Does it Improve Upon the Silence?

to find an answer

you must lose the question first.

James: This is the saying for the month of February on my Zen calender and reminds me of another jewel of wisdom. That being, "Before you speak, ask yourself: Is it kind, is it true, is it necessary, does it improve upon the silence?" -Shirdi Sai Baba. It is also attributed to the Quakers.

I don't always improve upon the silence but It is something that I strive toward via mindfulness, which I work on cultivating through the practice of meditation. I have personally found it to be somewhat difficult to foster right speech without mindfulness because through mindfulness I am more aware of what I'm saying. I have found personally that it is hard to expect mindfulness to unfold in the moment without practicing it regularly. I find it to be like exercising muscles to maintain top fitness.

When I'm not being aware it is easy for my mind to simply go on auto-pilot and thoughts arise without awareness, which are all too often blurted out in verbal excess and disharmony. It seems to me that eventually we won't have to actively concentrate on cultivating mindfulness but that it will be our inner and outer reality spontaneously arising in each present moment without thought.

Until then I still need the training wheels on my bicycle to use an example. I still need to actively concentrate upon what is going on in the present moment, which includes of course being aware of what I am saying and what consequences those words carry. There is a paradox between realizing the imperfection of language and that words in the end can't replace practice and experiencing the moment. However, we still need language to describe how to get to the point where we no longer need so much communication.

In closing I'd like to share some wonderful thoughts on mindfulness meditation from the Tibetan Buddhist master Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche:

No matter what kind of thought comes up, you should say to yourself, “That may be a really important issue in my life, but right now is not the time to think about it. Now I’m practicing meditation.” It gets down to how honest we are, how true we can be to ourselves, during each session.

Everyone gets lost in thought sometimes. You might think, “I can’t believe I got so absorbed in something like that,” but try not to make it too personal. Just try to be as unbiased as possible. Mind will be wild and we have to recognize that. We can’t push ourselves. If we’re trying to be completely concept-free, with no discursiveness at all, it’s just not going to happen.

So through the labeling process, we simply see our discursiveness. We notice that we have been lost in thought, we mentally label it “thinking”—gently and without judgment—and we come back to the breath. When we have a thought—no matter how wild or bizarre it may be—we just let it go and come back to the breath, come back to the situation here.

PHOTO: Portland Japanese garden.

~Peace to all beings~

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/31/2009

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

~The Buddha

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Ancient Wisdom: Nyingma Teachings of Dream Yoga, Mediatation & Transformation - Gyatrul Rinpoche

Ancient Wisdom: Nyingma Teachings of Dream Yoga, Mediatation & Transformation - Gyatrul Rinpoche (trans. by B. Alan Wallace & Sangye Khandro)

This book consists of a series of teachings on several topics by the highly respected Tibetan lama Gyatrul Rinpoche, skillfully translated by B. Alan Wallace and Sangye Khandro. It's divided into three parts, titled "Transformation," "Dream Yoga" and "Meditation," and each of these three parts consists of a "root text" by a renowned Tibetan author and a commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche. The first root text is a wonderful "lojong" (mind training) text called "Transforming Felicity and Adversity into the Spiritual Path," by Jigme Tenpe Nyima. The second is a dream yoga text called "Releasing Oneself from Essential Delusion," by Lochen Dharma Shri, and the third is a Dzogchen text called "The Illumination of Primordial Wisdom," by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. Taken together, these three texts and their lucid and practical commentaries give a very complete introduction to the essential teachings of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and will be a great treasure for anyone interest in practicing these profound methods.

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Tibetan Mantra and Sutra in New Age, Padmasambhava, Collection III - Penor Rinpoche, Dorje Lama

Tibetan Mantra & Sutra in New Age, Padmasambhava, Collection III - Penor Rinpoche, Dorje Lama

This album collects Nyima Lama Penor Rinpoche's teaching about the essence of Buddha Dharma. The teaching is very beneficial for modern people. The other prayers are chanted by Dorje Lama, his low- pitched voice is deep and subdued, can suddenly calm down listener’s mind. MP3, 256 kbps. Track list and cover included.

Track List

1. Wake up call
2. Prayer
3. Heart
4. Silence heart
5. Ling text
6. Teachers long live prayer
7. Confidence
8. Wake up call (bells)

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/30/2009

He is able who thinks he is able.

~The Buddha

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Head Winds...

... for Obama. The wealthy and powerful seem determined to stand in his way. May I be cynical for a moment? May I generalize? Those Republicans! What chutzpah! They vote as a bloc in the House, no exceptions, against the economic recovery bill, then turn around and start blaming the Democrats for partisanship. And now those Wall Street fat cats, awarding each other $18 billion in bonuses even as they bilk the taxpayer for bailout money. (Here I must make a confession: I have to believe that they're not all fat cats. A very close relative of mine--no fat cat!--who has a niche profession as a translator of Japanese business reports into English, was more than relieved to receive his much reduced bonus this year; his wife, in the same business but working for a different company, received none. I know that in this case, the "bonus" has always been understood to be a part of annual income.) Even so, this whole thing fails to pass the smell test, and Obama is right to be outraged. It remains to be seen what he can do about the partisanship and greed that threaten to paralyze the chances of real change.

