best of

The best of Pema Chodron at Shambhala Sun.

Right effort questions

Ayya Khema in her book Be An Island, asks questions, to question oneself if they are giving right effort: "Have I really tried today? Have I extended myself to my personal limit, or did I take it as easy as I could today? Did I try to increase my self-discipline a little more than yesterday? Did I try to get up five minutes earlier? Did I try to remember two more lines of the teaching? Did I try to sit longer in one position or concentrate a little longer? Did I have fewer negative thoughts today?" (p. 73).

What would my questions be to test my right effort? What are yours? Would you write different questions? Perhaps memorizing text isn't as important to you, but maybe being kinder is, so how would you ask that? Shoot me a comment to let me know if you have different right effort questions for yourself.

check out

Mahamudra and Dzogchen: Thought-Free Wakefulness By Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.

It's posts like this that makes me think I need to start FriendFeed. I've gotten a job and I'm not going to be able to blog as much as this blissful 2 months of unemployment allowed for.

egolessness

There's a fascinating article I found on Integral Options Cafe by Thanissaro Bhikkhu about egolessness, which compares it with western psychological ideas. He doesn't attribute John Welwood to the idea of spiritual bypassism, but we can fogive that. I downloaded the PDF (couldn't find the original source page). Interesting.

While I don't think that top Buddhist teacher's health egos proves that nobody from the east needs therapy, only Buddhism, I do agree with this suggestion: "One way would be to read the ancient texts with new eyes. Instead of assuming that the not‐self teaching is counseling egolessness, how about assuming that it’s part of a regimen for developing a healthy ego?"

This is also interesting: "As for the concept of not‐self, the Buddha would advise using it whenever unskillful attachment to things or patterns of behavior got in the way of your happiness. In effect, he would have you drop unhealthy and unskillful ways of self‐identification in favor of ways that were more skillful and refined."

Finally, "If you open your mind to the idea that the Buddha was actually advocating ego development instead of egolessness, you see that there’s nothing lopsided or lacking in his understanding of healthy ego functioning. In fact, he mastered some ego skills that Western psychology has yet to explore, such as how to use right concentration to satisfy the desire for immediate pleasure; how to develop an integrated sense of causality that ultimately makes a sense of self superfluous; how to harness the ego’s drive for lasting happiness so that it leads to a happiness transcending space and time."

Now do you need psychotherapy to become enlightened? I don't presume to know what people need, but I have found both of them very useful, complimentary projects and areas of thought. I'm not trying to take over Buddhism with psychotherapy or vice-versa. For me, there is great synergy between the two areas, modes of personal development. I have no problems with Thanissaro Bhikkhu not going to therapy.

6th sense: vestibule

I've heard there are 11 senses, or a larger number than the usual 5. Here's an article in the Times about a 6th sense.

I think everyone has some sensory integration issues. My son didn't like the swing at first, but we learned that swinging helps with the vestibule sense.

Judo Shinshu

I was looking at the Buddhist Church of New York City, because I had read Raising Buddhist Children from a father Buddhist blogger of the Jodo Shinshu persuasion. And I found this video of Reverend T. Kenjistu Nakagaki. He gives some brief meditation instruction and teaches some chanting. I have seen him events that collected all the Buddhist organization in NYC. The 8th Level Buddhist suggests that Jodo Shinshu is the most children friendly form of Buddhism. Made me wonder if I should take the boys for a service.

Also, I'm following Wild Fox Zen blog. There is a free 1144 page translation of Dogen's Shōbōgenzō

dilgo

dilgo
Originally uploaded by Milk Thunderstorm

I found an interesting Flickr site, including this photo of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Lokamitra in the news

Lokamitra has an article about him, republished I think, on BNN.

I have not met him, but I have met his friends and co-workers from India, and correspond with one of his assistants (who is, I think, getting ordained soon--sadhu!). I hope some day to travel to India and meet him. And Lokamitra

I sometimes fantasize about going to India and pitching in with the good work being done out there, in the fights against the injustice against Dalit's or ex-untouchables. Meanwhile I'm trying to establish myself in a career (meaningful and I think right livelihood) to support my wife and small children (another good cause). I hope to travel to India before my children go off to college, but I'm not sure if that's realistic. Who knows, the future is uncertain. Nothing is given. My wife declined my suggestion of living in India for a year. So I wish I could go there and pitch in. I can see the worth of such work.

Lokamitra did get there 34 years ago, and I admire him for that.

Another friend is involved with the work out there, and more likely so in his upcoming retirement. Another friend, who is visiting soon, has been out there and wrote a book about it called Jai Bhim, which used to be free on Sangharakshita's site, but now I can't find it. You can get it on Amazon. There are 4 copies for a dollar, used, but with s&h it's $5.

I'm trying to read The Prisons We Broke, which is described as follows on the website: "Writing on the lives of the Mahars of Maharashtra, Baby Kamble reclaims memory to locate the Mahar society before it was impacted by Babasaheb Ambedkar, and tells a consequent tale of redemption wrought by a fiery brand of social and self-awareness. The Prisons We Broke provides a graphic insight into the oppressive, caste and patriarchal tenets of the Indian society, but nowhere does the writing descend to self-pity. With verve and colour the narrative brings to life, among other things, the festivals, rituals, superstitions, snot-nosed children, hard lives and hardy women of the Mahar community. The original Marathi work, Jina Amucha (serialized in 1982 and published as a book in 1986) re-defined autobiographical writing in Marathi in terms of form and narrative strategies adopted, and the selfhood and subjectivities that were articulated. It is the first autobiography by a Dalit woman in Marathi, probably even the first of its kind in any Indian language."

I say I'm trying to read it, because it's like the sun, it hurts to look at such horrors. I'm reading it slowly.

If you want to donate money to what I consider a worthy cause, check out the website of Jumbudvipa. I don't know what they would do with American money, they only have ways of giving in India, England and Taiwan, but I'm sure they'd cash a check. When I get out of the red, and we're in a position to be giving away money again, I hope to test that theory.

To get one small sliver of some of the negative stuff going on there with caste based oppression, check out the blog Atrocity News. I dare you.

Thurman video

I like the way Thurman talks about not being enlightened, but still getting something out of being a Buddhist, in this video.

San Fran slideshow in Times

An interesting slide show in NY Times about San Fransisco Buddhist tourism. No FWBO, but still interesting.

Also, an explanation of the "fat Buddha".

Lama Zopa Rinpoche quotes

I wrote an informal review of his new book, How To Be Happy. I wanted to follow up and write some more quotes I liked, so here they are:

"The mind of most of us ordinary beings is like a headstrong toddler. We can't just do everything the mind says and give it everything it says it wants--just as we can't with a toddler. That would lead to a very ill-mannered child indeed! It is a very dangerous to do everything the mind says." (p.61)

"Whether you work in a Dharma center, at home, or anywhere else, your attitude should be that you are there for other beings to make use of. When you don't have this attitude you should be the master and other beings your servants, your work become a problem. When you have this attitude, your work becomes a pleasure--even though it is the same. When you change your attitude so that beings are the master and you are the servant, the problem is stopped, and there is only enjoyment. Then no matter how hard the work is, and even if you don't succeed in it, you enjoy it." (p.72)

Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra

Rev. Danny Fisher has a good post on the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, whith many good references.

