Memorial Day 2012

It is indeed a beautiful Memorial Day here on the east coast, as people gather for family picnics, barbecues, and patriotic parades. But for some this day has a shadow cast over it, as they remember the loss of someone very dear to them. Someone who died defending our country, and defending the rights and privileges that we as Americans (and indeed human beings) hold dear- and often take for granted. 

So please spend a few moments today remembering those selfless enough to subject themselves to the harshness and peril of war, so that we could live our daily lives in peace.   

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I recently came across a great blog called the Buddhist Military Sangha, which I think does a great service in revealing a sector of society that would otherwise be completely unknown and overlooked- Buddhists in the US military! The author of the blog, Shaku Yuinen, is also an ordained Buddhist priest, and serves as a chaplain in the US Navy. Among her interesting posts is an article about Thomas Dyer, who went from being a Southern Baptist pastor to the first Buddhist chaplain in the US Army! This post recounts Dyer's journey, from his discovery of Buddhism in 2003 through his 2010 Iraq deployment. He discusses his experience as a chaplain there, and his transformation from being viewed as an anomaly to a valued asset. For a very interesting read about Thomas Dyer's journey please click through to Shaku Yuinen's article here. 

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I hope you enjoyed this post- please share your thoughts in the comments below. And have a great (and reverent) Memorial Day! 

May all beings be happy!  

Thanks for your kindness and wisdom!

Recently I posted about my recent struggles after finishing my degree in plant biology. I just wanted to mention that the outpouring of encouragement in response to that post was truly inspiring to me. I thank all my readers, especially those of you who took the time to bless me with your wisdom, advice, and encouragement. I feel truly honored.

Here is a picture I took with all of you in mind, to say thank you. It is a newly blossomed Magnolia flower, glowing with soft white light in the late afternoon sun. I hope you enjoy it. 

With Love and Metta,

Renata

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As you can imagine, I am still dealing with feelings of uncertainty, and probably will for the foreseeable future. Soon I hope to organize and plan for a mini stay-at-home 'retreat', where I can perhaps quiet my mind through meditation, and practicing patience and self-awareness. I know in my heart that I need this time for reflection. Thanks for your support, and again for your great advice to slow down, let go, and bring myself back to the present moment. I think this mini-retreat, along with your wise advice and kind words, will be the beginning of the next new path in my life :) Thank you!  

May all beings be happy!

Struggling and lost . . . for now

These days I am struggling. 

There are so many things I want to do with my life, and since finishing my degree last month, I finally have the time (and freedom) to do them! 

Most of all I would like to . . .

Get a job teaching college students Plant Biology and Biology, strengthen my meditation practice, strengthen my body through fitness, and write about my questions and discoveries about the Dhamma here at BCB. I also would like to study Tamil, my husband's native language, so that I can communicate with and feel even more comfortable around his family members.

However, I remain undisciplined. I also feel very tired. I think my body and mind might be trying to recover from the stress of the past year. I discussed this with my husband, and he said I can't be recovering forever. I reminded him that it's only been a month. He smiled as he remembered that and agreed. 

He also told me that he worries. He wants me to be independent, both financially and as an individual. I am touched by his sincerity and confidence in me. He is not threatened by my independent nature and free spirit. 

But I still feel lost. For the past six years there has been so much pressure, so many expectations that now I don't know what to do. I have accomplished something great, yet I was so focused on reaching my goal that anything beyond that appeared to me as a blurry apparition. And it remains so. 

I want to take action, to take the bull by the horns, but feel almost like a ghost, not able to grasp anything. The weeks fly by, and I accomplish little. Trying to tap into whatever intuitive wisdom is within my reach, I feel the answer somehow lies in backing off, letting go, being present -- and being patient.  

Nonetheless, it still feels all mixed up, and I haven't the slightest idea how to proceed- or even begin.  

I know that in the future I will look back at this post and smile at my worries, showing once again that as long as one takes mindful action, things usually turn out for the best.  

But for now I just don't know how to get there. 

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If you have any advice to me about this situation, please share with me in the comments. I always look forward to insight and wisdom from others, and would very much appreciate it!

May all beings be happy! 

A weekend stroll

This weekend my husband had some work to do in the lab, so I went with him and wandered about outside in the brilliant sunshine. I took some pictures along the way, and wanted to share them with you. 

Enjoy!
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A cluster of 'Crown vetch', or Securigera varia, flowers

A red clover, or Trifolium pratense inflorescence, with top blooms illuminated by sunshine. Recently, I lamented to myself that although I have taken many pictures of flowers, I have rarely taken the opportunity to photograph other creatures on my long walks. That changed this weekend, when it seemed there were all kinds of insect and arachnid activities afoot! For instance, check out the awaiting predator in the lower right corner of this seemingly innocent red clover!   

Coming across a bunch of withered asters (genus Erigeron, perhaps?), I was startled and amazed by the sight of a well-camouflaged spider making a meal of what had been an unsuspecting bee or wasp. Although the feeding spider didn't seem to mind having his (or her?) mealtime photographed, I kept my distance!  

