#buddhism
#Introduction: Call me Taal. He ☾ him. I post about #spirituality in everyday life. I’m a #rabbi’s #husband and #father of two with a weird career. We live in the southeastern United States. I’m an outlaw #Jew, longtime #Soto #Zen student, #LaoHuGong practitioner (hence the #tiger thing), #writer, #musician, #podcast maker, #psychedelic side quest taker, and consulting #horary and #electional #astrologer.
#Reconciliation. Practice it within yourself. Within your relationships. Within your communities. With all beings. #mindfulness #wisdom #buddhism #meditation
The First Buddhist Same-Sex Marriage
#Buddhist #Buddhism #LGBTQ #Pride #engagedbuddhism #JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thereligioushistorynerd/2023/06/the-first-buddhist-same-sex-wedding/
#Pride flag at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin in Honolulu. The Jodo Shinshu #Buddhist temple was established in 1899. It now sits on land granted to the temple by Native Hawaiian Buddhist Mary Foster in 1906. The temple is the headquarters of Hawaii's largest non-Christian denomination. They officially petitioned the legislature to support same-sex marriage in 2010 and hold regular #LGBTQ awareness and support workshops.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #engagedbuddhism #buddhism
By oneself is evil done;
by oneself is one defiled.
By oneself is evil left undone;
by oneself is one made pure.
Purity and impurity depend on oneself;
no one can purify another.
~#Dhammapada 165
#silentsunday #goodmorning #buddhism #peace #dream #mind #training #enlightenment #impermanence #authenticity
As I reread Chagdud Rinpoche’s book I find myself copying and quoting almost every word. He is pure pith and wonder.
Joy in following the Buddhist path comes from deep confidence and trust both in the path and in yourself and your own judgement. You could call it faith, but it’s not the blind belief that theistic religions often demand- the Buddha taught that that all his teachings were able to be verified empirically by the human mind through direct experience. So faith in #Buddhism comes from confidence in the Buddha’s direct experience and in how much your own direct experiences on the path echo the Dharma.
From experience, I know that brute (mental) force and “strength of will” does not work in getting my #neurodivergent #ADHD mind’s motivators to initiate actions in line with my intentions. What does work is emotion- principally in my life this has been fear and anxiety (imminent deadline! someone will be mad at me!) but I’m discovering that according to the Dharma, the primary motivating emotion should not actually be fear, but joy. Joy!
Master hashtag list 🫡
#astrology #astrotwitter #ayahuasca #ayahuascero #buddhism #buddhist #cartomancy #consciousness #curandero #curanderismo #depthpsychology #dharma #divination #entheogen #esoteric #fedi22 #fediverse #fssz #imaginal #introduction #magick #mastodon #mysticism #occult #occulture #omenology #psychedelic #relationality #stoatzone #tarot #twittermigration #vajrayana #weirdosphere #witchcraft #woo #zen
Hey y'all -- the Reno Buddhist Church (and Center) is building a new meditation hall! I'd appreciate it if you could help spread the word. They are really doing great things for the Reno community, and every penny will help. Thank you! #Buddhism #Meditation #RenoNV #Fundraising
Build a meditation hall together!, organized by Moon Rabbant https://www.gofundme.com/f/build-a-meditation-hall-together
🌱 Today’s #DailySutta:
AN 3.62 Bhayasutta: Perils
“There are, bhikkhus, these three perils that separate mother and son.…”
Read the sutta
📖 https://daily.readingfaithfully.org/an-3-62-bhayasutta-perils/?=MDS
Get these by email
✉ https://daily.readingfaithfully.org?=MSUDS
#death #NobleEightfoldPath #OldAge #sickness #AnguttaraNikaya #Theravada #PaliCanon #RealBuddhaQuotes #Suttas #Dhamma #Buddhism #Buddha
Classroom — Engaku-ji, Kamakura, Japan. May 2014, iPhone 5s
#japan #kamakura #temple #buddhism #zen #classroom #vintagestyle
Jason Quinn Zen's interview with me is out. Lots of fun chatting! #buddhism https://youtu.be/VW2XH_FpSO0
Ego, Cultural Conditioning and Thinking by Ajahn Sumedho | 03.05.2023
Laser Buddha just blasts right through that suffering. Pew, pew!