Well, we ourselves have managed to escape the city this past week. Who can complain too much about events in the world out-there when the sun sets so beautifully every evening in clear view of our balcony?



On the other hand... they did choose just this week to finish repaving our little dead-end street. After many postponements because of weather, they arrived this morning to lay down the asphalt, so we hope that today will be the last.

"Becoming Enlightened." A Book Review.

I have two altars where I keep my Buddha statue and other sacred objects. The main one where I meditate is in the front room with a framed picture of my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh with prayer beads draped around it. Along with of course a lovely statuette of Buddha. I keep a second but smaller one in the bedroom with a picture of the Dalai Lama and one of Thich Nhat Hanh above on the wall.

Well, whenever I look at these pictures of these two men I think of loving grandfathers who patiently pass on wisdom to the younger generations. I smile looking at their kind and warm faces feeling comfort that they are with us. They are two of the world's grandfathers and we are very lucky to have them in ourlives. I was recently sent two copies of the DL's latest book, "Becoming Enlightened" to review one and to give the other away to one of my readers.

This latest book is a real gem to add to your Buddhist literature because it is a well written introduction to the Buddhist path. That said, however, it has much to offer the long-time practitioner and it did me a lot of good to reread the basics so to speak. It is a very quick read (I read it in 3 days) and it offers contemplation exercises at the end of each chapter, which are summaries of what was covered. I think they will be very useful when I want to meditate upon something said in the chapter without having to reread the entire chapter.

The Dalai Lama begins by saying that we should be open minded about other religions and Buddhist traditions because religion is relative to each individual. And as he mentions, the Buddha did not always teach the most profound teachings to all students. He taught according to the individuals interests and dispositions. So in other words, whatever benefits that person most is best for them. It makes a lot of sense and explains why there are so many religions and sects.

He reminds us that we are in a favorable position to make great progress toward enlightenment with this very human existence. It is a precious state and we must do our best not to waste it upon afflictive, selfish things. He speaks a lot in the book about the benefits and importance of selflessness as it is hard to have hatred, greed and delusion in our hearts if we are acting in an altruistic and selfless manor.

Another teaching that I really responded too was that of how if we realize that much of our suffering is our own fault from past actions that we can accept the pain easier and move past it because as he said, "This is the nature of cyclic existence." I think I'm going to use that phrase as my new mantra because I have experienced its power to help already in the few meditations I've incorporated it within since reading this book.

He also warns against worshiping gods instead of putting all confidence in Buddha saying, "Altruism based on love and compassion is the avenue to all these benefits. This is the beauty of Buddhism. But if you leave your afflictive emotions as they are, then even if you imagine a god of long life to your right, a god of wealth to your left, and a god of medicine in front of you, and you recite a mantra a billion times, still you will find it hard to achieve anything."

He spends a lot of time discussing our relationships and how we should practice compassion toward all beings regardless of if we agree with them or get along with them. All are deserving of compassion--even the most hardened criminals. In specific this quote really put this into perspective and like usual the truth often only requires a few words. "Real compassion does not depend on whether the other person is nice to you."

I was happy that His Holiness added a section on including animals in our compassion and spoke of the horrors of the factory farming of animals for meat. It is curious then, however, why the Dalai Lama still chooses to eat meat. I know his doctors tell him he needs the meat for his health, however, I wonder if he's getting the best and latest advice/information because It is very easy for people to be healthy without eating meat.

Though I am a strong advocate for animal rights and vegetarianism it is not my place to judge anyone who decides to keep eating meat (least of all the Dalai Lama). I am not a militant vegetarian who screams and yells at those who do eat meat because it doesn't do any good and becoming vegetarian must come from a place of sincerity and personal conviction to last--not from being guilted and shamed into it. I do not think that one must be a vegetarian to be a Buddhist but I think it helps in cultivating compassion.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and will keep it as a handy desk reference to the foundations of Buddhist practice. It's a great read for say a weekend get away or a overseas flight. As I alluded to above, some of the best wisdom is said in few words.

As I stated in the top of the post I have a second copy of this book to give away. Due to a lack of funds though I can only open this up to those living in the U.S., Mexico or Canada. Unless you are willing to pay the overseas shipping and if you are then I'll be happy to send it to you. So just leave a short message in the comments saying you'd like your name to be entered into the mix. Or email me: jaymur-at-gmail.com

I'll leave the submission period up for a week, which means have your name submitted by next Thursday and I'll make the selection on Friday. Here's how it will go: I will write each name on a piece of paper, fold it in half, and drop them into a hat. After all names are dropped in the hat I will have a third party (my wife) pick a name out of the hat that I will hold up high so that she can't see the pieces of paper. Good luck!!

~Peace to all beings~

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/29/2009

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.

