Clean your mind while cleaning your room: meditate while vacuuming!

From Electrolux, hat tip The Worst Horse



 

"Our quietest vacuum cleaner ever makes it possible to turn a routine household chore into a moment of calm. Train your brain while you are vacuuming with the first meditation program developed for vacuum cleaning."

Q:  Why can't a Bodhisattva vacuum under the sofa?
A:   Because she has no attachments.



Seriously though, this kind of housework meditation does have a long history in Buddhism...

Kelsang Gamo, aka Lam Chung, prepares the temple for the Vajrasattva empowerment

In Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso tells the story of how Lam Chung, a novice monk, gained enlightenment by meditating while sweeping the temple.


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Promoting Buddhism through Culture and the Arts - Why Beauty Matters

From  New Lotus,  hat tip Buddhist Art News

"The experience of art often fulfills yearnings similar to the inspiration offered by religion. One more profound relationship between art and religion has historically been how it acts as a vehicle for expressing religious teachings. The worldly appreciation of cultural beauty is infused with a sincere belief that the aesthetic of religious art is not for its own sake, but to transmit ultimate truths.

After the Second World War, the global diaspora of Buddhist traditions meant that the religion itself became marketable as a new, exotic, and enlightened culture. The diffusion of Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese Zen through the West was as much due to Western interest in Tibetan and Japanese culture as much as Japanese and Tibetan religion. 

The New York-based avant-garde movement was heavily influenced by Japanese Zen ideas, and on January 12, 1951, Saburo Hasegawa wrote to Isamu Noguchi, proclaiming, 'What used to be done by Religion has to be done alone by Art.' Faith in religious institutions was at one of its lowest ever points, and the God is dead paradigm so touted by Nietzsche seemed to open the way for a human flourishing based on making meaning through culture and art - without religion.

Hasegawa's proclamation proved premature, and the world moved on from the post-war consensus to a post-2008 uncertainty about many things we took for granted. However, the mystifying connection between art and religion has not lost its allure. In the 21st century, the Buddhist teachings are now instantly accessible anywhere in the developed world, and this has meant a loss of mystique and remoteness. 

Buddhist studies are available in many universities and colleges, and some teachers have attained the status of minor celebrities in popular culture, such as Thich Nhat Hanh or Matthieu Ricard. We have approached a stage where religious seekers are no longer interested in accepting just one side of the story. We all hunger, justifiably, for a more complete picture about Buddhism.

Hasegawa was incorrect not because art cannot inspire, but because he asserted that it could fulfill the yearnings of humanity without any reference to religion. But Lee Mei Yin, Vice Chairman for Friends of Dunhuang Hong Kong, was correct when she told me in a casual conversation that it is through the arts and culture that Buddhism finds its most effective vehicle of transmission. 

Buddhism has touched and informed so much that would seem unrelated, from the fabrics of Tang-era bridal attire to breathtaking sculptures, architecture, and literary genres. We cannot disseminate Buddhist teachings in isolation from the civilizations in which they were developed.

Mrs. Lee was not simply speaking as a representative of a cultural heritage charity. Human society itself was traditionally always a vehicle for sharing the Dharma. Modern Buddhist leaders and writers are learning to co-opt and assimilate the promotion of cultural awareness into the calling of Buddhist dissemination, and in our 2600-year history, this can only be a thing to be encouraged" 

From Why Beauty Matters - Roger Scruton

"...Scruton believes that all great art has a 'spiritual' dimension, even if it is not overtly religious. It is this transcendence of the mundane that we recognise as 'beauty'.


A path out of the spiritual desert.
In Buddhist terminology we would say that true art, even when it reflects samsara (the realms of chaos, addiction, squalor and suffering), shows that there is a path out, and often acts as signposts along the path. However most of modern art merely reflects, and often wallows in squalor, without acknowledging any possibility that there may be other states of existence. It has turned its back on beauty and wanders aimlessly in a spiritual desert.

