Category Archives: Daily Buddhism

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

Book: Here You Are, By Mayke Beckmann Briggs

Here You Are, Mayke Beckmann Briggs
Here You Are, Mayke Beckmann Briggs

Book: Here You Are
By Mayke Beckmann Briggs
Reviewed by Brian Schell
Boathouse Books, 42 Pages, ISBN 9780977646913
Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0977646912/?tag=askdrarca-20

There are umpteen-gazillion books out there, both good and bad, concerning Buddhism for adult readers. There are very few good books for Children that involve Buddhist ideas. Books based upon the Jataka Tales are classics, but those stories are ancient and somewhat generic in nature. Modern-day Buddhist children books are starting to enter the market, albeit slowly. This is one of them.

It’s a durable hardcover children’s book with heavy pages and bright colors throughout. The text is short and extremely simple, and even beginning readers will be able to move through the book quickly. The drawings are simple but bright, and mostly involve ‚ÄúYou,‚Äù the central character in the story. Unlike stories about 3rd-person characters, ‚ÄúYou‚Äù are the center of attention here. Fortunately, since the pronoun ‚ÄúYou‚Äù works whether reading the book yourself or having the book read to you, it’s a neat idea.

The subject here is about the main character, who asks the questions, ‚ÄúWho made everything?‚Äù, ‚ÄúWhy am I here?‚Äù and several other ‚Äùbig‚Äù questions. The book does not supply answers to any of the big questions, that’s up to the adult in the child’s life to explain. There are no references to God or any other specific religion. The book could literally be used to introduce any child to the big questions, and the adult must supply whatever answers they feel are appropriate.

I’m assuming that Daily Buddhism readers are going to want to use the book to explain the Buddhist perspective on the questions posed here. The book is fine for that, and there is one section of the book:

Here you are, wondering,

how everything appears out of nowhere like the waves rise up from the sea,

and how everything vanishes into nothing,

like the waves, on a calm summer’s day.

This could lead into a decidedly Buddhist-tinted discussion.

The one and only problem I see with the book are the pictures of ‚ÄúYou‚Äù (see the cover image). The pictures are all of a little boy, or perhaps a girl with very short hair. I’m not sure whether this was an artistic decision or an oversight. I imagine it would be confusing to try to make the pictures of ‚ÄúYou‚Äù to apply to everyone. Still, unless you are buying the book is for a little caucasian boy, be prepared.

Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0977646912/?tag=askdrarca-20

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

Review: Now & Zen Timepiece

Zen Timepiece in Cherry
Zen Timepiece in Cherry

Review: Now & Zen Timepiece
Review by Brian Schell
Manufacturer Link: http://www.now-zen.com
Price $189

Packing & Contents:

My review sample arrived in a nice retail box with plenty of safety packaging. The heavy brass bowl was separated from the wooden clock unit to avoid damage. I played with the bowl a while before ever opening the rest of the clock; you can make a nice resounding gong sound by striking it with anything, even a pencil. Eventually though, I wanted to see the clock, and had to proceed. The box says Batteries not included, yet batteries were in the box, ready to go. A comprehensive manual and product catalog were also in the box. The clock is available in several colors, cherry, maple, and black lacquer. I got the cherry version. From the catalog, it appears that the bowls are all the same, brass.

Setup:

I played with the buttons a bit, and figured out how to set the clock on my own, but did have to peek inside the manual for anything more than that. The instruction booklet is English only, at 40 pages, clearly organized with everything you need to know, plus a good deal of additional suggestions for usage.

There are two small screw-type adjustments, one Hi and one Lo that are located under the bowl; these control the force at which the little plunger strikes the bowl. You can fiddle with these until you get the sound you want from the bowl. The sound can also be adjusted by moving the bowl nearer or farther from the plunger that shoots out to strike the bowl. You can set the clock to run silently, go off at a specified time, or set it to chime on the hour.

