Buddhist Studies in Tel Aviv University

So, I got back to Israel and signed up for classes in East Asia studies and in Philosophy. I'd love to write about what I am learning and if any thoughts or insights arise, share them here. These are the courses I am attending in:

• Japan's Culture- about the history and development of Japan
• Japan Architecture and Environment- mostly historical and classical architecture
• Emptiness: My Life is Full, My Life is Empty - about the concept of emptiness in the mahayana
• Introduction to Chinese Philosophy - Confucius, Mo dze, Djong Dze...
• Introduction to Indian Philosophy
• Cutting with the Sword of Wisdom: Japanese Zen Martial Arts - about samurais and the warrior archetype (Karl Jung)
• The History of the Philosophy of Emotions - about being human as being a rational being, and the idea of controlling the emotions... and the place of emotions in moral judgments

* I marked the courses that are the most important for me...

M working subject is : Contemplative [Zen] Arts as an Educational Practice

I am also participating in: Meditation and Education: Theory and Practice, which is a MA course in Education. And it is also a research.

In addition, I am a research assistant for an Education research about children literacy, in 2nd grade, using computer technology. Specifically, the kids read an electronic story, which is, by chance, a Chinese fairytale about the 'empty vase'.

Mindfulness Instruction for Children

Hi everyone!

I recently joined a group of MA education students who are teaching mindfulness to 5th graders in a Tel Aviv school. The professor of this course is also writing a research about it. The attempt is to help kids with learning disabilities and emotional difficulties by teaching them mindfulness techniques.
The MA students have learned different techniques of meditation in the Fall semester and also theories and researches about mindfulness in education, health, and other related areas. In the Spring semester they are engaging in practice, so they teach 5th graders through 8 meetings. The class is divided to groups of 2-4 kids, with one or two instructors. I am one of the instructors.

I can write and update here how is this project going.
We also met with the parents once and explained to them what we are doing.

Please write questions or comments!

"Holiday:" Film by Dan Chyutin, a good friend of mine

Check it out:

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/3708/Holiday

Holiday :

Director: Dan Chyutin | Producer: Maayan Meir
Genre: Drama | Produced In: 2004 | Country: United States
Tags: Relationships, World

Synopsis: Silence is 12-year-old Michael's way of coping with the troubles in his life. Living with a mentally disturbed mother, Michael has to cope on a day-to-day basis with alternating outbursts of affection and disdain. In order to appease his unstable mother and help her preserve her fragile sanity, the boy often gives in to her different whims. At night Michael often spends his time alone in the woods near his home, far from his mother. It is in these woods where Michael one night finds the body of a missing woman. This unsettling encounter undermines the fragile foundations upon which the silent and troubled boy has built his life.

The Joyful Creativity & Mindfulness Group

Our group is exploring a non-judgmental space for creativity. We use mindfulness to explore our ability to be creative without judgment. We talk about creative moments and ideas, we share our ideas, feelings and insights. We notice obstacles we encounter as we engage creatively in the world. We allow ourselves to be playful and explore creative mediums individually and collaboratively. We encourage and learn from each other. We believe everyone is creative and that it is healthy to engage in the world creatively.

What we do?

• Ground ourselves in the present moment
• Warrior’s Exchange (mindful speech practice) or reflective conversation
• writing prompts (from "The Artist Way" and other inspiring exercises)
• Hands-on Activity: Sketching, drawing, origami, photography, video etc. [offer yr own]
• Share a creative thing we made
• Tell about a creative moment we had
• -home assignment (hands-on/reflective)
• Tea & Cookies!

Why do this?

This type of exploration may help us to better understand our relationship to creativity, to notice our obstacles and judgments, to share our fears with others and get support, to share our inspirations with others, to expand our creative endeavors and reach out beyond our comfort zone of creativity, give us courage and motivation to explore arts or interests we haven't thought of before, or deepen our friendly relationship towards creative parts of our lives that already exist. It might also teach us about our common fears and obstacles, and our individual uniqueness.

Being creative and feeling safe to explore is important to human development and wellbeing. When we feel we can freely express who we truly are, we feel better and we radiate more joy to others around us.

What to Bring?

You don’t need to bring anything. But if you like to, you are welcome to bring a notebook, inspiring quotes, questions for contemplation, a piece of art/craft you made or care for, an insight or something you want to share.

