Supreme patriarchs -Buddhist congregate plans unified body

Supreme spiritual leaders representing most nations with a large Buddhist population are close to deciding on the creation of a new international body based in India that aims to give a united voice to Buddhism in international meetings like the United Nations (UN).

The first ever congregation of Buddhist spiritual leaders, “supreme patriarchs” and representatives of Buddhist divisions that began in New Delhi today also saw most leaders accusing Beijing for mixing religion with politics. The four-day meet began in the shadow of the cancellation of Sino-Indian border talks following New Delhi’s refusal to interfere with the conference.

However, Indian leaders like New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj who were scheduled to speak stayed away from the conference, as did government officials and diplomats expected to attend. A sizeable delegation of 35 representatives from China also didn’t make it despite confirming their attendance.

Museum marks 10th Anniversary with Buddhist exhibition from China

An exhibition marking Buddhist artifacts from China booted off Wednesday in New Taipei City, marking the 10th anniversary of the Museum of World Religions.

Speaking in front of Premier Wu Den-yih and religious leaders from around the world, Dharma Master Hsin Tao, founder of the museum, expressed the hope that peace and harmony would continue to exist between Taiwan's different faiths.


The displays include items such as paintings, embroidered silk work from Tibet, ritual instruments and a unique statue from the Ming Dynasty that combines Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist art styles.


The New Taipei museum currently has a collection of over 4,000 Buddhist artifacts.


Beijing Capital Museum, opened in 1981, contains over 200,000 items from Imperial China and other Asian cultures.