• 
• 

Published on March 20, 2008

In the cosy prayer room at the Thousand Stars Foundation on Bangkok's Lat Phrao Soi 11 - Thailand's only major repository of Tibetan culture - about a dozen attendees, mostly Thai Buddhists, have come in search of spirituality beyond what is taught in their Theravada tradition.

They chant in Tibetan and English and make offerings of food before reciting prayers in front of images of the Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava. He was the eighth-century spiritual leader who is said to return to the earthly realm to do good for others and to inspire his followers on the 10th day of every Tibetan month, which most recently was March 16.

One of the chants was: "May all beings ... always have happiness [and be] free from illness. May all beings be in harmony with the aims of the dharma."

After the chant reverberated around the room, Krisadawan Hongladarom, director of the foundation, told the attendees, "We say this with the situation in Tibet in mind: We hope peace will come very soon."

On March 10, to mark the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, which led to the Dalai Lama's flight to India, Tibetan activists in Lhasa - including many monks waving the outlawed snow-lion Tibetan flag - staged the region's biggest protest in 20 years.

While China has blamed extremist Tibetans for the murders of several Han-Chinese last week and the destruction of their shops in the Tibetan capital, exiled Tibetan leaders claim that 100 or more Tibetans were killed by Chinese troops in the unrest.

In her office before the prayers and chanting, Krisadawan informed The Nation that she was not in a position to talk about politics.

"We are wondering if we should be holding our next pilgrimage to Tibet because of the situation. We're not sure if this could be a good time to go, but we want to spread a message of peace and love."

Krisadawan quit her job as an associate professor of linguistics at Chulalongkorn University last November in order to dedicate herself fulltime to the foundation's many charitable deeds, which include supporting schools in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

In 2004 Krisadawan founded the Thousand Stars Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes Tibetan culture and religion and tries to improve the living standards of Tibetans. The organisation has about 200 members, mostly Thai.

"Tibetan Buddhism makes you understand your mind," said Charoen Trongvaranon, a gem trader who's been attending foundation gatherings for a few months.

"When I meditate I get a calm and peaceful mind. Just now we prayed. We sent our love and compassion to the people of Tibet and we have hope. As for the Chinese troops, we cannot hate them. They do things out of ignorance. We hope that some day they will understand."

Charoen said a measure of respect is due to the Dalai Lama, who accused the Chinese of "cultural genocide" for their moves against the protesters last week. He is "the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people", Charoen noted.

While there was widespread destruction of Tibetan monasteries over the last half-century of Chinese rule, Krisadawan noted that in recent times many temples in eastern Tibet were financed and built by Chinese people who'd learned about Buddhism by Tibetan monks.

In January the base was laid for what will be the foundation's Tara Great Stupa for Peace and Harmony, at the Tara Khadiravana Retreat Centre.

The Tibetan-style pagoda, which will rise 60 metres, is under construction at the 68-rai site in Nongplub, about 40 kilometres from Hua Hin. The facility is expected to become the biggest centre of Tibetan studies in Southeast Asia, with a temple, exhibition hall, library and a more permanent meditation centre.

"The stupa is for peace. The Tara [a female bodhisattva who is dedicated to helping all sentient beings] is for compassion," said Krisadawan. "That is all we need."

For details on the Thousand Stars Foundation and its meditation retreats and projects, call Krisadawan Hongladarom at (081) 343 1586 or visit www.Thousand-Stars.org.

Carleton Cole

The Nation