BOSTON Political activist Ramesh Kapur, who has been active in politics from behind the scenes since 1980 in Massachusetts and nationally since 1986, predicts President Donald Trump will lose on Tuesday, Democrats will maintain their majority in the House of Representative and may even gain majority in the Senate as well.

In an exclusive video interview on Face-to-Face with INDIA New England News, Mr. Kapur previews US national elections and talks about Hinduism 101, India, the role of Indian-American voters and a new generation of Indian American politicians.

To view the full interview, please click here, or on the image below.

Mr. Kapur is the president of US Indian Security Council Inc., a bipartisan organization that encourage closer ties between and U.S. and India, and president of Medford, MA-based Medical-Technical Gases, Inc., a processor and manufacturer of industrial, medical and specialty gases and gas mixtures.

Mr. Kapur was on the National Democratic Committee (DNC) site selection committee in 1992 when New York was chosen as the Democratic convention site that year. He has been active in Massachusetts Democratic politics since 1978. He was Finance Co-Chairman for Michael Dukakis for President (1986-88), DNC Trustee (1988-90), Managing Trustee for DNC/Clinton/Gore (1992-94), DNC Board Vice Chair (1995-96), board member DNC Leadership 2000, Gore/Lieberman (1999-2000).

Mr. Kapur was in the leadership committee for Vote Now in 1992 and 1996, and has been a consistent top fundraiser since 1986. He was vice-chair for John Kerry for President (2004), trustee DNC/Kerry/Edwards Victory 2004.

Since 1986, Mr. Kapur has held high finance positions in the elections of Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, Senator Tom Daschle and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Visit link:

Election 2020 Preview, Hinduism 101, India and the Role of Indian Americans in US Elections With Ramesh Kapur - India New England

Ritika Jindal, in an interview to Solan Today, which was put on Facebook, revealed her views on the matter. The IAS officer can be seen struggling to construct a single sentence in pure Hindi (the language of people she serves) without resorting to her English vocabulary. More problematic is her worldview which can be interpreted by usage of words such as patriarchy, orthodoxy, long held but outdated rituals, etc.

For a moment, one can confuse her with an officer from the colonial era with a disdain for local culture and traditions, incomprehensible to her modern and European sensitivities. But perhaps thats the biggest achievement of the British rule. Even after seven decades, Indias education and its institutions never decolonised and decoupled themselves from the culture of its erstwhile masters.

This episode has obviously created a lot of outrage and many are demanding that the government sacks her. One wonders what this will achieve except making her a gender-rights activist. Such counterproductive campaigns usually do more harm than good.

Nevertheless, while such views of an Indian government officer are problematic for they speak volumes about our education system and inherent weaknesses of Hindu parenting, the key question that needs to be tackled is this: what business does an IAS officer have changing rituals in a temple?

The reason why officials like Ritika Jindal are interfering in Hindu religious affairs is because they have been put in charge of temples by the governments in state after state. This issue is only the latest controversy which highlights the perils of the government takeover, control and administration of exclusively Hindu places of worship.

In 1984, the then Congress government under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh, passed The Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act. It was a bipartisan affair with only one BJP MLA opposing the move by the state assembly.

The lone dissenter was Ram Rattan Sharma who was also a priest. He had said that the act was a little too harsh and bordered on take-over and interference in Hindu religious affairs but his arguments were received with derisive laughter even from his own partymen, forcing him to quietly leave the house.

Of course, the BJP is none the wiser today. Otherwise it wouldnt be repeating the same mistake by taking over temples left, right and centre in neighbouring Uttarakhand. Even in Himachal, the BJP has amended this 1984 act to take over more temples and mandate how their funds and gold is to be spent.

In 2010, the BJP government in the state mandated a certain amount of temple gold to be deposited for SBI Gold Bond scheme. In 2018, it changed the act ensuring that temples spend 15 per cent of their funds on building and maintaining cow sheds.

The rationale provided for taking over temples always revolves on the principle of improving the administration of the temple. The narrative is built to demonise the priests as greedy and corrupt. And all too commonly, whenever the critics accuse the government of interfering in Hindu religious places, those are met with derision and laughter from the government faithfuls just as it happened with Ram Rattan Sharma in 1984.

But history has proven Ram Rattan Sharma right. The 1984 act was indeed draconian which made some of the most important temples subject to whims and fancies of a government appointed commissioner, a position which was vested with great powers in matters of appointments and removal of pujarin and trustees, approving budgets or expenditures, sacking officials found to be wanting in their job, inspecting temple properties and funds at will, etc.

In fact, the powers of the commissioner or other officers appointed under the act are so absolute that they cannot be challenged in any civil court but only the high court and Supreme Court.

