Ethan Nichtern has just posted a link to a video speaking to the subject of  “The Enlightened Artist” 

Via Rod from The Worst Horse and Shambhala SunSpace comes this treasure from Pema Chodron

With all of the chaos going on around me in Montreal, I really needed this interview with ecoBuddhist Joanna Macy featured in Tricycle Magazine titled “Allegiance to Life”

Look at what you’re feeling. You may be feeling sorrow, you may be feeling outrage. You may be feeling dread and fear. You may be feeling futility and powerlessness. But whatever it is that you’re feeling, just take a look at where that’s coming from. It’s not coming from an attitude of “How do I get ahead as a separate person?” but rather from my caring for life itself. Those feelings of grief and despair or panic don’t come out of some personal craziness, but out of our caring for life. And that caring, in turn, comes from a sense of belonging. I care what happens to this Earth because that’s where I come from, that’s my larger body. I need the air to breathe; I need clean soil to grow food. I’m not just disembodied out there in outer space. 

Feeling alarm or devastation can guide us to a deep sanity, reminding us of who we are and what we need. It can remind us that we belong to this larger body and that we care for it. Our power to act, our power to take part in the healing of our world, our power to bring things back into balance, comes from the same source as that devastation. Our pain for the world, and our power to take part in the healing of our world, both come from the same place.

The monk is being criticized for taking up this “modern fad” and critics claim that this modernization could prove to be a distraction for the monks who could be too tempted thinking about building half pipe ramps or discovering new spots to shred.

Or maybe this is just the reincarnation of Animal Chin?

Rod at the incomparable Dharmablog The Worst Horse just recently wrote a blog post asking his readership if they are Buddhist Goths or Buddhist Vampires.

It’s a must read… MUST READ…

OK. So we have some decisions to make.. Goth or Vampire? Poseur or true supporter of a scene? Hot Topic shopper or homemade white t-shirt with stencil lettering maker? Skater with busted up knees or poser whose only skate action is to carry it under your pits.

Coming out of the 80′s punk scene in a small town in Canada, I had my share of lumps (both physical and mental) which came from being outside of the norm (manifesting as both supporting the underdog in my belief system or in the reverse black mohawk and trenchcoat that I wore). I was very much into giving back to the scene and believed in the power of social change regardless of what freak flag you flew. These are still part of my core beliefs.

Fast forward after university when one day, I was sitting in a cafe and a charming guy came up to me in a cafe, noticed I was reading the Shambhala Sun and asked to borrow it (smooth pick up line huh?). It worked and when he returned it to me, he had written a note to me on Winnie the Pooh stationary about how I needed to be sure that my interest in Buddhism wasn’t purely for show or just to be cool in the eyes of others. A genuine enough gesture which won over my heart but seemed funny given that he switched belief systems several times over the course of our courtship (namely: pagan, Aboriginal, Muslim).

I must admit that receiving that note from him miffed me to no end. Buddhism to me has never been about being trendy or seeming cool (I wholeheartedly believe that sitting for hours in a boiling meditation centre on a beautiful summer day or reading sutras until your eyes go blurry on a daily basis may lose its appeal to those poseurs for sure!)

Fast forward again to a year ago, when I was introduced to my new future family in law and the 20-somethings all were aglow asking me questions about Buddhism and then the G bomb dropped when one asked – “Are you a punk or a goth?” It was a question I’d never been asked before and the genuine nature of it didn’t bother me at all. I had realized that for someone who tried to practice to shed labels in this relative reality I’m in, I very much did identify myself as a Buddhist punk (although even that term was co-opted by a trendy fashion label at one point!)

So back to the Vampire/Goth discussion. I’m down with joining other ‘Vampire slayers’ like Rod in exposing these creatures to the light and working to destroy the delusions that bind us into thinking we need hotrod flames on our mediation benches, tantric sexchairs and Ed Hardy branded meditation timers.

We will not be co-opted.

Now I MUST share this cartoon from the awesome Mitch Clem and his webcomic Nothing Nice to Say which sums this “Hot Topic” up quite nicely.

Initially their focus was to be to gather artwork primarily around Tara, but with the list of artists growing exponentially, it was decided to expand this focus to be much wider.

They are looking to raise money for the Free Tibet Campaign through the sale of this generously donated artwork that is displayed at locations all over the globe. A book is also available and features over 40 full page, full color images by artists such as: Sabine Gaffron, Wido de Marval, Aaron Bell, Jondix, Rinzing, Daniel Albrigo, Jeff Gogue, Matthew Amey, Alex Binnie, Dawni and Gerry Carnelly

While we’re on the topic of tats, do check out The Worst Horse’s post on Buddhist-inspired tattoos on the “Body Vows” section of the website

Here are some blogs you really should check out… Thanks to Barry for mentioning these along to me, for all the comments recently and for the great work in blogging such engaging and diverse materials.

www.oxherding.com
Barry’s efforts to ‘herd the ox’ (love the juxtaposition with the Worst Horse, another one of my favourite blogs!)

www.godrinktea.com
Interesting and obscure Zen koans ‘for everyday use’. I’m going to start my day off with these.

www.zenwomen.com
Entertaining and engaging stories of female Zen practitioners (Tang Dynasty China)

Walking the path with an iPod and laptop in hand – digital dharma is where it’s at.