Monday, March 18, 2024

Lay ordination: Berkeley Zen Center (video)

Berkeley Zen Center; Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

BerkeleyZenCenter.org
Three members of the Berkeley Zen Center sangha (spiritual community) received "lay ordination" (Zaike Tokudo) from Sojun Weitsman Roshi and Hozan Senauke Sensei in the summer of 2017.

Such commitment to practice is possible in Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in the Japanese tradition practiced in the United States.

This ceremony takes place once a year at BZC and is a significant rite of passage for each participant and for the whole sangha.
You're never too old to RNR if you're TYTD.
Those present have the feeling that we are all together witnessing and participating as those ordaining receive the Buddha’s precepts.

Those ordaining are welcomed into the lineage of Shakyamuni Buddha and Suzuki Roshi’s family.
How to sit zazen: instructions

This is a talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Friday, May 14, 2021, by Hozan Alan Senauke. AUDIO: Listen to an audio-only version of this talk: Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed. Subscribe to The Berkeley Zen Center Podcast: RSS.

Hozan Alan SenaukeABOUT: Hozan Alan Senauke: Sensei began practicing at BZC on Dwight Way and later established his practice as a student of Sojun Roshi in the early 1980s. He was ordained as a Zen priest at BZC in 1989, receiving Dharma Transmission from Sojun at Tassajara Zen Center in 1998. After serving as tanto (head of practice) and then as vice-abbot at BZC, Hozan was installed as abbot in January of 2021. More

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Irishman was first Westerner to be a monk

Irishman U Dhammaloka (Laurence Carroll), The Dharma Bum; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom QuarterlyTheDharmaBum.eu, Dana.IO/thedharmabum
First Western Buddhist monk: Irish U Dhammaloka (Wisdom Quarterly)



I think I'll be a Buddhist monk
The Dharma Bum is a feature-length, partially animated documentary film that tells the tantalizing true story of Dubliner Laurence Carroll, who became Venerable Dhammaloka.
  • Any relation to Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland? Of course not, because "Lewis Carroll" is the nom de plume (pen name) for Irish-connected Oxford don Dodgson, the author of classic literature for little Alice Liddell.
Laurence Carroll was born in Dublin in 1856 and spent his early life as an alcoholic hobo drifter bumming his way across the United States of America.
 
This freethinking, un-Catholic, un-Christian, atheist activist worked the shipping route from San Francisco, California, to Japan.

I'm glad I became a Buddhist and did so much to spread freethinking against the British Empire.
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Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind
He found himself on the beach, hungover and homeless, after being kicked off the vessel for drunk and disorderly conduct.

He eventually made his way to Theravada Buddhist Burma, where he was helped by compassionate local Buddhist monks.

After five years as a monastic apprentice, he became the first Western man to ever don the saffron robes of a Theravada Buddhist monk.
Irish-American female Zen Buddhist saint (bodhisattva) in Japan: Soshin O'Halloran

Ven. U Dhammaloka: First Westerner to ordain as a Buddhist monk

(Belfast Buddhist, 4/1/16) Venerable Dhammaloka was ordained in Theravada Buddhist Burma (Myanmar) prior to 1900, making him one of the very earliest attested Western Buddhist monks. He was a celebrity preacher, vigorous polemicist, free thinker, and prolific editor in Burma and Singapore between 1900 and his conviction for sedition and appeal in 1910–1911. Drawing on Western atheist writings, he publicly challenged the role of imperial Christian missionaries and by implication the British Empire. His Irish name was Laurence Carroll or Larry O'Rourke or Willam Colvin from Cork and Munster.

UK-occupied Northern Ireland
They gave him the new Buddhist name U Dhammaloka,* and that is just the beginning of the story!
  • [*In Burmese U (pronounced "oo") is an honorific that signifies "sir," Dhamma is the Pali spelling of "Dharma," loka means "world." Interestingly, aloka means "light" or "bright whiteness" -- so his name, if pronounced with a long a, signifies suggests "Dharma Light or even White Dharma."]
U Dhammaloka was erased from history. His existence lay dormant for over 100 years. Why? The reasons are explored in the film.

