The ongoing row over several branded health drinks which moms have been trusting for decades has made us think, are we feeding our kids the right kind of food?Although the majority of brands advertise these products as "energy and vitamin-rich drinks," but on the other hand they dont mention the heavy quantity of sugar used in them which can be very harmful for kids, says Dr Saurabh Khanna, Lead Consultant, Neonatology and Pediatrics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.These products are promoted as immunity boosters and make tall claims that these will help kids in growing tall and strong, he says and adds, but in reality, energy drinks and such health drinks cannot increase immunity; this can be only done by immunisations / vaccinations.What are the ingredients parents should check before buying them?Dr Khanna explains: As per the recommendation of the nutritionist or pediatrician depending on the condition or deficiency of a particular nutrient which otherwise is unavailable to the child through dietary intake, one may be recommended the supplements (through energy drinks).

Parents should look out for high sugar content in the drink. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, DHA etc are certain ingredients which help in overall growth of the child, and should be used only for a short while until the child starts taking these through their diet.

Natural alternatives for kids other than health drinks

What are the complications likely to come when these drinks are given to kids regularly?

Dr Khanna highlights three important complications that might arise when such health drinks are regularly fed to a child.

These drinks include a lot of processed sugars, and excessive intake of these on a regular basis might raise the risk of diabetes and obesity in kids, he adds.

As per Unicef's World Obesity Atlas for 2022, India is likely to be home to 27 million obese kids by 2030. It currently ranks 99 out of 183 countries in terms of handling the economic impact of obesity.

Children who skip meals and miss out on the nutrients they need may feel full after drinking these drinks, which might have an impact on their growth and development. Kids can also get addicted to sweet and chocolate flavors of these drinks if consumed on a regular basis, explains Dr Khanna.

Continued here:
The unhealthy side of health drinks - Indiatimes.com

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on - Apr 25, 2023, 09:00 IST

Masoor dal is brimming with iron and many essential nutrients. This makes it crucial for increasing hemoglobin levels and preventing lethargy and exhaustion. Here are three incredible recipes using this classic Indian ingredient.

Ingredients

For Filling

3/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves (pudina) leaves3/4 cup whole masoor (whole red lentil)2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste1/2 cup grated low-fat paneer (cottage cheese)2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions whites1/4 cup finely chopped coriander (dhania)2 tsp oilsalt to taste

For yogurt blend

2 tbsp dill leaves (suva bhaji)2 tbsp low fat milk , (99% fat free)1/4 cup low-fat curds (dahi)2 pinches mustard (rai / sarson) powdersalt to taste

For wraps4 rotis8 tbsp garlic-tomato chutney1 cup roughly torn lettuce4 tbsp finely chopped and blanched carrot

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Clean, wash and soak the masoor overnight.Drain, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles till the masoor is soft and slightly overcooked, but not mashed.Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.Drain the masoor completely and coarsely mash it with a potato masher.Add the mint leaves, ginger-green chilli paste and bread crumbs, mix well and keep aside.Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the spring onion whites and saut till they turn translucent.Add the carrots, coriander, masoor mixture and salt and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.Place a roti on a clean, dry surface, then top it with 2 tablespoons of the garlic tomato chutney.In the middle of the roti, arrange 1/4 cup of lettuce and 1/4 cup of the mint and masoor filling in a row.Spread 1/4 of the yoghurt dill over 1 tablespoon of the carrots, then tightly roll it up.To make 3 more rolls, repeat the process with the remaining components.Each roll should be served right away after being wrapped in tissue paper.

Ingredients3/4 cup whole masoor (whole red lentil)2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste3/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves (pudina) leaves1/2 cup grated low fat paneer (cottage cheese)2 tbsp brown bread crumbssalt to taste2 tsp oil for cooking

Clean, wash, and soak the masoor.Masoor should be soft and slightly overcooked but not mashed after being drained, added to 2 cups of water, and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.Open the lid after letting the steam out.Remove the water from the masoor and throw it away. Use a potato masher to coarsely crush the masoor.Mix thoroughly before adding the other ingredients.The mixture should be divided into 16 equal pieces. Each piece should be formed into a little, long, flat tikki.Each tikki should be cooked on a heated non-stick tava (griddle) over a medium flame with 1/8 teaspoon oil until both sides are golden brown. Satay sticks should be inserted through each tikki. Serve warm.

