update 11/11/11
see also
what it is: shell fossil & diamond sutra
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Posts
Showing posts with label Buddha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddha. Show all posts
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
apocalyptic buddhism | Kalachakra | to become a buddha | beginner's mind | peace action
apocalyptic buddhism
this only thing
that there is
is NOW
as it is
An Apocalypse (Greek: ἀποκάλυψις apokálypsis; "lifting of the veil" or "revelation") is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted.
Zen and Buddhism
from "Extract(s) from JAPAN AS IT IS published by Gakken Co."
Political and social unrest and the rise of the warrior class in the mid-Heian period gave credence to an apocalyptic Buddhism that laid the foundation for a new Buddhism in the Kamakura period (1185–1333).
This new Buddhism emerged as the Nichiren, Joudo, joudo Shinshuu, and Zen sects--still the leading Buddhist sects--teaching a salvation through grace that was quite different from the intellectual Buddhist philosophy of the Nara-period nobility. These sects taught that simple repetition of 'Namu myou houren gekyou' (I place my faith in the Lotus Sutra) or 'Namu amidabutsu' (I place my faith in Amida Buddha), or meditation in the case of Zen, were sufficient to save one's soul.
With its much broader popular appeal, the new Buddhism spread rapidly, and this was reinforced in the Edo period (1603–1868) by the shogunate's danka system requiring all families to be registered with one of the country's many Buddhist temples. Instituted as an instrument for repressing Christianity, this system also helped the government keep tabs on the people.
Calligraphy: Yamashita_Gen-yu(1832-1934) - "Namu-amida-butsu" @Wikimedia Commons
Kalachakra - Wheel of Time
Kalachakra
कालचक्र Kalachakra (Sanskrit: कालचक्र; IAST: Kālacakra) is a Sanskrit term used in Tantric Buddhism that literally means "time-wheel" or "time-cycles." The spelling Kalacakra is also correct.
Kalachakra refers both to a Tantric deity (Tib. yidam) of Vajrayana Buddhism and to the philosophies and meditation practices contained within the Kalachakra Tantra and its many commentaries. The Kalachakra Tantra is more properly called the Kalachakra Laghutantra, and is said to be an abridged form of an original text, the Kalachakra Mulatantra which is no longer extant. Some Buddhist masters assert that Kalachakra is the most advanced form of Vajrayana practice; it certainly is one of the most complex systems within tantric Buddhism.
The Kalachakra tradition revolves around the concept of time (kāla) and cycles (chakra): from the cycles of the planets, to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the practice of working with the most subtle energies within one's body on the path to enlightenment.
The Kalachakra deity represents a Buddha and thus omniscience. Since Kalachakra is time and everything is under the influence of time, Kalachakra knows all. Whereas Kalachakri or Kalichakra, his spiritual consort and complement, is aware of everything that is timeless, untimebound or out of the realm of time. In Yab-yum, they are temporality and atemporality conjoined. Similarly, the wheel is without beginning or end.
Dalai Lama audio and video | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
"Kalachakra Preliminary Teachings"
Day one of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's three day teaching on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo's "37 Practices of A Boddhisattva (laklen sodunma)" and Kamalashila's "Stages of Meditation - Middle Volume (gomrim barpa)" given on July 9-11, 2011, that were preliminary teachings to the Kalachakra Empowerment. (www.dalailama.com)
to become a buddha
Shobogenzo
In Japan and the West, the term Shōbōgenzō is most commonly known as referring to the titles of two works composed by Japanese Zen master Dōgen Kigen in the mid-13th century.
正法眼蔵
Shōbōgenzō
whats more: The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo: (lit. "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye") The term Shōbōgenzō has three main usages in Buddhism: (1) It can refer to the essence of the Buddha's realization and teaching, that is, to the Buddha Dharma itself, as viewed from the perspective of Mahayana Buddhism, (2) it is the title of a koan collection with commentaries by Dahui Zonggao, and (3) it is used in the title of two works by Dogen Kigen... (more @Wikipedia)
道元禅師
Dōgen Zenji (also Dōgen Kigen 道元希玄, or Eihei Dōgen 永平道元, or Koso Joyo Daishi) (19 January 1200 – 22 September 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyōto, and the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan after travelling to China and training under the Chinese Caodong lineage there. Dōgen is known for his extensive writing including the Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma or Shōbōgenzō, a collection of ninety-five fascicles concerning Buddhist practice and enlightenment.
The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Study Hall - Shobogenzo
There is a simple way to become a buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Seek nothing else
- 'Birth and Death', 'Shoji'
The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo
Monday, June 13, 2011
Study Hall - Shobogenzo
In this way, you let go of yourself for the sake of dharma without knowing how many thousands of times you do so. You seek dharma for the sake of yourself without knowing in how many billions of eons you do so. This is the vital activity of following a teacher. This is the activity of practicing yourself and following yourself...
To speak of dharma and practice for others is to hear dharma, to clarify dharma, and to realize dharma, birth after birth. If you have a sincere heart in speaking of dharma to others in this birth, your attaining dharma is easy. Or, if you assist and support others hearing dharma, your study of dharma receives a wholesome effect. You receive the effect in your body and in your mind...
