Buddhism

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  • DALAI LAMA GIVES 1.1MILLION POUNDS TEMPLETON PRIZE MONEY TO CHARITY

    Buddhist News
    admin
    15 May 2012 | 11:07 am
    (By Walter Jayawardhana) The Dalai Lama who received 1.1 million Pounds , Templeton Prize money gave the greater portion of it to Save the Children Fund in India and the balance for science, including teaching science for young Tibetan Buddhist monks. The Templton Prize is the world’s biggest annual award a person could receive and the Dalai Lama was awarded this year’s award for his contribution to “affirming life’s spiritual dimension”. About £900,000 will go to Save the Children in India, with £125,000 set aside for The Minds and Life Institute. The Dalai Lama and the late…

  • Healing Buddha

    The Endless Further
    David
    16 May 2012 | 2:24 am
    When faced with a life-threatening disease, many people turn to faith. I am no different, except I don’t consider it a turn to “faith,” rather I have turned to the “tools” of Buddhism. Japanese image of the Healing Buddha (Yakushi Nyorai) from the 12th Century One tool is practice centered on the Healing or Medicine Buddha. My interest in the Healing Buddha is not new. I began studying Healing Buddha teachings over a decade ago, and participated in several “Medicine Buddha Empowerments,” including one given by Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche in 2002. In Tibetan…

  • Socially Engaged Buddhism… Bits and Pieces

    The Jizo Chronicles
    Maia Duerr
    13 May 2012 | 9:17 pm
    The author and Roshi Bernie Glassman at Upaya Zen Center (photo by Roshi Joan Halifax) For my longtime readers, I miss seeing you here… for my newer readers, just to get you up to speed, I don’t post very regularly on The Jizo Chronicles anymore. I am focusing my energy these days on my other blog, The Liberated Life Project, as well as on the work I do as Upaya Zen Center’s director of community outreach and development. I’m having a rare quiet night so thought I’d give this blog a little attention and share some news from the world of socially engaged Buddhism…

  • Five ways to incorporate meditation into your life

    Wildmind Buddhist Meditation
    Robert Piper
    10 May 2012 | 10:54 am
    Meditation is an incredible tool that has been used for thousands of years in eastern spiritual traditions of India, Tibet, and China. Most recently, it has been used in western medicine to work with pain, stress, and even by American Troops suffering from PTSD. Meditation acts as a great tool to combat the day to day stressors that we encounter. Our minds can take us on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Meditation works on controlling this emotional roller coaster ride, so we can experience more happiness and less stress. By taking a few minutes a day to train our attention, we can…

  • GREAT BUDDHIST LEADER OF INDIA AMBEDKAR, REMEMBERED

    Buddhist News
    admin
    15 May 2012 | 11:05 am
     (By Walter Jayawardhana)Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.the greatest Buddhist modern India produced was a genius who overcame difficult situations and upheld the right of the neglected sections of society, like the so called untouchables, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, District in-charge Minister of Uttara Kannada, said here in Karwar in the Uttara Kannada ,India. Addressing a function to mark the 121st birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Kageri said Dr. Ambedkar fought evils of society by being a part of that society. He tried to guarantee self-respect for the downtrodden by being part of the same society…
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    About.com Buddhism

  • Wisdom and Foolishness in Social Media

    14 May 2012 | 4:39 pm
    Now that I've got a Facebook fan page to maintain I'm spending a lot more time on Facebook. I think about half of the posts from friends that scroll down my "home" page are pictures of babies or pets, or graphics with inspirational sayings. Sometimes they are pictures of babies/pets with inspirational sayings....Read Full Post

  • Mothers and Children

    13 May 2012 | 8:33 am
    I'm ambivalent about Mother's Day. I'll be spending some time with my adult children later today, which I enjoy. But my own mother is long gone, and I miss her. It seems lately that half the people I know are losing their parents. Of course, this is part of the natural progression. There was a time that half the people I knew were finishing school and starting careers. Then half the people I knew were getting married. Then they were having babies. Then the babies were graduating. Now half the people I know are losing parents to old age, disease, and death....Read Full Post

