Advayavada Study Plan - week 18

Friends,

Last week's preliminary ASP subject was the Second and the Third Noble Truths of Buddhism, i.e. the cause of suffering, which is craving, grasping, clinging and attachment (trishna, tanha), and the need and possibility of its elimination (nirodha).

This week's preliminary subject are the Fourth Noble Truth, i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Fourth Sign of Being, i.e. Progress.

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

The Noble Eightfold Path is composed in Advayavada Buddhism of eight sequential steps, as follows:

(1) our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight, followed by
(2) our very best resolution or determination,
(3) our very best enunciation or definition of our purpose or intention,
(4) our very best disposition or frame of mind,
(5) our very best implementation or realization of our purpose,
(6) our very best effort or commitment,
(7) our very best observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and
(8) our very best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi,
which brings us to
(1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and so forth.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (Path and Progress) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Robert A. Duff about Spinoza

The main principle to which Spinoza unswervingly holds is that Nature is a
systematic whole, concatenated in all its parts. Nature, however, is not for
him the physical world, but the whole of Reality. Being the whole of
Reality, we cannot speak of it as the 'other' or the limit of God, but as
the Nature of God, or what God is. Of Nature in this sense, i.e. as
including all existence, the conscious and self-conscious, as well as the
mechanical and the organic, man is and must be a part. His relation to this
system is intrinsic, essential, permanent. Whatever qualities, endowments,
attributes, he may have, cannot be in conflict with this necessary
dependence. If he can exercise reason, will, moral choice, these must be
consistent with the unity in which he stands with all the rest of Nature,
and be subject to its universal laws.

(For more see http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/spinoza.htm#04)

Self-fulfilling

Unfortunately most religions and beliefs require a failing world to flourish and due to the great number of followers they are self-fulfilling in this respect - we Advayavadins, by contrast, love the world and hate what people are inflicting on it and each other. John.

Advayavada Study Plan - week 17

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

Last week's preliminary ASP subject was the ubiquity of suffering (duhkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the Third Sign of Being (fact of life) and the First Noble Truth of Buddhism.

This week's preliminary ASP subject are again the Second and the Third Noble Truths of Buddhism: the cause of suffering, which is craving, grasping, clinging and attachment (= trishna, tanha), and the need and possibility of its elimination (= nirodha).

The root cause of all ill in Buddhism is, in fact, ignorance (avidya), i.e. ignorance of the true nature of reality, when the impermanence and the selflessness and finitude of all existents are not fully recognized and understood - it is this fundamental ignorance which in turn gives rise to craving (trishna), the direct cause of existential distress. Man is prone to suffering (duhkha) quite simply because he wrongly strives after and tries to hold on to things, situations and concepts which he believes are or should be permanent, but are not.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (craving and its elimination) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Cuba's chance (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

This weekend, at the Summit of the Americas, the US has a real chance to turn the page on almost half a century of divisive politics in the region.

International and regional leaders, the UN, and an increasing number of US citizens condemn a US embargo that has punished ordinary Cubans for decades.

The US has taken initial positive steps, but strong international pressure by this weekend will send a clear signal to President Obama that it is time to decisively replace the failed policies of the past with a real dialogue.
Click below to sign the Petition to lift the embargo - our message and number of signatures will be sailed right past the Americas Summit on a giant sail-boat banner:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/lift_cuba_embargo

When the United States put its first embargo on Cuba in 1960, the policy's supporters claimed it would accelerate democracy and human rights. A half-century later, the claim has proven hollow, and has caused immeasurable economic harm to ordinary Cubans blocking agricultural and medical supplies, new technology, information and ideas.

Some argue that as long as the embargo exists, the Cuban government can blame it instead of being forced to address its own systemic failures and serious breaches of freedom of speech, association and dissension.

Today there is more hope than ever that Cuban - US relations can change, with implications for the whole region. Across Latin America leaders are calling on President Obama to initiate a new beginning. In the US, recent surveys find that three quarters of US citizens want their government to shift away from the policy of isolation, and even previously hard-line Cuban exile groups are calling for change.

At this moment, as the United States and the region responds to Obama's tentative first steps, our voices have a critical role to play. If we remain silent, we risk ceding the debate to polarizing forces in the US and in Latin America who fear a reconciliation.