This being so, if you hear a phrase from someone in a far-eastern region, speak it for another in a far-western region. Endeavor in hearing and speaking equally with a single self. Practice and realize an east self and a west self.
Rejoice, hope for, and have the aspiration for bringing buddha ancestors' dharma, the ancestral way, closer to your body and mind. Extend this practice from one hour to one day, then to one year and to one lifetime. Make buddha ancestors' dharma the essential spirit and play with it. This is to live your life meaningfully.
Uplift from 'Self-Realization Samadhi'
('Jisho Zammai')
• see also: whats more: The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo
"...what you receive with trust is your one verse or your one phrase. Do not try to understand eighty thousand verses or phrases..."
'Face-to-Face Transmission', 'Menju', is a lot of fun; Dogen gets personal, both for himself, and with an ad hominem section in the postscript:
If you do not realize the fruit at this moment, when will you realize it?
If you do not cut off delusion at this moment, when will you cut off delusion?
If you do not become a buddha at this moment, when will you?
If you do not sit as a buddha at this moment, when will you practice as an active buddha?
Diligently examine this in detail...
~ Dōgen Zenji
> whats more: The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo
Zen Beginner: Reading List
a nice collection with links (SFZC store and Kindle) from "Zen Beginner" - thanks!
"For me, getting involved in Zen practice has involved a lot of reading to help myself get up to speed reasonably quickly. Here's my suggested reading list, in recommended order (which is not necessarily the order I read them in)..."
Suzuki Roshi
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - The Classic. Required reading if you're planning to practice at Zen Center. Seriously, if you're reading this blog and haven't read this stop right now, got get a copy and come back when you're done.
Zen is Right Here: Teaching Stories and Anecdotes of Shunryu Suzuki - A collection of short, easily digestible, quotes and anecdotes of Suzuki Roshi. A good one to have handy for idle browsing or if you want a quick something to ponder.
Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki - Not by Suzuki Rosh, but an account of his life and the early years of SFZC. Full of stories that really help to make sense of some of the particularities of life and practice at Zen Center. My favorite is about how the first rule at Tassajara is that brooms should be stored with their bristles up, and every time I've opened a broom closet (which turns out to be a lot) I've found them stored just so.
Not Always So: Practicing the true Spirit of Zen - Another collection of Suzuki Roshi's talks. It's only available in print right now so it might take me a while to get around to finishing.
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness - Some of Suzuki Roshi's last lectures, discussing the Sandokai which is chanted on a regular basis in services, and particularly during memorials. I'm about half way through so that the first half of the chant is filled with meaning and the second half is still a bit of a mystery.
Reb Anderson
- the most senior teacher at Zen Center and lives at Green Gulch. His two books cover the precepts (which you'll want to read before asking to take the precepts and getting permission to start sewing a Rakusu) as well as a collection of Dharma Talks he's given over the years. - Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisatva Precepts, and Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation
D.T. Suzuki
- a well regarded Buddhist scholar who wrote some of the first english texts on Zen. He's primarily concerned with Rinzai but these texts are what brought a lot of people to Zen Center in the 60s and 70s so they're helpful in understanding the early history of the lineage and some of the details of practice.
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism | Manual of Zen Buddhism> Zen Beginner: Reading List with links
• see also: The Ino's Blog: Counting To Nine | Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
~ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
stupahead: generosity
Hui-Hai, when asked how one might enter the gate of his school, says, “by means of giving,” literally dana paramita. when asked to clarify he says something startling that might be translated as, “giving means giving up,” or perhaps “giving over,” and adds that all the other practices that make up the Bodhisattva Path are realized through dana. this giving over is what it actually means to be free from suffering in this moment – “naked and free in the midst of the bustling marketplace”. without it even the most diligent practice is just spiritual athleticism and the most meticulous study is empty Zenology. it is what allows us to draw sustenance from the fabric and shape of everyday life and, even at the most difficult of times, find space to turn around.
in any encounter, even the most straightforward, the self-construct stakes out a position because that’s how its works. but, if we pay close attention, it’s easy to see that this act of staking out a position, drawing up categories and making up stories about them is exactly the thing that impoverishes our experience causing us to suffer and bring suffering to others. it’s the source of what the Buddha called “self clinging”. the most intimate request of practice, whether we’re sitting quietly in the Zendo or out wandering around in the World trying not to bump into things, is to relinquish our precious position and move into the very center of the encounter. to stand as close as possible, neither grasping or turning away. this is the essence of dana and, through it, practice is fulfilled.