Tantra and art
We could go further and say that great art is a 'tantric' practice in its widest sense, where tantra is the mental transformation of the ordinary environment to the environment of a spiritual being. Scruton emphasised this aspect in the transformation of lust (attachment) into Platonic love, where the energy of carnal desire is channelled into spiritual objectives..."


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Meditation 'opens the mind to possession by demons and evil spirits'

She meditated too much

From the Huffington Post 
Eden Kozlowski teaches a secularized version of Buddhist mindfulness meditation in businesses and educational settings.  However she's meeting resistance from Christians who believe that the 'mind is evil',  and 'clearing the mind opens a gateway to demonic/evil forces, thoughts or actions.'

Apart from the risks of demonic possession by Satan and his minions, they claim that  "As a Christian, mindfulness goes against my theology, as it is a Buddhist practice."

She  counters this by arguing that 'It is true that mindfulness has roots in Buddhism. However, the mindfulness that is typically taught in business and academic settings is completely Westernized. It is purposefully devoid of spiritual or religious connotations and focuses simply on the act of awareness. And if you want to take it to a level that we can all relate to and understand, at its core is stress reduction.'

Attendees at a meditation class

The article raises a number of issues, apart from the obvious superstitious paranoia about the unknown:


(1) Meme-clearance
One of the effects of meditation is to clear memes and memeplexes (parasitic mental processes) out of the meditator's mind.  It may be that the leaders of some of the more control-freaky Christian sects realise this, and don't want their carefully-nurtured memes cleared out of minds of their brainwashed adherents. 'For the good of your religion, think less'.

 

Original sin

(2) In addition, some of the  more extreme Christians believe that the mind is evil.  

Literalist Christians believe in 'original sin', which was passed down from Adam and Eve to all their descendants as a result of their eating the apple.  Consequently, literalists believe that our minds are fundamentally evil from the time of birth, even if we do nothing wrong.

So from this point of view, any exploration of the mind will inevitably mean exploring corrupt and demonic regions of experience. This evangelical belief in the fundamentally corrupt nature of the human mind is incompatible with Buddhism, which  sees the mind as ultimately pure, but temporarily clouded by defilements, like a clear blue sky obscured by clouds.

The evangelical view of the mind

(3) Can you really secularize Buddhist methodology by cherry-picking one part of the system and trying to keep it isolated from the rest?


 

'Here's a bunch of round red sweet things. We're going to examine them, feel them and eat them. But please don't ask where they came from and what they're actually called, or what the hard thing in the center is for. And if you find any green bits attached to them, take them off immediately '   

Don't mention the B-word!

Isn't it likely that once people have begun to explore their minds, curiosity will lead them to learn more about the philosophy of what they're doing?
So should Buddhist techniques of mind-management be presented without any reference to their origin?  Is this a form of plagiarism? 

It's Buddhism Jim, but not as we know it!

Or is it skillful means to sneak dharma teachings into the secular business establishment under the radar of the religion-detectors?   If people learn a little about meditation techniques, might they want to find out more? 



(4)  Fruits of the tree
Returning to the fruit-picking metaphor, perhaps the Buddhophobic evangelicals should take Jesus' advice and judge the tree by its fruit, which in the case of meditation includes...

Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Cutting healthcare costs

Alleviating Depression

Reducing adolescent stress

Purification of Guilt and Negative Thinking 

Treatment of Alcoholism 

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Buddhism Subject Index

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Buddhist Nativity Ritual - Bathing the Infant Buddha

Bathing the Infant Buddha

 Karen Tang, 6, participates in the bathing of the Buddha ceremony, during the 2013 Guam Buddha Birthday Community Festival at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Barrigada Heights.

From Guam Pacific Daily News

....For Buddhists, it's a time to remember the story of how Buddha gained enlightenment, and to reflect on what it might mean for individual Buddhists to move toward enlightenment.

The event began at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Barrigada with offerings of gifts of incense, flowers, light and food to the Buddha.

The gift of incense, offered by the men, is a means to ask the Buddha to help achieve the clear mind and good karma needed to better be able to learn and understand the profound Dharma, according to chapter member Billy Wong.

