The Planet's Sangha: Buddhist discussions, thought, etc.

[Linus]

I consider myself Buddhist. I haven't found a Sangha here in NY that I feel at home with so I've been self teaching and trying to understand. I am hoping that I might find something once i move to Los Angeles but until then, an online option would be the best way to go. I'll admit that it was Lama Surya Das' books that appealed to me and I'm hoping to get through the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

I was curious if there are others out there.

[PoeticWitch]

Linus I am what is called a Nichiren Buddhist.. sadly I do not know much about the basic philosophy of the sect you are mentioning... I am still learning more about my practice... I would like to learn more about yours sometime.. and if you would like to learn about mine you can go to www.sgi.org or www.sgi-usa.org ... SGI stands for the Sokka Gakkai International... well have a wonderful day

[Linus]

Cool. I'm going to look into the links you've posted. I've read a bit about Nichiren from E-Sangha Forums but will read more. I'll probably have questions for you about it specifically. (particular when I've finished my teach this week -- which will be today)

I am curious, however, as to why you choose this particular path over others and if you go to a Sangha in RT (Real Time; not online)?

[PoeticWitch]

Cool. I'm going to look into the links you've posted. I've read a bit about Nichiren from E-Sangha Forums but will read more. I'll probably have questions for you about it specifically. (particular when I've finished my teach this week -- which will be today)

I am curious, however, as to why you choose this particular path over others and if you go to a Sangha in RT (Real Time; not online)?

I will be honest I have never heard of Shanga, but I am assuming, so correct me if I am wrong, that it is a term used for temple? Nichiren Buddhist do not go to temples persay... We have community centers that we congregate at. I dont think I can really do it justice. I dont attend much anymore because I live in York and the closet Community Center is in Baltimore and I am sadly lacking a car... When I was in Austin I was there as much as I could be. I miss it terribly. Well I am off for the day and not back til tomorrow sometime... you know the whole Thanksgiving thing lol.. You have a wonderful Turkey Day!

[SFFemmePrincess]

So my story goes like this: My parents are Bahai, (http://info.bahai.org/) but never really practiced. We had some books lying around and they talked about it every now and again, but that was about it. I longed for some sort of sprituality. So as a child I would go to the Sunday bible study at the Christian church down the road. But I never felt quite right. I mostly kept going for the arts and crafts and snacks. As I go older the desire for sprituality still haunted me. I read books on Wicca, but that didnt really work for me. I talked to friends of other faiths, but never found anything that I could relate to. In my late teens I went pretty often to a Christian Megachurch in Alb. until the Pastor said that Homosexuality was causing the death the "American Family." When I moved here I started going to MCC and became an official member, but I still never felt quite right. It felt like a farce. I was going through the motions, bowing my head in prayer, taking communion, but it felt empty.

Then one day, my family and I were having a disscussion about religion and the subject of Buddhism came up and none of knew what Buddhism actually was. So being the little researcher that I am, I brought out my laptop and looked it up. I came across this article: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm

All of a sudden I started to feel like I had found what I had been looking for. So I started reading and researching more. Never in my life have I felt more complete spiritually. Now I am still just reading, I haven't actually started meditating or further investigating the traditions, but it just feels so good to know that there is something out there for me. Some of the books that I have read are Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron and Introducing Buddhism by Chris Pauling and there is a great list of recommended books here: http://www.sfbuddhistcenter.org/dharma/books.shtml

It's nice to see others on similar paths...

[Diva]

So my story goes like this: My parents are Bahai, (http://info.bahai.org/) but never really practiced. We had some books lying around and they talked about it every now and again, but that was about it. I longed for some sort of sprituality. So as a child I would go to the Sunday bible study at the Christian church down the road. But I never felt quite right. I mostly kept going for the arts and crafts and snacks. As I go older the desire for sprituality still haunted me. I read books on Wicca, but that didnt really work for me. I talked to friends of other faiths, but never found anything that I could relate to. In my late teens I went pretty often to a Christian Megachurch in Alb. until the Pastor said that Homosexuality was causing the death the "American Family." When I moved here I started going to MCC and became an official member, but I still never felt quite right. It felt like a farce. I was going through the motions, bowing my head in prayer, taking communion, but it felt empty.

Then one day, my family and I were having a disscussion about religion and the subject of Buddhism came up and none of knew what Buddhism actually was. So being the little researcher that I am, I brought out my laptop and looked it up. I came across this article: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm

All of a sudden I started to feel like I had found what I had been looking for. So I started reading and researching more. Never in my life have I felt more complete spiritually. Now I am still just reading, I haven't actually started meditating or further investigating the traditions, but it just feels so good to know that there is something out there for me. Some of the books that I have read are Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron and Introducing Buddhism by Chris Pauling and there is a great list of recommended books here: http://www.sfbuddhistcenter.org/dharma/books.shtml

It's nice to see others on similar paths...





I have not known many practicing Buddhists...but the ones I have known always seemed so centered. (I know that word is almost cliche` any more....)

I've been curious and intrigued about Buddhism, but never really took the time to see if it might suit me.

This past year has been one of many changes...coming to grips with many things....having to give up control....and having now read this article, perhaps this way of life WOULD be the right way for me....it seems to speak to my soul and is reminding me of a compass of sorts.....

Thank You Rainbow.....for posting this.....I am overwhelmed in the best of ways!

[SFFemmePrincess]

I have not known many practicing Buddhists...but the ones I have known always seemed so centered. (I know that word is almost cliche` any more....)

I've been curious and intrigued about Buddhism, but never really took the time to see if it might suit me.

This past year has been one of many changes...coming to grips with many things....having to give up control....and having now read this article, perhaps this way of life WOULD be the right way for me....it seems to speak to my soul and is reminding me of a compass of sorts.....

Thank You Rainbow.....for posting this.....I am overwhelmed in the best of ways!

Oh my dearest Diva...I am so glad that I could illuminate a possible path for you...that makes my day!

[lillith]

I am doing a research report for my religious studies class, and I decided to attend a temple and it was the most warm and welcoming place I could have gone. The "usher" sat me with this older woman who explained everything to me about what was going on in the service. She was very open to any and all my questions. They gave me books, pamphlets, just about anything that I could read on Buddhaism and Jodo Shinshu. This particular sect focuses on Shinran Shonin and his teachings that suffering is going to happen, but how you choose to deal with it is up to you.

I felt like my past didn't matter, and according to the Rev. it doesn't matter, it is gone just as quickly as it came. Everything is cause and effect. It was amazing. No one cared that I am queer. No one cared that I am a single parent. No one cared about all the stigmas that my life tends to bare. I was greeted with smiles, hardy handsakes, and a genuine niceness that is rare to find in Los Angeles.

The 9:30 am service is geared towards family and the Rev was in the isle getting the children involved, getting the whole congregation involved. I have never been to a service of this sort. It has always been sit down, shut up, and hang on for dear life cause everyone in this joint is going to judge the fuck out of you. It was refreshing and heartwarming. I told my son we will be going back there next week. Today's service was a celebration day - Bodhi Day (Jodo-e). The whole experience left me warm and fuzzy inside.

[Linus]

lilith, very similar to you I've experienced a very open look at individuals regardless of background, orientation, race, etc. It is refreshing that the message is generally the same between variations. I am curious as to where this particular temple is. I'll be moving to Los Angeles next year and need to look into finding a place.

[Diva]

Lilith.....

Your description was so lovely and calming....I'm going to be checking on a temple here in Austin....thank You for sharing Your experience.

:bouquet:

[lillith]

lilith, very similar to you I've experienced a very open look at individuals regardless of background, orientation, race, etc. It is refreshing that the message is generally the same between variations. I am curious as to where this particular temple is. I'll be moving to Los Angeles next year and need to look into finding a place.

Hey Linus. Los Angeles is a big place, where are you planning on moving to? The temple I went to is in Gardena (near the beach cities or LA's version of the South Bay). There are great temples all around here and in the valley and out east. It all depends on where you are moving to.

If you would like, I can do some research on a temple that is close to where you are moving to.

Hope you are having a good day.

lillith :praying:

[Arwen]

I consider myself Buddhist. I haven't found a Sangha here in NY that I feel at home with so I've been self teaching and trying to understand. I am hoping that I might find something once i move to Los Angeles but until then, an online option would be the best way to go. I'll admit that it was Lama Surya Das' books that appealed to me and I'm hoping to get through the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

I was curious if there are others out there.


I have a very very good friend in Denver who is Buddhist. He and I have had some of the most amazing conversations around what it is and isn't for him. When we first met, he was an athiest. His journey has been mind-blowing to watch.

His wife and I share a Wiccan path. I find that Buddhist are some of the least judgmental folk. I admire that. It's something I really struggle with.

Love you, Linus!

[Linus]

Hey Linus. Los Angeles is a big place, where are you planning on moving to? The temple I went to is in Gardena (near the beach cities or LA's version of the South Bay). There are great temples all around here and in the valley and out east. It all depends on where you are moving to.

If you would like, I can do some research on a temple that is close to where you are moving to.

Hope you are having a good day.

lillith :praying:

Heh. Yes, it definitely is big. As to where we'll be exactly, we haven't fully decided but are looking at West Hollywood, Van Nuys and a few other places. K's parents are near Manhattan Beach. I know there are a few Buddhist temples but haven't been able to find all of them on Google.


I have a very very good friend in Denver who is Buddhist. He and I have had some of the most amazing conversations around what it is and isn't for him. When we first met, he was an athiest. His journey has been mind-blowing to watch.

His wife and I share a Wiccan path. I find that Buddhist are some of the least judgmental folk. I admire that. It's something I really struggle with.

Love you, Linus!


Hey Arwen,

It is something that I struggle with at times (removing old habits) but I find that it lessens the more I spent time on Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Reminding myself of each reminds me that others do suffer as I do, even if that experience is different. And no one should suffer.

For those unaware the Four Noble Truths are:



All of life is marked by suffering.
Suffering is caused by desire and attachment.
Suffering can be stopped.
The way to end suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.


And the Noble Eightfold Path is:



Right knowledge
Right intention
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration

[lillith]

Hey Linus. Here is are some results I did on google: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0&oq=los+angeles+buddhist&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS314US314&q=los+angeles+buddhist+temple

Hope it helps.

Lillith

[Linus]

Hey Linus. Here is are some results I did on google: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0&oq=los+angeles+buddhist&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS314US314&q=los+angeles+buddhist+temple

Hope it helps.

Lillith

Ya. It did. Took me to here: http://www.urbandharma.org/wilshire/churches/buddhist.html which lists the variety of temples and the Buddhist lineage that it comes from. That should give me an idea of where I'd want to look for a temple (I prefer more of a Tibetan buddhism to the Japanese buddhism but then again.. the concepts are the same). And who knows? Perhaps I may find more of what I'm looking for at a temple near me because of the people involved.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Linus,

Thank you for this thread. I want you to know that I have quite a few friends who are practicing Buddhists. They too are very centered in what their priorities are. And it reflects in their lives.

I also belong to a paranormal group. In this group are several Buddhists. They have taught me quite a bit about spirituality and inner peace. It is something that once you obtain, you never loose it.

Love,
Andrew

[amiyesiam]

hello to everyone
Buddhism is important to me.

there are 3 basic schools of buddhism

Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana
a few nice web sites are:

http://www.dalailama.com/

http://www.suite101.com/course.cfm/19042/seminar

[amiyesiam]

I think an important draw for buddhism is that you can practice the philosophy with out practicing the religion. does that make sense? Like you can take wisdom from the bible ( like: take care of the beam in your own eye instead of worrying about the needle in your neighbors eye, type thing) without actually believing/being a christian.

[Diva]

I think an important draw for buddhism is that you can practice the philosophy with out practicing the religion. does that make sense? Like you can take wisdom from the bible ( like: take care of the beam in your own eye instead of worrying about the needle in your neighbors eye, type thing) without actually believing/being a christian.




Yes, thank You.....this is what I am picking up in my readings. I'm loving the energy of this thread for the most part because it is inspirational in my quest.

[amiyesiam]

Yes, thank You.....this is what I am picking up in my readings. I'm loving the energy of this thread for the most part because it is inspirational in my quest.


I love the harmony of Buddhism. The concept that nothing exists in and of itself, that everything is related, that when you hurt I am hurt, the connection of it all is wonderful to ponder.
And I love the music!!!!

a song I love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbRHkhNXX_0

[SFFemmePrincess]

A Buddist friend of mine posts these daily quotes, so I thought I would repost them here until I find my own through reading.

For today:

Present effects are due to karmic causes from the past. Future effects arise from the causes we make in the present. It is always the present that counts. It is what we do in the present moment that decides our future. Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes that no matter what kind of karmic causes we have made in the past, thro...ugh the causes we make in the present we can achieve a brilliant future. ~Ikeda

[Andrew, Jr.]

I need to ask a question that has been on my mind. I am Roman Catholic. I have been away from organized religion for years (20+). I only recently went back to Church when my sister was dying from cancer.

I have taken on Buddhist principles. Is there a problem or issue with someone taking on both religious belief systems?

Andrew

[Linus]

I need to ask a question that has been on my mind. I am Roman Catholic. I have been away from organized religion for years (20+). I only recently went back to Church when my sister was dying from cancer.

I have taken on Buddhist principles. Is there a problem or issue with someone taking on both religious belief systems?

Andrew


Hey Andrew,

AFAIK, from a buddhist point of view no. In fact, I've seen this quite a lot. Buddhism, in the Western world, is more of a philosophy or guide while something like the RC is more about faith and belief. They can work in tandem -- and, IMO, compliment each other.

