Thursday, December 15, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 15, 2016: Take the Time to Speak Clearly
|
The
little things you say or do can become the triggers for others’
awakening. You need to take the time to talk from your depth.
—James Veliskakis, "Three Lives: From Biker to Buddhist" |
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Via Ram Dass
Try
to cultivate a spaciousness or an awareness around emotions like anger
and sadness that allows you to acknowledge the feelings. It comes back
to the word “appreciating” again. Acknowledge the feelings and allow
them, and see them as part of the human condition. They’re all generated
– they’re subtle thought forms, emotions are really subtle thought
forms – and they all arise in response to something. They’re reactions
that come. If someone does something, you have a certain emotional
response, and you have a certain reactive domain that you get into –
you’re cultivating a quietness in yourself that just watches these
things coming and going and arising and passing away.
You learn not to act out your emotions, but just to appreciate and allow them. That’s part of the way in which you use them spiritually. Spiritually, you don’t act out them out, you just acknowledge them. You don’t deny them though. You don’t push them down. You acknowledge that, “I’m angry,” but you don’t have to say, “Hey, I’m angry!” You acknowledge it; you don’t deny it. That’s the key.
You learn not to act out your emotions, but just to appreciate and allow them. That’s part of the way in which you use them spiritually. Spiritually, you don’t act out them out, you just acknowledge them. You don’t deny them though. You don’t push them down. You acknowledge that, “I’m angry,” but you don’t have to say, “Hey, I’m angry!” You acknowledge it; you don’t deny it. That’s the key.
Via Huffington Post: QUEER VOICES - Why We Can’t Be ‘Friends’ Any Longer After You Voted For Donald Trump
Dear X,
Every day that goes by since the election I become more despondent and more infuriated about your having supported Donald Trump.
His continued unstable, childish, dangerous behavior on Twitter and off; his horrifying, extreme picks for the cabinet – individuals who are hostile to civil rights and seem chosen to dismantle government; his surrounding himself with generals, billionaires and nationalists – all of it is alarming and I’m truly frightened for our country.
The thought of speaking with you, just when maybe the anger has simmered somewhat, becomes more unsettling ― and enrages me further ― as each day’s news breaks.
How could I continue a friendship with you knowing that you voted for rolling back my rights as a gay man – most of Trump’s cabinet choices are vehemently opposed to LGBT rights – and the rights of millions of women and people of color?
I can’t fall back on the narrative of you being the downtrodden Rust Belter who is experiencing “economic anxiety” and feeling “left behind.” You ― like, in fact, the majority of Trump supporters ― fit none of that. You’re an educated white woman with college-educated children and you’ve gone from living in one 93 percent white, well-off enclave to another over the past 30 years.
We were childhood friends and went our separate ways in adulthood. But we always kept in touch. We’d see each other at events, catch up on the phone now and then, wish one another “Happy Birthday,” and maybe have dinner on the off chance we were in the same city.
I now realize I never really knew you.
In thinking back there were the hints, which surfaced over dinner, or in a chat on the phone, that perhaps you supported Republicans, or were unsatisfied with President Obama. (Certainly my politics, in my work as a journalist and commentator, are on full display, and some people are more guarded in my presence when it comes to discussing their own views.)
Still, that certainly didn’t mean you’d support Trump. Many Republicans didn’t. You always seemed to care about human rights. You supported me through my own coming out as gay when I was young, and expressed support for marriage equality. You left me a message the day after the shooting massacre at the LGBT nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando last June ― the last time we had an exchange ― sending me your moral support, to which I responded with a thank you.
That’s why this is all the more shocking. You’re too informed, too aware to just have blindly followed Trump. And my only conclusion is that the dark, ugly bigotry of this man was dismissed by you, tolerated by you. That’s unacceptable. You allowed for the legitimacy of white supremacists and a brutal misogyny we have never seen at this level of politics. Any conversation we would have would devolve into my saying things that would surely hurt you far more than simply breaking off or severely diminishing communications.
I only found out about your support for Trump after I went to your Facebook page a few days after the election. An exchange with someone else in a similar situation piqued my curiosity. I wouldn’t have in a million years thought you voted for Trump, but I just had to check.