Usage:

Setting the alarm is essentially the same as on any other digital clock. The ringing of the alarm is a little unusual, since there is just one long chime rather than the constant chatter a regular ringing alarm clock would make. When the alarm goes off, the bowl gongs once. Then it does it again 3 minutes and 48 seconds later. Then again at 2:21, 1:28, :54, :34, :21, :13, :08. and then repeatedly every 5 seconds. This Golden Ratio Progression is explained in the instructions, and you can Google Golden Ratio for more of an explanation of the mystical significance. More practically, it’s the bowl-striking equivalent of the sleep mode on a most standard clock. They call this progressive awakening. I have mine set to ring on the hour, every hour, so I end up sleeping through single gongs all night long.

Other than the regular alarm mode, it also has a countdown timer, which is pretty straightforward. You set the number of minutes and seconds, and the counter counts down to zero and chimes. There is also a repeat feature that you can set to count down for however long, chime, and then do it again. This is the meditation timer feature, which you can use during meditation. Overall, it’s easy

to set up and use, and the booklet has many interesting suggestions for how to use the clock in meditation, dreamwork, and progressive awakening.

Zen Timepiece in Cherry
Zen Timepiece in Cherry

The Good & The Bad:

There is one major drawback to the clock, and that’s the bowl placement. The bowl has to be placed reasonably close to the plunger in order to strike, but not too close. It’s meant to be adjustable, and that’s OK, but any movement of the bowl away from the plunger, which is not fixed down at all, will keep the chime from sounding. I can imagine several unfortunate scenarios for someone relying on this clock to wake them in the morning. It wouldn’t take much of a jar for the bowl to slip just a little, leaving the alarm silent.

The biggest feature of the clock is the chime. The solid brass bowl has a great resonance to it, and just tapping it with a fingernail makes a great sound. There’s no reason you couldn’t use the bowl in any kind of group meditation for a bell or gong sound. When the clock’s chime strikes, the deep bell resonates for 10 to 15 seconds, and you can imagine you hear it long after the sound has actually faded.

The price is steep for a clock of this size, but it is a very well-designed clock, and the sound is unique to my knowledge. It’s a Buddhist luxury toy if there ever was one. The unusual design and bowl are bound to be conversation starters, if nothing else.

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Daily Buddhism

Setting Up A Home Shrine

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A Reader recently wrote:
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Do you know anything about setting up a Buddhist shrine like if there is a specific way to set it up, what offering to have/statues/pictures ect.

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My Response:
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Much like conversion ceremonies, there is no single set requirement, although some groups do have specific arrangements. I’m sure there are plenty of opinions and recommendations on the Net. This is something you really need to research yourself depending on what style of buddhism you are practicing. You can get by with a simple photograph and a candle, or get extremely fancy and pay a fortune for one. I just did a quick Google search on the topic, and found a company selling a cabinet for $2500 that looked more like an entertainment center than a shrine.

I once knew someone who took one of the photographs I took of a Japanese Buddha statue and used it in a little shrine. Personally, I don’t have a shrine or even a Buddha statue; I haven’t found one that really appeals to me, and my place is pretty small. I guess I could use a photo as well, but it’s just something that I keep neglecting. I can meditate just fine without one, and I’m not really comfortable with the idea of offerings. Then again, that’s MY choice- as always, it can be different for each of us. My thinking on this subject just about mirrors my thoughts on conversion ceremonies as we discussed a few days ago: Whatever makes you feel as if you are doing the right thing for you (i.e. relieves suffering) is right. This is one of those areas, though, where my Zen background may not mesh with other groups; Tibetans are heavily into rituals and offerings, which are a crucial part of their tradition.

No matter which ‚Äúdenomination‚Äù of Buddhism you practice, you can set up a shrine if you want; it’s certainly not prohibited for any of them. If you do decide to set up a shrine, you’ll need some representation of Buddha or one of the Bodhisattvas, as well as perhaps a photo of your Master, Lama, Rinpoche, or other teacher. If you learned last week that you’ve actually been using a Budai/Hotei statue in your shrine, it doesn’t hurt anything; it’s the right thought and right intention that matter; otherwise, it’s just a chunk of stone, wood, plastic, or whatever. Then again, if you’ve gotten in the habit of rubbing his belly as you walk past, maybe you need a more serious representation for a shrine.