Every temple is required to maintain a register showing the origin, the names of the past and present trustees, customs or uses regarding succession to the office of trustee, the mode of administration and scale of expenditure, details of salaries, duties and conditions of service, details of all assets, particulars of historical records, coloured pictures of the idols, etc, and this is signed by the commissioner.

Every transfer, exchange or sale of temple property requires prior sanction of the commissioner. Anyone in the management found violating the rules can be sent to jail for a year.

Section 8 of the act says that The trustee of a Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowments shall carry out all orders made and directions given by the Commissioner under the provisions of this Act.

Section 19 of the act says that The Commissioner may suspend, remove or dismiss the trustee or a pujari of any Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowment,....(b) for wilful disobedience of any order issued under the provisions of this Act by the Commissioner or the Government.

(Read the full act here)

No wonder, then that when IAS officer Ritika Jindal decided to order the priest to follow her command in the way temple rituals are to be followed, he had to bend the knee because he, the servant of goddess, may not only lose his job but also be sent to jail if he refuses to follow the orders of the servant of the government.

Though the views of the individual officer in question raise valid concerns about our education system and the level of deracination among English-educated youth, the core issue that this recent controversy has exposed is the peril of government control of temples. It must be opposed by all Hindus irrespective of whether the BJP or a Congress government is bringing a law to take over their sacred spaces.

Originally posted here:

IAS Officer Ritika Jindals Interference In Maa Shoolini Temple Rituals Shows Why Hindus Must Oppose Government Control Of Temples - Swarajya

By Reya Mehrotra

The story of Lord Rama is not exclusive to Valmikis Ramayana. There exist around 300 versions of it in different parts of India and other Asian countries. The oldest version, however, remains Valmikis, which was written in 5th century BC. Here we present some of the most popular versions of the epic.

Phra Lak Phra Ram

Phra Lak Phra Ram is the national epic of Laos. By the time the Ramayana reached Laos, it was adapted locally and is considered a Jataka story. It is the story of two brothersPhra Lak and Phra Ramwho follow dharma and are epitomes of leadership, selflessness and values. In this version, the role of Raphanasuan or Ravana is more dominating than that of the heroes and Ravana is Rams cousin. Ram is also associated with the previous life of Siddhartha Gautam. Sita is called Nang Sida in the version.

Reamker

The Cambodian epic poem Reamker is based on the Ramayana and translates into Glory of Rama. Its surviving text dates back to the 16th century and its earliest mention dates back to the 7th century. The epic is themed on emotions and issues like loyalty, love, trust and revenge. Scenes from the epic are found painted on the walls of the Royal Palace, Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei. Preah Ream (Ram), Neang Seda (Sita) and Preah Leak (Lakshman) are the central characters, while Krong Reap is the antagonist. One finds an amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism in the story, which is a battle between good and evil.

Ramakien

Thailands national epic Ramakien, which also literally translates to Glory of Rama, owes its roots to Valmikis Ramayana. It was written in the 18th century. Ramakien has the same morals as the Ramayanagood triumphs over evil. In the story, a battle is fought between King Rama and Tosakanth, the demon king, who falls in love with Ramas wife Sida and kidnaps and takes her to his palace in Krung Longka. The god-king of the apes, Hanuman, helps Rama in the battle with his army.

Kamba Ramayanam

Also called Ramavataram, the Tamil version of the epic was written by Tamil poet Kambar in the 12th century. The storyline and spiritual concepts differ from Valmikis Ramayana, but the work is regarded as one of the greatest literary works of Tamil literature. In Kambars version, Rama has been deified as an incarnation of Vishnu. Other variations include Ravana lifting Sita along with the piece of land she is standing upon without touching her. Sita is shown being dragged by Ravana by her hair in Valmikis Ramayana.

Kakawin Ramayana

The Indonesian version of Ramayana was written in old Javanese in approximately 870 AD during the Mataram kingdom in central Java. Written in a long narrative poem form, it is modelled on traditional Sanskrit meters. While the first part of the story remains the same as Valmikis Ramayana, the second part differs. It talks about the local hero God Semar and his sons. It is said that Ramayana brought about a resurgence of Hinduism in parts of Asia like Sumatra, west and central Java where Buddhism was dominant.

Sri Ranganatha Ramayanamu

The Telugu adaptation of Valmikis Ramayana is believed to be written between 1300 and 1310 AD by poet Ranganatha who made several variations in the course of the events. For instance, the three lines on the squirrels back were portrayed as Ramas blessing, as the squirrel clears the sand from the rock bridge made by Hanuman and his army for Rama. Among the more than 40 adaptations of Ramayana, this one remains one of the most complete and famous ones.

