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We are recycled consciousness expressing itself in infinite forms. Science tells us that we are social creatures. We need others to survive in this world of suffering. Buddhism explains this bond as interconnection and co-arising. We are all one. To quote the Heart Sutra, "form is emptiness and emptiness is form." Thich Nhat Hanh uses the example of waves in the ocean.
We are all apart of a great, infinite, ocean of consciousness. In other words, we all share a similar human consciousness that interconnects us. As individuals, we are the wave that arises from the wider ocean of consciousness. We are both the wave and the ocean. We are both individuals, and a collective consciousness. This is the Buddhist belief of co-arising. To quote Buddha, "All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."
In each new birth, our karma determines the particular form of our wave rising from the greater ocean of consciousness.
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was living in Gaya, on Gaya Hill, together with a thousand ascetics. There he addressed them.
"Meditators, ALL is burning! What 'all' is burning?
"The eye is burning, forms [seen by the eye] are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever is felt as either pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact as supporting condition, that too is burning!
But I'm not burning, right? (Megan Fox/ArticMonkeyss/tumblr.com)
"Burning with what? Burning with the fire of craving [lust, greed, selfishness], with the fire of aversion [fear, hate, revulsion], with the fire of delusion [wrong view, ignorance, illusion].
"I say it is burning with rebirth, aging, and death, with sorrow, weeping, pain, grief, and despair.
"The ear is burning, sounds [heard by the ear] are burning... The nose is burning, odors [sensed by the nose] are burning... The tongue is burning, flavors [savored by the tongue] are burning... The body is burning, tangibles [felt by the body] are burning...
"The mind is burning, ideas are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning, and whatever is felt either as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact as supporting condition, that too is burning!
"Burning with what? Burning with the fire of craving, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with rebirth, aging, and death, with sorrow, weeping, pain, grief, and despair.
The world is on fire -- the whole world known through the senses (winds-of-desolation).
"Meditators, when a noble follower who has heard (the Dharma) sees this, one becomes estranged [alienated and indifferent] regarding the eye, regarding forms, regarding eye-consciousness, regarding eye-contact, and whatever is felt as either pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact as supporting condition. With regard to all of these, one becomes estranged.
"One becomes estranged regarding the ear... sounds... One becomes estranged regarding the nose... odors... One becomes estranged regarding the tongue... flavors... One becomes estranged regarding the body... tangibles...
"One becomes estranged regarding the mind, regarding ideas, regarding mind-consciousness, regarding mind-contact, and whatever is felt as either pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact as supporting indispensable condition. With regard to all of these, one becomes estranged.
"When one becomes estranged (alienated, disaffected, indifferent), passion fades out.
"With the fading of passion, one is liberated. When liberated, there comes certainty that one is liberated.
"One understands that, 'Birth is exhausted, the supreme life has been lived, what can be done has been done, and there is no more [suffering] beyond.'"
That is what the Buddha said. Those gathered were glad and approved of his words.
Now during his utterance, the hearts of those thousand ascetics were liberated from the taints by abandoning clinging.
The "World"? Ven. Nyanaponika Thera ("Karma and its Fruit")
"World" as self (weakonomics.com)
"In this fathom-long body with its perceptions and thoughts there is the world, the origin of the world, the ending of the world, and the path leading to the ending of the world" (AN 4.45).
The "world" of which the Buddha speaks is comprised in this aggregate [heap, collection, composite] of body-and-mind. For it is only by the activity of our physical and mental sense faculties that a world can be experienced and known at all.
The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily impressions which we perceive, and our various mental functions, conscious and unconscious -- this is the world in which we live.
And this world of ours has its origin in that very aggregate of physical and mental processes that produces the karmic act of craving for the six physical and mental sense objects.
[The Buddha asked:] "Ananda, if there were no karma ripening in the sphere of the senses, would there appear any sense-sphere existence?" — "Surely not, venerable sir!" (AN 3.76)
Thus karma is the womb from which we spring (kamma-yoni), the true creator of the world and of ourselves as the experiencer of "the world."
And through our karmic [intentional] actions in deed, word, and thought, we unceasingly engage in building and rebuilding this world and [rebirth in] worlds beyond. Even our good actions, as long as they are still under the influence of craving... More
A holyman lived happily on a peaceful street. One day the empty house across from him was bought.
