High Plains Buddhist

Seeing Is Believing

2011-08-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

"We do not need to believe. We only need to see."-- Steve Hagen (2003), "Buddhism Is Not What You Think," HarperOne, p. 116.

South Dakota Buddhist Study Group Meeting Wednesday

2011-08-30T11:56:00.000-05:00

The South Dakota Buddhist Study Group will meet 7-8 p.m., Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at the Butterfly Rainbow Center at 22d & Minnesota in Sioux Falls. Please go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193450587389507 to RSVP if you can.

A Little Buddhist Humor

2011-08-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

Sri Lankan Buddhist monk humor:
"Blessed One, can Buddhists use email?"
"Yes. As long as they have no attachments."
A 76 year old Bhikkuni told that yesterday at lunch in Sioux Falls.

Fall Sioux Falls Buddhist Retreat in Planning Stage

2011-08-22T17:29:00.000-05:00

Plans are moving ahead for a one day SD Buddhist Study Group Retreat this fall in Sioux Falls. There will need to be a reasonable charge to pay for rental of the Butterfly Rainbow Center unless someone has access to a nice space for free. Also, please go to this link to give your preference of a date. To vote, go to:http://micropoll.com/t/KEwPTZCIYo The concluding event would be meditation/dharma talk with the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks who come to Sioux Falls every third Sunday. Thanks!

Back In The (Buddhist) Saddle Again!

2011-08-13T17:43:00.000-05:00

Nothing is permanent. It's one of the keystones of Buddhism. And blogging. So, I'm back after a hiatus from blogging. Look here in the coming days for my take on Buddhism and trying to live a better life.

In the meantime, check out my DharmaTweets on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/dharmatweets

What's Buddhism Got To Do With It?

2009-05-15T10:35:00.003-05:00

Any philosophy that can claim smokin' hot singing legend Tina Turner as an adherent has to be doing something right!

Image via Wikipedia

One Year Later, Praying For The Victims Of China's Big Earthquake

2009-05-13T09:52:00.002-05:00

Oops! Looks Like I'll Be Sending Buddha A Belated Birthday Card

2009-05-10T17:35:00.003-05:00

Image by Taekwonweirdo via Flickr

The bad news? I forgot Buddha's birthday.

The good news? Buddha is not attached to birthdays, so he probably won't mind that I send him belated birthday wishes.

Namaste, Buddha! And happy birthday. Hope you get that Red Rider Dharma with a compass in the stock that you've wanted for over 2,000 years!

Buddhist Art for Buddha's Sake

2009-05-01T19:05:00.001-05:00

Meditate And Become Not Just More Enlightened But More Creative?

2009-04-26T10:13:00.002-05:00

An interesting press release from Psychological Science regarding meditation and creative imaging:

The Enhancement of Visuospatial Processing Efficiency Through Buddhist Deity Meditation
Maria Kozhevnikov, Olga Louchakova, Zoran Josipovic,
and Michael A. Motes

New evidence suggests meditating may do more for you than bring inner peace--it may also improve imagery skills. Accomplished meditation practitioners completed visuospatial rotation and memory tasks before and after meditating. Prior to meditating, all participants performed similarly on the tasks. Volunteers who then performed the tasks after utilizing the Deity Yoga meditation style (i.e., focusing intently on a mental image of a deity) performed much better on the tasks than did Open Presence practitioners (who did not focus on a specific image while meditating) and nonmeditating control participants. Although Deity Yoga meditation contributes to improvement in visuospatial processing abilities, future studies will need to assess if this effect also occurs with other visual meditation styles.

Workin' Out With The Buddha!

2009-04-20T23:25:00.001-05:00

Hey, Do You Get A Bowl Of Soup With That Hat?

2009-04-19T10:19:00.001-05:00

New Novel Featuring Mrs. Buddha To Be Released This Summer

2009-04-18T21:39:00.003-05:00

This just came in over the mindfulness transom: a novelization about the life of Mrs. Buddha. It sounds intriguing to me.

Image via Wikipedia

Dear Friends and Family,

It is with great pleasure that I am sharing my book of historical fiction titled Buddha's Wife.

Buddha’s Wife is a novel about compassion, inspiration and forgiveness. Thousands of books, texts and stories have followed Siddhartha’s teachings and his path to becoming The Buddha, but little has been written about his wife Yasodhara, their son Rahula or their relatives and how they reacted to his leaving them sleeping in the middle of the night, without a word of farewell or explanation.

Several acclaimed authors, writers and zen abbot were gracious enough to read Buddha's Wife. Here's what they say:

Buddha’s Wife tells a fascinating story, little known in the west, about the woman whom Buddha left behind. Gabriel Constans focuses the reader’s attention on the strong and complicated women who surrounded Buddha and makes us re-think the nature of spiritual life.
-- Chitra Divakaruni, international best-selling author and American Book Award winner, whose books include Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart and Palace of Illusions.

A remarkable recreation of Yasodhara’s life. It is very readable and engages readers in the complexity of issues many women have raised about Gotama the Buddha’s life and practice.
-- Katherine Thanas, Abbot, Santa Cruz Zen Center.

This book is an awesome read, insightful, woman loving - a challenge to all spiritual seekers to rethink, re-vise, and dream anew.
-- bell hooks, professor, activist and author of national bestseller all about love.

Thank you for your precious time and attention. I hope you find the story of interest. The book is only available from the publisher (Robert D. Reed Publishers), until its worldwide release this summer. You can order a copy right now and read an excerpt, at www.buddhaswife.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Many blessings,

Gabriel Constans

Robert D. Reed Publishers
POB 1992
Bandon OR 97411, USA
Email: 4bobreed@msn.com
Website: www.rdrpublishers.com
Phone: (541) 347-9882

Take a Survey: Why Do You Follow DharmaTweets?

2009-04-16T16:13:00.003-05:00

Do you follow my DharmaTweets on Twitter? If so, why? You can indicate why you follow by taking this survey. Namaste!

A Message from the Publisher

2009-04-07T18:31:00.007-05:00

I realize that this blog has taken a bit of a turn in the past months.

It started out as what I hoped would be "practical" Buddhism and mindfulness from the point of view of a "regular" guy from the American Plains. Recently, I have been posting less of that and more Buddhist news and photos. I felt that I needed to provide at least some decent content from time to time.

The photos come from some of the best news organizations and photographers in the world (thank you GumGum and PicApp!) and I think add some useful content and wonderful images.

But it is not the same thing as thoughts from Average Joe South Dakota Buddhist Dude.

Most of my creative Buddhist and mindfulness writing has been directed at my DharmaTweets on Twitter. I like trying to fit original (ok, is anything in Buddhism truly "original"?) Buddhist

Image via CrunchBase

and dharma thoughts into the confines of 140 characters. It's like writing poetry. It's not poetry very often but it forces me to think and condense.

You can read these DharmaTweets at the top of this column. It stays fixed in that position above the blog posts.

Besides the challenge, we live busy lives, even too busy to read a 200 word blog entry from time to time. And my following there is growing every day. (Ok, I'm a little attached to having lots of followers.)

I plan to still write more extensively on this site and post news of interest to Buddhists and those who love them. I also have several other blogs that keep me busy on South Dakota, Kansas, and the law, so check them out too. Plus I'm a practicing lawyer, soccer coach and referee, husband, and inveterate TV watcher.

Thank you for your readership and support.

Namaste.

Life in a Small Buddhist Myanmar Village

2009-04-05T21:03:00.001-05:00

Photo: The Joy and Pain of Memory

2009-03-09T17:20:00.001-05:00

I took this photo of the World Trade Centers on a beautiful summer evening from a tour boat on the Hudson River in the Summer of 2000.

New York City. A perfect sunset. The greatest city skyline in the world. Though I was in NYC for a legal seminar and to visit a client on a case, I didn't have a care in the world. It is one of the most perfect moments in my life, that cruise around Manhattan and catching the Twin Towers in golden light.

And a year later, they were gone in a hideous terrorist attack--and many of the people who worked in those towers.

Such is the joy and pain of memory.

How About Buying Some Tickets for the Sioux Falls Downtown Lions Pancake Feed!

2009-03-05T17:42:00.001-06:00

I am selling tickets for the annual Sioux Falls Downtown Lions Pancake Days Feed.

The event is at the Sioux Falls Convention Center April 21 and 22.

Tickets are $5 each and kids 6 and under eat free.

If you'd like to purchase some tickets, email me at toddepp(at)gmail(dot)com and let me know how many you'd like. I need cash or check when you pick them up or I mail them out.

The proceeds go to local programs to assist the blind and those with sight and other disabilities and youth programs. This is my club's main fund raising even for the year.

It's always a lot of fun to attend and you won't go away with an empty tummy!

South Dakota Buddhists Facebook Group, Let's Meet!

2009-03-01T11:57:00.006-06:00

South Dakota Buddhists just hit 48 members today. 48 members was my "critical mass" number. Why 48? Why not. Seemed like a nice, mindful number.

Image by Welfl via Flickr

Anyway, now that we've hit 48, what would we like to do next? I'd like for us to get together. I realize we have a node of folks in the Sioux Falls area and another in the Black Hills. So, I suggest two different meetings.

I am guessing that some would like to simply learn more about Buddhism. Others might want to start a meditation group. Still others might want dharma talks. Perhaps other want to meet and talk.

I will see about finding a facility or room here in the Sioux Falls area to meet in the next month. Perhaps someone on the west side of the state could do the same thing. If you want to take that on, please let me know.

If you have other ideas, let me know. I have no attachment to a particular plan.

And feel free to invite your friends and family members to join South Dakota Buddhists.

Thank you for your support and membership.

Namaste.

Todd Epp
Organizer
South Dakota Buddhists Facebook Group and
Grasshopper

The Buddha Is In All Things--Including Jelly Beans

2009-02-28T16:12:00.001-06:00

Survey Says! Church/Temple/Mosque Attendees More Likely to Believe in Suicide Bombing

2009-02-19T16:51:00.003-06:00

A recent survey seems to suggest that those who attend church/temple/mosque/whatever more often than their less observant co-religionists are more likely to believe or participate in suicide bombings.

However, those who truly are believers and who pray seem less likely to do so than their better attending pretenders, who apparently get wrapped up into ritual over what the religion actually teaches.

Just something to makes you want to go "hmmm." Think about this survey next time you go blaming some religion for making people do idiotic, murderous things.

News Release
February 18, 2009
For Immediate Release

Contact: Barbara Isanski
Association for Psychological Science
202.293.9300
bisanski@psychologicalscience.org
Study Suggests Collective Religious Rituals, Not Religious Devotion, Spur Support for Suicide Attacks
In a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologists Jeremy Ginges and Ian Hansen from the New School for Social Research along with psychologist Ara Norenzayan from the University of British Columbia conducted a series of experiments investigating the relationship between religion and support for acts of parochial altruism, including suicide attacks. Suicide attacks are an extreme form of “parochial altruism”—they combine a parochial act (the attacker killing members from other groups) with altruism (the attacker sacrificing themselves for the group).

While the relationship between religion and popular support for suicide attacks is a topic of frequent conjecture, scientific study of the relationship is rare. The researchers found that the relationship between religion and support for suicide attacks is real but is unrelated to devotion to particular religious beliefs or religious belief in general. Instead, collective religious ritual appears to facilitate parochial altruism in general and support for suicide attacks in particular.

The researchers surveyed Palestinian Muslims about their attitudes towards religion, including how often they prayed and went to mosque. The researchers found that devotion to Islam, as measured by prayer frequency, was unrelated to support for suicide attacks. However, frequency of mosque attendance did predict support for suicide attacks. In a separate survey of Palestinian Muslim university students, the researchers found again that those who attended mosque more than once a day, were more likely to believe that Islam requires suicide attacks, compared to students who attended mosque less often.

A similar pattern of results was found in research carried out with other religious groups. In another experiment, the researchers conducted phone surveys with Israeli Jews living in the West Bank and Gaza and asked them either how frequently they attended synagogue or how often they prayed to God. All participants were then asked if they supported the perpetrator of a suicide attack against Palestinians. Analysis of the responses showed that 23% of those asked about synagogue attendance supported suicide attacks while only 6% of those queried about prayer frequency supported suicide attacks.

In the last experiment, the psychologists surveyed members of six religiou majorities in six nations (Mexican Catholics, Indonesian Muslims, Israeli Jews, Russian Orthodox in Russia, British Protestants and Indian Hindus) to see if the relationship between attending religious services and support for acts of parochial altruism holds up across a variety of political and cultural contexts. These results also showed that support for parochial altruism was related to attendance at religious services, but unrelated to regular prayer.

This study indicates that religious devotion does not cause support for suicide attacks or other forms of parochial altruism. However, the findings suggest that regularly attending religious services may make individuals more prone to supporting acts of parochial altruism. The researchers theorize that collective religious rituals and services create a sense of community among participants and enhance positive attitudes towards parochially altruistic acts such as suicide attacks. Although, the researchers note, the greater sense of community, developed via religious services, may have many positive consequences. They observe, “Only in particular geopolitical contexts is the parochial altruism associated with such commitments translated into something like suicide attacks.”
###

Join the South Dakota Buddhists Facebook Group

2009-02-19T13:12:00.002-06:00

I've formed a South Dakota Buddhist Facebook group. Click here to join. No invitation is necessary, just a Facebook membership and an interest in the dharma here in the Dakotas.

