Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to... (Zen)

Roshi Jeff Albrizze, Don, Ron, Richard, Pasadharma.org; Seven, Wisdom Quarterly There are four traditional vows in Zen, a Mahayana Buddhist sect of the Ch'an school as it developed in Japan. They are customarily translated as:Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them.Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them.The Dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them.The Buddha-Way is unsurpassable; I vow to attain it.A practitioner at ZCLA (Zen Center of Los Angeles) recently called this...

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Israel jonesing for war with Iran

BBC News (BBC.co.uk; Wisdom Quarterly (ironically) Q: Why do wars happen?"Rahm was right. You look cute when you cooperate." - "Hey, you're not so bad yourself."   "Bibi, I can back you better than Barry can."Israel's outgoing home front defense minister says an attack on Iran would likely [only] trigger a month-long conflict that would leave [only] 500 Israelis dead.   [This would, of course, be in addition to countless civilian casualties, mere "collateral damage," and thousands...

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British Buddhism

BBC Religion How many Buddhists are there in Britain?In 2001, according to the census, there were 151,816 Buddhists in Britain. However, that does not take into account those who regard themselves as Buddhists as well as Christians, or Jews, or Taoists, or anything else.   The census form made no provision for such people to be counted. There are also those who refuse to label themselves as "Buddhists" because it runs counter to the principle of selflessness or egolessness. They prefer...

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