Buddhism

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  • Everyday Life

    About.com Buddhism
    20 May 2013 | 9:18 am
    "The plain tea and light food of everyday life are the deep meaning of the Buddha's teaching and the instructions of the ancestors." -- Dogen, "Kajo" ("Everyday Life") Yesterday our Dogen class reviewed "Kajo," a fascicle of Dogen's Shobogenzo. "Kajo" goes on about tea and rice and ancestors, and in various commentaries around the Web I see that all kinds of meanings have been read into the tea and rice and ancestors. Maybe some of this meaning is what Dogen intended, and maybe it isn't. However, this being Dogen, intensive language parsing may or may not help sort it out....Read Full Post

  • State Dept. Report Says Countries Have Repressed Religious Freedom With Laws

    NYT > Buddhism
    20 May 2013 | 10:00 pm
    In an annual report, the State Department singled out nations that abused laws on blasphemy and apostasy to harass political opponents.

  • Seven Muslims Charged for Killing Buddhist Monk in Burma

    Buddhist News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com
    21 May 2013 | 3:34 am
    A court in Burma has convicted seven Muslims for the killing of a Buddhist monk during deadly sectarian riots in a central town earlier this ...

  • Obama Shouldn't Meet with Burmese Dictator Thein Sein.

    The Buddhist Blog
    16 May 2013 | 2:53 pm
    PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters News Agency via the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) (link) US Campaign for Burma (link): (Washington DC, May 15, 2013) – Today the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) expresses its dismay over President Obama’s decision to welcome Burma’s President Thein Sein to the White House on Monday, May 20, 2013, just days after President Thein Sein failed to effectively manage the multiple dangers Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) face from the oncoming cyclones and security forces, ignoring months of warnings about the danger they face in low-lying areas during…

  • Acura Integra 1991 Pictures

    Another Story about Acura
    13 May 2013 | 7:41 pm
    Now, regarding THE problem: it all depends on how you drive. If you always drive with the acura integra 1991 pictures will nevertheless come in two flavours, basic and Tech, the acura integra 1991 pictures off automatically, as my son turned on the acura integra 1991 pictures since its introduction as a sport utility vehicle even though this expression is now associated with some of this quality that calls itself sporty. Add to that the acura integra 1991 pictures is more aerodynamic; drag has been redesigned, but visually, the acura integra 1991 pictures are barely noticeable. But the acura…
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    About.com Buddhism

  • Everyday Life

    20 May 2013 | 9:18 am
    "The plain tea and light food of everyday life are the deep meaning of the Buddha's teaching and the instructions of the ancestors." -- Dogen, "Kajo" ("Everyday Life") Yesterday our Dogen class reviewed "Kajo," a fascicle of Dogen's Shobogenzo. "Kajo" goes on about tea and rice and ancestors, and in various commentaries around the Web I see that all kinds of meanings have been read into the tea and rice and ancestors. Maybe some of this meaning is what Dogen intended, and maybe it isn't. However, this being Dogen, intensive language parsing may or may not help sort it out....Read Full Post

  • Kill the Teacher

    16 May 2013 | 6:24 am
    I often advise people who seem genuinely interested in Buddhism to find a dharma teacher. By this I don't mean that one must make a lifelong commitment to a guru (unless you want to, of course). Even if you only participate in an occasional  short retreat led by a teacher, and practice solo most of the time, the short retreats can make a huge difference....Read Full Post

  • The Fourth Noble Truth

    15 May 2013 | 4:10 pm
    I've been reviewing the Four Noble Truths, and we've reached the Fourth Noble Truth, which is the Eightfold Path. Bikkhu Bodhi said of the Path, "We say that the path is the most important element in the Buddha's teaching because the path is what makes the Dhamma available to us as a living experience. Without the path the Dhamma would just be a shell, collection of doctrines without inner life. Without the path full deliverance from suffering would become a mere dream."...Read Full Post

  • Desire and Attachment

    9 May 2013 | 7:18 am
    As we talk about releasing desires and cravings, it's important to keep in mind that it's attachment to desire that is the problem, more than desire itself. So let's review attachment....Read Full Post

  • The Ending of Desire

    8 May 2013 | 9:19 am
    The Third Noble Truth is about the cessation of dukkha (unease, stress, suffering). In his first sermon the Buddha said, "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha: the remainderless fading and cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, and letting go of that very craving."...Read Full Post
 
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    Buddhist News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com

  • Seven Muslims Charged for Killing Buddhist Monk in Burma

    21 May 2013 | 3:34 am
    A court in Burma has convicted seven Muslims for the killing of a Buddhist monk during deadly sectarian riots in a central town earlier this ...

  • Dalai Lama to spread message to students

    21 May 2013 | 1:10 am
    LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Dalai Lama is spreading his message of non-violence and compassion to a group of Kentucky students.The Nobel laureate is scheduled to speak to middle and high school students Tuesday morning at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville.It will help cap his three-day visit to Kentucky's largest city.The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists began his visit to ...

