The “Seeing Fresh” photo of the week
- The “Seeing Fresh” photo of the week
- Oakland debuts “Champions of Humanity” statue, featuring Thich Nhat Hanh
- Meetings with Vietnamese Buddhists, Middle and High School Students and the Mayor Wrap Up Visit to Louisville
- Explaining Atisha’s ‘Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment’ in Louisville, KY
- Meet Tara Brach, meditation’s “Type-A go-getter”
- Watch a 10-minute trailer for Osamu Tezuka’s “Buddha 2″
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Posted: 22 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT
 Every week we choose a photo submitted to Andy Karr's contemplative photography site seeingfresh.com that really exemplifies the practice. This week's cheerful photo, by Peter Hedrich, shows the power of a thread of color. It's also a fine example of fresh seeing. For more about contemplative photography, and lots of other great photos, visit seeingfresh.com. And don't miss this video or this article on contemplative photography. You can see all our Seeing Fresh posts on Shambhala SunSpace here. Read More @ Source | ||||||||
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Posted: 22 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT
 Next week, the city of Oakland will officially dedicate a massive bronze statue called "Remember Them: Champions for Humanity." Created by sculptor Mario Chiodo, it features 25 humanitarians from around the world — along with Thich Nhat Hanh, other honorees include Abraham Lincoln, Harvey Milk, Maya Angelou, and Mahatma Gandhi.  Click here to see a detail of Thich Nhat Hanh's depiction, and click here to see a full list of honorees. You can also visit the Remember Them Facebook page to see photos of the monument throughout its construction. The dedication is happening on Friday, May 31, at 3 p.m. at the Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park in Oakland. For more on Thich Nhat Hanh, visit our Spotlight page of his teachings. Read More @ Source | ||||||||
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Posted: 22 May 2013 01:00 AM PDT
Louisville, KY, USA, 21 May 2103 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama's first meeting on his last day in Louisville was with a group of gentle Vietnamese Buddhists.
"Let's begin with your reciting the Heart Sutra in Vietnamese," he said. "While you do that visualize the Buddha in the space in front of you surrounded by Indian teachers like Nagarjuna and Asanga, and those who brought Buddhist to Vietnam. And remember how the Buddha practised for aeons to show us that through a combination of the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the wisdom understanding emptiness, we too can attain enlightenment.
"In the Sanskrit tradition of Buddhist it is explained that all sentient beings have Buddha nature, the potential to become a Buddha, and we extend our compassion to all of them."
His Holiness clarified that it is a feature of the Buddha's teachings that they appear to be inconsistent because he taught according to the dispositions of his listeners at different times and places. He suggested that it is possible to view other religious traditions as similarly suited to the needs of particular people, times and places and therefore deserving of our respect. He mentioned meeting groups of Vietnamese in other parts of the world and that he is impressed by the way they keep up their language, Buddhist traditions and monastic robes. He remarked that Tibetans too are trying to preserve their culture and religion in the face of adversity. A question was asked about how His Holiness imagines freedom coming about in Tibet and he replied that although they don't seek outright independence, Tibetans have their own language and culture, as well as a fragile environment, to protect, something best done by Tibetans themselves. And for that they need genuine autonomy. Elsewhere in the Kentucky Center, His Holiness next met with middle and high school students from the Louisville area. He began by noting that some people are under the misapprehension that love and compassion are values that belong to religion, whereas he believes they are a natural part of human life, with a biolo! gical source. He pointed out that we are all born from our mothers and we have to depend on others to survive. He conceded that there are cases of children being neglected or abused which leads to their insecurity and unhappiness later in life.
His Holiness affirmed that as far as he is concerned all 7 billion human beings are like brothers and sisters. He said that when he meets someone he thinks, "Here's another human being." A person who practises compassion and forgiveness has great inner strength, whereas aggression is usually a sign of weakness. Similarly, when two people have an argument, it tends to be the one who has reason on her side who is less inclined to become angry. We can reinforce our sense of compassion by using our intelligence. "If someone behaves negatively towards you, it can be very helpful to remember that they are human beings like you. It's also helpful to remember to distinguish between an action and the person who does it. If you need to take counter measures to prevent someone doing harm, it is always better to do it with a calm rather than an agitated mind. If we act out of anger, the best part of our brain fails to function properly. Remember, compassion is not a sign of weakness." The students had prepared questions and the first asked looking back what advice he would give his 13 year old self, while a second wondered what he enjoys doing that might surprise some people. His Holiness replied: "I have some regret that at an age that was an ideal time to study I played instead. That time is gone and I regret losing it. When I was younger I loved gardening. I also used to love toys that moved. I'd play with them for a while and then would open them up to see how they worked. In a similar spirit, I looked at the moon! through my telescope and seeing the shadows of the mountains realised they were caused by sunlight and that the moon had no light of its own. This was the beginning of my interest in science, which I have encouraged Tibetans to share. Last year, our Tibetan monasteries in India formally decided to incorporate science into their study programs."