He stared out of his window at it and before long, seeing many men coming and going, became convinced that it was being used as a brothel.
He soon saw a beautiful woman coming to the window staring out across the street at him.
He became incensed, "She's mocking me! That woman of ill repute has no right to live across from the holy precincts of this temple!"
By chance that woman died and the holyman died as well. He was eager to see heaven for the dispensing of some karmic justice; the woman was abashed.
But he was alarmed when he found himself being pulled back to Earth to be reborn, whereas the woman was drawing up to be reborn in some minor paradise in space.
"Something's gone wrong!" he shouted. "I'm a holyman; she's a wh*re! Why am I being cast away while she advances?!"
Buddhist heavens (Angelo G.I.O./flickr)
A gentle messenger (gandharva) explained that he had been a corrupt man in life, his heart/mind defiled, always condemning others for the faults he thought he detected. And this in spite of the fact that he lived what could have been a peaceful life of spiritual development with the blessing (benefit) of being taken care of as a holyman with time to cultivate spiritual qualities as others worked for their livelihood.
That woman, on the other hand, had led a life of hardship and even desperation that led her to resort to what she could do to get by, and nevertheless did not give up hope of one day gaining something better for herself.
One cutting example was shown to the holyman. The messenger recounted that she would frequently come to her window between visitors to a house she felt trapped in. There she would look out across the street in admiration of the temple and the peaceful old holyman in the window looking back at her.
She wished more than anything that she could live as peacefully as he lived, cared for and contented, rather than being sunk in the mire of her degrading existence.
"What had you done?" the messenger asked. "What had you been thinking?" Abashed, the holyman fell back to Earth more humble, less judgmental, full of appreciation that he could again live on a planet only half sunk in mire.
Instead, what might have come his way had he not lived and cultivated some beautiful karmic impulses (cittas) that enabled him to enjoy another rare opportunity to live on Earth.
"If you want to make GOD*laugh, tell [it] your plans."
*"GOD" here is not "God," the supreme god of various warring religious factions in the world but rather what they be hinting at and crediting their god with, which was understood by ancient Indian seers as that ineffable, impersonal, unimaginable godhead the Brahmin priests called Brahman, which should never be confused with Brahma. GOD in this sense is the all, the interplay of karma and results, the enduring reality behind the transient illusions in life.
As I'm sure you've noticed, I've been away. I needed a break. I took some time to empty my mind of everything Buddhist and simply live my life. I was holding onto Buddhism too tightly and needed to let go for awhile, so that I didn't loose perspective. It was a great reminder that even Buddhism itself can be an attachment. The time-off has reinvigorated my mind, my writing and commitment to the Dharma.
Today I wanted to write about meditation guilt. What do I mean by "meditation guilt?" Well, often the perception in western society of Buddhism is a religion centered upon meditation. Hollywood gives the impression that Buddhists are epitomized by a statuesque monk sitting endlessly for hours. While that is partly true, most can not maintain the commitment and practice of monks--they are essentially the professional athletes of meditation. If we expect to meditate like the monks do then we are surely setting ourselves up for disappointment, disillusionment and failure.
Traditionally, meditation hasn't been as central to the average Buddhist's life as is often the case in America. Kusala of the "Urban Dharma" blog elaborates:
For the most part, laity in immigrant Buddhism, like laity in Asia, don't engage in meditation -- a practice for the ascetic monks who are imitating the Buddha's lifestyle of renunciation. They don't expect to become enlightened beings like the Buddha.
Yet it seems a lot of "American Buddhists" are obsessed with meditation. I think some feel that meditation is a bit like prayer in Christianity. The perception being, if you aren't meditating daily then you are somehow "failing" as a Buddhist. The truth, of course, is that expecting to meditate daily like the monks is like expecting yourself to run a marathon without the time, body and training that regular runners can afford to give to their fitness. Monks have the luxury of not having a job and living in an environment where all worldly burdens are stripped, enabling the kind of focus and dedication needed to maintain a steady, meditation regime.
