Taking photos of the Gohonzon

For many years I have been asking the same question.

Why are people so concerned about taking photos, or filming the scroll we use in our Buddhist practice.

I finally found the answer today, after receiving the same answer from a variety of sources across the world.

Under the control of the priests and the Nichiren Shoshu sect mystery, exclusivity and secrecy shrouded the Gohonzon.

Human revolution the work of transforming our lives at the very core.

"Human revolution is the work of transforming our lives at the very core. It involves identifying and challenging those things which inhibit the full expression of our positive potential and humanity."

Buddhism is characterized by an emphasis on the possibility of inner transformation--a process of bringing forth our full human potential. There is a common perception that the discipline and focus necessary for such a process requires a set of ideal circumstances not available to most. Nichiren Buddhism, however, teaches that it is only by squarely facing the challenges that confront us amidst the harsh contradictions of society that we can carry out the task of changing our own lives and the world for the better.

The Great Dictator Speech 1940 - Charlie Chaplin speaks some of the most incredible words you will ever hear.

This speech got Charlie Chaplin kicked out of the USA for 20 years. Imagine that!

Some of the most incredible words I have ever heard.

So inspired.

So relevant.

So important.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Using Buddhism to overcome OCD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

By Simon Yeoman-Taylor

In 2008 I was diagnosed with cancer which I used medication and my Buddhist practise to overcome. 

What happened as a result of that was 5 years of battling a mental illness called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

As OCD is such a complex disorder I feel I need to explain a bit about it so you understand how hard it was. OCD is a very severe and crippling chronic illness that is often much misunderstood in popular culture. It is also very common, affecting around 1 in 50 people. It can manifest in an infinite number of ways and each case will be specific to each individual. The basis of the disorder is fear and anxiety that manifest in thoughts and worries that something bad might happen (obsessions) if you don’t do a particular thing (compulsions). For example you may think that you might get ill if you don’t was your hands exactly 3 times before dinner. OCD is a mental disorder but it behaves like a virus in that it can keep changing and adapting to trick you. It is as also as clever as you are and wants to stay alive. What the individual is worried about will be what is most valuable to them, such as family members or their health.

Is The Secret like Buddhism?

A friend of mine posted a quote from Rhonda Byrne's film "The Secret"

I want to be very clear, I am not a fan of The Secret. I also feel very strongly that it is homogenised Buddhism. It also is heavily focused on material possessions and material wealth and very little on "the treasures of the heart (love, friendship, connections with others)" as we call them.

It has become a global marketing brand selling "reality changing" to millions.

The purpose of life is happiness...

The purpose of your life is happiness. What a joyful use of a human life, of our short time on this planet then a deep and profound happiness. This happiness is not luxury but an absolute right of all people.

A poem of peace by Daisaku Ikeda

What the people long for
to carry them through the twenty-first century
is no reorganisation of external forms alone
They desire a sound revolution
carried out within themselves
gradually and in an atmosphere of peace
founded upon the philosophy and beliefs
of each individual
This calls for farsighted judgments
and a profound system of principles
This is what I would name a total revolution
and it is this
we call kosen-rufu.

From For the sake of peace

Why this world must come to an end

When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the rainbow.” = Old American Indian prophecy

Wake up, the old ways are dying. Let go. Be free. Transform. Open.Love.

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

THE DAWN OF THE OPENING OF THE WAY TO PEACE.

Boundless LOVE. To you all.

Post by Prince Ea.

Chanting for love

When you are chanting to be with someone you love, always chant for their happiness first.

We are sometimes afraid to do so, thinking what if their happiness does not include you? What if their happiness means being with someone else? This is when we should realise that no matter how many strategies you make, how many prayers you write, the Gohonzon will always give you results based on your intent.

A little girl gets hit by a truck in the street in China. The reaction of people around her will shock you.

If you're lucky enough to live without want, it's a natural impulse to be altruistic to others. But, asks philosopher Peter Singer, what's the most effective way to give? He talks through some surprising thought experiments to help you balance emotion and practicality — and make the biggest impact with whatever you can share. NOTE: Starting at 0:30, this talk contains 30 seconds of graphic footage.

