Act Normal: The making of… |
- Act Normal: The making of…
- If we don’t know its function, it must not have one
- Stable attention and pointers
- Western Forest Sangha releases statement about Bhikkhuni ordination
- Flooding
- Positive developments at the Surmang Foundation
- Update from the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project
- Are We Alone? Podcast episode on SETI
- Don't give Deepak Chopra a platform, or, If you can get a flu vaccine, GET ONE
| Posted: 20 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST
He became the first Buddhist monk in Iceland when he moved there in 1994 and founded a Buddhist sect. Here director Olaf de Fleur talks about the 10-year making of his documentary, Act Normal, as he followed the progress of Robert/Dhammanando from monasticism to lay life and back again. Related posts:
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| If we don’t know its function, it must not have one Posted: 16 Nov 2009 09:08 AM PST The appendix is shown to support the immune system, in contrast to the previous view of it having no function at all. And what about junk DNA, do we know it doesn't have a function? Western science has had a tendency to assume that if we don't know its function, it must not have one. It is obviously a silly assumption. So the question then is, where and how do I do the same? Where do I assume that if I don't know the function of something, it must not have one? When I look, I find I do it all the time. For instance, two Norwegians are in prison in Kongo, accused of and taken to court for having murdered their driver. From a Norwegian view, many aspects of the process is absurd, bizarre and Kafkaesque, something that you would expect from a surrealist play and not real life. So it is easy to assume that the people down there are plain stupid, or possibly crazy, and see their actions as having no function. But knowing a little about the history and situation in Kongo, it starts making more sense. They have every reason to be suspicious of whites, to assume the worst about them, based on their history. They have every reason to appear a little crazy, considering what they have been going through over the last few decades. It is very understandable if they see this as an opportunity to milk a few white people for money, and prioritize that over justice as we see it in narrow legal terms. And much of what they do may be in the service of creating confusion and intimidation. So looking a little closer, their actions make a little more sense. It has a function for them. It even serves them, in different ways. Using our usual western approaches to work with this situation, such as Norwegian lawyers and diplomacy, does not work very well. But understanding more of how it appears from their perspective, and the function their actions have for them, allows us to play the game more according to their rules, and that may be more effective. Who knows. It is at least worth a try, and some do try that approach. This happens whenever I see someone saying or doing something, and I don't quite understand where they are coming from. It is easy to assume that if I don't understand the function it has for them, it must not have a function. But, of course, it usually - or always - does. I am just not aware of it yet. tagged: assumptions, inquiry, science
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| Posted: 19 Oct 2009 10:06 PM PDT A friend of mine with a great deal of experience with Buddhist practice, uses the word "concentration" practice for what I tend to think of as stable attention. As usual with these things, it is an opportunity for inquiry, for trying it out. What I know for myself, is that several of the usual tools work quite well for me with the stability practice. I can bring attention to the sensations at the tip of the nostrils, or something the belly, or the whole-body experience of the in-breath and out-breath. (There is a quite noticeable change throughout the whole body from the ordinary in- and out-breath.) If attention wanders, I can add counting, for instance counting to ten on the outbreath while still keeping most attention on the sensations. If attention still wanders, I can count on the in-breath and out-breath, and also check my posture. If I lie down, I can move to my back. If I sit, I can move closer to vertical with my spine, putting out the chest a little, imagining a thread attached to the top of the head. I can also breathe a little deeper, allowing the outbreath to go a little further, which invites the inbreath to go a little further. I can bring in a little more light to where I am, letting in more daylight or turning on lights. If there is some tension there, I can allow it all to relax a little while still keeping stable attention. I can remind myself of how it is to lie in a hammock on a beautiful summer day, and bring some of that to my posture. I can check the muscles and allow the ones that are a little tense to relax. If I am counting, I can try without counting for a while. I can also do some body-centered practices in advance, and for me, right now, it tends to be Breema. It seems to shift my system in the direction of a deeply relaxed alertness. And for me, food is also important. If I eat dairy, my system gets quite sluggish. If I eat too much sugar, in any form, attention tends to get scattered. Simple, old fashioned foods seem to work best for me. Vegetables. Some fruit. Some grain. Right now, a little meat occasionally. More cooked food in cold/wet weather, and more raw food in warm/dry weather. Lots