To Earth, with gratitude

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Earth We belong to Earth, Take care of it. We must! Meanwhile, somewhere in Canada, in Burnaby to be precise, we are celebrating. I contributed some of the photos I shared in WP taken in my backyard. The small space … Continue reading →

Educating the heart

Listening educates my mind and heart.

I must have listened to this video a hundred times.  Watching the video distracts me from listening so I converted it to voice only.  When I listen, I also like to jot down the words and I ended up transcribing the spoken words.  The key words compassion, acceptance and tolerance are words that I will keep in my heart and put into practice.

Listen and prepare ourselves in educating our mind and hearts.

(click to listen)

When a child is born,
we do everything we can
to protect them, nurture them, love them.

A child’s heart and mind are fragile.
As they grow, we want to teach them everything we know.

We send them to school
to fill their minds with wonderful knowledge
to give them the tools they need for life.

At school they get a taste what things are like in a world outside.
There’s friendship, romance, disappointment,
embarrassment, discrimination and bullying.

They are the tools we give them enough to prepare them for this world.

We have an enormous responsible and an amazing opportunity.
If we truly want to prepare them for the world outside,
we must also educate the heart.

Because to navigate the world outside
with compassion, acceptance and tolerance
we need to teach them
compassion, acceptance and tolerance.

This can begin in our schools and it can start today.

It can happen at hockey practice, dance class
and day camps and music lessons
and it’s already happening around the world
with astonishing results.

If we want our children to grow
into socially and emotionally capable young people,
we must ask for a balanced education
and put importance on educating both the mind and the heart.

Prepare them for this world.
Educating the Heart
The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education
Voice over by: Poet and author Shane Koyczan

You can view the video here.

 

As we think, so we become

 

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
 The deed develops into habit;
 And habit hardens into character.  

So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings.
As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become.

—Guatama Buddha, Dhammapada

 

Photo Credit: H.H. The Dalai Lama from sapru on flickr.  http://tmblr.co/ZjYlFytAgM8r

Source:  Parabola Magazine

On This Day, Dalai Lama’s Birthday, he turns 78.

Lhamo Thondup was born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, China, northeast of Tibet, to a peasant family. 

The true value of existence is revealed through compassion

At the age of 2, he was identified as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. Young Lhamo was renamed Tenzin Gyatso and proclaimed the 14th Dalai Lama.  Tibetans believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors. 

Dalai Lamas are believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokitesvara, an important Buddhist deity and the personification of compassion. Dalai Lamas are also enlightened beings who have postponed their own afterlife and chosen to take rebirth to benefit humanity. “Dalai” means “ocean” in Mongolian (the name “Gyatso” comes from the Tibetan word for ocean). “Lama” is the equivalent of the Sanskrit word “guru,” or spiritual teacher. Put together, the title of Dalai Lama is literally “Ocean Teacher,” meaning a “teacher spiritually as deep as the ocean.” 

Ask the Dalai Lama who is he is.  His simple answer is I am just an ordinary monk.  

On a personal note, I did have a chance to be in his presence with Desmond Tutu.  Together they were full of wisdom and both promote world peace.

 Related articles

• CBC World News: Dalai Lama Celebrates his birthday in India
• Prayers, celebrations as Dalai Lama turns 78 (vancouverdesi.com)
• Day 30 The 14th Dalai Lama – Happy Birthday (6 July 1935) (civildisobedience100.wordpress.com)

January 6, 2013 Notes to file: On Peace

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Returning from 2012 Pilgrimage, I applied something I learned.  I changed my signature sign off with Pax Tecum and sometimes added this characters _/\_ .   Pax Tecum is a Latin word for Peace Be With You.  It was quite funny because … Continue reading →