Suu Kyi and the long history of Rakhine conflict

January 04, 2017 The NationThere is no denying that there are ethnic tensions between the Rakhine and the Rohingya in Myanmar.

But, while the plight of the Rohingya is well known, less is known about the Rakhine and the historical reasons for their fear and distrust. Many Rakhine fled to Chittagong during the 1942 massacre. Then there was the mujahedeen separatist movement (1947-1970) and the Rohingya Islamist movement (1972-present). The recent terrorist attacks only perpetuated this fear and distrust. 

How to have things reveal themselves

Five Steps to Mindfulness

You can learn how to create a moment of joy, a feeling of happiness, at 
any time of the day. Explore these 5 simple steps to enjoy more 
mindfulness.

By Thich Nhat Hanh | August 23, 2010Thiti/Adobe StockOur true home is not in the past. Our true home is not in the future. Our true home is in the here and the now. Life is available only in the here and the now, and it is our true home.Mindfulness is the energy that helps us recognize the conditions of happiness that are already present in our lives. You don’t have to wait ten years to experience this happiness. It is present in every moment of your daily life. There are those of us who are alive but don’t know it. But when you breathe in, and you are aware of your in-breath, you touch the miracle of being alive. That is why mindfulness is a source of happiness and joy.

Two bright qualities that safeguard the world : Concern & Conscience.

'This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "There are these two bright qualities Which two? Conscience & concern (for the results of unskillful actions). If these two bright qualities did not guard the world, there would be no recognition of 'mother' here, no recognition of 'mother's sister,' 'uncle's wife,' 'teacher's wife,' or 'wife of those who deserve respect.' The world would be immersed in promiscuity, like rams with goats, roosters with pigs, or dogs with jackals. But because these two bright qualities guard the world, there is recognition of 'mother,' 'mother's sister,' 'uncle's wife,' 'teacher's wife,' & 'wife of those who deserve respect.'"

Story of Buddhism (64)

"Monks, these two slander the Tathagata, which two?"

Nibbāna (extinguishing, quenching, unbinding, to blow out)

[ There has been misconceptions by certain quarters that Nibbāna (as taught by the Buddha) is describing God (as taught in some popular philosophies). This error in understanding the Dhamma-Vinaya is often the result of 'wanting to see God in everything' resulting in 'cherry picking' and 'seeing things where there is nothing there'.

Mark Zuckerberg says he is NOT an atheist and believes 'religion is very important'

Zuckerberg explored Buddhism further last year during a trip to China. He posted this photo of himself last year praying in front of a Buddhist pagoda.

By Clemence Michallon For Dailymail.com 30 December 2016 

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has clarified that he is not an atheist, ending years of speculation about his religious beliefs.

Buddhism is all about enlightenment

Story of Buddhism (63)

Fake Buddha Quotes Analysis by Bodhipaksa and Sutta resources

“The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. 
There’s only one moment for you to live.”

What’s a Bodhisattva?

March 7, 2016 by Daniel Scharpenburg 

The first time I heard someone refer to himself as a Bodhisattva I thought it was weird.

Cool mind, warm heart

Alagaddupama Sutta MN 22

"What do you think, monks: If a person were to gather or burn or do as he likes with the grass, twigs, branches & leaves here in Jeta's Grove, would the thought occur to you, 'It's us that this person is gathering, burning, or doing with as he likes'?"

"No, lord. Why is that? Because those things are not our self, nor do they belong to our self."

"Even so, monks, whatever isn't yours: Let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term welfare & happiness. And what isn't yours? Form isn't yours... Feeling isn't yours... Perception... Thought fabrications... Consciousness isn't yours: Let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term welfare & happiness.

