West Wight Sangha

Note - Buddhist Meditation by Martine Batchelor

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:59:00 +0000

I've just put a video of Martine Batchelor teaching meditation practice onto our Video - Meditation section. There are three clips to be viewed consecutively (typical YouTube!), the nice bit is that the breaks coincide with Martine having a short tea break!

If you don't use the link above, the talks can be found immediately below the series on the The Divine Abodes by Tara Brach.

Burma: It Can't Wait - Update

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Some of you may remember the U.S. "Burma: It Can't Wait- Myanmar Celebrity Video Campaign" back in May 2008. The videos were hosted by Fanista but unfortunately were all taken down after the campaign was over. I've tracked them down on YouTube and reinstated the actual videos as opposed to the links to Fanista. There were also some which didn't feature in the original "30 days". so here they are now.......

Number 31, Sheryl Crow - Aung San Suu Kyi

Number 32, Brett Dennen

Marionettes - Number 33

Number 34, Giovanni Ribisi (and playmates)

Leaders - Number 35

Number 36, James Cameron

Matisyahu, 37

Norman Lear - No. 38

Burma: It Can't Wait- Myanmar Celebrity Campaign PSA Montage

Tibetan Protesters Shot Dead by Chinese Police

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:17:00 +0000

This story is from AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

A Tibetan-inhabited region of China appeared to be under lockdown Thursday after it was rocked by deadly clashes, as exile groups gave grisly details of how the unrest unfolded.

The west of Sichuan province, which has big populations of ethnic Tibetans, many of whom complain of repression, was earlier this week hit by some of the worst unrest since huge protests against Chinese rule in 2008.

Security forces fired into two separate crowds of protesters in Luhuo and Seda towns on Monday and Tuesday in the remote prefecture of Ganzi, which borders Tibet.

Advocacy groups say at least three were killed in the clashes but maintain the protests were peaceful until police fired into the crowds. China says two died -- one in each incident -- and acknowledged police shootings only in Seda.

By Thursday, affected areas in Ganzi appeared to be under lockdown. Phone calls would not go through, the Internet was cut off and people's movements restricted as police poured into the region, locals and advocacy groups said.

Even in the provincial capital of Chengdu -- some 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Luhuo -- police cars were parked every 50 metres (yards) in the Tibetan quarter. "It's forbidden to take photos or to interview people," one officer told AFP reporters.

But the US-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), which has local and exiled contacts, was still able to glean details from sources of what happened in Seda on Tuesday.

The official Xinhua news agency, citing local authorities, said one "rioter" was killed and another injured and that police had to resort to lethal force after a violent mob attacked them with knives, gasoline bottles and guns.

ICT, however, had a different version of events. It said hundreds of Tibetans had gathered peacefully in the town square and that after some time, armed police fired tear gas and started shooting into the crowd.

"Tibetans were running everywhere to escape... Some couldn't run away because they were too seriously injured," the group quoted an exile source with contacts in the area as saying.

Other sources said the square was "covered in blood" with tear gas canisters scattered in the street after the shooting.

The incident came a day after police shot at a crowd of Tibetans protesting against religious repression in the nearby town of Luhuo, killing at least two and wounding more than 30, locals and rights groups said.

China's foreign ministry, however, said the Luhuo protesters were also violent. On Tuesday, spokesman Hong Lei accused "overseas secessionist groups" of trying to discredit the government by hyping accounts of what happened.

The unrest comes at a time of rising tensions in Tibetan-inhabited areas, where at least 16 people have set themselves ablaze in less than a year -- including four this month alone -- prompting an increase in security.

On Thursday, dozens of police cars and buses were seen winding their way up the snowy, mountainous road towards Luhuo and Seda from Chengdu, AFP reporters witnessed.

"They had come down to Chengdu to celebrate the new year, but have to go back before the end of the holiday due to the unrest," said Zhou Ming, a driver who often takes the same route.

Zhou said he was unable to call any of his friends in the affected areas on their mobiles or on their fixed lines.

Contacts in Luhuo such as monks at Drakgo Monastery -- located just one kilometre away from the scene of Monday's protest -- were also unavailable on Thursday.