How we do it?

We engage in a ‘Warrior’s Exchage’. A practice of mindful speech in which everyone is equal and we are trying to be present, open, non-judgmental and loving. We base our talk and reflection on being in the present. This requires a practice of meditation.

What have we done so far?


Introduced ourselves and shared our intention in being in this group. Discussed the format and style of the group and came to conclusions and decisions on how to proceed. Created a vision together. We used writing prompts to learn more about our creative fantasies. We shared ideas about what we would like to create. We started to think and plan collaborative projects together. We had a home-assignment to proceed and put into action a specific creative fantasy we had in mind but were stuck with. We visited Liz’s studio and saw handy crafts she makes. Got introduced to her puppets and their personal life. We discussed puppets as objects who become subjects. We meditated on a mug and explored our projections of it. We drew on a small piece of paper and wrote an affirmation we liked, about our ability to be creative and open. We shared our feelings and perceptions about our own creativity and about artists that inspired us. We shared some of the creative things we made with the group.

Specifically: I am currently working on exploring film-making by simply videotaping occasionally to become familiar with a camera. So far I filmed 5 short videos of my subway trip to the group meeting, and one video clip of the puppets’ Liz and Pauline.

Liz is exploring the project of puppet burlesque. She has met with a puppeteer and is now choosing the music and the materials she needs for her performance. This performance may, in turn, be filmed by me. Pauline is interested in participatory art, to include the audience and perhaps to make the scenery of the burlesque show. So this has become an individual project which is also collaborative.

Some Helpful Quotes

We used Louis Hay’s “Wisdom Cards” of inspiring affirmations (in the 12/5 meeting w/Una)

“I freely express who I am: It is my birthright to express myself in ways that are fulfilling to me.”

“I dwell on positive thoughts: If good comes into my life and I deny it by saying, “I don’t believe it,” I literally push my good away.”

“I open new doors to life: My spiritual growth comes in ways I don’t quite expect. I know I am always safe.”

More:

“I am willing to learn something new every day: I cannot learn other people’s lessons for them. They must do the work themselves, and they will do it when they are ready.”

“I am good enough: I am not restricted by old, limiting beliefs from my family or from society.”

“I am willing to see my magnificence: If I think that I am a bad person, I get a negative feeling. However, if I change the thought, the feeling disappears.”

“I have unlimited potential: Loving myself and thinking joyful, happy thoughts is the quickest way to create a wonderful life.”

We also explored and enjoyed the book: “How to Avoid Making Art: or anything else you enjoy” by Julia Cameron. [buy it on Amazon: 42 used from $0.61].

Reading List

Click to explore even if you won’t buy, just to see it.

*The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron; [150 used from $2.54]

*Wisdom Cards - by Louise Hay

True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art by Chogyam Trungpa and Judith L. Lief

The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life - by John Daido Loori

Schedule:
1) Sunday 11/21 3-5pm. Pauline, Liz, Yael [RMAC] [2 hrs]
2) Sunday 11/28 3-4pm, Pauline, Yael [RMAC] [1hr?]
3) Sunday 12/5 6pm, Yael, Liz & Una [Chelsea Studios= CS] [2 hrs]
4) Wed. 12/8, 6:30pm, Yael & Liz [CS] [2 hrs]
5) Wed. 12/15 6:50pm, Yael & Liz & Pauline [CS] [3 hrs]
6) Wed. 12/22 6:50, Yael & Pauline (+Jim? + Danny?), RMAC or TeaSpot [?] [1hr]

We will not be meeting from the 23rd of December until Jan. 15th.
Then, one, two or three of these options may happen:

1) We will continue to meet as a small group
2) We will have a public group in Shambhala Center
3) We will have a public group at the IDP Center

This is our stixy group if you'd like to add anything, email me and I will give you the password.

Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman's Quest for Enlightenment

Talk in May @ Shambhala NYC
"The Eight Worldly Concerns

with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo"

I was fortunate to hear Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo talk about the 6 Paramitas, in Tushita center, in McLeod Ganj. I learned insightful things from her presence and her speech.

I'm very curious about here book: "Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman's Quest for Enlightenment".