Teach those Brits not to mess with the Celts
This Irishman caused quite a stir in his life, as he singlehandedly took on the might of the Christian British Empire in colonial Burma.
In the film we discover why he was under constant police surveillance and ultimately had to fake his own death as he transformed himself from an alcoholic bum to the original Dharma Bum. More
The Legend of the 6th Century Irish monk who may have sailed so America (grunge.com)
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Happy St. Paddy's Day?
Wisdom Quarterly Wikipedia edit
The Patrician Roman Patriarch Pat
As we celebrate Saint Paddy's Day today, one has to wonder why British Protestant Patrick gets so much credit from the Imperial Catholic Church.

Saint Patrick (Gaelic Pádraig, Latin Patricius, "father of the people") was a 5th-century Romano-British anti-pagan, Christian missionary, and patriarch named bishop of Ireland by an outside entity.

Known as the "Apostle of Ireland," he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints being Brigid of Kildare and Columba. Patrick was never formally canonized [2], having lived before the current laws of the Catholic Church on these matters.
We may have been better off as pagans.
Nevertheless, he is venerated as a "saint" in the Catholic Church, which also venerates the Buddha as a Catholic saint (St. Josaphat), the Lutheran Church, the Church of Ireland (part of the Anglican Communion), and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is regarded as equal-to-the-apostles and Enlightener of Ireland [3, 4].

He was a slave in Ireland for years, escaped back to England then seems to have returned to extract his revenge as a patriarch to impose Roman church law on the Emerald Isle.

Patrick is credited with forcing Christianity on Ireland, converting a pagan society in the process, despite evidence of an earlier Christian presence [7].

We defend Catholicism b/c the British don't like it
In Patrick's autobiography, Confessio, when he was 16, he was captured at home in Britain by Irish pirates and taken as a slave to Ireland. He writes that he lived here for six years herding animals before escaping and returning to his England.

After becoming a cleric, he returned to spread Christianity in northern and western Ireland. In later life, he served as a bishop, but little is known about where he worked.

By the 7th century, he had already become the "patron saint of Ireland." His feast day is observed on March 17th, the date of his death not his birth. It is celebrated in Ireland and among the worldwide Irish diaspora as a cultural holiday celebrating all things Irish.

It is hardly as a religious observance nowadays, but in the dioceses of Ireland, it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation, even if pagans mourn the genocide he wrought upon the island.

Good John Riley's flag of the Mexican regiment
The Irish are so much like the Mexicans in this regard, taken over and thoroughly saturated by the Holy Roman Empire, as if the Church liberated the people when it enslaved them and still tries to rule every aspect of their lives and exact tribute for Rome.

So much is this connection felt that there are Los Patricios ("The Patricks" not Patricians), who were US mercenaries ordered to fight Mexico, but when they understood the fight, led by John Riley, they took the side of Mexico and fought against the US, as anyone who champions the underdog might well have done. More

Is it Druid Genocide Day or St. Patrick's Day?

Matt Anderson (valknutmeadery.com.au); Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

This Day in History: Druid Remembrance Day
Celtic Druid, shaman, seer
On March 17th, we will not be celebrating someone greatly responsible for the cultural genocide of the Celtic pagans and Druids.

Instead, it's more appropriate to celebrate the life and culture of the Druids who were wiped out during Saint Patrick's missionary days.

Make sure to note that this was a "cultural genocide." So it doesn't mean Padraig went around killing all the Druids. Instead, he convinced the kings and leaders of the time to convert to a foreign religion, which meant no one needed Druids anymore.

WHO WERE THE DRUIDS?
Knowledge keeper
Ever since the Indo-European days, Druids were the keepers of the traditional laws, storytellers, wandering poets, priests, the philosophers of the time, astronomers, and king makers.

The name Druid means something like the Sanskrit rishi, "to see" (a "seer," "visionary"). They were the intermediaries connecting the people and the gods.

The word shaman (Buddhist Sanskrit shramana) is related to seer, meaning "one who sees in the dark."

