Sessions Knocks His Own Party On Sotomayor

Buddhism Inc.

DISCLAIMER: This post is heavily laden with sacrasm and satire about the odd ways that people use Buddhist buzz words that are apparently "en vogue" with our pop culture to sell just about anything. In the end this subject doesn't have any real impact on my own practice but it is a bit annoying and silly in the absurd so I thought I'd write about it in a humorous way. I hope you enjoy!!

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Do you ever get tired of carrying your karma around all over samsara jumbled up in your mind? Do you wish that there was a better way to organize your karma as you travel along the middle lane of the Dharma Highway to Nirvanaville? Well, your worries. are. over!! The future has arrived!!

Introducing the Nirvana Organizer Bag from Zen Class Travel!!!! You say you've never heard of Zen Class but have heard of First Class and Business Class when traveling? No problem!! Zen Class is where Zen Buddhists meditate at their home on the desired day of travel. They meditate so deeply that they are magically transported through the air to their desired destination!! It's as easy as that--so why not become a Zen Buddhist today to take advantage of the Zen Class Travel!! But WAIT!!! Don't order yet--when you order now you'll also get the Nirvana Organizer Bag. You don't want to be caught in Nirvanaville without IT.

James: So there you have it--another odd yet humourous example of a product being sold using Buddhism. The Zen Class Travel isn't an actual class of travel on airlines but the name of the company who pumps out this "Nirvana Organizer Bag." I was just having fun with the name. :) Actually, I find the whole thing quite odd really but then again I've learned over and over not to be surprised by samsara. Now if I could just find one of those "Easy Buttons" advertized on t.v. Let me explain, the advertisement for my non-American t.v. viewing audience.

There is an office materials supply company here called, "Staples" and they have a new advert up that explains that shopping with them is like pushing an, "easy button" which easilly takes care of any office needs you might have. So all this has me wondering how long it will be before some scam/business man comes out with an, "easy button" to enable instant enlightenment--with one simple, easy, push of the button!! No, I clearly realize that it's not that easy--I was just playing with the concept of this cross-pollunation between Buddhism, business and advertising.

~Peace to all beings~

Sonia Sotomayor: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to succeed outgoing Supreme Court Justice David Souter has largely been embraced by the center, agreed to by the left, and (with the exception of the far right) treated haphazardly by the right. In point of fact, she was not my choice, because I think the court needs a much further shift to the left after the two Bush appointments, but here are some of the potential winners and losers of her placement on the Court.

Winners:

Moderate Republicans:
Moderate to right-of-center Republicans shouldn't except Sotomayor as an ideal jurist, but should probably acquiesce to her nomination as the best they can get from an Obama Adminstration. Despite what some may say, Sotomayor is widely regarded as a left-of-center jurist, but certainly no ideological bomb thrower. Most sensible Republicans should realize that there has to be some questions to give the appearance that the GOP is not laying down, but eventually accept Obama's selection as an inevitable, politically shrewd reality.

Moderate Democrats:
Most moderate Democrats should be happy with Mrs. Sotomayor on two fronts: one she is not a rabid leftist (which I think Obama has the political capital to appoint) and (2) she is a definite political winner. Mrs. Sotomayor has maintained centrist positions on abortion funding restriction as well as has been given approval by a study in Business Week. She will be the first Hispanic on the Court and will help throw a bone to an increasingly blue constituency. This voting trend by the fastest growing minority in the U.S. will help moderate Democrats compete ever further in the South and Midwest.

Losers:

The Far Right:
I almost hate to call the far right losers for two reasons, (1) I believe the far right was looking for this fight, and (2) like the "Moderate Republicans" mentioned above the choice could have been far worse by their standards. The main reason the far right is assured a place in the "losers" column is that they will almost certainly lose the fight against her confirmation and they are apt to take the fight to a level that will damage the GOP politically. The only Latino Republican in the Senate, Mel Martinez, realizes this, I just don't think Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh does. Barack Obama increased the Democrats edge with Latino voters in 2008 by 25% over 2004 (67-31) and the likes of Rush won't push that number back any. This is why Obama won Florida, and we will gladly take it again.

