Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

This is a contemporty version of a song performed by a brilliant Van Morrison in the late 1960's. (In some ways, this performance is but a shadow of the original.)

Use this as a teaser to listen to that original album, which is among the top 100 of all time.

Being Thankful

The most basic area in which to be thankful is in having this human life.  It is only through this life that a human learns of the truth of karma, and can affect the karma in this and future lives.

The Buddha has mentioned that there are thirty-one planes of existence within the universes. They are: 

4 States of unhappiness or sub human realms (life in hells, animal life, ghost-worlds and demon-worlds) 

1 Human world 

6 Heavenly realms 

16 Realms of Fine-Material Forms 

4 Formless Realms  

Therefore, every Buddhist is encouraged to mold his or her life according to the Buddha's teaching. One who adjusts one's life according to this noble way of living will be free from miseries and calamities both in this life-time and in the hereafter. 

So you may discount the Buddha's teachings or the other planes of existence. 

But you can ask yourself how your daily conduct shows your thanks for this precious life.  

Transition to Green

Cleaner ways to produce and use energy will lead to a stronger economy, leaders of environmental groups said Tuesday.

The recommendations from 29 of the nation's most prominent environmental and conservation groups emphasized a clean-energy approach to economic revitalization.

Leaders of the groups rejected the idea that fighting global warming and protecting the environment would be too expensive in an economic downturn.

Our economy is suffering and so is our environment. The solutions to both go hand in hand.

The report said the stimulus plan was an opportunity to invest in things such as mass transit, renewable energy and weatherization — all of them sources of new jobs.

One of the biggest sources of jobs would be weatherizing homes and buildings to save energy. Studies show that about 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are from wasted energy in buildings.

There also would be jobs in building a new grid to move electricity from solar and wind installations to cities. We have the last century's patchwork of antiquated technology that wastes about a quarter of the energy from coal-fired power plants along the electricity transmission lines.

The full report, "Transition to Green," is available on a joint Web site of the 29 groups.

Jace Vek - Forest

Jace Vek is a young composer and pianist, whose composition "The Last Sunrise" is a wonderful experience.

This video is a great companion to my concerns for the environment.

Our First Duty

In Buddhism, a person’s first duty is to cleanse him or her self of the mental defilements of greed, hatred and ignorance. 

The reason for doing this is not because of fear or desire to please some divine being, because if it were so, a person would be considered to be still lacking in wisdom. He or she would be only acting out of fear like the little child who behaves well because he or she is afraid of being punished for being naughty. 

Buddhists should act out of understanding and wisdom. They perform wholesome deeds because they realize that by so doing they develop their moral strength which provides the foundation for spiritual growth, leading to Liberation. In addition, they realize that their happiness and suffering are self-created through the operation of the Law of Karma. 

To minimize the occurrence of troubles and problems in their lives, they make the effort to refrain from doing evil. They perform good actions because they know that these will bring them peace and happiness. Since everyone seeks happiness in life, and since it is possible for each individual to provide the condition for happiness, then there is every reason to do good and avoid evil. 

Furthermore, the uprooting of mental defilements, the source of all anti-social acts, will bring great benefits to others in society. Therefore in helping oneself spiritually, one helps others to live peacefully.

Leaving on the Low Road

Throughout the past eight years, the Bush administration has treated our country’s lands as if they belong to industry.

Through a series of short-cut measures and regulations that have cut science and the public out of decision making, the administration has consistently rolled back environmental protections and sharply favored industrial use and exploitation of our wild lands above all other public concerns.

And they’re not done yet.

With just two months left in office, the administration is leaving on the low road. Political appointees are finalizing land management plans, regulations, and policy changes that could severely damage our public lands for decades to come.

There may still be time to hold off irreparable harm to our wild lands if citizens learn about the final outgoing threats and take action now.

Here are some examples of the new last minute rules:

1. Pushing uranium mining on the edge of Grand Canyon National Park
2. Legalizing firearms in national parks
3. Dumping long-standing protections for streams from coal mining waste
4. Further committing the nation to dirty fuel
5. Weakening the Endangered Species Act
6. Opening proposed Wilderness to energy development

Bob Dylan - John Brown

Let's consider what we're asking and why. Is the continuance of American profligacy sufficient reason?

Five Qualities of a Good Life

Aristotle guided early scientific thinking for most of the Western world. But he also offered what I think is a good pattern for a high quality life. Here is my summary:

Health - You are mortal, so take good care of your body.

Wealth - Money is a source of freedom; so earn enough for all of your needs, and be generous with the remainder.

Love - Experience it, give it; that is why you're here.

Knowledge - Understand the wonder of mankind, the world and beyond.

A Strong Moral Character - Be a light to guide others following you.

