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Buddhism
Americans Who Work for the Buddhist Cause
May 27th
Americans Who Work for the Buddhist Cause
In the United States, an American went to work for the revival of Buddhism in a Buddhist country before Buddhism was introduced to America. This person was Colonel H.S. Olcott who went to Ceylon in 2423/1880, established the Theosophical Society, and worked for the revival of Buddhism, Buddhist culture and education in that country. His famous book “Buddhist Catechism” is a work of great clarity. In an attempt to outline the basic beliefs of the Buddhists to which the Theravada, Mahayana and all other schools could agree, Olcott wrote in 2434/1891 “Fourteen Basic Buddhist Beliefs” which was accepted by Buddhist leaders of several countries at a congress in Madras.1
In 2436/1893 Anagarika Dharmapala of Ceylon represented Buddhism at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in Chicago. It was at this time that Mr. C.T.S. Strauss declared himself a Buddhist by receiving the Threefold Refuge and the Five Precepts from Dharmapala. Strauss was probably the first American to become a Buddhist. It was also during this same period of time that the first Japanese Buddhist Mission was said to arrive in San Francisco and commence their activities in the United States. This can be regarded as the introduction of Buddhism to the United States.
In 2427/1884 Dr. Paul Carus published in Illinois his famous book, “The Gospel of the Buddha.” The book has gone through many printings and over one million copies of it have been sold since its first appearance. During this time, the Harvard Oriental Series was founded by Charles Rockwel Lanman and Henry Clarke Warren. Among the works included in this series were Warren’s Buddhism in Translations (2439/1896) and Eugene Watson Burlingame’s Buddhist Legends which is the English translation of the Dhammapada-Commentary (2464/1921). A Buddhist Bible by Dwight Goddard was also an American contribution to Buddhist studies. Goddard was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 2404/1861. He accepted the message of the Buddha while he was a Christian missionary in China. Later he founded a brotherhood called “The Followers of the Buddha,” which became an inspiration to other American Buddhists. In the field of Sanskrit Buddhist studies, an American contribution was made by Professor Edgerton who compiled for Yale University the “Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary” published in 1953. However, in comparison with the numerous works produced in Europe, American literary activities of this early period were nearly beneath notice.
Generally speaking, it was Europe that played the central part in carrying the message of the Buddha to the West in the early period. Academic studies and scholarly research became characteristic of the Buddhist activities during these first hundred years. Names of Orientalists and Indologists, historians and philologists, along with their scholarly works, filled up the pages of the early history of Buddhism in the West. Names and titles cited above are only pioneers and some distinguished examples. A great number of other scholars, both pupils and colleagues of these leading figures, had their shares in this Western tradition of Buddhist scholarship and academic study of Buddhism. Some popular texts and works of importance have had many printings or were published in many versions. Among popular texts, the best known is the Dhammapada, which has been translated into many languages and of which not less than twenty versions have been published. Among the discourses of the Buddha, the Kalamasutta, rightly called the first charter of free thought, seems to be the best known and the most oftenquoted, the only possible exception being the First Sermon. Among post-canonical works the Visuddhimagga and the Abhidhammatthasangaha are next only to the Milindapanha in popularity and in publication statistics.
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It Ends Only to Begin
May 27th
It Ends Only to Begin
To turn back to South Vietnam, Premier Ky was reported to have said that he believed the Buddhists were finished as a political force in South Vietnam. In saying this, Ky would have referred only to the militant Buddhists who had failed to overthrow him. The period of Buddhist militancy was over, but the political power of the Buddhists still continued. The power of the temple remained strong and the monks still held an important place in the community. The role of the moderate Buddhists remained a key factor in Vietnamese politics. But their force changed from mobs to ideas. The most important source of their influence would be positive efforts such as those activities initiated in early 1964 and the unifying power of the faith that united people of different regions. It is these positive efforts and power that had been the Buddhists’ lasting contribution to the nation-building of Vietnam. Their impending failure would lie in that they might have returned to the right direction when it was too late.
After 2510/1967, South Vietnam still fared in the period of political instability and the war continued between the South Vietnamese government backed by U.S. forces and the Viet Cong assisted by North Vietnamese troops. In 2512/1969, U.S. public reaction to the endless war forced a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops till the complete withdrawal was effected in 2516/1973. In 2518/1975, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces stepped up their offensive in the South. With unbelievable swiftness, they swept the coastal cities and took Saigon almost unopposed. The long war ended as the South Vietnamese government surrendered to the Viet Cong on April 30, 1975. Then, on July 2, 1975, Vietnam became officially reunified under Communist government. Saigon was changed to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi became the capital of the reunified Vietnam.
With the end of the long war, followed long years of the outflow of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Vietnam, especially the Vietnamese of Chinese origin. According to U.S. officials, 100,000 Vietnamese ‘boat people’ might have died in the sea. While among these refugees who struggled desperately for life outside their country many suffered death, others survived only to further experience hard lives, and still others enjoyed better lives in some foreign countries, in their own country life is not better for most of their fellow country-people. The two decades of war left, in addition to the thousands of lost, maimed and dislocated Vietnamese people, “a legacy of bomb craters, street defoliated forest,”1 rendering the land almost uncultivatable. Moreover, while the country is facing serious food shortage and a general economic distress, hundreds of thousands of her people are inducted into armed forces as the Hanoi government is preoccupied with a continuing war in Cambodia. As regards the fate of Buddhism in today Vietnam we know too little. Though Buddhism cannot be wiped out, it seems to have faded into obscurity. All in all, the story of Vietnamese Buddhism can teach her Buddhist friends many valuable lessons. At least, one of these lessons should be that this story should not be repeated.
