Atttention regulation and monitoring in meditation.
Thanks to Ed for finding the article. I’d certainly not come across this kind of study on my own…
Attention Regulation, AKA Meditation?
Category Archives: Information
A Door that Can’t be Closed
Former Muslim radical Shiraz Maher spent his student days campaigning for an Islamic caliphate in which execution for renouncing Islam would be written into the constitution. Now Shiraz is calling for moderation and greater Muslim integration into British life, a stance which has meant he himself is now labelled an apostate by some Muslim radicals, for which the penalty is death. He asks whether such an extreme punishment is really justified by the Qu’ran and the example of the Prophet Muhammad. ‘Could I Stop Being a Muslim?’, BBC Radio 4 FM
Listen on-line or to the repeat Sunday 27th at 5.00 pm GMT
This programme explores the issue of apostasy the formal renunciation of ones religion thus becoming an apostate.
Contrary to Abrahamic dogmas, there is no concept of an apostate in Hinduism or Buddhism, as everyone is accepted as one and the same. Converts to other religions from Hinduism or Buddhism are accepted in these communities, as there is no Hindu or Buddhist procedure that defines apostasy.
– Wikipedia.
Thank you to my monastic walking companion for bringing the concept of apostasy to my attention. This is a new word for me but not a new concept, thankfully not one we have in Buddhism. I’ll listen to the recording of the above programme when I return to the monastery tomorrow.
Flowers of the Mind
If the right conditions are present, then flowers will bloom.
Soto-Shu Calendar
A nun from another tradition told me of a woman who had written from prison in East Asia. Every day they take me out and beat me and abuse me. Every day I do my walking and sitting meditation, and I am free!
It is sometimes the case that the conditions that seem wrong can be the very ones in which the lotus blooms. This comes about through the faith that blooming is not dependent on external conditions, and then acting on that.
May the flowers of the mind bloom in the springtime of Enlightenment.
For my good sister in the Dharma, may you flower where ever you are.
Accessability +
Now you can listen to Jade Mountains (see note below). I’d be interested if anybody uses this service. A fast connection is needed.
Following on from yesterdays post on screen readers here is an article explaining the matter, in details.
Thanks to John for the link.
17th June update. I’m not using the podcast facility mentioned in this article. I’d not read the terms and conditions carefully enough. Let that be a lesson to me.
Sitting Buddha
In order to make the Dharma accessible to those who have visual impairments, the following downloads of Sitting Buddha by Rev. Master Daishin Morgan, Abbot of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, are available. This short book is an introduction to Zen Buddhism and sitting meditation (zazen) as practiced at Throssel. Please click on the links for each of the twelve chapters. (No file is bigger than 40k.) These files are for personal use only and should not be redistributed without checking with the guest department at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey.
Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey
I found out about this recent upload via a Twitter site I stumbled upon yesterday. Isn’t it interesting how information is networked around the world and, in this case, lands back to it’s source here at Throssel. Having discovered this new download and who uploaded it I nipped down the corridor to question the monk responsible. What makes a download accessible, and for who in particular? Light briskly shone upon the matter.
Apparently Screen Readers are not able to read PDF files as accurately as DOC ones. A new world of website accessibility has now opened up before me. Already I know of at least two people who find it difficult to read the text on Jade Mountains. I’d like to do all that’s possible to ease the struggle.