Partner to the Charter for Compassion & 11/12 Launch

The Compassionate Action Network is now a Partner of the Charter for Compassion.
Here's a letter from Karen Armstrong:

Dear Reverend ,

Thank you so much for all of your collaboration, planning and work for the Charter for Compassion. With your help and all of the contributions of partners around the world we have made a great deal of progress in turning the Charter into a reality and creating a powerful campaign to recognise compassion at the heart of society. Your continued support, particularly now as we approach the launch of the Charter, is greatly appreciated.

Our partner, global tolerance, has developed an exclusive online social community for the Charter, which will allow all of the Charter partners and the Council of Conscience to better connect, collaborate and co-ordinate the planning for events and activities associated with the Charter. . .

On each organisation's profile, there is a space to adjust the description of your organisation and for you to write two or three sentences describing your confirmed activities around the launch of the Charter. TED has teamed up with a massive PR agency to help ensure the Charter is a worldwide media hit. The PR agency is developing its strategy and messaging now and wants to incorporate partner organisations, work and Charter events, as appropriate. They are particularly interested in presenting the most creative and impressive Charter partner activities around the world to the media to generate free national and international media coverage for the Charter partners.

In order to ensure that your organization is considered by the PR agency for the massive media coverage as a part of the launch of the Charter, they will need to know about your event plans as soon as possible. Your two to three sentences should be as detailed, creative and concrete as possible. . .

I look forward to all that we can accomplish together.

With love and compassion,

Karen

Visit Charter for Compassion

For a copy of CAN's Initiative in support of the Charter for Compassion, please go to: https://share.acrobat.com/adc/document.do?docid=ee9abc2f-674e-410c-...

For an email invitation to the November 12th Unveiling of the Charter, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Patricks Church on Capitol Hill, please go to: https://share.acrobat.com/adc/document.do?docid=a470ace8-cfb1-4f4c-...

For fliers to download and post on the November 12th Seattle area Unveiling, please go to: https://share.acrobat.com/adc/document.do?docid=d5561204-062d-4f89-...

The Sixth Patriarch Read Along II & III

請按抬頭, 以便連到youtube播放台.

Click on the title reach The Compassion Network Channel.

次年春。師辭眾歸寶林。印宗與緇白。送者千餘人。直至曹溪。時荊州通應律師。與學者數百人。依師而住。

師至曹溪寶林。觀堂宇湫隘。不足容眾。欲廣之。

In the spring of the following year, the Master took leave of the assembly

and returned to Pao Lin.  Yin Tsung, together with more than a thousand

monks and laypeople, accompanied him to Ts'ao Hsi.

At that time Vinaya Master T'ung Ying of Ching Chou and several hundred students followed the Master and came to dwell there. When the Master arrived at Pao Lin, in Ts'ao Hsi, he saw the buildings were bleak and small, insufficient to accommodate the crowd. Wishing to enlarge them. . .

遂謁里人陳亞仙曰。老僧欲就檀越求坐具地。得不。仙曰。和尚坐具幾許闊。祖出坐具示之。亞仙唯然。祖以坐具 一展。盡罩曹溪四境。四天王現身。坐鎮四方。今寺境有天王嶺。因茲而名。仙曰。知和尚法力廣大。但吾高祖墳墓並坐此地。他日造塔。幸望存留。餘願盡捨。永 為寶坊。然此地乃生龍白象來脈。只可平天。不可平地。寺後營建。一依其言。

師遊境內。山水勝處。輒憩止。遂成蘭若一十三所。今日花果院。隸籍寺門。

其寶林道場。亦先是西國智藥三藏。自南海經曹溪口。掬水而飲。香美。異之。謂其徒曰。此水與西天之水無別。溪源上必有勝地。堪為蘭若。隨流至源上。四顧山 水回環。峰巒奇秀。歎曰。宛如西天寶林山也。

He paid a visit to the villager, Ch'en Ya Hsien and said, "This Old Monk

comes to the Almsgiver seeking a sitting cloth’s worth of land.  Is that

possible?" Hsien asked, "How big is the High Master's sitting cloth?"                                                                                                                                                               The master took out his sitting cloth, it completely covered the four borders of Ts'ao Hsi.  The Four Heavenly Kings appeared and sat as protectors in each of the four directions.

