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That's just an insight I had that I wanted to share with all of you. Those of you that have read the Pali canon I'm sure can find some technical differences, but my dilettante world is rocked by this.

As I sat in my vehicle, gazing at the great crowd converged upon San Francisco's Civic Center, I began to notice certain things reminiscent of gestures and facial expressions I had seen before. Though this day was supposed to be a day of celebration, that's held in June on San Francisco's Gay Pride Day, it brought back similar memories of pain and injustice suffered by African-Americans prior to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Obviously, some people in the parade took advantage of the moment to bring to our attention the fact that a great number of Americans are still living without their basic human rights here in America.

I observed people marching with clenched fists, demanding their inseparable rights as human beings. I saw people marching arm in arm and hand in hand. As one young man passed my vehicle, I observed hopeless-looking tears in his eyes as he held a sign that read, "Fair Medical Treatment for HIV and Aids Patients!"

Those tears in that guy's eyes, reminded me of the time when I was a child. I was watching the CBS news with Walter Cronkite. They were showing footage of policemen attacking black demonstrators with vicious attack dogs. At the tender age of four, I asked my mother, "Why don't those people just call the police?" My mother paused, with tears streaming from her eyes, and said, "Son, those ARE the police!" I will never forget the vacuous hole that filled my once patriotic chest, when she finally spoke those words to me.

We should all be aware that the rainbow flag, was once the flag of the Rainbow Coalition headed by the renown Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder of Operation Push. The people who surrounded him in the civil rights movement were often observed raising their clenched fists too, which also indicated the desire for the future power to realize their dreams to be considered as equal citizens under the law.

I remember years ago, I too marched and stood in support of the freedom riders. I too cried tears of the powerlessness of African-Americans. Suddenly, I felt inspired. After all, those were my brothers and sisters out there. I pulled over, got out of my vehicle, and joined in the march.

That's when the idea finally hit me about the whole problem with gay people. The problem with gay people is the same problem with African-Americans. It's the long history of the American inherited Judeo-Christian set of moral ethics derived from biblical scriptures. The same scriptures that condoned slavery also condemned homosexuality.

A person should no more be condemned for the adult human being that they are sexually attracted to, than they are for being born of a different skin color, or ethnicity. That should ring true regardless as to what you read for spiritual inspiration!

PASS ENDA NOW!

"It’s a Buddhist cliche that Siddhartha Gotama also underwent ascetic extremes after having indulged his appetites and before finding the Middle Way—but the Middle Way shouldn’t be an excuse to not change or try and improve anything about ourselves. Living the way we do in the West is extreme. We shouldn’t kid ourselves—most of us haven’t left the palace yet."

From the Tricycle blog.

Thoughts?

Do I have to make them all come?

From Awakening the Buddhist Heart by Lama Surya Das:

"Last Sunday, as Marla drove home from a weekend spiritual retreat, she felt highly motivated to do good and be good.  It had been an inspiring weekend, and she had been particularly moved by a loving-kindness practice that she found extraordinarily powerful.  For her entire life, Marla has been concerned with wanting to help others.  The retreat reawakened Marla's commitment to live a more compassionate, caring and loving life; she wants to apply these feelings to every issue in her life.

Only a week has gone by since Marla returned from the retreat, yet she is already feeling discouraged and disturbed by the difficulties involved in maintaining a consistently loving, unselfish attitude.  This morning, for example, Marla was trying to be more loving and caring with her significant other, but Robert was being undeniably self-centred, thinking only of himself as he rushed off early - as always - to play tennis with a client, while she was left to clean up a messy house and buy food for the rest of the weekend.  Meanwhile, Marla has stuff of her own she wants to do.  She wants to go to the gym; she wants to meditate; she wants to read a book; and she also has some work she brought home to read.

But first she must finish her chores, so Marla forces herself to let go of her resentment against Robert as she resolutely heads off to the store.  Later, when Marla returns, staggering into the house with the bundles, the first thing that happens is that a lonely, talkative friend calls to ask some advice.  Marla wants to be available and open to help others so she stays on the phone and listens for a full forty-five minutes.  Marla no sooner hangs up when a close friend, Jackie, calls to say her car "died".  Can Marla please pick her up at the gas station and drive her home?  Jackie is her friend.  If I don't help her, Marla thinks to herself, who will I help?