Photo by Tatsuto Shibata
#buddha #cherryblossom #photography #photo #photos #humor #humour #funny #buddhism
It’s important for you to realize that we are only helpless victims of fate...
~Ajahn Sumedho
Connect with renowned Buddhist teacher Garchen Rinpoche teaching on the transformative power of bodhichitta - the intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche is one of the highest Lamas of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
#GarchenRinpoche #TibetanBuddhism #Bodhichitta #Buddhism #Love #Compassion #Prajna #Kagyu #kindness #altruism #meditation #mentalhealth
“Most of us yearn for a life free of fear, pain, insecurity, and doubt. We long for peace, for the ability to love and be loved openly and freely, and the confidence and clarity to meet the various challenges we face in our lives.”
https://rigpa.org.au/event/online-melbourne-bookgroup-2022/2023-06-13/
7.15pm AEST, 11.15am CET
#TsoknyiRinpoche #BookGroup #OpenHeart #OpenHeartOpenMind #meditation #peace #Love #Spirtuality
#mindfulness #inspiration #manifest #purpose #Buddhism #TibetanBuddhism
Reflection for the Dhamma practitioner: Half the year has gone by. Still the days and nights continue to fly past relentlessly, bringing us closer to life's end🍂. Am I more diligent and focused in learning and practicing the Dhamma than before? Am I more peaceful than before?🙏
🌱 Today’s #DailySutta:
AN 5.119 Micchāvācāsutta: Wrong Speech
“A nun with five qualities is raised up to heaven.…”
Read the sutta
📖 https://daily.readingfaithfully.org/an-5-119-micchavacasutta-wrong-speech/?=MDS
Get these by email
✉ https://daily.readingfaithfully.org?=MSUDS
#judgement #RightAction #RightSpeech #AnguttaraNikaya #Theravada #PaliCanon #RealBuddhaQuotes #Suttas #Dhamma #Buddhism #Buddha
"But I can't meditate, I'm too restless. I can't take it."
'Okay, then die. Become the first person to die of restlessness. Let it take you.'
I love #buddhism 😂
Ancient 14th-century Nepalese painting of Acala, The Buddhist Protector. Acala (literally, “immovable”) is a wrathful manifestation of Manjushri. He wields a sword to dispatch ignorance and a noose to snare disbelievers. His enflamed wide eyes and a facial grimace exposing teeth express his fearsome aspect. He kneels with one knee on the ground, evoking his role as a protector of the earth.
"The Koan of Heaven and Hell" By Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon
Where is heaven and hell? #koan #zen #zenmaster #dharma #aiart #AI #aiartist #midjourney #zenartist #art #zenart #buddhism #buddhist #heaven #hell
Dharma's where you find it.
http://rustyring.blogspot.com/2023/06/dont-do-anything.html
#AlanWatts, #Buddhism, #hermitpractice, #meditation, #nonattachment, #Tantra #Zen
Sometimes the best things in life happen completely by accident.
I Accidentally Meditated at Vipassana When I Was 18
https://www.thetaoistonline.org/post/i-accidentally-meditated-at-vipassana-when-i-was-18
NEW Deep in Japan podcast "KUKAI THE UNIVERSAL with Professor Steve McCarty" on the life and times of Japan's great saint Kūkai, Esoteric Buddhism, and Zen. I discuss the book in terms of East Asian history, language education, and translation issues including voice. My philosophy is expressed as well, so comments would be much appreciated. Listen at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903791/13001040
(or find it at Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, etc.).
More multimedia at https://japanned.hcommons.org/multimedia
or publications on Japan at https://japanned.hcommons.org/japanology
#podcast #podcasting #Japan #India #China #Asia #Buddhism #religion #religions #philosophy #history #Tang #Nara #Heian #East Asia #AsianReligions #AsianHistory #language #languages #translation #voice #Sanskrit #Chinese #Japanese #JapaneseBuddhism #Zen
@religion @histodons @linguistics @philosophy
#Death is not a thing. Birth is not a thing. #Energy is a thing and it is neither created or destroyed. #Meditation helps us see and understand what scientists like #Einstein also came to understand. #wisdom #spirituality #buddhism #taoism
Most of us use our minds without caring for them. Morning, noon, and night; sitting, standing, walking, and lying down, we don’t rest for a moment. We’re like a man who drives a car or a boat: If he doesn’t let it rest, he’s headed for trouble.
~Ajahn Lee
Just published!
