Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Anger and Buddhism

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Anger and Buddhism Jul 31st 2011, 10:02 Anger. Rage. Fury. Wrath. Whatever you call it, it happens to all of us, including Buddhists. However much we value loving kindness, we Buddhists are still human beings, and sometimes we get angry. What does Buddhism teach about anger? Anger is one of the three poisons â€" the other two are greed and ignorance â€" that are the primary causes of the cycle of samsara and rebirth. Purifying ourselves of anger is essential to Buddhist practice. Further, in Buddhism there is no such thing as “righteous” or “justifiable” anger. All anger is a fetter to realization. Yet even highly realized masters admit they sometimes get angry. This means that for most of us, not getting angry is not a realistic option. We will get angry. What then do we do with our anger? First, Admit You Are Angry This may sound silly, but how many times have you met someone who clearly was angry, but who insisted he was not? For some reason, some people resist admitting to themselves that they are angry. This is not skillful. You can’t very well deal with something that you won’t admit is there. Buddhism teaches mindfulness. Being mindful of ourselves is part of that. When an unpleasant emotion or thought arises, do not suppress it, run away from it, or deny it. Instead, observe it and fully acknowledge it. Being deeply honest with yourself about yourself is essential to Buddhism. What Makes You Angry? It’s important to understand that anger is something created by yourself. It didn’t come swooping out of the ether to infect you. We tend to think that anger is caused by something outside ourselves, such as other people or frustrating events. But my first Zen teacher used to say, “No one makes you angry. You make yourself angry.” Buddhism teaches us that anger is created by mind. However, when you are dealing with your own anger, you should be more specific. Anger challenges us to look deeply into ourselves. Most of the time, anger is self-defensive. It arises from unresolved fears or when our ego-buttons are pushed. As Buddhists we recognize that ego, fear and anger are insubstantial and ephemeral, not “real.” They’re ghosts, in a sense. Allowing anger to control our actions amounts to being bossed around by ghosts. Anger Is Self-Indulgent Anger is unpleasant but seductive. In this interview with Bill Moyer, Pema Chodron says that anger has a hook. “There's something delicious about finding fault with something,” she said. Especially when our egos are involved (which is nearly always the case), we may protect our anger. We justify it and even feed it. Buddhism teaches that anger is never justified, however. Our practice is to cultivate metta, a loving kindness toward all beings that is free of selfish attachment. “All beings” includes the guy who just cut you off at the exit ramp, the co-worker who takes credit for your ideas, and even someone close and trusted who betrays you. For this reason, when we become angry we must take great care not to act on our anger to hurt others. We must also take care not to hang on to our anger and give it a place to live and grow. How to Let It Go You have acknowledged your anger, and you have examined yourself to understand what caused the anger to arise. Yet you are still angry. What’s next? Pema Chodron counsels patience. Patience means waiting to act or speak until you can do so without causing harm. “Patience has a quality of enormous honesty in it,” she said. “It also has a quality of not escalating things, allowing a lot of space for the other person to speak, for the other person to express themselves, while you don’t react, even though inside you are reacting.” If you have a meditation practice, this is the time to put it to work. Sit still with the heat and tension of anger. Quiet the internal chatter of other-blame and self-blame. Acknowledge the anger and enter into it entirely. Embrace your anger with patience and compassion for all beings, including yourself. Don’t Feed Anger It’s hard not to act, to remain still and silent while our emotions are screaming at us. Anger fills us with edgy energy and makes us want to do something. Pop psychology tells us to pound our fists into pillows or to scream at the walls to “work out” our anger. Thich Nhat Hanh disagrees. “When you express your anger you think that you are getting anger out of your system, but that's not true,” he said. “When you express your anger, either verbally or with physical violence, you are feeding the seed of anger, and it becomes stronger in you.” Only understanding and compassion can neutralize anger. Compassion Takes Courage Sometimes we confuse aggression with strength and non-action with weakness. Buddhism teaches that just the opposite is true. Giving in to the impulses of anger, allowing anger to hook us and jerk us around, is weakness. On the other hand, it takes strength to acknowledge the fear and selfishness in which our anger usually is rooted. It also takes discipline to meditate in the flames of anger. The Buddha said, “Conquer anger by non-anger. Conquer evil by good. Conquer miserliness by liberality. Conquer a liar by truthfulness.” (Dhammapada, v. 233) Working with ourselves and others and our lives in this way is Buddhism. Buddhism is not a belief system, or a ritual, or some label to put on your T-shirt. It’s this.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Bodhisattva Vows