Saptakanda Ramayana

The Assamese version of the Ramayana is believed to be written in the 14-15th century by Madhava Kandali. The explicit portrayal of Rama, Sita and other characters as not heroic by the author rendered the text unfit for religious purposes. He humanised Rama and Sitas characters to suit the taste of common folk. The work is also significant, as it is considered the earliest written example of Assamese language.

Bhanubhakta Ramayana

Considered the first Nepali epic, this version was published in 1887. It was written by Bhanubhakta Acharya in Nepali language and is significant because it democratised Hinduism in Nepal, thus, ending the dominance of Brahmanic priests in interpreting sacred texts. It is said that the Darjeeling literary community recognised the text even before the Nepalis did. The version was translated from Valmikis one with slight variations and no changes in the story. The first English translation of Bhanubhakta Ramayana, done by writer Gokul Sinha, was released in 2016.

More:

Ramayana retold: Here are some of the most popular versions of the epic - Financial Express

The University of Sydney (USYD) has assured to seriously look into an article in its student newspaper Honi Soit after Hindus protested calling it unnecessarily disparaging and trivializing Hinduism.

Dr. Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor & Principal of USYD, in an email to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, wrote:I appreciate that this article has caused you distress and has potentially upset other members of the Hindu communityAny form of religious vilification or discrimination language, imagery or behaviour is unacceptable on our campuses, and I want to reassure you that the University will consider this matter seriouslyI have referred your complaint to the University Registrar and Academic Director, Professor Peter McCallum. The Student Affairs Unit will keep you informed about the progress of this complaint

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanked USYD and Dr. Spence for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which thought that it was highly inappropriate and insensitive for the newspaper of a public research university to blatantly belittle Hinduism, worlds oldest and third largest religion with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought.

Rajan Zed had earlier indicated that a university, funded by tax dollars and student fees (many of whom were Hindu), should not be in the business of callously promoting dismissal of traditions, elements and concepts of others; and deriding entire communities.

Such an unwarranted and twisted misstatement, caricaturing and misrepresenting a religion revered by many, coming out of a public educational institution; was really shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community; which had made lot of contributions to Australia and society in general; and continued to do so; Zed had stated.

Is this how Australias first university USYD founded 1850, which claims to regularly rank in the worlds top 50 universities, accomplishes its slogan We make lives better; Rajan Zed wondered.

Zed had said that Hindus were for free speech and artistic expression as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees.

Rajan Zed had also urged USYD and its Students Representative Council to re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send Honi Soit editors for cultural sensitivity training, so that such an inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.

This article, dated October 22, in the Culture section of Honi Soit, described Hinduism as a 200-year-old invention. Weekly Honi Soit claims Quality student journalism since 1929, boasts itself as the most vibrant and prestigious student publication in Australia and seeks to be counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

Hinduism is one of the fastest growing religions in Australia, and according to 2016 census, formed 1.9% of the countrys population numbering at 440,300.

.

Read more here:

University of Sydney to seriously look into article in its paper ridiculing Hinduism - NewsPatrolling

Hindus in Malta are urging the government to subsidise cremations abroad until a crematorium is available in Malta.

"Malta, not having a mechanism for the cremation of deceased Hindus, is forcing the community to bury their loved ones in contradiction of their long-held beliefs that burial hindered souls journey; Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said in a statement in Nevada (USA).Zed is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated.

He said that if the government wasunable to offer a subsidy for cremations abroad, then in the meantime, Hindus should be allowed to cremate their deceased on traditional open pyres in Malta. For this purpose, Malta Government should allot a cremation ground near a body of water where Hindus could cremate their deceased on open pyres.

The Hindu community said cremation abroad comes to around 5,000, but added options can raise the cost. Many non-Hindus now also prefer cremation over burial.

Zed said that Malta should show some maturity and be more responsive to the hurt feelings of its hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community which, he observed, has been in the country since 1800s and has made lot of contributions to the nation and society.

As an interfaith gesture, Zed urged Archbishop Scicluna and Cardinal-elect Mario Grech to support their Hindu brothers and sisters on this issue.

Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.

Read more from the original source:

Hindus urge Malta government to subsidise cremation abroad - Times of Malta

Written by ZEESHAN SHAIKH , Edited by Explained Desk | Mumbai | Updated: October 31, 2020 12:08:17 pm Members of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (an alliance of political parties including National Conference, PDP, CPI, CPM and Peoples Conference) at a meeting on October 24, 2020. (Express Photo: Shuaib Masoodi)

The land laws that were amended and notified by the Centre for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday (October 26) have omitted the protection earlier available to its permanent residents. It allows the purchase of non-agricultural land by outsiders, even though the government may provide some protection through notifications.