Info & order at 25% off quoting code GATH here:
https://bit.ly/3oWffzo
🌱 Today’s #DailySutta:
SN 45.9 Sūkasutta: The Spike
“Because his view is rightly directed.…”
Read the sutta
📖 https://daily.readingfaithfully.org/sn-45-9-sukasutta-the-spike/?=MDS
Get these by email
✉ https://daily.readingfaithfully.org?=MSUDS
#NobleEightfoldPath #RightView #SamyuttaNikaya #Theravada #PaliCanon #RealBuddhaQuotes #Suttas #Dhamma #Buddhism #Buddha
Willing Sacrifice
Bodhisattva takes a vow
Renunciation
#haiku #575prompt #Buddhism #Nagarjuna #Wednesday #poetry @mkmiller63
20 Minutes A Day free live online meditation sessions
https://registration.rigpa.org.au/DailyMeditation
https://registration.rigpa.org.au/civicrm/event/info?id=894
#meditation #mindfulness #mindful #mind
#thebigsit #freemeditation #mentalfitness #spiritualbutnotreligious #wellbeing
#headtohealth #manifest #flourish #happiness #buddhism #selflove #mentalhealth #inspiration
#buddhismforbeginners #consciousliving #headspace #freshmind #gokind
#allinthemind #livefully #tranquility #soulsearch
Apple of the Mind. Exploring the relationship of the mind, heart, soul, and brain. Taken from a Dharma Talk given by Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon on 2/16/2023. https://youtu.be/cPDzMx_YrbU#zen #zenmaster #dharma #buddhism #buddhist #Buddha #bodhisattva #meditation #seeds #flowers #fruit #heart #soul #brain #mind #meditate
On Sunday members of the Buddhist Church of San Francisco participated in the Progressive Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at the Japantown Peace Plaza. Temple minister Rev. Elaine Donlin spoke and provided a Buddhist blessing as part of the ceremony.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
‘The whole world is you. Yet you keep thinking that there is something else.’
Zen Graffiti
#buddhism
A handsomely carved 3rd century AD grey schist of Avalokiteshvara #Bodhisattva identified by the seated #Buddha Amitabha in his turban headdress from the #AncientIndian region of #Gandhara now in #Afghanistan #Pakistan is coming up for auction by Bonhams #Paris on 12th June 2023, estimate €100,000-150,000.
#India #AncientIndia #IndianHertitage #IndianReligion #IndianHistory #Religion #Buddhist #Heritage #Art #History #Buddhism #IndianCulture #IndianReligions
🌱 Today’s #DailySutta:
AN 2.125–126: Two Conditions
“Monks, there are these two conditions for the arising of right view.…”
Read the sutta
📖 https://daily.readingfaithfully.org/an-2-125-126-two-conditions/?=MDS
Get these by email
✉ https://daily.readingfaithfully.org?=MSUDS
#RightView #AnguttaraNikaya #Theravada #PaliCanon #RealBuddhaQuotes #Suttas #Dhamma #Buddhism #Buddha
White River Buddhist Temple is proud of its diverse sangha, and strives to embody Amida Buddha's universal embrace of all people, just as they are.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
2,300-year-old Buddhist elephant statue from India is one of the oldest known
"Art historian Christian Luczanits of SOAS at the University of London told Live Science that elephants were important royal animals in ancient India and symbolized the monsoon rains and fertility."
The mind cannot be purified without...
~Bhante G
Great talk and discussion with Ven Canda , Venerable Upekkhā & Ajahn Brahmali: "Debate on Women, Gender & Non-self" made available by the Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project - a pioneering project working to establish the first Theravada Bhikkhuni Monastery in the UK where women can train towards full ordination.
https://youtu.be/gria__9MLho #DhammaTalk #Dhamma #Theravada #Buddhism #Anukampa #Bhikkhuni #AjahnBrahmali #ordination #VenerableCanda
🌱 Today’s #DailySutta:
AN 10.121 Pubbaṅgamasutta: Forerunner
“Mendicants, the dawn is the forerunner and precursor of the sunrise.…”
Read the sutta
📖 https://daily.readingfaithfully.org/an-10-121-pubbangamasutta-forerunner/?=MDS
Get these by email
✉ https://daily.readingfaithfully.org?=MSUDS
#NobleEightfoldPath #RightView #AnguttaraNikaya #Theravada #PaliCanon #RealBuddhaQuotes #Suttas #Dhamma #Buddhism #Buddha
Introducing the newest section of our website: #Buddhism and #Nature !
https://buddhistuniversity.net/tags/nature
The Vedas say to teach in the vernacular of our day so #buddhism should be translated to #wokeism.
