life as narrated on the Borobudur”.

Titus Leber

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Flowers, flowers, many flowers!

“… If there is anybody capable to decode those powerful energies which are inherent to Borobudur, to make them resonate and to subtly convey them in such a manner that they do not only touch the intellect but also the heart of those who have eyes to see, ears to hear and the readiness to be profoundly healed, it is Lama Gangchen!

Year after year he has practised doing this, bringing his followers all the way to distant Indonesia and leading them like a good father or a loving mother, often quite literally by their hand, as a happily chanting group as many times around the temple as it is prescribed by the ancient scriptures, a total of ten times, paying respect to the five cosmic Buddhas which ornate the sides and the top of the sanctuary. Lama has thus developed a way to convey the ancient message of wisdom and compassion hidden in the temple in such an effortless manner, as if it was the most self-evident thing on earth, and I would like to relate a personal experience that I made to this regard:

Being involved in a large scale project aiming at bringing the Borobudur to cyberspace by translating its message into the language of modern interactive multimedia- as a matter of fact our forefathers who built the Borobudur some 1200 years ago had very well understood that some subtle spiritual concepts can be much better conveyed through images than by words - I met Lama Gangchen s followers some time ago. This

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first encounter did not occur without a certain critical reservation, which, however, after meeting with the Lama himself, gave soon way to a sense of deep gratitude for being blessed to encounter such a “good friend”, as the ancient scriptures call a man of such profound wisdom who has the capacity to guide you.

As Lama Gangchen had the kindness to accept to contribute his insights on the healing powers of the Borobudur to our project “Borobudur – Paths to Enlightenment”, we got a chance to work several days closely together. When we were done, the Lama gave me a long questioning look and asked me, how I would manage to bring all those stones alive, and how I intended to visualize this. Then, with his eyes lightening up as from an ecstatic inner vision, he told me with a soft voice: “Flowers, many, many flowers, flowers of all colors! Many flowers!”

This message sank into my inner being, like a seed which enters the ground, without at first being able to properly understand it to the full extent of its meaning, and it took a full year before I was able to fully grasp what the great sage had conveyed to me:

The entire Borobudur consists of an almost endless sequence of stone carvings which translate a specific selection of ancient sacred Buddhist texts into the visual language of their bas-reliefs: the Lalitavistara, depicting the life of Buddha Sakyamuni, the Gandavyuha, taking us along with the youth Sudhana to 53 teachers which lead him on his way to enlightenment, a selection of the Jataka Tales, visualizing the path of compassion which led the Buddha from reincarnation to reincarnation on his path to ultimate deliverance, all together far more than 15.000 figures which follow the play of light and shadow as if they were part of an immense Wayang presentation, the Lalitavistara, the big cosmic play in which we all participate. Among all this visual abundance, who would be even willing to pay increased awareness to the wealth of stone-carved flowers which frame those bas-reliefs, and which find their continuation within the carved flora of the panels, depicting each botanic species of the surrounding tropical landscape with such precision that even a thousand years after they were carved we can easily identify each species?

And yet! How much more do these stone carved flowers signify than pure ornaments or offerings! Are they not the manifestation of the quintessence of the “Flower-Ornament Sutra”, which has inhaled its own spirit to the Borobudur! Is it not this very “Avatamsaka Sutra”, one of the grandest wisdom books of humanity, which has inspired with its endless enumeration of all conceivable and unconceivable Buddha worlds the very structure of the Borobudur temple which in itself is the architectural and sculpted expression of the praise for the divine within ourselves conveyed by this sutra?

It is this very essence of the Borobudur which is brought back to life year after year, when Lama Gangchen comes and guides us along the temple …..”

Dr Titus Leber

Programme

Thursday - 8th of August 10.00 - 11.15 Dhammakaya Meditation Ven Phra Nicholas and Phra Sander

12.30 Lunch

Friday - 9th of August10.00 - 11.15 Dhammakaya Meditation with Ven Phra Nicholas and Phra Sander

12.30 Lunch

Saturday - 10th of August10.00 - 11.30 Welcome ceremony for Venerable Vice Abbot of

Dhammakaya Foundation Luag Pho Dhatta (Phra Bhavanaviriyakhun) at Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre

Procession along the Lalitavistara Path and blessing ceremony of thenewly inaugurated Temple of Heaven on Earth

11.30 Puja12.30 Lunch

14.30 - 17.00 First International Buddhist Forum in the West: Inner and World Peace through the Path of the Inner Scientist Buddha Shakyamuni

Prayers by representatives of different traditions

With special dedications for a solution to the present world financial crisis, towardsnew creative economies through personal, local and international cultural exchangesas

well as for the protection of the inner and outer environments.