:praying:

[Dean Thoreau]

I think an important draw for buddhism is that you can practice the philosophy with out practicing the religion. does that make sense? Like you can take wisdom from the bible ( like: take care of the beam in your own eye instead of worrying about the needle in your neighbors eye, type thing) without actually believing/being a christian.



The Dalai Lama in his book in which he discusses the gospels and the book of matthew.(think it is called matthew, cant remember) .said..do not turn away form your chrisitianity....as it has been with you since you were born.
I found this comforting because; as attracted as I was to buddhism I could not break my ties or my beleifs which are considered christian..so for the past
almost 11 years I have labeled my religiousity as a Christian Buddhist. I practice buddhism but have in my priavate practice comgbined it with those christian beleifs that are deep within me and are the foundation of my life, my faith, and guide my footsteps on this planet..

[SFFemmePrincess]

For Today:

Courage, is not to fear or deny difference; but to respect and strive to understand people of different cultures, and to grow from encounters with them. ~Ikeda

[Linus]

For today and the holidays when people need to be reminded of the need to listen and be listened to, to be respectful, to love:


Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending
one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,
fearful wilderness--
the children, the aged, the unprotected--
be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

[SFFemmePrincess]

These two quotes resonated with me and I wanted to share them. To me, this makes so much sense and is logical...

Believe nothing on the faith of traditions,
even though they have been held in honor
for many generations and in diverse places.
Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it.
Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past.
Do not believe what you yourself have imagined,
persuading yourself that a God inspires you.
Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests.
After examination, believe what you yourself have tested
and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.

Buddha

*******************************************

One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?"
"No", answered Buddha.
"Then are you a healer?"
"No", Buddha replied.
"Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.
"No, I am not a teacher."
"Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.
"I am awake", Buddha replied.

[imperfect_cupcake]

I'm more along the lines of Taoist but a lot of taoist philosophy matches up with buddhism. I do enjoy a bit of banter with a buddhist ;)

[key]

But have to admit I don't have that kind of long term discipline. And the Buddhists that I have known are very centered indeed. Love me some Pema Chodron. http://www.pemachodron.org/ However, I get some mixed messages about Buddhism's acceptance (or lack thereof) of homosexuality. Some places I read that we fall under "sexual misconduct" laws of their religion and other places I read that they do not judge us. As someone who grew up under the boot of "hate the sin, love the sinner" Xtianity, this kind of gives me the willies.

Certainly don't want to discourage anyone from walking the path of their choosing, but worry that all religion, even ones without God's can be a minefield of do's and don'ts that is bound to leave someone out.

I guess any door through which we enter, can snag us on it's splinters, we must walk on through to get to (what I believe) is our shared destination.

Sacred communion with all.

[Linus]

But have to admit I don't have that kind of long term discipline. And the Buddhists that I have known are very centered indeed. Love me some Pema Chodron. http://www.pemachodron.org/ However, I get some mixed messages about Buddhism's acceptance (or lack thereof) of homosexuality. Some places I read that we fall under "sexual misconduct" laws of their religion and other places I read that they do not judge us. As someone who grew up under the boot of "hate the sin, love the sinner" Xtianity, this kind of gives me the willies.

Certainly don't want to discourage anyone from walking the path of their choosing, but worry that all religion, even ones without God's can be a minefield of do's and don'ts that is bound to leave someone out.

I guess any door through which we enter, can snag us on it's splinters, we must walk on through to get to (what I believe) is our shared destination.

Sacred communion with all.

The same is true of many religions: depending on the church, temple or group they may be more or less accepting. I have found, personally, Lama Surya Das (Western Lama of the Nyingmapa Dzogchen lineage) teachings and those around to be very accepting and open. I had attended a session with one group and they were very open and had no issue with me being trans.

I think it's a matter of finding one that is open and speaks to your heart and soul.

Namaste. :praying:

[Linus]

If I am in no way able to bear the pains of the hells, why then don't I give up anger, which is the cause of all that pain? -- Shantideva in The Three Levels of Perception (from More Daily Wisdom)

I have to admit (and perhaps it's an age thing or perhaps its because of the studying I've been doing) but I am getting better about letting anger go. I just started reading Thubten Chodron's Buddhism for Beginners and I was reminded how letting go of "things" (physical or otherwise) lessened suffering and with it, I believe, anger.

Has anyone else found that as well in their path?

:praying:

[T D]

If I am in no way able to bear the pains of the hells, why then don't I give up anger, which is the cause of all that pain? -- Shantideva in The Three Levels of Perception (from More Daily Wisdom)

I have to admit (and perhaps it's an age thing or perhaps its because of the studying I've been doing) but I am getting better about letting anger go. I just started reading Thubten Chodron's Buddhism for Beginners and I was reminded how letting go of "things" (physical or otherwise) lessened suffering and with it, I believe, anger.

Has anyone else found that as well in their path?

:praying:

I like this, going to look this book up now.

Thanks Linus!!

[Diva]

If I am in no way able to bear the pains of the hells, why then don't I give up anger, which is the cause of all that pain? -- Shantideva in The Three Levels of Perception (from More Daily Wisdom)

I have to admit (and perhaps it's an age thing or perhaps its because of the studying I've been doing) but I am getting better about letting anger go. I just started reading Thubten Chodron's Buddhism for Beginners and I was reminded how letting go of "things" (physical or otherwise) lessened suffering and with it, I believe, anger.

Has anyone else found that as well in their path?

:praying:


I was thinking it was my age.....as it has been easier and easier for me to purge.....I have too many THINGS....I've been going through Rubbermaid TUBS of stuff, asking myself.....HOW many times have I moved this? Never looking inside to see what it WAS.....and....um...>WHY did I keep this 1994 bill?

I know, right?

But since I've moved to Austin....and I'm [hopfully] not going anywhere until my ashes are floating in the Seine......I have found it empowering to 'let go' of all KINDS of stuff....physical stuff....toxic people.....anger.... regrets.... guilt....

And it has really been empowering, and, at the same time giving me a great deal of peace.

[Linus]

Thanks to those who added to the conversation.

Diva, I wanted to ask:

But since I've moved to Austin....and I'm [hopfully] not going anywhere until my ashes are floating in the Seine......I have found it empowering to 'let go' of all KINDS of stuff....physical stuff....toxic people.....anger.... regrets.... guilt....

And it has really been empowering, and, at the same time giving me a great deal of peace.

Was it the place that helped you let go or a inner decision to let go?


To all: I've been reading slowly so I can absorb it all. I'm into Chapter 8: Karma: The Functioning of Cause and Effect.



What is karma? How does it work?

Karma means action, and refers to intentional physical, verbal, or mental actions. These actions leave imprints or seeds upon our mindstreams, and the imprints ripen into our experiences when appropriate conditions come together.

page 59, Buddhism for Beginners


I think that one of the things that is often misunderstood is karma. It is neither good nor bad, it just is. Have you ever considered an action before doing it and what the resultant response will be (either short term or long term), and upon realizing that it may cause more suffering than not decided against it? I try hard and it's my one daily challenge as I tend to think -- too often -- on my feet and not long term from my head.

[Linus]

So as I continue down this path, I decided to finally get through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Within the 2nd Chapter something hit home:



Perhaps the deepest reason why we are afraid of death is because we do not know who we are. We believe in a personal, unique, and separate identity; but f we dare to examine it, we find that this identity depends entirely on an endless collection of things to prop it up: our name, our "biography", our partners, family, home, job, friends, credit cards ... it is on their fragile and transient support hat we rely for our security. So when they are all taken away, will we have any idea of who we really are?

-- pp16, Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche

This made me think of the times we're in and how many people feel angry and loss when they lose their house, job, etc. We have such strong attachments to them because we associate them to our identity, which really they are not. They are things that are part of our daily activities but they are not "us".

I think of myself, as an example, often as Linus the Teacher, Linus the FTM, Linus the Partner of K, Linus the Canadian in the US, Linus the Acadian-by-descent rather than Linus, me. I think I need to work on finding the "me" of all those "beings".

[Linus]

We can't induce every other person in the world to immediately become more compassionate, so your primary responsibility is to make your own loving-kindness and compassion more open, more impartial.

-- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Medicine & Compassion)

As I read this, I pondered the recent events surrounding the Health Care bill. As shocking as the behaviour was, I couldn't help but feel compassion for these individuals. Their lives, defined in some part by the world as interpreted by themselves, family and friends, has it's own hardships. Often, many I wouldn't necessarily understand and the pain associated with it by being clouded by hate, classness and bigotry.

I can only hope that something or someone will shine a light on them at some point and show them the compassion that they should show to others. Perhaps by showing them compassion they may understand what they need to show, in turn, to others.

[Diva]

Thanks to those who added to the conversation.

Diva, I wanted to ask:



Was it the place that helped you let go or a inner decision to let go?



Linus, forgive me for just now seeing this!!

I think the 'letting go' process began when I realized what I had been doing wasn't working. Yes..part of it was the place. But part of it was the need for my spirit to be fed with more of the positive.

Thank You for this thread.....it makes me breathe deeper for some reason.....

[Greyson]

-- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Medicine & Compassion) I can only hope that something or someone will shine a light on them at some point and show them the compassion that they should show to others. Perhaps by showing them compassion they may understand what they need to show, in turn, to others.

Linus, I am in agreement with this notion. However, I find it almost impossible to keep responding and seeing them with an open heart and compassion.

For me, after a life time of being challenged on almost everything that I am, the wounds, the damage done makes it almost impossible to move past the baggage.

I want to but each time "they" take yet another underhanded action against me and others like me.... well my best intentions and compassion seem to vanish in a moment. I then go into self preservation mode.

I'm rambling. I still hold out hope that I will take the high road.

[oblivia]

I get Tricycle Magazine's Dailly Dharma email and I really loved today's:

June 5 , 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Right and True

A famous sutra tells of a group of villagers who came to visit the Buddha. They said to him, “Many teachers come through here. Each has his own doctrine. Each claims that his particular philosophy and practice is the truth, but they all contradict each other. Now we’re totally confused. What do we do?” Doesn’t this story sound modern? Yet this was twenty-five hundred years ago. Same problems. The Buddha replied, “You have a right to be confused. This is a confusing situation. Do not take anything on trust merely because it has passed down through tradition, or because your teachers say it, or because your elders have taught you, or because it’s written in some famous scripture. When you have seen it and experienced it for yourself to be right and true, then you can accept it.”

-Ani Tenzin Palmo, "Necessary Doubt" (Summer 2002)

[Linus]

Very excellent reference. I do like that quote, Oblivia.

I've noticed on Huffington Post Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has been writing (I'm actually waiting for his Rebel Buddha book to be released).

His article on Emotions and accepting them is interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/emotional-awareness-buddhism_b_598417.html

[oblivia]

Very excellent reference. I do like that quote, Oblivia.

I've noticed on Huffington Post Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has been writing (I'm actually waiting for his Rebel Buddha book to be released).

His article on Emotions and accepting them is interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/emotional-awareness-buddhism_b_598417.html

I like this article as well. I've done a lot of work with my emotional responses/patterns. Have you heard of the concept of samskaras? That's how I relate to my 'patterns'. There's some fantastic articles about them. My work revolves around replacing negative or unhealthy samskaras with positive or healthy ones to essentially reprogram my behaviour.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I am really not afraid of dying, because in that it is like being recycled like an aluminum can. What I am afraid of is being terminally ill and having no support. After what I just experienced, I now know what to expect from my family. Nothing. I am on my own. And that is one bitter pill to take - like so many of us know first hand.

:praying:

[oblivia]

I am really not afraid of dying, because in that it is like being recycled like an aluminum can. What I am afraid of is being terminally ill and having no support. After what I just experienced, I now know what to expect from my family. Nothing. I am on my own. And that is one bitter pill to take - like so many of us know first hand.

:praying:



Ouch. :( That's difficult. Family is difficult. I'm big on the concept of choosing my Family. family is what I was born into, but Chosen Family has earned the right to be there - does that make sense? It empowers me to surround myself with people who truly love me and who are healthy for me without forgetting where I came from.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Yes, but I believe in constant forgiveness. I should always be forgiving. No matter what the situation is. Not for them, but for me.

[oblivia]

I don't think having a Chosen Family precludes the concept of forgiveness. :) But I agree that forgiving is a very healing thing to do for one's self.

[Martina]

i am currently reading Pema Chodron's No Time to Lose, which is her explication of Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. i recommend it.

i recommend all of her books.

[roy g biv]

I love this thread. Thank you, Linus, for starting it and thanks to all who have contributed thus far. I look forward to more.

[Sparx1_1]

I don't think having a Chosen Family precludes the concept of forgiveness. :) But I agree that forgiving is a very healing thing to do for one's self.

Forgiving is very healing but that does not mean you should forget or put yourself into the same situation again and again. Sometimes even when you forgive you also have to move on.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I never thought of forgiveness as being for other people but for myself. It is like turning the other cheek. To some I am just a dormat for them to walk all over. I will never understand that. I think that after watching two people I loved dearly die horrible deaths from cancer recently, I don't take life for granite. Life is so short. People are people no matter where you go, online or in real life. You have to be comfortable in your own skin, and be proud of who and what you are, and have a faith that you can rely on no matter what it is.

[oblivia]

I really liked this recent Daily Dharma as well ....

I like how these make me think.