Sign of the Times: Meditate to Happiness
ABC News | Health
interesting mainstream American TV -
commercial advertising caution
Meditation 101: Tips for Beginners
By EDWARD LOVETT
July 28, 2011
Little by little, meditation is shedding its image as a strange spiritual discipline practiced by monks and ascetics in Asia. Gwyneth Paltrow meditates. Rivers Cuomo, lead singer of the rock band Weezer, meditates. David Lynch -- his movies are strange, but he is strangely normal -- meditates. Meditation has helped recent military veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Beyond celebrities and the military, there's science. A growing body of research shows that meditation has a discernible effect on the brain that promotes various types of health and well-being...
peace action
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Socially engaged Buddhism is a dharma practice that flows from the understanding of the complete yet complicated interdependence of all life. It is the practice of the bodhisattva vow to save all beings. It is to know that the liberation of ourselves and the liberation of others are inseparable. It is to transform ourselves as we transform all our relationships and our larger society. It is work at times from the inside out and at times from the outside in, depending on the needs and conditions. It is is to see the world through the eye of the Dharma and to respond emphatically and actively with compassion.- Donald Rothberg and Hozan Alan Senauke, Turning Wheel Magazine/Summer-Fall - 2008
Wholehearted Connection
Buddhist Peace Fellowship is a community of primarily dharma practitioners established to support socially engaged efforts of visionaries of compassionate social justice and dharma-based organizations for social change.
Mutual Liberation
Buddhist Peace Fellowship is a leader in socially engaged Buddhism, cultivating peace through sharing with others decades of experience, providing donors who value peacemaking to other organizations, and educating the public with dharma-centered views of social justice. We are here to assist in implementing projects that work toward ending suffering in the world.
A Voice for Change
Buddhist Peace Fellowship makes an effort to speak without anger and opposition for those who have been silenced by war, poverty, environmental disaster, genocide, and youth whose lives have been impacted by violence.
CYMD 2008 was organized by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship of Tampa Bay. Each year we bring together the various traditions of Buddhists from around Tampa Bay to share their insights, teachings, and practices with the general public.
Thich Nhat Hanh: What Is Engaged Buddhism?
see also: whats more: Ram Dass interviews Thicht Nhat Hanh (1995)
One of the best known and most respected Zen masters in the world today, poet, and peace and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh has led an extraordinary life. Born in central Vietnam in 1926 he joined the monkshood at the age of sixteen. The Vietnam War confronted the monasteries with the question of whether to adhere to the contemplative life and remain meditating in the monasteries, or to help the villagers suffering under bombings and other devastation of the war. Nhat Hanh was one of those who chose to do both, helping to found the 'engaged Buddhism' movement. His life has since been dedicated to the work of inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.
A World Without Armies
"Advocating Practical Steps Towards a Lasting Peace"
From a series of workshops and a traveling exhibition featuring artwork from school children in Nepal, Poland, Germany, Italy, Costa Rica, the United States, and other countries.
What we must learn is how to deal with that conflict without resorting to violence. At this beginning of the twenty-first century, we are being called upon to face the needs of humanity, in all its tragic urgency. And we must, at the same time, face up to the requirements of the species: this century shall be peaceful or shall not be at all.
— Rodrigo Carazo, President of Costa Rica, 1978-1982
A World Without Armies - Imagine a world without war
"We will bring forth clear and positive messages on demilitarization based on rigorous studies, political experiences, and individual witness and testimony."
A Letter to Participants of the Global Alliance Conference
August 2009
Dear Colleagues of Peace,
Greetings from the U.S. chapter of A World Without Armies! We deeply appreciate your work for peace in the world and peace with the earth. Together with three other organizations, we co-sponsored the First Conference of Women for the Abolition of Armies in Central America by 2020, which was held at the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture and the Universidad de Cooperacion Internacional in San José in 2007. In order to achieve our common goal, our next step is to develop academic studies on the demilitarization potential of every nation. We need to understand the positive elements, challenges, and obstacles for reducing and abolishing military forces in each nation. We need to develop strategies and build concrete processes. It would be effective if people and organizations that are committed to do the work were all connected and collaborating domestically and internationally. We want to see a surge of a movement for demilitarization worldwide.
Your ideas, suggestions, and action reports on demilitarization would be valuable to all those who are concerned. We would like to learn from you, collaborate with you, and share our experience with you. Also, we would like to post some of the communications and photographs from you on our website, www.aworldwithoutarmies.org. Please write to us and we will write to you.
With best wishes,
Kazuaki Tanahashi, Director (see below)
Edie Hartshorne, Co-director
Catherine Margerin, Representative to the Global Alliance Conference
METHODS
• We organize and sponsor peace and reconciliation programs around the world.
• We fund scholars in political science, peace studies, and related fields who are undertaking research on the demilitarization potential of nations.
• We promote Courageous Conversations--friendly and non-polarized discussions that explore the need and steps for creating a world without war.
• We host the Costa Rica Initiative--a women’s initiative for A Central America Without Armies.
• PROJECTS IN PROGRESS SINCE 2002
Gallery: Imagining Peace: International Children's Art Project
A series of workshops and a traveling exhibition featuring artwork from school children in Nepal, Poland, Germany, Italy, Costa Rica, the United States, and other countries.
Kazuaki Tanahashi
Kazuaki Tanahashi, Director of A World Without Armies, born and trained in Japan and active in the United States since 1977, has had solo exhibitions of his calligraphic paintings internationally. He has taught East Asian calligraphy at eight international conferences of calligraphy and lettering arts. Also a peace and environmental worker for decades, he is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.
