Yael Naim: "New Soul."

I love this video and decided to post it here as a musical interlude. It is so happy and light, I also like the lyrics. You U.S. readers might recognize this song from the Apple computer commercial advertising their new thin laptop, air. In addition, the t-shirt giveaway is still taking names for the drawing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video/song as much as I do:

~Peace to all beings~

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"Free Burma" T-Shirt Giveaway.

During the terrifying yet hopeful protests in Burma recently, I wanted to show my support for the cause and immediately began blogging during those intense days trying to bring awareness to as many as I could. Yet I wanted to do more and since there weren't any demonstrations against the military junta crackdown in my area, I looked for other ways to show my solidarity.

I wanted those in my relatively sheltered community who tend to be disconnected with the rest of the world to know of the crimes occurring on the opposite side of the world against the Burmese people and sangha. This led me to buy a "Free Burma" t-shirt so that I could show my support and hopefully raise awareness. I found a site online which sold a nice looking one and ordered it. However, when it arrived I realized that not only was it the wrong size but that it was a girl's t-shirt. I'm a somewhat bulky guy and a girl's shirt wouldn't even fit over my head!! So obviously It wouldn't work, therefore I contacted the online store and told them of the mishap. They were very helpful and said that they would exchange it for the right size if I sent it back. However, I didn't get around to sending it back within the allowed time frame so now I'm stuck with this shirt.
I want someone who really cares about this issue to have it and wear it so I decided that I would like to give it away to one of my readers here. I would like to extend this opportunity to all of my readers around the world but I can only afford to ship it to someone in either the United States, Canada or Mexico. That being said, I would be more than willing to send it to any other country than the three mentioned above but I can not afford the shipping costs. So if you would like the shirt and live outside the USA and Canada then just send me the money to pay for the shipping via Paypal. Please know that you can trust me that I'll indeed send you the shirt. I would never steal your money. I'm not perfect but I like to think I'm a very honest person and a faithful Buddhist and so please take my word that your trust in me will be taken as sacred.

I wondered what would be the best way to select the "winner" (I hate that word, it's so exclusive) of this t-shirt so I figured the easiest thing to do would be to place everyone's name who is interested into a hat and just pull a name out. I would do this with the utmost confidentiality and honesty. In fact, I will have my wife pull the name out of the hat as she is one of the most honest and unbiased people I know.

Therefore, if you wish to enter the drawing then just post a comment and I'll use your screen name, write it on a piece of paper, fold it in half several times and place them into the hat. If you're an anonymous person then just use whatever name that you want but don't just use "anonymous" because there are others that might use the name "anonymous" as well. I will then hold the hat just above my wife's head and have her reach her hand up and pull a name/piece of paper out of the hat. And that will determine the "winner." I hate to use that word "winner" but it's the only one that I can think of. I've leave the contest open for two weeks or so.

Let me give you a few more details and measurements for the shirt:
It is a U.S. women's xxl (2xl) red t-shirt with yellow/orange lettering which blends to a deep orange red (see photos). The website says it is fitted which means that it is tighter around the body and maybe smaller than the size says. They didn't have the exact measurements for a woman's xxl fitted t-shirt. So here are the measurements for a regular woman's xxl shirt, I'm hoping that they are quite similar. Anyway, here is the information: Chest size: 52 inches, Length: 30"

Good luck to all participants!!

~Peace to all beings~

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Extra Special This Year.

I'm sure Dr. King would be very proud to see the first viable African American candidate for president in Senator Barack Obama. Who also became the first African American candidate to win the Iowa caucus.

It is a huge achievement for a country that has been so bitterly divided by race and we should not fail to note how important this is regardless of who wins the nomination for the Democratic Party.

We know, however, that there is still much to do when an entire city of mostly African American citizens is flooded and left helpless by an out of touch government. We know that there is still much to do when we see a noose hanging from a tree in a school yard in that same state. We know that there is still work to be done in knowing that our prison system is disproportionately filled with young African-American men. We know that we still have mountains to climb when the confederate flag still flies in South Carolina and Mississippi.

Dr. King was a humble man who was friends with the Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh and would nominate the meek Buddhist for the Nobel Peace Prize. Which showed how selfless King was as he was already a great man of peace himself at that time. But like Nhat Hanh King was bigger than his ego and that is what made his efforts into a movement that literally changed a country.

It is a wonderful reminder of oneness, that we can not accomplish great things in this world without joining together and living the reality of inter-being. It was no wonder that King and Nhat Hanh bonded in friendship as Buddhism fits beautifully into the civil rights leaders vision of a united community of brother and sisters.

