Twice Denied: Consecrating the First Nepalese Temple in the West
Target:
U.S. Embassy
Sponsored by:
Action needed for the continuity of an ancient cultural and religious
tradition! Political boundaries prevent a priest from performing the
appropriate consecration of the first Nepalese Temple in the West.
tradition! Political boundaries prevent a priest from performing the
appropriate consecration of the first Nepalese Temple in the West.
Action needed for the continuity of an ancient cultural and religious
tradition! Political boundaries prevent a priest from performing the
appropriate consecration of the first Nepalese Temple in the West.
tradition! Political boundaries prevent a priest from performing the
appropriate consecration of the first Nepalese Temple in the West.
We, the undersigned, request you to respond with positive action to our
plea to grant a visa to Mr. Sharbagya Bajracharya, resident of Kathmandu,
Nepal. He has been denied a visa twice [last on September 24, 2009] and yet
is needed in the USA as the experienced ritual master to consecrate on Nov
9-11, 2009, the first and only Nepalese temple to function in the Western
world. This event is sponsored by Dance Mandal in Portland Oregon and is
not a personal request for a visa, but a matter of the survival of an
ancient Buddhist tradition and culture of Nepal recognized for peace,
compassion, and wisdom.
Sharbagya Bajracharya is one of only a very few fully qualified priests,
and one who is familiar with this unique ritual of consecration which is highly
specific. There are now very few new such temples built in Nepal and
therefore few consecrations necessary with the tradition in Nepal not
surviving well in modern times. This demonstrates the importance
of having a temple, and a properly consecrated one, in the west. Mr.
Bajracharya is significant because he is the consultant in Kathmandu
for Dance Mandal and the new temple and study center, Nritya Mandala
Vihara, and therefore is key to proper ties as intermediary for this
lineage between Nepal and the West.
His visa has been denied with interviews done by rote, without
the consulate's knowledge of the true facts and of this particular case
that affects a whole culture.
Mr. Bajracharya's entry to the US and return to Nepal can begin to
encourage the lineage here in the West while it barely survives in its
homeland. Please take this case into special consideration and take
appropriate action to grant his visa in time for this historic and
significant event. We are grateful for your consideration.
We signed the "Twice Denied: Consecrating the First Nepalese Temple in the West" petition!
# 237:
11:54 pm PDT, Oct 20,
Daniel Boch-Isaacson, Oregon
Let the man come, his life is in Nepal what will he do here if he stays? He is a highly respected individual in his community, I know this for a fact because I was born and lived lived there for over 19 years. I am friends with the people that are making this request and wholeheartedly assure you that they would not try to deceive the U.S. embassy in Kathmandu or the government in any way if their wishes are granted. Please let him come.
Let the man come, his life is in Nepal what will he do here if he stays? He is a highly respected individual in his community, I know this for a fact because I was born and lived lived there for over 19 years. I am friends with the people that are making this request and wholeheartedly assure you that they would not try to deceive the U.S. embassy in Kathmandu or the government in any way if their wishes are granted. Please let him come.
# 236:
2:19 pm PDT, Oct 20,
Gonçalves Maria Dulce Vaz, Portugal
# 235:
11:50 am PDT, Oct 20,
Kristi Doane, California
# 234:
11:26 am PDT, Oct 20,
Betty Blyth, United Kingdom
religious freedom is a basic human right
religious freedom is a basic human right
# 233:
8:52 am PDT, Oct 20,
Kathlene Pettycrew, New Jersey
Is there any evidence the priest WON'T return to Nepal? So that blows out the lack of evidence that he WILL return to Nepal. Stick a humiliating ankle ID on him if the CIA and HLS is that paranoid. Somehow, I haven't seen a huge influx of illegal Nepalese immigrants. I don't even hear about any requesting political asylum. Kat
Is there any evidence the priest WON'T return to Nepal? So that blows out the lack of evidence that he WILL return to Nepal. Stick a humiliating ankle ID on him if the CIA and HLS is that paranoid. Somehow, I haven't seen a huge influx of illegal Nepalese immigrants. I don't even hear about any requesting political asylum. Kat
# 232:
4:03 am PDT, Oct 20,
StarLynn Jacobs, Illinois
I am an American currently living in Berlin, Germany, working on my Masters in Visual and Media Anthropology. I have spent a half year in Nepal and much of that time visiting temples and learning of Nepalese religious traditions. This Nepalese temple built in Oregon is something very special, being the only of its kind in the west, and I would find it to be a cultural blunder and political mistake to prevent the Nepalese priest, needed for the consecration, from entering into the United States for the ceremony. The U.S. is built on diversity and freedoms such as those which allow free religious practice, please help uphold those values and allow this Nepalese priest entry into the country in time for the ceremony.