The Zen Peacemakers
A Force for Socially Engaged Buddhism
Inspiring | Teaching | Doing
"When you realize the wholeness and interdependence of life, you have to take care of everyone, and to do that, you have to work with every ingredient of life." - Zen Master Bernie Glassman, Founder
The mission of the Zen Peacemakers is to alleviate suffering by:
• developing holistic social service projects that help individuals, families
and communities;
• promoting and supporting Socially Engaged Buddhism throughout the West; and
• inspiring and training a new generation in this way of service as Zen practice.
About Zen Peacemakers blog
Discussions on articles from Bearing Witness, the free monthly online newsletter of Western Socially Engaged Buddhism
Commentary on Socially Engaged Buddhism
Writings of Zen Peacemakers founder Bernie Glassman, including previously unreleased material
Up-to-date news from the Zen Peacemakers Mother House in Montague, MA including:
Montague Farm Zen House
Zen House Residence Program
Montague Farm Zendo and Shared Stewardship Circle
First major Symposium for Western Socially Engaged Buddhism
GlobaLove Think Tank: theft
"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 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 cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
The Right Side: Balancing Pride
this is from my son's blog - The Right Side - check it out! he makes me proud :)
i love how he has learned to approach life, and share it -
"I pushed my bed against the wall so I never wake up on the wrong side"
You’ve heard it before and know it’s true: life is all about balance. It’s just like surfing. Sometimes the waves are knocking you down and sometimes you’re shredding them with grace and style. Every aspect of our lives needs to be in balance and it takes constant practice and awareness to reach a happy level of equilibrium.
There’s one particular aspect that this applies to twofold: Pride.
First, there’s the sense of outward pride you have with yourself and other people. And I think the golden rule in this sense is to “check your ego at the door”. Humility is a virtue and one that should be practiced by all. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how popular you are, you’re just as much a human being as every other person on this planet so don’t ever act like you’re better than anyone else. Always stay modest and humble because no one likes the company of a cocky person.
Second, there’s your inner pride, your self-confidence. I think that it’s good be aware of the areas of your life that need improvement because that allows for you to set goals and take steps towards reaching your full potential. But too much attention on your shortfalls can be very unhealthy and cause damage to your self-esteem. We can’t always focus on what we’re not happy with. There needs to be balance. We must also recognize the greatness within ourselves and take pride in knowing that we are amazing people with lots of wonderful qualities.
I think the key to finding balance in this area of our lives is to stay outwardly humble and inwardly proud. Practice modesty and humility in your interactions with others but also make sure to take the time to appreciate and acknowledge yourself for your accomplishments and character. Check your ego at the door then give yourself a pat on the back.
see also
• Master of the Shakuhachi & about Zen & Buddhism
• Dharma Wheel & About Dharma
• Buddha artwork
tag on facebook | buddha artwork by rc
• more buddhist art
Bhumisparsha Mudrā update | Life of Zen
Dharma Wheel & About Dharma
tara 8790 (more)
Vajrapani 100514
Diamond Sutra
buddha cave
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Bhumisparsha Mudrā update | Life of Zen
Bhumisparsha Mudrā update
detail 1 -
" Mara demanded to know who would testify that Siddhartha was worthy of attaining ultimate wisdom. And his demon army rose up to support him. Siddhartha said nothing. He reached down and touched the ground, and the earth shuddered. "
previous / development: whats more: Bhumisparsha Mudrā | Young Urban Zen | Dalai Lama | Science meets Buddhism
detail 2 -
Life of Zen - sotozen.net
Life of Zen video
http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/photos_videos/life_of_Zen/eng/movie_player_eng.html
see also: what next: Zen - Movie about Dogen
Banmei Takahashi's "Zen" - based on the life of Japanese Zen Master Dogen (19 January 1200 – 22 September 1253).
Soto Zen Buddhism International Symposium
Soto Zen continues to spread around t he globe. Presently, there are more than 600 Soto Zen priests outside of Japan, and the teaching of Soto Zen continues to expand and develop beyond race and the confines of culture. It is in connection with these developments that we are planning to hold on October 4th, 2011, a Soto Zen Buddhism International Symposium called "Advance One Step Further - Soto Zen Opens The Way To The Future -". We plan to hold this symposium at the Tokyo Grand Hotel at Sotoshu Shumucho in Tokyo and will invite Sotoshu priests, practitioners, and temple members from around the world, as well as participants from Japan.
The keynote lecture will be given by Mr. Noriyuki Ueda, a scholar who is active in many spheres. He makes an appeal to "the Great Possibilities for Buddhism in Contemporary Society." During the symposium, a presentation will be made by each of the directors of the four Sotoshu regional offices (Hawaii, North America, South America and Europe) on the ways Soto Zen is growing overseas, a panel discussion on the future of Soto Zen as it takes root around the world, and a social gathering. As a way of introducing various Zen centers and temples within the four overseas districts to the audience, we plan to display information about them by way of television monitors. We also plan to exhibit and sell items that are made at these temples in their fundraising efforts.