Top 15 Free Buddhist Audio Recordings

Here's a list of my favorites and recommentations, not by Sangharakshita, from the FWBO archives at Free Buddhist Audio. (I've listened to most of Sangharakshita's talks. I don't even want to do a top 15 of his talks, just go listen to them all in chronological order.) This might just be a testament to my spiritual immaturity, that I don't appreciate a talk, so if you're not on this list, don't worry. None the less, I often recommend talks here, so I thought I would just list my favorites as of today. This list may change.

1. The Dharma and Denial by Manjuka. I create a false spiritual self, and this talk helps me to see past that to be more true and authentic.

2. Vessantara is a leading teacher in the FWBO. He takes us with him on some of his journey in a talk called Learning From Tibetan Buddhism. There's a lot of talk about seeing teachers outside the FWBO and this is an exploration of that. Note he consults with Sangharakshita and he's always given him permission.

3. Kamalashila has a blog. He's got many good talks and some meditation lead throughs. I recommend this talk: Our Work as Teachers and Practitioners. Following on #2, this talk suggest you devote 10 years to your school of choice before you branch out into other schools.

4. Any of Parami's 4 talks are great, but to pick one, Energy at it's Most Abundant. She has visited NYC several times and given very inspiring Dharma talks. I think she could have many more than 4 talks, but alas I'll be grateful for what I can get.

5. After Sangharakshita and Subhuti, Padmavajra has the most talks on Free Buddhist Audio. And the most at Padmaloka site, for that matter. To pick a favorite, I'll say listen to this one: Talk 1 on the Diamond Sutra: Taking Mind to it's limit. There are 10 which can be found here. He's a very good speaker, I really recommend all his talks.

6. I haven't yet met Viveka outside of talks and reading her writing (unfortunately sparse at this point), but my friends say she's awesome. Listen to Mindfulness as Sadhana. She also has some great meditation lead throughs.

7. Dhammarati is an awesome dude. Here's Breaking the Mould. When he speaks, people listen. He's got another talk as well that is very good.

8. Subhuti has the second most talks. I like the mind training text, and found his deep discussion of it, with his incisive mind to be illuminating: Eight Verses for Mind Training. See all 4 talks here. I listened to these a few times before they started to really click. He's a deep man, listen to his talks.

9. What Self, What World by Chistopher Titmuss. This talk encourages and exemplifies engaged Buddhism. He's also quite funny.

10. Violence and Emptiness by Suvarnaphraba. This is fundamental to me psychologically like talk #1. A personal favorite. She's also very quirky and funny. She's come to NYC too, thank you Savarnaphraba. She has a blog.

11. Manjuvajra has two scary deep talks. Listen to his talk on Ethics, and get a feel for depth in the spiritual life. Ditto for his other talk here. He also has great talks on, in my opinion, the second greatest free talks site at Padmaloka. But to create a favorite 10 there is another blog entry for another time. Go check them out, they are of a high quality.

12. Ratnaguna has two awesome talks. His last one we listened to on practice day. He's a study leader in the FWBO and a had depth.

13.
Standing on emptiness is an awesome talk. I have probably listened to this talk the most of all of them, in part because of the depth and in part because she talks softly. Well worth the effort.

14. Touching The Void is a cool talk. I haven't seen the movie or read the book, but after this talk you don't really need to. Awesome.

15. This talk on Padmasambhava is not for all, but I really like it.

I'm probably going to remember some cool talks after I post this, but I don't want to work on this any longer. I'll just add them in comments. Please feel free to add your own in the comments too.

Honorable Mention:
Finally if you want a walk through the Noble Eight Fold Path here's some talks by Smritiratna at the Edinburgh Buddhist Centre site.

Worst Horse

Usually this is a great site that points out the use of Buddhist images in advertising and body vows, tatoos. But he's recently begun to add altars, which are fascinating as well. Thank you Worst Horse.

Book Review

How To Be Happy by Lama Zopa Rinpoche is packaged as a gift book. In a way it's hard for me to imagine how a book that exhorts you onto the path towards Enlightenment as a gift you give someone, like a box of chocolates, but actually, it is a gift. Just not the sweet confectionery kind. It might just be the best possible gift. The irony is that this book was published with the support of the Hershey Family Foundation, a foundation with $65 million in assets, giving out $3.2 million in grants by the end of 2006. Is someone in the Hershey family a Buddhist? Or sympathetic to Buddhism? That is so cool. With the profits of sweet confections, comes the Dharma confection. The exuberance which the teachings are taught is perhaps sweet.

This book is more like mind training verses, it's not consolation it's exhortation. Go meditate! The project of turning around in the seat of consciousness is huge. To suggest that ordinary pleasure is a trap, isn't consolation, it's confrontation of the highest kind. To challenge our ordinary approach to pleasure is truly revolutionary.

This small hardback is the kind of book I put in my car for when I'm waiting for someone, or in the bathroom, for a daily brief reading. It also might be a good book to read at the park while your kids play.

This book is presumably a collection of quotes from Lama Zopa Rinpoche's talks, since it's edited by Josh Bartok (who seems to have studied in the Zen tradition mostly) and Ailsa Cameron (who from what I can tell on the web is a journalist and editor and seems to be involved with editing for Wisdom Publishers and FPMT, where in the latter she's affixed "Venerable". She must have taken a special ordination, and perhaps is a teacher.). The book is published by Wisdom Publishers.

The quotes are inspirational quotes which suggest the project of spiritual development through meditation and reflections on suffering. While most of them move me, the references to reincarnation don't motivate me. For me this book is 99.9% inspiring.

The book makes me ask questions. For instance, "Each of us is completely responsible for the happiness of every other being. Each of us has this universal responsibility. It's completely up to us. When you work with your mind, what you are doing is real, ultimate solution for world peace--and not only peace on earth, but for all the being in all the numberless universe." (p.33).

This reminds me of a talk by Christopher Titmuss on Free Buddhist Audio. As the Wikipedia entry on the link of his name suggest, he promotes engaged Buddhism. In his talk he suggests that it is not enough to just try and change yourself. You need also to try and change the world.

I feel of two minds about this. On the one hand, I do think one of the kindest things you can go is to set your own house in order. On the other hand, I think you need to work to act on the world to make it a better place, apply your insights and try to work externally in the world. To be honest, I'm not so great at that. While my work is on the good end of the spectrum of right livelihood, and I work hard to raise my children well, I have not been very political or community oriented. Growing up with parents who marched for peace during the Vietnam War, I romanticize working for social justice. More than romanticize, I think it is important. I have worked in a soup kitchen briefly. I suppose it's an unanswered koan--what will I give to the world?

In the FWBO the model is to teach meditation and build a center, and create team based right livelihood businesses, develop spiritual friendships and perfect your generosity.

The quote indicates the connection between working on the inside and working on the outside. Is he collapsing just working on yourself as helping the world? I don't think so. I think from self development flows helping out the world. It's always a balance.

Later he says, "When we feel compassion for a person or an animal--any being at all--we wish that being to be fre from suffering. When our compassion is strong, we don't simply wish for this but actually do something about it. We ourselves take responsibility for freeing that being from suffering." (p. 37).

This is why compassion is so overwhelming for me. When you realize the suffering of other people, it implies some action. Very quickly I am overwhelmed. From one person, to family, to community, to city, to state, to world. Woof. Challenging stuff.