And there I saw it: the promotion of Trump propaganda by a charlatan who made viral videos rationalizing why it was important to vote for Trump despite his grotesque statements and beliefs. One of those videos made the case shortly after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, explaining that, yes, Trump is a “narcissist” and the tape is vile and gross, but that “we” have to use his narcissism to “our” advantage. Further down in your timeline there was another video from the same con-man promoting the bigger con-man. And there were a few other references showing your support for Trump.
I thought about it for a while, and then decided to unfriend you. Then, days later, I blocked you. If you do reach out with a voice mail or a text, I will likely not return it. Some have said in the days since the election that they can’t believe people are ending friendships and family relationships over “politics.” They’d say that I’m being silly, petty, or overacting.
But this election was and continues to be about so much more than “politics.” This is about values and respect. It’s about bigotry and hate. It’s about of millions of people’s rights being threatened, including my rights as a gay man and yours as a woman. It’s about putting our entire democracy in danger of transforming into an autocracy, and legitimizing and making alliances with our worst adversaries, whose goal is to dominate us.
Others would say they understand the desire to cut off the friendship, but that it’s better to continue dialogue and educate. Perhaps, this thinking goes, you’ll see what’s happening as we move forward and then reach out for an understanding and maybe offer a mea culpa.
I get that. But we are in a grave situation, with little time to spare. At this current moment, since you don’t see that we’re in a national emergency (to which you contributed), you may only be jarred if your comfortable life is affected – such as by losing one or more friends and being forced to reflect on the magnitude of what you’ve done.
Beyond all that, as I said above, I realize I never really knew you.
When it comes to the things that matter greatly to me, I’ve now learned we have very little in common. Words of support for me and concern for my well-being are superficial when you can’t be counted on when it really matters ― when rights are on the line. The election has brought that into sharp relief.
So I’ll keep my ears open, but unless you experience a truly deep transformation, I’m simply being honest when I say we can no longer be friends.
-
Make the jump here to read the original and more
Every day that goes by since the election I become more despondent and more infuriated about your having supported Donald Trump.
His continued unstable, childish, dangerous behavior on Twitter and off; his horrifying, extreme picks for the cabinet – individuals who are hostile to civil rights and seem chosen to dismantle government; his surrounding himself with generals, billionaires and nationalists – all of it is alarming and I’m truly frightened for our country.
The thought of speaking with you, just when maybe the anger has simmered somewhat, becomes more unsettling ― and enrages me further ― as each day’s news breaks.
How could I continue a friendship with you knowing that you voted for rolling back my rights as a gay man – most of Trump’s cabinet choices are vehemently opposed to LGBT rights – and the rights of millions of women and people of color?
I can’t fall back on the narrative of you being the downtrodden Rust Belter who is experiencing “economic anxiety” and feeling “left behind.” You ― like, in fact, the majority of Trump supporters ― fit none of that. You’re an educated white woman with college-educated children and you’ve gone from living in one 93 percent white, well-off enclave to another over the past 30 years.
We were childhood friends and went our separate ways in adulthood. But we always kept in touch. We’d see each other at events, catch up on the phone now and then, wish one another “Happy Birthday,” and maybe have dinner on the off chance we were in the same city.
I now realize I never really knew you.
In thinking back there were the hints, which surfaced over dinner, or in a chat on the phone, that perhaps you supported Republicans, or were unsatisfied with President Obama. (Certainly my politics, in my work as a journalist and commentator, are on full display, and some people are more guarded in my presence when it comes to discussing their own views.)
Still, that certainly didn’t mean you’d support Trump. Many Republicans didn’t. You always seemed to care about human rights. You supported me through my own coming out as gay when I was young, and expressed support for marriage equality. You left me a message the day after the shooting massacre at the LGBT nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando last June ― the last time we had an exchange ― sending me your moral support, to which I responded with a thank you.
