Why the idea of 'minimalism' makes me chuckle

Over the past few years I have admired those who have pared down their possessions to live a simpler, less cluttered life. In this effort, many people have succeeded in becoming debt-free, less driven (and burdened) by 'consumerism'; perhaps even healthier. The 'minimalist' movement has had such an impression on me that I have also begun to follow suit with my own approach, which I like to call "Living Simply". 

However, the humor of this societal (and personal) transformation has not been lost on me. 

Reading about people living in one room with just a futon mattress and a few clothes (or going completely nomadic), I have noticed an unmistakable tone of pride and accomplishment. No doubt this is because people are excited about what minimalism has done for them, and wish to encourage others.

But what makes me laugh is that back in the day, these "lifestyles" of frugality were the norm. In fact, for most people it was what was called living (we also know that this- and even less- is still the norm for millions in the developing world).

According to many minimalists, the benefits of choosing minimalism include promoting sustainable living and reaching out to those in need. I believe these benefits are real. Since this is a choice within our current conditions (which are relatively cushy), there might be some justification for those attempting to live more simply to give ourselves a tiny little pat on the back.  

But I would also say not to take ourselves too seriously. Instead, I think it best  to just be thankful for what we have right now (and the choices we have), without attachment or aversion. After all, for those of us fortunate enough have access to education, vaccinations, safe water, and religious freedom, these things, while not physical possessions, are all 'things' we like to have- and would not want to part with. 

So in regarding paring down my possessions as some great personal accomplishment, I will remain cautious. Although I might feel 'skilled' in my effort to live with less, making this effort while in the midst of such abundance and stability also gives me yet another opportunity to smile amusedly in spite of myself.

"Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is Awakened." ~ The Buddha (Sutta Nipata) 

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What are your thoughts about the current trends in minimalism? What quirks have you noticed?

May all beings be happy!

Buddhism in Uganda

A while back I was curious to see whether there is a Buddhist following in Africa. My search led me to the Uganda Buddhist Centre, located near the capital of Kampala. UBC was founded in 2005 by Ven. Buddharakkhita, a monk who has been ordained in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Being the first and only Buddhist center in Uganda, there are many reasons why UBC is special, but another is that the nun at the center and Uganda's first Buddhist, Dhammakami, is the mother of Buddharakkhita, ordained by the Venerable himself.

I hope you enjoy listening to the Venerable's life story and spiritual journey. The last video is a slide show recounting Ven. Buddharakkhita's experience as a monk living in a tent and teaching Dharma from a mobile temple, and the series of events that led to the building of the UBC in 2007.

May all beings be happy!

10 things that surprised me most about Buddhism

After first encountering basic Buddhist concepts and then learning more and more about them, I often found myself surprised, even awed, by what I learned. I don't know if it the Western 'pop-culture' view or my own Judeo-Christian background were the sources of my initial views of Buddhism, but the more I learned, the more I realized how much my initial impressions of Buddhist ideology differed greatly from the actual teachings and culture. I also remember some of my fellow Buddhists (who grew up in Southeast Asia, and had been born into a Buddhist culture) being surprised when they learned that I did not initially know some of these things about Buddhism (especially numbers 9 and 10), but were understanding about my lack of knowledge once I told them where I was coming from.

Here is my 'top ten' list of the things that surprised me most about Buddhism, from the mundane (and perhaps even silly) to the profound:

1. Many Buddhists are not vegetarians.

2. To be Buddhist, one doesn't have to renounce all one's material belongings (or shave your head!).

3. Buddhists are not necessarily pacifists.

4. Many Buddhists do not meditate regularly- in lotus position no less!

5. 'Fat Buddha' is different from Shakyamuni (i.e. the historical) Buddha.

6. Buddhism has a tradition, even a foundation, of questioning and challenging beliefs.

7. Buddhism and science can harmoniously coexist.

8. Buddhism is not possessive, anyone can incorporate Buddhist principles into their life without 'becoming' Buddhist. 

9. Buddha was not a god, but a mortal human being who suffered as we do. The difference was that he found the way to end this suffering.