For The Masala Masoor1/2 cup masoor (whole red lentil) , soaked for 1-2 hours3/4 cup chopped tomatoes1/2 cup chopped onions1/2 cup potato cubes2 apricots, soaked and finely chopped3 tbsp red chilli-garlic paste1 tbsp chopped raisins (kismis)2 1/2 cups cooked rice (chawal)2 tbsp milk1 tbsp oilsalt to taste

Clean, wash, and soak the masoor for at least one to two hours in enough water. Melt the masoor down. While stirring continually, set aside.In a pressure cooker, heat the oil, add the onions, and saut them while continuously stirring until they turn brown in colour.While continuously stirring, add the red chili-garlic paste and continue to saut for a few more seconds.One whistle of pressure cooking is required after adding the potatoes, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, masoor, salt, and 1 14 cups of water.Open the lid after letting the steam out.If it is watery, cook it until just a small amount of moisture remains and the mixture is semi-dry. Set apart.Separate the masala masoor into 2 equal portions and the rice into 3 equal portions.One portion of the rice should be distributed evenly in an oiled glass baking dish.One portion of the masala masoor should be spread over it.Over the masala masoor, distribute the remaining rice in an equal layer. To add another layer, repeat steps 2 and 3 once more.Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 10 minutes at 200C (400F) or for 2 minutes in the microwave. Make cautious to avoid using aluminium foil in the microwave because it could ignite. Instead, use a lid made for microwaves.Just before serving hot, flip over on a sizable serving platter. Coriander is a good garnish.

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3 masoor dal recipes to stay in shape without sacrificing on taste - Times of India

People use social media to communicate and stay in touch with their friends and family. It has been noted that individuals enjoy solving and disseminating riddles and tests within their WhatsApp groups. One such puzzle that has gained popularity is the "Can you find the womans cat?" challenge. To learn more about it, keep reading.The challenge is illustrated by a cartoon image of a woman with a broom. She is standing next to a mop bucket as she faces a door, a curtain, and a brick wall.This is what this picture asks and has been doing rounds on Twitter and Instagram.

There doesn't seem to be much room in the image for a cat to be hiding, and so far, internet participants who have tried to find the feline have had different reactions to the task. While some claim it's too simple to find the cat, others claim it's too difficult.

"It's very obvious! Funny that so many people are still blind to it, one Twitter user observed.

Another person posted, "I've been looking at this for two days."

"I took longer than I should have to do that! Got there in the end, though," a different poster remarked, adding an emoji of an eye rolling.

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Optical illusion: Only 1 out of 10 people can find the woman's cat - Indiatimes.com

Whenever we feel like losing a few pounds, we immediately resort to skipping meal(s) in order to feel good about not consuming enough calories. However, it is doing you more harm than good since it is important for our bodies to be replenished with the required nutrients to be able to function properly without any hassle.

Most of us often think of skipping breakfast in order to have only two meals a day, i.e. lunch and dinner. But what we don't realize is that by skipping breakfast we tend to eat more than required to satisfy our growling stomachs. Doing so leads to consuming more calories, which comes in the way of losing weight.

Here are six protein-rich breakfast options to help you lose weight, according to the dietician:

Preparing these foods for breakfast can help boost your immune system and metabolism, which can then help you lose weight quicker. These foods are also rich in fibre aid in the digestion process and will suppress your appetite so that you won't feel the urge to reach out for a second or third helping, which can then lead to an increase in calorie consumption.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

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Skipping Breakfast To Lose Weight? Dietician Suggests 6 Breakfast Ideas To Aid Your Weight Loss Goals - Zoom TV

In continuation to the first article we released on why young people are at risk for heart issues, here is the part where we spoke to Dr Ramakanta Panda, worlds leading Heart Surgeon & Chairman, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai about signs of heart attack and what healthy habits we can inculcate for good heart health. Early signs of heart issues It is important to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms, as they could be warning signs of a potential heart issue. But a lot of times people tend to mistake these signs for something inconsequential. Dr Panda shares some signs that should not be taken lightly and are worth investigating.Chest pain, tightness, pressure, or discomfort (angina):If you feel any discomfort or pain in your chest on exertion, whether it's mild or severe, it's crucial to get it checked out by a healthcare professional.Shortness of breath: If you find yourself struggling to catch your breath, especially during physical activity or even at rest, it could be a sign of a heart problem and should not be ignored.Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back: Unexplained pain or discomfort in these areas, especially if it's accompanied by other symptoms, could be an indication of a heart issue and should be evaluated by a doctor.Pain or numbness in your arms during physical or mental stress: If you experience unusual pain, discomfort, or numbness in your arms, especially during times of physical or mental stress, it's essential to get it checked out as it could be a sign of heart-related problems.Heart healthy habitsRemember, prevention is key when it comes to heart health. By adopting heart healthy habits and being proactive in managing risk factors, you can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Get moving: Regular physical activity, like brisk walking atleast for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, can help you keep your heart in shape.Quit smoking: Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease and other health issues. If you're a smoker, it's time to quit for the sake of your heart and overall well-being.Keep your cholesterol in check: High cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Opt for foods that are low in salt and unhealthy fats to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.Tweak your eating habits: You don't need to be a perfect eater, but try to avoid junk food and prioritise healthy, nutritious meals, with more fruits, vegetables and other foods high in fiber.Reduce stress: Chronic stress can increase blood pressure, which can contribute to heart disease. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise, meditation, yoga or talking to a trusted friend or family member.Prioritise sleep: Good sleep is crucial for a healthy heart. Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep each night and sleep before 10 pm to support your heart health.Maintain a healthy weight: Keeping your body mass index (BMI) in a healthy range can help prevent conditions like diabetes, which can increase the risk of heart disease.Start heart checkups early: One should start getting screened for heart disease as early as age 20, including checking cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes levels, to detect any potential risk factors early on.