There are many interesting quotes in the book, I could bloviate further. Go out and buy it. It is thought provoking and inspirational. Not all Dharma books are intense books you read in a quiet place. Some have short snippets that you can read in the odd moments of a distracted worldly life.

Recent thoughts: Pudgalivadan, music and lists

Reading A Concise History of Buddhism by Andrew Skilton, who's Buddhist name is Sthiramati, is interesting because he summarizes in a way I have not read yet--by countries. I guess I never get tired of these one book histories of Buddhism. This one is only 200 pages but it's dense. At times I wish he would go into things more. I haven't been able to read about Pudgalavadins, which is a school that asserts an essential self that only gets uncovered when someone is enlightened, and he contains a small section on them, which I greatly appreciate.

This school is a kind of reaction to the no-self Dharma. No-self ideas are counter intuitive to me. Of course I think we do need to discover ourselves to transcend ourselves, our small selves, that working for others is the best thing we can do, and that there's less self about as you become more mature. The more coherent and integrated you are the less likely you will act defensively and are less vulnerable to fragmentation and interpersonal contagion. The no-self doctrine can be misused by people with poor sense of self, and low self esteem. I'm a Pudgalivadan.

But I also feel strongly reading books like The Saturated Self by Gergen and The Meme Machine that identity is contingent, constructed.

Then there is the whole Buddha-nature ideas. One blogger has a recent post on that. There is some concern that this doctrine is creeping Hinduism and not real Buddhism. I can't really tell whether it is or not.

Here are some interesting links:

In the news are some India devotional recordings about Asvagosha, go check them out they are free at freebuddhistaudio.com.

Richard DeWald talks about his experiences in the FWBO-NYC on his blog, and his ultimate decision to return to Zen.

Danny Fisher has a list of Buddhist movies. You know how Buddhists love lists, and I'm no exception!

Check out this post on mudras! I love it! I don't think I'll use them myself at this time, but I am so interested in this.

Here's an article about an Australian Buddhist-Therapist. Cool beans!

Here is an interesting article on mindfulness of eating.

BNN has an article on Dalit experience.

Finally, I'm going to be doing more book reviews, so watch out!

vegetarianism

I've done a few posts on vegetarianism. But I've been thinking about it a lot lately because I slipped. My laziness plus entitlement lead to some convenient thinking. I'm recommitting today. I read Bodhi's book, and it's convincing. I think I need to look at some horrifying videos to drill the point home to me. Check out PETA's web site.

Ayya Khema

I finished reading Ayya Khema's autobiography I Give You My Life.

Here's some reviews and summaries.

She led a pretty interesting life, from fleeing Nazi Germany, to living in Glasgow and Singapore. She got married and moved to San Diego. She got divorced and met another man and traveled all over the world. It is only about half way through the book that she discovers Buddhism.

The second half doesn't really resemble a spiritual memoir. It's more like summaries and bullets. She writes like a journalist, and there's very little reflection. She doesn't debunk the German stereo type. She's a sort of Buddhist Albert Ellis, at times.

She has done some good things organizationally and she's obviously a charismatic person to be able to give so many talks, teach so many people. She falls within the Theravadan tradition.

While I won't recommend the book as an autobiography or as a spiritual memoir, I did find it an easy and agreeable read. For those who are interested in the history of Western Buddhism and famous Buddhist women's experience, it helps to flesh out the story of Buddhism in the West.

I've read Being Nobody, Going Nowhere, which I recommend as solid dharma, and I've ordered another book. Supposedly she has over 25 books which are edited from her talks, like so many Buddhists.

virtual community?

Jayarava has an interesting essay suggesting in conclusion, "I'm not very enthusiastic about the possibilities of virtual communities or even virtual sanghas as a substitute for the real thing. There is no substitute for personal contact. I would argue that virtual community is not like community for practical purposes: "virtual community" is an oxymoron. There's nothing like the real thing..."

Face to face is good, preferred. Building sangha is very important. But what if you're not in a city with a thriving Buddhist center (for me FWBO)? What if you don't have the real thing so much? I travel to see Vajramati once a week, but the mitra group broke up, I can't make sangha night till May because of a prior commitment. It's no substitute but, I'm afraid, it's a good supplement when there's not a lot of the real thing around. I need to dig harder to make the real thing happen. Meanwhile...

Creativity

Creativity is valued in the FWBO, so it's interesting to get an outside view of creativity. Read this article by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi from Psychology Today in 1996.

All credit due, I found this at Integral Options Cafe.

concentration vs mindfulness

Check out this link, that asserts concentration is not mindfulness.

One pointed is an aspect of mindfulness, and concentration is it's near cousin, so is absorption, but for me mindfulness has a quality of kind, non-judgemental observation, that leads to continuity of purpose and skillful behavior and speech, among other things. I don't know who this Theravadan teacher Ajahn Sumedho is, but he's got a book.

There's truly an ocean of Dharma. Do I need more? I need to put in place what I already have.

Fuel saving tips & musings

Here's an article at Ecobuddhism about how to save fuel, from a blog which seems promising.

Living in NYC is perhaps one of the best things you can do for the environment. More public transportation, housing doesn't leak heat because many live in buildings, and we don't spread out, destroying untouched land. Ironically, the best thing you can do for nature is to get out of it. I find that many people who "love" nature, love it to death by being in it. My "nature loving relatives" buy land and build a house where there was none before. Drive long distances for groceries.

I can't blame them. I want to live closer to the earth. I feel alienated from the nature that I love by living in the city. But the fact is, if you really love nature, you get out of it, and live in the city. That's the best thing you can do for the environment. Would I say that's a moral imperative, people need to move to the city? I think people have to do what they feel in their heart is right for them. If that means we're going to destroy the planet...

I guess I wonder if we have the foresight to head off the disaster. Does that mean I'm hopeless, and don't have faith in myself and the human race?

Pessimistic people are more often right, but they also don't lead as good as lives as optimist. So while in assessing and predicting, I think pretty dire. But I do hope that we can be more intelligent and more far sighted, with leaders who can think more about the future than getting re-elected. We do the best we can. We are puny, have little impact in this world, but there are some people that have a big impact, and who knows, maybe that's you (or me).

We are interconnected, so we do have power to change things. I don't think the battle is just inside us either, we need to take the battle outside ourselves and be engaged with the larger world. I recognize that that's not easy for me and be realistic. I want to be as kind to you as I am kind to myself. Attaching myself doesn't help, and I can easily use my carbon imprint to attack myself, my lack of control over myself. I can extrapolate that to others, their lack of control. I think we all have a little Eliot Spitzer in us all. While fighting corruption, he himself is corrupt.

That doesn't mean he didn't do some good, and it's good to fight corruption in government. I think the poverty of the 3rd world makes corruption inevitable, and makes it so hard to help out there.

So I try to be the change I look for in the world, and try to lead others along with me, try to give my children a sense of the importance of the larger systems of the earth, give them a larger view of things. I am empathetic to ecological causes, but I'm also realistic about myself and others. I have all the parts of what everyone else has, so I think about the larger picture and I am selfish and destroy our world. There is inevitable destruction, but we could be a little more judicious and think about the issue. My plea is to think about the issues and live more consciously. It will send us on a road to saving the planet, but we need to go further, and I'm trying, we're trying. I see it, so keep up the good work, and reach for more.

