Nekorpa

Nekorpa presents at the International Network of Engaged Buddhist conference in Bodhgaya

mpistono — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:45:00 +0000

At the International Network of Engaged Buddhist (INEB) bi-annual conference that was held in Bodhgaya, India, Nekorpa’s Executive Director, Matteo Pistono, collaborated with Deer Park India to conduct seminars on Zero Waste in the Himalayas. Participants at the Zero Waste seminar came from the US, Sweden, India, Bangledesh, and Sri Lanka. Nekorpa continues to work with individuals and organizations who are on-the-ground and looking for innovative ways to address pressing challenge.

Below is an article from TRICYCLE magazine about the conference.

Visions of an Empowered Future

Notes from the 2011 International Network of Engaged Buddhists Conference in Bodhgaya by Minette Lee Mangahas

Roshi Joan Halifax and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche joined other INEB participants in Bodhgaya for the conference.

The dusty little town of Bodhgaya has changed a bit since the first time I came as a pilgrim in 1999. At that time, Bihar was known as the most corrupt and impoverished state in India. We were warned by the chai wallah at each tea shop that travel was very dangerous and that roving gangs threw nails into the streets so that they could rob stranded travelers when their tires blew out. The chai wallahs often asked, “Have you seen Bandit Queen?” referring to the 1994 film based on the life of Phoolan Devi, a gang leader who roamed these plains. An overwhelming sea of beggars lined the gate of every temple. There was a palpable hunger and desperation in the air. Back then, it struck me that none of the locals seemed to smile.

Today, the town of Bodhgaya—where Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment—is still dusty, but there are far fewer beggars, and the children grin at me on the street. Thanks to recent reforms in government and the work of organizations like the Mahabodhi Society and the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation, there are projects in the works to improve sanitation, waste disposal, and education.

It seemed fitting that a conference on the future of Buddhism be held in its birthplace, a site venerated by millions, once neglected but now full of hope. Last October, the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, or INEB, focused its biannual gathering on “The Future of Buddhism: From Personal Awakening to Global Transformation.” The ambitious agenda matched its grand venue (adjacent to the sacred Mahabodhi Temple): the newly constructed Thai temple complex of Wat Pa-Buddhagaya.

Organized in partnership with Deer Park Institute, the Jambudvipa Trust, and Youth Buddhist Society of India, the INEB event brought together over 350 luminaries—a diverse range of monastics, scholars, artists, and activists from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The list of speakers included cofounder and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa, Roshi Joan Halifax, Hozan Alan Senauke, Venerable Dr. Tsering Palmo, and Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammananda. Participants met in workshops, panels, and field trips to discuss Buddhist economics and social entrepreneurship, sustainability and climate change, war and conflict resolution, traditional art and new media, working with death and dying, challenges facing the monastic community, youth issues, and dharma education.

The Tibetan Buddhist teacher Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche delivered the keynote address on the first day of the conference. He pointed out that the future of Buddhism hinges on its relationship with culture and money:

We need to look carefully at how culture and tradition—old habits that have metamorphosed into tradition—are hijacking the true buddhadharma. This is important not only to traditionally Buddhist places but also for new hosts….It is not that culture has to be discarded, but we have to realize that they are two different things. The teachings have to be delivered through culture, but their relationship is like the cup and [the] tea.

The future of Buddhism, he explained, relies not only on the sangha and religious heads. Patrons of dharma will play a critical role in shaping its future by determining how they give, to whom they give, and in what situations they choose to give. “We need a more intelligent economics and [a broader perspective on] success,” he said.

During a panel on “Dharma for the Future,” Joan Halifax commented, “As a very polarized activist in the 60s, I recognized that the fire of my passion was being fed by a very disturbed internal process.” Her sentiments reflected a notable shift in the culture of social activism from a dualistic Us versus Them paradigm to one that evolves existing systems by working within them and developing new models that pose promising alternatives. Halifax went on to say:

We have to address the issue of structural violence, whether it has to do with the marginalization of the dalits or women or dying people or people who are impoverished, or even other species. We have a responsibility to engage in activities that are related to the transformation of our social and political system.

