Beautiful video. Still, it saddens me that so many people to this day have no idea that Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophy.
It doesn't claim to know whether there's a God or not. It suggests no creator. Buddha is honored, not worshiped. He's just a guy like anyone...he simply figured out something we all need to know: how to live. And ultimately anyone can become a Buddha. The word means: Awakened One. He's honored because he was compassionate enough to share his breakthrough with everyone.
The breakthrough? Suffering is caused by attachments. Practice letting go of attachments using the tools of awareness; compassion; and connection.
It also saddens me that in 2008, so many people of every background are ignorant about evolution. Of course, this guy in the video doesn't represent all Native Americans in his views. And it's understandable why some Native Americans are defensive about their religions. They've been persecuted.
But if given the opportunity to be educated, they would not dismiss the idea of evolution because they'd understand we are not descended from apes, we are related by a common ancestor. Evolution is not survival of the fittest. Everyone alive has survived and is not necessarily the fittest.
Rather, Darwin's key discovery was that the species that adapts to its current environment and manages to reproduce, continues to evolve. Adapting means changing in sync with your situation - whether walking upright, growing a new beak shape, sharing your food, or burrowing in the silt.
After all...what does it mean to be related? Didn't the First Peoples understand this first?
Evolution is just a theory, like the theory of gravity. Whether we manage to bring our fellow humans up to speed on this theory will make or break humanity. It confirms and deepens the meaning of the phrase spoken in so many Native American prayers: "all my relations".
One thing we all can do so Native Americans can survive to express their own culture and values while understanding the best of ours is to provide food, health care, and education. For those interested, there's a fundraiser for Pine Ridge Reservation on Friday, Nov 28, 2008 in Pennsylvania.
REZAID - Pine Ridge Reservation Benefit Concert
Fri, Nov 28, 2008 3:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.
Location: Tom Grater Park Eicher Arts Center 409 Cocalico Street Ephrata, PA 17522
For more Information Call: 717-738-3084 or see www.RedRoadRising.org
Musicians: Sovryn Joseph Strider (http://josephstrider.com/) Earth Vision Weavers Jesi Turner
Monetary donations will be accepted at the door as well as new & gently used items
2 comments:
Beautiful video. Still, it saddens me that so many people to this day have no idea that Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophy.
It doesn't claim to know whether there's a God or not. It suggests no creator. Buddha is honored, not worshiped. He's just a guy like anyone...he simply figured out something we all need to know: how to live. And ultimately anyone can become a Buddha. The word means: Awakened One. He's honored because he was compassionate enough to share his breakthrough with everyone.
The breakthrough? Suffering is caused by attachments. Practice letting go of attachments using the tools of awareness; compassion; and connection.
It also saddens me that in 2008, so many people of every background are ignorant about evolution. Of course, this guy in the video doesn't represent all Native Americans in his views. And it's understandable why some Native Americans are defensive about their religions. They've been persecuted.
But if given the opportunity to be educated, they would not dismiss the idea of evolution because they'd understand we are not descended from apes, we are related by a common ancestor. Evolution is not survival of the fittest. Everyone alive has survived and is not necessarily the fittest.
Rather, Darwin's key discovery was that the species that adapts to its current environment and manages to reproduce, continues to evolve. Adapting means changing in sync with your situation - whether walking upright, growing a new beak shape, sharing your food, or burrowing in the silt.
After all...what does it mean to be related? Didn't the First Peoples understand this first?
Evolution is just a theory, like the theory of gravity. Whether we manage to bring our fellow humans up to speed on this theory will make or break humanity. It confirms and deepens the meaning of the phrase spoken in so many Native American prayers: "all my relations".
One thing we all can do so Native Americans can survive to express their own culture and values while understanding the best of ours is to provide food, health care, and education. For those interested, there's a fundraiser for Pine Ridge Reservation on Friday, Nov 28, 2008 in Pennsylvania.
REZAID - Pine Ridge Reservation Benefit Concert
Fri, Nov 28, 2008
3:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.
Location:
Tom Grater Park
Eicher Arts Center
409 Cocalico Street
Ephrata, PA 17522
For more Information Call: 717-738-3084
or see www.RedRoadRising.org
Musicians:
Sovryn
Joseph Strider (http://josephstrider.com/)
Earth Vision Weavers
Jesi Turner
Monetary donations will be accepted at the door as well as new & gently used items
November is Native American Awareness Month.
great video, thanks
Post a Comment