What a wonderful world?

I remember when you had to get up to change the channel & drop nickels yes nickels in a pay phone if you were out of the house to make a phone call. Cigarettes were .19 cents a pack, gas was .15 a gallon. Good pay was 100$ a week l a bomb shelter because any day Cuba was supposed to be killing everyone in Florida over what I don't know. We practiced in school everyday...we were the duck and cover generation. We didn't have any metal detectors in my schools, and nobody ever got shot. Maybe it was that foot long paddle in the principals office that kept the school safe, who knows.

You could take a bath without having to answer your cell phone, you could drive without talking on the phone. Oh yeah, thats when the speed limit on the interstate was 75 miles an hour. You were actually able to go grocery shopping without having to talk on the phone. There were no computers so people wrote letters to one another.

People used to socialize at church on sundays, or at the local bowling alley or lodges and clubs. Now we socialize over the internet. With faceless humans and call the words we see flash across the screen, our friends. You can go weeks, months and years without ever leaving your house and seeing another human being. You can buy food online, clothes cigarettes, liquor, sex, whatever you want. Who needs an office, we telecommute.

So I wonder, when we get sick or when we die, who's coming to the hospital to say hi? Hmm, better have a laptop if you get sick. Maybe there will be funerals where people skype in and give condolences to the few humans you actually knew face to face. Of course as time goes on, we will probably be able to connect ourselves via a USB type hookup and won't even have to go to the Doctor.

I grew up without computers, cellphones, cable tv, music being blasted into my ears 24 hours a day and on and on. Guess what, it was a pretty cool world back then. People were thinner, because we didn't all sit on our butts all day long on the computer. Houses were cleaner and there was less violence. Which makes me wonder. Is the electronic lifestyle of non face to face communication desensitizing us so much, that we no longer see humans as people..because the people who are now real to us, have no shape or form they are just words. with an avatar?

On the passing of Michael Jackson

When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices.
When you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
Buddhist Saying

The memorial service was today. So we say goodbye to the eternal child at heart, Michael Jackson. Why does it seem that even in death, the service was a show for fans? Don't get me wrong, I loved MJ too, for a lonnnggg time. Since the first time I saw the cute little kid on television, when I too was a child. I marveled and yes was slightly jealous because a kid younger than me had so much talent and was going to rake in the dough. I was also happy that like me, this kid, came from nothing but poverty. I was excited that a kid was getting the chance to make it out of poverty. He gave me hope that I could escape poverty as well.

Over the years, like everyone else, I was thrilled and excited when MJ was going to appear on television. You always knew it was going to be a hell of a show. Electric is a word that comes to mind when I think of him performing.

We never thought about what was going on behind the show. Just assumed everything was awesome for this guy. How could it not be? He had it all or so we thought. Of course most of us will never know if he had it all, it certainly appears now, that he didn't. I wonder in reality, if we really knew what it was like to be a star of such magnitude, if we would in change places with him. Thinking about the reality of his life, I think now I would not want his life.

As time went on, and MJ started to change his face, we made fun of him, called him a freak. Nutcase, whack-job, whackojacko...remember? The headlines were all over the place on the tabloids as well as "reputable" publications. MJ was gay, MJ was crazy, MJ wanted to be white and the final one...MJ was a pedophile.

I remember watching the news at the time, certainly seemed plausible, no woman of substance in his life, messed up childhood..one of abuse, maybe he turned to little boys. Besides, why would they haul him into court if he was innocent? I remember the history of the Salem witch trials. One could say the same of that era. Why would that have happened back then? Well we know now, was a mob mentality of mass hysteria persecuting out of fear. Fear of those different, fear of those not like the rest of us GET EM.

Now that he is dead, nobody is talking about how we as a society treated this man. We are sweeping it under the rug. Now we all "love him". Where was the love when he was alive? There seemed for the last 15 years or so to be more judging and condemning than loving. We made fun of him because he was strange. Well he was strange, but not strange in the way we made him to be. Webster defines strange as:
-being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected
-not known before
-foreign
Michael was definitely strange by those standards. We as a society drove him to be strange by different standards. I certainly can Identify about wanting to seclude myself from ridicule and bullying, many of us can. Even after he was acquitted of the child molestation charges, did we believe that.? Now the headlines stated he paid his way out, bought himself the acquittal. We never even gave him the rights that he was entitled to, being innocent until found guilty, he was never found guilty.

Imagine how it must have been for him. Everybody wanted (and wants) a piece of him. I can't blame the man for having children the way he did. He made his own family that he could trust. It must have been horrible to live in a world where you never knew what the true motives of those around you are. How can we as a society criticize him for who he became, when we have not walked in his shoes. We even made fun of his Neverland. Since he couldn't go out in public and have a life, he built his own little world. And we ruined that for him too, defiled it with accusations by people after more money. Money he had, and money he gave, and gave and gave, but to charity, not "payoffs". He never went back to Neverland once the police rummaged through his private refuge.

