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US Army's first Buddhist chaplain
He has left his boots at the door of the temple, but in the temple room he wears a standard Army camouflage uniform. Instead of a cross or crucifix on the right chest his uniform bears the "dharma wheel" insignia as a symbol of the Buddhist faith. This is a description of Thomas Dyer, 43, of Memphis, Tennessee. Dyer is the US Army's first Buddhist chaplain, according to the commercialappeal.com (Memphis Online). His conversion to Buddhism at first caused waves in his family, but his wife finally made peace with his decision: "I actually thank God in a way because I wouldn't have gone as deep in my own faith if I hadn't been challenged," she said. "I think each individual's suffering is personally designed for that individual to lead him to God." More » -
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Mindfulness in Plain English and Beyond
The examiner.com has posted a short and sweet slide show of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana's Bhavana Society, the Appalachian Buddhist refuge tucked in the wilds of West Virginia. Bhante G, as he is affectionately called, is perhaps most widely known as the author of the bestselling classic Mindfulness in Plain English. Now, after nearly two decades, the Sri Lankan monk has followed up with an introduction to deeper states of meditation—Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English, currently available from Wisdom Publications. More » -
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Daily Dharma: Let go of your assumptions
Many years ago when I was a young Zen student living at Green Gulch Farm in California, a problem arose among the residents: a sliding wooden door at the entrance of the student living area was regularly being left open. As a result, cold Pacific Ocean winds would sweep in and chill our shared living space. Announcements were made at least a half dozen times at community work meetings reminding people to keep this door shut. But it was continually found open, and over time this became a remarkably divisive issue. People grew emotional, blaming and pointing fingers. In the midst of one tense meeting, Sierra, the farm’s pet golden retriever, opened the door from the outside and joined the group. Of course, Sierra didn’t close the door behind her. Everyone laughed. No one knew that Sierra had the dexterity to open a sliding wooden door. More » -
Buddhawatch
Not quite a Buddha but a Tara in Ensenada, Mexico, which, according to Leslie, "was a gift of peace and friendship from a Nepalese international cultural organization in 1993." Leslie laments the graffiti, which was not there when she visited. You can see it and read about it here. More » -
Buddhawatch
Atop Corocovado mountain, in Rio de Janeiro's Sao Cristovão district, stands the famous open-armed Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), welcoming visitors to the "Marvelous City." Not quite so high but perhaps no less impressive (in spirit, at least) is Wat Phra That Khao Noi, a temple in northern Thailand, with its towering Buddha keeping watch over the Nan valley. Its hilltop perch rises 800 feet above the town below. Add a comment with a link to your favorite Buddha and we'll pick one to include in our next Buddhawatch post. More »
