Buddhism teaches respect and tolerance for other religions and speaking ill of anyone for their philosophy or religion is a transgression of the Dharma.  Not only does the Dalai Lama respect other faiths, he doesn’t seek converts.  His Holiness states, “People from different traditions should keep their own, rather than change.”

To a man who asked to become a Buddhist, the Dalai Lama replied, “Please don’t. Stay in your own religion, and meditate.”  Further , he has stated, “It is better to stick with the wisdom traditions of one’s own land than to run from them pursuing in exotica what was under your nose all the time.”

After all, love and compassion are the basic elements of every religion. Yet, His Holiness writes in The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Inner Peace, “For certain people, Buddhism may simply not be an answer.  Different religions meet different people’s needs.  I do not try to convert people to Buddhism.  What I try to explore is how we Buddhists can make a contribution to human society in accordance with our ideas and values.”

His Holiness divides Buddhism into three categories: Buddhist science, Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist religion. Buddhist religion, he says, is the business of Buddhists, but Buddhist philosophy and science have universal application and need to be made available to the world.

“In conclusion, those who like myself, consider themselves to be followers of Buddha, should practice as much as we can. To followers of other religious traditions, I would like to say, “Please practice your own religion seriously and sincerely.” And to non-believers, I request you to try to be warm-hearted. I ask this of you because these mental attitudes actually bring us happiness. As I have mentioned before, taking care of others actually benefits you.” writes the Dalai Lama in Generating the Mind for Enlightenment.

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?”

Buddhism has always had a congenial relationship with science.  The Dalai Lama‘s collaborations with scientists at the Mind Life Institute are inspiring new discoveries in neuroscience, quantum physics, psychology, biology, game theory, and other fields.  Scientists are beginning to benefit from the study of Buddhist thought and practice in the study of  altruism, cooperation, consciousness, and positive cognitive states.  Psychology and other sciences (which have primarily focused on disease and mental illness) are now focusing on positive emotions and optimal cognitive performance.

“If ever there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.”     -Albert Einstein

“My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science, so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation.  …Since the emergence of modern science, humanity has lived through an engagement between spirituality and science as two important sources of knowledge and well-being.  Sometimes the relationship has been a close one- a kind of friendship- while at other times it has been frosty, with many finding it incompatible.  Today, in the first decade of the twenty-first century, science and spirituality have the potential to be closer than ever, and to embark upon a collaborative endeavor that has far reaching potential to help humanity meet the challenges before us.“  Dalai Lama from The Universe In a Single Atom 2005.

To minimize suffering.

To promote compassion in human affairs.

To improve the health of humanity.

To reduce human starvation and malnutrition.

To prevent the radical disruption of our planet’s ecosystem.

To preserve animal species.

To preserve wilderness.

Statistics show that over 2,700 animals will be eaten by an average American during their lifetime. By giving up meat, many animal lives would be saved and many human lives would be saved as well with the reduction in cancer and coronary disease.  For more information, read why vegetarianism is good for you and the planet.

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all
evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still
savages.
-Thomas Edison

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of
animals as they now look on the murder of men.
-Leonardo Da Vinci

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-Mahatma Gandhi (more…)

“The destructive effects of hatred are very visible, very obvious and immediate.  For example, when a very strong or forceful thought of hatred arises within you, at that very instant, it totally overwhelms you and destroys your peace of mind… it obliterates the best part of your brain, which is the ability to judge between right and wrong and the long-term and short-term consequences of your actions.  Your power of judgment becomes totally inoperable.  It is almost like you have become insane.  So this anger and hatred tends to throw you into a state of confusion which just serves to make your problems and difficulties so much worse.  Even at the physical level, hatred brings about a very ugly unpleasant physical transformation.”

Investigators, such as Dr. Redford Williams at Duke and Dr. Robert Sapolsky at Stanford University have conducted studies that demonstrate that anger, rage and hostility are particularly devastating to the cardiovascular system.  So much evidence has mounted about the harmful effects of hostility, in fact, that it is now considered a major risk factor in heart disease, at least equal to, or perhaps greater than the traditionally recognized risk factors such as high cholesterol or (more…)

Realizing this equilibrium meditation would be your most priceless possession.

The Mahayana Equilibrium Meditation

Flapping Flags

Prayer Flags

” Four monks were meditating in a monastery. All of a sudden the prayer flag on the roof started flapping.

The younger monk came out of his meditation and said: “Flag is flapping”

A more experienced monk said: “Wind is flapping”

A third monk who had been there for more than 20 years said: “Mind is flapping.”

The fourth monk who was the eldest said, visibly annoyed: “Mouths are flapping!” “

Tee. Hee. Old people are fun.

Namasté

Happy Buddha

Yummm, vegan donuts.

Namasté

On Compassion/ On Cruelty:

Orphan children in Indonesia (www.compassion-4-kids-int.org)

“A friend told me of visiting the Dalai Lama and asking him for a succinct definition on compassion. She prefaced her question by describing how heart- stricken she’d felt when, earlier that day, she’d seen a man in the street beating a mangy stray dog with a stick. ‘Compassion,’, the dalai Lama told her, ‘is when you feel as sorry for the man as you do for the dog.’”

~ Marc Barasch

from The Compassionate Life: Walking the Path of Kindness

Namasté

Parachute

The Paratrooper

“A paratrooper was scared to jump. His instructor told him, “If anything goes wrong, say, `Buddha oh Buddha’ and you will be saved.”

The paratrooper got so scared that he forgot to pull his rip cord. So he said, “Buddha oh Buddha,” and a hand came out and saved him.

He said, “Thank God,” and he was dropped.”

Tee hee hee.  Silly.

Namasté

An optical illusion

Actuality

What is actual is actual only for one time and only for one space.

~T. S. Eliot

Some days, I find myself behaving a certain way with people. I smile my pre-determined smile. Tell a pre-determined joke after I walk out of the house in my pre-determined armor. And when I greet people I, in turn, expect a pre-determined response, which I usually get. I don’t think I am the only person who sometimes lives this way: mindlessly. Buddha said: be therefore mindful. Even the name, “Buddha”, means one who is awake. When I allow myself to wander about without intention, I feel my third eye close. Disconnection. Loneliness. Unsatisfied. It is only when trying to savor the honesty of every moment, that my third eyes opens. That I feel connected to life, apart of reality.

Namasté