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.
RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Taking What is Not Given
Taking what is not given is
unhealthy. Refraining from taking what is not given is healthy. (MN 9)
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, one abstains from taking
what is not given; one does not take by way of theft the wealth and
property of others. (MN 41) One practices thus: “Others may take what is
not given, but I will abstain from taking what is not given.” (MN 8)
On smelling an odor with the nose, one does not grasp at its signs and
features. Since if one left the nose faculty unguarded, unwholesome
states of covetousness and grief might intrude, one practices the way of
its restraint, one guards the nose faculty, and undertakes the
restraint of the nose faculty. (MN 51)
Reflection
As we move
systematically through the six sense spheres, we come to that most
overlooked of sensory capabilities, discerning odors. The senses are
simply giving us information, and whether we grasp after this
information or simply let it be and take what is given is a choice we
make in reacting to the information. Moving beyond the raw smell into
attraction or aversion is a way of taking what is not given.
Daily Practice
Can you smell
something with a lovely scent and simply notice that pleasure arises
with the experience of smelling? And can you smell something foul or
disgusting and simply be aware that displeasure or even pain arises in
the smelling of it? And further, can you hold both experiences equally,
with equanimity, rather than automatically being drawn to one and
repulsed by the other? Practice simply being with what is.
Tomorrow: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
The Iranian Government publicly executed two teenage boys on July 19th 2005, in the city of Mashad. Their names were MAHMOUDASGARI and AYAZ MARHONI, one eighteen and the other seventeen or possibly sixteen-years-old.
They were accused
of raping a thirteen-year-old boy, but it has been established that the
authorities invented the charge of rape to prevent public sympathy for
the true reason for their execution, that they were Gay. After their
arrest the two boys endured a year of imprisonment and torture before
the high court of Iran upheld their sentence and their execution by
hanging was carried out in a public square in the city of Mashad.
International
outrage was met with arrogance and impunity by the religious and
conservative Iranian government, and a systematic persecution soon began
against Gays, which has led to an unverified report of a second
execution, and untold numbers of arrests and torture. These events
indicate that the worldwide struggle for Gay Freedom has not decreased
but has become more violent and inhumane.
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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute
"With the
increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful
corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community
is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave
standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming
mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson
However the seed is
planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing
good deeds, bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the
purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too verbal
action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)
When you have done an action with speech, reflect upon that same verbal
action thus: “Has this action I have done with speech led to both my own
affliction and the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you
know that it has, then tell someone you trust about it and undertake a
commitment not to do it again. If you know it has not, then be content
and feel happy about it. (MN 61)
Reflection
We can use our
powers of memory and observation to learn and grow along the path toward
greater clarity and self-understanding. We want to do good deeds so
that good things will come from that, and one way to do this is to
reflect on the impact of our speech on others. If we notice ourselves
saying things that cause affliction in ourselves or others, it is
beneficial to admit this and learn from it what not to say in the
future.
Daily Practice
As with your
physical actions, pay attention to the effects of your verbal actions on
other people. Just after you have spoken, notice if what you have said
might have hurt someone’s feelings or if it has been insensitive or
disrespectful in some unintended way. These days more than ever, we
cannot always trust our deeply conditioned habit patterns of speech and
need to actively reflect on the effects of our verbal actions.
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given One week from today: Reflecting upon Mental Action
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
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
"With the
increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful
corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community
is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave
standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming
mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson
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.