June 1, 2010
Tricycle's Daily Dharma
Mindfulness Leads to Wisdom

In a state of mindfulness, you see yourself exactly as you are. You see your own selfish behavlor. You see your own suffering. And you see how you create that suffering. You see how you hurt others. You pierce right through the layer of lies that you normally tell yourself, and you see what is really there. Mindfulness leads to wisdom.

- Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, from “Mindfulness and Concentration,” (http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/mindfulness-and-concentration?offer=dharma) Tricycle, Fall 1998

[oblivia]

June 6, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Cultivate a Spacious mind

When you do meditate on a specific object, such as the breath, that object will help you to develop concentration, and concentration will enable you to cultivate a quiet and spacious mind. But you must be careful not to focus your attention too narrowly on the object, as that can constrain your practice. You should keep your primary focus on the object of meditation, but try to do so with a wide-open awareness. As you follow the breath, for instance, allow yourself to also be aware of what is happening in and around you. Be conscious of sounds, thoughts, sensations, feelings - but without fixating on, grasping, or rejecting any of these things.

-Martine Batchelor, "A Refuge into Being" (http://www.tricycle.com/-cushion/refuge-being?offer=dharma) (Winter 2002)

I like this as a tool. It can be hard to maintain focus when meditating and there are exterior noises (phone ringing, kids chatting, tv on in another room, traffic, car bass going down the road lol etc). I find being able to allow the distractions to float by in your mind like clouds rather than trying to hold onto them.

[oblivia]

June 9, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Be Patient

When you plant seeds in the garden, you don’t dig them up every day to see if they have sprouted yet. You simply water them and clear away the weeds; you know that the seeds will grow in time. Similarly, just do your daily practice and cultivate a kind heart. Abandon impatience and instead be content creating the causes for goodness; the results will come when they’re ready.”

- Tibetan Buddhist nun and author Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Meditator's Toolbox" (http://www.tricycle.com/feature/meditators-toolbox) (Fall 2007)

This one really gave me pause. I get really frustrated sometimes, with the work I am doing on myself. I have a LOT of samskaras that I want to replace. There are many that have been dug so deep into the ground, that the walls to even try to jump out of them seem impossibly high. These grooves, these tracks I've been running in for 30 years feel just as deep even after working on them for a while. So I liked the visual of the garden. No, one wouldn't dig up one's seeds to see if they'd sprouted... so why shouldn't I trust that my work... my process IS working... even when I don't always see instantaneous results?

I just need to remember that this is a journey and I can't always see what things are going to look like around the next bend, but that doesn't mean I should stop walking the path.

:praying:

[oblivia]

June 10, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is a practice that engages all parts of us—our body, our heart, and our mind—in choosing, preparing, and eating food. It immerses us in the colors, textures, scents, tastes, and even sounds of drinking and eating. It allows us to be curious and even playful as we investigate our responses to food and our inner cues to hunger and satisfaction.

Mindful eating is not based on anxiety about the future but directed by the actual choices that are in front of you and by your direct experiences of health while eating and drinking. Mindful eating replaces self-criticism with self-nurturing. It replaces shame with respect for your own inner wisdom.

- Jan Chozen Bays, "Mindful Eating" (http://www.tricycle.com/-food/mindful-eating?offer=dharma) (Summer 2009)

[Lady_Wu]

Prophets and Priests teach the form of Tao
Tao's essence cannot be taught
It is latent
and cannot be known by learning.

"those who pursue learning lose something day by day
those who pursue Tao are in fragrant grass"
-Laozi, trans. Lady_Wu
Lady_Wu

[Lady_Wu]

I am a Taoist (first) and Tibetan Buddhist (second). I studying Alchemy and Immortality from my Taoist Master, and Tibetan Buddhist from a variety of sources. I am a Gelupta/Kagyu Buddhist. I am studying two courses from Ashoka, a Tibetan Buddhist University that offers free or nearly free courses. Right now I am studying The Heart Sutra and Ch'an Buddhism from Ashoka. If anyone is interested in Ashoka, the URL is:
ahokaedu.net
Namaste,
Lady_Wu

[JakeTulane]

For those that are fans and readers of Thich Nhat Hanh (and those that are not).... here is a link to his page on Amazon. I was introduced to Buddhism through his writings. Just amazing and peaceful works.

http://www.amazon.com/Thich-Nhat-Hanh/e/B000AP5YRY/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1276255112&sr=1-2-ent

[oblivia]

June 11, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Getting Hooked

In Tibetan there is a word that points to the root cause of aggression, the root cause also of craving. It points to a familiar experience that is at the root of all conflict, all cruelty, oppression, and greed. This word is shenpa. The usual translation is “attachment,” but this doesn’t adequately express the full meaning. I think of shenpa as “getting hooked.” Another definition, used by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, is the “charge”—the charge behind our thoughts and words and actions, the charge behind “like” and “don’t like.” Here’s an everyday example: Someone criticizes you. She criticizes your work or your appearance or your child. In moments like that, what is it you feel? It has a familiar taste, a familiar smell. Once you begin to notice it, you feel like this experience has been happening forever. That sticky feeling is shenpa. And it comes along with a very seductive urge to do something. Somebody says a harsh word and immediately you can feel a shift. There’s a tightening that rapidly spirals into mentally blaming this person, or wanting revenge, or blaming yourself. Then you speak or act. The charge behind the tightening, behind the urge, behind the story line or action is shenpa.

- Pema Chödrön, "Don't Bite the Hook" (http://www.tricycle.com/insights/dont-bite-hook?offer=dharma) (Summer 2009)

[Arwen]

Oblivia, thank you for posting this and including the URL. I've been doing a lot of reading on that site. It's very intriguing.

[oblivia]

Oblivia, thank you for posting this and including the URL. I've been doing a lot of reading on that site. It's very intriguing.


You bet!! :) If you ever get a chance, pick up one of the magazines. I find the reading really thought-provoking and almost ALWAYS get something out of these daily dharma emails I get. As is so often the case with things like this, they always seem to have a message I really need that day....

[Linus]

Time-lapse mandala: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/03/mandala-time-lapse-video_n_599000.html?ir=Religion

Absolutely beautiful and certain does highlight how complex life is and yet, how transparent.

[oblivia]

June 12, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Meditation is what you make it

For the first two thousand years of its existence, Buddhism was mostly confined to monasteries with strict rules, timetables, and hierarchies. In contrast, Zen in America today finds the majority of its followers in the lay world, where most of us have families, jobs, and homes. Our zendos are places to visit, perhaps daily, but more likely once or twice a week: refuges, perhaps, from the “real world” of money and responsibility.

Along with the “layification” of Zen has come a sharp distinction, for most of us, between meditation and the rest of life. While the monks of old lived and breathed, day in day out, year in year out, in an atmosphere of stillness and contemplation— their entire lives were one unbroken meditation!—we modern practitioners stop what we’re doing when we sit and restart our everyday lives when the bell signals that time’s up. The result of this is an apparent dichotomy: either I’m meditating (on my zafu, often in the zendo, sometimes at home), or I’m not meditating (the rest of the time).

What’s lost in this either/or distinction is the idea that meditation can be anything I choose to make it. Sure, I can define meditation rather narrowly as the time spent on my cushion. But if I do so, I’m elevating sitting over everyday awareness and thus diluting the possibilities for all those other quotidian opportunities for mindfulness.

- Barry Evans, "I Like it... but is it Meditation?" (http://www.tricycle.com/-cushion/i-like-itbut-it-meditation?offer=dharma) (Summer 2009)

[Lady_Wu]

"As long as the sun rises
and your heart beats
Tao is at hand" ---Deng Ming Tao

Why do we look for Tao in mysterious and obscure places? Why must we sit in meditation for hours? As long as we breath, Tao is here within us. We might only be dimly aware of this, but that dim awareness does not change Tao. Being in nature will help; meditation will help:both help bring us to a better awareness of Tao. Even if we do neither of these things, Tao is right at hand. Do we feel, do we sense? Then we have direct access to Tao. Don't delay: feel for it, sense it! Tao is breath; Tao is now!
Lady_Wu

[oblivia]

"Although the world's religions may differ fundamentally from one other in their metaphysical views, when it comes to their teachings on the actual practice of ethics, there is great convergence. All the faith traditions emphasize a virtuous way of being, the purification of the mind from negative thoughts and impulses, the doing of good deeds, and living a meaningful life." ~ Dalai Lama

I have the Dalai Lama friended on facebook. It amuses me to type that out. ;) But this lovely gem was on his wall today.


"June 13, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Stand on your own two feet

When it's time for a child to start walking, a mother needs to let her child walk. She needs to let the child lose his or her balance, fall down, and then find balance once again. Alone, the child needs to get up and stand on his or her own two feet. Although children need protection, we need to have confidence in their potential to flourish. We don’t want to hold them captive by our own fears and doubts—this creates the unhealthy dependence we have been talking about. Letting children immerse themselves in a challenging situation or obstacle for a while gives the child confidence. It gives the mother confidence, too. It’s one of the early steps a mother takes in letting the child become a citizen of the world."

- Dzigar Kongtrul, "Old Relationships, New Possibilities" (http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/old-relationships-new-possibilities?offer=dharma) (Winter 2008)

Wow, this one was exactly what I needed to hear today - the message in the article in its entirety (linked above). Wow. So powerful. I will be thinking on Lenchak.

[oblivia]

June 15, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Watch Your Words

Years ago, when I began traveling the Buddha’s path, I was surprised by the emphasis placed on the practice of skillful speech. The Buddha considered the way we communicate with each other to be so important that he taught the practice of skillful speech alongside such lofty teachings as skillful view, thinking, action, and mindfulness as a pillar of the Ennobling Eightfold Way.

The Buddha saw that we are always engaged in relationships, starting with that most significant relationship: the one with ourselves. On the cushion we notice how we speak to ourselves—sometimes with compassion, sometimes with judgment or impatience. Our words are a powerful medium with which we can bring happiness or cause suffering.

- Allan Lokos, "Skillful Speech" (http://www.tricycle.com/essay/skillful-speech?offer=dharma) (Winter 2008)

[Lady_Wu]

when people are rid of convention of how
to love, act and cherish
then they will naturally hold their families dear

rid of knowledge, they would be wise

Lady_Wu

[oblivia]

June 16, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Bad Meditation? No Such Thing

The mind can do wonderful and unexpected things. Meditators who are having a difficult time achieving a peaceful state of mind sometimes start thinking, “Here we go again, another hour of frustration.” But often something strange happens; although they are anticipating failure, they reach a very peaceful meditative state. My first meditation teacher told me that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. He was right. During the difficult meditations you build up your strength, which creates meditation for peace.

- Ajahn Brahm, "Stepping Towards Enlightenment," (http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/stepping-towards-enlightenment?offer=dharma) Fall 2006

[Lady_Wu]

All forms of violence, esp. war, are totally unacceptable as a means to settle disputes between and among nations, groups, and persons.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

[Lady_Wu]

stop thinking and end your your problems
what difference between yes and no
what difference between success and failure
must you value what others value
avoid what others avoid
what others avoid
how ridiculous
(Laozi)

[Lady_Wu]

Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw the earth as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it. It is not difficult to forgive damage done in ignorance. Today,however,we have access to more information,and it is essential that we reexamine ethically what we have inherited,what we are responsible for,and what we will pass on to coming generations.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

Just a comment unrelated to His Holiness' remarks but related to His Holiness. My one real wish to have happen before I die is to be in the presence of His Holiness, to hear Him give a Dharma talk or to teach upon a text. Many Tibetans see Him as Chenrezig (Avolakitsvara), The God of Compassion. I do, also. If He were to instruct me to stand in front of a speeding train, I would do so without hesitation. I would be convinced that would be some reason,unbeknownst to me that I should do so.
Lady_Wu:)

[JakeTulane]

Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw the earth as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it. It is not difficult to forgive damage done in ignorance. Today,however,we have access to more information,and it is essential that we reexamine ethically what we have inherited,what we are responsible for,and what we will pass on to coming generations.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

Just a comment unrelated to His Holiness' remarks but related to His Holiness. My one real wish to have happen before I die is to be in the presence of His Holiness, to hear Him give a Dharma talk or to teach upon a text. Many Tibetans see Him as Chenrezig (Avolakitsvara), The God of Compassion. I do, also. If He were to instruct me to stand in front of a speeding train, I would do so without hesitation. I would be convinced that would be some reason,unbeknownst to me that I should do so.
Lady_Wu:)


Lady_Wu,

Thank you for this post. Again so timely and so very true. Generations and generations... have treated the Earth is though it was a human "garbage can".. and in that thinking.. thought the Earth would sustain us.. and turn a blind eye. Mother Nature is tired. The Earth is tired. We as it's inhabitants have a responsibility to take care of it. .. and to take care of the other inhabitants that can not always take care of themselves, let alone their surroundings.

On the "meeting" note. I had a chance to meet His Holiness when I lived out West. Alas, My work schedule did not afford Me the chance. However, I am with you on wanting that meeting.. it is on My "list".

Peaceful evening to you.

