Quitting Coffee

A Survey Of Buddhism, published by Windhorse Publishing, will turn 50 in 2007. I've begun my second reading of it.

If I were on a desert island, and could only take one secondary material book, I would take Survey of Buddhism. I think if I had 5 books, I would take the Middle Length Discourses, The Dhammapada, A Survey of Buddhism for sure. The other two would be difficult to choose, I'd like to take a Mahayana sutras, maybe the Bodhicaryavatara, and Ten Thousand Songs of Milarepa.

Through meditation, I've decided to quit coffee tomorrow. I've weaned myself down to 1 cup in the morning. With the use of wikihow, I looked up how to quit caffeine, and I've read that and girded myself for tomorrow.

News/opinion/retreat/travel

Ambedkar's death anniversary set off more activity in India, read all about it in the FWBO/TBMSG News.

An op-ed article in the NY Times suggests we should rebuild Nalanda.

I really wish I was going on a retreat at Aryaloka over Xmas. The NY Times has an article on retreats around the NYC area.

There's an article about traveling in Tibet in the travel section.

Sad Messages

Messages from people who died in 9/11 left on voice mail and answering machines:

"Honey. Something terrible is happening. I don't think I'm going to make it. I love you. Take care of the children."

"Hey, Jules. It's Brian. I'm on the plane and it's hijacked and it doesn't look good. I just wanted to let you know that I love you, and I hope to see you again. If I don't, please have fun in life, and live life the best you can. Know that I love you, and no matter what, I'll see you again."

"Mommy. The building is on fire. There's smoke coming through the walls. I can't breathe. I love you, Mommy. Good-bye."

"I love you a thousand times over and over. I love and need whatever decisions you make in your lives. I need you to be happy, and I will respect any decisions you make."

Excellent Blog

The atrocities in India against the Dalit community are reported in an excellent blog.

There's a wonderful new Buddhism and vegetarianism web site called Shabkar.org.

It's not dharma, but Jon Stewarts commencement speech is one of the funniest things I've read in a while.

I've greatly enjoyed Subhuti with Subhamati's book called Buddhism and Frindship, available at Windhorse. I am currently enjoying very much Sangharakshita's The Yogi's Joy.

a spiritual interpretation

I know Alison Krauss' song Maybe probably is about worldy romance, but the lines, "Tell me that I'm smart enough to deal with all the information/Spinning inside my head" could be a bit of a Buddhist teaching about our ability to truly see reality. Tagore's Gitanjali is not about worldy romance, it's about his love for God. Well, Buddhism is non-theistic, but it's inspired me to give a spiritual interpretation to the song Maybe. He in the song is the Buddha, and flying the coop, is about our mental habit of losing and not accepting the wisdom of the dharma. I suppose when you feel deeply into the dharma, everything is dharma. I'm not making any claims about my spiritual depth, I'm just talking about my ideals and hopeful focus.

BNN leads in conversion converage

I find the Buddhist News Network web site the most informative about what is going on in India. A recent article estimates that 2.5 million people have converted to Buddhism in India since Ambedkar's conversion 50 years ago.

The prison retreat was very good. I got to develop my friendship with Vajramati on the drive up and back, and in the inbetween times. Spending time with all those who participate was great. Of course the prisoners were interesting too, though I, out of propriety, didn't ask the question most on my mind--why were they there? It's a strong sangha in Concord. Bodhipoksha gave a good talk.

Singing The Diamond Sutra in English

Here's a site that sings the Diamond Sutra in English.

misc

An interesting map is about the spread and territory of Mahayana and Teravadan schools of buddhism.

I continue to enjoy Dhammarati's blog, he's got some interesting posts, including a summary of a discussion with Bante.

We've been studying the five spiritual faculties on sangha night.

In mitra study we're studying Know Your Mind by Sangharakashita, published by Windhorse. On my own I'm reading Bante's The Eternal Legacy. I've been feeling a little scattered in my studies, I wonder if I should just focus on one area. I listen to lovely free talks from Dharmachakra. And I suplament my reading by getting sutras off the web, by going to the Wikipedia article on the Diamond Sutra, for instance,and then priting out one of the free versions. I recently printed out the latest Chan Magazine.