Calls made to 19 different hotels, restaurants, book shops, companies and shops in Luhuo were met with a rapid beeping tone, suggesting phone lines in the town may have been disabled.

In Seda, calls to 15 hotels and restaurants were also met with the same ring tone, but AFP was able to reach a man at the local government, who said the unrest had died down but added there were armed police and vehicles patrolling.

Advocacy groups said Tibetans were not allowed to move freely in Seda, adding the area was now completely locked down, with some sources reporting at least 40 military trucks arriving in the town.

AFP reporters trying to travel to the affected areas were stopped from going forward at a checkpoint some 330 kilometres away from Luhuo, where police checked people in every vehicle.

Note - New "Thought for the Day" Talk by Vishvapani

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:09:00 +0000

I've just posted the latest "Thought for the Day" Talk by Vishvapani onto our Audio Section.

In this talk he warns of applying labels and how becoming a Buddhist reinforced his belief that we’re all human beings first, and fundamentally the same, whatever our culture.

NEW MOON - Monday 23rd January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Those who live impeccably,
who are discerning, intelligent and virtuous -
they are continually praised by the wise.
Who would cast blame on those
who in their being are like gold?
Even the gods praise them.

Dhammapada v. 229-30

Who do we compare ourselves with? The mental habit of comparing
ourselves with others is mostly an expression of inner confusion,
leading to more unhappiness. For the radiance of our true being to
shine freely, all compulsive comparing must cease. While we still
suffer this habit however, it is better to compare ourselves with
those who live impeccably; those who are more awake. It doesn’t help
if we merely hold images in mind of those more popular, wealthy or
beautiful. Some of the Buddha’s greatest disciples were neither
popular nor beautiful, but were clearly admired by all who could see
clearly.

With Metta,

Bhikkhu Munindo

It's the Year of the Dragon!

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

A happy Chinese New Year to all our readers. The 15-day event, which runs until February 6, marks the arrival of the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese and other communities across the UK will be celebrating throughout the extended festival, and London will hold its own organised celebrations next Sunday, including an official ceremony attended by Mayor Boris Johnson as well as Chinese Ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming.

Here in the West Wight the Hong Kong Express restaurant in Freshwater is again celebrating with a Lion Dance to bring good luck for the coming year. This will be at 6 p.m. next Sunday, the 29th.

The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness.

In Sung Dynasty (a Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from AD 960 - 1279) texts, the dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - - all powerful yet totally unpredictable.

For each of the 12 years, the Chinese zodiac includes animals, which has a very interesting legend. According to the Chinese, it is believed that before Lord Buddha left the earth, he summoned all of the animals to come before him. However, of all the animals, only 12 showed up to bid him farewell. In honor of these 12, Lord Buddha named a year after them. The belief is that the animal associated with each year rules over it. Therefore, the lifestyle and personality of the person born under that animal sign is strongly influenced by that particular animal, being supported by the old Chinese saying, “This is the animal that hides in your heart.”

Note - New "Thought for the Day" Talks by Vishvapani

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:11:00 +0000

There are two new "Thought for the Day" talks by Vishvapani now posted on our Audio Section.

A Million Peace Cranes on the Isle of Wight!

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:05:00 +0000

You may remember our story about Sadako Sasaki and the Paper Peace Crane from August last year, about the young Japanese girl who died of radiation poisoning from the Hiroshima bomb. She vowed to fold a thousand origami Buddhist peace cranes before she died.

Now I see from one of the Island's leading websites, the Ventnor blog, that Linda Barnes is going to fold a million peace cranes, not hopefully all on her own!

As Linda says, "The lovely thing about origami is you can share this peaceful art with others, and by sharing it you pass on that knowledge and also help a charity. So I hope many people will join in, I will continue making them for however long it takes, or until my fingers stiffen up!

I’m appealing for donations of 1 pence per crane to help the good work of various chosen charities.

Your name will go on the crane and on a sponsor sheet, and feedback on how the projects progressing – and where the money’s going. If you wish to know more please contact me via VB."

FULL MOON - Monday 9th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:15:00 +0000

Just like birds that leave no tracks in the air, there are those whose minds do not cling to temptations that are offered to them.
Their focus is the signless state of liberation, which to others is indiscernible.

