Video of the Week: The Calm Within
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Archive for October, 2011
Barry Lopez: A Sense of Reverence for Life
There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light. — Barry Lopez
~~~~ Good News of the Day: His travels have taken him to some of the most inhospitable places on the earth, outside the furthest reaches of human civilization. But Barry Lopez always returns to his home in Oregon to write about what he has seen. And though nature is often his inspiration, it is not his subject, Lopez tells Bill Moyers, “I’m not writing about nature. I’m writing about humanity. And if I have a subject, it is justice. And the rediscovery of the manifold way in which our lives can be shaped by the recovery of a sense of reverence for life.” Lopez defines reverence as understanding “that the world will always be there, no matter how sophisticated our technologies of probing reality become. The great mystery will be there forever. Lopez was Bill Moyers’ last guest on his show, the Journal. The transcript of that program follows. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169957D:C3009629A010612CB981A0777FABFC86B4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Move through the day today with a sense of reverence, whatever that means to you.
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Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications
Dharma Quote of the Week
Blame everything on one thing. It simplifies life incredibly, and yet it truly is not simplistic. If we believe from our hearts that all of our misfortunes can be attributed to self-centeredness, this must radically transform our lives.
Do we have reservations? Isn’t there some part of the mind that says, “Self-centeredness is not such a bad idea. It got me my job, a good salary, my house and car. How can this be my enemy?” On the surface self-centeredness may seem like an aide who looks after our interests. There is one powerful answer to this: insofar as self-centeredness dominates our lives, it brings us into conflict with virtually everyone else. Because most people are dominated by self-centeredness, their interests are at odds with our own. There is bound to be conflict, and conflict gives rise to suffering.
Imagine what life would be like without self-centeredness. Would we give away all our possessions, waste away from malnutrition, and die prematurely of disease? No. This would be a partial lack of self-centeredness combined with a large part of stupidity. If we are to serve others effectively, we must take care of ourselves. A bodhisattva has no self-centeredness, but there have been people in all stations of life, including kings, who are bodhisattvas. If we free ourselves of self-centeredness and really concern ourselves with the cherishing of others, then our own welfare comes as a kind of echo.(p.67)
–from The Seven-Point Mind Training by B. Alan Wallace, edited by Zara Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
The Seven-Point Mind Training • Now at 5O% off!
(Good until October 21st).
25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. — John Jakes
~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: Today, writing well is more important than ever. Far from being the province of a select few as it was in Hemingway’s day, writing is a daily occupation for all of us — in email, on blogs, and through social media. It is also a primary means for documenting, communicating, and refining our ideas. As essayist, programmer, and investor Paul Graham has written, “Writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates them. If you’re bad at writing and don’t like to do it, you’ll miss out on most of the ideas writing would have generated.” So what can we do to improve our writing? Here are 25 snippets of insight from some exceptional authors. While they are all focused on the craft of writing, most of these tips pertain to pushing forward creative projects of any kind. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16994BA:C3009629A010612C76E74F6C8F53D6B3B4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Align your head, heart and hands when you write today.
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Live Webcasts: Mind and Life XXIII – Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence
Live Webcasts: Mind and Life XXIII – Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence
This meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be a dialogue between contemplative scholars, activists and ecological scientists that will discuses the interconnection between individual choices and environmental consequences. There will live broadcasts of the dialogue from His Holiness’s office in Dharamsala, India, on October 17-21, 2011. Live webcast can be viewed here.
Schedule – All times Indian Standard Time (GMT+5.30)
The sessions will be available for streaming and download after the event at http://dalailama.com/webcasts.
TOPIC ONE – THE SCIENCE
Moderator: Daniel Goleman
Session 1, October 17th Morning: Human Impact on Global Systems for Sustaining Life
Presenter: Diana Liverman
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Session 2, October 17th Afternoon: Interdependence Between the Environment and Our Health: Risk and Opportunities
Presenter: Jonathan Patz
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Session 3, October 18th Morning: Industrial Ecology – Connecting Everyday Activity to Planetary Crisis
Presenters: Gregory Norris, Matthieu Ricard
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
TOPIC TWO – ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY
Moderator: John Dunne
Session 4, October 18th Afternoon: Environmental Ethics – What is at Stake?
