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Everything that the Buddha had ever taught serves the purpose of discovering happiness and peace in this world. - Hsing Yun
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A human being is like a television set with millions of channels. If we turn the Buddha on, we are the Buddha. If we turn sorrow on, we are sorrow. If we turn a smile on, we really are the smile. We can't let just one channel dominate us. - Thich Nhat Hanh
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Like many American cities, mine has far too many homeless persons. I see them several times a day standing near busy intersections with hand crafted signs - "anything helps" . . . . "Iraq veteran needing help" . . . "God bless you" . . . A country as wealthy as America should not have this situation and it is solveable.
The solution is called "housing first" which means the homeless are given safe, clean places to live . . . before anything else: before they enter addiction recovery programs; before they have proper id papers; before they "clean up their act"; etc. Here's a news report about one coutnry which is succeeding in helping and resolving homelessness: (source: www.buddhistdor.net)
Finland is one country that has taken radical steps toward addressing homelessness, even though the crisis there is less severe than in many other nations, aiming to completely eradicate homelessness by 2027. This success has not come overnight. Since 2008, Finland has adopted a national policy based on a “Housing First” philosophy, advocating that providing permanent housing should be the first priority in solving the crisis. Therefore, over many years, homeless shelters have been converted into comfortable, permanent homes, with employed staff helping those with addictions, facilitating life skills training, and helping people to find work placements. Canada’s The Globe and Mail newspaper reports: “Housing First advocates say that research has shown stable housing for all people has proven to be the most effective remedy, both for improving lives and saving money.”
Finland’s Housing First model is based on a simple premise: give the homeless homes and there will be fewer homeless people. In other words, “All the work done for homeless people starts from the assumption that the first support measure should be the provision of housing. The work can be organized using different models and by providing different kinds of housing, but housing is always the top priority.”
Housing First not only reverses the cause and effect of homelessness, but takes a holistic, compassionate approach to offering a solution. This is the furthest thing from a simplistic or naïve aspiration.
The solution is called "housing first" which means the homeless are given safe, clean places to live . . . before anything else: before they enter addiction recovery programs; before they have proper id papers; before they "clean up their act"; etc. Here's a news report about one coutnry which is succeeding in helping and resolving homelessness: (source: www.buddhistdor.net)
Finland is one country that has taken radical steps toward addressing homelessness, even though the crisis there is less severe than in many other nations, aiming to completely eradicate homelessness by 2027. This success has not come overnight. Since 2008, Finland has adopted a national policy based on a “Housing First” philosophy, advocating that providing permanent housing should be the first priority in solving the crisis. Therefore, over many years, homeless shelters have been converted into comfortable, permanent homes, with employed staff helping those with addictions, facilitating life skills training, and helping people to find work placements. Canada’s The Globe and Mail newspaper reports: “Housing First advocates say that research has shown stable housing for all people has proven to be the most effective remedy, both for improving lives and saving money.”
Finland’s Housing First model is based on a simple premise: give the homeless homes and there will be fewer homeless people. In other words, “All the work done for homeless people starts from the assumption that the first support measure should be the provision of housing. The work can be organized using different models and by providing different kinds of housing, but housing is always the top priority.”
Housing First not only reverses the cause and effect of homelessness, but takes a holistic, compassionate approach to offering a solution. This is the furthest thing from a simplistic or naïve aspiration.
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It is important for us also sometimes to think of the good things we have done. This can give us lots of joy, lots of happiness, lots of lightness, and it will also be an incentive to do more and more such actions of love. - Godwin Samararatne
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Strong language that censures and combats a great evil often awakens adverse reactions from society, but this must not intimidate those who believe they are right. A lion is a lion because he roars. - Daisaku Ikeda
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Sometimes we enter enlightenment through the gate of suffering. We sit in the fire of human experience, and instead of running from it, we awaken through it. - Jack Kornfield
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“I wear the same maroon robes as all other monks. They are not very good quality and have been patched several times. If they were made of a single piece of good material, one would be able to sell them and get something for them. But in this way, one cannot do that. This reinforces our philosophy of detachment from worldly possessions. Like all other monks, I obey vows of poverty and have no personal possessions.” - Dalai Lama
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If it rains, let it rain; if the wind blows, let it blow. - Ikkyu
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A common teaching image used to establish whether one is a negative or positive thinker involves a sheet of paper with one small black dot on it. When people are asked what they see, the majority point out the dot, the flaw, rather than seeing a entire blank sheet of paper. This reveals the reality that people tend to focus in imperfections and issues. If you’re a perfectionist or a pessimist or both, the result is more anguish and suffering.
An example of this everyday issue emerges in the life of actor Kirk Douglas. Early in his career when he was unknown and performing in plays, a New York Times theater critic wrote this review of his performance in a play called The Wind is Ninety: “Kirk Douglas is nothing short of superb.” Obviously it was a glowing endorsement of his acting skill. Yet, that evening as Douglas lay in bed, he was repeatedly saying to himself one word from the review: “Nothing….nothing…” and thought to himself “why couldn’t they just say ‘Kirk Douglas is superb’?”
An example of this everyday issue emerges in the life of actor Kirk Douglas. Early in his career when he was unknown and performing in plays, a New York Times theater critic wrote this review of his performance in a play called The Wind is Ninety: “Kirk Douglas is nothing short of superb.” Obviously it was a glowing endorsement of his acting skill. Yet, that evening as Douglas lay in bed, he was repeatedly saying to himself one word from the review: “Nothing….nothing…” and thought to himself “why couldn’t they just say ‘Kirk Douglas is superb’?”
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Do not create a gap between your life and the Buddha's life.
- Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi