Have you ever considered that you may be the only Holy Book, sacred text, Bible that somebody reads today? Has it ever dawned you that you may be the only sermon someone hears this week. What are you showing them? - Iyanla Vanzant
Though extreme nationalism pervades the world and this includes America, the reality is that humans have always moved, migrated, immigrated. Resistance to this reality is a sign of human dysfunction because people move due to various difficulties such as war, poverty, famine, persecution, government instability, etc.
With that in mind, I was fascinated to read that just this week, the Czech Republic honored a Vietnamese Buddhist community which had re-settled in their country decades ago. The web site www.buddhistdoor.net reported that the first Buddhist cultural center for the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic city of Most has been upgraded to provincial status. At a ceremony featuring the director of Ustecky’s integration office, Jan Kubicek, the Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Center was recognized for its value to the people of the region. Most is the capital of Most District in the Ustecky region, in the northwest of the Czech Republic bordering the German state of Saxony. Speaking at the ceremony, the head of the pagoda, Venerable Thich Thong Dat, stressed the significance of the recognition, saying it was an honor for Buddhists in the Czech Republic. He further stated that the move demonstrated the interest of the regional authorities in the religious activities of Vietnamese people in the country. Kubicek observed that the Vietnamese community had been active in preserving Vietnam’s cultural identity and introducing non-Vietnamese to their community. Kubicek said he hoped the center and community would continue to strengthen ties with other religious and civic organizations in the area and help Vietnamese youths understand their traditional culture and language. The center was inaugurated this year in a ceremony on 5 January. At the time, the chairman of the region’s council for ethnic minorities, Pavel Vodsedalek, presented a certificate recognizing the cultural center, stating that among local ethnic minority groups, the Vietnamese community had carried out many activities to preserve and introduce its diverse culture. During the January ceremony, the Vietnamese ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ho Minh Tuan, thanked the Ustecky authorities for helping the Vietnamese community uphold their traditional culture and integrate into Cezch society. According to government statistics, the Czech Republic is a largely nonreligious society, with 34.5 per cent stating in a recent survey that they hold no religious beliefs. The nation’s statistics do not break down the largest category, which consists of more than 45 per cent who check the box for religious belief not stated, which would include the country’s Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and so on. The World Buddhist Directory lists 76 Buddhist places in the Czech Republic. Most Buddhists in the country are Vietnamese, with a minority of Buddhists being Czechs who have converted. Rabbi Halberstam of Sanz (1797 - 1896), one of the most prominent and respected Hassidic rabbis of his generation, conducted a survey involving three men asking the same question: "What would you do if you found a wallet with a great deal of money in it?"
The first man responded: "I'd return it to the owner immediately", to which the Rabbi asked: "How can you be so certain?" The second man bluntly stated: "I'd keep it. When else would I ever have an opportunity to get money so easily." The rabbi found his response unfortunate. It was the third man who provides a strong Jewish lesson in Buddhist awareness. When asked what he would do if he found a walltet with a great deal of money, he said: "How can I be certain what I'd do? I know that I must return it, but how can I be sure that would" I hope I would have the strength to overcome my evil inclinations and return it." Only the third man's response pleased the rabbi because the man was aware of his potential for dishonesty as well as his desire to do good. Real conversion should be vertical, that is, from a lower level of spiritual experience to a higher on, and not horizontal, that is, from one religion to another. - Swami Narayan Aksharpith
Ajahn Pasanno was born in The Pas, Manitoba, Canada but for the last 46 years has been a monk in Thailand following the Thai Forest Tradition of Buddhism. He was recently by the King of Thailand for his immense contributions to Thai Buddhism as well as to Buddhism worldwide. Here's how he explains his role.
"As a Buddhist monk I’m not just concerned about what I say. It’s important for me to be a steady and consistent example of that which is peaceful and compassionate. This is my 46th year as a monk. Firstly, I’m here to practice. But I’m also here to be an example and give encouragement and support to both the monastic and lay community." His insight applies to all of us who have a regular meditation practice. That should lead us to be "mentors" of peace and compassion. Thinking of yourself first, when your goal is to help others, might seem counterintuitive, but in fact it is the only way it can work. In the end, the notion of putting oneself last is really an inside-out form of self-cherishing. That’s why during pre-flight instructions the flight attendant says to put on your own oxygen mask first. - Cyndi Lee
Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga teacher who turns 101 today, kicked off her birthday week doing what she loves best — teaching her weekly Sunday class. Sixty students showed up for her special day birthday class bringing fruit salad, champagne and a carrot cake inscribed “101 and fabulous” to toast their teacher who was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Oldest Yoga Teacher” in 2012.
As the celebratory pictures found their way to Instagram, messages from fans from around the world, including from Norway, Germany, India, Spain and Brazil, flooded the comments section thanking her for inspiring them. “To me 101 is natural. It doesn’t scare me. I awake with the sun and think of all my many friends and that makes me ready to know that you never put anything off for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes,” Porchon-Lynch, a resident of White Plains, NYT. Christianity has long been on the decline all over Europe. There major cathedrals are largely tourist sites rather than places of worship. Now, Canada is experiencing a similar trend with more and more citizens becoming less and less affiliated with Christianity. Here are five facts about religion in Canada, based on Pew Research Center data:
You must develop the capacity for introspection. Without introspection we rarely recognize our own faults. We often blame others or the environment, and see ourselves as victims.
- Sheng Yen Rabbi Joseph Telushkin wisely observes that "because we all have flaws, the most important struggle in which we must engage is with ourselves." However, in order to correct our shortcomings we first need to be aware of them. For this to happen, Rabbi Telushkin advises taking some time to carefully "write down what you feel are your most obvious character flaws and weaknesses." Only this way can we gain an intimate awareness of our true character. Rabbi Telushkin offers these sample questions to glean character insight -
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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
April 2024
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