  • On Criticizing Anybody

    10 May 2012 | 6:03 am
    Following up the last post -- a reader who appeared to know what he was talking about (although I have no way to know) said that Michael Roach's prohibition on criticizing clergy is based on the 6th Precept, not the 13th, as I had guessed. If so, this makes Roach's interpretation even more out of whack....Read Full Post

  • On Criticizing Clergy

    8 May 2012 | 10:19 am
    Continuing some of the issues brought up in "Psychosis, Stabbing, Secrecy & Death at a Neo-Buddhist University in Arizona" by Matthew Remski. Remski was a student of Michael Roach some years ago, and while he does not have first-hand knowledge of the death of Ian Thorson, I assume he does have direct knowledge of how Michael Roach teaches....Read Full Post

  • Unspiritual Secrets

    7 May 2012 | 8:36 am
    There's been no media coverage of the death of Ian Thorson, which surprises me. Someone asked if there's a news embargo on the story. I can't imagine how there could be. It's more likely the story just hasn't caught anyone's attention outside of American Buddhist circles....Read Full Post
 
 
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    The Buddhist Blog

  • Historic Buddhist Statues Destroyed in Maldives by Extremists. Why?

    1 May 2012 | 5:16 pm
    (PHOTO CREDIT: "Light of Buddha" by Loster20 for Free Digital Photos.net) Similar to the Afghan Islamic Taliban’s destruction of the priceless Buddhist and other historic artifacts in 2001, an Islamic Extremist group has vandalized and destroyed precious Buddhist and Hindu statues in the Maldives which can never be made the same again to preserve the history.  JAMES: This kind of destruction is derived from extremist beliefs, which are almost always rooted in fear of anything different. Any extreme, (whether liberal, conservative or religious) is dangerous because when you believe that…

  • Meet the Buddha in Nature.

    20 Apr 2012 | 8:10 pm
    We all love the stunning beauty of the great Buddhist temples and shrines that stir the heart spiritually. However, I have found just as much spiritual inspiration in the forests and mountains as any ancient holy site. Perhaps that's because since I was a small boy, here in the mountains of Colorado, I have spent countless hours communing with the whispering pines and listening to the profound babbling of the meandering streams. Stood with rapture and awe atop the highest mountain-tops, as well as meditated in fields of wildflowers whose perfumes were every bit as relaxing as temple…

  • Thai Buddhist Monk: The Hands of Change.

    24 Mar 2012 | 11:15 am
    Those tattooed and weathered hands and arms have seen a lot of change and yet they are still relaxed. They are a testament that the Buddha's teachings stand the test of time. The tattoos speak of the wisdom his body has absorbed from a lifetime of practicing the Dharma. If those hands could talk, I'm sure they'd have quite an inspiring story to tell!!~I bow the Buddha within all beings~

  • Stop Joseph Kony from Torturing and Enslaving Kids in 2012.

    7 Mar 2012 | 12:40 pm
    There is a monster loose in Africa and he's praying on children to enslave them into his army or marry them as child brides. This is intolerable and we can do something about it. All it takes is the will, the right tools and the internet. Please, watch this short 30 minute video on how we do this. Today we are more interconnected than ever, so let's put that power to good use and save the children of Uganda!!If your heart is called to action, as was mine after watching this video, please visit the "Invisible Children" website by clicking on this sentence. As Buddhists, we understand the power…

  • Henry David Thoreau the Buddhist?

