Monday, January 17, 2005
Monday Meditative Picture Blogging
Cynthia Burgess is such an amazing photographer that I really want to post some of her work in addition to the cat pictures on Fridays. So I have decided to institute "Monday Meditative Picture Blogging"! I will offer a photograph of Cynthia's that lends itself to contemplation or that helps calm the mind and settle the inner awareness. Here is one of my favorites that I hope you'll enjoy:
Sunday, January 16, 2005
It's all about being happy.
Today, at the invitation of Center participant Cathey Edwards, I gave presentations to both the seventh grade class and the senior high class of All Souls Unitarian Church. What surprised the students the most - and the grownups present as well - is that the purpose of meditation is to learn how to be happy. So I thought I'd share with you today some great Dalai Lama quotes about just that - and about some other topics as well. Enjoy!
Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
Spend some time alone every day.
The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.
Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.
We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
Spend some time alone every day.
The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.
Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.
We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Honoring Peace and Integrity
I can do no better today than to reprint an email I received from Tulsa Peace Fellowship and to say that today, more than ever, I agree with the opening quotation by Dr. King:
"There comes a time when silence is betrayal." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thousands of citizens will be converging on DC this week to demonstrate at the inauguration ceremonies. If you, like us, don't have the time or money to go but dearly wish to have your sentiments known, there are local activities that day here in Tulsa, as in other cities around America.
Tulsa Peace will be holding peaceful demonstration...
on the sidewalks at 4th and Denver beginning that morning at 10:30 am and lasting through the daylight hours. If you can make it for all or part of this vigil, please join us for what time you are able to spare. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOTS. You can make your own signs or contact Joni LeViness at myths16@cox.net to help with sign making for this event.
If you are the energetic bicyclist...
a group of demonstrators on bicycles will be meeting in front of a the Army Natl. Guard recruiting center at 5970 E. 31st at 1:30 pm. They will put up black ribbons for all the dead and yellow ribbons in support of the troops and do chalk outlines to represent to the continuing death toll in Iraq, both military and civilian.
A critical mass bike ride will depart from the Recruiting station a little after 2pm and ride downtown to meet up with the TPF demonstration at 4th and Denver, stopping to put up a mix of black and yellow ribbons in appropriate locations.
Some of the ribbons and chalk outlines will be done around the city the night before the ride, as well. Anyone wanting to contribute black and yellow ribbons or chalk, or participate in the ribboning or bike ride, please contact okie@riseup.net.
All demonstrators for the day's events are asked to wear black as a sign of mourning for the death and devastation that has been wrought upon our country and the world.
"We can no longer afford to confuse peaceability with passivity. Authentic peace is no more passive than war. Like war, it calls for discipline and intelligence and strength of character, though it calls also for higher principles and aims. If we are serious about peace, then we must work for it as ardently, seriously, continuously, carefully, and bravely as we now prepare for war." ~Wendell Berry
"There comes a time when silence is betrayal." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thousands of citizens will be converging on DC this week to demonstrate at the inauguration ceremonies. If you, like us, don't have the time or money to go but dearly wish to have your sentiments known, there are local activities that day here in Tulsa, as in other cities around America.
Tulsa Peace will be holding peaceful demonstration...
on the sidewalks at 4th and Denver beginning that morning at 10:30 am and lasting through the daylight hours. If you can make it for all or part of this vigil, please join us for what time you are able to spare. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOTS. You can make your own signs or contact Joni LeViness at myths16@cox.net to help with sign making for this event.
If you are the energetic bicyclist...
a group of demonstrators on bicycles will be meeting in front of a the Army Natl. Guard recruiting center at 5970 E. 31st at 1:30 pm. They will put up black ribbons for all the dead and yellow ribbons in support of the troops and do chalk outlines to represent to the continuing death toll in Iraq, both military and civilian.
A critical mass bike ride will depart from the Recruiting station a little after 2pm and ride downtown to meet up with the TPF demonstration at 4th and Denver, stopping to put up a mix of black and yellow ribbons in appropriate locations.
Some of the ribbons and chalk outlines will be done around the city the night before the ride, as well. Anyone wanting to contribute black and yellow ribbons or chalk, or participate in the ribboning or bike ride, please contact okie@riseup.net.
All demonstrators for the day's events are asked to wear black as a sign of mourning for the death and devastation that has been wrought upon our country and the world.
"We can no longer afford to confuse peaceability with passivity. Authentic peace is no more passive than war. Like war, it calls for discipline and intelligence and strength of character, though it calls also for higher principles and aims. If we are serious about peace, then we must work for it as ardently, seriously, continuously, carefully, and bravely as we now prepare for war." ~Wendell Berry
Friday, January 14, 2005
It's cat blogging time!
Another Friday. Another wonderful opportunity to post cat pictures!
First of all I give you a cat from the Young-Vinson household. Tom Vinson writes:
"This is Nickie, our most nearly normal cat, surveying her domain."
Next I want to introduce you to Edgar Finlay - one of the feral cats who was living behind my little cottage when I moved in. I managed to capture him along with the others about a year ago so he's been to the vet. Edgar is now quite tame and is really very sweet.