The Dharma refers to the system of analysis taught by the Buddha regarding the causes of suffering and the necessary course of action needed to be taken to undo these causes...   Full Article



From New Lotus
"...I found myself wondering why the glorious Bodhisattva even needed us, mortal deluded beings that we are, to bathe his image. I’ve come to believe our bathing the Prince is a gesture of welcome, to invite the baby Bodhisattva into this suffering world and give thanks to him for coming. But it’s something more. In the Chinese tradition, laypeople are invited to communally participate in the Dharma Assembly of Bathing the Buddha. But in the Mahāyāna tradition, Śākyamuni is the unique Buddha of this world, with many more simultaneously in others. So Buddhists and people involved with Dharma communities are invited to make offerings to establish fruitful karmic conditions with infinite bodhisattvas. Worship, prayer, and devotion will empower us to beseech all Buddhas to aid them in the project of building peaceful communities of faith.

 

The meaning of bathing the image of the Buddha is multifaceted. We guarantee to cultivate our spiritual maturity. We vow to attain purity of body, speech, and mind in the three times of past, present, and future. In the Chinese tradition the vow is very ambitious: to be reborn life after life to help suffering beings until one becomes a bodhisattva and then a Buddha. This year in 2012, we welcome little Siddhartha Gautama into our world again. It might have been his last rebirth 2600 years ago, but I share the confidence of all Buddhists that he’ll always be with us, until all beings are freed from suffering. Is there a better friend, a more compassionate companion, than someone who made a vow eons ago to become one Buddha among many?

 

The least we could do is give him a refreshing welcome – just don’t presume to give the World-Honored One a bubble bath this May..."

Buddhism won't be harmed by ex-drag queen ordaining as a monk

Ladyboys' convention

From The Nation May 18  

"Critics say that, by ordaining as a monk, a celebrity transvestite is using the religion for selfish reasons, but, like everyone else, he has the right to seek solace in the temple.

One key argument against the decision by a former Miss Tiffany to become a monk is that he may be doing so to escape personal problems or send someone a statement. In other words, he may not be seeking the kind of spiritual peace that those seeking ordination are supposed to. Religion, critics of Sorrawee "Jazz" Nattee say, is neither a hiding place nor a means of revenge.

Sorrawee, who never underwent gender reassignment, was quietly ordained recently after having his silicone breast implants removed, only for the fact to emerge as headline news in the Thai-language media.

The criticism levelled at him might have greater weight in a society where monks are not caught drunk or sleeping with women on a regular basis. The truth is that the Thai monkhood is far from being a pure sanctuary, and there are monks whose conduct deserves more scrutiny than Sorrawee's.

More truth is that Sorrawee is simply exercising his religious freedom. It is irrelevant that he was crowned Miss Tiffany in 2009, dressed in women's clothes. Buddhist history has examples of monks with more controversial backgrounds. Among them was one well-known Angulimala, a killer who was redeemed by his conversion to Buddhism.

Sorrawee had been frequenting temples before his decision. He also consulted many people before deciding to be ordained. It was clearly not a knee-jerk decision made in the heat of the moment. And even if it had been, why should we blame him? One way or another, people turn to religion because they believe they are facing problems that cannot be resolved in the lay world.

Some have predicted that Sorrawee's time in the monkhood will be short-lived - a quick in-and-out way of seeking religious solace. They say Sorrawee will be out of the monkhood in no time if the worldly situation that drove him there in the first place suddenly improves. Again, even if that turns out to be the case, religious freedom tells us that he has every right to try the spiritual peace of Buddhism. This religion is supposed to offer comfort during hard times and does not hold anyone in a firm grip. It's fine if you want to spend the rest of your life in a Buddhist sanctuary, but it's also fine if you just want to give it a try.

That women can only become "nuns", not monks, has been a focus of criticism where Buddhism is concerned. This must continue to be an issue that invokes constant debate and open-minded analyses. But by and large, Buddhism is generous, compassionate and encourages questioning.

Buddhism has not been free from exploitation. There have been sects or cults that preach that, the greater your religious donations - meaning money - the greater your chance of going to "Heaven". True students of Buddhism know within their hearts, however, that such teaching is not the religion's true essence.