Namaste,
Jake

:candle:

[Lady_Wu]

the Tao never acts without force,
yet there is nothing it can not do.

if rulers were to follow the way of the Tao
then all of creation would willingly follow their example

if selfish desires were to arise in me after my transformation
i would erase them with the power of the Uncarved Block
(Laozi=Lao-Tzu)

[Lady_Wu]

I want to explore the concept of the Uncarved Block by means of another small quote from the Daode Jing:
daily knowledge, daily gain
daily Tao, daily loss
(Laozi)
The word translated as "Uncarved Block" in Chinese is P'u or P'o. Ir refers to the state of original simplicity, orginal being-as-it-is. The more knowledge I have about a tree, for, instance, the less I am able to experience the tree-as-it-is. My knowledge is wrapped around me until all I can see about the tree are my concepts of "leaves" "green" "bark" "brown", etc. All I can hear about the tree is"blowing in the wind" "branches rustling" "leaves falling" etc. I can not see or hear a tree in front of me as it is. The concept of P'u is very important in the Daode Jing. Returning to a state where one can experience the original state of the world, become like a babe is the aim of the Daode Jing. I am born into the world able to experience the world-as-it-is. The more I grow, the more I learn about the world. The greater and denser becomes the cloak of knowledge, or words,even, that obscures this world that I once knew. The less I am able to do without this cloak, this "action" about action (wu wei). The aim of Taoism is to unwrap this cloak, to become like a babe, to erase the carvings upon the block of wood. To, ultimately, learn how to be and do nothing.
Lady_Wu
This will put into my blog. For those of you who are interested:
http://namelessgate-returntothewuchi.blogspot.com
I THINK this will get you to the blog. So sorry about my typos last time. If it does NOT work, please PM me to let me know. In some ways, the computer is an "Uncarved Block" to me.

[Lady_Wu]

If one's life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, being content with you have is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect you from the elements. And finally there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

[Linus]

If one's life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, being content with you have is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect you from the elements. And finally there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)



This is so very true in this day and age. The simplier the life, the happier that people are.

[Lady_Wu]

when a superior person hears of the Tao
she diligently puts it into practice
when an average person hears of the Tao
she believes half of it and doubts the other half
when a foolish person hears of the Tao
she laughs aloud at the very idea
if she didn't laugh
it wouldn't be the Tao
(Laozi)

[oblivia]

June 21, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
One Size Doesn't Fit All

Nowadays, having become a teacher myself, I can see clearly that no practice can fit everyone. Generally I would say most practices suit sixty percent of the people who encounter them and try them out for a certain period of time. So I have become what could be called a pluralistic liberal in terms of Buddhist practice.

- Martine Batchelor, "The Question" (http://www.tricycle.com/online-exclusive/question?offer=dharma) Summer 2008

[Lady_Wu]

From one point of view we can say we have human bodies and are practicing the Buddha's teaching and are therefore much better than insects. But we can also say that insects are innocent and free from guile, where as we often lie and misrepresent ourselves in devious ways in order to misrepresent or better ourselves. From this perspective, we are much worse than insects.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

Traditionally in Buddhist teachings, to be human is the pinnacle of development on this world at least. Humans can become bodhisattvas and enlightened beings, where after one leaves the hell-realms, if one has had to go there, one moves up from insects to fish and birds, then to animals, unto one reaches the level of human being again. (I think I've got this correct, in a shortened fashion.) But I've often though in the fashion of H.H., and even wondered if, after achieving enlightenment, one might not become an insect or fish or bird or animal. They do not have the karmic consequences with which to deal that humans do. Just a though. But I agree with H.H.
Lady_Wu:glasses:

[Lady_Wu]

the Tao gave birth to One
One gave birth to Two
Two gave birth to Three
Three gave birth to all of creation

all things carry Yin
yet embrace Yang
they blend to blend their life's breaths
in order to produce harmony.
(Laozi)

I have something to say about this but don't the time right now. I'll try to get back to you on it.
Also, Linus, I have a question for you concerning The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Namaste,
Lady_Wu:glasses:

[Lady_Wu]

When a problem first arises, try to be humble and maintain a sincere attitude,
and be concerned that the outcome is fair.
(H.H. The Dalai Lama)

[Lady_Wu]

that which offers no resistance
overcomes the hardest substances
that which offers no resistance
can enter where there is no space

few in the world can comprehend
the teaching without words
or understand the value of non-action
(Laozi)

[Andrew, Jr.]

I too believe the simplier the life, the better. I also believe in nature, animals, and the role of the environment. There is a time for everything. And in everything is a purpose. No matter how small. There is meaning.

As for the cycle of life...the life and living; the moment of death; the separation of the body & soul; reincarnation. For me it is just this simple. But that is just my understanding of the Buddist thinking.

[oblivia]

I've not been updating daily but I saved these to post as I really liked them:

June 22, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
The Joy and Pain of Close Relationships

You do not learn non-attachment by disengaging and avoiding the intensity of relationships, their joy and their pain. It is easy to disguise as non-attachment what is not non-attachment at all, but your fear of attachment. When you really care about someone and you are willing to commit to that friendship, then you have fertile ground to learn about both attachment and non-attachment. That is what makes the marriage relationship so rich.

-Judy Lief, "Tying the Knot" (http://www.tricycle.com/onpractice/tying-the-knot?offer=dharma) (Spring 1998)


June 24, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
All You Have To Know

Lord Buddha says that all you have to know is what you are, how you exist. You don't have to believe anything. Just understand your mind; how it works, how attachment and desire arise, how ignorance arises, and where emotions come from. It is sufficient to know the nature of all that; that alone can bring you happiness and peace. Thus, your life can change completely; everything turns upside down. What you once interpreted as horrible can become beautiful.

Lama Yeshe, "Your Mind is Your Religion" (http://www.tricycle.com/weekly-teaching/your-mind-your-religion?offer=dharma)

[Lady_Wu]

In the final analysis, the hope of every person is simply peace of mind.
(H.H. The Dalai lama)

I think this is a good place for me to start: do I have peace of mind? If the answer is no, then I need to examine my life to find out why not. And fix it. This finding out can only be done by some type of introspective thinking: journal writing is a good place to start. This allows me to have a conversation with myself. This gives me a place to call home-MY home, that I don't have to share with anyone, unless I choose to do so. I get to know myself. Do I truly have peace of mind where I am and just not realize it? That is something I can determine over the course of several weeks of writing. I just might not know it. If I truly don't, then what can I do about it? Can I change my point of view, so that I have it where I am? Can I change the situation where I am. so that I will have peace mind? If the answer is no, then I need to determine what will give me peace of mind and find it. I suggest solitude for a time after leaving a situation. This lets me get to know myself again as I am now. I am probably not the person I thought I was. So some time meditating, have more conversations with myself (journal writing again), and making new friends lets me find out both who I am and who I want to be in order to simply have peace of mind.
Lady_Wu

[Lady_Wu]

which is more important, your honour or your life
which is more valuable, your possessions or your person
which is more destructive, success or failure

because of this great love exacts great cost
and great wealth a greater loss

knowing when you have enough avoids dishonour
and knowing when to stop will keep you from danger
and bring you a long happy life
(Laozi)

[Lady_Wu]

The only purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others. Rather we must criticize ourselves. How much am I doing about my anger? About my attachment, about my hatred, about my pride, my jealousy? These are the things we must check in daily life.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)
Namaste

[Lady_Wu]

when the world follows the Tao
horses run free to fertilize the fields
when the world does not follow the Tao
war horses are bred outside the cities

there is no greater transgression
than condoning people's selfish desires
no disaster greater than discontent
no greater retribution than for greed
(Laozi)

[Lady_Wu]

Not to identify oneself with something, or to associate things with the "me," and to see that the idea that there is a "me" which is distinct from things is a delusion-that is true wisdom.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

[Lady_Wu]

without opening your door
you can know the whole world
without looking out your window
you can understand the way of the Tao

the more knowledge you seek
the less you will understand

the Master understands without leaving
sees clearly without looking.
(Laozi)

[Lady_Wu]

Trungpa Rinpoche says that genrosity is the giving up of privacy and inviting all sentient being as one guests...
Four kinds of generosity are mentioned in the Tibetan tradition:
1. Giving material things to those who are in want.
2. Giving protection to those who need it.
3. Giving love.
4. Giving dharma.
Namaste,
Lady_Wu

[Lady_Wu]

The first step in seeking happiness is learning. We first have to learn how negative emotions and behaviors are harmful to us and positive emotions helpful.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

[Lady_Wu]

if i understood only one thing
i would want to use it to follow the Tao
my only fear would be one of pride
the Tao goes in the level places
but people prefer to take shortcuts

[Lady_Wu]

H.H.The Dalai Lama
Turns 75 today!!!

[Lady_Wu]

Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one getting burned,
(Buddhist saying)

[SFFemmePrincess]

I'm so happy that this thread has continued. I was sort of on hiatus, but I am going to try and be back now, as much as I can. And after seeing that Linus and others are reading Buddhism for Beginners, I decided to take it off the shelf and read it again, this time the whole way through. I will be checking back and posting more often...

[Lady_Wu]

Good to have you with us, Rainbow! I have been absent for awhile due to illness. I try to post a saying for the Tao Te Ching everyday and a quote from H.H.The Dalai Lama everyday, and perhaps something of my own that is related to one or the other. I am primarily Taoist and secondarily a Buddhist.
Namaste,
Lady_Wu:ohm:

there is an old saying
it is better to be passive
in order to see what will happen
it is better to retreat a foot
than advance an inch
(Lao-Tzu)

This is related to wu wei, one of the central Taoist concepts. "Wu" translates as "no" . "Wei" translates as "to do". So wu wei literally means "to do no" whatever. This is generally translated as "nonaction".

[Lady_Wu]

You yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

[Lady_Wu]

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples, for complicated philosophies. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple, the philosophy is kindness.
(H.H.The Dalai Lama)

[Lady_Wu]

the Tao of Heaven works in the world
like the drawing of a bow
the top is bent downward
and the bottom is bent upwards
the excess is taken from
and the deficient is given to

(Laozi)

[Camo Eagle]

Im a practicing Buddhist of the Mahayana & Tibetan school. Ive also started the Shambhala Warrior Training as well. Im currently working on my Ngondro. Ive taken my Rufuge Vows, and hopefully this yr will take my Bodhisattva Vows.

Ngondro
http://turtlehill.org/khen/tersar.pdf
www.ngondro.net

Shambhala
www.shambhala.org

I also practice equal parts Paganism, & Santeria, although as pretty much a Solitary in my area. I also still study Catholicism. So yes I believe you can blend them. I also know when its wise to discuss & not.

Ive been studying religions since I could read, both informally & formally. I think they all have something to offer & so much in common. We only need look with both open eyes & open minds.

[Camo Eagle]

This is a lesson from my Temple. I give credit to the author, but I dont want to name him here w/o his permission.

The Buddha and Christmas

Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede
“A Wal-Mart worker died early Friday after an "out-of-control" mob of frenzied shoppers smashed through the Long Island store's front doors and trampled him, police said.
The Black Friday stampede plunged the Valley Stream outlet into chaos, knocking several employees to the ground and sending others scurrying atop vending machines to avoid the horde. When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured._”
BY Joe Gould, Clare Trapasso and Rich Schapiro
DAILY NEWS WRITERS .Updated Friday, November 28th 2008, 10:46 PM
According to one witness that spoke with the New York Daily News "When [other employees] were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, 'I've been on line since Friday morning!' They kept shopping." The term "senseless death" gets bandied around a good deal in the media but Jdimytai Damour's was beyond senseless. It was an unnecessary tragedy.

While this particular episode happened two years ago, in 2010 we still had people camping overnight outside stores, waiting for super deals and also trampling other shoppers on Black Friday. Do we ever learn? Is this what Christmas is all about?

Needless to say, or at least in my humble opinion, I doubt that The Buddha would be up at 5:00 AM on Black Friday trying to fight his way to the first Nintendo Wii, large screen LED TV or other gadgets for himself. If The Buddha were with us today I think he would appreciate the core values of the Christmas season without getting swept up by the frenzy that sometimes surrounds it. While not a Christian, he could celebrate the life of Jesus and the example he left us of compassion and wisdom. He could help a friend decorate her tree in order to bring a sense of warmth and good cheer to her home. I bet he would even think of a great Secret Santa present for a co-worker. If The Buddha were exchanging presents he would not get gifts for the sake of crossing someone off a list or spend days trying to get the best deal on an item but he would likely take the time to truly think through how to help improve the lives of his friends and family.

We too can take a step back from the holiday craziness and reflect on how we can help other people. Such reflection may lead to the perfect gift but more likely will lead to a sense of appreciation for all that we have been given. We should not get too hung up on a perfect gift but focus more on the act of giving itself. When we extend our generosity to others we also grow as a person. When we reflect on what the individual we're giving to means to us we are literally extending our heart to them while offering a token sign of appreciation for our connection.

When we meditate about the season and take the time to connect with the heart of compassion, then we develop a gift that is truly meaningful both to the recipient and to our self. For our niece with a lot of energy and a smidgen of grace maybe we can give her dance lessons. For our sibling who is going through a rough time at home we can take them out of town for a weekend. It is not so much what we give this time of year, but that we give with warmth and compassion in our heart. And when you give, give without expecting anything in return, that would take away so much value to your act.

When you extend yourself selflessly to others, you reconnect with the spirit of this holiday and to all sentient beings, with or without a gift. When you practice Bodichitta, when you feel compassion and offer the gift of your heart, it is the sort of Christmas present The Buddha could get behind.

[Camo Eagle]

But have to admit I don't have that kind of long term discipline. And the Buddhists that I have known are very centered indeed. Love me some Pema Chodron. http://www.pemachodron.org/ However, I get some mixed messages about Buddhism's acceptance (or lack thereof) of homosexuality. Some places I read that we fall under "sexual misconduct" laws of their religion and other places I read that they do not judge us. As someone who grew up under the boot of "hate the sin, love the sinner" Xtianity, this kind of gives me the willies.