Finally, here's a new picture of Henry sitting in my lap with a typical expression on his face that definitely exposes his attitude!
The Finlay cat photos are by Cynthia Burgess.
First of all I give you a cat from the Young-Vinson household. Tom Vinson writes:
"This is Nickie, our most nearly normal cat, surveying her domain."
Next I want to introduce you to Edgar Finlay - one of the feral cats who was living behind my little cottage when I moved in. I managed to capture him along with the others about a year ago so he's been to the vet. Edgar is now quite tame and is really very sweet.
Finally, here's a new picture of Henry sitting in my lap with a typical expression on his face that definitely exposes his attitude!
The Finlay cat photos are by Cynthia Burgess.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Duty of Happiness
This week's issue of Time magazine is about the science of happiness. A lot is reported that we already know: money can't buy happiness, optimistic people live longer, owning pets lowers blood pressure and contributes to happiness and some babies are just born happy. Although there's some evidence that we seem to be hardwired for our level of happiness, the brain actually can be changed in that regard. Eight Steps for lifting our level of happiness that are based on sound research include:
1. Count your blessings.
2. Practice acts of kindness.
3. Savor life's joys.
4. Thank a mentor.
5. Learn to forgive.
6. Invest time and energy in friends and family.
7. Take care of your body.
8. Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardships.
You will not, I'm sure, be surprised when I say that the practice of meditation can particularly help us with number eight. In fact, were it not for meditation I personally do not know how I would manage to deal with stress and hardships in a healthy way. Interestingly, the mindfulness that comes from regular meditation helps with the other seven on the list as well.
There is much to in the cover story to be commended and I really suggest that everyone find a copy and give it a read. Perhaps my favorite part of all is a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson:
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.
1. Count your blessings.
2. Practice acts of kindness.
3. Savor life's joys.
4. Thank a mentor.
5. Learn to forgive.
6. Invest time and energy in friends and family.
7. Take care of your body.
8. Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardships.
You will not, I'm sure, be surprised when I say that the practice of meditation can particularly help us with number eight. In fact, were it not for meditation I personally do not know how I would manage to deal with stress and hardships in a healthy way. Interestingly, the mindfulness that comes from regular meditation helps with the other seven on the list as well.
There is much to in the cover story to be commended and I really suggest that everyone find a copy and give it a read. Perhaps my favorite part of all is a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson:
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
The Science of Consciousness
Every morning I log on to The Guardian, a British newspaper I've read since I lived in Ireland. This morning's issue has a fascinating article about some research into the science of consciousness entitled, "Scientists hunt the ghost in the machine". An Oxford study is examining the role of religious faith in pain management and tolerance:
The scientists will apply a chilli-based gel to the skin of volunteers and ask them to try different strategies to lessen the burning sensation, including asking people with strong religious beliefs to draw on their faith to cope with the pain.
The experiment is one in a series that sees scientists join forces with philosophers, theologians and brain surgeons to tackle some of the most profound questions of the human condition: what is the nature of consciousness and how do religious beliefs manifest themselves in our brains?
...The study of consciousness and brain processes that give rise to strongly held beliefs have for long been on the periphery of scientific research.
With the advent of techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, which can take snapshots of brain activity, scientists believe they can obtain meaningful answers about how consciousness arises and what makes belief systems so widespread and resilient...
The study could help to reveal how faith is represented in the brain. Other projects will look into the conditions that make people susceptible to strong yet irrational beliefs, such as the age people are exposed to certain ideas and the frequency with which religious messages are reinforced.
..."People are realising these are the most exciting questions that anyone can ask," said Lady Greenfield. Understanding the basis of religious and other types of belief could help to shed light on the surge in fundamentalism and terrorism.
"One of the fundamental reasons why religious beliefs have to be taken seriously ... is that they are potentially very dangerous, and that can be true of other dogmatisms too," said John Brookes, professor of science and religion at Oxford.
The scientists will apply a chilli-based gel to the skin of volunteers and ask them to try different strategies to lessen the burning sensation, including asking people with strong religious beliefs to draw on their faith to cope with the pain.
The experiment is one in a series that sees scientists join forces with philosophers, theologians and brain surgeons to tackle some of the most profound questions of the human condition: what is the nature of consciousness and how do religious beliefs manifest themselves in our brains?
...The study of consciousness and brain processes that give rise to strongly held beliefs have for long been on the periphery of scientific research.
With the advent of techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, which can take snapshots of brain activity, scientists believe they can obtain meaningful answers about how consciousness arises and what makes belief systems so widespread and resilient...
The study could help to reveal how faith is represented in the brain. Other projects will look into the conditions that make people susceptible to strong yet irrational beliefs, such as the age people are exposed to certain ideas and the frequency with which religious messages are reinforced.
..."People are realising these are the most exciting questions that anyone can ask," said Lady Greenfield. Understanding the basis of religious and other types of belief could help to shed light on the surge in fundamentalism and terrorism.
"One of the fundamental reasons why religious beliefs have to be taken seriously ... is that they are potentially very dangerous, and that can be true of other dogmatisms too," said John Brookes, professor of science and religion at Oxford.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Hatefulness and the response of compassion
Yesterday, I received an unsolicited email (from someone who is a stranger to me) trashing liberals and applauding the torture of prisoners. I know the internet is vast and impersonal in many ways but I can't help but initially feel somewhat violated and poisoned when I receive email wishing violence on people. This person claimed to be religious and furiously defended her position when I posed the question, "Whom would Jesus torture?"
