Chinese ‘living Buddha’ funds construction of Bangladesh pagoda

A Chinese "living Buddha" in Tibet has raised RMB1m (about $150,668) to fund the construction of a pagoda in Bangladesh, reports Xinhua new agency quoting local sources. Drukhang Thubten Khedrup, the seventh Drukhang living buddha and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, has given the money to an association of Buddhist monks in Bangladesh, said his assistant Yumtan. A "living Buddha" is a Tibetan Buddhist monk believed to be the reincarnation of an important religious figure. There are currently 358 living Buddhas in Tibet. The money will be used to build a pagoda for Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna (commonly known as Atish Dipankar in Bangladesh), a Buddhist teacher from Bengal region who lived in Tibet for more than ten years starting in 1038, preaching and translating scriptures. The pagoda, which includes a pedestal, a tower and spire, will stand nearly as tall as a three-story building, said Yumtan. In 2013, Abbot Chunyi, another vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, donated $400,000 dollars for construction of the pagoda. Yumtan said that the pagoda will be a symbol of friendship between China and Bangladesh.