Does that mean meditation is pointless for non-monks? Or, that we shouldn't meditate? No, not at all. I think any monk would encourage meditation but I think we have too many expectations about meditation. We have to be realistic if we are going to stay committed to the Dharma, long-term. We expect ourselves to live up to a standard that few can do, and when we can't do it we punish ourselves with guilt. The guilt is truly unnecessary when you simply accept that you don't need to worry so much about enlightenment in this lifetime. Unless you are a monk, most of us Buddhists are just trying to be a better person for not just family, friends and strangers but for ourselves, too. Meditation is a wonderful way to re-calibrate and remind ourselves to stop and enjoy the moment. As well as the beauty and peace of being alive, in this moment, together--as one.
If a lay Buddhist finds they can, and want to meditate daily then by all means continue. I encourage meditation as a beneficial tool in dealing with the chaos of societal demands for greed, hatred and delusional thinking. However, don't expect yourself to be the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh or even the average monk. I am of the belief that the number of monastics is low compared to the general population because their karma has prepared them for this moment for countless lifetimes. We don't have to become monks or "marathon meditation masters" to benefit to be faithful Buddhists.
Use this life to become better people, so that perhaps in a future life we will be ready, able and willing to reborn into better circumstances. The beauty, compassion and optimism about Buddhism is that we can be reborn anew each lifetime, so that we have plenty of opportunities to develop along the path of enlightenment. I think a lot of convert Buddhists (who are former Christians, like myself) still harbor the absolutism of that belief system. We haven't fully abandoned the subconscious fear of "not getting it right" in this one lifetime. In Christianity, of course, there is only this lifetime to "get it right" and if you "fail," that's it--no more chances. I think we still harbor that "all or nothing" mentality as newly converted Buddhists, which is often carried over into our expectations of meditation practice.
If you can meditate daily then obviously you'll get more from such a regular practice, but even irregular meditation can bring benefits. The key is to not feel guilty because you can't meditate like the monks--not many can. You aren't a "bad Buddhist" if you can't formally meditate daily. Besides, there are numerous forms of meditation, such as walking meditation. As you walk, you focus on your breath to be fully present in the moment and aware of the oneness between yourself, the natural world and those you encounter upon your walks. As well as being aware of how we are apart of the greater family or sangha of humanity. It is an active form of meditation that the physically restless often find easier and more beneficial. If you need other suggested ways of meditation, look into the writings and teachings of Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh.
Piper Weiss, Shine (Yahoo! "Women Who Shine"); Seven, Wisdom Quarterly
Cute monkeys are savages with base appetites -- but they also exhibit compassion and other emotions. Here they are seen in Bali molesting another mammal (odditieszone.com).
TRUE STORY: When Vanessa James was a little girl, her mother would tell her bedtime stories of growing up like Tarzan in the jungle raised by a colony of monkeys.
As James got older, she learned those accounts were not fantasy but part of her mother's unbelievable history.
Between the ages of four and ten, Marina Chapman's family consisted of 20 or so Capuchin monkeys, native to the jungles of South America. Her memory of how it all started is hazy: She remembers sorting peas in her village when in an instant a hand covered her mouth and she awoke in the jungle.
"All she can remember is being chloroformed with a hand over her mouth," James, told London's Sunday Times this past week. "It's assumed that the kidnap went wrong,"
Two days after fending for herself, she was approached by a colony of monkeys who taught her by example to forage, feed, and survive as one of their own [thereby saving the life of a fellow mammal].
"Acting entirely on instinct, she tried to do what they did: she ate what they ate and copied their actions, and, little by little, learned to fend for herself," according to a press release for the Marina's memoir, The Girl With No Name, to be released in 2013 by Pegasus Books.
As Chapman adapted to jungle life, she lost any language she had learned in her early years and instead developed an inhuman ability to scale trees and to communicate with creatures native to the forest.
After more than five years, she was discovered by hunters who sold her into slavery in exchange for a parrot. (Help victims of child sex trafficking; here's how.)
A year later she escaped, narrowly avoiding a life of prostitution. She then lived off the streets in Colombia, relying on her stealth knowledge gleaned, in part, from her education in the jungle.
In her 20's while working as a household staff for a Colombian family, she was brought on a trip to Bradford, England. There she met her future husband at a church, a bacteriologist named John Chapman, and she never left. [Karma works in mysterious ways, unimaginable to our logic-bound, linear minds.]
