15 posts tagged “buddhism”

Thought I should finally get around to posting pictures of the Tibetan sand mandala thing that took place this weekend.  Had some monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in India in town for a show.  The sand mandala started on Thursday, we went to see how it was going on Friday, there was a 'Mystical Arts of Tibet' show on Saturday night that we went to, then I went to the closing ceremony on Sunday when they destroy the mandala.
The show was fantastic.  I was really hoping for some cultural Tibetan music and dance, but it was all monastic.  Still really neat, and I love their chanting, so it was still great.  I hadn't seen any monastic dancing while I was in China, so that was new for me!  They had the snow lion dance too, which was fantastic, I've always wanted to see it!  It was adorable.  I want one ;)  I was really hoping that my parents would see some of the awesome Tibetan dancing though.  I don't think my dad enjoyed himself at all, too much chanting for him, and I think my mom only enjoyed it for the experience.  If I can ever get them to go to Tibet or China though, they'll see some of the awesome Tibetan dancing and singing.

Anyway, onto the pics!

First is the picture I took of them working on it when I saw it on Friday.  So impressive how they do it.  So painstakingly careful and exact.  Very impressive.  The finished product was absolutely stunning!  So detailed and so colourful!  It is the mandala of compassion :)   Read about mandalas HERE and Avalokitesvara, or Guan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion, incarnated in HH Dalai Lama HERE.
Before the closing ceremony, the monks had a long discussion on the symbolism of the different levels of the mandala.  It was very detailed, you can probably find it on the link I provided (Wikipedia :P ).  And if you don't know anything about sand mandalas, they destroy them at the end.  A symbol of the impermenance of everything.  I thought it was very powerful to watch them destroy it.  They passed out the sand to the people who were there and did a procession to the river/bay nearby to throw the rest into the water, to distribute it to the rest of the world.  I had to miss that part as I was meeting my parents and aunt and uncle for dinner, but going to the ceremony was definitely worth it.
The destruction:

This sounds interesting!

Film producers are planning to spend $20 million making a new movie based on "revisionist scholarship" into the life of Jesus between the ages of 13 and 30. The movie will be called The Aquarian Gospel and will be based on a century-old book. Jesus will be portrayed as a wandering mystic in India living in Buddhist monasteries, learning from Buddhist traditions like the principle of non-violence, and speaking out against the Hindu caste system. The film is being presented as a fantasy action adventure, but producer William Sees Keenan seems to be motivated by more than money:

	"We think that Indian religions and Buddhism, especially with the idea of meditation, played a big part in Christ's thinking. In the film we are looking beyond the canonised gospels to the 'lost' gospels... We are looking at new themes. In our story Jesus was loyal to the untouchables and he defended them with his life by saying that everyone could read the Vedas."

I entered into a discussion on E-Sangha (something I haven't done in a while, I've been absent from there for months) about annoyance.  Someone mentioned that a main reason for annoyance is that we want other's approval, and when we feel like we don't get that, we get annoyed.  Not as in an outright declaration of approval, but actions or speech.  I thought it was very true.
Anyway, I mentioned something about how I never really got annoyed or became short tempered until I became a waitress, how it drained my calm and collect reserve that I always counted on.  I enjoyed the response, and just thought I would post it.  It gave me a small renewed hope.  I thought it was applicable to other people and to many situations other's go through also.

[quote]

Dear Luoker,

I know it can be very disspiriting when we feel we are giving something that isn't returned.

But actually, a smile given , a caring gesture is never lost. It always enters into thee other one's awareness, even if it's not always mirrored back on the spot. Can a rusty mirror reflect anything? But everything you do and think will return to you eventually.

If you do something grudgingly, it is not as pure as when you do it joyfully. See in everybody a Buddha. Sometimes we are VERY clouded Buddhas...

But all the kindness you give will return to you eventually, in the long run, at the latest in a future life.

When somebody doesn't see your generous giving , just think, he or she is blinded by own suffering and not able to notice what you are giving. Then I'm sure you feel sorry and don't expect something back from somebody who is weak.

You can still keep up the good work.

Also, try to picture in your mind that it is not YOUR kindness, that eventually will run out.  

See yourself as a channel that just lets the endless universal energy flow through

Good luck, I will think of you next time a waitress will attend to me and I will smile at 'you'.

Daily Om
April 10, 2007
Pausing To Drink
Beauty Day Sometimes we go through whole days without really tuning in to the beauty of nature that surrounds us. We have a habit of seeing it without really taking it in, yet once we begin to notice it we treat ourselves to an exquisite realm of subtle, complex scents, miraculous forms, and ethereal light. The natural world enriches our entire being through the vehicles of our senses. When we are low, nature lifts our spirits. When we are tired, it rejuvenates us-if we pause long enough to drink from its beauty. If you have fallen out of the practice of taking time to observe the light as it filters through the leaves of a tree, or the concentric rings a raindrop makes as it plops into a puddle, you can retune yourself by dedicating a day to noticing the beauty in nature.

On this day, one possibility is to rise early enough to see the sunrise. Watching the sky change colors and the world emerge from darkness is an experience that will influence the whole rest of your day in ways that words cannot describe. Or simply observe the quality of the morning light as it infuses the world with its particular pale golden beauty. You may let the light play on your own hand, remembering that you are also part of the natural world. Let your intuition guide you to the elements of nature that call to you throughout the day, such as the sound of the wind as it shakes and sways a tree or the feeling of snowflakes landing on your warm eyelids and cheeks.

