Month: April 2022

Back exercises

linda chang1 Comment

Back exercises

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day

Do you want to prevent back pain? Try these exercises to stretch and strengthen your back and supporting muscles. Repeat each exercise a few times, then increase the repetitions as the exercise gets easier.

Knee-to-chest stretch

A person lying on back, bringing knees to chest

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Using both hands, pull up one knee and press it to your chest (B). Tighten your abdominals and press your spine to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg (C). Return to the starting position and then repeat with both legs at the same time (D). Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times — preferably once in the morning and once at night.

Lower back rotational stretch

A person lying on back, rolling knees side to side

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Keeping your shoulders firmly on the floor, roll your bent knees to one side (B). Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position (C). Repeat on the opposite side (D). Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times — preferably once in the morning and once at night.

Lower back flexibility exercise

A person practicing lower back flexibility exercise

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Tighten your abdominal muscles so your stomach pulls away from your waistband (B). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Flatten your back, pulling your bellybutton toward the floor (C). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Repeat. Start with five repetitions each day and gradually work up to 30.

Bridge exercise

A person practicing bridge exercise

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Keeping your shoulders and head relaxed on the floor, tighten your abdominal and gluteal muscles. Then raise your hips to form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders (B). Try to hold the position long enough to complete three deep breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat. Start with five repetitions each day and gradually work up to 30.

Cat stretch

A person practicing cat stretches

Position yourself on your hands and knees (A). Slowly arch your back, as if you’re pulling your abdomen up toward the ceiling (B). Then slowly let your back and abdomen sag toward the floor (C). Return to the starting position (A). Repeat 3 to 5 times twice a day.

Seated lower back rotational stretch

A person practicing seated twists

Sit on an armless chair or a stool. Cross your right leg over your left leg. Bracing your left elbow against the outside of your right knee, twist and stretch to the side (A). Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side (B). Repeat this stretch 3 to 5 times on each side twice a day.

Shoulder blade squeeze

A person doing shoulder blade squeeze

Sit on an armless chair or a stool (A). While maintaining good posture, pull your shoulder blades together (B). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Repeat 3 to 5 times twice a day.

Link: https://wisdomtea.org/2022/04/28/back-exercises/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076265?s=1

22. THE DOG KING SILVER [JUSTICE]

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22. THE DOG KING SILVER [JUSTICE]

Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, volume 1, Prince Goodspeaker, Stories 1-50

Once upon time, the King of Benares went to his pleasure garden in his fancy decorated chariot. He loved this chariot, mostly because of the rich hand-worked leather belts and straps.

On this occasion, he stayed in his pleasure garden all day long and into the evening. It was late when he finally got back to the palace. So the chariot was left outside in the compound all night, instead of being locked up properly.

During the night it rained heavily, and the leather got wet, swelled up, became soft, and gave off an odour. The pampered palace dogs smelled the delicious leather scent and came down into the compound. They chewed off and devoured the soft wet chariot straps. Before daybreak, they returned unseen to their places in the palace.

When the king woke up and came down, he saw that the leather had been chewed off and eaten by dogs. He called the servants and demanded to know how this happened.

Since they were supposed to watch the palace dogs, the servants were afraid to blame them. Instead, they made up a story that stray dogs, the mutts and mongrels of the city, had come into the grounds through sewers and storm drains. They were the ones who had eaten the fancy leather.

The king flew into a terrible rage. He was so overcome by anger that he decided to take vengeance against all dogs. So he decreed that whenever anyone in the city saw a dog, he was to kill him or her at once!

The people began killing dogs. The dogs could not understand why suddenly they were being killed. Later that day, they learned of the king’s decree. They became very frightened and retreated to the cemetery just outside the city. This was where their leader lived, the Dog King Silver.

Silver was king not because he was the biggest or strongest or toughest. He was average in size, with sleek silver fur, sparkling black eyes and alert pointed ears. He walked with great dignity, that brought admiration and respect from men as well as dogs. In his long life he had learned much, and was able to concentrate his mind on what is most important. So he became the wisest of all the dogs, as well as the one who cared most for the others. Those were the reasons he was king of the dogs.

In the cemetery, the dogs were in a panic. They were frightened to death. The Dog King Silver asked them why this was. They told him all about the chariot straps and the king’s decree, and the people killing them whenever they saw them.

King Silver knew there was no way to get into the well-guarded palace grounds. So he understood that the leather must have been eaten by the dogs living inside the palace.

He thought, “We dogs know that, no matter how different we may appear, somehow we are all related. So now I must make my greatest effort to save the lives of all these poor dogs, my relatives. There is no one to save them but me.”

He comforted them by saying, “Do not be afraid. I will save you all. Stay here in the cemetery and don’t go into the city. I will tell the King of Benares who are the thieves and who are the innocent. The truth will save us all.”

Before setting out, he went to a different part of the cemetery to be alone. Having practiced goodness all his life, and trained his mind, he now concentrated very hard and filled his mind with feelings of loving-kindness. He thought, “May all dogs be well and happy, and may all dogs be safe. I go to the palace for the sake of dogs and men alike. No one shall attack or harm me.”

Then the Dog King Silver began walking slowly through the streets of Benares. Because his mind was focused, he had no fear. Because of his long life of goodness, he walked with a calm dignity that demanded respect. And because of the warm glow of loving-kindness that all the people sensed, no one felt the rising of anger or any intention to harm him. Instead, they marvelled as the Great Being passed, and wondered how it could be so!