If there are threats that might undermine Buddhism as Thailand's main religion, then they are represented by this kind of wayward teaching, not people like Sorrawee becoming monks. He, in the saffron robe, only represents the religion's openness and ability to offer peace and comfort. Whether he will "succeed" or "fail" will be of his own accord. No misguided "principles" will emerge to influence him while he is in the monkhood.

Despite the undeniable flaws of the Thai monkhood in general, Buddhism's real essence has been unwavering since the day the Lord Buddha proclaimed the religion. If Sorrawee really devotes himself to Buddhist study as a monk, he will find that many things that he takes as his are not really his. He will be able to look back at his time as Miss Tiffany with a new perspective. He will learn that the memory of it is part of his journey and is nothing to be ashamed of.

That is the charm of Buddhism. No matter who you are, where you come from or what you have done in the past, the door to the "try-out" room is always open, and you can check out any time if you don't like it. All you need is the sincere will to look inside."

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Buddhism and Terrorism - Meditation on Memes

The Saints of Otranto

Yesterday Pope Francis canonized 800 victims of a religiously-motivated terrorist attack on Otranto, Italy.

This got me thinking about memes again.  Will the most aggressively violent memes inevitably destroy the gentler and more mystical ones by a process of ruthless natural selection, or can peaceful memes somehow inactivate their virulent competitors?

Meme expert Susan Blackmore has suggested that Zen meditation may be able to 'weed-out' these pathological memes.  

Here are some excerpts from her article  Meditation as Meme Weeding 
 
"...American philosopher Daniel Dennett has described the process as the ‘evolutionary algorithm’ – a simple mindless process that once the requisites are in place must happen. If you have heredity, variation and selection then you must get evolution or “Design out of Chaos without the aid of Mind” . It’s as simple as that.

What Dawkins explained, in The Selfish Gene, was that this process is not confined to our most familiar replicator, the gene, but must apply to any information that is copied with variation and selection. All around us, he said, still drifting clumsily about in its primeval soup of culture, is another replicator. Ideas, habits, skills, stories, technologies, and artistic creations are all copied by a process that may loosely be called imitation. Copying is not perfect, so there is plenty of variation and recombination, and far more copies are made than can possibly survive. So we have a new replicator, a cultural replicator. Taking it from the Greek for ‘that which is imitated’ and abbreviating it to a word that would sound something like ‘gene’ Dawkins called them ‘memes’..."

"...There are many kinds of meme virus. A good example is an email virus. A typical one shouts “Warning, Warning, news just in from IBM (or Bill Gates or …) terrible virus, warn all your friends immediately that if they open a mail called “bla bla” their hard disk will be wiped clean”. This little collection of words can be called a memeplex – shortened from ‘co-adapted meme complex’; in other words, a group of memes that succeeds by hanging out together and getting passed on together. This little memeplex has a very simple structure. I call it C-TaP. It is basically a ‘copy me’ instruction backed up by Threats and Promises. In this case you are told to pass on the message. If you do you will help your friends (the altruism trick), if you don’t they will get their hard disk wiped (using fear to threaten). The memeplex also uses urgency, status (e.g. IBM), and exploits the fact that passing on an email message to lots of people is quick and easy. And so it is that this stupid little bit of text has been copied around and around the world, infecting millions of computers and still going strong after 5 or 6 years. If you doubt the power of memes to change the world then reflect on this silly little memeplex. It has frightened countless people and clogged up whole email systems. A few mindless words have had obvious and serious effects on the physical world. They have even found their way onto this page. This is the power of the memes. Buddhism is a meme.

I began deliberately with a very simple virus but there are far more powerful ones that use exactly the same structure. Dawkins calls them ‘viruses of the mind’; he means religions.