After you devote one day to opening your eyes more fully to the beauty of nature, you may want to make this part of your daily routine. Each day drink from the beauty all around you, and allow it to rejuvenate your entire being. All you have to do is pause, for just one minute, and really take it in, remembering to thank Mother Nature for her beauty.

Daily Om

I never mentioned on this blog some exciting news in my rather boring life. 
Anyway, I'm really loving the Buddhist meetup group that I go to around here.  We haven't been around for very long, but we are becoming a nice, close-knit group.  At our last meeting we discussed a ton of new things to do.  From having some discussion questions every meet, some volunteer outings, some 'field trips', and just some random fun things to do as a group.  All in all, it sounds like it is going to be a blast when we get everything going.  But most importantly - to me anyway - is that we are starting a book club.  A Buddhist book club.
The reason this is important to me is that, for some reason, they decided to vote me to start, lead, and organize the book club!  AYA!  I've never done anything like this, but they all apparently think that I am a well of knowledge and that I would be the best.
If nothing else....I can build websites....

Behold

Denton Buddhist Book Club

I've been a bad buddhist lately.  Not in action, but more in non action.  I haven't been studying, meditating, or anything.  I feel like I've gotten more stupid through negligence. I guess I'm only thinking about it because I have a Buddhist meetup tomorrow and I'm almost embarrassed to go.  Silly, no? 
I need to get back into my routine but I've been so lacking in motivation lately in most aspects of my life.  I've been in a strange mood that I can't really explain.  Sort of a bad, depressed mood but with no real cause or reason.  I suppose it is usually like that, but it's been so much worse these past few weeks.   I think of a few things that might help but I just can't bring myself to do them.  I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  I need to snap out of it.  Or work on it. It's so hard to get started when there really isn't anything to push you.  Apparently I'm also lacking in will power.

Get it together, Nikki.

I start to think that there really is no cure for depression, that happiness is an ongoing battle, and I wonder if it isn't one I'll have to fight for as long as I live. I wonder if it's worth it.
Elizabeth Wurtzel

"Happiness is your nature.  It is not wrong to desire it.  What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."
-Ramana Maharshi

People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.
-Ramona L. Anderson

There is nothing to trust seeking happiness from outside, you will only become exhausted with suffering, which is without satisfaction and without end."
-Dalai Lama

There is one who, thought not having eaten rice for a long time, feels no hunger.  There is another who, though eating all the day long, never feels satisfied.
~Zai-Chang's sermon to the monks

The Enlightened Groundhog

    Following the ceremony, a blizzard strands Connors in town, and when he wakes the next morning, it's    Groundhog Day again. And again, and again, and again.

Connors tries everything to break the cycle - including driving off a cliff with a kidnapped Punxsutawney Phil at the wheel - but not even death can free him.

To Buddhist fans, Connors' endlessly recurring day illustrates samsara, the circle of birth and rebirth.

"The word reincarnation is never mentioned, yet it's such an obvious metaphor," said Paul Schindler Jr., an Oregon teacher whose writings on the film include the online column "Groundhog Day: The Movie, Buddhism and Me."

Connors' arrogance obstructs his enlightenment. Only when he surrenders his ego - "I don't even exist anymore" - does he achieve anatta, emptiness of self, and begin to practice seva, service to others without expectation of reward.

By devoting himself to his fellow man, by fixing a flat tire for a carload of old ladies and trying to save the life of a homeless man, Connors starts to escape his eternal Feb. 2.

.....
"Art is made to reach the viewer, and whatever they find in it, intended or not, is valid."

I will think of it like that and get through it as a better person.
I'm going to cancel my trip to Thailand.  I'm pretty much decided on it right now.  Reasons:

It cost an exorbitant amount of money that I wouldn't have been able to raise in time.  And even if I can raise that much, here are some reasons why I still shouldn't go...
My mom said that my dad mentioned something about retiring in June.  I knew he was going to retire eventually for a while, its one of the reasons I'm at this school right now.  She said that and I immediately though....'I shouldn't go'.  But in relation to the problem with Thailand is that, sure, maybe I could get this job and make enough money for Thailand, but in the end, it would be better if the money went to living expenses so I can stop being so much of a drain on my parents while they are trying to retire.  My dad is getting old, he deserves this.  And I can't imagine how hard it is for him to think about retiring with kids still in college (well, by that time, only I will be in college).  Any amount of money would be helpful for them even if I still can't be totally self-sufficient while still going to school.  My mom reminded me that my dad wouldn't cut me off completely, but it still doesn't make Thailand a good decision at the moment.  Maybe I can now spend more time looking for a better job since I will be in desperate need of health insurance once my dad retires.  $100 for one prescription that I can't stop taking.  Ouch. 

Anyway, perhaps being a Buddhist helped me in this situation.  The headache I gave myself earlier wasn't about being upset about not going to Thailand, but about trying to figure out how I can make my finances work to help out my parents the most.  I didn't get overly attached to the idea of going to Thailand, and while I would have loved to help people out with the volunteering there, it simply isn't the best option for me right now.  I can still help people out, closer to home.  Maybe look into volunteering for a week in New Orleans this summer or something.  I could probably afford that ;)

I'm starting to feel better about this.

~Nikki

Do not believe anything on the mere authority of teachers or priests. Accept as true and as the guide to your life only that which accords with your own reason and experience, after thorough investigation. Accept only that which contributes to the well-being of yourself and others.

- Buddha