~The Buddha

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Universal Love: The Yoga Method of Buddha Maitreya - Lama Thubten Yeshe

Universal Love: The Yoga Method of Buddha Maitreya - Lama Thubten Yeshe

Lama Yeshe gives a commentary on the practice of Maitreya Buddha. "Maitreya is the manifestation of the love of all the Buddhas - all the supreme beings who have achieved limitless, universal love. When we practice the yoga method of Buddha Maitreya we unify with the universal love energy that is Maitreya by developing to their ultimate extent the limited qualities of love, compassion and purity that presently lie within us…Tantra is the right practice for Westerners and of the utmost need in the twentieth century. After all, the Buddha wanted us to have as much perfect pleasure as possible; he certainly didn't want us to be miserable, confused or dissatisfied. Therefore we should understand that we meditate in order to gain profound pleasure, not to beat ourselves up or to experience pain. If entering the Buddhist path brings you nothing but fear and guilt then it's certainly not worth the effort." Lama Thubten Yeshe.

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The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings - Gampopa & Khenpo Konchog Gyeltsen Rinpoche

The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings - Gampopa & Khenpo Konchog Gyeltsen Rinpoche

A new translation of this master work of Tibetan Buddhism. This text provides a complete foundation for Buddhist study and practice. For more than eight centuries, this text has provided the backbone of study particularly in the Kagyu tradition - covering the initial entry into the path and continuing through finding a spiritual master, teachings on impermanance, karma, bodhicitta, Buddha nature, six perfections, ten bodhisattva bhumis, Buddhahood and the activities of a Buddha. "Anyone who knows the Jewel Ornament well can say that they really understand Buddhism." Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen. "Dharma Lord Gampopa (1074-1153) was the principle student of Milarepa. He brought two systems of teachings together: Atisha's Kadampa tradition and Naropa's Mahamudra tradition. His teachings were said to be clear `like the sun'. "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation" is considered to be the most significant of his many texts.

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A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life - Dalai Lama

A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life - Dalai Lama

If everyone considered only the well-being of others as the bodhisattva's way of life directs, the world would be a much better place. As it is, those who dream of such a society need both mystical and practical advice regarding what they can do to further the effort. They'll find it here. The Dalai Lama's teaching and reflection on the text of Shantideva provide a gentle guide to compassion and enlightenment. Throughout his explanations, the Dalai Lama refers to the experience of daily living. For most readers his examples will ring true, particularly when he is talking about the very human emotions of anger and frustration. The call to serve others and think of others first may seem idealistic, but it is the goal of enlightenmentsomething to work toward whatever one's path. One does not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the beauty of the teachings and the simplicity of the life presented here. Indeed, non-Buddhists may discover a refreshing new approach to the doctrines of love your neighbor and do unto others.

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Space and Eternal Life: A Dialogue between Chandra Wickramasinghe & Daisaku Ikeda

Space and Eternal Life: A Dialogue between Chandra Wickramasinghe & Daisaku Ikeda

This is a volume of discussions between an astronomer and a Buddhist scholar. They examine life on Earth from two different starting points - the religious Buddhist and the natural science of the astronomer, largely concerned with physics. The use of natural science is discussed in its exploration of the physical world, its treatment of psychology and states of consciousness, and Buddhist ideas of cosmology, and how these concepts are in tune with each other. They debate reductionism, one of the key factors that distinguishes the practice of scientific investigation against the pacifist, holistic and ecological world view that is inherent in Buddhism and its underlying philosophy. In the last chapter two protagonists discuss key issues of today and how they relate to these tenets: nuclear arms, ecology, AIDS, youth and education, the family, democracy, human rights, suicide, abortion, genetic engineering and organ transplants.

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Art Review

Please, today, go to my Huffington Post site for my promised review of Elias Sime at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/28/2009

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.

~The Buddha

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Yoga - Ron Allen & Friends

Yoga - Ron Allen & Friends
The Yoga CD by Solitudes embraces the curative art of yoga, which has long been known to improve strength, mental clarity and inner peace. Ron Allen and Friends have created the perfect blend of music and nature sounds that are calming yet expansive and ideal for Yoga practice. Enjoy this relaxing and meditative listening experience. Instrumentation includes shakuhachi and bass bamboo flutes, sapranino sax, harp, clarinet, guitars, keyboards and the sounds of nature.

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Anand - Snatam Kaur

Anand - Snatam Kaur
Anand means bliss. The newest release by Snatam Kaur has beautiful soothing, yet uplifting tones to help us connect with our inner peace. Her melodic, calming voice carries a message of profound bliss and joy. Instrumental layers of guitar, keyboard, flute, harmonium, sarod and tabla create the perfect harmonious background for Snatam s vocals. Her message permeates her sounds, May each of us be an instrument of peace, may we dance with joy, Love with our hearts, and know that the depth and strength of our Spirit can and will heal all, and bring peace to the planet.

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Tao of Peace - Dean Evenson & Li Xiangting

Tao of Peace - Dean Evenson & Li Xiangting
Tao of Peace is a multi-purpose and multi-level creation from Dean Evenson (silver flute and keyboards) and Li Xiangting (gugin [Chinese zither] and xia [vertical bamboo flute]). Guest musicians include Dudley Evenson (hand harp and tamboura), Phil Heaven (viola), Brian Cisneros (percussion), and Jason Darling (chimes and bells). These smooth and dreamy atmospheres are divinely inspired and connected. Evenson and Xiangting created them specifically for enhancement of the healing arts. The flutes and strings are gentle and soft. The soundscapes enter the listeners' hearts and souls.