I don't understand how the religion of those who claim to follow the one who said, "Love your enemies" can be used to justify viciousness and cruelty. But then in my internet browsing this morning I came across an insightful comment on a message board that explains it:
All you do is tell people that their worst impulses are holy, that their most disgusting prejudices are the will of God. They like hearing that.
We liberals have it tough. We ask people to think. We ask them to see nuances and be fair and occasionally consider other people's needs. No one wants to do that.
The meditative principles are based on compassion for oneself and for all beings and so we cannot be meditators of integrity unless we are willing "to see nuances and be fair and occasionally consider other people's needs." Actually we are to consider other people's needs more than just occasionally; we are to consider them all the time.
On reflection today it became important for me to purify my consciousness of the ugliness I encountered in the email exchange of yesterday. It was also important for me to realize that my correspondent was motivated by the universal motivation - the aspiration to be happy. She did what she did and she said what she said because on some level she believed it would make her happy. My job is to understand that and to forgive and so I found myself using a wonderful prayer of forgiveness by Caitlin Matthews I came across some years ago and now use regularly. I hope it brings peace and serenity to you all.
Prayer of Forgiveness
Healer of Hearts, Counselor of Souls,
Each morning the miracle of life is renewed in me;
As I have been restored, time after time
So now do I pass on the merciful gift to ______________.
On my part I release him/her/them from any bond of anger, blame, recrimination.
May all corrosive links between us be dissolved.
By the blessed balm of peace and concord.
I don't understand how the religion of those who claim to follow the one who said, "Love your enemies" can be used to justify viciousness and cruelty. But then in my internet browsing this morning I came across an insightful comment on a message board that explains it:
All you do is tell people that their worst impulses are holy, that their most disgusting prejudices are the will of God. They like hearing that.
We liberals have it tough. We ask people to think. We ask them to see nuances and be fair and occasionally consider other people's needs. No one wants to do that.
The meditative principles are based on compassion for oneself and for all beings and so we cannot be meditators of integrity unless we are willing "to see nuances and be fair and occasionally consider other people's needs." Actually we are to consider other people's needs more than just occasionally; we are to consider them all the time.
On reflection today it became important for me to purify my consciousness of the ugliness I encountered in the email exchange of yesterday. It was also important for me to realize that my correspondent was motivated by the universal motivation - the aspiration to be happy. She did what she did and she said what she said because on some level she believed it would make her happy. My job is to understand that and to forgive and so I found myself using a wonderful prayer of forgiveness by Caitlin Matthews I came across some years ago and now use regularly. I hope it brings peace and serenity to you all.
Prayer of Forgiveness
Healer of Hearts, Counselor of Souls,
Each morning the miracle of life is renewed in me;
As I have been restored, time after time
So now do I pass on the merciful gift to ______________.
On my part I release him/her/them from any bond of anger, blame, recrimination.
May all corrosive links between us be dissolved.
By the blessed balm of peace and concord.
Discussing Spiritual Matters with Your Doctor
I subscribe to a very interesting periodical called Science and Theology News. In the October 2004 issue I found a report on the subject of discussing spiritual issues with one's physician. Here are some highlights:
Patients wanting doctors to ask about spiritual issues is not a new issue. However, a new study shows that 91 percent of patients in outpatient sites in Ohio still report their doctors have never asked about spirituality.
Gary McCord, a researcher at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, and his team found that 83 percent of respondents wished to discuss their spiritual beliefs with their doctors, no matter how patients defined the word "spiritual".
"I think the most important thing is that patients want their physicians to provide patience, compassion and hope," said McCord....
"A useful future study might be looking at the 17 percent that don't want to discuss spirituality and why they don't," said McCord. "Maybe a person has another outlet for discussing these things, and maybe they'd rather do it there."
I agree. It would be a very interesting study. I would want to know if the reluctance is about not valuing spirituality or if it's perhaps about a lack of trust between doctor and patient. And if there were truly a belief that such a discussion is inappropriate, I would want to know the background to that conviction. As we learn more and more about the mind-body-spirit connection we are increasingly aware of how important it is not to compartmentalize the different aspects of ourselves. Meditation is a powerful tool for experiencing all the aspects of ourselves together. Because meditation is "knowing what's happening while it's happening no matter what it is", we are less likely to tune out the mind and spirit while attending to the body. All the evidence points to the fact that our overall health depends on a true integration of all three.
Patients wanting doctors to ask about spiritual issues is not a new issue. However, a new study shows that 91 percent of patients in outpatient sites in Ohio still report their doctors have never asked about spirituality.
Gary McCord, a researcher at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, and his team found that 83 percent of respondents wished to discuss their spiritual beliefs with their doctors, no matter how patients defined the word "spiritual".
"I think the most important thing is that patients want their physicians to provide patience, compassion and hope," said McCord....
"A useful future study might be looking at the 17 percent that don't want to discuss spirituality and why they don't," said McCord. "Maybe a person has another outlet for discussing these things, and maybe they'd rather do it there."
