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http://www.UrbanDharma.org
...Buddhism for Urban America
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The
Urban Dharma Newsletter... April 15, 2003
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In
This Issue:
2. 11 young adults retreat to streets for firsthand look at
homelessness ...By Rebecca Jones
3. Generosity ... by Dr. Gene Reeves
4. Generosity, the first of The Six Paramitas excerpted
from Way to Go by Khentin Tai Situ Pa
5.
Temple/Center/Website- of the Week: Sakya Tsechen Thubten
Ling
6. Book Review: The Giving Heart: Unlocking the Trans
formative power of Generosity in your life ... M. J. Ryan
and Sylvia Boorstein
7. Peace Quote...
-------------------------------
2. 11 young adults retreat to streets for firsthand look at
homelessness ...By Rebecca Jones ...April 14, 2003 / News
jonesr@RockyMountainNews.com
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/education/article/0,1299,DRMN_957_1886717,00.html
Corey
Golden shivered through the night, huddled between a thin blanket
and a sheet of cardboard, waiting for dawn and the start of
his third day on the streets.
He
and his friends, mostly students at Naropa University in Boulder,
were to spend five days living on the streets of Denver, begging
for money, scrounging food and learning to understand what homeless
people face every day.
The
10 of them - an 11th would join them later - were taking part
in the second Denver Street Retreat March 25-29, a project of
the Peacemaker Institute, a Boulder activist and training organization
closely allied with Naropa.
Dressed
in their scruffiest clothes and forgoing bathing for three days
before the retreat, the participants rode to Denver on the bus
on a Tuesday. They staked out a spot in Lawson Park, at 23rd
and Welton streets, as a sort of home base, then fanned out
in small groups to start tasting the life of the streets.
And
mostly, it went well. They didn't go hungry. They didn't really
miss their cell phones, their cars or the accoutrements of everyday
middle-class life. Begging was a mental challenge, but they
met kind people, colorful characters and had ample time for
reflection and meditation - important aspects of their Buddhist
theology.
But
Golden, 20, a religious studies major from Maine, really wished
he hadn't left his sleeping bag behind in Boulder. He was cold.
And frigid as the night was, the next day's weather was expected
to be even worse.
A
snowstorm was predicted. Anxiety nibbled at the edges of his
fitful sleep.
'Adopted
by a saint'
When
he finally awoke the next morning, Golden was much warmer. During
the night, someone had covered him with a sleeping bag.
It
was Jesus' sleeping bag. But Jesus himself was nowhere to be
found.
Jesus
Velasquez, 29, a homeless Mexican who has spent five of the
past 10 years living on the streets of Denver, had befriended
the group the day before. He steered them to the best places
to eat free, the best places to get in out of the cold. And
he shared his own philosophy of voluntary homelessness with
them.
"The
sky is my roof, and the grass is my floor," he told them.
"What else could I want?"
"I
think," said retreat leader Fleet Maull, an adjunct faculty
member at Naropa and an ordained priest in the Zen Peacemaker
Order, "we've been adopted by a saint."
Jesus
periodically joined the group throughout their days as they
met for "council," a twice-daily chance to come together
and share their thoughts about their experiences, and as they
went about their begging.
Begging
is a spiritual practice in Buddhist tradition, and each of the
retreat participants had to beg at least $3.50 - enough for
bus fare home to Boulder.
"Remember,"
said Maull, when one participant acknowledged his revulsion
at the prospect, "begging is giving others the opportunity
to act generously."
Charley
Cropley, 57, a naturopathic physician in Boulder, found he has
quite a talent for begging. His first day on the streets, someone
gave him a $20 bill and he felt like he'd won the Lotto. So
successful was he in collecting money, the others started calling
him their "begging coach."
"I
relieved Charley of his $20, and left him with $5," Maull
said. "It was kind of a totalitarian thing to do, but I
also relieved him of the burden of walking around with $20."
Cropley's
awe at the generosity of strangers never left him.