Dhammapada v. 92

Can we do what we do so completely, so fully, that we leave no tracks behind? Probably not. Our habits of clinging mean we tend to do things partially. Our speech can be manipulative, leaving uncertainty behind.
Our actions can be self-seeking, leaving feelings of incompleteness behind. And our thoughts can be all over the place, leaving us confused. This subtle image of birds flying through the sky, with no tracks left behind, inspires us to live without clinging. In making this effort we align ourselves with those great beings that have done what needs to be done, leaving nothing but Truth behind.

With Metta,

Bhikkhu Munindo

Note - New Videos, on the Brahma Viharas

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:05:00 +0000

I have just posted an excellent series of video talks by Tara Brach to our Video - Meditation section. These talks are on the Brahma Viharas or the Four Divine Abodes.

I've placed them immediately below the series Introduction to Insight meditation by Rodney Smith.

Science "Discovers" Mindfulness

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:49:00 +0000

There have been a considerable number of scientific studies recently "proving" the effectiveness of Mindfulness. Now, I know that there are plenty of things that lots of people firmly believe to be effective or to be true that aren't. But ever since the Buddha taught his system of meditation, over 2,500 years ago, many millions of Buddhist Monks, Nuns and lay practitioners have been well aware of its benefits.

The theory that meditation can reduce stress, depression and even chronic pain is one that has been gaining in momentum in recent years. So the BBC's David Sillito has been learning the art of mindfulness meditation in order to find out for himself.

After getting to grips with the activity, he joined some other devotees for an MRI scan to find out what impact the practice can have on brain activity, as you can see in this video.

The U.S. military is also interested in meditation. The Pentagon is turning to mindfulness training to help alleviate the devastating symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder that afflict more than 250,000 military personnel; soothe the brain trauma that’s left thousands more with tremors, speech impediments and memory lapses; and assuage the chronic pain that lingers after grueling, repeat deployments.

Metta World Peace

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:58:00 +0000

In September, Ron Artest — of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. The first name, Metta, is a Buddhist term meaning “loving kindness.” The last name is self-explanatory. This has led to fans being able to chant “We want World Peace!” at a recent game.

This is, more or less, what Artest intended when he made the change: to make the public, unwittingly or consciously, seriously or in jest, consider the concept.

“If you look at a young kid and you tell them, would they love world peace? They would definitely tell you yeah,” he said Thursday after the Lakers’ shootaround. “But as we get older, we change and we adjust to our environment. And we don’t think about little things anymore. But kids love, they love other kids. They love world peace.”

The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

The Lady

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:41:00 +0000

With all the publicity about Meryl Streep's performance as Margaret Thatcher in the film "The Iron Lady" you may have missed news of Michelle Yeoh playing Aung San Suu Kyi in Luc Besson's film "The Lady". The film has received mixed reviews, the general feeling being that it's a worthy effort that fails to capture the "enigma" of Aung San Suu Kyi who, despite her treatment by the Burmese military junta, always met their bullying threats with non-violence.

The film is not showing at any of the Island's cinemas this holiday but is being shown widely on the mainland..... so here's a taste for islanders....

NEW MOON - Saturday 24th December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:33:00 +0000

These three ways
lead to radiant abiding:
asserting the truth,
not yielding to anger,
and giving, even if you have only a little to share.

Dhammapada v. 224

We are the creators of the world. Our actions of body, speech and mind give form to the space we inhabit. Investing in inner awareness liberates us from a dependency on the material world. The outer conditions of our life come and go: at times, they are agreeable and rewarding, at other times wearisome and disappointing. Yet we can always make the effort to speak truth. We can always wait before succumbing to anger. And no matter how much or how little we own, we can always give. We already have the power to create a beautiful abiding.

With Metta,

Bhikkhu Munindo

Kim Jong Il lying in state

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:44:00 +0000

The physical body consists of bones
covered with flesh and blood.
Stored up inside it
are decay and death, pride and malice.