Can we fault this man? I for one can't. He did what he had to do to survive, just like we all do. Michael was definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected. An unexpected blessing for many years. We took and took from this man and only gave back in death. Just a little too late.

Video: Buddhist Prayer for Animal Liberation

Video: Buddhist Prayer for Animal Liberation

A Buddhist prayer for liberation of our animal brother and sisters.


Prayer for Liberation of Brother and Sister Animals.

May all sentient beings in the animal realm
subject to unbearable pain in labs throughout the world
be free from suffering.
May alternatives to animal experimentation and testing
be used immediately.
May Bodhicitta fill the hearts of those who imprison them.

May all sentient beings from the animal realm
who suffer endless days, months, years
locked in tiny cages unable to move, be
filled with peace and calm.
May the many billions waiting in slaughterhouse
lines be free of fear.
May the hearts of those who work in abattoirs
be filled with Bodhicitta so the very thought of harm is purified.
May they never kill again and may the slaughterhouse lines become immediately empty.

May no animal be afraid or depressed.
May their bodies be free of injuries, disease and illness.
May those who need homes, or who have been driven from them
find shelter, plentiful food & water.
May there be liberation for those
tortured for fur, entertainment or who are hunted.

May those who believe they are superior
to our brother & sister animals
develop perfect equanimity.
And may they realise in their hearts
that all sentient beings possess Buddha nature
And they are not ours to kill or exploit.

May the many billions of land and sea dwelling sentient beings
who are abused, exploited and killed due to greed, hatred and ignorance
be free of suffering
May they experience complete and perfect enlightenment,
through the virtue of my efforts and prayers.
May I be a voice for the voiceless.
In short, may all human and non-human sentient beings
live together in harmony, peace and equanimity
and achieve perfect Enlightenment quickly.


Composed Feb 14, 2007 by Liberation of Brother & Sister Animals. http://www.lobsa.org

Our newest rescue kitties!

We have 2 new rescue cats added to our shelter. Meet Mew & Lilly! These little luvs were surrendered by their owner because he was moving into a boarding house with no cats allowed. Hard for the owner because he genuinely loved his cats and they had all been living in an 8'x8' room in a basement with no windows. Mew has a heart condition and besides not having the $50 per cat surrender fee other shelters asked for, he was told most likely the cat with the heart condition would be put down. We are quite happy to have our newest residents at the Tabbitarium who are quite loving. Scared on day one, and missing their "Dad" but I can tell they are quite loving:)

King of Prayers: The Extraordinary Aspiration Of the Practice of Samantabhadra

DFF Prayers & Practices

King of Prayers: The Extraordinary Aspiration Of the Practice of Samantabhadra


King of Prayers
The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra

In Sanskrit: samantabhadracarya pranidhana
In Tibetan: ‘phags-pa bzang-po spyod-pa’i smon-lam-gyi rgyal-po

I bow down to the youthful Arya Manjushri.

You lions among humans,
Gone to freedom in the present, past and future
In the worlds of ten directions,
To all of you, with body, speech and sincere mind I bow down.

With the energy of aspiration for the bodhisattva way,
With a sense of deep respect,
And with as many bodies as atoms of the world,
To all you Buddhas visualized before me, I bow down.

On every atom are Buddhas numberless as atoms,
Each amidst a host of bodhisattvas,
And I am confident the sphere of all phenomena
Is entirely filled with Buddhas in this way.

With infinite oceans of praise for you,
And oceans of sound from the aspects of my voice,
I sing the breathtaking excellence of Buddhas,
And celebrate all of you Gone to Bliss.

Beautiful flowers and regal garlands,
Sweet music, scented oils and parasols,
Sparkling lights and sublime incense,
I offer to you Victorious Ones.

Fine dress and fragrant perfumes,
Sandalwood powder heaped high as Mount Meru,
All wondrous offerings in spectacular array,
I offer to you Victorious Ones.

With transcendent offerings peerless and vast,
With profound admiration for all the Buddhas,
With strength of conviction in the bodhisattva way,
I offer and bow down to all Victorious Ones.

Every harmful action I have done
With my body, speech and mind
Overwhelmed by attachment, anger and confusion,
All these I openly lay bare before you.

I lift up my heart and rejoice in all positive potential
Of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in ten directions,
Of solitary realizers, hearers still training and those beyond,
And of all ordinary beings.