It is true to this occurrence that the mountain range bordering the

monastery is called "The Range of the Heavenly Kings."  

Hsien said, "I know that the High master's Dharma power is vast and great.  



However, the burial ground of my great-grandfather lies on this land.  

In the future, if you build a stupa, I hope this area will remain undisturbed.

As for the rest, I wish to give it all to be a forever treasured place.  

This land has the flowing energy of a living dragon and a white elephant.

Level only heaven; do not level earth."

Later, the monastery was constructed according to his words.  The

Master roamed within these boundaries, and at places where the scenes

of nature were fine he stopped to rest.

Accordingly, thirteen Aranyas were erected, among them the present

Hua Kuo Hall.  The site of the Pao Lin Bodhimanda was decided upon

long ago by Indian Tripitaka Master Jnanabhaishajya, who, during his

journey from Nan Hai, passed Ts'ao Hsi, where he cupped up the water

with his hands and found it to be delicious.  Surprised, he told his disciples.

"This water is not different from that in India.  It source would

surely be an excellent site on which to build a monastery.

He followed the water and looked to the four directions.  The mountains

and waters encircled one another and the peaks were impressive.  He

sighed and said, "This is just like Jeweled Forest Mountain in India."

乃謂曹侯村居民曰。可於此山建一寶剎。一百七十年後。當有無上法寶。於此演化。得道者如林。宜號寶林。時韶州 牧侯敬中。以其言具表聞奏。上可其請。賜額為寶林。遂成梵宮。蓋始於梁天監三年也。

He told the villagers of Ts'ao Hou, "A pure dwelling may be built here.  

After one hundred and seventy years, the Unsurpassed Dharma

Jewel will be taught here. Those who realize awakening here will be

as numerous as the trees of this forest.  It should, therefore be called

'Pao Lin (Jeweled Forest).'"

At that time Magistrate Hou Ching Chung of Shao Chou reported these

words to the Emperor who assented the conferred upon it the name

'Pao Lin Bodhimanda.'  The construction of the pure monastery began in the

third year of the T'ien Chien reign if the Liang Dynasty (A.D.  504).

寺殿前有潭一所。龍常出沒其間。觸撓林木。一日。現形甚巨。波浪洶湧。雲霧陰翳。徒眾皆懼。師叱之曰。你只能現大身。不能現小身。若為神龍。當能變化。以 小現大。以大現小也。其龍忽沒。俄頃復現小身。躍出潭面。師展缽試之。曰。你且不敢入老僧缽盂裡。龍乃游揚至前。師以缽舀之。龍不能動。師持缽歸堂上。與 龍說法。龍遂蛻骨而去。其骨長可七寸。首尾角足皆具。留傳寺門。師後以土石煙其潭。今殿前右側。有鐵塔處是也。

In front of the temple was a pond in which a dragon often swam, bumping and scraping the trees of the forest. One day he appeared, larger than ever, covering the area with thick mist. The disciples were afraid, but the Patriarch scolded him, saying, "Hah! You can only make yourself appear in a large body, not in a small one. If you were a divine dragon, you could transform the great to the small and the small into the great. The dragon suddenly disappeared, but he returned an instant later in a small body, skipping about on the surface of the pond. The Master held out his bowl and teased him, saying, "You don't dare climb into this old monk's bowl."

At that moment the dragon swam in front of the Master, who scooped him out of the water with his bowl. The dragon couldn't move. Holding the bowl, the Master returned to the hall and explained the Dharma to the dragon. The dragon then shed his skin and left. His bones, only seven inches long and complete with head, tail, horns, and claws were preserved in the temple.

Later the master filled in the pond with earth and stones. Now, in that place, in front of the hall on the right side is an iron stupa.

Charter for Compassion Launch One Month Away

The Charter for Compassion launches on Novemver 12. I hope you'll take 3 minutes and watch this introductory video. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Click here to join launch activities in the Northwest.

