Rev. Danny Fisher

Just a Buddhist Minister Trying to Benefit Beings
March 15, 2010

U Pyinya Zawta on the Red Carpet at the Oscars (Picture!)

Photo courtesy of Annie Demyan.

Last week, I posted about my interview with U Pyinya Zawta, a founding member and the executive director of the All Burma Monks’ Alliance, for Shambhala Sun Space.  One of the leaders of 2007’s “Saffron Revolution”–the nonviolent demonstration by thousands of Buddhist monastics calling for economic and political justice in the military-ruled country–he was a guest of the producer and director of Best Documentary nominee Burma VJ:  Reporting from a Closed Country at last week’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Burma VJ ultimately lost the statuette to The Cove, though just today it won the top prize at a human rights film festival and forum in Geneva.

The intrepid Annie Demyan, sister of my UWest colleague Amy Demyan, happened to be working the red carpet on Oscar night, and sends us the wonderful picture above of U Pyinya Zawta at the ceremony.  Thanks a million, Annie!  (Be sure to check out Annie’s coverage of the Oscars at amyknowsbest.com!)

March 15, 2010

The First Fifteen Minutes of PBS’s The Buddha

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March 15, 2010

A Gift of Dharma for 3.15.10

Today’s quote is from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, the young Buddhist teacher who has been dubbed “the happiest man in the world.”  This is it:

What is the essence of bodhichitta? The essence of bodhichitta is the heart that thinks, “I alone, personally, will establish all sentient beings in the state of complete enlightenment.”

This is quite a great heart, isn’t it? Whether we are or are not able to establish sentient beings in enlightenment in that way does not matter. It is first important to think that we are going to do it. By giving rise to this heart we reflect on the essence of sentient beings. If you give this an attractive name, you could call it “buddha nature.” But you could also call it “sentient beings nature.” It is the same thing. Sentient beings nature is buddha nature. It is free from confusion and impurities from the beginning. Buddha taught this as being primordially free from all suffering and endowed with all happiness. Isn’t it true that we all want happiness and want to be free from suffering?

And, according to the Buddha, this desire that we have is itself a sign that our true nature is free from suffering and completely endowed with undefiled happiness, undefiled bliss. The Buddha taught that this desire that is present in all beings is a sign of what our true nature is. What we are doing when we have that desire to be happy and free from suffering is trying to rise to meet our true nature, to be one with our true nature.

March 15, 2010

Shepard Fairey’s Latest Subject…

"Compassion" by Shepard Fairey

This via our friend and Shambhala Sun Space editor Rod Meade Sperry at The Worst Horse:

Shep Fairey — he of the ubiquitous Obama poster, the ubiquitous Obey Giant street-art campaign,  and countless other works, has now portrayed the Dalai Lama in this new portrait, Compassion.

You may recall that Fairey recently portrayed Aung San Suu Kyi as well.

Done to celebrate His Holiness’s 75th birthday, Compassion is available from Fairey’s website, and net proceeds will be split between Tibet House and LA Friends of Tibet. (The Dalai Lama’s birthday is on July 6.)

Happily, Rod reports that all 500 prints created sold very quickly.  Yay!

March 15, 2010

Brooke Schedneck on Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

Over at her awesome, awesome, awesome blog Wandering Dhamma, Brooke Schedneck has two new posts about the late, great Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.  Take a look.