This Week in the Press: Stories of interest to Shambhala Sun readers
This Week in the Press: Stories of interest to Shambhala Sun readers |
- This Week in the Press: Stories of interest to Shambhala Sun readers
- Field Of Merit Revisited
- Off the Grid
- Foundations of Self-Healing: Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness – Course 1
- Hungarian Buddhists fight discriminatory law
| This Week in the Press: Stories of interest to Shambhala Sun readers Posted: 01 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT If you're following the Shambhala Sun on Facebook, you know that we share interesting stories from around the web there all week long. But not everyone's on Facebook, so here's what we posted in the past week.
And if you're not already following us on Facebook, like our page so you don't miss anything else. You can follow us on Twitter, too. Read More @ Source
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| Posted: 01 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT I just wrote a comment in response to one left by Chris Y. I'd got more and more to say and it's turned into post length so I thought I would elevate it to the front page as a post. Here is my the comment: An Explanation Thanks Chris for giving me the opportunity to write more on field of merit. What you wrote made me smile even though I am not familiar with either the film you mention nor the quote from it. It was not my intention behind writing that short piece about field of merit to reference the film Field of Dreams, that is build it, and they will come nor the inspiration behind what I wrote. Although you may have caught in the wind that I do have a 'project' lurking in the background not entirely unconnected to the field of merit! The term is not my invention either although I found out AFTER I used it in a, for me, significant talk referring to the Order as a field of merit which I am committed to. Well it is a commitment to all those who train within the order, as well as those who don't. You could say it is a commitment to practice ALONGSIDE OTHERS, all living things as the kesa verse says. The kesa, in whatever colour, form and size, is referred to in Buddhist as a field of merit. I have no handy scriptural reference up my sleeve unfortunately. The kesa, as you know, is deeply connected to the Buddhist Precepts being both *symbolic and *identical really. As I was told just before lay ordination, this is not just a bit of black cloth to hang around your neck! Love those American monks! The late Rev. Master Daizui, former head of the order, extended the meaning of the kesa to include the unseen kesa, that is wearing the kesa of training whether or not it has been formally given and received ceremonially. So it is, with this extended meaning of the kesa, that the field of merit is boundless/formless. This has deep spiritual mean for me. Here is the kesa verse spoken daily as one clothes oneself with the Precepts for that day. How great and wondrous Somebody asked what is the connection between field of merit and Buddha Nature is and whether or not they are identical in meaning. Looking now at the kesa verse along with what I've been saying one can see the the flow of connection. Is it not the wish/vow/promise to live ones life in harmony with the the Precepts which makes manifest the field of merit? To make manifest non separation which is the teaching of the Precepts. **I will need to write some more about that for those not familiar with how the teaching is passed, or flows, through the generations reaching to the time of the historic Buddha and before him. Read More @ Source
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| Posted: 30 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT The Dutch Buddhist Channel (BOS-BUDDHIST BROADCASTING FOUNDATION) has produced numerous documentaries over the years. One recent production, titled Off the Grid, in particular has caused some controversy. It is about Americans who can no longer, for a variety of reasons … Continue reading →  Read More @ Source 
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| Foundations of Self-Healing: Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness – Course 1 Posted: 30 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT  Drs. Loizzo & Neale of the Nalanda Institute
This September at TibetHouse, join Dr. Miles Neale and Dr. Joe Loizzo for a new cycle of the exciting Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness, beginning with Class 1: Foundations of Self-Healing and Contemplative Life. The Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science translates the developmental stages, insights and skills of the Indo-Tibetan gradual path (lam rim) through the idiom of contemporary psychotherapy and neuroscience and delivers them through a rigorous curriculum of eight consecutive semester courses, augmented by weekend retreats, combining intellectual and experiential learning modalities, to provide the depth, breadth, consistency and community support required for lasting results. The Four Year Program is based on Dr. Loizzo's latest book Sustainable Happiness and supported by clinical research conducted at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Read More @ Source 
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hungarian Buddhists fight discriminatory law Posted: 30 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT The Buddhist Channel, June 30, 2012
Jai Bhim Network lead Buddhist groups to petition against legislation that illegitimizes non-Christian religions Budapest, Hungary -- Buddhists in Hungary are faced with a current major political crisis. The issue, if not immediately dealt with will result in Buddhist organisations being deprived of all legal status, thus losing considerable financial benefits and official legitimation enjoyed by other religions.