"Yesterday
I approached four women - normally I just asked men - and told
them, 'I'll be sleeping on the street tonight and I'd like something
to eat,' " Cropley said. "And they said 'OK.' And
one gave me $1. And one gave me $10. After that, I was just
shaking with gratitude.
"It's
hard for me to tell you how grateful I felt to those people.
You think people despise you, yet so many people are not that
way. The people that give you food at the shelters - what would
you do without them? You would die without people's kindness.
And there's nothing in it for them. There's no explanation for
it. It's just kindness.
"It's
very close to God. It is God."
Sights,
sounds of the street
That's
how Golden felt when he discovered Jesus' sleeping bag.
"I
don't think Jesus knew if he'd ever see his sleeping bag again,"
Golden said. "That kind of humanity is just unbelievable."
But
sure enough, they ran into Jesus later at the Volunteers of
America, where they went for breakfast.
Their
days soon took on a sort of grinding rhythm: They would awake
and search for a place to relieve themselves. Then they'd have
breakfast at VOA, followed by morning council. Then down to
Holy Ghost Church, where they could get a sandwich. Rumor on
the streets is that the best free lunch in town is at David
Clifton Ministries, 1248 Bannock St.
But
Hollie Laudal, 22, a graduate student in Engaged Buddhism, was
wary of going any place where the food comes with a heaping
portion of evangelism.
"There
was this one preacher who kept asking me all during lunch if
I was a child of God," she said at the afternoon council
on Day 2. "I'm not sure it's worth going through that again
just to get food."
The
days were theirs to spend as they chose. Some spent a day volunteering
at a Catholic Workers charity. Some hopped a bus to attend a
Justice for Janitors rally at the Denver Tech Center. The library
offered a warm, quiet, safe haven. The bus station was a good
place to go to watch news of the war in Iraq.
Erin
Welleber, 25, working on a degree in Engaged Buddhism, found
comfort spending one afternoon sitting by a sound barrier at
Union Station. "I sat by that wall and listened to the
trains," she said. "That's not a sound I hear very
often, and it was nice."
The
group rejoined every afternoon, usually in Civic Center Park,
for their second council of the day. Afterward, they resumed
begging and hunting for dinner.
The
Network, a coffeehouse for street people at 14th Avenue and
Pearl Street, became a favorite nighttime hangout, though the
place troubled some participants.
"I
was enjoying playing cards at the Network. I was beginning to
feel at ease there," said Josh Weinstein, 33, a graduate
student in the divinity program at Naropa, on his second Street
Retreat. "But at the same time, there was a little boy
there who was crying and no one was addressing his needs. And
it was real smoky and there was a lot of aggressive language."
Golden
also had a bad experience at the Network. He was watching a
game of dominoes, but when he made eye contact with one of the
domino players, the man cursed him and threatened him.
Just
two days into the retreat, the stress of the streets was starting
to get to him, to change him.
"This
morning, as I was going to the Porta-Potty, a construction worker
glared at me, and I glared right back," Golden said.
Homelessness
isn't a holiday
The
others acknowledged that the first couple of days were difficult.
They were subdued, tired, feeling totally out of their element.
Three days into their project, the predicted snow arrived, and
they were wet in addition to being cold.
But
by the start of Day 4, with only 24 hours to go, the group was
in a jovial mood.
"I
was at the library and it really smelled, and I thought it was
me," Golden confided to his friends at a council meeting.
"Then I found out it was a couple of other fellows stinking,
and I was relieved."
The
group, now into its seventh day without bathing or changing
clothes, broke into laughter.
"I'm
not really anxious to leave," Weinstein said. "It
will be nice to get home, to see my family, but I'm not in any
hurry. This is becoming really precious to me."
But
for Cropley, master beggar, the most profound realization of
the grimness of life on the streets was yet to come.
It
was a Friday night, and he had just about 12 hours left to go.
He was in the bus station, and he was warm. The group always
delayed bedding down for the night as long as possible. They
wouldn't seek space at a shelter because they didn't want to
take a bed away from anyone for whom homelessness is more than
a spring break reality. By midnight, they could delay the inevitable
no longer.