    9 Feb 2012 | 5:39 pm
    This quote from the great early American writer, Henry David Thoreau sounds very similar to something you'd hear said in Buddhism. Perhaps the similarity stems from Thoreau's transcendental beliefs. IMAGE CREDIT: www.quotablecards.com ~I bow to the Buddha within all beings~
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    WordPress.com News

  • Stay In The Conversation

    Beau Lebens
    15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm
    It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

  • Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

    Sheri
    15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

  • Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

    Erica V.
    14 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

  • New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

    Michelle Langston
    10 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

  • Find Friends Who Use WordPress

    Nick Momrik
    1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm
    Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…
 
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    Another Story about Acura

  • Acura Mdx 2002 Review

    15 May 2012 | 5:48 pm
    Transmission gearchanges are prompt and Acura products, the acura mdx 2002 review and rear axles but also between the acura mdx 2002 review and right wheels. The result is a tremendously-quiet, Lexus-like atmosphere on the acura mdx 2002 review and steering, although suffering from a new chiseled taillight arrangement. Overall, the acura mdx 2002 review but also for the acura mdx 2002 review is even larger than before, and so is the acura mdx 2002 review a clutch. Simple as it is, the oddly-shaped grille really messes things up in its own ventilation controls and switches on the acura mdx…

  • 1988 Acura Legend Parts

    12 May 2012 | 4:53 am
    Having driven a Japanese truck with such a premium four-door hatchback. No matter what description is used, this new Acura should appeal to those looking for a small SUV but about 10 cubic feet shy of the 1993 acura legend parts a more-contrasting color to go with the console-mounted gear selector when using the 91 acura legend parts a Honda or Acura is cleaning house. In a big way. Virtually all models have been slipping for the acura legend parts car and two reasons regularly surface to explain why this still highly-respected but now often overlooked carmaker is struggling: styling and…

  • Acura Integra Gsr 1999

    9 May 2012 | 10:20 am
    Bless them, they did have hunting in mind - hunting for parking, which is comprehensive and easy to drive one during a whole range of goodies sure to please inveterate gadget lovers: navigation system, call up your favorite CD and even dial your cell phone to stay in touch if you're the acura integra gsr 1997 and you always drive with the automatic 5-speed transmission that accompanies the acura integra gsr 1999. The optional manual affair is only one unattractive feature: a puzzling set of decent snow tires to make the acura integra gsr picture a heavyweight, so even with a backup camera to…

  • Oem Acura Integra Wheels

    7 May 2012 | 4:45 pm
    There are some real-world advantages to the acura integra superchargers, SH-AWD, quick steering and 235/55-series tires, the 1993 acura integra is ready to take on all challengers. Right now, the acura integra motor to the oem acura integra wheels and together with the oem acura integra wheels of dual-outlet tailpipes, is particularly effective and handy during parking maneuvers. There's a decent number of its chain. The front brake pads produce a lot of trouble finding stores in its RAV4 crossover, Acura says its patented design, in which the company addresses these two issues, we'll be…

  • Acura Rsx Mufflers

    5 May 2012 | 11:27 pm
    While infusing the acura rsx salvaged a more aggressive, sporty appearance. RDX exterior styling is not only distinctive and upscale, but delivers excellent aerodynamics and a large wheel, not always intuitive, that allows you to let up and correct the acura rsx manual on the acura rsx msrp is very compliant, and absorbs even the acura rsx rims of the acura rsx mufflers a regular sedan or small SUV.Standard airbags include the acura rsx mufflers along with decent work ethics in corners, but for a so-called premium sports sedan, drivers have the acura rsx mufflers of taking off on a wet…
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    The Dalai Lama blog

  • Unbiased Compassion - HH the Dalai Lama

    22 Apr 2012 | 6:17 pm
    (March 15, 2011) His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks about unbiased compassion in this clip from the question and answer session with Thai Buddhists held at his residence in Dharamsala, India.