I agree. It would be a very interesting study. I would want to know if the reluctance is about not valuing spirituality or if it's perhaps about a lack of trust between doctor and patient. And if there were truly a belief that such a discussion is inappropriate, I would want to know the background to that conviction. As we learn more and more about the mind-body-spirit connection we are increasingly aware of how important it is not to compartmentalize the different aspects of ourselves. Meditation is a powerful tool for experiencing all the aspects of ourselves together. Because meditation is "knowing what's happening while it's happening no matter what it is", we are less likely to tune out the mind and spirit while attending to the body. All the evidence points to the fact that our overall health depends on a true integration of all three.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Spirituality and Activism
More and more I am seeing how important it is to take action to address the political injustice and ecological devastation that our world is experiencing in an ever growing way. And so I will probably be bringing examples of such matters to your attention as I encounter them myself. The issue of bringing our spiritual practice and activist energy into congruence is discussed in As Above, So Below by Ronald S. Miller. Here's the pertinent passage:
Traditionally, spiritual seekers have practiced their disciplines as part of the solitary quest for enlightenment. Today, the distinctions between spirituality and social activism are blurring, and engaged forms of spiritual practice are cropping up everywhere, based on the notion that genuine wisdom and compassionate action are not incompatible. Indeed, given the gravity of the environmental crisis and the extent of political and social injustice around the globe, they are of necessity joining forces. In this enterprise, spirituality completes itself in political action, and activism acquires a soul.
The above passage was written in 1992. How much more true it is today with our greater awareness of the current threat to our planet by humanity's consumer-driven behavior. How much more true it is with war and the threat of war continuing to intensify. How much more true it is with our current political climate of bigotry, intolerance and eroding civil liberties. Consider making courageous action a part of your meditative practice for this is truly the path of integrity and compassion.
Traditionally, spiritual seekers have practiced their disciplines as part of the solitary quest for enlightenment. Today, the distinctions between spirituality and social activism are blurring, and engaged forms of spiritual practice are cropping up everywhere, based on the notion that genuine wisdom and compassionate action are not incompatible. Indeed, given the gravity of the environmental crisis and the extent of political and social injustice around the globe, they are of necessity joining forces. In this enterprise, spirituality completes itself in political action, and activism acquires a soul.
The above passage was written in 1992. How much more true it is today with our greater awareness of the current threat to our planet by humanity's consumer-driven behavior. How much more true it is with war and the threat of war continuing to intensify. How much more true it is with our current political climate of bigotry, intolerance and eroding civil liberties. Consider making courageous action a part of your meditative practice for this is truly the path of integrity and compassion.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Prerequisite for Meditation
Someone gave me a copy of a very interesting little book: Learning to Dance Inside by George Fowler. In it, Fowler takes a look at what is required in order to begin a meditative practice:
You don't have to practice any specific techniques to purse this path. And, fortunately, you don't have to have a quiet temperament or special talent for concentration. You don't even have to have complete control of your imagination (that's good, because it can't be done anyway). You don't have to sit in a darkened room and light candles or listen to themeless music. You don't have to dedicate a huge swath of time to it or have a certain kind of soft-spoken, unflappable personality. Nor do you have to give up an interest in incarnate things such as delightful food and passionate sex.
All that you must ensure is that, more than anything else, you hunger for peace and joy - your ultimate fulfillment.
All being want to be happy, we learn from the meditative tradition. Meditation is the way for it really to happen. I look forward to seeing you all in class!
You don't have to practice any specific techniques to purse this path. And, fortunately, you don't have to have a quiet temperament or special talent for concentration. You don't even have to have complete control of your imagination (that's good, because it can't be done anyway). You don't have to sit in a darkened room and light candles or listen to themeless music. You don't have to dedicate a huge swath of time to it or have a certain kind of soft-spoken, unflappable personality. Nor do you have to give up an interest in incarnate things such as delightful food and passionate sex.
All that you must ensure is that, more than anything else, you hunger for peace and joy - your ultimate fulfillment.
All being want to be happy, we learn from the meditative tradition. Meditation is the way for it really to happen. I look forward to seeing you all in class!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Loving Yourself
I'm amazed sometimes by how many people refuse to believe that it's right to love themselves unconditionally. Resistance to this idea is undoubtedly the greatest cause of suffering I know and it not only causes suffering to those who cannot or will not love themselves; it also causes suffering to loved ones, friends and colleagues. Those who do not love themselves are typically ruthless in their judgment of others. And so I was especially pleased today when I came across the following passage from A Year of Living Consciously by Gay Hendricks:
On the surface it might sound like loving yourself is a selfish act, but it is actually the ultimate act of selfless giving. Egotism and bragging, for example, are so painful to behold because they are signs of self-hatred, not self-love. They are desperate attempts to call attention to yourself after you've sunk into self-loathing. One moment of genuine self-love can result in a lifetime of compassionate contribution to others. One of my friends, a yoga teacher and single parent with several children, told me, "If I take a few minutes in meditation each day to resonate with myself, I can do things all day with and for my kids. But if I don't take a little time for me each day, I end up feeling resentful about all the demands they make."
