A Lazy Day

Today I have hardly the stamina or the inner resources required to brave the opinion pages of the New York Times. The times are indeed dispiriting. One wishes for a sign of some gumption, somewhere in the country, either in Washington or out here, among the thinking electorate. The only gumption I see is of the misguided, philistine, boorish kind. We did spend an excellent day, yesterday, with fellow members of the Art Council at the Laguna Art Museum, exploring the cultural highlights of the city of Riverside. More about that in another entry, perhaps tomorrow. Today, I go to that same Laguna Art Museum to give a talk about "Persist" and, hopefully, sign a few books. In the current desultory atmosphere, I'll be delighted if a handful of good souls show up...

Meantime, though, let me share my delight in these pictures of our grandchildren, sent yesterday from England. Here's Sherlock Joe and Doctor Georgia, twins, at that house on Baker Street:

And here they are again with their older sister, Alice, in the company of young Paul and Ringo at Madame Tussaud's:

And of course with that naughty old British master, Hitch:

So who can be too grouchy, when these spirits abound?

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/31/2010

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."

~Buddha

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Obama: A Stellar Performance

Did you catch any of the broadcasts of Obama at that gathering of Republican congressional representatives yesterday? It was a masterful performance. One hundred and forty of them, many with distinctly hostile questions about his policy and his handling of the Presidency, and he took them all on with extraordinary grace, ease, and good humor. For two full hours. Above all, he demonstrated an amazing grasp of the issues, often much broader and deeper than his questioners. So much, too, for those who have scoffed at his use of the teleprompter. Here, he spoke extemporaneously, without notes; he answered the questions that were asked, often turning the barb around on the questioner--though always without malice. He seemed entirely at ease, presidential, in command of the situation. In front of him, in the audience, his questioners seemed small, petty, inconsequential.

I heard that the Republicans regretted their decision to allow a live broadcast of the session. They must have expected to score points. They did not. I wish it had been required watching for every independent voter who has started to lose faith in the man they were responsible for electing. This session made clear that the problem is not with their choice, but rather with a political climate and a law-making system that allow his leadership to be hobbled by those with poisonous political agendas but no ethical perspective on the obligations of government. One man alone cannot do what's needed to be done in this country, not even a man with presidential powers.

In case you missed it, I invite you to go back to Gary's excellent comment on Thursday's entry in The Buddha Diaries. He says is all, loud and clear, upper case! Have a good weekend!

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/29/2010

"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship."

~Buddha

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Haircuts: Now with ZEN!!

Being Friday I decided to post something a little light-hearted. Every week or so I scan through the news stories via Google News on Buddhism and Zen. Well, the other day I came across an advertisement for a beauty salon in Dubai called, "Zen Beauty Lounge."

I had to giggle a bit because the idea of primping and dying hair isn't exactly the image I think of when I think, "Zen." When I think, "Zen" and "hair" I think of bald monks!! I doubt all the ladies going to this salon in Dubai would want to truly experience a "Zen haircut!!"

~Peace to all beings~

PHOTO CREDIT: Mirror, UK

A Covey...

... of art writers at our Laguna Beach cottage last night. The occasion was an Orange County visit from my friend Bill Lasarow, who has for many years now published Artscene magazine, in which a number of the essays in "Persist" originally appeared. A couple of years back, Bill started Artscene Visual Radio, the host for my podcast series, "The Art of Outrage"; and his recent merger with Visual Art Source has created an art resource network that covers the western states. It's an impressive venture, and an invaluable source of information for what's happening in this part of the world. Last night's dinner at our cottage--take-out pizza and salad--gave the Orange County contributors a chance to get together, and some of us an opportunity to meet for the first time.

I have been writing about art since the early 1970s. Until then, I had never thought of myself as anything but a poet, but I stumbled into an exhibition of work that fundamentally challenged my understanding of what art was all about--I've told the story too often elsewhere to repeat it here!; my poet's head would not let go of the challenge and I started to write about it... From that moment on, I have been known as an art writer, and have contributed at one time or another to all the major art publications. Throughout it all, though, I have been grateful to Bill for allowing me a platform for observations about the "art scene", the predicament of the artist, the influence of money and the meaning of professionalism, what it means to be an art writer, and so on.

It has not been a "profession" in the sense that I could have made a living out of this aspect of my writing--nor, indeed, ever, out of any kind of writing. But art has provided me with a valued focus for most of what I write. I have worn the critic's hat; I have written scores of reviews. I have written general interest articles about collectors, artists, and other art world figures. I love to write catalogue essays, which give me the opportunity, as I see it, to collaborate with the artist in a way that is not kosher, certainly, in writing reviews. I have written the text for art books, and am currently about to embark on a new one, which I shall enjoy.

All this has offered me wonderful opportunities, and I'm grateful to have encountered many fascinating, creative people along the way. I stand in a place now where I am able to pick and choose what I write about, and love the freedom of these Buddha Diaries to write about everything from global politics to personal matters, from book and movie reviews, as they come along, to questions of ethics, religion, and philosophy. I have noticed an upward trend in my readership in recent days, and wonder what this might have to do--or not!--with the publication of "Persist" and my (persistent!) efforts to give this new offspring a good start in life. The nice thing is, it all seems to work so well in symbiotic flow; things come together, merge and form a steadier stream. A good feeling...