of water. Some herbal or spice tea. All of that, and a few more things, seem to work well for me. Before trying the word "concentration" I assumed it would help with wandering attention, with being a little loose in the practice. But when I tried adding it, what I mostly noticed was additional tension, a "should" that came in. For me, right now, that words triggers a tiny bit of stress. I sat with it, allowing and welcoming the experience. And then asked myself, how would it be without that association? And I could see that the word indeed helped with a stable attention. It is a good reminder that these pointers are not for everyone all the time. For my friend, I suspect the word does help a stable attention. For me, right now, it initially triggers stress. But taking a closer look, there is a shift behind that into support for a more stable attention. These pointers are all tools. If they work, that's good and I'll keep using them. If they don't, I can try another tool, or if I am curious, I can take a closer look at what is going on. Is there a way it will work for me? …………… outline…
- stable attention = adaptogen
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| Western Forest Sangha releases statement about Bhikkhuni ordination Posted: 19 Nov 2009 07:14 PM PST After the recent drama during which some even suggested a boycott on certain monasteries, a statement that elucidates the 'five points' on the place of women within the Thai Forest Sangha has appeared on the Forest Sangha website. The lengthy deliberation and silence of the monastic community over this controversy was part of the decision "to 'go gradually': only to change things when it became clear the time was right and it was truly in keeping with Dhamma-Vinaya." It further states that… Read the full article here –>>>
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| Posted: 19 Nov 2009 02:25 PM PST Spare a thought for all who are caught up in the flooding in Cumbria, as well as in South West Scotland. My laptop failed me earlier in the week. As you see, it is back in business again. Thankfully.
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| Positive developments at the Surmang Foundation Posted: 19 Nov 2009 08:52 AM PST Lee Weingrad sends this update from the Surmang Foundation in Tibet. Dear Friends, I'm happy to announce: –the gift of 200 winter coats, 200 pairs of shoes to the Modi Schools (Modi and Jhereke) as well as 80 iPods from the NIKE Corporation (which we will sell at the Western Academy of Beijing PTA Charity Bazaar this Saturday); 30 of them are earmarked for Surmang's Community Health Worker Training continuing education program. –the opening of a Chinese bank account. This process took over two years to bring to fruition and it gives us de facto registration in China. The only other foundations that have Chinese bank accounts are the Gates and Clinton Foundations. –the prayer flag campaign will start next week and we apologize for any glitches in the teaser sent out earlier. We are still ironing out some IT issues. What exactly is the prayer flag campaign? Best,
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| Update from the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project Posted: 19 Nov 2009 08:49 AM PST In March of 2009, over 12,000 of us signed a letter of support to the Translating the Words of The Buddha conference ––a gathering of over 50 of the world's top Tibetan-English translators––letting Dharma translators around the world know that we appreciate and support their translation effort. At the conclusion of this conference, the assembled group of translators and patrons pledged to translate the entire collection of Buddha's teaching and commentaries into English within 100 years. Also at the conclusion of the conference, the attendees co-created the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project (BLHP) as an organizational structure charged with overseeing this tremendous endeavor. The conference participants further requested Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche to take on the interim responsibility of overseeing the establishment of the necessary structure. Khyentse Rinpoche recently appointed Huang Jing Rui as the interim executive director of BLHP. Following this note is a letter from her describing the progress made so far. We look forward to keeping you up to date on this exciting undertaking. Thank you again for supporting Dharma translation. Sincerely, My name is Huang Jing Rui, and I am honored to be newly appointed as the interim executive director of the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project (BLHP). The goal of this new initiative is to see all of the vast and extraordinary riches of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist literature, particularly the Kangyur and Tengyur, translated into English and other modern languages and made universally accessible within a hundred years. Over the past few decades, many groups and individuals have been working with great dedication to translate a wide range of Buddhist teachings into English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and other languages. The BLHP grew from the jointly expressed wishes of more than 50 such translators, teachers, and academics who met in Bir, India, in March 2009 at the Translating the Words of the Buddha conference. Conceived as a project with its own activity and funding, and not simply as a forum for discussion, the BLHP clearly needs an effective organizational structure. At the Bir conference, the participants