I hope you'll join and see what happens.

How About Meditation Instead of Hypnotism for Young Ballers?

2009-02-05T11:38:00.004-06:00

No steroids. No HGH. Just "you are getting sleepy."

A Kansas small school basketball power had its players get, as David Letterman would say, "Hip-mo-tized!" by a Church of Christ minister/family therapist. That title in and of itself is, well, unusual.

Here's the Kansas City Star's online headline and link: Kansas high school coach told to stop hypnotizing team

An excerpt:

"At the high school level, it's not appropriate. We are trying to get kids to understand who they are and what they are. It may give kids a mixed message if you can't do it on your own." (said St. John school superintendent James Kenworthy).

Kenworthy's comments are very Buddhist. I'd suggest meditation instead to help find their true nature--and better free throw shooting.

Apparently hypnotism isn't a banned substance in Kansas high school sports.

Meet, Greet, Eat Biscotti with SD/KS Watch on Presidents' Day!

2009-02-04T15:03:00.003-06:00

Friends of South Dakota Watch and Kansas Watch (and those who love them) are invited to Caribou Coffee in Sioux Falls for a mixer. No formal agenda except to talk about the pressing issues of the day, meet blogger extraordinaire Todd Epp, drink coffee, and have a little Presidents' Day fun.

If aren't on Facebook and want an invitation, send me an email at toddepp(at)gmail(dot)com so I can send you an invitation.

The details:

Time and Place
Date:
Monday, February 16, 2009
Time:
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location:
Caribou Coffee
Street:
1924 South Minnesota Avenue
City/Town:
Sioux Falls, SD

View Map

**Time and Place**
Date:	Monday, February 16, 2009
Time:	5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location:	Caribou Coffee
Street:	1924 South Minnesota Avenue
City/Town:	Sioux Falls, SD
	View Map

I hope you can make it!

Show a Little Financial Love to High Plains Buddhist

2009-01-31T23:39:00.001-06:00

Ok, I'm begging.

Send money. Show a little love. I don't plan on quitting my day job any time soon but I do devote quite a bit of time and effort to this undertaking.

So, become a 2009 Financial Supporter of High Plains Buddhist and I'll list you and a link to you if you like. $5 minimum.

Thanks for your readership. And thanks, in advance, for your financial support. Use the button below.

Mindful Appreciation of an Unseasonable Day

2009-01-22T22:56:00.002-06:00

Here in South Dakota, we are in the midst of our very long winter.

Last week, we had temperatures that were minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That's not windchill, that's actual air temperature.

My state was worse than a deep freeze.

So today in Sioux Falls, the temperature hit an unseasonable 40 degrees and was sunny.

To many of you across the USA and around the world, that's not all that warm. But in the middle of a Dakota winter, it is a rare and lovely gift.

It meant taking off your heaviest of coats.

It meant not struggling with boots and mittens.

It meant donning sunglasses and catching some rays, even if you were fully clothed.

It meant driving down the street in the car with my window open--just a bit--and fresh air blowing in.

Driving down the street with your window open doesn't sound like a big deal. But in January in South Dakota, it is gift.

While much of the rest of my day was extremely stressful--life as a general practice attorney--I was not unmindful of the small gift life had given me and my fellow Dakotans.

Namaste.

Namaste. I Bow to the Buddha in You.

2009-01-19T18:10:00.001-06:00

Kansas City Hates Buddha!

2009-01-14T10:07:00.001-06:00

Ok, only one guy from Overland Park does.

As Tony's Kansas City notes, a guy from OP objects to a statue of Buddha at the Kansas City Zoo and compares it to a cross or a nativity scene on public property.

As the Kansas City Star reports:

David Engle said he felt a chill down his spine Sunday on a visit with his family to the Kansas City Zoo.
He could hardly believe it when he saw zoo visitors rubbing the heads and bellies of two large, smiling statues of Buddha at the entrance to the Tiger Trail area.

The lawyer in me understands that it might be close to the line. But Buddhism is a philosophy and not a religion--at least that's how I view it.

The tension between church and state in America is an on-going--and I think--a healthy thing.

We all must be mindful about inflicting our views on others. I'm not saying that KC Zoo Buddha (click to see photo on Flickr) does, but I can see how someone could be upset about it, rightly or wrongly.

Namaste.

To Just Be

2009-01-11T18:27:00.001-06:00

After years of thinking I have to become I'm going to just try and be for a while.

A Little Buddhist Thought on the Economy

2009-01-11T14:08:00.003-06:00

I try not to use Buddhism to make political points. One can be a Democrat Buddhist or a Republican Buddhist. I don't pretend to know what political party the Buddha would belong to. I'm guessing he'd be an independent.

But I came across a posting on The Middle Way that attempted to explain the economic mess we're in from a Buddhist perspective. Here's an excerpt:

The current global economic crisis is easily understood through a Buddhist framework. The institutions saw the world as self and other. They saw, and see, it as something to “win”. They focused on Profits and the Trickle Down Theory of economics.

Buddhism teaches us about no self, no other. It teaches us that the “I” thing we grasp isn’t real. It opens us to the world of interconnectedness and interrelatedness. That’s all well and good but the thing is, we’re here now.

I would distill it even further in Buddhist thought. We're in the soup economically because of a lack of mindfulness. We at the micro level and those at the macro level didn't pay close attention to economic decisions. When you make a bad or take out an ill advised loan, it's eventually going to come home to roost. Add a little karma to the mix--you reap what you sew--or for every action there is a reaction--we have some problems.

Just something to think about.

Namaste.

New Year, New Blogs

2009-01-03T19:26:00.002-06:00

With the New Year comes some changes and additions here at the South Dakota Watch/Kansas Watch family of blogs.

First, I have two new blogs that I've been developing over the past weeks.

The first is The Epp Law Report. It is a spin-off of South Dakota Watch. TELR will focus primarily on "practical" legal information and observations that spring from my law practice with a sprinkling of legal news.

Site: http://epplaw.blogspot.com

Feed: http://epplaw.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The other new blog is the Missouri Valley Eclectic (or MoVE). It is basically one-stop shopping of all my blogs and other short thoughts. While I know the trend in blogging is to have niche blogs, my life is not a "niche" but integrated with my interests as a lawyer, Buddhist, South Dakotan, former Kansan, and other things. So, if you read South Dakota Watch, Kansas Watch, High Plains Buddhist, and The Epp Law Report, you can read MoVE and get all of them in one place.

Site: http://movalley.wordpress.com

Feed: http://movalley.wordpress.com/feed/

I've also started a South Dakota Watch/Kansas Watch Facebook group. I'm trying to add a footprint for those blogs on different platforms as well as provide a place to build community. I hope you'll become a member. If you want an invitation, drop me an email at toddepp(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thank you for your support and readership through the years. I hope you'll continue to read and participate. Kansas Watch and South Dakota Watch in particular rely heavily on your tips for breaking news. Please keep up the stream of great emails that help inform the public.

Have a great 2009!

Hpy nu yr! ;)

2009-01-01T12:36:00.000-06:00

Received my first ever "Happy New Year" text messages today.

It's a whole new communications world, fellow babies, when even 50 year olds get warm wishes from friends via text.

The Bad Karma of Brett Favre

2008-12-29T19:22:00.006-06:00

I'm guessing Buddha was not a football fan. He strikes me as more of a soccer kind of guy.

And while I'm not sure I buy into the whole "your karma is forever" school of thought like some Buddhists, I do think there's some practical truth to what I'll call "transactional karma." In other words, our actions have intended or at least understandable consequences.

Which roundaboutly gets us to Number 4, Brett Favre, late of the New York Jets.

Remember last spring and summer when he went all Hamlet on us--To stay retired or unretire, that is the question.

He had originally told his team of many good years, the Green Bay Packers, that yes indeed, he was finally hanging up the cleats. And the Packers, based on that, decided to move on with Life After Brett Favre and made Favre's patient understudy--Aaron Rodgers--his replacement.

Then Brett acted like a spoiled brat and said he wanted to come back to Green Bay. Green Bay said, "Brett, we've been through this dance before and we took you at your word. We're moving on. Good luck."

Then Brett waged war against a team that had brought him glory and honor, daring it, cajoling it, demanding that it trade him. Number Four looked like a petulant child not eating his meat so he wouldn't get the pudding that he wanted.

Then the Jets decided to jettison long-time starting quarterback Chad Pennington and got into the Favre Sweepstakes. Never mind that by the time they got Number 4, he'd missed almost all of training camp and had to learn a new offensive system.

Pennington ends up signing with last year's crappiest team, the 1-15 Miami Dolphins. Basically, football exile (ok, that would be Detroit). But it was close.

Brett and his new team start off well, going 8-3 at one point and were anointed the best of the AFC after defeating the Tennessee Titans.

Then karma kicked in.

The Jets finished the season like a staggering drunk, losing most of their games down the stretch--and a sure playoff bid. The once invincible looking Favre was now throwing the ball to guys in the wrong colored jerseys.

Meanwhile, Pennington just kept his mouth shut, worked hard, and threw for more yards and more completions than Favre--and even Miami legend Dan Marino.

In a game that only the cosmos or the NFL could have envisioned, Chad and Brett played in the last game of the season for a playoff spot. Pennington was sharp. Brett looked flat, often arrogantly trying to put the ball where he no longer could.

Miami wins, vindicating Chad Pennington.

Meanwhile, Jets coach Eric Mangini, who still finished the season with a winning record, gets the boot today. He too bought into Brett's bad karma.

And the chatter is that Brett won't be back in New York or anywhere else. Even his old mates in Green Bay say his leaving didn't make them stink this year--in fact, their offensive numbers were close to last years.

Brett's little temper tantrum has ended finally ended nearly nine months after it began--and has tarnished his Hall of Fame career.

Yes, there is a thing called karma. Even in the NFL.

The Buddha must be smiling--and looking forward to Wildcard Weekend.

Ten New Years Resolutions the Rest of You Can Use

2008-12-27T23:37:00.003-06:00

'Tis the season for Top Ten New Years resolutions.

Like any of us are going to follow them. Sure, we'll do ok through maybe January 5th, but after that, it's back to our bad old ways.

So, to help, here are some stupid and silly New Years resolutions for 2009 that won't hurt anything if you break them. In fact, some of them, you should.

1. You know the way you are? Don't be that way!

Perhaps the greatest advice ever given from one TV character to another, Lou Grant said this to Ted Baxter when Ted was about to be married on the Mary Tyler Moore Show back in the 1970s. Are you a smoker? Don't be that way. Are you depressed? Don't be that way. Are you a jerk? Don't be that way. Simple.

2. Don't be such a dork.

This resolution is related to #1 but more specific. If you're reading this list, you're probably a dork. A non-dork wouldn't be reading this list. So don't be a dork.

3. Get off your fat butt.

You know you need to exercise more. Get off the freakin' couch and walk around the block or something. That's free, don't even need to pay money for a health club.

4. Develop your inner edit button.

Don't say the first stupid or hurtful thing that pops into your head. Find your inner edit button. Then use it.

5. Get off your fat butt and go help someone.

Your life probably isn't all that darn bad. There are other people who do have bad lives and could use your help. So go help them. Be useful to others for once.

6. Don't love things that don't love you back.

All wound up because your favorite sports team stinks this season? Guess what: your favorite sports teams or players don't love you. They can't and won't love you back. So like them; just don't love them. Same goes for a lot of other things in your life. Love your kids, your spouse, your family, even your dog. They'll love you back.

7. Change happens. Deal with it.

Everyone says they want and like change. False. We really don't. And you really probably don't. Life in the 21st Century is full of changes--good changes and bad changes. Changes come real soon and make us women and men, as John Cougar Mellencamp sang. So suck it up and be a man or woman and deal with changes in your life.

8. Get off your fat butt and figure out ways to use less energy.

If four and five dollar a gallon gasoline last summer didn't get your attention, you really are a dork. See #2. Drive less. Ride your bike. Take public transportation. Get those goofy curly-cue lightbulbs that use less energy. Buy a canvas shopping bag instead of using the plastic ones. Help Mother Earth. She needs us right now.

9. Get off your fat butt and be a good citizen.

Not registered to vote? Register. Don't vote? Vote. Ticked off about a government program or project? Go to the meeting and discuss it. Don't be a dork (see #2) and complain about change (see #7) but do nothing to change the result.

10. Every day, once a day, do something nice for yourself.

The second best piece of advice one TV character gave another was when Special Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks waxed poetic: Once a day, every day, do something nice for yourself.
Maybe it's a cat nap at your desk. Or maybe it's just a darn fine cup of coffee. Even though you may be a dork (see #2) and need to not be the way you are (see #1) be kind to yourself. Cut yourself some slack.

Follow these top ten 2009 resolutions and you'll have a better 2009--or at least a more interesting one. Good luck, fellow babies!

A Merry Canine Christmas from the Epps and the S.D. Watch Family of Blogs!

2008-12-25T17:41:00.003-06:00

The S.D. Watch family of blogs and the Epps (and their dogs) wish you a Merry Canine Christmas!

My daughter Sarah brought her three dogs over to our house today and combined with our three. Mrs./Dr. South Dakota Watch was none too thrilled. But the dogs and humans all got along fine and no major incidents of the pee kind either.