10. Buddhism is 'equal opportunity'. Every being in the universe has Buddha-nature, or the potential to become a Buddha. 

If you are a 'new' Buddhist like me, were you surprised by any of these characteristics of Buddhism? Do you have any to add? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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May all beings be happy!

Happy Dussehra!

For something a little different, I just wanted to wish my Hindu friends and family a Happy Dussehra! Dussehra is the celebration of the female Shakti, or trinity of Goddesses Lakshmi, Durga, and Saraswati. As one can imagine, women are central to the celebration and prayer, of which the focus are the Goddesses and offerings of their favorite foods. There is often also a special and creatively decorated construction called a Golu, which women build and show to other women who, along with their children, come to their house to admire- and also to eat delicious foods and socialize.

Below is a very simple Golu I put together for this year's Dussehra. Enjoy!

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May all beings be happy!

How to do less housework- Maybe even enjoy it!

"Yeah, right!" you scoff. But just hear me out. I am definitely no FlyLady, but I am beginning to see the light as far as cleaning goes. I don't hate cleaning, but like many people, I don't want to do more of it than I have to. That is why I came up with this list, to organize my thoughts, live up to my desire to Live Simply, and perhaps even help someone else in the process. Here are the lessons I have learned so far:

• Remove your shoes. People from cultures all around the world (even Nordic ones) remove their shoes before entering their homes, both out or respect and for hygienic purposes. I agree on both counts. If you're not used to it, just give it a try (and reward yourself and your family with some comfy, feel-good slippers!). A simple idea, but it really makes a difference in keeping a house clean(er).
• Determine the most important tasks. Do you really need to dust your cabinet of knickknacks once a week or vacuum behind the couch? Or even keep the bathroom mirror looking spotless? The answer is no. The truth is, while you might notice if your paperweights are not sparkling, only a few tasks are actually noticed by others. In my experience these are: A vacuumed carpet, a clean bathroom, an uncluttered kitchen/dining room table, and dust-free computers and work surfaces. Choose whatever is important to you, and relevant to your home.
• Do a little every day/week. Once you've chosen the important tasks, do each of them once to twice a week, depending on your needs. There will also be some tasks that will only need to be done once a month or less, so schedule these accordingly (see below).
• Set a time limit. Let's face it, there are already many daily tasks besides the those mentioned above. These may include (depending on your priorities) making the bed, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning up after pets, and just tidying up. That means that adding any other task could eat up more of your free time if you're not careful. Discovering this, I decided to set a time limit. If I am vacuuming the carpet and my timer for 10 minutes goes off, I turn off the vacuum and put it away- whether or not the whole carpet is vacuumed. So what if I missed a spot? I'll take care of it next time. Of course, setting a limit also depends on the size of your home- so see what works for you. Bonus: Working against the clock has helped me clean more efficiently, and tackle areas that need the most attention first. As they say, the rest is gravy. 
• Be realistic. Know when when you are least likely to clean. For example, your busiest weekday or when you're trying to relax on the weekend. The world won't fall apart if you declare one day when there shall be no housework. In fact- it might make your world even better!  
• Set a schedule. Now that you have chosen what tasks are important, how long it takes to do them, and when you are most likely to get them done, schedule it out. I have used Google calendar with great success, simply by adding tasks to a weekly or monthly calendar. Even if I don't do the task exactly on the day, it gives me a guideline so that I focus just on what needs to be done- and don't waste time on what doesn't.  
• Ask for help. Just because your spouse works outside the home or your kids have school doesn't mean they can't pitch in. One regret I have heard from experienced parents is that they were too nervous or impatient to let their little ones help out around the house when they first showed the initiative. I have also read that some families make chores/decluttering a fun game for the whole family. So, try something to give yourself a break- it just might work! And don't be so proud, if someone offers to give you a hand, let them, even if you know they won't do a task as well as you. Give them the privilege of helping you, and use the occasion as yet another reminder that you don't have to do it all. 
• Declutter. If nothing else is a magic bullet, decluttering is. After all, you don't have to clean or take care of items that are no longer in your possession. If you don't use something and you are just spending time cleaning around it, then seriously, what good is it? Nowadays there are so many resources out there, such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Freecycle, Craigslist, Ebay, even recycling centers for old clothes and electronics that cannot be sold or donated, so that it is possible to get rid of unwanted items without being (or feeling) wasteful. No need to go berserk decluttering all at once, but just a little at a time will make a big difference, especially in the long-run.  
• Organize logically. If you have in fact chosen to go the decluttering route, you may find that organizing what is left becomes exponentially easier. But either way, a home's organization is so tied to personal preference, I won't say much about it, except that organization should be as simple, logical, and convenient as possible. 
• Be mindful. From a Buddhist perspective, cleaning is an excellent reminder of impermanence. We may wish that a room - or our whole house- will stay the way it is just after we clean it, but we know that it isn't so. In fact, if we consider entropy, or the tendency of everything towards disorder, we may even feel that the universe is against us! But if we put aside our ego we know that cleaning isn't about having the most perfect, spotless home, but simply to provide an environment for comfortable and happy living. If we can do that, we are on our way to cultivating joy in life's most mundane activities.  