Together they raised two children. She worked as a cook and later in social services she helped at-risk youth.
Over the past five years, her daughter Vanessa, now a 23-year-old film composer, has been devoted to transcribing her mother's memory -- matching the nuts and berries and wildlife in Chapman's jungle recollections with those native to the area she was abandoned in.
Recently, mother and daughter traveled back to Colombia to find Chapman's long-lost family, reconnecting with some surrogates who took her in in her teens. She even tried re-entering the jungle before being stopped by military officials.
After Vanessa was convinced she'd pieced together her mother's journey, the next challenge was convincing a co-writer, literary agent, and publisher that Marina's unbelievable accounts were true.
Humans return the favor (imprint.printmag.com)
Lynne Barrett-Lee came on board as the ghostwriter after poring over Vanessa's mounds of research and meeting face-to-face with Marina, whom she immediately understood to be a woman with no ordinary past. Publishers at Pegasus Books, too, claim to have gone through an exhaustive verification process before claiming the title.
There have only been a handful of modern-day accounts of feral children surviving this unique upbringing and ultimately assimilating back into human life. In 1999, a young boy was rescued in the Uganda jungle after being raised by monkeys. It took him eight years to learn to speak again. More
Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly (edited from Alankhoo)
Buddha in ancient Siam, Sukhothai, Thailand (JonBauer/flickr.com)
(Moonbird/flickr.com)
PART I. Buddhism or the Dharma (the authentic message of the historical Buddha, see Kalama Sutra) is profound and wholesome, for it leads to the highest good.
It benefits not only meditators but society. It benefits even those who only, as a result of hearing it, give. The Buddha, having himself experienced and confirmed it, out of compassion taught it in this world.
To this day it is freely offered to all, not limited to some special group.
Why then does anyone become a monastic with additional precepts? It is only because such a person wants to advance toward the goal more quickly and/or preserve the teaching for others.
FIVE PRECEPTS The Five Precepts are basic virtue, an expression of our humanity, our wish to get along, our basic goodness. "Original sin" is a Christian concept true to some extent from a Buddhist perspective: No one is actually born "innocent" and karma-free. It may certainly seem that way, staring at a joyous infant without a thought (intention) in its head/heart.
But for all that blissful ignorance, babies do not actually come in as "blank slates" (tabla rasas). They are impressionable. They are educable. But they bring karma and karmic tendencies (character as a result of past habits), which is almost a default personality built in previous lives. Still, there is talk of "original goodness," for humans certainly have merit or they would not have been born on this the lowest of the "fortunate" planes of existence.
Indeed, the human plane is the worst world that is still considered a "good and fortunate" place to be reborn. In at least one way, however, it is the best place to be reborn: Here one sees more starkly than anywhere else in the universe pleasure and pain, happiness and suffering, impermanence and the illusion of permanence in almost equal balance.
Animals and ghosts, as a general rule, face many more troubles. And what about that lucky dog who inherited millions from the old millionairess who was his former companion?! (What's a dog going to do with that fortune other than eat out of a nicer bowl?) There are of course exceptions but animals, ghosts (pretas), ogres (yakkhas), titans (asuras), and hellions (narakas) experience far more misery than even the most pathetic human.
Moreover, humans have the chance to make merit, which is rare elsewhere.
Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism narrowly speak only of "Six Realms" or Six Paths of Rebirth. The older Theravada remembers that the historical Buddha taught that there are 32 Planes of Existence. The six spoken of most often comprise only one of Three Spheres, the Sensual Sphere, which has a low celestial (space) realm, the human world, and subhuman realms. But there are vastly superior Fine-Material and Immaterial Spheres where radiant devas live.
Merit causes smiles (baconbabble.com)
Buddhism teaches virtue, concentration, and wisdom -- an ethical/moral code that brings peace of mind for the successful development of a systematic meditative practice that brings serenity and insight (concentration and wisdom, samadhi and prajna). Wisdom is founded on profound concentration called "absorption" (jhana), which is based on peace of mind, joy (piti), and happiness (sukha), which are based on virtue.