May we keep Dr. King's dream alive and keep striving forward for greater equality amongst all people.

Let us not become complaisant and lull ourselves into sleep thinking that racism and segregation do not exist in 2008. Let us join hands and unite to continue to bring this country and world together as one and never cease to break down walls of injustice and discrimination.

I will close this post with the words of the great man of peace himself, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior:

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

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An Important Plea.

Colin of Awakening the Buddha Within Us came to me with a special plea and I am passing it on to you as well:

To: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

THE 100 MILLION MANI RECITATION RETREAT was held annually by Kong Meng San
>Phor Kark See Monastery of Singapore (PKS) for some 5 years, and have since
>became an inseparable part of our spiritual lives. Unfortunately, there's
>news that PKS might not hold the Retreat this year 2008. This year's
>retreat was shadowed by His Eminence Drubwang Rinpoche's passing away in
>Singapore, a day before the Retreat itself.

>He had passed away on the same
>day he landed in Singapore. Despite bad health and much dissuasion from
>other Rinpoches, Drubwang Rinpoche insisted on his journey to Singapore
>lead the Retreat. It was specifically explained by His Eminence Garchen
>Rinpoche during the Retreat that it is Drubwang Rinpoche's wish for the Om
>Retreat to continue year after year, after his passing. I personally
>believe his choice to pass away a day before this event has great
>significance and he might have foreseen that after his passing, this
>greatly beneficial event will end abruptly.

I also felt strongly Rinpoche's
>love for all beings. His teaching and message put forth through his actions
>are too profound and wide for me to put into words here. Please send the
>message to all who cares for Dharma to appeal to the management of Kong
>Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery NOT to let this annual Retreat end. Email
>them, write to them, approach and talk to them. Let them recognize that this
>is no longer just a PKS event, but a precious inheritance left behind by
>Drubwang Rinpoche and PKS management has the responsibility to keep it
>alive.

>Sincerely,
>The Undersigned

Please forward to your friends this message, ask them to sign this petition:

If you have a blog, do post it on your blog to spread awareness to it. If you can, please forward this message to your friends so more people can show support and keep the OM Retreat alive. Thanks!

>May peace be with you,
>Colin
>____________________

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Time is Not a Factor.

Munindra-ji used to say that in spiritual practice, time is not a factor. Practice cannot be measured in time, so let go of the whole notion of when and how long. The practice is a process unfolding, and it unfolds in its own time. It is like the flowers that grow in the spring. Do you pull them up to make them grow faster? I once tried to do that with carrots in my first garden when I was eight years old. It does not work. We do not need any particular length of time for this process of letting things be. --Joseph Goldstein, Insight Meditation.

James: Don't let anyone tell you how long you're supposed to meditate and/or chant mantras, etc. There is no "one size fits all" in Buddhism. Most days I meditate for 20 minutes because that feels right for me. However, other days I go for 10-15 minutes, it just depends on how I feel and the circumstances that I can not deny in that present moment.

In many religions this life is it and if you don't get it "right" (whatever the hell that means) than you will suffer for making the littlest mistake forever and ever. To me that isn't motivation but unnecessary stress that creates more suffering. It is easy to do things for the wrong intention when one follows such a path because the intention is often out of fear whereas in Buddhism there is no one waiting to punish us. This takes the pressure off so that we can concentrate on the issues that our preventing our peace. Rather than forcing ourselves to do something without understanding it first simply because we want to please someone else. Contrary to what many will say, this is not the only path to follow. There are many combinations to unlock the puzzle of samsara.

In Buddhism, we create our own suffering and therefore have control over how deeply we suffer. There is no "Satan" out there to tempt us and mislead us down the path of spiritual destruction. We are the ones in charge of whether we experience peace and freedom or suffering and fear. We are in charge of our own destiny rather than feeling at the mercy of two "Gods" fighting over the dominion over our "souls." Such a situation can easily lead one to feel fated to the outcome of things that are beyond our control which leads to deep despair and often times bitter resentment.

The beauty of Buddhism is that we can go at our own pace and if we need some more time after this life then it is granted to us. There is no need to rush because everyone will achieve liberation at some point along this beautiful journey. In Buddhism we all have a common foundation but due to our different karma, no one path is the same as the next. I am not saying that those different paths are wrong but rather pointing out that there are many ways to find one's peace with all things. Listen to your heart and find what works best for you. So take a deep breath, smell the flowers and smile--for you are a Buddha to be.

~Peace to all beings~

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