Photo: Bruno the Boxer (Sarah's), Thunder the Schnauzer (Todd's), Matt Epp, Winston the Schnauzer (Todd's), Luco the Mutt (Sarah's), Max the Welsh Corgi (Sarah's), and Toto the Cairn Terrier (Todd's).

Tales of Christmas: Happy Birthday, Eva Belle!

2008-12-24T19:05:00.001-06:00

(The following is another in the series of Tales of Christmas from the South Dakota Watch family of blogs. Enjoy!)

This Tale of Christmas is a little different as it is also about a birthday--My mother, Eva Belle James Epp, was born on Christmas Eve, well, sometime ago. My mother is from the generation where women don't tell their age.

Let's just say my mom grew up in the Depression with eight other brothers and sisters. Her dad died when she was only ten. My Granny James raised a gaggle of kids on the Nebraska prairie near Tilden. And my mom was a Christmas present.

She's lived through a car accident that should have killed her and made her a parapalegic. She grew up poor and without a father for much of her childhood. But she overcame.

She also had some brushes with greatness, like Baseball Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn who was in her high school class in Tilden. And going to nearby Norfolk to see the great Big Bands of the World War II era and an up and coming wiseacre by the name of Johnny Carson.

I can't imagine having a birthday the day before Christmas and getting screwed over on presents all your life. But Belle has overcome far more than that and led a good life of hard work, raising a family, and being an upstanding person.

Happy birthday, Ma!

Love,

Todd

Things That Rock #2--Roll-on Aromatherapy

2008-12-17T16:26:00.001-06:00

You know what rocks? Lip balm-sized bottles of roll-on aromatherapy.

No, I'm not some mushy brained New Ager.

But you know what, smell is very powerful. Think of what smell triggers. Baking bread? Home. Sweaty sweatpants? High school gym class. Perfume? That certain special someone. I could go on.

I roll on some lavender under my nose before I go to sleep. Very soothing. And lights out, I'm sleeping.

Got a headache? Roll on a little peppermint. Stressed out? Dab on some eucalyptus.

When I was in China as a mere lad, I did try some traditional Chinese medicine. One of the things I loved was "Tiger Balm," which was basically camphor and eucalyptus. Slather some on your temples and whatever ailed you was gone. Ok, maybe not gone, but you felt better. And people kept a safe social distance.

Roll-on aroma therapy tubes ROCK!

Help the Brookings County Food Pantry

2008-12-16T08:50:00.001-06:00

I hope you will join me in sending a monetary donation or a food donation to the Brookings (SD) County Food Pantry.

They were featured Saturday in the Brookings Register. My old home town's food pantry is in need of help as the pantry is helping more people than usual during these tough times.

(Pantry manager Don) Kasak reported Friday that the downtown pantry has assisted 753 families so far this year that's 143 more than in all of 2007.

"We're feeding a thousand adults right now," Kasak said, "and we get eight to 10 people a day stopping for assistance."

To give a monetary donation, send your check to:

Brookings Co. Food Pantry
PO Box 972
Brookings, SD 57032

The pantry is located at the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street in Brookings if you want to drop off a check or a food donation.

If you don't want to donate to the Brookings food pantry, donate to the pantry or food bank that serves your community this holiday season.

Things That Rock: Adult Chewable Vitamins

2008-12-15T11:23:00.001-06:00

"Things That Rock" will be a semi-regular feature here. I'll briefly praise people, places, and things that I think, well, rock!

Things That Rock #1--Adult Chewable Vitamins.

Why should kids have all the fun? Swallowing pills is a pain. Have you ever tried to swallow those fish oil horse pills? I can chew a very lovely lemon fish oil vitamin and not gag.

Plus, I think they are quicker. Instead of pill, water, swallow, repeat, I throw the chewables in my mouth, enjoy the various flavors, and I'm done.

Adult chewable vitamins ROCK!

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road and He Is a Lawyer, Kill Him

2008-12-10T23:09:00.001-06:00

I may someday write a book on this topic of trying to be both a Buddhist and lawyer. For now, you get just a short take on the conundrum. Think of it as a koan.

As I try to be mindful and kind and gentle, I am also faced with the reality of being a trial lawyer. Sometimes, in depositions and at trial, I have to try and inflict pain--deliberately--on witnesses to try and get to the truth.

Believe me, the first arrow out of my quiver isn't to act like an asshole. I've found that you often get more with politeness than jerkiness.

But sometimes you just have to shove some verbal bamboo under the fingernails to get a lying sack of crap to tell the truth--or at least make a helpful admission.

Which, of course, isn't very Buddha-like.

Frankly, I consider this contradiction in my life more problematic than being a meat lover. I like Buddhism. I also like being a zealous advocate.

Navigating the two--finding the Middle Path--isn't always very easy.

If you meet Buddha on the road and he is a lawyer, should you kill him?

Any thoughts?

My Last Seven Hours as a Forty-Something

2008-12-07T17:03:00.002-06:00

I'm still in my forties--for another seven hours or so as I write this.

Being in your 40s sounds a lot younger than being in your 50s. Which it is by ten years. Duh.

Tomorrow, I turn 50. I qualify for AARP membership. Yipee! I also think I get the right to pull my pants up to my nipples and complain about the government. Oh, right, I already do that now.

In what seems like just a few days ago when I turned 30, I was pretty pissed off that day in 1988. I had felt like I had not accomplished much of what I had wanted to accomplish.

Twenty years later, I can probably still say the same thing but I'm not so very worked up about it. And, I also know I still have probably 15 to 20 years of working life left to accomplish some of what I want to accomplish, as long as my health and my wife's health holds up.

I guess one of the few benefits of age is perspective. I don't get as worked up about things--either good or bad things--as I did when I was younger.

On the other hand, I don't really feel that much older than when I was thirty. Sure, a few (ok, a lot) more pounds, a bad knee, and a little less hair, but frankly, I don't feel that I'm that much older. I think I can dig these young people today when I'm not yelling at them to get off my lawn.

Not that I was ever all that hip, I feel like I think like at least a youngish person who has finally gained a bit of sense. I like to try new things, new foods, new music, new technologies. I admit I'm a bit old school when it comes to things like personal responsibility and discipline, but that's not a bad thing.

John Cougar Mellencamp sang to "hang on to 16 as long as you can." I guess I'll hang on to 49 for just a little bit longer and then see what else life holds in store. Fifty just might be ok too.

Perpetual Motion Is Over-Rated

2008-12-03T23:14:00.003-06:00

I used to think that I had to be in constant motion.

Work, activities, groups, travel, home. Repeat.

I thought I was the Renaissance Man, the Tough Guy, the person who could do it all.

I can't. I won't. I'm not able.

I have a lot of different interests and passions in my life. But they really don't mean much if I feel stressed about meeting or missing a bunch of commitments. When I do relax, it's like I can't enjoy my relaxation or meditation or simply being with friends or family because always in the back of my mind there is the next thing I have to do or get ready for.

No more.

As the Buddha supposedly said, "How can one ever know anything if they are too busy thinking?" Or as Stephen Covey might put it, what are your priorities, not what's on your schedule?.

Much as I might try or you might try, we can't do it all. Ok, maybe a few super-humans out there can. But most of us can't. We're lucky to be able to do one or two things well.

I've finally concluded after a crazy day that perpetual motion is highly over-rated.

Call the Exterminator! No, Wait, It's Just Buddha

2008-12-01T21:04:00.001-06:00

A Buddhist temple in Rochester, MN says a wasp's nest looks like Buddha.

See and watch the story from WCCO-TV here.

Which reminds me of the old Buddhist canard: If you see the Buddha on the roof looking like a wasp's nest, kill him. Or at least have a can of bug repellent handy.

The Dalai Lama: No Sex Please, We're Buddhists

2008-11-30T10:39:00.003-06:00

I don't normally disagree with the Dalai Lama. He's a pretty smart fellow.

But I think I take exception with his recent pronouncement (below) on sex. Certainly, being too attached to sex is not healthy. But it is an important part of the human experience. And ol Buddha was nothing if not human, albeit a very enlightened one.

An excerpt from a recent news report:

LAGOS (AFP) –
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader, on Friday said sex spelt fleeting satisfaction and trouble later, while chastity offered a better life
and "more freedom."
"Sexual pressure, sexual desire, actually I think is short period satisfaction and often,
that leads to more complication," the Dalai Lama told reporters in a Lagos hotel, speaking in English without a translator.
He said conjugal life caused "too much ups and downs.
"Naturally as a human being ... some kind of desire for sex comes, but then you use human intelligence to make comprehension that those couples always full of trouble. And in some cases there is suicide, murder cases," the Dalai Lama said.
He said the "consolation" in celibacy is that although "we miss something, but at the same time, compare whole life, it's better, more independence, more freedom."

I'm thinking maybe His Holiness needs a hot girlfriend or a loving wife or something. That might change his mind on the subject.

Remember, Mr. Lama, the whole "middle way" schtick? Not too much carnal pleasure and not too much asceticism either?

Video: At the Intersection of Buddhism and Zoning

2008-11-30T10:13:00.003-06:00

No good deed goes unpunished.

A Thai Buddhist temple in the Bay Area that feeds people on Sunday mornings has encountered some unhappy neighbors because of the traffic and noise.

WWBD--What Would Buddha Do?

Apparently, have a zoning and planning board meeting.

To watch the CBS 5 San Francisco report, click here.

Welcome to the Re-Launch of High Plains Buddhist!

2008-11-29T20:38:00.001-06:00

It's been three months since I've last updated this site. My humble apologies. Part of it has been the craziness of work and the just completed election cycle, which I was very involved in.

Another part has been a lack of anything to say.

But that's ok too. You need some time to reflect and process. But I hope to post regularly if for no other reason I find it a part of my Buddhist practice. In the process, I hope you learn somethings too.

You'll find that I've added excerpts from other Buddhist blogs. There are lot of great sites out there with differing perspectives. I hope you'll check out the feeds at right.

Also, I've added widgets that will have Buddhism photos, buddhism quotes, and so forth.

There's also a place at the bottom to sign up as a follower of this site.

Thanks for your past readership. I hope you'll enjoy High Plains Buddhist, version 2.0!

Van Halen as Buddhists? You Bet They Are "Right Now"!

2008-08-28T10:39:00.002-05:00

Van Halen's great rock anthem "Right Now" might also be one of the best Buddhist songs out there.

Who can beat these lyrics for stressing mindfulness and living in the moment?

(Right now) Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now) Come on, it's everything
(Right now) Catch that magic moment
And do it right, right now (Right now)
Oh, right now!

It's what's happening
Right here and now
Right now, it's right now
Oh!
Tell me, what are ya waitin' for?
Turn this thing around

Van Halen--Buddha's rockin' little helpers!

Technorati Tags: Van Halen, Right Now, Buddhism, Buddha, mindfulness

Correction, Fleetwood Mac: Don't Stop Thinking about the Moment

2008-07-18T22:33:00.002-05:00

I love Fleetwood Mac.

Great songs, great lyrics, great musicians, great presence.

But perhaps the Christine McVie penned song, "Don't Stop," isn't exactly a page from Buddha:

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterdays gone, yesterdays gone.

Not exactly a lesson of mindfully living in the moment. Sounds like a prescription for lots of "shenpa"--dis-ease.

Anyway, here's a Buddha-like rewrite:

Don't stop, thinking about the moment,
Don't stop, it's all we ever have.
It'll be better to be in the present,
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's not here.

Ok, not as bouncy or as catchy but probably a little better prescription for mindful living.

Hillary Clinton Makes Anger Management Hard for This Buddhist

2008-05-27T20:26:00.004-05:00

Hillary Clinton's recent comments in Sioux Falls, SD about hanging around in case of assassination (of a certain other candidate who I support) made me blow a cog.

How she can continually say such mindless, er, unmindful things, (i.e., like being shot at in Bosnia when she wasn't) is beyond me.

It's enough to make a Buddhist grab for his Thich Nhat Hahn patented portable anger mirror just to make sure my face is not too red or too contorted after listening to such unthinking statements.

Boy, she makes me mad! Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Breathe, Grasshopper, Breathe.

Which Is More Important?

2008-05-01T09:39:00.001-05:00

Which is more important? Being or becoming? Seems to me that society puts too much emphasis on becoming, which can never be achieved versus being, which is something we can all be in the moment.

Talk amongst yourselves and discuss.

Who Is the Most Buddha-like Candidate--McCain, Clinton, or Obama?

2008-04-29T10:49:00.001-05:00

I'll be writing about the more extensively later, but which candidate is the most Buddha-like? Is it John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama?

Can Your Dog Heal? Can You Heal Your Dog?

2008-01-26T21:26:00.000-06:00

As a lawyer, I am man of logic, law, reason, and evidence.

I deal with proof of certain propositions, not mere speculation or fantasy.

This training and mindset spills over into my spiritual life. I have problems with most organized religions that ask me to suspend my logic and desire for evidence.

Instead, Buddhism appeals to me as the Dali Lama has said that if science should prove some aspect of Buddhism incorrect, Buddhists should accept that, as Buddhism is a philosophy of reason.

So, consider me skeptical when it comes to mysticism and miracles.

There's just no logic or reason to most examples.

However. . .

Last night, my ten year old schnauzer Thunder was in great discomfort. He could barely walk. He could not lift up his back legs from a sitting position.

In the last month or two, he's been to a couple of veterinarians to try and figure out what is wrong with him. My new vet thinks Thunder has some bad discs in his back that pinch and give him problems.

