Bhikku Bodhi Made Surfable

I found time to break Ven. Bhikku Bodhi’s epic “Promoting Buddhism in Europe” into surfable sections anchored to a list of intra-document links called the Table of Contents. (I just learned how to do this on Buddhism in America.) Dedicated doctrine wonks will want to read the entire document, of course, but these are the three finite and rather brilliant essays that directly speak to the development of Buddhism in America today, I feel:

1. The Need for a Social Ethic

2. The Search for Community

3. The Ideal Form

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping

The Buddha Vehicle Revisited

My attempts to arrive at more relevant material by Xuecheng Fashi have been blocked. No doubt the Mahasangha needs more time to absorb what I have already translated. So I have decided to return to another unfinished translation project.

 

The Great Invocation

The Great InvocationFrom the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men
May Christ return to Earth.

From the center where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the center which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power
restore the Plan on Earth.

__________________________________________________________This is part of our American Buddhist heritage, because it was written or “channeled” byAlice A. Bailey who was a student of Madam Helen Blavatsky, who was the consort of the unutterable Henry Steel Olcott, possibly the greatest of our American Buddhist patriarchs.

The fact that what is called the “New Age Movement” was practically the personal invention of Alice Bailey continues to be virtually unknown in America. Blavatsky’s “Theosophy,” in which Bailey was a key player, was and is part of the Western Enlightenment movement, which from its inception to the present continues to draw from Buddhist sources. This beautiful Invocation was said to emanate from a “Tibetan Master”

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping

 

This is part of our American Buddhist heritage, because it was written or “channeled” byAlice A. Bailey who was a student of Madam Helen Blavatsky, who was the consort of the unutterable Henry Steel Olcott, possibly the greatest of our American Buddhist patriarchs.

The fact that what is called the “New Age Movement” was practically the personal invention of Alice Bailey continues to be virtually unknown in America. Blavatsky’s “Theosophy,” in which Bailey was a key player, was and is part of the Western Enlightenment movement, which from its inception to the present continues to draw from Buddhist sources. This beautiful Invocation was said to emanate from a “Tibetan Master”

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping

How to recognize me at Obon this year

Buddha provides. It took at least three haole, each more ignorant than the one before, all wired together in series, to get the price of this down to US$4.99. I thought I’d never be able to afford a new hapi shirt this year.

The first garb I ever wore to a Bon dance was yukata that I bought when stationed on Okinawa in the Vietnam era. At the time, I thought it was a bathrobe. It was a white crysanthemum design on a midnight blue blackground, and after about three dances, it disintegrated.

I consider this hapi shirt a gift from the ancestors that preserves the best features of my first Obon garb (the colors of the Moon and Saturn, a noble theme, and ZERO reference to any Buddhist lineage or Buddhism in general, or to Obon or the dead.) To that, to begin the new earth sub-cycle, this adds the dominant color of Mars, which in my birth means my personal initiative with respect to sacred Dharma.

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping

Are We Da Heshanged Yet, Folks?

 

Meet My Meditation Teacher

(click image to enlarge)

She is the only person on the planet who can save me from Tibetan lamas, Taiwanese nuns, Hawaiian goddesses, and miscellaneous ill-assorted Sugar Plum Pies. Her innumerable transformation bodies pervade the north and windward shores of O’ahu. When she is not saving me from innumerable try-hard wannabees, she has a side job holding up the universe for the Hindus.

I like her a lot, and perhaps the best part is low maintenance. Her fee; Leave me alone!

Related photos can be found in my See Turkuls Album.

Namu Amida Butsu,
Xing Ping

My two bits for the Buddhist Compassion Discussion

I’ve stashed it here: 把无限的慈悲扔到必限的世界 Throw Unlimited Compassion on the Necessarily Limited World

报告三月初一（6 Apr 08）檀香山唐人街所遇到的事情

报告三月初一（6 Apr 08）檀香山唐人街所遇到的事情那个周日，我早上九点半左友下了吧士在华人城。因为佛光山周日的拜佛要十点开始，我先到了很近在葡萄园街的观音庙。 看样子，庙里非常装严，人员特别忙着。 因为我没查过农历书，所以没烧得当然是遵付农历的观音庙预备拜佛了， 要十点半开会。 笨粗之我，看到佛堂那么装严，还没烧得。奉献了香、坐静了一下，九点五十分，离开了观音庙、想着回佛光山出。 街上碰到了常常看在此双寺庙的一位老婆、观音为本庙、广东为本言。 她说着比我还不好听的国语，指着本庙导：「拜佛走！」

事实上说， 我很早以前,还躲在日本佛宗内，曾决定过： 那样身体四尺高的、眼睛发光亮的、头上发灰白色的东方老婆非常有道理。 有那种人给我指示，我一定要听话。 可怜的是，她那一句话是我慢慢的，多想的，排好过类似列子的，究竟听得懂。 所以我没给她回答，就继续跑到佛光山走了。

显现了， 开佛堂门的时候，我一听过那个法会的声音，才知道为什么那位老婆要跑回本庙去出。 大概的说，他们诵的「大悲懺」太伤感的、总不会升到观音庙那种干脆的磁场。 这个情景的原因是我早知道的、可是目前没有空把它们分析好。 只指夏威夷的感应月亮性。 你故意的要诵那些对于正法有问题的、奥妙之谁也解不通的「忏悔经」，当然并不要想把它们在初一诵！

回了到观音庙之光美磁场，咱们诵了从妙法莲花经所挑选的观世音菩萨普门品一下。拜了佛以后，那位老婆又请过我跟大家吃饭。 虽然我这个白鬼是从差不多十年前到了观音庙参看奉香，可是还没人请我来，不说吃饭！ 不必说，我很感恩的接受。 那门寺庙的地下饭堂也有一座祭坛，记得不情趣，也许是地藏王坛。 那边的饭没有佛光山那么复杂，一顿饭加上一顿素菜，就够了。可是布饭之前，他们要把佛堂坛上奉的东西扔到菜锅里头。 我以为那种菜很有玄理。 吃饱了饭， 谢好了老婆，我才回了本庙， 就是说，佛光山。

现在我很高兴的会报告： 到了本庙的时候， 那派常常坐在佛光山饭堂的西北角，好像有点儿女性主义的，老给我很多麻烦的扰乱份子化成了脑袋里头忽然会抱点儿像样子的东西、像不退菩萨的好友。好极了！

真心的来说，因为那个老婆是我的前辈，加上观音庙的大门两旁边贴上了大师写的“众缘和谐”的吉年牌，所以我到观音庙，不会认为反徒。

今天早上起床的时候，心里很安平，脑袋满汉言。 好像我的＊老魄＊还藏在那座地藏王的祭坛之下。 那，就是我难得希有之结果。谁要那个旧脏的东西漂到我的内心来？

南无阿弥陀佛
性平， 子戊年、三月初二 （7 Apr 08）