They were the most important people of their time, roughly between 4500 BCE (before common era) to 400 CE.

Secret architecture of the Druids
The Celts, along with their Druids or seers, emigrated from Central Europe west to the British Isles and Ireland, taking their rich culture, art, and traditions with them. The ancient tales of their ancestors and their gods helped the Celts remain a fearless people.

Fearless people are hard to control. Thankfully, the Romans did not occupy Ireland, but their new imperial faith [and their worship of Ceasar's Messiah] did. It was an imposed faith that was used to bring all nations and cultures under the rule of one God.

WHO WAS "SAINT" PATRICK?
Rome's Gay Mafia the Vatican, with its cardinals, bishops and pope, rule the Catholic world.


Newgrange green, Ireland (Getty/Irish Central)
Here are two fun facts about St. Paddy. He wasn't Irish but rather a Roman Brit. He is mostly known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, never mind that there have never been any snakes in Ireland.

"Snakes" seems to have been a metaphor for pagans, because he wanted everyone to view them as evil for their refusal to following the new faith.

The conversions made the old Celtic faith irrelevant. The Romans eventually got rid of the Druids along with the culture of the people. Over time Druids ceased to exist. Written records were uncommon back then. The Druids were not allowed to write down their knowledge.

So all of that cultural history was lost. It had been recorded in the minds of the Druids, so once they were eradicated, their history was too.

Becoming a Druid involved a lifetime of study and dedication. So celebrating the Druids and their rich history is a much better way to celebrate Celtic pride than worshiping St. Patrick. Skål. Source

Oops, Trump not guilty? Jan. 6 insurrection

Rising (The Hill), 3/1724; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

New federal Jan. 6th probe UNLEASHED: Terry Schilling breaks it down
I want an apology or I'm calling for a bloodbath.
(The Hill) March 17, 2024: WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Swamp) Jimmy Dore was right. The Epoch Times was telling the truth with their report? President of American Principles Terry Schilling weighs in on the latest January 6th report and the exculpatory evidence now released in the investigation after committee misleads America for years, rounding up all participants on trumped up charges of participating, even if all they did was watch the Orange One speak. #Jan6 #Trump #Loudermilk


ABOUT: Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers. Follow Rising on social media: Website: Hill.TV

LA Mushroom Club: Metaphysics (3/18)

LAMS Resident Mycologist Rudy Diaz (lamushrooms.org); Jen Bradshaw, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Visit a Los Angeles Mycological Society (LAMS) general meeting after February's very successful annual Wild Mushroom Fair at the LA Arboretum.

PROGRAM: "Mushroom Abnormalities and Metaphysics of Identity" with guest speaker LAMS Resident Mycologist Rudy Diaz. FREE. RSVP:

What do we know about mushrooms?
Living organisms are unique in that they show goal-oriented chemical actions that achieve self-maintenance and replication.

Although they give the appearance of direction, these functions are fulfilled through the random motions of molecules.

The central questions in biology, "the study of life," derive from a strange phenomenon, the emergence of “form” from “non-form.” It's like Buddhism's Heart Sutra says, "Form is emptiness just as emptiness is form..."

Fungi, displaying remarkable tolerance for aberrations in form, serve as a window into basic properties of complex traits and their evolution.

In order to make sense of these “traits” in a genetic context, it is necessary to reevaluate assumptions made about how life operates in general.

Specifically, in asking the question “Why does this mushroom look abnormal?” we are confronted with a more intimidating question: “How can separate individuals look the same?”

The common answer claims that genes encode a “program” for the construction of forms. By sharing the “same” genes, two individuals follow the same program.

Inky cap about to go black
However, the genetic control of biological traits is not predetermined (Diaz et al., 2023). Rather, it is more appropriate to view similarities between individuals of a species as owing to genetic (i.e., informational) “constraints.”

In mushroom (fruiting body)-forming fungi, loose-enough constraints on development seem to have allowed many instances of repeated evolution in reproductive forms.

