Delhi plays Buddhist card in Lanka to send signal to China

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

Moving to deepen its engagement with Colombo and counter Beijing’s influence in the region, New Delhi is hosting a dialogue on vinaya (code of conduct) between high-ranking Theravada monks from Sri Lanka and counterparts of the Nalanda tradition — the first dialogue at this level between the two Buddhist traditions.

In another first, the Dalai Lama will be meeting the Sri Lankan monks Thursday and they plan to invite him to their country. A formal invitation is likely to be extended after President Maithripala Sirisena wraps up his first official visit to Beijing later this month.

Later Thursday, the two delegations will meet again over tea at the official residence of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju. Samdhong Rinpoche, former prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, is also attending the dialogue as a member of the Nalanda delegation.

This engagement comes days after the change of government in Colombo and the visit last week to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sri Lankan and Nalanda monks met Tuesday for a dialogue on vinaya. It has been organised by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a two-year-old NGO recognised as a “cultural organisation with national presence” by the Indian government.

Jangchup Choeden, who heads the Gaden Shartse monastery, told The Indian Express that the last such interaction had been organised by Emperor Harshavardhana in the 7th century AD.

Banagala Upatissa Thero, president of the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka who hosted Modi during his visit to the Mahabodhi temple, said the Dalai Lama has never visited Sri Lanka and they hope to invite him when they meet Thursday.

“I tried to bring the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka two years ago but it was stalled due to political reasons,” Thero said. He was probably alluding to the Chinese influence over the Rajapaksa government which stalled all attempts for a Dalai Lama visit. Thero is hopeful that the Sirisena government will allow the Dalai Lama to visit as a religious leader, and ignore his role as the leader of the Tibetans.

The Sri Lankan delegation consists of three of its four Maha Nayakas and other high-ranking monks and religious opinion makers. Only the Maha Nayaka of the Asgiriya chapter is missing from the Lankan delegation.

Modi had met the Maha Nayakas during his visit to Sri Lanka where he had also offered prayers at the sacred Mahabodhi tree.

Besides Sri Lanka, Theravada Buddhism is also the dominant religion in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos while the Nalanda tradition has a Himalayan perspective, stretching from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh, which includes Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim.

As part of its Buddhist diplomacy, China has created a World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) which meets every year and provides liberal grants to Buddhist groups across the world. By projecting its Buddhist links in the region, India hopes to counter the Chinese sphere of influence through soft-power initiatives.


Delhi plays Buddhist card in Lanka to send signal to China | idrw.org

 

[LittleFish]

Buddhism has many branches. In China Tibetan Buddhism is only worshiped by Tibetans, and most of people only think Chinese Buddhism is true Buddhism. Though in Tibentan Buddhism there are many parties, and Dalai is the leader of only one party.
Make good use of Dalai as you can before he dies, the power to select a new Dalai is seized by central government---the Golden Bottle is in our hands..

 

[Srinivas]

Buddhism has many branches. In China Tibetan Buddhism is only worshiped by Tibetans, and most of people only think Chinese Buddhism is true Buddhism. Though in Tibentan Buddhism there are many parties, and Dalai is the leader of only one party.
Make good use of Dalai as you can before he dies, the power to select a new Dalai is seized by central government---the Golden Bottle is in our hands..

It is never a battle between India and China when it comes to Buddhism, India and China co operate in this regard.

 

[LittleFish]

It is neveer a battle between India and China when it comes to Buddhism, India and China co operate in this regard.

I don't mean to blame India. It's mainly Western countries that make use of the old monk. Once they want to poke China, they bring the old monk to public and blame China.

 

[SelfServeFive]

LOL Sri Lankans hate Indians for their genocide against Buddhists because Buddha dared to speak out against the caste system. All true Buddhists hate Brahmanism.

But China will play the Maoist card against India because India already lost control over a third of the country to Maoist insurgency. They are too afraid of Maoists to crack down with military.