Peter Singer

Philosopher, ethicist

Sometimes controversial, always practical ethicist Peter Singer stirs public debate about morality, from animal welfare to global poverty. Full bio

The Life Affirming Art of Kirsty Mitchell

I discovered Kirsty's work some time ago. And from time to time I look at her art pieces and read her story. Each time I see and read something different. Kirsty has learnt to project her pain,  creativity, passion and dreams outward on to the paper/screen and given birth to something that is quite incredible.

There aren't many artists that move me emotionally, but Kirsty's work moves every fiber of my being, I don't know if it is a past life thing, or a childhood memory thing, or that human connection with the magical she has been able to draw out in all her work.

Each piece dances with its own exacerbation magic and it leaves you feeling alive and refreshed, with a deep sense of longing.

Gaia - The Birth of An End' is my personal favorite. Because I really do feel a deep and intimate connection with the Earth, our mother.

Many people go about their daily lives, they forget the importance of the relationship with the natural world. 

Gaia is our connection to the source of life. Gaia is the life energy that flows through all things.

Enjoy. Please scroll down to read more and read Kirsty's wonderful story.

Thank you.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who engages with this page, shares my hopes, dreams and values. Special thanks goes out to the people who comment and share.

Spreading good eco-values, the inspiring and life affirming words of my teachers Daisaku Ikeda, Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhist ideals, Global Citizenship and much much more.

Gratitude beyond measure.

Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo

Robbie

There is no hell

There is no such thing as hell.

Hell only exists in your mind, in your life state and most obviously in your circumstances in human form.

The hell for most westerners was created by the church as a tool to control, scarce and manipulate people.

Bishop Spong says “You and I are emerging people, not fallen people. Our problem is not that we are born in sin, our problem is we do not yet know how to achieve being fully human. The function of the Christ is not to rescue the sinners, but to empower you and call you to be more deeply and fully human than you ever realized there was the potential within you to be. Maybe salvation needs to be conveyed in terms of enhancing your humanity rather than rescuing you from it.”

Bishop Spong: “Life is a startling and wondrous experience. Eventually I think we’re going to discover that god is unfolding through the life of our consciousness and our self-consciousness and is not a parent-figure up in the sky.”

Swap out God for Universe, and it makes perfect sense.

I imagine for the same reasons it was also used in Eastern religions as a form of threat, to get people to behave correctly.

Consciousness is always in flux, it is always in movement, it is always growing. Consciousness gives rise to form. Always. It gave rise to the universe.

When we die and our bodies perish, what was good and what was evil remains like a groove in the rock after a river has carved its way through after thousands of years.

Consciousness can never be still, be stagnant, that is why the concept of heaven or hell is illogical to me.

We are always expanding,  always growing,  always becoming more.

No matter how evil you think someone is, each life, no matter how evil simply leads to something else.

Just as the entire Universe was born out of negative energy, so too do you and I appear and then disappear.

Weaving in and out of reality, in a playful expression, that is exactly what we are.

Consciousness as an expression, using matter as a tool to experience space and time.

For what purpose?

Expression, exploration, expansion and then possible implossion. Like the beating of a heart, the rising and falling of the breath. The seasons, the turning of the Earth, the spinning of the galaxies.

Once you see it, you can feel it.

Open the way to expansion.

Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo
Nam myoho renge kyo 

So clean its killing us

Did you know that the average American comes in to contact with over 72 000 chemicals every year.

Mothers who stay at home have a 52% higher chance of developing cancer from mothers who work away from the home.

Did you know that your cleaning products in your homes are full of toxic, endocrine disrupting ecosystem damaging chemicals.

These toxic chemicals are found in household cleaners, fabric refreshers like febreze, plug in air fresheners, kitchen cleaners.

All these chemicals which you use every day, are absorbed into your lungs and through your skin.


Chemerical - Feature Documentary from andrew nisker on Vimeo.

Please consider buying plant based cleaners, for a healthy you and environment:

http://www.methodproducts.co.uk/ or http://uk.ecover.com/

What does nam(u) myoho renge kyo mean? 妙法蓮華経 / 妙法蓮華經

What does nam(u) myoho renge kyo actually mean?



