gdp's Comments

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Finding Compassion When You're 23, Single & Pregnant.

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 14:04:26 +0000

Good Luck, Bree.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : A Guide to Buddhist Parenting.

Sun, 15 May 2011 20:15:06 +0000

HA! As am I Al, as am I. The politcal aspect of Engaged Buddhism I find difficult to accept. However, the Three guiding principles of the Zen Peacemakers I find to be applicable in many situations. My constant disagreement with the term "Engaged Buddhist" is that all Buddhists are ,by the definition of their practice, engaged. Some socially, some on the homefront, some at work and some politically. All buddhists are engaged Buddhists to some extent. I brought this up in a post a while back and got absolutely reamed by some other bloggers for misrepresenting Engaged Buddhism. Not one of them wanted to admit that it was based on liberal politics (which is fine, I am a liberal myself) but by its own essense is then exclusive to those with differing politcal leanings. Unless, of course, Engaged Buddhists start protesting abortion clinics and taking up more conservative causes. Which they won't ... because it is a liberal left leaning group. Thanks again Al!

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Top Six Buddhism-Inspired Comics

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:51:27 +0000

I imagine that an english version would come out but don't know when. Also Dogen: The Movie which I would very much like to see.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Top Six Buddhism-Inspired Comics

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:46:29 +0000

Hmmmm....didn't even think about it but there are some Buddhist/Taoist themes. Ugh, the movie just killed me though.

Shambhala SunSpace : The Japan earthquake: Healing after trauma

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:19:01 +0000

I love these earth-science related dharma posts. As a Buddhist and a student of Geology (paleontology in particular) I love the mix of science and dharma. That being said, I hope the earth and the Japanese people begin to heal and recover quickly from the events of the past week. Cheers, John www.greatplainsbuddha.com

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Buddhism and Reproductive Rights.

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 02:44:12 +0000

I disagree with life at conception as well but I enjoy the Buddhist point of view of responsibility at and after conception. We are responsible for our karma. We are responsible for what actions we take and how they effect others. It is a wonderful and heavy responsibility but not one that I wish to take away from a pregnant woman. What I presented was what I found to be the usual Buddhist take on abortion and what my personal view is. Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Young Romanian Woman debates herself: Why Atheists are Wrong & Evil.

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:32:32 +0000

She is actually one of my fav. atheist youtubers. The only other one that holds a candle is thunderf00t. If those two had a lovechild it would destroy the heavens and the earth.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : A Personal Guide to Finding a Buddhist Teacher.

Wed, 5 Jan 2011 04:26:03 +0000

"You can find false teachers everywhere, not only in America. " No doubt but it seems that they would be called out quicker in Tibet or India since Buddhism is more deeply ingrained into the culture that here. While here money, marketing and "BIG" personalities are often more (not important necessarily) but garners more influence. I know that same thing happens elsewhere. From the gauge of my own mind a teacher becomes less and less important. They more and more seem as lost, unenlightened and ineffectual as myself. Worthless? No. But only one small part in the support of a personal practice. No more important than a meditation group, loving parents, intent or a rock in the backyard. My main point is that evaluation needs to come before infatuation when looking at teachers. Rejecting teachers outright is an infatuation of sorts as well.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Skip the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle."

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:45:47 +0000

Very nice, Roger. Thanks for the information. Neither model is more perfect but some models fit better into our personal preferences, Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Skip the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle."

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:20:48 +0000

whoa. I doubled up on my dosage just reading that. If it made you give more then wonderful. You obviously weighed your choices out well. I just don't give to the Salvation Army because there organization is homophobic and use their funds to influence public policy. That, of course, is fine for a lobbying group but for a charity? No thanks. I am perfectly fine giving my money to a less judgmental charity. Shit. Where is my retarded lynch mob. I know I left it somewhere....oh. there it is.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Skip the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle."

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:38:57 +0000

World Peace and Charity?

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Skip the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle."