The Far Left:
I almost created a "push" column for the "far left", but decided to put them in the losers column. After some suffering due to a Roberts' Court the far left will largely lay down its arms and support Sotomayor, but they may turn out to be bigger losers than they expect. Sotomayor has not taken a hard line position on abortion and is not likely to do so. Further, she will probably not turn out to be an ideological counterweight to Antonin Scalia when Ginsburg retires. Politically this group does well as, like the far right does the GOP, they mostly associate themselves with the Democrats and this move will bode well for them politically.

Personally, I wanted to see someone that was much to the left of Sotomayor placed by Obama. I believe that he will get another chance, as Ginsburg will probably retire while he is in office, but who knows what the Senate will look like then or how much political capital he will have. While a moderate on most issues (and upset by Sotomayor joining the majority in Maloney v. Cuomo regarding local gun rights) I want a leftist court because I feel they are more likely to side with my views regarding the Bill of Rights. In any case, this move is the first hard-line political move by Obama that will help position the Democrats for victory in 2010 & 2012.

Chris Dodd Still Troubled In Connecticut

Embattled Democratic Senator Chris Dodd's number have improved slightly according to a new Quinnipiac poll, but they are still in the tank:

Chris Dodd (D-inc): 39
Rob Simmons (R): 45
Undecided: 13

Dodd is basically up 5 points from a poll done in March, but this still looks terrible. He is even facing some trouble from his own party, as he controls a commanding lead over some possible challengers, but there are far too many undecideds to really deter a primary challenge that would hurt him in the general.

H/T - SwingStateProject

Joe Turnham Authors New Book

Joe Turnham, the Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, is the author of a new book on faith entitled "Leading from our Knees" in which he discusses how faith is relevant to all manner of things. The book is available from Amazon.com

Metallica Joins Machine Head Live

Aesthetics of Hate (Explicit):

The GOP Has Someone To Vote For In Alabama

The GOP has successfully recruited Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby to run against Bobby Bright and Navy veteran Lester Phillip to run against Parker Griffith in Alabama's 2 most competitive seats held by Democrats:

Roby was heavily courted by National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) this cycle despite the fact that state Rep. Jay Love — the man the committee dropped nearly $600,000 in independent expenditures on last cycle — hasn’t ruled out running again.

Phillip, who is black and the son of immigrant parents, works as the minority outreach director for the state Republican Party. He was making the rounds on Capitol Hill last week and has also begun to make a name for himself at local Tea Party events and other conservative gatherings.

Despite the understandable glee espoused by the GOP after Cramer's retirement, I still feel that Griffith's seat is the safer of the two. Bright will have a tough roe to hoe for the foreseeable future. If he can win again, one can bet the Alabama Legislature will give him some help (that is if the Dems keep control).

H/T - SwingStateProject

Mr. T Sings Take Me Out To The Ball Game At Wrigley

Please watch this, I mean really, please:

McAuliffe Continues To Pull Away In Virginia

Don't Obsess About Enlightenment.

"Rather than worry or obsess about enlightenment, why not be honest and accept that we will have our good days and our bad? We will have some enlightened moments of loving-kindness, as well as some dull ones. This encourages all of us to stay real and experience the moment as it is—not how we want it to be."

–Donald Altman, from Living Kindness.

James: I think this is a very important point to remember along our path because I know that I have a tendency sometimes to obsess over moments where I don't feel so "enlightened." I start getting down on myself for having repeated the same mistakes over and over again but then I remember that we can't progress without making "mistakes!!" None of us here in this life is perfect, which is why we are are here in samsara the first place!! So that should give us hope and give us cause to relax and just do our best within each moment that we experience.

I see "mistakes" as rough drafts in the process of bringing forth the sacred text within us all that is our enlightenment.

PHOTO CREDIT: Beautiful photo by Laurent G.

~Peace to all beings~

Do you like a good forgery? Watch Abe Lincoln giving a talk.

Yes, that's right. No, you really cannot trust anything you see on the Internet. Take a listen.

No microphones or movie cameras existed yet in 1862. But no matter. The technology today for doctoring old footage is still rough. It's easy to spot a fake like this, and watching Lincoln's lips move along with the voice is creepy. But over time, this software will improve and "reality" some day may become like just another flavor of ice cream or another type of TV show.

Beware, my historian friends. If Abe Lincoln can look at you in the eye and speak convincingly in what appears like his own voice and his own words, then how much weight will our skeptical, academic, scholarly works continue to carry in comparison?

Gasp! Calvin Coolidge trying to give a speech.