The commonly used translation (mostly SGI) :

Nam(u) (南無) from the Sanskrit namas meaning 'devotion to'
Myō (妙) meaning 'strange', 'mystery', 'miracle', cleverness'
Hō (法) meaning 'law', 'principle', 'doctrine'
Myōhō (妙法) meaning 'supreme (marvelous) law of Buddha'
Ren (蓮) meaning 'lotus'
Ge (華) meaning 'flower'
Kyō (経) meaning 'sutra' or 'teaching'

Directly translated; devotion to the good/wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra

Eastern Languages translations: 

Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra
Chinese: 妙法蓮華經 miàofǎ liánhuá jīng, shortened to 法華經 fǎhuá jīng
Japanese: 妙法蓮華経 myōhō-renge-kyō, shortened to 法華経 hokke-kyō, hoke-kyō
Korean: 묘법연화경 myobeop yeonhwa gyeong, shortened to 법화경 beophwa gyeong
Standard Tibetan: དམ་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོའི་མདོ dam chos pad-ma dkar po'i mdo
Vietnamese: Diệu pháp liên hoa kinh, shortened to Pháp hoa kinh
Sinhala language: Arya Saddharma Pundareeka Suthraya

My translation;

To actively become aware that with every single word, thought and action, you are creating karma, for yourself and for the entire planet and that these choices have far reaching consequences on the world we live in.

Through the daily practice of chanting nam(u) myoho renge kyo we begin to sift through the layers of our minds, emotions, egos, and personalities to try to reveal a part of ourselves that ultimately gives us the courage to become truly happy and in that help transform the world into a place for abundance and joy.

Chanting is a mindful process, it takes effort, time and consistency. Do not expect to transform all your challenges and personal issues in 5 minutes. It can take a lifetime of inner transformation to reveal your true nature, but the wonderful thing about Nichiren's Buddhism, is that there is always hope.

Nichiren's Buddhism is always concerned with winning and surmounting all obstacles in life no matter what.

You may ask then "why does it take so long?" Well the answer is quite simply that the power is in the journey, through that process of transformation occurs, that is where your consciousness grows expands and becomes something more, with every passing day of being in human form.

Onward and upward on the path towards a lifestate that supports and encourages unshakable happiness.

How to begin chanting?

We are light. Light we are.

We are light. Light we are.

Consider the idea that we are energy or light in a focused form. Ponder for a moment the idea that there is a sea of matter all around us in the form of fields and waves.

You are I are one within that field. Each of us a point on a wave of possibility and probability.

When the Buddha reached his point of enlightenment, he was everywhere and everything in a single moment.

Like a particle in superposition.

Watch the film below, I had to watch it a few times to absorb it.

Prepare to expand your imagination...





Words & Editing by Garret John LoPorto

About the creator

Garret LoPorto (born in 1976) is an American mass marketer, entrepreneur, author and speaker. In 2010 Garret recorded and released a speech (later becoming a viral YouTube video, reaching over 6 million views)^[1][2] where he called out to reform "the establishment."

He has authored books on the subjects of Neurodiversity and the psychology behind Disruptive innovation. He also founded and operates UPRISER.com.

He has worked for Microsoft Research, United States presidential campaigns, was a founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a technology and media company.

Career

Garret LoPorto graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1999, where he majored in Computer Systems Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. LoPorto was a member of the United States Army ROTC and Theta Chi fraternity. He worked as a computer graphics specialist, systems administrator, and webmaster. LoPorto then went on to develop multi-player gaming at Microsoft Research.

LoPorto was a senior creative consultant on viral internet marketing for TrueMajority.org and the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign. LoPorto is the founder of Quantum Light Marketing with for-profit and non-profit clients.

"Trump Fires Bush" In April 2004 LoPorto created a viral web video spoof of "The Apprentice" ads called "Trump Fires Bush", which after going viral was featured on CNN's Crossfire (TV series).

"The Wayseer Manifesto" On September 22, 2010 Garret John LoPorto released the audio recording of a speech called "The Wayseer Manifesto".

On February 16, 2011 a video of the "Wayseer Manifesto - V Edition - dedicated to Anonymous" was posted.

"The Wayseer Manifesto" has been received to mixed reception such as with constitutional news outlet GulagBound.com describing LoPortos campaign as "just another foolish 'mind science' cult". 