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:13:57 +0000

Again, I never demonized the Salvation Army and said that I am sure they have the kindest evangelical views. But I will reply to your comments: 1) The Salvation did turn away people in the form of refusing funds to senior centers and homeless centers in San Fran when they disagreed with current legislation on Gay Marriage. They turned people away due to politics. Simple. 2) Yes, they do. With strings attached. Refer to point above. 3) Never said I hated the bell ringers...I just refuse to be guilted into donating money to a homophobic organization. I do support other Christian charities that do great work without evangelizing and using their support like a political bargaining chip. 4) Skip the middle man and give to grassroots organizations directly...that way more of your money donated goes to the actual charity. If too busy to research then I suppose give to whoever you wish. 5) I take my spare change and give it to other charities. Money you give to them is better spent elsewhere. To your last paragraph: I have seen volunteers do the same without advocating a homophobic world-view. I refuse to walk in the shoes of an organization that moves so far from the charity they advertise themselves as providing. I can volunteer at Homeless Connect or one of many grassroots organized winter homeless walks. I am proud to say that I have been inside a homeless shelter, one that provides meals and housing without religious propaganda and is run by a church. Maybe the Salvation Army should take a look at those organizations. But if you like volunteering at bigoted groups then roll with it. We all make our own choices. I just think that people deserve the full picture before making one. I, for one, would love to see the Salvation Army officially drop the homophobic stance. Until then, I save my holiday change in a big Buddha piggy bank and donate to the local Cornerstone Mission directly. Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Banned for Occult and Satanism.

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:19:49 +0000

Sweet! Leave it to the two Library folks of Elephant to start talking about Banned Books Week! Interestingly, this year, there was a drastic decrease in "Occult/Satanism" being a reason in the top banned or challenged books. Hail Satan! John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Yet another website devoted to objectifying women? Thanks, "Girls in Yoga Pants"!

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:20:06 +0000

off topic but what do yogis wear for yoga pants? I am just curious.

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : 10 Things Every Beginning Yoga Student Should Know.

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 22:26:54 +0000

This was a gentle post and I loved it. I am a home-practitioner of yoga (as I cn't afford the time or cost of actual lessons) but it translated well to my worst critic...me. Thanks, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : A Personal Reflection on Mindful Blogging and the Ego.

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:54:09 +0000

Oh, I agree about the chore. Especially on my personal blog, I began to view my postings in terms of numbers and statistics rather than benefit or generating conversation. But the comments i receive from people concerning how much the blog helps them in their practice really makes the blog more of a love labor rather than life chore. Thanks for commenting! John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Best Classic Beginner's Buddhist Books Ever?

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:03:57 +0000

Hi! Its John again! I need to ammend that list to include Aitken roshis "Taking the Path of Zen" it gives a great (if not one of the most accessable) beginnings to zen practice out there. The beauty of this book is that it is specifically targeted towards people interested in starting a practice but needed that first step. Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Somebody Please Tell Me What Happened. ~ Bill Schwartz

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:07:36 +0000

Speaking from personal experience that is vastly different (maybe) from yours, I have always worked my path with small groups of engaged practioners. This is no different from what you do with the Karma Kagyu but we are grassroots, small and not organized. We get to see a variety of practices coming in and sitting. Are they there b/c they are Soto Zen? No, they are there because it is a place to practice. Most importantly, practitioners are looking at the practice itself rather than the organization that holds it. For example my saying that I am Soto Zen or you saying that you are Karma Kagyu really tells very little about our practice. When we start affiliating with what we do rather than who (or where) we hang out to do it, I think we will start making strides. In complete agreement with Ponlop RInpoche, he hit a chord with this post and it is a chord that resounds with me and, obviously, many others. He touched on similar topics as did Stephen Batchelor but I think in a much more skillful manner. Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : I'm a Buddhist, but my cat is a serial killer.

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 22:21:51 +0000

My cat hunts as cats do naturally. They are good at it. Very good at it. I was stalked by a mountain lion once while working in Wyoming and it is a horrible feeling. Did I want to correct the behavior? Did I hate the behavior? No. I accepted it and got the f*ck out of there as quickly as possible. Accept the behavior of your domesticated wild animal. It is something of its nature that has not been perverted by our desire for pets and animal companions. I love my cats but I know that they will hunt...I try to even the playing field for the birds. Keep the bell on the cat's collar and maybe a few of those birds will live to be hunted by hawks or run over by cars. Cheers, John

elephant journal: Yoga, Sustainability, Politics, Spirituality. : Meditation for the working-class family folks.

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:31:17 +0000

Cheers! And good luck. Damn, you are out way earlier than I usually am but sometimes 10 minute sitting is better ten minutes watching TV or reading blogs...but not better than brushing your teeth. No enlightened person has gingevitus.