The decision, celebrated by BJP leaders and spokespersons, has given fresh wind to fears expressed by political parties in Kashmir about attempts to fundamentally alter the demography of the Valley. On Tuesday, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah posted on Twitter that the Centre had now ended even the tokenism of domicile, and that J&K is now up for sale.

The Census of 2011 showed that the religious make-up of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had remained almost entirely unchanged over the previous half century. The special status of Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution was removed on August 5, 2019, and the state was split into two Union Territories.

What was the demographic make-up of the state of Jammu and Kashmir before Independence?

The pre-Independence Census of 1941 recorded Muslims as constituting 72.41% of the population, and Hindus 25.01%. Thereafter, the proportion of Muslims in the states population fell gradually.

So how did the demography of Jammu and Kashmir change between Independence and now?

Jammu and Kashmir was not a part of independent Indias first Census in 1951. The 1961 Census showed that Muslims, with a population of 24.32 lakh, constituted 68.31% of the states population of 35.60 lakh, while Hindus, numbering 10.13 lakh, made up 28.45%.

A full 50 years later, these percentages came out identical: the Census of 2011 recorded the Muslim population at 85.67 lakh again, 68.31% of the total population of 125.41 lakh (1.25 crore). And the Hindu population was 35.66 lakh 28.43% of the total. Express Explained is now on Telegram

And how did the share of population of the two communities change in the Censuses in between?

The percentage of Muslims in the (erstwhile) state started to fall after the 1961 Census when the community made up 68.3 per cent of the population. In the Census of 1971, it was 65.83 per cent and, in the Census of 1981, it fell to 64.19 per cent.

The beginning of militancy ensured no Census could be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991. But in the next Census in 2001, the proportion of Muslims in the population touched 66.97 per cent more than the communitys share in 1971. And in 2011, it had risen further to reach exactly what it was in 1961 (68.31%).

Consequently, the share of Hindus in the population moved in the opposite direction increasing from 28.45 per cent in 1961 to 30.42 per cent in 1971, and peaking at 32.24 per cent in 1981; before falling to 29.62 per cent in 2001 and further to 28.43 per cent in 2011.

Dont miss from Explained | The Kashmir action for which October 27 is marked as Infantry Day

How has the demography changed at the level of individual districts?

Jammu and Kashmir originally had 14 districts six each in the Kashmir and Jammu divisions, and two in Ladakh. Ten of these districts were Muslim-majority all six in Kashmir, three in Jammu, and one in Ladakh.

The remaining three districts in Jammu had a Hindu majority, and the remaining district in Ladakh was Buddhist majority.

In 2006, eight new districts were created, taking the total number of districts in the erstwhile state to 22.

Of these, 17 are Muslim majority 10 in Kashmir, six in Jammu, and one in Ladakh. Hindus are the majority community in four districts of the Jammu division; Buddhists are the majority in Leh.

In most districts of Kashmir, the percentage of Hindus went up in the 2011 Census as compared to 2001. The same was the case with Muslims in the districts of Jammu.

What is the share of migrants in the population of (the erstwhile state of) Jammu and Kashmir?

Only about 1.64 lakh (1.31 per cent) of the 1.25 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir (as per the 2011 Census) are people who stay there, but who were born elsewhere. In India as a whole, 4.64 per cent of the population lives in a state in which they were not born.

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Explained News, download Indian Express App.

The Indian Express (P) Ltd

Read the original:

Muslim-Hindu demography of Jammu and Kashmir: What the Census numbers show - The Indian Express

Tricycles free online source for newcomers offers answers to all the questions you were hesitant to ask aloud.

Why do Buddhists talk about many Buddhas?

Often when we speak of the Buddha, we mean the historical figure Siddhartha Gautama, who attained enlightenment and began teaching the dharma around 2,600 years ago. But Buddhist tradition holds that this individualalso known as Shakyamuni Buddhawas only one in a series of awakened ones that stretches back into the distant past and extends into the farthest reaches of the future.

Of the many buddhas who preceded Shakyamuni, one of the most important was Dipamkara. His name means light maker: it is said that at his birth many lamps appeared and that he predicted Shakyamunis enlightenment.

After a long period, Dipamkaras teachings faded and were forgotten. Then came a succession of other buddhas, leading up to Shakyamuni, the buddha of our era. In the distant future, after a similar decline, it is said a buddha named Maitreya will emerge. Dipamkara, Shakyamuni, and Maitreya are often depicted in a triad representing past, present, and future. Past buddhas and future buddhas are objects of devotion that exist eternally and are available to those who seek them.