A month later on March 15, 2011 the "Official" Wayseer Manifesto video was released going viral. The video has been translated into many languages. To date, two of the many uploads of this video to YouTube have received over 6 million views combined.

Activism

Save Ben & Jerry's In 1999 Garret LoPorto (23) started "Save Ben & Jerry's," a protest to stop Ben & Jerry's (a then independent model for socially responsible business) from being forcefully acquired by the multinational conglomerate, Unilever. LoPorto attracted international attention and press coverage for this protest using a viral campaign of internet publicity stunts. This included LoPorto putting Ben & Jerry's up for sale on eBay, with a record reserve price of $250 million. The eBay listing went viral.

The Occupy Movement In September 2011 LoPorto joined Occupy Wall Street in New York City,^[9] and on 96.9 FM Conservative Talk Radio was described as one of the organisers of Occupy Boston^[10] Oath Keepers however released a statement confirming there is "no alliance" between themselves and wayseers.org, LoPorto's organisation. They also affirm that Loporto was only a "volunteer", and he has since been removed from that position. 

What is the nature of reality? My mind was just blown out of its box. BAM!

Recently I have been studying a lot about Quantum physics in a quest to better understand the nature of reality.

What is matter? What is the Universe doing here? Why does this all exists in the first place.

Often when I chant, I feel like I get small bits of information about the nature of reality, almost like an echo in the distance.

I found this video on Youtube today which blew my mind.

Especially the bit about the nature of waves and particles changing their shape/nature when there is an observer.

Spoooooky, Einstein would have called it.

What do you think? Leave some comments about what you think is the nature of reality.

400 voices, 400 animals and a thousand tears.

Los Angeles 2013



Madrid 2011

I discovered these films today, and was quite surprised at how few views the videos have had.

I guess people just dont want to look at this stuff.

400 people stand in solidarity for the billions of animals that are destroyed and cruelty and painfully slaughtered by human hands every day.

I beg you to awaken to a world free from cruelty, a world where we can exist as one. This is not idealistic, this is possible.

I have been vegan for 7 months now and my sense of compassion and love of all life has never been stronger.

I have never felt better.

You can make a difference in the world today, a real difference: http://chooseveganism.org/


About the film:

On December 10 2011, Animal Equality celebrated International Animal Rights Day in Madrid, to highlight that the respect that we have for individuals of our own species should be extended to other animals.

More than 400 activists from different countries held in their hands the victims of one of the biggest injustices that exists in today's society. Throughout the event there was a respectful silence, and the public were able to see the real faces and victims of animal consumption. Giving them the opportunity to consider the need for respect towards other animals with whom we share the planet

Daisaku Ikeda on the importance of being a compassionate leader

A leader in the SGI should always act from a place of compassion.

This is probably some of the MOST important guidance, I have ever read regarding our organisation from Sensei.

If you are a leader, please ENGRAVE this in your heart.
----

Just because we practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism, however, doesn’t make us in any way special. Essentially we are in
no way different from other people, except for the fact that we base ourselves on chanting to the Gohonzon. There is
no such thing as a special kind of human being. To assume an elitist air is the behavior of fanatics. We have no room for such people in the SGI.

Human beings are just that— human beings. They can never be anything more. Consequently, the true purpose of faith is to enable human beings to polish and develop themselves as human beings.

In particular, we must ensure that we do not have leaders who, suffering from delusions of grandeur, become dictatorial, highhanded and oppressive toward the members. This is the exact opposite of what a leader should be.

Daisaku Ikeda
(My Dear Friends in America, third edition, p. 355)

Krista Tippett Speaks to Ellen Langer on the science of mindlessness and mindfulness.

Social psychologist Ellen Langer's unconventional studies have long suggested what brain science is now revealing: our experiences are formed by the words and ideas we attach to them. Naming something "play" rather than "work" can mean the difference between delight and drudgery. She is one of the early pioneers — along with figures like Jon Kabat-Zinn and Herbert Benson — in drawing a connection between mindlessness and unhappiness, between mindfulness and health. Dr. Langer describes mindfulness as achievable without meditation or yoga — as “the simple act of actively noticing things.”

Ellen Langer

is a social psychologist and a professor in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. Her books include Mindfulness and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.

Good people, helping other people and creating value in our society.

