Buddhists Aren't Weird...

21 Feb 2015

It never ceases to amaze me, the kinds of looks I get from folks who ask me what religion I practice.  When I tell them my personal choice is Buddhism they either say one of two things: 1) Me too! What lineage do you follow? or 2) Oh, so you are an atheist.  (Number 2 is not a question but usually more of a statement because they have already made up their mind that I simply cannot based upon the requirements of Buddhism of which they have little if any knowledge.

I have yet to find anything in Buddhist doctrine indicating Buddhists cannot believe in a deity, supreme being or simply put, God.  Whether I do or do not is not a matter of discussion or debate.  I respect everyone else's religion and demand they do the same with mine.

Our first Buddha never denied the existence of God but when asked merely refused to answer the question.  The idea being he was not in the God business but rather the enlightenment business and thought it best to leave questions regarding God to those who were more qualified, who studied the subject intensely.

When I was a Protestant (first 18 years of my life) I was happy with my faith.  When I became a Roman Catholic (next 31 years of my life) I found I was believing in the very same God as when I was a Protestant.  When I grew weary of all the unnecessary rules the Catholic Church forced upon me I checked back in with the Protestants only to find that they were as bigoted as the Catholics.  Hmmm.

How can there be only one God who cherishes only one denomination when both worship the same?  Sounds like a matter of different interpretations to me.  Was there an answer?  A faith that could satisfy my curiosity and help me to become a better person at the same time without feeling a need to condemn a mainstream Western Religion?  Yes....Buddhism.

Some days Buddhists spend a great deal of this philosophizing while others we just live.  We are content to just be.  After all we are "human beings" not "human doings"  Give that one some thought.

Today is one of those "just being" days.  Simply enjoying my morning coffee, my family and my own little world here in AZ.  Isn't life grand?

If you have questions about Buddhism here is a place you can go to help you find some answers regardless of whether or not you want to practice Buddhism:  www.awaminstitute.org

Emaho!

8 Feb 15

I was reading a little book called Sit Like A Buddha by Lodro Rinser.  It is a small pocket sized, softcover book of less than 100 pages....but it is powerful!  It's essential purpose is to introduce ordinary people (folks who are looking for their Buddha within) how to meditate.

I have several books on this and "sitting meditation" is one of the most difficult practices I have ever been able to master. I sometimes laugh because I often find myself "sitting" while ending up thinking about whether or not I am sitting "correctly."  Kinda misses the whole point right?

I am merely a sojourner on this path and have nothing to offer anyone about sitting other than I want to develop my practice because there is far too much stress in my life.....in everyone's life.  I want to truly find the inner Buddha within myself.

Rinser says:"Another way to consider this innate state of awakeness is that we are basically good.  Basic goodness is a term that is often used in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.  It denotes that the more familiar we are with our wakefulness the more we realize that we are basically kind, strong and wise.  In some religious traditions there is a belief that you are originally bad, or basically sinful.  This is a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn away from that.  At our core we are awake and good.  That is our birthright."

What a refreshing thought!  We are all innately good, kind and wise....and this inspires me to say that one of the few things we must add to this recipe is humility and and outward and ongoing demonstration of kindness toward others.

One of the finest authors I have ever read is Lama Surya Das.  Quite simply put he speaks Buddanese in English.  (yeah, I know that's not a word but it seemed like a good idea at the time.)  Lama Das provides very good spiritual guidance that transcends all religions so that anyone of any faith can gain additional insight into themselves....and that is the true core of Buddhism.

There are other Buddhist Masters we can learn from too.  Those wishing a deeper yet Western -Friendly book should try Innate Happiness by Khenpo Drimed Dawa, a householder within the Awam Tibetan Buddhist Institute located in Tucson, Arizona.  (Weekly Sangha services are held on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. MST and their website is located at http://www.awaminstitute.org  and Khenpo has an excellent introduction to the Awam Tibetan Institute online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRhbQtfc2QA .

Remember, we are all merely sojourners in this life.  We all have a Buddha inside of us just waiting to get out.  If you wish to learn more look up one of the two Masters I have listed above.  Both are truly geniuses at bringing the Eastern practice of Buddhist into the West where it is so badly needed.

Om Mani Padme Hung Hri

Em Ma Ho!

John

Sharing the Faith......