We could all take a hint from her discovery. Many times in my own life I have gotten mired in relationship conflicts only to realize after a while that the conflict had nothing to do with the other person. When you love the unlovable parts of yourself - anger, fear, grief, or whatever else - the problem with the other person clears up.
On the surface it might sound like loving yourself is a selfish act, but it is actually the ultimate act of selfless giving. Egotism and bragging, for example, are so painful to behold because they are signs of self-hatred, not self-love. They are desperate attempts to call attention to yourself after you've sunk into self-loathing. One moment of genuine self-love can result in a lifetime of compassionate contribution to others. One of my friends, a yoga teacher and single parent with several children, told me, "If I take a few minutes in meditation each day to resonate with myself, I can do things all day with and for my kids. But if I don't take a little time for me each day, I end up feeling resentful about all the demands they make."
We could all take a hint from her discovery. Many times in my own life I have gotten mired in relationship conflicts only to realize after a while that the conflict had nothing to do with the other person. When you love the unlovable parts of yourself - anger, fear, grief, or whatever else - the problem with the other person clears up.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Another Friday Cat Blogging!
Cat blogging is definitely addictive! I got an email from Marilyn Bedford a few minutes ago saying "It's 2:15... Are the cats too cold to come out today?" :-) One of my favorite political blogs is Eschaton hosted by Atrios. For the record, Atrios hasn't posted his cats yet today either. But pretty soon, some Eschatonian is bound to post "Kitties, kitties!" on one of the message boards. Once you get used to cat pictures on Fridays it just isn't a proper Friday without them.
So here you are. First of all I give you Tux Rains, the very self-satisfied cat who lives in the home of Paul and Adrienne Rogers and Allison Rains. I definitely wouldn't want to mess with Tux - not with that attitude!
And below is Henry Finlay looking adorable.
Please send me pictures of your own cats so that they can star one Friday! We'd like to get as many Center cats featured as possible.
And now, I will make a serious posting below!
Happy Friday!
So here you are. First of all I give you Tux Rains, the very self-satisfied cat who lives in the home of Paul and Adrienne Rogers and Allison Rains. I definitely wouldn't want to mess with Tux - not with that attitude!
And below is Henry Finlay looking adorable.
Please send me pictures of your own cats so that they can star one Friday! We'd like to get as many Center cats featured as possible.
And now, I will make a serious posting below!
Happy Friday!
Taking Everything in Stride
I want to share with you another passage from Zen Therapy by David Brazier.
Taking everything in one's stride means that nothing matters to oneself personally. It does not matter whether we die or not. If we are going to die, let us do it well. Life includes dying. A good life includes dying well. We are talking here, then, of a state in which the survival passion called ego is out of the way. This is the state in which our relation to the rest of the universe is as the relationship of one hand to the other. The left hand does not seek its own benefit at the expense of the right. We are all limbs of one life.
It's not unusual in my work with individuals for the subject of personal mortality to come up. It is also not unusual for there to be great fear involved. What I have discovered is that when the fear of death is relinquished other fears tend to be dissolved as well. Nothing is more liberating and supportive of personal happiness than a deep, utter acceptance of death. Meditating on impermanence will help. So will cultivating a deep concern for other beings - human and non-human. Most of all we will be released from our fear of death by giving ourselves unconditional compassion and by realizing that we are given such compassion by our Spiritual Friend, however we understand that reality. I pray for your blessing, great and completely worthy spiritual friend. I pray that you will cause love, compassion and perfect charity to arise in my mind.
Taking everything in one's stride means that nothing matters to oneself personally. It does not matter whether we die or not. If we are going to die, let us do it well. Life includes dying. A good life includes dying well. We are talking here, then, of a state in which the survival passion called ego is out of the way. This is the state in which our relation to the rest of the universe is as the relationship of one hand to the other. The left hand does not seek its own benefit at the expense of the right. We are all limbs of one life.
It's not unusual in my work with individuals for the subject of personal mortality to come up. It is also not unusual for there to be great fear involved. What I have discovered is that when the fear of death is relinquished other fears tend to be dissolved as well. Nothing is more liberating and supportive of personal happiness than a deep, utter acceptance of death. Meditating on impermanence will help. So will cultivating a deep concern for other beings - human and non-human. Most of all we will be released from our fear of death by giving ourselves unconditional compassion and by realizing that we are given such compassion by our Spiritual Friend, however we understand that reality. I pray for your blessing, great and completely worthy spiritual friend. I pray that you will cause love, compassion and perfect charity to arise in my mind.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Healing Oneself
I am reading a rather marvelous book entitled, Zen Therapy by David Brazier. Toward the end, in the chapter entitled, "Coming Home", Brazier relates the following story:
I remember a client who would come to me each week with an unending catalogue of personal disasters about which, it seemed, she could do next to nothing. Nonetheless, through the window of the room where we met there streamed sunshine. Sometimes I would draw her attention to it and we would enjoy a few moments of silence together. It was springtime. "When I go away from here," she said to me once, "nothing has changed in my situation at home, but somehow I feel I have been turned around, so that I do not see it in the same way." I really had nothing to offer this woman except the sunshine, but through our being together she healed herself."