Some sects of Buddhism, for example, Tibetans, make offerings on their shrines. They will set up seven bowls, and fill each one, left to right, with water while doing a chant. It’s not unusual to use an offering of incense, tea, candles, flowers, or cookies too. Depending on the group, there are many various rituals which can be performed. The idea is to gain merit to increase one’s karma through making offerings.
Once again, though, if you choose not to have a shrine, that’s perfectly acceptable.

And now a request: Do YOU have a shrine already set up? I’d love to see photo of it. Email me your photo and next week, I’ll make a post showing all the readers’ shrines. It’ll be fun!

Daily Buddhism, Meditation, Reviews

CD Review: Koyasan Reiki Sound Healing

2 Comments

CD Review: Koyasan: Reiki Sound Healing
Artist: Deuter
Publisher: New Earth Records
Run time: 8 tracks, 64 Minutes
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LV62DC/?tag=askdrarca-20

Koyasan is a mountain in Japan, and is the home of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Link: http://www.koyasan.or.jp/english/index.html. There are hundreds of temples in the vicinity, and overall is a beautiful place to visit. I have placed a picture of the rock garden at the Kongobuji Temple on the website.

Reiki is a fairly modern invention, also originating in Japan, which explains that there is a limitless life force (‚ÄúKi‚Äù) in the universe that can be controlled with the proper conditioning of the mind and body. Reiki has no obvious connection to Buddhism, so I’m not going to go into it here, but it is an interesting ‚Äúspiritual‚Äù practice worth a look if you are interested..

So what do these two terms have to do with us? They set the stage for Deuter’s latest instrumental/meditation CD, Koyasan. Deuter’s music has obvious Eastern influences, with Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi flute and koto, as well as others from mainland Asia, such as the Tibetan singing bowl. There are, of course, piano and more traditional instruments included in the arrangements, but if you want to meditate and pretend that you are sitting on Mount Koyasan, you can do that.

As I did my research for this review, I found that Deuter has put out dozens of CDs similar to this one. I am not going to comment on whether this is better or worse than his other work, simply because I am not familiar with his other CDs. I would go so far to say this is an excellent “first meditation music CD” to pick up, and I plan to pick up more of his work in the future.

Kongobuji Temple, Mt. Koyasan
Kongobuji Temple, Mt. Koyasan

The eight tracks on the CD are all fairly long, running 8-10 minutes each for the most part. There is no noticeable tune or rhythm to any of the songs, yet everything feels right, and sounds good. It’s relaxing without being distracting or jarring, and makes an excellent backdrop to meditation. If you live in a noisy area, playing this while meditating can block out the noise without being too distracting. After a few moments, you stop mentally hunting for a tune and just go with the sounds, gently, calmly, taking whatever comes, and letting it go again.

Will the music heal you, as Reiki practitioners suggest? I have no idea, but I have covered the positive health benefits of meditation here before, so maybe there is something to it. I will definitely recommend the CD for a soothing, relaxing backdrop for meditation, or even just a quiet soundscape to enjoy.

Daily Buddhism

The Sangha Situation: Nowhere to Go

4 Comments

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A Reader recently wrote:
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I’ve been wondering, since I’m in a non-buddhist area, what could I substitute?

So I’ve started going to church, Christian church, so that I can get involved in a religious society and serve for the better.

I haven’t told anyone at the church yet that I’m actually a Buddhist, and I’m deciding the best way to do this.

It’s a non-denominational church so I think they would be more open.

It just seems I need to have sangha to complete the 3 jewels. Any suggestions?