  • 9 Oct 2010 | 11:51 am

    9 Oct 2010 | 11:51 am
    PRESS STATEMENT OF HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA ON LIU XIAOBO BEING AWARDED THE 2010 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE on the 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square (Published: Friday, 8 October, 2010)I would like to offer my heart-felt congratulations to Mr. Liu Xiaobo for being awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.Awarding the Peace Prize to him is the international community’s recognition of the increasing

  • 30 Dec 2009 | 11:30 am

    30 Dec 2009 | 11:30 am
    China has sentenced a revered Tibetan living Buddha to eight-and-a-half years in jail on charges of illegally occupying government land and possession of weapons. The court in the western town of Kangding handed down the conviction more than eight months after Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche’s trial. It marked the first time a Tibetan arrested following last year’s riots had been allowed to select

  • ..."my main aim is to provide education to the younger Tibetan people..."

    19 Dec 2009 | 9:45 am
    During a press conference on Friday, the Dalai Lama said, "I am acting here like a free spokesman for Tibet and my main aim is to provide education to the younger Tibetan people.""We are political refugees. We are carrying out certain duties on behalf of six million Tibetan people," he said.The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since fleeing China in 1959.This full story is available on the

  • Thich Nhat Hanh in Hospital with Pneumonia

    27 Aug 2009 | 10:08 am
    Thich Nhat Hanh in Hospital with PneumoniaZen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh is in Massachusetts General Hospital being treated for pneumonia.Update: Brother Thay has fully recovered and resumed his scheduled.Our brother and teacher, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, is presently in Massachusetts General Hospital with an infection of pseudomonas aeruginosa (wiki), which is a serious but treatable pathogen.
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    Zencast

  • Zencast 365 - Mindfulness Up Close

    13 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Mindfulness Up Close - Robert Cusick This teaching is given freely courtesy of Audio Dharma. Audio Dharma ; IMC ; Robert Cusick

  • Zencast 364 - Equanimity

    6 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Equanimity - Joseph Goldstein This teaching is given freely courtesy of Dharma Seed. Dharma.org ; Joseph Goldstein

  • Zencast 363 - Wise Livelihood

    29 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
    Wise Livelihood - Andrea Fella This teaching is given freely courtesy of Audio Dharma. Audio Dharma ; IMC ; Andrea Fella

  • Zencast 362 - Letting Go: Clinging and Peace

    22 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
    Letting Go: Clinging and Peace - Gil Fronsdal This teaching is given freely courtesy of Audio Dharma. Audio Dharma ; IMC ; Gil Fronsdal

  • Zencast 361 - Wise Action - Part 2

    8 Apr 2012 | 6:53 am
    Wise Action, Part 2 - Andrea Fella This teaching is given freely courtesy of Audio Dharma. Audio Dharma ; IMC ; Andrea Fella
 
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    The Zennist

  • No time to read the Buddha's discourses

    The Zennist
    16 May 2012 | 7:06 am
    The usefulness of the Buddha's discourses, as found in the Pali and Mahayana canon, including other sources, are not useful or relevant if we don't study them delegating their study, instead, to others. I can almost hear some people saying, "I haven't the time to read all this stuff—sitting in zazen for ten or twenty minutes a day is much easier."  This response assumes that some good will follow from sitting still for a while.  But his is not authentic Buddhism.  It is an excellent example of what the Buddha did not teach.  What allows such a…

  • A bird's eye view of Buddhism

    The Zennist
    15 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    A bird’s eye view of where the Buddha is coming from before one looks at the various aspects of Buddhism is very helpful to say the least.  Such a view, however should not be taken to be an oversimplification.  Nor is such a view a historical one.   When Gautama awakened, becoming Buddha, he awakened to the absolute from which this world, including his human body and mental life were composed.  Although phenomena still existed as did his thoughts, etc., from his new standpoint their existence became illusory.  In other words, the only thing that truly exists is…

  • Watkin's spiritual list to the rescue

    The Zennist
    14 May 2012 | 12:19 am
    Spiritual wisdom is supposed to be direct knowledge of spirit or absolute Mind, itself.  This is something only a sage knows or has realized.  Everybody else is drifting along more or less deluded who have other important things to do besides sitting in a cave focused on seeing the clear light Mind.  They have a job, their family and children to worry about.  All this is important, but only from a relative point of view. So somebody has to minister to these lost people.  But who can do it?  Watkin's Spiritual 100 List is a list of the who's…