My good friend Ray Ellis from Houston, a very devout Christian, had told me about instances of his congregations putting their hands on sick parishioners and healing them. Frankly, I thought Ray was full of it. But Ray is also a very intelligent, reasonable, and educated person.

And I thought of my own enjoyment of massage and how I always feel better afterward.

So, before bedtime last night, I picked up Thunder, who was shaking in pain. I placed him in bed with me and and put my hand on him. His heart was racing. I could tell he was suffering. He was tense. But eventually, he relaxed, his shivering stopped, and he fell off to sleep.

I thought I'd try Ray's "laying of hands" on my dog. I figured there was nothing to lose.

This morning when I awoke, Thunder greeted me from the floor--he had obviously jumped off the bed sometime before I awoke.

He was running around and trying to let me know that he had to go out.

While he wasn't yet back to his pre-sickness form of a couple months ago, he was definitely feeling better.

And he still is tonight.

I don't know what to make of it. The veterinarians also talk about "kenneling" as a therapeutic treatment for dogs. In other words, you put them in their kennel so they rest and don't move around a bunch. Perhaps Thunder's back had simply re-aligned over night.

But all I know was I had a dog who was feeling and acting much better than he was eight hours before.

Maybe, just maybe, there is something to this "laying of hands" and its healing powers. My jury is still out. But Exhibit A for that proposition is a schnauzer in Harrisburg. My schnauzer touched my my hands.

Photo of hands taken by Flickr user "Your Guide" and used under Creative Commons License.

Technorati Tags: dogs, laying of hands, healing power of touch, hands, touch, Buddhism

Meditation--Or At Least Sitting Quietly--As Defragmenting the Mind

2008-01-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

I will admit to you that I am not good at meditation.

I have trouble sitting still on a cushion and completely zoning out.

But I am getting pretty good a just sitting still and calming my mind.

Saturday, my son Matt had a 7th grade basketball tournament in Alcester, SD, a small town about forty miles from where we live. Between the first and second game, there was about a three hour span. After talking to some of the parents, players, and my son, getting something to eat, and reading the local news paper, there was still plenty of time to "kill."

So, I decided I'd spend at least a half hour just sitting in a folding chair by the door to the gym and try not to think about anything.

I was largely successful.

While I came to no great insights into the meaning of life, my mind was clearer and calmer than when I began. And, just sitting there quietly was almost a form of invisibility. Life proceeded around me as kids joyfully went about the business of playing basketball and hanging out with their teammates.

As I "snapped out" of my basketball zazen, it did occur to me that what I was doing was akin to what I do on my computer once in a while--degragmenting or "defragging" the hard drive so program files are closer together and thus run more efficiently. I also think some deletion goes along with the defragging as needless "files" get eliminated while sitting quietly or meditating.

So, I had a good time watching my son and his team play, talking to parents--and defragmenting my mind--all during a morning at a basketball tournament.

Photo: My son Matt, a small forward for the Harrisburg 7th grade Tigers, drives the basket against an Alcester-Hudson player. I was not meditating at the time of taking this photo but fully aware of the game.

Technorati Tags: zazen, meditation, sitting, defragmenting, defragging, awareness

Dog Bites, Pitbulls, and the Power of Memories

2008-01-06T00:14:00.001-06:00

For some unexplained reason, this morning before I woke up, I started thinking about my dog Snoop and all the times the mean miniature poodle had bitten me when I was a kid.

It seems the dog bit me on a fairly regular basis, often puncturing my skin and drawing blood. His bites hurt like hell. I'm not sure why my family kept the dog around.

This memory then triggered a much more traumatic memory--the time I was attacked by a pit bull in 1985 in Garden City, Kansas.

I was a young TV producer and anchor at the local PBS station in Topeka, KS. I was out in western Kansas working on a documentary.

As my videographer and I were walking back to our motel room late one evening after supper, we had walked by a lady who had an unleashed pitbull in the parking lot.

As I walked down the sidewalk, I suddenly felt a burning sensation--then excruciating pain in my butt--and something clamped onto it. I started to scream and ran down the sidewalk as quickly as I could.

When my colleague and I returned to the motel room, my shorts were in bloody shreds and my right but cheek was covered in deep puncture wounds.

You might be laughing now about getting bit in the ass. Believe me, it was no laughing moment and I have never been in such pain before or sense.

I went to the emergency room at the local hospital where the ER doc did a perfunctory examination, did a half-assed job cleaning out my wounds, and sent me on my way. He neglected to tell me that I should probably start a rabies series.

I reported the incident to the local police who also could care less. Despite my colleague's and my clear descriptions, the Garden City police never sent an officer to investigate or take statements. The next day, the lady and her dog left early in the morning in a pick up truck.

Meanwhile, being about 250 miles from home, I figured I might as well try and salvage my trip and I conducted another day or two of interviews and shooting footage for my project.

All the time, my butt hurt like hell.

When I returned home to Topeka, my wife Donna was aghast and told me to get me and my hamburgered butt to the doctor. As a young and healthy man, I didn't have family physician, so I went to a "doc in a box" urgent care facility.

No sooner had I told the doctor what happened, he was on the phone to an infectious disease specialist to get me started on a rabies series. While not as bad as in the Good Old Days, I had nearly twenty shots in my butt over then next several weeks.

And my ass was still sore. To this day, I still have teeth marks.

Back to this morning.

After reliving this dog bite, my right but cheek was throbbing. It didn't hurt like it did when I was bit, but it was a dull throbbing pain--like a felt 23 years ago for months after the attack.

I thought I understood the power of memory. But until this morning, laying in bed, thinking about Snoop, the pitbull, and my ass, I had merely scratched the surface of understanding.

Technorati Tags: memory, awareness, dog bites, pitbulls, dogs, mean dogs, dreams, pain, painful memories

The Tao of Iowa (Caucuses)

2008-01-04T15:20:00.001-06:00

The Iowa caucuses meant everything.

The Iowa caucuses meant nothing.

The Iowa caucuses restored democracy.

The Iowa caucuses perverted democracy.

Only time will tell if Iowa matters.

Technorati Tags: Iowa caucuses, 2008 Presidential election, 2008 election, Tao, Iowa, Taoism

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A New Years Koan: Does Nothing Change on New Years Day?

2008-01-01T20:24:00.000-06:00

The great Irish rock group asks the eternal question in their hit, New Years Day: "Nothing changes on New Years Day."

Well, with 2008 upon us today, what do you think?

Technorati Tags: U2, New Years Day, polls

New Years Resolutions as Mindfulness Reminders

2007-12-30T19:49:00.000-06:00

As 2008 approaches, I've been thinking about what resolutions I should make for the New Year.

But the problem with resolutions, I think, is that they seem too black and white. Either you met your resolution--like you've decided to quit smoking and you succeeded--or you didn't.

Maybe if we thought of resolutions as simply reminders for mindfulness we'd stick with them better.

As Buddhism teaches, it is the path that we walk toward enlightenment that is most important rather than then end result, which may or not be attainable.

But we can all be or do "more" or "less" of whatever it is we "resolve" to do.

I may resolve to not be angry in 2008. I doubt I can achieve never being angry in the New Year but I bet I can be less angry than I was in 2007. And while not perfection, that's a good thing--and attainable.

So, as you devise your resolutions for 2008--and more importantly, try to abide by them--think of your resolutions as simply mindfulness touchstones to help you on your path.

Mindfulness and Massage

2007-12-26T23:17:00.001-06:00

I love massage.

I always feel better after I have one. I always wonder after I have one why I've waited so long to have another one.

I've also found that practicing mindfulness during a massage is a good exercise.

What, you ask, is the problem with being mindful during a massage? You just lay there while someone rubs you.

Unfortunately, the mind loves to wonder. Instead of appreciating the massage therapist's skills and healing touching, instead of concentrating on the muscles she is rubbing, instead of feeling the tension leave your body, I find myself thinking about stuff I have to do. Or stuff I didn't do. Or what I might blog about. Or some case I'm working on in my law practice.

Buddhism teaches us to be present in every moment. It is hard work in everyday life. It is even hard when you are spread out on a massage table in your gym shorts, covered by a sheet, the lights are low, New Age music plays softly in the background, and someone's skilled hands are trying to make you feel better.

Massage, at least to me, reminds me about the difficulties of mindfulness, but also of the rewards.

When I am experiencing only the massage and no other distractions intrude, the experience of the massage is even better--which is saying a lot since even a non-mindful massage is pretty darn good!

Technorati Tags: mindfulness, massage, massage therapists, Buddhism

The Peace of Christmas Eve

2007-12-25T09:25:00.000-06:00

About 6 p.m., it's like a switch is pulled on Christmas Eve.

People are finally off work.

The Christmas shopping is done.

Family has arrived.

The stress and craziness of Christmas Eve day gives way to the warmth and peace of Christmas Eve eve.

At least that's my experience through the years.

It struck me yesterday as it never had before.

My kids Matt and Sarah and Sarah's boyfriend Rene are all in the living room watching A Christmas Story on TBS. Wife Donna is finishing up our traditional Christmas Eve fare of clam chowder, crab dip, spinach dip, snack tray, and veggies.

The dogs lay on the floor by the kids, content.

We call my mom, Eva Belle, and wish her a happy birthday--yes, she's a Christmas Eve baby, hence the festive name.

And for a few transcendent hours, all is right with the world or at least my world.

Merry Christmas.

(Cross-posted to SD Watch.)

Technorati Tags: Tales of Christmas, Christmas, transcendence, peace, Christmas Eve

Sleepwalking Through Life and Fighting for Mindfulness

2007-11-01T09:46:00.001-05:00

If there is a downside to trying to be more mindful (or "enlightened," if you prefer), is the fact that as you become more mindful you discover how completely unmindful you really are.

The old adage of "ignorance is bliss" has some validity. If you are non-mindful, you don't really know you are not mindful. If you try to be mindful, you discover you really aren't very mindful.

I find this discovery to be slightly depressing.

As I've written previously about my story of the sign I thought said "blog" but was really "bldg," my days are filled with unmindfulness.

Yesterday I was meeting a friend at a bank to set up an account for a political action committee we're forming. I thought I knew where the bank was. I ended up driving around, not sure of what street it was on. I called my friend and got the address. When I got there, I indeed knew that that bank was there--I only drive by it twice a day to and from home to work.

Talk about feeling like an unmindful fool.

But the alternative, I suppose, is worse--sleepwalking through life. And that's not a very mindful way to live.

(Cross-posted to SD Watch at KELOLAND.com.)

Technorati Tags: mindfulness, enlightenment, sleepwalking, Buddhism, cognitive

New Site Design Coming!

2007-11-01T09:23:00.001-05:00

I apologize for not being more active on this blog. While I am a pretty outgoing person, I sometimes feel hesitant to reveal so much about myself and my learning path about Buddhism. I have to be in the right frame of mind.

In the coming days, I will be doing a fairly major site redesign here at High Plains Buddhist. I'm going to try and give the site a "cleaner" feel yet not make the changes so radical that it is no longer recognizable.

Anyway, bear with me on both the form and content.

Mindfulness and the Change of One Letter

2007-10-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

I’m driving to work this morning on Minnesota Ave. A little south of 26th Street I see a sign that says, “Blog for sale” and then a phone number.

Intrigued, I called the number and left a message. I kept wondering, “Who is crazy enough to sell a blog when you can start a new one for free? It must get a lot of hits.”

This afternoon I get a call back from someone asking me if I was interesting in buying their BUILDING. “Building?” I asked, completely confused. “Yes, the caller said, I thought you said you were interested in buying my building.”

Obviously it wasn’t “blog” I saw at 30 mph at 7:45 a.m. this morning but “bldg.” I just have “blog(s)” on the brain.

I laughed heartily and told the nice gentleman that I didn’t need a new building—or a new blog—for that matter.

There’s a lesson there in mindfulness—and wearing my new glasses instead of my old ones.

(Cross posted from South Dakota Watch.)

My World in a Drop of Water

2007-10-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

There was a time in my young adulthood where I could not get enough travel.

I wanted to see the world, see the United States, see South Dakota.

And I did.

I've walked along the Great Wall of China.

I've touched the rock where Mohammad supposedly ascended to heaven at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

I've seen Buddhist monasteries carved into the sides of sheer mountains in Taiwan.

I've driven through the mountains of Panama.

I've stood on George Washington's head at Mt. Rushmore.

I've walked the streets of San Francisco at night.

I've swum in the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston, Texas.

I've canoed the Niobrara in Nebraska.

I've been to and done a lot of really interesting things in my life. I cherish them all.

But now, as I've hit my mid-40s--and now beyond--I can't stand to leave the Sioux Empire.

Seriously.

I mean, I will leave the Sioux Empire for business, family, sports, and necessity, but I hate to do it. Even a day trip to Brookings--a community I used to live in and still enjoy---I view as a chore.

I have become an absolute homebody. I don't like to leave Lincoln or Minnehaha Counties if I don't have to.

After 40 plus years of dreaming of traveling and traveling, I want to stay home with my family, my dogs, my yard, and my house.

Just as there is a whole world in a drop of water, there is a whole world in the Sioux Empire. There are sites and attractions I've never seen here.

There are stores and businesses and restaurants I've never frequented. There's history and culture to sample that is new to me.

There are people from all over the world here--and some I grew up with in Yankton or otherwise know--who I should meet or reintroduce myself to.