Sevenly People : Nick Jacobs from Mark Anderson on Vimeo.

Seenly was built upon the idea that “People Matter”. This includes everyone from the people that benefit from the money we raise, to the people that support the charities, to the people that keep Sevenly moving. This is the first film in a new series called, “Sevenly People”. The series will focus on individual team members, who they are and what they do. The first in this series is of Nick Jacobs, the buyer.

Nick has a very simple yet profound quality about himself, which is his ability to recognize the possibility in every situation, whether it’s doing laundry at the laundromat or losing a job. That quality coupled with his natural craving for adventure has taken him across the world. If you ever have the opportunity to cross Nick’s path, make sure to treat him to a coffee and ask him to tell you the tale of how he went from shopping for a used washing machine and ended up on a hippie reservation.
---
After interviewing Nick, we realized there was a lot of amazing things he said that didn’t make it into the video. So we transcribed some of those excerpts, beginning with his decision to travel the world after leaving his job of 10 years.

You can read the full article here: blog.sevenly.org/sevenly-people-nick-jacobs

Check out Sevenly: http://www.sevenly.org/

---
CREDITS
Directed by: Brandon Wall & Mark Anderson
Creative Direction: Danny Blanton
Art Direction: Trevor Rogers
Lettering: Zachary Smith
Music:
"Foreign Bodies" by Radiation City
"Building Houses" by Wesley Jensen
Music Licensed by Marmoset

We must be crazy

Milow - We Must Be Crazy from Stink on Vimeo.

A beautiful short film/music video that tells the story of a young couple who can not have a baby of their own and they use technology to fulfill their needs.

Our technology is an extension of us.

It is a part of us.

It is still a very new part of who we are, but soon and in time, I believe, we will be able to project our consciousness into it, and become something quite different all together.

Something more than just human.

The question is, will we retain our humanity, the closer we get to our technology.

Or will it be lost.

Only time will tell.


About the filmNorman Bates new music video for Milow is a cinematic retro-futuristic take on the classic fairytale Pinnocchio with a post modern twist. A tale about the desperation of loneliness and the limitations of technology to battle it.

Director: Norman Bates
Producer: Chou-Jung Kuo
Production manager: Thomas Anthoni
Director of photography: Bjorn Charpentier
Editor: Gert Van Berckelaer

Ego's desire to be on top

Always be aware of the ego, it loves to be right. 

Putting all your energy into asserting your ego's desire to be right, could mean you miss an opportunity to create value.

When engaging in dialogue it is vital we respect the other person, even if we believe they are wrong.

There is no room in the mind of a Buddha for hatred, only when we act out of compassion are we able to transform the minds and hearts of others.

Robbie

Nam myoho renge kyo

How to denigrate your Buddha-nature in one easy step.

Complaints without action only lead to the denigration of the Buddha-Nature you have worked so hard to manifest.

If you are going to complain, make sure it is something you are willing to do something about, accept responsibility for or have a clear determination to transform it.

Nam myoho renge kyo

Robbie 

The Truth about your food. What you are about to see will shock you.

Do you really know where your food comes from>

Many of my meat eating friends have chosen to challenge me, regularly on my posts about meat consumption. And I am not complaining, its good. Dialogue on these issues is very important.

Not once have I ever said that eating meat is bad. For me, it is a personal and religious choice of mine to no longer consume animal products, as well as a decision to make the largest environmental impact I can through my diet choices, one choice among many.

The film Samsara illustrates the issue I have, because this is what we have become.

For many people their relationship with food is non-existent. For many when buying meat in a supermarket, its cleaned, plucked and marketed to to show happy healthy animals playing in fields. Most of this is a downright lie.

Your food is often genetically modified, highly medicated pumped with hormones and antibiotics and finally cruelly and painfully killed before it arrives on your plate.

Each of us has the power to make a choice with the food we eat.

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED - and your choices are what shape the demand, the world we live in.

Something to think about.

SAMSARA food sequence from Baraka & Samsara on Vimeo.

An Ocean of Possibilities...

Dive in to the ocean of possibilities

Everything you are going to be, you already are. Everything you want to be is already within you. It is up to you to unlock the path that will take you to the future you desire.

For you and I exist in an infinite sea of limitless possibilities.