I believe this will be a good opportunity for many people to get to know the situation of Soto Zen as it is developing outside of Japan. Please be sure to join us for this symposium.
Gassho,
Rev. Issho Fujita
Director, Soto Zen Buddhism International Center
see also: whats more: Workshop at the Zen Center with Issho Fujita
Shobogenzo Zuimonki
1.Zen Master Eihei Dogen and Koun Ejo
Shobogenzo Zuimonki consists of the dharma talks of Eihei Dogen Zenji (1200–1253) who transmitted Soto Zen from China to Japan. These talks were originally recorded by Koun Ejo Zenji, Dogen’s dharma successor, and probably edited by his disciples after Ejo’s death.
In this introduction, I’d like to briefly introduce Ejo Zenji since he is not as well known in the West as Dogen Zenji.
Ejo was born of a noble family, the Fujiwara, in Kyoto, in 1198. In 1215, at eighteen years of age, he was ordained as a Tendai monk under Master Enno at Yokawa on Mt. Hiei. He studied the fundamental philosophy of Buddhism; the Kusha (Abhidharmakosa-bhasya) Jojitsu (Satyasidhi-sastra), and Tendai teachings etc. However, he realized that studying for fame and profit or for high position in the Buddhist order was meaningless. Arousing bodhi-mind, he wanted to leave the monastery just as many other Buddhist leaders did in that age...
see also
• previous / development: whats more: Bhumisparsha Mudrā | Young Urban Zen | Dalai Lama | Science meets Buddhism
• whats more: Workshop at the Zen Center with Issho Fujita
• Master of the Shakuhachi & about Zen & Buddhism
• what next: Zen - Movie about Dogen
• more buddhist art -
buddha 100407
Dharma Wheel & About Dharma
tara 8790 (more)
Vajrapani 100514
Diamond Sutra
buddha cave
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Bhumisparsha Mudrā | Young Urban Zen | Dalai Lama | Science meets Buddhism
Bhumisparsha Mudrā
Bhumisparsha Mudrā | photo of statue, June 23, 2011
Siddhartha resisted every temptation Mara could devise. The lord of desire had one final test. He demanded to know who would testify that Siddhartha was worthy of attaining ultimate wisdom. And his demon army rose up to support him. Siddhartha said nothing. He reached down and touched the ground, and the earth shuddered. Mara’s demons fled.
see also: Bhumisparsha Mudrā update 7/17 -
whats more: Bhumisparsha Mudrā update | Life of Zen
earth touching
This gesture calls upon the earth to witness Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The right hand reaches toward the ground, palm inward.
मुद्रा
A mudrā (Sanskrit: मुद्रा "seal", "mark", or "gesture") is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. A mudrā is a spiritual gesture and an energetic seal of authenticity employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions and traditions of Dharma and Taoism.
TheBuddhaPBS's Channel - THE BUDDHA: Enlightenment, part 2
Jane Hirshfield, poet: "He sat down under a bodhi tree in the shelter of the natural world in all of its beauty and fullness, and he said I will not move from this place until I have solved my problem."
“Let my skin and sinews and bones dry up, together with all the flesh and blood of my body! I welcome it! But I will not move from this spot until I have attained the supreme and final wisdom."
All at once, Mara, lord of desire, rose to challenge him. With an army of demons he attacked. Siddhartha did not move, and their weapons turned into flowers.
D. Max Moerman, scholar: "Mara is the ruler of this realm of desire, this world that we all live in and what he’s afraid Siddhartha is going to do when he attains enlightenment and becomes the Buddha is conquer that world, that is he’s going to do away with desire. He’s going to wreck the whole game."
Mara did not give up. He sent his three daughters to seduce him. Siddhartha remained still.
Mark Epstein, psychiatrist: "When he faces Mara he faces himself and his own destructive capacity. But he’s not the warrior trying to do battle with those qualities. He has discovered his own capacity for equanimity. He has become like the top of the Great Himalayan Mountains; the weather is passing over him, storms are raging around him, and he sits like the top of the mountain impassive, not in a trance state, you know, totally aware of everything. So he frustrates Mara."
TheBuddhaPBS's Channel - THE BUDDHA: Enlightenment, part 3
Siddhartha resisted every temptation Mara could devise. The lord of desire had one final test. He demanded to know who would testify that Siddhartha was worthy of attaining ultimate wisdom. And his demon army rose up to support him. Siddhartha said nothing. He reached down and touched the ground, and the earth shuddered. Mara’s demons fled.
W.S. Merwin, poet: "The Buddha reaches down, and with his finger, touches the earth. He says, 'The earth is my witness.' He said, 'Mara, you are not the earth. The earth is right here beneath my finger,' and the earth is what we're talking about. Accepting the earth, not owning the earth, not possessing the earth, but the earth just as it is, abused and exploited and despised and rejected and, plowed and mined and shat on and everything else, you know. It's still the earth, and it is, we owe everything to it."
Siddhartha meditated throughout the night, and all his former lives passed before him.