That’s why this is all the more shocking. You’re too informed, too aware to just have blindly followed Trump. And my only conclusion is that the dark, ugly bigotry of this man was dismissed by you, tolerated by you. That’s unacceptable. You allowed for the legitimacy of white supremacists and a brutal misogyny we have never seen at this level of politics. Any conversation we would have would devolve into my saying things that would surely hurt you far more than simply breaking off or severely diminishing communications.
I only found out about your support for Trump after I went to your Facebook page a few days after the election. An exchange with someone else in a similar situation piqued my curiosity. I wouldn’t have in a million years thought you voted for Trump, but I just had to check.
And there I saw it: the promotion of Trump propaganda by a charlatan who made viral videos rationalizing why it was important to vote for Trump despite his grotesque statements and beliefs. One of those videos made the case shortly after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, explaining that, yes, Trump is a “narcissist” and the tape is vile and gross, but that “we” have to use his narcissism to “our” advantage. Further down in your timeline there was another video from the same con-man promoting the bigger con-man. And there were a few other references showing your support for Trump.
I thought about it for a while, and then decided to unfriend you. Then, days later, I blocked you. If you do reach out with a voice mail or a text, I will likely not return it. Some have said in the days since the election that they can’t believe people are ending friendships and family relationships over “politics.” They’d say that I’m being silly, petty, or overacting.
But this election was and continues to be about so much more than “politics.” This is about values and respect. It’s about bigotry and hate. It’s about of millions of people’s rights being threatened, including my rights as a gay man and yours as a woman. It’s about putting our entire democracy in danger of transforming into an autocracy, and legitimizing and making alliances with our worst adversaries, whose goal is to dominate us.
Others would say they understand the desire to cut off the friendship, but that it’s better to continue dialogue and educate. Perhaps, this thinking goes, you’ll see what’s happening as we move forward and then reach out for an understanding and maybe offer a mea culpa.
I get that. But we are in a grave situation, with little time to spare. At this current moment, since you don’t see that we’re in a national emergency (to which you contributed), you may only be jarred if your comfortable life is affected – such as by losing one or more friends and being forced to reflect on the magnitude of what you’ve done.
Beyond all that, as I said above, I realize I never really knew you.
When it comes to the things that matter greatly to me, I’ve now learned we have very little in common. Words of support for me and concern for my well-being are superficial when you can’t be counted on when it really matters ― when rights are on the line. The election has brought that into sharp relief.
So I’ll keep my ears open, but unless you experience a truly deep transformation, I’m simply being honest when I say we can no longer be friends.
-
Make the jump here to read the original and more
Via Daily Dharma / December 14, 2016: What Forgiveness Is
True
forgiveness does not deny the suffering of the past but has a
tremendous dignity and courage and power of love in it that says we
will, and can, start again.
—Jack Kornfield, "A Change of Heart"
—Jack Kornfield, "A Change of Heart"
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 13, 2016: The Revolution of Enlightenment
Buddhism is inherently revolutionary. I can’t think of anything more radical than enlightenment.
—Daisaku Ikeda, "Faith in Revolution"
—Daisaku Ikeda, "Faith in Revolution"
Monday, December 12, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 12, 2016: The Big Questions
When
we are willing to hold our life questions as mysteries rather than as
problems that have to be fixed or solved, we become more comfortable
with the creative energy of not knowing.
—Narayan Liebenson Grady, "Questioning the Question" |
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Via Ram Dass
Bring
your awareness back to the rising and falling of the breath, and just
note the rising and falling. Because the ego is so clever, in which it’s
constantly judging, so just sit and do the practice, holding only that
awareness.
Via Daily Dharma / December 11, 2016: A Dearth of Compassion
|
When
there isn’t enough compassion being generated (either for ourselves as
individuals or in the world in general), we become unbalanced; we suffer
from it as we would from a lack of fresh air and clean water.
—Patricia Anderson, "Real or Pretend" |
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 10, 2016: A Cog in the Machine of the Universe
Realizing
one is simply part of the machinery, or the music, of the universe,
with its resonating structure of wave patterns: this one giving rise to
this one, giving rise to this one . . . to hear this music, piercing as
it is, restores a measure of order in the havoc of pain.
