Don’t Go It Alone July 29, 2010
Posted by Monty McKeever in : Buddhist Teachings , add a commentToday’s Daily Dharma:
Aristotle said that in order for people to become virtuous, we need role models—others who have developed their capacities for courage, self-control, wisdom, and justice. We may emphasize different sets of virtues or ideas about what makes a proper role model, but Buddhism also asserts that, as we are all connected and interdependent, none of us can do it all on our own.
Acknowledging this dependency is the first step of real emotional work within relationships. Our ambivalence about our own needs and dependency gets stirred up in all kinds of relationships. We cannot escape our feelings and needs and desires if we are going to be in relationships with others. To be in relationships is to feel our vulnerability in relation to other people who are unpredictable, and in circumstances that are intrinsically uncontrollable and unreliable.
-Barry Magid, “No Gain” (Summer 2008)
Read the complete article here.
Church bans yoga
Posted by James Shaheen in : Buddhism, Random Notes, Tricycle Community , 6 commentsReading the tabloids is a bad habit I’ve developed this summer. I’ve weaned myself off most of them, though, but I can’t quite quit the British tabloid the Sun (”Got a story? We pay £££”). Today’s edition reports that a Methodist church near Manchester has banished an over-50s yoga group, leaving elderly yogis throwing up their hands. The church’s new minister fears the yogis could be preaching “rival religions”—more specifically, Hinduism and Buddhism. Iris Turner, a 64-year-old yogini, isn’t happy with the church’s new minister, Rev. Amanda Roper: “Her views are extreme,” she tells the Sun. “We are hurt, disappointed and offended.” Mrs. Turner invited Rev. Roper to take part in the classes “to allay her fears.”
A few more of today’s Sun headlines:
“Muslims Pray in the Wrong Direction“:
Indonesians have been facing Africa, not Mecca, when praying: The Sun reports that “Indonesia’s highest Islamic body has admitted making a mistake when issuing advice on which direction followers should pray in.”
“Nuns on the Run from Retirement“:
Two French nuns have taken flight because their mother superior wants to put them in a retirement home.
I think it’s the Sun’s spiritual coverage that keeps me coming back.
Image: Taken from the New Concorde Area Arts & Recreation District’s site. The Ohio organization offers yoga classes at a Methodist Church.
Top 5 Buddhists on Twitter (That You Don’t Follow) July 28, 2010
Posted by Sam Mowe in : Buddhism , 10 commentsBefore somebody cries foul, let me be clear: you won’t find the Buddhist big-twitters on this list. Everybody knows the Dalai Lama is worth following (or at least, as of this moment, 560,521 tweeps think so). Instead, this list is meant to highlight five Buddhists on Twitter that you might not already know about. The people on this list are individuals who tweet primarily about Buddhism and have under 1,500 followers (sorry/congrats @MindDeep, you just missed the cutoff). Also, it should be noted that we consulted William Harryman’s list “Top 10 Buddhist Twitter peeps you should Follow” and purposely left those people off this list, because, well, you can just go look at that list. And, finally, the focus here is on those whose tweets stand alone—that is, they aren’t heavy on links, they just bring you some form of insight 140 characters at a time.
Top 5 Buddhists on Twitter (That You Don’t Follow)
Dzigar Kongtrul (@dzigarkongtrul)
bio: Tibetan Buddhist teacher, photographer and abstract expressionist painter.
style: Direct and clear words of wisdom.
sample tweet: Don’t be hidebound by a sense of duty to your shenpa. Dont be so “yes sir,yes ma’am” to your ego!
Chade-Meng Tan (@chademeng)
bio: Former Google engineer, now current Head of Google University’s School of Personal Growth. Practicing Buddhist.
style: Funny, honest, insightful.
sample tweet: Mingyur: Do you have thoughts? Meng: I think so.
Gary Gach (@nobodhi)
bio: Author, poet, and translator with a lifelong interest in Buddhism.
style: Quirky, quote-y, illuminating.
sample tweet: noticing in #meditation that, being just that much larger, his right lung takes just that much longer to exhale … in hale … AH!
Allan Lokos (@rev1al)
bio: Author and founder/guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center in NYC.
style: Pithy and practical advice for those on the path to peace.
sample tweet: Listen carefully to the master’s words, but also watch how he peels his orange & puts on his sandals.