One of the most wonderful things Buddhism has given me is a kind of new-found freedom.  Most people don't realize there are as many different types of Buddhists as there are denominations in any other religion.  Some believe in God, some choose not to believe in a supreme being.  Some eat meat while others are strict vegetarians.  Some like to sit in a full lotus position and meditate for hours while others consider any act performed with good intent to be meditation (yes, even washing the dishes)!

I can meditate as I drive, as I walk, as I lay on my back and watch the clouds pass by or gaze at the night sky filled with stars.  I can concentrate on my breath as I inhale and exhale or I can concentrate on an object.

There are no concrete boundaries relative to being a Buddhist other than a deep desire and commitment to follow the eight-fold noble path.  A further desire to try not to judge others and a commitment to do good things for others or at the very least to do no harm.

I had a wonderful opportunity to spend Yom Kippur with a wonderful Jewish congregation recently.  It was an amazing service, filled with dancing, music and praying.  Everyone was invited, welcome and accepted.  Even though I am not Jewish, the Rabbi was quick to greet me and she gave me a big hug.  A truly outstanding individual.  Why was I there?  Because my better half is Jewish by birth.

One of the blessings Buddhism has given to me is the ability to remove myself from the need to practice a single religion and to believe that it is the one and only true religion.  As a Buddhist I can play well in everyone's sandbox and am consequently welcome at any religious ceremony.  Any time a group of folks is gathered to celebrate the Great Supreme Being (name it as you wish) there are good things happening!  In short, I am free to celebrate with anyone and everyone.  Wouldn't it be great if everyone felt so free and easy about life?

We are all nothing but energy.  Every religion is full of energy so how can it be denied?  Maybe it is something worth thinking about......Emaho!

