August 2004

Inspirations
a poem by St. Francis

Feature article
by the Dalai Lama

News
updates from the Meditation Society

Campaigns
Forgiveness Day and Indigenous Peoples Day

From the Readers

Zen story and Poem

We need you
to submit to the meditation e-zine

From the Editor

With a theme of love, compassion and forgiveness, its a beautiful read for you this month... And what a creative bunch members of the meditation society are! Poetry seems to be a favourite submission to the e-zine - thank-you and keep it coming. Responding to that creative impulse, we have started a new poetry page on our website, check it out.

Last months story by Peace Pilgrim really seemed to strike a chord with many people - and i encourage you to visit the website dedicated to her work. The people who run it are only spiritually motivated, and will send you free copies of her books and tapes (its nice to send them a donation in return though).

And finally, notice of Forgiveness Day on August 1st (see Campaigns in this issue) may have arrived a little late, but there is no reason why you can't  practice it any time...  ; )

in peace,
sabine

P.S. if you would like to connect with other meditators, ask questions, discuss topics, promote events, etc. please log on to our new forums and have your say!

Inspirations

Feature Article

The following is an excerpt from the book "Stages of meditation" by the Dalai Lama, where he comments on the Buddhist text of the same name by Kamalashila (who wrote the text for the Tibetan people in the ninth century).

Therefore, see all wandering beings as immersed in a great fire of misery. Think that they are all like you in not desiring misery at all: "Alas! All my beloved sentient beings are in such pain. What can I do to set them free?" and make their sufferings your own. Whether you are engaged in one-pointed meditation or pursuing your ordinary activities, meditate on compassion at all times, focusing on all sentient beings and wishing that they all be free from suffering. Begin by meditating on your friends and relatives. Recognize how they experience the various sufferings that have been explained.

In the preceding lines, the author outlines the steps of meditation on compassion. Compassion is the wish that all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes. In order to train the mind to be compassionate, you must maintain a practice that includes both formal meditation sessions and awareness during the period that follows. That is, not only should a practitioner train to generate a compassionate mind during formal meditation, but also during activities like walking, sleeping, sitting, working, and so forth. If you can maintain such a program, you will be able to make good use of the different experiences you have during the post-meditation period, which will enhance your development of a compassionate mind. On the other hand, if you do not cultivate awareness and mindfulness during the post-meditation periods and you let your mind wander, the progress of your meditation will be slowed. This is definitely a fault to be corrected. You must try to retain the flavour, or essence, of your meditation as you go about your other activities. This will greatly aid the progress of your realizations during the session, and those realizations in turn will contribute to your spiritual development during the post-meditation period. This is how you can enjoy a stream of meritorious energy.

Then having seen all sentient beings as equal, with no difference between them, you should meditate on sentient beings to whom you are indifferent. When the compassion you feel toward them is the same as the compassion you feel toward your friends and relatives, meditate on compassion for all sentient beings throughout the ten directions of the universe.

When you are meditating on compassion, if you specifically focus on a sentient being who is experiencing suffering, as we did during our meditation on equanimity, your meditation on compassion will be more effective. Initially, you can visualize the intense suffering of beings in the unfortunate realms. You can also meditate on compassion for those who are indulging in forceful negative actions, which possess the three factors of intention, action and, completion. Although they may not presently be experiencing great misery, they are accumulating powerful causes to experience it later. If you meditate along these lines, it will greatly help you train your mind to become compassionate toward each and every sentient being in the cycle of existence-all of them are under the sway of disturbing emotions, slaves to the ignorance that is a misconception of true existence and self-centeredness.

Kamalashila speaks of all sentient beings as being equal. This can be interpreted in two ways: ultimately and conventionally. The equality of beings on an ultimate level does not obviate the existence of friends and foes on the conventional level. However, when your meditation focuses on the unfindability of objects on an ultimate level, it counteracts attachment and hatred by countering the misconception of true existence.

These are some of the many techniques by which we train to develop an even-minded attitude. It is important to maintain this kind of meditational procedure and accumulate the positive potential of merit. Eventually our ordinary compassion toward miserable beings can be enhanced and transformed into a more purified state. The compassion we feel at present is usually mixed with attachment. But the presence of this compassion also indicates that we have the basis for true compassion. Occasionally we also generate spontaneous compassion toward strangers in great pain, wondering what we can do to alleviate their suffering. This is an expression of our innate compassion. It is crucial that we recognize this fact, cherish this compassionate thought, and then promote and enhance it. If you do not possess this innate compassion, try to cultivate it and make every effort to develop it. In due course, such compassion, however insignificant it may seem to be at present, can expand infinitely.

More information on the Dalai Lama can be found on https://www.tibet.com

News (and fun stuff!)

Thanks to the people that have started to use the forums, though we'd really love more of you to participate. We’re sure that you understand our concept of the human family that is joined at the heart and unites and empowers each of us. It is simple mathematics to realise that the power of the many is the simplest path to earthly heaven.

So please let us know how you are going, what little failures and successes you might be having, and if you have something super-inspiring don’t hesitate to share it with the rest of your meditation brothers and sisters.

This month, we have started a poetry page, and we’d love you to send us yours. We’ll post them on our site, so then you can share them with your family and friends. It might just inspire them to get started with meditation as well. Just email nospam@meditation.org.au with the subject "poetry".

Here's a joke from https://beliefnet.com:

On the sixth day, God created the platypus. And God said: Let's see the evolutionists try and figure this one out.

Campaigns

International Forgiveness Day - Sunday, August 1st

A worldwide honouring of the healing power of forgiveness. In order to evoke in humankind’s collective consciousness a willingness to resolve the grievances that fragment our societies and environments.

More information on https://www.forgivenessday.org

International Day of the World's Indigenous People - Wednesday, August 4th

See the UN website for more information, note that some countries may be celebrating it on August 12th.

From the readers

This ancient Zen Story was submitted by Marie Roussel:

"One day, a farmer received a beautiful stallion, to give to his son for his birthday. The neighbour saw the stallion and came to congratulate the farmer, telling him how lucky he was to receive such a wonder... But the farmer just answered "I don't know if it's good or bad". A few days later, the son was riding the horse when he fell down and broke one of his legs... Again, the neighbour came to see the farmer and told him "how unfortunate you are, your son has his leg broken", but the farmer repeated "I don't know if it is good or bad". Two weeks later, war broke out and all the young people were sent to fight, except the farmer's son as his leg was broken, and so the neighbour came and told the farmer: "How lucky you are, your son is not going to the war" but again the farmer answered "I don't know if it is good or bad"...

More zen stories are available here: https://www.spiritwalk.org/zenstories.htm

And thank you Jay for the following poem:

OUR NEEDS

‘Tis a piece of salvation
We all tend to borrow
Sometimes along the way
On this journey we are yet to
‘Fully discover’.

We crave to be loved
Wanted
Needed
Touched
And desired in a humane
Respectful way.

We need our emotions tenderly
Nurtured.
And responded to spiritually and physically
To feel we are graced and blessed
‘To grow’.

For just a touch of compliments
We believe in ourselves
We believe we are special
And we learn we are unique
In gods intended way.

Written By Jay Andersen, 2004

more poetry is available on our website: https://meditation.org.au/poems.asp

We need you!