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Bodhisattva Vows Jul 31st 2011, 10:02 In Mahayana Buddhism, the ideal of practice is to become a bodhisattva who strives to liberate all beings from the cycle of birth and death. The Bodhisattva Vows are vows taken formally by a Buddhist to do exactly that. The vows also are an expression of bodhichitta, the desire to realize enlightenment for the sake of others. The exact wording of the Bodhisattva vows varies from school to school. The most basic form is: May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. A passionate variation of the vow is associated with the iconic figure Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva -- "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; not until all beings are saved will I certify to Bodhi." The Four Great Vows In Zen, Nichiren, Tendai, and other Mahayana schools of Buddhism there are four Bodhisattva vows. Here is a common translation: Beings are numberless, I vow to save them Desires are inexhaustible, I vow to end them Dharma gates are boundless, I vow to enter them Buddha's way is unsurpassable, I vow to become it. These four vows encompass all of Buddhism. In his book Taking the Path of Zen, Robert Aitken Roshi wrote (page 62), I have heard people say, "I cannot recite these vows because I cannot hope to fulfill them." Actually, Kanzeon, the incarnation of mercy and compassion, weeps because she cannot save all beings. Nobody fulfills these "Great Vows for All," but we vow to fulfill them as best we can. They are our practice. Zen teacher Taitaku Pat Phelan said, When we take these vows, an intention is created, the seed of an effort to follow through. Because these vows are so vast, they are, in a sense, undefinable. We continually define and redefine them as we renew our intention to fulfill them. If you have a well-defined task with a beginning, middle, and end, you can estimate or measure the effort needed. But the Bodhisattva Vows are immeasurable. The intention we arouse, the effort we cultivate when we call forth these vows, extends us beyond the limits of our personal identities. Tibetan Buddhism: The Root and Secondary Bodhisattva Vows In Tibetan Buddhism, the term "Bodhisattva Vows" usually refers to two sets of vows, sometimes called the "root" or "secondary" vows, or the root or secondary downfalls. These are lists of behaviors that a bodhisattva should avoid, many of which are also found in the Precepts. Shantideva's Prayers Shantideva was a monk and scholar who lived in India in the late 7th to early 8th centuries. His Bodhicaryavatara, or "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life," presented teachings on the bodhisattva path and the cultivation of bodhichitta that are remembered especially in Tibetan Buddhism, although they also belong to all of Mahayana. Shantideva's work includes a number of beautiful prayers that also are bodhisattva vows. You can read some of them at the Rime Buddhist Center website. Here is an excerpt from just one: May I be a protector to those without protection, A leader for those who journey, And a boat, a bridge, a passage For those desiring the further shore. May the pain of every living creature Be completely cleared away. May I be the doctor and the medicine And may I be the nurse For all sick beings in the world Until everyone is healed.

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Buddhism: Karma Making Sense

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Karma Making Sense Jul 30th 2011, 06:59 A conversation at Dangerous Harvests started out on the topic of financing a dharma center but morphed into a discussion of karma. One commenter, bob, said, Karma makes no sense unless coupled with innumerable lifetimes. That we all have been through the cycle of existence, from being gods to being hell beings, should be a source of compassion for ourselves and others. If we think of these things as only in reference to this present life, or to other people we very easily get caught up in gain/loss, praise/blame etc thinking. As a zennie, I tend to distrust anything about dharma that "makes sense." Cognitive knowledge is too limited, too one-sided. If you can conceptualize it, you're missing something. I do realize other schools of Buddhism are less, um, contrary about things. That said, to me, karma doesn't "make sense" if it doesn't impact this life. I don't dismiss karma continuing in other lives, but this is the life I'm focusing on at the moment. And as my first Zen teacher used to say, "What you do is what happens to you." Karma is about taking moment-to-moment responsibility for our actions (note to self: pay attention!), and not just for our own benefit. With practice you become more sensitive to the way the effects of your actions ripple in all directions, reaching far beyond your individual sight to impact others. To me, the issue is not to move beyond this present life, but beyond this individual self. You can still get caught up in gain/loss thinking if you believe the future being who will accrue the benefit of your good work is still little ol' you. But if you are no longer limited to "self," it hardly matters what life you're talking about. As far as the gods and hell beings and other beings of the Six Realms go -- these can be understood on many levels, and I don't think only one level is the "right one. I have read essays by some Vajrayana teachers describing them as personality types. My teacher says we pass through many realms every day. We might manifest as a hell being one moment and a deva another moment. In other words, these are not necessarily just places where you may be reborn in some distant future. Remember, the Buddha said we die and are reborn every minute. Another commenter, Petteri Sulonen, responded to bob's comment on his own blog. There's a bit on Vasubandhu's model of personality and memory that I find intriguing. He also links to Shravasti Dhammika's excellent essay on karma that I've linked to in the past. One of my Zen teachers was impressed with this essay, also; it's not just a Theravadin perspective.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Karma and Rebirth