The link between diabetes and heart issuesDiabetes is a significant risk factor for heart disease, and unfortunately, it's twice as common in people with diabetes compared to those without it. This includes conditions like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease, which can have serious consequences for heart health, says Dr Panda.

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Cardiac surgeon explains early signs of heart issues that are often ignored - Indiatimes.com

In 1874, Henry Steel Olcotts life took a dramatic turn. Until then, he had been a journalist, an agricultural expert, insurance lawyer, soldier and an exposer of hoaxes and frauds. But that year, he renewed his interest in spiritualism a hazy mix of mysticism, belief in a pristine past, and a search for communion with spirits and the paranormal, including the divine kind.

The catalyst for this change was a chance encounter with Helena Blavatsky, a Russian migr with a past as varied as his own. In September, Olcott was investigating a series of spirit appearances on a Vermont farm when he met the woman whose seances and mystical conversations with otherworldly figures had caught the attention of the press and the public alike.

The two hit it off immediately and it is not hard to see why. Both were bound to a spiritual search. Both believed in the unity of all religions. And both had faith in individual salvation. Within a year of their first meeting, the two turned their shared outlook into a collaboration by setting up the Theosophical Society in a New York apartment in the presence of 16 others.

From the outset, the Theosophical Society had an eclectic bunch of members, who varyingly believed in spirits, divination, the otherworldly and mysticism. Its ranks grew within years, turning a modest society into a movement. Its biggest impact was in Sri Lanka and more so in India, where Olcott and Blavatsky in their search for ancient wisdom moved in early 1879.

From their base in Adyar, Chennai, Blavatsky delved deeper into eastern religions, claiming to converse with Mahatmas, or Adept Masters, who ostensibly passed on their divine knowledge to her. Meanwhile, Olcott, always more practical, set about reforming systems and religions that he believed had corrupted over time. His greatest success was the role he played in the revival of Sinhalese Buddhism in Sri Lanka a process that came to have nationalist overtones.

Born in 1832 in a devout Presbyterian family in Orange, New Jersey, Olcott had to abandon his studies at New York University because of his familys financial straits. This proved to be a pivotal moment in his life. Leaving New Jersey, a 16-year-old Olcott worked on a relatives farm in Ohio, where he developed a precocious interest in agriculture and attended seances and spirit-calling sessions. By the time he returned to his home state in the early 1850s, his interest in novel farming methods and tools had become deeply ingrained.

Soon, Olcott became the secretary at the Westchester Farm School in New York, a position of considerable authority. His first few books were published in 1857-1858. His Yale lectures on agriculture, compiled into a book, were well-received, as was his next publication, Sorgho and Imphee, which focused on two varieties of sugarcane from China and southern Africa. Olcott believed that the cultivation of these varieties and their byproducts in northern US states could reduce the Norths dependency on the South. The book had contributions from Leonard Wray, a sugar planter of British origin who had cultivated both varieties in places as far apart as Jamaica, India, South Africa and, later, the Malay States.

The next decade, a seminal one in American history, gave Olcott a ringside view of events. In 1859, as a correspondent for the New York Tribune, he reported on the capture and subsequent execution of noted abolitionist John Brown in the southern state of Virginia. By this time, the North and South were bitterly divided over slavery and the virulence was bubbling over. One time, his colleagues at the Tribune were forced to backtrack on their reportage when a hostile crowd gathered around and staged a protest.

This didnt deter Olcott, though. When Brown was being escorted from jail, Olcott pretended to be a part of the corps and later wrote a copiously detailed, and somewhat self-congratulatory, report that dwelled on his own experiences. In this article even today a reader can see his ponderous and pontificating style that reappeared in all his later writings in diaries, pamphlets and books.

In 1860, Olcott married Mary Eplee Morgan. They had four children, two of whom died in infancy. The daughter of an Episcopal minister, Marys conservatism didnt sit well with his wide-ranging radical interests, which led them to separate 14 years later.

Olcotts passions dictated everything he did. Although a journalist, he fought as a soldier in the Civil War until he was discharged early. He served on several important government committees, including the one that investigated corruption in military supplies and, later, the committee that looked into the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. His enduring interest in spiritualism took him in 1870 to London, where he organised exhibitions on behalf of the medium Henry Slade (who was soon denounced as fake). After meeting Blavatsky, he vouched for the appearances of Mahatmas, and, like her, was drawn to the implausible story of Ching Ling Foo (who claimed to be a Buddhist monk hounded by China but turned out to be a travelling magician and medium).