Certainly don't want to discourage anyone from walking the path of their choosing, but worry that all religion, even ones without God's can be a minefield of do's and don'ts that is bound to leave someone out.

I guess any door through which we enter, can snag us on it's splinters, we must walk on through to get to (what I believe) is our shared destination.

Sacred communion with all.

I think it all depends where you visit. Much like in any path. ITs not so much the doctrines in play, but the human element.
I studied Wicca for yrs., everything was ok until I transitioned. All of a sudden as a Male I was no longer welcomed. I have since found a local grp ran by a Military Psychologist of all things, that have no problems with me at all.
When I talked to my Temple Abbott about changing my Buddhist female name to a Male one, he had no prob.. He even explained the dual nature of the Buddha.

I was thinking it was my age.....as it has been easier and easier for me to purge.....I have too many THINGS....I've been going through Rubbermaid TUBS of stuff, asking myself.....HOW many times have I moved this? Never looking inside to see what it WAS.....and....um...>WHY did I keep this 1994 bill?I know, right?But since I've moved to Austin....and I'm [hopfully] not going anywhere until my ashes are floating in the Seine......I have found it empowering to 'let go' of all KINDS of stuff....physical stuff....toxic people.....anger.... regrets.... guilt....And it has really been empowering, and, at the same time giving me a great deal of peace.



I am doing the purging, letting go, thing with "stuff" lately. Its hard for me as well, but I gotta admit it felt good to get rid of some things. I use the free pg on Craigslist, and my local branch of Freecycle a lot. I recently had an op to give some much needed items to a Cancer survivor in treatment. He was so happy & said it was his best xmas gift of all. That totally made my day. Letting go is good. Keep up the good work Diva.

So as I continue down this path, I decided to finally get through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Within the 2nd Chapter something hit home:

This made me think of the times we're in and how many people feel angry and loss when they lose their house, job, etc. We have such strong attachments to them because we associate them to our identity, which really they are not. They are things that are part of our daily activities but they are not "us".
I think of myself, as an example, often as Linus the Teacher, Linus the FTM, Linus the Partner of K, Linus the Canadian in the US, Linus the Acadian-by-descent rather than Linus, me. I think I need to work on finding the "me" of all those "beings".

[/RIGHT]

One thing I did when I started giving away items lately, was look inside to see why I needed to hold on to those things. I think some liberation surfaced when I found those answers. Yes sometimes we need to find the "me".

Linus, I am in agreement with this notion. However, I find it almost impossible to keep responding and seeing them with an open heart and compassion.
For me, after a life time of being challenged on almost everything that I am, the wounds, the damage done makes it almost impossible to move past the baggage.
I want to but each time "they" take yet another underhanded action against me and others like me.... well my best intentions and compassion seem to vanish in a moment. I then go into self preservation mode.
I'm rambling. I still hold out hope that I will take the high road.

I think you are missing a lil something. You forgot to see your progress. No, maybe you are not where you want to be on this journey, but the fact that you are aware and trying, is a big step. Buddhist call it "Mindfulness". You are present in that thought, and you are aware of your needs, thus you progress. Look inside, I'll bet you think before you speak/act more often. How many times do you walk away instead of fight? See you have grown.

[Glenn]

I have recently been studying the Way Of The Samurai (Great Courage), and have found this to be a great help to me. I have been doing severe austeries for the past fifteen years such as seclusion, celibacy, poverty, renouncing family, worldly pleasures, caring for the sick without pay, study, meditation, etc. I try to live each day as though I could die, without attachment, and freedom from rebirth. The only thing I am having a real problem with now is leaving my furkids without a home. I have become super attached to caring for them all.

[HoneyedChrysanthemum]

i have posted this is several other places but wished to post it in the sangha as well! after 10 years on intense study, meditation, tai cji, qi qong and other spiritual work, i have finally been officially ttansmitted in the lineage of Gao-Tazi and the Hombu of Hanshi Swansey and the IMAOaOM, the title of
Roshi (Taoist and Ch'an Zen Priest) with Inka
I am Dharma Successor Soke Roshi Shihan Jordan Weiss and Taoist Priest Xian Wu Chang Dao-Ling, among Others. i humbly bow to All who have taught me with much wisdom, kindness, compassion, and patience. may i prove to be a worthy successor and Chen Jen! i, pres, am now officially known as
Roshi Kellee Wu-Xian Lin Gao
in addition, i, a disabled person, achieved my black belt (1st dan) in Shin Sin Do Kung Fu! i showed my learning by successfully fending off real-time (not just by forms or in the ring) a 6 ft, 300 lb man who was not taking NO! for no and attempting to rape me. i am 5 ft and weigh 90 lbs and am disabled. i showed him that if he did not back off that he would be severely injured, killed if necessary,and got him away from me without having to do so! i think he was so shocked that i did not submit that that alone scared him, lol. he has not been seen in these parts again. so i used my training to show that i can now apply what i learned! "little weedhopper" did it!
i am setting up first a virtual zendo for Taoists and Buddhists, and all who for whatever reason lack a spiritual home. there will be Taoists/Buddhists services offered, meditation sessions, and any other help needed. all will be open to any who wish to come. in addition, i can perform interfaith services such as weddings, commitment ceremonies, etc. i am also offering Taoist/Buddhist counseling to any in need. online and by phone. again these services are free of charge. the only time i will ever charge for my services is, when i am well enough to do so, i set up a real time Pastoral Counseling Service authorized by the state in which i reside. the fees then would be minimal, based upon ability to pay, enough to subsidize those who cannot. i really do not believe that a Roshi should charge for anything. but that is just my opinion.
ok. enough. when the zendo is up and functioning. i will make a postin about it. in the meantime, i offer my services to the sangha, should anyone need or want a Roshi.
namaste

[atomiczombie]

I think I need to read this thread over and over. I am seeking a new Truth, a new path for my life. I have been stuck in this PTSD hell for 3 and 1/2 years now. I am tired of being gripped with anxiety and fear. I think a paradigm shift is in order for me.

[DamselFly]

this upcoming Sunday (April 16th), i have the chance to attend a new class session of Cha'n Buddhism and meditation. please light a candle, burn incense, whatever your personal practice, that i will feel well enough to attend for the two hours. this is first formal Cha'n sangha i've had a chance to become a part of and am needing the support very much! also i ask for a way to find a ride there and back for those times when my generous housemate cannot take me.
namaste and gassho,
DamselFly :moonstars:

[DamselFly]

Buddhism can certainly offer you a new paradigm! There are several good sites online to introduce you to the basics:
E-Sangha, Buddhanet, the Buddhist Channel, Buddhist Depot, etc. you also might want to look into finding a local sangha (Buddhist community) that would offer classes and an intro to meditation. i am a roshi (Taoist/Zen Buddhist Master), so if you wish to ask any questions privately, i will gladly offer my services!
namaste,
DamselFly :moonstars:

I think I need to read this thread over and over. I am seeking a new Truth, a new path for my life. I have been stuck in this PTSD hell for 3 and 1/2 years now. I am tired of being gripped with anxiety and fear. I think a paradigm shift is in order for me.

[DamselFly]

last saturday i attended my first class at Buddha Mind Monastery in Ch'an Buddhism! i enjoyed it very much though find its teaching most different from the Tibetan Buddhism i am used to. they seem to be a combination of Taoism and Buddhism. since i am both Taoist and Buddhist, i think i have found a good spiritual home. the Jian Dharma Masters or Shifus were all women! THAT most refreshing. They understood that i could only come to every other class and seemed impressed that i was coming two hours (each way) for class. interesting juxtaposition-while i was at the monastery, my housemate went to a casino, lol! the first meditation They teach is shunyatha (emptiness) meditation. They speak of "going to the Pure Land". i am going to look into taking a course from Ashoka University (ashokaedu.com) in Ch'an Buddhism plus learn everything available from Buddha Mind Monastery's website.
namaste,
DamselFly :moonstars:

[Linus]

Oh.. that does sound interesting. I find it hard to find Tibetan Buddhist temples here (short of going 50 miles from here to one in downtown L.A.). I may have to renew my search again.

[Camo Eagle]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently had a stroke.
It is asked that as many as possible do the Medicine Buddha pujas, and or the Medicine Buddha practices.

If you scroll down to the 23rd you will find the downloads if you dont know/have them.

http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches-health-updates-and-practices.html

[DamselFly]

i know that there are those who read this thread who do not know the basics of Buddhism. following the outline in H.H.The Dalai Lama in His book, How To Practice, i have decided to give short lessons in Buddhist basics. as to not make the posts overly long, i'll present them in one paragraph "dharma talks". if anyone want explication upon anything, just say so in a post or pm me. i do not set myself up as anyone who has great knowledge, only a student along the Path like everyone. coming up: the Four Noble Truths.
namaste!
DamselFly :moonstars:

[DamselFly]

we all have Buddha-nature. we all have the potential to become Buddhas (or in some traditions, are already Buddhas). we first need to realize and renounce participation in the cycle of existence. this is first done by understanding its nature, in the Four Noble Truths:
1. true suffering: the inherent fact of birth, life, and rebirth is suffering. no matter what your material condition, you in some way or other suffer.
2.true sources of suffering: counterproductive emotions and contaminated karmas (actions). counterproductive emotions are those that arise from an action in the past. such an incident should be discussed once, to let the feelings arisen out, and then forgotten.
those that arise from such feelings as lust, hatred, anger, etc, should not be discussed, as talking about them only gives them more force and clinging to the mind. instead, one should reflect upon the disadvantage such emotions produce and to prevent them from arising by replacing them with feeling of love, compassion, friendship.
contaminated karmas arise from the latter emotions. they can affect both this life and the life to come.
3. true cessation from suffering. there is an end to suffering. this involves overcoming the defilement of the mind, which arises from ignorance. no-one wants to suffer.
4.true paths. the paths to end suffering (and here i speak of those in the Path i know, the Tibetan Buddhist Path) are training in morality, meditation, and wisdom. other Paths concentrate more on meditation or on morality, but we believe that all three are necessary to end ignorance and there by end suffering. in short to realize one's true Buddha-nature. other spiritual Paths can also provide this, but here we speak of the Buddhist Path.
please, anyone wanting to help on this do so. explications are welcome. discussion is necessary. this is an engagement. i just provide an outline, with which others might disagree. speak up! this is our sangha! i am but one member.
namaste.
DamselFly:moonstars:
4.

[Camo Eagle]

HAPPY VESAK DAY to the BFP SANGHA


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6o6H8G-q22E/S_6j2v6-ALI/AAAAAAAABOc/SpY4d_wRgi4/s400/wesak-day1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.quanyinhealings.blogspot.com/&usg=__H68NfeeK4ZusDomg2sCLnQNbkZ8=&h=300&w=400&sz=34&hl=en&start=32&sig2=g5bL_jPG4jQCKUJY3BTtng&zoom=1&tbnid=kea4-NSUYMucQM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=187&ei=WD7TTbWjHMmCtgf-tJWmCg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhappy%2Bvesak%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1440% 26bih%3D744%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C439&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=132&vpy=295&dur=313&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=137&ty=134&sqi=2&page=2&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:32&biw=1440&bih=744

[SFFemmePrincess]

I have been neglecting my spiritual path for a long time and I think it is really starting to affect my life. I feel so empty and lost sometimes and am having a really hard time right now. I decided that I am going to renew my reading and start investigating the different traditions to find one that it right for me. As I go, I will post things I find of interest. I hope others are well on their path...

[Linus]

I've started to re-look back into the Buddhism I had started in NYC. One of the things I'm looking into is being able to meditate at home and even on the road. I've been investigating online sanghas to help me refocus my energies again. The one I had be a part of before (at lioncity.net) closed and is embroiled in a lawsuit (seems weird for a buddhist community but such is the online life).

I was curious if any other Buddhists knew of good online Buddhist communities.

[Sachita]

I've started to re-look back into the Buddhism I had started in NYC. One of the things I'm looking into is being able to meditate at home and even on the road. I've been investigating online sanghas to help me refocus my energies again. The one I had be a part of before (at lioncity.net) closed and is embroiled in a lawsuit (seems weird for a buddhist community but such is the online life).

I was curious if any other Buddhists knew of good online Buddhist communities.

Check this out:

Amazon.com: Tibetan Chakra Meditations: Ben Scott, Christa Michell: Music

I have it loaded in my iphone. I listen to the sound but also visualize the colors and symbols (Chakras). It's very powerful and healing. Let me know what you think.

I'm more eclectic in my spirituality but I do find tools within Buddhism and Taoism to be essential to it all.

[girl_dee]

i've always found i like the beliefs of the Buddhist way, and a while back was made to read the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (who is fascinating) which i was grateful for. i have found his teaching to be simplistic which i appreciate. i also learned that i have to handle my spirituality to please myself, not someone else. i also learned that not all who claim Buddhist actually walk in that light. i like to learn from people who actually walk in the light of the Spirituality they claim.

i started to dive deep into my own spirituality when it was what helped me cope and find my way. The Buddhist word is relaxing and calming to me. One thing that comes to mind was being told to touch the Earth for a grounding experience, how simple is that? Visiting the monastery on top of a beautiful mountain a few times touched me deeply and i wanted to learn more about the Monks and their whole way of life. They are so at peace. i wanted that too. Touching the prayer wheels and sitting in that energy moved me greatly.

After a mini nervous breakdown a couple of years ago, i stopped looking into Spirituality to fix me. i reclaimed some of my own roots and although i still agree with the teaching of Buddha, i don't use that as my only source of Spirituality. i call on ALL of the deities that have helped me throughout my life, Buddha is just one of them.