Who was the worst ever President on on the stump?


With the now-not-so-new modern miracle of You-Tube rare old videos pop up all the time. As a result, we get to see just how bad some of the pre-TV Presidents were at trying to talk.

Take a listen to Calvin Coolidge chatting away on the White House lawn in 1924.

"Silent Cal" was not a terrible President. In the C-SPAN president's poll this year, I ranked him solidly mediocre, as number 20 out of 43.

He presided over the Roaring Twenties and Coolidge Prosperity. He left town just before the bubble burst in the 1929 Stock Crash.

Coolidge was an "Accidental President." Republicans nominated him to run for Vice President in 1920 after Coolidge, as Massachusetts Governor, took a strong stand in the 1919 Boston Police Strike. When President Warren G. Harding died of food poisoning in 1923 at the height of the Teapot Dome Scandal, Coolidge took the top job.

Watching Coolidge talking from notes in his raspy voice makes you cringe. Could he ever be elected to anything today? We judge public figures today so much by the TV standard, how smooth they appear, how stylish they look, how well they speak. Is it all fluff?

Enjoy the time capsule. Here''s the link.
href="Calvin'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5puwTrLRhmw">Calvin Coolidge 1924.

Romanian Orthodox Nun Dies On The Cross

A Romanian Orthodox nun has died after "being bound to a cross, gagged and left alone for three days in a cold room in a convent":

Police say the 23-year-old nun, who was denied food and drink throughout her ordeal, had been tied and chained to the cross and a towel pushed into her mouth to smother any sounds.

Father Daniel who is accused of orchestrating the crime is said to be unrepentant.

"I don't understand why journalists are making such a fuss about this. Exorcism is a common practice in the heart of the Romanian Orthodox church and my methods are not at all unknown to other priests," Father Daniel added.

Just to crazy to believe.

Will California Ask For A Bailout?

With all indications that Californians have rejected a tax increase is it possible that California will ask for a bailout? I would say that it is almost certain and government officials indicated as much prior to the votes failure:

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger floated that idea months ago, as did Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat. Schwarzenegger's visit to the White House on Tuesday surely didn't harm its prospects.

California does have enough cash to survive through June 30, but the state controller estimated in March that another $10.6 billion would be necessary to last the summer.

Now, here are just a few reasons why California doesn't deserve a bailout. First of all, this action would certainly push the U.S. towards losing their Triple-A bond rating. This means it will be harder for the federal government, neck deep in red ink, to function. Another, more monumental problem, is it sends a message to the other 49 states, most of which are slashing budgets, that to ask for a bailout would be better than cutting goods and services and raising taxers rather than face the wrath of voters. The fact is that California has engaged in reckless state spending far predating the current economic crisis and the taxpayers of the other 49 states do not deserve to get hosed for it. This is just federalism at work, blame a few guys named Jefferson & Madison.

Shelby Comments On The Non-Closing Of GITMO

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Deep Sea Ocean Divers -- A Story

One of my history obsessions is with old deep sea ocean divers. Back in the 1800s, these hard-hat daredevils were pushing the limits of science and adventure to a shocking extent. Today, they are almost totally forgotten -- a crime.

Here's a piece I wrote for American Heritage Invention and Technology on one diver's near-fatal descent in 1886 on a shipwreck called The Oregon out in the Atlantic Ocean some 20 miles south of Fire Island, New York. It was over 110 feet deep in cold water with rough seas and blinding-bad visibility. Yet he did it with a copper helmet, rubber air-hose supplied by a hand-cranked pump, no lights, no gloves, and almost no scientific understanding of "the bends" or decompression. Just plenty of raw nerve.

Here's the link. Hope you enjoy it:

"An Incident on the Oregon: Deep-Sea Diving a Century Ago," American History Investion and Technology, 1994.

Torture Toon

The NRCC Has Learned Some Lessons

The NRCC has apparently learned some lessons from the last two cycles and is co-opting some of the DCCC campaign ideas, or at least getting behind some of their own. Of particular interest to me was their intention of putting more focus on the "Young Guns" plan which is essentially a copy of the Dems "Red-to-Blue" program. Stu Rothenberg explains:

Candidates are required to meet a series of benchmarks that the NRCC (often in coordination with the campaign) identifies, including fundraising goals and a fundraising system; a volunteer database and recruitment goals; an e-mail list, press lists and communications strategies; and media training, vendors and other measures.

