Buddhism's topics - tribe.net

Chinese Earthquake

2008-05-15T22:57:50Z

Dalai Lama prays for victims of Chinese Earthquake:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24591923/

What a horrible tragedy, and coming right after that cyclone!

posted in Buddhism - 26 replies

emotions >> beget >> thoughts >> beget >> actions

2008-05-15T16:35:42Z

I have recently been thinking on:
emotions beget thoughts
thoughts beget actions
emotions beget actions

and as a consequence
those actions beget emotions beget thoughts .. and so on and so forth..

I'm starting to associate a karmic dynamic going on in my internal causes and conditions and how they expand to others.

I'm realizing the power of renuncing the neglect of emotional awareness--mine and others--because getting to know JUST my thoughts and the thoughts of others, disregarding or diminishing the emotional, is incomplete or maybe even dishonest.

A small example for me is my emotional awareness while someone makes ad hominem arguments towards me in tribe discussions. If I am feeling happy, I find their attacks actually funny. If I am feeling frustrated or upset, I find their attacks actually hurtful in some ways and I am tempted to return in kind. If I am feeling rather neutral, I react to their attacks with apathy...

Anyone care to share their thoughts or experiences about the associations of emotions, thoughts and actions?

posted in Buddhism - 17 replies

Buddhist Resources II

2008-05-15T11:15:39Z

continuing the Buddhist Resources thread from this link:

http://zenbuddhism.tribe.net/thread/81337a6e-bb15-425d-8894-ed22aa3b452f

+++

thought it might be easier for folks to scroll down less

+++

The Gateless Gate - Zen Koans

Tokusan Holds His Bowl

http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/gateless-gate/13.html

++++++++

101 Zen Stories

The Voice of Happiness

http://www.101zenstories.com/index.php?story=27

++++++

Zen Meditation Instructions

http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/meditation.php

++++

Zen Centers Guide

http://www.dharmanet.org/infowebZen.htm

posted in Buddhism - 9 replies

Cooks needed for youth meditation retreats, 6/6-13 & 6/14-21

2008-05-12T20:23:28Z

Have you ever had one of those jobs where you worked hard knowing you were part of something deeply meaningful, even transformative? This could be one of those jobs.

The Buddhist Peace Fellowship’s Youth Program seeks an experienced kitchen manager and 1-2 cooks with a love of service and a sense of adventure to prepare healthful, delicious vegetarian meals for a meditation retreat for teenagers (ages 15-19), June 14-21, at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center near Cazadero, Calif. (Sonoma County coast). We also seek an experienced cook for a meditation retreat for young adults (ages 18-30), June 6-13, at the same location.

The kitchen manager’s and cooks’ duties include:
- cooking healthful vegetarian meals and snacks using mostly organic ingredients
- working collaboratively with other cooks and kitchen volunteers
- keeping the kitchen clean and organized

The kitchen manager is also responsible for:
- coordinating menu planning, including the accommodation of special dietary needs (i.e., food allergies and sensitivities, vegan diets)
- ordering wholesale groceries and produce and coordinating retail shopping (we have sources)
- developing and managing the work schedule for cooks and kitchen volunteers

We need you to have:
- experience cooking for groups of 50-60 in a retreat or camp setting
- current, relevant references
- your own reliable transportation

You’ll be a great fit if you also have:
- a passion for building healthy communities with likeminded others
- a commitment to open, responsible communication and mature, respectful, collaborative problem-solving
- the ability to respond to the unexpected with ease, humor and creativity
- experience or familiarity with meditative practices such as mindfulness, yoga or qi gong
- experience working with/around teenagers

We offer:
- a $500 stipend and a private room for the kitchen manager
- a $300 stipend per retreat for each cook (one cook could work at both retreats)
- a comfortable, quiet shared lodging for the cooks
- all meals
- opportunities to meditate and participate in the retreat
- a week in a beautiful setting with mountain-top views of the ocean
- the gratitude of the community you work with and feed

To learn more, contact Jim Brown, retreat manager, at one_more_jim@yahoo.com or 916-508-7578 no later than May 16.

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

Buddha's Birthday

2008-05-12T20:10:44Z

It's the month of May and it's the month that African, East Asian and Indians celebrate Buddha's birthday. I was curious to know if anyone celebrates and if so how? My tribe chants and meditates but now with the many forms of Buddhism I wondered if anyone in the west celebrated at all.

posted in Buddhism - 5 replies

Nonduality in Buddhism (pointer)

2008-05-12T05:00:20Z

I am just posting a pointer to an intereting thread on nonduality in Buddhism. It is going on in the Tibetan Buddhim tribe and can be found here: http://tibetanbuddhism.tribe.net/thread/66827b91-8a38-4ec3-b154-6d70a7a80205

posted in Buddhism - 59 replies

Reincarnation and impermanence

2008-05-05T01:24:25Z

Can someone explain how reincarnation fits into impermanence, and maybe a resource i can read up on this exact question. thank you

posted in Buddhism - 135 replies

Movie - Dhamma Brothers

2008-05-04T21:24:36Z

Dhamma Brothers

Movie about to come out, about a group of prisoners who are learning Buddhism to cope with life inside.

http://www.dhammabrothers.com/

one of my favorite charities is the Prison Ashram

Project of the Human Kindness Foundation. They have been teaching meditation to prisoners for over 30 years!

Amazing, amazing folks!

http://www.humankindness.org/project.html

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

New Words

2008-05-02T16:05:20Z

Kudos to Qatana for the following:

===
Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational, which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter whe n they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

what does this chant mean?

2008-05-01T14:40:53Z

namu myoho renge kyo, what does that mean? i hope i spelled it right.

posted in Buddhism - 7 replies

Buddha

2008-04-25T22:19:10Z

I see fat buddhas all over the place
he's so jolly

question.
is the fat supposed to be some sort of acceptance symbol?

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

Letting Mom Die

2008-04-23T19:32:09Z

My Mother died this Monday, April 14th at 2pm. My brother, wife, and I were with here and witnessed her last moments. Her heart beat its last while I was holding her hand.

Continued here - http://www.traviseneix.com/letting-mom-die/

posted in Buddhism - 7 replies

Buddhist Resources

2008-04-16T02:04:53Z

Zen Mountain Monastery

conducts meditation retreats, also retreats in the
spiritual arts, etc.

http://www.mro.org/zmm/index.php

++++

posted in Buddhism - 104 replies

Listen to my Buddhism podcast!

2008-04-13T18:18:54Z

http://davidroel.wordpress.com
Daily reading on spirituality, meditation, etc.
RSS and email delivery available.

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Budhist Tantra??

2008-04-12T08:06:35Z

The Budhist Tantra its Wonderfull
Tantrayana techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism are techniques used to attain Buddhahood. Vajrayana partially relies on various Tantric techniques rooted in scriptures known as Tantras, written in Nepal. The most important aspect of the Tantric path is to 'use the result as the Path'; which means that rather than placing full enlightenment as a goal far away in the future, one tries to identify with the enlightened body, speech and mind of a Buddha. The buddha-form which one can best relate to is called the yidam (Tibetan) or (Sanskrit: ishtadevata) or 'personal buddha-form'. In order to achieve this self-identification with a buddha-form, much symbolism and visualization is used in Buddhist Tantric Techniques.
Secrecy is a cornerstone of Tantric Buddhism, simply to avoid the practices from harming oneself and others without proper guidance. It is not even allowed to explain the full symbolism and psychology of the practice to the uninitiated, which leads to misunderstanding and dismissal. Tantric techniques may initially appear to consist of ritualistic nonsense; however, it should only be practiced on the basis of a thorough understanding of Buddhist Philosophy and strictly following the traditions.

