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Moral courage is rare and moral greatness even rarer. It requires a mysterious and potent combination of empathy, will and deep conviction that social norms cannot shake. - David Wolpe
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There's a Buddhist issue with activists - usually those in the West who live in democratic counties - and it's this: their activisim is generated by anger and hostility. These negative emotions are considered poisons in Buddhist teachings.
For that reason, the Dalai Lama, who was hosting a gathering of 28 youth leaders from 14 countries plagued with conflict and war, counseled the young visitors with one of the fundamental understandings of the Buddhist teachings—that even when based on justified reasons or with sincere motivations, actions founded in or motivated by anger only exacerbate and continue the cycle of violence and conflict.
The assembly of youth leaders came from Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Columbia, India, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United States, and Venezuela were present as part of an exchange initiative organized by the United States Institute of Peace.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate observed that he was able to relate to their experiences as he had lost his own freedom and country at a young age and had spent the majority of his life as a refugee living in exile in India.
“Your tragedies should not let you turn pessimistic, but rather it should translate into more determination and enthusiasm to work for peace,” His Holiness explained in his response to the tragic stories, adding that the only hope for erasing hatred and building more peaceful societies lay in propagating a holistic model of education that teaches modern science-based learning in combination with the knowledge, wisdom, and practices of Buddhism and other ancient spiritual traditions that can effectively address and nurture emotional and spiritual well-being.
For that reason, the Dalai Lama, who was hosting a gathering of 28 youth leaders from 14 countries plagued with conflict and war, counseled the young visitors with one of the fundamental understandings of the Buddhist teachings—that even when based on justified reasons or with sincere motivations, actions founded in or motivated by anger only exacerbate and continue the cycle of violence and conflict.
The assembly of youth leaders came from Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Columbia, India, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United States, and Venezuela were present as part of an exchange initiative organized by the United States Institute of Peace.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate observed that he was able to relate to their experiences as he had lost his own freedom and country at a young age and had spent the majority of his life as a refugee living in exile in India.
“Your tragedies should not let you turn pessimistic, but rather it should translate into more determination and enthusiasm to work for peace,” His Holiness explained in his response to the tragic stories, adding that the only hope for erasing hatred and building more peaceful societies lay in propagating a holistic model of education that teaches modern science-based learning in combination with the knowledge, wisdom, and practices of Buddhism and other ancient spiritual traditions that can effectively address and nurture emotional and spiritual well-being.
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It takes courage to make fool of yourself. - Charlie Chaplin
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I owe a lot to Dr. Martin Luther King. Every American does. If they have room for another bust on Mount Rushmore, it should be of Dr. King. Not only did he give his life for equal right for all Americans, he showed us how to return hatred with love. He was Gandhi's message of peace an nonviolence in a walking, breathing, brave human being.
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Two aspiring actors were just starting their careers and lived in poverty, the kind of poverty unknown to most of us. They were so poor that in order to enjoy the theater and learn from other actors, the two actors would buy one ticket for a play and hand it off at intermission. The one who had seen the first half filled in the other about what had transpired. The two young actors found their place in the world of entertainment. They were Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.
Life is all about teamwork, partnering, inter-dependence.
Life is all about teamwork, partnering, inter-dependence.
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While revenge weakens society, forgiveness gives it strength. - Dalai Lama (14th)
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Even a hunter cannot kill a bird that flies to him for refuge. - Samurai Wisdom
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In order to maximize the benefits of meditation, one must minimize external distractions by practicing in a secluded place. Once a practitioner advances and has achieved a higher level of meditation, there is no need to practice in a secluded place because the power of external distractions has dissipated. However, until one achieves that level of practice, seclusion is a good support for beginning meditators. - Lama Dudjom Dorjee
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(public domain image from www.pixabay.com)
Those of us who do yoga and meditation, often find ourselves in the company of our animal companions, usually cats and dogs. Imagine meditating while python snakes crawl around the room. That's exactly what is happening at at Buddhist Temple just south of the former capital Yango and has received the nickname Hmwe Paya or “snake temple” from locals. Located in the middle of of a lake, the temple houses some 30 pythons, some measuring seven and eight feet in length, that can be found draped across windows and basking in the warmth of the sun, gliding across the temple’s floors, coiled around the many Buddha statues, or weaving themselves through the branches of the tree in the pagoda’s main hall.
Many of the local residents see the presence of the pythons as a sign of the pagoda’s auspiciousness, and visit frequently to pray and make offerings to its reptilian inhabitants. People can be found prostrating below the snake-filled tree, tucking 1,000 kyat notes (US$0.60) between the coils of the snakes, and, if they are brave enough, gently caressing the snakes for good fortune.
Nay Myo Thu, a 30-year-old farmer, brings the snakes that he finds in his fields to the temple as he believes that he will receive good fortune by bringing them to the temple instead of killing them. In doing so, he follows the Buddhist principle that all animals are sentient beings that have the potential to reincarnate as humans. “I don’t want to bring about any misfortune by killing a creature," he explained. "Catching and donating the snakes brings me good fortune instead.”
Snakes and serpents have mythical significance both Hindu and Buddhist iconography. According to Buddhist mythology, the snake king Mucalinda protected the Buddha from a storm after he attained enlightenment. During the seven weeks that the Buddha meditated after attaining enlightenment, the sky darkened and torrential rains descended. When the rains threatened the Buddha, the snake king came forth and protected him from the elements by spreading its hood over the Buddha’s head to act as a shelter.
(source: Buddhdistdoor.net)
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A tree full of ripened fruits bows down naturally, because of the weight of the fruits and its willingness to make its fruits accessible to others. - A. C. Bhaktivedanta