Goodbye Conscious Mom

I wonder if blogging takes me away from more essential things, like relating face to face, meditation, exercise, being outside, cooking, cleaning, paying attention to my kids (not right now, they're at school). If I blog in spare moments, I'm not avoiding those things, I feel like I have the space. In those tiny spaces, I could rest, and not be so active, think.

It does help me to process what I'm learning and express myself. But I wonder if my energy could be better spent elsewhere. That's really an issue of time management and priorities.

I admire The Conscious Mom, who is closing down her blog. She's also signed off Facebook as well. The link will be dead, so you can look at it for the time being. I will miss seeing pictures of Maia, and having a kind of tangentle relationships with acquaintances and friends from far away. I do think long distance computer surveillance does have it's uses, and there's an article from the times that suggests that.

So while I admire what she's doing, I'm not ready to do it yet myself. I hope some day to get there. Gives me something to think about.

Meditation News

You can always go to Wildmind to see the latest in meditation news, but I'll pass on ones I read. I don't personally need any more validation for the fact that meditation is good, an amazing life changing activity, life enriching. I love talking meditation with others who meditate. Anywho, here's an article about why meditation is good.

Anne Harrington, a Harvard University history of science professor, says, "Long-term meditation rewires the brain and can make a person happier and maybe even healthier,"

Harrington said, "In a 1969 study conducted by Robert Keith Wallace, monks who had been meditating for 20 or 30 years showed levels of attentiveness that were 30 times higher than those of controls."

The Mindful Society

While she doesn't actually mention psychotherapist, Andrea Miller discusses how mainstream being mindful has become.

Kobat-Zinn on radical acceptance

via Danny Fisher

I think this is a simple but very hard to put in place idea, and is at the heart of mindfulness. You learn radical acceptance in meditation if you are there, because things arise and you just watch them, watch how you try to get them away, and watch how they pass away of their own accord. I love this idea, I need to watch this video every morning to let it's lessons sink in.

Sangharakshita has said that most people have enough Dharma and information to head towards enlightenment. It's the really knowing it and acting on it, and incorperating it.

list of Buddhist and Buddhish blogs by Danny

Danny has a list of Buddhist blogs.

What's the point of reading a bunch of Buddhist blogs? Hasn't Emmerson already told us the virtue of self reliance? That what and how we feel is really enough, we don't need to be validated by others, we don't need others to think for us.

On the one hand, we have to do it ourselves, nobody else can help move us closer to the Buddha. On the other hand, we're all interconnected, and the arising of the Bodhicitta is in the context of others. We need others to care about, to overwhelm us. It's another part of the dialectic of being a Buddhist, which includes withdrawal vs. engagement, self vs. other, indulgence vs. control, and so many more polar opposites.

Also beware the premature synthesis.

TV Review of show on Link TV

Not on my cable, but here's a review with a video of a show from the NY Times.

My feeling about Tibet is--when are the Chinese going to get out?! Reading the article, I can't imagine that somewhere someone in China doesn't have a twang of guilt and regret. Are they so entitled that they can just take countries? The silver lining is that I think the Dali Lama shows us how to react gracefully to this, without resorting to violence. Perhaps they can have another velvet revolution.

Tejananda's system of meditation

from Dhammarati.

It's a nice graphical text representation about how meditation works in the FWBO. It may only be interesting to people in the FWBO. But I find it fascinating.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Exploring the refuge tree of the FWBO, we come across Dilgo Khyentse. He has a lovely website that includes some written teachings.

I love his book The Hundred Verses of Advice.

The FWBO refuge tree is explained in this essay by Kulananda.

Here's a search on YouTube with his name, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, that includes many videos.

I'm not sure if it's legal, but here's a video of the movie by Matthieu Ricard called The Spirit of Tibet. He died in 1991 according to the video which is shown in 5 parts here. I watched the videos and there's lots of good footage of him, and gives some background to his importance.

Sangharakshita has a talk about him.

Ksitigarbha

The Sutra of The Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva can be found on the Wikipedia entry by clicking on the hypertext. You can find others by googling it. The mantra for Ksitibarbha is "om ksitigarbha bodhisattva yah", according to Teachers of Enlightenment.

I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading that, honestly. I "discovered" Ksitigarbha on retreat a few months ago. I'm just following up my interest when I was reading Teachers of Enlightenment about Milarepa and checked out the entry on Ksitigarbha, which led to Meeting The Buddhas and checking out the Ksitigarbha entry there. Meeting The Buddhas is an amazing book, about all the Bodhisattvas, the mythical personifications of the qualities of enlightenment. Teachers of Enlightenment is about the FWBO refuge tree, the people on it.

I'm reading 100,000 Songs of Milarepa right now. I'm on the amazing chapter 28 and 29, which are a real highlight for me. At times the songs can seem boastful or lists of lists, but others phrases will catch me and I will feels the greatness of his songs.

If you don't know anything about Milarepa, drop everything and read about him. He's got a cool life story and he's amazing. He should be part of any basic human cultural awareness, whether you're a Buddhist or not. Here is a version of his life story with pictures.

It's a huge book and I pick it up and put it down. I've been dragging my feet to write a review of The Yogi's Joy. I just feel overwhelmed by the greatness of the book. So I thought I would read through all of the songs just to give me the confidence to read the book a 3rd time, and really attempt a review.

Aryaloka

I didn't get up there for the artwork done by Tibettans, but here's a link to some photos on the web, a Buddhist mother's blog that I follow.

7 years in Tibet guy's photos

Here's a link to the guy who wrote Seven Years In Tibet, and his photos from them.

list of fiction

Danny has come up with another interesting list of Buddhist fiction. I have to say I've only read 4 of the books mentioned here--I'm aghast. Lost of books to order! Thank you Danny.

list of memiors

The incomparable blogger Danny Fisher has blogged a list of Buddhist of memoirs that is useful. I added Precious Teachers by Sangharakshita.

Dhammapada

The Dhammapada is a book of saying from the Pali Cannon. The Pali Cannon is what the monks could remember of what they memorized from what the Buddha said, written down hundreds of years later.

The Dhammapada was the first book from the Pali Cannon that I was introduced to. It makes excellent reading for a father at the park with his children, because I can read a few sentences, walk away and return. Of course more concentrated reading of it is advised, but of all the Pali Cannon, I find it the best for going to the park. I took a picture of my copy against the playground.

There are over 50 translations listed on the Wikipedia entry about the Dhammapada, but they don't list the free one by Sangharakshita that can be gotten here. It is a PDF file.

My reading style, because I'm a parent and character style, isn't as concentrated. When Sangharakshita wrote A Survey of Buddhism, his famous magnum opus, he talked about looking at the breadth and depth of Buddhism. I'm afraid I'm not as deep and insightful, but I am more able to follow the breadth of study. I like to read a lot. I am working to read more deeply and closely, to linger and not be so fickle in my reading. But reading (potentially, possibly) the words of the Buddha (in translation) is for me a way of keeping my eye on the Dharma. I am a worldling, and worldings forget, they get wrapped up in the world, forget the dharma. The Dhammapada addresses the motivation and concentration one needs to keep the continuity of purpose to work towards closing the distance between the Buddha and me, which is my goal.

As I finish off the book today, I know it will come back in my rotation soon, because it's pithy sayings fit nicely into my spending time at the park with my kids. I hope I can linger more, work to grok the sayings. Some feel more true than others, some energize me more. So I'll use those, but I'll also strive to glean more out of the ones I don't really cotton to, yet. There are 423 sayings in Sangharakshita's translation to choose from. It's been said if you really understand even just one of these sayings, you can become enlightened. So I shall strive for greater depth.

This is also in line with the idea that I probably have been exposed to enough Dharma to be enlightened, I just need to really understand it. "More and more of less and less," is one of the mottoes of the FWBO. We live in an age of probably over 60 English translations of the Dhammapada. I only need one.

Having said that, study is an important part of my practice. Not so much what I learn, but in the deepening of my understanding of the way things really are.
The process of grappling with what past and present masters have written is a way of keeping my head in the game, as they say. I like it that the FWBO is ecumenical, meaning inclusive and nondenominational. I can read all the Buddhist literature, and don't define a small subset as the true Dharma.

And yet I do like to go back to the Pali Cannon. And I do go back to Sangharakshita's teachings as a touchstone. I choose his translation over others. I have not had much time to explore other movements, as much as I am interested in reading leaders books. I have spent my Buddhist life inside the FWBO, and while it's not perfect, I had a feeling the other day that I have such strong, long and deep connections with friends in the FWBO, that I'm not really looking for another sangha.

Vessantara and Kamalashila have talks on Free Buddhist Audio about the dangers and virtues of exploring other teachers and sanghas. Kamalashila suggests investing 10 years at least in one sangha in his talk. Vessantara has always consulted with Sangharakshita, and been given permission to explore other teachers, he reports in this talk.

I think feeling the tension of opposite ideas is a key that you're onto something. Depth vs. breadth, fidelity vs. promiscuity, engagement vs. withdrawal, self vs. others. Sangharakshita warns against premature synthesis.

I hope to highlight verses from the Dhammapada that I liked, in the future, but I wanted to write a general bit first about the Dhammapada.

Free Buddhist Books in Spanish

Here's the link.

solitary retreat videos

I went on a solitary retreat last February. It was lovely.

Here's a video of Suvarnaprabha while she was on a solitary retreat, speaking to the video camera spontaneously.

maps

I found some maps of Buddhism in the world at Wikipedia. Basically it's in the east. It's not completely updated, but interesting graphic representation none the less.

view on hike at Jikoji

P1010432
Originally uploaded by dpavli

A friend took some photos of the place.

video about Tibet that's not long

Judaism and Buddhism

Judaism is a beautiful religion. I've read The Gift of the Jews. My step-father is Jewish, and I went to some Seders. I went to camp Shalom one summer and learned how to sing Hava Nagila. I worked for 12 years at a school that had holidays for the Jewish calender, and another agency that was owned by someone who was Jewish. An uncle also is Jewish. I live in New York City which Jesse Jackson famously called Heimie-Town. I even live on the edge of a more orthodox neighborhood, where ironically my step-father grew up (considering we met in Madison Wisconsin, and more importantly my mother met). I have some Jewish friends who I don't see enough of.

Which is a long winded way of saying why I like this link, that Sarah Jessica Parker is the latest Jew-Bu.

Here's a quote from the article: "What’s a Jew-Bu? ‘It’s a synthesis of Judaism and Buddhism intended to grasp the best of both religions,’ explains one Hollywood power-player who has been a Jew-Bu for the past decade. ‘It combines Buddhist thought with Jewish theology and structure, in effect incorporating Buddhist traditions such as meditation and chanting into traditional Judaism.’"

And here's a quote about famous Jew-Bu's: "Famous entertainment industry Jew-Bu’s include Leonard Cohen, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwynneth Paltrow, Larry David, Jeff Goldblum, Al Franken and Whoopie Goldberg, among others."

Another interesting quote: "Chogyan Trungpa, to talk about forming the Oy Vey school of Meditation."

Also, Lama Surya Das is famously raised Jewish and converted to Buddhism. Same with Jack Kornfeld

Here's another post on the JuBu phenomenon. In the article it says in the FWBO Kulamitra is of Jewish origins.

peace prize

My first link to a Korean site. Lokamitra won a prize for his work with the ex-untouchables in India. Here's a link to a Korean video about it.

more talks

Here's a Vapassana talks site.

Parenting article in Tricycle

"In some ways, it feels as if incorporating children (and other human realities) into Buddhist practice is the last frontier for most practice centers, modeled as they are on a rarified, monastery-inspired retreat model (which, incidentally, is a specialized activity even in Buddhist countries)."

Read here.

Following link, I found a Dharma games site.

history of FWBO video

I haven't seen it yet, but I will watch this about 45 minute video, on the history of the FWBO.

video about retreat

Someone made a video of the retreat.

article from NY Times

Interesting article on Buddhism in Japan.

Greens

We went to a cool restaurant in SF.

DanaKamala

Another great thing about the retreat was to see ex-Dino become DanaKamala.

Retreat

So I asked for ordination into the Wester Buddhist Order several years ago, and they have retreats for the men about once a year. This year the retreat was held at Jikoji. It was lead by Dhammarati, who did a wonderful job. We studied the eight point mind training.

One revelation on the retreat was to find out more about Ksitigarbha. The retreat was on bodhicitta, and I learned a new meditation to facilitate that. Because my last retreat was solitary, I found it was easier to take refuge in the sangha.

The word vipaka was used a lot. It's the fruit of karma.

Also, I was mortified to find out I was the only one who didn't know what Quinoa was. Turns out it's nutritional content is good, it is a more complete protein.

Bookending the trip was a visit to my father and stepmother in Livermore. Tomorrow I fly home and I look forward to being reunited with my wife and children.

trichiliocosm

In searching trichiliocosm, I found Rigpa Wiki, which is, "an online encyclopedia and media library of Tibetan Buddhist teachings designed especially for students of Rigpa and Sogyal Rinpoche."

I'm reading Conze's The Perfection of Widson in Eight Thousand Lines, which came out in 1958. I bought the book, but you can find a PDF file of it here.

In thinking about my approach to the upcoming retreat that begins at 3pm today, I quote the following verses from the The Perfection of Widson in Eight Thousand Lines:

If someone would say, ‘On condition that you have shattered Mount Sumeru,
You will be one who will attain to the foremost enlightenment.’
And if he [then] effects a thought of fatigue or limitation [to his efforts],
Then that Bodhisattva is affected by indolence.

But when there arises to him the mindful thought, ‘That is nothing difficult.
In a mere moment Sumeru [will] break up into dust,’
Then the wise Bodhisattva becomes one who puts forth vigour.
Before long he will attain the foremost enlightenment of the Leaders.

Comedy and the lama

California

I'm visiting my father and step-mother before the retreat. They are kind and good hosts. Meditating is OK with them, they give me space to prepare for my retreat. I'm adjusting to the time zone, recovering from the flight. I'm excited to begin tomorrow.

I'm enjoying a memior called Turtle Feet, about a guys time as a monk in Dharmasala. It's Jack Kerouac without the booze, more intelligent and really spiritual, but with the intense over the top friend, and the odd assortment of characters.

retreat

My ride will be outside in 5 minutes. I'm sad to leave my family. I'm tired from all my responsibilities. I'm excited to go on a trip, to see the guys, to be on retreat. I felt the mindfulness increasing as a kind of anticipation of retreat. Six years isn't a long time, but I have done retreats every year and in the early years I did a lot of retreats before the kids came along.

