Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Anger & Forgiveness

I haven't used this blog in a while - but I think it might be time for me to dust it off.

A friend of mine is having an issue with a young man who has wronged her family. He told some lies and caused a bunch of drama and in turn has hurt some relationships that she held to be important to her. I really don't know a whole lot more about the situation other than that but I've been watching it play out on Facebook for a little while now.

Today she posted that she wasn't sure whether to essentially take this young man down by spilling some secrets that she knew that could harm him - or whether to just let it go.

I scrolled by her post and didn't respond.  I knew in my heart that my friend holding on to her anger for this young man wasn't helping her - but I didn't say anything for many reasons. I didn't want to get in the middle of it, I didn't know enough of the story, etc.

Not 10 minutes later, I stumbled upon the following quote:

"It is natural for the immature to harm others. Getting angry with them is like resenting a fire for burning."  Shantideva

I knew she needed to hear it and for whatever reason I was the vessel that needed to bring that to her. I feel honored to have been able to do that for her as she made it clear that she really truly appreciated it and needed to hear it.

Buddhist teachings have a lot to say about anger and forgiveness and it seems like most of it centers on looking within ourselves and seeing that the anger we harbor hurts us more than anyone else.  It's something I think I should spend some time meditating about.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Jesus & Buddhism

Found some interesting information about Jesus today. I'm posting here mostly as a reference so I can look back later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCS7P-vdRM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5HDjgyk5r4&feature=related

http://jimvb.home.mindspring.com/ser1998Oct11.htm

http://www.thezensite.com/non_Zen/Was_Jesus_Buddhist.html

http://www.alislam.org/topics/jesus/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/did-jesus-die-interview.shtml

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Death and Birth

Today's post is a little more reflective than studious. Yesterday I was told that my friend and co-leader lost her son in a motorcycle accident.

As a mother I was instantly affected. My heart is broken for her. And for her 9 year old daughter who is my own daughter's friend. I ache for them both.

And it makes me wonder why... as I think anyone wonders, anyone asks, when they're faced with the death of someone so young. What is the purpose of a life lost before it has hardly begun?

But death has to happen, doesn't it?

So I read some Buddhist blogs on death and rebirth and I'm not sure anything can really answer that question of why. Why does my friend have to suffer the loss of her son? Why does my daughter's friend at 9 years old have to suffer the loss of her big brother? All of his friends and all of his family and even people who only knew of him through stories and pictures... why?

Maybe there is no reason. Maybe it just is. That's the best conclusion I can come to.

According to many Buddhists, Kyle has already started a new life, and did so the moment after he took his last breath. And maybe that's true... maybe Kyle has already been reborn. Maybe he is waiting, watching after his mother and sister and making sure they get through this grief. I like to think that's the case.

Today my husband's cousin and one of my closest friends gave birth to a baby boy. It was not an easy delivery and her baby was in distress. It was horribly scary, but both he and mom made it through in the end and both are healthy and safe. I was lucky enough to be there and able to see him shortly after his arrival. Such a fresh, beautiful face with so much promise and future.

I guess it just really makes me think... all this death and birth and rebirth. How amazing and precious life is. How no one is in control and it's all fragile.

It's been a long day. One mother is celebrating and one is mourning. It just leaves a lot to think about.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Let's try this again, shall we?

Obviously I put my studies on hold for a long time.

But as I said before, I have my whole life (and subsequent ones!) to learn.

So today I started to read The Illustrated Dhammapada (a HUGE pdf file, but very worth it) and I find it to be much easier to read than my previous Dhammapada study. So I'll be combining them both.

In The Story of the Monk Cakkhupala, the Buddha tells the story of the blind monk Cakkhupala who accidentally stepped on some insects while pacing during meditation. Some other monks reported this act to the Buddha and the Buddha tells them that since Cakkhupala did not see the insects and did not intentionally kill them, he was innocent.

I like this because it really shows Right Intention. Even though sometimes Right Intention doesn't always work out, it's still the right thing to do. Cakkhupala was practicing Right Intention in his pacing meditation. Killing the insects was accidental and does not change his intention.

The story goes on to tell us why Cakkhupala is blind. In a previous life Cakkhupala was a physician who deliberately made a patient blind. So in turn, in several lives afterward, Cakkhupala is blind.

"All that we experience begins with thought. Our words and
deeds spring from thought. If we speak or act with evil
thoughts, unpleasant circumstances and experiences inevita-
bly result. Wherever we go, we create bad circumstances
because we carry bad thoughts. We cannot shake off this suf-
fering as long as we are tied to our evil thoughts. This is very
much like the wheel of a cart following the hoofs of the ox
yoked to the cart. The cart-wheel, along with the heavy load of
the cart, keeps following the draught oxen. The animal is
bound to this heavy load and cannot leave it."

So we must let go of our evil thoughts. Easier said than done. In Christian religions, this is why people pray for their enemies. Harboring evil thoughts and hatred causes internal sickness.

In my own practice I'll be using meditation to release evil thoughts. I can think of a few areas in my life where I hold on to negative energy and bad thinking. It takes time and practice, I'm sure, to learn to automatically not turn a bad situation into a bad thought.

I found some interesting thoughts in the Commentary section of this 1st verse. This particular Dhammapada is translated and commented by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero.

He says that Buddhism teaches us that all that we experience, the world, ourselves, the universe, was created by thought. So many Buddhist texts state that the Buddha doesn't mention the world's creation - and because of this I had come to the conclusion in my own mind that it didn't matter how the world was created or whether there was or wasn't a "God"... but I'll have to pause and think about this idea that the world is created by thought or cognitive process.

Because where, then, did the first thought originate from?

I like the idea because it lends credibility to the idea that "God" lives within each of us and that we are all "God" and all connected. It brings in those ideas that are so popular now (Eckhart Tole and The Secret and The Power of Positive Thinking) that I find myself drawn to. And I find myself comforted by that idea.

So to conclude for today and to bring a focus to my meditations for the day:
We must practice Right Intention
We must let go of negative or "evil" thoughts
All that exists is created by thoughts

"Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist;
use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.
"

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Monday, August 25, 2008

Dhammapada Studies - Chapter 1, 1-5

I'm starting this blog to keep a bit of an online record of my studies. I plan to devote just a little bit of time when I can to furthering my studies and I plan to record my thoughts and notes here.

I'm starting by reading The Dhammapada. I'll be reading it slowly. I have lifetimes to complete my studies. :)

1.
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2.
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow


Without a pure mind, suffering will always follow. With a pure mind, happiness will always follow. But how does one obtain a pure mind? Through meditation? Through studies?

3. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.
4. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.
5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

This is where I will end today. I need to focus on hatred and abolishing it in my life. Hatred is never appeased by hatred.

I don't feel that I have a lot of hatred in my life. There aren't many things I truly hate. I'm sure there are people that harbor hatred for me. Maybe because I am too fat, too white, too female, whatever. If I can concentrate on spreading peace and not focusing on hating those people back but instead, having love for them, then I will be better for it. How does one find love in their heart for someone who spreads ignorance and hate?