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| The mindful enlightenment by Ed Halliwell, The Guardian, 26 June 2010 | Evidence from these disciplines is making it increasingly clear that we are social creatures with plastic minds, wired for empathy and able to access a consciousness that, if developed, could help release us from the shackles of emotion that so often bind us. Building on its 18th-century precursor, the defining feature of this enlightenment is an understanding that to tackle the world's most pressing problems, we don't just need more action, we need more awareness.
detail... | | Visiting abbot sheds light on ancient practice of Buddhism by Amy Hogue, Jun 17, 2010 , http://www.emcperth.ca | The religion of Buddhism was begun in India more than 2,500 years ago, and is practiced worldwide by more than 300 million people. Siddhartha Gotama, known as the "Buddha," began Buddhism after becoming enlightened at the age of 35. Unlike other religions, Buddhism does not worship a god - the Buddha is accorded respect, but is not accepted as a god, nor did he ever claim to be a god. The principles of Buddhism are called the "Dhamma," or truth, and involve using meditation to achieve enlightenment and wisdom.
detail... | | Monks' role in society's conflicts by Sanitsuda Ekachai, Monday, June 07, 2010, Bangkok Post | The image was disturbing. A monk was fastened to a chair, his hands tied behind his back. His face showed protesting agony while his body was immobile. He was arrested by the troops during the May 19 crackdown.
Is this the way to treat a monk?
The question was asked by Puea Thai MP Chaowarin Latthasaksiri, who showed the photograph during the recent censure debate to stir public anger with such gross disrespect for Buddhist monks, and to reinforce the cruel image of the government after the crackdown that killed 88 and injured over 1,800 people.
detail... | | ANATTA by Ajahn Brahmavamso, June 8, 2010 | The Buddha’s teaching on anatta (non-self) is deep and profound because it challenges something very basic to our assumptions about life. The Buddha talked about avijja (delusion) being the root cause of all problems, of all rebirths, the root cause of defilements. He explained what avijja is through the teaching of the vipallasas (the perversions or distortions of view, thought and perception). Namely, the vipallasas say that by view, thought and perception we take what is dukkha to be sukha (happiness); we take what is impermanent to be permanent; we take what is not beautiful (asubha) to be beautiful (subha); and we take what is anatta to be atta, a self.
detail... | | "Buddhist" King is Violating Buddhist Ethics by Gunnar Gällmo | Original Buddhism was not very positive to monarchy, or to power in general. According to the traditional story, the Buddha himself was born a prince, but had to actually run away from home to avoid becoming a prince, finding it impossible to combine power and wisdom.
However, he was not in a position to change the world; so to minimize the damage caused by kings, there is a traditional list of ten royal duties (dasa-raja-dhamma). Number eight of the ten is non-violence.
Traditional Buddhist ethics does not care whether a killing is legal or illegal. If intentional, it is wrong; it does not matter whether secular law forbids it, permits it or even orders it to be done.
Killing in war is not better than killing in peace.
Murder is murder, even if legal.
detail... | | Engaged Buddhism: Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi by Reverend Danny Fisher, on Jun 4, 2010, The Elephant Journal Interview. | To give an example: When the South Asian tsunami struck at the end of 2004, Bodhi Monastery, where I was living at the time, raised a sizeable sum of money to provide relief. I looked on Google at the lists of organizations doing relief work in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Amidst many secular, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim organizations, I could find only two Buddhist organizations, and these had roots in Asian Buddhist countries. This struck me as disturbing. I had to ask myself, “We Buddhists always speak about loving-kindness and compassion. Do we regard these as merely beautiful states of mind, or can they also issue in action?” It was this experience, simmering in the back of my mind, that led me to write my essay for Buddhadharma, and the fruit was the birth of BGR.
detail... | | Sri Lanka to regain lead in disseminating Buddha Dhamma worldwide by Priyanka KURUGALA, Lanka Daily News, May 29, 2010 | Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Buddhism has been in existence for too many centuries. Although there are many Buddhists all over the world, not many practice the religion. Most of them call themselves as Buddhists, but they do not follow the teachings of the Buddha.
detail... | | Mind, Matter and Nirvana in Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism by Prof. N. A. de S. Amaratunga, http://www.island.lk | In Buddhism, the mind is central to the subjects of both matter and nirvana. By the word mind we mean ‘citt’ which according to Theravada Buddhism has four components namely ‘vedana’, ‘sangna’, ‘sankara and ‘vingnana’. These components participate in ‘paticca samuppada’ (dependent co-origination) and they are also four of the five ‘skandas’ (aggregates) which constitute the human being.
detail... | | Teacher who helped shape American Buddhism is still on a quest by Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2010 | Jack Kornfield says 'we're teaching meditation not as a religious activity but as a support for living a wise and healthy and compassionate inner life.'
detail... | | Technological and Political Progressivism in Historical Buddhist Thought by Kris Notaro, ieet.org, May 28, 2010 | Buddhism is one of the largest and oldest religions in the world, having been founded in approximately 500 BCE and currently possessing the third largest number of adherents of any world belief system.
Over time, the fields of quantum mechanics, existentialism, phenomenology, and physics have all found parallels between their own theories and the theories of Buddhist thinkers throughout history. In addition, many concepts in the field of therapy such as a focus on the present moment and the belief that much of the turmoil human beings face originates not from external stimuli but from our own anxieties and psychological baggage were written about again and again by both Siddhartha Gautama, the historical founder of Buddhism, and those who followed in his footsteps.
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There are 441 entries in Appamada Dhamma News Database. |