Candidates who reach the first set of benchmarks are placed in "On the Radar" status, while those who move on and satisfy the next set of benchmarks reach the "Contender" status. Reaching the top level of benchmarks gets a candidate the status of "Young Gun," assuring a certain level of NRCC assistance with fundraising and staff. (Certainly sounds something like the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, doesn't it?)

The DCCC's program is no substitute for a competent and effective campaign staff, but just getting the extra resources from the party does help identify a campaign as being somewhat successful. What the Dems learned from the GOP in voter ID, the GOP is trying to learn in terms of resource allocation. It will be interesting to follow this as it develops further into 2010.

Byrne To Resign, Shows Clear Signs Of Running

Bradley Byrne has resigned his position as Chancellor of the 2-year college system and has shown clear signs of his intention to enter the race for Governor as soon as May 27:

[Byrne's] letter gave no reason for the decision. But in his letter, Byrne said, "it is time for me to take the reform fight to a new arena."

This was not all together unexpected, but a little out of the blue timing wise. I still believe that Byrne is the strongest candidate the GOP has for 2010 on face value. I am sure that Sen. Byrne has polling that somewhat confirms this or he wouldn't be running. The Democrats should get ready for a fight. Byrne has an issue and a widely viewed positive record on that issue.


H/T - Political Parlor

Thailand entrusts rare Buddha relics to Europe

In a highly significant and very symbolic act, France accepted this weekend on European territory an array of precious Buddhist relics entrusted to them by the Patriarchs of Thailand.

The relics, which depict Siddhārtha Gautama, a spiritual teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism and is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age, will be on display to the public in the Pagode in the Bois de Vincennes (Paris 12).

Their arrival in France is just the latest event in the long history of these precious artefacts. At the end of the nineteenth century, the collapse in India of a stupa that belonged to the clan of the Shakyas resulted in the discovery of authentic relics of the historical Buddha that had been preserved for more than two millennia.

Because India and most of Asia were colonized at the time, and Thailand was the only Buddhist country not to be so, G. N. Curzon, then Governor General of India and former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Siam, entrusted Thailand with the precious relics. They were displayed in the Golden Mount, one of the major temples in the capital city of Bangkok.

Over a century later and faced with constant political upheaval in Asia and the spread of Buddhism in the West, especially across Europe, the Thai Patriarchs decided to present the relics to the Western World, entrusting them to a European nation, their new land of asylum.

The Patriarchs selected France; the land that gave the world the Rights of Man and more specifically Paris, a city that according to them embodied the dynamic nature of European Buddhism.

France is one of the most prominent arenas of Buddhism in Europe and according to the country’s Minister for the Interior there are currently five million followers of the religion within its borders of which one million are active participants.

Speaking to the Figaro newspaper today, Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh, the president of the Buddhist Union of France who accepted these gifts, said “France is today the European country where Buddhists are most numerous, notably because of the waves of Asian immigration in the 1950s and the installation of the grand masters.

“This moment is historic,” he continued, “because it is the first time that authentic relics of Siddhārtha Gautama have been confided to a Western country.”

The Union have been entrusted with the responsibility to receive and keep the relics and to make plans to celebrate this historically significant event. Over the course of last weekend numerous celebrations and ceremonies took place in Vincennes that also featured exhibits of Buddhist art and objects from private collections and museums, including the excellent Guimet Museum of Asian Arts.

It is a very significant gesture and as one Buddhist commented to the Figaro “symbolically, it also proves that the teachings of Buddha is very much alive today and that it continues to spread from the Orient to the West.”

The Mind Must Sit Down.

When we speak of “taking your seat” for meditation, we often imagine sitting down in the lotus position—but more broadly,... The body can sit down, and the mind must sit down too.

–Arnie Kozak, from Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants

James: I really like that last part that the mind must sit down too. I often stretch my legs, back and arms before meditating to prepare my body as well as regulate my breathing with some breathing exercises. However, after reading this simple yet profound quote (at least for me) I realized that I don't do much to stretch my mind before meditating so the body is relaxed, stretched and ready to sit but the mind is still in fifth gear. It helps explain why sometimes It takes a good portion of my meditation session just to get the mind to sit--let alone be mindful of the body and the present moment.