A Glimpse of Buddhist Developments in China and Korea
A SHORT-LIVED BUDDHIST REFORM IN CHINA
In China, Tibet and Nepal, political events have also come into prominence and the progress of Buddhism has been checked or obscured. China which was for long centuries a stronghold of Buddhism and the main source of the Buddhist tradition of the Northern School came into the period of decline with the end of the 13th Christian century. There were some short intervals of revival but long days of exploitation, suppression and destruction. Throughout this period, the ruling school was Chan, but it was the Chan whose practice had fallen into habit and which placed a low value on intellectual pursuits. It was just in the early part of the present century that a remarkable reform was undertaken by the modernist monk Tai-Hsu (2432-2490/1889-1947).
The destruction of monasteries and scriptures by the rebels who professed Christianity during the Tai-ping rebellion (2393-2407/1850-1864) stimulated both monks and laymen to begin a revival. But it was after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty and the founding of the Republic of China in 1911 that an active reform started. In response to the challenge of a new intellectual climate in which traditional and conservative ideas and institutions were rejected and Marxist ideas were introduced, the monk Tai-Hsu led his followers in a movement to defend the religion, propagate the faith, reform the order and promote education. Schools with Western-style classroom instruction were set up. Welfare and economic development work was taken up. The
Chinese Buddhist Society was organized in 2472/1929. New contacts with Buddhists of other Asian countries were opened up. Institutes for the training of Buddhist leaders were founded in various parts of China.
The study of Buddhist texts was revived and reformed. Numbers of Buddhist periodicals were increased. And there was a great revival of interest in Buddhism of the Pure Land school. It is said that in 2473/1930 there were 738,000 monks and nuns and 267,000 Buddhist temples in China and about 60 or 70 percent of China’s lay Buddhists belonged to Pure Land groups. In the meantime, Chan abbots took to traditional lines for the revival of their institutions.
The Communists took over China’s mainland in 2492/1949 and then Buddhist activities fell into obscurity. It is said that a Chinese Buddhist Association was organized in 2496/1953 to bring the large Buddhist community under government control. Many monks fled to Hong Kong and Taiwan to continue their free activities. The Chinese government took measures to preserve famous and beautiful old temples, Buddhist sacred places and art works. Under the Great Cultural Revolution, however, an unrevealed number of Buddhist buildings and monuments were destroyed by the Red Guards.
In 2521/1978, as an attempt to render more precisely the sounds of Mandarin Chinese, China adopted a new system for spelling most Chinese names in the Roman alphabet, called the Pinyin system. According to this new spelling, Mao Tse-tung becomes Mao Zedong, Chou En-lai becomes Zhou Enlai, Chu Teh becomes Zhu De and Peking becomes Beijing.
Although the constitution of the People’s Republic of China provides for religious freedom, religious practice is not encouraged. Under Mao, many restrictions were placed on traditional rituals and religious observances. After the death of Mao Zedong in 2519/1976 and under Deng Xiaoping’s modernization programme, many restrictions have been removed and the people have been much more free to observe custom and tradition. However, though many famous old temples have been restored, foreign visitors meet with very few Chinese monks. Buddhist activities of real significance have been unheard of. To many, Buddhism in Communist China has been a kind of ‘Showcase Buddhism’.
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Slow Life is Confirmed. Tuscany Still the Perfect Place, Maremma is the Ideal Area for a Natural and Pleasant Vacation in Italy, With Wellness Good.
May 27th
Slow Life is Confirmed. Tuscany Still the Perfect Place, Maremma is the Ideal Area for a Natural and Pleasant Vacation in Italy, With Wellness Good.
Slow Life Is Confirmed. Tuscany Still The Perfect Place, Maremma Is The Ideal Area For A Natural And Pleasant Vacation In Italy With Relax, Wellness, Good Food And Good Wine
After almost 2 months from our last press release, we are pleased to confirm that Slow Life is starting to be consider by all customers on holiday. Tuscany region in Italy and Maremma area are the perfect “life style” to join the Slow Life.
If you are Italy and in Tuscany and pass by the famous spa of Saturnia why not lengthen your journey by only 9 kilometres and visit the medieval village of Semproniano. In the historical centre of the village you will find the delightful and charming hotel with only 8 rooms it’s Locanda La Pieve.
Particular attention is given to hospitality and details in this family run hotel. Each of the 8 rooms is different in colour and décor, but all have a private bathroom, individually controlled air conditioning, television, telephone and safe.
Furnishings, colours and details reminds one of the Tuscan tradition and the territory of “Maremma” to which the Locanda La Pieve belongs.
Hospitality, good food, relaxation and above all no stress are the characteristics of this happy island. Nature in this part of theworld reigns supreme: plants, flowers, wild orchids,birds, wild animals, starry skies and colours and perfumes all to
be discovered.
The Wild Animals Rescue Centre where injured animals from all over Italy arrive, the WWF oasis at Bosco dei Rocconi and the Monte Labbro Natural Park.
Furthermore it is possible to visit the volcanic-rock towns of Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano. Three charming townships that seem to come straight from a fable book. And then Montemerano, Rocchette di Fazio, Roccalbegna, Santa Fiora and Amiata,
the mountain loved by the Buddhists who consider it magical and spiritual.
Let’s not forget another of life’s pleasures, good food,which cannot go missing in such a pleasant context.
In the morning, breakfast with genuine traditional flavours, cakes and jams, fresh bread and flavours of times gone by, are served inside the dining room where it can be enjoyed without haste or, weather permitting on the garden terrace.
Then if you wish to savour a pleasant dinner, you can choose from a variety of traditional Tuscan dishes, updated with competence and simplicity, together with a good glass of “Maremma” red wine.