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it was helpful to you in some way. As always, I welcome you to share your suggestions and personal experiences in the comments.

May all beings be happy! 

Time for reflection

Hello fellow sentient beings! I may not have written in a while, but I have not been idle. In addition to really buckling down and applying for jobs, I have been thinking about a lot of things- and taking action. I don't know if I will write about all these things in detail here at BCB, but here they are!

I've been thinking about . . .

. . . productivity. Using President Eisenhower's method (made famous by Stephen Covey), I have taken a look at my daily/weekly/monthly activities and determined both their urgency and importance. This has helped a lot, and has led to me making significant changes in my priorities and how I spend my time.

. . . what it means to be a good citizen, and more specifically, a good American. I have been spending a lot of time self-educating, becoming more informed, and more active in the community. I also have devoured several biographies of famous Americans, which has been both fascinating and worthwhile.  

. . . cleaning. Mundane activities. How to do less of them, but still enough. I don't want to neglect our home and live in a mess, but since re-prioritizing, I find that less cleaning is definitely more. Because hey, there are more important things in life! :)

. . . organizing and decluttering. Directly related to cleaning, but a little more proactive. Currently I am in the midst of an all-out paper war, attacking each stack with my hand scanner, uploading the images, then shredding and discarding old receipts and papers. It has also been useful in locating important documents and storing them in a more organized fashion. I hope that the result will be an efficient filing system, documents that are easier to find, and a less cluttered home. We shall see!

. . . finances. As you can imagine, living on one small income on the east coast is not easy. So, I am trying to find ways to save (and potentially make) money. This past month I made some changes in the way I shop, resulting in a $100+ decrease in our grocery bill. It is a great start, but, there is more to do. The goal my husband and I have made is that we can start actually saving money, rather than living hand-to-mouth. And since there is so little left to cut (we have a pretty simple lifestyle to begin with) we will have to be creative! (Any ideas you may have would be appreciated.)

. . . fitness. To be honest, I have always HATED going to the gym. But, after noticing that I have started looking a little squishy, I decided to give it another try. And you know what? I love it! Recently the gym in our apartment complex purchased new equipment with screens that show views of national parks, so it feels like I am actually moving through the park while exercising. Needless to say, using these machines is so much fun! Another thing I think was crucial to enjoying my workouts was easing into the routine. One day in mid-February, I promised myself that I would work out once that week. Each week I tried to fit in one more workout, and by week five I was doing cardio 4x a week! Now I don't want to miss a workout- something unimaginable to me just a few months ago. I look forward to making additional changes to my workouts, and to continue challenging myself. 

. . . spirituality and God. Sometimes people misunderstand that being a Buddhist means also being an atheist. This in fact is not the case, it is just that the wisdom that the Buddha gave us in the form of the Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path, Five Moral Precepts, etc., do not require belief in God or a higher power. But that certainly doesn't mean that Buddhism dictates that someone can't or shouldn't believe. To make a very long story short (and a long post not as long :), I have thought a lot about my relationship with God, especially the fact that recently I had not included Him in my life. I have finally determined that this was because I needed to distance myself, not from God, but from how I had previously related to Him. In short, I needed an attitude adjustment, and I believe that with greater maturity and insight, a new relationship with God has started to blossom. 