Although buddhas are infinite in a cosmic sense, the appearance of one in our world is rare. Buddhist cosmology describes a vast array of worlds of which ours is only one. Each of these worlds is overseen by a buddha, and rebirth in these worlds, known as buddha-fields, is the goal of many Buddhists.

Two of these prominent buddhas are Amitabha (Japanese, Amida), the Buddha of Infinite Light, and Bhaishajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha.

Amitabha Buddha is central to Pure Land Buddhism. He rules over the Western paradise of Sukhavati, literally blissful land, a place where enlightenment is much easier to achieve than elsewhere.

Bhaishajyaguru is the patron of doctors and healers and rules over an Eastern paradise. Rays of light that emanate from his blue body illuminate the world so that practitioners will never be in darkness. Devotion to him is said to ensure longevity, wealth, and prestige.

The Eastern and Western paradises are both said to be located trillions of buddha-fields away from our (impure) realm, which gives an idea of the epic scope of Buddhist cosmology.

Many other buddhas also reside in Pure Lands across the cosmos, serving as objects of reverence.

Get Daily Dharma in your email

Start your day with a fresh perspective

Explore timeless teachings through modern methods.

With Stephen Batchelor, Sharon Salzberg, Andrew Olendzki, and more

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

Continued here:

Other Buddhas Across the Cosmos - Tricycle

A story from the Karmashataka illustrates how true devotion can be a source of energy and joy.

When the Blessed One was in Shravasti, there was a young god named Maniprabha who had hoops in his ears and necklaces around his neck and whose body was graced with strings of precious stones. He had a luminous celestial mansion of exquisite, divine jewels. Karmashataka

One of our favorite avadanas, or teaching stories, from the Karmashataka is the tale of the god Maniprabha, whose body, like the celestial mansion he lived in, shone with light and was adorned with fine jewels. One day when the Buddha was teaching at Jeta Grove (near the ancient Indian city of Shravasti), the brightly shining deity came to the garden with flowers, which he scattered over the Buddha to show homage. He then bent down to touch his head to the Buddhas feet in a traditional gesture of respect before sitting to hear the dharma. (The image of a god bowing down to the Buddha may be surprising for some readers. But in the Buddhist framework, buddhas far exceed the gods in spiritual realization. Maniprabhas deference to the Buddha is an embodied expression of this truth.) The Buddha offered a teaching that had such an immediate and profound effect on Maniprabha that the young gods eventual awakening became inevitable. In celebration he rose from his seat, again touched his head to the feet of the Blessed One, circumambulated him three times, and disappeared upon the spot.

Some of the other monks in the sangha were confused. They had been studying with continued, earnest, and sleepless efforts at dusk and dawn when they saw Maniprabhas great light emanate and then disappear. They went to the Buddha to ask what had happened. The Buddha explained, but the monks still had questions. They inquired how it came to be that Maniprabha had taken rebirth as a god whose residence was a celestial mansion and whose body was ornamented with divine jewels.

As is often the case in the Karmashataka, the Buddhas response comes in the form of a story within the story. The story takes place long before Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddhabefore he was even born. Back then, Buddha Kashyapa, one of the other buddhas the sutras say have appeared throughout history, was teaching the dharma. At the time, there lived in Varanasi a householder of tremendous wealth. After Buddha Kashyapas final passing, the householder, out of deep devotion, built a great stupa (shrine) containing the hair and nail relics of Buddha Kashyapas holy body. This stupa was so magnificent that even its rain gutters glimmered with jewels. Not only that, but the householder organized the construction of an associated monastery. For the rest of his life, he faithfully served the monks who studied and practiced there and provided for their every need.

The Buddha explained to the monks that after going for refuge and maintaining the fundamental precepts of a lay vow-holder all his life, the householder was reborn among the gods in a celestial mansion made of jewels. That householders name? Maniprabha, which means Jewel-Light.

Like all the stories of the Karmashataka, the story of Maniprabha is a gem that crystallizes for us certain essential teachings on karma. One facet is the enormous power of actions taken from a mindset of devotion.

True devotion does not actually drain us. It is a source of vibrant energy that makes our commitments come alive and become a source of joy.

When we think about our actions, we often focus on their effects, but the Buddhist view of karma easily overlooks the importance of the underlying intention. Yet as Joseph Goldstein points out, the Buddha used the term karma specifically referring to volition, the intention or motive behind an action. He said that karma is volition because it is the motivation behind the action that determines the karmic fruit. Inherent in each intention in the mind is an energy powerful enough to bring about subsequent results. Indeed, the Buddha stated, Action (karma) is volition, for after having intended something, one accomplishes action through body, speech, and mind.