It was as if the whole city were entranced. With no obstruction, the Dog King Silver walked right past the palace guards, into the royal hall of justice, and sat down calmly underneath the king’s throne itself! The King of Benares was impressed by such courage and dignity. So when servants came to remove the dog, he ordered them to let him remain.

Then the Dog King Silver came out from under the throne and faced the mighty King of Benares. He bowed respectfully and asked, “Your majesty, was it you who ordered that all the dogs of the city should be killed?” “It was I,” replied the king. “What crime did the dogs commit?” asked the dog king. “Dogs ate my rich beautiful chariot leather and straps.” “Do you know which dogs did this?” asked King Silver. “No one knows,” said the King of Benares.

“My lord,” said the dog, “for a king such as you, who wishes to be righteous, is it right to have all dogs killed in the place of the few guilty ones? Does this do justice to the innocent ones?” The king replied, as if it made perfect sense to him, “Since I do not know which dogs destroyed my leather, only by ordering the killing of all dogs can I be sure of punishing the guilty. The king must have justice!”

The Dog King Silver paused for a moment, before challenging the king with the crucial question – “My lord king, is it a fact that you have ordered all dogs to be killed, or are there some who are not to be killed?” The king suddenly became a little uneasy as he was forced to admit, before his whole court, “It is true that most dogs are to be killed, but not all. The fine pure-breeds of my palace are to be spared.”

Then the dog king said, “My lord, before you said that all dogs were to be killed, in order to insure that the guilty would be punished. Now you say that your own palace dogs are to be spared. This shows that you have gone wrong in the way of prejudice. For a king who wishes to be righteous, it is wrong to favor some over others. The king’s justice must be unbiased, like an honest scale. Although you have decreed an impartial death to all dogs, in fact this is only the slaughter of poor dogs. Your rich palace dogs are unjustly saved, while the poor are wrongly killed!”

Recognizing the truth of the dog king’s words, the King of Benares asked, “Are you wise enough to know which dogs ate my leather straps and belts?” “Yes my lord, I do know,” said he, “it could only be your own favorite palace dogs, and I can prove it.” “Do so,” said the king.

The dog king asked to have the palace pets brought into the hall of justice. He asked for a mixture of buttermilk and grass, and for the dogs to be made to eat it. Lo and behold, when this was done they vomited up partly digested pieces of the king’s leather straps!

Then the Dog King Silver said, “My lord, no poor dogs from the city can enter the well-guarded palace compound. You were blinded by prejudice. It is your dogs who are the guilty ones. Nevertheless, to kill any living being is an unwholesome thing to do. This is because of what we dogs know, but men do not seem to know – that somehow all life is related, so all living beings deserve the same respect as relatives.”

The whole court was amazed by what had just taken place. The King of Benares was suddenly overcome by a rare feeling of humility. He bowed before the dog king and said, “Oh great king of dogs, I have never seen anyone such as you, one who combines perfect wisdom with great compassion. Truly, your justice is supreme. I offer my throne and the kingdom of Benares to you!”

The Enlightenment Being replied, “Arise my lord, I have no desire for a human crown. If you wish to show your respect for me, you should be a just and merciful ruler. It would help if you begin to purify your mind by practising the ‘Five Training Steps’. These are to give up entirely the five unwholesome actions: destroying life, taking what is not given, sexual wrong-doing, speaking falsely, and drunkenness.”

The king followed the teachings of the wise dog king. He ruled with great respect for all living beings. He ordered that whenever he ate, all dogs, those of the palace and those of the city, were to be fed as well. This was the beginning of the faithfulness between dogs and men that has lasted to this day.

The moral is: Prejudice leads to injustice, wisdom leads to justice.

22. The Dog King Silver [Justice]

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2022/04/26/22-the-dog-king-silver-justice/

INTERPRETER’S INTRODUCTION – BUDDHIST TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD, VOLUME 1, STORIES 1-50

#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka

A Close Look at Hua Zang Si

linda chang9 Comments

A Close Look at Hua Zang Si

Hua Zang Si is my favorite sacred spiritual worship place in the bay area. In there I find peace, relaxation, and harmony, and a home for my soul. I have gone there many times, to chant the sutra, join the meditation sessions, and participate in Dharma assemblies.

Hua Zang Si, an impressive-looking temple located in the center of the Mission District in San Francisco. The building was formerly the St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, built in 1903, and has been repurposed as a Chinese temple. To me it is really a friendly symbol that different religions can coexist in harmony.

The large outside facade of the temple is painted red color, made the building a very outstanding and eye-catching landmark in the neighborhood. Red is a good color in Chinese culture that symbolizes auspiciousness and warding off evil spirits。

Once entering the temple, I feel like I am in another world. The marvelous statue at the entrance of the temple is an oversize representation of a jolly, laughing Buddha: Maitreya Bodhisattva (the next Buddha in this Saha world). It is such a warm welcoming sign. The big belly not only means jolly, it also means tolerating those intolerable things in the world. So when you look at the statue, you will start to feel that learning Buddhism is happy and kind.

The right line of the couplet is “da du neng rong tian xia shi he lai bu rong zhi rong.” As self-cultivators, we should be like the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We should have a broad mind, open heart, and great tolerance.
The left line of the couplet is “ren ru ke na fa jie jing qi shi you na zhong na.” The first priority for one who learns Buddhism and cultivates himself is to be patient and forbearing under insult. The thought of patience or tolerance does not arise from his mind. Everything in all of the dharma realms can change from ordinary to holy. 