It's like trying to slow down one of those massive semi-trailer trucks (or articulated truck in the U.k.) when it is going at full speed. Even if you hit the brakes immediately upon seeing the obstacle ahead (incessant, circular, mental chattering) it takes awhile to slow the momentum of the heavy laden truck (mind heavy laden with thoughts). However, if the driver sees the obstacle ahead of time he or she can take the necessary precautions to ease into the deceleration.

I think therefore it is helpful to do some preparatory things to relax the mind to be able to ease it into meditation easier. Instead of just plopping down on the cushion after watching an in-depth movie or the news, reading the paper with all it's wild stories or talking gossip on the phone. In particular I am going to try and do some mental stretching before meditating like the physical stretching I already do. Some of these I already do but not with the idea of using them specifically for preparing the mind. These are just some examples of how I want to better use common "rituals" in Buddhism to aid my meditations. Remember, I am not a teacher and these are simply ideas that I am looking into to better enable me to get the most out of my meditation sessions:

Sit and look out the window to ease the mind into less thinking and prepare it rather for contemplation. Thinking as we know involves all kinds of judgments and variables that our mind spins it web with. However, contemplation such as looking out the window and watching the trees swaying in a breeze is more about sime observation, which settles and slows down the mind thus making it a great exercise for the mind before a session.

One thing that I already do is to bow three times in silence before meditating, which I do as a ways of paying homage to Buddha and my teacher. What I didn't realize before putting this post together, however, is that the bowing is a great way to train the mind to prepare for settling down. The mind reacts well to so-called, "sensory triggers" which when established into a habit can aid in preparing oneself for a state of mind like turning a key starts an engine. In this case the touching of hands together, feeling skin on skin and the act of bowing is a physical and mental way of telling the mind that it needs to switch gears, submit and letting go of control.

This goes for using a bell too, which I ring three times before meditating. The crisp, ring of the bell cuts through my mental chattering to focus my mind and slow down the thinking like a yellow traffic light warning cars to slow down and prepare to stop. The sound is like hearing a voice saying, "Listen, listen to the sounds of the present moment and return home."

Another thing I am going to do more of is chanting ahead of trying to settle into a deep meditation. This is mostly because I find that chanting relaxes and opens up my lungs to enable better breathing, which is critical in maintaining a deep meditation. Holding a hand on my chest while chanting is a direct signal to the brain that the body is relaxing and thus so should it.

Another trigger, which is very powerful is that of smell and incense (or a candle) is a great way to trigger relaxation in the brain, which helps relax the mind too and ease anxiety. It is also rejuvenating, which helps the mind stay focused and concentrate. Science has shown that incense can also help relieve depression thus being very useful in motivating a depressed mind to meditate. That's a big deal for me because I have chronic depression and often when I'm depressed I don't have the motivation to meditate, which is ironically the very thing that will help. So burning incense ahead of time to help ease my depression might just be enough to get me onto the cushion. It's worth a try!!

So there are others reasons why we Buddhists should do the "ceremonial things" besides because tradition dictates we do so. They are very helpful preparatory rituals that can enable a deeper and meditation.

~Peace to all beings~

Another great new book on FDR's New Deal

Soul of a People: The WPA Writers' Project Uncovers Depression America by David A. Taylor.

Here's my blurb: "This intimate portrait of the Writers' Project, a gem of FDR's New Deal, is a nostalgic journey through America in the Depression Era. Familiar faces dot every corner, young writers from Studs Terkel to Richard Wright, John Cheever to Ralph Ellison. It's a journey well worth taking, a key formative moment in our literary common culture, well written and nicely researched."

"Free The Hops" Bill Passes Alabama Legislature

Alabamians may be on the way to enjoying a wider variety of the world's beer as the "Free The Hops" bill that would raise the alcohol level limit on beer from 6% to 13.9% passed the Senate and awaits Governor Bob Riley's signature:

The bill passed the Senate 22-9 and now goes to the governor. If signed, retailers would be allowed the sale of certain gourmet and imported beers in Alabama. Free the Hops, an organization which lobbied for the bill, says the beverages cost an average of $5 to $6 a bottle.

Whether Senator Erwin (PLEASE RUN FOR LT. GOVERNOR) had to pee really bad or just couldn't stay in the chamber, I am glad he left so this would pass. My only fear is that Riley, not needing any political capital at all, could very well veto the bill. His home county is still dry for heaven's sake. Anyway, please urge the Governor to "Free The Hops!"

