Secondly, I think it might have been Rod over at The Worst Horse / Shambhala SunSpace that posted this video but it is a charming little twist on the Google Search ad that was so popular during this past Super Bowl. Love it!

Dive In - Photo by Mike Baird http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2843864615/

Buddhadharma magazine ran a great series on “Going it Alone” in their Spring 2010 issue and delved into the secret lives of solitary practitioners and their various experiences. There’s a great piece by Judith Lief titled “Get Ready to Dive In” which I wish I had in my hands back when I was a teenager scouring my local library and second hand booksellers for anything with Buddha or Buddhism in the title. I didn’t have a sangha in my community and through word of mouth, I was able to find a woman who I had coffee with a few times who had been on retreats and traveled to hear Buddhist teachings. I was overwhelmed and filled my head with a jumble of readings – some a bit too advanced for my level of experience or examination so no doubt, I became frustrated with the process.

Judith’s article speaks much to this and she gives one of the most profound, yet simple pieces of advice that I’ve seen in some time -

So before you launch into further study, study yourself.

I was fortunate to study and practice at the Halifax Shambhala Centre and then completed the Sacred Path Shambhala training program at the Montreal Shambhala Centre. This gave me a greater sense of discipline and a structured and graduated way of discovering the Buddhist path under the watchful eyes of generous teachers who challenged and supported me along the way. I then found a local Nalandabodhi group to begin Buddhist studies with and have found my study to have been enriched by their primary belief that Buddhism is a ‘science of the mind’. Geeks!!

For those who like the support of a community, many schools and centers are offering their curriculum in the digital space not to mention all many who make up the digital sangha of the buddhablogospher/ twangha.  Of the two experiences I’ve had on the path, I personally appreciate both, each for their own reasons. As a lazy meditator, I really need the support of folks around me as I can get caught up in householder tasks if I stay in my home with the good intention to press behind to cushion. It’s all about balance for me and I do feel challenged in keeping my online participation at a happy medium.

I was even more thrilled to see this experimental film tracing the day of Amy Miller – a Buddhist nun living in Vermont.

Teeth by SappyMooseTree.com

My husband has been nagging me about getting my regular dental checkup. The dental receptionist remarked to him that I’ve been sending them tons of referrals but they haven’t seen me in well over a year. When my husband asked why I haven’t been in to have my teeth checked, I told him that I find the dentist really hard on me and much more judgmental than my previous one.

It hit me today that sometimes we need this kind of direct and tough interaction in our life in order to cause change and steer us away from harm. I find it so difficult to stick to the positive dental hygiene program of sticking small brushes into my gum pouches and flossing the heck out of my flip-top-head. At the end of it all, I’m sure that taking the time to do these small actions will save a whole world of pain in the future.

Same is true with meditation and practice. The difficulty with sticking with sitting on the cushion, working with my mind, studying and practicing the dharma can feel like it’s overwhelming at times but I’m fueled by the faith that the path I’m following is helping to prevent premature “truth loss” and maintaining good “mental hygiene”.

Last night, I finished watching – “How to deal with Bad Friends and Make Good ones” and wanted to share it with you. Simple and practical advice that we all need to be reminded of time and again.

- I’m captivated by a selection of amazing photos of a visit to Tibet on the Dhamma Musings blog.

- I caught an amazing show last night that I’m going to blog a bit more about later, but just have to share this video with you. When Tim Barry sang this song last night, I cried. I sat in a crowded bar full of hipster kids more interested in their cellphones than the performances and whoo hoo… it had been a while since a performer has truly gotten under my skin and tugged on my heartstrings as much as Tim Barry did last night.

If you’d like to hear more of Tim, here’s some additional songs for you to check out. Be sure to support him on his tour or his lovely record label, Suburban Home Records.

Suffering…

- A blog I’m currently digging is Nothing to Attain. So happy to have found you Jomon.

- ‘You’re Okay. Hang in there” – “My Dinner with Andre”

I come out of Riot Grrrl culture and much of this DIY ethic has inspired me throughout my life. Maybe we need to take this back even further to the fact that I’ve always been a tomboy. My dad wanted a boy and until my brother was born, I was the surrogate son. My mom has photos of me playing baseball. memories of gnarly skateboarding injuries that would turn your stomach and I have been left with a preference for horror movies, comic books, video games, punk rock and Jackass stunts that many women don’t share. I’m also a geek. I have been working in the technology field for many years (marketing for a computer graphics card company, web agency project manager and community manager for a few technology start-ups).