Walking inside, the first floor is Shakyamuni Buddha Hall. The golden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is a very dignified-looking Buddhist statue. On the left side is the one thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed Guanyin Bodhisattva, an awe-inspiring statue. On the right side is Skanda Bodhisattva, a standing majestic full-body armored statue. With a sword in hand, Skanda Bodhisattva is a Buddha Dharma protector, and it is believed he can subjugate demons and evil spirits.

Shakyamuni Buddha
One thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed Guanyin Bodhisattva
Skanda Bodhisattva

The second floor is Amitabha Buddha Hall. The twenty-one-foot-high statue of Amitabha Buddha (designed by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) has been generally recognized as the most majestic Buddhist statue in the world. It is an extremely solemn sight. The color painted on the face is so lifelike, one feels like seeing the real Amitabha Buddha from western paradise. The Buddha’s eyes seem alive as well, looking down at all beings full of compassion and love. Every time when I look at the Buddha, I feel so moved and touched, tears fill my eyes. I can’t help but to kneel down and pray wholeheartedly: Please Buddha save me from the birth-death cycle, please take me to the western pure land. I feel my whole body melted into the compassionate gaze of the Buddha.

In the center of Amitabha Buddha hall, there is a large circular mandala on which a Yun sculpture (carved by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) depicting Mt. Sumeru is placed. In that Yun sculpture are shariras (sacred relics) of the Shakyamuni Buddha for worshipping.

Directly facing the Amitabha Buddha is a tall Dharma altar, there is a huge blue Dorje Chang Buddha image. Dorje Chang Buddha is also called Buddha Vajradhara or Ruler of the Vajra Beings. In the entire universe, Dorje Chang Buddha is the first Buddha with form and is the highest Buddha. That is, the highest leader of Buddhism in the entire universe came into being in the form of Dorje Chang Buddha. It was Dorje Chang Buddha who began transmitting dharma and saving living beings in the dharmadhatu. As a result, Buddhism was born and the Buddha-dharma began spreading.

In front of the image of Dorje Chang Buddha are photos of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.  Dorje Chang Buddha has come to this world twice. The first time was in the form of the holy and venerable Vimalakirti, who was Dorje Chang Buddha II. The second time was in the form of H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, who is Dorje Chang Buddha III.

Dorje Chang Buddha III

These photos were true records of the holy miracle Buddha Dharma. On October 18, 2012, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III within ten minutes, reversed his appearance back to a youthful look. This incredible Buddha Dharma ever practiced successfully by Guru Rinpoche long time ago in Tibet.

A large Tibet thangkas hang on the north wall of the hall, it is about BRIEF BUDDHIST LINEAGE REFUGE TREE.

Hua Zang Si has many Holy Treasures , make sure you check them out at the corner of this hall as well.

The third floor contains a library of Buddhist scriptures.

The backyard — a city oasis in the shadow of surrounding Victorians — is home to a magnolia tree, which the faithful say rained nectar for three days, along with a miraculous lotus tub used in the bathing of the Buddha and heavenly beings.

Further back, there is Dharma protector pavilion, a statue of the Dharma Protecting Deity Guan Yu was installed inside.

Guan Yu took refuge in Master Zhiyi at Yuquan Hill. He then manifested great supernatural power and constructed the Yuquan Temple overnight on a barren lot, where he resolved to become a protector of Buddhism. That is why, upon the plea of many Buddhist practitioners, he was recommended to be the Dharma Protecting Deity of Hua Zang Si.

Hua Zang Si is different from other temples that propagate only one sect within Buddhism. It teaches all of the various sects within Buddhism. If you want to know and learn Buddhism, Hua Zang Si is the best place to start with.

Hua Zang Si has many Holy Treasures and Holy Manifestations, make it a very special and inspiring place worth visiting. Here is the website for details: http://huazangsi.org/en/home.php

Temple address is 3134 22nd St., phone: 415-920-9816.

A Close Look at Hua Zang Si

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/27/a-close-look-at-hua-zang-si/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII#HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII#HuaZangSi #Buddha #Buddhism #buddhist #Temple#GuanYinBodhisattva#BuddhismTemple#SanFrancisco#Maitreya Bodhisattva#SkandaBodhisattva#DharmaProtector#DharmaProtectingDeity#GuanYu

Nietzsche and Eastern Philosophy (Buddhism)

linda chang1 Comment

Nietzsche and Eastern Philosophy (Buddhism)

Posted by Eternalised Posted in Eastern philosophy

There are some good reasons to believe that Nietzsche was interested in Eastern philosophy during his lifetime. In the Antichrist he states:

“Buddhism, I repeat, is a hundred times more austere, more honest, more objective. It no longer has to justify its pains, its susceptibility to suffering, by interpreting these things in terms of sin—it simply says, as it simply thinks, ‘I suffer’”

Nietzsche, The Antichrist, 23

Buddhism, as a pessimistic and decadent religion for Nietzsche resembles Christianity but it seems that he had far more admiration for Buddhism. He inherited most of his understanding of Buddhism from Schopenhauer, who considered his own pessimistic philosophy a European relative of Buddhism.

Schopenhauer, in his research into Indian philosophy, appears to have attained the most comprehensive understanding among nineteenth century German thinkers of a system of Asian thought.

Arthur Schopenhauer

Although Nietzsche did read about Buddhism, it was usually second-hand and westernised, he was predisposed to react to Buddhism in terms of his close reading of Schopenhauer. Many Buddhists have since disputed Schopenhauer’s comprehension of their religion.

Influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche criticised both Christianity and Buddhism as forms of nihilism, where the will to nonentity prevails over the will to life. However, he soon feared the rise of pessimism in Europe would culminate in the triumph of the weary and passive nihilism.