Nam myoho renge kyo
Robbie 

Wisdom and Age

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Wisdom comes with a seeking spirit. The desire to ask questions. The desire to listen and learn.

Wisdom does not come from stuck opinions and broken records.

Wisdom comes when you open your heart and mind to the the words and experiences of others.

Listen more, read more and be more open to the wisdom all around you.

Nam myoho renge kyo
Robbie

Superstition in Buddhism

Voodoo, who do, you do? 

Superstition is the enemy of reason. Buddhism is reason. There is no room for superstition in our lives. It only blocks our chances to become truly happy, by externalising our practice.

nam myoho renge kyo
Robbie

Latest SGI Quarterly - April {Out now}

Renewable energy is defined as energy derived from natural resources that are replenishable, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, biomass and geothermal heat. It thus fundamentally differs from fossil fuel-based energy or nuclear energy. The Industrial Revolution was fueled by excessive mining and burning of fossil fuels, causing an undesirably sharp rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, which in turn has caused global warming and climate change. The second half of the 20th century saw considerable, incremental efforts toward conservation, the use of clean technology and renewable energy, and environmental protection. Now, renewable energy sources and their attendant technologies hit the headlines on a daily basis as more secure solutions for providing renewable energy are found.

Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

If we are peaceful.
If we are happy.
We can smile and blossom
Like a flower.

And everyone
In our family,
Our entire society
Will benefit
From our peace.

When conflict arises...

In the SGI, the district (local area of people) is where everything starts.

Our weekly district discussion meetings and our connections with our fellow members are the life-blood of our peace movement. We must protect them at all costs.

But sometimes, conflict arises within our districts and between members. Tempers flare, egos run amok. It happens to us all, we are only human.

But it is vitally important to challenge these obstacles and using our practice with abundant daimoku and heartfelt dialogue and transform them. We simply must transform them.

Afterall, if we are not able to transform differences within our own districts what hope have we got for world peace?

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

When was Jen was 18, she made one mistake and it changed her life forever.

When Jen was 18, she really thought she was going to rule the world. One nights she was drinking with friends. She thought the biggest thing she could worry about was getting pregnant.

What happened next changed her life forever.

Human Revolution at its finest.

Thank you Jen for your courage and sharing this story.

When a man collapses in the street, the reactions of the people who walk by will truly shock you.

Humanity has built society off the back of collaboration. We are always stronger when we work together.

This is not the first time I have seen something like this but again it is a sobering reminder of just what our society is becoming.

My theories are that humans being the visual creatures that we are often do not want to get involved if a person, looks or dresses in a certain way.

I have heard stories of a child collapsing in the road in China and people driving past, as it it were a dead animal.

What separates us from the animals is our humanity, our desire to help each other. That is pretty unique to our species.

Please share this video and remind people that if you see someone collapsed in the street like this, call the police, call the ambulance. Dont just walk past and ignore it.

What if it was you? 

The power of music

Music has the power to lift us up, it has the power to move us to sorrow and sadness. The gift of music is truly one of the most wondrous things every created by a human being. With the advent of technology we are able to transmit our music to the four corners of the world in the blink of an eye. Isnt that incredible?

I have always loved eastern music, since I was a child I had a strong affiliation with it, it always felt familiar to me. A part of a distant memory.

I am certain I have lived many many lives in Asia, among others.

Regarding the musical piece below:

Buddha Pournami, or the day of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment, is an important one in many ways for spiritual seekers. The story of Buddha’s journey is awe-inspiring; his grit and perseverance led him to the ultimate fruits of human existence. Even today, Buddha Pournami is celebrated in many parts of the world and every year at the Isha Yoga Center. This year, Sounds of Isha composed a special song for the occasion and performed it today in the Spanda Hall. The song takes us through Buddha’s life – his luxurious world as a prince, his renunciation, his struggles and finally, his attainment under the Bodhi tree.

Have a listen and enjoy the beautiful sounds of India...

Death is so unexpected sometimes...

Death is so unexpected, but it wil come for all of us. 

I just found out that an old friend of mine died recently. He was the same age as me and had been recently married, and had a lovely baby boy, with his lovely husband. I have great memories of him and his happy smile and his jovial attitude to life.

