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

[oblivia]

Originally Posted by 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/dzogch..._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.

[oblivia]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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,” 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" (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" (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.

[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" (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-Han...112&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" (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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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/2010/0...ml?ir=Religion

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