It is important to know that Nietzsche was not a nihilist as some suggest, stating that the modern man would have to create his own values through a Revaluation of All Values, leading to the Ubermensch, affirming the world and saying yes to existence, the pinnacle of self-overcoming.

The foundation of his critique of Buddhism is his characterisation of Nirvana as a nothingness and as a form of nihilism. However, this does not best describe the Buddhist path.

There are Four Noble Truths in Buddhism. The first one is the acknowledgement of duhkha or “suffering”, an inseparable characteristic in the realm of Samsara, which suggests that human beings, at the time of death, are reborn to a realm determined by their karma. It is the cycle of aimless drifting, wandering or mundane existence.

Samsara

If we stop here, we can see why Nietzsche considers it nihilistic. However, this is but one of the noble truths. The second one is the origin of this suffering which comes from craving, desire or attachment and the third one states that there is an end to suffering, by letting go of this craving. This leads to the final noble truth, which is the path that gives way to renouncement of craving and the cessation of suffering, following the Noble Eightfold Path, which liberates one from Samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth – achieving Nirvana, the cessation of all afflictions, actions, rebirths and suffering that are a consequence of afflictions and actions.

8 Rights: The Noble Eightfold Path — the Heart of the Buddha's Teaching - Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation
Noble Eightfold Path

Nirvana refers to the realisation of the “non-self” and “emptiness”, marking the end of rebirth by stilling the fires that keep the process of rebirth going. This is what Nietzsche thought of as a longing for nothingness. However, it is not a longing for nothingness, it is simply the end of Samsara. Thus, different from Schopenhauer’s pessimism, Buddhism starts pessimistic but ends with the positive experience of Nirvana.

It is not an escape from the world, one begins with the suffering inherent in life, one is to overcome pleasure and pain, before beginning a mindful examination of one’s self and reality as perceived by the self. Upon this examination, one realises that there is no self, but only the combination of mental and physical states (skandhas).

How can the five skandhas in Buddhism be elucidated? - Quora
The Five Skandhas

This realisation of non-self is also misunderstood. It is not a destruction of a self, but rather a rejection of the existence of a self. Buddhists believe that the concept of “emptiness” means that all things are empty of inherent existence, there is no such thing as inherent existence, everything arises mutually. Thus, negation in the East does not have the same pessimistic connotation that it has in the West.

Perhaps the most serious misreading we find in Nietzsche’s account of Buddhism was his inability to recognise that the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness was an initiatory stage leading to a reawakening.

Throughout Nietzsche’s books and notes, he refers to different aspects of Eastern philosophy on more than four hundred occasions, and in several of these he claims to be interested in it.

Although Nietzsche considers Eastern philosophy as nihilistic, he does indicate its profundity. It seems that he studied this material closely and appreciated it greatly, this is important to note. And even if Nietzsche despised sacred texts, he upholds the beauty and grandeur of them as literary documents.

Nietzsche’s interest in studying Buddhism seems to be seeing it as a psychological symptom, as well as a historically embedded phenomena. Having chosen Buddhism to comment on might be in line with his idea of having the courage to engage with worthy adversaries. He states:

He (the Buddha) does not advocate any conflict with unbelievers; his teaching is antagonistic to nothing so much as to revenge, aversion ressentiment. And in all this he was right, for it is precisely these passions which, in view of his main purpose, are unhealthful.

Nietzsche, The Antichrist, 20

Here he agrees on the Buddha’s doctrine, which is opposed to the feelings of revenge, antipathy and ressentiment. And in Thus Spoke Zarathustra he said:

“For that man be delivered from revenge, that is for me the bridge to the highest hope, and a rainbow after long storms”

Nietzsche’s conceptions of the Eternal Recurrence and Samsara, Zarathustra and Bodhisattva (a person who is able to reach Nirvana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings), the Transvaluation of All Values and Nirvana, are all examples of similarities.

In his analysis of the self, Nietzsche contended:

“the subject is only a fiction: the ego of which one speaks when one censures egoism does not exist at all”. This is remarkably similar to the Buddha’s doctrine of non-existence of the self.

Nietzsche’s philosophy may have been much more similar to Buddhism than he might have realised. This should not be surprising, given Nietzsche’s respect for the Buddha and that Buddhism concerns itself with one of the basic problems with which Nietzsche was grappling: the structure and meaning of the human condition.

At the onset of his mental collapse, he even came to identify himself with Buddha:

“I have been Buddha in India, Dionysus in Greece.”

However, on the whole, this impression is deceptive.

Watch The Full Video 📺

Eastern Philosophy and Nietzsche | Buddhism and Hinduism

Although Nietzsche considers Eastern philosophy as nihilistic (wrongly), he does indicate their profundity. It seems that he studied this material closely and appreciated it greatly.

Nietzsche and Eastern Philosophy (Buddhism)

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/27/nietzsche-and-eastern-philosophy-buddhism/

Source: https://eternalisedofficial.com/2020/11/11/nietzsche-and-buddhism/

#Buddhism#Nietzsche#Christianity#Philosophy#FriedrichNietzsche#Nihilistic#FourNobleTruths#Nirvana

Respected Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche

linda chang1 Comment

Respected Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche

A Western Disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Among Caucasian female Rinpoches, Respected Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche is one of outstanding cultivation. She has realized the power to telekinetically awaken a vajra pill. In order to seek the highest dharma, in her early years she learned under Japanese, Korean, and American Buddhist masters. Still, she did not obtain the true Buddha-dharma. She went through all kinds of hardships in her search for the supreme Buddha-dharma master. Finally, she was accepted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III as a disciple, deeply penetrated the Buddha-dharma, and fulfilled her wish. The rinpoche is very conversant in English material on the various dharma lineages and their history. The rinpoche has had a wide range of experiences throughout her life, such as personally seeing Buddha Vajradhara Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata amid the clouds, hearing a vajra pill speak the dharma, seeing a vajra pill transform into rainbow light and fly away, and having a photograph of her deceased uncle shake on the palm of her hand when the consciousness of that deceased uncle was raised to a higher realm of existence.