Thank you

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My Response:
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Many Christian churches wouldn’t support that; some might even outright condemn you. Some churches may accept it, but only you are in a position to judge. If you do tell them, don’t be surprised if they give you the cold shoulder. They may not, but you have to consider that they might. If they do accept you, then you have to work on reconciling the two systems (Christianity/Buddhism) in your own mind, but that’s a post for another time.

This “Sangha Situation” seems to come up a lot here in the West. There just isn’t anywhere for a lot of Buddhists to go. The wide availability of books, broadcasting, and the Internet are causing Buddhism to grow in places where the tradition Buddhist support structures just don’t exist.

“Taking refuge in the sangha” does not necessarily mean you have to go to church every week.

Technically, the word “sangha” translates to “community,” not necessarily “church,” although it’s often interpreted that way. You can do your service in nearly any capacity that serves other people. There are almost certainly many opportunities to volunteer in your area that don’t have anything to do with a church. If you are helping remove suffering in some way, there is nothing more Buddhist than that.

It would be nice if you had a regular Buddhist group to meet with, but that’s simply not possible in many areas in the West. For Buddhist discussions and community, many people turn to the Internet. It’s not a perfect substitute for “live” contact, but you can learn and teach and support others, and that’s really what a “sangha” is all about.

Good luck, and let me know if I can help further. If anyone reading this has further suggestions, please post them below.

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Daily Buddhism, Meditation

Four Foundations of Mindfulness

2 Comments

Four Foundations of Mindfulness

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A Reader recently wrote:
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I was recently reading something and the author mentioned the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness.” What are these? The same as the Noble Truths?

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My Answer:
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No, the four foundations are not the Noble Truths, but they may look familiar to something we’ve seen before.

Theravada Buddhists use an ancient text called the Satipatthana Sutta, which means “foundation of mindfulness.” Other groups that rely heavily on meditation also use these teachings. The teachings contained in that sutta is more commonly known as the ‚ÄúFour Foundations of Mindfulness.‚Äù The full document is too long to include here, but I will include it in this week’s ‚ÄúWeekly Buddhism.‚Äù As usual, though, you don’t need to read the entire thing to learn the basic idea.

The four foundations are different types and sub-types of contemplation subjects to consider while meditating. Yes, it’s another ‚ÄúBuddhist List‚Äù:

  1. Contemplation on the Body, which includes contemplations on in-and-out breathing, posture, clear understanding, impurities, elements, and nine stages of corpses.
  2. Contemplation on the Emotions
  3. Contemplation on the Mind.
  4. Contemplation on the Teachings/Dharma, including contemplation on hindrances, aggregates, sense bases, enlightenment factors, and the Four Noble Truths.

If you want to compare these to the 40 meditation subjects we covered last month, you’ll see there is a lot of duplication. It’s essentially a different sect’s viewpoint on the same basic idea.

40 Meditation Themes Part 1 & 2:
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/229
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/231

Read the Satipatthana Sutta at: http://www.buddhanet.net/imol/mahasati/index.htm or next weekend in Issue #6 of the Weekly Buddhism.
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Religion News & Headlines, updated all day: http://www.dailyreligious.com

Daily Buddhism

The Return Of Buddha Boy

6 Comments

This one wasn’t really on the schedule for today, but it’s worth a look:

Ram Bomjan's followers are convinced he is the reincarnation of Buddha
Ram Bomjan's followers are convinced he is the reincarnation of Buddha

A reader pointed this out to me yesterday:

“Buddha boy in Nepal re-emerges after a year”

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-32/122641285714400.xml&storylist=topstories

‘Buddha boy’ reappears in Nepal”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7722011.stm

At first, I was going to make a snarky comment about seeing the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast on eBay, but after reading the link, I remembered reading about this boy a couple of years ago. The kid does at least have some history, and it’s not an out-of-the-blue story. The article doesn’t really give much in the way of evidence about his Buddhahood, but who’s to say he’s NOT a reincarnation of some bodhisattva?

Here are some old links:

“Scientists to check Nepal Buddha boy”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4479240.stm

“Nepal’s ‘Buddha’ boy goes missing”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4797064.stm

From the last one:

His followers claimed that Bomjan did not take food or even water throughout his 10 month-long meditation.