Marla is backing her car out of the driveway when her sister Pam pulls up. Pam is in tears because she and her husband Chuck have just has another major fight about money; they have scheduled an emergency counseling session.  Could Marla please take the baby, and could she also loan them $200 to pay the phone bill because the phone has been turned off because Chuck didn't pay it.  Marla loves her sister, and she wants to help, but Pam takes total advantage.  This happens all the time, Marla thinks.  She just arrives with her problems and I'm supposed to fix them.  More than anything else Marla wants to do good; she wants to be a good sister and a good person.  But isn't this all a bit much?  As much as Marla wants to be open, caring, and accepting, all she is feeling is put upon.  She hasn't even had time to get all her groceries out of the bag, but she is already as busy as a small social service agency."


Do you ever feel like Marla?  How do you deal with it?  What advice would you give to her?

Our nervous systems are linked with huge conglomerates of electrical phenomena called neurons, axons, and synapses. The neurons and axons are are made of nerve cells. These nerve cells transmit electrical impulses to one another just like your local electrical company or AT&T. Your local electrical company and AT&T as well have huge energy sources and energy storage capacities. Our nervous systems within our bodies do quite the same thing. The central core of our nervous system is called the brain.

The brain is a physical organ of the body that directs all of the electrical impulses that both enter and exit the body. Therefore, when you touch a hot pot and say, "OUCH!", your brain allowed the hot object to relay its temperature to the nerves in contact with your skin, which then transmitted the temperature difference to your brain, which instantaneously decided that the temperature difference was to great to be in contact with your skin, and not cause any damage to your body. This in turn caused your brain to tell your arm to move away from the hot pot.

Your brain is in a constant electrical state of multiple transmissions.
Taken all together, we could say that its the Grand Central Station of Electrical Impulses. Organized electrical impulses moving in a specific path is called current. All current is surrounded by an electromagnetic field. All electromagnetic fields have energy.

When you are able to control these fields to any degree from within and without any external mechanisms attached to your body directly or indirectly, then your brain or "mind", is by default, the source of this internal control that we loosely refer to as meditation. When we become adapt at controlling this mental/electrical energy, we become proficient at redirecting brain waves.

We can use our meditation for positive purposes or for negative purposes. When we focus upon the positive, we become more aligned with that which the Buddha spoke of as satori and nirvana. We are not meditating for only personal wealth. We are not meditating to bring harm to our neighbors. We are not meditating on a method of deception. No! We are meditating to bring about better conditions for both ourselves and our neighbors. We are meditating about increased health in our communities. We are meditating about greater peace. We are meditating about greater love and kindness.

Alternatively, we could be focused upon anything not detrimental to anyone. Perhaps, a motionless pond, a seagull gliding, a child smiling, a boat sailing, a duck floating, an eye of a needle, a familiar pattern, or just about any singular thing that is wholesome and does not take you to a negative place.

I've seen people meditate on how they were going to place a person into harm's way. I've seen people meditate about how they were going to deceive someone for personal gain. I've seen people meditate on the future LOTTO number. These types of meditation are bound for failure sense they are either ego or hatred centered which places them into the realm of ignorance. Nothing good or postive will become of this negative energy. If something appears to positively result from this type of negative expenditure of energy, then watch out, calamity is nearby!

Of course, there is also Nothingness. Contained in nothing can be a sense of inner peace or it can be just nothing.

After a bad day at work or an argument, it can be inner peace. After a ruthless harming, maiming, brutalizing, or killing of someone, it's just nothing. It's just mental therapy for your misdeeds.

Meditation is a very power tool of redirection of electrical impulses used primarily to change ourselves. Used to change external phenomena is possible but has to be done on a much grander scale. Instead of one person meditating upon one thing, thousands or perhaps millions of people are meditating upon the same thing.

Wholesome and positive meditation is righteously mindful and therefore is to be condoned by any Buddhist. Meditation upon any negative, hateful, or greedful thing is certainly not of Buddhist origin and therefore, should not be taught, shared, or condoned.

In conclusion, the purpose of meditation is to bring peace to one's self as one is centered mindfully within universal oneness. It is the for the purpose of removing "negative" electrical impulses. It is for the purpose of bringing us all greater health and prosperity. It is for the purpose of increasing our mental and organizational skills. It is for the purpose of increasing our ability to concentrate. It increases our intuition or our ability to sense. It is for the purpose of self-realization. It is for the purpose of shaping our world view. It is for the purpose of causing us to act properly. It is for the purpose of harnessing energy in order to direct in a specific positive direction for the wholesome benefit of us all.

This is something that anyone can do whether they believe in god or not. This is the way of Buddhism. Of course, this path can always be enhanced, by chanting.