For all their shared beliefs, Olcott and Blavatskys lives didnt follow the same path in India. Blavatsky gathered around herself a devout band of supporters and drew attention with her letters from Mahatmas, who she said were spirits residing in the Himalayas. As for Olcott, he became his old self, working on various reforms and travelling widely.

Among the first few organisations he set up in the country was the Aryan Temperance Society, says Stephen Prothero, a US scholar of religion. Dedicated to the subject of temperance, the society organised lectures and published pamphlets, but didnt last long. What did endure, however, was Olcotts association with Buddhism.

His interest in Buddhism grew after Edwin Arnolds book-length poem on the Buddha called The Light of Asia, appeared in 1879. As Jairam Ramesh writes in his The Light of Asia: The Poem That Defined the Buddha (2021), Arnolds book was generously reviewed in The Theosophist magazines first issue and Olcotts espousal of it added to the books popularity.

In 1880, Olcott and Blavatsky made their first visit to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This was a time of churn in the nation, when Buddhism led by monks such as Mohottivatte Gunananda was growing increasingly assertive. At Galle, Olcott and Blavatsky knelt before Buddhas image and took the pansil, reciting in their broken Pali the sacred precepts of Theravada Buddhism.

For Olcott, this was the beginning of an abiding relationship with the island nation. His help in reviving Buddhism earned him the enduring gratitude of the country, which still marks his death anniversary on February 17 with prayers. In 1967, the Lankan government honoured Olcott, fondly called the White Buddhist, with a commemorative stamp.

On his first visit in 1880, Olcott had helped institute the Buddhist Theosophical Society and seven schools. The next year, he toured the country in a bullock cart he built himself. Prothero writes that his oratorical skills were as great as his organisational skills. The schools and associations he modelled on Protestant systems survive to this day, and his Buddhist Catechism (1881), which lays down principles for an ethical life, remains in print. What bolstered his popularity was that in 1882 he gave up his mesmeric healing sessions and instead began to focus on more earthly matters.

In 1884, while Blavatsky departed for England after an expos of her practices, Olcott travelled to London as part of a committee to present a set of demands. The committee wanted Vesak, the day of Buddhas enlightenment, to be declared a holiday and for government registrars to recognise Buddhist marriage. Meanwhile, in India and Sri Lanka, there were other demands being raised.

Don David Hewavitharana, a Theosophist who later called himself Anagarika Dharmapala, insisted on the restoration of old Buddhist sites, especially the shrine at Bodh Gaya that was being managed by a Shaivite sect. Dharmapala and Olcott were different in their approaches. While Dharmapala was distinctly assertive, Olcott believed in amicable negotiations. Not surprisingly, they went their separate ways in 1896.

Olcott was keen to unite the three Theravada sects, and as his travels to Chittagong, Burma and Japan show, he wanted to bring different Buddhist sects under one ecumenical platform. He never saw any differences between Theosophy and Buddhism or for that matter other religions. He believed in the unity of all faiths and always maintained that Theosophy sought a syncretism of all faiths an outlook that made the religion attractive to young, educated Indians, many of whom dedicated themselves to politically opposing British rule.

The veneration Olcott received in the East contrasted with the derision he got from the American press. A review in the Atlanta Constitution dismissed the first volume of his Old Diary Leaves as proof of his infatuation with Madame Blavatsky and her complete control over him.

In 1906, he sustained serious injuries as he sailed back to India. For a while, he recuperated in Genoa, but insisted on returning to Adyar, where he died next year on February 17.

In his lifetime, Olcott remained loyal to Blavatsky, travelling to London when she died in 1891 and scattering her ashes in the US and India. Yet, he consistently upheld reason as the ultimate arbiter. In 1906, in one of his last speeches as founder-president of Theosophy, he said: Believe nothing.... merely because it is written in a book, or taught by a Sage, or handed down by tradition, or inspired by a Deva, etc., but believe only when the thing written or spoken commends itself to your reason and your experience; then believe and act accordingly.

This article is part of a series on notable Americans who visited India before mid-20th century. Read the rest of the series here.

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How an American helped revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka after moving to India - Scroll.in

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka, a series of historic paintings were unveiled by the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi. The paintings were presented by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Milinda Moragoda, and depicted the arrival of King Ashokas son, Mahendra, and his daughter, Sangamitra, to Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner was accompanied by a group of senior monks from Sri Lanka, led by the Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero. Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) was also present on the occasion.

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During the event, Minister Lekhi highlighted the close historical, cultural, and traditional relationship between India and Sri Lanka, particularly in the context of the Buddhist connection. She emphasised the importance of strengthening this relationship further for future generations over centuries. Minister Lekhi said that the "paintings have been presented by monks who have travelled all the way from Sri Lanka. They brought twopaintings which are replicas of two original paintings available in a temple near Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo."

The Sri Lankan delegation was in Delhi to take part in the global Buddhist Summit 2023, organised by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the Ministry of Culture. The delegation expressed elation over the Minister's decision to do something more concrete on the Buddhist network between Sri Lanka and India in the coming months and years.

