• I Haven't Been Kidnapped.

    Updated: 2009-12-31 00:05:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Wednesday , December 30, 2009 I Haven't Been . Kidnapped I know I haven't been writing here much lately but it's not a permanent trend . I'm simply overloaded with holiday stuff and have been spending a lot of time with my family . The big thing though that has taken up most of my time is a new project I'm working on . It's a new blog but it has nothing to do with Buddhism well , it does but it's not the main theme there . I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know that I haven't abandoned you and I'm not getting bored with this blog . I'm just spreading myself too thin . After the first of the year I'll have stuff squared away and can devote more time here as I want to do . In the mean time , thanks for your patience . May this message find you . well James Peace to all beings~ Posted by They call him James Ure at 5:05 PM 0 comments : Post a Comment Older Post Home Subscribe to : Post Comments Atom Buddha theme designed by Free Wordpress Themes Translation Badge About Me They call him James Ure A Zen Buddhist who follows in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh but I enjoy teachings from all

  • New from the Library of Tibetan Classics

    Updated: 2009-12-29 16:12:41
    Mirror of Beryl: A Historical Introduction to Tibetan Medicine. Composed while its author was the ruler of Tibet, Mirror of Beryl is a detailed account of the origins and history of medicine in Tibet through the end of the seventeenth century. Its author, Desi Sangyé Gyatso (1653-1705), was the heart disciple and political successor of [...]

  • Wisdom Highlighted on Beliefnet.com

    Updated: 2009-12-28 14:57:19
    From the One City blog. An Amazing Decade for Dharma Over the past ten years we Buddhists have been the beneficiaries of a staggering wealth of new resources. We’ve been incredibly fortunate in the number of new translations of sutras, commentaries, and new studies that have emerged over the last ten years. Whatever your particular area of [...]

  • The Magic of Winter.

    Updated: 2009-12-26 22:38:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Saturday , December 26, 2009 The Magic of . Winter Snow descends upon Earth from the Buddha realms cascading softly to surround the bustling humanity in tranquility . Methodically it falls , bringing with it the silence of a morning meditation at a mountain temple . Winter offers the jewel of reflection , which allows us a vivid and stark yet peaceful reminder of impermanence . The snow doesn't ask why it falls or why it melts It is at peace being snow , water or vapor . May peace be upon you regardless of the . moment Peace to all beings~ Posted by They call him James Ure at 3:38 PM Labels : humanity impermanence meditation poem prose silence snow temple tranquility winter 2 comments : Shinzen said . Snow has a way of making us slow down and be more mindful of what we are doing , especially when driving a car . It teaches us that this moment is what it is all about . not where we are going . cause where I drive if you lose focus you are in the ditch in the middle of nowhere . A practical lesson on many levels . Thanks for the . post 9:30 AM Wendy said . . Lovely 12:44 PM Post a Comment Newer Post Older Post Home

  • "The Magician of Lhasa," a Book Review.

    Updated: 2009-12-22 18:06:00
    : , . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Tuesday , December 22, 2009 The Magician of Lhasa , a Book . Review It is rare to find a book of fiction based on Buddhism and even rarer still to find one worthy of reading . Well , The Magician of Lhasa by David Michie . The first 50 pages are kind of slow but keep reading because after that the story explodes into an exciting , fascinating , mysterious , suspenseful literary ride . Upon receiving the book I was dreading to hear how Buddhism would be presented and used in a novel as in the past many fiction writers have badly misrepresented Buddhist . philosophy However , this books does a pretty good job of staying true to the teachings while offering up just enough mystery to keep you turning the pages . The book not only does a good job of explaining the Dharma it also teaches actual , helpful , applicable lessons mixed in with a entertaining story . What more could you want in a book I don't want to say much more for fear of spoiling the secrets and plot of the book but It's a very fun book to read and suggest it highly . It is as good as any Dan Brown novel and I'd say is actually better than Brown's current

  • "The Novice," a Book Review.