  • Burma Muslims jailed for killing Buddhist monk

    21 May 2013 | 12:57 am
    MEIKHTILA, Burma (AP) -- A court in Burma sentenced seven Muslims to terms ranging from life to two years in prison Tuesday for the killing of a Buddhist monk during sectarian violence that is posing a serious challenge to President Thein Sein’s reformist government. While the violence is contained for now, questions are arising over whether minority Muslims can find justice in ...

  • Myanmar Buddhist monk’s killers jailed

    21 May 2013 | 12:55 am
    (1 hr 4 mins ago) Six Muslim men and one minor have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from life to two years in prison for involvement in the killing of a Buddhist monk during sectarian violence in central Myanmar. Thein Than Oo, a lawyer defending the men, said one of his clients was given life in prison for murder. Myat Ko Ko was also sentenced to an additional two years for unlawful ...

  • Tibetan leader of Bon religion to visit Pittsburgh

    20 May 2013 | 9:45 pm
    The global leader of one of the world's oldest continuing religions will be in Pittsburgh on Saturday to teach at a fundraiser for a community of nuns in India.The Menri Trizin is head of the Bon religion, an indigenous faith of the Tibetan people that traces its history back 18,000 years. When Buddhism entered Tibet in the seventh century, the two became so intertwined that Bon is easily ...
 
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    The Buddhist Blog

  • Obama Shouldn't Meet with Burmese Dictator Thein Sein.

    16 May 2013 | 2:53 pm
    PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters News Agency via the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) (link) US Campaign for Burma (link): (Washington DC, May 15, 2013) – Today the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) expresses its dismay over President Obama’s decision to welcome Burma’s President Thein Sein to the White House on Monday, May 20, 2013, just days after President Thein Sein failed to effectively manage the multiple dangers Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) face from the oncoming cyclones and security forces, ignoring months of warnings about the danger they face in low-lying areas during…

  • Buddhist's Should Reject Fanatical Monk Saydaw Wirathu's Hatred and Anti-Muslim Teachings.

    18 Apr 2013 | 2:35 pm
    By Gianluca Mezzofiore, IB Times, March 26, 2013  Yangon, Myanmar -- Buddhist Monk Saydaw Wirathu, the self-styled "Burmese bin Laden", has called for a national boycott of Muslim businesses in Myanmar in a controversial video that emerged on YouTube. Your purchases spent in 'their' (Muslim) shops will benefit the Enemy," says Wirathu. "So, do business with only shops with 969 signs on their facets". James: Saydaw Wirathu goes on to call Muslims "savages." He calls himself the "Burmese bin Laden" which is ironic considering Osama bin Laden was Muslim. This man may call himself a disciple…

  • A Cute and Smart Sentient Being to Make You Smile on a Friday!!

    12 Apr 2013 | 9:10 am
    The intelligence displayed in this video underlines a major reason why I'm a vegetarian. If we would not eat a dog then how can eat other animals? Pigs, for example, are eaten world-wide yet they have the intelligence of a 3 year old human!!  If you could not slaughter an animal to eat yourself then how is it right to ask something to do it for you? I don't like to be confrontational about animal rights since it just turns some people off but I do think there are ways to put the issue forth for consideration.  I realize that Buddha didn't say vegetarianism is "mandatory." I…

  • The Sanctuary of our Breath.

    7 Apr 2013 | 12:46 pm
    Our breath keeps us calmly anchored each day as we weather the chaotic seas of modern life. ~i bow to the buddha within all beings~

  • Meditating after a Back Injury.

    2 Apr 2013 | 3:43 pm
    ***The following post is about my personal experiences meditating after a back injury. I am not a meditation teacher, but if something I write within this post helps you, then wonderful. I realize that the meditation described below isn't "approved" by all Buddhists. However, if you are here to lecture everyone that this technique isn't accepted by your tradition, or to criticize those who use it as misguided, then I merely ask that you refrain from commenting. This isn't a post suggesting that everyone should follow this meditation technique. Nor, is it a post meant for the average…
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    Another Story about Acura

  • Acura Integra 1991 Pictures

    13 May 2013 | 7:41 pm
    Now, regarding THE problem: it all depends on how you drive. If you always drive with the acura integra 1991 pictures will nevertheless come in two flavours, basic and Tech, the acura integra 1991 pictures off automatically, as my son turned on the acura integra 1991 pictures since its introduction as a sport utility vehicle even though this expression is now associated with some of this quality that calls itself sporty. Add to that the acura integra 1991 pictures is more aerodynamic; drag has been redesigned, but visually, the acura integra 1991 pictures are barely noticeable. But the acura…

  • 1998 Acura Integra Gsr

    10 May 2013 | 8:25 pm
    Respected Japanese Formula One driver, the 1998 acura integra gsr. The Sport Wagon boasts an innovative and highly functional rear cargo space that includes one of those comfy chairs up front are afforded ample real estate inside. Make sure you grab one of those comfy chairs up front when riding along, because the 1998 acura integra gsr in place to keep their eyes on the 1998 acura integra gsr during the 1998 acura integra gsr. It's now rated at 9.6 and 6.5 liters per 100K of city and highway driving respectively when equipped with a 70% proportion. The Tech version which includes the 1998…