I have often wondered what is the big deal about a woman breastfeeding her child in public. Most infants don't understand that they are in public when they are hungry and trust me, they don't personally care. I dare count the number of times I've been at the airport, on a train, or at a restaurant, when a mother feeds her hungry infant at a convenient time for the infant, and someone winces or frowns. So what, if you have the opportunity to glance at the mother's breast! What is that supposed to be, a sexually enticing moment or something? Is she supposed to feel embarrassed? Please! Give me a break!

How could Barbara Walters or Bill Maher scream "Indecent!", when a mother momentarily exposes herself for the purpose of a child's brief moment of contentment? Women in Africa, India, and China are in no way reluctant to feed their children whenever and wherever the child indicates the need to be fed.

So what is this stifling standard that the west has about womens breasts?

We in the west feed ourselves in public all of the time. People think nothing of eating a hamburger, frankfurter, or sucking a soda through a straw in a train station. We eat publicly in restaurants as a standard custom.
So why can't infants eat in public? Don't tell me it's due to the sight of the woman's breast. That's just absurd!

I am personally, sexually attracted to beautiful women. However, I don't care how attractive a woman may be, there's no way that I'm going to be turned on, when she is in the process of breastfeeding her child. It just isn't a sexy thing to do. It only seems like a motherly thing to do. It looks quite matter of fact to me and is completely unsexy.

I remember when I would see my wife completely topless and feeding my son. The last thing on my mind at that time, was sex, or indecent exposure or something. On the other hand, when the baby was asleep and my wife was topless and wearing a black negligee. Wow! Now, that was quite a different story!

Hey! Men take their shirts off and walk proudly down the street in the summertime. We see men's chests all of the time. What's so different about women's chests? Personally, I vote that we should all have the right to go topless in public whenever we have the desire (except for maybe at work). That's goes doubly so when a mother is breastfeeding her infant!

Let's not allow mere infants to suffer!
metta

Between the years of 949 and 1603 AD, Japan was in a state of religious and political schism. Various schools of Buddhist thought were often found in philosophical, political, and physical combat with one another. Eventually, things got so bad that various monasteries began to build their own armies of monks. These monks were called sohei.

There were times when the sohei enlisted the help of the Samurai who represented certain clans within the region. Occasionally, certain clans would call upon the allegiance of the nearest sohei that empathized with their political position. Many sohei wore the same armour that the Samurai wore in battle. These Sohei were derived from a variety of Buddhist sects.

Usually, when one sect would conquer another sect, the battles were brutal, bloody, and merciless. Temples would be burned to the ground and the school's symbol destroyed.

The need for Buddhist Warriors or Sohei, ended around 1603 AD. Until then, the thirst for fellow Buddhist's blood seemed to be insatiable.

Apparently, we as Buddhists, don't have the prestine image that we would like when it comes to violence. Even today, we have the example of Buddhists monks who are waging war with the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka.

We've got to do better!

Samurai Soldiers were once the primary fighting forces derived from the rural lands and clans of ancient Japan. There were three major clans who occasionally fought with one another for land, tax exemptions, and prestige. These three clans would often fight one another during times when they weren't being invaded. These three clans were headed by daimyo and were protected by Samurai warriors hired from the inside families, to protect itself. Some of course, were hired mercenaries. All were devoutly committed to their daimyo and the Bushido code of fearlessness and loyalty.

The Samurai developed into a well-disciplined fighting machine from often, fearful rural farmers, who felt coerced by the imperial government. Since rural farmers along with all other able-bodied men were expected to fight in Japan's early army, the expectation of physical combat was a given. Most Japanese infantrymen were expert archers with the long bow just as they were skilled hunters as well. Those Samurai who were excellent horsemen as well as expert archers were highly regarded within the Samurai hierarchy.

At first, the rural soldiers of Japan experienced some difficulty with the fear and blood-letting required by warfare. However, with the introduction and evolution of Samurai culture, fearlessness and ferocity became a prerequisite. With the advent of Zen Buddhism, warriors were now better able to face the enemies fearlessly. Through meditation, they became more capable of eliminating feelings of fear, guilt, and regret. These emotions were now absent both during and after battle.

The development of the Samurai involved the evolution of meditation, self-defense, weaponry, politics, and economics. Small clans formed alliances with larger clans in order to either defend farm territory or to become tax exempt. Successful Samurai warriors were able to marry into aristocratic families. They were also better able to secure political posts after their service to either the imperial government or powerful daimyo. In time, the Samurai became the military of the imperial government. The Samurai where extremely successful at thwarting the efforts of invaders and challenges from lesser clans.
Eventually, the Samurai became recognized as a powerful, educated, sophisticated, and militaristic class of people who were not only recognized for being expert swordsmen, but creative writers and artists as well. They became responsible for wielding the most sophisticated sword in the entire history of mankind. They developed a whole form of martial art with the sword (kendo).