Plus, there is a whole lot of me and my own feelings, desires, and thoughts to explore.

I've got plenty--a job, a family, soccer, a documentary or two, blogs, friends, dogs--to keep me busy right here.

Maybe I'll get wunderlust again. But frankly, I hope not. I like this drop of water just fine.

Above: Photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net, used under license.

(Cross posted from http://www.keloland.com/custompages/kelolandblogs/sdwatch/index.cfm?c=226.)

Burma's Butt-Kickin' Buddhists

2007-09-27T22:59:00.000-05:00

As a student of Buddhism, it is with great pride that I see the Buddhist monks leading the pro-democracy charge in Burma.

I also like the fact that these are not Zenned-out Buddhists but Buddhists who are taking peaceful action as they fight tyranny. Just be mindful about it, guys, and watch out for the billy clubs.

(Cross posted from South Dakota Watch.)

A Momentary Glimpse of Enlightenment

2007-09-20T17:06:00.000-05:00

I suppose this is neither here nor there.

But last night just before falling asleep, I felt that I was enlightened.

For fifteen seconds or so, I felt like I understood the universe. There was perfect clarity.

Then, as suddenly as my clarity came it was replaced with ideas for blog posts, what I had to do at work the next day, noticing the dog changing positions on the bed, and a million insignificant other little things.

Nonetheless, I had a momentary glimpse of enlightenment, a momentary lapse from chaos.

I want to get to that state again. But the wanting is also what will get in the way of it. The attachment destroys the attainment.

But I hope I can mindfully work to achieve longer stretches of such clarity in the future.

I would sure be nice.

The Buddha, The Senator, and Suffering

2007-08-29T13:01:00.000-05:00

(Cross posted from South Dakota Watch.)

Here is my latest posting on KELOLAND.com.

Read: Tim Johnson, Suffering, and Leadership

An excerpt:

… As we saw yesterday at his coming home celebration, we saw a frailer and slower Tim Johnson who looks as if he as been through a terrible ordeal. The fact that eight months after his AVM he could give a speech to a room full of people is a miracle.

My initial reaction while watching Tim over the streaming video site was sadness. I know what a funny, energetic, vivacious person Tim is. To see him slowed and diminished physically was difficult to see. My thought was, “Geez Tim, you have a gaggle of grandkids now, finish out your term and take them fishing with you.”

Then I thought some more about it and watched the Nightline special last night.

What I saw in Tim is something I’ve seen in others who have endured great suffering. While always a down to earth and compassionate person, I think I could tell that Tim’s physical, mental, and spiritual ordeals have changed him.

The first noble truth of Buddhism is dukkha or suffering. First we need to understand our own suffering. Once we understand our own suffering, we understand that suffering is universal. We understand that others suffer as well… .

Thank You Cafe Philos!

2007-03-26T22:45:00.001-05:00

The blogosphere is a rough and tumble place. There is usually more scorn than praise for others.

So imagine my delight when I read the following from Cafe Philos today in their post, The Thinking Blog Award:

An excerpt:

High Plains Buddhist is, more often than not, an account of Todd Epp's insightful application of Buddhist principles to his own life. That tends to make those principles fascinatingly concrete and fresh. We get to see the Buddhist way in action through Todd's eyes, and the result is great food for thought.

The authors talked about their favorite blogs that make them think.

I am greatly honored and humbled by their kind words and their recognition of what I am trying to accomplish with this blog--giving myself an outlet for processing the Buddhism I learn and helping others apply it in practical ways.

Thank you very, very much, Cafe Philos!

And in a subsequent post, I will "pay it forward" as the originator of this idea, The Thinking Blog, and name five other blogs that make me think.

(Cross posted to Temporary Texan and South Dakota Watch.)

technorati tags:buddhism, Cafe, Philos, thinking, awards

The Zen of Officiating

2007-03-13T11:47:00.001-05:00

Through most of my life, I've had some sort of regular involvement in sports as a player, coach, or parent of a player. I've even refereed, something I'm doing--and will do-more in the future.

One of the things I enjoy best about officiating--I officiate basketball and soccer at the youth league level--besides the kids, is the fact that for an hour or so, there is nothing else in the world except that game.

Officiating is a practical practice of complete mindfulness.

My mind must concentrate on the game. If I get distracted by spectators, coaches, an itchy nose, or even a random thought, I might miss something critical to the game's outcome.

I have found that when you are an official, you have to be even more mindful than if you are a player or a coach. Not only do you have the two sides' players and coaches and players mad at you if you miss a call, you have a lot of spectators on your case as well.

Nothing like peer pressure to keep you focused!

Officiating is a practical practice of non-attachment.

To be a good and fair ref, you can't have any attachment in the outcome of the game. You can't have any pre-conceived notions. I ref my son's 6th grade basketball games. Each team provides a ref in rec league play. Believe me, this is difficult when you know all the kids on your son's team and particularly if you have to whistle your own son. But it is a good practice.

You also cannot get mad, particularly if a coach gets after you. It is incumbent for a ref to understand that they may have a strong emotion but then to not act on that emotion. The good official only calls on what they see, not what they feel.

Officiating is a practical practice of impermanence.

In a game, typically someone wins and someone loses. The game is played intensely, celebrated, then forgotten. There is nothing to hold on to except some memories. The game is a lot like life.

Officiating is just plain fun.

All the Buddhist stuff aside, being a ref is fun. It is a way to stay involved in a game you love. It is a way to help teach the game. It is a way to get some exercise. But it can also be a practical Zen meditation.

technorati tags:Zen, Buddhism, officiating, refereeing, mindfulness, impermanance, non-attachment, basketball, soccer

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Behold the Power of Touch!

2007-03-08T14:52:00.001-06:00

I don't know if there are any Buddha quotes or sutras about touch, but Buddha Todd here thinks touch is at least a first cousin to meditation.

Some Christian denominations believe in the power of the "laying of hands" to help heal, or, more religiously, help deliver the power of God.

I don't know about the channeling God part but I think they are on to something.

And I think it can be the human touch or animal touch.

We've all heard or read about the studies about people with dogs having lower blood pressure and less stress. Why is that? Besides a loyal companion, most dogs loved to be touched--petted--and we love to pet our dogs.

It is comforting, relaxing, serene. Sometimes, it seems like human and dog become one.

And obviously, human touch is important. Who doesn't love to stroke their wife's face--or have your face stoked? Who doesn't love a firm hug from a friend or relative? Who doesn't love the peace of cuddling with your loved one while watching TV? Even in sports, the pat on the butt or the back or the sweaty hugs at the end of the game or match convey if not love, appreciation and affirmation.

Heck, even Buddha Bruce Springsteen sings about the power of the "Human Touch." Are you going to doubt The Boss? Not me.

Behold the power of touch!

May we all be free of suffering. May we all be touched in ways that soothe and enrich us.

technorati tags:touch, Buddhists, Buddha, dogs, humans, Springsteen

Not the Reality We Want But the Reality We're Faced With

2007-03-04T19:45:00.001-06:00

I think I've heard Michael McAlister talk about it on his podcasts on Infinite Smile but the Buddhist concept is deceptively simple: We must deal with the reality we face rather than the reality we want or wish for.

Dr. C. George Boeree of the blog Towards a Buddhist Psychology, puts it this way:

A third aspect of attachment is avidya, meaning ignorance. At one level, it refers to the ignorance of these Four Noble Truths -- not understanding the truth of imperfection and so on. At a deeper level, it also means "not seeing," i.e. not directly experiencing reality, but instead seeing our personal interpretation of it. More than that, we take our interpretation of reality as more real than reality itself, and interpret any direct experiences of reality itself as illusions or "mere appearances!"

What's so difficult about this concept, you might ask? Reality is reality, isn't it?

It isn't if you let your emotions and wishes get in the way. Let me give you a real life example.

I am an attorney, a litigator. I try a few cases but settle many more through mediation. I am a firm believer in mediation, as it is a fair, quick, and satisfying way to settle lawsuits. No one gets everything they want, which is the essence of compromise. My clients tell their story, everybody gets in the same office to solve a "problem." I like the experience of dealing with mediators, who are typically former judges or skilled trial lawyers. They have patience like you wouldn't believe. It is admirable.

In my experience representing plaintiffs in mediations, while the Defendant's opening bids for settlement are often be way low-ball, there is typically a corresponding increase in their counteroffers as my client drops their demand. While things typically don't end up in the middle of the range (say, between $0 and $250,000), the settlement does typically reach an amount that bears a resemblance to the economic risks involved and the worth of the case.

It might take four to six rounds of shuttle diplomacy by the mediator between the parties to get the case settled.

Except a recent mediation. We went 12 rounds. The other party was using an incremental bargaining approach. Literally, $250 to $500 per move, when typical moves are in the thousands of dollars.

It was illogical. It was maddening. I was not happy. My client was not happy. I had never seen a Defendant operate in such a cheap manner. Even the mediator was confounded by the approach.

I could tell my client was getting as frustrated as I was. We had been back and forth and back and forth.

I was getting mad. I felt like I was being played and my client belittled.

It just wasn't fair and logical!

But guess what. That was the reality I was facing. It was not the reality of my previous negotiations. It was not the reality I wanted. It was the reality I was faced with. And frankly, how could I know the Defendant's motives. I was not in their room, I didn't know what was in their heart--or brain.

I took a short moment of meditation, trying to get some "space" for my increasingly negative thoughts.

I finally told the mediator that I had to deal with the reality in front of me, not the one I wanted.

I changed my negotiating strategy. We got the case settled.

Had I clung to my "perception" of reality, the mediation might have collapsed and I may have told the other side exactly what I thought of them. Which, of course, would have accomplished nothing for my client.

Dealing with the reality you face in your life may seem tougher than dealing with your manufactured reality, but to do so is delusional.

And, as the Buddha would remind us, delusion is about as far as you can get from mindfulness. Even for an attorney.

technorati tags:Buddhism, Buddha, mindfulness, delusion, awareness, negotiations, meditation, mediation, lawyer, attorney

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Forgetting Chinese Buddhas: Ironic Non-Mindfulness

2007-03-03T14:51:00.001-06:00

Back in 1983, I spent the summer studying Chinese and Chinese law at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China. Fortunately, we had quite a few trips around the country built in and I took quite a bit of time off to tour the country on my own or with fellow students.

As a group or on my own I saw Suzhou, Beijing, Qingdao, the Great Wall, and Huangshan.

And I saw a lot of Buddhas, Buddhist sites, and Buddhist artwork.

But for the life of me, I can't remember where most of them were. I've spent time on the Internet trying to recapture my memories and looking at my old slides, but, alas, it's to no avail.

Back 24 years ago, I was only vaguely interested in Buddhism. I was half the age that I am now--young and stubborn but obviously wanting to learn more about another culture. And, apparently, also self-absorbed.

I wish now I could recall all that I saw and experienced in China, particularly as it concerns Buddhism. To see what I saw then now would mean so much more to me.

It's a case of ironic non-mindfulness. Only at the time, I didn't realize how non-mindful I was. Now I do, and frankly, it hurts. It feels like one of life's missed opportunities. I know I must put it behind me as Buddhism teaches, but still. . . .

technorati tags:Buddhism, Buddha, Buddhas, travel, China, mindfulness, non-mindfulness, loss

Meditation Is as Easy as I-2-3, er, Damn!

2007-02-28T23:37:00.001-06:00

Meditation is as easy as counting to, well, one.

Once again I suggest that you listen to Michael McAlister at infinitesmile.org, particular his podcast ISmile150 - The Pitfalls of Practice on how to get started in meditation.

It is really quite simple, as Michael describes it.

Breathe in.
Breath out.
Count 1 if you had no intruding thoughts.

And Michael categorizes those thoughts into:

Plans--Anything from "Gee, I need to pick up some bread on the way home" to "How will I feed my family?"
Memories--Obvious enough. It could be remembering the nice time you had on vacation last week to something terrible that happened to you in your childhood.
Judgments--It can be as simple as, "Dang it, my foot has fallen asleep and that's pissing me off" to "Why am I such a failure?"

I would add Dreams/Day Dreams/Fantasies to this list, as sometimes completely nonsensical or non-linear thoughts enter my mind.

Sounds easy, right? Breathe in, breathe out, no thoughts? Count 1. Then, see if you can put five in a row together and get to 5.

Well, for this beginner meditator, this is how it goes.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
"What time is Matt's game tomorrow?"
Damn!
Ok, that was a "plan."
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
"That Boston cream pie last night for dessert was great!"
Damn!
Ok, that was a memory and a judgment.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
One!

You get the idea. It is really, really hard for even an instant to clear your brain of clutter.

But as Michael explains, part of the trick is that by identifying your thoughts--Plan, Memory, Judgment, (Dream)--you still slow your thoughts down and create space between them.

And lengthening that space between thoughts--which for me right now is in the seconds zone, not the minutes or hours zone--is how you gain awareness. And through awareness comes peace. And through peace comes enlightenment.

One breath, one count at a time. Scrub. Rinse. Repeat.

technorati tags:Buddhism, Zen, meditation, infinitesmile.org, McAlister, breathe, breathing

Meditation Explained, Pure and Simple

2007-02-22T22:26:00.001-06:00

Michael McAlister of Infinite Smile is my favorite Zen podcaster. He is clear, concise, funny, eclectic, and offers what I call "practical" Zen Buddhism tips and practices.