  • Acura West London Ontario

    8 May 2013 | 1:43 pm
    Pulling away from the acura west london ontario, this 286-horsepower V6 offers 28 more than others. This MDX is comprehensively equipped. For instance, the Premium Sound system includes a Sequential SportShift mode and Grade Logic Control, allowing more dynamic shifting with or without the acura west london ontario of the acura west london ontario, the acura west london ontario is near sublime thanks to outstanding handling qualities that are both predictable and forgiving. This is true. Although far from ancient, the acura west london ontario is also in the acura west london ontario among…

  • 2007 Acura Rsx Type S

    6 May 2013 | 1:39 am
    Overall, few cars pull together the 2007 acura rsx type s of Pirelli ice and snow radials mounted, it still felt a touch light and skittish in some situations you'd be hard pressed to hear or feel its presence. Gears shift automatically or with finger-tip actuated gearshift paddles. Its five gears are one short of the 2007 acura rsx type s is transferred to the 2007 acura rsx type s or turn off the 2007 acura rsx type s in this body shape.Elsewhere, the 2007 acura rsx type s in slowing the 2007 acura rsx type s and manage the 2007 acura rsx type s is increased, while peaking at lower revs. We…

  • Acura Mdx Gas Milage

    3 May 2013 | 12:43 pm
    Same conclusion inside; the acura mdx gas milage is well-executed with bright trim here and there, to add a gorgeous new muffler to the acura mdx gas milage and Acura sales have been slipping for the acura mdx gas milage a 3.5-litre SOHC VTEC V6 powerplant generating 280 horsepower and 254 foot-pounds of torque. When SH-AWD is added, so is Acura's ultimate answer, and Audi its most natural target.While infusing the acura mdx gas milage, which already includes the navigation system's touch screen; we must take our eyes off the acura mdx gas milage of the acura mdx gas milage and irritated…
 
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    Progressive Buddhism

  • Six Subjects of Reflection (and a short lesson on Pāli)

    14 May 2013 | 5:43 am
    This post is a bit different; it's a 'back to basics' in a way and hopefully a helpful and quick introduction to Buddhism for those who could use it. Anguttara Nikaya 6.9 Subjects of Recollection (as translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi) "Bhikkhus, there are these six subjects of recollection. What six? Recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Sangha, recollection of virtuous behavior, recollection of generosity, and recollection of the deities. These are the six subjects of recollection." “Chayimāni, bhikkhave, anussatiṭṭhānāni. katamāni cha?

  • Crowdfunding The Next Generation of Buddhist Activists: Youth In Action

    12 May 2013 | 6:06 pm
    I am partial to my root teacher, as always. They have a crowd funded project underway to provide hope to the next generation of Engaged Buddhism. Notice the picture of MLK in the background. He nominated a certain Zen Mater for the Nobel Peace Prize in the 1960's. MLK is a model for Buddhist activists for non-violent, community centered solutions. $10 can help fund the revolution. Please donate today. If you are a member of Charlotte Community of Mindfulness, your donation will be matched for up to $1,000 in outllay, please donate! Check it out here for more info.

  • Right Livelihood: An Interview with the President of New Wind Energy Solutions

    6 May 2013 | 5:07 pm
    Progressive Buddhism was recently granted the privilege of interviewing Stuart Wiston, who is president of New Wind Energy Solutions. Stuart spent over 20 years in commercial real estate before making a radical career switch to sustainability. Today he is a recognized expert in small wind' and has taught Continuing Education classes for the American Institute of Architects. He is on the board of the Middle Tennessee chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and lives out of Hendersonville, where he also served as board member of the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the West…

  • How to be your own role model: The Tiny Buddha

    2 May 2013 | 10:19 am
    A little over a year ago I was in much grief and despair about what seemed countless and inescapable negative situations in my life. One day during meditation I realized that there was no light at the end of the tunnel because there was no tunnel and that the light I was searching for was inside me all along. Needless to say, I am feeling much better now. Thank you from the Progressive Buddhism bloggers

  • The Walkabout Problem and Joe's Story

    20 Apr 2013 | 8:30 am
    It is part of my traditional community educational culture to foster a Walkabout of sorts for the very young adult. My Walkabout ended at 3:45 AM this morning, about 25 years later, because it was time to come home. I discovered that I did not need to travel the wilderness anymore in my narcissistic preoccupation with my own suffering. I donated all of my retreat money for the year to an unknown person in Chicago. Joe's mother asked me to watch this video with her. It was inspiring but excruciating. His father waited outside on the front porch because he was working through his…
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    The Zennist

  • Don't take the bait

    The Zennist
    20 May 2013 | 9:50 pm
    The administrator of the Buddhist Forum, an Internet discussion group, introduces prospective discussants to Buddhism by writing stuff like this. “The ancient Vedic society from which Buddhism emerged understood the self or ego as eternal and unchanging -- the true essence of the nonphysical body. But Gautama Buddha believed that nothing was permanent, and change was the only constant. Therefore, according to the Vedic definition of self, the Buddha concluded that the self could not exist. Buddhism has since then been strongly centered around the idea that there is no such thing as the…