Lama Willa Miller (@lamawilla)
bio: Tibetan Buddhist teacher and writer.
style: Joyful, thoughtful, encouraging.
sample tweet: Every thought, while not always productive by content, is always productive by nature.
Obviously, this is not even close to comprehensive, and you are encouraged to add others who we have missed and deserve attention in the comments section of this post. With the cyber sangha (#twangha) growing everyday these kinds of lists should be revisited and refreshed endlessly.
NOTES: If you don’t already, you should follow @tricyclemag for all sorts of Buddhist news and teachings. Also, I recently started @tricyclesam in an effort to engage more personally with readers of this blog and because it felt wrong to tweet things like “Hope nobody could read my mind during office meditation today” from the organization’s account.
5 (more) Buddhist iPhone apps
Posted by Monty McKeever in : Buddhism, Random Notes , 2 commentsTuaw.com, “the unofficial apple weblog,” posted a blog today titled “5 apps for the Buddhist,” the newest 
installment of their ongoing “5 apps for” series. We have reported a few times in the past on Buddhist iPhone apps and we very highly recommend the free Access to Insight app (a mobile version of the Access to Insight website containing over 1,000 suttas, essays and audio talks by scholars and teachers, and much more) but this new list seems quite promising as well.
From the list on Tuaw.com,
The Ultimate Buddhism Library ($3.99)
This truly is a huge collection of books. Specifically, 50 books on Buddhism are crammed into this one app. Many, like A Buddhist Bible ($.99) and The Creed of Buddha ($3.99) are available as stand-alone downloads. The Ultimate Buddhism Library puts them all in one app for just four bucks. It features that fancy page-flip that the kids like so much as well as bookmarks and a thorough search function.
Daily Buddhist Prayers ($1.99)
Here’s an app in the Tibetan/Mahayana tradition. Daily Buddhist Prayers provides a number of prayers in Tibetan, also offering the Wylie transliteration and English translation, so you can read along as you listen to the audio in Tibetan. If you’re short on time or away from your home or usual practice center, Daily Buddhist Prayers is a good companion for under two bucks.
Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism ($14.99)
Finally, an app that’s less about practice and more about reference. The extremely comprehensive Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism provides a wealth of information on nearly all schools and traditions. You’ll find beautiful photos, definitions and explanations, terminology and a lot more. In fact, there are more than 2,000 entries covering topics like major texts, important historical scholars and contemporary issues.
You can add your own notes, share your findings via email and more. It’s a bit pricey at fifteen dollars but well worth it if you’re looking for a portable, comprehensive guide.
Read the whole list here.
Hundreds Protest Buddha Bar
Posted by Rachel Hiles in : Buddhism, News, Random Notes , 3 comments
A protest in Jakarta, Indonesia, against a local branch of the French-owned chain restaurant Buddha Bar became chaotic today when protesters damaged the restaurant and nearby public facilities. Over 300 Indonesian Buddhists showed up for the protest, which was organized by the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum (FABB). The crowd gathered in white t-shirts to protest the name of the restaurant which they feel insults their religion. From an AFP report:
“We’re worried the existence of Buddha Bar can damage relations between people from different religions, and can also threaten the nation’s unity,” rally spokesman Karya Elly said.
Elly said the group demanded that the government immediately close the bar—known for its trademark lounge music and Oriental design—because it had been mired in religious controversy since it opened in late 2008.
Elly said they had also protested outside the French embassy, urging the French government to pressure the chain, which is owned by the George V Eatertainment group, to revoke the licence of the Indonesian franchise holder.
“The bar has tarnished the good name of Buddha. There are prostitutes hanging out there, and that cannot be forgiven,” university student Catur Setiawan said.
Setiawan, a 22-year-old Buddhist, said the presence of Buddhist statues in the bar insulted his religion. A [15-foot] statue of a golden sitting Buddha gazes over its main dining area.
“What’s next? Christ Bar, Islam Bar, Hindu Bar?” Buddhist protester Yani, 70, said while holding a banner filled with supporting signatures.
Other Buddhist organizations in the area criticized FABB for allowing the demonstrating to become destructive. Lieus Sungkharisma, the Chairman of the Gemabuddhi Trustees Board (also known as the Indonesian Young Generation of Buddhists) spoke out against the protesters:
“The demonstration held by FABB was quite deplorable. I reiterate that I condemn the way they did the action which has damaged the image and characteristics of Buddhists,” said Lieus.