The Samurai soon adapted themselves into skilled swordsmen of Zen. Though the Japanese population was composed fundamentally of Pureland Buddhists and Shinto enthusiasts, the Samurai were for the most part, Zen Buddhists.

" Words to a greater extent many of you say are just that. They seem to come and go like the wind, but what is really retained is the essence of feeling. Each of you has circulatory feeling, heartbeat, thoughts, ideals, hopes and unfortunately many of you are committed to timetables. The most important message is to make the time, this is your business plan, your meditations, you are investing in yourself. This is not cold hearted finances or indeed not sharing with others. It simply means you can not qualify to give anything until you have something to give and indeed giving of ignorance is not a welcome gift. We try to avoid it at all costs because therein we would suffer just as much as the sufferer. So it is good before you speak, do feel a continuity with that person. Learn to listen. This has many avenues of success, not just communicating with your higher self but also what others are really saying.

And how do you listen? Just for a simple moment do not judge. Do not try to put a label on it. Does it feel positive or does it feel right or indeed what is it that makes you feel uncomfortable? That is the first point of communication, if something makes you feel uncomfortable deal with it, get rid of it, change it, cleanse it. Breathe the white light into it. This is a good practice because then fears start avoiding you. Even individuals that are filled with fear will start to avoid you, indeed your territory will become stronger and stronger and you will be in a place where you will enjoy whatever it is that you are doing. Whether you enjoyed it before or not indeed will not matter.

Finally as a concept here to deal with, we have spoken here in the beginning of certain changes that are befalling the lot of humankind, but we have also mentioned that you still have the choice. Still means precisely listen before at times you would take the step, but at other times here when you would take that step and indeed feel that you are being carried, that you are not alone. That there is the enthusiasm and joy of life in the things that you do. Seemingly at times these are boring things and you are angry and you are resentful, and you are being forced into a condition of repetition whether it be addiction or otherwise. The basis of all addictions is that repetition of guilt. The whole society seems to be motivated by guilt for the basis of guilt is still fear and fear has its enemy, indeed it is trust. So simply here what you are doing is correct. We can not improve upon it. You are all breathing and that is very good. But if you want to accelerate things just become a little more conscious of things around you. There is a Divine Spark in everything no matter how seemingly black or dead it is, but do not describe it, do not judge it. Let it describe itself to you and therein you get an impression. Deal with that impression, that is the beginning of communication. When you deal, and what dealing means is precisely first of all you can create a balance of anything that is out of balance within you. You can send that imbalance back if it becomes too overwhelming or conversely you can turn that disadvantage into an advantage by asking the universe, "Add unto me what is missing so I shall become whole and complete and therein I ask only for guidance because the essence of me is harmony. I sing and play the tune that is acceptable to all things because I am the denominator of life." And what is a denominator? Because you can listen to all things for a brief moment or for hours or years, but you are making the choice.

Listening comes not through the ears, it comes through a sensitivity. As you inhale and the fragrances of life join with and intermingle with you and in those fragrances you choose. Whatever it is that you choose you know that of its essence it only reminds you that whatever you do you enjoy it. Then discrimination starts because those things that you do not enjoy will stay away because you have chosen to do so. Exercise your free will and if you have any doubts upon it, free will comes from your intuition anyways. If you do not feel like doing anything then have a good nap and at least then you can go chat to some other fellows on a one to one basis. There is no judgment there unless you say how you should be judged. So what responsibility do you have? Just one as we have always said. Respond to your inner need and let it describe itself for you and that which we offer you is each and every one of you shall change things for yourself. You will find that you will have more control and going into next year when seemingly the dark side of things approaches you it shall pass you by, but do not give in either. Do not say anymore that you are not worth it, because indeed you set your own price and from our point of view you are priceless."

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

And now, for something completely different: mala use. Do any of you use malas in your meditation? How do you use them? Do you find them helpful? I have serious hand issues and worry about the long-term effects of using malas while meditating (seriously, my hands are bad enough that any repetitive motion is potentially harmful), but I'm willing to try it if it might be beneficial. I'm not part of a local sangha, or I'd ask there... (I'm physically unable to drive past a certain distance--and the less I drive, the better for my health--and there are no sanghas within that distance.)