Buddha literally means 'one who is awake.'
Awake to not only the nature of the world and the 10,000 sorrows and the 10,000 joys but also to see and know your own delusions.
To more clearly understand the world and its suffering, and use whatever power you have to fight injustice, to feed the hungry, and to house your neighbor.
To remember that Compassion is an active verb.
A wonderful essay - "Good In The Beginning, Good In The Middle, Good In The End," by Tift Merritt. Hopefully can be easy to view. Available free to subscribers, for sure. Enjoy the read!
"Being Jean’s mom on my own is an unexpected place of freedom and relentless wonderment, a new trust in the universe that the mysterious spider web of grand design exists, beyond sight and understanding, as something we walk into together between trees."
https://tiftmerritt.substack.com/p/good-in-the-beginning-good-in-the
8) " ‘All Beings Are Equally Embraced By Amida Buddha’: Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and Same-Sex Marriage in the United States”
Journal article that documented the first known Buddhist same-sex marriages.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
7) “Berkeley Buddhist Temple 2022 Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial Service”
90-minute recording of annual Transgender memorial service. Excellent example of community ritual around LGBTQ+ needs.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
6) “Face to Face: Queer Dharma”
90-minute record of 2021 Young Buddhist Editorial panel of queer Buddhists (three out of four of whom are young Shin Buddhists; doesn't include the session's breakout room discussions)
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
5) “Buddhism and Same-Gender Marriage”
Milestone 2013 pamphlet on the topic
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
https://www.nishihongwanji-la.org/buddha-dharma/buddhism/same-gender-marriage/
4) “Is My Sangha Inclusive?”
Groundbreaking article by a minister reflecting on building welcoming temples
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
3) “Engaged Buddhism”
28-minute film of ally perspectives based on the 2010 session "Engaged Buddhism: Relieving Suffering in Our Community—A Shin Buddhist Perspective on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues" held at the Buddhist Study Center.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
2) “Embraced by the Buddha's Compassion”
A Jodo Shinshu LGBTQ+ Resource Guide, published in 2021 by Ichi-Mi at Gardena Buddhist Temple
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
Need resources on LGBTQ+ issues and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism? Here are 8 resources suitable for classroom, temple, etc
1) “A Profound Silence”
28-minute film on LGBTQ+ temple experiences. Many queer voices.
#JodoShinshu #ShinBuddhism #Buddhist #engagedbuddhism #LGBTQ #Buddhism #Pride
They ought to make a biographical movie about the life and teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
I've seen Walk With Me and am about to watch the documentary A Cloud Never Dies, but I'd like to see a feature film of his life.
Anyhow.
It's no surprise that 4 of the 6 articles at Lion's Roar on #LGBTQ+ inclusion in American #Buddhism are about Jodo Shinshu Pure Land Buddhists. The Jodo Shinshu community has long been at the forefront of queer #Buddhist inclusion and support.
#engagedbuddhism #shinbuddhism #pride
https://www.lionsroar.com/aapi-month-lgbtq-asian-american-buddhists/
Tibetan Skeleton Dancer!
A symbol of the fleeting life, and the cycle of life and death in Tibetan Buddhism, these dancers gracefully remind us that life is ephemeral and to embrace the now and face enlightenment.
Elephants preparing for Pera Hera in Kandy, Sri Lanka
YOU CAN FIND IT HERE IN FULL:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/elephants-preparing-for-pera-hera-in-kandy-sri-lanka-patricia-hofmeester.html
By https://pixels.com/profiles/patricia-hofmeester/shop #WallArt #homedecor #fineart #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt ##LoveArt #BuyArtNotCandy #photography #SpringIntoArt @PatriciaPhotos #srilanka #elephants #perahera #celebration #buddhism
Here's a side of #TinaTurner that most people have never seen, or rather heard. She was a convert to #Buddhism, specifically Nichiren Daishonin, a Japanese sect that emphasizes a chant.
Found a local "Insight Meditation" group.
Insight Meditation is the title used by a lot of Theravada Buddhists in the US.
So that's neat!