They refused, however, to allow any independent investigation about the health conditions of Bomjan saying that “it would disturb him.” The authorities also did not intervene to avoid hurting local feeling. While critics accused Bomjan’s followers of fooling people, the young boy continued to hog media headlines.

Tired from the decade-old armed conflict that has already claimed more than 13,000 lives, followers of Bomjan claimed that he was an incarnation of Lord Buddha who was born in Nepal more than 2,500 years ago.

They are still hoping that Bomjan will reappear somewhere deep in the forest and continue his meditation.

Obviously, I’m VERY skeptical, but if I swore up and down that it was impossible or that it was a scam, that would be contradicting the basics of Buddhism. And Buddha did say:

“And the Blessed One said to Ananda, I am not the first Buddha, nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom, auspicious, embracing the Universe, an incomparable Leader of Men, a Ruler of Devas and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths, which I have taught you. He will establish His Law, glorious in its spirit and in the letter. He will proclaim a righteous life wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands while mine number many hundreds.”

Nope, don’t know what to say on this one 😉

Check out http://www.dailyreligious.com for current events and breaking news in world religions. It’s updated regularly with dozens of news articles daily.

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

Book: The Kindness Handbook a Practical Companion

Book: The Kindness Handbook a Practical Companion

By Sharon Salzberg
Reviewed by Brian Schell
Publisher: Sounds True, 175 Pages, ISBN 9781591796558
Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591796555/?tag=askdrarca-20

“For kindness to be more fully realized, it needs to be distinguished from being ineffectual or meek. It also needs to be infused with wisdom, supported by courage, and threaded with balance” — Sharon Salzberg

This is another relatively small book, with many small sections. Although the books has chapters on “The Foundation,” “The Entry” (Kindness towards ourselves), “The Expression” (kindness toward others), and “Closing,” There are dozens of small stories, verses, anecdotes, and short scriptural passages. One section is a self-quiz to measure yourself on the “self-compassion scale.” Like other books we have looked at this, one focuses on loving-kindness, but this one barely touches on meditation. It concerns the application of loving-kindness in everyday life.

The stories are wonderful; my favorite was one about an illegal immigrant, crossing into this country, who happened across a boy who, along with his mother, had just been in an auto accident. The mother had died in the crash, and the 9-year-old boy was alone out in the wild. The illegal immigrant stayed with the boy, comforting him, until help arrived the next morning. The man knew that by staying, he would be caught and deported, but stayed anyway, because the little stranger needed him. How many hopes and dreams would we be willing to give up to comfort a child?

This is not one of those books that you can read cover-to-cover. A small bit goes a long way, and rushing through it would be counterproductive. I would suggest sitting it on the nightstand and reading a small section every night; this would take about a month and give you something to dwell on before sleep. Perhaps a quick re-read the next morning would make an excellent way to start the day.

This book has little to no Buddhist theory or history, but that’s OK. Learning the facts and ideas are useful in understanding the philosophy of Buddhism, but this book is really what it’s all about. The sub-title of the book, ‚ÄúA Practical Companion,‚Äù says it all. This simple, down-to-Earth book is all about the practical, proper, and realistic way to treat ourselves and each other.

Daily Buddhism

Women In Buddhism Part 1: Maya

6 Comments

Maya Dreams of the White Elephant
Maya Dreams of the White Elephant

Women in Buddhism Part 1: Maya

Last week a reader posted a question on the blog beneath the ‚ÄúBuddha Boy‚Äù post. She asked whether or not it was possible for a Bodhisattva to be a woman. It was an innocent enough question, but ended up with me explaining how sexist the ancient East was. Another reader added that there were indeed powerful women in Buddhism. I then countered that by stating that at least in the ‚Äúmythology‚Äù of Buddhism there were strong women, but for the most part, nuns and lay-women were rarely, if ever, treated seriousness of male monks. I’m all for Buddhism, but I see no reason to look at history through glasses that are too rosy; there are skeletons in every closet, and sexism may be one of Buddhisms.