Sign the Petition of the Americas now, send this message to friends, and watch for the Avaaz sailboat in Trinidad on Saturday:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/lift_cuba_embargo

With hope,

Luis, Alice, Paula, Graziela, Ben, Raj, Iain, Ricken, Brett, Paul, Margaret, Pascal, Taren and the rest of the Avaaz team.

PS: See more information below:

Obama Lifts Broad Set Of Sanctions Against Cuba, Washington Post, Tuesday, April 14, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/13/ST2009041303010.html

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showing that three-quarters of Americans surveyed think the US should end its five-decade estrangement with Cuba:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/10/poll.cuba/

Leading organization for Cuban exiles calling on the White House to expand relations with Cuba's government,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09cuba.html?em/

Human Rights Watch report "Families Torn Apart: The High Cost of U.S. and Cuban Travel Restrictions", includes recommendation to the the U.S. government to terminate the economic embargo on Cuba:
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/80478/section/1

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

PicoSearch

Dear friends,
Please note that the Relevant Excerpts and the Questions and Answers sections of our website have each been split into six webpages.
There is a handy PicoSearch device at the bottom of all the pages of our website.
For an overview of the current contents of our website please see:
http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/sitemap.htm
Cheers,
John.

Advayavada Study Plan - week 16

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new impetus.

In week 14 the preliminary subject of our Study Plan was the First Sign of Being, i.e. the first fact of life: anitya, omnia mutantur, everything changes, the impermanence and changeability of everything, of all existents.

In week 15 the preliminary subject was the Second Sign of Being, the second fact of life: anatman, the selflessness of everything, and therefore the finitude or transitoriness of all individual existents, including ourselves.

This week's preliminary ASP subject is again the ubiquity of suffering (duhkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the Third Sign of Being (fact of life) and the First Noble Truth of Buddhism.

According to Advayavada Buddhism, it is indisputable that the Buddha did not believe in Brahman (God, transcendent Absolute) or in the atman or atta (soul, immortal self) and taught that man suffers because he does not understand and accept that all things in life are instead utterly changeable and transitory. Man is prone to suffering (duhkha) quite simply because he wrongly strives after and tries to hold on to things and concepts which he believes to be permanent, but are not.

In Advayavada Buddhism, the concept of duhkha does not include emotional grief nor physical pain. It refers solely to the existential suffering, angst and regret non-enlightened human beings are prone to - the enlightened person accepts with understanding and compassion the grief and pain which are part and parcel of human existence; equanimity does not mean insensitivity to our own feelings and those of others.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (duhkha - existential suffering) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Original Sin

Those who seek to distinguish themselves from Creation are the carriers of original sin = Those who seek to distinguish themselves from wondrous overall existence do not understand the Teaching.

Advayavada Buddhism

Advayavada Buddhism is a non-dual and life-affirming philosophy and way of life that essentially proclaims that there is 'no cloth apart from the threads, no threads apart from the cloth'. What perhaps strikes some people as an unsubstantiated article of faith is our assertion that progress is inherent in existence, but what Advayavada Buddhism in fact teaches in this respect is simply that we humans experience and identify as progress (pratipada, patipada) that which follows the otherwise indifferent direction in which wondrous overall existence advances over time. There is no doubt a parallel with religion here: the religious person will probably say that what he or she experiences as progress is that which is in agreement with God's wishes and inner plan. There is also, maybe, a certain affinity with panentheism, which says that all is in God, 'somewhat as if God were the entire ocean including the fish and we were the fish'.
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Fw: IHEU April 2009 update

This is a monthly update of news from International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU). You can find the full versions of these news stories on our web site <http://www.iheu.org>

The Economist highlights IHEU role in defending freedom of expression

The Economist has featured IHEU's spirited defence of freedom of expression at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. In an article in the latest issue, "Diplomacy, Faith and Freedom"
<http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13416209>
the magazine highlights the statement coordinated by IHEU
<http://www.iheu.org/urgent-appeal-humanist-organizations-support-freedom-expression-oppose-defamation-religions>
and signed by over 200 NGOs. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3558>

Human Rights Council Resolution "Combating Defamation of Religion"

