However other more self-interested, short-sighted, ignorance often excludes simple, natural solutions.

Are Buddhists drawn to ecology, natural living and our connection to Gia and other sentients?

Are Buddhists 'Green'?

Wu, who is teaching a new course on Zen Buddhism this semester, said the need for the program is even more present given the misconceptions that exist around the history and practice of Buddhism.

"There is this gray area where people talk about Buddhism," Wu said, noting that Buddhism is often removed from its historic and cultural context. Wu also said that some still confuse regional traditions and concepts associated with Buddhism.

"There is considerable interest in Buddhist studies, or the related and new interdisciplinary research happening with mindfulness, psychology and consciousness studies," Wu said. "It is absolutely a good time to introduce the minor."

-- http://uanews.org/story/new-ua-program-to-explore-buddhism

http://www.onbeing.org/blog/what-does-mindfulness-really-mean-anyway/7431?utm_content=buffer5e8af&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffers

Buddhists are known for promoting a philosophy of nonviolence, compassion and the interconnection of all beings. According to provocative new research, simply being exposed to Buddhist terminology may be enough to activate tolerance and compassion among both Buddhists and non-Buddhists.

Researchers from Stanford University, along with scientists from Belgium and Taiwan, found that exposing people of different spiritual backgrounds to Buddhist concepts was effective in not only undercutting prejudice but also in promoting prosociality, which includes having a sense of responsibility for others, feelings of compassion and empathy.

The study, which was published in the April issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, illustrates a phenomenon known as priming. Priming occurs when people are exposed to certain words or images (in this case, Buddhist words) that then subconsciously influence their thinking or behavior.

For the experiment, 355 total study participants were divided based on their backgrounds: Western Christians, Westerners who practiced Buddhism and Taiwanese with a Buddhist/Taoist background. These three groups were broken down even further, with some participants being primed with religious words and others being exposed to nonreligious, yet still positive, words (e.g., "flower," "sun," "freedom"). After this priming, participants took tests designed to reveal any prejudices they may have against different ethnic or religious groups.

Across all groups, people who were exposed to words like "Buddha," "Dharma" and "awakening" in a word puzzle showed fewer negative associations with African and Muslim people than those who were exposed to Christian or nonreligious words.

Participants who were primed with Buddhist words also scored higher on a test measuring prosocial behaviors. These effects were particularly pronounced among people who scored higher on tests measuring open-mindedness.

Prosocial behaviors are generally in line with the core values of Buddhism, including tolerance of different ways of thinking, universality and interconnection.

However, the researchers don't mean to suggest that Buddhism is "better" than any other religion.

"What we really want to argue is that Buddhist concepts are associated with tolerance, across cultural groups," Magalli Clobert, a post-doctoral student at Stanford and one of the study's authors, told The Huffington Post. "It means that, at least in people's mind, there is a positive vision of Buddhism as a religion of tolerance and compassion."

http://plumvillage.org/?p=7391

@federica , can you move the loinsroar link Karasti put in the Feb 19 update thread and Rowan's subsequent comment to this thread, please?

There has recently been a couple of threads on this subject. One by me with a similar title.

I think I finally found a way or path that I can endorse. There still may be some problems to bone out. But I believe in this.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/01/bhutan-wealth-happiness-counts

What do you think? Do not be discouraged if I do not say so much. I want to hear your unbiased opinion.

Cheers!

http://plumvillage.org/news/an-update-on-thays-health-19-feb/

Update on previous story.

"Depending on which part of Buddhism you grasp, you might identify it as a system of ethics, a philosophy, a contemplative psychotherapy, a religion. ... That which contains the range of elements that constitute Buddhism is called a 'culture'".

And it seems to me that an individual is free to utilize Buddhist concepts in any or all of those ways. Let the cherry picking begin.

Just my view.

One of the reasons so many of us value and practice meditation and mindfulness is because it clarifies things for us.

Here I sit with my scalp itch, mind meandering, feelings of Dukkha etc.

We don't run, we don't hide beind the lamas sofa, we don't get uppity, we face it. Clarity arrives. Clarity of body, mind and emotions. That is my experience and no doubt many, many can confirm?

Is clarity part of your clearing?

http://nyti.ms/1Bs6POy

http://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation/

Anyone know if this "shame" is what we ordinarily understand it to be? Namely, "a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior."

By the way, I have no idea where this list of 51 Mental Formations comes from originally, it just appears on the website without any real explanation. Hmm

How about you?

Traces, through photographs, the DL from childhood through present.

The Tendai monks believe that enlightenment can be achieved during your current life, but only through extreme self–denial.

For the Tendai, the ultimate act of self–denial — and the route to enlightenment — is a physical challenge known as the Kaihogyo. Because of this challenge, the Tendai are often called the “Marathon Monks.”

But the Kaihogyo is much more than a marathon.

The Kaihogyo

The Kaihogyo is a 1,000 day challenge that takes place over seven years.

And if the Marathon monk say yes to this challenge, they have to pass the test and not fail
if they fail they have to take suicide. So its a strong commitment.

Actually They have 100 days were they can make a drawback, but after 101 days, there are no return.

