Sunday, August 16, 2009
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
The Best Religion In The World!
Buddhism won “The Best Religion In The World” award
15 Jul 2009, Tribune de Geneve
The Geneva-based International Coalition for the
Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS)
has bestowed "The Best Religion In the World" award
this year on the Buddhist Community.
This special award was voted on by an international round
table of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of
the spiritual spectrum. It was fascinating to note that many
religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own
religion although Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority
of ICARUS membership. Here are the comments by four voting members:
Jonna Hult, Director of Research for ICARUS said
"It wasn't a surprise to me that Buddhism won Best Religion
in the World, because we could find literally not one single
instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in
contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun
in the closet just in case God makes a mistake.
We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever
been in an army. These people practice what they preach to
an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition."
A Catholic Priest, Father Ted O'Shaughnessy said from
Belfast, "As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has
always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our
scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes
to killing other humans. For that reason, I did have to cast
my vote for the Buddhists."
A Muslim Cleric Tal Bin Wassad agreed from Pakistan via
his translator. "While I am a devout Muslim, I can see how
much anger and bloodshed is channeled into religious
expression rather than dealt with on a personal level.
The Buddhists have that figured out."
Bin Wassad, the ICARUS voting member for Pakistan's
Muslim community continued, "In fact, some of my best friends are Buddhist."
And Rabbi Shmuel Wasserstein said from Jerusalem,
"Of course, I love Judaism, and I think it's the greatest
religion in the world. But to be honest, I've been practicing
Vipassana meditation every day before minyan
(daily Jewish prayer) since 1993. So I get it."
However, there was one snag - ICARUS couldn't find
anyone to give the award to. All the Buddhists they called
kept saying they didn't want the award.
When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused
the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from
Burma, "We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we
give this award to all humanity, for Buddha nature lies within each of us."
Groehlichen went on to say "We're going to keep calling
around until we find a Buddhist who will accept it.
We'll let you know when we do."
15 Jul 2009, Tribune de Geneve
The Geneva-based International Coalition for the
Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS)
has bestowed "The Best Religion In the World" award
this year on the Buddhist Community.
This special award was voted on by an international round
table of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of
the spiritual spectrum. It was fascinating to note that many
religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own
religion although Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority
of ICARUS membership. Here are the comments by four voting members:
Jonna Hult, Director of Research for ICARUS said
"It wasn't a surprise to me that Buddhism won Best Religion
in the World, because we could find literally not one single
instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in
contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun
in the closet just in case God makes a mistake.
We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever
been in an army. These people practice what they preach to
an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition."
A Catholic Priest, Father Ted O'Shaughnessy said from
Belfast, "As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has
always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our
scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes
to killing other humans. For that reason, I did have to cast
my vote for the Buddhists."
A Muslim Cleric Tal Bin Wassad agreed from Pakistan via
his translator. "While I am a devout Muslim, I can see how
much anger and bloodshed is channeled into religious
expression rather than dealt with on a personal level.
The Buddhists have that figured out."
Bin Wassad, the ICARUS voting member for Pakistan's
Muslim community continued, "In fact, some of my best friends are Buddhist."
And Rabbi Shmuel Wasserstein said from Jerusalem,
"Of course, I love Judaism, and I think it's the greatest
religion in the world. But to be honest, I've been practicing
Vipassana meditation every day before minyan
(daily Jewish prayer) since 1993. So I get it."
However, there was one snag - ICARUS couldn't find
anyone to give the award to. All the Buddhists they called
kept saying they didn't want the award.
When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused
the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from
Burma, "We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we
give this award to all humanity, for Buddha nature lies within each of us."
Groehlichen went on to say "We're going to keep calling
around until we find a Buddhist who will accept it.
We'll let you know when we do."
Saturday, August 01, 2009
When do you stop worrying!?
When do you stop worrying!?
Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring
become accountable for their own actions?
Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become
detached spectators in the lives of their children and shrug,
"It's their life," and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor
waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head.
I asked, "When do you stop worrying?"
The nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a
classroom and heard how one of my children talked
incessantly, disrupted the class, and was headed for a
career making license plates.
As if to read my mind, a teacher said,
"Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then
you can sit back, relax and enjoy them."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the
phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open.
A friend said, "They're trying to find themselves.
Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying.
They'll be adults."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable.
I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new
wrinkle. There was nothing I could do about it.
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by
their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments.
My friends said that when my kids got married
I ... could stop worrying and lead my own life.
I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother's
warm smile and her occasional,
"You look pale. Are you alright?
Call me the minute you get home.
Are you depressed about something?"
Can it be that parents are sentenced to a
... lifetime of worry?
Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to
blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the
unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that
elevates us to the highest form of life?
One of my children became quite irritable recently,
saying to me,
"Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days,
and no one answered ... I was worried."
I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.
PASS IT ON TO OTHER WONDERFUL PARENTS
(and also to your children. That's the fun part)
Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring
become accountable for their own actions?
Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become
detached spectators in the lives of their children and shrug,
"It's their life," and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor
waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head.
I asked, "When do you stop worrying?"
The nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a
classroom and heard how one of my children talked
incessantly, disrupted the class, and was headed for a
career making license plates.
As if to read my mind, a teacher said,
"Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then
you can sit back, relax and enjoy them."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the
phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open.
A friend said, "They're trying to find themselves.
Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying.
They'll be adults."
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable.
I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new
wrinkle. There was nothing I could do about it.
My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by
their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments.
My friends said that when my kids got married
I ... could stop worrying and lead my own life.
I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother's
warm smile and her occasional,
"You look pale. Are you alright?
Call me the minute you get home.
Are you depressed about something?"
Can it be that parents are sentenced to a
... lifetime of worry?
Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to
blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the
unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that
elevates us to the highest form of life?
One of my children became quite irritable recently,
saying to me,
"Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days,
and no one answered ... I was worried."
I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.
PASS IT ON TO OTHER WONDERFUL PARENTS
(and also to your children. That's the fun part)
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