Problems of Digital Technology

Personal Privacy:
Since our personal data are continuously being collected for commercial and governmental purposes, our privacy is diminishing.  Once our personal information is on the web, it remains there forever.
Surveillance Technology:
Tiny cameras, microphones, and web tracking and recording where our cell phones are...all these continue to improve with exponentially decreasing cost of storage and processing.  Our lives are being recorded digitally with or without our knowing it.
Security:
We must be aware of potential cyber-attack and cyber-warfare at all levels, individuals, corporations, and governments.
Copyright:
It is now possible to make unlimited copies of digital material and distributed them throughout the world at no cost.  Copyright and fair use are being replaced by licensing, and digital rights management
Patents:
With more and more computer devices controlled by software, how to protect the legitimate interests of innovators and researched patents?
Resource Allocation:
Those who already have the allocation (big telecom companies) have a great advantage.
Jurisdiction:
With information traveling everywhere, business and social practices may be legal in one jurisdiction but illegal in others.
Control:
Individuals want to limit the control from governments and companies; but the playing fields are far from levels.

Source:

Brian W. Kernighan.  D  Is for Digital –What a Well-Informed Person Should Know About Computers and Communications.  Published by DisforDigital.net; 2011.  ISBN-13: 978-1463733896

ISBN-10: 1463733895

Meditation, Self Examination and Self Reflection

Mind training and meditation are fundamentally self examination and self reflection.  Indeed, they aim at improving oneself spiritually in order to develop wisdom. 

In Buddhist contemplation, the practitioner observes minute changes in his/her body, feelings (sensations), thoughts, and all phenomena (internal and external) from second to second as long as s/he is awake.  This observation practice helps to develop a detachment attitude necessary to investigate all phenomena, and to cultivate an awareness of the unstable, hence empty, nature of reality.  Gradually, after years of mind training and observation, the practitioner's view of all phenomena will be fundamentally transformed.  S/he will see things as they really are.  S/he is no longer trapped in the clouds (veils) of wrong views so common among human beings.

In Buddhism the cultivation of the right view is the first and foremost condition for spiritual development.  It is certainly difficult to develop a view against that of  the multitude.  That's why genuine Buddhists are actually those who go against the flow.  They see things quite differently from others, because they see the true nature of reality.

Searching

In the vast blue sky
You and I, two lone lost birds
Searching for each other.

Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu (1918-2012) --An Exemplary and Unique Bhikkhu

Many have written about Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu's (1918-2012) life and works.  In fact, there is much more one may learn from Him, for His life style, speech and manners... all seemed to send us some Dharma messages.  Those who have worked for Him and known Him for a long time, whether they are Buddhists and non-Buddhists, certainly have benefited a lot from this exemplary and unique Bhikkhu's personality and character.

The Most Venerable Maha Thera was a taciturn person with an unforgettably kind smile on His bright round face.  His half-open, half-closed eyes looked gently and steadily at things in front of Him as if He were in deep meditation.  He was fully aware of what was going on around Him, but was not actually disturbed by any of the surrounding phenomena.  Before His body got weak (due to the Parkinson's disease which he seemed to have contracted in the early 1980s), he would walk agilely and energetically.  Besides the time reserved for His Dharma practice and dissemination, from early dawn to late at night, He would be sitting at the desk either in His own room upstairs in Van Hanh Zen Monastery, or in His Office in the Buddhist Institute located at the same address.  He would focus on His work tirelessly with great concentration.  Occasionally there were some guests, visitors, or disciples whom He had to receive.  Then, near the end of the day, He would spend His late afternoons sitting alone in His simple bamboo rocking chair on the balcony, looking into the void in front of Him in that meditative posture which was always part of Him.

He ate simple vegetarian meals, and preferred salt to soy sauce.  He often drank tea, and usually had a glass of  milk in the afternoon.  He had a small, old grey car which Venerable Thich Tam Duc, one of His disciples, would drive to take Him when He needed to go to the airport, or some temples and places for meetings with government authorities or Buddhist dignitaries.