—Noelle Oxenhandler, "A Streetcar in Your Stomach"
—Noelle Oxenhandler, "A Streetcar in Your Stomach"
Friday, December 9, 2016
A few links from Lion's Roar: Weekend Reader: How to deal with a difficult person
Photo by Ian Evenstar.
It’s
one thing when we hear, as Buddhism so often teaches us, that our ideas
about self and other are really just ideas. It’s another thing to live
as though it’s true. With work, though, we can realize that even those
we find difficult have much to offer, much to teach us, and that our
connections to others are much more than some lovely philosophical
concept. May the teachings here rouse us to open our hearts and minds to
all.
—Rod Meade Sperry, editor, LionsRoar.com
---
Karen Kissel Wegela introduces a tool to help you skillfully focus on and work with a challenging person in your life.
...
In Buddhism, particularly in the Mahayana teachings, the cultivation of
compassion is pivotal. Compassion refers to our desire to alleviate the
sufferings of all beings. In order to do this, the first step is to
recognize, acknowledge and open to the reality of suffering both in our
own lives and in the lives of others. [...]
---
“There are no human enemies,” says Sylvia Boorstein, “only confused people needing help.”
...
Shantideva, the sixth-century Buddhist commentator, gives this example in A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life:
Suppose a person hits you with a stick. It does not make sense to be
angry at the stick for hurting you, since the blows were inflicted by a
person. Neither, he continues, does anger toward the person make sense,
since the person is compelled by anger (or greed or delusion). Ignorance
becomes the villain, overwhelming reason and creating suffering. Is
Shantideva still relevant in this 21st-century world? [...]
---
In Vietnam during the French Indochina War, the famed Zen teacher made an unlikely but meaningful connection.
...
One
morning I set out from Bao Quoc for my monthly visit back to my root
temple. I felt light and joyful at the thought of seeing my teacher, my
monastic brothers, and the ancient, highly venerated temple.
I had just gone over a hill when I heard a voice call out. Up on the hill, above the road, I saw a French soldier waving. Thinking he was making fun of me because I was a monk, I turned away and continued walking down the road. But suddenly I had the feeling that this was no laughing matter. Behind me I heard the clomping of a soldier’s boots running up behind me. Perhaps he wanted to search me; the cloth bag I was carrying could have looked suspicious to him. I stopped walking and waited. [...]
I had just gone over a hill when I heard a voice call out. Up on the hill, above the road, I saw a French soldier waving. Thinking he was making fun of me because I was a monk, I turned away and continued walking down the road. But suddenly I had the feeling that this was no laughing matter. Behind me I heard the clomping of a soldier’s boots running up behind me. Perhaps he wanted to search me; the cloth bag I was carrying could have looked suspicious to him. I stopped walking and waited. [...]
Via Daily Dharma / December 9, 2016: You Have Nothing to Renounce
Think
of the benefits of renunciation. Or if you prefer, contemplate the
illusory nature of samsara, and appreciate that you have nothing to
renounce.
—Amie Barrodale, "The Night Report"
—Amie Barrodale, "The Night Report"
Via Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) Bookstore / FB: December 8th - is Bodhi Day
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Via Ram Dass / Words of Wisdom
The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly
themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in
loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential
likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the
reflection of ourselves we find in them.
Thomas Merton
Via Ram Dass / Words of Wisdom
Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.
- Anne Lamott
Via Daily Dharma / December 8, 2016: Fear of Pain
If we’re afraid of pain and always try to change it to pleasure, we’ll end up even more ignorant than before.
—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar"
—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar"
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Via Ram Dass
As
I have explored my own and others' journey towards love, I've
encountered different kinds of happiness. There's pleasure, there's
happiness, and then there's joy. Addiction, even in the broad sense of
just always wanting more of something, gives only pleasure. Pleasure is
very earthbound when you're getting it from sensual interaction, and it
always has its opposite; also, the need for satisfaction is never
ending. Happiness is emotional, and emotions come and go. It may play
into the complex of other emotional stuff that we all carry. But there
is also spiritual happiness, which gets very close to joy.
As it becomes less personal, spiritual happiness becomes joy. Joy is being part of the One. It's spiritual, the joy-full universe, like trees are joyful. It's bliss, or ananda. It's all those things. The difference is that it comes from the soul.