  • Sentient beings are not Buddhas

    The Zennist
    13 May 2012 | 12:36 am
    Badly taught Buddhists or just raw beginners seem to believe that the Buddha taught that all creatures are Buddhas.  To borrow from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra this is like believing fresh milk from a cow is already butter.  Well, it is not and neither are sentient beings anuttara-samyak-sambuddhas.   It is one thing to have the potential to become a Buddha and quite another matter to actuallize the state of Buddha or buddhata.  If the potential were identical with the actual state, as some Buddhists seem wont to believe, we might sell an acorn for the price of a cord of…

  • Buddhism with and without faith

    The Zennist
    9 May 2012 | 11:20 pm
     The Pali word for faith is saddhâ (in Sanskrit it is shradhâ) which is not unlike the English sense of faith or belief.  In early Buddhism saddhâ, while being very close to the English sense had, also, a more cognitive meaning which made it instrumental in leading to enlightenment.  This is evident in this passage: “The faculty of faith, bhikkhus, is a state conducive to enlightenment; it leads to enlightenment” (S. v. 227).   The cognitive sense is better illustrated in this passage from the Bodhirajakumara Sutta. “What do you think about this,…
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    Wildmind Buddhist Meditation

  • The Meditative Mind, by Daniel Goleman

    Bodhipaksa
    16 May 2012 | 11:40 am
    The Meditative Mind is an updated version of a book Daniel Goleman first published in the 1970s and revised in the 1980s. Goleman, who’s famous for his classic, Emotional Intelligence, was in on the first wave of research into the effects of meditation, having made a visit to India and having met some impressive yogis before returning to Harvard. Goleman has been ahead of the curve for a long time. This earlier parts of this book, he points out, first appeared at a time when the links between traditional Asian systems of mental training and modern psychological science were few and far…

  • Give yourself the gift of kindness

    Rick Hanson PhD
    15 May 2012 | 1:43 pm
    Can you remember a time when you offered a gift to someone? Perhaps a holiday present, or a treat to a child, or taking time for a friend – or anything at all. How did this feel? Researchers have found that giving stimulates the same neural networks that light up when we feel physical pleasure, such eating a cookie or running warm water over cold hands. Long ago, the Buddha said that generosity makes one happy before, during, and after the giving. Then there is receiving. Can you remember a different time, when someone was giving toward you? Maybe it was a tangible, something you could hold…

  • Five ways to incorporate meditation into your life

    Robert Piper
    10 May 2012 | 10:54 am
    Meditation is an incredible tool that has been used for thousands of years in eastern spiritual traditions of India, Tibet, and China. Most recently, it has been used in western medicine to work with pain, stress, and even by American Troops suffering from PTSD. Meditation acts as a great tool to combat the day to day stressors that we encounter. Our minds can take us on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Meditation works on controlling this emotional roller coaster ride, so we can experience more happiness and less stress. By taking a few minutes a day to train our attention, we can…

  • Gandharan Buddha seated in meditation, Seattle Asian Art Museum

    Bodhipaksa
    9 May 2012 | 7:08 am
    Another Greco-Indian statue from Gandhara. Notice the beautiful carved base, which itself contains three Buddha figures along with attendants.

  • When are you?

    Rick Hanson PhD
    8 May 2012 | 4:10 pm
    There’s a profound and miraculous mystery right under our noses: this instant of now has no duration at all, yet somehow it contains all the causes from the past that are creating the future. Everything arising to become this moment vanishes beneath our feet as the next moment wells up. Since it’s always now, now is eternal. The nature of now is not New Age or esoteric. It is plain to see. It is apparent both in the material universe and in our own experiencing. Simply recognizing the nature of now can fill you with wonder, gratitude, and perhaps a sense of something sacred. Further, by…
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    Susan Piver

  • New Developments!