Robert Tenzin Thurman, scholar: "He remembered all his previous lives—infinite number of lives—female and male and every other race and every other being in the vast ocean of life forms. And he remembered all that viscerally so that means his awareness expanded until all the moments of the past were completely present to him."
D. Max Moerman, scholar: "He gains the power to see the process of birth, death, and rebirth that all creatures go through. He’s given this sort of cosmic vision of the workings of the entire universe."
As the morning star appeared, he roared like a lion. "My mind," he said, "is at peace." The heavens shook, and the Bodhi tree rained down flowers. He had become the “awakened one”—the Buddha.
Mark Epstein, psychiatrist: "Something new opens up for him which he calls Nirvana, which he calls Awakening."
Jane Hirshfield, poet: "He said, at this moment all beings and I awaken together. So it was not just him. It was all the universe. He touched the earth. 'As earth is my witness. Seeing this morning star, all things and I awaken together.'"
Thurman: "It’s not like entering a new state; it’s uncovering or surrendering to the reality that has always been there. He realized he’d always been in Nirvana that Nirvana was always the case; your reality itself is Nirvana. It’s the unreality; it’s your ignorance that makes you think you’re this self-centered separate being trying to fight off an overwhelming universe and failing. You are that universe."
Epstein: "You’re already enlightened. He’s saying the capacity for enlightenment, that your awake-ness already exists within you."
Hirshfield: "Nirvana is this moment seen directly. There is no where else than here. The only gate is now. The only doorway is your own body and mind. There’s nowhere to go. There’s nothing else to be. There’s no destination. It’s not something to aim for in the afterlife. It’s simply the quality of this moment."
Merwin: "Just this, just this, this room where we are. Pay attention to that. Pay attention to who's there, pay attention to what isn't known there, pay attention to what is known there, pay attention to what everyone is thinking and feeling, what you're doing there, and pay attention. Pay attention."
Young Urban Zen - City Center - San Francisco Zen Center
"Young Urban Zen is a new group under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center, with a particular focus on those between 25 and 35. We’ll be meeting Monday nights to meditate together, discuss our experience of Zen practice, and find out what makes it worthwhile for us. The group is built on the notion that, if you’re going to study yourself, then it’s a good idea to engage with other people who are doing the same."
• Young Urban Zen Facebook page
Peace Through Inner Peace - His Holiness the Dalai Lama, public talk
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's public talk given at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, on May 8, 2011. Prior to his talk, the University of Minnesota presented an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to His Holiness. (www.dalailama.com)
YouTube - Peace Through Inner Peace - University of Minnesota
Video courtesy of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota.
Where science meets Buddhism: emptiness, interconnectivity and the nature of reality
- Buddha Weekly: "'There is a large discrepancy between how we perceive reality and how reality actually exists.' So begins this rather interesting video on the common thread of emptiness, interconnectivity and the nature of reality between Buddhism and Science. Science and Buddhism do often appear to be aligned and non-contradictory, especially given [that] Einstein['s] wrote, in The Human Side, 'If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.'"
Buddha Weekly | Where science meets Buddhism: emptiness, interconnectivity and the nature of reality
more
Tricycle: What makes Buddhism revolutionary?"
Captain Karma vs. The One-Percenters: An Interview with Noah Levine
"This month at the Tricycle Book Club we are discussing Noah Levine's new book, The Heart of the Revolution. Last week, I was very happy to get an opportunity to sit and talk with Noah...
The Ino's Blog: Study Hall - Shobogenzo
June 13, 2011
"In this way, you let go of yourself for the sake of dharma without knowing how many thousands of times you do so. You seek dharma for the sake of yourself without knowing in how many billions of eons you do so. This is the vital activity of following a teacher. This is the activity of practicing yourself and following yourself...
To speak of dharma and practice for others is to hear dharma, to clarify dharma, and to realize dharma, birth after birth. If you have a sincere heart in speaking of dharma to others in this birth, your attaining dharma is easy. Or, if you assist and support others hearing dharma, your study of dharma receives a wholesome effect. You receive the effect in your body and in your mind...
This being so, if you hear a phrase from someone in a far-eastern region, speak it for another in a far-western region. Endeavor in hearing and speaking equally with a single self. Practice and realize an east self and a west self.
Rejoice, hope for, and have the aspiration for bringing buddha ancestors' dharma, the ancestral way, closer to your body and mind. Extend this practice from one hour to one day, then to one year and to one lifetime. Make buddha ancestors' dharma the essential spirit and play with it. This is to live your life meaningfully".
from 'Self-Realization Samadhi' ('Jisho Zammai') ~ Dōgen Zenji
right-mindfulness & breath-mindfulness
Buddha-Bhumisparsha_Mudra-5x7.jpg
work in progress
For final versions see: Bhumisparsha Mudrā update | Life of Zen
Satipatthana
Satipaṭṭhāna is a way of implementing the right mindfulness (sammā-sati) and, less directly, the right concentration (sammā-samādhi) parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. Satipaṭṭhāna meditation develops the mental factors of vipassana (insight) and samatha (calm). Satipaṭṭhāna is practiced most often in the context of Theravada Buddhism although the principles are also practiced in most traditions of Buddhism which emphasize meditation such as the Sōtō Zen tradition.