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So that's about it- actually, I ended up writing a heck of a lot more than I thought I would! But thanks for bearing with me :) Although I abhor the fact that I am unemployed and feel that I am not contributing as much as I would like, there have been some blessings in disguise, like having the time to think about (and even act upon) other important aspects of my life. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post, despite its self-indulgent nature. I also hope that everything is well with you- As always feel free to share your thoughts and what is going on in your life in the comments below- I would love to hear from you!   

May all beings be happy!

My Dinacharya Notebook

One tool that I think has been indispensable to my Dinacharya journey up until now has been my journal, in which I briefly record the main observations, activities, and joys of the day. Given to me by my Mom over a year ago, my journal is a 6x8 spiral notebook decorated with royal peacocks, serene lotus blossoms, and colorful flowers and butterflies. I was saving the notebook for something very special, and thought using it to record this important new endeavor would do it justice.

Here is a picture of the journal that I would like to share with you:

In the market for a nice notebook that you would like to use for a special purpose? I have compiled a few of my favorites in the Amazon widget below. Like my notebook, they are all from Punch Studio, and I love how they are so colorful, yet also practical and sturdy. If you are interested in these notebooks please use the links in the widget to navigate to Amazon.com- any purchase you make via these links would benefit me with a (very small) commission, which I would appreciate very much. Also please let me know if you have a link to Amazon.com on your blog/website, and I will try to do the same for you.

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May all beings be happy!

Dinacharya: My practice so far

It's been almost two months since I first started my journey of paying closer attention to the day's natural rhythms, and consistently performing several of the practices recommended by the Ayurvedic guidelines of Dinacharya. So far I must say that I am pleased, since I am already experiencing the benefits.  

So far I have consistently:

Gone to bed earlier
Used the tongue scraper
Drank warm water upon waking
Practiced Abhyanga (warm oil massage)
Written in a journal
Continued morning sun salutations
Meditated

I have already made more changes than I thought I would, which surprises me because in the past positive change has been so difficult (or at least very slow) for me. As I've said before posts featuring my journey with Dinacharya will not be the major topic of this blog (of course, unless you want it to be!), but I will periodically post whatever insights I am able to make.

Thanks for reading this post. Are you also interested in Ayurveda? What attracted you to it? Do you feel that it has benefitted your life? How?

May all beings be happy!        

Happy Birthday, BCB!

I am very happy to announce that this month is the 3rd anniversary of ByChanceBuddhism! 

I still remember the day I sat with my love, discussing what kind of blog I would like to write- and what I should call it. I will never forget his encouragement, or the clarity and determination I felt as I decided the focus -and name- of ByChanceBuddhism. 

Three years later, here we are! I would also like to thank all of you, my readers, who have been so kind as to provide so many insightful comments and support, especially over the past year. Your participation and contributions mean more to me than you know. You are among the many blessings that I have encountered whilst traveling the Buddhist path.  

As a small token of my appreciation, I would like to share this picture with you:

May you be happy as you travel along your own path, cultivating wisdom, compassion, and peace.

Thank you all so much- Here's to many more years writing BCB!

*****

May all beings be happy!  

Not again! The Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living: Another fake

Okay, let's cut right to the chase: You know the "Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living"? FAKE with a capital F. But I promise, I really don't mean to be a kill-joy or know-it-all. Being the inquisitive person I am, I try to get to the bottom of things . . .

A while ago, I viewed this YouTube video featuring "the Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living". They really resonated with me, and so being a fan of H.H., I wanted to share them with others here at BCB. 

However, given the epidemic of fake Buddha quotes on the internet, I erred on the side of caution and decided to first check the source of these great sayings. And BAM! to my dismay one of the first hits from googling "The Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living" is an article from Snopes.com. As it turns out, the Dalai Lama is not the source of these quotations. They are from a book written by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., called Life's Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life.