Tantric techniques include:

repetition of special ritual phrases (Mantras),
use of various yoga techniques such as Trul Khor, including breath control (Pranayama), yantra and the use of special hand positions (Mudras)
use of an extensive vocabulary of visual aids, such as cosmic mandala diagrams which teach and map pathways to spiritual enlightenment
the use of ritual objects such as the vajra and bell (ghanta), phurba, hand drum (damaru), and many other symbolic tools and musical instruments
use of specialized rituals rooted in Vajrayana cosmology and beliefs
importance of a guru-disciple relationship, for example by ritual 'empowerments' or 'initiations' wherein the student obtains permission to practice a particular Tantra.
of most importance are the oral transmissions given by a tantric master. These teachings are only given personally from teacher to student and are secret, because they demand a certain maturity of the student. Otherwise they might have a negative effect. Such Teachings describe certain aspects of the mind and how to attain them, realize them by certain practices that can be dangerous to ones health if not prepared thoroughly, as such states of mind are normally experienced at the time of death. A mature Yogi 'dies' in the Meditation and comes back again, experiencing all the levels of the Mind

posted in Buddhism - 10 replies

why don't buddhists vacuum in the corners?

2008-04-11T19:53:13Z

because they have no attachments

posted in Buddhism - 8 replies

Fun non-Buddhist Chat Thread

2008-04-11T19:45:36Z

thought we might try a thread just to "chat" with each other, in spirit of fun and everything outside of Buddhism.

if moderator would rather not, I understand, feel free to delete, no hard feelings...

+++++

posted in Buddhism - 16 replies

Worlds Biggest Water Balloon Celebration April 9th Justin Hermin Plaza

2008-04-07T06:14:20Z

Non violent water ballon party at justin hermin plaza in celibration of the passing of the olympic torch.
Please be very careful not to extinguish the flame...
since the olympics should not be 'Political' !

recomend red yellow and blue ballons in honor of his Holiness the Dali Lama and all those who have died in tibet to make china what it is today.

Nameste
William

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Ohmmmm

2008-04-06T04:29:00Z

http://www.serve.com/cmtan/buddhism/Lighter/GoodKarma/index.html

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

Tibet Help

2008-04-04T13:58:39Z

After gaining 1.5 million signatures on the petition it is time for the next step:

send a letter to your head of state to take action about Tibet!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_report_back/7.php/?cl=69966565

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Meaning

2008-04-04T03:07:49Z

Is meaning an attachment?

posted in Buddhism - 262 replies

Breathing?

2008-04-03T14:50:03Z

I am looking a some breathing/chanting group to participate in. My main interest is in learning various forms of breathing for spiritual journeying and for healing. Any suggestions? East Bay would be my first preference.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

Dharma or Deception?: Chinese Soldiers Dressed as Monks

2008-04-01T15:12:55Z

There is an image and a story traveling around the internet in emails and plastered all over the blogosphere right now that needs to be addressed.

I received an email thru my Buddhist community's email list. The article claims British intelligence has taken images, via satellite, of Chinese soldiers dressed as Tibetans starting the recent violence in Lhasa, Tibet. The image that accompanied the article is quite startling and appears to be quite damning evidence of Chinese soldiers carrying the robes of Buddhist monks, apparently at the ready to don the robes and start some trouble sometime during the recent unrest in Lhasa and elsewhere in Tibet.

However, the photo seemed somewhat familiar to me... like I had seen it somewhere before... that and the fact that the image's angle tells me that it could not have been taken from a satellite raised my curiosity level and prompted me to look into the truth of these claims and origin of the image. The results of which I wish to share and encourage the reader to pass on.

Rather than repost my entire blog entry here (which uncovers and explains the origins of this photo and article), please read the entry and feel free to comment/discuss it here or there.

Link to the blog entry here: http://people.tribe.net/thinkpossible/blog/b019e6d5-f576-4a04-9106-f0d73070e5f1

Respectfully in the Dharma,

Ehron Asher

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

$19M Mandir

2008-04-01T00:20:34Z

Forgive me the crosspost, and the somewhat off-topic nature of the post.

It's almost old news, but I wrote a rant on the construction of a $19M temple that was built here in Georgia. I got it published in a local magazine, who ran it as a point/counterpoint with views presented by the temple themselves. Here's the link to both pieces (complete with typos), if you're into this kind of thing:

http://tinyurl.com/2okc3e

I am somewhat intrigued and satisfied by the temple's response. The temple writers got to read my piece before writing theirs, and I think it’s obvious they did. :-)

They include an email address at the bottom for comments, and I hope you'll write in with whatever reaction you may have.

posted in Buddhism - 69 replies

March 31st International Tibet Protests

2008-03-30T23:03:45Z

This monday is the day that the Olympic Torch arrives in Beijing. There will be protests all over the world to rain on the parade.

Find a protest near you at these websites:

Students for a Free Tibet:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1315

The International Tibet Support Network:
http://www.tibetnetwork.org/march31

There will be a very big protest in DC - for information on that:
The Capital Area Tibetan Association:
http://www.dctibetan.com/id22.html

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

Engaged Ethics and Democracy Vs. the Total Society and the Rule of Arbitrary Law : Examples and References ( from Tribe Ethics and Morals )

2008-03-29T18:50:49Z

Title "Engaged Ethics and Democracy Vs. the Total Society and the Rule of Arbitrary Law : Examples and References" ( from Tribe Ethics and Morals )

Keywords : universal human rights and "well-ordered societies", John Stuart Mill, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and related treaties, Total Society ( Medieval Christianity, Radical Islam, Stalinism, Fascism, etc. ), internationally oriented democracy, Nobel Peace Laureates HH the Dalai Lama and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, Rio Earth Summit, Dr. Vandana Shiva and sustainable environmental democracy, prosocial behavior, Aquarian Conspiracy.

Summary: This is an brief overview of some of the main principles in universal human rights as related to Total Societies, with some key references to significant people and books. It is based on the concept that arbitrary and oppressive social order, whether politically or religiously based, is self-contradictory, unstable and irresponsible by definition, and that history shows Total Societies to be inherently dangerous and destructive, and that they can and must be fought when overly aggressive.

A counterpoint is outlined in terms of John Stuart Mill, key United Nation treaties and the necessity of balancing shared human and social concerns based on global interdependence and "inalienable" human rights ( as advanced primarily by references and citations to be followed up by interested readers ). The basic ideas of universal rights and responsibilities and "sustainable environmental democracy" are then put forward together. These are promoted as a necessary alternative to any and all total societies and as an alternative to advancing social and cultural destruction throughout the planet.

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759; (b1706 - d1790)

"Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power."
Aung San Suu Kyi, elected leader of Burma ( presently imprisoned by military junta ), Nobel Pease Laureate

"No defeat baby, no surrender."
Bruce Springsteen

"Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always." -- Mohandas K. Gandhi

"Today's world requires that we accept the oneness of humanity. . . In the context of our new interdependence, considering the interests of others is clearly the best form of self-interest." HH the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Laureate and Mahayana Buddhist teacher

Re TMIbo on Tribe Ethics and Morals:
"Evil is as evil does. I would define evil as that which seeks chaos over order. Or destroys order to create chaos, take your pick."

K T answers
Democracy is a kind of "social chaos", compared with Fascism, Stalinism, Medieval Roman Catholicism, and "Radical" Islam ( e.g. Afghanistan under the Taliban ), and the People's Republic of China. Those latter systems are all about social control of the many by the few, and their capabilities for crushing human rights are renowned throughout the world and throughout history. They also don't work, as history has shown again and again by the collapse of totalitarian regimes.