So it was wonderful to be able to welcome a handful of fellow writers in our home last night, all of us at different stages along the path, but all dedicated to a similar purpose in life, and with similar goals. "Success" comes generally in small measures for an art writer, and must be tallied mostly in terms of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. But it's good to know that there are others, like myself, who are content to enjoy the satisfactions that our avocation brings.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/29/2010

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."

~Buddha

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Buddhist Converts in India.

For the last 5-10 years I have watched in marvel at the mass conversions in India from Hinduism to Buddhism. It was explained to me that many of the converts are Dalits, (the "untouchables") or members of the lowest caste. I can see why someone who is treated as less-than simply for being born into a certain caste would seek the freedom from caste through Buddhism. Buddhism tells us that we are all equal and interconnected, thus, how can we treat any other being as less than us when they are apart of us? That would be like treating ourselves in the same manner and who wants to see themselves as inferior to others? Another conversion recently took place, which saw 11,000 Hindus and Christians convert to Buddhism:

Express News Service, Jan 25, 2010

Ahmedabad, India -- Cose to 11,000 people, including those from the Koli and Kshatriya communities as well as Christian families, embraced Buddhism at a function in Saijpur Bogha here on Sunday. Buddhist monks from Bhante Pragnyasheel administered the pledges to the new converts. The Ahmedabad district collector, however, said no conversion could be effective unless an official permission was granted.

James: I have read from other conversions that the Hindu dominated government often refuses to acknowledge these conversions away from Hinduism. One Dalit spoke of the demeaning caste system and said, "I have hidden my roots. But often on trains people ask about my background, what my father did, where I am from. When I tell them my caste they stop asking questions. In fact they stop talking to me. Buddhism means I can simply say I am not a Hindu. I do not have a caste." It is a sad irony that the country, which gave birth to Buddhism so often now resists the practice of it today by some of its citizens. However, the trend toward an Indian neo-Buddhism doesn't seem to be slowing down. Seeing how both religions believe in karma, you'd think that the Hindus who behave this way would think twice before speaking ill of those converting to Buddhism and treating them as inferior.

Let me be clear, however, that I am not condemning the religion of Hinduism. I find it to be a very vibrant, peaceful, enlightening and beneficial religion. I incorporate some Hindu mystical teachings into my Buddhist practice. However, I can not condone the caste system that is still adhered to by many despite it being technically illegal. Nor can I condone the government not recognizing people having the right to convert to Buddhism. In one region of India, Gujarat, the BJP government there amended a law to state that Buddhism and Jainism are simply extensions of Hinduism. Yes, there are many similarities, but also important differences and I find it unsettling that such a huge democracy as India would take such a rigid stance on religious freedom. As well as that so many Hindus resisting such conversions when Hinduism is said to be a religion of religious tolerance and openness.

I have done a fair bit of research into this subject and it seems that in many cases the resistance to Dalits and others converting to Buddhism is because of political views rather than true religious objections. It is my hope that the majority of the Hindus in India are much more tolerant and secular than those who object to Buddhist conversions. Especially when there are so many different expressions within Hinduism. Why tolerate all those variations but not a fellow, Indian born religion of Buddhism? You'd think it would be a more tolerated religion because of its Indian roots, if nothing else.

~Peace to all beings~

Obama Persists!

And good for him! I am amazed, how he manages to hold up with apparent good humor and good spirits, even optimism, in the face of the political obstacles that continue to confront him--indeed, seem to multiply by the hour and day. I thought his speech last night was excellent. He went head-on for the major issues, was not afraid to accept responsibility, nor to hold others accountable where appropriate. I was at once astounded and gratified to hear him publicly scold the Supreme Court for their dreadful decision last week, to open the floodgates of corporate money into the political system. Not that it wasn't already the major factor in our political life. The venerables were forced to sit like little children in front of their teacher in the classroom. No doubt we will be hearing from Scalia...

So, yes! Persistence is the quality of the day. I choose to believe that this young man has his heart in the right place, along with a head that can grasp realities with analytic discernment, and address them with thoughtful patience and awareness of the circumstances, and an eye to their eventual outcome. I do not, however, believe him to be a magician, witch doctor, or Messiah. He needs help. He needs support. He needs thoughtful--not knee-jerk, ideological--criticism and collaboration. He challenged the Congress to work with him for the benefit of a deeply wounded, deeply divided country.

The glove was thrown down last night--and not only to the Congress. It was thrown down at the feet of the American people who elected this still new President, as well as the feet of their other elected representatives.

I wonder, now, if all of us will recognize the challenge and stoop to pick up the glove that has been thrown. If we fail to do so, if we continue to squabble and obstruct, if we continue to whine and whimper like unruly children, or stamp our feet when we don't get our way, we will surely hobble this President we elected amid so much fanfare, and with so much hope. If we are to get out of this current mess we're in, we must, each of us, learn to see further than our little selves, our imagined needs, our assertive and yet fragile egos. This absurd struggle for power succeeds, eventually, only in rendering us impotent.

