FROM IRIS IN ISRAEL
I am at home, in Tel Aviv. I am safe, for the time being. I have no view of the situation, do not know, do not understand, just huge hole of emptiness, abyss of nothingness. Just shocked. Brokenhearted. I have never had such an experience in my life, since I was born, even living in this land of war and conflict. Never expected such a terrifying, horrible, unbearable thing.
I do not know what will happen here, in the short run or in the future.I know that I do not want revenge, I do not want actions of aggressive revenge. I do not want innocent citizens in Gaza to be killed under the IDF attacks now.
I know that our country and people are in deep pain and helpless grieving. Each of us. There is a kind of silence in the streets, silence of shock and fear, silence of frozen movement. And I know that I have an amazing sangha, getting more and more support, love, compassion, prayers - from so many members of our sangha, again and again. I am grateful for those. Namo Amida Bu
VIDEO: HEIRS IN DHARMA
Here is the Dharma talk (22 minutes) given by Dharmavidya at the Upavastha on the last day of September
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hbvh3b2yj2o46wks25d02/GMT20230930HB.mp4?rlkey=5eizafxnqevcn4nvx674muric&dl=0ZEN THERAPY - THE BOOK
Zen Therapy is David Brazier's most influential book, presenting key Buddhist teachings through the lens of psychology. The book is in three sections with a middle section that makes available the teachings of the conditioning of the mind found in the Abhidharma. This section show how and where Buddhist teaching anticipates modern psychology and when it differs. A very practical section. Other chapters cover the basics of Buddhist ethics, mindfulness, compassion, love & wisdom and other important topics, including the experience of loss and its spiritual meaning.
https://www.google.fr/books/edition/Zen_Therapy/8QCeBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0BUDDHA & DANTE
Last Wednesday, Angela took us through a reading and sharing about the "Primo Canto" of Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri. After being lost in a dark forest and coming to the dead end of a valley, the writer aspires to climb the mountain, but his way is blocked by three beasts which are, following the prophet Jeremiah, a leopard, a lion and a she-wolf, representing respectively conflict, pride and avarice. There is also here a play on the symbols of some political groupings, such that the leopard represents the quarreling factions in Florence, the city from which Dante was at this time exiled, the lion represents the haughtiness of the King of France and the wolf representing the avarice of the Papacy. As a Buddhist reader one cannot avoid the parallel with hate, pride and greed, the three poisons, that obstruct one from spiritual ascent. Usually, we put them in the order greed, hate & delusion, but Dante's order has a certain psychological sense because, in the process of analysis, it is normal first to encounter resistance, the defense and aggression that seeks to ward off the knowledge. Hence hate is the first defense of avidya. Beyond this lie all the machinations of the ego, so pride and conceit come next. Finally greed or lust is the most fundamental to life and, in the Anthill Sutra, is closest to the Naga serpent. So we were able to run together high literature, poetry, allegory, medieval Italian politics, Buddhism and the spiritual journey. An evening well spent. Namo Amida Bu;
BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY SEMINARS
At the last seminars we discussed "Ritual & Therapy". Some of the issues that came up were as follows
- Structure & spontaneity, space & boundary, a container for powerful/dangerous emotions & a protected space for creativity..
- Spontaneity emerging from structure vs spontaneity without structure.
- Ritual vs habit - what is the difference? Can ritual change habit? Can a habit become a ritual, or vice versa?
- Symbol & symbolic objects.
- How symbolic objects can trigger spontaneous responses.
- How structure gives security, but unfamiliar structure can provoke anxiety.
- How therapy is a ritual.
- How life is full of rituals (or are they just habits? or conventions?).
“I used to think that nothing in my life was a ritual - now I think everything is."
- The relation of ritual to what is sacred or more meaningful.
- How ritual supports custom, tradition & established values.
- How rituals are memorable acts that mark milestones on the journey of life (birth, coming of age, marriage, birthdays, anniversaries, ordinations, graduations, funerals, etc).
- Ritual as a way to create cohesion in a community & as a generator of social power, for good or ill.
- The rituals of justice, trials, execution, reconciliation.
- How a ritual act or object can yield or support a meaning or, alternatively, make a psychological connection.
.- How, in a formal ritual, most participants are not the central figure, so ritual may have to do with playing one’s part or accepting one’s lot.
- Ritual roles as a way of letting go of familiar self-identity.
- How taking on a role may stifle spontaneity or may enable one to access new possibilities.
- What makes one feel secure? more alive? part of a greater whole? free?
If you are interested in joining the programme, contact
NEMBUTSU FOR ALL
Taijun Kasahara: Regardless of age, sex, race, cultural background, an intellectual person or not, a virtuous person or not, a follower of a religious sect or not, everyone can be born in Pure Land. All you need is to chant Nembutsu with faith in the Vow Power of Amida Buddha.Namu Amida Butsu.
https://t.ly/aDfgk MY FRIENDS
My friends, why are you killing?
My friends, why are you dying?
Oh, my friends, hostages for what?
My friend, what are you doing with that tank? that airplane? that bomb?
My friend, what is the purpose of your speech so full of war?
My friends are dying, killing, driven out, driving out, oppressed, oppressing,
in terror & terrorising, kidnapped & kidnapping.
Would that you were all kids napping, not grown ups spreading hate.
Is it too late?