The Buddhist News

Top Ten U.S. Buddhist News Headlines for the Week of December 7th

10. Scientists declare Copenhagen the city with the hottest air for the month of December.

9. McDonalds unveils new McHatsu hamburger just in time for the holidays.

8. Eighty nine year old corn farmer finally sees the morning star.

7. Zen teacher Brad Warner blamed for first winter snowstorm in St. Paul, Minnesota.

6. The U.S. Government gives Monsanto a patent for their genetically modified Bodhi Tree.

5. Monsanto declares their Bodhi Tree will enlighten the entire world.

4. Sales of autographed Tiger Woods zafus and zubutans slip sharply.

3. Cease-Fire announced by silence of bloggers in online civil war with Tricycle magazine.

2. Tricycle pens anonymous blog post in response.

And the Number 1 headline for the week of December 7th:

Buddhist blogger Kyle is outed as a squirrel.

Even if Global Warming isn't as Dire as we Think, Why Keep Doing the Same Old Thing?

As my bicycle, and the rest of my state, rest under a blanket of snow and frigid, heavy winds, the debate over global warming continues in Copenhagen and around the world. It's kind of wacky, being buried in snow and cold and thinking about these issues, but of course, the phrase itself, "global warming," is like any other set of words: it doesn't really catch the full reality.

Here are a few paragraphs from the blog Ecological Buddhism about those infamous e-mails being discussed in some circles that supposedly posed serious doubts about the science behind global warming:

Over the past decade, the gigantic oil corporation Exxon Mobil (among others) has paid millions to organizations and “think tanks” in an attempt to deceive the public about the science behind global climate change. It is no surprise that those same organizations are now doing everything in their power to please their corporate benefactors, by putting together a deceptive “Climategate scandal".

The reality is that emails were criminally hacked from the University of East Anglia in England and searched exhaustively to locate a few "useful" out-of-context comments that could be deployed in a 'black-ops' propaganda exercise. The original comments were contextually distorted beyond recognition, in support of a blizzard of malevolent PR articles, claiming to prove (or just assuming) that climate scientists have "fudged the data" on global warming.

One thing I keep thinking about all of this is that, in Buddhism, we're taught to see through the stories we have about solid, fixed identities, especially our own. Given that, I cannot help but see through the narrative that the current economic model driving so much of this destructive action around the planet has to also be seen as not not fixed, not final, and definitely not a permanent "best we can do." Even if some of the dire predictions about our climate aren't accurate, it seems foolish to me to just keep on trucking in the same direction, focused on an economic growth, consumption, and materialism that supposedly makes our lives better and more fulfilled. When I look around, I see a hell of a lot of misery despite the material abundance. And certainly, it seems that the fabulously wealthy, those many of us have a deep envy of, and consciously or unconsciously pattern our lives around, are just as likely to be living in scandalous, "my life is a disaster" type ways than in ways that anyone would aspire to. Simply put, the end goals of the dominant global economic system don't seem to worth destroying the planet over, even if that destruction takes longer than we think it will.

Don't Pin the Tail on the Climate Change Conference

I found this interesting post over at the Dhamma Musings blog on the Copenhagen global warming conference. I have to say I really don't expect much to come out of a conference like this. The leaders of the big polluters of the world, such as China and my own nation, really haven't realized that we can't have both the current greed-driven economic model and a more "right relationship" with the planet. And I'm sorry, but tinkering with carbon levels, even at a global level, will never be enough.

One of the main reasons why these kinds of conferences tend not to produce great visions for change is that they are both top-down driven, and also imbalanced within. Specifically, no matter what the other 190+ nations think, powerhouses like China and the U.S. can derail the whole thing. In my opinion, it's going to take a radical inward shift of enough people globally when it comes to how we live on this planet for major "outward" shifts to occur. And at the same time, some of the inspiration for those inward changes will come not from glossy sounding, but lacking in substance international agreements, but from grassroots groups on the ground all over the world. This is already happening. I, personally, can point to many such groups that I have learned about over the last decade that have helped change my opinion about my relationship to the planet. A few examples are the following:

Small Planet Institute - founded by Frances and Anna Lappe (a mother and daughter team) who have, among other things, traveled the world documenting grassroots environmental and social change movements.