H/T - FlashPoint

The GOP Coming Around On Recruitment

Amidst the "return to orthodoxy" rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, there are some Republicans who are taking a more practical approach in trying to regain the House, in particular the Rahm Emanuel approach:

California Representative Kevin McCarthy, the chief recruiter for House Republicans, said he wants his party to select candidates based less on ideology and more on their chances of winning. The goal, he said, is to seek out prospects who are ethnically diverse, female, less partisan and even supportive of abortion rights.

“Have you read ‘The Thumpin’?” McCarthy, 44, asked, citing a book about Emanuel’s brass-knuckles approach to winning control of the House for Democrats in 2006. “This isn’t original thought.”

In the 2006 election, Emanuel, 49, recruited anti- abortion, pro-gun candidates such as Brad Ellsworth, 50, a sheriff in Indiana, and Heath Shuler, 37, a former NFL quarterback, in North Carolina. The premise: identify candidates whose views best mirror those of their districts’ constituents rather than Democratic Party orthodoxy.

The only problem with this is that when you upset the activist part of your base you are more likely to have tough primary challenges. Still, this is a good move by the GOP in that most rabid partisans (most people that vote in primaries) are more pragmatic about party victory than ideological victory and the losses from inta-party opposition would be minimal. Certainly, just doing this won't get the GOP out of its current run right now, but that along with inevitable blow back from some of President Obama's policies, will help bring the Republican Party back to relevance. One major faux pas though, right now"these efforts are more concept than reality."

Marijuana Potency Continues To Rise

While not a user, this story interested me. According to "experts", average marijuana potency has been rising for 30 years and will balloon further in the coming years:

At the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project, where thousands of samples of seized marijuana are tested every year, project director Mahmoud ElSohly said some samples have THC levels exceeding 30 percent.

Average THC concentrations will continue to climb before leveling off at 15 percent or 16 percent in five to 10 years, ElSohly predicted.

Do We Really Need a Western Buddhism?

This post was inspired by a post by Arunlikhati over at Dharma Folk and by my comment to that post. Arunlikhati's post was regarding Western Buddhism and this idea by some in the west that western philosophy will somehow make Buddhism "better:" I personally don't think western Buddhists would make Buddhism better but simply different and more applicable to their/my culture. As the various Buddhist traditions around Asia aren't better than another (In my view, though some might think so) but reflect the needs and different aspects of their culture.

The term "Western Buddhist" is rather amorphous in my view. Since there is no native Buddhism in America a Western Buddhism would have to borrow much from an Asian Buddhist tradition but, which tradition? Or do we borrow a little bit from Theravada, Vajrayana, Mahayana and Zen (some place Zen into its own tradition of Buddhism)? Yet if we do that then doesn't it risk becoming the soup with too many ingredients, which cancel each other out leaving a odd and not so fulfilling taste?

And who makes those decisions? Will some council meet like the infamous Councils of Nicea in early Christianity, which some argue caused more harm than good. Or will there still be these different traditions but with the descriptor "Western" in front of it to delineate the tradition being influenced by "western" culture and philosophy. That is the option that I prefer and believe the most likely to emerge from the vague and foggy term, "Western Buddhism." For example, I now often say that I am a Western Zen Buddhist and if further pressed, "...as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh" to show that I am a westerner to describe my particular cultural tradition who practices Zen Buddhism.

I use to believe in a Western Buddhism but now I'm not so interested because of all the variables and questions that I mentioned.

I just think that the "western" part should apply only to the western culture and how it adds and influences whatever school of Asian Buddhism that a westerner follows. In this way we are honoring and maintaining as our foundation (the Asian traditions and heritage) but also paying respect and celebrating our western culture/philosophy as a wonderful addition to our particular traditions.

In the end It doesn't come down to any of this--these labels are mere fingers pointing to the glorious moon. It comes down to the present moment where labels mean nothing. However, it is an issue that needs to be discussed and fine tuned because right now "western Buddhists" are like a man without a country or a ship without a sail adrift in a sea of opposing currents and shifting winds.

PHOTO CREDIT: I couldn't find the photographer who took this but this is the site where I found it.