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was born in London in 1943. When she was 20 years old she traveled to India, and soon after met her teacher. In 1964, she became one of the first Western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. After twelve years of study and frequent retreats during the long Himalayan winters, she sought complete seclusion. She found a remote cave, where she practiced intensively for twelve years. Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman's Quest for Enlightenment is the story of her life. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a renowned champion for the rights of women to attain spiritual enlightenment. She is the founder of Dongyu Gatsal Ling, a nunnery in India.

Saturday class: The Healing Power of Loving-Kindness

The Healing Power of Loving-Kindness

with Tulku Thondup Rinpoche

Sat December 18th: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

All happiness in the world
Comes from wishing happiness for others.
All suffering in the world
Comes from the desire to have happiness only for oneself.

- Shantideva

Loving-kindness is the thought of wishing total happiness for others and putting that wish into practice. It is the thought of unconditioned, pure, and universal love towards all beings without attachment, self-centeredness, or expectation of rewards. Our mind has the power to generate love or hatred, inspire helpful or harmful actions, and enjoy joyful or painful experiences. Our mind has the power to ease all our pain and stress and to enjoy peace and happiness simply by loosening its tight grasping at mental objects.

The true nature of our mind is inherently peaceful and joyful. Once our mind is filled with love, whatever we say or do will be the expression of loving kindness. We will become a source of peace, joy and love for others. However, our mind is highly impressionable. We become what we see and think. If we meditate on the Buddha of Loving-Kindness, we turn into a person of Loving-Kindness.

In this workshop, we first visualize and pray to the Buddha of Loving-Kindness and Compassion (Avalokitesvara) and enjoy his blessing light of loving-kindness. As a result, thoughts and feelings of pure loving kindness - the pure qualities of our own mind - will be awakened in the depths of our heart. Then our mental, emotional, and physical energies spontaneously start blazing forth as the energy of pure love. Finally, whatever we see, hear, and feel will turn into the images, sounds, and experiences of unconditional love. Then our lives will become joyful lives of true loving-kindness - the source of peace and joy for many.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was born in Tibet and trained at the Dodrupchen Monastery. He moved to India in 1958 and came to the United States in 1980 as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. His many books on Tibetan Buddhism include The Healing Power of Loving Kindness, Boundless Healing, The Healing Power of Mind, Masters of Meditation and Miracles and Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth. Tulku Thondup teaches throughout the United States and Europe.

U.S + Nazis + Arab-Muslim leader Haj Amin al-Husseini

Declassified Papers Show U.S. Recruited Ex-Nazis

New York Times:

In chilling detail, the report also elaborates on the close working relationship between Nazi leaders and the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, who later claimed that he sought refuge in wartime Germany only to avoid arrest by the British.

In fact, the report says, the Muslim leader was paid “an absolute fortune” of 50,000 marks a month (when a German field marshal was making 25,000 marks a year). It also said he energetically recruited Muslims for the SS, the Nazi Party’s elite military command, and was promised that he would be installed as the leader of Palestine after German troops drove out the British and exterminated more than 350,000 Jews there.

On Nov. 28, 1941, the authors say, Hitler told Mr. Husseini that the Afrika Corps and German troops deployed from the Caucasus region would liberate Arabs in the Middle East and that “Germany’s only objective there would be the destruction of the Jews.”

The report details how Mr. Husseini himself was allowed to flee after the war to Syria — he was in the custody of the French, who did not want to alienate Middle East regimes — and how high-ranking Nazis escaped from Germany to become advisers to anti-Israeli Arab leaders and “were able to carry on and transmit to others Nazi racial-ideological anti-Semitism.”

“You have an actual contract between officials of the Nazi Foreign Ministry with Arab leaders, including Husseini, extending after the war because they saw a cause they believed in,” Dr. Breitman said. “And after the war, you have real Nazi war criminals — Wilhelm Beisner, Franz Rademacher and Alois Brunner — who were quite influential in Arab countries.”

In October 1945, the report says, the British head of Palestine’s Criminal Investigation Division told the assistant American military attaché in Cairo that the mufti might be the only force able to unite the Palestine Arabs and “cool off the Zionists. Of course, we can’t do it, but it might not be such a damn bad idea at that.”

“We have more detailed scholarly accounts today of Husseini’s wartime activities, but Husseini’s C.I.A. file indicates that wartime Allied intelligence organizations gathered a healthy portion of this incriminating evidence,” the report says. “This evidence is significant in light of Husseini’s lenient postwar treatment.” He died in Beirut in 1974.