He was ordained and trained in a Mahayana temple in Hue, Central Vietnam.  However, He had chosen to wear the saffron Theravada robe since He studied Buddhism in Sri Lanka and India in 1952 or later in 1953.  After He returned to Vietnam in 1964, he continued to wear the Theravada robe, even though He lived in Mahayana temples.  It was no wonder that He would be easily recognizable among other Vietnamese monks in brown or grey robes. The saffron robe not only made him unique; it also reflected His life-long vow and aspiration, and His genuine view about Buddhism.  Nearly all His life He had spent searching for, translating, and disseminating the Buddha's authentic teachings in Pali.  He taught and practiced living in  harmony among differences, for He profoundly understood the universal laws of interdependence and  interconnectedness.  To Him, diverse forms and names are human labeling.  Like sea water that has only one taste of salt, the Buddha's Dharma has only the taste of liberation.  Different Buddhist schools or sects are rivers that will eventually pour into the sea, and thus their minor differences will dissolve, and they all will have the same taste of the Buddha's Dharma.  In this light of wisdom, He had helped to train generations of monks and nuns in Vietnam to live and work together in peace and harmony with no discrimination whatsoever. 

The Most Venerable Maha Thera was charismatic, calm and taciturn, but He would never try to impress others.  He would scarecely talk about Himself.  In His speech, He always used the pronoun "we" to refer to Himself, instead of "I."  He would not want to build big temples nor accept many disciples.  In His Dharma talks, He usually said that each person should be his or her own torch.  He was a simple and task-oriented bhikkhu, and a very caring human.  Once in 1988, despite His busy schedule, He managed time to come to the hospital to visit His translator who was also an instructor at the Buddhist School of Higher Studies (former name of the Buddhist Institute in Ho Chi Minh City) , and who had just recovered after a narrow escape from a traffic accident.

Both before and after 1975, his main focus was always on Buddhist education, and on how to disseminate the Buddha's authentic teachings based on Pali sutras to His Vietnamese Buddhists and laypeople.  He set a very clear goal for Himself when He left Vietnam for further Buddhist training in 1952: to study Buddhism as it was originally taught by the Buddha Himself over 2,500 years ago, and, through formal education, to teach Buddhists and laypeople how to apply what the Buddha taught to their daily life, so that they might benefit from Buddhist teachings in their own lives, and bring peace and harmony to life on earth.  From His young adulthood to the end of His life, He devotedly served Buddhism, never perturbed by any comments or criticisms.  With persistence and perseverance, He kept working on what He had vowed to accomplish in life.  He was solid like a mountain, not moved or disturbed by what others said about Him.  Following the Buddha's example, He would never argue with anybody in the mundane world.

During His Dharma talks one could find peace and joy, and the Dharma taste of liberation right here and now.  He highly revered the Buddha's words, and would present the sutra as it had been originally recorded from the Buddha's times.  In His translations, He would retain the repetitions in the sutra, word for word, knowing that it was the best way for one to absorb and benefit from sutras.  Listening to the Most Venerable Maha Thera, one might have the impression as if one were reliving the Buddha;'s times, and listening to the Buddha Himself.

Near the end of His life, despite His declining health, the Most Venerable Maha Thera kept on teaching, translating, and completing tasks the Buddhist Sangha assigned Him.  He did not stop working until He became too weak and had to rely on a wheel-chair, and the help of His close disciples.  He could have received medical treatment in the 1980s, but He probably refused to go to Japan for any treatment or surgery.  The reason of his refusal might probably be that He did not want to waste people's time and money, for He had already known Parkinson's was uncurable.
 
     

Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu (1918-2012) -- His Legacy

Studying the life and works of Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu (1918-2012), we may learn the following lessons:

1. Persistence and Perseverance
2. One Should Be One's Own Torch
3. Wisdom Is Our Mission (Duy Tue Thi Nghiep)
4. No Discrimination Between Buddhist Schools (The Mahayana, the Hinayana, the Theravada...all have the same taste of liberation)
5. Compassion and Wisdom Go Together
6. Engaged Buddhism Is Feasible in All Situations
7. The Importance of Education and Training

Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu (1918-2012) - Part VIII

Serving the Nation and the Sangha in Foreign Affairs

With his profound knowledge and excellent capabilities in secular academics, he was assigned many other importsant tasks in foreign affairs. 