The situation is nowhere near resolved even in modern times. Here in the West, some of the most influential Buddhist writers and teachers are women, and that’s great, but in the East, the typical nun is still a second-class Buddhist. There’s not much we in the West can do about it (is there?), but we can at least look back over the famous women of Buddhism. So over the next few days, I’ll be introducing some historical female Buddhist figures, and then we’ll finish up with a couple of modern-day female Bodhisattvas.

Read the comments that led to this topic: http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/569#comments

Maya

The first woman we’ll talk about was in fact the first woman involved in the life of Buddha: his mother. She is known by various names, Maya, Mahamaya, Mahadeva and Gytrulma. She was a Queen, the wife of King Suddhodana, and the sister of Mahapajapati, who we’ll discuss later.

Quote from “Daily buddhism,” http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/147 :

Around 2500 years ago, King Shuddodana Gautama of the Shakya clan ruled in northern India. He built a great castle and ruled his people well. One night, his wife, Queen Maya, had a strange dream wherein she saw a white elephant enter her womb through the side of her chest. She soon found that she was indeed pregnant. The people of the kingdom were thrilled that there would soon be a royal heir.

Planning to have the child at her parent’s home, Maya traveled there before the birth. On April 8th, on the way to Queen Maya’s ancestral home, she stopped to rest in a garden. Reaching for a blossoming branch in the garden, she suddenly, painlessly, had the child. Unfortunately, a few days later, Queen Maya died.

She named the baby Siddhartha, which means, “He who accomplished the goals.”

The name Maya means “Great Illusion,” and the idea that all of reality is a great illusion is an important Buddhist concept.

There’s not too much more to say about Maya, other than she was supposedly chosen by the gods to deliver the great savior of the world. She had visions and there were various miracles that occurred when he was born. She must have been special to have been chosen.

Trivia:

There are groups who claim that Maya had a virgin birth, but that belief is not widespread. There are many other similarities between the birth of Buddha and Jesus, but that’s for another time.

There are also scholars who connect the name Maya to the goddess Maia from Greek mythology, especially since that Maia had a son named Budh. There may or may not actually be a connection between the two stories, but bear in mind that Buddhism pre-dates much of Graeco-Roman culture, and there was significant trade with the East, even in those days. “Borrowing” of myths and stories went on all the time, and I’m not sure that it’s possible to rule out a connection.

Above: Painting from http://www.pbase.com/dhammakami/buddha_life

Daily Buddhism

Women in Buddhism Part 2: Pajapati

1 Comment
Mahapajapati
Mahapajapati

Women in Buddhism Part 2: Pajapati / Mahapajapati

As mentioned yesterday, (Maha)Pajapati was Queen Maya’s sister, and also a wife to King Suddhodana. When Maya died, Mahapajapati raised young Prince Siddharta Gotama. She raised the boy as her own, but did have two children who became the step-brother and step-sister of Buddha, Nanda and Sundari Nanda.

After leaving the palace and attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha started attracting disciples and followers. Among these were Mahapajapati’s son Nanda and Buddha’s own son, Rahula. At some point, King Sugghodana died, leaving Pajapati alone. She decided to join up with Buddha as one of his followers. She asked Buddha if she would be allowed to join him and he said no. Three times she asked, and each time he refused. Not willing to give up Pajapati cut her hair and dressed as a monk.

She contacted Buddha’s friend and servant Ananda and asked him to convince Buddha to allow her to become a nun. Again the Buddha refused, forcing Ananda to ask him whether or not he felt that women were capable of reaching Enlightenment. The Buddha replied that women were as capable as men of attaining Enlightenment, but never explained his refusal. However, Buddha did look back into Pajapati’s past lives and saw that she was indeed worthy. Mahapajapati was then allowed to form the order of nuns, becoming the first Buddhist nun.

Comment on this article below.

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