Rational Nation USA

  Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in a revolutionary. Che Guevara In America today the signs of civil unrest are growing. Driven by ignorance and greed. Corporations and politicians - lying  to folks and playing on the peoples fears to keep them in line. In the wealthiest  of nations (the USA) people go hungry and many are unable to secure the medical treatments they need. In a nation that claims to value freedom (the USA) more people rest in a prison cell than anywhere else on the planet. Why? America is in need of an American Che Guevara. One who can actually unite us once again in a common effort to secure the blessings this land/nation has to offer to ALL of its inhabitants. Every last one of them.

  Ran across the following while I was busy studying. It is, in my view a fair representation and summary of Buddhism's core values. You can consider it a quick reference or a reminder sheet. Especially if you're new to Buddhism. I am running a partial repost of the article here, with full attribution and a hot link back to the original document. THE BUDDHIST CORE VALUES AND PERSPECTIVES FOR PROTECTION CHALLENGES: FAITH AND PROTECTION                                               I. THE BACKGROUND OF BUDDHIS Buddhism, like most of the great religions of the world, is divided into a number of different traditions. However, most traditions share a common set of fundamental beliefs.  One central belief of Buddhism is often referred to as reincarnation -- the concept that people are reborn after dying. In fact, most individuals go through...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." “With the ever growing impact of science on our lives, religion and spirituality have a greater role to play reminding us of our humanity. There is no contradiction between the two. Each gives us valuable insights into the other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us of the fundamental unity of all things. This understanding is crucial if we are to take positive and decisive action on the pressing global concern with the environment.” -His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama The following short excerpt is taken from Lions Roar . His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the most beloved and recognized leaders of our time. He is the spiritual leader of Tibet, but his presence and impact is known worldwide as a statesman, spiritual teacher, and theologian. Also known by his given religious name, Tenzin Gya...

 

 

  

 We depart from our normal programming to run an excerpt from The New York Times Magazine . Given the political realities of today's right wing extremists in America, and the corresponding rise of the Trumpublican party with its totalitarian ideology, we think the article is spot on and needs to be freely disseminated however possible. The dangers are real as well as frightening. A primary eve rally in Phoenix featuring onstage, from left, the former Trump official Richard Grenell, the gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, the state attorney general candidate Abraham Hamadeh and the U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters. Credit... Peter van Agtmael/Magnum, for The New York Times Those who are ignorant of the past are destined to repeat it. The ignorance of the Trumpublican party (Old GOP), with its drive to upend and destroy our democratic republic, will result in dire and grave consequences for the people of this land. A land that threw off ...

  The following is an excerpt from   International Conference for Cooperation among Buddhists in ASEAN Economic Community . It as many good points and while concerned primarily with Buddhism in Asian countries the information and insight is valuable for Buddhist in America as it strives to increase its sangha across North America.                                                                  Synopsis  The ultimate objective of Buddhism is the conquest of the afflictions of existence (dukkha) to attain perfect happiness in life, by following the noble path of the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha attributed a large part of the human suffering to the psychological roots of wickedness (akusalamula) in terms of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). It is the eradication of these roots of unwholesome mot...

  The Buddhist World lacks an effective mechanism to help save a Buddhist Nation in Danger Colombo, Sri Lanka  -- The crisis facing the Buddhist world is neither a decline in religious conviction nor an apprehension that truth underpinned by rational argument and new scientific discoveries will one day overtake and outstrip the core teachings of its founder which is a perennial fear bordering on despondency that characterizes several other competing religions, but the lack of an effective institutional mechanism that can lend support when a Buddhist institution, Buddhist community or even  a pre-dominant Buddhist nation is in danger. We see the lack of substantial networks of support driving threatened Buddhist nations or Buddhist communities into a sense of despair and hopelessness at times of an emergency. Traditional Buddhist countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos are now under severe pressure to distance themselves from extending state patro...

 

 

  Article BELOW the FOLD .

 

 

  Turnings of the Dharma Wheel Mahayana Buddhists speak of the  Three Turnings of the Dharma Wheel . The first turning was the teaching of the  Four Noble Truths  by  Shakyamuni Buddha , which was the beginning of Buddhism. The Second Turning was the doctrine of   sunyata, or emptiness , which is a cornerstone of Mahayana. This doctrine was expounded in the   Prajnaparamita sutras , the earliest of which may date to the 1st century BCE.   Nagarjuna   (ca. 2nd century CE) fully developed this doctrine in his philosophy of   Madhyamika . The Third Turning was the   Tathagatagarbha   doctrine of   Buddha Nature , which emerged in about the 3rd century CE. This is another cornerstone of Mahayana. Yogacara , a philosophy that originally developed in a Sthavira school called Sarvastivada, was another milestone in Mahayana history. The founders of Yogacara originally were Sarvastivada scholars who lived in the 4th century CE and ...