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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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)

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" 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

[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.