"I'm
tired, and thinking of going out and finding some cardboard
in a Dumpster, and spreading it out on the sidewalk and being
cold . . . Ugh!" Cropley said. "I don't want to do
this again!"
"And
soon, I'm going home," he said. "But for others, every
single night is this way. It's unimaginable to me."
'Streets
have been generous'
The
group convened its last council at 11 a.m. the next day. Maull
praised them. "You've faced a lot of stuff, and you really
surrendered to the discipline of the street," he said.
"I'm
scared to go home," Laudal admitted. "I don't want
to stay here, but I'm scared I'll forget parts of my experience.
We've only been here five days, but already I'm starting to
see a number of familiar faces, and I just don't want to forget
them."
Jesus
was there with them.
"I
wish you all a long life," he told his new friends. "Hopefully
the love between us will never die. I wish all of you to be
happy. I love you all."
Roger
Crampton, 28, a graduate student from Dallas who hopes to one
day become a spiritual director, couldn't stand it. Jesus, he
announced, was welcome to come home with him. Jesus accepted.
Not forever, of course. Just for a night.
They
counted the money they'd begged: They'd already given much of
it away, but still had $28 left, in addition to the $3.50 each
needed for a bus ticket home.
Each
of them would take $1 and find someone to give it to on the
walk to the bus station. Another $3.50 would go toward getting
Jesus a bus ticket to Boulder.
The
rest they'd give to Crampton so he could treat Jesus to a nice
meal that evening.
They
ended the retreat as they had started it: sitting in a circle
for a few moments of silence and gratitude at all they'd experienced.
"The
streets," Maull said, "have been generous."
3. Generosity ... by Dr. Gene
Reeves
*
http://www.ibc-rk.org/010603%20Generosity.htm
The
bodhisattva way, which can be understood simply as doing good
or being helpful for others, is advocated in the Lotus Sutra.
Within the traditions of Buddhism there are many ideas about
the bodhisattva path, but one of the practices found throughout
Buddhism is generosity, the first of the six bodhisattva practices
or "perfections" (generosity, morality, patient endurance
of hardship, persistence, concentration and wisdom).
"Generosity
is a translation of the Sanskrit Buddhist term dana.
It has been translated into Japanese as fuse, the original
meaning of which is to give coins, especially to monks.
There
is a story about a king and his three sons, namely Mahapranada,
Mahadeva and Mahasattva. One day the king took the three princes
for a walk in the garden. The boys wandered off by themselves
into the woods, where they met a female tiger with five cubs
who had just been born. The mother tiger was so exhausted after
delivery that she could not move to get food for her hungry,
newborn cubs. The three princes were afraid of the tigress,
but they did not have anything to give to feed her. These princes
discussed with each other "What should we do for this tigress?"
Mahasattva,
then, decided to give his body to feed the tigress and threw
his body in front of her. But she did not try to eat him. Realizing
that she hardly had enough energy to move, Mahasattva cut himself
with a bamboo stick, so that the smell of his blood stimulated
the tigress to eat his body.
We
are told that Mahasattva later became Shakyamuni Buddha, and
that having made such an extreme act of generosity was a cause
of his enlightenment. This story illustrates extreme generosity
in order to encourage people to become more generous.
There
are two meanings of "generosity" in English. The first
is liberality in giving, which can be translated into Japanese
as kandai, and the other is freedom from smallness or
narrowness of mind, which corresponds to the Japanese phrase
kokoro ga hiroi. Dr. Reeves said that both of these two
meanings are included in the Buddhist notion of dana
and correspond to the Japanese translation of fuse whose
broad meaning includes both being generous in giving and openness.
Dr.
Reeves explained several types of generosity. Making donations
of money or things to others and to organizations is a basic
component of giving and generosity. Most religious organizations,
for example, have to have donations to survive.
However,
in the Lotus Sutra, more important than giving money or things
is to give the Dharma to others. One who has the received the
Dharma from others is to pass it on to others, so that Dharma-wheel
rolls on and on.
The
so-called transference of blessings is also a sign of generosity.