The Sixth Patriarch Sutra: Read Along

六祖法寶壇經略序

唐釋法海　撰

大師名惠能。父盧氏。諱行滔。母李氏。誕師於唐貞觀十二年戊戌歲二月八日子時。時毫光騰空。異香滿室。黎明。有二異僧造謁。謂師之父曰。夜來生兒。專為安名。可上惠下能也。父曰。何名惠能。僧曰。惠者。以法惠施眾生。能者。能作佛事。言畢而出。不知所之。

by Bhikshu Fa Hai of the T'ang Dynasty

The Great Master was named Hui Neng.  His father was

of the Lu family and had the

personal name Hsing T'ao.  His mother was of the Li

family.  The Master was born on

the eighth day of the second month of the year Wu

Hsu, in the twelfth year of the

Chen Kuan Reign of the T'ang Dynasty (A.D. 638).

At the time, a beam of light ascended into space and

a special fragrance filled the

room.  At dawn, two strange Bhikshus came to visit.  

They addressed the master's

father saying, "Last night a son was born to you and

we have come to name him.  It

can be Hui above and below, Neng."

The father said, "Why shall he be called Hui Neng?"

The Monk said, "'Hui" means he will bestow the Dharma

upon living beings.  'Neng'

means he will be able to do the Buddha's work."  

Having said this, they left.  No one

knows where they went.

師不飲乳。夜遇神人灌以甘露。既長。年二十有四。聞經悟道。往黃梅求印可。五祖器之。付衣法。令嗣祖位。時龍朔元年辛酉歲也。南歸隱遯一十六年。至儀鳳元 年。丙子。正月八日。會印宗法師。詰論玄奧。印宗悟契師旨。是月十五日。普會四眾。為師薙髮。二月八日。集諸名德。授具足戒。西京智光律師為授戒師。蘇州 慧靜律師為羯磨。荊州通應律師為教授。中天耆多羅律師為說戒。西國蜜多三藏為證戒。

The Master did not drink milk.  At night, spirits

appeared and fed him sweet dew.

He grew up, and at the age of twenty-four he heard

the Sutra and had an awakening.

He went to Huang Mei to seek the seal of approval.

The Fifth Patriarch measured his capacity and

transmitted the robe and the teachings

so that he inherited the lineage of patriarchs.  

The time was the first year of the

reign period Lung Shuo, cyclical year Hsin Yu (A.D. 661)

He returned south. He hid for sixteen years.

On the eighth day of the first month in the first

year of reign period I Feng

(A.D. 676), the cyclical year Ping Tsu, he met

Dharma Master Yin Tsung.  Together

they discussed the profound and mysterious, and

Yin Tsung had an awakening to and

understood the master's doctrine.

On the fifteenth day of that month, at a meeting

of the four assemblies, the Master's

head was shaved.  On the eighth day of the second

month, all those of well-known

virtue gathered together to administer the

complete precepts.  Vinaya Master Chih

Kuang of Hsi Chi was the Precept transmitter.

Vinaya Master Hui Ching of Su Chou was the

Karmadana.  Vinyana Master T'ung Ying of

Ching Chou was the Teaching Master.  Vinyana

Master Ch'i To Lo of Central India

recited the precepts.  Tripitaka Master Mi To of

India was the Precept Certifier. 

其戒壇。乃宋朝求那跋陀羅三藏創建。立碑曰。後當有肉身菩薩於此受戒。又。梁天監元年。智藥三藏自西竺國航海而來。將彼土菩提樹一株。植此壇畔。亦預誌 曰。後一百七十年。有肉身菩薩於此樹下開演上乘。度無量眾。真傳佛心印之法主也。師至是祝髮受戒。及與四眾開示單傳之法旨。一如昔讖。

Construction of the precept platform had begun in

the former Sung Dynasty by

Tripitaka Master Gunabhadra.  He erected a stone

table which said, "In the future, a

Bodhisattva in the flesh will receive the precepts

in this very place."

Further, in the first year of the T'ien Chien reign

of the Liang Dynasty (A.D. 502)

Tripitaka Master Jnanabhaishajya came by sea from

west India carrying a sprig of

Bodhi-tree, which he planted beside the platform.  