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Karma and Rebirth Jul 30th 2011, 10:01 What Is Karma? The Sanskrit word karma means "volitional act" or "deed." The law of karma is a law of cause and effect, or an understanding that every deed produces fruit. Karma is created by the intentional acts of body, speech, and mind. Only acts pure of desire, hate and delusion do not produce karmic effects. Once set in motion, karma tends to continue in many directions, like ripples on a pond. Karma is not mysterious or hidden. Once you understand what it is, you can observe it all around you. For example, let's say a man gets into an argument at work. He drives home in an angry mood, cutting off someone at an intersection. The driver cut off is now angry, and when she gets home she yells at her daughter. This is karma in action -- one angry act has touched off many more. However, if the man who argued had the mental discipline to let go of his anger, the karma would have stopped with him. What Is Rebirth? Very basically, when the effects of karma continue across lifetimes it causes rebirth. But in light of the doctrine of no-self, what exactly is reborn? The classical Hindu understanding of reincarnation is that a soul, or atman, is reborn many times. But the Buddha taught the doctrine of anatman -- no soul, or no-self. The various schools of Buddhism approach this question in somewhat different ways. One way to explain rebirth is to think of all existence as one big ocean. An individual is a phenomenon of existence in the same way a wave is a phenomenon of ocean. A wave begins, moves across the surface of the water, then dissipates. While it exists, a wave is distinct from ocean yet is never separate from ocean. In the same way, that which is reborn is not the same person, yet is not separate from the same person.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: What's a Bodhisattva?

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What's a Bodhisattva? Jul 30th 2011, 10:01 Buddhism calls itself a "non-theistic" religion. The historical Buddha taught that believing in and worshipping gods was not useful for those seeking to realize enlightenment. Many Buddhists consider themselves to be atheists. Yet Buddhist art and literature are richly stocked with godlike beings. This is especially true of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana temples are populated by statues and paintings of many characters and creatures, some beautiful, some demonic. Enlightenment Beings After buddhas, the most important beings in Mahayana iconography are bodhisattvas. The word bodhisattva means "enlightenment being." Very simply, bodhisattvas are beings who work for the enlightenment of all beings, not just themselves. They vow not to enter Nirvana until all beings enter Nirvana together. The bodhisattva is the ideal of all Mahayana Buddhists. The bodhisattva's path is for all of us, not just the beings in the statues and pictures. Mahayana Buddhists take Bodhisattva Vows to save all beings. These are the Four Vows of the Zen school: Beings are numberless; I vow to free them. Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them. The Awakened Way is unsurpassable; I vow to embody it. Transcendent Bodhisattvas The bodhisattvas found in art and literature are sometimes called transcendent bodhisattvas. They are beings who have realized enlightenment but who remain active in the world, appearing in many forms to help others and lead them to enlightenment. They are venerated and called upon for help in time of need. Doesn't that make them something like gods? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends. The bodhisattvas of literature and art can be thought of as allegorical representations of the activity of enlightenment in the world. In Buddhist tantra practice, the bodhisattvas are archetypes of perfect practice to be emulated and, eventually, to become. For example, one might meditate on the image of the Bodhisattva of Compassion in order to become a vehicle for compassion in the world. So, you might be thinking, you're saying they aren't real? No, that's not what I'm saying. What's "Real"? From a Buddhist perspective, most people confuse "identity" with "reality." But in Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhism in particular, nothing has intrinsic identity. We "exist" as distinct beings only in relation to other beings. This is not to say that we don't exist, but that our existence as individuals is conditional and relative. If our identities as individual beings is, in a sense, illusory, does that mean we're not "real"? What's "real"? Bodhisatvas manifest where they are needed in many forms. They might be bums or babies, friends or strangers, teachers, firemen or used car salesmen. They might be you. Whenever needed help is given without selfish attachment, there is the hand of the bodhisattva. When we see and hear the suffering of others and respond to that suffering, we are the hands of the bodhisattva. Seems "real" to me. Understanding Will Vary It's true that transcendent bodhisattvas are sometimes spoken of and thought of as distinctive supernatural beings. There are Buddhists who worship and pray to buddhas and bodhisattvas as one would to gods. In Buddhism, all beliefs and conceptualizations are provisional. That is, they are understood to be flawed and imperfect. People understand the dharma as best they can, and as understanding grows, conceptualizations are discarded. We're all works in progress. Some Buddhists go through a process of believing in buddhas and bodhisattvas as something like gods, and some do not. Image of Manjushri: MarenYumi, Creative Commons License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Big Buddhas: The Nihonji Daibutsu

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Big Buddhas: The Nihonji Daibutsu Jul 30th 2011, 10:01 Carving of the Nihonji Daibutsu (daibutsu means "great buddha") was completed in 1783. Damaged over the years by earthquakes and the elements, the stone figure was restored in 1969. This daibutsu is carved in a common pose for a Medicine Buddha, with his left hand holding a bowl and his right hand palm upward. Visualization of the Medicine Buddha is said to be good for mental and physical health. The buddha is on the grounds of Nihonji Temple in Chiba Prefecture, which is on the eastern coast of Japan near Tokyo. The original temple was established in 725, making it one of the oldest in Japan. It is now run by the Soto Zen sect.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Samsara

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Samsara Jul 30th 2011, 10:01 Definition: The Sanskrit word samsara means "journeying." In Buddhism, as well as in Hinduism and Jainism, samsara is defined as a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Samsara is sometimes thought of as a circumstance or an illusion. In Buddhism it is also thought of as the process by which karma causes rebirth. Samsara is sometimes depicted as the opposite of Nirvana. However, the Mahayana school of Buddhism views both Nirvana and Samsara as mental representations. To one who appreciates the true nature of the world, Nirvana and Samsara are not different from one another.

