June 11th, 2008, posted in Buddhism, Enlightenment, Philosophy, Quotes
I wish more people would follow these rules. Life is about experience, yet so many of us work so hard to shut ourselves off from the experience.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. – Buddha
Of course it goes without saying that even this comes from Buddha, it to should be subject to its own logic and only be taken once experienced.
April 29th, 2008, posted in Computers, Downloads, Landscape, Photography, Portfolio, Web Design
I just received a notification from Schmap.com saying they want to use my Cleveland National Forest image for an upcoming edition of the application. The terms look ok even though there is no pay. They do link to my Flickr account and only use a thumbnail, so I will use the publicity.
April 23rd, 2008, posted in Buddhism, Enlightenment, Parenting, Philosophy, Quotes
I read AmidaBuddha.org daily. It is always refreshing to learn something new or to see how others view the world. Sometimes I am inspired and other times I am confused and contemplative of the quotes they produce. Typically they will quote a great Buddhist author or teacher. Occasionally the reference people like Einstein. Today we have one from one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. He is an author and illustrator that everyone in my generation grew up with. He has a musical that was produced about his work. And there have been several very successful conversions of his work into movies on both the large and small screens.
From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere… If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good. – Dr. Seuss, One Fish two fish red fish blue fish, 1960
For me this quote touches base with something the Dalai Lama said yesterday in his speech at Colgate University. Everything can be viewed from different perspectives. In some of these perspectives the situation or object is good and others it is bad. If you take the time and practice to release yourself from the fears and preconceptions you have about all the time and carefully examine everything from all possible angles, you will be able to enjoy more things.
April 22nd, 2008, posted in Buddhism, Enlightenment, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes
Speaking on happiness at Colgate University this afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama ended his speech with the following quote which points to the underlying root of what will bring peace to this world.
All religious traditions have the same potential, therefore we must respect all tradition. -Dalai Lama
Take respect in each other and each person’s traditions. If you don’t understand them, ask for explanations. Do not argue, but with permission you can discuss the differences between your traditions and theirs. If we work on this as a planet, we can achieve greater things than we already have.
Update
During his Q&A section the Dalai Lama was asked what can be done from the spiritual person to help those without spirituality. He made a very poingant case for leading by example, but most of:
Unless the non-spiritual person asks to be taught about Buddhadharma, do not teach Buddhadharma.
He further explained, that while this is the Buddhist way, it is a truth that all people regardless of religion should follow. This received a very loud round of applause from the audience at Colgate University. For more information and hopefully a link to access the recorded webcast, check out Colgate’s website.
April 22nd, 2008, posted in Buddhism, Computers, Enlightenment, Parenting, Philosophy, Politics
Happy Earth Day! I thought I would take a few moments to detail those things that I have been working hard on this year to do in order to contribute to a greener world. I am not going to preach on global warming as I think we are only beginning to understand what is happening.
This past year I have been conscious of everything that I do and its effect on my surroundings. As such I have take the following actions and I encourage you to take similar ones for yourself.
April 11th, 2008, posted in Enlightenment, Philosophy
I have always been one to question “what is art?” and wondered who really gets to decide.
Famous Flickrite Thomas Hawk posed that question on his blog today. He has posted two images, one is a painting in a well known art museum, the other was found on a building in the street. He is taking votes and will reveal the answer tomorrow, but I encourage everyone to examine their position on the topic and chime in.
April 9th, 2008, posted in Buddhism, Enlightenment, Prose, Quotes
The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to. -Chuang Tzu
Last night I spent nearly an hour meditating with the group up at the Milwaukee Shambala Center. Every Tuesday they offer meditation lessons or a group sit followed by tea and a lesson and discussion on Buddhism. This week they covered the third of the Four Noble Truths: Cessation of Suffering. The key to focus on as presented last night is the suffering we generate within ourselves once our basic needs are met.
The first truth is the recognition that suffering exist or the nature of suffering. Like all problems you can not solve them without acknowledging it. The second is the origin of suffering. Our desire to be right or to crave things leads to suffering. Cessation of suffering comes when we begin to let go of the desire to be right or crave. By releasing the thought, we can prevent the speech. Preventing the speech can prevent the action. Without the action there will be no suffering. In many cases there are more than one way to accomplish a task or goal. Instead of sticking to your guns and ideas on how it should be done, be open to all possibilities. You will feel less frustrated reducing your internal suffering. By being open and accepting of others ideas you will also cause less suffering for them.
April 7th, 2008, posted in Enlightenment, Philosophy, Quotes
With the current conflicts around the world…some wars, some environmental, and some simply nonacceptance of others, this particular quote seems rather important.
It is our earth, not yours or mine or his. We are meant to live on it, helping each other, not destroying each other. – J. Krishnamurti
Let’s all take a moment and try to understand each other. If you can not understand, ask for an explanation and do not judge, just listen and inquire. If you disagree, simply state that you understand but disagree and respect the other opinion. If everyone were to take time to do this we can achieve world peace and eradicate racism.
Related: The Right View
April 2nd, 2008, posted in Enlightenment, Philosophy, Quotes
I have three for you today. The first one is from a well known and intelligent person. It has a touch of Buddhist philosophy in it:
I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. -Albert Einstein
The next is a quote from the Buddha which points directly to the philosophy behind Einstein’s quote:
All conditioned things are impermanent – When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification. – Buddha
And lastly a fun one but poignant one:
The love of truth lies at the root of much humor. -Robertson Davies
If you are not familiar with Robertson Davies, he is a Canadian author probably best known for “The Manticore”.
March 14th, 2008, posted in Enlightenment, Philosophy, Politics
I truly do try and stay away from politics, but as I have mentioned here before and quote often, I hold the Dalai Lama in particular and Tibetan Buddhists in general in high regard. This week while commemorating the 49th anniversary protest that ousted the Dalai Lama from his home and his people, Buddhists monks during a peaceful protest in Lhasa, Tibet were met with resistance from Chinese soldiers.
Tibetan citizens, not holding to the monks non-violent protest began rioting. There are reports coming from the region that monks have self-inflicted wounds upon themselves (a sign of protest), people are looting, fires are being set to vehicles and shops, and some are dying during this time. Gunfire has been heard throughout the city. The political and religious turmoil occurring on the “Roof of the World” has forced the Chinese government to actually shut down Mt. Everest at the very beginning of the climbing season. It will be shut until May 10th when a Chinese team is expected to summit with the Olympic torch. The government of Nepal is attempting to negotiate so that the southern route of Everest is still climbable as this is a massive source of income for what is the world’s second poorest country. However they are under great pressure from the Chinese government which is concerned about meeting pro-Tibetan protests during the climb.
Just 5 months before the Olympic games in Beijing, the world should be holding China accountable for their oppressive and genocidal actions (yes I used the “g” word as they are killing off the Tibetan Buddhist people and culture). I hope the major governments of this world, including my own boycott the Olympics in hopes that China backs off the devastation they are creating.