As it becomes less personal, spiritual happiness becomes joy. Joy is being part of the One. It's spiritual, the joy-full universe, like trees are joyful. It's bliss, or ananda. It's all those things. The difference is that it comes from the soul.
Via Daily Dharma / December 7, 2016: It Is What It Is
The world is what the world is, and I will work in the best way I can to do the healing I can, to take loving actions.
—Roshi Bernie Glassman, "Working in the Cracks"
—Roshi Bernie Glassman, "Working in the Cracks"
Via NY Magazine / The Cut: Every One of Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks So Far Opposes LGBT Rights
During his acceptance speech
at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump did something
unusual: He acknowledged LGBT Americans. Referring to the mass shooting
at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Trump said, “This time, the
terrorist targeted the LGBTQ community … and we’re going to stop it.” He
then promised to “protect LGBTQ citizens from the violence and
oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.”
Coming
from a Republican politician, even an acknowledgment of the LGBT
community is pretty novel. But Trump’s promise was to protect LGBT
Americans from hateful ideology abroad — he didn’t mention the hatred
many regularly experience at home, sometimes due to policies proposed by
people with whom he surrounds himself. Because of all his cabinet and
cabinet-level picks so far, not one has a history of standing up for
LGBT rights.
Jeff Sessions, attorney general
It isn’t just the definition of sexual assault that Alabama senator Jeff Sessions has twisted. As the Huffington Post pointed out when Trump nominated him for the post of attorney general, you can pick almost any LGBT rights issue, and chances are Sessions has voted against it.
He supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage; voted against
adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the definition of hate
crimes; and voted against repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t
tell” policy.
He also co-sponsored a bill
that would allow Alabama’s definition of marriage to supersede the
federal definition, basically ending same-sex marriage in the state. And
he’s co-sponsoring the First Amendment Defense Act,
which would let government-funded organizations ignore laws that
conflict with their religious beliefs. His score with the Human Rights
Campaign is a big, fat zero.
Mike Pompeo, Central Intelligence Agency director
Trump chose Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo to fill the post of CIA director around the same time he tapped Sessions. While serving in congress, Pompeo voted
to protect anti-same-sex marriage opinions as free speech and also
supported a bill saying a state’s definition of marriage should
supersede the federal one. And during a 2014 interview with a Kansas State University radio station,
Pompeo elaborated on his opinion of same-sex marriage. “I don’t agree
with [same-sex marriage],” he said. “I think marriage ought to continue
to be between one man and one woman.” He went on, “I think as you look
back at civilization, look back at history, you find the strength of
these families having a father and a mother is the ideal condition for
childbearing. Doesn’t mean there aren’t great families with single
parents, great young men and women raised without either parent. If
you’re asking for what is ideal, I think it’s being raised by a man and a
woman.”
Betsy DeVos, Education secretary
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick for Education secretary, comes from a wealthy Michigan family with a long history of donating to anti-LGBT, pro-GOP causes. According
to Politico, DeVos and her husband — Dick DeVos — have “given hundreds
of thousands of dollars to Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian
group whose founder called the battle against LGBT rights a ‘second
civil war.’” DeVos’s late father and her husband’s family were also
major donors to the Family Research Council
(another conservative Christian group), and they reportedly donated
thousands to efforts to block the legalization of same-sex marriage in
states like Florida, Michigan, and California. The DeVos family reportedly donated $400,000 to victims of the Orlando shooting, but many pointed out that this pales in comparison to what they’ve spent to oppose LGBT causes.
Tom Price, Health and Human Services secretary
As a state representative for Georgia, Tom Price — Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary —- voted against prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation and in favor of defining marriage in the Constitution as between one man and one woman. He also has a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, and pro-LGBT advocates worry that, as secretary of Health, he could take away protections specifically for transgender Americans. Price is in favor of dismantling
the Affordable Care Act, which bans sex discrimination — including
discrimination against trans people — in health care. That means
insurance providers are obligated to cover transition-related care, but
with Price at the helm, that’s liable to change.
