Buddhism Facts and Practice

NEW DELHI (AFP) — The Dalai Lama is recovering in a New Delhi hospital Friday after successful surgery to remove gallstones. The Tibetan spiritual leader should be discharged within days.

“Everything went without a hitch,” the Dalai Lama’s spokesman Tenzin Taklha told AFP. According to her words, the procedure was swift and simple, and the Buddhist leader should resume his travel schedule by the end of the month.

The 73-year-old spiritual leader had multiple stones removed in a keyhole procedure, or laparoscopy, using a thin, lighted tube with a miniature video camera to enable doctors to see the location of the organs and any stones.

The Dalai Lama was hospitalised Thursday (10.9.2008) for medical tests after a bout of abdominal pain. A similar episode in August had forced him to cancel his engagements and rush to a hospital in Mumbai.

Although he was released from hospital on September 1 after four days of tests, his office last month also cancelled a planned tour to Germany and Switzerland in October due to health reasons.

The spiritual leader is expected to be discharged from hospital within one to two days, Taklha said.

“His normal schedule will resume at the end of the month — traveling and meeting people and all those types of things,” he added.

In the weeks preceding his illness, the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, had pursued a hectic international itinerary as he campaigned for improved human rights in Tibet while China hosted the Olympic Games.

The charismatic Buddhist fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule and has since lived in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamshala, where the Tibetan exile government is based.

Violent anti-China protests broke out across Tibet in March, sparking a heavy Chinese crackdown that drew global condemnation.

The Dalai Lama champions a “middle path” policy which espouses “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet, rather than the full independence that many younger, more radical activists are demanding.

Still, China vilified him as the “mastermind” of what it called a drive to sabotage the Olympics and destabilize the country.

Source: AFP

October 10th, 2008 | Tags: dalai lama, dalai lama recovery, dalai lama surgery, dalai lama travel schedule, dalai lama's surgery successful | Category: dalai lama | Leave a comment

Here is the latest news on Dalai Lama’s health condition brought by National Post.

Dalai Lama hospitalized, could undergo abdominal surgery

The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and leader of that country’s government-in-exile, checked into a New Delhi hospital on Thursday (10.9.08) after complaining of severe abdominal pain, according to various media reports.

The Times of India says that the Dalai Lama may even undergo surgery later this week. The spiritual leader was admitted to New Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday following media reports that abdominal pains for which he had spent four days in a Mumbai Hospital in August had recurred.

“He was admitted when he complained of abdominal pain and now chances are that the Dalai Lama will be operated upon, most probably tomorrow (Friday 10.10.08),” said a senior doctor at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,

Associated Press is also noticing that the Dalai Lama’s spokesman is being very tight-lipped on the Lama’s condition but reminds us that the leader has had some health problems this year:

In August, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for who did not wish to be identified. Doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.

Dalai Lama’s death would be a great loss for the world. Sharing the news with you, is just a one way to express our support, and we will continue bringing the latest information to those concerned.

October 10th, 2008 | Tags: buddhism, buddhism leader, dalai lama, dalai lama dying, dalai lama hospitalized, fear of death, overcoming fear of death | Category: death | Leave a comment

We are alive, therefore we will die.

Dying can be a time of learning and growth. A time of deepening our love, our awareness of what is important in life, and our faith and commitment to spiritual beliefs and practices. Death can even be an opportunity to gain insight into the true nature of ourselves and all things, an insight that will enable us to become free from all suffering.

See an inspiring testimony from Inta McKimm, the director of a Buddhist centre in Brisbane, Australia on preparation for death and overcoming the fear of death (cancer dying).

Inta died of lung cancer in August, 1997. Two months before her death she wrote in a letter to her Spiritual Teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

“Although I am dying, this is the happiest time of my life! (…) For a long time life seemed so hard, so difficult. But when really recognizing death it turned into the greatest happiness. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on their own death, the great happiness that comes with having recognized impermanence and
death. This is quite surprising and unexpected, and extremely joyful. It is the greatest happiness of my
whole life, the greatest adventure and the greatest party!”
The fear of dying and death leads to denial and wanting to avoid thinking or talking about death. That does not seem to the best way to deal with death and dying though (considering the fact that we will have to
go through it one day). It may be better to accept the reality of death and learn how to overcome the fear of death and be prepared for it when it happens.

You may well try the opposite attitude. Be careless, flippant, and say “I don’t have any fear of death. I know I’ll have to die one day but it will be OK, I can handle it”. That’s a great theory, until one is dying.

October 7th, 2008 | Tags: about death, cancer dying, fear of dying, overcoming fear of death, preparing for death, the fear of death | Category: buddha's teaching, death | Leave a comment

The following testimony comes from autobiography of Albert Einstein, the Father of Modern Science.

Einstein wrote:
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security (…).

If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism (…).

Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.”

October 5th, 2008 | Tags: einstein on buddhism, science and buddhism | Category: buddhism facts | Leave a comment

The human being is the highest fruit on the tree of evolution. It is for the individual to realize his position in existence and understand the true meaning of his life.

To arrive at the purpose of life, a person first needs to observe life through his own experience and insight. This is the only way for the individual to discover life’s true meaning for himself. Guidelines will be given in support, but a person must create the necessary conditions for the arising of realization himself. There are several prerequisites to the discovery of the purpose of life.

First, the person must understand the nature of human life.