There's a translation from the Chinese of the chapter in the Lankavatara Sutra about not eating meat. Also the Avatamsaka Sutra. I've discovered these looking up what is available on line reading The Eternal Legacy.

Bloggers and mass conversion

One blogger covers the mass conversion. But my hitherto favorite blogger is actually in India, and hasn't mentioned it at all. BNN, which collects articles on Buddhism into their web site, has had the best coverage and commentary on the 50th Anniversary of the mass conversion to Buddhism. Of course there are the special blogs previously linked, and Vishvapani has recently been on night radio in New Zealand.

Sign Me Up!

The next ordination retreat for me has been set! There a nice picture of some of the North American GFR mitras. That's me to the left of the Buddha, standing up.

A friend says that the weekend retreat I was just on led by Nagabodhi was very influenced by Breathworks.

I'd better stop writing here, and work on my monthly reporting in to the community of men who have asked for ordination in the FWBO.

I quite like the poems of Jane Kenyon. The poem linked has a sense of pratitya samutpada.

Retreat

I went up to Aryaloka with Alyssa. Also from NYC were Sita, Faye, and Andrew. Poor Trebor was snowed in, in Buffalo. Nagabodhi led the retreat, plus Amala and Khemavassika were there. It was a lovely retreat. I love it on so many levels: The people, the meditation, dharma talks, puja, nature, and even the food is lovely.

I think I've been to about 20 retreats up in Aryaloka over the past 4 years, but I never get enough of it, I cling to the experience, want more than life is giving me. It's hard to really describe what goes on, but threw being with other Buddhists, and being in the retreat atmosphere, you really feel something happening deep inside, even on a short weekend retreat.

Driving home we added in Andrew who works for Tricycle, writing an excellent blog, and is very much into Reginal Ray and has enjoyed many of his retreats.

Meanwhile in London England, the venerable Sangharakshita made a speech at the London Buddhist Center

Mass Conversion

As BNN reports, there is to be mass conversion on the 50th Anniversary of Ambedkar's origional conversion (I've lost the aritcle for now). I find this wonderful news. BNN also has some further analsyis.

Psychology Today Magazine

For me meditation is more than just an efficiency enhancer. But...

Psychology Today Magazine trumpets meditation!

Upcoming Anniversary of Ambedkar

As reported on the TBMSG/FWBO web site, Oct. 14th is the 50th anniversary of the conversion of Ambekdar to Buddhism. A special blog has been created to chronical the events and celebrations.

Elvis Costello

I was watching VH1 Classic, and they had a concert with Elvis Costello. His song What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding still gives me goose bumps. I think it's connected to the boddhisattva idea. Here are the lyrics:

As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity.

I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside,
There’s one thing I wanna know:
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?

And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

’Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?

So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

’Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?

Study NYC

http://www.tibethouse.org/directory/buddhist.html

We don't have a FWBO link here, but we do mitra study.

Also, there is a new Pali Cannon site.

Mind Book of the Year in the UK

As reported on FWBO/TBMSG News, Valerie Mason-John, or as we know her in the WBO Vimalasara, has won a literary award for her autobiographical novel Borrowed Body. This is a wonderful book. I didn't meet her when she was in New York City promoting it, but I had some friends get an autographed copy. I read the book and loved it. It's an excellent book, go out and get it, or order!

Bill Moyers and Pema Chodron

Bill Moyers and Pema Chodron have a good discussion on PBS

I caught some of this while trying to feed my two infants, and what I saw was quite good. I'm very interested in her notion of Shenpa. Quite interesting.

A fellow blogger gives a review of the show.

More Free Podcasts

Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe has 16 free podcasts, many Stephen Batchelor.

They're doing some good work in a prison in Concord New Hampshire, up at Aryaloka.

Clear Vision is an important right livelihood business, providing educational material for schools, and other DVDs and media.

dhammarati

dhammarati

The above is Dhammarati's blog. He led the last retreat I was on, I think he's awsome. I'm in the process of reading what so far are sad stories of complicated loss, in his blog from the beginning of the year.

I had a lovely retreat at Aryaloka. The retreat was the height of harmony, I had deep meditations, I continue to go deeper into the dharma, and the fellowship and communion with others was wonderful.

I'm posting monthly to Jalaka, so much of my writing energy about going for refuge has gone there.