The presence of the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks was significant, given the deep historical and cultural connections between Buddhism and both India and Sri Lanka. The paintings presented by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner served as a poignant reminder of the longstanding ties between the two nations, cemented over the years through shared culture and history.

The two murals, which were painted by the eminent Sri Lankan painter Solias Mendis in the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara, depict the commencement of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE. The murals depict the arrival of Arahat Bhikkhu Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka upon arriving on the island. The second mural depicts the arrival of Theri Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, the daughter of the emperor, bearing the sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment.

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At a public teaching in Dharamsala, India, on March 8 this year, the Dalai Lama mentioned, almost in passing, the presence of the boy reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutughtua Mongolian high lama like the Dalai Lama himself. Mongolia and Tibet share a Buddhist tradition, usually known as Tibetan Buddhism, in which lineages of reincarnated lamas play an important role. The Jebtsundamba Khutughtu line has traditionally led Buddhists in Mongolia, just as the Dalai and Panchen Lamas have in Tibet.

Bizarrely, for an atheist communist party-state, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) claims that only it can decide on reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist lamasa privilege the PRC says it inherited from the Manchu rulers of the Qing Empire, which included both Mongolia and Tibet. But the PRC controls only a portion of historical Mongolia, a Chinese region known as Inner Mongolia, while Mongolia itself, once protected from Chinese ambitions by its status as a Soviet satellite, is now an independent country. The history of the Dalai Lama and the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, and the decisions their predecessors made, have shaped the map of Tibet, China, and Mongolia today.

On a visit to Mongolia in 2016, the Dalai Lama announced that this 10th reincarnation had been born. (His predecessor had died in 2012.) The Peoples Republic of China then sanctioned Mongolia over the Dalai Lamas visit. In 2007, the PRC State Administration for Religious Affairs had issued Order Number Five, a decree that living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism can only be reincarnated within the PRC in accordance with officially stipulated procedures, and shall not be interfered with or be under the dominion of any foreign organization or individual. But the new Jebtsundamba was neither born, recognized, nor bureaucratically approved in China.

In fact, news accounts note that the Mongolian boy recognized as the 10th Jebtsundamba was born in the United States. Some suggest he could play a role in identifying the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama, though the current Dalai Lama has said that he may not reincarnate at all. But the March meeting of the Dalai Lama and the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu before an audience of a few hundred monks, nuns, and Mongolian visitors, is more significant than these news items have portrayed. Thats because the 87-year-old Dalai Lama and 8-year-old Jebtsundamba Khutughtu already have a history togetherone that started in the 17th century.

Tibetan Buddhism seems mysterious, and Jebtsundamba Khutughtu is admittedly a mouthful. But theyre both important. Among other things, they help explain why the PRC today includes Xinjiang, Tibet, and some traditional Mongol landsand why it has trouble reconciling these territorial possessions with its increasingly narrow nationalism and policies to assimilate non-Han peoples.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims authority over Tibetan Buddhism. In 2018, to tighten its grip, the CCP transferred the State Administration for Religious Affairs, formerly a government bureau, into the United Front Work Department, thus putting the party directly in charge of religion.

The PRC controls Tibet, but Tibetan Buddhism is no more exclusively Tibetan than Roman Catholicism is Roman. Both are world religions with followers around the globe. Reincarnating lamas, or more precisely, Buddhist masters who can control their own reembodiment, such as the Dalai Lama and Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, are known as tulku in Tibetan and somewhat inaccurately as huofo (living Buddha) in Chinese. Tulku lineages have been identified in Europe and North America as well as in Tibetan cultural regions in Mongolia, China, India, and other parts of Asia. Beijing has not yet commented on the recent appearance of the current Jebtsundamba, but for CCP authorities to attempt to manage the recognition of a Mongolian tulku would be akin to Beijing wanting a say in the Vaticans selection of cardinals in Mexico or Nigeria.

Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Gelugpa school led by the Dalai Lama, has been intertwined with the Mongols from the beginning. In the aftermath of the Mongol Empire, the Gelugpa rose in parallel with other imperial contenders across the Eurasian continent, including Mongol tribes, the Manchus who established the Qing Empire, and even Muscovite Russia.

These rivals drew on two main sources of legitimacy. First, every ruler wanted to be a khan, but to do so convincingly required Chinggisid lineagethat is, descent from Genghis Khan. Second, patronage of, and backing from, transnational religions was key. In western parts of the former Mongol Empire, Islam served this function. In the east, it was Tibetan Buddhism, and khans studied with lamas and got themselves and their children recognized as tulkus or other important reincarnations.

It was a Chinggisid Mongol khan in the 16th century who first coined the title Dalai Lama, combining the Tibetan word for priest with a Mongolian word meaning oceanic wisdom, and bestowed it on a lama in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Gelugpa school, one of four major traditions in Tibet, expanded its temporal and religious power in Tibet and beyond through strategic alliances with Mongol leaders and other powers, including the young Qing state, ruled by Manchus who had conquered north China in 1644 but werent done yet.

