Who in Hollywood are the Buddhist celebrities?
Many famous people through the years have claimed to be Buddhists. Some were very active like Richard Gere or Goldie Hawn but others were not very good examples of a "good Buddhist" but most are sincere in their research.
Celebrities Who Are Buddhist
Tiger Woods is a BuddhistAt the moment of writing this page, our friendly golf champion is caught in a major sexual scandal and has yet to convince everyone of his good faith.
During his famous press conference on February 19, 2010, Woods said that he was working on improving himself in order to rid himself of sexual addiction. He said:"Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a creation of things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught. "
His declaration attracted a nourrished fire from the right wing organizations in the U.S. The network Fox News decided that it disliked the golfer and attacked him on the fact that he wasn't Christian. Some commentator said that he should turn to Jesus for salvation.
Some blogs also started ridiculing him with titles like:" Why is Buddhist Tiger Woods taking the name of Christian Gods in vain?" (SIC) A comment on how he used words like Jesus-Christ and God during a game. I guess they didn't jnow that Christianity is a monotheist religion. It is not my place to judge whether he is a good man or not. Value of a person is like the rest of our world, impermanent.
All I know is that he is a good golfer and I hope that he will soon be able to concentrate on what he excels in: golf.
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967 in Caldogno, Veneto) is a retired Italian footballer. He was among the most technically gifted and popular players in the world throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He played for the Italian national team in three World Cups, and is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He was the best Italian player of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, carrying his team to the final, but was one of the three players who missed a penalty in the final which contributed to Italy losing the trophy to Brazil on penalties. He won both the European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or)
and the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1993.
He was a second striker of technical brilliance. His close control, vision, passing and finishing were among the best in the world during his prime. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career and his Buddhist background. Mr. Baggio's religious affiliation is with the Soka Gakkai International movement.
He converted in the late eighties, when a knee injury made him miss many games and threatened his career. He says that his faith helped him go through this trying time.
Many famous people through the years have claimed to be Buddhists. Some were very active like Richard Gere or Goldie Hawn but others were not very good examples of a "good Buddhist" but most are sincere in their research.
Celebrities Who Are Buddhist
SPORTS STARS
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is a BuddhistAt the moment of writing this page, our friendly golf champion is caught in a major sexual scandal and has yet to convince everyone of his good faith.
His declaration attracted a nourrished fire from the right wing organizations in the U.S. The network Fox News decided that it disliked the golfer and attacked him on the fact that he wasn't Christian. Some commentator said that he should turn to Jesus for salvation.
Some blogs also started ridiculing him with titles like:" Why is Buddhist Tiger Woods taking the name of Christian Gods in vain?" (SIC) A comment on how he used words like Jesus-Christ and God during a game. I guess they didn't jnow that Christianity is a monotheist religion. It is not my place to judge whether he is a good man or not. Value of a person is like the rest of our world, impermanent.
All I know is that he is a good golfer and I hope that he will soon be able to concentrate on what he excels in: golf.
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967 in Caldogno, Veneto) is a retired Italian footballer. He was among the most technically gifted and popular players in the world throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He played for the Italian national team in three World Cups, and is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He was the best Italian player of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, carrying his team to the final, but was one of the three players who missed a penalty in the final which contributed to Italy losing the trophy to Brazil on penalties. He won both the European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or)
He was a second striker of technical brilliance. His close control, vision, passing and finishing were among the best in the world during his prime. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career and his Buddhist background. Mr. Baggio's religious affiliation is with the Soka Gakkai International movement.
He converted in the late eighties, when a knee injury made him miss many games and threatened his career. He says that his faith helped him go through this trying time.
HOLLYWOOD STARS
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal, American action movie actor, Buddhist, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist, and deputy sheriff was recognized in February of 1997 as a reincarnation (tulku) of the treasure revealer Chungdrag Dorje by his teacher Penor Rinpoche. There was some confusion and controversy as of why he was thus named a reincarnation. Some claimed that he bought his way into Buddhahood. His teacher felt the need to write a clarification on his website. Here are some extracts.