So, can we persist? Can we, at this late date, summon up the will to find our common purpose and to work toward our common good? Can we yet learn to sacrifice some of our own sacred cows? If not, I believe this America is destined to become irrelevant as the rest of the world moves on.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/28/2010

"He is able who thinks he is able."

~Buddha

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Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism

Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism
Rennyo is undeniably one of the most influential persons in the history of Japanese religion and yet his thought remains somewhat enigmatic from the standpoint of what is considered orthodox Shinshu doctrine today. This book, which collects ten unpublished essays by both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars, will be the first to confront many of the major questions surrounding the phenomenal growth of Honganji under Rennyo's leadership, such as the source of his charisma, the soteriological implications of his thought against the background of other movements in Pure Land Buddhism, and the relationship between his ideas and the growth of his church. The volume is intended as an important first step in expanding the field of Rennyo studies outside Japan, and to provide significant stimulus to the fields of Japanese religion, Japanese social history, comparative religion, and sociology of religion.

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Be As You Are

Be As You Are: The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi,
Ramana Maharshi was one of the most significant spiritual teachers to emerge from India during the first half of the century, and remains widely admired. This recent collection of conversations between him and the many seekers who came to his ashram for guidance contains the essence of his teaching. His concern throughout his long life of imparting his experience to others was to convince his listeners that self-realisation - or enlightenment - is not an alien or mysterious state, but the natural condition of man. This state can be easily discovered by undertaking the self-investigation clearly described in these talks. The lucid instructions to each section provide further illumination of this greater seer's message.

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Nirvana and other buddhist felicities

Nirvana and other buddhist felicities
This book presents a new answer to the question: what is nirvana? Part 1 distinguishes between systematic and narrative thought in the Pali texts ofTheravada Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, arguing that nirvana roduces closure in both, and setting nirvana in the wider category of Buddhist felicities. Part 2 explores other Buddhist Utopias (both eutopias, "good places," and ou-topias, "no-places"), and relates Buddhist utopianism to studies of European and American Utopian writing. The book ends with a close reading of the VessantaraJdtaka, which highlights the conflict between the ascetic quest for closure and ultimate felicity, and the ongoing demands of ordinary life and society. Steven Collins discusses these issues in relation to textuality, world history, and ideology in premodern civilizations, aiming to contribute to a new vision of Buddhist history, which can hold both the inside and the outside of texts together.

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Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
A respected Zen master in Japan and founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, Shunryu Suzuki has blazed a path in American Buddhism like few others. He is the master who climbs down from the pages of the koan books and answers your questions face to face. If not face to face, you can at least find the answers as recorded in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, a transcription of juicy excerpts from his lectures. From diverse topics such as transience of the world, sudden enlightenment, and the nuts and bolts of meditation, Suzuki always returns to the idea of beginner's mind, a recognition that our original nature is our true nature. With beginner's mind, we dedicate ourselves to sincere practice, without the thought of gaining anything special. Day to day life becomes our Zen training, and we discover that "to study Buddhism is to study ourselves." And to know our true selves is to be enlightened.

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Dear Readers...

... of The Buddha Diaries,

This morning I thought I might just take a few minutes to bring you an update on the progress of my promotional efforts on "Persist." It happens to be what is taking up most of my time these days, and I have to say that I'm rather enjoying it.

I sometimes stop to ask myself why I'm spending so much time and energy on work that, after all, is now completed. The book is written, published. It has started a journey of its own. What I myself can do seems puny beside the money and support systems that go into the promotion of the major publishing houses. (Consider that dubiously famous "rogue" and her best-seller!) And yet... I've always felt it a bit soppy to refer to a book as "my child," but I do feel that kind of responsibility for it: I put it out into the world, it's up to me to give it the fair start it needs--or at least the best I can. In my case, no one else is going to do it for me.

That said, I'm really thrilled with what I've managed to achieve thus far. I decided, first of all, against the traditional "book-signing." I have done enough of those, and the only one that ever worked was when I put out the book on David Hockney in the Abbeville Press Modern Masters Series. I was astonished, then, when I showed up for the event at Book Soup in Hollywood, to find lines around the block. But they had showed up for the superstar artist, of course, not for the author! The more successful book-signing events have been those combined with a talk, a lecture, some discussion. I remember one such event at the Bodhi Tree, on the publication of my memoir, "While I Am Not Afraid." A hundred people showed up for the talk I gave about the book and the experiences that led to it.

So that's the route I'm taking this time around, with "Persist." If you were reading along last week, you'll have heard about my talk at the Inside Edge. I have the second in the series coming up this Sunday, at the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach (for Orange County residents, it's at 1PM.) And another dozen already scheduled in the next couple of months, at various locations, some academic, some groups of artists or writers. I'll be posting information as they approach. It's good to realize that these events are not merely about selling books. As long-time readers will know, I have a great, abiding desire to feel that I'm doing something with this life I have been given, that I'm making a contribution with this one talent--with words--with which I have been endowed.

I know, also, that I'm not able to make much of a dent on my own. I'm grateful for any help I can get along the way. If it's in your heart, there are ways in which you can lend me a friendly hand. I hope it's okay with you if I lay a few out:

* If you're a fellow-blogger, a mention on your own blog would be appreciated. If you think you might be able to write a review for your readers, send me an email (my address is in the right hand sidebar) with your street address and I'll send off a review copy. I'm offering up to ten freebies for this purpose.