By observing precepts we not only cultivate moral strength (self-restraint) but also help our fellow beings through the highest service. The Five Precepts are:
These are basic responsibilities or observances all people everywhere wishing for a good future should cultivate and abide by.
As a result of maintaining and bringing them to perfection one will be reborn along three fortunate courses (or corridors leading straight to brahma, deva, and human planes). And one will be able to avoid three unfortunate states (hell, ghost, and animals). One will be able to enjoy many blessings, happiness, and forms of freedom among humans and devas (literally, "shining ones") here, now, and hereafter.
1. NOT KILLING
A fortunate person deliberately avoids killing living creatures -- either by committing the act, getting others to, or approving of acts of killing. Refraining is respecting others' lives.
One abandons and avoids depriving living beings of life, which includes bringing about harm to animals. If one were hurt or killed, family and friends would suffer. Harming others is the cause of rebirth in three unfortunate courses of rebirth. The effects of killing harm one over many lives not only the very next life; it is one cause of a short life, ill health, and fear.
In observing the first precept, one protects life whenever possible. One cultivates an attitude of loving kindness toward all by wishing that they be happy and free from harm.
2. NOT STEALING
Respecting what belongs to others is refraining from taking what is not given. One abstains from taking by force or fraud. One avoids misusing money and property belonging to the public, the collective, as well as individuals. In a broader sense, the second precept means not evading one’s responsibilities. For example, if an employee is lazy and neglects his/her duties or assigned tasks, that is taking what is not given while not living up to what is expected.
In an even broader sense, observing the second precept also means one cultivates the virtue of generosity. One gives to the needy (and even the wanty) as well as the sick because of their need and thereby helps society. One helps the virtuous -- with offers of support for Buddhist monks, nuns, masters, and practitioners -- out of respect for the good they are cultivating.
One helps the unvirtuous out of a hope that they be won over to the good by receiving good (that they give up stinginess and stealing by receiving generosity, give up killing by receiving compassion, give up harming by being respected...
If one were to hope that they would give these up through more suffering and punishments, one would likely wait a long time: Karma is not so obvious as to teach one that what one engages in now leads to results one meets with right away. Meditation brings about a shorter lag time.
Most acts (karma) take many lives to ripen, so that it is very unlikely that one will know what one has done. Mystics teach that as one sows (does) one receives (experiences) precisely because it is not obvious. The doer (in this life) is very unlikely to be the receiver (in this life). And when the unwelcome befalls one in the future, one often cannot find a reason why that should be so. One would have to look to previous lives.
Yungang, China (Johntrthome/flickr.com)
As hard as it may be to believe, the strength of our karma is conditioned not only by our intention and the act itself by by WHOM it is done to. The more virtuous the receiver, the much stronger the effects.
Therefore giving to the virtuous (the enlightened), our parents (who provided so much for us however much we may think they left us wanting), teachers, helpers, friends, and well wishers is a great source of merit. Reflecting on the good we receive whether in the form of advice, guidance, kindness, generosity, respect, and so on is also very helpful. The grateful are very rare in the world, whereas the ungrateful are very common.
Besides giving material things to the needy and the worthy, Buddhists are encouraged to offer sympathy and encouragement to those who are hurt or discouraged. How? It is said that the best of all gifts is the "Gift of the Dharma" in the form of teachings that encourage virtue, concentration (peace of mind), and wisdom. This is why many Buddhists support the production and distribution of Buddhist books.
Greed (a category that includes sensual craving, selfishness, stinginess, indifference towards others' needs, hoarding, craving, discontentedness, etc.) is one of the Three Poisons. It leads to craving, grasping, clinging/attachment...and suffering. The unwelcome (eventual) karmic effects of stealing are poverty, misery, disappointment, and so on. CONTINUED
Greetings, friends and soon-to-be friends!! It has not been my intention to have been away for so long, but some trying times engulfed my wife and I this summer, which kept me away. Things are improving now and much better, so I am officially back!!
I was recently sent an interesting book titled, "Obama Karma: Lessons on Living Inspired by the 44th President" by Russell Razzaque. I don't normally talk politics on here (I have a separate blog for that) but this book intrigues me.