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Buddhism: Five Lamas in the News

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Five Lamas in the News Jul 29th 2011, 07:18 I was just thinking yesterday that there has been remarkably little in the news about His Holiness the Karmapa, currently in the United States. It really is a big deal. But today there is a feature story about him in the New York Times.� Highlights: His Holiness expressed reluctance to assume the leadership of Tibetan Buddhism when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama dies. However, many are looking to him to continue the work of� obtaining at least some meaningful autonomy for Tibet, if not liberation from China.� The article quotes Robert J. Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University -- "The Karmapa is perfectly placed to be someone who could broker a solution in the future," Mr. Barnett said. "This is one of the rather rare issues where exiles and those in Tibet are in agreement. They have very wide respect for the Karmapa." This next part comes under the heading "Don't shoot me; I'm only the messenger" -- The rival Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje, has the backing of one senior lama in the Kagyu tradition and some followers in the West (who managed to secure the rights to the Web address karmapa.org). But Mr. Barnett likened the rivalry to the "birther controversy" involving President Obama. "For most people, this is a settled issue," he said. His Holiness seems a bit more outspoken about politics than he was when he was here in 2008. Tibet is in an emergency, he said. His Holiness is speaking tonight at Hunter College in New York. I wish I could be there, but I will be on Long Island preparing to celebrate my son's wedding tomorrow (yay). Elsewhere -- Time magazine has profiles of four other lamas who accompanied the Dalai Lama to Washington this month. Enjoy.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Gandhara part one

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Gandhara part one Jul 29th 2011, 10:02 In 2001 the world mourned the senseless destruction of the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the Buddhas of Bamiyan are only a small part of a great heritage of Buddhist art that is being destroyed by war and fanaticism. This is the heritage of Buddhist Gandhara. The ancient kingdom of Gandhara stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was a vital commercial center of the Middle East many centuries before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. For a time, Gandhara also was a jewel of Buddhist civilization. Scholars of Gandhara traveled east to India and China and were influential in the development of early Mahayana Buddhism. The art of Gandhara included the earliest oil paintings known in human history and the first -- and some of the most beautiful -- depictions of bodhisattvas and the Buddha in human form. However, the artifacts and archaeological remains of Gandhara still are being systematically destroyed by the Taliban. The loss of the Bamiyan Buddhas gained the world's attention because of their size, but many other rare and ancient pieces of art have been lost since. In November 2007 the Taliban attacked a seven-meter tall, 7th century stone Buddha in the Jihanabad area of Swat, severely damaging its head. In 2008 a bomb was planted in a museum of Gandharan art in Pakistan. The explosion damaged more than 150 artifacts. The Significance of Gandharan Art Nearly 2,000 years ago, artists of Gandhara began to sculpt and paint the Buddha in ways that have influenced Buddhist art ever since. Earlier Buddhist art did not depict the Buddha. Instead, he was represented by a symbol or an empty space. But Gandharan artists pictured the Buddha as a human being. In a style influenced by Greek and Roman art, Gandharan artists sculpted and painted the Buddha in realistic detail. His face was serene. His hands were posed in symbolic gestures. His hair was short, curled and knotted at the top. His robe was gracefully draped and folded. These conventions spread throughout Asia and are found in depictions of the Buddha to this day. In spite of its importance to Buddhism, much of the history of Gandhara was lost for centuries. Modern archaeologists and historians have pieced together some of the story of Gandhara, and fortunately much of its wonderful art is safe in the world's museums, away from war zones. Where Was Gandhara? The Kingdom of Gandhara existed, in one form or another, for more than 15 centuries. It began as a province of the Persian Empire in 530 BCE and ended in 1021 CE, when its last king was assassinated by his own troops. During those centuries it expanded and shrank, and its borders changed many times. You can find the general area of Gandhara on this map of present-day Afghanistan and part of Pakistan. The old kingdom included what is now Kabul, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan. Find Bamiyan (spelled Bamian) west and slightly north of Kabul. The area marked "Hindu Kush" also was part of Gandhara. This map of Pakistan shows the location of the historic city of Peshawar. The Swat Valley, not marked, is just west of Peshawar and is important to the history of Gandhara. How Buddhism Came to Gandhara Although this part of the Middle East has supported human civilization for at least 6,000 years, our story begins in 530 BCE. That year the Persian Emperor Darius I conquered Gandhara and made it part of his empire. Then in 333 BCE Alexander the Great defeated the armies of Darius III and gained control of Persia, and by 327 BCE Alexander controlled Gandhara also. One of Alexander's successors, Seleucus, became ruler of Persia and Mesopotamia. The Seleucid Empire officially lasted from 312 to 63 BCE. However, Seleucus made the mistake of challenging his neighbor to the east, the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya of India. The confrontation did not go well for Seleucus, who ceded much territory, including Gandhara, to Chandragupta. Chandragupta left the Mauryan Empire, which included the territory of Gandhara, to his son, Bindusara. When Bindusara died, probably in 272 BCE, he left the empire to his son, Ashoka. Ashoka the Great Ashoka (ca. 304â€"232 BCE; sometimes spelled Asoka) originally was a warrior prince known for his ruthlessness and cruelty. According to legend he was first exposed to Buddhist teaching when monks cared for his wounds after a battle. However, his brutality continued until the day he walked into a city he had just conquered and saw the devastation. "What have I done?" he cried, and vowed to observe the Buddhist path for himself and for his kingdom. Ashoka's empire included almost all of present-day India and Bangladesh as well as most of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was his patronage of Buddhism that left the greater mark on world history, however. Ashoka was instrumental in making Buddhism one of the most prominent religions of Asia. He built monasteries, erected stupas, and supported the work of Buddhist missionaries, who took the dharma into Gandhara and Gandhara's western neighbor, Bactria. King Menander The Mauryan Empire declined after Ashoka's death. The Greek-Bactrian King Demetrius I conquered Gandhara about 185 BCE, but subsequent wars made Gandhara an Indo-Greek kingdom independent of Bactria. One of the most prominent of the Indo-Greek kings of Gandhara was Menander, also called Melinda, who ruled from about 160 to 130 BCE. Menander is said to have been a devout Buddhist. The Pali Canon contains a dialogue, called The Milindapañha, alleged to be between King Menander and a Buddhist scholar named Nagasena. After Menander's death Gandhara was invaded again, first by Scythians and then Parthians. The invasions wiped out the Indo-Greek kingdom. Next page: The rise and decline of Gandharan Buddhist culture; the Buddhas of Bamiyan; Islam comes to Gandhara.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Avalokiteshvara