[Martina]

I doubt that this is true for people in very serious chronic pain, but one thing I have noticed as a meditator who lives with arthritis pain is that first, because of your awareness, the pain gets much worse. You had no idea how much pain there was. It's damned near everywhere. Your body practically throbs with it. And then it recedes. I imagine that the same number of neurons are firing -- or however pain works. But the pain seems to rest almost. I know that the pain is there. But I am neither distracting myself from it nor focusing on it, and it becomes less significant. I wish I could explain it better. But I am impressed with how much meditation helps my arthritis pain. And sorta surprised that the process begins with the pain seeming to get much worse.

A friend of mine goes to the chiro -- a good one -- and after he hasn't gone for a while and goes back again, he realizes how much pain he has been enduring. It's not till the pain is less or even gone that he realizes how much there was.

I don't know what the research says, but I doubt that meditation lessens my pain. It's just that if I meditate, more of the time my reaction to it is, "Oh. That's pain," not fear and self-pity. I then move around more, which I think DOES help the pain long term.

[mariamma]

You've discovered a deep truth. It's not uncommon, what you describe Martina. It is difficult to manifest without a teacher though. My foster-parents are Buddhists and practice Vipassana meditation and yoga for back pain. When they meditate 2 hours every day, everything else in life flows and the pain and struggle and misery is significantly less. It has to do with perception as you imply. If you focus on the possibility and expectation of pain, you will experience more pain. Meditation can significantly increase well-being and happiness (serotonin). All that focus is healing your body, little by little. Over time, you probably will find you're maintaining mobility as where others with arthritis who rely on medication solely may have decreased mobility.
Namaste ~ the Light in me honors the Light in you

I doubt that this is true for people in very serious chronic pain, but one thing I have noticed as a meditator who lives with arthritis pain is that first, because of your awareness, the pain gets much worse. You had no idea how much pain there was. It's damned near everywhere. Your body practically throbs with it. And then it recedes. I imagine that the same number of neurons are firing -- or however pain works. But the pain seems to rest almost. I know that the pain is there. But I am neither distracting myself from it nor focusing on it, and it becomes less significant. I wish I could explain it better. But I am impressed with how much meditation helps my arthritis pain. And sorta surprised that the process begins with the pain seeming to get much worse.

A friend of mine goes to the chiro -- a good one -- and after he hasn't gone for a while and goes back again, he realizes how much pain he has been enduring. It's not till the pain is less or even gone that he realizes how much there was.

I don't know what the research says, but I doubt that meditation lessens my pain. It's just that if I meditate, more of the time my reaction to it is, "Oh. That's pain," not fear and self-pity. I then move around more, which I think DOES help the pain long term.

[girl_dee]

i've often wanted to learn to really meditate, REALLY meditate. i've tried so many times but i just can't get to the level i want to. i am a hypnotherapist and i think that somehow interferes with my inability to really get to the level i want . i keep putting myself in the role of the person putting the other person under.

i know that there are different levels of meditation, and sometimes when people say they are meditating they are doing other things, or actually just relaxing... in reading those books a couple of years ago i learned about mindful meditation etc... but that is not what i want,

i want this:

http://shamamabear.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/meditating-woman-stock_000005213985xsmall2.jpg

[sylvie]

i am new to this thread, and fairly new to exploring my spiritual side. It feels like i have already been walking a Buddhist path for a very, very long time, as i read literature and visit the journey within, it all feels so familiar and i am nodding in agreement ... In these passed few weeks, though...i have had much self exploration, meditation time and am very much on a very deep journey of self, and looking forward to sharing more as i explore and walk this path..

[Glenn]

Cajun; If you really are serious about going deeper, you can learn how to stop your breath and heart rate. You must find an adequate teacher you can really trust, and there are'nt many in the USA I would trust with this. But I have found one of the best here, and his name is Brother Achalananda Vice President of Self Realization Fellowship (SRF).
Has anyone heard about/ been able to activate the pineal gland to produce DMT? (Dimenthyltrptamine) The only resource I have ever run into about this is Dr. Rick Strassman's stuff on the web.
Rick Strassman on Dmt the pineal gland-YouTube.
DMT:The Spiritual Molecule(2012)-Hulu

[girl_dee]

Cajun; If you really are serious about going deeper, you will have to learn how to stop the breath and heart rate. You must find an adequate teacher you can really trust, and there are'nt many in the USA I would trust with this. But I have found one of the best here, and his name is Brother Achalananda Vice President of Self Realization Fellowship (SRF)
Has anyone been able to activate the pineal gland to prduce DMT? (Dimenthyltrptamine) The only resource I have ever run into about this is Dr. Rick Strassman's stuff on the web.

Hi Glenn and thank you.

in my work, Reflexology we tap on the pineal gland (and much more) and i see the effects of doing so. i've never thought of doing that in Meditation but i would love to.

[girl_dee]

Ironically in my teaching certification program I was asked to set out goals, one of them was to learn to really meditate within the next year. Like take a real life course, not read books about it. Words without action are worthless!

and I prefer the real life experience :)

[sylvie]

Daddy and i visited Tashi Choling here in Oregon last week, on Mt Ashland.
It was so wonderful, touching, the energy and peace there is amazing.. Since visiting the Prayer Garden it has helped me so much on my spiritual journey. It has been so important to me to walk this spiritual path on my own.

In the beginning, i was unsure about my openness to accepting and embracing spirituality at all.. But i didn't want to base anything on anyone else's beliefs, and wanted to really discover what i had and felt within me. So this spiritual journey has been one that's been extremely emotional, warm and comforting, but haven't been sharing much with anyone.. It's felt very private.

Visiting Tashi Choling brought everything together for me, it was very thought provoking and peaceful and i so look forward to revisiting, the meditation and coming into my own with Buddhism.. i'm starting to share this journey now after much self exploration...

my early morning meditations set my day wonderfully...

[mariamma]

I haven't listened to this yet.
http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2012/07/bg-262-the-emerging-science-of-mindfulness-meditation/

[mariamma]

Live Webcasts: Shantideva's "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

There will be live webcasts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama teachings on Shantideva's "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug)" at the request of a group of Southeast Asians at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, India, on September 4-6, 2012. There will be live webcasts in English, Chinese, Tibetan and Russian languages. The live webcasts can be viewed at http://dalailama.com/liveweb

For times in your region: 9:30am IST on September 4th in Dharamsala, India, is the same as 5:00am BST on September 4th in London, England; and 9:00pm PDT on September 3rd in Los Angeles, California, USA

[aishah]

Live Webcasts: Shantideva's "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

There will be live webcasts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama teachings on Shantideva's "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug)" at the request of a group of Southeast Asians at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, India, on September 4-6, 2012. There will be live webcasts in English, Chinese, Tibetan and Russian languages. The live webcasts can be viewed at http://dalailama.com/liveweb

For times in your region: 9:30am IST on September 4th in Dharamsala, India, is the same as 5:00am BST on September 4th in London, England; and 9:00pm PDT on September 3rd in Los Angeles, California, USA

ooh, thanks for sharing this! i hope it gets recorded! i'll be asleep tonight during the broadcast.

i've been lurking in this thread for awhile and i thought i should pop in and say hi :)

i used to practically live at a tibetan buddhist temple when i was a teenager and i got really involved there. i still practice meditation now and read a lot but have felt disconnected from any kind of local group for awhile. i've enjoyed reading everyone's posts here.

[girl_dee]

ooh, thanks for sharing this! i hope it gets recorded! i'll be asleep tonight during the broadcast.

i've been lurking in this thread for awhile and i thought i should pop in and say hi :)

i used to practically live at a tibetan buddhist temple when i was a teenager and i got really involved there. i still practice meditation now and read a lot but have felt disconnected from any kind of local group for awhile. i've enjoyed reading everyone's posts here.



Hi..

Just something about those temples, i know for me i felt a huge surge inside just spinning the prayer wheels.

i've always wanted to go inside a Monastery.

Nice to see you :)

[aishah]

i've often wanted to learn to really meditate, REALLY meditate. i've tried so many times but i just can't get to the level i want to. i am a hypnotherapist and i think that somehow interferes with my inability to really get to the level i want . i keep putting myself in the role of the person putting the other person under.

i know that there are different levels of meditation, and sometimes when people say they are meditating they are doing other things, or actually just relaxing... in reading those books a couple of years ago i learned about mindful meditation etc... but that is not what i want,

i want this:

http://shamamabear.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/meditating-woman-stock_000005213985xsmall2.jpg

in my experience that feeling only comes after a LOT of mindfulness and insight meditation. to be honest you kinda have to get past the boring suck with basic forms of meditation to get to the good stuff, and even then it goes in circles/waves. i've always been taught that in the context of buddhism, feeling attachment to the good meditation experiences is an unskillful emotion though. that may or may not help, hehe.

i've also felt a strong sense of deep meditation sometimes when in dhikr circles. muslims - particularly sufis - have a tradition of reciting parts of the qur'an or the names of allah and in a powerful dhikr circle the recitation actually changes the energy in the room. and sometimes when listening to synchronicity meditation - it is supposed to actually change your brain wave patterns and it definitely does SOMETHING to my brain because i can feel it really deeply.

[girl_dee]

in my experience that feeling only comes after a LOT of mindfulness and insight meditation. to be honest you kinda have to get past the boring suck with basic forms of meditation to get to the good stuff, and even then it goes in circles/waves. i've always been taught that in the context of buddhism, feeling attachment to the good meditation experiences is an unskillful emotion though. that may or may not help, hehe.

i've also felt a strong sense of deep meditation sometimes when in dhikr circles. muslims - particularly sufis - have a tradition of reciting parts of the qur'an or the names of allah and in a powerful dhikr circle the recitation actually changes the energy in the room. and sometimes when listening to synchronicity meditation - it is supposed to actually change your brain wave patterns and it definitely does SOMETHING to my brain because i can feel it really deeply.

Wow that is so true. like once i was told to *go meditate*... i can't meditate on command. i need time out to do that. i can stop what i am doing, try to clear my head but not to achieve the level that moves me deep inside. i also learned about the different types of meditation in the readings i was doing. i think some may think they are meditating when actually they are just being still, and sometimes we meditate when we are deep inside our own self.

When i would kneel, really kneel, there was nothing else to do but focus, and for me a little added pain helped bring me to such a quiet state, but still i always wanted that blissful peace that i never could reach, where everything just shuts down. Maybe i was just in subspace, for me i'm flying at that time, but still would not consider it meditation.

[aishah]

Wow that is so true. like once i was told to *go meditate*... i can't meditate on command. i need time out to do that. i can stop what i am doing, try to clear my head but to achieve the level that moves me deep inside. i also learned about the different types of meditation in the readings i was doing. i think some may think they are meditating when actually they are just being still, and sometimes we meditate when we are deep inside our own self.

When i would kneel, really kneel, there was nothing else to do but focus, and for me a little added pain helped bring me to such a quiet state, but still i always wanted that blissful peace that i never could reach, where everything just shuts down. Maybe i was just in subspace, for me i'm flying at that time, but still would not consider it meditation.


for me meditation is like exercise. it sucks and i don't wanna, but when i do it, i feel better. and when i do it on a regular basis, i notice changes in my life and behavior, like the ability to be mindful with normal tasks, be a better listener, respond more with compassion. and eventually i become more at peace in meditation and outside of it. sometimes that leads to more intense meditation experiences, but i was taught that that shouldn't be the focus or goal of meditation (for me at least).

i definitely agree that flying in subspace has some connections...i love that blissful feeling. it's different than what meditation feels like for me. but it can also be a state of heightened awareness.

[girl_dee]

for me meditation is like exercise. it sucks and i don't wanna, but when i do it, i feel better. and when i do it on a regular basis, i notice changes in my life and behavior, like the ability to be mindful with normal tasks, be a better listener, respond more with compassion. and eventually i become more at peace in meditation and outside of it. sometimes that leads to more intense meditation experiences, but i was taught that that shouldn't be the focus or goal of meditation (for me at least).

i definitely agree that flying in subspace has some connections...i love that blissful feeling. it's different than what meditation feels like for me. but it can also be a state of heightened awareness.

Yes, being a hypnotherapist and an energy worker (i do this in conjunction with bodywork) i love watching people at peace, relaxing and *flying*... so you would think simple meditation would come easy for me. Maybe i'm just fighting it.

[Jaques]

I dont i.d. as Buddhist but would say that I have been Buddhist minded for around 20 years. I have visited a local monastery on numerous occasions and when I lst went was taken aback when a monk said to me "there's no such thing as an innocent child" I felt "how nasty is that" - it took me quite a while to understand what he meant, though he never elaborated on his statement - maybe it was to get me thinking - it certainly did. Of course, it was there all the time, that old thing Karma, natural law, what we sow we reap, however you want to put it. We are all born by our own desires and "blessed" with the karma of previous lives, so as that beautiful, wide eyed baby, we are there by our own doing. In Buddhism (and many other religions/beliefs) its thought that our actions in the present life (& sometimes those past) create the reality of our next one - who we are, how we are, to whom we are born, whether we are well or ill, whether rich or poor - all designed by ourselves to finally and hopefully "get it". This is my understanding of life anyway, obviously not shared by everyone.
That made it easier for me to understand the difficult lives and death of my parents who were practically saints yet had it so hard, my gender dysphoria, the confusion and pain and reality of it. The pain, cruelty and injustice humans inflict upon one another. I was able to accept these things and see that they are all the karmic result of the lives we lead and our inability to understand natural laws. So now when im tempted to do something naughty, illegal etc. Im a little ashamed to admit that its not always the goody two shoes in me that decides "better not" - its the self preservation - thinking, "nope, im not going to reap the rewards of that one" and keeps me (mostly anyway) on the straight and narrow. When I try to push it all aside, low and behold, i get a reminder right on the chin and know its time to get back on track.............there really is no way out - lol!:hangloose

[girl_dee]

Yaknow i kinda get that, being " Buddhist " and being "Buddhist minded."

i hope that everyone on this thread gets to enjoy the insight of others, i know i do. i hope people keep posting about their experiences.

i don't feel that one way of a spiritual life is enough for me, so i enjoy a few, i am grateful for being exposed to some Buddhist teachings. i lost faith in it during a personal hard time but Buddha has been present in my life since i can remember, and it still remains that way.