Know this: where books are burned or banned, individuals and groups are or will be jailed or banned or tortured or even burned to death. The Christian Middle Ages were also known as the Dark Ages, and a lot of the history represented the subjugation of pre Christian beliefs and lifeways, including the Burning Times, and also official Ex Cathedra opposition to scientific thought and research.

Thus, there is an obvious and inherent set of problems in elevating social order AS SUCH over AND ABOVE basic human freedoms such as democracy and freedom of speech, and that clearly includes so called moral or idealistic systems of belief or "faith based societies". . . even though basic freedoms are also problematical in practice.

So, a social system based on psychological or cultural control of private persons, one which opposes freedom of thought or belief( intellectual anarchy etc. ), will eventually progress towards tyranny unless opposed. It has happened all over the world in different ways. This is a now a major problem in the world today, with the rise of broadly based low-intensity to medium intensity paramilitary attacks on democratic societies and institutions worldwide.

We all have to pay attention to this, or eventually humanity can lose much or most that has been gained in progressive human culture and society, because progressive society and culture can be restricted or banned outright, as happens in one party or one religion states and social orders.

The first problem is
What is the social recourse for mistakes or bias or unlawful behavior by a ruling social order?
The second problem is
Who shall decide which kind of social order shall prevail?
The third problem is
What shall be done when a ruling social order determines to make war on another, outside social order?

After all, every one can see that Fascism, Stalinism, Medieval Roman Catholicism, and Sunni Islam, and Post-Marxist Chinese "Communism" are all fundamentally incompatible! Who then is to rule? "There can be no agreement on the basis of exclusivist dogmas. Each excludes the other." ( K T )

So to this we can add a fourth problem: Isn't it true that while claiming to support and maintain order, totalitarian systems actually create massive chaos and destruction?
This is clearly demonstrated in Cambodia under Pol Pot, in Afghanistan under Mullah Omar and the Taliban, in Germany under Hitler and the Third Reich, in Russia and Eastern Europe under Stalin, and in China under Mao during the Cultural Revolution.

And that is why the United Nations, following World War II, in 1948 approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ( See http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm ) This reads in part,

"Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people. . ."

The "order over chaos" social alternatives to democratic society and human freedom, whether derived from religious or nationalist or internationalist dogma, ALL fully fit the definition of Total Society, in which the individual has few or no rights, and the state claims basically arbitrary control over the most essential aspects of human life and freedom.

This is a crucial point : absolutist or primarily one-sided social control is a form or mechanism that can be "religious", or "nationalist", or "internationalist". The *process* is what matters, *not* the dogmatic content per se. Such a process is what distorts and even destroys human society, specifically and especially while claiming to promote "coherence" and "order" and "harmony". Violent and arbitrary oppression of many diverse people both near and far is by definition the opposite of those claimed values.

That is, an authoritarian-leaning society or Total Society, to the extent that it is authoritarian or Total in practice, is
a) NOT well-ordered society
b) NOT designed to advance the good of its members and
c) NOT effectively regulated by a ( truly ) public conception of justice.

"Justice" means "rights" and the balancing of rights through corresponding responsibilities among people. This is well developed in the writings of John Stuart Mill. But a Total Society is one in which rights are arbitrarily abridged. It was not so long ago that the Civil Rights movement ( 19th and 20th C. ) brought upheaval to the American South.

Ironically, it was a broad and ever larger set of American citizens who worked for peace and freedom for blacks in the Southern states for blacks ( often illegally or under direct attack by police ), and many blacks were Christian but still oppressed by a basically Christian society / slave system that was clearly worse than Imperial Rome. In Rome, slaves could read and write, and some were Greek scholars. In the American South, black Christian slaves were not allowed to learn to read and write ( the Bible, etc. ) by their Christian masters. So that is an example of a Total Society in recent American history, and one that was conclusively overthrown.

In the above example, it is clearly unfair and therefore unreasonable that some Christians were allowed to go to school and some were not. That's arbitrary abridgement. Basic rights means no arbitrary abridgement, i.e. that the laws and basic rules of fairness apply throughout society, to all human beings.

The main point here is that laws and social systems are always distorted in total Societies, that basic rights are arbitrarily abridged so that the few apply law to the many, while basically remaining above the law. And that is the opposite of a reasonable civil society, whether it is Medieval Catholicism or Nazi Germany or black slavery in the American South or Stalinist control of Eastern Europe.

Rights fundamentally opposed by large scale religious and political organizations can include some or all of the following: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association and Assembly, Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Political Self-Determination through Elected Representation. ( In fact, the Vatican did not formally acknowledge the legitimate rule of democracy until 1962. )

A key example of abridged rights is the "establishment" of Nazi rule in Germany. This was *not* authorized in the national German legislature, as many think. In fact, the National Socialist regime came to power in significant part by literally holding the German legislature hostage until that body resigned to Nazi rule. It was a state coup. How is that so called "order" IN ANY WAY legitimate? Since it is not, we can all agree that order and law are *not* the same thing as legitimacy, and can in fact promote the opposite.

Thus, a total society can be established by a social force that works like organized crime, and since large scale crime is inherently antisocial, this is contradicts the most basic notions of a well-ordered society.

When TMIbo ( on Tribe Ethics and Morals ) says "I would define evil as that which seeks chaos over order", this is a deep self contradiction. Clearly, the National Socialists sought "order", and their appeal to the German people was to lead the people from economic chaos and national weakness to strength and power. The Nazis represent an evil will to power, a power that claimed to protect the people from weakness and anarchy, but evil and self-defeating because universally destructive.

Historical perspective matters greatly in this discussion, and so do the perspectives of those who have worked long term and very effectively for peace and freedom, such as Mohandas Gandhi and Albert Einstein.

Dr Einstein said:
"Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perpetually rejuvenated illusions."
"The unlimited desire for ever greater power seeks to become active and aggressive wherever and whenever the physical possibility offers itself."
"Democratic institutions and standards are the result of historic developments to an extent not always appreciated in the lands that enjoy them."

TMIbo publically and clearly elevates "order" over "chaos", and we can all agree that the problem is not limited to Nazi Germany or to any one specific time or place. Feudal Totalitarian Christianity, Total Society in many Islamic Nations, National Socialism and Stalinist Dictatorship of the Proletariat emphasize "order" over "chaos" ( i.e. non-Christians or Freethinkers, the so-called "International Jewish Conspiracy", feminists and those who seek freedom from Islamic rule or jihad, etc. ).

We know this because all these institutions historically have emphasized war and bloodshed to subjugate or completely eliminate opposing positions, individuals, groups and even whole societies. Up through and including wholescale genocide. The Twentieth Century was largely largely dominated by Total Societies and their massive efforts to reshape the world into their own images, up through and including unlimited warfare ( along with contervailing forces such as the Allies in World War II ).

A casual, rough estimate of the 20th Century destruction of unarmed civilians under Communist rule ( in Russia, China, Cambodia ) runs from fifty million lives to eighty million lives, perhaps more. How is that "well-ordered" ? Yes, there is a strong sense of "order" in Marxist Stalinist rule, but the cost is astonishingly severe. And Communism still failed in Russia, throughout Eastern Europe, and so forth.

The same is true of Fascism in Spain and Germany. Yes, the Fascists ruled ( established and maintained complete "social order" ), but The Third Reich fell most spectacularly, even after amazing efforts to establish control over all of Europe, and so forth. Even after all the bloodshed of World War II, which claimed over thirty million lives.

Thus we can see the repeatedly demonstrated truth of Gandhi's statement that tyrants eventually fail. This means, more generally, that no Total Society ( such as Medieval Roman Catholicism, or Fascism, or Stalinism, or Radical Islam ) is inevitable, stable, or unassailable.