    Updated: 2009-12-22 17:38:00
    : , . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Tuesday , December 22, 2009 The Novice , a Book . Review Who amongst us hasn't fantasized about a spiritual pilgrimage to for secret , life-changing wisdom . It seems that many of us , Westerners especially come to Buddhism with wild imaginations of climbing the Himalayas to get enlightenment from a 200 year old monk . That was what author of The Novice Stephen Schettini seemed to set out looking for on his pilgrimage to the East mostly . India He learned , like all of us must at some point that Buddhism can be practiced anywhere in the world and that practicing it in the historical heart of the religion doesn't necessarily give ones Dharma practice an advantage . He also reminds us that Buddhism isn't always perfect or immediate in showing results . It's very much a book about not expecting Buddhism to immediately change your life . The story is mostly a coming of age story of a young man living during the first Buddhist boom in the West during the 60s and 70s . It was a chaotic , exciting and confusing time for Westerners studying a religion that was very new in their culture and reading about it is a fascinating

  • Happy Belated Winter Solstice to my Pagan Friends.

    Updated: 2009-12-22 17:29:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Tuesday , December 22, 2009 Happy Belated Winter Solstice to my Pagan . Friends Yesterday , December 21st is winter solstice , otherwise known as Midwinter . This is the shortest day and longest night of the year , which is the last blast of darkness before the sun rises slowly but surely to offer longer and longer days and increased sunlight . So it is a day of rebirth , which is very much in-line with Buddhist beliefs . I welcome the suns rebirth with great happiness . So , Happy Solstice everyone PHOTO CREDIT Winter Solstice occurring at Stonehenge in Great Britain Peace to all beings~ Posted by They call him James Ure at 10:29 AM Labels : druids midwinter pagans rebirth sun winter solstice 1 comments : Jess Mistress of Mischief said . beautiful photo just beautiful 8:28 AM Post a Comment Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to : Post Comments Atom Buddha theme designed by Free Wordpress Themes Translation Badge About Me They call him James Ure A Zen Buddhist who follows in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh but I enjoy teachings from all Buddhist traditions . In addition , I am greatly

  • Yet Another Abbot Asked to Expel Thich Nhat Hanh Monastics.

    Updated: 2009-12-20 18:59:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Sunday , December 20, 2009 Yet Another Abbot Asked to Expel Thich Nhat Hanh . Monastics Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh Pictured above with brown robe showing James As many know , monastics in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh were forcefully removed from Bat Nha monastery in Vietnam by the communist government and local mobs . However , communist dictatorships are historically notorious for staging mob riots by secret police dressed in plain clothes to appear as peasants . The government claims the abbot of the monastery was the one who initiated the demand for expulsion , however , he has yet to say anything publicly about it . Another favorite trick of communist dictatorships is to force people into saying things via threats of violence or imprisonment if they refuse . Anyway , this expulsion took place this past October , which suspiciously came soon after Nhat Hanh called for Vietnam to be more open about religious freedoms . Following the expulsion the monastics fled to a pagoda whose abbot had invited them to take refuge within but now they are being pressured to leave there as well .

  • Wholesome Fear: New from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

    Updated: 2009-12-18 19:40:29
    Our anxiety around sickness, old age, and death can be a “wholesome fear”-a fear with a positive quality that ultimately enriches and nourishes our lives. Lama Zopa Rinpoche shows use how we can use our anxiety as a high-octane fuel to really live what’s most important; while Kathleen McDonald presents meditations that integrate these [...]

  • Help the Vietnamese Zen Monks of Bat Nha Monastery.

    Updated: 2009-12-17 18:27:00
    James: Please write your leaders to urge them in assisting the violently oppressed Vietnamese monks who follow in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh at Bat Nha monastery in that Southeast Asian country. They seek temporary asylum until they can return to their beloved, beautiful homeland. May their pure wish to peacefully practice the Dharma be fulfilled. Svaha!!~Peace to all beings~

  • The Art of Happiness in a Trouble World.