Currently she is president of the Xuanfa Institute located in Sanger, California, a nonprofit established to propagate the true Buddha-dharma of Shakyamuni Buddha and is the abbot of the Holy Vajrasana Temple and Retreat Center that is being established there. She is in the process of establishing the Xuanfa Five Vidyas University, a distant learning program to provide free or low-cost Buddhist studies to those understanding English. She has many disciples throughout America and in Europe and Asia.

She has not only found answers to her earlier questions, but being a rinpoche, she knows that she needs to benefit all living beings, friends and foes alike, with the dharma she has learned and received. Her job is to benefit living beings and propagate the true dharma, which she has devoted her life to doing.

Respected Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/27/respected-zhaxi-zhuoma-rinpoche/

Source: https://xuanfa.net/about-us/zhaxi-zhuoma-rinpoche/?hilite=zhaxi+zhuoma

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII  #MasterWanKoYee #Buddha#XuanfaInstitute#Rinpoche#ZhixiZhuomaRinpoche#VajraPill#HolyVajrasanaTempleandRetreatCenter

Westerners Admire H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

linda chang1 Comment

Westerners Admire H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Examples of Inner Realization Vidya of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III .

Venerable Bodi Wentu Rinpoche is a Caucasian westerner and the first person to hold the position of translation teacher at Hua Zang Si. Rinpoche has read many sutra teachings. He strictly abides by the principles of cause and effect and strictly observes the precepts. He is a straightforward and honest person who devotes himself to cultivation and study and who does not shirk hard work. The Rinpoche’s main work involves translating material on the dharma. He has translated sutras and recorded discourses of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III . He also has translated the books of the Great Vajravarahi (Ah Wang Nuo Bu Pa Mu). He has deep merit from helping westerners learn the dharma. He ever told us stories about his personal experience and examples that reflects the greatest inner realization vidya of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III .

Venerable Bodi Wentu Rinpoche

At the end of 1995, Bodi Wentu Rinpoche became a disciple of H.H.  Dorje Chang Buddha III  in Sichuan, China. After he returned to the United States from Sichuan, he began to translate the ten Dharma recorded discourses taught by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III  from Chinese to English. Another Buddhist brother assisted him in this translation.

One day in 1998, when H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III  was visiting the United States, Bodi Wentu Rinpoche went to visit H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III  with an other Buddhist Losang Gyatso Rinpoche. The purpose was to present the translation of those discourses to the Buddha for review. The translations were placed in sealed envelopes. Right after they prostrated to the Buddha, the Buddha said, “You have earned great merit and made a great contribution to living beings. Although the translation you brought today contains some minor mistakes, it will still be of great benefit to westerners.” They were very surprised. Even before they reported the situation, the Buddha had already known what they were going to report.  This moved Bodi Wentu Rinpoche very much because it was incredible.

The second case occurred in 1999, in Missouri, where the Buddha received an honorary doctorate from the American Association of Colleges and Universities as an expression of their respect for the Buddha. After the presentation ceremony, all the people had dinner together. The president of a religious college asked if they could ask questions. The Buddha replied, “Ask whatever questions you would like to ask. All of my answers will satisfy you.”

During the question period, the Buddha answered all the questions easily, which evoked great admiration. The president of a religious college asked the most difficult question, but the Buddha answered with total ease. The Buddha’s perfect answer made the president blush with embarrassment. “I have lived in darkness all these years, and the master’s answer today really opened my eyes.” The chairman of the alliance of 83 colleges and universities slapped himself with excitement and regret. All around him the presidents and professors from the colleges and universities looked at him dumbfounded and didn’t know what to do.

Bodi Wentu Rinpoche has steadfastly followed the Buddha to practice true dharma. Rinpoche has now realized the status of a sage at the Golden Button Grade II, which  is amazing!

Westerners Admire Dorje Chang Buddha III

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/22/westerners-admire-dorje-chang-buddha-iii/

#Dorje Chang Buddha III #H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III #BuddhaDharma#BodiWentuRinpoche #AmericanAssociationofCollegesandUniversities#HonoraryDoctorate

Diabetes type 2 – meal planning

linda chang1 Comment

Diabetes type 2 – meal planning

When you have type 2 diabetes, taking time to plan your meals goes a long way toward controlling your blood sugar and weight.

Function

Your main focus is on keeping your blood sugar (glucose) level in your target range. To help manage your blood sugar, follow a meal plan that has:

  • Food from all the food groups
  • Fewer calories
  • About the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack
  • Healthy fats

Along with healthy eating, you can help keep your blood sugar in target range by maintaining a healthy weight. People with type 2 diabetes are often overweight or obese. Losing even 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help you manage your diabetes better. Eating healthy foods and staying active (for example, 60 total minutes of walking or other activity per day) can help you meet and maintain your weight loss goal. Activity lets your muscles use sugar from the blood without needing insulin to move the sugar into the muscle cells.

HOW CARBOHYDRATES AFFECT BLOOD SUGAR

Carbohydrates in food give your body energy. You need to eat carbohydrates to maintain your energy. But carbohydrates also raise your blood sugar higher and faster than other kinds of food.