In this spirit, attendees witnessed the launch of an exciting initiative called the Right Livelihood Fund. Its goal is to mentor individuals and groups interested in building small businesses and social enterprise projects that are sustainable, ecological, and supportive of spiritual growth.

Matteo Pistono, author of In the Shadow of the Buddha and a forthcoming history on engaged Buddhism, reflected on the conference participants:

What impresses me most is how this varied group collectively works to reduce within ourselves greed, hatred, and ignorance, while simultaneously combating how these poisons manifest in society as consumerism, militarism, and mass media.

In conjunction with the main conference, INEB organized two satellite events that focused on youth issues and Buddhist art. The International Buddhist Art Gathering’s “Pilgrimage to the Roots of Our Heritage” invited 33 artists from China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, and the United States to transform the premises of another Thai temple, Wat Thai Buddhagaya, into a veritable arts village for seven days. I was among the artists who came to participate. The workshop culminated in an exhibition, shown at Tibet House in New York City last November, of over 35 original works reflecting both traditional and new media art forms.

The other event, “Young Bodhisattva Program for Leadership Training in Spiritual Resurgence and Social Innovation,” hosted 35 participants from Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and India at the Bodhgaya Cambodian Temple. A generation of young Buddhist leaders has emerged from this program over the last decade, including Prashant Varma, cofounder of the renowned Deer Park Institute, a center for the study of classical Indian wisdom traditions in Bir, India.

Harsha Navaratne, INEB Executive Committee Chairperson and founder of Sewalanka Foundation in Sri Lanka, commended the young Buddhist leaders in his opening remarks:

The youngsters are our most valuable asset. They understand the challenges of the modern world, and they have shown enormous creativity and commitment as they search for innovative new ways of working. May they have the courage to take risks and the strength to learn from experience. The future of Buddhism is truly in their hands.

At the beginning of the conference, I found it difficult to wrap my head around “the future of Buddhism.” It seemed such a vague and vast topic. But the INEB gathering imparted a sense of confidence that not only are we all—each and every one of us—contributors to our present circumstances, but individually and collectively we shape the future in very deliberate and simple, if ambitious, small steps. The conference demonstrated this with the launch of visionary programs like the Right Livelihood Fund, the inception of an intercultural Buddhist Art center, and the development of local initiatives through the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation’s Beautiful Bodhgaya program. Whether we are applying for a grant to start a social enterprise or lending our time to improving waste disposal systems at sacred sites, our power lies in our commitment to our ideas and in our ability to network with others who will support our endeavors. A sense of pragmatic optimism and collective solidarity pervaded every conversation I was a part of.

Addressing the congregation, Sulak Sivaraksa quoted the poet Rabindranath Tagore:

The time has come for us to break open the treasure-trove of our ancestors and use it for our commerce of life. Let us, with its help, make our future our own, and not continue our existence as the eternal rag-pickers in other people’s dustbins.

Seize the day. Indeed, seize the future.

One thing is for certain: the future holds the next eagerly awaited INEB conference, scheduled for 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And if the changes in little Bodhgaya are any indication, that future will be clearer and cleaner once we take up a broom and simply begin to sweep.

Minette Lee Mangahas is an artist and writer who lives in Brooklyn, NY, and Asia. Learn more about her work at brushsong.com.

Photographs by Minette Lee Mangahas

Buddhism & Science at Maitripa College

mpistono — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:02:07 +0000

Yangsi Rinpoche (center) and Dr. James Blumenthal (top left) were joined by Matteo Pistono (top right) and Dr. David Loy and Dr. Christina Hulbe

Nekorpa was pleased to present our work at Maitripa College in Portland in December. The program was titled, “Buddhism, Science, and the Environment: Is it too late for individuals to make a difference?”