As a lady in technology, I noticed that I was part of a minority. I would go to events and see maybe 2 or 3 women but a sea of guys. I’m not going to attempt to assign any blame for this but rather share how I decided to apply a DIY approach to the situation.

I started a local Girl Geek Dinners group in which each month I gathered a gaggle of gals together to network and listen to a lady speak on a topic they are geeking out about. It’s been a great way to create a community and the conversations, business contacts and knowledge-sharing that has come from these events has been incredible. More than this, there is such a strong degree of support that has come from these events.

I’d encourage ladies who feel so inclined to start a podcast, start a group blog, an aggregator of ladyBuddhabloggers, a wiki – anything. I’d love to participate in anyway that I can.

It’s really worth considering that it’s only now that many Buddhist centres, teachers and practicioners are beginning to understand the power of participating and sharing online. In the sanghas I’ve been a part of, I’ve always been one of the minority who has a blog. Many of the people I know are comfortable with posting links related to Buddhism on their Facebook page, but lack the time or desire to write blogposts on the topic.

The same is true globally and not just in Buddhist circles. I always refer to the ‘RickRoll’ incident in which we attended a friend’s birthday party and she was handed a gift. Upon unwrapping it, she saw that it was a CD of Rick Astley’s Greatest Hits. The crickets sounded as the majority of non-internauts in the room didn’t get the ironic nature of the popular internet meme.It was clear to me then that I’m very much a part of a minority in that respect.

I wonder if we should start Green Tara- rolling people? Hmm…

Now I usually like to keep this blog free from the gobbilygook of what I do for a living (although I’m out of work so that would now be nothing- perfect subject for a buddhablog, I guess). In the past, I’ve worked in many positions related to social media and online community management and really enjoy the connections that come about from participating with other people in the online environment.

While reading through one of my favorite social media blogs written by Chris Brogan, he mentions Chris Kieff’s idea for folks to give the gift of social media this holiday season. For more information on this concept, you can check out the Facebook page that Kieff and a few of his friends created to guide folks along with the process. (While Chris Kieff speaks of this being a great holiday gift, this is a pretty cool thing to do for someone all year round.)

This led me to thinking that it would be a great act of generosity for those of us tech-savvy folks within the Buddhist community who possess social media skills to help out by creating Facebook pages for our local centers, Buddhist-run businesses or those who are simply in need of getting the word out about their cause as a means  to help these communities connect with each other as well as those who may be interested in their happenings.

I’d love to hear any success stories that come out of this so please leave a comment if you do decide to give birth to a Facebook fanpage or group.

Jennifer Holder wrote a super article about her experiences online with social media tools in helping to communicate with the sangha at large and communicating the various decisions and discussions held within the Shambhala Congress.

I’m really pleased to see Shambhala get further involved in using technology to help to keep its members informed and inspired with that is going on within its global manadala.The container that Buddhism has been carried around in from generation to generation is certainly morphing and these are exciting times.

my other vehicle is the mahayana
Originally uploaded by arimoore

So this Fall, I hope to be taking the next set of courses from Nalandabodhi related to the Mahayana and I think that it couldn’t come at a better time.

In a few short months, I’ll be getting married which for me, seems like both the most foreign thing I could do as well as the most natural pairing I could engage in.

Sharing my life with someone else is an act of generosity, patience and openness, but I’m able to see that this works both ways. We both possess these qualities from the moment we share the sink and double-ptooo out our toothpaste to the point we fall asleep with the points of our pillow cases touching.

I’ve been blessed to have met someone who helps to bring out the best in me and in turn, I’m able to encourage this in those who I encounter on my path.

So I’m going to put my foot on the gas and get geared up for studying and practicing the Mahayana but doing so knowing that I’ll have my lovely husband beside me in the front seat to point out the horses at the side of the road, drip hot fudge on the new seat covers, sit beside me while I break my back changing flat tires and all in all, accompany me through the rough and smooth roads ahead.