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Avalokiteshvara Jul 29th 2011, 10:02 Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, may be the most well known and beloved of the iconic bodhisattvas. Throughout all schools of Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara is venerated as the ideal of karuna. Karuna is the activity of compassion in the world and the willingness to bear the pain of others. Avalokiteshvara is the earthly manifestation of Amitabha Buddha, who represents mercy and wisdom. The bodhisattva is said to appear anywhere to help all beings in danger and distress. The Bodhisattva's Name The Sanskrit name "Avalokiteshvara" is interpreted many ways -- "The One Who Hears the Cries of the World"; "The Lord Who Looks Down"; "The Lord Who Looks in Every Direction." The bodhisattva goes by many other names. In Indochina and Thailand he is Lokesvara, "The Lord of the World." In Tibet he is Chenrezig, also spelled Spyan-ras gzigs, "With a Pitying Look." In China the bodhisattva takes a female form and is called Guanyin (also spelled Quanyin, Kwan Yin, Kuanyin or Kwun Yum), "Hearing the Sounds of the World." In Japan, Guanyin is Kannon or Kanzeon; in Korea, Gwan-eum; in Vietnam, Quan Am. One can find many more variations of those names. The Bodhisattva's Gender Most scholars say that until the time of the early Sung Dynasty (960-1126) the bodhisattva was portrayed in art as male. From the 12th century on, however, in much of Asia Avalokiteshvara took the form of a mother-goddess of mercy. Exactly how this happened is not clear. (Here's an utterly unsupported and probably off-the-wall speculation: The rise of the veneration of mother goddess Guanyin happened at the same time -- 12th and 13th centuries -- that the cult of the Virgin Mary was gaining popularity in Europe. Was there some cultural cross-pollination the historians don't know about? Or some other factor that made mother goddesses particularly appealing during that time?) Sometimes the bodhisattva is pictured with features of both genders. This is symbolic of the bodhisattva's transcendence of dualities, such as male-female gender distinctions. Further, the Lotus Sutra says that the bodhisattva can manifest in whatever form is best suited for the situation. The Bodhisattva's Appearance There are more than 30 iconographic representations of Avalokiteshvara in Buddhist art. These are distinguished by the number of heads and arms the bodhisattva displays, the bodhisattva's body position, and by what is carried in the bodhisattva's hands. There is often a small figure of Amitabha gracing the bodhisattva's head. He may hold a lotus, mala beads, or a vase of nectar. He may be standing, in meditation, or seated in a "royal ease" pose. The bodhisattva often has multiple heads and arms, which symbolize his limitless capacity to perceive suffering and to help all beings. According to legend, when Avalokiteshvara first heard the suffering of the world his head burst from pain. Amitabha, his teacher, took the pieces of his head and remade eleven heads in its place. Then Amitabha gave Avalokiteshvara a thousand arms with which to ease all suffering. The Bodhisattva Is Us You may look for the bodhisattva in the form of a white-robed woman, or an angel, or an unseen spirit. However, Zen teacher John Daido Loori said, "Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is the Hearer of the Cries of the World. And one of the characteristics of Avalokiteshvara is that she manifests herself in accord with the circumstances. So she always presents herself in a form that's appropriate to what's going on. In the Bowery, she manifests as a bum. Tonight, in barrooms across the country, she'll manifest as a drunk. Or as a motorist on the highway, or as a fireman, or a physician. Always responding in accord with the circumstances, in a form appropriate to the circumstances. How is that? "Every time there's a stranded vehicle on the side of the road and a motorist stops to help Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva has manifested herself. Those characteristics of wisdom and compassion are the characteristics of all beings. All Buddhas. We all have that potential. It's just a matter of awakening it. You awaken it by realizing there's no separation between self and other." Do not think of the bodhisattva as a being separate from yourself. When we see and hear the suffering of others and respond to that suffering, we are the heads and arms of the bodhisattva.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Buddhism and Sexism