Elitest or Educated?

We live in two Americas.

One America functions in a print-based, literate world.

The other America, which constitutes the majority, is dependent on skillfully manipulated images for information. It is informed by simplistic narratives and clichés.

This divide, more than any other, has split the country into radically distinct, unbridgeable and antagonistic entities.

Nearly a third of the nation’s population is illiterate or barely literate. They never read a book after they finish school. Eighty percent of the families in the United States last year did not buy a book.

This majority cannot protect their children from dysfunctional public schools. They cannot understand predatory loan deals, credit card agreements and equity lines of credit that drive them into foreclosures and bankruptcies. They struggle with the most basic chores of daily life. They watch helplessly and without comprehension as hundreds of thousands of jobs are shed.

Huge segments of our population lack the capacity to search for truth and cope rationally with our mounting social and economic ills.

All the traditional tools of democracies, including dispassionate scientific and historical truth, facts, news and rational debate, are useless instruments in a nation that lacks the capacity to use them.

We must strengthen the core values of our open society: the ability to think for oneself, to express dissent when judgment and common sense indicate something is wrong, to understand historical facts, to separate truth from lies, to advocate for change, and to acknowledge that there are other views that are morally and socially acceptable.

Finally, I am talking about being able to function in our modern and complex society, for our own benefit and for the benefit of our fellow citizens. Some may call it being elitist; I call it being educated and a good citizen.

William Ackerman - Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter

It has been a rough week. This helps.

Buddhists in Congress

A fitting closure to this election week. I had wondered whether a Buddhist could be elected into the United States Congress. I know there isn't supposed to be a religious test, but . . .

Thanks to Barbara O'Brien for this article.

Congratulations to the two Buddhists in the U.S. House of Representatives -- the first two Buddhists in Congress -- who won re-election yesterday.

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono represents Hawaii's 2nd District. A Democrat, she was first elected to Congress in 2006 and was raised in the Jodo Shinshu sect of Pure Land Buddhism. Representative Hirono has told interviewers she does not practice daily, but that the Buddhist values of tolerance and respect guide her judgments.

Congressman Hank Johnson represents Georgia's 4th District and is a member of Soka Gakkai International. The Congressman, a Democrat, also was first elected to Congress in 2006.

A Transparent and Connected Government

President-elect Obama has a new Web site, that gives people a chance to say what they think his priorities should be, track the transition to his new administration, tell their personal stories and even apply for federal jobs.

The site — a down payment on Obama's pledge to create a more "transparent and connected government" — still has lots of white spaces and promises of future features.

But it gives viewers lots more details about the government's workings and more opportunities for input than the Bush administration's site, dominated by first dog Barney.

The site in its infancy, but it's a nice start.

A video of Obama's victory speech is the home page's dominant feature. Inside are lots of Obama issue positions and a promised new blog.

He plainly wants to reach out to people directly. Whether you voted for him, he provides you an opportunity for direct input into his administration.

Visit the site by clicking here.

Out of many, we are one

My hope is that their respective followers will listen to their leaders.  My hope is that we can turn from eight years of rule to the beginning of honorable governance.

Senator McCain said last night:

"These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans ... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited."

President-elect Obama said:

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too."

Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad

This is my favorite Springsteen album.

Tom Joad was the protagonist in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath".

The third verse of the song quotes Tom Joad, "I'll be all around in the dark - I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too."

At the time of publication, Steinbeck's novel was publicly banned and burned. Part of its impact stemmed from its passionate depiction of the plight of the poor. However, although Steinbeck was accused of exaggeration of the migrant camp conditions to make a political point, in fact he had done the opposite, underplaying the conditions that he well knew were worse than the novel describes because he felt exact description would have gotten in the way of his story.

To me, the novel details the state of the Nation before the New Deal and the use of government for the improvement of everyday American citizens.

Be a Constitutional Voter

The next president will become chief executive of a nation that has been greatly weakened. In particular, our freedoms, our values, and our international reputation have been greatly undermined by the policies of the past eight years.

I believe that no one -- including the President -- is above the law.

I oppose all forms of torture, and I support both closing the Guantánamo Bay prison and ending indefinite detention.

I oppose warrantless spying.

I believe that government officials, no matter how high-ranking, should be held accountable for breaking the law and violating the Constitution.

I believe that the Constitution protects every person's rights equally -- no matter what they believe, how they live, where or if they worship, and whom they love.

I reject the notion that we have to tolerate violations of our most fundamental rights in the name of fighting terrorism.

I am deeply committed to the Constitution and expect our country's leaders to share and act on that commitment -- every day, without fail.

For an action plan for the first day, the first 100 days, and the first year of the next administration, click here.