WEBSITE: www.teachertube.com Famous Buddhist Quotes by Atisha. Atisha is a Buddhist Sage in Tibet. He is very famous for these Quotes and his contribution for the developments of Tibetan Buddhism. Even though these Quotes are not quite correct to my opioninon but they are quite worth considering to follow in your Buddhism practice and cultivation. I wish you practise well in your Buddhism. Sincerely Tinh Tam. Note To view other interesting Buddhism videos please visit www.viddler.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5
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Asking For What You Need
May 27th
Asking For What You Need
As I waited for my appointment at the fracture clinic, a number of worries consumed me. I can’t drive for six weeks. How will I see the Great Wall of China with an air boot and a cane? I decided to take hold of my emotional state by asking myself an important question, “What is the possible gift of this situation?” The answer came straight back. “Learn to ask for what you need.” That struck me as being a very valuable lesson for everyone.
We all have things we may need assistance with,ranging from help with chores around the house to investment advice. My first opportunity to ask for help came when I crawled over to the phone with my swollen foot to ask my neighbor, Marc, to take me to the doctor. Let’s face it. There are no brownie points awarded for struggling and trying to meet all of our needs on our own. We can learn to make a request and accept that the answer can be a “yes” or a “no.”
Asking for help means we’re simply being honest with ourselves and with those around us. When we take on a task that we really think we either shouldn’t be doing or should be getting some help with, we just build up a reservoir of resentment that’s ready to boil over on the hapless individual who’s unlucky enough to be in front of you when you can’t contain it anymore.
What I’ve learned from the past two weeks of asking for what I need is that I feel incredibly nourished and appreciated by my children, my family, my friends, and even the many taxi drivers I’ve encountered while unable to drive. The generosity of people and willingness to help, if we open that door and ask, is incredible. But most importantly, I’m feeling more in the flow again. I’m filled with a new sense of peace and pride that by asking for what I need, I’m able to take better care of myself.
So why is that so important? When our needs are addressed, we can step back into that zone and take care of those around us in a way that’s not possible otherwise. Plus, it invites those around us to do the same for themselves! I encourage all of you to see what unmet needs you can take care of and ask for help with this month. Let me know how you do!
How to ask for what you need is a process. If you’re ready and willing to ask for what you need, here are some important things to know:
1. Check in with yourself.
What do you need? When you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or stressed out by life’s unexpected turn of events, take a moment to step back from the immediate situation. Take a few deep breaths and then ask yourself, “What do I need to do to take care of myself in this situation?” “Is there something I need in this moment?” Listen for what your inner wisdom tells you.
2. You are the world’s best expert on you.
So often we defer to other people’s opinion and advice. (Yup, that’s definitely me!) But everyone has their own unique “zone.” What works for someone else may not work for you. You are the world’s best expert on YOU. Consult yourself. If you do feel the need to poll others for their views, go ahead and get some input but don’t use that as an excuse for not taking your own advice. If you’re still not sure, Debbie Ford recommends imagining what you’d tell your best friend if she was in your shoes and then take that advice!
3. Start where you are.
Some days you’ll wake up feeling energized, other days you may feel like it’s all you can do to brush your teeth! Buddhist nun Pema makes the case that following the principle will cultivate fearlessness and awaken a compassionate heart. Resolve to be patient with yourself as you navigate back to your “zone” and start from where you are.
4. Be playful and lighten up!
When we feel ourselves going off track it’s easy to get glum, serious and to berate ourselves. Why not lighten things up and even make a game of it? Debbie Ford recommends a structure where you award yourself points for various acts of self-care and earn rewards once you get to a certain level. Or, if some days you feel like you’re operating at only 20% of your capacity, ask yourself what you’d need to do to notch it up to just 30% that day. That would be a 50% increase over where you started your day! How about daring yourself to ask for what you need? By bringing some of that playfulness back, we set ourselves up for sustainable and successful results.
Carolyn B. Ellis, author, spiritual divorce coach and founder of Thrive After Divorce Inc. If you want simple life-changing tips for single parenting, visit Thrive After Divorce now to receive a FREE report.
Places to go during Advent and Christmas — recommendations by Peter Menkin
May 27th
Places to go during Advent and Christmas — recommendations by Peter Menkin
Introduction to Advent & Christmas events
The Christmas season has an ethos of joy and celebration, an ethos of well-being in its statement of goodwill to men, and peace on earth. What an odd celebration, and so popular in California and the United States, throughout the Western World, too, of course. Who does not know this? Everyone likes the winter festival Christmas in some sense or another. It is about love, after all, and so the Christian believes. The music celebrates this love of mankind by the great God of history through the birth of his son Jesus Christ.
 Writing in her recent book, Camaldoli Benedictine Oblate Paula Huston says of the kind of love Christmas and its ethos of spirit offers:  …Jesus puts it very simply;  And though not specifically about Christmas, per se, the words speak to the spirit.  They will know we are Christians by our love. C.S. Lewis insists that we are almost never converted through logic but instead “infected by a love that moves us so powerfully we can’t help but succumb. A modern spiritual writer, Donald Nichols, reiterates the central importance of love to evangelization when he refers to the “theology of faces,†or the look of love that says everything about the faith behind it. Our society, however, is characterized instead by its hyperindividualism and its intense need for “personal space†and privacy. We feel that we are doing well simply by avoiding conflict. The notion of actually loving one another sounds either idealistic or uncomfortably communal. We much prefer our separateness, even as Christians—hence our many sects and denominations.  Though her book is titled, “forgiveness: following Jesus into radical loving,” Paraclete Press, the theme of the book is an indirect remark on God’s willingness to offer man a New Testament, a new covenant of which a part is the old-new idea of forgiveness. This is a season when we can forgive one another, when the heart warms, when the brightness is brought into the darkness of winter. Â
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These various events around the area give testimony and celebration, entertainment and festivity and even fun to the season of charity and good will to all. Come enjoy this wonderful season, this Holiday, this gift of the winter celebration in various places: mostly through music and some through dance.The Jewish year, too, in its winter, has the celebration of Hanukkah. Note the YouTube video below of Pacific BoyChoir’s singing a Hanukkah song in this article. Nonetheless, for the record, one noted member of Jewish Reform Temple El-Emanuel’s staff recommends a comedy event whichKung Pao spokeswoman says of the comedy Kung Pao event in describing it, “That’s what my event is all about. Escaping Christmas, enjoying comedy, a sense of belonging at a time that is alienating for many…† Please find these paragraph’s of text recommending places to go worthwhile and helpful in the season this year, Christmas 2009.