 

[Gibbs]

I don't mean to blame India. It's mainly Western countries that make use of the old monk. Once they want to poke China, they bring the old monk to public and blame China.

Bro whats your take on the eventual visit by the Dalai Llama to Sri Lanka solely as a spiritual leader and not as a political one.. Do you think the Chinese authorities will be averse to that ?

 

[scorpionx]

LOL Sri Lankans hate Indians for their genocide against Buddhists because Buddha dared to speak out against the caste system. All true Buddhists hate Brahmanism.

High time to claim all the money back from your history teacher.

 

[LittleFish]

Bro whats your take on the eventual visit by the Dalai Llama to Sri Lanka solely as a spiritual leader and not as a political one.. Do you think the Chinese authorities will be averse to that ?

I'm afraid that it will. The problem is not this trip, but his trip will be reported on many Western newpapers, which is bothersome for Chinese authorities. If Snowden goes to have a party in Moscow and is recognized, he will be reported and the coming news will annoy US again, though maybe he's only for a party. That is what politics is.

 

[Gibbs]

I'm afraid that it will. The problem is not this trip, but his trip will be reported on many Western newpapers, which is bothersome for Chinese authorities. If Snowden goes to have a party in Moscow and is recognized, he will be reported and the coming news will annoy US again, though maybe he's only for a party. That is what politics is.

Yeah you're probably right.. Even if Lankan politicians avoid him.. Unfortunate though apart from him political rhetoric the man is a great philosopher

You reckon Chinese govt will ever reconcile with him though ?

 

[LittleFish]

Yeah you're probably right.. Even if Lankan politicians avoid him.. Unfortunate though apart from him political rhetoric the man is a great philosopher

You reckon Chinese govt will ever reconcile with him though ?

Never. His has done too much against China, and now there is not much time left for him. You know, there is a set of rules to select a new Dalai once the former one dies, and the most important step of the rules is "the Golden Bottle Selection", that is, to put all papers having candidate boys' name written on them in the Golden Bottle, and pick out one of them. The Bottle is controlled by the central govt for hundereds of years and now it still is, so we don't have to talk with him, we just waiting his death...then Tibet will be more stable with a new Dalai.

 

[Saradiel]

Never. His has done too much against China, and now there is not much time left for him. You know, there is a set of rules to select a new Dalai once the former one dies, and the most important step of the rules is "the Golden Bottle Selection", that is, to put all papers having candidate boys' name written on them in the Golden Bottle, and pick out one of them. The Bottle is controlled by the central govt for hundereds of years and now it still is, so we don't have to talk with him, we just waiting his death...then Tibet will be more stable with a new Dalai.

SL government is not controlled by Sri Lankans, by Americans. I dont know why @Gibbs, and @Azizam remains blind of this

 

[Azizam]

SL government is not controlled by Sri Lankans, by Americans. I dont know why @Gibbs, and @Azizam remains blind of this

When I was supporting MR, you were against him. I don't think this government is necessarily anti-China, pro-American etc. Ranil is pro-American while Mythree is pro-Chinese. Let's wait until elections.

 

[Echo_419]

Buddhism has many branches. In China Tibetan Buddhism is only worshiped by Tibetans, and most of people only think Chinese Buddhism is true Buddhism. Though in Tibentan Buddhism there are many parties, and Dalai is the leader of only one party.
Make good use of Dalai as you can before he dies, the power to select a new Dalai is seized by central government---the Golden Bottle is in our hands..

The article you see above you is the work for of our TRP Hungry media who will do anything for ratings & Religion is a matter where both India & China cooperate closely

I don't mean to blame India. It's mainly Western countries that make use of the old monk. Once they want to poke China, they bring the old monk to public and blame China.

Also we were one of the 1t countries who recognized your claim on Tibet so if anyone is trying to insinuate that we are trying to free Tibet he needs some urgent medical attention