The Planet's Sangha: Buddhist discussions, thought, etc.

[Linus]

So as I continue down this path, I decided to finally get through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Within the 2nd Chapter something hit home:

Perhaps the deepest reason why we are afraid of death is because we do not know who we are. We believe in a personal, unique, and separate identity; but f we dare to examine it, we find that this identity depends entirely on an endless collection of things to prop it up: our name, our "biography", our partners, family, home, job, friends, credit cards ... it is on their fragile and transient support hat we rely for our security. So when they are all taken away, will we have any idea of who we really are?

-- pp16, Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche

This made me think of the times we're in and how many people feel angry and loss when they lose their house, job, etc. We have such strong attachments to them because we associate them to our identity, which really they are not. They are things that are part of our daily activities but they are not "us".

I think of myself, as an example, often as Linus the Teacher, Linus the FTM, Linus the Partner of K, Linus the Canadian in the US, Linus the Acadian-by-descent rather than Linus, me. I think I need to work on finding the "me" of all those "beings".

[Linus]

We can't induce every other person in the world to immediately become more compassionate, so your primary responsibility is to make your own loving-kindness and compassion more open, more impartial.

-- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Medicine & Compassion)

As I read this, I pondered the recent events surrounding the Health Care bill. As shocking as the behaviour was, I couldn't help but feel compassion for these individuals. Their lives, defined in some part by the world as interpreted by themselves, family and friends, has it's own hardships. Often, many I wouldn't necessarily understand and the pain associated with it by being clouded by hate, classness and bigotry.

I can only hope that something or someone will shine a light on them at some point and show them the compassion that they should show to others. Perhaps by showing them compassion they may understand what they need to show, in turn, to others.

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by Linus

-- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Medicine & Compassion) I can only hope that something or someone will shine a light on them at some point and show them the compassion that they should show to others. Perhaps by showing them compassion they may understand what they need to show, in turn, to others.

Linus, I am in agreement with this notion. However, I find it almost impossible to keep responding and seeing them with an open heart and compassion.

For me, after a life time of being challenged on almost everything that I am, the wounds, the damage done makes it almost impossible to move past the baggage.

I want to but each time "they" take yet another underhanded action against me and others like me.... well my best intentions and compassion seem to vanish in a moment. I then go into self preservation mode.

I'm rambling. I still hold out hope that I will take the high road.

[oblivia]

I get Tricycle Magazine's Dailly Dharma email and I really loved today's:

June 5 , 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Right and True

A famous sutra tells of a group of villagers who came to visit the Buddha. They said to him, “Many teachers come through here. Each has his own doctrine. Each claims that his particular philosophy and practice is the truth, but they all contradict each other. Now we’re totally confused. What do we do?” Doesn’t this story sound modern? Yet this was twenty-five hundred years ago. Same problems. The Buddha replied, “You have a right to be confused. This is a confusing situation. Do not take anything on trust merely because it has passed down through tradition, or because your teachers say it, or because your elders have taught you, or because it’s written in some famous scripture. When you have seen it and experienced it for yourself to be right and true, then you can accept it.”

-Ani Tenzin Palmo, "Necessary Doubt" (Summer 2002)

[Linus]

Very excellent reference. I do like that quote, Oblivia.

I've noticed on Huffington Post Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has been writing (I'm actually waiting for his Rebel Buddha book to be released).

His article on Emotions and accepting them is interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dzogch..._b_598417.html

[oblivia]

Originally Posted by Linus

Very excellent reference. I do like that quote, Oblivia.

I've noticed on Huffington Post Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has been writing (I'm actually waiting for his Rebel Buddha book to be released).

His article on Emotions and accepting them is interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dzogch..._b_598417.html

I like this article as well. I've done a lot of work with my emotional responses/patterns. Have you heard of the concept of samskaras? That's how I relate to my 'patterns'. There's some fantastic articles about them. My work revolves around replacing negative or unhealthy samskaras with positive or healthy ones to essentially reprogram my behaviour.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I am really not afraid of dying, because in that it is like being recycled like an aluminum can. What I am afraid of is being terminally ill and having no support. After what I just experienced, I now know what to expect from my family. Nothing. I am on my own. And that is one bitter pill to take - like so many of us know first hand.

[oblivia]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

I am really not afraid of dying, because in that it is like being recycled like an aluminum can. What I am afraid of is being terminally ill and having no support. After what I just experienced, I now know what to expect from my family. Nothing. I am on my own. And that is one bitter pill to take - like so many of us know first hand.

Ouch. That's difficult. Family is difficult. I'm big on the concept of choosing my Family. family is what I was born into, but Chosen Family has earned the right to be there - does that make sense? It empowers me to surround myself with people who truly love me and who are healthy for me without forgetting where I came from.

[Linus]

Time-lapse mandala: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0...ml?ir=Religion

Absolutely beautiful and certain does highlight how complex life is and yet, how transparent.

[oblivia]

June 12, 2010
Tricycle Daily Dharma
Meditation is what you make it

For the first two thousand years of its existence, Buddhism was mostly confined to monasteries with strict rules, timetables, and hierarchies. In contrast, Zen in America today finds the majority of its followers in the lay world, where most of us have families, jobs, and homes. Our zendos are places to visit, perhaps daily, but more likely once or twice a week: refuges, perhaps, from the “real world” of money and responsibility.

Along with the “layification” of Zen has come a sharp distinction, for most of us, between meditation and the rest of life. While the monks of old lived and breathed, day in day out, year in year out, in an atmosphere of stillness and contemplation— their entire lives were one unbroken meditation!—we modern practitioners stop what we’re doing when we sit and restart our everyday lives when the bell signals that time’s up. The result of this is an apparent dichotomy: either I’m meditating (on my zafu, often in the zendo, sometimes at home), or I’m not meditating (the rest of the time).

What’s lost in this either/or distinction is the idea that meditation can be anything I choose to make it. Sure, I can define meditation rather narrowly as the time spent on my cushion. But if I do so, I’m elevating sitting over everyday awareness and thus diluting the possibilities for all those other quotidian opportunities for mindfulness.

- Barry Evans, "I Like it... but is it Meditation?" (Summer 2009)

[Linus]

I've started to re-look back into the Buddhism I had started in NYC. One of the things I'm looking into is being able to meditate at home and even on the road. I've been investigating online sanghas to help me refocus my energies again. The one I had be a part of before (at lioncity.net) closed and is embroiled in a lawsuit (seems weird for a buddhist community but such is the online life).

I was curious if any other Buddhists knew of good online Buddhist communities.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by Linus

I've started to re-look back into the Buddhism I had started in NYC. One of the things I'm looking into is being able to meditate at home and even on the road. I've been investigating online sanghas to help me refocus my energies again. The one I had be a part of before (at lioncity.net) closed and is embroiled in a lawsuit (seems weird for a buddhist community but such is the online life).

I was curious if any other Buddhists knew of good online Buddhist communities.

Check this out:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Tibetan-Chakra-Meditations-Ben-Scott/dp/B00004VKLJ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344620694&sr=8-2&keywords=tibetan+sound+healing+cd"]Amazon.com: Tibetan Chakra Meditations: Ben Scott, Christa Michell: Music[/ame]

I have it loaded in my iphone. I listen to the sound but also visualize the colors and symbols (Chakras). It's very powerful and healing. Let me know what you think.

I'm more eclectic in my spirituality but I do find tools within Buddhism and Taoism to be essential to it all.