More info about LAMS events, including a biography of this month's speaker, is available on the LAMS Calendar page. Directions to location at the community center: LAMS Locations

Weds. Peace Class w/ Mandy Kahn (Zoom)

Mandy Kahn (mandykahn.com), Heartsong (Meetup); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Wednesdays FREE on Zoom (6:00 PM)
Peace Class is a free, interactive online gathering to manifest inner peace and establish world peace. It is led by Mandy Kahn and takes place every Wednesday night at 6:00 pm (Pacific Time) via Zoom. ALL are welcome to attend.

The building of world peace is the establishing of inner peace. So our global contribution, as a participant in this peace circle, is profound.

Friends MLK Jr. and Thich Nhat Hanh on peace
Each class meeting includes a short talk that focuses on one aspect of the nature of peace, followed by journaling as a peace-building practice. This provides each participant the opportunity to develop a set of peace-building skills that may be used at any time.

Each class is an hour and includes a brief peace meditation, teachings about pioneer peacebuilders like Peace Pilgrim, and the opportunity to share personal peace-building discoveries with the group.

The peace circle is grateful to be joined by peace advocates from around the world in this love-filled, supportive space.

What part of peace, love, and understanding are you not understanding? Hugs for everyone!
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Mandy Kahn | Los Angeles Meetup
Each meeting is a stand-alone lesson. Feel free to drop in for a single class or the entire series.

Participants also have the option of keeping Zoom cameras off and just observing, if that contributes to a feeling of greater comfort.

This class is an online how-to, exploring a range of topics that include:
  • Gandhi was inspired by Jesus, MLK by Gandhi
    How to engage the healing perspective of a peace mind
  • How self-love builds world peace
  • How stepping out of the guilt cycle allows inner peace to occur naturally
  • How to build a healing ceasefire
  • How inner peace evolves our physical bodies
  • How to use the mantra “I honor all beings” to build world peace.
  • How peace enters the collective consciousness to heal ancient wounds
Details

Practicing inner peace leads to equanimity.
Peace Class is a FREE, weekly, Zoom-based gathering presented by the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) and led by teacher Mandy Kahn.
  • Every Wednesday night at 6:00 pm Pacific
  • Attendees welcome to participate or just watch
  • Bring something to write on and something to write with
  • Anyone is welcome to attend with or without signing up ahead of time
ABOUT: Who is Mandy Kahn?

Peace Piece (film by Courtney Sell)
Mandy Kahn is a peace advocate and poet, author of two collections of poems — Glenn Gould’s Chair and Math, Heaven, Time — both published by London-based press Eyewear.

Her work has been included in the Best American Poetry anthology series and in former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s syndicated column "American Life in Poetry."

Kahn is the writer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society, a center for spiritual discourse founded in 1934 by wisdom scholar Manly P. Hall.

The World Peace Diet (Tuttle)
She teaches for PRS with a weekly online class on the nature of peace and regularly presents peace-building concerts on the PRS grounds in Hollywood, which feature poetry, classical music, and immersive performances.

She is the subject of Courtney Sell’s feature-length documentary Peace Piece: The Immersive Poems of Mandy Kahn, released by Indie Pix and available on DVD and available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and elsewhere.

She has given readings at Cambridge University, the London Review Bookshop, and Shoreditch House in the UK, at Motto in Berlin, at Colette in Paris, at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, at the New School in New York, at the Barrick Museum in Las Vegas, and at many venues in Southern California.

In addition to writing books, Mandy Kahn regularly presents immersive poems: live works of literature that incorporate performance, audience participation, and musical technique.

Yoko Ono, John Lennon, the Beatles love peace
In 2019, she presented a program of immersive and interactive poems at the Getty Museum called “Gateways to Peace,” which was performed by a cast of seven actors and three opera singers.

Kahn has been interviewed by BBC Radio, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Flaunt magazine, among others. She is the recipient of the 2018 Shakespeare Prize in Poetry. (The Shakespeare Prize is awarded annually to a poet or playwright based in Los Angeles County; other recipients include Tom Stoppard, Ray Bradbury and Poet Laureate Dana Gioia).
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Mandy, if peace and asking nicely don't work, we're ready to roll and give war another chance.

This is a peaceful protest. Put the weapons down