17.00 Refreshments18.00 Presentation of Borobudur: “Paths to Enlightenment” by Dr Titus Leber

Sunday - 11th of August9.30 Long Life ceremony for Venerable Vice Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation

Luag Pho Dhatta (Phra Bhavanaviriyakhun)10.30 - 11.30 Dhammakaya Meditation

12.30 Lunch14.30 - 16.30 & 17.00 - 19.30 Teachings on the Sigalovada Sutra by Luag Pho Dhatta

Venerable Vice Abbot of Dhammakaya Foundation

F.L.G.C.P. K.L.G. L.G.W.P.F. A.H.M.C.

Thanks! D.F.

UBI

International Buddhist Delegations and representatives from 30 countries gathering to pray towards a solution to the

world economic crisis as well as for the protection of the inner and outer environments. Namely from:

Argentina: Miriam Chaves – Vice Ambassador of Argentina to the United Nations Australia: Christine Henry

Austria: The Tashi Choeling Buddhist monastery represented by Geshe Lobsang PuntsokBelgium: Didier Hankert

Brazil: Alexandre Leal MachadoChile: Alfredo Sfeir Younis

China: Chinese Vice Consul and delegation, Milan Denmark: Frederick Zachariassen

Estonia: Sirle BurklandFrance: Mili Tulku Rinpoche

Germany: Ganden Tashi Choeling Monastery with Ven. Lama Detchen Greece: Sonam Tempa Lama

India: Prof. Lokesh Chandra & Prof. Nirmala SharmaIsrael: Daphne Stern

Italy: Kunpen Lama Gangchen Member of the Italian Buddhist Union and Member of the Forum of religions, Milan represented by Franco Ceccarelli, Korean Mahayana Zen

tradition Musang-am Monastery in Lerici - Rev. Taeri Sunim, International Theravada Buddhist Centre in Verona - Rev. Piyadassi, Vihara Theravada Monastery in Genova - Rev. Jnanatilaka, Ven. Taiten Guareschi, Founder of the Fudenji

Temple in Salsomaggiore (Pr)Kazakistan/Mongolia: Vladimir Chumashkaev

Nepal: Kiran KumarNetherlands: Toet de Best & Jan de Ruiter

New Zealand: Liana GasagrandePanama: Maria Stella Ford

Slovakia: Barbara VenegoniSpain: Dr Charo Carillo

Sri Lanka: Ven Anuruddha and monksSwitzerland: Rabten Choeling Monastery with Ven. Gonsar Rinpoche, Ven. Rabten

Rinpoche represented by Geshe Panden; Dr Rudolf Schneider-Lama MarpaThailand: Dhammakaya Foundation

Ukraine: Olena SlotaUnited Kingdom: Roy Watkins

United Sates of America: Nina MeyerhofVenezuela: Claudia Sobrevila

Vietnam: Mr Thang Nguyen Tat

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From more than 2500 years the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni were transmitted in the world, adapting to culture and time. Today we come together to share our experience and knowledge of this path, so that we can reach inner peace as a pathway for world peace.

Lama Michel Rinpoche

Welcome to all Venerable ones, please grant us your holy blessings and advice.

On this historic occasion of the first international Buddhist forum here in the Temple of Heaven on Earth in Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre, I rejoice in this meeting of holy representatives of the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana branches of Lord Buddha’s Tradition. Since many years, we all work to develop Buddhism in the West, and have seen Buddhism flourish and grow until recently when Buddhism has been given official recognition by the Italian Government.

For example, Lama Gangchen began teaching in the West in 1980 with just one mantra: Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Shakyamuniye Soha. From that initial seed he began to heal many people and then developed many different centers and the NgalSo Tantric Self-Healing method of the 5 Dhyani Buddhas to share his spiritual healing tradition with modern people.

We would like to hear all the stories of how each of your centres have developed and about your visions for the future. We are very new here in the West, we are creating the foundations of Buddhism in the West, and we are all descendants of Shakyamuni, spiritual brothers and sisters. So, together with friendship and cooperation, let’s work together to establish the Buddha’s tradition here in the modern world, in the West, to help alleviate the manifold sufferings of body, mind and the environment, on all levels from the most mundane up to nirvana and enlightenment.

Tashi Delek

Lama Caroline

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By the power of the truthBy all human beings’ attentionBy all holy beings’ blessingsInner and world peace through the path of Inner Scientist Shakyamuni Buddha’s blessing

T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen – World Healer

Borobudur: Temple of Heaven on Earth AHMC

www.ahmc.ngalso.netlgwpf@lgpt.net