I voted for President Obama in 2008, but what I admire about him most isn't his politics necessarily, though many I do support. I admire him greatly for being calm under pressure, ability to listen and for his poise. Those are qualities that I can connect to from my Buddhist practice. Irregardless of his political beliefs, he is a wonderful example on how to calming deal with challenges in life, which is something I lack at times.
Mr. Obama is Christian, but he has qualities of a Buddhist who has experience with mindfulness. He seems to approach issues with an open-mind, willing to listen to other viewpoints before sharing his personal opinions. This speaks of a natural ability to practice "right speech" which hinges upon being able to listen, and truly listen, which means not just waiting for your turn to speak again. It means being mindful enough to truly absorb the intention behind each word, rather than just the words themselves. If we are listening but get caught up in our own thoughts at the same time then we miss vital pieces of information that could be gleaned from body language and intentions behind words. Being able to perceive these other signals can only come when we are truly present and aware of our partner in discussion.
This are some of but a few thoughts and lessons I learned from reading the book, "Obama Karma." The book also includes practical exercises on how we can ingrain similar traits into our personal lives. It's a book that straddles the political and spiritual without drowning in the overly political. It's a nice, short, read but deep with insights. I'd really recommend it. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. A good gift idea for your political friends, Obama supporters or just people looking for lessons on how to be more mindful in political discussions.
Once the Buddha was abiding near Nalanda in the Parileyyaka mango grove. Then Asibandhakaputta the village headman went to him, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said:
"Venerable sir, the Westlander Brahmins, who carry water pots, wear water plant garlands, cleanse themselves with purifying water, and worship fire -- can take [the spirit or animating principle of] a dead person, lift it out, instruct it, and send it on to a heavenly rebirth.
"But the Blessed One, worthy and perfectly enlightened, can arrange it so that all the world, at the breakup of the body, after death, reappears in a fortunate destination, on a heavenly plane!"
"Very well, headman, I will ask you about this matter; answer as you see fit. What do you think? There is a person who
"Then a great crowd of people, gathering and congregating, would honor, praise, and respectfully circumambulate with folded hands (anjali mudra), saying: 'May this person, at the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, on a heavenly plane!'
"What do you think? Would that person -- because of the honor, praise, and circumambulation of that great crowd -- at the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, on a heavenly plane?"
"No, venerable sir."
Gulf of Siam, southern Thailand (traveljunket.info)
Buddha at Sukhothai (Aidan McRae Thomson/flickr.com)
"Suppose a person were to throw a large boulder into a deep body of water, and a great crowd, gathering and congregating, would honor, praise, and circumambulate with folded hands, saying: 'Rise up, O boulder! Float up, O boulder! Float to the shore, O boulder!'
"What do you think? Would that boulder -- because of the honor, praise, and circumambulation of that great crowd -- rise up, float up, or move to the shore?"
"No, venerable sir."
"So it is with anyone who takes life, takes what is not given, takes sexual liberties, takes the truth in vain (engages in perjury, divisive speech, harsh speech, or idle chitchat), is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-will, and/or holds to wrong views.
"Even though a great crowd, gathering and congregating, would honor, praise, and circumambulate with folded hands, saying, 'May this person, at the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, on a heavenly plane!' -- nevertheless, at the breakup of the body, after death, that person would reappear destitute in an unfortunate destination, in subhuman worlds, even inhellish worlds."
This is a book without an ending. The Intention Experiment, which was voted a Top Amazon 100 by readers and is now a worldwide sensation, is the first book to provide full scientific evidence for the power of human intention. It is also the first book to invite readers to take an active part in its original research. The book seeks to answer the most fundamental question left open by The Field: If we are all connected, all one, can our thoughts and intentions affect and change the world and things out there in the world? More
For centuries Western science and cultures have taught us to think of ourselves as "individuals." But a revolutionary new understanding is emerging: What matters is not the isolated entity but the space between things, the relationship. The "bond." It challenges the way we conceive of ourselves and our world. It also shows us that the essential impulse of all life is a will to connect rather than a drive to compete.
U.S. Attorney General is [a criminal] in contempt
(NPR) In a dramatic showdown between the branches of the U.S. government, the Republican-led House voted along party lines to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. This is the first time in history... droves of Democratic lawmakers protested by walking out of the House chambers... [in] disgust. Now the criminal contempt charge is referred to the U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia. In other words, Holder's own Justice Department will decide how to proceed. More
The Nation: Scalia's broken Moral Compass...approximately 83 percent of Americans are affiliated with an organized faith, be it a form of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism...