The story of Maniprabha starts with a description of his numerous acts of devotion. Far from being a set of isolated occurrences, these actions are an upwelling of Maniprabhas devotion in previous lifetimes. In honor of the earlier buddha Kashyapa, he built a magnificent stupa and an associated monastery where he rendered service all his life, and provided for the material well-being of the monastics there. But Maniprabhas devotion was directed not only to these two buddhas. From his consistent, lifelong support of the monastery, we recognize that his devotion is also to the dharma and sangha, to notions of love and service, to compassion, and to putting others first.

In the course of the story, Maniprabha is never depicted as wavering. He appears with purpose, fulfills that purpose, and departs. Moreover, in the story of his past life, we are given to understand that the service he rendered was a joyful commitment that he never abandoned. The purity of that devotion later manifests concretely in the pristine qualities of his future rebirth in the god realmin his brilliant appearance, his splendid ornamentation, his divine residence, and his clear intention. Practitioners will find it particularly interesting to note that his acts of devotion gave rise to the auspicious circumstances needed to receive teachings directly from a buddha. Not only that, but Maniprabha was able to comprehend the teaching so deeply that he arrived speedily at the threshold of liberation.

Seen in relation to our own practice, the potential benefits of devotion are numerous. Devotion has the quality of stabilizing the mind. When something occurs that in other contexts might set us off balance, devotion helps us stay on course. For example, at times when we hear criticism from others, we may notice that our potential reactivity and defensiveness are allayed by the depth of our conviction in the dharma. We are able to actually hear their feedback and contemplate its validity without losing our emotional center.

Devotion is akin to love: when cultivated, it grows over time. It develops within the context of an ongoing relationship. When that relationshipwith a person, to the teachings generally, or to a certain lineage or practiceis healthy and not excessively predicated on projected longing, devotion matures and deepens. It is balanced. It becomes less superficial as it increases.

In keeping with our individual temperaments and inclinations, we may find ourselves drawn to certain devotional acts and disinclined to others. Traditional forms such as making offerings, building stupas, or bowing our heads or bodies are certainly important. But there are also contemporary forms more familiar to us: we can set out the cushions at the dharma center, like and subscribe to our favorite dharma sources on social media, or help to update Rinpoches iPhone. We may be spontaneously engaging in these activities without recognizing the devotion we are already expressing.

Simply attending dharma teachings with a mind that is genuinely open and receptive, not armored or argumentative, can itself be an act of devotion. It is a practice to notice where devotion already exists in our minds and hearts. That mindful awareness increases their power.

When emphasizing intention and devotion, the thought does come to us: Isnt it enough that Im here at the dharma talk? Or that I made it onto this cushion? Arent these virtuous actions good enough on their own? There can be a sense in our daily practiceand in our livesthat going through the motions is enough. This is especially true when were experiencing the challenges of life, and we find ourselves tired, overwhelmed, scared, anxious, busy, or burdened, as we often have every reason to be. Devotion feels like yet another item on our to-do list.

True devotion, however, does not actually drain us. It is a source of vibrant energy that makes our commitments come alive and become a source of joy.

Strengthened by devotion, we are more resilient when we encounter exhaustion, criticism, or the questions that arise naturally along the way. Our efforts will continue to grow in spite of challenges and even in response to them.

We know were experiencing devotion when we feel a genuine, spontaneous appreciation for the gifts we are receivingfor the fact that we can meet with qualified teachers, hear the word of the dharma, and find support in the sangha. Devotion is the wish to demonstrate this appreciation in respectful form, to pay homage as Maniprabha did.

Maniprabha leaped to repay the Buddhas kindness without hesitation. Similarly, the dharma can inspire a realization of our wondrous good fortune that naturally overflows in an abundance of gratitude.

This is the second installment in a four-part series on the Karmashataka (A Hundred Deeds) Sutra, a collection of ancient teaching stories on karma that has recently been translated from Tibetan into English. Read the first installation here.

Continue reading here:

Maniprabha and the Power of Devotion - Tricycle

How lifes little annoyances can teach us ever-greater tolerance.

The 8th-century Indian Buddhist sage Shantideva dedicated a chapter of his work The Way of the Bodhisattva to the subject of patience. In the new book Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience, the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche follows the 134 verses from the Patience Chapter and explains how they apply to our busy lives today. In this excerpt, he discusses verses 15 through 18, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group.

15 And do I not already bear with the common irritations Bites and stings of snakes and flies, Experiences of hunger and thirst, And painful rashes on my skin?

16 Heat and cold, the wind and rain, Sickness, prison, beatings Ill not fret about such things. To do so only aggravates my trouble.