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San Francisco Theological Seminary Â
In a Press Notice, this writer learned of an excellent place for musical celebration, San Francisco Theological Seminary’s (SFTS) 35th annual Lessons & Carols service Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. in Stewart Memorial Chapel on the San Anselmo campus.  The candlelight service observes Advent’s time of preparation and the coming of the Christ Child. It is not only a longstanding tradition among SFTS faculty, staff and students. The Notice continues:  This year’s theme comes from Luke 1:30-31: The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High …† Admission is free, but there will be a freewill offering. Everyone is welcome, but seating is limited, so SFTS encourages those planning to attend to arrive early. Shuttle van service will be available. Â
 Doctor Daniel Hoggatt, Musical Director of the program, speaks to this year’s event: “This Lessons & Carols used to be more a seminary community event, but in the last 13 years it has been more the Seminary’s gift to the community.  “There are 8 lessons and accompanied Carols by the congregation and choir.  “There is also the wonderful Dobbins Memorial Pipe Organ (Balcom Vaughan) that is in Stewart Chapel. Stewart Chapel is usually used for services four times a week. I am very, very fortunate here to be the musician at SFTS because we have two beautiful chapels.”  Doctor Hoggatt explains:  It is a service that people come to whether Christian or not because it is a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season with a warm evening. I have Jewish friends, Buddhist friends, and it is a wonderful, magical evening for all.  It is a choir of 30 voices that come from the seminary community, and the community at large in southern Marin County. We do a variety of Carols from over 2,000 year history.  Doctor. Daniel Hoggatt made the choices.  Â
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        Nutcracker at San Francisco Ballet Â
 Nutcracker comes alive one hour prior to curtain as costumed characters greet and have their pictures taken with children and families. Plus, the first 500 children to arrive receive a special gift! At intermission, everyone will be treated to juice and cookies.  So says San Francisco Ballet website.  The Ballet touts:  A wonderful Christmas event, Create Magical Memories This holiday season, you and your loved ones deserve something special – a wondrous experience that evokes joy & elevates your spirit to new heights. Whether continuing a valued tradition or discovering the magic of this beloved holiday classic for the first time – San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker is sure to leave you with a sense of warmth and treasured memories that will last a lifetime.  Â
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          Nutcracker Story  ACT 1 In his shop on a foggy Christmas Eve, a toy maker, Drosselmeyer, puts the finishing touches on a magical nutcracker, a gift for his relatives, the Stahlbaum family, whose home he will visit that evening. Customers drop by, searching for last-minute Christmas gifts. Outside the Stahlbaum house, as people hurry home to their Christmas revelries, Drosselmeyer arrives with his beautifully wrapped gift. In the sitting room of the Stahlbaum house, a tree trimming is under way. Clara and Fritz, followed by their friends, arrive downstairs to see the tree lighted, for the very first time in their lives, by electric lights! The children dance with glee. Soon it is time to open gifts. As the children settle down to play with their presents, Dr. Stahlbaum invites his guests to dance. Clara joins the adults. Drosselmeyer—”Uncle Drosselmeyer” to the Stahlbaums—arrives and entertains the families with magic. While Clara remains captivated by the dolls, Fritz makes a pest of himself. Uncle Drosselmeyer opens his specially wrapped gift for the family and presents to them the magical nutcracker doll. Clara, delighted, dances with the nutcracker. Fritz looks on with envy, then grabs the nutcracker, which falls and breaks. Uncle Drosselmeyer bandages the doll and returns it to Clara, who plays with it quietly. As a close to the evening’s festivities, the revered Stahlbaum Grandparents begin their annual holiday dance. All join in. The hour is late, and the guests begin their goodbyes. Fritz and Clara go upstairs to their bedrooms, and the house quiets down. Soon, Clara descends the steps, searching for her nutcracker doll. As the clock strikes 12, she settles on the sofa and falls asleep with the doll in her arms. As Clara dreams, her mind whirls with the memories of the evening. Deep within her dream, Uncle Drosselmeyer appears and mends the nutcracker doll. Clara wakens into her dream, and her house begins to change around her. The Christmas tree grows large and wondrous. Then mice appear, frightening Clara. But magically, her nutcracker doll fends off the mice. The Nutcracker summons the toy soldiers from the cupboard, and a battle ensues. The fierce Mouse King arrives and engages in a duel with the Nutcracker. Clara bravely aids the Nutcracker, who, though victorious, is overcome by exhaustion from the battle. Clara is worried, but Uncle Drosselmeyer consoles her, then transforms the Nutcracker into a dashing Prince. Clara and the Prince embark together on a magical journey through the Land of Snow. The Snow King and Snow Queen arrive and welcome Clara and the Prince. As snow continues to fall, snowflakes begin to dance. The King and Queen invite Clara and the Prince into the sleigh and send them off to their next adventure. ACT 2 The scene opens in the garden of a Crystal Palace where ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies dance. The Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes Clara and the Prince and asks them to tell her about their adventure that brought them to her world. The Prince recounts his tale of war with the Mouse King and describes Clara’s bravery. The Sugar Plum Fairy commands a festival, filled with dancing, to honor her guests. The celebration begins with Spanish flair. Exotic Arabians, whirling dancers from China, and lovely French Mirlitons perform for the guests. Sharing in the festivities are Russian entertainers and the famous Madame Du Cirque, who reveals many small surprises, including a dancing bear! In the final celebratory dance, the Sugar Plum Fairy joins in a glorious waltz with her court of flowers, dazzling Clara and the Prince. As the festivities draw to a close, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Uncle Drosselmeyer grant Clara her greatest Christmas wish and transform her into a beautiful woman to dance in the arms of her Prince. It is Christmas morning. Clara awakens, the nutcracker safe in her arms. SF Ballet (Courtesy of San Francisco Ballet).  Â
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Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco Bach ChoirÂ
  The San Francisco Bach Choir website offers this welcome: Welcome the season with our traditional blend of charming carols and majestic works from early German masters Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz. Multiple choirs will surround you with glorious music—both ancient and familiar—and brighten the winter darkness with candlelight, processions and joyful singing. Invite your friends and order early! with Erica Schuller, soprano Saturday, December 5, 8PM / Sunday, December 6, 4PM
Calvery Presbyterian Church, Fillmore & Jackson, SF
Sharon Gustavson of the San Francisco Bach Choir, calls this an evening of “majestic music.” She states the defining element of the choir’s work this way,and in so doing emphasizes how specific this evening is to the kind of music San Francisco Bach Choir performs:  ”This is our niche work.” She adds, “This is one of our traditional concerts.”