Lieus assessed the action of carrying posters of certain people and accusing them corrupt was an act that can not be justified. Such an action was beyond the teachings values of Buddhism.
What do you think about the Buddha’s name and figure being used in restaurants and bars? Share your thoughts with Tricycle readers.
Images: afp.com
Amid turmoil, Pakistan reaches out to Buddhist tourists
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Art, Buddhism, Politics, Theravada, Travel , 1 comment so far
The Guardian’s Riazat Butt calls it a case of fiddling while Rome burns: Pakistan reaches out to Buddhists amid allegations that its intelligence service is actively aiding the Taliban while putatively aiding US/Coalition forces in Afghanistan. (The war is of course taking place on Pakistani soil as well, the border region being so nebulous and porous.) UPDATE: A plane crashed in Pakistan today, killing 152 people.)
The outreach to Buddhists is part of an overture to Thailand, which sees a lot of Pakistani tourists but doesn’t send tourists back to Pakistan:
Pakistan is seeking to highlight its Buddhist heritage as part of a broader effort to attract more visitors from Thailand and the ASEAN countries. A key objective is to narrow the huge imbalance in visitor arrivals; in 2008, a total of 63,258 Pakistanis visited Thailand but only 2,618 Thais returned the favour. Diplomatic, economic and tourism officials on both sides say stronger bilateral efforts to fix the imbalance are long overdue.
In Bangkok, Pakistani ambassador Sohail Mahmood has organised visits by Thai Buddhist leaders to Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage sites, such as Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi and the neighbouring city remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol. Both are among the six Unesco heritage sites in Pakistan.
In Islamabad, Thai Ambassador Marut Jitpatima says he sees huge potential for developing contacts in at least three areas of commerce: gems and jewellery, construction contracts for Pakistan’s huge infrastructure needs, and imports of halal food from Thailand.
He said a Pakistani business mission would visit Bangkok from Sept 21-23 for talks with halal food producers, research and standards experts. He said there was huge potential for using Pakistan as a base for exporting Thail halal food to Middle East the Central Asian markets.
Thailand has its own problems with sectarian violence, primarily in the Muslim-majority south, but also in Bangkok.
[Image: Damaged Buddha in Swat Valley, Pakistan]
Thin Places
Posted by Philip Ryan in : Buddhism, Zen , 2 commentsToday’s Daily Dharma:
There is a term in the Celtic tradition that I find resonates with something fundamental about Zen practice. The Celts spoke of “thin places,” places like caves or wells or other special sites where the boundary between the mundane and magical was permeable. To me, Zen practice offers a kind of thin place, a “place” where we can discover that there is fundamentally no separation between ourselves and others, that what we seek is always so close, always right here.
Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, An Introduction to Zen (Spring 2009)
Read the full article:
An Introduction to Zen
Chinese migrants and money pouring into Tibet July 27, 2010
Posted by Rachel Hiles in : Buddhism, News, Politics , 1 comment so far
Military truck convoys and high-altitude speed trains are bringing Chinese migrants and money into remote areas of Tibet as part of an effort to increase wealth and tourism in the area. From the New York Times:
Han Chinese workers, investors, merchants, teachers and soldiers are pouring into remote . After the violence that ravaged this region in 2008, ’s aim is to make Tibet wealthier—and more Chinese.
Chinese leaders see development, along with an enhanced security presence, as the key to pacifying the Buddhist region. The central government invested $3 billion in the Tibet Autonomous Region last year, a 31 percent increase over 2008. Tibet’s gross domestic product is growing at a 12 percent annual rate, faster than the robust Chinese national average.
Yet despite the efforts to increase tourism and build up the local economy, the influx of wealth has not trickled down to Tibetans. According to the Times, Han migrants take valuable jobs and business opportunities away from Tibetans, then return to China in the Winter with their profits. Meanwhile, Tibetan Buddhists continue to face religious intolerance from Chinese officials, especially in the area of the sacred city of Lhasa:
A heavy security presence is needed to keep control of Lhasa. Around the Barkhor, the city’s central market, paramilitary officers in riot gear, all ethnic Han, march counterclockwise around the sacred Jokhang Temple, against the flow of Tibetan pilgrims. Armed men stand on rooftops near the temple.