* Importantly, you can also order a copy at www.paramipress.com/persist, or even at Amazon. The latter, I believe, is slightly slower, but it works. Please consider this. I'm not one for the hard sell, but every order makes a difference. And once you have read the book, I'd welcome your participation on Facebook and Goodreads discussions.

* You can inquire about the book at your local bookstore, and act surprised when they've never heard of it! You might tell them that you've heard good things about it...

* You can send a link to this entry to creative friends who you think might resonate with the title. (Actually, the title and subtitle have already proved good friends to me. I have only to say the words and a smile of recognition will inevitably appear.)

* You can send out information via your Facebook page ("Persist" has its own page on Facebook, and there's information about the book there, along with links to other sources of information); or via Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

I hope you won't mind my making these suggestions. I do understand that this medium can be easily misused, and that it can be an annoyance. I trust that's not the case here. And I do need to live up to the injunction that is the title of my book...

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/27/2010

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

~Buddha

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Hidden Buddhas: A Book Review.

Sacred Buddha statues imbued with ancient powers are disappearing. From the minute you open this book your are pulled into a page turning mystery with nothing less than the fate of humanity, Buddhism and the world at stake. What unfolds is a novel that crosses the path of many people who seemingly have nothing in common, or do they?

The energy of the book hurls you forward and deeper into a world balanced between spirituality and total chaos but page by page that balance teeters toward the unimaginable. The author does a wonderful job conveying Japanese culture, especially as seen through the eyes of the Shingon Buddhism. It's heavy on the esoteric, which might be a bit cumbersome for some Zennists but irregardless of sect orientation, it is still a good read.

I'd give it an 7.5 out of 10. If anyone wants the book, I'd be happy to send it out to you. I'll send it to the first person who asks in the comment section. Unfortunately though I can only ship inside the U.S., Canada or Mexico.

~Peace to all beings~

Mindful Gardening in Prison.

Nelson Mandela may have started it all when he was in prison—"A garden is one of the few things in prison that one could control," he wrote in his autobiography. "Being a custodian of this patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom." But the idea probably rose to national fame only earlier this past decade, when the Garden Project of San Francisco started selling fresh produce to Alice Waters's acclaimed Chez Panisse restaurant.

Catherine Sneed, the woman who in 1992 founded that project, which is a post-release program for ex-prisoners, did so because she had already seen such success with the Horticulture Program at the San Francisco County Jail, where she would go out on a daily basis with prisoners to work on the farm within the boundaries of the jail. The vegetables they grew were donated to soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Her moment of realization of a need for a post-release program came when one student of hers asked the visiting sheriff for permission to stay and work on the farm; Sneed recalled, "he had nothing on the outside."

James: One of the failures of our justice system is that we don't rehabilitate prisoners very well. This can be seen in how often prisoners come out of prison a better criminal than going in. These prison gardens, which offer a chance for inmates to practice mindfulness via caring for vegetables is wonderful rehabilitation. It teaches them patience and focuses the brain to make it harder for the mind to chase dangerous thoughts down the rabbit hole. It gives them the tools to release less skillful energy and transform it into something wonderful such as vibrant, life-sustaining food.

It gives them hope that their lives can still have some meaning despite having committed horrible crimes, and thus, unfortunately treated as no longer having a benefit to society. I think it's wonderful that the food they grow is used in soup kitchens and homeless shelters. It is a way for these prisoners to do some good instead of causing harm. It is a way for them to feel like they can pay some of their debt to society, and reduce less skillful karma. I know that it's very difficult for victims' families to think anything positive should happen in the lives of these prisoners. However, if anything good can come from such horrible events then I would hope that they could take some comfort in such programs. Especially one that helps feed the homeless. If it weren't for these gardens that these inmates grow, who knows what crimes some homeless might commit to feed themselves. What a wonderful thing to think of inmates helping people potentially stay out of prison.

Sadly the U.S. prison system is structured in a way as to build up tensions between inmates and offer few programs to help them release that emotion in a more positive way. It is my hope that these prison gardens will become a trend and that mindfulness will help relieve some of the problems in our prison system. I know it can if given a chance.

---End of Transmission---

Sophie Scholl

We watched a rented version of Sophie Scholl: The Final Days last night. It's the story of the young woman who, as one of the small group of German students who resisted the Nazi regime, was executed in 1943 for the crime of distributing pamphlets condemning Hitler and denouncing his war as a lost cause. As Sophie's brother, Hans, said during their kangaroo court trial, even in 1943 you had only to look at a map to understand that the German military stood no chance against the combined forces of Russia, Britain and the United States. Had the simple realism of the young people of the White Rose prevailed, how much futile bloodshed would have been avoided.

As its title suggests, the film concentrates on Sophie's story--from her "criminal" act, to her arrest, her interrogation, the trial, and her execution by guillotine. It is not one that I'd recommend to those who prefer to spare themselves this kind of agony. It is, though, a powerful, compelling, and utterly convincing evocation of a period when tyrannical ideology trumped even the most basic human rights, when the surveillance of state police made resistance a risk of imminent arrest and an almost certain death sentence, and terror was the tool used by the state to ensure compliance with its arbitrary laws. It is a cautionary tale, reminding us of what can happen when average citizens are intimidated into surrendering their conscience.

