"Cultivating Peace in a Chaotic World"/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

Talk by Bhante Buddharakkhita at Stanford University

Buddhist Studies at Stanford
Published on Sep 22, 2015
TEACHING BUDDHISM: Ugandan buddhist monk seeks to spread his religion

NTVUganda
Published on May 19, 2018
Venerable Bhante Bhikku Buddharakkhita is the first ever Ugandan Buddhist monk and he is one of only a handful on the entire African continent. In fact he is the only African born monk from his particular school of Buddhism known as Therevada Buddhism. NTV’s Suhail Mugabi recently caught up with the man formerly known as Steven Kabogoza, who narrated his journey to Buddhism and how he intends to spread the religion in Uganda.

 

PLANTING THE FIRST DHAMMA SEED IN UGANDA
Venerable Buddharakkkhita Returns from Six-Month Odyssey :

Recently I completed an extended journey. Over the course of six months, I traveled in India, Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Uganda. I visited my spiritual friend, Vimalaji Thakar, in India and made pilgrimages to Lumbini (Nepal), Bodhgaya, Sri Lanka, ancient pagodas in Yangoon and Mandalay (Burma), and other places. I practiced intensive insight meditation with Sayadaw U Pandita in Burma and attended a course in Buddhist psychology and philosophy with Sayadaw U Nandamala in Sagaing Hill near Mandalay. Finally, I returned to Uganda to visit my mother and introduce Buddhism there. The travel notes below explains some of my experiences in Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Uganda.
In Sri Lanka, my host, Dhammaruwan, gave me a large Buddha statue, which I intended to take back to Uganda with me (see photo). Before going to Uganda, I visited Kenya for a week. To protect the statue, I wrapped it in a monk’s robe.
I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, the morning of March 14. After answering many questions about the Buddha statue in Bombay, on board the plane, at Kenya immigration, and a nearly five-hour layover in Bombay, I felt exhausted. The Buddha statue had broken from its seat, perhaps due to constant handling. The immigration officials had a lot of questions. “Is that a baby you are carrying? Where is its boarding pass?” asked one official. “No,” I insisted, “it is a statue.” Another officer asked, “Is this your mungu (god)?” “No! In Buddhism the statue is not the God.” “Why do you cover it? You do not want other people to see it?” “No, I cover it because it is fragile and to avoid scratches.”
When I placed the statue on the counter of the immigration officer in order to hand over my travel documents he asked, “What is this? It is scaring people…please remove it.” “It is a statue…” I replied.
I now had a dilemma. I could not both hold the statue and show my travel documents, but if I left the statue sitting alone the authorities threatened to destroy it instantly. When I rested it on the counter, people feared to come near it! The official continued, “It looks like African magic, weird things of witchcraft. Why are you carrying this statue? Open it, can I see? Are you carrying things inside of it? Possibly drugs?” “No! It is simply a Buddhist statue.” “Do not sell this statue in Nairobi!!!” he ordered. “It is not for sale,” I replied. “It is beautiful,” he said. I thanked him and went on my way. After I arrived in Kenya, I decided wrap the statue in a white cloth and put it in a bag before leaving for Uganda.
On March 21, I arrived at the Entebbe International airport in Uganda. While at customs, the official asked me why I was dressed just like the Masai even though I am not one. Almost 95% of people in Uganda and Kenya perceived me as a member of the Masai tribe, not as a Buddhist monk. Later I saw my mother for the first time in six years. She was very happy to see me.
Then came questions from Ugandans. “Come here!” someone demanded. “You, Masai, are you selling medicine?” “No!” “Are you married?” “No!” “Is Buddha God?” “No, he is neither God nor messenger, not even the Son of God. He is the Awakened One.” Someone else observed, “It is strange that you eat at 11 am when for most of us here it the time we are about to finish our breakfast. We eat lunch at 2 or 3 pm and dinner at 10 or 11 pm.” “Well,” I said, “I do not eat after 12 noon, not until the next dawn.” “Eh…. I am surprised!” “We are used to it….” Then he objected, “I do not believe in the incense used in Buddhism.“ “Incense is used as a symbol during devotional services. In fact during the two month retreat in Burma, we did not use incense.” “Why do you give water to the Buddha? Does he drink the water?” a neighbor asked my sister. “No,” I answered. “Water is a symbol for quenching the thirst of craving.” The Buddha statue arrived safely, and now has a temporary home in a meditation center started in Kampala with the assistance of several converts to Buddhism among my family and friends. We hope to give it a permanent home in a temple we are planning to build nearby.*
:- http://buddharakkhita.blogspot.com/