The Fifth Dalai Lama (in office 1642-1682) and his officials were adept at this high-stakes diplomatic game: The Fifth visited Beijing as a youth in the early 1650s, and there declared the Qing emperor to be an incarnation of a bodhisattva named Manjushri. But the Gelugpa kept their options open, and two decades later cemented relations with the Qings nemesis to the northwest, the Junghar Mongols, by granting the title Khan by Divine Grace to Galdan, a Junghar prince who had studied in Tibet.

For Galdan to be a khan departed from tradition, since he was not a Chinggisidbut by then, the Gelugpa school enjoyed so much clout that the Dalai Lamas could play khan-maker. More than that, on the Dalai Lamas invitation, Galdans Junghars seized southern Xinjiang, with its oasis farms and silk routes to Central Asia. In their own labor transfer scheme, the Junghars moved Uyghurs from southern Xinjiang north to farm the Ili Valley and help build their capital in Jungharia, now northern Xinjiang.

By this time, then-Qing Emperor Kangxi had only just emerged from the shadow of his own regents; after a prolonged struggle with Han generals left over from the Ming Empire, hed conquered southern China and annexed Taiwan; hed also driven the Russians out of the Manchu homeland and signed a mutually advantageous treaty with them.

But the Junghars posed the greatest challenge of all, threatening to forge a Tibetan Buddhist-Mongol axis from Tibet through Xinjiang to Mongolia, commanding the loyalty of powerful nomads across the entire western and northern frontier of the Qing. The Junghars had convened a pan-Mongol Buddhist congress, attended by representatives from Tibet, Qinghai, Mongolia, and even as far as the Volga River. And now Galdans forces were riding eastward to threaten the Khalkha Mongolsthe main people in the territory that is modern-day Mongolia. Kangxi was worried. But at this moment, the first Jebtsundamba Khutughtu made a decision that would shape the map of the modern world.

The first Jebtsundamba was himself the son of a Chinggisid khan, a Khalkha whose pastures spanned outer Mongolia. As the principal Gelugpa lama among the Khalkha Mongols, it fell to the Jebtsundamba to decide what the Khalkhas should do in the face of Junghar pressure. Which way should they jump? Should they seek aid with the Russians? Or submit to the Qing?

The Jebtsundamba chose the Qing, because they were patrons of the Gelugpa church. He led tens of thousands of Khalkhas south, where in a ceremony at Dolon Nor in 1691, they became Qing subjects. Several far-reaching developments flowed from this decision: Since there were no longer any independent Chinggisid descendants of the former Mongol emperors of China, the Qing were able to convincingly assume the Chinggisid mantle, enhancing their credibility among Mongols everywhere. With the help of the new infusion of Khalkha cavalry power, Kangxi and subsequent Qing emperors not only defeated Galdan, but over subsequent decades smashed the Junghar confederation, conquered outer Mongolia, Jungharia, and southern Xinjiang, and replaced the Junghars as the Gelugpas military patrons, thus establishing a Qing protectorate over Tibet.

The Qing managed its new empire in Inner Asia with remarkable success for a century, in large part because it enjoyed Chinggisid and Tibetan Buddhist legitimacy, and did not interfere with, let alone attempt to Sinicize, the culture of its Mongol, Tibetan, or Muslim subjects in Inner Asia. To the contrary, the Qing endeavored to keep Han Chinese out of Inner Asia, or at least limit their settlement, even rooting up illegal Han settlers in Mongolia until the mid-19th century.

But as the Qing wobbled in its last decades, weakened by the Taiping Rebellion and exactions from Western imperialists, the court took the advice of Han scholar-officials and began promoting Chinese settler colonization of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang to extract resources and stave off Russian encroachment. Tibet was too far and too high for Chinese settlers, but the Qing dispatched an army to put Tibet under direct rule in 1910on the eve of its own demiseforcing the then-Dalai Lama, the predecessor of todays incarnation, to flee to India.

Under these circumstances, the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, at that time the eighth incarnation, was charged with another momentous decision. Concerned about Chinese colonization, when the Qing crumbled in late 1911, the Jebtsundamba along with Khalkha princes declared Mongolias independence from the Qingjust as revolutionaries in China declared China independent. As soon as the Dalai Lama returned to Lhasa in early 1913, he followed suit. The eighth Jebtsundamba, under the title Bogd Khan (Sacred Khan), became head of state in Mongolia, and the 13th Dalai Lama the head of state in Tibet.

The diplomatic history thereafter is messy, since Britain, Russia, and the Chinese republics all, for their own self-interested reasons, contested Tibetan and Mongolian independence. Khalkha Mongolia would remain independent of China, but Mongol Tibetan Buddhists suffered under Soviet control. Still, at that moment in 1912, three states emerged clearly from the rubble of the Qing: an unstable Republic of China that militarists and revolutionaries vied to control; and Mongolia and Tibet, each under Tibetan Buddhist lamas as heads of state.

