Tricycle Magazine reports that the US Congress has approved approximately $9 million to support Tibetan communities in India and Nepal as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020. According to the Central Tibetan Administration, the bill allocates funds for programs that preserve and promote Tibetan language and cultural traditions, sustainable development, education, and environmental conservation in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetan communities in China, and diaspora communities. The passing of this bill continues historical US support of programs that provide humanitarian aid, economic development, and educational assistance to Tibetans both in exile and in Tibet.
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If we have misjudged someone, we should go out of our way to do that person a good turn. He might not know why we are acting especially nicely (and there is no reason for us to explain), but our kindness will wipe out the negative feelings we felt, and might also make us more cautious before we misjudge someone else. - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
1. Do it with a group. Worldwide, Buddhist monks spend most of their time in group meditation. The reason for that is simple: it's the easiest way to do meditation. The energy of several people sitting together is motivating and makes it possible to sit longer. Most group meditation sessions are at least one hour. 2. Do it with a friend. This way you both support and encourage each other to deepen the practice. 3. Do it alone. Tap your inner Buddha and find a quiet place to sit. Do it several times a week. Daily if possible. 4. Do it with a teacher. One of the best ways to begin mediation or deepen a practice is to take some private instruction from a meditation teacher. 5. Do it outside. Be like the ancient yogis who did a lot of their meditation outside. Nature nurtures the spirit and stimulates the senses. There are flowers to see, grasses to smell, birds to hear. All of those can create a sense of peace, awe and unity with the planet. 6. Do it with children. Introduce meditation a child: yours, a niece, a nephew, a godchild, etc. Children are naturals for this practice when given user friendly instructions. In doing this you will provide them with a powerful tool they can tap into in the years ahead. 7. Do it at work. Instead of taking that coffee break and adding caffeine to work stress, use the break time to meditate in your office or cubicle. Consider also sitting quietly over lunch. 8. Do it with a student. Offer to teach someone to mediate. Find someone interested and make the suggestion. Many people want to learn meditation but don't know how to get started. Open that door for them. 9. Do it at a temple. I often meditate at a Hindu Temple in my city. It's open every morning and every evening for several hours. Visitors are always welcome to come inside and simply sit. 10. Just do it! Keep it short or keep it long or somewhere in between. Just do it! Remember than a few minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all. The scriptures serve to indicate the existence of the Higher Power or Self and to point the way to It. That is their essential purpose. Apart from that they are useless.
- Ramana Maharshi Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings, for to consume meat, fish, fowl or eggs is to participate indirectly in acts of cruelty and violence against the animal kingdom. The abhorrence of injury and killing of any kind leads quite naturally to a vegetarian diet, sakahara. The meat-eater's desire for meat drives another to kill and provide that meat. The act of the butcher begins with the desire of the consumer. Meat-eating contributes to a mentality of violence, for with the chemically complex meat ingested, one absorbs the slaughtered creature's fear, pain and terror. These qualities are nourished within the meat-eater, perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and confusion. When the individual's consciousness lifts and expands, he will abhor violence and not be able to even digest the meat, fish, fowl and eggs he was formerly consuming. India's greatest saints have confirmed that one cannot eat meat and live a peaceful, harmonious life. Man's appetite for meat inflicts devastating harm on Earth itself, stripping its precious forests to make way for pastures. - From Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's book, Dancing with Siva,
American Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, and co-founder and president of Tibet House US in New York City, has been named as a recipient of India’s Padma Shri award for literature and education for his contributions to Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies.
Indian president Ram Nath Kovind approved the Padma Shri award for 118 recipients, which included Robert Thurman among six foreign awardees on 25 January, a day before the country celebrates India’s Republic Day. The Padma Shri medal, instituted in 1954, is India’s fourth highest civilian award and is presented by the Indian government each year on India’s Republic Day, 26 January. The father of Hollywood actress Uma Thurman, Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies in the Department of Religion at New York’s Columbia University. He is also president of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. (source: www.buddhistdoor.net) Goodness is necessary to live in peace and harmony with oneself and others. - Ayya Khema
You abandon all past experiences by showing no interest in them at all. - Ajahn Brahm
Peacefulness is not something given to us. We have to gain it. It's not our just because we like it or are wishing for it or because it's desirable. We have to gain it through effort.
- Ayya Khema |
Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
March 2023
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