If a monk chooses to undertake this challenge, this is what awaits him…

During Year 1, the monk must run 30 km per day (about 18 miles) for 100 straight days.

During Year 2, the monk must again run 30 km per day for 100 straight days.

During Year 3, the monk must once more run 30 km per day for 100 straight days.

During Year 4, the monk must run 30 km per day. This time for 200 straight days.

During Year 5, the monk must again run 30 km per day for 200 straight days. After completing the fifth year of running, the monk must go 9 consecutive days without food, water, or rest. Two monks stand beside him at all times to ensure that he does not fall asleep.

During Year 6, the monk must run 60 km (about 37 miles) per day for 100 straight days.

During Year 7, the monk must run 84 km (about 52 miles) per day for 100 straight days. (52 miles per day!) And then, he must run 30 km per day for the final 100 days.

There are Also one session with nine days with out wather and food. And just chanting.

So now its just for us to join them

Do you think this is ok? That You can decide when you want to die? Or will you hold on to the bitter end
and die "natural"?

http://lybio.net/michele-causse-assisted-suicide-on-swiss-tv/people/

Now, I see the truth.

https://twitter.com/bunnybuddhism

Feb 22: The beauty of a carrot lies in knowing that no carrot lasts forever.

Feb 3: As the sun causes ice to melt, a kind bunny causes hostility to fade.

Jan 23: If the hop is generous, it does not matter how big or small a hop it is.

What phobia do you have?

And how can you cure it?

I had a problem with financial phobia, I could not open one paper letter!
And my mail box got full, and I felt ashamed, guilty and also criminal.
I didnt sleep well at night
Because It was a giant letter mountain, hiding under some books on the floor
I was running away from letters, and creditos were calling me daily...

I was really stuck! And I had to figure this out!
The reason to this was I had two jobs,

Working full time job in chemistry and process industry
and at the same time have one small "hobby" business,
wich became not so small because customers were calliing my daily.

It was to much responsebilty and things got overvelming

So...

I found buddhism on youtube trough eckhart tolle.

I was never religious before, and didnt know anything about buddhsim. But things change...

So iam now using walking meditation to meet my responsiblities

Iam walking towards my bills/letters, back and forth until I get enough courage..

While Iam walking iam aware of my feet tuching the ground

Iam imagine me opening one letter at the time with a smile on my face and with ease.
And I also imagine me playing with the letters with joy, like kids do.
Iam also putting them apart mentaly (detachment pracitce maybe?), letter its just earth element, made by small molekyls.
What is it to be afraid for?

Iam not cured from this phobia, maybe I will get cured one day..Iam still walking.

What phobia do you have?

And how can you cure it? Do you think it Is possible?

(sorry for my bad english)

In YinYana Buddhism the teachings are always given by the newest cult recruit. A trick I learned from an esoteric Rosicrucian group I attended for a short while.

People are remarkable and unique in terms of life experiences, present situation, practice efforts, difficulties, conflicted being and ultimately transcendent transformation and awakening.

Sadly I was kicked out of the YinYana immediately I started it. Members are not allowed.

However if you are a Buddha and even if a beginner, what is your teaching expression?

I'm Lovro Tacol, a master student of Cognitive Science at University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and at University of Vienna (Austria), and for part of my studies I'm carrying out a phenomenological research on peoples' outlook on life, broadly speaking. I will compare outlooks of few groups of people, but right now I'm focusing on comparison between those that consider themselves Buddhists and non-Buddhists. I look at things which may not lend themselves to comparison prima facie, and which then turn to be somehow related - or not.

For this purpose I designed a questionnare whose maint point is to describe your feelings, emotions, thoughts, attitudes, etc. as vividly and as detailedly as possible. Since this is a phenomenological research, the situations inside a questionnaire - as well as the instructions at the beginning - are deliberately vague and non-directive. The point is that you don't think too much about the answers, but instead really just let the experience of the question take you wherever your stream of consciousness is going to go.

To prevent possible misunderstandings I created a short FAQ based on feedback I received so far. Please, read it!

1. Why don't you create better questions with different wording?
The wording of the questions is like this on purpose. This is a qualitative research, aimed to describe a "lived experience" of a phenomenon, and the "How would you feel if ..." part is intended to encourage you to immerse into re-experiencing a certain situation. Doing so, you can try to transmit everything occuring in your field of conscioussnes into words.

2. Why isn't this questionnare more carefully tailored for Buddhists?
Simply because I'm using the same questionnaire for different groups - only if a researcher asks different people the same questions, it gives him or her the opportunity to make comparisons.

3. Why are the situations so vague?
On purpose. The point here is to be as non-directive as possible. Describe whatever you want and however you want. As long as it's at least 5 sentences.

4. Why do you ask only about hypothetical situations?
Only the wording is like this, i. e. hypothetical ("How would you feel if ...") - again on purpose. Of course, all of you have most probably encountered all of the situations already, but this doesn't mean that now you aren't able to imagine them - either actual ones or similar imagined ones. If you want to describe certain situation, do it. As long as it's vivid and involves every aspect of your inner world.