Yes! Magazine - which is filled with intelligent, even upbeat without the syrup writing about social change.

Edible Schoolyard - a program out in Berkeley, California that transformed the way an elementary school's children learned into a much more eco-centered approach.

The city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil - which flipped the modern food paradigm on it's head through a series of creative approaches that opened the access door to healthy, organic food for everyone, regardless of their income level, living in the city.

These are just a few examples of groups of people making a difference when it comes to the environment and the quality of human life, and inspiring others in the process. So, maybe the Copenhagen conference is a big bust, or maybe they come up with some palatable compromise that shifts things a little bit - but I'd like to suggest that we look elsewhere for the real changes. And to continue to meditate and reflect on right relationship to/with the planet in each of our lives.

Blaming the Past as a Pastime

Barry over at Ox Herding said the following in his current post:

My teacher recently said to someone, "You're like the drunk driver who hits a person in the crosswalk, then jumps out of the car and exclaims, 'I was mistreated as a child!'"

Of course, all of us make mistakes, and fall short of commitments and obligations. That's the human way.

But how often do we blame our failures on the past, rather than working with what we're up to in this very moment?

This is a real trouble spot for us, isn't it? I know for myself that it has been at times and, after some time practicing Buddhism, I found that I have added a new layer on it in the form of blaming things on karma I can't figure out how to change. There's a need to really pay close attention to how you merge the conditions that came together to make the "you of now" and the way you choose to act and move within the now. It's a subtle point; I miss it plenty of times every day. But if you believe that the past that brought you here determines who you are, you're in trouble.

This is the problem I see with some forms of psychotherapy, as well as the way some of us in North America (and other places) are placing too heavy an emphasis on psychological languaging - such as the overuse of the term "ego." I think it can make us lean too heavily on focusing on those old stories, which is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for an awakened life.

Let me give an example. I had a period of deep struggle at my job this fall, during which every day was exhausting, and I was on the edge of simply walking out. Much of the time during that period, I believed the following:

1. The lack of caring and desire to connect that I had displayed towards most of my co-workers was irreversible: that I had burned those bridges completely.

2. No matter what I did, it was never good enough.

3. I couldn't say what I thought about anything because it would upset people too much.

Lots of all or nothing thinking there, and I can certainly trace some of it back to the past, my childhood, past jobs, even the past dynamics of the current job. In fact, I did some of that tracing back during the past few months, and I have to say, it really didn't help that much.

It was only when I started just staying with what was there - "Ok, I'm tense. I'm having generalized, fatalistic thoughts, I'm struggling to breath deeply" - it was only then that something happened. Actually, I still don't know what really happened. I just woke up one day and felt fine about it all. I'm still looking for my next career, but I don't feel the same madness when it comes to my current workplace.

Think of it this way. A person could spend weeks and months on end examining the room in the photo above and determining all of the causes and conditions that led to its deterioration, and maybe that might give some useful ideas for building stronger buildings in the future, or maybe not. One of the problems with this approach is that your examining old wood, nails, glass, and other constructions that have a specific structure that interacted with a specific environment during a specific time period. in many ways, it's not really repeatable, even if you use very similar materials to rebuild the place. The same is true of your life, isn't it?

So, the same person above could take a different approach. They could simply open their eyes, see the condition of the building, and then decide what is being called for now. If your job is in historical documentation and building preservation, maybe the first approach would be appropriate. But otherwise, it seems like an awful lot of energy to expend on a project that might result in little or no insight at all.

Walking Meditation Instructions

Richard over at My Buddha is Pink asked for walking meditation instructions. I'm sure others might be interested as well. Here is an except from a good description of the practice I just found.

1. It's wonderful to practice walking meditation any time that we are walking. When we're first learning the practice, however, it's best to set aside a particular time for it - say, first thing in the morning, or during your lunch break, or right before bed at night.

2. Walking meditation can be practiced indoors or outside. When the weather is nice, I like to practice outside, where I can be energized by the trees and sky. It's good to either go bare-foot (especially if you are inside) or wear shoes that give your feet and toes plenty of room to spread out.

