Love not Fear

I had to smile at a friend's response to the recent scary rollercoaster of economic news that people are facing these days. “Chill out and go to work!” It’s a great way of reminding us to take a deep breath and focus on what’s really important. Here’s something to think about: There are no times of financial crisis. It’s just the way the world is, and you always have a choice about how to react to it. Don’t listen to negative news and don’t be consumed by the worry, the fear, the anxiety, and the anger. Go within and know that you don’t need another penny to have a fulfilled and happy life. To believe that you need what you don’t have is a definition of insanity. Go within your own heart and don’t allow yourself to be brought down by the negativity.

There are only two emotions—fear and love. Go with love. Love yourself, love others, and know that you have within you the capacity and the power to weather through all times, not only to weather through but to make them work for you, and to turn them around. If enough of us begin to act and believe and live this way then negativity and fear will no longer be part of our consciousness. You can live peacefully even when there is tumult around you. Just know that you have the power to weather anything.


Namaste

No Excuses

Change Your Perception
Remember this maxim: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. The way you perceive things is an extremely powerful tool that will allow you to fully bring the power of intention into your life.

All too often, we live a life that is full of excuses. These excuses come from the notion that we must explain ourselves to others. The first key to living a life free of excuses is recognizing that ultimately you are accountable only to yourself. The other part of that, is knowing the only thing you can control in life is your own actions.

It has become common, even expected, that we place blame on things external to ourselves. There is almost always a difference between reality, and the way we wish things to be, but that does not change the fact that we must deal with reality as it is. It has become status quo to blame all manners of externalities, everything from the economy, to other people's actions or inaction, to the weather. But if we accept that all we can control is ourselves, we can then begin to accept that our own actions play most heavily into our given situation. When you accept that it is your decision to invest in the stock market that has caused you to gain or lose money, it allows you to free yourself from anger at any external forces. You cannont control the market, but you can control your decision to participate in it.

Early on in human civilization we discovered that the ground was hard and covered in pebbles and other things that hur our feet. In order to move about more comfortably, we had two options, we could either change the world, by trying to cover it in leather or rugs or some other covering for our comfort, or we could change ourselves by wrapping leather around our feet and making shoes. We pretty easily recognized the only real option was to change ourselves.

When we change our perception and accept that it is not possible for ust to control the thoughts, actions or beliefs of others, we can then change our actions. Does this mean we should change our own beliefs or perceptions? Not necessarily. But it does mean we should be mindful of how we approach others. If we are mindful of another person's beliefs and personality, then we will be able to approach that person in the best way to illicit a positive response. Of course we could opt to go the other way... All children are masters of "pushing people's buttons" to arouse a negative response. Indeed, it is almost always a trivial task to do negative destructive things, but it requires effort and maturity to make positive changes, and to be able to illicit positive responses.

Mindfulness is the key to eliminating excuses from your life, and eliminating negative energy from your life which is the key to eliminating stress from your life. Mindfulness will allow yourself accept responsibility for your actions, and take control of your destiny.

Buddhism in Practice

by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
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This text was kindly supplied on 17th May 1993 by Phil Calvert

Reprinted, with permission, from the Spring 1993 issue of Snow Lion Newsletter and Catalog.

Rinchen Dharlo, the representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama in N. America asked to have the following article printed. It is very relevant for Westerners to consider these thoughts carefully and for all of us to do what we can.

I am very happy today to communicate with all of you American Buddhists from [the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center], the oldest of the Tibetan Buddhist monastic centers in America. It is encouraging to note the present spread of  Tibetan Buddhism, some 1000 centers around the world with over 250 in the United States alone. As I often say, Buddhism has a special gift for helping people calm their minds and learn to live more happily. In the midst of what can accurately be called "the Buddhist holocaust" of the 20th century, we Tibetans were forced into exile by the Chinese invasion of our homeland. Since then, we have been privileged to share the gifts of Buddhism with fellow beings of other nations, who all must face the countless difficulties of life in our restless, anxious, modern world. Perhaps the only good thing that has come from our tragedy is the spread of the teaching and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.