Mr. Seagal is a controversial man especially because of all the rumors going around about him. There are some rumors of CIA involvement, sexual slaves and hit contracts put on some of his enemies. To say the least, he is perceived as a very egoistical character, something that doesn't conciliate well with the views people have of a compassionate Buddhist monk.
Here is what Penor Rinpoche had to say about him: "In the case of my student Steven Seagal, I initiated the decision to recognize him as a tulku based on my own feelings about him. Neither I nor any of my monasteries have received or sought any sort of substantial donation from him. What is important to me are the qualities I have seen in my student. For this reason I feel confident that recognizing him as a tulku will be of benefit to others as well as to the Buddha dharma."
Seagal is also highly respected for some other things. He has described his activism as forcing companies to change. We can see the influence his activism played in films like On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below.
He has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to discourage the fur trade, and has written to the Prime Minister of India to seek increased legal protection for cows. Seagal worked effectively towards saving dogs destined to drown in Taiwan.
In 1999, Seagal was awarded a PETA Humanitarian Award.
In 2003, Seagal wrote an open letter to the leadership of Thailand, urging them to enact a law to prevent the torture of baby elephants.
Outside of his film work, Seagal has volunteered, lending his voice as a narrator for an activist film project, Medicine Lake Video, which seeks to protect sacred tribal ground near his ranch in Siskiyou County.
What is a tulku and Who was Steven Seagal in his previous life?Again let's refer to the words of Penor Rinpoche:"Traditionally a tulku is considered to be a reincarnation of a Buddhist master who, out of his or her compassion for the suffering of sentient beings, has vowed to take rebirth to help all beings attain enlightenment. To fulfill this aspiration, a tulku will generally need to go through the complete process of recognition, enthronement and training.
Formal recognition generally occurs soon after a tulku has been identified, but only after other important lineage masters have been consulted. The newly identified tulku does not take on any formal responsibilities at the time of recognition.The next step of enthronement may or may not occur for a tulku, depending on the circumstances. Enthronement formally invests the tulku with the responsibility of furthering the activities associated with their particular tulku lineage. Thus, if there are specific teachings and practice traditions associated with their lineage, and if there are perhaps monks, nuns, monasteries, retreat centers, lay communities and so forth for which the tulku traditionally takes responsibility, then the tulku is formally vested with those responsibilities at the time of enthronement. In the event that an enthronement ceremony is conducted, it may take place soon after recognition or some years later. If the tulku is too young to assume their responsibilities upon enthronement, others may be entrusted to take on those responsibilities until the tulku is ready.
Finally, a tulku needs to complete a formal course of training which includes years of study and meditation. This training reawakens the tulku's powers of insight and compassion and develops their skillful means for helping others. It is only after such training that a tulku is ready to take on the role of a teacher."
About who he was: "Steven Seagal has been recognized as a reincarnation of the 17th century hidden treasure revealer (terton) Chungdrag Dorje (khyung brag rdo rje) of Palyul Monastery. Chungdrag Dorje founded a small monastery called Gegon Gompa near his native village of Phene in the Kutse area of Derge in Eastern Tibet. Though there are no monks there now, the small monastery building still exists and is well known in the area for its beautiful religious wall paintings.
As a terton, Chungdrag Dorje rediscovered teachings and sacred objects hidden by Padmasambhava in the eighth century. Such treasures (terma) were concealed with the intention that they would be discovered and revealed at a later date when the circumstances were such that they would be of particular benefit to sentient beings. Texts of the teachings discovered by Chungdrag Dorje have apparently not survived the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Sacred objects discovered by Chungdrag Dorje include an unusually shaped bell, a phurba (ritual dagger), the syllable 'A' carved in stone and pigments used to create the sacred wall paintings in his monastery mentioned above. Several of these objects have been preserved and are still kept at Palyul Monastery today."