In Chapter 7 of the Lotus Sutra we find:
"May
the blessing from this recitation
extend
to all,
That we with all the living
together attain the Buddha way."
This
is a kind of generosity related in the Lotus Sutra. The purpose
of this expression is to open our hearts to share what we have
done with others. From this sense we can understand that we
are a part of wide and extensive community, and that we recite
not only for individual benefit but for the benefit of others
as well.
In
addition to these meanings, moral support or encouragement is
also a kind of embodiment of generosity. The Founder of Rissho
Kosei-kai, Nikkyo Niwano, was always very generous with his
smile. It always encouraged us and was a kind of gift.
The
other side of generosity is openness. This might mean exercising
skills of listening so that one is really able to hear others.
Listening to people who are angry or disappointed may require
an extra effort, but it will heal those people.
To
be generous, not only in giving, but in having an open attitude
toward others or other religious movements is also an act of
generosity and the mark of a generous person. Thus, we should
never say that all truths are in Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra teaches
that wherever and whenever people are doing good the dharma
is present, whether or not anyone has ever heard of Buddhism.
In this sense, the important notion of generosity can be understood
not only as giving, a kind of outgoing, but also as receiving,
a kind of welcoming. Thus there are both directions to generosity,
namely away from attachment to things and to self and away from
selfishness and self-centeredness.
Dr.
Reeves concluded by referring briefly to Chapter 17 of the Lotus
Sutra, which teaches how to be generous.
It
says if we are generous we will be rewarded. But if we are generous
in order to be rewarded, we will be disappointed. This tells
us we should be generous both in the sense of giving and in
sense of openness toward others. But if our real intention is
to gain rewards, then we are the opposite of generous.
"Let
us be generous with one another!"
4. Generosity, the first of The Six Paramitas excerpted
from Way to Go by Khentin Tai Situ Pa
*
http://www.samyeling.org/Buddhism/Teachers/Tai%20Situ/4ktsrParamitaGenerosity.htm
The
practice of generosity is to give what is worthwhile and to
give it with non-attachment. This can be studied through three
main aspects: giving things, giving loving protection and giving
loving understanding. The teaching on the first of these, material
generosity, explains what is proper generosity and what is improper.
We should abandon improper generosity and practice the proper
one.
Motivation
is very important when we give. If we give with a wrong motivation,
such as making gifts which we hope will harm others or which
we intend to bring us fame, or if we give with an inferior motivation
such as through fear of future poverty, then that is improper.
What we actually give is also important. A Bodhisattva should
never give what is harmful, for instance, when he gives something
suitable it should be generously, not meanly. To whom we give
to is important - always pandering to the wishes of the crazy
and the gluttonous would not be proper generosity. Finally,
how we make our gift is important. The Bodhisattva avoids reluctant
giving, angry giving, disrespectful giving and scornful, derisory
giving, all of which are improper.
Proper
generosity is to give whatever we have and there are many wonderful,
inspiring stories of great Bodhisattvas who have given their
own flesh to nourish starving animals. Whatever we can manage
to give, we give to those who need it, paying particular attention
to help those who represent the Three Jewels, those who have
helped us - our parents especially - whose who are sick and
unprotected, and also those who are our particular enemies or
rivals. The way in which we make our gift to them should be
joyfully, respectfully, with a compassionate heart and without
regret. It is better to give with one's own hand rather than
through others, to give at just the right time, and, of course,
to give without harming others. Impartial giving is best and
a wise person gives just what is needed.
The
second form of generosity is to give our loving protection to
those in fear: in fear of others, in fear of sickness and death
and in fear of catastrophe.
The
third form of generosity is to make the priceless gift of Dharma.
This does not mean indiscriminately preaching to anyone and
everyone. It means helping those who have respect for the Dharma,
for the truth, to understand it. With a very pure motivation,
we should humbly and compassionately pass on the authentic teachings
that we ourselves have understood well from a proper teacher.