~Peace to all beings~

Strange Hits King Hard And Fast

GOP Attorney General challenger Luther Strange didn't even bother to put the gloves on as he attacked current Republican Attorney General Troy King right out of the gate:

Strange, a republican, slammed fellow GOP member King for what he called "ethical lapses, impropriety and incompetence" during King's tenure.

"The respect that the office earned under the leadership of our former Attorneys General, Senator Jeff Sessions and Judge Bill Pryor, has sadly declined," Strange said. "Alabamians can only restore integrity to the Office of Attorney General with a change in leadership."

As I said earlier, this really bodes well for the Democrats in 2010. Whether they can take the office is another story, but the field will probably swell if Strange continues on the war path.

Ventura On Waterboarding

Former Navy Seal Jesse Ventura on waterboarding:

A Swept Floor Never Stays Clean.

By Arnie Kozak

If you sweep the patio in November after leaves have fallen, you wouldn’t expect it to stay clean forever. The patio is like the mind. Mindfulness meditation practice can feel like sweeping the mind and clearing away the thoughts strewn about making a big mess.

It’s easy to get caught up in resistance and resentment toward these leaves: “Damn it, I just swept that floor!” Despite our protests, nature has another idea. Nature doesn’t care if we’ve swept the patio or how long it took us to do it. In the same way, the mind has its nature and it doesn’t really care about your agenda. The mind will continue to do what it does: give rise to thoughts. If we expect the mind to stay “swept,” we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.

Meditation will not “fix you”; it will not change things once and for all. Nothing can do this. Our job is to keep sweeping. Thoughts will continue to come and blow onto your clean-swept patio. Just sweep. No need to ask questions. No need to complain. Keep sweeping. We don’t need to analyze, interpret, or fix the leaves; time after time, we just need to sweep, returning to this moment just as it is, again, again, again.

With continued practice, we can start to recognize the wisdom in not reacting, or if reactions arise (as they sometimes will) of not amplifying them and feeding them. We can learn to enjoy the coming and going of the leaves—and even of the endless sweeping as well!

–Arnie Kozak, from Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants (Wisdom Publications).

~Peace to all beings~

A Fire Reflected in a Lake.

A fire reflected in a lake cannot burn the water. Neither can emotions disturb the mind when you don’t get involved in them. Don’t identify an emotion as your self. The fear or anger is not you, only an impersonal phenomenon.

Mentally pull back from the emotion and turn your awareness around to observe it. When in the grip of negative emotion we tend to believe it will never end. But emotions are no more permanent than thoughts.

With continued practice you’ll find that you only have to wait and any emotion, whether pleasant or unpleasant, is bound to change.

–Cynthia Thatcher, from Just Seeing: Insight Mediation and Sense-Perception (Buddhist Publication Society)

James: It sure is hard not to identify with emotions--especially when an emotional reaction is so ingrained within the psyche that its emergence seems totally involuntary. However, we know that at some level we have made a conscious choice to react in one way or another. We feel so helpless and at the mercy of these destructive and misery creating emotions. The suffering they engender is so great that it is like experiencing a nightmare.

A nightmare is a pseudo reality where the most ridiculous, terrifying and outlandish events stream through our mind like an all too real virtual reality, interactive video game. The nightmare seems so plausible--perhaps we find ourselves fleeing from a monster in our dream. Or maybe we get ourselves into some crazy situation such as a recurring dream of mine where I end up unjustly thrown in prison--an innocent man. The terror and suffering in those moments are so visceral that they can even cause the physical body to wake up sweating and gasping for air as if the body was in a real fight or flight situation.

There is, however, something called, "lucid dreaming" where a person is aware that they are dreaming--as they are dreaming. I have experienced this phenomenon every so often and it is often like watching things unfold from a third person point of view, which usually lessons the impact of the events. It is a way to step back from what is going on and get a bigger picture view of it all and see that in truth you are not going to die, or get thrown in prison or lose your parent, child or spouse. It is said that a person can train their mind to be able to go into this third person vantage point while dreaming to better deal with and process the events and impacts of the dreams.

In this way, I see meditation as the lucid dreaming of the waking state to be practiced and fine tuned to be a set of tools to enable us to walk through samsara and accumulate less heavy karmic debts.

~Peace to all beings~

Spring Evening Contemplation.

Clean, steady rain falls. Smell of damp soil. Tranquility envelopes all like a warm embrace. One awakened essence shines forth. Svaha!!