To a question about how to deal with prevailing violence, His Holiness observed that this is not only a problem here but in many other places. He said it is another symptom of our need to reintroduce a sense of human values, which he likes to refer to as secular ethics, into our modern education system. Another student wanted to know if His Holiness has any sense of fear and he recounted being bitten by a dog and then being told that it was a mad dog. He also mentioned visiting the sites of the Holocaust concentration camps in Poland, seeing the ovens and shower blocks and having a strong sense of fear there. This was similar to his response to the two places in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where nuclear weapons were used. "On the other hand, the news that CO2 emissions have now passed the dangerous threshold of 400ppm is cause for another kind of fear." Students and teachers expressed their gratitude to His Holiness for coming, one of them telling him, "You remind us of the goodness within us."
Last of all, the organizers and volunteers who had worked hard to make the events in Louisville a success wanted to have a photograph taken with His Holiness. He posed with them, thanked them for all they had done, and, praising the great merit they had created during their work, told them that he always dedicates his merit to the awakening of all sentient beings and recommended they do the same. Leaving Louisville for Chicago, His Holiness will later today fly across the Atlantic, and with a short stop Europe, travel on to India.  Read More @ Source | ||||||||
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Posted: 21 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT
Louisville, Kentucky, USA, 20 May 2013 - Returning to the Yum Center for a second day, before beginning his morning teaching session, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with representatives of the Dalai Lama Fellows, young people working in different parts of the world in peace, justice and ecology. Their declared aim is 'to build a world that works for every one of us because it's increasingly clear that, otherwise, it won't work for any of us.' His Holiness was impressed by their reports and supportive of their various activities. He also so had a warm conversation with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz before meeting with a group of Tibetans resident in the vicinity of Louisville. He told them:
"We've been in exile now for 54 years, but there's only a few of us compared to the 6 million Tibetans in Tibet. What we are free to do however, is to keep our language and culture alive. In the 7th century, Tibet was a powerful unified nation, and although it later became somewhat fragmented, through all the ups and downs, the people of the Land of Snow have continued to think of themselves as Tibetans. What unites us is our common language and culture. This is something to be proud of." Fervent applause filled the arena when His Holiness took the stage. As it subsided, its place was taken by the plaintive tones of a cello. His Holiness paid his respects before the throne, the backdrop to which was a huge appliqué thangka depicting the Buddha, before taking his seat. "Good morning everybody," he began, "I'm happy to be here with this opportunity, a morning and an afternoon session, to explain this particular text. It was written by a great Indian Buddhist master and philosopher in the eleventh century at the behest of the King of Guge, a small kingdom in Western Tibet. But before I open the text I'd like to say a little to set the context." He said that everyone has a mother and most of us receive tremendous affection from her. Among the audience of about 6000, those who received the maximum affection when they were young were most likely have grown into happy, secure adults. It is evident that those among our neighbours who are friendly and affectionate are happier. "If you show concern for other's well-being, speak honestly, cultivate affection and trust, you will naturally collect many firm friends. Scientific research has shown that positive meditation and mental training yield measurable improvements in well-being with reduced blood pressure and stress. The point is that some kind of spirituality improves our lives. " Sensory experiences of watching sport, listening to music and so forth are short-lived material events. When the conditions that give rise to them come to an end, the satisfaction they provide vanishes. His Holiness recalled meeting an Indian family who asked him what he liked to watch on television. When he told them that he watches no television, but relies on BBC radio for news, the younger members of the family were incredulous and asked how he passes his time.