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Commentaries on Living - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Commentaries on Living - Jiddu Krishnamurti
Commentaries on Living records Krishnamurti's meetings with individual seekers of truth from all walks of life. A dialogue on many aspects of living. A classic series.

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Bellicosity American Style

Is it something in the genes? Does it come from some kind of national paranoia or insecurity? Is it because we are so "young" as a nation, as people keep saying? Or is it something that we share with others of our species, but exaggerated because we are so big? From the decimation of our native tribes to our rash invasion of Iraq, it seems we are prone to be quick to anger, aggressively defensive, and bellicose in our response to the least provocation. (That this proclivity is--though often inadequately--matched by a generous, peace-loving trait in our national character is not at issue here.)

These troubling thoughts were prompted by last night's special on the PBS series, American Experience, The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which tells the story of the post-World War II persecution of the man who successfully directed the development of America's atomic bomb. It was he who famously said, after the Trinity test that proved the devastating efficacy of the bomb, "You know the Bhagavad-Gita? 'I am become Death, the shatterer of worlds.'" A poet, a man of conscience, and an obviously eccentric, difficult person despite his scientific genius, Oppenheimer was one of the many intellectuals of the 1930s whose social views led them into a loose affiliation with the Communist Party. He was enlisted easily into the war against worldwide fascism, however, and was unquestioningly complicit in the use of his bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Awed--and horror-struck--by the power of the weapon his team had created, Oppenheimer evidently listened once more to his conscience after the war, and publicly expressed opposition to the development of the even more powerful and destructive hydrogen bomb promoted by his hawkish colleague, Edward Teller. According to this version of the story, Oppenheimer's position was that this was a bomb too far, unnecessary in view of the growing stockpile of atomic weapons and the supremacy of American firepower. This view brought down upon him the ire of the hawks in the American government, who managed successfully, by deceit and merciless bully tactics, to smear him with past communist associations and deprive him not only of his security clearance but of his reputation and his standing in the scientific world.

Oppenheimer's last years, it seems were lived out as a beaten, bitter, dis-abled man. Meanwhile, our country was driven by the paranoia politicians know well how to exploit, swaggering on into the Cold War, shaking the sword of its nuclear arsenal and daring the Soviet Union to follow suit. What a shame and a waste, that so much of the 20th century, which had already given us enough death and devastation to have learned the basics of peace, should have been devoted to the enactment of this senseless charade--in the name of maintaining American supremacy. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq... How many more such horrors will it take?

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/27/2009

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

~The Buddha

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Why I Chose Zen Buddhism.

When we practice zazen [Zen Meditation] our mind always follows our breathing. When we inhale, the air comes into the inner world. When we exhale, the air goes to the outer world. The inner world is limitless, and the outer world is also limitless. We say "inner world" or "outer world," but actually there is just one whole world. In this limitless world, our throat is like a swinging door.

The air comes in and goes out like someone passing through a swinging door. If you think, "I breathe," the "I" is extra. There is no you to say "I." What we call "I" is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale. It just moves; that is all. When your mind is pure and calm enough to follow this movement, there is nothing: no "I," no world, no mind nor body; just a swinging door.

--Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.

James: I often am asked why I chose Zen Buddhism over the other Buddhist traditions. I have written about this before but I'd like to write about it again, however, hopefully from a bit of a different angle. I respond well to the stripped down nature of Zen Buddhism as seen in this quote by the Zen legend Suzuki. I was raised in a very dogmatic religion and found it to be less helpful and I think that past experience led me in part to Zen, which (in my view) the least complicated form of Buddhism. For me it demystifies Buddhism and does a great job of focusing on the basics of Buddha's Dharma.

As well as the focus on Zazen (meditation) because that is something that I can easily understand and implement. I continue to study the sutras and canons and I certainly do not want my readers to think that I don't value them at all nor think them necessary to understanding Dharma because they do overall offer essential wisdom. That said, I find it more valuable in my personal practice to spend more time meditating than doing rituals (thought I find some ritual to beneficial) and keeping track of deities except as archetypes. I also like that Zen (in my view) is a bit more flexible in regards to dogma.

I find great success in Thich Nhat Hanh's style of Zen, which gets back to the very basic teachings of Buddha such as focusing on one's breath (as mentioned by Suzuki) while meditating and extending that formal meditation practice to everything that I do. So that mindfulness is the center of my practice, which cuts through the fat so to speak to better enable self-awakening. In my practice I have found that focusing on living in the present moment is where the essence of Buddhism flowers like a lotus.

I like that Buddhism has many flavors because it is more proof to me that karma is indeed apart of our lives. I believe it is this varied karma that, in part directs us toward one school of Buddhism over another. I'm currently reading the new book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Becoming Enlightened" for a review and he speaks about these different variations in Buddhism.