Every day is a gift, we should be aware that at any time a person in our lives could be take from us.
We look at our friends and families on Facebook, we see all the happy times, but we so seldom see the pain and hurt that people are going through behind the scenes.

That is why it is so important that we pick up the phone, or even better still make a real effort to see our friends, in person, face to face. Greeting them with a warm embrace.

Life is so short, and our time could be over sooner than we think.

I am not a fan of death personally, I find it a huge inconvenience to us as human beings, it brings so much pain.

Being alive is such a wonderful experience and I do hope I get as much time as possible, but it will happen to each of us.

Make sure you live a life you are proud of, that is all we can do.

Robbie

Nam myoho renge kyo

This video could change your life.

Many years ago, shortly after Facebook began I realised I had a serious problem with social media. And I don't mean I was on it a lot, I mean I was on it A LOT!

Six years later, that has not changed. I check it incessantly, I spend far too much time flicking up and down the news feed, and connecting with people.

Facebook is a wonderful tool, it connects people who may have never connected before, but it comes at a huge price.

The film below illustrates in wonderful technicolour what might happen if you fail to "look up"

In 2008, I wrote a blog post about being addicted to Facebook, and about the need to feel needed for many of us social media does exactly that. It connects us. It hyper connects us.

And as wonderful as it is, being connected to 1400 people is not health, my brain cant process all those connections.

I am thinking about leaving Facebook again, but hitting the delete button this time.

But its so hard, I feel like I am giving up a pet or something.

How has this affected your life since 2007?

Please watch this film and share it with as many people as possible.

Buddhism and the existance of God.

Did you know that Buddhism as a philosophy does not deny the existence of a God, Goddess, or multiple Gods.

Gautama Buddha personally,  rejected the existence of a creator deity, refused to endorse many views on creation and stated that questions on the origin of the world are not ultimately useful for ending suffering.

Buddhism, instead, emphasizes the system of causal relationships underlying the universe which constitute the natural order and source of enlightenment. No dependence of phenomena on a supernatural reality is asserted in order to explain the behaviour of matter.

According to the doctrine of the Buddha, a human being must study nature in order to attain personal wisdom regarding the nature of things. In Buddhism, the sole aim of spiritual practice is the complete alleviation of stress in samsara, which is called nirvana.

All that said, Buddhism's focus is personal choice,  compassionate acts, learning and understanding.

So if you want to practice Buddhism and practice Christianity or any other religion for that matter, there is nothing stopping you. No-one should stop you.

Dont ever let anyone tell you you can't be both Christian and Buddhist.

Allow your spiritual practice to flow through you. Allow it to change you for the better. Do not let anyone restrain you, or hinder you. Take from each in such a way that you soar and emerge in to the splendor of who you were meant to be.

I believe that is what the Buddha would want. A freedom from restraint. Freedom from suffering. If someone tells you "no you cant do that..." it can cause you to suffer.

Follow your heart, treat other people well. Do not project your personal restrictions and limiting thoughts on others.

Die happy. It is that simple.

Nam myoho renge kyo
Robbie

Your anger... use it, don't be afraid of it.

How does anger make you feel? Do you know how to use it as a force for good? 

Nichiren wrote that wrath can be either good or bad.

Self-centered anger generates evil, but wrath at social injustice becomes the driving force for reform.

Strong language that censures and combats a great evil often awakens adverse reactions from society, but this must not intimidate those who believe they are right. A lion is a lion because he roars.

--

With regard to the official letter that has arrived from the great Mongol Empire, I have written eleven letters and sent them to various persons. Undoubtedly this will result in Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters being condemned to exile or execution. You should not be surprised when this happens. I have used very strong language in my letters, but this is because it is necessary to “force others to listen, though it angers them.” That is the sort of response I am hoping for.

All of you should prepare yourselves mentally for what may come. Do not let concern for wife and children or other family members deter you. Do not fear those in authority. Now is the time to break free from the bonds of this realm of birth and death and to obtain the fruit of Buddhahood! (Nichiren Daishonin, Letter to my Disciples and Lay Supporters, 11th October 1268, Volume 2, p333)
---

Don't not be afraid of your anger. Don't repress it. Use it correctly. It can be a powerful force for good.

nam myoho renge kyo

Robbie

My life is my responsibility. Most of the time?