Thai Buddhist Film Festival seeks to spark faithThe International Buddhism Film Festival was an effort by the government and private religious groups to popularize the Dharma among the younger...
A pamphlet has emerged detailing apparent sexual depravity among penguins. Written by George Levick, a scientist with the 1910-13 Scott Antarctic Expedition, Sexual Habits of the Adélie Penguin contains observations of necrophilia and sexual coercion and abuse carried out by gangs of “hooligan” penguins.
According to the BBC Levick’s account was considered so shocking that it was left out of the official version of his published work on penguins, with the Natural History Museum suggesting a compromise: “The then keeper of zoology at the museum, Sidney Harmer, decided that 100 copies of the graphic account should be circulated to a select group of scientists.”
Only two copies remain, one of which was recently discovered among the museum’s papers. This isn’t the first time the sexual behavior of penguins has hit the headlines. In 2011, a Canada [Toronto] zoo sparked outrage after deciding to separate “gay” penguin couple Buddy and Pedro in order to encourage them to find female mates. The story was dubbed “Brokeback Iceberg.”
WARNING: Gay themes in comedic gay context, coarse language! "Homo- sexuality is found in over 450 species. Homophobia is found in only one." The many gay animal species bring the practice's abnormality into question.
But will the latest allegations of necrophilia and sexual abuse damage the penguin community’s cute image for good?
Calm down, dears, they’re just penguins
Dr. Levick's notebook coded in Greek (BBC)
“What is happening here is the projection of human values onto a different species,” wrote Tim Stanley on a Telegraph blog. We seem to forget that penguins – and indeed other animals – don’t make moral choices, or have a sense of sexual identity. “At the same time that we more ruthlessly exploit animals than ever before, we also seem determined to find qualities within them that we can empathise with. We want to turn them into mirrors of ourselves,” Stanley said.
Further research clarifies penguin “perversion”
Douglas Russell, curator of birds at the Natural History Museum, told The Observer that this apparently depraved behavior can be easily explained: young adult penguins are sexually inexperienced and simply don’t understand how to behave during mating season. “A dead penguin, lying with its eyes half-open, is very similar in appearance to a compliant female. The result is the so-called necrophilia that Levick witnessed and which so disgusted him,” Russell explained.
Scary scene in "Happy Feet" of seal predation and Robin Williams shtick
Olivia Culpo, the new Miss America, can't believe all her prayers finally came true!
Miss Pennsylvania USA claims pageant rigged
Praying to Saint Barbie
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Miss USA pageant representative from Pennsylvania resigned her crown claiming the contest is rigged...
A posting on Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin's Facebook page claims another contestant learned the names of the top 5 finishers on Sunday morning -- hours before the show was broadcast.
Monnin claims the other contestant told her the names of the Top 5 she spotted on a planning sheet for the telecast -- and she decided to step down as soon as those same contestants were named during the show.
"In my heart I believe in honesty, fair play, a fair opportunity, and high moral integrity, none of which in my opinion are part of this pageant system any longer," Monnin wrote in one of her Facebook posts.
Monnin, of Cranberry, Butler County, did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from The Associated Press. Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe Organization, called Monnin's claims that the pageant was fixed... More
Dhr. Seven and Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly translation
"Five things are desirable, agreeable, pleasant, yet hard to obtain in the world. What are the five?
1. Long life... 2. beauty... 3. pleasure... 4. status... 5. rebirth in heaven...
However, I tell you, these five things are not to be obtained by prayer or vows [petitioning or bargaining]. If they were to be obtained in this way, who would not have them?
It is not fitting for a follower of the Noble Ones [and their enlightening teaching] who desires beauty to plead or bargain for it, or to delight in doing so.
Instead, a disciple of the Noble Ones who desires beauty should follow a path of practice leading to beauty. In so doing, one will attain it, be it human [now or in the future when one is again born as a human] or divine [in worlds to come]...
(The same may be said of long life, pleasure, status, and rebirth in heavens)..." (AN 5.43).