Dawkins used the example of Roman Catholicism; a collection of basic teachings that are passed on in church, by learning the catechism, and through prayer, singing hymns and saying grace. Beautiful cathedrals tempt worshippers inside and lift their hearts, making them want to spread the memes again. Beautiful music and songs carry the words of God and Jesus to more ears and minds. Good Catholics pass on all these ‘truths’ to their children and are encouraged to have lots of children who must, in turn, marry (or convert) a Catholic and bring up their children in the faith. The reward is everlasting life and the punishment – well it’s even worse than having your hard disk wiped..."

"...Being infected with a religion at an early age is no trivial matter. It shapes your mind, affects which memes you will subsequently accept or reject, and affects everyone you come into contact with. Very few people choose their religion, even though most think their religion is the best. Most are infected in childhood and never throw the infection off. We are seeing some of the consequences of these religious memes in the world situation we face today.

"...Our minds, at rest - alert and open - are like a beautifully weeded garden, bare brown earth where anything might grow. And just as the weed seeds are ready to jump into all that bare brown earth, so the memes are ready to jump into our open minds. If weed seeds find a space to grow, off they go, and soon all that open space is a mass of dandelions, speedwells and rosebay willow herb.

It is the same with thoughts. Think about what kinds of thoughts are the most troublesome. I don't believe many people are plagued in meditation by the sounds in the room, or by images of scenery once observed, or images of walking or jumping, or even flying. In other words, it is not our immediate perceptions, nor the things we have learned by ourselves that are troublesome; it is the ones we pick up from other people. It is all words and stories that cause the trouble; all memes.

"...Meditation is the hoe. Meditation is also, of course, a meme. You would never have invented the techniques of Ch’an meditation for yourself. They have been part-invented and part-selected over thousands of years, passing down from person to person in a long evolutionary path. But all of them have this in common - they are ways of defusing the power of other memes."

Read the full article here


Kalama Sutra
Buddhism had elements of meme-weeding from its very beginning.  In the  Kalama Sutra,   Buddha said that all religious teachings, including his own should...

(1) Not be believed on the basis of religious authority, or 'holy' books, or family/tribal tradition, or even coercion and intimidation by the mob.

BUT INSTEAD ONE SHOULD

(2) Test the methodology by personal experience. Does it do what it says on the box?

(3) Is the philosophy rational? Or does it require you to believe six impossible things before breakfast?

(4) Judge the tree by its fruits. Is it beneficial, or does it tell you to act against your conscience and 'The Golden Rule'.



Could meditation on memes prevent terrorism?
If young men from vulnerable cultural and family backgrounds were better informed about memes and memeplexes, perhaps they could resist this jihadist indoctrination and  recognize these malignant memes for the pernicious parasitic processes that they are, before they took over their minds and turned them into robotic killers. 

One interesting question is whether the meme theory is itself a meme ('The Metameme') and whether its spread could block and give immunity to more pernicious memes, much like the harmless cowpox virus can block out the lethal smallpox virus. 

"I have been made victorious with terror!"

If you are a sexually repressed teenager, who suddenly realises that the promise of 72 virgins for killing kuffars is nothing more than a mechanism for a mind-virus to ensure its dominance over competing memes, by eliminating their carriers, then you may be less enthusiastic about blowing yourself and fellow passengers to pieces in a train or bus.



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More Pix and article at the Vancouver Sun



Transcultural shock 
Isn't it strange how a particular symbol can produce an immediate gut reaction of horror and menace in Westerners (at least those of a certain age), and yet seem completely innocent to people of another culture?

The swastika has been an auspicious symbol in Buddhism for 2500 years, long before the Nazis appropriated it for their own evil purposes. But this hasn't stopped the European Union proposing to ban it, in a somewhat belated attempt to address the continent's problems of the 1930's, coupled with an arrogant display of EUrocentric cultural ignorance and control freakery.

Maybe it's time to rehabilitate the swastika, and reclaim it for its rightful owners, though I don't expect to see it displayed prominently on Western dharma centers anytime soon.  

This might raise some eyebrows in Tunbridge Wells

From the viewpoint of Buddhist philosophy, the Eurocrats' knee-jerk  swastikaphobia clearly shows how the mind projects attachment or aversion onto objects, which in themselves are neither intrinsically good nor bad.


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