In his recent podcast, ISmile150 - The Pitfalls of Practice, Michael simply and brilliantly breaks down what meditation is and what it leads to:

Shut up.
Sit down.
Watch what happens.

In stillness there is space. In space there is awareness. In awareness there is enlightenment.

Thank you, Michael!

technorati tags:buddhism, zen, meditation, mcalister, infinitesmile.org, highplainsbuddhist.blogspot.com

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Practical Compassion: Please Give to Reservation Heating Fund

2007-02-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

(Cross posted to my various blogs)

The following comes from my friend Bob Simpson at the Fannie Mae office in Sioux Falls, SD, requesting your urgent assistance to help replenish the heating fund for some of our fellow citizens here in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations.

As you know, we have had a terrible could spell the past several weeks here on the Northern Plains and that cold weather exhausted the available aid.

Many of you know Bob and know he is a person of great integrity and compassion. If you have questions about where your donation would go, please email him at bob_f_simpson@mac.com.

Let’s all pitch in to do something immediate, kind, and helpful. I hope you are able to help out. Please feel free to pass this on to your friends and your own email lists or your own blogs.

You may even earn a few karma points!

Below is more about the situation and how to help from Bob.

I am writing to ask for your immediate financial assistance to help families in need on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations.

As you may know, federal funding for low income heating assistance has run out for families on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations. While Congress is working on a long term solution, there exists an immediate need to provide heating assistance hundreds of low income families.
First Nations Oweesta Corporation (www.oweesta.org <http://www.oweesta.org/>), a national tribal non-profit organization based in South Dakota, has established a fund that will direct private contributions to families in need of assistance. All donations collected through this fund will be sent to the Energy Assistance offices of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux Tribes and immediately distributed to families in need of heating assistance.

While private donations cannot solve the long term need for heating assistance, our dollars can help provide immediate relief. Even a donation of $50 or $100 can make a difference. However, with temperatures dropping, time is of the essence. Your financial help today could literally help a child keep warm tomorrow night.

Please take a moment of your time today and wire or send a check to the following address:

WIRING INSTRUCTIONS

First Nations Oweesta Corporation
Reference: Heating Assistance Fund
Wells Fargo Bank, NA
San Francisco, CA
ABA Routing Number# 121000248
Beneficiary Account Number: 619-6029497

OR VIA MAIL (preferably Overnight or Express mail)

First Nations Oweesta Corporation
Heating Assistance Fund
1010 Ninth Street, Suite 3
Rapid City, SD 57701

Thank you for your assistance – and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me.

ALSO - If you know of anyone else who may be interested in supporting this effort, please forward my email. THANKS!

Bob Simpson
Director
National Rural / Native American Initiatives
Fannie Mae
(605) 782-2545

technorati tags:heating, assistance, charity, dakota, reservations

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Addiction, Suffering, Fault, and Anna Nicole Smith

2007-02-09T17:47:00.001-06:00

A debate is raging in the comments of the South Dakota War College about the untimely death of actress Anna Nicole Smith yesterday. Some say she "deserved" it from her profligate lifestyle. Others say that is a position that lacks compassion. Below is my posting, coming at Ms Smith's tragic life and death from a Buddhist-inspired position and someone who has had some dealings with addiction through a close family member.

Haven't any of you had an addiction of your own to beat? Or maybe had a friend or loved one that had an addiction? Addictions are not "logical." Addicts are not "logical." Was Anna Nicole an addict? Perhaps. Was she a person who was obviously suffering. Defintitely.

Very strong and good people can have addictions to very bad things. Certainly, will power (and before that, making good choices) helps. But addictions wouldn't be addictions unless they were so hard to beat--psychologically, medically, and spiritually.

The Buddhists call it "dukkha" or suffering. We all suffer and it is through understanding our own suffering that we understand the suffering of others.

In Christianity, we are taught to "hate the sin but love the sinner." Christ taught us to love one another, even those who hate us. It is a simple and powerful message.

Both are essentially the same concept--we are imperfect beings but through love we can reduce the suffering of our fellow man (and woman).

Anna Nicole suffered from something or some things that we may never completely know or understand. She probably even added to her own suffering; most of us do. That does not make her suffering less subject to our appreciation or her death less subject to our sympathy.

I'll bet every one of you who have critized Anna Nicole for her addictions has a loved one who has fought or is fighting drugs, alcohol, over-eating, sex, over-spending, anger, or some other problem that harms their life and the lives of those around them. I hope you show them more compassion than you've shown Anna Nicole.

And guess what, the addiction shoe might be on your foot someday and you will be looking for a friend or family member to show you grace and understanding. That might be the only thing that saves you from the abyss. Perhaps that's all that Anna Nicole needed--someone not to judge her but to truly love her, faults and all.

She wasn't a horrible person. She didn't kill, she didn't go out of her way to hurt people. There was good in her.

May Anna Nicole Smith rest in peace.

May you and all sentient beings be free from suffering.

technorati tags:Anna, Nicole, Smith, addiction, buddhism, suffering, compassion

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Mindfulness in a War Zone as a Sanity Saver

2007-02-07T00:42:00.001-06:00

I deliberately try to keep politics out of this blog as I try to address more spiritual matters. If you're into politics, read my other blogs, S.D. Watch and Temporary Texan.

But politics intrudes a bit in this posting on mindfulness.

Back in the summer of 1988 when I was a producer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, I was selected by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee to go on a human rights monitoring mission with other journalists to Israel and Palestine. The first Palestinian intifada had erupted in late 1987 and was still going strong during the summer of 1988.

For a 30 year old guy who wasn't much interested in the military, it was a shocking experience. One day I was in my nice little middle class life in Brookings, SD; a few days later, I was in the middle of a war zone with no training and no life experiences to prepare me for the horrors of a civil war.

On the West Bank and in Jerusalem, things were fairly normal. I had been to this part of Israel before in 1985 as part of an American Zionist Federation press junket. I attended lots of meetings with high ranking Palestinian officials--many whom you've seen on TV through the years--and with sympathetic Israeli leaders and members of the peace movement.

It was pretty tame, stuff I was used to.

Then I got sent to Bethlehem. I stayed with a nice middle class family in a lovely home. It seemed more like a vacation--for a while. We would eat fresh olives picked from the owner's olive trees, fresh pita bread from the nearby bakery, fresh feta cheese, and drink strong coffee for breakfast.

Unfortunately, the insanity began.

In the nearby village of Beit Sahour, the story was an Israeli soldier dropped a roofing stone from a building and hit a Palestinian boy on the head. We rushed to scene, still fresh with blood on the street. An angry gathering of Palestinians was heading toward us, a not very happy Israel patrol coming at us from the other direction.

There were shots, screams, screaming, then chaos.

The gentleman I was staying with grabbed me by the hand and said, "We have to run."

We ran across rooftops, through courtyards, and literally through living rooms. If you recall the scene from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when he's running through all the backyards and through people's houses to get home, that's what it was like except it wasn't very damn funny. A van suddenly pulled up, we piled in, and the Palestinians covered me up with blankets for the ride back to Bethlehem.

The next day I went to a refugee camp south of Bethlehem to interview a young girl who nearly had her arm shot off with a dum-dum (exploding) bullet.

On this trip I had a young Palestinian man as my guide. His English was good; his common sense, I would come to learn, was not so good.

As we walked down the road from Bethlehem to the refugee camp, an Israeli troop transport zoomed by us, screeched to a halt about a half a football field ahead of us, turned around, and roared back.

A platoon of Israeli soldiers and reservists piled out of the truck. The young officer begins to question me why I am there, who this Palestinian is, where I was staying, and wanting to look at all my papers. The soldiers had gathered around us in a circle.

Suddenly, my young guide starts to act insane. He talks crazy talk then makes all sorts of odd motions, like he is having a seizure or something.

Almost simultaneous, 12 bolts are pulled back on the soldiers Uzis and M-16s and 12 guns are pointed at me and my young "friend."

Fortunately, a burly reservists yells, "Oh, oh, you've got to look at this guy's wife. Very pretty."

That broke the tension and I was able to walk away without a belly full of lead.

I didn't think things could get much worse. They did. I then was assigned to the to the Gaza Strip.

After a harrowing taxi ride at high speeds, another American in my group and I got dumped in the middle of Gaza City at late evening with no place to stay. We ended up at someone's house, our bags, we thought, long gone. All we had were our satchels with a few things, our passports, and the clothes on our backs.

The next day, we were told we couldn't stay where we were and literally were wondering around until we caught up with a procession of Palestinian men marching through the sandy Gaza cemeteries, chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans.

A young Palestinian invited us to come to his home in a refugee camp for coffee. Since we had no better offers, we obliged.

The refugee camps on the West Bank look like resorts compared to the refugee camps in Gaza. They are cramped, crowded, and have raw sewage running down the gutters. In the midst of drinking coffee, all hell broke loose. Siren wailed, stones hit the tin roof like hail, and soon tear gas wafted in. We were all choking and crying.

We then learned that the Israeli army had closed the camp because some protests got out of hand. We were stuck.

I slept by the open sewer that serviced the home's toilet. I played a couple hundred games of backgammon with my hosts and his younger siblings. We ate lots and lots of fried eggplant, as that's all the family had because they couldn't go to market.

Then that next evening, another protest broke out. More stones and rubber bullets whiting the home and the roof. More tear gas. More choking. I thought I was in hell.

The other American and I decided we were not going to stay there any longer and being a burden on our hosts and possibly get them in trouble for harboring us. We talked to our hosts.

I had noticed a few days earlier that the Israelis had a machine gun nest in a tower about fifty yards from the house we were staying. From there to the street was about 100 feet of open ground.

We had to cross that kill zone in broad daylight to make it to the street and a waiting car that was going to take us back to Gaza City.

At great risk to themselves, the women in the family surrounded us and walked us across No Man's Land to the waiting car. I thought I was a goner. That was the longest 100 feet in my life.

We go back to the small hotel we were first at. Alas, they no longer have any rooms. We're looking at sleeping in the park in Gaza City.

Suddenly, a young Palestinian woman fashionably dressed in Western clothes roared up in a red Toyota van. She yelled at us in very good English for ending up in Gaza during a Muslim holiday akin to Christmas, where everyone is home with their families. She said she'd take us in.

After another crazy drive through the narrow, twisting streets of Gaza City, we ended up at a palatial, three story home near the Mediterranean Ocean. I was like something out of "Architectural Digest." These folks were not poor folks.

The family was a prominent, old-line Gaza family. They were used to taking in Westerners like me--diplomats, aide workers, and journalists. Only most of these people treated living there like a hotel. Strangely, I felt at home.

I asked Madeleine, the young woman who had rescued me, and her mother, if I could help out around the house. They had more people than they were expecting (including me and my colleague) and my Midwestern roots said I shouldn't be a burden.

Without hesitation, I got put to work in the kitchen washing and drying dishes.

I have never enjoyed washing and drying dishes so much in my entire life.

This was my first taste of mindfulness. I didn't really know it at the time, but it was.

Doing the dishes was familiar. Safe. Helpful. Relaxing. I concentrated on just doing the dishes. No war. No running through people's living rooms. No sleeping by sewers. No getting tear gassed. Just wash, rinse, dry. Wash, rinse, dry. Repeat. I'd talk occasionally with my hosts. But they too concentrated on the task at hand--not world peace, not peace in the Middle East, but doing the dishes.

I firmly believe that had I not ended up at their home and helping with the dishes, I would have probably had a mental breakdown. I also probably saved me from even more problems with decompression when I returned to the USA.

Mindfully doing the dishes in the middle of a war zone seems crazy.

But that small act of mindfulness may have been just what I needed then and a lesson that I need to remember now and forever.

Do what you can do, even if it is only doing the dishes. Live in that moment.

And I thank God that I had that moment when all hell was going on around me.

Perhaps the Buddha smiled on me that day--A Christian in a Muslim home surrounded by a Jewish state.

technorati tags:mindfulness, Buddhism, Buddha, Israel, Islam, Gaza, Jerusalem, intifada, ADC

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Of Pema, Shenpa, and Omaha

2007-02-04T00:57:00.001-06:00

While on a recent trip from South Dakota to Kansas, I made my usual way down I-29. When I get to Omaha (actually, Council Bluffs, IA), going through the merging lanes of "the big city" can raise my small town shenpa--anxiety.

On this trip, however, I was listening to Pema Chodron's "Getting Unstuck" on my iPod. About an hour north of Omaha (somewhere south of Sioux City, IA), I learned about the concept of shenpa (Tibetan for "hooked" or attachment or as some Italian-Americans might say, agita).

Approaching Omaha, I thought I should probably turn off Ms Chodron's book on mindfulness so I could better negotiate all the traffic, lane changes, and so forth.

For some reason, I didn't.

I let Pema play. That point of the audio book was a meditation exercise through listening to a gong then listening to your surroundings.

My first thought was I'd zone out then end up in Des Moines, IA rather than Wichita, KS.

But I went with the flow.

My usual Omaha shenpa was reduced. Omaha was a snap.

So, I recommend Pema for shenpa in Omaha--and about anything else that makes you anxious and takes away your mindfulness.

