Reported by Martin
A round table conference on the topic “Intra-Buddhist Dialogue: Theravāda and Vajrayāna” was held at the WBU headquarters in Bangkok on the 11th of March. The main speaker was Prof. Lozang Jamspal from International Buddhist College, who was joined by Venerable Narong, Mr. Khoo, Chhen Sela and me. The conference was participated by about twenty Thai and European scholars from Italy and Germany.
The event had two main sessions – a lecture given by Prof. Jamspal and a discussion with the members of the audience. After clearing some misconceptions regarding Vajrayāna and Tibetan Buddhism in general, Professor Jamspal gave a brief yet informative speech about the history of Buddhism in Tibet, some of its most famous practitioners and scholars, its main practices and the meaning of the mantra Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ.
After a short coffee break, the conference resumed with a Q and A session regarding reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, faith in the guru, the real meaning of some of the Tantric Buddhist scriptures, followed by a heated debate amongst the audience regarding the nature of rebirth.