 

How to have peace in your mind - 2016 05 20 Bhante Buddharakkhita

Buddhist Fellowship
Published on May 28, 2016

 

Happiness Formula Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Jun 22, 2015

 

Biography Ven. Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita
Ven. Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita was born and raised in Uganda, Africa. He first encountered Buddhism in 1990 while living in India, and he began practicing meditation in 1993. In June 2001, he started formal monastic training, and in November 2002 he received higher ordination under the late Venerable U Silananda at the Tathagata Meditation Center in California. He has continued his Dhamma study and meditation practice for eight years under the guidance of Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society, West Virginia. He is the founder of the Uganda Buddhist Center in Uganda and has been teaching meditation in Africa, Europe, Brazil and the U.S. Besides spending time at the Buddhist Center in Uganda, he is the founder of Bodhi Education Foundation, Inc., in Maryland. His book, Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism on African Soil, tells the story of his religious work in Africa.
:- https://www.spiritrock.org/InstructorDetails?calendarinstructorid=107342

 

Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa

lalasass333
Published on Nov 1, 2008
Bhante Bikkhu Buddharakkhita is the first African Buddhist monk on the continent. He is the founder of the Ugandan Buddhist Centre in Entebbe, Uganda. This is the first Buddhist Centre founded by an African.

 

Buddha Dharma - How I became a Buddhist by Ven Bhante Buddharakkhita

Percy Nanayakkara
Published on Mar 31, 2014

 

Life of a Buddhist Monk in Uganda - 2016 05 22
Bhante Buddharakkhita

Buddhist Fellowship
Published on May 28, 2016

 

...........
More picture :- https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs...s/3/8/2/8/3828080/1306120762.jpg&action=click

 

Misconceptions of Buddhism Bhante Buddharakkhita

Q&A- Purpose of Life, Acronym to Help Meditation Practice, Making Decision
Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Oct 20, 2016

 

Kamma, Rebirth And The Common Misconceptions Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Sep 19, 2015

 

Fears: Death, Public Speaking and Mother-In-Laws Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Jun 9, 2015

 

The Way to Heaven: A Buddhist's Perspective Bhante Buddharakkhita

Freedom of the Heart and Mind Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Sep 2, 2016

 

Death and Deathlessness/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

DJBASHATV...
Published on May 7, 2015

 

Palestra com Bhante Buddharakkhita: Upekkha (eqüanimidade)

Taking Refuges and 5 precepts - Vesak Day - 20160521/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

Do You think you have a destiny - Bhante Buddharakkhita - 20161126

Turning Grief into Gratitude / Bhante Buddharakkhita

Buddhist Fellowship
Published on Jan 25, 2017

 

Freedom from Non-Clinging to View/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

Healing Difficult Emotions: Freedom From Fear v2/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

BSV Dhamma Talks
Published on Jan 25, 2017

 

Welfare and Happiness of All Living Beings/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

More Dhamma Less Drama/ Bhante Buddharakkhita

Meditation and Life
Published on May 9, 2017

 

Dhamma talks from African uganda Buddhists monk Ven Bhante Buddharakkhita in Califonia

DromKhurSeng Channel
Published on May 21, 2016