All in all, Seagal is a man who wants to be and do good. I respect that about him.
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom is a member of the Soka Gakkai International movement. When Tabloids in his native England found out about it, they bad-mouthed him by saying he was in a cult. He wasn't happy about it. For him, Buddhism is a way of life, a tool to cope with the life's problems and suffering.
He had his share of hardship. According to an interview given to Details in 2007, he discovered at 13 that his father was not his biological father, he fell 3 floors and hurt his back at 19 and had to cope with the ale as of celebrity since he was cast in some major movies like Black Hawk Dawn, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Here's what he said about his practice:
"The philosophy that I've embraced isn't about sitting under a tree and studying my navel, it's about studying what is going on in my daily life and using that as fuel to go and live a bigger life. When your girlfriend dumps you, when the bill comes through the door, and your mom calls you and tells you she can't handle the stuff in her life—that's hell, but that's just one world. If you are aware of what is going on, then you can grow and use that hunger, that fear."
It is to be noted that Bloom is an active practitioner. He talks openly about it and dated, Kate Bosworth and Miranda Kerr, both members of the same organization. Now, Kerr and Bloom take part in numerous charity events to better help the world, especially the environment.
He recites Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo as part of his daily practice.
On June 28th, 2010, U.K.'s DailyMail announced that Miranda Kerr just got engaged to Orlando Bloom. She was apparently seen by papparazis visiting a church in Los Angeles in preparation for their wedding. The couple are both practicing Buddhist but might apparently get married in a church to please their parents.
He also works for charities
Richard Gere
American actor Richard Gere (whose real name is Richard Tiffany Gere), winner of Emmy Awards and Golden Globes, has another identity in the world of spiritualism, far apart from the rest of the worldly life and fame. He is a Buddhist.
Gere, who was raised by Methodist parents, began his search for the beauty of tranquility in 1978 when he was traveling in Nepal with a Brazilian painter named Sylvia Martins. Since then, he became an active supporter of his holiness the Dalai Lama who leads religious officials of the ‘Gelug’ branch of Tibetan Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhism is composed of four principal schools, namely, ‘ the Nyingma (ancient) School’, ‘ the Sakya School ’, ‘ the Kagyu (Oral Tradition) School’, ‘ the Gelug (Tradition of Virtue, sometimes known as the 'Yellow Hat') School’. Tsongkhapa is the pioneer of this last born ‘Gelug’ Tibetan Buddhism school.
After spending around 20 years studying with Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Kadam (Oral Instruction) teachers, the concept of ‘Gelug’ came into being through the insight of Tsongkhapa in the early fifteenth century.
Gere scores high marks for sincerity of practice of Buddhism and meditates daily. According to Gere, it helps him set his motivation for the day. Gere thinks meditation may be the path to overcoming his narcissism. Therefore, Buddhism has become the opiate of choice for the U.S. actor.
Gere sets aside at least three-quarters of an hour a day for his ritual, rising at 4:30 a.m. if necessary because, he says, this introspective interval ensures him "a relaxed, stress-free life," adding that "Almost all forms of meditation are a form of looking at the mind. At the start you are almost amazed how much noise is going on there. You have no idea how much monkey stuff is going on, how cluttered it is. You look at that and you're acknowledging what the mind is, you're taming it, and when you have done that you have learned the power of concentration."
Richard Gere is a passionate human rights worker in Tibet. He is a creator of The Gere Foundation. The Gere Foundation, being a small grant giving organization, awards grants to groups that are dedicated to the cultural preservation of Tibet and the Tibetan people. The foundation is also dedicated to provide HIV/AIDS care, to fund research and its treatment, and to those organizations addressing human rights violations throughout the world.
Gere is also a co-founder of the Tibet House which was founded with a vision to share Tibet's practical systems of spiritual mind sciences and philosophy, its arts of human development, intercultural dialogues, nonviolence, and peacemaking, with the world by means of innovative programs in co-operation with educational and cultural institutions.