Story of Buddhism (62)

The Maha Bodhi tree

Letting go with awareness

If you have confidence in and trust yourself, you can feel at ease. Both when people are criticizing you, and when they are praising you, your mind remains at ease. Whatever they say about you, you remain calm and untroubled. Why can you stay so relaxed? Because you know yourself. If other people praise you when you are actually worthy of criticism, are you really going to believe what they say? No you don't simply believe what other people say, you do your own practice and judge things for yourself. When people who have no foundation in practice get praised, it puts them in a good mood. They get intoxicated with it. Likewise, when you receive criticism, you have to look inwards and reflect for yourself. It might not be true. Maybe they say you are wrong, but actually, they are mistaken and you aren't really at fault at all. If so, there's no need to get angry with them, because they aren't speaking according to the truth. On the other hand, if what they say is true and you really are wrong, then again there's no reason to be angry with them. If you can reflect in this way, you can feel completely at ease, because you are seeing everything as Dhamma, rather than blindly reacting to your opinions and preferences. This is the way I practice. It's the shortest most direct way to practice. Even if you were to come and try to argue with me about theories of the Dhamma or Abhidhamma, I wouldn't join in. Rather than argue, I would just give you reasoned reflection.

The important thing is to understand the Buddha's teaching that the heart of the practice is letting go. But it's letting go with awareness, not letting go without awareness, like buffaloes and cows who don't pay much attention to anything. That's not the right way. You let go because you have insight into the world of conventions and concepts and you have insight into non-attachment.
(Ajahn Chah)

Loving Kindness Sutra

Published on Jul 12, 2015

The Loving Kindness Sutra, music by IndiaJiva, spoken and sung by Ayya Yeshe, Australian Tibetan Buddhist Nun, from the album, 'Dakini - Buddhist Chants in Praise of the Sacred Feminine. 

Some of the images of children in this video were taken from Boddhicitta Foundation, where Ayya Yeshe works to improve the quality of life for the slum families of Nagpur, India.

The Loving Kindness Sutra is a Buddhist Prayer about how to love and develop boundless kindness and compassion to all beings.

Translated into English from Pali language, this is chanted in many South East Asian Buddhist countries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUspBay1tU

• Music

  • indiajiva

• Category

  • Music

• License

  • Standard YouTube License

• Music

  • "Loving Kindness Sutra (with Ayya Yeshe)" by Indiajiva & Ayya Yeshe (iTunes)

What do you think of Nibbana?

People want to go to Nibbana but when you tell them there is nothing there, they begin to have second thoughts." ~ Ajahn Chah

Story of Buddhism (61)

Tuva: Sacred Land of Turkic Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism

Lyudmila Klasanova Buddhistdoor Global 16.12.2016

A suburgan (stupa) on the way to Burgan Izi (the Footprint of Buddha). Image courtesy of the author

Tuva is a remote Russian republic in southern Siberia, the capital of which, Kyzyl, lies in the geographic heart of Asia. The Tuvans are a Turkic ethnic group, historically known as one of the Uriankhai nomadic, yurt-dwelling tribes. They are traditionally adherents of Tibetan Buddhism, which spread to Tuva via Mongolia, absorbing the local Turkic animistic shamanism known as Tengrism (a name that derives from the region’s eternal blue sky, or tengri). Last September, I had the good fortune to visit Kyzyl, where I participated in the international conference “Buddhism in the Third Millennium: Trends and Prospects for Development.”

Sankhitta sutta SN 48.13

"By accomplishment and perfection in the five faculties one is an arahant. If the faculties are weaker, one is a non-returner; if they are still weaker, one is a once-returner, or a stream-winner, or a Dhamma-devotee (dhammanusarin), or a faith-devotee (saddhanusarin).
Thus, monks, through the difference of faculties, there is difference of result; and the difference of results makes for the difference of individuals."