It was another Qing emperor, Qianlong, who introduced the golden urn system through which todays CCP hopes to manage the discovery of high Tibetan Buddhist lamas. Impatient with the nepotistic pipeline funneling Mongol nobility into the tulku ranks, in the late 18th century, Qianlong required that tulku candidates be chosen in a supervised ceremony by drawing the name a from a golden urn. This did enhance Qing control of Tibetan Buddhism to some degree, but as Max Oidtmann has shown in a recent book, to the extent that the golden urn was used, it was accepted because Tibetan Buddhists, too, understood the dangers of corruption and embraced an effort by a Qing khan, himself a devout Buddhist and embodiment of the bodhisattva Manjushri, to depoliticize the process of tulku selection.

By putting the CCPs Organization Department in charge of religious matters, Chinese President Xi Jinping has done the opposite: He has further politicized the selection of tulkus. Mongolia is a small democracy, sandwiched between increasingly authoritarian China and Russia, and economically dependent on maintaining good trilateral relations. But Mongolias independent political status challenges the CCP historical narrative that everything once part of the Qing Empire is now part of the PRCthe very argument underpinning Beijings assertions about Taiwan.

By the same neocolonialist historical logic by which it claims Taiwan, Beijing should also claim Mongolia, as the Republic of China under the Kuomintang did before the 1990s. But because Mongolia became independent thanks to intervention by the fellow-communist Soviet Union, the CCP broke with Republic of China precedent and recognized Mongolia in 1949. How Beijing reacts to the new Jebtsundambaa high lama in a religion it claims to controlthus implicates Beijings theory of the case regarding Taiwan, as well. If Beijing says there can be no Mongolian high lama without its say-so, that reveals the ludicrous overreach of its policy toward Tibetan Buddhism. But if it says nothing while a Qing-era lineage of tulku-leaders continues autonomously in Mongolia, that reminds us that the PRC is not the full-blown reincarnation of the Qing that it says it is.

The first Jebtsundamba led his people into the Qing Empire, and the eighth led them away from China. In so doing, each assessed which path he thought best served the faith. This is a heavy legacy to lay on the shoulders of an 8-year-old boy, and it is reasonable to question a religious institution that channels small children into a life of celibate study and political pressure. Still, the CCPs Order Number Five doesnt lessen that burden, nor is it likely to bring the khans and lamas together again.

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China's Reincarnation Monopoly Has a Mongolia Problem - Foreign Policy

In a speech Friday at the Global Buddhist Summit, the Dalai Lama spoke about the importance of compassion and wisdom, and stressed the importance of Buddhist philosophy and values.

I can also share with you that by engaging in this kind of inner development and particularly focusing on wisdom and compassion, it can really help increase our courage as well, the 87-year-old Tibetan Buddhism spiritual leader said through an interpreter.

Dozens of monks in yellow, orange and saffron robes turned out for the two-day conference in New Delhi, India, which drew 500 participants from nearly 30 countries and regions, including Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar. It was hosted by Indias Ministry of Culture and the International Buddhist Confederation

It was the Dalai Lamas first public appearance since a video of him kissing a boy on the mouth and asking him to suck his tongue at a student event in northern India on Feb. 28 went viral on social media.

The incident disgusted many viewers. However, sticking out ones tongue is a greeting or a sign of respect or agreement in Tibetan culture, and supporters of the Dalai Lama held demonstrations this week protesting the medias coverage of the event.

Nevertheless, the Dalai Lama later apologized to the boy and his family for any misunderstanding.

The summit was a good example for the world of people coming from different traditions, cultural backgrounds all meeting together in harmony, said Jetsun Tenzin Palmo, president of International Buddhist Confederation.

And though the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, India, did not discuss the recent controversy surrounding the video, he did broach the topic of Tibets struggle with China.

For example: In the case of my dealing with the current struggle and situation of Tibet, if you think just only about it from a narrow angle, you can lose your hope, he said. But if you look at this crisis and look at this current situation from the broader perspective of the courage that cultivation and compassion give you, then you can have a much more resilient mind.

So, even in your daily life, there might be problems which may seem enormous and unbearable, the Dalai Lama said. Still, if you have the courage, you will be in a much stronger position to turn adversities into opportunities.

The Dalai Lama has long advocated a Middle Way approach to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence based on equality and mutual cooperation with China and without discrimination based on one nationality being superior or better than the other.

Beijing views any sign of Tibetan disobedience, including peaceful protests and self-immolations, as acts of separatism, threatening Chinas national security.