I argue the reverse: I will argue that all total societies, including Post Marxist Chinese Communism and Radical Islam, are inherently unstable and are doomed to failure. One basic reason for this is very simple: the more a violent social order succeeds, the more other societies will become concerned and seek to counterbalance naked aggression.

Another fundamental reason is that oppressive social orders fail to develop the potential of many or most of their members. For example, about 51% of the world's population is female, yet women are oppressed by Total Societies. ( See "The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith", by Irshad Manji, and "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. )

That total societies are inherently unstable is demonstrated by much historical evidence. This is true of Ancient Rome and Medieval Spain, which were based on continuous conquest, which cannot always proceed. It is structurally true today becasue of fundamental ( and basically unresolvable ) problems within Post Marxist Communism and within Islam ( e.g. the Sunni Shia divide as seen historically, as well as in present day Lebanon, Iraq, and so forth ).

It has never been shown that any culture based on war or conquest is ever really sustainable as a whole. Although Sunni Islam and Shia Islam are both quite powerful today, they are not unified, and for many centuries they have fought each other. Thus to a significant extent, they weaken themselves and each other in overall terms.

Devolution of imperial power is well demonstrated in major cases, with the development of near democracy or effective democracy asa replacement. Witness the development of self-rule in India and the many countries which became free of 16th century Spanish rule ( see http://encarta.msn.com/media_461518061/spanish_empire.html ), or free of the British Empire and so on.

It is quite clear that the overall progression of human societies from the time of the Protestant Reformation to today is characterized by several trends:
1) the breakdown of large scale total societies, such as Medieval Catholism and royalist rule;
2) the breakdown of colonialism and international imperial rule;
3) the tremendous and widespread development of human rights efforts and organizations ( including nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs ) and progress towards universal human rights as principle, as model, and as main priority for large scale societies.

This is due to many major economic, cultural, and international factors, including the global rise of literacy and freer more powerful forms of communication and networking ( e.g. the internet ). It is also based on tested working models of democracy that balance rights and responsibilities through transparent and equitable means. These social models are in turn based on well developed definitions of "social contracts" as advanced by John Stuart Mill and others.

The point is to find and uphold a balance based on freedom and responsibility, consciously and mutually addressed. The claim is not that people and groups will in general come to "mutual understanding and consonance with other people" ( Einstein ), but rather all will have to come to terms with fair and reciprocal standards of rights and responsibilities which favor nor one group and which are as little arbitrary as possible, paricularly in terms of negative rights ( non-interference ).

But Non-interference is the opposite of social control as defined by any Total Society. Therefore it is in the interest of the many to seek the opposite of any one model for a total society. When the many can and do work together effectively, or at least begin to work together, then movement towards a total society can be slowed, or reversed, and basic freedoms strengthened or reestablished.

This means negotiated rights and responsibilities through a civil order that
a) accords equal rights to all individuals by default as a matter of course;
b) is negotiated through a system of law that is always independent of any specific political party ( e.g. the US Bill of Rights and the US Supreme Court );
c) is always independent of any specific religious system ( separation of church and state ), i.e. that fundamentally rejects Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc. as foundational to society and social agreements;
d) actively promotes peace and co-operation and democracy in all parts of the world
( e.g. the United Nations and interventions by democracy-backed peacekeeping forces - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacekeeping ).

Furthermore, it also means, in our time,
e) the basic idea of "sustainable environmental democracy" as an alternative to any and all total societies based on squandering resources needed for future generations. This basic concept is called "intergenerational equity", or equity between generations. This has been developed by for example the Rio Earth Summit ( 1992 ) and environmental democracy has been advanced in particular by Dr. Vandana Shiva ( see following references ).

"Universal responsibility" and "universal human ethics" have been well communicated by for example HH the Dalai Lama, a Buddhist teacher awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He says
"Human beings by nature want happiness and do not want suffering. With that
feeling everyone tries to achieve happiness and tries to get rid of suffering, and everyone has the basic right to do this. In this way, all here are the same, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Easterner or Westerner, believer or non-believer ... and so on. Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value we are all the same."-- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight."

( See also The Global Community & the Need for Universal Responsibility - by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 1990. )

The point is that this kind of ethic is strongly prosocial, it actively seeks peace and freedom for all, not just this group or that. The alternative, isolationist viewpoint fails, just as failing to address the Nazi threat would have been a tragic failure for the US and others, just as failing to address the threat of Taliban style Islamic rule can become a major problem for any and all democratic societies.

HH the Dalai Lama belives in and works for peace. But peace is very different than pacifism. The Dalai Lama makes it very clear that he definitely supports the war effort that destroyed National Socialism in Germany. So did Dr. Albert Einstein.
Peace therefore is not the absence of war per se, it is the active promotion of freedom and democracy, including sometimes, acts of defensive warfare.

This is acceptable by definition at the United Nations, and it is only fair. It is universally agreed theat there is a need to fight for peace and freedom. This has major implications today in dealing with long-term aggressive and expansionist social orders that develop by swiftly or incrementally burying human rights. These must be dealt with using "scalable response".

There are several principal sets of documents that frame and illuminate the issues of negotiation based civil society. These include
1) "On Liberty and Utilitarianism" by John Stuart Mill
( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill and http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill/ ) ;
2) the founding documents and historical development of democracy in the American Colonies, esp. the sources of American style democracy in the Iroquois Confederacy;
3) the founding documents and historical development of the United Nations
( see http://www.unhchr.ch/map.htm );

To these I would add several additional current sources:

1) information on Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi
see also the book "Freedom From Fear and Other Writings", by Aung San Suu Kyi
http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Fear-Other-Writings-Revised/dp/0140253173

2) information on the Nobel Peace Prize Winner HH the Dalai Lama
( e.g. "The Global Community" http://www.dalailama.com/page.75.htm )

3) The Rio Earth Summit documents and process
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Summit

4) information and books related to Dr. Vandana Shiva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva

5) Aquarian Conspiracy, by Marilyn Ferguson
http://www.amazon.com/Aquarian-Conspiracy-Marilyn-Ferguson/dp/0874774586

But politics is not something that happens "out there". Professor Todd Gitlin famously pointed out that "politics isn't where you stand on the issues, politics is how you live your life". And that necessarily involves personal principles, models and priorities, not mere acknowledgement of social "realities" and "concerns". This is why I claim that the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi are relevant. I will offer some words from Aung San Suu Kyi and Marilyn Ferguson on the inner ethic of progressive social change.

Freedom From Fear Speech, by Aung San Suu Kyi
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Burma/FreedomFromFearSpeech.html

". . .Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear ofdeath, fear oflosing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure.

"A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

"The wellspring of courage and endurance in the face of unbridled power is generally a firm belief in the sanctity of ethical principles combined with a historical sense that despite all setbacks the condition of man is set on an ultimate course for both spiritual and material advancement. It is his capacity for self-improvement and self-redemption which most distinguishes man from the mere brute.

"At the root of human responsibility is the concept of perfection, the urge to achieve it, the intelligence to find a path towards it, and the will to follow that path if not to the end at least the distance needed to rise above individual limitations and environmental impediments. It is man's vision of a world fit for rational, civilized humanity which leads him to dare and to suffer to build societies free from want and fear. Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power."

. . . . this is . . . For All Our Relations, and not least for the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi. Sarva mangalam.

K T

"Our past is *not* our potential. In any given hour, with all the stubborn teachers and healers of history who have called us to our best selves, we can re-choose, to awaken. Awakening brings it's own assignments, chosen by us, unique to each of us. But whatever you have thought about yourself, and however long you may have thought it, you are not just "you". You are a seed, a silent promise. You are the conspiracy."
Marilyn Ferguson, the Aquarian Conspiracy

posted in Buddhism - 11 replies

"Mayhem in Beijing" - more fun than a boycott!!

