Monday, March 30, 2009

Actor Evan Brennan finds Nirvana as ‘Buddha’

By Jenna Scherer, Boston Herald, March 26, 2009

Boston, MA (USA) -- For most Westerners, knowledge of the Buddha doesn’t extend beyond a few groovy aphorisms and dime-store statuettes of a fat, smiling monk.

But one Westerner, actor Evan Brenner, is out to tell the full story. Brenner is currently performing his one-man show “The Buddha - In His Own Words,” at the Boston Center for the Arts before moving the production to the Cambridge YMCA.


Speaking from his New York City apartment, Brenner explained that the Buddha - also known as Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian nobleman who abandoned his life of privilege to find enlightenment - was just as human as the rest of us.

Herald: When did you first become interested in Buddhism?

Brenner: In high school. It promised a way out of my own suffering. And then, about five years ago, I was in a very dark period of my life. I turned back to the Buddhist sutras. . . . At that time, I wasn’t so much drawn to the doctrine as I was to the story of the man. He, too, had gone through tremendous hardships, and I identified with his story. It became apparent to me that his journey was mine, that his journey is all our journeys.

What made you decide to tell the Buddha’s story onstage?

I had immersed myself in these sutras, and they were just full of really great, compelling stories. I was reading the story of Angulimala (about a serial murderer who converts to Buddhism), and I went to my girlfriend and I said, “You’ve got to hear this.” And she kind of oohed and aahed at all the right times.

At that moment I thought, “Wow.” The life of the Buddha is one of the great archetypal adventure stories. I’d seen Alec McCowan do “St. Mark’s Gospel,” where he basically just recites the Gospel of Mark onstage. And I thought, why not do the Buddha’s story as a one-man play?

How has working on the piece affected you?

Getting to know and learn the Buddha’s life has been this process of getting deeper and deeper. To memorize this whole text kind of gets it inside myself, so to speak.

What do you hope that audiences will get out of watching the play?

When I was first curled up with those sutras I thought, “Wow, I would love to see this as a show.” I would like to imagine what it would be like to meet the Buddha face-to-face. It’s sort of deflating in a way, but it’s also great. Because if he was just a human being, it elevates the tradition in the sense that liberation is possible for us all. So I hope for people to have that opportunity.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Buddhists Connect Online Through Video Sharing and New Community at eDharma.com

The Buddhist Channel, Matrch 16, 2009

Jakarta, Indonesia -- www.eDharma.com launches this week, connecting Buddhists worldwide through a free social networking and video sharing service.


The community opens with a collection of educational videos on Mahayana, Theravada, and other Buddhist sects, as well as a forum where Buddhists and those interested in learning about Buddhism can meet and discuss the Buddhist way of life.

“eDharma.com is about two things,” says Rudy Hadisentosa, owner of the new online Buddhist community. “The site serves as a social network and online community where Buddhists from all over the world can come together and share thoughts and ideas. In addition to connecting people, eDharma.com is designed to teach others about Buddhism in a more interesting and interactive way. We’re working to accomplish this through the video sharing aspect of the site. For example, through current videos, visitors can learn about things like moral or Zen Buddhist teachings or watch English webcasts of the True Buddha School"

Creating an account at www.eDharma.com takes only a few minutes. After registering for an account, members have the ability to upload Buddhist videos, photos, or news to share with the eDharma.com community.

Videos can be shared by uploading them directly to eDharma.com. The site also supports embedded videos from other video sharing services such as YouTube and Google Video. The Buddhist forum gives all new members a place to introduce themselves and share ideas with the entire community. Membership at eDharma.com is free.

About www.eDharma.com

eDharma.com is a free online Buddhist community, connecting members of various sects of Buddhism with each other and with non-Buddhists. Launched in March 2009, the mission of eDharma.com is to educate people about Buddhism while giving active Buddhists a place to meet and interact.

For more information about the www.eDharma.com community or Buddhist video sharing service, please contact Rudy Hadisentosa at +62 21 56999720.