Anapanasati Sutta
The Ānāpānasati Sutta (Pāli) or Ānāpānasmṛti Sūtra (Sanskrit), 'Breath-Mindfulness Discourse,' is a discourse that details the Buddha's instruction on using the breath (anapana) as a focus for meditation.
see also
• Bhumisparsha Mudrā update | Life of Zen
• whats more: Workshop at the Zen Center with Issho Fujita
• Master of the Shakuhachi & about Zen & Buddhism
• more buddhist art -
buddha 100407
Dharma Wheel & About Dharma
tara 8790 (more)
Vajrapani 100514
Diamond Sutra
buddha cave
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Art of the Buddha | Gross National Happiness
PBS Arts : The Art of the Buddha
Across two and a half millennia, the life of the Buddha has been depicted in art rich in beauty and complexity. Most paintings and sculptures focus on key episodes in his spiritual journey: his birth and childhood, his renunciation of worldly life, his enlightenment, his first teaching, his life as a teacher, and his death.
The Buddha | PBS
first half | more at TheBuddhaPBS's Channel
This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life."
Gross National Happiness
"Bhutan – Taking the Middle Path to Happiness” is a documentary on the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and its development policy of “Gross National Happiness.
Imagine a country where the peoples’ happiness is the guiding principle of government. Imagine a people who see all life as sacred, a land with abundant renewable energy, a nation committed to preserving nature and its culture. Imagine a country where the government’s goal is “Gross National Happiness.” Where is this Shangri-La? Bhutan.
But can a place like Bhutan really exist? Can such ideals be realized? Can this small, geographically isolated country tucked away in the Himalayans truly protect its environment and culture as they open their doors to the West?”
The concept of taking “the middle path” is one rooted in the Bhutanese view of the world, a simple message: happiness lies in the middle path. Neither overindulging in the world’s pleasures nor rejecting the world’s goodness can lead to a prosperous and peaceful society. Happiness can only be found by taking the middle path – the path that provides the needs of mankind without sacrificing the life generating diversity of nature.
But now with Bhutan’s entry into the global marketplace, the introduction of television, advertising and the social pressures of consumerism can Bhutan maintain this delicate balance?
BHUTAN: Taking The Middle Path To Happiness
Monday, July 12, 2010
vajrapani update
Mahatshakra-Vadzrapani
Derivative work made with two files from Wikipedia Commons -
From Wikipedia:
Vajrapāṇi (from Sanskrit vajra, "thunderbolt" or "diamond" and pāṇi, lit. "in the hand") is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the Buddha's virtues: Manjusri (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' wisdom), Avalokitesvara (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' compassion) and Vajrapani (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' power).
On the popular level, Vajrapani, Holder of the Thunderbolt Scepter (symbolizing the power of compassion), is the Bodhisattva who represents the power of all the Buddhas, just as Avalokitesvara represents their great compassion, Manjushri their wisdom, and Tara their miraculous deeds. For the yogi, Vajrapani is a means of accomplishing fierce determination and symbolizes unrelenting effectiveness in the conquest of negativity. His taut posture is the active warrior pose (pratayalidha), based on an archer's stance but resembling the en garde position in Western fencing. His outstretched right hand brandishes a vajra and his left hand deftly holds a lasso - with which he binds demons. He wears a skull crown with his hair standing on end. His expression is wrathful and he has a third eye. Around his neck is a serpent necklace and his loin cloth is made up of the skin of a tiger, whose head can be seen on his right knee.
According to the Pancavimsatisahasrika and Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita any Bodhisattva on the path to Buddhahood is eligible for Vajrapani's protection, making them invincible to any attacks "by either men or ghosts".
Vajrapāṇi is the patron saint of the Shaolin monastery.
In Japan, Vajrapani is known as Shukongōshin (執金剛神, "Diamond rod-wielding God"), and has been the inspiration for the Niō (仁王, lit. Benevolent kings), the wrath-filled and muscular guardian god of the Buddha, standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples under the appearance of frightening wrestler-like statues.
See also:
• More on Vajrapāṇi at Wikipedia
• Original post (art development): Vajrapani-100514
• About Mahayana Buddhism at Wikipedia
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Diamond Sutra
a derivative work made from 2 files from Wikipedia Commons
वज्रच्छेदिका प्रज्ञापारमिता सूत्र
Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra
From Wikipedia-
The Buddhist text known around the world as the Diamond Sūtra is a short Mahayana sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom (S. prajna-paramita) genre, which teaches the practice of the avoidance of abiding in extremes of mental attachment. A copy of the Diamond Sutra, found among the Dunhuang manuscripts in the early 20th century, is, in the words of the British Library, "the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book."
Because the Diamond Sūtra can be read in 40-50 minutes, it is often memorized and chanted in Buddhist monasteries. This sūtra has retained significant popularity in the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition for over a millennium. A list of vivid metaphors for impermanence appears in a popular four-line verse at the end of the sūtra:
All conditioned phenomena
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, or shadows;
Like drops of dew, or flashes of lightning;
Thusly should they be contemplated.