Human beings may be clever enough to land on the moon and discover wondrous things in the universe, but they have yet to delve into the inner workings of their own minds. They have yet to learn how their minds can be developed to the fullest potential so that its true nature can be realized. As of yet, human beings are still wrapped in ignorance. They do not know who they really are or what is expected of them. As a result, they misinterpret things and act according to their imagination. Entire civilization is built on the misinterpretation.

People must make an effort to overcome ignorance to arrive at realization and enlightenment. Human beings can be enlightened—become a Buddha—if they wake up from the dream that is created by their own unknowing, and become fully awakened.

We must realize, what we are today, is the result of an infinite number of repetitions of thoughts and actions.

We are not ready-made. We are continually in the process of becoming, always changing.

It is in this characteristic of change that our future lies. It is possible for us to mold our character and destiny through the control of our actions, speech and thoughts. Indeed, we BECOME the thoughts and actions we choose to perform.

We are the highest fruit on the tree of evolution. It is for us to realize our position in existence and to understand the true meaning of life; achieving the end of suffering or unsatisfactoriness.

October 5th, 2008 | Tags: meaning of life, nature of life, purpose of life | Category: buddha's teaching, buddhism facts | Leave a comment

Term used in Buddhist tradition for one of the three characteristic marks of existence (Dharma Seals). Variously translated into English as suffering, ill, evil, unsatisfactoriness and unrest etc.

It is important to bear in mind though, dukkha, often translated as suffering, has its philosophical meaning more analogous to “disquietude” as in the condition of being disturbed. As such, suffering is too narrow a translation with negative emotional connotations which my create a misleading impression as if the Buddhist view is one of pessimism. Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic. (Jeffrey Po)

The affirmation that all human existence is characterized by dukkha is the first of the Buddhist Four Holy Truths (Four Noble Truths). The first of the Four Noble Truth defines the nature of suffering as follows:

• Birth is suffering
• Aging is suffering
• Sickness is suffering
• Dying is suffering
• Care, distress, pain, affliction, and despair are suffering. The non-attainment of what one desires is suffering.

In other words, the five aggregates [skandhas] connected with attachment are suffering.

Dukkha arises because of desire and craving and can be overcome by the elimination of it. The means to bring about the extinction of suffering is shown by the Eightfold Path.

October 2nd, 2008 | Tags: dharma seals, dukkha, four holy truths, four noble truths | Category: buddha's teaching, essentials | Comments (2)

When seeing a visual object, just see it. When hearing a sound with the ear, just hear it. When smelling an odor with the nose, just smell it. When tasting something by way of the tongue, just taste it. When experiencing a tactile sensation by way of the general skin and body sense, just experience that sensation. And when a mental object, such as some defiling thought, arises in the mind, just accept it, be aware of it.

If one can follow the buddhism practice, the self will cease to exist, and the non-existence of the self is the cessation of suffering (dukkha).

Let’s explain the first one. Viewing an object by way of the eye, just see it.

When objects make contact with the eye, observe and identify them. Know what action has to be taken with whatever is seen. But don’t permit liking or disliking to arise. If you permit the arising of liking, you will desire. If you permit the arising of disliking, you will want to destroy. This is what is called the self. To go the way of the self is suffering and deception. If an object is seen, let there be intelligence and awareness. Don’t allow your mental defilements to compel you to grasp and cling. Cultivate enough intelligence to know which line of action is right and appropriate. And if no action is required, ignore the object. If some sort of result is wanted from this thing, then proceed, with full awareness and intelligence, not giving birth to the self-idea. In this way you get the results you wanted and no suffering arises.

By mastering this practice, a person achieves stability, unshakability, and equilibrium.

October 1st, 2008 | Tags: buddha's teaching, buddhism practice, dukkha | Category: buddha's teaching, essentials | Leave a comment

The life of the Buddha fell into two rather distinct periods. First, the Buddha experienced luxury to an extent which one can scarcely imagine. Then, the period of extreme asceticism and self-mortification followed. Having reached the limits of the two states, the Buddha saw their futility and arrived at the Middle Way.

The two extremes, sensual indulgence or self-mortification, ought not to be cultivated by the recluse.

The Middle Way (middle path) understood as avoiding extremes, gives vision and knowledge that leads to calm, realization, enlightenment, and Nibbana. The Middle Way involves the Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

The Middle Way, the path of moderation, one the greatest means to remove defilements leading to suffering.

September 30th, 2008 | Tags: middle path, Middle Way, nibbana, noble eightfold path | Category: buddha's teaching, buddhism facts | Comments (1)

“Nothing whatsoever should be grasped at or clung to.”

Buddha, when asked whether his entire teaching could be summarized in a single sentence, said this: “Nothing whatsoever should be grasped at or clung to.”

The reason a person’s mind is distracted and unable to concentrate is that the person is grasping at and clinging to something. The reason a person lacks insight is the same. When the person is finally able to practise non-grasping, then simultaneously he attains the Noble Paths, their Fruits, and ultimately nibbāna (Sanskrit, nirvāna).

Buddha was a man who grasped at absolutely nothing. The Dhamma teaches the practice and the fruit of the practice of non- grasping.

September 28th, 2008 | Tags: dhamma, nibbana, nirvana, noble paths, Non-grasping, sanskrit, the essence of buddhism | Category: buddha's teaching, essentials | Leave a comment