The Snopes.com article reveals that a list of 45 of the 511 tips from the Life's Little Instruction Book was first portrayed as 'modern Japanese good luck tantra' or a 'Nepalese tantra totem' in a 1999 email chain letter. I gather that apparently since then someone cherry-picked the ones that 'sounded' like the Dalai Lama, making up a concise list to "oooo" and "ahhh" about- and share with others in emails and blog posts. Moving to the YouTube age, someone synchronized these tips with soothing music and photos of mountain scenes, smiling Tibetan children, and of course the ever-benevolent-looking Dalai Lama.  

I have found this video posted on several blogs (some of them Buddhist blogs) where the author gushes about how much each point resonated with them (like I almost did!). While it is good that some people (not me, by the way) have taken the time to post in the comments that the Dalai Lama didn't write these sayings, often all the author says is 'oh no!' - but does not update the post to inform readers of their error- and the true source of the quotations. 

I know that misattribution has always been a problem in literate societies, but things like this are starting to annoy me. In this age of the internet we do get bombarded by too much information, and we can't possibly keep track of it all. But we also know that it is SO EASY to check the accuracy of quotes like these. Not to mention, the Dalai Lama has actually said a lot of great things that could have been put into a nice little list of 'Rules for Living', but for some reason the misattributed ones were perpetuated instead. 

And then there's the hand-waving, "but it doesn't really matter who said them, as long as they help people" excuse. I agree with this in some situations, but certainly not in this one. The source of these quotations was a book, written by an author who no doubt put time and effort into writing it. In this instance misattribution is actually hurting someone, because not only is their work is being misrepresented, but they are not being given any credit for it. 

So did the person or people who took those tips from Life's Little Instruction Book mean to hurt the author? In a way, they must have known they were doing some harm, because rather than giving the author his due credit, they attributed the list of life lessons to a nebulous, 'exotic' source. However, as I'm sure the 'creators' of the chain email delighted in seeing it go to recipients around the world, the real driving force here is probably what it usually is- human ego. 

With that, I will leave you with some very wise words from Howard Wolowitz, M.Eng, the nerdy engineer character on the 'geekarific' hit show "The Big Bang Theory". Enjoy!    

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May all beings be happy (and at least look for truth on the internet)! :)

For a list of quotations and writings from H.H. The Dalai Lama, please check out these, from Bamboo in the Wind.

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy New Year, and all the best for 2013! May all your dreams come true this year!

And, as always . . . 

May all beings be happy!  

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to write a quick note to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day, with love and countless joys shared with family, friends, and all sentient beings. 

May all beings be happy! 

Buddhism in the news: September 2012

The following is part of my monthly "Buddhism in the News" series, where I provide links to articles about Buddhism, along with news of prominent Buddhists and everyday laypeople. I welcome you to browse the linked articles below and read what interests you. Enjoy!

1. Nazi-acquired Buddha statue came from space Brought to Europe from Tibet by Nazi archeologists/scientists, this is a Buddhist artifact that was likely carved from ataxite metorites that are believed to have fallen near the Siberian-Mongolian border 10,000-20,000 years ago. Article is from LiveScience via Fox News. For another look at this intriguing artifact, see this article from National Geographic. (One of the comments of this second article aptly points out the mistake of describing the statue as of a 'Buddhist god')
UPDATE: "Space-Buddha" may be a fake. Additional inquiries to the story surrounding this supposedly 1000 year-old artifact have brought the age of the item into question. Archeologists address the possibility that the statue carved from an ataxite meteorite is a western reproduction crafted between 1910 and 1970, mostly to appeal to the Nazi-memorabilia market.  

2. Rioters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh Violence erupted in Bangladesh after a Buddhist man posted a photo defaming the Koran on facebook. 25,000 people rioted, set fire to Buddhist temples and homes, and looted businesses. These events mirror the sectarian violence and tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Article is from AFP via The Deccan Chronicle.

3. We need to be 21st century Buddhists: Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama talks about human emotions and intelligence, the growing influence of Buddhism, and suggests that temples and monasteries also become places of learning. Article is from the Times of India.

4. Steven Colbert vs. Buddhism A silly montage of Colbert's rantings and ramblings about Buddhism. (Not exactly accurate- 5000 years after Buddha's death? lol) Video posted on Huffington Post. 