Price has also criticized protections for transgender students in public schools, saying
a “federal restroom policy” is “yet another abuse and overreach of
power by the Obama administration, and a clear invasion of privacy.”
Elaine Chao, Transportation secretary
Yesterday, Trump named Elaine Chao
to the post of secretary of Transportation. Chao served as secretary of
Labor for eight years under George W. Bush, and before that she worked
as a deputy secretary of Transportation under Bush Sr. She has no voting
record, so it’s tough to pin down where Chao stands on the issue of
LGBT rights, but her family provides some clues. She’s married to Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who led opposition to LGBT rights
in the upper house. Chao has campaigned heavily for her husband in the
past, so it’s likely she shares at least some of his views on the issue.
Reince Priebus, chief of staff
True, Reince Priebus — Trump’s new chief of staff — doesn’t have a voting record either, but as chairman of the Republican Party, the guy spearheaded one of the most anti-LGBT platforms to date.
Among other things, it calls for the repeal of same-sex marriage, gives
states the right to choose which bathroom transgender people use, and
defends businesses who deny service to LGBT Americans based on their
religious beliefs. Priebus has also gone on record saying that being raised by heterosexual parents is the “best scenario” for children. (In fact, studies have shown that children raised by same-sex couples are just as happy and successful as those raised by opposite-sex couples.)
Mike Flynn, White House national security adviser
According
to the Human Rights Campaign, retired Army Lieutenant General Michael
Flynn has a “history of animus toward LGBT people.” Most recently Flynn,
whom Trump has named national security adviser,
went on a tirade against “political correctness” in response to the
Obama administration’s decision to allow transgender soldiers to serve
openly in the military. “My God, war is not about bathrooms,” he said
at the Republican National Convention. “War is not about political
correctness or words that are meaningless. War is about winning.” Flynn appeared to contradict himself
during an interview in July, saying, “On the gay issue, hey, you know
what, if people love each other, Jesus, I mean, come on.” It’s unclear
how or if his personal views will factor into the way he runs the
military.
Nikki Haley, ambassador to the United Nations
South Carolina governor Nikki Haley will serve as the ambassador to the United Nations, and although she drew fire from conservative pundits
for referencing “modern families” in her response to Obama’s final
State of the Union, she’s not exactly progressive when it comes to LGBT
issues. In 2010 she said
marriage is between “one man and one woman,” and three years later she
backed her state’s ban on same-sex marriage. “The citizens of South
Carolina spoke … they spoke something that I, too, believe, which is
marriage should be between a man and a woman,” she said
at the time. “I’m going to stand by the people of this state, stand by the Constitution, I’m going to support it and fight for it every step of the way.”
To read the original and more make the jump here.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Via Lionsroar: Now Is the Time to Stand Up: Practicing the Dharma in Uncertain Times, Part 2
An ordained tree in Thailand. Photo by Peter Hershey.
After the election of Donald Trump, Lion’s Roar shared a new teaching by Jack Kornfield, called “Practicing the Dharma Uncertain Times.” Now, Jack follows up with second, more action-oriented installment of post-election guidance and encouragement.
As long as a society holds regular and frequent assemblies, meeting in harmony and mutual respect, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
As long as a society follows the long held traditions of wisdom, and honors its elders, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
As long as a society protects the wives and daughters and vulnerable among them, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
As long as a society cares for the shrines and sacred places of the natural world, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
—Mahaparinirvana Sutta (a text of Buddha’s last teachings)
As long as a society follows the long held traditions of wisdom, and honors its elders, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
As long as a society protects the wives and daughters and vulnerable among them, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
As long as a society cares for the shrines and sacred places of the natural world, can they be expected to prosper and not decline.
—Mahaparinirvana Sutta (a text of Buddha’s last teachings)
Do not believe that meditation and contemplation are the fulfillment of the Buddhist Path. Inner peace, freedom and joy develop only when paired with the outer teachings of virtue, respect and mutual care. The foundation of Dharma is relational, built on generosity, virtue and loving-kindness.
