Dharma » Robbys Life

Dec 17

Stephen and Ondrea Levine Need our Support

An Open Letter from Jack Kornfield, Ram Dass, and Sharon Salzberg

Dear Friends,

We are writing to ask your support for two beloved friends of ours, Stephen and Ondrea Levine. They are currently facing significant difficulty. After a life-time of giving, they are now at a time to receive from those of us whose lives have been touched by their presence and teaching.

Their greatest needs are financial. Ondrea has Leukemia and the costs of her insurance and treatment have used up their savings. Stephen’s health is not good either, and he is too frail to travel or teach. When we heard about this, we felt moved to contribute to a fund set up for them, and to encourage others to do the same.

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Stephen and Ondrea have been among our generation’s most important teachers, demonstrating and encouraging others to embrace the power of love and generosity. For three years, they ran a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week free phone line for those dying or in need of support. When the phone bills got too high, they sold their house to keep the project going. For decades they regularly corresponded with thousands people who were seeking spiritual guidance, giving freely to those in need, many of whom were sick or in the final years of their life.

The circle has now come around, allowing us the opportunity to give to these two life-long givers. We hope to raise several hundred thousand dollars in small and large donations to help them through this time.

Caring for friends and teachers is an essential part of any spiritual life. As we age, spiritual friends are more important than ever. Stephen and Ondrea have been dear spiritual friends to us and to thousands of others through their books, workshops, and correspondence.

If you are one of these people and are moved to give, below are three ways to donate to the Levine Fund at Bread for the Journey. Bread for the Journey informs us that donations are tax deductible.

With gratitude and love,

Jack Kornfield, Ram Dass, and Sharon Salzberg

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Mail: Send to: Bread for the Journey, 267 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, California 94941.

In the letter, please enclose a note indicating that your gift is for the Stephen and Ondrea Levine Fund and in the note section of your check write “Levine Fund.” In honor of the immeasurable gifts Stephen and Ondrea have given to the family of the earth, Bread for the Journey has generously offered to manage the fund with 100% of your donation going to the Levine Fund.

Online: click here and designate the donation to the Levine Fund.

Phone: call 415-383-4600 with a credit card number.

For questions and other means of giving, contact SorenGordhamer@gmail.com.

* Please feel free to post this letter on blogs or forward it to individuals or groups you know who may wish to hear news of Stephen and Ondrea.

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL…CONTACT SorenGordhamer@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: Stephen Levine, Ondrea Levine, Dharma Punx

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Jun 17

Ignorance

My Life, Dharma | No Comments

There could be no bigger mistake than to think that ignorance is somehow dumb and stupid, or passive and lacking in intelligence. On the contrary, it is shrewd and cunning, versatile and ingenious in the games of deception, and in our wrong views and their burning convictions we find one of its deepest and, as Buddha said, most dangerous manifestations:

What do you have to fear from the wild elephant
Who can only damage your body here and now,
When falling under the influence of misguided people and wrong views
Not only destroys the merit you have accumulated in the past,
But also blocks your path to freedom in the future?

Something like that makes you think about many ignorant things from the past. Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Bush and many more. Falling under the influence of misguided people and wrong views has plagued this great earth many times just in the lst 200 years.

Set the intention that we keep on the path for the benefit of not only ourselves but all beings. No matter what path we are on in your heart you know if you are walking towards the light or away from it. If you are helping or hurting this world as a whole investigate the path you are on now and see if there isn’t even the smallest thing you can change today that might help the greater good.

Are my actions doing me and everyone around me any good or am I on a destructive path?
If I am neither than can I make a decision to change?

“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.”

– Max Ehrmann

Technorati Tags: intelligence, Buddha, Dharma, Buddhism, Spirituality, Dharma Punx, Ignorance

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Jun 15

Wisdom of Compassion

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“The teachings of all the great mystical paths of the world make it clear that there is within us an enormous reservoir of power, the power of wisdom and compassion, the power of what Christ called the Kingdom of Heaven. If we learn how to use it—and this is the goal of the search for enlightenment—it can transform not only ourselves but the world around us. Has there ever been a time when the clear use of this sacred power was more essential or more urgent? Has there ever been a time when it was more vital to understand the nature of this pure power and how to channel it and how to use it for the sake of the world?”

The Dharma is so powerful how it tends to encompass all religions and ideals. The ultimate goal of any religion is to generate more compassion and better understanding in this world. Hopefully this understanding can translate into a better relationship with all of our problems as we see them. Shed some light into the truth of the added suffering we place on our problems that turn them into something worse than they are already. If you get a chance read a book called “Living Buddha Living Christ” by Thich Nhat Hanh. This book helped me break down the barriers that we seem to have between religions. In this book he describes the similarities between Christianity and Buddhism closely. The teachings of Christ and the similarities with teachings of the Dharma.

My favorite Dharma sites:

Technorati Tags: Meditation, Glimpse of the day, Buddhism, Dharma Punx, Dharma, Vipassana, Spirit Rock

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Jun 14

Laws of Karma

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Because the law of karma is inevitable and infallible, whenever we harm others, we are directly harming ourselves, and whenever we bring them happiness, we are bringing ourselves future happiness.
The Dalai Lama says:
“If you try to subdue your selfish motives—anger and so forth—and develop more kindness and compassion for others, ultimately you yourself will benefit more than you would otherwise. So sometimes I say that the wise selfish person should practice this way. Foolish selfish people are always thinking of themselves, and the result is negative. Wise selfish people think of others, help others as much as they can, and the result is that they too receive benefit.”