What Brazier was describing was not "positive thinking" (as might be assumed) but mindfulness. When it would have been easy to ignore the sunshine, they noticed it. Noticing brought the client into the moment and gave her the ability to cultivate a perspective on her situation that was different from the one she brought with her into the consulting room.
Stop. Just look and be aware. Just listen and feel and taste and smell. Let yourself be in the moment. What can you use in your environment that will be a prompt for such mindfulness? Through mindfulness, faithfully practiced, through being together with others who practice mindfulness, we can indeed heal ourselves.
I remember a client who would come to me each week with an unending catalogue of personal disasters about which, it seemed, she could do next to nothing. Nonetheless, through the window of the room where we met there streamed sunshine. Sometimes I would draw her attention to it and we would enjoy a few moments of silence together. It was springtime. "When I go away from here," she said to me once, "nothing has changed in my situation at home, but somehow I feel I have been turned around, so that I do not see it in the same way." I really had nothing to offer this woman except the sunshine, but through our being together she healed herself."
What Brazier was describing was not "positive thinking" (as might be assumed) but mindfulness. When it would have been easy to ignore the sunshine, they noticed it. Noticing brought the client into the moment and gave her the ability to cultivate a perspective on her situation that was different from the one she brought with her into the consulting room.
Stop. Just look and be aware. Just listen and feel and taste and smell. Let yourself be in the moment. What can you use in your environment that will be a prompt for such mindfulness? Through mindfulness, faithfully practiced, through being together with others who practice mindfulness, we can indeed heal ourselves.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Refreshing Candor
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has admitted to doubting the existence of God due to the tsunami disaster in an article quoted by the British newspaper The Telegraph.
"...it would be wrong" if faith were not "upset" by the catastrophe which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives.
"Every single random, accidental death is something that should upset a faith bound up in comfort and ready answers. Faced with the paralysing magnitude of a disaster like this, we naturally feel more deeply outraged - and also more deeply helpless."
He adds: "The question, 'How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?' is therefore very much around at the moment, and it would be surprising if it weren't - indeed it would be wrong if it weren't."
Dr Williams concludes that, faced with such a terrible challenge to their faith, Christians must focus on "passionate engagement with the lives that are left".
"...it would be wrong" if faith were not "upset" by the catastrophe which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives.
"Every single random, accidental death is something that should upset a faith bound up in comfort and ready answers. Faced with the paralysing magnitude of a disaster like this, we naturally feel more deeply outraged - and also more deeply helpless."
He adds: "The question, 'How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?' is therefore very much around at the moment, and it would be surprising if it weren't - indeed it would be wrong if it weren't."
Dr Williams concludes that, faced with such a terrible challenge to their faith, Christians must focus on "passionate engagement with the lives that are left".
I find this enormously refreshing. Sadly, I have discovered in my reading today that many fundamentalist Christians are saying that the tsunami was God's punishment visited upon those who aren't Christian and that we in America who were spared such a disaster were protected because the beliefs of so many in this country are the so-called "right" ones. Needless to say, I am appalled by that interpretation of events. I wonder if such religionists have ever read the book of Job. There are also many right wing people recently who have declared that since many tsunami victims are Muslim, we shouldn't help them because Muslims are our enemies. I am appalled by that too - inexpressibly so. Even if it were true (and it's not), have such people forgotten that Jesus taught us to love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us?
And so it is indeed refreshing to come across a religious response that does not attribute this disaster to God's wrathful or even neutral will, that instead sees the response of faith as being the action of compassion rather than the passing of judgment. I agree with Rowan Williams that the challenge we all have, no matter what our belief system, is that of "passionate engagement with the lives that are left." As meditators the foundation of everything we do is compassion - compassion for ourselves, compassion for our loved ones, compassion for strangers and, finally, compassion for our enemies. May it be so for each one of us.
Hanging on a Cross of Iron
One of my favorite political blogs is Hullabaloo by Digby. Yesterday Digby posted this amazing passage:
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."
--Dwight Eisenhower 1953 speech
Sometimes we find rich teachings on compassion in unexpected places. We expect to find such teachings from religious figures or humanitarian workers. How moving it is to find these words from the mouth of a professional warrior.
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."
--Dwight Eisenhower 1953 speech
Sometimes we find rich teachings on compassion in unexpected places. We expect to find such teachings from religious figures or humanitarian workers. How moving it is to find these words from the mouth of a professional warrior.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Refuge Remembered
This morning, as I dodged the raindrops while rushing into the office building which houses the Center, I had a strong sense of appreciation for the refuge provided by that shelter. Most mornings, however, I don't think of it. I just walk in as part of my normal routine. But if it's very cold or very wet my gratitude for warmth and a roof are significant. I continued to experience that sense of appreciation as I settled down for the morning meditation sitting. And I found myself feeling an enormous gratitude for everyone who contributes financially to the Center thereby making it possible for us to pay the rent so that we have a meditation hall in a building that shelters us from the elements. My gratitude for the Three Jewels of refuge was intense as well. For just as I take refuge in the building from the rawness of a chilly, wet day, I take refuge in an interior sense as a way to relieve my own suffering - suffering caused by the mind poisons of anger, greed and delusion, suffering caused by my desire to have things be other than they are. And so I take refuge in my own fundamentally enlightened nature (even though I haven't fully realized that nature yet) - that is, who and what I really am on a deep level, not my ego or my self-image. I also take refuge in the richness of the wisdom teachings throughout all the ages and from all the great religious and philosophical traditions that offer a path to liberation. Finally I take refuge in the community of those on the path of awakening whether that community is experienced in the three or four people in the meditation hall on a given morning at 7:30 or is understood as all beings everywhere for all time.