The Path to human happiness and liberation requires Right Intention, intentions that are free from greed, hatred and cruelty; Right Speech, speech that is true and helpful, not harsh, not vain, slanderous nor abusive; and Right Action, actions that are free from causing harm, killing, stealing and sexual exploitation.
In his life, the Buddha intervened to try to stop wars. He counseled kings and ministers, and guided those around him with teachings of peace and respect. In modern times, Maha Ghosananda of Cambodia joined the United Nations peace process and led years of peace walks of loving-kindness through the war zones and killing fields of Cambodia. Thai abbots have taken their robes and ordained the oldest trees as elders of the forest to protect whole ecosystems from logging. Burmese monks and nuns marched in the streets to protect citizens from the harsh military dictatorship. A.T. Ariyaratne in Sri Lanka enlisted hundreds of thousands in a 500-year peace plan. Vietnamese, Chinese and Tibetan monastics have stood up for peace, justice and compassion, even immolating themselves to stop the harmful actions around them.
Gandhi explains, “Those who say spirituality has nothing to do with politics do not know what spirituality really means.”
This is not about red or blue. It is about standing up for the most basic of human principles, for moral action and the prevention of harm. It is embodying Dharma amidst the troubles of the world.
You are not alone. You have generations of ancestors at your back. You have the blessing of interdependence and community. You have the great trees of the forest as steadfast allies. You have the turning of the seasons and the renewal of life as your music. You have the vast sky of emptiness to hold all things graciously.
With peacefulness and mutual respect, our Buddhist communities can become centers of protection and vision.
You have been training for this for a long time. With practice you have learned to quiet the mind and open the heart. You have learned emptiness and interdependence. Now it is time to step forward, bringing your equanimity and courage, wisdom and compassion to the world. The Bodhisattva shows the way to alleviate suffering amidst it all.As Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh explains, “When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive.”
Since the election, storms of uncertainty and fear have arisen. It is time to collectively stand up, calm and clear. With peacefulness and mutual respect, our Buddhist communities can become centers of protection and vision.
Protection can take many forms. Protection can be providing sanctuary for those in danger. Protection can be skillfully confronting those whose actions would harm the vulnerable among us. Protection can be standing up for the environment. Protection can be becoming an active ally for those targeted by hate and prejudice.
Vision means carrying the lamp of the Dharma. It means standing up for the truth—no matter what:
“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.”
“Greed, Hate and Ignorance create suffering. Generosity, Love and Wisdom bring happiness.”
“Mind is the forerunner. Speak and act with a pure mind and happiness will follow.”
“Plant seeds of goodness, and well-being will grow.”
Now a time of change has come.
We must listen deeply, bear witness, honor everyone, and choose our actions wisely and courageously.
Do not worry if the Right Action is not yet clear to you.
Wait in the unknowing with mindfulness and a clear heart.
Soon the right time will come and you will know to stand up.
I will meet you there.
This piece was originally published on SpiritRock.org.
Via Daily Dharma / December 6, 2016: Should We Become Monks?
If
you are really practicing all the time, then it makes no difference
whether you are monk or not. Being a monk is just a way of helping you
do that.
—Matthieu Ricard, "Released from All Bounds"
—Matthieu Ricard, "Released from All Bounds"
Monday, December 5, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 5, 2016: Finding Your Place on the Path
There
is humility in the act of pilgrimage, akin to the act of bowing; you’re
surrendering your own path to follow where others have gone before. It
puts you in place, in that sense, and your intentions in perspective.
—Pico Iyer, "The Long Road to Sitting Still"
—Pico Iyer, "The Long Road to Sitting Still"
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Via Ram Dass
So
what do I do? I do my best, but I give up the fruit of the action. If I
don't know what's supposed to happen, it's probably better if I don't
get to attached to one particular outcome. I listen to hear what my next
step should be. I do my acts in the best way I can. And how it comes
out...well, that's just how it comes out. Interesting, nothing more.
It's a matter of letting go of expectations.
Via Daily Dharma / December 4, 2016: A Clouded Reality
If
we indulge the human propensity to understate, exaggerate, and alter
facts for whatever comfort or false security a lie might accord us, we
forfeit our capacity to see reality clearly, and see only a world of our
own invention.