The Temple that sylvie is talking about also brought things together for me when i visited there. Just the energy is amazing. If ever you have a chance to visit a temple, do it!

i don't think i will ever consider myself a Buddhist but have adopted some of the ways of the Buddhist.

i am fascinated with the life of Buddha, but also many other Gods and Goddesses of the past.

i think for ME, Buddhist' ways are just very simple.

[Jaques]

I also follow the teachings of Christ as I believe he like the Buddha who was born a long time before, is a fully realised being who brought truth to the world. Both taught people to look inside to find it for themselves and the Buddha encouraged us to question everything, including what he taught so we could really understand why we are here and the impermenant nature of everything. They came at it from different angles but the main message to us was to be compassionate, not only to others but firstly to ourselves so that we are better placed to help those around us. Some people might see this as selfish but to me it makes sense. I dont call myself a Buddhist, if i admit it, i am not good at commitment and i couldnt take the 5 precepts because i drink alcohol, not a lot but it is a mind altering substance - but then so's coffee, lol! Actually, i have just learned that the Buddha took cannabis as part of his diet - i dont do drugs but have heard its a good medicine used in the right way.
I think the lst thing that drew me to Buddhism was when i saw the Dalai lama interviewed and when asked how he viewed his enemy, the Chinese, where Christ was reputed to have said "love your enemies" - the Dalai Lamas reply was "there is no enemy, we are all brothers, all the same.........." For a man who has had his country ravaged (firstly by the English in l912, colonel younghusband) and then the chinese inthe l950's, his people still persecuted, the panchen lama kidnapped as a 5 yr old and replaced by the chinese chosen lama, hes one heck of a guy and has such an infectious laugh. Hes the kind of guy, who when looking at the magnificence of the Himalayas, would notice a tiny flower at his feet and marvel at that............so my journey began - and yes, its great to hear others experiences too..........

over to you..............

[girl_dee]

Someone once told me about being their experience of being in His Holiness' presence. i heard it was very moving and amazing.

i summon the deities that call to me at any given moment in life.

When i lose something i ask for St Anthony. Selling a house is St Joseph..When i feel a negative energy i ask for Buddha to help me to see that *they suffer greatly* , realize it's not about me it's about them and not take it personally (that's hard). When i need help with children or little ones i ask Yameya, Mother Mary for guidance. At times Mary Magdeline comes to my mind. When i work and put my hands on people i ask for help from ALL of them to guide me facilitating others in their healing.

i don't want to exclude any spiritual guide and i shouldn't have to.

[StrongButch]

Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger Instead of getting angry nuture a deep caring respect for troublemakers because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invalueable opportunities to practice tolerance and compassion- Dali Lama

[Femminator]

Does anyone else here engage in moving meditation? I have found that when I run, I meditate with much more focus than I do when I sit. My wife and children have even noticed that after I run, I am so much more at peace and focused than before. I have found it to be a great way for me to meditate.

[jac]

Does anyone else here engage in moving meditation? I have found that when I run, I meditate with much more focus than I do when I sit. My wife and children have even noticed that after I run, I am so much more at peace and focused than before. I have found it to be a great way for me to meditate.

I tend to do a walking meditation when I have my mind set for that. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of walking meditations. And I will apologize early if this has been mentioned already. I haven't taken the time to read through the thread just yet, but I will.

[Martina]

I was just reading -- at dinner tonight -- a description of the Dalai Lama's meeting with Thomas Merton (in Re-Enchantment: Tibetan Buddhism Comes to the West by Jeffrey Paine). What was really cool though was Merton's encounter with another lama, the last one he saw before he left India.

Anyway, all this lama would teach Merton was the very advanced technique of shooting consciousness out of the fontanel at the time of death. Merton wrote in his journal something like that doesn't seem too useful. But within a few weeks, Merton was dead. Accidental electrocution. The Lama said later that he could sense that Merton did not have long to live and did not see the point in teaching him anything else.

I guess when Merton met the Dalai Lama earlier in his visit, they both got on the floor so the Dalai Lama could help Merton with his lotus position. Don't you wish they'd gotten a picture of that?

http://www.saieditor.com/img/merton_hh.jpg

[Linus]

Does anyone else here engage in moving meditation? I have found that when I run, I meditate with much more focus than I do when I sit. My wife and children have even noticed that after I run, I am so much more at peace and focused than before. I have found it to be a great way for me to meditate.

When I used to do regular bicycling, I found myself to be my most meditative and relaxed, even when getting lost in the middle of nowhere. In fact, it was those moments of being lost and letting my mind just listen to the sound of the wheel against the pavement, the sound of the insects in the back, the wind swaying trees and wheat in fields, the birds talking amongst themselves and the sky the bluest of blue -- it was then that I found the closest thing to perfect peace.

I need to find a place like that to bike to here in Los Angeles (not as easy as I thought it would be, especially when on the road). I need to find a new moving meditation I think.

[Martina]

http://bodhicards.com/images/to_be_enlightened_cua4.jpg

[Martina]

I have been thinking about wisdom and compassion and what they in a Buddhist sense -- not the Hallmark Christian tradition I grew up in.

From Shantideva and others, I have concluded that wisdom is seeing others as separate from us -- not things to make us feel better or worse -- but completely unique beings, who, however, share the same living essence that we do. We are separate and one at the same time. We recognize them as THEM, so them that they could never be anybody but them, every mole and wrinkle amazing because it makes them THEM.

We also vividly see ourselves in them, see our oneness with them. It's a kind of awe in the other's uniqueness with a simultaneous acknowledgement of connection, an experience that ordinarily we only -- very occasionally -- have with our beloveds. And intimate relationships are fraught with fear of loss -- are by, definition, attachment. To be in that state of recognition of other and same -- with others who aren't our beloveds -- that's living in wisdom and compassion.

Compassion means realizing how dear that other life is and, as a result, cultivating a life of our own which does less harm. Loving action results. Loving action, which helps others, is just action not derived from selfishness, action which does not harm. It's not a deliberate effort to do good, to forge a bond or elevate reality in some way, but any action, however banal, that is not motivated by clinging or aversion. One does not manifest loving action or lovingkindness as a thing in itself. We try to be mindful and act without doing harm. Lovingkindness is everything we do when we are present and not harming others. It's not dramatic, not a Hallmark moment.

I find that my practice is progressing even while my life is not what I would like in some ways. I guess it's good enough not to be stuck spiritually, and for that I am grateful. Anyway, practice leads me more and more toward this understanding of compassion, which has little in common with the Christian understanding that I was raised with -- mercy, shared grief, miracle-making, and forgiveness-generating. At its worst, that kind of compassion is a manipulative emotional state that almost reaches out and deposits itself on the other.

Buddhism does see compassion as the force through which we can help others toward liberation. But it's not the notion I was taught, that oozing tube of God ointment.

[girl_dee]

I tend to do a walking meditation when I have my mind set for that. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of walking meditations. And I will apologize early if this has been mentioned already. I haven't taken the time to read through the thread just yet, but I will.

i think some posts got lost in the outage.


i had replied to this that i have read some of Thich Nhat Hahn's work. Very powerful stuff, and i wish i had some of the books now to finish them, but i don't so i will go by memory here, but i really loved the simple way he explained things. Like grounding with the Earth.

Go out, touch the Earth. Just lay your palm on the ground. It's amazing what you can feel by just doing that simple thing. i feel energy comes from the Earth so when we touch it, we receive it.

i've been suddenly drawn to going deeper for enlightenment. i've been using guided meditations to go to sleep with and i feel many dreams are coming to me, which is complete contrast to the nightmares which have plagued me for years. (like about 40 years now). i am looking into trying to learn what the messages are, and how they apply to my life right now.

It's a welcome change!

[girl_dee]

BUMP! ........

[knight]

In the Buddhist teaching of love, there are four elements. The first is maitri – friendship, brotherhood, loving-kindness. And the second is karuna – capacity to understand the suffering and help remove and transform it – compassion. Mudita is the third element – joy – your joy is her joy, her joy is our joy. The last element is upeksha – nondiscrimination. This is a higher form of love. The four qualities have no limits – infinite love – these elements are also call the Four Unlimited Minds.

The bodhisattva of love is in you.



/_FCIIDmN_Po

[FireSignFemme]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26HMRPcor6o/U5kBI1d22oI/AAAAAAAAAdg/6T4Q5xlPsyA/s1600/Monk.jpg

[girl_dee]

Love Mudita!......

[Gayandgray]

Can anybody suggest any good books explaining Buddhism for total newbies?

[knight]

There are loads of books as well as info online. In fact it could be very overwhelming. I think the common mistakes that people make is to become rigid about their discovery and become caught up with the three major thoughts of Buddhism. I always say just dive in with out much thought. The Buddha says that Buddhism can not be forced, the mind needs to want it.
A great book to start would be Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of The Buddha's Teaching. A very easy comprehensive book..
Enjoy it.
Namaste!










Can anybody suggest any good books explaining Buddhism for total newbies?

[girl_dee]

There are loads of books as well as info online. In fact it could be very overwhelming. I think the common mistakes that people make is to become rigid about their discovery and become caught up with the three major thoughts of Buddhism. I always say just dive in with out much thought. The Buddha says that Buddhism can not be forced, the mind needs to want it.
A great book to start would be Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of The Buddha's Teaching. A very easy comprehensive book..
Enjoy it.
Namaste!

Thats my favorite book! i do love all of his books!

[knight]

/gMoRtJhVoxc

[girl_dee]

/gMoRtJhVoxc

thank you. Love this!, i am going to listen again while i drive in to work.....

[knight]

/IUEkDc_LfKQ

[girl_dee]

/IUEkDc_LfKQ

i love the Dali Lama!

[knight]

Thich Nhat Hahn has recently returned home to Vietnam because he may be close to the end of his physical days.... so in thinking about that here is a video on life and death. I especially loved how he speaks of the wave at the end, the wave is water so it never dies, it simply remains as water. Namaste!

/QGbVPsc2jIo

[Martina]

There's a website called dharma seed with hundreds of Dharma talks, mostly by insight meditation folks. You can search by topic or teacher.

http://dharmaseed.org

I recommend

Jack Kornfield
Sharon Salzberg
Sylvia Boorstein
Tara Brach
Guy Armstrong
James Baraz
Kamala Masters

[knight]

Thank you for posting that, I love dharma talks, and a great list of teachers.. Namaste!


There's a website called dharma seed with hundreds of Dharma talks, mostly by insight meditation folks. You can search by topic or teacher.

http://dharmaseed.org

I recommend

Jack Kornfield
Sharon Salzberg
Sylvia Boorstein
Tara Brach
Guy Armstrong
James Baraz
Kamala Masters

[knight]

/EbZXT-eDoS8

[girl_dee]

knight while rearranging my space ( trying to create a shift) i ran across my little pocket book by Thich Nhat Hahn. i haven't opened it in ages.

i opened it and the subject is mindful living. i have gotten soooo far away from this.

" While eating breakfast, don't think of what you are going to do. Your practice is to simply eat breakfast. Your breakfast is there for you, you have to be there for your breakfast. Enjoy each morsel of food with joy and enthusiasm. "


great reminder.

[knight]

dee thank you for sharing this with me, mindfulness is a constant practice. btw I noticed your question/comment on Feng shui from the other thread, and wanted to suggest a pinch of sea salt in every corner of every room in your place. It truly helps remove all negative energy in your space.



knight while rearranging my space ( trying to create a shift) i ran across my little pocket book by Thich Nhat Hahn. i haven't opened it in ages.

i opened it and the subject is mindful living. i have gotten soooo far away from this.

" While eating breakfast, don't think of what you are going to do. Your practice is to simply eat breakfast. Your breakfast is there for you, you have to be there for your breakfast. Enjoy each morsel of food with joy and enthusiasm. "


great reminder.

[girl_dee]

dee thank you for sharing this with me, mindfulness is a constant practice. btw I noticed your question/comment on Feng shui from the other thread, and wanted to suggest a pinch of sea salt in every corner of every room in your place. It truly helps remove all negative energy in your space.

yes thats a great idea! thank you. i have my salt lamp going but doing everything i can to get certain things going in the right direction.

[knight]

"I want to buy a kilo of peace at the market"

1ehuDjWtPEI

[knight]

/dTFDfR47dl4

[knight]

"Abandon Hope" Pema Chodron

I needed this reminder today.

[knight]

/DVQfN4CzIqs


"grace is already arising from within you"

[knight]

https://www.soundstrue.com/store/mindfulness-meditation-summit/free-access?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=C180120-MMS-Squeeze3&utm_content=Summit+Starts+MONDAY:+Have+You+Registe red+Yet

I just registered for this event... I am looking forward to many speakers..