  Grace Cathedral Christmas Â
Grace Cathedral announces on their website: “Bring the whole family for a merry sing-along at Grace Cathedral! Join the festive Pacific Boychoir in singing your favorite carols of the holiday season. There will also be a special surprise guest in red velvet!† Spokeswoman for Grace Cathedral tells, Pacific Boychoir played at last year’s Family sing-along.  So the ensemble is back after 2008, and the Spokeswoman adds, “The event sold out in 2008, so we added a second show in 2009, on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. I did not take an audience poll, so can’t say for sure whether the choir made it a hit or what the favorite song was. I suspect it was the format of the event that made it successful – it is one-hour in length; it features songs that everyone knows at least the first verse to (& printed lyrics are provided for all songs & verses); and it starts at the family-friendly time of 11 a.m. (before kids’ afternoon naps).â€
This quote on the Boychoir: Â Based in Oakland, the Pacific Boychoir participates in a very old tradition, as boychoirs have been around for hundreds of years, dating back at least to the fourth century. The chorus was formed in 1998 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 100 singers from ages 7 to 17. The Pacific Boychoir’s reputation for excellence has earned performances with the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the UC Berkeley and Davis Symphonies, American Bach Soloists, and many others.
Dates and Times
Saturday, December 12, 11:00 am
Saturday, December 19, 11:00 am Â
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 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley, California Bach SocietyÂ
Be sure to arrive early to get a good seat, so it is recommended by one Church member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley, who has attended the California Bach Society event.  This year’s event will take place at the Church on December 6, 2009 at 4 p.m, located at 2300 Bancroft Way (at Ellsworth), Berkeley. (Doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance.)  Wieneke Gorter Spokeswoman for the Society reports, “St. Mark’s is a pretty church with absolutely wonderful acoustics. We love performing in there. Our concerts at this church attract music lovers of every age and background, but especially people who are interested in choral music and/or early music.†  . The Bach Society website says of the program:  The California Bach Society welcomes the holidays with a program from 17th century Northern Germany.Performed in the order prescribed for Advent Vespers, the 30-voice chamber choir will present a richly varied program of intricate polyphony, hymns, and splendid double choruses. Artistic Director Paul Flight explains: “The beauty of this program lies in the contrast between the simple and the complex. On the one hand, we will sing a number of well-known Lutheran hymns. By contrast, the majority of the pieces we will perform are elaborately worked out renditions of these hymn tunes. One can only marvel at the skills of the North German composers, Schütz, Schein, Scheidt, and Praetorius, as they develop every musical possibility inherent in the tune.”  A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Also coming up at St. Mark’s, Berkeley is a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Sunday, December 20, 2009, 4:30 p.m.  This service was originally instituted at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England, based on a medieval vigil service. It was modified in the early twentieth century by the Very Rev. E.M. Millner-White, dean of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England.  Since then, it has been sung annually in King’s College Chapel on Christmas Eve, and here at St. Mark’s since 1942. The service opens with the traditional carol “Once in royal David’s city,†a bidding prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer.  The story continues with the promise to Abraham, the assurance of the prophet Isaiah, the calling of Mary, the birth of Jesus, and ends with St. John’s unfolding of the great mystery of the Incarnation. Carols, familiar and unfamiliar, are sung throughout the service. The service is held in candlelight and a festive reception follows in Hodgkin Hall.    Kosher Comedy at Christmas in San Francisco  The official press release says of Kung Pao Christmas event, and here it is in part:  Come celebrate Christmas the Jewish Way—in a Chinese restaurant with Jewish comedy. Now celebrating its 17th year, Kung Pao Kosher Comedyâ„¢ continues to provide an answer to the age-old question, “What are Jews supposed to do on Christmas?†What started out as a joke by San Francisco-based Jewish stand-up comic, Lisa Geduldig, has become an institution in San Francisco annually giving 3000 comedy aficionados and those escaping “Christmas-mania†an alternative to Jingle Bells. It’s the Bar Mitzvah you never had—and you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it.  Kung Pao Kosher Comedyâ„¢ was created in 1993 by accident by comedian Lisa Geduldig, who went to perform outside Northampton, Massachusetts at what she thought was going to be a comedy club. She arrived only to discover that The Peking Garden Club was actually a Chinese Restaurant, not a comedy club. Her ironic experience of telling Jewish jokes at a Chinese restaurant led to the idea behind and creation of Kung Pao.  The event began as a community service for Jews who have been stuck on Christmas with nothing to do but hide under the covers or go to a Chinese restaurant. The audience has expanded to include Chinese-Jewish couples, interfaith ones, singles, families, gays, straights, those far from home, and generally those who not only are seeking an alternative to Christmas alienation but who also like comedy mixed with Chinese food. One of Kung Pao’s claims to fame is that Henny Youngman performed his last shows there, in 1997.   Celebrate Christmas with Chinese food and Jewish comedy. So the website of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy offers. The dates for performance are December 24 through the 27, 2009.  Â
Two of the comedians commented for this writer via email: Â Brian Malow was asked:
Why are you doing this at Christmas time?