Next time you take refuge in a welcome building from unpleasant weather, remember to take refuge on a more profound level as well. Accept that things are as they are. And let yourself appreciate that reality deeply.
Next time you take refuge in a welcome building from unpleasant weather, remember to take refuge on a more profound level as well. Accept that things are as they are. And let yourself appreciate that reality deeply.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Community and Compassion
This year for Christmas I gave Cynthia a desk calendar with sayings of the Dalai Lama for each day. I confess to an ulterior motive in that selection! I knew that I would be raiding her desk for good quotes --- and that's what I did today. I found two that are really pertinent to the issue that has captured my attention this morning.
"Life's purpose of happiness can be gained only if people cultivate the basic human values of compassion, caring, and forgiveness."
And this one:
"Our survival depends on community, like bees or ants."
Why did I select these two wisdom observations? Well, I came across a short article this morning in The Progressive that disturbed me very much because of the absence of compassion reported upon. I reprint it here for your reflection. Read it and then come back and ponder the sayings of the Dalai Lama again. Then I recommend doing Tonglen (compassion practice) for all concerned: for the tsunami victims and also for the members of the Ayn Rand Institute and for all who do not understand the value and importance of altruism.
Taking market ideology to its cruelest end
By Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive
Here's a story I thought was a hoax.
It came in by e-mail on Dec. 30 from the Ayn Rand Institute, and it had an Onion-type headline that read: "U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami Victims."
So unsure of its kosherness was I that I called up the author, one David Holcberg at the Ayn Rand Institute.
He vouched for it, though.
The piece began by focusing on the "private organizations and individuals" that are helping the victims. "Such help may be entirely proper, especially considering that most of the affected by this tragedy are suffering through no fault of their own," the piece said.
"May" be entirely proper? Is there a doubt?
And of the more than 133,000 who have died, did any die through fault of their own?
The thrust of the rightwing libertarian group's piece was that the U.S. government "should not give any money to help the tsunami victims" because "every dollar the government hands out as foreign aid has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first."
The folks at Ayn Rand don't believe in taxation.
And beyond that, they don't even believe in altruism. All they believe in is the market.
Check this out: "It is America's acceptance of altruism that renders them morally impotent to protest against the confiscation and distribution of their wealth," the piece said.
It calls this altruism "a vicious morality."
What's vicious is letting millions of people go hungry and homeless and without clean water or medical care.
This self-parody would be easy to laugh off if it did not represent the apotheosis of free market idolatry, idolatry that is worshipped at the highest levels of our government.
Reprinted from The Progressive:http://www.progressive.org/webex04/wx123104.html
"Life's purpose of happiness can be gained only if people cultivate the basic human values of compassion, caring, and forgiveness."
And this one:
"Our survival depends on community, like bees or ants."
Why did I select these two wisdom observations? Well, I came across a short article this morning in The Progressive that disturbed me very much because of the absence of compassion reported upon. I reprint it here for your reflection. Read it and then come back and ponder the sayings of the Dalai Lama again. Then I recommend doing Tonglen (compassion practice) for all concerned: for the tsunami victims and also for the members of the Ayn Rand Institute and for all who do not understand the value and importance of altruism.
Taking market ideology to its cruelest end
By Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive
Here's a story I thought was a hoax.
It came in by e-mail on Dec. 30 from the Ayn Rand Institute, and it had an Onion-type headline that read: "U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami Victims."
So unsure of its kosherness was I that I called up the author, one David Holcberg at the Ayn Rand Institute.
He vouched for it, though.
The piece began by focusing on the "private organizations and individuals" that are helping the victims. "Such help may be entirely proper, especially considering that most of the affected by this tragedy are suffering through no fault of their own," the piece said.
"May" be entirely proper? Is there a doubt?
And of the more than 133,000 who have died, did any die through fault of their own?
The thrust of the rightwing libertarian group's piece was that the U.S. government "should not give any money to help the tsunami victims" because "every dollar the government hands out as foreign aid has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first."
The folks at Ayn Rand don't believe in taxation.
And beyond that, they don't even believe in altruism. All they believe in is the market.
Check this out: "It is America's acceptance of altruism that renders them morally impotent to protest against the confiscation and distribution of their wealth," the piece said.
It calls this altruism "a vicious morality."
What's vicious is letting millions of people go hungry and homeless and without clean water or medical care.
This self-parody would be easy to laugh off if it did not represent the apotheosis of free market idolatry, idolatry that is worshipped at the highest levels of our government.
Reprinted from The Progressive:http://www.progressive.org/webex04/wx123104.html
Sunday, January 02, 2005
"Accept that you are accepted..."