We were asked, “Can our planet sustain a global population that has recently reached 7 billion? When the environmental crisis feels overwhelming, we may wonder if it is nearly too late? Can individuals still make a difference? And do the teachings of the Buddha, who lived long before carbon emissions, have anything to say about philosophical, ethical, or pragmatic responses to global imbalance.”

Scientist of climate change, Christina Hulbe, philosopher David Loy, businessman Mark Waller, and founder of Nekorpa, Matteo Pistono, spoke about approaching sustainability thresholds and what can be done by whom to avert catastrophe and even possibly create space for healing communities and earth systems. Maitripa President & Professor of Buddhist Studies, Yangsi Rinpoche, furthered the conversation with reflections from the Buddhist tradition that illuminate these issues. The very successful event was moderated by Professor of Buddhist Studies, James Blumenthal.

A message from Nekorpa’s Founders

mpistono — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:47:11 +0000

Matto Pistono and Josh Elmore at Maratika Cave in Nepal

December 9, 2011

Namaste fellow pilgrims,

Nekorpa has had a busy and productive year working to enrich and protect sacred pilgrimage sites. We have built partnerships, started innovative programs and established a strong network of spiritual friends and supporters.

Please join with us on our journey to protect and improve sacred landscapes in 2012!

From Sri Lanka to Nepal to Tibet and in between, Nekorpa is making it possible for communities to protect and restore their spiritual landscapes. Our program is small, highly focused and run by local people to ensure it will continue and grow. But, we need your support.

Nekorpa is engaging local groups, international NGOs, scholars and spiritual practitioners to join together in support of our mission. The local response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our work is getting noticed and we have been invited to advise, guide, and work with environmental and cultural projects, including a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and DiversEarth. This is a real testament to the substance of our work and more importantly a recognition of the importance of sacred pilgrimage sites.

Below is snapshot of what Nekorpa has accomplished since we started two years ago, and what we have planned for 2012:

In a far eastern region of Tibet, a stupa-reliquary was constructed to honor the life and teachings of Tertön Sogyal Lerab Lingpa, a 19th century mystic and meditation master. We are now translating a short biography of the mystic to be included with the guidebook to the area.

Last year at Taksang Hermitage in Bhutan, we collaborated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the project ‘Where Pilgrims & Conservationists Meet.’ Recommendations were made to the Bhutanese government on protecting the sacred mountain climb to the hermitage and to promote “green pilgrimage.” Nekorpa is continuing the partnership with WWF along the pilgrimage route to Taksang by supporting a brick pathway to combat erosion, promote proper sanitation, and publish a pilgrimage guidebook.

Outside Kathmandu, Nepal, at the holy pilgrimage sites of Pharping, Nekorpa embarked on an ambitious community-wide Zero Waste campaign. Following a challenging year of awareness building and clean-up, the project recently received the donation of a plot of land for a recycling center and public toilets. Research continues on the pilgrimage guidebook, which will cover the sacred sites from the Chobar Gorge to the Vajrayogini Temple and the caves of Yangleshö to Asura, the Hindu sacred sites in the area including Daksinkali and Sheshnayan temples, as well as the Haraiti mountain shrines.

Our most ambition project of the last two years has been at Sri Pada—Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka. At the summit of Sri Pada, there is a “sacred footprint” in the rock. Buddhists hold it to be the footprint of the Buddha, Hindus that of Shiva, and in the Christian and Muslim traditions that of Adam. Nekorpa’s comprehensive plastic clean-up program has been on-going along the two principal pilgrimage routes and is integrated with school and environmental programs about ‘spiritual climbing.’ A pilgrimage guidebook for Sri Pada will be published in September 2012.

Increasing awareness and appreciation for pilgrimage sites, Matteo Pistono, Nekorpa’s Executive Director, has given slideshow talks at universities, conferences and meetings across the United States, in India and England.

Nekorpa is looking forward to working with our dedicated local partners in 2012 in Tibet, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan and expanding to projects in Mongolia and India, and beyond.