Gere is acting as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is a private non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promote democratic freedom and human rights for Tibetans, and to protect the Tibetan culture and environment.
Richard Gere has promoted some publications on Buddhism including ‘The World of Tibetan Buddhism
’, (His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was the author). He contributed some texts for the book, ‘We are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples ’.
He has also worked in a documentary with an award-winning filmmaker David Grubin. In the documentary ‘Buddha
’, Richard Gere narrated the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially pertinent to our own bewildering times of violent change, agitation and spiritual confusedness. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia have depicted the Buddha’s life and principles in art that is adorned in beauty and complexity.
Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock has been a Buddhist for more than 35 years. He's one of the many famous Buddhist people shaping our culture today. In today's world, more and more people proclaim to be Buddhist celebrities. Buddhism in Hollywood has it's perks as it is an instant image booster. Whether it's Richard Gere being in the Dalai Lama's intimate circle, Steven Seagal being the reincarnation of a Rinpoche, or Tina Turner, the followers of the Buddha enjoy an instant boost in their coolness factor.
Let`s examine some famous people who are or have been involved with Buddhism.
Herbie Hancock is a living legend. He has won 8 Grammy awards in the last 2 decades to crown his 50 years long career. He played with his mentor and All-Around-God of Jazz Miles Davis, and with most every major musicians who respect the profession in the last five decades. He also is an outspoken Buddhist and readily admits that Buddhism has had a big influence on his music, especially on one of his latest project; Imagine.
Introduced to Nichiren Buddhism and the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo by a fellow band member, the bassist Buster Williams, he has been practicing since 1972.
The story goes that on a Friday night, during a tour, he asked the band to play Toys, a piece that starts with a bass solo. When Buster Williams started playing, Hancock noticed something special was happening and he didn't want to stop him. After 15 minutes, he decided to join and the show resumed. Once the show was over, he took Williams apart and asked him what fueled that magic moment they all witnessed. Buster Williams told him that he recently had taken up the teaching of Buddha and had been reciting the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo every day.
A conversation ensued and in the words of Hancock: "... it came through the music, which was the only way to kind of reach my heart at the time, because that’s what my focus was then. " Because it came through the music, it awoke something in him and he started questioning Williams about this new philosophy. The answers Willams gave him greatly satisfied him and he started practicing Nichiren Buddhism..
Steven Seagal
Mr. Seagal is a controversial man especially because of all the rumors going around about him. There are some rumors of CIA involvement, sexual slaves and hit contracts put on some of his enemies. To say the least, he is perceived as a very egoistical character, something that doesn't conciliate well with the views people have of a compassionate Buddhist monk.
Here is what Penor Rinpoche had to say about him: "In the case of my student Steven Seagal, I initiated the decision to recognize him as a tulku based on my own feelings about him. Neither I nor any of my monasteries have received or sought any sort of substantial donation from him. What is important to me are the qualities I have seen in my student. For this reason I feel confident that recognizing him as a tulku will be of benefit to others as well as to the Buddha dharma."
Seagal is also highly respected for some other things. He has described his activism as forcing companies to change. We can see the influence his activism played in films like On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below.
He has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to discourage the fur trade, and has written to the Prime Minister of India to seek increased legal protection for cows. Seagal worked effectively towards saving dogs destined to drown in Taiwan.
In 1999, Seagal was awarded a PETA Humanitarian Award.
In 2003, Seagal wrote an open letter to the leadership of Thailand, urging them to enact a law to prevent the torture of baby elephants.
Outside of his film work, Seagal has volunteered, lending his voice as a narrator for an activist film project, Medicine Lake Video, which seeks to protect sacred tribal ground near his ranch in Siskiyou County.