In June, 1965 he visited and gave a lecture at Kamazawa, Taisho, Japan.

In 1967 he participated in a Conference on Education at Yale University, USA.

In June, 1968 he participated in the World Conference on Education for University Presidents held in South Korea.

Near the end of 1968 he represented presidents of universities in South Vietnam to participate in the International Conference on Education held in Mexico.

He also participated in many thematic international conferences.  At the Fifth Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) in 1982 in Ulanbator (Mongolia), he was elected to become a member of its Executive Board (1982-1985) and its Vice-President. 

In June, 1983 he participated in the World Peace Conference Against Nuclear Weapons held in Praha, Czechoslovakia.

In May, 1984 he was head of a delegation to participate in the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace held in New Dehli, India.  At this Conference he met the Indian President Zuil Singh.

In October, 1984 he led the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha delegation to participate in the World Buddhist Conference on “Buddhism and National Cultures” in New Dehli, India.

In February, 1985 he participated in the Round Table Conference on “Dangers to Our Sacred Life” in Moscow, USSR.

In November, 1985 he participated in the Sixth ABCP in Hanoi.

In May , 1986 he again participated in the World Round Table Conference in Moscow, USSR.

In February, 1987 he led the Vietnam Buddhist Delegation to participate in the International Peace Conference in the USSR.

In February, 1986 he was the Secondary Leader of the Delegation to participate in the Seventh ABCP Conference held in Vientiane, Laos.  At this Conference he was invited to continue his position as ABCP Vice-President, and member of the Executive Board of the International ABCP.   At the same time he was assigned the President of the National ABCP Center in Việt Nam.

In January, 1989 he attended the Conference on Religions and Peace held in Monash, Australia.

In August, 1989 he led the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha Delegation to participate in the Conference on Buddhism and Leadership in Peace at Ulanbator, Mongolia.

In October, 1989 he led the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha Delegation in a friendly visit to the Japan Buddhist Sangha in Tokyo.

In September, 1990 he led the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha Delegation to participate in the ABCP Eighth International Conference in Mongolia.

In October, 1990 he led a delegation to participate a conference on religions and peace in Bali, South Italy.

In October, 1991 he led a Vietnam delegation to participate in another conference of religious leaders in Matla, Italy.

In November, 1991 he led a delegation to participate in a conference on Buddhism and Leadership for Peace in Seoul, Korea.

In November, 1992 he was head of a delegation at the ABCP International Conference in Colombo, Sri-Lanka. 

In March, 1993 he presided the Conference on Buddhist Ethics in Our Times in Ho Chi Minh City.

In April, 1993 as President  of Việt Nam ABCP Center he presided the International Conference on Arms Disarmament in Hanoi.

In October, 1993 he was present at the International Buddhist Sangha Conference in Taiwan.

In March, 1994 together with Most Venerable Thiện Siêu he led a Buddhist delegation of pilgrims to India to visit the Buddha’s relics. 

In September, 1994 he participated in the International Buddhist Sangha Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

In 1995 he presided at the Conference on Buddhist Education in Our Times in Ho Chi Minh City.

In August 1995 he led the Buddhist delegation to visit and preside at a Buddhist conference in Paris, France.

In May, 1996 he was offered an Honorary Doctoral degree by the Royal University of Mahachulalongkorn,Thailand, for his colossal accomplishments in the Tripitaka translation and education.

In 2000 with his great contributions to the Dharma, and the Socialist Nation of Vietnam, he was awarded the secondary Medal of Independence.

In 2012 he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal.

His Last Days

After what to be done was done, now was the time for him to resign, and live in profound quiet and meditation, with close disciples nearby.  In 2006 he retired completely, leaving behind his translations of the suttas, in equilibrium with no discrimination between the Mahayana or the Hinayana, only the Buddha’s liberation doctrines that he had tiredlessly taught for over 70 years.  Out of his 95-year lifespan, over 70 years he had served the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Nation.  He had opened schools to train monks, nuns, and lay people to serve the Sangha and the Nation. 