Most remarkable about the film is its reliance on simple head shots and dialogue over action scenes. With the exception of the early scenes that briefly dramatize the fraught circumstances of the creation and distribution of the White Rose pamphlets and the electrifying trial, the action is reduced to the exchange between Sophie and her interrogator, Robert Mohr. Both actors are superb. In the beginning, Sophie simply lies, and lies with magnificent aplomb. At one point, she has virtually succeeded in convincing Mohr, and seems about to elude his clutches. But the tide turns against her, further resistance becomes futile, and her new tactic is to protect others, her friends, from sharing her fate. It's a battle between state power and personal conscience, reduced to this intense exchange between two individuals. There's a desk, a lamp, occasional incursions by attendant characters, but essentially the two actors must rely on nothing mire than facial expression and subtle body language.

You have to love Sophie. You are astounded by her grit, her determination, the inner moral compass that guides her through moments of weakness, pain, and doubt. You are outraged by the treatment she is subject to, and by the mockery of a trial at which--along with her brother and one associate--she is condemned. Even though you know throughout that it is coming, you are appalled by the injustice of her death. The events follow on each other in absolutely gripping sequence, such that it's impossible to take your eyes from even the small screen of the television monitor. You are confronted with your own core values, and with the question as to whether, in these circumstances, you would share Sophie's courage. You wonder whether you, too, would succumb to the tyranny and terror of the regime. And you find, in Sophie, the possible redemption of humanity, the essential nobility of the human spirit at its best.

Later this morning, I go to visit the studio of my friend Mark Strickland, one of a relatively small number of artists (I think of others like Leon Golub and Nancy Spero) who take it to be their responsibility, as artists, to use their skills to address matters of social conscience. Mark's recent series on the children at the Dachau concentration camp, another Nazi monstrosity, is a notable example. It's not something I expect of every artist, but I respect those who choose this difficult, off-mainstream path. They remind me that Sophie Scholl surrendered her young life for a cause greater than herself--an act of heroism that vastly transcends today's easy misuse of that word.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/26/2010

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life."

~Buddha

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A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra

A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra - Vessantara
A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra is a fascinating insight into a subject that has captivated the imagination of many but remains mysterious and exotic to all but a few.

Tantric deities? Who are they and what do they do?

This volume focuses on the deities whose mantra recitation and colorful visualizations lie at the heart of the Tantra. We meet goddesses of wisdom, the prince of purity, the lotus-born guru Padmasambhava, and dakinis- wild-haired women who dance in the flames of freedom. All, the peaceful and the wrathful alike, urge the reader to break through to wisdom, pointing out the true nature of reality with uncompromising vigor.

Devoid of pop culture misperceptions, this guide is a window into the sometimes mysterious world of Buddhist Tantra. Vessantara explores the key characteristics of the Tantra in this magical fusion of the practical and the imaginative-giving us a direct insight in into the poetry and the power of the Tantra.

A much-published and well-respected Buddhist author, meditator, and teacher, Vessantara is a senior member of the Western Buddhist Order. He holds a particular love for Tibetan Buddhism and is well-known as an effective storyteller. This is one of three volumes looking at Buddha figures in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/25/2010

"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."

~Buddha

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Buddhism: A Book Review

This might be a good time, for those who have not already done so, to consider Buddhism. I am no proselytizer of religion, but there is a great deal to be learned from the teachings. If, as I do, you look around in dismay at the hierarchies that seem to dominate our planet and our nation, you may stand to benefit from the non-attachment and the equanimity these teachings invite us to consider. You, as I, may have watched in sadness and bewilderment the stalemate of what purports to be our government, the disasters—both natural and man-made—that beset us, the stubborn denial of the human species in the face of its own ignorance, indifference, and outright cruelty, too often in the name of religious fervor. Like me, you may find these to be times when despair and withdrawal seem to be the only rational answers.

Time, then, perhaps, to pick up your copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism by Gary Gach (Alpha Books, 2009) (This is a revised version of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism.") For some time now I have labored under the misapprehension that I had already published my thoughts about this useful and engaging handbook; but a search through my computer files finds no mention, and this revised edition has already been out for months. It’s time to correct my omission.

There are, it’s true, much shorter and much less demanding guides to Buddhism on the market. But most of these serve only to reduce their subject to its simplest outlines. This book does not. It looks at Buddhism from every angle: its origins in the life story and the teachings of the Buddha, and how they come down to us; the history of the spread of the religion to different parts of the East, and finally to our own hemisphere; the variety of its manifestations, including Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Theravadan, and Pure Land; its similarities with other religions, and its differences; the core teachings themselves—the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Precepts, and so on—and not least their application to everyday life; and the basic practice of meditation, with ample examples of the huge variety of how-tos.