Formal recognition generally occurs soon after a tulku has been identified, but only after other important lineage masters have been consulted. The newly identified tulku does not take on any formal responsibilities at the time of recognition.The next step of enthronement may or may not occur for a tulku, depending on the circumstances. Enthronement formally invests the tulku with the responsibility of furthering the activities associated with their particular tulku lineage. Thus, if there are specific teachings and practice traditions associated with their lineage, and if there are perhaps monks, nuns, monasteries, retreat centers, lay communities and so forth for which the tulku traditionally takes responsibility, then the tulku is formally vested with those responsibilities at the time of enthronement. In the event that an enthronement ceremony is conducted, it may take place soon after recognition or some years later. If the tulku is too young to assume their responsibilities upon enthronement, others may be entrusted to take on those responsibilities until the tulku is ready.
Finally, a tulku needs to complete a formal course of training which includes years of study and meditation. This training reawakens the tulku's powers of insight and compassion and develops their skillful means for helping others. It is only after such training that a tulku is ready to take on the role of a teacher."
About who he was: "Steven Seagal has been recognized as a reincarnation of the 17th century hidden treasure revealer (terton) Chungdrag Dorje (khyung brag rdo rje) of Palyul Monastery. Chungdrag Dorje founded a small monastery called Gegon Gompa near his native village of Phene in the Kutse area of Derge in Eastern Tibet. Though there are no monks there now, the small monastery building still exists and is well known in the area for its beautiful religious wall paintings.
As a terton, Chungdrag Dorje rediscovered teachings and sacred objects hidden by Padmasambhava in the eighth century. Such treasures (terma) were concealed with the intention that they would be discovered and revealed at a later date when the circumstances were such that they would be of particular benefit to sentient beings. Texts of the teachings discovered by Chungdrag Dorje have apparently not survived the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Sacred objects discovered by Chungdrag Dorje include an unusually shaped bell, a phurba (ritual dagger), the syllable 'A' carved in stone and pigments used to create the sacred wall paintings in his monastery mentioned above. Several of these objects have been preserved and are still kept at Palyul Monastery today."
All in all, Seagal is a man who wants to be and do good. I respect that about him.
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom is a member of the Soka Gakkai International movement. When Tabloids in his native England found out about it, they bad-mouthed him by saying he was in a cult. He wasn't happy about it. For him, Buddhism is a way of life, a tool to cope with the life's problems and suffering.
He had his share of hardship. According to an interview given to Details in 2007, he discovered at 13 that his father was not his biological father, he fell 3 floors and hurt his back at 19 and had to cope with the ale as of celebrity since he was cast in some major movies like Black Hawk Dawn, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Here's what he said about his practice:
"The philosophy that I've embraced isn't about sitting under a tree and studying my navel, it's about studying what is going on in my daily life and using that as fuel to go and live a bigger life. When your girlfriend dumps you, when the bill comes through the door, and your mom calls you and tells you she can't handle the stuff in her life—that's hell, but that's just one world. If you are aware of what is going on, then you can grow and use that hunger, that fear."
It is to be noted that Bloom is an active practitioner. He talks openly about it and dated, Kate Bosworth and Miranda Kerr, both members of the same organization. Now, Kerr and Bloom take part in numerous charity events to better help the world, especially the environment.
He recites Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo as part of his daily practice.
On June 28th, 2010, U.K.'s DailyMail announced that Miranda Kerr just got engaged to Orlando Bloom. She was apparently seen by papparazis visiting a church in Los Angeles in preparation for their wedding. The couple are both practicing Buddhist but might apparently get married in a church to please their parents.
He also works for charities
Richard Gere
American actor Richard Gere (whose real name is Richard Tiffany Gere), winner of Emmy Awards and Golden Globes, has another identity in the world of spiritualism, far apart from the rest of the worldly life and fame. He is a Buddhist.