I am an American currently living in Berlin, Germany, working on my Masters in Visual and Media Anthropology. I have spent a half year in Nepal and much of that time visiting temples and learning of Nepalese religious traditions. This Nepalese temple built in Oregon is something very special, being the only of its kind in the west, and I would find it to be a cultural blunder and political mistake to prevent the Nepalese priest, needed for the consecration, from entering into the United States for the ceremony. The U.S. is built on diversity and freedoms such as those which allow free religious practice, please help uphold those values and allow this Nepalese priest entry into the country in time for the ceremony.
# 231:
9:36 pm PDT, Oct 19,
Gretchen Barron, Oregon
# 230:
9:34 pm PDT, Oct 19,
Pam Boland, Georgia
# 229:
9:56 am PDT, Oct 19,
Carole Blakey, Washington
# 228:
8:38 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Kathleen Prudence, Oregon
# 227:
6:54 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Harka Pun, Nepal
# 226:
5:45 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Alicia Peckham, Michigan
# 225:
1:40 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Robert Peirce, Oregon
# 224:
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1:11 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Janet Solomon, Canada
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# 223:
12:48 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Maren Willette, Oregon
# 222:
12:13 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Maria Beardslee-Lakatos, Florida
# 221:
12:01 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Pam Zimmerman, Michigan
# 220:
11:07 am PDT, Oct 18,
Neelam Sims, Oregon
# 219:
10:19 am PDT, Oct 18,
Melinda Simms, Washington
# 218:
9:30 am PDT, Oct 18,
Victoria Benedetti, Oregon
# 217:
9:24 am PDT, Oct 18,
Anirudra Shakya, Oregon
Please help us preserve our ancient religion/culture. This form of Buddhism is not practiced widely in the world and is being lost to newer generations. Please understand that this is very important to those of us who have left our country, Nepal, and settled here in the United States. Thank you!
Please help us preserve our ancient religion/culture. This form of Buddhism is not practiced widely in the world and is being lost to newer generations. Please understand that this is very important to those of us who have left our country, Nepal, and settled here in the United States. Thank you!
# 216:
9:15 am PDT, Oct 18,
Sharon Shakya, Oregon
Please allow this priest to visit the U.S. It is very important to the Newari/Nepali community in the United States to have this spiritual figure at the Temple's first few ceremonies.
Please allow this priest to visit the U.S. It is very important to the Newari/Nepali community in the United States to have this spiritual figure at the Temple's first few ceremonies.
# 215:
8:22 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Jason Sandys, Oregon
# 214:
6:24 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Jamie Graham, Connecticut
# 213:
6:02 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Alana Bliss, Canada
# 212:
2:15 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Joseph Tuttle, Texas
I believe the function of any good and useful science, philosophy or religion is to increase man's relationship to himself, the world and to the creative and continuing expression of nature, whatever your belief of that nature may be. Laws are created by societies to advance their society, promote the personal responsibility of its members and to increase and protect the private property of those same members. I am grateful to live in a country that was founded on the rule of law and religious freedom. Being a "Mormon" this has particular meaning to me, and I am glad to support this cause. We have an active Krishna temple very close to us and it is a wreath of pride to the entire community, may you have the same.