Another aster flower with the inhabitants involved in the continuing of life, a stark contrast to the previous picture. 

At last, I will switch from all the arthropod drama by showing you a daisy (Bellis perennis?), brilliantly lit by the afternoon sun.   

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I hope you enjoyed these pictures, and that you have a great week! Entomologists and arachnologists, if you know the names of the species in the above photos, please let me know- I will credit you for the information! :) For a useful resource identifying many common North American wildflowers, please click here.  

May all beings be happy (even though we know that some beings do get eaten by spiders)!

Avoiding fake Buddha quotes

Yesterday I wrote a detailed post about an abundance of fake Buddha quotations that have been perpetuated for some time now, mostly via the internet. After the initial shock of discovering these beloved but false quotations on BodhiPaksa's blog Bodhi Tree Swaying, I decided to list ways to prevent myself from falsely quoting the Buddha in the future. Some of the suggestions below I read about on Bodhi Tree Swaying; others I thought of myself. (This was originally part of the post linked above, but I thought that it was best to discuss the prevention of perpetuating misattributed quotations in a separate post. Plus, because I believe they are more effective, I also prefer writing shorter blog posts. :) Enjoy!

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My list summarizing how I can avoid misquoting the Buddha:

Quote scriptures (i.e. original sources). This first idea was offered by someone who had commented on one of Bodhipaksa's posts. If a quote from the Buddha is needed, they advised that it is best to go back to the scriptures, since they can be properly cited. On another point, I have also read that citing scriptures (rather than Buddha himself) is especially important because many sutras include sayings and wisdom from people other than the Buddha. The voice in some texts may not always be clear, so again,  I think it is best to cite the text/sutra itself. 

Read scriptures. When first starting out on the Buddhist path, it is common for people just learning about Buddhism to read books about Buddhism, often written by prominent 'Western' Buddhists. As Bodhipaksa emphasizes, there is nothing wrong with these works, because most provide elegant explanations of some deep concepts. Indeed, these types of books benefitted me greatly when I first discovered the Buddhist Path and wanted to learn more about basic Buddhism, and I would encourage others to read them too. However, Bodhipaksa also states that there should be some discernment between reading scripture and books about Buddhism. So I will do my best to continue to read and learn the scriptures as well!

Google Books. One suggestion given to me directly by Bodhipaksa was to search for books with the quotation on Google Books in order to see if there is another source other than 'the Buddha'. I have noticed that due to copyright, Google books often do not have all material available, but can provide some helpful information.

Don't trust the internet alone! The internet is often a great source of information, but it is also difficult to find out if something is heavily misattributed, and the source of the error. As Bodhipaksa points out, a lot of the 'quotation' websites actually plagiarize one another, thus perpetuating false quotations rather than correcting them. Multiple sources other than the internet are therefore a good thing! 

Reputable translation. Some translations of sutras and texts have been determined better than others, because the they are well-cited and may even be peer-reviewed. From now I will check to see if the book or article is written by someone who is an expert in their field, and not someone trying to make a quick buck based on their own version of texts modified for popular appeal.  

Does it sound right? I look for words that don't seem to belong- like modern buzzwords people use today to make themselves sound smart (i.e. diversity, sustainability). Of course the thing that helps most in this is reading scriptures, mentioned above.  

If all else fails, quote the living. To altogether avoid the problem of mistranslated/misquoted historical figures and texts, quote people who are still alive. Misquotations from contemporary public figures are more likely to be corrected by agents/advocates, or by the person themselves. However, I would still be cautious. 

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Can you think of any additional ways to verify the source of quotations? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

May all beings be happy!

Beware: Fake Buddha Quotations

It has recently come to my attention that a number of widely-used Buddha quotes circulating around the internet are fake. Most of the quotations are things that have actually been said by someone, but have somehow been falsely attributed to the Buddha. Some are modern paraphrases of things the Buddha said as others explain the context of particular Buddhist scriptures. Others have just simply been made up.

Of course, I cannot take credit for this discovery. Since his first post about fake Buddha quotes in 2009, Bodhipaksa at Bodhi Tree Swaying has become (perhaps an unintended) authority on quotations falsely attributed to the Buddha. So far, he has written almost 30 posts about erroneous Buddha quotations from around the internet, discovered by himself, close friends, and his blog followers. Usually, he explains why the quotation is false, and cites where it actually came (or may have come) from. However, some 'fake' quotations he leaves unexplained, and are therefore not mentioned in this post.

The following are examples of fake Buddha quotations pointed out by Bodhipaksa, which I have linked to appropriate posts on his blog. I think you will find that these are prominent quotations, and like me, may have even considered them your favorite 'Buddha quotations'! Here they are: 

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." 

"It is better to travel well than to arrive."

"You yourself, as much anyone in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

"The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart."

"You cannot travel the Path until you become the Path itself." The original source of this quotation is listed in the comments of this linked post

finally (and ironically):

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and common sense."

As I mentioned before, there are quite a few more, which you should feel free to look up.