The Buddha,
Dhammapada, Verse 150

Trying to Contact Sister Tithameda

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:31:00 +0000

There was a recent "comment" posted on the item Sister Thitamedha to Disrobe because of the "Five Points". As the correspondent is hoping that sister Tithameda reads the communication, I thought that posting it here will make it more visible, good luck Liz.......

Dear sister Tithameda, although you may not be known by this name now. It is Liz writing to you and I would be glad to hear from you. If you read this and want to get in touch, - you have my email address. Otherwise I wish you well in whatever endeavour you undertake and may you be always blessed with peace and full of the loving kindness which you once extended to me.

Much Love,

Liz

This comment was added yesterday.............

Dear Sister Thitamedha I think you are now known as Irena. The comment above is a real coincidence as I also wanted to contact you to wish you well in all you do.
metta, Veronica

Total Eclipse Over Peace Pagoda, New Dehli

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0000

I subscribe to a daily email called "Astronomy Picture of the Day" and a recent photograph was this amazing time lapse shot of a total lunar eclipse taken over the top of the Shanti Stupa Peace Pagoda near the centre of New Delhi, India. The red tint of the eclipsed Moon was created by sunlight first passing through the Earth's atmosphere, which preferentially scatters blue light (making the sky blue) but passes and refracts red light, before reflecting back off the Moon.

The Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most (though not all) have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii (1885–1985), a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myo-ho-ji Buddhist Order. Fujii was greatly inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence. In 1947, he began constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to World peace.

The first Peace Pagodas were built as a symbol of peace in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the atomic bombs took the lives of over 150,000 people, almost all of whom were civilian, at the end of World War II. By 2000, eighty Peace Pagodas had been built around the world in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

The Shanti stupa in New Delhi was inaugurated on 14th. November 2007 by monks and nuns of Nipponzan-Myo-ho-ji, the Dalai Lama and the Lt. Governor of Delhi. It is situated in Millennium Indraprastha Park, North-East of Humayun's Tomb, adjacent to Delhi Ring Road. A traditional Japanese garden has been constructed in the area around the stupa. The garden is a joint project by the Fujii Guruji Vishwa Shanti Stupa Committee and the Delhi Development Authority.

The Direct Connection Between Mindfulness Practice and Beneficial Changes in the Brain

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:12:00 +0000

I was recently sent this by one of our Sangha members. "Here is a link to a blog I follow (Mind Deep) that reports on a study due to be published in January, demonstrating the brain changes that occur with regular practice. You may find it interesting...."

The Direct Connection Between Mindfulness Practice and Beneficial Changes in the Brain

From the lab of Harvard researcher, Sara Lazar, comes the most conclusive study to date, linking mindfulness practice with sustained beneficial changes in areas of the brain associated with learning, memory, self-awareness, compassion, introspection, and stress response.

As reported earlier this year in the Harvard Gazette:
Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. In a study that will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reported the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain’s grey matter.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says study senior author Sara Lazar of the MGHPsychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical Schoolinstructor in psychology. “This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”

Previous studies from Lazar’s group and others found structural differences between the brains of experienced meditation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration. But those investigations could not document that those differences were actually produced by meditation.

For the current study, magnetic resonance (MR) images were taken of the brain structure of 16 study participants two weeks before and after they took part in the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. In addition to weekly meetings that included practice of mindfulness meditation — which focuses on nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings, and state of mind — participants received audio recordings for guided meditation practice and were asked to keep track of how much time they practiced each day. A set of MR brain images was also taken of a control group of nonmeditators over a similar time interval.

Meditation group participants reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practising mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses. The analysis of MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.

Participant-reported reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Although no change was seen in a self-awareness-associated structure called the insula, which had been identified in earlier studies, the authors suggest that longer-term meditation practice might be needed to produce changes in that area. None of these changes were seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.

This study is scientifically proving what all meditators know from experience, i.e. the long lasting effect of meditation not just during formal mindfulness practice, but more importantly, afterwards, throughout the day.

Another good reason to start each day with a 30 minute sitting!

Peace Walk with Thich Nhat Hanh

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Angie, from the Community of Interbeing Buddhist Group in Lake, sent me these details of a Peace Walk with Thich Nhat Hanh in London on Saturday, 31 March 2012, 14:00 until 16:00.