Tibetan Buddhism is composed of four principal schools, namely, ‘ the Nyingma (ancient) School’, ‘ the Sakya School ’, ‘ the Kagyu (Oral Tradition) School’, ‘ the Gelug (Tradition of Virtue, sometimes known as the 'Yellow Hat') School’. Tsongkhapa is the pioneer of this last born ‘Gelug’ Tibetan Buddhism school.
After spending around 20 years studying with Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Kadam (Oral Instruction) teachers, the concept of ‘Gelug’ came into being through the insight of Tsongkhapa in the early fifteenth century.
Gere scores high marks for sincerity of practice of Buddhism and meditates daily. According to Gere, it helps him set his motivation for the day. Gere thinks meditation may be the path to overcoming his narcissism. Therefore, Buddhism has become the opiate of choice for the U.S. actor.
Gere sets aside at least three-quarters of an hour a day for his ritual, rising at 4:30 a.m. if necessary because, he says, this introspective interval ensures him "a relaxed, stress-free life," adding that "Almost all forms of meditation are a form of looking at the mind. At the start you are almost amazed how much noise is going on there. You have no idea how much monkey stuff is going on, how cluttered it is. You look at that and you're acknowledging what the mind is, you're taming it, and when you have done that you have learned the power of concentration."
Richard Gere is a passionate human rights worker in Tibet. He is a creator of The Gere Foundation. The Gere Foundation, being a small grant giving organization, awards grants to groups that are dedicated to the cultural preservation of Tibet and the Tibetan people. The foundation is also dedicated to provide HIV/AIDS care, to fund research and its treatment, and to those organizations addressing human rights violations throughout the world.
Gere is also a co-founder of the Tibet House which was founded with a vision to share Tibet's practical systems of spiritual mind sciences and philosophy, its arts of human development, intercultural dialogues, nonviolence, and peacemaking, with the world by means of innovative programs in co-operation with educational and cultural institutions.
Gere is acting as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet. The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is a private non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promote democratic freedom and human rights for Tibetans, and to protect the Tibetan culture and environment.
Richard Gere has promoted some publications on Buddhism including ‘The World of Tibetan Buddhism
He has also worked in a documentary with an award-winning filmmaker David Grubin. In the documentary ‘Buddha
MUSIC INDUSTRY
Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock has been a Buddhist for more than 35 years. He's one of the many famous Buddhist people shaping our culture today. In today's world, more and more people proclaim to be Buddhist celebrities. Buddhism in Hollywood has it's perks as it is an instant image booster. Whether it's Richard Gere being in the Dalai Lama's intimate circle, Steven Seagal being the reincarnation of a Rinpoche, or Tina Turner, the followers of the Buddha enjoy an instant boost in their coolness factor.
Let`s examine some famous people who are or have been involved with Buddhism.
Herbie Hancock is a living legend. He has won 8 Grammy awards in the last 2 decades to crown his 50 years long career. He played with his mentor and All-Around-God of Jazz Miles Davis, and with most every major musicians who respect the profession in the last five decades. He also is an outspoken Buddhist and readily admits that Buddhism has had a big influence on his music, especially on one of his latest project; Imagine.
Introduced to Nichiren Buddhism and the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo by a fellow band member, the bassist Buster Williams, he has been practicing since 1972.
The story goes that on a Friday night, during a tour, he asked the band to play Toys, a piece that starts with a bass solo. When Buster Williams started playing, Hancock noticed something special was happening and he didn't want to stop him. After 15 minutes, he decided to join and the show resumed. Once the show was over, he took Williams apart and asked him what fueled that magic moment they all witnessed. Buster Williams told him that he recently had taken up the teaching of Buddha and had been reciting the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo every day.
A conversation ensued and in the words of Hancock: "... it came through the music, which was the only way to kind of reach my heart at the time, because that’s what my focus was then. " Because it came through the music, it awoke something in him and he started questioning Williams about this new philosophy. The answers Willams gave him greatly satisfied him and he started practicing Nichiren Buddhism..
මාර සෙට් එකක් ඉන්නෙ 