More than 200 civil society organizations from 46 countries, including Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Secular, Humanist and Atheist groups, have endorsed a statement jointly sponsored by IHEU, UN Watch, Freedom House and the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom, urging member
states of the UN Human Rights Council to reject the resolution: "Combating Defamation of Religions" due to be voted on in Geneva on 26 March 2009. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3554>

First "World Conference on Untouchability" to be held in London, 9-10 June 2009

IHEU is organizing the first "World Conference on Untouchability" at Conway Hall Humanist Centre, London, UK, on June 9 and 10, 2009. The conference will bring together activists and experts from around the world to explore a problem that afflicts nearly 250 million people in countries from Japan to Nigeria. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3541>

Support victims of the worst religious bigotry

Imagine that because of your birth you are only allowed to do one job: cleaning up human excrement. Imagine being born into a group that is never allowed to mix with the rest of society. In India, they used to be called "Untouchables" and are now known as "Dalits". They are, in the most literal sense, outcastes. They have been historically excluded from human society, and deprived of the most basic opportunities. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3550>

IHEU speaks out at the UN Human Rights Council

In a series of statements to the UN Human Rights Council, IHEU has repeated its opposition to the concept of "defamation of religions"
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3544>
spoken out against the continued existence of slavery in Africa
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3545>
condemned the practice of female genital mutilation
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3546>
and highlighted hate speech <http://www.iheu.org/node/3547>
in Egyptian religious broadcasts. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3548>

Leo Igwe condemns Anglican Archbishop's homophobic outburst

IHEU's International Representative in West Africa has roundly condemned the latest homophobic outburst from the country's Anglican Archbishop. Archbishop Peter Akinola, the champion of Anglican conservatives worldwide, wants all witnesses to gay weddings to be sentenced to a year in jail. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3543>

IHEU discusses freedom of speech with UK Foreign Office

IHEU met top officials at the UK Foreign Office in London on 12 March 2009. IHEU requested the meeting to discuss concerns about the effectiveness of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), to explore recent challenges to freedom of expression and to assess what best can be done to improve the protection and promotion of Human Rights. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3542>

UN publishes IHEU statment: child marriage is child abuse

In a new written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, IHEU has
called the continuation of child marriage, 55 years after the UN General Assembly resolved to abolish the practice, "a disgrace to the entire human rights movement". Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3540>

IHEU condemns child marriage and executions of children

IHEU has strongly condemned the execution of children in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Pakistan and the practice of child marriage. In a statement to the annual meeting on the Rights of the Child held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, IHEU called the continuation of child marriage "a disgrace" and judicial killing of children "the ultimate barbarity". Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3538>

One Law for All - anti-racist march and rally report

Maryam Namazie writes: Nearly 600 people joined the One Law for All anti-racist rally against Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and in defence of citizenship and universal rights in Trafalgar Square and marched towards Red Lion Square in London. Hundreds then joined our public meeting to discuss and debate Sharia, Sexual Apartheid and Women's Rights. Our protest was met with widespread support and left many feeling inspired and invigorated. It was also covered by the mainstream media, including BBC Radio 4, BBC 5Live, BBC Wales, and the Times. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3536>

Award for Leo Igwe, IHEU representative for West Africa

Nigerian Humanist leader Leo Igwe and his Humanist colleagues have been awarded the Rainbow Humanist Award by Nordic Rainbow Humanists for their risky public support of LGBT rights in Nigeria. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3535>

IHEU President expresses concern over euthanasia arrests in US

The debate over voluntary euthanasia in the United States has been thrust back into the headlines by the arrest of four people by authorities in the state of Georgia. Four members of the Final Exit Network were arrested on Feb. 25 and charged with assisting in a suicide and other offenses, including violating Georgia's RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3534>

Notice of IHEU General Assembly 2009

The IHEU General Assembly 2009 will be held on Sunday 7th June 2009 (9.30 am to 5.30 pm) and Monday 8th June 2009 (9.30 am to 12.30 pm), at Conway Hall, London, United Kingdom. The deadline to register to attend the GA is 4 May 2009. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3403>

New IHEU Bylaws proposed

The IHEU General Assembly in London in June 2009 will vote on new Bylaws proposed by the Executive Committee. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3557>