One of the best known and most respected Zen masters in the world, author, poet and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh invites everyone to walk mindfully together in silence, generating the energy of peace, solidity, and freedom.

“There is no walk for peace; peace is the walk. By walking, we generate peace within our body, our consciousness. We embrace and heal the pain, the sorrow, the fear in us, and that is the ground for helping peace to be a reality in the world.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Before the Peace Walk, you are invited to participate in a sitting meditation lead by Thich Nhat Hanh in Trafalgar Square. Afterwards, we shall walk mindfully out of Trafalgar Square, along The Mall and end in Green Park.

Exact times will be announced.

Participation is free. This is a walk open to everyone, all ages, from every path, experienced or not. We kindly ask for there to be no display of any banners or signs, nor giving out of flyers during the Peace Walk.

"During walking meditation we walk slowly, in a relaxed way, keeping a light smile on our lips. When we practice this way, we feel deeply at ease, and our steps are those of the most secure person on Earth. Walking meditation is really to enjoy the walking—walking not in order to arrive, just for walking, to be in the present moment, and to enjoy each step. Therefore you have to shake off all worries and anxieties, not thinking of the future, not thinking of the past, just enjoying the present moment. Anyone can do it. It takes only a little time, a little mindfulness, and the wish to be happy." - Thich Nhat Hanh

We are inviting everyone around the world to walk in peace with us. Check back later for the cities joining us on 31st March 2012. Email us if you would like to organise a Peace Walk in your city!

Email us at walkmindfully@gmail.com for questions and to sign up for our latest updates about the Peace Walk.

Check out the rest of Thich Nhat Hanh's 2012 tour in the UK here:
http://www.mindfulnessretreats.org.uk/

Check out Thich Nhat Hanh's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh

FULL MOON - Saturday 10th December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:14:00 +0000

A deed is well-done
when upon reflection no remorse arises:
with joy one harvests its fruits.

Dhammapada v. 68

As mindfulness is strengthened and confidence emerges we experience a growing sense of being our own authority. Fear of imagined external agents passing judgement on us begin to be seen for what they are - imagination. Our own true heart knows that which is wholesome and that which is not. As we deepen, the light of awareness illuminates the way and the path becomes clearer. At this level, when the voice of judgement from our false heart is heard, we simply receive it and allow it to fade away. Joy remains.

With Metta,

Bhikkhu Munindo

Note - New Dharma Talk

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Following on from our previous post A "Local" Poem that I Like where we made the connection between the Buddhist concept of Impermanence and Tennyson's poem, "All Things will Die" the latest talk shared with the Newport Soto Zen group was Rebecca Bradshaw's talk on Anicca, Impermanence in which she discusses how a deep understanding of impermanence is a pathway into freedom.

A "Local" Poem that I Like

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:05:00 +0000

It's actually the poet who's local! This is by Alfred, Lord Tennyson who lived here in the West Wight at Farringford House, Freshwater Bay.

A fundamental principle in Buddhism is that everything is impermanent thus allowing for change.

All Things will Die

Clearly the blue river chimes in its flowing

Under my eye;
Warmly and broadly the south winds are blowing

Over the sky.
One after another the white clouds are fleeting;
Every heart this May morning in joyance is beating

Full merrily;
Yet all things must die.
The stream will cease to flow;
The wind will cease to blow;
The clouds will cease to fleet;
The heart will cease to beat;
For all things must die.
All things must die.
Spring will come never more.
O, vanity!
Death waits at the door.
See! our friends are all forsaking
The wine and the merrymaking.
We are call’d–we must go.
Laid low, very low,
In the dark we must lie.
The merry glees are still;
The voice of the bird
Shall no more be heard,
Nor the wind on the hill.
O, misery!
Hark! death is calling
While I speak to ye,
The jaw is falling,
The red cheek paling,
The strong limbs failing;
Ice with the warm blood mixing;
The eyeballs fixing.
Nine times goes the passing bell:
Ye merry souls, farewell.
The old earth
Had a birth,
As all men know,
Long ago.
And the old earth must die.
So let the warm winds range,
And the blue wave beat the shore;
For even and morn
Ye will never see
Thro’ eternity.
All things were born.
Ye will come never more,
For all things must die.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:14:00 +0000

Having just received the latest e-newsletter from the Tzu Chi Foundation I thought I'd share this piece from its founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen.