The more I learn

…the more I seem to want to learn about my Eastern-based religion of Buddhism. I like the fact that I can embrace it fully without having to give up anything I've already learned in my past. I appreciate the fact the Tibetans have a much more holistic manner of seeing death and dying as an equal and important part of living. In many true Tibetan funerals it is said that bodies are dismembered for birds and animals to feast upon then once the bones are dried they are ground into powder the birds can use in their craw to help them digest food. Now, this may seem somewhat vulgar and perhaps even inhumane, yet how can one giving oneself, all of oneself, back to nature to sustain other creatures in need of food be inhumane? I learn as a newcomer to the faith. Honestly, the vast majority of Westerners are new to Eastern based religions like Buddhism. We don't understand them because while we were founded as a nation based upon "religious freedom" that was quickly re-interpreted to mean "Christianity." There are even places in the southern United States today where one of the first questions a local will ask you is "what church do you go to?" Amazing isn't it? Why do I like Buddhism? Am I running from something? I don't think so. I gave my first 18 years to the Protestants (did little if anything for me) followed by the next 30 to the Roman Catholics (taught me faith even while teaching me the administration, not to be confused with all priests and deacons, is corrupt as hell) and finally Buddhism which accepted me with open arms. It was 1999, we were on a vacation to Australia with some wonderful friends (Lori and Pete) and stopped just outside of Sydney, Australia to tour a Buddhist Temple, the second largest in the world. I cannot begin to explain it but I felt more at home in this strange, new, place than I had ever felt in my life. I didn't know what to do or how to even begin but I felt like I was home. I suppressed the feeling for years and tried to abandon it but the sicker my late wife and partner became the more I began to understand it. It was not until she passed that I realized that to me life did not end with death. God is not a judgmental and harsh father-like figure who judges us for our actions but rather we are judged by ourselves and we are sent here because we choose to be here, to learn new lessons. Lessons of compassion. Yes, we live many lives and perhaps even some simultaneously because humans are the only species to keep time in a linear basis. We seem to think we have to see something to believe in it yet so much of Christianity is built squarely upon faith. Science has proven that when a person dies an essences (I call it a soul) leaves the body. They can measure it now and I like to think that soul returns to "the other side" to join all the other essence that is there made of all the others who have died and who are in a state of bardo or waiting for their next journey. How else could God be all knowing, all seeing and so able to understanding this flawed human species? As I watched Micheal fight pancreatic cancer so valiantly for three (3) long years it became more clear to me that she had not accomplished all that she wanted to accomplish here on earth. That is not to say that she had not done enough because she had done more than enough and together we forged a good life even if it did include a divorce along the way (which is nobody else's business). We knew the truth and that's all that matters. Micheal told her children she would live on in the breeze, the waving grass, the hummingbirds and the butterflies and that she would always be with them. Who is to say she is not? I view her in each species and am grateful for her presence. I have yet to call upon her and not have her respond in some manner helping me along the way. Buddhism allows me the opportunity to connect with someone, something larger than myself. In this day of so many false Christians, it is easy for one to lose hope with the differing faiths. Some faiths like the Westboro Church really don't even have the right to claim church status because God was never portrayed as a hater. Nor did s/he pass along the right to judge others except when he told St. Peter (who was not a saint back then) that he was entrusting him with the keys to heaven and that whatever man held bound on earth would be bound in heaven and whatever was loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven. There is the age-old argument of what Jesus meant when he described the rock upon which he was going to build his church. Did he say "petros" or "petras" because there is a huge difference. If he said one it would mean that he was building his church upon a solid and immovable rock while if he said the other he would have been a small stone (or series of them) which might imply he was entrusting his church to Peter. It is from this the Roman Catholics seem to pull their own idea of Jesus appointing the first Pope. Who knows for sure? All Christian doctrine has been messed with by mankind for so many renditions that one would have to go back to the Aramaic and utilize a translator. Then, one must consider the money that today's churches generate and they do not want to give that "tax free" money source up! It ain't gonna happen folks. A brand new Pope who is quick to say that being homosexual is not a sin but homosexual acts are? Sorry, that's a little confusing to me especially from someone who has yet to get his own flock under control. The church has no place in the bedroom….at least not in mine and I doubt you want them in yours. Then, the guilt, all of the concern of being judged by a white bearded harshly acting God who decides to allow you into heaven or cast you into hell? That just doesn't work for me. Sounds more like something that it made up by man to control mankind. God? Well, if I am made in his image, and I believe the Bible says that I am then I should think and act like him/her right? Guess what? There is no way I would sacrifice my own son for the sake of the world, NONE. We would all perish together instead. Of course I would offer myself as a replacement as would any loving parent but to kill a child is wrong let alone the killing of an animal. Therefore either I am not in line with what the Bible says about being made in his/her image or it's all bullshit. Buddhists don't believe in sin. We certainly don't believe in the concept of "original sin", at least this one doesn't. So God tempted Adam and Eve and told them not to eat from the best fruit tree of the bunch. Well, Eve did and found it to taste good so she gave some to Adam. Parable or not she was a good wife. She gave her husband a great apple. Their eyes were opened. And, God was mad? Hmmm. did we all live in an aquarium? What's the point? Hint: There is none! Another story made by man to CONTROL man. Buddhists believe in virtuous and non-virtuous acts. Honestly, our code makes the Christian code of ethics resemble a walk in the park. Not saying one is better than the other only that the two are not mutually exclusive. Some Buddhists choose to believe in God while others do not. Personally, I do but not in the same way as most mainstream Christians do. In my belief, whenever someone or something dies, its soul leaves it's earthly body (we can measure that scientifically now) and has to go somewhere. That soul is made of energy and it returns to "the other side" which is a parallel universe vibrating at a different frequency than the one we know to be here. (This is why some folks have psychic abilities because they are sensitive to those frequency.) The soul/essence/energy then joins with the whole which makes it "all knowing, all seeing, all thinking" because it is made up of a little bit of everyone. From that aspect I believe in God. I will say no more at this time about that. If you disagree with me that is absolutely fine and I fully respect your opinion(s). The Buddha (meaning the first Buddha) was not in the God business but rather in the enlightenment business. He was a moral human being who never claimed deity status of any kind before or after death. He asked not for worship but only wanted to teach a better way of living and convey the road to enlightenment. That is what all Buddhists seek. Nothing in Buddhism will stop a person from seeking or worshipping God but nothing will ever require he or she does. Buddhism is a truly liberating philosophy that plays well with all other religions or allows one to practice it as a religion in and of itself.

All Buddhists Share The Exact Same Values....but....

there are differences between individuals. All Buddhists know that Shakymuni was a Prince, a mortal, a human being who became enlightened and never claimed deity status. He was not and is not a savior in the same terms as Jesus is a savior but rather confined his teachings to the realm of "enlightenment" rather than "religion." Some Buddhists say that he was agnostic although I don't believe he was. Some Buddhists say it is a non-virtuous act to eat the meat of animals and yet the leader of our religion does, as do many Tibetans. Buddhists do not believe in sin per se but rather virtuous and non-virtuous acts. We confess our wrong doings as many Christians and Jews or Muslims do. We repent and work to not repeat our deficits. We have some division in teaching but all teaching flows from the very same human just as all water flows from the top of the snow-capped mountain down the sides in creeks that drain into streams that drain into rivers, bays, seas and ultimately the ocean. It is within that great ocean we find our enlightenment. My personal practice is via the Dharmakirti College aka Awam Tibetan Institute. I follow the Nyingma teachings and my belief in in the area of Dzogchen. Here is some information copied from their page which can be found at This is being blogged without their permission but has not been altered and is 100% their material.

Lineage: Re-Me Ri or chok-ri in Tibetan mean "one-sided", "partisan" or "sectarian," Me means "no'. So, Ri-me mean "not taking sides," "nonpartisan," or "nonsectarian." It does not mean "nonconformist" or noncommittal," nor does it mean forming a new school or system that is different from the existing ones. Followers of the Ri-me approach almost always follow one lineage for their main practices. Although they respect and learn from other traditions, they would not dissociate from the school in which they were raised. One can take, for example, the founders of the Ri-me movement, Jamgon Kongtrul and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Kongrtrul was educated in the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and Khyentse was raised in the Nyingma and Sakya traditions. Although these two scholars and meditation masters received, collected, practiced and transmitted the teachings of all eights practice lineages, they never failed to acknowledge their affiliation to their own schools. One of the unique features of Buddhism is the acceptance that different paths are appropriate for different types of people. Just as one medicine cannot cure all diseases, so one set of teachings cannot help all beings--this is a basic principle of Buddhism. Once chooses the most appropriate sutras and/or tantras from the Buddhist canon and makes them the basis for one's practice. This is how different schools of Buddhism begin. There are no "sects" in buddhism because there are no groups that break away from the main school. Different lineages have come into being even among those who practice the same teachings. In Tibet, like other places, the different schools practiced and studied in rather isolated environments, without much contact with other schools and lineages. A lack of communication breeds misunderstanding. Even where there was no misunderstanding or disrespect to other schools some practitioners, in their enthusiasm to keep their own lineages pure and undiluted went so far as to refuse teaching from the masters of other lineages and would not study the texts of other schools. Ignorance is the most fertile ground for growing doubts and misconceptions. The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet By Ringu Tulku

Check out their webpage if you have an interest. Join us on Sundays from 11:15 to 12:15 for our weekly Practice Hour. We have chanting, song, meditation, a lesson, more chanting, more song and a closing. It is very much like a traditional church service. Buddhism in the West is relatively new. It is not something to be afraid of and can be practiced as a philosophy playing well with other religions (i.e. Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Islam) or it can be practiced as a religion as I do. I'll try to answer more questions about Buddhism here. My personal journey toward this wonderful faith began in 1999 while visiting Australia with some dear friends (who I can never thank enough for such a trip). I have done most of my studying alone prior to finding Lama Surya Das and then the Sangha in Tuscon, Arizona. I hope you'll join us if you have questions, interest or just want to know what it's all about. Emaho!

12.15.12 So, I went for a walk last week during lunch hour. Because of health reasons (diabetes) I have stopped eating meat for the last several months. While this is not a requirement of Buddhism it does fit in well with the compassion theme and if anyone is wondering what I mean then point your browser to www.mercyforanimals.org and you'll get the picture. Anyway, I found the "pizza window" at work (my school) and....well, that's a bit of a weakness for me. So I ordered a slice of cheese pizza only to find out that they only had pepperoni so since there was a line backing up behind me I went for a slice. Getting back to my room, I dutifully picked off the slices of meat in preparation to eat the beckoning slice of utter joy. Then it dawned on me....would it be more non-virtuous to toss the pepperoni or eat it? Which would honor the animal more? Yep, I ate it. It was good too but I realized something. I mindfully go out of my way to choose vegetarian dishes as often as possible and if a friend invited me over to dinner and was serving hot dogs or hamburgers wouldn't it be worse to decline the offer of hospitality and perhaps make them feel bad? Absolutely. I'm not here to teach the world how to act nor to try to be the model of Buddhism for others to follow. I'm here to do the best that I can, be compassionate of the needs of others and always try to be kind. Do I always succeed? Nope but just like the kid who fell off his bike....you just get back up, dust yourself off and head on down the road. naturally, I'll swerve to avoid hitting animals....just like I always have. Namaste