What is posted isn’t from me, but it is a teaching of the Dharma and when it directly relates to my life I like to pass it on, as it was so freely given to me. The sanskrit word Dharma is considered to be the way things are, or the truth in the words of our buddhist teachers. It also signifies the correct understanding of the way of nature, something that seems to ring true for many as a deeper understanding of life, and the careful balance of nature in our life. A greater understanding of the dharma leads to less suffering that we create in our own lifes. Less confusion helps generate a greater sense of acceptance to things that we can change in our lifes for the benefit of all beings.

Technorati Tags: Karma, Compassion, Dharma, Dharma Punx, Buddhism, Meditation

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Jun 05

Progress in meditation

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As you continue to practice meditation, you may have all kinds of experiences, both good and bad. You might experience states of bliss, clarity, or absence of thoughts. In one way these are very good experiences, and signs of progress in meditation. For when you experience bliss, it’s a sign that desire has temporarily dissolved. When you experience real clarity, it’s a sign that aggression has temporarily ceased. When you experience a state of absence of thought, it’s a sign that your ignorance has temporarily died. By themselves they are good experiences, but if you get attached to them, they become obstacles.

Experiences are not realization in themselves; but if we remain free of attachment to them, they become what they really are—that is, materials for realization.

Technorati Tags: Meditation, Dharma, Insights, Vipassana

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Jun 01

The Untrained Mind

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I’ve spent the better part of more than a year truly training the mind to be in the present. Vipassana meditation is my practice and I’m learning more about myself and what makes me tick than I ever have.

It seems that the untrained mind is like working with a puppy that doesn’t listen all that well. Take for example walking a puppy off the leash, my dog seems to find all the things on a field that I don’t want her to get into or even eat. She runs around trying to get away with whatever she can in her mouth or running in the mud on the track at Venice High. Each time I catch her doing something she knows she’s not supposed to be doing I let her know and she runs off to another spot to get into the same kind of trouble just farther away.

My mind acts just like Madam my dog. I do my best to maintain awareness of what’s around me but the minute I am not paying attention I find myself deep in an obsession, or wanting to fall asleep, or even stuck on myspace without really making a decision to be on it. I just kindly remember to bring it back to what is at hand but it’s not always a swift return.

I spent this year living “A Year To Live” and was blown away at how much clearer I am living today with my mind as my friend. Noah Levine author of Dharma Punx has become a good friend and helped guide me as a student of his to help end the suffering I’ve spent so many years attached to without even knowing it.

As long as I keep in consideration that my mind is like my dog, I can love it even when it’s not doing what I ask of it. I have compassion for it since it seems to have a mind of it’s own. I am friends with it so that I can be nice when I notice it doing whatever it wants just remember that the person that deserves the most compassion from you is yourself.

* I am not my mind
* I am my friend
* May all beings be happy
* May all beings be at peace
* May all beings be free from suffering

Training the mind is no easy task yet the more I do it slowly but surely the better it becomes. Sounds like some hippie bullshit right? It’s hard to swallow but it really makes a lot of sense when you integrate this into your life. My ego tells me what the hell are you writing about anyone else but yourself.

I believe we are all in this life together and everyone’s actions affect the grater good of life. Todays day and age we need to be helping rebuild this great planet that we have so easily chosen to use up as fast as we can. The more I train my mind the better I am doing in this life to help out the greater good.

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Jun 01

Dharma Punx

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The Dharma Punx book has helped shape a new direction for me to live my life. I can relate to Noah and his trials as a drug addict living the life of complete suffering trying to get his one fix thinking this would be the answer to my problems. Locked inside the mind and it’s compulsion and endless pursuit of freedom from suffering is okay is you can recognize this as what your mind is doing. Since reading the book I have been able to get in touch with Noah and become good friends. He is a teacher and mentor to me, along with being a comrade in the pursuit of the punk rock lifestyle without being a slave to drugs and alcohol.

The Dharma Punx nation is a collective group of people (not necessarily punx) that seek the Dharma or truth of life in this day and age in America. We live on the guidelines of how to help our fellow man

rebel against the most pressing authority we have in our life today. I’m not talking about the government or the army or our nation but our mind. Our mind can make us do things without giving us the choice to make when doing things.

We are here to stay. A group of social deviants living today with the idea that we can be here for our friends, we can be here for our enemies, and we can be here for every living being. We try to dedicate each day to the benefit of all beings, and allow our actions to follow in this pursuit this.

If just for today I can not act selfishly but allow my actions to convey selfless acts I feel better about myself. Truly looking at the nature of our positive actions as a benefit to all beings seems to make my day just that much better.

It seems counter instinctual when you put it in perspective, if I am of service to those in need my life gets just that much better.

Fight the power

Fight the mind

Live life selfishly by being better to those around you for the benefit of yourself or others. It doesn’t matter how you look at it do the footwork and tell me if you feel like the weight of the world is slowly lifting off your shoulders as it has been slowly doing for me. It’s not an overnight success story it’s a gradual process including meditation, mindful awareness and being in the moment. I also have to question my motives and not act on impulse in order make sure my motives are not personal.

Technorati Tags: Dharma Punx, Buddhism, Dharma, Spirituality, Recovery

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