Your Drum

HELP THE HOMELESS OR ANYONE YOU KNOW LESS FORTUNATE THEN YOURSELF THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

I was on the Westside of NYC. I had just placed a large order for some Chinese takeout and was waiting outside the restaurant, when I saw a homeless woman whose face was hidden in rags, scavenging through a garbage can. I handed her some money and she looked up, smiled and thanked me. The woman had a light in her eyes, a glow which shot through me. I somehow felt I had connected to something much more than myself. The homeless woman and the act of giving, had helped me feel my own humanity.

NY Times Article on one person helping the homeless:

"The idea was born more than a month ago in front of a White Castle near a busy intersection in Downtown Brooklyn. It was a cold day, and Felix Middleton encountered a homeless woman sitting in front of the fast food restaurant. He wanted to help.

Mr. Middleton’s only experience with homelessness was years earlier, when he spent a night in a park after an argument with his longtime girlfriend. It was summer, and the weather was nice, Mr. Middleton said, but the experience was awful. He could only imagine the burden on those who had to endure the biting cold."
Link

ZEN - 101 STORIES

Zen is wholeness. The study of the self through meditation (Zazen) and the gentle prodding of the Zen master to help you essentially reach your true nature.

Here are 101 Zen stories which impart some flavor of Zen. Link

List of Zen Centers: Link

More about Zen:Link

JOHN OF CINCINNATI HAD A SPIRITUAL VIBE THAT BROKE THROUGH ORDINARY CONSCIOUSNESS

I was sorry to see the strange and verbally surreal, stream of consciousness HBO show "John of Cincinnati" cancelled. It was a very interesting brew of down and out characters - drifters, grifters, dealers, addicts, porn stars, surf bums and hustlers of every stripe mixed in a way that suggested there was a spiritual life below the surface.

Perhaps John who speaks like the alien in "Starman" may have a pipeline to his father, who if not God, is pretty high up in the hierarchy or is he an alien or just mentally challenged?

After a lot of crazy stuff happens, Sean, fourteen, a champion surfer and son of an ex-surf champ disappears and so does John. SPOILER- We fear for the worse, but then like a spiritual blast through the veil comes - Watch the video. Lookout for "John of Cincinnati" on DVD.

John of Cincinnati's video/ Series of Dreams - Bob Dylan

This is Bob doing his terrific video of "Series of Dreams"

CHANDRA ALEXANDER KNOWS SRI MUKTANANDA AND CAN MEDITATE. DO YOU?

This is a photo of life coach and author Chandra Alexander as a student of Sri Muktananda (Baba.) Chandra recommends "Meditate" a book written by Baba. Here are some very powerful excerpts about meditation and life. Link

"I spent ten years in India studying and meditating with Swami "Baba" Muktananda. He was a great Guru and a great spiritual master. I was one of of his first American disciples and I spent every day with him for 10 years." Link

Chandra has a blog with great info for your spirit and well being. She knows the pitfalls of unhealthy relationships and whole lot of good self awareness info. Who doesn't want to feel good? Link

ALAN WATTS'S ZENIMATION BY SOUTH PARK CREATORS

Alan Watts was an early influencer in Eastern philosophy. His book "The Way Of Zen" written in 1957, was a cult favorite in the sixties and seventies.

The boys from South Park - Trey Parker and Matt Stone have animated several audio recordings from the talks of Allan Watts. It's visual fun and an always philosophically and spiritually informative Alan Watts. Link

Via Boing Boing

PRACTICE COMPASSION IN YOUR LIFE JUST LIKE THE DALI LAMA

Compassion - How do we feel the suffering of another human being and how do we respond to that suffering? Are we able to help that person? Sometimes just the awareness of another's pain is help enough.

The Dali Lama says: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” - Dalai Lama

“My message is the practice of compassion, love and kindness. These things are very useful in our daily life, and also for the whole of human society these practices can be very important.” - Dalai Lama

“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.” Dali Lama

This is an article that discusses seven practices of cultivating compassion. Link

WE ALL NEED TO SEE "THE LOTUS IN THE MUD"

Amitabha Buddah

"Lotus in the mud" is a really great site to read and just breath. I find it to be a meditation. A pure read with no ulterior motives. It opens my heart. It doesn't forget the wordly events which can be emotionally draining but I feel I can deal with them without anger or rancor after a short time on the site.

Sujatin: Lotus In The Mud

This is something I just read on "Lotus In The Mud" and I find it to be spiritual sustainability and an alternate energy fuel.

METTA SUTTA

Lovingkindness, or metta meditation, is a traditional Buddhist practice that helps us to move from a sense of dislocation and isolation into more of a connection with ourselves and, ultimately, with all beings everywhere.

The literal translation of the word metta is “friendship.” So metta means being a friend to ourselves and a friend to all of life. Its foundation is connection.

Every action that anyone commits – even the most misguided and evil action – is an attempt to escape suffering. So we can wish that all beings, including ourselves, find the wisdom to see that true happiness is supported by love and awareness, and not by hatred and violence.

May all being be happy and secure.

May all beings become happy in their heart of hearts!

And think of every being without exception: the weak and the strong, from the smallest to the largest, whether you can see them or not, living nearby or far away, beings living now or yet to arise – may all beings become happy in their heart of hearts!

May no one deceive or look down on anyone anywhere, for any reason. Whether through feeling angry or through reacting to someone else, may no one want another to suffer.

As strongly as a mother, perhaps risking her life, cherishes her child, develop an unlimited heart for all beings.

Develop an unlimited heart of friendliness for the entire universe, sending metta above, below, and all around, beyond all narrowness, beyond all rivalry, beyond all hatred.

Whether you are staying in one place or travelling, sitting down or in bed, in all your waking hours rest in this mindfulness, which is known as like living in heaven right here and now!

THE BIG BUDDAH OF LESHAN POURS ENERGY INTO THE WORLD

This beautful sculptured cliff of the Buddah is certainly inspirational, and its energy pours forth, aided from the meeting of two rivers.

"Leshan Dafo, or Big Buddha of Leshan, is the largest stone sculpture of Buddha in the world. The colossal 71-meter (233 ft) seated statue of Buddha (dafo) is located on a cliff at the confluence of two rivers, the Dadu He and the Min He, overlooking the town of Leshan, about 50 km east of Emeishan. The Buddha is so big that one hundred people can stand on any one of its feet. Link

21 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SELF ESTEEM AND MAYBE, YOUR LIFE

We all need positive self esteem. A positive outlook and a way to deal with situations and people that we find unacceptable. These ten tips to improve your self esteem are really good, life altering advice: Link

IRENE SENDLER SAVED 2500 CHILDREN FROM THE HOLOCAUST

It's not only inspirational to read of Irene Sendler's acts of heroism, but it also restores some faith in humanity where faith leaks through a bucket shot full of self-interest and greed.

"Irena Sendler saved nearly 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis, organizing a ring of 20 Poles to smuggle them out of the Warsaw Ghetto in baskets and ambulances.

The Nazis arrested her, but she didn’t talk under torture. After she survived the war, she expressed regret - for doing too little."

Irene Sendler's humility is the measure of a spiritual existence: ”Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory,” Sendler wrote. ”Over a half-century has passed since the hell of the Holocaust, but its specter still hangs over the world and doesn’t allow us to forget the tragedy.”

More: Link

There is still a holocast in Darfur. Save Darfur Link