Of course, it doesn't help that these false quotations are constantly perpetuated on the internet, especially through facebook and twitter. Bodhipaksa also states that many of these false Buddha quotations have even made it into published books. How could this happen? Why are writers not doing their research? 

The prevalence of fake Buddha quotations was initially quite shocking to me, as I am sure it is embarrassing to authors who have used these quotations in their writings. As for (inadvertently) perpetuating the fake Buddha quotes on twitter, I am among the guilty. Although I avoided 'Buddha' quotes that seemed too 'touchy-feel-y' or 'new age-y', I did so because I felt that the language didn't sound right, not because I thought the quotations were complete forgeries. My mistake!  

Although discovering these fake Buddha quotes was initially disturbing to me, I would like to emphasize that I think Bodhipaksa is doing a great service. His blog posts have brought this issue to light, and because of that we can all be more aware and questioning of the origins of Buddha quotations, and be careful in how we attribute them. I for one was humbled by this revelation, and have resolved to be more discerning in the future, just as I would be while reading a peer-reviewed scientific paper in Plant Biology. I have therefore done my best to remove false quotations from ByChanceBuddhism, but if you see one, please let me know!      

Finally, I want to mention that although being discovered as fakes can cause them to lose their luster, there is nothing intrinsically bad about the above quotations. I for one believe that if they give peace to someone and help them in their spiritual journey, they still have merit. It is just important that they be properly attributed, so that in the future sayings categorized as 'Buddha quotes' remain true to and do not distort the core teachings of Buddhism.

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What did you think about this post? Did its contents surprise you? Please share with me your reaction, as I am anxious to discuss this issue. In the very least, I hope this discussion will help others avoid the mistakes I have made! Also, if you would like to discuss how to avoid fake Buddha quotations, please see my next post. 

May all beings be happy!

A Buddhist's thoughts on Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I hope that all the lovely mothers out there are having a wonderful day. Many celebrate Mother's Day with cards, flowers, gifts, and taking their mother to her favorite restaurant, making this holiday a time of great celebration . . . and some well-deserved relaxation!  

But for most of us, our mothers mean much more to us than all the above can possibly express. 

Once this day is over, Mother's Day the holiday will come again next year. But whether our mothers are here or no longer with us, I feel that every day of our lives should also be Mother's Day. If it weren't for our parents, and especially our mothers, none of us would be here (or have survived our foolishness, from the toddler years on up!). 

Therefore, I wanted to express my thanks and share thoughts about the importance of our parents, from a Buddhist perspective. The following is a short excerpt from the "Sutra about the Deep Kindness of Parents and the Difficulty of Repaying it"*, also known as the Filial Piety Sutra*, in which the Buddha instructs Ananda and attending monks of the kindnesses of a mother. 

The Sutra states:

"There are ten types of kindnesses bestowed by the mother on the child.

1. The kindness of providing protection and care while the child is in the womb.
2. The kindness of bearing suffering during the birth.
3. The kindness of forgetting all the pain once the child has been born.
4. The kindness of eating the bitter herself and saving the sweet for the child.
5. The kindness of moving the child to a dry place and lying in the wet herself.
6. The kindness of suckling the child at her breast and nourishing and bringing up the child.
7. The kindness of washing away the unclean.
8. The kindness of always thinking of the child when it has travelled far.
9. The kindness of deep care and devotion.
10. The kindness of ultimate pity and sympathy."

The sutra elaborates on these kindnesses, and also how the heedlessness of children hurts their parents. Ananda and the monks are deeply moved by what the Buddha tells them, and in considering the hardships faced by parents, are brought to weeping. They ask what they can possibly do to repay their parents for their kind deeds, and the Buddha tells them to recite the sutra, hold the precept of pure eating, cultivate blessings, and repent offenses on their behalf. 

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In many ways, reading this sutra made me feel both awe and sadness. I may have felt the same way Ananda did, remembering the many great kindnesses of my parents, and also thinking about how I must have troubled them in so many ways. I am amazed that neither of them have seemed to mind, and even laugh about my past heedless behavior (perhaps after a few years had passed, of course :). 

So again, to all the moms out there- Have a very Happy Mother's Day- today and every day!   

And to my Mom: A lotus for you, representing the beauty of yourself, and all the wonderful things you have done for me.  

To my Mom and Dad: Mama und Papa, Ich liebe euch sehr, und hoffe das ihr beide wissen wie viel das ist!

Links:

Story of how a mother's touch saves her newborn infant's life. 

The image above was taken by me in 2009 at the lotus ponds in the Chicago Botanic Gardens, located in Glencoe, IL.

Enjoy- May all beings be happy!

* I have read that this sutra may not actually recount events during the Buddha's lifetime, but is instead a 7th century Chinese Buddhist answer to Confucian criticism that Buddhism places monastic life over filial piety. However, not much additional information is available. If anyone knows the historical context of this sutra I would be happy to learn more (I had wondered why in this text the Buddha asked the monks to 'print' the sutra, since sutras during the Buddha's time were transmitted orally).

As always, I look forward to your comments, and would love to hear about your Mother's Day celebrations and memories. Happy Mother's Day!