You who are the bright lights of worlds in ten directions,
Who have attained a Buddha's omniscience through the stages of awakening,
All you who are my guides,
Please turn the supreme wheel of Dharma.

With palms together I earnestly request:
You who may actualize parinirvana,
Please stay with us for eons numberless as atoms of the world,
For the happiness and well-being of all wanderers in samsara.

Whatever slight positive potential I may have created,
By paying homage, offering, and acknowledging my faults,
Rejoicing, and requesting that the Buddhas stay and teach,
I now dedicate all this for full awakening.

May you Buddhas now living in the worlds of ten directions,
And all you gone to freedom in the past, accept my offerings.
May those not yet arisen quickly perfect their minds,
Awakening as fully enlightened ones.

May all worlds in ten directions,
Be entirely pure and vast.
May they be filled with bodhisattvas
Surrounding Buddhas gathered beneath a bodhi tree.

May as many beings as exist in ten directions
Be always well and happy.
May all samsaric beings live in accord with the Dharma,
And may their every Dharma wish be fulfilled.

Remembering my past lives in all varieties of existence,
May I practice the bodhisattva way,
And thus, in each cycle of death, migration and birth,
May I always abandon the householder's life.

Then, following in the footsteps of all the Buddhas,
And perfecting the practice of a bodhisattva,
May I always act without error or compromise,
With ethical discipline faultless and pure.

May I teach the Dharma in the language of gods,
In every language of spirits and nagas,
Of humans and of demons,
And in the voice of every form of being.

May I be gentle-minded, cultivating the six paramitas,
And never forget bodhicitta.
May I completely cleanse without omission
Every negativity and all that obscures this awakening mind.

May I traverse all my lives in the world,
Free of karma, afflictions and interfering forces,
Just as the lotus blossom is undisturbed by the water's wave,
Just as the sun and moon move unhindered through the sky.

May I ease the suffering in the lower realms
And in the many directions and dimensions of the universe.
May I guide all wanderers in samsara to the pure bliss of awakening
And be of worldly benefit to them as well.

May I practice constantly for eons to come,
Perfecting the activities of awakening,
Acting in harmony with the various dispositions of beings,
Showing the ways of a bodhisattva.

May I always have the friendship
Of those whose path is like mine,
And with body, words and also mind,
May we practice together the same aspirations and activities.

May I always meet a spiritual mentor
And never displease that excellent friend,
Who deeply wishes to help me
And expertly teaches the bodhisattva way.

May I always directly see the Buddhas,
Masters encircled by bodhisattvas,
And without pause or discouragement for eons to come,
May I make extensive offerings to them.

May I hold within me the Buddha's genuine Dharma,
Illuminate everywhere the teachings that awaken,
Embody the realizations of a bodhisattva,
And practice ardently in all future eons.

While circling through all states of existence,
May I become an endless treasure of good qualities -
Skillful means, wisdom, samadhi and liberating stabilizations-
Gathering limitless pristine wisdom and positive potential.

On one atom I shall see
Buddha fields numberless as atoms,
Inconceivable Buddhas among bodhisattvas in every field,
Practicing the activities of awakening.

Perceiving this in all directions,
I dive into an ocean of Buddha fields,
Each an ocean of three times Buddhas in the space of a wisp of hair.
So I, too, will practice for an ocean of eons.

Thus I am continually immersed in the speech of the Buddhas,
Expression that reveals an ocean of qualities in one word,
The completely pure eloquence of all the Buddhas,
Communication suited to the varied tendencies of beings.

With strength of understanding I plunge
Into the infinite enlightened speech of the Dharma
Of all Buddhas in three times gone to freedom,
Who continually turn the wheel of Dharma methods.

I shall experience in one moment
Such vast activity of all future eons,
And I will enter into all eons of the three times,
In but a fraction of a second.

In one instant I shall see all those awakened beings,
Past, present and future lions among humans,
And with the power of the illusion-like stabilization
I will constantly engage in their inconceivable activity.

I shall manifest upon one single atom
The array of pure lands present, past and future.
Likewise, I shall enter the array of pure Buddha fields
In every direction without exception.

I shall enter the very presence of all my guides,
Those lights of this world who are yet to appear,
Those sequentially turning the wheels of complete awakening,
Those who reveal nirvana - final, perfect peace.

May I achieve the power of swift, magical emanation,
The power to lead to the great vehicle through every approach,
The power of always beneficial activity,
The power of love pervading all realms,
The power of all surpassing positive potential,
The power of supreme knowledge unobstructed by discrimination,
And through the powers of wisdom, skillful means and samadhi,
May I achieve the perfect power of awakening.

Purifying the power of all contaminated actions,
Crushing the power of disturbing emotions at their root,
Defusing the power of interfering forces,
I shall perfect the power of the bodhisattva practice.

