Making "Merit" in Buddhism

Wisdom Quarterly edit of Wikipedia entry "Merit"The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha vowed to save others even from the hells (en.topictures.com)   The best merit contributes to one's growth towards liberation (nirvana, moksha, full emancipation). But it is generally useful and welcome however it manifests. Merit can be gained in a number of ways. Before the Buddha's time, it was customary to pray and make vows (deals). Others chanted Brahminical-style mantras and engaged in unprofitable rites...

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Zen Koan: Gokoku's Three Shames

Wisdom Quarterly; Book of Equanimity; Koan Study Group, PasaDharma.org PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLYThe person without clothing is indeed a naked heretic.The person who doesn't chew a grain of rice is certainly the burned-face demon king.Even if you were born in a holy place, you can't avoid falling from the top of the pole.Is there anything to cover up this shame?MAIN CASEAttention!A monk asked Gokoku, "When a crane stands upon a withered pine, then what?"Gokoku said, "On the ground below, it's a shame."The...

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India plunged into darkness

Wisdom QuarterlySitting in the dark (washingtonpost.com)A portion of the population larger than the United States was thrown off the electrical grid yesterday as India suffered a massive but mysterious blackout. Its origins were unknown but eventually corrected in the five Indian states affected. Power had to be drawn from what was until recently the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom, Bhutan. Then today the blackout grew more massive now involving half a billion people, and still the cause is unknown....

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Pussy Riot goes to court (video)

Guardian.co.uk (See article)VIDEO: Pussy Riot on Putin, "punk prayers" and superheroesAUDIO: Punk band's case tests Putin's tolerance for diss...

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Cara Memutar Foto Facebook

Cara Memutar Foto Facebook. Kadangkala kita dibuat pusing gara-gara foto profil atau foto teman dalam album yang dipasang miring, sehingga kesulitan untuk melihat. Untuk memutar (rotate) foto sebelum upload ke fb itu banyak aplikasi image viewer sudah mendukung fasilitas memutar foto ini termasuk adobe photoshop. Namun oleh krena masih banyak yang belum tahu cara memutar foto tersebut.Dalam...

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Indian actress to pose for Playboy, ruin India

Huffington Post: Weird News; Wisdom QuarterlyIndia makes more movies than HollywoodSherlyn Chopra, a Bollywood film actor, will become the first woman from India to strip naked in Playboy. The 28-year-old knockout wrote to the magazine and suggested the idea herself, the BBC reported. They got back to her within a few days to accept.     Fans will have to wait till the November issue circulates to get a glimpse of Chopra. A press conference earlier this week heralded the addition...

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A Buddhist Path to Recovery (Part 2)

The Eightfold Path of Recovery Buddhist Recovery at Dharma Punk, Against the Stream; Wisdom Quarterly (Part 2 of 3)1. UnderstandingWe understand that recovery begins when we renounce and abstain from all substances and addictive behaviors regardless of specific substances we have become addicted to. Forgiveness, non-harming actions, service, and generosity (unselfishness) are a necessary part of the recovery process. We cannot do it alone. Community support and wise guidance are an integral part...

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"Our deepest fear is not..."

Nelson Mandela (Eco_Bela/flickr.c...

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American to head Tibetan monastery

Kim Lawton, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly via Religion News ServiceNicholas Vreeland is the first Westerner to be abbot of Rato Monastery in India (RDF).     NEW YORK - The Dalai Lama has given [Ven.] Nicholas Vreeland [now Khen Rinpoche], director of The Tibet Center in New York, a daunting new assignment.   On July 6, Vreeland [was] enthroned as the new abbot of Rato Monastery in southern India, one of the most important monasteries in Tibetan [Vajrayana] Buddhism.    ...

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Biodata dan Foto Cherry Belle

Biodata dan Foto Cherry Belle : Cherry belle salah satu Girl Band Indonesia yang terbukti sukses yang digemari banyak orang dari mulai anak anak sampai remaja,Cherry belle yang biasa disingkat ChiBi ini mampu tampil di antara maraknya Boy band dan Girl band di indonesiaBagi sobat atau fannya yang penasaran ingin mengenal lebih dekat dengan para personil Cherry Belle girlband yang imut dan cantik.Berikut adalah Biodata Cherry Belle selengkapnya:Biodata Cherly - ChiBiNama Lengkap : Cherly Yuliana...

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Buddhist monk competing in Olympics

Wisdom Quarterly"Usain - not every man wants to be the fastest in the world," Durex brags on billboard.   Ven. Kenki Sato is in London competing in the Olympics. The sport he is competing in is -- not the archery Siddhartha was so good at, which would currently have him being beat by a blind man -- equestrian. Sensei is a Mahayana Buddhist monastic who resides in Myoshoji Temple, Japan.    "Oh, I get it! That's pretty funny."The monastery is located in the mountains near...

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World Peace Pilgrimage (Mt. Baldy)

WorldPeacePilgrimage.com; JKiser, Pacifica Radio; Wisdom QuarterlyFaiths are uniting for world peace high above on Los Angeles' "holy mountain."   For the past three years over 200 people from different faiths have come together on sacred Mount Baldy.Mt. Baldy Zen Center Often snow capped high in the San Gabriel mountain range in eastern Los Angeles County towering over the city, the gathering sends out waves of love and light to the world from its communication center.    This...

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A Buddhist Path to Recovery? (video)

Buddhist Recovery at Against the Stream, Los Angeles; Wisdom Quarterly (Part 1 of 3)(SoberLiving.com, SLtscrc) This drug rehab program has succeeded for over 25 years in Newport Beach, California, specializing in separate treatment programs for women or men, including an eating disorder facility. After 30-90 days of sobriety, the Beachside Extended Care Program allows structured treatment in a monitored residence to reintegrate into society. Or get back into the classroom through T.E.A.C.H.,...

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Trust Me, I'm Lying (media manipulation)

CoastToCoastAM.com (7-22-12), RyanHoliday.net (trustmeimlying.com); Wisdom Quarterly     Professional liar and business strategist Ryan Holiday was on C2C recently talking about how media manipulators control and distort the news. He declares, "Look, this is exactly what's happening, and I know that it's happening because I've personally done it."    He shared a media manipulation story as a marketer for the film I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. He lacked money and media...

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The Best Book about Buddhism (FREE)

Ven. Dr. Walpola Rahula, ELECTRONIC EDITION (BuddhaSociety.com, PBS) Grove Press, Inc., New York, proofread by F. Ruzsa; online version by V. Máthé as a gift of DharmaThe entire core contents are available online. An expanded edition is also available.   What the Buddha TaughtCountless volumes have been written on Buddhism. Wisdom Quarterly has gone through many of them -- finding a few diamonds and a great deal of dross in the process. This work stands the test of time. It manages to...

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