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What follows are the essence of some of the teachings, talks, themes and experiences of the past two weeks. I have my notes from all of the talks mentioned here and the past few philosophy group sessions available if any of you want them though they may only be discernable to me :)
Last week I had the opportunity to hear the 22-year-old Gyalwa Karmapa (you should know there is controversy surrounding the recognition of the 17th Karmapa but the Karmapa I heard speak is recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama) speak on "Impermanence" in Tibetan. He was on his way to the United States for the first time and was quite busy preparing for the trip and said he didn't have time to prepare anything and instead spoke from the heart. Naturally, a lot was lost in the translation but essentially he discussed how impermanence is not a philosophical concept, it is reality and we must try not to cling to the illusion of the absence of impermanence. We need to address how we fabricate the illusion of permanence. A dear Tibetan Buddhist Nun once told me, "True dharma practice is countering delusion." What I gained from the talk was the importance of not feeling burdened or handicapped by impermanence and being prepared to handle impermanence in a constructive way. Obviously all phenomenon are subject to impermanence but to throw our hands up and not act is unwise. For example, to say, "The cyclone in Myanmar is too big, there is nothing I can do" is not the answer. As dharma practitioners we make a resolve to benefit each and every being and not acting would go against that resolve so we must try to do whatever we can and no act is too small—like remembering to turn off the lights! Indulging in the illusion of permanence can also breed laziness and the preciousness of life is diminished with the illusion of permanence.
The day after I heard the Karmapa speak I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a teaching given by a teacher of Pema Choedron, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. His lineage is very close to that of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. He is a very high Tibetan lama and talented artist who has been living in Colorado for the last 20 years. He is married to an American woman and has a unique ability to relate to both cultures. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche talked about how in order for the dharma to be accessible to all it has to employ common sense. If it is complicated and difficult to understand then Truth cannot be accessible and applicable. The Buddhist teachings reveal common sense. So what is dharma and how is it common sense? Well, according to Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche all sentient beings desire happiness and dharma is when you acknowledge this to yourself and that you are not different from other sentient beings—we are all the same and we all want to be happy. So when you add to somebody's happiness and try to live "I am Thou" then that is dharma, that is virtue. What brings us happiness is doing good in the world and adding to the happiness of many beings. If one's capacity is to serve 100 and one limits to serve only oneself then they are not giving a full chance to their potential. Since we are no different from sentient beings we should not harm others. He also discussed the importance of practicing the Four Immeasurables (equanimity, love, compassion and joy).
This past weekend I was having some work done on my apartment which provided me with the opportunity to stay at home and finally watch the keynote address Dr. Robert Svoboda gave at a conference I attended in Rishikesh in late February, "Where Science Meets Consciousness." I arrived a day late to the conference and missed this amazing talk but was luckily able to get a recording of it. Dr. Svoboda is one of the most engaging speakers I have ever come across. I was first introduced to his work in the Spring of 2005 when I was studying with an Ayurvedic Doctor and have read many of his books. It was an honor to finally meet him! Svoboda discussed how human beings are constantly taken over by delusions all the time and it is vital that we keep our consciousnesses clear. He mentioned a book I am dying to read, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay. The crazy thing is that the book was written more than 100 years ago but from what Svoboda said so much of it is applicable today, the whole idea of "thought pollution" causing us to move in this herd mentality where we destroy our environment and fellow humans. According to Svoboda there is no spirituality if you don't establish a healthy relationship between yourself and the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdom. Awareness in the Indian vidya (knowledge) is that an individual human being is acting as a vessel for universal awareness and the human being is meant to express this awareness and consciousness in the external world. The danger we face today is that so many of us are divorced from the environment and believe the idea that we are different from the environment. He also discussed how consumerism is a very dangerous mind virus. Essentially, ayurveda and yoga are not separate from the reality of all in the world, they enable us to be better balanced and integrated so we can expand that into the environment. Svoboda also spoke about the importance of having a good relationship with the five elements and only then will prana (life force) flow properly because it is prana that supports life and wellbeing. Today our consciousness must be alert enough to have the viveka (discrimination) to know when answering the cell phone or checking email is useful and when it is not useful. It is this awareness that will help us facilitate our lives more effectively. Life is a very useful thing that gives you the opportunity to connect your awareness with the supreme reality from a stable place. The Sanskrit definition of health is to be well established in oneself and this can only occur when the body (doshas) is balanced and mind is happy. When the mind is delusional and body is imbalanced we are nowhere near health and the scary thing is it seems like most people fall into this category. Similarly, in Goenkaji's address to the United Nations on "Peace" which I also watched when I was having work done on my apartment he talks about how peace in the world is only possible when we are peaceful within. We also make right decisions when our mind is calm and this can only happen when we achieve a state of balance and for me that type of balance can only be cultivated with meditation practice.
A few days ago a dear dharma friend in Delhi sent me a message raising the question of what "right action" means in a natural world in peril by human actions. Last Friday I attended a talk at the Tushita Center given by Professor Anita Sharma of Delhi University. She spoke mostly about Engaged Buddhism (during the past few decades many Buddhist have been re-examining the teachings finding a basis for social action) which I feel is the answer to what "right action" means today. A more inclusive term that my dear dharma friend has come up with is "Social Mindfulness." Professor Sharma discussed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sulak Sivaraska, Master Cheng Yen (Taiwan), Master Hsing Yun (Taiwan), Master Sheng Yen (Taiwan). I actually met Sulak Sivaraska last June at a Spiritual Ecology Conference in London. When I asked him for some practical advice as an educator he said, "I'm going to quote Auden and not the Buddha. A good teacher must be happy." This is probably one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given!