There have been no formal talks between the Dalai Lama and Beijing since 2010, and Chinese officials have made unreasonable demands of the Dalai Lama as a condition for further dialogue.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

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Dalai Lama stresses Buddhism basics and the power of compassion at religious summit - Radio Free Asia

By Diana Sahu| Express News Service |Published: 23rd April 2023 05:00 AMRock-cut caves; view of the stupa

Atop the hillock of Parabhadi, scattered stone blocks of a large stupa, which dates back to the seventh-eighth century, serve as a reminder of Odishas glorious Buddhist legacy. Nestled in the Birupa-Chitrotpala valley and divided between the districts of Jajpur and Cuttack, the hill is part of the Diamond Triangle,a collection of three Buddhist sites of Ratnagiri, Udaygiri and Lalitgiri. Recently, an archaeological dig, mounted by the Puri Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), uncovered the hills historical significance.

Ruins of a gigantic stupa, broken sculptures of Buddha (Dhyani Buddha, Buddha on Padmasana), terracotta antiquities and more were discovered.

The dilapidated stupa stands 4.5 m high and is 18 m wide, resting on a 10.8 sqm platform on the top of the hill. The masonry is unique too. Iron clamps were used to join the 18 layers of stone arrangement of the stupa and a special mud mortar mixed with stone chips and potsherds used to fill the gaps between the stones, says ASI Odisha chief Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak, who headed the excavation.

Buddhism had a strong presence in Odisha and the Diamond Triangle stands testimony to this. What makes the Parabhadi hill significant is its proximity to Lalitgiri, considered the oldest and most sacred among the triad. Archaeologists say the three monalistic settlements along with Parabhadi were a part of one Buddhist complex.

Excavation of Lalitgiri and Nanda hill in 1985 by the ASI laid bare a huge complex of Buddhist establishment, which is considered one of the largest sites in India. The exploration that continued till 1991 revealed the rich Buddhist cultural wealth of the region. Archaeologist and secretary of Odisha Institute of Maritime & South East Asian Studies, Sunil Kumar Patnaik, says, Among the many discoveries here, noteworthy was the majestic second-century stupa in Lalitgiri. Within this stupa, a small gold casket was discovered that was encapsulated bya silver casket, which was in turn set in a Khondalite casket. All three were shaped in the form ofa votive stupa. Inside the gold casket, bone and tooth relics covered in gold wires and leaf were found. It was, however, not clear if the relics belonged to Buddha or any Buddhist luminaries as the caskets did not have any inscriptions, says Kumar, whose book Buddhist Heritage of Odisha talks of Parabhadi. The noteworthy character of this site is that it presents a running chronology from the Mauryan age to the Gajapati period (3rd to 15th century) up to the advent of Muslim rulers into Odisha, says Kumar.

Former superintending archaeologist of the ASI, Jeevan Patnaik, who wasa part of the excavation at Lalitgiri and Nanda hill in the 80s, says while Lalitigiri witnessed Mahayana, Hinayana and Vajrayana (or Tantric Buddhism) schools, the explorations at Parabhadi points to presence of only one school of BuddhismVajrayanaand it continued till the 12th century BC, the late Buddhist period.

Parabhadi stupa apart, there was a circular Buddhist shrine on the hill which was subsequently damaged due to mining, he says.

Largely off the grid, Parabhadi hill also goes by the name Sukhuapada. Etched on its northern slope are seven minor rock-cut caves locally called Hathikhal dedicated to Buddhist affinity. These rock-cut chambers are scooped out in horse-shoe shape in different sizes adjacent to each other. Garnayak says in the early part of the 20th century, sculptural remains from the site were shifted to Lalitgiri sculpture shed. Prior to this, a few idols removed by anthropologist and archaeologist from Bengal, Rama Prasad Chanda, are now housed in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Besides, there is a rock-cut image of Buddha (Padmapani) housed in another cave in the southern slope near the present exposed stupa site and currently under worship by the locals as Ghantiasuni Thakurani.

Many of the important and giant Buddhist sculptures which are in the Lalitgiri museum now were found in Parabhadi hill, says Jeevan. As much as 70 percent of the hill is already lost to stone mining. In fact, Parabhadi has been important for both private miners and the Odisha government because of its rich reserve of Khandolite stones that were widely used to construct some of the finest temples in the state. The ASI now plans to document and reconstruct the stupa. The dislodged stone blocks will be numbered and rearranged atop the hill to reshape the stupa. It will take some time, but we can be sure that the stupa will be safe now from further deterioration, says Garnayak.

DIAMOND TRIANGLE EXCAVATIONS

Lalitgiri (1985-1991) Massive stupa having two relic caskets keptin a container made of khandolite stone Four monasteries

Ratnagiri (1975-1983) A stupa, monastic complex, shrines, votive stupas, sculptures, architectural fragments and other antiquities Remains of two monasteries

Udaygiri (1985-86 and 1989-90) Huge Buddhist monastic complex protected by a large enclosure wall, a seven-m-high stupa having four dhyani Buddhas in all four cardinal direction of the stupa Images of Buddha, Tara, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara, Jatamukuta Lokesvara and terracotta seals

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A lost world, found: Parabhadi, the newest addition to Odishas Buddhist legacy - The New Indian Express