Well, I’m not a Christian nor have I ever been so you won’t find me celebrating Christmas in any sort of traditional manner (for example, frantic last-minute guilt-inspired shopping sprees). I am Jewish. What’s a Jew to do on Christmas? If there’s not a new Woody Allen movie playing in theaters, what better or more appropriate way to celebrate the season than with copious amounts of Chinese food and Jewish comedy? Plus, I’ve never worked with Jonathan Katz so I’m really looking forward to it! Â
 Â
Hilary Schwartz was asked: Â Why are you doing this at Christmas time?
I’m doing this at Christmas time because my Christian friends asked me to
make other plans. Anyhow, who else but a Jew would work on Christmas? Â Â Â
Images: (1) Outside Calvary Presbyterian Church Photos of Calvary courtesy of Calvary Presbyterian Church; (2) Official poster San Francisco Theological Seminary Lessons & Carols. Picture courtesy San Francisco Theological Seminary. (3) Doctor. Daniel Hoggatt. (4) Group dancers Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson. (5) Mouse San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson. (6) Sanctuary Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. (7) Paul Flight, Courtesy California Bach Society. (8) St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Choir. (9) Lisa Geduldig of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy, Kent Taylor Photography (10) Comedian Brian Malow. (11) Comedian Hilary Schwartz.
Peter Menkin, an aspiring poet, lives in Mill Valley, CA USA (north of San Francisco).
My blog:
http://www.petermenkin.blogspot.com
Using Buddhist Meditation Techniques
May 27th
Using Buddhist Meditation Techniques
Buddhist meditation techniques are some of the oldest practiced forms of meditation in the world. The universally known symbol of meditation has become a picture of Buddha in repose, carried away by the deep meditation in which he is engaged. Attaining the same peace and enlightenment suggested by the pose of Buddha is something that anyone can pursue. One does not have to follow the Buddhist faith or engage in any other Buddhist practices to use Buddhist meditation techniques.
Buddhist meditation techniques are designed so that the practitioner is able to separate their physical bodies from their conscious minds in order to cast their minds to a higher plateau of existence and thus receive enlightenment in their lives. To do so, one must leave behind the toils and worries of everyday life and instead pursue the higher path to achieving peace and understanding with and in the world around.
There are several main types of Buddhist meditation that you can pursue when you are looking to achieve peace, relaxation and understanding in your own life. The first technique is called the Mindfulness of Breathing. During this type of Buddhist meditation, the practitioner must so fully relax their physical body that the only function they concentrate on is their own pattern of breathing. But putting an entire being’s focus just on the repetitions of breathing in and breathing out and breathing in and breathing out, one can successfully move to a higher plane of consciousness where the physical pains of life are not intrusive.
Another main type of Buddhist meditation includes Contemplation of Impermanence. During this type of Buddhist meditation, the practitioner must direct their mind to reflect upon the complete impermanence of life, which cycles through death and living and death and living continuously as a matter of sustaining mankind. By contemplating the mysteries of the impermanence of life, practitioners of Buddhist meditation are able to remove themselves from every day worries and instead exist at a conscious level where they are simply filled with the power of existing.
One of the most commonly used practices of Buddhist meditation includes visualization. During visualization, you will pick an object to picture in your own mind. The object can be nearly anything at all, but it must be something that you can visual in an all-consuming matter. During visualization, you will leave behind all conscious thoughts and all conscious words and simply focus on a mental picture of your chosen object. When you do so, you will be able to move beyond the physical plane and instead to a state where you become at one with the world around you.
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Chronic Pain Relief Alternative
May 27th
Chronic Pain Relief Alternative
Pain sufferers need more information on the side effects of prescribed pain-killers.
A good article can be found here: qassia.com/arthritis-painkillers-and-how-they-can-kill-you.
I was unfortunate enough to have suffered a miasma of pain for some 7 years, after having fallen from a roof. Being instinctively wary of pain killers, and, being a product of my father\’s generation\’s mentality of stoicism (shut-up and get on with it) – I put up with it and only succumbed to taking pain-killers, in small doses – when things became just unbearable.
I was fortunate to have met someone in a similar position, who advised taking \’no-brand\’ paracetamol. This was useful in taking away the \’edge\’.
Subsequent discussions with my doctor revealed that there were NO side effects, to any quantity taken, within reason. This worked very well for me, although I remained cautious.
Then 3 years ago, I attended a free buddhist meditation class that went for 10 weeks.
I originally attended in an attempt to alleviate a more pressing matter, that of crippling depression. I needed simplicity and serenity and, although not particularly a believer, I was well brought up, so I followed the lessons not wanting it to be a waste of anyone\’s time.
On about the sixth week and odd thing happened mid lesson during some intonation, with visualisation of sending negativity out, to the universe, and drawing back in positive energy.