Click here for an English translation of the Diamond Sutra
The Chinese Diamond Sutra, the oldest known dated printed book in the world, printed in the 9th year of Xiantong Era of theTang Dynasty, or 868 CE. Diamond Sutra: Frontispiece, Diamond Sutra from Cave 17, Dunhuang, ink on paper British Library Or.8210/ P.2 This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or fewer.
Buddha footprint1st century CE, Gandhara; historical display at Zenyōmitsu-ji (善養密寺), a Buddhist Temple located in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, Japan. --The bottom symbol is the Triratna or "Three Jewels,", - the top symbol is a dharmachakra. - - This file has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its author, PHG at the English Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: PHG grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
त्रिरत्न
The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem (triratna)), are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge.
The Three Jewels are:
• Buddha
Sanskrit, Pali: The Enlightened or Awakened One - Depending on one's interpretation, can mean the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni) or the Buddha nature—the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings;
• Dharma
Sanskrit: The Teaching; Pali: Dhamma - The teachings of the Buddha.
• Sangha
Sanskrit, Pali: The Community - The community of those who have attained enlightenment, who may help a practicing Buddhist to do the same. Also used more broadly to refer to the community of practicing Buddhists.
धर्मचक्र
Click here for or more on the Dharmachakra symbol and Dharma.
see also:
• More about Buddhism on whats more blog
@ Master of the Shakuhachi#zen
• More about the Diamond Sutra at Wikipedia
• English translation of the Diamond Sutra
• About Buddhism at Wikipedia
Friday, May 14, 2010
Vajrapani 100514
Mahatshakra-Vadzrapani
Derivative work made with two files from Wikipedia Commons -
From Wikipedia:
Vajrapāṇi (from Sanskrit vajra, "thunderbolt" or "diamond" and pāṇi, lit. "in the hand") is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the Buddha's virtues: Manjusri (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' wisdom), Avalokitesvara (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' compassion) and Vajrapani (the manifestation of all the Buddhas' power).
On the popular level, Vajrapani, Holder of the Thunderbolt Scepter (symbolizing the power of compassion), is the Bodhisattva who represents the power of all the Buddhas, just as Avalokitesvara represents their great compassion, Manjushri their wisdom, and Tara their miraculous deeds. For the yogi, Vajrapani is a means of accomplishing fierce determination and symbolizes unrelenting effectiveness in the conquest of negativity. His taut posture is the active warrior pose (pratayalidha), based on an archer's stance but resembling the en garde position in Western fencing. His outstretched right hand brandishes a vajra and his left hand deftly holds a lasso - with which he binds demons. He wears a skull crown with his hair standing on end. His expression is wrathful and he has a third eye. Around his neck is a serpent necklace and his loin cloth is made up of the skin of a tiger, whose head can be seen on his right knee.
According to the Pancavimsatisahasrika and Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita any Bodhisattva on the path to Buddhahood is eligible for Vajrapani's protection, making them invincible to any attacks "by either men or ghosts".[4]
Vajrapāṇi is the patron saint of the Shaolin monastery.
In Japan, Vajrapani is known as Shukongōshin (執金剛神, "Diamond rod-wielding God"), and has been the inspiration for the Niō (仁王, lit. Benevolent kings), the wrath-filled and muscular guardian god of the Buddha, standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples under the appearance of frightening wrestler-like statues.
(Mahatshakra-Vadzrapani
art posted by VanemTao with no further attribution), and Vajrapani statue in American Museum of Natural History, New YorkSaturday, April 10, 2010
buddha 100407
a photo taken in my yard and worked over in photoshop.
The Buddha himself entered jhāna, as described in the early texts, during his own quest for enlightenment, and is constantly seen in the suttas encouraging his disciples to develop jhāna as a way of achieving awakening and liberation.
The Buddha's most well-known instructions on attaining jhana are via mindfulness of breathing, found in the Ānāpānasati Sutta and elsewhere.
YouTube slideshow - Development of "buddha-100407" - slideshow of photoshop layers used to created the image - all layers shown at 100% density and uncombined with other layers, except for the last few frames before the final composite.
Buddha Dharma
बौद्ध धर्म
Buddhism (Pali/Sanskrit: बौद्ध धर्म Buddha Dharma) is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as The Buddha (Pāli/Sanskrit "the awakened one"). The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering (or dukkha), achieve nirvana, and escape what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth.
सिद्धार्थ गौतम
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE, but more recent opinion dates his death to between to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE. Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni ("Sage of the Śākyas"), is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later. He is also regarded as a god or prophet in other religions such as Hinduism, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Bahá'í faith.
• see also: Master of the Shakuhachi & about Zen & Buddhism
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see also
more buddhist art
tara 8790 (more)
tara (110921)
Vajrapani 100514
Diamond Sutra
Dharma Wheel & About Dharma
buddha cave
Links
• whats more: more about Buddhism & Zen
• Wikipedia
Buddhism
The Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama
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