If we look at our lives, we already have a certain amount of patience. We can bear many difficult circumstances quite well. For example, we all have to endure minor illnesses such as colds and headaches. We have to deal with plenty of weather we dont like. We put up with mosquitoes and mice and many other creatures that cause us minor trouble.

Rather than constantly seeking to eliminate all small irritations from our lives, we can use them as a basis for developing more patience. If you emphasize comfort over the practice of patience, your mind will get weaker and weaker. If you want your life to be free of the challenge of needing patience, your mind will be in constant fear. You will feel increasingly under threat, increasingly provoked, increasingly paranoid. This will lead you to act more negatively and to reject much of the world.

Practitioners need to be going in the opposite direction. We need to have a little oomph to work with all the challenges we encounter. A lot of people wonder, Why does my life have so much struggle? But there is no such thing in samsara as a life free of struggle. There is no such thing as a life where nothing threatens us. So instead we should ask ourselves, Why doesnt my life have more oomph?

Its interesting that its easier to be patient with things or beings that cannot be held responsible, such as the weather or infants. We should also notice that its relatively easy to muster our tolerance toward people we want to please or impress, such as those we find attractive or our superiors at work. These examples show how capable we are of having control over our minds. If we use these easier situations as a training ground, we are also capable of extending our patience to situations or people that tend to provoke our anger more strongly.

Shantidevas point here is that developing patience depends a lot on our self-confidence and self-image. If we see ourselves as nervous, shaky, and irritable, our experiences will tend to follow that image. So we need to change our attitude to see ourselves as tolerant and not easily disturbed. This will make a great difference in how we react to outer conditions and will set in motion more favorable ways for things to unfold. When we see ourselves in such a positive light, it will be easy to tolerate small disturbances, let go, and move on with ever-increasing patience. As our minds become more agile and ready to make use of discomfort and adversity, we will gain more strength to face the great disturbances of life with tolerance.

17 There are some whose bravery increases At the sight of their own blood, While some lose all their strength and faint When its anothers blood they see!

18 This results from how the mind is set, In steadfastness or cowardice. And so Ill scorn all injury, And hardships I will disregard!

Our reactions to situations, people, and our own states of mind are based on how we condition our minds. For instance, if you have habituated yourself to be brave in battle, seeing your own blood flow may give you even more courage to fight. But if youve habituated your mind to weakness and oversensitivity, you may faint or panic even when you see someone elses blood. Your response in that moment comes from how youve built up your habits in the past.

You can train your mind to be strong and resilient, or you can train your mind to be fainthearted and easily discouraged. This is your choice. If you want to be a bodhisattva, its not viable to act like a weak dog and run away with your tail between your legs, succumbing to your habitual reactions. A bodhisattva needs to endure countless challenges, so you have to shed any tendencies toward cowardice.

In these modern times, particularly in the West, its common for people to give up on themselves easily. Many dharma students tend to judge themselves too harshly and then become discouraged. Part of the problem is they want to be too good. So when they see their neuroses and their imperfections, they have a hard time accepting themselves. This comes from having unreasonable expectations. It is a puritanical mindset. I hear people say, Ive been practicing for the last twenty years. How could this happen? How could I do this? How could I have this thought, this feeling? This often happens just when they think theyve made some progress. The result can be deep despondency.

Our thoughts, feelings, and reactions come about due to a vast number of interdependent circumstances. When the perfect circumstances converge for you to have a particular reaction, its almost impossible not to have that reaction, at least initially. As a result, no matter how long youve practiced, its very unlikely that nothing will bother you anymore. It isnt realistic to think youll be exempt from getting frustrated or losing your temper. The mark of a true practitioner is not what arises in your life and mind, but how you work with what arises.

It all comes down to your perspective and your self-confidenceyour oomph. Now you may think, What can I do about that? Im just not a self-confident person. Its important to know that self-confidence isnt something were born with. Everyone can develop self-confidence if they want to. But we must understand that here we are talking about genuine self-confidence, not egos bloated version, which is more like arrogance.

The process begins with your willingness to take a chance. Rather than having everything absolutely clear and predictable ahead of time, you have to be willing to go into the unknown. This may require a leap of faithfaith in your own mind and its innate wisdom and ability. Then, having taken that leap, you have to work with your intelligenceskillfully, mindfully, and patientlyas the situation unfolds. Going through this kind of process repeatedly will increase your self-confidence, especially when you encounter difficulties and find ways to turn them around or bring about the best outcome possible.

The mark of a true practitioner is not what arises in your life and mind, but how you work with what arises.