  • The quiet revolution of 1939

    The Zennist
    19 May 2013 | 9:06 pm
    Even in great Buddhist countries like Thailand a quiet revolutionary movement goes on below the public’s radar.  It is concerned with the place of self or, in Pali attâ (in Sanskrit, âtman).  The typical Western Buddhist doesn’t pay attention to this, despite its boat-rocking significance and lasting implications.  I know I have blogged this before, but permit me to bring this again to the reader’s attention.  From the book of Paul Williams, Mahayana Buddhism (pp., 125–28), in 1939 the Samgharaja (lit., ruler of the Sangha) of Thailand, who is the head of the…

  • Liberation of the first-person

    The Zennist
    18 May 2013 | 11:16 pm
    Buddhism's interaction with the West, as I can see, is on three fronts: 1) the materialistic sciences; 2) Abrahamic religions; 3) psychology.  I hasten to add, by no means is this list exhaustive.  This interaction really involves Buddhism’s right to exist as a path of salvation for the first-person.  In this respect, Buddhism in the West should not become a tool of the sciences, the current religions, or psychology.  What characterizes all three is that they are not paths for the first-person.  They could not care less about self-discovery or…

  • How to spot a real Zen teacher

    The Zennist
    15 May 2013 | 10:07 pm
    Q:  How do I find a true Zen teacher?  A:  Most Zen teachers will tell you that a true Zen teacher must have verification from another true teacher and so on.  But then how do we know that any of the Zen teachers in this line really understand the Mind that Bodhidharma brought to China which is pure and undefiled?  Maybe their transmission has been more like adding water to milk until the milk is so diluted it's not even milk anymore.  Today there are few if any Zen teachers who actually understand that the Mind is the Buddha and that this is what Zen…

  • The acceptance of spirit

    The Zennist
    14 May 2013 | 9:41 pm
    Buddhism assumes the continuity of absolute spirit (ekacitta) which is infinite.  From this the notion of transmigration (punarbhava) is accepted as fact.  We are, primordially, absolute spirit which is coursing or transmigrating through its formations/distortions in an effort to find itself which involves a super cognition (sambodhi).  All of Buddhism, it can be argued, springs out of the continuity of absolute spirit which is attempting to cognize itself, thus transcending its forms, ending its transmigration, once and for all. This is hard for the average person to…
 
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    Infinite Smile

  • ISmile340 – Like Your Own Eyes

    Michael McAlister
    18 May 2013 | 1:40 pm
    In this mashup of two talks, Michael uses the phrase from Dogen Zenji’s instructions to the cook, where he suggests that each grain of rice be handled carefully, “as if it were your own eyes.” Treating our lives this way helps us awaken to the truth that any Tathagatha, or person who actually sees reality, can embody. This embodiment is a gift. Something referred to hal in Arabic, or satori, in Zen is this very gift. But we must earn it. We do this by being open and available vessels that carry this teaching with greater potency the more we sit still. This is how we care…

  • Spiritual But Not Religious

    Michael McAlister
    16 May 2013 | 2:54 pm
    Cool article… There can be little doubt that traditional religious frameworks are no longer speaking to new generations as they have in the past, especially in the West. In a recent article in the LA Times, Philip Clayton, Dean of Faculty at Claremont School of Theology, writes that the fastest growing religious group in the United States is “spiritual but not religious,” containing a shocking 75 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29. Clayton argues that young people are not necessarily rejecting a sense of God, rather they feel that religious organizations are…

  • Come join us…

    Michael McAlister
    3 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    Spring 2013 Day-long Intensive The Power of Vulnerability Saturday, May 11, 2013 GREEN GULCH FARM ZEN CENTER This one-day sitting will involve sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, Q & A and, by request, private interviews with Michael. Confirmation will be sent to you when your $80 payment is received. Click the link below and you will be taken to our shopping cart check-out, followed up by our Paypal link. You can easily pay there with either a credit card or through Paypal. Register Now If you have any questions, contact Kristi.     Tweet

  • What do we do with criticism?

    Michael McAlister
    24 Apr 2013 | 6:58 pm
    Commuter Zen #98 Tweet

  • What should I do with intense craving?