We encourage you to support us so we can continue to protect pilgrimage places for spiritual pilgrims, practitioners, tradition holders, and indeed, the world.

Please consider making a donation, dedicating prayers and making aspirations to benefit Nekorpa’s work.

Over 90% all donations are utilized directly for projects at sacred pilgrimage sites. We have no paid employees and rely on volunteer and in-kind support to carry out our mission. Nekorpa is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit in the US.

With hand folded and prayers for peace along your journey,

Matteo Pistono and Josh Elmore

Founders, Nekorpa, www.nekorpa.org

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

Nekorpa to present at Buddhism & Science Symposium at Maitripa College, December 4, 2011

mpistono — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:29:03 +0000

BUDDHISM & SCIENCE at MAITRIPA COLLEGE PRESENT:

THE ENVIRONMENT: Is It Too Late for Individuals to Make A Difference?

Can our planet sustain a global population that has recently reached 7 billion? When the environmental crisis feels overwhelming, we may wonder if it is nearly too late? Can individuals still make a difference? And do the teachings of the Buddha, who lived long before carbon emissions, have anything to say about philosophical, ethical, or pragmatic responses to global imbalance?
Join us as we ask scientist of climate change, Christina Hulbe, philosopher David Loy, businessman Mark Waller, and founder of Nekorpa, Matteo Pistono, about approaching sustainability thresholds and what can be done by whom to avert catastrophe and even possibly create space for healing communities and earth systems. Maitripa President & Professor of Buddhist Studies, Yangsi Rinpoche, will further the conversation with reflections from the Buddhist tradition that illuminate these issues. Moderated by Professor of Buddhist Studies, James Blumenthal.

Click here to register for the symposium in Portland, OR.

Slideshow from Nekorpa’s work in Sri Lanka and Nepal

mpistono — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:21:02 +0000

Check out photographs from Nekorpa’s work in Sri Lanka and Nepal 2010-2011.

Nekorpa is dependent upon your generosity and it is easy to donate here. Thank you.

Nekorpa presents work in Bodhgaya, India

mpistono — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:21:02 +0000

The International Network of Engaged Buddhist (INEB) held is bi-annual conference in Bodhgaya, India from October 26-29. The theme of the conference was “The Future of Buddhism: From Personal Awakening to Global Transformation.” Over 300 individuals from over 20 countries attended the conference.

Pia Lindstrom presented the cutting edge work of Deer Park-India, and Matteo Pistono, Executive Director of Nekorpa, spoke about working with communities in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Both Deer Park and Nekorpa offered their experiences within the Himalayan-Buddhist context with regards to Zero Waste methodology, raising ecological consciousness, and implementation of waste management. Participants of the workshops were actively engaged in discussion and offered their relevant experiences from India, Bangledesh and Sri Lanka.

Read Ajahn Sulak Sivaraksa’s thoughts on the Future of Buddhism, Roshi Joan Halifax’s essay on the Precious Necessity of Compassion, Hozan Alan Senauke’s essay on The Future is Always Arriving and other articles from the conference by Jonathan Watts, John Stanley & David Loy, and Matteo Pistono.

The Mahabodhi Temple and bodhitree where the historical Buddha attained enlightenment

And read more about the conference here.

Land donated for recycling and trash collection in Pharping, Nepal

mpistono — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:51:43 +0000

"Clean Pharping" garbage cans installed at the Varjayogini temple in Pharping

Nekorpa’s Executive Director, Matteo Pistono, was in Pharping, Nepal in October 2010. He met with staff from a local women’s organization, WomenAct Nepal, and with the headmaster of the Tribhuvan Adarsha High School. WomenAct and the Adarsha High School are the implementing partner for Nekorpa’s waste management program in Pharping.

The team toured a plot of land donated by Tribhuvan Adarsha High School for the collection, separation, recycling, and pick-up location for recyclables and refuse. The land will be leveled and then enclosed with fencing.