I believe the function of any good and useful science, philosophy or religion is to increase man's relationship to himself, the world and to the creative and continuing expression of nature, whatever your belief of that nature may be. Laws are created by societies to advance their society, promote the personal responsibility of its members and to increase and protect the private property of those same members. I am grateful to live in a country that was founded on the rule of law and religious freedom. Being a "Mormon" this has particular meaning to me, and I am glad to support this cause. We have an active Krishna temple very close to us and it is a wreath of pride to the entire community, may you have the same.
# 211:
9:05 am PDT, Oct 17,
Angela Brzezinski, Oregon
Please allow this respected priest to consecrate the first Nepalese temple in the west.
Please allow this respected priest to consecrate the first Nepalese temple in the west.
# 210:
9:03 am PDT, Oct 17,
James Whitmore, Oregon
The Nepalese are a beautiful, spiritually rich people, and as a country we should support them as such. Namaste.
The Nepalese are a beautiful, spiritually rich people, and as a country we should support them as such. Namaste.
# 209:
8:08 am PDT, Oct 17,
Jenny Sumsion, Oregon
# 208:
11:20 pm PDT, Oct 16,
Julie Hightman, Oregon
# 207:
10:01 pm PDT, Oct 16,
Peyto Yellin, Oregon
This is not just the request of one person but the wish for a whole community. Please help us make this special event happen!
This is not just the request of one person but the wish for a whole community. Please help us make this special event happen!
# 206:
12:47 pm PDT, Oct 16,
James Blumenthal, Oregon
I am a professor of Buddhism at Oregon State University and personally know Prajwal Vajracarya, the Newari Buddhist priest who heads Dance Mandal and has overseen the building of the first Nepali/Newari Buddhist temple in North America. His request to bring another Newari priest from Nepal for the consecration of their temple, which I have seen myself, is an absolutely legitimate request from a Buddhist perspective. It is required for the proper consecration of this temple. I say this as a professor of Buddhism who has not only studied the tradition for 20+ years, but has also lived in Nepal and witnessed the tradition in practice first hand. I also have known Prajwal Vajracarya for many years and know him to be an honest and upstanding contributor to the Portland Buddhist community.
I am a professor of Buddhism at Oregon State University and personally know Prajwal Vajracarya, the Newari Buddhist priest who heads Dance Mandal and has overseen the building of the first Nepali/Newari Buddhist temple in North America. His request to bring another Newari priest from Nepal for the consecration of their temple, which I have seen myself, is an absolutely legitimate request from a Buddhist perspective. It is required for the proper consecration of this temple. I say this as a professor of Buddhism who has not only studied the tradition for 20+ years, but has also lived in Nepal and witnessed the tradition in practice first hand. I also have known Prajwal Vajracarya for many years and know him to be an honest and upstanding contributor to the Portland Buddhist community.
# 205:
12:34 pm PDT, Oct 16,
Elizabeth Smith, Oregon
As far as I know he has no intention to stay in this country, permanently!
As far as I know he has no intention to stay in this country, permanently!
# 204:
11:42 am PDT, Oct 16,
Bill Hirsch, Washington
# 203:
11:37 am PDT, Oct 16,
Tsering Lama, Oregon
hellllllp!
hellllllp!
# 202:
9:10 am PDT, Oct 16,
Name not displayed, Oregon
This country was founded on religious freedom. We claim we still believe in it. Maybe we should show that we do instead of just talking about it.
This country was founded on religious freedom. We claim we still believe in it. Maybe we should show that we do instead of just talking about it.
# 201:
9:05 am PDT, Oct 16,
Gwynne Warner, Oregon
Please use your wisdom and compassion in supporting this intercultural exchange so vital in a separtist world, thank you.
Please use your wisdom and compassion in supporting this intercultural exchange so vital in a separtist world, thank you.