The main kinds of carbohydrates are starches, sugars, and fiber. Learn which foods have carbohydrates. This will help with meal planning so that you can keep your blood sugar in your target range. Not all carbohydrates can be broken down and absorbed by your body. Foods with more non-digestible carbohydrates, or fiber, are less likely to increase your blood sugar out of your goal range. These include foods such as beans and whole grains.

MEAL PLANNING FOR CHILDREN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES

Meal plans should consider the amount of calories children need to grow. In general, three small meals and three snacks a day can help meet calorie needs. Many children with type 2 diabetes are overweight. The goal should be able to reach a healthy weight by eating healthy foods and getting more activity (150 minutes in a week).

Work with a registered dietitian to design a meal plan for your child. A registered dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition.

The following tips can help your child stay on track:

Photo by Ella Olsson on Pexels.com
  • No food is off-limits. Knowing how different foods affect your child’s blood sugar helps you and your child keep blood sugar in target range.
  • Help your child learn how much food is a healthy amount. This is called portion control.
  • Have your family gradually switch from drinking soda and other sugary drinks, such as sports drinks and juices, to plain water or low-fat milk.

PLANNING MEALS

Everyone has individual needs. Work with your health care provider, registered dietitian, or diabetes educator to develop a meal plan that works for you.

When shopping, read food labels to make better food choices.

A good way to make sure you get all the nutrients you need during meals is to use the plate method. This is a visual food guide that helps you choose the best types and right amounts of food to eat. It encourages larger portions of non-starchy vegetables (half the plate) and moderate portions of protein (one quarter of the plate) and starch (one quarter of the plate).

EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS

Eating a wide variety of foods helps you stay healthy. Try to include foods from all the food groups at each meal.

VEGETABLES (2½ to 3 cups or 450 to 550 grams a day)

Choose fresh or frozen vegetables without added sauces, fats, or salt. Non-starchy vegetables include dark green and deep yellow vegetables, such as cucumber, spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cabbage, chard, and bell peppers. Starchy vegetables include corn, green peas, lima beans, carrots, yams and taro. Note that potato should be considered a pure starch, like white bread or white rice, instead of a vegetable.

FRUITS (1½ to 2 cups or 240 to 320 grams a day)

Choose fresh, frozen, canned (without added sugar or syrup), or unsweetened dried fruits. Try apples, bananas, berries, cherries, fruit cocktail, grapes, melon, oranges, peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, and raisins. Drink juices that are 100% fruit with no added sweeteners or syrups.

GRAINS (3 to 4 ounces or 85 to 115 grams a day)

There are 2 types of grains:

  • Whole grains are unprocessed and have the entire grain kernel. Examples are whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, amaranth, barley, brown and wild rice, buckwheat, and quinoa.
  • Refined grains have been processed (milled) to remove the bran and germ. Examples are white flour, de-germed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice.

Grains have starch, a type of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates raise your blood sugar level. For healthy eating, make sure half of the grains you eat each day are whole grains. Whole grains have lots of fiber. Fiber in the diet keeps your blood sugar level from rising too fast.

PROTEIN FOODS (5 to 6½ ounces or 140 to 184 grams a day)

Protein foods include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and processed soy foods. Eat fish and poultry more often. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey. Select lean cuts of beef, veal, pork, or wild game. Trim all visible fat from meat. Bake, roast, broil, grill, or boil instead of frying. When frying proteins, use healthy oils such as olive oil.

DAIRY (3 cups or 245 grams a day)

Photo by Kasumi Loffler on Pexels.com

Choose low-fat dairy products. Be aware that milk, yogurt, and other dairy foods have natural sugar, even when they do not contain added sugar. Take this into account when planning meals to stay in your blood sugar target range. Some non-fat dairy products have a lot of added sugar. Be sure to read the label.

OILS/FATS (no more than 7 teaspoons or 35 milliliters a day)

Oils are not considered a food group. But they have nutrients that help your body stay healthy. Oils are different from fats in that oils remain liquid at room temperature. Fats remain solid at room temperature.

Limit your intake of fatty foods, especially those high in saturated fat, such as hamburgers, deep-fried foods, bacon, and butter.

Instead, choose foods that are high in polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. These include fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Oils can raise your blood sugar, but not as fast as starch. Oils are also high in calories. Try to use no more than the recommended daily limit of 7 teaspoons (35 milliliters).

WHAT ABOUT ALCOHOL AND SWEETS?

If you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount and have it with a meal. Check with your health care provider about how alcohol will affect your blood sugar and to determine a safe amount for you.

Sweets are high in fat and sugar. Keep portion sizes small.

Here are tips to help avoid eating too many sweets:

  • Ask for extra spoons and forks and split your dessert with others.
  • Eat sweets that are sugar-free.
  • Always ask for the smallest serving size or children’s size.

Link: https://wisdomtea.org/2022/04/20/diabetes-type-2-meal-planning/

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007429.htm

21. THE TREE THAT ACTED LIKE A HUNTER [IMPATIENCE]

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21. THE TREE THAT ACTED LIKE A HUNTER [IMPATIENCE]

Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, volume 1, Prince Goodspeaker, Stories 1-50

Once upon a time, there was an antelope who lived in the deep forest. He ate the fruits that fell from the trees. There was one tree that had become his favorite.

In the same area there was a hunter who captured and killed antelopes and deer. He put down fruit as bait under a tree. Then he waited, hiding in the branches above. He held a rope noose hanging down to the ground around the fruits. When an animal ate the fruit, the hunter tightened the noose and caught him.