3. Now, simply stand with your spine upright and your shoulders relaxed, letting your arms hang naturally by your sides. Take a couple of long, slow and deep breaths. As you exhale, let go of any unnecessary tension, smile gently, and let your attention flow deep into your belly, hips, legs and feet. Relax your pelvis, as though you had just mounted a horse. Feel your connection to the earth.

4. Next, begin to coordinate your breathing with taking small steps: as you inhale, step forward with your left foot; as you exhale, step forward with your right foot; and continue in this way. Let your gaze be focused gently on the ground in front of you. You can also experiment with taking several steps with the inhale, and several with the exhale. But keep the pace quite slow (slower than your habitual walking) and relaxed.

* The Zen-style walking meditation I was taught by teachers who learned it from Katagiri Roshi, founder of the Minnesota Zen Center, definitely emphasizes the slow. We try to feel the foot lifting with the in-breath, and coming down with the out breath completely. If you move this slow, you become intimate enough with your walking that you are able to let go of actually holding your attention on the physical aspects. They just happen.

Rohatsu Weekend with Brad Warner

Rohatsu is upon us again. For those who don't know about Rohatsu, it's the time of the year when we remember Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment. Also known as Bodhi Day, Rohatsu has been traditionally celebrated on December 8th, and often is proceeded by more intensive meditation practice in Zen communities.

Tomorrow, I will join my regular sangha for morning services, and we will have ceremonies on the morning of the 8th and also next Sunday with the children. In this darkest of months, the joy of community is that much more precious.

The past two days, I, and a group of dedicated college-age practitioners had the opportunity to spend part of Rohatsu week with Zen teacher Brad Warner. I feel fortunate that members of the Macalester College meditation group have also been attending my zen center, Clouds in Water, and invited me to join them for an evening talk last night, and a half day meditation retreat today.

Brad Warner is well known on the Buddhist blogosphere. In fact, you might say he has become infamous in many parts, due to his irreverence towards tradition, as well as his wacky blog that seems to be a lightning rod for all kinds of conflict and odd behavior. I have even taken a few of the comments he has written on his blog to task in past posts, although I also have found other parts of his writings very insightful and fresh in their approach.

Last night, Brad gave a talk/interview on the subject of his forthcoming book: Buddhism, sex, and sexuality. I have to say it was pretty fun to be in a room full of people willing to ask intelligent questions and listen to a talk focused on sex and the dharma. One thing I appreciate that Brad spoke about was how it's truly impossible to have an intimate relationship with another and not cause some level of hurt. Each of us having different conditioning, different expectations, different habit patterns, even if the similarities outweigh the differences between the two people involved. This is true of romantic relationships, as well as friendships, and relationships with your family. There's going to be some hurt that happens, which isn't the end of the world. It just calls us to be careful, and mindful, of the other person. And I, personally, think it's essentially to differentiate hurt from harm. Hurt is usually a short term feeling; harm is causing longer term damage for another. I think of practice calls upon us to develop the capacity to wear down harmful tendencies, so that we cause much less harm in the world. Brad's reminder that all relationships are impermanent, a very simple teaching really, also plays into this. When you remember that someone in your life will be gone someday, and that you really don't know when, you're more likely to refrain from the kinds of nastiness that can cause major damage for that person, and for your relationship together.

After a fitful sleep that included a zany dream with Brad using the kyôsaku, or "encouragement stick," on me multiple times because I was "slumping over" - an anxiety dream perhaps? - I woke to a cold December morning, and a short, brisk bike ride ahead of me to the meditation retreat. (What's absolutely hilarious about that dream is that Brad is almost phobic to many of the traditional elements of Zen services and meditation retreats. The image of him carrying the kyosaku is almost blasphemous.) Anyway, the half day retreat was sweet. There were about ten of us. We sat in the center of the campus chapel building, which is this beautiful, wide open, six sided modern building with huge windows that allowed the morning light to shine right through. I rekindled my love affair with walking meditation in a group, something I have done a lot of on my own, but haven't participated in much lately at my home sangha. Each step was its own moment, full and complete from heal to toe. So simple and so commonplace that most of us forget how wonderful it is to feel your feet slowly lifting off of, and then slowly coming back into contact with the ground. Outside, the temperature was about 20 degrees. Inside, sitting quietly with this earnest little group of practitioners was very warm indeed.

