Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Keeping her faith
By Damitha Hemachandra
Monday, January 17, 2005
She was a Christian American born during the Second World War with a last name called Zenn. It was the queer connection of her last name to Zen Buddhism, which inspired her to read in to Buddhism at her local library.
“It wasn’t easy since there were only two books at the library on Buddhism at that time and Buddhism was a stranger to America in mid 1950s,” explains Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani, who is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Peace and Justice, University of San Diego on Buddhism and World Religions
At the age of sixty she had travelled a long way from being the teenager reading about Buddhism to a Bikkhuni and the President of Sakyadhita, International Association of Buddhist Women with nearly 2000 members and representing 300 million Buddhist women worldwide.
Her journey seeking true teaching of Buddhism had taken her to Japan when she was 19 but her attempts were proved in vain since she failed to find a Buddhism teacher. However her attempt proved successful at Dharamsala, India when she met a teacher appointed by His holiness Dalai Lama to teach foreigners of Buddhism.
“ I learnt Buddhism for nearly 15 years at Indian Himalayas from the Tibetan Bikkhus and it was this knowledge which inspired me to be a Bikkhuni in 1977” she said adding that she felt as she could not be a full Buddhist without being a Bikkhuni.
“It was a matter of practising my faith to the fullest.”
While in Tibet Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani came into full realisation of the state of Tibet Bikkhunis.
“ There was illiteracy and lack of education due to heavy strain of communism in Tibet,” she explained.
Tibetan Buddhism was under heavy restrain from communists yet the plight of Bikkhunis were gloomier than the Bikkhus. The Bikkhunis were less participative in social and religious efforts since they themselves were helpless and were in turn was receiving poor help and responce from the communities.
Yet attempts of Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani through literacy improvement programmes and educational programmes in empowering Bikkhunis and female communities. Her exercise had not only empowered the Tibetan Bikkhunis but has encouraged most of them to receive full ordination.
“ Earlier it was just a question of capabilities of Tibetan Bikkhunis but today they have proved themselves equal to the responsibilities granted through full ordination,” she said adding that social participation of Bikkhunis in Tibetan as well as in Sri Lanka had increased immensely within the last decade thus improving the support from the lay community.
“Yet there is a greater responsibility with the lay women to assist their Bikkhuni sisters,” she said questioning as to who else other than other women are more capable of understanding the needs of women.
Aside from empowering women around the globe through Buddhism Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani carries the flame of peace and cooperation through her academic work.
While insisting that Buddhists should be completely peaceful Ven. Therani acclaims Buddhism as the solution to many conflicts around the world.
“Religion is the base of many conflicts around the world and Buddhism as a philosophy, which denounces any kind of violence even in self protection is the best solution,” she said upholding the words that ‘Dhamma would protect those who act according TO dhamma’
She again reminds the duty of Buddhist women in ensuring and promoting peace around her,” for it is women who are most injured or hurt in war through loss of lives and bereavement.”
w@w-http://www.dailymirror.lk/sections/supp/w@w/180105/7.asp
Monday, January 17, 2005
She was a Christian American born during the Second World War with a last name called Zenn. It was the queer connection of her last name to Zen Buddhism, which inspired her to read in to Buddhism at her local library.
“It wasn’t easy since there were only two books at the library on Buddhism at that time and Buddhism was a stranger to America in mid 1950s,” explains Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani, who is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Peace and Justice, University of San Diego on Buddhism and World Religions
At the age of sixty she had travelled a long way from being the teenager reading about Buddhism to a Bikkhuni and the President of Sakyadhita, International Association of Buddhist Women with nearly 2000 members and representing 300 million Buddhist women worldwide.
Her journey seeking true teaching of Buddhism had taken her to Japan when she was 19 but her attempts were proved in vain since she failed to find a Buddhism teacher. However her attempt proved successful at Dharamsala, India when she met a teacher appointed by His holiness Dalai Lama to teach foreigners of Buddhism.
“ I learnt Buddhism for nearly 15 years at Indian Himalayas from the Tibetan Bikkhus and it was this knowledge which inspired me to be a Bikkhuni in 1977” she said adding that she felt as she could not be a full Buddhist without being a Bikkhuni.
“It was a matter of practising my faith to the fullest.”
While in Tibet Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani came into full realisation of the state of Tibet Bikkhunis.
“ There was illiteracy and lack of education due to heavy strain of communism in Tibet,” she explained.
Tibetan Buddhism was under heavy restrain from communists yet the plight of Bikkhunis were gloomier than the Bikkhus. The Bikkhunis were less participative in social and religious efforts since they themselves were helpless and were in turn was receiving poor help and responce from the communities.
Yet attempts of Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani through literacy improvement programmes and educational programmes in empowering Bikkhunis and female communities. Her exercise had not only empowered the Tibetan Bikkhunis but has encouraged most of them to receive full ordination.
“ Earlier it was just a question of capabilities of Tibetan Bikkhunis but today they have proved themselves equal to the responsibilities granted through full ordination,” she said adding that social participation of Bikkhunis in Tibetan as well as in Sri Lanka had increased immensely within the last decade thus improving the support from the lay community.
“Yet there is a greater responsibility with the lay women to assist their Bikkhuni sisters,” she said questioning as to who else other than other women are more capable of understanding the needs of women.
Aside from empowering women around the globe through Buddhism Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Therani carries the flame of peace and cooperation through her academic work.
While insisting that Buddhists should be completely peaceful Ven. Therani acclaims Buddhism as the solution to many conflicts around the world.
“Religion is the base of many conflicts around the world and Buddhism as a philosophy, which denounces any kind of violence even in self protection is the best solution,” she said upholding the words that ‘Dhamma would protect those who act according TO dhamma’
She again reminds the duty of Buddhist women in ensuring and promoting peace around her,” for it is women who are most injured or hurt in war through loss of lives and bereavement.”
w@w-http://www.dailymirror.lk/sections/supp/w@w/180105/7.asp
