Painting: Orlando Leibovitz
Vesak – the full moon festival honoring the signal events in the Buddha’s life, is celebrated by millions around the world on the full moon in May, taking place this year on May 24.
The outstanding events in the life of the Buddha took place on full moon days. The Buddha was born on a full moon day. His renunciation took place on a full moon day. His Enlightenment, the delivery of his first sermon, his passing away into Nirvana and other crucial events occurred on full moon days.
For Buddhists, it is an opportunity to reflect on our personal spiritual development and to make others happy. Statues of the Buddha are bathed, an act symbolizing purification. In addition to reflecting on the teaching of universal compassion, many Buddhists to take vegetarian meals on this special day.
Painting: Orlando Leibovitz
Doing as others told me, I was blind.
Coming when others called me, I was lost.
Then I left everyone,
myself as well.
Then I found everyone, myself as well.
Rumi
Peace is not something you wish for
It’s something you do
Something you are
And something you give away.
John Lennon
Before Facebook instituted its new search feature, before Instagram threatened to offer photos to companies for unrestricted use, Gabriel Arrillaga decided he to take action. His last post provokes us to reconsider our relationship to the media that has embedded itself in our lives. Gabriel wanted to emphasize that he’s far from the first to come to these realizations and if it weren’t for a number of friends and bloggers he’d probably still be gleefully captivated by flickering shadows
I am deleting my Facebook.
Over the next few days, I will be combing through my friends list to take down contact information. If you don’t already have my phone/e-mail and want it, send me a message.
Read more…
You do not need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Do not even listen, simply wait.
Do not even wait, be still and solitary.
The world will freely offer itself to you
To be unmasked, it has no choice.
It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
- Frantz Kafka
The Pali word metta means loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, and non-violence. Pali commentators define metta as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others. Through metta one refuses to be offensive and renounces bitterness, resentment and animosity of every kind, developing instead a mind of friendliness, accommodation and benevolence which seeks the well-being and happiness of others. True metta is devoid of self-interest. Read more…
Tyler White
The moment one gives close attention to anything, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
Henry Miller
Zen Peacemakers is an organization of socially engaged Buddhists. It was founded by Roshi Bernie Glassman and his wife Sandra Jishu Holmes in 1996 and its work has been continued by Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya.
Peacemakers throughout all space and time recognize that they are not separate from all that is. Read more…
Orlando had been keeping a visual diary since the beginning of the year. Here is a random selection.