The thing to avoid is a mixture of personal opinion and the
classical teachings and, of course, any sort of self-centred
motivation. The truth is something both rare and precious and
deserves to be talked about in a pleasant way and in a proper
place. The classical way to give teachings is well discussed
in the Sutras and, in a general way, we should know better than
to jumble Dharma with worldly conversation.
These
are the three basic forms of generosity. It was the first of
the paramitas to be taught by the Buddha because it is one of
the easiest to understand and everyone can practice it. It is
also the foundation for the other five paramitas.
5. Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling
*
http://sakya.thinkbig.ca/
9471
Beckwith Road, Richmond, BC Canada V6X 1V8
Tel:
(604) 244-8439 * Fax: (604) 275-8933 * email: sakya@thinkbig.ca
About
Tibetan Buddhism & Sakya
History
It
is believed in traditional Tibetan history that the spread of
Buddhism to Tibet was brought about by holy activities of Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas and mainly through the efforts of Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara. The spread of Buddhism to Tibet was itself prophesied
by Lord Buddha in the Manjusrimulatantra.
Prior
to the spread of Buddhism to Tibet, Tibetan's indigenous religion
and culture was Bon. Buddhism began to spread to Tibet in two
disseminations beginning with period of the Three Great Religious
Kings. The first religious was the king Srong-btsan-sgam-po
of the Yar Lung dynasty, 33rd in the royal linage (ca. 618-650).
This king was the emanation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
and he opened the door and established both the Buddhist religion
and the political order. He built the great Potala palace and
two temples in Lhasa. Under his reign, a legal system combining
religious and secular principles was established. The king himself
also gave oral teachings of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
The
second religious king was Khri-srong-Ide'u-btsan, 37th
in the royal line, an emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri
(ca. 740-798). In this period, Buddhism flourished immensely
with the coming together of the Abbot- Santaraksita and the
Preceptor- Padmasambava who were invited to Tibet by the King.
From here, the translation of Buddha's teachings were carried
out, the assembly of monks were established and the first monastery
in Tibet, the temple of Samye was built. The two system of laws-
the religious law and the laws of the kingdom, was further spread
and strengthened. The third religious king was Lord Ral-pa-can,
39th in the royal line and an emanation of Vajrapani. This king
continued to build Buddhist monasteries and by royal edict,
he appointed seven families for the support of each group of
four monks. He also standardized the translation language for
religious texts and established the methods of translations
and transmissions of Buddha's teachings.
The
death of Ral-pa marked the end of the first dissemination in
Tibet, after which Buddhism went quiet in Tibet. Buddhism was
revived in 1042 in Tibet, with the arrival of Lord Atisha marking
the start of the second dissemination. From hereon, Buddhism
firmly established its roots in Tibet. In 1244, Sakya Pandita,
the head of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, became
the ruler of the whole of Tibet when he was appointed regent
by the Mongol ruler Godan. In 17th century, the Gelupas became
rulers of Tibet and in 1642, the 5th Dalai Lama (1617-1682)
became the first Dalai Lama to rule Tibet, this tradition continued
until today until the 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935) fled Tibet after
the change of circumstances there in 1959.
The
Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Four
schools of the Tibetan Buddhism had arisen in the first and
second disseminations of Buddhism to Tibet. The Nyingma Tradition
is the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism, which was founded
during the first disseminations of Buddhism to Tibet in 8th
century. The remaining three schools were founded in the second
dissemination. The Kagyu Tradition was founded by Marpa,
Miarepa and Gampopa. This tradition stemmed from the teachings
of great India Mahasiddhas such as Naropa. The Gelugpa Tradition
was founded by the 14th century philosopher Tsong Khapa and
during 7th century which became the dominant political force
in central Tibet. The Sakya School was founded by Khön
Konchok Gyalpo in 1073 where he established the Sakya monastery
in south central of Tibet. Within the Sakya School, there is
the principal branch of Sakya and the two main sub-sects of
Ngorpa and Tsharpa.