Last year, elections in Hungary brought to power a conservative nationalist party, winning two thirds of the seats in Parliament. The character of this government is illustrated by its share of significant elements of an extreme right wing party in Parliament, which is more or less explicitly racist, anti-Gypsy and anti-Semitic. With such a substantial majority, the government has been able to write a new constitution for Hungary that gives Christianity a privileged status. On that basis Hungarian legislators have introduced a new law on churches, redefining what is religious congregation, entitlement to legal status and the tax and other benefits that go with it.
While some traditional Jewish congregations are included, reformed Jews are not. In this legislation, not a single Hindu, Muslim, or Buddhist organisation is accepted. The law allows for other religious congregations to be recognised in future, if they can prove that they have a membership of at least one thousand and have been in existence for more than twenty years. However, the law gives the authority of recognition to Parliament and the courts will have no jurisdiction over whether or not any organisation fulfils the criteria and therefore qualifies for recognition. Since recognition can only be given on the basis of a two thirds majority of votes in Parliament, it is very likely that it will not be awarded to Gypsy Buddhists and others in future. The far-right anti-Gypsy party together with Christian Democrat members of the ruling party will be able to block such a vote in the present Parliament and this situation is likely to continue for some years. The immediate result of this new law is that all Buddhist organisations will lose their status as religious congregations with effect from January 1, 2012.
Implications of the law How has such discriminatory laws impact the livelihood of existing Buddhist organizations? Take the Jai Bhim Network for instance. Integral to Jai Bhim's Buddhist practice is active social work carried out on behalf of the Gypsy communities in Hungary and neighboring countries in Central Europe. Inspired by the great Indian Buddhist, Dr B. R. Ambedkar, who led millions of former 'untouchables' into Buddhism in 1956, the network engages itself in education work mainly for young Gypsies, who are effectively excluded from the secondary school system, as many of them having been declared 'educationally subnormal'. Jai Bhim now has close to a thousand students spread out in six schools, all of whom are at the least gaining the benefits that their Buddhist teachers and friends are bringing to them. Through these efforts, these youth have gained a very positive impression of the Buddha and His teachings. The tax benefits of Jai Bhim's legal status as a religious congregation are crucial to the survival of it's educational work. Next year, it is projected that their income for running the schools will halve because of the new law, making it very difficult for them to provide education to the already highly marginalised young people. The fact that Jai Bhim is led and run by Gypsies who are Buddhists makes it even more likely that the government will to dismiss their case for appeal. As an illustration of what they are likely to face in time to come, Jai Bhim successfully sued one Member of Parliament from the majority party for racist remarks made in Parliament in an attack on the organization and are preparing a similar case against another from the far-right party. To this end, Jai Bhim has taken the lead to create awareness of the discriminatory laws passed in Hungary and have appealed for public support to put pressure on the Hungarian Government. Their aim is one and only this: to get the government to repeal the laws and to afford legal recognition to their organisation, as well as to other Buddhist groups. Details of their petition can be found here: http://www.refuge.hu/ For an analysis of the controversial legislation please see: http://www.freedomofconscience.eu/2011/06/hungary-the-most-oppressive-religion-law/
About Jai Bhim Network Jai Bhim Buddhist Network, an organization of Gypsy/Roma Buddhists in Hungary, is affiliated to the Triratna Buddhist Community and a member of the European Buddhist Union. For more details, please visit: www.jaibhim.hu
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