Spending a chuck of time with Brad Warner made it even more clear to me how off the mark many people's views of him are. I think his writing style, and his penchants for goofing off and stirring up shit make him seem a bit larger than life. In person, though, he is much more of an unassuming, somewhat anxious guy who enjoys a good conversation and a chance to do zazen with others.

Seeing him in action makes the comments he recently made on his blog about jukai and not wanting to be anyone's spiritual daddy more clear for me now. This isn't the kind of teacher who wants to have students submitting to his/hers' complete approach, nor does he seem like the kind of teacher that wants to have a huge cadre of students to work with, and support. Some people on Warner's blog have suggested he's just being lazy, or that he just doesn't like doing traditional ceremonies like jukai, but I think it's actually more that he recognizes that his place right now is as a Buddhist writer and traveling teacher. Sure, maybe it's easier, and maybe there's a bit of copping out going on as well when it comes to tradition, but I think it's much smarter to recognize what's driving you, what your passions are, than to try and fit the stereotype of a Zen teacher.

So, bows to Brad and to all my fellow practitioners at Macalester. May we all manifest the buddhadharma in our own, unique ways.


p.s. You gotta love this photo because it is such a contrast to the guy I sat zazen with today, with his holey white socks, jeans, and cartoon monster sweatshirt.

Zen Gifts for the Whole Family

There has been a lot of grousing, and rightly so, about the commercialization of Buddhism. It’s troubling for sure, and I’m sure I’ll post more “serious” posts about it at a later time. However, since it is the holiday season, most of our non-Buddhist friends and relatives are probably in a tizzy right about now as to what to give their wayward Buddhist for Christmas. Never mind that it’s a Christian holiday trimmed with capitalist fixings, your friends and family must give you something, they just must. But what? What do you give to someone who doesn’t believe in a fixed self? I can feel their anxiety now, and so I offer these humble suggestions as a balm to what ails them.

1.The Dogen Zengi Memorial Zafu. Because it’s never too late to shed a tear for a great teacher. This hand-crafted zafu is specially shaped to look exactly like the head of Dogen himself, complete with a custom sewn scowl. This unique design offers the practitioner in your life the opportunity to sit those weary ass-cheeks on the face of a master. It’s a must have for anyone who reveres this greatest of zen teachers.

2.Do you have a little Buddhist niece or nephew? Are you totally baffled as to what they might want for X-mas? Well, fear not! We have the perfect gift. From the makers of Street Fighter Roshi I and II comes the new ultimate fighting Zen video game Brad V. Jundo. Dharma combat at its finest! With state of the art graphics and bonus clips from old monster movies, Brad V. Jundo is the perfect gift for the child that needs to let out all that school-produced angst and aggression. But wait! There’s more. Learn how to defend a virtual zendo. Learn how to speak Brad-lish. Learn the sound of one blog clapping. It’s all here and more. Get it now!

3.The Great Practitioner Lotus Flower Dharma Pants. Perfect for the female Buddhist in your life, these specially designed spiritual garments come straight from the slums of Bangladesh. Each lotus flower is hand stamped lovingly by a six year old that will get to eat dinner tonight because of you. Act now and you’ll receive a second pair of GPLFD Pants, hand signed by a representative of Pema Chodron’s neighbor, absolutely free.

4.Get the book that’s flying off dharma shelves everywhere! “The Art of Spiritual Materialism,” by John D. Rinpoche. Filled with dozens of easy to follow spiritual instructions, diagrams of the self, and hundreds of amazing life stories that will have you laughing and crying for weeks on end, “The Art of Spiritual Materialism” is the absolute perfect gift for that bookworm Buddhist you have nothing in common with.

5. Is your husband always late for dinner because he’s lost in the waves of meditation? Does your younger sister always use the excuse “I’m sorry. I was just sitting” whenever she’s confronted about not helping with the family chores? Well, worry no more! Gift your timeless practitioner the gift of time. Give them the gift of The Biggest Mind. The Biggest Mind is far and away the best zen clock on the market. Complete with scientifically-enhanced chimes tuned to the rhythms of the earth, and precision made hour, minute, and second hands, The Biggest Mind is guaranteed to awaken punctuality in even the most obstinate of practitioners. Purchase in the next 24 hours and your name will be put into a drawing for a free trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.