I felt a disturbance in my left arm, similar to marbles running down a tube. This was a physical event, to the tune that my partner noticed the disturbance.
I was absolutely stunned! There was no longer any pain – ANYWHERE!
I could move, pain free. I could sleep through the entire night.
I actually smiled.
In general, I have had a relatively pain free existence since that time.
This is not about advocating anything in particular, more the fact that chronic pain sufferers tend to get bogged down with the advice from the guys in white-coats.
Most certainly, it is easy to just give in to the quick fix advice, which as we ultimately discover, can have a dire price attached to our overall health.
Instant pain relief is seductive, addictively so, when one\’s entire life revolves around pain.
I have found, in my case, that an open mind has been the most helpful, in relief of chronic pain.
Learn How To Rid Yourself of Insomnia And Sleepless Nights
End Your Arthritis Pain For Good!
Say Goodbye To Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!
Find More Buddhist Lessons Articles
Buddha’s Teachings – Top 5 Spiritual Lessons Learned from Buddha Teachings
May 27th
Buddha’s Teachings – Top 5 Spiritual Lessons Learned from Buddha Teachings
Buddha’s core teachings are about enlightenment or awakening as the result of one’s own experience. According to Buddhism, enlightenment can free a person from craving or desire, suffering and rebirth. The freedom is only achieved through self discipline, knowledge and meditation. The teaching is necessary to live a joyful life with love and compassion to others which is a proof of being enlightened.
There are two main objectives of Buddhism
1.) Learn the teachings of Buddha.
2.) Learn to know oneself (who we are).
First we need to learn the teachings before it can be put to use. When we learn to discover ourselves through the teachings applied to our daily living; that is the time we get to disregard the undesirable feelings of desire, anger, fear and jealousy and bring out the part in us which is free from all those sufferings, perfect like the Buddha in nature.
While the two main objectives are in force, there are important spiritual lessons about Buddha teachings. They are:
- The Four Noble Truths
- The Noble Eightfold Path
The only surviving early Buddhist Canon contains the Four Noble Truths which were the first teachings of Buddha after being enlightened and attaining nirvana.
1.) Life is suffering: It is life’s unsolicited partner, such as old age, diseases, death, and pain. There are more things that cause our suffering like people we love and people we hate, unfulfilled desire and other worries brought about by everyday existence.
2.) Desire Causes of Suffering: The Buddha said that people suffer because of wrong desires and lack of knowledge of the consequences (karma) of the harmful things they do. People seem to be always short of contentment and fail to be happy because they never feel satisfied with they have.
3.) How to End Suffering: The teaching is about cutting off suffering by giving up unnecessary desires, live what is in you and be happy without the injured past and without so much foresight to the future. We are more likely to end up disappointed if we expect something we do not have.
4.) The Path to the end of Suffering: This is known in another teaching as the Noble Eightfold Path or the Middle way.
5.) The Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Noble Path needs the practice of meditation. We seek to attain self control, give up personal will, greed, or desire. The Noble Eightfold Path includes:
- Right Understanding or Perception
- Right Intention or Purpose
- Right Speech or Words
- Right Action or Activities
- Right Livelihood or Occupation
- Right Conduct or Behavior
- Right Mindfulness or Awareness
- Right Concentration or Undivided Attention
The Buddha teachings are awakening tools to make us realize that it is possible to end suffering by practicing non-attachment.
Amy C. enjoys exploring teachings of Buddha. She invites you to add a serenely designed Buddha fountain to your home or office to enhace it with spirituality. Visit Tabletop Fountain Store to learn more about Buddha Fountain Collection.
Buddhist prayers equipments
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Spiritual Lessons of the Environmental Crises ( pt 3)
May 27th
Spiritual Lessons of the Environmental Crises ( pt 3)
In part one, I shared how science, psychology and spiritual studies have all shown that we are connected. This connection implies that the choices we make everyday have an overall affect on us, as well as the planet. At the end of part one, the following question was posed: What are the choices you could make, large or small, which would reflect the concept that everything is connected? I then invited you to notice those choices and see if you can put a few into action.
In part 2, we discussed that these choices often come from our unconscious or unknown thoughts and feelings. The engine motivating these unknown beliefs can be based in our old survival brain. Challenging this programming takes investigating and learning about our deeper self. This leads us to the center of our being and the Intelligence of the Heart. You were then asked to connect your heart with different parts of yourself and activate this heart smarts. What did you experience? What did you learn about yourself?
In your explorations, you might have experienced that to choose to live a green lifestyle is actually an act of the heart. It is a kindness and compassion; kindness for ourselves, for others and for the planet. How might we come to such an idea of living from this larger context? We make choices from the connection to our deeper true selves. In order to care about the planet and others who share it, we find that we must connect with ourselves and with others. We do these acts of kindness by connecting with not just our intellect, but with our hearts in consort.
How can we claim our birthright to be the compassionate empowered humans that we are? Let’s look more closely at how on a moment-to-moment basis we can help ourselves live from the Intelligence of the Heart.
To approach living in the intelligence of the heart, we must be in touch with, open to and work with our body-mind-spirit. To help us open the awareness of this physical component of wholeness, we can use meditation, other spiritual practices such as yoga, Ti- Chi, along with some kinds of psychotherapies. Many of us might exercise and feel that we take care of our bodies, but often we treat our body as a thing and don’t really listen to the intelligence that’s embedded. Sometimes our bodies are actually speaking for our emotions or our spiritual struggles. Noticing where your body is stuck and the possibility of stretching the area or doing certain kinds of body opening exercises can help in the gateway to the wisdom of your body. Doing body relaxation meditations and journaling exercises can sometimes help get in touch with our body wisdom. This is one important aspect in being able to sink into the intelligence of the heart.