The Cause of Beauty
Wisdom Quarterly translation based on Rhys Davids'
The Greek King Menander asked the Buddhist monk Nagasena, "Revered Nagasena, why is it that all people are not alike? Some are short-lived, some long-lived, some sickly some healthy, some ugly some beautiful, some without influence some of great power, some poor some wealthy, some low born some high born, some foolish some wise?"
Nagasena replied: "Why is it that all vegetables are not alike? Some are sour, some salty, some pungent, some acidic, some astringent, and some sweet?"
"Venerable sir, I fancy that it is because they come from different kinds of seeds."
"Just so, Great King, are the differences you have mentioned among humans to be explained. For it has been said by the Buddha: 'Beings, O brahmin, each have their own karma [deeds], are inheritors of karma, belong to the tribe of their karma, are relatives of karma, have karma as their protecting overlord. It is karma that divides them up into low and high and such divisions."
(From Rhys Davids, Milindapanha, "Questions of King Menander," 1:100).
The secret, then, is that karma separates the beautiful from the ugly. What karma? Patience and kindness having been willed, carried out, and accumulated, frequently practiced, made a habit are causes of beauty when any of these acts come to fruition. Anger, ill will, hate, resentment, and harshness are causes of ugliness when these mental actions finally come to fruition. The Buddha explains in detail:
But WHY?
Perplexed by the apparent and seemingly inexplicable disparity that exists among humans, the young truth seeker Subha ("Beauty") approached the Buddha and questioned him regarding it.
"Venerable sir, what is the reason, what is the cause that we find among humans the short-lived and the long-lived, the diseased and the healthy, the ugly (dubbannā) and the beautiful (vannavantā), the powerless and the powerful, the poor and the rich, the low-born and the high-born, the ignorant and the wise?"
The Buddha explained: "All living beings have actions (karma) as their own, their inheritance, their congenital cause, their kinsman, their resort. It is karma that differentiates beings into low and high states.[Note]"
Then he explained the causes of such differences in accordance with the law of causes, conditions, and their many results:
"...If one is wrathful and turbulent, is irritated by a trivial word, gives vent to anger, ill-will and resentment, that person, as a result of irritability, when born among humans, will become ugly." (This is because this seed comes to fruition at the time of rebirth conditioning what is expressed in terms of one's vast store of karma).
"If one is not wrathful nor turbulent, is not irritated even by a torrent of abuse, does not give vent to anger, ill-will, and resentment, that person, as a result of amiability, when born among humans, will become beautiful." Similarly a reason is given for each kind of karma, conduct, behavior, states (volitions), and traits (habits) that have the power to ripen in the future. More
Neo Nazi won't be beautiful
Instead of reading the aryan ("noble") works of Greek King Menander (called the Milindapanha) a series of questions and answers from one of the Buddhists who flourished in ancient Greece (Indo-Greco empires like Bactria), this Greek Neo Nazi failed to check his anger.
He let it grow until, like fire, it spread all out of control. And he revealed his true colors in this lifetime -- anger, a propensity for violence, animosity, and abusiveness. He had trained in the military and Greek special forces as many Neo Nazis dream of doing.
Losing control, he beat a female political opponent on live TV. First he threw a drink in the face of another female opponent. He is being sought by police to account for his outlandish behavior that has upset national sensibilities and standards of conduct for men particularly politicians appearing in public.
(LeakNewz) Greece's pre-electoral climate has become more explosive after a high profile neo-Nazi MP assaulted two female politicians from leftwing parties on live TV.
The beating, a first in the nearly 40 years since democracy was returned to its birthplace [although it existed in the Indian Buddhist Sangha before arriving in ancient Greece], broke out during a morning talk show when Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman of the far right Chrysi Avgi ("Golden Dawn") took umbrage at deputy Rena Dourou declaring that his party "will take the country back 500 years."
After leaping from his seat and throwing a glass of water at Dourou, a deputy with the radical Syriza party, Kasidiaris then turned on Liana Kanelli, an MP with the KKE Communist party, who, waving a piece of paper, stood up to condemn the action.
As the cameras rolled, the cropped-haired Kasidiaris, a weightlifting enthusiast who had served in Greece's special forces, is shown beating Kanelli, slapping her around the face... More
