Saturday, October 31, 2009

Giving Yourself Away

From Karen Armstrong's biography of the Buddha (159):

"The Sangha is one of the oldest surviving voluntary institutions on earth: only the Jain order can boast a similar antiquity. It's endurance tells us something important about humanity and human life. The great empires, manned by vast armies of soldiers, have all crumbled, but the community of bhikkhus has lasted some 2,500 years... The message seems to be that it is not by protecting and defending yourself that you survivie, but by giving yourself away."

Book Review

Ethnic Buddhism is culture confused as spiritual teachings. You could use something like a Japanese Tea Ceremony to improve your mindfulness. There are hundreds of different practices to choose from. Buddhism is new to the USA, and we have taken to meditation and an intellectual approach, as far as I can tell. To be honest, I have not wandered far from the FWBO, which is an ecumenical and inclusive order. But I do enjoy reading about other traditions. I enjoy learning about other cultures as well. I don’t know if ethnic Buddhism counts as culture of Dharma. As the Dharma travels through different cultures, it changes, new aspects are revealed. The Buddha didn’t want his ideas translated into the formal Brahminical language—he spoke in the language of the people.

In reaction to monastic formalism, Shinran quit the monastery he’d been in for 20 years, and got married and preached a more devotional populist Dharma, Rejecting an emphasis on meditation. What I like is that Shinran followed his heart, he experimented against the grain. I don’t personally want to reject meditation, or attempts at stream entry in this life. But the most popular form of Buddhism on the planet Earth is Pure Land Buddhism, a devotional form of Buddhism. Shinran is part of the WBO refuge tree, which I do as prostration practice and visualization.

The Buddha’s Wish For The World
by Monshu Koshin Ohtani spins a basic unpretentious Dharma, that is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. (“Monshu” is a heredity title, by the way, and Buddhism was more about a natural hierarchy than being born into a role, but no doubt the training the Dali Lama has gotten has helped him to evolve to quite an awesome.)

Here are links to other reviews of the book.

One on Amazon:

"This publication honors the 750th memorial of the founder of Jodo Shinshu, Shinran Shonin (1173 -1263). Jodo Shinshu, who established this spiritual path in 13th century Japan, had much in common with his contemporary, Zen Master Dogen."

It's a positive review, but I don't share Ted Biringer's glowing review, but perhaps he was more in tune with the book.

Here is another positive review.


One of my friends said a practice of Shin Buddhism is to say the mantra eighty thousand times in a day. Now that’s something. Extreme things appeal to me. You have to do something challenging to shake up ordinary consciousness to move towards enlightenment.

I'm not attracted to the other power yet, but I'm going to keep reading Shin Buddhism to see if I can glean any insights into devotional aspect of Buddhism.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The appeal

"Many aspects of the Buddha's quest will appeal to the modern ethos. His scrupulous empiricism is especially congenial to the pragmatic tenor of our own Western culture, together with his demand for intellectual and personal independence. Those who find the idea of a supernatural God alien will also warm to the Buddha's refusal to affirm a Supreme Being. He confined his researches to his own human nature and always insisted that his experiences--even the supreme Truth of Nibana--were entirely natural to humanity. Those who become weary of the intolerance of some forms of institutional religiosity will also welcome the Buddha's emphasis on compassion and loving-kindness."

from Karen Armstrong's biography of the Buddha.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Aryaloka dome


Aryaloka dome
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Aryaloka Buddha 1


Aryaloka Buddha 1
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Aryaloka Buddha 3


Aryaloka Buddha 3
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Aryaloka garden


Aryaloka garden
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Buddha attacked by Mara, Bodh Gaya


Bhante Padmaloka


Bhante Padmaloka
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Guhyaloka Shrineroom - Refuge Tree


Padmasambhava - Aloka Padmaloka


Missoula RMBC door 2


Missoula RMBC door 2
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

San Francisco BC front door


Aryaloka entrance


Aryaloka entrance
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

listening to a talk2


listening to a talk2
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos
For some reason I like this one.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Bodhipaksa's next book

Bodhipaksa is working on a book developed out of reflections on the 6 Element practice, and he's allowed me to read 4 of the chapters so far. It's an amazing book, I can't wait till it comes out.

In the 6 Element Practice you contemplate how the elements of earth, water, air, fire (energy), space and consciousness are inside of us, outside of us, then you say, "they are not me, they are not mine."

It leads to a kind of spiritual death, and in the FWBO/TBMSG it is used as a run up to ordination, when you get a sadhana practice, a visualization of an archetypal Buddha, who has qualities you move towards, you become. I have not been asked to join the order, but I think about what sadhana I want to do when (hopefully) I'm asked to join. I have a connection with Avalokita, and others, and more recently with Amoghasiddhi.

But that's in the system of meditation designed by Sangharakshita for the F\WBO.
I think you can just do this meditation. I've spent time doing it after liking it on one retreat. I've had some profound experiences, and been brought up to the great fear.

So Bodhipaksa has gained some insights from the meditation and he's done some back ground research into various aspects, and it's really quite interesting. I find it quite amazing. I can't wait till it comes out. It's the kind of book that you read on a solitary retreat, it's that awesome.

Mamma Zen

Here's a quote from Mamma Zen by Karen Maezen Miller:

“There is a certain attitude, perhaps unavoidable, that most of us seem to adopt when we grow up. It’s a kind of self-satisfied conclusion that our parents didn’t love us enough. They didn’t love us the right way. They didn’t love us just so. Have your own child and you will penetrate in to he utter absurdity of that idea. You will love your child as your parents loved you and their parents loved them. With a love that is humbling and uncontrived, immense and indestructible. Parents err, of course, and badly. They can be ignorant, foolish, mean and far worse, in was that you can come to forgive in them and try to prevent in yourself. But this wholesale shortage of parental love at the crux of everyone’s story must be the product of shabby and self serving recollections. Now that you are a mother, and set that story aside, forgetting everything you thought you knew about love.”

I find this quote powerful.

Along similar lines, there is Naiken Therapy.

Bhante as boy


Bhante as boy
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

Dhammarati waist-up sitting on wall, just after his ordination, Blasy, Glasgow 1976(2182Ax)


Nagabodhi, 1978 Order Convention, Vine Hall


Nagabodhi, 1987


Nagabodhi, 1987
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos
yea

USA Aryaloka community, New Hampshire 1990s (ref 1882aAx)

I know at least 3 of these guys.

WBO REFUGE-TREE


WBO REFUGE-TREE
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos
I've been reading Teachers of Enlightenment, and I found this photo on FWBO Photos. This is the FWBO refuge tree.