“Sometimes… a wave of light breaks into our darkness and it is as if a voice were saying, ‘You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you… Do not seek anything…; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted.’”
As far as I’m concerned nothing else the great theologian Paul Tillich wrote comes close to the power, the startling, staggering, perfect truth of this famous “acceptance” statement. I sometimes think that if I were the rector of a parish I would be tempted to repeat this quote to the same people every Sunday for a year --- I think it is that important.
This experience of being accepted is not dependent on any belief system. But the question is sure to be asked: who or what does the accepting? I'd like to suggest that if you are a Buddhist you might experience being accepted by your own enlightened nature or by the Three Jewels. If you are agnostic or atheist you might experience being accepted by your own deepest, truest self - that self that is more real than your wounded self or your ego. If you are a traditional theist that acceptance may be experienced as coming from the Divinity of your understanding. Perhaps for everyone there can be the sense of being accepted by the Universe. In that regard there is a corresponding freedom when we have accepted that things are as they are. The story is told about Margaret Fuller who once exclaimed, "I accept the Universe!" It was Carlyle who then responded, "By God, she'd better."
All that being said I think it better to leave the "who" or "what" question alone. After all, Tillich did say "Do not seek anything... do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted." What would happen if you sat in meditation using this last sentence as your meditation support? In other words, just sit and let it be real and true that you are accepted? If we were to adopt this practice as a New Year's aspiration rather than taking on heroic resolutions I'm sure the freedom we would experience would be rich and profound.
As far as I’m concerned nothing else the great theologian Paul Tillich wrote comes close to the power, the startling, staggering, perfect truth of this famous “acceptance” statement. I sometimes think that if I were the rector of a parish I would be tempted to repeat this quote to the same people every Sunday for a year --- I think it is that important.
This experience of being accepted is not dependent on any belief system. But the question is sure to be asked: who or what does the accepting? I'd like to suggest that if you are a Buddhist you might experience being accepted by your own enlightened nature or by the Three Jewels. If you are agnostic or atheist you might experience being accepted by your own deepest, truest self - that self that is more real than your wounded self or your ego. If you are a traditional theist that acceptance may be experienced as coming from the Divinity of your understanding. Perhaps for everyone there can be the sense of being accepted by the Universe. In that regard there is a corresponding freedom when we have accepted that things are as they are. The story is told about Margaret Fuller who once exclaimed, "I accept the Universe!" It was Carlyle who then responded, "By God, she'd better."
All that being said I think it better to leave the "who" or "what" question alone. After all, Tillich did say "Do not seek anything... do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted." What would happen if you sat in meditation using this last sentence as your meditation support? In other words, just sit and let it be real and true that you are accepted? If we were to adopt this practice as a New Year's aspiration rather than taking on heroic resolutions I'm sure the freedom we would experience would be rich and profound.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Working for Peace in the New Year
A very happy New Year to everybody. As many of you know, I do not recommend making resolutions. They tend not to work and simply prompt a sense of failure when they are not kept. But I do recommend something called aspiration. Aspiration is what keeps us firmly on the path of awakening. Aspiration combines intention with energy. Aspiration keeps us from giving up or yielding to despair.
One of my deepest aspirations is to do what I can to work for peace - all kinds of peace: peace in the world, peace within all my relationships and peace within my own mind and consciousness. And so I thought I'd introduce you today to the Mission Statement of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (http://www.bpf.org/html/home.html). Perhaps their aspirations can inform and inspire ours.
The mission of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), founded in 1978, is to serve as a catalyst and agent for socially engaged Buddhism. Our aim is to help beings liberate themselves from the suffering that manifests in individuals, relationships, institutions, and social systems. BPF's programs, publications, and practice groups link Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion with progressive social change.
Our practice of contemplation and social action is guided by our intentions to:
Recognize the interdependence of all beings
Meet suffering directly and with compassion
Appreciate the importance of not clinging to views and outcomes
Work with Buddhists from all traditions
Connect individual and social transformation
Practice nonviolence
Use participatory decision-making techniques
Protect and extend human rights
Support gender and racial equality, and challenge all forms of unjust discrimination
Work for economic justice and the end of poverty
Work for a sustainable environment
One of my deepest aspirations is to do what I can to work for peace - all kinds of peace: peace in the world, peace within all my relationships and peace within my own mind and consciousness. And so I thought I'd introduce you today to the Mission Statement of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (http://www.bpf.org/html/home.html). Perhaps their aspirations can inform and inspire ours.
The mission of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), founded in 1978, is to serve as a catalyst and agent for socially engaged Buddhism. Our aim is to help beings liberate themselves from the suffering that manifests in individuals, relationships, institutions, and social systems. BPF's programs, publications, and practice groups link Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion with progressive social change.
Our practice of contemplation and social action is guided by our intentions to:
Recognize the interdependence of all beings
Meet suffering directly and with compassion
Appreciate the importance of not clinging to views and outcomes
Work with Buddhists from all traditions
Connect individual and social transformation
Practice nonviolence
Use participatory decision-making techniques
Protect and extend human rights
Support gender and racial equality, and challenge all forms of unjust discrimination
Work for economic justice and the end of poverty
Work for a sustainable environment
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