All of which may sound intimidating, but Gach makes the journey a pleasant and often light-hearted one. His narrative is filled with parables and poems (Gach himself is an enthusiastic translator of haikus), illustrations and engaging side trips into pithy expressions of wisdom by the great master teachers. And the truth is that this is not a simple subject, though many in the West have attempted to make it so, reducing complex thought to simplistic clichés. Gach is careful with detail, respectful of both the religious and philosophical complexities of Buddhist thought and practice. His book deserves to be read with the same careful attention; it is not one to read cover-to-cover, but one that asks for time and patience. It will reward those who bring that attention to it, not really “Complete Idiots,” but rather those with a curious bent and an open mind, ready to learn from what is a serious source of the kind of human wisdom and compassion sorely needed in a world that becomes increasingly vulnerable by the day.

The precious and I think perhaps unique quality of Buddhism is that it specifically rejects the fanaticism that other religions seem unfortunately to foster; what it offers instead is the rational alternative of a Middle Path, respectful of all life and insistent at its core on the principle: Do no harm. Gach’s book will serve you as a comprehensive, thoughtful and intelligible guide.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/24/2010

"With our thoughts we create the world."

~Buddha

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Haiti: A Chance to Practice International Metta.

Some people in America are complaining that the American government has given $100 million for relief efforts in Haiti. They argue that we should be spending that money here because we have our own problems. They think that people should donate on their own instead of using our tax dollars. I say that's cruel, selfish and irresponsible for a country with as much wealth as we have. I think we should do both -- donate and offer up tax dollars.

I know that we are having a deep recession but even still we have much, much more than Haiti has even before the earthquake. It's just the right thing to do to help the Haitians. It's the human thing to do. In my town's newspaper, we have a public comment forum on various issues. I thought the following comment (in today's paper) answered some peoples' selfish motives about the $100 million dollars quite well:

The $100 million that the U.S. government is spending on Haiti works out to about 30 cents for every person in the United States. The money is spent in the United States to buy food, water, building supplies and equipment, which is then spent to Haiti. So, the $100 million goes into the U.S. economy first before anything goes to Haiti. So, be generous. Give to Haiti.

James: So, it's a win, win. It helps Haiti to donate, our economy to donate and our sense of humanity to donate.

~Peace to all beings~

The US Supreme Court

I'll be brief, and here's my brief: until this week's Supreme Court ruling on corporate election funding, we could all choose to close our eyes and pretend that our country was not for sale to the highest bidder. Now, though, it's legal.

By what stretch of the judicial imagination vast corporations wielding billions of dollars become "people" I am unable to say. But what I have been saying for years now, first in "The Bush Diaries" and now in "The Buddha Diaries" is official and surely undeniable. We live in an oligarchy at best, at worst a simple plutocracy. Who can any longer deny this simple truth?

It has been the work of thirty years and more. We thank President Gerald R. Ford for John Paul Stevens; we thank Ronald Reagan for Antonin Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy; we thank George Bush Sr. for Clarence Thomas; we thank Bush Jr. for Samuel Alito and Chief Justice Roberts--the five wise men who hold American justice in their hands, and now apparently American politics, too. The Court that cynically--and disastrously--gave us George W. Bush now hands us the corpse of democracy.

These men, I've heard it said, pay homage at the altar of the US Constitution. Did the framers of that supposedly sacrosanct document see democracy thus? I like to think not. But now, as I see it, the form of government that the founders foresaw is a thing of the past in this part of the world. I trust it will raise its head somewhere in some other unlikely place, but who knows. The world is an increasingly weird and uncomfortable place. It may be time for a definitive eulogy.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/23/2010

"A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker."

~Buddha

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/22/2010

Just think of the trees: they let the birds perch and fly, with no intention to call them when they come and no longing for their return when they fly away. If people's hearts can be like the trees, they will not be off the Way.

~Langya

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Tickled Pink

Yes, I'm tickled pink. I'm on YouTube! Here's the link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIrbKi4x1qE">a video of my event at the Inside Edge. I'm planning on having more to say on another topic later in the day...

Nirvana for Sale?: Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakaya Temple in Contemporary Thailand

Nirvana for Sale?: Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakaya Temple in Contemporary Thailand
What is the proper relationship between religion and prosperity? Rachelle M. Scott looks at this issue in a Thai Buddhist context, asking when the relationship between Buddhist piety and wealth is viewed in favorable terms and when it is viewed in terms of conflict and tension. Scott focuses on the Dhammakaµya Temple, an organization that has placed traditional Theravaµda practices, such as meditation and merit-making, within a modernist framework that encourages personal and social prosperity. The Temple's construction of a massive religious monument in the late 1990s embodied this message, but also sparked criticism of the Temple's wealth and fund-raising techniques and engendered debates over authentic Buddhism and religious authority. Scott situates this controversy within the context of postmodern Thailand and the Asian economic crisis when reevaluations of wealth, global capitalism, and "Asian values" occupied a preeminent place in Thai public discourse.

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No Death, No Fear

No Death, No Fear - Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh always invites us to look deeply, and he does so once again in No Death, No Fear. Recognizing interconnections, Nhat Hanh brings us to beginnings, how they depend on endings, and how they are but temporary manifestations. Everything endures, he says, but in different forms. And this isn't just a palliative to make us feel better for a while--Nhat Hanh's philosophy of Interbeing takes the long view, challenging us to open our eyes to subtle transformations. He shows how extraordinary things happen when we are fully present with others and at peace with ourselves, both of which require openness and deep looking. In his bestselling style of easy prose, compelling anecdotes, and pragmatic advice, Nhat Hanh gradually drains the force out of grief and fear, transforming them into happiness and insightful living. Death doesn't have to be a roadblock, and in No Death, No Fear Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the way around.