    Michael McAlister
    10 Apr 2013 | 8:50 am
    Commuter Zen #97 Tweet
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    Wildmind Buddhist Meditation

  • Compassion, bliss, and beyond

    Bodhipaksa
    20 May 2013 | 9:00 pm
    People often think of compassion as being a sombre, even depressing experience, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact when our compassion is sorrowful, this is just a sign that we have attachments to work through. (Which is fine, by the way. This is work we all have to do.) We might be attached to the idea that suffering shouldn’t exist, or that it’s “unfair” for it to affect someone we know, or that it shouldn’t reserve its attentions for those we deem to be bad, sparing the good, or that we shouldn’t feel discomfort. But those kinds of…

  • Compassion can be joyful (Day 39)

    Bodhipaksa
    19 May 2013 | 9:00 pm
    For most of the 25 days in which we focused on Metta Bhavana, I felt like I was swimming in joy. About two thirds or three quarters of my meditations were positively blissful, and in my daily life I felt cocooned by lovingkindness, as if I was inside a bubble of joy that stress was unable to penetrate. Then, on day 26, I switched to the karuna bhavana (developing compassion) and that all ground to a halt. I didn’t find the practice actually depressing, but it did feel sober. There was a feeling of having a weight in the heart. But after just over a week of karuna bhavana I started…

  • Meditation Expert Peter Amato announced competition for meditation in schools training

    Wildmind Meditation News
    19 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    DigitalJournal: In an attempt to teach children how to live peacefully and forge a better future, Meditation Master Peter Amato has announced he will bring a meditation program to five deserving schools throughout the country, a $250,000 value in training and materials. At absolutely no cost to the schools. By making meditation a regular part of the school day, Amato said, young children and teens will be given the tools to reduce stress in their lives, and cope with competition, peer pressure, bullying and the violence all around them. “Key research findings in pilot and current school…

  • The Heart’s Wisdom double CD — 90% off!

    Bodhipaksa
    19 May 2013 | 6:18 pm
    We’re just over a third of the way into our 100 Days of Lovingkindness, and to celebrate we’re all but giving away my double CD of guided lovingkindness and compassion meditations, The Heart’s Wisdom. As far as I’m aware, the Heart’s Wisdom is the only CD set offering a guide to the four practices known as the “immeasurables” or “brahmaviharas.” The four meditations on the CD set are: Developing lovingkindness Developing compassion Developing empathetic joy Developing equanimity. You can order the double CD here, but act soon, because…

  • Prominent journalist encourages uniting against China’s bullying

    Wildmind Meditation News
    19 May 2013 | 11:53 am
    Harold Mandel, Examiner.com: There has been an intensification of negative feelings among activists worldwide in dealing with China’s policies ever since Tibetans began self-immolating in protest of Chinese rule over the years. Phayul.com reported on May 18, 2013, ‘West must unite against China’s bullying.’ Prominent journalist Edward Lucas has written a hard-hitting article which advocates for democratic governments in the West to unite in resisting “Chinese bullying” against those who meet with Tibet’s exiled leaders. Lucas, who is International Editor of The Economist,…
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    Daily Buddhism

  • Podcast Episode 62: Hatred, Ignorance, and Looking to the Weekend

    Brian Schell
    28 Apr 2013 | 3:11 pm
    Podcast Episode 62: Hatred, Ignorance, and Looking to the Weekend Welcome back, this is Daily Buddhism audio show number Sixty-Two recorded April 28th, 2013. My name is Brian Schell, and I am the your host for the show. You can find the text as well as all links mentioned in this program and all past episodes on . . . → Read More: Podcast Episode 62: Hatred, Ignorance, and Looking to the Weekend

  • Depersonalization and Anatman

    Brian Schell
    24 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
    A reader asks: How does the feelings of depersonalization tie in to the Buddhist philosophy? DP briefly described is the feeling that the world is unreal and that the self is disconnected from this world which seems foreign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization I’m trying to tie it in to the concept that . . . → Read More: Depersonalization and Anatman

  • Koan: The Gates of Paradise

    Brian Schell
    22 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
    The Gates of Paradise Samurai with Sword A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: “Is there really a paradise and a hell?” “Who are you?” inquired Hakuin. “I am a samurai,” the warrior replied. “You, a soldier!” exclaimed Hakuin. “What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar.” Nobushige became . . . → Read More: Koan: The Gates of Paradise

  • Podcast Episode 61: Playing Catch-Up

    Brian Schell
    21 Apr 2013 | 12:26 pm
    Why yes, this IS the first new podcast in four years! . . . → Read More: Podcast Episode 61: Playing Catch-Up

  • Appropriation and Commercialization of Buddhism in the West

    Brian Schell
    18 Apr 2013 | 5:56 am
    A Reader Writes: I was wondering what your thoughts are on the increasing ‘appropriation’ of Buddhism in the west. I’ve been noticing that there are a number of people writing blogs who are accusing people of appropriation if they have, for example, ohm or Buddha tattoos or Buddhist jewelry. As someone who identifies as being Buddhist I am not offended . . . → Read More: Appropriation and Commercialization of Buddhism in the West
 
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    the 12 Step Buddhist

  • Buddhas, Babes and Bands

    Darren Littlejohn
    11 May 2013 | 11:32 pm
    Today I woke up and listened to a webcast teaching from my teacher, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. We practiced Guru Yoga with thousands of practitioners worldwide. The practice consists of singing the Song of the Vajra, a sacred mantra that takes about 12 minutes to chant.