When teachings at particular students are examined as a body of work, it is possible for their surface of literal meanings not to be in agreement, since their purpose is to help in ways appropriate to a student's current situation. Buddha himself sometimes taught this way, based on a trainee's need.

He also has some real gems of wisdom in warning against a stubborn, strict adherenace to dogma:

For a teaching to be a suitable source of refuge, it must pass the scrutiny of reasoned reflection and must be highly beneficial. A famous Chilean scientist told me that a scientific researcher should not be attached to science, and I believe that in much the same way a Buddhist should not be attached to Buddhist doctrine as such, but instead should value teachings and teachers that can bear investigation into their validity. The scientific attitude and the Buddhist approach are the same in this case.

Now, of course some dogma is essential to maintaining a religion but I have personally found that a little goes a long way. Remember though that this is my personal experience, I'm not a sanctioned teacher nor a Buddhist scholar but have seen the damaging effects of a heavy handed dogma.

So while I am a Zen student I find much to agree with in these two quotes from the Dalai Lama as well as from many of the great Theravadan teachers. I think all traditions of Buddhism have something essential to offer the others. I don't think that there is one form that is "superior" to any other but again that the variations are there to take into account our different karma, life experiences and socio-economic-cultural differences.

I'm Reading...

... Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father." I read "The Audacity of Hope" earlier last year, when I was still debating the relative strength of his candidacy with Hillary Clinton's. If I remember well, I wrote at the time that the book introduced me to a whole new Barack Obama than the one I had encountered on a daily basis on the television screen. Reading the book, I soon learned that the attempt to portray him as an inexperienced lightweight was absurd. I was amazed by the ease with which he drew on an extensive breadth of historical knowledge, his political acumen, his grasp of the problems facing us and the depth of his understanding of human nature--not to mention his extraordinary ability to listen with patience to opposing views and embrace well-considered compromise.

Now, reading the first of his two books, I am coming to understand something about the origin of these qualities. Since early childhood, he has clearly been a close and critical observer of the people and the world around him, a questioner who has wanted to find out what lies beneath the surface of external events. The exceptional diversity of backgrounds that converge in this one man is well-known--a diversity matched by that of his lived experiences. In this, he seems like a man ahead of his time, a truly 21st century human being, the product of a "flat world" in which individuals are citizens not of a particular city or a particular nation, but rather of the globe; and in which racial identities merge into a more broadly human one.

"Dreams from My Father"--I'm a little more than halfway through--is giving me a more personal and immediate understanding of these well-known aspects of our new President. What has remained a kind of abstract knowledge becomes concrete, intimate, and real. In part, this is because Obama is a terrific writer: his stories are vividly told, compelling, utterly believable. He is curious about everything that happens to him, and translates this curiosity into understanding, and understanding into change. He describes a constant process of growth based in experience, the epitome of an "examined life" that allows him to continually move forward. His teenage years, recalled with a compassion that does not gloss over the awkwardness, the fears and pain of adolescence, reveal a not-yet-formed individual whose rebellious missteps will be familiar to all of us who have experienced that difficult age. It is remarkable to read these pages and recall that this typically stumbling teenager is now President of the United States.

Of huge and poignant importance in his development are the difficulties he has in coming to terms with his racial identity, and with his inner drive to find some way to be of service to the world. Black, and yet not-quite-black, he struggles with the sense of aggrievement he sees in those around him--and his own--as well as with the compensatory promotion of black power and black pride at the other end of the scale. Recalling his now-famous Philadelphia speech on the subject of race, following the public revelation of the scandalous remarks of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright that nearly scuttled his campaign, I understand now that his empathy with black anger was hard-earned, through years of authentic struggle and internal debate. If he is able in his leadership to transcend the racial divide in a way no other has before him, it is not because he arrived on the political scene at a time when these issues were already resolved, but rather because he had to go through his own personal hell to reach that point in his intellectual life.

I am just now reading the long section in which he describes his arrival in Chicago as a "community organizer"--work that was dismissed with such easy sarcasm at the Republican convention--and that full first year in which he labored with only minimal success to find a place for himself, a beginner's political identity that would foster his leadership qualities. Again, as he is forced time and again to recognize his failings and re-evaluate his approach, we watch a process of continual growth and change, a deepening of experience that forges at once the steelier and more compassionate character he'll need in order to achieve his goals: his bid for the presidency is already in our minds, as readers, if not in his, and we marvel at the depth of his preparation for the path that is to follow. It is remarkable that the young man he describes, with all his uncertainties and doubts, his innocence and idealism, his naivete and his errors of presumption and assumption--that this often insecure and yet determined young man should end up in our White House.

More to come. I'm looking forward to the second half...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/26/2009

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.

~The Buddha

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Practicing Peace in Times of War - Pema Chödrön

Practicing Peace in Times of War - Pema Chödrön
Practicing Peace in Times of War is a short, pithy, and profound work that includes practical strategies for cultivating the seeds of peace and compassion amid life’s upsets and challenges. Readers who appreciate Pema Chödrön’s books will be delighted to listen to her warm and encouraging voice. The book Practicing Peace in Times of War is based on six of Pema Chödrön’s public talks.