—Lin Jensen, "Right Lying"
—Lin Jensen, "Right Lying"
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 3, 2016: Breaking Habits
|
Through
repeated meditation practice, we can build awareness of our existing
mental habits. With awareness, there is space—allowing us to interrupt
habitual response patterns and bring intention to our responses,
choosing to form a different association.
—Wendy Hasenkamp, "Brain Karma" |
Friday, December 2, 2016
Via Ticycle: Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Death
Zen priests and partners Robert
Chodo Campbell and Koshin Paley Ellison talk about the importance of
having meaningful conversations about what we want out of our life (and
death).
By Wendy Joan Biddlecombe
he third Buddhist Contemplative Care Symposium was held at the Garrison Institute earlier this month, bringing together 170 caregivers and healthcare practitioners for the weekend-long event to discuss ways to make sure patients’ wishes are kept in mind as they navigate the dying process.
Tricycle’s web editor, Wendy Joan Biddlecombe, sat down with conference organizers Robert Chodo Campbell and Koshin Paley Ellison, co-founders of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, which offers the only accredited contemplative-based chaplaincy program in the U.S. Their book, Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care, was released by Wisdom Publications in April and is in its third printing.
Here’s what Chodo and Koshin had to say when asked if the holidays are the appropriate time to have the tough conversations about what we want out of our life (and death):
Koshin: Now is always a good time for meaningful conversations.
Chodo: Death is always present. It doesn’t stop for the holidays. But I wouldn’t necessarily raise the topic over Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas lunch unless there was someone in our presence transitioning toward death. In that case, then I would want everyone in the room to be open to a conversation. Because why would we be sitting around and bullshitting and not talking about what’s in front of us?
So I don’t think it should be barred from the holidays, but it’s also not something I’d put on the menu in particular: turkey, cranberry sauce, death.
Koshin: One of the things that’s particular about this symposium is that we’re gathering together to share the challenges and joys of being with people in their death process. Most of the people here are not clinicians—75 percent of end-of-life care comes from family members and friends. How do we have the meaningful conversations that make our wishes known, and how do we allow ourselves to really be open to these conversations? Have you told everyone you love that you love them? Are there people in your life who are you most grateful to? Who haven’t you told that you love them or are grateful to them? Are there relationships you would like to repair? What are you waiting for? It’s amazing that we don’t often take these risks because of our own nervousness or distractedness.
Chodo: Speaking of the holidays, a great party or after-dinner game would be to have everyone write down the five most important people in their life.
Koshin: And why.
Chodo: And why. Who is the person you could call at three o’clock in the morning if you really needed something? Most of us don’t have five people. We might get one or two.
Koshin: Who would drop everything to show up for you.
Chodo: And that can be quite shocking: “Wow, I need to tend to my relationships. I need to write more, call more.”
Koshin: Those relationships are like the refuge of sangha. We live in a time where isolation is one of the greatest indicators of morbidity and early death.
Chodo: It could be simply looking around the table and thinking, “Yeah, no, yeah, no. Maybe, yeah, no. Yeah, definitely”—those are the people that are important to me in my life.
Koshin: It’s also who you don’t want to be there. Because when we have very little time, seeing certain people can be too complicated, too charged, too traumatic. It’s important to just be able to know who you don’t want to be there and if you want to address that relationship . . . or not. Our practice is to investigate everything.
Read Robert Chodo Campbell’s essay, “Death is Not an Emergency,” from Awake at the Bedside
Via Daily Dharma / December 2, 2016: Learning to Learn
Don’t follow the old masters’ footsteps,
seek what they sought.
To learn about pine trees, go to the pine tree;
to learn of the bamboo, study bamboo.
—Basho, "Basho as Teacher"
seek what they sought.
To learn about pine trees, go to the pine tree;
to learn of the bamboo, study bamboo.
—Basho, "Basho as Teacher"
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / December 1, 2016: Self-Actualization
To
study the way of enlightenment is to study the self. To study the self
is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad
things.
—Eihei Dogen Zenji, "Actualizing the Fundamental Point"
—Eihei Dogen Zenji, "Actualizing the Fundamental Point"
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