In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimages with Shantum Seth across India and South Asia. Other spiritual journeys that transform. Mindful travel.
Buddhism |
-
2 comments
More tools to navigate your way through the rich world of Tibetan art
Yesterday I linked to a page that shows you how to identify and understand the deities of the Tibetan pantheon. More » -
Daily Dharma: Does Compassion Come Naturally?
Q: Doesn’t it come to us naturally that it’s in our self-interest to extend compassion to those beyond our local groups? A: No, it doesn't. Because to worry about what some disenchanted Muslim teenager in Pakistan is feeling right now does not come naturally in the sense of visceral response. It does, however, make intellectual sense; the world is moving to a point where, if only out of self-interest, we need to think about that person. One virtue of some of the religious traditions is that they have well-worked-out procedures for assisting this intellectual process. In other words, it's one thing to realize logically that my fate is intertwined with the fate of Muslims around the world: If they're unhappy, they'll eventually make me unhappy. But it's another to feel it, to look at someone and get a deep sense of fraternity with them. That's where religious practice plays an important role. More » -
3 comments
How to Identify A Tibetan Deity
Jeff Watt at Himalayan Art Resources knows everything about Tibetan Buddhist iconography. I sometimes call him and ask questions like, "Who is that odd-looking deity?" Or, with urgent requests like, "We need an image, and we need it now." I sometimes try his patience, too, so I have to make sure I sort of know what I'm talking about before I call him, and still, it's hard to sound halfway intelligent: the complex landscape of Tibetan iconography is no easy thing to navigate. But those days may be over. More » -
0 comments
Daily Dharma - Being Natural is Very Special
Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, what we need to acknowledge is something natural. Something uncontrived. The uncontrived state is actually very special. Being natural is very special. And the natural way is actually already with us, in or out of retreat, but we just don't acknowledge it. If you just acknowledge your natural way, that's enough, good enough. It's like the cow peeing in the field. It just stands there and pees. Every day, it just pees, quite naturally. More » -
2 comments
Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit and What I Learned
Former Tibetan Buddhist monk Stephen Schettini, now director of TheQuietMind.org, explains his teaching this way: I don't promise perfect peace, earth-shattering insight or transcendental breakthroughs. On the contrary, I ask my students to work hard, and especially to beware their own expectations. We're all twenty-first century grownups and as much as we want to believe in easy solutions and magical formulas we know perfectly well that a down-to-earth approach will pay off more than all the mantras, visualizations and promises of enlightenment on the world wide web. Does this sound like someone who's been disillusioned by traditional Buddhist practices? I'd say so. More »