Your life is 100% your responsibility.

STRICT Guidance! And words we often do not want to hear.

Sometimes this seems impossible, how can I have so much control, but we really do have the power to change any poison into medicine.

There WILL be those who will try to stop you, tear you down, tell you are you not good enough, not funny enough, not slim enough, not young enough, too old, too young, too thin, too fat, too white, too black, too asian, not asian enough, not white enough, not black enough.

Critisism, racisim, sexisim, egosim, abuse, disease, death and misfortune.

It is all there. Waiting to hold you back. Waiting to hold you down. Waiting in the shadows to stop you.

Wave one big fist in the air at all of it, and say, NO, take back what is yours.

Your life. Your future.

I believe we have the power to transform ANYTHING.

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO

Robbie

Is belief necessary?

Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. He and his brother were adopted in their youth by Dr Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society. Dr Besant and others proclaimed that Krishnamurti was to be a world teacher whose coming the Theosophists had predicted. To prepare the world for this coming, a world-wide organization called the Order of the Star in the East was formed and the young Krishnamurti was made its head.

In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work.

From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in mankind.

Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual's search for security and happiness, and the need for mankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality.

Krishnamurti belonged to no religious organization, sect or country, nor did he subscribe to any school of political or ideological thought. On the contrary, he maintained that these are the very factors that divide human beings and bring about conflict and war. He reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another. He asked that we tread lightly on this earth without destroying ourselves or the environment. He communicated to his listeners a deep sense of respect for nature. His teachings transcend man-made belief systems, nationalistic sentiment and sectarianism. At the same time, they give new meaning and direction to mankind's search for truth. His teaching, besides being relevant to the modern age, is timeless and universal.

Krishnamurti spoke not as a guru but as a friend, and his talks and discussions are based not on tradition-based knowledge but on his own insights into the human mind and his vision of the sacred, so he always communicates a sense of freshness and directness although the essence of his message remained unchanged over the years. When he addressed large audiences, people felt that Krishnamurti was talking to each of them personally, addressing his or her particular problem. In his private interviews, he was a compassionate teacher, listening attentively to the man or woman who came to him in sorrow, and encouraging them to heal themselves through their own understanding. Religious scholars found that his words threw new light on traditional concepts. Krishnamurti took on the challenge of modern scientists and psychologists and went with them step by step, discussed their theories and sometimes enabled them to discern the limitations of those theories. Krishnamurti left a large body of literature in the form of public talks, writings, discussions with teachers and students, with scientists and religious figures, conversations with individuals, television and radio interviews, and letters. Many of these have been published as books, and audio and video recordings.

He speaks to a reporter here in 1970 on the nature of belief.

A website exists of his teachings and various materials.

http://www.jkrishnamurti.org

Act now. Save biodiversity.

Watch how this monkey soaks in the hot spring, notice how he/she playfully tries to pop the bubbles on the water.

You can't help but notice the human like qualities of the these animals.

People who can not see the line between us and our cousins the apes are quite simply blind.

The beauty of our natural world is beyond words.

I long for the day when more of humanity awakens to the beauty that is all around us.

Yes the Earth will outlive us, but the myriad of beautiful creatures that the Earth has created will not outlive us.

For thousands of them are slipping through our fingers, every single day, because of what we are becoming.




ACT NOW. ACT TODAY: http://www.earthday.org/takeaction/

Generalisations and why they are wrong.

Who can you trust?

Early this week I discovered someone online, making wild and negative accusations about the SGI as an organisation, lumping us all in to one big negative category.

SGI is made up of millions of people worldwide, 12 million to be exact, we truly are a slice of society. Many cultures, races and ethnic backgrounds.

Making wild and negative generalisations about people based on ethnicity, or religion is lazy thinking, and often the sign of an inability to perceive complexity.

Generalisations can sometimes have some truth to them though, but are almost always superficial and don't take into account complex nature of causation. However, we sentient beings do make sense of the world largely through pattern recognition, so one often can't help but make generalisations.

Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons: is it possible that getting offended on the behalf of an organisation, or religion one identifies with, although natural, is ultimately just another division in society? Is it possible that my reaction itself is part of the problem?

“When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else [a Buddhist?], you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

What are your thoughts?