[knight]

"our imperfection is our one true perfection".. ALice Walker

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/loving-kindness

This is a great link to understanding Metta.

Namaste
Knight

[charley]

"our imperfection is our one true perfection".. ALice Walker

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/loving-kindness

This is a great link to understanding Metta.

Namaste
Knight

the use of traditional methods or techniques hmmm --- can love be achieved as the result of a method or technique?
One wonders at the traditions of yore, since the very word 'tradition' comes from the word 'trahere', and is related to the word 'betray', i.e. to 'betray' the moment - the present?!
One wonders also at the benefits of using a technique which obviously enhances the "i" (i.e. in the link you provided there is constant affirmation of "May I..." "May I...") constituting a "mantra", while the word "mantra" literally means to put away all self-centred activity...
How can the self be stressed and emphasized ("me" "myself", and "i") when it is the very cause and source of all the sorrow and suffering in the world?
charley

[knight]

Hi charley.. nice to meet you.. I am sorry that I did not respond earlier to this.. I took a break from the planet for a few months.. and since I have been back this is the first time I have checked this thread... You make some great points and comments.. I can only answer some of your comments from my personal opinion and beliefs. In my opinion, the article here is speaking of love in general..and again for me personally I do believe that everything can be achieved by technique and the use of a method. They are not talking specifically about the ability to love, rather the understanding of what is love. Take for example the classic book the art of loving, Fromm points out the need for love to be looked at as a skill that we constantly improve.. Another very interesting point that you made charley, was about the use of Individual thinking and how it is the cause of suffering. In Buddhist philosophy, as I believe all begins with the individual.. and I believe again what is meant here in the article is.. one must have compassion for oneself in order to have compassion for every sentient being, and that goes for love, awareness etc. My suffering is your suffering and your suffering is my suffering... this is my understanding of Metta .

the use of traditional methods or techniques hmmm --- can love be achieved as the result of a method or technique?
One wonders at the traditions of yore, since the very word 'tradition' comes from the word 'trahere', and is related to the word 'betray', i.e. to 'betray' the moment - the present?!
One wonders also at the benefits of using a technique which obviously enhances the "i" (i.e. in the link you provided there is constant affirmation of "May I..." "May I...") constituting a "mantra", while the word "mantra" literally means to put away all self-centred activity...
How can the self be stressed and emphasized ("me" "myself", and "i") when it is the very cause and source of all the sorrow and suffering in the world?
charley

[Martina]

Anybody following the sexual scandal at Shambhala? I have been on their FB group for a long time because I like and have read a lot of Pema's work. It makes me so grateful I follow Vipassana/insight meditation where a relationship with the teacher is not prioritized. So creepy some of the excuses being made for the Sakyong. If you are old enough, you might remember his father was notorious for some of his behavior too.

But there are a lot of wise and wonderful Shambhala folks. I don't think those high in the hierarchy could have not known that he was sexually assaulting women, and I have no doubt that they gaslighted and threatened victims. So it is majorly creepy. And sad.

Thank God for Insight Meditation with its ordinary teachers and decentralized organization.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/tricycle.org/trikedaily/sakyong-mipham-rinpoche-sexual-abuse/amp/

[charley]

... I follow Vipassana/insight meditation where a relationship with the teacher is not prioritized...

Have had many insights (aka Vipassana), without belonging or following any "group". The release of energy coursing through the body is wonderful, and have liked the changes they have brought about, the healing. Seeing what is true or what is false is always so liberating/freeing. :)

Sorry to hear about Shambhala group. Didn't know about them.

[charley]

My suffering is your suffering and your suffering is my suffering... this is my understanding of Metta...

... everything can be achieved by technique and the use of a method...

"Metta" actually means goodwill - not compassion.
It is "karuna" which means compassion - from which Sanskrit word yields the English words cardio, coronary, etc. and the French word "coeur" - all pointing to the heart - which means compassion. It is important to remember that words themselves are only referents, they are not the things themselves.

One can use thought to learn how to drive a car, how to manipulate things, matter, how to go from A to B, etc. and such like. It is thought that thinks that, as you say, "everything can be achieved by technique and the use of a method". Here, one must understand that the word "thing" literally also means think/thought. So, it is only possible to think every "thing", every thought. The "I" is constructed by thought, is thought. This is an interesting discovery.

So, what I am saying it is only when thought stops that there is the possibility of filling one's heart with compassion.

Therefore, what I am saying is that compassion lies outside thought and, therefore, outside the self; thus, it is impossible to use thought to fill one's heart with compassion. If that were so, then everyone on the planet could/would be loving, but that is just not the case. So, to insist on self-love would mean that somewhere along the line that the "I" (the self) thought it could invent the idea, the idea of compassion. There is noone on the planet whose heart is filled with love when looking at themselves in a mirror while brushing one's teeth. It is here, I think it is important and crucial to realize that the word "love" is grossly misused just about everywhere. People don't really feel "love", when they say, "I love Coca-Cola" or "Pepsi" or whatever. What people really mean is that they like x, y or z. The only thing one can think when one thinks of oneself is that one either likes or dislikes oneself, but definitely not "love". The whole "idea" of self-love is nothing but narcissism insofar as I am concerned.

[Martina]

Have had many insights (aka Vipassana), without belonging or following any "group". The release of energy coursing through the body is wonderful, and have liked the changes they have brought about, the healing. Seeing what is true or what is false is always so liberating/freeing. :)

Sorry to hear about Shambhala group. Didn't know about them.

I was referring to the Insight Meditation movement, not even to the meditation practice and certainly not to a momentary insight. It's a Buddhist Tradition. It had its flaws to be sure, but it offers a bit more than access to aha moments during meditation. Glad you are doing well on your own. Many practitioners do. But IM is more than whatever you meant dismissively as a "group."

[charley]

I do not belong to any organized religion, mainly because I feel that all of them (bar none) have within them the seeds of some kind of abuse. The organized religions of Hinduism and of Buddhism has kept all women in Asian countries no more than servants and slaves to the men propounding the ideas of Hinduism & Buddhism. So, I informed myself as to the subject herein and I am not at all surprised by the the very large number of women claiming allegations of sexual abuse by "elders"/"teachers" in the organized religion of the Shambhala movement:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/05/buddhist-group-admits-sexual-abuse-by-teachers

"Leaders of Shambhala International, which has more than 200 meditation centres across the world, including several in the UK, admitted to major failures in how it dealt with “abhorrent sexual behaviour”."

The report claims: “Known child abusers are freely active within the Shambhala community, some are even senior teachers. Meanwhile, many who have been abused have been left with no recourse but to leave the community to heal and move forward as best they can.”

Shades of Catholic priest pedophilia... doh!

Not only did such abuse occur, but the "leaders" did nothing to prevent and eschew their buds, while all the while preaching mindfulness and awareness!!!

I am sure that the Buddha would roll over in his grave at those who preach Buddhism, and do not even do what he said: as the 4th of his noble truths: "right action"; and the 5th noble truth, that of: "right speech" - lying and withholding information, the latter being worse of course - being lying by omission; and the 7th noble truth, that of: "right mindfulness".

How could anyone trust what comes out of the mouths of such leaders :hamactor: when they themselves are incapable of doing what the Buddha said?

As per https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/shambhala-abuse/

"In August 2017, Sogyal Rinpoche resigned from Rigpa, the international Buddhist organization that he founded, following accusations of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Sogyal was said to enter a period of retreat following the announcement (though he was seen shortly after at a conference in Thailand). Last spring, Lama Norlha, the abbot of New York’s Kagyu Thubten Choling Monastery, stepped down after multiple women whom he allegedly had sexual relationships with came forward. Norlha died last month."

And from: http://www.newsweek.com/buddhist-group-admits-abhorrent-sexual-behavior-teachers-830333

Other Buddhist groups: "In 2012, Joshu Sasaki, a Los Angeles–based Zen master, was accused of groping and harassing female students over the course of several decades. Sasaki died in 2014, a year after an independent inquiry of Buddhist leaders concluded that the allegations about Sasaki's misconduct were true.It followed a 2011 report in the Chicago Tribune that hundreds of Theravada Buddhist monks accused of sexually assaulting children in Illinois, Texas and California were able to evade investigations by moving away from their accusers, and 2010 allegations of sexual impropriety against Eido Shimano, a spiritual teacher of the Zen Studies Society headquartered in Manhattan."

So, this situation has been known for some years... doh!

As far as I am concerned, all these monks and priests are fakes, all of them. They are fake human beings. And, none of them are or have ever been enlightened. And, I would never (repeat never!) accept anything anyone of them would say. Throughout history, there have only been a handful of human beings who went all the way, and who I might consider to have been enlightened. I remain as skeptical as I was as a child. Just because someone puts on eastern robes, and spits out clever sentences is meaningless, and that is because all intellectual understanding is meaningless in itself. So, I eschew all intellectual arguments as being utterly meaningless, because deep down such people can remain as oblivious to any kind of harm or abuse they may cause. Like the Buddha said: "nirodha", i.e. negate, negate all that is not real. But, people are gullible and think that if someone has some clever argument, some intellectual knowledge, that means something, and they accept without questioning, without questioning authority, without questioning the tradition of authority.

The very word "tradition" comes from the word "tradere" which means things that are handed down - from the past to the present. It also means "betrayal". So, those that are enamored and attached to tradition are the ones who betray, are the ones who are treacherous. To live in tradition, one must of necessity betray the present, which is why one must be skeptical of anyone proposing and preaching any organized religion which follows any kind of tradition. As one can see, tradition itself denies the possibility of enlightenment, clarity, and truth, and the discovery of whether there is or there is not anything beyond the material, something holy, something truly sacred.

Of course, one can easily retain whatever beliefs and attachments that one has. And, all I can say to that is that it is your life, not mine.

[Martina]

I do not think anyone would disagree that religious leaders who abuse their students/parishioners are not authentic in their religious practice.

I assume you revere the Buddha. Well, he put the Dharma and the Sangha above all else. The Dharma is fairly intellectual. There are texts. There are arguments, which you say you eschew. The Sangha is community, which you said you reject completely. There is no Buddhist philosophy or tradition not based in these three. If you deny the Dharma and the Sangha, what is your path to enlightenment? Do you personally commune with an incarnation of the Buddha? Do you claim to be one?

You don't sound like any kind of Buddhist I've encountered. You can't hate everything and hope for enlightenment.

[charley]

I do not think anyone would disagree that religious leaders who abuse their students/parishioners are not authentic in their religious practice.

I assume you revere the Buddha. Well, he put the Dharma and the Sangha above all else. The Dharma is fairly intellectual. There are texts. There are arguments, which you say you eschew. The Sangha is community, which you said you reject completely. There is no Buddhist philosophy or tradition not based in these three. If you deny the Dharma and the Sangha, what is your path to enlightenment? Do you personally commune with an incarnation of the Buddha? Do you claim to be one?

You don't sound like any kind of Buddhist I've encountered. You can't hate everything and hope for enlightenment.

LOL@ communing with an incarnation of the Buddha, I HOPE NOT! lol Nor, god forbid for me to claim anything but being a human being.
I never said I hated anything or everything. Negation is not about hatred/acceptance. BTW, reincarnation is a just a belief, right? Interior memories could be just genetic memories. Think about that! (grins)

Well, I have the greatest respect for what the Buddha actually said, but no, I am not a Buddhist. Actually, there are accounts that there were 2 of his "followers", perhaps "friends" would be a better word, who listened carefully to what he said and "went" with him. These accounts also state that they died physically before he did, which is an interesting fact, isn't it?

Regarding Sangha, it is true that, in a way, I have turned my back on what society stands for - the greed, the cruelty, the malice, the violence, the hypocrisy and all the lying, the constant wars that are ongoing even as we speak, all the horrors and the abuse, aggression, the vanity, etc. In modern terms, I have turned my back on the fact of GDP or GNP. I feel that as long as society uses people as a means to an end, that itself is just cause to turn one's back on such a society - for one simple reason: a lack of a sense of the meaningfulness of one's life. And, without a sense of the meaningfulness of one's life, life itself becomes meaningless. (As an aside, do you know, that in Bhutan, they measure life in terms of GNH - Gross National Happiness? - wonderful, eh?) But that does not mean that I have turned my back on society per se. There is a big difference between what people think that society "should" stand for, what they attribute to society and that of people just living together. I would not bother to respond here had I turned my back on society.

You asked: "what is your path to enlightenment?" I think there is no path to enlightenment, in the same way that there is no path to truth - path being a method/technique. You see (or perhaps you don't, Martina), the "I" is the path, and that is the problem. Everyone has glimpses about truth now and then, especially artists.

I have no hopes (apart from a vague thought that it would be nice to win a lottery - laughs). All hopes always lead to disappointment, despair, and deception. They are opposite sides of the same coin, do you see that? The idea of opposites are an interesting thing to explore...

There is one thing I might add, love has no opposite.

[StillettoDoll]

“The Examined Life”

"Life is profound if you’re awake to see it. It’s one thing to draw from culture, it’s another thing to be drawn so deeply into the culture that your true nature disappears. Wisdom is not merely something to be gained with old age. One can be wise in every stage of one’s life. To manifest wisdom means simply to step back and see— to reflect, inquire, be aware, be disciplined, and be focused not once in a while, but all of the time, moment to moment. This life is precious and fleeting. Pay attention.

Zen monk Seido Ray Ronci

Love that quote