May I purify an ocean of worlds,
May I free an ocean of beings,
May I clearly see an ocean of Dharma,
May I realize an ocean of pristine wisdom.

May I purify an ocean of activities,
May I fulfill an ocean of aspirations,
May I make offerings to an ocean of Buddhas,
May I practice without discouragement for an ocean of eons.

To awaken fully through this bodhisattva way,
I shall fulfill without exception
All the diverse aspirations of the awakening practice
Of all Buddhas gone to freedom in the three times everywhere.

In order to practice exactly as the wise one
Called Samantabhadra, 'All Embracing Good',
The elder brother of the sons and daughters of the Buddhas,
I completely dedicate all this goodness.

Likewise may I dedicate
Just as the skillful Samantabhadra,
With pure body, speech and mind,
Pure actions and pure Buddha fields.

I shall give rise to the aspirations of Manjushri
For this bodhisattva practice of all embracing good,
To perfect these practices
Without discouragement or pause in all future eons.

May my pure activities be endless,
My good qualities boundless,
And through abiding in immeasurable activity,
May I actualize infinite emanations.

Limitless is the end of space,
Likewise, limitless are living beings,
Thus, limitless are karma and afflictions.
May my aspiration's reach be limitless as well.

One may offer to the Buddhas
All wealth and adornments of infinite worlds in ten directions,
And one may offer during eons numberless as atoms of the world
Even the greatest happiness of gods and humans;

But whoever hears this extraordinary aspiration,
And longing for highest awakening
Gives rise to faith just once,
Creates far more precious positive potential.

Those who make this heartfelt aspiration for the bodhisattva way
Will be free of all lower rebirths,
Free of harmful companions,
And will quickly see Amitabha, Infinite Light.

And even in this very human life,
They will be nourished by happiness and have all conducive circumstances.
Without waiting long,
They will become like Samantabhadra himself.

Those who give voice to this extraordinary aspiration
Will quickly and completely purify
The five boundless harmful actions
Created under the power of ignorance.

Blessed with supreme knowledge,
Excellent body, family, attributes, and appearance,
They will be invincible to vast interfering forces and misleading teachers,
And all the three worlds will make offerings.

Going quickly to the noble bodhi tree,
And sitting there to benefit sentient beings,
Subduing all interfering forces,
They will fully awaken and turn the great wheel of Dharma

Have no doubt that complete awakening
Is the fully ripened result - comprehended only by a Buddha -
Of holding in mind by teaching, reading or reciting
This aspiration of the bodhisattva practice.

In order to train just like
The hero Manjushri who knows reality as it is
And just like Samantabhadra as well,
I completely dedicate all this goodness, just as they did.

With that dedication which is praised as greatest
By all the Buddhas gone to freedom in the three times,
I, too, dedicate all my roots of goodness
For the attainments of the bodhisattva practice.

When the moment of my death arrives,
By eliminating all obscurations
And directly perceiving Amitabha,
May I go immediately to Sukhavati, Pure Land of Great Joy.

Having gone to Sukhavati,
May I actualize the meaning of these aspirations,
Fulfilling them all without exception,
For the benefit of beings for as long as this world endures.

Born from an extremely beautiful, superlative lotus
In this joyful land, the Buddha's magnificent mandala,
May I receive a prediction of my awakening
Directly from the Buddha Amitabha.

Having received a prediction there,
May I create vast benefit
For beings throughout the ten directions,
With a billion emanations by the power of wisdom.

Through even the small virtue I have accumulated
By offering this prayer of the bodhisattva practice,
May all the positive aspirations of beings
Be fulfilled in an instant.

Through creating limitless positive potential
By dedicating this prayer of Samantabhadra's deeds,
May all beings drowning in this torrent of suffering
Enter the presence of Amitabha.

Through this king of aspirations, which is the greatest of the sublime,
Helping infinite wanderers in samsara,
Through the accomplishment of this scripture dazzling with Samantabhadra's practice,
May suffering realms be utterly emptied of all beings.

Thus, The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra, also known as The King of Prayers,
from the Gandavyuha chapter of the Avatamsaka sutra
(translated by Jinamitra, Surendrabodhi and Yeshes-sde circa 900c.e.), is complete.
The Tibetan was compared with the Sanskrit and revised by lotsawa Vairocana.

Great savings on clothing, starting today!

Just posted these, I am a huge online shopping tightwad and deal finder. So I thought I would share a side of me that lots of you don't know about:)

Buy one get one free clothing for the whole family!

Second Life Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies!

We moved the center to a larger parcel. I am currently speaking with a Tibetan Buddhist Nun about teaching Dharma classes in world and it is looking like it will happen! I will keep you posted.