2008-03-29T16:04:22Z

(from: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23438817-23109,00.html )

MP calls for 'mayhem in Beijing'
March 27, 2008 02:25am
Article from: Agence France-Presse

A PROMINENT Euro MP has called for "mayhem in Beijing" during the Olympic Games, with a boycott of the opening ceremony and high-profile protests over the Chinese crackdown in Tibet.

"We have to make the Chinese Communists truly regret wanting to organise the Games," Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a Green member of the European Parliament and a leader of the 1968 French student uprising, said on France 2 television.

"All European Union countries should boycott the opening of the Olympic Games" on August 8, he said.

"In the words of May 1968, we have to 'cause mayhem in Beijing'," he said, in protest at the Chinese crackdown in Tibet which, according to Tibetan exile groups, has left at least 140 dead in the past 10 days.

"That means that during the Games we run, jump and swim, but at the same time we have civic-minded athletes showing their solidarity with Tibet with orange armbands and headscarves," Mr Cohn-Bendit said.

"We need civic-minded journalists who not only cover the Olympic Games but also go and talk to dissidents.

"I hear access to Tiananmen Square will be banned during the Olympic Games.

"Let's occupy Tiananmen Square. We'll see if the Chinese army tanks intervene."

Mr Cohn-Bendit also attacked the decision to award the Games to China.

"You do not give the Olympics to totalitarian countries as is the case here, because you will always end up with the same problem," he said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said this week he would consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympics if China refuses to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama on Tibet, though other world leaders are vowing to attend.

posted in Buddhism - 15 replies

Boycott NBC and all Olympics sponsors

2008-03-28T00:00:52Z

NBC has a special email address just for "feedback" concerning their Olympics coverage:
nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com

Here is what I sent them - with the subject heading "Tibet":

Tibet has been brutally occupied by China since 1950. I don't see how NBC can justify making millions of dollars covering the 2008 Summer Olympics while China's oppression of the Tibetan people not only continues - but increases in it's savagery. I plan to not only completely boycott all NBC programming - but also any and all Olympic sponsors, including especially sponsors of NBC's Olympics coverage.

posted in Buddhism - 35 replies

Tibet protests in DC

2008-03-26T16:34:44Z

There are ongoing protests every day in front of the Chinese Embassy at 2300 Connecticut Ave NW from 2pm - 5pm.

There is a big protest at the White House planned for this coming Monday, March 31st. That is the day the Olympic Torch arrives in Beijing.

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

Petition for Tibet

2008-03-25T18:52:16Z

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/22.php/?cl=64773249

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

Life is suffering ?

2008-03-23T00:25:33Z

I hope someone can help me understand this.

I've heard this from many a Buddhist that "Life is suffering".

I don't get it.
Life is beautiful. It is a gift to be alive, to be able to experience the beauty of a sunrise, to hear the laughter of a child, to smell the hint of earth on the first rain, etc etc.
Isn't it very negative to see life as mere suffering? Doesn't it just tint your life in a shade of gray to live with that belief?

I'm all for non-violence, honesty, karma etc. I just don't get the "suffering" bit.
(Just like I don't understand the "we're all born in sin" bit from another religion)

Please don't see this post as an attack of any sort. I'm just trying to understand this.
I know the story about Buddha coming to this conclusion, but I can't get myself to believe that life is indeed suffering.

thanks,

regards,
rax

posted in Buddhism - 38 replies

URGENT! PLEASE HELP TIBET! SIGN THIS PETITION!

2008-03-18T22:06:40Z

URGENT! PLEASE HELP TIBET! SIGN THIS PETITION!
PLEASE REPOST!

> Dear friends,
>
> After decades of repression under Chinese rule,
> the Tibetan people’s frustrations have burst
> onto the streets in protests and riots. With the
> spotlight of the upcoming Olympic Games now on
> China, Tibetans are crying out to the world for
> change.
>
> The Chinese government has said that the
> protesters who have not yet surrendered "
> will be punished". Its leaders are right
> now considering a crucial choice between
> escalating brutality or dialogue that could
> determine the future of Tibet, and China.
>
> We can affect this historic choice--China does
> care about its international reputation. China’s
> President Hu Jintao needs to hear that the ’Made
> in China’ brand and the upcoming Olympics in
> Beijing can succeed only if he makes the right
> choice. But it will take an avalanche of global
> people power to get his attention--and we need
> it in the next 48 hours.
>
> The Tibetan Nobel peace prize winner and
> spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has called for
> restraint and dialogue: he needs the world’s
> people to support him. Click below now to sign
> the petition--and tell absolutely everyone you
> can right away--our goal is 1 million voices
> united for Tibet:
>
::: SIGN THE PETITION! :::
http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/6.php
>
> China’s economy is totally dependent on "
> Made in China" exports that we all buy, and
> the government is keen to make the Olympics in
> Beijing this summer a celebration of a new
> China, respected as a leading world power. China
> is also a very diverse country with a brutal
> past and has reason to be concerned about its
> stability -- some of Tibet’s rioters killed
> innocent people. But President Hu must recognize
> that the greatest danger to Chinese stability
> and development comes from hardliners who
> advocate escalating repression, not from
> Tibetans who seek dialogue and reform.
>
> We will deliver our petition directly to Chinese
> officials in London, New York, and Beijing, but
> it must be a massive number before we deliver
> the petition. Please forward this email to your
> address book with a note explaining to your
> friends why this is important, or use our tell-a-
> friend tool to email your address book--it will
> come up after you sign the petition.
>
> The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for
> decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we
> must help them be heard.
>
> With hope and respect,
>
> Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Paul, Galit, Pascal,
> Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team
>
> PS - It has been suggested that the Chinese
> government may block the Avaaz website as a
> result of this email, and thousands of Avaaz
> members in China will no longer be able to
> participate in our community. A poll of Avaaz
> members over the weekend showed that over 80% of
> us believed it was still important to act on
> Tibet despite this terrible potential loss to
> our community, if we thought we could make a
> difference. If we are blocked, Avaaz will help
> maintain the campaign for internet freedom for
> all Chinese people, so that our members in China
> can one day rejoin our community.
>
> Here are some links with more information on the
> Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:
>
> BBC News: UN Calls for Restraint in Tibet
> http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7301912.
> stm
>
> Human Rights Watch: China Restrain from
> Violently Attacking Protesters
> http://hrw.
> org/english/docs/2008/03/15/china18291.htm
>
> Associated Press: Tibet Unrest Sparks Global
> Reaction
> http://ap. google.
> com/article/ALeqM5gSSpPcDOPMoAiRLhPUyezuCRiXBQD8VFDD680
>
> New York Times: China Takes Steps to Thwart
> Reporting on Tibet Protests
> http://www. nytimes.
> com/2008/03/18/world/asia/18access.html?ref=world
>
> --------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> ABOUT AVAAZ
> Avaaz. org is an independent, not-for-profit
> global campaigning organization that works to
> ensure that the views and values of the world’s
> people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz
> means "voice" in many languages.)
> Avaaz receives no money from governments or
> corporations, and is staffed by a global team
> based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York,
> Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

things you can do to help tibet

2008-03-18T20:24:58Z

Students for a Free Tibet have an excellent website - with lots of things you can do to help:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/

The Chinese want to completely wipe out Tibet as a nation. They are flooding Tibet with non-Tibetan colonists from China's overcrowded cities. It is cultural genocide in progress.

