A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
HORATIO ALGER JR.,
American writer, died (b. 1832); 19th century American author who wrote
approximately 135 dime novels. Many of his works have been described as
“rags to riches” stories, illustrating how down-and-out boys might be
able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard
work, courage, determination, and concern for others.
This widely held
view involves a significant simplification, as Alger's characters do not
typically achieve extreme wealth; rather they attain middle-class
security, stability, and a solid reputation — that is, their efforts are
rewarded with a place in society, not domination of it. He is noted as a
significant figure in the history of American cultural and social
ideals, even though his novels are rarely read these days. As
bestsellers in their own time, Alger's books rivaled those of Mark Twain
in popularity.
What no one
understood at the time, however, was the reason for Alger’s arrival in
New York, not to mention an interesting correlative to his atavistic
concern for boys. Back in Brewster, a special parish investigating
committee of the Unitarian church had charged their minister with “gross
immorality and a most heinous crime, a crime of no less magnitude than
the abominable and revolting crime of unnatural familiarity with boys.”
This is verified by The Washognton Post and The New York Times in their
reporting. As recently as 2006, the sexual assault allegations against
him prompted the renaming of a Marlborough, Mass., fair that had carried
his name, according to reporting for the Worcester Telegram &
Gazette.
Considering what
Alger had been accused of doing to two lads named John Clark and Thomas
S. Corcker before he hightailed it out of Brewster is it any wonder that
his first book was titled RaggedDick?
And, in the
spirit of you-can't-make-this-stuff-up: Of late, it has come to light
that one Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas is a celebrated member
of the "Horation Alger Jr. Association", an Alexandria, Va.-based
nonprofit organization, that has counted the justice as a member for
three decades. The New York Times reported that he has called it “a home
to Virginia and me,” referring to his wife, and said it “has allowed me
to see my dreams come true.”
Do tell.
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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute
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To
those unfamiliar with Buddhism, tranquility may seem like the ultimate
goal of meditation. While it is a worthy goal itself, it is also one of
the seven factors of awakening—the wholesome qualities that are a
crucial part of the Buddhist path and essential to escaping the cycle of
samsara. The way to develop tranquility is the core Buddhist practice
known as samatha, or calm abiding, which goes hand in hand with
Vipassana, or clear seeing. Samatha entails focusing on an object, most
commonly the breath, to steady the mind and achieve samadhi, or concentration.
While Vipassana, which leads to insight, has become a widespread
practice, samatha is equally integral. Tranquility is a key support to
and benefit of practice for beginners and advanced Buddhist
practitioners alike. The former may use tranquility to help quiet their
thoughts and quell anxiety. The latter to reach deep levels of
concentration known as jhana. In both cases, tranquility aids
practice and practitioner, serving as a steady foundation for going
further and a welcome reward.
Some practice Vipassana and samatha in succession, with samatha offering
the stabilization to practice or achieve Vipassana. As meditation
teacher Narayan Helen Liebenson explains, “With calmness as our
foundation, as the mental chatter begins to calm itself and cease,
wisdom has a greater chance of emerging, of thriving, of growing.” But
they can also be viewed as complementary practices or aims to engage in
together. As author and meditation teacher Lama Rod Owens explains, “In
the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism, the goal is to practice calm
abiding and insight in union and, ultimately, realize the true nature of
mind.”
This week’s Three Teachings explains a method for developing tranquility and why it’s both a necessity for and a boon of Buddhist practice.
Teacher
Narayan Helen Liebenson explains how beginner and seasoned meditators
can benefit from cultivating greater tranquility and insight in their
practice.
Lama
Rod Owens gives instruction in samatha meditation, and discusses the
role mindfulness played for him as a means of survival in a world of
harmful projections.
Malicious speech is unhealthy. Refraining from malicious speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning malicious speech, one refrains from malicious speech. One does not repeat there what one has heard here to the detriment of these, or repeat here what one has heard there to the detriment of those. One unites those who are divided, is a promoter of friendships, and speaks words that promote concord. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak maliciously, but I shall abstain from malicious speech.” (MN 8)
Disputes occur when a person is deceitful and fraudulent. Such a person dwells disrespectful and undeferential towards others, causing harm and unhappiness for many. If you see any such root of a dispute either in yourself or externally, you should strive to abandon it. And if you do not see any such root of dispute either in yourself or externally, you should practice in such a way that it does not erupt in the future. (MN 104)
Reflection
Arguments and disputes do not come from external circumstances, but from the internal qualities of people’s minds. When there is a competing interest, for example, it might be negotiated peacefully and fairly, or it might escalate into a hateful argument and even become violent. The difference lies in what kind of internal mental and emotional states are brought to the table by both participants. We can influence how this unfolds.
Daily Practice
Take special care to refrain from being deceitful or fraudulent in all of your dealings with other people. And when other people are exhibiting these qualities, try hard not to be provoked into doing the same. These practices in daily life require a regular habit of being tuned in to the workings of your own mind and being sensitive to the extent your own experience is impacted by the mental and emotional qualities of others.
Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Verbal Action One week from today: Refraining from Harsh Speech
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I will work on myself, since the work on myself is going to be the highest thing I can do for it all, since I understand that as we up-level our own consciousness, we see more creative solutions to the problems that we're confronting. - Ram Dass