Nice resource: The Open Buddhist University
#Buddhism #Mindfulness
"Phra Anil Sakya, one of Thailand’s most senior Buddhist monks, teaches mindfulness to business executives and to criminals."
Financial Times:
What can a Buddhist monk tell us about business?
"Managing mindfully is increasingly on the curriculum as business schools explore unusual approaches to leadership."
https://www.ft.com/content/b272977c-0865-4eca-9d04-8e721080e91f
They moved to a Buddhist retreat in rural America. Have they found happiness?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/17/buddhism-arkansas-retreat-meditation-mindfulness?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
When objects of the senses,
Empty from their side,
Appear like moons reflected in the water;
When the mind is likewise empty
Of assumptions and of clinging,
The duality of apprehender-apprehended
Ceases, is no more.
No further link is there between
Sense objects and the mind.
This is the authentic state,
The Great Perfection free from all exertion.
~ Longchenpa
I love Brad. I have learned a lot from his books over the years.
Sometimes he gives off drink Kool-Aid vibes... though he also has some serious wisdom.
“The state of ambiguity - that messy, greasy, mixed-up, confused, and awful situation you're living through right now - is enlightenment itself.”
― Brad Warner
#Zen #buddhism #soto #Zazen #Meditation
This link leads to youtube.
Title: The Great Buddha at Kamakura (1930)
Artist: Hasui Kawase
https://www.kotoku-in.jp/en/ #Hasui #HasuiKawase #ShinHanga #Art #Showa #Buddhist #Buddhism #KamakuraDaibutsu #KotokuIn #Taiizan #ShojosenJi #Kamakura #Kanagawa #Japan
Note to self:
Practice wholesome/positive emotional states. You've already mastered the negative ones.
@Pellitory or in institutions such as the non hierarchy of Tibetan Buddhism, the Unspeakable Truth, the law of Silence
Bouddhisme Tibétain, la Loi du Silence 🇫🇷
The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps is a great podcast and book series for an introduction to the topic, covering not only western philosophy back to Plato and Aristotle but also Indian, Islamic and Africana philosophy (and in the future Chinese too). The podcast is at https://historyofphilosophy.net/
#history #ancienthistory #philosophy #ancientgreece #ancientgreek #greekphilosophy #plato #aristotle #indianphilosophy #indianhistory #hindu #buddhist #buddhism #islam #muslim
“Effectively, the notion of intrinsic, independent existence is incompatible with causation. This is because causation implies contingency & dependence, while anything that possesses independent existence would be immutable and self-enclosed. Everything is composed of dependently related events, of continuously interacting phenomena with no fixed, immutable essence, which are themselves in constantly changing dynamic relations.” — HH Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
An update about my refuge and bodhisattva vow-taking ceremony last night- I did it! Live, on Zoom, with my camera on, and even unmuted at the end to say thank you and bye. Social anxiety win, definitely.
The actual ceremony went really well and was surprisingly moving. The actual vows were in Sanskrit, but fully repeated in English, and even a ceremonial self hair cut (all of 2 strands!) in emulation of the Buddha cutting his hair when he started out on his spiritual journey.
Added #Tonglen (taking and sending) meditation to my morning practice a couple of days ago- it’s been a while but it’s clear to me now that I need to be doing this practice daily, probably forever. It’s such a good practice for developing loving-kindness and compassion, both for self and others. If you’re not familiar with tonglen, here’s a link with a simple explanation https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-tonglen/amp/
It’s a testament to the power of my early experience with the Dharma (in which I managed to stop hating myself after years of childhood trauma and develop some self compassion over 18 months of daily meditation, which directly led to my nursing career) and my sense of the preciousness of the Buddhist teachings that even though I was a very off and on practitioner for most of that time I never lost my commitment to #Buddhism. I never stopped *trying* to practice even when I didn’t succeed.
