Hanoi, 1998 & 2000

[spl]

Re: Hanoi, 1998 & 2000

Wonderful images Yoshi and so interesting too. As you say Vietnam seems to be such a photogenic place - never been there myself but seen many movies set there and always marvel at the pictures.

Interested about your comments on Buddhism in these places - would you be referring to the Muhamudra tradition as opposed to the Theravaden tradition practised in places like Thailand and Sri Lanka or the Vajrahana (excuse the spelling) as practised by the Tibetans?

[yoshi]

Re: Hanoi, 1998 & 2000

Interested about your comments on Buddhism in these places - would you be referring to the Muhamudra tradition as opposed to the Theravaden tradition practised in places like Thailand and Sri Lanka or the Vajrahana (excuse the spelling) as practised by the Tibetans?

Thanks a lot for your comments, spl.

About the Buddhism: Yes, I was referring to Mahayana Buddhism prevailing in the four countries including Vietnam and Theravada Buddhism popular in Thailand etc.

As I understand it, Vajrahana Buddhism in Tibet is the pure form of Mahayana Buddhism which is said to be influenced by Taoism in China.
Last week or so, I happened to have watched a TV documentary program about Buddhism in Europe and US and learned that Vajrahana was getting popular in France ... in Neitherland, iirc, it was Zen. but why?
yoshi

p.s. Since I was not familiar with the English technical terms (jargons) about Buddhism, I looked into Wikipedia. It works! Anyway those are the words I wanted to use in my earlier post but had no idea.

[spl]

Re: Hanoi, 1998 & 2000

Yeah of course mahayana is what I meant (not mahamudra which of course means something different - its all a bit confusing).

In the West (including in South Africa where Buddhism is quite widely practised among the white population strangely enough) Zen is seen as Mahayana and you are right Vajrahana is also part of mahayana but uses very different methods.

See

http://www.samyeling.org/index.php?module=Pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=30&pid=10

There is a Korean Zen centre in Cape Town as well as a Kagju Tibetan centre and they are quite different sorts of places. the Zen is far stricter and more ascetic.