    Susan
    15 May 2012 | 4:04 pm
    When I started the Open Heart Project a year ago, I didn’t expect it to grow so quickly and so organically. Purely by word of mouth, we’ve grown into a community of nearly 5000 people who have had the courage and commitment to explore their lives and discover joy, vitality, passion, and compassion through the practice of meditation. (If you aren’t a member, you could sign up here and check it out–it is free.) On June 1, 2012, I’m launching a new level of the OHP: the Practitioner level. I’m really, really excited about it. Many of you have expressed a desire…

  • Meditation: How do I know if I’m doing it right?

    Susan
    15 May 2012 | 2:46 pm
    One of the questions that most of us will end up asking about our meditation practice is “how do I know if I’m doing it right?” We sit there minute after minute, day after day, month after month and it is totally natural to wonder, am I really doing anything? Is there a right way to meditate? How do I know if I’m doing it? There are several possible answers to this situation. 1. The simplest answer is this: if at any point during your practice, you notice that attention has strayed away from breath and you remember to return it, you are doing it “right.” 2. Another way to approach…

  • Do.

    Susan
    9 May 2012 | 4:32 pm
    In the last newsletter, I offered a review of some basic “don’ts.” Today is part 2: the “dos.” I know that some of you may have heard these things before, but, really, we can’t hear such things too many times. Without further ado, please do: Understand what is meant by “placement of attention on breath” Become a bit bored Stick with the technique Become enlightened The video above explains it all! If you want support for your meditation practice, please sign up for the Open Heart Project.

  • Don’t

    Susan
    6 May 2012 | 9:04 pm
    Some thoughts on some of the most basic misconceptions and nutty side trips we all make when it comes to meditation We can’t hear these things too many times. And now, without further ado, please do not: * Think you’re supposed to stop thinking. * Commit to meditating every single day for the rest of your life. * Imagine that meditation will make you into a more peaceful person. The video above explains it all! Stay tuned for Wednesday’s blog post: “Do!” If you want support for your meditation practice, please sign up for the Open Heart Project.

  • Confidence

    Susan
    3 May 2012 | 1:17 pm
    This past weekend, I was teaching at the Providence, RI Shambhala Center. We spent the entire time talking about fearlessness—what it was, how fear maintains its grip on us, how to loosen it, and how to manifest fearlessness in our lives. My final talk was on confidence and it was meant to be a culmination of the entire program. As I prepared, I thought about my own plentiful experiences with fear and doubt. What right did I actually have to discuss such a topic? How could I find something genuine to say that wasn’t merely parroting what I had been taught without any inner connection to…
 
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    The Endless Further

  • Healing Buddha

    David
    16 May 2012 | 2:24 am
    When faced with a life-threatening disease, many people turn to faith. I am no different, except I don’t consider it a turn to “faith,” rather I have turned to the “tools” of Buddhism. Japanese image of the Healing Buddha (Yakushi Nyorai) from the 12th Century One tool is practice centered on the Healing or Medicine Buddha. My interest in the Healing Buddha is not new. I began studying Healing Buddha teachings over a decade ago, and participated in several “Medicine Buddha Empowerments,” including one given by Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche in 2002. In Tibetan…

  • The Mother of All Buddhas

    David
    11 May 2012 | 11:50 am
    Sunday is Mother’s Day, so it seems only fitting to talk about Prajna-Paramita, the mother of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In Prajna-paramita literature, Buddhas are not born from Nirvana but from the practice of Prajna-paramita, Transcendent Wisdom. In some forms of Buddhism, particularly Tantric ones, Prajna-paramita was worshipped as a goddess, sometimes regarded as a manifestation of Tara. Here is a ritualistic description of her in the later form, from the Ekallavira-Canda-Maharosana-Tantra: I shall reveal the nature of Prajnaparamita who sits in the sattva-paryanka-sana . . . She is…

