Amanda Palmer talks meditation, Zen… and “mindful stripping”?

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT

Amanda Palmer performing in 2008. Photo by Mykal Burns!
In a new piece for The Quietus, Amanda Palmer — she of the "Cabaret Punk" act Dresden Dolls, and more recently a solo artist — talks about mindfulness meditation and also one of her favorite books, Only Don't Know, the first collection of letters between Korean Zen master Sung Sahn and some of his students: "I've probably bought that book a dozen times and gifted it to people who were in need. I don't give them [a copy of] How To Understand The Music Business; I give them the Seung Sahn letters. [...] These are kids in the sixties and seventies. The problems are all the same.  It takes no intellectual stretch to read these letters that these kids wrote to their Zen teacher, or a teacher they saw at a talk. And he writes back these beautiful, considered, really great, no-bullshit answers about what's important."
Palmer also addresses her former employment as a stripper. She wasn't just stripping, she says, but mindfully stripping. "I went in there thinking, 'I can do this because I am a feminist and I can do this job compassionately.'"
See the whole thing, and see what you think, here.
For more on Amanda Palmer from the Sun, see this SunSpace post from last year and her article from the magazine, "Melody vs. Meditation."
And to get a taste of the teachings of Seung Sahn, see "You Already Understand!", a teaching as published in the Shambhala Sun.
Read More @ Source


Posted: 24 Jun 2013 02:03 PM PDT
June 24th 2013
Dharamsala, HP, India, June 24, 2013 - In letters to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his sadness at the loss of life and property as a result of unprecedented flooding and landslides during heavy monsoon rains in Uttarakhand.
His Holiness, having just returned to India from an extended visit to New Zealand and Australia, expressed his deep condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in this calamity. As a token of sympathy, The Dalai Lama Trust is making contributions to the relief efforts of both the state and central governments.

Bookmark and Share
Read More @ Source


Posted: 24 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT
It's easy to get frustrated with ourselves when we have difficulty practicing the Dharma. I sometimes remark how it is easier to fall into bad habits than good ones. Why, is this? Well, personally, I believe a lot of it involves our primitive brains. Despite our advanced level of evolution and consciousness, the human brain is still a product of samsara. It is, therefore, flawed like any other aspect of samsara.

According to neuropsychologist, Dr. Rick Hanson, the brain is like "velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones." The scientific analysis is that this evolved from the days when we lived a primitive existence that depended upon recognizing dangers, and threats to survival. He gives the example of "carrots and sticks." We have two options, risk reward (carrots) or avoid dangers (sticks) The brain evolved to realize that missing a reward (food) doesn't necessarily portend  immediate disaster. There will be more carrots (food) along the way, and you can still survive. If you fail to notice a "stick" (other predators, or predatory humans), however, that "stick" will smack you in the head, and kill you, or your family.

This evolutionary "alarm system" has helped propel our species forward to eventually become the dominate species on planet Earth. However, it has programmed our brain to ignore the positive in favor for the negative. This might save us physically, but it often comes with a price--mental suffering, which prevents us from leading fulfilling lives with meaning and purpose. In generations past, mental happiness and peace was ignored by our instincts because we didn't have the luxury of developing that aspect of our lives. It took all our energy, time and efforts to keep food on the table--and a safe roof over our heads. As the dominate species, we now live in a reality where there aren't as many dangers to avoid, yet our brain hasn't evolved with it, so it still favors the negative.

 I believe that as humanity settled in co-operative civilizations, the threats to safety of life and our species lowered. We could band together to better defeat dangers, which allowed us the time, space and desire to focus, finally, on our mental health, as well. I believe this is when spirituality exploded in popularity. This would coincide with the major religions of today. Monotheism (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and polytheism (Hinduism -- out of which, Meditation developed and broke-off to be its own spiritual tradition) all emerged around the globe at relatively the same time.

I write this all out to provide context to a break-through I realized with my psychologist. Having the disease of schizoaffective disorder, I sometimes focus on the negative even more than the average person. This often comes out when I'm driving. I get frustrated at all the dangerous and inconsiderate drivers on the road, so much so that it ruins my mental peace, but my psychologist gave me a trick to help me. When I'm out driving, she said to shift my perceptions toward the good drivers. She said, practice focusing (and counting) all the good drivers you see instead of the bad ones. This will change my perceptions toward seeing the good more often than bad--not just while driving, but it will spread into how I perceive everything.