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

conspiracy of delight

2008-03-15T05:32:05Z

hey, any of you want to join me in a conspiracy? how about we plan some things to do that will cause delight in strangers. leave things on buses or trains, put something under a windshield wiper, "random acts of kindness" so to speak. any ideas? anyone want in on this? could be a lot of fun.

posted in Buddhism - 46 replies

Soul Majestic

2008-03-11T21:55:48Z

http://iseyz.com/2008/03/11/soul-majestic/

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

How do we creatively work with desires?

2008-03-11T07:11:09Z

We know desire cause all kinds of troubles, attachment, wanting, feelings of lack, wanting to force things and make them happen, anger jealousy, etc. So we give them up, perhaps suppress them, perhaps replace them through hopefully partially healing blissful practice.

Yet, even the desire to practice is attachment. Don't we need desire to become the Buddha? Don't we need desire to become even empty?
Where does the term "longing" fit in? Is t not normal in our evolutionary journey to long for a higher spiritual awakening... and is that longing not also a desire?

How do you deal with desire? Can you meditate them away or replace them with some bliss? Is it ok potentially to attach to our own Buddha-nature?

Who of you is beyond desire and how did you do it, let me know? - so many questions here.... just pick one of them. :-) - thank you, dear ones.

posted in Buddhism - 7 replies

my son called and read this to me today

2008-03-06T00:36:04Z

from Ch'an Master I-Hsuan:

"The Master answered, "As you deliberated to ask the question, your mind has already become different. Therefore the nature and character of dharmas have become differentiated. Seekers of the Way, do not make any mistake. All mundane and supramundane dharmas have no nature of their own. Nor have they the nature to be produced [by causes]. They have only the name Emptiness, but even the name is empty. Why do you take this useless name as real? You are greatly mistaken! . . . If you seek after the Buddha, you will be taken over by the devil of the Buddha, and if you seek after the patriarch, you will be taken over by the devil of the patriarch. If you seek after anything, you will always suffer. It is better not to do anything. Some unworthy priests tell their disciples that the Buddha is the ultimate, and that he went through three infinitely long periods, fulfilled his practice, and then achieved Buddhahood. Seekers of the Way, if you say that the Buddha is the ultimate, why did he die lying down sidewise in the forest in Kusinagara after having lived for eighty years? Where is he now?. . . Those who truly seek after the Law will have no use for the Buddha. They will have no use for the bodhisattvas or arhats. And they will have no use for any excellence in the Three Worlds (of desires, matter, and pure spirit). They will be distinctly free and not bound by material things. Heaven and earth may turn upside down but I shall have no more uncertainty. The Buddhas of the ten cardinal directions may appear before me and I shall not feel happy for a single moment. The three paths (of fire, blood, and swords) to hell may suddenly appear, but I shall not be afraid for a single moment. Why? Because I know that all dharmas are devoid of characters. They exist when there is transformation [in the mind] and cease to exist when there is no transformation. The Three Worlds are but the mind, and all dharmas are consciousness only. Therefore [they are all] dreams, illusions, and flowers in the air. What is the use of grasping and seizing them?. . ."

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Buddhist Writings

2008-03-02T20:11:19Z

Post wasn't showing up under thread, so re-doing it here.

Question was about original texts...
These were collected in the early years after his death. Exactly when? not sure. I think within the first 100 years after

Buddhist Writings

Dhammapada - the sayings of the Buddha.

general

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/index.html

+++

Writings below are from later period

101 Zen Stories

http://www.101zenstories.com/

+++++

The Story of Sumedha

www.bartleby.com/45/3/101.html

+++++

Hakuin

Here is a link to the writings of the Zen Master Hakuin

www.terebess.hu/zen/hakuin1.html

+++

Poetry by Han Shan

http://www.chinapage.com/hanshan2n.html

http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/buddhist/hanshan/index_html/view

Buddhist Poems

http://www.poetseers.org/themes/poems_spirituality/poems_about_buddhism/view

+++

Haiku by Basho

http://oaks.nvg.org/basho.html

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

why is it so danm hard to

2008-03-02T20:05:39Z

why is it so danm hard to find direct translations of sutras without comentarys and editorials or intterpretations?

it is madening.

if you haave a line on good sorces for such translations, espesialy afordable books of directly translated sutras with minimal editorials, i just want to read what buddhas buddys put together after he kiked the bucket, not what a buch of monks think it ment , i want to read it, listen to it, absorb it and make it a part of of my spiritual knoledge on my own terms. that is the way i can get the most out of it.

posted in Buddhism - 6 replies

Duality

2008-03-02T15:59:00Z

how would buddhism approach or interpret this perception?

posted in Buddhism - 39 replies

Global Consciousness Shift ... Yes .. No?

2008-03-01T08:52:45Z

Some have the opinion this is not going to happen ................. some have the opinion that it's already happening .............. What do you Think? I am genuinely interested............. curious....

posted in Buddhism - 68 replies

Happy Ho-Tei

2008-02-29T13:46:33Z

http://www.holymtn.com/gods/hotei.htm

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Gateless Gate - Zen Koans

2008-02-29T13:45:24Z

Entire List:

http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/cgi-bin/koan-index.pl

++++++++++++++

A Philosopher Asks Buddha

http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/gateless-gate/0.html

posted in Buddhism - 3 replies

What is the source of your happiness?

2008-02-29T01:15:51Z

Sunshine asked me this question in another thread.

My own happiness arises naturally from clear wisdom realizing emptiness. In my experience this has proven an inexhaustible source of inner peace and happiness. I have not yet developed the capacity to abide in this state of mind but I feel that it is inevitable.

Of course there are many other things which bring me happiness such as gardening, making music, raising children, and sharing this path with my lovely wife. Practicing giving and taking makes me happy too - I like to do that on the bus or when driving in traffic.

posted in Buddhism - 8 replies

is enlightenment a big deal?

2008-02-27T00:45:32Z

learning to minimize suffering and not be attached doesn't eradicate suffering, nor somehow solve the inherent problem all living things must face: being an impermanent structure caught in selective feedback loops which "reward" structures that are more successful at sticking around. that's the conundrum of being alive. those who seek enlightenment as a means to get out of this are bound to never get there... thoughts?

posted in Buddhism - 132 replies

telepathy

2008-02-22T13:56:07Z

if i cared to manipulate people, i could probably convince a decent number of people that i'm psychic. i've spent most of my adult life studying psychology and sense people's childhoods within minutes of meeting them. i can predict what people are likely to do with a decent accuracy, and guess what they're thinking a fair amount of the time, too, though certainly people are too complicated to predict at times.

there have been recent claims of supernatural powers in this tribe that accompany insight, and i wonder if what we call telepathy (as in, mind-reading, not transmission) and clairvoyance are really not just natural results of awareness and not supernatural at all. any thoughts on this? i should think that if you sit still and pay attention for hours and hours you will become more and more aware of very slight signals, and such awareness could translate into a kind of superpower to some people. (it's worth saying that i am skeptical of paranormal claims only insofar as i await conclusive evidence, not in a knee-jerk dismissive way.)

posted in Buddhism - 18 replies

secret drugs of vajrayana

2008-02-21T05:35:37Z

this was from a recent talk at a conferance this is a recordeding of mike crowleys talk at sacred elixers conferance. mikes book on the subject should be comeing out soon i hope! have your self a listen!
http://earthrites.org/saturday%20mp3s/mike%20crowley.mp3

posted in Buddhism - 83 replies

Parity and Clinging

2008-02-20T13:31:35Z

Though I have wound my way to Buddhism after years of searching I have found that the microcosm of struggle between religions also seems to manifest in the smaller realm of religious denominations. Which is the ‘true’ way? Who knows what Buddha -=really=- meant? We cling to something that satisfies some aspect of our inner search, we cling to what we find ‘true’ so vehemently that there are times that we find another cosmology to be threatening and we react to it. Sometimes that cosmology manifests as a partial overlap to our own beliefs and in doing so it seems even more threatening.