For a review read: Amazon.ca: Getting Unstuck: Books: Pema Chodron
For more on shenpa read:Shenpa Practise or How we get hooked

technorati tags:shenpa, agita, mindfulness, pema, chodron, omaha, wichita, sioux, city, kansas, iowa, Buddhism, anxiety

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(un)Happy Ground Hog Day

2007-02-02T15:25:00.001-06:00

It's ok for every day to be Ground Hog Day if you're a ground hog but not if you are a person.*

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Or, truth be told, if your Ground Hog Day is like the movie "Ground Hog Day", each day might seem like a pointless repeat of the day before--or the Ground Hog Day celebration of the year before, as Bill Murray's character experiences.

The Buddha might call it "bad karma." I might call it a "rut" or practicing "non-mindfulness."

It is easy to fall into the trap of one day running into the next day, all a river of grayness.

But life is lived between breaths. Each breath is a new opportunity. Each breath is a chance to experience something new. Each breath is a gift of living in this very moment.

I hope you have a very happy Ground Hog Day--you know, the one where the guys in funny top hats in Pennsylvania pull that poor ground hog out of his mid-winter slumber and hold him up for the cameras.

But I hope every day is not your very own personal "Ground Hog Day." Try a little mindfulness and see if that puts the boring little critter back in his hole where he belongs.

*This beautiful photo of a ground hog during warmer days is used with permission from Jamuudsen via Flickr via a Creative Commons license.

technorati tags:ground, hog, mindfulness, moments, Buddhism, Buddha

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Grape-Nuts and Not Itching the Itch that Could Kill You

2007-01-30T15:32:00.001-06:00

Important safety tip, fellow babies: don’t cough with a mouthful of Grapenuts.

First, they spew everywhere. Think of spit wads the consistency of small rocks.

Second, they turn a tickle in your throat into a massive itch you just can’t scratch. Imagine small gravel in your gullet. MUST. SCRATCH. THROAT. IF. SCRATCH. THROAT. WILL. DIE!

It’s a problem—scratch it and choke yourself or don’t scratch it and choke with a mouth full of slightly soggy Grapenuts and milk. And spew.

Just thought I’d share this to warn others away from my suffering.

technorati tags:grapenuts, cereal, choking, tickle

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technorati tags:mindfulness, humor, grape-nuts, suffering, Buddhism

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"See" You in Kansas! Light Buddha Blogging Ahead!

2007-01-22T11:24:00.001-06:00

I'm running late but this is my last post for a while. I'm just about out the door. I have depositions in a federal case in Kansas and will be occupied all week with that--and traveling from South Dakota to Kansas.

So, no great Buddhist insights on any consistent basis for the rest of the week.

Wish me luck!

technorati tags:kansas, travel, buddha, buddhism, luck

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Hitting the Buddhist Brick Wall

2007-01-20T21:35:00.000-06:00

Practicing Buddhism generally and mindfulness specifically is easy when times are going ok.

All is right with the world. Right thought, right action.

Right.

Then the acolyte--me--runs headlong into a wall this week.

I imagine the chubby fellow sitting on the top of it ala Humpty Dumpty but not falling.

My teenage daughter decided to act out this week after weeks of relative calm.

Deadlines were crashing into me in my lawyer work.

My wife was out of town, almost killing herself when she fell asleep at the wheel. Thank God she woke up and was ok.

It was a perfect storm of stress.

And I snapped. I yelled at my daughter about her bad behavior. I worked like a maniac to make the deadlines. I fretted about my wife after her accident.

To compensate, I listened to podcasts--I'm a fan of Infinite Smile--and read Zen books and tried to practice breathing.

Still, I felt like a Buddhist failure.

I only hope that my actions--though unmindful--were more mindful than they used to be when faced with similar problems pre-Buddhist study. And, I can only hope that the next time I'm faced with similar craziness, I am more mindful than this time.

Buddhism, enlightenment, mindfulness, life--it is all a process. And hopefully the power curve is going in the right direction.

May I be free from suffering. May all beings be free from suffering.

Humpty Dumpty graphic used under permission from http://www.discoveryschool.com. See copyright information.

Using Science to Build Faith in Yourself

2007-01-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

One of the things you hear in both religion and the self-improvement fields is that you "gotta have faith.'

Frankly, for many of us who are brought up on logic, argument, and facts, "faith" is a difficult concept.

Buddhism probably comes to closest to asking its practitioners to test their faith--or at least their philosophy--against facts, science, and reality.

On the other hand, if you don't have faith in something, life can be pretty bleak.

Fortunately, a little book I've come across might help those of you who are like me and can't take things on "faith" along.

David Niven, Ph.D. (No, not the famous English actor) has written Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise." (Paperback, HarperSanFranciso, $15.95, 2006)

Broken down into a short reading each day, Dr. Niven explains how a certain "faith" in a new attitude, or change in direction, or other means of better living has changed a person for the better or could help you.

At the bottom, however, he adds a sort of footnote that cites scientific, medical, or psychological studies that prove or at least suggest that the new attitude or "faith" has an empirical basis.

Here's an excerpt:

January 1

Motivation Beats Everything

Lack of motivation is a handicap that can stifle a person's potential regardless of their strengths. If you do not want something, it simply does not matter how talented you are. Understand that motivation is the biggest asset you possess in pursuing your future.

Sam worked in the kitchen washing dishes at a restaurant in Fresno, California. It was undeniably the worst job in the place. "It was backbreaking work in unbelievable heat. The pace was always hectic, and when the dinner rush finally slowed, you had to face the pots and pans," Sam says.

Although only a teenager, Sam thought about the things he would do differently if he ran the restaurant. "The tile floor would get slippery as the night wore on, and we were always trying to come up with ways to keep the waiters from falling down, 'cause if they fell down, it was the dishwashers who had to clean it up," he recalls.

It was only a dream at the time—but little by little he saved what he could. He moved up step-by-step through restaurant jobs until he was running the kitchen. Twenty years after he started as a dishwasher, he opened his first restaurant, and within a few years he had four locations.

Sam, who won an award for the success of his restaurants, credits his outlook for his success: "It would not be possible without hard work, but it would not be possible without believing in it. If I didn't believe, I never would have saved. I never would have learned everything I could about the business. If you have persistence and confidence, you have a bright future."
Researchers found that the future career earnings of schoolchildren were four times more strongly influenced by personal motivation than by any other factor. (Russell and Atwater 2005)

And so on 364 more times.

On a personal note, I have found it highly useful. It hasn't (yet) made me wealthy, but I think it has made me healthy-er and wise-er.

And coupled with my study of Buddhism and emphasis on mindfulness, it has been a book a great insight.

I highly recommend it--and you don't have to take that on "faith!"

And the Most "Enlightened" City in South Dakota Is. . . Pierre?

2007-01-15T00:50:00.001-06:00

I discovered an interesting thing while looking at my blog statistic on Google Analytics.

In what South Dakota city is this blog most popular?

Pierre.

Yes, Pierre.

I figured it would be Sioux Falls, the self-described center of South Dakota. Or maybe funky Vermillion the Berkeley of South Dakota. But stodgy old Pierre?

Go figure. But they apparently are seekers of enlightenment.

There were also a number of smaller communities as well.

Again, one finds the Buddha in many places. And in may places, big and small, people are seeking the Buddha--and enlightenment.

technorati tags:buddhism, buddha, enlightenment, pierre, south, dakota

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Meet Mr. and Mrs. PP's Lucky #7!

2007-01-13T22:28:00.001-06:00

My friend and blogmate Pat Powers at S.D. War College and his wife are expecting child #7.

Yes, Number Seven. As in seven kids.

Blogging is apparently not all that Pat does. <grin>

While I am an only child, my parents come from similarly large farm families from Nebraska: Rodney Epp, my dad (eldest child)--one brother, three sisters; Eva Belle James Epp, my mom (somewhere in the middle of the brood); two brothers, seven sisters. And neither were Catholic families--My dad's was Mennonite/Missouri Synod Lutheran and my mom's was Methodist.

To the Powers family, the best of luck and congratulations! And below is a first look at "Lucky."

technorati tags:Birth, children, Luck

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The Mindfulness of a New Sweatshirt

2007-01-10T11:43:00.000-06:00

Buddhism reminds us to be mindful of not just the big things but the little things.

One of the little things that I absolutely enjoy is putting on a brand new sweatshirt. The lining is so soft and comfortable. There are few moments in life quite so cozy.

Unfortunately, after several washings, the fuzzy lining becomes less fuzzy and a bit harder.

I get the same sensation with a new pair of sweat socks. In fact, when I was in high school, I tried to swing it so I always wore a new pair for every game. My feet just felt better.

Obviously, it would be wasteful to just buy new sweat socks and sweatshirts just to get the brand news soft and cozy feeling. Which means cherishing the chances we get with new sweat socks and shirts all the more.

May you be free from suffering and may your sweat socks and sweatshirts be free from matting.

Exhbit A for Non-Mindfulness: Cowboys QB Tony Romo

2007-01-07T21:43:00.000-06:00

Point After Tries (PATs) and short field goals in the NFL are generally "gimmes." Everyone knows their job--the center, the holder, and the kicker in particular.

They practice and practice and practice until it is automatic. And it almost always is in the NFL. These are extremely accomplished athletes and professionals.

Except in Saturday's NFL Wildcard game where the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys on a botched hold on a short field goal attempt.

Tony Romo, the Dallas QB who got the starting job midseason and the PAT and field goal holder for a couple of seasons, bobbled the snap in the waning minutes of the playoff game. The snap was perfect. He got it in his hands. But FUMBLE.

The kicker couldn't kick, Romo took the ball and tried to run into the endzone, but it was a disaster.

The lesson is not to pile on poor Tony. He feels bad enough.

It is a lesson in mindfulness. No job is too simple, too repetitive, too easy. Even people at the top of their skills and profession can lose mindfulness.

Fortunately, in this instance, it was just a football game (unless, of course, you are a Dallas Cowboys fan).

But a lack of mindfulness can be much more costly on the highway, while operating dangerous equipment, or even in our relationships.

It is not that non-mindfulness can ever be completely eliminated. But we can always be more mindful about what we are doing.

Literally, for Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, their season and its hopes were dashed between breaths--a life or lack of a future life all in an instance.

mindfulness

Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys

The Non-Zen of Terrell Owens: T.O. in Koans

2007-01-03T23:01:00.000-06:00

Thought I would combine two of my great loves--NFL football and Buddhism. Enjoy!

If the Dallas Cowboys' Terrell Owens held a news conference and no one came, would it make a sound?
If the Cowboys did not throw a pass to T.O. in the course of a game, was there actually a game played?
If T.O. no longer plays for a team, does that team still exist?
If T.O. does not like his team's quarterback, does that quarterback actually exist?
Are we all T.O. lovers, we just don't know it yet?

Terrell Owens

T.O.

Dallas Cowboys

Happy Buddha New Year!

2007-01-01T01:41:00.000-06:00

In 2007, may you not only be free from suffering, but may you also experience joy, satisfaction, peace, good health, and enlightenment.

This wonderful Buddha photo illustration is from Taichung, Taiwan. It was taken by pete4ducks via Flickr and is used under Creative Commons License ( Some rights reserved )

Pres. Ford and the Power of Forgiveness

2006-12-28T10:33:00.000-06:00

President Gerald R. Ford was too down to earth, too much of a "regular guy" to probably ever consider himself a Buddhist.

But as the old expression goes, we are all Buddhists, we just don't know it yet.

I think President Ford is a great example of that in the way he lived his life.

First, as several commentators have noted since his death earlier this week, Pres. Ford lived "in the moment." He wanted the Vietnam War and Watergate behind the nation. Ford said we had to go on and concentrate on issues facing the country now.

Second, commentators have noted that he was an "uncomplicated" guy. I take that to mean genuine, which nearly all have said about the late President. If that isn't Buddhism--finding and then living your true nature--then I don't know what is.

Third, my own observations about President Ford was that he never got too excited or too angry about anything. While a loving husband and father, he didn't let his emotions get in the way of his decision making. He was always on an "even keel." He was mindful.

Fourth, President Ford understood the power of forgiveness. But first, a little Buddhist context:

One example of forgiveness in the Buddha Stories would be the life of Angulimala, the mass murderer who became one of the Buddha’s most respected disciples. Whether the actual words were spoken, certainly shame and apology was implied in the actions of Angulimala, as forgiveness was implied in the resulting actions of the Buddha. The teaching here is that deeds have more power and meaning that words.

To live our lives in “apology” and in “forgiveness” is far better than mere words which we may or may not in reality truly mean. Apology and forgiveness is implied throughout Buddhist texts and stories. Also unconditional love (metta) implies that we love others irregardless of whether there is a need or an expression of apology – this certainly is an act of implied forgiveness. There can be no true healing without forgiveness of ourselves and of others. We can say that healing is the fruit of our practice of forgiveness.

--Buddhist Thought Regarding Apologies and Forgiveness

And so it was that Ford pardoned President Richard M. Nixon. It was unpopular at the time but Ford knew that it was a step the country needed to take to move on, to heal, to be able to get back to the "here and now" of running a superpower. It was wise and also involved self-sacrifice by Ford, who knew it might cost him the Presidency.

Ford also had an amnesty program for Vietnam War draft dodgers. It too was unpopular. But like the Nixon pardon, Ford knew that the power of forgiveness would help heal the nation and again allow it to concentrate on the "here and now."