I often liken practicing the Dharma to training a wild animal. Our brain and mind are those wild animals. Untrained, our mind can trample us like a wild horse, but as we train our minds through practicing the Dharma, that wild horse becomes tame to the point where it can be controlled to work with us, rather than against us. Only then can we hope to find true relief from our suffering.

~i bow to the buddha within all beings~
Read More @ Source


Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:01 PM PDT
Author (The Buddha Walks into a Bar) and Shambhala Sun contributor Lodro Rinzler is set to launch his latest venture: the Institute for Compassionate Leadership. Designed for those in their early 20's, the ILC will integrate executive coaching, mentorship, "authenticity training," and job-placement networking under one umbrella, with the aim that those completing the training will be part of a new generation "empowered with tools to create lasting positive change in the world."
Rinzler drew the inspiration to found the ILC from his best college friend Alex Orent, described as a compassionate advocate for social change who channeled that energy into Barack Obama's senatorial and presidential campaigns before his life came to an untimely end in 2012.
Applications for the ILC's first round of trainees are being sought and, according to recent communication from ILC staff, "The institute is committed to supporting every qualified applicant who is interested in the training and placement process regardless of their ability to pay. With that in mind, the institute aims to employ online crowd-funding methods for scholarship expenses for its initial five to ten students." You can sign up for application info here.
Shambhala Sun pieces by Lodro Rinzler (links open in new windows):

Popular posts from this blog

Dangerous Harvests: 2nd Anniversary Post Week

Image
This week, the blog turns two years old. How did that happen? Honestly, I had no idea what would come of this when I started it, but here we are. The following is the first post I ever made, back on March 23, 2009. A lot has changed in my life since then, but other things aren't all that different really. Anyway, here it is. I'll plan on reposting more of those early pieces, in part because they came before I had much of an audience. But also, because it's kind of fun to look back. Enjoy! Let me begin with a quote from Dogen, a 13th century zen master, from his teaching "Tenzo Kyokun." "Under no circumstances allow anyone who happens to be drifting through the kitchen to poke his fingers around or look into the pot." Now, let's take yourself/myself. You and I, we probably enjoy entertainment, right? In fact, we probably are more than willing to let someone drift into our world if they will entertain us away from our problems, our suffering. And isn&#
Keep reading

From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death”

Image
From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death” His Holiness the Dalai Lama sends congratulations to the Australian Prime Minister and the President of Mongolia His Holiness the Dalai Lama sends congratulations to the Australian Prime Minister and the President of Mongolia Reports: China easing bans on Tibetans displaying Dalai Lama images Buddhist Monk, U Wirathu and the 969 Movement. Score one for the chimps — and all beings For the Sake of All Beings, We Vow This Conversation: A report from the Gen X Dharma Teacher Gathering Karmapa announces overhaul of Buddhist nuns’ education From The Under 35 Project: “A Good Death” Posted: 28 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT New from The Under 35 Project: A practitioner's thoughts on grief, death, and the loss of a parent. By Christa Joy . In her last days of life, we tended to Mom as though she were able to feel us, hear us, and experience the sensory world with us. Hospice had told us to continue on a
Keep reading

Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit”

Image
Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit” Ikeda calls for “nuclear abolition summit” Discover the Sacred Dwelling of the Heavenly Mother in Kuala Lumpur’s Holy Thean Hou Temple Symbolism of the Dharmachakra Buddhist Tours - 7 Places You Should Visit on Buddha Trail Buddhist Tours, Places to See and Places to Stay- Tour around or stay in comfort Buddhist Monks and Monasteries in Thailand Sarnath - A Depiction of India's Rich Buddhist Heritage The Contributions Of Asian Buddhists And The Popularity Of Zen Buddhist Tours India- Five Best Buddhist Sacred Sites Buddhist prayer beads - China PEM Fastener - Sheet Metal cabinet Supplier The Dewdrop Slips Into The Shining Sea - Choral Piece Popular Buddhist Pilgrimage Spots in India and Nepal 65th Annual Northwest District Buddhist Convention coming to Spokane Buddhist Tour India: Credulous And Spiritual Soujourn Bangladesh’s “Bana Bhante” dies at age 93 Beginning Buddhist Meditation 201
Keep reading