Very good day today. Got up early and went to the buddhist temple with Willow and Greg. We missed morning meditation but made it in time for class. It was interesting. A taped lecture from the Jetsunma mostly about buddhism in general and how important it is. Not to be afraid, as a Westerner, to be different. That being buddhist is not like being christian. It is a lifestyle, not about how frequently you go to church, or temple. The lecture was titled the stakes are high. I enjoyed it. One part that really stuck with me was she was talking about self and other. When we individualize our selves, separate our selves, consider our selves to be independent then we automatically create "other". And the first time we see an "other", be it a person or an object, because it is separate from ourselves we judge it. Do we need it or not need it? Will it hurt us or not hurt us? Help us or not? Buddhism teaches that that belief in indepence is false. And that until we realize that we are not separate from everything else, we will only continue to hurt each other.
But the other interesting part of my day was at class tonight we started Hindu metaphysics. And a lot of the terms I heard in the Jetsunma lecture, I heard again in class tonight! Like samsara. I made a point to highlight all the terms I heard in both places. Pretty cool.
Also at the temple I got a small singing bowl. I love it! Took it to class of course I opened and closed with it. I told everyone at show and tell about quitting smoking and finally got the support I had been wanting about it. Everybody cheered and gave me hugs. That was really good and supportive. Oh yeah and at the temple I got a cd of chants and mantras to White Tara and a picture of her. That goes back to a dream that I had almost a year ago about Her. After the dream I had promised to come to KPC but I didn't. So I owed Her.