The
arising of the Sakya Tradition
The
roots of Sakya tradition grew from the ancient times when three
brothers of a celestial race descended from the heaven of clear
light into Tibet in order to benefit beings. Sometime after
their descent, they found themselves in conflict with a group
of demons known as Rakshas. During this conflict, a love affair
ensued between one of the clear light gods, Yapang Kye, and
the raksha daughter Yatuk Silima. They bore a son named Khön
Bar-kye meaning 'he who is born between love and strife'. This
was how the name Khön came to be known in Tibet. The members
of the Khön family then became students of Guru
Padmasambhava and one of the Khön sons became one of the
first seven Tibetans to receive monastic ordination. From this
time until 11th century, the Khön family were supporters
and followers of the old school Nyingma tradition.
New
Tantras began to arrive in Tibet in 11th century and the old
school began to decline, Khön Konchok Gyalpo (1034-1102)
decided that the Khön family should also seek out on the
new Tantras. In the water buffalo year of 1073 Khön Konchok
Gyalpo founded the Sakya monastery in Tsang province of south
central Tibet which marked the start of the Sakya tradition.
Lord Buddha Shakyamuni himself prophesied in the Manjushri tantra
that a Sakya monastery would cause the teachings to flower in
Tibet. Lord Atisha (982-1053), on his way from India to Tibet
in 1040 C.E, was said to have made offerings in the location
where the monastery would later be built known as "white
earth" and he also prophesied that this place would witness
one Avalokitesvara incarnation, seven Manjushri incarnations
and one Vajrapani incarnation. Through many years of Tibetan
history, there were indications that these visions had materilised.
The word "Sakya" means "white earth" in
Tibetan and the Sakya tradition is named after the patch of
white earth where Lord Atisha made these prophesies.
In
12th and 13th centuries, the Sakya tradition rose to a prominent
position in Tibet. This rise of position was brought about by
the efforts of the Five Great Sakya Masters: Sachen Kunga
Nyingpo (1092-1158), Sonam Tsemo (1142-1182), Jetsun Dapka Gyaltsen
(1147-1216), Sakya Pandita (1182-1251) and Chogyal Phakpa (1235-1280).
After them, there were the Six Ornaments of Tibet: Yakton
Sangye Pal, Rongton Sheja Kunrig, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo, Dzongpa
Kunga Namgyal, Gorampa Sonam Senge and Shakya Chogden.
The
three schools in the Sakya tradition
The
main branch of the Sakya tradition is currently under the leadership
of 41st throne holder of Sakya, His Holiness Sakya Trizin
of the Drolma Podrang. As with other traditions of Tibetan Buddhsim,
a number of sub-divisions of the Sakya tradition also emerged
from the main Sakya tradition. The two main sub-sects are the
Ngorpa sub-sect and the Tsharpa sub-sect.
The
Ngorpa sub-sect was founded by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo
(1382-1457) with the establishment of the Ngor Evam Moastery
in 1430. The current head of Ngorpa sub-sect is His Eminence
Ludhing Khenchen Rinpoche.
The
Tsharpa sub-sect was founded by Tsarchen Losal Gyatso
(1502-1556) with the establishment of the Dar Drongmoche Monastery.
The current head of Tsharpa sub-sect is His Eminence Chogye
Trichen Rinpoche.
Lamdre
Lamdre
is the golden and the central teaching and practice of the Sakya
tradition. The term Lamdre is a Tibetan term meaning "the
path including its result". It originated from
the one of the great Indian Mahasiddhas, Virupa.
Lamdre
contains teachings and practices covering the whole range of
sutra and tantra teachings given by Lord Buddha. But its main
teachings are based on the Hevajra Tantra. Lamdre was brought
to Tibet by the Tibetan translator, Drogmi Lotsawa, in the middle
of 10th century, and was later codified in 12th century by Sachen
Kunga Nyingpo. This teaching has since been passed down through
an unbroken lineage of masters to the present day. During the
time of Muchen Sempa Chenpo Konchok Gyeltsen, Lamdre was
divided into two sub-traditions: The Explanation for Private
Disciples or the uncommon Lamdre (Lobshey) and the Explanation
for the Assembly or the common Lamdre (Tshogshe).