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Buddhism and Sexism Jul 29th 2011, 10:02 Buddhist women, including nuns, have faced harsh discrimination by Buddhist institutions in Asia for centuries. There is gender inequality in most of the world's religions, of course, but that's no excuse. Is sexism intrinsic to Buddhism, or did Buddhist institutions absorb sexism from Asian culture? Can Buddhism treat women as equals, and remain Buddhism? The Historical Buddha and the First Nuns Let's begin at the beginning, with the historical Buddha. As told in "The First Buddhist Women," the Buddha originally refused to ordain women as nuns. He said that allowing women into the sangha would cause his teachings to survive only half as long â€"- 500 years instead of a 1,000. The Buddha's cousin Ananda asked if there was any reason women could not realize enlightenment and enter Nirvana as well as men. The Buddha admitted there was no reason a woman could not be enlightened. "Women, Ananda, having gone forth are able to realize the fruit of stream-attainment or the fruit of once-returning or the fruit of non-returning or arahantship," he said. Unequal Rules for Nuns The Vinaya-pitaka section of the Tripitaka (Pali Canon) records the original rules of discipline for monks and nuns. A bhikkuni (nun) has rules in addition to those given to a bhikku (monk). These include subordination to monks; the most senior nuns are to be considered "junior" to a monk of one day. Some scholars point to discrepancies between the Pali Bhikkuni Vinaya (the section of the Pali Canon dealing with the rules for nuns) and other versions of the texts, and suggest the more odious rules were added after the Buddha's death. Wherever they came from, over the centuries the rules were used in many parts of Asia to discourage women from being ordained. When the orders of nuns died out in India and Sri Lanka centuries ago, conservatives used the rules that called for monks and nuns to be present at nuns’ ordination to prevent the institution of new orders. Only recently has the ordination problem been solved by allowing properly ordained nuns from other parts of Asia to travel to ordination ceremonies. However, the establishment of nuns' orders in Tibet, where there had been no nuns before, for some time met with resistance. Even today, in some parts of Asia nuns receive less education and financial support than monks. Can Women Enter Nirvana? Buddhist doctrines on the enlightenment of women are contradictory. There is no one institutional authority that speaks for all Buddhism. The myriad schools and sects do not follow the same scriptures; texts that are central to some schools are not recognized as authentic by others. And the scriptures disagree. For example, the Larger Sukhavati-vyuha Sutra, also called the Aparimitayur Sutra, is one of three sutras that provide the doctrinal basis of the Pure Land school. This sutra contains a passage usually interpreted to mean that women must be reborn as men before they can enter Nirvana. On the other hand, the Vimilakirti Sutra teaches that maleness and femaleness, like other phenomenal distinctions, are essentially unreal. "With this in mind, the Buddha said, ’In all things, there is neither male nor female.’" The Vimilakirti is an essential text in several Mahayana schools, including Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. "All Acquire the Dharma Equally" In spite of the barriers against them, throughout Buddhist history many individual women have earned respect for their understanding of dharma. For example, during Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism's golden age (China, ca. 7th-9th centuries) women studied with male teachers, and a few were recognized as dharma heirs and Ch'an masters. These include Liu Tiemo, called the "Iron Grindstone"; Moshan; and Miaoxin. Eihei Dogen (1200-1253) brought Soto Zen from China to Japan and is one of the most revered masters in the history of Zen. In the Raihai Tokuzui, Dogen said, "In acquiring the dharma, all acquire the dharma equally. All should pay homage to and hold in esteem one who has acquired the dharma. Do not make an issue of whether it is a man or a woman. This is the most wondrous law of the buddha dharma." Buddhism Today Today, Buddhist women in the West generally consider institutional sexism to be vestiges of Asian culture that can be surgically excised from dharma. Some western monastic orders are co-ed, with men and women following the same rules. In Asia, nuns' orders are working for better conditions and education, but in many countries they have a long way to go. Centuries of discrimination will not be undone overnight. Equality will be more of a struggle in some schools and cultures than in others. But there is momentum toward equality, and I see no reason why that momentum will not continue.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Vajra