~They Call Him James R. Ure

Dana for Robert Aitken Roshi.

Robert Aitken Roshi is in very poor health and in need of our dana. I first heard about this from Al on his great blog Open Buddha. I can't say it any better than Al so I'm just going to re-post his great write up. I hope Al won't mind and please know that these words are his and not mine--thanks Al for bringing this to our attention (bowing):

Robert Aitken Roshi is one of the earliest Western teachers of Zen still alive today. He was exposed to Zen while in a Japanese internment camp in Kobe, Japan after being captured as a worker in Guam. Following the war, he went on to study in America and then in Japan before returning to the States. He has been teaching here in the West continually for 50 years now. I’ve read a number of his books and have learned a lot from them.

Aitken Roshi has been sick for a number of years now, suffering a stroke a few years ago. While he isn’t destitute, he does require round the clock care. I read today that he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s recently but has been active in his sangha in spit [sic] of his illness. Because of his care requirements, there has been a general call to the Buddhist community for support and financial help for Aitken Roshi, a man who has given his life to the Dharma. He is not going to be able to afford the care on his own for very long and there is no retirement plan for Zen masters.

I’ve donated to help and I would encourage others to consider doing the same as well. You can find out more information, as well as give donatations, at http://www.aitkenroshi.org.

James: Master Aitken has done so much for Zen and Buddhism here in America and around the world. Let us all come together and help make his suffering a bit less through a donation. He looks so old and frail in that picture yet noble and beautiful as ever--he shows us that growing old and getting sick need not be as miserable as our mind would want to make it.

Dana is a Buddhist principle of donating or giving something we value to others that helps alieviate the suffering of others and purify our minds of one of the three poisons--greed. Dana need not be money--in fact one of the things that is most valuable is our time. Spending time just being with other people and sharing a moment is sharing the precious gift of mindfulness and suchness. And it need not include a lot of talking--some of the most wonderful moments that I've shared with others has been just sharing silence together and enjoying the sounds of nature around us.

~Peace to all beings~

For May Day -- I give you Big Bill Haywood

Happy May Day, Comrades. Remember back when Red States had nothing do to with Republicans and May Day had nothing to do with trees and birds and saving the environment? Red meant RED, as in communist or socialist, and May Day was for Revolution.

Ninety years ago today, on May Day 1919, Socialists staged Red Flag marches in every major American city. It was American socialism was at its peak. Almost a million American workers went on strike against The Capitalist Enemy, led by radicals like William Z. Foster and Louis Fraina. Bolsheviks had just taken power in Russia, and Eugene Debs would soon win almost a million votes for President in 1920 running from a prison cell on the Socialist ticket. The Red Scare was at its peak, and Emma Goldman was still scaring the socks off complacent American bourgoisie.

And of all the prominent lefties, the emblemmatic leader was Big Bill Haywood, president of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies) -- the biggest, baddest, toughest, roughest leftiest labor leader of them all.


Haywood wanted his IWW to be "One Big Union" for the entire American working class to battle the Corporate Plutocrats of J.P. Morgan's Gilded Age. IWW organizers often faced lynching or murder by company detectives. Strikers back them faced beatings, blacklists, and trumped-up prosecutions. But Haywood -- a former cowpoke and miner -- didn't shy away from pushing back, using sabotage or strong-arm tactics where needed. In 1905, the murder of Idaho governer Frank Steunenberg after a bitter strike set the stage for one of the great American courtroom dramas. Idaho prosecutors, backed by Pinkerton detectives, fingered Haywood for murder, and famed Chicago lawyer Clarance Darrow traveled to Idaho to fight the charges. He won Haywood an acquittal.


During the World War I, Federal agents under direction of President Woodrow Wilson launched a sweeping crackdown of the IWW. His Justice Department arrested over 100 IWWs and in 1918 tried them en masse for Espionage. Haywood, convicted and facing prison, fled to Bolshevik Russia for his final years.

So this May Day, forget the flowers and trees. Forget the Red States and Blue States. Let's all wear Red, sing The Internationale, shake our fists at the Power Structure, and toast Big Bill Haywood, a socialist's socialist, a radical's radical, a Red's Red -- as American as apple pie.


The best book on Bill Haywood is his own autobiogrpahy, pubished in 1929. Click here for the link to Amazon.com .