Early one morning the antelope came to his favorite tree in search of fruits to eat. He did not see that the hunter was hiding in it, with his noose-trap ready. Even though he was hungry, the antelope was very careful. He was on the lookout for any possible danger. He saw the delicious looking ripe fruits at the foot of his favorite tree. He wondered why no animal had yet eaten any, and so he was afraid something was wrong.

The hiding hunter saw the antelope approaching from a distance. Seeing him stop and take great care, he was afraid he would not be able to trap him. He was so anxious that he began throwing fruits in the direction of the antelope, trying to lure him into coming closer.

But this was a pretty smart antelope. He knew that fruits only fall straight down when they fall from trees. Since these fruits were flying towards him, he knew there was danger. So he examined the tree itself very carefully, and saw the hunter in the branches. However, he pretended not to see him.

He spoke in the direction of the tree. “Oh my dear fruit tree, you used to give me your fruits by letting them fall straight down to the ground. Now, throwing them towards me, you do not act at all like a tree! Since you have changed your habits, I too will change mine. I will get my fruits from a different tree from now on, one that still acts like a tree!”

The hunter realized his mistake and saw that the antelope had outsmarted him. This angered him and he yelled out, “You may escape me this time, you clever antelope, but I’ll get you next time for sure!”

The antelope realized that, by getting so angry, the hunter had given himself away a second time. So he spoke in the direction of the tree again. “Not only don’t you act like a tree, but you act like a hunter! You foolish humans, who live by killing animals. You do not understand that killing the innocent brings harm also to you, both in this life and by rebirth in a hell world. It is clear that we antelopes are far wiser than you. We eat fruits, we remain innocent of killing others, and we avoid the harmful results.”

So saying, the careful antelope leaped into the thick forest and was gone.

The moral is: The wise remain innocent.

21. The Tree that Acted Like a Hunter [Impatience]

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2022/04/19/21-the-tree-that-acted-like-a-hunter-impatience/

INTERPRETER’S INTRODUCTION – BUDDHIST TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD, VOLUME 1, STORIES 1-50

#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka

Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s Paintings and Achievements

linda chang1 Comment

Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s Paintings and Achievements

Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is a world-renowned painter. Throughout Asia, she is the only artist to whom the New York Academy of Art conferred the title of international preeminent artist of first class standing. 

The art world has classified the quality of ink painting into four different levels: Class of Proficiency, Class of Wonderment, Class of Divinity, and Class of Ease. Artwork of the Class of Proficiency has the ability to present a resemblance of objective reality, achieving likeness in form. This is the first stage of artistic creation. The art world calls it the stage of sketching. This is a stage that an artist cannot skip, yet they also cannot remain at this status quo, because this is an elementary stage. The next level is the Class of Wonderment. Artworks of this Class demonstrates highly skilled techniques. The artist is able to paint anything at will without revealing any trace of effort. However, one also cannot remain stagnant at this stage.

The next level after the Class of Wonderment is the Class of Divinity where the art carries likeness of ‘form’ and likeness of ‘spirit.’ In ink painting, the highest state of accomplishment is the Class of Ease where the artist attains natural ease by using simple brushstrokes to fully capture the form. With the most succinct brushwork and the most superb technique, the artist depicts objective reality and attains a state of miraculousness where both form and spirit are fully captured. This is the kind of art that viewers never get tired of appreciating; it leaves a wonderful aftertaste. There are only about a dozen people in the history of art who have attained such a class.

Stamps published in Ukraine

 In 2008, the United States Congress exhibited her sculptures and paintings in the Gold Room in the Rayburn Congressional Building which received rave reviews. Professor Stephen Farthing of the University of the Arts in London, United Kingdom, determined that “Professor Wang’s paintings reach across cultures to celebrate the space that exists intellectually and emotionally between representation and abstraction, between a fact and an idea…Dr. Wang’s paintings may draw heavily on the traditions of Eastern art, but they present themselves as extraordinarily Western ideas and images.”

in 2013, out of the works of all painters, the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) awarded the title “WFUCA2013” to the artworks of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang. In 2020, the United States National Commission for UNESCO Clubs, Centers, and Associations conferred on her the “International First-Class Artist” title along with the issuance of a certificate and badge.

In 2019, When Professor Wang’s solo exhibition was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center that used to be the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building, a record-breaking number of people visited the show. The Museum Director Wu Shufang stated that the museum had never experienced such an overwhelming number of visitors since its official opening, and for this exhibition, they had to post notices to limit admission. Same year, she held a solo exhibition, titled One Flower, Two Worlds at the Louvre in Paris in 2019 and created a sensation in French art circles. This exhibition showcases 27 of Professor Wang’s extraordinary artworks each of which has reached the height of the Class of Ease.

More than 200 distinguished members of society, artists, collectors, entrepreneurs, and art lovers attended the exhibition opening; including representatives from French museums, professors from French art institutes, French nobilities, renowned artists, celebrities, representatives from auction houses, art critics and journalists from major news media. They all marveled at the artworks and expressed their praises. They considered this an unprecedented experience for French people.

Simply put, the artistry of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang has attained the highest level of artistry in ink painting which is the Class of Ease. One of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s paintings Pomegranates in a Basket realized a top auction price of US$1.27 million at the Gianguan Auction House in New York on March 13 of 2019. It clearly shows that the art of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is recognized by art collectors and people of foresight alike.

Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is the Lifetime Honorary Chairwoman of the International Art Museum of America. The museum has a dedicated gallery exhibiting her artworks. Her paintings encompass a broad range of styles and subject matters, including landscapes, animals, flowers, birds, and so forth, all of which have reached the summit of world class artistic excellence. Based on her lotus and water lily paintings, artists have acclaimed that Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is the foremost lotus painter of all times. No artist in the past would have been able to surpass her accomplishment, and her works will continue to inspire generations to come. Among all notable lotus painters, her skills are extremely profound, substantial, and masterful, and she is among the most distinguished artists in history. Her artistic achievement has reached perfection at the summit of the “ten ultimate artistries.”

The well-known saying, “Deeply hidden talent not easily revealed” aptly describes Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s morality and inner refinement. The characteristics of an artist’s paintings essentially reflect the character of the painter. From the paintings below you can find humility, inner peace, harmony and noble morality of professor Wang.

Golden Lotuses

The approach of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang to draw flowers in gold and create leaves with splashed watery ink exhibits high elegance, great beauty, and lovely simplicity. The technique of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang to paint lotus flowers in varying degrees of darkness and lightness enables her to represent fully a striking charm in both tone and form. Every stroke is lively, vigorous, graceful, and without the slightest air of affectation. Applying mature and seasoned artistry, she fully displays on paper her unfettered, natural, unattached state of mind. The brushwork was completed with ease and spontaneity, free of any inhibition. The atmosphere is strong but very elegant and pure. This entire painting provides much comfort to the eyes.

Brushstrokes as Spontaneous as Dancing Dragons and Snakes
Springtime Snow-White Plum Blossoms as Pure as Jade
The Ink-wash paintings of Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang
Loquats and Radish Staring at Taro

Some of professor Wang’s paintings have been published on stamps.

Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s Paintings and Achievements

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/20/dr-yuhua-shouzhi-wangs-paintings-and-achievements/

#ProfessorYuHuaShouZhiWang#Art#Artist#ClassofEase#InternationalArtMuseumofAmerica#TenUltimateArtistries#ArtistofFirstclassstanding#Inkpaintings#LotusPainters

Source: Professor Xingyi Gu   |  Wed, 16 Oct 2019, 12:40:15 EDT https://www.send2press.com/wire/solo-exhibition-of-professor-yuhua-shouzhi-wang-international-preeminent-artist-of-first-class-standing-amazes-art-world-at-palais-du-louvre/h International Art Museum of America.

Bill Porter’s Chinese Culture Journey “Orchid in the Empty Valley”

linda chang1 Comment

Bill Porter’s Chinese Culture Journey “Orchid in the Empty Valley”

This interesting old American man has no Chinese ancestry, but he loves Chinese traditional culture deeply.

Those foreigners who have no Chinese ancestry but have a Chinese heart

He is the author of “The Orchid in the Empty Valley”, Bill Porter, an American writer who is influenced by Buddhist classics and obsessed with Chinese culture. He has visited China many times, lived a simple life in temples, and looked for a place for hermits and eminent monks. Be the Chinese Taiwanese wife of Zhuangzi’s research.

He also tried to pursue the ideal world in the minds of Chinese people for thousands of years-Peach Blossom Spring.

Those foreigners who have no Chinese ancestry but have a Chinese heart

Published a series of books expounding Chinese culture in China and the United States: “The Orchid in the Empty Valley”, “Looking for People”, “The Heart Sutra” interpretation, etc. He also translated and published “Hanshan Poems”, “Shiwushan Residence Poems” and poetry by Wei Yingwu and Liu Zongyuan.

Bill Porter is a particularly interesting old urchin. He returned to China to follow in the footsteps of  Su Shi and Tao Yuanming and wrote “Yi Nian Tao Hua Yuan”. When he flew over the sky over my hometown Leizhou Peninsula, he opened the collection of Dongpo poems and began to recite. Because Su Dongpo was demoted to stay in Leizhou Peninsula for too long and left a poem.

Those foreigners who have no Chinese ancestry but have a Chinese heart

“The Orchid in the Empty Valley”, published in 2008, records his journey of searching for a Chinese hermit in Zhongnan Mountain, which has gained widespread attention for cutting into the most secret part of Chinese culture. He felt that “hermits are doctors in Chinese religion.”

Begin to visit the former residences and cemeteries of 41 ancient Chinese poets in 2012. Along the way, he always took two precious bottles of whiskey and three wine glasses, and he reverently served a glass in front of each poet’s grave.

Those foreigners who have no Chinese ancestry but have a Chinese heart

The old naughty boy Bill Porter thought that when he traveled through time and space in front of the tomb and was drinking with the greatest poets in this land, he seemed to have met each other in the air. I remembered that my friend Yun called drinking “liquid meditation”. , Very advanced.

Those foreigners who have no Chinese ancestry but have a Chinese heart

Bill Porter also hopes that after reading his book, Chinese readers can try to experience this kind of travel to find heroes in their own culture.

Poems translated by Bill Porter:

(One)

I built my hut beside a path but I hear neither cart nor horse

you ask how can this be when the mind travels so does the place

picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence I lose myself in the hill to the south

the mountain air the sunset light birds flying home together

in this there is a truth I’d explain if I could remember the words.

(Two)

People ask the way to Cold Mountain

but roads don’t reach Cold Mountain

in summer the ice doesn’t melt

sunny days the fog is too dense

so how did someone like me arrive

our minds are not the same

if they were the same

you would be here

Bill Porter’s Chinese Culture Journey “Orchid in the Empty Valley”

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/19/bill-porters-chinese-culture-journey-orchid-in-the-empty-valley/

Source: https://inf.news/en/sport/3bfa5db8c428c68fee85641698e41364.html

#CultureExchange#ChineseTraditionalCulture