Gerald Ford was not a perfect person or President. But he lived a rich, full, long life. He practiced forgiveness on the largest scale imaginable. He was a great uncarved block of trustworthiness, virtue, and honesty. He is an example of a life well lived, a life of following The Middle Path.

Gerald Ford, our most Buddha-like President.

On a "Silent Night," Buddha Meets Baby Jesus

2006-12-23T22:31:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday morning, I awoke to music.

The simple strains of “Silent Night” wafted down the hall and into my bedroom.

The old Christmas standard was performed simply, elegantly, on a piano.

Still half asleep, I wondered if my wife Donna had turned the stereo to SD Public Radio or some other station playing Christmas music.

I have sung “Silent Night” as a kid in Christmas programs, as a teenager in German in my high school German club, and as an adult in church.

“Silent Night” continued—softly, elegantly, tenderly.

I was in a reverie. My delight was made all the more so when I discovered that the performer was not the radio but Donna. She seldom plays the piano. I wished she played more.

It was one of life’s transcendent moments, a moment when the Buddha within met the Baby Jesus anew.

Not Killing the Buddha When You Meet Him

2006-12-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

“Followers of the Way, if you wish to see this Dharma clearly, do not let yourselves be deceived. Whether you turn to the outside or to the inside, whatever you encounter, kill it. If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha; if you meet the patriarchs, kill the patriarchs; if you meet Arhats, kill Arhats; if you meet your parents, kill your parents; if you meet your relatives, kill your relatives; then for the first time you will see clearly. And if you do not depend on things, there is deliverance, there is freedom!” (Zen Teaching of Rinzai, pp. 43-44)

This outrageous statement was made in the 9th century by the Chinese Buddhist teacher Lin-chi. The purpose of this statement was not to encourage homicide, or even worse, parricide or buddhacide. Lin-chi was challenging the complacency and fixations of his disciples. He was challenging them to get past their daydreams of enlightenment and their dependence on custom, ceremony and traditional piety so that they could see the Dharma directly for themselves.
--Clinging to the Buddha by Ryuei Michael McCormick

I would never have guessed that one of my blogging nemesis, Ken Blanchard, at S.D. Politics, was also interested in Buddhism and is a practitioner of zazen. We have both been on each other's shit about stuff. He's a conservative, I'm a liberal.

But we've come to appreciate the work of the other. And now, I find out he too is interested in "The Way."

I didn't expect to see the Buddha in Ken. But yet, there he is. The Buddha is a cagey fellow, full of surprises.

So, in this instance, I will not "kill the Buddha when I meet him (or one of his fellow babies)," but I will say "hmmmm" and embrace him (ok, not literally, but figuratively.)

Ken, I bow to the Buddha in you.

Sen. Tim Johnson and Impermanence

2006-12-19T23:27:00.000-06:00

Sen. Tim Johnson's (D-S.D.) recent health crisis reminds us of an important Buddhist tenet--our existence in all its forms is impermanent.

As the Dalai Lama has said:

Good fortune is not permanent; consequently, it is dangerous to become too attached to things going well. An outlook of permanence is ruinous. When the present becomes your preoccupation, the future does not matter, which undermines your motivation to engage in compassionate practices for the future enlightenment of others. An outlook on impermanence helps. By seeing that the true nature of things is disintegration, you will not be shocked by change when it occurs, not even death.

The Dalai Lama, from his book, How to Expand Love.

I don't say this and mean that I think Sen. Johnson is going to die. I hope that he gets better and back on the job as quickly as his healing allows. But even medical experts say that Tim will never be quite the same after his recovery as he was before the AVM episode in his brain and the subsequent surgery.

The U.S. Senate may not be the same. South Dakota politics may not be the same. Plans other people made based on certain assumptions about Tim's political ambitions may not be the same. Votes in the Senate may not be the same. Tim's family's plans have changed. Tim's plans have changed. Many things will not be the same.

And none of us can do anything about it other than to accept the fact that Tim's life, my life, your life, everyone's life is full of impermanence.

Just as you can't put your foot in the same river twice, nothing in our lives--our health, our plans, our dreams, our success, our, our power--are permanent.

Sometimes that impermanence hits us like a linebacker. And sometimes it only touches us with a feather. But we are always touched by impermanence.

May Sen. Johnson, his family, his staff, his friends--and all of us and all creatures--be free from suffering.

Buddha and Todd: Celebrating The Day of our Births

2006-12-08T22:59:00.000-06:00

Besides sharing ample bellies, the Buddha and I share a date--December 8.

On this date, a long, long time ago, Buddha found enlightenment.

Read: Happy Bodhi Day!!--[The Buddhist Blog]

Namo Shakyamuni Buddha. Today we celebrate and honor The Buddha and our Buddha within in celebrating Shakyamuni the Buddha's Englightenment. May we use this day (and weekend) to do something charitable. ~Peace to all beings~

And to learn more about how Bodhi Day is celebrated in Japan and the USA:

Read:
Buddhist holiday adapts Zen to modern America-- [The Buddhist Channel]

An on this date, in a small community hospital in Tilden, Nebraska, around 8:30 a.m., my mother gave birth to me, her one and only child.

For me, nearly 50 years ago, it was my physical birth. For the Buddha, it was the birth of his enlightenment.

The Buddha's birth and birth of enlightenment has had much more impact on the world than I'll ever have. And my path to enlightenment is just beginning.

But still, it's nice to share something with the Buddha besides girth.

Changing Yourself to Change Others You Love--With a Little Help from The Tick

2006-12-05T23:19:00.000-06:00

"Arthur, I'm the you that you want to be. The only thing that's keeping you from being me is you."--The Tick

"Once we shift from seeing self to seeing openness, we become truly appreciative of life and fully become a grace for others."--Michael McCormick

Anyone who watched the too-soon canceled Fox TV show, "The Tick," knows that The Tick was probably one of the most unaware characters in the history of television. A self-appointed doer of good, he was bound to do good no matter the cost to others or their protestations. His complete lack of self-awareness was one of the key elements that made the show so incredibly funny.

Many of us have at least a little bit of The Tick in us. We march forward believing in the goodness of our causes, the rightness of our words, and the purposefulness of our actions. We sometimes don't listen to the person we're "helping," instead heaping all of our "goodness" upon them--whether wanted or not.

Often, this only leads to anger, frustration, and misunderstanding (alas, not humor, like in "The Tick.") We are busy telling the other person how they need to change to be better. Then we repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. We turn into well-intentioned but ineffective nags.

As many of you know, my teenage daughter has had some issues. Up until recently, my approach was very "old school"--my way or the highway. I told my daughter in no uncertain terms what I thought what she needed to change about herself--over and over again.

It didn't work.

All it did was make everybody in the family mad, anxious, upset, and not wanting to deal with things.

After talking to a friend of mine (not a Buddhist, but someone who is a big believer in the Buddhist concept of mindfulness) and telling him about this cycle, he suggested something.

"You can't change your daughter. But you can change how you approach your daughter."

He suggested that my hard-ass approach was not working on any level. He suggested simply listening to my daughter when she was angry and just be willing to talk to her in a calm and reasonable manner when she was ready.

The turnaround was remarkable.

Not only did I feel better--less stress, less anger, less frustration--my daughter felt she could open up to me more. She knew I would not go all medieval on her if she told me she had done something I might not approve. We could have a calm and intelligent discussion about how to handle the situation better the next time. My wife and son were also less upset and aggravated and worried.

The change I wanted didn't lie external to me but internal. As the Michael McCormick quote notes, I saw and exhibited "openness," which became a grace for all of us.

Do not dismiss the importance of changing yourself if you are looking for change in others you love. And watch "The Tick," just don't be like The Tick.

A Buddhist Blogging Boggler

2006-12-04T23:07:00.000-06:00

One of the precepts of Buddhism is to give up wanting and desire as they lead, ultimately, to suffering.

Query: Is wanting people to come to your blog on Buddhism egoism?

What is the sound of a blog no one reads? One hand clapping?

Perhaps he answer comes from the movie "Field of Dreams": If you build it they will come.

Why I Like Buddhism

2006-12-03T12:37:00.000-06:00

This excerpt from Buddhist Studies nicely encapsulates why I enjoy the study of Buddhism and why it appeals to my logical side:

Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches
that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha
asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

The Buddha himself said to test what he said. Today, the Dalai Lama has said that if science were to show that some precept of Buddhism was not true. Buddhists would have to accept that. Buddhism is not something that strikes you on the road to Damascus; it is something learned through study, meditation, and testing against life.

It is also compatible with whatever your religion is. Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy. Buddha was not and is not a god or God. He was just a man trying to figure life out. Just like most of us.

Thanks to Infinite Smile, A Progressive on the Prairie, S.D. War College

2006-12-03T12:12:00.000-06:00

Getting traffic to a new blog is tough work.

It really depends on the kindness of other bloggers and websites. In this site's infancy, Michael McAlister at Infinite Smile (who I only know through his excellent podcasts) and Tim Gebhart at A Progressive on the Prairie (check out his new site) (who I know through the practice law and blogging) have driven a lot of traffic my way.

Also, a thank you to my friend Pat Powers at S.D. War Collge (for you non-South Dakotans, he's not teaching about war but politics) for adding me to his site's RSS summary.

Thank you very much for your help!

The Zen of Steak?

2006-11-28T23:25:00.000-06:00

As a newbie to this Buddhism thing, I have a question: can a Buddhist also be a carnivore?

I understand the precept of not trying to harm any living thing. It sounds really good--for many critters and in many circumstances.

But here's the problem, Buddhist-wise: I love meat, particularly red meat.

I know that it takes a lot of resources to create that meat, animals are killed, and working in a packing plant ain't a day in the park, unless your park consists of squealing animals, blood, knives, and stench. It's not a process for the faint of heart.

So, I know all these bad things about meat.

But have you ever had a steak at the Cattlemen's Club in Pierre or the Texas Roadhouse in Sioux Falls? Their steaks are delicious. I can't tell you how much I enjoy them. I've had many a good time with good friends and family while eating steaks or grilling steaks. Hamburgers too. Oh, and bison jerky. And pork loin. There's nothing like a sandwich at the State Fair piled high with pork loin covered in BBQ sauce. Now that's good eatin'!

I also live in the heart of beef country. Cattle raising is not only an important industry in South Dakota, it is also an honorable way of life. Most ranchers I know are not just laid back, they are also good stewards of the land. If I had to say I had a favorite group of South Dakotans, it would be ranchers and cowboys. They live life in relative freedom and have lots of time to contemplate their existence and place in it. They are good men and women whose word is their bond.

I really don't want to put them out of business.

Tofu ain't my gig. But I am conflicted. What to do on the culinary path of enlightenment? I can give up many things during this journey but giving up meat could be a deal breaker. Any thoughts?

Dog Time as Buddhist Mindfulness

2006-11-27T23:28:00.000-06:00

Dogs are perfect Buddhists. They are entirely about the moment. A limited memory of the past, no idea about the future unless you rattle their food bowl and they expect they might get fed.

There is basically only now, with now filled with sleeping, eating, pooping, peeing, and being petted. What a life.

Take my three dogs, Thunder (a black miniature Schnauzer), Winston (a gray miniature Schnauzer) and Toto (a brownish Cairn Terrier). Time is essentially meaningless to them. I can be gone one minute to the mail box, one hour in town for a meeting, one day for a business trip, or one month on a vacation and it's all the same to them. They are just as glad to see me after my return from the mail box as they are from a trip to the other side of the world. Their happiness about my return is at about a "10" on a 1-10 scale regardless of my time away.

Seems to me that our pet dogs offer us some important lessons in mindfulness.

Originally posted at on S.D. Watch at http://thunewatch.squarespace.com/sdwatch/2006/10/23/pointless-observation-of-the-day-dog-time.html

Photo courtesy of Altweibersommer via Flickr (Explore Flickr - www.flickr.com/explore/) subject to the following license: Some rights reserved.

Michael Richards: Anger and Forgiveness

2006-11-24T22:54:00.000-06:00

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”--Buddha

As you have probably seen and heard from TV or YouTube, Michael Richards of Kramer fame in "Seinfeld," had a massive anger meltdown last week at a Los Angeles comedy club. He threw an ugly, racist rant about blacks, using the N word with great frequency. It was a disturbing display of anger and racism.

See Richard's Rant:

But then something interesting happened. Richards apologized. Abjectly. With sincerity. With hurt. With confusion. He appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and said he was sorry. He was obviously not scripted. It was a rambling, wrenching, and very human apology by a man who knew he was wrong, had "personal work to do," and realized that his words were harmful, not to just those at the club who heard them, but in the larger American society as well.

See Richards on "Letterman":

Some have said they thought the apology was not sincere, was a stunt, and was "Krameresque." See: Michael Richards' racist rant: Career-killer or career-reviver? and Michael Richards' apology: Accepted? (Entertainment Weekly); Richards Tries to Explain His Rant at Comedy Club and Bewildered-Sounding Man and Bewildering Words (New York Times); and Kramer Ban (Jason Folkerts). I don't pretend to know what is in another person's heart. But what I saw appeared to be sincere and a plea for forgiveness.

I can't tell anyone to forgive. That is up to the person offended to accept the apology. And sometimes that takes time. But the Buddha said, “To understand everything is to forgive everything.”

I hope anyone who was offended will eventually forgive Michael Richards. Perhaps this incident will put Richards on the path of enlightenment. For the rest of us, it is an opportunity to walk a little further down the path of forgiveness.