[Buddha-l] more tibetan self-immolations

[Richard Basham]

{nameless scholar}: "Support for the Palestinians depends on the fact
that Israel is surrounded by millions and millions of Arabs and Muslims
who have never accepted defeat--for them the war of 1948 was just a
glitch--the end of the Jewish state is inevitable.
"Do millions of Tibetans and Buddhists surround China.  What would it be
like if they did?"


I had foregone responding; and then, the following "was sent from
heaven" <g> today:

Daily Dharma January 10, 2012
Seeing Clearly

Our practice is to meet life exactly as it is and to notice whatever
fear, anger, or doubt gets in the way of direct intimate contact with
this moment, bringing attention to that as well. Rather than changing
something or seeking to get somewhere we imagine we should be, practice
is about seeing clearly exactly how things really are and how we relate
to them. Practice thus becomes an increasing intimacy with life just as
it is, and there is nothing—including the ideas that we should be
getting something or somewhere—that is unworthy of the clear,
nonjudgmental attention we call mindfulness.

– Douglas Phillips, "Q&A with Douglas Phillips"

http://www.tricycle.com/-cushion/cushion


A random Tricycle quote provided a wiser response than pointing out that
the Tibetans even in their less harsh refuge, 'Little Lhasa', are
surrounded by nasty pagan Hindi, terrible Muslims, and godless commie
Mongol hordes. Perhaps in a few generations, prolific converts gained in
diaspora will militarize, ..., and reigning imperial powers will restore
and support their return to geography which they never persistently
possessed. Or, something.

While each appears valid, one's realization alluded to by Douglas
Phillips seems a neglected path while imaginings dominate on paths to
what are certainly hells, buddha-l, middle-east-l, family-l, USA-l, or
otherwise.

Now, back into my solitary liar <g>.


Richard Basham