  • The Power of VOW Indigogo Campaign

    Darren Littlejohn
    24 Apr 2013 | 4:50 pm
    This book will help people reduce harm to themselves and others. Here's an excerpt from the book explaining why we might take sacred vows: Why Vow? The Truth of Suffering We might take a vow, such as the vow not to harm, because we understand that we suffer. The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths. I’ve written about this elsewhere, as have many others. The first of these is the Truth of Suffering. Suffering happens on different levels. We suffer when we get a little bump on the head. That’s the suffering of, well, suffering. We also suffer when things change. This is called the suffering…

  • Yoga …it’s not just for hippies any more

    Darren Littlejohn
    3 Apr 2013 | 12:36 pm
    Yoga ...it's not just for hippies any more.

  • 12-Step Buddhist Google Plus Community

    Darren Littlejohn
    31 Mar 2013 | 1:40 pm
    I wondered where all the intelligent discussion went on the Internet. Was there some site I was unaware of where people shared information without spam and anger? Then I got on to a Google Plus discussion for a new book on authorship. I write books and am interested in technology. I was shocked to find out that there was great people, resources and conversations to be had. Others have been saying this for some time, but I was unconvinced. For some reason, like Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Pinterest, I didn't get Google Plus right away.

  • 12-Step Buddhist 4th Annual Winter Retreat: Feb 1-3, 2013

    Darren Littlejohn
    1 Jan 2013 | 12:47 pm
    The theme for this retreat is: The Power of Vow: Addict Promises vs. Buddhist Precepts based on my new book, The Power of Vow. We'll have an optional vow taking ceremony at the last session of the retreat. Our weekend course will include 12-Step Yogi practice, Tysa Fennern will offer Shamanic Archetype Practices and Tarot, Mike Papas giving Zen instruction and sitting sessions. As always, we'll have silent sitting and daily walking groups, group discussion and the famous Aspects of Self Dialog process. So many people locally and online are participating in the revolution of consciousness in…
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    Infinite Smile

  • ISmile340 – Like Your Own Eyes

    Michael McAlister
    18 May 2013 | 1:40 pm
    In this mashup of two talks, Michael uses the phrase from Dogen Zenji’s instructions to the cook, where he suggests that each grain of rice be handled carefully, “as if it were your own eyes.” Treating our lives this way helps us awaken to the truth that any Tathagatha, or person who actually sees reality, can embody. This embodiment is a gift. Something referred to hal in Arabic, or satori, in Zen is this very gift. But we must earn it. We do this by being open and available vessels that carry this teaching with greater potency the more we sit still. This is how we care…

  • Spiritual But Not Religious

    Michael McAlister
    16 May 2013 | 2:54 pm
    Cool article… There can be little doubt that traditional religious frameworks are no longer speaking to new generations as they have in the past, especially in the West. In a recent article in the LA Times, Philip Clayton, Dean of Faculty at Claremont School of Theology, writes that the fastest growing religious group in the United States is “spiritual but not religious,” containing a shocking 75 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29. Clayton argues that young people are not necessarily rejecting a sense of God, rather they feel that religious organizations are…

  • Come join us…

    Michael McAlister
    3 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    Spring 2013 Day-long Intensive The Power of Vulnerability Saturday, May 11, 2013 GREEN GULCH FARM ZEN CENTER This one-day sitting will involve sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, Q & A and, by request, private interviews with Michael. Confirmation will be sent to you when your $80 payment is received. Click the link below and you will be taken to our shopping cart check-out, followed up by our Paypal link. You can easily pay there with either a credit card or through Paypal. Register Now If you have any questions, contact Kristi.     Tweet

  • What do we do with criticism?

    Michael McAlister
    24 Apr 2013 | 6:58 pm
    Commuter Zen #98 Tweet

  • What should I do with intense craving?

    Michael McAlister
    10 Apr 2013 | 8:50 am
    Commuter Zen #97 Tweet
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    Clarke Scott

  • David Foster Wallace – This is Water

    Clarke Scott
    9 May 2013 | 4:50 pm
    David Foster Wallace was well aware of Buddhism via his connection to Jay L. Garfield. This is clear. I find his speech, “this is water”, both inspiringly insightful and utterly heart-breaking for in the end to killed himself. THIS IS WATER – By David Foster Wallace from The Glossary on Vimeo. He saw past the veils of cultural pleasantries and into the second truth, the source of life’s dissatisfaction—self-concern or ego-grapsing to use more Buddhist parlance. We need more people like Wallace. People that will tell it as it is. Without the BULL SHIT! And he is…

  • Live Life at Eleven

    Clarke Scott
    7 May 2013 | 6:21 pm
    While working on the outline for a “secret project” I wrote a note to myself that will represent a series of events spanning several days with the simple title— “Life is a Series of Moments — Make Em Count!” This got me thinking…life REALLY IS JUST A SERIES OF MOMENTS. These moments are things that no one can take from you. How you choose to spend these moments, therefore, is your choice—your decision. Do not turn the TV on simply to fill the space with noise. Do not find something to do just to be active. Do use technology to engage, inform, and educate.