He had left this life, perhaps to enter the eternal realm of Nirvana, who knows, but his legacy of serving the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Nation lives on with us from North to South Vietnam, at Tường Vân Temple, as well as at Vạn Hạnh Zen Monastery, and even abroad.

Namo Gassho to the Revered Bardo of the Most Venerable Maha Thera, the Abbot of Tường Vân Temple, the Founder of Vạn Hạnh Zen Monastery, A Member of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Senate, and Vice-Partriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha!   

Source:
http://www.nguoiaolam.net/2012/09/hoa-thuong-thich-minh-chau-tieu-su-cong.html#.UEomRpHZKCk

Most Venerable Maha Thera Thích Minh Châu (1918-2012)--Part VII

Building Educational Facilities

When he returned to Vietnam, with the order of the Sangha, and together with Most Venerables Trí Thủ, and Nhất Hạnh, he opened a Buddhist College at Pháp Hội Temple.  Most Venerable Trí Thủ was its President, and he, the Vice-President in charge of administration.  In 1965 with the permission of the Ministry of Education, the College started its Department of Letters and Humanities, of which Most Venerable Thiên Ân was invited to become Chair.  At that time, the temporary location for teaching and learning was Xá Lợi Temple. 

At the end of 1965 the Sangha decided to turn the College into a research University named Vạn Hạnh University.  He was assigned its Rector, and also Chair of the Department of Buddhist Studies.  This year the University was relocated at 222 Trương Minh Giảng Street (Lê Văn Sĩ Street nowadays), with more departments in Social Sciences and Education.  At first he supervised as Chair of these departments.  Later he invited Professors Tôn Thất Thiện, Bùi Tường Huân, and Dr.Thích Nguyên Hồng to help him with the positions.  He also helped to establish a Foregn Language Learning Center on the campus.

In 1972 the University Board of Regents decided to buy another site on Võ Di Nguy Street (Nguyễn Kiệm Street nowadays) for Applied Sciences.  He came there to work as Department Chair.  It was on this site that he presided a ceremony to celebrate the Tenth-Year Anniversary of the establishment of Vạn Hạnh University (1964-1974).  Present at this Ceremony were Buddhist dignitaries, the University professors, and over 10,000 students.  

On this site, in 1984 he founded the School of Buddhist Advanced Studies (the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist Studies in Ho Chi Minh City nowadays).  He became its president, and presided the Ceremony to ordain 60 monks and nuns of the School’s first year.  Previously, in 1981 the Sangha opened the School of Buddhist Advanced Studies, Campus I, at Quán Sứ Temple, Hanoi.  He was also invited to be its President.  The School soon became the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist Studies in Hanoi.

At the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist Studies in Ho Chi minh Coity, he had continuously recruited, and trained monks and nuns for five successive academic years at the Bachelor’s degree level.  These students after their graduation would help staff and serve the Sangha.

On October 20, 1997 he laid the first brick to begin the renovation of the Institute of Vietnam Buddhist Studies in Ho Chi Minh City.   The renovation continued for two years, and completed on April 23,1999 with a grand Opening Ceremony.

Responsibilities towards Buddhists at His Disciples.

Although he was busy with so many Sangha tasks, the education of monks and nuns, and his own translating and writing, he always remembered his responsibilities towards the Buddhist disciples at the Temple where he came from.  After the demise of Most Venerable Vĩnh Thừa, Abbot of Tường Vân Temple and a successor of Most Venerable Thích Tịnh Khiết, he became the Abbot of the Temple in 1984 with the agreement of the Sangha and other dignitaries during a ceremony where Most Venerables Thích Đôn Hậu, Thích Mật Hiển, Thích Thiện Siêu and others were present.  As its Abbot, he had been involved in the monastic training for his local disciples, and the construction and renovation of some parts of the Temple, such as the shrine of the previous abbots, and the stupa for his Master.

At Vạn Hạnh Monastery in 2001, he had contributed to the renovation of its main shrine and hall, which was completed in October, 2004.  From September 2004 to October 2006 he ordered the construction of the new monk residence hall on this site. 

 

(To be continued)

Source:
http://www.nguoiaolam.net/2012/09/hoa-thuong-thich-minh-chau-tieu-su-cong.html#.UEomRpHZKCk