Of course, it would have been much better for everyone if it could have happened without such an unspeakable toll of human suffering. Imagine, Tibetan lamas could have come out to teach in different countries, travelling with their visas stamped on Tibetan passports! Western Dharma students could have freely come into Tibet's peaceful mountains to enjoy her fresh air, study at her monastic universities, and meditate in her inspiring solitudes.

I say this not just to complain about our ordeal but because I have noticed that people tend to adopt a sort of fatalism about the history and problem of Tibet; "Well, it had to happen that way - otherwise Tibetans would not have come out of isolation into the world." Thinking this way can make them slow to take action to try to improve the real Tibetan situation, to solve the Tibetan problem, the human problem of six million Tibetan human persons.

Now, it is a useful practice to reflect on one's own suffering, to think of it as the "return of one's own karma," and thus get the benefit of cultivating patience with one's difficulties. But it is not useful, nor compassionate, to be patient about the sufferings of others. In fact, as Shantideva says, the bodhisattva should be absolutely intolerant of the sufferings of others, should find them utterly unbearable.

To give a personal example, I have said that I myself have actually benefitted from the hardships of losing my homeland and wandering in exile - and I meant it. Not having a sheltered life and having to suffer and struggle has helped me to grow. Worldly difficulty can lead to faster spiritual growth and greater strength of mind, and I personally am quite content with my lot. I have been given the inspiration to take the Buddha Dharma seriously and the opportunity to work hard to put it into practice. I cannot complain. Yet the plight of my people, the six million Tibetans who look to me to help them, is different - I cannot forget their cries. How can I pray and recite the bodhisattva vow to save all beings from suffering and the cause of suffering, and at the same time leave anything undone that could actually help these suffering people who are my immediate responsibility? So I am always trying to do as much as I can.

Perhaps my example can help other Buddhists who want to maintain their spiritual practice and also want to work for the good of society. In the past, scholars have said that Buddhism was single-minded in its focus on Nirvana, giving up the mundane world as a hopeless case. With this preconception, they thought that Buddhism made very little contribution to civilization, letting social problems go their own way. Now, it may be true that Buddhist persons and institutions could have done a better job of helping people in different periods and different countries. But I believe that from the time of Buddha until today all forms of Buddhism have been continuously trying to help people, whether in social groups or individually. It has never been the case that Buddhism did not care about the world. The freedom and happiness of all living beings have always been the ultimate ideal and the working goal.

Tibetan civilization is very much a product of the socially transformative power of Buddhism. Brought from India by the great Emperor Songsten Gampo in the 7th century, Buddhist wisdom began its slow but steady work of making the people more gentle, happy and peaceful. After a few centuries, Tibetans had become so fond of the Buddha Dharma that they made great efforts to make it the center of their lives, even without the support of a royal dynasty. Finally, after one thousand years, Tibetans succeeded in expressing Buddhist ideals in the national government itself, established as the integration of the sacred and the secular by the Fifth Dalai Lama in the 17th century. We believed that the Buddha's teaching was the indispensable key to achieving national as well as individual happiness. So our whole social system - our culture, arts and life style - was centered on people's spiritual development according to the Dharma. Though we never achieved perfection, we did preserve many unique teachings and traditions,
some of them long lost to other Buddhist countries. But I don't need to say too much about this, as I know many of you have come to realize the preciousness of Tibetan Buddhism, to cherish it just as we do.

I have been very moved on this trip because so many people have expressed to me, in actions as well as words, their respect, not only for the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, but also for their source, namely, Tibetan culture and civilization, which itself is ultimately rooted nowhere else than in the living hearts of the Tibetan people. Tibetan culture belongs to all humanity, and its
extinction would not just affect Tibetans, but all humanity. We, therefore, appeal to the members of all other cultures to help the Tibetans preserve our unique and rich cultural heritage.

Our friends in the Congress of the United States have acted powerfully to express their support for our cause, urging China to cease her attempts to eliminate the Tibetan race, erase the Tibetan nation from history, and eradicate the Tibetan culture. These senators and representatives will increasingly need your help and the help of all Buddhists, all religious persons, all humanists, and all friends of Tibet, to make an even stronger push to get China to change her attitude. This push is urgent and essential to save our people and culture before it is too late. For China, too, it is an emergency because if her leaders do not change their present course, it will eventually rebound upon themselves in a negative way. But I do not wish to elaborate on this, as I am basically an optimist and still have great hope that sanity will prevail and that good and truth will triumph.

You might be surprised, but I think such optimism is quite practical. For, you see, everyone just wants happiness. If we investigate the human heart, not just to follow religious teaching, but to analyze carefully what is really there, we find that what everyone wants, what gives satisfaction, is the warm heart, the good heart, compassion and love. These give calmness, tranquillity, and real contentment; and that gives inner strength. On the other hand, hatred, anger, and greed simply produce uneasiness and always more dissatisfaction. Even nations need to control and minimize anger and hatred; it is the only way they can avoid suffering and bring their people happiness. So nations will eventually do the right thing, because it is in the ultimate best interest of their people. Goodness is finally the most practical, the most realistic solution.

Perhaps most of you already know the importance of compassion and love. The practice of compassion is what gives me greatest satisfaction. No matter what the circumstances, no matter what kind of tragedy I am facing, I practice compassion. This gives me inner strength ad happiness. This gives me the feeling that my life is useful. So you see, up to now - I am 57 years of age going on 58 - I have tried my best to practice these things, and will continue to do so
until my last breath, my last day. I myself, you see, am the devoted servant of compassion. That is the way I really feel.

We need public support, the active expression of your goodwill towards us. Please keep this in mind, and whenever the occasion arises express your deep sympathy towards the Tibetan cause. As Buddhist practitioners, you should understand the necessity of preserving Tibetan Buddhism. For this the land, the physical country of Tibet, is crucial. We have tried our best to preserve the Tibetan traditions outside Tibet for almost thirty years, and we have been comparatively successful. But eventually, after our time, there is a real danger that they will change, that they will not survive away from the protective nurture of our homeland. So, for the sake of preserving Tibetan Buddhism, which can be seen as a complete form of the Buddha Dharma, the sacred land of Tibet is vitally important. It is very unlikely that it can survive as a cultural and spiritual entity if its physical reality is smothered under Chinese occupation.
So we cannot avoid taking responsibility in trying to improve its political situation.

Clearly, in this light, active support for the Tibetan cause is not just a matter of politics. It is the work of Dharma. We are not against the Chinese; we, in fact, have a deep admiration for the Chinese civilization. We are only trying to gain our rights, to save our people, and to preserve our Buddha Dharma.

I dream of a new Tibet - a free land, a zone of peace - where my six million people can restore our spiritual way of life while becoming attuned to the best aspects of the modern world. I see it as a place where all people - not excluding our eastern neighbor - can visit and enjoy the fresh air and brilliant mountain light, can find inspiration in a peaceful, spiritual way of life, and
perhaps can learn to understand their own worlds better by getting away for a little while to meditate at our high altitude. With your help we can return there. Now is the time when your action is practice.

Thank you very much.

Mourning Our Fallen Enemies

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Most American will take the day to have a barbecue, and perhaps partake in a sale at someplace like Sears. A few of the more thoughtful among us will actually take the time to thank a veteran, and spend some time reflecting back on the sacrifices that our armed men and women have made throughout the generations to keep our nation safe and prosperous.

However, in 1993 John Samuel Tieman wrote an interesting piece expressing his thoughts on why we should also mourn the loss of our fallen enemies. I read the piece, expecting to walk away from it with a scoff, but instead I found it to be rather enlightened, and remarkably thoughtful. I believe Mr. Tieman hits the nail on the head when it comes to writing a prescription to amplify our own humanity and recognize the true sacrifices of war. Indeed, I could not agree with his proposal more. So this memorial day, I would suggest you thank a Veteran, and remember ALL those who have died in the wars society has waged.

Among the Dead, Prayer for Our Enemies - Memorial Day: We should mourn for all who have died because of militarism.

By John Samuel Tieman
May 31, 1993

Originally Posted @ the LA Times

I remember the first time I prayed for an enemy. It was just outside An Khe, a village in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. A helicopter gunship rocketed some North Vietnamese regulars who were about to attack us. I prayed for those kids. My top sergeant berated me for my prayer. I realized then that my enemy was not the North Vietnamese, not the Viet Cong, but militarism. As for the first sergeant, he was a good man who was simply unaware, unaware of the fact that loving an enemy means loving specific people, North Vietnamese in this case.

Loving can also involve mourning. We mourn the loss of people loved. If we truly love our enemies, then we truly mourn their loss. For it is we the living who have lost a loved one. In this way can we realize not only the humanity of an enemy, but our own humanity as well.

In the Tao Te Ching, a victorious warrior is advised to dress for mourning. Perhaps that's a bit extreme by Western standards. But it is to the point, for it makes the warrior and his neighbors consider what has been done. War is no victory parade. It must be seen for precisely what it is, a choice. A painful choice. A choice that calls for mourning.

Memorial Day honors soldiers who died for our country. Since I'm a Vietnam veteran, that's OK by me. I would expand the memorial's concept, however. I would like a day in which we mourn for all--men, women, children, soldiers, civilians, friends, enemies--who died because of militarism. The Iraqis, for instance.

Greenpeace estimates that at least 120,000 Iraqi soldiers and 76,000 civilians were killed during the war. Since then, the civilian death toll related to the war and its aftermath has reached perhaps a quarter of a million. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, between January and August of 1991, 50,000 children died as a direct result of health problems brought on by the bombing of the Iraqi infrastructure. Total deaths among children are estimated to be 170,000.

Can we mourn for 170,000 dead Iraqi children? I suspect the answer is "Hell No!" That answer is disturbing, because the opposite of mourning is not rejoicing; the opposite of mourning is being numb to suffering.

Or perhaps, instead of expanding the concept of Memorial Day, we should create an entirely separate day of mourning. Perhaps we should simply mourn for the children of the world. A Children's Memorial Day. Consider the following. According to UNICEF, 1.5 million children have died in wars during the last 10 years; 4 million are disabled by land mines, firearms and torture; 5 million live in refugee camps; 12 million lost their homes in a war. Whole generations have lost years of schooling. Millions are vulnerable to famine, illness and disability. UNICEF admits that it cannot measure the numbers of orphans or the psychological traumas brought on by war.
And consider also that the United States is the world's leading arms merchant. I recall reading somewhere that the third leading cause of death in Cambodia is land mines--mostly American-made land mines.

A Children's Memorial Day would have a civilizing effect on us, for, in addition to mourning for these, the littlest victims of war, it would allow us to mourn what we have become. And to love ourselves for what we can become.

Being civilized is not something we are just given. In many ways, civilization is a constant series of choices and assents. Granted that from the cradle we are given language, culture and so forth. To be a peaceful society, however, this we choose. To be peaceful in our language, in our actions, in our prayers, to this do we assent. And assent and assent again and again, for in each instance when we feel threatened are we required to assent anew to peace.

I once heard another veteran, a North Vietnamese poet, say that every time he shot an American, he first aimed at the heart of that soldier's mother. And for that soldier, and for that woman, did he mourn.

Let me be perfectly clear. I do not begrudge our veterans their parades. I've marched in a few myself. I ask my neighbors to join us old vets to mourn for all soldiers and all civilians, to mourn for all victims of militarism. And to mourn those people by name. Yes, to mourn for Robert, my childhood companion, a 20-year-old who died in 'Nam in 1968. But to also mourn for Ahmed, a 5-year-old stranger, who died in Baghdad this year for lack of clean water. And to mourn for their mothers, their fathers, their families, relatives, neighbors, friends. To mourn. To love.

And, finally, to mourn for ourselves, our nation. For in this manner may we learn to love our enemy as we love ourselves.

The Spirit of the Buddha