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The Miracle of Mindfulness

The Miracle of Mindfulness - Thich Nhat Hanh
Miracle of Mindfulness is a sly commentary on the Anapanasati Sutra, the Sutra on Breath to Maintain Mindfulness. "Sly" because it doesn't read like a dry commentary at all. One of Thich Nhat Hanh's most popular books, Miracle of Mindfulness is about how to take hold of your consciousness and keep it alive to the present reality, whether eating a tangerine, playing with your children, or washing the dishes. A world-renowned Zen master, Nhat Hanh weaves practical instruction with anecdotes and other stories to show how the meditative mind can be achieved at all times and how it can help us all "reveal and heal." Nhat Hanh is a master at helping us find a calm refuge within ourselves and teaching us how to reach out from there to the rest of the world.

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The Sun My Heart

The Sun My Heart - Thich Nhat Hanh
In this sequel to The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh draws on psychology, philosophy, and contemporary physics to investigate meditation and interdependence. Rooted in Buddhist understanding, The Sun My Heart is at once an intellectual adventure and an inspiration to practice.

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Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident

Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident - Alan Watts
Alan Watts speaks to the ancient art of living the Zen life. Accompanying himself on the Koto, Watts enriches the program with readings of Zen poetry and stories.

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A Weird Week

This is a weird week, and it's not only the storms--four in a row, thus far--that keep slamming into the coastline from the west. Each brings, it seems, a heavier rainfall along with it. No, it's also the rhythm of the week which is all off. In the normal course of events we head up to Los Angeles from the beach on Sunday afternoon or Monday, and return to Laguna usually on Friday. Well, sometimes Thursday, if we're lucky. This week it was back to Los Angeles Sunday, then back again on Tuesday afternoon to be here in time for that Wednesday breakfast meeting; and back up north Wednesday morning, early enough to avoid the arrival of that day's storm. The evening brought the gala opening of the Los Angeles Art Fair (more below), from which we got back home at around 11PM. A walk around the hill early this morning, in the blustery winds that announced the imminent arrival of the next attack, and off immediately after breakfast, headed for the beach in nice time to arrive in Laguna Beach at the same time as the front edge of the storm. A very wet moment to unload the car.

I have a couple of days to look forward to in the sanctuary of the cottage, waiting out the remaining waves of rain. Saturday is supposed to be dry and sunny, but who knows? I leave in the morning for Los Angeles again, for a scheduled book-signing event at the art fair. Then back again to Laguna that same evening. It's all very bewildering--and not the least bewildered among the three of us is George. Not only is the rhythm all off, not only does he suffer the indignity of having to be toweled off each time he returns from his pee- or poop-walk, not only does he have to be man-handled in and out of the car--quite apart from all this, he's missing his regular ball-chases, whether down here in the park at the Top of the World or in our L.A. garden. He sits by the door at his usual times and wants to know what's wrong with us, that we're not catering to his habits.

The gala opening of the art fair was, well, an event. It began with a round of speeches to which, so far I could tell, not a single person listened; followed by a raucous performance by a song-and-dance group that tumbled down the long steps at the Convention Center into the crowd of champagne-sipping art enthusiasts--a long procession of musicians, blaring music unlike any I have ever heard before, a joyful, celebratory sound that was not band music, nor jazz, nor anything like classical--trombones, trumpets and saxophones blaring in gloriously exuberant cacophony...

... backed up by an odd assortment of drums and other timpani and a dozen or more squeeze boxes. This motley band was followed down the steps by a shimmering troupe of dancers...

... all clad in masks and brilliantly-colored, string costumes that quivered individually and unison as they moved. Once down at plaza level, the ensemble blasted out their music and the dancers bobbed and weaved for a good ten minutes before retreating back up the steps whence they had come. As you can tell, I managed only a few hopelessly inadequate pictures on my IPhone:

Once among the booths, we checked in with our friends at the Artscene booth before grabbing a bite to eat on the fly and heading out on to the floor of the Convention Center, where dealers from throughout the world were assembled to show their stuff. Generally speaking I have to say that the quality of work was disappointing, though with some exceptional highlights. Given my beef about art and commerce, I find it always a somewhat surreal experience to be in a place where a hundred and more galleries display their wares and dealers hang out, hoping to grab the attention of a potential customer. This is the market at its crassest, with a zillion artworks displayed higgledy-piggledy on makeshift walls, such that it's virtually impossible to see any of it. Still, a good spirit seemed to prevail, and we ran into a god number of old friends whose faces we had not seen in far too long. All in all, it was an entertaining evening, and one that reminded us of our good fortune in knowing so many good people involved in what we too glibly refer to as the art scene.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/21/2010

One single still light shines bright: if you intentionally pursue it, after all it's hard to see. Suddenly encountering it, people's hearts are opened up, and the great matter is clear and done. This is really living, without any fetters -- no amount of money could replace it. Even if a thousand sages should come, they would all appear in it's shadow.