Chödrön begins with some disquieting observations, such as that we can all be fundamentalists—that is, self-righteous and closed-minded—and that peace demonstrators are not terribly peaceful. Like other Buddhist teachers on the subject of political action, she sees a direct connection between what is in the heart and expressed in outward actions. She teaches how to stop the reflexive and habitual emotional reaction to perceived hostility through patience, pausing, breathing. It's not easy, but it is simple. Chödrön is also provocative: insecurity has a positive function, she suggests, so don't run away from it. Some of what this skillful teacher says is almost too simple or underexplained, which can happen when a talk becomes a book, as is the case here. "Don't spin off" is a condensed instruction that is a little too condensed. While it may intrigue beginners, this book will be a better gift for those who are already familiar with Chödrön's body of work.

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PBS Nova: Lost Treasures of Tibet (2003) - Documentary

PBS Nova: Lost Treasures of Tibet (2003) - Documentary

Mustang, one of the last outposts of Tibetan culture, is so isolated and protected, no Westerner set foot inside its borders for centuries. But in the early 1990s, this untouched society set high in the Himalayas opened its borders for the first time, exposing an ancient world's dazzling sacred relics long damaged by the elements and neglect. Today, outsiders are working with local townspeople to rescue priceless masterpieces dating back to the 13th century - but can these efforts preserve history in a way that is acceptable to the local culture? Join the race against time as art and restoration experts mix history, science and politics in a complicated and daunting mission to preserve these religious works of art. Travel to a remote part of the world for a remarkably rare look at the spectacular art created by a clandestine Buddhist culture. See astonishingy intricate and expressive Medieval wall paintings, woodcarvings, and a gravity-defying monastery built atop a cliff. And watch as science helps reveal vibrantly colored treasures from the past. With gods literally peeling off the walls, will outsiders be trusted with saving the sacred art of Mustang?

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/25/2009

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

~The Buddha

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Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children - Sarah Napthali

Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children - Sarah Napthali
Addressing the often-overlooked spiritual needs of mothers, this book discusses Buddhist teachings as applied to the everyday challenges and stresses of raising children. Offered are ways for mothers to reconnect with their inner selves and become calmer and happier-with the recognition that a happier mother will be a better parent. This realistic look at motherhood acknowledges the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering and offers real and achievable coping strategies for mothers to renew their lives on a deep level.

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Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom - Thrangu Rinpoche

Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom - Thrangu Rinpoche

Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom is a translation of the root verses of the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, accompanied by a line-by-line commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche, the foremost scholar of this tradition. Rinpoche with his vast experience in meditation explains how the eight consciousnesses function and how they are transformed into the five wisdoms at enlightenment. This is book on Buddhist psychology written 800 years ago by one of the greatest scholars and meditators of his time. Thrangu Rinpoche's very lucid commentary makes it clear that what Rangjung Dorje's text is extremely relevant and important to the meditator of today.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/24/2009

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.

~The Buddha

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Today, Saturday...

... my mind is still reeling from the extraordinary experience of visiting the exhibition of Elias Sime's work at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. I mentioned him yesterday, I will be writing more about him in the next couple of days. Until then, I am content to be grateful for my health--a clean bill following my annual physical this past week; and for the gentle rain that is blessing us this weekend in Southern California...

The Fire Yogi: A Story of an Extraordinary Journey

The Fire Yogi: A Story of an Extraordinary Journey

3dMaxMedia Inc. introduces The Fire Yogi a 47 minute documentary exploring the journey of a Yogi who has the extraordinary ability to use a unique breathing technique to get into union with Fire. This non-religious documentary portrays a rare and unusual Fire Ritual performed by a Yogi from India and the subsequent chemical analysis of his clothing and physical tests that examine this supernatural phenomenon. The Yogi has performed this Fire Ritual for a total of 1000 days over the last 45 years. The Yogi, weighing a mere 94 pounds around 43 kilos has been able to survive on only two bananas and a mere glass of milk with a few drops of water twice a day for the last 28 years. The ritual is performed for Universal Harmony , Global Welfare and Individual Prosperity. Many aspects of the Yogi are on the edge of unbelievability, while at the same time highlighting the power and endurance of human mind, body and spirit.

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What is the Zen of Pornography?

What does this article have to do with Zen? Not much except the author's attempt to make a two sentence statement about pornography into a koan. Other then those two sentences there is no other reference to Zen or Buddhism. YET. Yet the title of the post is, "The Zen of Porn: If Pornography is Everywhere, Is It Nowhere?"

Upon reading that I thought that the article was going to be about some Zen Buddhist porn star or something. Instead it's an article about one woman's crusade against pornography.

I don't want to get into the debate about pornography itself (Though I will say that I consider pornography along with much of sexuality to be a personal matter). That said I found it somewhat disrespectful that she was using the Zen label to draw attention to an article about pornography. It appears to me that once again Zen has been misused for a catchy, "cool" title.