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

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Please share your thoughts about whatever captured your interest in the comments. Also please let me know if I missed something by providing the title of the article. I will google it and include it here, with credit to you! :) Finally, if you are reading this at a later date, please inform me of any dead links, since some newspapers only post articles for a short time before archiving them. Thank you!

May all beings be happy!

A short hiatus

I just wanted to let you know that for the time being I am going to be taking a short hiatus as I gear up for my anniversary posts in September. I will periodically be checking the comments to this post, so if you have any suggestions for posts about basic Buddhist concepts, please share with me! In return I will do my best to write something that is helpful (and hopefully also interesting and informative :). Your comments and suggestions will help immensely because chances are if you have a question about something, it is likely that someone else out there (including me!) will have the same question. I look forward to your input!

Also just FYI, I will still post my Buddhism in the News segment for August 2012 at the end of the month. From what I can tell, there seem to be some interesting stories out there, so stay tuned :)

Until later, all the best, I hope you enjoy the rest of August! 

With Metta,

 Renata

*****

May all beings be happy!

In September

Next month I am celebrating a very significant personal milestone: the five-year anniversary of my journey on the Buddhist Path. During this celebration I would like to revisit the original purpose of ByChanceBuddhism, which is to help and welcome others who are new to the Buddhist way of life.

My goal for September is to write as many posts as I can that discuss the Basics (and not so-basics) of Buddhism. Similar to posts where I outline fundamental concepts such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, I plan to write a number of 'list' posts that describe other core Buddhist concepts and ideas.

Please keep in mind that due to my preparation for this project, my posts in August may not be as frequent (although I do have a few special posts planned ;). As always, I look forward to writing these future posts, and interacting with you as we discuss them.  

Although I have a good idea of ideas and concepts I would like to cover, I also would like to know what you are interested in knowing more about. After all, this celebration is not all about me- so I would be delighted if you would also share in its joy! Please post your suggestions/questions in the comments below, and I will do my best to follow up.

*****
May all beings be happy!

Mindfulness, meditation, and the magic spot

Yesterday I took a really nice, long, meditative walk. It was quite hot out, so I lingered in one of the cool, shady groves of the trail I frequent. A stream runs there, and so I decided to relax on its banks for a little while. 

As I was sitting, the woods around me seemed to come to life. Frogs jumped near the stream, dragonflies buzzed, birds sang. A beautiful butterfly flitted by and landed on the shiny wet stones near the stream. It paused for a few minutes, opening and closing its wings, revealing bright blue patches. Suddenly, the creature fluttered its wings and flew to the shelter of a nearby tree. 

This moment made me remember something I had long forgotten. When I was about eleven years old, my class took a field trip to a local park. One of the foresters there gave us a quick tour, and also told us about something called a 'magic spot'. She invited us to find a spot in the forest, settle down, and then be very, very, still. She described how nature will come to life around us, just like magic. Of course most of us laughed at how kiddish it sounded- after all, we were mighty sixth graders! 

But to tell the truth, it really was like magic. While sitting in our 'magic spots', the natural surroundings seemed to awaken. We each wrote what we observed in a little journal the forester had given us, which we (secretly) enjoyed sharing with our classmates.

Back to yesterday's experience, I realized the 'magic spot' can truly be an exercise in mindfulness, and a gateway to a meaningful meditation practice. This was exemplified by my observation of that beautiful butterfly: As I sat watching, my breath slowed, becoming one with the rhythm of its undulating wings. 

Here is a picture I took of a butterfly at a conservatory a while ago. I am posting this for your to enjoy, because I did not take a picture of the butterfly described above. After all, I was in my 'magic spot' :)

Have you had an experience like this? How do natural surroundings affect you and your mindfulness/meditation practice?

*****

May all beings be happy!

A beautiful greeting

A little while ago my Mom sent my husband and me this beautiful card. It totally brightened our day, and now hangs on the wall above our altar. I just thought I'd share its beauty with all of you :) 

I love the lotus symbol, floating above the Buddha's hand. :)

Amazingly, the back of the card is almost as beautiful and ornate as the front! The artist's name s Miriam Robert (-Moraza) of Mystik Art Studio. Unfortunately the website appears to be down, but 

some of her creations can be found at greenearthstones, Keta Trading, and Kheops International. Her cards feature an eclectic range of spiritualities, depicting Buddhist, Christian, and Goddess themes. My mom purchased this card from one of our favorite Indian grocery stores. 