5. Doesn't the description itself create a separation from the experience (which the experiencer cannot be really separated from)?
It does. If one would go into the extreme, one would even see that an accurate translation of certain experience into words is practically impossible. This is partly because we simply lack the suitable words to describe the multitude and subtlety of our inner lives. Secondly, even if one tries to directly, immediately, report the experience - "in medias res" - by doing that one already alters the original experience and makes it something else (the experience of describing, let's say).
However, one can learn to immerse oneself into reliving, re-experiencing certain event and let go; one can fairly enough translate the experience into a written report. Don't you agree that the narrative produced in such manner is far richer with information that blant points, which are usually gathered with standard psychological questionnaires?

Since I still need quite a lot of participants, I'd be more than glad and thankful if you would take your time and answer the attached questions.

Those who will decide to help me, please, send the completed questionnaire on:

lovro.tacol@gmail.com

Thank you again and much love ,

Lovro

If this is the case then I guess some Jain must have slipped into my practice...

http://www.buddhisma2z.com/content.php?id=288

Are you comfortable with your body and being naked amongst other naked people... ?

Do you think that it's inappropriate for a practicing Buddhist (lay-person) to skinny dip ? (Immoral)

Or do you think that issues such as nudity are of no importance to the lay practitioner ? “Each to their own”

I've spent a lot of time in silence on retreat, and it can have a remarkable effect over time. Not just in terms of calming the mind, but also becoming aware of other people in a deeper way. Maintaining silence on a retreat forces you to be much more aware of other people and their needs. So for example at breakfast you don't say "Pass the jam", you rely on others to be aware that you might want some jam on your toast! After a while you just know what people are thinking and feeling and what they need.

I've led a number of silent day retreats. Mostly in a Buddhist context, although as I've mentioned here I recently led a "Quaker Quiet Day". There they do "silent worship" instead of meditation, but perhaps the two activities are not so different anyway.

But I notice times in my life when I am fulfilled more often than not I am remembering or seeing old photos. My lama gives the instruction "relax into your heart connections" (at death). "heart connections" is somewhat cumbersome, but I think it is intuitive. All the kids you played with on the playground. All the people you don't remember when really depressed, but who you could remember if you were really thinking. I liked what @dharmamom said about not fitting everyone into your personal puzzle as your heart connections drift in and out of your life. Oh the sadness of moving on, but the freshness and sustenance of the 'heart memories'.

Since they won't listen to Dharma, the only alternative would seem to be to let them continue on their path of unkindness, and to let karma take effect (which as we know can result in a long painful grind).

Although actually that doesn't look like Buddha so much as perhaps an actual image of the old master. Even freakier.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/scan-reveals-1000-year-old-monk-seated-inside-of-buddha-statue/

If you have the time, please have a look. It's an interesting read, and made me want to know more about the influence Buddhism had on society and the environment over the centuries.

As a failed Mensch from a long line of Jews [I trace my Jewish heritage right back to Lilith, yep before even Eve but that's another story] it is difficult to live up to my lack of cultural alignment. However the Buddha was clearly Jewish.

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/02/how_to_be_a_men.html

I recently stumbled on this soulful performance of the Prajna Paramita Mantra:

Thoughts please.

Gosh . . . what am I missing here?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism ( there's quite a bit about Buddhism, 1/3 down the page )

http://www.lionsroar.com/sign-petition-support-equality-women-thai-monasteries/

The petition:
https://www.change.org/p/sangha-supreme-council-of-thailand-to-support-establishing-the-bhikkhuni-sangha-in-siam-thailand?just_signed=true

My starting suggestion is to say that they all share the goal of liberation from suffering, though this may be expressed in different ways.

It would be tempting to add the Four Noble Truths, but those are not made explicit in all schools, so I'm not sure.

Your thoughts?

This morning I set the timer on my iPad for my morning cushion squashing asana. After about an hour, I realised I had unmindfully forgotten to press start.

Technology 1 Crustacean 0

No matter maybe I can find some hardcore dharma
http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/dharma-wiki

What use is technology in your practice?

Buddhist sponsored terrorism and war crimes occurred in Sri Lanka against the Tamil Community. The western Buddhists were mostly silent, perhaps claiming ignorance. Perhaps ignorance is a good excuse. Perhaps not. Perhaps some other religion or the atheist Tamil Tiger suicide bombers are freedom fighters against oppression. Perhaps not

http://world.time.com/2013/06/20/extremist-buddhist-monks-fight-oppression-with-violence/

Time to overcome ignorance. Perhaps it is always time. Which way to point the finger?

How do you balance the needs of your family members (who of course come first) with the needs of all the other sentient beings in the entire universe that you are supposed to be helping achieve enlightenment? These needs will frequently come into conflict.

And if you do always put your family first, as most people rightly do, are you really a "bodhisattva" or just a nice person with admirable and yet entirely abstract goodwill towards all other sentient beings?

I wanted to give myself a bit of a Buddhism 101 refresher course (I tend to do this periodically when I need to detox spiritually from all the crap around me) and I am focusing on the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path. Does anyone have any podcasts they'd like to recommend in regards to this at all? I like to listen to them during the day when I'm going about my daily stuff.

Thanks,
Raven
_ /\ _