I know that it's often better to ignore this kind of thing but it seems at some point we need to say something if for no other reason than for self-respect. Yes, it's important not to get angry with every misuse of our Buddhist labels but it's also important to value our traditions--and ourselves. I don't think we need to get offended at every misuse of Buddhist labels either but at some point it comes down to showing courtesy for other beliefs and people.

Yes, it's important for ourselves to not get attached to simple words but simple words also carry sacred energy and meaning too. At some point we have to say something or we'll end up with Zen toilet seat covers and Zen toilet paper. Yes, it's important to keep the peace and not get personally invested in such disrespect but it's also important to stand for something.

Imagine saying, "The Christianity of Porn," you'd get bombarded by people finding offense and rightly so. Sometimes you have to draw a line. Yes, Buddhism is more than words but there is still a tradition to it and it would be sad if we just let all of our traditions disappear. True we don't need all of those things to practice meditation but then don't we just become someone who happens to meditate?

If Buddha is just a word then why do we take refuge in it? Don't we do Buddha's gift of the Dharma to us a bit of a disservice? Maybe I'm not a "real Buddhist" but I like some tradition and sacredness in my beliefs. I enjoy having things to respect and find meaning and value in.

Some people just don't know any better so I'm not saying we should insult them back but I am advocating that we educate whenever we have the opportunity.

~Peace to all beings~

Around the Art World

Big weekend in the Los Angeles art world, with two art fairs at opposite ends of town and any number of gallery openings. Ellie kicked it off last night at a reception for two very different artists sharing the space at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. A huge party at a large Brentwood home of contemporary design, where we ran into many old friends and met some new ones. Very old friends were one of the artists, Arnold Mesches, and his wife, the novelist Jill Ciment, both visiting from Florida for the occasion, whom we have known for forty years and more. Arnold--whose wonderful website is well worth visiting, by the way--has been painting and teaching for more years than he cares to remember. He's a painter par excellence, who wields a mean brush and has not been afraid, on occasion, to take on social issues head on. His latest series, "Coming Attractions," is a nightmarish, surrealistic look at a world in which baroque excess and real-world deprivation are contrasted in huge, exuberantly-painted canvases. You'll be able to hear more from Arnold himself on an upcoming episode of my Art of Outrage podcast series on Artscene Visual Radio.

The second artist was the remarkable Ethiopian Elias Sime, who works with raw indigenous materials like mud, clay and straw to create hauntingly beautiful artifacts that are at once raw and "primitive" and astonishingly sensuous and sophisticated. Peter Sellars, the noted impresario who co-curated the exhibition, was on hand to give a passionate introduction to the work whilst, behind him, a film projected on a huge flat-screen television monitor ran a movie of Sime's magnum opus--to date, at least--a house in Addis Ababa that evokes the off-beat architectural genius of an Antonio Gaudi(of Sagrada Familia cathedral fame, in Barcelona) or a stirringly a low-tech Frank Gehry.

Since the exhibitions of both artists do not open until today, I have not yet seen either. I'll plan on reporting on them more fully when I do. Meantime, I'll be checking in on one or both of the art fairs this afternoon.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/23/2009

Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.

~The Buddha

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The Elephant and the Dog.

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I think that these two animals are well on their way to being reborn in the human realm where they can have the best chance at liberation from samsara. There are many humans who don't have the level of compassion, love and commitment as these two realize.

I find it especially endearing that this happened in an animal shelter between two animals who were otherwise rejected by the human realm. It could be that the elephant came from a circus who no longer saw her as "profitable." It is sad when humans see animals as nothing more than to be here for our benefit.

This is evident in all the pets that are abandoned each year in animal shelters because people bought the animals thinking that they'd be the perfect accessory. Instead they realized that they were no different than little children and required a lot of attention, care and responsibility so they abandoned them, which to me says more about the humans than the animals.

Once I learned in Buddhism that we are inter-related with not just humans but animals I saw these creatures completely differently. It then became impossible to me to continue eating meat when I learned that a chicken meant for slaughter could have been my mother in a past life.

Animals have so much to offer and I've found that they really do have little personalities, which fits the Buddhist teaching that we all have our own karma. In having different karma that means that we each have our own personalities, tendencies, quirks, weaknesses, etc. and animals are no different. There are dogs for example who are very smart like my sister's dog whom I swear can understand English and other dogs who aren't so smart. Thus, perhaps the smarter dog is further along the path toward a human birth due to a different karma.

Then there are dogs and other animals who are aware/mindful enough to get help for their human friends who have an accident or get sick. That requires a certain degree of compassion, which is a thought/action that leads to a change in karma, which (in my view) increases in these animals a greater potential for a human rebirth. May all beings achieve liberation from samsara.

Day One

I normally manage to remain in control of my emotions when I read the newspaper--short, in recent years, of those bouts of anger reading about what our former non-president had done, and fear about the consequences of his actions. I suppose those count as emotions. But I found myself choking up all over again as I read the New York Times report of how Obama spent his first day in the Oval Office. This is getting ridiculous. But isn't it nice, for a change, instead of turning the pages and reading about one disastrous mis-step after the next, to find oneself nodding sagely at each turn of the page: Hmmm, yes, good move. That was the right thing to have done...