Excellent long read from the late Rob Burbea about the lack of engagement of #Buddhist teachers and centres with the climate emergency. There’s more events happening remotely now but still a lot of unnecessary flying from retreat to retreat- is it really authentic #Dharma practice if we’re not fully engaged with planet-wide issues on both a personal and systemic level?
https://oneearthsangha.org/articles/dharma-teaching-and-values/
#Buddhism #Mindfulness #InsightMeditation #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Ecodharma
Ohai! It me. My name's Aaron, I'm approaching 50 and am from the Kingdom of #Fife in #Scotland (a country I'd prefer to be independent from the #UK and in the #EU). I make #Ambient #ElectronicMusic and am currently a fan of #Bitwig, though I have used #ReasonStudios #LocicProX and #AbletonLive I'm a Multiple Sclerosis enjoyer and politics non-enjoyer discovering what it means to have ADHD and associated dysfunctions. Heavily into #SciFi #ScienceFiction #SpeculativeFiction #FantasyFiction and #Buddhism. Also, as you'd imagine, a bit of a #Synthesizer #Nerd. If I think of anything else I'll no doubt post about it.
Check out http://www.synaptyx.com/
I may #OverShare 🤔 #WhoDis #Testing #Newb #n00b
It's publication day for Red Enlightenment!
An exploration of how to approach spirituality in a way that engages with both science and social justice
Go grab a copy, link is in my bio!
#socialism #socialist #spirituality #spiritual #science #complexsystems #systemsthinking #environmentalism #marx #religion #theology #liberationtheology #christianity #buddhism #judaism #hindu #daoism #confucianism #activist #activism #communism #communist #commons #utopia #history #philosophy #socialjustice
This way of viewing mind as 'heartmind' in #Buddhism (replicated in many languages, including Japanese which I am familiar with!) has implications for the widely used English word 'mindfulness', I think. The word for mindfulness in Pali & Sanskrit originally meant 'remembering' (this meaning was then extended further by the Buddha) but it seems to me that thinking of mind as 'heartmind' would also imply that our English word 'wholeheartedness' is very much related to what we call 'mindfulness'.
In Tibetan, 'lojong' refers to a set of practices usually referred to as 'mind training' in English. However, I've recently been reminded that whenever we talk about 'mind' in Buddhism, it really refers to what in English we would call both 'mind' and 'heart'-- cognition, emotions, attitudes, values, volitions, intentions-- the whole of our mental life. So maybe we should translate lojong as 'heartmind training'. 'Heartmind' isn't technically an English word (yet!), but it should be!
And of course, rebirth is included in all that. Though, I honestly think that ‘rebirth’ is not the right word to use (albeit based on my still limited understanding!) I saw a talk the other day by Garchen Rinpoche where he said that mind is like electricity, and your body is like a mobile phone. Battery runs dry or phone breaks = death, but electricity itself hasn’t gone anywhere. *That* made more sense to me, but not sure what that analogy implies about rebirth!
Reading the Dalai Lama’s discussion of karma in his recent lamrim (stages of the path) series of books. It’s such a complex topic! So much so that there’s a huge simplification of it in most texts- maybe there has to be to get people to accept it, but then that often looks like you’re blaming individual people for structural conditions. I suspect a deep understanding of emptiness is required to really ‘get’ karma beyond the usual simplistic presentation. I’m not quite there yet.
Off to celebrate #BuddhaDay today with my local Buddhist Centre.
It's my favourite Buddhist #FestivalDay as it's a direct reminder by recollecting the stories of the Buddha's life and enlightenment that every being has the potential to grow, change, transform their world and through that, the wider world.
Looking forward to hearing from several friends who took part in a pilgrimage to many of the important places in the Buddha's life this year! 💛💙♥️
"The earth is not just the environment. The earth is in you, you are the earth. You touch the nature of interbeing, and at that moment you can have real communication with the earth. That is the highest form of prayer. The one who prays and the one who is prayed to are not two. In that kind of relationship, we have enough love, strength and awakening in order to change our life." - Thich Nhat Hanh
"It is possible to have a spiritual practice that is based on evidence" - Thich Nhat Hanh on the need to move beyond environmentalism
Happy Vesak Day!
“Deeply studying the impermanence of all things means deeply studying every single instant, without losing sight of your direction.
‘What does this situation require?’ Devoting yourself to each and every situation of your whole life in this way is the meaning of deeply studying impermanence. Impermanence doesn’t just mean that all of us will die.”
— Kodo Sawaki Roshi, 20th c Japanese Zen master
I’m so grateful for all the different #Buddhist traditions we have access to these days- easy to forget that the modern era is the first time that all the teachings from the different traditions have been available simultaneously to any one individual person. Many times, the strength of one tradition complements a weakness or blind spot in another— I’m finding that with the combination of Tibetan #Buddhism + #Zen especially. They work surprisingly well together.