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Vajra Jul 29th 2011, 10:02 Definition: When used in Buddhist literature, the Sanskrit word vajra usually is defined "diamond" or "adamantine." It can also mean "thunderbolt," although this definition of vajra is more often associated with Hinduism. A diamond is spotlessly pure and indestructible. As such, the word vajra sometimes signifies enlightenment, or the absolute reality of shunyata, "emptiness." The vajra also is ritual object associated with Tibetan Buddhism, also called by its Tibetan name, dorje. These objects usually are made of bronze, vary in size and have three, five or nine spokes that usually close at each end in lotus shape. The number of spokes and the way they come together, or not, at the ends have numerous symbolic meanings. In Tibetan ritual, the vajra often is used together with a bell. The vajra is held in the left hand and represents the male principle, upaya, action or means. The bell is held in the right hand and represents the female principle, prajna, wisdom. A double dorje, or vishvavajra, are two dorjes connected to form a cross. A double dorje represents the foundation of the physical world and is also associated with certain tantric deities. Also Known As: Dorje (Tibetan)

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Buddhist and Abortion

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Buddhist and Abortion Jul 28th 2011, 10:02 (This is the second part of an essay on Buddhist Views of Abortion. Click "Continued from Page 1" to read the first part.) The Buddhist Approach to Morality Buddhism does not approach morality by handing out absolute rules to be followed in all circumstances. Instead, it provides guidance to help us see how what we do affects ourselves and others. The karma we create with our thoughts, words and actions keeps us subject to cause and effect. Thus, we assume responsibility for our actions and the results of our actions. Even the Precepts are not commandments, but princples, and it is up to us to decide how to apply those principles to our lives. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, a professor of theology and a nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, explains, "There are no moral absolutes in Buddhism and it is recognized that ethical decision-making involves a complex nexus of causes and conditions. 'Buddhism' encompasses a wide spectrum of beliefs and practices, and the canonical scriptures leave room for a range of interpretations. All of these are grounded in a theory of intentionality, and individuals are encouraged to analyze issues carefully for themselves. ... When making moral choices, individuals are advised to examine their motivation--whether aversion, attachment, ignorance, wisdom, or compassion--and to weigh the consequences of their actions in light of the Buddha's teachings." What's Wrong With Moral Absolutes? Our culture places great value on something called "moral clarity." Moral clarity rarely is defined, but I infer it means ignoring the messier aspects of complex moral issues so that one can apply simple, rigid rules to solving them. If you take all facets of an issue into account, you risk not being clear. Moral clarifiers love to rework all ethical problems into simple equations of right and wrong, good and bad. There is an assumption that an issue can have only two sides, and that one side must be entirely right and the other side entirely wrong. Complex issues are simplified and oversimplified and stripped of all ambiguous aspects to make them fit into "right" and "wrong" boxes. To a Buddhist, this is a dishonest and unskillful way to approach morality. In the case of abortion, often people who have taken a side glibly dismiss the concerns of any other side. For example, in much anti-abortion literature women who have abortions are portrayed as selfish or thoughtless, or sometimes just plain evil. The very real problems an unwanted pregnancy might bring to a woman's life are not honestly acknowledged. Moralists sometimes discuss embryos, pregnancy and abortion without mentioning women at all. At the same time, those who favor legal abortion sometimes fail to acknowledge the humanity of the fetus. The Fruits of Absolutism Although Buddhism discourages abortion, we see that criminalizing abortion causes much suffering. The Alan Guttmacher Institute documents that criminalizing abortion does not stop it or even reduce it. Instead, abortion goes underground and is performed in unsafe conditions. In desperation, women submit to unsterile procedures. They drink bleach or turpentine, perforate themselves with sticks and coat hangers, and even jump off roofs. Worldwide, unsafe abortion procedures cause the deaths of about 67,000 women per year, mostly in nations in which abortion is illegal. Those with "moral clarity" can ignore this suffering. A Buddhist cannot. In his book The Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics, Robert Aitken Roshi said (p.17), "The absolute position, when isolated, omits human details completely. Doctrines, including Buddhism, are meant to be used. Beware of them taking life of their own, for then they use us." What About the Baby? My understanding is that an individual is a phenomenon of life in the same way a wave is a phenomenon of ocean. When the wave begins, nothing is added to the ocean; when it ends, nothing is taken away. Robert Aitken Roshi wrote (The Mind of Clover, pp. 21-22), "Sorrow and suffering form the nature of samsara, the flow of life and death, and the decision to prevent birth is made on balance with other elements of suffering. Once the decision is made, there is no blame, but rather acknowledgment that sadness pervades the whole universe, and this bit of life goes with our deepest love." The Buddhist Approach In researching this article I found universal consensus among Buddhist ethicists that the best approach to the abortion issue is to educate people about birth control and encourage them to use contraceptives. Beyond that, as Karma Lekshe Tsomo writes, "In the end, most Buddhists recognize the incongruity that exists between ethical theory and actual practice and, while they do not condone the taking of life, do advocate understanding and compassion toward all living beings, a lovingkindness that is nonjudgmental and respects the right and freedom of human beings to make their own choices."