Welcome to Saturday! It's two days past Thanksgiving and the question on my mind is are you still thankful? Do you remember those things we so eloquently wrote on Facebook or twitter on Turkey Day? This morning I read a wonderful tome written by an outstanding lady I have known since grade school. While it was not clear to me if she had authored it herself or was simply sharing it for the benefit of others is of no matter. The point is that she shared something that caused me to take pause and to even stop and pray for a moment while reflecting kindly on some days gone by. Thanks for that moment or two of tranquil, peaceful, solitude Mindy. We hope everyone got home safely and that all of our friends and family enjoyed themselves and managed to have conversations and laughs and share memories while making new ones even if they were not able to be in the absolute company of each other. I know ours was good. We fed carnivores and herbivores and probably a few omnivores as well! It was a mixture of American and Russian cuisine and traditions and a good time was had by all. Many of these people I get to see on a regular basis while others I only met yet fast friendships were made. The language barrier was not a problem because we had lots of translators and many words and gestures are universal, thinks like a smile, a laugh, a hug and a nod. Some of you know that I converted to being a vegetarian (not a vegan, still like my eggs and cheese too much for that) several months ago. I did really well too considering the site of that beautiful turkey I had stuffed and roasted. I'm no cook but I had some help looking over my shoulder as I did the "bird thing." Of course we did the annual "turkey dance" which is a very important ritual with the Eastin kids. Then the bird came out of the oven and I began to carve it. All the time thinking "you're a vegetarian....you're a vegetarian." and then it happened, I'm not sure how but suddenly a piece of white meat jumped off the platter and into my mouth. Was it tofu? Hmmmm, guess I'd better check again just to be sure, cuz if it was then it was the best darned tofu I've ever eaten! Nope by golly it was turkey. Bells went off in my head, months of work and diligent effort down the drain.....uck I ate meat...the flesh of another living thing....and I liked it too! Now what? The answer was simple. All I had to do was center myself, remember why I had chosen to be a vegetarian in the first place....for my health and not my Buddhism. Refraining from animal protein seems to keep my blood sugar more under control. I'm a diabetic. That's simple No enough. No more complicated than if I'd gulped a candy bar. Oops. So, I'm not a bad Buddhist after all. (Besides, not every Buddhist is a vegetarian anyway.) As for prayer....yes Buddhists pray all the time. Actually, it is often called meditation and it means the very same thing. And, by definition, anytime you pray you set things into motion(Lama Surya Das. Do we need to sit upright on a cushion with our feet in our laps and our back perfectly straight and then think about nothing for non-specific (or specific) periods of time? Maybe, if that's what float's your boat. On the other hand, we can also pray while walking (walking meditation) or doing dishes (doing dishes meditation....okay, you got me I just made that one up) but you get my point. Breathe in, hold it, breathe out and you've done a mini-meditation. Do it repetitively and you've done lots of meditations. If you do it right you will feel better. If you do it wrong you will feel better. If you don't do it at all you may still feel better. Isn't that the important thing? Feeling better? Slowing ourselves down in this crazy fast microwave speed world? Take time for yourself and think good thoughts about others. Is there a code? Sure, and (I'll bet I hear about this one)...the Buddhist code while centered around virtuous and non-virtuous acts instead of committing sin, is as tough or tougher than any Christian code you'll ever encounter. Yet the two are not mutually exclusive. If you want to understand Buddhism (at least the basic concepts) a little better contact me and I'll send you off to some good sites and give you some good authors. Here's my point. You don't have to know it all before you try to practice Buddhism. Just jump right on in. The water is fine. Don't start thinking you need to convert or give up anything else either. Buddhism doesn't require that. One of our most erudite teachers, That Nich Han, is a Catholic Buddhist. He is at peace with both. Why? Because in the beginning there was God, and He made the world ..... and it was good. I don't recall him segregating his people into any one particular faith. We are all one in the same only differing in theory and practice. Think a good thought about someone today. Namaste.