The
crux to this golden teaching is the inseparability of the worldly
existence (Samsara) and enlightenment (Nirvana). It follows
that Nirvana is merely a transformation of Samsara. There is
no abandoning of Samsara in order to achieve Nirvana, as the
mind is the root of Samsara and Nirvana. Realising this inseparability
is the key to attaining enlightenment.
It
is said that Lamdre is the complete path to enlightenment,
and is divided into two parts: the preliminary section and the
tantric section. The preliminary section contains the
instructions and teachings on sutras of Lord Buddha and focuses
on the three visions: impure vision, the vision of experience
and the pure vision. The tantric section is esoteric
or tantric teachings, which include teachings on the Three Tantras.
Lamdre is given by a single teacher (who is an officially recognised
lineage holder) in a single place over a period of four to six
weeks generally. Within the Sakya school, wherein the Lamdre
lineage lies, there are only a handful of lineage holders in
any generation.
Teachers
The
Dalai Lama of Tibet, is internationally recognized as a
spokesman for peace, non-violence and understanding among different
cultures and religions. He has resided in exile in India since
1959, when China forcefully occupied Tibet. He leads the Tibetan
government in exile in Dharamsala, India, and has worked to
establish educational, cultural and religious instituitions
to preserve the Tibetan culture. In 1989, he received the Nobel
Peace Prize.
His
Holiness the Sakya Trizin - "It is my belief and hope
that by the translation of this work at this present time all
foreigners who are interested in the teaching of the Buddha
and generally all the people of this world will obtain the new
eye of wisdom that easily traverses the path to liberation,
and that they will greatly increase their celebration of temporary
and long term peace and happiness." His Holiness Sakya
Trizin is the Spritual Head of the Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling
Center in Vancouver, Canada.
His
Eminence Ratna Vajra Sakya was born in 1974 at Dehradun,
Uttar Pradesh. He did his basic religious studies at the Sakya
Centre, Rajpur. He then joined the Sakya College and finished
his Kachupa degree. He has given many teachings and initiations
in India and abroad and has also done many retreats on the principal
deities of the Sakyapa Order.
Her
Eminence Jetsun Chimey Luding, or Jetsun Kusho, is a leading
female teacher of tibetan buddhism living in the West. Jetsunma
is one of three women in the history of Tibet to have given
the Lamdre ("path and its fruition") teachings, the
special system of contemplative and meditative practice of the
Sakya order. Thus, she is a thoroughly trained lineage holder.
Jetsun
Chimey Luding is the Resident Spiritual Director of the Sakya
Tsechen Thubten Ling Center in Vancouver, Canada.
Khenpo
Lungrik Senge was born in Eastern Tibet in 1950. He was
ordained at the age of sixteen at the Sakya Centre in India
and was among the first group of students to enter the Sakya
College where he later became a teacher there instructing His
Holiness Sakya Trizin's sons, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and Gyana
Vajra Rinpoche. He also taught Her Eminence Jetsun Chimey Luding's
son, His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche (Junior)
6. The Giving Heart: Unlocking the Trans formative power of
Generosity in your life ... M. J. Ryan and Sylvia Boorstein
*
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573245216/wwwkusalaorg-20/
Book
Description
In
her latest examination of the virtues people need to cultivate
for the 21st century, The Works magazine columnist M. J. Ryan
shows how giving time, energy, kind words, loving gestures,
and forgiveness will, in the end, matter more than any amount
of money. Through heartfelt essays, Ryan encourages everyone
to give from the joyous overflow of a loving heart, to consider
how they are stingy, and to think about types of generosity.
In a down-to-earth way, she gets to the heart of giving and
what it does for the giver and the recipient.
Amazon.com-
Reviewer: A reader from Raleigh, NC United States...
This book will touch your spirit as well as provide information
on how we can responsibly help others while helping ourselves.
Finished it in 2 sessions. Highly recommend for those who utilize
'giving' as part of their personal spirituality. Give it as
a gift and share it's transformative powers.
7. Peace Quote...
War
is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the
expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the
satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the
surprise at everyone's being worse off. - Karl Kraus (1874-1936)
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