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: The Five Dhyani Buddhas: Akshobhya Buddha

Buddhism: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

The Five Dhyani Buddhas: Akshobhya Buddha Jul 28th 2011, 10:02 Akshobhya was a monk who vowed never to feel anger or disgust at another being. He was immovable in keeping this vow, and after long striving he became a Buddha. Akshobhya is a heavenly Buddha who reigns over the eastern paradise, Abhirati. (Note that the eastern paradise is understood to be a state of mind, not a physical place.) Those who fulfill Akshobhya's vow are reborn in Abhirati and cannot fall back into lower states of consciousness. In Buddhist iconography, Akshobhya usually is blue, sometimes gold. He is most often pictured touching the earth with his right hand. This is the earth-touching mudra, which is the gesture used by the historical Buddha when he asked the earth to bear witness to his enlightenment. In his left hand Akshobhya holds a vajra, the symbol of shunyata -- an absolute reality that is all things and beings, unmanifested. Akshobhya also is associated with the fifth skandha, consciousness. In Buddhist tantra, evoking Akshobhya in meditation helps overcome anger and hatred.

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Buddhism: Is "Just This" All There Is?

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Is "Just This" All There Is? Jul 27th 2011, 08:51 The last couple of posts brought up the misconception that "enlightenment" is something like a blissful drug trip. In the 1960s and 1970s some Zen teachers seemed to be trying to talk expectations down by stressing the "just this" of things. The late Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who established the San Francisco Zen Center back when Haight-Ashbury was ground zero for the counterculture, famously told his students that enlightenment is "nothing special." But are some factions of western Buddhism taking Roshi's "nothing special" a bit too literally? Soto Zen teacher Dosho Port wrote recently about another Zen teacher, George Bowman -- Recently, in the heart of an extended retreat, a student of Bomun's asked him in dokusan, "Is this really all there is to it?" Bomun said, "No." Great dharma presentation! Just, no? Now every Zennie knows that "Yes," is also correct, of course. It is always just this. And yet "Yes" can close down the mind, harden the concepts, calcify the heart. In my view, American Soto Zen is almost choking to death on the efficaciousless idea of "Just this." It appears to me that western Buddhism is in danger of getting mired in what we might call "Stephen Batchelor Syndrome," which is the attitude that anything in the teachings that can't easily be conceptualized by a properly educated, rational westerner can be dismissed out of hand as superstitious nonsense.� In Batchelor's words, this is seeing Buddhism only as "a set of philosophical doctrines, ethical precepts, and meditation practices." This attitude may be a particular problem for Soto Zen, since Soto emphasizes a gradual approach to enlightenment -- silent illumination -- that doesn't depend on sudden, brain-blasting enlightenment experiences. Further, we Soto zennies are told that practice is enlightenment, that enlightenment is already manifested, that there is nothing to obtain, etc. Just sit. In particular if they aren't working with a teacher who is challenging their assumptions, it's easy to see why many might settle into a very limited understanding of dharma that rejects anything but conventional views. As an antidote, especially for but not limited to Soto zennies -- I recommend a dharma talk by Zoketsu Norman Fischer called "Dogen Great Enlightenment." Dogen is the founder of Zoto Zen in Japan; his teachings continue to illuminate the tradition today. Much of Dogen's work centers on the oneness of practice and enlightenment. Yet while enlightenment is already manifested in practice, we are still challenged to wake up and realize it. Norman Fischer writes, "So this is the paradox that was Dogen's original spiritual question as a boy - the paradox that he is always talking about and always thinking about. To hold this paradox is our actual practice, our actual human life. It is a radically non-dual view. There is this and that. There is enlightenment and delusion. These are different from each other, and at the same time, there is no this and that, and there is no actual difference between enlightenment and delusion. And it's because Dogen is always explicating this essential paradox that we find Dogen so difficult to read. We are always looking for something definitive that we can hang our hat on. 'Give me something definite here that I can stand on!' And it's unbelievable how the mind is always looking for that and never really finding that in Dogen. It's very frustrating. In a way you could say that the method of Dogen's writing is inherently self-canceling, because to say anything is always to say something dualistic. So Dogen sets up a dualistic proposition, and then he contradicts it, or then he cancels it out." The problem with "yes," then, is that it gives the student something to stand on; or, at least, the impression that there's something to stand on. But "no" pulls the rug out from under him. With no where to stand, where is he?

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