requested Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche to take on the interim responsibility of overseeing the establishment of the necessary structure. In the six months since the conference, many interesting developments have taken place toward setting up that interim organizational structure, together with the key policies and strategic plans that will get the BLHP going. These steps include: May: Planning meeting The Buddhist Literary Heritage Project will officially begin to operate in January 2010, managed by an interim working committee consisting of eight members: Chair: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche The BLHP interim working committee is committed to an open, inclusive, and collaborative approach that seeks the involvement of Dharma teachers, translators, academics, scholars, and researchers from all segments of the Buddhist community. The BLHP has taken birth from the great aspirations of teachers, translators, and people like you, but it is still in its infancy. As we develop, learn, and move forward, we humbly seek your patience, understanding, and goodwill. Your ongoing support is absolutely necessary for the project to accomplish its objective of preserving and making available the precious teachings of the Buddha. Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all the past and present volunteers and donors, who have generously offered time, money, experience, expertise, effort, and goodwill to the BLHP. We look forward to your continued support. Please feel free to forward this letter to anybody whom you feel might be interested in our project. Thank you. Yours in the Dharma, Huang Jing Rui For more information and to find out how you can support this project, please email us at info@buddhistliteraryheritage.org. You can download a PDF of the conference proceedings from You are also welcome to join our BLHP Facebook group site on
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| Are We Alone? Podcast episode on SETI Posted: 19 Nov 2009 07:59 AM PST
The most recent Are We Alone? Science Radio for Thinking Species podcast is on SETI. I have been fascinated by SETI since I was a kid. Finding another civilization in the universe will be one of the most important discoveries in humanity. And maybe more importantly: Simply reflecting on it - which having ongoing SETI invites us to do - helps us see ourselves more in perspective. It helps us de-provincialize ourselves even further. We are one of many planets in this solar system, which is one of billions in this galaxy, which is one of billions on this universe. Now if one in a million planets has life, and one of a million of those has intelligent life , there will be literally millions of civilizations out there. Many far more older and wiser than ours. (Slightly inaccurate quote from Contact, but it gets the point across.) It reminds us of our shared origins. Everything - from galaxies to living planets and civilization - have a shared history, and are expressions of the unfolding of this Universe. It reminds us that all facets of this living planet has a shared history, and are expressions of the always new, different, fresh and creative unfolding of this planet. We all have a shared history, and we are all facets of one seamless dynamic whole. And it helps us find deep appreciation for this living planet and our own life. It opens up for a deep sense of belonging, and of awe, gratitude and humility. tagged: podcast, science, seti
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| Don't give Deepak Chopra a platform, or, If you can get a flu vaccine, GET ONE Posted: 19 Nov 2009 08:49 AM PST Recently Forbes magazaine (and Danny Fisher) gave Deepak Chopra a platform that's not needed (and in the process did no favors for the Dalai Lama). Deepak Chopra is...how to put this delicately ... he's...a... quack...
As a Buddhist, I'm appalled at the way in which folks like Chopra who say some Buddhist-lite kind of things get a free pass. And in case you get any more woo-woo advice about the H1N1 flu vaccine, (not that Chopra's done that explicitly, but just in case) here's a bit of inoculation: To know what's at stake here, go out and read The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. Forget about all the Dharma books if you haven't read this book (imperfect as it is). You truly, really need to understand the scope of what a serious influenza pandemic is before you listen to troglodyte New Age hucksters trying to give you advice that might kill you if you heeded it. The first precept is: don't kill. That means: get the H1N1 vaccine if you can. If you're allergic to eggs, don't get it. Or, if you're healthy and in one of those lower priority groups (like me) don't get it until the kids & sick have gotten it. If you're not allergic to eggs, and there's no other barriers to getting it, the risks of not getting it far, far outweigh the risks of getting it. That's because everyone who gets the vaccine is denying the flu millions and millions of chances to evolve into something deadlier. So you're not just getting this for yourself, you're getting it for all humanity (not to mention pigs and chickens). To get the details read the book. 
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Robert T. Edison was born and raised in Nottingham, England. When he was fourteen years old he began to practice Buddhism. At eighteen he became a monk and went to Thailand where, for a decade, he spent his time in monasteries as Bhikkhu Dhammanando.
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