~Chuzhen

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The Inside Edge

No. I'm not going to talk about Massachusetts. I'm going to talk about me. Well, I guess I usually do that anyway...

I was up shortly after 5AM, fed George, took him out for his morning walk. He was more than a little puzzled to be going out so early, but raised no particular objections. I made tea, poured two cups, and took one in to Ellie, to wake her. By 6AM, we were on the road, headed for the Faculty Club at UC Irvine, where I was scheduled to give the first in what is now developing into a series of speaking engagements in connection with the publication of "Persist." Those of you who have followed along in these pages for the past couple of weeks are surely aware that I have been chewing my nails a bit about this prospect, and will join me in a huge sigh of relief that it all turned out well.

Here's what I have come to understand. Speaking is an entirely different medium from writing. As a writer I can sit around playing on the keyboard, hidden comfortably behind my monitor, making changes where needed and taking the time to develop ideas, all the while aware that nothing goes out to the public before I want it to. Before I know that it's right. In the past, when invited to speak in public, I have most often written it all down and read from my script. My hosts at the Inside Edge, however--a truly wonderful organization that meets weekly for the express purpose of listening to invited guests from all walks of life--make it clear in advance that they expect something different. The expect their speakers to, well, speak.

So I set out to learn this new skill with some trepidation. I devoted a good number of hours to organizing myself and boiling it all down to an outline, from which I hoped to be able to stand up and talk without making too much of a fool of myself. I meditated furiously in the attempt to calm the mind down--though it was honestly not meditation, it was sitting and thinking. The fear was, of course, irrational: that I'd stand there with my mouth open and no words would come out. Irrational, because I do speak passingly well and, even when I'm talking absolute nonsense, have the advantage of a (still, halfway!) English accent which apparently, to the American ear, covers a multitude of other verbal inadequacies.

In the event, all was well. I threw away a good deal of the script. Over breakfast--a part of the Inside Edge ritual--one of my table-mates spoke about how she had abandoned early dreams of a creative life in favor of the contingencies of the job, the career, the family... Which gave me the perfect lead-in, as a place in which I too found myself many years ago, leaving university with the vague desire to be a writer, but constrained, at the same time, to meet those same social expectations. So that's where I started one I was up on the podium, and from there the words flowed easily and naturally--so much so, that I had pages of unused notes when my time came to an end. It seemed to have gone all too fast.

And what a wonderful reception! May I say, without appearing immodest, a standing ovation? (As soon as I found out how this is done, I will post a link to the DVD for anyone who might want to watch.) My generous listeners were all too kind, and many of them came up to me afterwards with really heartfelt expressions of thanks for those moments in which they had, for a variety of reasons, resonated with my words. The Buddha Diaries was mentioned and acknowledged, and should any of the participants from this morning happen upon this entry, today, may they know how very much I appreciated their warm welcome and their generous reception.

It's my understanding that this organization welcomes new members, and if you happen to live in Orange County, California, or anywhere nearby, I do recommend that you look into the opportunities it offers. There is, to begin with, a real sense of community which would be hard for even a one-time visitor to miss, along with a commonality of interest and an intellectual appetite for new and interesting ideas. I feel honored to have been invited, and to have been heard with such attention.

Back home in good time, we picked up George from the cottage and headed back up to Los Angeles, where we are scheduled to attend the gala opening of the Los Angeles Art Fair at the Convention Center. We were fortunate to beat the rain, which was starting just as we reached to off-ramp to come home... Right now, it's coming down steady and hard.

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/20/2010

The living meaning of Zen is beyond all notions. To realize it in a phrase is completely contrary to the subtle essence; we cannot avoid using words as expedients, though, but this has limitations. Needless to say, of course, random talk is useless. Nonetheless, the matter is not one-sided, so we temporarily set forth a path in the way of teaching, to deal with people.

~Qingfu

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/20/2010

1. Don't wish for perfect health. In perfect health, there is greed and wanting. So an ancient said, " Make good medicine from the suffering of sickness." 2. Don't hope for life without problems. An easy life results in a judgmental and lazy ind. So an ancient once said, "Accept the anxieties and difficulties of this life". 3. Don't expect your practice to be clear of obstacles. Without hindrances the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. So an ancient once said, "Attain deliverance in disturbances".

~Zen Master Kyong Ho

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Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 1/18/2010

The process of practice is to see through, not to eliminate, anything to which we are attached. We could have great financial wealth and be unattached to it, or we light have nothing and be very attached to having nothing. Usually, if we have seen through the nature of attachment, we will have a tendency to have few possessions, but not necessarily. Most practice gets caught in this area of fiddling with our environments or our minds. " My mind should be quiet". Our mind doesn't matter; what matters is non attachment to the activities of the mind. And our emotions are harmless unless they dominate us 9 that is, if we are attached to them)---then they create dis-harmony for everyone. The first problem in practice is to see that we are attached. As we do consistent, patient zazen we begin to know that we are nothing but attachments; they rule our lives. But we never lose an attachment by saying it has to go. Only as we gain true awareness of its true nature does it quietly and imperceptibly wither away; like a sandcastle with waves rolling over, it just smoothes out and finally Where is it? What was it?

~Charlotte Joko Beck

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