[BLS-Special-Events] HELPING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN JAPAN and MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Thu Mar 17 14:25:13 PDT 2011

Dear Friends,

It is not too difficult to imagine the immense pain and the suffering that
our Japanese brothers and sisters are enduring. It is not too difficult, for
example, to imagine the fear, the loss, the devastation: our daughter or
son, husband or wife, parents, loved ones swallowed up by the earth.  All
our belongings swept away by a wave.  The destruction of what we know and
love: our home, our city, our means of transportation, the parks and the
beaches around us, the trees, the birds, the gardens, the Temples,
Universities and Hospitals... The death and maiming of pets, friends, and
family, the sudden disappearance of neighbors and loved ones.

So this Sunday, and all Sundays, we can sit together as a Sangha to generate
and send the energy of healing, love, and compassion to all beings,
particularly those in need. We can sit and practice for those who cannot
practice. We can sit and open our hearts.  We can sit and open our minds.  For
example, during our daily practice we can sit and open our hearts and minds
to the immense pain and suffering being generated in Japan right now.  We
can sit and open our hearts and minds to impermanence.  We can sit and open
our hearts and minds to the wonder of it all.  And we can mindfully hug our
loved ones, warmly look around our life circumstances, and be grateful for
what we have. We can express our joy and sorrow, we can love openly and live
deeply knowing that every moment we have is precious, and that our time on
this Earth is brief.

*Breathing in, I know that I am Alive; *

*Breathing out, I smile to Life. *

* *

*Breathing in, I know that many people are suffering at this very moment; *

*Breathing out, I send the energy of peace, healing and compassion to those
who suffer. *

* *

*Breathing in, I am truly in the Present Moment; *

*Breathing out, I treasure this Precious Moment.*

And if we feel that we are in need for some inspiration, we can read the
letters that appear below and some heart-warming stories from Japan at *Daily
Good: News That Inspire* by following this link to *Human Spirit Rises to
Meet Japan's Tsunami* http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4496

To take further action to help those touched by Japan's earthquake and
tsunami, follow these links:

http://mashable.com/2011/03/13/japan-earthquake-tsunami-help-donate/

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0315/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-How-to-help

https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/japan

Also, as some of you know, our Teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh together
with the Plum Village and International Sanghas are scheduled to tour Japan
this year from April 23 to May 7.  We know that this journey will water many
positive seeds and generate the energies of love and understanding,
compassion and healing, and peace and protection for all.

*Here is Thay 's Message to Friends in Japan: *

*Dear friends in Japan,*

* *

*As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy,
we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or **manner, also
have died.*

* *

*The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind.
And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one
part of the body happens to the whole body.*

* *

*An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It
helps us remember that what's most important is to love each **other, to be
there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive.
This is the best that we can do for those who have **died: we can live in
such a way that they continue, beautifully, in us.*

* *

*Here in France and at our practice centers all over the world, our brothers
and sisters will continue to chant for you, sending you the energy of peace,
healing and protection. Our prayers are with you.*

* *

*Thich Nhat Hanh*

*Here is a letter sent by Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi of Great Vow Monastery in
Oregon to her teacher, Shodo Harada Roshi, in Japan*:

*Dear Roshi and Chi-san,*

* *

*As the unbelievable pictures come in on our computer screens, our **hearts
are filled with sadness and prayers for those tens of thousands who have
died, those who are injured and those who grieve. **An entire nation turned
upside down. What can we say?*

* *

*In ancient times, entire villages were wiped out by earthquake and tsunami.
Maybe only the few people who survived could tell about it and remember it.
But now we all can see it, the ferocious power of nature, of the sea. Those
huge waves carrying away a vast jumble of tens of thousands of cars, houses,
trucks, boats, greenhouses, human bodies, buses, all the accumulated human
junk and treasures, grandmothers, babies, even an entire University. We will
never forget it.*

* *

*And then, for the only nation on the earth that has suffered attacks by
nuclear weapons, to be under the threat of a nuclear disaster. **It is
unbelievable.*

* *

*As Buddhists we cannot take refuge in this being part of God's inscrutable
plan, or even in the notion of God's wrath for a planet not cared for. We
take refuge in something that is hard for many to understand. We take refuge
in the truth of impermanence. As the Buddha said to his weeping disciples as
he lay dying, " All compounded things will fall apart and be gone." Over
centuries, or in a flash. When our lives rest on that foundation, on the
strange and strong foundation of constant change, then our lives are
anchored in truth.*

* *

*"Vast ocean of dazzling light, marked by the waves of coming and going,
being born and dying. " We chant this at our memorial services. **This week
we have all seen it in action. We practice to be able to balance wisdom and
compassion. The wisdom eye sees constant change, even tsunami, as normal, as
expected, as part of how IT IS. At the same time our tender hearts feel
acutely the pain of human suffering on an unimaginable scale, and we are
moved to do what little we can to help. The small blessing of a natural
disaster is that there is no one to blame. The earth shrugged, a huge amount
of water was displaced, and it flowed where it could. With no energy wasted
on blame, everyone can work together to help.*

* *

*Please know that we are chanting every day for those who have died and are
suffering. We will also donate through various organizations including Red
Cross and Soto Shu, to help in any small way.*

* *

*We had a young monk visiting here for a month at the monastery. He flew
home last week, arriving on the day of the earthquake. His home temple is in
Fukushima. We have no news about him or his family. We have no news of
Abe-san and his temple members, who worked with us on the Jizos for Peace
Project.*

* *

*Our thoughts are constantly with everyone in Japan.*

* *

*In love and sadness,*

* *

*Chozen*

*Here is a letter to Japan from H.E. Garchen Rinpoche who practices in the
Tibetan tradition:*

*I am deeply sad to hear about the earthquake disaster in Japan, and also in
New Zealand, Tibet, and other places last year. Although many beings have
lost their lives, their minds really can never die. And as our minds are
connected, we can benefit them by cultivating love and compassion and
reciting the Mani mantra (OM MANI PADME HUNG). If we are able to pervade
their minds with love, they will awaken from the dream of self-grasping and
suffering.*

May the collective and individual energy generated by our practice benefit
all beings and bring peace, wisdom, compassion, and loving-kindness to those
who suffer the most.

With a smile and loving-kindness,

Martha

For the Broward Lotus Sangha

Broward Lotus Sangha
P.O. Box 245124
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

COME MEDITATE WITH US!
www.BrowardLotusSangha.org <http://www.browardlotussangha.org/>
http://www.meetup.com/Broward-Lotus-Sangha/calendar/
In the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

To subscribe or unsubscribe to our mailing lists, please visit
http://www.browardlotussangha.org/mailinglists/

 Please forward this invitation to others who you think may wish to
participate. Thank you.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.browardlotussangha.org/pipermail/bls-special-events-browardlotussangha.org/attachments/20110317/9369de13/attachment.htm>