He, too, made a prophecy, saying,

"After one hundred and seventy years, a Bodhisattva

in the flesh will proclaim the

Supreme Vehicle beneath this tree.  Saving infinite

beings, he will be a true

transmitter of the Buddha's mind-seal, a Dharma Host." 

In keeping with the former predictions, the Master

arrived to have his hair shaved

and receive his precepts.  He instructed the four

assemblies on the essentials of

the exclusive Dharma transmission.

Meditation for U.S. Congress and National Conference Call- Oct. 14

Please join us for a National Conference Call and Meditation on the U.S. Congress

With Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson

October 14, 5:00 – 6:00pm Pacific Time (8:00pm Eastern)
Call in number: 308-344-6400; Code 344107#

Join us for this free conference call to meditate and pray together, asking for the highest good for our nation, and then sharing insights from the meditation. (See prayer below).
There is no charge for the conference call-- you just pay your regular phone charge from your service provider.

Please do not join the call after 5:05pm (PDT) as it will disturb the meditation; keep your phone muted by pressing *70 once the meditation begins and unmute after the meditation

---

A Prayer for Our Nation

May we as nation be guided by the Divine to rediscover the sacred flame of our national heritage, which so many have given their lives to safeguard;

Let the wounds of separation and division be healed by opening our hearts to listen to the truth on all sides, allowing us to find a higher truth that includes us all;

May we learn to honor and enjoy our diversity and differences as a people, even as we more deeply touch our fundamental unity;

May we, as a people, undergo a transformation that will draw forth individuals to lead our nation who embody courage, compassion and a higher vision;

May our leaders inspire us, and we so inspire each other, that a new spirit of forgiveness, caring and honesty be born in our nation;

May we, as a united people, move with clear, directed purpose to take our place within the community of nations to help build a better future for all humankind;

May we as a nation rededicate ourselves to truly living as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all;

And may God's Will be done for our nation, as we, the people, align with that Will.

--By Gordon Davidson and Corinne McLaughlin

www.visionarylead.org

Master the Art of Listening

So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.
-- Jiddu Krishnamurti as quoted by Daily Good



Tip of the Day:
No wonder listening is an undervalued art. Research shows that we speak at a rate of about 125 words per minute, yet we have the capacity to listen to approximately 400 words per minute. So what are we doing with that extra space in our minds when someone else is talking? Are we really listening? This article offers seven pointers on how to sharpen our ability as listeners.
http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3872

~~~~
Be The Change:

• Try honing your listening skills this week with some of the pointers shared in the article above.
• Support compassionate action by listening attentively, from the heart and to the heart. Listen to yourself then expand the circle of compassionate listening to dear ones, workplace, the community and beyond.
• Check out this possible theme in support of the Charter for Compassion launch! http://my.compassionateactionnetwork.com/group/charterforcompassionlaunch
  

Washington Post Hails Web Social Network: A Pradigm Shift

A Washington Times article today says global tolerance is at the forefront of a paradigm shift of ‘religious dialogue being translated daily into the language of online users.’

The article also looks in detail at Faithbook on Facebook, which global tolerance conceived and manages.

Journalist Bekah Grim examines the self-regulating nature of Faithbook, quoting Simon Cohen, managing director of global tolerance, who observes global tolerance has not had to moderate or delete a comment on the public page in over two years.

To read the full article visit the Washington Times

Sakyaditha Conference in Vietnam

The conference theme, “Eminent Buddhist Women,” will highlight the achievements of Buddhist Women around the world. Until recently, women were largely absent from Buddhist histories. Since 1987, Sakyadhita members have made conscientious efforts to encourage research on the lives and achievements of both laywomen and nuns in Buddhist societies. The 11th Sakyadhita Conference will encourage further research and reflection on these achievements.

$50 registration by end of 10/1 guarantees a place or sponsor a woman from a developing country.

Email: sakyadhita@gmail.com
website: http://www.sakyadhita.org/

Greater Good Magazine | Five Steps to Happiness at Work By Timothy Sharp

Greater Good Magazine | Five Steps to Happiness at Work By Timothy Sharp

Posted using ShareThis