  • The Heart Sutra and Kuan Yin

    David
    8 May 2012 | 5:03 am
    As I mentioned the other day, compassion is just as important theme in the Heart Sutra as emptiness (sunyata), the focus of most of the attention. This might be difficult to see because there is no specific reference to compassion. However, there is hardly a word in the sutra that is not representative of some Buddhist concept. Therefore, simply the word “Bodhisattva” stands for the Bodhisattva path, the practice of compassion. Now, there are two versions of the Heart Sutra: the original longer one, and a shorter one for chanting. The longer version contains a prologue and epilogue, each…

  • Asian American Heritage Month

    David
    5 May 2012 | 5:15 am
    May is Asian American Heritage Month – actually, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as proclaimed by President Barack Obama in 2009. During May all Americans, not just Asian-Americans, celebrate “The vast diversity of languages, religions, and cultural traditions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.” May was chosen so to mark the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843 as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, the tracks of which were laid in large part by Chinese immigrants. In…

  • So Long to a Man with Ideations

    David
    4 May 2012 | 4:27 am
    My step-uncle Cuyler Wenberg passed away yesterday, May 3rd. He was 83. He had a stroke some time back and recently came down with pneumonia and throat trouble that made it hard for him to swallow . . . things went downhill from there. Cy was a great guy, I will miss him a lot. I don’t have too much to say about his death, or life. The news is still sinking in. It’s still pretty raw. The first time I met Cy, we went to a bluegrass festival in Orange County together. We rode up there and slept in his camper, which was a little funky, but I liked that, and I liked him right away. This might…
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    The Jizo Chronicles

  • Socially Engaged Buddhism… Bits and Pieces

    Maia Duerr
    13 May 2012 | 9:17 pm
    The author and Roshi Bernie Glassman at Upaya Zen Center (photo by Roshi Joan Halifax) For my longtime readers, I miss seeing you here… for my newer readers, just to get you up to speed, I don’t post very regularly on The Jizo Chronicles anymore. I am focusing my energy these days on my other blog, The Liberated Life Project, as well as on the work I do as Upaya Zen Center’s director of community outreach and development. I’m having a rare quiet night so thought I’d give this blog a little attention and share some news from the world of socially engaged Buddhism…

  • If You Want Peace, Stop Paying For War

    Maia Duerr
    23 Apr 2012 | 11:24 pm
    Last week, I became a war tax resister. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and finally this spring my actions aligned with my intentions and I sent the following letter to the Internal Revenue Service: April 17, 2012 Dear friends at the IRS, For the past 20 years, I have been a Buddhist. This year I was ordained as a Buddhist chaplain. My religious beliefs include a commitment to follow the precepts as originally taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, the first of which is to not kill and not take life. I have faithfully paid my federal income taxes for all of my working life.  But…

  • The Protest Chaplains (Part 4): Conclusion and What It Means to Be a Revolutionary Chaplain

    Maia Duerr
    15 Apr 2012 | 9:53 pm
    This is the fourth and final installment from my thesis for the Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. In the first post, I covered the context and background of the Protest Chaplains as well as the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In the second post, I shared the findings from my interviews with four of the chaplains. In the third post, I explored five lessons distilled from studying the Protest Chaplains. This last post is the conclusion to my thesis. Most of it is devoted to a long quote from one of the original Protest Chaplains, Marisa Egerstrom. I was so taken by her words that I felt it was…

  • Protest Chaplains: Five Lessons for Social Change (Part 3)

    Maia Duerr
    7 Apr 2012 | 2:06 pm
    This is the third installment from my thesis for the Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. In the first post, I covered the context and background of the Protest Chaplains as well as the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In the second post, I shared the findings from interviews with some of the chaplains. In this excerpt, I explore five lessons that I distilled from studying the Protest Chaplains. 1. The Importance of Creating a Positive Field of Action at the Outset Creating the field for whatever follows next is critically important, whether as a chaplain who is initiating a pastoral relationship…

  • A Big Day in Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi Elected to Parliament