We cling to that which we have absorbed as our own as it satisfies something in us and we want to find ‘community’ in that ‘truth’ as greater numbers makes it feel more true. So we hear or read of a person who uses the language we associate with our perspective on ‘truth’ in a way that we reject and it becomes a struggle.

I have heard, and do not know it to be true but would like it to be so, that during Buddha’s final days he was pressed to give a summary of the right way to practice and he had said that one must only adhere to the Eightfold Path.

I tried to look it up, but couldn’t find a reference for it, I did however find another quote related to Buddha’s final days that I find interesting. Again, I don’t know the canonical reference.

“These were the very last words Buddha spoke:

‘Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation. Do your best. ‘ “

http://www.teachingsofthebuddha.com/last_words.htm

I know that I am more effective in moving myself than others, yet I seek others in this path of amelioration [trying to gain my own salvation]. I know that there are many in this forum that agree and disagree as to what the ‘true way’ is, and am guilty of pursuing what I see as abuse with verve. Those who do not share my views see my action as abuse, and I will confess that sometimes in my frustration, I can at times, not practice right speech. I endeavor to speak when moved to speak and get better with regard to my internal motivation in that. I am open to constructive pro-active criticism in that regard. I just wanted to publicly own my imperfection. I am working to better myself.

The motivation of this thread is to bring attention to the possibility of multi-denominational parity, and to try to create a dialogue with regard to our own clinging and how this manifests in this tribe as negative speech. Can we have different beliefs with regard to nibbana, an afterlife, reincarnation, ‘right’ Buddhism, etc and still be compassionate in our interaction? How can we go about that practice in –this- environment. How can we make this less of a struggle and more of an exchange of different views?

posted in Buddhism - 38 replies

A call for tolerance of faith and civil discourse

2008-02-20T06:03:08Z

I am attempting to issue a general call for tolerance of people’s faith (even when you don’t share it) as well as a call for civil discourse.

I am a little tired of seeing anyone who expresses a traditional belief in the Buddhist faith get attacked. This group is not supposed to be exclusively for those with an eclectic, secular humanist, approach to Buddhism. Frankly, there is no excuse for such personal attacks. One should be able to express ones beliefs (traditional or eclectic) without having one’s character or mental health attacked.

>>>>>>>>>>
The Vinaya was developed by the monastics themselves after his death so the order would be more pleasing to their sensibilities.
It is definitely full of quaint and even down right nasty superstitions. Only some one with serious mental issues would attempt to follow all of it.
>>>>>>>>>>

You are now actually claiming that _every_ ordained monastic that tries to live up to his vows has "serious mental issues”?

This comment has moved from the realm of hyperbole and rhetoric into the realm of mean spirited attack. An attack on countless individuals, including the many ordained who read this tribe. This is a Buddhist group, and I think it is ridiculous that people continue to be subjected to ad hominem attacks for expressing faith in Buddhist doctrines.

Swarm, you have every right to disagree with those doctrines, but there is no reason you can’t just explain (rationally and dispassionately) your reasons for your disagreement

Instead, you have repeatedly chosen to attack the character or sanity of people for nothing more than expressing a faith a little more traditional than your own.

This is an old trick, you can trivialize any viewpoint by saying that those who disagrees with you must be “mad” or “bad”. This sort of argument has no place in civil discourse.

You have insulted the practice of many thousands and the faith of millions. This is even worse coming from the moderator of a group ostensibly devoted to that faith (and not merely your eclectic interpretation of that faith). I think an apology is in order.

posted in Buddhism - 57 replies

Re: Paganism and Suicide : the classical Buddhist teaching

2008-02-19T19:45:48Z

From tribe pagan
Re: Paganism and Suicide : the classical Buddhist teaching

Re Mama Gaea's question:
"According to your personal beliefs, what do you think happens if one were to commit suicide? "

It's not about my "personal" beliefs. As an individually trained Buddhist guru, I will tell you what the Buddhist teaching makes emphatically clear.

To kill oneself is a form of human murder, and it has unspeakably grave consequences.

Basically, if you commit suicide, you go straight to hell. It is almost impossible to retrieve a consciousness that has committed self-murder.

Try yoga and mantra instead. That would be a needed step and the beginning of a growth cycle.

Free your awareness. Live for that which is highest in yourself and others.

We in the West do not live under the domination or major threat of Communism, Fascism, or Islam, nor under the medieval Catholic Church You have outer and inner freedom here and now, if you will but use it.

K T, dagger priest and medical tantrika

posted in Buddhism - 35 replies

favorite translations?

2008-02-19T07:52:10Z

what translations do you favor of the pali canon?

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Reverence For Life

2008-02-19T07:38:02Z

The First Precept: Reverence For Life

by Thich Nhat Hahn

http://www.ncf.ca/freenet/rootdir/menus/sigs/religion/buddhism/introduction/precepts/precept-1.html

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

are you in love with everyone?

2008-02-19T01:50:48Z

have you ever felt like you were in love with everyone? that you could really see everyone as just a fellow being with a history, struggling in our separate ways, lovely, and perfect in their imperfection?

posted in Buddhism - 111 replies

School Shootings

2008-02-16T13:02:47Z

Wonder what people think about the recent school shootings in relationship to Buddhist teachings?

I don't know that I have a response.

I think that after that recent big shooting, the colleges did institute better security measures.

I certainly think that getting guns needs better controls. We have to find a way to prevent people with serious psychiatric illnesses from acquiring guns.

I believe in waiting periods and severe restrictions for people with psychiatric illnesses, ex-cons, etc. etc.

If there is a guy out there with some depression who wants to do some duck hunting, I would imagine he could get a clearance from his psychiatrist or something. So, there should be ways to not limit legitimate use.

I think gun sales on the internet need to be better regulated...if not extremely regulated. There has to be some high standard of proof of identity prior to purchasing a weapon online.

Then, this latest shooting seems to be yet another example of a medication problem. These are popping up more and more...side effects from some new drugs. One depression drug seemed to be causing suicides.

So, I think the FDA needs to do some further testing on the suspect drugs. And, better yet, have the testing be done by an entirely independent agency. The FDA is filled with industry people...there is very little protection from "conflict of interest" issues.

So, aside from all that pragmatic stuff, the Buddhist response?

I really don't know. Maybe someone else has an idea in that area.

I don't think every tragedy can be prevented. I think there are just always going to be some individuals out there who are
deeply disturbed. You can't regulate everything perfectly without the size of the government being larger than the general population.

posted in Buddhism - 1 reply

The Theism Thread

2008-02-14T06:45:56Z

I said:
" <<<Um, since when is Tibetan Buddhism nontheistic? >>> "
Was answered

"About 2500 years now. The Buddha himself refuted the notion of an omnipotent, omniscient creator god, as do all subsequent Buddhist schools. "

Probably semantics. I equate theism with prayer to specific deities, which is certainly a component of TIbetan Buddhism. I don't see what creative monotheism has to do with my question.
Theo/a =god=deity in my book. Also Archtype/Icon/Mythological Spiritual Manifestation

posted in Buddhism - 23 replies

Allan Watts

2008-02-13T21:08:03Z

http://www.alanwatts.com/

neat guy, lecturer on Buddhism....

posted in Buddhism - 10 replies

Criticism of Buddhism

2008-02-13T20:57:32Z

Since there has been some ideas raised around about the various merits or lack of merits of Buddhism, I

thought I would start two threads. One, "Praise for Buddhism" exploring its benefits, and the other, "Criticism of Buddhism," exploring its negative aspects.