Many Buddhists seem to pride themselves on supposedly cultivating equanimity by not being judgemental and letting even bad things run their course with the excuse of "Oh that's just how conditions have arisen, they will eventually fall away by themselves so I'm just going to stand here in the corner with a serene smile and do nothing because that's just the Buddhist way".
Well, I think this community is a prime example of why even Buddhists should, at one time or other, get off their navel-contemplating asses and actually do something since this community was once an actually flowering place of Dharma-related interaction that, despite its occasional incursion of trolling, was nevertheless ripe with valuable insights and Dharmic lessons.
However, as so very often, "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." (- Thomas Mann) and the supposed virtue of overflowing tolerance and all-encompassing compassion become serious flaws when they lead to assholes being free to do what they want and fuck shit up while "good people" stand around doing nothing.
Which is my biggest gripe with Buddhism, anyhow, what with accepting things how they are while not doing anything about them, saying "Oh well, that's Samsara and people's karma, I'll just have to endure it and take it as yet another lesson to be learned bla bla bla".
Anyways, as mentioned above, this community is a prime example of what happens when you don't do anything about blatant trolling/hateful speech/no-holds barred insanity because "it's the Buddhist way" and actually taking a stand would immediately disqualify you from Nirvana because one has become oh so judgmental and attached to one's own opinion of what's right.

I like my Jewish friends just fine, so long as they're christian, or Satanists, or even non-believing Judeans. Why don't I like mainstream Judaism? First of all they rule the world and Pollute it. They think that Abraham's Father, Terach, invented the world and treat everyone else like they were born yesterday.
Terach, where do we begin? The seller of false idols, the original con man, con artist, dupester, charlatan, who was as much the Darth Vader to Abraham's Luke Skywalker.
He made his money on selling deceit and abuse, and they're still going strong. Now, the poison has spilled into the world at large and they're beginning to get a taste of their own medicine.
Why don't I like Jews? Child molesting drug dealers. Circumcision is tantamount to infant rape, ruins their immune system, and instead of saying sorry and offering foreskin restoration, what do they do, they prescribe poisonous anti-depressants which cause suicide.
Whore mongering drug dealing slave merchants. When all the swastikas, which represent hard work to the Native Americans, The Nordics, The Aryans of India, and other people worldwide are banned, and women cannot find a single swastika to find good honest work, they prostitute them, drug them, and when the circumcised anti-depressant popping slaves they have made finally get caught with drugs visiting the prostitute, they go to jail and work as slaves, for free. The prostitute gets a free Jewish lawyer, who utilizes her, and she is used until she overdoses or commits suicide.
Nice game. By the way, no one's name was used here, so you can't accuse me of hate. This is called -hating the game, not the player, and hating the sin, not the sinner-.

Wise up, suckas.
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WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BUDDHISM?

Buddhism is an Aryan/Dravidian Hindu Indian Faith

Since Livejournal.com has undergone a regime change, getting sold to people who are racist against Aryans -you can no longer search for Aryan on interests-, making extra money from advertisers, livejournal has sold out, they have sold US out.

Judaism is not the only thing to come out of Judean Culture, it is only one of their governments/regimes. The world is much older than this mistake and will continue after it fades away.


Buddha was not Judean, nor was Terach the creator of the universe.


Wanna fight anti-semitism?
Protest against Declawing Cats.


That will get you better karma. Many modern Jews now prefer a bris shalom over the bris milah and realize the mistake of past circumcisions.


There are many things about Judaism that are good, although, much like the virus that it is, they are better handled with Scientology, Satanism, or Christianity, the better faiths.


Abusing animals is wrong, if you truly don't like anti-semitism,
explain to your friends with pets that spaying/neutering/declawing are anti-semitic, and ignorant.

with lj cuts, people may choose without automatically showing up on their flists, which arguments to pay attention to, and which ones to participate in,

the main complaint is that people don't like scrolling through their f lists.

this is a rediculous complaint, most people don't participate and are very anti social and introverted.

Their demand to easily scroll through their f lists...?

without having to think?

okay, then lj cuts will keep the complainers away!

MORE HEAVY METAL! *fzzzt* CLEAR! *ZPHAMPH!*
As a buddhist what do the lyrics mean to you, do they have any sort of meaning? I'm sure we've all been though situations that can be related to this song, weather it be literally about graduation or not.

There are other groups here which discuss Buddhism in a tone and manner that is unobstructed by spam attacks.

Buddhistgroup is a moderated community open to all who agree to keep compassion and mindful words top of mind when posting or commenting.

:)

Namaste