Limits on religious freedom have been a major cause of discontent. In the Jokhang itself, and in the Potala Palace, the imposing white-walled winter fortress of the Dalai Lamas, images of the exiled 14th Dalai Lama have been banned. Pilgrims carry the ’s photograph in hidden lockets or amulets. As the pilgrims circle the Potala, a loudspeaker in a small park blares Communist Party propaganda: “We are part of a Chinese nation contributing to a great future — we are Chinese people.”
Unrest between the Tibetan and Chinese population in Tibet is nothing new, though it is a complicated relationship that is often oversimplified. Read more about the pitfalls of demonizing or idealizing the “Tibet issue” here. Read the full New York Times article here.
Image: blog.loaz.com
Buddhist Teachers on Facebook
Posted by Monty McKeever in : Buddhism, Buddhist Teachings, Dalai Lama, Mindfulness, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen , 11 commentsA 10-second history of the internet: First, there was a Big Bang (millions of individual little websites spewing out randomly into a vast virtual cosmos) followed by a Big Crunch (everybody slamming together onto social networking sites) then evolution (various websites fighting for survival and the top spot in a brutal Darwinian mess).
In recent years, Facebook, having all but slain its feebler and shallower rival MySpace, has emerged the victor in this evolutionary struggle and now boasts over over 500,000,000 active users, about one eighth of the entire planet’s population.
Certainly, there are both benefits as well as dangers that come with the internet and social networking. Among the benefits is that we can now instantly share information and ideas and stay connected with vast numbers of people like never before, but this goes hand-in-hand with one the site’s biggest dangers: It is a highly discursive place. Yet amid this constant chaotic bombardment of information I have noticed a group that provides some much needed equanimity to the Facebook landscape: Buddhist teachers.
Here are some posts that have popped up in my newsfeed in the last day, among my friends and family babbling on about who knows what:
Via the Dalai Lama’s Facebook page,
His Holiness the Dalai Lama on arrival at Yarma Gompo Monastery in Nubra Valley on July 23rd, 2010. His Holiness is on a nine day visit to Nubra Valley, a remote region of Ladakh, India, from July 20th - 28th. During his visit His Holiness is visiting Samstanling, Yarma Gonpo and Disket Monasteries where he is giving teachings to local Buddhists and consecrating a new Maitreya statue at Disket Monastery.
Via Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s Facebook page,
“You probably know, more than I do, that this world needs tremendous help. Everybody’s in trouble. Sometimes they pretend not to be, but still, there’s a lot of pain and hardship. Everybody, every minute, is tortured, sufferring a lot. We shouldn’t just ignore them and save ourselves alone. That would be a tremendous c…rime. In fact, we can’t just save ourselves, because our neighbors are moaning and groaning all over the place. So even if we could just save ourselves, we wouldn’t have a peaceful sleep. The rest of the world is going to wake us up with their pain.”
-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of Shambhala
Via Thich Nhat Hanh’s facebook page,
Song: Oneness with All Beings
Artist: Thich Nhat HanhI am the frog swimming in the lake, but I am also the water snake who needs to nourish its body with the body of the frog. I am the caterpillar and the ant, but I am also the bird who is looking for the caterpillar and the ant to eat.
From the book Touching the Earth by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. In this meditation entitled “Oneness with All Beings” we see that we are connected with all species.
…and that’s only to name a few. Please feel free to recommend other tech savvy teachers
Buddha Boy Back with a Vengeance
Posted by Sam Mowe in : News, Random Notes , 4 comments
Even Buddha boy gets angry.*
Ram Bahadur Bamjan, popularly known as Buddha boy, is back in the news after capturing and beating 17 locals near Manaharwa village in the Bara district of Nepal. He reportedly held the victims for 24 hours and beat them with sticks. Why this happened is unclear. The Himalayan Times reports that it was because the locals were “trying to scuttle his meditation,” while they were collecting vegetables in the Ratanpuri forest. A nepalnews.com article, however, claims that Bamjan was upset with the locals for taking part in the animal sacrifices of the Gadhimai festival—claims Bamjan has denied.
See previous Buddha boy blog coverage here.
*He claims that he was not angry during the beating.
Image: © Nepal Republic Media