In life, we have a lot of afflictions, and we would like to get rid of them. But how do we get rid of our afflictions? We can get rid of them by being content. Contentment will lead us to spiritual richness.

If we are content, we'll be satisfied and happy with what we have. When people have a lot of desires, even if they should possess the whole world, they still won’t feel they have enough.

I know a businessperson who is very successful; he had expanded his business abroad. Once he came to visit me. I asked him, "Your business is already very successful, why don't you spare some time to do charity work and help people in need? Besides donating money, you can personally participate in caring for the poor and experience the joy of helping people." He replied, "But my staff want me to invest more money in the business so that it will expand." I told him, "Desire is a limitless thing. If you keep on expanding the business, there will never be an end." He finally told me that he was too deeply involved at that time; things were beyond his control, and it was too late to turn back.

Out of the desire to accumulate wealth, he expanded his business. Because of this, he has to work very hard to meet his responsibilities; he has many things to manage and worry about. He has to face considerable psychological stress as he worries about whether things will go smoothly. All of this brings many afflictions and burdens onto himself. If he understood the impermanent nature of life, and realized material wealth is only temporary, he would not overly pursue wealth and would become content with what he already has.

Take a look at our recycling volunteers. Some of them live a simple life, yet they are very happy. One of our recycling volunteers has a home so small that she has to set up her kitchen in a narrow alleyway outside her home. She has put a counter and a gas stove outside, next to her window. Directly across the alley from the stove, there's a rack where she keeps her kitchen utensils. She has arranged a makeshift cover over this 'kitchen' to shield it from the rain. To make a meal, she has to squeeze herself into this tiny space. She says, "Although my kitchen is very small, at least I have a place to cook and have food to eat. Compared to poor people who have no house to live in, I'm very satisfied with what I have." See how content and at peace she is.

The Buddhist sutras tell us that people with many desires suffer much because they are constantly seeking self-benefit and gain. Those with few desires will not suffer like this. When we give rise to desire, we act in order to seek things, such as wealth, fame, and delicious food. When we cannot get what we want, afflictions arise and we suffer. We might get into arguments with people over what we want. We might tire ourselves out scheming to get what we want. Our efforts to fulfill our desires bring us much affliction.

If we want to get rid of our afflictions, we have to know their source—our desires. When we reduce our desires, our mind can be at peace, like the travelling monks of the past who lived a very simple life. In the ancient times, Buddhist monastics would travel around the country visiting various temples to learn the Dharma. Their clothing and an alms bowl were all they would carry with them. That was all they needed to make their journey. That was how at ease and free they were.

When we already have life's basic necessities, we should beware of getting tempted by desires. The more we pursue our desires, the more afflictions we'll bring onto ourselves. With fewer desires, we would be able to sleep soundly at night without any worries. Our heart would be at peace.

Note - New Talk

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:49:00 +0000

There is a new talk, Mindfulness, Metta, Mystery by Rev. Myo Denis Lahey, posted in our Audio Section.

Although I have put this talk under the "Thursday Talks" heading it was in fact used as the talk for the Newport Soto Zen group's monthly Retreat Day last Friday.

The talk was originally given at the Spirit Rock Meditation Centre in Woodacre, west Marin, California.

NEW MOON - Friday 25th November 2011

noreply@blogger.com (West Wight Sangha) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Strength of patience
is the might of noble beings;
they can be shackled,
endure verbal abuse and beatings,
without resorting to anger.

Dhammapada v. 399

The force of self-righteousness within us needs taming. The more
clever we are, the more careful we need to be. The more eloquent our
speech, the more restraint is required. It is only when we know we can
say no to ourselves - when we know we don't have to always be the
winner - that we can appreciate the transformative power of patient
endurance.

With Metta, Bhikkhu Munindo

Also, on the same theme, this from the Samyutta Nikāya, I, 162

Knowing that the other person is angry,
The one who remains just aware and calm
acts in and for his own best interest,
and for the others' interest, too!