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India bars Tai Situ from attending World Buddhist Conference in Malaysia The Buddhist Channel, Nov 4, 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- India has denied H.E. The 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche Pema Tönyö Nyinje a travel visa to attend the World Buddhist Conference (WBC), currently held in Kuala Lumpur. The Tai Situpa was scheduled to give a keynote address at the conference. No reasons were given by Indian immigration why the visa was rejected. << H.E. The 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Pema Tönyö Nyinje, in his pre-recorded video address at the World Buddhist Conference in Kuala Lumpur The theme for the conference is “Trancending Negative Emotions”, and speakers as well as participants are expected to exchange ideas and experiences in issues and ways to create happiness and well being in our lives. In his pre-recorded video address, the Tai Situpa expressed his bewilderment why he was denied physical presence in Kuala Lumpur, as he said “I myself cannot understand why this is happening.” The presence of Tai Situpa was the key highlight of this edition of the WBC, which was last held in 2010. In that edition, Ven. Thich Nhat Hahn gave the keynote address. In Tibetan Buddhism the Tai Situpa is one of the oldest lineages of tulkus (said to be reincarnated lamas) in the Kagyu school. The Tai Situpa is considered to be one of the highest ranking lamas of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Expectations for the 2nd WBC were heightened as the present 12th Kenting Tai Situpa, H.E. Rinpoche Pema Tönyö Nyinje is a renowned Buddhist master. On a more personal level the present 12th Tai Situpa is a scholar, poet, calligrapher, artist, author, architect and geomancer. The 12th Tai Situpa was instrumental in recognizing H.H. the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, one of the two candidates claimed to be the 17th Karmapa, whom he coronated at Tsurphu Monastery outside Lhasa in August 1992. He is the main Guru of Orgyen Trinlay in Mahamudra and training in turn the next generation of Buddhist masters. In his video address, the Tai Situ advised the audience to learn "how to balance emotions, as negative emotions are the cause of suffering". He said that "if we cannot improve ourselves and find a balance to counter negative emotions, the world can only get worse”. The Tai Situpa outlined the vast changes the world have undergone in the last 50 years and concluded that much is not good. The advent of overt greed, environmental degradation and unsustainable development are the result of mindsets grounded on being too selfish, greedy and overly aggressive in wealth accumulation. He cautioned that hope for a better future in the next 50 years can only happen if we persist to make positive changes to our current mindsets and to take steps to improve existing difficulties. This would include the development of different levels of awareness and values, driven by a change in simple personal attitude, which includes making the following as living principles in our lives, that is, to embed compassion, love, wisdom and care in the way we function day to day, moment to moment. The Tai Situpa said that as human beings we have to keep faith in the ultimate goodness of human nature, and that our primordial essence has always been to do good. The WBC has attracted speakers from Australia, the USA, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and India. 500 participants are attending the two days conference from Nov 3-4, 2012. Held bi-annually, the conference attracts renowned Dharma teachers from all over the world. It is co-organised by the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, The Buddhist Gem Fellowship and The Buddhist Missionary Society of Malaysia. The conference is also supported by eight others Buddhist organizations.

More information on The 12th Tai Situpa

http://www.palpung.org/english/taisitupa/brief_brief.htm The World Buddhist Conference on the web: www.wbc.my