"If you look at me," His Holiness said, "your eye consciousness forms an image, but makes no judgement such as 'This is my friend.' Close your eyes and a mental image remains. Joy and wisdom function on that mental level; peace of mind is achieved through mental training. The love and compassion common to all major religions and their teachings about tolerance and patience also relate to training the mind." In Buddhism, he observed, we have the Pali tradition, found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma, while China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet and Mongolia follow the Sanskrit tradition. In the Sanskrit tradition, external conduct is regulated by following the Vinaya, which is also common to the Pali tradition, while mental conduct is guided by the Bodhisattva code. Tantrayana uses physical exercises and energy to further our spiritual development. Sometimes, historically, due to misunderstandings the Sanskrit tradition has seemed to look down on the Pali tradition, which in turn has questioned whether the Sanskrit tradition is really the teaching of the Buddha. A couple of years ago His Holiness was attending a World Parliament of Religions in Australia when two Burmese monks asked to see him. He put on his yellow robe to receive them. Recognising that they all followed the same teacher, the Buddha, they suggested that there were still differences between them. His Holiness agreed that there were differences, but said that the practice of both traditions was based on the Vinaya. The two monks, surprised, exclaimed, "You do that?" The Sanskrit tradition makes great use of reason and critical enquiry. When Shantarakshita the great Indian master, logician and philosopher introduced Buddhism into Tibet in the 8th century, he emphasised the use o! f logic and epistemology. This was a key factor in making Tibet the heir to the Nalanda tradition. In their Buddhist training Tibetans memorise the root text, study each work and explore what they mean through debate.
The text categorises spiritual practitioners as of initial, medium and advanced capacities. The aim of a person of initial capacity is to gain relief from suffering through the practice of morality. The ten unwholesome deeds of body, speech and mind are, with the possible exception of wrong view, common to most religious traditions. Similarly, going for refuge is something they also have in common, despite their focussing on different objects. There is a common sense of not being confined only to this life or to material values. A person of medium capacity seeks liberation from cyclic existence, while a person of advanced capacity develops the awakening mind of a bodhisattva and engages in the practice of the six perfections. Among these is the practice of concentration and His Holiness made it clear that this is something that can be cultivated by anyone, whatever tradition they follow. He suggested that anything can be selected as an object of concentration, and while Christians might choose a cross or the face of the Virgin Mary, Muslims might choose Mecca, while Buddhists commonly choose an image of the Buddha about an inch high, an arm's length away, bright and heavy. "It can be more useful to choose the breath as an object of concentration," His Holiness elaborated, "because it is neither too coarse nor too subtle and it is a natural phenomenon. Observing it enables us to gather our minds as we count inhalations and exhalations as one, up to 2! 1, 50 or 100." Moving rapidly further on through the text, he pointed out in relation to understanding emptiness that there comes a time to appraise the emptiness of the mind that understands the emptiness of inherent existence. Finally, although King Jangchub Ö had asked for a teaching appropriate for everyone, Atisha included a reference to the practice of tantra.
He asked everyone to join together in reciting the Lamrim Dedication Prayer, which they did in English. On behalf of the organisers, Ann Walter, expressed thanks to His Holiness, the sponsors and everyone who had contributed to the teachings as a volunteer. This was followed by the reading of a financial account. His Holiness then offered some final words of advice: "Mental development takes time. Early on it may seem difficult, but it becomes easier with familiarity. Don't entertain unrealistic expectations; mental transformation doesn't take place quickly. It requires patience and determination. It may take months or years, but at the end of your life you can feel confident about your next destination. "Shantideva expresses the appropriate far-sighted perspective in his verse: For as long as space endures, And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I too abide To dispel the misery of the world." Read More @ Source | ||||||||
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Posted: 21 May 2013 01:00 PM PDT
 Buddhist meditation teacher and psychologist Tara Brach has become popular in her hometown of Washington, D.C., especially among high-powered urban professionals. As a new profile from The Washington Post told us this weekend, she's a "Type-A go-getter" whose weekly meditation classes and dharma talks draw people from many religions and walks of life. Click here to read the full WP story.To get a taste of Brach's teachings, click here to read "Bringing RAIN to Difficulty," a guided reflection from her new book True Refuge. Andrea Miller also profiled Brach, along with fellow Buddhist psychotherapists Barry Magid and John Welwood, in "When Ego Meets Non-Ego," from the Shambhala Sun archives. Click here to read that article. See also:Read More @ Source | ||||||||
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Posted: 21 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT
Based on his acclaimed semi-biographical/semi-fantasy manga series, here comes Osamu Tezuka's "Buddha 2," an anime film scheduled for a February 2014 release. Watch the high-energy trailer, which has English subtitles, here.
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