In order to lead with the heart we also need to be able to open our heart emotionally. For most of us, starting to open our hearts is opening to a lifetime of unacknowledged or partially acknowledged pain. Most of us have layers of grief, anger, loss or sorrow that will surface as we travel along the conscious path. The Buddhists often call this opening to our human condition, opening to our ocean of tears.
We know our emotional state and our physical state comes and goes. We are always feeling something physically and emotionally. As we said, we want to know what is happening in our bodies. It is very important to know what we are feeling emotionally at any given moment and see the patterns of our thinking and beliefs. But we want to be able to live past the momentary ups and downs of our feelings. We want to be able to let our nervous systems relax enough to sink and live from this deeper or essential state. This is not possible if we don’t do the rigorous work of our personal self-discovery.
Oscar Wilde wrote that hearts are meant to be broken. As we heal in therapy and our spiritual practices, our hearts open to feel fully; powerful feelings and parts that had been left unspoken arise to be worked with. We want to let them sing their songs so that we can be fully alive to all the love that is available in life. As we open to all that is present, we learn the art of forgiveness. Both forgiveness and compassion arise as we open. Much of this opening to what is leads us to the truth of self-acceptance. We open to be able to hold process and move through all the sorrow, pain, truth and joy of what it has meant to be us. This allows us to open to others and the planet. From here we are learning to live a green life style. We could do nothing else. Our hearts are our guides.
Sheik Kabir Helminski, a Sufi teacher and author says some interesting things in his book called The Knowing Heart. He says that “the heart is the center of our motivation and our knowing, possessing a depth and strength of will that the personality lacks.†Heart consciousness is intelligence beyond intellect, a knowing that operates at a subconscious level. Heart consciousness is a knowing from the inside and is capable of knowing all levels of consciousness or Reality. It is an integrated state that helps expands normal human capacity to embrace more of the world. The intellect only and emotions only takes us only so far. The mind can think about hope, faith, love or compassion. Heart consciousness or intelligence of the heart expands the possibilities and allows us the opportunity of living a life that opens to our greatness and honors everyone.
Let’s take a moment to go inside and meditate. Find a comfortable way to sit. After you read through this once, allow your eyes to close or gaze down. Deep breath in … Notice what you are thinking … now notice what you are feeling emotionally … take in any body sensations … Now feel your breath in your body … allow your self to go under the chattering mind for a moment to feel the essence of what is more essential … who you really are … just sink for a moment into the Intelligence of the Heart … Just feel for a moment this wise part of you … feel your true self as best you can … stay there for a moment … now come back and write down what comes to you. Please let me know how this goes for you.
Dr. Jennifer Howard is a licensed psychotherapist, healer, author, relationship counselor, and professional speaker with more than 20 years of experience in helping people make changes in their lives. She’s created a personal development plan and assists people in personal development and spiritual growth through her lectures, workshops, and her upcoming book, Changes That Last. She has offices in Huntington, Long Island, NY, and New York City, is a leading expert on spirituality and psychology, and is a former faculty of the graduate program of A Society of Souls. Dr. Howard has been frequently seen as an expert and featured guest on national television shows including, The Maury Povich Show, Turning Point, America’s Talking, Rolanda, Charles Perez, Les Brown and others.
Right now, Dr. Howard is offering a free downloadable MP3 of her recent lecture, “The Intelligence of the Heart” to anyone who subscribes to her free ezine. Along with the free MP3 members of the site can read articles written by Dr. Howard, gain access to the online Virtual Meditation Room with guided and visual meditations, and more. For more about, Click Here.
Reading Buddhist Thought by Peter Menkin
May 27th
Reading Buddhist Thought by Peter Menkin
Some words about Thich Nhat Hanh, a poem
My poem is about a spiritual teacher named Thich Nhat Hanh, the result of reading a book of his writings.
As you may know, I am an Oblate of Camaldoli, a monastic order interested in the meditative and contemplative practices of Buddhism. It is a Christian monastic community, Catholic by denomation. Like my monastic friends, I am a Benedictine. My affiliation is as an Anglican, since I am an Episcopalian and we are Anglicans. It is a charism of friendship. The monks of the Camaldoli order are contemplatives, and have been for hundreds of years. Oblates take a vow of living a monastic life in the world–as their situation allows. At least, we Camaldolese do who are members of the Order of St. Benedict. We endeavor to live our lives by The Rule of St. Benedict.
There is a monastery, informally known as New Camaldoli, in Big Sur, California USA. Its formal name is Immaculate Heart Hermitage. I visit there and go to retreats. So you can guess I share their interests, including their interest in the West-East dialogue, also called Christian-Buddhist. Granted, I am casually interested, whereas the monks are seriously interested. This poem represents some of my reading of Bhuddist thought, but mainly it represents my admiration and respect for a spiritual leader who is a Buddhist.
Reading Buddhist Thought…
by Peter Menkin
The present is a place,
so I read. Buddhist thought
tells me, between the past and the future
is the place present. Be mindful,
keep good thoughts
–not so easy a thing.
Spiritual teachers like
Thich Nhat Hanh offer
reverence.
“Learn lessons from the cloud.”
“Tomorrow I’ll be gone…”
he says, so I read.
Me, too.
Between he and I,
through the pages
there is his voice.
We wonder about faith.
Is there something
for the Christian in this Buddhist
thought?
In Church, the Priest
washes his hands before
celebrating. The Buddhist
says clean hands to gain
the truth.
A little style of his words,
adapted to life
as I know it. The man in the book
is generous. Peace.
Audio reading of the poem by the poet is here:
http://www.archive.org/details/ReadingBuddhistThoughtByPeterMenkin
Peter Menkin, an aspiring poet, lives in Mill Valley, CA USA (north of San Francisco).
My blog:
http://www.petermenkin.blogspot.com
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