I was talking at work about how it's hard to lift up the responsibilities when I return from retreat. Time passes, I know, and soon enough I will be back. To be mindful through it all is my goal, and to spend time with friends. One pointed and in the moment, flexible and kind. Open and willing. Wish me luck!

sexy waiting

Batchelor writes in Living With The Devil, "The practice of waiting is to learn how to rest in the nirvanic ease of contingent things. yet waiting is not passive inaction any more than emptiness is nothingness. As an alert stillness that cradles perplexity, it is the ground from which we can respond in unpredictable ways to life's unfolding and the inevitable encounter with others." p 117.

It's been suggested that my path is that of the perfection of patience, so I thought this was interesting. My friend intimated something similar, surprisingly.

Pathing

Stephen Batchelor's book, Living With the Devil, is really good. He's talking about the metaphor of the path, and notes that in other languages you can say "pathing" as a verb.

He write, "The art of creating a path is to do neither too much nor too little." There are many great quotes about path. Tomorrow I go on a sangha hike with Alyssa and Maria, so the term path is even more poignant. I might xerox some pages to read while we're on the hike.

We were lucky enough for Batchelor to agree to meet with the NYC FWBO sangha, when he was in town promoting the book, and he was generous enough to give our sangha a copy of the book. I never got my hands on it, even though I was generous enough to share it when he handed it to me. I broke down and bought a copy for myself. He's one of my favorite Buddhist authors. I highly recommend his books, and especially this one.

Also of note, there are some good talks of his on the Upaya web site, in the podcasts. He also share some talks on his site.

The incomparable Bodhipaksa reviews Batchelor's most famous book Buddhism Without Belief on Wildmind. I couldn't help but add my 2 cents reading his review...

Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh has so many books, I read a few, but then I think I've pretty much seen the scope. But I saw on Marsha Linehan's list of recommended books, one of his books which I hadn't read, and got it: The Miracle of Mindfulness. I would put it amongs the classics of mindfulness: Living With Awareness by Sangharakshita, and Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Shunryu Suzuki is the subject of a new DVD which Bodhipaksa reviews on Wildmind.

It's a beautiful book to savor, reread, meditate on, to try and grok.

spiritual friendship

There's a new essay on Wildmind, on friendship. Justin Whitaker quotes Pema Chodron:

Pema Chödrön puts it well when she writes, “The support that we give each other as practitioners is not the usual kind of samsaric support in which we all join the same team and complain about someone else. It’s more that you’re on your own, completely alone, but it’s helpful to know that there are forty other people who are also going through this all by themselves. That’s very supportive and encouraging. Fundamentally, even though other people can give you support, you do it yourself, and that’s how you grow up in this process, rather than becoming more dependent.”

There's another book review on Wildmind about spiritual friendship as well.

exploring a website

Somehow I've come across a website called Eco Mall, which I'm going to be exploring, and I'll comment on this post, once I form an opinion on the website.

Keats' Negative Capability

I love tracking down references. In many ways I've heard about Keats' Negative Capability before. He defines the negative capability as, "when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason".

Lovely.

Mindful by Mary Oliver

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean's shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

(“Mindful,” by Mary Oliver.)

meditation for children

Emma and William were playing with my meditation cushion. I said, "hey, don't mess up my meditation cushion!"

Emma said, "what is meditation?" She wanted me to teach her.

So I taught her, a childish version of the metta bhavana. William was all over the place, he couldn't stop talking. He wanted to think about dinosaurs instead of a near and dear friend. He was squirmy, he couldn't sit still. Emma made a weird kind of concentration face.

I hope it gave them some kind of taste, I hope I didn't turn them off from meditation. I've got a lot to learn about teaching meditation.

I've also been doing mindfulness and short meditation exercises with my patients in jail, which is quite exciting.

Lute strings, right effort

A while back bodhipaksa blogged that Tiger Woods was the most famous Buddhist. I'd never heard much about him, and I think meditation is a key to it, you can't just have Buddhist parents (Tiger's mother is supposed to be Buddhist), you have to actually do something. Turns out, in a recent article in the NY Times, he experimented in meditation.

Trying to find the post on famous Buddhists, I came across this post about a retreat I missed. Dang. The same psychological criteria I judge other Buddhists by--what are they doing to move towards enlightenment?--I also use to judge myself so, by missing a retreat, I didn't do everything I could do to move towards enlightenment. But maybe not, I can't recall, but perhaps my family needed me. I don't want to create suffering in others by pursuing an individualistic spiritual path. I need patience in moving towards creating better condition. But who knows. I do feel I'm too engaged in the world, I could use less engagement, more meditation.

In a way, I don't really care what defines a Buddhist. If you want to call yourself a Buddhist, by all means go ahead. It puts you into a 0.7% minority in the USA. But more interesting for me is what are the efforts--how much time do you devote to meditation, study, sangha?

I feel pulled by my spiritual life, my work life and my family life (not in that order). There are three great projects in my life. I love my profession, psychotherapist, but I would give that one up first. My family is harder, I was left by my father, and it's probably psychologically impossible for me to leave my kids. That means it's not till they go off to college (gosh I hope they choose that route) that I'll be able to devote myself more to the path.

I consistent get the feedback, that I need to accept reality, to meditate, puja, study, hang out with sangha, develop spiritual friendships when I can. A key teaching is accepting reality as it is. We are like little children who don't get our way and don't accept reality. I am like a little child, I want things somehow different.

The Buddha had a nice metaphors. He suggested you make your effort the way you tune lute strings--not too tight, not too loose. Right Effort is one of the stages of the 8 Fold Path, it was that important. There were times when I have been too rigid in my insistence on meditating when I really should have slept.

I slept in this morning and I didn't like it, but I was tired. I'm a big fan of the sleep cycle--go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Doesn't happen so easily with children. Some times there are no easy solutions. I struggle to do as much as I want to do things that I think will help me on the path. In reality though, thinking about others isn't opposed to the path. Hard decisions are not opposite to the path. Trying to raise above and seeing the larger picture, non-dualistically.

When I look up non-dualistically on Google, I came across an interest site. Turns out Tim Allen has a discussion site, that discussed it.

But I digress. Right effort is part of my practice. I like to "go for it", and "put the pedal to the metal", which is from Smokey and the Bandit, where you press the accelerator all the way down to the floor in the car. It's a bit extreme. Keeping a sustained effort is also part of the journey. I've run marathons and I think I have some endurance as well. Patient is also part of my practice. I've been thinking a lot about the suggestion of my friend that that may be my practice that I can do. It's absurd to focus on what I can't do.

If you've read all this, I appreciate your interest in my meanderings. Writing about what I'm thinking helps me to clarify my thinking, reminds me of what is important. I don't know how to end this bit here, so I'll just have to end it.

4 mindfulness & patience +

Some recent elements of my practice have included the Song of Four Mindfulnesses by Tsongkhapa

Another element is the perfection of patience.

I've been reading Touching Enlightenment by Reginald Ray, who has an organization called Dharma Ocean.

I reserve a new book for when I wake up, I'm at my most lucid and receptive. Then there are moments in my day when I snatch some reading. I've been rereading Nonviolent communication by Marshall Rosenberg at the park with the boys. The Wikipedia article on NVC notes that it's written like an advertisement.

Excited about retreat

Dhammarati put up a post about an upcoming retreat I'm going on.

stroke to nirvana?

A neuroscientist had a stroke and she had a very interesting experience.