UN celebrates 20 years of children's rights

Sophie Erskine, IHEU's new intern at the UN Human Rights Council,reports on the annual full-day debate on the Rights of the Child held on 11 March 2009: The debate, held in the United Nation's dignified 'Salle des Alliances des Civilisations', began cheerfully, as the Human Rights Council celebrated the 20th birthday of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3539>

Libre Pensee issues press releases

IHEU member organization Libre Pensee Francaise has issued press releases on recognition of Vatican diplomats by France, and on dying with dignity. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3533>

IHEU at the UN, New York: World Day of Social Justice and the economic crisis

The extraordinarily timely World Day of Social Justice recently established by the UN builds on the idea expressed by Adam Smith that economic success depends on the wellbeing of people: "prudence is a virtue for individuals", but "humanity, justice, generosity and public spirit are the qualities most useful to others." Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3537>

Happy Birthday to the Vatican!

IHEU member organization the French Libre Pensée has sent Pope Benedict XVI ironic congratulations on the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Vatican State by the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3530>

--

International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the world umbrella organisation for Humanist, ethical culture, rationalist, secularist and freethought groups. Based in London, it is an international NGO with Special Consultative Status with the UN (New York, Geneva, Vienna), General Consultative Status at UNICEF (New York) and the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), and it maintains operational relations with UNESCO (Paris).

Its mission is to build and represent the global Humanist movement, to defend human rights and to promote Humanist values world-wide. IHEU sponsors the triennial World Humanist Congress.

You can find out more about IHEU on our web site
<http://www.iheu.org>

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 15

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new impetus.

Last week's first preliminary subject of our Study Plan was the First Sign of Being, i.e. the first fact of life: anitya, omnia mutantur, everything changes, the impermanence and changeability of everything, of all existents, including ourselves.

This week's second preliminary subject is the Second Sign of Being, the second fact of life: anatman, the selflessness of everything, and therefore the finitude or transitoriness of all individual existents, including ourselves.

The doctrine of anatman is one of the central teachings of Buddhism. According to this doctrine, there is no self or soul in the sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an individual existent. What we think of as our self or soul, personality and ego, are our own mental creations.

'It is very difficult for people to grasp how everything originates in conditions and causes and to see that everything, including ourselves, depends on everything else and has no permanent self-existence.'

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (e.g. 'all things are transitory') in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Sink or swim together (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

In 24 hours, world leaders will converge at the London G20 summit to fix the global economy. As they meet, a number of emerging economies are on the edge of collapse - if they fail, it will plunge millions into poverty, and pull the world deeper into crisis.

An urgent proposal is on the table for rich countries to use democratically reformed international bodies to provide a $250 billion rescue package for these vulnerable economies. Click here to use our tool to send a message directly to your own country's leader to support this vital rescue plan:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g20_messages

Economic crises spread fast in our global economy. Protecting the most vulnerable economies is not just about saving millions of families from crippling poverty. It's also the smartest way to turn around a deepening crisis. The responsibility is clear, but each country wants others to shoulder the burden - we need them all to act together.

On Saturday, thousands of Avaaz members marched in London (see picture above) to bring our call for a global rescue package and a green recovery to the G20, and our petition was hand-delivered to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other leaders. A democratically reformed IMF could administer the global rescue funding.In the final hours, let's flood our leaders with direct messages demanding that they rise to this global challenge:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/g20_messages

With hope,

Ricken, Paul, Veronique, Brett, Paula, Graziela, Ben, Pascal, Iain, Alice, Luis and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:

Financial Times, "Protect the periphery countries from a storm created in the developed world", George Soros, 22 March 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9007adf4-170b-11de-9a72-0000779fd2ac.html

Joseph Stiglitz, "The task is to build a new financial architecture. If we flunk it, the pain will strike most cruelly in the world's poorest countries", 27 March 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/27/global-recession-reform

The Observer, "The protesters have it right -- and we're about to hear some innovative solutions", Will Hutton, 29 March 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/29/g20-summit-protests

VoxEU economists' forum on the specific benefits of international reserve funds or Special Drawing Rights for developing countries in this crisis (Ted Truman): http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/3208

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>