I feel that every idea, either for or against something, deserves a voice in the open light.

I hope that, in this spirit, the threads serve to be an expression of truth.

I also hope that whatever side one is on, whether, per se "for" or "against" Buddhism, that we all find in
our personal lives, the same peace, beauty, love and joy.

I will start the thread with a few ideas. The ideas below are not my own. I do not agree with the statements below, but in an attempt to honesty address the criticism, I will present them.

I think one criticism of Buddhism is that it is merely an ancient form of psychology and that now that we are in the modern era, with the discipline of psychological science, there is no longer a need for it.

Further, that Buddhism embodies some bizarre esoteric beliefs that have now been transcended by a modern society.

Another criticism of Buddhism is that it either is the expression of a demagogue's need for power, or becomes a field for the manifestation of such.

In that sense Buddhism is a cult.

So, there are various criticisms of Buddhism being a cult. That it is a dangerous subservience to a demagogue like leader in the form of the sensei or Roshi. That it is a form of brainwashing or mind control.

Other possible criticisms that occurred to me is that perhaps, as Buddhism represents a connection to the East, and to China and Japan, it represents some kind of threat to the integrity of American culture. That, perhaps, interest in Buddhism would promote undo respect for Japan and allow Japanese ideas and culture to compete with American culture; or even Japanese businesses to compete better with American businesses.

The last criticism that occurs offhand is that Buddhism represents an anti-materialistic culture and that the spreading of this kind of anti-materialistic culture represents a threat to the American economy...and, subsequently, to the general strength of America, as a nation.

Wishing everyone who comes by these boards, the very best, no matter who you are, what you do, or what your
opinions are.

posted in Buddhism - 18 replies

Dharma Talk in Philly

2008-02-13T19:33:41Z

Zen teacher from Vietnamese tradition, giving a Dharma Talk talk this Friday (February 15) at St Stephens Church, in Philly at 7:30pm

For more info:

http://www.phathue.com

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

text to speech engine meets the Dhammapada

2008-02-12T21:02:55Z

i put the Dhammapada throo a text to speech engine, if you don't think this is funny , well then i just don't know what to say.

Chapter 25 to the strength of the is good. Good is restraint of the year, restraint of the nose is good. Good is restraint of the tongue, restraint of the body is good. Good is restraint of speech restraint of the mind is good. Good is restraint in all circumstances restrained in all circumstances dictate to is released from all suffering. The one with hands restrained. He restrained speech restrained, who is foremost among the restrained inwardly delighted composed solitary and contented is called a big coup suite is the speech of the big coup, who restrains his melt speaks insightfully is not conceded and eliminates the teachings and the goal that the cuckoo dwells in the Dharma delights in the Dharma reflects the Dharma bee collects the Dharma doesn't fall away from the true Dharma. One shouldn't scorn, what one has received nor envy others can then begin to end these others doesn't become concentrated. The gods praise the mendicant who lives currently and untiringly introduces scorn what he or she receives. Even if receiving just a little anyone who doesn't cherish as mine, anything of body and mind. It doesn't grieve for that which doesn't exist is indeed called a big coup update to dwelling in lovingkindness and pleased with the Buddha's teachings attains happiness distilling all formations. The state of peace in two bail out this post and lead. It will move quickly for you, cutting off passion and a version. You will go to Nirvana, cut off the five lower offenders let go of the five higher bidders. Above all cultivate a five faculties of big coup who surmounts to fight attachments is called someone who is crossed to flood a coup be exorbitant meditation. Don't be negligent. Don't let your mind whirled about in sensual desire don't be negligent and swallow a molten iron bowl. And then being burnt cry out, this is suffering. There is no meditative absorption, for one without insight. There is no insight, for one without meditative option, which both one is close to Nirvana for the coup with the peaceful mind, who enters an empty dwelling. And clearly sees the true Dharma. His superhuman joy, fully knowing the arising of passing of the condos. When attains joy and delight for those who know this is a deathless. The starting point for an insightful day to its guarding the senses, contentment restraint according to the monastic rules and associating with good spiritual friends who live purely and untiringly. If one is friendly by habit and skillful in conduct. When we'll have much delight and bring an end to suffering Jess and sheds its withered flowers so victims shared passion and a version peaceful in Bali. Peaceful in speech, did they coup, peaceful and will concentrated, who is rejected of the world's date is called one at peace admonish yourself control yourself open to self guarded and mindful. You will live happily one self, indeed is one's own protector. When does indeed make one's own destiny. Therefore control yourself as a merchant does a fine horse of the coup filled with delight and pleased with the Buddhas teachings and attains happiness is stealing all formations to stay of peace engaged in the Buddhas teachings. Even a young day to lights up this world like the moon set free from a cloud

posted in Buddhism - 8 replies

Critique of Criticism

2008-02-12T19:04:22Z

I created a forum for criticism...so I did not want to post this there.

This is to give my refutation of standard criticisms of Buddhism...

one is the demagogue criticism.

Basically, I do think this is a valid criticism. I think that giving over power to a sensei or roshi is generally filled with problems.

I think that Buddhism, like every other major world religion, has been subjected to corruptions by individuals who are personally corrupt.

That will certainly mean that somewhere, some Buddhist sensei is actually a demagogue-like false leader.

However, I think it is important to put this in context.

We have demagogues in every single human institution.

We certainly have political demagogues. We certainly have criminals CEO's doing all sorts of horrible things.

So, to focus solely on the corruptions that exist within Buddhism or any world religion is a little skewed. The valid criticism would be if there is more corruption and demagoguery in Buddhism, than generally throughout society. I hardly think this is the case.

And the difference is that Buddhism is consciously focused on doing good. Businesses are consciously focused on making money. At best they can be a reasonably benign institution. But by their very nature, they are competing to win money. Hardly a spiritual pursuit.

Buddhists have been consciously engaged in the struggle for peace...both internally and politically, since its inception. So, I hardly think that some corrupt individuals produces harm on a scale of the enormous good that Buddhism has done for the world. I think one could easily argue that Buddhism is one of the primary civilizing forces in Asian world history.

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

Zen Bio

2008-02-12T04:50:09Z

Roshi Tetsugen Bernard Glassman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetsugen_Bernard_Glassman

+++++++++

Roshi Phillip Kapleau

http://www.rzc.org/html/abc/roshi_kapleau.shtml

posted in Buddhism - 6 replies

Praise for Buddhism

2008-02-11T14:18:39Z

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies

A Lesson in Humility

2008-02-11T14:11:24Z

9:07 AM 2/11/2008

The Sufis say that you can learn from anyone, even from dog. Apparently, they are correct. I learned a
lesson from a pet.

Pets seem to love everyone and openly, regardless of the "whatevers." The don't care if a person is white
or black, Democrat or Republican, they just love.

It is a humbling lesson to learn, that I am indeed, lower than a dog.

But it is a refreshing lesson as well.

I think the shock of humiliation is a "primed" place.

I think it is a place from which we can be shocked out of our personal habits and paradigms and into a new
and hopeful consciousness.

I am not so naive to think that this state is permanent. I know that the "slings and arrows" of severe medical problems is not such a gentle condition that it easily lends itself to transcending these blows.

In that I am in agreement with Ben Franklin who said that a little poverty is healthy for the soul, more
than that is destructive to the soul. And whether that poverty is financial, physical/medical or spiritual, the extremes of poverty
just produce an abyss, nothing more.

But I have hope in the "turns" in consciousness that can be reaped from the humiliations that come our way.

posted in Buddhism - 0 replies