I love this card, and smile every time I look at it! :)

I hope you enjoyed this post. And once again, thank you Mom! :)
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May all beings be happy!

May all beings be happy!

I have recently been receiving some positive feedback for the way I end my posts, which is with the words:

"May all beings be happy!"

I have chosen to close each post with this because the truth is, we all want to be happy. Given this basic commonality, I believe that "May all beings be happy" brings us together as fellow sentient beings, whatever path we choose.

A little while ago my mother-in-law also commented on how much she liked my sign-off phrase. She then told me the Sanskrit translation, which is (in Roman script, of course):

"Samstha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu!" 

I was very happy to learn these uplifting words in this beautiful ancient Indian language. As with many of the new things I have encountered lately, this is yet another precious lesson in my lifetime of learning with my wonderful husband and his family. 

Thanks so much, all of you, for your kind and positive comments. I hope you have enjoyed this post! 

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May all beings be happy! 

You never know!

Because my last post was about the Dalai Lama's 77th birthday, I thought I would write a quick blurb on the coattails of that, since this experience is (at least remotely) related. 

On a visit to my husband's workplace last week, I remembered that it was the Dalai Lama's birthday, so I thought it would be nice to post about it. While I was writing, a colleague of my husband's stopped by to say hello- It was his birthday, too! However, he was unfortunately (albeit jokingly) rather bummed out, having been born on the same day as former US president, George W. Bush. 

I laughed and said that if he thought that was such a bad thing, he might be happy to know that he also shares his birthday with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He brightened up for a second, then made a sudden 'head exploding' motion with his hands. "The Dalai Lama and George W. Bush have the same birthday?! Mind blown!" 

"Yes", I said, "and you too!" Then I jokingly shook my finger at him, "That is why you should never let people get under your skin. You never know what you'll have in common with them!" He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. (I don't blame him for sighing- I can be such a pain sometimes!)

But you know, I was only being sassy because I have learned this lesson myself. There have been times when for some reason I have been really put off by someone, disagreeing with them about almost everything. Yet, some of these same people have also become good friends of mine (eventually :).

The only reason I can think of why we became friends is because there was a mutual effort to see through the superficial. The fact is, I have realized that although I won't necessarily 'like' everyone (and vise versa!), I can now stand back and know that anyone, friend or foe, has the capacity to surprise. (And apparently, people have also realized the same thing about me)   

Have you had such an experience, where someone you thought you had nothing in common with suddenly surprises you? Perhaps you didn't become BFFs, but what did you learn? Please share in the comments below, I would love to hear your take on this!

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"Hanging on to resentment is letting someone you despise living rent-free in your head" Ann Landers (Esther Lederer) 

May all beings be happy!

Happy Birthday!

. . . To His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, the exiled Tibetan leader and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. He began life as Lhamo Dhondup, born to a farming family in the tiny village of Taktser, Tibet, 1935. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition and through mystic signs that led a government deputation from Lhasa to Taktser, at the age of two he was discovered to be the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. You can read more about the Dalai Lama's life before and after his exile from Tibet in 1959 here. Biography is from the official website of the 14th Dalai Lama. 

Of course, there are numerous festivities going on around the world to celebrate this day. Please enjoy this slideshow of people celebrating the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama in India and Nepal. Slideshow is from TIMEWorld. 

Other articles:

The Dalai Lama's 77th Birthday Celebrated in Dharamsala Article is from New York Daily News.

Tibetans celebrate the Dalai Lama's 77th Birthday Article is Associated Press via ABC News. 

Dalai Lama 77th birthday celebrations ready for July 6th Article is from the Huffington Post. 

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May all beings be happy! As always, please share your views and experiences in the comments below.

Update and caution: Apparently some people out there are trying to exploit this joyous occasion so they can infect computers with malware. If you get an email with a subject line that goes something like: "Dalai Lama's birthday on July 6th to be a low-key affair" Don't open it or the attachment enclosed! You can read the article about the malware at http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=2176