There was a column that linguistically explained the likely source of the Chief Justice's flubbing of the words of the oath of office: a pedant's revulsion for the grammatical "error" of a "split verb" in the wording of the Constitution: from the strictly technical point of view, it is incorrect to split an infinitive or a future construction by placing an adverb in between. Thus, "to faithfully execute" should strictly read "faithfully to execute" or "to execute faithfully." Those founders! A strict constructionist, the Chief Justice must have been torn between the words of the Constitution and his reputed pedantry, and his confusion was reflected in his very public foundering on the rocks of mis-spoken lines--an embarrassment viewed by millions throughout the world.

No matter, Obama did the right thing (again!) by insisting that Roberts participate in the return engagement, leaving not the slightest grounds for nigglers--yes, please look again: I spelled that right--of all shades to contest his legitimacy. And isn't it good to hear a President talk about openness and transparency being the hallmark of his office? And signing an order, Day One, to begin the process of closing Guantanamo? And capping the salaries of his staff? And barring lobbyists from his--I mean our--White House?

It's enough to make a grown man cry.

Oh, and speaking of intelligence, a friend sent me this link to a video which I have not seen elsewhere, and which I found quite charming. It does put things into perspective.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/22/2009

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?

~The Buddha

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Meditation of your True Home - Thich Nhat Hanh

Meditation of your True Home - Thich Nhat Hanh
One of the best known Buddhist teachers in the West, Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings and practices appeal to people from various religious, spiritual, and political backgrounds. He offers a practice of mindfulness adapted to Western sensibilities created the Order of Interbeing in 1966, and established monastic and practice centers around the world. As of 2007 his home is Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France and he travels internationally giving retreats and talks. He coined the term Engaged Buddhism in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. FYI: Audio at times is poor on this recording

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Gumby Dharma (2006)

Gumby Dharma (2006)
This is the story of Art Clokey, who in 1954 took a humble slab of clay and molded it into the cartoon legend Gumby. At once quirky and colorful, heartbreaking and redemptive, Gumby Dharma takes us on a journey through the life and career of a spiritual seeker whose famous characters, Gumby and Pokey, and Davy and Goliath, echoed the spiritual path of their creator. It's a journey that leads us from an orphanage to adored adopted father, from the Seminary to Hollywood, from nuclear family to hippie counterculture, and from the traditional Episcopalian church to Buddhism and Indian guru Sai Baba. Gumby Dharma.com

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Tibet: The Story of a Feud. BBC Radio 4

Tibet: The Story of a Feud. BBC Radio 4
Rob Gifford explores the history of Tibet. According to the Chinese, the land has been part of China since the 13th Century. Tibetans, however, claim that the country was independent until the Chinese occupation of the 1950s.
Unfortunately, neither side appears to be entirely correct. What are the chances of a peaceful resolution to this long-running political feud?

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Winter Green Haiku.

winter sun bathes plants

green light glows through hungry leaves
flowering smiles

By James R. Ure

Well, Okay...

... all the chliches are exhausted, all the histories recorded, all the superlatives super'led. What's Left to say? (Hmmm, I notice that I "accidentally" capitalized that "L"!)

We had a party last night, we made a cake...



... well, actually, we had it made. Ellie's idea. And invited the neighbors in. Everyone was euphoric. We watched Barack and Michelle dance--she gorgeous in her ivory gown, he, well, handsome. Our spirits lifted with the champagne... Would have done, even without!

I thought Obama gave a terrific Inaugural Address, though it sounded a bit more like a State of the Union than an Inaugural. Appropriately. Our new young President struck the right note, as he seems so often effortlessly to do. There's repair work to be done, in addition to the building. He managed, skillfully, and in the nicest possible way, to repudiate everything Bush had stood for. And not only Bush, of course: his repudiation went all the way back to Ronald Reagan, the disastrous practice of a "trickle-down" economy that predictably failed to trickle down, and the politics of the slow, deliberate strangulation of government. Mercilessly, Obama exposed the futility of these policies, and the damage they have wreaked upon the country. He did not hold back.

And now it's not just his job, as he has so often pointed out. It's our job. To judge from the crowds gathered in freezing weather on the Washington Mall and from their response to his accession to the presidency, he has us in his hands. If we allow the nay-sayers to prevail--on the left as well as the right--he is done for, and so are we as a nation. As the somewhat hackneyed but still truthful message on the cake repeats, "We Are One." Have to be. No option. And our new President makes it clear that he understands that this is true for the world as well as for the country he has been elected to lead. I wish him well.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/21/2009

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

~The Buddha

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Daoism: A Beginner's Guide - James Miller

Daoism: A Beginner's Guide - James Miller
Spanning the centuries and crossing the globe, this engaging introduction covers everything Daoist, from the religion of the ancients to 21st century T’ai Chi and meditation. Complete with a timeline of Daoist history and a full glossary, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide will prove invaluable not only to students, but also to general readers who wish to learn more about the origins and nature of a profound tradition, and about its role and relevance in our fast-moving 21st century existence.

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