....panna underlies all the other aspects of the practice

According to the theory, we say that it's sila, samadhi and then panna; but I've reflected on this and found that panna underlies all the other aspects of the practice. You need to fully understand the effects of your speech and actions on the mind and how it is that they can bring about harmful results. Through reasoned reflection you use panna to guide, control and thereby purify your actions and speech. If you know the different characteristics of your actions and speech which are conditioned by both wholesome and unwholesome mental states, you can see the place of practice. You see that if you're going to cultivate sila, it involves giving up evil and doing good; giving up that which is wrong and doing that which is right. Once the mind has given up doing wrong and has cultivated doing what is right, it will automatically turn inwards to focus upon itself and become firm and steady. When it's free from doubt and uncertainty about speech and actions, the mind will be steadfast and unwavering, providing the basis for becoming firmly concentrated in samadhi. This firm concentration forms the second and more powerful source of energy in the practice, allowing you to more fully contemplate the sights, sounds and other sense objects which you experience. Once the mind is established with firm and unwavering calm and mindfulness, you can engage in the sustained contemplation of form, feeling, perception, thought and consciousness, and with the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations and mind-objects, and see that all of these are constantly arising. As a result you will gain insight into the truth of these phenomena and how they arise according to their own nature. When there is continuous awareness, it will be the cause for panna to arise. Once there is clear knowledge in accordance with the true nature of the way things are, your old sanna and sense of self will gradually be uprooted from it's former conditioning and will be transformed into panna. Ultimately, sila, samadhi and panna will merge in the practice, as one lasting and unified whole. (Ajahn Chah)

Complete peace

Story of Buddhism (60)

The Grandmotherly Kindness of the Zen Masters, Diana St Ruth

Posted on 30 June 2013 by Buddhism Now

To our western ears, Zen can often sound austere, unkind, even brutal and cruel. We hear about the rejections at the monastery gate, the hardships, humiliations and rough treatment its adherents are sometimes subjected to, and maybe we’re inclined to think it’s all a bit much for grown up people. However, when things are taken out of context—historically, spiritually, and culturally—they can so easily be misjudged and that is what can happen to Zen. This is, after all, a particular system which has survived around the world for centuries. It isn’t the only route for Buddhists, of course, but it is a tried and tested one. Naturally, when the attempt is made to transplant something so subtle from one country to the next, let alone from east to west, there will be difficulties, and it will be subject to abuse or misuse which in many respects it is suffering now in the west where in a broader sense the word ‘Zen’ has come to mean clever, smart, refined, minimalist, aesthetically pleasing, fashionable, tough, etc, and sometimes removing it entirely from its Buddhist context.

Wesak March to Candi Borobudur

The Star TV at Borobudur Temple - Magelang Jawa Tengah.

December 21 · Borobudur, Indonesia

Every year, thousands of Indonesians march to Borobudur and release sky lanterns to celebrate the life, death and enlightenment of the Buddha during the Buddhist festival Wesak Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPLQ4hFzN6Y

Kindada Sutta: A Giver of What

[A deva:]

A giver of what is a giver of strength?
A giver of what, a giver of beauty?
A giver of what, a giver of ease?
A giver of what, a giver of vision?
And who is a giver of everything?
Being asked, please explain this to me.

Dhammapada 202

There is no fire like lust and no crime like hatred. 

There is no ill like the aggregates (of existence) 

and no bliss higher than the peace (of Nibbana). 

Story of Buddhism (59)

TripleGem by OneVoice

Published on Dec 4, 2016

This is a recording by "One Voice" doing the Triple Gem chanting. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJoXqgzEufg

Tsoknyi Gechak School: A Transformative and Holistic Learning Experience for Young Nuns

By Raymond Lam   Buddhistdoor Global 2016-12-16 

Grade 1–5 registration and Rato Bangala Foundation graduation celebration. Image courtesy of Tsoknyi Gechak School

It is impossible to overstate the profound difference that Tsoknyi Rinpoche has made in the lives of the young nuns of Tsoknyi Gechak Ling, a nunnery on a hilltop outside Kathmandu. Many of them are attending or have graduated from the primary and lower secondary school of Tsoknyi Gechak School, which combines all the elements of a modern international curriculum to enrich the traditional Himalayan monastic studies. Before they enter the school, the girls (who are from poor subsistence farming households) are overwhelmingly shy and quiet. Tsoknyi Rinpoche feels extremely proud that after only a few years of nurture, they become unafraid of rising to challenges and are able to communicate confidently with outsiders.

Buddhism is a practice

The Dhamma Jewel Protects

Story of Buddhism (58)