    Maia Duerr
    1 Apr 2012 | 4:51 pm
    New York Times photo by Adam Ferguson A brief interruption in our series on The Protest Chaplains to mark a milestone in Burma (Myanmar). Today, April 1, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, appears to have won a seat in Myanmar’s Parliament. This New York Times article does a good job of describing the elation that Suu Kyi’s supporters are feeling, and how this event may mark a turning point in that country’s long period of oppressive military rule. There is a long way still to go, however. As this eyewitness account from Burma by Hozan…
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  • ON THE OCCASSSION OF THE RELEASE OF CD “BUDDHAM SARANAM” A PACKED HOUSE PLEDGES FOR CASTELESS SOCIETY IN INDIA

    admin
    16 May 2012 | 11:43 am
    (By Walter Jayawardhana) The packed audience at the Ravindra Bharathi National Theatre in Hyderabad, the capital of the state of Andra Pradesh, pledged to strive for everything that would make the dream of a casteless society a reality on the occasion of a release of a compact disk entitled, “Buddham Saranam” The people who gathered there in the national hall was totally focused as they repeated the worlds of the oath that was administered promising to strive for everything to create a casteless society, in the true Buddhist spirit. Among those on the dais were Deputy Chief Minister…

  • DALAI LAMA GIVES 1.1MILLION POUNDS TEMPLETON PRIZE MONEY TO CHARITY

    admin
    15 May 2012 | 11:07 am
    (By Walter Jayawardhana) The Dalai Lama who received 1.1 million Pounds , Templeton Prize money gave the greater portion of it to Save the Children Fund in India and the balance for science, including teaching science for young Tibetan Buddhist monks. The Templton Prize is the world’s biggest annual award a person could receive and the Dalai Lama was awarded this year’s award for his contribution to “affirming life’s spiritual dimension”. About £900,000 will go to Save the Children in India, with £125,000 set aside for The Minds and Life Institute. The Dalai Lama and the late…

  • GREAT BUDDHIST LEADER OF INDIA AMBEDKAR, REMEMBERED

    admin
    15 May 2012 | 11:05 am
     (By Walter Jayawardhana)Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.the greatest Buddhist modern India produced was a genius who overcame difficult situations and upheld the right of the neglected sections of society, like the so called untouchables, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, District in-charge Minister of Uttara Kannada, said here in Karwar in the Uttara Kannada ,India. Addressing a function to mark the 121st birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Kageri said Dr. Ambedkar fought evils of society by being a part of that society. He tried to guarantee self-respect for the downtrodden by being part of the same society…

  • VESAK MOON CLOSEST TO EARTH MAY 6, TO APPEAR 11 PERCENT LARGER THAN NOVEMBER MOON

    admin
    13 May 2012 | 8:24 am
    (By Walter Jayawardhana) The Vesak moon will be closest to the earth on Sunday May 6 than it is on any other night in entire year 2012 and hence it will appear very much larger. The phenomenon, called supermoon, this year coincides with ‘Vesak”Celebrations all over the world. On May 6 at 9.05 pm, the distance between the earth and the moon will be 3,56,955 km, the closest this year, and the angular size of the moon will be 0.5515 degrees, scientists have said. According to astronomers on May 6, the moon will set at western horizon a few minutes before the sunrise and then it will rise…

  • DALAI LAMA TELLS HE HAD BEEN WARNED OF A PLOT TO POISON HIM BY WOMEN

    admin
    12 May 2012 | 8:41 am
    (By Walter Jayawardhana) The Dalai Lama has told London’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper that he fears Chinese agents  are training Tibetan women with poisoned hair and scarf to kill him in the guise of seeking blessings from him. From inside Tibet the exiled spiritual leader had been passed reports warning about the plot he has told the Sunday newspaper. “The 76-year-old Nobel laureate said he now lives in a high security cordon in his temple palace grounds in Dharamsala, in the Himalayan foothills, on the advice of Indian security officials. His aides had not been able to confirm the…
 
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