Presenter: Clare Palmer
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Session 5, October 19th Morning: A Role for Theology – Models of God, the World, and the Self
Presenter: Sallie McFague
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Session 6, October 19th Afternoon: A Buddhist Perspective and Open Discussion
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
TOPIC THREE – ETHICS AND ACTION
Moderator: Roshi Joan Halifax
Session 7, October 20th Morning: The Psychology of Action and Behavior Change
Presenter: Elke Weber
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Session 8, October 20th Afternoon: A Buddhist Perspective on the Psychology of Action and Behavior Change
Presenter: Thupten Jinpa
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
TOPIC FOUR: CONCLUSION
Session 9, October 21st Morning: The Skillful Means of Activism
Presenter: Dekila Chungyalpa
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Session 10, October 21st: To Be Determined
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
For times in your area, 9:00am October 17th in Dharamsala, India, is the same as 8:30pm in October 16th in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Participants
1.Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet
2. Dekila Chungyalpa, M.A., is the World Wildlife Fund US Director for the newly launched Sacred Earth Program.
3. John Dunne, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Religion at Emory University
4. Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning at the University of Illinois, and co-director of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers University.
5. Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
6. Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D, Principal translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, president and the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Tibetan Classics.
7. Diana Liverman, Ph.D., is the co-director of the Institute of the Environment at The University of Arizona and a professor in the School of Geography and Development.
8. Sallie McFague, Ph.D., is Distinguished Theologian in Residence at the Vancouver School of Theology in British Columbia, Canada.
9. Greg Norris, Ph.D., founded and is executive director of New Earth and Visiting Professor with the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas.
10. Clare Palmer, D.Phil., is a Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University.
11. Jonathan Patz, M.D., M.P.H., is a Professor & Director of Global Environmental Health at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
12. Matthieu Ricard: Ph.D., is an author and Buddhist monk at Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu and French interpreter since 1989 for His Holiness the Dalai Lama
13. Elke Weber, Ph.D., is the Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business and Professor of Psychology at Columbia Universit
Living an Authentic Life
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In Praise of Selflessness
Don’t be a leader — be a ladder. — Jayesh Patel
~~~~ Good News of the Day: “Who are you doing it for? Asked that question, many entrepreneurs would answer, ‘me.’ There’s nothing wrong with that. Plenty of great companies were built by people for whom CEO is an imperfect acronym for “He who must be obeyed.” Servant leaders, by contrast, put their people and their organizations before themselves. They don’t view employees as a means to an end; rather employees’ happiness and satisfaction is the end.” This Inc. Magazine article explores servant leadership. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699361:C3009629A010612CA76397CACC9E0C4FB4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: The quote above comes from a remarkable man who has dedicated his life to service. An inspiring video of Jayesh Patel walking through the slums where he serves: http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699362:C3009629A010612CA76397CACC9E0C4FB4B847859706E37D&
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Be kind, be just, be humane – Tricycle Daily Dharma, October 9, 2011
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Tricycle Daily Dharma October 9, 2011 |
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Be kind, be just, be humane
Soyen Shaku, “Soyen Shaku: One Hundred Years Ago” |
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Tricycle Retreat: Focusing 
David Rome leads us on an investigation into the intuitive wisdom of the body in his Tricycle Retreat, Focusing for Meditators. Whether you have a meditation practice or not, Focusing will help you come up with creative solutions to life’s problems. 
We all have the same twenty-four hours a day. So where did all the time go? We can spend hours feeling hurried and harried, overwhelmed by chores and demands, distracted and burned out… or we can awaken to life in Buddha Standard Time: the realm of timelessness where every choice, every action, and every breath can be one of renewal and infinite possibilities. 
During the month of September, all Tricycle Community Members can get Lama Surya Dass new book, Buddha Standard Time, at a 20% discount with free shipping in the US*, plus free e-book for instant download. Then, discuss the book with the author in the Tricycle Book Club! 
Tricycle’s sixth annual pilgrimage to India is co-led this year by John Peacocke and Justin Kelley. This classical pilgrimage will take place from February 15 through March 4, 2012, and will take us to the places in north India where Siddhattha Gotama, the historical Buddha, lived and taught in the 5th century BCE. 
Sangha of Auspicious Companions 