The plot of land donated for the Zero Waste program. Presently the land is where garbage and waste is disposed of in a haphazard and unsafe manner.

An adjacent plot was selected where organic matter will be composted.

Additionally, Nekorpa is supporting the building of public toilet near the bus stop—currently there are no facilities.

The present work continues the program that was initiated in Pharping in July 2010 with the generous support from The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation. It was at this time that Nekorpa partnered with WomenAct Nepal to initiate a waste management program in Pharping, Nepal. The work in Pharping was preceded by three staff from WomenAct attending an educational conference on Zero Waste in the Himalaya at Deer Park Institute in Himachal Pradesh, and the methodology from that conference is the bases for the outreach in Pharping. In September 2010, the waste management program was launched with WomenAct staff working in conjunction with the Pharping Village Development Council and the Tribhuvan Adarsha High School. Because of the long-standing practice of simply discarding in near-by fields all refuse and garbage, the program has important educational components, which are key to engaging the various community and castes groups.

Temple grounds surrounding the sacred caves in Pharping

Pilgrimage in Himalayas in Boulder, CO, August 11

mpistono — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:03:45 +0000

PILGRIMAGE IN THE HIMALAYAS

Slideshow and talk by Matteo Pistono; free and open to the public

Paro Taksang, the Tiger's Nest, in Bhutan

When: Thursday, August 11 6:30-8 pm

Where: REI Boulder, 1789 28th Street

In this engaging slideshow, Matteo Pistono shares majestic images from the Himalayas together with stories from his 15 years of pilgrimage trips in Tibet, Nepal, India, and beyond. You will journey across expansive landscapes, following in the footsteps of past saints and present-day yogis. Through the pilgrim’s lens, the external environment supports the internal journey, where every peak, valley, river, and inhabitant are woven into sacred topography.

Click here for a glimpse into Matteo’s pilgrimage in Tibet.

REI Host: Sarah Leone, sleone@rei.com

Robb Hiatt, rhiatt@rei.com 303-583-9970

The event is free but registration is recommended.

Nekorpa offers cotton bags to replace plastic at Tibetan Buddhist ceremony in Pharping

mpistono — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:27:51 +0000

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche and Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche lead a Barche Kunsel Drupchen at the sacred Asura Caves in Pharping, Nepal.

In late December 2010, Nekorpa and WomenAct Nepal partnered with Wild Earth, Inc. and Deer Park Institute in a targeted educational outreach to local monasteries. The effort was endorsed by Dzongsar Khyentsé Rinpoche, who was conducting a ten-day ceremony in Pharping (Tibetan: Yanglesho).

Khyentsé Rinpoche spoke about Zero Waste ideology to the gathering of monks and lay people attending the ceremony.

Nekorpa and the other sponsoring groups offered cotton bags to those attending to beused instead of the many plastic bags which are used and discarded at such gatherings. The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation offered their financial support as well.

The front side of the cotton bags offered at the ceremony

The reverse side of the cotton bags offered to the congregation

Nekorpa attends Engaged Buddhist meeting in Thailand

mpistono — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:22:39 +0000

Ajan Sulak Sivaraksa, the founder INEB, and Matteo Pistono, Nekorpa's Executive Director

The International Network of Engaged Buddhist’s (INEB) Executive Council and Advisory Council met in late November at Wongsanit Ashram outside Bangkok. Nekorpa’s Executive Director, Matteo Pistono, sits on the EC and joined the two-day meeting that planned for the 2011 Conference of Engaged Buddhist in Bodhgaya, India (26-29 Oct 2011) and the Buddhist Art’s Festival (22-25 Oct 2011). Additional discussions included briefings from representatives from various countries on INEB members’ activities, the 2012 Buddhist Approach to Climate Change conference, and Buddhist Economics.

Wongsanit Ashram outside Bangkok

The meeting coincided with the Loy Krathong-Floating Ceremony and the group sent their prayers and positive intentions into the nearby water way alight with candles and incense. Click here for a slide show from the ashram.