Here it is helpful to remember verses 15 and 16, in which Shantideva advises us to train ourselves in cultivating positive qualities by beginning with relatively small things. This is a realistic, doable approach to developing any desirable attribute in your mind. For example, you may wish to be a generous person but realize that youre not very generous. Resigning yourself to being stingy by nature will get you nowhere. That is just making an excuse based on laziness.

If youre genuinely interested, you can always find small ways to be generous. You can even practice by passing money or some object youre attached to from one of your hands to the other. The Buddha actually suggested this simple practice to a disciple who thus got over his miserliness and eventually became a great patron of the dharma. Starting small will serve as an effective beginning to your generosity practice, which you can then take as far as you want it to go.

With patience especially, we can use the small irritations that come up in our lives as wonderful opportunities to train. For example, sometimes we feel offended, but at the same time we realize its silly to be offended. Here we have a great chance to apply the humor we already see in the situation. This humor is based on realizing the irony of what is happening: were blaming somebody else, but the real problem is our own ego, manifesting in the form of a ridiculous uptightness. This kind of ironic humor is not just a patch we use to cover up pain. It is an insight that can turn irritation into a genuine laugh or smile, which gives us a feeling of release. A humorous perspective gets us through the slight pain of the offense and enables us to turn that pain into wisdom. We can then appreciate the pain as we would the pain of an immunization. We need to take advantage of these situations, which are within our reach to work with successfully. If we forgo such opportunities to practice in small ways, then to believe we will be patient when bigger things come around is just wishful thinking.

Because humor and appreciating irony are such effective means of cutting through irritations, I would like to share a contemplation I once had, which I found both funny and helpful. It occurred to me that people come with different shoe sizes, but that doesnt bother me. They have different pants sizes and hat sizes. That also doesnt bother me. So why should I be bothered that people come with different sizes of ego? Just as I dont have to wear other peoples shoes, I dont have to wear other peoples egos. I can just let them wear their own egos, whatever size they are. Why should I take the size of someone elses ego personally and let it bother me? It is theirs and theirs alone to wear. I can just let them be.

The size of another persons ego can make you feel very bothered and uncomfortable. But if you can find other ways of looking at your irritation, especially using humor, then you have a better chance of being patient. In this way, your patience will increase not only in trivial situations but also in serious situations where humor and irony are more difficult to find.

Excerpted from Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience by Dzigar Kongtrul 2020. Reprinted with permission of Shambhala Publications.

Link:

Dzigar Kongtrul: The Path of Patience - Tricycle

Our expert explains the meaning of dukkha.

The Pali word dukkha (duhkha in Sanskrit), usually translated as suffering, sits at the heart of the Buddhas four noble truthswhich boil down to (1) dukkha exists, (2) dukkha arises from causes, and (3) we can end dukkha (4) by following the Buddhas path to awakening. This central term is best understood alongside the related word sukha. The prefix su- generally means good, easy, and conducive to well-being, and the prefix du- correspondingly means bad, difficult, and inclining toward illness or harm. On the most basic level, then, sukha means pleasant while dukkha means unpleasant. The noble truth of suffering, however, does not simply refer to bodily pain; its meaning is far more subtle and rich.

One can also feel mental pleasure and pain. Here, the twin prefixes are employed again. A good mind (su-manas) is contrasted with a bad mind (du-manas) to yield the Pali words most often used to describe happiness (somanassa) and sorrow (domanassa), also known as mental pleasure and mental pain. Here, happiness and sorrow simply refer to the experience of a painful or pleasurable feeling, which is different from emotional pleasure or pain. When Buddhist teachings talk about emotions, such as love and hate, they are describing our disposition toward the things we encounter. This important distinction can be easily lost in translation.

Dukkha is further used to describe the disappointment that comes when the things we are fond of inevitably change and slip through our hands. The Pali term for this is viparinama-dukkha, meaning the suffering of change, which the second noble truth explains is caused by craving and attachment. We experience emotional pain when we crave either pleasure or the absence of pain, and dont get what we want. Mind- fulness practice is designed to help us abandon this craving by replacing it with emotional equanimity.

Beyond the physical, mental, and psychological sense of dukkha, we might add an existential sense of these words. In Pali texts, the feeling that the very conditions of the world we inhabit are unsatisfactory is called sankhara-dukkha, or the suffering of conditioned reality. The fact that all beings must consume to live and that we will age, become ill, and die are also sources of suffering.

Fortunately, there is a corresponding state of existential well-beingthe liberation from suffering that comes about with awakening.

Get Daily Dharma in your email

Start your day with a fresh perspective

Explore timeless teachings through modern methods.

With Stephen Batchelor, Sharon Salzberg, Andrew Olendzki, and more

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

Read more:

The Meaning of Dukkha - Tricycle