Laramie Project

Today at my fellowship today we get the distinct pleasure of our choirs performance of the Laramie Project. This is a play about the atrocities on the fateful night that led to the death of gay teenager Matthew Shepherd. In this time in our nations history and the unnecessary suicides that have occurred, we need to shine a light on the need to accept all people. By all people I mean all people. We shouldn't judge anyone by their race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation. Let's please be open to all people. I am tired of being in a world full of tension because of someone's misjudgement.

Metta to all,

The Punk Rock Buddhist

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The Unitarian Unviversalists

I wanted to write this post on my activity and membership with the Unitarian Universalist organization.  My wife, daughter and myself are member at the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and we love it.  It is a fellowship or congregation that is open to all beliefs.  It is also a place that is open to the LGBT community.  As a Buddhist, I feel very welcome and accepted for my beliefs.  I truly recommend that anyone looking for a place to feel welcome in their beliefs, no matter what they are, that they check out their local UU fellowship.  I find mine very comforting since there is not a buddhist temple close by.  There are other Buddhist members that are there along side Jews, Christians, Atheists, Humanists, etc...  

There is zero Dogma attached to the UUs.  That is what has really drawn me into this group.  Their number one and main belief is Love and compassion. These beliefs speak to the Buddhist in me and should to people of all beliefs and philosophies. 

I am not trying to convert, preach, or convince anyone to believe anything.  That goes against my Buddhist and UU beliefs.  Just a thought for those looking for like minded people.  

Love and peace to all.

Much Metta.

Also check out Anoki's new badges at Buddha Badges. 

Compassion and Love

As a Buddhist living in the southern United States, no less Texas, it is very hard to find a place to that is compatible to my beliefs but I have.  My wife and I are member of a unique fellowship.  It is a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.  It is made up of people of all beliefs.  There are Buddhists, Pagans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and many others that attend our Fellowship.

Today, our service was about compassion and love.  Our pastor discussed how all beliefs speak of compassion and love for all humans.  I felt so good hearing the words that were coming from her this morning.  I felt a kinship with everyone in the room.  Our particular Fellowship has a big Pagan group and I felt a great deal of love for and from them.  I also learned more about their beliefs today and found many things similar to mine.  In a moment of clarity it hit me.  We are all looking for the same thing.  Understanding.  It is just a few fundamentalists that are ruining it for everyone.  I mean fundamentalists from Islam, Christianity and many others that preach that their way is the only way.  As a Unitarian Universalist-Buddhists and as a Buddhist I believe that any way that teaches love and compassion is a good way to go.  It is just a different path to the same place, once again Understanding.

The service today was amazing.  I urge anyone that cannot find a place to practice, worship or feel welcomed in their beliefs to try a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship near them.  All are welcome, no matter your belief, sexual orientation or political stance, all are welcome.

Namaste and Metta to you all.  Have a great week.

Dogma? Really?

As a new follower of Buddhism and a child of a Christian family I have my share of problems with Dogma.
Also, as a new Buddhist I read everything I can get my hands on about Buddhism.  I have come across so much about the different schools of Buddhism and have discovered that there is dogma in Buddhism as well.  From my reading as well I feel that Buddha Shakyamuni would have been disappointed in what Buddhism has become.  My reasoning for this is a quote I found that I try and live by on a daily basis.  It is one of my favorites by the Buddha.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.-Buddha

I am not saying I am no longer a Buddhist.  What I am saying is that I want to be the type of Buddhist that Siddhartha felt Buddhism should lead to.

In reading the book, Rebel Buddha-On the Road to Freedom by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, I discovered I am not the only one that feels this way.  In the introduction to the book, Dzogchen states that he likes the idea of a religion without all the pomp and ceremony.  Just practice for the sake of practice.  I feel that was what Buddha was looking for and found.  


I guess my big question is-Why does the human condition require that we mutate something as wonderful as Buddhism?  I have a feeling it is for a small amount of people to gain some sort of power.  Christianity is the same way.  Look at the Catholic church.  For the longest time the Catholic church ran the known world.  I am not saying that there is a group of Buddhist out there trying to run the world.  Why though do they want to change anything.  


To call the system the Buddha himself the Hīnayāna "deficient vehicle" seems to me an insult to the work of the Buddha.  I feel that some people did just what the Buddha spoke against and let ego get in the way and decided that they would create the Mahāyāna "the great vehicle." This to me has ego written all over it.


Therefore, I have resolved to live by the above quote and follow Buddha in my own way and that is his intended way.  


Suggested reading if you can find it is- The First Discourse of the Buddha 


Thank you all for reading my rant.  I am just stating my frustration with the human condition and how it seems to mutate everything that is good.  I choose like Dzogchen to become a Rebel Buddha and follow the path that fits me and makes me a more mindful and loving human being.

The Online Meditation Crew

As a Buddhist of only 7 or 8 months now, I have found a gift from the universe that allows my practice to thrive. I have discovered a group through Twitter and am grateful for the gift the Crew has brought me.  I am now reminded to meditate multiple times a day and do so at least once a day.

Through the OMCru as we call ourselves on Twitter, I have found a caring group of individuals that are a manifestation of all that Buddhism is about.  There isn't judgement of one another only caring.

For many years I was a Non-Christian living as a Christian.  What I mean by that was that, I faked my way through being a Christian since I was ten years old and am now 38.  I finally found my way to Buddhism.  I was able to be true to myself and found a religion (if you want to call Buddhism a religion) that I can be fully involved in.  I have found Buddhist are the most caring and loving people that I could ever encounter in my life.  I could not ask for a better way to live my life.

I want to thank my wife for her support and the Online Meditation Crew for their support of a new fledgling Buddhist.  Even though I am a beginner, I am not new, even though I am not new, I am a beginner.  I always want to maintain a beginners mind.

Thanks and Metta to all.

A day of tests and learning

Today was a big day full of tests.  My wife's boss was a major b today and really pissed me off and I turned to my Buddhist practice to calm myself.  I reminded myself to stay mindful and not allow this woman's negative behavior to affect me.  I am learning to remain mindful and not allow negative behavior to turn me into a negative person.
I also went to therapy today for the first time and it turns out my therapist is a Catholic nun.  I was at first unsure about how I felt about that.  After a few moments of inner thought, I realized that I could learn many things from this woman.  We began to discuss Thich Naht Hahn and found common ground and she was open to me about my beliefs, and I realized I should do the same.

Even though I was tested today, I turned it into a learning experience and feel very enlightened by the experiences.  Thank you Buddha for your teachings.

Questions????

Just finished a quick 15 minute session.  Was very nice.  I began to think all kinds of random thoughts and came up with some questions.

Do you meditate with your eyes open or closed?

I personally prefer keeping my eyes open.  What do you prefer?

The big question was do you believe in God or even a god?  After reading Brad Warner and hearing he speak on the topic, I began to wonder.  He says he believes that God is the Universe and the Universe is God.  He also said he wasn't raised in a religious household.  I was and I have trouble believing in God.  I just believe we are here then we aren't.  No ifs ands or buts about it.