    Updated: 2009-12-10 21:27:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Thursday , December 10, 2009 The Art of Happiness in a Trouble . World I just finished reading the follow-up book to the 1 bestseller , The Art of Happiness : A Handbook for Living by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C . Cutler , MD . The follow-up is titled , The Art of Happiness in a Trouble World . I found things that I liked in this book , however , I wouldn't be honest if I said it was an excellent book . I don't like to be critical in life but I won't say I liked something if I didn't . I must say though that this wasn't the Dalai Lama's fault in the least but rather the author who came across as almost pestering His Holiness when he didn't like the answer the Tibetan monk . gave For example , the author Mr . Cutler spent the first part of the book five full chapters on one subject the importance of diversity . Now , this is a very important and noble subject to be sure . That said , the author could have covered the subject in breadth within two chapters but spending 109 pages talking about all the different ways one can say , Diversity is important gets frustrating and a bit annoying . Of course , I'm not

  • Biocentrism.

    Updated: 2009-12-09 18:05:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Wednesday , December 09, 2009 . Biocentrism I have recently come across an interesting science theory call Biocentrism as proposed by scientist Robert Lanza . I was fascinated with the many connections between it and much Buddhist philosophy . I will give you a quick run-down of what Biocentrism is about via wikipedia , which isn't the best source but it's the easiest for my purposes but I encourage you to read about it further . Biocentrism posits that life created the universe and not the other way around as traditional science has taught us . This blends nicely into the Buddhist concept that reality is what our limited and deluded mind makes of it . The seven principles of Biocentrism are as follows . Note the similarities between it and Buddhist : thought 1 What we perceive as reality is a process that involves our consciousness An external reality if it existed , would by definition have to exist in . space But this is meaningless , because space and time are not absolute realities but rather tools of the human and animal mind 2 Our external and internal perceptions are inextricably intertwined . They are

  • Happy Rohatsu!! Otherwise Known as Bodhi Day.

    Updated: 2009-12-08 22:07:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Tuesday , December 08, 2009 Happy Rohatsu Otherwise Known as Bodhi . Day Today is the day that we Buddhists celebrate the enlightenment of Buddha and thus rejoice in the path of peace and liberation from suffering , which he so selflessly offered up to us and made his life's mission . It is a day that changed the world and I seek to keep that vision and energy alive today . I dedicate this next year to working harder at better representing Buddha's teachings and essence and I apologize for my faults in this area whenever they pop up as they inevitably do and will . In particular , my wish is that next Rohatsu be one that greets a liberated Tibet , a liberated China , a liberated Burma and liberation in all forms for all of us . I hope you all had an insightful and peaceful Rohatsu and I bow to you . all PHOTO CREDIT Wat Khmer Tepthidaram Peace to all beings~ Posted by They call him James Ure at 3:07 PM Labels : bodhi day rohatsu 0 comments : Post a Comment Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to : Post Comments Atom Buddha theme designed by Free Wordpress Themes Translation Badge About Me They call him James Ure A Zen

  • The Balancing Buddha.

    Updated: 2009-12-04 19:31:00
    : . skip to main skip to sidebar Buddhism in the News Loading . Friday , December 04, 2009 The Balancing . Buddha James This is a long article and I wanted to add my usual analysis and personal note with a quoted story but I think the author , Joan Gattuso says it all in this very well done article . So I'm going to quote the entire article here . It's a Tricycle piece and while I've been critical of them of late it was mostly in relation to one specific article and I will always recognize good writing regardless of the publication or person . It'll be a bit long but it's a really thoughtful article on the dangers of aestheticism in relation to the Middle Path of balance between aestheticism and extreme sensual : indulgence THE MIDDLE WAY is achieved when one reaches that point of cosmic balance between austerity and the creature comforts of the world . The ascetics who were with the Buddha were critical of him because he was no longer living an austere lifestyle They considered his life too cushy . 8221 He was eating beautiful food and wearing a fine robe , while they existed on a few grains of rice and slept uncovered on a bed of nails . The ascetics asked the Buddha , What kind

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