Mr. Friedland, who spent much of the 1970s traveling in India, where he studied Sanskrit, Hindu culture and Buddhism, once said he became interested in mining after stumbling upon an abandoned gold mine on property he was developing for a timber venture with Mr. Jobs, whom he met at Reed College in Portland, Ore.

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Rodriguez said he also taught Jarrah about Buddhism.

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"Technology is advancing very quickly and we can't keep up, " said Phra Kasem Sanyato, secretary of the Buddhism Protection Center of Thailand, a watchdog for religious affairs.

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In Buddhism, the subject of self-immolation is controversial, said Robert Sharf, the chair of the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Tieshan said his eight-member delegation, appointed by the Chinese government, includes representatives from Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam.

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