Professor Sharma focused on the activities of Tzuchi in Taiwan and Sarvodaya (uplift for all) Shramadana Sangamaya in Sri Lanka because the activities of these two organizations are very different. Tzuchi is actually registered as an NGO in Taiwan and it focuses on improving society from within the system through charity activities, international relief work, education (Tzuchi University), bone marrow transplants and preserving the environment (introducing reusable chopsticks). Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya places an emphasis on Buddhist Economics, Local Economy, Gandhianism. According to Sharma, both organizations seek to humanize society and employ the principle of "right livelihood." I am hoping to visit the Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya in Sri Lanka.
Last week the Elementary School Principal sent me an article about a potential guest speaker for a "Peace and Activism" initiative we are trying to launch at the American Embassy School. The words of Elias Chacour, an international peace and reconciliation figure who has devoted himself to the often hard-pressed, long-awaited resolution between Middle Eastern Arabs and Jews exemplifies the essence of what we aim to teach our students. Chacour says, "Faith does not only mean faith in God. It's easy to have faith in God. It's much more difficult to have faith in your neighbor. It's much more difficult to believe your neighbor is the most beautiful thing God has created, without an inner conviction that you can make a difference in this world...How much do we believe in each other and do we believe in the goodness that is in every human being?" he asks. I honestly think that the only way the world is going to become a better place is if our thinking evolves to a place of nonduality and it begins with young people. This is why I teach—so students strive to live "I am Thou."
What began as a small idea resulting from a random meeting with a very special Lama and an American activist/dharma practitioner while I was in Rishikesh has now resulted in the creation of a K-12 task force committed to promoting efficacy and empathy among our students. I can't believe all that is happened in the past two weeks—every division principal is on the task force along with some of the most inspiring educators and the most amazing students I've come across. At the end of our last meeting my boss said, "Beyond raising funds let us raise peoples consciousness." I never expected so many people to come together and start "thinking big." We have also connected with the Dalai Lama foundation (quite coincidentally) and The Missing Peace Project.
Just two days ago my Superintendent (he also is the one that introduced me to the Natalie Goldberg quote) sent me an email about a 10th grade Social Studies class at the International School of Estonia committed to changing the world by Monday. During their study of human rights abuses these 10th graders were particularly shocked at the today's crimes being committed by the government in Sudan. The students read a quote by Steve Jobs, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do." Given only 7 days, what can one person, one group do to make some changes to make the world better? In one week the students: 1.) Thoroughly researched the conflict in Darfur 2.) Made an exhibit in the assembly area to promote awareness 3.) Collected signatures on a petition to the UN and governments to censor Sudan and to require that Sudan hand over ICC indicted suspects for crimes against humanity. 4.) Met with the ambassadors of Norway, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the United States to ask questions, raise awareness, and ask the ambassadors to forward the petition to their governments.5.) Made a FACEBOOK entry called "Change the World by Monday."6.) Raised money and bought a Website entitled: "changetheworldbymonday.com."
This time of year is always very sentimental for me because I say goodbye to some very special students and colleagues. My students continually amaze me and give me hope and my colleagues are a constant source of inspiration. One of my colleagues and fellow dharma practitioners, Lauren Alderfer, has written a book entitled, Teaching as a Spiritual Practice. A teacher I studied with once said, "books are only useful if they are made use of in some way, simply reading isn't good enough" and I have tried to "make use" of Lauren's book. Sadly, she is leaving my school this year but I feel blessed to have met her and read her book—it has enabled me to integrate my spiritual life and professional life in a very effective, meaningful way. I am incredibly lucky to be able to "carry her in me" as I continue to teach and come in contact with hundreds of students every year.
Lauren writes: "Cultivating an attitude of inquiry can be the first bold step on a journey. While it may be the first step of a journey, it also keeps the journey alive. Continually desire to know more, discover the unknown, or uncover what lies beneath the surface takes courage. Commitment to the journey of discovery follows. It becomes a life's journey and we become life long learners on the path."
I leave for Ladakh in less than 10 days for about a month. Only a few more farewell gatherings to go, there seems to be another every day! I hate goodbyes. I cry at all of these gatherings but I guess it would be worse if I never felt anything but I know I am going to be a wreck at graduation :( I have no fixed plans for Ladakh and am just open to whatever adventures may come my way. A special friend lent me a beautiful book Ancient Futures, Learning From Ladakh by Helena Norberg-Hodge that she picked up in Dharamsala a few years ago. I started reading it yesterday and literally had to pry myself away from the book. This morning as I was teaching my ninth graders my boss came to my classroom and gave me a copy of Andrew Harvey's book on Ladakh. I spent all evening yesterday going to almost every bookstore in Delhi to try and track this book down (it is out of print) and feel so lucky to have gotten a copy of this book! I really want to read it because Harvey is one of the main teachers of the "Activism" course I am taking this summer at Schumacher College and he was born in Tamil Nadu where my ancestors are from! Many of you know I had planned on doing the Kailash Manasarovar yatra this summer but my Tibet plans have been postponed because the Chinese government is not permitting foreign entry. This Tibet disappointment seems to have turned into a blessing in disguise and I look forward to all that awaits me in Ladakh.
Thank you all for your friendship. In our philosophy group a few weeks ago Professor Makarand Paranjape talked about how humans are communicative beings and it is through the act of communication that we become one, this act is advaita (nonduality). I am so grateful for the meaningful exchanges I've had with all of you and feel blessed that the universe has sent you all into my life. It is all of you that keep me going. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Together we can be crazy enough to change the world for the better. Please know that I will be taking you all with me to Ladakh and "carry you to root in another place."
With Metta and Maitri,
Meena
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