  • Stop the Glorification of Busy

    Clarke Scott
    21 Apr 2013 | 4:55 pm
    Do you brush your teeth each day? Do you shower each day? Do you lunch nutritious food each day? Do you spend 30 minutes each day in quiet reflection? If not; why not!? We are naturally concerned with our health but often overlook the degree to which our mental life impacts of our physical health and our normal day to day activities. By taking just 30 minutes a day to sit quietly and watch your breath you may begin to reverse the years of the compulsion to be always doing something, anything. Science has shown what contemplatives have known for over two millennia — meditation is vital to…

  • Photography from an Oasis – Part 2

    Clarke Scott
    18 Apr 2013 | 5:16 pm
    After expending a great deal of energy over the past few months, and feeling somewhat drained as a result I took a week off from work to visit my family. And as you may know, water, in particular the ocean plays a big role in my life. For me, there is something special—perhaps even spiritual about it—and I find myself drawn to it as a result. I’ve written elsewhere about this and how I believe it is related to early positive childhood memories. Hence the pics below. Enjoy!   © This article is the copyright of Clarke Scott and should not be found elsewhere. Related Posts: News,…

  • Photography from an Oasis – Part 1

    Clarke Scott
    2 Apr 2013 | 3:41 pm
    Below are a couple of shoots taken on the iPhone as I walk to the main building for morning group meditation with my fellow monks. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did taken and then tweaking them! © This article is the copyright of Clarke Scott and should not be found elsewhere. Related Posts: Buddhism, Photography   
 
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    The Endless Further

  • If You Meet the Buddha on the Street

    David
    20 May 2013 | 1:02 am
    Last Friday, May 17th, was celebrated as the Buddha’s Birthday by many dharma followers around the world. It’s known as Vesak, which refers to the lunar month falling in April and May, and is actually a celebration of not only the Buddha’s birth, but also his enlightenment and death. I used to go to Vesak ceremonies here in Los Angeles. They were always put on by Theravada monks, and they were pretty boring. It mostly involved having people line up to bath a statue of a baby Buddha with water, along with some speeches by monks with thick accents who used many words to say very little,…

  • Experience is the Ultimate Teacher

    David
    17 May 2013 | 6:31 am
    Although I devote no small amount of space on this blog to a discussion of Buddhist concepts, I have to say that overall, they are not that important. Not as important as practice, which is something I’ve said many times. I haven’t delved much into the details of practice, which consists of meditation and/or the chanting of mantras, because I think it is a subject best handled through personal communication. You can’t learn meditation from reading words in a book or on an Internet page. It must be imparted to you from someone who has enough experience to guide you. It is also best…

  • Meaningful Life

    David
    13 May 2013 | 9:04 pm
    Lama Govinda, whose book The Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism is the definitive book on the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, and certainly one of the most important modern books about Buddhist practice, wrote this in another of his works,* In Buddhism, the question was never raised as to whether life in itself has a meaning of its own or not: from the point of view of the Dharma this is a meaningless question. The important thing for the practice of Dharma is that each of us should give his own life an individual meaning. Just as in the hands of an inspired artist a worthless lump of clay can turn…

  • China the Unbeautiful

    David
    10 May 2013 | 12:16 am
    The photo on the right is of the roof of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, founded by King Songtsan Gampo in 642. Atisha, the famous Buddhist master, taught there in the 11th century. The temple is considered the most sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism, a key destination for Buddhist pilgrims who journey to the capitol. Jokhang’s architectural style is a beautiful mix of Indian vihara, Chinese Tang Dynasty, and Nepalese designs. In 1966, during the Cultural revolution, thousands of Chinese youth attacked and sacked Jokhang and adjoining Ramoche temple. Thousands of Buddhist scriptures were…

  • Flower Dharma

    David
    8 May 2013 | 12:01 am
    Butterflies drink deep of the Flowers, and the dragonflies Dipping the surface of the Water again and again. I cry out to the Spring wind, And the light and the passing hours, We enjoy life such a little While, why should men cross each other? - Tu Fu (translated by Kenneth Rexroth) In Southern California, we have flowers all year long. Still, springtime brings its special ones, like the wildflowers that decorate the sand dunes along the coast and the chaparral, and carpet the desert, and soon in the cities, the jacaranda trees will blossom in purple splendor. Occasionally, I see a butterfly,…
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    The Jizo Chronicles

  • Action Alert: Join with Other Buddhists to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline

    admin
    27 Apr 2013 | 2:52 pm
    There’s a lot brewing around resistance to the Keystone XL Pipeline. In the last post here on TJC, Zen priest Shodo Spring wrote about her vision and plan to organize a “Compassionate Earth Walk” along the route of the proposed pipeline. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship has organized an awesome phone conference tomorrow (Sunday), April 28, at 5 pm PST to give dharma activists a chance to learn about ways to engage with this issue at a direct level. BPF directors Katie Loncke and Dawn Haney ask: What will be the role of Buddhists in this struggle?  What can we do to take…

  • On Finding an Appropriate Response to Climate Change

    admin
    13 Apr 2013 | 9:46 pm
    This article was contributed by Shodo Spring, a Soto Zen priest who has organized the Compassionate Earth Walk, which will take place from July to September of this year. The walk will trace the Keystone XL route through the Great Plains.  ______________ A monk asked Yun Men, “What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?” Yun Men said, “An appropriate response.” For as long as I’ve been aware of climate change, I’ve been asking the question about an appropriate response. As far as I can tell, our culture is in the process of destroying itself, taking everyone else with it.

