From The Under 35 Project: “If I Met Buddha on the Road”

• From The Under 35 Project: “If I Met Buddha on the Road”
• Oakland to debut “Champions of Humanity” statue including Thich Nhat Hanh
• A “Journey Into Buddhism” — by way of L.A.

From The Under 35 Project: “If I Met Buddha on the Road” Posted: 24 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT Marie Rose White on what being "Buddhist" really means to her. If I met Buddha on the road, would he care whether or not I called myself a Buddhist? Would it matter whether I identified as Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land…… Would he care if I chanted sutras correctly or whether I practiced Tonglen vs. Zazen? Would it matter if I looked the part, wearing saffron robes, or robes at all? What if I wore my hair long, and had on a short skirt that day? If I met Buddha on the road, would I slow down enough to even recognize him? Or would I leave him in my wake as I raced to catch the bus? I'm new to this highway, to this Dharma road. I haven't chosen a tradition. Or maybe no tradition has chosen me… I do not have a formal teacher. But I find teachers everywhere. In the books I read, the online communities to which I am so fortunate to have access, and in less likely places as well. I've met Buddha on the road in all different shapes, sizes, and incarnations. I met him in Detroit once, when on my way home from the bar at 3 a.m., I saw a man stop in the middle of stealing a car to help a woman whose boyfriend had just pushed her out of the car into the street. And in Alaska, when thanks to a stubborn moose smack dab in the center of the highway, our morning commute came to a halt for 20 minutes.  We all got out of our cars, talked to each other, and experienced the morning for the first time that day exactly the way it was at that moment.  Moose and all. I met him in California, when, while fighting with a (now ex-) boyfriend, I saw with a soul-searing clarity how deeply words could wound myself and others, and vowed to never again purposely use them as a weapon. I met him in a parking lot in Denver when everybody, including an old man carrying an oxygen tank, dropped everything to help a little boy chase down his dog that was making a dash for a busy street. Maybe with time, and a stronger need for discipline/focus and a deepening of practice, I'll settle into a tradition. I can see there being comfort in alignment. Like sinking into that groove you've lovingly worn into your sofa, or putting on an old t-shirt that still smells like your lover after they've left for the day. I can see the value in a long term teacher/student relationship, the same way friendships, marriages and family bonds can mature with age. But until then, the road itself is my practice, my lineage, my teaching, and I meet Buddha there every time I look for him. I meet Buddha on the road every time I meet myself… even when it is only part way. Marie Rose White grew up Catholic in Detroit, and after college, she left to live and work all over the United States. She's not sure what or where she'll be next year, but right now, she's in Denver. To see the rest of our Under 35 Project posts, click here. To read more and submit your own work, visit the project's website. Read More @ Source

Oakland to debut “Champions of Humanity” statue including Thich Nhat Hanh Posted: 24 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT Next week, the city of Oakland, California 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. Read More @ Source

A “Journey Into Buddhism” — by way of L.A. Posted: 23 May 2013 08:00 PM PDT "Journey Into Buddhism" still, by John Bush The Shambhala Sun has been proud to be a sponsor of several showings of filmmaker John Bush's acclaimed, gorgeous Journey Into Buddhism trilogy, which includes the films Dharma River (which takes us to Laos, Thailand, and Burma), Vajra Sky Over Tibet, and Prajna Earth (Bali, Cambodia, and Java). And now our friends in the L.A. and SoCal areas can get a taste of the Journey: KCET Los Angeles will be playing Dharma River this Sunday evening. The film is scheduled to air at 11pm, EST. Whether you're in/around LA or not, you can click through here to watch the trailers for both Vajra Sky Over Tibet and Prajna Earth, as well as an excerpt from Dharma River. For more about these films via Facebook, friend the Journey Into Buddhism trilogy. Read More @ Source