Rational Nation USA

 

  Buddhism doesn’t have just one thing to say about consuming alcohol and other intoxicants. In time for party season, we look at the surprising diversity of Buddhist views. Just a Little A little beer or wine is okay, says Sozan Miglioli, as long as you remain mindful of yourself and others. In Zen, we try to understand the spirit of the five precepts rather than just the words. The precepts are guides toward the cessation of suffering, not strict or prescriptive admonitions. They are there to open our eyes, to help us see clearly what creates unwholesome karma. A definition of enlightenment is “to see reality as it is.” For this reason, the precept “I vow not to intoxicate the mind or body of self or others” is very important. It asks us to keep our eyes open, our awareness alive, to what creates suffering in this world. It directly addresses the issue of not seeing things clearly and can guide us on our path of awakening in many different ways. Being mindful of the effect of our...

  Mahayana New Year is celebrated this year on January 7 by Buddhists around the world. The term Mahayana encompasses Buddhist ideologies and philosophies. Mahayana is one of the two main branches of Buddhism and is mostly practiced in Northeast Asia — China, Japan, Tibet, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Korea. Each region has its own customs and traditions for practicing Mahayana Buddhism.  HISTORY OF MAHAYANA NEW YEAR In English, Mahayana means ‘Great Vehicle.’ This can be interpreted in different ways by devout followers of Buddhism. The Mahayana branch of the religion is practiced around the world. The belief of Mahayana Buddhists is that enlightenment or eternal Nirvana can be achieved during the course of an individual’s life. This state of enlightenment is not only attainable by monks, but by regular Buddhist practitioners too. The ultimate goal is for everyone to make use of the opportunity of enlightenment. The Mahayana New Year dates differ for each country based on their cust...

 

  "I am not a criminal," he said in the interview. "This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective," he told The New York Post on Monday. "I will be good." Of course we can believe Santos. Just like we could believe another lying republican that attempted to overthrow the government of the USA.  To be safe, when in doubt, don't believe a republican. He/she is most likely lying. Full article BELOW the FOLD

 

 

 

  God, a convenient concept that allows humankind to make mistakes (sin), ask for forgiveness, and viola, the slate is wiped until the next sin. Of course another round of asking for forgiveness results in wiping the slate clean again, and viola, you're off and running. Again. And on, and on, and on...   

 

 

 

 

  May peace and joy be with you this holiday season and throughout the coming year!

 

 

  Given the various spiritual paths folks travel on the question,  what is an appropriate greeting comes to mind. As a convert to Buddhism a year and a half ago this question has crossed my mind on multiple occasions. So i went to surfing the net and came across the following article. It makes lots of sense so i lifted it to post here. It was written in 2014. How Should a Buddhist Respond to “Merry Christmas”? For those of us who have formally taken refuge and changed our religious affiliation to Buddhism, the end of the year holiday season can pose some interesting challenges—one of which being, what to say in response to the myriad wishes of “Merry Christmas” that are bestowed upon us during the season. Naturally, each individual takes his or her own journey as they wrestle with this one. I thought I’d briefly share mine. Initially, I recall, it became very clear to me the first Christmas season after I took refuge that people who were wishing me a Merry Christmas had n...

 

  NBC News -  The first study ever to directly compare medication to  meditation  for anxiety finds the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. The finding, published Wednesday in the journal  JAMA Psychiatry , suggests that people struggling with anxiety could be helped either by a daily pill (which could come with side effects) or a daily practice of mindfulness (which requires a substantial time commitment). “For both treatments, we had people who said, ‘This really worked,’” said study author Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program and associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. About 6.8 million adults in the U.S. have generalized anxiety disorder, but less than half receive treatment, according to the  Anxiety & Depression Association of America . The two-month study included 276 patients diagnosed with  generalized anxiety  disorder. Half were ...

TRUMP AND HIS CRONIES DESERVE            CRIMINAL PROSECUTION December 19, 2022  — The Lincoln Project  released the following takeaways from the final January 6th Committee Hearing taking place December 19th :  Donald Trump deserves to be referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution. The January 6th Committee clearly showed he  directed a conspiracy to violently overthrow the results of a valid election and install himself as the illegitimate ruler of the United States of America.  The nation must be assured that January 6th cannot be repeated. No one should be under any illusions that Trump and the MAGA movement are finished. January 6th put into motion an insidious effort to impose an authoritarian government. MAGA followers are working to stifle dissent, strangle their opposition, and consolidate power in the hands of their chosen few. They’re promising to purge the government of anyone who won’t bow to their M...

 

 

 

  Following is an excerpt from an excellent article put out by Canadian Dimension  on declining US power and influence. Put aside past American conditioning and biases and read the full article with a fresh and inquisitive mind. America's heyday of geopolitical super power dominance is coming to an end. It is best if we understand how and why this is happening and make intelligent thoughtful decision in response. Nothing is permanent and unchanging. Never has been and never will be. We simply need to accept reality and adjust appropriately. An extraordinary  new Pentagon study  has concluded that the US-backed framework of international order established after World War II is “fraying” and may even be “collapsing,” leading the United States to lose its position of “primacy” in world affairs. The solution proposed to protect US power in this new “post-primacy” environment is, however, more of the same: more surveillance, more propaganda (“strategic mani...

  “As long as the language of national superiority is the common language of politicians and public figures, there is a hidden payload in that language, and that payload is white supremacy. Learning to talk about America as a good society, as a society with a shared purpose, outside of raw global supremacy, is a really important symbolic first step.” “This moment, our becoming a number-two economic power in the 2020s, brings American students into the conversation about American history in a more global frame: We’re no longer looking through American eyes at the rest of the world but at America through the eyes of the rest of the world. “ Following is a brief excerpt from an article entitled  The Future of Decline in America ,  written by  Jed Esty .  An informative article well worth the read America, after being the world's most influential and powerful force in the world for the past 100 years, is entering its period of decline. I personal...

  All it takes for racist and authoritarian ideology to succeed is for good decent people to do nothing in response. This is a threat to everything our constitution and the rule of law stands for. The USA is not a "Christian" Nation. Never has  been and never should be. Unless of course we want to be just like the Middle Eastern theocracies. With their extremism and lack of civil liberties in toe. Beware of what you wish for "Christian" Nationalists. There is nothing Christian about "Christian" Nationalism. As a researcher, I’ve tracked the ascendance of  White Christian nationalism  in the United States for years by following preachers, rallies, politicians, militias, and, sadly, insurrections. As a  former evangelical minister , it’s a world that shaped my youth and young adulthood. However, even after years of  researching  some of the ugliest corners of the Internet and living through some of the most se...

 

 

 

The following excerpt is taken from Springer Link   . It provides a brief description of the Buddha's, and by extension Buddhism's, view on politics. The historical Buddha's view on social, political, and economic philosophy was quite liberal, rational, and humanistic, as well as democratic. It would be a very effective model on which to build international harmony and peace. Hope springs eternal. Buddha on Politics 1 Early Buddhist literature 2  addresses several political, economic, and international issues. While the primary purpose of Buddha’s teachings is the liberation of individuals from pervasive suffering, his teachings also acknowledge the interdependence of the individual with society, polity, and economy. Buddha’s teachings sought to mediate these relationships constructively. Although largely unknown in the West, Buddha was an original and important social, political, and economic philosopher, and a rationalistic, humanistic, and democratic one at t...