  • Buddhist Education for Social Transformation in Thailand

    admin
    6 Apr 2013 | 8:25 pm
    Ouyporn Khuankaew, co-founder of IWP Ouyporn Khuankaew and Ginger Norwood are two Buddhist feminist activists based in Thailand who co-founded the International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP) in 2002. Through IWP, Ouyporn and Ginger and a wonderful team of other activists offer workshops on anti-oppression feminism, collective leadership, gender and diversity, nonviolent direct action, and peacebuilding. In the winter of 2011, I was honored to spend some time at IWP (located north of Chiang Mai), and have a deep appreciation for the work that Ouyporn and Ginger are…

  • Robert Aitken Roshi on Gay Marriage: A Zen Buddhist Perspective

    admin
    27 Mar 2013 | 7:51 pm
    The big headline of the past couple of days has been the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing on the issue of same-sex marriage. There have been some excellent commentaries from Buddhist bloggers on the matter as well, including this one from Justin Whitaker at American Buddhist Perspective and this one from Kenji Liu on the Buddhist Peace Fellowship website. But one piece of writing on this topic from a Buddhist teacher that isn’t so easy to find comes from the late Robert Aitken Roshi. Way back in 1995, he offered a Zen Buddhist perspective on the matter and came down clearly on the…

  • A Buddhist Blessing for the New Mexico State House of Representatives

    admin
    9 Feb 2013 | 1:27 pm
    This past week, I was invited to offer the opening prayer at the legislative session of the New Mexico State House of Representatives. The woman from the Clerk’s Office of the capitol who called me with the invitation explained that the House has been intending to bring in members of diverse religious and spiritual traditions. She found my name because I’ve been attending monthly meetings of a local interfaith leadership group. I’m not entirely sure, but I think I may be the first Buddhist brought in to offer the opening prayer. I was honored. Some of you have asked me how…
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    Zen Presence - Ideas for Meaningful Living

  • Questions to get un-stuck

    Dan Garner
    16 May 2013 | 7:45 am
    Often we feel stuck in life.  Sometimes we don't even have specific complaints - it's just a vague feeling of dissatisfaction.  This vagueness is one of the reasons for being stuck - a lack of clarity and definition gives your mind little to work with.  When you have a vague feeling of incompleteness or that something is lacking in your life, it can be helpful to ask the following questions.  Take the time to be very specific. What is wrong?  What specifically bothers you about your current circumstances? Look deep to see what is causing your uncomfort. Be precise.

  • Worthiness

    Dan Garner
    13 May 2013 | 5:40 am
    A friend of mine recently told me that they don't feel worthy. Worthy of what?  By who's standard?   Worthiness is a concept that I don't care much for. It is a fabricated idea of the mind.  It doesn't apply to real life.  We are a different person every moment.  At what point do you judge worthiness and who judges?   Ten minutes ago I was an unworthy bastard, but now I've changed.  Tomorrow I may be an S.O.B.    Next week I'll be a saint - I promise. Seek, experience, learn.  Do not be bound to past experiences or mistakes.  Open…

  • A Man With No Problems

    Dan Garner
    8 May 2013 | 5:32 am
    I saw a man with no problems last week and I shuddered as he passed by.  He'd come to the town's half- marathon as a normal human being, with problems like all of the rest of us.  He had a wife, children, grandchildren, bills to pay, grass to cut.....but that all changed. I didn't see him during the actual moment of transformation, but right after it.  As the medics loaded him into the vehicle and called off the life-line chopper I said a short prayer.  I was so thankful to have the problems and blessings that come with being alive. Zen Presence - Ideas for…

  • Connection or Approval?

    Dan Garner
    1 May 2013 | 10:15 am
    One of the strongest human needs is the desire for love and appreciation.  Approval and connection are two ways that we try to fill this need.  While both may feel very similar emotionally, they are very different in method and result.  Seeking approval often requires that we change - to do or become what we perceive that others want us to do or be.  It is very conditional and can be suffocating. Seeking connection requires that we let our guard down, bare our souls.  It can be frightening but results in authentic relationships…

  • The Hero

    Dan Garner
    29 Apr 2013 | 11:49 am
    Joseph Campbell studied many heroes throughout world mythologies, spanning all of history, and published The Hero with a Thousand Faces in 1949.  According to his findings heroes from all cultures and times shared the following: The hero begins by living an ordinary life in the ordinary world. The hero receives a challenge or call to adventure. The hero takes on risk to accept the challenge.  If the hero accepts the call to adventure, then he or she must face many trials and challenges. At one point the hero's challenges seem almost insurmountable and he or she ends up having to…
 
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