She also has a Ted Talk.

She's also on oprah.

And Bodhipoksa has an article on Wildmind.

most forwarded article

I skimmed it, but it looks interesting on meditation and psychotherapy in the NY Times.

join me

I meditate from 6:00 to 6:40 AM EST in USA. Join me at that time! Comment if you're going to join me.

jambudvipa

There's a charity that does amazing work in India with Dalits. I met with Mangesh and Maitreyanath the other day as they traveled through, on their fund raising trip. I hope they were able to raise some money for the worthy projects described in the annual report, that you can get on the website. Even if you're not a Buddhist, it's a worthy cause.

NY Times

There's an audio slide show about a couple that practices very deeply in Arizona, and have developed a following.

The written article describes their commitment to each other in greater depth.

There is also an older piece about in the Opinion section, about neural Buddhists.

new FWBO blog

A new FWBO Blog.

The contributors are:

lokabandhu
Candradasa
dhammarati
Akasapriya
vajragupta
Samudradaka

New talk on parenting

Amaragita has a talk on parenting. This link has a photo of her.

DVD Review

Earth Rising, Heaven Descending

The first disk, I approached with a reverential view—these were the sacred origins, albeit on DVD, of Bante, and his spiritual journey, which I have read about in his memiors.

It’s a cheap form of pilgrimage to watch a DVD, but that was the air of it. I do the prostration practice, mostly on retreat. Watching this DVD is a form of taking refuge in the refuge tree of the Western Buddhist Order.

I’m sure there’s all kinds of backstory in the first video, but I watched it alone. Someone said that the guy who lead tours has died. One of the fellows on the trip I knew through Jalaka. I think last I read he was off for the 4 month ordination retreat in Spain. He’s dissolved his Facebook identity in anticipation. I wish him well.

When I saw the second disk of Earth Rising Heaven Descending, I felt very sad about the paltry existence of the FWBO in America. Compared to Bante’s spiritual energy and commitment—I can’t but help but be embarrassed. Maybe his experiences are so strong that they could reach out that far.

Some friends are in this video, and it’s cool to see them in video. In a way the video is so unflattering about America, that I’m glad I’m not in it. I missed out for some reason on getting together with the gang in NYC for the shoot. I have a feeling one of my sons were born or something like that. Anyway, watching the video with my private preceptor was useful because he could fill in some of the gaps in the video. It’s an interesting video, not without it’s quirks.

I won’t repeat some of the gossip I’ve heard about other’s reactions to disk 2, but some have taken offense to the portrayal. I’ve also heard some were offended before seeing it, and then they were not after seeing it. As stated above, my dominant feeling was that of embarrassment and hope. I hope the order can grow in America.

I haven’t seen the other DVDs listed on the web site, I’m curious about those now.

Book Review

Book Review: A Deeper Beauty by Paramananda

I read this book on retreat, several years ago. My friend said he knew Paramananda from San Fran, and that I’d like the book. So I read it quickly on retreat, remembered liking it.

In my early days of Buddhism, I would quickly consume books. I had a kind of reading style, where I just plow through things. What sticks, sticks. What doesn’t, well it might go into my unconsciousness, and maybe it’s not that great of writing, but maybe something further on down the path will be more apropos for me. I have read hundreds and hundreds of pages to find a few interesting paragraphs that seemed to capture everything.

So one time I recommended a bunch of lovely talks on www.freebuddhistaudio.com to a friend, and she pointed out to me she hasn’t asked for that, and that in fact, she doesn’t guzzle the Dharma like I do. She is very careful about what goes in. I thought about that. My private preceptor is like that too. Hum. Something to think about.

I’ve moved through the majority of the FWBO recommended texts oeuvre, including all of Bante’s memoirs. Time to reread. It’s interesting the books I’ve reread: A Survey of Buddhism, Know Your Mind, The Boddhisattva Ideal, The Yogi’s Joy. I’d like to reread the new books on Metta and Mindfulness. I want to reread Meeting The Buddhas by Vessantara too.

So to make things lighter in mitra study, I recommended A Deeper Beauty by Paramananda. The mitra group ultimately dissolved, but I don’t like to quit a book I started reading, so I reread it, more slowly this time.

Here is a quote I liked from the book, that captured my changes in reading style:

P. 61 “It seems all too easy for modern life to become one continuous rush tainted with frustration and a feeling that there is never enough time to do anything with care and sensitivity. So it is very useful practice just to take one’s time. The truth is that if we can take pleasure in what we do and be mindful, we will find we have more time. Our relationship with time itself will change. Time becomes full of life rather than second by second stealing our life away.”

I struggle with an over programmed life. I feel very cramped by my obligations. I yearn for this mindfulness in every moment approach, but have yet to achieve it.

Here is another quote I liked from the book, which also reminds me of Pema Chodron’s work:

P. 79 “Being alive to ourselves does not mean putting everything right, having everything sorted out, knowing exactly where you are going and what you will find. Rather, it is a state of openness that allows us to be surprised by our own response to the world. This openness is found more often in a state of not knowing than one of knowing. Emotionally it is a sense of being responsive to our own feelings; being open-hearted. This open-heartedness is an openness to ourselves as much as to others, it is a taking care of ourselves in the sense of allowing the heart to have its say. It is a state of being that is difficult to maintain as it means we have to allow for the complexity of feeling, and we have to make room for all of ourselves.”

I like being surprised in myself, even if it’s negative, because that’s very useful. I’m learning in my psychotherapy training that opening up to all our subtle experience, being alive and vulnerable is the heart of the work, and why we don’t do that, and how to support people and myself in doing that.

Here is another quote I liked from the book:

P. 83 “Spiritual practice cannot then ignore the darker parts of ourselves. The meditator needs to look with compassion into the depths of the heart, and find what has been neglected and hidden away. Perhaps we will be surprised that the very things we have disregarded and hidden in the mud can, when cared for and led out, prove to have the ability to moisten, and bring new life to, the imagination.”

This last quote reminds me of one of my favorite talks on www.freebuddhistaudio.com, by Manjuka, called Dharma and Denial. I’m working on transcribing the talk. I’ll either post it here when I’m done or send it to www.freebuddhistaudio.com. It speaks to the wholeness I strive for.

I also would like to carry around Chapter 7 entitled “Unfixing Ourselves”. Often when I tell new people that I’m going on retreat, they say, “oh, that must be relaxing.” Read that chapter if you’ve ever said that and you’re interested in seeing why meditation is not about “stress relief”. It reminded me a lovely little book of essays that the same friend that happed me to this book, gave me, called Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume. We have a basic reaction to the work driven consumerist society we live in, and I think seeking meditation as stress relief is a kind of symptom of that. I think even in San Francisco they market meditation as stress reduction. I wondered why there were no FWBO representatives in Hooked!. The FWBO is small in America where the writer is from.

The book affects me more when I read it slowly. I think about how it’s hard to do the things of Buddhism instead of acquire knowledge about Buddhism. Bante says more and more of less and less. I think the sexy dharma talk by a famous teacher isn’t the way to deepen your practice, but it might inspire you to dig more. This is a book about practice. I know all the stories he presents in it, but he uses the familiar stories well, draws out his meaning of them quite well. It’s enjoyable to join Paramananda as he works to share how he leads a more meditative life.

