The first beatitude of Jesus was "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." We might say, "theirs is the Pure Land of Buddha". But in the modern world, is being "poor of spirit" something that people seek? Don't we, rather
Read more…This is a place for posting renku.
Renku is a Japanese poetic form with five lines with syllables 5-7-5-7-7. You will note that the first three constitute a haiku, so you can say a renku is a haiku with two extra lines.
Here is an example that I wrot
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However, if Iran drops out of the treaty and starts enriching uranium on a military scale there is a fair likelihood that Israel will try to destroy those facilities by bombing them. They must know that. Therefore, either they must maintain additiona
We are now getting bookings, deposits and workshop proposals for the conference coming in. This is very heartening and the more we get the easier it becomes for us to do the planning of the event.
Some problems have been reported with the website whi
Read more…TRANSFORMATION IS ABRUPT
Transformation of the human mind occurs abruptly. If one discovers that a person one had always regarded as a friend has betrayed one, one's view and feeling change immediately. One's sense of security in the world is impacte
Read more…It looks as though we now have virtually everything in place to receive bookings and distribute full information about the conference.
You can see / download the attached conference leaflet that gives the details
Book now. Avoid disappointment late
Read more…EXCELLENT VENUE
We have selected an excellent venue. The conference will take place at Kontakt der Kontinenten, which was the best conference centre we looked at. I am confident that everyone will have a very good experience there. The facilities are
Read more…1. We have estimates from one of our two short-listed venues. It is an excellent location which I think people will enjoy very much.
2. Conference cost is looking to be something in the order of 650 euro for the full package - full conference with al
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1. We have inspected six possible venues in Netherlands, selected two and are getting quotations for costs.
2. We are discussing pricing which is obviously related to item one also.
3. We are working on the website. If we can fix the venue very soon
Read more…The world gets more and more complicated.
America Decides Not to Honour a Treaty
America has decided not to honour its obligations under the treaty with Iran and to reimpose sanctions. The Americans say that this is because it is "a lousy treaty". Th
Read more…Text: For those having a karmic affinity with Amitabha Buddha
COMMENTARY
For Whom
This text and the religious path it describes are "for those who have an affinity". This implies that they are not for everybody. For sure, everybody has a path and i
Read more…THE OLDEST DUALISM
There is an idea, common in contemporary Buddhist circles, that unless we believe in fundamental human goodness all is lost. I used to think so myself long ago. It seemed to be a good way of opposing some other notions current in o
Much of the world's trade is conducted in dollars. This fact is broadly connected with the idea that the USA is not a nation like other nations, but is somehow above the fray. It acts as world policeman and world banker. This is basically a result of
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It is enough to live a simple life of faith, but don’t miss the openings when they come. We are all more free than we think. There are different modes of faith that enable one to pass the gateless gate.
Shinjin: This primarily refers to the times whe
Read more…An Interesting Question
The Tien Tai patriarch Chih-I (also spelt Zhiyi, 538-597), who lived a century before Shan Tao, was asked the following question. A bodhisattva is supposed to be unselfish and altruistic. Yet bodhisattvas go to the Pure Land.
Read more…Credit
We are commonly told in economic text books that first there was barter, then there was money, then there was credit. In fact, it was credit that came first. There has always been credit. People have always done things for one another and give
What is one to make of what is happening in Syria? In particular, what is one to make of the American position? The Russian position is fairly clear. They are helping their ally. It is important to them geo-strategically to have a strong presence in
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