I thought of sending this book to my fathers. I suppose I would like someone like Paramananda to have raised me, to teach me this way of being from the beginning. I like this book. I recommend it. I will strive to live the teachings and teach them to my children. The dharma shines through this lovely book.

And he has a book review on Wildmind.

V and Me testing photo booth

thousand armed bodhisattva

lyrics, video of a song

I like the theme song to the Enterprise Star Trek series. I've been looking for positive songs to sing to my boys when I put them to sleep. I sing puff the magic dragon, Softly and Tenderly, Mercedeze Benz and The Times They Are A Changing. I occasionally chant a mantra. I want to add some more into the rotation. So here's one song I'm trying to memorize, and after that is the video.

It's been a long road
Get'n from there to here
It's been a long time
But my time is finally near
I will see my dreams come alive at last
I will touch the sky
And they're not gonna hold me down no more
No they're not gonna change my mind

'Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
No one's going to bend nor break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith
I've got faith
Faith of the heart

The following videos are extended versions of the song, I can't find those lyrics.



And here is the singer, Russell Watson, singing it live:

why I meditate, in other's words

I don't like to repost Dharma Dew from Tricycle. I read somewhere, in praise of a blog, "it's not just a collection of things they find on the internet." I'm afraid my blog is guilty of being a collection of Dharmic things I find on the net, often. Never the less, I found today's Dharma Dew very meaningful. I feel this way about meditation.

"When we sit down to meditate, we are trying to transcend our everyday consciousness: the one with which we transact our ordinary business, the one used in the worlds market-place as we go shopping, bring up our children, work in an office or in our business, clean the house, check our bank statements, and all the rest of daily living. That kind of consciousness is known to everyone and without it we can't function. It is our survival consciousness and we need it for that. It cannot reach far enough or deep enough into the Buddha's teachings, because these are unique and profound; our everyday consciousness is neither unique or profound, it's just utilitarian. In order to attain the kind of consciousness that is capable of going deeply enough into the teachings to make them our own and thereby change our whole inner view, we need a mind with the ability to remove itself from the ordinary thinking process. That is only possible through meditation. There is no other way. Meditation is therefore a means and not an end in itself. It is a means to change the mind's capacity in such a way that we can see entirely different realities from the ones we are used to."

- Ayya Khema, When the Iron Eagle Flies

Ray

I've listened to the talks posted on Reginald Ray's web site, and they are quite good.

The Shape Of The Order

Lokabandhu has been writing about information about the order on the FWBO/TBMSG News website. Here is the 6th installment. The order is getting older, fewer people are living in communities, the order has grown to over 1,500, and male to female ratio is evening out--in the past there were much more men.

Karen Armstrong's Ted Talk

Here's a link to her TED talk.

We were talking during practice day, about how Buddhism isn't about belief. Armstrong echoes this thought about other religions.

video of animation about kindness

WBO_Mosaic_083_with_text

WBO_Mosaic_083_with_text
Originally uploaded by FWBO photos

This is a photo that includes OMs in the order, making up Avalokiteshvara. I found out about it originally on the FWBO/TBMSG news web site, and from there followed it to the Flickr photo. Prety cool. Lokabhandu was working on it when I met him, when he swung by NYC. It's nice to see it done and shared! Thank you Lokabhandu

new talk

The order recently had a celebration of the order turning 40 (my age, coincidentally), and I'm hoping some talks will be coming out on freebuddhistaudio.com soon. Dhammarati has graciously offered up his talk, in a link from his blog.

Dhammarati is humble and candid, he's striving for clarity and fidelity. He appreciates a good challenge.

Living in a small backwater of the FWBO, I feel a kind of kinship with people by listening to talks. I spend time in the car and falling asleep listening to the talks.

I've probably spent the most time with Dhammarati, of any visiting order member, because he's been hostage to me as we drive up to Aryaloka from NYC because I have a car. I have striven to make use of the opportunity. He's actually done some good work mediating between my private preceptor and me. I am grateful for his existence. And to give the world a second talk, I feel gratitude for that. He has a talk on freebuddhistaudio.com, which I have listened to many times, called Breaking The Mould

He talks specifically about the FWBO way, in this new talk, so for those new to the Dharma, I might not start here. But if you're interested in the FWBO way, it's not bad. Breaking The Mould is an awesome talk, maybe listen to that one first.

Welwood

I found a page for a Buddhist psychotherapist I like, John Welwood. I've read one of his books, Towards a psychology of awakening, and I'm reading an essay off the page.

I found his page from Integral Options Cafe, an intense blog. If you had only one blog to read, I might choose this one, though even then it's too much.

beauty

Since I have a computer at work, I usually use it for stress, and work. But occasionally I look at the NASA photo page, and I find some beauty, and that connects me to the beauty in the world, my ideals, positivity. Here's one page to access it.

kindness

Here's an article about a reaction to being mugged.

Pema Chodron video

Bush Visits Bellevue, WA

Bush Visits Bellevue, WA
Originally uploaded by ~C4Chaos

Found this photo, summs it up for me.

videos of interest

I suppose you have to be in the FWBO or have met Lokabhandu to enjoy this video of his meetings with Bante, but I liked it.

There's also this one by Dhammaloka.

Here's another reminiscence about Bhante.

Here's one on Dhardo Rimpoche by an Indian OM named Siddharth.

And there's more I watched on the history section.

This one is cool.

essay and talk

Srimati wrote an interesting essay on motherhood.

It makes me reflect on my essay. Some said it was a bit negative. I focused on the difficulty of meditating while living a full life, with children. Some people have a very profound heart awakening by becoming a parent. For me the awakening was to how important meditation is for me, and how important meditation is for me to be the open, caring and mindful person I want to be--and yet paradoxically, it's hard to meditate with so many demands. It's a crunch of sorts.

I suppose I'm also into expressing the negative emotions of parenting. Most people have a kind of formulaic positive expression of joy. I have those feelings, but unfortunately they are not dominant in me. I experience many negative emotions as a parent.

But what has emerged is to highlight and heighten my struggles--with patience. I was thinking it the other day--I'm intolerant of my own learning pace, I want to learn more quickly.

Also I'm selfish. I'm used to a lot of free time. And I have very little free time now. That has been a hard adjustment. Accepting circumstances is another theme for me in parenting, a more pragmatic need to be pragmatic.

Anyway, I find parenting by Buddhist fascinating, and obviously a theme of this blog.

Finally, there's a new talk by Bante. I haven't listened to it yet, but I intend to.

Dalit oppression

I forget, in my horrified anxiety, about injustices in the world. Here's an article and friend sent to remind me.

ocean of dharma

I can't vouch for them yet, but I'm going to try out some dharma talks from this site in Western Australia. I found them through a blog that reportedly no longer exists???

Thurmon video

Here's a Bob Thurmon video.

media linking site

Here's an interesting media linking site. It's called Karmacino.

Beasty Boys

Reminsincing about Ajahn Cha

Some reminiscence on Ajahn Cha, by Tan Ajahn Jayasaro on YouTube. From there watch all 12 episodes, each one about 6 minutes.

A lovely new talk

I have an interest in the historical Buddha, even though in a way it's irrelevant to the higher spiritual reach. There's even the suggestion that the Buddha didn't leave his family, that might be mythical. Check the new talk out here.

point seven

Supposedly according to a new poll on religion in America, there are .7% Buddhists in America. Most were converts.

As usual Danny has a good post on it.

The actual survey is here.